October 2023 Wrap-Up

Here is what I read/posted/won/received/bought in October.

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:


Books Reviewed:

The Parachutists by R.L. Minnich—review here (4 stars)

Tantalus Depths by Evan Graham—review here (4 stars)

The Intern by Michele Campbell—review here (4 stars)

A Cold Highland Wind by Tasha Alexander—review here (4 stars)

Love in Winter Wonderland by Abiola Bello—review here (4 stars)

A Traitor in Whitehall by Julia Kelly—review here (4 stars)

Overdue or Die by Allison Brook—review here (3 stars)

Last Word to the Wise by Ann Claire—review here (4 stars)

Stalking Around the Christmas Tree by Jacqueline Frost—review here (4 stars)

In the Wick of Time by Valona Jones—review here (3 stars)

The Captain by A.R. Alexander—review here (3 stars)

Bright Lights, Big Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews—review here (4 stars)

Mary Not Broken by Deborah L. King—review here (4 stars)

Love Interest by Clare Gilmore—review here (4 stars)

Sanctuary Motel by Alan Orloff—review here (4 stars)

The Puzzle Master by Danielle Trussoni—review here (4 stars)

Black River Orchard by Chuck Wendig—review here (4 stars)

Murder by the Seashore by Samara Yew—review here (3 stars)

Friends Don’t Fall in Love by Erin Hahn—review here (4 stars)


Books I got from NetGalley:


Books I got from Authors/Indie Publishers:


Giveaway Winners


Reading Challenges:

Sit…Stay…Beg by Roxanne St. Claire (2023 TBR Prompts)

Mind: The Beginning by Jenn Nixon (Scavenger Hunt TBR Book Challenge)


Books I bought:

Perilous Trust by Barbara Freethy

Shadows Over Innocence by Lindsay Buroker

The Emperor’s Edge by Lindsay Buroker

Ice Cracker II by Lindsay Buroker

Solstice Day Gifts by Lindsay Buroker

Mortal Weather by K.P. McCarthy

Forbidden Proposal by T.K. Leigh

Royal Creed by T.K. Leigh

Bride of Fire by Glynnis Campbell

Triskelion by Avril Borthiry

Jurassic Resort by Brent Reilly

Jurassic Resort 2 by Brent Reilly

Jurassic Resort 3 by Brent Reilly

Finding Cinderella by Colleen Hoover

Kiro’s Emily by Abbi Glines

March: FCBD Special by John Lewis

Fall by Tiffany Noelle Chacon

Waking Kate by Sarah Addison Allen

Her Best Match by Tamie Dearen

Ghost Clan by Heather Walker

The Beauty by Claire Delacroix

Link’d Up by Harley Stone

Crimson Dagger by Morgan Rhodes

Whispers of You by Catherine Cowles

Keep Me by Stacey Kennedy

If She Lives by Erik Therme

Ellie Jordan, Ghost Trapper by J.L. Bryan

Javier by Fiona Murphy

Blister by K.J. Kalis

Introductions by C.L. Stone

Meeting Sang: Kota by C.L. Stone

Touch of Mischief by C.L. Stone

Sound of Snowfall by C.L. Stone

The Crown & The Arrow by Renee Ahdieh

The Mirror & The Maze by Renee Ahdieh

Curse of Stone by Veronica Shade

Terrifying Tales by Edgar Allan Poe

Orphans of Bliss: Tales of Addiction Horror by Mark Matthews

Royally Raised by Emma Chase

Her Master by Quinn Marlowe

Sullivan’s Secret by Robin Murphy

Pilot Error by Dan Moren

Showdown by Dan Moren

The Lord Next Door by Gayle Callen

Freedom of a Highlander by Katy Baker

Fated Immortals: The Complete Shifter Romance Series Collection by Vera Rivers

Don’t Give a Damn About My Plaid Reputation by Caroline Lee

How it All Began by Fiona West

Shade by Shayne Ford

A Vengeful Realm by Tim Facciola

Crossroads by Jonathan Franzen

Flawed Justice by Tibby Armstrong

Grave Mistake by Nikki Landis

Haunting Chaos by Nikki Landis

The Cartel by E.G. Manetti

Mayaette’s Catharsis by Jack E Mohr

May 2023 Wrap Up

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

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
KU Purchase
ARC from St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin
ARC from Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Bantam
ARC from Sourcebooks Casablanca
ARC from St. Martin’s Press
ARC from St. Martin’s Press
Free Kindle Purchase
KU Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Kindle Purchase
ARC from St. Martin’s Press and St. Martin’s Griffin
Kindle Purchase
Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
KU Purchase
Kindle Purchase
Non-ARC from author
ARC from Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Ballantine Books
ARC from Author
ARC from Crooked Lane Books
ARC from Sourcebooks Casablanca
KU Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
ARC from Crooked Lane Books
ARC from Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Ballantine Books
ARC from Shivnath Productions, IBPA, and Member’s Titles
ARC from St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books
Non-ARC from author
Free Kindle Purchase
KU Purchase

Books I got from NetGalley:

Invite from St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin
Invite from Random House Publishing Group – Random House, Random House
Wish granted by Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Del Rey
Invite from St. Martin’s Press
Selection from Minotaur Influencer Program
Wished granted from Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Delacorte Press
Read Now from St. Martin’s Press and Minotaur Books
Read Now from St. Martin’s Press, St. Martin’s Griffin
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 Influencer Program
Invite from St. Martin’s Press, Minotaur Books
Wish granted from Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Del Rey

Books I got from Authors/Indie Publishers:

ARC from Novel Cause
ARC from author
Non-ARC from author
Non-ARC from Author
Non-ARC from author

Giveaway Winners

Goodreads Giveaway: Paperback
Goodreads Giveaway: Kindle
Goodreads Giveaway: Kindle

Books Reviewed:

Dearly Beloved Departed by Nancy Lynn Jarvis—Review here

S.O.P.H.I.E. by C.J. Noble—Review here

How the Murder Crumbles by Debra Sennefelder—Review coming June 20th

The Ferryman by Justin Cronin—Review here

Lucky Girl by Irene Muchemi-Ndiritu—Review here

The Last Word by Katy Birchall—Review here

The Comeback by Lily Chu—Review here

A Crown of Ivy and Glass by Claire Legrand—Review coming June 13th

The Collected Regrets of Clover by Mikki Brammer—Review here

No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister—Review here

The Impossible Proof of Knowing Nothing by Maria Karvouni Truth—Review Here

Seven Rules for Breaking Hearts by Kristyn J. Miller—Review Here

Brainstorm by Nissa Harlow—Review Here

Reality Is Just A P0ss1ble Fantasy by Maria Karvouni Truth—Review Here

You Are Always Innocent by Maria Karvouni Truth—Review Here

Desiree’s Revenge by K.C. Carson—Review Here

Perilous Times by Thomas D. Lee—Review Here

Her Latent Charm by Dana C. Brentson—Review coming June 1st

A Cryptic Clue by Victoria Gilbert—Review coming July 11th

The Book Proposal by KJ Micciche—-Review Here

Take the Honey and Run by Jennie Marts—Review coming July 18th


The StoryGraph Reading Challenges:

April

2023 ABC Challenge (D)—Descendants

2023 TBR Prompts (A BookTok Fave)—The Song of Achilles

May

Buzzword Reading Challenge 2023 (Flavour-related words: Must have flavour/herb/spice related words in the title: salter, pepper, dill, ginger, mango, vanilla, lemon…etc)—The Saltwater Marathon

2023 Monthly Themes (Mystery May)—Mermaid Cliff

2023 Sami Parker Reads Title Challenge (with a word such as rabbit, bunny, hare to honor Chinese Year of the Rabbit. Title should include at least one of those words)—Killer Rabbits

