Calling It by Jen Doyle

⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

Having a little bit of time before needing to get to my next book club book, I decided to look for something to fill up one of the remaining prompts from my Winter's Kiss board 1. One of the remaining prompts was starts with the letter C, so I went through my kindle and tbr. I came across Calling It by Jen Doyle. This is the first book in her Calling It series. I also was able to use this for the Heaving Bosoms 2022 Reading Embrace for the prompt catch my farts.

Nate is a star catcher in the MLB and just signed with a new expansion club in Chicago. After he gets in a really bad car accident and breaks up with his fiancé, he heads back to the small town he grew up in, Inspiration, Iowa. When he arrives at his sister's apartment, he is intrigued to find Dorie. She's the new librarian in town and hired to help renovate and reinvigorate the town's library. As lust strikes them both, they don't quite act on it. When Nate is roped into helping out at the library, they spend days together. Dorie has been a fan of Nate's since he was in high school and has followed his career since then. As they spend more time together both alone and with Nate's family, they start a connection that's more than just physical. As Dorie struggles with his fame and if it can work between them long term, Nate is all-in. 1,000%

This book was so good. I loved that I kept thinking that something was going to be the big conflict at the end, but it was solved or at least talked about soon. Nate was so freaking swoony and I loved how he used his works, actions and everything to prove to Dorie that he wanted her for life. It was a little love at first sight for him, but I enjoyed it. He was constantly thinking about her and what she likes and just wanted to spend time with her. Nate has had a rough go of things lately since the accident, but really takes the time to not only go home, but get back in touch with all of his friends and family.

There is a little bit of the trope where Dorie pretends she doesn't know who Nate is, but she actually doesn't recognize him at first because she's in the bath when he comes into the apartment (thinking his sister still lives there) and isn't wearing her glasses. When he tells her his name is DB, they both stay quiet on talking about who he really is. I also loved how much thought that Nate put into every moment with Dorie. There were times when they were upset with each other, but for most of it they would separate for a moment to calm down and then talk it out.

Why 4.5 instead of 5-stars? Honestly, it was Dorie. The big conflict was Dorie stuggling with believing that Nate was really in love with her and wanted to make it work. Yes it was fast, but Nate did everything he possibly could to get her to believe him. It really bothered me that Nate did more grovelling than Dorie in the end, especially because she was the one that pushed him away. I know that he said he wasn't going to go anywhere, but when she's spend 3+ weeks constantly telling him it's a fling and won't even let him talk to her about it being more, he ends up leaving her; like she asked. I get he said he wouldn't leave her, but how in the world is it okay for her to constantly push him away and hurt him emotionally? Is it not okay that after being constantly turned down that he decides to give her what she wants and step back? Yes it hurts him because he loves her, but it also hurts that when he's with her he can't even tell her he loves her because she shuts him down every single time. Maybe I should rate this 4-stars instead of 4.5 for how much it bothered me now that I'm writing this, but I really enjoyed most everything else in the story. My boy Nate though, he deserved better. I think if there was some sort of trauma or past relationship issue that caused Dorie to hold back so much, I would've been more understanding, but there wasn't. I just was left slightly disappointed by how she treated him and how quickly he forgave her for it. I just would've liked there to be a discussion about the hurt that she caused him by constantly shutting him out.

I am definitely interested in reading more of the series, but am a little disappointed who the books end up being. Nate has 3 or 4 friends from his high school basketball and baseball team but only one of them gets a book (and another gets a novella). The third book is with Nate's ex-friend that slept with his ex-fiance. I didn't see that Was gets a book and that make me a little bit upset. Former baseball player turned rancher in a small town? How can that not be a book? I guess I'll just live Wash's love story in my head. We'll see when I pick up them up.

Have you read Calling It?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Calling It, Jen Doyle, 4.5-stars, 0 days, eBook, 384 pages, published in 2016, small publisher

Using Fejo by Victoria Aveline

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The second book I read for the Romance Takeover Readathon was Using Fejo by Victoria Aveline. This is her newest release and the 5th book in the Clecanian series. This covered the prompts new release and 5-star prediction. I also used this to cover the prompt new release for the first board of Winter's Kiss and HB author for the Heaving Bosom's 2022 Reading Embrace.

Fejo is a traveler and a Cleclanian from the planet Huvuita. He's been under the thumb of Klinara and has been doing some smuggling and more gray area services for her. Since he has become a citizen of Tremanta, he's been working as a double agent to help the Queen of Tremanta build a case against Klinara. When the human Vanessa chooses Fejo in the marriage trials, he is beyond ecstatic to finally have a wife. Vanessa however is planning on using Fejo and his clearance to leave the planet to find a way back to Earth and her sick sister. When they start to get close and feelings develop, Fejo and Vanessa struggle to open up to each other and still be able to get everything they both want.

I absolutely loved Fejo and Vanessa. This felt a little bit on the angstier side, but I loved how I kept expecting something to be drawn out or be the 3rd act conflict, but she kept resolving the issues between Fejo and Vanessa. I absolutely loved it, even more so since the real 3rd act conflict was external. Ugh, Fejo was so sweet and tried to hard to get Vanessa to like him. He was so tired of getting used by those around him and just wanted someone to want him and want to be with him. It really gutted me and my heart really went out to Fejo. I loved that he had his space pirate captain alpha vibes at times, but then was also such a freaking cinnamon roll towards Vanessa.

There were a couple times where I struggled with Vanessa, but once she started opening up to Fejo about why she was depressed, guilty and had to get home was also heart-wrenching in it's own way. I just loved so much about this book. I also enjoyed seeing more of Victoria's expanded universe. While a lot of time was spent on the ship, it was still really cool to learn about the different ports and other worlds out there. We've been pretty much exploring Trementa and the other cities on the planet they women all ended up, and it was really interesting to learn not only about other places, but some other races of aliens. 

