July 2023 Wrap Up

Here is what I read/posted/bought in July.

As always, let me know if you have read any of these books and (if you did) what you thought of them.


Books I Read:

ARC from Crooked Lane Books
Non-ARC from author
Non-ARC from author
Non-ARC from author
Non-ARC from author
Non-ARC from author
Kindle purchase
Free Kindle purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
KU Purchase
ARC from Crooked Lane Books
ARC from Meryl Moss Media Group, Rosewind Books
ARC from Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Del Rey
ARC from St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin
Non-ARC from Author
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
ARC from St. Martin’s Press
ARC from Sourcebooks Fire
ARC from Random House Publishing Group -Ballantine, Del Rey
ARC from Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Dell
Free Kindle purchase
Free Kindle purchase
Kindle Purchase
Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
ARC from Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Bantam
ARC from St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books
Non-ARC from author
ARC from Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Ballantine Books
ARC from St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books

Books I got from NetGalley:

ARC from St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin
Wish granted from Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Delacorte Press
Wish granted from Sourcebooks Fire
ARC from Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Del Rey
ARC from St. Martin’s Press
ARC from St. Martin’s Press
Wish granted from Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Dell
Limited time Read Now from St. Martin’s Press
Invite from author via his publisher–Level Best Books
Arc from St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin
ARC from Atria Books, Atria/Emily Bestler Books

Books I got from Authors/Indie Publishers:

ARC from author
Non-ARC from author

Giveaway Winners

The Bridge to Magic by Alex Thornbury


Books Reviewed:

Carving Up Reily by Paul Flanagan—review here (4 stars)

Playing with Fire by Flora McGowan—review here (4 stars)

The Voinico’s Slayer by Sallie Cochren—review here (4 stars)

Death By a Thousand Sips by Gretchen Rue—review coming September 5th, 2023

One*Life: Ameno by Blaze Dendukuri—review here (3 stars)

The Master of Demise by Nadija Mujagic—review here (4 stars)

Under Central Park: The Amulet’s Secret by D.W. Spinola—review here (4 stars)

Paper Targets: Art Can Be Murder by Steve S. Sardoff—review here (4 stars)

Dark Horse by Ann Hunter—review here (4 stars)

Hello Stranger by Katherine Center—review here (4 stars)

A Cryptic Clue by Victoria Gilbert—review here (4 stars)

Macarons Can Be Murder by Rose Betancourt—review here (3 stars)

My Goodbye Girl by Anna Gomez—review here (4 stars)

Thief Liar Lady by D.L. Sonia—review here (4 stars)

Play to Win by Jodie Slaughter—review here (4 stars)

Against the Odds by Ann Hunter—review here (4 stars)

Take the Honey and Run by Jennie Marts—review here (4 stars)

The Block Party by Jamie Day—review here (4 stars)

Have You Seen My Sister by Kirsty McKay—review coming September 5th

Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia—review here (4 stars)

Sammy Espinoza’s Last Review by Tehlor Kay Meija—review here (4 stars)

Blind Fear by Brandon Webb and John David Webb—review here (4 stars)

The Lady from Burma by Allison Montclair—review here (4 stars)

The Celine Bower Story by Carly Brown—review here (4 stars)

The Madwomen of Paris by Jennifer Cody Epstein—review here (4 stars)


The StoryGraph Reading Challenges:

June:

Scavenger Hunt (A book that was turned into a show/movie you haven’t seen): The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

PopSugar Reading Challenge 2023 (A book about a forbidden romance): Painted Love by Lacy Embers

2023 TBR Toppler (A book under 200 pages): Berkley Street by Ron Ripley

2023 Monthly Themes (June to the Moon: Sci-fi): The Liberty Box by C.A. Gray

2023 Reading Challenge (A retelling of a classic story/myth): Ariadne by Jennifer Saint

2023 ABC Challenge (F): Forever Black by Sandi Lynn

Romanceopoly 2023! (Read a contemporary romance by an author you haven’t tried before): Father Figure by James J. Cudney

2023 TBR Prompts (Shortest book on my TBR): Thirst by Graceley Knox

July:

Buzzword Reading Challenge 2023 (“Weather-related words: weather related words in the title: rain, storm, snow, clouds, sky, sunshine, hurricane): Stormcall by T.A. Marks

2023 Sami Parker Reads Title Challenge (A book that has a day of the week in the title): That Monday Girl by Julie Johnson

