Ripped Bodice Summer Bingo Wrap Up

 My 2022 Ripped Bodice Summer Bingo is officially complete!

I was hoping to get it done earlier this month, but things happened. I did manage to get it complete before the end of the month though! Hopefully if you need a couple more books to close it out this can offer an option(s)! If this is your first time hearing about this reading challenge, it's hosted by the Ripped Bodice, a romance only bookstore in California. They do also offer the chance to enter for prizes, so make sure to fill out your entries here. If you missed my tbr, here is the blank bingo board.

Below is my completed board! I'll list out what I read (with links to my reviews) starting with the upper-left corner and going row by row!

🍦 Second Chance: Walking in a Geeky Wonderland by Allie York

🍦 Bath (Endgland or Tub): Persuasion by Jane Austen

🍦 Amnesia: Lord of Vampires by Gene Showalter

🍦 Cover Has Food On It: Donut Fall in Love by Jackie Lau

🍦 Bicycle: A Captivating Touch by Elsa Winckler

🍦 Superpower: Overlord by Anna Hackett

🍦 Mistaken Identity: Space Junk by Sara L Hudson

🍦 Halloween: My Hallowe'en Heartbreak by Melanie Ting

🍦 Dance: Flawless by Elsie Silver

🍦 Takes Place in a Made Up Country: Master of Crows by Grace Draven

🍦 High Tea: The Lady Chosen by Stephanie Laurens

🍦 Protagonist Smells Like Laundry: Rookie Move by Sarina Bowen

🍦 HEA: Tall, Dork and Handsome by Allie York

🍦 Hawaii: Walking In Fire by Cathryn Cade

🍦 Mafia: Raze by Tillie Cole

🍦 Title Has a Number In It: Under One Roof by Ali Hazelwood

🍦 College Dorm: Never Sweeter by Charlotte Stein

🍦 Widow Protagonist: Dukes Do It Better by Bethany Bennett

🍦 Steampunk: Gaslight Hades by Grace Draven

🍦 Architect: A Daring Pursuit by Kate Bateman

🍦 Work Rivals: Always Practice Safe Hex by Juliette Cross

🍦 Property Inheritance: How to Steal a Scoundrel's Heart by Vivienne Lorret

🍦 Animal Shelter: Love in the Afternoon by Lisa Kleypas

🍦 Graduation: Diamond Fire by Ilona Andrews

🍦 Ghost: Whispers on the Wind by Donna Fletcher

I had a lot of fun once again and love how some of the prompts they choose can get super specific. I feel like this reading challenge is the one that pushes me the most outside of my comfort zone. Sometimes it's a struggle to find a book, but when I magically stumble across one of the prompts (like smelling like laundry) it's super exciting. I can't wait to see what they do next year!

Did you participate in the Ripped Bodice Summer Bingo?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

Whispers on the Wind by Donna Fletcher

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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

A Captivating Touch by Elsa Winckler

⭐⭐⭐

The last book I picked up for the Romance Takeover Readathon - Light v. Dark was A Captivating Touch by Elsa Winckler. I had this on my tbr as Touched to the Heart, but this was actually republished in 2020 with a new title and now is listed as the 0.5 prequel to the Cavallo Brothers series. This covered the readathon's prompt billionaire, Summer of Swoon 2nd bingo board's prompt set in a country/state I don't live in and the Ripped Bodice Summer Bingo's prompt bicycle.

Don is participating in a bicycle race with his brothers. When he pulls a back muscle, he heads to one of the phsyio tents. There he overhears Caitlin talking to her friend about how unattractive she finds cyclists. She's instantly proved wrong when she meets Don. He has a house in the small town she's from and ends up finding her after the race for more physiotherapy. There's a lot of sexual tension between them and Don can't seem to stay away from Caitlin no matter how hard he tries.

Oh boy, this was a hard novella for me to get through. There were good moments, but then moments where I was confused of feeling like "that's it?" I enjoyed the beginning and the banter between Don and Caitlin. Where I really was left wanting was this felt very much like insta-lust and not insta-love. Going into novellas I almost expect for it to be more along the insta-love route, but I just didn't quite get the connection between them. On top of that Caitlin was so back and forth about what she felt about Don. There was even a mention near the end of the book by one of her sisters about if they are still hating Don and that it was: we like him, we hate him, we love him and we hate him again. It just didn't quite hit the mark for me in feeling like their HEA was believable to me. I also kind of found it odd that the three sisters and Caitlin's best friend were being paired with the four Cavallo brothers. That kind of thing doesn't bother me as much with historical romances, but it just felt a little ookie to me.

Despite feeling back and forth on A Captivating Touch, I'm certainly interested to pick up a full length novel from Elsa Winckler. I would like to see how she really develops a relationship with 150 (+/-) more pages. I certainly would love to try more even more so since she's my first South African writer. I also think it's cool that she usually writes in Afrikaans but this series was contracted to be written in English.

Have you read A Captivating Touch?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: A Captivating Touch, Elsa Winckler, 3-stars, 0 days, eBook, 130 pages, published in 2013, small publisher

Donut Fall in Love by Jackie Lau

⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

I have finally picked up Donut Fall in Love by Jackie Lau! This is her fist traditionally published book and the first in her new series. I read this during the Romance Takeover Readathon - Light v. Dark to cover the prompt celebrity. I also used this for the 2nd board of Summer of Swoon to cover the diverse hero prompt and the Ripped Bodice Summer Bingo to cover the food on the cover prompt.

