Tag: meme

WWW Wednesday: September 16th, 2026

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?

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

Let me know if you have read or plan to read any of these books!!

I just want to jump on and say that I got next to no reading done last week. My 12-year-old had school issues (not caused by her). She also had a situation come up with one of her best friends, and we spent the weekend focusing on her mental health (I won’t go into detail right now, but it wasn’t good, and my daughter was directly affected). So, this post will be almost a repeat of last week.

What I am currently reading:

A Fugitive Mate…
Emma Wilkes is on the run from her ex-boyfriend—with a stolen laptop containing evidence of his crimes. When she meets a hot guy in a truck stop bar, she pretends to be his date, hoping to throw her ex’s hit squad off her trail.

A Desperate Alpha…
Alpha wolf Jace Monroe has only weeks to find a true mate and bond with her, or he’ll lose his pack and his territory. To him, the stranger coming on to him is just a delectably curvy distraction from his troubles. But to his wolf, she’s the one.

One Wild Night
So when Emma steals Jace’s motorcycle and vanishes from his motel room in the middle of the night, Jace vows to track her down and find out who she really is—a conniving con woman, or the mate he’s been waiting for all his life.

But can he find her—and persuade her to trust him—before time runs out for both of them?

Silverlake Shifters
Smokin’ hot shifter men with hearts of gold; the strong, passionate women who love them; secrets, lies and danger; naughty, steamy love scenes—and happily ever afters.

Content warning: This book contains naughty language and steamy love scenes, and is intended for adults only.

What I recently finished reading:

You don’t need a cape to be a hero.

One beautiful trend-spotting consultant.
One hot Seattle multimillionaire looking for his soul mate.
They meet first by accident. But when their matchmaker pairs them up, falling in love is anything but accidental.

Jeremy Marino is the kind of guy who runs towards the sound of gunfire, leaping in to help anyone in trouble. His friends call him the accidental hero. He always seems to be at the right place at the right time to save a life.

Crystal Pruitt is the kind of woman who instinctively jumps in to help people in trouble. Her friends call her the accidental heroine. But a cool-hunter like her can’t afford any publicity.

When they meet working to save a trucker from his burning beer truck, the chemistry between them is off the charts. Until Crystal disappears into the gathering crowd, leaving Jeremy wondering if he’ll ever be able to find her again. Was their attraction real or just the heat of the moment?

MR. ACCIDENTAL HERO is book 1 of the Jet City Matchmaker series. This is a standalone novel.

What I plan on reading Thursday through Sunday:

Silverlake Second Rafe Connors is spiraling out, taking crazy risks and starting bar fights just to keep his wolf sane. One rainy night he goes too far, and a posse of drunk, pissed-off townies runs him off the road, crashing his motorcycle into a ravine. Left for dead, Rafe is rescued by a mysterious white wolf shifter, who tends his wounds and then disappears.Terin Whitney has no memory of her childhood, or the trauma that stole her past. Ever since her human protector died, she’s survived on her own. She can’t forget the breathtaking man she saved, but all her instincts tell her she needs to stay out of sight, or the danger she escaped in the past will find her in the present.When Rafe runs into a group of poachers hunting Terin, he knows he has to find her first. But his wild, mysterious, gentle-seeming lone wolf has a yard full of pit traps and a cache of weapons under her floor—and no intention of leaving her isolated cabin to rely on strangers for protection. Not even if one of them is Rafe.Rafe will do whatever it takes to win Terin’s trust—and her love. But when the hunters come after her with a vengeance, Terin will have to find the courage to listen to her heart, or risk losing everything.Silverlake Shifters,—Hot wild shifter men with hearts of gold; the strong, passionate women who love them; secrets, lies and danger—and happily ever afters.

A Dangerous Secret…
As a half-breed wolf shifter, Sophia has spent her whole life convincing her pack that her tiger side doesn’t exist. Only her adopted father, Nash Jenkins, knows the truth: that it’s a dangerous, out-of-control monster—a ticking time bomb that he plans to use to destroy the Silverlake wolf pack from the inside.

A Deal Breaker…
Whether it’s stopping a war or cutting a business deal, Jesse Travis is the Silverlake pack’s go-to negotiator. Negotiating a mating contract between his pack’s Enforcer and the daughter of the powerful Nashville alpha looks like a slam dunk—until Jesse and his wolf fall for Sophia like a ton of bricks.