Cover Scavenger Hunt 2023 (Sky): Unbound by A.R. Shaw

The StoryGraph Reads the World 2023 (Pakistan): A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

The StoryGraph’s Genre Challenge 2023 (A fantasy novel written by an author of color): The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh

Beat the Backlist 2023 (an author writing under a pseudonym): What Doesn’t Kill You by Jo Ho

Scavenger Hunt TBR Book Challenge (find a book with the same amount of pages as the last book and read it): Woman Scorned by Shannon Heuston

Scavenger Hunt (A book that was translated from another language): Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

PopSugar Reading Challenge 2023 (A book with “girl” in the title): The Fireproof Girl by Loretta Lost

2023 TBR Toppler (A book over 500 pages): The Yellowstone Conundrum by John D. Randall

2023 Monthly Themes (Books in the Heat: Book takes place in the summer or someplace hot): What Happened at the Lake by Phil M. Williams

2023 Reading Challenge (A Yellow Book: Cover or Title are Yellow): A Worse Secret by Harvey Church

2023 ABC Challenge (G): Girl with No Fingerprints by Mark Bailey

Romanceopoly 2023! (friends to lovers): Anything for Love by Lola St. Vil

2023 TBR Prompts (Longest book on my TBR): The Needle House by Robin Roughley


Books I bought:

Stalks of Gold by Celeste Baxendell (free Kindle purchase via BookBub)

Mirrors of Ice by Celeste Baxendell (accidental Kindle purchase)

Dead Before Dinner by Kat Bellemore (free Kindle purchase via blog post)

Death on Deck by Verity Bright (free Kindle purchase via blog post)

Protecting Fiona by Susan Stoker (free Kindle purchase via BookBub)

Open, Honestly by Bill Konigsberg (free Kindle purchase via Goodreads)

His Baby Proposal by Ivy James (free Kindle purchase via BookBub)

This Much Is True by Tia Louise (free Kindle purchase via BookBub)

Ruined & Redeemed: The Earl’s Fallen Wife by Bree Wolf (free Kindle purchase via BookBub)

Burden of Proof by Julie Anne Lindsey (free Kindle purchase via blog post)

MacFarland’s Lass by Glynnis Campbell (free Kindle purchase via BookBub)

Finding Faith by B.E. Baker (free Kindle purchase via BookBub)

Resisting Chase by Sharon Woods (free Kindle purchase via BookBub)

Dance with Deception by Tracy Goodwin (free Kindle purchase via BookBub)

Saving Noah by Kaci Rose (free Kindle purchase)

Four Cold Months by K.J. Kalis (free Kindle purchase via BookBub)

Whiskey Rebellion by Liliana Hart (free Kindle purchase via BookBub)

Watch Your Back by Stacy Claflin (free Kindle purchase via blog post)

Sweet Distraction by Lainey Davis (free Kindle purchase via BookBub)

Dirty Player by Stacey Lynn (free Kindle purchase via BookBub)

Bookish Travels—July 2023 Destinations

I saw this meme on It’s All About Books and thought, I like this!! So, I decided to do it once a month also. Many thanks to Yvonne for initially posting this!!

This post is what it says: Places I travel to in books each month. Books are lovely and take you to places you would never get to. That includes places of fantasy too!!

Bon Voyage!!

Please let me know if you have read these books or traveled to these areas.

Countries I visited the most: United States, Greece, France

States I visited the most: New York, South Carolina, Kentucky, California, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Washington, Hawaii, Nevada

Cities I visited the most: New York City, Athens (Greece), Hamlin, Paris (France), Seattle, Los Angeles, Boston


India

Asam, New Dehli

United States

Washington, D.C.
Vermont
New York (New York City, Central Park)
Montana (Plentywood, Missoula), New York (New York City), Washington (Seattle)
Kentucky (Hamlin)
Connecticut (New Castle), Texas
Pennsylvania (Pittsburg)
New Hampshire (Nashua), South Carolina (Parris Island)
Kentucky (Paris)
New York (New York City), Nevada (Las Vegas), California (San Fransisco), Illinois (Chicago), Minnesota (St. Paul)
South Carolina (Greenbelt, Charleston, Beaufort), Florida (Jacksonville)
Kentucky (Lexington, Hamlin), New York (Queens)
New York (New York City), Michigan, California (Los Angeles)
Mississippi (Brant), New York (New York City), Pennsylvania (Woodland)
Louisiana (New Orleans)
Massachusetts (Meadowbrook, Revere)
New Hampshire (Moonville), Massachusetts (Boston)
Washington (Seattle, Ridley Falls)
California (Los Angeles, Malibu), Hawaii (Oahu)
Oregon (Cannon Beach)
Massachusetts (Boston)
Massachusetts (Cape Cod), New York (Newburgh), Hawaii
Washington D.C., California (Los Angeles), Nevada
New York (Norfolk Falls)

