August was just a lot. With no childcare this month, I vowed to keep things fun and put absolutely no pressure on myself – and there were multiple nights when I just passed out at the end of the day instead of reading, which honestly might be a first for me in months/years lol?! I still managed to read 12 books with 2 DNFs (and I made it through a good chunk of both (50%) before calling it), because life is simply too short for bad books. I also bought so many paperbacks this month that my TBR pile is officially out of control, but honestly, what a beautiful problem to have. Below are all my August reads, and if you’re looking for even more book recommendations, you can catch up on my past monthly book reviews here. Hopefully September brings a little more reading time! Have you read anything good lately?
Twisted Pawn by L.J. Shen – 5/5 (Audiobook) – I read this a few months ago on Kindle Unlimited and loved it, then I read it again with a friend on KU again, and then another friend was listening to it, she suggested I preview it because the male narrator was great, and I did and agreed so I got it. OMG, the audiobook takes it to the next level and it’s a 5 for me. GOD THIS MAN! Crazy, but like so tender underneath it all. The first time Achilles experiences a tender touch, I just died. Again, completely unhinged, but I loved every second of it for what, the 4th time now? Tags: audiobook favorites, mob romance, he’s obsessed
Sweet Obsession by Harmony West – 4.5/5 (Kindle Unlimited) – Love how they originally met. Love that she has a pet hedgehog. Sweet how he tries to stalk her because she said she wanted it (she wants consensual stalking) and he’s the worst at it. Love how when his father asked her if she liked bird watching she said yes lol and her favorite bird is the raven, too funny. Love how she’s trying to win his sister over by saying she likes running too when she does it! Died laughing when he tries to break in to take a pic of himself and folds her laundry, and then she comes home and is on the phone with her friend and says “I think someone broke into my place…and cleaned it” legit laughed out loud. I died when she texts to confirm he’s the stalker just so cute and he’s next to her on the couch lol. Why was his sister so overbearing and mean? I died laughing when they’re trying to reenact scenes from her favorite books chasing in the woods and she said “I lack the stamina for this, and Noah lacks the coordination” LOL. A little corny but cute, loved the epilogue. Tags: very spicy, sweet hero
No Place Like You by Jillian Meadows – 4/5 (Paperback) – I was at the library for one of my kids’ acting classes and I usually bring my kindle and/or phone to get some work done. Well, horror of horrors, I forgot my kindle and my phone, so I went to the shelf of new releases and grabbed this one, it’s very cute and had me hooked from the beginning. Didn’t love the cover lol. It’s cute that he loses his words and clams up whenever he sees her. when he has to take her to the hospital after he walks in on her with herself, I died! How did she manage to talk to him after that?! Lol, I would have died. I love that she finds him unfairly attractive and wants to bite his forearms all the time, and I love how he loves her tattoos. They’re very sweet with each other. Love that they both had the check yes or no notes st the end and simultaneously got each-other dogs lol, and loved how supportive he was of her grandfathers bookshop dreams. Fave moment: when she sends him texts of things he’s forgotten at the A frame. Tags: fake dating, small town
Untamed by Ariel Hendrix – 4/5 (Kindle Unlimited) – My friend asked if I’d read Untamed and I said yes, it’s a good crazy story, then she asked if I’d do a reread of Untamed and I thought she was talking about the Glennon Doyle one– (also called Untamed) which I liked lol, then I sent her a screenshot LOL and she was like no, this cowboy one LOLOl I literally cried laughing!!! Ok this one is so good! Stars out spicy in chapt 1. You cannot stop reading this one. Rosie cleans for them! God he’s so mean to her “I’d rather rot in prison for another three and a half years than touch you”. Omg he offers to pay her to sleep beside him at night because of the nightmares 😭 “Someone still needs a good spanking – that’s for damn sure” 🥵 oh Holden you dawg. Their bodies find each other subconsciously when they sleep. “You’re trying to get fucked and you’re a lot closer than you think” LOLz. I like when he realizes he has feelings and when she says “so you can’t sleep without me” as a statement! ‘Good” After their hotel night and in the airport “I shall never emotionally recover from this” lol I love when he says he’s turned into a sappy little bitch for her! And I love his Christmas presents for her! That epilogue, without giving anything away I can really relate to her in the epilogue!!!! Fave moment: the branding and his declaration of love … totally unhinged and perfect for them, I mean, a little out of nowhere and zero-sixty, but it worked! Tags: has a playlist, could not stop reading, cowboy, morally gray MMC, best friends brother, he’s possessive
