Usually I read 20+ books a month, so reading “only” 16 this month made me laugh. Nick was like, “I don’t even read that many books in five years.” 😂 We did spend four days on vacation, and I shared a bed with Frankie, who insisted on total darkness (my Kindle was very sad). Plus, the kids are getting older, which means sports almost every night from 5:30–8, then dinner, bedtime, and by the time I finally crawl into bed—my favorite reading time—it’s already 9:30 or 10, too late. Even with fewer books, this was such a great reading month! I had three 5-star reads, which is amazing, and there were some books I absolutely could not stop thinking about (Daggermouth…you HAVE to read it). There were definitely a few disappointments too (Tropesick, I’m looking at you-my bookclub agreed this was awful, the consensus was 2/5 lol), but that’s part of the fun.) I’m also convinced there’s nothing better than reading with the perfect playlist in the background. If a book has an official playlist, I’m immediately pressing play, and if it doesn’t, I’ve been loving this Noah Kahan playlist for cozy romances and this dark romance playlist when I’m in my mafia era. I’m such a feelings reader—I hated how Yesteryear made me feel because I finished it feeling sad and ugh. That’s exactly why I keep coming back to romances. Give me the happily ever after, the butterflies, and the characters I can’t stop thinking about. Apparently this month that meant a lot of mafia men, cowboys, firefighters…and heroes who bring coffee (did you catch my romances with sweet coffee moments post?). Also I’ve started adding some tags for quick reference, hope they’re helpful to you! Past reviews here, let’s dive in!
Daggermouth – 5/5 (Audible) – I’d been hearing about this book everywhere, and wow, it completely lived up to the hype. The world-building was a little confusing at first, but once I settled in, I couldn’t stop listening. Teddy’s narration was incredible, and I loved Shadera as such a strong, capable FMC. The enemies-to-lovers tension was everything—they genuinely seemed like they might kill each other at first, which only made the chemistry better. There were twists that left me completely shocked (I literally texted a friend, “OMG what? I am bereft!”), and the ending absolutely blew my mind. Yes, it ends on a cliffhanger, but it was so good I didn’t even care. I immediately wanted the next book. Tags: Military romance, dark romance, morally gray MMC, strong FMC, audiobook favorite, couldn’t put it down, plot twists, made me want to read the next book
Honor – 5/5 (Paperback) – When he could hear her crying through the apartment wall…my heart. And the way he calls her “Mama”? I absolutely melted. Every “let me help you, Mama” had me swooning, and I loved all the little thoughtful moments, like him flexing his bicep while putting the car seat in the car, secretly hoping she’d notice. More than anything, I loved how completely he adored her and wanted her to see herself the way he saw her. Her mother-in-law was another unexpected favorite, especially when she tells her, “I love you enough to want to see you again.” I honestly teared up. The parenting felt realistic, the mirror scene will live rent-free in my head forever, and I loved finally getting dirty talk that wasn’t degrading—it was sexy, tender, and perfectly fit the characters. This is one of those books I’d happily reread, which is always one of my biggest signs of a five-star read. Tags: Single mom, firefighter romance, husband material, acts of service, older characters, realistic parenting, swoon, sweet hero
Beautiful Things Obey – 5/5 (Kindle Unlimited) – This was on several “must-read mafia romance” lists, and now I completely understand why. The premise is so unique—a female mortician who works for the mob—and I was hooked almost immediately. It was definitely darker and more gruesome than I’m used to (I’m a baby), but I could not put it down. I loved how feisty and strong the FMC is, and that she gives as good as she gets. The tension is incredible, the chemistry is addictive, and I found myself thinking about these characters every time I had to put my Kindle down. I love that his smell is her kryptonite, I’m such a huge smells person! I love that he makes her smiles when she doesn’t want to. Love how she demands 10k to go to breakfast and he agrees! We get a “who did this to you” Omg when the title is mentioned at the end of the book it was like oh my gah! Just perfect! Strong FMC. If you’re looking for a mafia romance that’s dark, intense, and impossible to stop reading, this one absolutely lives up to the hype. Also cannot believe this had 3 authors, it was so seamless! Tags: Mafia romance, dark romance, strong FMC, Kindle Unlimited
