Hello, wanderer! Jan here. A multi-fandom space. EXO-L, ARMY, MOOMOO, SWITH, BLINK, BYULHARANG, MOA, L.O.Λ.E, ONCE, BUNNY, & AHGASE soft stan. Welcome to the blog. It's a bit of a mess right now. Doing some minor renovations to the place, so mind your head and enjoy your stay. 🤍 Fanfic Recs
Jungkook shifted in his seat with a toothy grin. “I wouldn’t go so far as to call myself a ‘producer’...” the singer-songwriter trailed off bashfully.
“But that’s what this album was: self-produced. Your first, in fact.” Yoongi countered.
The young artist didn’t deny the fact, knowing that his old friend had already slipped back into his radio host persona, even before the one minute standby was called. It seemed that, at least for the time being, Yoongi didn’t press the issue but simply followed up with, “What’s something you’ve been working on that’s been giving you trouble lately?”
Jungkook tilted his head slightly as he thought. His overgrown bangs fringed across his bottom eyelashes, giving him a rebellious devil-may-care aura, which would have made Yoongi roll his eyes if the younger man was actually anything like that in person. The radio host knew that under that edgy haircut and emo hipster attire, Jungkook was still that soft, shy kid from Busan with big round eyes and an even bigger heart.
He was glad to see his friend was still the same guy in all the ways that mattered.
“There is this one particular track that I have a vague concept and melody for but-” Jungkook’s response was cut off by one of the producers calling the 30 second standby.
Yoongi, still relaxed as ever, pressed for him to continue, “But-?”
“Oh, uhm, but the lyrics are still eluding me.” Jungkook finally murmured, fidgeting with his bracelet absentmindedly.
The host nodded sympathetically as he pushed a few buttons on the console in front of him before turning his head slightly to the window where the staff members were monitoring the phone lines and the clock as the show returned from its commercial break. “Welcome back to the show, everybody. I’m your host, DJ Suga with the sweet voice from Honey FM 06.13. My guest is the one and only Jeon Jungkook here to promote his brand new, self produced EP “Mixtape 1”. His single “My Time” was released earlier today and it seems as though the response is already overwhelmingly positive. Producer Jungkook?” Yoongi pauses for dramatic effect before quickly continuing, “Would you like to take some calls from your fans? I can see the switchboard lighting up like fireworks. What do you say, huh? Shall we take some calls?”
Jungkook simply chuckled at Yoongi’s subtle ‘producer’ jab, ducking his head in embarrassment. "Yeah, let's get it."
“We have Minnie on the line. Hi, Minnie, you’re on the air with DJ Suga and Jeon Jungkook.” Yoongi said.
“Oh my gosh! Hi DJ Suga! Hi Jungkook!” a cheerful voice filtered in through the headsets, “I’m in love with “My Time”. The lyrics seem so sad even if the song sounds so upbeat. What inspired you to write a song like this?”
Jungkook replied, “Thank you so much for liking the song. It’s a very personal piece to me and it means a lot to hear that fans are reacting so positively to the track.” He took a deep breath before continuing, “When I had set out to create this song, I had wanted to be as honest and authentic as possible with the lyrics while still staying true to my original vision for the song which was basically a bittersweet look at the last few years of my life and what it means to me as a young musician. I believe instead of seeing the lyrics as something sad, I see it as simply living life. Life has ups and downs, there are sacrifices but even greater rewards. A give and take, if you will.”
“Poignant.” Yoongi responded, “Thank you for calling in Minnie. Next caller we have is Ken. Ken you’re on the air with DJ Suga and Jungkook.”
“Hi guys. I just wanted to say that I really love both of your albums, Jungkook. “Euphoria” is on repeat daily for me.” a warm, tenor voice insisted on the other end. “When will we be able to hear you live in concert again?”
Jungkook gave a grateful smile and bowed unconsciously, almost hitting his head on the microphone in front of him. “Thank you so much for your support. I’m hoping to go on tour very soon, so please look out for tour dates on the official website. Until then, please enjoy ‘Mixtape 1’.”
Yoongi efficiently thanked Ken for calling in and pulled up the next call in the queue, “Hi Y/N, you’re on the air with DJ Suga and Jungkook.”
There was silence on the other end.
Unfazed, Yoongi tried again, “Y/N? You’re on the air.”
The unnerving silence permeated the air and just as Yoongi was going to move on to the next caller, a soft voice pierced through the quiet, “Hello? I-is it really you, Jungkook?”
Jungkook scooted forward into his chair. “Yes, hello.”
