Tera's bookshelf: all en-US Sat, 05 Apr 2025 17:40:46 -0700 60 Tera's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg <![CDATA[Warrior Princess Assassin (Braided Fate, #1)]]> 223338534 Fates collide and passions ignite in New York Times bestselling author Brigid Kemmerer’s steamy adult fantasy debut about three characters torn between chasing, betraying, and craving each other: a princess caught between duty and desire, the fearsome warrior king she’s promised to, and the assassin now tasked with hunting them down.

WARRIOR. King Maddox Kyronan’s fire magic has earned him a ruthless reputation on the battlefield, but now his land is slowly burning. Ky’s only chance to save his people is to enter a marriage alliance with the neighboring nation of Astranza, and hope that their royal family’s power to manipulate the weather will help his kingdom flourish once more. He just needs to ensure no one finds out how this blaze began.

PRINCESS. With enemies advancing on Astranza, Princess Jory’s home needs the protection of the fearsome warrior king, but she is hiding a dangerous secret: her family’s magic is fading. Tempting as it is to reject her duties and run away with her childhood friend, Asher, Jory knows that she is the kingdom’s last hope. When she meets her intended, Jory is surprised to discover that beneath Ky’s daunting exterior is a compassionate and sharp-witted man who sets her heart aflame. But what will he do when he realizes she’s deceiving him?

ASSASSIN. Asher’s done what he must to survive, even if that means getting his hands dirty. Once a young nobleman in Astranza’s palace, where he and Jory caused mischief together, now he’s part of the Hunter’s Guild, employing much darker skills. When a lucrative job comes his way, Asher can’t say no—until he discovers the targets. Someone wants Ky and Jory dead. With the Guild watching, Asher must decide what he’s willing to do to protect the woman he loves.

A tale of three complex characters torn between chasing, betraying, and craving each other, Warrior Princess Assassin marks the beginning of a thrilling new fantasy trilogy filled with enchantment, adventure, and passionate romance.]]> 400 Brigid Kemmerer 0063450879 Tera 0 currently-reading 4.29 2025 Warrior Princess Assassin (Braided Fate, #1)
author: Brigid Kemmerer
name: Tera
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/05
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass, #1)]]> 123004704 Lethal. Loyal. Legendary.

Enter the world of Throne of Glass with the first book in the #1 bestselling series by Sarah J. Maas.

In a land without magic, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She has no love for the vicious king who rules from his throne of glass, but she has not come to kill him. She has come to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three murderers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she will be released from prison to serve as the King's Champion.

Her name is Celaena Sardothien.

The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. And a princess from a faraway country will befriend her. But something rotten dwells in the castle, and it's there to kill. When her competitors start dying mysteriously, one by one, Celaena's fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival-and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world.

Thrilling and fierce, Throne of Glass is the first book in the #1 New York Times bestselling series that has captivated readers worldwide.]]> 428 Sarah J. Maas Tera 2 audible
Even more boring than ACOTAR. ]]> 4.24 2012 Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass, #1)
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Tera
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2012
rating: 2
read at: 2025/03/03
date added: 2025/04/03
shelves: audible
review:
I wish we could give half stars. Because seriously. An absolute snooze-fest. I’ll trust the fandom again, but damn!

Even more boring than ACOTAR.
]]> My Best Friend's Honeymoon 211004172 Meryl Wilsner's spicy f/nb romance, where two lifelong best friends go on a nonrefundable honeymoon together and discover sometimes to find a happily ever after, you just have to ask.

Elsie Hoffman has been engaged to her college boyfriend for a year and a half. Ginny Holtz has been in love with Elsie for almost a decade and a half.

When Elsie discovers her fiancé already planned their wedding and honeymoon as a surprise and she’s expected to be in a white dress in seven days, she swiftly realizes she’s let herself become too comfortable with a future she never wanted. She breaks things off, and a week later is on a plane to the Caribbean for her non-refundable honeymoon with her best friend Ginny instead.

Ginny thinks it’s high time Elsie learned how to speak up for herself. So, they make a deal with her. For the next week, Elsie can have whatever she wants, wherever, however, and whenever she wants it, as long as she asks. They never expected Elsie to want them.

What starts as choosing activities and taking selfies soon turns to toe-curling kisses and much, much more. But what happens when the honeymoon is over?

Meryl Wilsner’s My Best Friend’s Honeymoon is about not only learning to ask for what you want, but for the happiness you deserve.]]> 304 Meryl Wilsner 1250873320 Tera 0 to-read 3.43 2025 My Best Friend's Honeymoon
author: Meryl Wilsner
name: Tera
average rating: 3.43
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/02
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> If Tomorrow Never Comes 217065201 Fate connects two people in life-changing ways in a deeply romantic and emotional novel about hope and second chances by the author of Would You Rather and The Roommate Pact.

Uncertain of what tomorrow brings, Elliott Holland decides to live it up—on the eve of a stem cell transplant to treat her leukemia. It’s destiny when she crosses paths with handsome and charming Jamie Sullivan. The chemistry is magic. So is a beautiful evening that ends with a bittersweet kiss goodbye and no expectations of ever seeing each other again.

One year later, Elliott’s future looks good. Her cancer is in remission. Her career in graphic design is taking off. And she’s finally met Carly, the young woman whose stem cell donation gave Elliott a second chance at life. Then, in a twist of fate both blissful and unfair, she meets Carly’s boyfriend. It’s Jamie, the man Elliott kissed like it was her last day on earth. Neither of them has ever forgotten it.

Now, the most difficult decisions of all lie ahead. Whatever risks there are to the heart, one need wins to grab hold of everything that can make someone feel alive again.]]> 315 Allison Ashley 1662527276 Tera 4
A year later, after the success of the transplant, Elliot is ready to move on with her life but finds Jamie once again... and he is dating the girl who saved Elliot's life.
This story was incredibly emotional and I didn't want to put it down. I was rooting for Jamie and Elliot the whole time. I also think it's time to devour Allison's backlist!]]> 4.21 2025 If Tomorrow Never Comes
author: Allison Ashley
name: Tera
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/02
date added: 2025/04/01
shelves: blushing-babes-are-up-all-night, clean-romance
review:
Allison Ashley is moving into my radar one story at a time! If Tomorrow Never Comes is the story of Elliot on the eve of her stem cell transplant decides to live it up in case things go south. She meets Jamie at a bar who was stood up by his date, and he asks Elliot to step in. Sparks fly! Chemistry is off the charts, but one night and one kiss is all they had.

A year later, after the success of the transplant, Elliot is ready to move on with her life but finds Jamie once again... and he is dating the girl who saved Elliot's life.
This story was incredibly emotional and I didn't want to put it down. I was rooting for Jamie and Elliot the whole time. I also think it's time to devour Allison's backlist!
]]> <![CDATA[Bridesmaid by Chance (Bridesmaid for Hire, #3)]]> 217240754
But when they are confronted with a situation where Sloane is told to fill in as a bridesmaid for one of Hudson's business partners, she comes up with an equal trade. She'll be a part of the regency wedding--corset and all--if Hudson marries her. Sloane knows the value of the trade, he needs her, and she needs his wedding ring to get her into a high-society club that will further her career.

It's an instant no from Hudson at first, but when she convinces him that no one will find out, including her brother, and he will benefit from the marriage too . . . well, Hudson finds himself saying "I do."]]> 480 Meghan Quinn 1464237816 Tera 0 currently-reading, arc-team 4.66 2025 Bridesmaid by Chance (Bridesmaid for Hire, #3)
author: Meghan Quinn
name: Tera
average rating: 4.66
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/31
shelves: currently-reading, arc-team
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Beg, Borrow, or Steal (When in Rome, #3)]]> 211165143 Two feuding second-grade teachers (and neighbors) find themselves teaming up in this rivals-to-lovers romance set in Rome, Kentucky—from the New York Times bestselling author of The Rule Book and Practice Makes Perfect.

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.

Jack 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 about—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, he agrees. Will their unlikely alliance put an end to their rivalry? Or could it lead to a steamy plot twist they never saw coming?]]> 368 Sarah Adams 0593723708 Tera 4 4.19 2025 Beg, Borrow, or Steal (When in Rome, #3)
author: Sarah Adams
name: Tera
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/31
date added: 2025/03/31
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Four Engagement Rings of Sybil Rain]]> 220175500 â€�Forgetting Sarah Marshallâ€� meets â€�Anyone But Youâ€� in the second romantic novel from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author and â€�The Bacheloretteâ€� star Hannah Brown.Ěý
Ěý
Starling Ranch Inn promises to be a tropical paradise, and Sybil can’t wait to escape there, all expenses paid. Well technically the expenses were paid—last year, when she was supposed to go to Hawaii for her honeymoon with her then-fiancĂ©ĚýJamie. But the wedding didn’t go as planned (or at all), and now she’s decided to use those hotel vouchers alone, before they expire.
ĚýĚý ĚýSybil’s expecting mai tais, med spas and me-time, so she nearly plunges backwards into the infinity pool when she sees that Jamie has had the same idea! His family business is thinking of buying the resort, so he’s here with a gorgeous, tangerine bikini-clad “colleagueâ€� to give the property a once-over.
ĚýĚýĚý ĚýDesperate to save face in front of the ex who broke her heart at the altar, Sybil accidentally-on-purpose blurts out that she’s here with her boyfriend. But what starts as a harmless lie to spare her dignity soon spirals into an ex-fiancĂ© fiasco when Sebastian—the second of Sybil’s three failed engagements—pops by fresh off a photography gig. Seb’s always up for a good time, and happy to play along ...sparking unexpected jealousy in Jamie.Ěý
ĚýĚýĚý ĚýFrom snorkeling snafus to stunning vistas to staff parties at the beach, Sybil does her best to juggle two ex-fiancĂ©s, but it’s becoming clear that her past of broken promises must be reckoned with once and for all—including that first fiancĂ©, Liam, the one she never talks aboutâ€�
ĚýĚýĚý ĚýIs the notorious free-spirit, life-of-the-party, runaway bride Sybil Rain ready to heal from her three past engagements and make room in her heart for a fourth and final chance at love?]]> 320 Hannah Brown 1538756803 Tera 0 to-read 4.50 2025 The Four Engagement Rings of Sybil Rain
author: Hannah Brown
name: Tera
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Assassin's Blade (Throne of Glass, #0.1-0.5)]]> 126062562
When Celaena's scheming master, Arobynn Hamel, dispatches her on missions that take her from remote islands to hostile deserts, she finds herself acting independently of his wishes—and questioning her own allegiance. Along the way, she makes friends and enemies alike, and discovers that she feels far more for Sam than just friendship. But by defying Arobynn’s orders, Celaena risks unimaginable punishment, and with Sam by her side, he is in danger, too. They will have to risk it all if they hope to escape Arobynn’s clutches—and if they fail, they’ll lose not just a chance at freedom, but their lives . . .

