Hello and Welcome! Today I'm sharing five of the books that brought me back to reading romance. I used to only read psychological thrillers (think Iris Johansen, Kathy Reichs, etc.) or urban contemporaries. There would be romantic elements perhaps, but no way did a relationship take center stage.
Now I'm all about the romance, in all of its glory, and I'm so happy to be here!!
I'm not sure why after all these years, I can still remember so much detail about this book. About this series. I can recall with intense detail how deeply I fell for Remington Tate and everything he had gone through. He was my first taste of a tragic, brooding, stubborn romantic hero and he was delicious. I wanted more... More men like him, more stories like this, more romance (no matter how unrealistic) in my life.
OMG I cannot forget Gideon! I remember thinking that the Crossfire series was everything the 50 Shades of Grey story wasn't. It had angst, a tortured hero, an equally tortured heroine, pain and suffering... all of which gave me a saga to really sink my teeth into. It also introduced me to my BDSM era, and while I don't go looking for books with that theme anymore, I will always look back at this series with a special sort of fondness. Sylvia Day freaking KILLED it!
The Up in the Air series is another one that gave me all I needed when it came to BDSM and broken people. I was hooked from the start and my only regret is not writing actual reviews for these books when I read them. This was another series that put 50 Shades of Grey to shame.
Another series that gave 50 Shades of Grey a run for its money. Everything Christian was supposed to be... Jesse Ward was. Broken, hot AF, intelligent, rich, with a huge heart he didn't want to acknowledge, Jesse Ward was the stuff tortured heroes are made of. I've always wanted to do a re-read of this series, but I can't remember if it was in dual POV. I hope it is :)
If you haven't read this book, or any of the many others by this author, you are missing out. I initially picked this book up because it was inspired by Sagittarius, and being the amazing Sagi that I am, I had to read it. My gosh, Archer Hale was so much more than I could have ever expected. He still and will always hold a special place in my heart and as I type this up, I'm realizing that I need to give this book a re-read and a proper review. Seriously, if you haven't read this book yet... READ IT!!
Now I'm all about the romance, in all of its glory, and I'm so happy to be here!!
────── ♔ ──────
Real by Katy Evans
A fallen boxer.
A woman with a broken dream.
A competition...
He even makes me forget my name. One night was all it took, and I forgot everything and anything except the sexy fighter in the ring who sets my mind ablaze and my body on fire with wanting...
Remington Tate is the strongest, most confusing man I've ever met in my life.
He’s the star of the dangerous underground fighting circuit, and I’m drawn to him as I've never been drawn to anything in my life. I forget who I am, what I want, with just one look from him. When he’s near, I need to remind myself that I am strong—but he is stronger. And now it’s my job to keep his body working like a perfect machine, his taut muscles primed and ready to break the bones of his next opponents...
But the one he’s most threatening to, now, is me.
I want him. I want him without fear. Without reservations.
If only I knew for sure what it is that he wants from me?
A woman with a broken dream.
A competition...
He even makes me forget my name. One night was all it took, and I forgot everything and anything except the sexy fighter in the ring who sets my mind ablaze and my body on fire with wanting...
Remington Tate is the strongest, most confusing man I've ever met in my life.
He’s the star of the dangerous underground fighting circuit, and I’m drawn to him as I've never been drawn to anything in my life. I forget who I am, what I want, with just one look from him. When he’s near, I need to remind myself that I am strong—but he is stronger. And now it’s my job to keep his body working like a perfect machine, his taut muscles primed and ready to break the bones of his next opponents...
But the one he’s most threatening to, now, is me.
I want him. I want him without fear. Without reservations.
If only I knew for sure what it is that he wants from me?
I'm not sure why after all these years, I can still remember so much detail about this book. About this series. I can recall with intense detail how deeply I fell for Remington Tate and everything he had gone through. He was my first taste of a tragic, brooding, stubborn romantic hero and he was delicious. I wanted more... More men like him, more stories like this, more romance (no matter how unrealistic) in my life.
Bared to You by Sylvia Day
He was beautiful and brilliant, jagged and white-hot.
I was drawn to him as I'd never been to anything or anyone in my life.
I craved his touch like a drug, even knowing it would weaken me.
I was flawed and damaged, and he opened those cracks in me so easily.
Gideon "knew."
He had demons of his own.
And we would become the mirrors that reflected each others most private wounds and desires.
I was drawn to him as I'd never been to anything or anyone in my life.
I craved his touch like a drug, even knowing it would weaken me.
I was flawed and damaged, and he opened those cracks in me so easily.
Gideon "knew."
He had demons of his own.
And we would become the mirrors that reflected each others most private wounds and desires.
OMG I cannot forget Gideon! I remember thinking that the Crossfire series was everything the 50 Shades of Grey story wasn't. It had angst, a tortured hero, an equally tortured heroine, pain and suffering... all of which gave me a saga to really sink my teeth into. It also introduced me to my BDSM era, and while I don't go looking for books with that theme anymore, I will always look back at this series with a special sort of fondness. Sylvia Day freaking KILLED it!
In Flight by R.K. Lilley
When reserved flight attendant Bianca gets one look at billionaire hotel owner James Cavendish, she loses all of her hard-won composure. For a girl who can easily juggle a tray of champagne flutes at 35,000 feet in three inch heels, she finds herself shockingly weak-kneed from their first encounter. The normally unruffled Bianca can't seem to look away from his electrifying turquoise gaze. They hold a challenge, and a promise, that she finds impossible to resist, and she is a girl who is used to saying no and meaning it.
Bianca is accustomed to dealing with supermodels and movie stars in her job as a first class flight attendant, but James Cavendish puts them all to shame in the looks department. If only it were just his looks that she found so irresistible about the intimidating man, Bianca could have ignored his attentions. But what tempts her like never before is the dominant pull he seems to have over her from the moment they meet, and the promise of pleasure, and pain, that she reads in his eyes.
Bianca is accustomed to dealing with supermodels and movie stars in her job as a first class flight attendant, but James Cavendish puts them all to shame in the looks department. If only it were just his looks that she found so irresistible about the intimidating man, Bianca could have ignored his attentions. But what tempts her like never before is the dominant pull he seems to have over her from the moment they meet, and the promise of pleasure, and pain, that she reads in his eyes.
The Up in the Air series is another one that gave me all I needed when it came to BDSM and broken people. I was hooked from the start and my only regret is not writing actual reviews for these books when I read them. This was another series that put 50 Shades of Grey to shame.
This Man by Jodi Ellen Malpas
Young interior designer Ava O'Shea has no idea what awaits her at the Manor.
A run-of-the-mill consultation with a stodgy country gent seems likely, but what Ava finds instead is Jesse Ward--a devastatingly handsome, utterly confident, pleasure-seeking playboy who knows no boundaries.
Ava doesn't want to be attracted to this man, and yet she can't control the overwhelming desire that he stirs in her.
She knows that her heart will never survive him and her instinct is telling her to run, but Jesse is not willing to let her go.
He wants her and is determined to have her.
A run-of-the-mill consultation with a stodgy country gent seems likely, but what Ava finds instead is Jesse Ward--a devastatingly handsome, utterly confident, pleasure-seeking playboy who knows no boundaries.
Ava doesn't want to be attracted to this man, and yet she can't control the overwhelming desire that he stirs in her.
She knows that her heart will never survive him and her instinct is telling her to run, but Jesse is not willing to let her go.
He wants her and is determined to have her.
Another series that gave 50 Shades of Grey a run for its money. Everything Christian was supposed to be... Jesse Ward was. Broken, hot AF, intelligent, rich, with a huge heart he didn't want to acknowledge, Jesse Ward was the stuff tortured heroes are made of. I've always wanted to do a re-read of this series, but I can't remember if it was in dual POV. I hope it is :)
Archer's Voice by Mia Sheridan
When Bree Prescott arrives in the sleepy, lakeside town of Pelion, Maine, she hopes against hope that this is the place where she will finally find the peace she so desperately seeks. On her first day there, her life collides with Archer Hale, an isolated man who holds a secret agony of his own. A man no one else sees.
