Tag: Poison and Honey

Beat the Backlist 2025—July

Prompts I finished in July

Less than 100 pages (keeping it short and sweet)

book is 80 pages

Way back in 2020—so many books got missed that year so let’s show some of those 2020 releases love

First published April 23, 2020

Sweet Treats—The story, cover, or title reminds you of something sweet or gives you those good feelings of a sugar high.

The first half of the title has honey in it, and honey is sweet (I know I am stretching here, so humor me…lol)

Language has power—stories about language, words, the power of such things, you get the idea

Journals, written by the twin sister of the main female character, contain information that blows the world of the main female character and the main male character apart.

Title starts with “v”—not “u” or “w”, the first word should start with “v”

July 2025 Wrap-Up

Personal Highlights from this month:

  • Besides the awful heatwaves that the Southeast (where I live) experienced during July, nothing exciting happened.

Reading Highlights from this month:

  • I finished the Jessica Brodie Diaries trilogy (Hanging On and A Wild Ride). I wasn’t a huge fan of the books. Texans were portrayed as backward and violent (there were fights every other chapter in each book). Jessica and her friends were super immature, and I also wondered, at various points during the series, if Jessica should stop drinking. She got into some pretty awful situations while drunk. So, no, I will not be rereading this series.
  • I finished the Harris Brothers series. I absolutely loved this series. I also learned more about soccer than I ever wanted to know.
  • I read Book 1 (Irresistibly Lost) and Book 3 (Irresistibly Charming). I liked the books and will be waiting for the rest of the series to go on KU.
  • I read and finished the Wicked Kingdom series. I enjoyed reading it until the last book, which ended on a cliffhanger. There was no follow-up book or even a resolution to the many plot points. I was left wondering about the twins, Ever, Dare, the prophecy, and why Mab did what she did.
  • I read and finished Our Last Wild Days. I really enjoyed reading this book.
  • I read and finished the Heartthrob Hotel series. These were books that didn’t require much mental effort to read. They were nice, fluff books that had some pretty hot sex scenes (the anal play, though, nope).
  • I read the first book of the Wicked series (Good Girl). I was intrigued by the storyline, but I was a little disappointed by the ending. I was intrigued because there was just so much going on in this book. I was disappointed because there was a cliffhanger. Since the rest of the series isn’t available on KU, I’ll have to wait until it becomes available there (or more books become free).
  • I read and finished the Army Wives series. It was a good series with some seriously hot sex scenes.
  • I read the first book in the Diamond Creek, Alaska series (When Love Comes). It was a sweet but predictable romance. I loved that it was set in Alaska. I plan on reading the rest of the series when it becomes available on KU.
  • I read the Island Escapes series. These were short books (under 150 pages). But short doesn’t necessarily mean bad. All three books delivered on sex scenes, and they all had somewhat engaging plotlines.
  • I read the first two books in the Forbidden Desires series (Dirty Little Tease and Dirty Little Secret). This series might not be for everyone (graphic sex scenes, sex work, and BDSM mix together). I plan on reading the rest of the series once it becomes available on KU.
  • I finished the HighTower Fairy Tales: The Little Mermaid series with Depths. I had reviewed the 2nd and 3rd book but never got around to reading the first one (I actually read this series in reverse). This was a very different take on The Little Mermaid, and to be honest, one of my favorite retellings of it.
  • I read the first book in the Dark and Otherworldly series (Poison and Honey). It was interesting, but the series is one of the rare ones that I wouldn’t run out to finish. I just couldn’t connect with the characters or the storyline.
  • I read and finished the Regret duology. I absolutely loved them!!! There was a romance that was woven around so many things that I can’t even begin to describe them. I highly recommend this duology, but if you are easily triggered, it might not be for you.
  • I read three books from the Southern Ghost Hunters series (Southern Spirits, A Ghostly Gift, and The Ghost of Christmas Past). There were ghosts, romance, and mystery abound in all three books, and I enjoyed reading them. I will wait for the rest of the series to either become available on KU or become free before I pick them up.
  • I finished Love Notes and was a little disappointed by it. Don’t get me wrong, it was a sweet romance. However, it was somewhat predictable and a bit boring. Plus, I thought Sophia was a little too conservative (her reaction to the bikini made me roll my eyes) and Drew was way too wild (all those girls coming out of the woodwork to confront/warn Sophia….please. No man is that popular with the ladies).
  • I read the first book in the Book of the Huntress trilogy (Daughter of Dust). It was an interesting take on a post-apocalyptic world. The twist at the end took me by surprise. I will be waiting for the rest of the trilogy to be on KU.
  • I read the first book in the Mate of the Kilgari series (Rescued by the Alien Pirate). It was a fun read with a lot of sex scenes. I will be waiting for the rest of the series to be on KU.
  • I read two books from the Black Mesa Wolves series (Guardian Wolf and Hunter’s Moon). Hunter’s Moon is also the first book in the Silvertip Shifters series. These were quick reads. They were also very light on the plot, but tons of sex. I look forward to reading the rest of the series when it becomes available on KU.
  • I read the first book in The Cracked Slipper trilogy (The Cracked Slipper). This was a very dark retelling of Cinderella, and oh boy, did I enjoy it!! I will be keeping my eye out to see if the rest of the series ends up on KU.
  • I read two books from The Evelyn Maynard Trilogy (Variant Lost and Frayed Bond). This is a New Adult reverse harem series that delivers. I was a little grouchy by the cliffhanger, but oh well. I’m not sure if the rest of the books will be available on Kindle (Amazon currently only shows hardcovers), but I will definitely read them once they are back in stock. I am curious about Evelyn’s past and what her mother was fleeing from.
  • I finished the first book in the Bliss Brothers series (Crush on You), and you know what, I really didn’t like it. It was a revenge, enemies-to-lovers romance, but it was all one-sided. The main female character hated the main male character for not noticing her in high school and an imagined slight. So, she decides to go destroy his business. That left a bad taste in my mouth. But I am curious about the other books and will read them if they show up on KU.
  • I started the Saddle Spring Romance series and read two books (The Cowboy’s Christmas Reunion and The Cowboy’s Mixed-Up Matchmaker). I plan on finishing the rest of the series in August. The two books that I read were adorable, but a little heavy on the religion angle (Christian). That didn’t bother me, but it might bother some people who dislike that kind of thing. Oh, and also, these two books were clean romances with just kissing.

Books I Read:

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

The Brides Pink Shoes by Jennifer Faye (from BookBub)

Two Cold Killers by K.J. Kalis (from BookBub)

The Brick Wall by Stephanie Julian (from BookBub)

A Bad Eclair Day by Susan Kiernan-Lewis (from BookBub)

An Inconvenient Corpse by Blythe Baker (from BookBub)

The Good Knight by Sarah Woodbury (from BookBub)

Chained Hands by T.L. Smith (adding the entire series to my TBR)

Holly Jolly Rebel by Kate Meader (adding the whole series to my TBR)

Find Me by Margaret Watson (from BookBub)

You Really Got Me by Erika Kelly (from BookBub)

Luca by Brenda Rothert (from BookBub)