Bonus—Full Moon Adventure (read an adventure romance book)
Bonus—Spring Fling Pride (Spring Holidate)—Read a romance featuring LGBTQ+ characters or a book written by an LGBTQ+ author, celebrating love in spring
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):
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:
What happened in Vegas? Definitely didn’t stay in Vegas.
Gabe’s the oldest. Brody’s the bad boy. Clark’s the strong, silent warrior. Amanda’s the girl. And Easton—well, Easton’s the panty melter.
I’m Kane.
Don’t get me wrong. It’s not a bad job. But usually, I’m not the one people are talking about.
That’s about to change. Because the woman I had a smoking hot one-night stand with in Vegas? The one I should have stayed far, far away from, since women like her are my kryptonite?
She’s the same woman my brother just hired to redesign his fancy new glamping RVs.
I haven’t seen her since Vegas, but the instant I lay eyes on her, I can tell my quiet role as the boy-next-door brother is about to change.
She’s pregnant.
And it’s mine.
A steamy, small-town, accidental pregnancy, one-night-to-forever standalone romantic comedy by the USA Today bestselling author of Sleepover.
What I recently finished reading:
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.
What I plan on reading Thursday through Sunday:
The secrets of the past are always closer than we think…
Stained glass artist Callie Davis is in desperate need of a vacation. Burnt out and on the edge of a nervous breakdown, she’s fleeing the pressures of her career and is taking refuge on Massachusetts’ tiny Carter Island. Callie yearns for long, lazy days and pretty walks on the beach—blessed solitude and an escape from the complications of her life. Then she bumps into gorgeous Nate Carter and everything changes.
Sheriff Nathan Carter couldn’t be happier now that the height of the summer season has finally come and gone. After four endless months, tourists have packed their bags and headed for the mainland. The quiet days of autumn are about to befall the town—the way Nate and his fellow Sandersonians like it best.
But nothing ends up quite the way Nate expects when he meets the beautiful blonde with the big blue eyes. Callie’s pretty smiles hide secrets—deep, dark mysteries that could cost them both their lives if they continue digging into the past and cross a killer’s path.
*A contemporary romance with twists of mystery and suspense
K. Ancrum’s The Legend of the Golden Raven novella, part fairy tale and part gritty reality, follows a boy as he descends into madness.
August and Jack weren’t meant to be friends. One is a misfit with a pyro streak and the other a golden boy on the rugby team. But as their relationship intensifies, Jack slowly begins to lose his mind—taking readers on an intimate journey into the fantasy kingdom creeping into the edges of his world.
As the novella moves back and forth between a medieval legend and our own, contemporary world, nothing is as it seems. The boys alienate everyone around them as they struggle with their sanity and as Jack’s quest to fulfill a dark prophecy begins to consume them both . . .
Devour this companion novella to The Wicker King.
An ImprintBook
A defiantly joyful adventure set in California’s San Gabriel Valley, with cursed violins, Faustian bargains, and queer alien courtship over fresh-made donuts.
Shizuka Satomi made a deal with the to escape damnation, she must entice seven other violin prodigies to trade their souls for success. She has already delivered six. When Katrina Nguyen, a young transgender runaway, catches Shizuka’s ear with her wild talent, Shizuka can almost feel the curse lifting. She’s found her final candidate. But in a donut shop off a bustling highway in the San Gabriel Valley, Shizuka meets Lan Tran, retired starship captain, interstellar refugee, and mother of four. Shizuka doesn’t have time for crushes or coffee dates, what with her very soul on the line, but Lan’s kind smile and eyes like stars might just redefine a soul’s worth. And maybe something as small as a warm donut is powerful enough to break a curse as vast as the California coastline. As the lives of these three women become entangled by chance and fate, a story of magic, identity, curses, and hope begins, and a family worth crossing the universe for is found.
Ella is transgender. She’s known since she was young; being a woman just fit better. She was happier in skirts than trousers, but that was before her stepmother moved in. Eleanor can’t stand her, and after Ella’s father passes she’s forced to revert to Cole, a lump of a son. She cooks, she cleans, and she tolerates being called the wrong name for the sake of a roof over her head. Where else can she go?
An opportunity to attend the royal ball transforms Ella’s life. For the first time, strangers see a woman when she walks down the stairs. While Princess Lizabetta invited Cole to the ball, she doesn’t blink an eye when Cinderella is the one who shows. The princess is elegant, bold, and everything Ella never knew she wanted. For a moment she glimpses a world that can accept her, and she holds on tight.
She should have known it wouldn’t last. Dumped by her wicked stepmother on the farthest edge of the kingdom, Ella must find a way to let go of the princess and the beautiful life they shared for an hour. She’ll never find her way back. But it’s hard to forget the greatest night of her life when every rose she plants is a reminder.
