Where have I been? It hasn’t been on here, blogging, that’s for sure. Twenty-Twenty Four is definitely the year that I was hoping to change that and be more consistent with posting and yet. . .I guess we’ll see how February goes.
In January I read fourteen books and DNF’d three. Bringing me to a total of seventeen books for the month. Not bad, not great. Do you DNF (do not finish) books? I need to get better at that, because wow, there were some doozies that did not float my boat this month. New Year reading resolution, stop reading books that don’t work for me and be a-okay with it.
Let me know what you read this month in the comments, I’d love to add more books to my never-ending TBR that will outlast me in breathing, bookish goals. xo
Pack Deception is a duology that I wish I’d quit. Alas, I didn’t and honestly, I’m just ambivalent about it in its entirety. A whole lot of telling instead of showing, it never fully captured me and made my heart race, and I’ll be honest, I’m always on the hunt for the next book to give me that giddy feeling of freefalling into perfection, this, unfortunately, wasn’t it. Omegaverse can be a hit or miss, why choose romance books can be hit or miss, add in past abuse to the FMC and yeah, it just didn’t work for me. And that’s that. Different strokes for different folks. No rating for these or a real review.
5 Stars | 2024 Favorite
Read My Review HERE
<—Look at the prettiness! That cover in all of it’s delicious neon glory is everything.
I was lucky enough to be able to read an ARC and I loved it soooo much. Mail-order brides but with aliens, add in a sassy heroine and copious amounts of spice. . .soooo good!
Tell me you wouldn’t leave Earth behind for the promise of a utopian life with an alien mate.
I dare you.
The Agency plays matchmaker for women willing to travel across two galaxies to a planet in desperate need of them.
Too bad I had to sell my soul to get on that ship.
When the Sian envoy arrived on Earth willing to trade almost anything for the one thing they need, I knew I wanted an alien of my own, and Richter… he’s perfect.
The Agency has requirements I couldn’t meet without help, and the organization that falsified my records wants information in return.
Those records might be the reason Richter isn’t the accountant I’d been matched with. If he was, I’d have been able to bore my handler back on Earth until they gave up on me. Instead, he’s a part of the Shadow Zone Brotherhood.
The paramilitary group tasked with protecting their world from the monstrous creatures that wiped out the female population three decades ago has plenty of secrets I could send back through the comm channels.
And even though he wasn’t supposed to be mine, now that the bond’s in place, no one can take him away from me.
The man who should have been my mate is determined to try.
3 Stars | Why-Choose/Reverse Harem | Complete Five Book Series
All the Monsters you could ask for with a flip on the old stories, legends, and mythology. Humorous, spicy, with mysteries and a whole bunch of characters. I don’t know that I plan to finish this series as it never completely hooked me but the two that I read were entertaining. Not mad about it.
As the daughter of Dracula, you would think I’d be born the perfect monster.
You couldn’t be more wrong.
As far as monsters go, I’m a screw up—if I’m not tripping over my own feet, I’m accidentally murdering someone (it’s a real issue, guys).
Left with no choice, Dad decides to send me to Prodigium—otherwise known as Monster Academy—to train me on how to be a better monster.
When bodies turn up on campus, I’m the prime suspect (not that I can blame them. I’ll be pretty suspicious too if bodies drained of blood show up right after Dracula’s daughter arrives).
With the help of my mortal-nemesis Vin, Van Helsing’s son
Frankie, Frankenstein’s son
Mason, Medusa’s son
And Jack (sometimes Hux), Dr. Jekyll’s son
I might have a chance of uncovering the truth.
If I’m not murdered first.
The struggles of being a vampire, am I right?
This is a horror comedy reverse harem with some dark elements. After all, you can’t have a bunch of monsters without some darkness. This is book one of a series.
4 Stars | Monster Romance
This cover *swoons* —>
Werewolves + Fairies + Magical World Building. This was a super sweet, well-written, second-chance, monster romance. And yes, there is some shifted spice between the pages.
Ellie never expected to see him again.
Two years after the Unravelling revealed monsters and their hidden realm to the world, garden designer Ellie Harding seems to have her life together, living out her cottagecore dreams on the picturesque island of Motuwai, New Zealand.
