Small Angels by Lauren Owen

Title: Small Angels

Author: Lauren Owen

Publisher: Random House 2022

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 400

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: UnRead Shelf; Cover Lover - Silhouette or Shadow

Where I Got It: Book of the Month

The woods are stirring again. . . . 

Lucia and her sisters grew up on the edge of Mockbeggar Woods. They knew it well—its danger, but also its beauty. As a lonely teenager, Kate was drawn to these sisters, who were unlike anyone she’d ever met. But when they brought her into the woods, something dark was awakened, and Kate has never been able to escape the terrible truth of what happened there. 

Chloe has been planning her dream wedding for months. She has the dress, the flowers, and the perfect venue: Small Angels, a charming old church set alongside dense, green woods in the village that her fiancé, Sam, and his sister, Kate, grew up in. But days before the ceremony, Chloe starts to learn of unsettling stories about Small Angels and Mockbeggar Woods. And worse, she begins to see, smell, and hear things that couldn’t possibly be real. 

Now, Kate is returning home for the first time in years—for Sam and Chloe’s wedding. But the woods are stirring again, and Kate must reconnect with Lucia, her first love, to protect Chloe, the village, and herself. An unforgettable novel about the memories that hold us back and those that show us the way forward, this is storytelling at its most magical. Enter Small Angels, if you dare.

Based on the summary, I really thought that I would love this book. I’m all about gothic fantasies on the darker side. And the first 50 pages were very intriguing and sucked me in. But then the book and story really started to drag. I had the hardest trouble wanting to pick it back up. Chloe was such a hard character to connect to. I was interested into Kate’s backstory, but even that couldn’t keep my attention. I just didn’t care about the characters at all.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Partials by Dan Wells

Title: Partials (Partials Sequence #1)

Author: Dan Wells

Publisher: Balzar + Bray 2013

Genre: YA Scifi

Pages: 528

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; Quarter of a Century - 2013

Where I Got It: Book Outlet April 2020

Humanity is all but extinguished after a war with Partials—engineered organic beings identical to humans—has decimated the population. Reduced to only tens of thousands by a weaponized virus to which only a fraction of humanity is immune, the survivors in North America have huddled together on Long Island. But sixteen-year-old Kira is determined to find a solution. As she tries desperately to save what is left of her race, she discovers that that the survival of both humans and Partials rests in her attempts to answer questions about the war's origin that she never knew to ask.

Playing on our curiosity of and fascination with the complete collapse of civilization, Partials is, at its heart, a story of survival, one that explores the individual narratives and complex relationships of those left behind, both humans and Partials alike—and of the way in which the concept of what is right and wrong in this world is greatly dependent on one's own point of view.

This book has been sitting on my shelves for almost five years now. I was searching for something fairly breezy with lots of action and grabbed onto this one. Thankfully, it delivered on the promise. We get a very fast paced scifi post-apolyptic novel featuring lots of action and surprisingly, lots of science. As this is young adult, the main characters were annoying at times, but that’s to be expected. I also thought that Wells’s writing was fairly simplistic and immature at times. But the only part that I really disliked was the teenage romance angle. Truly it served no purpose whatsoever. By the end of the book, I was invested in the series. I want to find out what happens between the humans and the Partials after the revelations in this volume.

Partials Sequence:

• #1 Partials

• #2 Fragments

• #3 Ruins

Next up on the TBR pile:

Apprentice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer

Title: Apprentice to the Villain (Assistant and the Villain #2)

Author: Hannah Nicole Maehrer

Publisher: Entangled 2024

Genre: Romance (lite)

Pages: 368

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Romanceopoly - Full Moon Adventure; Cover Lover - No People

Where I Got It: Library

Spice Rating: 3

Evie Sage has never been happier to be the assistant to The Villain. Who would have thought that working for an outrageously handsome (shhh, bad for his brand) evil overlord would be so rewarding? Still, the business of being bad is demanding, the forces of good are annoyingly persistent, and said forbidding boss is somewhat…er, out-of-evil-office.

But Rennedawn is in grave trouble, and all signs—Kingsley’s included—point to catastrophe. Something peculiar is happening with the kingdom’s magic, and it’s made The Villain’s manor vulnerable to their enemies...including their nemesis, the king.

Now it’s time for Evie to face her greatest challenge: protecting The Villain’s lair, all of his nefarious works, and maybe (provided no one finds out) the entire kingdom. No pressure, Evie.

It’s time to step out of her comfort zone and learn new skills. Like treason. Dagger work. Conspiring with the enemy. It’s all so…so…delightfully fun.

But what happens when the assistant to The Villain is ready to become his apprentice?

