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He's a Ten, but... · Fated

• Tay: Welcome to the podcast where your next favorite story is already written in the stars. April: We're your new book besties, April. Tay: And Tay here to get your book craving started and satisfied. Because around here it's faded. April: Why? So grab your current read, maybe a cozy drink, and hide your TBR list because today we're playing a game of he's a 10. But Tay: He likes to play Chase in the Woods. April: He's a ten, but Tay: He's a spring court high lord. April: If you know, you know. Tay: it's gonna be a good episode, y'all. We're gonna be, you know, talking about men and some possibly toxic traits that might make you interested in reading that book. April: I'm so excited. Right. I've seen some unhinged one of ones of these, so I'm so excited. Tay: Ooh, yes. Yeah. I was going like really deep down the rabbit hole of research on this one and I was like, my gosh, there's some like really possessed books. So we might need to have like a whole episode of just like maybe he's a ten but unhinged. Yes. April: Mm-hmm. Unhinged version, yeah. Alright, I'm gonna start us off. Okay. This one here. He's a 10, but he's a rebel shadow daddy, and you're stuck in an iron collar and you're set for the pyre. and he betrays you multiple times. Tay: Give it to me. Ooh. Jesus. April: This book is Between Life and Death by Jacqueline Cott. So I always preface this one by saying think like Avatar, but like less of a complex world and a lot of gods making deals and doing shady things. Obviously, I mean homegirls in a collar. but we have a spicy herself heroine and all of the best tropes like forced proximity, found family, and a good old rebellion of. Arc against a tyrannical ruler who likes to burn people at the stake if they have magic. Yeah. Tay: Wow, that is like he's I I love a guy that's like, you know, I'll kill everybody for you. That's fine. Like, thank you. April: Yeah. Yeah. Shadow Daddy, but at the same time I'm also going to betray you. Tay: Yeah. I like. That's a good one. Start off with a bang. Okay, here's mine. I said, he's a ten, but he's your boss and you nanny his child. We're doing the O pair affair by Tessa Bailey. Tolula is a chaotic sunshine au pair who ends up working for Burgess, a grumpy, overprotective single dad. April: Yeah. Tay: Who's convinced that he has zero time for love? They really try hard to keep things professional. They fall so spectacularly. It's basically grumpy sunshine, forced proximity, found family, and a whole lot of Tessa Bailey chemistry. If you love a man who falls first and acts like he absolutely didn't, this one is for you. April: I love Tessa Bailey books. Tay: I do too. They're just such a good feel-good. I particularly love this one because she has an obsession with penguins. She actually studies in Antarctica for a little while. And so, she needs to come back and make some money so she becomes a nanny. And I was like, girlfriend has my dream job. Our listeners here. If you don't know, my favorite animal is the penguin. If I could live amongst the penguins, I would. But I wouldn't do it in Antarctica. I would do it with the South African penguins up in Cape Town, South Africa. I already thought about this. I would go there. April: I was about to say. Tay: Like I would live there, it would be fine. Boulders Beach. Every year they have these penguins that like swim their way up and then they just have a whole mating thing and it's like miles and miles of penguins. So if you live in Cape Town and you're listening to this, you're living my dream and I hate you. April: You know, I've been seeing lots of puffin penguin TikToks lately and I think of you every single time I see those and they like fly. Those ones are like flying. Wow. Tay: There's so there's yeah. There's so many cute penguins. I'm like particularly a fan of Gentus. Gentus are the ones they they use a lot in movies like Mr. Popper's Penguins and a bunch of other movies because they're the most gentle breed, but they're not gonna use raw coppers and emperor penguins because they're aggressive. So if you see happy feet and stuff with them animated, it's because they're cool and chill, but in real life they're really not so chill. So April: Yeah. my gosh. Tay: They don't make for good actors. But Gentus are so gentle and I love them. And then fairy penguins are the smallest penguins and I just love them. Sorry. Y'all just have to hear this whole rant about penguins and you're just gonna have to deal. April: There's all this penguin knowledge, so you can read this book. Tay: Yeah, they're like so prepared for penguin and it's literally like she spent her time in Antarctica and loves penguins. That's it. But I prepared you well. April: That's right. All right. My next one is he's a 10, but he lives in a creepy fortress surrounded by crows, and he likes to insult you. And this one is Master of Crows by Grace Draven, who is probably one of my most favorite authors. picture a dark. Tay: gosh. April: Fantasy romance where our female main character, her name is Martisse. Okay, if you've