Ryan is an actor and is struggling with the performance as his first main male lead romcom. It's not doing too well with critics and he's nervous the implications it could have for Asian male leads moving forward. Since he mother passed away a few months ago, he's taking a small break to be there more for his family (his sister is about to give birth). He runs into Lindsay, the co-owner of a local donut shop. He thinks about how pretty she is but doesn't really have an excuse to see her again until he gets offered a role in a celebrity edition of failed baking competition show. He doesn't want to suck too horribly and decides to approach Lindsay for baking lessons.

Oh my gosh, for her first traditionally published book, Jackie really pulled out all the stops. It has the same coziness I expect from this type of traditionally published romcom, but we get the Jackie Lau twist! I feel like we get the tension a little tighter and we went full bore earlier than usual. On top of the fact that we always get good foodie things in her books, but it's even magnified because Lindsay is a baker. I absolutely loved the relationship between Ryan and Lindsay, especially once they started the private lessons. It just felt so natural how they felt more and more comfortable with each other and it slowly progressed from just baking partners to more. They really swept me away and I loved seeing them fall in love and really come to terms with what their relationship would be.

There is a lot of discussion in here as well about Asian representation in particular to Hollywood and film/TV medias. I thought it was really well discussed and covered. The way that Jackie writes never seems preachy to me and is just something that her characters have to come to terms with. There is also a lot of discussion about grief with both Ryan and Lindsay having lost a parent. Ryan's mother passed several months ago while Lindsay's father passed 7-ish years ago. I thought the way that they connected and were able to really open up about their grief with each other was so special. That is something that really can make or break a book for me when it deals with grief, but I think Jackie handles various types of issues so well. I also love how real her characters feel and nothing seems overlay dramatized in their reactions or dialogue. I can see her characters in my mind and can picture hanging out with them. Now, the only detraction I really had was the focus on Ryan's friend. I understand that he is showing a different perspective and pov as an Asian that's Bisexual, but I wish that we didn't get too much into what was going on with him. He's in town to do a comedy show and we get a very long monologue. While it's important to discuss those things, it felt a little off since it was taking away the focus on Lindsay and Ryan. I just wish that it more summarized that part of his monologue and fleshed out more of the jokes he made about Ryan. And since I picked this up so late after release, I already know that he's going to be the MMC in the follow-up, The Stand-Up Groomsman.

Overall this was such a great foray for Jackie and I adored this book so much. I really found myself able to connect to both Lindsay and Ryan and cannot wait for more. If you haven't picked up Jackie Lau yet, please, please do. She's one of my favorite contemporary authors and I cannot wait for whatever books she decides to write next. The only thing I have to warn you about, don't go into her books hungry otherwise you'll find yourself really wanting to snack and read!

Have you read Donut Fall in Love?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Donut Fall in Love, Jackie Lau, 4.5 stars, Paperback, 0 days, 358 pages, published in 2021, traditionally published

Gaslight Hades by Grace Draven

⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

Wanting a little bit of a change of pace in the Romance Takeover Readathon - Light v. Dark, I decided to pick up Gaslight Hades by Grace Draven next. This is the first book in her Bonekeeper Chronicles series and worked to cover both second change and fantasy. Gaslight Hades also worked perfect to cover the Ripped Bodice Summer Bingo prompt steampunk and Summer of Swoon 2nd board prompt indie romance.

Lenore has just lost her father and is waiting to make sure his body in properly interred by the graveyard workers. As she waits, the Guardian of this location shows up to observe the proceedings as well. She is frightened by him, but also intrigued. She approaches him to make sure he will be on the lookout to keep her father's body from being stolen by the ressurectionists. Lenore gets a feeling of familiarity with the Guardian, but writes it off. What she doesn't know is that when her former lover Nathaniel died, his soul was moved into a new body and created to be a Bonekeeper Guardian. As they find themselves drawn together again and again, Nathaniel, going by Colin, joins Lenore on an airship test run to watch over her.

This is the first steampunk fantasy I've read in a while and this was so much fun! I loved really getting into this new world by Grace Draven. It was a little bit info-dumpy at times, but it didn't feel too dry for me. Maybe because I read a lot of historical and have read some steampunk before some of it felt more of a refresher. I can see if you are new to either of those sub-genres that it might be a little much, so I just want to put that little warning out there. Otherwise I thought the magic behind the Bonekeepers was super unique and I'm intrigued to read more set in this world. I hope all of the Bonekeepers end up with books (even though we really only meet one or two others). Honestly, the only reason I didn't give this the full five-stars is I wanted more from the romance department. I just wish we saw more of the little moments between them. This is more long novella length though, so maybe if we got a little closer to the 200 page mark I might've gotten everything that I wanted.

This was super fun and I can't wait to read more in this series. There's already a cover for the second book in the series but it hasn't been posted yet. I will pick up anything that Grace Draven writes, but I loved how unique this felt compared to her other works. I can't recommend her enough! If you are working your way through her backlist as well, don't put Gaslight Hades off. I myself am sad I didn't pick it up earlier this year during FaRoFeb.

Have you read Gaslight Hades?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Gaslight Hades, Grace Draven, 4.5-stars, 0 days, eBook, 144 pages, published in 2015, indie published

Never Sweeter by Charlotte Stein

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Wanting to clear up as much as I could of my bingo board for the Romance Take Readathon - Light v. Dark, I decided to pick up Never Sweeter by Charlotte Stein. This is the second book in her Dark Obsession series. This was perfect to cover the prompts Virgin Hero, Plus Sized, New Adult and Sports for the readathon! I was also able to use this for prompts college dorm for the Ripped Bodice Summer Bingo and new adult for the 2nd board of Summer of Swoon.

