This email is too long, so may get cut off. You can read it in full in your browser or the Substack app. :)
Can I start by saying I am fully ready for spring? I am so over snow and cold weather that I’m ready for rain and flowers. It’s been raining this week in my city and it’s been a nice change of pace from the constant snow and slush we’ve been having. I even heard birds chirp the other day which made me smile. I know this is a false spring, but it’s springing my hope of warmer weather soon. I’ve also been on the lookout for some nice rain boots for the upcoming season. If you have any recommendations, let me know in the comments.
On an reading note, I’ve been starting to get in a reading slump. I’m finding myself reading the same line a few times and have to start over again. I’m also getting bored quickly in my books, so I’ve been taking a break when that happens. Being sick this week has given me that much needed break mentally so I’m ready to get back into what I’ve been reading.
⭐⭐⭐ Behold the Monster: Confronting America’s Most Prolific Serial Killer by Jillian Lauren - I didn’t finish this at 17%. I went into this with the expectation it would be a true crime novel, but right away the author advises the reader it’s a work of fact and imagination. Not my cup of tea.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Babel by R.F. Kuang - The world-building alone was solid work for me. An amazing read if you like dark academia fantasy. The writing is astounding, as well.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Earth Boys Are Easy (Villains in Space #1) by C. Rochelle - A super spicy read between an alien and a supervillain who is all marshmallow. I thoroughly enjoyed this and ripped through it quick.
⭐⭐⭐ The Fall Risk by Abby Jiminez - I couldn’t get into this, but I did finish it because it’s so short. I’m normally a fan of Abby Jiminez, but for me, it didn’t work.
⭐⭐ Fluffing the Stallion by Stormi Reed - A snoozefest of a book for me about a gay adult film star who falls in love with his straight male fluffer. I went to this expecting spiciness and instead wanted to fall asleep.
⭐⭐⭐ Three (Angels of Wrath #3) by Paulina Ian-Kane - I enjoyed the first two books in this series about a family of psychopaths who only kill those who deserve it while falling in “love.” I struggled getting into this one, but it got better as the book went on.
⭐⭐⭐ Salem’s Lot by Stephen King - I’ve mentioned previously that one of my reading goals is to read Stephen King’s entire list of published works. This wasn’t one of my favorites, but I did enjoy it. Not as much as I did Misery or Carrie, but a good read.
⭐⭐⭐ Archer’s Voice by Mia Sheridan - I was expecting a sweet romance, but that is not what I got. Instead I got a story with ableism in the form of an entire town treating someone as if they’re stupid for not speaking and a tangled web of relationships and betrayal that was hard to keep track of.
⭐⭐⭐ Butcher & Blackbeard (The Ruinous Love Trilogy #1) by Brynne Weaver - I found this book humorous and made me laugh out loud, but I didn’t get the hype of why it’s so popular. I’m thinking because it’s about serial killers who fall in love?
⭐⭐⭐ Vicious Cycle (Wayward Sons #3) by L. Eveland - Once again, I enjoyed the first two books in this series a lot more than I liked this one. I didn’t like the concept of someone “owning” someone as a debt and found it hard to get into.
⭐⭐⭐ Pucking Insane (Thin Ice #6) by Charity Parkerson - I honestly cannot remember what this book was even about, so that tells you everything about whether I enjoyed it or not. While writing this, I had to go back to read the blurb to remember what happened in it. Yikes!
⭐⭐ Secrets Aboard! by Brina Brady - This book was the first in a multi-author series called Pride Cruise 2024. I’m a sucker for a multi-author series because I’ve found many new-to-me authors this way. With that said, this book was so cringey and made me laugh because of the things the characters were saying that no one would ever say out loud. I quit at 15%.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A Fae Coin Transported Me Into Another World and Now I’m the Gay Holy Maiden (Fortune Favors the Fae #1) by A.J. Sherwood - The first in another multi-author series where a fae coin brings people together. This was an amazing read and had me hooked the entire way through. It was very spicy with a great story.
⭐⭐⭐ Suddenly You (Our Exception #2) by Cora Rose - I didn’t finish this at 17% because I couldn’t get into the characters and the story at all. I actually couldn’t stand either of the characters. Cooper was the actual worst person ever.