A Deadly Threat…
No man has ever made Sophia feel the way Jesse does. But if she tells him the truth and turns against her father, Nash will out her as a rogue tiger and give her to the Shifter Council to be put down. So when unexpected danger drives Sophia’s wild side to the surface, Jesse has to tame her tiger and convince her to become the woman he knows she can be—or die trying.

Silverlake Shifters
Smokin’ hot shifter men with hearts of gold; the strong, passionate women who love them; secrets, lies and danger; naughty, steamy love scenes—and happily ever afters.

Content warning: This book contains naughty language and steamy love scenes, and is intended for adults only.

This book was in the box set, SPRING SHIFTERS IN LOVE
Contains explicit hot sex

Sometimes the best things in life are unexpected.

Cheyenne Snow has been given an ultimatum by her pack’s Alpha—who unfortunately is her father. Find a shifter husband in the next four months when he retires, or she’ll be forced to marry the unsavory Chuck Lord. Understanding that the odds of her meeting the deadline are slim, Chey decides to go out with a bang and find a human diversion.

When Dr. Storm Durant comes to Hidden Hills, North Carolina, to take over the practice of a retiring physician, he never excepts to be immediately drawn to the incredibly smart, sensual, and sassy Cheyenne Snow. He can’t even explain the intense attraction, but he willingly participates when she seduces him.

The euphoria is cut dramatically short when Storm finds out that the woman he’s falling for is not only a shifter but is just using him to bide her time until she marries.

Chey knows what she wants, and Storm can give her what she needs, but will it be forever or just a spring fling?

Two billionaires determined to claim her.
And a war fought on the most dangerous battlefield–the heart.

My story starts with a plunge into the cold water of Manhattan’s harbor. A strong hand hauls me back onto the deck of the luxury yacht. Christopher was supposed to be my enemy.

Instead he protects me with fierce determination. That should have been my happily ever after, but then Sutton appeared–ruthless and seductive. He doesn’t care that my heart belongs to someone else, because he’s determined to win. No matter the cost.

It’s an impossible choice, but I can’t have them both.

Goodreads Monday: Poison (The Seaclusion: Book 1) by Leanne Davis

This is a weekly meme in which anyone can choose and highlight a random book from their Goodreads TBR. It was formerly featured on LaurensPageTurners and was taken over by Budget Tales Book Blog.

Goodreads Synopsis:

On the run from her violent ex-husband, Cassie Reeves will do anything to keep her son safe, even if it means turning to a man she betrayed a decade ago. John Tyler now hates her as much as he once loved her–but Cassie has no choice. John’s quiet life as a small town doctor in Seaclusion, Washington has no place in it for the woman he turned his back on ten years ago. But when Cassie and her son land on his doorstep, he can’t turn them away. The longer she stays, though, the harder it is to remember why he stopped loving her. With her ex-husband closing in, Cassie soon realizes that only she can end what he has started. And as John and Cassie’s mutual attraction reignites, she vows to do anything to protect her son and grab the happiness that has escaped her for so long.

WWW Wednesday: September 9th, 2026

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?

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

Let me know if you have read or plan to read any of these books!!

What I am currently reading:

You don’t need a cape to be a hero.

One beautiful trend-spotting consultant.
One hot Seattle multimillionaire looking for his soul mate.
They meet first by accident. But when their matchmaker pairs them up, falling in love is anything but accidental.

Jeremy Marino is the kind of guy who runs towards the sound of gunfire, leaping in to help anyone in trouble. His friends call him the accidental hero. He always seems to be at the right place at the right time to save a life.

Crystal Pruitt is the kind of woman who instinctively jumps in to help people in trouble. Her friends call her the accidental heroine. But a cool-hunter like her can’t afford any publicity.

When they meet working to save a trucker from his burning beer truck, the chemistry between them is off the charts. Until Crystal disappears into the gathering crowd, leaving Jeremy wondering if he’ll ever be able to find her again. Was their attraction real or just the heat of the moment?

MR. ACCIDENTAL HERO is book 1 of the Jet City Matchmaker series. This is a standalone novel.

