Astrology Readathon TBR

Well hello everyone! Today I have a very important post for you, because it’s basically the reason why I came out of my somewhat voluntary blog hiatus. My dear friend Clo @ Cuppa Clo is hosting a readathon! It’s called Astrology Readathon and it runs between March 20th 2023 to March 20th 2024. I was lucky enough to be a part of the planning and plotting side of things before the announcement was made, so I knew I wanted to join in on the fun. There’s also something to be said about being shamed into participating because of my fantabulous ARC collection and my overflowing shelf by a certain meme extraordinaire and very good friend *cough*SOPH*cough*. Look at the meme she made for me and my ARCs 👇

Look, what are good friends for if not for roasting you, right? ANYWAY. All this long introduction to basically bring us here, to this moment. I’m making my TBR public because of one very good reason: I am horrible at actually reading the books I put on a TBR. So I’m hoping this will shame me into reading them. Without further ado, let’s get started.

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Book Review: Possession by Adriana Anders

Author: Adriana Anders
Series: Camp Haven #2
Audience: +18
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Erotic Romance
Publisher: Self published
Release Date: March 10, 2023
My Rating: 5 Cups
Source: Author
Blurb (from Goodreads):

Sexiest Man Alive
The world knows me as Zion Mason, but at camp, I’m just Zed—a masked participant living it up in my favorite place on earth. The only place I’m truly myself. Except this year, things are different. I’ve been outed IRL and now my career’s on the rocks, along with my very fake marriage to my sweet, straight-laced co-star Twyla Jones–the one woman I’m not allowed to touch.

America’s Sweetheart
What’s a girl supposed to do when her husband, in name only, gets caught on video doing unspeakable things with another woman (one who looks weirdly like her)? And by her, I mean me. Never mind that I can’t stop watching the video and thinking about the video and imagining myself in the—
Well, it turns out I’m the kind of person who follows my husband to a top-secret retreat filled with people doing things I’ve never dreamed of. Along the way, I learn way more than I bargained for and uncover secret desires I’ve been denying for an awfully long time. All of which would be fine if every single one didn’t revolve around the guy I’m working so hard to forget.

Content warnings available on author website

*Disclaimer: I received an e-ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or the content of my review in any way.

**Disclaimer: This book contains mature content. As a result, my review may contain references to content intended for mature audiences only.

Adriana Anders is quickly joining my list of “authors I must read anything by” and her latest release, Possession, may have something to do with it. With works that go from romantic suspense to contemporary romance to erotic romance, this is one author who will take readers on a wild ride no matter what they’re in the mood to read. Which is perfect for me, because my gosh did I need the punch that Possession packed. I absolutely adored this book and I think this book will end up on my Top 10 list of books read this year.

Blog Tour Book Review: The Dom Who Came In From The Cold by Lexi Blake

Author: Lexi Blake
Series: Masters & Mercenaries: Reloaded #4, Masters and Mercenaries #25
Audience: +18
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Erotic Romance
Publisher: DLZ Entertainment, LLC
Release Date: September 13, 2022
My Rating: 5 Cups
Source: Social Butterfly PR
Blurb (from Goodreads):

Kyle Hawthorne once believed his future would be a job in the private sector—a simple, normal life. Fate had other plans and he wound up in the military. Some newly discovered talents caught the eye of the CIA, and in no time he was working with a covert team. He found himself in a relationship with fellow operative, Julia—until she turned out to be the enemy. When her betrayal was uncovered, things got bloody and Kyle returned home broken, searching for a chance to walk the road not taken.

MaeBe Vaughan has never been interested in normal. Her happy place is a dark corner of the Internet, where she disrupts all the bad guys. She has a great circle of friends and a full life. She doesn’t need a man. Until Kyle Hawthorne walked into her life. He’s all wrong for her. Surly. Damaged. His uncle is her boss. But she couldn’t help getting close to him. When his past threatened her safety, Kyle walked out without saying good-bye.

Kyle will do anything to keep MaeBe safe. He faked his death, hid in the middle of nowhere, and watched over her from afar. But when Julia resurfaces, he knows that to protect MaeBe, he’ll have to get close. So close that if they manage to survive, he will never let her go..

*Disclaimer: I received an e-ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not influence my rating or the content of my review in any way.

**Disclaimer: This book contains mature content. As a result, my review may contain references to content intended for mature audiences only

The latest Lexi Blake book is here and I have to say I adored this book. The Dom Who Came In From The Cold is the perfect book to close another chapter in the world of the Masters and Mercenaries, and everything I could have hoped for from this book came true, and more.

Book Review: Blood Kiss by J. R. Ward

Author: J. R. Ward
Series: Black Dagger Brotherhood #14, Black Dagger Legacy #1
Audience: +18
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Signet
Release Date: December 1, 2015
My Rating: 4 Cups
Source: My copy
Blurb (from Goodreads):

The legacy of the Black Dagger Brotherhood continues in a spin-off series from the #1 New York Times bestselling author…

Paradise, blooded daughter of the king’s First Advisor, is ready to break free from the restrictive life of an aristocratic female. Her strategy? Join the Black Dagger Brotherhood’s training center program and learn to fight for herself, think for herself…be herself. It’s a good plan, until everything goes wrong. The schooling is unfathomably difficult, the other recruits feel more like enemies than allies, and it’s very clear that the Brother in charge, Butch O’Neal, a.k.a. the Dhestroyer, is having serious problems in his own life.

