Monthly Reads: July 2021

Posted August 5, 2021 by Rowena in Features, Giveaways | 10 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 read a lot of books in July. Well, a lot of books for me. I actually read 10 books.

Stone Princess (Tin Gypsy #3) by Devney Perry | 4.5 out of 5
Noble Prince by Devney Perry (Tin Gypsy #4) | 4.25 out of 5
Fallen Jester by Devney Perry (Tin Gypsy #5)| 4.5 out of 5
Last Guard by Nalini Singh (Psy-Changeling Trinity #5) | 4.5 out of 5
Killer (Savages #2) by Jessica Gadziala | 4 out of 5
Savior (Savages #3) by Jessica Gadziala | 4 out of 5
Repo (Henchmen MC #4) by Jessica Gadziala | 4 out of 5
Duke (Henchmen MC #5) by Jessica Gadziala | 3 out of 5
Renny (Henchmen MC #6?) by Jessica Gadziala | 4 out of 5

I pretty much binged on Devney Perry & Jessica Gadziala. I just adore both of these authors. My favorite book of the month was Fallen Jester by Devney Perry. A close second was Last Guard by Nalini Singh. My least favorite was Duke by Jessica Gadziala. I just didn’t connect with either of the characters. That was a bummer because Duke was an interesting character in the first four books.

Holly

I had a pretty good reading month. I discovered a new-to-me author, Isabel Wroth, and glommed her backlist. I read 25 books total.

Clean Sweep (Inkeeper Chronicles #1) by Ilona Andrews (audio) (re-read) | 4.25 out of 5
Sweep in Peace (Inkeeper Chronicles #2) by Ilona Andrews (audio) (re-read) | 4.25 out of 5
One Fell Sweep (Inkeeper Chronicles #3) by Ilona Andrews (audio) (re-read) | 4.5 out of 5
Sweep of the Blade (Inkeeper Chronicles #4) by Ilona Andrews (audio) (re-read) | 4.25 out of 5
Sweep with Me (Inkeeper Chronicles #4.5) by Ilona Andrews (audio) (re-read) | 4.25 out of 5
Wildfire (Hidden Legacy #1) by Ilona Andrews (audio) (re-read) | 4.5 out of 5
Save a Truck, Ride a Redneck (Southern Eclectic #0.5) by Molly Harper (audio) (re-read) | 4 out of 5
Sweet Tea and Sympathy (Southern Eclectic #1) by Molly Harper (audio) (re-read) | 4 out of 5
Ain’t She a Peach (Southern Eclectic #2) by Molly Harper (audio) (re-read) | 3.75 out of 5
Gimme Some Sugar (Southern Eclectic #3) by Molly Harper (audio) (re-read) | 4 out of 5
Lady Derring Takes a Lover (The Palace of Rogues #1) by Julie Anne Long (audio) (re-read) | 4 out of 5
The Unseen (Chronicles of Rhyacia #1) by Thea Harrison | 4 out of 5
The Adversary (Chronicles of Rhyacia #2) by Thea Harrison | 4 out of 5
Everlong (Daughters of Askara #1) by Hailey Edwards | 3.25 out of 5
Evermine (Daughters of Askara #2) by Hailey Edwards | 3.25 out of 5
Eversworn (Daughters of Askara #3) by Hailey Edwards | 3.5 out of 5
Sarazen’s Claim (Sarazen Saga #1) by Isabel Wroth | 4 out of 5
Sarazen’s Vengeance (Sarazen Saga #2) by Isabel Wroth | 4 out of 5
Sarazen’s Betrayal (Sarazen Saga #3) by Isabel Wroth | 2.75 out of 5
Sarazen’s Hunt (Sarazen Saga #4) by Isabel Wroth | 3.5 out of 5
Sarazen’s Fury (Sarazen Saga #5) by Isabel Wroth | 4 out of 5
Blood and Venom (Sarazen Saga #5.5) by Isabel Wroth | 3.5 out of 5
A Little Green Magic (The Little Coven #1) by Isabel Wroth | 4 out of 5
A Little Dark Magic (The Little Coven #2) by Isabel Wroth | 4.25 out of 5
Archangel’s Light (Guild Hunter #14) by Nalini Singh | 3.75 out of 5

My favorite read of the month was A Little Dark Magic by Isabel Wroth. I enjoyed the main characters and the storyline. My least favorite read was Sarazen’s Betrayal by Isabel Wroth. It was shaping up to be my favorite of the series until they both started acting out of character. When the hero spanked the heroine (not during bed play) because she did something he didn’t like – and she just rolled her eyes about it – I couldn’t come back from that.

