Monday, January 31, 2022

January Rereads

As always, opinions are my own

Rebel Hard by Nalini Singh
Hard Play #2
Four stars
This book came out September 18, 2018
Follows Cherish Hard
Followed by Love Hard
Borrowed as ebook from Libby




Love Hard by Nalini Singh


Love Hard by Nalini Singh
Hard Play #3
Four stars
Follows Rebel Hard
This book came out March 10, 2020
Borrowed as ebook from Libby




Clean Sweep by Ilona Andrews 
Innkeeper Chronicles #1
Three stars
Followed by Sweep in Peace
eBook of mine on Kindle
This book came out December 2, 2013




Sweep in Peace by Ilona Andrews
Innkeeper Chronicles #2
Follows Clean Sweep
Followed by One Fell Sweep
This book came out November 13, 2015
Ebook of my own on Kindle





One Fell Sweep by Ilona Andrews
Innkeeper Chronicles #3
Followed by Sweep of the Blade
This book came out November 13, 2015
Ebook of my own on Kindle




Sweep of the Blade by Ilona Andrews
Innkeeper Chronicles #4
Follows One Fell Sweep
Followed by Sweep with Me
This book came out December 2018
Ebook of my own on Kindle




Sweep with Me by Ilona Andrews
Innkeeper Chronicles #4.5
Followed by Sweep of the Heart
This book came out December 20th, 2016
Ebook of my own on Kindle




Meg Langslow #3
Four stars
This book came out October 12th, 2001
Audible book I own






Meg Langslow #27
This book came out August 4, 2020
Follows Owl be Home for Christmas
Followed by The Gift of the Magpie
Borrowed as audiobook from Libby



The Gift of the Magpie by Donna Andrews
Meg Langslow #28
This book came out October 20, 2020
Followed by Murder Most Fowl
Borrowed as audiobook from Libby






Murder Most Fowl by Donna Andrews
Meg Langslow #29
This book came out August 3, 2021
Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Sunday, January 30, 2022

Super Hot Wingman by Sarina Bowen, Lauren Blakely

For this novella, a prequel to The Best Men, we are seeing the viewpoint of Mark Banks. He is a bi male who is basically a single father of an adorable little girl. He is also the older sister of Hannah who may or may not be a character from another book. She is in fast lust with a man whose name is Flip. Well, his nickname but Mark isn't so sure about this man, especially since their relationship seems to be fast tracked. Also, Flip has a best friend, Asher St. James, who is beyond gorgeous.
This is a closer to a short story then a novella really so we don't get to see a lot of either man but now I can't wait to read the first book.

Three stars
This novella came out January 3, 2022
Followed by The Best Men
Borrowed as ebook from Kindle Unlimited
Opinions are my own

Saturday, January 29, 2022

Fated Blades by Ilona Andrews

This book is technically a standalone and you really don't need to have read the other two books in the series to have read it since it doesn't really reference either at all. It sort of plops you down in the world of the Kinsmen but there are some rather large gaps in the story anyway (it's typical in the series) so you don't necessarily notice the things that are unexplained.
The book starts with two people whose families are mortal enemies and have been for generations. Matias Baena is shocked to hear Romana Adler is in his boardroom. Their companies have been developing technology sort of parallel to each other and now their respective spouses have run away with the information and it seems that they are going to be selling it to space pirates. 
Yes, it's overdramatic and yes, I mentioned the gaps but it was still really fun and I plan on rereading the last 25% before I send it back to KU.

Three stars
This book came out November 23, 2021
Follows Silver Shark
Borrowed as ebook from Kindle Unlimited
Opinions are my own

Friday, January 28, 2022

Marion Lane and the Deadly Rose by T.A. Willberg

Marion Lane is only just recovering from the events of the first story when there is a mysterious death caused by an assassin known only as The Florist. But there are also new inquirers coming to Miss Brickett's and someone has slipped Marion a note that one of them is not what they seem. This is on top of the fact that there are mysterious flyers being distributed around the company and a secret subgroup that is intent on changing the way Miss Brickett's fundamentally works. Unfortunately, one of Marion's cohort will not be alive by the end of the book.

Three stars
This book comes out February 1st, 2022
Follows Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder
ARC kindly provided by Harlequin Trade Publishing and NetGalley
Opinions are my own


Thursday, January 27, 2022

Cherish Hard by Nalini Singh

Though only twenty-three years old, Sailor knows what he wants out of life. Right now, he's working on building a successful landscaping company. Unlike his brothers, rugby isn't his life. He likes it well enough but it's not going to be what he shoots for every day. So, when he finally sees the woman that has been haunting his dreams for the past seven years, he's excited to finally get his chance but worried he's not going to be able to make room for her in his life when he's got so much going on.
Isa knows what she wants in her life. She wants to teach. But both her mother and her father are trying to get her to take over as the Vice President of one of their companies (yes, they each have one.) In fact, Isa's mother has blackmailed her into working at her mother's company for the summer. Someone she's going to be working closely with? The five-years-younger Sailor. 
This was a nice story for Isa and Sailor but there was a lot of world building going on that pulled back from their love story.

Hard Play #1
Three stars
This book came out November 14, 2017
Connected to Rock Hard 
Followed by Rebel Hard
Borrowed as ebook from Libby
Opinions are my own

Reread as ebook from Libby February 2024

Wednesday, January 26, 2022

Silver Shark by Ilona Andrews

Part of an elite group that works (and sometimes kills) by hopping onto a biological computer network and then romping around Hackers style, Claire Shannon knows that she is a powerful psycher. It surprises her that her side loses the war but doesn't surprise her that the man next in line above her kills her team and tries to kill her as well. Now she is part of the refugee group sent to a new planet that is vividly colorful and filled with kind people, she is understandably shaken to be sent to the company owned by Venturo Escana, the one place where her skill might be uncovered.
For his part, Venturo is delighted to have someone climb the ranks so quickly that she becomes an indispensable right-hand. Too bad she works for him. And that he is so intrigued by the woman that he's met online.
Like the first book in this series, there are great leaps in time and gaps in the story but it is still worth reading. We see a woman who knows her own worth but is just trying to survive but who grows to care about other people as well. 

Three stars
This book came out September 14, 2011
Follows Silent Blade
Followed by Fated Blades
Borrowed as ebook from Libby
Opinions are my own

Tuesday, January 25, 2022

Rock Wedding by Nalini Singh

Sarah and Abe were married young. But he was still mourning the loss of his sister and then his father and couldn't explain that to Sarah. Instead, he buried his feelings in drugs and alcohol until the day he chased her off. 
It has been two years since then. Sarah has just gotten out of a bad relationship (that we read about in the last book) but she has also built up herself and her business. Now that she's available, Abe is ready to grab onto the chance to get her back with both hands. 
I like the (generally) good use of condoms in this series and how Singh covers a significant amount of time in each relationship. It's not like "Oops, we just met and now we're getting married." I liked both Abe and Sarah in this book. They both admitted their mistakes and have matured in a way that makes them truly compatible.

Rock Kiss #4
Three and a half stars
This book came out July 19, 2016
Borrowed as ebook from Libby
Opinions are my own

Reread as Audible audiobook February 2024