Another week that includes House of the Dragon fanfic that I haven’t talked about anywhere else. I really do read quite a lot of fanfiction, mostly short little one-shots or drabbles and I’ve linked them all here. You should subscribe so you don’t miss out. Plus I’m also linking a reading-related podcast episode this week for you!
On the Hustle by Adriana Herrera (2022)
Contemporary romance, Book 2 in the Dating in Dallas series. Our overworked and overcommitted heroine finally quits her personal assistant job to pursue her interior design business and gives her boss two weeks after she returns from vacation. He’s totally emotionless about her quitting. However, when she emails him to say that she has an awesome opportunity and isn’t coming back for her last two weeks, he flips out and calls her demanding to know where she is. When we switch to his POV, we realize he’s been sickeningly pining for her for three years and waiting to make his move until the boss-employee dynamic was no longer an issue (great perspective from an employer, btw). He follows her from NYC to Dallas, where he somehow wrangles them into an interior decorating reality TV show and is suddenly charming and flirtatious. Really great chemistry and you can tell how attracted they are to each other. As a personal assistant, our heroine’s job involves bringing the guy coffee everyday after he comes out of his swim workout, and there’s a very detailed paragraph early on in the book of how he looks climbing out of the pool. *blushes* There’s also family baggage, workplace drama, dealing with diversity in the workplace, racial identity issues and feelings of belonging, etc. Overall, really great book!
Advance ebook provided by Carina Press via NetGalley. Print book provided by Carina press.
Bridgerton Fanfic: Baby Mine by WaterlilyRose
Super short and sweet little fic exploring Hyacinth’s reaction to Anthony and Kate expecting their first child. If you wanted to see Anthony in Dad-mode, this one will make you feel warm and smooshy.
Read this fic on Archive of Our Own
House of the Dragon Fanfic: you’re more than beginning by MissAtomicBomb (kinderhook)
Harwin/Rhaenyra smut. Unsure of the circumstances here but for some reason Rhaenyra is marrying Harwin and this is their wedding day and wedding night.
Read this fic on Archive of Our Own
House of the Dragon Fanfic: the missing colours by MissAtomicBomb (kinderhook)
Harwin/Rhaenyra smut. Diverges from Episode 1.04 where Criston rejects her advances and she goes to find Harwin for a night in his bed.
Read this fic on Archive of Our Own
House of the Dragon Fanfic: all’s well that ends well to end up with you by RaindropsOnRoses
Harwin/Rhaenyra romance. Laenor dies before Rhaenyra can marry him. She develops a friendship, romance, and marriage with Harwin. Follows their marriage and births of children.
Read this fic on Archive of Our Own
House of the Dragon Fanfic: The Strong Widow by bikadoo
Harwin/Rhaenyra romance. Laenor dies shortly after marriage to Rhaenyra leaving her a widow. She takes Harwin for her protector and husband. This fic follows their marriage and children, etc. It’s pretty similar to the fic linked above, but of the two I think this one was better written. And scroll to the bottom for beautiful fan art.
Read this fic on Archive of Our Own
House of the Dragon Fanfic: The Princess and Her Knight by bikadoo
Harwin/Rhaenyra romance, canon-compliant (no HEA). Fills in the missing ten years from the time-jump between Episodes 1.05 and 1.06 and the relationship development between Harwin and Rhaenyra. This one packs an emotional punch, especially since you know how it’ll eventually turn out from the show. Fan art at the bottom of every chapter.
Read this fic on Archive of Our Own
Podcast: Fated Mates Episode S05.04: What to Read If You Liked The Love Hypothesis
So, this is not a book or fic but it is a podcast episode which will give you a whole bunch of recommendations. I’m a huge fan of the Fated Mates podcast and they’re starting a new series with book recommendations for people who liked certain popular books. What I like about their specific format is that they are not just giving recommendations that are exactly like the popular book (e.g. fake-dating or professor-student). They’ve picked out key elements of The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood that readers may resonate with and give you recommendations for those types of plots or emotions (e.g. pining, women in STEM, banter, a certain type of sex act, etc). The shownotes also include a bonus list of Reylo fic recs from Ali Hazelwood and Adriana Herrera!
Listen to the podcast episode and get links to all their recs on FatedMates.net
Bring a Boxer to His Knees by Charlie Lane (2022)
Historical romance, Book 3 of the Cavendish Family series. This one stands alone for much of the story, but reading Book 1 will give you a lot more backstory on the heroine’s fraught relationship with her father. Our heroine is a daughter of a baron sneaking off to be a sharpshooter in a circus. She hasn’t gotten along with the resident strongman, who is gruff with her and seems to think she’s a spoiled princess. When he gets ill and injured during his act, she offers to escort him to his family home. They learn much more about each other and their families during the journey and come to a truce. Oh, and there’s some delightful sickbed caretaking which I adore.
Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.
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House of the Dragon Fanfic: us, inevitable by scarlettscribbles
Daemon/Rhaenyra smut. It’s basically just a one-shot change from Episode 1.04 where Rhaenyra goes after Daemon.
Read this fic on Archive of Our Own
Harry Potter Fanfic: a better fate by glitterwitch1
Draco/Hermione romance. Draco is born a Veela and his documented mate is Hermione. Total alternate universe where the Malfoy parents have paved the way for a Pureblood/Muggleborn relationship. All their friends have blended together. And Draco is a pining idiot for most of it. Mostly cute and funny.
