Hey, I'm hoping someone might have a rec for book/s similar to Fatal Shadows by Josh Lanyon. And for those who haven't read it, I'm specifically craving a really disinterested, cold on the surface love interest who appears to not like(or genuinely doesn't like)MC1 at first. I'm also looking for a really solid plot that can hold its own without the romance. I mean, I want romance, lol, but I also want a plot where, if you removed the romance aspect of the book, you'd still have a really solid and engaging book.

I've read:

• {Sorcery and Small Magics by Maiga Doocy} -cold/disinterested LI, and a solid plot with the incredible slowest of burns.
• {The Magpie Lord by KJ Charles} - I've read almost everything I'm interested in by KJ Charles, so please no KJ Charles recs.
• {Prince of Sorrows by Kellen Graves} - LI is cold and disinterested, the plot is plotting, and the slow burn romance is just the cherry on top. I've read everything by Kellen Graves, and their other books fit too, for the most part.
• {Liar City by Allie Therin}- also works and fits.
• {The wolf at the door by Charlie Adhara} - Maybe? I don't remember how cold or distant the LI was, but I think he was.
• {The Cardigans The Cardigans by Cole McCade} - Didn't personally like, but it fits from what I remember.

I've read and absolutely hated {The Mystery of Nevermore by C.S. Poe} -it read like a boring and worse written version of Fatal Shadows, imo😂. And I've read All for the game series, which I love and I think they fit pretty well. Anything by Louise Collins, Marina Vivancos, Alice Winters, KJ Charles, Chani Lynn Fenner and Eliot Grayson I've read 😵

To sum it up: I'm looking for a cold/disinterested LI with a plot strong enough to hold its own even without the romance.
I prefer when the book doesn't have much spice, and I feel like I've already read the more popular, well-known books with these tropes, even if I didn't list them haha, so more indie or new recs would be incredibly appreciated.
YA, fics, HFN, everything works. Thank you so much!

Hey friends! I've compiled a big list of books that fans say are similar to AFTG.
My favorite books of all time are the AFTG series by Nora Sakavic, and I'm always on the lookout for other books similar to them. I've made an extensive list for myself with all the similar books I've found and hope to read, but in the meantime I decided to share it.

This list has been compiled from Reddit recs, Tiktok recs, Instagram recs, and overall Google searches. I've also added a few suggestions of my own. There's no particular order here, and it's definitely not ranked from best to worst :D. I'll also include a little note for the ones I've read, along with whether I personally agree or disagree that they fit the AFTG vibe. And of course, just because I disagree with a rec doesn't mean you will, so I still suggest giving those books a chance if they sound interesting! <3

Books like AFTG:

