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@@h.s.l6875 I've only read book one so I can't say for certain which are the dynamics in the other books. In this book, they used to be lovers until the love interest betrayed everyone and enrolled the enemy's side. And he stabbed the main character when he tried to speak to him. I would say it's more enemies to lovers than rivals to lovers but I'm sure there was a lot more going on so maybe when I read the other volumes the dynamics change 🤔

You probably read the Captive Prince trilogy by Pacat, but if you haven't, you should, it's true enemies to lovers and it's fantastic.

@@h.s.l6875 i tried it. I dnfed it because what the slaves were going through in the background was making me sick 😣

@@h.s.l6875 I don't know about stars of chaos because I'm not going to read more, but thousand autumns has been great so far. I've read the first three books and they read as if they are all part of one story, so you would have to read them all if you want to know the ending. The five of them were originally published online as one book, so the separation in volumes was just for the sake of publishing them on physical format. Danmei series tend to be quite long. I'm planning on reading Golden Terrace, it's a duology so its shorter. I've heard it's really really good but I haven't read it myself in order to recommend it. I'm planning to read it as soon as I finish guardian 3 and thousand autumns 4 and 5 😌

Thank you. I've added them to my tbr. I would like to try danmei

@@h.s.l6875 i hope you enjoy them! I got obsessed with the genre 😂😂

@@yungihub oh, no, but almost lol Sono spagnola. I studied Italian for a year but remember little of it 😭😅

@@pandawithinternetaccess5616 lol glad to be of help! Which book was?

@@bhavyapatnam7586 i have a video about slow burn mm romances, but I guess you already have watched that one 😅 I'll see if I can come up with enough recommendations for another one. If not, I'll let you know which ones I'd recommend! Edit: can you give me any examples of slow burn mm romances you loved?

@@nazimelmardi I had never heard of that one before! I'm adding it, thank you so much 😊 I've actually read Grace of Kings (Dandelion Dynasty 1). I didn't love how much action-focused it was 😅

@@bookswithlau the first is the build up book. Literally. It sets up the scene. The rest is a political/ war story of 2 generations. Now that you read the first you know that it will be around that family at one hand how they build up the empire….. or they try. But on the other hand…. Now comes the outside threat. And 2 generations (their children too) deal with the consequences. Political, cultural, war related issues. Those books are very character focused… and very-very dark in some parts. Those dragons are not jokes on the cover art.

@@nazimelmardi i love books focused on characters, this sounds awesome! Thank you so much for the explanation! I saved the first one (Shogun, chronological order) but I've realized that there is another order to read them (publication order, being King-Rat the first one). Do you recommend to start with Shogun then?

@@bookswithlau shogun -> Tai-Pan -> Gai-Jin. The King Rat is way ahead in time. It’s about in the 20th century while Tai-Pan is around the taking of Hong Kong from China by the British Empire and forming the East India Company.

@@nazimelmardi perfect, thank you so much!!

@@astrohunch ❤️

@@adamramirez9526 I've read the first four books!! I really liked their relationship dynamics (the romance), but I didn't like the mystery. It was a bit too dramatic for me, so many people died every single time 😭😭😭

@@RamssesPharaoh hope you enjoy Heels Over Head!! I've heard about To Catch a Firefly, I think I even read a free sample but I don't remember why I decided not to buy it. Maybe I need to reread it and see, I've just read the blurb and it sounds good! Thank you for the rec 💛

@@lynette365247 i believe you! For me it was extra special because i discovered danmei thanks to her, and I really love the gente 🥰

@@raquelclemente5836 ❤️

So sorry for my grammar, its easyer for my read than write in english

@@Fruticali thank you for the explanation!💛 I got so triggered with the sex scene in vol. 3 I kinda gave up the next one. I'll think about it, because it makes me feel really bad, having books unread on my shelves. But since you also didn't like that scene but enjoy the extra scenes in book 4, maybe I will too 😊 PS: please don't apologize for your English. I understood everything perfectly!! Also, I commit a lot of mistakes when using English, please don't worry about that :)

@@JoleCannon i LOVE them too! You're welcome 💛 hope you enjoy them :)

@@nazimelmardi i heard about a first law adaptation but i didn't know it was for best served cold! Thank you for pointing that out. To be fair it was probably the easiest one to adapt, being a standalone. Hopefully they make a good adaptation *crosses fingers*. I don't know anything about movies but I liked that actress in Dune, so that makes me hopeful that at least Monza may be interesting to watch 😊

@@bookswithlau and in Silo on Apple TV. The other perfect adaptation with her. S2 coming soon.

