September was a pretty good reading month for me. I read most of the books I had planned to read, as well as a few children’s books. How was your reading month? Comment down below.
The Captain of All Pleasures by Kresley Cole
In her exhilarating debut novel, Kresley Cole captures the drama, passion, and boundless adventure of the high seas—as one fiery lass finds herself caught in a tide of torrid romance. Raised as a free spirit aboard her American sea captain father’s majestic clipper ship, willful Nicole Lassiter has never encountered an obstacle she couldn’t overcome—until she meets Captain Derek Sutherland. His sizzling kisses leave her longing, but after they share a night of passion, his subsequent disdain makes her blood boil. Nicole vows to take her revenge—by helping her father beat Sutherland in a high-stakes competition: the Great Circle Race from England to Australia. Nicole’s scheme is thrown overboard after her father is wrongly imprisoned, yet she remains undaunted—taking to the high seas with her father’s ship. But a storm wrecks her plans, and she finds herself a virtual prisoner aboard Sutherland’s vessel. And while her mind tells her she should escape, her body urges her to surrender.
I did really like this book. This is an older book by Kresley Cole, but it was still very good.
Happy Singles Day by Ann Marie Walker
As a Certified Professional Organizer, everything in Paige Parker’s world is as it should be. Perfect apartment, perfect office, perfect life. And now, the perfect vacation planned to honor Singles Day. After all, what’s better than celebrating her pride in being single? Because who needs a man anyway? They have zero taste in quality television, leave the toilet seat up, and sleep with your best friend. No thanks. Her life is fine just the way it is. As the owner of a now-dormant bed & breakfast, Lucas Croft’s life is simple and quiet. It’s only him and his five-year-old daughter, which is just the way he likes it. Because who needs a woman anyway? They nag you to clean up your stuff, want the toilet seat put down, and expect the dishes to be done the same day the meal is cooked. No thanks. His life is fine just the way it is. But when Paige books a room that Lucas’ well-intentioned sister listed without his knowledge, their two worlds collide. If they can survive the week together, they just might discover exactly what they’ve both been missing.
I liked this book. It was a little heavier than I thought it would be. It sounds very light and fluffy, but it does have darker elements. I cried quite a few times. It was still a great read.
Ghost Hunting: Secrets of the Supernatural-SPC Specials
Paranormal experts Amy Bruni and Adam Berry are back, and ready to teach readers everything they need to know about hunting ghosts. This how-to guide will walk you through the what’s what of hunting down spirits, including best equipment and research tools, and will include everything you need to uncover the paranormal activity in your very own backyard. Includes: the world’s spookiest ghost stories tailored for your campfire, a guide to planning a supernatural roadtrip, including campgrounds and paranormal pitstops, ten incredible true tales of Amy and Adam’s own adventures – and what you can learn from them.
I love these type of magazines and this one was no different. It was a lot of fun and had some interesting stories in it.
Completely Smitten by Susan Mallery
Haley Foster had lived her entire life in a box. Guided by her preacher father and the residents of her tiny hometown as to what to do, what to wear and even who to marry, she’d lost herself along the way. But no more. Now she was going to live on her own terms and do all the things good preachers’ daughters didn’t do. Starting with Kevin Harmon. The injured U.S. Marshal needed a ride from Kansas to his home in Texas. Haley had a car. She figured she owed him a favor. And he knew a lot more about being bad than she did. A few days, just the two of them, in her tiny convertible and intimate hotel rooms. It would be fun, it would be passionate, it would be an experience. At least, that was her plan. He just didn’t know it yet.
I loved this book. It was super sweet and funny.
