#TJ Alexander

[transbookoftheday]

Hi, do you know of any trans m/f romances? I feel like the majority of them are m/m, which I enjoy, but I want some variety sometimes!

Yes! Here are some of my favorites:

Book Titles:

A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall

For the Love of April French by Penny Aimes

A Shore Thing by Joanna Lowell

A Shot in the Dark by Victoria Lee

Drag Me Up by R.M. Virtues

Chef's Kiss by TJ Alexander

[tjalexandernyc]

Say hello to Triple Sec, out June 4, 2024 from Simon & Schuster! (Art by Petra Braun.)

It’s queer! It’s poly! It’s cocktails!!! Official synopsis below the cut.

A jaded bartender is wooed by a charmingly quirky couple in this fresh and sizzling polyamorous rom-com, set in the exclusive world of high-end cocktail bars—from the acclaimed author of the “tender, decadent, and sparklingly funny” (Lana Harper, New York Times bestselling author) Chef’s Choice. As a bartender at Terror & Virtue, a swanky New York City cocktail lounge known for its romantic atmosphere and Insta-worthy drinks, Mel has witnessed plenty of disastrous dates. That, coupled with her own romantic life being in shambles, has Mel convinced love doesn’t exist. Everything changes when Bebe walks into the bar. She’s beautiful, funny, knows her whiskeys—and is happily married to her partner, Kade. Mel’s resigned to forget the whole thing, but Bebe makes her a unique offer: since she and Kade have an open marriage, she’s interested in taking Mel on a date. What starts as a fun romp turns into a burgeoning relationship, and soon Mel is trying all sorts of things she’d been avoiding, from grand romantic gestures to steamy exploits. Mel even gets the self-confidence to enter a cocktail competition that would make her dream of opening her own bar a reality. In the chaotic whirl of all these new experiences, Mel realizes there might be a spark between her and Kade, too. As Bebe, Kade, and Mel explore their connections, Mel begins to think that real love might be more expansive than she ever thought possible. With TJ Alexander’s signature “witty and insightful voice, complex characters, and full-throated celebration of the joy of queer community” (Ava Wilder, author of How to Fake It in Hollywood), Triple Sec is a passionate, thirst-quenching love story that will have you asking for another round…or three.

You know the drill, folks!! I am asking/begging you to please spread the word and help me out. This book is a VERY different kind of romance and I am desperate for it to find its audience. Here are some ways you can help me:

Pre-order. I know, I know, June 4 is forever away but it really is the biggest thing. Pre-ordering is a gift to yourself and to authors who would really like to hit some kind of bestseller list some day. If you don’t want to pre-order now, consider putting a note in your calendar to buy it on June 4?

Add the book to your GoodReads or Storygraph TBR.

Share my pinned posts on Instagram or tumblr.

Tell your local bookstore or library (or both!) to stock this book.

Thank you, thank you, thank you! Next round’s on me.

[hemlocketrove]

HI I READ TRIPLE SEC BY @tjalexandernyc AND IT WAS AMAZING, had me kicking my feet and giggling and EVERYTHING

This is Kade (they/them), Mel, and Bebe (both she/her)!

I can’t wait to reread this honestly, it was the fastest I’ve ever finished a book

[lgbtqreads]

Fave Five: Adult F/NB Romances

Love & Other Disasters by Anita Kelly Chef’s Kiss by TJ Alexander Just Might Work by Katia Rose The Santa Pageant by Lillian Barry Harmony by London Price Bonus: Coming in 2025, My Best Friend’s Honeymoon by Meryl Wilsner 

[eldrytchcryptid]

(Spoilers Ahead)

I wrote this review on Goodreads too but like every trans dude of like adult age needs to read this damn book-

A trans man, as a romance protagonist in an actual adult novel.

Have you ever loved the words on the page of a book so much you wanted to rip them from the spine and stuff the paper into your mouth and digest them?

I think I might sleep with this book under my pillow for the next year just to absorb it into my bloodstream through osmosis.