What she never expected was for Van Livingston, the wealthy American she grew up with every summer, to walk back into her life nine years after a tragic event destroyed their romantic relationship. What’s more, it turns out Van is a wolf — a hybrid werewolf/wolf-shifter, to be exact — with two wolves and two wolf forms. He’s just as handsome as ever, and without the glamour, his gold eyes and towering height have her feeling hot and bothered all over again.
Van was her first love, and she could never blame him for how things ended… but that doesn’t mean Ellie’s ready to take him back. She has her own problems to sort out, including a secret that’s been eating away at her.
Van’s wolves know that she’s his mate.
He wasn’t supposed to find Ellie yet. After breaking away from his father’s pack, Van’s plan involved settling into his newly-purchased vineyard on the island of Motuwai. Only then did he plan on tracking Ellie down — to apologise, to grovel, and to beg for her forgiveness.
But the moment he scents her in the unlikeliest of places, he’s done for. His wolves won’t let it go — Ellie is his fated mate — and this time around, he’s not going to ruin things.
However, Ellie isn’t quite the same woman he used to know, and something sinister has been lurking in the shadows. Van’s alpha instincts drive him to protect her, but will it be enough to keep the danger at bay?
A Wolf in the Garden is a first-person, dual POV novel, and the first in the Unravelling Monsters universe. It is a monster romance that features a female lead of mixed New Zealand European and Māori descent who is not afraid to love her man in both his human and his werewolf form. There is a HEA. CWs coming soon.
Lyrical, poetic, well-crafted beauty right here. I did give To Bleed a Crystal Bloom 5 stars, while To Snap a Silver Stem went down to 4 stars. These are unique and gorgeously woven, I wouldn’t be shocked if Sarah A Parker gets picked up by a publishing house at some point.
“What a pretty flower to keep locked in a big, rocky tower.”
Nineteen years ago, I was plucked from the heart of a bloody massacre that spared nobody else.
Small. Fragile.
An enigma.
Now ward to a powerful High Master who knows too much and says too little, I lead a simple life, never straying from the confines of an imaginary line I’ve drawn around the castle grounds.
Stay within. Never leave.
Out there, the monsters lurk. Inside, I’m safe … though at a cost far greater than the blood I drip into a goblet daily.
Toxic, unreciprocated love for a man who’s utterly unavailable.
My savior. My protector.
My almost executioner.
I can’t help but be enamored with the arcane man who holds the power to pull my roots from the ground.
When voracious beasts spill across the land and threaten to fray the fabric of my tailored existence, the petals of reality will peel back to reveal an ugly truth. But in a castle puddled with secrets, none are greater than the one I’ve kept from myself.
No tower is tall enough to protect me from the horror that tore my life to shreds.
To Bleed a Crystal Bloom is a dark Rapunzel reimagining full of immersive imagery and breathtaking angst. A unique new fantasy series perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Jennifer L. Armentrout, guaranteed to grip you from the very first page.
A young noblewoman must pair up with a rumoured witch to ward off a curse.
It is the year 1814 and life for a young lady of good breeding has many difficulties. There are balls to attend, fashions to follow, marriages to consider and, of course, the tiny complication of existing in a world swarming with fairy spirits, interfering deities, and actual straight-up sorcerers.
Miss Maelys Mitchelmore finds her entry into high society hindered by an irritating curse. It begins innocuously enough with her dress slowly unmaking itself over the course of an evening at a high-profile ball, a scandal she narrowly manages to escape.
However, as the curse progresses to more fatal proportions, Miss Mitchelmore must seek out aid, even if it means mixing with undesirable company. And there are few less desirable than Lady Georgianna Landrake—a brooding, alluring young woman sardonically nicknamed “the Duke of Annadale”—who may or may not have murdered her own father and brothers to inherit their fortune. If one is to believe the gossip, she might be some kind of malign enchantress. Then again, a malign enchantress might be exactly what Miss Mitchelmore needs.
