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#mlm sports romance
duckprintspress · 1 month
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Now Available: Hockey Bois by A. L. Heard
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Our successful crowdfunding campaign for Hockey Bois by A. L. Heard has been fulfilled, backers have their awesome rewards, and that means now, even if you missed the December pre-order window, now you can get your copy of this fun contemporary hockey slow-burn mlm novel!
Nick Porter has always loved hockey. Ever since he can remember, it’s been his favorite thing in the world. It’s too bad he never learned to play, he’d tell himself, but it was too late to do it now. Adults don’t just magically learn to skate and join a hockey team. That’d be ridiculous.
Except maybe they do? On a whim, he decides to sign up for an adult beginner’s class. He learns to skate, joins a team, and meets a really hot teammate… and it’s pretty much a disaster from there on out.
Available in…
e-book from our website, major retailers, and through the library e-book app of your choice!
trade paperback from our website and major retailers, and you can request it from your library or bookstore of choice!
hard cover is only available through our website, and only while supplies last. We have about a dozen copies left and will not be printing more so if you want the hard cover, get it while you can!
Want even more? Don’t miss the merchandise!
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chibi Nick and Brady magnets (sold as a set – and sorry, despite the image suggesting otherwise, the Brady magnet is not holographic)
two-sided bookmark
chibi Brady skating sticker (holographic!)
chibi Nick skating sticker
chibi Nick and Brady holding hands
Nick and Brady clinking beer bottles; and
the front cover artwork (very limited supplies left on this one!)
And that’s not all! Can’t get enough and Nick and Brady? We have short stories by A. L. Heard for that!
Brady Jensen vs. Haunted House: a “what if” alternate take on if these characters went to high school together!
Brambles, Pollen, and Other Natural Disasters: a sexy “what if” college setting version, with sex pollen!
Snowbound and Love Sick: another sexy alternate take, this time snowed-in together in a cabin – what could possibly go wrong?
And you can get EVEN MORE on A. L. Heard’s ko-fi!
Come on over to the Duck Prints Press Webstore and Get Your Copies Now!
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pucktrek · 8 months
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honestly the one of the things that makes me the most sad about this hockey romance / booktok drama is that now so many hockey fans have a negative impression of hockey romances and sports romances. There are so, so many wonderful, queer romances out there that are doing wonderful, nuanced, and intentional things within the sports romance genre, and I hate that now people are looking down on them.
Here's some reasons that I love sports romances:
It’s a celebrity romance, but more of a niche celebrity romance. This isn’t a Hollywood super star that everyone in the world knows their name, BUT they often do have a dedicated fan base and are still in the public eye. It brings up really interesting discussions of fame and power and how much of yourself you keep private. So you get a lot of the good celebrity romance tropes and settings (like secret relationship, having to do interviews, traveling to new cities) but on a more niche and interesting scale
And bouncing off of that, with queer sports romances you get a lot of really interesting discussions of coming out, how you present your queerness to the world, how much of yourself is “owed” to the people around you vs yourself, which is very interesting when explored through a sports culture lense and I really enjoy the discussions of queer identity, culture, and community that come out of it. And particularly if it a romance between two players, there's a lot of really interesting queer nuances to explore
There are so many different pairings that can happen, but most of them kind of boil down to player/player, player/sports professional, player/normie, and each of these dynamics are interesting to me every time, especially when exploring teammate dynamics! And exploring how fame affects each of these things!
Found family! Your team is your family! And everyone has silly nicknames and rituals with each other and it makes me feel warm and fuzzy
With every romance, you pretty much know that it’s gonna end with a Happily Ever After, which is why we love the genre. But sometimes that can take the “surprise” out of a romance and its structure. Within sports romances, you don’t know how the game is going to go! They could win! They could lose! That affects the characters either way! And there’s been several sports romances that had me on the edge of my seat cause I genuinely had no idea which way the championship game was gonna go! I like that extra plot element to keep things interesting 
I also like it when you can tell the author is a big fan of their sport, and even if EYE don’t know anything about the sport, they’re generally good at writing things in a makes sense and makes the action interesting and keeps me hooked. It’s also just nice to step into the world the author loves!
Genuinely I just think that queer sports romances are doing so many interesting things, and have such interesting niches and nuances to the stories they’re telling! And they should not be looked down upon by hockey fans OR romance fans who have witnessed this booktok drama go down and now don’t want to touch hockey romances with a ten foot pole.
Here are some of the queer sports romances I recommend for anyone who wants to get into the genre:
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spacefruitpress · 7 days
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A pair of gymnasts have to work out how to make each other fly - and try to resist the tug of gravity as they fall in love. A low-heat MM romance about competitive gymastics, Catch Me if I Can by Augusta Conner is now available to read on Kindle Unlimited.
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qbdatabase · 7 months
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The Inside Edge by Ashlyn Kane What does a work-life balance look like to recently retired professional athletes? Ex-hockey player Nate Overton is trying to find out, but dipping his toes in the gay dating scene post-divorce is a daunting prospect even without the news that his show is on thin ice. Before he can tackle either issue, he skates headfirst into another problem—his new cohost. Former figure skater Aubrey Chase is the embodiment of a spoiled rich playboy. He’s also flamboyant, sharp, and hot as sin.
