It's May. I know. I'm so freaking late with this list, but I'm going to blame it on how discouraged I've felt reading this year. While 2022 wasn't the BEST reading year of my life, I did find some really great books and new-to-me authors to fall in love with and to share with you.

Here goes...

Contemporary Romance

Dark Romance

Fantasy Romance

Paranormal Romance

Romantic Comedy

SciFi Romance

Urban Fantasy

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Have you read any of these books or have them on a list? Leave a comment below and tell me all about it!

I wish everyone the best that 2023 has to offer — may all of us continue to be healthy and safe this year!

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Spark of Madness by Brynn Ford

Mercy is a sinner, and Arlo is no saint…

MERCY - For years, I've served the men of Ember Glen. I've endured their depravity because it's required. But when the most vicious man in our village decides to target me during a purge, I have to make a choice…

I can kneel and serve…
or I can run and become a sinner.

I choose sin…
I choose to run.

Only, I didn't expect another man to chase me…
I didn't expect the harrowing punishments he'd make me endure once I was caught…
And I certainly didn't expect to find passion for him.

The man who calls me a sinner sets my soul on fire.

REVIEW ~ 4 stars

Let me start off by saying THANK YOU to Jessica @Chatterbooks Book Blog, From her rave review of the series, I knew I had to give it a try. Dark romance, dystopian society, strong heroine, horrific experiences, sinners and servants… Spark of Madness has all of that and more.

I admired the heck out of Mercy. She seemed to be the only one who questioned her place in life. She was the only one who spoke up for how wrong things were. Why were men allowed to subjugate, abuse, and generally mistreat women with no consequences? Why were women punished for questioning or refusing the status quo? She was a warrior for her people, even if they couldn’t see or acknowledge it.

After recently watching The Handmaid’s Tale, I couldn’t help drawing parallels, but at the same time, this story is so different. The construct of this society is also mired in twisted religion, women are oppressed, meant to be seen and to serve, not to have thoughts or feelings or to be heard. Select men are chosen to rule over everyone and each caste has a certain set of rules they must follow. In that vein, Arlo reminded me of Nick, in that he lives in the society and, until meeting Mercy, he believed in the principles of that society. However, he starts to question himself and those around him. While he first tries to rationalize it, it seems he’s coming to accept that something’s wrong with what he was forced to believe.

Arlo isn't a hero in my eyes... yet. But with the way this author writes, I can easily see her convincing me to like him.

My thoughts for the rest of this series:
- Killian must die. The elders must die.
- I think that the idea of no world beyond Ember’s Glen is a lie. I think normal society exists and this cultish environment exists outside of accepted society. I hope Mercy burns down this place and finds a new home in the real world. That would be my hope for her happy ending. I’m not sold on that ending being with Arlo, but I’m guessing the next two books will work to change my mind.

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Blaze of Misery by Brynn Ford

ARLO
She's destined to die, yet she consumes my every waking thought.

I'm struggling against everything I've been taught to believe.
I'm falling for a sinner, and my passion for her is destroying my world.

As Mercy endures untold torment at the hands of my brothers, my soul splinters, breaking in ways I didn't know were possible. I want her so much it consumes me. I need her so much that I'd burn for eternity in exchange for a single moment with her...if only I could sell my soul to spare her life.

The fear of her looming death begs my mind to open, and all I want is a world where she lives.

MERCY
Absolution. They could etch the word into my skin, and still, it would never find me.

The trials for my soul begin, but they aren't truly meant to save me.
Nothing can save me from the way I've been broken by the men of Ember Glen.

The man who hurt me the most is also the man whose touch sets me on fire. Arlo Rainn hasn’t earned my thoughts, my attention, or my desire, yet he possesses me entirely. My feelings for him strengthen as we explore our forbidden passion, and as he comes to know me better, he begins to see the world through my eyes.

My warden's perspective is shifting, and I fall deeper into the madness of my need for him.

REVIEW ~ 5 stars

I couldn’t sleep from reading and wanting to continue reading this book. I’m freaking hooked and can’t wait to see the next hurdle Mercy must pass. This woman is so strong, full of compassion, with a certain sweetness and softness I find so endearing. The warrior within her is blazing through and I can’t wait to continue to see her fight.

I still think Killian has to die. This dude is cruel and deserves punishment that meets his crimes and actions. Death is the only solution.

I’m not sure how I feel about the other members of The Control. Owen seems to be reasonable (if a lot delusional), Wesley seems to take pleasure in being cruel (and yet try to appear kind), Ryker seems to be a determined Killian follower (like that guy needs anyone to encourage his wickedness), and the other member I don’t even remember. I hope Theo is a help rather than a hindrance in the rebellion to come.

I wonder where the missing pages of Mercy’s mother’s journal are. Who made sure she found the journal in the first place? And what do those pages have to say?