While I absolutely adored the first book in this series, this particular one really suffered from middle of the series syndrome. It felt like the story alternately rushed the plot forward and stagnated the key relationship between Trystan and Evie. Mainly I was super frustrated about the stagnation section. I love Trystan and Evie and of course we are supposed to be rooting for them as a couple. But… I’m not at all convinced that they should be together. Their complete inability to speak to each other was extra annoying. I wasn’t expecting the second book to see them get a HEA, but I would have liked to see real growth in their relationship. The plot and larger storyline was interesting, but I did get a bit annoyed by the amount of coincidences in the book. I’ll be continuing the series, but I’m not quite as desperate to get the next volume when it publishes in August.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Never King by Nikki St. Crowe

Title: The Never King (Vicious Lost Boys #1)

Author: Nikki St. Crowe

Publisher: Blackwell House 2022

Genre: Romance

Pages: 192

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: She Reads Romance - Dark; Fairytale Retellings - Peter Pan

Where I Got It: Library

Spice Rating: 8

For two centuries, all of the Darling women have disappeared on their 18th birthday. Sometimes they’re gone for only a day, some a week or a month. But they always return broken.

Now, on the afternoon of my 18th birthday, my mother is running around the house making sure all the windows are barred and the doors locked.

But it’s pointless.

Because when night falls, he comes for me. And this time, the Never King and the Lost Boys aren’t willing to let me go.

Finally picked up this series after my interest in darker romance. I am a bit disappointed, but not enough to stop reading the series. Really this is very focused on the steamy scenes as opposed to plot or really characterization. We dive immediately into the world and have to very quickly understand what is happening without a lot of explanation. As the book progresses, we get some little bits, but then we focus on the physical aspect again. Winnie is not my favorite, but I am very interested in all the men involved. I really want to get more backstories and world building in the next book.

Vicious Lost Boys:

• #1 The Never King

• #2 The Dark One

• #3 Their Vicious Darling

• #4 The Fae Princes

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Gathering by CJ Tudor

Title: The Gathering

Author: CJ Tudor

Publisher: Ballantine Books 2024

Genre: Mystery, Horror

Pages: 336

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: I Read Horror - Vampires; Read Around the USA - Alaska

Where I Got It: Library

In a small Alaska town, a boy is found with his throat ripped out and all the blood drained from his body. The inhabitants of Deadhart haven’t seen a killing like this in twenty-five years. But they know who’s responsible: a member of the Colony, an ostracized community of vampyrs living in an old mine settlement deep in the woods.

Detective Barbara Atkins, a specialist in vampyr killings, is called in to officially determine if this is a Colony killing—and authorize a cull. Old suspicions die hard in a town like Deadhart, but Barbara isn’t so sure. Determined to find the truth, she enlists the help of a former Deadhart sheriff, Jenson Tucker, whose investigation into the previous murder almost cost him his life. Since then, Tucker has become a recluse. But he knows the Colony better than almost anyone.

As the pair delve into the town’s history, they uncover secrets darker than they could have imagined. And then another body is found. While the snow thickens and the nights grow longer, a killer stalks Deadhart, and two disparate communities circle each other for blood. Time is running out for Atkins and Tucker to find the truth: Are they hunting a bloodthirsty monster . . . or a twisted psychopath? And which is more dangerous?

It’s become a tradition to read a snow setting book in January. This was a great choice to dive into on these cold days. I’m not always a fan of thrillers, but this one hit the spot. Right away, we understand that vampires are real is this world and they live on the fringes of society in the cold and the dark, i.e. Alaska. A detective is sent to solve the mystery of a gruesome murder of a teenage boy. As she investigates, all the town’s secrets start to get revealed and the case becomes more and more complicated. I loved following the twists and turns of the case, making my own conclusions along the way. My biggest complaint about the book has to do with a part of the storyline dealing with sexual assault. I really could have done without that section. And while it explains part of the motivations of the Colony and Athelinda specifically, I think that the plot could have been reworked to delete that aspect. Overall, it was a very propulsive thriller full of gore and suspense.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Kiss the Girl by Zoraida Córdova

Title: Kiss the Girl (Meant to Be #2)

Author: Zoraida Córdova

Publisher: Hyperion Avenue 2023

Genre: Romance

Pages: 352

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series; Romanceopoly - Crystal Lake (Fairytale retelling)

Spice Meter: 3

A modern tale of unexpectedly falling in love, and finding your voice—the highly anticipated third installment of in the acclaimed and best-selling Meant to Be collection. Ariel del Mar is one of the most famous singers in the world. She and her sisters—together, known as the band Siren Seven—have been a pop culture phenomenon since they were kids. On stage, wearing her iconic red wig and sequined costumes, staring out at a sea of fans, is where she shines. Anyone would think she's the girl who has everything. But lately, she wants more. Siren Seven is wrapping up their farewell tour, and Ariel can't wait to spend the summer just living a normal life—part of a world she's only ever seen from the outside. But her father, the head of Atlantica Records, has other plans: begin her breakout solo career immediately, starting with a splashy announcement on a morning talk show. The night before, Ariel and her sisters sneak out of their Manhattan penthouse for a night of incognito fun at a rock concert in Brooklyn. It's there that Ariel crosses paths with Eric Reyes, dreamy lead singer of an up-and-coming band. Unaware of her true identity, Eric spontaneously invites her on the road for the summer. And for the first time in her life, Ariel disobeys her father—and goes with him. Caught between the world she longs for and the one she's left behind, can Ariel follow her dreams, fall in love, and, somehow, find her own voice?

