Aileen's bookshelf: all en-US Wed, 30 Apr 2025 09:59:52 -0700 60 Aileen's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg <![CDATA[A Reign of Rose (The Sacred Stones, #3)]]> 205064757
They must save the world—but can they also save each other?

Kane Ravenwood, King of Onyx Kingdom, would go to the ends of the continent for Arwen Valondale, but what if she’s beyond even that? Broken in ways he never imagined he could be, Kane must find a way to fulfill the prophecy and kill his father, Fae King Lazarus. And after what he’s endured, he’s willing to save Evendell by whatever means necessary—even if that spells his own death.

Little does Kane know, he’s not the only one fighting for revenge. Arwen is no longer afraid to fight—no sacrifice is too great, no enemy too daunting. Now, nothing will stop her from destroying Lazarus and his allies, because she knows if she fails, both realms will be doomed forever.]]>
496 Kate Golden 0593641949 Aileen 0 currently-reading 3.90 2024 A Reign of Rose (The Sacred Stones, #3)
author: Kate Golden
name: Aileen
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/30
shelves: currently-reading
review:

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<![CDATA[Did You Hear About Kitty Karr?]]> 61796683 REESE'S BOOK CLUB MAY 2023 PICK

BOOK OF THE MONTH MAY 2023 PICK

A multigenerational saga that traverses the glamour of old Hollywood and the seductive draw of modern-day showbiz

When Kitty Karr Tate, a White icon of the silver screen, dies and bequeaths her multimillion-dollar estate to the St. John sisters, three young, wealthy Black women, it prompts questions. Lots of questions.

A celebrity in her own right, Elise St. John would rather focus on sorting out Kitty’s affairs than deal with the press. But what she discovers in one of Kitty’s journals rocks her world harder than any other brewing scandal could—and between a cheating fiancé and the fallout from a controversial social media post, there are plenty.

The truth behind Kitty's ascent to stardom from her beginnings in the segregated South threatens to expose a web of unexpected family ties, debts owed, and debatable crimes that could, with one pull, unravel the all-American fabric of the St. John sisters and those closest to them.

As Elise digs deeper into Kitty's past, she must also turn the lens upon herself, confronting the gifts and burdens of her own choices and the power that the secrets of the dead hold over the living. Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? is a sprawling page-turner set against the backdrop of the Hollywood machine, an insightful and nuanced look at the inheritances of family, race, and gender—and the choices some women make to break free of them.]]>
416 Crystal Smith Paul 1250815304 Aileen 5 3.70 2023 Did You Hear About Kitty Karr?
author: Crystal Smith Paul
name: Aileen
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/30
date added: 2025/04/30
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review:
While this had an odd, almost sputtering at times off and on slow start, once it got going…I couldn’t put it down.
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The Rose Bargain 211742041 The Cruel Prince meets The Selection in this captivating duology opener brimming with heart-pounding romance, vicious competition, and beautiful, cruel fae, from the New York Times bestselling author of The Witch Haven, Sasha Peyton Smith.

Every citizen of England is granted one bargain from their immortal fae queen.

High society girls are expected to bargain for qualities that will win them suitors: a rare talent for piano in exchange for one’s happiest childhood memory. A perfect smile for one’s ability to taste.

But Ivy Benton’s debut season arrives with a shocking twist: a competition to secure the heart of the Queen’s fae son, Prince Bram. A prize that could save Ivy’s family from ruin� and free her sister from the bargain that destroyed her.

Yet every glittering fae deal has a rotting heart—and at the center of this contest is a dark plot that could destroy everything Ivy knows.

Sweepingly romantic and deceptively enchanting, this alternate history romantasy will enthrall readers of Holly Black, Stephanie Garber, and Adalyn Grace.]]>
400 Sasha Peyton Smith 0063372525 Aileen 0 to-read 3.97 2025 The Rose Bargain
author: Sasha Peyton Smith
name: Aileen
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/28
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The Starlight Heir 212364043
“Be ready for a deadly contest for a bride, mistaken identities, hidden magic, and secrets that will keep you guessing until the end.� –NISHA J. TULI, internationally bestselling author of Trial of the Sun Queen

A bladesmith blessed by the stars. A prince with a dangerous secret. A god bound in shadows. From USA Today bestselling author Amalie Howard comes a scorching new romantasy that will leave you spellbound.

“His Imperial Majesty King Zarek requests your presence as his esteemed guest.�

When the gold-dusted court invitation arrives at Suraya Saab’s forge, she believes it’s a joke. Nobles might seek her skills as a bladesmith—one of few who can imbue her work with precious jadu, the last source of magic in the realm—but she has no qualifications as a potential bride for the crown prince. Still, the invitation is the chance at adventure, and the means to finally visit the capital city her late mother loved.

But what awaits her in Kaldari is nothing she could have imagined—and fraught with danger. It’s not the crown prince, but his impossibly handsome, illegitimate half-brother, Roshan, who captures her interest…and her ire. The invitation isn’t a quest to find a suitable bride, but a veiled hunt for the Starkeeper—a girl rumored to hold the magic of the stars in her blood. And across the city, unrest is brewing between the noble houses and the rebel militia.

When the rebels attack, Suraya and Roshan find themselves on the run, trying to deny their simmering attraction and the knowledge that Suraya herself might be the Starkeeper. But Roshan is guarding secrets of his own. And with no control over the power stirring within her, Suraya has drawn the attention of a dark god, an immortal whose interest might be the biggest threat of all.

“Consumes all your attention and leaves you longing for more!� —Jennifer L. Armentrout, #1 New York Times bestselling author

“Stunning .� —Brigid Kemmerer, New York Times bestselling author

“Pure addictive delight." —Thea Guanzon, New York Times bestselling author

“Amalie Howard at her finest!� —Danielle L. Jensen, New York Times bestselling author]]>
368 Amalie Howard 0063355841 Aileen 0 to-read 3.31 2025 The Starlight Heir
author: Amalie Howard
name: Aileen
average rating: 3.31
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/28
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<![CDATA[The Knight and the Moth (The Stonewater Kingdom, #1)]]> 205335957
Sybil Delling has spent nine years dreaming of having no dreams at all. Like the other foundling girls who traded a decade of service for a home in the great cathedral, Sybil is a Diviner. In her dreams she receives visions from six unearthly figures known as Omens. From them, she can predict terrible things before they occur, and lords and common folk alike travel across the kingdom of Traum's windswept moors to learn their futures by her dreams.

Just as she and her sister Diviners near the end of their service, a mysterious knight arrives at the cathedral. Rude, heretical, and devilishly handsome, the knight Rodrick has no respect for Sybil's visions. But when Sybil's fellow Diviners begin to vanish one by one, she has no choice but to seek his help in finding them. For the world outside the cathedral's cloister is wrought with peril. Only the gods have the answers she is seeking, and as much as she'd rather avoid Rodrick's dark eyes and sharp tongue, only a heretic can defeat a god.]]>
400 Rachel Gillig 0356522962 Aileen 0 to-read 4.62 2025 The Knight and the Moth (The Stonewater Kingdom, #1)
author: Rachel Gillig
name: Aileen
average rating: 4.62
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/28
shelves: to-read
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Out On a Limb 182095008 406 Hannah Bonam-Young 1778027792 Aileen 0 to-read 4.23 2023 Out On a Limb
author: Hannah Bonam-Young
name: Aileen
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2023
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/28
shelves: to-read
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<![CDATA[Things We Never Got Over (Knockemout, #1)]]> 60060431 Bearded, bad-boy barber Knox prefers to live his life the way he takes his coffee: Alone. Unless you count his basset hound, Waylon.
Knox doesn’t tolerate drama, even when it comes in the form of a stranded runaway bride.

Naomi wasn’t just running away from her wedding. She was riding to the rescue of her estranged twin to Knockemout, Virginia, a rough-around-the-edges town where disputes are settled the old-fashioned way…with fists and beer. Usually in that order.

Too bad for Naomi her evil twin hasn’t changed at all. After helping herself to Naomi’s car and cash, Tina leaves her with something unexpected. The niece Naomi didn’t know she had. Now she’s stuck in town with no car, no job, no plan, and no home with an 11-year-old going on thirty to take care of.

There’s a reason Knox doesn’t do complications or high-maintenance women, especially not the romantic ones. But since Naomi’s life imploded right in front of him, the least he can do is help her out of her jam. And just as soon as she stops getting into new trouble he can leave her alone and get back to his peaceful, solitary life.

At least, that’s the plan until the trouble turns to real danger.]]>
572 Lucy Score 1945631848 Aileen 0 to-read 4.15 2022 Things We Never Got Over (Knockemout, #1)
author: Lucy Score
name: Aileen
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2022
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/28
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<![CDATA[Things We Left Behind (Knockemout, #3)]]> 116536542
Lucian Rollins is a lean, mean vengeance-seeking mogul. On a quest to erase his father’s mark on the family name, he spends every waking minute pulling strings and building an indestructible empire. The more money and power he amasses, the safer he is from threats.

Except when it comes to the feisty small-town librarian that keeps him up at night�

Sloane Walton is a spitfire determined to carry on her father’s quest for justice. She’ll do that just as soon as she figures out exactly what the man she hates did to—or for—her family. Bonded by an old, dark secret from the past and the dislike they now share for each other, Sloane trusts Lucian about as far as she can throw his designer-suited body.

When bickering accidentally turns to foreplay, these two find themselves not quite regretting their steamy one-night stand. Once those flames are fanned, it seems impossible to put them out again. But with Sloane ready to start a family and Lucian refusing to even consider the idea of marriage and kids, these enemies-to-lovers are stuck at an impasse.

Broken men break women. It’s what Lucian believes, what he’s witnessed, and he’s not going to take that chance with Sloane. He’d rather live a life of solitude than put her in danger. But he learns the hard way that leaving her means leaving her unprotected from other threats.

It’s the second time he’s ruthlessly cut her out of his life. There’s no way she’s going to give him a third chance. He’s just going to have to make one for himself.]]>
698 Lucy Score Aileen 0 to-read 4.41 2023 Things We Left Behind (Knockemout, #3)
author: Lucy Score
name: Aileen
average rating: 4.41
book published: 2023
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/28
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Dune (Dune, #1) 44767458
When House Atreides is betrayed, the destruction of Paul’s family will set the boy on a journey toward a destiny greater than he could ever have imagined. And as he evolves into the mysterious man known as Muad’Dib, he will bring to fruition humankind’s most ancient and unattainable dream.]]>
658 Frank Herbert 059309932X Aileen 0 to-read 4.33 1965 Dune (Dune, #1)
author: Frank Herbert
name: Aileen
average rating: 4.33
book published: 1965
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/28
shelves: to-read
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Circe 35959740
Threatened, Zeus banishes her to a deserted island, where she hones her occult craft, tames wild beasts, and crosses paths with many of the most famous figures in all of mythology, including the Minotaur, Daedalus and his doomed son Icarus, the murderous Medea, and, of course, wily Odysseus.

But there is danger, too, for a woman who stands alone, and Circe unwittingly draws the wrath of both men and gods, ultimately finding herself pitted against one of the most terrifying and vengeful of the Olympians. To protect what she loves most, Circe must summon all her strength and choose, once and for all, whether she belongs with the gods she is born from or with the mortals she has come to love.]]>
393 Madeline Miller 0316556343 Aileen 0 to-read 4.22 2018 Circe
author: Madeline Miller
name: Aileen
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2018
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/28
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Normal People 41057294
A year later, they’re both studying at Trinity College in Dublin. Marianne has found her feet in a new social world while Connell hangs at the sidelines, shy and uncertain. Throughout their years in college, Marianne and Connell circle one another, straying toward other people and possibilities but always magnetically, irresistibly drawn back together. Then, as she veers into self-destruction and he begins to search for meaning elsewhere, each must confront how far they are willing to go to save the other.

Sally Rooney brings her brilliant psychological acuity and perfectly spare prose to a story that explores the subtleties of class, the electricity of first love, and the complex entanglements of family and friendship.]]>
273 Sally Rooney 1984822179 Aileen 0 to-read 3.81 2018 Normal People
author: Sally Rooney
name: Aileen
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2018
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/28
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<![CDATA[Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow]]> 58784475 In this exhilarating novel, two friends—often in love, but never lovers—come together as creative partners in the world of video game design, where success brings them fame, joy, tragedy, duplicity, and, ultimately, a kind of immortality.

On a bitter-cold day, in the December of his junior year at Harvard, Sam Masur exits a subway car and sees, amid the hordes of people waiting on the platform, Sadie Green. He calls her name. For a moment, she pretends she hasn't heard him, but then, she turns, and a game begins: a legendary collaboration that will launch them to stardom. These friends, intimates since childhood, borrow money, beg favors, and, before even graduating college, they have created their first blockbuster, Ichigo. Overnight, the world is theirs. Not even twenty-five years old, Sam and Sadie are brilliant, successful, and rich, but these qualities won't protect them from their own creative ambitions or the betrayals of their hearts.

Spanning thirty years, from Cambridge, Massachusetts, to Venice Beach, California, and lands in between and far beyond, Gabrielle Zevin's Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is a dazzling and intricately imagined novel that examines the multifarious nature of identity, disability, failure, the redemptive possibilities in play, and above all, our need to connect: to be loved and to love. Yes, it is a love story, but it is not one you have read before.]]>
401 Gabrielle Zevin 0735243344 Aileen 0 to-read 4.12 2022 Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
author: Gabrielle Zevin
name: Aileen
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2022
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/28
shelves: to-read
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<![CDATA[The Gilded Cage (The Prison Healer, #2)]]> 50882354
Kiva Meridan is a survivor.

She survived not only Zalindov prison, but also the deadly Trial by Ordeal. Now Kiva’s purpose goes beyond survival to vengeance. For the past ten years, her only goal was to reunite with her family and destroy the people responsible for ruining their lives. But now that she has escaped Zalindov, her mission has become more complicated than ever.

As Kiva settles into her new life in the capital, she discovers she wasn’t the only one who suffered while she was in Zalindov—her siblings and their beliefs have changed too. Soon it’s not just her enemies she’s keeping secrets from, but her own family as well.

