Fish Stick Fridays was okay. It was kind of disappointing though because it had so much potential to be a really good book. I think the little girl, ZFish Stick Fridays was okay. It was kind of disappointing though because it had so much potential to be a really good book. I think the little girl, Zig, was the saving grace for this story. Without her, the book would have been a total bust. I wasn't able to connect with Deacon and Lang as a couple. There was nothing there to make them seem like they had a real relationship yet they were suddenly in love. I actually stopped and said, "wait, what" because it seemed so left field. We missed everything that should lead up to them having feelings and falling for each other. They met, they were a couple and in love. How? I liked that we were kept guessing for most of the book, as to who was causing the problems and who the main target was. Overall, I give Fish Stick Fridays 2.5 stars. It seems like there was a lot missing and the book was just an overview, highlighted the main things. I needed so much more from it and it was so disappointing that the opportunity was there but clearly missed.
Merged review:
Fish Stick Fridays was okay. It was kind of disappointing though because it had so much potential to be a really good book. I think the little girl, Zig, was the saving grace for this story. Without her, the book would have been a total bust. I wasn't able to connect with Deacon and Lang as a couple. There was nothing there to make them seem like they had a real relationship yet they were suddenly in love. I actually stopped and said, "wait, what" because it seemed so left field. We missed everything that should lead up to them having feelings and falling for each other. They met, they were a couple and in love. How? I liked that we were kept guessing for most of the book, as to who was causing the problems and who the main target was. Overall, I give Fish Stick Fridays 2.5 stars. It seems like there was a lot missing and the book was just an overview, highlighted the main things. I needed so much more from it and it was so disappointing that the opportunity was there but clearly missed....more
Re-Listen 03/17/2024 5 Stars! The Golden Dynasty is book 2 in the Fantasyland series. This book is about Circe and Dax Lahn. Circe is of another worldRe-Listen 03/17/2024 5 Stars! The Golden Dynasty is book 2 in the Fantasyland series. This book is about Circe and Dax Lahn. Circe is of another world and awakens in Korwahk. She is from Seattle, WA, USA and knows nothing of these people or this land in which she has appeared. She has caught the eye of the King and he decides to take her as his wife, but in doing so, he must forcibly take her, as is the way of these people. They do not share a language and cannot communicate verbally so she endures multiple assaults. I will say, it is hard to see the grape that Circe and other women endure, and at times it is hard to see it forgiven and rationalized, but it is good to see both sides of it to try to understand how the Korwahk warriors feel it is an honor and so forth. I adore the relationship that Circe and Lahn establish. I love them together. I wasn’t ready for it to end. This is one of my favorite series of all time and I really love these characters. I especially adore Dax Lahn. I even love Circe’s pet, Ghost, and her horse Zephyr. Book 1 is still my favorite but this is a close second.
The narration is really good. I highly recommend this as an audiobook. I own this book and the entire series in all of the formats, so I will absolutely read and listen to these books again. I have to mention though, I am not a fan of the new covers at all. They do not fit the series. I preferred the original covers.
Original Review 07/25/2016 I loved Circe and Lahn!! Great story. I didn't want to put this one down. Book one is still my favorite but this was close. ...more
Re-Listen 02/27/2024 Wildest Dreams is book 1 in the Fantasyland series. This is one of my favorite books/series. So much so that I have 1 dog and 2 cRe-Listen 02/27/2024 Wildest Dreams is book 1 in the Fantasyland series. This is one of my favorite books/series. So much so that I have 1 dog and 2 cats named after characters in the series. I have read and listened to it multiple times and own it on Kindle, Audible, and Paperback. I have to say, though, I really hate the new cover. It doesn’t match the book at all.
I convinced my mom to listen to this book and since she was starting it, I decided I would listen to it again so we could talk about it as she listens. It’s great how every time I enjoy this book, I notice something new and it never feels old or boring. “Beyond my wildest dreams”
The narration for this book is great!