I finally got around this Little Mermaid retelling. I was going to read it last fall, but of course, I had too many library books checked out and had to make some tough choices. I got it back and sped through this very lite retelling. I found that I really dig the rock star trope in my romance. In this one, we get a Disney-esque pop star going undercover to rediscover herself and find her path in music and a up-and-coming lead singer out to get a record deal. I’m not a super fan of intentional lying in romances, but I will forgive Ariel as she is trying to escape her controlling father. We breeze through this book with some very cute encounters and lite sexual tension. Overall, it was a good romance even if it was very closed door. Cute retelling.

Meant to Be:

• #1 If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy

• #2 By the Book by Jasmine Guillory

• #3 Kiss the Girl by Zoraida Córdova

• #4 Tangled Up in You by Christina Lauren

• #5 Worth Fighting For by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Next up on the TBR pile:

Above the Bay of Angels by Rhys Bowen

Title: Above the Bay of Angels

Author: Rhys Bowen

Publisher: Lake Union Publishing 2020

Genre: Mystery

Pages: 348

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: COYER; Cover Lover - Mode of Transportation

Where I Got It: Kindle

Isabella Waverly only means to comfort the woman felled on a London street. In her final dying moments, she thrusts a letter into Bella’s hand. It’s an offer of employment in the kitchens of Buckingham Palace, and everything the budding young chef desperately wants: an escape from the constrictions of her life as a lowly servant. In the stranger’s stead, Bella can spread her wings.

Arriving as Helen Barton from Yorkshire, she pursues her passion for creating culinary delights, served to the delighted Queen Victoria herself. Best of all, she’s been chosen to accompany the queen to Nice. What fortune! Until the threat of blackmail shadows Bella to the Riviera, and a member of the queen’s retinue falls ill and dies.

Having prepared the royal guest’s last meal, Bella is suspected of the poisonous crime. An investigation is sure to follow. Her charade will be over. And her new life will come crashing down—if it doesn’t send her to the gallows.

Our book club selection for January and amazingly, I had this sitting on my Kindle from years past. I was interested in reading a stand alone mystery from Bowen after reading her Her Lady Spyness series. Unfortunately, this book couldn’t figure out what it was. According to tags and the summary, it’s a mystery of a woman assuming an identity to move ahead career-wise and solve a murder. And yet, the murder doesn’t even happen until about the 80% mark. Seriously I kept waiting for someone to die. Moving past that discrepancy, I was thoroughly bored with the rest of the story. Isabella is too naive and yet too lucky to be real. Everything that potentially can harm her comes to naught. Seriously how lucky can one character be. Even the sections detailing food were boring and lagged on. I just couldn’t make myself like any part of this book.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Hunting Adeline by H.D. Carlton

Title: Hunting Adeline (Cat and Mouse #2)

Author: H.D. Carlton

Publisher: 2022

Genre: Romance

Pages: 651

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Finishing the Series; Romanceopoly - Butterfly Garden

Where I Got It: Library

Spice Rating: 8

Warning: This book contains graphic depictions of sexual assault. Please review the content warnings before proceeding.

“If she were to die… the world would die with her.”
The worst Adeline Reilly expected for her life were a few unholy ghosts haunting the hallways of Parsons Manor, not falling in love with her stalker and ending up in the clutches of a trafficking ring.
Trapped in a house used to groom women for the elite, she faces the biggest fight of her life—survive the Culling and escape. But that’s not so easy when watchful eyes are determined to see her fail. However, Adeline may have an unlikely ally, who just might be the key to her getting out alive.
But trusting them is a risk that could cost her everything.
Meanwhile, Zade will stop at nothing until Adeline is safe in his arms again, even if he must burn the world to find her. Hunting his little mouse is what he’s best at, but who she’ll be when he finds her is a battle that he doesn’t know he can win.
It won’t be the test of time they must survive, but the memories of who they once were.

I really enjoyed the first book detailing a morally grey main character and his actions towards a woman. I really wanted to explore the topic of consent and fantasies. It was a fascinating book. But then there was a terrible cliffhanger at the end of the book. I had to see how the story ends, but I’m not sure that I actually enjoyed reading it. We spend almost half of the book with Addie in captivity being brutalized constantly. I fully admit that skimmed through huge chunks of this section not wanting to read about the abuse. I did find the second half more interesting, detailing how someone can deal with and heal from trauma. We get a HEA here, but it’s a long and disturbing journey. Be forewarned.

