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Weekly Spotlight - Best Romance Reads of 2024 (Part 1)

 

Claim Me Forever

A single dad sheriff doing his best to protect his town. A gorgeous stranger caught trespassing. A love never expected…

So, it turns out the town sheriff is a total cinnamon roll. A big, burly, grumpy, hot as sin, cinnamon roll. He found me hiding out on private property. Trespassing. I lied and told him I was only there because I was out of cash and had to sleep in my car.

I thought he’d give me a ticket and send me on my way.

Instead, he insisted that I stay at his guest house—right next door to him and his three kids.

I know better than to let them get close. I’ve been betrayed too many times to put my trust in anyone.

Too bad the air crackles every time he comes near, and I feel like I’m going to burn up every time I look at him.

All it takes is one reckless night to completely spiral into the bliss of the man and his big, capable hands. One dinner with his little family to completely fall.

Only I never told him why I really came to Time River. Now I have to choose to trust him with my secret before it’s too late for both of us…

My Review

King of Greed 

He had her, he lost her…and he’ll do anything to win her back.

Powerful, brilliant, and ambitious, Dominic Davenport clawed his way up from nothing to become the King of Wall Street.

He has everything—a beautiful home, a beautiful wife, and more money than he could spend in a lifetime. But no matter how much he accumulates, he’s never satisfied.

In his endless quest for more, he drives away the only person who saw him as enough.

It isn’t until she’s gone that he realizes there may be more to life than riches and glory…but by then, it may be too late.

***

Kind, intelligent, and thoughtful, Alessandra Davenport has played the role of trophy wife for years.

She stood by her husband while he built an empire, but now that they’ve reached the top, she realizes he’s no longer the man she fell for.

When it becomes clear that she’ll always come second to his work, she finally takes charge of her life and puts herself first—even if it means leaving the only man she’s ever loved.

But what she didn’t count on was his refusal to let her go…or for him to fight for their marriage, no matter what it takes.

King of Greed is a steamy marriage in trouble/second chance romance. It's book three in the Kings of Sin series but can be read as a standalone.

My Review

The Last Letter

Beckett,
If you’re reading this, well, you know the last-letter drill. You made it. I didn’t. Get off the guilt train, because I know if there was any chance you could have saved me, you would have.

I need one thing from you: get out of the army and get to Telluride.
My little sister Ella’s raising the twins alone. She’s too independent and won’t accept help easily, but she has lost our grandmother, our parents, and now me. It’s too much for anyone to endure. It’s not fair.
And here’s the kicker: there’s something else you don’t know that’s tearing her family apart. She’s going to need help.

So if I’m gone, that means I can’t be there for Ella. I can’t help them through this. But you can. So I’m begging you, as my best friend, go take care of my sister, my family.

Please don’t make her go through it alone.

Ryan

My Review

Weekly Spotlight - May Anticipated Reads

Born of Blood and Ash
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout comes the thrilling conclusion to her beloved Flesh and Fire series…

The line between love and obsession has never been wider.

While Sera is finally free of Kolis and back with those she loves, not everything is calm. Memories of all she’s endured still haunt her, but Sera finally has hope for a future with the other half of her heart and soul. Nyktos desires, loves, and accepts every part of her—even the monstrous bits she still battles.

More than ever, Sera and Ash have everything under the realms to fight for, and Nyktos has no doubt Sera is fit to be the Queen of the Gods. But she must find that faith within herself if they hope to convince the other Courts to support them against Kolis and make Iliseeum and the mortal realm better, safer places for all.

But as Sera begins to piece together the importance of her bloodline and the true meaning behind the foreboding prophecy, it becomes clear that everything that has happened and is yet to come is much bigger than Kolis and his dark obsessions.

They cannot help but wonder exactly how much influence the Fates have had and what their ultimate goal is. What Sera does know for sure is that they can trust very few—including her.

A battle between the gods is brewing, and heartbreaking losses are imminent with the true Primal of Death strengthening. With a family of the heart willing to battle by their side, can Sera and Nyktos stop Kolis before he destroys the realms, or will it all disappear in a fiery inferno of blood and ash?

And the line between justice and vengeance has never been so thin.

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Blood on the Tide

Set sail for adventure and love in the next spicy fantasy romance from Katee Robert, the New York Times bestselling author of the TikTok smash hit Neon Gods .