What I recently finished reading:

Bryan Murray always knew that he wanted to come home to Sapphire Falls and settle down with Tessa Sheridan. After all, Tessa’s sweet and kind and beautiful and planning to live in Sapphire Falls forever. Best of all, she’s loved him since kindergarten. She’s the perfect forever girl for him. He just didn’t expect it to all happen quite like this. But a not-so-little tumble down a mountain while biking has turned his life upside down and landed him back at home.

A longtime coach to high level athletes, Bryan knows all about facing obstacles head-on and turning challenges into opportunities. So, things aren’t going exactly the way he planned them– at least Tessa is the same girl who’s just been waiting for him to come home.

Tessa has been saving herself for Bryan in every way. She’s even been saving her pennies so she could move to Colorado to train with him for the marathon trophies she’s got her heart set on–a new passion she’s discovered all because of Bryan. But now he’s messed everything up. Not only is he bartending instead of coaching, but he’s decided to go from a hot, sexy playboy type to sweet romantic boyfriend material. And worst of all, he’s doing it all in Sapphire Falls.

What’s a girl gotta do to get away from her hometown and have an adventure or two? Now that marathon training and hot sex against the shower wall are out of the question with Bryan, Tess has to come up with a new plan to make her dreams, and fantasies, come true. All while being romanced by the only man who’s ever had her heart.

What I plan on reading Thursday through Sunday:

A Fugitive Mate…
Emma Wilkes is on the run from her ex-boyfriend—with a stolen laptop containing evidence of his crimes. When she meets a hot guy in a truck stop bar, she pretends to be his date, hoping to throw her ex’s hit squad off her trail.

A Desperate Alpha…
Alpha wolf Jace Monroe has only weeks to find a true mate and bond with her, or he’ll lose his pack and his territory. To him, the stranger coming on to him is just a delectably curvy distraction from his troubles. But to his wolf, she’s the one.

One Wild Night
So when Emma steals Jace’s motorcycle and vanishes from his motel room in the middle of the night, Jace vows to track her down and find out who she really is—a conniving con woman, or the mate he’s been waiting for all his life.

But can he find her—and persuade her to trust him—before time runs out for both of them?

Silverlake Shifters
Smokin’ hot shifter men with hearts of gold; the strong, passionate women who love them; secrets, lies and danger; naughty, steamy love scenes—and happily ever afters.

Content warning: This book contains naughty language and steamy love scenes, and is intended for adults only.

Silverlake Second

Rafe Connors is spiraling out, taking crazy risks and starting bar fights just to keep his wolf sane. One rainy night he goes too far, and a posse of drunk, pissed-off townies runs him off the road, crashing his motorcycle into a ravine. Left for dead, Rafe is rescued by a mysterious white wolf shifter, who tends his wounds and then disappears.

Terin Whitney has no memory of her childhood, or the trauma that stole her past. Ever since her human protector died, she’s survived on her own. She can’t forget the breathtaking man she saved, but all her instincts tell her she needs to stay out of sight, or the danger she escaped in the past will find her in the present.

When Rafe runs into a group of poachers hunting Terin, he knows he has to find her first. But his wild, mysterious, gentle-seeming lone wolf has a yard full of pit traps and a cache of weapons under her floor—and no intention of leaving her isolated cabin to rely on strangers for protection. Not even if one of them is Rafe.

Rafe will do whatever it takes to win Terin’s trust—and her love. But when the hunters come after her with a vengeance, Terin will have to find the courage to listen to her heart, or risk losing everything.

Silverlake Shifters,—Hot wild shifter men with hearts of gold; the strong, passionate women who love them; secrets, lies and danger—and happily ever afters.

A Dangerous Secret…
As a half-breed wolf shifter, Sophia has spent her whole life convincing her pack that her tiger side doesn’t exist. Only her adopted father, Nash Jenkins, knows the truth: that it’s a dangerous, out-of-control monster—a ticking time bomb that he plans to use to destroy the Silverlake wolf pack from the inside.

A Deal Breaker…
Whether it’s stopping a war or cutting a business deal, Jesse Travis is the Silverlake pack’s go-to negotiator. Negotiating a mating contract between his pack’s Enforcer and the daughter of the powerful Nashville alpha looks like a slam dunk—until Jesse and his wolf fall for Sophia like a ton of bricks.