Outside the city walls, tensions are brewing from the rebels, along with whispers of a growing threat from the northern kingdoms. Kiva’s allegiances are more important than ever, but she’s beginning to question where they truly lie. To survive this time, she’ll have to navigate a complicated web of lies before both sides of the battle turn against her and she loses everything.]]>
465 Lynette Noni Aileen 5 4.26 2021 The Gilded Cage (The Prison Healer, #2)
author: Lynette Noni
name: Aileen
average rating: 4.26
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/28
date added: 2025/04/28
shelves:
review:
This book has me UPSET. That ENDING THOUGH. Cliffhangers will be the death of me.
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Crossed (Never After, #5) 80340956
He is righteousness. She is sin.

Father Cade Frédéric is a holy man. Brought up in the streets of Paris, he has dedicated his life to the church. But there’s a monster that lingers just beneath the surface. A sickness. One that bleeds darkness and feeds on the damned. When he’s tasked to become the priest in Festivalé, Vermont, a town both beautiful in architecture and riddled with despair, his sickness sings, demanding he rid the place of evil.

Amaya Paquette is Festivalé’s beautiful mystery. She spends her days caring for her younger brother and her nights transforming into Esmeralda, dancing for greedy eyes and shameless lips. Although she longs for love, she shies away from companionship, afraid of being abandoned again.

When Father Cade lays eyes on Amaya, he finds himself ensnared, convinced she’s using witchcraft to lure him to her. He can’t eat. Can’t breathe. Can’t think unless it’s of her.

And temptation is a devastating mistress.

She’s his weakness, so he decides he’ll be her demise…even if it means killing the only woman he might ever love.

***

*CROSSED is a dark, contemporary romance (not fantasy or a literal retelling) and the fifth complete standalone in the Never After series: fractured fairy tales inspired by our favorite villains. It features mature themes and content that may not be suitable for all readers. READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED. Detailed TW can be found on the author's website. This series can be enjoyed in any order.*]]>
418 Emily McIntire Aileen 0 to-read 3.70 2023 Crossed (Never After, #5)
author: Emily McIntire
name: Aileen
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/27
shelves: to-read
review:

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Hexed (Never After, #6) 210722967
From USA Today bestselling author Emily McIntire comes a dark and delicious fractured fairytale of The Little Mermaid.

Venesa Andersen has never been good. She wasn’t good enough for her parents, and she isn’t good enough for the gangster uncle who took her in after they died. But she’s cunning. Beautiful. Dutiful to her uncle’s demands. And she doesn’t have time for a moral compass, anyway. When her runaway cousin returns to their coastal southern town, she brings a man with her…and Venesa soon realizes he’s the only one who’s ever seen her for her.
There’s just one problem: she can never have him.

Enzo “Loverboy� Marino is a wealthy businessman by day and prince of the underworld by night. Underboss to a notorious mafia syndicate, he answers to no one except his father, the strongest don in the Northeast. When he’s tasked with marriage, Enzo doesn’t think twice.

Until he meets his fiancée’s cousin.

Venesa is everything he never knew he wanted, bewitching him with her sultry voice and supple curves. But Enzo learned long ago that for a man like him, life is better without the things you want.

When plans unravel and temptation sings its siren song, they’ll both have to choose what’s more important: duty to their families, or a forbidden love that was never supposed to be.]]>
544 Emily McIntire 1728275865 Aileen 0 to-read 4.16 2024 Hexed (Never After, #6)
author: Emily McIntire
name: Aileen
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/27
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Wretched (Never After, #3) 60601111 From international bestselling author, Emily McIntire, comes a dark and delicious fractured fairy tale reimagining of The Wizard of Oz.

A woman can be great, and terrible too.

Evelina Westerly has always been the bad guy. As the brains, brawn, and botanist behind her family's drug empire, she's her father's ruthless secret weapon. With her days divided between perfecting her greenhouse, seeking revenge for her sister's murder, and putting a gun to the head of anyone in her way, Evelina doesn't have time for anything else. Especially not for love. After a one-night stand with a gorgeous man at a nightclub, she's sated her urges and is back to her criminal ways. That is, until that same man shows up as the new Westerly lackey...under a totally different name.

But Nicholas Woodsworth's real secret is much more dangerous than an alias. He's an undercover DEA agent, and he's hell-bent on destroying the drug trade that devastated his family. When he realizes the youngest daughter of the Westerly empire is the same woman he's been fantasizing about since that night at the club, attraction wars violently with disgust. Evelina embodies everything he's against, and he's been sent here to be her downfall. Yet the more they learn about the darkness in each other's hearts, the more alike they seem, and when hatred turns to something more, Nicholas will have to decide whether he can love a wretched woman, even if it means bringing both of their lives to ruin.

Wretched is a dark, contemporary romance and the third complete standalone in The Never After Series: A collection of fractured fairy tales inspired by our favorite villains. It is not fantasy and it is not a retelling. Reader discretion is advised. For all content warnings check the author's website. ]]>
282 Emily McIntire Aileen 0 currently-reading 3.84 2022 Wretched (Never After, #3)
author: Emily McIntire
name: Aileen
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2022
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/27
shelves: currently-reading
review:

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<![CDATA[Beg, Borrow, or Steal (When in Rome, #3)]]> 211164792 Two feuding second-grade teachers (and neighbors) find themselves teaming up in this rivals-to-lovers romance.

Emily Walker hates having her carefully crafted world disrupted by anyone, most of all her legendary nemesis, Jack Bennett. He's the opposite of the wonderful heroes she dreams up in her double life as a romance writer, which is why Emily was perfectly happy when Jack left Rome, Kentucky, mid-school year, with his fiancée. The last thing Emily saw coming was Jack’s return at the start of the summer after calling off the wedding and ending his relationship, but he’s here to stay—as her colleague and her neighbor.

Jackson Bennett is glad to be back, eager to renovate his house and work on the next mystery novel under his bestselling pen name. But when he realizes he’s now neighbors with the one woman who has always pushed his buttons, he discovers something he’s even more excited for—thwarting Emily and her petty plans to sabotage his return.

With their chemistry-fueled animosity at an all-time high, Emily accidentally sends an email to their school’s principal that could reveal her secret literary side hustle. She needs to steal back her manuscript, and Jack—she hates to admit—is just the man to help her. Surprisingly, Jack agrees. Will their unlikely alliance put an end to their rivalry? Or could it lead to a steamy plot twist they never saw coming?]]>
384 Sarah Adams 0593723694 Aileen 4 4.06 2025 Beg, Borrow, or Steal (When in Rome, #3)
author: Sarah Adams
name: Aileen
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/26
date added: 2025/04/26
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<![CDATA[The Calm Before the Storm (The Bridge Kingdom, #3.5)]]> 61160899 The Bridge Kingdom series, The Calm Before the Storm is six chapters of extra content that take place after the events of The Traitor Queen and The Inadequate Heir.

Ithicana has been liberated from the Maridrinians, but not everyone holds peace in their hearts. Revered by some as a savior and despised by others as a curse upon the kingdom, Lara must navigate treacherous waters as she resumes rule alongside her husband, Aren. Her only certainty is the bond between them, but long overdue conversations will put the strength of their marriage to the test. They must decide what their future will hold, all while dark clouds gather in the south. A storm that no nation, not even the Bridge Kingdom, will escape unscathed.

These bonus chapters are now included in the back of the U.S. & Canada ebook & paperback editions of The Inadequate Heir, and will soon be included in the UK & international language editions.]]>
80 Danielle L. Jensen Aileen 4 4.05 2022 The Calm Before the Storm (The Bridge Kingdom, #3.5)
author: Danielle L. Jensen
name: Aileen
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/25
date added: 2025/04/25
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<![CDATA[The Inadequate Heir (The Bridge Kingdom, #3)]]> 211081102 Return to the world of The Bridge Kingdom in this sensuous fantasy full of romance and intrigue that is perfect for fans of From Blood and Ash and A Court of Silver Flames.

A soldier raised as heir to an empire, Zarrah is motivated by two truths. The first is that the Veliant family murdered her mother. And the second is that her pursuit of vengeance will put every last one of them in their graves.

The Endless War between Maridrina and Valcotta has raged for generations, leaving thousands of Zarrah’s people dead and countless more orphaned. So when she’s given command of the contested city of Nerastis, Zarrah is prepared to do whatever it takes to destroy the Maridrinian forces who oppose her. And to kill the Veliant prince who leads them.

Yet a chance encounter with an anonymous, and handsome, Maridrinian causes Zarrah to question whether the violence she’s perpetrated is justice or a crime. And as she continues to meet the nameless man each night, she finds common ground - and fiery passion - in his arms.

But when identities are revealed, Zarrah must decide whether to embrace a chance at peace…or march to the drums of war.]]>
673 Danielle L. Jensen 0593975243 Aileen 4 4.06 2022 The Inadequate Heir (The Bridge Kingdom, #3)
author: Danielle L. Jensen
name: Aileen
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/24
date added: 2025/04/24
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<![CDATA[Just Like Heaven (Smythe-Smith Quartet, #1)]]> 9571478
A) a really bad violinist
B) still miffed at being nicknamed "Bug" as a child
C) not in love with her older brother's best friend
D) all of the above

Marcus Holroyd is:

A) the Earl of Chatteris
B) regrettably prone to sprained ankles
C) not in love with his best friend's younger sister
D) all of the above

Together they:

A) eat quite a bit of chocolate cake
B) survive a deadly fever and the world's worst musical performance
C) fall quite desperately in love

It's Julia Quinn at her best, so you know the answer is . . .

D) all of the above]]>
374 Julia Quinn 006149190X Aileen 4 3.90 2011 Just Like Heaven (Smythe-Smith Quartet, #1)
author: Julia Quinn
name: Aileen
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/24
date added: 2025/04/24
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<![CDATA[The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy (Smythe-Smith Quartet, #4)]]> 22046656
Iris Smythe–Smith is used to being underestimated. With her pale hair and quiet, sly wit she tends to blend into the background, and she likes it that way. So when Richard Kenworthy demands an introduction, she is suspicious. He flirts, he charms, he gives every impression of a man falling in love, but she can't quite believe it's all true. When his proposal of marriage turns into a compromising position that forces the issue, she can't help thinking that he's hiding something . . . even as her heart tells her to say yes.]]>
378 Julia Quinn 0062072943 Aileen 0 to-read 3.57 2015 The Secrets of Sir Richard Kenworthy (Smythe-Smith Quartet, #4)
author: Julia Quinn
name: Aileen
average rating: 3.57
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/23
shelves: to-read
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<![CDATA[The Sum of All Kisses (Smythe-Smith Quartet, #3)]]> 15702268 He thinks she's an annoying know-it-all...

Hugh Prentice has never had patience for dramatic females, and if Lady Sarah Pleinsworth has ever been acquainted with the words shy or retiring, she's long since tossed them out the window. Besides, a reckless duel has left this brilliant mathematician with a ruined leg, and now he could never court a woman like Sarah, much less dream of marrying her.

She thinks he's just plain mad...

Sarah has never forgiven Hugh for the duel he fought that nearly destroyed her family. But even if she could find a way to forgive him, it wouldn't matter. She doesn't care that his leg is less than perfect, it's his personality she can't abide. But forced to spend a week in close company they discover that first impressions are not always reliable. And when one kiss leads to two, three, and four, the mathematician may lose count, and the lady may, for the first time, find herself speechless ...

New York Times bestselling author Julia Quinn's enchanting third novel in the Smythe-Smith quartet is guaranteed to make you laugh out loud and tug at your heartstrings in equal measures.]]>
373 Julia Quinn 0062072927 Aileen 0 to-read 3.92 2013 The Sum of All Kisses (Smythe-Smith Quartet, #3)
author: Julia Quinn
name: Aileen
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2013
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/23
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<![CDATA[A Night Like This (Smythe-Smith Quartet, #2)]]> 12925200 Anne Wynter might not be who she says she is...

But she's managing quite well as a governess to three highborn young ladies. Her job can be a challenge—in a single week she finds herself hiding in a closet full of tubas, playing an evil queen in a play that might be a tragedy (or might be a comedy—no one is sure), and tending to the wounds of the oh-so-dashing Earl of Winstead. After years of dodging unwanted advances, he's the first man who has truly tempted her, and it's getting harder and harder to remind herself that a governess has no business flirting with a nobleman.

Daniel Smythe-Smith Might be in mortal danger...

But that's not going to stop the young earl from falling in love. And when he spies a mysterious woman at his family's annual musicale, he vows to pursue her, even if that means spending his days with a ten-year-old who thinks she's a unicorn. But Daniel has an enemy, one who has vowed to see him dead. And when Anne is thrown into peril, he will stop at nothing to ensure their happy ending...]]>
373 Julia Quinn 0062072900 Aileen 0 to-read 3.83 2012 A Night Like This (Smythe-Smith Quartet, #2)
author: Julia Quinn
name: Aileen
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2012
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/23
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<![CDATA[Resonance Surge (Psy-Changeling Trinity, #7; Psy-Changeling, #22)]]> 63200679 Where are the broken? That is the propulsive question that unleashes a world of secrets in New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh’s Resonance Surge . . .

StoneWater bears Pavel and Yakov Stepyrev have been a unit since birth, but now Pavel’s life is veering in a new direction, his heart held in the hands of Arwen Mercant, a Psy empath—and the only man who has ever brought Pavel to his knees.

This is it. A point of irrevocable change. For Pavel . . . for Arwen . . . for Yakov . . . and for another pair of twins whose bond has a far darker history.

A low-Gradient Psy, Theodora Marshall is considered worthless by everyone but her violently powerful twin, Pax. She is the sole person he trusts in their venomous family to investigate a hidden and terrible part of their family history—an unregistered rehabilitation Center established by their grandfather.

Places of unimaginable pain designed to psychically wipe minds, leaving the victims shells of their former selves, the Centers are an ugly vestige of the Psy race’s Silent past. But this Center was worse. Far, far worse. And now Theo must uncover the awful truth—in the company of a scowling bear named Yakov, who isn’t about to take a Marshall at face value . . . especially a Marshall who has turned his dreams into chilling nightmares.

Because Yakov is the great-grandson of a foreseer . . . and he has seen Theo die in an unstoppable surge of blood. Night after night after night . . .]]>
384 Nalini Singh 0593440722 Aileen 5 4.20 2023 Resonance Surge (Psy-Changeling Trinity, #7; Psy-Changeling, #22)
author: Nalini Singh
name: Aileen
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/22
date added: 2025/04/22
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Window Shopping 58943206 A sizzling, standalone, feel-good holiday romance from Tessa Bailey, New York Times bestselling author of It Happened One Summer.