After being bullied by Tate and his friends in high school, Letty runs into him a couple years later in one of her film classes at college. The last time she saw him his friend had run her over with his truck forcing her off a ravine and hospitalized and recovering for a long time. Tate feels bad and wants to try to make it up to Letty and not cause her any more harm. When they get paired up to do a project covering sex in cinema, Letty finds herself really coming to learn about who Tate really is behind the facade he's worn since high school. As they get closer, they both have to come to some realizations about their situations in the past and now.

So there is definitely bullying situations addressed in this book, so be aware of that if you are at all sensitive. Most of what we see is in the prologue, but then there are recountings of the bullying and how it made Letty feel throughout. Now, it was a little predictable (to me) the why of the bullying from Tate, however we don't really get much clarity about his two main friends in high school. So I feel a little torn on this book, but my enjoyment really came from getting to know Tate in the present day and really see him work through his apology to Letty. We also get to know more about him behind the façade he's put on for so long. I really connected with Tate and thought he was just the sweetest. The way he really felt bad for his actions towards Letty was felt and I loved how he even went out of his way to avoid class for a few days to "stay away from her." I don't know, but I just really felt for him and came to love him as a hero.

Now I did think the reasons why he was a virgin was a little silly, but it is what it is. What detracted for me was actually mostly to do with Letty. I feel bad thinking that, but I really wanted her to make more progress in her mental health. I know that after the big bullying incident (that happens in the prologue) she ends up needing to spend time recovering and getting back to a normal life. I do wish that there was more done both for her and also her doing the work. She was still very triggered and struggled to make even friends with a girl that lived in the same floor as her. I don't know, maybe I'm being too judgmental about it, but I just really wanted to see her work through some of this more. Ideally I would want this to be through therapy, but by the time I got to the big 3rd act breakup, I was wanting more from her in being able to move forward. Also, it's a little spoilery, but when we get to some of the reasons behind the tension they had in high school, it's pointed out that a lot of her insecurities were felt before the bullying really started (or intensified). I understand that the bullying probably made those worse to deal with, but I wanted some sort of acceptance or realization on her end that all these insecurities she was dealing with wasn't just because of the bullying.

Overall I really enjoyed Tate and thought the writing style was good enough to keep me hooked. I just felt like Tate did a lot more of the inner work needed and struggle with believing 100% that Letty will be happy in their HEA. I can quickly seeing it turn into Tate giving up everything to keep her happy and potentially triggering Letty. That makes me think he could live the rest of his life being overly cautious (and walking on eggshells). Outside of that, I am intrigued to pick up something else by Charlotte Stein and checking out the rest of this series.

Have you read Never Sweeter?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Never Sweeter, Charlotte Stein, 4-stars, 0 days, eBook, 262 pages, published in 2016, small publisher

Under One Roof by Ali Hazelwood

⭐⭐⭐⭐

The 2nd book I picked up for the Romance Takeover Readathon - Light v. Dark round was Under One Roof by Ali Hazelwood. This is the first book in her STEMinist Novellas series. Under One Roof worked perfectly to cover romcom and forced proximity for the readathon. I also was able to use it for Summer of Swoon to cover the grumpy sunshine prompt and Ripped Bodice Summer Bingo to cover the title has a number prompt.

After Mara's doctorate mentor passes away, she's leaves her half of a house in DC to Mara. The other half is owned by her nephew Liam. Liam is a corporate lawyer for a company that is known to not have enviromental friendly policies. Mara is an environmental engineer, so of course this rubs her wrong before they even meet. Liam tries to buy Mara out, but she decides to stay despite them not getting along. As they become friends, after some squabbles, they start to really learn who each other are.

This is a cute trope centered novella. I enjoyed my time reading this and thought for a novella it was paced pretty well. I also liked that when we got to the end it wasn't a magical "let's get married" but more of a let's have a serious relationship and keep moving forward. It just felt a lot more natural. This wasn't a full five-stars for me though, mostly because of Mara. She felt very childish at times, especially with being almost 30-years old. I didn't understand her actions at times and her excuse to stay in the house was quite a bit flimsy. What really bothered me is when she doesn't accept a package for Liam from UPS after she deduces it's probably something important. Just not okay. Otherwise, once they became friendly I enjoyed the way their relationship evolved into deeper feelings.

This was a decent start to this novella series and I'm certainly intrigued to read more. I think this book helped reset my expectations for these since the only other book I've read by Ali is The Love Hypothesis (which is her only other published book as of now). I can't wait to pick up the other two trope-tasitc novellas and think they'll be a perfect pick-me-up or palette cleanser.

Have you read Under One Roof?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Under One Roof, Ali Hazelwood, 4-stars, 0 days, eBook, 112 pages, published in 2022, traditionally published

Walking in Fire by Cathryn Cade

⭐⭐⭐

The first book I picked up for August 2022 round of the Romance Takeover Readathon - Light v. Dark is Walking in Fire by Cathryn Cade. This is the first book in her Hawaiian Heroes series and worked to cover the prompts foodie and paranormal. It also helped me by covering the Ripped Bodice Summer Bingo prompt Hawaii and Summer of Swoon board 2 prompt travel/vacation romance. This also fit perfect my Yahtzee Challenge roll this month for Four-of-a-Kind!

