Tag: Elizabeth Hayley

September 2025 Wrap-Up

Personal Highlights from this month:

  • We had an issue with Vinnie (one of our cats) not using the litter box. I thought that maybe he was stressed. Well, he peed blood on the 1st. I had him at the vet first thing on the 2nd, and he has a UTI. I felt awful because this had been going on for a month. But he is feeling better now. He received a shot of antibiotics and began to feel better within a couple of hours.
  • I am making a few changes to and after this monthly post. I am removing my book haul section and will create a new monthly post in its place. I will be adding a playlist section, which will feature playlists curated for each book. I will be using songs from the books, along with recommendations from ChatGPT.
  • Mr. Z had his senior pictures on the 8th. He looked so handsome when he left for school that morning.
  • Miss R had her first school dance on the 12th.
  • We attended Mothman Fest in West Virginia on the 19th and 20th. It was a blast, and we had a great time!
  • I ended up getting a new car at the beginning of the month. I now have a 2023 Dodge Durango. It has all the features I want.
  • Miss B also got a new car. She got a 2019 Chevy Trax. It is a cute little SUV and perfect for her and Miss J.
  • In NC, they are trying to streamline college applications for in-state students. Students with a GPA of 2.8 or higher will receive direct admissions to UNC universities, North Carolina independent colleges and universities, and North Carolina community colleges for the 2026-2027 academic year through the NC College Connect program. Mr. Z qualified with a GPA of 3.6 and was directly admitted to Western Carolina University and Appalachian State University. He has decided on App State. He will be doing a multidisciplinary degree in History.

Reading Highlights from this month:

  • I finished my Melissa Foster Read-A-Thon with Maybe We Won’t!! So happy to be done!! I wasn’t a big fan of the book. The love story was sweet, but Deirdra’s personality killed the book for me. She was one of the more selfish people that I have read this month. I did like Jagger, and I loved his vibe.
  • I read the Z-Strain Duology (Z-Strain and The Road to Perdition). Not going to lie, this is your typical zombie horror story. I enjoyed reading it, but didn’t like the dropped/rushed storylines, the storylines that absolutely didn’t make sense, and the cliffhanger at the end of The Road to Perdition. I will assume that, at some point, there will be a Book 3, given that ending.
  • I read and finished the 3rd book in the Aloha series (Mai Tai Marriage). This was a cute, sweet book. The author had me laughing at her zingers directed at Lexie’s ex, Graham. I will never look at horse racing the same again. I will be keeping an eye out for the rest of the Kindle to either be free or appear on KU.
  • I finished books 1 and 17.2 of The Dresden Files (Storm Front and The Law). I loved reading those books and will be looking forward to the rest of the series appearing on KU.
  • I finished reading the Crave series (Crave, Crush, Covet, Court, Charm, Cherish). I absolutely loved this series!!! Hudson and Grace’s romance was swoonworthy. There were some pretty significant plot twists throughout the book, and the author doesn’t hesitate to kill off or maim characters (my heart broke with Luca’s death). Overall, a great series that I will read again.
  • I completed the 2025 Buzzword Reading Challenge on The StoryGraph. Yay for me!!
  • I read the first book in The Love Game series (Never Have You Ever). I didn’t enjoy reading it. Where to start. Okay, Sophia’s brother asks a bartender to attend college classes for him while he decides to backpack around Italy, and he didn’t expect to get caught. Sophia moves in with her fake brother (Drew). She catches feelings (and they are mutual) and begins sleeping with him. Meanwhile, Sophia is trying to oust the president of her sorority and plans an auction with live men. She gets jealous and bids on Drew. Then she attends the event the president hosts and gets caught kissing Drew on camera, and is outed as being in a relationship with her brother. People are surprisingly OK with that, and life is good until Sophia’s parents find out what’s going on. Sophia’s father pays Drew off, and Drew leaves with the check, leaving Sophia confused about what happened. So yeah, it was a lot. I felt that the whole incest storyline could have been bypassed. And because of that, I have no desire to read the rest of the books.
  • I read books 1 and 4 of the Wilder Adventures series (Make Me Wilder and A Little Wilder). These books were just what I needed after reading the cluster I wrote about previously. I’m eager for the rest of the books to become available on KU so I can enjoy them.
  • I read the first book in the Carter Island series (Secrets Hidden in the Glass). It was a good book, but a little too long. It took me a few days to finish it (around 3) and set the pace for me to read my following two books.
  • I read book 1.5 from The Wicker King series. To be blunt, I was very confused reading it. I should have read The Wicker King before I read this. Then I would have understood Jack and August’s relationship a little bit better.
  • I read and finished Light from Uncommon Stars and loved it. This book had been on my TBR since 2021, and I finally got around to reading it last week.
  • I read the first book in the Black Trans Fairy Tales series. I was pleasantly surprised by this book. I loved Ella, and her journey touched me.
  • To finish off the month, I read The Color Purple. I had seen the movie, but honestly, reading the book was so much better. My heart broke for Celie.

