Monthly Re-Cap (April and May 23) & TBR Pile (June 23)

Hello Readers, Bloggers, and Awesome people! 

Here is the progress from April - it was bad. My reading slump coupled with a conference and a family visit limited my reading. 

For May, I decided not to have a TBR and just read books I needed to review and for my mood. I think it worked out well. Now I need to get back to it.

~~Books I Read in April & May 2023~~  

~~Links to Some Reviews~~

Lovely Bad Things by Trisha Wolfe (Adult) - 4 stars

Manacled by SenLinYu (adult, fanfiction) - 5 stars

Julieta and the Romeos by Maria E. Andreu (YA) -4 Stars

Series Review: Vicious Lost Boys by Nikki St. Crowe (Adult, Spicy) -4 Stars

 Creatures of Chaos by Ashley Brandt (YA) - 3 stars

Violins and Vampires by Cee Bee (Adult) - 3 stars

The Cherished by Patricia Ward (YA) - 2 stars

 TBR for June

1. Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo - need to finish and pick a new book club book!
2. The Lost Galumpus by Joseph Helgerson
3. Neon Gods by Katee Robert
4. Mystery of the Lost Lynx by Tamra Wight - I need to finish this one!
5. Love & Resistance by Kara H.L. Chen
6. A Circle of Stars by Craig Montgomery

How was your May reading? 

Feel free to share it in the comments below! I would love to know what you are reading!

Building the Book Pile #434

Welcome to Building the Book Pile!

Hello Readers, Bloggers, and Awesome people! 

Happy Sunday folks!

It has been a busy short week, and I think this one will be busy as well. But tonight we are going to see a comedian at the local theater and summer softball starts on Tuesday so YAY! Excited for all the plans but also already exhausted thinking about it. 

Today before the show, I am going to read and garden and we are going to pick up more supplies to work on my bathroom :) so there will be some work too.

and I am happy to say that I am finally making progress with Ninth House - I just needed to be in the mood for it I guess, and I am listening to the Audiobook while doing my puzzle so that makes it better. 

Stay Well

-S

Coming up on the Blog

Monthly ReCap (April & May 23) and TBR Pile (June 23)

Early Reader Review: The Byways by May Pascual (YA)

Blog Blitz: The Birth of Death by Joseph P. Macolino (Adult)

Recent Reads: Hooked by Emily McIntire (Adult, Spicy)

Books Received Recently...   

One for My Enemy by Olivie Blake - Bought

Follow the Shadows (The Tales of Moerden Book 1) by Rosemary Drisdelle - from the publisher for review, out Sept 2023

Champion of Fate by Kendare Blake - from the publisher for review, out Sept 2023

Have you missed anything lately?

Recent Reads: Lovely Bad Things by Trisha Wolfe (Adult, Spicy) - 4 stars

Donating Caffeine is greatly appreciated ... Ko-fi

Comment or leave me a link and I will see you online again soon.

Happy Reading!

Recent Reads: Lovely Bad Things by Trisha Wolfe

Lovely Bad Things by Trisha Wolfe

Series: Hollow Row #1
Publisher: Lock Key Press
Publication Date:  May 31, 2022

 

Format: Ebook
Source: Borrowed from Kindle Unlimited

Rating:


Goodreads Synopsis: 

He's the devil. And she's his wicked game.

Halen:

They say eyes are the windows to the soul—but when he looks at me through hues of slate-green and flaring blue embers, I’m terrified of what’s watching me from behind his clashing gaze, something primal and feverish that threatens to melt me like fire in ice.

I fear falling into Kallum Locke’s pitch-black soul.

But after I’m called to a crime scene to investigate the most gruesome act of violence to descend on the legendary town of Hollow’s Row, I have no choice but to turn to Kallum, to the man I had locked away in an asylum for the criminally insane.

He’s the leading expert on all things Nietzsche and occult. And now, to get answers, I’m forced to make a deal with the devil himself.

Kallum:

Really, eyes are the windows to the soul? Then I wonder what little Halen St. James thinks of all the cryptic eyes watching her in the killing fields… I wonder if the hairs on her delicate nape lifted away, if a thrilling shiver raced over her soft skin. She’s desperate for the answer, and she’ll do anything to uncover it—even make a deal with me, dangling freedom like bait on a hook.

