Casee
I was on vacation over the Fourth of July & barely read a thing. I was disappointed in myself since I downloaded 12 books. I’ve discovered J.T. Gessinger. She writes mafia books, which I hate, but she’s such a good writer that I just keep reading her. I read Beautifully Cruel (Beautifully Cruel #1), Cruel Paradise (Beautifully Cruel #2), Ruthless Creatures (Queens & Monsters #1), and Pen Pal (I am not a fan of this one). I’m currently reading Carnal Urges (Queens & Monsters #2).
I loved the Dark in You series by Suzanne Wright so much that I decided to listen to it on audio. I’m currently listening to Ashes (Dark in You #3). Sooooo good.
Holly
I was on vacation the past two weeks, so we’re a little behind. Since last time I finished reading Capture the Sun by Jessie Mihalik and listening to Strictly Business by Carrie Elks. I really enjoyed both, though I wish there were more books to follow Capture the Sun. I re-read Magic Rises, Magic Breaks, Magic Shifts and Magic Binds by Ilona Andrews. I also re-read Sarazen’s Hunt and Blood and Venom by Isabel Wroth. I really wish there were more books in this series and the Little Coven series.
I read Possessed and Plundered by Tana Stone. Both were okay reads, though I enjoyed the first book more than the second. I haven’t decided if I’ll continue the series. I discovered Tiger’s Gambit by Minette Moreau while browsing Kindle and enjoyed it enough to immediately read the second book in the series, Leopard’s Surrender, which was just okay. I was very excited to start Jaguar’s Initiative, the third book in the series, but had to DNF it less than 15% in after View Spoiler » YMMV.
I listened to the audiobook for Rogue Darkness by Dianne Duvall, the latest installment in the Immortal Guardians series. I really liked it and look forward to more set in this world. I also listened to Wildfire by Ilona Andrews (yes, again) and re-read When He’s Torn by Suzanne Wright. I haven’t decided what to read next. I still haven’t read Resonance Surge by Nalini Singh, so I might pull that one up.
I’m sorry you didn’t like PEN PAL, Casee. It was one of my favorite books of 2022, but I do warn everyone that it’s best to go into it not expecting a “traditional” romance (and not to look for spoilers).
Right now I’m reading two m/m romances: Garrett Leigh’s RELUCTANT RENEGADE (motorcycle club, second-chance, fake relationship) and Brooke Blaine’s BEDHEAD (second-chance, antagonists-to-lovers). The Leigh is uber-angsty and the Blaine is much more rom-com-y, so I’m going back and forth between the two books to keep my levels even, lol.
Over the past two weeks ~
— for my book group, I read The Dictionary of Lost Words: A Novel by Pip Williams. (I’d attempted unsuccessfully to read this a year or so ago, but this time was a go.) This book is a very female centric book which I enjoyed. The main character’s life revolves to a large extent on the making of the Oxford English Dictionary.
— We Could Be So Good by Cat Sebastian which I enjoyed (even though I took a two week break mid-book). This was a historical romance set in the 1950s featuring two men, a newspaper journalist and the son of the newspaper’s owner who is learning the business.
— reread two fan fiction short stories set in the world of a favorite series (Lyn Gala’s Claimings series); I enjoyed them both. They were Deviations and Revelations, both by allonym.
— read Signal Moon by Kate Quinn, a short work which I quite enjoyed. It features two characters, a young woman living during WWII and a young man in 2023, who communicate with each other.
— completed another reread of a favorite book, Alliance (A Linesman Novel Book 2) by S. K. Dunstall.
— I’ve been recovering from some minor surgery this week so reread a couple of relatively recent favorites ~ The Book of Firsts and Four Kings both by Karan K Anders. (Anders is the pen name Andrea K Höst uses for her adult books.)
I hope you’re feeling well and recover quickly!
Thank you, Holly! All is going well.