Reading Slump Reading - Mini Write-Up One

As I said earlier, I fell hard into a reading slump. Things happened and it's one of those things. At the time, I was mildly ok with the slump, then I went  "Enough now!" as I had to DNF two reads that I was quite excited to read - one was a proof of a book that I was kindly sent by the publisher for review which I am excited to read as I love these authors's previous books (Daughter of Darkness by Elizabeth and Katherine Corr) and I had to put it down and hope that I will return to this before its publication so can have a review or something ready. 

But this reading slump might be over. Maybe. At the time of writing this, I am unsure if am out of the reading slump woods, but am tentatively hopefully. 

The two books that, I hope, have got me out of my reading slump is Crankshaft by K. M. Neuhold and Maskerade by Terry Pratchett (this is audiobook, FYI). 

Crankshaft, the first book in the Big Bull Mechanics series (this is a spin off series of Four Bear Construction that I class as my COVID Lockdown obsession) is a MM, low angst romance, while Maskerade is a Discworld novel (the 18th in the whole series and, I think, the 5th or 6th in the Witches series), which pokes fun at opera. 

So, not gonna write full-on reviews (these were fun! Perfect for getting out of reading slumps), but these were fun. I knew I would love Crankshaft as this is the first book in a spinoff series that I devoured during COVID, Four Bear Constructions. And I knew this would be light, fun and angst-free (or very low angst). 

Maskerade, on the other hand, was a bit of a risk. I'm not 100% sure about Terry Pratchett and his Discworld series, though I seem to have gained a few titles on my kindle. But Maskerade has been one that I've had my eye on for a while for some unknown reason, and while I did warm to the story and the characters (mainly Granny Weatherwax and Nanny Ogg - it did some time for me to like them, and I audiobooked Wyrd Sisters, and I found the lack of Magrat in this story a nice bonus). It seems that I like Discworld novels, but the latter half of the novels when things are beginning to go off the rails. I can't seem to warm to the set-up of the first half of the novel... 

But, like I said, am in the depths of a reading slump and slowly, oh-so-slowly, am trying to crawl out of it, so I'm not exactly going to rush my next few reads/audiobooks. Am nearly finished one and it's a "meh", but I can't decide if that's because am still in slump or if the story just didn't work... we shall see...  

Summer of Love 2021 - Stripped

As you know if you have been following the Pewter Wolf Reads or myself on other social medias (such as Goodreads/Twitter/etc) since last year, my main COVID-19 pandemic reading/obsession was the Four Bear Construction series by KM Neuhold, a MM romance with little/no angst. This series, I think, was my main drive for me to explore MM romance – or romance in general – the past few months. This series, originally a four book series, followed the four construction workers falling in love in their early 40s with a Happily Ever After (HEA). The series, then, got expanded to three more stories with characters introduced within the series (I reacted very happily when I read that news last year!).

Title And Author: Stripped by K. M. Neuhold

Publisher: Self-Published by Author

Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Bought 

Stripped follows Miller, a ripped trans construction worker at Four Bears who, while on a job at a local university when he dumps into Demetri, a plus-size bear of professor who wears tweed, knits his tortoise cosizes for their shell and who Miller had a huge childhood summer camp crush on. There is an instant connection (of course) but Demetri doesn’t date. He has self-confidence issues and doesn’t think someone like Miller will look at him twice that way. They can just be friends... right?

eBook Review - Stud

This series is such fun (a surprise discovery during Covid-19 UK lockdown of last year. I mean, have you not been following me on here or any of my social medias?), and when the last book in the series, Screwed, came out last year, I was kinda sad that the series was over. 

Until the author announced she had plans to possibly write three more instalments, maybe more. I got excited so when it was revealed that the first in the new instalments followed two characters I have been secretly rooting for since their introducing in the second instalment, Nailed, West and Sawyer, I got very excited. Hang on, let me get details up so you know where I'm at. 

Title And Author: Stud by K.M. Neuhold

Publisher: Self-Published

Physical, eBook or Audiobook: eBook 

Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Bought

Length: 301 Pages

Ever since West met Sawyer, he has been asking him out. Each time, Sawyer gently refuses. But since West last asked Sawyer out (and Sawyer said no. After the two shared one hot kiss.), and the two have become close friends. When West decides to finally get back into dating, Sawyer's reaction surprises himself: he sabotages West's dates. He might not be ready to admit to West or himself that he has feels for a guy 15 years his junior, but he doesn't want West to date anyone else, either.