Rowena

July was a busy month for me (what’s new?) so I didn’t read very many books. I did finish 2 books and DNF’d one. Here’s what I read:

Sweethand by N.G. Peltier | DNF
Battle Royal by Lucy Parker | 4 out of 5
Lady Derring Takes a Lover by Julie Anne Long | 4.25 out of 5

My favorite read of the month is my re-read of Lady Derring Takes a Lover but Battle Royal was a good read too. I wasn’t in the mood for Sweethand so I put that down to get some review books 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.

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

10 Comments

Monthly Reads: June 2021

Posted July 2, 2021 by Casee in Features, Giveaways | 8 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 actually read seven 7 books in June. I really enjoyed most of them. I definitely binged on Jessica Gadziala. I love her.

The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave | 3.5 out of 5
Ryan (Mallick Brothers #2) by Jessica Gadziala | 3.75 out of 5
Mark (Mallick Brothers #3) by Jessica Gadziala | 4 out of 5
Eli (Mallick Brothers #4) by Jessica Gadziala | 4.5 out of 5
Gypsy King (Tin Gypsy #1) by Devney Perry | 3 out of 5
For a Good Time, Call… (Scars #1) by Jessica Gadziala | 4 out of 5
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig | 3 out of 5

Holly

June was the month of Kleypas for me. I went down a re-read rabbit hole. I finished 20 books in June, but the majority of them were rereads.

Mine Til Midnight (The Hathaways #1) by Lisa Kleypas (reread) | 4.25 out of 5
Seduce Me at Sunrise (The Hathaways #2) by Lisa Kleypas (reread) | 3.75 out of 5
Tempt Me at Twilight (The Hathaways #3) by Lisa Kleypas (reread) | 4 out of 5
Married by Morning (The Hathaways #4) by Lisa Kleypas (reread) | 4 out of 5
Love in the Afternoon (The Hathaways #5) by Lisa Kleypas (reread) | 4.5 out of 5
Devil in Winter (The Wallflowers #4) by Lisa Kleypas (reread) | 5 out of 5
Devil in Spring (The Ravenels #3) by Lisa Kleypas (reread) | 4.5 out of 5
Devil’s Daughter (The Ravenels #5) by Lisa Kleypas (reread) | 4 out of 5
Devil in Disguise (The Ravenels #7) by Lisa Kleypas | 4 out of 5
I Will (Capitol Theatre #2.5) by Lisa Kleypas (reread) (novella) |
The Gamble (Colorado Mountain #1) by Kristen Ashley (reread) | 4 out of 5
Lord of Scoundrels (Scoundrels #3) by Loretta Chase (reread) | 4.75 out of 5
Don’t Hex and Drive (Stay a Spell #2) by Juliette Cross | 3.5 out of 5
Alpha & Omega (Alpha & Omega #0.5) by Patricia Briggs (reread) (novella) | 5 out of 5
Shifters in the Night (Mystic Bayou #5) by Molly Harper (audio) | 3.5 out of 5
Spellbound After Midnight (Ever Dark, Ever Deadly #1) by Jenna Collett | 3.75 out of 5
Wolfish Charms t (Ever Dark, Ever Deadly #2) by Jenna Collett | 4 out of 5
Hot as Hades by Alisha Rai (reread) | 4.25 out of 5
The Monster MASH (The Monster MAS*H #1) by Angie Fox | 3.25 out of 5
Heartbreaker (Rescues #3) by Linda Howard (reread) | 4 out of 5
White Lies (Rescues #4) by Linda Howard (reread) | 4 out of 5
Waking the Dragon (Vale of Stars #1) by Juliette Cross | 2.75 out of 5

My favorite read of the month was Devil in Disguise, with an honorable mention to Wolfish Charms by Jenna Collett (a new-to-me author). My least favorite read was The Monster MASH by Angie Fox. I didn’t really dislike it, but the writing was choppy and the story was kind of all over the place.