Unguarded – Book 2 by Ariel Hendrix – 4/5 (Kindle Unlimited) – Cash is so steady and big and strong and protective (he’s her body guard). I love how he gives Monroe his sweatshirt to disguise her. What a sad life (I watched the Lady Gaga documentary and was just shocked by what a sad life this huge pop star lead, this reminds me of that lol). It seemed to draaaag, though, like I was on chapter 26 and they still hadn’t really gotten together. But their chemistry, I just wanted more. I loved seeing Rosie from book 1. God I viscerally felt her puking all the time with the twins, like when she pukes on Monroe lol, I had hyperemesis. And the meat smells, omg with Sam it was so bad and I run a food blog, it was seriously painful and such a tough time for me lol. I feel like these Redford men go from zero to 100 in the loving someone department, like repressed feelings, more repressed feelings and then boom, my woman. Love how him and his brothers are so close and dramatically unalive and make disappear bad guys lol. Epilogue was v sweet. Favorite moment: when he gives her his hoodie and takes her to a different to hotel to evade her over zealous fans. Tags: cowboy, he’s protective, could have been spicier
Unraveled – Book 3 by Ariel Hendrix – 4/5 (Kindle Unlimited) – Starts off real strong with that cake scene lol!!! Then the boat scene where he grabs her to sit on his lap and then she’s moving too much on his lap on the boat and says he’s going tie her up and then thinks he’s been a roper his whole life. I love when he calls her “baby red.” Love that he chaperones her date, I lol’d. Omg I die when they’re sexing and he knows it’s her and then he goes and measures her and she’s like there’s no way he can’t smell my arousal and he bends down and inhales lol- nasty but cute. Is there something I’m missing – do guys really like taking girls’ panties and sniffing them and keeping them? Happens in a lot of books, In Stormy Weather – read that this month too. Love Rosie’s advice when she’s like you’ve waited for him for 11 years, see how long he can go without lol, that’s a friend! The epilogue was cute. Tags: brothers best friend, cowboy, small town, good playlist
Unbridled by Ariel Hendrix – Book 4 – 4/5 (Kindle Unlimited) – The opening to this book omg, I was hooked by page 2! I love how Duke is into moms!! Has a great playlist. So sad when she has a panic attack after they get intimate. Her ex is the worst!! I know these boys are good at unaliving people so I’m hoping that happens to him. What a sweet moment when she’s like “why are you acting like this? Like my mess is worth it to you” and he goes “because you are worth it to me, darlin” Ok, one eye roll moment -their “age gap?” He’s 26, she’s 30 😂 stop. He was so sweet how he kept practice proposing. And I loved the epilogue. Fave moment: the hurricane shot at her work, so dirty and hot! When he plays guitar for the boys as they nod off and she’s singing bedtime songs. Swoon. Tags: has a playlist, couldn’t put it down, edge of my seat
Beyond The Bright Lights by Settle Myer – 3.5/5 (Kindle Unlimited and Audiobook) – I loved his name, Mylan, I’d never heard that before. The cover is awful. I love how she’s nice and sweet to him and he’s so surprised because he’s not used to it. He has had some very crappy friends who have used him in the past. It was very spicy in detail at first and then very general like “we made love”. Noooo his addiction 😭 the wrap party! Nooo mylan!!!! Genuinely surprised. It was good until everything was just like gag me it worked out too perfectly at the end and in the epilogue. It was totally ruined. Tags: reverse age gap romance, plus size romance, has a playlist, very dirty
Lost And Found by Tara Dewitt – 3.5/5 (Audiobook) – What a great audiobook cast!! What a weird premise! Silas!!!!! Such a sweetie! We need more softer romance hero’s like this. He was so sweet and the voice was so good, but ehhhhhh I kind of didn’t like Bea and Merrit and what Merrit asked of her after her death or Bea not being able to talk to Merrit about him. Just the whole scenario made me think: what a crappy friend. I wanted to vom at the epilogue, that’s a first, what was that? Merrit seriously sounded like a biatch. I just couldn’t. Could not believe how this book was hyped on socials. Tags: needed more spice, overhyped, what a stupid epilogue