Let's Talk Four Bears

So, the past few months as been an interesting/scary time for us all, hasn’t it? And I am still scared out of my mind that the UK will go into a second national lockdown (let’s not talk politics now. I don’t think I can handle writing politics on the blog). So, I wanted to talk about one of the series I have been reading throughout lockdown and me being furlodge. Yes, I binged The Old Kingdom series by Garth Nix and loved revisiting this world, but how about a new series? Something that wasn’t on my radar till just before lockdown… 

Four Bears Construction series by K.M. Neuhold came on my radar by fluke. The first book in the series, Caulky, popped up on my Amazon under that “Inspired By” and, yes, the cover for it is very eye-catching [insert gif of Blanche from Golden Girls here] and the synopsis catch my attention so, on a whim, I bought it and read it. And had such fun that I have continued with the series… 

The Four Bear Construction series is an adult MM romance series, which has little to no angst (though there is angst. The first and fourth books are quite sweet, while the second and the third has a slightly angsty edge) and they all end with a Happy Ever After. 

So, yeah, this is VERY not me. I mean, straight-up romances aren’t my usual go-to for reads, but you have seen in the past that I have tried to dip my toe into romance. Sometimes, it works and I have had a blast, other times have been… well… 

So why is this series the series I have hooked into? I have no idea. But this series, as well as my reread of Garth Nix’s The Old Kingdom, has been my COVID-19 series go-to. 

Now, I have blogged my thoughts of the first two books in the series - Caulky and Nailed (the links for them are here and here!) - but I haven’t for the third nor the fourth - Hardwood and Screwed - but that was due to sudden, much needed blog break (though Hardwood did get a tiny write-up on my Goodreads and will probably do the same with Screwed once I get my brain in order. But then, am writing this post so …)

So, in case you haven’t any of my posts, let’s do a quick skim over the four books. Now, before I go any further, you can read these as standalones as each book focuses on one romance, but if you read the whole series, certain events make more sense.

Self-Isolation Read - Nailed

• Title And Author: Nailed by K.M. Neuhold
• Publisher: Self Published [?]
• Physical, eBook or Audiobook: eBook
• Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Bought
• Length: 337 Pages

It’s rare that I read the same author back-to-back. Very rare. And within the same series. Even rarer. So, me buying and instantly read Nailed, the second book in the Four Bears Construction series, after having a blast reading the first book, Caulky, seemed to make perfect sense! 

Stone doesn’t understand why his neighbours hates him so much. He seems to have hated Stone almost as soon as they met, and there seems to be no reason for it. Well, if Dare thinks Stone is the neighbour from hell, Stone is going to be: mowing his lawn at dawn at the weekend, leaving his rubbish bins in front of Dare’s driveway, renting out a petting zoo without checking… 

But when it’s revealed why is a simple minunderstanding, the anger between these two men have for each other turns into an angry, yet hot make-out section. So, where does that leave them now?

Self-Isolation Reading - Caulky

• Title And Author: Caulky by K.M. Neuhold
• Publisher: Self-Published (?)
• Physical, eBook or Audiobook: eBook
• Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Bought
• Length: 316 Pages

I have no idea how this book got on my radar. I generally don’t know. I think I was research another book and I stumbled on Caulky that way or if someone mentioned this on Goodreads and I preordered it on a whim. I can’t remember, but I might have started self-isolating by then and, as you have seen, I have gone hard on the romance side of my TBR. 

The first book in a gay romance series, Ren is going through a nasty break-up. With another relationship down the drain, Ren decides to give up hope of ever finding the One and decides to try hook-ups with random guys every now and then while living a solitary life. In a bar, Ren picks up a handsome stranger, thinking he’ll never see him again. Shame that Cole is an owner of the construction company and the constructor who’s redoing Ren’s bathroom… 

And, to make things more You’ve Got Mail, both guys have faceless profiles on a gay dating app and they chat to each other, becoming friends with snarky comments. 

That’s right. We have a weird little love triangle with two people, but who don’t realise that they are the same person…