What Are You Reading? (650)

Posted June 9, 2023 by Holly in Features | 2 Comments

Casee

I’m reading Reaper (Dark in You #8) by Suzanne Wright. The next book in the series doesn’t come out until July & I honestly don’t know what I’m going to read now. I was thinking about trying Love Me Today (Time River #1) by A.L. Jackson, but I don’t know if I’m feeling a contemporary.

Holly

I finished Must Love Hockey by Sarina Bowen. It was a cute, fast read. I was in the mood for another contemporary, so I started the audiobook of Mr. Fixer Upper by Lucy Score. It was good, though I didn’t enjoy it as much as The Christmas Fix, the second book in the series. I ended up rereading it after I finished Mr. Fixer Upper. I also read Magic Claims by Ilona Andrews. It was so good. I definitely needed that in my life.

I haven’t decided what to read next. I might look for a sci-fi novel.

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


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Monthly Reads: May 2023

Posted June 5, 2023 by Casee in Features, Giveaways | 4 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 only read 15 books in May. I say “only” because Holly still beat me even with having no time to read.

Carnal Secrets (The Phoenix Pack #3) by Suzanne Wright | 3 out of 5
Dark Instincts (The Phoenix Pack #4) by Suzanne Wright | 4.25 out of 5
Savage Urges (The Phoenix Pack #5) by Suzanne Wright | 4 out of 5
Fierce Obsessions (The Phoenix Pack #6) by Suzanne Wright | 3 out of 5
Wild Hunter (The Phoenix Pack #7) by Suzanne Wright | 3.75 out of 5
Pretend You’re Mine (Benevolence #1)(reread)(audio) by Lucy Score | 5 out of 5
Untamed Delights (The Phoenix Pack #8) by Suzanne Wright | 4 out of 5
Grayson’s Vow by Mia Sheridan | 3.75 out of 5
Magic Tides (Kate Daniels: Wilmington Years #2) by Ilona Andrews | 4 out of 5
When He’s an Alpha (The Olympus Pride #2) by Suzanne Wright | 4 out of 5
When He’s Sinful (The Olympus Pride #3) by Suzanne Wright | 4.5 out of 5
When He’s Ruthless (The Olympus Pride #4) by Suzanne Wright | 3 out of 5
When He’s Torn (The Olympus Pride #5) by Suzanne Wright | 4 out of 5
Burn (Dark in You #1) by Suzanne Wright | 4.25 out of 5
Blaze (Dark in You #2) by Suzanne Wright | 4 out of 5

My favorite book of the month was When He’s Sinful (The Olympus Pride #3) by Suzanne Wright. I absolutely loved both Camden & Aspen. My least favorite book was When He’s Ruthless (The Olympus Pride #4) by Suzanne Wright. The heroine was really lame.

Holly

I read more books than Casee this month, but they were pretty much all re-reads since I didn’t have a lot of energy to focus on new reads.

Spiral of Need (Mercury Pack #1) by Suzanne Wright (reread) (audio) | 3.75 out of 5
Force of Temptation (Mercury Pack #2) by Suzanne Wright (reread) (audio) | 3.75 out of 5
Lure of Oblivian (Mercury Pack #3) by Suzanne Wright (reread) (audio) | 3.75 out of 5
Echoes of Fire (Mercury Pack #4) by Suzanne Wright (reread) (audio) | 3.75 out of 5
Shards of Frost (Mercury Pack #5) by Suzanne Wright (reread) (audio) | 3.75 out of 5
Feral Sins (The Phoenix Pack #1) by Suzanne Wright (reread) (audio) | 3.75 out of 5
Wicked Cravings (The Phoenix Pack #2) by Suzanne Wright (reread) (audio) | 3.75 out of 5
Dark Instincts (The Phoenix Pack #4) by Suzanne Wright (reread) (audio) | 3.75 out of 5
Savage Urges (The Phoenix Pack #5) by Suzanne Wright (reread) (audio) | 3.75 out of 5
Fierce Obsessions (The Phoenix Pack #1) by Suzanne Wright (reread) (audio) | 3.75 out of 5
Wild Hunger (The Phoenix Pack #7) by Suzanne Wright (reread) (audio) | 3.75 out of 5
Untamed Delights (The Phoenix Pack #8) by Suzanne Wright (reread) (audio) | 3.75 out of 5
When He’s Dark (Olympus Pride #1) by Suzanne Wright (reread) (audio) | 3.75 out of 5
When He’s an Alpha (Olympus Pride #2) by Suzanne Wright (reread) (audio) | 3.75 out of 5
When He’s Sinful (Olympus Pride #3) by Suzanne Wright (reread) (audio) | 3.75 out of 5
When He’s Ruthless (Olympus Pride #4) by Suzanne Wright (audio) | DNF
When He’s Torn (Olympus Pride #5) by Suzanne Wright (audio) | 3.75 out of 5
Knightmaster (Oronish Knights #1) by Anna Hackett | 2.75 out of 5
Grave Cargo (Arcane Transporter #1) by Jami Gray (audio) | 3.25 out of 5
Air Bound (Dragon of Shadow and Air #1) by Jess Mounifield | DNF
Maggie Moves On by Lucy Score (reread) | 4.25 out of 5

