Liminal by Marie Mistry

3 Stars

My necromancy-practising murderers never expected me to rise again.

I was just the latest in a long line of gullible sacrifices to ensure their continued control over the Arcanaeum, so it shocked everyone when I woke up as a ghost and kicked them out.

For centuries now, I’ve faithfully carried out my self-appointed duties as the Librarian. I keep the vast halls of magical knowledge organised, fight the mad whims of the sentient—and interfering—building, and deal with the incessant demands of our patrons.

I have all the books and solitude I could ever want, the ability to redecorate whenever I get bored, and I can banish arcanists who refuse to follow my rules.

But the Arcanaeum has started acting out, especially when it comes to six particular patrons, all of whom want something from me.

Jasper and Dakari need my protection, but Pierce isn’t above threatening me ensure I give them both up. There’s no rule Galileo and North won’t break to get into the secret vault. And then there’s Lambert, who seems to exist for no reason other than to vex me with his smiles and... hugging.

Inconvenient, given that every time they touch me, my ghostly body cracks and breaks like glass.

To keep the Arcanaeum safe, I might just have to put my trust in all of them, but what if the cost of the building’s safety is my destruction?

I’ve loved all of Marie Mistry’s books but this one took a minute to get into. It is the first in a series so there is a lot of building going on. Once I got into it I loved the story. It was a nice set up for a new series and I can’t wait to see where it is going and how it all will play out. I mean who can hate a book set in a library with the FMC being a librarian. With everything setup I am sure I will love the rest of the series.

Book 1 Arcanaeum

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Cross the Bear by Sam Hall

4 Stars

When your boyfriend is a dud, but his brother and his pack are your perfect match…

“You’re our fated mate,” Bjorn tells me.

It’s every woman’s fantasy, isn’t it? To hear a big, tattooed bear shifter tell you that you’re the only one for him and his sleuth.

So why aren’t I falling all over myself to accept the bond?

Sounds great, but I’m not ready to be anyone’s girlfriend, mate, anything. My selfish ex left me hurt, exhausted, and burned out. I just want to have a little fun for once—not hook up with his hot brothers.

Rather than take “no” for an answer, these sexy shifters offer me a proposal.

If I surrender control to them, they’ll give me all the pleasure I crave.

Take me places I’d never dare go.

Fix my life, my heart… even my trust issues.

No strings attached, of course.

But if there are no strings, how do they keep pulling me closer and closer?

And what will happen when I no longer want to back away?

I’m about to find out whether this is a match made in heaven, or this relationship is another cross to bear.

I think this is my favorite of the series. Maddie breaks up with a dick who wasn’t her fated mates only to find out he knew she was fated to his brother and his sleuth. I loved seeing her realize this and working through everything to get to her HEA. I loved the guys she ends up with. They are perfect for her in so many ways. I wanted the MMC mother to get more of a comeuppance for everything she did to try and keep FMC and MMC apart. The story flowed nicely and I just enjoyed it a lot.

Book 5 Ursa Shifters

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Day Dreamer by Susie Tate

3 Stars

As a scruffy, disorganised daydreamer, Lucy Mayweather is like a fish out of water at the high-powered offices of her brother’s billionaire best friend. When she agreed to work for Felix, she had no idea quite how cut-throat his world – or he – would be. She just wanted to escape her reclusive life and be close to her childhood crush, hoping he might notice her.

But Lucy’s lonelier in London than she’s even been in her tiny village back home. The boy she grew up with has been replaced by a powerful, ruthless, extremely attractive man who doesn’t tolerate incompetence and who no longer seems to find Lucy’s quirks cute. Instead, he lectures her almost daily on her general crapness, and seems blind to the bullying she endures from his colleagues.

For Felix, agreeing to employ Lucy was a mistake. This shy bookworm with her head in the clouds, who wears tattered jumpers, carries multiple pens in her hair and has an obvious crush on him must be by far the worst assistant in London. But he’s always had a soft spot for the quirky little girl who lived in her own world and told the best stories. Well, now that little girl is all grown up… and he can’t stop thinking about her.