read Grace Draven before, you know that she loves to pick crazy fantasy names. She's like along SJM lines of I think they just smack their keyboards and a name appears. but she is essentially a servant to these awful mage priests, and they make a deal with her where she can have her freedom. If she agrees to spy on the male main character and his name is Silhara. So there's lots of verbal sparring and of course dashes of spice. And it's set against this romantic gothic fortress background. And it's the perfect read if you're wanting some Summer Ween vibes. I've been seeing lots of people wanting to read Summer Ween books. This one's got it. Spooky atmosphere and all, and spicy romance, so. Tay: I just think of Nevermore, by Edgar Allan Poe when I think of crows. So that would be ominous and scary to me. I remember reading that book or that poem. Is it a book or a poem? I don't remember. Either way, trauma, because I was like, this is terrifying. This guy's wild. So that I mean, honestly, yeah, I do. I associate. I mean, crows are supposed to be, I think, pretty intelligent. So mm mm. if he controls crows, crows, he's probably means business. So I'm gonna avoid April: Yes. Pum, yeah. Yeah. They're like crows just associate that. Yeah. Yeah. Right. Tay: that sounds good. I'm gonna have to add that one to my list. Also, too, for our listeners, head over to YouTube so you can see some of these covers of these books because April's gonna put mine to shame. every single one she's pulled out so far are so beautiful. She picks always the best books. She's got good taste. We're gonna have to do a whole YouTube of just her showing off exclusives, just so y'all can drool at some of these book covers. Cause man, ugh. Alright, I'll do my he's a ten now. Sorry, small rant again. If it's not penguins, it's special editions. My two loves. this one, one of our listeners is gonna love. Shout out to Brittany. You're gonna love this. So he's a ten, but he's your brother's best friend. And also I have actually two he's a tens for this one. So he's a ten, but he randomly breaks out in song at the end of the book. I am talking about is Twisted Love. I gave her so much crap when I was talking about this book. I love this book, by the way. No, no shade or hate to Anna Huang. She is a phenomenal writer, but it did kind of take me aback. at the end of this book, this guy just belts out in song when he didn't sing the entire book. I was like, okay. so he's a 10, but he sings. and so Ava's a sweet, optimistic, you know, trying to move on from her past. Alex is her. Brother's best friend, he agrees to watch over her while her brother's away, which we all know where that leads people. They immediately catch feelings, cue the tension, secrets, trauma, a man who will burn the world down for a girl. Think brother's best friend, forbidden romance, billionaire vibes, touch her and die energy, and just enough angst to keep you yelling, kiss already! April: Honestly, I can see why you love this book 'cause as you were talking about it, I like, yes, yes, yes. Tay: Like you know me, I love a billionaire, I love brother's best friend. when it's kind of forbidden, just add that little a little bit of tension in there. But like I said though, he did break out in song at the end of the book, so I was a little confused about what direction it was going. But I was not mad because the rest of the book was so good. So I had to share. April: Yeah. I don't know I've read Twisted Love because I feel like I would remember if somebody just broke out into song randomly. What does he sing? Like happy birthday? What is it? Tay: Yeah, he like gets on stage and he sings and he's like a tough guy, like a tough, tough guy. he just randomly just said, I'm gonna get up on stage and sing. it didn't really seem like his vibe, but then when I heard Brittany was trying to tell me, No, he's like a tortured soul, finally he could be who I was like, okay, all right, all right, all right. You convinced me. but I'm like, you know, hey, it just took me by surprise. I'm like, this guy just worth singing. So yes. had to I had to shout out Twisted Love there. But so that was my he's yeah. April: Mm. That is amazing. I'm gonna have to read that or go back and reread it if I have, because I feel like I need to experience this. Tay: You will and they're gonna tell me, Yes, it was it was an odd moment for sure. April: Maybe Anna was just like inspired by something that happened to her at the moment. She's like, he must sing. Yeah. Tay: Well, you know, too, like when I picture a guy just breaking out in song. I picture the scene from Animal House where the guy's like singing on the staircase with a guitar and John Belushi's gets down and sees him and he's like looking at him, he looks at him, looks at the guitar, he grabs the guitar and then starts smashing it against the wall and then like hands him back the little scraps. And I'm like, fair same. Because if somebody was pretentious and just started breaking out in song, I would be like, Yeah, I cannot. Please don't. But then April: Yeah. Tay: From Anna's point of view, she may be