Melia is on vacation in Hawaii after breaking up with her boyfriend (they had planned to go together). She runs into a guy who notices she's travelling alone and invites her to join his friends (two other guys and girls) to a bungalow stay in a private cove where there's snorkeling and such. Also on the boat besides one of the bungalow's caretakers is David, also known as Malu. He is accompanying the group because he's secretly investigating a potential drug drop that one of these people might be doing. He feels attracted to Melia and is intrigued by her not being the stereotypical "party girl." When one of the girls ends up being being in the forest, events start happening that threatens them all. As Malu works to figure who is behind the drug running and the beatings, he reveals to Melia that he's not quite fully human; he's the current Guardian of Pele.

Okay, I was super excited for this book and was really intrigued to see what was going to happen. First off, my summary includes the drug running and that wasn't really mentioned in the blurb I had read. Honestly, this doesn't feel like a paranormal book, but a romantic suspense. There was a lot more focus on the drugs and not the powers he gets from Pele. I don't know, it just was really disappointing. Not that I don't like romantic suspense, but it just wasn't what I was expecting. Like when you go to a restaurant and order a burger but receive a chicken sandwich. It stills taste good and fills you up, but you don't quite feel as satisfied. Outside of that, there wasn't much paranormal going on outside of Malu having powers. Even then it wasn't anything too exciting. He heals super quickly and he can call on the earth, so in the big final battle he ends up calling a rock slide. Something else happens, but we end up finding out that it was Pele, not Malu, that caused it. Even the bad guy didn't have any paranormal anything.

I also thought that this was a little too fast for me, even with this being a paranormal. I think if Cathryn Cade had explored the option of it being kind of a fated mates trope, I would've been more on board. Melia knows Malu a grand total of like 3 days and decides to offer her life to Pele to save Malu. Girl, you don't know him that well and a couple hours ago you were still freaking out about him glowing. I just felt so disappointed in a lot of ways. I am leaving my rating at 3-stars though because I was enjoying the story and writing before we got into the romantic suspense. There was some fun banter between them and I also liked the way that Malu treated Melia. This just turned out to be a romantic suspense hiding in a paranormal cover.

I'm not writing off Cathryn Cade at all, but I think if I pick up any more in this series or her other works I'm going to look at reviews and not blurbs. I just hate being done dirty like that and have lost some trust in her. Maybe it's just me, but if you are looking for a paranormal that incorporates Hawaiian mythos, I don't think this will be the book for you.

Have you read Walking in Fire?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Walking in Fire, Cathryn Cade, 3 stars, eBook, 1 day, 292 pages, published in 2017, indie published

Raze by Tillie Cole

⭐⭐⭐💫

This month the theme for the Smart Women Read Romance exclusive patreon review was contemporary dark romance. Raze won the poll. This is the first book in Tillie Cole's Scarred Souls series. I was able to use this for the Summer of Swoon prompt new to you author and the Ripped Bodice Summer Bingo prompt mafia.

Raze was taken as a young boy to live and fight in the Gulog, a Georgian prison with underground fights. It's been years since he was brought here and is known as 818, his prisoner number. When there's a prison break, all Raze knows is that he needs to return to New York City to get revenge against Alik. He can't remember much of his life after being drugged and completely isolated, but he carved into his cell Alik's name and address in case he ever got out. He comes across Kisa and instantly feels a protective instinct towards her. Kisa is the daughter to the head of the local Bratva and engaged to Alik. She is still mourning the death of her soulmate years after her is charged with killing her twin brother (and heir to the Bratva) and ends up dying in a bus crash. Kisa runs The Dungeon, the local underground fighting ring and when Raze joins to take out Alik, they find themselves thrown together more and more. Kisa struggles against the instant connection to Raze and starts to see pieces of her dead soulmate in him.

Alright, first off, let's just get this out of the way. I thought that Kisa was not a good heroine. There were times where she was okay and then she would turn around and make the silliest decision. It just didn't feel like she was actually aware of the peril her life could be in despite her saying it was. There were also a couple other people that made just as silly... alright, let's just say it... stupid decisions that I did not understand at all. Despite my frustrations, Raze and his storyline really made this book for me. I was so intrigued to learning more about him and to really see him work through what he experienced. Although, I do have to say that I feel like we spent a lot more time experiencing Kisa's trauma at the hands of Alik versus dealing with the trauma Raze went through. I also really wish that Alik was dealt with earlier in the book. Most of the plot dragged out getting to the fight between Alik and Raze. While it was nice to see him finally get his revenge, it also didn't feel as vindicating as I wanted it to be. I don't know, it just felt kind of like "that's it?" when he finally kills him.

Another thing I really didn't like was the set-up for Raze's one friend, 392. I was really hoping that we would get to see his book 2nd (and at that point intrigued enough to read his book). Now spoiler alert, but 392 is caught again and forced to fight Raze. For Raze to get revenge against Alik, he has to kill his only friend! I did not like that and honestly, that was the most upsetting part of the book to me. I also didn't like how many times we saw our heroine assaulted. I mean it continues throughout the book and even gets badly assaulted right before the big fight, which is the climax of the book. Also it was very wordy and went into a lot more detail than I'm comfortable with. It's not triggering to me, but it just feels very yucky. That paired with her stupid choices that leads to things escalating was just so exasperating for me.

So, at this point I'm not sure if I will be picking up more in this series. I'm not saying never, but I think with the almost glorified rape scenes it's not something I'm going to gravitate too. From the live show it seems that Tillie Cole can be pretty polarizing, so we'll see what happens. There's just too many other mafia romances out there I want to try. Like I said though, I'm not writing her or this series off.