Cover Scavenger Hunt 2023 (A Leaf)—The Affiliate

The StoryGraph’s Onboarding Reading Challenge 2023 (Read a book in your least read format or genre)—Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado

Scavenger Hunt TBR Book Challenge (Go to page 34, line 6 of the book you just read. How many words are there in that line? Divide that number by 3. That’s the amount of words the title of your next book should be): Modern Girl’s Guide to Vacation Flings by Gina Drayer

Beat the Backlist 2023 (meant to read it last year): Prepared by Courtney Konstantin

The StoryGraph’s Genre Challenge 2023 (A children’s book you never read as a kid): Frog and Toad Are Friends by Arnold Lobel

Popsugar Reading Challenge 2023 (A book with a mythical creature): Hereditary by Jane Washington

2023 TBR Toppler (The last book in a series): Ten Thousand Truths by Kelli Washington


Books I bought*:

*Normally, there won’t be a lot of books on here. But I am going through my Goodreads shelves and downloading any free books I am coming across from books already shelved (as well as adding books that are in the same series). This is an ongoing project, and I should be done by September (yes, I have that many books).

Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Amazon Prime Read
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase
Free Kindle Purchase

Top Ten Tuesday: Spring Cleaning Freebie (or Last 10 Books I added to my TBR)

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

How it works:

She assigns each Tuesday a topic and then posts her top ten list that fits that topic. You’re more than welcome to join her and create your own top ten (or 2, 5, 20, etc.) list as well. Feel free to put a unique spin on the topic to make it work for you! Please link back to That Artsy Reader Girl in your own post so that others know where to find more information.


I have a confession to make. I very rarely get rid of books from my TBR pile (which explains why I have so many). So, when I saw today’s prompt, I knew that I couldn’t do it. So, I decided to change it up and go with the last 10 books I added to my TBR pile. So, enjoy!! Also, let me know what books you decided to let go (or keep or added to your TBR). I am always looking to add to my already overfull TBR.


1. The entire Scottish Bookshop Mystery Series by Paige Shelton

The Cracked Spine (Scottish Bookshop Mystery, #1)

2. Sassy Blonde by Stacey Kennedy

Sassy Blonde (Three Chicks Brewery, #1)

3. Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner

Big Summer

4. The Next Wife by Kaira Rounda

The Next Wife

5. An Invincible Summer by Mariah Stewart

An Invincible Summer (Wyndham Beach Book 1)

6. Books 0.5, 1 and 2 of the Less Than Zero Series by Kaylene Winters

Restless (Less Than Zero Rockstar Romance, #0.5)

7. A Million Reasons Why by Jessica Strawser

A Million Reasons Why

8. The entire series of the Looking to Score series by Kendall Ryan

One Night with the Rebel (Looking to Score, #0.5)

9. Books 0.5, 2 and 3 of The Kobalos Trilogy by Ty Johnston

Blade and Flame (The Kobalos Trilogy, #0.5)

10. The entire series of The Lost Andersons Series by Melody Anne

Unexpected Treasure (The Lost Andersons #1; Billionaire Bachelors #8)

Perfectly Inappropriate by Stacey Kennedy

Perfectly Inappropriate

4 Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group, Loveswept

Date of publication: November 27th, 2018

Genre: Romance, BDSM, Erotica

Where you can find Perfectly Inappropriate: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

A woman scorned and a politician with a wild side connect online—and explore their hottest fantasies in the flesh.

Olivia Watts knows that her problems are painfully average. She got engaged, and her fiancé cheated. She gave up on her dream job—street photographer—and settled on a more practical one: graphic designer. She scrimped and saved to buy a home, only to realize how empty it was. So when Olivia hears about an exclusive dating app that matches subs with highly trained doms, she does something she never thought she’d do in a million years: She signs up. The last thing she expects to find is a man whose sizzling touch reawakens the woman she used to be. . . .