Two weeks before Christmas and all through Manhattan, shop windows are decorated in red and green satin.
I'm standing alone in front of the famous Vivant department store, when a charming man named Aiden asks my opinion of the décor.

It's a tragedy in tinsel, I say, unable to lie.
He asks for a better idea with a twinkle in his eye.
Did I know he owned the place? No. He put me on the spot.
Now I'm working for that man, trying to ignore that he's hot.
But as a down on her luck girl with a difficult past, I know an opportunity when I see one—and I have to make it last.

I'll put my heart and soul into dressing his holiday windows.
I'll work without stopping. And when we lose the battle with temptation, I'll try and remember I'm just window shopping.]]>
258 Tessa Bailey Aileen 4 3.42 2021 Window Shopping
author: Tessa Bailey
name: Aileen
average rating: 3.42
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/18
date added: 2025/04/18
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<![CDATA[Daughter of the Siren Queen (Daughter of the Pirate King, #2)]]> 36682619
When Vordan exposes a secret her father has kept for years, Alosa and her crew find themselves in a deadly race with the feared Pirate King. Despite the danger, Alosa knows they will recover the treasure first . . . after all, she is the daughter of the Siren Queen.]]>
341 Tricia Levenseller 1250096014 Aileen 4 4.06 2018 Daughter of the Siren Queen (Daughter of the Pirate King, #2)
author: Tricia Levenseller
name: Aileen
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/18
date added: 2025/04/18
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The Wedding People 198902277 Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9781250899576.

A propulsive and uncommonly wise novel about one unexpected wedding guest and the surprising people who help her start anew.

It’s a beautiful day in Newport, Rhode Island, when Phoebe Stone arrives at the grand Cornwall Inn wearing a green dress and gold heels, not a bag in sight, alone. She's immediately mistaken by everyone in the lobby for one of the wedding people, but she’s actually the only guest at the Cornwall who isn’t here for the big event. Phoebe is here because she’s dreamed of coming for years—she hoped to shuck oysters and take sunset sails with her husband, only now she’s here without him, at rock bottom, and determined to have one last decadent splurge on herself. Meanwhile, the bride has accounted for every detail and every possible disaster the weekend might yield except for, well, Phoebe and Phoebe's plan—which makes it that much more surprising when the two women can’t stop confiding in each other.

In turns absurdly funny and devastatingly tender, Alison Espach’s The Wedding People is ultimately an incredibly nuanced and resonant look at the winding paths we can take to places we never imagined—and the chance encounters it sometimes takes to reroute us.]]>
384 Alison Espach Aileen 0 to-read 4.11 2024 The Wedding People
author: Alison Espach
name: Aileen
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/18
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<![CDATA[When He Was Wicked (Bridgertons, #6)]]> 110396 Everything was so much simpler... when he was wicked.

In every life there is a turning point. A moment so tremendous, so sharp and breathtaking, that one knows one's life will never be the same. For Michael Stirling, London's most infamous rake, that moment came the first time he laid eyes on Francesca Bridgerton.

After a lifetime of chasing women, of smiling slyly as they chased him, of allowing himself to be caught but never permitting his heart to become engaged, he took one look at Francesca Bridgerton and fell so fast and hard into love it was a wonder he managed to remain standing. Unfortunately for Michael, however, Francesca's surname was to remain Bridgerton for only a mere thirty-six hours longer—the occasion of their meeting was, lamentably, a supper celebrating her imminent wedding to his cousin.

But that was then... Now Michael is the earl and Francesca is free, but still she thinks of him as nothing other than her dear friend and confidant. Michael dares not speak to her of his love... until one dangerous night, when she steps innocently into his arms, and passion proves stronger than even the most wicked of secrets...]]>
368 Julia Quinn 0060531231 Aileen 5 3.96 2004 When He Was Wicked (Bridgertons, #6)
author: Julia Quinn
name: Aileen
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2004
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/17
date added: 2025/04/17
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This one just hit different, in all the best ways.
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<![CDATA[The Dark Queens: The Bloody Rivalry That Forged the Medieval World]]> 53138220 The remarkable, little-known story of two trailblazing women in the Early Middle Ages who wielded immense power, only to be vilified for daring to rule.

Brunhild was a Spanish princess, raised to be married off for the sake of alliance-building. Her sister-in-law Fredegund started out as a lowly palace slave. And yet—in the 6th-century Merovingian Empire, where women were excluded from noble succession and royal politics was a blood sport—these two iron-willed strategists reigned over vast realms for decades, changing the face of Europe.

The two queens commanded armies and negotiated with kings and popes. They formed coalitions and broke them, mothered children and lost them. They fought a years-long civil war—against each other. With ingenuity and skill, they battled to stay alive in the game of statecraft, and in the process laid the foundations of what would one day be Charlemagne’s empire. Yet after Brunhild and Fredegund’s deaths—one gentle, the other horrific—their stories were rewritten, their names consigned to slander and legend.

In The Dark Queens, award-winning writer Shelley Puhak sets the record straight. She resurrects two very real women in all their complexity, painting a richly detailed portrait of an unfamiliar time and striking at the roots of some of our culture’s stubbornest myths about female power. The Dark Queens offers proof that the relationships between women can transform the world.]]>
384 Shelley Puhak 1635574919 Aileen 0 to-read 4.09 2022 The Dark Queens: The Bloody Rivalry That Forged the Medieval World
author: Shelley Puhak
name: Aileen
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2022
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/15
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<![CDATA[The Dressmakers of Auschwitz: The True Story of the Women Who Sewed to Survive]]> 57007407 A powerful chronicle of the women who used their sewing skills to survive the Holocaust, stitching beautiful clothes at an extraordinary fashion workshop created within one of the most notorious WWII death camps. 

At the height of the Holocaust twenty-five young inmates of the infamous Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp—mainly Jewish women and girls—were selected to design, cut, and sew beautiful fashions for elite Nazi women in a dedicated salon. It was work that they hoped would spare them from the gas chambers. 

This fashion workshop—called the Upper Tailoring Studio—was established by Hedwig Höss, the camp commandant’s wife, and patronized by the wives of SS guards and officers. Here, the dressmakers produced high-quality garments for SS social functions in Auschwitz, and for ladies from Nazi Berlin’s upper crust. 

Drawing on diverse sources—including interviews with the last surviving seamstress�The Dressmakers of Auschwitz follows the fates of these brave women. Their bonds of family and friendship not only helped them endure persecution, but also to play their part in camp resistance. Weaving the dressmakers� remarkable experiences within the context of Nazi policies for plunder and exploitation, historian Lucy Adlington exposes the greed, cruelty, and hypocrisy of the Third Reich and offers a fresh look at a little-known chapter of World War II and the Holocaust.]]>
400 Lucy Adlington 0063030934 Aileen 0 to-read 4.04 2021 The Dressmakers of Auschwitz: The True Story of the Women Who Sewed to Survive
author: Lucy Adlington
name: Aileen
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2021
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/15
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The Third Gilmore Girl 207298106 Brought to you by Penguin.

Beloved award-winning actress Kelly Bishop, famous for playing the iconic Emily Gilmore in Gilmore Girls , finally tells the whole story of her six decades in show business.

Kelly Bishop’s 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 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, sharing 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, The Third Gilmore Girl is a warm, unapologetic, and powerful memoir from a woman who has left indelible impressions on her audiences for decades.

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256 Kelly Bishop 1668023776 Aileen 0 to-read 4.35 2024 The Third Gilmore Girl
author: Kelly Bishop
name: Aileen
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/15
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<![CDATA[The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women]]> 31409135 The incredible true story of the women who fought America's Undark danger

The Curies' newly discovered element of radium makes gleaming headlines across the nation as the fresh face of beauty, and wonder drug of the medical community. From body lotion to tonic water, the popular new element shines bright in the otherwise dark years of the First World War.

Meanwhile, hundreds of girls toil amidst the glowing dust of the radium-dial factories. The glittering chemical covers their bodies from head to toe; they light up the night like industrious fireflies. With such a coveted job, these "shining girls" are the luckiest alive—until they begin to fall mysteriously ill.

But the factories that once offered golden opportunities are now ignoring all claims of the gruesome side effects, and the women's cries of corruption. And as the fatal poison of the radium takes hold, the brave shining girls find themselves embroiled in one of the biggest scandals of America's early 20th century, and in a groundbreaking battle for workers' rights that will echo for centuries to come.

Written with a sparkling voice and breakneck pace, The Radium Girls fully illuminates the inspiring young women exposed to the "wonder" substance of radium, and their awe-inspiring strength in the face of almost impossible circumstances. Their courage and tenacity led to life-changing regulations, research into nuclear bombing, and ultimately saved hundreds of thousands of lives.

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479 Kate Moore 149264935X Aileen 0 to-read 4.13 2016 The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women
author: Kate Moore
name: Aileen
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2016
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/15
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The Lost Apothecary 53288434 A female apothecary secretly dispenses poisons to liberate women from the men who have wronged them - setting three lives across centuries on a dangerous collision course.

Rule #1: The poison must never be used to harm another woman.
Rule #2: The names of the murderer and her victim must be recorded in the apothecary’s register.


One cold February evening in 1791, at the back of a dark London alley in a hidden apothecary shop, Nella awaits her newest customer. Once a respected healer, Nella now uses her knowledge for a darker purpose - selling well-disguised poisons to desperate women who would kill to be free of the men in their lives. But when her new patron turns out to be a precocious twelve-year-old named Eliza Fanning, an unexpected friendship sets in motion a string of events that jeopardizes Nella’s world and threatens to expose the many women whose names are written in her register.

In present-day London, aspiring historian Caroline Parcewell spends her tenth wedding anniversary alone, reeling from the discovery of her husband’s infidelity. When she finds an old apothecary vial near the river Thames, she can’t resist investigating, only to realize she’s found a link to the unsolved “apothecary murders� that haunted London over two centuries ago. As she deepens her search, Caroline’s life collides with Nella’s and Eliza’s in a stunning twist of fate - and not everyone will survive.]]>
301 Sarah Penner 0778311015 Aileen 0 to-read 3.72 2021 The Lost Apothecary
author: Sarah Penner
name: Aileen
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2021
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/15
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The Giver of Stars 43925876 From the author of Me Before You, set in Depression-era America, a breathtaking story of five extraordinary women and their remarkable journey through the mountains of Kentucky and beyond.

Alice Wright marries handsome American Bennett Van Cleve hoping to escape her stifling life in England. But small-town Kentucky quickly proves equally claustrophobic, especially living alongside her overbearing father-in-law. So when a call goes out for a team of women to deliver books as part of Eleanor Roosevelt’s new traveling library, Alice signs on enthusiastically.

The leader, and soon Alice’s greatest ally, is Margery, a smart-talking, self-sufficient woman who’s never asked a man’s permission for anything. They will be joined by three other singular women who become known as the Packhorse Librarians of Kentucky.

What happens to them–and to the men they love–becomes an unforgettable drama of loyalty, justice, humanity and passion. These heroic women refuse to be cowed by men or by convention. And though they face all kinds of dangers in a landscape that is at times breathtakingly beautiful, at others brutal, they’re committed to their job: bringing books to people who have never had any, arming them with facts that will change their lives.

Based on a true story rooted in America’s past, The Giver of Stars is unparalleled in its scope and epic in its storytelling. Funny, heartbreaking, enthralling, it is destined to become a modern classic–a richly rewarding novel of women’s friendship, of true love, and of what happens when we reach beyond our grasp for the great beyond.]]>
390 Jojo Moyes 0399562486 Aileen 0 to-read 4.27 2019 The Giver of Stars
author: Jojo Moyes
name: Aileen
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2019
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/15
shelves: to-read
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<![CDATA[The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband (Rokesbys, #2)]]> 31931722 An alternate cover edition for ISBN 9780062388186 can be found here.

While you were sleeping...

With her brother Thomas injured on the battlefront in the Colonies, orphaned Cecilia Harcourt has two unbearable choices: move in with a maiden aunt or marry a scheming cousin. Instead, she chooses option three and travels across the Atlantic, determined to nurse her brother back to health. But after a week of searching, she finds not her brother but his best friend, the handsome officer Edward Rokesby. He's unconscious and in desperate need of her care, and Cecilia vows that she will save this soldier's life, even if staying by his side means telling one little lie...

I told everyone I was your wife

When Edward comes to, he's more than a little confused. The blow to his head knocked out six months of his memory, but surely he would recall getting married. He knows who Cecilia Harcourt is—even if he does not recall her face—and with everyone calling her his wife, he decides it must be true, even though he'd always assumed he'd marry his neighbor back in England.

If only it were true...

Cecilia risks her entire future by giving herself—completely—to the man she loves. But when the truth comes out, Edward may have a few surprises of his own for the new Mrs. Rokesby.]]>
393 Julia Quinn Aileen 4 3.84 2017 The Girl with the Make-Believe Husband (Rokesbys, #2)
author: Julia Quinn
name: Aileen
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/15
date added: 2025/04/15
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Twisted (Never After, #4) 61434791 She's his diamond in the rough. He's her worst nightmare.

Yasmin Karam, daughter to one of the richest men in the world, has never known strife. So, when her beloved father falls ill, she's determined to make his final days his happiest. His last wish? To see her married to a man of his choosing. Except Yasmin's heart already belongs to someone else. A servant. A street rat. A man her father would never consider worthy. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, Yasmin strikes a desperate deal with her father's right-hand man, Julian, not realizing he has his own twisted agenda.

Julian Faraci has one goal: become the most powerful man in the world. He's built a future from broken bones and faded bruises, never caring who he hurt along the way. But when his mentor falls ill, he finds himself on the verge of losing everything, and he'll stop at nothing to inherit what is rightfully his. Even if it means forcing a woman he can't stand into marriage.

Yasmin is a brat who speaks out of turn, and he's the villain of her story. But he decides she'll be his—no matter what it takes to convince her.

*Twisted is a dark, contemporary romance (not fantasy or a literal retelling) and the fourth complete standalone in the Never After series: a collection of fractured fairy tales inspired by our favorite villains. It features mature themes and content that may not be suitable for all readers. READER DISCRETION IS ADVISED.* ]]>
366 Emily McIntire Aileen 0 to-read 3.86 2023 Twisted (Never After, #4)
author: Emily McIntire
name: Aileen
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2023
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/14
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<![CDATA[To Bleed a Crystal Bloom (Crystal Bloom, #1)]]> 58293539
Nineteen years ago, I was plucked from the heart of a bloody massacre that spared nobody else.

