Tag: meme

Goodreads Monday: Better Than Revenge by Taylor Henderson

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:

Ever since Violet Forrester first moved next door to Brianna, she has been tortured relentlessly…

It seems like Brianna has everything, and yet she still doesn’t have the one thing she really wants; the one thing that Violet cares about the most—Blake Edwards.

After years of letting Brianna walk all over her, Violet’s finally had enough. She’s tired of sitting back and watching Brianna flirt with her boyfriend, steal her friends, and push her around. She’s finally ready to stand up for herself.

To do this, Violet and her new friend, Lena, devise a plan to make Brianna realize that not everything is hers for the taking, and Violet knows the perfect way to do it…

After all, nothing is better than revenge.

That is, until someone gets hurt.

Buzzword Reading Challenge 2026—July

Title that Contains Instructions: NOVEMBER BUZZWORD THEME (titles that give a directive to the reader. Examples: “Eat this,” “Do that,” “Close Your Eyes,” “Eat My Shorts.”)

Romanceopoly 2026—Romantic Arts—July

Pinehill House: Read a second-chance romance or small-town romance

Small-town and second-chance romance

WWW Wednesday: July 22nd, 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:

Blind since birth, Corrie Madison relies on her other sharpened senses in her job as a chiropractor. Never did she imagine she’d have to depend on them to identify a killer. But when a man enters her practice, murdering everyone in his path, Corrie is the only witness—putting her directly in the killer’s crosshairs.

Officer Quint Axton wasn’t looking for love, or even a relationship, until he meets Corrie. Beautiful and brave, resilient and intelligent, she’s everything Quint wants—if he can keep her alive long enough to explore their mutual attraction. The threats on Corrie’s life are escalating. Surely a blind person is helpless against a ruthless killer?

Hardly. Corrie is about to prove that disabled does not equal defenseless.

What I recently finished reading:

For Cruz Livingston, becoming an FBI agent is a lifelong dream, guarding the streets of San Antonio, a calling. His latest assignment—infiltrating the Red Brothers Motorcycle Club—will help stem the flow of illegal drugs brought into the city by the violent gang. He expects the job to be dangerous. He doesn’t expect to meet the woman of his dreams while undercover.

Mickie Kaiser is refreshingly sweet, but her sister is intimately involved with the RBMC’s president. Cruz can’t afford to come clean about his double life without putting his operation in danger, but as violence creeps ever closer to Mickie, his priority becomes crystal clear. Cruz will do anything to keep Mickie alive…even if it means losing her love.

What I plan on reading Thursday through Sunday:

Reluctantly taking her best friend’s place at a photo shoot, realtor Laine Parker expects to assist the photographer for the day…not drool over the volunteer model, Westin King. The Texas Ranger and real-life cowboy is hot-on-hot sexy, from the tips of his boots to the top of his Stetson. Despite her visceral reaction to the man, the last thing Laine expects is a whirlwind romance–but that’s exactly what she gets.

Wes has been around the block enough to know what he wants, and he wants Laine. He wastes no time showing her how he feels…but he may never get the chance to tell her. Laine has disappeared, and it will take every connection Wes has–and a little help from a mangy stray–to get her back in his arms.

Elizabeth Parkins lived through a nightmare come true—getting kidnapped by a serial killer. Seeking a fresh start, she moves to Texas, but escaping her demons proves impossible when she’s too terrified to leave her own apartment. A small, accidental fire sparks a coping method she’d never expected, and brings an amazing man to her door.

Firefighter Cade “Sledge” Turner’s idyllic life ended the day his sister was kidnapped. Now he knows firsthand that tragedy can befall anyone, at any time. Meeting Elizabeth on the job was a gift. Cade can envision spending his life with this woman. He understands what she’s been through, is willing to help her heal…though even Cade is unaware of Beth’s new secret obsession.

As Beth takes steps to help herself heal, and Cade attempts to earn her trust and prove his own, they’re both about to be tested—in a way that could see everything they’ve worked for go up in flames.

Sheriff’s Deputy Hayden Yates has worked hard to gain the respect and admiration of her fellow law enforcement officers. She’s succeeded so well, in fact, that she’s become just one of the guys. As her friends slowly begin to meet their soul mates, Hayden longs to be seen as a desirable woman, and not the tomboy she’s always been.

No slouch when it comes to attracting the opposite sex, cowboy Boone Hatcher might want to give it a rest for a while, especially after his last girlfriend accuses him of domestic abuse. Deputy Yates sees right through his ex’s ruse—and Boone sees right through Deputy Yates. Hayden might seem all business, but her need for justice comes from a heart that beats with pure passion.