Noah Grant has no time for relationships. His sole purpose is to win reelection. That’s why he pays a premium to the discreet app that satisfies all his dark desires. But after sweet, innocent Olivia is vetted and arrives for their week together in his penthouse, it’s blatantly clear that she’s running from her demons. Noah’s more than willing to be her escape—until their emotions get tangled up in their games. Now, to become worthy of Olivia’s heart, Noah will have to prove that he’s more than a fantasy.


My review:

Olivia is trying to get her life back on track. A couple of months ago, she had walked in on her ex-fiancee in bed with her former best friend. Ever since then, she has felt like she needed to do something more with her life. So, when an opportunity arises for Olivia to expand herself sexually, she takes it. She figures, what is the worse that could happen. What she never expected was to find the one man who makes her body sing. Noah is a NY senator who uses SiR to find women who have the same sexual likes as he does. He doesn’t want a relationship. All he wants is the week or two that his sub gives him. But, when he meets Olivia, he realizes that he could have more with her. Can he convince Olivia that he wants more? Or will she walk out of his life?

I want to discuss the white elephant in the room. The BDSM element of this book. I know that more than a few people will see the words BDSM, “Dom” and Sub” and not read the book. Here’s the thing, this book is NOT about a dom/sub relationship. The story is about a woman who has lost all sense of self and finding it again. And honestly, the BDSM scenes were not that bad. 50 Shades of Grey had worse, more graphic scenes.

I wanted to gut punch Olivia’s ex. He was such a scumbag. Every time Olivia was starting to feel good about herself, he would either make an appearance. He deserved the beat down that Noah gave him. I actually wanted to jump into the book and take part in the beat down. I also couldn’t believe the excuses he gave about why he cheated. He was scum.

I loved Noah and Olivia together. Even from the first meeting, you could tell that there was more than just sex. I liked how honest Olivia was with Noah. I liked how Noah went from wanting just sex to having a relationship with Olivia. I loved how he went about showing that he wanted a relationship for her. That was a huge OMG moment for me. I did get teary eyed (but didn’t cry).

The sexual attraction between Noah and Olivia was there right from the beginning. Sparks flew from that first meeting on. I loved how that sexual attraction was built up. It was built up and up and up until they had some steamy and explosive sex. Then the author went right back to building it up again. I also liked how the BDSM element of the sex was kept low-key. The storyline included it but didn’t make it the primary focus. Which made the book so much better for me to read.

I did feel bad for Olivia while reading. I also knew what she was going through with trying to rediscover herself. I loved how the author made her photography a part of the storyline. I didn’t know what a street photographer was until I read this book. I also liked that she was able to forgive Lacie and Cameron for what they did. It took a while, but she was able to forgive. She was a better woman that I could be. I am more like Paige, her other bestie. I hold a grudge.

I loved Noah. I thought it was awesome that he was able to acknowledge, to himself, that he had feelings for Olivia. That he wanted something more than one week with her. Usually, it’s the other way around. So, yes, very refreshing. I also liked that he was able to talk about why he didn’t want a relationship. I loved that he was able to talk to his mother and get the truth from her. I thought it was awesome. I do wish that the author got more into him being a Senator.

The end of Perfectly Inappropriate was one of the best endings that I have read to date. That OMG moment that I mentioned above. It’s here. If I had any doubts about how Noah felt about Olivia, yeah they were put to rest there. And the epilogue. I had happy tears when I read that. Olivia got the HEA that she deserved and then some. Loved it!!!


I gave Perfectly Inappropriate a 4-star review. I enjoyed reading this book. I connected to both of the main characters. I loved the storyline. There wasn’t anything that I didn’t like that made a huge impact on my review.

I would give Perfectly Inappropriate an Adult rating. There is explicit sex. There is language. There is violence. There are trigger warnings. They would be cheating. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread Perfectly Inappropriate. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.