Re-read 04/20/2017 I primarily listened to the audible for this re-read. I still love this book. The passion between Frey and Finnie is practically tangible, palpable. It made my stomach flutter. I again really enjoyed the world building. It felt like I was there, seeing it myself. Audible: The narrator did a phenomenal job. I would absolutely recommend this narration.
Original read 06/25/2016 I loved every minute of Wildest Dreams. It is an amazing and well written story! The descriptions of the world and people were so vivid, I could picture it all. The love story was tantalizing and I absolutely adored Frey and Finnie together. This book made me happy and I found myself smiling multiple times. Love Love LOVE Wildest Dreams. 5 stars is not enough. The one thing that was missing for me was an epilogue showing what happens next especially given the impending arrival....more
This is a great book. I read it on Kindle and got it through KU. I will be purchasing a hard copy though because it is really helpful. I love that eveThis is a great book. I read it on Kindle and got it through KU. I will be purchasing a hard copy though because it is really helpful. I love that every plant had a picture included. My favorite thing is that it includes whether the plant is safe for pets or not. That is the most important factor to me when selecting house plants so to see it at the top of every plant profile was super helpful. This is a great resource. ...more
I really liked From the Embers! I borrowed it on KU a while back but only just now got around to reading it. I’m disappointed that I waited so long beI really liked From the Embers! I borrowed it on KU a while back but only just now got around to reading it. I’m disappointed that I waited so long because this was a really good and captivating read, but I’m also glad I waited until the end of the year because it is nice to finish a year of books with a really good one. The twist at the end was excellent. It certainly surprised me. After I finished the book, I went through to see what other books the author has written so I can check out something else by her. I found that five and a half years ago, I read a book by her called The Fall Up. When I was remembering what it was about, I realized that the main characters from that book had a small part in this book. That was kind of cool. I think I will buy the From the Embers paperback for my home library because this is a book I would definitely read again some time. I’m also going to get it on audible since I typically listen to books. Overall, I am giving From the Embers 4.5 stars....more
Well, I am shocked. I was expecting some mediocre KU smut book but instead, I was very pleasantly surprised. Hot Life is a really good book with a gooWell, I am shocked. I was expecting some mediocre KU smut book but instead, I was very pleasantly surprised. Hot Life is a really good book with a good plot. This is the first book I have read by this author and it won’t be the last.
Hot Life is book 2 in the Hot Queens series. I saw an excerpt for this book on Tiktok and decided to get the book and try it. I didn’t pay attention to the fact that it isn’t the beginning of the story until I was already completely hooked on the book and didn’t want to put it down. I was able to read this book just fine without reading book 1, so it can standalone. That being said, now I really want to read more about these characters and see what happened to get them to where they are in this book so I will need to read book 1.
This is a polyamory MFM romance set in Georgia. The main male characters, Cedric and Desmond, are married to the main female character, Dorthea. Their pod (household/family unit) also includes Dorthea’s sister, Odette, and Odette’s wife, Caroline. Oh and I can’t forget their two dogs. Dorthea is pregnant through most of the book and the baby is all of theirs.
The only negative thing I have to say about this book is the author using the slur linked to Romani people. “We’re going to have to set a timer or something because I feel like I’m getting jipped out of my cuddles.” Racial slurs (even unintended as this likely was) are not the way to go and I know that jipped/gypped is one that many people don’t even realize the negative connotation until it is pointed out to them, but as an author or even an editor, those things should be avoided unless it is somehow necessary to the dialogue. For that reason, I dropped the overall rating from 5 stars to 4 stars.
The spicy level on this is 3.5/5 chili peppers. The swoon level is 4/5. It was very sweet.
This is a really good book. I definitely recommend it for those who like books about polyamory and spicy stuff. I’ll probably even read it again. ...more
Only One Bed is a cute MM romance novella. It is a best-friends to lovers story that takes place primarily over the course of a week from Christmas toOnly One Bed is a cute MM romance novella. It is a best-friends to lovers story that takes place primarily over the course of a week from Christmas to New Year’s Day. I borrowed this on KU and it was a good read. Perfect for Pride month.