And that’s before she falls in love with a fellow classmate. Craeg, a common civilian, is nothing her father would ever want for her, but everything she could ask for in a male. As an act of violence threatens to tear apart the entire program, and the erotic pull between them grows irresistible, Paradise is tested in ways she never anticipated—and left wondering whether she’s strong enough to claim her own power…on the field, and off.

Welcome back my dear friends to another episode in this year’s massive buddy read with Jamsu of the Black Dagger Brotherhood! I have to say, I was very surprised by how much I enjoyed reading this book. At times I felt like I was back to the beginning, since Blood Kiss had that “BDB original” feel to it, while other times I was shocked to realize how much things within this world had changed since that very first book. Don’t forget to visit Jamsu to read her review of Blood Kiss!

Blog Tour Book Review: No Time To Lie by Lexi Blake

Author: Lexi Blake
Series: Masters & Mercenaries: Reloaded #4, Masters and Mercenaries #25
Audience: +18
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Erotic Romance
Publisher: DLZ Entertainment, LLC
Release Date: September 13, 2022
My Rating: 5 Cups
Source: Social Butterfly PR
Blurb (from Goodreads):

A grandmaster of lies and deception

Drake Radcliffe has spent half his life in the shadows. Recruited by the CIA when he was barely out of high school, Drake doesn’t know how to have a normal life. While most people his age were playing sports or video games, he was playing spy games with the world’s most dangerous adversaries. It has been a life filled with thrills and adrenaline, but it’s also been lonely. All that might change when a mistake from Drake’s past rears its ugly head and he’s forced to face the only woman he ever loved—the one he pushed away.

A beacon of love and compassion

Taylor Cline committed the cardinal sin for an analyst—she fell for the operative she was working for. Drake was everything she wanted in a man, until he broke her heart. She had one unforgettable night with him and then he never looked back. Her career threatened, she shut down and moved on, hoping to never see him again. Just as she is beginning to put it all behind her, a critical assignment puts her under his authority and right back in his arms.

A deadly mission that brings them together

From the wilds of Wyoming to the glittering cities of Europe, Drake and Taylor must race against time to uncover the truth and expose an evil organization. The stakes couldn’t be higher. If they fail, the world could crumble. If they succeed, they could finally have everything their hearts desire.

No Time To Lie is yet an another great addition to the world of the Masters and Mercenaries by Lexi Blake. This book has everything you can wish for: great action, super steamy scenes, and a lot of familiar faces to spice things up a bit. And then there’s the appearance of the one and only Ian Taggart, and that guarantees a lot of sarcasm, and a lot of eye-opening conversations. Just what I needed right now, to be honest.

Book Review: The Shadows by J. R. Ward

Author: J. R. Ward
Series: Black Dagger Brotherhood #13
Audience: +18
Genre: Paranormal
Publisher: Signet
Release Date: March 31, 2015
My Rating: 5 Cups
Source: My copy
Blurb (from Goodreads):

Trez “Latimer” doesn’t really exist. And not just because the identity was created so that a Shadow could function in the underbelly of the human world. Sold by his parents to the Queen of the S’Hsibe as a child, Trez escaped the Territory and has been a pimp and an enforcer in Caldwell, NY for years- all the while on the run from a destiny of sexual servitude. He’s never had anyone he could totally rely on… except for his brother, iAm.

iAm’s sole goal has always been to keep his brother from self-destructing- and he knows he’s failed. It’s not until the Chosen Serena enters Trez’s life that the male begins to turn things around… but by then it’s too late. The pledge to mate the Queen’s daughter comes due and there is nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, and no negotiating.

Trapped between his heart and a fate he never volunteered for, Trez must decide whether to endanger himself and others- or forever leave behind the female he’s in love with. But then an unimaginable tragedy strikes and changes everything. Staring out over an emotional abyss, Trez must find a reason to go on or risk losing himself and his soul forever. And iAm, in the name of brotherly love, is faced with making the ultimate sacrifice…

*Disclaimer: Mild spoilers are included in my review.

Everyone, I believe I’ve found my favorite book in the series. I’ve sat on my feelings regarding this book, and even before I started writing this review I wasn’t sure how to express my feelings about it. But now I do and believe me, I have many feelings. Don’t forget to check out Jamsu’s review of this buddy read on her blog!

Book Review: The King by J. R. Ward

Author: J. R. Ward
Series: Black Dagger Brotherhood #12
Audience: +18
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: April 1st 2014
My Rating: 4 Cups
Source: My copy
Blurb (from Goodreads):

Long live the King…

After turning his back on the throne for centuries, Wrath, son of Wrath, finally assumed his father’s mantle—with the help of his beloved mate. But the crown sets heavily on his head. As the war with the Lessening Society rages on, and the threat from the Band of Bastards truly hits home, he is forced to make choices that put everything—and everyone—at risk.

Beth Randall thought she knew what she was getting into when she mated the last pure blooded vampire on the planet: An easy ride was not it. But when she decides she wants a child, she’s unprepared for Wrath’s response—or the distance it creates between them.

The question is, will true love win out… or tortured legacy take over?

*Disclaimer: Mild spoilers are included in this review

If there’s one thing I love about J. R. Ward is that just when I least expect it, she writes something that blows my mind and reminds me why I fell in love with this series in the first place. To me The King felt like a love letter to the series as a whole, and to the readers. It had much of the same vibes as Dark Lover did, the book that started it all, while also offering a new beginning, a fresh start for the rest of the books in this series. I adored this book and I’m very happy I read it. As always with this series, this was a buddy read with Jamsu, so please remember to read her review here.