We’re Doing it Again!
Sep. 8th, 2025 05:00 am![[syndicated profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/feed.png)
HERE WE GO AGAIN! Insane Charity Bike Ride 2025is here!
There is much coolness to be grabbed…all for helping a GREAT cause!
HERE WE GO AGAIN! Insane Charity Bike Ride 2025is here!
There is much coolness to be grabbed…all for helping a GREAT cause!
For the thirteenth time, I’m taking to a bicycle, to help raise money to help local farmers get fresh-food to local low-income and elderly households.
This year will be different, however. IF we can hit the $20,000 goal:
(a) I will cycle with the Duck of Doom on my helmet, but more importantly
(b) That will bring the grand total of all Insane Charity Bike Rides (2011-2025) to A QUARTER OF A MILLION DOLLARS!
A few things to note:
SUPPORT LEVELS AND REWARDS
ANY donation – The 2025 Coloring Book PDF . Look, even simply getting the word out helps, but nothing beats cash. I realize money is tight these days all round, but any amount helps, no matter how small. Donate, and you will get a PDF of the brand-new coloring book (hopefully celebrating the $250,000 landmark).
$35 – The 2025 Munchkin Charity Postcard and the 2025 Coloring Book PDF.
$75 – The 2025 Army of Dorkness Sergeant Button, the 2025 Postcard the 2025 Coloring Book PDF
$125 – Kovalic’s Munchkin Miscellany – I’ve a few copies of this comic book left from the Munchkin BIG BOX Kickstarter, and Steve Jackson Games has graciously allowed me to use these for charity purposes.
There’s lots of nifty stories and favorite bits of art in this, and it’s a ton of fun! Also, you get the Button, 2025 Postcard, Munchkin Miscellany and the 2025 Coloring Book PDF (14 of 15 remaining)
$200 – All 12 prior Insane Charity Bike Ride Postcards, Munchkin Miscellany, the 2025 Button, 2025 Postcard, and the 2025 Coloring Book PDF (10 of 10 remaining)
$300 – The 2025 Gamehole Con plushie, Karlos the Kobold, Munchkin Miscellany, Button, 2025 Postcard, the 2025 Coloring Book PDF (20 of 20 remaining)
$375 – Original Munchkin Art!!! As always, I don’t sell original Munchkin art. This is the only way you can obtain a piece, and the upcoming release this year’s art will be selected from will be HUGE. Plus, Munchkin Miscellany, the 2025 Button, all 12 prior Postcards, 2025 Postcard, the 2025 Coloring Book PDF (20 of 20 remaining)
$750 – Be among the first to read THE DORK WEB, the new Dork Tower collection, along with a DORK WEB T-shirt and a Gilly the Perky Goth plushie! A pre-publication copy of The Dork Web PDF, T-shirt, Gilly the Perky Goth Plushie, All Prior Postcards, Original Munchkin Art, Kobold plushie, Munchkin Miscellany, Button, Postcard the 2025 Coloring Book PDF (10 of 10 remaining)
$1000 – Appear in a Dork Tower Comic! You, your frtiend, your family, or even a pet will appear in a Dork Tower strip! We can talk about how best to fit you or your loved one into a strip. You also get Original Art, a pre-publication copy of The Dork Web PDF, T-shirt, Gilly the Perky Goth Plushie, All Prior Postcards, Original Munchkin Art, Kobold, Munchkin Miscellany, Button, Postcard the 2025 Coloring Book PDF (2 of 2 remaining)
$2,000 – Become an Official Munchkin Card! You, a friend, your family, or even a pet will become an official Munchkin card! You also get 100 printed cards and the card’s original art, along with a pre-publication copy of The Dork Web PDF, T-shirt, Gilly the Perky Goth Plushie, All Prior Postcards, Original Munchkin Art, Kobold, Munchkin Miscellany, Button, Postcard the 2025 Coloring Book PDF (2 of 2 remaining)
SPONSORSHIP LEVEL 1 – Add $1,250 to any level for six months of ads on DorkTower.com. The ads may be changed up to four times and may include Dork Tower characters. (4 of 4 remaining)
SPONSORSHIP LEVEL 2 – Add $2,000 to any level for a full year of ads on DorkTower.com. The ads may be changed up to eight times and may include Dork Tower characters. (2 of 2 remaining)
PLEASE NOTE, there may be an added cost for shipping the physical rewards outside of the United States, depending on the whims of the current US administration. We apologize deeply for this, and will contact supporters as the time approaches.
