No Rest for the Wicked by Kresley Cole

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My most anticipated book for the Love in the Night Readathon was No Rest for the Wicked. This is the third book in Kresley Cole's immensely popular Immortals After Dark series. This covered the remaining prompt Bite Me as well as Unique Paranormal, Eat Her Out and Diving Deep. For Fall In Love this worked perfect for the prompt Romance Series with 3+ Books. For Color Me Romantic I applied this to the Red prompt (passionate or intense character). Also I used this for Bang in the Night for the prompt Full Moon on the Cover or Stepback. I chose Anytime (I'll Be There) by Frank Sinatra from his Reprise Rarities Volume 4 album for the theme song.

Sebastian was turned into a vampire against his will by his brother when he was dying. Since he was free to leave his brother's oversight, he's been alone and brooding. Sebastian has always always felt separated from those around him, even as a human. When Kaderin shows up at the request of the local village to take care of the "nearby vampire," she is stunned to find Sebastian not fighting for his life and allowing her to make the killing blow uncontested. When he bloods her, Kaderin starts to feel feelings for the first time in centuries. When he forces his way into a special race that happens every 10 years, he finds ways to support her whether she wants it or not.

Oh my gosh. This was so great and why did I wait so long to get back into this series? Okay, I know why. I was nervous about getting sucked into the long running series and losing time to read my "assigned" books. Back to Kaderin and Sebastian though. I absolutely adored Sebastian with all of my heart and he is definitely my favorite hero in this series so far. There was something just so endearing about him and he hit all of my buttons. He's a sexy vampire, is super protective of his lover, can get a little nasty in the bedroom and also has that awkward/not-good-with-girls vibe. He just really did it for me and is going to definitely be hard to top. No to say I didn't love Kaderin, but because the premise of her character was that she was just experiencing feelings for the first time in forever it was hard to be on her "team" at times. It was especially hard for me when she clearly didn't want to kill Sebastian, but she was also stringing him along or intentionally saying things to hurt him that I didn't like. I understand her dilemma though because she was in huge vampire wars and vampires killed her two sisters. It was just hard because I understood and got 100% why she was doing what she was doing, but the Sebastian fangirl in me just wanted to shake some sense into her.

If there was one downside for me, it would be dealing with the race. This was a fun paranormal twist on Amazing Race combined with National Treasure and I loved it! I just wanted to see more about some of the "legs" and was surprised how much time we spent with Kaderin and Sebastian during the downtime between rounds. I also wish that we saw a little bit more of the other competitors, but mostly I wanted more when we did get to go with them on a hunt for a treasure. Everything was just done super quickly for the most part and I wanted a little more for the beginning races. The specific hunt was only really drawn out if there were complications or the final one. There could've been at least one early on that was easier to complete, but there could've been a lot of steps or something. I used to be obsessed with Amazing Race though, so I'm not surprised. I do think that a couple books later on the series do deal with the race as well, so we'll see what happens!

I'm so happy to finally get back into this series and I'm hoping to get at least two more books in the series read by the end of the year (one a month). Maybe if I spread it out like that it'll help me get through it a little quicker. No matter what I definitely need to scoot Immortals After Dark up my priority list for sure. I can't wait to see who's book is next (and will wait until I start it and avoid any blurbs or spoilers as much as I can).

Have you read No Rest for the Wicked?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: No Rest for the Wicked, Kresley Cole, 5 stars, 1 day, Paperback, 356 pages, published in 2006, traditionally published

A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J Maas

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The September book for the SJM-along was A Court of Wings and Ruin. This is the 3rd book in Sarah J Maas's highly popular A Court of Thorns and Roses series. If you haven't heard of the SJM-along, it's a SJM based readalong created by Jenn (The Book Refuge) and we are reading through her entire backlist in publication order! I was able to use this to cover the prompts Popular Booksta Romance for Fall in Love and Beige (a story you want to read while curled up in front of the fire or in bed) for Color Me Romantic. For Bang in the Night Bingo I used this to cover #SquadGoals. The theme song I chose from Frank Sinatra's Reprise Rarities collection was Night and Day from Volume 3.

As the Night Court (aka the Court of Dreams) starts preparing to go to war with the King of Hyburn, they need allies. After Feyre returns from the Spring Court, they go about trying to find help from the other courts and powerful beings throughout Prythian. At the same time Nesta and Elain are stuggling to learn their new powers and adjust to their new lives as fae. Feyre is now also known to not only be married to Rhysand, but has officially been announced as the High Lady of the Night Court. As the fight approaches with the King, many hard choices need to be made for the survival for both the fae and humans on the continent.

Oh my gosh, there was so much that happened in this book. I tried to not go too deep into it for my summary, but it was hard. I don't even know where to start and how to keep this to my customary two paragraph review. I loved seeing how Rhys's and Feyre's relationship strengthened and grew even more. I also loved that despite everything that they've gone through and the healing that they've had, there were still moments of setback or relapse from their experiences. Not that I want them to still be struggling, but it just kept the realism that no matter how long it's been or much healing you've done from trauma experiences, it doesn't take much to have a bad moment or night. It just gave so much hope in a real way. There are times where you can be "triggered" and end up having nightmares or going through a small bout of bad mental health space, but also still know that you've gotten through the worst and can continue to make it through.

This book had me laughing, swooning, crying, hoping and worried for all of our characters. I absolutely loved getting to meet the other High Lords and have so many more characters that I'm getting attached to and/or want to learn more of. There was such great closure for Feyre and Rhysand but in a way that left more stories to be told in the world. I myself am hoping that we get to see heas for some secondary characters and really hope that we get to see more from them in the future (especially Lucien). I cannot wait for the third part (of three) to come out from Graphic Audio in November and do plan on rereading the book when it does. I just know that the wartime scenes are going to be so cinematic and wreck me even more. The Graphic Audio versions are so great and I definitely can't wait to see how they do certain scenes. But back to A Court of Wings and Ruin, this was just so good and a great conclusion to the the first two books. I also loved that while there were characters that we saw die (and it was heart wrenching), most of the characters that we've really grown attached to made it though.

I don't really have too much to say outside of I have been absolutely adoring this series and Sarah's work in general. The live show was on October 1st, so if you missed it please check it out. It was a lot of fun once again going through the book and how it connects to other in the series and all of SJM's works as a whole. I'm super excited to pick up the next book for the readalong in October which will be Tower of Dawn. Seriously, if you were like me and held off from joining the SJM bandwagon, it's totally worth jumping into the series. I have enjoyed my time so much!

