Sheeeeeesh, I didn’t expect to take this long to post a new installment. This is going to be a bit of a long post.
Hidden Chaos: The Chaos Series #3 by Keta Kendric
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Hmmm
Patrena Davis has been keeping secrets since she was a child. Tywin Vallin has been into one night stands since he was a teenager. Somehow they learn to break the rules for each other.
I’ll say this about Keta Kendric: she knows how to write an action scene. Anytime that Patrena was truly in danger, I was riveted. Any other time? Not so much.
There weren’t many grammatical mistakes, but whoever beta read either missed some POV changes or Kendric sent Amazon the not-quite-final copy. Either way it took me out of the story.
As an addition to the Chaos series, I enjoyed it. I was interested in seeing what went on with Patrena and Tywin. I was bored at times though, so I wouldn’t be outright recommending it to anyone who wasn’t already planning to read it.
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Passing by Nella Larsen
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
In Passing, Irene Redfield is reunited with a friend from her past who has been living as a white woman. Irene finds the whole thing both dangerous and foolish, but Claire Bellue always gets what she wants. Irene comes to see that Claire will do anything to make sure of it.
I’ve heard about, and intended to read, this book for a number of years, so I was ecstatic to find it on Audible. It actually turned out to be better than I imagined.
It really speaks to class issues because Irene and Claire both have the opportunity to pass, however because Irene belongs to the black elite she never sees the need to. But because Claire was working class, the opportunity to pass essentially elevated her lifestyle.
I would recommend this to anyone who likes American literature from the 20s and 30s. To anyone that likes Black American literature and depictions of black high society. To people who are just curious about what passing looked like in those days. Honestly, it’s a good read.
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Her Wildest Dreams: AMBW Paranormal Erotic Short Story by Love Journey
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
It Delivered
That’s really all I can say about this one. It delivered on what it promised. It would have been nice if there was a longer story out there.
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The Elements of the Crown by Kay L Moody
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
In Kay L Moody’s The Elements of the Crown, Talise and Aaden have spent their whole lives training to be Master Shapers, but neither are prepared for what that really means for them or their country, Kamdaria.
This novel is actually four novellas repackaged as one, which actually made it better because I don’t think that I would have continued if I had read them all separately. We spend the most time in Talise’s POV, so we get to know her the best.
Honestly, I’ve left YA Fantasy alone for the longest because I feel like I’m too old for it and I like my characters to have sex. However this was such a fun story that I will definitely be continuing the series.
The Elements of the Crown was a surprisingly fun story that makes me consider diving back into fantasy again. I’d recommend it to the YA Fantasy babes who just want something new to read. It’s definitely worth a shot.
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Bad For You by Amarie Avant
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I Kinda Want More
Camdyn MacKenzie is a bit messed up, and Willow Greene is just broken enough to appreciate it. The things they get into are very much a lot for high school, but it’s just enough to make them realize that they can’t stay broken forever.
Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love the MacKenzie Scottish Crime Family series, but I wanted a little more from this story. A little more time with Cam and Willow, catch up with Brody and Justice, just something. I even wanted to meet Brennan. But alas, that was not the case, though I could see tendrils of other stories going on in the background.
Camdyn, as always, has A LOT going on in the background, and Willow seemed a bit crazy to be wanting to go with it. To be fair, this one was really on point for the sub genre and probably the darkest book in this series.
All of that being said, of course I’m going to recommend it to readers of the growing Dark High School Romance niche, and I’m definitely going to read the next book when it comes out. I’m apparently here for all of it.
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There’s No Such Thing as the Perfect Guy by Tieste Wiliams
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
You wanna talk about a book that should have been promising, but doesn’t feel like anything could help it?
In Tieste Williams’ There’s No Such Thing As The Perfect Guy, Kaley bites off way more than she could chew when she moves into a supposedly haunted house and finds a magical book. And while the book seems to grant her every desires, Kaley finds that things aren’t always what they seem.
My immediate react was to give this book 2 stars, and part of me wants to give it 3, but I think a 2 works here. Like it wasn’t the best story, but there were no mechanical errors and the story made as much sense as it could have considering the circumstances. It felt like it wanted to have a sequel, but I doubt it’d be any better.
I liked the lesson of the story though. Kaley had this list of all that she wanted in a guy, and it seemed nice, but she still couldn’t reconcile the realities of the situation she had created. The relationship was doomed from the beginning.