I love Victoria Aveline's books and can't wait for more. We get a little scene with Rhaego and I really want to see his book. I'm also intrigued because I feel like we might get Julie (Vanessa's sister) in a book in the future as well. They also ended up rescuing 12 more women, so there's hopefully a lot more couples in our future. If you enjoy Sci-Fi romance, please check out Victoria Aveline. She has one of my favorite Sci-Fi series ever.

Have you read Using Fejo?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Using Fejo, Victoria Aveline, 5-stars, 1 day, eBook, 312 pages, published in 2022, indie published

Ravishing the Heiress by Sherry Thomas

⭐⭐⭐💫

The first book of 2022 for the Rake Appreciation Society was Ravishing the Heiress by Sherry Thomas. This is the second book in her Fitzhugh Trilogy. Rake Appreciation Society is hosted by Crystal from Crystal's Bookish Life and Jenn from The Book Refuge. I was able to use this read for the Winter's Kiss board 2 for the new to you author prompt. I also read this as my first book for the Romance Takeover Readathon and it covered the author you've never read, POC author and historical romance prompts.

Millie was engaged to an Earl at the tender age of 16. When he suddenly passes, the marriage contract is reconfigured with the new Earl, 19 year-old Fitz. He his in love with his schoolmate's younger sister Isabella and is forced to marry an heiress to help get the earldom out of debt. They come to an agreement to separate after 8 years to allow each to move on with their life. As the 8 year time limit comes to an end, Fitz approaches Millie about begetting an heir before they separate. Millie has been in love with Fitz all this time and has struggled as she tries to be his friend and offer support however she can. She gets nervous that she won't be able to hide her feelings when they start to get intimate. When Isabella, now widowed, comes back into their lives Fitz gets torn between choosing to stay with his friend and wife and his first love.

This book had me crying a lot. It was higher angst-wise than I usually prefer. Despite my rating, there's a lot that I liked about this book. This was written as 3rd person which took some getting used too. I loved the friendship that we see grow between Millie and Fitz throughout the book. On Millie's end it hits love almost instantly, but watching Fitz slowly fall in love with Millie was so sweet. I also really enjoyed that he really saw a lot of little things and actions that Millie had, even if she tried to hide it. Now, there are a lot of flashbacks in here. I thought where they were placed in the storyline felt natural and a good way to tell their 8-year history without doing too much in the beginning. Where I had issues with them is it felt like they were just as long, if not longer than the "present day" chapters. I just wanted more time with them as they were reaching the end of their agreement.

Now to where I had issues. First off, a small nitpick. Mrs. Graves (aka Millie's mother) is only referred to as her mother like 4 times. The rest of the time she's called Mrs. Graves. Now I get that part of it is from the POV of the story, but it also felt off. Even more so when you see that Millie doesn't have an estranged relationship with her mom. Another problem I had was Isabella. She was made out to be the villain, which fine. At first she seemed just impulsive and like she never really grew up, but later she does some things that made me see her actions as more manipulation. I get that's not to be liked because we want Millie and Fitz to have their HEA. I just wished that Fitz and Isabella could've realized that they had grown apart and changed without her becoming the "mean girl." 

The biggest issue I had was the payoff. If there is going to be this much angst in a book, I need more happy. I was so frustrated with how it ended and it didn't even have an epilogue. I was getting nervous as I passed the 75% mark, but it seemed like they were finally going to admit their feelings to each other at about 90%. Then things happen (another freaking conflict) and it goes to about 93%. I thought we'll get about 7% of them being happy together. While I would prefer longer, that would at least hopefully give me something. Two pages later it's over and the rest of my eBook was a prologue for the next book. I was not pleased and while I believe that Millie and Fitz are going to be happy, I needed to see it. This book did really effect my emotions, so that would make me more inclined to rate it 4-stars, but because I was so emotionally invested and wasn't left feeling happy at the end I couldn't give it the 4. It just left me feeling disappointed and unsettled. This book almost put me in a book hangover, and not in a good way.

I have heard good things about Sherry Thomas, but I believe she is on the more angstier end of historical romance. I can't say I won't pick up any more of her books, but if I do it'll most likely be because of a book club or filling a super specific reading prompt. I just don't enjoy this kind of angst and I would be really hesitant picking up something else from her just because I didn't get the payoff I needed at the end. But as they say, "Never say never." I did really enjoy the story mostly and loved Millie and Fitz. I just needed to see them happy for more than a few pages. It was a really good discussion on the live show and I loved getting to chat about this book with everyone! I can't wait to read our next book. Even if the books that Jen and Crystal don't always work for me, it's always a great discussion.

Have you read Ravishing the Heiress?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Ravishing the Heiress, Sherry Thomas, 3.5-stars, 0 days, eBook, 304 pages, published in 2012, traditionally published

Winter's Kiss Board 2 TBR

Update: Wrap Up is posted! 

Happy Thursday! I am finally moving on to the second board in the Winter's Kiss reading challenge! The event runs from December 1st, 2020 through February 28th, 2021, so you still have time to join. Shelby is the host and creator and has all the information on her instagram. If you are looking for more ideas, check out my tbr for the first board as well as the wrap up! Below is the blank board if you haven't seen it yet.

Over the past almost two months, I have been able to apply books I read to this board that didn't work for remaining prompts, so I do have some spots already covered. Below is my current board. Since January is almost over, I'm planning on looking at what prompts I won't be able to use for FaRoFeb and try to get them in before February starts. I have quite a few ideas so I can mood read a bit too.

🌲 I recently picked up Elizabeth Harmon's Pairing Off. It's the first book in her Red Hot Russians series set around figure skating. I loved it and definitely want to read more. They would cover several prompts, including the more unique of atypical sport romance, underhyped, and model wearing sweater or hat.

🌲 A go to author for me is Jackie Lau. I have several of her books I could pick up that would help cover holiday novella, set in winter and set in Canada.