Rowena

I can’t believe we’re already in July. June came and went in the blink of an eye for me. I did manage to read 6 books and I read some pretty quality books so I’m one happy camper. Here’s a list of the books I read last month:

To Sir, with Love by Lauren Layne (eARC) | 4 out of 5
Devil in Disguise (The Ravenels #6) by Lisa Kleypas (eARC) | 4.5 out of 5
Lord of Scoundrels (Scoundrels #3) by Loretta Chase (eBook) (Re-read) | 4 out of 5
Worth Any Price (Bow Street Runners #3) by Lisa Kleypas (eBook) (Re-read) | 4.25 out of 5
The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary (eBook) | 4.25 out of 5
So We Meet Again by Suzanne Park (eARC) | 4 out of 5

My favorite read of the month goes to Devil in Disguise by Lisa Kleypas because that book was such a good time. I enjoyed revisiting with old friends and diving into the steamy romance between Merrit and Kier. Their book was just a fantastic read and I’m super anxious for more from this world. I’m not going to list a least favorite because I enjoyed every book that I read so let’s just leave it at 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.

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

8 Comments

Tagged: Casee's Monthly Reads, Holly's Monthly Reads, Monthly Reads, Rowena's Monthly Reads

Monthly Reads: May 2021

Posted June 2, 2021 by Holly in Features, Giveaways | 12 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 read four books in May, all by the same author.

Reign (The Henchmen MC #1) by Jessica Gadziala | 3 out of 5
Cash (The Henchmen MC #2) by Jessica Gadziala | 4.25 out of 5
Wolf (The Henchmen MC #3) by Jessica Gadziala | 4 out of 5
Shane (Mallick Brothers #1) by Jessica Gadziala | 4.25 out of 5

I didn’t have a favorite/least favorite this month because they were all really good books.

Holly

May was a sad reading month for me. It seemed to take me forever to finish a book. I also did a lot of re-reading.

Devil in Disguise (Ravenels #6) by Lisa Kleypas | 4 out of 5
Devil in Winter (Wallflowers #3) by Lisa Kleypas (reread) | 5 out of 5
Worthy Any Price (Bow Street Runners #3) by Lisa Kleypas (reread) | 5 out of 5
Soaring (Magdalene #2) by Kristen Ashley (reread) | 4 out of 5
Fairytale Come Alive (Ghosts and Reincarnations #4) by Kristen Ashley (reread) | 4.25 out of 5
Rock Addiction (Rock Kiss #1) by Nalini Singh (reread) | 4.5 out of 5
Rock Courtship (Rock Kiss #1.5) by Nalini Singh (reread) | 4.25 out of 5
Heart of Fire (Legends of the Storm #1) by Bec McMaster | 4 out of 5
Sweet Dreams (Colorado Mountains #2) by Kristen Ashley (reread) | 4.25 out of 5
Darkest Heart (Dominion #1) by Juliette Cross | 4 out of 5
Hardest Fall (Dominion #2) by Juliette Cross | 3.5 out of 5
Coldest Fire (Dominion #3) by Juliette Cross | 4.25 out of 5
Piece of Dragon (Haret Chronicles: Qilin #1) by Laurel Chase | DNF
Forbidden (Old West #1) by Beverly Jenkins | 3.75 out of 5

My favorite book of the month was Coldest Fire by Juliette Cross, with an honorable mention to Darkest Heart. My least favorite was Hardest Fall by Juliette Cross. I didn’t dislike it, but it wasn’t the story I was hoping for.

Rowena

May was the month that I discovered mangas with my best friend. We’re really into them and are even branching out to discover webtoons to enjoy together as well but for May, it was all about Demon Slayer. I read a huge chunk of them and really enjoyed seeing the Demon Slayer gang after the movie that released back in April.