After Felix gives in to his bone-deep longing for his best friend’s little sister, he starts to feel more than he has in years. But Lucy has secrets, and Felix has trust issues. When his inability to trust her leads to a terrible betrayal and places Lucy in danger, Felix is faced with losing her forever. Because the new, hardened, traumatized Lucy is nothing like the daydreaming pushover she once was…

Like every other Susie Tate book there is so many emotions with this book. You will hate Felix so much for what he does to Lucy. She forgives him way too quickly. I don’t understand why he was so quick to believe the lies and disregard her. He threw her out of his business without actually getting anything from her which triggered her autoimmune disease with cold. He didn’t even think about it for hours. Considering he claims to love her it angered me. It did hit all the notes I look for in books and it did bring out all the feels so worth reading for me.

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Donation Clinic (Breeding Clinic) by Alexis B Osbourne

3 Stars

My biology only wants me to give into this strange alpha because I’m carrying his baby.

Kat wants a baby and has wanted one for years. As an older omega with no pack to call her own anymore, she turns to a fertility clinic for help on the path to motherhood. The constant appointments, the blood tests, and the pills will all be worth it when she can finally hold her little bundle of joy. The one she had to give up trying for all those years ago.

The problem? Her hot scent matched alpha donor wants to be more than anonymous and he’s already got a pack. Kat’s not sure that she can risk rejection again.

Liam and his two mates have always wanted a big family but they lack a breeding partner, and never found their scent match.

The opportunity the fertility clinic offers is one they can’t pass up. But when Liam immediately puts his foot in his mouth, he sends their pregnant omega running.

For the first time in forever, he aches to chase her. He can’t possibly let her go. And his pack doesn’t want to either. All three of them will make her see how perfect their pack is for her.

Can they mend the scars on Kat’s heart and neck and settle into domestic bliss before she runs away for good?

This one has updated the name to Donation Clinic. Same book I read under Breeding Clinic but the algorithm gods don’t suppress it.

I enjoy the story but not as much as other books in the series. I struggled with the goof up the clinic made and how they were just like sucks to be you, your going to have to work it out. I did love the pack and that they were all in with her. It was the perfect storm for them to get their HEA. Hit with the rest of the series and everyone was nice to learn about.

Book 3 Heatverse

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Weiner Across the Way by Amy Award

4 Stars

Kelsey Best is America's pop sweetheart and anyone who says they don't like her music is a liar and needs to be punched in the nads. And I'll do it too, because I'm the guy the NFL dubbed the meanest player in the league. Great for my career on the field, not so much for my reputation off it.

So I'm shocked as hell when Kelsey's team sends my agent a wild idea – they want a showmance between us. She's looking to dodge the media frenzy after her breakup with Hollywood's latest heartthrob, and I apparently fit the bill as her perfect distraction. My agent is convinced this fake dating stunt is the key to fixing my image. The whole world is going to hate me when we fake break up. And what happens when I fall for her? She's going to create a blank space in my heart, and I don't think I'm going to be able to shake it off.

Loved loved loved this book. Kelsey was such a sweet heart and her dog was so freaking cute in this book. I loved that Declan was all in from the very beginning and that his sister helped him get the girl. The two balanced each other out and made for a quick and easy read.

Definitely worth listening too as the narrators do an amazing job bringing the story out. I read the book first and then listened later and I would 100% recommend listening to the book. Stella Hunter and Jacob Morgan bring these characters to life and make the listen so enjoyable. I loved it so much.

Book 2 Cocky Kingmans

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Captured by the Dark Commander by Ellie Pond

4 Stars

Four hearts, one destiny.

Mermen mate in pods and one just claimed me.

I thought finding out my two best friends were mermen would be the weirdest thing about grad school.