But she’s far more tempting to sink my teeth into than any lure.

And the pain will taste twice as sweet.

Trigger Warning: Mention of loss of loved ones, grief, violence and gore

Murder, crime scenes with detail, knifes, blood play , breath play, occult references and rituals 

Review: 

This book was not what I expected but it was brilliant in a lot of ways. The story follows Halen a profiler. She works on serial killer profiles for the FBI and recently she put away Professor Kallum Locke as the Harbinger murderer. Now she needs his help on a case becuase of his specialty, philiosophy.  Together, they are trying to save 33 missing people. 

This was a slow-ish burn romance of sorts, it took a while to get to the spicy bits for a spicy book. It was very dark and weird. The story is essentially a mystery/psychological thriller. Kallum is super awkward and some of the things are off-putting in not great ways, i.e. not him trying to be creepy or a creep. just more cringe. But his odd obsessive nature was a good driver in the plot and in the more romantic elements. Halen was so damaged, you could tell from the beginning that she is holding onto a lot of trauma and depression, but she tries so hard to pull herself out and push through. 

Overall I was find this an ok read... until the ending and a very big twist. I was in shock and it made sense but also I was thrown on my head. I am going to continue this series to see who the Harbinger is... if it is Kallum or not, and if she is really full on crazy just like him. If you should choose to read this one, please note, it is dark, review the triggers, and it is spicy.

Building the Book Pile #433

Welcome to Building the Book Pile!

Hello Readers, Bloggers, and Awesome people! 

I hope you are all doing great and that warmer weather has come to your location. It is finally warm-ish here in NH, we have had a few frosty nights still but during the day it is sunny and nice. We are spending more time outdoors, with Charlie dog and the chickens. I hope to plant my veggies this weekend. We are also working in the garden and making it nicer this year. I also hope to put in a bunch of flowers too...so wish me luck I have lots to do. 

I am hoping that audiobooks will help me through all the work to be done. 

Reading is slow-going lately, but happening which is good.

Stay Well

-S

Coming up on the Blog

Recent Reads: Lovely Bad Things by Trisha Wolfe (Adult)

Books Received Recently...   

I downloaded a bunch of Dramione fanfictions from Archive of Our Own this week:

A Bloody Idiot by eveningstruggle

Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of Being in Love by isthisselfcare

Ten out of Ten by morriganmercy

All You Want by SenLinYu

Have you missed anything lately?

Recent Reads: Manacled by SenLinYu (adult, fanfiction) - 5 stars

If you are interested in supporting my ability to stay awake and read please consider dontating - Coffee  is appreciated ... Ko-fi

Comment or leave me a link and I will see you online again soon.

Happy Reading!

Recent Reads: Manacled by SenLinYu

Manacled by SenLinYu 
Series: Fanfiction for Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling

  

Format: Downloaded FanFiction
Source: Archive of Our Own

Rating:


Goodreads Synopsis: 

Harry Potter is dead. In the aftermath of the war, in order to strengthen the might of the magical world, Voldemort enacts a repopulation effort. Hermione Granger has an Order secret, lost but hidden in her mind, so she is sent as an enslaved surrogate to the High Reeve, to be bred and monitored until her mind can be cracked.

Fanfiction for Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling.

Words: 370,256

Trigger warnings - rape, attempted rape, violence, torture, murder, mass murder, physical abuse, mental abuse, this is a very dark read.

Review: 

I have never been into Fanfiction, but I kept hearing about this Draco/Hermione retelling. I finally signed up for an Archive of Our Own account and picked it up. I was so happy that I could download it and email it over to my Kindle in full. I was immediately inthralled by the story and never wanted to put it down. The story broke my heart multiple times but I absolutely loved it.

This fanfic starts at the end of the war, only now, Voldemort has won and all of the characters are pretty much dead. Hermione finds herself in a dark dungeon left to wither away. Suddenly she is pulled out, learns all her friends are dead, and that she will now be a surrogate in the wizarding re-population project. During her initial medical checks, they all realize that she has blocked and locked away memories; memories that the Dark Lord think will help him scoop up the last of the Resistance. And so...Hermione is gifted to Draco, who is his normal antisocial, mean, bully self. 