Hers For The Weekend by Tanya Michaels
She wanted a temporary arrangement. . . Piper Jamieson needs a man. And not just any man. She needs someone to play her significant other when she heads home for her family reunion. Thanks to a self-imposed period of celibacy, she has no prospects. . .except for her sexy best friend, Josh Weber. Since there’s nothing between them, kissing him will be a breeze, right? But he wanted her permanently! Spending an entire weekend with Piper sounds perfect to Josh. . .it’s the whole family thing that doesn’t. Lately his dates haven’t been as exciting as they used to be, and he knows why. His best friend’s been on his mind–day and night. But Piper has made it clear she’s not looking for a relationship. Luckily, he’s hers for the weekend, and he has three full nights to change her mind!
This book was included in the back of Completely Smitten. I really liked it and I loved their relationship.
The Girl and the Witch’s Garden by Erin Bowman
Mallory Estate is the last place twelve-year-old Piper Peavey wants to spend her summer vacation. The grounds are always cold, the garden out back is dead, a mysterious group of children call the property home, and there’s a rumor that Melena M. Mallory—the owner of the estate and Piper’s wealthy grandmother—is a witch. But when Piper’s father falls ill, Mallory Estate is exactly where she finds herself. The grand house and its garden hold many secrets—some of which may even save her father—and Piper will need to believe in herself, her new friends, and magic if she wants to unlock them before it’s too late.
This was such a good middle grade that will make you bawl your eyes out. I loved it a lot and would love a sequel to this book.
7th Garden vol. 1 by Mitsu Izumi
The high-pitched battle is on between powerful angels, sexy demons and innocent humans to dominate a world rife with political intrigue…and to win the heart of one hapless male! Awyn Gardner will do anything to protect the beautiful mistress of the equally beautiful estate gardens he lovingly tends—even enslave himself to an also beautiful demon bent on world domination! The high-pitched battle is on between powerful angels, sexy demons and innocent people to dominate a world rife with political intrigue…and to win the heart of one hapless human man!Awyn strives to be the perfect gardener—and perfect man—to win over his human mistress. But then he unwittingly awakens the demon Vyrde, and his village is attacked by crusader knights! Desperate to protect the apple of his eye, Awyn pledges fealty to Vyrde in exchange for the ability to wield a powerful demonic sword. What he doesn’t know is that his new demon mistress is scheming to slay the six angels who rule the world—so she can. Then more enemies attack, one of them armed with…a particle-ray cannon?!
I love manga, but this one wasn’t for me. I liked it, but it’s not a series I think I’ll continue.
Men in Uniform: Dear Maggie by Brenda Novak
Maggie Russell, a police reporter in Sacramento, works the night shift. She’s divorced and the mother of a very active three-year-old son. Maggie may not have much time for a social life, but she’s recently begun an e-mail correspondence with a man named John. What Maggie knows… She’s finally stumbled on the big crime story that will truly establish her career—if it doesn’t end her life. A serial killer who moves from one city to the next. A murderer who chooses a female reporter and writes her letters…before he kills her. As if things aren’t complicated enough, Nick Sorenson, the paper’s new photographer, seems to be taking an unusual interest in this case. And in her. What Maggie doesn’t know… Nick’s an undercover FBI agent tracking the killer and keeping an eye on Maggie—at work and through his e-mail persona, “John.” Maggie doesn’t realize that she’s falling in love with a man who’s not what he seems to be. A man whose deceptions may save her life.
This was a good book. I liked the characters and it had quite a bit of suspense as well.
Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo
Galaxy “Alex” Stern is the most unlikely member of Yale’s freshman class. Raised in the Los Angeles hinterlands by a hippie mom, Alex dropped out of school early and into a world of shady drug dealer boyfriends, dead-end jobs, and much, much worse. By age twenty, in fact, she is the sole survivor of a horrific, unsolved multiple homicide. Some might say she’s thrown her life away. But at her hospital bed, Alex is offered a second chance: to attend one of the world’s most elite universities on a full ride. What’s the catch, and why her? Still searching for answers to this herself, Alex arrives in New Haven tasked by her mysterious benefactors with monitoring the activities of Yale’s secret societies. These eight windowless “tombs” are well-known to be haunts of the future rich and powerful, from high-ranking politicos to Wall Street and Hollywood’s biggest players. But their occult activities are revealed to be more sinister and more extraordinary than any paranoid imagination might conceive.