A prequel to Throne of Glass, this collection of five novellas offers readers a deeper look into the history of this cunning assassin and her enthralling—and deadly—world.

Included in this volume:
The Assassin and the Pirate Lord
The Assassin and the Healer
The Assassin and the Desert
The Assassin and the Underworld
The Assassin and the Empire]]> 451 Sarah J. Maas 1619632217 Tera 0 currently-reading, audible 4.16 2014 The Assassin's Blade (Throne of Glass, #0.1-0.5)
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Tera
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/24
shelves: currently-reading, audible
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass, #2)]]> 76705490 An alternative cover edition for this ISBN can be found here.

"A line that should never be crossed is about to be breached.

It puts this entire castle in jeopardy—and the life of your friend."

From the throne of glass rules a king with a fist of iron and a soul as black as pitch. Assassin Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become his Champion. Yet Celaena is far from loyal to the crown. She hides her secret vigilantly; she knows that the man she serves is bent on evil.

Keeping up the deadly charade becomes increasingly difficult when Celaena realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. As she tries to untangle the mysteries buried deep within the glass castle, her closest relationships suffer. It seems no one is above questioning her allegiances—not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a foreign princess with a rebel heart.

Then one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena's world shatters, she will be forced to give up the very thing most precious to her and decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie... and whom she is ultimately willing to fight for.]]> 420 Sarah J. Maas 1639730966 Tera 3 audible 4.34 2013 Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass, #2)
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Tera
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/23
date added: 2025/03/23
shelves: audible
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris]]> 212240058 Edie is � not in Paris?

Edie Lane left everything behind in Ireland for a once-in-a-lifetime job at a bakery in Paris. Except, thanks to a mistranslation, the bakery is not in Paris, and neither is Edie.

The tiny town of Compiègne, complete with its local bakery on the Rue de Paris, holds many secrets. This might not be where Edie intended to be but it's not long before she realises it's exactly where she needs to be…]]> 352 Evie Woods 0008713227 Tera 0 3.87 The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris
author: Evie Woods
name: Tera
average rating: 3.87
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/20
shelves: currently-reading, blushing-babes-are-up-all-night
review:

]]> <![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 Tera 0 to-read 3.77 2021 My Funny Demon Valentine (Hell Bent, #1)
author: Aurora Ascher
name: Tera
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Save Your Breath (Kings of the Ice, #4)]]> 209740135 THIS JUST IN: HOCKEY BAD BOY AND POP STAR EXTRAORDINAIRE ENGAGED!

That was the headline we wanted. If only I’d known the cost to get it.

Aleksander Suter has been my best friend since high school � and the only man who’s ever been able to truly get under my skin. With his reputation for trouble and a smirk that could melt ice, he’s also the NHL’s favorite bad boy.

When my publicist’s plan to fix my image collides with his need to clean up his own, we find ourselves in a fake engagement that feels too real from the start.

Now, I’m releasing my new album, putting on a show for the paparazzi I usually try to dodge, and falling too fast for a man who never falls for anyone. Every stolen glance, every heated touch blurs the lines between us until I’m wondering where the lies end and the truth begins.

And when a hurricane traps us together in his high-rise condo, all my carefully built walls collapse, and resisting the pull between us becomes a losing game.

Suddenly, the stakes are higher than just headlines, and the risks feel more personal than ever.

But as our past resurfaces and old feelings reignite, I realize the biggest risk isn’t losing my career � it’s losing my heart to the one person I thought would never be mine.

____________________________________________

TROPES:
Pro Hockey Romance
Fake Engagement
Athlete & Pop Star
Childhood Friends to Lovers
Forced Proximity
Unrequited Love (or so they think)
Opposites Attract
Slow Burn
___________________________________________

Save Your Breath is book four in the Kings of the Ice series:Ěýa series of interconnected standalonesĚýfollowing a team of professional hockey players and the women who bring them to their knees.ĚýThey do not need to be read in order, but you will gain glimpses of future characters/couples in each book.]]> 442 Kandi Steiner Tera 5 arc-team
I thought I was getting a grumpy sunshine, friends to lovers from Kandi Steiner.

What I got was sooo much more!

Aleks being a star hockey player and Mia being a big-time pop star will definitely give the “Swifties� all the feels; and honestly, I was there for it!

However, Aleks made this story for me. I mean, I liked Mia, too; but I LOVED Aleks. I love how dynamic of a character he was and his strength to literally do ANYTHING to make Mia happy. To protect her. To do whatever she needed. The angst in the book was on point as expected from Ms. Steiner. I absolutely loved it!

The Kings of the Ice series can all be read as standalones, but once you read this one, you’ll want to read the rest. So dive in and enjoy these guys!]]> 4.17 Save Your Breath (Kings of the Ice, #4)
author: Kandi Steiner
name: Tera
average rating: 4.17
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/18
date added: 2025/03/20
shelves: arc-team
review:
I thought I was just getting another sexy hockey romance from Kandi Steiner.

I thought I was getting a grumpy sunshine, friends to lovers from Kandi Steiner.

What I got was sooo much more!

Aleks being a star hockey player and Mia being a big-time pop star will definitely give the “Swifties� all the feels; and honestly, I was there for it!

However, Aleks made this story for me. I mean, I liked Mia, too; but I LOVED Aleks. I love how dynamic of a character he was and his strength to literally do ANYTHING to make Mia happy. To protect her. To do whatever she needed. The angst in the book was on point as expected from Ms. Steiner. I absolutely loved it!

The Kings of the Ice series can all be read as standalones, but once you read this one, you’ll want to read the rest. So dive in and enjoy these guys!
]]> The Broken Places 209604911 In this twisted journey into the shadows of the Golden Gate, an inspector and an FBI agent must track down the source of an unknown drug, but their attraction and their own secrets keep getting in the way.

The streets of San Francisco aren’t as sunny as the city pretends they are. Inspector Lennon Gray has learned this the hard way, and it’s starting to wear on her. When a new case plunges her into the depths of the transient community, Lennon must once again face ugly truths about humanity.

Her new partner makes things a little easier, though.

Agent Ambrose Mars is charming—innocent, somehow, despite his own hard years in the field. The combination leaves Lennon fascinated and disturbed at the same time, and she’s even more drawn to him for it.

As they investigate the hallucinogenic drug that’s forcing homeless citizens into bizarre and dangerous role-plays, Lennon and Ambrose find their relationship intensified with every new twist. But when these revelations begin to uncover secrets she wasn’t prepared to know, Lennon will have to decide how much more she can take…before something important is taken from her.]]> 344 Mia Sheridan 1662523068 Tera 4
When I first started reading The Broken Places, I'll admit it was sloooow. On top of that, I went in blind without even reading the blurb so I really didn't know what to expect other than just good writing.

As the story unfolded, I quickly became invested and ended up not being able to put it down. I thought the romance element was done really well, and I really just liked Lennon and Ambrose. I also thought the story of the homeless victims in San Francisco was depicted accurately.

Now, if you're looking for a story where the ending comes together and is incredibly believable, this isn't it. It's clearly fiction and is intended to be enjoyed as such, but it was fiction that you wanted to be real. You wanted to see people be able to get help like this. It left you hopeful. Mia Sheridan has done a great job branching out of the romance genre, and I can't wait to see what she has for us next.]]> 3.81 2024 The Broken Places
author: Mia Sheridan
name: Tera
average rating: 3.81
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/30
date added: 2025/03/19
shelves: blushing-babes-are-up-all-night
review:
It's crazy to think the only Mia Sheridan books I've read are her mystery/thrillers, and I honestly can't get enough of them. You'd think she has been writing these kinds of books for years instead of this being her branch from romance because she is stellar in the genre.

When I first started reading The Broken Places, I'll admit it was sloooow. On top of that, I went in blind without even reading the blurb so I really didn't know what to expect other than just good writing.

As the story unfolded, I quickly became invested and ended up not being able to put it down. I thought the romance element was done really well, and I really just liked Lennon and Ambrose. I also thought the story of the homeless victims in San Francisco was depicted accurately.

Now, if you're looking for a story where the ending comes together and is incredibly believable, this isn't it. It's clearly fiction and is intended to be enjoyed as such, but it was fiction that you wanted to be real. You wanted to see people be able to get help like this. It left you hopeful. Mia Sheridan has done a great job branching out of the romance genre, and I can't wait to see what she has for us next.
]]> A Pumpkin and a Patch 61361968 Reece the Rogue Pirate girl, instead of Josie Peterson. Why couldn’t I be known for all the cute children’s stories I’ve written about my family’s pumpkin patch?

Tragically, the torrid story I wrote as a teen was based on a real person, Reece Cavanaugh. And guess what? He grew up to be a pirate—okay, lawyer. Same thing. To make matters worse, the man is representing my ex-fiancé who wants to steal my treasure, aka engagement ring. If that wasn’t the icing on the cake, Reece has an adorable daughter who happens to be my new student. That’s right, I must now have actual conversations with him after avoiding him for half my life, even by hiding behind banana displays when needed. But the more I get to know Reece—the real version, not the imaginary one who ravishes me on sandy beaches—I can’t help but wish we could roll around in the sand together. There’s a problem though, the school I work for frowns upon relationships between parents and teachers. And it’s pumpkin season, which means all my free time is spent on the family farm. But when he kisses me, I can’t help wanting to break all the rules and get tangled up in the barn. The burning question is, am I brave enough to make my story a reality or will it be another bad ending?

From USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Peel comes a curl your toes and cuddle up with your favorite blanket and cocoa romantic comedy.]]> 307 Jennifer Peel Tera 4 clean-romance 3.90 2022 A Pumpkin and a Patch
author: Jennifer Peel
name: Tera
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/13
date added: 2025/03/19
shelves: clean-romance
review:
Cutest little fall themed story ever! I loved Josie and Reece. I can’t wait to read more from Aspen Lake, and this definitely won’t be my last Jennifer Peel book!
]]> Definitely Better Now 204906164 A touching and deeply funny debut about starting over sober only to discover life’s biggest messes are still waiting right where you left them.

The very last person anyone should worry about is Emma. Yes, hi, she’s an alcoholic. But she’s officially been sober for one entire year. That’s twelve months of better health. Fifty-two whole weeks of focusing on nothing but her nine-to-five office job, group meetings, and avoiding the kind of bad decisions that previously left her awash in shame and regret. It’s also been 365 days of not dating. And with her new dating profile, Emma, 26, of New York is ready to put herself back out there.

Except—was dating always this complicated? And did Emma’s mother really have to choose now to move in with her new boyfriend? Being assigned to plan her office’s holiday party feels like icing on the suddenly very overwhelming cake until her estranged father reappears with devastating news. Icing, meet cherry on top. But then there’s Ben, the charming IT guy who, despite Emma’s awkwardness and shortcomings, seems to maybe actually get her? Sobriety is turning out to be far from the flawless future Emma had once envisioned for herself, but as she allows herself to open up to Ben and confront difficult past relationships, she’s beginning to realize that taking things one day at a time might just be the perfectly imperfect path she’s meant to be on.