Archer's Voice is the story of a woman chained to the memory of one horrifying night and the man whose love is the key to her freedom. It is the story of a silent man who lives with an excruciating wound and the woman who helps him find his voice. It is the story of suffering, fate, and the transformative power of love.
Archer's Voice is the story of a woman chained to the memory of one horrifying night and the man whose love is the key to her freedom. It is the story of a silent man who lives with an excruciating wound and the woman who helps him find his voice. It is the story of suffering, fate, and the transformative power of love.
If you haven't read this book, or any of the many others by this author, you are missing out. I initially picked this book up because it was inspired by Sagittarius, and being the amazing Sagi that I am, I had to read it. My gosh, Archer Hale was so much more than I could have ever expected. He still and will always hold a special place in my heart and as I type this up, I'm realizing that I need to give this book a re-read and a proper review. Seriously, if you haven't read this book yet... READ IT!!
She was my Astrid, my Hunter, my assassin, and I wasn't going to miss this opportunity to remind her just how mine she was.
────── ♔ ──────
Superbia by Colette Rhodes
My Rating - ★★★★
Standalone - Shades of Sin #2
Release - March 7, 2023
Genre/Trope - Paranormal Romance / enemies to lovers
POV - Dual 1st person
Heat - 4 out of 5
Format - ebook from Kindle Unlimited
Length - 294 pages
Standalone - Shades of Sin #2
Release - March 7, 2023
Genre/Trope - Paranormal Romance / enemies to lovers
POV - Dual 1st person
Heat - 4 out of 5
Format - ebook from Kindle Unlimited
Length - 294 pages
Other book(s) in the series: Luxuria
Astrid is the kind of Hunter that all Hunters aspire to be.
Lethal. Focused. Ambidextrous.
In contrast to her disgraced sister, Astrid has done everything right. And now, she’s coming to realize that everything she’s ever known is wrong.
Soren wants to be the kind of Shade that all Shades aspire to be.
Brave. Decisive. Powerful.
But his disgraced sister is determined to ruin him, and now there’s a deadly Hunter in his realm, smelling like the most delicious thing he’d ever taste.
And the king wants them to work together.
Can they hold the enemy line with each other? Or will the thin line between love and hate be their undoing?
After falling positively in love with Ophelia and Allerick, I knew that I had to continue the series. So here I am, at the end of this book, and I can safely conclude that this series is a must-read. If you’re down with some monster loving, you NEED to read these books!
Astrid and Soren hated each other, and for good reason. She was a Hunter, known for killing tons of Shades. And as the Shade’s Captain of the Guard, Soren was sworn to protect the citizens of his world, so of course he would take offense from her actions. But all of that hate was hiding something else…
In the last book, Astrid finally figured out that everything she knew or had come to believe about the fight she waged against Shades was wrong. She abandoned her false life, took other ex-Hunters with her, and prepared to start a new life in a new world. Too bad she was surrounded by the very people she once hunted. She doesn’t fit and apart from her sister and her new ex-hunter friends, no one has made her feel welcome.
Soren knows he should hate Astrid, but she keeps doing things that show him how much she’s changing. How can he keep his hate game strong when she keeps giving him so much to love?
I really enjoyed the acrimonious nature of this relationship. These characters sniped and growled and fought so hard against the inevitable. Astrid had finally found her person, the one who would understand her even when she couldn’t truly articulate herself. The one person who would always have her back. And Soren found the same.
While reading the acknowledgments, I found out that the author intends to write seven books for this series and that they tackle the seven deadly sins. Book one, Luxuria, was lust and Superbia is all about pride. This fact has given me a new appreciation for what I’ve read so far and I’m really excited to continue this series.
Colette Rhodes is a huge fan of paranormal romance and reverse harem books. They're what she loves to read and what she loves to write. #WhyChoose, right?
Colette studied both History and Ancient History at university and loves including both historical facts and ancient mythology in her work.
When she's not writing, you'll find her spending time with her husband and daughter in beautiful New Zealand.
Contact her here:
Website: coletterhodes.com
Instagram: @coletterhodes_author
Facebook: Colette Rhodes
Lethal. Focused. Ambidextrous.
In contrast to her disgraced sister, Astrid has done everything right. And now, she’s coming to realize that everything she’s ever known is wrong.
Soren wants to be the kind of Shade that all Shades aspire to be.
Brave. Decisive. Powerful.
But his disgraced sister is determined to ruin him, and now there’s a deadly Hunter in his realm, smelling like the most delicious thing he’d ever taste.
And the king wants them to work together.
Can they hold the enemy line with each other? Or will the thin line between love and hate be their undoing?
Find Superbia here: Goodreads * Amazon
My Two Cents
After falling positively in love with Ophelia and Allerick, I knew that I had to continue the series. So here I am, at the end of this book, and I can safely conclude that this series is a must-read. If you’re down with some monster loving, you NEED to read these books!
Astrid and Soren hated each other, and for good reason. She was a Hunter, known for killing tons of Shades. And as the Shade’s Captain of the Guard, Soren was sworn to protect the citizens of his world, so of course he would take offense from her actions. But all of that hate was hiding something else…
In the last book, Astrid finally figured out that everything she knew or had come to believe about the fight she waged against Shades was wrong. She abandoned her false life, took other ex-Hunters with her, and prepared to start a new life in a new world. Too bad she was surrounded by the very people she once hunted. She doesn’t fit and apart from her sister and her new ex-hunter friends, no one has made her feel welcome.
Soren knows he should hate Astrid, but she keeps doing things that show him how much she’s changing. How can he keep his hate game strong when she keeps giving him so much to love?
I really enjoyed the acrimonious nature of this relationship. These characters sniped and growled and fought so hard against the inevitable. Astrid had finally found her person, the one who would understand her even when she couldn’t truly articulate herself. The one person who would always have her back. And Soren found the same.
While reading the acknowledgments, I found out that the author intends to write seven books for this series and that they tackle the seven deadly sins. Book one, Luxuria, was lust and Superbia is all about pride. This fact has given me a new appreciation for what I’ve read so far and I’m really excited to continue this series.
The Author
Colette Rhodes is a huge fan of paranormal romance and reverse harem books. They're what she loves to read and what she loves to write. #WhyChoose, right?Colette studied both History and Ancient History at university and loves including both historical facts and ancient mythology in her work.
When she's not writing, you'll find her spending time with her husband and daughter in beautiful New Zealand.
Contact her here:
Website: coletterhodes.com
Instagram: @coletterhodes_author
Facebook: Colette Rhodes
One's face broke into a huge, beautiful grin, and I knew that was it.
I was utterly smitten.
Totally, one hundred percent gone for this strange, winged monster with creepy black eyes
and ghostly, green-tinged skin.
I was utterly smitten.
Totally, one hundred percent gone for this strange, winged monster with creepy black eyes
and ghostly, green-tinged skin.
────── ♔ ──────
The Rycke by Lily Mayne
My Rating - ★★★★★
Standalone - Monstrous #3
Release - August 9, 2021
Genre - Paranormal MM Romance / apocalypse
POV - Single 1st person
Heat - 5 out of 5
Format - ebook from Kindle Unlimited
Length - 317 pages
Standalone - Monstrous #3
Release - August 9, 2021
Genre - Paranormal MM Romance / apocalypse
POV - Single 1st person
Heat - 5 out of 5
Format - ebook from Kindle Unlimited
Length - 317 pages
Other books in the series: Soul Eater * Edin
Life as a raider in the Wastes, where monsters roam and the military lurks, is as easy as it sounds.
I’ve been out here for a long time, and the fear that courses through my blood every time I have to step outside our camp walls to scavenge never fades. No matter how many monsters you face—and have to run for your life from—it doesn’t ever get easier.
But when I come across a bound and injured monster in an abandoned military base, I can’t leave him behind. His presence in our camp is causing tension, but I can’t bring myself to care when I get to see a different side to him—when he starts to show me who he is, beneath the pain and lingering trauma.