“I wanted to let you know that I truly love listening to you sing. Your voice is so beautiful and full of emotion. You truly have a gift...” There was a pregnant pause before the fragile voice rasped, “But I’m not sure how much longer I can stay to listen to you.”
Both host and guest were taken aback by the peculiar response but Jungkook recovered quickly and said, “Why do you say that? It isn't that late. Are you getting tired already?”
“I’m always tired nowadays.” The silence was heavy. When the voice returned, it seemed strained, as though simply speaking was becoming too difficult a task to bear. “Your songs used to be a source of such strength for me… but I’ve come to accept that it isn't going to be enough anymore. You see… I'm not doing too well.”
As the weight of the words sat palpable in the studio, Yoongi could see the panic in Jungkook’s eyes as he began to piece together what the caller was implying. Before he could jump in to save his friend though, the young musician simply asked, “How can I help?”
The voice returned this time with a quiet strength that masked the slight quiver of desperation, “Would it be too much if I could hear you sing for me… one last time?”
Jungkook looked up at Yoongi, his mind racing with a million thoughts. His eyes flickered to the radio host’s black guitar that hung on the wall behind his booth. Standing to his feet with resolve, Jungkook strode over to the guitar and carefully pulled it down from it’s hooks. He turned to Yoongi. “Hyung? Would you mind?”
Yoongi didn’t even blink. “Go for it, Jungkookie.”
Nodding his thanks, Jungkook made his way back to his seat and spoke softly into the microphone, “Y/N, please forgive me if this song is a bit on the rougher side as it’s still a work in progress.”
“I understand.”
Upon hearing a reply from the other end of the line, Jungkook closed his eyes in relief. He didn’t realize he had waited for that response with bated breath.
He began strumming a few cords before tweaking the guitar just a bit. “Now here’s the deal: I’ll be happy to sing this for you but you got to promise me that you’ll listen well to the very end, okay?”
“I will.”
Jungkook closed his eyes. Giving himself over to the music, his calloused fingers found its rhythm and began to strum a simple cord before taking a deep breath and allowing the song to take shape...
That faint voice of yours that grazed me
Please call my name one more time
I’m standing still under the frozen light,
but I will walk towards you, step by step
Still with you
Yoongi sat back, too stunned to actually respond to anything that had actually transpired over the course of the next few minutes as Jungkook began to croon over the gentle strum of his guitar, an acoustic ballad of longing and loneliness. Despite the lyrics holding such sadness in its tone, the song ends hopeful of a day where the vocalist could meet again with the person they had longed for. Yoongi imagines the final studio version of the song would sound nice with a piano in the mix, brushed drums for a percussion piece and maybe even some tinkling synths for character. Either way, he’s pretty sure he had just witnessed the creation of another major hit for the younger musician.
The moon looks lonely
Like it's crying in the bright night sky
Even though I always know the morning will come
I want to stay in your sky like a star
As the song wound down, the studio erupted into cheers, from the staff and Yoongi alike. Jungkook bowed politely before he spoke into the microphone, “So, Y/N, what did you think?”
There was no reply from the other end of the line. Yoongi looked towards the booth where the producers sat behind the glass window and took their nods as a sign that the line was still open.
“Y/N?” Jungkook repeated. “Don’t leave me hanging now. We had a deal. Are you still there?”
There was a beat of agonizing silence before a sniffle could be heard from the other end of the line. “Yes, Jungkook... I’m still here.”
NOTE: (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ Thank you so much to Julia Connors and her team for the ALC of this audiobook. It was an honor to have received it and I wish you all the luck during your promotion of this amazing story!
Okay, this has been a very long time coming. When I had initially started this series, I had started with book 2,"Fake Shot," and although I had a good time, it left me lukewarm when it came to Julia Connors as a new-to-me author. But, then I was intrigued when I found out that 2 of my favorite narrators were going to be performing in "Goal Line," so I picked up there, loved it, went back and listened to "Cross-Checked", loved that even more and the entire time I was listening to both of these, I wanted Morgan's story! I really loved her spunky, super likeable personality and how well she meshed with the other FMCs in the series and all I wanted was for her to also get her HEA.
And, BOY, did Julia Connors delivered in "Penalty Play".