picturing like shout out to Vlato from Melrose Avenue, but she could be picturing that where he's just like soulful and emo and just sexy and something like that. So, you know, hey, that could that could be the vibe. And I just totally my mind didn't prepare it that way. So maybe I need to just open my eyes and be like Vlotto, it's him. It's him who is singing. April: You know, whenever I read and I used to read a ton of musician romances when I was younger, but I do read way less now. I feel like the Barbie movie got it so right. And so every time I read a story that has like any sort of musical scene with a man singing or playing a song, I just think of them strumming the Ken strumming the instruments on the beach and they're just sitting there trying to be interested. That's all I can picture for those. So I get it. Tay: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. There's I mean, there's has some been there's just been some good rock star romances and stuff that I've read lately. I've like on a rock star kick there's been some hidden gems that I found, dirty like me. That's has to be one of my favorites so far that I've read. but I did also finish Through the Storm by Rebecca Elder. my gosh, that one was super good. And her inspiration was Melrose Avenue and she was there last year at April: Mm-hmm. Tay: A kink and ink con and they performed and at the end she handed him her book and she's like, I made this book about you. and he was like, he was like, he was so stunned. He's like, Me? you made a book about me, and he's so sweet and humble or whatever. he's like reading it, and he's like, like this is spicy. And I was reading it last night, this is spicy. Thank you. What a good gift. April: Wow. Wow. Tay: you know, she shot her shot and shot it all the way to the top. She said, This book is about you. What a dream, you know? Like you wrote a book inspired about somebody, you get there, you get to meet him in Handover book. Say less, sis. Making dreams come true. Your own dreams. I'm just I'm in awe, actually. April: Yeah. Yeah. Seriously. Amazing. That's right. The talent and just the bravery that takes is incredible. Okay. Yeah. Right. Tay: So good. Yeah. Yeah. I'd be like, please don't. I'm like, don't read my stuff because I don't want you to know. I want it to be a secret between me and the internet and all the people with the readers to know. I don't know though. She shot her shot. April: Okay. She did. And speaking of shooting your shot, this is my final book for he's a 10. So he's a 10, but he's a court jester, and you're a stuck up princess who secretly loves the scarlet ribbons that he leaves for you. and he may also be the most dangerous man in the castle, even though he literally is a jester and wears bells and all of that. Okay. So this is Trick by Natalia Jaster. Now, I will say Natalia Jaster has a very like, if you've ever read her books, you know what I'm talking about. She writes very poetically. It's very lyrical, her writing is, which is not always everybody's favorite. I enjoy it a lot, but she is one of those authors where I'm like, what does that word mean? What does that word mean? but this is a fantasy romance, and it's featuring seasonal courts, which we are all probably familiar with at this point in time. but rank really defines a person's station in this world. And so our female main character, her name is Briar, and she's the princess of the autumn court who finds herself drawn to the spring court's jester, and his name is Poet. So we've got Court intrigue, we've got politics, but also tons of spice and tons of yearning. If you're somebody who really likes the yearning, this is definitely it. And Poet is a very talented jester. So I'll leave that. It is a great book. I have to show you. Look at this artwork. For those who are watching on YouTube, I'm sorry, you get to see it too, but just I love it. It's stunning. Yep. I know. Tay: He is hot, people. You're gonna have to just tune into YouTube to see that. April: It is a very hot book. It is a very hot book. Tay: man, I you know, I wouldn't think that a jester would be inherently hot, but then you add the aspect of it kind of being forbidden of you being a princess and then him being I don't know. There's just something about that. It's like, Yeah, I could see. April: Yeah. Yeah. It is very like star crossed lovers, not supposed to be together, but it is very spicy. Very, very spicy. Tay: we're gonna wrap this up with my he's a 10. So he is a 10, but he also owns a hotel empire that you work at that HR would absolutely have a field day. So the book I'm talking about is Tempt Me by KA Tucker. Now we're also gonna kind of talk about just the series as a whole, y'all. But Abby is trying to rebuild her life. And she meets Henry, who is equal parts charming, protective, and a walking red flag for her self-control. What starda's undeniable chemistry turns into something a whole lot deeper as they both have to decide if they're willing to risk their hearts. So think small town vibes, forced proximity, emotional baggage. This is a bad idea. So more into this book because I feel