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apollosbookreviews · 1 year
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Enemies with Benefits by Lavender Fields
Stars: 4.5
Time taken to read: 6 hours
Pages: 343
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Character opinions: | love this book. Both MC's are pretty relatable and interesting characters. Finley is 100% my favourite character. Colby and Ezra are so cute. Ilove Colby's parents however the RAGE I felt towards Ezra's parents was astronomical! If I see his dad, I swear to everything holy, it's on SIGHT!
Favourite quote: Colby threw open the stall door, slamming it against the wall and screamed at Finley, "If I was in a gay relationship, I'd be the top! Right?"
"Listen, man." Finley rested a gentle hand on Colby's shoulder. " You know I'II love you whether you're straight, gay, or a furry but no. You would not be the top, you're a bottom boy."
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badboytwink · 3 months
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Chapter 3: Use Your Words
Ayden Backstrom
Friday, December, 28th.
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I’m fucking livid, I can’t fucking breathe, this is driving me fucking crazy. My brain is buzzing with thoughts faster than my mind can actually comprehend them, my blood is boiling a deep crimson inside my body. I can practically feel the way the veins are protruding from my neck, trying to fight their way out of my skin. Fuck, this is fucking stupid I fucking hate this.
If I don’t get back to my room right now I’m going to explode in a mix of tears andpure unadulterated anger. The moment the family car pulls into the driveway I’m dashing out, acidic bile burning in my throat, I have to get back to my room, I have to get back to privacy so I can properly freak out about this.
Pulling my phone out I dial the pinned number in my contacts, my heart racing and pounding through my chest, the sound reverbrating in my ear as I wait for the line to connect.
“Hel-” The line connects and my favourite sound tries to answer, a gruff voice that sounds like it just woke up from a long, well deserved sleep. 
“We’re on different hockey teams.” The words fly past my lips before I can stop them, my voice trying not to break as my emotions keep me on the verge of breaking down, on the verge of curling up and weeping until my eyes fall out of their sockets.
“What?”
My bestfriend doesn’t sound too shocked, he genuinely just sounds tired, which makes sense, we were up all night on duo’s together, but the lack of emotion in his tone is destroying me on the inside. Doesn’t he find this as completely isolating and atrocious as I do?
“Yeah, we’re on different fucking teams this year.” I blurted out through gritted teeth, one part of me wants to lash out on every object in my room, breaking everything that I used to hold dear to me, punching holes through walls and screaming, but another part of me wants to just cry, cry as hard as I can until my lungs give out. The thought of the punishment for either makes a big lump form in my throat and I decide to just stay on the phone with Izaac and talk to him about it.
“That’s not too bad.” His gruff voice rumbles out of the phone and hits my ears, where my jaw completely drops. I’m so ready to blow up on him right now. “Not too bad? Not too fucking bad?!” I nearly burst into a fit of angry tears, the urge to scream at him is overwhelming and I can’t stop, it’s like the toxicity is lingering in my throat trying to crawl out through my words and infect others. 
“Ayden..” His soft, tired voice stops everything immediately. I can imagine him still being curled up in his bed, suffocated by the boyish atmosphere of his room. The words blank in my head and I'm forced to listen, his voice is calming, like a sedative, and I just want to hear every last word he has to say.
“Don’t worry, it’ll all work out, m’kay?” I subconsciously nod on the other end, forgetting that he can’t see me. My brain has such a clear image of him right now, that I don’t bother to remember that he can’t see my facial expressions. All I’m thinking about is the sleep lingering in his voice, making it deeper and raspy, the tips of my ears grow hot and it begins to spread, down my cheeks and on my nose, at the simple sound of his words.
“Ayden, be a good boy and use your words.” The other boy giggles, it was a common joke between our friend group because of how the words are sexualized, and it was inherently funny, but I didn’t laugh I just croaked out a vague acknowledgment of his words, letting him know that I hear his words. I understand what he’s saying, I’m just… listening.
“Okay, so don’t worry about it too much.” The anger has completely left my body I’ll I can feel is a tingle rushing down my spine and spreading a heat throughout my body. I’m behaving like an obedient dog, listening to every commands my owner has to say, chasing that silently promised reward without another word.
“Okay…” I sighed nodding my head, listening to anything else he has to say, if he has anything more to say. “I’m going to go back to bed, okay?” He keeps this softspoken tone that makes me want to listen when he speaks, seeking it out like a starving animal seeking food. “Call me if you need anything.”
“Okay,”
“Bye, dude,”
“Bye.”
My voice cracked on the last word, not out of emotion, but because I was purely speechless. As the line went dead I sat there for a moment, thinking and wondering about what just happened. My brain is buzzing with activity, but I can’t make out any sort of coherent thought. I’m just silent. 
On one hand I was appreciative on how much my bestfriend knew about me, how much he was able to calm me down, and how easily he did it. One the other, though, I was confused, that joke, it hit different, why did it hit different? Is there something wrong with him? There’s gotta be, No one would ever take that joke seriously. 