In the orginal books, I always had a soft spot for Draco. I think a lot of people did. Yes, he was a pain a lot of the time, he was spoiled, but his parents were creepy and rude, and he never felt loved. So during this read, I again felt those things and was really drawn to this Dramione offering.  

From the beginning, I was dubbing this a Harry Potter retelling with a Handmaids Tale theme and concept, and it is certainly that, but so much more. 

I want to leave this as spoiler free as possible - but here are some important notes. This read is not for the faint of heart, there is a lot of violence, some of it graphic, there is rape, also pretty graphic... You will hate main characters like you have never before hated them. Umbridge - still very evil, but you will also want to throat punch Harry, Ron, and the Order. You will swoon over Draco, even when he is being a dick, because he is misunderstood and trying the best he can. 

The fic, starts in 'modern' time with Hermione pulled out of her captivity, and you are with her for a number of months as she lives with Draco. As she starts to recover memories, there are short dreams and flashbacks. The the fic takes a turn and completely goes into full Flashbacks and there are a number of chapters before eventually popping back into the now. It seems like a lot, and you WANT so badly to see how understanding these flashbacks make Hermione feel about her situation, but trust me ... wait it out, read it slowly and when you pop out on the otherside you will be in tears with her. 

I adored everything about this read. It was so lovely. I am going to re-read it. Once you get through the Flashbacks you will want to as well and see if you can pick up on things in those beginning chapters. 

Another wonderful thing is that each chapter has notes - breaking down if there were quotes from the books, adding fan art links, and any other information readers might find useful. 

If you were a fan of Harry Potter, but wanted more adult versions of the slow burn love stories, and were a fan of Draco already, this could be for you. Do not take the trigger warning lightly though, this is a very dark read and could turn your stomach. 

Building the Book Pile #432

Welcome to Building the Book Pile!

Hello Readers, Bloggers, and Awesome people! 

Another weekend halfway over ... this weekend I have done stuff in the garden to prepare for planting and just had some time to relax, which is very nice. I read a very length Harry Potter fanfiction this past week, I loved it, and thought it would pull me out of my reading slump. It might have had the opposite effect. Oh well still working on it. 

What are you reading these days? Any fun hobbies you have at the moment?

Stay Well

-S

Coming up on the Blog

Recent Reads: Manacled by SenLinYu (adult, fanfiction)

Books Received Recently...   

 

  

BOTM + bday add on

The Last Word by Taylor Adams

Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Have you missed anything lately?

Early Reader Review: Julieta and the Romeos by Maria E. Andreu (YA) -4 Stars

Series Review: Vicious Lost Boys by Nikki St. Crowe (Adult, Spicy) -4 Stars

If you are interested in supporting my ability to stay awake and read please consider dontating - Coffee  is appreciated ... Ko-fi

Comment or leave me a link and I will see you online again soon.

Happy Reading!

Spicy Series Review: The Vicious Lost Boys by Nikki St. Crowe

The Vicious Lost Boys by Nikki St. Crowe

Publisher: Blackwell House LLC

Format: Ebooks available on Kindle Unlimited

AUTHOR NOTE: This series is a reimagining of Peter and Wendy. Characters have been aged up for this darker, grittier version. If you like your enemies to lovers romance with hot, ruthless, morally gray love interests, you’ll enjoy this series. You can expect hate kissing, fighting, bickering, and ‘touch her and I’ll unalive you’ vibes. 

Series Rating

Review at Bottom - Spoilers!

The Never King, Book 1

  

Goodreads Synopsis: 

The stories were all wrong — Hook was never the villain.

For two centuries, all of the Darling women have disappeared on their 18th birthday. Sometimes they’re gone for only a day, some a week or a month. But they always return broken.

Now, on the afternoon of my 18th birthday, my mother is running around the house making sure all the windows are barred and the doors locked.

But it’s pointless.