Cat and Mouse

• #1 Haunting Adeline

• #2 Hunting Adeline

Next up on the TBR pile:

Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom by Cory Doctorow

Title: Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom

Author: Cory Doctorow

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press 2003

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 208

Rating: 2/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf; Quarter of a Century

Where I Got It: Prospero’s in Kansas City, October 2021

Jules is a young man barely a century old. He's lived long enough to see the cure for death and the end of scarcity, to learn ten languages and compose three symphonies...and to realize his boyhood dream of taking up residence in Disney World.

Disney World! The greatest artistic achievement of the long-ago twentieth century. Now in the care of a network of volunteer "ad-hocs" who keep the classic attractions running as they always have, enhanced with only the smallest high-tech touches.

Now, though, it seems the "ad hocs" are under attack. A new group has taken over the Hall of the Presidents and is replacing its venerable audioanimatronics with new, immersive direct-to-brain interfaces that give guests the illusion of being Washington, Lincoln, and all the others. For Jules, this is an attack on the artistic purity of Disney World itself.

Worse: it appears this new group has had Jules killed. This upsets him. (It's only his fourth death and revival, after all.) Now it's war: war for the soul of the Magic Kingdom, a war of ever-shifting reputations, technical wizardry, and entirely unpredictable outcomes.

Another absolute dud. This felt like Doctorow’s attempt to create a story a la Snowcrash, but it falls extremely flat. This future full of terrible fucking men is not a place that I’m interested in reading about. And yes, I understand that this is supposed to be future that we don’t want, but I still don’t want to read about it. Jules is a terrible narrator and main character. I couldn’t find reasons to root for him to feel anger at his “death.” Why do the female characters have to be wet blankets or villains? I think this book may just have turned me off to Doctorow’s writing.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Blame the Mistletoe by Dani Collins

Title: Blame the Mistletoe (Love in Montana #2)

Author: Dani Collins

Publisher: 2014

Genre: Romance

Pages: 205

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: COYER; Romanceopoly - Alpine Cottage

Where I Got It: Kindle

Spice Rating: 4

Liz Flowers has never enjoyed Christmas, but this one is shaping up to be the worst by far. She let her ex take her daughter to Mexico while she stays behind in a strange town, sitting her former mother-in-law’s high strung little dog. It’s an opportunity to meet new people, but this California girl doesn’t have much in common with the ranchers in small town Marietta. Blake Canon perks up with male interest when he sees a new face at his friend’s Christmas cocktail party. His son is away and a light affair would take his mind off his financial troubles. Then he realizes he knows Liz. She was once married to the brother of his ex-wife. Their children might be cousins, but Blake and Liz do the kissing—under the mistletoe. It’s the beginning of a new view of Christmas for Liz, but when their children arrive home unexpectedly, and family secrets are revealed, Liz isn’t sure she’ll stay in Marietta for Christmas after all.

One last holiday romance read and it was a bit of a dud. I wanted a fun romance. Instead, I got an overly wrought emotional mess full of lost adults and some bad decisions. The casual misogyny and patriarchal attitudes from various characters really got to me in the end. I didn’t really enjoy either of our main characters or the plot. The setting was another negative. The concept that these two connect in this small town where so many bad memories and enemies live is laughable. I just couldn’t get over it. And the secrets were just contrived and painful. I was not a fan. (Not a great start to my reading year, but I’m sure that I’ll hit on a great book soon.)

Love in Montana

• #1 Hometown Hero

• #2 Blame the Mistletoe

• #3 The Bachelor’s Baby

• #4 His Blushing Bride

• #5 His Christmas Miracle

Next up on the TBR pile:

Snowed In with Benefits by Misha Horne

Title: Snowed In with Benefits

Author: Misha Horne

Publisher: 2022

Genre: Romance

Pages: 427

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: COYER; Holiday Reads

Where I Got It: Kindle

Spice Rating: 5

Austin Ash is famous for trashing things. Hotel rooms, relationships... his career.
After his latest public meltdown, he's desperate to reclaim the spotlight— and get it off his ex's embarrassing revenge album. Presenting at The Snowglobes and owning the legendary afterparty is the perfect plan... Until he parties a little too hard and wakes up trapped in the middle of nowhere with the one guy alive who's not charmed by his chaos.

Marco Palmer is music royalty. And he's about to renounce his title.
Music is his family's legacy and all he's ever known, but an award-winning role on a hit tv show changed everything. A secluded mountain cabin is the perfect place to make the most important decision of his life... Until he ends up with the world's most obnoxious, attention-seeking rock star throwing a tantrum in his guest room.

Stuck together at the worst possible time, tensions get high, tempers get hot, and the tabloids see something that just isn't there. Right?
Austin is definitely not interested in the old school know-it-all who torpedoed his splashy comeback. Even if Marco makes him feel safe for the first time in years and is tapping into some embarrassing secret desires.
Marco is definitely not interested in the jaded, burnt out rock star who trashed his quiet weekend. Even if Austin is sweeter and smarter than he acts, and is clearly in need of a firm hand and the kind of attention fame can't provide.
But the photo breaking the internet that's hot enough to melt all the snow outside?
That says different.
And that kiss they're not talking about?
That says different too.