1. Captive Prince by C.S. Pacat(read and agree) There is a MC similar to Andrew and other light similarities, in general ppl who love aftg also tend to like CaPri as well. Check TW's!
2. Shattered Glass by Dani Alexander(read and hard agree) Very Andrew coded MC, it has found family, mafia tropes.Lighter in tone.
3. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater(read and agree)
4. Wolfsong by T.J. Klune(read and disagree) I think AFTG fans might still enjoy it)
5. Empty Net by Avon Gale(read and agree for the most part) Kind of similar tropes and characters
6. From the Match by Adrian Tkaczyk
7. Cutting Your Teeth by Caylan MacRae(read and agree) Similar tropes and very Neil coded MC.
8. The Tragedy of Felix and Jake by J. Daniels(DNF)
9. Glasgow Boys by Margaret McDonald
10. The Smile Has Left Your Eyes by Danielle N. Dawsen
11. Hell Followed with Us by Andrew Joseph White
12. The Friend Scheme by Cale Dietrich
13. Shadow Templar by M. Chandler
14. We Now Return to Regular Life by Martin Wilson
15. In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan
16. Dark Rise by C.S. Pacat
17. Fence by C.S. Pacat(read Vol. 1and agree a little bit) Similarities are the sports, YA, and found family trope
18. Icebreaker by A.L. Graziadei
19. Running with Lions by Julian Winters
20. The Teras Trials by Lucien Burr
21. The Wicker King by K. Ancrum
22. Summer Sons by Lee Mandelo
23. Where There's a Will by Jessie Walker(read and, for the most part, I disagree) Similarities are the angsty couple imo.
24. The Corruption of Hollis Brown by K. Ancrum
25. We May Be Fractured by Jessica Lascar - AFTG rip off. I honestly don't know how Nora isn't suing that person lol.
26. Don't Let the Forest In by C.G. Drews
27. Aiming for Gold by Clark Guire
28. Evenfall by Ais(read and love) It gives off AFTG AU fanfic vibes, very Andreil coded.
29. Face Offs & Cheap Shots by Saxon James (read and personally disagree)
30. The Cardigans by Cole McCade(read and agree just a little bit) Andrew coded MC.
31. The Tarot Sequence series by K.D. Edwards(read and kind of agree) To me the similarities stem from the relationship between the MC's and their pasts.
32. In This Iron Ground by Marina Vivancos(read and loved, not really similar) If you like AFTG, I think you'll like this too.
33. Banana Fish by Akimi Yoshida-Manga. People speculate Nora may have been inspired by this.
34. Cut & Run series by Abigail Roux & Madeleine Urban (read and disagree)
35. Run Wild by Wu Zhe - Danmei novels in general. I've seen a lot of AFTG fans absolutely love danmei, so it's definitely worth checking them out if you haven't already. (Just a bit similar, because of the #vibes and a just bit Andreil coded MC's.
36. No Dogs Allowed by Gemma Young - Wattpad I think
37. The Student Prince by FayJay - fanfic
38. The Boy and the Wolf by Z-pico(personal rec, webtoon) One MC really reminds me of Andrew, but I could be biased lol.
39. A Note in the Margin by Isabelle Rowan(DNF)
40. Bone Rider by J. Fally
41. Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid(Nothing in common with AFTG lol) BUT it's addictive. The TV show specifically.
42. The Administration by Manna Francis (read and disagree)
43. Lord of the White Hell by Ginn Hale (read and... mmm, kind of agree) It has the overall vibes.
44. Hold Me Under by Riley Nash (read and liked, but disagree)
45. The Simon Snow series by Rainbow Rowell(read and disagree)
46. {Malum Discordiae by Ashlyn Drewek(read and disagree)
47. Breakneck Hockey by S. Legend
48. Necessary Evils series by Onley James(read and disagree)
49. The wingless king by KC Wassem
50. A series of Rooms by AJ Barlowe
51. Cemetery boys by Aiden Thomas (read and agree just a tiny bit) Some characters remind me of characters of AFTG.
52. These Violent Delights by Micah Nemerever
53. King of the Dark by Ariana Nash(agree just a little bit) There is a bit of an Andrew coded character, angst and dealing with trauma. I'd say it's more similar to Captive Prince, than AFTG, but who knows.

Some that aren't MM but are often recommended and similar:

1. The Boy Who Steals Houses by C.G. Drews
2. Curse Workers series by Holly Black - Apparently they have overlapping tropes:murder, ya, mafia, bad moms, trauma and others.
3. Beartown by Fredrik Backman (read and agree) Tropes overlap and has a character similar to Andrew imo.
4. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo (read and agree for the most part) Found family, outcasts, dangerous characters tropes overlap.
5. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
6. Not even bones by Rebecca Schaeffer- (personal rec) F/M romance, the female heroine is very much Neil coded, this books reads like if Neil was his father's protege and he decided to save Andrew.
7. A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara - Personally, I could never read this book, but I've seen it recommended to AFTG fans a lot. Veeeery serious trigger warnings for this one.
8. Villains Trilogy by V.E. Schwab
9. Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
10. Realm of the Elderlings series by Robin Hobb - I've seen people say that Fitz and the Fool are a bit like Andreil, but take that with a grain of salt, and it's a very long series
11. The Poppy War trilogy by R.F. Kuang
12. First and Last Demon by Hiyodori
13. Babylonia by Costanza Casati -supposedly it has Andrew coded character!

Bonus info

If you've finished the AFTG books and are desperately craving more...

• Lesson in Cartography is the most popular and loved AFTG fanfic on AO3. It's essentially a fanmade continuation of the series and is widely considered a must read within the fandom. link
• Nora Sakavic has also shared a lot of extra AFTG content, short stories, pre aftg info, little tid bits about character on Tumblr over the years - bonus content
• Movies and TV shows - The covenant(2006):movie, Olympo:TV show - sports, YA, drama.

If you have more recs for me, leave them in the comments <3
Edit: I'll be updating this list every time I find a new book, movie, tv show or manga that share similarities with AFTG. Also I'll add as short as possible notes on the books above, about what makes them similar to aftg, cause I feel now as it is, it could be a bit confusing.

Hey all! I've compiled a big list of books that fans say are similar to AFTG.
My favorite books of all time are the AFTG series by Nora Sakavic, and I'm always on the lookout for other books similar to them. I've made an extensive list for myself with all the similar books I've found and hope to read, but in the meantime I decided to share it here as well, cause I love this sub and because I know people are sometimes looking for similar books to The Foxhole Court/AFTG series.

