#erin rein

[thraxusrelaxus]

i’ve noticed the severe lack of Mystery County Monster Hunters Club content on here and i just gotta say, y’all are missing out

[reinemichele]

[Trente carat, Reine Michèle] Even the reaper is within her grasp She is the queen— not a single person struggles against her They don't allow her to escape her cage A cunning girl— an old woman who danced with shadows She decorated a great many necks A showy courtisane— a queen covered in mud She cut off a great many necks A scene changing round and round, a vivid dream She won't allow you to escape until you've lost it

[sunsetkerr]

SAMMY'S GIRL (ii) | s.kerr

summary: MORE headcanons on your relationship with sam, read part one here.

pairing: fem!reader x sam kerr

notes: getting out lots of little headcanons because they're just so much fun to do. sammy's girl is my favourite of all my girls (completely bias, sorry) but if you want to see what other 'wags' are in my lil universes, check out my masterlists!! each 'wag' is also going to get their own tag, so check those out for little file facts, or ask questions/send thoughts so we can add to them all!! lots of love

as previously established, you’ve grown up with sam right

you’ve known her through every little phase and every weird obsession she’s ever had

you know her deepest secrets and she knows yours

its honestly quite jarring because you both know each other better than you know yourselves

you’re not at sporty as sam, only relaly dabbling in school netball for carnivals and stuff when they needed extra girls

but sam would try and include you as much as she could in all aspects of her career

if she was having a solo gym day, or just going on a walk

guess whos coming with!?!!!

its you!!!!!!

if she wants a swim at the beach for recovery

she is making sure that you tag along

(not just to see you in your bathers, its for recovery, have some professionalism please)

sam has spent half of her life without you and having to settle for seeing you through a screen

so once you’re in london with her permanently, she is making the most of that

she needs to shower? you’re passing her body wash

she’s hungry? shes making two servings and you’re eating with her

she wants a coffee? youre heading to your favourite spot

you are always around

and sam isn’t having it if you’re not

when she does have to go away?

youre getting texts from guro, erin and millie complaining about her

‘omg she wont shut up about you’

‘if sam doesn’t stop talking im gonna clock her y/n, i won’t be held responsible for my actions’

‘she’s at a new level of pathetic, please come get your girl’

but they understand, they love you too

the entirety of the chelsea squad know you’re at every game

they have a dedicated seat for you in the family and friends section

everyone is away that it’s your seat

millie’s fiancée wards people away from it

he once had to face the consequences of sitting in your seat

he wouldn’t wish an angry emma hayes or sam kerr upon anyone

but its not all about sam

she is just your biggest cheerleader

you were able to finish your degree online and were lucky enough that your credentials in australia carried over to the uk 

so you started working there

im picturing sports journalism???????? you were forced to be around sport your entire life that it kinda just became a natural thing

you were so well-informed on so many different sports it was crazy

sam loved plugging anything you were writing

you posted a new article? she’s sharing that shit on her instagram story

you won an award for a piece? she’s at the ceremony

you’re working overtime to get a project finished? she’s ordering you dinner to the office

as much as sam is a professional and very famous athlete

she’s still just sammy to you

and she’s never forgotten that

but to her, you are the best thing to ever happen to planet earth

and she makes sure that everyone knows

living with sam is lots of fun

you relish in all of the time you get to spend together

call it making up lost time

sure, she leaves her stuff everywhere

but you’re guilty of that too

you still hold each other accountable

‘sam you didn’t do the dishes’

‘okay and you didn’t hang out the laundry’

‘… fair enough’

making dinner together is just chaotic 

sam can only cook breakfast, she excels at smashed avocado

so she really lets you take the reins on dinners 

she succumbs to the sou-chef life

you force her to watch movies with you

she argues and says that tv shows are better

(even though you know she’s completely invested in whatever film you’ve chosen)

you have a little brother who just idolises sam

and he has since the day he was born

he was a classic accident child, a real surprise for your parents

but watching him grow up was just the best

hes the biggest women’s soccer fan you know

he’s up-to-date on all of the woso drama

definitely can tell you the entire timeline and drama of the mcfoord relationship 

so when he’s old enough

sam flies him over to the uk all the time

he just loves sam so much

he wears her jersey to every game, saying he doesn’t want anyone elses

(maybe maccas, but that’s a different story)

and sam is estatic to have him there

definitely walks out with him as her mascot on multiple occasions

sam isn’t super touchy feely in front of others

but when shes drunk, she can’t help it

she just wants to hold you and she doesn’t care who’s around to see it

sam really loves watching men at bars or in clubs try to hit on you

just to go and ruin their fun

it’s her favourite pastime really

sam’s extra sappy and clingy when tired

after a big night or a tiring game, she wants to curl up next to you and have you hold her until she falls asleep

sometimes it’s a foreign feeling for you

sam is almost always the big spoon

so you really drink in the feeling whenever she feels vulnerable enough to let you hold her for a change

sam is also extra attentive when you’re not feeling well

she’s so doting and always checking in on you

if shes around, you’re being waited on hand and foot

‘are you okay? do you have a temp?’