Small. Fragile.
An enigma.

Now ward to a powerful High Master who knows too much and says too little, I lead a simple life, never straying from the confines of an imaginary line I've drawn around the castle grounds.
Stay within. Never leave.
Out there, the monsters lurk. Inside, I'm safe ... though at a cost far greater than the blood I drip into a goblet daily.
Toxic, unreciprocated love for a man who's utterly unavailable.

My savior. My protector.
My almost executioner.

I can't help but be enamored with the arcane man who holds the power to pull my roots from the ground.

When voracious beasts spill across the land and threaten to fray the fabric of my tailored existence, the petals of reality will peel back to reveal an ugly truth. But in a castle puddled with secrets, none are greater than the one I've kept from myself.

No tower is tall enough to protect me from the horror that tore my life to shreds.

To Bleed a Crystal Bloom is a dark Rapunzel reimagining full of immersive imagery and breathtaking angst. A unique new fantasy series perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Jennifer L. Armentrout, guaranteed to grip you from the very first page.]]>
488 Sarah A. Parker Aileen 0 to-read 3.76 2021 To Bleed a Crystal Bloom (Crystal Bloom, #1)
author: Sarah A. Parker
name: Aileen
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2021
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/13
shelves: to-read
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<![CDATA[When the Moon Hatched (Moonfall, #1)]]> 202507554 moons.

They certainly did not expect them to fall.

As a valued Elding Blade of the rebellion group Fíur du Ath, Raeve’s job is to kill. To complete orders and never get caught. When a renowned bounty hunter is employed by The Crown to capture a member of the Ath, Raeve’s world is turned upside down. Blood spills, hearts break, and Raeve finds herself at the mercy of the Guild of Nobles—a group of dual-beaded elementals who intend to turn her into a political statement. Only death will set her free.

Crushed beneath a mourning weight, Kaan Vaegor took the head of a king and donned his melted crown. Now on a tireless quest to assuage the never-ebbing ache in his chest, his hunt for a moonshard lures him into the belly of Gore’s notorious prison where he stumbles upon something that rips apart his perception of reality. A shackled miracle with eyes full of rage and blood on her hands.

The echo of the past sings louder than the Creators themselves, and even Raeve can’t ignore the truths blaring at her from a warmer, happier time.
However.
There’s more to this song than meets the eye, and some truths �
They’re too poisonous to swallow.

When the Moon Hatched is a fast-paced fantasy romance for fans of witty banter and strong, sassy protagonists. Beneath the cover is an immersive, vibrant world with mysterious creatures, a unique magic system, and a love that blazes through the ages. ]]>
718 Sarah A. Parker Aileen 4 3.99 2024 When the Moon Hatched (Moonfall, #1)
author: Sarah A. Parker
name: Aileen
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/13
date added: 2025/04/13
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The Love Hypothesis 56732449
That man is none other than Adam Carlsen, a young hotshot professor--and well-known ass. Which is why Olive is positively floored when Stanford's reigning lab tyrant agrees to keep her charade a secret and be her fake boyfriend. But when a big science conference goes haywire, putting Olive's career on the Bunsen burner, Adam surprises her again with his unyielding support and even more unyielding... six-pack abs.

Suddenly their little experiment feels dangerously close to combustion. And Olive discovers that the only thing more complicated than a hypothesis on love is putting her own heart under the microscope.]]>
356 Ali Hazelwood 0593336828 Aileen 0 to-read 4.11 2021 The Love Hypothesis
author: Ali Hazelwood
name: Aileen
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2021
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/13
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Love, Theoretically 61326735
Honestly, it’s a pretty sweet gig—until her carefully constructed Elsie-verse comes crashing down. Because Jack Smith, the annoyingly attractive and broody older brother of her favorite client, turns out to be the cold-hearted experimental physicist who ruined her mentor’s career and undermined the reputation of theorists everywhere. And that same Jack who now sits on the hiring committee at MIT, right between Elsie and her dream job.

Elsie is prepared for an all-out war of scholarly sabotage but…those long, penetrating looks? Not having to be anything other than her true self when she’s with him? Will falling into an experimentalist’s orbit finally tempt her to put her most guarded theories on love into practice?]]>
389 Ali Hazelwood 1408725797 Aileen 4 4.07 2023 Love, Theoretically
author: Ali Hazelwood
name: Aileen
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/12
date added: 2025/04/12
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Passion Project 203237161
If your twenties are supposed to be the best years of your life, Bennet Taylor is failing miserably . . . with a big emphasis on the miserable. Where’s that zest she keeps hearing about? She’s a temp worker in New York City with no direction, no future, and no social life. And at the painful center of this listlessness is grief over the death of her first love.

When Bennet runs into Henry Adams just hours after standing him up for a first date, she makes an alcohol-fueled confession: She’s not ready to date. In fact, it’s been years since she felt passion for something. Not even pottery, or organized sports—not anything. Rather than leaving her to ruminate, Henry jumps at the opportunity for adventure: Bennet needs to find a passion for life, and Henry will help her find it. Every Saturday, they’ll try something new in New York City. As friends, of course.

As their “passion project� continues, the pair tackle everything from carpentry to tattooing to rappelling off skyscrapers, and Bennet feels her guarded exterior ebbing away. But as secrets surface, Bennet has to decide what she wants, and if she’s truly ready to move on. With emotional resonance and sparkling banter, Passion Project is a fun, flirty, thoughtful story of finding a spark—and igniting happiness.]]>
368 London Sperry 0143138561 Aileen 0 to-read 3.95 2025 Passion Project
author: London Sperry
name: Aileen
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2025/04/11
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<![CDATA[The Ballad of Falling Dragons (Moonfall, #2)]]> 216815055 � Raeve and Kaan will return in the highly anticipated sequel to the #1 internationally bestselling phenomenon, When The Moon Hatched. Prepare for more danger, magic, romance and dragons!]]> Sarah A. Parker 000871035X Aileen 0 to-read 4.35 2026 The Ballad of Falling Dragons (Moonfall, #2)
author: Sarah A. Parker
name: Aileen
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2026
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/10
shelves: to-read
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<![CDATA[A Promise of Peridot (The Sacred Stones, #2)]]> 175345169 A prophecy of death. A weapon of hope. A sacrifice of love.

Arwen Valondale is sailing for the mysterious Kingdom of Citrine after the battle of Siren's Bay. Reeling from shocking revelations and her newfound powers, Arwen directs all of her pain and rage toward the man who betrayed her: King Kane Ravenwood.

Kane's presence is unavoidable as he travels with Arwen and her friends to seek the Blade of the Sun, a legendary weapon inextricably tied to her fate and the future of the realm. Even an uneasy truce proves difficult as Arwen fights against her unresolved feelings for Kane, who is willing to become darkness itself to protect her.

As Arwen faces creatures, foes, and magic beyond her wildest imaginings, she must discover the secrets of her past to defeat the monstrous Fae king Lazarus. But finding the light within might mean the death of her and everyone she loves.]]>
482 Kate Golden 1529434076 Aileen 4 4.02 2024 A Promise of Peridot (The Sacred Stones, #2)
author: Kate Golden
name: Aileen
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/07
date added: 2025/04/10
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<![CDATA[The Liar's Crown (Dominions, #1)]]> 57693245 Some shadows protect you…others will kill you in this dazzling new fantasy series from award-winning author Abigail Owen.

Everything about my life is a lie. As a hidden twin princess, born second, I have only one purpose—to sacrifice my life for my sister if death comes for her. I’ve been living under the guise of a poor, obscure girl of no standing, slipping into the palace and into the role of the true princess when danger is present.

Now the queen is dead and the ageless King Eidolon has sent my sister a gift—an eerily familiar gift—and a proposal to wed. I don’t trust him, so I do what I was born to do and secretly take her place on the eve of the coronation. Which is why, when a figure made of shadow kidnaps the new queen, he gets me by mistake.

As I try to escape, all the lies start to unravel. And not just my lies. The Shadowraith who took me has secrets of his own. He struggles to contain the shadows he wields—other faces, identities that threaten my very life.

Winter is at the walls. Darkness is looming. And the only way to save my sister and our dominion is to kill Eidolon…and the Shadowraith who has stolen my heart.]]>
448 Abigail Owen 1649371527 Aileen 0 to-read 3.82 2022 The Liar's Crown (Dominions, #1)
author: Abigail Owen
name: Aileen
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/09
shelves: to-read
review:

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<![CDATA[Dark Restraint (Dark Olympus, #7)]]> 62171046 300 Katee Robert 1728262828 Aileen 4 3.46 2024 Dark Restraint (Dark Olympus, #7)
author: Katee Robert
name: Aileen
average rating: 3.46
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/07
date added: 2025/04/07
shelves:
review:

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<![CDATA[Heartless Hunter (The Crimson Moth, #1)]]> 127305713
Spending her days pretending to be nothing more than a vapid young socialite, Rune spends her nights as the Crimson Moth, a witch vigilante who rescues her kind from being purged. When a rescue goes wrong, she decides to throw the witch hunters off her scent and gain the intel she desperately needs by courting the handsome Gideon Sharpe � a notorious and unforgiving witch hunter loyal to the revolution � who she can't help but find herself falling for.

Gideon loathes the decadence and superficiality Rune represents, but when he learns the Crimson Moth has been using Rune’s merchant ships to smuggle renegade witches out of the republic, he inserts himself into her social circles by pretending to court her right back. He soon realizes that beneath her beauty and shallow façade, is someone fiercely intelligent and tender who feels like his perfect match. Except, what if she’s the very villain he’s been hunting?

Kristen Ciccarelli’s The Crimson Moth is the thrilling start to a romantic fantasy duology where the only thing more treacherous than being a witch� is falling in love.]]>
406 Kristen Ciccarelli 1250866901 Aileen 4 4.16 2024 Heartless Hunter (The Crimson Moth, #1)
author: Kristen Ciccarelli
name: Aileen
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/06
date added: 2025/04/06
shelves:
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<![CDATA[The Black Witch (The Black Witch Chronicles, #1)]]> 25740412 A new Black Witch will rise…her powers vast beyond imagining.

Elloren Gardner is the granddaughter of the last prophesied Black Witch, Carnissa Gardner, who drove back the enemy forces and saved the Gardnerian people during the Realm War. But while she is the absolute spitting image of her famous grandmother, Elloren is utterly devoid of power in a society that prizes magical ability above all else.

When she is granted the opportunity to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming an apothecary, Elloren joins her brothers at the prestigious Verpax University to embrace a destiny of her own, free from the shadow of her grandmother’s legacy. But she soon realizes that the university, which admits all manner of people—including the fire-wielding, winged Icarals, the sworn enemies of all Gardnerians—is a treacherous place for the granddaughter of the Black Witch.

As evil looms on the horizon and the pressure to live up to her heritage builds, everything Elloren thought she knew will be challenged and torn away. Her best hope of survival may be among the most unlikely band of rebels…if only she can find the courage to trust those she’s been taught to fear.]]>
601 Laurie Forest 0373212313 Aileen 0 to-read 4.06 2017 The Black Witch (The Black Witch Chronicles, #1)
author: Laurie Forest
name: Aileen
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/05
shelves: to-read
review:

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Scarred (Never After, #2) 59512586 She doesn't belong to him...she belongs to the crown.

Prince Tristan Faasa was never destined for the throne. That was always his brother, Michael. The same brother responsible for both Tristan's tormented childhood and the scar that mars his face. When their father dies, Michael is set to assume the throne, and Tristan is set to steal it. The leader of a secret rebellion, Tristan will stop at nothing to end his brother's reign. But when Michael's new betrothed, Lady Sara Beatreaux arrives, Tristan finds himself in the middle of a new kind of war. The kind that begs the question of what's more important, the crown or the woman about to wear it.

Sara has one plan. Marry the King and eradicate the Faasa line, even at the risk of her own peril. But she never expects the Scarred Prince. He's dangerous. Forbidden. And one of the men she's been sent to kill. But the line between hatred and passion has never seemed so thin, and as secrets come to light, Sara grows unsure of whom she can trust—torn between vengeance and the villain she was never supposed to love.

Scarred is a DARK Royal Romance and a complete standalone within The Never After Series (A series of fractured fairy tales inspired by our favorite villains). It is not a retelling or fantasy. It contains subject matter which may be triggering for some. Reader discretion is advised. ]]>
447 Emily McIntire Aileen 4 3.87 2022 Scarred (Never After, #2)
author: Emily McIntire
name: Aileen
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/02
date added: 2025/04/02
shelves:
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<![CDATA[The Rule Book (The Cheat Sheet, #2)]]> 182484354 College exes break all the rules when they reunite years later in this enemies-to-lovers, second-chance romance, the highly anticipated companion novel to the viral TikTok sensation The Cheat Sheet.

Nora Mackenzie’s entire career lies in the hands of famous NFL tight end Derek Pender, who happens to be her extremely hot college ex-boyfriend. Nora didn’t end things as gracefully as she could have back then, and now it has come back to haunt her. Derek is her first client as an official full-time sports agent, and he’s holding a grudge.

Derek has set his sights on a little friendly revenge. If Nora Mackenzie, the first girl to ever break his heart, wants to be his agent, oh, he’ll let her be his agent. The plan is simple: make Nora’s life absolutely miserable. But if Derek knows anything about the woman he once loved—she won’t quit easily.

Instead of giving in, Nora starts a scheme of her own. But then a wild night in Vegas leads to Nora and Derek in bed the next morning married. With their rule book out the window, could this new relationship save their careers and spark the romance of a lifetime?]]>
356 Sarah Adams 0593723678 Aileen 3 3.88 2024 The Rule Book (The Cheat Sheet, #2)
author: Sarah Adams
name: Aileen
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/31
date added: 2025/03/31
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<![CDATA[Silent in the Grave (Lady Julia Grey, #1)]]> 267869 These ominous words, slashed from the pages of a book of Psalms, are the last threat that the darling of London society, Sir Edward Grey, receives from his killer. Before he can show them to Nicholas Brisbane, the private inquiry agent he has retained for his protection, Sir Edward collapses and dies at his London home, in the presence of his wife, Julia, and a roomful of dinner guests.

Prepared to accept that Edward's death was due to a long-standing physical infirmity, Julia is outraged when Brisbane visits and suggests that Sir Edward has been murdered. It is a reaction she comes to regret when she discovers the damning paper for herself, and realizes the truth.