@@raquelclemente5836 Hi, Raquel! Thank you so much for the rec 💛 I'm really glad you loved it, I've just read the reviews and everyone is obsessed with it! The cover is gorgeous. I have to admit I usually stay away from mafia romances because I can't seem to differentiate between books and the problems that mafia brings in real life, so it's hard for me to enjoy them. But I might do an exception, it sounds really good, thank you :)

@@bookswithlau Hi! You're very welcome:) I totally get that 💛 always be safe when reading. I hope you enjoy it if you give it a go!

@@dlasis thank you so much, Dom!💛 It's good to be back. It's been crazy but I finally finished my degree so now I'm free 😂 ✨

@@bookswithlau OMG. Congratulations, Lau. how did you celebrate?

I need to read the sequels first! But yeah, i plan on reading the entire series and doing a video about it. I enjoyed this one a lot and I've already bought the second and third volume.

Thank you so much for taking the time to recommend me books, and from so many genres!! 🤩 I've read Robin Hobb and Joe Abercrombie. I originally wanted to keep reading First Law this summer (I've only read the original trilogy), but for now I wanted to try something completely different from Malazan (I know they are different series, but comparing them with other books like Gideon the Ninth that deals with necromancy and has a different vibe and aesthetic, they are pretty similar). Also, I can't believe I haven't read Octavia Butler yet, I've heard amazing things about her!! I'll try to read Kindred this summer. As for Sun Eather, I wanted to wait a bit because from what I've gathered the books are long and it's a big series. I want to finish Malazan before I start another big series. But I'm really excited to read it once I finish Malazan! About romance books, I see the point that a lot of times there is no social commentary. But that's because most times that's not the point of the book. I've been reading mainly romances for the past few years, and when I pick up a romance is to read something that's easy and makes me happy and excited without having to work for it. I used to love reading a happy ever after before going to sleep, it was like the perfect way to end an exhausting day. Nowadays I'm starting to get bored because I've read A LOT and that's why I think I need more variety in my readings,. But there is nothing wrong about reading something that it's not going to analyse society or deal with hard topics. We should read what we want to read and that's it. If you don't enjoy those kind of romances, that's understable and I see why you like Sense and Sensibility (I also loved that book, but I found it a lot harder to read than a contemporary romance book).

