Holly: August was a slow reading month for me. I’m having a very hard time concentrating lately. Plus, the back-to-school madness stole precious reading time. September isn’t looking to be much better. I’m holding out hope for October. My total count for August? 11. Not awful, but not where I’d like to be either.
1. Every Breath You Take by Judith McNaught (re-read) 4/5
2. 72 Hours by Shannon Stacey 3.5/5
3. Hunters: Heart and Soul by Shiloh Walker 3.75-3.5/5
4. Prince of Dreams by Lisa Kleypas (re-read) 4.25/5
5. Romancing Mr. Bridgerton by Julia Quinn (re-read) 4.25/5
6. Malachi by Shiloh Walker 3.75/5
7. Her Perfect Stranger by Jill Shalvis 3.5/5
8. Wild and Steamy antho w/ Meljean Brook, Carolyn Crane and Jill Myles 4.25/5
9. Heart of Steel by Meljean Brook 4.75/5
10. Unclaimed by Courtney Milan 4/5
11. The Return of Eden McCall by Judith Duncan (re-read) 4/5
When I’m in a reading funk I generally reread some old favorites to get me out of it. It was nice revisiting some of my comfort reads. I especially enjoyed rereading Romancing Mr. Bridgerton by Julia Quinn. It’s been years since I read it. It held up very well. So did Prince of Dreams by Lisa Kleypas. My favorite read of the month was definitely Heart of Steel by Meljean Brook. I adore her steampunk series and this was a great entry. My least favorite read was probably Malachi and Kelsey’s story in Hunters: Heart and Soul by Shiloh Walker. I enjoyed it, but not as much as I’d hoped to.
This month I’m going to giveaway an ARC of Heart of Steel by Meljean Brook
Rowena: Like Holly, I didn’t read nearly as much as I thought I would. August was the month of movies for me. I had my sister’s wedding in Vegas, my daughter’s State Tournament in San Diego and then another trip to San Diego for Sea World. I was busy, that’s my only excuse. Busy and tired. But I did manage to get some reading in.
1. Head over Heels by Jill Shalvis. (4.75 out of 5)
2. Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey. (3 out of 5)
3. Ambitious by Monica McKayhan. (3 out of 5)
4. Bad Boys Do by Victoria Dahl. (4 out of 5)
5. A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies. (3 out of 5)
6. Fury by Elizabeth Miles. (3 out of 5)
7. Viscount Breckenridge to the Rescue by Stephanie Laurens. (3.5 out of 5)
8. One Night in London by Caroline Linden. (3.25 out of 5)
9. Vanish by Sophie Jordan. (4 out of 5)
10. Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs. (4.5 out of 5)
11. Lie by Caroline Bock. (3 out of 5)
My favorite read of the month goes to Head Over Heels by Jill Shalvis. She just writes those wonderful contemporary romances that I can’t help but fall head over heels in love with (haha, yeah I went there) but because I want to support the ovarian cancer society, I’m going to give a copy of Viscount Breckenridge to the Rescue by Stephanie Laurens, which wasn’t a bad book at all. I enjoyed it as well.
Casee: I know I read more than 8 books, but the fact is that I kept horrible track of it last month. It was a vacation month, part of which I had no service. No cell service, no data service. I tried to put it back together as best I could, but I don’t think I did a great job of it. My favorite book of the month was Snapped by Laura Griffin. Since we already did a giveaway of that, I’m going to choose to giveaway If You Hear Her by Shiloh Walker.
1. Midnight Sins by Lora Leigh (4/5)
2. In Bed with a Highlander by Maya Banks (4.5/5)
3. Deadly Sins by Kylie Sins (4/5)
4. If You Hear Her by Shiloh Walker (4.25/5)
5. Delaney’s Shadow by Ingrid Weaver (3.5/5)
6. One Summer by Joann Ross (4/5)
7. Snapped by Laura Griffin (4.75/5)
8. Kissing Comfort by Jo Goodman (4/5)
This month we’re giving away:
Viscount Breckenridge to the Rescue by Stephanie Laurens
Heart of Steel
If You Hear Her by Shiloh Walker (pre-order)
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. Also, be sure to tell us what book you’re interested in reading. You can put your name in for more than one book, but you’ll only be allowed to win one, so choose wisely.