Until a dangerously handsome man from the Mer army kidnapped me. He wants something from my friends and he’ll use me to get it.

I can’t escape him. He visits me in my dreams. He won’t let me out of his sight.

As a battle rages around us, the mysterious merman looks me dead in the eyes before commanding me to bite him if I want to live.

So I sink my teeth into his neck, not expecting him to bite me back.

Next thing I know I’m thrown through the icy surface of the Boston Harbor.

I thought I was drowning until I hear his voice in my head telling me to breathe–under the water.

Now my Dark Commander has taken me as his mate, but mermen mate in pods which means he’s not the only man who wants to claim me.

This book came up as an ad for me on insta and they always draw me in. I loved this one so much but it ends on a cliffhanger ending that made me so freaking mad. Luckily book 2 was out so I dove right in but book 2 ruined my love of book 1. This is a combo review because I couldn’t get through book 2 at all. It’s like the author put all this effort into book 1 and then was lost with how to continue the story. Which made book 2 drag so much. I read all the spoilers and said life is too short to force myself to read this and DNF.

Saying that book 1 was so good. Annabelle was an interesting character who is trying to go with the flow after being kidnapped by mermen. She ends up mated to the commander who has some issues. Basically it would be PTSD so his BFF has to tie him up every night and he sleeps in the room with them. He will become one of her mates. All of this was done really well. The relationship built nicely between the three of them until they reach the mer community and the book ended on a cliff. I am skipping the rest but I gave them all the HEA they deserve.

Book 1 Veiled City

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Djinn and Bare it by Darcy R Acula

3 Stars

A housewarming gift unleashes a djinn… but I think he’s defective.

To be honest, a big part of why I moved to a remote island was to escape my overbearing mother. She wants me to get married, settle down, and pop out some grand-trophies. I’m not opposed to the idea, but every time I swipe right, I seem to end up dating hot messes or worse: suspiciously perfect guys. No thanks. I want a normal guy who loves to snuggle and binge watch TV until we fall asleep in each other’s arms. A guy who will make me happy. Is that too much to ask?

I hadn’t even finished unpacking before my mom’s housewarming gift was tossed onto my porch—an antique lamp. While checking for damage, I rubbed the lamp, and you’d never guess what came out. Although, the title kind of gives it away, so darn it, you already know what popped out.

 

It turns out, being shaken around like rice inside a maraca during shipping isn’t great for a djinn’s memory; he is only able to remember bits and pieces of his past. Not to mention that every time he uses magic to help me, I end up with another mess to clean up.

Still, there is no denying I’m attracted to him. I just need to keep my mom from meeting him, so she doesn’t start hearing wedding bells. When someone makes a grab for the lamp and my man, I'm ready to do whatever it takes to save him.

I really enjoyed this book. It meshed well with the rest of the books in this world. It wasn’t the best of the bunch but it was good to read. I think it needed to be a longer book to flesh out some of the relationship between Genevieve and Djinn but overall it was good. Genie’s mom however can go far far away.

Book a part of Monster Mate Mayhem

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Pounded by the Pommel Horse by Sabrina Cross

3 Stars

Elena loves being on top.

When the elite gymnast is challenged to defeat her gym rival on the pommel horse, she’s up for the task. But is she up for the ride when the pommel horse shapeshifts into a man?

A very, very, naked man?

For an inanimate object erotica book this one wasn’t bad at all. Had a good plot and an interesting inanimate object. Love the writing style Sabrina Cross has and makes it worth reading.

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Third Gilmore Girl by Kelly Bishop

4 Stars

Kelly Bishop’s long, storied career has been defined by landmark achievements, from winning a Tony Award for her turn in the original Broadway cast of A Chorus Line to her memorable performance as Jennifer Grey’s mother in Dirty Dancing. But it is probably her iconic role as matriarch Emily in the modern classic Gilmore Girls that cemented her legacy.