Iraq

Baghdad

Ederra


Dystopia United States

Republic

Iceland

Frjosom

Crete

Knossos

Greece

Athens
Athens
Aegean Islands (Samothrace, Mykonos)

China

Hong Kong

Philippines

Boracay

England

Chelsea
London (Soho Square), Glastonbury, Chelmsford, Hawkhurst
London (Mayfair)

France

Paris
Paris
Paris

Solis


French Polynesia

Bora Bora

Mexico

Mexico City


Afghanistan

Kabul, Herat

Sweden


Puerto Rico

Vieques (Island), San Juan, Esperanza, Isabel Segunda

Pakistan


Borneo

Play to Win by Jodie Slaughter

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin

Date of publication: July 11th, 2023

Genre: Romance, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Fiction, LGBT, Adult Fiction

Purchase Links: Kindle | Audible | B&N |AbeBooks | WorldCat

Goodreads Synopsis:

Jodie Slaughter’s latest rom-com, Play to Win , is a sizzling romance where a winning lottery ticket is meant to be a new start but instead becomes a second chance at love.

Miriam Butler’s life is going nowhere in the slowest, most excruciating way possible. Stuck in the same barely-paying job she’s had since she was sixteen and spending every night sleeping in the spare twin bed in her mother’s house, her existence might be hilarious if it wasn’t so bleak. One trip to her favorite corner store upends everything when she finds herself the winner of a Mega Millions Lottery Jackpot. Unfortunately, not even life-altering roses come without their painful thorns. Hers just so happen to be in the form of an estranged husband who has the right to claim his share of her money.

It’s been eight years since Leo Vaughn has had a conversation with his wife. When she calls out of the blue, practically begging him to come back to Greenbelt, the last thing he expects her to tell him when he gets there is that she’s come into a whole heap of money. She offers him a life-changing proposition of his own. Take a lump sum, finally sign the divorce papers, and be done with her for good. Only, a forever without her is the last thing Leo wants. So he gives a proposition of his own. One that won’t cost her nearly as many millions, but will buy him the time to do the one thing he’s been hungry to do since he left — win her back.


First Line:

Digging a hole was not nearly as easy as it looked on TV. First off, shovels were heavy. Second, South Carolina dirt seemed to be as hard as her mama always said her head was.

Play to Win by Jodie Slaughter

Miriam is stuck in a rut and can’t seem to get out of it. Living at home with her mother and working the same job that barely pays her bills, her life doesn’t seem that great. That is until she stops at the corner store she usually frequents and, on a whim, plays a Mega Millions lottery ticket. That lottery ticket is the sole winner of the jackpot—over $200 million. Overnight, Miriam’s life is changed. But there is a downside to her winnings. Miriam finds out that her ex-husband (never divorced) is legally entitled to a portion of her winnings—if he doesn’t accept the offer of a divorce and a legally binding document with a payoff. When Miriam calls Leo (her ex) and asks him to come home, he is curious. They haven’t spoken in eight years. When Miriam presents Leo with the divorce papers, he counters with another offer. Let him win her back and use the money she would have given him to help out members of his family that need it. But Miriam is still hurt over Leo leaving and hesitates to let him back in. Will Leo be able to win Miriam back? Or will he have to sign the divorce papers and let the love of his life go?

Play to Win was several rom-coms on a limited time Read Now on St. Martin’s Press NetGalley page. Unlike the cozy mysteries I downloaded earlier this year, I read the blurbs before deciding to read them. This book’s blurb caught my attention because, in a way, it reflected my life. So, I downloaded it. Also, what figured into my decision was that I wanted to know what Miriam would do with the money she won. I am glad I read it because this was a sweet book.

Play to Win had a medium-to-fast storyline. The pacing of this storyline did fit it. The author was able to zip through some of the background noise and keep me focused on the storyline. Also, there was no lag in this book, which I appreciated.

