Tag: reading

  • Review: Broken Pieces Series by Riley Hart

    Broken Pieces (Book 1) Like it says on the tin, this is a book in three parts, in which each part encompasses a complete love story arc. First, it’s the young adult love between Josiah and Mateo as they are thrust together in the foster care system. Then, the older and unexpected love between Josiah…

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  • Review: Barretti Security Series by Sloane Kennedy

    Loving Vin (Book 1) At this point, I’m thoroughly invested in all the interconnected series Kennedy has created. The first book in the Berretti Security Series leans heavily on events in the Escort series, and it also fits in the Protectors and Finding worlds. I’m glad I looked into the recommended reading order because this…

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  • Review: Pretty Things by Devon McCormack

    I genuinely wish I could have given this book five stars. Unfortunately, two issues held me up. First, this book was way too long for what it was. I put it down too often because the action dragged in the first act while Ty and Liam circled their obvious interest in each other, which leads…

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  • Review: Play Dirty (Wages of Sin #2) by Onley James & Neve Wilder

    Read my review of Wages of Sin #1: Bad Habits I had so much fun with the first book in this series that I immediately pounced on the second installment the day it was available. Jonah and Caspian from the previous book make appearances as appropriate, but the focus here is very much on Madigan…

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  • February Wrap-Up & March Goals

    February is already a short month, and being productive made it feel even shorter. Or maybe that was the old-fashioned cold that laid me up for a week of it. Major changes lately include settling into my new multi-computer setup for officially working from home full-time, setting up the new mattress and bed frame that…

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  • Review: On the Market Series by E.M. Lindsey

    Love Him Free (Book 1) A Jewish baker and a deaf adult film star walk into a bar. It sounds like the beginning of a joke, except here the joke is that they never go to a bar, but the characters are very much real. Simon is a small-town guy battling massive amounts of anxiety…

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  • Con Report: Farpoint 2021

    Let’s face it — for the weird sorts of introvert like me, who can put that on hold for a certain amount of time to people it up for two or three days at a convention and then hide at home for a week afterward, a virtual event will never be the same. As much…

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  • Review: We Have Till Dawn by Cara Dee

    This author wrote my favorite book of 2020, so I did not hesitate to dive into her latest release. The premise of this book hinges on sex work, so this book will not appeal to readers who take issue with that particular profession. Nicky has been retired from that life for a few years, making…

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  • Review: Twist of Fate Series by Lucy Lennox & Sloane Kennedy

    Lost and Found (Book 1) As the series name implies, a twist of fate (and/or sheer coincidence) brings Xander and Bennett together after 15 years. The circumstances around their parting were traumatic for both, so their reunion is significantly less “meet cute” and much more “It’s a good thing Xander probably knows the best place…

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  • Review: Havenwood Series by Riley Hart

    Giving Chase (Book 1) Falling for the older brother’s best friend isn’t necessarily a trope I lean toward, but I’ll make an exception when the characters are far beyond high school and the best friend has just returned from over a decade away. The chemistry between Chase and Kellan is undeniable, but they face multiple…

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  • Review: Return To You Series by Rebecca Raine

    Finding Grey (Book 1) This story is the slowest burn of all slow-burn romances, making the eventual reveal all the more delicious. However, I also love that adult Dante and Sean connect in friendship even before the weight of their history crashes down. Their story could have taken so many other paths, and this one…

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  • Review: Kink Chronicles Series by Luna David & Morningstar Ashley

    Open Mind (Book 1) This book is one of those rare stories that sucked me in while I read, enjoying every scene as I tore through them, and then realized after I finished how much some elements of the plot bugged me. I don’t have triggers in the traditional sense, but I suppose part of…

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  • Review: Four Mercenaries Series by K.A. Merikan

    Their Bounty (Book 1) I’m a sucker for found family stories, and even though this book is only partially that, it ensured my interest beyond the main plot. Clover is kind of a disaster, but he quickly becomes THEIR disaster despite lots of kicking and screaming on some sides (looking at you, Drake). Despite their…

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  • Review: Wrecked: Guardians Series by Kelly Fox

    Hard Target (Book 1) The spin-off series to Wrecked features many familiar background faces from the gym, with the bonus of realizing that they’re a bad-ass vigilante/mercenary group on the side of the light. I’m sure that this book could be read as a stand-alone, but I highly recommend reading the first three books in…

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  • Review: Door of Bruises (Thornchapel #4) by Sierra Simone

    Read my reviews of the previous Thornchapel books: A Lesson in Thorns Feast of Sparks Harvest of Sighs I waited six months for the finale of this fantastic series, and every moment was worth it. Simone continues to raise the stakes in both reality and the bits of fantasy elements that seep into this world,…

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    January Wrap-Up & February Goals

    We thought 2021 would be low-key. Isn’t that cute? Instead, there have been some major ups and downs that distracted me from my goals. On the other hand, I also got some great news about my day job–the pandemic proved that we do not need a central office to function, which means my permanent telework…

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  • Review: Escort Series by Sloane Kennedy

    Gabriel’s Rule (Book 1) I haven’t looked at the original publication date to be sure, but I feel that this book is one of the first by this prolific author. The story itself, including the plot and characters, are entertaining. However, the writing style itself includes an inexperienced author’s hallmarks, such as mid-scene point-of-view (POV)…

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  • Review: Elite Protection Services Series by Onley James

    Intoxicating (Book 1) Intoxicating skirts the line of being an insta-love story, but the growing attraction between Linc and Wyatt takes on multiple dimensions that entranced me. The “Daddy” dynamic is not as overt as implied by the back-cover description—it trends toward light kink rather than age-regression. Instead, Wyatt receives a sense of structure to…

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  • Review: Cloudy With a Chance of Love by E.M. Lindsey, Kate Hawthorne & E.M. Denning

    After meeting these three characters in another book, showing them enjoying their happily ever after, I had to know how they reached that point. I was not disappointed by their love story. On the surface, Collin, Spencer, and Max lead very different lives. They run the spectrum from age to education to income, but none…

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  • Review: The Boy on the Balcony by Quin

    Note: This book is available as a free download by the author. Even though this book review will go live on my blog months after reading it, at a moment when the world is (hopefully) looking brighter, this book was a perfect read in an otherwise stressful month. I’ve come to realize in my deep-dive…

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