I’m curious about what exists outside of Ember Glen. I’m sure it’s a futuristic version of our society and I hope I get a chance to see Mercy thrive in the freedom of it.

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Embers of Mercy by Brynn Ford

MERCY
Death has always been chasing me, and I fear it's finally caught up.

If this trial doesn't end my life, it will surely take my mind.
And nothing could have prepared me for the despair yet to come.

Though everything seems hopeless, my love for Arlo remains constant. A part of me wants to give up and fade away with him. But secrets are being kept, and though I never expected to live long enough to learn the truth, a brewing rebellion might be the end of it all.

If Arlo and I are going down in flames, at least we can burn Ember Glen down with us.

ARLO
The end of everything approaches, and I've never felt so lost.

I'm sickened by the trial Mercy is forced to endure.
If I could complete it in her stead, I would trade places with her in a heartbeat.

I can't do anything for her, and it wrecks my soul. My sanity is shattered, and I lose all control. And though my actions draw death nearer, its imminence inspires boldness. When we finally discover the truth, we have nothing left to lose.

One way or another, Mercy and I will end this—either everything will change, or we'll leave this place burning in our wake.

REVIEW ~ 4.5 stars

It's the last book of the trilogy and it gave me almost everything I could have wanted in an ending.

❥ bring on the rebellion
❥ let all castes unite
❥ Kill all those who NEED to die
❥ a happy ending for those who definitely deserve it

I'm being intentionally vague, but my only issue with this final book was that I wanted more. I wanted to spend time with Mercy and Arlo as they enjoyed their freedom. I wanted to really know what life was like for them away from Ember Glen and I wanted more justice to be found.

You know me... I'm a greedy goose.

If you love dark romance with horrific elements, situations that really push your boundaries, and love that shines a bright light through the darkness, then you NEED this series on your to-read list.

The Sacrifice by Shantel Tessier

Standalone
Release - April 6, 2023
Genre - New Adult Contemporary / vengeance, arranged marriage
POV - Dual 1st person
Heat - 5 out of 5 / plenty of BDSM elements
Format - ebook borrowed through Kindle Unlimited
Length - 535 pages


I gave it 3.25 STARS. I enjoyed the characters, even when I thought the heroine was acting dumb. While Lake acted like she knew it all, she knew very little. Her ignorance is what drove this story though. Tyson had so many secrets and even I was guessing, right to the end, what his motives were and why things were happening the way they were. Honestly, I wanted to rate this book higher because it was hotter and more deceptively devastating than I thought it would be. However, in the end, I felt that things were left dangling a bit.

For starters, why did Whitney hate Lake so much? And Luke, what was his deal? And why were so many people more loyal to Luke than Tyson? What was he offering them? And the father... it was all a bit messy (or a lot).

I think the problem I had was that while the mystery of the plot was interesting and kept me engaged, I wanted a bit more when the mystery was solved. I needed more answers. So while I loved what grew between Tyson and Lake, their volatile and not quite normal relationship, I wanted more.

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Red Havoc Rogue by T.S. Joyce

Standalone - Red Havoc Panthers #1
Release - February 7, 2017
Genre - Paranormal Romance / instalove
POV - Dual 3rd person
Heat - 3 out of 5
Format - ebook purchase from Amazon
Length - 232 pages


I gave this 3 STARS. I loved that Jax and Annalise shared a deep connection before they had even met. Not knowing that the other was a shifter, they delved into more intimate topics and became the person the other relied on. So when Annalise knew she had to start over in a remote part of a new town, she was sad to let Jax go. She was having trouble controlling her animal and this new crew was known for taking in broken people. And she was very broken.

Jax wasn't willing to let her go. Known as a wanderer, he had a pack, but loved the open road. So he had no trouble leaving his family and tracking down Annalise. However, when he finds her, the reception from her new pack isn't exactly warm. She's everything he could ever want, he's everything she could ever need, but her pack forbids them to be together.

I loved the way they snuck around, not able to get enough of each other. I found this story to be sweet, funny and sexy. I enjoyed meeting the members of both packs and I hope they feature in some way in other books from the series. I did want more depth in this book, hoping for a little bit more of these two as a happy couple, but I was quite content with the way everything played out.

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Yearning For Her by Tiffany Roberts

Standalone
Release - March 21, 2023
Genre - Paranormal Romance
POV - Dual 3rd person
Heat - 4 out of 5
Format - ebook borrowed from Kindle Unlimited
Length - 396 pages


I gave this 3.25 STARS. I adored Kian and for the first hero I've ever read from this writing duo, color me impressed! He was absolutely swoon-worthy. As an incubus, he'd slept with hundreds of people and he didn't really seem to discriminate. He fed off of their pleasure so I guess he didn't have to be choosy. But there was something different about Willow. After their one night stand, he quickly realized that he couldn't feed from anyone else. She satisfied him in ways he'd never experienced before. And while she might be reluctant to give into him, recently getting over a bad break up and not trusting in what Kian has to offer, he wasn't about to let her go.

