What Am I Reading Right Now? 6/30/24

 What am I reading right now? 

Hi friends!  It's another Sunday and I wanted to showcase what I'm reading right now.  I got to borrow this from my online library and I can't wait to read it!

Not in Love by. Ali Hazelwood

Book synopsis from Goodreads:

A forbidden, secret affair proves that all’s fair in love and science.

Rue Siebert might not have it all, but she has enough: a few friends she can always count on, the financial stability she yearned for as a kid, and a successful career as a biotech engineer at Kline, one of the most promising start-ups in the field of food science. Her world is stable, pleasant, and hard-fought. Until a hostile takeover and its offensively attractive front man threatens to bring it all crumbling down.

Eli Killgore and his business partners want Kline, period. Eli has his own reasons for pushing this deal through - and he's a man who gets what he wants. With one burning exception: Rue. The woman he can't stop thinking about. The woman who's off-limits to him.

Torn between loyalty and an undeniable attraction, Rue and Eli throw caution out the lab and the boardroom windows. Their affair is secret, no-strings-attached, and has a built-in deadline: the day one of their companies will prevail. But the heart is risky business - one that plays for keeps.

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Have you read it or plan to?

Monthly Wrap Up - June 2024

 Here are the books I read this month and a little mini review of each.  If you want to see the full reviews I did of each, click the link and it will take you to my blog where I do full reviews.  Enjoy!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 4 Star Reads

Dungeons and Drama by. Kristy Boyce - musicals, dungeons and dragons, fake dating, friendships, high school romance.  I really enjoyed this one! I feel like the book cover captures this book so correctly. It’s sweet, funny and heart-warming. It’s filled with theater kids and gaming kids and when the two worlds combine it’s so much fun!

The Unmaking of June Farrow by. Adrienne Young - time travel, timeless love, mystery, magical realism. I love this author’s books and so far only read fantasy from her. This one was different but I enjoyed the mystery and putting all the pieces together. I may not have followed how all the time jump works but what made me love this book was the emotions it made me feel. I’m glad I finally read this one!

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⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 - 3.5 Stars Reads

Happily Never After by. Lynn Painter - wedding objectors, situationship, cute roommates. I thought this one had a fun premise and two characters that really got into the “objector” role. It never gets deep I think which works for Sophie and Max since they weren’t looking to fall in love but with all the time they spent together getting to know one another it seems inevitable, they just have to stop fighting it. The banter between them was fun and easy. I had my issues here and there but it’s a super quick read and Sophie’s roommates were such fun characters! Overall, it was good – I can see this as a rom-com movie.

The Dixon Rule by. Elle Kennedy - new adult, frenemies, college, hockey romance, series, kinky. I liked this one better than The Graham Effect except for that one scene that I wish I could have closed my eyes on lol. For the readers who like kinky sex, you’ll love this one. I usually like angst between two people but Diana and Shane didn’t need it. I love how they are enemies or maybe more frenenemies turned into lovers. Their romance progression was fun and they were both funny together. Like I really believe they are the most solid couple after everything they went through together and know they’ll be together forever. I just wish the books weren’t so long and things get thrown in at the end making some things feel rushed. I’m afraid to read Beckett or Will’s book because it’s definitely going to be kinkier and I can’t with the friends watching one another having sex. So we will see if I read the next book in the series, depends who it will be about!

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⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 3 Star Reads

This Summer Will Be Different by. Carley Fortune - summer romance. I think I wanted more depth to this story. It was just okay for me but I think I will try her most popular book to see if she’s an author I’ll continue to read because I did like some elements of the story. Maybe I just went in with high expectations.

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Have you read any of these or plan to?

New Book Release 6/28/24

 Happy book birthday to this new release!

Lies That Bleed (The Ember War. #1) by. Leia Stone

Book synopsis from Goodreads:

For tonight, we either lived or died in The Wilds. Nothing else mattered.
As the daughter of the emperor, Aisling Everhart was born into privilege. She has trained her entire life to go into The Wilds and have a chance at bonding with a creature that can give her unknown power. Half of the candidates will die the first night, and only a few will make it out. Those who survive the bonding are quickly conscripted into the Imperial Fleet to join the war.

What Aisling never could have prepared for, was Kohen Badshah, former prince of Imbria, her father’s sworn enemy. When Kohen proposes an unlikely alliance, she accepts. They enter The Wilds together, and Aisling realizes that she was woefully unprepared, especially when nothing goes to plan.

After barely surviving, she’s thrust into the Imperial Fleet to learn how to control her new gifts, but as her power grows, so do the dangers—including multiple attempts on her life. When you don’t know who is friend or enemy, it’s hard to trust, but Kohen Badshah appears to be protecting her.

