Any advice on notable leather working shows/conferences/events to attend to learn and network? I'm familiar with the Rocky Mountain Leather Trade Show in Sheridan, WY and the Leather Workers Show in Prescott, AZ - just looking beyond and would love any ideas on the East Coast, if they exist. Thanks so much!

Hello rock fans! I have two wristbands for Pure Imagination, May 17 and 18 at Watson Lake in gorgeous Prescott, AZ, at face value. See amazing bands! Touch grass! $150 each, $300 total.

My narc mom has for the second time called cps as a punishment to me for trying to distance myself from her control. I myself was once a foster kid and after years of her abuse and questioning my sanity I had decided to make the biggest decision and cut her off. I am a SW which she knows and directly profits from. I’ve been depressed this past year and she used it to place herself in a critical position in my and my kids life. She convinced me to go out of state with an old SD for a well and I did. We live together so she assured me the kids would be fine and everything was ok. Sn her and this as have a weird relationship they text and even have phone conversations. While gone I sent money and groceries for the kids. She began starting fights and not allowing me to talk to my kids. So I reached out to my kids through my sisters phone.she blocked me and also unplugged the indoor camera so effectively cut all access to my kids. The fights started because my son told her I said we would get our own place when I got home. Also she’s joined a cult and has indoctrinated my kids while making me seem devilish if I speak up. So I was not allowed to celebrate any holiday including birthdays anymore. Anyways back in az I started panicking and also realized she had deleted all footage of me from ring doorbell. I immediately returned to home city and got a hotel . I had decided to just collect the kids and my things in the morning with a police escort to minimize the threat of her being violent with me. The next day I tried that but while waiting on the non emergency line she came outside with my kids and pushed them in the car saying cps told her to not let me near them. She ran over my foot while fleeing with my kids. Metro showed a hour later and treated me like the criminals (they always do once they see my background). They accused me of being high and asked to search the room I hadn’t been in for a week for drugs. I asked to report my mom for hitting me with her vehicle they refused. After waiting outside for a hour they told me they’re was a cps case they were going to speak to my mom and that I should stay outside because cps would be coming to speak with me. They left and I waited for a hour outside before I called cps hotline and passed y info to the dispatcher who said that a worker would be in touch. I ubered to my hotel and on the way back a worker did call but I could tell she had already made a judgement call. She shows to my hotel room and I’m a wreck atp. Anxiety and more clearly written all over my face . She opens up the conversation asking me why I think she’s there and I respond with I honestly don’t know but I know my mom’s behind it. She says why did you abandon then with my mom if I don’t like her so much. Anyways once I reveal I’ve been in the system and she fact checks it she does become more open to hearing me out. By the end of our talk she asks do I have anyone to place my kids with because clearly I’m not mentally able to take care of them and she won’t feel comfortable giving me my kids my mom can’t have them either though due to me and my sister nothing being prior fosters. We decide on paternal GMA and she has me sign a pdp assuring me it. Will only last a couple days and max of 15. It’s been over 15 and I have gotten an apt filled it with food and toys but they haven’t returned my kids. I don’t even know what a pdp is. They’ve allowed my mom unsupervised visits but not me.

Hi everybody, we're (f51, m50) going to be in Prescott next week and have a question about what we can do within an hour's drive or so around Prescott. Problem is my mobility isn't great due to knee surgery so hiking is out unfortunately. Any other ideas for people interested in music, indigenous culture, nature, good food? What am i missing that is very high desert az? Also, where do you recommend we should eat for a celebratory dinner? Thanks all!

Hello! Will be making this trip in the next couple of weeks. Me and a buddy have 8 days going to Colorado Springs x2 days > Moab x2 day > Grand Canyon x0.5 day > Flagstaff x2 days > Prescott x0.5 day (for golf) > Sante Fe x1 day. I’ve made a similar trip probably 5 or 6 times. Hit the big stuff like US 163, monument valley, petrified national forest, Colorado monument….wondering if there are any hidden hiking trail gems or under the radar landmarks in CO, UT, AZ, NM that are must see! We are avid hikers so if you know any good 14ers to summit too, any feedback is appreciated!