This list has been compiled from Reddit recs, Tiktok recs, Instagram recs, and overall Google searches. I've also added a few suggestions of my own. There's no particular order here, and it's definitely not ranked from best to worst :D. I'll also include a little note for the ones I've read, along with whether I personally agree or disagree that they fit the AFTG vibe. And of course, just because I disagree with a rec doesn't mean you will, so I still suggest giving those books a chance if they sound interesting! <3

Books like AFTG:

1. {Captive Prince by C.S. Pacat} - (read and agree that there is a MC similar to Andrew. Check TW's!)
2. {Shattered Glass by Dani Alexander} - (read and a favorite, very Andrew coded MC)
3. {The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater} - (read and agree, tho the MM romance is a side couple)
4. {Wolfsong by T.J. Klune}- (read and disagree, but I think AFTG fans might still enjoy it)
5. {Empty Net by Avon Gale} - (read and agree for the most part)
6. {From the Match by Adrian Tkaczyk}
7. {Cutting Your Teeth by Caylan MacRae} - (read and agree)
8. {The Tragedy of Felix and Jake by J. Daniels} (DNF)
9. {Glasgow Boys by Margaret McDonald}
10. {The Smile Has Left Your Eyes by Danielle N. Dawsen}
11. {Hell Followed with Us by Andrew Joseph White}
12. {The Friend Scheme by Cale Dietrich}
13. {Shadow Templar by M. Chandler}
14. {We Now Return to Regular Life by Martin Wilson}
15. {In Other Lands by Sarah Rees Brennan}
16. {Dark Rise by C.S. Pacat}
17. {Fence by C.S. Pacat} - (read Vol. 1, has the sports/found family vibe)
18. {Icebreaker by A.L. Graziadei}
19. {Running with Lions by Julian Winters}
20. {The Teras Trials by Lucien Burr}
21. {The Wicker King by K. Ancrum}
22. {Summer Sons by Lee Mandelo}
23. {Where There's a Will by Jessie Walker}- (read and, for the most part, I disagree)
24. {The Corruption of Hollis Brown by K. Ancrum}
25. We May Be Fractured by Jessica Lascar - (AFTG rip off. I honestly don't know how Nora isn't suing that person lol.)
26. {Don't Let the Forest In by C.G. Drews}
27. {Aiming for Gold by Clark Guire}
28. {Evenfall by Ais}- (read and love gives off AFTG AU fanfic vibes, very Andreil coded)
29. {Face Offs & Cheap Shots by Saxon James}- (read and personally disagree)
30. {The Cardigans by Cole McCade}- (read and agree just a little bit)
31. {The Tarot Sequence series by K.D. Edwards} - (read and kind of agree)
32. {In This Iron Ground by Marina Vivancos} - (read and loved, not really similar, but if you like AFTG, I think you'll like this too.)
33. {Banana Fish by Akimi Yoshida}- (manga. People speculate Nora may have been inspired by this.)
34. {Cut & Run series by Abigail Roux & Madeleine Urban} - (read and disagree)
35. {Run Wild by Wu Zhe} - Danmei novels in general. I've seen a lot of AFTG fans absolutely love danmei, so it's definitely worth checking them out if you haven't already.
36. {No Dogs Allowed by Gemma Young} - (wattpad I think)
37. {The Student Prince by FayJay} - (fanfic)
38. {The Boy and the Wolf by Z-pico} - (webtoon on Tapas, personal beloved rec. One MC really reminds me of Andrew.)
39. {A Note in the Margin by Isabelle Rowan} - (DNF)
40. {Bone Rider by J. Fally}
41. {Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid} - (Nothing in common with AFTG lol, BUT it's addictive. The TV show specifically)
42. {The Administration by Manna Francis} - (read and disagree)
43. {Lord of the White Hell by Ginn Hale} - (read and... mmm, kind of agree. It has the vibes.)
44. {Hold Me Under by Riley Nash} - (read and liked, but disagree)
45. {The Simon Snow series by Rainbow Rowell}- (read and disagree)
46. {Malum Discordiae by Ashlyn Drewek}- (read and disagree)
47. {Breakneck Hockey by S. Legend}
48. {Necessary Evils series by Onley James}- (read and disagree)
49. {The wingless king by KC Wassem}
50. {A series of Rooms by AJ Barlowe}

Some that aren't MM but are often recommended and similar:

1. The Boy Who Steals Houses by C.G. Drews
2. Beartown by Fredrik Backman (read and agree)
3. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo (read and kind of agree)
4. The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
5. A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara (Personally, I could never read this book, but I've seen it recommended to AFTG fans a lot. Veeeery serious trigger warnings for this one.)
6. Villains Trilogy by V.E. Schwab
7. Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
8. Realm of the Elderlings series by Robin Hobb
9. The Poppy War trilogy by R.F. Kuang
10. First and Last Demon by Hiyodori

Bonus info

If you've finished the AFTG books and are desperately craving more...

