I started out the month getting a lot of books read. On Monday the 28th my mom passed away and my reading has stopped for the most part. We have so much going on and I just haven’t felt like reading all that much. I plan on taking the next few weeks off of blog posts and just write if I really feel like it. Please keep me and my family in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. Hope you enjoy this post.
Before You Ghost by Debra Anastasia and Helena Hunting
It’s hard to miss your boyfriend when he’s standing right next to you being a sarcastic nimrod. I have a temper and he has an attitude. Our antics inside and outside the bedroom are off the charts. Half the time we’re giving each other a hard time just to get to the good times. Things get more complicated when he’s all those things and dead as well. Evan’s a newly formed ghost, and I’m Sammi, the girlfriend whose lady bits are accused of being so strong they shot him off a cliff. Our new life is tinged with pirates, mermaids, undead carjackers who look like they should be on the set of a horror movie, and a nefarious ghost that has it out for me. The worst part? We have to figure it all out before Evan goes ghost. For good this time.
This was funny and ridiculous while still making me tear up at times.
Three Bells, Two Bows, and One Brother’s Best Friend by Willa Nash
I pride myself in being grounded. Sure, I’ve had my share of childhood fantasies. Winning an Oscar. Winning the lottery. Winning an Olympic medal for an athletic talent I have yet to discover. But the only fantasy I ever thought might actually happen was winning my brother’s best friend. Heath Holiday. My crush on him has ebbed and flowed over the years, but the day I started working for his construction company was the day I smothered it for good. Sort of. Mostly. It was on my to-do list. Making it a priority would have been easier had he not arrived at his family’s annual Christmas party looking ridiculously handsome in a suit. Then he kissed me. We stepped into an alternate universe and he kissed me. I assumed the next day I’d just be Guy’s little sister again. The office newbie. Our kiss forgotten. Except he keeps showing up at my house. With gifts. A gold bracelet carrying three jingling bells. Two dainty jeweled earrings, each shaped as a bow. And finally, he brought himself. One brother’s best friend, asking if I can keep a secret.
I finally finished this audiobook! So much fun and filled with humor.
Rosario+ Vampire Season 2 Vol. 8 and 9 by Akihisa Ikeda
Average human teenager Tsukune accidentally enrolls at a boarding school for monsters–no, not jocks and popular kids, but bona fide werewolves, witches and unnameables out of his wildest nightmares! On the plus side, all the girls have a monster crush on him. On the negative side, all the boys are so jealous they want to kill him! And so do the girls he spurns, because he only has eyes for one of them–the far-from-average vampire Moka. On the plus side, Moka only has glowing red eyes for Tsukune. On the O-negative side, she also has a burning, unquenchable thirst for his blood…
These volumes were insane and sucked me back in. I loved them so much!
Before I Knew by Carrie Ann Ryan
It all began with a wrong number. When Blakely gets added to the Cage family group chat, chaos ensues. What she doesn’t expect is to have a side chat with the eldest brother. What was supposed to be a simple sign off, turns into a mild flirtation and invitation to lunch. Only Aston Cage has his secrets. And perhaps they should’ve left their conversation on read.
This was so good and I need the rest of the story!
The Maestro and the Roofer by Brianna Bancroft
Once a star in the music world, Mia Pelletier’s fall from grace was legendary. Now the composer famously known as Maestro Mia has escaped to a coastal cottage, but her plan to create brilliant music that reclaims her legacy is derailed by a debilitating creative roadblock. However, a storm that damages the cottage’s roof produces an unexpected muse… Travis Flynn is bold and brash, but Mia finds herself inexplicably drawn to the man tasked with repairing the wreckage. As their attraction grows, she discovers another side of the rough-hewn flirt, and soon, the famous maestro and small-town roofer learn they’re actually in perfect harmony. But as their convenient fling grows into something deeper, Mia must face the music—either return home to restore her glory or strike a new note with an unlikely love.
I loved this! Great banter and a perfect ending.