A random read on my Kindle. I was hoping for a fun holiday read. Instead, I got a very serious, repetitive holiday read. Within about 50 pages, I could just tell that I was going to be “treated” to Austin repeating himself ad naseum about his fuck ups and insecurities. I enjoyed Marco, but at times, he was very flat. I do wish that this book was about 100 pages shorter. I think I could have dealt with the internal monologues if they weren’t quite so long. As it stands, this was not the fun holiday read that I was looking for…

Next up on the TBR pile:

Kringle Down by Shane Lacy Hensley

Title: Kringle Down (Kringle Down #1)

Author: Shane Lacy Hensley

Publisher: 2020

Genre: Horror

Pages: 41

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Holiday Reads; COYER

Where I Got It: Kindle

1990, Red Onion Mountain, Southwest Virginia. A bright flash of light slashes through the night sky. Something crashes on the mountain near the infamous "pot mine," where two tired ATF Agents and their cleaning ladies have just finished scrubbing up a gruesome crime scene. What they find on that snowy Christmas Eve is more murder, mayhem, and mystery than you can shake a bloody candy cane at.

J picked up this collection for me thinking it might be a fun read for my trip. And I sped through the first one in no time at all. This is an action-packed horror take on Santa and his elves. I loved this slim story as an alternative to the sweet holiday romances I have read this year.

Title: The Revenge (Kringle Down #2)

Author: Shane Lacy Hensley

Publisher: 2021

Genre: Horror

Pages: 34

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Holiday Reads; COYER

Where I Got It: Kindle

ATF Agent Max Harkins survived a bizarre encounter in Kringle Down. Now cartel czar Ernesto Cabeza wants to make him pay. But Max has a plan. If he can just get "Santa" to go along with it.

Not quite as successful as the first story, but a strong action horror story to further the adventures of Max Harkins. We finally get to the meet the drug cartel boss and see hime deal with Santa and the elves. We also get to see a new Santa emerge from the chaos.

Title: Krampus (Kringle Down #3)

Author: Shane Lacy Hensley

Publisher: 2022

Genre: Horror

Pages: 43

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Holiday Reads; COYER

Where I Got It: Kindle

Little Jose Salazar is a monster. Now he’s missing, and his father, the new head of the Gulf Cartel, thinks a certain evil spirit of Christmas is behind it. To get his son back, Hector needs an army, a plan, and the help of a very reluctant Agent Maxwell Harkins.

Another episode in the unusual adventures of ATF Agent Max Harkins. This time, we get a very spooky appearance by some old friends, a new mission, and some glorious creepy fun. I really enjoyed this fun story to bookend the adventures. And the big reveal of the elves was just the absolute best. Overall, I really enjoyed this short series of gory fun.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Wedding Witch by Erin Sterling

Title: The Wedding Witch (Graves Glen #3)

Author: Erin Sterling

Publisher: Avon 2024

Genre: Romance

Pages: 279

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Holiday Reads

Where I Got It: Library

Spice Rating: 4.5

Bowen Penhallow has always been a loner, studying dark and ancient magic on a mountaintop in Wales. He prefers it that way. But when his friend Colin—who happens to be a ghost—asks him to attend a Yuletide wedding at a grand estate deep in the Welsh countryside, Bowen reluctantly agrees. 

Tamsyn Bligh is not a witch, but she makes her living off of them. As a procurer and seller of magical items, Tamsyn’s business is not always above board, but she’s been trying to fix that (mostly.) Bowen is an occasional customer—as well as the star of several of Tamsyn’s dirtiest dreams—but she’s been around enough witches to know that, as a human, getting involved with one is not the smartest idea. She’s finagled an invite to the Witchy Wedding of the Century in the hopes of finally making a score big enough to retire. Just one priceless magical artifact from Tywyll House would set her up for life.

But Tamsyn isn’t the only one sneaking about in Tywyll House, and the mix of a very strong spell combined with a wedding mishap transports Bowen and Tamsyn into Tywyll House’s past, to the Yuletide Celebration of 1958. As Bowen and Tamsyn work together to get back to the present, they must also face off with the origins of Tywyll House’s haunting, the suspicions of their fellow witches…oh, and the fact that somewhere between the mistletoe and the bonfire, they might be falling in love. 

The conclusion of the Graves Glen trilogy of romance and I liked it but didn’t love it. My biggest complaint is the severe lack of Graves Glen. I wanted a return to our witchy little town and the quirky inhabitants. Unfortunately we move across the pond in a boring castle for our setting. The plot is fun with some time travel hijinks, but I felt like we could have increased the suspense even more than we got. As for the characters, I enjoyed Tamsyn and her offbeat humor and spirit. She was a great main characters. Bowen just didn’t do it for me. I wanted to see more from him. At times, he really was a wooden board. More would have been nice.