STRETCH GOALS
Hitting $5,000 – A sticker commemorating the 13th Insane Charity Bike Ride campaign will be included with all physical orders.
Hitting $10,000 – I’ll ride with the Steve Jackson Games Tentacles of Doom again!
Hitting $15,000 – A unique Munchkin card commemorating the 13th Insane Charity Bike Ride campaign will be included with all physical orders.
Hitting $20,000 – THE DUCK! THE DUCK! THE DUCK! I’ll ride with the Steve Jackson Games Duck of Doom on my helmet again!
RECOMMENDED: All Superheroes Need PR by Elizabeth Stephens is $1.99! Thank you to everyone who let us know about this sale. We ran a positive guest review of this one recently:
All in all, this book was a fun romp. There were some truly wild moments of alien biology I won’t spoil, but they were more amusing than horrific. Roland and Vanessa’s tension and chemistry was truly delicious. Their physical relationship was a bit of a slow burn but well worth the wait.
He’s a villain looking for a hero rebrand. She’s the marketing genius who can make it happen in this fantastical romantic comedy by the author of the Beasts of Gatamora series.
Over two decades ago, forty-eight young, gifted superheroes fell to Earth and were eventually marketed as opposing heroes and villains. Now, one exceptionally gruff bad guy is looking to hop teams. Hello, PR director Vanessa Theriot.
His real name is Roland Casteel a.k.a. the Pyro. First, swap that with the less incinerating the Wyvern. Next, put him in spandex to highlight that near-godlike body. Finally, give that hero in training a heroine—if Vanessa will play the part in a pretend romance guaranteed to make the city swoon. She’s game. As shy as Vanessa is, it’s her job to be Roland’s very own Lois Lane. Who knew that fake dating would change their worlds?
But falling head over heels for real makes for a dangerous shift in the narrative. A monstrous supervillain is bringing out Roland’s bad side again. This time, it’s to save a woman who, against all the odds, is becoming the human love of his superhero life.
Along Came Amor by Alexis Daria is $1.99! This is book three in the Primas of Power series. This came out in May and I think is the third (and final?) book in the series.
From the international bestselling author of You Had Me at Hola and A Lot Like Adiós comes a steamy love story of a divorced schoolteacher who discovers that her perfect no-strings fling is anything but…
No strings
After Ava Rodriguez’s now-ex-husband declares he wants to “follow his dreams”—which no longer include her—she’s left questioning everything she thought she wanted. So when a handsome hotelier flirts with her, Ava vows to stop overthinking and embrace the opportunity for an epic one-night-stand complete with a penthouse suite, rooftop pool, and buckets of champagne.
No feelings
Roman Vasquez’s sole focus is the empire he built from the ground up. He lives and dies by his schedule, but the gorgeous stranger grimacing into her cocktail glass inspires him to change his plans for the evening. At first, it’s easy for Roman to agree to Ava’s rules: no strings, no feelings. But one night isn’t enough, and the more they meet, the more he wants.
No falling in love
Roman is the perfect fling, until Ava sees him at her cousin’s engagement party—as the groom’s best man, no less! Suddenly, maintaining her boundaries becomes a lot more complicated as she tries to hide the truth of their relationship from her family. However, Roman isn’t content being her dirty little secret, and he doesn’t just want more, he wants everything. With her future uncertain and her family pressuring her from all sides, Ava will have to decide if love is worth the risk—again.
RECOMMENDED: Homemaker by Ruthie Knox and Annie Mare is $2.49 at Amazon! Sarah reviewed this and gave it a B+:
Homemaker is extremely, vibrantly feminist, though Prairie is not so much angry all the time (she is sometimes) as she is fed up and unafraid to point out all of the ways that women’s perceptions, labor, and accomplishments are devalued – unless that women’s work makes the man in her life look good to other people.
Not in My Book by Katie Holt is $1.99! This came out in December and was mentioned in Hide Your Wallet. This is an enemies to lovers romance with aspiring writers.
**Rosie writes romance novels and listens to Taylor Swift on loop. Aiden is a literary fiction writer who doesn’t believe in happy endings. They’re about to write a book together—what could go wrong?