Hunted on Halloween by T.B. Wiese
Every day the monsters come through The Divide. For exactly six hours they have free rein before they’re pulled back to their realm. For six hours every day, it’s hell on earth. So make sure the correct symbols are carved deep into your threshold and every windowsill. Make sure you recharge them with a few drops of your blood at least once a month to keep the monsters out. And whatever you do, don’t go outside past curfew. How did things go so wrong? I just wanted to go to the Halloween party to dance and show off my fairy costume I worked so hard on. But somehow I ended up in the monster realm, prey to a horned creature with claws, four arms, a wicked tail, and flaming eyes. Unfortunately, this isn’t anything like the primal monster romance novels I love to read. Though, the longer he hunts me, the more I think this nightmare might end up becoming my darkest fantasy. Him There’s a tempting little human female in my home. My fated mate. But I swore off love long ago. Never again. I’ve learned from my mistakes. I don’t need her and will reject our bond. Fates be damned.
At least, that’s the lie I tell myself. Because I’m enjoying this hunt, and her fear calls for me to claim what is mine. I bet she tastes delicious.
I loved this! So fast paced and I could not put it down!
Two Can Play by Ali Hazelwood
Viola Bowen has the chance of a lifetime: to design a video game based on her all-time favorite book series. The only problem? Her co-lead is Jesse F-ing Andrews, a.k.a. her arch-nemesis. Jesse has made it abundantly clear over the years that he wants nothing to do with her–and Viola has no idea why. When their bosses insist a wintery retreat is the perfect team-building exercise, Viola can’t think of anything worse. Being freezing cold in a remote mountain lodge knowing Jesse is right next door? No, thank you. But as the snow piles on, Viola discovers there’s more to Jesse than she knew, and heat builds in more ways than one.
I loved this! I love a gaming element in books and the romance was great!
Mr. October by Bethany Weaver
Sabrina is no stranger to the Halloween pranks played around Grimsby, Indiana in the month of October. In fact, she is the recipient of nearly all of them. Usually, she would laugh it off and spend the rest of the month looking over her shoulder anxiously awaiting the next scare. But not this year. She’s ready to fight prank with prank…starting with her best friend and Grimsby High’s favorite history Mr. October.
I enjoyed this! A lot of fun and it was sweet. I’d love more from this author.
Tempted By Celestial Bodies anthology
Fifteen best-selling, award-winning, and debut authors united by their love of romance, adventure, and HEAs present sweet and steamy short stories in this anthology. With spice levels ranging from tender to volcanic and settings including alien civilizations, distant terraformed planets, spaceships full of futuristic technology, a decadent nightclub, and a gangster’s interstellar casino, Tempted by Celestial Bodies offers tales for every taste. This inclusive collection also features LGBTQ and demi representation. Let yourself be tempted by stories of alien warriors, star-crossed lovers, fated mates, and futuristic adventures on this journey across the galaxy and into the vast wonders and passions of the human heart. Includes stories by Aurelie Bell, Charissa Weaks, Elisse Hay, Erin Fulmer, J. E. McDonald, jem zero, Kristin Jacques, Lily Riley, Lisa Edmonds, Lita Grey, Megan Van Dyke, Mindi Briar, S. C. Grayson, S. L. Choi, and Winter Elliott. Edited by Lisa Edmonds.
I really enjoyed this. A few of the stories weren’t my favorite but I did find a lot of 4 and 5 star stories.
Boots and the Bandit by Jean Kincaid
Jaeda Randal can’t quite figure out just when her life went cattywampus, but if she concentrated really hard she’d say Boots the cat or Bandit the turkey were to blame. For some reason, Bandit ran off Jaeda’s last beau, well, the closest she’d ever come to having one, and before that her gentleman friend had been allergic to cat hair. Everything else in her young life seemed to border on immense happiness, even the bench gang that sat in front of the drug store and ice cream shop. All six of the gang had proposed marriage and she’d accepted each one, teasing their respective wives that she would move in soon. Jaeda loved her little country town; she loved her craft store, but something was missing. Not just her tall, dark and handsome, but Boots had become reluctant to go outside and Bandit lost his gobbling voice. Even the mallard ducks that came to the edge of her lawn for feeding, now stayed on the other side of the pond. Jaeda considered the task before her. She would find out what shenanigans her animals were involved in and set things right. After all, Boots and Bandit were family.
I really enjoyed this. The romance was sweet and I liked that it was Christian.
