Tag: Holly’s Monthly Reads

Monthly Reads: February 2020

Posted March 6, 2020 by Rowena in Features, Giveaways | 9 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

February was abysmal for me. I only read five books. Five. I was on vacation, could have read all the books, but didn’t. I didn’t even finish ONE book on vacation. Ugh.

The Thing About Trouble by Juliana Stone | 3.5 out of 5
Heartland by Sarina Bowen | 3.5 out of 5
Husband by Penelope Sky (audio) | 4 out of 5
Chasing Cassandra by Lisa Kleypas | 4.25 out of 5
Lover by Penelope Sky (audio) | 4 out of 5

My least favorite book was actually Heartland by Sarina Bowen. The reason for that is that it just didn’t live up to my expectations. I love the True North series, but this book just wasn’t up there with the rest of the books. My favorite book was Chasing Cassandra by Lisa Kleypas. Reading it reminded me of how much I love historicals.

Holly

I read 9 books in February. NINE! Ugh. This reading slump is killing me, y’all. Fingers crossed March is better.

Smoke Bitten by Patricia Briggs (ARC) | 4.25 out of 5
Better Homes and Hauntings by Molly Harper (Audio) | 3.5 out of 5
White Hot by Ilona Andrews (re-read) | 4.25 out of 5
Wildfire by Ilona Andrews (reread) | 4.25 out of 5
Chasing Cassandra by Lisa Kleypas | 4.25 out of 5
The Lady in the Coppergate Tower by Nancy Campbell Allen (audio) | 4 out of 5
Strange Love by Ann Aguirre | 3.25 out of 5
Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder (audio) (reread) | 4.5 out of 5
Magic Study by Maria V. Snyder (audio) (reread) | 4 out of 5
Fire Study by Maria V. Snyder (audio) (reread) | 3.25 out of 5
The Broken Girls by Simone St. James (audio) | DNF
Satisfaction Guaranteed by Lauren Blakely (audio) | DNF

My favorite reads of the month were Chasing Cassandra by Lisa Kleypas and Smoke Bitten by Patricia Briggs. I really enjoyed both Tom and Cassandra and it’s always great visiting Mercy, Adam and the rest. My least favorite was The Broken Girls by Simone St. James, but I think that may have had more to do with the narrator than the actual story. I’m going to try to read it and see if I feel differently.

Rowena

My 2020 reading lost a bit of steam in February but I’m already showing signs of improvement for March so I’m not too worried about it. I read some pretty decent romances in February, introduced myself to some new to me authors so even though my numbers weren’t as strong as I hoped, I still consider the month a good one. Here’s a rundown of what I read in February…

P.S. It’s Always Been You, Pt. 2 by Lauren Blakely (Audiobook) | 3.5 out of 5
House Rules (Uptown #3) by Ruby Lang (eARC) | 4 out of 5
The Upside of Falling by Alex Light (eARC) | 3.5 out of 5
One Last Chance (One Day to Forever #3) by Therese Beharrie (eARC) | 4 out of 5
Forbidden Promises (Jackson Falls #1) by Synithia Williams (eARC) | 4 out of 5
Devious Lies (Cruel Crowns #1) by Parker S. Huntington (Audiobook) | 1 out of 5
Strange Love (Galactic Love #1) by Ann Aguirre (eBook) | 3.5 out of 5
The Problem with Forever by Jennifer L. Armentrout (eBook) | 4.25 out of 5

My favorite read of the month goes to The Problem with Forever by Jennifer L. Armentrout. That book was good. It made me cry. I had me cheering the characters on and I was just invested in that story from beginning to end. I connected with Mallory and Ryder so much and my heart went out to them at every turn.

My least favorite read of the month goes to Devious Lies by Parker S. Huntington. I read this book for book club and it pissed me off with every single page. I almost DNF’d it so many times because I wanted to knee the hero in the balls, smack some sense into the heroine and even in the end, I wasn’t completely satisfied with any of the characters that I breathed a sigh of relief to finally be done with it. Our book club discussion was a good one though. Lots of different opinions so there was much to discuss. I almost won our book club game too. Oh well, better luck next 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: February 2020

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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Monthly Reads: January 2020

Posted February 4, 2020 by Rowena in Features | 9 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 killed it in January. Considering that last month I read, like, three books, the fact that I read/listened to twelve is a Christmas miracle. I’m hoping that I will continue to read this much. Fingers crossed.