Play to Win takes place in the fictional town of Greenbelt, South Carolina. This town is a small town with all of the small-town trappings. Everyone was in everyone else’s business. What I liked is that the author chose to showcase this but keep it in the background. But, on the same page, because it was a small town, I was surprised that Miriam could keep her lottery-winning under wraps.

The main storyline of Play to Win centers on Miriam, her winning the lottery, Leo, his attempts to win her back, and what she does with the money. It was a well-written storyline that kept me glued to the book. I became invested in the plotline and the characters. I am hoping that the author does another book in this universe!!

I was surprised by how much I connected with Miriam and loved watching her character grow throughout the book. She came across, at first, as a bit prickly, but as the book went on, that went away. Her astonishment over winning the lottery was perfect, and I loved how she was paying it forward. I did get a little irritated with how she treated Leo. But, there was no background about their relationship until well past the middle of the book (but not quite at the end). I wouldn’t have been so grumpy with her actions if it had been given earlier. Because once it was explained, I was furious on her behalf.

I liked Leo, but I felt he laid it on too thick with Miriam once he was back in Greenbelt. I understood why he was doing it, but at the same time, I was like, “Back off.” His past actions were directly influencing how Miriam felt about him. Once the author explained what happened, I was so mad at him. He took the coward’s way out. But, the good thing is that he understood what he did was wrong, that his way of thinking might be a little outdated, and that he was willing to do whatever it took to make it up to Miriam.

The romance angle of Play to Win was well written. The author did a great job with the second-chance romance trope. I loved that Miriam wasn’t easily won over and that Leo had to work to regain her trust. Also, he had to go through her friends and mother to romance her. That scene with Miriam’s mother (in the church basement) was pure gold. While I knew this was a romance, and there would be a happy ending, there was a point in the book where I didn’t think it would happen. And that, my friends, is one of the many things that made this book for me.

Miriam and Leo had insane chemistry, and I was waiting for it to combust. The author took her sweet time having them get together. The sex scenes were hot but graphic. I liked that the author was picky about when Miriam and Leo would have sex. It was a couple of times before they got back together, and once at the end of the book.

The end of Play to Win was everything I hoped and wanted it to be. I liked seeing Leo and Miriam get their happy ending. The author was able to wrap up all the storylines in a way that satisfied me. I smiled when I stopped reading, and I typically don’t do that.

I recommend Play to Win to anyone over 21. There is graphic sex, language, and mild violence.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin, NetGalley, and Jodie Slaughter for allowing me to read and review Play to Win. All opinions expressed in this review are mine.


If you enjoyed reading this review of Play to Win, then you will enjoy reading these books:


Other books by Jodie Slaughter:

WWW Wednesday: July 12th, 2023

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words.The Three Ws are:What are you currently reading?
What did you recently finish reading?
What do you think you’ll read next?


What I am currently reading:

“Happily Ever After” is a total scam, but at least this time the princess is the one controlling the grift–until her true love arrives and threatens to ruin the whole scheme. Intrigue, magic, and wit abound in this Cinderella fairytale reimagining, perfect for fans of Heather Walter and Naomi Novik.

I’m not who you think I am.

My transformation from a poor, orphaned scullery maid into the enchantingly mysterious lady who snagged the heart of the prince did not happen–as the rumors insisted–in a magical metamorphosis of pumpkins and glass slippers. On the first evening of the ball, I didn’t meekly help my “evil” stepmother and stepsisters primp and preen or watch forlornly out the window as their carriage rolled off toward the palace. I had other preparations to make.

My stepsisters and I had been trained for this–to be the cleverest in the room, to be quick with our hands and quicker with our lies. We were taught how to get everything we want in this world, everything men always kept for themselves: power, wealth, and prestige. And with a touchingly tragic past and the help of some highly illegal spells, I would become a princess, secure our fortunes, and we would all live happily ever after.

But there’s always more to the story. With my magic running out, war looming, and a handsome hostage prince–the wrong prince–distracting me from my true purpose with his magnetic charm and forbidden flirtations, I’m in danger of losing control of the delicate balance I’ve created…and that could prove fatal.

There’s so much more riding on this than a crown.