The Hating Game meets Beach Read in this sexy and hilarious enemies-to-lovers romance from a debut Peruvian-Tennessean voice.**
Rosie, an idealistic and passionate Peruvian American, leaves her Tennessee hometown to pursue her dream of making it in New York as a writer. But her plan is derailed when she ends up in class with her archnemesis and ex-crush, Aiden Huntington—an obnoxious, surly, and gorgeous literary fiction writer who doesn’t have much patience for the romance genre or for Rosie.
Rosie and Aiden regularly go to verbal battle in workshop until their professor reaches her breaking point. She allows them to stay in her class on one condition: they must cowrite a novel that blends their genres.
The reluctant writing duo can’t help but put pieces of themselves into their accidentally steamy novel, and their manuscript-in-progress provides an outlet for them to confess their feelings—and explore their attraction toward each other.
When Rosie and Aiden find themselves competing against each other for a potentially career-changing opportunity, the flames of old rivalry reignite, and their once-in-a-lifetime love story is once again at risk of being shelved—unless they can find a way to end the book on their own terms.
Will you guys ever get tired of seeing wedding missed marks? 'Cuz I'm thinking, "no."
Let's test that theory, shall we?
What the bride wanted:
What the bride got:
That'll buff out.
A lovely leaf motif:
And a lovely...oh good grief:
Actually, that leaf design is so popular I have two wedding wrecks based on it:
Whoah. This baker needs to make like a tree, and get out of tree decorations.
(Hm. I feel like that line didn't go quite right. Maybe I should follow it up with something clever.)
So.
YEAH.
(Theeere we go.)
This next one's in reverse order; here's what Anthony L's bakery replaced another bakery's initial wreck with, and with only an hour and a half to do so before the wedding started:
Not bad for less than two hours' work, right?
Especially when you compare what the original cake (again, from another bakery) looked like:
Am I the only one who thinks this looks like Play-Doh? I keep expecting it to spring to life, claymation style. And then maybe turn into a giant demon dog and terrorize a nerdy New York accountant.
Just me?
Here's a fun, modern pattern:
Aaaaand the fun stops HERE:
It's never a good sign when your cake is crying.
Goodness gracious, great balls on wires!
Seriously. They're like shiny little bubbles of joy - totally cute.
These, on the other hand, are just...
...balls.
Thanks to Krista V., Emily B., Allison I., Anthony L., Tempest J., & Sarah B. for feeding our horrible wedding wreck obsession.
*****
P.S. In case your life was missing a set of cat butt magnets, I found you some:
Cat Butt Magnets
There's also a set for dogs.
You're welcome.
:D
*****
And from my other blog, Epbot:
Welcome back to Cover Snark!
Sarah: The whole set of new covers is killing me.
There are forwards by Tessa Bailey, Ali Hazelwood and Alexis Hall and others.
Elyse: I don’t remember a court jester in those books
Maya: In every iteration, the checkerboard pattern shirt makes no sense to me
Elyse: Also are people going to pick up those books expecting the characters not to be white?
Sarah: I didn’t know Emma was a poly romance
it looks like a rather smoking hot triad from the cover. Is this a revised edition?
Amanda: Okay a couple questions. They say that there are forewords by prominent YA authors. Half of them aren’t. Like Alexis Hall and Tessa Bailey.
Sarah: yet another example of ‘clearly I am not the audience’
Amanda: Also the covers make them seem like contemporary retellings but I don’t think they are?
Sarah: Very contemporary. How far is the distance between the vibe of the cover illustration and the actual text of the book? Miles? Nautical miles? Light years?
Amanda: Nothing in the jacket copy could tell me either way.
Carrie: He looks like he’s cold but can’t figure out how his zipper works
Sarah: Shirts! Shirts are a great choice!
Kiki: Wash your belly-button, bud.
That tattoo is reminding me of a radioactive symbol.
Sarah: I think it is?
No, it’s not I’m wrong.
Kiki: I thought it was too, so I have to assume his belly button has got some stuff going on.
Amanda: It’s a biohazard sign which I think might be worse.
Kiki: That’s it! Yeah, that’s absolutely worse.
Sarah: You don’t want your belly button to be a biohazard.
I remember when mine nearly turned inside out while I was pregnant. I looked like a torpedo, all out in front. But I wasn’t a biohazard. I was cute.
Amanda: That looks like a child.
Sarah: oh gosh, yeah…it does.
Lara: Major ick.
Sarah: I wonder why that is. The height difference, for sure, but also the hair and the long nightgown looking dress?