A Deadly Threat…
No man has ever made Sophia feel the way Jesse does. But if she tells him the truth and turns against her father, Nash will out her as a rogue tiger and give her to the Shifter Council to be put down. So when unexpected danger drives Sophia’s wild side to the surface, Jesse has to tame her tiger and convince her to become the woman he knows she can be—or die trying.

Silverlake Shifters
Smokin’ hot shifter men with hearts of gold; the strong, passionate women who love them; secrets, lies and danger; naughty, steamy love scenes—and happily ever afters.

Content warning: This book contains naughty language and steamy love scenes, and is intended for adults only.

This book was in the box set, SPRING SHIFTERS IN LOVE
Contains explicit hot sex

Sometimes the best things in life are unexpected.

Cheyenne Snow has been given an ultimatum by her pack’s Alpha—who unfortunately is her father. Find a shifter husband in the next four months when he retires, or she’ll be forced to marry the unsavory Chuck Lord. Understanding that the odds of her meeting the deadline are slim, Chey decides to go out with a bang and find a human diversion.

When Dr. Storm Durant comes to Hidden Hills, North Carolina, to take over the practice of a retiring physician, he never excepts to be immediately drawn to the incredibly smart, sensual, and sassy Cheyenne Snow. He can’t even explain the intense attraction, but he willingly participates when she seduces him.

The euphoria is cut dramatically short when Storm finds out that the woman he’s falling for is not only a shifter but is just using him to bide her time until she marries.

Chey knows what she wants, and Storm can give her what she needs, but will it be forever or just a spring fling?

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?—September 7th 2026

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet and share what you have been reading and what you are about to read this 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 everyone. This meme started on J Kaye’s blog and was then hosted by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at The Book Date.

What I am Reading Now

Bryan Murray always knew that he wanted to come home to Sapphire Falls and settle down with Tessa Sheridan. After all, Tessa’s sweet and kind and beautiful and planning to live in Sapphire Falls forever. Best of all, she’s loved him since kindergarten. She’s the perfect forever girl for him. He just didn’t expect it to all happen quite like this. But a not-so-little tumble down a mountain while biking has turned his life upside down and landed him back at home.

A longtime coach to high level athletes, Bryan knows all about facing obstacles head-on and turning challenges into opportunities. So, things aren’t going exactly the way he planned them– at least Tessa is the same girl who’s just been waiting for him to come home.

Tessa has been saving herself for Bryan in every way. She’s even been saving her pennies so she could move to Colorado to train with him for the marathon trophies she’s got her heart set on–a new passion she’s discovered all because of Bryan. But now he’s messed everything up. Not only is he bartending instead of coaching, but he’s decided to go from a hot, sexy playboy type to sweet romantic boyfriend material. And worst of all, he’s doing it all in Sapphire Falls.

What’s a girl gotta do to get away from her hometown and have an adventure or two? Now that marathon training and hot sex against the shower wall are out of the question with Bryan, Tess has to come up with a new plan to make her dreams, and fantasies, come true. All while being romanced by the only man who’s ever had her heart.

What I plan to read Tuesday and Wednesday:

You don’t need a cape to be a hero.

One beautiful trend-spotting consultant.
One hot Seattle multimillionaire looking for his soul mate.
They meet first by accident. But when their matchmaker pairs them up, falling in love is anything but accidental.

Jeremy Marino is the kind of guy who runs towards the sound of gunfire, leaping in to help anyone in trouble. His friends call him the accidental hero. He always seems to be at the right place at the right time to save a life.

Crystal Pruitt is the kind of woman who instinctively jumps in to help people in trouble. Her friends call her the accidental heroine. But a cool-hunter like her can’t afford any publicity.

When they meet working to save a trucker from his burning beer truck, the chemistry between them is off the charts. Until Crystal disappears into the gathering crowd, leaving Jeremy wondering if he’ll ever be able to find her again. Was their attraction real or just the heat of the moment?

MR. ACCIDENTAL HERO is book 1 of the Jet City Matchmaker series. This is a standalone novel.

A Fugitive Mate…
Emma Wilkes is on the run from her ex-boyfriend—with a stolen laptop containing evidence of his crimes. When she meets a hot guy in a truck stop bar, she pretends to be his date, hoping to throw her ex’s hit squad off her trail.