What I recently finished reading:

When Tessa Talman first meets Simon Fremont, not only is she attracted to him, she’s intrigued by how different their lives are. He’s a dedicated scientist, practical, pragmatic, and grounded. She’s a head-in-the-clouds romance author. As their relationship grows, they meet in places around the world, while continuing to live in different countries.Though their feelings for each other deepen, their priorities remain the same. Simon is in a hurry to be financially sound and settle down, but Tessa is enjoying her freedom and newfound success. Neither is willing to give in, but as each goodbye gets harder, Tessa begins to wonder whether fame is the path to happiness, or if she has everything she needs in Simon.Just as Tessa finds the courage to go after her own happily ever after, the unthinkable happens, separating them in ways she never imagined.To move forward, she must let go of the past and determine once and for all if love is truly more powerful than the pain of goodbye.


What I think I will read next:

Jodie Slaughter’s latest rom-com, Play to Win , is a sizzling romance where a winning lottery ticket is meant to be a new start but instead becomes a second chance at love.

Miriam Butler’s life is going nowhere in the slowest, most excruciating way possible. Stuck in the same barely-paying job she’s had since she was sixteen and spending every night sleeping in the spare twin bed in her mother’s house, her existence might be hilarious if it wasn’t so bleak. One trip to her favorite corner store upends everything when she finds herself the winner of a Mega Millions Lottery Jackpot. Unfortunately, not even life-altering roses come without their painful thorns. Hers just so happen to be in the form of an estranged husband who has the right to claim his share of her money.

It’s been eight years since Leo Vaughn has had a conversation with his wife. When she calls out of the blue, practically begging him to come back to Greenbelt, the last thing he expects her to tell him when he gets there is that she’s come into a whole heap of money. She offers him a life-changing proposition of his own. Take a lump sum, finally sign the divorce papers, and be done with her for good. Only, a forever without her is the last thing Leo wants. So he gives a proposition of his own. One that won’t cost her nearly as many millions, but will buy him the time to do the one thing he’s been hungry to do since he left — win her back.

When Ellery moved to New York with her boyfriend, she thought they’d live happily ever after in their small New York apartment. She never thought he’d pack his bags and leave because he “needed space.” With her newfound single status and fear of being alone, Ellery buries herself in her artwork and paintings until one night she helps a mysterious intoxicated stranger get home safely. Little did she know the mysterious stranger is none other than CEO and millionaire Connor Black. After finding Ellery in his kitchen the next morning and assuming she broke his #1 rule about sleepovers, he becomes intrigued, not only by her stubbornness and defiance, but by her kindness.

Connor Black, emotionally dead and damaged, that stemmed from a personal tragedy, made a vow to never love or fall in love with a woman, until Ellery Lane walked into his life by accident. After she opens up and shows him her world, Connor starts to feel emotions and feelings he never knew existed. Despite the rumors and warnings regarding Connor Black and his use and misuse of women, Ellery finds herself being drawn into his world.

Ellery knows they can never be together because she is harboring a deep secret that could destroy Connor emotionally forever.

Join Connor and Ellery as they embark on a journey of courage, love and strength. Will it be enough to save them?

Between the fast-paced New York City, a rural Mississippi town and a charming Pennsylvania college campus filled with secrets, two young girls learn the consequences of growing up too quickly.

Amalia Graeme, abused by her mother for most of her life, longs to escape her desolate hometown and fall in love. Contemplating her loss of innocence and conflicting feelings between her boyfriend and the dangerous attraction she’s developed for an older man, Amalia faces life-altering tragedies.

Brianna Porter, a sassy, angst-ridden teenager raised in New York City, yearns to find her life’s true purpose, conquer her fear of abandonment, and interpret an intimidating desire for her best friend, Shanelle. Desperate to find the father whom her mother refuses to reveal, Brianna accidentally finds out a shocking truth about her missing parent.

Set in alternating chapters two decades apart, the parallels between their lives and the unavoidable collision that is bound to happen is revealed. FATHER FIGURE is an emotional story filled with mystery, romance, and suspense.

Getting bitten by a vampire in New Orleans is about as cliché as it gets, but Aurora Hedvige isn’t in a position to complain.

In the last week, her life has gone from bad, to worse. Now she’s lunging for her best friend’s throat, desiring things she shouldn’t, and craving something she can’t admit out loud. Her last-ditch effort takes her to the self-proclaimed voodoo queen of the French Quarter, but what Aurora thinks is the end of her problems—is only the beginning.

Carver Marceau has lived in a world of misery since the day his mortal years ceased and his immortal life began. He’s Kresova. An ancient race of vampires ruled by a deadly queen bent on keeping her rein at all costs. Sent on a mission to resolve a recent string of rogue vampires, Carver’s journey leads him to Aurora.

