just dreaming about being jack abott's slightly problematic age gap younger partner

and partner as in he gives medical tips and offers gender-affirming care advice whenever you complain about dysphoria

he says shit like "i love your chest baby but i don't mind taking them of your hands. literally."

and god forbid you start taking hormones, he INSISTS on delivering every shot, applying every cream, etc. - "i got it, jack!" "you deserve the best care, baby, please let me take care of you."

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Together on Parade by Sarah Wallace & S.O. Callahan is a cozy, low stakes MM historical romance that takes place in a queernormative version of old Hollywood. The way the book captures the very specific feel and unique way of speaking of 1930s Hollywood felt so on-point authentic that I was instantly drawn into this alternative past!

The two leads have very different personalities that made for so many fun interactions and the absolute best banter! Monty is a film star with an ego that gets him in trouble and Hilliard is the calm and down-to-earth best friend who rescues him from himself. As the story progresses, the characters open up and grow, as do their feelings.

The magic in here was a lot subtler than I got used to in the other books I read by these authors, but no less unique. See, the magic is tied closely to the individual and melds with their personality. For example, Hilliard is a supportive and attentive friend and his magic allows him to connect with and feel others while Monty is more outgoing and ambitious and his magic allows him to influence others for his gain.

These two different magic/personality traits made for some interesting interactions. And, importantly, it's clear that Monty couldn't use his magic to make someone do something they didn't already want to do and Hilliard's magic couldn't make him a walking doormat for others. This distinction was so crucial to keeping the cozy vibes and soft feelings between characters.

There are also two side characters in here who get together behind the scenes and have several interactions with Hilliard and Monty. What's unique about this is that Cal and Jesse get their own story that takes place at the same time in When I'm in Your Arms. I didn't need to read their story to adore this one since everything comes together perfectly for the main couple. That said, I absolutely intend to read Jesse and Cal's story next!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Spells to Forget Us by Aislinn Brophy is a (literally) magical and emotionally intense YA sapphic fantasy with a unique approach to starcrossed lovers, having both forgetting each other and inevitably being drawn together again like destiny. The ride was obviously wild, but it just made me root even more for them to end up together (for good)!

One thing I was uncertain about going into this is if the forgetting and meeting again would be repetitive, but it felt new each time. In fact, from the beginning I wasn't sure when they'd really first met. Instead, I learned completely new things about each character as the story progressed, each interaction building on the last rather than ever feeling like starting over.

The magical aspects were definitely some of my favorites! I loved the idea that there's this vail that prevents the non-magical from seeing all these amazing fantasy creatures and magical things happening all around them. Having that lifted for Aoife made me feel her wonder and astonishment right along with her.

Also, the way Luna feels about using her magic and the fact there's a real "cost" each time made her both uniquely interesting and relatable. Her family issues, while obviously based on magic, made me think of a type of royalty problems and that aspect made her forbidden romance with Aoife feel even more epic.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Key by Jo Morgan Sloan is a dual-POV MM second chance romance with a twist: one doesn't recognize the other because the first time they were together one hadn't transitioned yet. This allows for the feelings of yearning for past love to blend with the sparks of new love in a delightful way. There's also a soulmates theme that I adored!

I really appreciated that the story began with their relationship and breakup as teens rather than some brief mention or even flashback, because it's so important to the story. It also sets up a comparison to their present lives. Both Jax and Tabby are having issues with their current relationships, which is a catalyst for a change not just on Jax's part since his ended but also on Tabby's part too. While Jax is trying to start over, Tabby tries to improve his relationship with his boyfriend Rob. This creates a unique dynamic where Jax tries to help Rob be a better boyfriend to Tabby, which shows how much Jax cares for and knows about Tabby compared to Rob and makes the romantic gestures feel like Jax's toward Tabby.

I loved them meeting again at a D&D group and all these cute romcom moments, but there's also a lot more to the story too. Having Tabby's D&D group be LGBT+ means we get a lot of queer rep, but there's also moments that felt like they could be educational about being queer, which made the story much deeper. For example, there's a dynamic about how different people approach being trans that I found interesting.

That said, it's clear that Jax being bi and physically attracted to the current version of the person he doesn't know is his past love isn't the driver of their renewed interest in each other. Nor is Tabby's continued attraction to Jax. The two have so much in common and click with each other in a way that transcends the physical and is deeply romantic. Watching them realize this special connection they've always had was both sweet and a wild ride!

#QueerPrompts June 14: Queer reading rec(s)

Since I ONLY read queer books, here's some queer summer reading recs! 🌞

Practical Rules for Cursed Witches by Kayla Cottingham is a fun epic adventure with magic, danger, and an amazing love story, but it's also a story about the courage to overcome a lifetime of believing something's wrong with you and to be vulnerable and open with someone else.

First, I have to admit that I actually ended up starting to read Extraordinary Quests for Amateur Witches before realizing it was a sequel and then starting this book. I didn't get far and so the only real spoiler was that I'd get a happy ending here, which is the one spoiler I want ahead of reading, so it all worked out. I'm so glad I started with this because I adored Delilah and Briar's love story and all the magic!

The worldbuilding felt very immersive and fleshed out without having a bunch of info dumps. It just came up naturally as it would from someone living in that world encountering magic and systems within it that they're familiar with. The magic was also alongside some elements that felt like steampunk.

The single POV ended up working really well, revealing only bits of Briar at a time and letting her character grow on me as she grew on Delilah. This meant that I felt the same connections forming as Delilah did and was so ready for the romance and heavily invested in the mortal danger to them and their relationship.

I also really liked all the side characters. They each have their own unique personalities, pasts, and storylines that converge. Everyone felt fleshed out to the point that I could imagine them all doing things elsewhere while the story was following Delilah. In fact, the book made it clear that was the case. There's also a lot of queer characters and queernormative elements that I adored.