Because when night falls, he comes for me. And this time, the Never King and the Lost Boys aren’t willing to let me go.

The Dark One, Book 2

  

Goodreads Synopsis: 

I spent most of my life feeling dead inside -- until I met Peter Pan and the Lost Boys.

It wasn't until Pan and Neverland that I finally felt alive.

But things are not all full of magic and sunlight on the island. There's something darker and more sinister haunting the forest.

And worse, the fae queen and Captain Hook are ready to fight for control of Neverland and they will stop at nothing to get what they want. Including using the one thing Pan never thought he wanted or needed -- me. I'm a descendant of the Darling family and now I belong to him and the Lost Boys.

War is brewing -- can the Never King get his shadow back and assume his rightful throne? And if he does, where will I fit?

Or will all of Neverland be in jeopardy right along with my dark, twisted heart?

Their Vicious Darling, Book 3

  

Goodreads Synopsis: 

The Dark One has finally accepted me…just in time for everything to change. Because Vane’s brother, The Crocodile, has just arrived on Neverland soil and he’s not alone. He’s brought with him members of the royal Darkland family and they want Vane’s Death Shadow back at any cost.

Of course, Peter Pan, Vane, Kas and Bash, they’re all familiar with war. But war isn’t easy when love is on the line.

I know those vicious Lost Boys would do anything to protect me. But what if I’m not the one that needs saving?

As power shifts on the island and shadows are claimed, all five of us have to let go of who we were, if we have any chance of becoming who we are destined to be.

The Fae Princes, Book 4 

  

Goodreads Synopsis: 

I thought Peter Pan was a myth and Neverland a fairytale. A story spun by my mother who had lost her mind a long time ago.

But there was no denying the overwhelming shadow cast by Peter Pan when he was standing in my house.

Pan took me captive to Neverland and I somehow found my place among him and the Lost Boys.

I’ve never looked back.

Now I’m entangled right alongside him in a war we can’t seem to escape. We thought we had defeated our enemies.

We thought we could finally have our happily ever after.

But there was one enemy we never saw coming.

A fairy who has nothing to lose and everything to gain.

The fairy with golden wings and a dark, twisted heart.

She wants Peter Pan and the island and she’ll stop at nothing to have both. Including destroying anyone who stands in her way, even her own flesh and blood.

The Vicious Lost Boys series begins as a struggle. Darling Girls - taken on their 18th birthdays to Neverland by Pan, and Winnie is skeptical of this, but she is about to turn 18. So when Pan does come for her, she is surprised and panicked. All she knows is that Darling women come home mentally broken and she will do anything to avoid that. 

The first book of the series is very much a seduction story, Winnie trying to win over Pan and the Lost Boys, and trying to figure out what they need from her. The books that follow are more about found family as lovers so there is a lot of spice and moral grey in this series. The overall focus becomes Winnie with 4 men, Pan, Vane, and the Fae boys - Kas and Bash. We shift from the abduction to shadows and magic, and then all out war. 

I liked this series, yes it was very spicy, but the story was also an interesting reimagining of Pan and Wendy, and the characters were interesting all in their own ways. Was the writing perfect, no, but they were fast -paced and you could run right by issues. I had a lot of emotions reading and that was the enjoyable part. The characters made me want to scream in anger, I was frustrated, I swooned for the romance... if you could call it that. I think overall this was just a run adaptation overall. 

There are a lot of triggers though, here are some: Child Abuse, Violence & Gore including blood and bones, Drugs & Alcohol abuse, Death, Murder, Kidnapping, Slut shaming, Sexually explicit scenes, Emotional Abuse, Physical and Mental Abuse...

There aren't a lot of things that I won't read, so this series was ok for me, but it might not be for you. It certainly falls in the DARK erotica category. The only really bothersome for me was the slut shaming - it persisted throughout the books and the amount of times the word wh*** was used was far too many, even after they were 'together' and that one irks me. 

They all end on a cliffhanger - so be prepared for that. I flew through books 1-3 in February and then had to wait for book 4 to be released at the end of March. Now I am impatiently awaiting the next series about Roc, Hook... and Wendy. YES THAT WENDY.