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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Tyalbrook 3 Preorder and sneak peek

We have a release date! The Prophecy of Tyalbrook: Never Without You will release Friday, November 1, 2019!
We’re finalizing the synopsis but if you’ve read one and two then you know three brings us Skye and Xander’s conclusion. <<—-obvious much? I swear I do a better job telling the story than I do writing blog posts ;)

Here is a universal link to preorder from Amazon, B&N, and Smashwords: https://books2read.com/Tyalbrook3 *Applebooks and Kobo should be live soon!

AND here is a sneak peek…

“When everything is crazy, when people are dying, prophecies are being told, friends are becoming enemies and enemies are becoming friends—this is our beacon.”

That pledge, made hours ago, played on a mental loop as I lay beside the man who spoke it. The dagger he handed me months ago rested near my hip as I traced the etchings along the hilt and my eyes drank in Xander’s sleeping form.

After weeks of separation followed by weeks of believing he was dead, he’d returned to me. His features weren’t nearly so haunted while he slept. The mellow light of the candles and lanterns in my room cast a warm glow over the bed. I savored this moment of togetherness, our first since he and Mother walked into this castle two days ago and shocked us all. Two ghosts back from the dead.

With a long exhale, I pressed my palm over my heart. When Xander and I were near each other for long periods of time, the pulse signifying our bond slowed in my chest to a steady purr, the vibration reminiscent of the rumbled purr Janelle’s old tabby cat made when I stroked her back.

I purred.

The notion brought a trembling smile to my lips as tears dampened my eyes. I missed that old cat. I missed the tiny house I shared with Janelle and Rex. Rex. Another name on the ever-expanding list of lives lost because of a prophecy. And Janelle, the one true friend I had before coming to Tyalbrook. Contemplating her fate filled my chest with an aching pang. I’ve held onto hope, preferring to think her safe and sound back home, but somehow I knew that wasn’t the case. I feared for her the way I feared for Amandalyn. The way I feared for everyone in Tyalbrook. They were pawns in a madman’s scheme. And for what? For power? For me? No one knew, which made what was to come all the more dangerous.

Xander stirred and reached across the bed, tangling his fingers deep into my hair as he tugged my face his way. “Have you had your fill?” he mumbled beneath a yawn.

I tucked his dagger between the folds of my bedding and shifted toward him. “My fill?”

“You were staring. I felt your eyes on me. I’m a Guardian. I’m trained to know this stuff.”

His teasing grin warmed the blood running through my veins. “You could not feel my eyes on you.” I propped up on my elbow, taking his hand, still tangled in my hair, with me.

“You’re right,” he conceded. “I was staring at you first.”

My breath lodged in my throat as his heavy-lidded electric blue eyes pinned my own. Oh, how I’d missed him. He grinned and released my gaze, and I blew out the air trapped in my lungs. His strong fingers delved deeper into my hair, massaging my scalp, as he twisted his upper body toward the lone window in my room. His forehead furrowed.

“It’s dark out.”

“Yes.” My gaze followed his to the unshuttered window. “You fell asleep on me. I was a bit offended by it, to be honest.”

When he entered my room hours ago, the sun rode high in the sky. It was past twilight now. Supper came and went with us locked in there. Not that I was complaining. My eyes touched on his profile and I lapped up the opportunity to study him this way. The depth of my feelings astonished me after the past months of separation. I’d forgotten the strength of the connection between us. How could I have forgotten?

©️Michele G. Miller, 2019

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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Read these books for FREE in #KindleUnlimited

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AND the publisher just added Dark Seduction as well!