Although I enjoyed some of the Suzanne Wright books more than others, I rated them all the same since none of them really stand out. They were all just pretty solid. My favorite read of the month was When He’s Torn by Suzanne Wright. My least favorite (that I finished) was Knightmaster by Anna Hackett.

Rowena

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 2023

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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Review: Force of Temptation by Suzanne Wright

Posted June 5, 2023 by Casee in Reviews | 0 Comments

Review: Force of Temptation by Suzanne WrightReviewer: Casee
Force of Temptation by Suzanne Wright
Narrator: Jill Redfield
Series: Mercury Pack #2
Also in this series: Echoes of Fire (Mercury Pack, #4), Carnal Secrets
Publisher: Self-Published
Publication Date: December 13, 2016
Format: eBook
Source: Kindle Unlimited
Point-of-View: Alternating Third
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 319
Length: 11 hours and 37 minutes
Add It: Goodreads
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Ripped Bodice | Google Play Books
four-half-stars
Series Rating: four-stars

Harley Vincent is resigned to life in the human world. Sure, being a margay shifter is half her nature, but life among humans gives her the freedom to roam and do as she pleases. That is, until anti-shifter extremists target her, putting her life in immediate danger.
When an old acquaintance and onetime fling, Jesse Dalton, shows up to offer the protection of his pack, Harley hesitates. She may have feelings for Jesse that go beyond their one-night stand, but life among shifters means giving over her independence to the needs of pack. Plus Mercury Pack has its own threat to face: a rich half-shifter is determined to claim their territory at any cost.
Jesse, who lost his true mate as a child, has wanted Harley since their night together, and he’s not letting her go again. They may not be destined for each other, but he knows she belongs to him and with his pack. Even if he can convince her to join him now, can he convince her to stay?

Harley Vincent is a margay shifter that lives in the human world. After her friend, Mia, died of a drug overdose, the entire pack blamed Harley except for Mia’s brother Jesse. After a one-night fling with Jesse after Mia’s funeral, Harley leaves him in the morning & doesn’t expect to see him again. After all, the Pack blames Harley, so why wouldn’t Jesse? She has no idea that Jesse has decided that they are going to be together. Until Cassidy (a young shifter in the Pack) has a vision of Harley dying. Jesse knows it’s time to claim what he believes is his. Although he lost his true mate when he was a child, Jesse wants Harley with everything he has. Now he just has to convince her that the fact that they are not true mates doesn’t matter to him.

Harley crushed on Jesse for years, but thought it would always stay a crush. She’s stunned when he shows up at the bar she works at & claims her.

I don’t play games, Harley, so I’ll tell you straight. I want you. In my bed. In my life. Where you belong.

What I really liked about this book was that there was not any back and forth or BIG MISUNDERSTANDINGS between them. Jesse simply tells Harley that he wants her & expects her to fall in line. As a margay shifter, Harley doesn’t fall in line with anyone. She’s still not sure about the mating thing as true mates are sacred in their world. Harley wants Jesse to talk about his mate that dies, but he refuses which makes Harley feel like they will never imprint. I have to admit that even as a new SW reader, I was wondering how the whole thing would pan out since his true mate died.

I really enjoyed this one. The Mercury Pack is one big family & they take no shit. How can you not like that?

Rating: 4.25 out of 5.

