Monthly Wrap Up Archives - Page 20 of 28

A Mix Bag of Reads | June Wrap Up

Jul 1, 2020

June was a pretty good reading month for me. I read a good range of books this June. From YA to romance. Some were amazing reads, and some sucked. But overall I had a decent reading month.

With the number of books that I do read I’m bound to have a big amount that I don’t love and that did show this month. I also completed my Goodreads reading challenge this month with over 150 reads. Anyway, let’s see what I read in June. Like always these are in no order.

Hell’s Handlers MC #5 -#8 by Lilly Atlas: I started this series last month and finished it in June. This was a fun series. I enjoyed reading it. And these last few were really great. It’s a decent MC series – not my favourite out there, but it was still a good read.

Dear Martin (Dear Martin #1) by Nic Stone: This is an emotional read, but it’s also powerful and beautiful. Justyce was such a fantastic protagonist. He felt real and honest and that made for such an incredible read. If you haven’t read this book, please do. It is a powerful but brutal read. Full Review.

No Prisoners MC #0.5 – #5 by Lilly Atlas: This is the companion series to Hell’s Handlers and it’s much more intense than it for sure. There are a lot more questionable things that happen throughout the series. I just didn’t love it as much as the first series. It was just okay for me.

A Little Bit Wicked by Melissa Foster: I really wanted to like this one, but I just could not get into it. I couldn’t really connect with the characters and the plot felt bland to me. I just wanted more from it.

Rebel (Women Who Dare #1) by Beverly Jenkins: This has to be one of my favourite books I read in June. Rebel is such a fantastic historical romance and I can’t wait to read more. The romance was fantastic and I enjoyed reading a book set in a different time than I normally read in my historical romance. Full Review.

Kings of Mayhem MC Series #1 – #5 by Penny Dee: I think this could jump to one of my favourite MC series. I’m really enjoying it so far. It’s dark, but not too dark. It’s that right mix. I love the family dynamics.

Girl Against the Universe by Paula Stokes: I adored Girl Against the Universe. It was an excellent novel that does focus on mental health. It’s not a love fixes all kind of novel but explores how those around can help you in a way that you never thought. Maguire and Jordy were adorable and I love them so much. Full Review.

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo: I read this as an audiobook and it’s the best thing I ever did. I can’t even begin to explain how beautiful and stunning The Poet X is. The passion and thought that went into every word, every poem was just perfect. I love how each poem intertwined, everything felt like it belonged. Full Review.

The Kings of Retribution MC, Louisiana Chapter #1 – #2 by Sandy Alvarez and Crystal Daniels: I really enjoyed the first series and this companion series has started off on the right foot for me. I’ve really enjoyed the characters and the story so far. And I’m really looking forward to seeing where this story goes.

Hero (Morgan Brothers #1) by Lauren Rowe: I had been hearing some really good things about this series and let me tell you I was disappointed. I really didn’t like this one at all. The only thing that I did enjoy was the male protagonist relationship with the love interests kids. That was great.

The Flatshare by Beth O’Leary: This was the second audiobook that I listen to this month. It took me a while to get into this one, but once I did I started to really enjoy it. You can check out Ely and I discuss all our thoughts about it.

A Duke, the Lady, and a Baby by Vanessa Riley: I enjoyed reading this one. It was a good historical romance that has its faults but I still enjoyed reading it. I love that it includes diversity and sadly it isn’t something seen a lot in historical romance. While it’s not my favourite historical romance, I’m really looking forward to the series. Full Review.

The Dare (Briar U #4) by Elle Kennedy: I finished this about a week ago and I’m still not sure how I feel about it. There are parts that I really enjoyed and other parts that didn’t still well for me. My full review of this one is coming soon, maybe when I can get all my thoughts down I will know.

Duke Dynasty #1- #3 by Sabrina Jeffries: I received an earc of the third book in this series, so I decided to pick the first two up and loved them too bits. I think Sabrina Jeffries might be one of my new favourite historical romance authors. The characters, the plot, the writing are all just so good. I just brought another series of hers and I cannot wait to dig into them.

Captain (Morgan Brothers #2) by Lauren Rowe: I think I disliked this one less than the first book. I could not connect with these characters anymore. There were just silly things happening and nothing really made sense to me. It felt like I was going back and forth between things and I could not keep up.

Classified (The Elite #3) by Brooke Blaine and Ella Frank: This is the final book in this trilogy and I enjoyed it a lot. I love the characters and the story and I couldn’t wait to see where it went. I did want a little more tension, but overall it was an okay read.

High Heat (Hotshots #2) by Annabeth Albert: This one just scrapped in for the month, and it didn’t really stand up for me. I’ve enjoyed most of Annabeth Albert’s books I’ve read in the past. However, something wasn’t there for me in this book. The couple was cute, but I wanted more from nearly everything.

And that is it for my June Wrap Up! What did you read this month? What did you love? Did we read anything that is the same? Let’s Chat!

