After reading very little the last few months, this roundup makes it look like I read tons, but really, it’s just that a lot of stories that I’d been reading for a long time all came to a close. That’s the glory of reading works-in-progress. Yeah, sometimes it means that you never get the end of the story, and that drives people crazy. But getting to follow along in installments? That’s priceless. Anyway, the reviews:

First: Cracking Kinks by FuzzyGoblin. Fuzzy wrote this silly story for Kinktober, coming up with a new tiny installment every day based on the daily prompt. Some of the interpretations were entirely non-kink, which was a rather clever way to play with the prompts, and there was a strand of humor and silliness all through the story despite some smutty chapters that did actually use the kink prompts the way they were intended.

Second: The Arrangement by depraveddame. This is a story told in nine parts (the author tends to use parts instead of chapters, but I’m counting this as a single story rather than individual installments). It starts with a simple sexual arrangement between two consenting folks, and eventually spirals out into feelings, trauma-induced denial, running away, fear, and good support networks that help the main characters see what they truly want. Not my favorite by the author tbh, but enjoyable nonetheless.

Third: Stuck On You by Zin_Lynn. This one has been on my TBR list for like a year, whoops. In a handfasting ceremony gone wrong, Aziraphale and Crowley have become literally stuck together and must find a witch to help them undo the spell before their respective bosses discover their fraternization. This was such a great story in so many ways! I loved the way the author worked in pieces of the book consistent with the time period and made it canon-compliant despite it not feeling very canon-compliant for most of the story.

Fourth: Sweeter Than Fiction by IneffableRainstorm. Honestly, I don’t know what I can say about this one. I’ve been part of the creation of this one as a brainstorming and beta partner for 18 months, first as it bloomed into existence, and then as it was slowly written and posted over a year. My partner, known on my blog as Rainstorm, wrote this, and it’s one of my favorite fanfics ever. Am I biased? Probably. But also it’s just a really, really good story that gained a huge following online. I loved being involved in the process and celebrating each milestone as they happened. And I got to provide artwork in a few places!

Fifth: The Ternary Passions of Anthony Crowley by GroovyNightStrawberry. This little short story/novelette was adorable. Two shop owners in the same strip center have a bit of an argument in letter form over access to a bike rack. The situation devolves…then evolves…and it’s lovely. The author is one of my faves for short fic, and normally their stories don’t cross the 10k line so I don’t record them here on the blog. I’m glad I finally got to showcase them!

Sixth: If you’ve got to goat, then goat with style by beerok23. This is a sequel to a fic I finished in September, written by one of my dear friends in the fandom and a lovely person that I had a chance to meet IRL back in April. She is incredible, and the number of novels she’s written in the last 18 months is testament to her passion for this fandom. This sequel is silly and surprising, full of inside jokes, and brought me to tears at one point. When R first started writing, she said she would only write mash-ups from her favorite romcoms, but has since branched out and created whole new worlds and stories that showcase the creativity and writing skills (in her second language, mind you!) that she claims she doesn’t have. So R, if you ever read this little mini-review, YES YOU ARE A WRITER. 💕 Love you, sweets!