A Desperate Alpha…
Alpha wolf Jace Monroe has only weeks to find a true mate and bond with her, or he’ll lose his pack and his territory. To him, the stranger coming on to him is just a delectably curvy distraction from his troubles. But to his wolf, she’s the one.

One Wild Night
So when Emma steals Jace’s motorcycle and vanishes from his motel room in the middle of the night, Jace vows to track her down and find out who she really is—a conniving con woman, or the mate he’s been waiting for all his life.

But can he find her—and persuade her to trust him—before time runs out for both of them?

Silverlake Shifters
Smokin’ hot shifter men with hearts of gold; the strong, passionate women who love them; secrets, lies and danger; naughty, steamy love scenes—and happily ever afters.

Content warning: This book contains naughty language and steamy love scenes, and is intended for adults only.

Goodreads Monday: Amara’s Daughter (Shudalandia: Book 1) by E.H. Howard

This is a weekly meme in which anyone can choose and highlight a random book from their Goodreads TBR. It was formerly featured on LaurensPageTurners and was taken over by Budget Tales Book Blog.

Goodreads Synopsis:

Carved from ice with blades of fire, the rigidly feminist state of Serenia breeds heroes. Unimaginably perfect, Amara the Magnificent, the legendary Ultimate Warrior is their greatest.

Five years since Amara’s mysterious disappearance, her daughter, Maryan, struggles to escape her mother’s formidable shadow. Shunned by most, her only friends are oddball characters from the edge of society.

The Queen sees Maryan as an asset to the nation, a pawn to play with and a pretty bauble to appease the neighbouring king, but lurking beneath the surface, an ancient terror plots to wipe out Maryan’s bloodline.

Friend, lover, and more, Amara’s Daughter is a turbulent, rite of passage story tracing Maryan’s growth from naive schoolgirl to the woman destiny needs her to be.

WWW Wednesday: September 2nd, 2026

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?

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

Let me know if you have read or plan to read any of these books!!

What I am currently reading:

TJ Bennett knows one thing for certain — being in love isn’t for him. Been there, done that, has the scars to prove it.

But that’s before he meets colorful, sweet, slightly-kooky Hope Daniels.

Hope is only in town temporarily. She simply wants to have a cup of coffee with the father she’s never known. That’s it. She doesn’t need to buy any Father’s Day cards or have a date for any Father-Daughter dances. She just wants to have a conversation with the man who stole her mother’s heart twenty six summers ago in Sapphire Falls.

But when her directions lead her to TJ’s house instead, everything becomes a lot more complicated… and a lot more interesting.

Because there’s nothing like a big gruff introvert to push this extrovert’s let-me-make-it-all-better buttons.

All of TJ’s plans to stay uninvolved and out of her way evaporate quickly and before he knows it, Hope’s got him thinking differently about everything — family, home, heartbreak and maybe, just maybe, the fact that he’s never actually been in love… before now.

What I recently finished reading:

There’s nothing like summertime in Sapphire Falls and Tucker Bennett is looking forward to hosting his best friend’s four young sons for the next three months. This is their first trip to Tuck’s farm since their father’s passing, and he’s fully prepared to step up for the boys. He’s also thrilled by the instant attraction to their aunt Delaney. He’s only ever wanted three things in life—his farm, a wife and kids. He’s already got the farm. Now it looks like Fate has delivered the rest in one complete just-add-dirt-bikes-and-a-new-puppy package.

Delaney Callan is beyond grateful for Tucker’s help while she catches her breath from becoming a sudden surrogate mother to her nephews. And she’s not immune to the sexual tension bouncing between them. But with all her focus on not screwing everything up with her nephews, there’s no time for a relationship, especially with marriage-minded Tucker. Of course, a casual summer fling is something else. After all, it would be a shame to waste a perfectly good barn…

Casual is the last thing Tucker wants. He’s set on taking care of Delaney and the boys, while she’s determined to prove she can go it alone. But she didn’t count on Sapphire Falls, the adorable little town filled with the loving, impossible-to-ignore Bennett family, well-meaning friends and everything four little boys could ever wish for.

What’s Delaney to do when the most impossible-to-ignore Bennett of all shows her the difference between what she needs and what she wants…and he turns out to be both?