For You by Kristen Ashley | 4 out of 5
The Fall of Legend by Meghan March (audio) | 3 out of 5
You Were There Too by Colleen Oakley | 2.5 out of 5
Wife by Penelope Sky (audio) | 3 out of 5
House of Scarlett by Meghan March (audio) | 3 out of 5
At Peace by Kristen Ashley | 4 out of 5
Dirty Girl by Meghan March (audio) | 4 out of 5
Dirty Love by Meghan March (audio) | 4 out of 5
The Fight for Forever by Meghan March (audio) | 3.5 out of 5
Vendetta Road by Christine Feehan | 4 out of 5
Bound Together by Christine Feehan (reread) | 4.5 out of 5
The Thing About Trouble by Juliana Stone | 4 out of 5

My favorite book of the month was my reread of Bound Together. If I had to pick another favorite it would be At Peace by Kristen Ashley. It’s typical Ashley fare. It’s a train wreck but you can’t stop reading it. The hero was a real butthead, but it all worked out.

My least favorite book of the month was You Were There Too by Colleen Oakley. I just can’t with this book. It was awful.

Holly

I’m glad Casee and Rowena are reading, because I’m not. I finished 4 books in January, and one was a novella.

Beauty and the Clockwork Beast (Proper Romance #1) by Nancy Campbell Allen (audio) | 4.25 out of 5
Kiss of the Spindle (Proper Romance #2) by Nancy Campbell Allen (Audio) | 3.75 out of 5
Getting Schooled (The Wright Brothers #1) by Christina C. Jones | 4 out of 5
Sweep with Me (Innkeeper Chronicles #4.5) by Ilona Andrews | 4.25 out of 5

My favorite read of the month was Beauty and the Clockwork Beast by Nancy Campbell Allen. It was a total mishmash of Steampunk, PNR, Fantasy and Gothic, but it really worked. I highly recommend it. My least favorite was Kiss of the Spindle by the author. I didn’t dislike it, but it wasn’t as good as the first.

Rowena

2020 is off to a fantastic start for me. I’m hoping that this energy that I seem to have found stays with me for the rest of the year because I have hella books that I plan on reading and I don’t need pesky little reading slumps to get in the way of that. In the month of January, I read 14 books and I read some really great books and some not so great books. Here’s a rundown of what I read last month.

Grumpy Jake by Melissa Blue (eBook) | 4 out of 5
Grand Theft N.Y.E. (Heist Holidays #1) by Katrina Jackson (eBook) | 4 out of 5
The One for You (The Ones Who Got Away #4) by Roni Loren (eARC) | 5 out of 5
Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn (eBook) | 3.75 out of 5
Headliners (London Celebrities #5) by Lucy Parker (eARC) | 4 out of 5
The Rebel King (All the Kings Men #2) by Kennedy Ryan (eBook) | 4.25 out of 5
Heartland (True North #7) by Sarina Bowen (eARC) | 4.25 out of 5
The Witness by Nora Roberts (eBook) | 4.25 out of 5
Getting Schooled (The Wright Brothers #1) by Christina C. Jones (eBook) | 4 out of 5
The Kissing Game by Marie Harte (eARC) | 2 out of 5
I Wish You Were Mine (Oxford #2) by Lauren Layne (Audio) (Re-read) | 4.25 out of 5
The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa (eARC) | 3.5 out of 5
Chasing Cassandra (The Ravenels #7) by Lisa Kleypas (eARC) | 4.25 out of 5
Yes No Maybe So by Becky Albertalli and Aisha Saeed (eARC) | 4 out of 5

My favorite read of the month goes to The One for You by Roni Loren. It’s the final book in The Ones Who Got Away series by Roni Loren and I thought it was the perfect way for that series to end. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know both Ash and Kincaid, seeing their history blend into their present and I thought Loren did such a great job of pulling in the characters from the other books into this one, having them be apart of the story without stealing Ash and Kincaid’s thunder. I loved seeing the girls be there for Kincaid, the way that Kincaid has been there for her. Their support for each other made me so happy and seeing Ash and Kincaid stumble toward their happy ending was just the best. I cried, I laughed, and I rejoiced in how far each of these characters has come throughout this series. So much goodness here and I’m so glad that I read this series.