Have you read A Court of Wings and Ruin?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: A Court of Wings and Ruin, Sarah J Maas, 5-stars, 3 days, Paperback, 736 pages, published in 2017, traditionally published

Halloween Boo by Sarah Spade

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With a little bit of free time before getting to the last book club book for September, I decided to look for something that would fit for Bang in the Night and a new author for me (to hit my final September TBR prompt). I decided to pick up Halloween Boo by Sarah Spade. This is the first book in her Holiday Hunk series. I was able to use this to cover the Fall in Love prompt set in fall and Color Me Romantic prompt Mauve (clothing on the cover). I also used this to cover the Bang in the Night prompt Who You Gonna Call? with the theme song of Frank Sinatra's In the Shadow of the Moon off of the third volume of Reprise Rarities.

Dani has moved to Salem for work and has spent the past year living with a ghost. The second the calendar switches to Halloween on the 31st, Zack, her friendly ghost, becomes corporeal. He has fallen in love with Dani over the past 10 months and is happy to finally be able to connect with her. As they get to know each other and spend the day relaxing around the apartment, the spark between them starts to burn hotter. As we reach the end of the night, Dani and Zack throw caution to the wind and take action on their attraction.

I was so pleasantly surprised by this novella. I knew going in that it was related to Hocus Pocus in someway, but I wasn't sure how exactly. I think I would call this inspired by instead of a retelling. We do get some nods to the fantastic film, but it is entirely it's own thing. Everything that I want from a novella, especially a holiday novella, was included in this. It also had more than I could want. I loved the way that Dani and Zack really connected throughout the story. Even though they really only had one day together physically, I thought it was so well done that Sarah took time to establish an intellectual and emotional connection between them before they acted on the physicality. I really enjoyed seeing that they could just be together all day and take their time to get to know each other. It did help too that he had been "living" with her for the past 10 months and really understood who she was. I also loved that all he wanted to do was take care of her. I thought it was so fun at the beginning when he tried to warn her (still as a ghost) that she left her ice cream out on the counter. Zack was just so freaking adorable.

If you enjoy novellas and are looking for something Halloween vibed without being spooky or monstery, definitely check this novella out. I will be reading more from this series and from Sarah Spade. I definitely plan on picking up the next book when I start reading some winter and Christmas related books. The whole series is holiday related and I can't wait to see what other stories she has in store.

Have you read Halloween Boo?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Halloween Boo, Sarah Spade, 5-stars, 1 day, eBook, 106 pages, published in 2018, indie published

Ruby Fever by Ilona Andrews

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The final book, and recent release, for the Hidden Legacy readalong was Ruby Fever. This is the 6th book in Ilona Andrew's very popular series and also wraps up Catalina's trilogy. The readalong was hosted by Stef, Heather, Megan and Izzy. If you missed the live show for Ruby Fever, I have linked it. I was able to use this to cover warm tone color(s) on the cover for Fall in Love!

Catalina has been working as the Deputy Warden of Houston. When the Warden gets attacked and self-enforces a comatose status at the same time a powerful political figure is attacked, she is made the acting Warden. As House Baylor works to solve the different happenings going on around town, a Russian Prince shows up to cause drama. When a lot of the attacks that have been happening around them end up being attached to the machinations of Alessandro's father's murderer, they have to prepare for war. As they work through the House's survival, old threats come into play as alliances, if not more.

This was such a great book and I thought it was so well wrapped up for Catalina's trilogy. There was so much going on that it's really hard to touch base on everything that happened and avoid spoilers. First off, there is a little less romance between Catalina and Alessandro in this book, but we just get to sit with them as a solid couple. Not that they don't get some alone time, but the romance I feel like isn't quite as important to the story line here. We also get some set up for Arabella's possible match (I know we'll probably have to wait a while before we see any books from her). What really blew me away was the more we learned about Catalina's powers. There was still more depth and nuance than I expected and it was really fun really getting to learn not only more about her powers, but some of the lineage behind it. For the "big bad" in this book, it was handled really well and it really did a good job of not only tying up a lot of the loose threads from Catalina's trilogy, but from Nevada's trilogy as well. I don't want to give spoilers, but this was such a great wrap up of the series to this point.

Just as an aside, if you weren't aware, this was officially the final book for their publishing contract. Ilona Andrews is now going to be indie publishing (as per a couple of their announcements). From an interview I saw, they are planning on eventually doing books for Arabella, but there's no timeline as of now. There are a couple hints and very tiny loose threads where her books could pick up, but I wasn't left feeling like there was still a lot left open for her books.

They hosts are planning on starting another Ilona Andrews readalong for the Innkeeper Chronicles series, but I the plan as of now is for it to start early next year in 2023. Stay tuned to all their youtubes and instagrams for the official announcement. While I would love to continue my binge reading of Ilona Andrews, I think I'm going to wait so I can have them all first time reads for the readalong. No matter what, I can't wait to read more from Ilona Andrews, both in their backlist and whatever they choose to write next!

Have you read Ruby Fever?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Ruby Fever, Ilona Andrews, 5-stars, 0 days, Paperback, 380 pages, published in 2022, traditionally published

Empire of Storms by Sarah J Maas

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 Update: I recently reread Empire of Storms (lest than two weeks after finishing it the first time). I was able to use my reread to apply to Fall in Love prompt September Release and Color Me Romantic prompt for Gray (gray on cover and an older character).

One of the assigned books for the August portion of the SJM-along was Empire of Storms. This is the fifth book in Sarah J Maas's popular Throne of Glass series. I was able to use this to cover the Summer of Swoon prompt author with more than five published books for the second bingo board.

Now that magic has returned to the land of Erilea, Aelin and her court are now tasked to reclaim the throne of Terrasen and start planning to go to war with the Valg King. When Aelin is shut-out from her homeland by the current lords, she sets about finding allies and continuing her plan to fight. She and her court are hoping that seeing her actions will change their minds about her character and that she can make a good queen. At the same time Manon is dealing with reconciling the the truth about her grandmother. Travelling the world we see Elide trying to make her way to Aelin to pass along the wyrdkey she received. Lorcan is also out in the world trying to find the wyrdkeys to save Maeve from herself. Maeve also decides to start becoming a player in this war.

Oh my gosh, this book was the culmination of so many things, but yet there is still so much to do throughout the rest of the books in the series. It's hard to say, but I think this might be my favorite in the series so far. We finally get some steamy times and more romantic moments between Aelin and Rowan, as well as a few other couples. I'm having a lot of fun pairing everyone up and am nervous in case Sarah decides to kill someone off. This is going to be hard to review because I want to keep this as spoiler free as possible, but I loved seeing a lot of the people we met during the prequel anthology come back into play. It was just so much fun. We also get some characters we met before fleshed out even more and I love how everyone is being brought together.