Graves Glen

• #1 The Ex Hex

• #2 The Kiss Curse

• #3 The Wedding Witch

Next up on the TBR pile:

Throttle Me by Chelle Bliss

Title: Throttle Me (Men of Inked #1)

Author: Chelle Bliss

Publisher: Bliss Ink 2014

Genre: Romance

Pages: 278

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: She Reads Romance - Motorcycle Club; COYER

Where I Got It: Kindle

Spice Rating: 5

Suzy is a control freak and has her life mapped out. She's content with the status quo, but her plan comes to a screeching halt when he enters her life and turns it upside down.

City gave up on love when his heart was crushed in college, but a chance encounter on a dark road makes him question what he had sworn off forever - a relationship.

A night of passion and lust causes them to question everything.

Is the tattooed bad boy her knight in shining armor? Can their relationship survive when a fantasy falls apart and a secret comes out that could change everything?

I needed a Motorcycle romance to finish out the challenge and thankfully I had this collection just sitting on my Kindle app. I dove into expecting not great, but at least some entertaining romance. And it lived up to my expectations. This is certainly more focused on the sex scenes than the characterization and plot. We get a basic alpha male knight-in-shining armor type character showing the innocent women how to live. Okay fine by me. But I did think that City’s alpha crap got a little too much at times. Making a lot of decisions for Suzy was just not my jam. I like more fun banter and give and take instead of just sex talk and demands. There is a whole series, of which I own at least three others (it was in a collection) that I may or may not read.

Men of Inked

• #1 Throttle Me

• #2 Hook Me

• #2.25 Throttled

• #2.5 Resisting

• #2.75 Rebound

• #3 Resist Me

• #4 Uncover Me

• #5 Without Me

• #6 Honor Me

• #6.5 Men of Inked Christmas

• #7 Worship Me

Next up on the TBR pile:

Savor It by Tarah DeWitt

Title: Savor It

Author: Tarah DeWitt

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin 2024

Genre: Romance

Pages: 336

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: She Reads Romance - Heroes Who Cook

Where I Got It: Library

Spice Rating: 5

Sage Byrd has lived in the coastal town of Spunes, Oregon (not to be confused with Forks, Washington) her entire life. She's learned to love her small world, with the misfit animals on her hobby farm, and her friendships with the town’s inhabitants. But when her 5-year relationship ends and her ex, town-golden-boy Ian, suddenly gets engaged, Sage needs a win―something that will convince everyone to stop pitying her all the time, and to put Ian in his place. The Festival of Spunes, the town’s annual summer competition, would be the perfect opportunity. She just needs a partner.

Fisher Lange was a hotshot chef in New York City until the loss of his sister left him numb, grieving, and responsible for his teenage niece Indy. When Fisher loses his Michelin star along with his love of cooking, his boss sends him and Indy to Spunes on a much-needed summer sabbatical to consult on a restaurant opening. But when clashes with the townspeople threaten his last chance to redeem himself and a kiss with his new neighbor Sage leads to dating rumors, a strategic alliance might just be the best way to turn things around.

A deal is struck. Sage will improve Fisher’s image in the eyes of the town and remove the roadblocks he is facing with the restaurant, and Fisher will be Sage’s partner for the competition. But as their pact quickly turns into steamy rendezvous, emotional wounds begin to heal, and the pair tries to savor every moment, they start to realize that summer is racing by much faster than they would like...

What a surprise! I went into this book expecting a light-hearted romcom style romance. On one side, this does have a light-hearted romance in it, but it also has a much more serious story of two people finding each other amidst all of their life obstacles and obligations.

Next up on the TBR pile:

Before the Fall by Noah Hawley

Title: Before the Fall

Author: Noah Hawley

Publisher: Grand Central 2016

Genre: Thriller

Pages: 416

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: 

Where I Got It: Library

On a foggy summer night, eleven people--ten privileged, one down-on-his-luck painter--depart Martha's Vineyard on a private jet headed for New York. Sixteen minutes later, the unthinkable happens: the plane plunges into the ocean. The only survivors are the painter Scott Burroughs and a four-year-old boy, who is now the last remaining member of an immensely wealthy and powerful media mogul's family.

Was it by chance that so many influential people perished? Or was something more sinister at work? A storm of media attention brings Scott fame that quickly morphs into notoriety and accusations, and he scrambles to salvage truth from the wreckage. Amid trauma and chaos, the fragile relationship between Scott and the young boy grows and glows at the heart of this stunning novel, raising questions of fate, morality, and the inextricable ties that bind us together.

Our book club selection for January and it was a bit of a mess. We start out with the plane crash and immediate aftermath. I was intrigued by the mysteries of the passengers and what caused the crash. We start to explore the backstories of our characters. Very quickly the book starts to drag along. The backstories get more and more boring and tangential. I just found myself caring less and less about these characters. I kept wanting this is actually all connect somehow. But in the end, the cause of the plane crash was so stupid and frustrating. I almost threw my book at the wall.