Just Don’t Fall by Emma St. Clair
Before Logan Barnes was hockey’s hottest bad boy, he was my brother’s best friend … and my first crush. Oh, yeah–and the guy who ghosted me and broke my teenage heart. Now Logan is back in Harvest Hollow, but not willingly. Recovering from an injury (and some bad press), he’s stuck playing for our minor league team. Which means I’ll be working with him almost daily. As the hockey team’s social media manager, it’s my job to wrangle all the guys into filming TikTok trending videos. But Logan doesn’t want to be wrangled. Turns out … neither does my heart. Because my old crush never died. And when Logan becomes my accidental fake boyfriend, those old feelings flare hot enough to melt the ice. But this is all totally one-sided. Totally fake. Isn’t it? No matter what signals he seems to be giving me or how real things start to feel, I know Logan’s not home for good. I survived Logan leaving me once. But this time, I’m not so sure my heart will recover …
I loved this! So swoony with lots of laugh out loud moments.
Pumpkin Smash by Darva Green
“They say if you’re caught in the cornfield after sundown, the phantom will come for your soul. Don’t ever let him catch you in the dark.” Isabelle is ready to move on after a terrible breakup, and Halloween night provides the perfect opportunity for a first kiss in the pumpkin patch. But when her plans go awry, she finds herself tearing through the cornfield and straight into the arms of the town’s scariest legend. Now she has one night to give in to her wicked fantasies as the phantom’s pumpkin queen.
I really enjoyed this! I thought this was just going to be pure smut but it was so sweet.
This Spells Love by Kate Robb
A young woman tries to heal her heartbreak by casting a spell to erase her ex from her past, but she wakes up in an alternate reality where she’s lost more than she wished for in this witty, whimsical friends-to-lovers debut. What if one little wish changed everything? When Gemma gets dumped by her long-term boyfriend, she reacts the way any reasonable twenty-eight-year-old would: by getting drunk with her sister, kooky aunt, and best friend, Dax. After one too many margaritas, they decide to perform a love- cleansing spell, which promises to erase Gemma’s ex from her memory. They follow all the instructions, including a platonic kiss from Dax to seal the deal. When Gemma wakes up, she realizes that this silly spell has worked. Not only does it seem that she never dated her ex, but the rest of her life is completely unrecognizable. The worst part: Dax has no idea who she is. To reverse the spell and get back to her old life, Gemma must convince her once-best-friend-now-near-stranger to kiss her. But as she carries out her plans, she finds herself falling for him—hard. Soon, Gemma begins to wonder whether she even wants to go back to the way things once were. What if Dax was The One all along?
It took me forever to get through this. I just didn’t care about the romance or the characters.
Love, Laugh, Lich by Kate Prior
Some people have monsters for a boss, but not everyone has an undead Necromancer Lord at the office.
Lily has been the Lich’s secretary ever since his evilness took over the company. She loves her job, but she’s got some questions about her boss. Like what’s under that cloak of ever-billowing.
Her wondering intensifies when one day the Lich needs something from her that isn’t just scheduling appointments– but a shiver. He needs it for a spell, but it feels like it crosses a line from their usual workplace banter. After her contributions to his dark rituals become more than OSHA compliant, she starts to contemplate whether the Lich Lord returns her feelings, or still only sees her as his secretary. Lily may have given him her body, but he never asked for her heart.
I liked this a lot more than I thought I would. Very sweet and funny and I loved that it wasn’t pure smut.
Caught Up In Your Love by Bethany Monaco Smith
Christian’s MM friends to lovers, age gap romance
I enjoyed this! I’ve always really liked Christian and I was glad he got his HEA.
The Fall Back Plan by Melanie Jacobson
The bad boy and the golden girl have traded places… I’m back in Harvest Hollow after ten years to prove a point and to even a few scores. I’ve opened a new bar, and anyone expecting the old sweet and shy Jolie McGraw to be running it is in for a shock. I’m not the only one who’s when the sheriff comes to tell me I’m the prime suspect in the most ridiculous crime in town history, it’s none other than Lucas Cole, the former star of my teenage stress dreams, wearing the badge. Seriously? The smack-talking punk I was forced to tutor in math is now one of the town’s most upstanding citizens? This isn’t what I had in mind for turning the tables on my former tormentors. I blow him off…until I meet the niece he’s raising. I see so much of my younger self in her. But when I agree to help when she needs a woman in her life, Lucas uses it as a chance to build a case that he’s the man I need in mine. That’s a hard no. No to love. No to Lucas. But when Harvest Hollow’s nosiest forces combine to push us together, I’m not sure my heart stands a chance.