This book had such an epic feel throughout and I was so engrossed in what was going to happen. I'm really trying not to do too much predicting while I read (outside of building ships) and I think that's helping my enjoyment. I'm just along for the ride and trying to stay blind to any spoilers. There are times I've been nervous and happy and sad. Sarah really writes in a way that easily draws me in and really has me emotionally invested in everyone's story. I think the way that she's slowly grown the world and cast of characters has been really well done and I'm not having a hard time at all keeping things straight. Also, I thought it was super fun that we started the book with Elide and not Aelin. It was surprising and I really enjoyed kind of starting a little slow with Elide by herself before jumping back into a lot of the action.

I'm so stoked to continue the series and can't wait to see what's coming next. We are jumping back into the ACOTAR series for September, but I'm excited no matter what to continue the SJM-along. If you missed the live show for Empire of Storms, check it out here! I had a lot of fun, once again, and can't wait to see what new information comes to light during the future discussions.

Have you read Empire of Storms?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Empire of Storms, Sarah J Maas, 5-stars, 1 day, Paperback, 689 pages, published in 2016, traditionally published

STATISTICS: Empire of Storms, Sarah J Maas, 5-stars, 9 days, Paperback, 689 pages, published in 2016, traditionally published

Her Unexpected Roommate by Jackie Lau

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The end has come to Jackie Lau's Cider Bar Sisters. The last book in the series, Her Unexpected Roommate just recently came out (August 9th) and I wanted to pick it up as soon as possible. I was able to use this book to cover the prompt yellow on the cover for the 2nd board of Summer of Swoon!

Rose is struggling with her depression and trying not to internalize all of her friends finding their HEAs. When she goes out by herself for a drink, she runs into Cal. They end up going home together, but circumstances happen that leaves them unable to contact each other afterwards. When they come back together months later, it's as Cal becoming Rose's new roommate. As they live together, it's hard to forget the wonderful night they spent together before, but don't want to cause any issues with their living situation.

So, before we get into the review, I do want to talk about some trigger/content warnings. There is a lot of discussion about depression and the different symptoms that come with it. Even more specific though, is depression that is resistant to "normal" treatments. There's also discuss of suicide and stigmas against depression and mental health. That is in the past and not something that is current though. This is mentioned in the author's note at the beginning of the books as well, but the heroine's mother didn't really accept that depression was an issue and ended up committing suicide years before this book is set. There is also a mention that Rose herself was suicidal before, but it's not really gone into too deeply. On a more positive note, the way that suicide and mental health is discussed in this book is really well done. I love the way that Jackie Lau is able to talk about these deep issues but not make it feel preachy or too over-dramatic to get a point across. There is discussion about the stigmas that society put on people that attempt or commit suicide and how there's a skewed perspective a lot of the time. As someone that was diagnosed with depression as a pre-teen and also struggled with suicide when I was younger, this book felt very meaningful to me. It did take me a lot longer than usual to get through (almost a week), but that is because I've been really stressed out with getting ready to move and struggling to find time to read.

Now, usually the books in this series have more of a rom-com feel. There is some humor here, but because of the heavier topics dealt with I would consider this more of a straight contemporary. But let's get onto the other parts of the book. I absolutely adored Cal. He was so easygoing and just adaptable and willing to do whatever he could to help Rose when she was struggling. There were a lot of pieces of Rose that I connected with and it was so satisfying to see her reach her HEA. Even though there was a lot of focus on Rose, Cal had his own issues with his family and having lived his life with undiagnosed dyscalculia. I really enjoyed the way that they felt connected and it was just so cute to see them cuddling on the couch watching C- and K-dramas. This book was heavy, but it also felt really uplifting. I also loved how the "third-act conflict" happened (spoiler: there wasn't really one). The final chapter and epilogue was also really cute to see and it was really cute seeing the cider bar sisters a few years forward. I loved the wrap up of the series!

Okay, now for my usual, "Please read Jackie Lau" blurb. Seriously, pick her up. I loved her and her books. The way that she writes just feels so realistic and I want to hang out with all her characters! She is one of my favorite contemporary authors and also a cozy read for me. Jackie has been teasing in her past few newsletters that she has plans for two new series in 2023. There hasn't been anything announced as of yet, but I have a feeling one might be based around Cal's friend group (that are all from their high school theater group) and the other might be one of Rose's instagram plushie friends (a scientist in Montreal). We'll see what they end up being, but no matter what I'll be picking them up!

Have you read Her Unexpected Roommate?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Her Unexpected Roommate, Jackie Lau, 5 stars, 6 days, eBook, 234 pages, published in 2022, indie published

Whispers on the Wind by Donna Fletcher

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With a little bit of free time left before needing to pick up one of my book club books for the month, I decided to continue reading to try to finish the Ripped Bodice Summer Bingo. I decided to pick up Whispers on the Wind by Donna Fletcher to cover the prompt ghost. This also worked to cover the Summer of Swoon 2nd board prompt photo cover.

Belinda, Billie has ended up inheriting Radborne Manor in Cornwall. With nowhere else to go, she travels from Nantucket to claim her new home. When she arrives, she finds the manor is haunted by the previous Earl, Lord Maximillian. As she works with Max to figure out why his spirit is unable to rest and move him on, she gets dragged into a plot more dangerous than expected. While investigating in the town and around the manor, Billie meets the new local Vicar John. The more time she spends with John, the more she realizes he would make a good husband and can see a life with him. It's not as simple with Max the ghost stoking the passions within Billie the more time they spend together.

This was such a fun read. First off, I do know that this book isn't perfect, things are pretty predictable and the tension is a little off when coming to the big mystery, but I just had to give this 5-stars. I had such a good time reading Whispers on the Wind and was super excited to read one of Donna's early standalones. I also need to put out there that this is a great book when it comes to early historical romances (this was published in 1997). Yes there is a lot of silliness going on, but I didn't take it too seriously and really loved how everything developed.

Now, this is a little spoilery, but since it happens pretty early on, I do want to touch base on a couple things regarding the ghost situation. The blurb on the back definitely leads this towards a love triangle, and Billie also at times does feel like she's torn between the two men. She immediately questions if he's really a ghost and I love how she played along with Max's scheme. She was very much: if he's a ghost, great we'll help him move on; if he's not, I'll help him accomplish whatever it is that he's trying to do. I loved how she just really wanted to help him. I also loved how she integrated herself in the town. While she did try to adapt a little bit to the English customs, there were times where she didn't care and she was going to continue acting the American way because it made sense. Honestly, my biggest gripe was how many head injuries that poor girl went through. There was mention that one of them left her in bed for a couple weeks, but that poor girl probably will end up with CTE or something. 

I had a lot of fun reading this (I know I keep saying it). This had the same easy readability of Donna's other books, but it definitely had a different feel. Maybe it's because it was earlier published, maybe it's because it's not set in the Scottish Highlands. Whatever it is, I can't urge you more to try this book if you've enjoyed her other books. I'm also happy I was able to find this in paperback a little white ago in good condition! My enjoyment of Donna Fletcher continues!