Determined to bring her husband's murderer to justice, Julia engages the enigmatic Brisbane to help her investigate Edward's demise. Dismissing his warnings that the investigation will be difficult, if not impossible, Julia presses forward, following a trail of clues that lead her to even more unpleasant truths, and ever closer to a killer who waits expectantly for her arrival.

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509 Deanna Raybourn 0778324109 Aileen 0 to-read 3.89 2006 Silent in the Grave (Lady Julia Grey, #1)
author: Deanna Raybourn
name: Aileen
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2006
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/28
shelves: to-read
review:

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<![CDATA[Stone Heart (Dark Olympus, #0.5)]]> 60118116
Until Athena sends her after Calypso, the mistress of the rich politician Odysseus. As far as Medusa can tell, Calypso hasn’t done anything remotely worthy of a death sentence, and her conflicted feelings only get compounded when she finally sees the woman. Calypso is beautiful and cunning and she’ll do anything to keep her life—including seducing her would-be assassin.

What starts as a ploy to escape quickly spirals into genuine interest. Medusa is hardly the cold killer that rumors suggest, and Calypso is far more complicated than her reputation as a ruthless gold-digger.

But it doesn’t matter that they’ve finally found something special together. Athena will have her blood, and this time not even crossing the River Styx will save them…]]>
108 Katee Robert Aileen 3 3.35 2022 Stone Heart (Dark Olympus, #0.5)
author: Katee Robert
name: Aileen
average rating: 3.35
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/28
date added: 2025/03/28
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<![CDATA[Mage, Book One: The Hero Discovered]]> 160865 464 Matt Wagner 1582403880 Aileen 4 4.01 2004 Mage, Book One: The Hero Discovered
author: Matt Wagner
name: Aileen
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2004
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/28
date added: 2025/03/28
shelves:
review:

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<![CDATA[My Funny Demon Valentine (Hell Bent, #1)]]> 58902005 Asmodeus, Prince of Hell, just wants to play music. Jazz, specifically.

Unfortunately, he’s a demon, and he’s supposed to be evil. A career as a musician isn’t exactly an option.
And he’s cursed, to top it all off.

Sick of playing by the rules, Ash and his brothers escape Hell in search of freedom on Earth, only to discover it’s harder than they thought to keep their enemies off their tail. The four rogues quickly become the Underworld’s Most Wanted, and if they’re caught�
The consequences will be dire.

Everything changes for Ash when he meets a beautiful violinist who can see through his curse. It must be too good to be true, but he can’t resist the temptation.
No matter the risk, he has to have her.

Evangeline Gregory is just your average human. She works at a jazz bar, plays gigs on weekends�
And, apparently, hallucinates demons.


At least, that’s what she tells herself happens when, moments after she meets the man of her dreams, she sees him shift into a seven-foot-tall, red-skinned monster.

Not believing her own eyes, Eva decides to investigate and soon finds herself caught in the middle of a supernatural clusterf**k of epic proportions. But Ash isn’t the only one keeping secrets, and the search for answers reveals a shocking truth that will change the course of her life forever.

Or maybe just doom it.


My Funny Demon Valentine is a steamy paranormal romance about learning how to love (and what love is in the first place) with an HEA, clothes-ripping-hot love scenes, and a crew of devilish demon brothers who are supposed to be the bad guys.
There’s violence, sex, and too much swearing. You’ve been warned.
]]>
360 Aurora Ascher 1777853206 Aileen 0 to-read 3.76 2021 My Funny Demon Valentine (Hell Bent, #1)
author: Aurora Ascher
name: Aileen
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/28
shelves: to-read
review:

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<![CDATA[My Demon Hunter (Hell Bent, #2)]]> 215363487 LIMITED EDITION FIRST PRINTING featuring sprayed edges, designed chapter headers, full color inside covers, and front cover foil with spot gloss—while supplies last!

For fans of Jenna Levine and K.F. Breene, the steamy, laugh-out-loud paranormal romance about learning how to love—including the darkest parts of ourselves—complete with HEA, clothes-ripping-hot love scenes, and a crew of devilish demon brothers who are supposed to be the bad guys . . .

From the instant New York Times bestselling author of SANCTUARY OF THE SHADOW!

The hunter shall become the hunted . . . And the timid shall become the fierce.

Enslaved to an evil demon queen for millennia, Mishetsumephtai has only ever served one purpose. He is the Hunter, the one who drags the guilty back to Hell. But finally tasting freedom on Earth has changed him, and for the first time, Mist questions his duty. The human female who smiles at him with no idea what a monster he is, draws him in, and he’ll do anything to possess her.

Lily Donovan thought the most dangerous thing about running to the corner store at night would be the aisles of junk food. She didn’t bargain on encountering chaos in the form of a man with unusual tattoos and beguiling amber eyes, stalking her through the ice cream section. Since the death of her parents, Lily has tried to forget what she is. But denial is not an option when she’s confronted with everything she’s been running from.

Neither Mist nor Lily can ignore the burning magnetism between them. But Mist’s reprieve from Hell was always temporary, and the punishment for disobedience will be worse than death. Yet he can’t relinquish the woman whose scent calls to him like nothing he’s hunted before.]]>
352 Aurora Ascher 1496755863 Aileen 0 to-read 4.11 2022 My Demon Hunter (Hell Bent, #2)
author: Aurora Ascher
name: Aileen
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/28
shelves: to-read
review:

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<![CDATA[Practice Makes Perfect (When in Rome, #2)]]> 61897968 A small-town sweetheart and an emotionally unavailable bad boy try to find some common ground in this chemistry-filled romance from the author of The Cheat Sheet and When in Rome.

Annie Walker is on a quest to find her perfect match—someone who complements her happy, quiet life running the local flower shop in Rome, Kentucky. But finding her dream man may be harder than Annie imagined. Everyone knows everyone in her hometown, and the dating prospects are getting fewer by the day. After she overhears her latest date say she is “so unbelievably boring,� Annie starts to think the problem might be her. Is it too late to become flirtatious and fun like the leading ladies in her favorite romance movies? Maybe she only needs a little practice . . . and Annie has the perfect person in mind to be her tutor: Will Griffin.

Will—the sexy, tattooed, and absolutely gorgeous bodyguard—is temporarily back in Rome, providing security for Amelia Rose as excitement builds for her upcoming marriage to Noah Walker, Annie’s brother. He has one personal objective while on the job: stay away from Annie Walker and any other possible attachments to this sleepy town. But no sooner than he gets settled, Will finds himself tasked with helping Annie find the love of her life by becoming the next leading lady of Rome, Kentucky. Will wants no part in changing the sweet and lovely Annie. He knows for a fact that some stuffy, straitlaced guy won’t make her happy, but he doesn’t have the heart to say no.

Amid steamy practice dates and strictly “educational� tutoring lessons, Annie discovers there are more layers to Will’s usual stoic attitude. As the lines of their friendship become dangerously blurred, Annie reconsiders her dream guy. Maybe her love life doesn’t need to be perfect—it just needs to be real.]]>
335 Sarah Adams 0593500806 Aileen 4 4.00 2023 Practice Makes Perfect (When in Rome, #2)
author: Sarah Adams
name: Aileen
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/28
date added: 2025/03/28
shelves:
review:

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<![CDATA[Mage, Book Two: The Hero Defined]]> 979194 432 Matt Wagner 158240609X Aileen 0 to-read 3.97 2004 Mage, Book Two: The Hero Defined
author: Matt Wagner
name: Aileen
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2004
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/27
shelves: to-read
review:

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<![CDATA[Adventureman, Vol. 2: A Fairy Tale of New York]]> 59709158
Collects ADVENTUREMAN #5-9]]>
168 Matt Fraction 1534322140 Aileen 4 3.51 2022 Adventureman, Vol. 2: A Fairy Tale of New York
author: Matt Fraction
name: Aileen
average rating: 3.51
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/26
date added: 2025/03/26
shelves:
review:
I took my time with this one, and am very glad I did. Loved the art, the storyline, the cliffhanger. Excited for when they finish volume 3!!
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<![CDATA[Midnight Ruin (Dark Olympus, #6)]]> 123416326
Charon Ariti has been Hades's right-hand man for years. He's given everything to the lower city, but now he's ready to take something for himself. He's only too happy to give Eurydice a special kind of education…but is her heart really free enough to be claimed?

Orpheus Makos will do whatever it takes to make things right. Once the golden boy of the upper city, he's now a shadow of his former self. He'll do anything to get Eurydice back…even if it means she's not coming into his arms alone. Three hearts. Three futures. Countless ways to get it wrong.

But with enemies slipping through Olympus's faltering barrier to lay siege on the lower city, a trio of broken hearts will be the least of these would-be lovers' worries…]]>
316 Katee Robert Aileen 4 3.70 2024 Midnight Ruin (Dark Olympus, #6)
author: Katee Robert
name: Aileen
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/25
date added: 2025/03/25
shelves:
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<![CDATA[The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After (Bridgertons, #1.5-8.5; 8.6)]]> 11867860
But not just any family. Eight brothers and sisters, assorted in-laws, sons and daughters, nieces and nephews, (not to mention an overweight corgi), plus an irrepressible matriarch who’s a match for any of them� These are the Bridgertons: less a family than a force of nature. Through eight bestselling novels, readers laughed, cried, and fell in love. But they wanted more.

And so the readers asked the author�

What happened next? Does Simon ever read his father’s letters? Do Francesca and Michael become parents? Who would win in a Pall Mall grudge match?

Does “The End� really have to be the end?

Now, with The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After, Julia Quinn delivers eight sexy, funny, and heartwarming �2nd epilogues,� plus a bonus story about none other than the wise and witty Violet Bridgerton herself. So get to know the Bridgertons all over again—because Happily Ever After is a whole lot of fun.]]>
374 Julia Quinn 0061233005 Aileen 0 to-read 3.93 2013 The Bridgertons: Happily Ever After (Bridgertons, #1.5-8.5; 8.6)
author: Julia Quinn
name: Aileen
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/23
shelves: to-read
review:

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<![CDATA[To Sir Phillip, With Love (Bridgertons, #5)]]> 24515548 400 Julia Quinn 006235373X Aileen 4 3.85 2003 To Sir Phillip, With Love (Bridgertons, #5)
author: Julia Quinn
name: Aileen
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2003
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/23
date added: 2025/03/23
shelves:
review:

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<![CDATA[Cruel Seduction (Dark Olympus, #5)]]> 63065383
And the one man I swore by all Olympus I would destroy.

Aphrodite has never flinched at getting her perfectly manicured hands dirty, and she's not about to start now—even if that means marrying Olympus's enemy number one, the new Hephaestus. She has a wicked plan to keep her deadly new husband off-balance, seducing the one person he seems to care about most in this world: Pandora, a woman as beautiful as she is sweet.

Two can play the seduction game, however, and Hephaestus is all too happy to put his new wife in her place. Her ex, Adonis, seems like he'll do the trick. It doesn't hurt that he's gorgeous in the way of fallen angels, either.

The only problem with using seduction as a weapon? Hearts are all too quick to get involved. With Hephaestus and Aphrodite trading venomous strikes that feel a whole lot like foreplay, lines become blurred and emotions entangled. But a broken heart may be the least of their worries. With unrest in Olympus reaching new heights, these bedroom games may have deadly consequences for themselves, their city, and everyone they've come to love.]]>
384 Katee Robert 1728262763 Aileen 4 3.68 2023 Cruel Seduction (Dark Olympus, #5)
author: Katee Robert
name: Aileen
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/21
date added: 2025/03/22
shelves:
review:

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<![CDATA[Gold (The Plated Prisoner, #5)]]> 61314205 "Find me in another life. Find me in them all."

Every end is also a beginning.

I thought I was going to die, and would have if it weren’t for Slade. The only way he could save me was to open a rip between worlds. The only way for me to save myself was to go through it.

Sometimes, fleeing one dangerous place just brings you to another.

Annwyn.

The realm of the fae.

There is magic and beauty here, though around every corner, threats lurk.

But I’m a threat too.

I’m not a girl in a gilded cage anymore, and no one is going to stop me from finding my way back to Slade.

But returning home means facing danger and secrets. So I have to burn bright enough to light my own way�

Or else I might be swallowed by the dark.

Please note: This adult fantasy book includes dark elements that may be triggering, including violence, cruelty, death, adult language, and explicit romance. It is intended for ages 18 years and older. Read at your own discretion.]]>
646 Raven Kennedy Aileen 4 4.10 2023 Gold (The Plated Prisoner, #5)
author: Raven Kennedy
name: Aileen
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/19
date added: 2025/03/19
shelves:
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<![CDATA[Glow (The Plated Prisoner, #4)]]> 58159316
My life has been made up of gilded lies. But death has been shaped from rot.

Like a phoenix caught fire, I will need to rise from the ashes and learn to wield my own power. Because my wings may have been clipped, but I am not in a cage, and I'm finally free to fly from the frozen kingdoms I've been kept in.

Yet the world doesn't want to let me.

That's the thing when you turn against a king—everyone else turns against you.

Good thing I have a different king in my corner.

But even with the dark threat of Slade Ravinger, the other monarchs are coming for me.

So I will fight for him and he will kill for me, and if we need to become the villains, then so be it.

Because so long as I live in this world, I won't be used again.

Please note: This is an adult fantasy series with dark elements that may be triggering, including past emotional and physical trauma, violence, adult language, and explicit romance. Read at your own discretion.]]>
705 Raven Kennedy Aileen 3 4.14 2022 Glow (The Plated Prisoner, #4)
author: Raven Kennedy
name: Aileen
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/16
date added: 2025/03/16
shelves:
review:
This one did not hold up to book 3…loved seeing more of Slade’s backstory, but…just didn’t deliver the way book 3 did.
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<![CDATA[Romancing Mister Bridgerton (Bridgertons, #4)]]> 23287497 Everyone knows that Colin Bridgerton is the most charming man in London . . .

Penelope Featherington has secretly adored her best friend's brother for . . . well, it feels like forever. After half a lifetime of watching Colin Bridgerton from afar, she thinks she knows everything about him, until she stumbles across his deepest secret . . . and fears she doesn't know him at all.