But despite his gentle nature, I soon discover why others are so desperate to own him. Why the military, and now this stranger lurking outside our camp, want to put him back in chains and take him away from me.
There’s something hiding under his skin. Something that threatens to upend my entire life, the one I’ve spent my years carefully protecting out here.
There’s a reason why all other monsters fear him.
After learning bits and pieces about the rycke, I wasn’t sure how this creature could be captured in a way that would engender feelings of romance. I don’t even know why I doubted his author because she’s delivered everything I could possibly hope for with every book.
Meeting Aury was such a unique experience. Here was this monster, who was supposed to be the one beast that was feared by all other monsters, and he was the kindest, most gentlest soul of them all. The author did such a beautiful job of capturing his vulnerability, even after he had just committed a horrific act. Gosh, Aury crying grabbed me in my freaking soul!
Gage was such a sweetheart. As a real pushover, he didn’t really come into his own until he met Aury. I’m really digging all of these men in this apocalyptic world full on monster-loving the hell out of their new world!
With ‘The Rycke’, we get our first real glimpse of what life is like for humans living in the Wastes. It’s certainly not pretty and I found it downright terrifying. I don’t know how I would survive in similar circumstances and can’t help but marvel at the bravery of these characters.
While I’m not sure what happens next in this series, I do recognize that there are a few people who I need to see again. What happened to the guy Hunter met in the pit? Whatever happened to his best friend Charlie? And will we be finding Rig again?
I must not forget to share the fanart I fell in love with for this book:
Lily Mayne writes what she loves to read: achingly sweet yet gritty romances against unusual backdrops—dark, futuristic, dystopian and more.
She enjoys reading and writing (duh), cooking and baking, watching terrible horror movies and many other hobbies that would have potentially made her an ideal Victorian maid. Just a really lazy one.
She currently lives in the UK with her husband and several fluffballs, who like to make a lot of noise while she’s writing.
I’ve been out here for a long time, and the fear that courses through my blood every time I have to step outside our camp walls to scavenge never fades. No matter how many monsters you face—and have to run for your life from—it doesn’t ever get easier.
But when I come across a bound and injured monster in an abandoned military base, I can’t leave him behind. His presence in our camp is causing tension, but I can’t bring myself to care when I get to see a different side to him—when he starts to show me who he is, beneath the pain and lingering trauma.
But despite his gentle nature, I soon discover why others are so desperate to own him. Why the military, and now this stranger lurking outside our camp, want to put him back in chains and take him away from me.
There’s something hiding under his skin. Something that threatens to upend my entire life, the one I’ve spent my years carefully protecting out here.
There’s a reason why all other monsters fear him.
Find The Rycke here: Goodreads * Amazon
My Two Cents
After learning bits and pieces about the rycke, I wasn’t sure how this creature could be captured in a way that would engender feelings of romance. I don’t even know why I doubted his author because she’s delivered everything I could possibly hope for with every book.
Meeting Aury was such a unique experience. Here was this monster, who was supposed to be the one beast that was feared by all other monsters, and he was the kindest, most gentlest soul of them all. The author did such a beautiful job of capturing his vulnerability, even after he had just committed a horrific act. Gosh, Aury crying grabbed me in my freaking soul!
Gage was such a sweetheart. As a real pushover, he didn’t really come into his own until he met Aury. I’m really digging all of these men in this apocalyptic world full on monster-loving the hell out of their new world!
I didn't care what he could become.
I didn't see that monstrous face when I looked at Aury.
This was my sweet, gentle, kind monster.
He was still my Aury.
I didn't see that monstrous face when I looked at Aury.
This was my sweet, gentle, kind monster.
He was still my Aury.
With ‘The Rycke’, we get our first real glimpse of what life is like for humans living in the Wastes. It’s certainly not pretty and I found it downright terrifying. I don’t know how I would survive in similar circumstances and can’t help but marvel at the bravery of these characters.
While I’m not sure what happens next in this series, I do recognize that there are a few people who I need to see again. What happened to the guy Hunter met in the pit? Whatever happened to his best friend Charlie? And will we be finding Rig again?
I must not forget to share the fanart I fell in love with for this book:
Aury by Femkeneri
Everyone I've met (or will meet) by grandmechantlapin
Aury by Femkeneri
Everyone I've met (or will meet) by grandmechantlapin
The Author
Lily Mayne writes what she loves to read: achingly sweet yet gritty romances against unusual backdrops—dark, futuristic, dystopian and more.
She enjoys reading and writing (duh), cooking and baking, watching terrible horror movies and many other hobbies that would have potentially made her an ideal Victorian maid. Just a really lazy one.
She currently lives in the UK with her husband and several fluffballs, who like to make a lot of noise while she’s writing.
Find out more here: https://lily-mayne.com
Oh, look at my man go. With a couple of on-point hits, the love of my life manages to disarm the taller dude, grab the sword—
Aaand now there's a head joining the arm in my lap.
Gross.
Aaand now there's a head joining the arm in my lap.
Gross.
────── ♔ ──────
The Trouble with Trying to Date a Murderer by Jennifer Cody
My Rating - ★★★★★
Murder Sprees and Mute Decrees #1
Release - February 9, 2022
Genre - Paranormal MM Romance / instalove
POV - Single 1st person
Heat - 4 out of 5 / one explicit scene near the end, but plenty of filthy talk throughout
Format - ebook borrowed from Kindle Unlimited
Length - 188 pages
Murder Sprees and Mute Decrees #1
Release - February 9, 2022
Genre - Paranormal MM Romance / instalove
POV - Single 1st person
Heat - 4 out of 5 / one explicit scene near the end, but plenty of filthy talk throughout
Format - ebook borrowed from Kindle Unlimited
Length - 188 pages
Third time’s the charm, right? At least that’s what I tell myself when I witness the same hot guy commit mass murder three times in a few days. I’m either the luckiest mute boy ever or possibly the unluckiest. Who knows, maybe him kidnapping me will turn into the greatest love story ever told? Hey, it could happen! You never know how these things will turn out. I happen to believe in love and soulmates, and if nothing else, Arlington Fox doesn’t treat my disability like a nuisance. It’s not everyday you find someone who just gets you, and I’m not going to look a gift horse in the mouth even if the horse in question is a man so good at killing people that I should probably introspect a bit about why that skews my moral compass and possibly my kinks. But c’mon, competence is sexy, amiright?
The Trouble with Trying to Date a Murderer is an MM Paranormal Romance with lots of sass, humor, a ridiculous 3000 year age-gap, and an inordinate number of tables.
This is one of the best books I’ve read this year! Romily was a first-class narrator, having me chuckle and giggle when I least expected it, and I’m so grateful to have experienced his voice. This man is hilarious and ridiculous. Over-the-top, sweet, entertaining, and full of heart, I never wanted this story to end!
Romily was a have-not. While I didn’t learn very much about his past, I knew he was homeless. He knew what it was to struggle. And he viewed life just a wee bit differently than the rest of us. When he witnesses a man murdering a bunch of people, he doesn’t run, cower or hide. He becomes enamored. He found the man’s confidence in killing to be a turn-on and bemoaned the fact that they probably wouldn’t meet again. Except they do and the killer is intrigued by the little man-boy who isn’t afraid.
The dynamic between Romily and Fox was amazing. While Romily couldn’t speak (he was mute), these two had so much to say to each other, even without words. When I learned that Romily was mute, I was intensely curious about how the story would work and was pleasantly surprised by how much depth and feeling there was to a man with no voice. Both of these characters were just so incredible and understood each other so well, that I never once felt like something was missing.
With tons of shenanigans and hilarity, this story gave me so much content to love. Knowing that there are more books with these characters, you better believe I’ll be reading them!
NOTE: I also read the companion novella, Fox Recruits a Mute Boy (and Falls in Love), which was a quick peek at Fox's perspective. I loved these two characters even more. Knowing that Fox fell just as hard as Romily at first sight, which I already knew, but reading about it... *chef's kiss*
Jennifer Cody lives in Small Midwestern Town, USA, aka the sticks of Kansas.