Next up on the TBR pile:

A Ruse of Shadows by Sherry Thomas

Title: A Ruse of Shadows (Lady Sherlock #8)

Author: Sherry Thomas

Publisher: Berkley 2024

Genre: Mystery

Pages: 335

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges:

Charlotte’s success on the RMS Provence has afforded her a certain measure of time and assurance. Taking advantage of that, she has been busy, plotting to prise the man her sister loves from Moriarty’s iron grip.

Disruption, however, comes from an unexpected quarter. Lord Bancroft Ashburton, disgraced and imprisoned as a result of Charlotte’s prior investigations, nevertheless manages to press Charlotte into service: Underwood, his most loyal henchman, is missing and Lord Bancroft wants Charlotte to find Underwood, dead or alive.

But then Lord Bancroft himself turns up dead and Charlotte, more than anyone else, meets the trifecta criteria of motive, means, and opportunity. Never mind rescuing anyone else, with the law breathing down her neck, can Charlotte save herself from prosecution for murder?

The next installment in the Lady Sherlock series and I must say that I’m slightly disappointed. After the fun and intrigue of a locked room mystery in the last book, this one felt much more aimless and complicated. I am still with Charlotte as she navigates all the mysteries, conspiracies, and seemingly random murders. But… There were too many threads in this one leading all the way back to the first book in the series. At times, I really had to sit and think for a minute about what thread we were referencing. I still love Charlotte and Mrs. Watson, and Ash. I was not super loving the random interludes with Olivia, but understand their purpose. I’m still into this series, I just think this one was a bit of a muddle to get through.

Lady Sherlock

• #1 A Study in Scarlet Women

• #2 A Conspiracy in Belgravia

• #3 The Hollow of Fear

• #4 The Art of Theft

• #5 Murder on Cold Street

• #6 Miss Moriarty, I Presume?

• #7 A Tempest at Sea

Next up on the TBR pile:

Under the Mistletoe Collection

The Under the Mistletoe Collection is comprised of 5 original short stories presented through the Amazon Original Stories program. Stories from any of the collections are available to read or listen for free with Amazon Prime.

Title: Cruel Winter with You

Author: Ali Hazelwood

Publisher: Amazon Original Stories 2024

Genre: Romance Short Story

Pages: 73

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Holiday Reads

Where I Got It: Amazon Prime

Spice Rating: 5

All newly minted pediatrician Jamie Malek wants is to borrow a roasting pan for Christmas dinner. Unfortunately, that requires her to interact with Marc—her best friend’s troublemaking brother, who’s now a tech billionaire. He’s the one who got away. She’s the one who broke his heart. Outside, a howling blizzard. Inside, a crackling fire. Suddenly, being snowbound with the man she never expected to see again might not be such a bad way to spend a winter’s night.:

I really do enjoy enemies to lovers style romance stories. This one was short and sweet, but lots of good banter. I have mostly really loved Ali Hazelwood’s publications.

Title: Merry Ever After

Author: Tessa Bailey

Publisher: Amazon Original Stories 2024

Genre: Romance Short Story

Pages: 59

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Holiday Reads

Where I Got It: Amazon Prime

Spice Rating: 5

Evie Crowe is starting over in a strange town with her newborn, and men are the furthest thing from her mind. If only the quiet, hulking farmer, Luke Ward, would stop coming into the thrift shop and piquing her reluctant interest. Evie wants to stay single all the way—she can’t trust anything more than friends-with-holiday-benefits. But Luke is in it for the long haul. He’s fixed on making this a Christmas Evie will remember forever. If she gives him a chance.

Tessa Bailey writes a type of aggressive alpha male characters that I’m not a huge fan of. In this one, we don’t get enough of Luke for me to root for him. Instead, the story positions Luke in a much more creepy stalker role. Not my favorite.

Title: All By My Elf

Author: Olivia Dade

Publisher: Amazon Original Stories 2024

Genre: Romance Short Stories

Pages: 59

Rating: 3/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Holiday Reads

Where I Got It: Amazon Prime

Spice Rating: 4

Nina and William are underpaid adjunct professors at the same university, where winter break is no break at all: ’tis the season to make extra money. When their holiday side hustle has them stranded by a blinding blizzard in the middle of nowhere, there’s nothing to do but cuddle up for warmth and play a hot and bothered game of Never Have I Ever to pass the time. But in the game of love, secrets never stay secret for long…

Too much silliness in this one. Riding around in a phallic shaped pastry vehicle is a little much for me. I wanted to see more actual connection between these two people instead of lots of flashbacks. It was fine.

Title: Merriment and Mayhem

Author: Alexandria Bellfleur

Publisher: Amazon Original Stories 2024

Genre: Romance Short Story

Pages: 58

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Holiday Reads

Where I Got It: Amazon Prime

Spice Rating: 5

When Everleigh Dangerfield’s baking disaster necessitates a call to 911, firefighter Griffin Brantley douses the flames in the kitchen, but the ones he stokes in Everleigh are an entirely different story. Unfortunately, Everleigh’s only visiting and doesn’t do casual hookups, no matter how smoldering the temptation. But Everleigh’s holiday mishaps have just begun. And Griffin is seemingly always on call. If Everleigh is game for a change of plans, he can give her the merriest Christmas of her life.