Colin Bridgerton is tired of being thought of as nothing but an empty-headed charmer, tired of the notorious gossip columnist Lady Whistledown, who can't seem to publish an edition without mentioning him. But when Colin returns to London from a trip abroad, he discovers nothing in his life is quite the same—especially Penelope Featherington! The girl who was always simply there is suddenly the girl haunting his dreams. When he discovers that Penelope has secrets of her own, this elusive bachelor must decide . . . is she his biggest threat� or his promise of a happy ending?]]>
408 Julia Quinn 0062353683 Aileen 3 3.99 2002 Romancing Mister Bridgerton (Bridgertons, #4)
author: Julia Quinn
name: Aileen
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2002
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/16
date added: 2025/03/16
shelves:
review:

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<![CDATA[The Sinister Mystery of the Mesmerizing Girl (The Extraordinary Adventures of the Athena Club, #3)]]> 43663313 Mary Jekyll and the Athena Club race to save Alice—and foil a plot to unseat the Queen, in the electrifying conclusion to the trilogy that began with the Nebula Award finalist and Locus Award winner The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter.

Life’s always an adventure for the Athena Club...especially when one of their own has been kidnapped! After their thrilling European escapades rescuing Lucinda van Helsing, Mary Jekyll and her friends return home to discover that their friend and kitchen maid Alice has vanished� and so has their friend and employer Sherlock Holmes!

As they race to find Alice and bring her home safely, they discover that Alice and Sherlock’s kidnapping are only one small part of a plot that threatens Queen Victoria, and the very future of the British Empire. Can Mary, Diana, Beatrice, Catherine, and Justine save their friends—and save the Empire? Find out in the final installment of the fantastic and memorable Extraordinary Adventures of the Athena Club series.]]>
448 Theodora Goss 1534427872 Aileen 0 to-read 4.01 2019 The Sinister Mystery of the Mesmerizing Girl (The Extraordinary Adventures of the Athena Club, #3)
author: Theodora Goss
name: Aileen
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/12
shelves: to-read
review:

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<![CDATA[European Travel for the Monstrous Gentlewoman (The Extraordinary Adventures of the Athena Club, #2)]]> 36373571
Mary Jekyll’s life has been peaceful since she helped Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson solve the Whitechapel Murders. Beatrice Rappaccini, Catherine Moreau, Justine Frankenstein, and Mary’s sister Diana Hyde have settled into the Jekyll household in London, and although they sometimes quarrel, the members of the Athena Club get along as well as any five young women with very different personalities. At least they can always rely on Mrs. Poole.

But when Mary receives a telegram that Lucinda Van Helsing has been kidnapped, the Athena Club must travel to the Austro-Hungarian Empire to rescue yet another young woman who has been subjected to horrific experimentation. Where is Lucinda, and what has Professor Van Helsing been doing to his daughter? Can Mary, Diana, Beatrice, and Justine reach her in time?

Racing against the clock to save Lucinda from certain doom, the Athena Club embarks on a madcap journey across Europe. From Paris to Vienna to Budapest, Mary and her friends must make new allies, face old enemies, and finally confront the fearsome, secretive Alchemical Society. It’s time for these monstrous gentlewomen to overcome the past and create their own destinies.]]>
720 Theodora Goss 1481466534 Aileen 0 to-read 3.99 2018 European Travel for the Monstrous Gentlewoman (The Extraordinary Adventures of the Athena Club, #2)
author: Theodora Goss
name: Aileen
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/12
shelves: to-read
review:

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<![CDATA[The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter (The Extraordinary Adventures of the Athena Club, #1)]]> 34728925
But her hunt leads her to Hyde’s daughter, Diana, a feral child left to be raised by nuns. With the assistance of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, Mary continues her search for the elusive Hyde, and soon befriends more women, all of whom have been created through terrifying experimentation: Beatrice Rappaccini, Catherin Moreau, and Justine Frankenstein.

When their investigations lead them to the discovery of a secret society of immoral and power-crazed scientists, the horrors of their past return. Now it is up to the monsters to finally triumph over the monstrous.]]>
402 Theodora Goss 1534409637 Aileen 0 to-read 3.81 2017 The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter (The Extraordinary Adventures of the Athena Club, #1)
author: Theodora Goss
name: Aileen
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/12
shelves: to-read
review:

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Girl in Disguise 29946121
But is the woman she's becoming-capable of lies, swapping identities like dresses-the true Kate? Or has the real disguise been the good girl she always thought she was? As the tensions between the north and south escalate, Kate takes on a job in which the stakes have never been higher. The nation's future is at risk, even as the lines between disguise and reality begin to blur.]]>
308 Greer Macallister 1492635227 Aileen 0 to-read 3.69 2017 Girl in Disguise
author: Greer Macallister
name: Aileen
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: to-read
review:

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<![CDATA[The Temporary Roomie (It Happened in Nashville, #2)]]> 56921816 What happens when you have to play nice with your greatest enemy? Revenge.

Drew Marshall may have let me move into his spare bedroom while my house is being renovated, but don’t think for one second his kindness comes without strings. Big, ugly, fake relationship strings.

That’s okay, though, Dr. Andrew. I’ll agree to your terms, move into your house, and act like your girlfriend when the big day comes; but I also plan to make your life miserable—make you pay for what you did to me.

I may not be good at forgiving or forgetting, but I’m excellent at getting even.

Get ready to laugh until you cry with this sizzling, hilarious, closed-door romantic comedy!]]>
286 Sarah Adams Aileen 0 to-read 3.63 2021 The Temporary Roomie (It Happened in Nashville, #2)
author: Sarah Adams
name: Aileen
average rating: 3.63
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: to-read
review:

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<![CDATA[The Enemy (It Happened in Charleston, #2)]]> 53977568 Enemies should never get a second chance. But this one might...

It’s been twelve years since I’ve seen him. Twelve years since he won our war of wits by outsmarting me with a tactic I didn’t even know was allowed. But tonight…I resurrect the battle.

Ryan Henderson is back in town for our best friends� wedding, and I plan on showing him exactly how much I don’t care about him—or the almost kiss he ruthlessly dangled over me after graduation. A lot has changed since our feuding days. I'm a successful bakery owner now, and I plan to rub every delicious detail of my life in his ugly face. Just one problem: his face is gorgeous. He wasn’t supposed to look like this or pursue me like a sexy guided missile. I must stay strong until the wedding is over and Ryan scurries back into whatever alternate universe he escaped from. His interest in me is nothing but a continuation of the games we played in high school...right?

But the longer he stays, the more I wonder if I’m wrong and his tender smile and heated attentions are genuine. Maybe it’s not a game. Ha! Who am I kidding? This is Ryan we’re talking about. Of course it’s a game. A game called war. And this time, I will win.

The Enemy is a feel-good, closed-door romantic comedy! Perfect for readers who enjoy sweet, sizzling chemistry with passionate kissing only. ]]>
256 Sarah Adams Aileen 0 to-read 3.76 2020 The Enemy (It Happened in Charleston, #2)
author: Sarah Adams
name: Aileen
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: to-read
review:

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<![CDATA[The Match (It Happened in Charleston, #1)]]> 53257881 Sometimes, love finds you when you least expect it...

Having worked for Southern Service Paws for a few years now, I like to think I’m prepared for just about any client meeting under the sun. I am dead wrong.

The day I meet with single dad, Jacob Broaden, about potentially matching his daughter with one of our service dogs, I learn a few valuable lessons.

1) Always set my alarm clock.
2) Single dads are way hotter than I previously thought.
3) It is possible to go from fantasizing about kissing someone to wishing they would be run over by a truck in a matter of two minutes.

Unfortunately, I don’t hold that opinion of him for very long. Not when he shows me a different side of himself—one that’s sweet as maple syrup and hot as apple pie fresh out of the oven. And after a few days of working closely with him and his daughter, he starts looking at me with fire in his eyes, making me dream of something I probably shouldn’t�
A family.

The Match is a feel-good, closed-door romantic comedy! Perfect for readers who enjoy sweet, sizzling chemistry with passionate kissing only. ]]>
284 Sarah Adams Aileen 4 3.95 2020 The Match (It Happened in Charleston, #1)
author: Sarah Adams
name: Aileen
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/09
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves:
review:

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<![CDATA[A Dawn of Onyx (The Sacred Stones, #1)]]> 195775182 Captured by a king of darkness. Forced to find the light within.

Arwen Valondale never expected to be the brave one, offering her life to save her brother’s. Now she’s been taken prisoner by the most dangerous kingdom on the continent, and made to use her rare magical abilities to heal the soldiers of the vicious Onyx King.

Arwen knows better than to face the ancient, wicked woods that surround the castle on her own, which means working with a fellow prisoner might be her only path to freedom. Unfortunately, he’s as infuriating as he is cunning—and seems to take twisted pleasure in playing on Arwen’s deepest fears.

But here in Onyx Kingdom, trust is a luxury she can’t afford.

To make it out of enemy territory, she'll have to navigate back-stabbing royals, dark magic, and dangerous beasts. But untold power lies inside Arwen, dormant and waiting for a spark. If she can harness it, she just might be able to escape with her life—and hopefully, her heart.]]>
432 Kate Golden Aileen 4 3.86 2022 A Dawn of Onyx (The Sacred Stones, #1)
author: Kate Golden
name: Aileen
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/09
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves:
review:
I started this, accidentally put it down, then when I restarted and got through ONE MORE CHAPTER (chapter 3 actually) it picked up almost immediately. There were definitely some ups and downs, some high action followed by some lull’s, but overall I enjoyed this and look forward to the next two!!
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Under the Whispering Door 53205888 Welcome to Charon's Crossing.
The tea is hot, the scones are fresh, and the dead are just passing through.

When a reaper comes to collect Wallace from his own funeral, Wallace begins to suspect he might be dead.

And when Hugo, the owner of a peculiar tea shop, promises to help him cross over, Wallace decides he’s definitely dead.

But even in death he’s not ready to abandon the life he barely lived, so when Wallace is given one week to cross over, he sets about living a lifetime in seven days.

Hilarious, haunting, and kind, Under the Whispering Door is an uplifting story about a life spent at the office and a death spent building a home.]]>
376 T.J. Klune 1250217342 Aileen 0 to-read 4.11 2021 Under the Whispering Door
author: T.J. Klune
name: Aileen
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/06
shelves: to-read
review:

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<![CDATA[Because of Miss Bridgerton (Rokesbys, #1)]]> 25657772 Sometimes you find love in the most unexpected of places...

This is not one of those times.

Everyone expects Billie Bridgerton to marry one of the Rokesby brothers. The two families have been neighbors for centuries, and as a child the tomboyish Billie ran wild with Edward and Andrew. Either one would make a perfect husband... someday.

Sometimes you fall in love with exactly the person you think you should...

Or not.

There is only one Rokesby Billie absolutely cannot tolerate, and that is George. He may be the eldest and heir to the earldom, but he's arrogant, annoying, and she's absolutely certain he detests her. Which is perfectly convenient, as she can't stand the sight of him, either.

But sometimes fate has a wicked sense of humor...

Because when Billie and George are quite literally thrown together, a whole new sort of sparks begins to fly. And when these lifelong adversaries finally kiss, they just might discover that the one person they can't abide is the one person they can't live without...]]>
375 Julia Quinn 0062388142 Aileen 4 3.90 2016 Because of Miss Bridgerton (Rokesbys, #1)
author: Julia Quinn
name: Aileen
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/06
date added: 2025/03/06
shelves:
review:
Well this was wonderfully entertaining and just plain wonderful. And now I am SO excited for the next book!!! I love that I know NOTHING of these characters, the way I do about the original series which somehow makes it that much better.
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<![CDATA[Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales (Emily Wilde, #3)]]> 211721797 The third installment in the heartwarming and enchanting Emily Wilde series, about a curmudgeonly scholar of folklore and the fae prince she loves.

Emily Wilde has spent her life studying faeries. A renowned dryadologist, she has documented hundreds of species of Folk in her Encyclopaedia of Faeries. Now she is about to embark on her most dangerous academic project studying the inner workings of a faerie realm—as its queen.

Along with her former academic rival—now fiancé—the dashing and mercurial Wendell Bambleby, Emily is immediately thrust into the deadly intrigues of Faerie as the two of them seize the throne of Wendell’s long-lost kingdom, which Emily finds a beautiful nightmare filled with scholarly treasures.

Emily has been obsessed with faerie stories her entire life, but at first she feels as ill-suited to Faerie as she did to the mortal How can an unassuming scholar such as herself pass for a queen? Yet there is little time to settle in, for Wendell’s murderous stepmother has placed a deadly curse upon the land before vanishing without a trace. It will take all of Wendell’s magic—and Emily’s knowledge of stories—to unravel the mystery before they lose everything they hold dear.]]>
358 Heather Fawcett 0593500229 Aileen 5 4.18 2025 Emily Wilde's Compendium of Lost Tales (Emily Wilde, #3)
author: Heather Fawcett
name: Aileen
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/05
date added: 2025/03/05
shelves:
review:
I really loved Wendell and Emily’s story, and Shadow of course. I am sad to see the end, but happy for how it wrapped up. This was a wonderful wild adventure, and I am soooooo glad I picked it up.
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<![CDATA[Death and the Girl Next Door (Darklight, #1)]]> 12986492 Sophomore Year Was Never Supposed to be This Complicated

Ten years ago, Lorelei McAlister's parents disappeared without a trace, and she is finally beginning to accept the fact that they're never coming back. Life must go on. She's got her grandparents and the support of her best friends, and high school is not quite as painful as she thought it would be.

But This is What Happens When You Fall for the Angel of Death.

Until the day the school's designated loner, Cameron Lusk, begins to stalk her, turning up where she least expects it, standing outside her house in the dark, tough, sexy Jared Kovach - comes to school. Cameron and Jared instantly despise each other, and Lorelei seems to be the reason for their animosity.

Life as She Knows it is About to Change Forever.

What does Jared know about her parents? Why does Cameron tell Jared he can't have Lorelei? And what will any of them do when Death comes knocking for real? Thrilling, sassy, sexy, and inventive, Death and the Girl Next Door proves Darynda Jones is a force to be reckoned with.

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274 Darynda Jones 0312625200 Aileen 3 3.61 2012 Death and the Girl Next Door (Darklight, #1)
author: Darynda Jones
name: Aileen
average rating: 3.61
book published: 2012
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/03
date added: 2025/03/03
shelves:
review:

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<![CDATA[Storm Echo (Psy-Changeling Trinity, #6; Psy-Changeling, #21)]]> 59522189 NYT bestselling author Nalini Singh takes us into the hearts of two fractured people in a world on the brink of a psychic Armageddon . . .