She has three kids and a Beardo she loves.
Her sleep schedule is weird, so messages sent at midnight usually get answered relatively promptly.
She reads all kinds of mm romance and urban fantasy, but her favorites are gay-for-you, small-town romances and over the top urban fantasy romances.
Her own writing doesn’t always reflect her reading preferences, but mostly it does. She writes what she wants to read and reads extensively because she’s an addict. To books, obviously. And caffeine because sleep is for other people.
Visit https://www.jennifercodyauthor.com for more information
The Trouble with Trying to Date a Murderer is an MM Paranormal Romance with lots of sass, humor, a ridiculous 3000 year age-gap, and an inordinate number of tables.
My Two Cents
This is one of the best books I’ve read this year! Romily was a first-class narrator, having me chuckle and giggle when I least expected it, and I’m so grateful to have experienced his voice. This man is hilarious and ridiculous. Over-the-top, sweet, entertaining, and full of heart, I never wanted this story to end!
Romily was a have-not. While I didn’t learn very much about his past, I knew he was homeless. He knew what it was to struggle. And he viewed life just a wee bit differently than the rest of us. When he witnesses a man murdering a bunch of people, he doesn’t run, cower or hide. He becomes enamored. He found the man’s confidence in killing to be a turn-on and bemoaned the fact that they probably wouldn’t meet again. Except they do and the killer is intrigued by the little man-boy who isn’t afraid.
The dynamic between Romily and Fox was amazing. While Romily couldn’t speak (he was mute), these two had so much to say to each other, even without words. When I learned that Romily was mute, I was intensely curious about how the story would work and was pleasantly surprised by how much depth and feeling there was to a man with no voice. Both of these characters were just so incredible and understood each other so well, that I never once felt like something was missing.
With tons of shenanigans and hilarity, this story gave me so much content to love. Knowing that there are more books with these characters, you better believe I’ll be reading them!
NOTE: I also read the companion novella, Fox Recruits a Mute Boy (and Falls in Love), which was a quick peek at Fox's perspective. I loved these two characters even more. Knowing that Fox fell just as hard as Romily at first sight, which I already knew, but reading about it... *chef's kiss*
The Author
Jennifer Cody lives in Small Midwestern Town, USA, aka the sticks of Kansas.She has three kids and a Beardo she loves.
Her sleep schedule is weird, so messages sent at midnight usually get answered relatively promptly.
She reads all kinds of mm romance and urban fantasy, but her favorites are gay-for-you, small-town romances and over the top urban fantasy romances.
Her own writing doesn’t always reflect her reading preferences, but mostly it does. She writes what she wants to read and reads extensively because she’s an addict. To books, obviously. And caffeine because sleep is for other people.
Visit https://www.jennifercodyauthor.com for more information
I've read quite a few books and need to actually get my reviews of them out there, so here are three books that I enjoyed reading. Two of these are from my TBR and one was a recommendation by the lovely Nadine @Nadine's Obsessed with Books. Thanks for that btw.
Ok, here goes...
My Rating - ★★★
Standalone - True North #3
Release - October 25, 2016
Genre - Small Town Romance
POV - Dual 1st person
Heat - 3 out of 5 / descriptive with a few scenes
Format - ebook from Amazon
Length - 314 pages
There’s something about tragic characters that makes me immediately love a story… and Lark and Zach were easy to love.
Lark was known as a ‘wild child’, but a trip to make lives better turned into a nightmare. Now traumatized, she’s desperate to put on a happy face for everyone. Fake it ‘til you make it and all that. Zach had been booted from a cult. He was new to life on the outside and had to overcome feelings of inadequacy and his fear of abandonment. Together, they were just barely holding on.
I enjoyed the way the author wrapped these characters with so much feeling. I’m a huge fan of the Shipleys and while I’m unsure if there are books about them (this is the 3rd book in the series after all), I want their stories. They gave Lark and Zach such a great foundation for their relationship. If I’m ever down and out, or just plain sad, I want a family like this one at my back.
My only real complaint was that there wasn’t much going on for most of this book. They woke up, milked the cows, ate breakfast, picked apples, sold apples, ate a huge dinner, went to bed, woke up, milked the cows, ate breakfast… Lark had nightmares, Zach gave her comfort, they had feelings for each other, had sex a few times, but for the most part, I was a witness to the tedium of their everyday lives.
My Rating - ★★★1/4
Standalone - Mission Mercenaries #1
Release - October 13, 2022
Genre - Dark Romance / enemies to lovers
POV - Dual 1st person
Heat - 4 out of 5 / explicit with several scenes (and some triggers)
Format - ebook borrowed from Kindle Unlimited
Length - 235 pages
I reached the end of this book and still don’t know what to think. I didn’t like the characters, and yet, they had me hooked! I couldn’t look away from the hot mess they were or the catastrophe they had created out of their lives.
Angel was a mercenary. Once he was full of heart, but being left for dead changed things. It made him harder, colder, less caring. So why did Lauren affect him so much?
Lauren was an FBI agent who was willing to put herself at the heart of true danger to save lives. Little did anyone know… she was desperate to feel used, abused and humiliated. She lived to be trampled on and assaulted. They fed her in ways they would disgust most people. Why did Angel give her everything she could ever need?
If the FBI hires agents like Lauren, I feel sorry for the federal justice system in America. She was all kinds of messed up. She wasn’t stupid, she had resources, but she did nothing to help herself. She made excuses and she frustrated me. And Angel… dude had so much to offer and I often found myself wishing he wouldn’t offer them to Lauren.
Yeah, it’s all messed up. And yet… I’m probably going to read the next book in the series. Go figure :)
My Rating - ★★★1/2
Standalone - Holiday Brothers #1
Release - November 4, 2021
Genre - Small Town Romance / forced proximity / single parent
POV - Dual 1st person
Heat - 3 out of 5
Format - ebook borrowed from Kindle Unlimited
Length - 165 pages
This was a sweet, small town, ‘ohmygosh my first crush is back AND he’s hot AND he’s my new boss AND his daughter is precious’ kind of romance. From the wonder that was the Holiday family (like seriously, can I join?) to the easy buildup of what grew between Natalie and Maddox, I was entertained. One, I love when I can actually enjoy a character with my name. I think this is the first time that has happened. Two, Violet… I loved the way she was described and I couldn’t get enough of the relationship that Natalie built with her.
You want a sweet read with a swoony kind of love? You can’t go wrong with this book.
Ok, here goes...
Keepsake by Sarina Bowen
My Rating - ★★★
Standalone - True North #3
Release - October 25, 2016
Genre - Small Town Romance
POV - Dual 1st person
Heat - 3 out of 5 / descriptive with a few scenes
Format - ebook from Amazon
Length - 314 pages
There's a first time for everything.
Lark Wainright used to be fearless. Her life was a series of adventures, each one more exhilarating than the last. But her recent overseas adventure was one too many. Now she’s home and in one piece. Mostly. But her nights are filled with terror.
When her best friend offers her a stay at the orchard in exchange for help at the farmers’ markets, Lark jumps at the chance to spend fall in Vermont. But her nightmares don’t stop. Desperate to keep her fragile state a secret, she relies on the most soft-spoken resident of the Shipley Farm to soothe her when her dreams prove too much.
Zachariah is a survivor, too. It’s been four years since he was tossed aside by the polygamist cult where he grew up. He’s found a peaceful existence on the Shipley’s farm, picking apples and fixing machinery. But getting thrown away by your own people at nineteen leaves a mark on a guy. He doesn’t always know what to make of a world where movie quotes are the primary means of communication. Before hitchhiking to Vermont, he’d never watched TV or spoken on the phone.
Actually, there are a lot of things he’s never done.
Zach and Lark slowly grow to trust one another. One night they become even closer than they’d planned. But Lark may still be too broken to trust anyone. When she pushes Zach away, he will have to prove to himself that he's good for much more than farm labor.
Lark Wainright used to be fearless. Her life was a series of adventures, each one more exhilarating than the last. But her recent overseas adventure was one too many. Now she’s home and in one piece. Mostly. But her nights are filled with terror.