When I tell you I have been waiting years for trans men to be properly represented in romance (or just ANY adult media at all), this book decided to grab me by the throat and force tear after tear from my eyes until I was sobbing and hollering with laughter, slamming the book down on my bed to the point where I may actually get charged with abuse.

There were points in this book where I thought I needed to check my brain for cameras - I can't speak for every trans man of course, but having the ftm experience so seamlessly written from an actually confident trans man in his identity with the same inability to realise people actually want to be around him, and the same kind of trans dick jokes and mourning over childhood - at certain point, especially when they redid the photos I started crying only to realise that Eli was crying to like "Ye bro I'd be crying too in that scenario damn."

I have truly, truly never felt so represented in a book - and I was starting to give up hope that I would ever see a trans man in an adult book who was PROPERLY written that I-

I can only thank @tjalexandernyc for writing this and hope that this is the start of trans men beginning to come into their own to being represented as something other than in teen media.

Transness aside, the book is beautifully written with amazing humour and heartwarming scenes that ripped me into thin little ribbons.

And the only qualm I had is that Eli didn't dick Nick down. I need a novella of just them exploring each other. Please. The sex scenes were just exquisite and hilarious.

I'm also gonna put some of my favourite bits here cause I have to.

[bizzybee429]

So as a polyamorous nonbinary lesbian I of course pre ordered the new @tjalexandernyc book as soon as it opened... Then promptly forgot, and preordered it again from my local bookstore about a week ago. Now I have two copies! And I have an e-arc, so really it's three. THAT'S NOT TOO MANY IS IT????

[haveyoureadthistransbook]

Triple Sec by T.J. Alexander

goodreads

A jaded bartender is wooed by a charmingly quirky couple in this fresh and sizzling polyamorous rom-com, set in the exclusive world of high-end cocktail bars. As a bartender at Terror & Virtue, a swanky New York City cocktail lounge known for its romantic atmosphere and Insta-worthy drinks, Mel has witnessed plenty of disastrous dates. That, coupled with her own romantic life being in shambles, has Mel convinced love doesn’t exist. Everything changes when Bebe walks into the bar. She’s beautiful, funny, knows her whiskeys—and is happily married to her partner, Kade. Mel’s resigned to forget the whole thing, but Bebe makes her a unique since she and Kade have an open marriage, she’s interested in taking Mel on a date. What starts as a fun romp turns into a burgeoning relationship, and soon Mel is trying all sorts of things she’d been avoiding, from grand romantic gestures to steamy exploits. Mel even gets the self-confidence to enter a cocktail competition that would make her dream of opening her own bar a reality. In the chaotic whirl of all these new experiences, Mel realizes there might be a spark between her and Kade, too. As Bebe, Kade, and Mel explore their connections, Mel begins to think that real love might be more expansive than she ever thought possible.

Mod opinion: I haven't heard of TJ's new book before, and I will most likely not read it because romances aren't really my genre, but I always enjoy seeing polyamory in trans romances.

[bookgeekgrrl]

My media this week (10-16 Dec 2023)

📚 STUFF I READ 📚

🥰 Second Chances in New Port Stephen (TJ Alexander, author; Aden Hakimi & Feodor Chin, narrator) - 2nd chance romance between 2 former HS sweethearts after Eli comes back home to his small FL home town (post-transition & unemployed due to proximity to an industry scandal) and reconnects with Nick (who left for college, came back, got married & divorced and became a (hot) dad). Also there is a fat ginger cat named Sweet Potato. I kind of love what a mess Eli is. Nick is also a bit of a mess but masking it better. I loved them both.

💖💖 +120K of shorter fic so shout out to these I really loved 💖💖

The First Rule of Book Club series (Deisderium) - MCU: stucky, 28K - reread for stucky bookclub; a forever fave where recovering Bucky joins a book club - just a warm hug of a series, with a fantastic OC (unfortunately does have period-typical reading of HP but I was able to just focus on everything else)

tattoo your last bruise (ftmsteverogers) - MCU: stucky, 9K - great post-WS recover fic

Blood, Sweat, Ambrosia (AidaRonan) - Stranger Things: steddie, 4K - amazing gift of a monsterfucking fic. aida has truly blessed us this holiday season

📺 STUFF I WATCHED 📺

Doctor Who: The Giggle (2023 special #3)

D20: Fantasy High: Sophomore Year - e8-15

🎧 PODCASTS 🎧

The Sporkful - How Do Michelin Stars Actually Work?