Now, Bishop reflects on her remarkable life and looks towards the future with The Third Gilmore Girl. She shares some of her greatest stories and the life lessons she’s learned on her journey. From her early transition from dance to drama, to marrying young to a compulsive gambler, to the losses and achievements she experienced—among them marching for women’s rights and losing her second husband to cancer—Bishop offers a rich, genuine celebration of her life.

Full of witty insights and featuring a special collection of personal and professional photographs, The Third Gilmore Girl is a warm, unapologetic, and spirited memoir from a woman who has left indelible impressions on her audiences for decades and has no plans on slowing down.

Here’s a shocking nonfiction book review. I loved this book. It was interesting to see how Kelly Bishop came up in entertainment industry. I loved her in Dirty Dancing and Gilmore Girls which is why I read it. I blew through this autobiography in a couple hours and loved every minute of it. Seeing how she's lived her life and the struggles she's had to get where she is was interesting to read. 

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Marriage Hex by Sara Blue

3 Stars

It was a stupid wish. One that’s come to haunt my doorstep fourteen years later.

When I made a pact with my best friend to marry each other if we were both still single at thirty, I had no idea it would be magically bound… by me.

Time and circumstance have separated us, and we’re no longer the naïve teenagers we once were. I’m thriving with my coven and Silas is the newly appointed Alpha of the local shifter pack.

Which is why this marriage will never work.

The Celestial Coven and the Moon Walker Pack have had an ongoing feud that spans generations. My former best friend has now become my sworn enemy. Unfortunately, my magic hasn’t gotten that memo and my nemesis/husband is now living under my roof and walking around my house topless in gray sweatpants.

I don’t want him. I shouldn’t want him. But why do I find myself stalling at figuring out a counter curse?

The characters in this book irritated me so much which is the majority of the story. They are just so ridiculous about who abandoned whom. The fight just got real old real quick. Then all the stuff about forgetting and I just didn’t enjoy this book as much as I wanted to.

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Blackened Bond by Isla Draven

3 Stars

Death once claimed me, stole the air from my lungs as I burned alive…only I didn’t stay dead.

Instead I was returned to my past, and back to a living hell.

The Academy.

Where those who I believed were friends were actually foes. My enemies thought they could break me, but I proved them wrong.

Two months ago I was given a second chance…A second life.

With it I now wanted answers…and revenge.

But something went wrong.

Chaos is happening all around me. Moments in time that never happened before; new people, strange marks, mutated monsters, and a power growing inside me that I have yet to fully understand.

I’ve caused events to alter with my presence…so it’s time I followed suit.

With the bond’s I’ve created in this new life I’ll find the answers I want and reclaim what’s mine.

Where the first one was amazing this one dragged out the story and only really got amazing in the last couple of chapters. There are too many questions still unanswered. Too many loose ends not resolved in anyway. It felt like a bridge book but we are too soon for a bridge book. Still interested enough to be waiting for book 3 but if I hadn’t started the series I would hold off to see if the next one is better.

Book 2 Blackened Blade

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Baden by Sawyer Bennett

3 Stars

After suffering a horrific injury that threatens to end his career, Baden Oulett is about to learn that sometimes a fresh start is just what the doctor ordered.
I worked my whole life to achieve one goal—play professional hockey. As part of the defending Cup champion Arizona Vengeance, I was living my dream until one split second decision destroyed it all. Instead of lacing up my skates and hitting the ice, I’ve spent my days in rehab and physical therapy just so I could walk again. When a coaching opportunity with the Pittsburgh Titans is presented to me, I find myself with a career I had never considered but which allows me to continue being part of the sport that I love.
While my injuries are physical, the same can’t be said for the woman I rescued. Suffering from wounds that can’t be seen, Sophie Winters has withdrawn from the world in fear and guilt. I didn’t know Sophie before that fateful night and have only met her once since, but I refuse to let her face her demons alone. Determined to be a friend, I support Sophie in the only way I know how… by simply being there.
Through our shared trauma, Sophie and I begin to find peace within one another. As we grow closer, what started as friendship becomes more intimate until our broken pieces become one. But can a love born of anguish endure, or will the pain of our past prove too much to overcome?