So…what was your favorite read of the month? And your least favorite?
This comment has been removed by the author.
Thanks for the great post! I’ve read some great books this month. I’d have to say top of that list would be Aftermath by Ann Aguirre. The one that I was most disappointed in b/c I had thought it would be soo much better than it was, Vanished in the Night by Eileen Carr.
I’d been interested in any of the books being given away 😉
The most emotionally satisfying books I read in August were probably Cry Wolf and Hunting Ground – but they were re-reads. (I love the Alpha and Omega books.)
Other than those, the biggest favorite was an e-arc of Marjorie Liu’s Within the Flames. Good!
I didn’t hate anything this past month. I did a lot of eyerolling during during Nightfall by Ellen Connor – but by the end of it, I was looking forward to the next book. But it’ll be from the library…
I would love to read Heart of Steel.
Mickie T
mdturett at juno dot com
My favorite book was Eternal Flame by Cynthia Eden– her books are always so good! As I didn’t read many books last month I didn’t have a least favorite 🙂
I would love to be entered for If You Hear Her by Shiloh Walker, please!
My most favorite read was Sheila Simonson’s Lady Elizabeth’s Comet, but all of her other works are near the top as well. My least favorite was Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris’s Phoenix Rising, which is one of the recent ones I remember not finishing. Please enter me for Heart of Steel by Meljean Brooks.
abbydillon16 AT yahoo DOT com
My favourite read was Ilona Andrews’ Silver Shark. It was only a novella but I loved it.
My least favourite was Linda Howard’s Prey. She was the first romance author I read so I have unrealistic expectations about her books. I think I’ve gotten to the point where I might give up.
I’d love to win Heart of Steel by Meljean Brook, but only if you ship internationally
I think my favorite read was The Blushing Bounder by Meljean Brook. It was such a sweet story! I don’t know that I have a least favorite of the ones I finished, because I finished them, and I’m blanking on the ones I didn’t finish.
Put me down for Heart of Steel 🙂
I’d love love to read Heart of Steel by Meljean Brook
blodeuedd1 at gmail dot com
My fav book of the month was (so hard, cos I read so many awesome books )Unlocked by Courtney Milan
and my last fav…Plain fear. the forsaken
Hello! I’d love to win ‘Heart of Steel’ by Meljean Brook.
As for my favourite book of the month, it’s a toss-up between ‘The Iron Duke’ by Meljean Brook and ‘To Seduce A Sinner’ by Elizabeth Hoyt. Both are steamy and powerful reads.
As for my least favourite book, it was ‘Angel’s Pawn’ by Nalini Singh. It was well-written but I just couldn’t get into it.
This comment has been removed by the author.
PS. My email is maggie dot lh dot tang at gmail dot com.
My favorite book was Rose Lerner’s A LILY AMONG THORNS – so good!!! (A hero who’s a tailor, not a nobleman; fabulous banter and a great secondary romance involving a French spy; so awesome!)
My least favorite…honestly, there were a lot of books I put down without finishing, but I don’t remember them anymore, so: my least favorite of the books I did finish (which means it was still fun enough to read all the way through) was Victoria Dahl’s GOOD GIRLS DON’T. It was sparky and well-written, but I just personally disliked the heroine, so the romance and the book fell flat for me. (But other people who connnect more with the heroine may love it!)
I’d love to win Heart of Steel!
I have been reading through my tbr so of what I read this month my favorite was Jaime Rush’s A Perfect Darkness and my least favorite was The Long Quiche Goodbye by Avery Aames.
I would love to read Meljean Brook’s Heart of Steel.
My favourite reads this month so far is Shadowfever by Karen Marie Moning, Justice by Karen Robards and Haunting Desire by Erin Quin.
I would love to read any of the books, especially If You Hear Her by Shiloh Walker.
Thank you for the giveaway.