like that synopsis was not deep enough how this book goes, okay? This April: I was gonna say, you've told me about this book before, and I was like, that didn't even touch on the things that I feel like I've heard about this. Tay: Yeah. Right. Okay. Okay. So this girl meets this this hotel owner and it's very it is a slow burn, okay? But this girl is a freaking match, is all I can say. She just psych is like, you know what? My fire isn't burning up which kills me. Okay. So she's wanting this guy, and he's like, No, no, no, I'm your boss. I can't, I can't. And she's just Is it because I'm a virgin? And he's like, I whoa, I didn't even know you were a virgin. Like, that's crazy. that actually makes me even more because he's like very mature. He's like, I've been with virgins, they get attached, you know, et cetera. Which does make sense, y'all. It is a chemical reaction. You have sex with somebody, guess what? You're gonna have an attachment to them. Spoiler. but this guy is gosh, if I do that, I mean, you know, like I don't want you to get too attached. So he's putting like pumps the brakes and she's like, no, I'm gonna step on the gas. she then starts hooking up with the other workers in this hotel. It leads to her having a threesome with two other guys. Okay, mind you, so she gets a job at this hotel and they're all like in cabins at this Wolf hotel. So each of them are in cabins, you know, right? Separated. Two of the guys that's like in these other cabins a threesome and they're going at it. I'm like, this girl went from virgin to every hole filled. I was like, damn. Holy cow. Full sense. She's like, I guess I'm not a virgin now. I was like, shit, no, you're not. you know how that works? Like, jeez. I remember reading this and talking to our friend Morgan and being like, holy cow. April: So it's like bet. No. Tay: It's like we just like full scent, which I was not mad, because that made for such an entertaining series. And KA Tucker is so sweet. I've met her in person, I meet her and she looks just she looks wholesome, but my God, she writes spice girl. this book I hated up. I could not stop reading. I burned through like the entire series so so quick. And April: Full scene. She's very wholesome. Tay: Logistically looking at it too, I don't think the timeline is very long. Kind of like 50 Shades of Grey, where it only takes a place over what, two months, three months, or something crazy like that. It's very similar in that regard. So it has a quick timeline, but holy cow, she's like, you know what? If I'm gonna let that stop me, I'm gonna go through the door. Everything. April: Yeah. She's like saving my virginity for nothing. I'm just gonna do this all. Tay: Well, so yeah, 'cause she was literally I think she was marrying a guy and her and her fiance break up and she was like, Man, I was waiting this whole time just to get married and have sex. Well, now I'm not getting married, so I guess I need to have sex. a lot of it, a lot of it all over the place. Every like I said, every whole field. Go her, women power, but still I was like, that's so much. April: Though, that would be so shocking because from that synopsis and what the book's kind of premise is, it's like, where did this come from? Tay: Well, so like lo and behold, I did not know that deep into the story. I think I filtered my Kindle by billionaire romance. And this popped up. being like my favorite, one of my favorite tropes is billionaire. I'm like, okay, I'm gonna read this book series. So what a shocker when it goes to that. And then I'm sitting there going, is this a why choose? because I'll tell y'all, why choose is not my favorite. And April: Right. Tay: Insue the witch hunters who want to be like, no, it's at the best. I have read Wai Cho's books and I do like some of them. Madison Kate, the series by Tate James. I do like. I do have questions about that one too. I came up to her. There was a there, y'all, this is a rabbit hole, but let me tell y'all, another book with with like three dudes and then one girl. And I was like So they're all like, but like where are the legs? I was logistically like and so she's literally has a piece of paper and takes like Australian. So she's like, I let me show you, you know, and she's like, showing me. I'm like, I'm like, I still am a little lost. I read the scene, but I need like my brain just couldn't. I was like visually, I'm like, I'm like, okay, so there's one back there and then two in one hole and one's in and I'm just like my logistics, yeah. That's what I was like April: It doesn't make sense. Somebody's legs were like up in the air or something like that. Tay: girlfriend can bend every direction. I'm just determined that she's a gymnast, a full gymnast. And that's where I left it at. I'm like, okay, the question was remained unanswered, but I will just leave it as she was the most flexible woman on earth. But like like yeah, yeah. you know, I have read why choose and I have found them enjoyable. but the ladder to that is it's not my favorite. I just, you know, I prefer. April: Yeah. We suspend reality a little bit. Tay: One guy that's chosen and