It’s that or he’s playing one excellent long game. Which one, only time will tell.

New Book Release 6/27/24

 Here's a new book releasing today!

A Cage of Crimson by. K.F. Breene

Book synopsis from Goodreads:

Of all the people in the world, why her?

It was supposed to be find the drug maker. Find her, and drag her back to the dragons to deal with. She deserves death for what she's done.

For someone like Weston, the best alpha in the world, the one who shuts people up just by walking in the room, it would've been.

Until he learns what she is…

Finding a fated mate is nearly impossible. Very few are able to do it. But the call of their bond is unmistakable. Against all odds, and in the worst situation imaginable, he's found his true mate. Her.

Worse? If there could be anything worse than a true mate that has brought the world to its knees - she doesn't seem to realize what she is. Her animal is suppressed. Locked away, leaving her nearly without magic. She doesn't know what the feeling is, and she doesn't care. She claims innocence. She thinks he's the villain in this story, and she aims to kill him before he destroys her.

It doesn't change his duty. He must bring her in, nature be damned. Regardless of how much it hurts, he'll resist the sweet taste of her lips and the heaven between her thighs. She must pay for what she's done.

He just hopes he doesn't die inside for the part he's forced to play in the destruction of his true mate.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

This is a dark and very spicy Red Riding Hood retelling in the Ruin World featuring an anti-hero, a strong heroine, and a humorous supporting cast. It is not necessary to have read the Ruin series to enjoy this installment. Check the website for TWs. This is an enemies-to-lovers and forced proximity story suitable for 18+. It's the first of a dualogy, ending on a cliffhanger.

Can't Wait Wednesday...I Can't Wait For Wisteria by. Adalyn Grace | 6/26/24

 

Welcome to Can't-Wait Wednesday!  

"Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine." - Wishful Endings

Wisteria by. Adalyn Grace

(Belladona, #3)

Pages: 432

Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Release Date: August 20, 2024

Published by: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Book synopsis from Goodreads:

#1 New York Times bestselling author Adalyn Grace delivers a sensational conclusion to the deathly and decadent Belladonna trilogy, with dramatic twists and a seductive new romance that will set readers' hearts ablaze.

Blythe Hawthorn has never let anyone tell her what to do—not society, not her overprotective father, and certainly not the man she’s bound herself to, no matter how rude and insufferable he is. In fact, she’s determined to be a thorn in his side for the rest of her days, even as he ensures that her life in his palace is anything but a fairytale. But as Blythe discovers a new side of herself linked to his past, she’ll have to decide if she’s willing to let an unexpected spark ignite…and to discover the truth about who she really is.

New Book Releases 6/25/25

 Happy book birthday to all these new releases today!

So This Is War by. Meghan Quinn

Did I think I was going to fall for my coach's daughter?

The answer would be no.

I'm still unclear on how I got into this predicament in the first place. A year ago, I was a man with one thought on his mind, the redhead I met at a hotel bar. Twelve months later, I found her.

Unfortunately for me, she not only happens to be my very off-limits coach's daughter, but also . . . my new assistant and roommate.

I don't even need an assistant, but Coach Wood doesn’t take no for an answer. Add in him writing up tasks for his daughter, Wylie, to complete for me? Well, it's his own form of sweet torture. We are talking tasks that I would never ask her to do.

Tasks that make her despise me.

Hate me.

That make her utter four words that cause a shiver to crawl up my spine . . . Posey, this is war.

Six of Sorrow by. Amanda Linsmeier

Sixteen years ago, six girls were born on the same day—and now, on their birthday, one of them is missing. From the author of Starlings comes a story about small-towns, friendships, and the terrifying things your parents don’t tell you, that’s perfect for fans of Yellowjackets.

For most of her life, Isabeau and her five best friends were inseparable—amazingly enough, the six girls even shared a birthday. Then a rift caused their friendships to fracture, and Iz lost everyone except Reuel, the only one who didn’t abandon her.

Until now. The night of their sixteenth birthday, Isabeau leaves Reuel sitting on her front porch and heads home—and in the morning, Reuel is missing. She’s gone for three days, and when she reappears, there’s something wrong with her. She’s sick. Really sick. And she doesn’t remember anything that happened while she was gone.

If there’s any bright side to the situation, it’s that Reuel’s peculiar disappearance brings the six girls back together. Their sisterhood feels as strong as it was years ago, but when another one of them disappears, they all agree that they must have more in common than simply their birthday. They all feel it. Something’s been waiting for them, and that something has come to claim them one by one.