• Lesson in Cartography is the most popular and loved AFTG fanfic on AO3. It's essentially a fanmade continuation of the series and is widely considered a must read within the fandom. link
• Nora Sakavic has also shared a lot of extra AFTG content, short stories, pre aftg info, little tid bits about character on Tumblr over the years - bonus content

If you have more recs for me, leave them in the comments <3

Does something like that exist? I want all the angst.

Hey friends, I'm really in the mood to read about a punk or outcast MC with piercings, bleached hair, and a bad attitude. Even better if he has a more dominant personality.
It would be the cherry on top if it has the opposites attract trope, but I feel like that's asking too much xD

Some recs from me:

• {Beauty and the Beast by Louise Collins} -Grumpy outcast who's tattooed from head to toe and heavily pierced as well. It's an opposites attract romance.
• {Possess Me by Fae Quinn} - No bleached hair, unfortunately , but otherwise it fits everything else. Opposites attract here too.
• {The Foxhole Court by Nora Sakavic} -This series is my everything, lol. Naturally blond hair, so it's not bleached, and he's not punk either, but the MC is an outcast in every sense of the word and definitely has a bad attitude. Morally gray too.
• {Skater Boy by Anthony Nerada} - I think the MC was a punk skater. It was a dnf for me- I was bored.

I think that's the only recs I have, lol. Maybe Evenfall by Santino Hassel too, I think it kind of fits, but there's a controversy surrounding the author. I have some M/F recs too, if you're interested in them, you can dm me.

I'm okay with YA books, romance as a subplot, no HEA, fanfics, etc.
No daddy kink.
Thank you <3

Hey! I just wanted to check if there are any Summerween fans in this sub who would like to read some Summerween themed books with me this summer.

If you don't know what Summerween is - it originated from an episode of Gravity Falls. Than, a booktuber named 'Gabbyreads' on Youtube created a readathon based on the concept, which they host every year along with several other booktubers. The readathon usually starts in July.
It's all about reading spooky horror or thriller books, especially those with a summer setting or halloween vibes.

Personally, I only read horror/ thriller/spooky books that are set during the summer or have summery themes, such as summer camps, amusement parks, beach settings, slashers, etc. And since I can't wait until July, I've already started my Summerween reading and wanted to see if anyone here is interested and enjoys Summerween too🫶.

We don't have to read the same books or read at the same time or whatever. I just thought it would be fun to find some fellow Summerween readers.

So yeah, if anyone's interested, let me know! 18+ please. Some of these horrors and thrillers have adult themes and sex and whatnot.

I'm so sick of the infantilization, or jailbaiting, or whatever the fuck is going on in some romance books.

1."Kid" or "boy" being used every second sentence. - Look, if the book has a daddy kink or is daddy adjacent, obviously I won't have a problem with it. But when books that aren't tagged with this have one MC calling the other "kid" and/or "boy" all the time, I hate it.
I know that in English, "kid" or "boy" can be used in a "you're so green, you know nothing" kind of way, and that's okay if it's used once or twice in context. But when almost every interaction is filled with "kid" or "boy," it crosses into kink territory for me, and it pisses me off when it's not tagged as such.

2.Juvenile-looking covers for adult books with plenty of sex. - And I know some people argue that all illustrated covers look juvenile, which I vehemently disagree with lol.
I don't want to mention names in a rant post, but there are gorgeous illustrated covers with two or more MCs on them where they look like actual adults. I've seen illustrated covers with men who look anywhere from their 20s to their 50+.
Recently, and maybe it's just my feed, I've been seeing quite a few illustrated covers where the MCs look like literal kids. The whole vibe of the cover looks like something a middle schooler might pick up to read.
My problem isn't just that it's misleading. I can't imagine reading explicit sex scenes about these characters and then closing the book only to see these two tween looking mofos staring back at me from the cover. ;o

3. Sex as a marketing strategy for YA books. - I only have one example of this, THANKFULLY, but one is enough. Recently, I stumbled across a YA book that the author themselves marketed as an open-door romance.
Open door romance definition: The reader is brought into the bedroom and is there for all the intimate details.
You can search the definition of open door romance yourself, and you won't get different results because it means what it means.
Thankfully, it's just incorrect marketing. There's nothing inappropriate in the book itself. But why are we doing this? Who sees an "open door romance" label on a YA book and thinks, "HELL YEAH"? ??? It just left a bad taste in my mouth.

4. "He's looking so young" / "He looked younger than his years" when the MC is around 20. - I've seen this in a couple of books, and every time I DNF instantly.
It's been a year, and I've deleted the title from my brain, but there was a book where one MC was 19 and the other MC's first thought upon meeting him was that he looked like a kid. Like, 13 years old or something. Then he learns that he's actually 19 and thinks, "Oh, okay, phew." Phew for you, I guess, but it wasn't a phew for me...What do you mean he looked 13?
Another popular book I DNF'd recently kept hammering home how YOUNG the MC was and how inexperienced and immature he was (the author's words, not mine). Granted, it was an age gap romance, but just because I picked up an age gap book doesn't mean I want to read about how childlike one of the characters seems and looks.