Although, in this book, one of the characters determines that he is bisexual because he is attracted to and in love with his gay best-friend, it feels more like a GFY (gay for you) book. There was nothing else indicating any other male has ever even caught his eye, so I would be hesitant to recommend this as a “bisexual romance” type book.
This was a novella length story, only 110 pages. The writing was a bit choppy and disjointed at times. I would have liked for this to have been a full-length book. There was clearly enough there with the characters to do a lot more. I think that would have helped with the choppiness. The characters had great chemistry and their attraction was very clearly conveyed. The spicy scenes felt awkward though so this is a better romance read than a spicy read. I really liked the side characters as well as the main characters. It would have been nice to see more of everyone.
Overall, I enjoyed this book. I am rating it 4 stars. I am interested in reading the next book which features the brother of one of the main characters. ...more
No Rings Attached is book two in the Ms. Right series. This is a FF, fake relationship, friends to lovers book set in New York and England. There is aNo Rings Attached is book two in the Ms. Right series. This is a FF, fake relationship, friends to lovers book set in New York and England. There is also some heavy emotional stuff in this book. I actually got a little choked up at one point, which I love.
The two main characters were introduced in the prior book for this series. Lia is the best friend and roommate of Rosie, and she manages Rosie’s bookstore. She is bisexual. Lia is English but has been living in New York for many years at this point. Grace is Rosie’s other best friend. She is a lesbian and is American. She lives overseas and hasn’t been back to the states for a while due to some emotional stuff. In this book, Lia had to go back home to England for her brother’s wedding but due to her meddling family hassling her about being single and trying to set her up with an ex-boyfriend, she leads them to believe she has a girlfriend. Rosie reaches out to Grace and asks Grace if Grace will pretend to be Lia’s girlfriend for the weekend since Grace is currently living in England. And thus begins our story.
The author is a good story teller. I really enjoyed the book but for the story, not the romance. The romance was okay but I didn’t really feel the passion or connection. It is almost like women’s fiction with romance as an after fact. I liked the characters a lot. I love all of the roommates and friends. I guessed the twist early on. As soon as I heard what the emotional issue was for Grace, I knew what would end up being the twist. Even though it was predictable, it was still a good story. The author writes well and the book seems well edited. The only big complaint I have is the same from book 1. Why are the people of color introduced the way they are? In this book, this is how the black doctor was introduced: “Grace lifted her head to see a young Black man in a white coat.” It is just weird to me because every time some other random character is introduced, the author doesn’t say, “a white woman walked in the door” or anything like that. It is only with black people.
Overall, I am giving this book 4.5 stars but rounding to 4 for the above reasons. ...more
Read Between the Lines is the first book in the Ms. Right series. I found the book on KU. Book 2 sounds more my jam because I am a HUGE fan of the fakRead Between the Lines is the first book in the Ms. Right series. I found the book on KU. Book 2 sounds more my jam because I am a HUGE fan of the fake relationship trope, but my OCD made me decide to start from book 1. Read Between the Lines is about 29/30 year old, bookstore owner, Rosie, and 35 year old, Property Developer/Author Jane/Brie. It has a bit of a hate to lovers trope.
This book was super cute and entertaining. I liked the main characters and the side characters, especially Rosie's dog, Brinkley, and Jane's sister Amy. The roommates were wonderful. I absolutely loved the support they had for each other and their relationship. My favorite thing is that we didn't have any typical mean girl behavior or ridiculous drama.
The reason that I am only giving this book 3 stars is because I never felt anything reading this book. It all felt so surface value with 'this' is the emotion being felt at the time but the actual feelings never conveyed. This was the same with their relationship. We were basically told the connection was there, but I never saw or felt any chemistry between our two main characters. So while, it was a good story, I didn't get what I want from romance books, which is a happy, giddy feeling of watching two people fall in love and experience the butterflies with them and all that.