🌲 There are a couple prompts that are also related to Shelby and her reads. She has a couple favorite authors that I still haven't tried yet and have been happy with the recs I've gotten before. Two of the ones I'm intrigued in picking up are Melanie Harlow and Meghan Quinn. I also want to pick up more of Max Monroe and Eve Kasey.

🌲 For disability or chronic illness rep I had one book immediately jump into my mind that I've been wanting to pick up; Never Seduce a Scot by Maya Banks. I have it in paperback and need to get to it soon. I've heard such great things about it. I do have a couple other options on my tbr as well, but Maya is at the top of my list right now.

🌲 For the holiday and winter prompts, I want to try to stay away from the Christmas books. With Valentine's Day coming up, I looked into some Valentine's timed romances and had a couple marked as to read on my goodreads. A couple that stuck out to me were Love Kinection by Jennifer James and A Little Bit Cupid by Jennifer Shirk.

I don't have too many options here since I'm going to get as many books that I read for FaRoFeb also fit into prompts here were able. There were a few that were a little more specific, so I tried to focus on those for this tbr. We'll see if I can get through the remaining prompts by the end of February! I sure hope so.

Are you participating in Winter's Kiss?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

Magic Binds by Ilona Andrews

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The last book assigned for January for the Kate Daniels readalong hosted by Stef, Heather and Megan is Magic Binds. This is book nine in the long running series by Ilona Andrews. I was able to use this for the prompt white on the cover for the 2nd board of Winter's Kiss and for the prompt a light kidnap for the Heaving Bosoms 2022 Reading Embrace!

We pick up shortly after Magic Shifts. Kate and Curran are on the brink of war with her father Roland. When he starts doing more to antagonize Kate and Curran as well as the other groups in Atlanta, Kate realizes she needs help. While Curran and crew plan to rescue the kidnapped Saiman, Kate returns to her father's prison Mishmar to ask for help from her own blood. As the first major battle approaches, will Kate and company be able to not only withstand Roland, but possibly defeat him?

Oh my gosh. This book has so much. The first 20% just has so much going on and you jump right in. There's so much I could talk about, but I don't want to get too spoilery. I just was blown away by so many pieces that were put into place (some that we didn't even realize were pieces to play). One thing that I really enjoyed (as well as with Magic Shifts) was that we get Curran and Kate together for most of the book. Now that Curran has resigned as Beast Lord of the Pack I love getting to really see Kate and Curran be equal partners and really be able to put themselves and their family first without politics getting in the way. A big plot line throughout this story is the planning of Kate and Curran's wedding. Kate is very much not a wedding person so Roman ends up basically planning everything and officiating. I loved seeing Roman again. He's become one of my favorite characters of the world.

I also loved the Kate didn't really get or need a "power up." I've been wanting one for her, but I love that there was more emphasis in that she actually does have the power, just doesn't know how to effectively use it. So while she is technically getting stronger, it's not the gaining of more power. I character that I really enjoyed earlier on in the series is back to help train her and I loved learning more about the history of Kate's family. So many characters come back in this book and I loved getting to see a lot of them again. We also get to learn more about some that have been around for a few books that have been more mysterious.

I'm so excited to see how things wrap up in the series, but am also sad it's almost over. The books we read this month really amped up the overall storyline. Next month books 9.50 and 10. I believe the readalong group will then be moving on to the Aurelia Ryder spin-off and I'm so excited to see Julie as our new hero. I've really enjoyed my time reading Kate Daniels and if you are looking for an expansive universe in an Urban Fantasy, definitely check it out!

Have you read Magic Binds?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STASTICS: Magic Binds, Ilona Andrews, 5-stars, 1 day, eBook, 352 pages, published in 2016, traditionally published

Winter's Kiss Board 1 Wrap Up

Update: Wrap Up is posted for Board 2!
Update: TBR is posted for Board 2! 

I finally have finished the first bingo board for the Winter's Kiss reading challenge! The reading challenge runs from December 1st, 2021 through February 28th, 2022 and is hosted by ShelbyTaggartReads on instagram. I did a tbr/announcement post back in November, so check it out if you want to learn more!

Below is my final board! I will list the books I read for each prompt starting with the upper left hand corner and going row by row. The links will lead to my review (and will be added if they aren't posted yet). Okay, we have a lot to get through, so "let's do this!"

🌲 Book on Shelby's TBR: Broken Miles by Claire Kingsley

🌲 Guy With Facial Hair on Cover: Loving the Mountain Man by Adriana Anders

🌲 Holiday Novella: Tempting Mr. Weatherstone by Vivienne Lorret

🌲 Forced Proximity Romance: Head Coach by Lia Riley

🌲 Book By An Author You Love: Magic Steals by Ilona Andrews

🌲 Do a Buddy Read: Magic Rises by Ilona Andrews

🌲 Hockey Romance: Mister Hockey by Lia Riley

🌲 Book You Got For Free: Pleasures of Christmas Past by Lexi Post

🌲 Romance a Friend Rated 5-Stars: My American Duchess by Eloisa James

🌲 Takes Place During Winter: All I Want for Christmas is a Cowboy by Jessica Clare

🌲 Book You Meant to Read in 2021: Forbidden Miles by Claire Kingsley

🌲 Green on the Cover: Any Rogue Will Do by Bethany Bennett

🌲 Read a Book Shelby Made a Post About: The Front Runner by Elsie Silver

🌲 Starts With the Letter N: Nice Werewolves Don't Bite Vampires by Molly Harper

🌲 New Release: Using Fejo by Victoria Aveline

🌲 Small Town Romance: Reckless Miles by Claire Kingsley

🌲 Book By New To You Author: One Naughty Christmas Night by Janet Berry

🌲 Book That's Gotten Lots of Hype: Dear Ava by Ilsa Madden-Mills

🌲 Holiday Full Length Novel: Walking in a Witchy Wonderland by Juliette Cross

🌲 Book With Cursive Lettering on Cover: Dancing with the Duke by Suzanna Medeiros