Have you read Whispers on the Wind?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Whispers on the Wind, Donna Fletcher, 5 stars, 1 day, Paperback, 360 pages, published in 1997, traditionally published

Second Star to the Left by Megan Van Dyke

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With a little bit of time to mood read, I looked at what prompts I had remaining in my summer quarterly challenges. I had one prompt left for the 1st bingo board of Summer of Swoon, 2022 debut author! I decided to pick up Second Star to the Left by Megan Van Dyke. This is not only her debut book (she has a couple more out now), but is also the fist in her Reimagined Fairy Tales series.

After Tinker Bell saves her cousin from being captured by Blackbeard, she breaks one of the few laws pixies has to save her. In committing the act of selling her pixie dust she loses the ability to return home in the pixie realm. She is tasked by Queen Titania, the queen of the mermaids, to steal a necklace to gain their trust. She seduces and drugs (with pixie dust) Captain Hook, the current owner of the necklace. He ends up getting cursed as the most recent owner of the necklace by the mermaids. To remove the curse Captain Hook is under and get the pearl that could fix Tink's bracelet (that gives her access to her home), they are tasked with finding a legendary magical item. They are forced to work together to both get what they need, but struggle to keep from forming emotional entanglements.

Guys, guys, guys... this book was soooooo good. First off, I want to preface that I'm not the biggest Peter Pan fan. I don't dislike it, but the only thing that I've really enjoyed relating to it was the movie Hook and the version of Captain Hook from Once Upon a Time (sexy pirate alert). So with that, I know the basic story of Peter Pan, but not all the little details. I cannot tell you how twisted Megan gets with the little details, but not matter how far she goes, I loved this book! I really enjoyed learning about Tink and just pixies in general and their way of life. I thought the magic they had was simple, but also super unique. You could feel the tension between Hook and Tink from the start and I loved that they just kept getting drawn to each other. Even when Hook was trying to be stern and "mean" with her, he just couldn't stop himself from caring. I just loved them together and how they kept stealing kisses and really opened up to each other in ways that they hadn't to really anyone else.

Now the mystery and friction with Blackbeard was a little predictable, but going into a "fairy tale" trope type of book I was expecting some predictability. It didn't bother me at all and I think just made it that much more of a fun and easy read. There really wasn't much that detracted from my enjoyment of the book. I mean the only thing would be I need to know what happened to Tink's cousin Lily and Peter and the lost boys. I'm sure they'll pop up later in the series or in a book of their own, but I want to know how that loose end gets tied up!

I cannot wait to read more from Megan and I'm still a little astounded that this was her debut. I've read her hints and blurb for the 2nd book in the series, The Ugly Stepsister, and I am so excited to read it. It comes out next month (September 13th). Seriously, if you enjoy fairy tale retellings, especially with a twist, definitely check out this series. I think I might have just found another new favorite fantasy romance author!

Have you read Second Star to the Left?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Second Star to the Left, Megan Van Dyke, 5 stars, 1 day, Paperback, 302 pages, published in 2022, small publisher

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J Maas

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For the month of July, the assigned book for the SJM-along was A Court of Mist and Fury! This is the second book in Sarah J Maas's highly popular series A Court of Thorns and Roses. If you haven't heard of the readalong, it was created by Jenn (The Book Refuge) and is a readalong going through Sarah's blacklist in publication order. This month the live show was moved to Jenn's channel. I was able to use this for the booksta rec prompt on the 2nd board of Summer of Swoon.

After the events of A Court of Thorns and Roses, Feyre is struggling with what happened. Tamlin and her are trying to get the Spring Court back to normal proceedings, but with both of them still struggling through their trauma their relationship is not the same. After a couple months Tamlin proposes and Feyre sets about learning to be a high lord's consort and planning the wedding with Priestess Ianthe. As Feyre starts wasting away and stops taking care of herself, Rhysand shows up to enact the bargain struck Under the Mountain. He takes her to the Night Court and sets about helping her learn to read and helps her train her new magical powers. As Tamlin gets more and more controlling, Feyre finally breaks and Rhys saves her. He offers her the change to join his court and become part of his Inner Circle as war threatens once again.

I don't know how I'm going to review this book in my layout of two paragraphs and without it just being a ginormous gush fest. First, I have to mention the way that Sarah handled PTSD and the different ways it manifest was really well done. I don't have any direct experience, but it felt real to me and I did hear from others with first or second-hand experience that it was represented well. What blew me away was how it affected Tamlin, Rhysand and Feyre all so deeply, but manifested itself in different ways. Now I know that there is a lot of hate for Tamlin, and I understand it. I do allow him quite a bit of grace though because he is suffering as well. We just don't get to see as much the hows because we don't get his POV. Where I get more frustrated with with the people around Tamlin (outside of Ianthe) not stepping in to help both Tamlin and Feyre. There's servants and guards and friends and I just wish that one of them pushed harder to get them both the help they needed. Not that I wish that Tamlin and Feyre ended up together, because she's fated mates with Rhys, but I did want to see them both be taken care of. They both have changed drastically and it makes sense that they don't necessarily work together as a romantic pairing anymore. It was just sad to see for both of them that they were stuck. 

Okay, so Rhys and his inner court are absolutely amazing. I love them all so dearly and would love to be a part of the their friend group. The way that they all treated Feyre when they met her was so sweet to see and it really helped that they treated her as a person and not the "savior." I also loved how they all tried to take care of Feyre and Rhys as well and did stand up to them when they needed it (unlike Tamlin's court). Once again there were so many cinematic moments in this book that were elevated even more by Graphic Audio. The final ending scene where they are all around the cauldron was so haunting and I didn't want to pause, even to go to the bathroom. I love the evolution of Rhys's and Feyre's relationship and how they really were able to connect with each other on all levels. I was crying when the big thing happened at the end, but then there were a couple more chapters and I was cheering and so happy for them. 

Honestly, my review probably doesn't do this book justice, but I absolutely adored this book so much and so far it's probably my favorite of Sarah's books I've read so far. We have a little bit before getting to A Court of War and Ruin, but I can't wait. I'm nervous about what's going to happen with the war and if we're going to lose any of my favorite characters because let's be honest, it still guts me that Nehemia died in Crown of Midnight. We'll see what happens. For the meantime though, we are jumping back to Throne of Glass and Empire of Storms for August's reading.

Have you read A Court of Mist and Fury?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: A Court of Mist and Fury, Sarah J Maas, 5-stars, 1 day, Paperback & Audiobook, 626 pages, published in 2016, traditionally published

Flawless by Elsie Silver

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One of my most anticipated releases for 2022 is the spin-off series from Elsie Silver's Gold Rush Ranch series. The first book in her Chestnut Springs series, Flawless, came out June 24th and I've been waiting for the chance to pick it up! I was able to use this for the Summer of Swoon prompt author rec and Ripped Bodice Summer Bingo prompt dance.

