Casee: Holy crap. I read 21 books in August. I blame Meghan March and A.L. Jackson. I listened to quite a few audiobooks. 15 to be exact. That definitely upped my read count.

More of You by A.L. Jackson (audio) | 3.75 out of 5
Diamond Fire by Ilona Andrews | 3.75 out of 5
Natural Witch by K.F. Breene (audio) | 4 out of 5
White Knight by Meghan March (audio) | 4 out of 5
Dirty Billionaire by Megan March (audio) | 3.75 out of 5
All of Me by A.L. Jackson | 4 out of 5
Dirty Pleasures by Meghan March (audio) | 3.75 out of 5
Dirty Together by Meghan March (audio) | 3.75 out of 5
Cold-Hearted Rake by Lisa Kleypas (audio)
Lies by Kylie Scott | DNF
Real Dirty by Meghan March (audio) | 4 out of 5
Blood Truth by J.R. Ward | 4 out of 5
Ruthless King by Meghan March (audio) | 3.5 out of 5
Real Sexy by Meghan March (audio) | 4 out of 5
Defiant Queen by Meghan March (audio) | 4 out of 5
Beyond Scandal and Desire by Lorraine Heath (audio) | 3.5 out of 5
Sinful Empire by Meghan March (audio) | 4 out of 5
The Whole30 by Melissa Hartwig | 5 out of 5
Dark Illusion by Christine Feehan | 4.25 out of 5
Pieces of Us by A.L. Jackson (audio) | 4 out of 5
Show Me the Way by A.L. Jackson (audio) | 4.25 out of 5.

I was really disappointed that I had to DNF Lies by Kylie Scott. I had high hopes for that book. That was my least favorite of the month for sure. Show Me the Way by A.L. Jackson was my favorite book in August. I really, really liked that one a lot. Close second is Dark Illusion by Christine Feehan.

Holly: I really wanted August to be a better month than July, but life got in the way (as it tends to do). I didn’t read nearly as much as I wanted to. I managed to read 25 books, but 2 were DNF’s, 1 I read twice and most of the rest were read toward the latter part of the month.

Bayou Born by Hailey Edwards | 4.25 out of 5
Bone Driven by Hailey Edwards | 3.75 out of 5
Kill the Queen by Jennifer Estep | 4.25 out of 5
Sweet Heat by Zuri Day | 3.25 out of 5
Marry Me by Jo Goodman | 3.5 out of 5
Royally Yours by Emma Chase (audio) | 4 out of 5
The Governess Affair by Courtney Milan | 3.75 out of 5
The Darkling Bride by Laura Andersen (audio) | DNF
Never Have I Ever by Lauren Blakely (audio) | 4.5 out of 5
Good Girl by Lauren Layne (audio) | 1 out of 5
Hot as Puck by Lili Valente (audio) | 3.5 out of 5
Trade Me by Courtney Milan (audio) | 3.75 out of 5
The Cursed by Alyssa Day (audio)| 3 out of 5
The Witch of Willow Hall by Hester Fox | DNF
Repeat by Kylie Scott (audio) (reread) | 5 out of 5
Quiet Man by Kristen Ashley | 4 out of 5
The Will by Kristen Ashley (reread) | 4 out of 5
Soaring by Kristen Ashley (reread) | 4 out of 5
Mystery Man by Kristen Ashley (reread) | 3 out of 5
Broken Dove by Kristen Ashley (reread) | 3.5 out of 5
Complicated by Kristen Ashley (reread) | 4 out of 5
The Iron Duke by Meljean Brook (audio) (reread) | 4.5 out of 5
Down London Road by Samantha Young (reread) | 4.5 out of 5
Castle Hill by Samantha Young (reread) | 4 out of 5
Repeat by Kylie Scott (reread) | 5 out of 5

My favorite read of the month was Never Have I Ever by Lauren Blakely, one of the best contemporary romances I’ve read this year. Honorable mentions go to Bayou Born by Hailey Edwards (I really enjoyed the fresh take on UF and I’m really looking forward to the rest of the series) and Kill the Queen by Jennifer Estep.