Pop Culture Happy Hour - Diddy, Hip-Hop, and #MeToo

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - Ol Pejeta Rhino Cemetery

Our Opinions Are Correct - What Makes Us Quit Reading a Book in the Middle?

Today, Explained - A concrete solution to climate change

Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus - Julia Gets Wise with Darlene Love

NPR's Book of the Day - Jordan Peele curates a new Black horror story collection 'Out There Screaming'

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - Knoxville Weather Kiosk

Pop Culture Happy Hour - 2023 Pop Culture Favorites [love that D20's Dungeons & Drag Queens made this list!]

Switched on Pop - Nicki Minaj's Roman Empire

The Allusionist - 186. Ravels

It's Been a Minute - Music trends that took us by surprise in 2023

Shedunnit - The Murderless Christmas Mystery

Vibe Check - It’s Like an Inspirational Relay Race

⭐ 99% Invisible #563 - Empire of the Sum

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - New Bedford Whaling Museum

⭐ Off Menu - Ep 216: Dawn French (Christmas Special)

Twenty Thousand Hertz+ - Tournament of Champions

Ologies with Alie Ward - Quasithanatology (NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCES) with Bruce Greyson

The Atlas Obscura Podcast - Gourdlandia

One Year - 1990: Art on Trial

Sara & Cariad's Weirdos Book Club - Persuasion by Jane Austen with Andrew Hunter Murray

Not Another D&D Podcast - D&D Court: Sneaky Snowmen, Horny Dogs, and The PC vs The People’s Champion

Wiser Than Me with Julia Louis-Dreyfus - Julia Gets Wise with Rhea Perlman

Up First - Gaza Post-War Plans, Ohio Prosecutor Misconduct, Comer Shell Company

What Next: TBD - Shein’s Newest Offering? An IPO

Pop Culture Happy Hour - Wonka And What's Making Us Happy

Dear Prudence - I Rejected A Friend’s Sexual Advance—Now He’s Being Weird. Help!

Endless Thread - This song wants you to stick out your what!?

⭐ Welcome to Night Vale #240 - He Is Holding a Knife

Today, Explained - Why millennials dread motherhood

🎶 MUSIC 🎶

Classic Rock Instrumentals

Presenting Stevie Ray Vaughan

Presenting Santana

Dropkick Murphys Radio • Familiar

New Blue Sun [André 3000] {2023}

Throwback Workout

my christmas playlist

[welovetransbooks]

A high-strung pastry chef’s professional goals are interrupted by an unexpected career transition and the introduction of her wildly attractive nonbinary kitchen manager in this deliciously fresh and witty queer rom-com. Simone Larkspur is a perfectionist pastry expert with a dream job at The Discerning Chef, a venerable cookbook publisher in New York City. All she wants to do is create the perfect loaf of sourdough and develop recipes, but when The Discerning Chef decides to bring their brand into the 21st century by pivoting to video, Simone is thrust into the spotlight and finds herself failing at something for the first time in her life.To make matters worse, Simone has to deal with Ray Lyton, the new test kitchen manager, whose obnoxious cheer and outgoing personality are like oil to Simone’s water.

When Ray accidentally becomes a viral YouTube sensation with a series of homebrewing videos, their eccentric editor in chief forces Simone to work alongside the chipper upstart or else risk her beloved job. But the more they work together, the more Simone realizes her heart may be softening like butter for Ray.Things get even more complicated when Ray comes out at work as nonbinary to mixed reactions—and Simone must choose between the career she fought so hard for and the person who just might take the cake (and her heart).