So here’s the deal, I am a builder by trade, I used to be a superintendent for homes up to 16,500sqft. I know how to build homes. I have been traveling the world for the past several years and am looking to build a home to develop a home base, and maybe sell in a few years. I have 100k down and 800+ credit, but just seasonal jobs (I do ok in them 70k a year or so). Also zero debt How hard is it going to be to get a land loan, then a builders loan. I want to spend less than 100k on the land, and do most the work myself, end up with a final home value of around 500k. Does this seem reasonable? I am looking in Prescott AZ. Also can I pay myself out of the building loan?

13-minute read.

did/does Russia support or oppose the ongoing Tavush border delimitation process?

Some pro-West figures in Armenia believe that Russia is against this delimitation process because that would further reduce the need to have Russian boots in those regions, and Armenian government member(s) have publicly stated that there will be no need for Russians to stay there. Others cite a recent statement made by Russian MFA spokeswoman Zakharova to suggest Russia supports the delimitation. Others believe Russia organized this delimitation process by using its "puppet" Mher Grigoryan - the head of the Armenian border commission.
Let's recall the events.
March 18: PM Pashinyan announces a plan to delimit the borders and to start it from Tavush. Says the chance of a war is high if Armenia doesn't return the 4 (2.5) Soviet-era Azerbaijani villages where civilians used to live.
March 20, Moscow, Zakharova: There is a mechanism for delimitation and Russia is ready to assist the parties with our expertise. We are ready to cooperate [suggests that Russia is not currently part of that process]. That is the role we could play. Now regarding the role we certainly do NOT play today. We have nothing to do with the decisions voiced by the Armenian government. Do me a favor, understand and remember, that whatever Pashinyan said, must not and cannot be associated with Russia. Armenia held no consultations with Russia in advance, no contacts, this is an exclusively Armenian decision based on Yerevan's consultations with the West. This is the West's zone of responsibility. The questions on what agreements they have reached, what the [West] was pushing Armenia to accept, should be directed at Yerevan. The Armenian government should not blame Russia for this. //
Fast forward to April 19. Armenian government announces a breakthrough agreement with Azerbaijan. Territorial-wise, it is more favorable for Armenia than many expected, with Armenia maintaining control of crucial roads and most of the Soviet-Azerbaijani territories during this phase of the delimitation.
Following this agreement and the successful launch of the border marking process, Russia's Zakharova makes a generic statement welcoming any diplomatic effort: "Let me remind you of our [Russia's] traditional position. We support the settlement of all issues related to the demarcation of the state border between Azerbaijan and Armenia, without exception, exclusively by political-diplomatic methods."
Do you believe Russia organized, supported, or truly supports this process? Leave your opinion in the comments below.
video, source, source,

Armenia's ruling party met Ben Cardin, the Chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee

A delegation of ranking ruling MPs and Armenia's Ambassador Lilith Makunts were hosted by Senator Cardin on Wednesday.
They discussed the AM-AZ peace process and the Crossroads of Peace regional logistics project that aims to lift the blockade on Armenia.
Cardin expressed support for Armenia's sovereignty and democracy and expressed willingness to further deepen the US-AM relations.
source,

tens of U.S. Representatives urge Congressional Appropriators to allocate $200 million for Artsakh refugees

66 members of the House want to...
(1) Expand the US military aid to Armenia. $20M in Foreign Military Financing (FMF) and $10M in International Military Education and Training (IMET).
(2) Suspend all US military and security aid to Azerbaijan.
(3) Urge Blinken to develop a potential sanctions package against the Azerbaijani regime.
(4) $200M for Nagorno-Karabakh refugees.
(5) $10M for law enforcement reforms in INCLE
(6) $10M in democratic reforms under OTI
ANCA welcomed the letter by the Congress members:

With tens of billions of American dollars being shipped overseas to crisis zones around the world, the less than $20 million that President Biden has set aside – but not yet allocated – for displaced Artsakh Armenians is truly an embarrassment

source,

United States Commission on International Religious Freedom recommends listing Azerbaijan among "countries of particular concern" like Afghanistan, North Korea, and Cuba

The USCIRF made that recommendation to the US government in its 2024 Annual report.
It also urges the US government to allocate funds to restore, preserve, and protect Armenian religious and cultural sites in Nagorno-Karabakh.
The report notes that in 2023 the Azerbaijani government continued to pose a threat to religious sites in Nagorno-Karabakh. For example, the chairman of Azerbaijan's official State Committee for Work on Religious Affairs Mubariz Gurbanli urged Armenian Apostolic priests to leave the Dadivank Monastery, falsely claiming that they had no ties to the religious site.
source,

