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.