Monthly Reads: September 2014

Posted October 9, 2014 by Rowena in Features, Giveaways | 11 Comments

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Holly: I had a slow start this month, but I ended pretty strong. By the 10th I had only read a couple books, but my total number was 24, so I read quite a bit more the 2nd half of the month.

1. Heart of Fire by Linda Howard (re-read) | 4.5 out of 5
2. Count on Me by Lauren Dane (re-read) | 4.5 out of 5
3. Tempting the Player by Kat Latham | 4.25 out of 5
4. Coming Undone by Lauren Dane (re-read) | 4.5 out of 5
5. Wrecked by Shiloh Walker (re-read) | 3.5 out of 5
6. Playing for Keeps by R.L. Mathewson (re-read) | 3.5 out of 5
7. Heart Mate by Robin D. Owens (re-read) | 4 out of 5
8. Heart Fire by Robin D. Owens | 4 out of 5
9. Highland Champion by Hannah Howell | 3.75 out of 5
10. Highland Conqueror by Hannah Howell | 3.75 out of 5
11. Make-Believe Wedding by Sarah Mayberry | 4.25 out of 5
12. Knock Out by Mallery Malone | 3.75 out of 5
13. Laid Bare by Lauren Dane (re-read) | 3.75 out of 5
14. True by Erin McCarthy | 3.5 out of 5
15. Broken Open by Lauren Dane | 4 out of 5
16. The Hook Up by Kristen Callihan | 4.25 out of 5
17. I want It That Way by Ann Aguirre | 3.75 out of 5
18. As Long As You Love Me by Ann Aguirre | 4 out of 5
19. The Shape of My Heart by Ann Aguirre | 4.25 out of 5
20. Frozen by Meljean Brook | 4 out of 5
21. Three Wishes by Kristen Ashley | 3.75 out of 5
22. Riding Dirty by Jill Sorenson | 3.75 out of 5
23. Best Kind of Broken by Chelsea Fine | 3.25 out of 5
24. Sommersgate House by Kristen Ashley | 3.75 out of 5

I read a lot of good books this month. My favorite reads were Make-Believe Wedding by Sarah Mayberry, Tempting the Player by Kat Latham, The Hook Up by Kristen Callihan and The Shape of My Heart by Ann Aguirre. My least favorite read was Best Kind of Broken by Chelsea Fine. I didn’t really dislike the book, but I enjoyed it less than the others I read this month.

Rowena: September wasn’t a good reading month for me. I didn’t get that much reading done in the first half of the month. I was busy ending my employment with the company that I’ve been at for the last almost ten years and starting a new job in a new industry with a start time of 8am (I am NOT a morning person). It wasn’t until the last couple of weeks in September that I started to get my reading mojo back so I read the following:

1. The Best Kind of Trouble by Lauren Dane | 4 out of 5
2. Wallbanger by Alice Clayton | 3.5 out of 5
3. Promise Me This by Christina Lee | 4.5 out of 5
4. I Want it That Way by Ann Aguirre | 3.5 out of 5
5. As Long as You Love Me by Ann Aguirre | 3 out of 5
6. The Shape of My Heart by Ann Aguirre | 4 out of 5
7. Rock Courtship by Nalini Singh | 4.5 out of 5
8. Mr. Perfect by Linda Howard | 4.5 out of 5
9. Dangerous Destiny by Melanie & Suzanne Brockmann | 3.5 out of 5
10. I’ve Fallen & I Have a Tentacle in My Butt by Edward Naughty | 1 out of 5
11. The Hook Up by Kristen Callihan | 4.5 out of 5
12. Wait for You by J. Lynn | 4.5 out of 5
13. Unspoken by Jen Frederick | 4.5 out of 5
14. Before You Break by Christina Lee | 4.5 out of 5
15. Stay with Me by J. Lynn | 3.5 out of 5
16. The Break Up Artist by Philip Siegel | 3 out of 5

My favorite read of the month goes to The Hook Up by Kristen Callihan, a great contemporary NA book with a swoonworthy hero. I loved me some Drew Baylor. 🙂 My least favorite book without a doubt went to I’ve Fallen & I Have a Tentacle in My Butt by Edward Naughty. Don’t ask, I’m so ashamed that I actually read it. Ugh, I don’t know what the heck I was thinking. It was terrible.

This month we’re giving away:

Make-Believe Wedding by Sarah Mayberry (digital download only)
The Hook Up by Kristen Callihan (digital download only)

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?


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11 responses to “Monthly Reads: September 2014

  1. Lisa Ricahrdson

    Let me start by saying I usually don’t leave comments…I will say I truly appreciate the great reviews that I receive in email and have discovered some wonderful new authors. That being said I can’t believe Rowena even picked up a book titled “I’ve fallen and have tentacle up by butt”. I am still laughing over that. You all rock! Thanks for a great laugh and kudos to what you do for us readers.

      • LOL, I made Ames read it and then got mad at Holly for bringing that book to my attention. But, at least I wasn’t alone. Don’t go near that book, Lisa. Your life will never be the same again (and not in a good way either).

  2. JenM

    Sometimes, Rowena, you’ve just got to take one for the team LOL.

    I keep hearing great things about The Hookup – will definitely have to check it out, although both of the books you picked sound good. I didn’t have a great reading month, but definitely my favorite was the entire Ivy Years series by Sarina Bowen. I’m so glad it was recommended at DA as I would never have picked it up otherwise. My least favorite was From The Ashes by Daisy Harris – it just didn’t work for me – too much of a power imbalance between the leads.

    • I’m not taking anymore for the team, at least not this year anyway. Haha!

      Sarina Bowen, why does she sound familiar? Is that the m/m NA book that just came out? Hmm.

      I definitely recommend The Hook Up. I really enjoyed it and am still mad that Holly read it first cause she got to claim Drew Baylor first. We fight over book boyfriends. We’re weird. 🙂

  3. lsureader

    My favorite read in September was Kim Harrison’s The Witch With No Name. I really liked the way she ended the Hollows/Rachel Morgan series. My least favorite read was a Jodi Picoult short story, Where There’s Smoke. It just stopped. There was no closure to the story and that was frustrating.

    If I win, I’d like Make-Believe Wedding. Thanks.

    • The story just ended with no closure? That would drive me mad…no wonder it was your least favorite read of the month. I don’t blame you at all.

  4. ML

    I really enjoyed Prince of Power by Elisabeth Staab this month. I’d love to get the Mayberry–thanks for the contest!

  5. erinf1

    This was an awesome reading month for me. Not quantity but quality. I’m gonna say that I have a 4 way “favorite” tie between Night’s Honor by Thea Harrison, The Winter Long by Seanan McGuire, The Year we Hid Away by Sarina Bowen, and The Witch With No Name by Kim Harrison. I’m unashamed about not being able to pick one 🙂 I’d have to say my least favorite read was Winning Ruby Heart by Jennifer Lohmann. I liked the story idea but couldn’t connect with the heroine. I’m open to either the Mayberry or the Callihan book 🙂 thanks for sharing!

  6. Sue G.

    My favorite read was Black Lies by Alessandra Torre. This book just blew me away. I really don’t have any books I read this past month that I didn’t like.

    I would pick The Hook Up by Kristen Callihan. Thanks.

  7. CelineB

    I had a great reading month in September. My favorite was probably The Suffragette Scandal by Courtney Milan but Breaking His Rules by Alison Packard was a close second. My least favorite was Secrets of Seduction by Nicole Jordan; it just didn’t have enough character development.

    I’d love a copy of The Hook-Up if I win. Thanks for the giveaway!

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