Bittersweet and darkly hilarious, Ava Robinson’s debut novel about navigating sobriety and complicated family dynamics is witty, heartbreaking, and profoundly relatable.]]> 352 Ava Robinson 0778310590 Tera 4
I chose this story because of how closely the issues with alcoholism and the way it affects those around you really hits close to home.

Overall, this story felt slow to me. I felt like not a whole lot happened. However, the longer I sat with it, I realized that what did happen in it are events which would be so huge for someone struggling with addiction. Even some of the most mundane things could seem overwhelming to someone having never done it sober before.

Ava Robinson really ended up bringing the story together. The fact that it is a debut is even more impressive. I can’t wait to see what else she has in store for us.]]> 3.84 2024 Definitely Better Now
author: Ava Robinson
name: Tera
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/24
date added: 2025/03/19
shelves: blushing-babes-are-up-all-night, clean-romance
review:
I had to sit with this book for a bit. This story follows Emma who has just celebrated her first year of being sober.

I chose this story because of how closely the issues with alcoholism and the way it affects those around you really hits close to home.

Overall, this story felt slow to me. I felt like not a whole lot happened. However, the longer I sat with it, I realized that what did happen in it are events which would be so huge for someone struggling with addiction. Even some of the most mundane things could seem overwhelming to someone having never done it sober before.

Ava Robinson really ended up bringing the story together. The fact that it is a debut is even more impressive. I can’t wait to see what else she has in store for us.
]]> <![CDATA[The December Market (Shelter Springs #2)]]> 204906171
Amanda Taylor isn’t a fan of Christmas, but as the owner of a local soap shop, ignoring the holiday season isn’t an option. To forget the pain of Christmases past, Amanda focuses on making the season bright for her customers at the Shelter Springs Holiday Giving Market. But when her beloved grandmother, Birdie, starts dating the dashing new resident of the Shelter Inn retirement community, Amanda smells trouble. Fortunately, Rafe Arredondo, the grandson of Birdie’s charming suitor, is equally dubious of the match. Unfortunately, he's just as fiery as his grandfather—and Amanda has zero interest in getting burned.

As a single father, paramedic and assistant fire chief, Rafe has more than enough on his plate. Sure, he and Amanda share a common goal in keeping their grandparents apart. Still, that doesn’t mean he should allow himself to feel as drawn to her as he does. Even if she is great with his young son. Even if she does help the burden of his own painful past feel a little lighter� But when their paths keep crossing at the holiday market, it starts to feel like fate, prompting them both to wonder if taking a chance on love might gift them everything they’ve been wishing for.]]> 304 RaeAnne Thayne 1335929355 Tera 4 3.69 2024 The December Market (Shelter Springs #2)
author: RaeAnne Thayne
name: Tera
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/25
date added: 2025/03/19
shelves: blushing-babes-are-up-all-night
review:
This is such a cute little Christmas story. Rafe and Amanda have had tragedy follow them most their lives. But this Christmas is finally the year they stop giving into fear and finally doing what truly makes them happy. Watching them navigate Christmas in their small little town was magical. While the story definitely has an insta-lovey feel, it still felt convincing enough to really enjoy.
]]> What If I Never Get Over You 210693963 One Day meets a contemporary Bridgerton in this high-drama, escapist wonder of a love story, Paige Toon’s best yet.

Three days to fall in love. Six years to try to forget.

Ellie didn’t expect to fall in love while interrailing through Europe. But she also didn’t expect to meet a man like Ash. Three blistering days in Lisbon is all it takes to form an unforgettable connection—a bond deep enough for them to scrap their itineraries and plan to meet again in Spain. But Ellie arrives late, and Ash is nowhere to be found.

Six years later, Ellie has landed her dream job working as a gardener for a viscount and viscountess on their sprawling five-hundred-year-old estate in Wales. She finds peace amongst the towering topiary hedges and colorful gardens, but her idyll is shattered when Ash crashes back into her life. And when it becomes clear why he didn’t show in Madrid, her heart breaks anew—for what the truth means for her, and for his fate.

But they have never been able to resist each another, and when the sparks of their attraction fly, Ellie’s life will catch flame. She will have to make a choice.]]> 416 Paige Toon 1804947873 Tera 4
This is the story of Ellie and Ash who meet in Portugal while interrailing. Their connection and chemistry is instant. The type of insta-love I really can tolerate. Paige is that good at it. But when they agree to meet again and circumstance prevents that, it takes 6 years for them to find each other again.

Paige Toon is a master at giving her characters life and they feel as though they just jump from the page. Not to mention all the beautiful scenery in this particular story. I am already anxiously anticipating her next release!]]> 4.14 2025 What If I Never Get Over You
author: Paige Toon
name: Tera
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/04
date added: 2025/03/19
shelves: blushing-babes-are-up-all-night
review:
Paige Toon is becoming one of my most anticipated reads with each new announced release. I adored Seven Summers, so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on What if I Never Get Over You.

This is the story of Ellie and Ash who meet in Portugal while interrailing. Their connection and chemistry is instant. The type of insta-love I really can tolerate. Paige is that good at it. But when they agree to meet again and circumstance prevents that, it takes 6 years for them to find each other again.

Paige Toon is a master at giving her characters life and they feel as though they just jump from the page. Not to mention all the beautiful scenery in this particular story. I am already anxiously anticipating her next release!
]]> Armored Hours 216547322
The girls had forged a bond together like iron that could not be broken. Claudia, Kiersten, Lina, and Florian were on the brink of making history with their powerful feminist movement, but then they suddenly disappeared without a trace.

Alexander was a desperate bootlegger who was willing to risk it all to search for them. Not only were they in cahoots with him to help smuggle feminist contraband and forbidden booze, but Claudia had also unknowingly captivated his heart. He vowed to find them at any cost, but little did he know that their disappearance was part of a much bigger and sinister plot from the upper echelons of society.

Set in 1920s Paris of the Plains, Armored Hours is a thrilling tale of love and mystery interwoven with hints of magical realism.]]> 284 Stephanie Hansen Tera 3
All I can say is more! I needed more. And not more as in a book 2. I needed more of this. The magical realism portion of this story is really interesting, but I just felt it needed more exploration. It was also a lot to jump between scenes within the same chapters with no indication.

This was a quick read. It’s listed at about 200 pages, so there was definitely room to add the depth I craved in the story, but I still really enjoyed the story. I definitely am going to read book 2.]]> 4.20 Armored Hours
author: Stephanie Hansen
name: Tera
average rating: 4.20
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2024/10/10
date added: 2025/03/19
shelves: blushing-babes-are-up-all-night, clean-romance
review:
Historical romance with some magical realism? Sign me up! I loved the premise of this story. I actually enjoyed the main characters. And I really loved the historical portion of the story. It’s set during prohibition and Claudia and her friends are fighting for women’s right to vote while her love interest, Alex, is a bootlegger.

All I can say is more! I needed more. And not more as in a book 2. I needed more of this. The magical realism portion of this story is really interesting, but I just felt it needed more exploration. It was also a lot to jump between scenes within the same chapters with no indication.

This was a quick read. It’s listed at about 200 pages, so there was definitely room to add the depth I craved in the story, but I still really enjoyed the story. I definitely am going to read book 2.
]]> <![CDATA[How My Neighbor Stole Christmas]]> 211148021 A new holiday enemies-to-lovers romance from USA Today bestselling author Meghan Quinn.

Every Kringle in Kringletown celebrated Christmas a lot.

But Cole Black on Whistler Lane, unfortunately, did not.

As his fellow citizens decorate their quaint town, brimming with carols and glad tidings, Cole wants nothing more than to hibernate the winter away. But his dreary plans are thwarted when his Christmas nemesis, Storee Taylor, moves in next door to care for her Aunt Cindy. Immediately, the new neighbor turns his life into a real nightmare before Christmas, especially when she decides to enter the town Christmas Kringle contest in honor of Cindy. And better yet, Storee is determined to win.

Over Cole's dead body, she will. With help from his friend Max, Cole decides to enter the competition as well, to beat Storee at her own game by pretending that this hometown grump's heart has grown three sizes this season and he's fallen for the girl next door. And unfortunately for Storee, she has to follow his lead to have a chance at the Christmas Kringle title.

But the competition isn't the only thing that heats up. Cole and Storee's fake relationship becomes very real, and before they know it, they're attempting to hide it from Aunt Cindy. Things get complicated, the competition gets tough, and all it takes is one single night for someone to steal it all…]]> 480 Meghan Quinn 1464230153 Tera 5 arc-team
I adored Storee and Cole! But I loved the “How the Grinch Stole Christmas� theme even more! The small-town, enemies to lovers drew me in, and I couldn’t get enough.

If you want romance with spice AND the holiday feels, this is it!]]> 3.64 2024 How My Neighbor Stole Christmas
author: Meghan Quinn
name: Tera
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/20
date added: 2025/03/19
shelves: arc-team
review:
This is the best holiday romance I think I’ve read. In true Meghan Quinn fashion, we have a quirky heroine and a grieving hero with all the best banter.

I adored Storee and Cole! But I loved the “How the Grinch Stole Christmas� theme even more! The small-town, enemies to lovers drew me in, and I couldn’t get enough.

If you want romance with spice AND the holiday feels, this is it!
]]> <![CDATA[Is She Really Going Out with Him?]]> 208894884
Columnist Anna Appleby has left her love life behind after a painful divorce. Who needs a man when she has two kids, a cat, and uncontested control of the TV remote? Besides, she’d rather be single than subject herself to the hell of online dating. But her office rival is vying for her column, and no column means no stable source of income. In a desperate attempt to keep her job, Anna finds herself pitching a unique angle: seven dates, all found offline, chosen by her children.

From awkward encounters to unexpected connections, Anna gamely begins to put herself out there, asking out waiters, the mailman, and even her celebrity crush. But when a romantic connection appears where she least expected it, will she be brave enough to take another chance on love?]]> 368 Sophie Cousens 0593718909 Tera 5
Is She Really Going out with Him is the story of Anna and her navigating life after a tragic divorce. She is trying to decide if she's really ready to get back out there, while trying to keep her job, single parent and fight with her neighbor.

Will is the newcomer at her company, but also her competition. When a new owner comes in and is trying to decide who to keep on, Anna has to step up her game as a journalist and start appealing to a younger crowd. She and Will go head to head writing a dating column. Will is expected to date online while Anna takes the more traditional approach and meeting men in real life where her children choose the dates for her!

Anna and Will were incredibly likable and relatable characters. The story left a smile on my face more than once and even though it was another romance, it did still feel like a fresh story. It definitely had me adding all of Sophie's backlist to my TBR!]]> 4.11 2024 Is She Really Going Out with Him?
author: Sophie Cousens
name: Tera
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/13
date added: 2025/03/19
shelves: blushing-babes-are-up-all-night
review:
I saw this book getting a whole lotta hype on social media and decided to take the plunge! My first book by Sophie Cousens didn't disappoint in the least.