U.S. Treasury Department sanctions an Azerbaijani business for assisting Russia to bypass the weapons sanctions

An Azerbaijani company is accused of acting as an intermediary to negotiate and execute business deals on behalf of sanctioned Russian entities.
source, source,

Azerbaijani president Aliyev praises Russia's role in "ensuring security" in Caucasus and globally

Ilham Aliyev hosted the Russian Senate's deputy leader Kosachev and the head of the Eurasian Integration Committee Leonid Kalashnikov.
RUSSIAN SENATOR: President Aliyev's insightful speech at the World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue regarding the restoration of Azerbaijan's territorial integrity and [the anti-French speech about] neo-colonialism were very relevant under today's conditions. Mr. Aliyev's recent visit to Moscow was very successful.
ILHAM ALIYEV: My visit to Moscow was very productive and it once again displayed the strategic nature of the Russian-Azerbaijani alliance. As neighboring states, we provide maximum support to one another. Russia plays an important role in ensuring security not only in the region but also in the wider area.
source,

Foreign Ministers of Armenia and Ukraine discussed bilateral and regional issues over the phone

Emphasizing the efforts to achieve lasting peace and stability in the South Caucasus, Ararat Mirzoyan attached importance to the unconditional respect for the principle of territorial integrity in the process of border delimitation, the commitment to the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration and the position expressed by international partners

source,

Armenian government approves the package to establish Police Guard as part of ongoing police reforms

EXECUTIVE: Purely police service will be created with new weapons and trained personnel in accordance with international standards, which will be entrusted with the maintenance of public order and public safety, the protection of state buildings and important objects, the escorting of delegations provided for by the state protocol, as well as ensuring the legal regime of martial law and state of emergency.
At the same time, the adoption of the drafts will contribute to more effective realization of the right of citizens to hold assemblies, and will exclude the risks of use of disproportionate force against participants of rallies.
INTERIOR MINISTRY: Police Guard will be one of the 4 pillars of the police reforms [Patrol Police, Police Guard,...]. We have been working with the Council of Europe and Armenian NGOs to develop this reform. It has received a positive evaluation from international observers.
The Police Guard will have civilian management and be monitored by the parliament. In comparison, the existing Police Forces operate under a different code. The Police Guard will be formed as an entirely new structure and won't be a legal successor of another division.
New international standards will be implemented for the use of force and weapons. This will come to replace "inaccurate" formulations in the existing structures.
Today we have reports about a disproportionate amount of force being used by police, or other inappropriate conduct. That is because these police officers were never trained and educated for years. The Police Guard applicants will receive training on how to ethically communicate with citizens during mass events, how to negotiate with citizens, what the citizens' rights are, etc.
The main law will go into effect in September, launching a process of bringing other laws in line with the new code. The head of the Police Guard will be appointed in January 2025; it will be fully formed two months later. We decided to do it slowly so as not to compromise the quality and to give enough time for applicants to study and join the service.
PASHINYAN: This is the next important reform in the police. We have decided to do it slowly but accurately. We need to standardize how much force the police can use and when. The correct boundaries will protect not only citizens but also the officers who will avoid harsh consequences by not overstepping their boundaries.
source, video,

Armenia and US extend agreement on cooperation in the area of counterproliferation of weapons of mass destruction

MOD Papikyan hosted Ambassador Kvien. They discussed the current state of AM-US relations and future developments.
The US expressed readiness to continue to support defense reforms in Armenia.
source,

Armenia will join an EAEU mechanism to identify the true origin of goods

There is a unified system of determining the origin of goods that helps streamline the movement of goods.
EXECUTIVE: This will significantly facilitate trade, as goods from the EAEU member states, as well as from countries that have or are planning free trade agreements with the EAEU, will undergo minimal inspections and enjoy favorable trade regimes. The unified system will simplify the procedure for processing documents.
source,

the government discusses changes to the tax code for businesses

FINANCE MINISTER: (1) We need to raise the turnover tax rate to reduce the difference in tax burden compared to the VAT/profit taxation system. (2) Turnover taxpayers should improve their documentation discipline. (3) Certain types of activities won't enjoy the privileges of microbusinesses and turnover tax. The latter must be more targeted.
As you know, the purpose of the turnover tax system was to simplify the tax system and have a milder approach to certain businesses. However, the research shows that the turnover tax system has turned into a system of "privilege". We compared the tax burden under profit/VAT and turnover systems and found that in almost every sector, the profit/VAT burden was much heavier than the turnover-based burden, ranging from 2-3x.
Moreover, recent years' experience with turnover tax and microbusiness shows that these systems often include types of business activities that resemble activities that are prohibited under the turnover tax system.
Therefore, it is necessary to double the turnover tax for most cases to address the aforementioned issues.