Books I Read:

Books I bought (unless otherwise stated, books were free at the time of purchase):

Magic & Matchmaking by Tee Harlowe (from adding series to my TBR)

The Way We Touch by Tia Louise (from BookBub)

No Mercy by D.M. Davis (from BookBub)

A Moment on the Lips by Jennifer Faye (from BookBub)

The Night in Lover’s Bay by Liz Alden (from adding series to my TBR)

Beauty and the Bounty Hunter by Lori Austin (from BookBub)

The Fulcrum by JC Ryan (from BookBub)

Unexpected by Jenna Hartley (from BookBub)

The Town with No Roads by Joe Siple (from BookBub)

A Floof to a Kill by B.G. Wood (from BookBub)

A New Chapter in the Bay by Sara Belgari (from BookBub)

That’s the Way the Castle Crumbles by Luna Ryder (from BookBub)

Reaper’s Assistant by Miri Cosette (from BookBub)

Whole Lotta Love by Erika Kelly (from BookBub)

Royal Rumble by Holly Kerr (from BookBub)

Seeking Jake Ryan by M.F. Lorson and Jessica Bucher (from BookBub)

Make Me Wilder by Serena Bell (from adding series to my TBR)

Dating the Defensive Back by Lisa Suzanne (from BookBub)

Under His Guidance by Stacy Von Haegert (from BookBub)

Pemberley: Mr. Darcy’s Dragon by Maria Grace (from Goodreads newsletter)

The Mistress Contract by Evelyn Austin (from my TBR)

Winter Oranges by Marie Sexton (from my TBR)

Crashing Into Mr. Wrong by Leslie North (from BookBub)

The Ash Moon by Michelle Dare (from BookBub)

The Fae King’s Curse by Jamie Schlosser (from BookBub)

Filthy Sinner by Serena Akeroyd (from my TBR)

Don’t Judge a Duke by His Cover by Emily E.K. Murdoch (from my TBR)

False Security by Evan Grace (from my TBR)

Playlists

Beat the Backlist 2025—September

Prompts I finished in September

This book is a hoot—whether it’s simply funny or features an owl, it counts

The book is funny. Does not contain an owl.

more than 600 pages

has 600 pages

A title written in the stars—book title contains a celestial body (moon, star, sun…etc)

Buzzword Reading Challenge 2025—September

Prompts I finished in September

Events

The event: A wedding

Never—titles featuring the word “never.”

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?—September 15th, 2025

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? a place to meet and share what you have been and are about to be reading over the week. It’s a great post to organize yourself. It’s an opportunity to visit, comment, and add to your groaning TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and then was hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at The Book Date.

Jen Vincent, Teach Mentor Texts, and Kellee of Unleashing Readers decided to give It’s Monday! a kid-lit focus. If you read and review books in children’s literature – picture books, chapter books, middle-grade novels, young adult novels, or anything in those genres – join them.

What I am Reading Now

The sensational conclusion to Crave series…

It’s been over three months since my friends and I took down Cyrus. Three months where my biggest fear was what paper was due next… But I should have known it was too good to last. Now everything is falling apart.

The Vampire Court has no king, the Dragon Court has no heart, and the Gargoyle Court has me―a teenager in way over her head. And it’s the worst possible timing, because a threat is brewing just as the Circle is collapsing.