My least favorite was Good Girl by Lauren Layne. If I could set that book on fire without melting my Kindle, I totally would.

Rowena: August was a really busy month for me. I got a promotion at work and I’m still working through trying to figure out a system for me to juggle work stuff and personal/blog stuff since I usually blog from work. I haven’t quite managed to figure it out but I’m sure I will soon, I’m close. My Dad was also admitted for emergency surgery for his dialysis port last week so I’ve been juggling a new position at work and being at the hospital to deal with my Dad’s medical issues since our US Healthcare system is a total piece of shit. I didn’t read loads this month because I’ve been emotionally exhausted for most of the month.

Here’s what I read in August:

The Wallflower Wager (Girl Meets Duke #3) by Tessa Dare (eARC) | 4.25 out of 5
Never Have I Ever by Lauren Blakely (Audiobook) | 4.5 out of 5
The Kingpin of Camelot (A Kinda Fairytale #3) by Cassandra Gannon (Audiobook) | 4.25 out of 5
The Duchess in His Bed (Sins for All Seasons #5) by Lorraine Heath (eARC) | 4.25 out of 5
The Iron Duke (Iron Seas #1) by Meljean Brook (eBook) | 4 out of 5
Coming Up Roses by Staci Hart (eBook) | 3.75 out of 5
Sapphire Flames (Hidden Legacy #4) by Ilona Andrews (eARC) | 4.25 out of 5
Kill the Queen (Crown of Shards #1) by Jennifer Estep (eBook) | 4.25 out of 5

My favorite read of the month goes to Never Have I Ever by Lauren Blakely. That book was so good. I adored the romance, the hero, the heroine and her relationship with the hero’s kids. This was the single Dad romance that I’ve been wanting for a long time now.

My least favorite read of the month goes to Coming Up Roses by Staci Hart and it’s not because I didn’t enjoy the book. I just enjoyed it less than the other books that I read.

Giveaway Alert

Three lucky winners will choose their prize (one book) from any of the books we logged this month. If you want to be entered to win, leave a comment on this post telling us what your favorite – and least favorite – reads of the month were.

Monthly Reads: August 2019

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

The end of summer is almost upon us and the end of the year is right behind that. Goodness gracious, time needs to slow down. We still have so many hot damn books to read. The month of July was filled with lots of fun in the sun and loads of books! Here’s how we did in the month of July.

Casee: Thank Gawd for audiobooks. If I hadn’t listened to books in July, I would have read a measly three books. I don’t even know how that’s possible. I read a total of eight books, which is pretty sad.

Fire Inside by Kristen Ashley | 4 out of 5
Walk Through Fire by Kristen Ashley | 4 out of 5
Complicated by Kristen Ashley (audiobook) | 4.25 out of 5
Hard Sell by Lauren Layne (audiobook) | 4.25 out of 5
Wild Like the Wind by Kristen Ashley | 4.25 out of 5
How to Date Your Dragon by Molly Harper (audiobook) | 3.75 out of 5
Huge Deal by Lauren Layne (audiobook) | 4 out of 5
Like the Wind by J. Bengtsson | 3.5 out of 5
Black Sheep by Meghan March (audiobook) | 3.75 out of 5

My favorites of the month were Complicated by Kristen Ashley and Hard Sell by Lauren Layne. I enjoyed all the books I read in July, so I don’t have a least favorite for the month.

Holly: I started out the month really strong, so I set an unofficial goal to read 1 book each day in July. Unfortunately life got in the way and I wasn’t able to do that, but I still managed 22, so I’m not complaining. Much.