Just This Once by Lena Hendrix – 3.5/5 (Kindle Unlimited) – I loved this from page 1!! It had a really lovely playlist!! Omg she gave him a high five and left, dead!! They have such cute banter, omg I was smiling and laughing!!! Sadly it kind of petered and there were big plot holes left unanswered and it could have used more spice. Was very sweet, loved the epilogue but didn’t want me to read any more in the series. Tags: he’s pierced, has a playlist, small town
Into The Fading Twilight by Catherine Cowels – 3/5 (Audiobook) – Poor Nova, Jesus. And the poor girl hasn’t been touched in over a year and no one is giving her a hug. I mean I get it with her friend, but her friend is like massively overbearing. I will say the adults trying to do the kid voices (Owen) are SO BAD. Omg when Cole finally gives her a hug, melt. Or when he goes cliff jumping with her, melt. I love how she has a sweet relationship with Maverick, the brother. And I love the brothers relationship with each other. Hahaha I just read my review from the first book and I made the exact same comment about the kid voices and brothers relationship! Wild! At least I’m consistent lol: I don’t know why I listened to this other than it was hyped to high heavens. Sadly did not live up to the hype. Tags: small town, did not live up to the hype
In Stormy Weather – 2.5–3/5 (Audiobook) – Omg the male is so bad in this I couldn’t stop laughing. It’s like a high school student trying to lower his voice and his female voices are sooo bad. So so bad. Love that the character is 31. A little annoying with the reading of comments. I literally wanted to vomit every time he said “quinny baby”. A little cringe and eye rolly when he brings her ketchup to the restaurants and wants accolades. When they’re leaving the storm where she fell/he carried her and Sebastian is driving and he puts on smooth jazz as he drives and she falls asleep, vomit- who puts on smooth jazz? Is counting freckles like a thing?! he counts them before they kiss, I feel like it would take a while. She has 14 lol. Omg their sex scene is so weird, he presses a hand to her stomach as part of it? I would murder someone. He keeps her panties and tells her to keep his boxers and she’s like why would I want these? Lol like why does she want dirty underwear. I literally texted my friends making fun of the part of the sex scene where he presses on her stomach saying I would murder and then I was telling Nick and he did it (we were clothed) and it was so hot lol. So it went from a 2 to 3 star lol. They were so dramatic when talking about Georgiana Storm, like so over the top lol. Everything felt so drawn out! Like their storm chasing, their intimate time, just unnecessary. His passcode of her was cute. I liked how he supported her when she got the job offer vs making it about him. How is this book getting such good reviews. HOW?!? Like am I listening to the same book?! I shouldn’t be laughing this much at a romcom. Tags: older characters, sisters best friend, overhyped
Please Don’t Go – DNF (Audiobook) – This book was hyped up super big on socials. I got it via Libby after a long wait. I just couldn’t, the performances were meh and the characters are like 18, it’s hard for me for get into characters so young – it’s hard to relate or care about their problems. Like oh will she respond to my email? And his (4) roommates asking “do you like her?” “Shit man” – please, stop.
Fractured Obsession – DNF (Kindle Unlimited) – Love that Kindle has a “read recap” button because to be honest I was a little foggy on book 1, all caught up! Love the names in these books! Elanee!! I texted my friend in all caps when I found out who she “belonged” too! What where her elusive past choices, she keeps bringing them up but never says what they were. He’s so crazy but kind of really sweet and gently with her? It’s cute. Still don’t understand how he’s wanted her since the moment they met but never did anything? I hate that. I’m sorry but I couldn’t with some of the dark intimate stuff they do, just no sir! And I’m sorry but I’m out when there’s a sec club involved, like maybe it’s close minded, but I’m out. I made it to lil 50 something percent and I’m out, but I did kind of read until the end, skimming, but not read-read so I’m just marking it as DNF and moving on. Tags: mafia, very dirty
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