This might be because I wasn’t in the mood for this book when I read it because I normally love Bennett’s books but this one was just a meh read for me. I struggled to get through it.

Book 1 Pittsburgh Titans

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TBR by Sedona Ashe

4 Stars

I always thought I’d die crushed under the weight of my TBR pile, but my death was a plot twist I didn’t see coming.

Save your sympathy! Now that I’m dead, I’m living my best freaking life. I’m free to read books for hours on end without worrying about food, rent, or, well, any other interruptions.

It looks like I might finally be able to get through my TBR list… maybe.

The only one who can see me in my ghostly form is Wasabi, an adorable rat that lives in the library archives. That changed when a not-quite-human guy showed up in town and caught me admiring his gorgeous body—er, I mean, smile. If it was possible to die twice, I’d have done it on the spot from sheer embarrassment. I was drawn to him like a moth to an ugly Christmas sweater, but I fought the pull. My TBR list was calling, and men were a distraction I didn’t need or want. Books before boyfriends, am I right?

But it turned out the man wasn’t traveling alone. He was part of a three-man team that investigated strange ghostly occurrences, and they’d come to Amberwood to figure out why lost souls were gathering here. They are determined to convince me there is more to life than books and show me the joys of being shared by three adoring partners.

Resisting one irresistibly sexy man was hard enough, but three? And that was before a purple-eyed reaper appeared in town, and I started making bets I couldn’t win. I was fighting a losing battle by continuing to deny what my heart was telling me… and that was before I got a lap dance from death.

I can’t deny I’m addicted to their touch. Still, I prefer to keep my drama inside the pages of a book. But that becomes impossible when I realize lives are in danger… including those of the men I’ve started to think of as mine. I’m still haunted by my death, but maybe it’s time to face the truth and stop being such a good ghoul. They say you only live once, so I guess it’s time to find out if you only die once as well. Is YODO a thing?

My TBRs aren’t going to read themselves, and these men are becoming a distraction I don't need. Although, maybe I could take a quick break after I finish one more chapter....

I LOVED this book. I loved the characters and the development in the story. There is one scene with the grim reaper that was amazing. Would love to see more books in this world. Also who doesn’t have a massive TBR you want for ever to read.

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Dragon’s Oath by Sophie Stern

3 Stars

A woman in danger…

A lost baby…

A long journey home…

Peggy is nothing special. As the night janitor at Westbridge High, she just wants to finish cleaning so she can hurry home and work on her art. For Peggy, nothing makes her feel more alive than when she’s standing in front of a canvas. Then one night, everything changes…

A woman in trouble runs up to Peggy and gives her a child. She begs Peggy to take the child to Fablestone where the baby will be safe. From what? Peggy doesn’t know. All she knows is that the two agents who show up on her doorstep the next day aren’t with the FBI, and she’d bet anything they’re scientists who want to get their hands on dragon’s blood.

That’s not going to happen.

Not on Peggy’s watch.

Peggy doesn’t have a choice. She has to get the baby to the Fablestone clan before the full moon ends. She has to reach Fablestone before it’s too late.

The fate of the clan is resting on Peggy, and she swore a dragon's oath to return the child to its rightful home.

She'll do whatever it takes, even if it costs her everything.

I enjoyed the overarching aspect of this book but wanted it to be fleshed out more. It needed more world building and character development. It was an interesting read. I liked Peggy and how much she worked to get the kiddo home to her family. I also liked she didn’t take any crap from Cameron when he found her with his niece Daisy. The biggest issue with it was it wasn’t long enough so it was as well developed as it could have been. Still liked it enough to read the next one.

Book 1 Fablestone Clan

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