‘let me get you some water’

‘i don’t like the sound of that cough, y/n’

if she’s away for a game, your phone does not stop ringing

she’s always texting when she has a spare minute 

and if she has more than ten minutes to spare, she’s calling you to see how you are

sam just adores you

the fans adore you even more

the amount of tiktok edits of you and sam are crazy

the one of you in the stands after her goal against england in the world cup went viral

the way you jumped out of your seat and almost threw yourself over the barrier was on the news the next day

the clip continuing as sam ran over to your section, as you both shouted in celebration to each other

or the clips in the matildas doco series of the two of you

the lesbians went feral for that shit

everyone wants what you have

everyone wants you

you are that bitch

sam knows it too

and she’s not afraid to let people know just who you are

because you’re hers 

forever and always

[perotovar]

Lovely Erin! 🖤

Your writing challenge sounds fantastic! I'd love to participate.

As much as I would love to write Ezra, I write him a fair bit, so I'll let someone else take the reins and have a go, so please may I choose Pero? I'd love to explore him some more...

Thank you, love you! 🖤

oooooh i can't tell you how i excited i am to see your take on this big lug! thank you so much, honey <3

thor is a great god and i matched him up with pero because he's described as having a "massive appetite" and a great sense of humor. pero is a bit of a grump, but you can't deny he's funny!

-

Son of Odin, brother to Baldr. The god of thunder, lightning, rain, wind. Chariot drawn by goats, thus making him “the lord of the goats” or “the chariot god”. Wields the hammer Mjollnir, which gives him his thunder and lightning associations, but also seen as a strength/protection symbol.

Described as being very large (like a strongman) and very strong (like a farmer that’s been working his entire life), both physically as well as emotionally and mentally. Has a large red beard that "shakes about" when he laughs, and red hair. Not super intelligent, but not an idiot. It’s just not his strong suit. Has a hardcore temper, and a great sense of humor.

There's actually a myth where he cross-dresses as Freyja in a wedding dress to trick someone into thinking she/the gods would let him marry her. He eats the entire table of food. Everyone is like, "wow, Freyja is super hungry", and Loki, the only one that knows it's not actually her, is like, "...Yeah, totally." He's a fucking goofball.

A god for farmers/working class/simple/practical people. Considered a “friend of man”. Like a protective big brother. Very widely worshiped.

Very straight-forward, doesn’t play around.

Offerings/Associations: Oak and rowan trees, clear quartz, carnelian, red jasper. The colors red and orange. Mjollnir imagery. Goat anything (bones, cheese, milk, etc), food and drink (for his massive appetite).

and your moodboard:

[heartfullofleeches]

Love your blog, falling in love with Erin and Orion (though baron still reins supreme)

Question how does everyone react to Orion just being able to pick up and play keep away with Y/N?

🐝anon

Orion strokes his cheek against yours as he cradles you near ten feet off the ground. "You're such a cutie aren't you? Oh, my precious gem. I cannot wait for us to get married. I am a bit nervous since this is my first wedding despite my... history, but I know that it will be my only as we'll never part."

"Put. Them. Down."

Baron growls as he makes a leap for you; the taller demon simply lifting his arms higher despite you already being out of reach. He claws at his leg, but Orion only clicks his tongue - unfazed.

"Now, Raffiel." Orion warns. "It's not polite to lash out at others. Use your words, young man."

"Fuck you! That's not my name. I haven't seen you since I was 200 and the first thing you do is try to steal my mate like the slut you are."

Orion sighs. "Mate... How primitive, though I guess it has some truth in our case. Lovers bound by the soul - soulmates. Am I really so much of a harlot if they are the only one I imagine myself beside permanently?"

"You are when I saw them first, asshole."

[mommahughes19-23]

thats my baby - B.M

@ryleeee.montour : still have to get our party in before we just leave🏆

tagged : @matthew_tkachuk @montour @daynamastro

matthew_tkachuk : # 1 babyyyyyy, dont ever forget it

↪ ryleeee.montour : you act like I can forget it between you as my brother and B as my husband.

daynamastro : GIRL WE LOOKED SO FUCKING GOOOOOOOOOOOD

gustavforsling : still dont think its a good idea for you and Brandon to leave but I guess...

ryanlomberg : im just glad we can all be together one last time ya know💖

lundell_anton : gonna miss you, who's gonna keep up with Barky and me at the clubs!?

↪ ryleeee.montour : @carterverhaeghe I saw those videos of him keeping up dw hes got you

carterverhaeghe : I WILL HAVE YOU KNOW that casey was very proud of my sMALL consumption of alcohol through this celebration.

↪ ryleeee.montour : SMALLL CONSUMPTION!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?

sbennet_93 : at least we know that when monty is done with the nhl he can be a sign girl at clubs

barkovsasha : NOT MY SHOEY PARTNERS.

tygagen : OOOOO OOOOO OOOOO GO CATS GO

evanr17 : unfortunately I will be unsubscribing to your vlogs once you leave... I cant betray my team like that. 🥸😬

emiliekulikova : the only tkachuk/montour with rhythm FOR REALLLL

ellie_connell : I guess ill settle for seeing you at holidays for now.

caseyengleson : GIRL THE WAG SECTION WONT BE POPPIN OR LOCKIN WITH OUT YOU!!!

samsonreinhart : I hate to see him go, but I love to watch him leave - lil rein😎

vt9191 : how are you guys still partying???

