Hello and welcome! Today I'm sharing the first five books on my Goodreads TBR. They've been sitting there for almost 10 years and I don't suppose I'll ever be getting around to them.
I can't be the only one whose reading habits or choices have drastically changed in the last decade, right?
Let me know if you've read any of these and what you thought of them. Maybe your words (if they're positive) will give me the push I need to finally pick one of these up.
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Rose by Sydney Landon
My name is Rose Madden and I have spent my life being the perfect daughter. Thanks to my daddy, I'm an expert marksman who dresses like some modern day freaking June Cleaver. My life has been perfectly scripted since the day I was born. I've never deviated from the plan—until I met attorney Max Decker. Now he has me doing insane things to get his attention, like grabbing him in his car and being arrested for stalking my ex-boyfriend just so he'll come bail me out of jail. He thinks I'm crazy—but he wants me anyway, he just can't admit it. I'm tired of living my life for others, and Max has just given me a reason to show everyone that this good girl is going bad.
This is the first book of the series. The first three books were about another couple and I remember really wanting to get my hands on this book. Rose was this proper lady who could definitely handle a gun. That's about all that comes to mind. I don't recall much else about her and the longer this book sits on a shelf, the more I forget that it's even there.
Should I read it?
Revived by Samantha Towle
India Harris didn’t have the best start in life. Abandoned as a baby, she and her twin brother, Kit, spent their lives in foster care, only having each other to rely on. Then, at a young age, a relationship with the wrong man left India pregnant. Wanting to give her son the life she never had, she put herself through school and graduated with honors.
Now, at the age of thirty, she’s a highly respected therapist.
At the top of his game as a Formula One driver, Leandro Silva had everything—until an accident on the track left him staring death in the face. After enduring twelve months of physical therapy, Leandro is now physically able to race, but his mind is keeping him from the track. Frustrated and angry, Leandro’s days and nights are filled with limitless alcohol and faceless women.
Entering the last year of his contract, he knows he has to race again, or he’ll lose everything he spent his life working for. Forced into therapy to get his life back, Leandro finds himself in the office of Dr. India Harris.
Falling for his uptight therapist is not part of Leandro’s plan.
Having unethical feelings for her patient, the angry Brazilian race car driver, is not part of India’s plan.
But what if the wrong person is the only person who is right?
Now, at the age of thirty, she’s a highly respected therapist.
At the top of his game as a Formula One driver, Leandro Silva had everything—until an accident on the track left him staring death in the face. After enduring twelve months of physical therapy, Leandro is now physically able to race, but his mind is keeping him from the track. Frustrated and angry, Leandro’s days and nights are filled with limitless alcohol and faceless women.
Entering the last year of his contract, he knows he has to race again, or he’ll lose everything he spent his life working for. Forced into therapy to get his life back, Leandro finds himself in the office of Dr. India Harris.
Falling for his uptight therapist is not part of Leandro’s plan.
Having unethical feelings for her patient, the angry Brazilian race car driver, is not part of India’s plan.
But what if the wrong person is the only person who is right?
Okay, so I don't really know how this one ended up on my list. Back in the day, I think if I enjoyed a book, I added whatever was next for the author to continue the good streak. However, this isn't something I would choose for myself today. Or is it? I don't know. I'm terrible at this. Part of me is wondering if this may be one of the great reads of my year.
What do you think?
Fighting for Forever by J.B. Salsbury
Slut. Hooker. Whore.
The taunts never bothered me. They only see what I allow them to see, and a Las Vegas stripper is the perfect cover.
My life had direction. I had a mission—until the man I needed vanished and is presumed dead.
It’s time to move on—give up the dream for revenge—and no one shows me that more than the mop-headed fighter with eyes the color of the ocean.
If anyone can teach me just how sweet life can be, it’s him. But first, I’d have to let go.
Mase. Baywatch. Mayhem.
I’m known by many names, but there’s only one that stirs panic and worry in my gut every time I’m called it.
Brother.
I’ve bailed him out of trouble for years, so when he turns up in Vegas and asks for me, I’m prepared for the worst. And the worst is exactly what I get in the form of a lilac-eyed beauty named Trix.
She’s everything I hate about Vegas: a stripper, loose with her body and her morals. But there’s something about her, a complexity that she buries deep, and I’m determined to uncover it.
The deeper I go, the less I understand. When I finally learn the truth, we engage in a battle where life and death hang in the balance.