Long Shot by Kennedy Ryan (SRC) | 3.75 out fof 5
Games of the Heart by Kristen Ashley (reread) | 4 out of 5
The Duke of Shadows by Meredith Duran (SRC) | 3.5 out of 5
Beginner’s Luck by Kate Clayborne | 3 out of 5
Daisy’s Back in Town by Rachel Gibson (reread) | 3.75 out of 5
Like the Wind by J. Bengtsson (audio) | 2.5 out of 5
The Duchess War by Courtney Milan (audio) | 4.25 out of 5
Down London Road by Samantha Young (reread) | 4.5 out of 5
Sweep of the Blade by Ilona Andrews | 4 out of 5
Wildest Dreams by Kristen Ashley (reread) | 2.5 out of 5
Fantastical by Kristen Ashely (reread) | 3.75 out of 5
Midnight Soul by Kristen Ashley (reread) | 3.25 out of 5
Untamed Delights by Suzanne Wright | 3.75 out of 5
The Whole 30: The Official 30 Day Guide by Melissa Hartwig | 4 out of 5
Wait No More by Stephanie Nicole Norris | 3 out of 5
Big Rock by Lauren Blakely (audio) | 3.75 out of 5
Mister O by Lauren Blakely (audio) | 4 out of 5
Complicated by Kristen Ashley (reread) | 4 out of 5
How to Date Your Dragon by Molly Harper (reread) (audio) | 3.5 out of 5
Huge Deal by Lauren Layne (SRC) | 4 out of 5
Most Valuable Playboy by Lauren Blakley (audio) | 3.75 out of 5
Falling Into Bed with a Duke by Lorraine Heath (audio) | 3.75 out of 5

My favorite read of the month was The Duchess War by Courtney Milan. It started out a bit slow, but I ended up loving the shit out of that book. My least favorite was Like the Wind by J. Bengtsson. It just didn’t work for me.

Rowena: July wasn’t as good a reading month as the start of the month indicated. I started the month on a roll but then toward the middle, I lost interest in everything and got busy but things certainly picked up again in the end so it wasn’t a complete embarrassment for me. Here’s what I read:

Storm Cursed (Mercy Thompson #11) by Patricia Briggs (eARC) | 4 out of 5
Wolf Rain (Psy-Changelings Trinity #3) by Nalini Singh (eARC) | 4.25 out of 5
The Prenup by Lauren Layne (eBook) | 4.5 out of 5
Beginner’s Luck (Chance of a Lifetime #1) by Kate Clayborne (eBook) | 4 out of 5
Like the Wind by J. Bengtsson (Audiobook) | 2.75 out of 5
Daisy’s Back in Town by Rachel Gibson (eBook) | 3.75 out of 5
Count to Ten (Romantic Suspense #6) by Karen Rose (eBook) | 4 out of 5
How to Date Your Dragon (Mystic Bayou #1) by Molly Harper (Audiobook) | 4 out of 5
Brazen and the Beast (The Bareknuckle Bastards #2) by Sarah MacLean (eARC) | 4.5 out of 5
Written in Red (The Others #1) by Anne Bishop (Audiobook) | 4 out of 5

My favorite read of the month goes to both The Prenup by Lauren Layne and Brazen and the Beast by Sarah MacLean. Both books were so freaking good and I can already tell that I’ll be re-reading them soon. I cried in both of them so that’s how I know I loved them. I was moved to tears y’all!

My least favorite read of the month goes to Like the Wind by J. Bengtsson. It was just a hot mess of shit that I wasn’t in the mood for, some stupid immature shit that I wanted to smack the hero around for. You know, things like that.

Giveaway Alert

Three lucky winners will choose their prize (one book) from any of the books we logged this month. If you want to be entered to win, leave a comment on this post telling us what your favorite – and least favorite – reads of the month were.

Monthly Reads: July 2019

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

Casee: I ended up finishing June stronger than I thought I would. I started the month out so slow, I didn’t have much hope that it would get better. Then it turned around. I read 9 books in June.

Easy Melody by Kristen Proby (audio) | 3.5 out of 5
Alpha’s Promise by Rebecca Zanetti | 4 out of 5
Easy Kisses by Kristen Proby (audio) | 4 out of 5
Law Man by Kristen Ashley | 3.5 out of 5
Motorcycle Man by Kristen Ashley | 4 out of 5
Waiting for Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey | 2 out of 5
Getting Played by Emma Chase (audio) | 4.25 out of 5
Hot Asset by Lauren Layne (audio) | 3.75 out of 5
Archangel’s War by Nalini Singh | 4.75 out of 5

My favorite book of the month was Archangel’s War. I freaking loved that book. Raphael and Elena forever. My least favorite book was Waiting for Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey. The heroine was insufferable.