Have you read Raze?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Raze, Tillie Cole, 3.5 stars, 0 days, eBook, 256 pages, published in 2014, indie published

Flawless by Elsie Silver

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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

The Lady Chosen by Stephanie Laurens

⭐⭐⭐💫

The regular Rake Appreciation Society book for July is The Lady Chosen by Stephanie Laurens. This is the first book in her Bastion Club series. If you haven't heard of RAS, it's hosted by Jenn and Crystal. I was able to use this to cover prompts for the Ripped Bodice Summer Bingo for high tea and Summer of Swoon for no people on the cover on board 2.

Tristan, the Earl of Trentham, is at the new club him and other former military men are creating. He is overseeing the renovations at the residence and has found himself entranced by the lady next door. Leonara plans to run into the new owner after being harassed by a solicitor to buy her uncle's place, two failed break-ins and being personally attacked. She approaches Tristan not sure if he was the man behind the situation. Tristan is not, but being a former military spy, he steps in to take point on the investigation. As the newly minted Earl, he is also looking for a wife. In his mind he had pictured a stereotypical debutante, but as they spend more time together, he can't see anyone other than Leonara as his Countess.

Overall, I enjoyed my time reading this. I did switch to from the eBook to the audio about 40% in because I was running out of time to get it done before the live show. I think that was a good option in the end because I was able to speed it up a little bit and get through the slower parts. What brings this up from a 3-star to a 3.5 is the relationship between Tristan and Leonara. I know that there are downfalls with this book, but in my mind this is a romance and the main factors for my rating should be focused on the romance itself. I loved Tristan and how much he really pushed to be with Leonara. He fell first and really couldn't stay away from her as much as he tried. I did wish that Leonara didn't fight him as much as she did and I did get a little frustrated that she pushed him away for so long (after seducing him). That's why I'd give their relationship a 4-star. The tension was great between them and I 100% understand why people talk about the steamy scenes that Stephanie is able to craft.

With the small issues I had with their relationship and then the mystery not feeling worth the risk, I had to give this another ding rating wise. I wasn't able to figure out what the mystery was, but I feel like partly because it was so out there. Then we get an elder neighbor matron that ends up dying and after all this strife what the attacker was after was so, not really worth it. I don't know, it just didn't feel like the risk met the reward. If it was going to be that much I wish that the mystery was a little more pushed and really kept up the tension in that area.

I'm excited to finally pick up a Stephanie Lauren. She's been on my tbr for a while and I know that her Cynster series is highly popular (and has a lot of spin-offs). I definitely want to continue this and start her other series. She also has a lot of gorgeous stepbacks so I'd love to collect physical copies of her books as well. We'll see when I can get to them though.

Have you read The Lady Chosen?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: The Lady Chosen, Stephanie Laurens, 3.5 stars, 2 days, audiobook, 440 pages, published in 2003, traditionally published

My Hallowe'en Heartbreak by Melanie Ting

⭐⭐⭐⭐

With a little bit of free time to read to finish out the Hockey Champions Readathon, I created a spinner wheel of Hockey Romances by authors I wanted to try. I decided to pick up My Hallowe'en Heartbreak first. This is the second book of Melanie Ting's Holiday Hattrick series. I picked this one without spinning since I need a book to fill the Halloween prompt for the Ripped Bodice Summer Bingo. I applied this to the Hockey Champions prompt Devon Toews (underrated author) as well as the orange on the cover prompt for the 2nd board of Summer of Swoon.

Sophia is having a bad day. She gets pulled off a major case at work, is forced to go to a schmoozey Halloween party by her boyfriend Elliot and then finds him in a bathroom having relations with another woman. She leaves and it starts raining, making her look like a drowned Pikachu. She calls for a ride and her driver ends up being her lifelong crush and childhood next door neighbor Henry. His indie rock band is taking a hiatus since their small record label is struggling and Henry has lost his muse for song writing. As Sophia and Henry rekindle their friendship, they come to rely on each other more than expected and find themselves feeling "at home" around each other. As they slowly push past being more than friends, Henry receives a chance of a lifetime to write music for a popular singer, who's also his ex-girlfriend.

First off, this may seem like it's Halloween themed by the title and series, but there's really not much Halloween vibes here except for the very beginning. I was expecting this to be more centered around the holiday, but I also didn't read the blurb going in. I also added this series because I saw there was beer league hockey in it. While there was a touch of it in this one, I think the other books in the series have more (especially with a former AHL player being the hero in book three). Otherwise I really enjoyed my time reading this. I thought it was a nice change of pace (even though it's another second chance romance, just a different kind). It was pretty slow burn, so just be aware of that going in.

I was a little disappointed that there wasn't more hockey, but that's on me and my assumptions. The bulk of this is really Henry struggling to refind his muse and connecting with Sophia. I loved the way they just were naturally drawn to each other and with their long-standing relationship really able to open up like couldn't with other people. I thought they were just so sweet together. Now this isn't quite a full 5-stars for a couple reasons. There is some ex drama, but I liked that it wasn't Sophia that went off the hook. She does at first, but then reminds herself she wants to be a judge and to wait until she can talk with Henry. What I didn't like is how she reacted when they did talk. It just felt a little overboard. I also wanted things to move a little bit quicker. I can understand a slow burn, but I felt their relationship was a little too stagnant and could've still been developing. Honestly though, if those types of things don't bother you, you'll probably really enjoy this!

I'm excited to finally get a chance to try Melanie Ting and I can't wait to read more from her backlist. I always love finding a new author, and if you're specifically looking for a POC author, she is another great option; Melanie is Japanese-Canadian. Hopefully her other hockey named books and series have more of the hockey the names promise!