the and or one love interest. just because I just gravitate naturally always towards one. when I'm reading those books, I'm always have a favorite. I do. I'm like sitting there, I'm like, but you don't want this one. And then like she's like, No, I love all three of y'all. I want to marry all of you. And I'm like, No, girl, I like him more. so like I always have my favorite. So that's why why choose doesn't work for me because I'm just picky. April: You're like, I like that one best. But you know what? We know people who love white shoes. Yeah, for real. Take care of yourself, girl. Tay: Yeah. In the end though, I'm like, don't choose any, be alone. There's too many That's too much testosterone, no thank you. I'm like, don't need all that, that's too too much. April: So does does Temp Me end up being a Y choose or reverse harem, I guess it would be? Tay: No, it's not. It's not. She she chooses the one guy, but it's kind of good because she gets it all out of her system, you know. 'cause she hasn't had that, which I think is good. Like she needed to do the thing. And he also forgives her too, 'cause he's like, you know, Well, I'm a bit of Playboy my whole life, you know, whatever. But he was kinda a little bummed and I'm like, Yeah, I mean what who human wouldn't when you found out that the one girl that you're starting to like, she not only gets one dude but two. So April: Sows all those oats. Yeah. Yeah. Mm. Yeah. Tay: I was like, well Yeah. And then I kinda April: Earl has power. Tay: liked the one of the guys that she was hooking up with too. I'm like, he has a personality. He seems fun. The guy Henry seemed kind of like you know, not but later on the series you end up loving him 'cause you're like, okay. was just honestly holding it in, just letting her do her thing, not trying to be controlling. And I think that's the best way a guy should be. He's letting her do what she needs to do to feel whole and she felt kind of suppressed. So April: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Tay: This was her getting out what she needed to. So bravo to him for at least seeing that and understanding it and waiting on his lady. He was like, she's gonna come back to me at some point. And that was that. So good for him for having patience. Yeah. Happy ending and one person. So that was good for me because I'm like, don't pick four. Like, I just, my gosh. There are. There's so many that are like, we made it work. Like, I just picture like Wizard of Oz. They're all like linked arms and they're like, April: Right. Happy ending. Where's this going? Yeah. Ha ha Tay: Like a riding off into the sunset. Yeah. Like all up into the sunset. Like, I just can't. I can't. It seems so silly. But I still read it. So what does that say about me? April: Going down the yellow brick road. Yeah my goodness. It's so good. You know what? Those books though make for the best stories because you're like, wait, you have to hear what I'm reading right now. You have to hear what is going on. You have to find somebody who's read that book. That's the most frustrating thing too. Is like when you've read something, you're like, I need you to read this book right now because I need somebody to talk to about this. Tay: Yeah. And I need to know like gauge made, how weird is your reading and what are you okay with? honestly, I think somebody super chill would be like, yeah, I read why I choose. I'd like, thank God, we're gonna get along. Because if you're somebody that's like, my gosh, you know, I think Emily Henry and Colleen Hoover are the best. Okay. I'm I'm not dissing to that, but if that's your first thing out and then there's probably not much behind that, I'm gonna be like, April: Yeah. Mm-hmm. Tay: You're pr yeah. You're probably gonna think I'm unhinged and I don't know if I can have it be that one sided. I need you to join in the unhingedness. So I might be like, okay, you need to read like Sarah Kate or something with a little bit of extra out there so I can catch your vibe. And if your vibe meets up with me, then let's go from there. There's some priest my search. With a priest named Tyler. Okay, I'm sorry, but his name April: Girlfriend, let me take your hand and help you. All right. Right. Yeah, that's what I was thinking of. Sierra Smone. So good. Conversation for a whole other day, but definitely conversation worthy. Yeah. Yeah. Tay: I know. Ooh, that would be a good one. Like names that you wouldn't think in a book. You talked about like slamming the keyboard. Like, yeah, there's some wild ones. I'm like, what? Like you're gonna name just Tyler, but then like call this other guy Prometheus. Cool. Yeah. Love it. April: Yeah, that's fabulous. Love it. All right, besties. That's it for today's episode. Tay: Make sure to follow, download, and share our podcast socials with other book besties. We would love to hear how y'all play He's a Ten, but and hear your red flags. Please leave a comment on your favorite platform letting us know. April: And join us next week where we're talking all things sports romance. Tay: And remember. April: We're glad you're here because Tay: It's faded.