Captive Audience – 4/5 (Kindle Unlimited) – This one had me hooked from the very beginning. It’s a mafia romance with a possessive hero who does some light stalking, and I was laughing almost as much as I was swooning. At one point I asked my husband if he’d ever wanted to count my freckles like the hero did, and he goes “yes, you have 112” and I about died laughing as Ben (my oldest son) was just looking between us like “is dad for real?.” I loved all of the over-the-top gestures, from deleting her dating apps to uploading his credit card to her new phone. We also get a fantastic “Who did this to you?” moment, and by the end I found myself fully embracing my mafia romance era. Tags: Mafia romance, possessive hero, obsessed hero, who did this to you
Protect – 4/5 (Paperback) – I loved that this book starts with a QR code linking to the playlist—such a fun touch! The hero is incredibly sweet, especially in the flashbacks when they’re teenagers, and I loved watching their relationship grow through hospital visits, text messages, and all the little moments in between. His tattoo for her beneath her late brother’s tattoo was such a thoughtful gesture, and I loved how naturally he fit into her daughter’s life. The ending and one-year-later epilogue were so satisfying, and if you like your spice building throughout the story, this one definitely delivers. That epilogue – spiccccy. Tags: Small town, single mom, nurse romance, playlist, very spicy
High Sticking the Heart – 4/5 (Audible) – This was such a sweet hockey romance! I loved that she drinks iced coffee no matter the time of year (same 😂), and the hero was the definition of “if he wanted to, he would.” The way he found creative ways to message her through the pay app was adorable, and my favorite moment was when he brought her both an iced coffee and a hot coffee because he wasn’t sure which she liked. It’s such a small gesture, but those thoughtful acts of service always get me. I also really enjoyed the fake dating storyline, the banter between the characters, and how supportive and steady the hero was throughout the entire book. Tags: Hockey romance, fake dating, coffee moment, iced coffee moment, acts of service, sweet hero
Insidious Obsession – 3.5/5 (Kindle Unlimited) – I buddy-read this one with a friend, which made it even more fun. I loved Ara’s name and thought it was hilarious that he realized she was stalking her…so he decided to stalk her back. The over-the-top gestures, like sending her an absurd number of roses and even a bird just to annoy her, had me laughing. I wasn’t crazy about how he treated her after they first slept together—I like a little more sweetness—but I was invested enough that it definitely made me want to continue the series. Tags: Mafia romance, obsessed hero, very spicy,
Unleashed – 3.5/5 (Kindle Unlimited) – I loved that he’d been in love with her all those years and hadn’t been with anyone else since. The relationship between the brothers was one of my favorite parts, and Jett absolutely stole every scene he was in, I hope he gets a book even though he’s a cousin. There were so many emotional moments, especially when Harper admitted she’d never stopped loving Ace, but my favorite was when Ace stopped doing shirtless content because Harper told him it bothered her. His response—that if it bothered her, it bothered him, end of discussion—was peak swoon. This one was very spicy, but also incredibly loving. Can I also say I hate real people on the cover, ew, not how I pictured Ace, he’s much hotter and manlier in my mind. Tags: Cowboy romance, mafia romance, second chance, husband material, daddy energy, pierced hero, official playlist, very spicy, swoon
West of Forever – 3.5/5 (Audible) – The duet narration was lovely overall, although one narrator definitely missed the mark (like when trying to do children voices, cringe). Tristan was incredibly sweet, especially in the scenes with his father, but I struggled with how quickly the romance developed. It felt like they barely spent meaningful time together before falling in love, and I was left with quite a few unanswered questions by the end. Like her family was struggling and now what? Would she stay and help them or what? That never even came up! I enjoyed parts of it, but unfortunately it didn’t live up to the hype for me. Tags: Cowboy romance, single dad