Kiki: I think all of that, combined with her hiding the mop behind her back, is really giving it a “I hope dad doesn’t find out!” vibe.
Sarah: It’s really interesting that we’re agreeing but there are so many little things leading us to that impression
Amanda: I also think there’s a teen movie where the main character wear’s converse to prom, but I’m blanking.
Sarah: Also that the illustrated dress looks too big for her, like she’s wearing an adult’s clothing and she’s small.
From Melodie: Today’s bears seem to be smirking? The one on all fours seems to be outright laughing. Do they know something about the cover model that we don’t?
Sarah: Those bears are not rescuing him. They’re mocking him.
“Aw, look who went out into the frigid national parks with no fur and no clothes!”
Amanda: Is he interrupting the bears having sex?
Sarah: If so they don’t seem too mad about it.
I wrote (part of) a book!
This one right here, Romance Reader’s Journal: A Log for Book Lovers & Lovers in Books!
This is, as the title states, a prompted journal for romance readers, created by Chronicle Books.
They asked me to write portions of the book, and wow, was that fun!
I think the section I’m most proud of are the recommendation lists. I wanted to make sure that current and classic titles were included, and I’m really, really pleased with how it turned out.
Y’all, I think this journal is really nice.
The pages are printed on a luscious paper, and there are coloring pages, games, challenges, and plenty of pages on which to record, rate, and review your romances.
This would make a marvelous gift for a romance reader, especially one who loves a journal. You can find it on Amazon, or at Bookshop.org.
But I have four copies to give away!
If you’d like to win a copy for yourself (or to give to someone else!) just comment below and recommend a romance you’d want to include in this journal if it were yours. Any year, any genre, but one book that you’d want to write down, and write about.
Standard disclaimers apply: We are not being compensated for this giveaway. Please note that I do not receive royalties from this book. Must be over 18 and ready to read, record, and revel in how great your taste is when it comes to romance novels! Open to international residents where permitted by applicable law. Entries will end around noon on Thursday 11 September 2025, and winners will be announced and notified shortly afterward.
It is truly a special thrill to see the finished copies of something you worked on arrive in the mail, and I’m very excited to share copies with some of y’all. Good luck!
It’s one of my favorite weekends of the year– the Wisconsin Sheep and Wool Festival–but this year it felt a little bit like a letdown. There seemed to be fewer vendors and less stock, meaning that even though I went early on the first day a lot of the specialty colorways I was looking for were already sold out.
First of all, I attend the event every year with friends and I wasn’t the only one who thought that while the crowd size seemed the same, there were fewer vendors and more space in the “country store” barns where most of the yarn, notions and other crafts are sold.
One of my favorite vendors is Oink Pigments, and every year I look forward to their specialty colorway for the event. Even though we arrived pretty early she was down to three skeins and none of them were sock yarn. Fortunately she was happy to dye a skein to order for me.
The larger vendors were still there, but it seemed like some of the smaller ones were not. I did manage to find a few new vendors, though.
Knitz and Pearls had a bunch of yarn that glows under a blacklight that appealed to my 80’s and 90’s child neon loving heart.
I also find Fiber MacGyver (can we just take a minute to appreciate the name) and their adorable mushroom sock yet. They even gave out the little camper stitch stoppers with each purchase.
There were also yarn trucks there, which, rather than selling products from a single vendor, sold several different brands of yarns and notions similar to a little yarn shop on wheels.
And of course people still had their beautiful projects to show off, like this colorwork sweater.
So what do I think is happening?
I suspect the smaller stock and fewer vendors has to do with uncertainty regarding tariffs. Not a lot of wool is actually produced in the US, meaning a lot of dyers purchase their stock from overseas.
I don’t dye yarn but I do buy finished, dyed yarn from a few vendors in Europe and this year there has been a ton of delays and uncertainty regarding shipping and cost. A lot of shipments have taken much longer than usual, and some producers aren’t shipping to the US at all.
If you’re interested in further reading, Slate has an article on tariffs and knitting.
I’ll be going to the New York Sheep and Wool Festival next month (aka Rhinebeck) and I’ll be very interested to see how it compares to other years.
I still managed to find some cute yarn this year and I’ve already started a project so obviously it wasn’t a bust.
Have you been to any fiber festivals lately? Have you noticed a difference year over year?
Who says you have to have a white wedding? These bright beauties are proof you can have your color and eat it, too.
Daisies are red, violets are blue...