the tax rate for trade enterprises will be set at 10%, for production enterprises - 7%, and for the catering sector - 12%. At the same time, the limit for turnover tax will remain unchanged at 120 million drams per year (equivalent to about $300 thousand), and if the business exceeds this threshold, it will be forced to switch to VAT and profit tax

At the same time, the final turnover tax rate will be lower in practice than the existing rates for certain businesses that properly document their activities.

retailers will be able to reduce their minimum tax rate from 1.5% to 1%, manufacturing companies from 3.5% to 3%, and the catering sector from 4% to 3.5%. Full report.

As of 2022, we had 56,000 businesses paying turnover tax. That's twice the number of businesses in the profit/VAT system. These turnover-based businesses paid only 2.3% of the share last year. This is a very low number. We need the tax system to be fair.
PASHINYAN: Our conclusion is that the turnover tax system has been promoting bad motivations. Our goal was to allow businesses to grow so we believed that by providing certain privileges, certain trampolines, to allow people to "kickstart" their businesses, it would allow them to grow and in turn grow the economy. The goal was to allow them to grow and exit the turnover tax system and enter the VAT system.
Today the turnover tax threshold is ֏120M so you pay turnover tax for under ֏120M, and VAT for turnover above ֏120M. For microbusinesses the annual turnover threshold is ֏24M.
The research shows that as soon as the business reaches this threshold, instead of using the trampoline to jump, it for some reason hits the brakes. It turns out that how well businesses perform on paper is mysteriously tied to whatever threshold we set. The turnover reaches ֏118.5M but never crosses ֏120M. This system promotes a shadowy economy.
It is time to gradually abolish the turnover tax system and set healthy motivations for businesses. If we want to have a country, we have to collect taxes. Having an independent state is the most expensive project in the world. Every looma you pay to the tax authority helps strengthen Armenia.
IRS CHIEF: Another amendment sets January 1, 2025, as a deadline for turnover tax businesses to improve their paperwork discipline. If we find discrepancies in the business's product inventory not explained by paperwork, we will be able to demand a 20% tax.
PASHINYAN: I don't get it. This system existed since the early 2000s. Does that mean for 20 years the tax code promoted and allowed illegal activities and we're fixing it only in 2025?
IRS CHIEF: (nods in approval)
PASHINYAN: Why did we not fix it sooner, after 2018? Can anyone explain how it slipped through the cracks? This is why we need to develop Armenia's institutions. This problem is everywhere. We have thousands of state employees presenting daily nonsense reports but not the important things. Sometimes I read stacks of documents, never understand anything at the end, and develop the impression that it's a ploy to keep you distracted from the important. Why are you grinning right now? I know you have all experienced this. Let's fix this.
We must step-by-step abolish the turnover tax and establish one taxation system in Armenia. Businesses that require help will receive help, but we must end this economic deformity. //
full, source,

government authorizes allocation of another $125 million to assist Nagorno-Karabakh refugees

It will keep the monthly payments going until December.
source,

Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan could swap parts of their territories to address border demarcation issues

KYRGYZSTAN: It's possible, but only after discussing it with border villagers. The border delimitation work is reaching its end. We have seen two conflicts and we have sustained losses among civilians and servicemen. People are concerned and there is fear among the border populations on both sides. In some regions, the border passes through communities but it's necessary to make mutual concessions, without which it will be impossible to resolve this.
source,

Russia expands the scope of anti-migrant retaliation to include citizens of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan

About a thousand Tajik citizens, many of whom were students studying in Russian universities, were detained at the airports and borders. Now the same is happening to Uzbek and Kyrgyz citizens.
Russian NGO: The migrants are being arrested at the airport. They have accumulated around 4,500 people at airports since April 24, and a similar number was blocked on land borders. This is the first time restrictions are applied at this scale. We receive letters that the travelers are left without food, water, and toilet, and that their cellphones are being taken away without an explanation. Some of them got deported within 2 days, while others had to wait a week. //
Foreign ministries of Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan have urged their citizens not to travel to Russia. Tajikistan's MFA sent a note of protest to the Russian embassy.
source,source,