↪ ryleeee.montour : HOW ARENT YOU PARTYING STILL SILLY GOOSE!?!?!?!

marissalomberg : girl who the heck am I gonna go shopping with now!?

slorentz16 : erin cries at least once per day now that youre leaving...

nickcousins27 : I think this has just broken the entire group of wives and girlfriends....

alligadjovich : BUT THINK OF THE CHILDREN!?!?!?!? HOW WILL THEY LIVE WITH OUT YOU TWO!?!?!

tiatuomola : I dont need this reminder showing up on my feed that youre abandoning us

nikomikk : WHO AM I GOING TO SING AT THE CLUBS WITH !?!?!?!?!?!?!?

tarasenko.yana : baby girl, so much funnnnn!

montour : my lil go go dancer 🥰🥰

smillaalwin : stunning as ALWAYYYYS

ninaacousins : will the world ever recover from the loss of the montour family from the panthers.... probably not

eetuluostarinen : no no no no non no no

zozeleny : GIRL IM GOING TO MISS OUR CAR RIDES TO THE STADIUM☹️

aaronekblad5 : hey Siri play we are the champions by queen

christinalrodrigues : this breaks my heart but also brings me great joy

emmasulonen : ❌❌

danielaforsling : I feel like im loosing my sister 🫨

kevinstenlund : popping bottles in the club 🥂

jessjewell : I cry so much about this 😢😢😢😢

jgadjovich : gonna miss yalllll

erinmarklee : STEVIE IS TELLING THE TRUTH DONT LEAVEEE!😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

A.N: sorry not sorry that im having a moment of panthers feral hour. ughhhhhh why are they all so hot.... anywho. here's this.... it's legit not my fault they keep posting the most crisp content of my boys.

Im going to start leaving these on all my edits that include a lot of significant others :)

jessjewell = Sam Reinhart

danielaforsling = Gustav Forsling

ninacousins = Nick Cousins

tarasenko.yana = Vladamir Tarasenko

alligadjovich = Jonah Gadjovich

marissalomberg = Ryan Lomberg

emiliekulikova = Dimitri Kulikov

daynamastro = Aaron Ekblad

tiiatuomola = Eetu Luostarinen

emmasulonen = Niko Mikkola

tygagen = Alexander Barkov

ellie_connell = Matthew Tkachuk

smillaalwin = Tobias Bjornfot

zozeleny = Sam Bennett

erinmarklee = Stevie Lorentz

caseyengleson = Carter Verhaeghe

tagged : @skylershines @noahkahansorangejuice @quinnylouhughesx43

[smittywing]

Criminal Minds Post 5x01

For @fixomnia-scribble:

This doesn't actually have a title. I was writing it as a follow-up to the season 5 premiere, when Foyet attacks Hotch in his home but I think it became an AU too quickly? Anyway, have some Team below the cut!

Footsteps fell on the stairs behind her and Emily twisted around to see Rossi on his way up with Morgan behind him.  "Hey," he said.  "My office."  She let him pass and exchanged glances with Morgan, whose eyebrows were knit with concern.  She took a deep breath and followed them into Rossi's office, watching him close the door after them.

Rossi didn't sit down, so Emily and Morgan didn't either.  Instead, he put his hands on his hips, pushing his jacket back, and looked about as pissed off as Emily had ever seen him.  Which, in the past couple of days, was pretty damn pissed off.

"We're not working the Reaper case," he said.

"What?" Emily said, but Morgan thundered,

"The hell we're not!" over her.

"I just got out of a meeting with Strauss," Rossi said, starting to pace.  "She was pretty clear.  Foyet's going to another team."

"No," Morgan said, as Emily just let her mouth hang open.  "No way.  You go back in there and tell her that's bullshit."

Rossi's head snapped up and his eyes cut sharply to Morgan.  "Don't think I haven't already," he said.  "Another team's getting the case."

"They're not Hotch's team," Morgan said.

"Damn straight," Rossi said.  "This is what we're going to do.  Morgan, you're picking up Reid today, right?  Aren't you late?"

"Not - yeah, yeah I am," Morgan said. 

"Good," Rossi said.  "Get going.  And make sure you stop by Hotch's room.  We wouldn't want him to get bored."  He glanced at the wall separating his office from Hotch's.  "And find a few extra things to keep him busy.  There's a file box behind his desk.  Has some old stuff in it."

"Got it," Morgan said, and took off.  Emily could hear him rifling in Hotch's office next door.

"What can I do?" she asked.

"We're terribly backlogged on paperwork," Rossi told her in the same tone of voice he'd used with Morgan.  "Canada, Barton, the Reaper.  It could take us the rest of the week to catch up."

"We might not be able to do anything else until it's out of the way," Emily agreed, nodding.  She got it.  If she helped Rossi clear the backlog of paperwork in the next day or two, they could feign administrative duties while quietly investigating Foyet.

"Emily," Rossi said, more hesitantly, and without the false innocence of his previous words.  Emily tried to remember if he called everyone by their first name.  It seemed normal to hear his voice shaping the syllables of her's and she didn't think he did that for everyone.  "Strauss wanted to debrief you about yesterday."

Shit.  Emily sighed and rolled her eyes.  She knew she'd catch shit for leaving an investigation, for going to Hotch's house on her own, for every single one of her decisions since she left Barton's house.  She knew she'd done the right thing, and she knew the inquisition would ultimate determine that she'd done the right thing, that she'd made the decisions that needed to be made, but it was going to be painful and time-consuming, and most of all, it meant she was going to have to sit across from Erin Strauss for something like two hours and defend those decisions.  "That is so going to suck," she muttered.