Rant over.

Does this piss anyone else off too?
Sometimes I feel like nobody cares, especially when I look at the overwhelmingly positive reviews and all the gushing these books get.

And I know that, in the grand scheme of things, this is barely a blip on the shit radar. But does that mean we should just let it slide?

And just to clarify: I don't think these authors are predators. I don't know anything about them, and I know a lot of these tropes are just lifted from other romance books.
Like "little one" or "babygirl" in F/M romance are everywhere because people like them, I guess, and they're considered hot so this shit was everywhere, idk if it still is.
Rant over x2.

I hope it's okay to make a post that's just a question.

My question is about Chasing Fields by Isabella Skyes. It says it's a YA book, and the characters on the cover look like kids. But then I stumbled across Isabella Skyes's Instagram and saw a bunch of tropes and tags for the book, and one of them was "open door."
What the fuck does that mean?
I wanted to read the book, but that "open door" tag threw me off. I love reading middle grade and YA books, but there ain't no way I'm getting this book only to get jump scared by teens boning on page.
So can someone elaborate on that 'open door' tag, please?

Hey there, happy Pride, yall! <3
Recently, I saw an art of a pissed off merman cornering a human in a huge water tank. The merman looked like he was about to murder the human so now I'm looking for something in that vein. The artwork
Single POV book where one MC is dangerous (any species, any genre) and the other MC is less dangerous or not at all. The POV should be from the not dangerous MC, and the less sex it has, the better.

I'll take any genre,YA, Wattpad, fanfiction, romance as a subplot, no HEA, literally anything. The main thing I'm after is one dangerous MC and one not dangerous MC and less sex.

I have some recs, but they're almost all explicit/open door. Otherwise, they fit the single POV + dangerous MC x less dangerous/non-dangerous MC:

1. {All for the game series by Nora Sakavic} - single pov, human MC's, check trigger warnings, no sex.
2. {Immersed by Gale Ian Tate} - single POV, slasher vibes (killer MC), trigger warnings for this one too. Actually trigger warnings for all the recs lol.
3. {The Bayou by Arden Powell} - single POV, dark Southern Gothic >!(an unknown entity MC)!<. Only this one has just 1-2 sex scenes.
4. {A Bone in His Teeth by Kellen Graves} - single POV, a bit melancholic (scary merman), really tense.
5. {Devil Next Door by Alex Jane} - single POV, contemporary, human MCs.
6. {One for Sorrow by Louise Collins} - single POV, contemporary, killer MC
7. {Shoestring Theory by Mariana Costa} - single POV, fantasy, mad king MC

The dangerous MC doesn't have to be a killer, mafia member, or any type of monster. They could simply be intimidating because of the way they look, carry themselves, or speak.

And if you don't care about single POV, check out Chani Lynn Feener. Everything they write is packed with smut and features obsessive, possessive, often dangerous MCs who will do anything to get the he wants.

I know this is a very specific request, so dual POV recommendations are fine too, as long as the dangerous MC's POV doesn't completely ruin the tension, mystery, or sense of unease.

Thanks so much! <3

Bitcheees, the AFTG books are in Bulgaria, at Ciela bookstores!!!
We're people now too lol or at least halfway there. Online, books 2, 4, and 5 are already sold out, and only books 1 and 3 are still available to order online. I assume they only stocked one or two sets to begin with...
The books cost around €15-20 each 🫠, but that's still better than ordering from Amazon, where you have to sell an organ to buy them.

Anyways, the good news is that Ciela's online store isn't connected to their physical stores, so just because something is out of stock on the website doesn't mean it isn't available in one of their locations.

If any Bulgarian happens to read this and decides to go hunting for the books too, here's a tip: if you go to a Ciela store and they don't have them in stock, you can ask at the register if they could call nearby Ciela locations to check availability, that way, you don't have to run around from store to store only to end up disappointed if they don't have them.
Best of luck.

Have I fucking hallucinated that shit?! I'm trying to find out how much Andrew bench pressed in that gym scene where Neil was ogling him.

I've tried key words like - bench, press, weight, gym, pounds, treadmill, spotting and a lot other ones, I've searched the first three books and NOTHING. 🤯

What is going on, have I read one too many beefy Andrew fics and somehow remembered that scene as cannon?

Help.

Hey everyone! I wanted to put together a list of all the summer horror and thriller books I've gathered so far, and maybe get some more recs if anyone has any!