@@bookswithlau it’s not necessary to have any social commentary. I just made an example that even in a short book like Pride and Prejudice the author could do multiple things: first of all: the characters are well represented (both the women and the men), the relationship is well represented (not some lame toxic thing and/or not existing triangle - Twilight ), the social situation of the characters are represented well and (it’s also important) the relationship is very much possible and the why!!! is a real reason both for the problems and for the marriage. ☝️ And besides this she could write in humor to criticize her own society (but that’s an extra). What we have fail just in acotar: the story is lacking in character from Freye and she is simply not really good enough for being that attractive. To fix that SJM uses magic, that’s the worst possible thing you can do. Shows your (not existing) ability to create situations where the two could find a ground to love each other. And please… 500 years and he can tolerate that little brat? (Yes, looking at you Rhys..) and who has daddy issues? Not to mention the sexual abuse from Temlin turning into love interest in book 1… that’s just toxic. Is that what she can do? Instant love without reason except physical affection? As I said: not because the romance is a thing. But how they develop it. And we didn’t even go to Coleen Hoover level where the writing is on high school level and she is literally trauma enjoyment. It’s sick. I DNF that one at 3/4 - It Ends With Us… had to try after all Blake Livley is in the movie and I like her. At least Cassandra Clare had some ideas of writing adventure. I give her that. So : in tons of cases build up missing, or if build up is there, the character is lacking (not believable). I totally support to have relationships in the stories or stories that are lighter, but I can’t stand lazy work or missing editorial work (4th Wing), inconsistent things, plot holes just because they don’t care that much. Quality matters. And: His Dark Materials. Did you read / watch it? A lot was on the Harry Potter bandwagon… but His Dark Materials did justice in a lot of things. And HBO made a fantastic show of it. The author finally handled the children with respect not as dumb shells. And his main character is better than Harry Potter literally. And IMO the main plot is better too. So if you want a lighter thing? There is that. Watch it or read it. Or both. It’s a trilogy for children (but with very adult themes). And fix the missing Sandman on Netflix with Dead Boy Detectives (YA to that universe and lmbtq rep) if you miss it. Worth it. (Even if you don’t read graphic novels.) Yes! Octavia Butler is a MUST!!! It’s not a question. As for the Kindred…. It’s a very interesting thing. A lot praises it. But also you read Malazan so you think about the books… Who read her books not rank it to the best. It’s her first book and not really the most important… why is it so hyped? Because it’s a very… brutal topic and can make people cry. But at the same time? Parable of the Sower and Talents duo literally created a religion. No kidding. So you see…. Those are a “bit” more impactful books. This 3 also accessible freely on audible. And Parable can be bought from broken bindings in special edition now for 60 usd (the both books).

i almost dnf the book😂😭 But i finished! thankfully he got better... and it wasn't as bad as we thought LOL

@@bookswithlau oh trust me he is one of the favorite characters of Malazan for a reason. 😂 he didn’t finish yet. Btw this was proving a point. At this time a lot said to Steven Erikson that he can’t write from one POV anything. Now he did. Also by now maybe you realized that this will be a marvelous example of the Conan the Barbarian type characters but in a way better version. He just showed how it would work in reality. Not like the heroic Arnold version. Also you could see: despite the others were more civilised they didn’t do so much good… he the primitive was that different? And he just started. 😁

I hadn't heard of Janny Wurts before, I'm going to check out that series (now that it's finished!!) The thing is that I really dislike that trope (coming back from the death). I dnfed Jujutsu Kaisen in part because of the fake-deaths and having characters coming back from the death (and the other part because a lot of people were dying and there was too much action for me). In Malazan, I know the characters are never the same and they paid a big prize, that's why I'm kind of okay with it but I still don't love it as other people do. As for the heroes, I listened in one interview Steven Erikson saying that he never wrote a POV for Rake, for example. I actually like following a lot of soldiers and people who are not the most powerful ones. As you said, it gives you a better perspective of what's happening. I've just finished House of Chains! As I told you in another messagee, I really really disliked Karsa. It made me appreciate starting the book with a dozen POVs LOL At least he learns (slowly) to be a better person, because if he was the same person he was at the beginning I would have hated the whole experience. This way I only hated him, then disliked him and just didn't care about him. But it was more readable for sure. And he did some good things by the end of the book (bidithal's death was specially satisfying, even if he could have suffered a bit longer). I'm going to check that video by Critical Dragon. I also want to hear his discussion with Philip Chase but I want to do a review first so it doesn't affect the way I saw the book by myself after reading it.