Maybe I’m just being sensitive, or maybe I’m overthinking things, but I swear this was different, this was more, that joke was just as much of a joke to him as it was to me, but he has a girlfriend, he would never. This was wrong anyway, it wasn’t just wrong it was bad, sinful, revolting.
I was absolutely disgusted in my own behaviour, it was just horrible, how could I do this. I was an anomaly, I was wrong. My cheeks shouldn’t be flushed after our conversation, my body shouldn’t be buzzing with sensations, my dick shouldn’t be…
Oh.
Oh
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guzhufuren · 1 month
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A Guide to Some of the Best Queer Asian Shows
The guide includes a show’s basic summary; main genres/tropes/themes and official streaming links (additional info on how to watch at the end of this post)! You can find some content warnings in the reply section of this post. Shows are listed by countries, numbered by the order I recommend watching in, not by rating. All shows have happy endings unless specified otherwise. The list will hopefully be updated regularly (last updated on 04/04/2024, 98 queer shows in total).
Most shows are about mlm, I specify with coloured notes those that are focused on wlw, polyamory, aromantism/asexuality, etc.
Tumblr does not allow large texts or more than 30 images per post at the moment, so you can click on every country’s list to expand them and view them fully in a separate post. You can access this guide in a google doc here.
Thailand 🇹🇭 (full list here)
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1. KinnPorsche mafia boss/bodyguard; action; kidnapper/kidnapee side couple
Kinn, a son of a prominent mafia head, is ambushed by an enemy, and meets Porsche, a bartender who comes to his rescue for a price, thus beginning their reluctant relationship as boss and bodyguard, which soon turns into something more.
iQIYI
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2. Bed Friend friends with benefits; office setting; trauma
King and Uea work in the same office. After a company outing ends in a drunken hook-up between them, Uea and King agree to keep seeing each other on a strictly physical basis. With no strings attached, will these two be able to keep things between them simple and carefree or will their emotions eventually get the better of them?
Uncut 18+ on iQIYI or GagaOOLala or cut on YouTube
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3. The Sign reincarnated lovers; fantasy; thai mythology; police
The story of the love between Phaya and Tharn who used to be mythological creatures Naga and Garuda in their past lives, and were forced apart. But fate intervened, and two men were reincarnated in new bodies. Now, they work together as partners in the Special Investigations Unit to uncover violent crimes and supernatural mysteries while their love is tested by mystical forces and past enemies.
YouTube
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4. I Feel You Linger In The Air period drama; time travel; bittersweet
Jom, an architect overseeing the renovation of a rundown villa, continuously dreams of a man he's never met. When a twist of fate transports Jom to Chiang Mai in the 1920s, he assumes the role of a servant to the affluent young master Yai, the mysterious man from his dreams.
GagaOOLala or YouTube
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5. You're My Sky sports; university setting; coming of age
Thorn, a young basketball player follows his senior Fah to university as a result of the promise they’d made — to become national basketball champions. However, to his dismay, he finds that Fah has already given up on basketball. --- Aai has to work in pairs throughout the semester with San, 1 year footballer; in order to receive a scholarship to study in Japan, Ai must be willing to do everything to get an A grade. --- Track running requires the compatibility of the team members to be very high. Vee, who became the new racquet 4, has to speed up training to fit in with the team as quickly as possible, especially with Dome, spending extra time together to train. Is love actually a major obstacle on the path of being an athlete?
Viki
> more tv shows from Thailand
GMMTV Thailand 🇹🇭 (full list here)
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1. My School President high school setting; secret crush; school president/rebel musician
Gun is the head of his high school music club. Tinn is a school president and Gun's long-term rival. The Principal wants to disband some of the school’s “useless” after-school clubs, especially the music club. Per school rules, the student council president is the one who has the power to dissolve clubs. Gun is now at Tinn’s mercy, so he attempts to do whatever he can to persuade his rival not to cancel the music club. Little does he know, Tinn actually has a secret crush on him. Could romance brew as Gun makes a desperate attempt to secure the future of his band?
Viki (MSP) & YouTube (Our Skyy special 33-40) & YouTube (special)
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2. Moonlight Chicken adult romance; age gap; deaf character
Jim is an ordinary guy running a chicken rice diner. One night, he meets Wen when he stays past closing drunk. Brought together by fate that night, intangible feelings arise. Neither can stop thinking about the other despite Jim's efforts to remain unattached. Jim also takes care of his nephew Li Ming, who is falling in love with Heart, a deaf teenager who is practically kept under house arrest by his affluent parents.
YouTube
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3. Not Me revolution; freedom fighters; secret twins
When his twin Black is viciously attacked and subsequently left hospitalised in unconsciousness, White is unable to endure the harm done to his brother in silence. He learns Black was a part of a gang of anti-capitalist freedom fighters, and it was one of them who betrayed him. White disguises himself as Black to discover which one of them betrayed him and put him in a coma.
YouTube
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4. 23.5 wlw; high school setting; secret admirer
Ongsa moves to a new school and meets Sun, a cute popular girl who she immediately falls for. However, she decides to approach Sun in instagram dms under the pseudonym Earth, leading Sun to believe she's talking to a guy. But Ongsa does not want to lose the opportunity to talk to Sun, so she decides to keep the fact that she is a girl a secret and continue talking as Earth.