Fighting could kill us both, but if we win, forever is the prize.
The taunts never bothered me. They only see what I allow them to see, and a Las Vegas stripper is the perfect cover.
My life had direction. I had a mission—until the man I needed vanished and is presumed dead.
It’s time to move on—give up the dream for revenge—and no one shows me that more than the mop-headed fighter with eyes the color of the ocean.
If anyone can teach me just how sweet life can be, it’s him. But first, I’d have to let go.
Mase. Baywatch. Mayhem.
I’m known by many names, but there’s only one that stirs panic and worry in my gut every time I’m called it.
Brother.
I’ve bailed him out of trouble for years, so when he turns up in Vegas and asks for me, I’m prepared for the worst. And the worst is exactly what I get in the form of a lilac-eyed beauty named Trix.
She’s everything I hate about Vegas: a stripper, loose with her body and her morals. But there’s something about her, a complexity that she buries deep, and I’m determined to uncover it.
The deeper I go, the less I understand. When I finally learn the truth, we engage in a battle where life and death hang in the balance.
Fighting could kill us both, but if we win, forever is the prize.
I remember reading this entire series and loving it. Seriously, I easily 5-starred the first book and probably ever one following. So I'll definitely be reading this at some point as I re-read this series and share my love of this author's writing.
See... this post was worthwhile because I found not-so-new books to fall in love with all over again.
Never Never by Colleen Hoover + Tarryn Fisher
Charlie Wynwood and Silas Nash have been best friends since they could walk. They've been in love since the age of fourteen. But as of this morning... they are complete strangers. Their first kiss, their first fight, the moment they fell in love... every memory has vanished.
Charlie and Silas must work together to uncover the truth about what happened to them and why. But the more they learn about the couple they used to be, the more they question why they were ever together to begin with.
Charlie and Silas must work together to uncover the truth about what happened to them and why. But the more they learn about the couple they used to be, the more they question why they were ever together to begin with.
I don't really have anything to say about this book or series. I don't even remember the hype surrounding it. However, I have enjoyed books by Tarryn Fisher.
Is this worth my while?
Confess by Colleen Hoover
Auburn Reed is determined to rebuild her shattered life and she has no room for mistakes. But when she walks into a Dallas art studio in search of a job, she doesn’t expect to become deeply attracted to the studio’s enigmatic artist, Owen Gentry.
For once, Auburn takes a chance and puts her heart in control, only to discover that Owen is hiding a huge secret. The magnitude of his past threatens to destroy everything Auburn loves most, and the only way to get her life back on track is to cut Owen out of it—but can she do it?
For once, Auburn takes a chance and puts her heart in control, only to discover that Owen is hiding a huge secret. The magnitude of his past threatens to destroy everything Auburn loves most, and the only way to get her life back on track is to cut Owen out of it—but can she do it?
Here's the thing... New adult romances used to be my jam. I couldn't get enough of them. Now though... I'm super picky and I don't know if this one will be a hit with me.
The last two books I've read from Hoover were pretty meh to me. I gave them 3 stars.
Do you think I'll love this one?
Hello hello! I'm back with some more books that didn't really work for me, but might be winners for you.
Vow of Revenge by P. Rayne
My Rating - ★
Genre/Trope - New Adult Contemporary Romance / arranged marriage
POV - Dual
Length - 358 pages
Genre/Trope - New Adult Contemporary Romance / arranged marriage
POV - Dual
Length - 358 pages
BLURB: Nothing ruins a perfect day like your dead fiancé showing up in the middle of your first class.
Mirabella La Rosa
When my father arranged for me to marry the next in line to lead the Costa crime family, I swore I’d do anything to escape that fate. I have way more to offer my family than being some man’s arm candy, producing heirs, and making appearances at weddings and baptisms.
Marcelo Costa might be my fiancé, but he’ll never be my husband.
Somehow, I get lucky because he and his father are killed in a car bombing. Not only do I not have to go from being a mafia princess to a mafia wife, but now I can attend college at the Sicuro Academy—an affluent private college created for mafia children like me.
I’m so excited. I’ve moved into my dorm room with my best friend, put on the uniform and am ready to learn. But all my plans come to a screeching halt when he shows up on campus alive and well, seeking revenge on those that crossed him.
Marcelo Costa
The look of shock on my fiancée’s face when I walk into the classroom at the Sicuro Academy gives me more pleasure than it should.
Mirabella made it clear she didn’t want to marry me, and she’s a problem to be dealt with for sure. But now, she’s the smaller of my two problems.
The only reason I’m at the Sicuro Academy is because my investigation into the bomb that killed my father and almost took me out has led me here.
So I’ll allow Mirabella to stay at the academy while I track down my father’s murderer, but once I’ve brought that person to my own particular brand of justice I’ll remove her from campus and make her my wife.
And no amount of pleading on her part will change my mind.
I’m sorry Jess, but I quickly realized that this book isn’t for me. I loved the reviews I found for this book and grabbed it up real quick, but nah. It ain’t for me. The characters are too young, too entitled, too too too too much.
The Selkie Wife by Andie Beckham
My Rating - ★★
Genre/Trope - Paranormal Romance / instalove
POV - Dual
Length - 121 pages
Genre/Trope - Paranormal Romance / instalove
POV - Dual
Length - 121 pages
BLURB: From the deep, she's scented him: her perfect match.
On his bleakest night, Arran, a lighthouse keeper's son, encounters a beautiful stranger with a mysterious, glossy coat. Struck by her alluring magic and feral kinship with the ocean, Arran's trepidatiously-balanced life quickly descends into dreamy, passionate chaos.
One thing haunts him: he can't let his violent father find her.
As Arran's heart drifts toward the Selkie like a beacon, he learns the wild seal woman has plans of her own. Her startling proposition to give him a child is only the beginning. The selkie's powerful allure unlocks Arran's secret that could change everything.
I’m still unsure how I feel about this story. While I liked the concept of the selkie female finding her mate on land, I found it hard to engage with this book because of the writing style. I’m not a fan of reading in the present tense, so it kept throwing me off. However, I enjoyed the way this author captured these characters. Rose’s speech patterns and mannerisms were super cute and Arran’s naivete and vulnerability made him incredibly endearing.
Contempt by A. Zavarelli
My Rating - ★★
Genre/Trope - Contemporary Romance / amnesia + second chance
POV - Dual
Length - 554 pages
Genre/Trope - Contemporary Romance / amnesia + second chance
POV - Dual
Length - 554 pages
BLURB: Before the world knew me as a rock god, I was just the angry boy who stole her heart.
She was a good girl.
The forbidden fruit I wasn’t meant to taste.
Our stars were crossed, and fate had doomed us from the start.
She was promised to someone else.
I had her secret smiles.
Moments stolen in dark corners.
But I couldn’t have her future.
Destiny tore us apart, and all that remained was the ghost of her memory.
When she died, I did too.
But when I catch a glimpse of her five years later, alive and well, that love turns to hate as the bitter truth emerges.
She left me.
She lied.
And now, I’m going to make her pay.
I love the concept of this book. I can get behind a good amnesia/revenge plot. But I couldn’t really get behind the way this story was told. There were too many flashbacks and not enough answers. Even in the end, I’m still wondering why it was told this way. It didn’t make it more mysterious. It made it more annoying. Every time there was a flashback, I got irritated. Why? Because just when I thought the glimpse into the past would give me SOME FREAKING ANSWERS, I got nothing. What was the point???
In Some Sort of Happy, you’ll fall hard for tortured hero Sebastian right alongside feisty, down-on-her-luck Skylar Nixon, who’s returned to her small hometown to make a fresh start. Can she convince him to open his bruised and guarded heart?
In Some Sort of Crazy, you’ll laugh and swoon as Natalie Nixon finds herself falling head over heels for her adorably funny and sexy (but seriously commitment-phobic) childhood friend Miles. Will he get over his fear of forever in time to win her over?
In Some Sort of Love, you’ll meet hot bearded single dad Levi, whose devotion to his autistic son (not to mention his deliciously dirty mouth) steals Jillian Nixon’s heart. When he worries he can never give her enough time or attention, can she convince him he’s everything she’ll ever need?
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Some Sort of Happy
Happy Crazy Love #1
Release - September 22, 2015
Genre/Trope - Contemporary Romance / friends to lovers
POV - Dual 1st person
Heat - 4 out of 5
Format - ebook
Length - 345 pages
My Rating: ★★★★★
Skylar Nixon. She’s even more beautiful than I remember. Ten years ago she was an impossible dream, and now she’s right here in front of me, offering everything I ever wanted.
But happiness never lasts, not for someone like me.
I have to protect us both.
****
Sebastian Pryce. He’s the most complicated, frustrating, beautiful man I’ve ever met, and my body craves his with a hunger I’ve never known.
My heart is his completely.
Why won’t he let me in?
This ended up being a re-read for me and I think I enjoyed it even more the second time around!
This book was truly a work of beauty. It was open and honest, heartwarming and endearing, and heartbreakingly real. I couldn't help but fall in love with these characters and their story and become invested in their happily ever after.
As much as I came to enjoy Skylar and her charming inner monologues, Sebastian was the one who mattered the most to me. How could he not when I found pieces of me in him? Although OCD manifests itself in different ways for different people, I really enjoyed this glimpse into a realistic character trying to cope with it.
This story was about two people at the cusp of starting over. The buildup of their increasing connection was altogether adorable, engaging, and hot damn can this author write erotic scenes! Sebastian and Skylar were so hot together and their chemistry was further proof of how they were destined to be. Each interaction was another testament to how beautiful and believable they were.
I loved how Melanie Harlow wrote this story. It was uncomfortably accurate and incredibly sensitive. I loved Skylar's easy acceptance of each of Sebastian's "quirks". How she supported him , helped to guide him, and simply loved him unconditionally. In all honesty, I cheered each time Sebastian overcame each of his self-imposed obstacles and I know that it was all due to the way the author phrased each scene and painted each picture. I was satisfied with where this couple ended up, even if I can't help but want more.
This book was truly a work of beauty. It was open and honest, heartwarming and endearing, and heartbreakingly real. I couldn't help but fall in love with these characters and their story and become invested in their happily ever after.
As much as I came to enjoy Skylar and her charming inner monologues, Sebastian was the one who mattered the most to me. How could he not when I found pieces of me in him? Although OCD manifests itself in different ways for different people, I really enjoyed this glimpse into a realistic character trying to cope with it.
This story was about two people at the cusp of starting over. The buildup of their increasing connection was altogether adorable, engaging, and hot damn can this author write erotic scenes! Sebastian and Skylar were so hot together and their chemistry was further proof of how they were destined to be. Each interaction was another testament to how beautiful and believable they were.
I loved how Melanie Harlow wrote this story. It was uncomfortably accurate and incredibly sensitive. I loved Skylar's easy acceptance of each of Sebastian's "quirks". How she supported him , helped to guide him, and simply loved him unconditionally. In all honesty, I cheered each time Sebastian overcame each of his self-imposed obstacles and I know that it was all due to the way the author phrased each scene and painted each picture. I was satisfied with where this couple ended up, even if I can't help but want more.
Some Sort of Crazy
Happy Crazy Love #2
Release - November 17, 2015
Genre/Trope - Contemporary Romance / friends to lovers
POV - Dual 1st person
Heat - 4 out of 5
Format - ebook
Length - 286 pages
My Rating: ★★★★
When a psychic tells Natalie Nixon her life is about to be upended by a mysterious stranger, she laughs it off. After all, she has everything she’s ever wanted—a successful bakery, a the perfect boyfriend, and the keys to her dream house.
Who could possibly make her want to throw all that away?
Then Miles Haas comes back to town.
But he’s no stranger—they’ve known each other since high school. Plus, he’s only around for the summer, he’s still a shameless playboy, and he makes a living writing articles for a men’s magazine with titles like 'Should You Bang the Boss’s Daughter? A Flowchart' and 'Butt Stuff for Beginners: A Field Guide.'
He’s not the man of her dreams, and she’s not about to abandon everything she’s worked so hard for just for a little fun. Except he makes her laugh like no one else, smells like heaven, and looks sexy as hell in those panty-melting glasses.
Natalie was a perfectionist while Miles took life as it came. They couldn’t be more different, but there was a reason why they were friends for so long. They simply got each other. If only Natalie would stop standing in her own way LOL. Seriously though, for all she knew, Miles was always going to be the playboy that she’d always known. It was hard for me to get behind him having real feelings for her at first, because of his denial. He was so used to living his life a certain way, but I’m so happy with the way the author wrote this story. Miles had to grow up some time and Natalie was the perfect woman for him. Actually, they were perfect for each other. She brought the serious while he brought the playful. And it was such a fun story to read!
Some Sort of Happy
Happy Crazy Love #3
Release - February 9, 2016
Genre/Trope - Contemporary Romance / second chance
POV - Dual 1st person
Heat - 3.5 out of 5
Format - ebook
Length - 281 pages
My Rating: ★★★1/2
From the outside looking in, I had it all—a career I loved, a supportive family, the Nixon metabolism but not the Nixon ears, and a salary that supported my lavish taste in designer shoes, fine wine, and lacy lingerie … but I had no one to share it with.
Until the day I ran into him—my one night stand from college with the crooked smile, let’s-get-out-of-here eyes, and dirty, dirty mouth.
Cute and cocky then, today Levi Brooks is six feet four inches of hot bearded fantasy. A sexy single dad with broad shoulders, strong hands, and a fantastically big … heart. (I mean, it’s massive. And generous. And it pumps so hard … um. Sorry. Lost my place.)
Being a good father means everything to him, but he's keeping me at a distance because he thinks I deserve someone better — a man who can give me more time, more attention, more of himself. He doesn’t believe he could ever be enough.
But he's wrong.
He’s everything.
While this wasn’t my favorite from this series, it was still an enjoyable read. I loved the whole Pine Sol inside joke. I loved how devoted Levi was to his son. I loved how much he and Jillian came to love each other. I didn’t like how fast everyone expected their lives to change or become meshed. And it was pretty quick. But I do love how the author gives these characters hurdles to overcome in order to find true happiness. These characters have to evolve, truly know themselves, in order to become part of something greater than they had ever known. And while this story didn’t turn out as sexy or intimate or sweet as the first two, it still had its moments and I’m a bit sad to let these people go.
At least I got all of the happy endings I was hoping for!
At least I got all of the happy endings I was hoping for!
Hello hello and welcome to another recap!
While April wasn't the greatest month for me, May has definitely seen me make somewhat of a comeback. I'm still not reading as much, but my mind is in a better place. I'm crotcheting again and am finding a peace I haven't known in a long time.
I've been using my downtime (some of it at least) to come up with new ideas for this blog. Activities that will keep me (and therefore you) engaged with it. So look out for my Throwback Thursday posts and I'll be doing sale posts again so we can all grab up those cheap AF kindle reads!
So my May reading was as follows...
There was a big standout this month: The Ember Glen Trilogy
I happened across a review of this trilogy by Jessica @Chatterbooks Book Blog and it drew me to one-click. I figured I couldn't go wrong because it was free with Kindle Unlimited. It was so much better than I expected and I recommend it to anyone who loves dystopian romance and darkness.
The other books I read and would recommend were:
I bought nothing. Aside from the few books I borrowed from the Kindle Unlimited library, I've kept my wallet closed. I hope I can continue this trend for the foreseeable future.
While April wasn't the greatest month for me, May has definitely seen me make somewhat of a comeback. I'm still not reading as much, but my mind is in a better place. I'm crotcheting again and am finding a peace I haven't known in a long time.
I've been using my downtime (some of it at least) to come up with new ideas for this blog. Activities that will keep me (and therefore you) engaged with it. So look out for my Throwback Thursday posts and I'll be doing sale posts again so we can all grab up those cheap AF kindle reads!
So my May reading was as follows...
Stats
Total Books Read: 9
Total Pages Read: 3227
Genres: Contemporary (2), Dark Romance (3), Fantasy (1), Paranormal (3)
From my TBR: 1
Avg. Rating: 3.89
Total Pages Read: 3227
Genres: Contemporary (2), Dark Romance (3), Fantasy (1), Paranormal (3)
From my TBR: 1
Avg. Rating: 3.89
All the Books
There was a big standout this month: The Ember Glen Trilogy
I happened across a review of this trilogy by Jessica @Chatterbooks Book Blog and it drew me to one-click. I figured I couldn't go wrong because it was free with Kindle Unlimited. It was so much better than I expected and I recommend it to anyone who loves dystopian romance and darkness.
The other books I read and would recommend were:
Edin by Lily Mayne
Special Kind of Twisted by Lani Lynn Vale
Secrets of Shooting Star Lake by Susanna Strom
Special Kind of Twisted by Lani Lynn Vale
Secrets of Shooting Star Lake by Susanna Strom
Added to my tbr
Book Haul
I bought nothing. Aside from the few books I borrowed from the Kindle Unlimited library, I've kept my wallet closed. I hope I can continue this trend for the foreseeable future.
I hope we find only the best reads in June!
Talk soon,
Talk soon,
xo, Natalie
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