With the Duke’s help, Miss Mitchelmore delves into a world of angry gods and vindictive magic, keen to unmask the perpetrator of these otherworldly attacks. But Miss Mitchelmore’s reputation is not the only thing at risk in spending time with her new ally. For the rumoured witch has her own secrets that may prove dangerous to Miss Mitchelmore’s heart—not to mention her life.
4 Stars | Reverse Harem
Hilarious, and unique, with angels, humor, mates, some spice, and interesting world-building. I’m already on book two. So much fun. also, p.s. book one ends on a huge cliffy.
I’m no angel… or am I?
Nameless. Forgotten. Lost on Earth for centuries with a disembodied voice as my only friend. Protecting the vulnerable without any help from above. No one to explain the rules. Nada. Zip. Zilch.
So when High Angelus Gavriel finds me killing a very bad man, can he really blame me? Before I can explain, he drags me back to the place he swears is my home: Sanctuary.
Halfway between Earth and the Celestial Realm, Sanctuary would be paradise if it weren’t for the daily decontamination showers, hours spent carving the murder-marks off my skin to discover my true name, and thousands of prim and proper angels who tell me I stink. Literally.
I’m the dirtiest Protector they’ve ever seen, but I can’t stop fantasizing about Gavriel and his best friends. Those sexy-as-sin High Angeli don’t know what to do with me, but I have a few ideas. I just need to find out my name so they’ll see who I am deep down… even if I have a feeling I’m no angel.
But what happens when my name is revealed… and it’s worse than anyone ever imagined?
Lost Feather is a humorous, steamy romance that ends on a cliffhanger. Over the course of the series, the main character will end up happily soulmated with more than one of the guys. And possibly an angelic gate. This book is intended for adult readers and contains real and made-up profanity, explicit scenes, and references to past sexual assault of a sibling. Please take care of yourself when choosing to read.
1 Star | Bully High School
I did not like this book, at all. I picked it up because one of the book boxes was doing a special edition set for this series and wow, did I ever detest this entire book. By the time I was deciding to DNF, I had reached the end of this horribly headache inducing bully “romance”. bleh.
My name is Crystal Dolce, and I’m anything but sweet…
It’ll be easy, my father said.
When we move to a small town in the south, we’ll own it, my brothers said.
After all, my family is rich as sin and used to getting whatever they want. How hard could it be?
Except when we arrive in Faulkner, someone already owns this town.
The Darling family.
They’re every bit as wealthy as we are, and they’re not happy with our new money moving in. The three Darling cousins, each one more cruel and gorgeous than the last, rule the halls of Willow Heights the way my brothers ruled our prep school in Manhattan. None is worse than Devlin Darling, who makes it his personal mission to ruin his new rivals.
The Darlings see my brothers as a threat. They want them gone.
It doesn’t take them long to find my brothers’ one weakness.
Me.
*Bully Me is a high school dark romance suitable for readers 18+*
1 Star | Dark Age Gap
*facepalm*
I love this cover but after that, I’m out. It wasn’t for me. I like a lot of dark romance, and I don’t mind age gap, Heathens just didn’t work for me.
She invited in the darkness, so she had no one else to blame…when I came for her.
It was a sinister game of submission. The Hunt.
She’d run. I’d chase. And when I caught her…
Primal. Untamed. Merciless.
I’ve been watching her.
Stalking her.
I will become the beast from her darkest fantasies.
Hunting her from behind a stag’s mask made of bone.
Preying on her secret need for primal play.
I should be protecting her, but I’m not.
Instead… I am a Heathen.
And she is an innocent who chose this.
And if she made a mistake?
If she wants to try and escape me? Escape The Hunt?
It’s far too late.
She’s mine now. Run.
Tia
I’ve only loved once in my life but never again. It threw me into a depth of hell I’ve barely crawled out of.
But when Cole enters my life, I’m willing to give love another try. He’s six feet and three inches of solid muscle, full of dirty fun, and completely devoted to me, leaving my heart once again exposed.
Then, there’s his brother, Lucas, always in the background lingering for more, diligently waiting. But his own brutal demons leave him struggling to give in to me.
To us.
And when I finally meet the brother they call Rage, my mind is thrown back in time, forcing memories I tried to keep hidden to resurface and putting not just me in danger.
