Hey guys! I’m trying a few new things this month. One of them being a monthly round up. I thought I’d put all of the books I’ve read this month in one place and give you my top three. The other, if you have not found it yet, is to start doing discussion questions for the books I’ve read. I started with The Sins Duet by Abbi Cook and was pleasantly surprised when she emailed me personally to thank me. What an honor! So if you like the discussion questions, let me know. (I will tell you though, it is really easy to write them on some books but harder on others.)
So without further ado, lets get down to the round up:
First up this month is The Russian Savage: Enemy of the Bratva by Rie Warren. For those of you who are into mafia romances, this series is hot! I personally have a minor connection to Al Capone through my Godfather so I’ve always been drawn to mafia books.
Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson was next. This one will break your heart. It’s about a 17 year old who wants to break into singing professionally. Her mentor grooms her and keeps her from her family. While this book was written well, I do not recommend it unless you have a strong disposition. The situations that Enchanted finds herself in will make you sick.
Wild Poppy by Victoria Johns is another story of abuse. Poppy was abused by her government in the hopes of gaining information on terrorists. The problem is, her government left her to rot after they got their use out of her. Through help from a stranger, she was able to get out. The story is about her recovery.
Forever Logan by Elen Matthews is about an arrogant man in love with a woman he hardly knows. After letting her know her boyfriend is cheating on her, Logan begins to play a larger part in her life. There is great character development in this story because I went from hating to loving Logan by the end.
Total Fake by A.J. Love is about two best friends who have a fight and don’t speak to each other. In college they realize they love each other. Great story for those in their 20s or wanting to relive their 20s.
D*mn Near Perfect by Nancy Fraser features a recent divorcee and a younger neighbor. This is a steamy romance with more romance than anything. The story is good but this is not for those who want to avoid adult scenes in books.
Ritual Island: A Tiger Shifter Romance by J.P. Uvalle has an interesting take on the traditional shifter tale. (See what I did there?) The shifter in question must lull some women to a volcano as sacrifices every so often. When he falls in love with one, things change.
The Sins Duet by Abbi Cook is a great suspenseful romance. A woman in her 20s married an older man at 18. She starts to realize she doesn’t remember much from her past. Meanwhile, her husband hires a hitman to kill here, all because she hasn’t born him a child yet. This one will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Resist you by K.L. Shandwick tries a twist on the typical love story. He wants a relationship and she doesn’t. He does convince her to try but it does take some work.
The Switch by Beth O’Leary details a few months in the lives of a woman and her grandmother. After a panic attack at work. the young woman offers trade houses with her grandmother for two months. Her grandmother comes to London and gets to experience city life and she goes to the country and gets to slow down.
Varnished without a Trace by Misty Simon is a cozy mystery (which as you know is what drew me into reading in the first place.) A woman finds her (tolerated but not necessarily liked) aunt dead after a Christmas Bingo in a small town in Pennsylvania. (I grew up in PA and loved imagining the story in my hometown.) There is also a series of fires being intentionally set. The main character goes about solving both and ends up in some funny situations.
Unplugged by Gordon Korman won’t be out for a while. I was lucky enough to get an early advanced copy. I loved this story for middle school aged kids. Its set in a camp for adults and children alike that are trying (or being forced) to unplug from technology. (No, this book is not horror.) The kids, who are a mixed group much like the characters in The Breakfast Club, find a lizard and end up pulling together to save him. They also find a way to solve a mystery along the way.
The Heir-Part One by Gemma Weir is really the third book in the series. I went into this one anticipating hating it. This was not the case, I ended up loving it. The story is about a young woman who’s life has been dictated by a will where she was set to inherit the family fortune if she met a set of strict guidelines. She breaks the will and loses favor with her parents but finds love and friendship along the way.
The Triple Threat by Nikki Ashton will have you falling on the floor laughing. It is about a girl and her brother’s best friend. She loves him and has to convince him to love her through a plot to keep her best friend away from her crush’s dad.
Silver Dollar by Lyz Kelley is set in a beautiful resort in California. The main character is a paraplegic stuck in a wheelchair. Her male counterpart came to offer her an exoskeleton that would help her walk. Stubborn thing that she is, she turns him down flat. She does however accept dinner from him.
My Lord by Tracie Podger features a Lord from England and a beautiful American working in London. She ends up being his boss but they start a romance anyway. Danger is mixed in along the way through a series of events.
Twisted Fate by Tracey Jukes starts off with almost an entire family being murdered. The surviving member is dealing with a whole slew of issues from that night. When she meets an alpha male, she is intrigued but he sparks off some memories that force her to cower. He wants to protect her and the rest of the story is about him doing just that, whether she lets him or not.
As you can see, I’ve had a busy month for reading. Next month looks to be just about as busy.
Here are my top three must reads of the month. You cannot go wrong with any of these books.
3. Wild Poppy
2. Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson
- The Sins Duet by Abbi Cook
A Devine Read 