When her best friend offers her a stay at the orchard in exchange for help at the farmers’ markets, Lark jumps at the chance to spend fall in Vermont. But her nightmares don’t stop. Desperate to keep her fragile state a secret, she relies on the most soft-spoken resident of the Shipley Farm to soothe her when her dreams prove too much.
Zachariah is a survivor, too. It’s been four years since he was tossed aside by the polygamist cult where he grew up. He’s found a peaceful existence on the Shipley’s farm, picking apples and fixing machinery. But getting thrown away by your own people at nineteen leaves a mark on a guy. He doesn’t always know what to make of a world where movie quotes are the primary means of communication. Before hitchhiking to Vermont, he’d never watched TV or spoken on the phone.
Actually, there are a lot of things he’s never done.
Zach and Lark slowly grow to trust one another. One night they become even closer than they’d planned. But Lark may still be too broken to trust anyone. When she pushes Zach away, he will have to prove to himself that he's good for much more than farm labor.
There’s something about tragic characters that makes me immediately love a story… and Lark and Zach were easy to love.
Lark was known as a ‘wild child’, but a trip to make lives better turned into a nightmare. Now traumatized, she’s desperate to put on a happy face for everyone. Fake it ‘til you make it and all that. Zach had been booted from a cult. He was new to life on the outside and had to overcome feelings of inadequacy and his fear of abandonment. Together, they were just barely holding on.
I enjoyed the way the author wrapped these characters with so much feeling. I’m a huge fan of the Shipleys and while I’m unsure if there are books about them (this is the 3rd book in the series after all), I want their stories. They gave Lark and Zach such a great foundation for their relationship. If I’m ever down and out, or just plain sad, I want a family like this one at my back.
My only real complaint was that there wasn’t much going on for most of this book. They woke up, milked the cows, ate breakfast, picked apples, sold apples, ate a huge dinner, went to bed, woke up, milked the cows, ate breakfast… Lark had nightmares, Zach gave her comfort, they had feelings for each other, had sex a few times, but for the most part, I was a witness to the tedium of their everyday lives.
Lessons Learned by Marie James
My Rating - ★★★1/4
Standalone - Mission Mercenaries #1
Release - October 13, 2022
Genre - Dark Romance / enemies to lovers
POV - Dual 1st person
Heat - 4 out of 5 / explicit with several scenes (and some triggers)
Format - ebook borrowed from Kindle Unlimited
Length - 235 pages
Despite having a previous connection, I’ve hated Lauren Vos since the day she stepped over my bleeding body and left me for dead.
We were never meant to be. She’s an undercover FBI agent, and I’m a mercenary that goes where the highest bidder takes me.
After seeing each for the first time in years, she thinks we can just pick up where we left off, but the man she once knew died long ago.
What I didn’t know is that the man I became after her betrayal was the man she needed all along.
I feed on her urgency for degradation, but heaven help me, it may be the death of us both.
We were never meant to be. She’s an undercover FBI agent, and I’m a mercenary that goes where the highest bidder takes me.
After seeing each for the first time in years, she thinks we can just pick up where we left off, but the man she once knew died long ago.
What I didn’t know is that the man I became after her betrayal was the man she needed all along.
I feed on her urgency for degradation, but heaven help me, it may be the death of us both.
I reached the end of this book and still don’t know what to think. I didn’t like the characters, and yet, they had me hooked! I couldn’t look away from the hot mess they were or the catastrophe they had created out of their lives.
Angel was a mercenary. Once he was full of heart, but being left for dead changed things. It made him harder, colder, less caring. So why did Lauren affect him so much?
Lauren was an FBI agent who was willing to put herself at the heart of true danger to save lives. Little did anyone know… she was desperate to feel used, abused and humiliated. She lived to be trampled on and assaulted. They fed her in ways they would disgust most people. Why did Angel give her everything she could ever need?
If the FBI hires agents like Lauren, I feel sorry for the federal justice system in America. She was all kinds of messed up. She wasn’t stupid, she had resources, but she did nothing to help herself. She made excuses and she frustrated me. And Angel… dude had so much to offer and I often found myself wishing he wouldn’t offer them to Lauren.
Yeah, it’s all messed up. And yet… I’m probably going to read the next book in the series. Go figure :)
The Naughty, The Nice, and The Nanny by Willa Nash
My Rating - ★★★1/2
Standalone - Holiday Brothers #1
Release - November 4, 2021
Genre - Small Town Romance / forced proximity / single parent
POV - Dual 1st person
Heat - 3 out of 5
Format - ebook borrowed from Kindle Unlimited
Length - 165 pages
One week with one little girl—an angel, according to my staffing agency. Acting as the short-term nanny for a single dad should have been an easy way to make some extra cash. Until I show up for my first day and face off with a demon disguised as a seven-year-old girl wearing a red tutu and matching glitter slippers.
Oh, and her father? My temporary boss? Maddox Holiday. The same Maddox Holiday I crushed on in high school. The same Maddox Holiday who didn’t even know I existed. And the same Maddox Holiday who hasn’t set foot in Montana for years because he’s been too busy running his billionaire empire.
Enduring seven days is going to feel like scaling the Himalayas in six-inch heels. Toss in the Holiday family’s annual soiree, and Christmas Eve nightmares really do come true. But I can do anything for a week, especially for this paycheck, even if it means wrangling the naughty, impressing the nice, and playing the nanny.
Oh, and her father? My temporary boss? Maddox Holiday. The same Maddox Holiday I crushed on in high school. The same Maddox Holiday who didn’t even know I existed. And the same Maddox Holiday who hasn’t set foot in Montana for years because he’s been too busy running his billionaire empire.
Enduring seven days is going to feel like scaling the Himalayas in six-inch heels. Toss in the Holiday family’s annual soiree, and Christmas Eve nightmares really do come true. But I can do anything for a week, especially for this paycheck, even if it means wrangling the naughty, impressing the nice, and playing the nanny.
This was a sweet, small town, ‘ohmygosh my first crush is back AND he’s hot AND he’s my new boss AND his daughter is precious’ kind of romance. From the wonder that was the Holiday family (like seriously, can I join?) to the easy buildup of what grew between Natalie and Maddox, I was entertained. One, I love when I can actually enjoy a character with my name. I think this is the first time that has happened. Two, Violet… I loved the way she was described and I couldn’t get enough of the relationship that Natalie built with her.
You want a sweet read with a swoony kind of love? You can’t go wrong with this book.
Why would I want to stay in my lane when everyone else's lane is a whole lot more fun?
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I'll Just Date Myself by Lani Lynn Vale
My Rating - ★★★★
Standalone - Gator Bait MC #7
Release - June 27, 2023
Genre/Trope - Contemporary romance with suspense elements / enemies to lovers
POV - Dual 1st person
Heat - 4 out of 5
Format - eARC provided by the author
Length - 300 pages
Standalone - Gator Bait MC #7
Release - June 27, 2023
Genre/Trope - Contemporary romance with suspense elements / enemies to lovers
POV - Dual 1st person
Heat - 4 out of 5
Format - eARC provided by the author
Length - 300 pages
Other books in the series: Nobody Cares Unless You're Pretty * Good Trouble * Cute But Psycho * Annoyed at First Sight * The Voices Are Back * Special Kind of Twisted
Normally when you say, “I have a stalker,” you think bad thoughts. That wasn’t the kind of stalker Folsom was when it came to Kobe Sano. Folsom liked to call herself a “guardian angel in disguise.”
The first time he catches her attention, he’s been assigned to hunt her down and throw away the key. All she did was steal someone else’s child. Well, embryo, that is. What Kobe doesn’t know, though, is the man that hired him is up to no good, and she has no other choice but to run without looking back.
From that moment on, she spends the rest of her spare time running away from him while also digging into every nook and cranny of his personal life, finding every weakness he has and utilizing it any way she needs to keep herself one step ahead of him.
Only one day, when she goes to do her usual snooping, she finds out that not only is her favorite person in trouble, but he’s also in need of her help.