Rhett is one of the top bull riders on the circuit and getting older. After mentioning he doesn't like milk around a hot microphone, his biggest sponsor, a dairy company, pulls away. As his reputation gets twisted in the media, his agent assigns new agent Summer to be his "babysitter." Summer is actually his agent's daughter and is only joining the company to help her father out since she feels indebted to him. When Summer pushes past Rhett's boundaries by being herself, they quickly find themselves succumbing to the spark between them. As the season continues and Rhett finds himself injured, Summer and Rhett struggle to come to terms on what the future is for their relationship.

Elsie freaking does it again. First off, Rhett is one smooth yet dirty talkin' cowboy and I am here for it. Elsie always does such a good job with her heroes really being all in for their heroines and here is not exceptions. There's a slightly different vibe with this book, just it still felt just as cozy and soul-warming as Gold Rush Ranch. Here we get more of the media and public aspect of bull riding and I really loved the way that she really showed how much of a sport it is. I have grown up farm/ranch adjacent so I have been to quite a few different rodeos. It's really crazy seeing it all come down to 8 seconds and I think Elsie did a great job really portraying the mindset of a bull rider in all aspects of their life.

Summer really was such a strong heroine and I was so heartbroken to hear about her horrible relationship with her step-mother and sister. I think the only thing that could've thrown this over the top was maybe her sister reaching out or being open to them working on establishing a better relationship in the future. As someone with some strained familial relationships, it just would've been that extra little pizazz to give Summer hope in that area. Her father was great though and I loved that he fired her so she could go and find a job that really fit her passions.

Another gush fest from me for Elsie Silver! I'm so happy to be reading her spin-off series and can't wait to see the other brothers (and maybe Jasper [grumpy hockey goalie anyone?]) get their HEAs and I think the next book it tentatively set to release in October. It feels far away, but I know it'll be here sooner than we know. If you haven't read Elsie Silver, I couldn't recommend her more. She had my favorite contemporary romance of 2021 and I need more people to read her books so we can gush together!

Have you read Flawless?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Flawless, Elsie Silver, 5-stars, 2 days, Paperback, 428 pages, published in 2022, indie published

Emerald Blaze by Ilona Andrews

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The second main book we had to read in July for the Hidden Legacy Readalong was Emerald Blaze. This is the fifth book in Ilona Andrews's popular series. The readalong is being hosted by Stef, Heather, Megan and Izzy. I was able to use this for the prompts bright colors on the cover for Summer of Swoon and worked to cover the GM (character that pulls off something crazy) prompt for my Hockey Champions Readathon!

As the Deputy Warden of Texas, Catalina is tasked with continuing the search for the other missing vials of the Osiris serum. On top of whatever house problems and cases Baylor Investigations picks up, she has to drop everything and pursue what Warden Linus instructs. When he demands that she takes over the Morton case from Augustine, she has to finally reveal to him that she is the Deputy Warden. Felix Morton was a part of a reclamation project for the Pit and has been murdered. As per the agreement all members of the board signed, they have to allow the investigation or be shut down. When Catalina learns that one of the missing Osiris serums is involved to one of the largest threats faced, things become a lot more dire. When Alessandro comes back as Felix's father's associate and gets thrown back into it with Catalina. Alessandro has returned a changed man and does his best to convince Catalina he's only here to protect her from the man behind the theft.

Alright, let me just preface my thoughts with this, Emerald Blaze is my favorite book of the series so far and probably my favorite of their books that I've read. I became a huge fan of Catalina in Sapphire Flames and the ante has been upped even more. There's a few months between the two books and just seeing her really come into her role as the Deputy Warden was so freaking awesome to see. I also love that while Nevada was doing it for the good of everyone, I feel like what Catalina's taking on has a lot bigger risks. I mean the "big bad" in this book could potentially take down all humanity. That's a pretty big deal. I just absolutely loved and was mesmerized with how she managed to defeat The Abyss. I couldn't believe it, was rooting for her and super nervous at the same time. While I knew she most likely wouldn't die, I also didn't want to see any of the new side characters we've come to adore to be in danger as well. The final battle scene was just so freaking cinematic and such a fun end to the book.

I should also mention that we get more of Nevada and Connor in this book. Nevada is around most of the time and she is 8 months+ pregnant! Near the end of the book her water breaks and by the end we have her son! It was just so cool to really see her and Connor living in their HEA since they were away in the previous book. Also, the way that Alessandro comes back and has really changed. I loved how Catalina didn't trust it 100% and really pushed Alessandro to really open up to her. Their connection grows so much here and honestly, I feel really solid about where they're sitting. I'm hoping we get some good action of them working together as a couple in Ruby Fever, but if there's not too much relationship-wise I don't think I'll feel too sad about it. Back to Emerald Blaze though, another part I really enjoyed was just the family really being brought into what Catalina's actually doing for Linus. We also get some clarification about what happened when Nevada left the house and at the same time really seeing how much planning Catalina has put into action the past few years and really does have a lot of long game plans.

I also read a couple short stories. There is a short story listed as 4.2 in the series called Pay Me, however it takes place during Emerald Blaze. I waited to read it until done with Emerald Blaze and it's also available for free on their website! This was just a fun short story in Catalina's POV where she and Arabella arrive to close a case and receive payment. There was such a cool moment with Catalina that gave Boss-B* energy and I loved it. The other short story I read was The Cool Aunt. This is listed as book 5.1 in the series and also available for free on their website. At the end of Emerald Blaze, when Nevada goes into labor, Catalina sends Arabella with Nevada to protect her. This short story is from Arabella's POV and what happens from the point Catalina runs to get her and goes through the entire birth of her nephew. I loved this and can't wait to read more from Arabella's POV. It just gave me all the fuzzy feels and I gave both of these short stories 5-stars!

The next day when processing my thoughts about Emerald Blaze, I really wanted to reread. I absolutely adored this book and cannot wait to see what happens. I'm happy we don't have to wait too long for Ruby Fever, but the end of August is still farther away then I would like. I almost want to reread this right before it comes out, but we'll see if I have time. I cannot wait to read more from Ilona Andrews and I couldn't impress upon you more, READ THIS SERIES! It's just so freaking good and I don't know why I didn't read these books earlier.

Have you read Emerald Blaze?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Emerald Blaze, Ilona Andrews, 5-stars, 1 day, Paperback, 392 pages, published in 2020, traditionally published

STATISTICS: Pay Me, Ilona Andrews, 5-stars, 0 days, eBook, 8 pages, published in 2019, indie published

STATISTICS: The Cool Aunt, Ilona Andrews, 5-stars, 0 days, eBook, 12 pages, published in 2020, indie published

Sapphire Flames by Ilona Andrews

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

As we reach the final few books of the Hidden Legacy readalong, it was time to start book 4, Sapphire Flames. This is also the start of Catalina's trilogy in the series. The readalong is hosted by Stef, Heather, Megan and Izzy. This was able to cover the Summer of Swoon prompt blue on the cover and the Hockey Champions Readathon prompt for Logan O'Connor (fan favorite author).