May Wrap Up | I Can’t Stop Reading Romance

Jun 5, 2020

Hey all, sorry about the lack of post the last couple of days. I’ve wanted to focus on everything that is happening in the world. Again, please remember that Black Lives Matter and they need your support and voice. I’ve been RT’ing and sharing heaps on my twitter so if you would like please head over there for more.

I read a lot of books in May, 40 to be exact. I wasn’t working as much, plus without places to go, I had a lot more reading time. But I also did read a lot and I mean a lot of romance. Most of what I read in May were romance books. I’ve been reading a lot more of them in the last few months and I can’t put them down. They are just fun to read. But I did always have a few re-reads again this month. Now I’m going to stop babbling and get on with it.

Hades Hangmen #6 – #8 by Tillie Cole: I started this series last month and wanted to keep on reading it. It’s a dark series for sure. And it gets much darker as you go, but I still liked reading them. I’m going to do a series review in the coming weeks so keep an eye on that.

King Series #1-#7 by T.M. Frazier: I seriously don’t know why I kept on reading this series. I’m not even joking it. I wasted so much of my time. But each book ended in a cliff hanger and I wanted to know what was going to happen and it was bad. I didn’t like these books at all.

The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune: This has to be one of my favourite books of the year, if not all time. It’s a magical and profound novel that truly takes the reader on an experience. It will make you smile and laugh and just feel safe. It’s a warm novel that does with what it’s like to be a little different. I highly recommend this to anyone. Because it’s simply amazing. Check out my full review.

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston: This was my first re-read of the month. Oh gosh, I loved this book just as much the second time. I love recommending it at work and it just makes me so happy. Ely and I did a discussion about it last year which you can check out. It’s such a good well-rounded romance.

Sure Shot (Brooklyn #4) by Sarina Bowen: You know that I love my sports romances and Sarina Bowen so of course, I had to read her book. I liked this one. The romance was fantastic, it was adorable and sexy at the same time. This second chance romance was great – you can see my full thoughts here.

Men of Inked Series #1-#3 by Chelle Bliss: I honestly knew nothing about this series before going in. I just wanted to read a romance book that included a tattoo artist. These were okay. Nothing special. It wasn’t exactly what I was looking for. But nothing horrible either.

The Lunar Chronicles #1 – #4 by Marissa Meyer: This was another re-read that I did in May, and man did I love doing it. I adore this series so much. They are just so good. I love the romance, the plot, the writing. The friendships are fantastic and everything works so well here. If you haven’t picked this series up please do.

Fix Her Up (Hot & Hammered #1) by Tessa Bailey: This is the book that disappointed me the most this month. While it was an okay read, I had so many problems with it that it just made the experience of reading the book not great. Ely and I had a discussion with all our thoughts about it. So check it out.

Birthday Girl by Penelope Douglas: If you are even a little bit part of the romance bloggers world then you would have heard this book. I put off reading it for a long time. But I finally picked it up in May – and I didn’t hate it. It’s a close 4 star for me. I did have problems with it, but overall not bad.

Up Close and Personal by Kathryn Freeman: This is another one that I wanted to enjoy. On paper, this sounds like my thing, but it turned out to be just okay. The romance didn’t feel complete, I felt rushed and wished there was more character development.

Voyeur (Voyeur #1) by Fiona Cole: Like Birthday Girl, this is one that I have seen a fair bit in the romance community. Again another one I was hesitant to read it. But I ended up enjoying this one quite a bit. It was interesting, I did have a fair few problems with it, but not horrible.

The Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Mariana Zapata: This is my second book from this author and I enjoyed this one more. I love my sports romances so that part added to this. Plus to a marriage of convenience and that is just great. It’s a slow burn romance for sure! If that is not your thing, then this isn’t for you.

The Kings of Retribution MC Series #1 – #6 by Crystal Daniels and Sandy Alvarez: You all know I’m on a massive MC binge, so I picked up another series. I enjoyed this series. It’s a solid MC series for sure. I liked that it wasn’t overly dark, but still had classic MC elements in it.

When a Heart Trips by Dominique Laura: This is honestly such a sweet YA romance. It was adorable. I loved Devon and Julian and just everything about them was adorable. You can check out my full review now.

Hell’s Handlers #1 – #4 MC Series: This is another MC series that I started this month. I like this series. I think it’s one of my favourites I’ve read so far this year. It was harsh and a little dark, but still filled with family and that just made everything great.

And those are all the books that I read in May! Sometimes I don’t know how I do it. I don’t. What did you read in May? Did we read anything that is the same? Let’s Chat!

When You Read All Month | April Wrap Up

Apr 30, 2020

After a slower reading month for me in March, things really picked up for me in April and I’m so glad. Most of the month I read a range of romance with a little MG thrown in there. And I think that is what I needed. Reading romance is a great outlet for me and I don’t normally have to think too much when reading them – which is fantastic.