Too bad it takes her years to find that help.
Her next step is to break him out of the pokey prison-break style.
If she knew he’d go without question, she very well might have.
***
It didn’t take a genius to know when someone was stalking you. The signs were all there, and they eventually pointed right at Folsom.
When he figures it out, he plans to confront her and maybe address the silent sexual tension that’s been brewing between them for the last few years.
However, right when he’s ready to admit to himself that she might be the one—daughter who intimidates the hell out of him or not—she up and disappears for a year.
In that year, he spends every waking moment searching for her.
And eventually he finds her, confronts her, and is hit in the face with the secrets she’s kept from him for years.
One of which is a big one.
The daughter that she protects with everything she has—the one that he’s come to love with all his heart, just like her mom—is the very abducted child from his one and only unsolved case.
Find I'll Just Date Myself here: Goodreads * Amazon
My Two Cents
After being told that I'd be due for a surprise because the main character was given an overhaul, I didn't know what to expect. Would I even like the new and improved Folsom?
Well, let me tell you...
I DID!!
Folsom was sweet, kind and generous. She also had a knack for being all up in your business and you not even knowing it. She'd help you in ways you didn't even know you needed. She would do anything for her daughter and for those she chose to love.
She was also a woman of mystery. While she was very blunt, she wasn't very forthcoming about her circumstances. And I liked it! It gave her character an air of intrigue that kept me guessing. Even at the end of the book, I'm still wondering if I got her full story.
Kobe was a man who I struggled to get to know in the previous books. It seemed like even the men he served time with had a hard time really knowing this guy. But Folsom found a way and I loved how her meddling created an atmosphere in which they could truly connect.
There are hit men, weird contracts, missing persons, and an easy kind of 'oops I felt into it' love.
I'm still a bit broken hearted over what Kobe had to go through to get his happy ending, but it was a sweet ending and I'm so glad these two unknowns found such happiness with each other.
The Author
Lani Lynn Vale is married to the love of her life that she met in high school. She fell in love with him because he was wearing baseball pants. Ten years later they have three perfectly crazy children and a cat named Demon who likes to wake her up at ungodly times in the night. They live in the greatest state in the world, Texas. She writes contemporary and romantic suspense, and has a love for all things romance. You can find Lani in front of her computer writing away in her fictional characters world...that is until her husband and kids demand sustenance in the form of food and drink.
Visit https://lanilynnvale.com for more information!
Hello and welcome! Today I'm sharing the first five books on my Goodreads TBR. They've been sitting there for almost 10 years and I don't suppose I'll ever be getting around to them.
I can't be the only one whose reading habits or choices have drastically changed in the last decade, right?
Let me know if you've read any of these and what you thought of them. Maybe your words (if they're positive) will give me the push I need to finally pick one of these up.
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Rose by Sydney Landon
My name is Rose Madden and I have spent my life being the perfect daughter. Thanks to my daddy, I'm an expert marksman who dresses like some modern day freaking June Cleaver. My life has been perfectly scripted since the day I was born. I've never deviated from the plan—until I met attorney Max Decker. Now he has me doing insane things to get his attention, like grabbing him in his car and being arrested for stalking my ex-boyfriend just so he'll come bail me out of jail. He thinks I'm crazy—but he wants me anyway, he just can't admit it. I'm tired of living my life for others, and Max has just given me a reason to show everyone that this good girl is going bad.
This is the first book of the series. The first three books were about another couple and I remember really wanting to get my hands on this book. Rose was this proper lady who could definitely handle a gun. That's about all that comes to mind. I don't recall much else about her and the longer this book sits on a shelf, the more I forget that it's even there.
Should I read it?
Revived by Samantha Towle
India Harris didn’t have the best start in life. Abandoned as a baby, she and her twin brother, Kit, spent their lives in foster care, only having each other to rely on. Then, at a young age, a relationship with the wrong man left India pregnant. Wanting to give her son the life she never had, she put herself through school and graduated with honors.
Now, at the age of thirty, she’s a highly respected therapist.
At the top of his game as a Formula One driver, Leandro Silva had everything—until an accident on the track left him staring death in the face. After enduring twelve months of physical therapy, Leandro is now physically able to race, but his mind is keeping him from the track. Frustrated and angry, Leandro’s days and nights are filled with limitless alcohol and faceless women.
Entering the last year of his contract, he knows he has to race again, or he’ll lose everything he spent his life working for. Forced into therapy to get his life back, Leandro finds himself in the office of Dr. India Harris.
Falling for his uptight therapist is not part of Leandro’s plan.
Having unethical feelings for her patient, the angry Brazilian race car driver, is not part of India’s plan.
But what if the wrong person is the only person who is right?
Now, at the age of thirty, she’s a highly respected therapist.
At the top of his game as a Formula One driver, Leandro Silva had everything—until an accident on the track left him staring death in the face. After enduring twelve months of physical therapy, Leandro is now physically able to race, but his mind is keeping him from the track. Frustrated and angry, Leandro’s days and nights are filled with limitless alcohol and faceless women.
Entering the last year of his contract, he knows he has to race again, or he’ll lose everything he spent his life working for. Forced into therapy to get his life back, Leandro finds himself in the office of Dr. India Harris.
Falling for his uptight therapist is not part of Leandro’s plan.
Having unethical feelings for her patient, the angry Brazilian race car driver, is not part of India’s plan.
But what if the wrong person is the only person who is right?
Okay, so I don't really know how this one ended up on my list. Back in the day, I think if I enjoyed a book, I added whatever was next for the author to continue the good streak. However, this isn't something I would choose for myself today. Or is it? I don't know. I'm terrible at this. Part of me is wondering if this may be one of the great reads of my year.
What do you think?
Fighting for Forever by J.B. Salsbury
Slut. Hooker. Whore.
The taunts never bothered me. They only see what I allow them to see, and a Las Vegas stripper is the perfect cover.
My life had direction. I had a mission—until the man I needed vanished and is presumed dead.
It’s time to move on—give up the dream for revenge—and no one shows me that more than the mop-headed fighter with eyes the color of the ocean.
If anyone can teach me just how sweet life can be, it’s him. But first, I’d have to let go.
Mase. Baywatch. Mayhem.
I’m known by many names, but there’s only one that stirs panic and worry in my gut every time I’m called it.
Brother.
I’ve bailed him out of trouble for years, so when he turns up in Vegas and asks for me, I’m prepared for the worst. And the worst is exactly what I get in the form of a lilac-eyed beauty named Trix.
She’s everything I hate about Vegas: a stripper, loose with her body and her morals. But there’s something about her, a complexity that she buries deep, and I’m determined to uncover it.
The deeper I go, the less I understand. When I finally learn the truth, we engage in a battle where life and death hang in the balance.
Fighting could kill us both, but if we win, forever is the prize.
The taunts never bothered me. They only see what I allow them to see, and a Las Vegas stripper is the perfect cover.
My life had direction. I had a mission—until the man I needed vanished and is presumed dead.
It’s time to move on—give up the dream for revenge—and no one shows me that more than the mop-headed fighter with eyes the color of the ocean.
If anyone can teach me just how sweet life can be, it’s him. But first, I’d have to let go.
Mase. Baywatch. Mayhem.
I’m known by many names, but there’s only one that stirs panic and worry in my gut every time I’m called it.
Brother.
I’ve bailed him out of trouble for years, so when he turns up in Vegas and asks for me, I’m prepared for the worst. And the worst is exactly what I get in the form of a lilac-eyed beauty named Trix.
She’s everything I hate about Vegas: a stripper, loose with her body and her morals. But there’s something about her, a complexity that she buries deep, and I’m determined to uncover it.
The deeper I go, the less I understand. When I finally learn the truth, we engage in a battle where life and death hang in the balance.
Fighting could kill us both, but if we win, forever is the prize.
I remember reading this entire series and loving it. Seriously, I easily 5-starred the first book and probably ever one following. So I'll definitely be reading this at some point as I re-read this series and share my love of this author's writing.