Have you read My Hallowe'en Heartbreak?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: My Hallowe'en Heartbreak, Melanie Ting, 4-stars, 1 day, eBook, 324 pages, published in 2020, indie published

Persuasion by Jane Austen

⭐⭐⭐⭐

For July, there's a bonus Rake Appreciation Society book! In celebration of the new movie, there is a bonus live show to discuss Persuasion by Jane Austen! A classic with many iterations, I read the Amazon Classic edition since it was free via Prime Reading (as a prime member) and also included free audio. I read this via audiobook off and on at work. I was able to use this for the Hockey Champions Readathon to cover the forward prompt for Gabriel Landeskog (character that's a leader). It also worked to cover the new to you author prompt for Summer of Swoon and Bath (England or tub) for the Ripped Bodice Summer Bingo.

Eight years after falling in love and then separating, Anne and Captain Wentworth find each other spending time with the same families in Bath. As the continue bumping into each other throughout various social events, it becomes harder and harder to deny they still have feelings for each other. As Anne struggles with her family, she also finds herself more and more watching every little move Captain Wentworth makes to see if she can tell if he feels the same. When rumors run rampant that Anne is set to marry her cousin, Captain Wentworth shuts down. After overhearing her true feelings, he passes along the most loveliest of love letters.

This is my first Jane Austen and the first classic I've read since college. I did read this via audiobook and I do think that helped me get through some of the flowery language. I also wasn't expecting there to be as much humor in here. It's not a lot, but I found myself laughing out loud quite a few times. With the overall angstiness of the eight years of pining it was unexpected. Now, I'm not the biggest fan of 2nd chance romances, but I think that Jane Austen did really well in really making you feel the pining and loss and hope of Anne. Now this is was technically written as a contemporary when Jane wrote this, but I will be marking it as historical as well as a classic. Now, looking at this strictly as a romance, I do wish that we got more time of them together. The letter that he writes though, there's not may other things I've read that are that swoony. Jane Austen was really setting the standard and all the bars high back in 1817.

I was nervous that I was going to struggle with Persuasion, but I was so pleasantly surprised. It seems like it's a favorite from a lot of the people that came to the live show. Now I do also want to say that there wasn't really much said positively about the new movie. A lot of people recommended the BBC 2007 version though, so I definitely want to check it out at some point.

Have you read Persuasion?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Persuasion, Jane Austen, 4-stars, 1 day, Audiobook, 259 pages, published in 1817, traditionally published

Overlord by Anna Hackett

⭐⭐⭐⭐

The prompt for suggestions for the June Smart Women Read Romance exclusive patreon review was Alien. Anna Hackett's Overlord was the winner! This is the first book in her Galactic Kings series. I was able to use this to cover the new to you series prompt for Summer of Swoon and the superpower prompt for the Ripped Bodice Summer Bingo!

Mal and her scientist friend are testing new wormhole technology. Instead of heading to Saturn, they end up on the other side of the universe and crash land on Zhalto. Poppy and Mal get separated and Mal gets rescued by the Overlord of the planet, Rhain. He is struggling with fighting against his dictator and power hungry father trying to take over his and his two half-brother's planets. Assuming that Mal is a spy sent in, he captures her for interrogation. Mal continuously escapes to try to save Poppy. Eventually Rhain figures out she's from Earth and decides to help her save Poppy, who's been captured by one of his father's warlord that's invading the planet.

This was a good starter book for a new series. There was quite a bit of set up here, but I do wish that there was a little more emphasis on Mal and Rhain's relationship. I felt like it was missing some of the romantic elements. A lot of tropes or plot points just weren't quite explored or pushed as much as they could be, but I know that Anna can do it. There were quite a few things that were nit-picky for me in this book, but overall I enjoyed my reading experience and loved seeing a new series start. It's been a bit since I've read Anna Hackett, but I think she is a great starter author if you are interested in trying alien romance but don't want to go full alien just yet.

Let's get back to Overlord. Overall I think this was a fun, fairly low angst, action packed adventure. I do wish we got a little more insight into the culture on this world, a better feel of what it is that Rhain does to rule over the planet and more information about the energy that can be controlled. I thought it was really interesting that there are different ways that energy can be used and it differs from person to person. I also thought it was odd that Mal not only was able to use the energy as well, but more so that it happened so quickly. She was only there a few days, maybe a week and seemed to just magically be able to use it in pretty powerful ways. She also wasn't making the smartest decisions (i.e: running into the barren wasteland that's filled with modified creatures without food, water, or a basic knowledge of the planet). I just was left feeling a bit wanting for Mal and Rhain, but still enjoyed my read. It just was an easy and fun read and I tried to just go along for the ride.

It was fun to get back to Anna Hackett. I am excited to read the next book in the series. I haven't read her in a while so it's fun to go back to an author that helped solidify my enjoyment of Sci-Fi romance. Like I mentioned above, if you are nervous about reading Sci-Fi and/or alien romance and want more humanoid characters that don't feel too alien, definitely give Anna Hackett a try. My favorite series by her is Eon Warriors and the first book is a lot of fun. This series would also be a good option since it's a newer release.