🌲 Book With Wintery Cover: Magic Breaks by Ilona Andrews

🌲 Borrow Book From Library or Friend: Magic Shifts by Ilona Andrews

🌲 Starts With the Letter C: Calling It by Jen Doyle

🌲 Fake Dating or Marriage of Convenience: Daring Miss Danvers by Vivienne Lorret

🌲 Romance Published in 2021: Falling Like Stars by Eve Kasey

It took me a little longer than expected to get through the first board. Especially with the several readathons I participated in December and January. I'm happy to finally get it done though. I loved most of the books on here and just had to stop myself from mood reading for the last few prompts to finish it out. I'm hopefully going to be able to get through the 2nd board by the end of February, but with FaRoFeb coming, that might be a long shot. I'll be posting my tbr for the 2nd board soon, so keep an eye out for that! We'll see how it ends up working out.

Are you participating in the Winter's Kiss reading challenge?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

Magic Stars by Ilona Andrews

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The next book in the Kate Daniels readalong is Magic Stars. This is listed as book 8.5 in the series by Ilona Andrews. I'm reading the Kate Daniels series as a part of a readalong hosted by Stef, Megan and Heather! I used this to cover the prompt gray on the cover for the 2nd board of Winter's Kiss. I also applied this to the prompt Murder Robe for the Heaving Bosoms' 2022 Reading Embrace.

Julie receives a case at Cutting Edge to track down a rock that's emitting magic. Derek has been tasked by Curran to look into the murder of a smithy and their family. When their cases intersect, Derek and Julie team up to take down the Warlock Adam. As they fight through various magic traps and try to figure out what the stone is, they become even closer.

Oh my gosh, if this is what we can look forward to in Aurelia Ryder, I'm all in. I loved the banter between Derek and Julie. I don't know if Derek is in the spin-off series, but I absolutely loved it. It's not said outright, but it's mentioned that Derek "belongs to someone else." I'm thinking it's Julie and I really hope so. I love them paired together. There is a slight age gap between them with Derek being 4-years older, but it's not that much and they both are definitely more mature beyond their years.

I loved seeing Derek do his thing and how he deals with the almost loupism he experienced as a child. It was really neat seeing how much Julie has learned and grown since Magic Tests. Although I'm not too sure what to think about her training with Roland behind Kate and Curran's backs. Although I'm happy that at least someone knows. I loved seeing Julie use her power and how her magic has changed since Kate saved her life and transferred her blood to her. We also learn that Julie knows more about the situation than Kate thinks, but isn't going to pressure Kate about it.

I loved this novella and it was so fun to get Derek's POV. I can't wait to see how Julie and Derek grow and evolve over the remaining books. It'll be fun to see the kind of person that Julie grows into when she becomes our main POV. I love every entry into this universe and just get more and more sucked into these characters and their lives with every word. I can't wait to read more from Ilona Andrews!

Have you read Magic Stars?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Magic Stars, Ilona Andrews, 5-stars, 0 days, eBook, 77 pages, published in 2015, Indie published

Magic Shifts by Ilona Andrews

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Before the Romance Takeover Readathon started, I needed to get through my Kate Daniels books for January! This month's assigned reads starts with book 8, Magic Shifts. We are almost at the end of this popular series by Ilona Andrews. The readalong is hosted by Stef, Heather and Megan! I was able to use this for the prompt borrowed from a friend or the library for the first board of Winter's Kiss. I also applied it to the Heaving Bosoms' 2022 Reading Embrace prompt Keep Being a Badass.

Kate and Curran are officially on their own and working on making more business for Cutting Edge. Now that Curran doesn't have the Pack to run, he's missing the challenge of making it all work. When Jim, the new Beast Lord, offers Curran the Pack's shares in the Mercenary Guild in exchange for flat out money in buying out some of his investments, Curran and Kate are not excited. The Guild isn't doing well and starting to fall apart. When one of the council members is rude to Curran, he changes his mind and the Guild will be his new project. When fellow shifter and guild member Eduardo goes missing, Kate and Curran start investigating. A lot of little cases start popping up and eventually they all connect to one big threat.

Oh my gosh, we got Kate and Curran working together for pretty much the whole book. I was so excited to see them grow and adapt to their new life and loved just seeing them work together on cases. Also, this book absolutely wrecked me in the middle. This is a little bit of a spoiler, but Kate has a worse battle then usual and ends up having a bunch of mini strokes. She almost dies. I repeat, she almost dies. I was so scared. I know that there are two more books, and the series name is Kate Daniels, but this isn't a romance. There's not guaranteed HEA, although I do think the series does have one. I was so wrecked and upset and couldn't put it down because I just had to get to the next magic wave so Doolittle could try to heal Kate. I don't quite know if this will come into play in the next couple books, but I do think that we've been slowly seeing Kate get injured more and more lately. I know that's partly due to her gaining more power and taking on stronger creatures/villains, but at the same time the power she's gaining isn't making her less human.

When Kate was in the hospital we got to see a lot of emotion from Curran and this was a more romantic scene between them. Seeing the connection between them was so beautiful and heart-wrenching. I also loved seeing Curran step up and be firm with Julie that no matter what happened to Kate, she's his daughter too. To get away from the more depressing part of the story, we got new mythos! This time was middle-east mythos and dealing with djinns. I love seeing more of the world and how Ilona Andrews seems to incorporate so many different religions and mythologies so seamlessly. I just can't believe how good they are at world building and making everything fit so naturally. I don't really have any nitpicks with this one except for the sudden emotional turmoil, but that just goes to show how emotionally invested I can get with books, especially when I'm with them for more than 8 books.