See... this post was worthwhile because I found not-so-new books to fall in love with all over again.
Never Never by Colleen Hoover + Tarryn Fisher
Charlie Wynwood and Silas Nash have been best friends since they could walk. They've been in love since the age of fourteen. But as of this morning... they are complete strangers. Their first kiss, their first fight, the moment they fell in love... every memory has vanished.
Charlie and Silas must work together to uncover the truth about what happened to them and why. But the more they learn about the couple they used to be, the more they question why they were ever together to begin with.
Charlie and Silas must work together to uncover the truth about what happened to them and why. But the more they learn about the couple they used to be, the more they question why they were ever together to begin with.
I don't really have anything to say about this book or series. I don't even remember the hype surrounding it. However, I have enjoyed books by Tarryn Fisher.
Is this worth my while?
Confess by Colleen Hoover
Auburn Reed is determined to rebuild her shattered life and she has no room for mistakes. But when she walks into a Dallas art studio in search of a job, she doesn’t expect to become deeply attracted to the studio’s enigmatic artist, Owen Gentry.
For once, Auburn takes a chance and puts her heart in control, only to discover that Owen is hiding a huge secret. The magnitude of his past threatens to destroy everything Auburn loves most, and the only way to get her life back on track is to cut Owen out of it—but can she do it?
For once, Auburn takes a chance and puts her heart in control, only to discover that Owen is hiding a huge secret. The magnitude of his past threatens to destroy everything Auburn loves most, and the only way to get her life back on track is to cut Owen out of it—but can she do it?
Here's the thing... New adult romances used to be my jam. I couldn't get enough of them. Now though... I'm super picky and I don't know if this one will be a hit with me.
The last two books I've read from Hoover were pretty meh to me. I gave them 3 stars.
Do you think I'll love this one?
Hello hello! I'm back with some more books that didn't really work for me, but might be winners for you.
Vow of Revenge by P. Rayne
My Rating - ★
Genre/Trope - New Adult Contemporary Romance / arranged marriage
POV - Dual
Length - 358 pages
Genre/Trope - New Adult Contemporary Romance / arranged marriage
POV - Dual
Length - 358 pages
BLURB: Nothing ruins a perfect day like your dead fiancé showing up in the middle of your first class.
Mirabella La Rosa
When my father arranged for me to marry the next in line to lead the Costa crime family, I swore I’d do anything to escape that fate. I have way more to offer my family than being some man’s arm candy, producing heirs, and making appearances at weddings and baptisms.
Marcelo Costa might be my fiancé, but he’ll never be my husband.
Somehow, I get lucky because he and his father are killed in a car bombing. Not only do I not have to go from being a mafia princess to a mafia wife, but now I can attend college at the Sicuro Academy—an affluent private college created for mafia children like me.
I’m so excited. I’ve moved into my dorm room with my best friend, put on the uniform and am ready to learn. But all my plans come to a screeching halt when he shows up on campus alive and well, seeking revenge on those that crossed him.
Marcelo Costa
The look of shock on my fiancée’s face when I walk into the classroom at the Sicuro Academy gives me more pleasure than it should.
Mirabella made it clear she didn’t want to marry me, and she’s a problem to be dealt with for sure. But now, she’s the smaller of my two problems.
The only reason I’m at the Sicuro Academy is because my investigation into the bomb that killed my father and almost took me out has led me here.
So I’ll allow Mirabella to stay at the academy while I track down my father’s murderer, but once I’ve brought that person to my own particular brand of justice I’ll remove her from campus and make her my wife.
And no amount of pleading on her part will change my mind.
I’m sorry Jess, but I quickly realized that this book isn’t for me. I loved the reviews I found for this book and grabbed it up real quick, but nah. It ain’t for me. The characters are too young, too entitled, too too too too much.
The Selkie Wife by Andie Beckham
My Rating - ★★
Genre/Trope - Paranormal Romance / instalove
POV - Dual
Length - 121 pages
Genre/Trope - Paranormal Romance / instalove
POV - Dual
Length - 121 pages
BLURB: From the deep, she's scented him: her perfect match.
On his bleakest night, Arran, a lighthouse keeper's son, encounters a beautiful stranger with a mysterious, glossy coat. Struck by her alluring magic and feral kinship with the ocean, Arran's trepidatiously-balanced life quickly descends into dreamy, passionate chaos.
One thing haunts him: he can't let his violent father find her.
As Arran's heart drifts toward the Selkie like a beacon, he learns the wild seal woman has plans of her own. Her startling proposition to give him a child is only the beginning. The selkie's powerful allure unlocks Arran's secret that could change everything.
I’m still unsure how I feel about this story. While I liked the concept of the selkie female finding her mate on land, I found it hard to engage with this book because of the writing style. I’m not a fan of reading in the present tense, so it kept throwing me off. However, I enjoyed the way this author captured these characters. Rose’s speech patterns and mannerisms were super cute and Arran’s naivete and vulnerability made him incredibly endearing.
Contempt by A. Zavarelli
My Rating - ★★
Genre/Trope - Contemporary Romance / amnesia + second chance
POV - Dual
Length - 554 pages
Genre/Trope - Contemporary Romance / amnesia + second chance
POV - Dual
Length - 554 pages
BLURB: Before the world knew me as a rock god, I was just the angry boy who stole her heart.
She was a good girl.
The forbidden fruit I wasn’t meant to taste.
Our stars were crossed, and fate had doomed us from the start.
She was promised to someone else.
I had her secret smiles.
Moments stolen in dark corners.
But I couldn’t have her future.
Destiny tore us apart, and all that remained was the ghost of her memory.
When she died, I did too.
But when I catch a glimpse of her five years later, alive and well, that love turns to hate as the bitter truth emerges.
She left me.
She lied.
And now, I’m going to make her pay.
I love the concept of this book. I can get behind a good amnesia/revenge plot. But I couldn’t really get behind the way this story was told. There were too many flashbacks and not enough answers. Even in the end, I’m still wondering why it was told this way. It didn’t make it more mysterious. It made it more annoying. Every time there was a flashback, I got irritated. Why? Because just when I thought the glimpse into the past would give me SOME FREAKING ANSWERS, I got nothing. What was the point???
In Some Sort of Happy, you’ll fall hard for tortured hero Sebastian right alongside feisty, down-on-her-luck Skylar Nixon, who’s returned to her small hometown to make a fresh start. Can she convince him to open his bruised and guarded heart?
In Some Sort of Crazy, you’ll laugh and swoon as Natalie Nixon finds herself falling head over heels for her adorably funny and sexy (but seriously commitment-phobic) childhood friend Miles. Will he get over his fear of forever in time to win her over?
In Some Sort of Love, you’ll meet hot bearded single dad Levi, whose devotion to his autistic son (not to mention his deliciously dirty mouth) steals Jillian Nixon’s heart. When he worries he can never give her enough time or attention, can she convince him he’s everything she’ll ever need?
────── ♔ ──────
Some Sort of Happy
Happy Crazy Love #1
Release - September 22, 2015
Genre/Trope - Contemporary Romance / friends to lovers
POV - Dual 1st person
Heat - 4 out of 5
Format - ebook
Length - 345 pages
My Rating: ★★★★★
Skylar Nixon. She’s even more beautiful than I remember. Ten years ago she was an impossible dream, and now she’s right here in front of me, offering everything I ever wanted.
But happiness never lasts, not for someone like me.
I have to protect us both.
****
Sebastian Pryce. He’s the most complicated, frustrating, beautiful man I’ve ever met, and my body craves his with a hunger I’ve never known.
My heart is his completely.
Why won’t he let me in?
This ended up being a re-read for me and I think I enjoyed it even more the second time around!
This book was truly a work of beauty. It was open and honest, heartwarming and endearing, and heartbreakingly real. I couldn't help but fall in love with these characters and their story and become invested in their happily ever after.
As much as I came to enjoy Skylar and her charming inner monologues, Sebastian was the one who mattered the most to me. How could he not when I found pieces of me in him? Although OCD manifests itself in different ways for different people, I really enjoyed this glimpse into a realistic character trying to cope with it.