In the beginning of this book, I would have said I was going to hate it. I went ahead and read on…and ended up loving it. It takes you on such a crazy ride with twists you never see coming. I need the second one to come out now!
The Secret Bridesmaid by Katy Birchall
Sophie Breeze is a brilliant bridesmaid. So brilliant, in fact, that she’s made it her full-time job. As a professional bridesmaid, Sophie is hired by London brides to be their right-hand woman, posing as a friend but working behind the scenes to help plan the perfect wedding and ensure their big day goes off without a hitch. When she’s hired by Lady Victoria Swann––a former model and “It Girl” of 1970’s London; now the Marchioness of Meade––for the society wedding of the year, it should be a chance for Sophie to prove just how talented she is. Of course, it’s not ideal that the bride, Lady Victoria’s daughter, Cordelia, is an absolute diva and determined to make Sophie’s life a nightmare. It’s also a bit inconvenient that Sophie finds herself drawn to Cordelia’s posh older brother, who is absolutely off limits. But when a rival society wedding is announced for the very same day, things start to get…well, complicated. Can Sophie pull off the biggest challenge of her career––execute a high-profile gala for four hundred and fifty guests in record time, win over a reluctant bride, and catch the eye of handsome Lord Swann––all while keeping her true identity a secret, and her dignity intact?
I loved this book. It was so funny and I love Sophie so much. This book focuses more on the main characters friendships than relationships, which I absolutely loved.
Room On The Broom by Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler
The witch and her cat are happily flying through the sky on a broomstick when the wind picks up and blows away the witch’s hat, then her bow, and then her wand! Luckily, three helpful animals find the missing items, and all they want in return is a ride on the broom. But is there room on the broom for so many friends? And when disaster strikes, will they be able to save the witch from a hungry dragon?
This was a cute children’s book. I wanted to read it since it is almost October.
Romancing the Gravestone by Gena Showalter and Jill Monroe
She suspects everyone of everything. Sometimes she gets it right. Jane Ladling is the sole proprietor of her family’s landlocked cemetery, Garden of Memories. She’s responsible for the, er, guests, but there’s a slight problem. Well, besides her moody cat, Rolex, and her sixty-two-year-old best friend’s unrequited crush on the sheriff. An extra body now rests in Plot #39. Enter Special Agent Conrad Ryan. He’s gruff, he’s gorgeous, and oh, yes, he kind of suspects her of murder. What’s an innocent—and very single, not that it matters—girl to do? Solve the crime herself. Even if she must turn the small town of Aurelian Hills, Georgia upside down. The only line she won’t cross? Falling for the first man to make her heart flutter. Nope, not happening. Not even a little.
I cannot even tell you how much I loved this book. Gena Showalter is one of my favorite author’s and the absolutely nailed this book with Jill Monroe. I can’t wait for the second book so I can screech in happiness at the bit of romance we get!
The Red Fox Monster by Alan Brown
Is that Red Fox hiding behind the useless the bushes? Or is it Dan Dog and Tabby Cat dressed up in Red Fox’s clothes, planning to give their friends a fright? Will even Red Fox figure out their plan? And who will be more surprised?
This book was pretty cute. It is very simple and short.
Lost Moments by Shannon O’Connor
A collection of poems detailing the aftermath of losing someone you love. A best friend and lover gone at once, poems telling the range of emotions in the months after. In this sequel to Five More Minutes expect over 100 new poems, spice, growth, and a bit of anger. As this collection is uncensored finally delivering closure.
This was a great, emotional poetry collection. It will hit you in your feels and leave you wanting more.
That’s all the books I read this month! I’m hoping next month goes just as great! Have you read any of these books? Until next time.
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3DE0S3GLBV187?ref_=wl_share