I would like to thank Loveswept, Random House Publishing Group, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Perfectly Inappropriate.

All opinions in this review of Perfectly Inappropriate are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**


Have you read Perfectly Inappropriate?

Love it? 

Hate it?

Meh about it?

Let me know!!!

Bought by the Boss by Stacey Kennedy

Bought by the Boss

3.5 Stars (rounded down to 3 for Goodreads, NetGalley, Barnes and Noble and Amazon)

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group, Loveswept

Date of publication: February 13th, 2018

Genre: Romance, Erotica

Number of pages: 200

Where you can find Bought by the Boss: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

What’s better than one bad-boy boss? How about two?

In a duet of naughty novellas, a charity date auction turns into all-out war when a pair of powerful corporate lawyers each buy the other’s assistant for a weekend of seduction.

HIS PRICE
I’ve wanted Aria Finley from the moment I met her.
We flirt, we laugh, we connect. It could be perfect.
She’s even best friends with my assistant.
Problem is, she works for my archnemesis—Jackson Keller—and she’s the kind of girl who stays loyal unless you give her a reason not to.
Besides my hard-on, there’s something hot between us, and I won’t rest until I put my finger on it.
So when I get the chance to buy Aria for the weekend at a charity auction, there’s no limit.
I’m going to take her home and take what I want because I’ll make her want it too.
And by Monday, she’ll know she’s mine.

DIRTY MONEY
Liam Maxwell thinks he can get to me through my assistant, Aria.
Well, two can play that game.
Now Mallory Beckett—Liam’s assistant and Aria’s best friend—is mine for the weekend.
Only she has no idea who bought her at the charity auction.
This is going to be worth every penny.
But soon I realize that Mallory has been waiting for my touch all along.
What starts as a fling turns into something more.
From the beginning, I was so focused on stealing her away. 
I never thought about the fact that I’d drown if I lost her. 
Now the game has changed. And she needs to know that she belongs to me.

Trigger Warning: None

Continue reading “Bought by the Boss by Stacey Kennedy”

Cuffed by His Charm (Dirty Little Secrets: Book 4) by Stacey Kennedy

Cuffed by His Charm (Dirty Little Secrets, #4)

4 stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group, Loveswept

Date of publication: November 14, 2017

Genre: Romance, Women’s Fiction

Number of pages: 188

POV: Alternating 1st person

Series: Dirty Little Secrets

Bound Beneath His Pain – Book 1

Tied to His Betrayal – Book 2

Restrained Under His Duty – Book 3

Cuffed by His Charm – Book 4

Where you can find Cuffed by His Charm: Barnes and Noble | Amazon

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

A tabloid scandal unites a powerful mogul and a woman from the wrong side of the tracks in this tantalizing novel from the USA Today bestselling author of Bound Beneath His Pain and the Club Sin series.

The multimillionaire owner of a chain of successful Irish pubs, Gabe O’Keefe loves being in the spotlight almost as much as he loves women. But when all his secrets are exposed in a shameless tabloid, his glistening reputation takes a hit. What hurts most is learning who sold him out: sweet and sensual McKenna Archer, his own employee. Gabe thought he could trust her. But now he’s got bigger problems than keeping his hands off McKenna.

After putting a difficult past behind her, McKenna would never betray Gabe. But she knows someone who would: her brother, a compulsive gambler who owes money all over town. To make things right, McKenna will have to set aside her feelings for her boss. Easier said than done. Gabe oozes pure temptation. But when they team up, McKenna sees that he isn’t the manwhore she always thought. He’s strong. He’s real. And the heat between them is the only thing that makes sense anymore.

Trigger Warning: Bondage scenes, explicit sexual scenes, explicit violence

Continue reading “Cuffed by His Charm (Dirty Little Secrets: Book 4) by Stacey Kennedy”