Author: J.L. Gribble
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Holiday Letter 2020
December 2020 Dear Family & Friends, Hanna, Erik, and the three cats have successfully managed to stay healthy throughout the shenanigans brought by 2020. We are fortunate that both of our jobs ensured continued employment, and while Erik continues to work in-person on his military base, Hanna has been working…
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Review: Reagan Through the Looking Glass (Hacking Wonderland #1) by Allyson Lindt
This is a short novel that ends in such a way that it could have easily been combined with the sequel to create a complete book. It does not end on a cliffhanger, though; I look forward to reading the conclusion, but I didn’t feel the urge to dive into…
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Review: Four Ever by Sloane Kennedy
Why stop with all the drama and baggage of two characters at a tipping point in their relationship with each other when you can have double the fun? Include some healthy doses of physical, mental, or emotional trauma in every character, then sit back and wait for the fireworks. Pardon…
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Review: The Experiment by Rebecca Raine
As a professional medical editor for the day job, I thought it was hilarious that the sections of this book were labeled according to the sections of a journal article, down to the “Methods” and “Limitations.” Even better, the headings accurately reported what part of the plot the section covered.…
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Review: How to Hack a Hacker (Unholy Trifecta #3) by A.J. Sherwood
Read my review of Unholy Trifecta #1, How to Shield an Assassin Read my review of Unholy Trifecta #2, How to Steal a Thief The few problems I had with the previous books in this series spilled into the conclusion of this particular found-family all getting their happily ever after.…
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Review: Dedicated (Rhythm of Love #1) by Neve Wilder
This book is a friends-to-lovers romance that swerves strongly into “idiots in love” territory, which means I had a blast reading it. Individually, Les and Evan are well-written, complex characters with a strong history of friendship currently on the rocks. They both approached stardom differently, so it makes sense that…
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Review: Royally Screwed by Lynn Van Dorn
This novel is one of those books that would probably have better reviews if the back-cover description was a bit more comprehensive. Some aspects of this book that verge strongly into light BDSM territory are not going to be for everyone. The early chapters showing the characters as they age…
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Review: Folk Lore Series by K.A. Merikan
Where the Devil Says Goodnight (Book 1) Potential readers should heed the “dark” warning in this book’s description because more than a few scenes are not for the faint of heart. Merikan dives deep into Slavic mythology to draw monsters to the surface, both paranormal and utterly human. Adam and…
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Review: Natural Twenty (Roll for Love #1) by Charlie Novak
This book features an incredibly sweet romance between two geeky business owners, featuring delightful secondary characters and an adorable dog. Book protagonists don’t exist in a vacuum, and sometimes it’s nice to have their friends cheering along with you for that happily ever after. In this particular story, Jay and…
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Review: Their Nerd (Two Plus One #1) by Allyson Lindt
While this book contains many of the typical elements of an MMF menage romance, it solidified my opinion that the menage stories I most enjoy are those in which each individual relationship evolves and has an arc as much as the overall trio does. In this instance, what starts as…
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Review: Chadwick Series by C.P. Harris
Surviving the Merge (Book 1) I’m all for atypical romance novels, now that I find myself with enough familiarity with the genre to recognize the usual plot beats. If you’re intrigued by a story that drops you immediately into the dark moment and doesn’t quite let up until the unexpected…
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November Wrap-Up & December Goals
I swung into November, literally, by attending an amazing sword technique workshop hosted by the Highlander himself, Adrian Paul, on Halloween. If the Sword Experience comes to your area, I can’t recommend it enough. I learned a lot, and what I was already familiar with was a lovely refresher. I…
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Review: Heart of the Steal by Avon Gale & Roan Parrish
This story is not quite an “enemies to lovers” story because the characters would never have been on opposing sides had Vaughn exercised a modicum of common sense. However, Vaughn does what Vaughn does best (bend the rest of the world to his whims) and ends up with a perturbed…
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Review: He’s Come Undone
“Appassionata” by Emma Barry As a person who also experiences anxiety (though of a different type than depicted here), Kristy’s journey spoke to me on multiple levels. I appreciated how she related to her life’s various elements, from her artistry to her agent to her old “friend” Brennan. I enjoyed…
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Review: Abstract Love by Sara Dobie Bauer
Disclaimer: I am friends with the author; however, I purchased this ebook at full price. I’m generally not a fan of the “enemies to lovers” or “gay for you” tropes in romance novels, so this book did not initially appeal to my taste. Except Bauer has repeatedly proven what an…
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Review: The Game Series by Cara Dee
Top Priority (Book 1) When I read the description, I immediately loved this book’s concept—talk about the endless possibility of conflict. Since it was short and I had some time to kill before an appointment, I figured it’d made a fun afternoon read. Instead, I fell head over heels in…
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Review: Bad Habits (Wages of Sin #1) by Onley James & Neve Wilder
This book is another recent binge-read that I enjoyed every moment of. Everything about it should have been ridiculous, but all the characters wormed their way under my skin until I had to see what happens next. The plot is delightfully twisty, requiring both an assassin and hacker’s skills to…
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Review: Three Player Co-op Series by Allyson Lindt
Looking For It (Book 1) I’m a firm believer that romance novels are for everyone, not just (straight) women. That said, sometimes it’s obvious who the intended audience of a book is supposed to be, which is the case for this title. It is blatant wish-fulfillment, utterly indulgent, and honestly:…
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Review: Enemies Like You by Annika Martin & Joanna Chambers
I have so many books on my to-be-read pile at this point that when I’m tempted to buy another, I’ve started glancing at the top few reviews. And because I’m contrary, reviewers with complaints tend to make me even more interested in this book, which was definitely the case here.…
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Review: Conventionally Yours (True Colors #1) by Annabeth Albert
2020 has been a bit of a year, and one of the things I miss most is going to conventions to spend time with fellow readers and writers and gamers. Even though my gaming is mostly on the computer, the social aspect mixed with the competition is familiar enough to…