Okay, before we head to the Epcot bunker: they're actually hand-painted poppies, and they're beautiful!
Orange you glad I found this gorgeous cake?
By iHeartCakes
Such a great color. Everything should look that cheerful.
Or, if that's too much orange (never!), here's a way to stand out with classic black and white:
By The Clever Little Cupcake Company
Look at the little bows! Clever, indeed.
This mellow yellow is a stunning way to add some unique detail:
By The Couture Cakery
Okay, those may actually be daisies.
Still, I'm a girl who wants more bang for her buck:
By Superfine Bakery
BANG!
I love the vintage feel.
For a more elegant style, this bakery muted the colors and added more feminine detail:
By Criollo Cakes
Those piped pearls are divine!
If this doesn't make you green with envy, I'm not sure what will:
By Bella Cupcakes
Wedding in the garden, perhaps?
How about a classic design with a kick?
By Pink Cake Box
Going green has never been more tasteful.
This blue beauty was inspired by sun-printing:
By Once Wed
Totally mod - and what a cool technique!
Moving down the spectrum, these violet violets are just adorable on a modern cube cake:
Made by BethAnn at Studio Cake Design
Simply beautiful.
And if you can't decide on just one color, why not use them all?
By Sweet Element
I love love love this striped summertime sweet. I only hope they used Fruit Stripe gum for wedding favors.
However, I don't think I've ever found a wedding "cake" I love more than this:
By Maki's Cakes
Rainbow-colored cake spheres? Roy G. Biv would be proud!
Happy Sunday!
*****
And from my other blog, Epbot:
The latest bestseller list is brought to you by scented candles, firm hugs, and our affiliate sales data.
I hope your weekend reading was comforting!
—email—
Dear Frank,
I was the one who sent this in September of 2007. It was September of my freshman year in high school and I had just gotten out of a deep depression. On April 25th, 2007, I had written the note, thinking that life would never get better than my depressed, 14-year old existence. But for whatever wonderful reason, I kept going. Oddly enough, I didn’t get rid of the suicide note. I’m not sure what was stopping me.
I had wanted to send in a secret since I discovered Postsecret in 7th grade in the midst of my first bout of depression. I instantly fell in love with it. I try realized that other people were in just as much pain as I was. When I started to feel better, I realize I needed to get rid of the note. I thought that ripping it up and sending it to Postsecret was the best way to do it.
I am now almost 23 and studying to be a social worker. Right now, I want to do mental health advocacy. I want people to be able to access treatment and realize they’re not alone.
But I’ve also been struggling. This year, my depression came back with a vengeance, along with an eating disorder. Monday night, I I was exhausted and sick from days of restricting. I was so frustrated with the fact that I couldn’t seem to get better. I lied in my bed and begged God to take away my pain. I was so afraid of my own pain, I made my housemate keep my meds in her room so I wouldn’t have access to them in the middle of the night.
Tuesday morning, I barely rolled out of bed. I was procrastinating on getting ready for class, and I realized I hadn’t checked Postsecret this week. I scrolled through the Sunday secrets, past the pictures of the Smithsonian exhibit (which I fully intend to visit), then I saw mine. I immediately recognized it. I couldn’t believe it. I thought that since it wasn’t posted 8 years ago, it would never be posted. I was so glad that I was an inspirational suicide story. It was like getting a note from my ninth grade self reassuring me that it was going to be okay.
Ironically, I’ve been showing the post to everyone. My mom told me she was so glad she never had to read it. One of my housemates hugged me and said she was getting goosebumps. My pastor said he couldn’t imagine a world without me and was also glad I had introduced him to Postsecret. My therapist was amazed that you had kept it for that long and that it must have really impacted you. She pointed out that it was clearly written by a child (with the handwriting and the purple gel pen), and that if I could impact a stranger with my story at the age of 14, imagine how I could use my story now.
Thank you so much for Postsecret. For the approximately nine years I have followed it, it has amused me, changed my perception of others, and made me realize I’m not alone. I’m am so glad that Postsecret was a way for me to reach and inspire others, even 8 years later.
Sincerely,
Claire
Aspiring social worker and life-changer
—email—
Dear Claire,
Thank you for sharing your honest story and secret. It is gratifying to see the people PostSecret touches, in the same way you will never fully appreciate all the strangers you have inspired – and will inspire.