As the three-year grace period for emerging houses comes to an end for House Baylor, Catalina is trying to get everyone ready for whatever may come. As the new Head of House, she is also taking point as the lead investigator for their business. When she she is urged to take the case of her friend's Runa, she stumbles upon a larger plot. While trying to figure out who murdered Runa's mother and younger sister, she learns that several vials of the Osiris Serum went missing and are connected with the murder. When she approaches "Uncle" Linus for clarification on some things, she is learns about the theft and is named Deputy Warden for Texas. As the assassin house starts coming for Catalina, Alessandro finds himself back in Texas and unable to stay away from Catalina. As they start to get to know each other, Catalina tries to not fall for him too hard. Alessandro is hiding a lot of things and doesn't plan on sticking around.

Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh. This was such a freaking good book and I cannot wait to see what comes next for Catalina and Alessandro. Now, I have to prefece this with saying I loved Nevada. She was such a badass and super cool, but Catalina has stolen my heart. She is a lot more relatable to me and I loved seeing both her "Head of House" persona as well as who she is around her family, and then who is when by herself (and eventually Alessandro). As the reader you really get to see her doubts and struggles with keeping her magic contained. While Nevada was fairly blind to a lot of the workings of magic in the beginning, Catalina has had to study her magic most of her life to keep it contained. With the way her magic works it really broke my heart when she mentioned that she tends to push people away (that aren't family) because when she wants them to like her it's harder to control her magic. She is falling in love with Alessandro and wants him to fall in love with her, but it so worried that it'll be because of her magic (nevermind he's one of the few to be able to negate her magic).

As for the action of this, Ilona Andrews does such a good job. There is about a 3 year time jump from Diamond Fire and Catalina has gotten some training with Connor's mother. It was also nice to see Arabella and Leon also older taking more of larger role in the business. We get to see all most of the same side characters, but there are also some new ones that we really get to see fleshed out. I've said this before about Ilona Andrews, but the way that they create a world just feels so organic and real. Even if you see a character for a few pages, they don't feel one or even two-dimensional. I just love the way that world build and I think that every paragraph, every word, every letter just adds so much to the stories they create. It was also really neat to learn a lot more about Catalina's magic, especially as she's really starting to get comfortable using it.

I also want to mention that there are two short stories available on Ilona Andrews's website for free! 4.1 is A Misunderstanding and is a short scene about where Arabella and Leon are in the beginning of Sapphire Flames. We hear talk about closing out the Yarrow case and that there were some issues. Later on we get to hear more about what went down, but this was fun to really see what happened. This is from Arabella's POV, which is a first for this series. There is another short story listed as 4.2 in the series called Pay Me. It is noted that it takes place during Emerald Blaze though, so I will wait and read it until after I read that. I'll touch base on Pay Me in that review.

I am so excited to start Catalina's trilogy. While I wasn't nervous about the writing going in, I wasn't really sure who Catalina was. The novella Diamond Fire helped, but I have to say that Catalina is a new favorite character for me. The way that she really just holds it all together but isn't 100% bad-ass 100% of the time. She's also a little more bookish and nerdy in her bad-assery and I love that. She just really connected with me and I cannot wait to see what happens in the next book. We had some heartbreak at the end and I need to know what happens! Thankfully Emerald Blaze is already out!

Have you read Sapphire Flames?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Sapphire Flames, Ilona Andrews, 5-stars, 0 days, Paperback, 393 pages, published in 2019, traditionally published

STATISTICS: A Misunderstanding, Ilona Andrews, 4-stars, 0 days, eBook, 13 pages, published in 2019, indie published

Bright Like Wildfire by Juliette Cross

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With a little bit of a break before digging into more of my planned reads for July, I decided to pick up Bright Like Wildfire by Juliette Cross. I did receive an ARC (advanced reader's copy) since I am a member of her Patreon. This is the first book in her new Beauville series! I was able to use this to cover the prompt summer 2022 release for Summer of Swoon. This also worked perfectly for my prompt for July's roll for the Yahtzee Challenge, Ones!

Betty is auditioning for her community theater's production of Barefoot in the Park. She wins the lead role, however will be costarring with Bennett. She has had a grudge against him since she was young and he glitter bombed her during a production of A Midsummer's Night Dream. Top that off with the opening of his new grocery store causing her to be late that morning for work, when they meet again there's some tension. As Bennett and Betty work together, their attraction grows quickly outside of their roles as actors and they quickly can't stay away from each other. As Bennett deals with the opening of his new business and unwanted interjections by his father, Betty is perfect for keeping him grounded and giving him some stress-free times. When they both start to develop deep feelings for each other, Betty gets nervous that it's too quick and easy.

Oh my gosh. Juliette does it again. This was so much fun and I'm so happy to read her first independently published contemporary. The sexual tension between Bennett and Betty was so visceral and as hot as a wildfire ;). Being a big fan of Juliette, watching all the live shows I can with her and following her podcast Smart Women Read Romance (with her niece Jessen), I can see a lot of inspiration from her own life. It felt reading a story that was about people that could be Juliette's neighbors or something similar. The setting just felt so grounded and real and I loved it. It's always that extra little realism that helps me really sit in the story and can picture myself living in the same area (although I have a pretty active imagination).

Honestly, there isn't much I would change or want more of from this story. I thought it was quick paced but felt natural. Sometimes two people just click and you know you're meant to be together. I also loved that there was representation of anxiety issues on Bennett's end. I loved seeing that it was something he had under control for the most part, but certain events could trigger that. While he was embarassed, I loved that he really pushed himself to be upfront and honest with Betty as much as he could. I just loved the way that they both worked through their respective issues and didn't gloss over any flaws. It just felt so good to see them work through things and reach their HEA. Also pairing their love story along with the play was such a fun addition.

Another great book from Juliette and another great start to the series. There are so many side characters I'd love to see get their HEAs, the biggest being Betty's friends/co-workers Lily and Finn as well as Bennett's brother Hale. Every time Juliette announces a new book I get excited and this is just a continuation of that trend. Juliette is one of my favorite authors, and let's be honest, one of my favorite people. I couldn't be more happy that I found her books and the podcast! If you haven't tried Juliette Cross, please check her out.