The Mercury Pack

four-half-stars


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What Are You Reading? (649)

Posted June 2, 2023 by Casee in Features | 4 Comments

Casee

I am still going strong with Suzanne Wright. I finished The Olympus Pride series. I didn’t love it, but it was entertaining. I really didn’t know what to read after that, but decided to stay with SW since she has yet to disappoint. I’m currently reading Ashes (Dark in You #3) by Suzanne Wright. I really love this series because each couple has several books within the series. It feels like one giant epilogue, which I am really loving.

I’m still not listening to any audiobooks, which makes me very sad.

Holly

I DNF’d When He’s Ruthless by Suzanne Wright, the 4th book in the Olympus Pride series. I just couldn’t deal with the immature actions of the FMC. Then I read When He’s Torn, the final book in the series. I hadn’t read it before and I ended up really enjoying it. It’s tied for my favorite of the series with When He’s Sinful. I am currently reading Must Love Hockey by Sarina Bowen.

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


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Books to Binge On: June 2023

Posted June 1, 2023 by Casee in Features | 3 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 June of 2023.


Crimson River (The Edens #5) by Devney Perry

Lyla Eden has spent the last few years watching her siblings fall in love. Meanwhile, she’s married to her job. It’s on her hundredth consecutive workday that her sister stages an intervention, kicking Lyla out of her own coffee shop. With nothing else to do, Lyla sets out on her favorite hiking trail.

It’s there that she spots a man washing blood from his hands in a stream. One moment she’s staring at the jagged scar on his face. The next, his hand is around her throat. But by some miracle, he lets her go.

Shaken to her core, Lyla reports the incident to the local police. Two days later, Vance Sutter arrives in town, armed with endless questions and a tarnished badge.

Vance may be ruggedly handsome but he’s as mysterious as the man he’s hunting. And he’ll be gone from Quincy in a blink. Yet Lyla’s crush is impossible to stop.

No matter how hard Vance tries to ignore it, there’s no denying the chemistry between them. And avoiding Lyla is not an option. After years of chasing dead ends, she’s his only lead to closing the case that haunts his career. So together, they’ll retrace her steps.

To find the scarred man she met beside a crimson river.

Casee: I haven’t read any books in this series, but I love Devney Perry so this is going in my TBR pile.


Good as Gold by Sarina Bowen

Leila:
What I meant to do: Quietly divorce my lout of a husband and then have a child all on my own.
What happens instead: My crush comes back to town when I’m at my most vulnerable. After too many cocktails, I ask him to be my baby’s father.
In my defense, it’s been a rough couple of months. Seeing Matteo Rossi again after fourteen years has done a number on my emotions. And my libido.
In the morning, I’m hoping he’s forgotten the whole thing. But no such luck. In fact, Matteo has a few clarifying questions. And a few naughty ideas, too…

Matteo:
What I meant to do: visit Vermont for my brother’s wedding. Make amends to my family, and mourn the loss of a friend.
What happens instead: a hot affair with the one who got away. But it can’t last. My life is two thousand miles away, and Leila deserves everything. She’s as good as gold.

Casee: I’m really loving small-town romances right now so this one is right up my alley.

Holly: I haven’t been reading a lot of contemporary lately, but I love SB so I plan to dive into this one.


Magic Claims (Kate Daniels: Wilmington Years #2) by Ilona Andrews

A new town, new friends, new challenges…. And a new heart-stopping adventure from #1 New York Times bestselling author, Ilona Andrews. Kate, Curran, and Conlan may have left Atlanta for Wilmington, but the usual magic mayhem has also hitched a ride!

Kate and Curran have just settled into their new home and their ‘low prolife,’ when a local businessman approaches them with an offer they can’t refuse. A mysterious evil has spawned in the nearby forest and is holding a defenseless town hostage. The ‘due date’ is rapidly approaching.

It’s exactly the kind of fight the Lennarts can’t resist, not for the prize the town offers, but for the people who will surely die if they ignore it. If they succeed, they’ll be rescuing an entire community and can build a strong new base for their family and the Wilmington Pack. If they fail…well, fail is a four-letter word.

Nothing comes without a price. Now Kate must decide if she has what it takes to pay it.

Casee: Kate Daniels. ‘Nuff said.

Holly: Yessssssss.


Ancient Guardian (Ancients Rising #9) by Katie Reus

He lost everyone he ever loved before…

Alpha dragon shifter Orion woke from his millennia-long hibernation into a different world—and found a band of humans struggling to survive. He’s been living among them, secretly keeping the predators away, but he’s kept his true identity hidden from everyone. Until an enemy threatens everything he’s come to love, including the human female he’s obsessed with. The female he can never have but will sacrifice everything for.