My least favorite read of the month goes to The Kissing Game by Marie Harte. I went into this book because the synopsis sounded like a light and fluffy but cute read but I’m sorry to report that this book just wasn’t that cute to me. I struggled with the way that the hero saw himself, the way the romance is portrayed and there was something about the heroine that just seemed off to me. She was black but it read like what a white person thought a black person was like and the whole race thing didn’t work for me and I kept waiting for the writing style to grow on me and it never did so yeah, not my favorite read of any 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: January 2020

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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Monthly Reads: December 2019

Posted January 3, 2020 by Rowena in Features | 8 Comments

Casee: I doesn’t come as a surprise to me that December was incredibly busy. I read four books, one was a reread and one was a DNF. Pretty sad overall.

Hero’s Haven by Rebecca Zanetti | 4 out of 5
Archangel’s Kiss by Nalini Singh (audio)(reread) | 4.5 out of 5
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik | 2 out of 5
Love Drunk by T.L. Smith (audio) | DNF

Although Love Drunk was a DNF for me, my least favorite book of the month was Spinning Silver. It was a book club book and just not for me. My favorite was my Nalini Singh reread of Archangel’s Kiss.

Holly: December was a pretty crazy month for me both personally and professionally, so my reading time was basically nil. What little time I did have, I wasn’t able to focus much. I ended up doing a lot of re-reading and not much else. I finished 9 books in December.

Repeat by Kylie Scott (reread) | 5 out of 5
Golden Trail by Kristen Ashley (reread) | 3.25 out of 5
Complicated by Kristen Ashley (reread) | 4.25 out of 5
Fairytale Come Alive by Kristen Ashley (reread) | 4 out of 5
Wildfire by Ilona Andrews (reread) | 4.5 out of 5
Sweep of the Blade by Ilona Andrews (reread) | 4.25 out of 5
The Fate of Mercy Alban by Wendy Webb (audio) | 3.5 out of 5
The Highlander’s Bride by Michele Sinclair (audio) | DNF
The Wallflower Wager by Tessa Dare (audio) | 3.5 out of 5

Honestly, I’m not even going to bother with favorite/least favorite. I read two new-to-me books and neither blew my socks off. Here’s hoping January is better.

Rowena: I read three books in December. Three. That is all I read. It was an extremely busy month for me. At home. At work. There wasn’t a lot of time left over to read. That makes me sad but it also really drives me to read more in January. Here’s my sad reading list for the month that was December 2019.

1. Lady Derring Takes a Lover (The Palace of Rogues #1) by Julie Anne Long (eBook) | 4.75 out of 5
2. The A.I. Who Loved Me by Alyssa Cole (Audiobook) | 4 out of 5
3. The Kingmaker (All the King’s Men #1) by Kennedy Ryan (eBook) | 4.75 out of 5

I enjoyed every book that I read in December. I cried buckets reading the first and third read and I was completely charmed with the second read. So while I didn’t read a lot of books, I read some quality books and I’ll take that. I ended the year on a really high note and even though the ending ripped me up (because WTF???), The Kingmaker was a damn good way to end 2019.

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: December 2019

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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Monthly Reads: November 2019

Posted December 3, 2019 by Casee in Features | 8 Comments

Casee: I didn’t read much in November. Only seven books. I was really hoping that I would have time to read over the Thanksgiving week, but that ended up not being so.

Wait by A.L. Jackson (audio) | 4 out of 5
Heartbreaker by Linda Howard (reread) | 4.5 out of 5
Reaper by Larissa Ione | 4 out of 5
Stay by A.L. Jackson | 4.25 out of 5
Into the Dark by Karen Rose | 4.25 out of 5
Where to Winter Finds You by J.R. Ward | 3.5 out of 5
Angels’ Blood by Nalini Singh (reread) | 4.75 out of 5

My favorite read was Into the Dark by KR. I just adore her. Least favorite was Wait by A.L. Jackson. I didn’t hate the book by any means, but I didn’t love it like I’ve loved all the books in her Bleeding Stars series.