Is She Really Going out with Him is the story of Anna and her navigating life after a tragic divorce. She is trying to decide if she's really ready to get back out there, while trying to keep her job, single parent and fight with her neighbor.

Will is the newcomer at her company, but also her competition. When a new owner comes in and is trying to decide who to keep on, Anna has to step up her game as a journalist and start appealing to a younger crowd. She and Will go head to head writing a dating column. Will is expected to date online while Anna takes the more traditional approach and meeting men in real life where her children choose the dates for her!

Anna and Will were incredibly likable and relatable characters. The story left a smile on my face more than once and even though it was another romance, it did still feel like a fresh story. It definitely had me adding all of Sophie's backlist to my TBR!
]]> The Last One 62690831 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 1649374402 Tera 3 2.77 2024 The Last One
author: Rachel Howzell Hall
name: Tera
average rating: 2.77
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/08
date added: 2025/03/19
shelves: blushing-babes-are-up-all-night
review:
Rachel Howzell Hall’s debut into the romantasy was definitely a success. This book is heavy in fantasy with plenty of magic and creatures and an appropriate amount of romance. However, the characters lacked the depth I generally require in order for a book to be truly enjoyable. I just needed more character development and growth. And while the romance is not horrible, it definitely felt instantaneous and really just physical� the dialogue and monologue was tough to read at times.
]]> <![CDATA[Forever the Highlands (The Highlands #6)]]> 208552078
Fyfe Moray raised himself. His only real family is his best friend, Lewis Adair. For that reason, Lewis’s sister Eilidh is totally off-limits. Fyfe is in deep denial about their intense attraction. Thankfully, Eilidh is a famous actor living in London while he runs his cyber security company from the Highlands. They’re worlds apart. Until one day, Eilidh reaches out asking for a lifeline and Fyfe can’t bring himself to turn her away.

Acting isn’t what Eilidh Adair expected. As a kid, she wanted to be just like her famous uncles. But the double-edged sword of fame cuts deeper than expected. Afraid to admit she’s made a mistake, Eilidh is spiraling. The only person who knows the truth is Fyfe, but her childhood crush has developed into a love he won’t return. Yet when she comes home intent on starting over, Fyfe can’t seem to stay away. His confused feelings might just be the end of them. Until a woman from Fyfe’s past abandons the baby daughter he never knew he had.

Now a single father, Fyfe needs support. He just never expected Eilidh to be the one he needed most. Fyfe can’t believe how quickly he falls for his child and how rapidly his world view changes. He’s ready to admit the truth: he’s madly in love with his best friend’s sister. And Fyfe’s done wasting time.

But someone else believes Eilidh belongs to them. Someone who has been watching her far longer than she realizes. Just when she thinks she might have everything she wants, Eilidh finds herself caught in the crosshairs of a person intent on destroying everything she holds dear.]]> 382 Samantha Young Tera 5 arc-team
Samantha Young had recreated not only this series, but also the origin series (The Adair Family series) that is jammed packed with full of exceptional characters which is what keeps bringing me back to Samantha Young novels. I just love her characters!

The Highland series has something for everyone, and I almost can’t review a book on its own because it’s just one long love-filled family drama that I couldn’t get enough of! I will miss my visits to the Scottish highlands.]]> 4.28 2024 Forever the Highlands (The Highlands #6)
author: Samantha Young
name: Tera
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/20
date added: 2025/03/19
shelves: arc-team
review:
This was the perfect conclusion to this series! I adored Eilidh and Fyfe were perfect! If you love brother’s best friend, you won’t want to miss this one! And although you could red this one as a standalone, I’d recommend just diving in from the beginning!

Samantha Young had recreated not only this series, but also the origin series (The Adair Family series) that is jammed packed with full of exceptional characters which is what keeps bringing me back to Samantha Young novels. I just love her characters!

The Highland series has something for everyone, and I almost can’t review a book on its own because it’s just one long love-filled family drama that I couldn’t get enough of! I will miss my visits to the Scottish highlands.
]]> <![CDATA[A More Than Mayhem Christmas (More Than, #6)]]> 56130428 You get mayhem.
Absolute, chaotic mayhem.

It’s not often the entire gang is together. Some have moved away to chase their dreams, and others have fled in the search for who they truly are. Most have stayed, creating a home and a future right where it all began.
Being reunited should be all fun and games, right?
Wrong.
Because in the space of one night, buried emotions are exposed, confessions are made, and adversities are tested.
So, what started as a casual catch up with old friends quickly became so much more...]]> 135 Jay McLean Tera 5 4.37 2024 A More Than Mayhem Christmas (More Than, #6)
author: Jay McLean
name: Tera
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/20
date added: 2025/03/19
shelves:
review:
Utter perfection! Jay McLean can do no wrong, and having a get together with some best friends for Christmas was just what I needed! You definitely can’t start with this story, but just read the More Than series right now!
]]> The Perfect Rom-Com 216052747 She's written dozens of smash hit novels as a ghostwriter. Too bad no one knows it.

Aspiring author Bryony Page attends her first writers conference bursting with optimism and ready to sell her manuscript with long-shot dreams of raising awareness for The Bridge, her grandmother's financially-struggling organization where she teaches ESL full-time. But after a disastrous pitching session, she stumbles into correcting another author's work in a last-ditch attempt to make a good impression with the agent. And she, as it turns out, is spot on.

No one is more surprised than Bryony when the agent offers her the opportunity to be a ghostwriter for Amelia Benedict, popular rom-com novelist. Bryony agrees on one she'll write books for this vain, demanding woman just as long as Jack Sterling, literary agent of the legendary Foundry Literary Agency, works to sell her own book too.

What nobody predicted, however, was that Bryony's books would turn Amelia Benedict into the Amelia Benedict, household name and bestselling author with millions of copies sold around the world.

And just like that, the Foundry Agency can't let her go.

But on a personal note, Jack is realizing he can't either.]]> 304 Melissa Ferguson 0840716885 Tera 4
Bryony and Jack started off as such an unlikely pair. And while I was really nervous on just how the author was going to get me to fall for Jack, I absolutely did!

Seeing the dynamic switch from professional to personal to romantic was done so well, and really, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a grander gesture for someone truly confessing his love. Melissa Ferguson did a great job with this one!

P.S. I really want to read the Beaufort, SC story!]]> 3.74 2025 The Perfect Rom-Com
author: Melissa Ferguson
name: Tera
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/07
date added: 2025/03/19
shelves: blushing-babes-are-up-all-night, clean-romance
review:
Melissa Ferguson is such a smart writer! I’ve really come to appreciate her art and The Perfect Rom-Com had some stellar elements to it!

Bryony and Jack started off as such an unlikely pair. And while I was really nervous on just how the author was going to get me to fall for Jack, I absolutely did!

Seeing the dynamic switch from professional to personal to romantic was done so well, and really, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a grander gesture for someone truly confessing his love. Melissa Ferguson did a great job with this one!

P.S. I really want to read the Beaufort, SC story!
]]> <![CDATA[On Loverose Lane (Return to Dublin Street #1)]]> 210221436
It’s always the broody ones you have to watch out for�.

Imagine my surprise when my new neighbor turns out to be Callan Keen, one of Scotland’s most famous (and hottest) professional footballers. I’m even more shocked to discover that the brooding player is still holding a grudge for something that happened between us years ago.

But I can’t focus on him or his issues with me because I’m too busy trying to take my company to the next level. I don’t have time for this blast from the past, even if the grump upstairs is still the most gorgeous man I’ve ever laid eyes on.

When a huge client opportunity arises, I’m forced to ask Callan for help. I need a fake date and he needs an introduction with my real estate mogul dad. The deal between us should be simple. Except for the blazing chemistry we’ve shared since the moment we met. We can’t deny it, we can’t control it, and soon we’re agreeing to a six week, no-strings-attached, mind-blowing affair.

I told myself I wouldn't catch feelings for Callan, but the closer we get, the more he reminds me of the guy I once fell for. It just might prove impossible to show my stubborn Scotsman we’re worth the risk, especially when the past continues to haunt us and threaten to wreck any chance of a future together…]]> 440 Samantha Young Tera 4 arc-team
That was not the case! This book is a perfect standalone; however, I would think early fans would love the connection to the older books!

I have come to trust that no matter the plot, I’m going to adore Samantha Young’s characters every single time. Callan and Beth are once again another set of wonderful characters that start out as teenage lovers who end before they can even begin. Beth was a breath of fresh air as a FMC with a huge amount of confidence despite her anxieties.

This is a great start to a new series. I can’t wait to see what happens next with Lily, but can we also get Baird’s story!???]]> 4.21 2025 On Loverose Lane (Return to Dublin Street #1)
author: Samantha Young
name: Tera
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/22
date added: 2025/03/19
shelves: arc-team
review:
I was a bit hesitant to pick up this book because I was late to the Samantha Young party and still have not read On Dublin Street. Since this is a spin-off, I worried that I would feel like I was missing out on parts having known I was going in for the next generation.

That was not the case! This book is a perfect standalone; however, I would think early fans would love the connection to the older books!

I have come to trust that no matter the plot, I’m going to adore Samantha Young’s characters every single time. Callan and Beth are once again another set of wonderful characters that start out as teenage lovers who end before they can even begin. Beth was a breath of fresh air as a FMC with a huge amount of confidence despite her anxieties.

This is a great start to a new series. I can’t wait to see what happens next with Lily, but can we also get Baird’s story!???
]]> All Our Beautiful Goodbyes 216285239 From USA Today bestselling author Julianne MacLean comes an epic tale of unrequited love that is by turns breathtaking, heartbreaking—and utterly unforgettable.

1946: World War II is over, and Emma Clarkson is poised to take flight. With dreams of attending university, she’s ready to leave behind the wild beauty of Sable Island, the only home she’s ever known. But when a handsome British sea captain is rescued from a nearby shipwreck, her destiny is forever changed.

Emma falls deeply in love with Oliver Harris, but their romance is not meant to be. Oliver returns to the sea, while Emma vows to forget him and pursue her own ambitions. When a handsome veterinarian arrives on the island to study the wild horses, Emma finds love again, but soon discovers that all is not as it seems�

1995: Mourning the death of her beloved grandmother, Joanna Griffin is shocked to learn that her grandfather once loved a young woman named Emma, but lies, betrayals, and catastrophic events separated them forever. As Joanna crosses an ocean to solve the secrets of her grandfather’s past, she learns that love is a powerful force, even mightier than the passage of time�

A shining thread of hope illuminates this epic tale of lost love and fallen dreams, set in the remote splendor of Nova Scotia and spanning decades.]]> 366 Julianne MacLean 1662519117 Tera 4
Sable island was depicted perfectly. It was beautiful, yet treacherous, and I loved getting the feel of such a location that I did not even know it existed. A sandbar that’s been around for centuries!