Deep in their bones, they know—it’s just a matter of time until they they’re all taken. And if they don’t save themselves, no one will.

Goodreads | Amazon

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Sleep Like Death By. Kalynn Bayron

New York Times bestselling author and TikTok sensation Kalynn Bayron returns to fairytales with a lush, thrilling and original YA Snow White retelling that brings a new and exciting voice to this familiar tale. Perfect for fans of Cinderella Is Dead.

Only the truly desperate – and foolish – seek out the Knight, an ancient monster who twists wishes into curses. Eve knows this first-hand: one of her mothers was cursed by the Knight and trapped in the body of a songbird. With the unique abilities to communicate with animals and conjure weapons from nature, Eve has trained all her life to defeat him.

With more and more villagers harmed by the Knight’s corrupt deals, Eve believes she’s finally ready to face him. But when Queen Regina begins acting strangely – talking to seemingly no one, isolating herself, and lashing out at the slightest provocation – Eve must question if her powers are enough to save her family and her kingdom.

Goodreads | Amazon

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Tangled Up in You By. Christina Lauren

She has a dream. He has a plan. Together they’ll take a leap of faith.

Ren has never held an iPhone, googled the answer to a question, or followed a crush on social media. What she has done: Read a book or two, or three (okay, hundreds). Taught herself to paint. Built a working wind power system from scratch. But for all the books she’s read, Ren has never found one that’s taught a woman raised on a homestead and off the grid for most of her twenty-two years how to live in the real world. So when she finally achieves her lifelong dream of attending Corona College, it feels like her life is finally beginning.

Fitz has the rest of his life mapped out: Graduate from Corona at the top of his class, get his criminal record wiped clean, and pass himself off as the rich, handsome player everyone thinks he is. He’s a few short months from checking off step one of his plans when Ren Gylden, with her cascading blonde hair and encyclopedic brain, crashes into his life, and for the first time Fitz’s plan is in jeopardy.

But a simple assignment in their immunology seminar changes the course of both their lives, and suddenly they’re thrown out of the frying pan and into the fire on a road trip that will lead them in the most unexpected directions. Out on the open road, the world somehow shifts, and the unlikely pair realize that, maybe, the key to the dreams they’ve both been chasing have been sitting next to them the whole time.

Goodreads | Amazon

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A Novel Love Story By. Ashley Poston

A professor of literature finds herself caught up in a work of fiction… literally.

Eileen Merriweather loves to get lost in a good happily-ever-after. The fictional kind, anyway. Because at least imaginary men don’t leave you at the altar. She feels safe in a book. At home. Which might be why she’s so set on going to her annual book club retreat this year—she needs good friends, cheap wine, and grand romantic gestures—no matter what.

But when her car unexpectedly breaks down on the way, she finds herself stranded in a quaint town that feels like it’s right out of a novel…

Because it is.

This place can’t be real, and yet… she’s here, in Eloraton, the town of her favorite romance series, where the candy store’s honey taffy is always sweet, the local bar’s burgers are always a little burnt, and rain always comes in the afternoon. It feels like home. It’s perfect—and perfectly frozen, trapped in the late author’s last unfinished story.

Elsy is sure that’s why she must be here: to help bring the town to its storybook ending.

Except there is a character in Eloraton that she can’t place—a grumpy bookstore owner with mint-green eyes, an irritatingly sexy mouth and impeccable taste in novels. And he does not want her finishing this book.

Which is a problem because Elsy is beginning to think the town’s happily-ever-after might just be intertwined with her own.

Goodreads | Amazon

*****

What book are you getting today?

Xoxo, Yolanda 📚

What Am I Reading Now? 6/23/24

 Hello book friends!

What I'm reading right now on my kindle app on my iPad is The Unmaking of June Farrow by. Adrienne Young.

Book synopsis from Goodreads:

A woman risks everything to end her family’s centuries-old curse, solve her mother’s disappearance, and find love in this mesmerizing novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Spells for Forgetting.

In the small mountain town of Jasper, North Carolina, June Farrow is waiting for fate to find her. The Farrow women are known for their thriving flower farm—and the mysterious curse that has plagued their family line. The whole town remembers the madness that led to Susanna Farrow’s disappearance, leaving June to be raised by her grandmother and haunted by rumors.

It’s been a year since June started seeing and hearing things that weren’t there. Faint wind chimes, a voice calling her name, and a mysterious door appearing out of nowhere—the signs of what June always knew was coming. But June is determined to end the curse once and for all, even if she must sacrifice finding love and having a family of her own.