As a bloodline vampire, Lizzie has never had a problem taking what she wants, and right now what she wants are the family heirlooms that were stolen from her and a portal home. Too bad even that short list is impossible to accomplish on her own—and her allies have bigger things to worry about.

When they rescue a selkie from captivity, it’s the perfect solution to her problem. Lizzie needs a guide through Threshold and the selkie needs someone to help her get her skin back.  Maeve didn’t choose to give up her skin—it was stolen from her. Now she’s in an uneasy partnership with a dangerous woman who seems more apt to kill than to share a kind word. It’s terrifying…and a bit alluring. Even though she knows it will end in heartbreak, Maeve can’t help being drawn to Lizzie and her all-too-pleasurable vampire bite. 

Unfortunately, the danger to Maeve’s heart is the least of her worries. The ship Lizzie’s chasing belongs to the Cŵn Annwn, and they don’t take kindly to people who steal from them. Not even Lizzie’s viciousness or Maeve’s selkie strength will be enough to save them if the Cŵn Annwn seek retribution…

Add to Goodreads

 

Shattered Vows

Once upon a time, elusive billionaire and former special ops soldier, Kol Voss, thought he’d found his happy ever after. Until she ruined it all.

He’s been on the hunt for four years, searching for Rapsody, and he’s finally found her.

They say revenge is best served cold, and Kol agrees, planning the perfect revenge by kidnapping Rapsody on the day she intends to marry another man.

Then he quickly realizes she still has him under her thrall and he’s susceptible to falling for her again. But if she didn’t want him all those years ago, she definitely wouldn’t want the damaged, corrupted version of him now.

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Pucking Sweet

My name is Poppy St. James and I am going to kill Lukas Novikov! I’ve just landed my dream job as the Director of Public Relations for the NHL's newest expansion team, the Jacksonville Rays, but the team owner has only granted me a one-year contract. If I want to stay, I'll have to prove myself. Easy. Public relations is in my blood.

But it turns out professional hockey players are a major handful. No one is a bigger pain in my side than party boy defenseman, Lukas Novikov. I don't care how well he plays hockey. Off the ice, he's a PR nightmare. Brash and bossy, he's always finding ways to drag his teammates into trouble. His favorite accomplice is fellow defenseman Colton Morrow.

The players can all call me PR Barbie if they want, but I'm getting the job done, and I'm doing it in 3-inch heels. Because I am Poppy St. James—poised, powerful, and always professional…until the fateful night my phone rings.

One phone call from home leads to one drunken mistake. Now I'm staring down at a little blue plus sign and I have no idea where my carefully balanced life will lead next. All I know is that nothing will ever be the same.

PUCKING SWEET is a spicy MMF workplace hockey romance featuring accidental pregnancy in a "love triangle until it's not" with positive queer representation. This is book three in the Jacksonville Rays series. The series starts with Rachel’s story in the spicy prequel novella THAT ONE NIGHT.

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Excerpt from Never Again by Amanda Nennig

 NEVER AGAIN, BOOK OF ORIGINS VOLUME ONE EXCERPT

          Ringing….ringing….ringing…."Hi John. Checking in are we?" asked Price.

          "Good morning to you too, Price." I answered halfheartedly.

          "Uh oh, you don't sound too enthused. Have you talked to Hannah yet like I advised?"

          "Yes, I did. We met for coffee yesterday, but didn't have the opportunity to buy any."

          "What happened?" Price asked with concern in his voice.

          "Well…we, ah, linked hands and then something strange happened to both of us. I'd rather not get into detail right now, but, needless to say, we spent the entire day and night together. She only left a little while ago to get ready for work."

          "And now you have to suffer with a painful heart until you see her again, am I right?"

          "Completely, and I can't take anything to numb the pain because you know what happens."

          "Yes. I remember you tried that in the sixties and seventies. Not one medication or narcotic worked. Your blood just diluted everything; same for the alcohol. You tried so hard to get drunk during Woodstock but it barely affected you." Price said, reminiscing to when he was a child and my secret was under the care of his father before being passed to him.

          "And some would say that is an advantage, but not if you are drinking to numb the pain." Sighing heavily, we both let brief silence linger before I continued. "Have you found anything in the books yet?"

          "I haven't translated much else but found a lead on another book. There's just one problem. I called the college library in Virginia I traced it to and they haven't been able to locate that book for over a decade. It was last checked out and returned by an Andrew Jacobs but, since it was technically returned, they couldn't say he still had it. It was deemed lost in the system."