Knowing the historical aspect of the story is true, it was fascinating to learn of a place I really was not familiar with. Although I’d heard of Sable Island, I had never actually looked at it on a map (please, do) and the history of saving those shipwrecked in the North Atlantic.

But the one thing, that I didn’t love was part of the story itself. While I actually LOVED the characters, there were so many negative coincidences that I really did struggle with it. And I would have felt a little better had we gotten a little more of Emma and Oliver at the very end of the story. We had gone through so much with them with what felt like such little return.

Overall, I definitely still recommend this book. Where it fell a bit short for me, I doubt others would feel the same, and the skill of MacLean’s writing would be enough for me to give this story a chance. I look forward to what she has coming next.]]> 4.39 All Our Beautiful Goodbyes
author: Julianne MacLean
name: Tera
average rating: 4.39
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/03
date added: 2025/03/19
shelves: blushing-babes-are-up-all-night
review:
This story sat at a 3.75 for me, but just know that Julianne MacLean is a great write. The story flowed well, and it kept my interest.

Sable island was depicted perfectly. It was beautiful, yet treacherous, and I loved getting the feel of such a location that I did not even know it existed. A sandbar that’s been around for centuries!

Knowing the historical aspect of the story is true, it was fascinating to learn of a place I really was not familiar with. Although I’d heard of Sable Island, I had never actually looked at it on a map (please, do) and the history of saving those shipwrecked in the North Atlantic.

But the one thing, that I didn’t love was part of the story itself. While I actually LOVED the characters, there were so many negative coincidences that I really did struggle with it. And I would have felt a little better had we gotten a little more of Emma and Oliver at the very end of the story. We had gone through so much with them with what felt like such little return.

Overall, I definitely still recommend this book. Where it fell a bit short for me, I doubt others would feel the same, and the skill of MacLean’s writing would be enough for me to give this story a chance. I look forward to what she has coming next.
]]> Strangers in Time 217182446 From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of A Calamity of Souls comes David Baldacci’s newest novel, set in London in 1944, about a bereaved book shop owner and two teenagers scarred by the second world war, and the healing and hope they find in one another.

Fourteen-year-old Charlie Matters is up to no good, but for a very good reason. Without parents, peerage, or merit, ducking school but barred from actual work, he steals what he needs, living day-to-day until he’s old enough to enlist to fight the Germans. After barely surviving the Blitz, Charlie knows there’s no telling when a falling bomb might end his life.

Fifteen-year-old Molly Wakefield has just returned to a nearly unrecognizable London. One of millions of people to have been evacuated to the countryside via “Operation Pied Piper,� Molly has been away from her parents—from her home—for nearly five years. Her return, however, is not the homecoming she’d hoped for as she’s confronted by a devastating reality: both her parents are gone.

Without guardians and stability, Charlie and Molly find an unexpected ally and protector in Ignatius Oliver, and solace at his book shop, The Book Keep, where A book a day keeps the bombs away. Mourning the recent loss of his wife, Ignatius forms a kinship with both children, and in each other—over the course of the greatest armed conflict the world had ever seen—they rediscover the spirit of family each has lost.

But Charlie’s escapades in the city have not gone unnoticed, and someone’s been following Molly since she returned to London. And Ignatius is still reeling from a secret Imogen long kept from him while she was alive—something so shocking it resulted in her death, and his life being turned upside down.

As bombs continue to bear down on the city, Charlie, Molly, and Ignatius learn that while the perils of war rage on, their coming together and trusting one another may be the only way for them to survive.]]> 448 David Baldacci 1538742055 Tera 4
This story is of a young, wealthy woman who returns to war-ravaged England after being sent away to be kept safe. She is greeted by a life she doesn’t recognize and crosses paths with a boy who has struggled most his life. They form an unlikely bond with each other and an old bookshop owner as we follow each of their stories.

John Baldacci depicted England so well. Along with the things these people went through at the hands of the Germans. The writing is impeccable. It was perfectly descriptive yet so easy to follow and actually enjoy. If you’re in the mood for a good historical fiction, definitely don’t pass this one up!]]> 4.16 2025 Strangers in Time
author: David Baldacci
name: Tera
average rating: 4.16
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/05
date added: 2025/03/19
shelves: blushing-babes-are-up-all-night
review:
I can’t help but be drawn to a good WWII novel. Strangers in Time is my first David Baldacci novel, and the story left me quite intrigued. I have to start by saying this story is sloooow. But it felt deliberate. And while normally that would bother me, it really didn’t with this story. I just kept coming back to it.

This story is of a young, wealthy woman who returns to war-ravaged England after being sent away to be kept safe. She is greeted by a life she doesn’t recognize and crosses paths with a boy who has struggled most his life. They form an unlikely bond with each other and an old bookshop owner as we follow each of their stories.

John Baldacci depicted England so well. Along with the things these people went through at the hands of the Germans. The writing is impeccable. It was perfectly descriptive yet so easy to follow and actually enjoy. If you’re in the mood for a good historical fiction, definitely don’t pass this one up!
]]> Beach House Rules 220161354 "Southern bestselling sensation� (Katie Couric Media) Kristy Woodson Harvey returns with a delightfully moving new novel about a mother-daughter duo learning to lean on their community of women—and each other—after their world is turned upside down.

When Charlotte Sitterly’s husband is arrested for a white-collar crime, she and her daughter Iris are locked out of their house by the FBI and—what’s potentially even worse—thrust into the spotlight of @JuniperShoresSocialite, the town’s snarky anonymous Instagram account. Cut off from her bank accounts and feeling desperate, Charlotte takes up an acquaintance’s offer to stay at a beachfront former bed-and-breakfast that’s home to a community of single mothers and draws plenty of gossip in the small coastal North Carolina town.

Charlotte and Iris find solace and are surprised by how much fun they’re having with the other families despite their circumstances. But when the women discover a secret link between them, it changes everything they thought they knew about the unconventional family they’ve created and leaves them wondering whether their coming together was a coincidence at all. Will the skeletons in the mommune closets help Charlotte and Iris reclaim their place in the Juniper Shores community—or shatter the sisterhood forever?

“Perfect for fans of Elin Hilderbrand and Jennifer Weiner� (Country Living), Beach House Rules is a charming exploration of the joy of friendship, the true meaning of family, and reclaiming the power to reshape our own destiny.]]> 368 Kristy Woodson Harvey 166807480X Tera 0 4.43 Beach House Rules
author: Kristy Woodson Harvey
name: Tera
average rating: 4.43
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/18
shelves: currently-reading, blushing-babes-are-up-all-night
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Rain of Shadows and Endings (Legacy, #1)]]> 123349658
Rain of Shadows and Endings is book one in The Legacy Series and ends on a cliffhanger. This is new adult dark fantasy romance series and includes elements that may be triggering to some readers.]]> 670 Melissa K. Roehrich Tera 0 to-read 4.01 2023 Rain of Shadows and Endings (Legacy, #1)
author: Melissa K. Roehrich
name: Tera
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Never Keep (Sins of the Zodiac, #1)]]> 210966754 The dragons are lost.
The elements are at war. Enlisting isn’t optional.
And I’m falling for a man who wants me dead.

I’m a wielder of hearts and summoner of corruption. Heir to nothing and born to a fool in the wrong damn month.

But I’m also one of only two Fae in this divided land of hellions who might be starting to see through the lies we’ve swallowed for so long.

In the year we turn twenty-one, conscripts from across the warring nations of air, fire, earth and water are sent to Never Keep � the only place in our besieged continent where our magic can be Awakened.

But something is wrong inside Never Keep. Something which might extend far beyond the reaches of this desolate fortress. Within the gothic walls of this frigid castle in the snow, we’re left to hold our own against the brutal Fae from the opposing lands.

The Reapers are merciless. The Royals are lying. The Werewolves run rampant and Vampires roam the wastelands in bloodthirsty covens. But even though death lurks in every shadow of the Keep, it’s the least of my worries.

I’m delving into secrets the stars don’t want me uncovering, making alliances with Fae born to be my enemy, falling for a sinner while promising my heart to a different heathen and somewhere amid it all, I’m supposed to win a war.

I thought the only thing I had to do was survive my magical instruction.

Turns out, fate doesn’t favour the wicked.]]> 636 Caroline Peckham Tera 0 to-read 4.09 2024 Never Keep (Sins of the Zodiac, #1)
author: Caroline Peckham
name: Tera
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Anathema (The Eating Woods, #1)]]> 209741142 A spellbinding gothic dark fantasy about a shunned woman who is forced beyond the mortal realm's forbidden boundary, into a terrifying world of cursed souls and grotesque creatures.

Only the banished know what lies beyond the woods ...

There are whispers about what lurks in Witch Knell—the forest where sinners go to die. The villagers call it The Eating Woods because what’s taken is never given back. Only those who’ve lost their senses would dare to go near it.

Or the banished.

Maevyth Bronwick knows better than to breach the misty labyrinth of trees, but a tragic turn of events compels her beyond the archway of bones, to a boundary no mortal has crossed before. One that cloaks a dark and fantastical world that’s as dangerous as it is alluring.

It’s there that he dwells, the cursed lord of Eidolon. The one tasked to keep her hidden from the magehood that seeks to crucify her in the name of an arcane prophesy. Zevander Rydainn, known to his prey as The Scorpion, is the coldest, most calculated assassin in all of Aethyria and he’d sooner toss his feisty ward to a pack of vicious fyredrakes than keep her safe.

If only he could.

Maevyth’s blood is the key to breaking his despised curse and vanquishing the slumbering evil in Witch Knell. Unfortunately for Lord Rydainn, fate has other plans for the irresistible little enchantress. And his growing obsession with her threatens to destroy everything.

Including himself.

Anathema is a full-length, gothic dark fantasy, the first book in The Eating Woods duology. Perfect for readers who enjoy a plot-heavy and atmospheric story with a unique magic system, a slow-burn romance and a touch of horror.]]> 688 Keri Lake Tera 0 to-read 4.14 2024 Anathema (The Eating Woods, #1)
author: Keri Lake
name: Tera
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Pretend You're Mine (Benevolence, #1)]]> 169940310
Harper was on her way to starting a new life� again. But something about Luke makes her want to settle down in this small town and make his house a home. When she's in his arms, she finally knows what it's like to feel safe. Protected. One night of sharing a bed turns into something much, much more� and soon Luke can't keep his mind off Harper's wide gray eyes or his hands off her luscious curves. He never thought he'd feel this way about a woman again. But he knows that he can't tell her the truth about his dark past. And she can't reveal what she's running from.

At least this isn't a real relationship. It's only for a month. It's only pretend. Until it isn't…]]> 480 Lucy Score 172828256X Tera 3
Harper struggles with not feeling like she has a place in the world. She has no roots. Her parents died when she was young, and she has a fostering background she would rather not remember.