Cambonified (at) yahoo (dot) com
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Opps. I totally forgot about my least favorite lol
I TOTALLY want Heart of Steel by Meljean Brook 😉
My favorite read this month is actually an ARC as well — Altered Destiny by Shawna Thomas. It’s a YA fantasy novel with an awesome heroine and a to-die-for vampire hero (even though they don’t call them “vampires” in the novel). Beautiful story, and I can only hope there will be a sequel. She’s definitely an author to watch 🙂
My LEAST favorite is actually a tie between Nalini Singh’s Archangel’s Blade and Jayne Castle/Jayne Ann Krentz’s Canyons of Night. Both were almost exactly identical to earlier books they’d written, and while I enjoy their writing styles, I was incredibly bored by both novels due to the similarities to their earlier works.
My favorites this month have been Hunt the Moon by Karen Chance, and the classic Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglass Adams. My least favorite was A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness, which I’ve seen great reviews for, but I just couldn’t get into. I’d love either the Meljean Brook or the Shiloh Walker.
Favourite would be Since the Surrender by Julie Ann Long and least favourite was Viscount Breckenridge to the Rescue. I listened on audio and it didn’t work for me at all I’m afraid.
I’d love to read Meljean Brook’s new book, so please put me down for Heart of Steel if I’m a lucky winner! 🙂
hankts AT internode DOT on DOT net
Long-time lurker, but I can’t resist commenting if there’s a chance of winning Heart of Steel!
I spent most of August happily immersed in Julia Spencer Fleming’s books; for some reason, I missed this series when it first started, and now that I’ve discovered them, I had to go through them all. And although I liked the whole series, I must say that In The Bleak Midwinter is definitely my favourite.
My least favourite was, probably, The Secret Duke by Jo Beverley. I never got past the first chapter. Now, that doesn’t mean that the book is not good — simply, it came to my hands at the wrong moment, when I wasn’t really in the mood, and — to make things worse — it came with very high praise, so my expectations were rather higher than they might have been. I think I may try it again when it’s colder; I know it sounds funny, but some books are just not summer books for me.
Oh, and I forgot to add my mail: it’s milena DOT benini AT gmail DOT com.
My favorite book that I read in the month of August was Thea Harrison’s Storm’s Heart. The book that was a disappointment was Stephanie Laurens’ Viscount Breckenridge to the Rescue. The reason I loved Storm’s Heart is because Thea’s story grabs you from page one and takes you on a great ride. I read all of Ms. Laurens’ Cynster series, and I can’t put my finger on why this on was a let down. It was just kinda flat for me. But I do plan the continue reading this series as it comes out. I would love to win Meljean’s Heart of Steel. thank you. kmiller@eotnet.net
my least fav reads in august were nancy a collins (right hand magic) and rachel hawkins’ (hex Hall) i dont know why, they just didnt appeal too much.. my fav ones were Hannah Howell’s newest Wherlocke book and thea harrison!
i would love to win Meljeans book!
alainala AT hotmail DOT ca
Hi Ladies,
Like Holly, I did some rereading to get back into the mood. I had to reread G.A. Aiken’s Dragon Shifter books. They are fantastic. My least favorite read was a couple of historicals by Jane Feather. I couldn’t get into them.
I would like to try for Shiloh Walkers book. I really enjoy her stories.
Thank you for the contest.
koonie2888 at yahoo dot com
Hello.
My least favorite read was a YA, ‘Wither’. Just barely finished it…
My fave was ‘Archangel’s Blade’, no need to say more!
Would love to get my hands on Heart of Steel!
I am on the same page as Kathy Miller, my favorite was also “Storm’s Heart” by Thea Harrison. I am really looking forward to her next release in October. My least favorite(I should know better by now) would definitely be “Dark Predator” by Christine Feehan. That was my last one, that series is not worth the money any longer. I read a lot of books in August and September but for some reason most were just “meh” to me. Here’s to hoping October will be different!
“Heart of Steel” by Meljean Brook
Thank you for the contest: sspaw@optimum.net
I would love Heart of Steel by Meljean Brook
My favorite read of August was Dark Taste of Rapture by Gena Showalter
Least favorite was Vicious Little Darlings by Katherine Easer
throuthehaze at gmail dot com
My favorite book in August was probably Written on Your Skin by Meredith Duran. I haven’t been reading historicals for very long so I’ve got a lot of catching up to do. Least favorite was probably Working Stiff by Rachel Caine. I just couldn’t stay engaged in the story.