"I know," he said.  "That's why I told her I'd be the one doing the debriefing.  She wants me to be Acting Unit Chief, she gets to deal with me handling my agents my way."

Emily felt a wash of relief.  Telling the story to Rossi, reliving the whole thing across the table from him, would be far better than doing it with Strauss.  He might ask some hard questions, he might give her some shit for not checking with him on some things, but she knew where she stood with him, and she already knew that he agreed with her actions.

"Thank you," she said, the relief more evident in her voice than she'd intended.  She tried to rein it in.  Compartmentalize.  Block away.  In a little box with the noises from yesterday.  She cleared her throat.  "I stand by my actions.  But it's always more...comfortable to review decisions made - "

"Emily," Rossi interrupted.  The corner of his mouth turned up.  "I'm not debriefing you now."  He turned to the stack of casefiles on his desk.  "Here, if you can get started on William Hightower, I'll take Barton.  We'll probably need Reid to finish that one up, but we can set him on that tomorrow.  I'll let you know when I'm done and we'll tackle the profile on the Turners together."

"Oh, okay," Emily said, taking the proffered files.  "No problem."

"Do you think you'll be able to stay late tonight?" he asked.

"I was planning on it," she said. 

"Good," he said, giving her that little half smile.  "We've got a lot of work to do."

[remyfire]

"I may not be a nurse, but I'd like to think that I have pretty good bedside manner." She pauses as her robe slips down her shoulders, leaving her in her silken powder blue nighty, hair bouncing as she shrugs. "Well. Bath-side manner." Having people in her home to share the burden, to even pamper her from time to time, did much to soften the edges Peg has developed to protect her daughter, her home...and herself.

But that means she has the energy and focus to not only care for herself but care for her partners in turn. He's weary after an unexpectedly chaotic shift at the hospital. Peg knows, from their stories, that often back in Korea, they'd collapse onto their cots, filthy and fully clothed, to try and earn a scant hour of sleep. But they were home now and Peg was not about to let him slip away to throw on dirty pajamas and doze off.

The tub is finished filling and she turns the tab off. Manicured fingers dip into the water to test the temperature, humming in satisfaction at the warmth that kisses her skin. "Now, sir, for your bathing pleasure, tonight we offer a choice between," she sing songs, turning to the cabinet to fetch the packets of powder before turning back to her partner, waving them enticingly, "Lavender, honeysuckle, or! Jasmine bubble bath."

(FLUFF. FLUFF, I SAY. Hawk and Peg fluff!!!!!!)

Hawk's still not used to this. He's a long way out from Korea and BJ's teasing, "I like taking care of people. And maybe I read you wrong, but I figured you'd like being pampered." He's received enough of it from that man here and there that he should more naturally sink into it by now.

Maybe it's because it's Peg. Maybe because he continues to have trouble believing he can just reach out, touch her, have a taste of what he'd craved so desperately that first month back stateside. But as his new psychiatrist prefers to remind him about other facets of his life, the more that Hawk repeats something safely, the more he's going to believe that this is his new reality—that he's not going to be shot, mortared, crushed by a falling building, that he gets to be safe now. So perhaps this applies as well.

Part of it, he thinks, is that Beej is pulling the midnight shift right now. It's just him, Peg, and Erin in this house, with the little one already tucked in with her favorite stuffed animal. It brings back the memory of the warm summer nights when Hawk had been invited to overstay his welcome here, when he would lay awake in the guest bedroom and think of Peg on the other side of the wall and BJ still fighting tooth and nail to get home, when he'd want and want and want and not let himself have.

It took so, so long to make good on those desires—only when he had pure, open confirmation that he could—and maybe these soft, sweet moments are his reward for being good when he didn't have to be.

He rubs the back of his neck with a drowsy smile, lids already half-closed as he watches her test the water. "Trust me, I never heard a bad word about your company, bed, bath, or otherwise." Hawk fights to stay on his feet, but he can't help leaning back into the wall as he waits. Waits to be invited. To be told. "Some nights, he...made me think maybe you were just a dream. Some impossible perfection."

He understands now. He recognizes the vital nature of having something mythical but perhaps unattainable to fight to return to. But the difference is while Crabapple Cove was that mythical yet unsatisfying dream that kept him alive, Peg is living and breathing and so very, very necessary.

"Turns out he wasn't making it up," Hawk murmurs. "You really are home, aren't you?" Even with the way she shuts down sometimes and refuses to say what she's worried about, like they can't handle the fullness of her anxiety. Even when she forgets how life can be collaborative after so long on her own and tries to take the reins herself in everything, no matter if she's about to break or not. Even when she gets overwhelmed by how easy it is for Hawk to raise his voice, to meet conflict, to drive it to the peak so they can get it out of the way rather than force him to chase and goad it out of her in a kitchen.

She isn't perfection. And he adores her exactly as she is.

As Peg makes the packets dance before him, Hawk can't help but grin. "All right, all right, c'mon, bring 'em here." He waves her closer, but once she's in reaching distance, he tugs her in by the waist. Fingers sink into the cotton of her robe—the only one he lets her keep when he keeps stealing her silky ones—and pulls her against him. It feels wrong, pressing his body against her when he's been worked to the bone today, covered in blood and trauma even so far from the jaws of hell, but he knows she can take it.