I have no choice but to return to the Shadow Realm and face the terrifying queen who nearly ended us…and make a deal with her to save Mekhi. But this time, I’m bringing my powerful friends with me―and Hudson. Except something is wrong with him, too. He’s keeping a secret―even from me.

All I know is that everyone’s life hangs in the balance. And it’s my fault―because I still owe the Crone a favor… and now she’s come to collect.

What I plan to read on Tuesday and Wednesday

Who is this guy?

Sophia Mason’s junior year of college isn’t exactly off to the best start. The semester has just begun, and the president of her sorority has already ousted her from the house. With nowhere else to turn, she ends up at her brother’s apartment—only to find it inhabited instead by a handsome stranger.

On paper, Drew Nolan doesn’t have much going for him as an uneducated bartender from a sketchy family. But when a spoiled rich kid asks Drew to take over his life so he can travel around Europe instead of attend classes, Drew sees the opportunity to get the college education he’s always dreamed of.

Forced into a cover-up under the same roof, Sophia and Drew forge an unlikely friendship. As the two grow closer, lines blur and boundaries stretch, and they find comfort in living the lie they’ve adopted. But reality comes knocking all too soon, and Sophia and Drew will have to weigh what’s worth fighting for and what should never ever have been.

This tent is too small for the both of us. And I like it that way.

Gabe
I was minding my business. Literally. I promised my dad I’d take care of the Wilder family adventure business in our little Oregon town of Rush Creek, which also means looking out for my mom, my sister, and my rowdy co-workers, AKA my brothers.

Now the business is in trouble. Overnight, Rush Creek has become a spa-and-wedding destination, and the new tourists aren’t interested in getting dirty—or at least not in the woods.

Then Lucy comes to town, all blond hair and silky blouses and spike heels. It’s her job to give Wilder Adventures a makeover. Camping to glamping, rafting to paddle board yoga, fishing trips to girls’ night sunset cruises. If she gets her way, Wilder Adventures will become Wilder Romantic Adventures.

Lucy hates small towns, getting messy, and anything involving the woods or the water—which pretty much makes her Not My Type.

That doesn’t explain why when I see her, I can’t look away. Why when I touch her, I can’t stop. And why, even though I know no one can talk a city girl into small town life, I’m still trying.

She’s driving me wild. All I can do is make her wilder.

WWW Wednesday: September 10th, 2025

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme that Sam hosts 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?

Here is what I am reading, recently finished, and plan to read from Thursday to Wednesday.

Let me know if you have read or are planning on reading any of these books!!

Happy Reading!

What I am currently reading:

Get an exclusive peek inside the global sensation and international bestselling Crave series from New York Timesbestselling author Tracy Wolff—with new revelations and shocking secrets never before revealed!
 
Always wanted to be a student at the boarding school with bite? The Katmere Academy Insider’s Guide will transport you. Explore everything Katmere has to offer and get lost within its walls with exclusive bonus content available for the very first time. Katmere Insiders will be able to dig deeper with full character bios—from Grace, the Vega brothers, Macy, and Flint to fan favorites like Eden, Remy, and even Byron. Get to know the staff, learn the history of some of the most unique and exciting traditions at Katmere, and discover which Court you would belong to. And, of course, enjoy numerous deleted scenes and outrageous outtakes from your favorite characters’ POVs, giving readers insights into Crave series lore not found anywhere else. Bonus features include a never-before-seen Q&A with Tracy Wolff, where she reveals insider information about the series fans won’t want to miss, as well as a brand-new novella from Hudson’s POV!

What I recently finished reading:

I may have reached my breaking point. As if trying to graduate from a school for supernaturals isn’t stressful enough, my relationship status has gone from complicated to a straight-up dumpster fire. Oh, and the Bloodletter has decided to drop a bomb of epic proportions on us all… Then again, when has anything at Katmere Academy not been intense?

And the hits just keep coming. Jaxon’s turned colder than an Alaskan winter. The Circle is splintered over my upcoming coronation. As if things couldn’t get worse, now there’s an arrest warrant for Hudson’s and my supposed crimes—which apparently means a lifetime prison sentence with a deadly unbreakable curse.