          "Price, did I really hear you say the words Virginia and Jacobs?" I asked skeptically.

          "Why? Is there something I should know?" Price asked, sounding more hopeful than he did before.

          "Hannah is from Virginia and when I researched her parents deaths the names that came up were…." I paused for a second, almost not believing what I was about to say. "They were Penelope and Andrew Jacobs." And then dead silence ensued.

          "Do you think she knows - ?" Price began.

          Quickly interrupting his train of thought, I retorted "no….well, I don't know. Maybe. She hasn't given me any reason to believe she would."

          "Okay, let's forget I asked. But if these two Andrews are one and the same then let's say for arguments sake that somehow he still had the book. With him dead his belongings would resort to Hannah. Is there any chance she would still have it in her possession?"

          Letting this hypothetical talk sink in I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose. Knowing that this missing book could hold the key to a future with Hannah I told Price where to

find her.

          "Price, you will find Hannah at the Jefferson Memorial Library this morning. I think she is done at noon but you best leave now in case you do find it. Chances are she has the book or at the least knows its whereabouts. She may have had a hard life with her father but based on how she talked about him this morning she loved him and wouldn't just let everything go. I am positive she has kept some things to remember her parents by."

          Stunned Price said, "Now I think I am hearing things, though it could be my getting older. Did you say Jefferson Memorial Library?"

          "Yes. Why?"

          "I know you don't believe in coincidences but how about fate or destiny because I am already there," he answered.

          "You must be joking. Tell me you are joking, Price." I snapped at him.

          "Before you called I was already coming up to the library entrance. There is a reference for a student's paper I need to crosscheck before entering a final grade. Like I said, maybe it's fate or destiny. Maybe we are meant to look inside that book. Otherwise why would Hannah and I be in the same place at the same time?"

          "You are probably right, as usual. Well, when you get inside look for a woman with deep chestnut hair, big sea blue eyes, and a heart shaped face. She will be the most beautiful one there," I advised Price, smiling as I did so. Just the thought of her was making my heart go wild but at least it didn’t hurt.

          "Alright, I will try to be tactful but depending on how much she knows I can't promise anything. You know, if we are lucky she would have tucked the book away on a shelf that rarely sees visitors. A library this size would be the perfect hiding place for a book you don't want found."

          "Yes, I suppose it would. Well you best get in there and be careful on approaching her. Her past is something she doesn't openly share with others."

          "I see. But, ah, she did with you?" Price softly asked, not sure if he should have in the first place.

          "Yes, she did. But I will give you details after you get that book. I need to know what our options are," I replied.

          "Okay, I won't press you further but don't sit by the phone waiting. I will call you after I'm done here. Bye John."

          "Good bye." Ending the phone call several emotions ran through me at once. I was elated at being so close to this book Price says could be the key to everything, but was also

apprehensive about what it will tell us. Most of all I feared that Hannah may know about the world I was born into, making me wonder if she would accept me for who I am no matter our

feelings for each other. I suppose we shall find out soon enough.

Guest Post: Nomad by J.L. Bryan

 What Not to Wear When Traveling Through Time

Guest post by J.L. Bryan

When the conversation turns to time travel, as it so often does, you’ll hear a lot of blather about the risks and dangers.  Everyone talks about the risk of universe-destroying paradoxes, but little attention is giving to the risk of universe-destroying fashion decisions.

Don’t fear!  We’ve put together this handy guide to what to wear (and not wear!) on your next time-travel escapade.

DON’T wear high heels.  If you’re traveling into the past, you may have to escape Nazis or rabid cavemen.  In the future, watch out for killer cyborgs and radioactive mutants!  Whatever your destination, be prepared to run for your life.  We recommend comfortable, well-worn running shoes, with combat boots as a useful second option.  If you’re attending a formal event in another century, simply pack those high heels in your carry-on luggage.  If you must have high heels, pick the stilettos, as they can double as a handy weapon.

DON’T dress in a silver bodysuit with a clear bubble helmet, especially with antennae on top.  People will mistake you for a 1950s-era space alien rather than a time traveler, leading to a variety of potential problems: quarantine, imprisonment, military attack, being a guest on The Today Show, and other horrific outcomes.  Dress in a low-key fashion, and save the aluminum-foil outfit for another occasion...or, actually, just throw it away.  That silver bodysuit doesn’t go well with your hair.