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.
A brand-new contemporary romance from the USA Today bestselling author of Head Over Heels.
The girl next door is the one that got away. He just doesn’t know it yet. . . .
Sawyer: After my wife died, I promised myself I’d never go through the pain of losing someone again. Now I keep my flings neat, tidy, and one-time-only. Besides, my son needs me more than ever. He’s miserable in our new town, so I’m pumped when he makes friends with the kid next door—until I recognize his mom from a one-night stand. Perky and upbeat, Elle Dunning is not my type for anything other than tearing up the sheets. So why do I keep letting myself get roped into game nights and get-togethers?
Elle: It so hasn’t been my year. That’s my first thought when I see my new next-door neighbor. I never would have hooked up with Sawyer Paulson if my husband hadn’t left me for his high-school sweetheart, but because our eight-year-old boys have become best friends, I’ve got to make nice with Mr. Tall, Dark, and Silent. Yet the more time we spend together, the more Sawyer opens up. We’ve both been hurt—badly. So it’s one thing to send the kids off to sleepaway camp together. It’s quite another to promise each other a lifetime of sleepovers. . . .
My review:
Elle is fresh from a divorce that she didn’t see coming. Still reeling and hurt, she decides that the best thing for her to do is to go to a bar and forget her problems. And oh boy, did she. She met Mr. Tall, Dark, and Silent at the bar. Before she knew it, they were having sex up against the outside of the bar. The best sex she has ever had. Mr. Tall, Dark, and Silent leaves right afterward. Fast forward a few months. Elle has gotten new neighbors. Elle is surprised to see that her new neighbor is Mr. Tall, Dark, and Silent and his 8-year-old son.
Sawyer is still grieving the death of his wife from cancer. Selling the business and the house that they built together, he moves into a rental to start over fresh. He has never forgotten the blonde that he picked up at the bar a few months back. The blonde that had sadness in her eyes. The blonde that gave him the best one-night stand he ever had. Sawyer is surprised to see the blonde from that night is his next door neighbor. Even more surprising is that she has an 8-year-old son that immediately bonds with his son. He is surprised that he wants Elle as much as he did that night in the bar. He soon finds out that Elle wants him as bad. But, they are both hesitant. A chance encounter with Elle’s ex-husband draws Elle and Sawyer together. They make a pact. No sex until the wedding. Can they both hold out for the wedding? And is there hope for a lasting relationship.
I am going to start this review talking about sex. Or the lack of it. Sleepover did something very rare for a contemporary romance novel. The author had the main characters (Sawyer and Elle) from having actual sex until almost the end of the book. Well, besides the hookup which happened several months earlier. Instead, they kissed, sexted or had oral sex. There was so much build up that when they actually had sex, it was amazing. Put it this way, I needed a fan and a cold shower when the book was over.
But, what I liked the most, is that the author had Sawyer and Elle build up a friendship. They might have started off as sex but they became friends. I loved seeing them bond over the boys and their different hurts. Loved it!!
The main plotline was Elle and Sawyer’s relationship. Even though the book was told in 1st person, I couldn’t tell what Sawyer felt for Elle for the longest time. I don’t even think he knew what he felt until Brooks pointed out the obvious. I knew everything that Elle felt for Sawyer. She wasn’t as hidden with her feelings…lol.
I loved the storyline with the boys. What they did for that transgender girl brought tears to my eyes. I also loved their friendship. Right from the get-go, they were inseparable.
The end of Sleepover was what I expected. It was a true HEA. I loved that Elle and Sawyer were able to talk about things and get things straight. What Sawyer wrote in that journal touched my heart. I was crying with Elle. Also, the end of the book made me smile. Loved how it came full circle!!
I gave Sleepover a 4-star rating. This was a cute book with a realistic romance. The plotlines were great. I loved how the author held off on the sex until the end of the book. The only thing I didn’t like was Elle’s ex. I thought he was a jerk (Mr. Yap perfectly described him….lol).
I would give Sleepover an Adult rating. There is explicit sex. There is language. There is mild violence. There are triggers. They would be divorce and death of a spouse. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.
I would reread Sleepover. I would also 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 Sleepover.
All opinions stated in this review of Sleepover are mine.
**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**
They thought they were wrong for each other. That was before she moved in. . . .
Chase:Take it from me, never hire your best friend to be your live-in nanny. Because it’s a lot easier to be friends with a woman who isn’t prancing around your house in yoga pants. As a newly full-time dad, I needed help fast. I knew she was good with kids. And I thought things between us were strictly platonic. Now, with Olivia Stratten crashing in my guest room and steaming up the bathroom with the scent of her shampoo, it’s getting harder and harder—no pun intended—to remember all the reasons we’re supposed to be incompatible.