Holly: November was a tough month for me. I had a lot going on and not a lot of brain power to focus on reading. I managed to read 25 books, but the majority were re-reads.

Silence for the Dead by Simone St. James (audio) | 4.5 out of 5
The Beautiful Ashes by Jeaniene Frost (audio) | DNF
How to Run with a Naked Werewolf by Molly Harper (audio) | 4 out of 5
Switch Hitter by Sara Ney (audio) | 3 out of 5
Not So Nice Guy by R.S. Grey (audio) | 3 out of 5
The Governess Game by Tessa Dare (audio) | 4 out of 5
An Inquiry into Love and Death by Simone St. James (audio) | 4 out of 5
Smitten by the Brit by Melonie Johnson | 3 out of 5
Repeat by Kylie Scott (reread) | 5 out of 5
Complicated by Kristen Ashley (reread) | 4 out of 5
Good Boy by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy (reread) (audio) | 4.5 out of 5
Guardian Angel by Julie Garwood (reread) | 3.75 out of 5
The Lion’s Lady by Julie Garwood (reread) | 4.75 out of 5
The Time in Between by Kristen Ashley (reread) | 3.5 out of 5
Hold On by Kristen Ashley (reread) | 3.25 out of 5
Laird Wolf by Vivan Arend (audio) | 4 out of 5
Soaring by Kristen Ashley (reread) | 3.75 out of 5
Fairytale Come Alive by Kristen Ashley (reread) | 4.25 out of 5
Own the Wind by Kristen Ashley (reread) | 4 out of 5
For You by Kristen Ashley (reread) | 3.5 out of 5
Cry Wolf by Patricia Briggs (reread) | 4.25 out of 5
Hunting Ground by Patricia Briggs (reread) | 4 out of 5
Fair Game by Patricia Briggs (reread) | 4.25 out of 5
Alpha and Omega by Patricia Briggs (reread) | 4.5 out of 5
Dragon Bound by Thea Harrison (reread) | 5 out of 5

My favorite new read of the month was The Governess Game by Tessa Dare. I didn’t love the main conflict, but I adored the characters on their own. My least favorite was The Beautiful Ashes by Jeaniene Frost. The main characters were ridiculous and acted very immature. I couldn’t even finish the book.

Rowena: I had a lot of stuff going on in November so by mid-month, I still had only read 2 books but then Holly and Casee told me to start re-reading old favorites and so I jumped on that. I read 4 more books and then called it quits on the month of November. I read the following books.

Open House (Uptown #2) by Ruby Lang (eARC) | 3.5 out of 5
Goddess of Spring (Goddess Summoning #2) by P.C. Cast (eBook) | 3 out of 5
The Lion’s Lady (Crown’s Spies #1) by Julie Garwood (eBook) (re-read) | 4.25 out of 5
Guardian Angel (Crown’s Spies #2) by Julie Garwood (eBook) (re-read) | 4.5 out of 5
The Gift (Crown’s Spies #3) by Julie Garwood (eBook) (re-read) | 4 out of 5
Castles (Crown’s Spies #4) by Julie Garwood (eBook) (re-read) | 4.75 out of 5

Of the two new to me reads, my favorite read for the month of December is Open House by Ruby Lang. It was a cute romance between two charming characters. I adored Ty Yang and loved seeing him try to muddle through his growing feelings for Magda and I just enjoyed being a part of their romance. My least favorite read of the two is Goddess of Spring by P.C. Cast.

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: November 2019

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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Monthly Reads: October 2019

Posted November 5, 2019 by Holly in Features, Giveaways | 9 Comments

Casee: October was a pretty pathetic month for me. I only read five books and that included one reread. Here’s hoping that November is a better reading month for me.