A few dates turn into something more, and as the couple’s relationship deepens, so do the threats from his ex. It’s up to Hayden to convince Boone the danger is real…before jealous antics escalate to deadly obsession.

She’s always acknowledged her special needs, but she never thought they would include him.

Saddled with a job she hates and a detestable boss she likes even less, Adeline Reynolds could use a break. It doesn’t look like she’ll get one today. Her service dog, Coco, is alerting her she’s about to have an epileptic seizure—and her frustrated blind date has left her to deal on her own. Enter firefighter Dean Christopherson, who escorts her to the nearby fire station, where she can suffer through her ordeal safe from injury and prying eyes.

Dean—known as “Crash” to his friends—didn’t expect to find The One in a diner during his lunch break, but he’s blindsided by the beautiful, brave Adeline. She brings out his every protective instinct—along with the carnal ones. As they get to know each other, Dean’s feelings for Adeline grow fast, as does his irritation with her boss, whose behavior is suspicious at best.As much as he wants to protect Adeline from the world, Crash has to tread carefully. His overprotectiveness could push her away…and leave her vulnerable to a man whose obsession has reached the boiling point.

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?—July 20th, 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

Her life’s in New York. The property she’s inherited is in Bridgewater, Montana. Going back to the town she visited every summer as a child stirs up long forgotten memories and a girlhood crush, on not one teen-turned-hot-cowboy, but two. Jack and Sam. Fortunately for her, in Bridgewater, one cowboy’s never enough.

What I plan to read Monday and Tuesday:

A member of the famed Texas Rangers, Daxton Chambers has dealt with more than his share of depravity. But the Lone Star Reaper takes evil to a whole new level, kidnapping and burying women alive. It’s Dax’s job to help keep San Antonio safe, but even with help from friends in various law enforcement agencies, the killer remains two steps ahead. It’s hardly the ideal time for a relationship, but Mackenzie Morgan is too luscious to resist. Dax wants her–which makes her an instant target for his newfound enemy.

When the Reaper gets personal, it will take every ounce of Daxton’s considerable skill and training to keep Mack alive.

**Justice for Mackenzie is the 1st book in the Badge of Honor: Texas Heroes Series. Each book is a stand-alone, with no cliffhanger endings.

For Cruz Livingston, becoming an FBI agent is a lifelong dream, guarding the streets of San Antonio, a calling. His latest assignment—infiltrating the Red Brothers Motorcycle Club—will help stem the flow of illegal drugs brought into the city by the violent gang. He expects the job to be dangerous. He doesn’t expect to meet the woman of his dreams while undercover.

Mickie Kaiser is refreshingly sweet, but her sister is intimately involved with the RBMC’s president. Cruz can’t afford to come clean about his double life without putting his operation in danger, but as violence creeps ever closer to Mickie, his priority becomes crystal clear. Cruz will do anything to keep Mickie alive…even if it means losing her love.

** Justice for Mickie is the 2nd book in the Badge of Honor: Texas Heroes series. Each book is a stand-alone, with no cliffhanger endings.

Goodreads Monday: Blood Hunter (Deathless Night: Book 1) by L.E. Wilson

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:

It’s been seven years since Nikulas’ brother walked out the door of his Seattle apartment and never came back. All he knew was that the he was on his way to meet with the leader of a neighboring vampire colony who’d been causing trouble, and neither of them have been seen since. Now, with the first lead he’s had in years, Nikulas discovers that a witch went missing around the same time. Coincidence? No way. And even better, she has a sister. And that sister is hot. Nikulas knows as soon as he sets eyes on Emma’s strawberry-blonde head that he should stay away from her…the moment he tastes her blood, he knows he won’t be able to. Because Emma is HIS.

Seven years after Emma witnessed her sister’s kidnapping, there’s still no sign of what happened to her. She, herself, spent three months in the hospital after the “bear” attack, and still has the scars to prove it. Now, as day after day passes with no news of her sister, she has to fight against the loss of hope…until she gets a phone call from a seductive stranger who claims to have new information. He seems harmless with his teasing manner and Hollywood pretty-boy looks, but she can sense a predatory air of danger about him. Instead of warning her away, however, she finds herself irresistibly drawn to him, and agrees to go with him on a rescue mission to find their missing siblings.

Although Nikulas aches to keep Emma with him always, a ghost from the past won’t let him. And he soon finds out that she her own demons to fight. Determined to resist the Blood Hunger, Nikulas decides that she deserves more than spending her life with a vampire, even if it means losing his own in the process. However, Emma is just as determined to prove to him that they can fight their ghosts…together.