YouTube
> more tv shows from GMMTV Thailand
Japan 🇯🇵 (full list here)
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1. Cherry Magic!   mind reading; secret crush; office setting
By still being a vіrgin at 30, Adachi gains a magical power – the ability to read other people's minds by touching them. At first, he’s overwhelmed by his new ability, and it’s not proving to be helpful to him. But that all changes when he accidentally touches their office’s most perfect guy Kurosawa, who he learns has romantic feelings for him.
WeTV (Cherry Magic) & no international streaming of Cherry Magic The Movie is available to my knowledge, so watch on bilibili or KissKH
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2. Kieta Hatsukoi (My Love Mix-Up!)   misunderstanding; high school setting
Aoki has a crush on Hashimoto, the girl in the seat next to him in class. But he despairs when he borrows her eraser and sees she's written the name of another boy — Ida — on it. To make matters more confusing, Ida sees Aoki holding that very eraser and thinks Aoki has a crush on him!
Viki
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3. Our Dining Table food; child character
Salaryman Yutaka finds it difficult to share meals with other people. However, his life starts to change when one day, his cooking attracts the attention of a young boy named Tane and his older brother Minoru. The two brothers are impressed by Yutaka's cooking skill and invite him to their house to cook together. Yutaka's dreary life begins to change, and soon he finds himself looking forward to the meals he shares with the Ueda siblings together, as well as developing a taste for romantic feelings.
GagaOOLala
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4. She Loves to Cook and She Loves to Eat wlw; neighbours; self-discovery; food
Nomoto loves to cook, but tends to make too much food and has no one to share it with. Luckily for her, turns out her neighbor Kasuga has a big enough appetite for the both of them.
No international streaming available, translated to english by Furritsubs, S1 & S2, watching instructions provided, please support translator on kofi.
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5. Takara-kun to Amagi-kun high school setting; relationship exploration
Takara is a good-looking popular guy in class, while Amagi is a simple but bright and pure fellow classmate. The two begin to date in secret after Amagi's blurted out confession.
Viki or GagaOOLala
> more tv shows from Japan
China 🇨🇳 (full list here)
Most chinese shows are adapted from explicitly queer novels, the shows are undeniably and obviously queer, but nevertheless the queer romance part is censured. The only exception is number 4 on the list, it is not censored.
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1. The Untamed period drama; fantasy
An epic fantasy led by a problem child who comes back from the dead 16 years later in order to fix the broken world he left behind — and finally unite with his soulmate.
YouTube
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2. Word of Honor period drama; fantasy
The leader of assassin organisation Zhou Zishu quits his position in pursuit of freedom with drastic measures. In his travels, he meets Wen Kexing, the leader of Ghost Valley who wants nothing but revenge. The two become entangled in various machinations within the martial arts world, and eventually become soulmates instrumental in each other's redemption.
YouTube & Special Episode on Tumblr or DailyMotion
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3. Couple of Mirrors wlw; period drama; socialite/assassin
You Yi is a kind-hearted socialite and a successful author. Her perfect life is turned upside-down when she discovers a betrayal by the two most trusted people in her life. With no one left to turn to, she finds refuge in the friendship and support of Yan Wei, a lonely female killer disguised as the owner of a photo studio.
YouTube. the show doesn’t have a happy ending, but it can be a happy ending for you if you stop watching at episode 12 timestamp 28:02.
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4. Stay With Me enemies to lovers; high school setting; unconventional families; slow burn
Su Yu is a high school student who lives with his single poor father. Su Yu gets a new classmate Wu Bi. The two clash right from the start, and after getting off on the wrong foot, their explosive relationship takes a turn.
YouTube or GagaOOLala. the show doesn’t have a happy ending, but it can be a happy ending for you if you stop watching at episode 24 timestamp 05:00. OR watch the full thing and look at this post after
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5. The Spirealm inside of a video game; mystery; fantasy; horror-ish; hopeful ending
A game designer Lin Qiushi is transported inside of a game he recently played, and now he must go through 12 horrifying survivor game doors to survive in the real world. Inside his first door he meets Ruan Nanzhu, a mysterious man who offers him to team up.
The show was taken down from streaming, download files here and subtitles here.
Various WLW mini web-dramas here.
Various WLW short films here.
South Korea 🇰🇷 (full list here)
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1. Love for Love's Sake inside of a video game; high school setting; healing
At the age of 29 Tae Myungha finds himself transported into a fictional video game, and now 19 years old, he meets Cha Yeowoon, who is in the darkest moment of his life. And a translucent window appears where he receives a mission — to make Cha Yeowoon happy.
iQIYI (better subtitles) or GagaOOLala
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2. Semantic Error enemies to lovers; university setting
A serious programmer and a rebellious artist clash over a school project. Their animosity keeps escalating to new extremes, defined by petty pranks and feisty arguments.