Hawk cranes down to touch the tip of his nose to the soft place right behind her ear. He lets himself have just a taste—sucking the lobe between his lips and worrying it between his teeth—but he doesn't let himself get any more distracted, not even after her breathy shiver. He trails his nose further up, through her soft hair, and breathes in deep.

"This one." He feels for where he remembers the jasmine being—third in the line. "This one's most like you."

He's still vain enough to smirk when Peg has to resteady herself, cheeks flushed, pupils so dark and wide. He gets it. Beej was her one and only man for so goddamn long. Hawk's not sure if either of them will ever see BJ let himself be overwhelmed by another woman after the unsteady close calls he came to with both Carrie and Aggie, but if they ever do, he imagines Beej will look much the same, stricken and almost guilty from the ache of wanting something so badly that he can have now.

Slowly, day by day, Peg is adjusting to how her body sings for them both in these different but equally rapturous ways, and he loves getting a front row seat to her transformation.

Peg perches on the edge of the tub as she stirs in the powder, and Hawk wishes he had more in him right now to come after her and slip his fingers under that nightie, find the heat. Maybe the bath will rejuvenate him, but he also imagines it'll put him straight to sleep.

But there's time. There's always more time.

The floral scent fills the entire room, blissing Hawk out, taking him right to that edge of a haze that he finds so seldom without booze, without sex. It's coming easier these days. It's relief.

"Here you go, love," Peg murmurs. She's so close. He opens his eyes, not realizing he'd closed them, and has no idea how he missed her approaching him. He's further gone than he thought. But when he reaches for the hem of his shirt, she finds it instead, peeling the wrinkled fabric off him, and he has no choice but to let her.

Little by little, she strips him down. It's almost achingly familiar. If he lets himself remember, there's a slideshow of the hundreds of times her husband has taken him down to nothing—sometimes for sex, but getting his numb body ready for a shower or bed just as often. Hawk sucks in a sharp breath, has to reach and rub a few locks of Peg's hair between his fingers just to remember that this is real—not some hallucination at the 4077th.

She turns her head and kisses his forearm and he can't help but grin.

"You're a dream come true, you know that?" Hawk rumbles, barely audible.

Peg dips her head, but it can't hide her smile. "And you're the dream I didn't know I had."

He hums. The words wrap around his heart and give it a squeeze, dousing him in enough endorphins to nearly make him pass out. "C'mon. Help me out before it gets cold, huh?"

He doesn't let himself be embarrassed that he has to lean into her for the three steps to the bathtub. If he's a dream, then that means even when he's fragile. He eases his way into the hot water and groans long and deep as he stretches out, sinks in all the way to his chin. "Thank fuck BJ's tall."

Peg laughs. "He was rather specific about this tub, it's true."

"He's a goddamn genius." Hawk beams as he rolls his neck to look at her, opens his eyes once more. Behind her head, the bathroom lights are a halo. Suddenly she's too far away, even sitting on the edge, and he catches the hem of her robe and tugs just a little—just a warning. "Peg. I should warn you, you have thirty seconds to get all this off and get in here with me before I pull you in myself."

Her eyebrows shoot up. "I-I—Hawk, I poured this bath for you. Don't you think you should enjoy—"

"Twenty-five," he begins, "twenty-four, twenty-three—"

She throws her head back and laughs in a way that reminds him just so of Beej, the way that Erin is already starting to do herself, and he's so dizzyingly, incandescently happy that he almost wants to burst into tears.

He's home. He really, really is. And nothing can take that away from him ever again.

[theheelerbooklifereads]

Book Tour: The Blood That Binds Us by Erin Mainord Review

🙋‍♀️ 𝘘𝘖𝘛𝘋: 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘳 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥?

✨𝓢𝓱𝓮 𝓲𝓼 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝔀𝓲𝓮𝓵𝓭𝓮𝓻 𝓸𝓯 𝓫𝓵𝓸𝓸𝓭 𝓶𝓪𝓰𝓲𝓬, 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝓼𝓱𝓮 𝓶𝓪𝔂 𝓮𝓷𝓭 𝓽𝓱𝓮𝓶 𝓪𝓵𝓵.✨

I know I am making a later than normal post and that is because I was trying to get further into The Blood That Binds Us by Erin Mainord so I can share my thoughts with you all.

I am around 40ish percent in the book and was hoping to be further in it now that it is almost 9:30 pm my time. I got allergy shots today (I skipped two weeks due to being sick and having an asthma flare up) and then I only got 4 hours of sleep so that combination made me come home and crash. Then, the reason on me slacking on reading has been because I have been on and off sick and me just struggling with focus from my lovely ADHD.

Anyway, I am really enjoying The Blood That Binds Us. Wren is a fun, sassy heroine of the story who lets Sin know how it is. The banter is really fun. It did take me a tad bit to get into since it was a lot of world building going on in the first few chapters but once I got past that small portion of the book, it became very fast paced and engaging. I am looking forward to seeing how everything plays out.