Georgia’s Western trajectory is at risk: U.S. government

STATE DEPT: The United States condemns the Kremlin-inspired “foreign influence” legislation advanced in Georgia’s parliament and the false narrative government officials have adopted to defend it.
Members of the ruling party have been clear that the intent of the law is to silence critical voices and destroy Georgia’s vibrant civil society, which serves as a critical check on government in any democratic nation.
The statements and actions of the Georgian government are incompatible with the democratic values that underpin membership in the EU and NATO
Comments mischaracterizing foreign assistance in Georgia – which we have provided for 32 years to strengthen Georgia’s economy, democracy, and ability to deter Russian aggression – fundamentally undermine the strong relationship.
source,

What is happening in Georgia? Protests continue in Tbilisi over the "foreign agent" bill.

The government says the law is necessary to protect the country from foreign influence and that it could be revoked/amended later if the EU decides to accept Georgia. The opposition says it's a Russian-style law that aims to punish pro-West NGOs and will derail Georgia's path to the EU.
UGULAVA (ex-mayor of Tbilisi): The vast majority of the population is against this law. If you take the speech by the ruling party leader Bidzina Ivanishvili and replace "Georgia" with "Russia", it won't be any different than the speeches made by Vladimir Putin. Ivanishvili publicly announced that the West is the enemy of Georgia. He even distorted history and announced that the 2003 Rose Revolution was a Western conspiracy. That is an identical copy of how Putin described the revolution. This angered many Georgians, who felt that they didn't "sign up" for this. Modern Georgians have two elements that shaped their identity: (1) Georgia is part of Europe and is a European nation, (2) the Georgian identity was formed during the struggle against the Russian Empire. The separation from the Empire was the biggest achievement of the 20th century.
Ivanishvili also announced that the October elections are a "formality" and that he plans to arrest his opponents as part of a "de-Nazification" crackdown. He plans to declare [Saakashvili's] United National Movement as an illegal organization. He said it point blank during his public speech. [needs fact-check]
REPORTER (RainTV, Russian opposition): Many observers have indeed noted how open and direct Ivanishvili's confrontation was with the West in his speech. He almost promised repressions against the opposition.
UGULAVA: This is a Putinization of Georgia. They have declared Georgia as part of the "Russian world" that must fight for traditional values, etc. but the population is against this en masse. Over 100,000 protesters took to the streets of Tbilisi, which is not a large city.
May 17 is Diversity Day [against anti-LGBT hatred] but the church wants to convert it to Family Day. They are provoking. On that day they [traditional value defenders] often organize mass unrest. This is what Putin does. Ivanishvili, the reactionaries at church, and Putin are operating in tandem.
source, [source,]

9th Crusade is officially launched in Armenia

Robert Kocharyan's MP son Levon Kocharyan's assistant released a statement after assaulting a pro-government journalist over a report critical of an opposition churchman and his involvement in businesses. Context in May 1 news.
KOCHARYAN's ASSISTANT: Yes, there was an incident between us. This young man has adopted a mission to discredit the church, which is unacceptable for me as an Armenian, as a Christian. I attempted to explain this to him in the backyard of the parliament building. It is my duty as an Armenian to defend the church. Spreading falsehoods about the church and its figures is an act void of morality. He accused me of the same, so I punched him once [you telling on yourself, bud, get a fucking lawyer]. He fell to the ground. He got up and started screaming at me but I didn't fall for his provocations. He yelled and said "but I didn't touch you". I told him "you touched my church", that's the same as touching me. //
He has been jailed for 2 months pending a trial.
full, source,

Edmon Marutyan has released a statement in support of opposition church figures and delimitation protesters

video,

update on "ծակվավ" story

The opposition activist who was seen poking a van's tire in Tavush is charged with a crime, and so is a 17-year-old who gave him the knife. Context in April 27 news.
source,

the construction of Park of Life is underway in Yerevan: VIDEO

Dedicated to soldiers, it will be located in Yerevan's Botanical Garden. There will be a pond, newly renovated cascade stairs, alleys, and a parking lot for 180 cars.
video,

what share of the IT workforce is Armenian?