WWW Wednesday: July 15th, 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:

A body frozen in the snow. A town desperate to hide the truth…

Walking out of a cozy café, reporter Emma Frost staggers to the ground when a dying man collapses into her arms. She tries to warm his frost-bitten skin, to stop the shivers racking through his frozen body, but moments later he falls still. No pulse in his pale blue throat.

When the autopsy reveals that it was not a typical case of hypothermia, Emma is certain this is the work of a twisted individual and begins tracking him down. But her world comes crashing down when she goes to kiss her son goodnight and finds him trembling beneath the sheets, his skin like ice.

Has this ruthless killer targeted Emma’s own son? And how is he making his victims sick to death?

As doctors work through the night to save her little boy, Emma drags herself from his bedside to attend to the body of a little girl found lying next to a man in a black uniform, frozen in the snow. She can’t let any more innocent lives be taken. Butis she already out of time to reveal the deadly truth?

A pulse-pounding, heart-racing mystery that will have your jaw dropping at the gripping twists. Fans of Lisa Regan, Kendra Elliot and Mary Stone will be glued to the pages.

What I recently finished reading:

Emma Frost is chasing a killer that seems to bend the laws of physics.

Things are going well for Emma Frost for once. She has a sweet boyfriend and has just finished a new book. Her daughter, Maya, is doing well in high school and even Victor is thriving and playing with his new best friend, the strange girl who fell from the sky.

But soon, a murder shocks the island of Fanoe, when a woman is found dead in her bed with no obvious signs of having been killed. But as they find out she died by drowning, and more deaths like it begin to occur around the peaceful island, Emma once again finds herself following signs that lead to her own front door while chasing a killer quite out of the ordinary.

Soon, Emma has to ask herself the question: What exactly is going on in her island home and especially underneath it?

As the investigation moves on and terrifying answers begin to emerge, Willow Rose’s compelling story evolves rapidly, resulting in a novel with almost agonizing suspense.

Drip Drop Dead is the 12th book in the Emma Frost series, a set of heart-stopping mysteries with a dash of thrilling horror. If you like small-town mysteries, eerie tales, and a touch of humor, then you’ll love Willow Rose’s creepy whodunnit. No one is more addictive than Willow Rose.

What I plan on reading Thursday through Sunday:

Jordan Amador. 21. New Yorker. Waitress. Mild alcoholic. Murderer.

Two years ago, Jordan accidentally shot and killed a Seer: a person who can see, hear, and talk to ghosts with unfinished business. Her crime came with a hefty price, too. She has two years to help a hundred souls cross over to the afterlife or her soul is bound for hell. Tough break.

As if that weren’t bad enough, two days before her deadline a handsome pain-in-the-ass poltergeist named Michael strolls into her life. His soul is the key to her salvation, but the cost just might be more than she can handle. Solving his death puts her right in the crosshairs of Belial: a vain, bloodthirsty archdemon who won’t rest until she’s his slave. Can she rescue Michael and save her own soul, or will they both be dragged down into the clutches of the eternal black parade?

Linnea May brings you the riveting tale of a dark billionaire, an ethereal beauty – and their twisted game of seduction.

She is paid to lie and seduce – but I don’t want her insincere moans and fake smiles.
My investment in the elusive Velvet Rooms holds a promise for more.

And I always get what I want. Always.

No man ever made her scream and beg for release. A release that remained unattainable for her.
She claims I’m asking for the impossible. I will prove her wrong.
Because I know it’s not her body that needs to be conquered – it’s her mind.

But our relationship rests on unsound footing, a contract and nothing more.
And when my actions turn reckless, the vulnerable agreement may be our undoing…

Her life’s in New York. The property she’s inherited is in Bridgewater, Montana. Going back to the town she visited every summer as a child stirs up long forgotten memories and a girlhood crush, on not one teen-turned-hot-cowboy, but two. Jack and Sam. Fortunately for her, in Bridgewater, one cowboy’s never enough.

A member of the famed Texas Rangers, Daxton Chambers has dealt with more than his share of depravity. But the Lone Star Reaper takes evil to a whole new level, kidnapping and burying women alive. It’s Dax’s job to help keep San Antonio safe, but even with help from friends in various law enforcement agencies, the killer remains two steps ahead. It’s hardly the ideal time for a relationship, but Mackenzie Morgan is too luscious to resist. Dax wants her–which makes her an instant target for his newfound enemy.

When the Reaper gets personal, it will take every ounce of Daxton’s considerable skill and training to keep Mack alive.

**Justice for Mackenzie is the 1st book in the Badge of Honor: Texas Heroes Series. Each book is a stand-alone, with no cliffhanger endings.