Silence has fallen. The Psy are free to feel emotion. Free to love. But Silence was never a prison for Ivan Mercant. The biggest threat to his future lies dormant in his brain—a psychic monster that wants only to feed. And now, the brutal leash he’s kept on that monster is slipping. He prepared for this day, for the end of Ivan Mercant . . . but that was before he met Lei.

As primal as she is human, this wild changeling brings color into his life, laughter to his soul. Then the dream shatters in a rain of blood, in silent bodies in the snow. Lei is gone. Vanished without a trace . . . until he meets strangely familiar eyes across a busy San Francisco street.

Soleil Bijoux Garcia is a healer who has lost everything. She exists in a world of desolate aloneness . . . till the day she finds herself face-to-face with a lethal stranger. The animal who is her other half knows this man, but her memories are tattered fragments. Sorrow and a need for vengeance are all that drive her. Her mission? To kill the alpha of the DarkRiver leopard pack.

But fate has other plans. Soon, a deadly soldier who believes himself a monster and a broken healer might be all that stand between life and death for the entire Psy race.]]>
376 Nalini Singh 0593440676 Aileen 4 4.19 2022 Storm Echo (Psy-Changeling Trinity, #6; Psy-Changeling, #21)
author: Nalini Singh
name: Aileen
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/02
date added: 2025/03/02
shelves:
review:
The one good thing about holding off a while between Psy-Changeling books is I somehow trick myself into forgetting how GOOD they can be. This one really snuck up on me and was just sooooooo good. Really excited for the next one.
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Daydream (Maple Hills, #3) 198647119
Halle may not have the romantic pursuits of her favorite fictional leads, but she’s an academic superstar, and when she hears about Henry’s problems with his class reading material, she offers to help. But being a private tutor isn’t exactly ideal given her own studies, job and the novel she’s trying to write. New experiences are the key to beating her writer’s block, though, and Henry’s promising to be the one to give them to her.

They just need to stick to their rulebook. Oh, and not fall in love.

18+ content]]>
448 Hannah Grace Aileen 5 3.98 2024 Daydream (Maple Hills, #3)
author: Hannah Grace
name: Aileen
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/01
date added: 2025/03/01
shelves:
review:
Hands down the best one of the 3.
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<![CDATA[Tender Cruelty (Dark Olympus, #9)]]> 209116174 Zeus &amp; Hera's book. Katee Robert Aileen 0 to-read 4.60 2025 Tender Cruelty (Dark Olympus, #9)
author: Katee Robert
name: Aileen
average rating: 4.60
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/27
shelves: to-read
review:

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<![CDATA[Shattered Gods (Dark Olympus, #10)]]> 209116944 Katee Robert Aileen 0 to-read 5.00 Shattered Gods (Dark Olympus, #10)
author: Katee Robert
name: Aileen
average rating: 5.00
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/27
shelves: to-read
review:

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<![CDATA[Radiant Sin (Dark Olympus, #4)]]> 60478017 There's nowhere more dangerous than Olympus...and no one more captivating than its golden god: Apollo. Keeper of secrets, master of his shining realm...and the only man I am powerless to deny.

As a disgraced member of a fallen house, Cassandra Gataki has seen firsthand what comes from trusting the venomous Thirteen. But when the maddeningly gorgeous and kind Apollo asks her to go undercover as his plus-one at a week-long party hosted by a dangerous new power player…Cassandra reluctantly agrees to have his back.

On one condition: when it's all over, and Apollo has the ammunition he needs to protect Olympus, she and her sister will be allowed to leave. For good.

Apollo may be the city's official spymaster, but it's his ability to inspire others that keeps him at the top. Despite what the rest of Olympus says, there's no one he trusts more than Cassandra. Yet even as their fake relationship takes a wicked turn for the scaldingly hot, a very real danger surfaces� threatening not only Cassandra and Apollo, but the very heart of Olympus itself.]]>
345 Katee Robert 172825700X Aileen 3 3.76 2023 Radiant Sin (Dark Olympus, #4)
author: Katee Robert
name: Aileen
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/27
date added: 2025/02/27
shelves:
review:
The overarching plot that starts in book 3?? EXCELLENT progression, really like how things are heating up in that regard. The plot between Apollo and Cassandra?? Decent. I liked it, better than some of what happened with Psyche and Eros, but so far Helen, Patroclus, and Achilles story takes the cake with this series. I’m definitely intrigued for book 5 though.
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<![CDATA[Legendborn (The Legendborn Cycle, #1)]]> 50892338
A flying demon feeding on human energies.

A secret society of so called “Legendborn� students that hunt the creatures down.

And a mysterious teenage mage who calls himself a “Merlin� and who attempts—and fails—to wipe Bree’s memory of everything she saw.

The mage’s failure unlocks Bree’s own unique magic and a buried memory with a hidden connection: the night her mother died, another Merlin was at the hospital. Now that Bree knows there’s more to her mother’s death than what’s on the police report, she’ll do whatever it takes to find out the truth, even if that means infiltrating the Legendborn as one of their initiates.

She recruits Nick, a self-exiled Legendborn with his own grudge against the group, and their reluctant partnership pulls them deeper into the society’s secrets—and closer to each other. But when the Legendborn reveal themselves as the descendants of King Arthur’s knights and explain that a magical war is coming, Bree has to decide how far she’ll go for the truth and whether she should use her magic to take the society down—or join the fight.]]>
502 Tracy Deonn 1534441603 Aileen 0 to-read 4.32 2020 Legendborn (The Legendborn Cycle, #1)
author: Tracy Deonn
name: Aileen
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/27
shelves: to-read
review:

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<![CDATA[Sweet Obsession (Dark Olympus, #8)]]> 209116165 He was mine to protect. Mine to adore. Mine to lose forever.

Icarus may not have flown particularly close to the sun, but he has fallen…right into the rough hands of Olympus's own Poseidon. Being held captive by the gentle giant wouldn't be so bad if Olympus wasn't on the eve of destruction…or if Poseidon stopped looking at him with those irresistibly stormy eyes.

Poseidon doesn't have time to babysit his increasingly bratty prisoner, but he has no Olympus is officially at war, and someone has to keep their best bargaining chip out of harm's way. The thing is, the longer Poseidon is with Icarus, the more he starts to care for his sworn enemy...and the more he realizes that Icarus isn't the villain he's been made out to be. There's a warmth to him, a vulnerability, that Poseidon finds difficult to ignore or deny.

Now with Circe and the Aeaens at the gate and Olympus a hair's breadth away from falling, Poseidon will have to make a difficult about himself, about his allegiances, and about the man who woke his heart from its long slumber only to threaten to break it for good...

A scorchingly hot modern retelling of Poseidon and Icarus.]]>
336 Katee Robert Aileen 0 to-read 3.71 2025 Sweet Obsession (Dark Olympus, #8)
author: Katee Robert
name: Aileen
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/26
shelves: to-read
review:

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<![CDATA[Daughter of the Pirate King (Daughter of the Pirate King, #1)]]> 33643994 There will be plenty of time for me to beat him soundly once I've gotten what I came for.

Sent on a mission to retrieve an ancient hidden map―the key to a legendary treasure trove―seventeen-year-old pirate captain Alosa deliberately allows herself to be captured by her enemies, giving her the perfect opportunity to search their ship.

More than a match for the ruthless pirate crew, Alosa has only one thing standing between her and the her captor, the unexpectedly clever and unfairly attractive first mate Riden. But not to worry, for Alosa has a few tricks up her sleeve, and no lone pirate can stop the Daughter of the Pirate King.

In Daughter of the Pirate King, author Tricia Levenseller blends action, adventure, romance, and a little bit of magic into a thrilling pirate tale.]]>
308 Tricia Levenseller 1250095964 Aileen 3 3.95 2017 Daughter of the Pirate King (Daughter of the Pirate King, #1)
author: Tricia Levenseller
name: Aileen
average rating: 3.95
book published: 2017
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/26
date added: 2025/02/26
shelves:
review:

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<![CDATA[When in Rome (When in Rome, #1)]]> 60092579 Opposites certainly attract for the stranded pop star and small-town baker in this charming slice of romance from the author of the TikTok sensation The Cheat Sheet.

Amelia Rose, known as Rae Rose to her adoring fans, is burned-out from years of maintaining her "princess of pop" image. Inspired by her favorite Audrey Hepburn film, Roman Holiday, she drives off in the middle of the night for a break in Rome . . . Rome, Kentucky, that is.

When Noah Walker finds Amelia on his front lawn in her broken-down car, he makes it clear he doesn't have the time or patience for celebrity problems. He's too busy running the pie shop his grandmother left him and reminding his nosy but lovable neighbors to mind their own damn business. Despite his better judgment, he lets her stay in his guest room—but only until her car is fixed—then she's on her own.

Then Noah starts to see a different side of Rae Rose—she's Amelia: kindhearted and goofy, yet lonely from years in the public eye. He can't help but get close to her. Soon she'll have to return to her glamorous life on tour, but until then, Noah will show Amelia all the charming small-town experiences she's been missing, and she'll help him open his heart to more.

Amelia can't resist falling for the cozy town and her grumpy tour guide, but even Audrey had to leave Rome eventually.]]>
320 Sarah Adams 0593500784 Aileen 4 3.88 2022 When in Rome (When in Rome, #1)
author: Sarah Adams
name: Aileen
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/24
date added: 2025/02/24
shelves:
review:

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<![CDATA[The Stars Are Dying (Nytefall, #1)]]> 63890424 "The brightest star needs the darkest night."

In a world abandoned by the celestial guardians and left to suffer a tyrant king’s reign, all Astraea knows is safety in seclusion. With fragmented memories of only five years of her life, she’s determined to discover more about her past, even if that means fleeing the cruel arms that hold her safe from the wicked vampires rumored to roam the land.

But when Astraea stumbles upon the mysterious Nyte, she soon realizes determination alone isn’t enough to guard her heart. He lingers like the darkness that expands between the stars, and soon she discovers her captor’s wicked means of control weren’t based on a lie to keep her under locks after all. In her desperation, Astraea accepts Nyte’s help before she can decide if she might have sold her allegiance to one of the bloodthirsty beings the people of her world fear.

Once their bargain is struck, Astraea’s chance to escape comes in the form of accompanying her best friend Cassia to the King’s Central. There on royal territory it’s the centenary of the Libertatem, a succession of trials hosted by the king in which five human lands compete for a cycle of safety from the vampires seeking blood, claiming souls, and savaging after dark. So when tragedy strikes, Astraea must decide if taking the place of a murdered participant for the safety of her kingdom is a ruse worth dying for, or if protection—and the answers to her past—really are her strongest desires.]]>
566 C.C. Peñaranda 1915534046 Aileen 2 3.43 2023 The Stars Are Dying (Nytefall, #1)
author: C.C. Peñaranda
name: Aileen
average rating: 3.43
book published: 2023
rating: 2
read at: 2025/02/22
date added: 2025/02/22
shelves:
review:

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Wildfire (Maple Hills, #2) 101145836
Maple Hills students Russ Callaghan and Aurora Roberts cross paths at a party celebrating the end of the academic year, where a drinking game results in them having a passionate one-night stand. Never one to overstay her welcome (or expect much from a man), Aurora slips away before Russ even has the chance to ask for her full name.

Imagine their surprise when they bump into each other on the first day of the summer camp where they are both counselors, hoping to escape their complicated home lives by spending the summer working. Russ hopes if he gets far enough away from Maple Hills, he can avoid dealing with the repercussions of his father’s gambling addiction, while Aurora is tired of craving attention from everyone around her, and wants to go back to the last place she truly felt at home.

Russ knows breaking the camp’s strict “no staff fraternizing� rule will have him heading back to Maple Hills before the summer is over, but unfortunately for him, Aurora has never been very good at caring about the rules. Will the two learn to peacefully coexist? Or did their one night together start a fire they can’t put out?]]>
387 Hannah Grace 1668026279 Aileen 3 3.82 2023 Wildfire (Maple Hills, #2)
author: Hannah Grace
name: Aileen
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/22
date added: 2025/02/22
shelves:
review:
Russ is hands down a 5 star character. Loved him. So much. Aurora however is not. I didn’t HATE her, but she annoyed me so drastically for a huge chunk of the book that I didn’t like this nearly as much as I should have. She does vastly improve, which is why I still enjoyed it, but Russ was really the reason I didn’t hate read it.
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<![CDATA[Rebel Witch (The Crimson Moth, #2)]]> 60217777 The stakes are even higher in this epic, romantic conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Crimson Moth duology.

A WITCH...
Rune Winters is on the run. Ever since the boy she loved, Gideon Sharpe, revealed who she was and delivered her into enemy hands, everyone wants her dead. If Rune hopes to survive, she must ally herself with the cruel and dangerous Cressida Roseblood, who’s planning to take back the Republic and reinstate a Reign of Witches—something Cressida needs Rune to accomplish.

A WITCH HUNTER...
Apparently it wasn’t enough for Rune to deceive Gideon; she’s now betrayed him by allying herself with the witch who made his life a living hell. Gideon won’t allow the Republic to fall to the witches and be plunged back into the nightmares of the past. In order to protect this new world he fought for, every last witch must die—especially Rune Winters.

AN IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE...
When Rune makes Gideon an offer he can’t refuse, the two must pair up to accomplish dangerous goals. The more they’re forced into each other’s company, the more Gideon realizes the feelings he had for Rune aren’t as dead and buried as he thought. Now he’s faced with a terrible choice: sacrifice the girl he loves to stop a monster taking back power, or let Rune live and watch the world he fought so hard for burn.

In Kristen Ciccarelli's Rebel Witch, the exciting conclusion to The Crimson Moth duology, love has never been so deadly.]]>
464 Kristen Ciccarelli Aileen 0 to-read 4.23 2025 Rebel Witch (The Crimson Moth, #2)
author: Kristen Ciccarelli
name: Aileen
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/21
shelves: to-read
review:

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The Last One 205363979 Explosive and enthralling romantasy debut from New York Times bestselling author Rachel Howzell Hall...

Thrown into a desolate land of sickness and unnatural beasts, Kai wakes in the woods with no idea who she is or how she got there. All she knows is that if she cannot reach the Sea of Devour, even this hellscape will get worse. But when she sees the village blacksmith fight invaders with unspeakable skill, she decides to accept his offer of help.