Live For You by Michele Mills | 2.5 out of 5
Drowning to Breathe by A.L. Jackson (audio) | 4.5 out of 5
Where Lightning Strikes by A.L. Jackson (audio) | 4 out of 5
Hold on to Hope by A.L. Jackson | 4.5 out of 5
Saving Grace by Julie Garwood (reread) | 5 out of 5 (every day, all day)

My favorite read of the month, hands down was Hold on to Hope. I adore that book. I couldn’t get enough of Evan and Frankie Leigh. My least favorite was Live For You by Michele Mills. It was just over the top, even for a dystopian. Like way over.

Holly: I had intended to read a lot more than I did, but the month kind of got away from me. I finished 18 books.

Silence for the Dead by Simone St. James (audio) | 4.5 out of 5
The Other Side of Midnight by Simone St. James (audio) | 4 out of 5
Shopping for a Billionaire by Julia Kent (audio) | DNF
Heartbreaker by Linda Howard (reread) | 3.5 out of 5
The Vine Witch by Luanne G. Smith (audio) | 4.25 out of 5
Saving Grace by Julie Garwood (reread) | 5 out of 5
Heart Thief by Robin D. Owens (audio) (reread) | 4.25 out of 5
Heart Fate by Robin D. Owens (audio) (reread) | 4 out of 5
Heart Change by Robin D. Owens (audio) (reread) | 3.75 out of 5
Heart Choice by Robin D. Owens (audio) (reread) | 3.75 out of 5
Angel in a Devil’s Arms by Julie Anne Long | 4 out of 5
Quiet Man by Kristen Ashley | 4 out of 5
Heart Sight by Robin D. Owens (audio) (reread) | 3.5 out of 5
Fairytale Come Alive by Kristen Ashley (reread) | 3.75 out of 5
Warrior Fae Trapped by K.F. Breene (audio) | 4 out of 5
Warrior Fae Princess by K.F. Breene (audio) | 3.5 out of 5
The Gamble by Kristen Ashley (reread) | 3.25 out of 5
The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare (audio) | 4.25 out of 5

My favorite read of the month was Silence for the Dead by Simone St. James. It was just the book I was looking for. Honorable mentions go to The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare and The Vine Witch by Luanne G. Smith. I enjoyed both (and the narrators, as well). My least favorite was Warrior Fae Princess by K.F. Breene. It wasn’t a bad book, but it didn’t compare to the other books in the series.

Rowena: October was a busy month for me at work and at home but I still managed to get some reading done. I read 13 books and I counted Saving Grace twice because I read it twice. I love that book so much that I read it at the beginning of the month and at the end of the month to prepare for our team review. Man, I love that book.

Saving Grace by Julie Garwood (eBook) (Re-read) | 5 out of 5
The Wedding (Laird’s Fiancees #2) by Julie Garwood (eBook) (Re-read) | 5 out of 5
Moonlighter (The Company #1) by Sarina Bowen (eARC) | 4.25 out of 5
Twice in a Blue Moon by Christina Lauren (eARC) | 3.75 out of 5
The Bride (Laird’s Fiancees #1) by Julie Garwood (eBook) (Re-read) | 4 out of 5
The Bromance Book Club (The Bromance Book Club #1) by Lyssa Kay Adams (eARC) | 4 out of 5
Huge Deal (21 Wall Street #3) by Lauren Layne (Re-Read) (Audiobook) | 4.5 out of 5
Marriage on Madison Avenue (The Central Park Pact #3) by Lauren Layne (eARC) | 3.75 out of 5
Blitzed (The Play Book #3) by Alexa Martin (eARC) | 3 out of 5
Four Days of You and Me by Miranda Kenneally (eARC) | 4 out of 5
Saving Grace by Julie Garwood (eBook) | 5 out of 5
Getting Played (Getting Some #2) by Emma Chase (Audiobook) | 4.25 out of 5
A Madness of Sunshine by Nalini Singh (eARC) | 3.75 out of 5

My favorite read of the month goes to Moonlighter by Sarina Bowen and Getting Played by Emma Chase. Honorable mentions go out to The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams and Four Days of You and Me by Miranda Kenneally. All of these books were fabulous reads and I can’t wait for everyone to read them. My least favorite read of the month goes to Blitzed by Alexa Martin. I wanted to love it but it was too slow in parts and I wasn’t as connected to Brynn and Maxwell the way that I was with TK and Poppy and that bummed me out.

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: October 2019

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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