Neither of them expected the intense bond that forms between them, nor the revelations they uncover.

Carver discovers that Aurora is one of the Dria. The first of three fated harem queens, destined to return the balance to the Kresova. With the help of friends, and enemies turned allies, they’ll upend the cruel queen’s reign—if they can just survive long enough.

Alex’s racing career starts with Venus Nights, the filly she helped birth into the world, and a head case mare named Florescent Cheerio who Brooke has claimed.

When things go missing around the North Oak barns, Alex is sure she is being stalked. What’s more is Venus Galaxies has foaled twins, fighting for their lives to survive. Can they beat the odds?

This summer, meet your neighbors.

The residents of the exclusive cul-de-sac on Alton Road are entangled in a web of secrets and scandal utterly unknown to the outside world, and even to each other.

On the night of the annual Summer block party, there has been a murder.

But, who did it and why takes readers back one year earlier, as rivalries and betrayals unfold—discovering that the real danger lies within their own block and nothing—and no one—is ever as it seems.

Gaia Gill is the last person in the world anyone would expect to go missing. Beautiful, athletic, and recently accepted to a prestigious college, she has everything to look forward to—but the night of her going-away party at the Moon Mountain ski resort, she disappears.

Gaia’s younger sister Esme is supposed to be flying back to England with her family after the party, but she can’t leave with Gaia missing—especially because nobody remembers Gaia leaving the party. Or if they do, they’re not saying. Everyone at the lodge has their own secrets: the little rich girl, the ex-boyfriend, the ski instructor, the failed reality star.

Esme’s out of her depth searching the dark, dangerous forests and icy slopes of Moon Mountain, until she teams up with a local boy who promises to help her. The clock is ticking, and it’s down to Esme to piece the clues together and work out who—if anybody—is telling the truth.

July 2023 TBR

Books for Review:

The Voinico’s Slayer by Sallie Cochren (Not cover yet)


The StoryGraph Reading Challenge books

Buzzword Reading Challenge 2023—weather-related words in the title
2023 Sami Parker Reads Title Challenge—a book that has a day of the week in the title
Cover Scavenger Hunt 2023—Sky
The StoryGraph Reads the World 2023—Pakistan
The StoryGraph’s Genre Challenge—A fantasy novel written by an author of colour
Beat the Backlist 2023—an author writing under a pseudonym
Scavenger Hunt TBR Book Challenge 2023—find a book with the same exact pages as the last prompt in the challenge and read it.
Scavenger Hunt—A book translated from another language
Popsugar Reading Challenge 2023—A book with “Girl” in the title
2023 TBR Toppler—A book over 500 pages
2023 Monthly Theme—Books in the heat
2023 Reading challenge—A yellow book: either a yellow cover or the title is in yellow
2023 ABC Challenge—G
Romanceopoly 2023!—Young Adult/New Adult friends to lovers
2023 TBR Prompts—Longest book on my TBR

February 2023 Wrap Up

Here is what I read/posted in February.

As always, let me know if you have read any of these books and (if you did) what you thought of them.


Books I Read:

Free Kindle Purchase—No Review
Free Kindle Purchase—No Review
From Author
ARC from Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Ballantine Books
ARC from St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin
Free Kindle Purchase—No Review
From Author
KU Purchase—No Review
KU Purchase—No Review
Free Kindle Purchase—No Review
From Author
Bought from Amazon Prime Reading
ARC from Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Ballantine Books
ARC from St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin
Free Kindle Purchase—No Review
Free Kindle Purchase—No Review
Free Kindle Purchase—No Review
From Novel Cause
ARC from Blackstone Publishing
Free Kindle Purchase—No Review
Free Kindle Purchase—No Review
ARC from St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books
Free Kindle Purchase—No Review
KU Purchase—No Review
ARC from St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin
Kindle Purchase—No Review
Free Kindle Purchase—No Review
Free Kindle Purchase—No Review
Free Kindle Purchase—No Review
Free Kindle Purchase—No Review
Free Kindle Purchase—No Review
Free Kindle Purchase—No Review
Free Kindle Purchase—No Review
Free Kindle Purchase—No Review
Free Kindle Purchase—No Review
Free Kindle Purchase—No Review
Free Kindle Purchase—No Review
Giveaway winner—No Review
Arc from author

Books I got from NetGalley:

Invite from SMP
Invite from SMP, Wednesday Books
Invite from SMP, Wednesday Books
Invite from SMP, Minotaur Books
Read Now from Crooked Lane Books
Invite from SMP, Wednesday Books
Invite from Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Bantam
Invite from Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Dell
Read Now from St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin
Read Now from St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin
Invite from St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books
Wish granted from Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Dell
Wished granted from Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Del Rey
Read now from Crooked Lane Books
Limited time Read Now from Sourcebooks Fire
Read now from St. Martin’s Press, Wednesday Books

Books I got from Authors/Indie Publishers:

From Novel Cause
From Novel Cause
From BookSirens

Giveaway Winners

Kindle—Won from Tordotcom
Kindle—Won from Goodreads

Books Reviewed:

Murder Up to Bat by Elizabeth McKenna—Review Here

Dead and Gondola by Ann Claire—Review Here

The Second You’re Single by Cara Tanamachi—Review Here

Jackal by Erin E. Adams—Review Here

The Drift by C.J. Tudor—Review Here

Not Your Ex’s Hexes by April Asher—Review Here

After the Music by Elena Goudelias—Review Here

Unnatural History by Jonathan Kellerman—Review Here

Take the Lead by Alexis Daria—Review Here

Once a Killer by Margaret Watson—Review Here

The Family Game by Catherine Steadman—Review Here

The Tracks We Leave by Maggie Maxfield—Review Here

Angeline by Anna Quinn—Review Here

Where Darkness Blooms by Andrea Hannah—Review Here


Reading Challenges

Buzzword Reading Challenge (Life and Death)—Death’s Queen—Finished 2-17-2023

Buzzword Reading Challenge (Verbs)—Deadly Awakening—Finished 2-18-2023

2023 Sami Parker Reads Title Challenge (book with direction in title)— Southern Rocker Boy—Finished 2-20-2023

2023 Sami Parker Reads Title Challenge (book with a season in title)—Summer’s Deadly Kiss—Finished 2-18-2023

Cover Scavenger Hunt (A Door)—Kurtain Motel—Finished 1-31-2023

The StoryGraph’s Onboarding Reading Challenge 2023 (Read a book you discovered via the community page)—Fine or PunishmentFinished 2-14-2023

The StoryGraph Reads the World 2023 (Columbia)—Lightlark—Finished 2-15-2023

The StoryGraph’s Genre Challenge 2023 (a nonfiction book about startups)—Lost and Founder by Rand FishkinFinished 2-2-2023

Beat the Backlist 2023 (cozy read or cover)—Her Long Walk Home—2-16-2023

Scavenger Hunt TBR Book Challenge (What color was on the previous prompt’s book’s cover? Read a book with the complimentary color on the cover)—The Demon Deception—Finished 2-3-2023

Scavenger Hunt (book written by a man using a woman’s perspective)—When They Came—Finished 2-9-2023

Popsugar Reading Challenge 2023 (A book you bought from an independent bookstore)—The Happy ChipFinished 2-3-2023

2023 TBR Toppler (The newest book you own)—A Duke for All Seasons—Finished 2-8-2023

2023 Monthly Themes (Fantastical February)—Nostalgic Rain—Finished 1-30-2023

2023 Reading Challenge (A red book. Can have red on the cover or in the title)—My Sister and IFinished 2-8-2023

2023 ABC Challenge ( B)—The Billionaire Shifter’s Curvy Match–Finished 2-11-2023

Romanceopoly 2023 (Free Choice)—A Guide to Being Just Friends—Finished 1-21-2023

2023 TBR Prompts (A book from an author you love)—Capture Me–Finished 1-14-2023

Play to Win (Wynn Hockey: Book 1) by Kelly Jamieson

Play to Win: A Wynn Hockey Novel by [Jamieson, Kelly]

4 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Loveswept, Loveswept

Date of publication: March 19th, 2019

Genre: Romance, Sports

Series: Wynn Hockey

Play to Win—Book 1

In It To Win It—Book 2 (expected publication date: July 23rd, 2019

Where you can find Play to Win: Amazon | Barnes and Noble | BookBub

Synopsis:

Meet the Wynns—a hockey dynasty built on family, money, and drama. From USA Today bestselling author Kelly Jamieson, the first novel in a new series is a total win-win.