Okay this was absolute nonsense and I really liked it. The collection of events that led to the Everleigh and Griffin getting together was wild and fast-paced. I would definitely read more stories from Bellefleur.

Title: Only Santas in the Building

Author: Alexis Daria

Publisher: Amazon Original Stories 2024

Genre: Romance Short Story

Pages: 65

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Holiday Reads

Where I Got It: Amazon Prime

Spice Rating: 4

All Evie Cruz wants for Christmas is a nap. And maybe some ornaments for her naked Christmas tree. And while she’s making a list, she wouldn’t mind unwrapping her sexy upstairs neighbor like a present. Luckily, the building’s Santa-themed party and a surprise sprig of mistletoe give her just the opening she needs to make all her wishes come true.

Another cute story involving a secret Santa and crushes on neighbors. I was rooting for Evie to come out of her work fog, enjoy life, and possibly make a romantic connection. Such a cute story.

Next up on the TBR pile

26 Ways to Come Home for the Holidays by Jennifer Joy

Title: 26 Ways to Come Home for the Holidays

Author: Jennifer Joy

Publisher: Foxburg & Stern 2023

Genre: Holiday Romance

Pages: 164

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: COYER; Holiday Reads

Where I Got It: Goodreads Contest Winner

Spice Rating: 3.5

It’s Thanksgiving 1942, and Stella West, the first-ever head of holidays for Hanover's Department Store is left in a bind when her lead window designer runs off days before the grand unveiling of the store’s Christmas windows—the city's most-beloved holiday tradition. With only 48 hours left until the windows' ribbon-cutting ceremony, Stella scrambles to gather together a rag-tag team of store employees to finish the job, including their picky luxury stylist, two flirtatious personal shoppers, a handful of delivery boys, and Stella's best pal, Hector.

As the group races to complete the store's twenty-six 'Home for the Holidays'-themed Christmas windows, Stella is stunned to discover that Hector is newly single and realizes the feelings she’d buried for him long ago may run deeper than she ever imagined. Dodging a baker who's sweet on her, the store kiss-up who's after her job, and the store owner who wants an early preview — Stella has more than enough to worry about without her love life adding to the mix. But with the ribbon-cutting approaching (and the news of Hector's epic bachelor status swirling through the store), Stella realizes that telling him how she feels might be now or never—even if it means risking losing him entirely.

I won this book through a Goodreads contest. It’s a cute very sweet holiday romance novella. We follow Stella as she deals with a massive problem at her department store job. We’re taken back to the 1940s as we see the characters overcome the problems and come together for Christmas. Overall, it was a cute story with light romance. I did find it slightly odd that there were a few sexual scenes that seemed strange within the tone of the book. But it was a decent read.

Next up on the TBR pile:

The Story of Evolution in 25 Discoveries by Donald R. Prothero

Title: The Story of Evolution in 25 Discoveries: The Evidence and the People Who Found It

Author: Donald R. Prothero

Publisher: Columbia University 2020

Genre: Nonfiction - Science

Pages: 376

Rating: 5/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Unread Shelf Project

Where I Got It: The Nook, Cedar Falls IA

The theory of evolution unites the past, present, and future of living things. It puts humanity’s place in the universe into necessary perspective. Despite a history of controversy, the evidence for evolution continues to accumulate as a result of many separate strands of amazing scientific sleuthing.

In The Story of Evolution in 25 Discoveries, Donald R. Prothero explores the most fascinating breakthroughs in piecing together the evidence for evolution. In twenty-five vignettes, he recounts the dramatic stories of the people who made crucial discoveries, placing each moment in the context of what it represented for the progress of science. He tackles topics like what it means to see evolution in action and what the many transitional fossils show us about evolution, following figures from Darwin to lesser-known researchers as they unlock the mysteries of the fossil record, the earth, and the universe. The book also features the stories of animal species strange and familiar, including humans―and our ties to some of our closest relatives and more distant cousins. Prothero’s wide-ranging tales showcase awe-inspiring and bizarre aspects of nature and the powerful insights they give us into the way that life works.

I grabbed this last summer from the used bin at a bookstore (The Nook) in Cedar Falls, Iowa. I was hoping for a fun adventure through what we know about evolution. And that’s exactly what we got! I love how every chapter is its own mini book. You can do a deep dive into a variety of topics within evolution in this one volume. I was especially fascinated by chapter tracing animal lineage. We get to see exactly how our understanding of topics have changed over the decades. I loved it so much that I had to pass it on to a friend. And I will be adding it to Arthur’s required reading in high school. In the end, I will be putting Prothero’s other texts onto my TBR pile.

Next up on the TBR pile: