Happy Weekend! As I try to do every week, I've put together a list (scoured Amazon) of the latest sales and freebies. Again, all books are under $2 and really it doesn't get any better than that. I hope something here inspires you! 💙💙 Please Note: this list may be missing some (I only recommend authors I've actually read or plan to read) and it's obviously not in any particular order. For more sales & freebies (because they might still be on sale or free), CLICK HERE and Happy Hunting!
WWW Wednesday is a meme hosted by Sam @ Taking on a World of Words.
The three W’s stand for:
What did you recently finish reading?
What are you currently reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?
The three W’s stand for:
What did you recently finish reading?
What are you currently reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?
I've been able to keep to my bookish goal of reading one book off my TBR a week. I realize that it's still early, but I'm hoping to keep it up. Shoot, I'll be happy if I can read even one a month!
What I've Read
Girl Meets Boys by Ari Reavis was an advanced copy involving young characters and a love triangle. Captain by Lauren Rowe was right off of my TBR and is about a hero who is struck by cupid and a girl who doesn't trust herself or anyone else. Stolen by Alison Aimes was also a book off of my TBR and it's a scifi romance that is sure to entertain. The last two covers don't hurt the eyes either!
What I'm Reading
The Revelation of Light and Dark by Sawyer Bennett
I always knew I was different.
From a young age, my mind has been plagued with things only I could see. Some hauntingly beautiful, others completely terrifying. Never knowing if these visions were real or just hallucinations, I learned how to lock them down and ignore them. I learned to take solace in the relative anonymity of city life and find peace in the rainy days my city of Seattle is known for.
But just when I think my life is getting on track and my dreams are achievable, a moment of weakness causes me to learn a hard and fast lesson.
My entire existence has been a lie.
Now I’m faced with a new reality that’s as implausible as it is fantastical. Filled with realms and veils, light and dark, fae and daemons, gods and angels—things I don’t understand but am forced to acknowledge. It doesn’t help that the man teaching me about my unique gifts is the gorgeously handsome Carrick Byrne, one of Seattle’s richest and most powerful men. He intimidates, annoys, and intrigues me all at the same time. I don’t trust him and yet there’s no one else to help me.
No longer certain who to put my faith in, what to believe, or how I fit into it all, one revelation is clear…
The world as I know it will never be the same again.
The Revelation of Light and Dark is book one of the Chronicles of the Stone Veil series and is best enjoyed if read in series order.
What I'll Read Next
I've been reading the Morgan Brothers series by Lauren Rowe all out of order and now that I've finished Captain, I'm 'keen' to read Keane's book, Ball Peen Hammer. I'm told that his is the best book out of the series and I'm counting on the laughs.
• ────── ✾ ────── •
What are you reading right now? Tell me below or leave me a link so I can check out your post. Happy Reading!
xo, Natalie
"I am not always an easy male. I can be stubborn, commanding. I am bigger, stronger, and the urge to dominate hums through my veins. But when it comes to you, I will always strive to make the choice that keeps you safe. To remain in control and honor the trust you put in me when you give your body over to me. You are a treasure and I will guard you as such."
Stolen by Alison Aimes
Standalone
Release - June 1, 2020
Genre - SciFi Romance
Dual POV - 3rd person
Heat Level - 4 out of 5/a few scenes
Format/Source - ebook purchase from Amazon
Length - 340 pages
Publisher - Orchid Publishing
He’s a half-Martian Warlord. Savage, dominant, and dangerous—and now he’s on the hunt. For her.
Deception is a way of life for desperate thief Aurora Blake. Her sole purpose is to snatch enough jewels to escape her vicious stepfather, the powerful head of the corrupt Earther Corporation.
And the fierce Warlord she frames for her crimes? He's the last complication she needs.
She never expects to cross his path. Or to burn so hot after watching from the shadows as his rough commands bring exquisite pleasure to another female.
But Aurora's expectations don't matter when the Warlord wants her for himself. He won't stop until he's claimed her as his obedient mate.
Can she survive whatever he has in store once he discovers she's stolen far more than his barbarian heart?
Stolen is a sexy, standalone Alien Alpha Romance full of danger, betrayal, love, and the kind of epic steam that will have you flipping the pages fast!
Amazon * Nook * Kobo * iBooks
"Command me, Warlord. See how well I can obey."
I can obey too, DaKar! I can so freaking obey!!
The year is 9094 and what is left of Earth is unrecognizable. After many wars, all that's left of what we call home is protected by a dome. The people of Earth are divided - the Élithe and the others. DaKar was the son of a powerful member of the council that rules over everyone. He was also half-Martian, seen and treated as an Outer World freak. He was abused and tormented for his half blood, surrounded by monsters who believed themselves somehow above him. Years later, after returning to his true home and becoming the man he was always meant to be, he arrives back on Earth to take his inheritance and finally shake things up in the oppressive culture that was propagated by the wealthy.
A chance 'meeting' when he was just a boy created a connection between DaKar and Aurora. She was Élithe and supposed to be untouchable. But DaKar isn't one for rules and Aurora can't deny what is quickly growing between them. However, she has a secret she cannot tell. When DaKar's honor is called into question, the one person he would never suspect is also the person responsible for his predicament. However, there is more at work here and I loved all of the moving parts the author introduced.
While I'm not the biggest fan of how this story reached its climax or its ending, I enjoyed the journey to get there. It was so much fun to watch all of the minor characters go about their business, gossiping, griping, and generally being pains in the behind. I was also entertained by everything about DaKar and his experiences, both as a boy and as a man. I loved the way his mind worked and I would have been happy to spend more time with him. Aurora wasn't very impressive. I get that her being a liar and a thief were meant to feature heavily in the plot, but she didn't do herself any favors.
After being introduced to this author's work with Ruthless King, I'm making it my mission to read all of her books!
Find all of her information and other books on her site: https://alisonaimes.com/
Happy Tuesday and welcome to another TTT! This meme is hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl. This week's TTT theme is Books I Meant to Read In 2020 but Didn’t Get To. I have way more than 10 books that I didn't get the chance to read last year. Books that I'm hoping I can get to this year. For this post, I went back to an earlier post, SOME OF THE BOOKS ON MY FALL 2020 TBR, and my TBR and chose the ones that I'm pretty sure I'll read in the near future. So here goes...
Storm and Fury by Jennifer L. Armentrout - Enter a world of gargoyle protectors, rising demons and one girl with an explosive secret.
Dead Pretty by Samantha Towle - I had a stalker. A murderous one. And I had no clue who he was. He never showed me his face. Not even when he carved his final message into me.
Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron - It’s 200 years after Cinderella found her prince, but the fairy tale is over. Teen girls are now required to appear at the Annual Ball, where the men of the kingdom select wives based on a girl’s display of finery. If a suitable match is not found, the girls not chosen are never heard from again.
Ripple Effect by Keri Lake - They call me RIP. I’m a killer. A murderer. A psychopath. In the eyes of the righteous, I’m a monster, born of sin and depravity.
TimeTrap by J.T. Bock - UltraAgent TimeTrap is hiding out. This peace-loving, universe-traveling hero is tired of fighting Aztec gods, sociopathic scientists, and her reality TV–star mother. She needs a vacation from using her superpower. With comfy slippers and streaming movies, she’s taken refuge with her new boyfriend, Max Martin, in his high-tech, gated home.
Five Dark Fates by Kendare Blake - After the grim confrontation with Queen Katharine, the rebellion lies in tatters. Jules’s legion curse has been unbound, and it is up to Arsinoe to find a cure, even as the responsibility of stopping the ravaging mist lies heavy on her shoulders, and her shoulders alone. Mirabella has disappeared.
Burn For Me by Ilona Andrews - Nevada Baylor is faced with the most challenging case of her detective career—a suicide mission to bring in a suspect in a volatile case. Nevada isn't sure she has the chops. Her quarry is a Prime, the highest rank of magic user, who can set anyone and anything on fire.
Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco - Two sisters. One brutal murder. A quest for vengeance that will unleash Hell itself… And an intoxicating romance.
One Step After Another by Bethany-Kris - He finds the unfindable, but she’s terribly good at hiding …
Trapped by Alison Aimes - “Convicts don’t ask. They take.” Marooned on a primitive prison planet , Bella West has one chance for survival until rescue arrives: trade her body for protection.
I am very pleased to note that this list is certainly eclectic. There's fantasy, scifi, young adult, dark romance, etc. I'm excited to dig into these books this year.
What books did you miss out on last year? Please tell me in the comments below or leave the link to your own TTT post if you have one. Happy reading!!
xo, Natalie
As bloggers, we get contacted by authors, big and small, traditionally published or independent, to review their books. Most of us have a set of criteria that a potential read has to fit. Let's be real... there are just some books we have no intention of ever reading. So why bother put yourself through something that you're only going to review poorly?
That's how I feel about Love Triangles. I don't like 'em. If I'm warned in advance, I stay away. It's not to say that I haven't read and loved stories that centered around a love triangle. Take Black Swan Affair by K.L. Kreig. I gave it five whole stars!! And why? Because the story was phenomenally written. However, I look at it as an aberration rather than the status quo.
I know there are a ton of people who will disagree with my take on the trope. They love it and can't understand why I don't. They believe that I'm missing out. Well, the following are my reasons for giving this trope a pass:
HITS |
MISSES |
|---|---|
| * the angst. If you're a fan of emotional, heart-jerking stories, then these books are for you. | * the angst. I deal with enough in real life. I don't need my heart to be pulled in so many different directions. |
| - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - |
| * the volume. If you feel like the more the merrier, then these books are for you. | * the volume. I'm finding that as I get older, I'm becoming more traditional in my views of relationships. I know, I can't believe it either. But I like the 1:1 ratio in a relationship. No cheating or polyamorous entanglements. |
| - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - |
| * the characters. Sometimes it's the journey that makes it work. Watching the protagonist maneuver their way to find love with one or both people is a huge part of what makes the story work. | * the characters. Most of the time it's the relationship between the characters that ruins it for me. What if the heroine/hero has to choose between brothers/sisters? Or best friends? It makes me lose all respect for the protagonist for stringing them along. |
| - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - |
| * the feels. This leads back to the angst. All those emotions, feeling along with the protagonist, choosing your victor, and then finding out if you're right. | * the boom. There are times when it is super easy to pick the person you want the protagonist to be with. Why? Because the author makes one of the contenders a monster. They'll be abusive or negligent or entertaining others. Can we call a cliché a cliché? |
| - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - |
| * time spent. When done well, the tension isn't dragged out, the heroine/hero makes their choice intelligently and emotionally, and the rest is a happily ever after. | * time spent. Then there's the time spent dragging the story out, so I don't even care who they choose. Especially if they spend time going from one person to the other. |
| - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - |
| I can't think of another 'hit' | Pet peeve... when one of the contenders dies. So it's not a matter of choice anymore, it's a matter of convenience. And yes, I know how bad that sounds. But how can you believe in your relationship if the only way you 'won' your partner is because your rival died, clearing the way for you? How can I believe in it? |
| - - - - - - - - - - - - | - - - - - - - - - - - - |
| I still can't think of another 'hit' | There is no reason for the love triangle. The story would have gone on its merry way without it. So here you've introduced a triangle to what? Liven up your story? And it's all bullocks because if your plot increases in value because of the triangle... fine. But when there is no plot without the triangle or vice versa... I'll pass. |
I'm sure there a still more reasons for why I don't like love triangles, but honestly, thinking about them is making me remember all of the bad ones I've read and I'd rather not.
One of my 2021 bookish resolutions was to be more open with my fellow readers and bloggers. To open up more about my thoughts and opinions. To post more about my likes, dislikes, loves and favorites. So here's post one and I hope you like it!
I genuinely don't know what the hell "acting naturally" would be around someone as glorious as Ryan Asshole Morgan."
Captain by Lauren Rowe
Standalone - Morgan Brothers #2
Release - May 14, 2017
Genre - RomCom/enemies-to-lovers
Dual POV - 1st person
Heat Level - 4 out of 5/several scenes
Format/Source - ebook borrowed from KU
Length - 360 pages
Publisher - SoCoRo Publishing
It wasn’t the way this kind of story was supposed to go . . .
Insta-love isn’t supposed to turn into insta-hate.
But that’s exactly what happened when the hot-as-hell dreamboat I met in a bar turned out to be a lying, cheating scumbag-player-douche looking for nothing but a little side action. Jerk.
And he has the nerve to call me a liar and a “sociopath”? Assh*le.
And now, three months later, through a mind-blowing series of events I couldn’t have predicted in a million years, it turns out my boss is marrying his sister in Hawaii and I’ve got to play nice with him for an entire freaking week.
Okay, sure, I’ll put on a happy face this week and act like I’ve never even met the jerk before--did I mention his sister is marrying my boss?--but that doesn’t mean I’ll like it. And it certainly doesn’t mean I’ll stop secretly hating the cocky bastard’s guts.
Because I do.
I hate him.
I really do.
I just wish my brain would explain the situation to my body . . . because every time he flashes that panty-melting smile at me, it takes all my self-restraint not to jump the bastard’s hot-as-f*ck bones.
I'm about to become Captain Ahab and this beautiful woman my whale.
After falling in love with Colby in Hero and then Zander in Mister Bodyguard, I knew that I had to get to know all of this characters as soon as possible. They were just too special to miss. Too awesome to be passed over. Too incredibly funny not to enjoy more and more laughs with.
Honestly, I thought that this story would be a no-brainer. Five stars like the rest of them and on to the next. And it would have been if it was about Ryan, the rest of the amazing Morgan family, and their equally phenomenal friends and family. However, I had to endure Tessa and she was a hard pill to swallow.
Burned by love, Tessa didn't need much to push her into believing that Ryan was pretty much like every other lying, cheating, scumbag of a man. Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary... despite the many people who loved and respected him... despite how he carried himself... despite how obvious it was that he was a great man... she treated him like garbage. She was disrespectful, mean, and ugly to him. She went above and beyond to treat him like dirt while continuing to sleep with him.
Thankfully there were plenty of high points to this story to enjoy. Every moment with the Morgans was a delight and a half. The family (oh Peenie), the friends, the sweet and hilarious conversations and hijinks made this story amazingly entertaining. I loved Ryan so much and I look forward to seeing him again as I continue to read about his brothers.
Find your copy on Amazon: https://amzn.to/38KlhZc
FREE to read with Kindle Unlimited
Find out all about Lauren and her books on her website: https://www.laurenrowebooks.com/
It's the weekend and I don't know about you, but I'm looking forward to getting down to some serious reading. On that note, I scoured Amazon for their list of freebies and sales in order to find some inspiration. I hope something here inspires you! 💙💙 Please Note: this list may be missing some and it's obviously not in any particular order. For more sales & freebies (because they might still be on sale or free), CLICK HERE and Happy Hunting!
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