I'm super intrigued to see what happens as we wrap up the series. I'm trying to stay away from blurbs, but I do know that outside of books 9 and 10, we do have two .5 books. The 8.5 is a Julie and Derek book and I believe at the last live show they said that the 9.5 is Hugh's POV. I'm certainly intrigued there, especially since I really enjoyed his character until he went psycho crazy and tried to kill everyone. We'll see what happens. I'm excited to get to the end and see how this all ends up, but at the same time I'm also sad it's almost ending. At least we have the Aurelia Ryder spin-off that's set around Julie!

Have you read Magic Shifts?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Magic Shifts, Ilona Andrews, 5-star, 1 day, eBook, 375 pages, published in 2016, traditionally published

Reckless Miles by Claire Kingsley

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

With a little more free time, I had to continue my Claire Kingsley binge of the Miles Family series! The third book is Reckless Miles. I used this read to cover the prompt Small Town for the first board of Winter's Kiss. Also, my favorite romance podcast, Smart Women Read Romance, did an episode on this book as well! I was also able to use this for the prompt Lady Love for the Heaving Bosoms' 2022 Reading Embrace.

Cooper is still trying to get used to Chase and Brynn being together and losing the two people he hung out with the most. When he's at the local tavern, he runs into Amelia. She was just left at the alter and is hanging out at the tavern trying to figure out what she's going to do. Having been raised pretty much in boarding schools, she's a little bit of a fish out of water. They connect and Amelia asks Cooper back to her honeymoon suite. They have a magic connection and Amelia decides to stay at the winery for a Cooper-moon instead of taking her honeymoon. When everything just seems to fall into place for them both, Amelia questions if it's really what she wants and if she's just letting life happen to her.

Oh my gosh, this book was magic. I loved Cooper even more and he's so freaking swoony. I loved that he tried to hold back and not be his Cooper self as much in confessing to Amelia when he was in love with her and wanted her to stay forever. I also loved that we get a normal conversation about Amelia being a virgin. It's not a really made a big deal, but Cooper does acknowledge that he does feel a little bit of pressure to be her first and make sure it's good for them both. I just loved the way it was discussed and she wasn't put up on a pedestal or treated weird for not having experience. Also, Amelia is plus size which also done really well.

Honestly, their connection really made this book for me. I was swept away by Cooper along with Amelia and loved that they both had overactive brains and could really understand each other. I loved that most of the other Miles Family were flabbergasted that Amelia "spoke Cooper." It was just so good. I didn't like it when Amelia left for the "3rd act conflict," but I understood why she needed to get a little bit of space. I also loved though that it didn't take long for her to feel like she left her home and just wanted to go back to Cooper and the winery. Also, I hate their father. The Miles patriarch needs to just go the freak away and leave our family alone. I hated him in this book and really hope he gets his comeuppance in the next book.

There are two books left, Leo is the next. The last book in the series is more novella length and Shannon's 2nd chance at love (she's the mom). I can't wait to finish the series and continue getting through the back list of Claire Kingsley! I'm also excited because she mentioned that Levi's book (the last in the Bailey Brothers) should be out this year and she also has plans to do another spin-off that's based on the Havens that's also set in Tilikum. I can't wait to see what she writes next!

Have you read Reckless Miles?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Reckless Miles, Claire Kingsley, 5-stars, 2 days, eBook, 362 pages, published in 2018, indie published

FaRoFeb 2022 TBR

Update: Wrap Up is posted! 

It's here!
It's about that time again!
Fantasy Romance February, better known as FaRoFeb! FaRoFeb was started last year and I had a lot of fun participating in the various live shows and event they had on social media. If you want to learn more, they've gone even bigger this year and have a huge schedule on their website! They have two bingo boards again this year, but also had a blank option to create your own. I'm just going to focus on the two created and hopefully I can get through both. The readathon runs through the month of February. Below are the two bingo boards! If you want to check out what I read last year for FaRoFeb, check out my wrap up!

I have a lot of ideas, but once again I'm just going to try to mood read the best I can with my fantasy books. I do have several books and/or authors that I'd love to read though. There's a lot and I'm thinking of creating a spinner wheel to help me when I'm having trouble deciding what to pick up next.

🔮 First off, I have the last two books in the Kate Daniels readalong. We will be reading books 9.5 Iron and Magic and Book 10 Magic Triumphs. They will at the very least cover Urban Fantasy.

🔮 I most definitely want to read more of Grace Draven. She has her Bonekeeper Chronicles that'll lean more towards the steampunk/gaslight fantasy subgenre prompts. I also have a few other books on her backlist I need to read. If I pick up the Bonekeeper Chronlicles, I think I could use it for new to you subgenre. Technically it's not, but it's been a while since I've read in that one, so it's the closest I'll come to "new".

🔮 For more authors I read last year for FaRoFeb or just as fantasy romance reads, I have a few in mind.
- Alessa Thorn: I definitely need to finish the Court of the Underworld series. Maybe I'll pick up her Wrath of the Fae or Gods of the Duat series as well.
- Kristen Ashely: After reading the first in her Fantasyland series recently, I definitely want to pick up at least the next book in the series soon. It's a favorite in the series for a lot of readers.
- Tracy Lauren: I also recently read Tamed by the Troll and want to pick up the sequel Enthralling the Orc.
- There's also a few authors I've read before that I'd love to pick back up: Bec McMaster, C.L. Wilson, Kerrelyn Sparks, Juliette Cross & G.A. Aiken!

🔮 For new to me authors, there are quite a few that I've had on my tbr or have been intrigued by: Emma Hamm, Elsie Kova's Married to Magic series, Danielle L. Jensen's Bridge Kingdom series, & Shona Husk's Shadowlands series. Then there's the ever popular A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas that I still need to read.

As you can see, I have a lot of good options and there's even more popping up on FaRoFeb's website and instagram. I'm hoping to get a lot of good fantasy romance read next month. Last year my favorite paranormal/sci-fi fantasy ended up being a book I picked up for FaRoFeb, so maybe the same will happen this year. We shall see!