Choices will have to be made…and I fear not everyone will survive.

What I plan on reading Thursday through Sunday:

No one survived the last battle unscathed. Flint is angry at the world, Jaxon is turning into something I don’t recognize, and Hudson has put up a wall I’m not sure I’ll ever break through.

Now war is coming, and we’re not ready. We’re going to need an army to have any hope of winning. But first, there are questions about my ancestors that need answers. Answers that might just reveal who the real monster is among us.

And that’s saying something in a world filled with bloodthirsty vampires, immortal gargoyles, and an ancient battle between two gods.

There’s no guarantee that anyone will be left standing when the dust settles, but if we want to save this world, I have no choice. I’ll have to embrace every part of me…even the parts I fear the most.

He’s under my skin . . .

After Katmere, I shouldn’t be surprised by anything. Including the existence of a world beyond my world called the Shadow Realm. Yet here I am, stuck in a strange, dangerous place with the worst of the supernaturals, the monster that other monsters fear: Hudson Vega. He might be Jaxon’s brother and ridiculously hot, but he’s a complete bona fide pain in my ass.

The question is whether we’ll find a way out before I kill him . . . or run out of time.

She’s stealing my heart . . .

It’s a truth universally known—at least according to Grace—that everything is my fault. But I have a nasty suspicion that Grace isn’t as human as she thinks, and she’s the one keeping us trapped. Now we’ll have to work together not only to survive, but to save all those we’ve come to call family who live here.

Because there’s something connecting us. Something stronger than fear . . . and way more bloody dangerous.

The sensational conclusion to Crave series…

It’s been over three months since my friends and I took down Cyrus. Three months where my biggest fear was what paper was due next… But I should have known it was too good to last. Now everything is falling apart.

The Vampire Court has no king, the Dragon Court has no heart, and the Gargoyle Court has me―a teenager in way over her head. And it’s the worst possible timing, because a threat is brewing just as the Circle is collapsing.

I have no choice but to return to the Shadow Realm and face the terrifying queen who nearly ended us…and make a deal with her to save Mekhi. But this time, I’m bringing my powerful friends with me―and Hudson. Except something is wrong with him, too. He’s keeping a secret―even from me.

All I know is that everyone’s life hangs in the balance. And it’s my fault―because I still owe the Crone a favor… and now she’s come to collect.

Who is this guy?

Sophia Mason’s junior year of college isn’t exactly off to the best start. The semester has just begun, and the president of her sorority has already ousted her from the house. With nowhere else to turn, she ends up at her brother’s apartment—only to find it inhabited instead by a handsome stranger.

On paper, Drew Nolan doesn’t have much going for him as an uneducated bartender from a sketchy family. But when a spoiled rich kid asks Drew to take over his life so he can travel around Europe instead of attend classes, Drew sees the opportunity to get the college education he’s always dreamed of.

Forced into a cover-up under the same roof, Sophia and Drew forge an unlikely friendship. As the two grow closer, lines blur and boundaries stretch, and they find comfort in living the lie they’ve adopted. But reality comes knocking all too soon, and Sophia and Drew will have to weigh what’s worth fighting for and what should never ever have been.

I Hate You, I Love You by Elizabeth Hayley

I Hate You, I Love You by [Hayley, Elizabeth]

3  Stars

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group, Loveswept

Date of publication: October 9th, 2018

Genre: Romance

Where you can find I Hate You, I love You: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Goodreads synopsis:

There’s a fine line between love and hate. And these two can’t decide which side they’re really on. . . .

Poetry professor Naomi Price is loved by her students, happily works around the clock, and has credentials no one could deny. Except, it seems, for her arch-nemesis at Hainamor University. The man never has anything polite to say, and now the two of them are competing for a prestigious honor that just so happens to come with a cash award. With every move Naomi makes to impress her colleagues, her rival is right there beside her, elbow to elbow, making it impossible to ignore how devastatingly hot he is—even if he is a total bastard.