Now he has to step up and be the Alpha they all need…

Violet fell hard and fast for the stranger who joined their small farming community after The Fall. He lives with them, works alongside them, but there’s something different about him that she can’t quite put her finger on. When a group of visiting supernaturals upends everything in her community, she discovers he’s been hiding a huge secret. But that’s the least of their issues. If they don’t claim their territory and eliminate the growing threat outside their borders, there won’t be anything left to fight for.

Casee: I love a good dragon-shifter book & Katie Reus always comes through.


Rogue Darkness (Immortal Guardians #12) by Dianne Duvall

Immortal Guardians have hunted and slain psychotic vampires for thousands of years. Now someone is hunting them. Humanity remains oblivious to the existence of immortals, vampires, and gifted ones, so how does this rising nemesis even know who they are and where to find them? Could it be the machinations of an old nemesis—one they thought they defeated? Or is this something new? Because unlike the foes they’ve faced in the past, this one doesn’t just target immortals. He targets those who are near and dear to them.

A gifted one under the Immortal Guardians’ protection, Nicole has worked hard to land her dream job—that of an Immortal Guardian’s Second or mortal guard—and loves working with Sean. He’s smart. He’s funny. And despite the sometimes dark existence he leads, the two of them laugh a lot. Years spent as a special ops soldier prepared Nicole well, enabling her to keep Sean safe despite his tendency to dive headlong into danger. But can it keep her safe? The enemy they face is determined and shrewd. Uncovering his identity may require new methods of engagement and force her to take a few risks.

Sean hasn’t been immortal long, but he knows the rules. And according to the rules, Nicole is off-limits. She’s his Second. His guard. His best friend. The one person who knows him better than anyone else. Though he loves every minute he spends with her, friendship is all they can ever have… isn’t it? Sean soon begins to question that as the two of them engage in a deadly cat-and-mouse game with the enemy, one that will reveal the true depth of their feelings for each other and drive him to abandon the rules altogether.

Casee: I am so excited for this one! A series reread might be in order.

Holly: I didn’t realize Sean was getting a book. I can’t wait.


The Notorious Lord Knightly (The Chessmen: Masters of Seduction #2) by Lorraine Heath

Who is the villainous Lord K?

A scandalous book by an anonymous author takes London by storm, and everyone is convinced its villainous “Lord K” is the greatly admired Earl of Knightly. Heartbroken that he left her at the altar, Miss Regina Leyland impulsively sought revenge by revealing the true Knightly to the world but never expected the uproar to bring enemies to her door.

To keep her identity hidden, she must trust the one man with the power to destroy her. Furious to be the object of notoriety and gossip, Knightly confronts the lady he suspects of penning the tome only to discover she is no longer the naïve innocent he was forced to betray, but a woman of strength and conviction, who will bow before no man. Knightly and Regina pretend a reconciliation to salvage their reputations and throw the ton off their scent. But false friendship soon turns to powerful passion. When truths emerge, threatening all they hold dear, they must face the consequences of their past if their story is ever to deserve its happily ever after.

Holly: I haven’t read the first book in this series yet, but as soon as I’m back on historicals I plan to binge these two.


Capture the Sun (Starlight’s Shadow #3) by Jessie Mihalik

Acclaimed author Jessie Mihalik returns with the thrilling conclusion to her Starlight’s Shadow trilogy. An intergalactic thief must join forces with the charming teleporter who stole her last job–and may now be her only hope for saving her former crew.

As a recovery specialist, Lexi Bowen’s jobs typically require more trickery and thievery than honest work. Her former captain might not approve of her flexible morals, but stealing artifacts for rich assholes pays the bills, and Lexi’s had enough of war and death. The FHP left her to die once; she doesn’t plan to give them a chance to finish the job.

Unfortunately, her latest contract takes her to Valovia itself–and right back into the orbit of Nilo Shoren, a Valovian teleporter who already cost her one payday and nearly stole her heart.

Armored against his clever charm, Lexi plans to get in, get the job done, and get out. But when her former crew goes missing in Valovian space, Lexi will have to work with Nilo to figure out what happened–and stop it–before the galaxy’s two superpowers can use the disappearance as an excuse to return to war.

Holly: Yay, Lexi’s book. I might need to reread the other books before I dive into this one.

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


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