Too bad he’s as skilled at annoying her as he is at fighting.

As she searches for answers, Kai only finds more questions, especially regarding the blacksmith who can ignite her body like a flame, then douse it with ice in the next breath.

And no one is what—or who—they appear to be in the kingdom of Vinevridth, including the man whose secrets might be as deadly as the land itself.]]>
496 Rachel Howzell Hall 1649377096 Aileen 0 to-read 2.74 2024 The Last One
author: Rachel Howzell Hall
name: Aileen
average rating: 2.74
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/21
shelves: to-read
review:

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<![CDATA[Throne of the Fallen (Prince of Sin, #1)]]> 75673878 Sinner. Villain. Ruthless.

These are wicked names the Prince of Envy welcomes. They remind him what he isn’t: a saint. And when a cryptic note arrives, signaling the beginning of a deadly game, he knows he’ll be called much worse before it ends. Riddles, hexed objects, anonymous players, nothing will stand in his way. With a powerful artifact and his own future at stake, Envy is determined to win, though none of his meticulous plans prepare him for her, the frustrating artist who ignites his sin—and passion—like no other�

Talented. Darling. Liar.

The trouble with scoundrels and blackguards is that they haven’t a modicum of honor, a fact Miss Camilla Antonius learns after one desperate mistake allows notorious rake—and satire sheet legend—Lord Phillip Vexley to blackmail her. And now it seems Vexley isn’t the only scoundrel interested in securing her unique talents as a painter. To avoid Vexley’s clutches and a ruinous scandal, Camilla is forced to enter a devil’s bargain with Waverly Green’s newest arrival, enigmatic Lord Ashford ‘Syn� Synton, little expecting his game will awaken her true nature . . .

Together, Envy and Camilla must embark on a perilous journey through the Shifting Isles—from glittering demon courts to the sultry vampire realm, and encounters with exiled Fae—while trying to avoid the most dangerous trap of all: falling in love. ]]>
564 Kerri Maniscalco 0316557293 Aileen 0 to-read 4.01 2023 Throne of the Fallen (Prince of Sin, #1)
author: Kerri Maniscalco
name: Aileen
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/20
shelves: to-read
review:

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<![CDATA[An Offer From a Gentleman (Bridgertons, #3)]]> 9408584
Sophie Beckett never dreamed she'd be able to sneak into Lady Bridgerton's famed masquerade ball—or that "Prince Charming" would be waiting there for her! Though the daughter of an earl, Sophie has been relegated to the role of servant by her disdainful stepmother. But now, spinning in the strong arms of the debonair and devastatingly handsome Benedict Bridgerton, she feels like royalty. Alas, she knows all enchantments must end when the clock strikes midnight.

Who was that extraordinary woman? Ever since that magical night, a radiant vision in silver has blinded Benedict to the attractions of any other—except, perhaps this alluring and oddly familiar beauty dressed in housemaid's garb whom he feels compelled to rescue from a most disagreeable situation. He has sworn to find and wed his mystery miss, but this breathtaking maid makes him weak with wanting her. Yet, if he offers his heart, will Benedict sacrifice his only chance for a fairy tale love?

Alternate cover for ISBN 0380815583 / 9780380815586]]>
390 Julia Quinn Aileen 5 3.89 2001 An Offer From a Gentleman (Bridgertons, #3)
author: Julia Quinn
name: Aileen
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2001
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/20
date added: 2025/02/20
shelves:
review:
This was so far my absolute favorite. I wasn’t sure how I would feel about the Cinderella Story aspect, but I couldn’t help but just fall utterly in love with Benedict and Sophie’s story from beginning to end. Even with the second epilogue I wanted MORE!!!!!
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<![CDATA[The Other Miss Bridgerton (Rokesbys, #3)]]> 36137912
Fiercely independent and adventurous, Poppy Bridgerton will only wed a suitor whose keen intellect and interests match her own. Sadly, none of the fools from her London season qualify. While visiting a friend on the Dorset coast, Poppy is pleasantly surprised to discover a smugglers� hideaway tucked inside a cave. But her delight turns to dismay when two pirates kidnap her and take her aboard a ship, leaving her bound and gagged on the captain’s bed�

He found her at the wrong time�

Known to society as a rascal and reckless privateer, Captain Andrew James Rokesby actually transports essential goods and documents for the British government. Setting sail on a time-sensitive voyage to Portugal, he’s stunned to find a woman waiting for him in his cabin. Surely, his imagination is getting the better of him. But no, she is very real—and his duty to the Crown means he’s stuck with her.

Can two wrongs make the most perfect right?

When Andrew learns that she is a Bridgerton, he knows he will likely have to wed her to avert a scandal—though Poppy has no idea that he is the son of an earl and neighbor to her aristocratic cousins in Kent. On the high seas, their war of words soon gives way to an intoxicating passion. But when Andrew’s secret is revealed, will his declaration of love be enough to capture her heart�?]]>
391 Julia Quinn 0062388207 Aileen 0 to-read 3.99 2018 The Other Miss Bridgerton (Rokesbys, #3)
author: Julia Quinn
name: Aileen
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/20
shelves: to-read
review:

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<![CDATA[First Comes Scandal (Rokesbys, #4)]]> 42874513
Georgiana Bridgerton isn't against the idea of marriage. She'd just thought she'd have some say in the matter. But with her reputation hanging by a thread after she's abducted for her dowry, Georgie is given two options: live out her life as a spinster or marry the rogue who has ruined her life.

Enter Option #3

As the fourth son of an earl, Nicholas Rokesby is prepared to chart his own course. He has a life in Edinburgh, where he's close to completing his medical studies, and he has no time -- or interest -- to find a wife. But when he discovers that Georgie Bridgerton -- his literal girl-next-door -- is facing ruin, he knows what he must do.

A Marriage of Convenience

It might not have been the most romantic of proposals, but Nicholas never thought she'd say no. Georgie doesn't want to be anyone's sacrifice, and besides, they could never think of each other as anything more than childhood friends... or could they?

But as they embark upon their unorthodox courtship they discover a new twist to the age-old rhyme. First comes scandal, then comes marriage. But after that comes love...]]>
288 Julia Quinn 0062975064 Aileen 0 to-read 3.73 2020 First Comes Scandal (Rokesbys, #4)
author: Julia Quinn
name: Aileen
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/20
shelves: to-read
review:

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Queen Charlotte 61423072 From #1 New York Times bestselling author Julia Quinn and television pioneer Shonda Rhimes comes a powerful and romantic novel of Bridgerton's Queen Charlotte and King George III's great love story and how it sparked a societal shift, inspired by the original series Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, created by Shondaland for Netflix.

“We are one crown. His weight is mine, and mine is his…�

In 1761, on a sunny day in September, a King and Queen met for the very first time. They were married within hours.

Born a German Princess, Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was beautiful, headstrong, and fiercely intelligent� not precisely the attributes the British Court had been seeking in a spouse for the young King George III. But her fire and independence were exactly what she needed, because George had secrets� secrets with the potential to shake the very foundations of the monarchy.

Thrust into her new role as a royal, Charlotte must learn to navigate the intricate politics of the court� all the while guarding her heart, because she is falling in love with the King, even as he pushes her away. Above all she must learn to rule, and to understand that she has been given the power to remake society. She must fight—for herself, for her husband, and for all her new subjects who look to her for guidance and grace. For she will never be just Charlotte again. She must instead fulfill her destiny� as Queen.]]>
352 Julia Quinn 0063305089 Aileen 0 to-read 4.15 2023 Queen Charlotte
author: Julia Quinn
name: Aileen
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/20
shelves: to-read
review:

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<![CDATA[The Viscount Who Loved Me (Bridgertons, #2)]]> 861326 1814 promises to be another eventful season, but not, this author believes, for Anthony Bridgerton, London's most elusive bachelor, who has shown no indication that he plans to marry.
And in truth, why should he? When it comes to playing the consummate rake, nobody does it better...
—Lady Whistledown's Society Papers, April 1814

But this time, the gossip columnists have it wrong. Anthony Bridgerton hasn't just decided to marry—he's even chosen a wife! The only obstacle is his intended's older sister, Kate Sheffield—the most meddlesome woman ever to grace a London ballroom. The spirited schemer is driving Anthony mad with her determination to stop the betrothal, but when he closes his eyes at night, Kate is the woman haunting his increasingly erotic dreams...

Contrary to popular belief, Kate is quite sure that reformed rakes do not make the best husbands—and Anthony Bridgerton is the most wicked rogue of them all. Kate is determined to protect her sister—but she fears her own heart is vulnerable. And when Anthony's lips touch hers, she's suddenly afraid she might not be able to resist the reprehensible rake herself...]]>
480 Julia Quinn Aileen 4 3.98 2000 The Viscount Who Loved Me (Bridgertons, #2)
author: Julia Quinn
name: Aileen
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2000
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/19
date added: 2025/02/19
shelves:
review:
This just makes me want to rewatch Bridgerton SO BADLY. They case Jonathan Bailey perfectly. I couldn’t help but picture him the entire time I was reading this. *chefs kiss* so excited to read Benedict’s story next!!!
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<![CDATA[Gleam (The Plated Prisoner, #3)]]> 199420138 « Je ne le choisis pas. Plus maintenant. Je me choisis. »

Après tout ce qu’elle a traversé, Auren ne veut plus être enfermée dans une prison dorée et ne rêve que de liberté. Trahie par Midas et cernée par les mensonges, elle ne compte pas rester les bras croisés ni se laisser dépérir. Rien ne doit la détourner de son désir de revanche, et surtout pas la présence du puissant roi Ravinger, qui ne la laisse pas indifférente. Cette fois, ce sera elle qui posera le piège� en espérant que son cœur s’en sorte indemne.]]>
784 Raven Kennedy 1464224439 Aileen 4 4.49 2021 Gleam (The Plated Prisoner, #3)
author: Raven Kennedy
name: Aileen
average rating: 4.49
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/19
date added: 2025/02/19
shelves:
review:

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<![CDATA[Atonement Sky (Psy-Changeling Trinity, #9; Psy-Changeling, #24)]]> 220458595 The hunt for a stealthy predator takes a damaged J-Psy to the heart of falcon territory in this new Psy-Changeling Trinity novel from New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh...

Justice-Psy Eleri Dias knows the end is near for her, her mind one step away from fatal psychic exposure. In the short time that remains, she is determined to atone for an act of omission that has haunted her for a long, cruel decade. But that decision not only means facing a powerful changeling wing leader, but also putting herself in the path of a serial killer.

Falcon wing leader Adam Garrett is fiercely protective of his family and his clan. After losing his parents as a teenager in a shocking act of malice, Adam has no forgiveness in him for the J-Psy who betrayed him, betrayed them, at the most painful moment of his life. But the evil that stalks his territory will allow him no respite, forcing him once more into contact with the J he has never been able to forget.

Everything that could've been between Eleri and Adam was lost years ago, a shimmering promise crushed. As they work to uncover a monster, the moment of reckoning looms ever closer. Soon, there may be no more time left for either atonement...or love...]]>
400 Nalini Singh 0593819527 Aileen 0 to-read 4.55 2025 Atonement Sky (Psy-Changeling Trinity, #9; Psy-Changeling, #24)
author: Nalini Singh
name: Aileen
average rating: 4.55
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/18
shelves: to-read
review:

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<![CDATA[The Ever King (The Ever Seas, #1)]]> 75384035 They stole his crown, so he stole their daughter�

For years Erik, the scarred king of the Ever Kingdom, has thought of nothing but vengeance against the man who killed his father and trapped him beneath the waves, making him a prisoner in his own realm.

Until his enemy’s daughter unintentionally breaks the chains on the Ever, and Erik makes her the unwitting pawn in his vicious game of revenge.

She’s innocent. He’s vicious. But he will take back what he lost, no matter the price.

Unless she steals his heart first.

Welcome to the passionate world of the Ever Kingdom where pirates, sirens, and fae collide with Vikings in a dark fantasy romance between a villain and the innocent princess who holds his heart.

*Please note: This series is set in the same world as the bestselling Broken Kingdoms series, but can be read independently, and readers are encouraged to read the list of triggers inside*]]>
408 L.J. Andrews Aileen 0 to-read 4.14 2023 The Ever King (The Ever Seas, #1)
author: L.J. Andrews
name: Aileen
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/16
shelves: to-read
review:

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<![CDATA[A Court This Cruel and Lovely (Kingdom of Lies, #1)]]> 123281267 And they are burned. When my forbidden power is discovered, I’m forced to flee my tiny village and the life I adore. To survive, I make a desperate bargain with the mercenary who abandoned me at my weakest. Our deal is simple: I’ll help him and his mysterious friends sneak into the city. And he’ll help me learn to wield the strange, dark power I’ve always kept hidden. The power that may just be the key to my survival. But the ruthless mercenary is hiding secrets of his own. Secrets that threaten the safety of everyone I love. Secrets that could tear this kingdom—and perhaps even this world—apart. Please note: A Court This Cruel and Lovely is an NA/adult romantasy book with steam. While this series is slow burn, the chili pepper rating will increase for each book.]]> 560 Stacia Stark Aileen 0 to-read 3.93 2023 A Court This Cruel and Lovely (Kingdom of Lies, #1)
author: Stacia Stark
name: Aileen
average rating: 3.93
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/16
shelves: to-read
review:

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<![CDATA[The Off Limits Rule (It Happened in Nashville, #1)]]> 55820126 Breaking a rule has never been so enticing.

I have found rock bottom. It’s here, moving in with my older brother because I’m too broke to afford to live on my own. It’s okay though, because we’ve always been close and I think I’m going to have fun living with him again.
�

That is until I meet Cooper�

Turns out, my brother has very strong opinions on the idea of me dating his best friend and is dead set against it. According to him, Cooper is everything I should stay away from: flirtatious, adventurous, non-committal, and freaking hot. (I added that last part because I feel like you need the whole picture.) My brother is right—I should stay away from Cooper James and his pretty blue eyes. He’s the opposite of what I need right now.
�

Nah—who am I kidding? I’m going for it.]]>
282 Sarah Adams Aileen 0 to-read 3.66 2020 The Off Limits Rule (It Happened in Nashville, #1)
author: Sarah Adams
name: Aileen
average rating: 3.66
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/16
shelves: to-read
review:

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