If you’re a fan of Booze, bonfires, proposal-inducing pastry and using hay bales as a horizontal surface, this story is for you.

What I plan on reading Thursday through Sunday:

Hailey Conner has been driving Ty Bennett crazy for years. And vice versa.
It’s kind of their thing. But Ty is ready to make their thing into something more. And he’s moved in next door to make it happen.

But is he *really* ready?

Ty loves the confident, sassy, sexy mayor’s Ice Queen act…because he loves making her melt. But he soon finds there’s more underneath all that frostiness. And things are about to come to a full boil…

WARNING: If you’re new to the series, this is *not* the story to start with 🙂 Everyone in the series is mentioned and interact and, well, it’s crazy fun for fans of the series but will be pretty confusing to newcomers. Also, there are spoilers! So, if you want to take a holiday trip to Sapphire Falls for the first time, check out Getting In the Spirit, the first Sapphire Falls Christmas novella! Happy reading!

* * *

It’s just days before Christmas, almost a year since Levi Spencer and Kate Leggot accidentally fell in love in Sapphire Falls, and they want to make it official. Surrounded by friends and family in their adopted hometown, Kate and Levi will marry and celebrate in the town square where they shared their first kiss. It will be absolutely perfect…

Except for the massive snowstorm about to hit town.

Now, thanks to Jack Frost and multiple flight cancellations, Levi and Kate are separated by hundreds of miles. It looks like all the wedding preparations will go to waste.

But Sapphire Falls always looks on the bright side. And they don’t cancel a perfectly good party, even for Jack Frost.

There will be a wedding… the only question is who will be walking down the aisle?

Also book 2.5 in the Love Between Bases series

A fun and flirty crossover novel from bestselling authors, Jennifer Bernard (Love Between the Bases) and Erin Nicholas (Sapphire Falls)!

Caitlyn Murray has never let on that she’s had fantasies about her brother’s friend Eli Anderson for years. She’d do anything for the sexy baseball player who walked away from stardom to stay in Sapphire Falls and take care of his family. But she and Eli are friends. Just friends.

So when her brother hatches a plan to get Eli to the pro baseball try-out for the Kilby Catfish and another chance at his dream, Caitlyn is all in. After all, what’s a little kidnapping among friends?

A spot on the pitcher’s mound for the Catfish isn’t the only tempting thing about the spontaneous road trip. Eli already knows that Caitlyn is as sweet as the candies she makes for the Sapphire Falls bakery, but alone with her overnight in the tiny motel room in Kansas, it’s impossible to resist the urge to take a little taste.

But when that taste leads to falling for the girl next door just as his front door is moving hundreds of miles away, can Eli really have it all? Or do they have too many strikes against them?

Bryan Murray always knew that he wanted to come home to Sapphire Falls and settle down with Tessa Sheridan. After all, Tessa’s sweet and kind and beautiful and planning to live in Sapphire Falls forever. Best of all, she’s loved him since kindergarten. She’s the perfect forever girl for him. He just didn’t expect it to all happen quite like this. But a not-so-little tumble down a mountain while biking has turned his life upside down and landed him back at home.

A longtime coach to high level athletes, Bryan knows all about facing obstacles head-on and turning challenges into opportunities. So, things aren’t going exactly the way he planned them– at least Tessa is the same girl who’s just been waiting for him to come home.

Tessa has been saving herself for Bryan in every way. She’s even been saving her pennies so she could move to Colorado to train with him for the marathon trophies she’s got her heart set on–a new passion she’s discovered all because of Bryan. But now he’s messed everything up. Not only is he bartending instead of coaching, but he’s decided to go from a hot, sexy playboy type to sweet romantic boyfriend material. And worst of all, he’s doing it all in Sapphire Falls.

What’s a girl gotta do to get away from her hometown and have an adventure or two? Now that marathon training and hot sex against the shower wall are out of the question with Bryan, Tess has to come up with a new plan to make her dreams, and fantasies, come true. All while being romanced by the only man who’s ever had her heart.