DON’T wear ankle-length dresses, tight corsets, or other binding clothes.  Again, you may need to fight or flee for survival, so jeans or slacks might be your best bet.  Short skirts are both alluring and provide ample kicking radius, in case you need to kick in a face or two.

DON’T clash with the time and place you’re visiting.  Skinny jeans, for instance, are huge no-no in the Puritan era.  That cute cami top may be both comfortable and casually sexy, but if you wear it in Victorian England, you’ll stick out like a sore thumb from another century...a thumb full of licentiousness and sin. 

Learn before you get burned!  Always study the correct attire and customs of your destination before you travel in time.  For help, contact your local vintage thrift shop and/or Halloween store.  Remember: the right look at the right time is the right way to go.  And you can quote us on that.

If you have additional fashion tips for time travelers, please share in the comments below!

 

2024 May Reading Challenge

 

Launching our may challenge!

 
Here is a list of books to help you get started: 

 
Fantasy: 

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Mountains Made of Glass by Scarlett St. Clair

A Broken Blade by Melissa Blair

Floral Cover:

Damsel by Elana Arnold

Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust

Mexican Author:

When the Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie Mclemore

Meet Cute Diary by Emery Lee

We welcome you to comment your suggestions and tell us which spot your most excited for this month!

Burning Crowns

Burning Crowns
by Catherine Doyle and Katherine Webber
 

Book: Twin Crowns #3
Publisher: Balzer + Bray    
Pub Date: April 25, 2024
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Magic
Format: eARC    
Source: Publisher
Book Links: Goodreads  Amazon

Twin queens Rose & Wren survived the Battle for Anadawn and brought back magic to their kingdom. But danger lurks in Eana’s shadows.

Wren is troubled. Ever since she performed the blood spell on Prince Ansel, her magic has become unruly. Worse, the spell created a link between Wren and the very man she’s trying to forget: Icy King Alarik of Gevra. A curse is eating away at both of them. To fix it they must journey to the northern mountains—under the watchful guard of Captain Tor Iversen—to consult with the Healer on High.

Rose is haunted. Waking one night to find her undead ancestor Oonagh Starcrest by her bed, she receives a warning: surrender the throne—or face a war that will destroy Eana. With nowhere to turn and desperate to find a weapon to defeat Oonagh, Rose seeks help from Shen-Lo in the Sunkissed Kingdom, but what she finds there may break her heart.

As Oonagh threatens all Rose and Wren hold dear, it will take everything they have to save Eana–including a sacrifice they may not be prepared to make.

My Review: After reading the first book, I knew this series was going to be one I had to finish. These twins have had such great steady growth through each book, that it showed in the end just how far they have come and quickly became characters I wont soon forget.

Now...

It's nice to see a sweet new start for these ladies. Back from their royal tour and settled back home. These queens have made such great progress from how its all started. The kingdom is thriving, its safer now for all to live. Settling to royal life and finally having that peace they always wanted.  

All is well with the celebration until a spell they practiced well had gone out of control. Not because of Rose or Wren...but Oonagh behind it. 

The celebration ends and days pass when Wren has to leave to go meet the King and finally reveals to Rose the scar. The scar which Rose tries to heal and reveals poison. To make things more intense, the mirror the prince "found" in the library lead Oonagh to come out and give Rose a message. 

From finding peace to a new threat in such a short time, it looks like they will have to remove this threat and maybe then these sisters can finally rule their kingdom in true peace. They also finally got their ever after person, and it was about time. 

I love how the authors went about writing this book in the way that it didn't feel like anything was rushed or leave me with a million questions. It was done so well that I felt like the series was complete. Even though I do wish there was more. 

My Rating:

✪✪✪✪✪

Weekly Spotlight - Blackbird

 

Blackbird 

From the author of the Eve trilogy comes the breathless story of a girl racing to figure out who she is—and how to stay alive. When a nameless girl wakes up on the subway tracks, she knows only one thing for sure: people want her dead. Can she find them before they track her down? This pulse-pounding contemporary thriller is perfect for fans of The Maze Runner, The Darkest Minds, and Legend.

Things I Know Are True:
I am in Los Angeles
I woke up on the train tracks at the Vermont/Sunset station
I am a teenage girl
I have long black hair
I have a bird tattoo on the inside of my right wrist with the letters and numbers FNV02198

People are trying to kill me 

My Review

Deadfall

In the compelling sequel to Blackbird, Anna Carey delivers a gritty and adrenaline-filled story of a girl desperate to escape her mysterious and terrifying assailants. Told in second person, this heart-pounding thriller puts the reader in front of the target.