The Blood That Binds Us is noted to be comparable to The Plated Prisoner Series by Raven Kennedy, From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout, and The Crowns of Nyaxia by Carissa Broadbent. I can definitely say I totally get The Plated Prisoner vives when reading this book so it is a definite yes to if you like The Plated Prisoner series then you will most likely enjoy this book.

I’m really loving the enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, and the one bed trope in this book since they are some of my favorite tropes.

You can find the link to order The Blood That Binds Us by @erinmainordauthor in my LinkTree that is located in my bio. Also, I want to thank Erin and @BookOfMatchesMedia for the opportunity to read and review this book.

Blurb

“Monster…”

Wren has never stolen a life, but that doesn’t stop her from believing her darkness makes her a walking nightmare. Harboring a power so lethal, unpredictable, and entirely forbidden by kingdom law, Wren’s spent her whole life hiding what she is—who she is. A bloodwitch.

Meanwhile, a war is looming, and Wren’s feral magic may be the only thing that can stop the uprising from destroying the kingdom, her home, and everyone that stands in their way. After her sister is captured by the rebellion, Wren must seek help from the kingdom’s ruler who would sooner imprison her than offer aid. Except… Singard needs her, and when she volunteers the use of her power in exchange for his help finding her sister, an unlikely alliance is born.

Forced into a reluctant compromise with the “white-haired witch,” Sin finds himself protecting Wren for his kingdom’s survival, but their star-crossed relationship quickly spirals into one straddling the precipice of hate and passion. As secrets are unveiled and loyalties are tested, neither are sure who they can trust.

When hostilities deepen and war draws near, Wren is determined to rein in her wild magic and bind it to her will. With the lives of everyone she loves at stake, Wren must look within and decide if she is the monster she fears, or if there is light to be found in the darkest parts of herself.

Head over to my post on Instagram/Follow me on IG: @theheelerbooklife

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cx6_2_7LMVc/?igshid=MWZjMTM2ODFkZg==

[askbookwormflareon]

Wait, Mesprit, are we sure you're the god here? It seems your Patron has more lead here then you do. Which one of you is the boss again? Erin just talked over you like what you were saying had hardly any weight. How does that happen? I'm sorry, what was your relationship with them again? Hardly seems like its working out.

Mesprit: Make no mistake, I am the one in charge between myself and Erin. Normally my words would have far more weight than they do right now, and we are both aware of this. My words, thoughts, and opinions don’t matter here is because ~I’m Me~!

Mesprit: Sarcasm aside.... The fact of the matter is that thanks to my dear brother, I remember the least out of anyone currently in the room, aside from Azelf, of course. Erin and Alice know more about this ‘plan’ Uxie put in motion than I do, so logic dictates that they should be the ones holding the reins since they have the most intact memories. This doesn’t mean I have to like it, though.

Mesprit: It would have been nice to have fewer gaps missing, though I can understand why Uxie went to the lengths he did for Azelf’s memories- he’s always been quick to pick up on things.

[infinitelytheheartexpands]

so! der rosenkavalier!!!

so first off, the elephant in the room: yes, there are some highly questionable elements of the plot that make me go “hmm! :/“ (to somewhat quote mean girls: “marie therese, step away from the underaged teenagers!”). for the purposes of not driving myself mad, i will try to refrain from discussing these for the remainder of the report.

anyway.

this music sings. this music delights. still not my fave strauss opera by any means but i would be lying if i wasn’t delighted. the presentation of the rose and the final trio and duet gave me full-body chills. i love the waltzes. so sugary sweet like the gelato i got after the show. there are so many golden little details in the score.

simone young did a great job imo—i’ve seen her get flak online about this run of performances but i don’t get it. she was great. the orchestra and chorus and many comprimarios were all fabulous.

it’s been a while since i’ve seen this production and it holds up really well!!! love the costumes and sets. LOVE them. not a fan of the wwi ending tho—just let octavian and sophie have their moment at long last 🥺 plus it doesn’t fit with the ending musically.

one other thing about the staging: i’m sure this was intentional but goddamn, a lot of the second act was UNCOMFORTABLE to watch, like make your skin crawl uncomfortable (and it did not help that several men in the audience at my theater were full-on laughing when ochs all but assaulted sophie all over that extended act ii sequence when he first shows up at faninal’s). god, baron ochs is such a fucking creep. and while i don’t like him as a person in the slightest, i have to hand it to günther groissböck for making ochs supremely unlikeable while still singing with strong command.

among the comprimarios and non-credited-in-the-intro people, special mention of alexandra lobianco (an excellent marianne) and tony stevenson (an absolute delight as the innkeeper in drag).

speaking of which, gotta say that even with them in new york and me in oklahoma, it was somehow comforting to see people in drag and same-sex kisses in this, given the political climate and the rising sentiments against drag and lgbtqia+ people. i thought about that a lot during the broadcast.

katharine goeldner and thomas ebenstein were HOOTS as annina and valzacchi. love them. rené barbera made the italian singer’s aria sound effortless (and looked GREAT in his white suit). brian mulligan did a great job as herr von faninal—i’d love to hear him in something italian though, his voice sounds made for italian rep.

and now for the three leading ladies, who were all divine both separately and together.

erin morley is one of my fave currently active sopranos right now and this sophie showed exactly why: voice like a dream, great actress, warm, intelligent, full of fire! i love her take on sophie so much. she GETS it. (and i may or may not have cheered when she slapped ochs in act ii.)