One thing that bothered me in this book was that we met multiple people throughout this book and none of these people were introduced with their ethnicity or skin color until one person:
"...was deep in conversation with another friend Jane had been introduced to tonight, a Black woman named Shanice."
That didn't sit well with me. I don't know if that was the author's attempt of diversifying her book or what was up with that but it felt icky and low key unintentionally racist. This was my first time reading this author so I don't know if it was a one off thing or if this is how all people of color are introduced in her books. I guess I will find out when I read book 2.
Overall, this was a cute story. I loved the characters but wished I would have been able to emotionally connect with them and their situations. I listened to part of the book on audible as well. The narration was a 3.5/5 for me. ...more
The Reckoning is book 3 in the Zodiac Academy series. It picks up right where the last book left off. Overall, I am giving this book 2.5 stars. Hear mThe Reckoning is book 3 in the Zodiac Academy series. It picks up right where the last book left off. Overall, I am giving this book 2.5 stars. Hear me out though…
The Reckoning is 561 pages long. It could have easily been written in 150 pages. This book didn’t do much to further the plot. There was a lot of filler and it started to feel very recycled from the first two books. I ended up skimming some of the parts. After 3 books, we aren’t further than 3 or 4 weeks in total. I love reading series and I don’t mind if they are many books long, if the books have purpose. I really hate when it feels like books are stretched out just to lengthen the series and drag the reader along. I sometimes wonder if it is just to attempt to get more money from the reader. Thankfully, I am reading these on KU. There is so much back and forth happening in the course of the week this book covers that it seemed like the authors were just throwing in whatever they could to boost the word count. I read for escape and enjoyment, but I don’t like my time being wasted.
As I’ve said in my reviews of books 1 and 2, I struggle with the writing. The fact that the authors have these American raised girls using words and phrases from the UK is absurd. They are talking about wearing smart shirts and pants. One of their American foster parents was talking about the girls in the “garden” when she meant backyard. Etc. Etc. Then, in this book, Caleb, a Solarian knows about the movie Grease enough to banter about the movie characters with Tory. It is very weird. There is also a lot of telling, as though the reader is not smart enough to figure things out. For example, rather than just saying an action that is happening, the authors explained, because of my ____ power meaning I have the ability to _____, I need to ____. We are well aware of the heirs’ powers at this point.
The premise is super interesting and exciting with the lost twins returning and potentially taking their places on the throne. The authors are great at keeping us guessing and wanting to find out what will happen next. They are strong with describing scenery and situations. The world building is good. That being said, I realized during this book, that I can’t really picture any of the main characters, outside of Darcy’s hair and Caleb’s hair. I wish they were as good as painting an image of a character as they are the campus. We mostly just hear about their clothes.
The characterization is inconsistent and there is no character growth in this book. Situations are contrived based on whatever is needed for the particular scene. And what’s up with Diego? “I thought you were different,” he said slowly. “But you’re just like your whore of a sister, pining after bastardos who treat you like dirt and who only give you a second look because you’d drop onto your knees for them any time they liked. Es patético.” He spouts that to the girls and they still worry about him and want to make sure he gets through the reckoning? Ridiculous. He may have been on to something. The girls are acting pathetic.
I’m starting to dislike Tory. I’m about over her hatred of Darius since it is clear that they have a connection. I would understand if the twins hated the guys for almost killing Tory, cutting off Darcy’s hair, and all of the other horrible treatment they have received, but they keep going back and forth. You either hate them or you don’t. It is hard to believe that in the span of a week, they can be tortured, then want to hook up with the guys, then be tortured again, lather, rinse, repeat.
Geraldine is my favorite character right now and I also like Darcy. Caleb is not bad, and I am warming to Seth. Lance is pretty good and Darius has potential. I am hoping we see more of Xavier because I like him a lot.
I enjoyed the trials and the Reckoning, but I was expecting a lot more from the Reckoning. For all of the lead up, it was underwhelming.
We finally learned their order in this book! We didn’t learn it until the very end though.
I’m pretty annoyed that the 7 of them haven’t been able to figure out that together they could be more powerful and could easily dethrone the council and destroy Lionel.