Buy Now: https://exi.link/JeXmvJ

[lovebooksgroup]

BOOK MAIL - Thank you @BookMinxSJV | @TeamBATC showcase | @tjalexanderNYC @jackiejcollins @LindseyKelk |#RespectRomFic #bookmail #bookblogger #scottishbookblogger #lovebooks

BOOK MAIL - Thank you @BookMinxSJV | @TeamBATC showcase | @tjalexanderNYC @jackiejcollins @LindseyKelk https://amzn.to/3P4yCAj https://amzn.to/4bZjSwh #RespectRomFic #bookmail #bookblogger #scottishbookblogger #lovebooks

Huge thanks to Sara-Jade for my bundle of goodies. I am so grateful to be included. I got an array of samplers of upcoming titles and I was so lucky to be gifted two books. Second Chances in New Port Stephen  by TJ Alexander  Pre-order TRIPLE SEC, the brand new TJ Alexander novel, coming Summer 2024.A trans man returns to his Florida hometown for Christmas after his career goes up in flames,…

[transbookoftheday]

Chef’s Kiss by TJ Alexander

A high-strung pastry chef’s professional goals are interrupted by an unexpected career transition and the introduction of her wildly attractive nonbinary kitchen manager in this deliciously fresh and witty queer rom-com.

Simone Larkspur is a perfectionist pastry expert with a dream job at The Discerning Chef, a venerable cookbook publisher in New York City. All she wants to do is create the perfect loaf of sourdough and develop recipes, but when The Discerning Chef decides to bring their brand into the 21st century by pivoting to video, Simone is thrust into the spotlight and finds herself failing at something for the first time in her life.

To make matters worse, Simone has to deal with Ray Lyton, the new test kitchen manager, whose obnoxious cheer and outgoing personality are like oil to Simone’s water. When Ray accidentally becomes a viral YouTube sensation with a series of homebrewing videos, their eccentric editor in chief forces Simone to work alongside the chipper upstart or else risk her beloved job. But the more they work together, the more Simone realizes her heart may be softening like butter for Ray.

Things get even more complicated when Ray comes out at work as nonbinary to mixed reactions—and Simone must choose between the career she fought so hard for and the person who just might take the cake (and her heart).

[tjalexandernyc]

My third novel, SECOND CHANCES IN NEW PORT STEPHEN, is out Dec 5! Thought I'd tell you about it now.

If you're already familiar with My Brand (trans and nonbinary contemporary romance) you'll dig this one! It's not in the same series as Chef's Kiss and Chef's Choice, so no need to read my previous stuff if you haven't gotten around to it, but in my head all these stories exist in the same universe.

I'm really, really fond of this book. I'm fond of all my book children, but this is the first book I've written where I felt like I was working WITH these characters instead of controlling them. Nick (the hot single dad) and Eli (the failed comedian who returns home) are my co-workers, not my kids, if that makes any sense. I used to think every story ever told could be put into one of two categories: 1) a stranger comes to town or 2) our hero journeys to an unknown land. This book is neither and I think I've grown as a writer because of it. It's also my first book that switches POV (third person) because, for this story, it was important to me to give both these guys equal weight in telling their side. There's a lot happening here: home, family, getting older, reckoning with your past. But at its core it's about two very silly dudes who still love each other after all this time.

Anyway, here's what the back of the books says!

Synopsis:

Eli Ward hasn’t been back to his suffocating hometown of New Port Stephen, Florida, in ages. Post-transition and sober, he’s a completely different person from the one who left years ago. But when a scandal threatens his career as a TV writer and comedian, he has no choice but to return home for the holidays. He can only hope he’ll survive his boisterous, loving, but often misguided family and hide the fact that his dream of comedy success has become a nightmare.

Just when he thinks this trip couldn’t get any worse, Eli bumps into his high school ex, Nick Wu, who’s somehow hotter than ever. Divorced and in his forties, Nick’s world revolves around his father, his daughter, and his job. But even a busy life can’t keep him from being intrigued by the reappearance of Eli.

Against the backdrop of one weird Floridian Christmas, the two must decide whether to leave the past in the past…or move on together.

You can preorder here. I hope you will! Thanks, and I love you.