Anyway, here are all the 35 books that I read in April. Like always these are in no order.

Steadfast (True North #2) by Sarina Bowen: I felt like a reread of this one from the series. I’m not even sure why. It is one of my favourites though. This one is an emotional read, but I still really enjoy it a lot. I just love Jude so much.

The One You Can’t Forget (The Ones Who Got Away #2) by Roni Loren: I’m slowly making my way through this series and I’m loving it. But it’s hard to read. I normally love binge reading series – which you will see today. But I just can’t do it with this one. It deals with such a hard topic and each book is emotional as hell. But, also so good.

Irresistible (Cloverleigh Farms #1) by Melanie Harlow: I really felt like a good romance with a single parent and this one popped up in my searches. And I’m really glad that it did. I liked this one a whole lot. It was such a fun read and I loved seeing all the character fall in love with one another. I loved the relationship between the two protagonist and his kids – it melted me.

Undeniable (Cloverleigh Farms #2) by Melanie Harlow: Yes I kept on reading this series. It’s all on Kindle Unlimited, so it was so easy. I adored this one so much. It features a second chance romance, as well as love to hate. Come on! It was such a fun read. And the romance was adorable.

Storm (Storm MC #1) by Nina Levine: Another romance subgenre I’ve been really into lately is MC romances. And this one came up as a recommendation. And the second book in the series was a single parent. It was a bad decision. This one was bad. Really bad. I’ve read a lot of MC romances now and this one has to one of the worst.

Insatiable (Cloverleigh Farms #3) by Melanie Harlow: This one is a friends to lovers romances and this one is hella adorable. Not my favourite in the series, but I still really enjoyed it. Noah and Meg just fit really well and I loved getting to see them find out things about one another.

Unbreakable (Cloverleigh Farms #4) by Melanie Harlow: This one is the last in the series that is out so far and like the others, I enjoyed it a lot. This one melted me so much. It’s a single parent romance that was done well. It explored the ups and downs of divorce and everything that follows. As well as looking into starting a new family. It was so good!

Fierce (Storm MC #2) by Nina Levine: I don’t know why I continued. I really don’t. Maybe I wanted to see if it got any better. But it didn’t. Not at all.

Wind Dragons MC #1-3 by Chantal Fernando: I wanted to read a good MC romance, so I picked up one I’d read before and dug into a few in the series. Some of the things that happen in these are ridiculous. But I love it. That is what I feel an MC romance is. I think my favourite of these 3 has to be Dragon’s Liar.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians 1-5 by Rick Riordan: I’ve been wanting to do a re-read of this series for some time now. And my siblings were watching the movies and I couldn’t help and start the series again. And I’m so glad that I did. Seriously it’s just fantastic. And if you haven’t read it. Please do. It was such a great time being back in this world. And truly reminded me why I love it so much.

Luna and the Lie by Mariana Zapata: I’ve wanted to pick up a Mariana Zapata for some time now. And after watching a couple of videos from PeaceLoveBooksxo. I thought I would give this one a go. Overall I did enjoy this one, however, I thought it was way too long. I felt at times that things did drag on and I was just waiting and waiting for things to happen. I do want to try more from her though.

Shameless (Texas Nights #1) by Lex Martin: This is another author that I’ve seen pop up a lot with romance bloggers and I felt that this one was my kind of thing. And I’m so happy that I picked it up! The romance was adorable. It melted my heart so much. I loved seeing both Brady and Katherine trying to figure everything out. I loved seeing Brady with the baby. It was adorable. I don’t know if I will continue with the series yet. But I enjoyed this one.

Becker Brothers #1-4 by Kandi Steiner: I didn’t know too much about this series before I started. But they were such a good time. I loved the overall mystery surrounding the family and that was threaded through all of the books. The romances were all fantastic and I just had a good time.

Knights Rebels MC #1-3 by River Savage: I again feel into the MC romance. While this wasn’t as bad as some I’d already read this one. It wasn’t the best. However, I still enjoyed each one that I read and will continue reading the series as each book comes out.

The Fallen Men #1-4 by Giana Darling: This is another author that has been on my radar for some time now. But again didn’t really know where to start. But since I was in the mood for MC romances, I thought it was a perfect time. And I love this series. It’s not for the faint-hearted, but it was such good fun. And it did rip me apart, a little. I can’t wait to read more.

Hades Hangmen #1-5 by Tillie Cole: This isn’t a series that I would recommend to everyone. It’s hard to read most of the time and there is a lot of questionable things that happen throughout the novel. But I found that all intriguing. It’s a MC romance for sure. If you love your MC romance and are okay reading things that are really tough and not great – then go for this one. If not – stay away.

And that is everything that I read this April! It was a strong reading month for me, with a lot of romance reads. I think next month will be very similar as well, cause it’s what I’m in the mood for. What did you read this April, anything the same? Let’s Chat!