What is Summerween - Basically, it's Halloween in July. Instead of reading Halloween themed or rain drenched autumn books, I spend that time reading horror and thrillers set during the summer.
Think summer camps, amusement parks, lake outings gone wrong, beach hauntings, 80s and 90s slasher vibes (I Know What You Did Last Summer), folk horror, and creepy small towns.

Here's my current Summerween list. Some I've already read, but most of them I haven't:
Summer camp slashers:

1. {You're Not Supposed to Die Tonight by Kalynn Bayron} - Summer camp slasher. Really enjoyed this one. (YA, sapphic)
2. {The Honeys by Ryan La Sala} - Summer camp horror. (YA, LGBTQ+)
3. {The Kindler by Russ Enfire} - Summer camp slasher. It was okay. (Adult, MM romance)
4. {Heads Will Roll by Josh Winning} - Summer camp slasher. (Adult, LGBTQ+)
5. {Dead Girls Walking by Sami Ellis} - Summer camp slasher. (YA, LGBTQ+)
6. {Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle} - Summer, small town horror. (Adult, LGBTQ+)
7. {Cuckoo by Gretchen Felker-Martin} - 90s summer camp horror. (Adult, LGBTQ+)
8. {The Last Girls Standing by Jennifer Dugan} - Summer camp horror. (YA, sapphic)

Folk horror:

1. {Don't Let the Forest In by CG Drews} - Folk horror. (YA, LGBTQ+)
2. {Hazelthorn by CG Drews} - Folk horror. (YA, LGBTQ+)
3. {Bloom by Delilah S. Dawson} - Folk horror. (Adult, sapphic)
4. {Morsel by Carter Keane} - Folk horror. (Adult, LGBTQ+)
5. {They Bloom at Night by Trang Thanh Tran} - Louisiana setting with folk horror vibes. (YA, sapphic)
6. {You Weren't Meant to Be Human by Andrew Joseph White} - Alien horror meets Midsommar. Set during the summer. (Adult, LGBTQ+)
7. {The Lamb Will Slaughter the Lion by Margaret Killjoy} - Summer supernatural folk horror. (Adult, LGBTQ+)
8. {Hollow Bones by B. Narr} - Swampy folk horror. (Adult, LGBTQ+)
9. {Burn Our Bodies Down by Rory Power} - Summer setting, small-town horror. (YA, LGBTQ+)

Forest, wilderness, and countryside horror:

1. {Immersed by Gale Ian Tate} - Forest camping horror. Really reminded me of The Final Girls (2015), loved it. (Adult, MM romance)
2. {Summer Sons by Lee Mandelo} - I've tried starting this a couple of times, but I think my English isn't good enough because I struggle to understand it.
3. {Compound Fracture by Andrew Joseph White} - Set during the summer in Appalachia. (YA, LGBTQ+)
4. {Lost in the Garden by Adam S. Leslie} - Trippy summertime horror set in the English countryside. (Adult, LGBTQ+)

Lake, beach, island, coastal, and ocean horror:

1. {A Bone in His Teeth by Kellen Graves} - Coastal town setting, merman MC. Read and loved it. (Horror, MM romance)
2. {The Dead of Summer by Ryan La Sala} - Island setting. (YA, LGBTQ+)
3. {The Saw Mouth by Cale Plett} - Summer lake setting. (YA, LGBTQ+)
4. {The Bayou by Arden Powell} - Southern Gothic that feels like a fever dream. Absolutely loved this one. (Adult, MM romance)
5. {A Botanical Daughter by Noah Medlock} - Set during the summer. (Adult, LGBTQ+)
6. {Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield} - Ocean horror. (Adult, sapphic)
7. {The Drowning Summer by C.L. Herman} - Island and ocean setting. (YA, sapphic)
8. {The Sacrifice by Rin Chupeco} - Island and beach setting. (YA, LGBTQ+)
9. {Obsidian island by Arden Powell} - Island/beach setting (Adult, MM romance)
10. {So Witches We Became by Jill Baguchinsky} - Spring setting, island horror. (YA, sapphic)

Small town and slasher recs:

1. {How to Survive a Slasher by Justine Pucella Winans} - Small town slasher with strong Scream vibes. (YA, LGBTQ+)
2. {Your Lonely Nights Are Over by Adam Sass} - I don't think it's specifically set during the summer, but it's a slasher and definitely gives Scream vibes. (YA, LGBTQ+)
3. {Hell Followed with Us by Andrew Joseph White} - Not sure if it's set during the summer. (YA, LGBTQ+)
4. {The Blonde Dies First by Joelle Wellington} - Summer slasher. (YA, sapphic)
5. {How to Survive a Horror Movie by Scarlett Dunmore} - Not set during the summer, but it's a slasher and absolutely has the vibes. (YA, LGBTQ+)
6. {The Pledge by Cale Dietrich} - Not set during the summer, but it's a slasher. (YA, LGBTQ+)
7. {Summer's Edge by Dana Mele} - Summer setting with strong 'I Know What You Did Last Summer' vibes. (YA, sapphic)
8. {What lies beneath by RJ Scott} - small town mystery thriller set in the summertime. (Adult, MM romance)
9. I Don't Wish You Well by Jumata Emil - Louisiana thriller, reminiscent of 'A good's girl guide to murder' (YA, LGBTQ+)