Are you planning on joining FaRoFeb this year?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

Forbidden Miles by Claire Kingsley

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The first book I picked up in 2022 had to be the continuation of Claire Kingsley's Miles Family series! The second book is Forbidden Miles. I was able to use this for the Winter's Kiss prompt meant to read in 2021. I also applied this to the Heaving Bosoms' 2022 Reading Embrace prompt Prelude to a Wet Hump.

We pick up shortly after Broken Miles. Chase is Cooper's best friend since kindergarten and the local large machinery mechanic. When he stops for dinner at the diner, he mentally comments on a couple making out in the back booth. When he sees that it's the youngest Miles, Brynn, something in his head flips. Growing up he had always put her in the off limit zone and almost saw her as invisible. Unbeknownst to him, Brynn had the biggest crush on Chase growing up. Now that Chase cannot stop seeing Brynn as more than just Cooper's sister, he's come to the realization that she's the one girl to stop his party boy ways.

Oh my gosh! I just feel like I'm going to go on Claire Kingsley binge and say the same thing over and over for each of these reviews, but I love Claire Kingsley. The way that she writes is so sweet and heartwarming and I adore her to pieces. Chase is kind of the stereotypical party boy with Cooper, but once he sees Brynn in a new light he immediately recognizes that this is different. He knows it's her and nobody else and doesn't stop. What's nice is that Brynn had to assess if this was just her childhood crush on her end, but once she realizes it's more she's also all in. All of the conflicts were external and I loved how much they just wanted to be together. They were constantly saying how even if it was just to sleep next to each other, they wanted to get together every night. And by sleep they really just meant sleep (although let's be honest, Chase can get it).

I was a little frustrated with how long Cooper wasn't on board, but once he was he was in 1000%. I know that Cooper's book is next and I can't wait. He is such a loveable goofball, especially with Chase. I loved that this wasn't just Chase and Brynn figuring out their relationship, but also Chase and Cooper. They are the ultimate bromance and I loved seeing the struggles between them to figure out how their friendship was going to look now that Chase's #1 was changing. It was just so touching and lifelike to show that not only do you have to work at and be open in a romantic relationship, but also for a true friendship. It was beautiful all around. I do have one little nitpick, I wish that the conflict with Chase's ex just didn't happen. I feel like there was enough emotional conflict for our boys with what happened with the Miles's father. Which he better get his comeuppance pretty soon. I trust Claire, but I'm sick of him coming in and ruining our character's lives.

Forbidden Miles was such a great choice to start 2022 with and I'm happy my first read of the year was a 5-star! I can't wait to pick up the rest of the series and get through the rest of Claire's backlist. I'm so happy to have rediscovered her a couple months ago and can't wait. Just as a little side note, she announced in a newsletter recently that there will be a 3rd spinoff series about the Havens set in Tilikum (where the Bailey Brothers is set). I can't wait to see the other side of the feud! If you haven't read Claire Kingsley yet and enjoy small town contemporary romances, definitely pick her up ASAP!

Have you read Forbidden Miles?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Forbidden Miles, Claire Kingsley, 5-stars, 1 day, eBook, 316 page, published in 2018, indie published

Romance Takeover Readathon Wrap Up

 Happy Tuesday!

I hope you had a wonderful weekend and if you participated in the readathon got some good reading done. I didn't get in as much reading as I wanted, but I still had a lot of fun. I was able to make it to a 3 of the 4 live shows/reading sprints! The readathon lasted from Friday January 14th through yesterday, Monday the 17th. It was hosted by the lovely Crystal, Jenn, Riley and Bree. They did a create your own bingo board and below is the one I created! If you want to take a peek at my TBR/idea post, I have it linked here.

I did end up getting a bingo, which is partly why I chose to pick up the book I read first. I did have more plans to read a novella as well, but time just got away with me. Below is my finalized board followed by what I read and the prompts they covered!

💙 Ravishing the Heiress by Sherry Thomas
Covered: Historical Romance, POC Author, Author You've Never Read

💙 Using Fejo by Victoria Aveline
Covered: New Release, 5-Star Prediction

I had a lot of fun hanging out with everyone and just being able to gush about the books I was reading over the weekend. I'm particularly looking forward to the Rake Appreciation Society meeting to talk about Ravishing the Heiress. The book club is hosted by two of the hosts here, Jenn and Crystal. Reviews right now are a little backed up, but I'll get them linked as soon as they get posted! I had a lot of fun and I can't wait for the next round!

Did you participate in the Romance Takeover Readathon?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

Broken Miles by Claire Kinglsey

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The last book I read for 2021 was the first in Claire Kingsley's Miles Family, Broken Miles! I was able to apply this to the Winter's Kiss prompt on Shelby's tbr.

Roland receives a phone call from his younger brother Leo. Their family owns the Salishan Winery and he has found out that they are in financial trouble thanks to their father's poor management. When Roland comes home from San Francisco to the small town in Washington he grew up in, it's more than just reconnecting with his family that he hasn't seen in 18 months. Zoe, Roland's ex-wife and high school sweetheart, works for the winery as the event manager. When the Miles family implodes and Zoe and Roland finally hash out their feelings and divorce, they start to reconnect. It's hard for them both to restart a relationship, even more so Zoe since she already had her heart destroyed by Roland once.

Oh my gosh, this was such a great read and way to finish off the year. I read so much contemporary romance in 2021 and found a lot a good authors. I was able to rediscover Claire Kingsley and was immediately sucked back into the world. It was also fun to see Grace (from the Bailey Brothers) from the Miles family point of view. There's something about Claire Kingsley's writing that's just so comforting and draws you into the families and small towns she creates.