Sebastian Blake knows what Naomi thinks of him, and he’s trying hard not to care. Maybe he’s been grouchy with her in the past, but she isn’t making his life any easier with her crusade to win over the Personnel Committee and earn an honor that is rightfully his. Naomi just doesn’t quit, and though he’d never admit it, there’s something sexy about her. Something that has him tied up in knots. Something that makes him want to move beyond his painful past and take a chance—at least for as long as it takes to kiss her silly and see what happens next.

Warning: Intense bickering leads to intense sexual chemistry!

My review:

Ever read a book and think “Wow, I am going to like this” but reading the blurb? That’s what I thought when I first read the blurb for I Hate You, I Love You. I had this book built up in my mind. I started thinking to myself “Wouldn’t it be cool if this book was like 10 Things I Hate About You“. So, yeah, I was pumped up for this book. It was a disappointment when I started reading this book and realized that it was not what I thought it was going to be.

The first half of the book was a huge disappointment. I thought Naomi and Sebastian’s rivalry was immature. While Sebastian did start it (he could have handled Naomi’s gift a bit better), Naomi didn’t let it go. Instead of being the bigger person, she started acting childishly. Misplacing mail and messing stuff up on his desk? Really? I thought that she was an adult, not a vengeful teenager. What got me was that she thought she was justified in doing what she did. Sebastian was just as bad. The only thing was that he was verbal with his childishness. I kept shaking my head while reading those scenes. I said to myself during one scene “Are you freaking kidding me???” Then to have them competing against each other for a prize? Like my 12-year-old, my eye rolls were constant.

The second half of the book was a bit better but still. Naomi and Sebastian still were taking pot shots at each other.  But it was alright because they were dating. Uggggh. Then that whole debacle in front of the Personnel Committee. They both should have been fired for acting the way that they did.

There was zero chemistry between Naomi and Sebastian. Zero. So when they started having sex, it didn’t jive for me. Don’t get me wrong, the sex scenes were hot but I couldn’t get past Naomi and Sebastian’s dislike of one another. I guess I should have looked past it because you can love someone you hated but I couldn’t.

I didn’t like Naomi. She rubbed me the wrong way. While I felt bad for what happened when she was in college, she should have told Sebastian what she was going to do with the money up front. It would have saved her a lot of heartache down the road. I wish more attention had been put on her teaching. I thought what she taught was interesting. Once her and Sebastian were an item, I did think that she had a dry and sarcastic sense of humor. I wish that I could have liked her more.

I felt awful for Sebastian. I could never imagine something like that happening to me. No wonder he was so grouchy. But, I do wish that his past had been explained earlier in the book. Instead of being dragged out the way it was. I also liked that he didn’t stoop down to Naomi’s level when she was being petty. I did like his zingers but I felt that he crossed a line a couple of times with what he said to Naomi. I felt that his issues with what she was going to do with the prize money should have been addressed before they went before the Personnel Committee. But, I did like that he was able to accept that he was wrong. And that he tried to make it up to Naomi. What he did at the end of the book made me cry.

The end of the book was the best part of the book. The author was able to end it on a HEA. As much as I disliked Naomi, I felt that she needed to be supported by her decision. I also felt the Sebastian needed to have a happy ending too. I do wish that there was an epilogue. I would have loved to see them in a year or two from the ending.

What I liked about I Hate You, I Love You:

A) The location. I love Vermont.

B) What Naomi taught

C) The end of the book

What I disliked about I Hate You, I Love You:

A) Naomi. Felt she was childish

B) Zero chemistry between Naomi and Sebastian

C) Sebastian’s backstory

I gave I Hate You, I Love You a 3-star rating. I was disappointed by this book. I felt that the main characters had zero chemistry. I also felt that they acted like spoiled teenagers for 90% of the book. What saved the book for me was the location and the end of the book.

I gave I Hate You, I Love You an Adult rating. There is explicit sex. There is language. There is mild violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I am on the fence about if I would reread I Hate You, I Love You. I am also on the fence if I would recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank Random House Publishing Group, Loveswept, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review I Hate You, I Love You.

All opinions stated in this review of I Hate You, I Love You are mine.

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