Can they accept me and my baggage when I choose to accept theirs, or will my past catch up with me and tear us apart, forcing me to choose only one?
Hidden In Brutal Devotion is a Why Choose Dark Romance book. It is book 1 in a duet.
WARNING: This book has triggers. It contains sensitive and explicit storylines, graphic sex scenes, and strong language recommended for readers aged eighteen and over.
Shelved for now | DNF
I got about halfway before I just needed a break from it, I’ll most likely come back to it as I have liked Lilith Vincent’s books in the past and this one is. . .interesting, I guess.
Super dark, age-gap, blood + knife play, spicy smut.
Tyrant Mercer doesn’t grant wishes. He collects debts, and he’s here to claim me.
All I wanted was my baby brother back from the man who stole him away. My family is in Tyrant’s debt, a man they hate, and they disown me when the devil’s eyes stray to me. Now there’s nothing and no one to protect me from the cruel man who runs this city from the shadows.
But Tyrant’s not going to drag me away by my hair just yet. He’s going to torment me first.
Tyrant demands that I play his twisted games. He thinks I’ll crumble for his amusement, but I’m carrying a secret that’s bigger than both of us. A secret that’s now in the hands of the worst man possible.
All he craves is me. All he demands is everything. Tyrant will give me everything I’ve ever wanted—all I have to say is I wish …
But a wish is a curse when it’s granted by the devil himself.
Author’s Fear Me, Love Me is a standalone MF romance with dark themes, forced breeding, somnophilia, an age gap, a jealous and possessive alphahole, and a sweet but strong virgin heroine. The story is dirty and delicious, so please read at your discretion. Please be aware that this book contains depictions of cutting and self-harm.
Jessie Heaton is a fearless, flame-haired computer hacker. Independent and feisty, she’s relied on no-one but herself since the age of sixteen.
Working for the Russians, she is finally close to getting the one thing she wants most in life, when she’s stopped in her tracks by the notorious Ryan brothers.
The Ryans are Irish Mafia. They are unstoppable. No-one stands in their way. And nothing comes between a Ryan and his family.
That is, until the hurricane that is Jessie, crashes into their lives. With a world full of secrets and a past that she can’t outrun, will she be their salvation or their downfall?
DNF | Dark Romance
I really really really wanted to like this book. I’m sad to say, I just didn’t. I could not get into it, so rather than shove myself over the abyss, I shelved it. I may try coming back to it at some point, but I may not. It’s dark, super dark. Heed the trigger warnings.
All I’ve ever wanted is freedom…
Freedom to do what I want.
Freedom to be who I want.
I’ve been controlled since the day I was born, forced to put on a smile and pretend my
life was perfect. From the outside looking in, it was. Little did anyone know, I’d been
living in hell.
Broken, beaten, and scared, I escaped my tormentor and ran to the one place I vowed
never to return. I’ve been hiding in the city that holds all my secrets and was beginning
to make a life for myself.
Until they come for me.
Eli, King, and Rowen.
They’re vicious, brutal, ruthless, and used to getting whatever they want, when they
want it. Only this time, there’s something standing in their way.
They want me out of their city and will stop at nothing to get what they want.
They say the ultimate cost of freedom is death… I should’ve been careful
what I wished for.
NOTE: This book is an 18+ Reverse Harem Dark Romance. This book contains scenes that some readers may find triggering.
3 Stars | Reverse Harem
I re-read Little Bird, book three came out in December so I did a little refresh and then I didn’t keep going. . .so yeah. I like this one though, it doesn’t try to be more than what it is. A dark rh with spice. Plus I find that I like Alisha Williams writing.
I’ve been content with it just being us for a while, but it’s my last year of high school, and i’ve missed out on so much. Parties, girl friends and dating.
If I can’t have them in the way my heart wants, I may as well start having fun right?
Wrong, because they don’t seem to like my new life choices.
But they’re not the same boys i grew up with. Sneaking out at night, disappearing for hours. Keeping secrets.
The closer I look, the more I’m starting to realize that the boys I thought I knew better than anyone else are hiding something from me. Something dark and sinister.
Someone runs our little town of black ridge, and I think I just might know who they are.
Chronic Ever After 
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