Have you read Bright Like Wildfire?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Bright Like Wildfire, Juliette Cross, 5-stars, 2 days, eBook, 308 pages, published in 2022, indie published

The Assassin and the Desert by Sarah J Maas

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The 2nd book to read for the first part of May's selections for the SJM-along is The Assassin and the Desert. This is the third prequel novella (listed as 0.3) in Sarah J Maas's Throne of Glass series. This is also included as part of the collection called The Assassin's Blade. The readalong was organized by Jenn (The Book Refuge), but the live show for this book and Heir of Fire was on Tori's (Novel Life) channel on May 15th. As you can probably tell since this review is up a lot later, I did not read it in time.

After the events of the first novella, Aelin has been beaten by Arobynn and sent to train with the Silent Assassins and their leader the Mute Master. Their home-base resides in the Red Desert. It takes a month to get there, and once she does she butts against the new form of training. As Aelin starts to find her place and the new style of training, she also finds new friends and connection deeper than expected.

This was such a great novella. My favorite of them so far! I just loved getting to see Celaena work to develop new skills and really improve her assassin skills. I also loved seeing the differences of how Arobynn trains his assassins versus the Mute Master. It was just so crazy how much more effective the Mute Master manages to train while also keeping a good sense of culture and family between all of his disciples. The way that the whole situation really enforces the feelings that Celaena has started to have towards Arobynn and that was so nice to see as well. We also get her realizing the depth of her feelings for Sam and really start to deal with those.

A quick review for a quick novella, but this really was so much fun. It was fun, once again, to get the full backstory of things that Celaena has mentioned in the full length novels. While they are getting a little bittersweet since we know that at some point Sam dies and Celaena gets captured and sent to the salt mines as a slave, it's just really neat to see the build up of how she really gets to the point that Throne of Glass starts. If you've read the Throne of Glass series but haven't picked up these novellas, I highly recommend them!

Have you read The Assassin and the Desert?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: The Assassin and the Desert, Sarah J Maas, 5-stars, 0 days, eBook, 103 pages, published in 2012, traditionally published

Queen of Shadows by Sarah J Maas

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The main book to read for the month of June for the SJM-along was the fourth book in Throne of Glass, Queen of Shadows. The readalong is created by Jenn and we are reading through Sarah J Maas's backlist in publication order. The live show for this book was on June 30th and hosted by Rachel! I was able to use this for the prompt trope or sub-genre outside comfort zone (young adult (ya)) for Summer of Swoon!

Celaena, now officially going by her real name of Aelin, is back in Rifthold. She hopes to save her cousin Aedion, steal back her family's amulet (that also holds one of the three wyrdkeys), save Dorian (via rescue or mercy killing) and connect with the remaining members of her court. Aelin is making plans and working on getting things into place to retake her rightful place as Queen of Terrasen. While Aelin is manipulating things around Rifthold, Rowan shows up to help out. While they work together with the rebels, Manon is over in Morath discovering more about what the Duke of Perrington is doing in his experiments. As she and her Thirteen struggle against what's expected of them by the Blackbeak Matriarch and her machinations to treat all witches as chattel, Manon befriends a servant to learn more.

Another 5-star read, another great addition to the series. First off, I do want to mention that this book felt a lot more cinematic especially at some of the fight scenes. The confrontation between Manon and Aelin was so well done as well as the big battle that starts off the last 100 pages. I was so tired staying up late to finish this in time and once it got to the last 100 pages I was wide awake and couldn't put it down until I was finished. Everything that was happening was so elaborate and cinematically written and I just had to see what would happen next. We are back in Rifthold for most of this book, and I feel like a lot of the previous plot threads were wrapped up for Rifthold and now we'll be moving back into more of the world. I was surprised by quite a few of the revelations and cannot wait to see what Sarah J Maas does next with the storyline.

I don't want to get into too many spoilers, but I have to say one of my favorite scenes was the rescue of Aedion. It was just so perfectly planned out. A part of me was thinking that something had to go wrong and it wouldn't work out, and while it didn't go exactly 100% to plan, they still got Aedion out fairly quickly. Another favorite scene was the fight between Aelin and Manon. Everything leading up the battle followed by the battle and how it helped Manon deal with what was happening to the witches was such an important part. I also loved seeing Manon and Aelin both be the bad-a** women that they are. The only real detractor for me was I felt there was a regression in Chaol's character growth back to where he was before finally taking a side that wasn't the kings. He was once again frustrating for me and I really hoped that he would be able to move past the actions that Aelin's had to take. He just seemed a little too butt-hurt to me and once again not looking at the whole picture of what's going on. 

I cannot wait to read more from SJM both in this series and in general. I am loving every single addition to this series and have no idea how things are going to go. I'm sure eventually we'll be taking down the "big bad," but seeing that whom we thought was the big bad was taken down this book and we still have three more full length books to go! I'm just really loving that I finally picked up Sarah's work and couldn't be more grateful to Jenn for creating this readalong.

Have you read Queen of Shadows?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Queen of Shadows, Sarah J Maas, 5-stars, 2 days, Paperback, 645 pages, published in 2015, traditionally published

Diamond Fire by Ilona Andrews

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The second book assigned for June for the Hidden Legacy readalong is Diamond Fire. This is listed as Ilona Andrews's book 3.5 in the series. The readalong is hosted by Megan, Stef, Heather and Izzy. I was able to apply this to the prompts F in SWIFTIE for the Taylor Swift Quarterly Challenge, beachy read for Summer of Swoon and graduation for the Ripped Bodice Summer Bingo.

After having issues with previous wedding planners, Catalina and Arabella are now taking over to plan Nevada and Connor's celebration. Catalina is taking point on the planning and is tasked by Connor's mother in finding the stolen tiara all brides wear during their wedding in the family. As she struggles to juggle Connor's extended family, someone else is trying to derail the wedding. Catalina tries to not worry Nevada and take on the investigation herself.

This was the perfect novella to help us move from Nevada's trilogy to Catalina's. Not only do we get to see Nevada and Connor get married, but we also have a couple of the small threads from her books that get tied up. My favorite part was learning more about Catalina's magic. We also get to know her a lot better since we're in her POV. She definitely has a different tone than Nevada and I look forward to see her really start to use and master her magic as well. I also loved seeing how Catalina interacted with Connor and his people (like Bug and Rivera). We also got to meet Connor's mother and his extended family. At the end we see that Connor's mother will help train Catalina, which makes me even more excited.

This was the perfect novella to warp up Nevada's trilogy and move on to Catalina's. It was just great and I love reading anything by Ilona Andrews. I was excited to move on the the next three books in the series, and this was the perfect primer. Seriously, if you haven't tried Ilona Andrews, this is the perfect series to start. Especially since the 6th book comes out in August!

Have you read Diamond Fire?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Diamond Fire, Ilona Andrews, 5-stars, 0 days, Paperback, 145 pages, published in 2018, traditionally published

Wildfire by Ilona Andrews

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The June assigned books for the Hidden Legacy readalong starts with Wildfire. This is the third book in Ilona Andrews's very popular series. If you didn't see in my previous reviews, the Hidden Legacy readalong is hosted by Stef, Megan, Heather and Izzy. I used this read to cover the prompts Me! (one word title) for the Taylor Swift Quarterly Challenge and the prompt cover model with long hair for Summer of Swoon.

