Dearest fangirls, gays, and theys,
It’s the eighth day of Boobsmas and ho, ho, holy crap. Last night, Santa delivered on an early Christmas gift—one of the best episodes of television in 2025.
From that devastatingly beautiful—or beautifully devastating?—phone call to the kiss heard ‘round the globe, Heated Rivalry’s fifth episode, “I’ll Believe in Anything,” finally delivered the one thing viewers have been waiting on for weeks now: hope.
Because, let’s face it, it’s been weeks since any of us went to bed on a Thursday night NOT feeling emotionally devastated.
*Beware* Spoilers ahead for Heated Rivalry, episode 5
Every actor acted the shit out of this one, but nothing could’ve prepared my heart for Ilya’s phone call to Shane after his dad’s death.
The way he lowers his walls to the one person who won’t judge him for it—especially after Shane did the same just a few scenes prior—about feeling the burden of being the provider for a family who doesn’t even know the real him. This scene alone deserves every fucking Emmy award.
And then, there’s the moment I know I’ve been waiting for since episode three, because let’s face it, I’ve been a Scott Hunter fangirl since 2019…
And yes, before you ask, I did make my roommate replay the final three minutes of the episode multiple times last night.
It’s going to be a long time before I stop thinking about that kiss. Or Ilya’s phone call. Or Shane climbing Ilya like a koala bear to hug him while he cries.
Take it from somebody who used to work in television. This entire episode is damn near perfect.
And I know for damn sure that it’s going to live rent free in so many of our heads—and hearts—for years to come.
8th Day of Boobsmas Romance Recommendation
So you’re craving more MM romance, but you also want to squeeze in a few more holiday reads? Why not both?
A Grump in Moose Falls by Emily Silver
Fake dating? At Christmas? It’s the best way to spend the holiday season. Throw in a lumberjack who has a tree farm, and you’ve got yourself a perfect MM novella…
🎄 Fake Dating
🎄 Friends to Lovers
🎄 He's Kind of Grumpy
🎄 Virgin MMC (well, one of them…)
🎄 Holiday novella
🎄 Small Town Romance
Favorite excerpt:
I can’t help it. I reach up and fist my hands in the soft material of his shirt.
“Now what are you doing?” he asks. His brown eyes are warm and soft as they gaze down at me.
“I don’t know,” I confess. Hunter really should not be walking around like this. It’s doing funny things to me. Things like thinking about what it would be like to kiss him. What it would be like to feel his beard scratch against my jaw.
Against other places.
He could have his own sexy lumberjack calendar and I would buy every single copy.
“Do you need help figuring it out?”
I know this one was shorter than most, but hopefully, you’ll understand why… I’ve got a novel to work on and an episode of the queer hockey romance show to rewatch.
I promise I’ll make up for it next time, but until then…
Be feral. Stay dangerous.
And happy holidays.
xo
Join the Book Baddie Nation
Want to join my Facebook reader group, Kelly’s Book Baddies? It’s a welcoming and inclusive space for ALL romance lovers to talk about their favorite books. 🌈 We have weekly discussion topics, monthly giveaways, and the occasional recipe swap.
Download my Holidays in L.A. Novellas
Need a few more holiday romance recs? Great news! I have a series of spicy novellas, all of which take place between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve, and feature a cast of queer, plus-size baddies. Plus, they’re set by the beach, and you know what that means? Crop tops at Christmas.
Subscribe to read my Sapphic Novella
When you subscribe to my Substack, you’ll automatically receive exclusive access to my sapphic shortie, “Love is in the Air.” 🏳️🌈👩❤️💋👩 This spicy short was originally published in the (now out of print) Queer and Cute anthology.
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