Thank you so much for your comment! it made me really happy 💛💛 I went through my shelves looking for lighthearted mm friends to lovers and got a list. But first, I'm not sure what you meant when you said they aren't hiding their feelings from each other. Like, if they knew they loved each other as more than friends since the beginning there is not plot for the romance. Did you mean that they loved each other but thought it was platonic? Or that they couldn't be lovers for some reason? If you meant that they started as friends and realized they liked each other as more than friends and the book is about them figuring it out, there is a book I read last year that I LOVED. It's called Let's Do This by Loren Leigh. It's a sports romance and the plot is basically them figuring things out, because they hadn't been with a man before. The book is spicy and the author was really good at showing how much they loved each other, it melted my heart. I'm going to copy here the review I wrote in goodreads in case you want more info: "I wanted to kiss him. () But what happens after you kiss your best friend?" MM sports romances used to be my favorite thing but, after a ton of recycled books that left me with a sour taste, I had started to avoid them until a couple of reviews saying this was a bit special filled me with hope. I owe you a big one, because I loved this book. 99% of the books that have smut on the first chapters don’t work for me. This is one of those exceptions where the author makes me connect so much with a character I’ve just met that I don’t care. Hell, I was even cheering for them, curious about how they were going to make it work. The plot of this romance is rather simple: two best friends realizing they can be more than that and discovering what it's like being with a guy, but it was the way it was written that made it special. I adored following Burk, who was caring and sweet and the cutest person ever with his list of ‘words that I will forever remember’ full of things Shaw had told him. Shaw was so easy to love, sunshine and fun and so deserving of all the love Burk had been saving just for him. Let’s Do This is one of these books in which you don’t need a lot of plot because you are feeling everything in your bones. I have dozens of highlights of them calling me single with all the little things they did and think and said to each other. He didn’t heart anyone else’s comment, but he hearted mine. And for a guy who doesn’t smile much at all, I can’t seem to stop lately. While I wouldn’t call it an earth-shattering novelty, I do feel Let’s Do This doesn’t quite feel like the typical recycled sports romance. Maybe because of how much it made me care, or maybe because the pacing was slow but steady. It’s a quite long book with almost no drama, yet it kept me on my toes the whole time because I had no clue how the author was going to make it work once Burk finished college. Overall, this book made me believe in sports romances again. It was everything I needed and I adored every single second of it. I can’t wait to try what the author is going to try next; there is nothing more important for me than caring about the characters I’m reading about and she nailed that. -> If this wasn't what you were looking for or you want more recs, I also recommend Master of Mayhem (sports college romance) and Just Friends by Saxon James. I liked Just Friends but a lot of people don't like one of the main characters, and the book is quite simple but I love friends to lovers so it worked for me ☺There is also a novella, called Blame it On the Mistletoe by Eli Easton (jock nerd romance), I think they were quite oblivious in that one, but it was cute and fun. Other friends to lovers I liked is The Locker Room (probably my fav), but it's REALLY angsty!!

@@bookswithlau Yes that’s exactly what I meant! I have read let’s do this, it’s actually the first sports romance I ever read and still my favorite. I will be trying the other three though because they sound right up my alley. Thank you!

@@jasperscornerrr let's do this is so good!!! I understand wanting something with that vibe, to be fair I don't think i have read a book exactly that way. In the others they aren't together from the beginning 😭 Hope you still enjoy them! 😊

@@bookswithlau that book really is special! I might like them because the plots sound pretty solid.

you're welcome 💛

Hope you like them!! 💛

I also read Sunburn because Charles recommended it to me!! I loved the writing style too. I really think you'll like Two is a Pattern, the writing style is more literary than in a typical romance too. I didn't know whether Charles would love it or not because he doesn't read mystery and it's more of a suspense book. I'm pretty sure it's more down your alley though. Just don't read it expecting a romance!! Yes, it's slow burn but the romance is very little 😂😂

Thank you so much for your message! 💛 I really wanted to like that scene so I read a lot of analysis but I couldn't shake the feeling of how it made me feel when i first read it 😭 I'm really happy to hear that you love it! 😊

I'm glad to hear that, thank you 🥰💛

That's what i keep telling myself. And also that I can't read the series if i dnf this book 😂😂

@@bookswithlau trust!!! It’s only the first sub-book, I promise you it gets easier after that :)

Right now I only want Karsa's POV over LOL it's really making me wonder how i ended up reading a pov like he's 😂😂😂 but you make me curious!!

@@bookswithlau hahaha. it's a much needed change to witness

​​@@dlasis stoppp I'm reading it, i promise hahahah you are right, he needs a change!!