Nevada is getting hounded by her paternal grandmother to join her house, things are getting more serious with Connor "Mad" Rogan, and she has taken the case of his ex-fiancé's missing husband. A lot is happening at once for Nevada and her family and more of the houses are starting to pay attention. When the Caesar and the conspiracy group end up behind the husband's disappearance, things start to become more deadly. With all this going on, Rogan and Nevada come to the conclusion that the best way to protect her family from Victoria is to establish themselves as their own house, House Baylor. Connor is concerned that when they become a house Nevada and her family with join the houses and adopt the same mindset and won't want to be with him any more since their genetics probably won't help bring forth magically powerful children. Nevada didn't grow up in those games though and fights for her right to choose her man because she loves him and will love any kids they have regardless of magical ability.

Oh my gosh. Oh my freaking goodness. This was such a fun wrap up to the trilogy and to see how much Nevada is starting to master her powers was so good. We also get to see more of her family's magic. I've mentioned this before, but Ilona Andrews does such a good job fleshing out their worlds/universes and here it is just the same. I love the full cast of secondary characters and you really get attached to them as well. We get so much more about magic and the houses here with Nevada petitioning to become a house and I cannot wait to see the future books when they are officially established. If you haven't read this series before, there are a lot of threads tied up in this book, but we do still have the identity of Caesar unknown and he's not taken down. The next trilogy will be focused on Catalina and will be in her POV. If you aren't interested in reading more, I think this does a good job of leaving some small threads to continue on, but tying it up enough that you could stop here if you so choose (buy why would you choose that?). 

Let's focus on Nevada though for a moment. I loved her even more in this book and I loved that with Connor's ex around, while she wasn't fond of her trying to finagle her way into his life more, she trusted Connor. She understood why Connor was helping his ex in this touch situation, but also was over the way she was acting. She didn't get all jealous or butthurt though and I just loved how she put her foot down. She made it known that she understood why Connor wanted to help her (since they were childhood friends as well), but she wasn't going to be 2nd in priority. She also didn't let Connor distance himself and she got closer and closer to finalizing her house's formation. She was so staunch in that who she wanted as a husband was Connor. Did she go on a date with someone who approached to make a  match, yes. She made it clear though that it was because she wanted to learn more about her abilities and talk with another truthseeker, as well as try to get more information from him. I just loved how level-headed she was and just was so open about her feelings with Connor; never mind the fact that as much as Connor "tried" to distance himself, he never really could stay away from Nevada.

I cannot wait to see what happens in the future books and how House Baylor is going to grow. I'm so intrigued to learn more about Catalina's, and Arabella's, magic. Ilona Andrews just does such a good job getting you so invested in so many side characters, but it also doesn't feel like it's too much. I'll pick up any of their books and am so excited that we'll be catching up in time for the release of book 6, Ruby Fever, in August!

Have you read Wildfire?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Wildfire, Ilona Andrews, 5-stars, 1 day, Paperback, 391 pages, published in 2017, traditionally published

How to Steal a Scoundrel's Heart by Vivienne Lorret

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The last book I read for my May 24th new releases binge was probably my most anticipated of the three, How to Steal a Scoundrel's Heart. This is the the fourth book in Vivienne Lorret's The Mating Habits of Scoundrels series. I was able to use this for the Taylor Swift Quarterly Challenge covering the prompt Look What You Made Me Do (cover with eyes on it), Summer of Swoon covering the prompt set outside of the USA and the Ripped Bodice Summer Bingo covering the prompt property inheritance.

Prudence has been ruined for kissing someone she thought was going to propose soon, but instead gets practically disowned by her father and sent to live with relatives in the country. When she receives a letter from her father that he is allowing her step-mother to use the small items of inheritance that was passed down from her birth mother, Prudence takes action. She heads to London, during the height of the season, to steal her mother's inheritance back. Since she is ruined, she struggles to find invitations to events around town. After running into Leo, the Marquess of Savage, a few times, she decides to take him up on his offer of help. Prudence and Leo sign and fourth month contract to have Pru become his mistress and in return she be rewarded as his previous mistresses, but also to help recover her mother's items.

How to Steal a Scoundrel's Heart was one of my most anticipated books for 2022 and it did not disappoint. Going in all I knew about what was going on with Prudence was what we found out in the previous books. I tried to stay away from all blurbs and reviews and was so surprised about what the plotline was. I loved the first meeting of Leo and Pru and how when she was asked why she was headed to London her response was "Larceny" and walked off. From that moment Leo was intrigued by Pru and just wanted to know more about who she was. Now there is the "not like other girls" trope here, but it made more sense. Pru is not like other girls in the fact that she's not like other mistresses and doesn't understand or care to become apart of the demimonde. Her plan isn't to become a mistress that floats from protector to protector. One of the items of inheritance from her mother was a deed to a small cottage that's not entailed. Her plan once she get's all of these items is to move to the cottage and live the rest of her life as a spinster in the country.

The way that Pru really pushes against all the money that Leo tries to spend on her was so funny to watch because Leo gets so frustrated that she's not trying to take advantage of him. She genuinely wants to get to know him as a person since they are going to spend the next four months together, but all his previous mistresses were outwardly happy to just stay surface level. Now I do want to kind of also mention that this might be triggering to others, but there is talk about a forced sex situation. It's not rape, but after her "ruination," the gentleman tracks Pru down in the country and tups her in a field. She is more than happy to not have sex again since he left her really sore and covered in bruises. He also apparently didn't enter her all the way to break her hymen. She doesn't see it as raped, but with the injuries she received Leo thinks that the guy forced himself on her. This is one of those odd situations, so if you are super sensitive to things like that I just wanted to mention it. I also do want to mention that there is some miscommunication at the end that was a little frustrating and I've seen quite a few people giving this 4-stars because of it. I totally understand why, but the rest of the book just gave me so much joy that it didn't detract from my reading experience overall. I do have to say that I might be a little bit biased as well though.

I was so happy to read a new book by Vivienne Lorret and am so hyped for the next book in the series. It's announced at the end that Meg's book will be next. There's also a hint as to what's going on in the 2nd half of the epilogue and I am certainly intrigued. I have so many thoughts about what's going on and as soon as the release date and pre-order is announced I will be getting my order in. Vivienne Lorret is one of my favorite modern historical romance authors and I cannot wait to read more!

Have you read How to Steal a Scoundrel's Heart?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: How to Steal a Scoundrel's Heart, Vivienne Lorret, 5-stars, 1 day, Paperbook, 384 pages, published in 2022, traditionally published