Viki
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3. Love Tractor farm setting; farmer/city musician
Sunyeol, a city man with zero ability to survive in the countryside, comes to his grandfather's rural home. In front of him appears Yechan, a passionate and kind young farmer. While learning about rural life and assisting with farming tasks, Sunyeol gradually finds himself drawn to Yechan's warm and straightforward nature, while Yechan helplessly falls for Sunyeol.
iQIYI
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4. Our Dating Sim high school friends to lovers; office setting
After 7 years, Lee Wan meets his first love, Shin Kitae, in a gaming company. When they were best friends in high school, Lee Wan was in love with Kitae. But he ran away and disappeared after confessing his feelings to Kitae after graduation. When the two of them begin working on a new dating simulation game and get more immersed in the project, old feelings are rekindled.
Viki or GagaOOLala
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5. She Makes My Heart Flutter wlw; bar setting; niece and aunt dynamic
The extroverted Gang Seol is hired by her aunt Jung at her only-women bar. Even though they are both lesbians, they seem to be worlds apart and have very different love stories.
YouTube
> more tv shows from South Korea
Taiwan 🇹🇼 (full list here)
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1. History3: Trapped mafia boss/policeman
The story of a police officer who becomes trapped in the underworld, as he develops feelings for a gang leader.
YouTube or Viki
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2. Kiseki: Dear to Me mafia; age gap
Bai Zongyi, an exemplary high school student with dreams of becoming a doctor, is one day unexpectedly drawn into the world of a charismatic and mischievous gangster Fan Zerui, who blackmails him into taking him in and treating his wounds. Just as their love story begins to unfold, Fan Ze Rui's criminal life catches up with him. On the other hand, Chen Yi and Ai Di are two orphans who grew up in the gang together. Ai Di has always loved Chen Yi, but Chen Yi only notices their boss.
Viki or GagaOOLala or YouTube
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3. My Tooth Your Love dentist/chef; trauma healing
Bai Lang is a successful bistro owner with an severe fear of visiting the dentist... until a toothache forces him to come face to face with the handsome yet cold dentist Jin Xunan.
Viki
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4. Anti Reset android/human
When Chu Yi Ping, an emotionless man, dislocates his hand in an accident at school, his uncle gives him Ever 9 as a caretaker, an experimental intelligent robot that his company is secretly testing.
Viki or iQIYI or GagaOOLala
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5. History2: Crossing the Line sports; high school setting
When an injury sidelines a high school senior from the volleyball team, he develops feelings for a recruit.
YouTube or Viki
> more tv shows from Taiwan
Philippines 🇵🇭
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1. Sleep With Me wlw; radio; disabled character in a wheelchair
A science textbook writer with a sleep disorder meets a wheelchair-using radio host who runs the midnight shift. This chance encounter at the radio station quickly sparks their interest in each other.
GagaOOLala
---
You can watch many shows for free on YouTube, and watch others on the streaming websites by setting VPN to one of the countries in the list. In other cases I recommend paying for subscriptions to show appreciation and support of content in order to get more of it in the future, but if you can’t, watch on KissKH (better quality), Dramacool or get files from MkvDrama. Enjoy!  🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️
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desdasiwrites · 1 year
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– Isaac Fitzsimons, The Passing Playbook
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library-graffiti · 2 years
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Wrote up a quick review of The Inside Edge by Ashlyn Kane. Seriously seriously loved this book. If you are even vaguely interested in sports romance, take a look at this one.
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duckprintspress · 5 months
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Pre-Order Hockey Bois by A. L. Heard!
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Pre-orders for A. L. Heard’s modern beer-league hockey m/m romance are now open!
Nick Porter has always loved hockey. Ever since he can remember, it’s been his favorite thing in the world. It’s too bad he never learned to play, he’d tell himself, but it was too late to do it now. Adults don’t just magically learn to skate and join a hockey team. That’d be ridiculous.
Except maybe they do? On a whim, he decides to sign up for an adult beginner’s class. He learns to skate, joins a team, and meets a really hot teammate… and it’s pretty much a disaster from there on out.
Almost three years after the debut of Hockey Bois, A. L. Heard returns with a new edition of this much-loved book! The text has been revised and streamlined, the interior appearance re-done, and we’ll be offering an e-book edition, trade paperback, AND hard cover! If your preferred flavor of m/m story is slow burn, mutual pining, and romance-with-plot, you won’t want to miss this, and the hockey hunks are just a lovely, delicious, not-to-be-missed bonus!
What can you get?
Hockey Bois e-book (ePub and PDF formats included in one purchase!)
Hockey Bois Trade Paperback Book
Hockey Bois Hardcover Book
STICKERS! We have five stickers on offer – the front cover art, the main character Nick skating, love interest Brady skating, Nick and Brady holding hands, and Nick and Brady sharing a hug and beer.
a two-sided bookmark featuring Nick on one side and Brady on the other
chibi magnets of Nick skating and Brady skating
Patreon Extra: all Duck Prints Press Patreon backers at the $10/month and $25/month level who also participate in this pre-order campaign will get an acrylic standee of the adorable chibi art of Nick and Brady holding hands!
Can’t decide what to get? We have bundles for that…
Hockey Bois e-book + trade paperback book
Hockey Bois e-book + hardcover book
Hockey Bois e-book + trade paperback book + merch
Hockey Bois e-book + hardcover book + merch
Visit our pre-order campaign page to read all the details, access the shop listings, and get your books and swag NOW!