“Kelly Jamieson is an auto-buy for me.”—Carly Phillips

After an injury forced Théo Wynn to give up professional hockey, he turned to his second love: numbers. Now, as the general manager of his grandfather’s NHL team, the Los Angeles Condors, Théo is dying to prove to the rest of his family—especially the brother who betrayed him—that he’s just as successful as the rest of them. If only Théo had a gorgeous woman on his arm to complete the picture. . . .

Lacey Olson needs to get out of Las Vegas right now, thanks to her no-good, crooked brother. When a handsome stranger who’s out partying with friends comes to her rescue in the cocktail lounge where she works, they strike up a conversation that leads to a crazy plan: her leaving with Théo for L.A. tomorrow. A few drinks later, the idea gets even crazier: a quickie marriage that works for both of them.

But back in California, Lacey immediately turns Théo’s precise, well-ordered life into one big beach party. And before long, she’s tempting him with her smart mouth, sexy body, and sunny charm. The last thing Théo needs is a real relationship to distract him. Because he only plays to win. . . .


My Review:

When I saw that Kelly Jamieson had a new series out, I was pumped. I was disappointed when the Aces Hockey series ended. I was also wondering when the next series was going to start. So, when I saw the book up for review on NetGalley, I pounced on it. I am glad that I did. Play to Win is an excellent start to what I hope is going to be an excellent series.

Theo Wynn was forced to give up professional hockey after an eye injury. Not to be deterred, he became the GM of an expansion hockey team based out of Las Vegas. Theo’s grandfather approached Theo with a job offer. Become the GM for his hockey team, the California Condors. Theo accepted the offer but was aware of the backlash that it would cause. When he meets Lacey and hears her story, Theo has a proposition for her. Become his “fake” wife to show his family that he made it. But can Theo keep Lacey at arms length? Or will he fall for her?

Lacey Olson is between a rock and a hard place. Her brother has stolen all the money in her checking account and disappeared. He also tries to pimp her out to his bookie to pay off his debt. She wasn’t expecting her brother’s bookie to show up at her job in a cocktail lounge. She wasn’t expecting the cute customer she was serving to step in and comfort her when she gets fired. She also wasn’t expecting to accept Theo’s crazy proposition. Or have a quickie Vegas wedding. Can Lacey go through with the charade? Or will she fall hard for Theo?


I liked Theo even if I thought he was too uptight. I understood why he didn’t want to jump in the pool with his clothes on. But I didn’t understand why he was so anal about suitcase packing. His horror in watching Lacey pack was amusing. I did enjoy watching his character grow in this book. He went from an uptight, grudge holding guy to a more laid back version of himself. Lacey was good for him.

I loved Lacey. She was one of the most easy going, go with the flow characters that I have read. Not that she didn’t have issues. Because she did. It was the way that she chose to deal with her issues that endeared her to me. She chose to look at the sunny side of things. Even her relationship with her brother (who I didn’t like). But, she wasn’t a pushover. She ruled when she met Theo’s ex. I did a “You go girl“.

Theo’s family wasn’t perfect. They were dysfunctional. Of course, not every family has a suggested gold-digger. Or sons’ suing their father. Or brother’s stealing girlfriends. But that’s what made this book fun to read.

Unfortunately Lacey’s family was all too realistic. Having an addict in your life is draining, emotionally and financially. The author was able to capture it perfectly.

I liked that Play to Win is a romance that didn’t have Instalove. Sure, Theo and Lacey got married the night they met. But the author chose to make up for that by having them build their relationship. Loved it!!

The sex scenes were steamy, once they had sex. I did roll my eyes when Theo and Lacey made the “no sex” pact. That screamed that they were going to have sex, but not right away. When they finally did bump uglies, it was explosive. I also liked how the author had Theo be on the receiving end of something kinky. That sex scene was through the roof!!

I loved the ending of Play to Win. Handsdown, it was one of the better endings that I have read. The talk that JP gave Theo was epic. What Lacey was knitting was epic. Actually, I was laughing my fool head off at that. Then I went to google it. Note to self: Never google that again. Images are forever seared into my brain. But it was the epilogue that made the book. Loved it. I also loved how it set up Book 2. Which I can’t wait to read.


I would give Play to Win an Adult rating. There is sex. There is language. There is mild violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Play to Win. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.


I would like to thank the author, the publisher, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Play to Win.

All opinions stated in this review of Play to Win are mine.


Have you read Play to Win?

What are your thoughts on it?

Do you like reading about dysfunctional families?

Let me know!!