Last year there were 34,000 registered IT workers, a +62% YoY.
44 percentage points of the 62% increase was caused by the influx of foreigners, mostly Russians.
Share of foreigners in the IT workforce:
2022: 4%
2023: 27%
The number of Russian IT workers in Armenia:
2023 Jun: 8,600 (peak)
2023 Dec: 8,300
The gross output of the IT sector:
2022: ֏585B
2023: ֏837B ($2.1B)
more,

the reptiles are among us

The Nature Ministry (which apparently still exists) responded to concerns raised by residents about an increasingly frequent encounter with lizards.
The ministry says there are 27 types in Armenia and almost half of them are in the Red Book so try not to kill them, they are benign, and they help protect crops by feeding on harmful invertebrates.
source,

I was thinking about selling my house in Buckeye Az and buy a house in Prescott is it possible to but at 280k and below? Manufactured home would be fine as long as I own the land

Hi Prescott AZ! So I shall keep this short. I am exhausting all my options to find a place to rent in Cottonwood in preparation of my move there to take a position with Yavapai County. Reddit does not have anything specific to Cottonwood so I thought I would try here. Any insight from you folks that live there would be great. I have tried all the conventional apartment listings and alternatives. I have about a month and will most likely just drive out before my position starts in June. Anything you guys in the area could suggest would be really appreciated. Have a great AZ day...

Hey all,
I've been a lurker here a while. I'm an experienced journeyman plumber in eastern PA, specializing in commercial /residential service. I have an opportunity to move in with family for virtually rent free in the Prescott, AZ area. Does anyone know how the opportunities are plumbing wise out there?
Ideally looking for commercial service. I've been a manager for a major company servicing the food / supermarket service industry for a while. I'm also toying with the idea of offering residential / commercial service through my own business out there if the demand is as high as people are saying it is out there. My family is always saying that non-emergency work is hard to get scheduled out there.
Any leads or tips about the area would be appreciated! I do have a ASSE backflow testers cert, not sure if that's honored out there.

I am back begging for your help! In the past I have received so many wonderful recs in this subreddit and I kind of danced around one of the tropes I love the most, so I thought I would more directly ask for it!
I am mainly looking for two types of books (both at the same time would be a double treat!): a character hiding their identity to he reader or to the other character which means that the relationship happens/starts under false premises oand MC1 seducing or trying to seduce MC2 for a secondary purpose (which could be manipulation or seeking protection). Because this deals with secret identity, continuing reading might give you spoilers - as in, you might see a book that doesn't present itself as having a secret identity on it but it being on this list might spoil the presence of this element!
Some general examples would be: (for the identity one) MC1 is secretly a prince and MC2 doesn't know, (for the seduction one) MC1 seduces MC2 to try to get access to their house and rob them. Something like this!
The only things I cannot read are: big age gap (more than ten years), mafia or organised crime (but it is okay if it is set in a fantasy world or it is an historical novel), daddy kink, age play.
For some specific examples and recs in case you're interested in these tropes:
Sex and seduction for manipulation or protection

• {The uses of Illicit Art by Wendy Palmer} If I could reread this novel anew I would but I'm waiting for the paperback. A thousand thanks to the person who recced this to me because it was exactly what I wanted. Both MC try to seduce each other's multiple times for multiple reasons. MC1 is a law enforcer looking for MC2 a notorious thief and illegal magic user, and he tries to seduce MC2 to try and capture him. Then MC2 tries to do the same to escape multiple times, but also tries to initiate sexual relations to keep himself safe, because it was the one way he knew how to, given this book deals with sexual abuse and child abuse. Absolutely heartbreaking and beautiful. In general the novel is a Victorian era heist with magic and also great secondary characters.
• {Rough Trade by Sidney Bell} This is another heartbreaking angsty novel about crime and escapes, but set in modern times. MC1 is on the run because he has some information that will take down a corrupt policeman, and he's under the protection of MC2 who is in the police. MC1 has quite a difficult past, with child sexual abuse, being trafficked, prostitution and the one way he has to keep himself safe is trying to give MC2 what he expects MC2 to take. The plot drags a bit, bit I've never seen a novel deals so carefully with this kind of trauma. I think you'll be a bit lost if you don't read at least the previous novel but I still managed to understand most of the plot and I'll definitely catch up.
• {A nobleman's guide to seducing a scoundrel by K. J. Charles} okay this doesn't exactly fit but it still gave me the angst I craved. It kind of fits because at one point MC1 believes MC2 was only pretending to be attracted to him, and was instead seducing him to get access to the house and steal what he needed to steal. It still has a relationship starting on false premises given MC2 was not getting closer to MC1 for the reasons he gave.
• {Mortal skin by Lily Mayne} MC1 believes MC2 got close to him to be able to manipulate him and follow his family's plan. There's also an element of MC2 approaching MC1 multiple times in animal form, to spend time with him without MC1 knowing.. This is a modern setting mixed with fantasy like fae world, so there's actually not a lot of modern. The trilogy also fits the hidden identity lost because MC1 doesn't know he's the son of the Seelie queen.
• {Taming Tristan by Leighton Greene} MC1 gets close and starts a sexual relationship because of a bet. This is also a BDSM novel with primal play, set in modern times.
• {The Alpha's Gamble by Eliot Grayson} also kind of fit, mainly because MC1 has a history with MC2 that he initially keeps hidden when he decides MC2 will pay his debt by sleeping with him. Still, this is at the very start. There's also ba couple of scenes where MC2 tries to seduce MC1 to manipulate him. This is an alpha/alpha book set in modern times.