-Frank
—email—
Dear Frank,
It has been many years, since my secret was featured on PostSecret, but I have never forgotten about it. It was a hugely transformative moment in my life. I recently decided to share the story on a podcast. Here’s the link. After my story was shared on the podcast, I got a tattoo to remind me of this whole story, and to symbolize my resilience throughout all of this. I am so grateful that I had my opportunity to share my secret with the world. I am also thankful that I am in a place where it is not a secret anymore. Thank you for providing the space to share.
The post September is Suicide Prevention Month appeared first on PostSecret.
September 5 is the OTW's birthday and this year, we are turning 18 years old! To celebrate this event, let's look back at some of the milestones the OTW's projects - AO3, TWC, Open Doors, Fanlore, and Legal Advocacy - have achieved over the years:
Since then, our projects have only continued to flourish and grow. AO3 has more than 9 million users and 15,730,000 works. Fanlore has nearly 80,000 pages and has seen over 1,657,000 edits. TWC is on its 45th issue. Open Doors has imported more than 100 archives, containing over 164,000 fanworks. Legal Advocacy fights hard for the rights of fans each and every day, responding to dozens of questions every year, filing Amicus Curiae briefs, joining coalitions, and more. All this and more is thanks to the support of fans worldwide; it wouldn't be possible without you!
If you're interested in how you can help, there are many ways for you to support us and our fannish community, and you can learn about some of them today by participating in our 18th Anniversary Bingo! On the card below you can see sixteen ways to contribute to the OTW or one of its projects. Some of these you might already have done, or are doing. You can cross those off!
Once you have a Bingo, we'd love for you to tell us what you did to get it! Tag us on social media using #18YearsOTW or comment below, and let us know. We're excited to hear from you!
If you're looking for other ways you can support the OTW, check out How You Can Help for more ideas!
The Organization for Transformative Works is the non-profit parent organization of multiple projects including Archive of Our Own, Fanlore, Open Doors, Transformative Works and Cultures, and OTW Legal Advocacy. We are a fan-run, entirely donor-supported organization staffed by volunteers. Find out more about us on our website.
This month is positively spoiling us with queer romance of various genres, and this is just the tip of the iceberg. Debuts, established names, and notable category-jumpers are all on the syllabus this September, so gets your wallets and library cards ready because queer romance school is definitely in session!
Author: Zac Hammett
Released: September 2, 2025 by Slowburn
Genre: Contemporary Romance, LGBTQIA, Romance
Their only path to victory is each other . . .
George and Lucas can’t stand each other – which makes it awkward being on the same Cambridge University rowing team. The uber-charming, womanising George got parachuted into Cambridge from America for his sporting prowess, despite his subpar grades, whereas Lucas worked for everything he’s got – which sadly doesn’t include a boyfriend. When George is told that this year he’ll have to sit his exams fair and square, Lucas agrees to help him study – in exchange for help in wooing his crush, Amir.
Together, they embark on a journey to seduce, cheat, and beat their way to the top. They face rivals within their own squad, cutthroat competitors at Oxford, and their own annoyance with each other. But as they get closer, they find that they actually make a great duo. Will Lucas and George help their rowing team beat their arch rivals in a centuries-old feud? Will George manage to pass his fiendishly hard exams? Will Lucas finally work up the courage to ask Amir out? And what will Lucas and George do when they realise that what they really want is each other – even if that means changing their lives forever.
For fans of Red, White and Royal Blue, See You at the Finish Line is a brand-new LGBTQ+ enemies to lovers romance with a love story that will warm your heart.
I am automatically down for any queer sports romance, but college rowing with enemies-to-lovers and the glorious “falling for the person helping me to get the person I thought I wanted” trope?? I am definitely picking up this debut, and feeling optimistic there’ll be at least one solid coxswain joke.
Author: Adib Khorram
Released: September 9, 2025 by Forever
Genre: Contemporary Romance, LGBTQIA, Romance
Heartstopper meets Eat Pray Love in this swoony, spicy, second-chance romance from USA Today bestselling author Adib Khorram about two former classmates unexpectedly reuniting in Italy.
Ramin Yazdani’s marriage proposal has just gone bottoms up: his ex dumped him in public for being boring. Bent on proving him wrong, Ramin books a spontaneous solo trip to Italy. When he runs into his high school crush while in a gelateria, however, his resolve to reinvent himself is put to the test.