Here’s what I read last month:

Demon Slayer, Kimetsu no Yaiba: Volume One | 4.25 out of 5
Demon Slayer, Kimetsu no Yaiba: Volume Seven | 4 out of 5
Demon Slayer, Kimetsu no Yaiba: Volume Eight | 5 out of 5
Demon Slayer, Kimetsu no Yaiba: Volume Nine | 4.25 out of 5
Demon Slayer, Kimetsu no Yaiba: Volume Ten | 4.25 out of 5
Demon Slayer, Kimetsu no Yaiba: Volume Eleven | 4.5 out of 5
The Ones We’re Meant to Find by Joan He | 3.75 out of 5

My favorite read of the month goes to Volume 8 of the Demon Slayer series. That book covers the meat of the storyline from the movie and I cried all over again while reading it. My least favorite book goes to The Ones We’re Meant to Find by Joan He. It took me a long time to read this book. The first half of the book was confusing and super slow. Once you hit about the halfway mark, things pick up and I ended up liking everything.

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.

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

12 Comments

Tagged: Casee's Monthly Reads, Holly's Monthly Reads, Monthly Reads, Rowena's Monthly Reads

Monthly Reads: April 2021

Posted May 4, 2021 by Casee in Features, Giveaways | 6 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

Spring has sprung, but my reading hasn’t. I read four books in April. I think I was just too busy to sit down and read.

Atone (The Disciples #2) by Cassandra Robbins | 3 out of 5
Repent (The Disciples #3) by Cassandra Robbins | 3.5 out of 5
Ignite (The Disciples #4) by Cassandra Robbins | 4 out of 5
Rebel’s Karma by Rebecca Zanetti | 3.75 out of 5

My favorite book of the month was Rebel’s Karma by Rebecca Zanetti. I really enjoyed Benny & Karma.

Holly

April was a fairly good reading month for me. I discovered some new authors and new series. I managed to finish 19 books.

Honor’s Splendour by Julie Garwood (reread) | 4.5 out of 5
The Bride (Lairds’ Fiancees) by Julie Garwood (reread) | 3.75 out of 5
The Wedding (Lairds’ Fiancees) by Julie Garwood (reread) | 4.5 out of 5
How to Flirt with a Naked Werewolf (Naked Werewolf #1) by Molly Harper (audio) (reread) | 3.75 out of 5
The Princess and the Pea (Timeless Fairy Tales #0.5) by K.M. Shea | 3.5 out of 5
Beauty and the Beast (Timeless Fairy Tales #1) by K.M. Shea | 3.75 out of 5
Wildfire (Hidden Legacy #3) by Ilona Andrews (audio) (reread) | 4.5 out of 5
Not Quite a Husband (The Marsdens #2) by Sherry Thomas | 3.5 out of 5
Apprentice of Magic (The Fairy Tale Enchantress) by K.M. Shea | DNF
Repeat by Kylie Scott (reread) | 5 out of 5
Pause by Kylie Scott (audio) | 3.5 out of 5
Reign of Dragons (Dragon Dojo Brotherhood #1) by Olivia Ash (audio) | 3.75 out of 5
Fate of Dragons (Dragon Dojo Brotherhood #2) by Olivia Ash | 3 out of 5
Shield-Maiden: Under the Howling Moon (The Road to Valhalla #1) by Melanie Karsak (audio) | 4 out of 5
Shield-Maiden: Under the Hunter’s Moon (The Road to Valhalla #2) by Melanie Karsak | 3.5 out of 5
Shield-Maiden: Under the Thunder Moon (The Road to Valhalla #3) by Melanie Karsak (audio) | 3.75 out of 5
Snow Day by Julie Lipson (audio) | 3.5 out of 5
Wicked Wish (Dragon’s Gift: The Storm #1) by Veronica Douglas and Lindsey Hall | 3.75 out of 5
The Half-Life of Marie Curie by Lauren Gunderson (audio) | 5 out of 5
Hot as Hades by Alisha Rai | 4.5 out of 5

My favorite read of the month was Hot as Hades by Alisha Rai. It was just the story I was looking for at the time. My favorite listen was The Half-Life of Marie Curie by Lauren Gunderson. Though short, it really packed a punch. My least favorite was Apprentice of Magic by K.M. Shea. It was boring and irritating at the same time. The whole first half was just the heroine pretending to be super nice (while inwardly being snarky) and hating herself and her magic. I ended up DNF’ing it because it was so bad.

