What I read: September 2019

I had a few misses this month where I read, then gave up when I found myself not fully invested in the story. Here are the ones I DID finish in September!

I Hate You by Ilsa Madden-Mills

A fun college read that balances angst, football, and sex pretty perfectly. Second chance lovers should love I Hate You.

Cruel Prince: Royal Hearts Academy #1 by Ashley Jade

I don't read bully romances because the MCs are oh so likeable. I read them for entertainment. Cruel Prince was entertaining—in a totally wacked way.

Where Good Girls Go To Die by Holly Renee

The cover and title might have you thinking you're in for a mystery or something dark but this is totally a brother's best friend/second chance romance. Though it wasn't as dark as I expected, it was totally addictive and I read this bad boy in one day. I really dig Holly's writing you should give her a try if you haven't yet.

Cruel Intentions by Siobhan Davis

Okay, I tried to ignore this one but I'm weak for these dang bully/elite rules of the school books. I'm pathetic, I know.
This one is horrible—the characters are disgusting, the plot is over the top, the depravity has a capital D, so of course, I'm loving it.
If you're a sucker like me, you'll love it too.

*I want to clarify the writing is NOT horrible. Davis knows how to write a book. It's what's in the book that's horrible—in all the right ways. ;)

Twisted Betrayal by Siobhan Davis

If you think book one was over the top book two is over the top, on crack.
I'm still gonna have to read three to see how this all shakes out, tho.

Warning: LOTS of triggers.

Another by Fiona Cole

Dirty. Dirty. Dirty Ian and Carina.
Read this sucker in a day. The characters are tied to the Voyeur series but Cole does a great job explaining anything you missed if you didn't read those books and Another stands just fine by itself. The plot isn't exactly new but if you're a lover of surprise pregnancy stories you should check this one out.

Fumbled Hearts by Meagan Brandy

Once the H got his act together he was ridiculously sweet. The hows and whys on this one are a bit convoluted but overall it was an enjoyable story with a few characters you really want to know more about.
Lots of girl on girl hate and player jocks here.

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What I read: August 2019

The Guy on the Right by Kate Stewart

What a fun read! It's amazing what can happen when you stop looking at people on the outside and get to know them inside. This fun college romance proves that.
Quirky characters, fresh plot... highly recommend.

Impact by Haley Jenner

Heartbreaking and gorgeous story about putting your life back together after a traumatic event.
This is one that will make you hurt.

To Love Jason Thorn by Ella Maise

Enjoyable.

Broken Wings by Jaymin Eve

Le Sigh ... I'm such a sucker for these dirty guilty pleasure type reads.

Broken Trust by Jaymin Eve

When I sit down to books described as dark romances with rich boy clubs and sassy girls I know I'm sitting down to a few hours of unrealistic fun. Just like book one, book two delivers on all the tropes one would expect from this type of story. It's steamy delicious fun. Don't analyze it, just go with it.

Broken Legacy by Jaymin Eve

Just what you would expect from the finale to this series—over the top.

Tangled Love by Haley Jenner

Revenge isn't always the sweetest...
A somewhat Romeo and Juliet type of tale here where Romeo blames Juliet's family for his past so he plots revenge. I think there are missed opportunities to dig deeper into these characters and their relationship (beyond the sex) but overall I enjoyed the story.

Jersey Six by Jewel E. Ann

Warning: lots of abuse triggers here
This is a dark read. I hated all the MCs at one point or another and loved them too.
A refreshingly different game of revenge is played out in Jersey Six and it was nice to have a heroine who was most decidedly NOT a damsel in distress. Another great read by Jewel E. Ann.

Coming Up Roses by Staci Hart

This is a fun contemporary romance with a little P&P bend to it. I would love to read more about the Bennet siblings love lives. Read this one when you need a little pallet cleanser between heavier titles.

Ruckus by L.J. Shen

Four very bad boys and their love stories. Vicious is still my fav hothole thus far.
While Sinner of Saint (parents) and the All Saints High (offspring from the first series) spin-offs are listed as standalone reads I recommend reading them in order. I went from the first in one series to the first in the other, then realized how much information I lacked because I didn't know the backstory. I'm now backtracking.
I love LJs stories, she hasn't done me wrong yet.


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What I read: July 2019

July was a good reading month thanks to a pinched nerve that kept me away from my laptop much of the time.

Teardrop Shot: A Friends to Lovers Sports Romance by Tijan

This one took longer than a normal Tijan novel for me to get into but once Reece and Charlie started hanging out, I loved it.