Noah Bartlett’s in a rut. Since his divorce, he’s become a bit of a homebody. So when his ex-wife insists he join her and their son on an Italian holiday, Noah reluctantly agrees. But his reticence turns to excitement when he sees his former classmate, who’s aged just like a fine wine. As a teenager, Ramin fascinated him—and since Noah now knows that fascination was code for crush—all those feelings are quick to come rushing back.
Soon Ramin and Noah are tumbling headfirst into a relationship. Only Ramin fears Noah’s feelings won’t last without Ramin’s adventurous new persona—and Noah’s not sure he can be the supportive partner Ramin deserves. With the days counting down to the end of their trip, can their love last without the magic of Italy?
I have a simple rule when it comes to Adib Khorram’s books: I read them. Picture books, young adult, adult romance… I’ve got AK books all over my shelves. This newest is a companion to one of my favorite m/m romances of last year, I’ll Have What He’s Having, and if Khorram’s name isn’t enough to get you to pick it up, the fact that it’s set in Italy and full of gelato should do it. Plus, both Ramin and Noah are total sweethearts you’ll adore traveling with.
Author: Mackenzi Lee
Released: September 9, 2025 by The Dial Press
Genre: Historical: European, LGBTQIA, Romance
Two women, one refined and one ribald, set their sights on marrying the same duke, but instead of becoming natural enemies, they find themselves falling in love—though not with him.
Harriet Lockhart never planned to marry. The educated daughter of a high-class prostitute, Harry has spent her life defying playing male roles in bawdy Shakespearean productions on London’s seediest stages, pursuing the many women who adore her, and wearing whatever she pleases, so long as it’s well tailored—all while being subsidized by her late mother’s trust. When she is contacted out of the blue by her hitherto anonymous father, she finds herself at risk of losing the trust that he actually funds unless she acquiesces to his request that she lead a more respectable life, starting with finding a husband.
Emily Sergeant, on the other hand, has only ever wanted to marry. She is the modest, tea-sipping, soft-spoken Regency bride. And were it not for one mistake in her youth that rendered her a social pariah, she would be appropriately betrothed. Instead, she’s due to wed the only willing man in her small the abominable Robert Tweed. Desperate for an alternative, Emily flees to London for the summer to snag a less lecherous fiancé before she’s shackled to a scoundrel.
Worlds collide, dramatically and hilariously, when both women decide on the very same duke as their best possible chance at a tolerable husband and the security that he brings. A tongue-in-cheek romp through London’s summer season, from balls to brothels, horseraces to duels, Harry and Emily compete for the duke’s favor, only to find their true hearts’ desires may be more compatible than they ever could have predicted.
Mackenzi Lee has definitely shown her historical chops with her bestselling Montague Siblings series in YA, which kicks off with an international romp of an adventure and suggests this will be an extremely promising adult debut. Even if I weren’t already familiar with the author’s skill, it’d have me at the tagline: “In need of a husband. In want of a wife.” (Note: for another exciting Sapphic historical romance out this month, check out Ladies in Hating by Alexandra Vasti.)
Author: Rachel Meredith
Released: September 9, 2025 by Harper Perennial
Genre: Contemporary Romance, LGBTQIA, Romance
“Girl Next Door is everything I love. Complex characters, a prickly love interest, secrets, yearning, questionable decisions, and that glorious HEA. A tender, funny, sexy novel.” — Ashley Herring Blake, author of Delilah Green Doesn’t Care
In this charming debut rom-com, a young freelancer returns to her suburban hometown to uncover why her childhood next door neighbor’s bestselling book appears to be an epic love story about the two of them.
When MC Calloway’s best friend Joe, an editor at the notorious gossip website Jawbreaker, calls her in for an emergency meeting, MC is unprepared for how frantic he is. But when he shows her a copy of Girl Next Door, the steamy, bestselling rom-com taking the literary world by storm, written under a pen name, points to one of the women on the front cover, and says, “that’s you,” its MC who begins to panic.
Joe is convinced that the author is Nora Pike, MC’s prickly, childhood next-door neighbor, and their former high school classmate – and MC knows he’s right, since the book describes actual events that happened their senior year, down to the tiniest details. But in the book, the characters based on MC and Nora are desperately in love, rather than the awkward acquaintances MC remembers being in real life.