I hated that the author didn’t lean into the Mexican vampire bats. Or why a random house in Virginia had an ancient Egyptian book of spells. There was a good bit of things that could have been better fleshed out but weren’t, and it always pains me when a book is grammatically fine but the story falls flat.
I don’t know who failed who here, and I’m not going to point any fingers. Just know that the audience for this wasn’t me, and I’m not sure who I would recommend it to. Still, I wish the author blessings and creativity on her next book, because the idea for this one wasn’t bad.
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Holt, Her Ruthless Billionaire: 50 Loving States-Connecticut by Theodora Taylor
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I Love An Obsessive Romance
Sylvie Pinnock is out of her element when she meets Holt Calson, and he continues to disrupt her life ten years later. Holt Calson has never met someone like Sylvie, and he does not plan to let her go. How unfortunate that there are bigger plans at play.
I’ve been eyeing Theodora Taylor for a while so I was happy to find that I liked this one. I side-eyed Sylvie’s Jamaican, but it is what it is at the end of the day.
I really like obsessive romances. Like yes, they can be VERY scary, but I like the idea of being so wholeheartedly into someone that it basically consumes you. I only like it in the men. The women can just be regular in love; we’re here to be romanced.
I recommend this to anyone who loves a good romance with all the messy parts. It’s cute.
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To The Woman He Loves by Theresa Hodge
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Man
In To The Woman He Loves, Ruby hides a terrible secret from her loving husband, afraid that it will do to her what it did to her parents’ marriage. Ronin Michaels feels the distance in his wife and finds himself intrigued with another woman. Disaster ensues.
I hate cheating stories, and I knew it’d be a cheating story because there are sequels. I finished it anyway though, and I had to give it a three because it was a page turner!
Ronin was trash though. He only seemed to care about his feelings and pleasures. His frustration with his wife is only understood in that she was keeping something from him. That man wanted to cheat and he jumped right into it.
That being said, Ruby really should have told her husband what the deal was. He might have still cheated, but at least he wouldn’t have that to throw in her face.
I recommend this to anyone who loves a messy drama. It was nice and hot.
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Just Out of Reach by Xavier Neal
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Heartwarming
Theodore Covington has messed up, but he’s making the journey to fix it and maybe his neighbor Lane will be a part of it. Lane Hollander is finally free from her cheating ex-boyfriend, and maybe she can find true love in her next door neighbor. Though these two are able to find the good in each other, they still have the world to contend with.
I really liked this one. I feel like this was relatively realistic with only enough outside conflict to keep the story going. I enjoy an uncomplicated romance.
I recommend it to anyone who loves a good romance.
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Queen Move by Kennedy Ryan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I’ve Been Missing Out
In Queen Move, Ezra Stern and Kimba Allen have always known each other better than anyone else. But they are ripped apart right before high school begins, and left to make their way in life without each other. When they reunite it’s electric, but can they become each other’s world again?
I feel like I’ve been ducking this book for two years when it’s probably only been one. And I’m not sure why, especially since it turned out so good. The writing was good, the life stuff was MESSY. It was all VERY realistic though and I really couldn’t put it down.
I don’t care to read the rest of this series, but man did I waste my life by not hopping on this book earlier. I love childhood friends to lovers, or whatever this counts as. Knowing your person from diapers? I love the idea of growing with someone so this is ALWAYS my kind of thing.
I recommend it to any romance reader. It was that good.
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Condo Wars by Katharine Worth
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Pretty Good
In Condo Wars, Cassie refuses to let another man control her so she bungles what could have been a meet-cute with her new neighbor, Mark. Mark wants the complete opposite of Cassie, until he realizes that he can’t do without her. In the midst of a bidding war on their elderly neighbor’s condo, can these two get it together?
Technically this is a quick read, but it took me two days to finish. I found the characters to be enjoyable, despite Cassie’s decision to not trust Mark from the beginning. I’m even curious to see what happens with Valencia.
I recommend it to the enemies to lovers crowd. There’s not too much aggression, but we get there in the end.
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Lobsters, Bisques, and Berries by Olivia Gaines
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
I liked it
Dakota Simjak is almost done with love, but he decides to give the matchmaking service one more try and winds up meeting Melody Willis. Melody has spent her whole life on stage and just wants to go live in peace with the man she has a 95% match with. Can these two perfect strangers make it work?
I love this series because Olivia Gaines does not shy from uncomfortable situations, and Lobsters, Bisques, and Berries had one.
That being said I recommend it to the bodice-ripper crowd.
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Eurydice Howell 