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paletigers · 11 months
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Some Stardew Valley redesigns/reimaginings!! these pics were about a week apart from one another so theyre in two different styles lol
some explainations below the cut!
For Context: A lot of these headcanons are based off of my own personal lived experiences! They're also just my preferences for their characters in general. I have only romanced Sebastian in-game but looked at Alex's Wiki page for context on the background for his character. I don't really know much about him canon wise, I've only read fanfics with him in it LOL ANWAY!
Sebastian: -25 yrs old + Transman + Gay/MLM -I really liked how he had a motorcycle in-game but thought that there wasn't much to say about it, so I wanted to make it apart of his core as a character! He's a sport motorcyclist as a hobby. He loves high speed racing.
-He's still a programmer, but he's now a Game designer! This is mainly because my lovely boyfriend is a game designer irl and he's like my muse and I love cramming his traits into my favorite characters.
-He plays bass istead of keyboard in Sam's band. I dunno, I think keyboard is fun and all (i actually own two keyboards and played piano in hs) but like. cmon. Bass would suit him so much better.
-I gave him a battle jacket he wears over his normal hoodie. I feel like he has a couple of these from over the years that are DIY with his ever growing music taste. Battle jackets are such a staple in the alt music scene I felt like its a crime he doesn't have one in game. Sebastian you would love battle jackets.
-His motorcycle is a sportsbike instead of a standard/chopper. His helmet also resembles a cat, but definitely not on purpose! Definitely not.
-He has a LOT of scars. Some self inflicted (but he's recovering), others from surgery! He has top surgery scars designed to resemble spider webs, a phaloplasty skin graft scar on his left arm, and gnarly huge scars on his ribs down to his legs.
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-He suffered a motorcycle accident resulting in his bike being damaged as well as giving him a limp. He's constantly fixing up his bike since then, wanting to ensure another wipe out won't happen again and that his bike is reall okay to ride again.
-HIS PIERCINNGNSSSSS he has a shit ton of piercings! Not shown, he has a Jacob's ladder piercing. :3c
-His personality doesn't really change much from in-game. I'd personally prefer if he was less bitchy and more just a rarely speaking type. The kind to keep his comments to himself. Bitching about your step sibling and your step dad gets stale, bro
Alex: (Sorry to any alex fans, I changed him a LOT)
-27 + Cismale + Closeted Bisexual
-An ex-pro hockey player (goalie). I don't really care for "gridball" since it's just a couple of sports mixed together (from my understanding) so I decided to just give him a real world sport to play. Plus, hockey just kind of suits him for some reason?? I dunno
-Moved back to Pelican town after the news of his Mother's condition worsening and his Father jumping ship. In my version, he got recruited straight out of highschool to go pro for hockey. He had reservations about leaving his Mother with his Dad, but decided it was the best solution to the shitty situation. This way, he'd have more money to help her medical costs since his Dad's insurance was shitty anyway. A few years go by with constant health updates from his Grandparents, when one day his Dad just calls it quits on caregiving, deciding he doesn't want to waste his life away caring for his wife, and leaves. Without physical support from his Father to help around the house and help his Mother, Alex makes the choice to move back home and become his Mother's caregiver. He struggles with the emotional weight of this job ontop of how extremely demanding it is, but does his best for his Mother. She dies, and now he's taking care of his Grandparents. -I really wanted him to be a caregiver to his grandparents because my family were caregivers to both my Mother and my Father's parents LOL we spent all 23 years of my life taking care of them, so i thought it would be fun to think about. I imagine Evelyn and George to be my grandparents and constantly give them their favorite gifts in-game. (mainly george. i love him) (hes not homophobic hes just OLD and STUPID i LOVE HIM !!!!!!)
-Alex is constantly worried he won't be the same after caregiving for this long. He's worried he won't be able to go back to pro-hockey without reliving the stress of his mother's death. He's been having trouble keeping asleep at night, often waking up every few hours and being completely restless. He'll decompress at the sauna at unbearable hours of the night just because he can't sleep.
-He's the town helper! I thought it would be cute if he's the guy the town usually went to if they needed serious physical help with something, like setting up festival decorations, fixing fenceposts, shit like that. He loves helping out the town and INSISTS sometimes to be the one to fix a problem. When the farmer first comes into town and starts being the more dependable one, he starts feeling hopeless and easily emotionally distant. It's hard being the one everyone depended on to suddenly not being needed anymore. (It's not all entirely in his head, but he gets really worked up sometimes about feeling useless)
-Still an arrogant little shit! Instead of dreams of stardom, it's kind of a "washed up" celebrity kind of arrogance. He thinks he's hot shit because he travelled the world playing games for a couple of years. This backfires in his face, he'll sometimes sit for too long on his "glory days" and spiral, getting depressed about not playing anymore and his role as a caregiver despite loving his grandparents immensely.
-This headcanon is just silly but i think he likes to fish. He's so arrogant that he thinks hes amazing at it but fish rarely bite his line and when they do, they drag him into the river or sand at the beach. It's even more embarrassing because he thinks he's fine and continues to fish despite having sand and dirt all over himself.