Supernatural, monster, and vampire horror:

1. {Babylove by IS Belle} - Summer school setting with Jennifer's Body vibes. Read and loved it. (YA, sapphic)
2. {Flesh and Bone by Arden Powell} - Very short novella set during the summer on the prairies. (Adult, MM romance)
3. {Night's Edge by Liz Kerin} - Summer setting, vampires. (Adult, LGBTQ+)
4. {Forget This Ever Happened by Cassandra Rose Clarke} - 1990s summertime horror. (YA, LGBTQ+)
5. {Awaken, My Love by Marat Earendel} - gothic, summery vampires. (Adult, MM romance)

Amusement parks and fairs:

1. {Hide by Kiersten White} - Amusement park survival horror. (Adult, sapphic)
2. {The City Beautiful by Aden Polydoros} - Set during the summer at the Chicago World's Fair. (YA, LGBTQ+)
3. {Mouth Full of Ashes by Briana Morgan} - Summer setting, amusement park vampires. (YA, sapphic)

And that's all I have. I know I messed up the numbering, don't look at it🫣. Some of these books are really heavy and dark, even the ones that are romance, so check trigger warnings and if it has a HEA.
If you have more recs, please lmk!!! Happy reading <3

Holy shit. I’m reading Sunrise on the Reaping by Susanne Collins right now, and I can’t stop thinking about how perfect a Hunger Games x All for the Game crossover would be.

Neil as a tribute from one of the wealthier districts, and Andrew as a tribute from one of the poorer ones, maybe District 12. The rest of the Foxes are tributes too, and they decide to team up to survive the Games (at least some of them do, Seth is definitely against it).

And Andrew absolutely hates Neil at first because Neil is trouble. He mouths off to everyone and ends up on President Snow’s radar too. But then Neil slowly starts growing on Andrew, and he decides to protect him during the Games.

Please tell me there are some good crossover fics like this🙏, I’m dying to read one.

Hey friends! Betrayal is my all time favorite trope, and I feel like I’ve read all the popular books with it. What I love about it isn’t the groveling, I just rly like when one MC does something really stupid or shitty (or maybe it’s just a misunderstanding 😱), and then the other MC is PISSED. The whole love -hate - love again arc is my absolute favorite. And when the loving, sweet, caring MC gets betrayed and suddenly shows that he shouldn’t be messed with, that he can be mean and/or dangerous? LOVE that shit hahhah.

I guess this will be part request and part recs from me. Also sorry for the long ass post lol.
I’m really hoping for is some wild indie rec, maybe a new release I missed, or even something that isn’t strictly romance. I’m open to anything.

Here are some good betrayal recs (spoilers below):

1. {Down Low by Parker St. John} - THE BEST betrayal. MC1 abandons MC2, then comes back years later, and MC2 is holding a grudge like nobody’s business.>! I loved the juxtaposition between the past chapters, where they were so sweet with each other, and the present, where MC2 is cold and sometimes mean toward MC1 (the betrayer)!<. Really good writing. Amazing book, 10/10 recommend. The rest of the series follows different characters and also has betrayal and friends-to-enemies-to-lovers elements.
2. {Any Old Diamond by KJ Charles} - Loved it. BIG spoilers, >!the betrayal happens at the end, and MC2’s reaction wasn’t as severe. He says something really mean to MC1 and tries to hurt him, but it gets resolved pretty quickly!<. Still, this book is fantastic, and the betrayal was the cherry on top. 10/10 recommend.
3. {Jackdaw by KJ Charles} - Another good book. Wasn’t a favorite. I’ve read it three times because I keep forgetting the damn plot, and I still can’t remember what happened lol. I know it had betrayal, and I enjoyed reading it, but... yeah. I still recommend it haha.
4. {Shoestring Theory by Mariana Costa} - >!The betrayal happens off-page, but then MC1 tries to betray MC2 again (on-page),!< and it was fun to read. Quite a long book, and it dragged a bit toward the end, but overall really good and fresh. Highly recommend, 8/10.
5. {Prince and Assassin by Tavia Lark} - Loved everything about it. I know it’s not most people’s favorite for some reason, but the characters were amazing and interesting. It had light moments, dark moments, and the betrayal was great. The fallout felt proportionate, tense, and sexy. Just 10/10 recommend.
6. {The Billionaire’s Revenge by Anne Lyn Birch} - This is both the most fitting rec and my least favorite among my favorites. >!There’s betrayal (or maybe a misunderstanding, I don’t remember), and basically the whole 500-page book is MC2 exacting revenge for it. But it became too much, there was barely any balance. We got some chapters from the past showing how good things used to be, but we mostly stayed in the present, and MC2 was kind of a creep lol!<. Still, I liked it. 6/10 recommend.
7. {Whisper in the Dark series by Chani Lynn Feener} - The betrayal happens off-page here, and we’re reading the consequences. Not bad. If you don’t mind a somewhat cliche dark romance, I think you can have a good time with it. I did.
8. {Pretty Policeman by Fifer Rose} - There is some betrayal, but from what I remember, MC2 wasn’t very angry (or barely angry at all), so it didn’t fully scratch the itch. Still a decent book.
9. {One for Sorrow by Louise Collins} - >!There is definitely betrayal here. But MC2 doesn’t really get angry, so it didn’t quite work for me. !<Still, a good book if you like dark romance and morally gray characters.
10. {Shift by Joel Abernathy}
11. {Liar City by Allie Therin} - >! Well, the MCs aren’t together by the end of book one (from what I remember), so the betrayal isn’t as impactful or hard-hitting. Also, I don’t think MC2 got angry, or maybe I just don’t remember.!< Overall, still a good read. MC1 is really sweet.

