Author: Casee

Monthly Reads: February 2024

Posted March 7, 2024 by Casee in Features | 7 Comments

It’s a new month so we’re back with a list of our Monthly Reads to share with each of you. This is where you’ll see what each of us has read and what our favorite books and our least favorite books of the month are. Check it out.

Casee

I didn’t read much in February. Most were rereads on audio. I only had one non-reread.

Kissed by a Dark Prince (Eternal Mates #1) by Felicity Heaton | 3 out of 5
Play of Passion (Psy-Changeling #9)(reread)(audio) by Nalini Singh | 4.25 out of 5
Kiss of Snow (Psy-Changeling #10)(reread)(audio) by Nalini Singh | 4.75 out of 5
Tangle of Need (Psy-Changeling #11)(reread)(audio) by Nalini Singh | 4 out of 5
Heart of Obsidian (Psy-Changeling #12)(reread)(audio) by Nalini Singh | 5 out of 5
Shield of Winter (Psy-Changeling #13)(reread)(audio) by Nalini Singh | 4.75 out of 5

Holly

February was a strange month for me. I didn’t have much time to read until I spent a long weekend away with my family. Then I binge-read 5 books. I love weekends like that.

The Hook Up (Game On #1) by Kristen Callihan (reread) | 4.5 out of 5
A Heart of Blood and Ashes (A Gathering of Dragons #1) by Milla Vane (reread) | 4 out of 5
The Nightmare in Him (Devil’s Cradle #2) by Suzanne Wright (audio) | 3.75 out of 5
Mother Faker (The Momcoms #1) by Brittanee Nicole | 3.5 out of 5
Speak of the Demon (Deals with Demons #2) by Stacia Stark (audio) | 4 out of 5
Dance with the Demon (Deals with Demons #2) by Stacia Stark (audio) | 4 out of 5
Inner Demons (Deals with Demons #3) by Stacia Stark (audio) | 4 out of 5
Luck of the Demon (Deals with Demons #4) by Stacia Stark (audio) | 4 out of 5
Demons Advocate (Deals with Demons #5) by Stacia Stark (audio) | 4 out of 5
The Princess Bride by S. Morgenstern and William Goldman (reread) | 5 out of 5
The House Witch 2 (The house Witch #2) by Delemhach (audio) | 3.75 out of 5
The House Witch 3 (The house Witch #3) by Delemhach (audio) | 3.75 out of 5
Good Boy (WAGs #1) by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy (audio) (reread) | 4.5 out of 5
Stay (WAGs #2) by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy (audio) (reread) | 4.25 out of 5
Our Secret Song (For Love and Rock #1) by Emily Childs (reread) | 4 out of 5
Forsaken Mate (Shifted Fates #1) by Vasilisa Drake | 3.25 out of 5
Forgotten Queen (Shifted Fates #2) by Vasilisa Drake | 2.75 out of 5
Fatal Goddess (Shifted Fates #3) by Vasilisa Drake | DNF/1.5 out of 5

My favorite read of the month was the Deals with Demons series. I’m not sure which book was my favorite, but the series as a whole was really well done and kept me glued to the pages. My least favorite read was Fatal Goddess by Vasilisa Drake. I ended up DNF’ing it 59% through because the characters were all TSTL.

Giveaway Alert

So…what was your favorite read of the month? And your least favorite? Use the Gleam Widget to enter! Good luck!


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Books to Binge On: March 2024

Posted March 6, 2024 by Casee in Features | 2 Comments

Books to Binge On

Our Books to Binge On feature is pretty simple in its purpose. Every month, we put together a monthly new releases list of books that we’re all looking forward to. These are the books that we can’t wait to read and want everyone to add to their monthly binge-reading lists. Here are the books that we plan to binge on in March of 2024.


Storms and Secrets (Haven Brothers #2) by Claire Kingsley

He’s always loved her. Now he’ll fight to save her.
Zachary Haven is living a lie.

He’s stuck in a rut, pretending to hate the woman he’s always loved. He didn’t mean for things to turn out that way. But sometimes life gets out of control, especially when you’re young and stupid.

Not that he ever had a chance with her. She’s gorgeous and smart, talented and kind. And Zachary? He can’t seem to keep himself out of trouble.

Marigold Martin just met the man of her dreams.

Blowing into her life like a storm, he sweeps her off her feet. She can’t help but wonder if he’s the one. He’s a dream in a bespoke suit—and he says he wants her heart.