August 2026 Wrap-Up

Personal Highlights from this month:

  • For the days of July 30th through August 1st
    • Miss R finished the leadership camp. She was invited by the head of the camp to join his Junior Explorers group when she’s 14 (next year). She is very excited to have gotten that invitation!
    • I also confirmed that Miss R will be doing wrestling this school year (not too thrilled about that).
    • Miss R also got thrown off the horse she was riding during her Saturday lesson. She’s fine (some whiplash, a sprained wrist, and a huge bruise on her hip). The horse had gotten stung by a wasp, bucked, and then bolted. She got thrown off when he made a sharp turn. He is also all right (no lasting issues from the sting).
  • For the week of August 2nd through August 8th
    • It is one week until Mr. Z moves into his dorm. We started boxing up stuff that he wasn’t using and will finish packing over the weekend.
    • It was the last week of Miss R doing camp at the barn. She is thankful that she can sleep past 7:30 a.m. lol.
  • For the week of August 9th through August 15th:
    • We moved Mr. Z into his dorm this week. It was uneventful, and he seems to be getting along with his roommate.
    • I did Miss R’s back-to-school shopping (clothes and supplies). We also picked up a few things for Mr. Z (we went back over the weekend to drop off some he forgot).
  • For the week of August 16th through August 22nd:
    • I finally got to try 7 Brew and Guthrie’s Chicken. I loved 7 Brew but was not too fond of Guthrie’s.
    • Mr. Z started classes on the 17th. His first class is also his furthest class (a 5-minute shuttle ride or a 15-minute walk).
    • Miss R has her sneak peek (for school) later on this week. She meets the teachers, gets her schedule, and confirms transportation. We are also talking to the wrestling coach to get a sports physical form.
    • Miss R also got her hair done. She did red chunks with her natural color, brunette. It looks really good.
  • For the week of August 23rd through August 29th
    • School started this week.
    • And since we are on the subject of school, Mr. Z is loving college. He’s acclimated pretty well.
    • Miss R is loving school. The school is doing something different. They are splitting science and social studies into different semesters. Right now, Miss R is in science. Next semester, she will be in social studies. I think it is a good way to get the kids used to that kind of schedule shift for high school.
    • Miss R isn’t loving the bus ride, though. Her route got changed because that driver retired. So, two routes were combined, and they have a new driver. On the first day of school, she was 10 minutes late getting there (they start at 7:20, and the bus got there at 7:30). But it was the ride home that got parents complaining (not me, though). Miss R was dropped off at 3:10ish (her regular time). The rest of the route took almost 1 1/2 hours to drop off because the driver got lost. Thankfully, the assistant principal will be driving with that driver until he gets the hang of the route.

Books I Read:

Monthly Playlist (I use songs featured in the book, if there are any, along with a playlist generated by ChatGPT).

Featured Song of the Month

Goodreads Monday: Final Hours (Love in Time: Book 1) by Cate Dean

This is a weekly meme in which anyone can choose and highlight a random book from their Goodreads TBR. It was formerly featured on LaurensPageTurners and was taken over by Budget Tales Book Blog.

Goodreads Synopsis:

One man’s death will change the future.

Only two people can save him – if they have the courage to trust each other.

Elizabeth Barritt fought hard to put her childhood behind her. Now she has the chance to move forward, to reach out for a new, exciting future. All she has to do is take the first step.

And she does – straight into Jackson Kane’s path. He is a time traveler, on the hunt for a rogue agent.

When Kane is injured protecting Elizabeth from that agent, she makes a decision that will change her life, in ways she can’t even begin to grasp. She takes him home.

Once he is healed enough to travel, Kane goes after the agent, chasing him back to war-torn London. But his journey back takes a sideways turn, forcing Elizabeth to make another choice. She follows him into the past, to help him stop one man from changing their future.

Bookish Travels: August 2026 Destinations

Bookish Travels

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

This post is exactly what it says: the places I travel to in books each month.

Enjoy my travels, and please let me know if you have read these books.

Countries I visited the most: United States, England

States/Provinces I visited the most: Texas, Nebraska

Cities I visited the most: San Antonio, London, Dover, Sapphire Falls

United States

England

Scotland

Hati

France

Romanceopoly 2026—Historical Studies—August

Romanceopoly 2026 Historical Studies yearlong reading challenge with books, open pages, and a game board

Prompts I finished in August

 COURTING CONSERVATORY: Read a historical romance involving a duke, forbidden love, or hidden letters