lise davidsen is another of my fave currently active sopranos right now (albeit a more recent discovery than erin morley) and her marschallin surprised me in a good way. what i remember most from her ariadne auf naxos hd last year was simply how stunningly powerful and beautiful and BIG her voice was, but this was equally amazing in a totally different way: she can rein it in too, baby! she can be so delicate and tender too and it just mesmerized me totally (and brought tears to my eyes a few times). and she made the part feel and look so natural! great singer and great actress? (and also gorg)—she’s the total package.

i was barely, if at all, familiar with samantha hankey before this but holy FUCK. she won my heart immediately. she is just a total delight and absolutely the real deal. that voice!!! it’s so creamy and beautiful and full of light!!! (and she can alter it at will too—her mariandel voice was SO different and so delightful). and she’s a totally natural actress, INCREDIBLY versatile and moving. octavian is a HUGE role and a VERY VARIED role and she totally fuckin nailed it and i want to see her in basically everything now. mark my words, y’all: she’s sensational. she’s gonna be the next big mezzo superstar.

anyway 10/10 plot weirdness inherent to the opera aside this is a definite recommend

edit: yes i was hoping to NOT have discourse about the plot but rereading this now i realize i may not have been clear about that in my choice of wording in the first few paragraphs. no hate to anyone who DID engage in discourse, that was my bad

[runningwindenjoyer]

Where do I apply to be Erin Hunter I’m taking the reins now

[lakecountrypress]

🖤PREORDER LINK ALERT🖤

The Blood That Binds Us by Erin Mainord order link is finally here!

This enemies to lovers, slow burner will have you on the edge of your seat🔥🔥

Blurb:

She is the wielder of blood magic,

and she may end them all.

"Monster..."

Wren has never stolen a life, but that doesn't stop her from believing her darkness makes her a walking nightmare. Harboring a power so lethal, unpredictable, and entirely forbidden by kingdom law, Wren's spent her whole life hiding what she is-who she is. A bloodwitch.

Meanwhile, a war is looming, and Wren's feral magic may be the only thing that can stop the uprising from destroying the kingdom, her home, and everyone that stands in their way. After her sister is captured by the rebellion, Wren must seek help from the kingdom's ruler who would sooner imprison her than offer aid. Except... Singard needs her, and when she volunteers the use of her power in exchange for his help finding her sister, an unlikely alliance is born.

Forced into a reluctant compromise with the "white-haired witch," Sin finds himself protecting Wren for his kingdom's survival, but their star-crossed relationship quickly spirals into one straddling the precipice of hate and passion. As secrets are unveiled and loyalties are tested, neither are sure who they can trust.

When hostilities deepen and war draws near, Wren is determined to rein in her wild magic and bind it to her will. With the lives of everyone she loves at stake, Wren must look within and decide if she is the monster she fears, or if there is light to be found in the darkest parts of herself.

We have some exciting and slightly sad news this morning…

However, since Amazon has decided to hinder indies—it can only be preordered in paperback on Barnes & Noble.

If you love dark fantasy romance and want to support an indie–preorder from Barnes today!

#bookstagram #bookish #darkromance #darkfantasyromance #darkfantasyreader #bookstagrammer #bookworm #bookcommunity #booklover #preorder #barnesandnoble #booksbooksbooks #booknerd #darkromancereader #morallygray #slowburn #spicybook #smuttybook #authorsofinstagram #writingcommunity #authors #indiepublisher #bibliophile #bookler

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-blood-that-binds-us-erin-mainord/1143012138?ean=9798987739105

[maximumwobblerbanditdonut]

This is Erin Rose Bar in the French Quarter, an Irish pub always busy. Where SH appeared with the bartender Toby Maloney @tobycocktail in New Orleans.

Erin Rose’s life began long before becoming the lovable neighbourhood bar she is today. The property at 811 Conti was a single-family home built in the French Quarter over one hundred years ago and was converted into a bar by the mid-1950s.

By the early 1980s, Mr Jim Monaghan became the proprietor and placed the management of the bar in several hands before his right-hand man became the absolute caretaker, and took the reins as sole proprietor of Monaghan’s Erin Rose, and shortly after the “Irish Beauty” became known simply as Erin Rose.

During Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans, try the famed frozen Irish coffee at Erin Rose, just off Bourbon Street. The happiest of all Frappuccinos. 😋

@erinrosebar

[bau-drabbles]

LOL this should be interesting then: Alex Blake, Elle Greenaway and Erin Strauss kinks? (I love all 3)

i'm not promising they're accurate representations, this is just what i think when i see them 🫣🫡

with alex you like the authoritative tone, enjoy being told what to do, maybe act like a little brat to see how far she'd go to punish you 👀 she doesn't seem like a predictable person, you have no idea what her next move. but maybe that's what you like, the uncertainty 🫣

omgg elle :") you love the air of mystery and her devious ways. maybe you want to get lost in a whole different world, she's the key to that. elle honestly is a wild girl, she would literally try everything (nothing too dangerous). so you like letting loose, letting her take the reins as she shows you new pleasures

erin threw me for a loop icl 😭 i don't really see her character get much screen time. but she's such a sweetheart <3 she's def more vanilla. lots of hugs and kisses but she can and would definitely put you in your place if you misbehave. so maybe you enjoy the switch in her, always pushing past the lines just to see how'd she react 🫡

[intramoon]

Yo hope you're having a nice week so far! I was thinking about Brutally Soft and about Wednesdays ex client, and I wondered what would happen next since- correct me if i'm wrong but I don't recall it been cleared up, who they are or what they want from Ness? Anyway, just wondering if you're planning on including them on future story posts, it left me intrigued!!