Holly: I had a wonderful reading month. I really fell into a reading groove and knocked a lot of books out. I’m happy to report I managed to read 26 books in June.

Hot Asset by Lauren Layne | 3.75 out of 5
Hard Sell by Lauren Layne | 4.25 out of 5
The Knocked Up Plan by Lauren Blakely (audio) | 4 out of 5
Come As You Are by Lauren Blakely (audio) | 4.25 out of 5
Getting Played by Emma Chase (audio) | 4.25 out of 5
Waiting for Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey | 1.5 out of 5
Archangel’s War by Nalini Singh | 4.25 out of 5
Even Tree Nymphs Get the Blues by Molly Harper (audio) | 4 out of 5
Superfan by Sarina Bowen | 3.75 out of 5
If It Makes You Happen by Claire Kann | DNF
Night Broken by Patricia Briggs (reread) | 3.75 out of 5
Fire Touched by Patricia Briggs (reread) | 4.25 out of 5
Silence Fallen by Patricia Briggs (reread) | 4.0 out of 5
Storm Cursed by Patricia Briggs (reread) | 4 out of 5
Repeat by Kylie Scott (reread) | 5 out of 5
Sin & Chocolate by K.F. Breene (reread) | 3.5 out of 5
Sin & Magic by K.F. Breene | 3.75 out of 5
Sin & Salvation by K.F. Breene | 4 out of 5
The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez | 1 out of 5
Sustained by Emma Chase (audio) (reread) | 4.5 out of 5
Sidebarred by Emma Chase (reread) | 4.5 out of 5
The Will by Kristen Ashley (reread) | 4 out of 5
Soaring by Kristen Ashley (reread) | 4 out of 5
The Time in Between by Kristen Ashley (reread) | 3.75 out of 5
The Golden Dynasty by Kristen Ashley (reread) | 3.5 out of 5
Rock Chick Reawakening by Kristen Ashley (reread) | 4.5 out of 5

My favorite read of the month was a toss up between Getting Played by Emma Chase and Archangel’s War by Nalini Singh. They were both great, though in different ways. My least favorite read was The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez. That book gets a whole lot of nope from me.

Rowena: My reading wasn’t as strong as Holly’s was but it was pretty good for me. Things really picked up toward the end of the month for me so I’m super excited for the summer reading challenge that we’re participating in on the blog. I’m so ready to tackle my Summer Reading Challenge pile.

If It Makes You Happy by Claire Kann (eARC) | DNF, 2 out of 5 of what I did read
The Rest of the Story by Sarah Dessen (eARC) | 4 out of 5
Natalie Tan’s Book of Luck and Fortune by Roselle Lim (eARC) | 3 out of 5
The Perfect Date by Evelyn Lozada (eARC) | DNF, 2 out of 5 of what I did read
Superfan (Brooklyn Bruisers #6) by Sarina Bowen (eARC) | 4.25 out of 5
Waiting for Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfree (eARC) | 2 out of 5
Highland Deception by Meggan Connors (Kindle Unlimited) | 3 out of 5
The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez (eBook) | 1 out of 5
Call it What You Want by Brigid Kemmerer (eARC) | 3.75 out of 5
Night Broken (Mercy Thompson #8) by Patricia Briggs (eBook) | 3.75 out of 5
Fire Touched (Mercy Thompson #9) by Patricia Briggs (eBook) | 4 out of 5
Silence Fallen (Mercy Thompson #10) by Patricia Briggs (eBook) | 4 out of 5

My favorite read of the month was probably Superfan (Brooklyn Bruisers #6) by Sarina Bowen. I heart Silas hard and Delilah grew on me. In the beginning, she frustrated me some with how much power she let her ex have over her life but she learns her lesson and grows as a person so that made me happy.

My least favorite reads were plenty but of the ones that I didn’t like over the course of the month, the one I hated the most was The Friend Zone by Abby Jimenez. So much of that book pissed me off that it’s a week later and I’m still pissed off about everything. Grrr.

Giveaway Alert

Three lucky winners will choose their prize (one book) from any of the books we logged this month. If you want to be entered to win, leave a comment on this post telling us what your favorite – and least favorite – reads of the month were.