Luke has a past he can't seem to move forward from. He has stayed stagnant in his life unsure of how to move past such devastation. He isn't sure he can ever love again.

However, Harper and Luke can't deny their chemistry. They fall for each other hard and quickly. Their story gets a little messy, but in the end, they found their happily ever after.]]> 4.11 2015 Pretend You're Mine (Benevolence, #1)
author: Lucy Score
name: Tera
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2015
rating: 3
read at: 2023/05/22
date added: 2025/03/13
shelves: blushing-babes-are-up-all-night
review:
This is the story of Harper and Luke. Harper is just walked out of a relationship and gets stranded in Benevolence. Here she meets Luke, and he essentially helps get her back on her feet. What they didn't expect was to fall in love.

Harper struggles with not feeling like she has a place in the world. She has no roots. Her parents died when she was young, and she has a fostering background she would rather not remember.

Luke has a past he can't seem to move forward from. He has stayed stagnant in his life unsure of how to move past such devastation. He isn't sure he can ever love again.

However, Harper and Luke can't deny their chemistry. They fall for each other hard and quickly. Their story gets a little messy, but in the end, they found their happily ever after.
]]> <![CDATA[Finally Mine (Benevolence, #2)]]> 169946575 From the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Things We Never Got Over

If he doesn't end up naked and spread eagle on my bed I. Will. Die. Gloria is due a happily ever after. She's lost ten years to a toxic, dangerous relationship. Now that she's finally free―and medicating with makeovers and margaritas in her mother's kitchen―she has a long road ahead of her remembering who she really is. She's scarred. But scarred doesn't mean broken. While Gloria's deciding to take the next decade off from men, along comes larger-than-life, hometown hero Aldo Moretta. He's saying all the right things and flirting in all the right ways. He's deploying for six months and wants a date…with Gloria…when he comes back. Swoon. Panic. One kiss, one dazzling, remember-for-a-lifetime kiss and he's gone. But life and happily ever afters don't always take the straight path. When Aldo's deployment is cut short by an injury, it's up to Gloria to be the hero for them both. Author's You will laugh, cry, and fall head over face for Gloria and Aldo. And the evil rescue kitten. Also the four-letter-word-loving, commando-going Mrs. Moretta who's just in it for the cookies.]]> 448 Lucy Score Tera 3
This is the story of Gloria and Aldo. Gloria is finally free from a 10 year abusive relationship while Aldo is sent home early from deployment due to a life-changing injury. Both must learn to navigate through their emotional and mental health to finally get the ending they both deserve.

This story hits some really hot and hard topics. It's emotional. It's empowering. It's inspiring. While Aldo can be confident and alpha, that's not really what Gloria needs. He does a great job at stepping back to let her finally explore the world she had been so sheltered from.

This book will standalone even though it is part of a series. Much of it happens in tandem with the second book, so it may give away some parts of the first book if read out of order. ]]> 3.96 2018 Finally Mine (Benevolence, #2)
author: Lucy Score
name: Tera
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at: 2023/06/14
date added: 2025/03/13
shelves: blushing-babes-are-up-all-night
review:
I loved Finally Mine even more than the first one!

This is the story of Gloria and Aldo. Gloria is finally free from a 10 year abusive relationship while Aldo is sent home early from deployment due to a life-changing injury. Both must learn to navigate through their emotional and mental health to finally get the ending they both deserve.

This story hits some really hot and hard topics. It's emotional. It's empowering. It's inspiring. While Aldo can be confident and alpha, that's not really what Gloria needs. He does a great job at stepping back to let her finally explore the world she had been so sheltered from.

This book will standalone even though it is part of a series. Much of it happens in tandem with the second book, so it may give away some parts of the first book if read out of order.
]]> Confess 22609310
For once, Auburn takes a chance and puts her heart in control, only to discover that Owen is hiding a huge secret. The magnitude of his past threatens to destroy everything Auburn loves most, and the only way to get her life back on track is to cut Owen out of it—but can she do it?]]> 306 Colleen Hoover 1476791457 Tera 4 4.14 2015 Confess
author: Colleen Hoover
name: Tera
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2015
rating: 4
read at: 2015/10/05
date added: 2025/03/02
shelves:
review:

]]> The Boy in the Photo 44779433 She becomes aware of the silence at the other end of the line. A prickling sensation crawls up her arms, her heart rate speeds up. â€Found who?â€� she asks, slowly, carefully, deliberately.
â€They found Daniel.â€�

Six years ago

Megan waits at the school gates for her six-year-old son, Daniel. As children come and go, the playground emptying, panic bubbles inside her. Daniel is nowhere to be found.

According to his teacher, Daniel’s father, Greg, has picked up his son. Except Greg and Megan are no longer together. After years of being controlled by her cruel husband, Megan has finally found the courage to divorce him. Hands trembling, she dials his number, but the line is dead.

Six years later

Megan is feeding baby daughter, Evie, when she gets the call she has dreamt about for years. Daniel has walked into a police station in a remote town just a few miles away. Her son is alive � and he’s coming home.

But their joyful family reunion does not go to plan. His room may have been frozen in time, with his Cookie Monster poster and stack of Lego under the bed, but Daniel is no longer the sweet little boy Megan remembers.

Cold and distant, Daniel is grieving the death of his father, blaming Megan for his loss and rejecting his family. And as Megan struggles to connect with the son she no longer recognises as her own, she begins to realise that Daniel has a secret. A secret that could destroy their family and put them in terrible danger.

A heartbreaking, emotional drama about a family in turmoil, with a jaw-dropping twist that will blow you away. Fans of Jodi Picoult, Liane Moriarty and Lisa Wingate � this moving and poignant novel is for you.]]> 334 Nicole Trope 1786818647 Tera 0 to-read 4.11 2019 The Boy in the Photo
author: Nicole Trope
name: Tera
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping]]> 182484370
Sera Swan was once one of the most powerful witches in Britain. Then she resurrected her great-aunt Jasmine from the (very recently) dead, lost most of her magic, befriended a semi-villainous talking fox, and was exiled from her magical Guild. Now she ( slightly reluctantly and just a bit grumpily) helps Aunt Jasmine run an inn in Lancashire, where she deals with her quirky guests' shenanigans, tries to keep the talking fox in check, and longs for the magical future she lost.

When she learns about an old spellbook that holds the secret to restoring her power, she turns to Luke Larsen, a gorgeous historian who might just be able to help her unlock the book’s mysteries. Luke, who has his own reasons for staying at the inn, never planned on getting involved in the madcap goings-on around him and certainly had no intention of letting certain grumpy innkeepers past his icy walls, so no one is more surprised than he is when he not only agrees to help, but also finds himself thawing .

Running an inn, reclaiming lost magic, and staying one step ahead of the watchful Guild is a lot for anyone, but Sera is about to discover that she doesn’t have to do it alone... and that the weird, wonderful family she’s made might be the best magic of all.]]> 352 Sangu Mandanna 0593439376 Tera 0 to-read 4.68 2025 A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping
author: Sangu Mandanna
name: Tera
average rating: 4.68
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Dating the Defensive Back (The Nash Brothers, #1)]]> 213085312
The minute I hear my brother’s best friend was traded to my city’s pro football team, I know this is my shot. There’s no way I’m missing my chance to give my first crush my V-card.

When Grayson Nash walks in the bar, he has no idea I’m little Ava Maxwell, the one he promised to look after when he moved to Vegas.

After a sizzling, sheet-clutching first experience of my dreams, we exchange numbers and a plan to extend our undeniable connection into something more. I promise myself I’ll tell him the truth about who I am…eventually.

He finds out before I tell him, and he wants nothing to do with me. But when my ex won’t take the hint, Grayson swoops in pretending to be my new boyfriend.

Now I’m dating the defensive back—or faking it, anyway. It’s not fake for me, though, and lines blur with stolen glances and searing touches. But between the promise he made to my brother and the secrets stacking up, I have no idea how to turn my fake boyfriend into my real-life forever love.]]> 431 Lisa Suzanne 1963772032 Tera 0 to-read 3.74 Dating the Defensive Back (The Nash Brothers, #1)
author: Lisa Suzanne
name: Tera
average rating: 3.74
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Five Dates: A Novel 222278250 Once the athletic trainer to the world’s top athletes, Margo’s perfect life unraveled after her fiancé turned to drugs and crime, leaving her to pick up the pieces. Spiraling into a series of meaningless flings, she’s dared by her best friend to take a chance on something real: five dates with one good guy.

Enter Tommy Towne, her newest client and a Navy SEAL with a magnetic pull she can’t resist. Torn between her professional boundaries and undeniable attraction, Margo decides Tommy will be the one—if only to prove she still believes in love.

Tommy Towne thought heartbreak was behind him.
Recovering from his own painful breakup, Tommy has big decisions to make: stay on the path of a SEAL or return to his family’s ranch in Texas. But one thing is certain—his new trainer, Margo, is unlike anyone he’s ever met. With his deployment looming, a stalker threatening their safety, and a challenge to follow her strict five-date rule, Tommy’s world becomes as unpredictable as his growing feelings.

Five dates. That’s all it takes to turn their lives upside down. But can they find lasting love when the odds are stacked against them?]]> Rachel Robinson Tera 3
Five Dates is a story of healing. It starts with two broken characters both hurt by those who were supposed to love them. But when Tommy gets deployed, he isn't the same man when he gets home. While this could have been deeply emotional with a lot of PTSD, it doesn't really give any type of negative vibe. It's all very hopeful.

I did enjoy this story, but I really just wanted more out of it. I wanted more deeply written characters and character growth. I wanted a little bit less insta-love feeling and perhaps more angst as a result. I also struggled with the timeline. I still don't know how long Tommy's deployment was or how long they really dated. I also don't even really know their ages, but I imagined them close to 30 because Margo was with her ex for 7 years, but I would have guessed all of them to have been younger based off the voice of the story.

I would never not recommend a Rachel Robinson book. She still writes great stories, and maybe I was alone in thinking this one needed more, and I anticipate the majority of people enjoying this book even more than I did.

]]> 3.98 Five Dates: A Novel
author: Rachel Robinson
name: Tera
average rating: 3.98
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/19
date added: 2025/02/19
shelves: blushing-babes-are-up-all-night
review:
I really do love Rachel Robinson. She writes lovable stories with lovable characters. I love her niche in military romance as she knows it personally so well. It adds a layer of emotion to her stories that you can tell comes from knowing exactly what it's like.

Five Dates is a story of healing. It starts with two broken characters both hurt by those who were supposed to love them. But when Tommy gets deployed, he isn't the same man when he gets home. While this could have been deeply emotional with a lot of PTSD, it doesn't really give any type of negative vibe. It's all very hopeful.

I did enjoy this story, but I really just wanted more out of it. I wanted more deeply written characters and character growth. I wanted a little bit less insta-love feeling and perhaps more angst as a result. I also struggled with the timeline. I still don't know how long Tommy's deployment was or how long they really dated. I also don't even really know their ages, but I imagined them close to 30 because Margo was with her ex for 7 years, but I would have guessed all of them to have been younger based off the voice of the story.