This story was about two people at the cusp of starting over. The buildup of their increasing connection was altogether adorable, engaging, and hot damn can this author write erotic scenes! Sebastian and Skylar were so hot together and their chemistry was further proof of how they were destined to be. Each interaction was another testament to how beautiful and believable they were.
I loved how Melanie Harlow wrote this story. It was uncomfortably accurate and incredibly sensitive. I loved Skylar's easy acceptance of each of Sebastian's "quirks". How she supported him , helped to guide him, and simply loved him unconditionally. In all honesty, I cheered each time Sebastian overcame each of his self-imposed obstacles and I know that it was all due to the way the author phrased each scene and painted each picture. I was satisfied with where this couple ended up, even if I can't help but want more.
This book was truly a work of beauty. It was open and honest, heartwarming and endearing, and heartbreakingly real. I couldn't help but fall in love with these characters and their story and become invested in their happily ever after.
As much as I came to enjoy Skylar and her charming inner monologues, Sebastian was the one who mattered the most to me. How could he not when I found pieces of me in him? Although OCD manifests itself in different ways for different people, I really enjoyed this glimpse into a realistic character trying to cope with it.
This story was about two people at the cusp of starting over. The buildup of their increasing connection was altogether adorable, engaging, and hot damn can this author write erotic scenes! Sebastian and Skylar were so hot together and their chemistry was further proof of how they were destined to be. Each interaction was another testament to how beautiful and believable they were.
I loved how Melanie Harlow wrote this story. It was uncomfortably accurate and incredibly sensitive. I loved Skylar's easy acceptance of each of Sebastian's "quirks". How she supported him , helped to guide him, and simply loved him unconditionally. In all honesty, I cheered each time Sebastian overcame each of his self-imposed obstacles and I know that it was all due to the way the author phrased each scene and painted each picture. I was satisfied with where this couple ended up, even if I can't help but want more.
Some Sort of Crazy
Happy Crazy Love #2
Release - November 17, 2015
Genre/Trope - Contemporary Romance / friends to lovers
POV - Dual 1st person
Heat - 4 out of 5
Format - ebook
Length - 286 pages
My Rating: ★★★★
When a psychic tells Natalie Nixon her life is about to be upended by a mysterious stranger, she laughs it off. After all, she has everything she’s ever wanted—a successful bakery, a the perfect boyfriend, and the keys to her dream house.
Who could possibly make her want to throw all that away?
Then Miles Haas comes back to town.
But he’s no stranger—they’ve known each other since high school. Plus, he’s only around for the summer, he’s still a shameless playboy, and he makes a living writing articles for a men’s magazine with titles like 'Should You Bang the Boss’s Daughter? A Flowchart' and 'Butt Stuff for Beginners: A Field Guide.'
He’s not the man of her dreams, and she’s not about to abandon everything she’s worked so hard for just for a little fun. Except he makes her laugh like no one else, smells like heaven, and looks sexy as hell in those panty-melting glasses.
Natalie was a perfectionist while Miles took life as it came. They couldn’t be more different, but there was a reason why they were friends for so long. They simply got each other. If only Natalie would stop standing in her own way LOL. Seriously though, for all she knew, Miles was always going to be the playboy that she’d always known. It was hard for me to get behind him having real feelings for her at first, because of his denial. He was so used to living his life a certain way, but I’m so happy with the way the author wrote this story. Miles had to grow up some time and Natalie was the perfect woman for him. Actually, they were perfect for each other. She brought the serious while he brought the playful. And it was such a fun story to read!
Some Sort of Happy
Happy Crazy Love #3
Release - February 9, 2016
Genre/Trope - Contemporary Romance / second chance
POV - Dual 1st person
Heat - 3.5 out of 5
Format - ebook
Length - 281 pages
My Rating: ★★★1/2
From the outside looking in, I had it all—a career I loved, a supportive family, the Nixon metabolism but not the Nixon ears, and a salary that supported my lavish taste in designer shoes, fine wine, and lacy lingerie … but I had no one to share it with.
Until the day I ran into him—my one night stand from college with the crooked smile, let’s-get-out-of-here eyes, and dirty, dirty mouth.
Cute and cocky then, today Levi Brooks is six feet four inches of hot bearded fantasy. A sexy single dad with broad shoulders, strong hands, and a fantastically big … heart. (I mean, it’s massive. And generous. And it pumps so hard … um. Sorry. Lost my place.)
Being a good father means everything to him, but he's keeping me at a distance because he thinks I deserve someone better — a man who can give me more time, more attention, more of himself. He doesn’t believe he could ever be enough.
But he's wrong.
He’s everything.
While this wasn’t my favorite from this series, it was still an enjoyable read. I loved the whole Pine Sol inside joke. I loved how devoted Levi was to his son. I loved how much he and Jillian came to love each other. I didn’t like how fast everyone expected their lives to change or become meshed. And it was pretty quick. But I do love how the author gives these characters hurdles to overcome in order to find true happiness. These characters have to evolve, truly know themselves, in order to become part of something greater than they had ever known. And while this story didn’t turn out as sexy or intimate or sweet as the first two, it still had its moments and I’m a bit sad to let these people go.
At least I got all of the happy endings I was hoping for!
At least I got all of the happy endings I was hoping for!
Hello hello and welcome to another recap!
While April wasn't the greatest month for me, May has definitely seen me make somewhat of a comeback. I'm still not reading as much, but my mind is in a better place. I'm crotcheting again and am finding a peace I haven't known in a long time.
I've been using my downtime (some of it at least) to come up with new ideas for this blog. Activities that will keep me (and therefore you) engaged with it. So look out for my Throwback Thursday posts and I'll be doing sale posts again so we can all grab up those cheap AF kindle reads!
So my May reading was as follows...
There was a big standout this month: The Ember Glen Trilogy
I happened across a review of this trilogy by Jessica @Chatterbooks Book Blog and it drew me to one-click. I figured I couldn't go wrong because it was free with Kindle Unlimited. It was so much better than I expected and I recommend it to anyone who loves dystopian romance and darkness.
The other books I read and would recommend were:
I bought nothing. Aside from the few books I borrowed from the Kindle Unlimited library, I've kept my wallet closed. I hope I can continue this trend for the foreseeable future.
While April wasn't the greatest month for me, May has definitely seen me make somewhat of a comeback. I'm still not reading as much, but my mind is in a better place. I'm crotcheting again and am finding a peace I haven't known in a long time.
I've been using my downtime (some of it at least) to come up with new ideas for this blog. Activities that will keep me (and therefore you) engaged with it. So look out for my Throwback Thursday posts and I'll be doing sale posts again so we can all grab up those cheap AF kindle reads!
So my May reading was as follows...
Stats
Total Books Read: 9
Total Pages Read: 3227
Genres: Contemporary (2), Dark Romance (3), Fantasy (1), Paranormal (3)
From my TBR: 1
Avg. Rating: 3.89
Total Pages Read: 3227
Genres: Contemporary (2), Dark Romance (3), Fantasy (1), Paranormal (3)
From my TBR: 1
Avg. Rating: 3.89
All the Books
There was a big standout this month: The Ember Glen Trilogy
I happened across a review of this trilogy by Jessica @Chatterbooks Book Blog and it drew me to one-click. I figured I couldn't go wrong because it was free with Kindle Unlimited. It was so much better than I expected and I recommend it to anyone who loves dystopian romance and darkness.
The other books I read and would recommend were:
Edin by Lily Mayne
Special Kind of Twisted by Lani Lynn Vale
Secrets of Shooting Star Lake by Susanna Strom
Special Kind of Twisted by Lani Lynn Vale
Secrets of Shooting Star Lake by Susanna Strom
Added to my tbr
Book Haul
I bought nothing. Aside from the few books I borrowed from the Kindle Unlimited library, I've kept my wallet closed. I hope I can continue this trend for the foreseeable future.
I hope we find only the best reads in June!
Talk soon,
Talk soon,
xo, Natalie
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