I will read book 4 and I think that will help me determine if I will continue the series. I just really hope I feel like it goes somewhere and isn’t just more of the same things we’ve seen in the first 3 books. ...more
Ruthless Fae is book 2 in the Zodiac Academy series. I am reading this series at the recommendation of a friend and I am reading through KU.
My favoriRuthless Fae is book 2 in the Zodiac Academy series. I am reading this series at the recommendation of a friend and I am reading through KU.
My favorite line from the book: “I'm not a part of any pack. So go alph-uck yourself.” That made me crack up.
Overall, I give this book 4 stars. I might have given it more, but the writing bothered me, and I felt that it needed an additional round with an editor and proofreader. One thing that really bothers me about the writing is that the author is clearly from the UK, but the main characters are not. They are from America. The spelling is all UK spelling, which I can mostly look past. What I can't look past is the dialogue. When you have American characters talking about distance in kilometers, smart suits & smart dress, playsuits (I had to google that one), a football pitch (instead of field), etc., it just doesn't work. The author should have made Darcy and Tory British based on how they communicate. Either do the research or stick with what you know.
I am definitely hooked on the story now. I am going to be continuing on to book 3 to find out what happens next. I still think the council heirs are terrible, but I am seeing a bit of redemption for Caleb, Darius, and maybe a little for Seth. Max could be killed off soon for all I care, except maybe that would make me sad for his dad who thus far seems somewhat decent. I refuse to read the blurbs for these books or any of the reviews until after I finish, so I am really not sure what direction things will go. I'm anxious to find out who the twins will end up with. I have predictions. I am also a fan of polyamory and RH, so that would make me happy too.
One final thing I will say about this book, is the author is very creative and has kept me very captivated. I did not want to put this book down and was reading much past when I typically fall asleep....more
The Awakening is book one in the Zodiac Academy series. I am reading this series at the behest of my friend. I am not a fan of bully books for the mosThe Awakening is book one in the Zodiac Academy series. I am reading this series at the behest of my friend. I am not a fan of bully books for the most part. Some are good but they just aren't my jam. My friend told me that if I stick with it through this book and book 2 that I will really enjoy the series so that is what I am doing.
The premise is really interesting and the world building is good. The bullying is OTT though and the fact that it is normal and acceptable for people to behave this way at the academy is off putting.
That aside, I am kind of hooked already and looking forward to finding out what happens next for Darcy and Tory. Hopefully the heirs have something awful happen to them in return. If not, I will be disappointed.
The writing was a bit odd. The main characters were supposed to have been raised American, yet the author wrote using UK spelling and with UK terms and slang. It didn't fit. I noticed some errors too, which surprises me that they haven't been corrected in the kindle file yet seeing how popular this book was.
I'm definitely starting book 2 next. I'm reading these on KU. This is the first book that I have read with my eyes in many months. I usually listen to audiobooks these days. 3.25 Stars....more
June 10, 2023: He Made Me Stay is a Novella length book. It is a YA MM emotional romance that deals with suicidal ideation. It is only 2 hours and 12 mJune 10, 2023: He Made Me Stay is a Novella length book. It is a YA MM emotional romance that deals with suicidal ideation. It is only 2 hours and 12 minutes in duration. I originally read He Made Me Stay 2.5 years ago, in December of 2020. I loved it then and I love it now. This time around I listened to the audiobook.
This book is about 17/18 year old Jasper and 18 year old Kit. Jasper is depressed after his twin brother, Julian, died in a car accident a few months prior. On the day that Jasper has decided to end it all and join his brother again, he meets Kit and it forces him to delay his plans because he promises to help Kit at school for the day. This book made me cry more than once. It is emotional and hearing the narrator putting emotion into his voice made it pack an even bigger punch.
I really like the writing style and I love that this author really makes the story come alive in my head with how descriptive she is and how well she paints the picture.
The narration was spot on. This narrator did a great job.