It’s Monday? What Are You Reading?—July 13th, 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

From the author of DON’T LIE TO ME comes a riveting small town mystery, that will leave you guessing to the breathtaking plot is revealed!

When a young boy’s body is found drained of all its blood, Emma Frost will stop at nothing to keep her children from suffering the same fate. At the same time, a mysterious young girl seems to bring out powerful abilities in Emma’s special needs son. As she combs her small Danish island for clues about both mysteries, she realizes the killer and the strange girl are somehow connected…

Before the killer strikes again, Emma must risk it all to uncover the frightening truth about what lies beneath her isolated island home…

If you like small-town mysteries and a touch of humor, then you’ll love Willow Rose’s creepy whodunnit.

Buy Waltzing Matilda to travel to a cold, sinister island today!

What I plan to read Monday and Tuesday:

Emma Frost is chasing a killer that seems to bend the laws of physics.

Things are going well for Emma Frost for once. She has a sweet boyfriend and has just finished a new book. Her daughter, Maya, is doing well in high school and even Victor is thriving and playing with his new best friend, the strange girl who fell from the sky.

But soon, a murder shocks the island of Fanoe, when a woman is found dead in her bed with no obvious signs of having been killed. But as they find out she died by drowning, and more deaths like it begin to occur around the peaceful island, Emma once again finds herself following signs that lead to her own front door while chasing a killer quite out of the ordinary.

Soon, Emma has to ask herself the question: What exactly is going on in her island home and especially underneath it?

As the investigation moves on and terrifying answers begin to emerge, Willow Rose’s compelling story evolves rapidly, resulting in a novel with almost agonizing suspense.

Drip Drop Dead is the 12th book in the Emma Frost series, a set of heart-stopping mysteries with a dash of thrilling horror. If you like small-town mysteries, eerie tales, and a touch of humor, then you’ll love Willow Rose’s creepy whodunnit. No one is more addictive than Willow Rose.

A body frozen in the snow. A town desperate to hide the truth…

Walking out of a cozy café, reporter Emma Frost staggers to the ground when a dying man collapses into her arms. She tries to warm his frost-bitten skin, to stop the shivers racking through his frozen body, but moments later he falls still. No pulse in his pale blue throat.

When the autopsy reveals that it was not a typical case of hypothermia, Emma is certain this is the work of a twisted individual and begins tracking him down. But her world comes crashing down when she goes to kiss her son goodnight and finds him trembling beneath the sheets, his skin like ice.

Has this ruthless killer targeted Emma’s own son? And how is he making his victims sick to death?

As doctors work through the night to save her little boy, Emma drags herself from his bedside to attend to the body of a little girl found lying next to a man in a black uniform, frozen in the snow. She can’t let any more innocent lives be taken. Butis she already out of time to reveal the deadly truth?

A pulse-pounding, heart-racing mystery that will have your jaw dropping at the gripping twists. Fans of Lisa Regan, Kendra Elliot and Mary Stone will be glued to the pages.

Goodreads Monday: Bloodless Assassin (The Viper and the Urchin: Book 1) by Celine Jeanjean

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:

An assassin with a fear of blood.
A street girl with a big mouth.
They can’t really be the city’s only hope?

When Rory discovers Longinus’s blood phobia, she makes him a deal. Train her, and she won’t ruin his reputation as a lethal assassin.

What she doesn’t expect is that her new master has more eccentricities than a stray dog has fleas.

And that in aligning herself with him, she now finds herself in the crosshairs of another, far more dangerous assassin.

Now, not only does Rory have to keep herself and Longinus alive, she has to stop a conspiracy that threatens to bring the city to its knees.

An impossible task?

It’s even harder with Longinus under the delusion that he’s the hero of the story. That would be funny, if it didn’t make Rory want to throttle him.

WWW Wednesday: July 8th, 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!!

Sorry this is late. I have been busy with real-life stuff and wasn’t able to schedule the post to publish yesterday. Between camps, college prep (my son moves into his dorm the 2nd week in August), and real-life appointments, it has been insane!!

What I am currently reading:

What is the worst that can happen?

Maria and Jonas Boegh asked themselves that very question when deciding to sign the papers for their new house. It might be expensive. They might be in over their heads a little financially, but they were never happier than on the day they moved in. Everything was perfect. It was the house of their dreams. They had their entire life ahead of them.

They were untouchable.

When the couple’s bodies are found the very next morning by their next-door neighbor, Emma Frost, a series of strange things start to happen on the small Danish island. More people are killed, and soon, Emma is chasing a serial killer about whom she only knows one thing. He’s obsessed with the old classic movie, The Wizard of Oz.