Rowena

April was a pretty busy month for me personally so though I didn’t read a lot, I did read 3 books and I enjoyed all of the books so I’m counting that as a win. Here’s what I read last month.

Wild Sign (Alpha & Omega #7) by Patricia Briggs | 4.25 out of 5
Not Quite a Husband (Marsden #2) by Sherry Thomas | 3.75 out of 5
Just Last Night by Mhairi McFarlane | 4 out of 5

My favorite read of the month goes to Wild Sign by Patricia Briggs. It’s another book that opens up a lot of different directions for the series to go in and I’m super excited to see where Briggs takes us after that ending. There were some issues that I had with Not Quite a Husband by Sherry Thomas but I did enjoy the story overall but because of that, it’s probably 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.

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

6 Comments

Tagged: Casee's Monthly Reads, Holly's Monthly Reads, Monthly Reads, Rowena's Monthly Reads

Monthly Reads: March 2021

Posted April 6, 2021 by Holly in Features, Giveaways | 6 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 finish a single book until March 18th. I ended up reading eight books. I sure surprised myself.

My absolute favorite of the month was Come to Me Recklessly by A.L. Jackson. My heart could barely hold all my feels for this book. I was actually surprised because I didn’t really care for the hero in the first two books of the series. I should never have doubted A.L. Jackson. I didn’t read a bad book in March, but there were a few that I liked less than others.

Holly

March was a better reading month for me, partly because I listened to some old favorites during my commute. I finished 20 books.

Sweet Dreams (Colorado Mountains #2) by Kristen Ashley (reread) | 4 out of 5
The Last Warrior (Shifters Unbound #13) by Jennifer Ashley | 3.75 out of 5
Shield-Maiden: Under the Howling Moon (The Road to Valhalla #1) by Melanie Karsak | 4 out of 5
One Fell Sweep (Innkeeper Chronicles #3) by Ilona Andrews (audio) (reread) | 4.5 out of 5
Sweep of the Blade (Innkeeper Chronicles #4) by Ilona Andrews (audio) (reread) | 4.5 out of 5
Tiger Magic (Shifters Unbound #5) by Jennifer Ashley (reread) | 4.25 out of 5
Tiger Striped (Shifters Unbound #11.5) by Jennifer Ashley (reread) | 3.75 out of 5
When He’s an Alpha (The Olympus Pride #2) by Suzanne Wright | 3.25 out of 5
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (audio) (reread) | 4.5 out of 5
The Wedding (Lairds’ Fiancées} by Julie Garwood (audio) (reread) | 4.5 out of 5
Saving Grace by Julie Garwood (audio) (reread) | 5 out of 5
The Secret (Highlands’ Lairds #1) by Julie Garwood (audio) (reread) | 5 out of 5
Stone-Cold Fox (Mai Hayashi #1) by Hailey Edwards | 3.75 out of 5
The Switch by Beth O’Leary | 3.5 out of 5
The Hook Up (Game On #1) by Kristen Callihan (reread) | 4.5 out of 5
Complicated by Kristen Ashley (reread) | 4 out of 5
Night of the Living Deed (A Haunted Guesthouse Mystery #1) by E.J. Cooperman (audio) | 3.25 out of 5
Dragons Don’t Eat Meat (Valkyrie Bestiary #1) by Kim McDougall | 4 out of 5
Dervishes Don’t Dance (Valkyrie Bestiary #2) by Kim McDougall | 3.25 out of 5
Murder on Cold Street (Lady Sherlock #5) by Sherry Thomas (audio) | 4.5 out of 5

My favorite read of the month was Murder on Cold Street by Sherry Thomas, with an honorable mention to Dragons Don’t Eat Meat by Kim McDougall. My least favorite was Dervishes Don’t Dance by Kim McDougall. I didn’t dislike it, necessarily, but it didn’t compare to the first book in the series, which was a major disappointment.

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.