Technically this book is a 4.5 star rating for me, but since this was the last book of 2021, I hadn't officially moved over to using 1/2 stars yet. Now, the reason why I had to dock it 1/2 a star was how long it took Zoe and Roland to get back together. I get there was a lot of set up for the family and a lot that Zoe and Roland had to work through. It took too long for them to even "bang it out", and that was at almost 60%. They didn't officially start dating again until like 70ish %. Once they got together we had a couple little time jumps. I just wanted to see them happy and together in the present more. I still loved it, but it bothered me enough that I had to do a little dock.

I loved getting back to Claire Kingsley and finally starting the Miles Family. I have a little bit of time in the new year before picking up some book club/readalong books, so we'll see how many I get through! I am so happy to read more and just find it crazy that I'm ending 2021 and starting 2022 with contemporary romance. How things have changed!

Have you read Broken Miles?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi Apple

STATISTICS: Broken Miles, Claire Kingsley, 4-stars, 0 days, eBook, 296 pages, published in 2018

Dear Ava by Ilsa Madden-Mills

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I needed a little bit of a change of pace after my holiday reading and decided on a whim to pick up Dear Ava by Ilsa Madden-Mills. I didn't really look at any of the prompts I had for readathons or challenges, but was able to use it for the prompt book that's gotten a lot of hype for Winter's Kiss. While this didn't get a lot of hype recently, I remember seeing it around a lot when it came out. This is a standalone romance.

Ava is returning to the private school she has a scholarship to for her senior year. It's been 10 months since she's attended as she was sexually assaulted at a party. While she doesn't know who it was, she's pretty sure it was one of the rulers of the school. They go by the name Sharks and the head of it is twin brothers Knox and Dane. When she gets to her new locker, she finds a letter inside with a phone number. It's from a secret admirer that admits he's a shark but really likes her. When Knox and Ava get paired together in film class, the forced proximity allows for Ava to talk to him about what happened to her. It also allows Knox to get closer to Ava, as he is her secret admirer.

So, I knew this book had an epistolary theme to it, but I was hoping the letter writing/texting did go on a little longer. However, the connection between Knox and Ava was so palpable and I really didn't mind it once I got to the end of the book. I usually don't read new or young adult, and the age group kind of rides in between here. I still managed to enjoy this though since both Ava and Knox have so much more life experience are not the typical 17/18-year-olds. The are so mature and have gone through so much.

While there is a little bit of a bully aspect, Knox himself doesn't bully Ava directly and once they start to actually connect he very quickly starts standing up for her. It was really hard to read, especially since a lot of her bullying came from classmates thinking that she wasn't sexually assaulted and a "slut." It really hurt my heart for Ava, especially thinking that they probably happened to someone somewhere. Or they didn't come forward because this might happen, especially in a private/boarding school setting.

Ava and Knox were such strong people and dealing with so much grief and trauma in their personal lives. When we got near the end of the book I was contemplating giving it 4-stars. I wasn't a big fan of how they came to separate, but when they came back together it was really beautiful (once we got past the teasing). While there is a little bit of intimate moments between them, it didn't feel like too much with them being younger. It also was such a beautiful way for them to connect. The tension between them was so strong and I wholeheartedly can see Ava and Knox together forever.

This wasn't the first Ilsa Madden-Mills that I've read, but it is the best so far. I think I definitely want to pick up her newer releases since what I previously read was earlier in the 2010s. A lot of her books are new adult, so I just don't get drawn to them. I think if I do get in the mood for new adult, I'll definitely look at what I have on my tbr from Ilsa.

Have you read Dear Ava?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Dear Ava, Ilsa Madden-Mills, 5-stars, 0 days, eBook, 374 pages, published in 2020

2021 Favorites

 Okay, after getting through my December and 2021 Wrap Ups where I had all of my stats, it's time for me to really reflect on what I really enjoyed reading last year. I picked up a lot of new authors and really expanded the genres that I typically read. Mostly because I really got into BookTube and started watching a lot more people. Because of that, I also started doing more with Bookstagram and joining in a lot more readathons and reading challenges. I really have a lot of fun participating and can't wait to see what books I pick up this year!

So for my favorite books I created some brackets (my sports loving heart loves brackets). It's really hard for me to choose, so I thought if I break them up it might make it easier. We'll see what happens. So before we get to the brackets, I do want to go over some other favorites lists. Just as a little note, I have decided to breakdown my books into three genre categories, historical romance, contemporary romance and paranormal/sci-fi/fantasy romance.

Favorite New Authors:

So this was a tough choice, but I am going to pick a couple per my three genre breakdowns. I narrowed it down by looking at how many were added to my want to own list as well as if I've already bought some of their books in paperback. I'm also looking at how many of their books I read (or plan to read). Their names will be linked to a compilation of their book's reviews.

Contemporary: Elsie Silver and Max Monroe

Historical: Donna Fletcher and Kathryn Caskie

Paranormal/Sci-Fi/Fantasy: Grace Draven and Annabelle Rex

Favorite 2021 Releases:

I have read a lot more newer releases this year and thought it might be fun to look at what was new that I picked up right away and absolutely adored! Some of these might be in my brackets below, but I also wanted to highlight them separately in case you are looking for any recent releases as well.

Contemporary: Off to the Races by Elsie Silver & A Bullet Between Us by K. Dosal

Historical: The Wrong Marquess by Vivienne Lorret & Devil in Disguise by Lisa Kleypas

Paranormal/Sci-Fi/Fantasy: Witches Get Stitches by Juliette Cross & Tempting Auzed by Victoria Aveline

Favorite Books of 2021:

Okay, so before we get into my brackets I want to mention a couple things. First, I didn't count any of my rereads. I obviously love them enough to do a reread and wanted to focus on new books I read this year. Second, there were a couple months where I didn't read one genre. I just counted it as an extra bonus space. Speaking of, I have several planned bonus spaces. This is to allow for a proper full bracket and also allow me to mix some honorable mentions into the mix. It was hard enough narrowing it down to just one per genre per month. Okay, so I do still have a few honorable mentions as well (that didn't make it from my favorites to the bonus brackets). I'll list those before the bracket. Also if you want to use the brackets, here are the links to the templates in Canva: Contemporary  Historical  Paranormal
If you'd like for me to send you a copy not through Canva, just send me a message on instagram or twitter or something and I can send it to you directly!