What I recently finished reading:

Easy as One Two Three is a spine-chilling Scandinavian mystery not for the faint of heart. It is the seventh in Willow Rose’s popular Emma Frost-series.Mads and Signe are very young when they get married. They are ready to take on the world starting with their honeymoon to Egypt. Two years later, Mads is in a coma and Signe has vanished from the face of the earth.

Meanwhile, Emma Frost is looking for her daughter whom the police believe is guilty of the hit and run that left Mads Schou brain dead. But was it really an accident, or is there more to the story than they first thought? Emma believes so, but can’t convince the police. To help her, Emma receives help from a couple many of Willow Rose’s readers will recognize.

What I plan on reading Thursday through Sunday:

Inspired by a true story!

“All beauty must die…”

With her blankly staring eyes seeming to gaze into the sky, he put a red rose between her teeth and then gently pushed her into the water.

She silently sank into the slow, flowing river. She was called the Wild Rose.

Emma Frost is on a relaxing and romantic vacation in the small town of Enniskerry in Ireland with her boyfriend, Morten, when they find a dead woman in the river.

The small town of Enniskerry is shocked by this murder, but also by the secrets it threatens to expose.

When another woman is found dead in the river with a rose between her teeth – Emma is plunged into a frantic chase for this serial killer, while she and Morten attempt to solve the mysterious riddles of this town’s painful past.

The Wild Rose is an old Irish tale of a man courting a woman and killing her while they are out together. No one ever found her body, and as the years passed, her real name could not be remembered, so she was called The Wild Rose. It is what inspired the song by Nick Cave and now also a serial killer in Enniskerry, Ireland.

Where the Wild Roses Grow is a pulse-racing mystery laced with nail-biting tension impossible to put down!

If you like a story with nerve-wracking suspense, and twists you won’t see coming, then you’ll love the Queen of Plot Twists, Willow Rose’s, breathtaking novel.

From the author of DON’T LIE TO ME comes a riveting small town mystery, that will leave you guessing to the breathtaking plot is revealed!

When a young boy’s body is found drained of all its blood, Emma Frost will stop at nothing to keep her children from suffering the same fate. At the same time, a mysterious young girl seems to bring out powerful abilities in Emma’s special needs son. As she combs her small Danish island for clues about both mysteries, she realizes the killer and the strange girl are somehow connected…

Before the killer strikes again, Emma must risk it all to uncover the frightening truth about what lies beneath her isolated island home…

If you like small-town mysteries and a touch of humor, then you’ll love Willow Rose’s creepy whodunnit.

Emma Frost is chasing a killer that seems to bend the laws of physics.

Things are going well for Emma Frost for once. She has a sweet boyfriend and has just finished a new book. Her daughter, Maya, is doing well in high school and even Victor is thriving and playing with his new best friend, the strange girl who fell from the sky.

But soon, a murder shocks the island of Fanoe, when a woman is found dead in her bed with no obvious signs of having been killed. But as they find out she died by drowning, and more deaths like it begin to occur around the peaceful island, Emma once again finds herself following signs that lead to her own front door while chasing a killer quite out of the ordinary.

Soon, Emma has to ask herself the question: What exactly is going on in her island home and especially underneath it?

As the investigation moves on and terrifying answers begin to emerge, Willow Rose’s compelling story evolves rapidly, resulting in a novel with almost agonizing suspense.

Drip Drop Dead is the 12th book in the Emma Frost series, a set of heart-stopping mysteries with a dash of thrilling horror. If you like small-town mysteries, eerie tales, and a touch of humor, then you’ll love Willow Rose’s creepy whodunnit. No one is more addictive than Willow Rose.

A body frozen in the snow. A town desperate to hide the truth…

Walking out of a cozy café, reporter Emma Frost staggers to the ground when a dying man collapses into her arms. She tries to warm his frost-bitten skin, to stop the shivers racking through his frozen body, but moments later he falls still. No pulse in his pale blue throat.

When the autopsy reveals that it was not a typical case of hypothermia, Emma is certain this is the work of a twisted individual and begins tracking him down. But her world comes crashing down when she goes to kiss her son goodnight and finds him trembling beneath the sheets, his skin like ice.

Has this ruthless killer targeted Emma’s own son? And how is he making his victims sick to death?

As doctors work through the night to save her little boy, Emma drags herself from his bedside to attend to the body of a little girl found lying next to a man in a black uniform, frozen in the snow. She can’t let any more innocent lives be taken. Butis she already out of time to reveal the deadly truth?

A pulse-pounding, heart-racing mystery that will have your jaw dropping at the gripping twists. Fans of Lisa Regan, Kendra Elliot and Mary Stone will be glued to the pages.