But nothing is as it seems.

A brush with death wakes Zachary up to the reality of his life. And his feelings for Marigold. He’s determined to make her his—convince her they were always meant to be.

But secrets run deep, and Zachary fears the man who’s after Marigold could be more than a romantic rival.

He could be the devil himself.

And Zachary might be too late to save her.

Casee: I love a good Claire Kingsley.


When He Dares (Olympus Pride #6) by Suzanne Wright

Get painfully rejected by true mate. Check.
Join a website for shifters seeking an arranged mating. Check.
Schedule a meeting with a prospective match. Check.

Quinley Bevan doesn’t expect to get smacked in the face by intense sexual chemistry during the meeting, but Isaiah Hale—dark, masculine, rugged—sets off all her hormonal fireworks. More, as a dominant shifter, the enforcer pulls at her submissive nature and calls to her inner cat. Both his power and stabilizing strength are plain drugging.

Their agreement is pretty standard: If they don’t imprint on each other within two years, they’ll dissolve the mating. But with his cat holding back, danger lurking around corners, and her true mate making a reappearance, things might be more complicated than they bargained for.

When he first joined Find Your Match . com, Isaiah wasn’t confident he’d be paired with someone who truly fit him. But he feels a kinship with Quinley. The healer stirs up his protective instincts and ticks his every box. He always envisioned that he’d mate a fellow dominant, but this submissive healer pulls him in like no other.
Still, he doesn’t expect to feel possessive of her so fast—she’s a relative stranger. But as soon as he puts the claiming brand on her neck, everything in him screams Mine.

His cat, though, doesn’t view her as its mate. The animal is still angry at being unable to have the female it was predestined to claim. But when Quinley’s own fated mate comes sniffing around and she becomes a target of their enemies, the cat is finally in agreement with Isaiah on one vital thing: Quinley belongs to them now, and they’ll never let her go.

Casee: I’m really excited about the arranged mating trope.

Holly:


The Witch Queen of Halloween (Immortals After Dark #18.5) by Kresley Cole

A demon soldier of fortune . . .
Rök Kours dives into a dangerous job, only to cross swords with the one woman who bewitched him.

A Wiccan mercenary . . .
Poppy Dyer has never let her uncontrollable magic interfere with her work, but she can barely withstand one demon’s charms.

Trapped in a terrifying lair.
If the two rivals can defeat Halloween’s worst nightmares to escape a haunted castle, can they overcome their pasts to claim a future together?

Casee: A little disappointed that this is a novella.


An Accident Waiting to Dragon (Brimstone Inc. #6) by Abigail Owen

It’s not the heat…it’s the pixie dust.

The day her brother died, Gwendolyn Moonsoar fled from her veil of pixies. Grief drove her away, but a broken heart made her stay gone for good. Lucky for Gwen, Brimstone Inc. was there to break her fall. Now, as a special courier transporting the most valuable and dangerous items of the supernatural world, Gwen is good at her job. Damn good. After all, disappearing is her specialty.

Dragon shifter Asher Kato will always be haunted by his best friend Goran’s death. Although a promise he made gave him no choice, Asher will never forgive himself for the role he played…or the fallout it caused with Goran’s younger sister, Gwen. Burying himself in his role as second-in-command of the blue dragons is his only escape. Unfortunately, the peace they fought so hard for isn’t meant for a warrior like him. So, when a courier transporting a rare basilisk egg goes missing, Asher volunteers to track her down.

Except Asher’s mission leads him straight into the arms of the one pixie who would rather vanish forever than spend a single second with him…

Casee: I don’t know how I missed this series. I’m really looking forward to giving it a try.

What books are you looking forward to reading this month? Share in the comments!


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What Are You Reading? (668)

Posted February 9, 2024 by Casee in Features | 3 Comments

Casee

I’ve tried to read a few books this week, but nothing has really held my attention. I started A Promise of Ashes (The Thornheart Trials #5) by Sherilee Gray, but it didn’t really hold my attention. I started The Wicked in Me (Devil’s Cradle #1) by Suzanne Wright. It is really interesting so I think I’m going to stick with it.

I’m still reread the Psy-Changeling series by Nalini Singh. I’m currently listening to Kiss of Snow (Psy-Changeling #10). I love Hawke and Sienna.

Holly

I reread Good Boy and Stay by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy, then started listening to The Princess Bride by S. Morgenstern/William Goldman, one of my forever favorites.