Overall, I give this book 5 stars. I will definitely listen to it again....more
Callan’s Atlas is book 3 in the Brigs Ferry Bay series. This series is co-written by K Webster and Misty Walker, with each author writing their own boCallan’s Atlas is book 3 in the Brigs Ferry Bay series. This series is co-written by K Webster and Misty Walker, with each author writing their own books for the series. All of the books, at least this far, are set in a town in Maine called Brigs Ferry Bay.
So far there is: Book 1 - Sheriff’s Secret written by K Webster Book 1.5 - Bossy Mr. Frosty written by K Webster Book 2 - Kian’s Focus written by Misty Walker Book 2.5 - Adler’s Hart written by Misty Walker Not part of this series but loosely connected is - Shift of Morals by K Webster (MM PRN Shifter) Book 3 - Callan’s Atlas written by K Webster
Callan’s Atlas is about Callan Kincaid and Atlas Larson. For those who read book 1 in this series, you will remember Callan as Dante’s little brother. Atlas is new to the series. He is Deputy Brie Larson’s older brother, and he has now joined the BFB Sheriff’s office. This book is MM and has an age gap.
I won’t give any details regarding the story itself, but I will say that I loved this book. I couldn’t put it down. I stayed up way past my bedtime reading and only closed my kindle when my eyes were too blurry to continue but then I ended up waking up super early and reading in bed until I finished the book. Not only did this book keep me on the edge of my seat at times, but it was also super hot. Like 5 out of 5 flames hot. I liked these characters a lot. I became very absorbed in their lives and invested in their wellbeing.
Although, technically, these books can be read as standalone, I really recommend starting at the beginning and working through them in order. I feel like it is more fulfilling and rewarding that way.
I recommend this book and the whole series so far. I am looking forward to book 4 being released. That book will be Leif’s Serenity, written by Misty Walker. ...more
I have been meaning to read this author for a while but I’ve been listening to audiobooks almost exclusively the past year, so Kian’s Focus is the firI have been meaning to read this author for a while but I’ve been listening to audiobooks almost exclusively the past year, so Kian’s Focus is the first book that I have read by her. It definitely won’t be the last. This book knocked my socks off! I loved it. I hated each time I had to put it down and couldn’t wait to get back to it. Now, over a day later, I still can’t stop thinking of the main characters, Kian and Archer. Reading this book was such a delicious escape from reality. I was so completely captivated by everything.
We are introduced to one of the main characters, Kian, in Sheriff’s Secret, book 1 of the Brigs Ferry Bay series, written by K Webster. After reading that book, I was really looking forward to reading more about him and getting his story. And now we have it! Each book in this series is standalone so you can read them in any order.
I don’t want to give anything about the story away beyond the fact that this is a MM romance, so I’ll talk a bit about the writing. It is very well written. The author painted a full picture with her words. Everything was so authentic and genuine, down to the most subtle of details. Nothing seemed contrived. What the author wanted to convey about a particular moment, came through the page clearly. When there was an awkward moment happening between characters, not only was the dialogue awkward, but their body language and movements were as well. I felt awkward with them.
The characters' thoughts, insecurities, decisions, etc. were all so relatable. The characters felt real, and I really wanted to see them succeed. The character development was spot on and done so organically. The relationship building was beautiful. I could have spent several hundred more pages with them, watching everything unfold and I still wouldn’t be tired of them.
There were some sad things in Kian’s Focus…some very sad…but it was balanced so well with flirty and fun. Even through the storm, we could see the rainbow peeking through. My favorite thing was that there was the perfect amount of wit and humor included where I laughed out loud multiple times. Some themes of this book are perseverance, resilience, strength, love, loss, loyalty, and faith.
So although I won’t be going into detail about what happens in Kian’s Focus, I will say that the journey this book takes you on will be worth it and you will be left feeling full and satisfied. And for those needing a bit of a sneak peek, I will also say, this book is FIRE. There are some scorching hot scenes meant for adult eyes only. I highly recommend Kian’s Focus. 5 stars....more
Loading...