-He's covered in moles! I also gave him freckles in places where his skin sees the most sun. (He's also got chest hair bc yall know i love hair on a man LMAO)
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anyway. Long post! My bad. I was thinking of writing some Stardew Valley fanfics while working on some other stuff bc I want to explore my versions of Alex and Seb, and also maybe they explore each others bodies???? Let me know if that's something you'd guys like to read/offer up suggestions!!!
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spacefruitpress · 2 years
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NEW RELEASE: Hat Trick: A Triple Play of Queer M/M Sports Romances
BUY NOW $9.99USD
Hat Trick is an omnibus of three MM sports romances from Space Fruit Press, all-new stories about queer guys trying to learn the rules — and score. While no previous sports knowledge or fitness level is required to enjoy these, we can’t promise they won’t raise your heart rate.
Enjoy this triple play of queer romance, with a roster featuring opposing softball players who discover they might play for the same team, sweet acrobatic gymnasts forced to tumble together, and a basketball game that gets surprisingly kinky. Protective equipment is not required, so settle down and swing hard for the fences.
Featuring: 
“No Batter, No Batter” by Rena Butler
“Losing, or Something Like It” by Opal Moritz
“Catch Me if I Fall” by Augusta Connor
Total word count: 46,000
spacefruitpress.com
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qbdatabase · 1 month
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May the Best Man Win by Z. R. Ellor Jeremy Harkiss, cheer captain and student body president, won’t let coming out as transgender ruin his senior year. Lukas Rivers, football star and head of the Homecoming Committee, is just trying to find order in his life after his brother’s funeral and the loss of his long-term girlfriend—who turned out to be a boy. View the full summary and rep info on wordpress!
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sbbarnes · 6 months
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Hockey Romances. Why?
So I was taken out of work a couple weeks ago due to ~pregnancy stuff~ (mostly just stress, the baby and I are fine) which has left me with a lot of spare time on my hands. And as one does, I have been filling my time reading lgbtq+ romance novels. Because I can.
In this time, I have fallen headfirst into the hockey romance novel subgenre, and I ask myself, as I have done every time I see these books advertised, why? I am not a sports fan. One time, my husband was watching football (European), and a team in red kits was playing against yellow kits, and I started laughing because "it looks like ketchup is playing against mustard". His expression was great, but he hasn't taken me seriously since.
So why is hockey of all things such a draw for the mlm romance subgenre? Especially given the NHL's apparent fear of rainbow tape? Why do I now know what the word "celly" refers to and what an "enforcer" is? Why why why?
Here are my answers:
Extremely organic way to set up some of the most classic romance tropes. Forced proximity? Being on the same team takes care of that. There was only one bed? Shared hotel rooms during away games. Enemies to lovers? Rival teams.
Lots of potential for drama given that players lead very transient lives in terms of the constant possibility of trades. In mlm love stories, even more so given that the NHL is so blatantly homophobic.
Perfect level of fame. Fame and wealth as a draw for a love interest are kind of staples of the genre, and NHL players are famous, sure, but not all of them, and they aren't as famous as football stars (either kind of football). They are still filthy rich, which makes great wish fulfillment. You can have the sexy penthouse and the anonymity.
I would go on to talk about how different roles on the team lend themselves to different tropes (goalie = tightly controlled dude who needs someone to help him cut loose; enforcer = misunderstood fighter with a heart of gold; coach for all your forbidden love/sleeping with the boss desires) but that would very quickly reveal my utter lack of hockey knowledge, so let's not. Instead, here's a quick reclist.
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Rachel Reid's Game Changers series. It's a classic in the genre for a reason and it has everything. Forbidden love? Got that, maybe the definitive example. Redemption arc? Got that. Misunderstood bruiser with a heart of gold? Got that. Age difference? Got that. Also really excellent sex scenes, not gonna lie, and satisfying endings throughout - sometimes a happy end will come a little suddenly for me, but these books really delivered, and the nice thing about how romance series are structured is that you get a little peek at what comes after for the couples in the other books.
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2. Him, Us and Epic by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy. This one surprised me, I don't generally go for first person POVs, but I did enjoy this! Coming-of-age story turned coming out story featuring a budding hockey star and his best friend. Lots of fun.
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3. Scoring Chances series by Avon Gale. This series is fun in that it doesn't focus on the NHL, it actually focuses on the minor leagues in the southeast of the US, a place almost no one associates with ice hockey. As such, there's a chance to tell different stories about professional athletes who aren't super rich and famous, which I appreciate a lot. TBH the first pairing wasn't entirely my cup of tea, but I'm glad I kept going because I especially enjoyed the later books, which tackle tough topics (including eating disorders, abuse etc., so content warning for that). These are still romance novels though, so rest assured that there's a light at the end of the tunnel. What I especially appreciate is that these books don't have relationship drama, in that the main couples communicate and work together instead of a third act break-up-make-up!
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4. Hockey Ever After series by Ashlyn Kane and Morgan James. These are just great. Lots of fun to read, lots of cameos from character in later books, just excellent mood all around. Also features my favorite ever trope (secret relationship, sorry, anyone who knows me knows I am a sucker for it I just can't help myself) heavily, which is a win in my book. I especially enjoyed book two, "Scoring Position". Is that because Nico is German and I loved him? Is that because Ryan is my new blorbo? We may never know.