Hi! Right now I am working on posts that are independent of whatever major storyline is happening in Brutally Soft, I am thinking of picking back up where I left off (or redoing the beginning, not sure yet) because that is a storyline I'd like t finish. I am not sure how quick my turnaround will be so I'll tell you about the backstory I would have (and will?) talk about in Brutally Soft. Whether that storyline has an ending or not all that history still reins true.

This will be nice because I can fill in the gaps my bad writing (especially early on) could not!

Brutally Soft: Three Seconds; Wednesday’s Pregnancy, Her Early Relationship With Her Ex-Finance, Zara (Ex-Client) & Wednesday’s Turbulent Relationship, other story details! Generally more adult themes and events that may be heavy to some, reader discretion is advised! + Some screenshots I never posted.

Here is some background on where Wednesday is at the beginning of Brutally Soft ... Wednesday is single in the beginning of the series, and she’s in limbo with Celeste. They’re attempting to have a ‘friends with benefits’ relationship but Wednesday isn’t all that interested in sex and feels it’s a cavoite to getting to have Celeste’s attention. Celeste is using this relationship to have some control over Wednesday, mostly to be an obstacle to prevent Wednesday from having another meaningful romantic relationship (because she is still processing their initial breakup). There are a lot of complicated feelings there that are relevant to the Three Seconds story line.

Now why? Well, Wednesday and Celeste had gotten engaged in their early twenties. While they were engaged Wednesday had gotten pregnant. Wednesday’s decision to have sex with the man who would later be Drew’s father was an attempt to qualm a threat of violence. Miles, Celeste’s brother, was that treat. That situation is complicated, and how Wednesday retells that event is indicative of her idea of self preservation. It’s a detailed story in itself. Wednesday’s pregnancy and the contention between Wednesday and the Orouke family completely deuterated Wednesday and Celeste’s relationship because of the immense amount of stress and trauma. For clarification, Celeste supported Wednesday and all her decisions but they were both living together in a volatile home (Celeste’s home) that Celeste was also victim of. It will not be till later in Brutally Soft that Celeste can fully brake away from her family.

Around the time Drew was conceived, Wednesday’s mental health has severely deuterated. She doesn’t feel safe where she’s living, and is working constantly as a way to evade her current situation (which also included the turmoil between her and Celeste as a consequence of bother their poor mental health and lack of support). 

This is Zara. Zara was a client of Wednesday. You do not get to see much of her in the story to really discern much about her personality. Zara was one of Wednesday’s favorite clients. Zara was protective of Wednesday (not over), she saw a young women struggling to navigate life but also a young women who had unrelenting strength and determination. Wednesday found a lot of comfort in Zara’s company, she benefited from being around someone who saw her as an equal. Wednesday saw a lot of herself and what she wanted to be her future (not them being together but emulated parts of Zara’s life, married with a career that excited her, etc.) in Zara. 

The first person Wednesday told about her pregnancy was Erin, Erin was devastated. This edit I did (and deleted) was that moment. 

The second person Wednesday told was Zara. Zara, similar to Erin, felt a deep, indescribable sadness for Wednesday. Wednesday stayed with Zara for a while, Wednesday needed to do only what I can describe as mourning and was able to process her emotions in place where she felt safe to do so. Throughout Wednesday's pregnancy Zara provided finical support that way Wednesday could still afford to move out of the Orouke household and live on her own. Towards the end of her pregnancy she did move into the apartment you see in the beginning of Brutally Soft.

Wednesday has soften up a lot in recent story posts because of her relationship with Amelia. She’s been able to take down the walls that previously made her defensive. If you’ve known my story for a while, you may remember the days when Wednesday was very sharp, had venom in her words, and was just a cold avoidant person. After Wednesday gave birth to Drew and Drew’s father had custody of Drew, Wednesday started to becoming that rigged person. Wednesday did not see Zara for about 3 months after Drew was born, and when they were reunited Wednesday was not the same person and neither was Zara who had been going through a divorce (alone). They were both bitter with the world. Wednesday is still ignorant to what happen with Zara while she was away from her, Zara tried to regain some normalcy and rekindle her relationship with Wednesday but to no avail. The bitterness Zara had for the world started to be redirect towards Wednesday.

The two lost contact with each other, and the beginning of Brutally Soft: Three Seconds is when they cross paths again. Wednesday’s visceral reaction to Zara is because she feels that Zara’s suggestion to continue escorting/sex work is a a way to subtly have control over Wednesday’s autonomy. 

What happens from there will be left for me to post! All this information existed and has existed in Brutally Soft prior to this storyline, so even if I do not finish it is more background on Wednesday.

The last tid-bit of information with this all is that Zara knows Wednesday’s father, but Zara does not know he is her father and Wednesday also does not know those two have met. Wednesday’s father is aware of this whole situation, and he is the only one who knows he knows. 

Thank you for giving me the chance to write about all this, if you have thought I’d love to know! I hope this helps!