[hemlocketrove]

back again with Luna and Jean-Pierre 🥰

[lgbtqreads]

New Releases: December 2023

Caught in a Bad Fauxmance by Elle Gonzalez Rose (5th) Devin Báez is prepared for a relaxing winter break after his rough, first semester of art school. Sure, his family’s old Florida lake cabin is falling apart, and everything in it reminds him of his late mom. And yes, the Baezes’ next-door neighbors, the Seo-Cookes, are still petty, but things could be worse. That is, until Devin runs into the…

[eldrytchcryptid]

"I'm trying my best 🥲."

[triviareads]

ARC Review of Triple Sec by TJ Alexander

Rating: 4.5/5 Heat Level: 4/5 Publication Date: June 4th

Premise:

A queer, polyamorous romance; Mel is a bartender at one of New York's top cocktail bars. She has an instant connection with Bebe, one of her customers who is also married to Kade. She's surprised when Bebe asks her out on a date, but slowly falls for not only Bebe, but Kade.

My review:

This book was tender, sexy, and more than anything, it felt so real to me. All three main characters are Grown Adults in their thirties who have their respective pasts, failed relationships, and hang-ups— and reading them connect and fall in love was such a joy. I think with the rise of terms like "harem romance" or "reverse harems" (both of which I take issue with; "harem" has a specific cultural connotation that I feel the romance community has misappropriated) and "why choose" romances, some romance readers have somewhat misguided expectations for what *all* poly romances should be like (and some literally aren't calling it what it is, polyamorous) , and this book did a lovely job of portraying one polycule and all the dynamics within it.

Mel and Bebe have an instant connection from the moment they meet at Mel's bar. The attraction is SIZZLING and Bebe is so classy (!!) in the way she hits on Mel, I was like, genuinely shook. I'm glad Mel isn't automatically outraged that a married woman is flirting with her, and she doesn't jump to any conclusions (though she does hypothesize into the void with another queer friend in an open relationship). Ultimately, Bebe and Kade tell Mel pretty early on that they're poly, and that Bebe would like to see Mel.

Enter their relationship contract that outlines how Mel, Bebe, and Kade interact. I thought it was really cute the way the contract was formatted in the book, so every time the rules of their relationship change, the old parts are crossed out and the new parts are added in.

And the rules do change, to be clear. There are three parts in this book and each part focuses on a different facet of the relationship with them ultimately deciding they would all like to be together (as opposed to Bebe, and then both Kade and Bebe seeing Mel individually). Kade and Mel's relationship is initially tinged with a lot of foot-in-the-mouth moments. The good thing about the contract is, it provides boundaries but they're just super awkward with one another until they have the opportunity to bond without Bebe, and all bets are off. And honestly, Kade has my heart— they're deadpan and somewhat blunt but as you get to know them better along with Mel (this is a single-person POV book— do I think it would have benefitted from all 3 POVs? Maybe, but I don't feel like I missed any important context), you see they're an absolute sweetheart— an artist who feels deeply but keeps that side hidden. There are a couple instances where Kade is misgendered and we see the misconceptions people harbor about non-binary people, and I thought it was interesting to read not only how they, but also their love interest (Mel) deals with it.

I realize I haven't talked a lot about the actual plot— the cocktail making competition and Mel's job at the bar— but I thought both were written with so much love for the craft and respect for service workers.

The sex:

Super hot, super well-written. It's always fun to read the individual and group dynamics because they're so unique. Bebe is an out-and-proud pillow princess, and I kinda love that she was able to coax out a "mean", more selfish side of Mel, who is usually more of a giver in real life. Kade is a service top and this book answers the question what happened when a top and a service top get together— the answer does involve cum-eating. Also, the last sex scene in the book? Fabulous. Excellent. There are strap-ons. There's face-sitting. I have no notes.

Overall:

I really enjoyed this book! @tjalexandernyc wrote a banger, and the payoff of seeing three very different individuals connect, fall in love and make space for each other is absolutely worth it, and I'd recommend this to any romance reader.

This ARC was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.