A week ago, you woke up in Los Angeles with no memory of who you are. The only thing you knew: people are trying to kill you. You put your trust in Ben, but he betrayed you and broke your heart. Now you've escaped to New York City with a boy named Rafe, who says he remembers you from before. But the two of you are not safe. The same people who are after you are tailing Rafe as well. As the chase heats up, your memory starts to return, but your past cannot save you from the terrifying circumstances of your present, or the fact that one wrong move could end this game forever.

With enemies on every side, and not a reprieve in sight, Deadfall will grab readers and refuse to let go. Perfect for fans of the Maze Runner series and the Legend series.

My Review

Deadfall

Deadfall
by Anna Carey

Book: Blackbird #2
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pub Date: June 16, 2015
Genre: Young Adult, Thriller, Mystery
Format: Print
Source: Bought
Book Links: Goodreads  Amazon

In the compelling sequel to Blackbird, Anna Carey delivers a gritty and adrenaline-filled story of a girl desperate to escape her mysterious and terrifying assailants. Told in second person, this heart-pounding thriller puts the reader in front of the target.

A week ago, you woke up in Los Angeles with no memory of who you are. The only thing you knew: people are trying to kill you. You put your trust in Ben, but he betrayed you and broke your heart. Now you've escaped to New York City with a boy named Rafe, who says he remembers you from before. But the two of you are not safe. The same people who are after you are tailing Rafe as well. As the chase heats up, your memory starts to return, but your past cannot save you from the terrifying circumstances of your present, or the fact that one wrong move could end this game forever.

With enemies on every side, and not a reprieve in sight, Deadfall will grab readers and refuse to let go. Perfect for fans of the Maze Runner series and the Legend series.

 

My Review: Finally! This series is over. I was very 50/50 on whether or not I was going to finish this duology after the first book, but I went for it.  

This one was about the same as the first one. I didn't love it, but I didn't exactly hate it either. More like it was just meh. 

Told in second person (still not my favorite thing) just like the first, it basically gets right into where we last left off. New characters and the answers were finally coming in. 

However, the love triangle gave me a headache. But then in the end for Lena to decide she was going to do life solo just made that triangle so not needed. 

It's a fast read, suspenseful and kinda an okay ending. I wasn't in love with this series like I was with Anna's Eve series. It just didn't do it for me, but I'll still continue to give Anna's book a read since her Eve series did become a favorite of mine. Who knows, maybe the next book will be a winner for me.  

My Rating:

✪✪✪

Weekly Spotlight - Not Worth the Hype

 

Great and Precious Things

by Rebecca Yarros  

How do you define yourself when others have already decided who you are? Six years ago, when Camden Daniels came back from war without his younger brother, no one in the small town of Alba, Colorado, would forgive him-especially his father. He left, swearing never to return. When he receives a desperate message from his father, all of the memories come rushing back. The betrayal. The pain. And the need to go home again. But home is where the one person he still loves is waiting. Willow. The one woman he can never have. Because there are secrets buried in Alba that are best left in the dark.If only he could tell his heart to stay locked away when she whispers she's always loved him, and always will...Great and Precious Things is a heart-wrenching story about family, betrayal, and what we're willing to sacrifice for those who need us most.

My Review

Cruel Seduction
by Katee Robert

He was my enemy. My lover. My husband.

And the one man I swore by all Olympus I would destroy.

Aphrodite has never flinched at getting her perfectly manicured hands dirty, and she's not about to start now—even if that means marrying Olympus's enemy number one, the new Hephaestus. She has a wicked plan to keep her deadly new husband off-balance, seducing the one person he seems to care about most in this world: Pandora, a woman as beautiful as she is sweet.

Two can play the seduction game, however, and Hephaestus is all too happy to put his new wife in her place. Her ex, Adonis, seems like he'll do the trick. It doesn't hurt that he's gorgeous in the way of fallen angels, either.

The only problem with using seduction as a weapon? Hearts are all too quick to get involved. With Hephaestus and Aphrodite trading venomous strikes that feel a whole lot like foreplay, lines become blurred and emotions entangled. But a broken heart may be the least of their worries. With unrest in Olympus reaching new heights, these bedroom games may have deadly consequences for themselves, their city, and everyone they've come to love.