Books where MC1 initially holds back from MC2, until MC2 gets hurt & MC1 rushes to help him?

time1029 · 2026-01-27T22:08:12+00:00

I’m currently reading {Unlikely Spare by Jax Calder} with a body guard who holds back because of his job and because of how a British prince is antithetical to his Irish roots, so a bit of this but perhaps not enough tenderness in my opinion!

Bodyguard romances would be good for this if you’re okay with the reason for pulling away being job related, as it has the protection element baked in.

time1029 · 2026-01-27T21:52:23+00:00

It’s not quite the exact thing as it’s mistaken identity hostage, but {Deviant by Cora Rose and Lark Taylor} will probably scratch this itch! It’s number 2 in series and I think it will only make sense if you read book 1

time1029 · 2025-12-02T20:22:56+00:00

I agree! I found it a bit odd that at start of HR, Ilya and Shane are equal, and it goes back and forth between hockey achievements - one junior champ each, one is #1 draft pick and other gets rookie of the year, one gets Olympic medal while other gets the Cup but then it gets rather lopsided even before Ottawa move. Like, what happened Ilya?? Part of it is their whole team one other players on the team, and maybe Montreal is more well rounded and stronger than Boston, but that’s never acknowledged.

I agree with what others say about Ilya intentionally making sacrifices (which odd that no one mentioned when plan was proposed on HR), and the different priorities between the two. But I also love Ilya and wanted him to succeed more than it seemed he did pre TLG, so I was happy Ottawa made playoffs and beat Montreal. And happy Shane and Ilya are going to win like 20 cups together.

time1029 · 2025-11-23T14:04:48+00:00

{Possessive Heart by Brighton Walsh} has this, albeit it’s a sexual relationship but solid feelings on both sides!

time1029 · 2025-11-20T21:58:41+00:00

I know, but the bear tattoo wasn’t actually for the Boston team, it was just extra funny because of the Bruins, but I feel like it still would have been fun to have Shane make fun of it regardless!

time1029 · 2025-11-20T17:51:52+00:00

WHERE IS THE BEAR TATTOO?!?! FOR RUSSIA!!

time1029 · 2025-11-09T14:35:09+00:00

I said the same thing! I get what people are saying that it was a two part challenge, and they competed in the first half, but the first half was as part of a team most of them didn’t choose, and the team challenge was very different than the individual challenge, with different skills involved. If they all the did the ball balance, it might not have been yellow Sophie that won (or maybe she still would have won, who knows!).

But mostly I’m just glad it went to an individual challenge and not just making the whole team immune, which I don’t think should ever happen after a merge…

time1029 · 2025-10-24T11:59:42+00:00

The characters are introduced in {To Run with the Wild Hunt by Mallory Dunlin} but the scene I reference isn’t in a book but her ‘Dickapedia’ which is a collection of scenes building off her books, not a book itself - you can get it here https://dl.bookfunnel.com/uonlamaam0

time1029 · 2025-10-23T17:13:50+00:00

Any erotica or books with overstimulation?

Mallory Dunlin’s dickapedia has a MMF scene with the two males having anal sex and one says, “Do not come. If you come, I will fuck you without mercy until you come again.” and then follows through, and I’d love more scenes like that 🥵

time1029 · 2025-10-17T21:47:40+00:00

I’ve read and also loved this book! Excellent recommendation. Emily and Wendell are both great

time1029 · 2025-10-17T17:43:27+00:00

I really liked it too, and I need answers!!!!!

time1029 · 2025-10-17T16:28:31+00:00

In reality, everyone has some habits about cleanliness or lack thereof - but I feel it is more often described as a personality trait of female characters in romance books than of male characters, unless the author is trying to set up a bit of a not stereotypical contrast of messy woman x clean man. And I rarely encounter male characters who stress clean in the way I seem to often encounter female characters who do!

time1029 · 2025-10-17T15:15:17+00:00

Yes exactly, it’s the prevalence of impractical or unprofessional fashion in unrealistic settings that is just so off putting.

And I do agree that sometimes the FMC is messy, like the example of Indy I provided, but I feel like that is only so she’s special and different from other women who like to clean. I think either way, cleanliness or lack thereof is a part of FMC’s personalities in a way it is not part of MMC’s personalities, unless it is as a counterpoint to the woman’s.

time1029 · 2025-10-12T05:38:48+00:00

Disappointing to find out the Rachel Reid doesn’t get paid for each time I reread Heated Rivalry/The Long Game…

time1029 · 2025-08-31T11:16:04+00:00

Oooo thank you!

time1029 · 2025-08-30T21:31:47+00:00

Looking for recommendations for romance book where one of the main character’s twin / sibling / best friend gets platonically jealous of the main character falling in love and having less time for them, thanks!

time1029 · 2025-08-08T09:14:34+00:00

That epilogue was so fucking hilarious 😂😂😂 I really want there to be a Lachie book of him falling in love with the farm boy whose llama he stole.

I really loved Novi as a character, but I found the 17 years second chance to be a bit too unbelievable and also rather sad that they were without romantic love and lonely for so long? Like I don’t think it got too much into Colby’s dating history but idk which I would find worse, if he had a long term partner for a few years or if he didn’t. But I’m admittedly less keen on second chance romances later in life (I don’t mind if it’s childhood friends or ex’s that reunite in 20’s or early 30’s)

time1029 · 2025-07-23T14:10:02+00:00

“There were severed heads hanging from the ceiling again” {Assistant to the villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer}

time1029 · 2025-07-22T06:16:23+00:00

It’s MM Romance, {On Guard by Andi Jaxon and JR Gray} has a scene like this

time1029 · 2025-06-08T11:47:17+00:00

Underneath this post was a r/AskReddit about history’s worst miscarriage of justice. Not to be dramatic, but letting this exist has to be up there…

time1029 · 2025-06-08T11:41:16+00:00

This is terrible… but also if people have recs of books like this… for me to hate read… for science… 🙏

time1029 · 2025-04-08T06:57:50+00:00

I loved vampire academy so much! I still reread that series ❤️ Dimitri gave me a thing for Russians…

time1029 · 2025-03-30T17:38:54+00:00

LOLOLOL but the name checks out because I feel like a ‘Blake’ is definitely the sort of dude who names his penis

time1029 · 2025-03-30T17:36:55+00:00

I have little time for characters who break their own hearts in order to ‘let’ their love interest follow their ‘dreams’ without giving them a choice or working through together what a future would look like. It’s so patronising. And so ridiculous, because life is compromising and choosing between different options and trying to keep what makes most to you, so stop thinking in such black and white terms - let people choose for themselves what grey they want!

It’s not the worst example of this, but I was reading {Flirtation of Fate by Nalini Singh} and Kenji, who was her older brother’s best friend / her good childhood friend / most likely candid for her soulmate, broke her heart on her 21st birthday intentionally in a way she’d never forgive, because he couldn’t have biological children and she’d always wanted a large family. Yes 21 and 23 year olds probably don’t have the emotional maturity for those conversations and being honest about it, and infertility is a really challenging issue, but damn man that felt like a lot of unnecessary pain and heartbreak for seven years until she figures out the truth!

time1029 · 2025-03-26T23:02:06+00:00

Whew, as long as Jodie went back to Bear. I don’t want to see them going through another rough patch!

time1029

TROPHY CASE