Monthly Reads: June 2019

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

Casee: May was a pathetically sad reading month for me. We’re talking circa 2017 here. It makes me sad.

Visions in Silver (The Others #3) by Anne Bishop (audio) | 4.25 out of 5
American Witch (American Witch Trilogy #1) by Thea Harrison | 4 out of 5
Spellbinder (Moonshadow #2) by Thea Harrison | 4.25 out of 5
Easy Love (Boudreaux #1) by Kristen Proby (audio) | 4 out of 5
Easy Charm (Boudreaux #2) by Kristen Proby (audio) | 4 out of 5

Five books. Five. My favorite read of the month was…I have no idea. If I have to choose, I would say Easy Love because I was so surprised that I liked it so much. All the books I read were really good. My least favorite was Easy Charm, but that’s only because of the female narrator. She was annoying as hell. The story was really good.

Holly: May was a sad, sorry reading month for me in terms of quantity, but I did read some quality books.

Fairytale Come Alive by Kristen Ashley (reread) | 4 out of 5
Sapphire Flames by Ilona Andrews | 4 out of 5
The Austen Playbook by Lucy Parker | 3.75 out of 5
Rafe by Rebekah Weatherspoon | 4 out of 5
Repeat by Kylie Scott (reread) | 5 out of 5
Vision in Silver (reread) (audio) | 4.25 out of 5
Storm Cursed by Mercy Thompson | 4.25 out of 5
Meet Cute by Helena Hunting | 3.5 out of 5
Sweep in Peace by Ilona Andrews (reread) (audio) | 4 out of 5
Getting Hot with the Scott by Melonie Johnson | 3.5 out of 5
The Will by Kristen Ashley (reread) | 3.75 out of 5

My favorite read of the month was probably Storm Cursed, though I did really enjoy both Sapphire Flames and Rafe. My least favorite read was probably Meet Cute. I didn’t dislike it, but it was more problematic than the others I read.

Rowena: I didn’t have a really strong reading month but I didn’t have a sad reading month like Casee, haha. Love you, boo!

Passion on Park Avenue (Central Park Pact #1) by Lauren Layne (eARC) | 4 out of 5
Hot to the Touch (Brotherhood by Fire #1) by Jaci Burton (eARC) | 3 out of 5
American Witch (American Witch #1) by Thea Harrison (eBook) | 4 out of 5
Love, Chloe by Alessandra Torre (eBook) | 4 out of 5
Somewhere Only We Know by Maurene Goo (eARC) | 3.25 out of 5
Sapphire Flames (Hidden Legacy #4) by Ilona Andrews (eARC) | 4.5 out of 5
Night Pleasures (Dark Hunters #1) by Sherrilyn Kenyon (eBook) | 2.5 out of 5
Then Came You (Laws of Attractions #3) by Kate Meader (eARC) | 4 out of 5
The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren (eARC) | 4.25 out of 5
Bridal Boot Camp (Little Bridge Island #0.5) by Meg Cabot (eARC) | 3.75 out of 5
Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin (eARC) | 4 out of 5

My favorite read of the month goes to Sapphire Flames by Ilona Andrews. Catalina and Alessandro are a lot of fun and I’m so looking forward to more from these two at the center of all of the action. I love the Hidden Legacy world and I love the Baylors so it’s always a good time when I’m reading about them.

My least favorite read of the month goes to Night Pleasures by Sherrilyn Kenyon. It’s been a while since I’ve read this book and it was chosen for last month’s book club discussion so I had to read it but it didn’t go too well for me. There were too many things that I thought were dumb and I thought Kyrian acted like an immature little shit for too much of the book, which is not saying anything good about him since he’s a freaking thousand years old and should be above thinking and acting like a kid. Don’t even get me started on Amanda and her family….especially Tabitha. Grrr. So yeah, that was my least favorite read of the month.

Giveaway Alert

Three lucky winners will choose their prize (one book) from any of the books we logged this month. If you want to be entered to win, leave a comment on this post telling us what your favorite – and least favorite – reads of the month were.

Monthly Reads: May 2019

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