⭐⭐⭐The Billionaire’s Mistake (Bad Boy Billionaires #4) by Silvia Violet - A meh end to an otherwise great series that follows a group of friends who are self-proclaimed “bad boy” billionaires. This installment felt very rushed and sorta like insta-love.
⭐⭐⭐ Notorious (IOU #5) by Leslie McAdam - How can you make a book about a gay porn star and a gay politician waking up married in Vegas so boring? I was tempted to quit this one, but pushed through and it was okay after awhile. It took too long for me to get into it, though.
⭐⭐⭐ The Wolf’s (Un)lucky Fae (Fortune Favors the Fae #2) by Michele Notaro - A wolf shifter and a fae fall in love thanks to the help of a coin that won’t leave them alone. Sounds like a good plot, but I wasn’t a fan of the writing so it was hard for me to connect with the characters or plot.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ Deadly Little Sparrow (Mafia Bound #1) by K.M. Neuhold - Spicy! Mafia! Killers! Everything I like in a romance and I. Was. Here. For. It! This was a great start to a new series by K.M. Neuhold, one of my favorite MM romance writers. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series, which is already out.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Hookup Mix-Up (Franklin U 2 #1) by Riley Hart - The second “season” of Franklin U, a multi-author series, starts strong with this one. Miscommunication between a straight guy and the bisexual male he meets at a frat party leads to a friendship that leads to romance. Shenanigans ensue throughout and I couldn’t keep the smile off my face the entire book because it was so cute.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Spanish Love Deception (Love Deception #1) by Elena Armas - I’ve been working my way through my TBR on my Libby app and I’m so glad I placed a hold on this. Enemies-to-lovers between colleagues when one needs a date to a wedding. This was a great book and I’m looking forward to reading the next one in the series, which I’ve already placed a hold on.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ The Green Mile by Stephen King - Another library hold and the second on this list from Stephen King. This collects all the entries of The Green Mile serial he wrote and it was soooo good. Definitely one of my favorites by him so far.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Jordan (East Dremest Mafia #1) by Michelle Dare - The head of the East Dremest Mafia falls in love with his tailor and a chef. A very well-written story that ends with a cliffhanger I can’t wait to read about in the next one. A slow burn, too.
⭐⭐⭐⭐ First-Time Caller (Heartstrings #1) by B.K. Borison - A Book of the Month pick for me and I’m glad I chose it. A great start to a new series that follows a woman whose daughter calls into a radio show about love and falls in love with the host.
⭐⭐⭐ Barbie: Her Inspiration, History, and Legacy by Robin Gerber - Raise your hand if you played with Barbies as a child. I definitely did and this was a great look into the history of Barbie and how she became so popular. The reason for the 3 stars is because I found it wasn’t organized in a way that made sense so it was a bit hard to follow the chapters. Definitely read it for the photos, though, because they are worth it alone.
⭐⭐⭐ Limitless Love: A Polyamorous Charity Anthology by Various Authors - There wasn’t any one story that captured my attention, so I found this anthology just okay. I normally love anthologies because I find the beginnings of great series or discover new authors, but this one didn’t hold much in terms of either of these aspects for me.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Explosive Prejudice (Bad Inceptions #3) by Tal Lewin - I have loved every single book in this series so far. You must read them in order and this was probably my favorite of them. This is a dark romance, but it’s so worth it.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Vengeful Bonds: Season One by Nolah Harker - I loooooved this book so much! I couldn’t stop reading it and it’s so spicy. It’s an omegaverse story, but has no mpreg which I’m not a fan of in romances.
⭐⭐⭐ The Billionaire Murders: The Mysterious Deaths of Barry and Honey Sherman by Kevin Donovan - I’ve been fascinated by this true crime story since I first heard about it awhile ago and it’s because I live near Toronto. You don’t read about true crime from Canada often in books, so I was eager to read this. I gave it 3 stars only because it didn’t add much that I didn’t know already about the case, but if you are unfamiliar with it, it’s a good book to pick up.