@@bookswithlau 😂🤣😂 I meant, a much needed change to focus on one single POV after the many head hops we had in the first three books.

Witness!!! 😁

Thank you 💛😂

Thank you! 💛 I can't wait to see that!!

Adrien is so good!! I loved his humor and just reading the way he narrated in general 🥰 I'm so glad to hear you liked him too!! Thank you SO MUCH for those recs! I hadn't heard about Psycop and Shattered Glass before, they sound really good 😍 Yes! I have a goodreads account, the link is in the description of my videos 😊

@@bookswithlau ok! I also like mm romance, fantasy, enemy to lovers and slow burns books, so I will follow there too. I just finished yesterday "liar city by allie therin" and I LOVED IT (the banter between the pair is superb) but it's the 1st one in a series, I would recommend it if you don't mind suffering with me the wait for the next book... So now I'm looking for more slow burn and YT recommend me your channel.

First season was hard for me because they changed so many things from the books!! But I got used to it at the end 😂

Thank you 💛 hope this helps!!

I'm sorry to disappoint but it's not one the list 😅 i can't remember which book i read before that one but I remember liking it but not as much as this other book. Maybe it was Aristotle and Dante but I'm not sure 🤔 If i can figure it out I'll told you. I'm glad you loved it so much though!💛 I have to admit I'm not the best audience right now for YA, I tend to relate more to adult characters.

Yeah, it was a shame because i LOVED the first part. I still adore the book though 🥺 I've heard so many things about You and Me!! I need to give it priority, I'm always afraid of it because so many people love it i feel my expectations are waaaay too high! Thanks for the rec 💛

OMG I can't believe I didn't know most of those books, they sound so so good. I don't know where to start! Thank you so much 💛💛 I'm glad to find someone else who loved Gravity too, I adored Bryce and Hunter with all my heart 🥺 i still remember vividly when i read the book because it's really hard for me to connect as much with the characters as I did in Gravity 😌

@@bookswithlau A Charm of Finches and You Are Not Me are part of a series. Rule Breaker and The Heart Rate of a Mouse are toxic romances and Everyday History and You and me are pining Romances.

@@bookswithlau I believe Gravity was my first Tal Bauer book. He has an amazing ability of writing masculine male protagonists with vulnerable hearts.

@@arimassenberg4989 i love pinning romances!!! I think I'm going to try those first. Not sure if toxic romances are for me though, but I may try them. Thanks for the heads up 💛

@@arimassenberg4989 mine was the jock 😊 he does indeed, i love his characters 😌

No, I didn't! I don't watch a lot of series, to be honest 😅

Hi, Mehta!! 💛 CU hockey series is a GREAT place to start MM romance. My fav is the first one, but I know most people prefer the second (i just love nerd-jock romance so much, I can't help myself). I need to go back to Saxon James, I used to love herI'm so sorry to hear that about Nyla K. I've only read for the fans because the rest of her books seems like they are a bit darker than I usually go for or the reviews are not great. I hate patterns, so many authors seem unable to change their structure. It's great for the first, sometimes second book, but after that you are losing interest. I wished they didn't do that. In this case is extra sad because I was waiting for a Nyla K. to publish another book like For the Fans (that it's not too dark for me) 😭😭 I hope you enjoy Gravity! It's my personal favourite because I felt everything Hunter was feeling, so it made it extra special for me-I love connecting with the characters you are reading. The Jock is also good, I think the structure is probably more solid and most people liked it more than Gravity, but I'm not objective about Hunter so. Maybe read the blurb and choose the one that sounds better for you 🥰 Thank you so much for the recs!! 💛 I think I need to give K.J.Charles another try, everyone seems to enjoy those books! I tried a couple but I felt I didn't quite appreciate the action and plot (which were really good) because the writing style wasn't making me feel much. Maybe it's the fact that they are historical romances, mm romances make me sad because I keep imagining queer people back then at it must have been so awful (not that society is perfect now, but at least where I live it's not ilegal to be queer😭).

Everything by Sarina Bowen and KJ Charles is top shelf stuff. I haven’t read any of the CU Hockey series (MM hockey romances are near the top of my favorite genres). I’ll investigate !