Read this fic on Archive of Our Own
House of the Dragon Fanfic: Make me your wife by framboise
Daemon/Rhaenyra romance? Kind of? This one was a little dodgy and I’m not sure I really liked it much. It’s a mixture of sweet and creepy. The summary says:
Since she was small, the princess has been wont to ask him the same question – whether as a childish demand, a youthful jest, a plea for protection or a romantic notion – but those words take on a different shine when spoken at her own wedding celebrations to another man. *** Or, the five times Rhaenyra asks Daemon to be her husband, and the one time he asks her to be his wife.
Read this fic on Archive of Our Own
Harry Potter Fanfic: Tell Her by a_MioneNiffler2309
Snape/Hermione one-shot. Short, quick, light read. Here’s the summary:
Severus Snape returns after many years away. While attending a gala of sorts, he spots a witch and finds himself inexplicably drawn to her. It takes several people a good while to talk him into trying before he walks over to Hermione Granger, hopefully with enough confidence to tell her.
Read this fic on Archive of Our Own
Harry Potter Fanfic: An Unwelcomed Interruption by a_MioneNiffler2309
Snape/Hermione one-shot. Short, quick, light read. And there’s a plot twist. Here’s the summary:
Hermione is about to get married, but Severus cannot seem to keep his hands off of her. He shows up the day before unannounced, and even visits her during the wedding when he was supposed to stay away.
Read this fic on Archive of Our Own
Bridgerton Fanfic: The Debut by WaterlilyRose
Ballroom one-shot. It’s the first ball of the new season after Francesca’s debut. Kate and Anthony have a contentious run-in with Lord and Lady Sheffield. It’s just a short little confrontation scene that is fun to read if you like seeing snooty folks get called out.
Read this fic on Archive of Our Own
The Convenient Engagement by Emily EK Murdoch (2022)
Historical romance, Book 5 of the de Petras saga. We finally have the romance that has been building up in the past three books. The youngest de Petras sibling has always been treated as the baby of the family, even now when she’s out in society and a young lady. She decides that to be taken seriously by her family, she needs to be engaged. She solicits a family friend to be her fake fiancee thinking him to be trustworthy and believable. Poor guy has been in love with her for years and cannot deny her anything. This books made me feel so terribly sad for our hero because of all the pining and longing and crestfallen looks on his face whenever he has a glimmer of hope that is crushed. If you like a sad pathetic pining hero, this one is for you.
Advance ebook provided by Dragonblade Publishing via NetGalley.
House of the Dragon Fanfic: no grave can hold my body down by balmacedapascal
Harwin/Rhaenyra romance. A drabble really. (A drabble is usually less than a thousand words and will take you about 5 minutes to read). The summary says: “Harwin Strong lives and finds his way back to his princess.”
Read this fic on Archive of Our Own
House of the Dragon Fanfic: comfort and control by balmacedapascal
Harwin/Rhaenyra romance. A bit longer of a drabble (just barely more than a thousand words). A short conversation after Rhaenyra’s wedding.
Read this fic on Archive of Our Own
Harry Potter Fanfic: Amortentia by LadyMidnight87
Draco/Hermione romance, one-shot. I had this one sitting in my open internet tabs for awhile and wanted a quick read. Draco has ingested some form of amortentia and he’s totally in love with Hermione so he’s crazed with lust. You can imagine what happens next. Or don’t imagine and just read it.
Read this fic on Archive of Our Own
Harry Potter Fanfic: The Potion Accident by Colubrina
Draco/Hermione romance, one-shot. Draco and Hermione have experienced a potions lab accident causing them to be telepathically linked and can feel each others’ emotions. The story is a bunch of tiny little glimpses into their interactions and emotions over several years. I’ve read this one before, but it was recently posted onto AO3, so I re-read it. It’s actually really very sweet and worth reading.
Read this fic on Archive of Our Own
The Boxing Baroness by Minerva Spencer (2022)
Historical romance, Book 1 of the Wicked Women of Whitechapel series. This one was my first read from Minerva Spencer and I’ve heard great things about her books. We have a female boxer who works for her uncle’s all-female circus troupe and she is being sought by a duke who is being blackmailed. The lady is involved because the blackmailer is her former lover who is asking for her presence in exchange for the life of the duke’s brother (previously presumed dead). There’s a lot of plot happening here with traveling between England and France during Napoleon’s escape from prison, tragic backstory for both the duke and the lady, secret identities, blackmail, and a relationship that is not recommended due to social class differences. It was a bit of a slog for me… too much plot, not enough romance. Though the plot becomes important for the conclusion in the back third of the book. Overall, it was a mediocre read for me and I’m not sure if I’d continue reading the series.
Advance ebook provided by Kensington Books via NetGalley.
Titan: A Gargoyle Daddy Dom Romance by Jillian Graves (2022)
Paranormal romance, Book 1 of the Romancing His Stone series. Former child actress, Julianna, whose funds were stolen by her manager-mother is setting up sugar daddy arrangements to pay her bills. Titan is a gargoyle whose world collapsed when another gargoyle betrayed the brotherhood and is seeking a magical relic. They cross paths when one of Julianna’s dates has knowledge of the relic he seeks. He sets up an arrangement with Julianna to get closer to the relic and they fall in love along the way. As the title says, there are strong daddy-dom themes in this book with explicit sex and ridged tail for good measure. The world-building is pretty interesting and there are hints to the next couple in the series.
Ebook accessed from Kindle Unlimited.
Shop this book via Amazon // Bookshop.org
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