Put me down with those eager to win Heart of Steel and thanks so much for the contest!
EStaples at gmail dot com
My favorite August read would have to be Hounded by Kevin Hearne. I met him at SDCC and got his first book and devoured it. My least favorite sadly was Bearers of the Black Staff by Terry Brooks. The names were so bad I couldn’t concentrate on the story.
Please put me in for Heart of Steel. I loved The Iron Duke and have been waiting for this book 🙂
My favorite read this month has been Butterfly Tattoo by Deidre Knight. It came to me highly recommended from all sides and I absolutely loved it!
It would be great to win an ARC for Heart of Steel. The Iron Seas series is fast becoming one of my favorites.
untararayeesa AT gmail DOT com
Oh man. Those all sound awesome. Come visit me over at Livre De Amour-Books of Love Blog. New follower. I really like your choices. Love your header.
Oh my favorite read this month is Blood Bound by Rachel Vincent and I don’t have a least favorite this month!!
I am dying for Heart of Steel by Meljean Brook!! Thank you for the opportunity!
spazp at me dot com
My read count for August was 23. About average for me lately. My least favourite was probably Slow Boat to Purgatory by Vernon Baker. My favourite was a toss up between Pray for Dawn by Jocelynn Drake, I loved the difference in the story with this one being from Danaus’s point of view. And Touched By an Alien by Gini Koch, it was such a fun story, took me back to the days of X Files.
I want to read Heart of Steel by Meljean Brook 🙂
mmcmichael79(at)googlemail(dot)com
My favorite book I’ve read this month has been Hard Bitten by Chloe Neill. I listened to it on audio and my poor family was so neglected the whole time! “Can I have dinner?” “Huh?” “Dinner?” “In a minute, I’m busy.” Such a good book! I can’t wait til the next one comes out!!!
My least favorite this month is a really big surprise. I’ve been a Nora Roberts fan for almost 20 years and has only been disappointed in one book, and maybe it’s just because I wasn’t in the right frame of mind to read it (I haven’t gone back to read it yet so I don’t know). But as I’ve been reading/listening to “Black Hills” (since I have such a heavy load in school and I do a lot of driving going to clinicals) I’m not hugely impressed. I like the idea of the book but I’m not emotionally invested with the hero and heroine (I think I may be writing my review here, lol). I absolutely LOVE her JD Robb books and the rest of her NR books (you should see my bookshelves – 5 1/2… Maybe more… Shelves of nothing but NR/JDR books), but this one just falls flat.
I would absolutely love the chance to win the Shiloh book. I’ve been drooling over it ever since I read the blurb a while back. 🙂 Thank you for te opportunity!
mamakitty(at)mamakittyreviews(dot)com
August was a so-so month for me. I read 14 books. While I enjoyed most of them, none really stayed with me for a long time. My favorite was Loretta Chase’s Silk is for Seduction.
My least favorite was Iris Johansen’s Quinn. I’ll finish the Eve Duncan storyline with next month’s Bonnie. But the story inconsistencies in these newer books verses the original novels really bug me, and I probably won’t be reading any more from Johansen.
If I win, I’d like Heart of Steel. Thanks. (Email in profile.)
Worst: Undead and Undermined. This series has run out of gas and needs to end. The main character is completely unlikeable.
There was no one book that really made me go “Wow!”. I enjoyed Ghost Story by Butcher and Cold Vengeance by Preston and Childs. I also found a solid new cozy mystery series by Maggie Barbieri.
I’d like any of the three books, but porobably heart of steel the most.
acm05atjuno.com
First, so I don;t forgot book I want is
Heart of Steel by Meljean Brook (ARC)
Now, I’ll list three books I enjoyed reading this month.
Heart Search by Robin D Owens the latest in her Celta Novel series. Took a time hop and I liked it.
Archangel’s Blade by Nalini Singh the latest in her Guild Hunter series
and a not new book, Summer’s End by Kathleen Gilles Seidel
My favorite read was Never Enough by Lauren Dane. Love this series.
I didn’t read anything I didn’t enjoy.