Hi, Dom! I wish I was faster reading fantasy so I could made more videos about it 😅thank you, I appreciate it 💛💛

@@bookswithlau we all do. but too bad, Malazan will put you into "slowdown mode". I read any other books super fast and not miss anything. But Erikson is such a talented writer that you'd really want to pay attention to what he has to say.

Hi, Dom! Thanks for the explanation. I got the compassion part but I should have seen the motherhood theme too. The prologue was so heartbreaking, I was sorry for Kilava, the children and the mom. I think there is nothing I hate more than seeing someone trying to do a good thing but getting the opposite result without meaning too😭😭😭

​@@bookswithlau motherhood is all over the storylines of Silverfox and the Mhybe, Toc also had a taste of it by suffering from bad "parenthood" being crushed over and over again.

@@dlasis I'm reading now House of Chains and I like that we know a bit more about Surly and Toc's father is also commented there. I really liked knowing a bit more of the story behind the Empress 😊

Hi, Mehta!! I'm so excited for you!! 🤩💫Book one was really frustrating for me but I'm really enjoying the experience. At the end the work is worthy 😊😊 Just take into account there are things Steven Erikson hasn't told you yet while you are reading so it's normal to be lost (that was the hardest thing for me, I think; I kept feeling stupid because I didn't get what was happening). I know people who absolutely loved Gardens of the Moon though, so I hope your experience is more similar to them :) I'd love to hear your thoughts 😍 Thank you so much 💛💛

@@bookswithlau Thanks for the advice, Lau! Yeah all the Malazan videos I’ve watched since I first got into epic fantasy emphasised just going with the flow and not getting too bogged down on trying to understand everything, because you aren’t meant to understand everything on the first read, right? One thing that’s keeping me hopeful is that I really like huge character casts (which I’ve been warned that Malazan has a crazy amount of characters apparently 😭) and I hear that the thematic work is also really good. I care about characters the most but themes come in second for me so that seems really promising!

@@mehtahussain I'm the same!! I LOVE having a lot of characters! Malazan is a bit extreme in tht regard, specially in the first two books because they are mainly all new to you and Steven Erikson likes to introduce them all at once. But I still really like it. Now when i read other books I keep missing not having more POVs LOL

thank you 💛😊

I finished Memories of Ice!!! And i started House of Chains already LOL I'll be reviewing it probably in the next video. Hopefully I can upload it next week. There is so much i want to talk about!! Ps: thank you so much 💛

@@bookswithlau it's amazing, right? I'm so excited for you

@@dlasis it left me wanting to know so much more! It's exciting

@@bookswithlau yay. Memories of Ice is one of the BEST among the ten. But each book has its own beauty. Just focus on themes because each one will tackle different themes about the human condition. Aside from being funny and interesting storylines, the philosophy in Erikson’s writing is another reason to love the series.

@@dlasis yes, i enjoyed it a lot. it's funny because there were some moments where I felt really frustrated (like the dreams with the wolves and the Mhybe, I was so confused), but the more I think about the book the more I realize how many things I loved about it. I'm really excited to read the entire series, I have a feeling it's going to be my new fav despite not always being the easiest read.

aww thank you so much 💛 i really love talking about books 😊

@@bookswithlau it’s so cute :) you’re so intelligent and on top of that you’re also beautiful you’re like perfect

Hi, Mehta!!💛 It was so good! Since you are enjoying Erha I'm pretty sure you'll like this one too. I can't wait to read the next one, the romance was so slow burn but so angsty. I adored it. I'm glad you are liking erha! Book three was so good! i think it's most people's fav but I liked book four a bit more. But you know me, I tend to like sweetness and happiness over angst 😂 Yes, i feel I can't talk about these books without warning the readers, I'm happy it helped 😊

you're very welcome 💛

Hahahaah i hope so 💛

I'm really excited!! I had so much fun so far, and i love the MCs 🥺🥺 so glad to hear it keeps being good!!💛