I would never not recommend a Rachel Robinson book. She still writes great stories, and maybe I was alone in thinking this one needed more, and I anticipate the majority of people enjoying this book even more than I did.


]]> The Quiet Librarian 214175092 After the murder of her best friend, a librarian’s search for answers leads back to her own dark secrets in this sweeping novel about a woman transformed by war, family, vengeance, and love, from award-winning writer Allen Eskens.

Hana Babic is a quiet, middle-aged librarian in Minnesota whoĚýwants nothing more than to be left alone. But when a detective arrives with the news that her best friend has been murdered, Hana knows that something evil has come for her, a dark remnant of the past she and her friend had shared.

Thirty years before, Hana was someone Nura Divjak, a teenager growing up in the mountains of war-torn Bosnia—until Serbian soldiers arrived to slaughter her entire family before her eyes. The events of that day thrust Nura into the war, leading her to join a band of militia fighters, where she became not only a fierce warrior but a legend—the deadly Night Mora. But a shattering final act forced Nura to flee to the United States with a bounty on her head.

Now, someone is hunting Hana, and her friend has paid the price, leaving her eight-year-old grandson in Hana’s care. To protect the child without revealing her secret, Hana must again become the Night Mora—and hope she can find the killer before the past comes for them, too.]]> 320 Allen Eskens 0316566314 Tera 0 to-read 4.22 2025 The Quiet Librarian
author: Allen Eskens
name: Tera
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Travelling Cat Chronicles 39508663 A life-affirming anthem to kindness and self-sacrifice, The Travelling Cat Chronicles shows how the smallest things can provide the greatest joy.

We take journeys to explore exotic new places and to return to the comforts of home, to visit old acquaintances and to make new friends. But the most important journey is the one that shows us how to follow our hearts . . .

An instant international bestseller, The Travelling Cat Chronicles has charmed readers around the world. With simple yet descriptive prose, this novel gives voice to Nana the cat and his owner, Satoru, as they take to the road on a journey with no other purpose than to visit three of Satoru's longtime friends. Or so Nana is led to believe . . .

With his crooked tail--a sign of good fortune--and adventurous spirit, Nana is the perfect companion for the man who took him in as a stray. And as they travel in a silver van across Japan, with its ever-changing scenery and seasons, they will learn the true meaning of courage and gratitude, of loyalty and love.]]> 277 Hiro Arikawa 0451491335 Tera 0 to-read 4.38 2012 The Travelling Cat Chronicles
author: Hiro Arikawa
name: Tera
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2012
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Leather & Lark (Ruinous Love, #2)]]> 202329680 “I don’t just want to hear her laugh, I need to earn it. Every time I gain a little ground, I want more. I want to break out of the shade and back into her light. Without even realizing it, I’ve become addicted to it. To her.�

From the New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of the genre-breaking international TikTok sensation Butcher & Blackbird comes the second book in the Ruinous Love Trilogy—a hate-to-love dark romantic comedy packed with danger, chaos, and heat.

Contract killer Lachlan Kane wants a quiet life working in his leather studio and forgetting all about his traumatic past. But when he botches a job for his boss’s biggest client, Lachlan knows he’ll never claw his way out of the underworld. At least, not until songbird Lark Montague offers him a use his skills to hunt down a killer and she’ll find a way to secure his freedom. The catch? He has to marry her first.

And they can’t stand each other.

Indie singer-songwriter Lark is the sunshine and glitter that burns through every cloud and clings to every crevice that Lachlan Kane tries to hide inside. The surly older brother of her best friend’s soulmate, Lachlan thinks she’s just a privileged princess, but Lark has plenty of secrets hiding in the shadows of her bright light. With her formidable family in a tailspin and her best friend’s happiness on the line, she’s willing to make a vow to the man she’s determined to hate, no matter how tempting the broody assassin might be.

As Lachlan and Lark navigate the dark world that binds them together, it becomes impossible to discern their fake marriage from a real one. But it’s not just familiar dangers that haunt them.

There’s another phantom lurking on their doorstep.

And this one has come for blood.

Tropes:
Hate-to-love
Marriage of convenience
Grumpy / sunshine
He falls first
Groveling, but make it psycho
Touch her/him and die]]> 409 Brynne Weaver 1638931801 Tera 0 currently-reading, audible 4.13 2024 Leather & Lark (Ruinous Love, #2)
author: Brynne Weaver
name: Tera
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/12
shelves: currently-reading, audible
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Mistress of Rome (The Empress of Rome, #1)]]> 49570871 The first in an unforgettable historical saga from the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of The Alice Network.


First-century Rome: A ruthless emperor watches over all--and fixes his gaze on one young woman...

Thea is a slave girl from Judaea, purchased as a toy for the spiteful heiress Lepida Pollia. Now she has infuriated her mistress by capturing the attention of Rome's newest and most savage gladiator--and though his love brings Thea the first happiness of her life, their affair ends quickly when a jealous Lepida tears them apart.

Remaking herself as a singer for Rome's aristocrats, Thea unwittingly attracts another admirer: the charismatic Emperor of Rome. But the passions of an all-powerful man come with a heavy price, and Thea finds herself fighting for both her soul and her sanity. Many have tried to destroy the Emperor: a vengeful gladiator, an upright senator, a tormented soldier, a Vestal Virgin. But in the end, the life of Domitian lies in the hands of one woman: the Emperor's mistress.]]> 470 Kate Quinn 0425232476 Tera 0 to-read 3.88 2010 Mistress of Rome (The Empress of Rome, #1)
author: Kate Quinn
name: Tera
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2010
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Butcher & Blackbird (The Ruinous Love Trilogy, #1)]]> 196864520

The viral TikTok friends-to-lovers dark romantic comedy full of murder, chaos, and spice—unlike anything you’ve read before—now available in all bookstores.


When a chance encounter sparks an unlikely bond between rival murderers Sloane and Rowan, the two find something elusive—the friendship of like-minded, pitch-black souls. From small town West Virginia to upscale California, from downtown Boston to rural Texas, the two hunters collide in an annual game of blood and suffering, one that pits them against the most dangerous monsters in the country.


But as their friendship develops into something more, the restless ghosts left in their wake are only a few steps behind, ready to claim more than just their newfound love. Can Rowan and Sloane dig themselves out of a game of graves? Or have they finally met their match?

]]> 360 Brynne Weaver Tera 4 audible 4.00 2023 Butcher & Blackbird (The Ruinous Love Trilogy, #1)
author: Brynne Weaver
name: Tera
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/08
date added: 2025/02/08
shelves: audible
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Study in Drowning (A Study in Drowning, #1)]]> 75302266 Angharad—Emrys Myrddin’s epic about a mortal girl who falls in love with the Fairy King, then destroys him—is the only thing keeping her afloat. So when Myrddin’s family announces a contest to redesign the late author’s estate, Effy feels certain it’s her destiny.

But musty, decrepit Hiraeth Manor is an impossible task, and its residents are far from welcoming. Including Preston Héloury, a stodgy young literature scholar determined to expose Myrddin as a fraud. As the two rivals piece together clues about Myrddin’s legacy, dark forces, both mortal and magical, conspire against them—and the truth may bring them both to ruin.]]> 378 Ava Reid 0063211505 Tera 0 to-read 3.73 2023 A Study in Drowning (A Study in Drowning, #1)
author: Ava Reid
name: Tera
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Last Unicorn (The Last Unicorn, #1)]]> 29127 Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780451450524

She was magical, beautiful beyond belief—and completely alone...

The unicorn had lived since before memory in a forest where death could touch nothing. Maidens who caught a glimpse of her glory were blessed by enchantment they would never forget. But outside her wondrous realm, dark whispers and rumours carried a message she could not ignore: "Unicorns are gone from the world."

Aided by a bumbling magician and an indomitable spinster, she set out to learn the truth. but she feared even her immortal wisdom meant nothing in a world where a mad king's curse and terror incarnate lived only to stalk the last unicorn to her doom...]]> 294 Peter S. Beagle Tera 0 to-read 4.16 1968 The Last Unicorn (The Last Unicorn, #1)
author: Peter S. Beagle
name: Tera
average rating: 4.16
book published: 1968
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/31
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[More Than Forever (More Than, #4)]]> 18628601 There is a love so fierce it cannot be measured.Ěý
A heart so strong it will never slow.Ěý
There is a promise so sure it can never lie.
He promised me that love forever.
Even when it wasn't enough.
Ěý
-CAMERON-
Forever. Everlasting. Eternal.
There is no measure of time.Ěý
No sounds of the ticking of a clock.Ěý
Just the rising and falling of the sun.
And our own sense of forever.Ěý
Ěý
ButĚýourĚýforeverĚýisn'tĚýalways.]]> 348 Jay McLean 150045205X Tera 5 4.44 2014 More Than Forever (More Than, #4)
author: Jay McLean
name: Tera
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2014
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2025/01/31
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Fourth Wing (The Empyrean, #1)]]> 63219094 Enter the brutal and elite world of a war college for dragon riders from #1 New York Times bestselling author Rebecca Yarros.

Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general—also known as her tough-as-talons mother—has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.

But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away...because dragons don’t bond to “fragile� humans. They incinerate them.

With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter—like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant.

She’ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise.

Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom's protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret.

Friends, enemies, lovers. Everyone at Basgiath War College has an agenda—because once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die.]]> 663 Rebecca Yarros Tera 5 audible
I have been on a long hiatus from fantasy, and I'm so glad this is the one I chose to pick up! Does it follow the general plot line of a fantasy novel? Yes. But did it feel predictable? Not to me.

Violet is the general commander's daughter. She was trained to go to the scribe quadrant, but her mother would never allow that. She was forced into the rider's quadrant and became the frail, weak, underdog with a target on her back.

However, there is more to Violet than meets the eye. She is determined and smart. She has the mind of a scribe and the heart of a rider, and those two traits make her an unmistakable badass.

Then there is Xaden Riorson. The son of a rebel and the most ruthless wingleader. He is one of the best anti-heroes I have ever read. He was perfection, and I could not get enough of him. The enemies to lovers between he and violet is scorching hot. It was the best slow burn I have ever read, and despite the romance and chemistry being off the charts between the characters, it was by no means, the focus of the story.

Then there are dragons. I won't say much about the dragons because they are freaking awesome. The way they are portrayed and the way they communicate is just done to perfection.

Despite The Fourth Wing following the same similar plot line that many fantasies share, it is still such a unique story. The ending did it for me though. I finished with my jaw on the floor and so upset that I have to wait until November for the story to continue.

Again, this book lived up to the hype for me. It was an easy 5 star read for me with The Iron Flame now being my most anticipated read of the year. ]]> 4.74 2023 Fourth Wing (The Empyrean, #1)
author: Rebecca Yarros
name: Tera
average rating: 4.74
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/18
date added: 2025/01/27
shelves: audible
review:
This book... I dove in well after the hype kicked in, and I was terrified that it would not live up to said hype. It absolutely did. And then some.