It would be an understatement to say that I was hyped going into this read. I wanted this to be good so bad and I hadn't read a stepsibling forbidden romance in literal decades lols (I would reference the first one I read but I kinda feel like I would be giving the reveal away if I did so... [SPOILER: all I'll say is Tsuda-sensei truly shaped my formative teenage years with that plot twist] lols) So to have this not only meet my expectations but to also find a way to pleasantly surprise me as well is just icing on the cake. And for me, it came down to the character work. I personally love Julia Connors's approach to peeling back those layers -- what is it that makes a character react to certain situations, what in their past colors their perspective of the world and the people around them, and what baggage do they nee to unpack in order to move forward and have meaningful, long-lasting, healthy relationships? She wasn't afraid to ask these questions and get to the heart of the matter for both Morgan and Aidan. I love the idea that these characters have multiple names that they are referred to throughout certain parts of the story: Morgan is labelled as "Amy" and Aidan is first labelled as "Nikolas" and then "Danny". I see these as personas, shields, masks that conceal the truth beneath what is hidden as their true identities. It was so rewarding to go on that journey of slowly accepting more and more of themselves as the story went on, both MCs having trauma that they had to work through. They are both the type of MC you can't help but want to root for. Morgan is just so relatable and unbelievably kind and Aidan, despite being prickly and kind of jaded, his love-language is obviously acts of service.
Also, I want to touch on the pacing of this story because it starts off hitting the ground running and it doesn't let up at all. That being said, I never felt like anything was rushed; it took its time whilst still being engaging and charming and fun to read. It was so great to get all of those warm found family feels that this team gives off that I feel like other sports romance series fall short on.
What a rollercoaster ride this story was. And to have had Aiden Snow and Megan Wicks voicing our intrepid MCs was a treat in it of itself. The chemistry between the characters were through the roof from the jump but these 2 narrators brought such vulnerability and heart to this story that is filled with passion, introspection, angst, heartache, longing, top-notch banter, and growth -- much like real life it was messy, painful, at times even uncomfortable, but ultimately rewarding. Elite duet style narration that felt seamlessly immersive, as always from these two!
I am devastated that this series is over but what a way to go out. This was so much fun from start to finish, a near perfect listen. I am sold on this author now and cannot wait to see what she brings to the table next!
Rating: ✩✩✩✩ ½
Spice: 🌶🌶 ½
Narration: ✩✩✩✩✩
➛ Duet Narration
➛ Christian Fox & Savannah Peachwood (with Ryan Lee Dunlap, Erin Mallon, Austin Stone, Teddy Hamilton, and Jason Clarke)
TROPES:
♡ Neighbors to roommates to lovers
♡ Accidental Vegas Wedding
♡ Hockey romance
♡ Gymnast heroine
♡ Golden retriever hero
♡ He falls first & hard
♡ Forced Proximity
♡ Slow Burn
"When you're around, I feel like I've swallowed an entire flock of butterflies... God, how cheesy is that? But it's fucking true." - Travis Bennett
Y'all the way I ate this up! I personally love the "drunken Vegas wedding" and then for this to turn into a "Marriage of Convenience" afterwards due to "circumstances" and "mutually beneficial stuff" this easy read legit had all of the things that just work for me. Was there a lot that happens? 😅 Not really but that did not dampen my enjoyment of this at all. The pacing felt more slice-of-life rather than fast action RomCom but that doesn't mean the banter wasn't firing on all cylinders. These characters are just so darn charming and paired with the exceptional duet style narration from Christian Fox and Savannah Peachwood = insert kicking your feet up and giggling here!
If I were to nitpick, I suppose, I could have done with a bit more character work via family dynamics, especially for Travis. I kinda wished we really unpacked that relationship. For a character that is so "happy-go-lucky", there was so much potential to round out his character if we got a chance to dig a little deeper. It feels like Hannah may have had a more balanced character arc because of this. Sidenote, I feel like, for how much he's in the story, Hannah's gymnastics coach should have had a larger role in her side of the story. 🤷🏻♀️ Another missed opportunity?
Aside from that, I really enjoyed all of the Found Family vibes with Hannah's sister and the guys from the team! Loved all of the side characters, especially Hannah's friends. A fun and easy read that you can just turn your brain off and enjoy all of the warm fuzzies! And now I am so excited to see more! Can't wait to return to Moonshot for Book 3!
TROPES:
♡ Small Town Romance
♡ Marriage of Convenience
♡ "not-quite-friends-but-not-quite-enemies" to Lovers
♡ Brother's Best Friend
♡ Black Cat x Golden Retriever
♡ Forced Proximity
♡ "It's Always Been Her"
♡ Chronic Pain Rep
♫"Shameless"♪ - Camila Cabello
"Blink twice if you are being held hostage by his dimples."