Hidden identity / relationship starts under false premises

• {A seditious affair by K. J. Charles} probably my favorite KJ Charles book. What a read! MC1 and MC2 meet every Wednesday in a pleasure house, and have d/s heavy sexual encounters that start to turn into something more. Unfortunately they don't know they are literally enemies. MC1 is a democrat who prints and writes seditious pamphlets and MC2 is a gentleman and also the man who is investigating the seditious sentiment in the city. It wasn't easy to reconcile these big difference of ideals and thoughts and make it work but this book does without killing the sparks in both the characters. There's real danger in these secret identities!
• {The Rifter by Ginn Hale} this is THE secret identity series for me and also my favourite mm romance series. I'm rereading it now so I'll write a post on it, but the story is about MC1 who opens a letter for his roommate MC2 and finds a key that will lead him in a parallel world. So many secret identities! Starting from MC2 who is an assassin sent to keep an eye, and in case kill, MC1. MC1, unknowingly to him, is the current incarnation of a destructive god called the Rifter. Furthermore, MC2 accidentally ends up fragmented in time, and the book deals with MC1 meeting and falling (but not recognising) a younger version of MC2 and with current MC2 meeting a future powerful version of MC1..
• {Something Human by A. J. Demas} Set in a pseudo historical world, MC1 and MC2 are from enemy countries, accidentally meeting on the battlefield when they are both left for death. Such a sweet beautiful story, and the reveal that MC1 was actually the elected leader of his city made me gasp. It made so much sense and I didn't even connect the dots.
• {Captive Prince by C. S. Pacat} I don't think this even needs an introduction. MC1 is a prince sold as a slave to MC2, and MC1 needs to hide his identity.
• {Until You by Briar Prescott} modern setting, almost a meet cute story, lots of angst, lovely banter. And MC2 meets MC1 under false premises as he was looking for him as a favour to his adoptive mother which is MC1's biological mother. This also means that MC2 is keeping his identity secret for a bit, to the reader too.
• {The Lawrence Browne affair by Cat Sebastian} a delightful historical novel where MC1 is hired as MC2's secretary but is basically there to check that MC2 is sound of mind and to hide from some savoury people who want to kill him. MC2 does not know of MC1's professional criminal activities.
• {Slippery Creatures by K. J. Charles} is another classic, with MC1 approaching MC2 under false premises and keeping his real identity and purposes secret.
• {Malibu by Emmy Sanders} kind of fit but it was more accidental secret identity. Still I decided to add it to the list too. MC1 is an actor in adult movies and MC2 hires him as an escort. MC2 is not aware of MC1 job but just because he didn't read his file (bit he should have).
• {The ruin of a rake by Cat Sebastian} one of my favourite historical novels and also kind of fit because MC1 is not aware that MC2 wrote the novel that worsened MC1's reputation.

I hope these made sense! In general I'm a big angst lover, anything with hurt/comfort and happy ending makes me happy. I tend to prefer historical or fantasy but I read everything!

For context, I live in Prescott and I’d like to plant a peach tree in my backyard. Prescott is at 5400 feet altitude so the summers are average 90/50 degrees F and the winters are 50/20 degrees F. The humidity is also very low here as we’re in a mountain desert. There is a ton of sunshine as it very rarely precipitates other than monsoon season.