Have you read Overlord?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Overlord, Anna Hackett, 4-stars, 0 days, eBook, 262 pages, published in 2021, indie published

Master of Crows by Grace Draven

⭐⭐⭐⭐

 I decided for June 2022 to start doing a tbr as part of a revamp of my Booktube Channel. I had prompts with multiple options: backlist author, new to me author and continue a series. For backlist author I ended up choosing Grace Draven! A favorite fantasy author of mine, I decided to pick up Master of Crows. This is the first book in her Master of Crows series (and is set in the same world as The Wraith Kings!). I was able to use this for Summer of Swoon to cover the prompt indie romance and the Ripped Bodice Summer Bingo to cover the prompt takes place in a made up country.

Silhara is the Master of Crows, a mage with a lot of magic power. He is fighting off becoming the avatar for the god Corruption. As Corruption continues to try to seduce and blackmail Silhara giving in to his power, he starts looking for ways to defeat the god once again. He reaches out to the Conclave for help, specifically an apprentice that can read/translate ancient languages. Martise is brought to be his apprentice, but that's not all. She's also expected to spy on Silhara for the Conclave and report anything they can use to finally be rid of him once and for all. Also asked is for Silhara to try to figure out what Martise's magic gift is and activate it. As Silhara and Martise work together in the library and tending his orange grove, they start to become close. Silhara guessed she was a spy from the beginning, but as he starts to see who she really is, he struggles with falling for the woman sent to spy on him and is worried that if he has to kill her, he won't be able too.

I have to say, this one took a little longer for me to really sink into. I think you can tell it's an earlier book by Grace because it doesn't quite grab you as much as other books I've read from her. I think once we got the setup done and through the first little bit where Silhara and Martise aren't interacting as much, things started to pick up. I loved that they had this push and pull relationship. Silhara is such a grump with Martise, partly because he knows she's a spy and partly because he keeps finding himself drawn to her. Every time they start to get close he gets grumpy and pushes her away, but we see that he is just so torn on wanting her but also trying to protect himself and her from the influence Corruption is trying to enforce. For me, things really starting picking up once they started working together in the orange grove, but really got going once they went to "visit the lich."

I also loved the mystery and delve into what kind of magical gift that Martise had and how it manifests for the first time. I also love how when she finally is able to tap into her magic and Silhara asks her to bond with him so he can learn more about it she completely opens up to him and allows almost too much; she practically drains herself. The way that she pushed back and really forced him to allow her to help, even knowing what could happen was just so awe-inspiring. She was more than happy to make the sacrifice to bring down Corruption. I do have to say though, I do wish there a little more emphasis on the romance and it felt more romantic overall.

I'm so happy to read more of Grace Draven and have another book of her backlist done! She's one of my favorite fantasy romance authors and I always love getting lost in the worlds she creates. While I understand why a lot of people don't like this one as much, especially when compared with Radiance, I think this is a beautiful and special fantasy romance in it's own right. It's just a different vibe and an earlier work. If you've enjoyed a lot of Grace's other books, definitely give this a try. Just try to temper your expectations a little.

Have you read Master of Crows?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Master of Crows, Grace Draven, 4-stars, 4 days, Paperback, 392 pages, published in 2009, indie published

Space Junk by Sara L Hudson

⭐⭐⭐⭐💫

So, as part of my revamp of my Booktube Channel, I decided for June 2022 to start doing a tbr. I went with just three options, backlist author, new to me author and continue a series. The June pick for new to me author was Sara L Hudson! I've been wanting to pick up her Space series for a bit now, so had to start with book one, Space Junk. I was able to use this for the male only cover prompt for Summer of Swoon and mistaken identity prompt for the Ripped Bodice Summer Bingo.

Jackie works at Nasa is a geek to utmost degree. Having graduated early from high school and going through college at an early age, she isn't too good in social situations. When her friend, and astronaut, kind of blackmails her, Jackie starts Operation Social Life. She goes to a local bar and there ends up sitting alone drinking a coke (no alcohol) and somehow ends up taking her new friend Rose home. She was there to celebrate her 21st birthday and got ditched by her friends. Rose directs her to her brother's house and it's there that Jackie sees the man she was ogling at the bar. Rose adopts Jackie, and her waitress Trish, as her new friends and "accidentally" dents Jackie's car the next morning. She directs Jackie to a local car repair shop, owned and run by her brother Flynn. As Flynn and Jackie work through their first-impressions, Jackie also struggles with her insecurities. When Jackie gets accepted in the astronaut training program, Flynn gets worried since his parents were both adrenaline junkies that led to them ignoring their children a lot and eventually led to their deaths.

This book, guys this book was so freaking good. I really enjoyed my time reading this and stayed up way too late the first night reading. I loved and adored Jackie. She was so awkward in a lot of social situations, but I also enjoyed that she just wasn't so oblivious. There is the trope here of her not knowing she's pretty, but it also made sense for Jackie. The way she grew up and social interactions she's had throughout her formative years really didn't lead up to her learning a lot of the social cues. On top of the fact she's always felt a little out of place and that others see her as "too smart" to be around. She also knows how to take care of herself though and I loved when we see her bring down someone being a little too forward all from grabbing his finger. It was just so great to see.

Now, with Flynn and the 3rd act conflict you could see it coming. It was definitely predictable, but I have to say the grovel and the way the book ended wasn't. While the epilogue wasn't what I expected, it just felt so perfect. Flynn and Jackie were so cute together and I loved how so much of their sense of life and style where well matched. They both appreciate older time periods and architecture. I also loved how much Jackie was willing to learn about things she didn't know and that Flynn teaching her how to hotwire a care ended up being how she saves the space station! Aside from that, I just really loved the relationship between Flynn and Jackie as well as the friendships she makes with Trish and Rose. Also, apparently Rose and Flynn are extremely wealthy as their grandfather was an oil baron. While Flynn isn't apart of the social life that comes with his level of wealth anymore, it was nice to really see how he kept thinking to himself the worst of what Jackie was saying or doing but then pleasantly surprised when it was actually coming from a good place. I did wish he didn't quite focus as much on it after the first few times, but the twist about the money situation at the end was pretty fun!