Happy reading and please give me recommendations for more books like these, I'm lowkey obsessed.
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For some reason I don't understand, I've been craving queer books that take place in boarding schools lately, so here are some books that fit this precise trope.
disclaimer: I haven't read most of these books, which means that I am recommending them solely because of their genre, and not because of any content that might be inside it. Trigger warnings and the likes are up to your own search.
The Chandler Legacies, by Abdi Nazemian / dark academia & contemporary
A Lesson in Vengeance, by Victoria Lee / dark academia & thriller, sapphic rep. this one I read, and it was great
Ace of Spades, by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé / dark academia & thriller, everyone recommends to check the trigger warnings before reading this one
Fence, by C.S. Pacat, Johanna the Mad & Joana Lafuente / graphic novel/comics & sports, mainly mlm rep with rivals to lovers. a very wholesome series
Wilder Girls, by Rory Power / horror - sapphic rep, I think
Fraternity, by Andy Mientus / dark academia & paranormal - probably mlm rep
Girlhood, by Cat Clarke / mystery - sapphic rep, I think
The Grimrose Girls, by Laura Pohl / dark academia & mystery - sapphic rep again, if I'm not mistaken
If We Were Us, by K.L. Walther / romance
If We Were Villains, by M.L. Rio / dark academia & thriller - I personally loved it more than The Secret History, and it's about theatre gays and murder - mlm rep
My Dearest Darkest, by Kayla Cottingham / horror
People Like Us, by Dana Mele / mystery
The Society for Soulless Girls, by Laura Steven / fantasy - sapphic rep, I think
Tiny Pretty Things, by Sona Charaipotra & Dhonielle Clayton / mystery
We Set the Dark on Fire, by Tehlor Kay Mejia / fantasy
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wordsifelt · 8 months
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Thanks for answering my question. Can I ask your best recs for LGBTQ+ media (tv series or books or manga/manhwa)?
I'm from a country that saw LGBTQ+ as something taboo and my family also think it's sinful. So my LGBTQ+ mainly are from BL and GL manga/manhwa (sorry if I'm wrong)...
Thanks if you want to answer me....
Hi again! I know how you feel, my country's also not great with queer issues. I've only recently started exploring outside the BL/GL subgenres so I may not have as varied a selection as I'd have liked to give you.
I've done a similar post recently but this time imma really go all out. I'll categorise them based on the type of media.
Danmei
Heaven Official's Blessing by MXTX : mlm, Chinese historical fantasy(tw: Violence, gore, death, like A LOT)
Mo Dao Zu Shi by MXTX: mlm, Chinese historical fantasy (tw: death, gore, violence, homophobia)
Peerless/Wushuang by Meng Xi Shi: mlm, historical fiction, murder mystery, enemies to lovers (tw: violence)
(Note: there's a lot more danmei I love but these are the ones I've rated highest, will attempt to make a masterpost or smthg for the rest laster)
Dramas
Not Me (Thai): mlm, political, secret identity, enemies to lovers (tw: violence)
Bad buddy (Thai): mlm, rivals to lovers, family drama
Novels
Peter Darling by Austin Chant : mlm, trans mc, written by a trans author, fantasy, fairytale retelling (tw: severe transphobia, violence and gore, also there may be an age gap but it's not specified)
I Wish You All The Best by Mason Deaver: Non-binary MC, queer romance, very informative and heart warming (tw: transphobia)
Spell Bound by F. T. Lukens: Non- Binary MC, queer romance, urban fantasy, rivals to lovers (sorta).
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo: Queer rep, Poc rep, disability rep, just very good rep in general, fantasy, found family (tw: violence)
Magnus Chase by Rick Riordan: One of the main cast of characters is gender fluid, and is also involved romantically (later on) with the MC, also great representation in general, fantasy, Norse mythological fiction, found family
All For the Game trilogy by Nora Sakavic: mlm, sports, mafia, slowburn, explicit and emphasized consent, enemies to lovers, found family. (tw: violence, PTSD, trauma relating to past SA, etc)
Loveless by Alice Oseman: Aroace MC, university life, queer exploration, found family (tw: aphobia, stereotyping and stigma)
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir: wlw, space, necromancy, cool stuff, enemies to lovers (tw: violence, death)
She Drives me Crazy by Kelly Quindlen: wlw, sports, fake dating, very cliche but I loved it.
Tv Shows
Heartstopper: mlm main couple, also includes a lot of queer representation, found family (tw: homophobic, transphobia)
Good Omens: Genderfluid MCs(altho usually male presenting), slowburn, Christian derivative mythological fiction, very queer, slowburn.
Our Flag Means Death: mlm Main Couple, lots of other queer characters, pirates, found family (tw: gore and violence tho not much)
I've left out anime and manga/manhwa/manhua cause there's a lot of stuff and I'll have to sift through to find the ones which I consider good rep. May make a post on that later. I also sadly have only a few recs for non mlm fiction mostly cause I've only found a few so far I've really liked.
I hope you like some of these if not all of them. If I've made any mistakes or missed out on some problematic stuff pls do tell me so I can learn from it and fix it.
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