Now for some books that I know have betrayal, but I either don’t remember well enough, didn’t like, or flat out dnf'd. Still, most of them are really beloved, so I’m sharing them:

1. Mortal Skin by Lily Mayne - vague memories, but there’s betrayal. I should reread it.
2. The Man Who Loved Cole Flores by KA Merikan - didn’t like it at all.
3. Until You by Briar Prescott- gave it 3 stars, don’t remember a single thing lol.
4. Feel My Pain by KA Merikan- temporary DNF.
5. Finding Delaware by Bree Wiley
6. Never Say Never by Brea Alepou- really cliche lol.
7. The Will Darling Adventures by KJ Charles- I know this is beloved, but I just can’t get into it at all.
8. A Power Unbound by Freya Marske
9. The Husky and His White Cat Shizun - DNF.
10. Villain by Chani Lynn Feener - >!the betrayal happens in another book in the series, and it was huge with a strong reaction from the betrayed MC, but I absolutely hated it. (MC1 gets raped by MC2 as punishment for the betrayal.)!<
11. If I Were to Die by LA Cannon - the book was going great until it wasn’t. The ending pissed me off so much. If you decide to read it, please check the trigger warnings, even if that spoils things.
12. Hostile Takeover by Lucy Lennox
13. Where Death Meets the Devil - DNF for now.
14. Wanted, a Gentleman by KJ Charles

And that’s all I’ve got!

Would really appreciate any recs. I’ll read pretty much anything, YA, books where romance isn’t central, no HEA, even fanfics. Maybe just not danmei. I really loved Little Mushroom by Shisi, but besides that, everything else has been a dnf.

Thank you! Hope someone finds something good to read. ❤️

Hi, I'm the scaredy cat. I’ve decided to dip my toes into the horror genre, but I don’t want to read anything super scary, bleak, or gory. I know, I know it sounds dumb, but are there any books that are considered horror where nothing too scary happens?

Some examples of what I’ve read and didn’t find scary:

• The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King- I really liked it, and it didn’t scare me at all, but it still felt like horror.
• The Mist by Stephen King -Loved the atmosphere and everyone being huddled in the supermarket. It felt weirdly cozy... except when it wasn’t lol.
• Boy's Life by Robert McCammon- Really enjoyed it, and I don’t remember any especially scary or gory parts.
• Goosebumps and Fear Street by R. L. Stine. Absolutely love them.
• Cackle by Rachel Harrison.
• Horrorstör and The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix - Loved Horrorstör and hated Southern Book Club, but both were only mildly scary.
• Children of the corn by Stephen King

That's all I've read so far.
Things I’m not scared of:
Vampires, clowns, carnivals, wilderness settings, creepy kids, weird towns, aliens, natural disasters.

Things I am scared of or can’t read about:
Possession (that stuff terrifies me lol), gore, CSA, rape, the devil, or animals dying.

Books I DNF’d because I couldn’t continue:

• Gerald's Game by Stephen King. Too bleak and hopeless for me.
• 1922 by Stephen King. Honestly kind of traumatized me. The crushing guilt paired with those visuals was just too much.

I’d really, really appreciate any recommendations. Thank you so much for all the recs, you're all amazing❤️! I've written down all of the recommendations and plan to read my way through everything!!! You are all the best🫶!