I would love to read Stephanie Lauren’s book.
Crystal816[at]hotmail[dot]com
Favorite read was Archangel’s Blade. Least favorite? I don’t have one!
I would love to win Heart of Steel by Meljean Brook.
It was a great month for me. My favorite was Storm’s Heart. Not quite as good as Dragon Bound, which will be one of my top books for the year, but definitely an “A” read. Also loved Tessa Dare’s new book, A Night to Surrender. I didn’t have any total duds, but my least fav was a book for my bookclub, The Girl Who Fell From the Sky by Heidi Durrow – the writing was good, it was just a grim storyline.
I’d love to win Heart of Steel. My second choice would be If You Hear Her.
jen at delux dot com
Hexed an Anthology with Ilona Andrews, Yasmine Galenorn, Allyson James, and Jeanne C. Stein.
Earth Angel By Charlie Kenmore.
Those are two of the many.
Heart of Steel is my choice
amcgbb at gmail dot com
My most favorite read of August was definitely Archangel’s Blade by Nalini Singh. Storm’s Heart by Thea Harrison follows in a close second. I don’t have a least favorit read. I would definitely love to get an ARC of Heart of Steel by Meljean Brook.
My most favorite read was Archangel’s Blade. I love it so much, I re-read it again. My least favorite is the new Laurens book. It was boring and reminded me why I stopped reading her many years ago.
I would love to win Heart of Steel.
I can’t wait to read Heart of Steel by Meljean Brook. I’m so grateful to hear that Archimedes Fox didn’t die in The Iron Duke!
My favorite August read was Lord Perfect by Loretta Chase.
My favorite read of the month was Archangel’s Blade by Nalini Singh. My least favorite was Victoria Dahl’s Good Girls Don’t. I usually love her books, but I couldn’t connect with the heroine.
I would love to read Heart of Steel!
All three books on your giveaway list are great options but I have to choose Meljean Brooks’ Heart of Steel.
My favorite this month (that I have read) is The American Heiress and my least favorite is Deadly Ties.
In august I think my favorite books that I read were Innocent in Death and Memory in Death
by J.D. Robb. My least favorite was Beautiful Disaster
by Jamie McGuire, it was a strange book for me.
I would love to read Heart of Steel.
I didn’t read that many books this month, but my favorite was definitively On Thin Ice by Anne Stuart. Loved it!
My least favorite was Primal Law by J.D. Tyler.
I’d love to win a copy of Viscount Breckenridge to the Rescue by Stephanie Laurens.
my favorite read was This Side of the Grave by Jeaniene frost.
no least favorite last month.
i want to read : Heart of Steel
uniquas at ymail dot com
My favorites for August are:
Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah and Hounded by Kevin Hearne. Least favorite would be Grave Dance – only in the sense that it didn’t live upto the first book. I still liked it.
Of course, I would be going for Heart of Steel.
Favorite of the month so far has been Drink, Slay, Love by Sarah Beth Durst. It’s YA and totally cute!
I’d love to win Heart of Steel.
Thanks for the recap, ladies! 🙂
My favorite was Gabriel’s Inferno. Think its my favorite for the year too. My least favorite was Cowboy and the Vampire, it wasnt bad, just not for me.
I would love to read Heart of Steel.
bacchus76 at myself dot com
fav would be
good girls do by victoria dahl
thanks for the giveways
would lvoe shiloh book
kim h
kimehak@yahoo.com
My favorite was Stay Tuned For Murder by Mary Kennedy. The least favorite was Forever and Again by Melanie A. Grice.
I’d love to read Viscount Brendridge to the Rescue by Stephanie Laurens or Heart of Steel by Meljean Brook. They both sound terrific!
macladie25 at yahoo dot com
I don’t think I read any bad books this month. I did have a hard time getting into Cloudy with a Chance of Marriage by Keiran Kramer. I loved the first two in the series but this one just was a bit slow for me. I loved Victoria Dahl’s Good Girls Don’t and Kerrlyn Sparks’ Sexiest Vampire Alive. Thanks for sharing with us!
I’ve been dying to get Stephanie Lauren’s newest book.
sallans d at yahoo dot com