Just a Book Lovin' Mama Who Loves to Read and Review Books
Once again, Eden Summers gave me another engaging, suspenseful, and steamy read, and I rate it five stars. I’m eager for the next installment, especially with how things ended for one of the brothers. I definitely plan on rereading this book before the next book comes out because it deserves to be read more than one time.
The Games Gods Play is the first installment in Abigail Owen’s The Crucible Trilogy. I should have picked this book up sooner, especially since it features Greek Mythology in a fantasy world with a romantic subplot. Something I always enjoy reading because I love it when authors put their spin on Greek Mythology, and Abigail Owen has the Greek Gods choosing mortals to compete in deadly trials to determine which will be the next ruler of Olympus. If you are like me, you’ll despise the Gods for making mortals do the deadly trials for them.
I was in the mood for a Baseball Romance as it’s baseball season, so I picked up Double Play, the first book in Jill Shalvis’s Pacific Heat series. Already familiar with Jill Shalvis’s writing, I knew I was going to enjoy this book because her stories are always heart-warming. Double Play immediately captured the spirit of baseball romance, putting me in the mood to attend a game this summer because it’s been a long time since I attended a baseball game. Who knows, maybe one of the baseball players will fall for a reporter, as Pace Martin did for Holly Hutchins in Double Play. =) You never know.
Okay, I finally understand the Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros hype. After finishing this book, I struggled to return to reality, especially after its intense ending. I’ve had this book on my shelf since its release, beckoning me each time I walked past, and I finally made time thanks to the Romanceopoly Challenge hosted by Under the Covers Book Blog. Now, it’s my goal to catch up with the series.
Rise of a Queen concludes Jonathan and Aurora’s story, picking up where Reign of a King left off. Since starting Rina Kent’s books, I’ve noticed her skill in writing antiheroes, the MMCs you hate to love because they’re walking red flags. (Let me first say, in real life, I wouldn’t tolerate men with red flags. I only tolerate them in fictional books.) Once you learn their backgrounds and see how protective they are, you can’t help but fall for them. This is Jonathan’s case. I understood him much better in Kingdom Duet, even though I didn’t like him at first in Royal Elite.
Nalini Singh has become one of my favorite authors after starting the Guild Hunter series. I love PNR books that have angels/archangels in the stories, and Nalini’s Guild Hunter series has become a favorite. I’m hoping to catch up on the series before she releases her next book later on. The fifth book in the series may only get four stars from me, but it had me in shock after finding out who was behind the murder of Neha’s consort. I also enjoyed the other mysteries that were uncovered in the book, too, with Jason and Mahiya. Nalini is an author who is a master of writing addicting PNR stories.
(April 2026) Third Time reading Archangel’s Blade and I still love it. Dimitri & Honor’s story is an emotional one that needed to be told. If you didn’t like Dimitri in the first three books, you’ll understand him better in this book.
Our Italian Summer is the first book in Jennifer Probst’s Meet Me in Italy series. I wanted something different to read and knew this Women’s Fiction novel would be enjoyable. I enjoy Romance, but lately I wanted a change. This book has romantic subplots, but they are not the main focus. I wanted something that would evoke many emotions and relate to me. This book truly hit me in the feels, especially as a mother of two daughters, one adult and one teenager, who’s been keeping me on my toes. I related to these characters and understood their frustrations and happy moments through their POVs.
Your Knife, My Heart is the first book in K.M. Moronova’s Dark Forces Duology, and this was the first book I’ve read from this author. It’s a Dark Military Romance, and it truly pushes boundaries. The prologue alone had me in shock when it came to being introduced to the hero of the story. He is not for the faint of heart, that’s for sure.
Willing Prey is the first book in Allie Oleander’s Feral Love series. I found it through the publisher’s newsletters and social media, read the synopsis, and immediately wanted to check it out. It’s not like most of the Dark Romance books I usually read, so I was curious. Did it make me question my morals when I finished? Absolutely. One thing’s for sure: I will never be into Primal Play in real life.
Not My Romeo is the first book in Ilsa Madden-Mills’ The Game Changers series and the first book I’ve read by this author. I’ve been meaning to read one of her books for a while, and finally made time thanks to the Romanceopoly Challenge. It was one of those reads packed with tropes, including some I love in my romance books. This book had some aspects I enjoyed and was entertaining, but it won’t be a favorite.
Once I saw the cover and read the synopsis of Half City by Kate Golden, I knew I needed to read it. A mixture of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Supernatural, sign me up immediately! And it’s also marketed as an Urban Fantasy, which is one of my favorite subgenres to read, especially when this subgenre tends to have strong female leads.
