Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

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Join Our Spoiler-Welcome Discussion of T. Kingfisher’s Books  

I was in a terrible confusion. Sometimes I thought, but this is your life. Stop fighting it.

Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin

March 30, 2026 by carmelpie Leave a Comment

And I realized that such childishness was fantastic at my age and the happiness out of which it sprang yet more so; for that moment I really loved Giovanni, who had never seemed more beautiful than he was that afternoon. And, watching his face, I realized that it meant much to me that I could make his face so bright. I saw that I might be willing to give a great deal not to lose that power. And I felt myself flow toward him, as […]

Filed Under: Fiction, Romance Tagged With: gay awakening, James Baldwin, LGBTQIA, paris, queer romance, sexual awakening, tragic romance

carmelpie's CBR18 Review No:18 · Genres: Fiction, Romance · Tags: gay awakening, James Baldwin, LGBTQIA, paris, queer romance, sexual awakening, tragic romance ·
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Come for the tea, stay for the kisses.

The Raven Door by Amy Crook

March 20, 2026 by carmelpie Leave a Comment

Greyson is a student in his final year of university. He’s shy and has a bit of a complex as he has never been in a relationship, and he has never been in love. Before he graduates and goes out into the world, he wants to know what love feels like. He saves up his money for a love potion, hoping that the experiment will grant him the insight he desires. Greyson goes to Aedan, a local Earth witch and a specialist in love spells […]

Filed Under: Fantasy, Fiction, Romance Tagged With: Amy Crook, cozy romance, gay romance, Love potions, novella, queer romance, slow burn, witch

carmelpie's CBR18 Review No:14 · Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Romance · Tags: Amy Crook, cozy romance, gay romance, Love potions, novella, queer romance, slow burn, witch ·
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We’re two worlds apart.

Rocking the Cowboy by Skylar M. Cates

March 9, 2026 by carmelpie Leave a Comment

Jed is happy. He has his ranch, his horses, and his sister, and his niece. His good-for-nothing father Buddy only contacts Jed when he needs something. After leaving the ranch in Jed’s care, Buddy reinvented himself as entertainment royalty. One of the stars he manages, Remy Sean, needs someplace to lie low and recuperate after an attack during his last concert. Jed doesn’t want anything to do with Buddy, but instead of saying no, he sees an opportunity to negotiate. If Buddy agrees to escort […]

Filed Under: Romance Tagged With: child performers, city vs. country, fish out of water, gay romance, grumpy sunshine, LGBTQIA+ characters, opposites attract, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), queer romance, rockstar romance, Skylar M. Cates, Slow Burn Romance, stage fright

carmelpie's CBR18 Review No:11 · Genres: Romance · Tags: child performers, city vs. country, fish out of water, gay romance, grumpy sunshine, LGBTQIA+ characters, opposites attract, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), queer romance, rockstar romance, Skylar M. Cates, Slow Burn Romance, stage fright ·
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Elastic tension lashed their cars together across space, alone on the road, nothing in his head but grief and freedom.

Summer Sons by Lee Mandelo

February 26, 2026 by carmelpie Leave a Comment

Andrew held the clutch and eased onto the gas, pushing revs while the digital readout reminded him to hold it, wait for the right moment to explode. Sam’s fingers touched the rim of the moon hanging in the sky. A shudder ripped across the bones of Andrew’s forearms, terror and delight and the promise of risk bringing him to life. ― Lee Mandelo, Summer Sons For fuck’s sake Andrew. Is there anything in this scenario that feels heterosexual or well-adjusted to you? ― Lee Mandelo, […]

Filed Under: Fantasy, Fiction, Mystery Tagged With: American History, angst, Classism, curse, dark academia, drug use, Fighting, gay awakening, gay romance, Ghost Stories, homoerotic behaviour, Lee Mandelo, LGBTQ author, LGBTQ romance, murder mystery, Nashville, psychic abilities, queer romance, self-destruction, sexual tension up the wazoo, street racing, Tennessee, toxic friendships, toxic relationships, Toxic Romance, transgender characters, transgender main character, trauma bonding

carmelpie's CBR18 Review No:9 · Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Mystery · Tags: American History, angst, Classism, curse, dark academia, drug use, Fighting, gay awakening, gay romance, Ghost Stories, homoerotic behaviour, Lee Mandelo, LGBTQ author, LGBTQ romance, murder mystery, Nashville, psychic abilities, queer romance, self-destruction, sexual tension up the wazoo, street racing, Tennessee, toxic friendships, toxic relationships, Toxic Romance, transgender characters, transgender main character, trauma bonding ·
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There’s no one on this goddamn planet I’d rather be a disaster with than you.

The Gentleman’s Guide to Getting Lucky (Montague Siblings 1.5) by Mackenzi Lee

February 1, 2026 by carmelpie Leave a Comment

I would teach my body to regrow my heart each time I gave it to him, over and over and over again. Heart after heart after heart—every one of them his. ― Mackenzi Lee, The Gentleman’s Guide to Getting Lucky I had kissed my fair share of lads who had only used me as a counterpoint to their own virtue. My primary contribution to our circles back home had been making everyone else feel grounded and well-behaved in comparison. ― Mackenzi Lee, The Gentleman’s Guide […]

Filed Under: Romance, Young Adult Tagged With: 1700s, gay romance, Greece, greek islands, idiots to lovers, mackenzi lee, queer romance

carmelpie's CBR18 Review No:8 · Genres: Romance, Young Adult · Tags: 1700s, gay romance, Greece, greek islands, idiots to lovers, mackenzi lee, queer romance ·
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I understand less than half the words in that sentence, but God bless the book people for their boundless knowledge absorbed from having words instead of friends.

A Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee

January 27, 2026 by carmelpie Leave a Comment

“Are you going to be sick?” I raise my head. The duke is gone, but Helena is on the window seat, twisting her necklace around her fingers. I don’t answer, because I don’t believe a prisoner owes his captors any sort of report on his health. That, and if I’m going to be sick, I’d prefer to do it all over her, and I’d prefer it to be a stealth attack. ― Mackenzi Lee, The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue On paper, Henry “Monty” […]

Filed Under: Fiction, Young Adult Tagged With: 1700s, chronic illness, english gentry, gay romance, Lords and Ladies, mackenzi lee, piracy, pirates, queer romance, Racism, road trip romance

carmelpie's CBR18 Review No:6 · Genres: Fiction, Young Adult · Tags: 1700s, chronic illness, english gentry, gay romance, Lords and Ladies, mackenzi lee, piracy, pirates, queer romance, Racism, road trip romance ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments
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Recent Comments

  • Classic
    on I was not expecting to feel personally victimised by a Rainbow Rowell novel
    Oh no! I thought about getting this one from the library because I didn't get the ARC either. Read your...
  • Emmalita
    on “But I am not the heroine of a novel.”
    I bought the first book because the wait for any book in the series from my library is over 4...
  • KimMiE"
    on “But I am not the heroine of a novel.”
    I missed Narfna's review, but this sounds delightful! Extremely vexed to find my local library doesn't have it. Now. ....
  • Lauren Behl
    on Apparently I Am All About the Grudges
    I continually found myself looking up characters to determine relationships. AI was wrong most of the time so AI was...
  • Emmalita
    on A story chain starts with hot chocolate
    That’s a great stack of books!
See More Recent Comments »

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