Joe begs MC to go home undercover and get the scoop on Nora. That’s the last thing MC wants to do, especially for an assignment that seems morally dubious at best, but she reluctantly agrees, knowing Joe is desperate to break a big story. Crashing in her childhood home with her older brother Conrad (now married to MC’s secret high school crush, Gabby), MC begins untangling truth from fiction, trying to get close to Nora, who is just as hot and prickly as ever – and now suspicious of MC to boot. But the more involved she gets with Nora, the more it becomes clear they’re both hiding secrets . . . and MC realizes she might be in over her head.
Perfect for readers of Delilah Green Doesn’t Care and Book Lovers, Girl Next Door is a delicious debut brimming with romance, humor, and heart.
I’ve read “childhood friends to lovers,” and I’ve read “second chance romance,” but I’d never read a play on both quite like this. Meredith’s debut is witty, fun, sexy, and compulsively readable (I personally read it in one shot), and so chaotic and wonderfully honest, it automatically landed her on my instabuy list.
Author: Hari Conner
Released: September 23, 2025 by Andrews McMeel Publishing
Genre: LGBTQIA, Paranormal, Romance
It is a dark and stormy night…
When your car breaks down on a cold evening, you must take refuge in the ominous castle that looms above on the hillside, where a handsome, mysterious stranger invites you in. At dinner, you encounter three vampires and decide which to spend the evening with… Choose to charm one of the creatures of the night, have a fling with a few, or escape their clutches in Night at the Vampire Castle.
Stranded in rural Transylvania on a stormy night, you stumble upon an ominous castle, where the mysterious inhabitants seem keen to have you… for dinner.
In Hari Conner’s newest chose-your-own-path book, the reader chooses between gothic romance, partying with werewolves, or seducing an ancient vampire into revealing their secrets. Get swept away from the 9-5 by a whirlwind romance or steamy encounters – if you can avoid meeting your end…
With three main vampire romance paths, this story has fun, lighthearted elements as well as gothic themes, with choices to explore characters’ pasts in real European and queer history. Spend a Night at the Vampire Castle, if you dare.
I haven’t gotten my hands on this one yet, but there is not one thing about the description that is not absolutely killer. A Choose Your Own Romance?? Set in rural Transylvania?? Get to bang a vampire?? The author first flew on my radar last year with a queer YA graphic novel mashup of various Austen titles called I Shall Never Fall in Love, so it’s clear there are some seriously innovative chops at play, and this is definitely one of my most anticipated reads in a while.
So…didja watch it?
What did you think? Tell me everything!
Amanda: I’m putting my thoughts in a spoiler, just in case you may have started it and not finished it. Or if you haven’t read the book yet, as most of my issues came from the differences between the movie and the book.
My biggest gripe was what they did with poor Bogdan’s storyline. I liked it much better when Bogdan was biding his time before seeking revenge for his murdered friend.
I watched the movie with a friend who’s a big fan of the series. She also thought the Bogdan storyline wasn’t great, given that he shows up in subsequent books. She did make a good point. Perhaps Netflix wasn’t sure how well this would do for a sequel and with the actors being older, who knows what they could commit to.
Coopers Chase was not how I pictured it in my head. It was more sprawling in my imagination, though I’d still want to live at either version.
This version of Bobby Tanner wasn’t to my liking either. I much preferred the notion that he was in hiding and really wanted nothing to do with crime life.
The whole nun/priest romance storyline was cut, which made me a little sad. There’s a moment in the book where Bogdan changes the headstone and I remember tearing up at that kind gesture.
Okay, I’ve done a lot of complaining!
I think if you’re going into this movie without prior knowledge of the book’s events, you’ll have a more enjoyable experience than I did. You won’t be caught up in what they changed or took out.
The movie did a good job of capturing the tenderness of the book, especially the relationships between the Murder Club members. The strongest part of both the book and movie, for me, were the characters anyway. The casting was pretty perfect.
If I had to assign a grade, perhaps a B- or a C+. The book was better, as it typical.
Sarah: I copy everything Amanda said. I loved how beautiful it was, and how much money was invested in sets, location, costumes, and everything that makes a movie or show feel lived in and real.
I also loved playing, “Oh, hey, it’s Famous Actor Person!” Like, every other scene. At point point Adam looked up and said, “Wait, David TENNANT is in this, too?” Literally the casting for this must have been a delight.
But wow, the compromises for length were a massive bummer.
I hope that there’s a sequel. I hope that it’s better than this one. It was pretty to look at but not something I’m going to watch again. I’m with Amanda: C+ for me.
What did you think of the movie? Tell us in the comments!