I cannot wait to read more by Sara and if I'm not careful I can see myself bingeing the rest of the series. I'm super excited for the rest of the books and I feel like I can pretty well guess who's going to be paired with who. Give me more of the nerdy/geeky romances and add a whole heap of science on top! I'm so happy I finally picked up this book and cannot wait to read more!

Have you read Space Junk?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Space Junk, Sara L Hudson, 4.5-stars, 1 day, eBook, 298 pages, published in 2020, indie published

Rookie Move by Sarina Bowen

⭐⭐⭐⭐

For June 2022 I decided to try doing a tbr. I decided to give myself three prompts with 10 options each. The prompts are new to me author, backlist author and continue a series. The option I chose for continue a series was a newer series to me, Brooklyn Bruisers. I recently read Hard Hitter by Sarina Bowen for the Smart Women Read Romance exclusive patreon review and was encouraged to pick up a later book in the series. Instead of going with that recommendation I decided to go back to the beginning and pick up the first book, Rookie Move. I was able to use this for the prompt a book Shelby's read in the past two years for the Summer of Swoon and the prompt protagonist smells like laundry for the Ripped Bodice Summer Bingo.

Leo had just been traded to his hometown team, the Brooklyn Bruisers. Things aren't an easy assimilation though since the interim PR head is Georgia, his high school girlfriend and love of his life. Also just hired to the team is Georgia's father as head coach, who has harbored some hatred towards Leo since he was in high school. As Georgia and Leo start to reconnect, it comes to light that they both haven't dealt with some of the feelings that manifested their senior year when Georgia was attacked during a tennis camp. With the weird ending of their relationship and the trade deadline looming, Georgia is nervous to restart their relationship if she would lose Leo right away, especially with her father's anger towards Leo.

So, this was a little bit deeper and rougher, emotionally speaking, than I expected. There are triggers with dealing with rape, not only with the victim but her father and boyfriend at the time (it was not Leo that raped her). When it was first kind of mentioned that she was raped in high school, it seemed like it was only because her attack was a factor in the changing of their relationship that led to their break up. I was wrong in my assumption (I know, I try not to assume too much). There is some revelations that her dad still has some anger about the situation on top of Leo feeling even more protective of her (since he wasn't there during the attack). Outside of that, I really enjoyed seeing them reach their hea and reconnecting. I really felt like the reason for them breaking up made sense here and also allowed for them to pretty much pick back up easily. I'm not the biggest fan of second chance romance, but I didn't mind the way it played out here.

I'm excited to continue the series and definitely dig more into Sarina Bowen's backlist. Right now I'm going to focus on working through this series, but I've heard great things about some of her other series as well, particularly True North. Another contemporary author for me to keep my eye on! I'm happy that this was the series I pulled for my tbr, especially my hockey fever has been at a high with my team, the Colorado Avalanche, making it to the Stanley Cup Finals!

Have you read Rookie Move?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Rookie Move, Sarina Bowen, 4-stars, 1 day, eBook, 336 pages, published in 2016, traditionally published

A Daring Pursuit by Kate Bateman

⭐⭐⭐⭐

After a late change, the June book selected for the Rake Appreciation Society was A Daring Pursuit by Kate Bateman. This is the second book in her Ruthless Rivals series. The Rake Appreciation Society is hosted by Crystal and Jenn, but this month featured a guest host, Jessen! I was able to use this for the Ripped Bodice Summer Bingo for the prompt architect and the Summer of Swoon prompt new to you author. This also worked perfectly for my Twos prompt for the Yahtzee Challenge!

Carys and Tristan have known each other since they were kids. Being neighbors and their family rivals, they have a slightly antagonistic relationship. When Tristan finds out that Carys has been "ruined" and is being blackmailed by the man responsible, he finds it harder and harder to hold back from making the moves on her. Carys is very bold and acts like nothing will bother her in society, but she is hiding not only her secret, but a big part of her true self. When Tristan strikes a deal with Carys during a house party to teach her about true passion and love making, they find it harder and harder to stay away from each other.

This was super cute, low angst and low stakes. I enjoyed myself, but I do have to say I was a little let down by the Ruthless Rivals wording. Even Carys and Tristan called each other enemies, but it didn't feel like there was any real antagonistic relationship between them. They hung out a lot as children and it seems that it was more of a teasing kind of relationship. Outside of that, this was just a quick and easy read. There really wasn't anything particularly wrong here to make me drop it a star; it was just very pleasant. I wasn't really blown away by anything in particular and while reading I found I was okay to put it down when ending a chapter (where I always try to stop) and was missing the urge to binge the book.

I feel like this review is kind of boring, but there just wasn't too much that stood out for me with this book. This is my first Kate Bateman even though I've had her previous series on my tbr for a while. I'm glad to have finally try her out. I definitely would like to go back and read the first book in the series and will be picking up the 3rd book this December, if anything than at least for the gorgeous cover. With they way trends are going in traditionally published historical romance covers, I will support a clinch cover any day! If you've read the book but missed the live show, definitely check it out. there was some great discussions had!

Have you read A Daring Pursuit?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: A Daring Pursuit, Kate Bateman, 4-stars, 1 day, Paperback, 311 pages, published in 2022, 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