Transcend by Jewel E. Ann

I love finding romances with a twist. These flawed characters make perfect sense by the time you're done with the duet. I recommend you give them a chance to tell their stories.

Epoch by Jewel E. Ann

Just read it.

The Truth About Lies by Aly Martinez

In truth, I struggled a bit with this one. Loved the concept and characters but it felt like it went on without much happening for a while. I trusted Aly though, and by the end, I was downloading book two without thought.
In hindsight, the lag was quite possibly my mindset at the time because in the end I'm happy with this duet and would recommend it.

The Truth About Us by Aly Martinez

Love it when totally screwed up lives get happy endings.

Pretty Scars by C.D. Reiss

Talk about a binge read. Thanks to a pinched nerve in my neck, I was able to spend all day reading this wonderfully angsty Romeo/Juliet-esque tale.
Told in past and present, Gabriel and Carrie's story unfolds in perfect little clues and details until every jaw-dropping moment crushes you. Loved it.

The Wrong Prince Charming by Holly Renee

In love with the best friend? check
New amazing -forbidden- guy walks in? check
College life? check
Football life? check
The Wrong Prince Charming hits a whole lot of tropes with a whole lot of steamy fun. This is a great one to read in one sitting.

The Bombshell Effect by Karla Sorensen

Fun sports romance when you're looking for a book to cleanse the pallet after a hefty read. Would have loved to see more of the single dad aspect (and how he handled dad life with "dating" and football) since that was a compelling reason for me picking up the book in the first place. Still enjoyable, and I wouldn't rule out reading more of Sorensen's books.

Heartache and Hope by Jay McLean

Two teens with a bunch of sh#$ luck form a bond that helps remind readers young love is all like. Love this story and thank goodness book two was already published so I could jump right in.

First and Forever by Jay McLean

Yup. I loved it.
Also, I loved the maturity Jay gave her characters while still allowing them to be stupid.
Highly recommend this YA romance.

Stay by Tia Louise

Enemies (kinda) to lovers.
Single mom.
Second chance.
Relationship of Convenience.
Alpha, sexy billionaire.

This bad boy runs with all the tropes. Enjoyable, if not a tad bit (okay a lot) unrealistic. Sometimes you just need a fun dirty romance to get away from reality.
FYI: this isn't all fun. There is a key plot point that provides a lot of emotional meat.

**Bonus points to all the Blue Planet references ;)

One Little Lie: a hate to love rom-com by Whitney Barbetti

This is a super slow burn, kind of second chance, love to hate romance that sees Adam and Hollis telling one little lie so they can both get what they need. The premise for the "hate" aspect is a bit flimsy (IMO) but it's a fun little read nonetheless.

Drive by Kate Stewart
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

one woman and two epic loves. Three, if you count music.

My heart hurts. I was absolutely enthralled with this story of love and rock n roll. It's perfection, and now I have a hangover.

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What I read: April 2019

In an effort to share books and authors you may be unfamiliar with, I’ll be posting snippet reviews every few weeks from my recent reads. If I post a review here it is because I enjoyed the story and suggest you give it a read. Happy reading!

Over the Falls by Jordan Ford


Enjoyable surfer read with all the right YA components: drama, rich kids/poor kids, bad boys, breakups, makeups, and a whole lot of flirting.

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The Birthday List by Devney Perry


My one frustration was I wanted Poppy to move on a little faster. << That's a ridiculous statement to make when you're the widow, but Cole was so amazing! It was hard to watch him go out of his way to help her fulfill the birthday list. It sometimes felt like she was using him more than seeing him as a man who'd fallen for her.
Grieving is an individual process and this story was lovely.

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Rock Bottom Girl by Lucy Score


90s Flashbacks

High school was hard. Reading Marley's story felt like reliving those days. Bad boys, bullies, inadequacy, laughter, and tears... My first Lucy Score book will not be my last.

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The Worst Best Man by Lucy Score


There's a crazy bit of drama that surrounds the wedding at the beginning that was a bit out there for me but once we moved beyond that I truly enjoyed Aiden and Frankie's story. Laugh out loud moments, great characters, sexy times, and I hero you can easily fall in love with.

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My Life in Shambles: A Standalone Romance by Karina Halle


Possibly my favorite Karina romance. One thing I love about her characters is they are almost always "flawed" physically. Are you shocked the entire world isn't filled with perfectly sculpted, thin, and gorgeous people?
I also commend Halle for tackling an issue you don't see very often in romance novels. Loved this one.

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