I started The Devil in Him (Devil’s Cradle #3) by Suzanne Wright and I plan to listen to The House Witch 3 next.

What are you reading this week? Any new favorites or books that drove you crazy? Share!


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Worst of 2023: The Books

Posted January 22, 2024 by Casee in Features | 2 Comments

It’s that time of year (a little late) for us to share our least favorite books of 2023. Thanks for joining us this month as we reflect on our favorite (and least favorite) books!

Casee

Smoke and Steel (Wild West MC #2) by Kristen Ashley: This book was not just a big no from me, it was a hell the fuck no. I read in a review that there was domestic abuse, but I decided to read it anyway. Big mistake. I hated this book.

Hemy (Walk of Shame #2) by Victoria Ashley: I’m all for male strippers, but this just went over the top for me.

Wolf Marked (Magic Side: Wolf Bound #1) by Veronica Douglas: I read about half this one and honestly don’t remember why I DNFed it. It was that forgettable.

Pestilence (The Four Horsemen #1) by Laura Thalassa: I tried to like this one. The premise is so interesting, but I couldn’t see how the “hero” could be redeemable. Just no.

Dragon Heat (Air Dragons #1) by Charlene Hartnady: This book sounded so good, but all the exclamation points took me out of the story each time!

Holly

Loverboy (The Company #2) by Sarina Bowen: I am a huge Sarina Bowen fan usually, but this book was a hot mess. As much as I love her contemporary and sports romances, I don’t think her strength is romantic suspense.

The Dark Elf’s Surprise Baby (Secret Babies for Prothekan #2) by Celeste King: I’m actually disappointed in myself for this one. He was physically aggressive with her and acted like a controlling, jealous abuser. Do not recommend.

When He’s Ruthless (Olympus Pride #4) by Suzanne Wright: I read a lot of Wright in 2023, to include many re-reads of this series. But I had to DNF this book. The FMC was immature and acted like a child for most of the book. The pranks were immature and overall I felt very old reading it. Your mileage may vary.

Icebreaker (Maple Hills #1) by Hannah Grace: Another book with immature main characters. They blew hot and cold and, in general, acted like teenagers. I DNF’d at 30%.

Spring Breeze by Lily Alexander: I initially rated this book 3.5 out of 5, but the more I thought about it the more I realized it didn’t deserve more than 2 out of 5. The romance was boring and the rest was pretty silly. I only kept reading because I was curious what would happen with the family drama (and in the end I was disappointed in the resolution for that, too).


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Best of 2023: The Authors

Posted January 19, 2024 by Casee in Features | 1 Comment

Casee

Suzanne Wright: Suzanne Wright was a new-to-me author in 2023. Her books are so engaging that I had difficulty finding books to read after I glommed her backlist. I was just pulled in every single time. I’m generally not someone that re-reads books, but I’ve re-read almost all her books.

J.T. Geissinger: J.T. Geissinger was also a new-to-me author this year. I’m not a fan of mafia stories and didn’t know that I had picked one up. Her writing is so good that I decided I had to have more. I love her.

Sherilee Gray: Yet another new-to-me author. Sherilee Gray writes in almost every genre and I couldn’t get enough.

Lucy Score: Lucy Score has been a favorite of mine for years, but I really feel like this year, she really shined.

Georgia Lynn Hunter: And my last new-to-me author on this list. Her books reminded me of Sherilee Gray and I was thrilled to find another author that I loved.

Honorable Mentions: Nalini Singh and Victoria Ashley.

Holly

Ilona Andrews: The GOAT. I adore this duo. There’s nothing they’ve written that I don’t love. Sigh.

Suzanne Wright: I’ve read Wright for years, but I really binged her books this year. I love her blend of strong female leads, supportive (yet alpha) males and humor/drama. These aren’t light books, per se, but they leave me feeling happy every time.

Michelle Manus: I don’t love all the books I’ve read by Manus, but I can’t deny that I always finish them wanting more. The Nyx Fortuna series in particular is addicting and beloved.

Lucy Score: Another author I binge-read in 2023. I absolutely adored several of her books. While I didn’t love every single title, I know what to expect when I pick up one of her books.

Kenley Davidson: This was a new-to-me author in 2024. She has a giant backlist and I found it easy to fall into her books. The fairytale feel hit just right with me this year. Fair warning, the spice level is nil, but I found I didn’t mind since the stories were engaging.

Honorable Mentions: Dianne Duvall and Rachel Bach.


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