After her grandmother’s death, June discovers a series of cryptic clues regarding her mother’s decades-old disappearance, except they only lead to more questions. But could the door she once assumed was a hallucination be the answer she’s been searching for? The next time it appears, June realizes she can touch it and walk past the threshold. And when she does, she embarks on a journey that will not only change both the past and the future, but also uncover the lingering mysteries of her small town and entangle her heart in an epic star-crossed love.

With The Unmaking of June Farrow, Adrienne Young delivers a brilliant novel of romance, mystery, and a touch of the impossible—a story you will never forget.

*****

Have you read this book or are planning to read it?

New Book Release 6/21/24

 Happy Book Birthday to these new releases!

Tuesdays are usually the big new release drops for books but there are some books that release on other days like today.  This is one of the series I've been eyeing out and wanting to read and this is the final book in the series so maybe now I can binge it!

Queen of Serpents and Shadow by. Alexis Calder

Book synopsis from Goodreads:

Hope might not be enough this time.

The fae king continues to claim victories and Nyx is awake. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the gods are after us and we’re running out of time.

The Fae King has power he shouldn’t from a sorceress who holds the key. To defeat him, we have to go through her. But the gods are hunting us, and Nyx asked for me personally.

I’ll have to face her alone while my friends work to save everyone I love.

I’m afraid we aren’t going to make it out alive this time but I will do whatever it takes to give Athos a chance.

The problem is, I’m not sure we ever had a chance to begin with.

It all ends now. One way or another.

New Book Releases 6/20/24

 Happy book birthday to these new releases! 

These are books that I find on Goodreads or Amazon that catch my eye or series I'm continuing. Are there any here you plan to read?

  

Shadow & Storms by. Helen Scheuerer (The Legends of Thezmarr, #4)

Book Synopsis from Goodreads:

“She was ready to shed blood, ready to take back what was hers.”

The time has come to make one last stand against the forces of cursed men and monsters. But Thea’s enemies are only getting stronger. With allies divided and an outnumbered army, she must race against her own fate to secure the future of the midrealms – or die trying.

A prophecy is looming, and Thea’s life is in the balance. Does she have the power to cheat death itself?

Love and loyalty will be tested. Bonds will fracture forever. But all must fight for a better world.

In the final war for survival, will Thea and Wilder emerge victorious? Or will the shadows consume them at last?

Fans of Fourth Wing, The Witcher and The Bridge Kingdom, brace yourselves for sizzling romance, found family and heart-pounding battles in Shadow & Storms, the epic finale to The Legends of Thezmarr.

Can't-Wait Wednesdays ...I Can't Wait For A Monsoon Rising by. Rhea Guazon | 6/19/24

 

Welcome to Can't-Wait Wednesday!  

"Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted at Wishful Endings, to spotlight and discuss the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine." - Wishful Endings

*****

A Monsoon Rising is a title I'm looking forward to as I found the first book The Hurricane Wars quite different and entertaining.  I also love the book covers in this series so much!  Look at how gorgeous it is.  It might be another series I add to my bookshelf just for the pretty cover.

A Monsoon Rising by. Thea Guazon 

(The Hurricane Wars, #2)

400 pages

Fantasy, Romance

Release Date: December 10, 2024

Published by: Harper Voyage

Book Synopsis from Goodreads ~

Two hearts circle each other in the eye of the storm in this highly-anticipated follow-up to The Hurricane Wars—prepare for more enemies-to-lovers romance, magical adventures, and political schemes in this Southeast Asian-inspired world.

After a lifetime of war, Alaric and Talasyn were thrust into an alliance between their homelands that was supposed to end the fighting; however, being married to their sworn foe feels far from peaceful. Now Talasyn must play the part of Alaric’s willing empress while her allies secretly plot to overthrow his reign. But the longer the couple are forced together, the harder it becomes to deny the feelings crackling like lightning between them. When the time comes to act, can she trust him, or must she ignore her heart for the sake of so many others?

As the master of the Shadowforged Legion, Alaric has trained for battle all his life, but marrying a Lightweaver might be his most dangerous challenge yet. With tensions between nations churning, he needs to focus on the greater threat—the Moonless Dark, a cataclysmic magical event that could devour everything. Only he and Talasyn can stop it, with a powerful merging of light and shadow that they alone can create together. But saving their world from this disaster is a mere preface to his father’s more sinister schemes, and his wife is a burning flame in the darkness, tempting both his loyalties and his desires.

The Hurricane Wars aren’t over. It’s time to choose what—and who—to fight for. The world holds its breath amidst a whirlwind of new magic and old secrets that could change everything.

*****