What a pleasure this was to listen to! Returning to Starlight Cove is always such a treat. Entertaining, spicy, and oh so delightfully fun, who doesn't love a dirty talking golden retriever who'd move heaven and earth for his black cat (temporary?) wife who is determined to hold up the whole world herself even though her body is trying to slowly kill her? As a person who lives with chronic lower back pain myself and physically cannot stand or walk for prolonged periods of time without being in excruciating pain, my heart goes out to Willa! Like, this woman is so unbelievably strong both emotionally and physically and mentally that it makes wanna go out and do something substantial too! 🥹
Lincoln Steele! OMFG, talk about "cream-of-the-crop" book boyfriend material! I love me a Steele brother because their loyalty to their partners is awe-inspiring. Call it unwavering commitment or bullheaded stubbornness but I love that every single one of them fought for their relationship, especially when things got hard and feelings and pride was on the line! So romantic you can't help but swoon a little.
The duet style narration was amazing but that should have been a given as JF Harding and Savannah Peachwood are legends! The performances were so fun, bringing not only Linc's charm and Willa's sass out in spades but also balancing those moments of levity with pockets of vulnerability.
What a treat this was to read from start to finish and the epilogue only teased me up for the next book so perfectly: Declan & Penelope! 😍
** Thank you so much to Brighton Walsh and her team for an ALC of the audiobook**
Rating: ✩✩✩✩✩✩
Spice: 🌶🌶🌶 ½
Narration: ✩✩✩✩✩
➛ Duet Narration
➛ Victoria Connolly & Sean Masters
TROPES:
♡ Small Town Romantic Suspense
♡ Marriage Of Convenience
♡ Best Friend's Brother
♡ Age Gap (35/40-ish)
♡ "It's Always Been You"
♡ Found Family
♡ Slow Burn
♪ Song Vibes ♫ Can't Help Falling In Love - Pentatonix
Yes, that rating was not a typo -- this is one of the few 6 star reads I've read this year. When I first read this with my eyeballs on release I knew it was something special but listening to this spectacular audiobook was a fucking spiritual experience! I will very surprised if it doesn't turn out to be in my top 3 reads for 2025.
[ Book Review ] Midnight Valentine by J.T. Geissinger
Rating: ✩✩✩✩✩
Spice: 🌶🌶 ½
Narration: ✩✩✩✩✩
➛ Duet Narration
➛ Tara Langella & Troy Duran
TROPES:
♡ Small Town Paranormal Romance
♡ Mystery/Suspense
♡ Annoyance to Lovers
♡ Slow Burn
♡ Innkeeper x Contractor
♡ Second Chance Romance (vibes)
How do I talk about this book without giving anything away…??
First off, I guess I can talk about my love and appreciation for Megan, our feisty and soulfully tortured FMC. She is one of my favorite Geissinger FMCs. She's just so vulnerable and jaded but is still so kind and empathetic whilst retaining this sassy, sarcastic personality that is both witty and disarming. I love it. It's such a hard thing to balance and Geissinger's portrayal of her in this story is a masterclass in finding those moments to allow her personality to shine as well as experience the journey of the story unfolding in the most organic way. Which is so incredibly difficult for a straightforward story but with all the twists and turns that this story takes, I think it was even more of a feat worth celebrating! And don't even get me started on Theo! So, the novels I have read from Geissinger in the past featured tend to feature the mysterious yet alluring MMC whom the FMC is both drawn to and weary of, and each time their true nature/identity is revealed, I am always taken for a loop… and Theo was no different. He was this enigma locked behind a himitsu-bako and to add an element of not being able to or rather, refusing to speak makes finding out everything we eventually learn about him all the more compelling. Thank goodness, we the readers, got the ending that Geissinger eventually decided on and not what she had initially in store for Theo because I don't know if I could have walked away with my heart in tacked. I think all of the emotional and physical turmoil that both the MCs went through during this entire story, including past events that were alluded to, I think that their HEA was much deserved!
The audiobook was spectacular as always. Tara Langella and Troy Duran always do such an amazing job with Geissinger stories and was able to breath life into them with their dynamic performances!
What a spectacular story of grief, depression, loosing and eventually rediscovering one's faith in happiness, love, and life. This one might be one of my favorite reads of the year.
"I'm Persephone. Queen of the Underworld. She is married to that big Dude. Hades. He runs Hell, but she is in charge of Punishment. But I feel sorry for Persephone. Because even when she is back with the living, they are afraid of her, because of where she's been....Kinda funny huh. How many stories they have about princes need to get rescued from witches" -Sharp Objects