Rope the Moon – 3.5/5 (Kindle Unlimited) – This one starts off incredibly spicy and full of drama, which immediately pulled me in. We get an excellent “Who did this to you?” moment, and “I’m not your hero, I’m your anchor” was such a swoony line. My biggest frustration was that she kept acting like he’d broken her heart when she was the one who stopped responding to him years earlier. She had told everyone that her only goal in life had been to leave town, and he let her go and even kept texting her, like UGH. It felt a little over-the-top at times—like a Lifetime movie in book form—but it was still an entertaining read. Loved how he was just going to step in and be the dad, it was very cute, oh and when he bought her all that Amazon stuff, very cute! Tags: Cowboy romance, second chance, who did this to you, very spicy
Love Wells Kept – 3.5/5 (Paperback) – I preordered this one and immediately stayed up way too late reading it because I was so excited. I loved that the main characters were already married, and there were so many touching moments, especially when he forgot her after the accident and she realized she was the only one remembering their love story. My heart absolutely broke for her. Unfortunately, I found the “Kate is a bully” joke repetitive and patronizing, and the pacing dragged more than I expected. I wanted to love this one so much more than I did. I lovvvvved the rest of the Wells Ranch series…what happened to this one? Tags: Cowboy romance, married couple, older characters, strong FMC, emotional
God of Fury – 2.5/5 (Libby) – The audiobook cast was excellent, although the sound balancing made it difficult to listen to at times. You’d turn up the volume to hear the whispers of one character and then bam, yelling from the next lol. I enjoyed watching Nikolai and Brandon slowly come together, and some of their banter genuinely made me laugh. The story was incredibly spicy, but I grew frustrated with all the push-and-pull, poor communication, and repeated breakups. I also couldn’t get past how young the characters were, which made it difficult for me to believe in their long-term future together. Brans tragic back story reveal at the end was so so sad. Tags: MM romance, very spicy, pierced hero, possessive hero, bad communication
Hockey Boy – 2.5/5 (Kindle Unlimited) – I loved how completely obsessed the hero was with the heroine, and there were several really sweet moments between them. And I loved her love of pink and her pink hair. Unfortunately, there were so many side characters that I found myself losing interest, and it took far too long to reveal the mystery from their past. By the time everything came together, I was ready for the book to be over. Tags: Hockey romance, fake marriage, second chance, obsessed hero, pierced hero, very spicy
Wreck & Ruin – 2.5/5 (Libby via Kindle) – I enjoyed the motorcycle club setting and loved that the heroine gave the hero as good as she got. Their matching tattoos were a fun touch, but there was simply too much plot happening by the end. Between the motorcycle club, the cartel storyline, and one very eye-roll-worthy twist, I found myself wishing there had been a lot more romance and a lot less action. Tags: Motorcycle club romance, cartel, too much plot
Insatiable – 2/5 (Kindle Unlimited) – My heart absolutely broke for the heroine because of everything she’d endured, but I struggled to believe that a hero who’d supposedly been obsessed with her for years had completely missed the abuse happening right in front of him. I also didn’t enjoy how mean they were to each other, and the cliffhanger ending left me more frustrated than excited to continue the series. Did not live up to the hype. Tags: Dark romance, obsessed hero, best friend’s sister, one room, very spicy
Tropesick – 2/5 (Audible & Kindle Unlimited) – I wanted to love this one because I adored the author’s previous book, but this one just wasn’t for me. The audiobook narration was incredibly distracting, and several parts of the story felt unrealistic or dragged on far too long. There were a few bright spots—like the baseball game and the walkie-talkie sexting—but by the end I was mostly frustrated with the characters’ decisions and completely baffled by the ending.
Tags: Brother’s best friend, forced proximity, second chance, audiobook, disappointing
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