Liv:When Chase Crayton asked me to watch his five-year-old daughter until he could find someone full-time, I was afraid we’d drive each other nuts. But with Chase’s job on the line, I couldn’t say no. What I didn’t anticipate was how combustible our chemistry would be in close quarters. Neither of us did. After all, we first met on a blind date, and by the end of it, we were laughing about how terrible we’d be as a couple. In the two years since, nothing ever happened between us, not even a kiss—not until last night. . . .
Head Over Heels is a standalone novel with no cheating, no cliffhangers, and a satisfying happily ever after.
My review:
I have read and reviewed books for Serena Bell before. She writes uncomplicated romance novels that resonate with her readers. HeadOver Heels is not any different. This book was a quick read with a hot romance and memorable characters. But, for some reason, I didn’t get as into this book as I should have. It was because of the opposite attracts angle. I also couldn’t connect with Liv. Her commitment issues bothered me.
I liked that this book was a quick read. I have read a lot of books with heavier subjects, so to pick this one up and get lost in a romance was fantastic. I didn’t have to think too much when reading it. Again, another plus. That is also the main reason I read romances. Because they are usually lighter in subject and I don’t have to waste too much brain space on them.
The chemistry between Chase and Liv was hot. Which is why I was confused when it was made clear that they were incompatible. I mean, their chemistry was off the pages hot. I didn’t get it. Maybe it’s me (thinking that it is me….lol). Their sex scenes were on the same page too. Unbelievably hot. I got all flustered reading them. Like I have stated in other reviews, if my Kindle could have steamed up, it would have.
Like I mentioned above, the characters were memorable. Their backstories got to me. Chase being a manly outdoorsman with a 5-year old that he didn’t know about until almost a year after she was born. Liv, a nanny, being in foster care and having issues putting down roots because of that. The author did a great job of taking their backgrounds and creating characters that stood out in your minds.
Unfortunately, I could not connect with Liv. Her issues with commitment were awful and put a huge damper on her relationship with Chase. I started to get irritated with her when she couldn’t give Chase the commitment he wanted because they were different. It made me groan and think to myself “Should I skip to the ending. Because we know how it’s going to end“.
I did like Chase’s daughter. She reminded me of my 4-year-old. My 4-year-old doesn’t have a Frozen obsession, though. She has a Coco obsession. Her nightmares and meltdowns over her mother were heartbreaking. I wanted to cuddle her.
The end of Head Over Heels was cute. I loved that it ended well for everyone in the book.
What I liked about Head Over Heels:
A) Hot romance
B) Quick read
C) Memorable characters
What I disliked about Head Over Heels:
A) The opposites attract angle. Should have stayed with the besties become lovers
B) Liv. She had huge commitment issues and I couldn’t connect with her
C) Couldn’t get into the book
I would give Head Over Heels an Adult rating. There is explicit sex. There is language. There is no violence. I would recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.
There are no trigger warnings in Head Over Heels.
I am on the fence about rereading Head Over Heels. I am also on the fence about recommending it to friends and family. I would be open to reading other books by this author in the future.
I would live to thank Random House Publishing Group, Loveswept, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Head Over Heels.
All opinions stated in Head Over Heels are mine.
**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**
Toe-curling? Check. Sheet-twisting? Check. But is that enough for a second chance?
Jack:I’m pretty much as tough as they come. But when a woman comes to me in tears, I’m jelly. Scratch that—when Maddie Adams comes to me in tears, I’m jelly. That’s how we ended up making our incredible son five years ago, and that’s why I practically beg her to move in with me when she’s in a tight spot. Of course, the last time I got the chance to be the hero, I let her down, but I’m not making the same mistake twice. This time, I’m going to be the man she deserves—and then I’m going to lay every ounce of sexy on her until she lets me back into her heart.
Maddie:Jack Parker is hot, and he knows it. What he’s not is a family man, something this single mom had to learn the hard way. Still, moving into his place until I get back on my feet makes all kinds of sense. He’s an old friend. He’s, ahem, the father of my child. And let’s face it, now that I’ve just been colossally dumped, we’ve got nowhere else to go. The truth is, I never could resist Jack. Living under the same roof puts dirty thoughts in my head. And when my brilliant plan backfires, my whole body is begging for a do-over. . . .
Do Over is a standalone novel with no cheating, no cliffhangers, and a satisfying happily ever after. This ebook includes an excerpt from another Loveswept title.
Escape Into Reading 