Also, I decided to something fun and record me talking through my thoughts and filling out my bracket! I'll post the winning bracket below so you can see how it ended up without watching the video, but please do if you want to listen to me ramble on about books! The first round takes the longest because I go into every book and my feelings about it, but the rest of the round go pretty quickly!

Contemporary:

Honorable Mentions:  A Photo Finish by Elsie Silver, The Devil and I by Kay Alastor, Ruthless Creatures by J.T. Geissinger

Round 1:

Jan vs Oct: Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn vs Unraveling Him by Claire Kingsley

Mar vs Dec: Her Big City Neighbor by Jacki Lau vs The Front Runner by Elsie Silver

May vs Bonus Book 2: Savage Lover by Sophie Lark vs Dirty Letters by Vi Keeland

 July vs Bonus Book 4:  The Rebel by Sophie Lark vs Off the Record by Chelle Sloan

Sept vs Feb: To Hate Adam Connor by Ella Maise vs Trouble With the Guy Next Door by Holly Renee

Nov vs Apr: Off to the Races by Elsie Silver vs Trouble With the Fake Boyfriend by Holly Renee

Bonus Book 1 vs June: Meant to Be by Terri Osburn vs A Bullet Between Us by K. Dosal

Bonus Book 3 vs Aug: Rushing In by Claire Kingsley vs Single Dad Seeks Juliet by Max Monroe

As you have just seen or can see below, the winner was Off to the Races by Elsie Silver! This book just blew me away and started my mini Elsie Silver binge. I've followed her on all the socials and signed up for her newsletter. She has quickly become one of my favorite contemporary authors and I can't wait to read whatever she comes out with next! March we should be getting the fourth book and I can't wait. It was a little tough to decide between Unraveling Him and Off to the Races, but I just had to go with instinct. I loved them both so much though!

Historical:

Honorable Mentions: The Highlander by Kerrigan Byrne, Daring Miss Danvers by Vivienne Lorret, Dearest Rogue by Elizabeth Hoyt

Round 1:

Jan vs Oct: Bound to a Warrior by Donna Fletcher vs In Bed with a Highlander by Maya Banks

Mar vs Dec: Return of the Rogue by Donna Fletcher vs Any Rogue Will Do by Bethany Bennett

May vs Bonus Book 2: Then Came You by Lisa Kleypas vs How to Seduce a Duke by Kathryn Caskie

July vs Bonus Book 4: The Earl I Ruined by Scarlett Peckham vs My Darling Duke by Stacy Reid

Sept vs Feb: Lord of Scoundrels by Loretta Chase vs Love Only Once by Johanna Lindsey

Nov vs Apr: The Husband Trap by Tracy Anne Warren vs Notorious Pleasures by Elizabeth Hoyt

Bonus Book 1 vs June: How to Engage an Earl by Kathryn Caskie vs The Wrong Marquess by Vivienne Lorret

Bonus Book 3 vs Aug: The Highlander's Forbidden Bride by Donna Fletcher vs Devil in Disguise by Lisa Kleypas

And the winner is... The Wrong Marquess by Vivienne Lorret! This was one of  my favorite books of 2021 that was published in 2021 and just further cemented my love of Vivienne Lorret. I was so hyped to start this book leading up to release and it exceeded all expectations. I can't wait for book 4, How to Steal a Scoundrel's Heart. It comes out May 24th and I preordered it as soon as the links went live. I feel like Vivienne Lorret is an underrated author and I can't urge enough people to read her books! Especially her newest series. So good!

Paranormal/Sci-Fi/Fantasy:

Honorable Mentions: Tamed by the Troll by Tracy Lauren, Hades by Alessa Thorn, Saving Verakko by Victoria Aveline

Round 1:

Jan vs Oct: The Sea King by C.L. Wilson vs Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews

Mar vs Dec: A Hunger Like No Other by Kresley Cole vs Walking in a Witchy Wonderland by Juliette Cross

May vs Bonus Book 2: A Kiss for Solstice by Elizabeth Allyn-Dean vs Medusa by Alessa Thorn

July vs Bonus Book 4: Witches Get Stitches by Juliette Cross vs Wildest Dreams by Kristen Ashley

Sept vs Feb: Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews vs Radiance by Grace Draven

Nov vs Apr: The Undying King by Grace Draven vs The Alien's Ransom by Ella Maven

Bonus Book 1 vs June: Tempting Auzed by Victoria Aveline vs Aubin by Annabelle Rex

Bonus Book 3 vs Aug: A Touch of Stone and Snow by Milla Vane vs Alien Tongues by Chloe Parker

And the winner is... Radiance by Grace Draven. It was a really hard choice, but as I mentioned at the end of my video, if I seperated the subgenres my favorite paranormal would be the runner up Witches Get Stitches by Juliette Cross and my favorite sci-fi would be Tempting Auzed by Victoria Aveline! Depending on how these genres end up percentage wise of my reading next year, I might separate the brackets. We'll see what happens! I just had to go with Radiance as my overall number one though since Grace Draven was a new author to me and I've gone through most of her backlist at this point.

That is it. We are done. Officially my favorite books are Off to the Races by Elsie Silver, The Wrong Marquessby Vivienne Lorret and Radiance by Grace Draven. Honestly though, you could pick up any of the books I mentioned here today and probably have a good time! I had a lot of fun filming my favorites and filling out my brackets. I definitely want to do more brackets again next year! There was a good mix of authors and books. I was happy that while there were some tougher decisions, it went pretty smoothly overall. If you enjoyed watching me fill out my brackets, let me know! I'm starting to foray into booktube and will be posting an announcement when I'm a little more comfortable and have a few videos posted.

What were your favorites of 2021?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