There was a lot to love about this story, from Kian's absurd methods of wooing Willow, his refusal to take no for an answer, his obsessive and possessive thoughts and feelings when it came to her, and pretty much everything Kian did. My only issue was how long and hard Willow had him working for it. I got that she had trust issues and I didn't blame her. But she did and said some hurtful things that irked me. So while I could understand her motives, I didn't have to like them.

I also wanted a bit more from the ending. There was this whole underlying plot with a nefarious and villainous incubus and with all the lead up it was resolved quickly. I was hoping to see if there was any fallout. And of all the incubi that Kian knew, why didn't we hear from or meet them? I can only hope there will be another book about another incubus and Kian makes a special guest appearance.

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He Wants It All by Marilena Barbagallo ~ DNF

Krum Botev has never had anything in life apart from himself. He knows only what he has been taught. Hard, selfish, insensitive, but faithful to the Father, the one who raised and educated him according to the values of the secret society he is part of. No one has ever succeeded in knocking down his armor. No one can touch him outside or inside; no-one except her, who is part of that past Krum cannot forget. Ambra Livori, a beautiful and wealthy heiress, has always had everything. But nightmares don’t give her a break. They go on showing her the man who ruined her life when she was only sixteen. The memory of him, over time, has become a perverse feeling she cannot tolerate. Just when Ambra decides to learn how to control her emotions, she receives a strange call. Her origins will be questioned and the past will become a terrible present from which she won’t be able to escape. Fighting for herself will be the only solution. What links Ambra and Krum? But most of all, can two different souls be able to touch each other outside and inside? A secret organization, an uncontrollable passion, a man and a woman destined to clash.

Honestly, the writing was a bit all over the place and I think that's because this was translated from Italian. I really wish I could read it in the original language. I believe a lot of what the author was trying to convey was lost in translation. The concept of this story is so intriguing that I wish I could have continued.

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Hammered by Jasinda Wilder ~ DNF

Dad Bod Contracting—for ALL your domestic contracting needs. Have a leaky faucet or clogged disposal? Need a new patio with intricate brickpaving designs? Want your garage transformed into a yoga studio? Dad Bod Contracting has you COVERED. Our clean, well-mannered, and friendly professionals pride themselves on attention to detail. Every job comes with a 100% customer SATISFACTION guarantee. No job is too small. Hand us your “honey-do” list and we’ll get it done, and we’ll look good doing it! A good job well done is one phone call away, so call Dad Bod Contracting today! It started with a window that was jammed shut. Pretty simple, right? All I wanted was to open the windows while I tidied the house. I’d been after my no-good husband to do it for months, but he never did. And then he shacked up with his secretary, leaving me with a pile of bills, husband-free for the first time in ten years, and with a house that was falling apart. The ad popped up on the side of my social media feed—a local contracting agency willing to do pretty much anything. Since I don’t really know a screwdriver from a ratchet, I gave them a call. And let me tell you, the ad was NOT lying. Jesse O’Neill can do it ALL…and looks amazing doing it. He fixed my window, so I called him back to fix the sagging, splintery front steps. Which led to him fixing my kitchen sink. And then he recarpeted my stairs. And then fixed the squeak in my bed. He was supposed to fix my house, not my rusty, sputtering libido. And certainly not my broken heart.

You know those books you REALLY wanna like? Hammered was one of those books. It should have checked many of my boxes, but it somehow failed to do that. It could have been the fact that it was told from only Imogen's perspective (and you know how I hate that). I was more interested in the side characters than the ones this story was about. I even liked the little I got to know of Jesse (the MMC). It just fell flat, I'm afraid. It's too bad because I know that a lot of people enjoyed the heck out of this story. I've really liked other books by this author so I'll be giving her another try.

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Balls in Play Box Set by Kate Stewart ~ DNF

“She’s a nerd.”
“Heyyyy!”
“Okay, she’s a flight instructor.”
“Better.”
“He’s a ballplayer.”
“The best that ever was.”
“Technically, you aren’t according to MLB stats.”
“See? Total nerd. She also has no filter.”
“He’s no southern gentlemen.”
“I had one last season to prove my worth.”
“I’d never seen a game.”
“He told me he was a player.”
“She told me she was a lesbian.”
“But you fell in love with me anyway.”
“Yeah, baby, I totally did.”

I know it's a "me" problem. I've seen so many 4-and-5-star reviews for this series and I couldn't even get through book one with ease. I was infinitely bored and the heroine, Alice, annoyed me. I can't even pinpoint why she irked me, but aggravate me she did. So I'm one of the few that didn't love this supposedly laugh-out-loud novel.