I enjoyed this. It was funny and I really liked the characters. The mystery was fun too.
Unscripted Love by Melanie A. Smith
Carrie Anderson has always put others first, following the path that was expected of her over her own desires. But when she finds herself jobless and disillusioned, she takes a chance on a new venture in the charming town of Alpine Ridge, discovering a strength she never knew she had. As she helps shape the town’s future, Carrie finds herself drawn to the last person she ever expected to find in a small, out-of-the-way town in the Cascade Mountains of Washington State – Hollywood heartthrob Evan Edwards. Evan thought he had it all — fame, fortune, and a successful career as an action movie star. But when a scandal threatens to derail his career, he retreats to his brother’s mountain hideaway to escape the spotlight. In Alpine Ridge, he finds a simpler life and a connection he never thought possible with the town’s ambitious political consultant. As Evan grapples with his future in Hollywood, he realizes that true happiness might lie far from the red carpet. As Carrie and Evan navigate their growing feelings, they must confront their fears and overcome the challenges of their different worlds. Will Carrie find the courage to step into the spotlight of Evan’s world? Or will Evan be willing to leave behind the glitz and glamour of Hollywood for a chance at real happiness? In this heartwarming tale of love, self-discovery, and small-town charm, Carrie and Evan must learn that sometimes the greatest love stories are unscripted.
I really enjoyed this! Very sweet and I loved getting to see the other characters I love too!
The Coven by Harper L. Woods
Raised to be my father’s weapon against the Coven that took away his sister and his birthright, I would do anything to protect my younger brother from suffering the same fate. My duty forces me to the secret town of Crystal Hollow and the prestigious Hollow’s Grove University―where the best and brightest of my kind learn to practice their magic free from human judgment. There are no whispered words here. No condemnation for the blood that flows through my veins. The only animosity I face comes from the beautiful and infuriating Headmaster, Alaric Grayson Thorne, a man who despises me just as much as I loathe him and everything he stands for. But that doesn’t mean secrets don’t threaten to tear the school in two. No one talks about the bloody massacre that forced it to close decades prior, only the opportunity it can afford to those fortunate enough to attend. Because for the first time in fifty years, the Coven will open its wards to the Thirteen. Thirteen promising students destined to change the world. If the ghosts of Hollow’s Grove’s victims don’t kill them first.
This was a lot darker than I expected. I had a great time and the ending was insane. I can’t wait to see what happens next.
Muscles & Monsters by Ashley Bennett
After a wedding cake catastrophe, local decorator Tegan finds herself being helped by a solid wall of fur and fangs named Atlas. She’s never met anyone like him and finds herself enamored by his wolfish charm. After their sweet encounter, Atlas invites her to his gym anytime she needs his cake lifting services. Tegan decides that instead- she wants to lift the cakes herself. She signs up for a membership with Leviathan Fitness, determined to build her strength. Primal desires emerge as Atlas and Tegan test just how much their new love can lift— and if there are any limits to what monsters and humans can do.
This was cute, funny, and very smutty. Such a fun time.
Masters of Death by Olivie Blake
Viola Marek is a struggling real estate agent, and a vampire. But her biggest problem currently is that the house she needs to sell is haunted. The ghost haunting the house has been murdered, and until he can solve the mystery of how he died, he refuses to move on. Fox D’Mora is a medium, and though is also most-definitely a shameless fraud, he isn’t entirely without his uses—seeing as he’s actually the godson of Death. When Viola seeks out Fox to help her with her ghost-infested mansion, he becomes inextricably involved in a quest that neither he nor Vi expects (or wants). But with the help of an unruly poltergeist, a demonic personal trainer, a sharp-voiced angel, a love-stricken reaper, and a few high-functioning creatures, Vi and Fox soon discover the difference between a mysterious lost love and an annoying dead body isn’t nearly as distinct as they thought.
Although it took me a bit to get into it, I ended up really enjoying this. Lots of weird parts but I loved the relationships and the ending.
Those are all the books I read this month! Hope you enjoyed. Until next time.