I have been on a long hiatus from fantasy, and I'm so glad this is the one I chose to pick up! Does it follow the general plot line of a fantasy novel? Yes. But did it feel predictable? Not to me.

Violet is the general commander's daughter. She was trained to go to the scribe quadrant, but her mother would never allow that. She was forced into the rider's quadrant and became the frail, weak, underdog with a target on her back.

However, there is more to Violet than meets the eye. She is determined and smart. She has the mind of a scribe and the heart of a rider, and those two traits make her an unmistakable badass.

Then there is Xaden Riorson. The son of a rebel and the most ruthless wingleader. He is one of the best anti-heroes I have ever read. He was perfection, and I could not get enough of him. The enemies to lovers between he and violet is scorching hot. It was the best slow burn I have ever read, and despite the romance and chemistry being off the charts between the characters, it was by no means, the focus of the story.

Then there are dragons. I won't say much about the dragons because they are freaking awesome. The way they are portrayed and the way they communicate is just done to perfection.

Despite The Fourth Wing following the same similar plot line that many fantasies share, it is still such a unique story. The ending did it for me though. I finished with my jaw on the floor and so upset that I have to wait until November for the story to continue.

Again, this book lived up to the hype for me. It was an easy 5 star read for me with The Iron Flame now being my most anticipated read of the year.
]]> Iron Flame (The Empyrean, #2) 150260809
Everyone expected Violet Sorrengail to die during her first year at Basgiath War College—Violet included. But Threshing was only the first impossible test meant to weed out the weak-willed, the unworthy, and the unlucky.

Now the real training begins, and Violet’s already wondering how she’ll get through. It’s not just that it’s grueling and maliciously brutal, or even that it’s designed to stretch the riders� capacity for pain beyond endurance. It’s the new vice commandant, who’s made it his personal mission to teach Violet exactly how powerless she is–unless she betrays the man she loves.

Although Violet’s body might be weaker and frailer than everyone else’s, she still has her wits—and a will of iron. And leadership is forgetting the most important lesson Basgiath has taught her: Dragon riders make their own rules.

But a determination to survive won’t be enough this year.

Because Violet knows the real secret hidden for centuries at Basgiath War College—and nothing, not even dragon fire, may be enough to save them in the end.]]> 895 Rebecca Yarros Tera 5 audible 4.56 2023 Iron Flame (The Empyrean, #2)
author: Rebecca Yarros
name: Tera
average rating: 4.56
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/22
date added: 2025/01/27
shelves: audible
review:
It’s easy to forget how dirty Rebecca did us with that ending! ♥️
]]> Onyx Storm (The Empyrean, #3) 209668781
Because the battle has truly begun, and with enemies closing in from outside their walls and within their ranks, it’s impossible to know who to trust.

Now Violet must journey beyond the failing Aretian wards to seek allies from unfamiliar lands to stand with Navarre. The trip will test every bit of her wit, luck, and strength, but she will do anything to save what she loves—her dragons, her family, her home, and him.

Even if it means keeping a secret so big, it could destroy everything.

They need an army. They need power. They need magic. And they need the one thing only Violet can find—the truth.

But a storm is coming...and not everyone can survive its wrath.]]> 758 Rebecca Yarros 1649376944 Tera 5 And the wait begins� 4.43 2025 Onyx Storm (The Empyrean, #3)
author: Rebecca Yarros
name: Tera
average rating: 4.43
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/27
date added: 2025/01/27
shelves:
review:
And the wait begins�
]]> Behind Every Good Man 202257499 A wronged wife goes toe to toe with her cheating husband at the polls in this hilarious and heart-lifting novel by the bestselling author of Don’t Forget to Write.

It’s a doozy of a bad day for Beverly Diamond when she catches her husband, Larry, in a compromising position with his secretary. What’s a DC suburban wife to do with a soon-to-be ex, two young kids, and no degree or financial support in 1962? Beat the louse at his own game, that’s what.

Larry runs the Maryland senatorial campaign for the incumbent candidate projected to win against his younger underdog opponent, Michael Landau. But Beverly has the pluck, political savvy, and sheer drive to push Landau’s campaign in a successful new direction, even if he already has a campaign manager who is less than pleased she has inserted herself into the race.

Now it’s rival against rival. She and Michael do make a great team…maybe in more ways than one. But with the election heating up, she needs to focus on one thing at a time. If Bev can convince Michael to go modern, pay attention to women’s issues, and learn how to dress himself properly, maybe she can show Larry exactly how much he has underestimated her their entire marriage—and make her own dreams come true in the process.]]> 349 Sara Goodman Confino 1662517726 Tera 0 to-read 4.27 2024 Behind Every Good Man
author: Sara Goodman Confino
name: Tera
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> They Call Her Dirty Sally 60871959
He isn’t prepared for the resistance. Or for what appears to be a collective unwillingness to answer his questions.

Faced with one roadblock after another, Finn enlists the help of Billi Ellis, the young motel receptionist that everyone in the town seems to like. Maybe she can get them to open up to him. Maybe she can help him make sense of everything he keeps uncovering. Especially the unexpected tie this tragedy appears to have to his own life.

A tie that leads him directly to the old woman who seems to hold the key to everything. The woman everyone avoids…the woman they call “dirty”…the woman who hasn’t spoken a word to anyone since the day the hospital burned.]]> 376 Amy Matayo Tera 0 to-read 4.39 2022 They Call Her Dirty Sally
author: Amy Matayo
name: Tera
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[They Say He Flies at Night (Silver Bell Legends)]]> 148540098
But even the people of Silver Bell have to admit that Walter Lorry has beautiful penmanship—calligraphy so swirly and intricate you’ve never seen anything like it. They say dignitaries requested his work at some point in history. They say his work even hangs in museums around the world. They say he has money buried somewhere, maybe even next to his murdered family. They say a lot of things about Mr. Walter Lorry, it’s just that no one knows which things are true.

And which things are lies.

Leave it to Piper Moore—a newcomer who’s engaged to the son of town’s most prominent business owner—to find out. She’s heard the rumors, she’s seen his handwriting, and she wants Mr. Lorry to design one-of-a-kind wedding invitations just for her. After all, she’s used to getting her way, and she reasons that if his work was once good enough for Hollywood, then it’s good enough for her. Which is exactly what drives her to knock on his door, march inside the old man’s antique store, and convince him to do it.

She doesn’t expect his answer.
She isn’t prepared for his story to change everything she believes about love.
And she certainly wasn’t ready to learn all the reasons you should never, ever believe in small-town legends.]]> 276 Amy Matayo Tera 0 to-read 4.58 2023 They Say He Flies at Night (Silver Bell Legends)
author: Amy Matayo
name: Tera
average rating: 4.58
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Promise Me Sunshine 214269328 Grieving the loss of her best friend, a young woman’s life is turned upside down when she meets a grumpy stranger who swears he can help her live again, in this heartwarming, slow-burn romance by the author of Ready or Not

Lenny’s a bit of a mess at the moment. Her best friend, Lou, recently passed away after a battle with cancer, and her death has left Lenny feeling completely lost. She’s avoiding her concerned parents, the apartment she shared with Lou, and the list of things she’s supposed to do to help her live again. The only thing she can do is temporary babysitting gigs, and luckily, she just landed a great one, helping overworked, single mom Reese and her precocious daughter, Ainsley. It’s not perfect: Ainsley’s uncle, Miles, always seems to be around, and is kind of... a huge jerk. But if Lenny acts like she has it all together, maybe no one will notice she’s falling apart.

Miles sees right through her though. Turns out, he knows a lot about grief and, surprisingly, he offers her a proposition. He’ll help her complete everything on her “live again� list if she’ll help him connect with Ainsley and overcome his complicated relationship with Reese. Lenny doubts anything can fill the Lou has left behind, but she begins to spend more time with Miles, Lenny is surprised to discover that, sometimes, losing everything is only the first step to finding yourself, and love, again.]]> 416 Cara Bastone 0593595734 Tera 0 to-read 4.28 2025 Promise Me Sunshine
author: Cara Bastone
name: Tera
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Finders Keepers 219301783
Last week, Nina Hunnicutt was a professor about to move into a gorgeous new apartment with her long-term boyfriend. Now, she’s single, unemployed, and living with her parents. Even more surprising is the fact that Quentin Bell, her childhood neighbor (and okay, fine, crush), is also back in town—and wants to resume the treasure hunt that ended their friendship almost two decades ago.

Hoping the reward promised to whoever finds the rumored riches left behind by the town’s eccentric turn-of-the-century seltzer magnate will help her get her life back on track, Nina agrees. Granted, last time the search resulted in a broken heart and seventeen years of silence. But Nina’s older and wiser now—surely things will be different.

Except, Quentin is also older and wiser…not to mention distractingly handsome. As they resume their hunt, Nina and Quentin begin to rediscover all the things they once loved best about each other. But unlike the treasure, the secrets that left them empty-handed the first time refuse to stay buried. If there’s any hope of finding what they’re looking for—and for a future together—Nina and Quentin will have to be brave enough to excavate their past as well.]]> 400 Sarah Adler 0593817427 Tera 0 to-read 4.12 2025 Finders Keepers
author: Sarah Adler
name: Tera
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> My Friends 217163697 #1ĚýNew York TimesĚýbestselling author Fredrik Backman returns with an unforgettably funny, deeply moving tale of four teenagers whose friendship creates a bond so powerful that it changes a stranger’s life twenty-five years later.

Most people don’t even notice them—three tiny figures sitting at the end of a long pier in the corner of one of the most famous paintings in the world. Most people think it’s just a depiction of the sea. But Louisa, an artist herself, knows otherwise and she is determined to find out the story of these three enigmatic figures.

Twenty-five years earlier, in a distant town, a group of teenagers find refuge from their difficult home lives by spending their days laughing and telling stories out on a pier. There’s Joar, who never backs down from a fight; quiet and bookish Ted who is mourning his father; Ali, the daughter of a man who never stays in one place for long; and finally, there’s the artist, a boy who hoards sleeping pills and shuns attention, but who possesses an extraordinary gift that might be his ticket to a better life. These four lost souls find in each other a reason to get up each morning, a reason to dream.

Out of that summer emerges a transcendent work of art, a painting that will unexpectedly be put into eighteen-year-old Louisa’s care. As she struggles to decide what to do with this bequest, she embarks on a surprise-filled cross-country journey to learn the story of how the painting came to be. The closer she gets to the painting’s birthplace, the more she feels compelled to unleash her own artistic spirit, but happy endings don’t always take the form we expect in this fresh testament to the transformative power of friendship and art.]]> 448 Fredrik Backman 1982112824 Tera 0 4.59 2025 My Friends
author: Fredrik Backman
name: Tera
average rating: 4.59
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/09
shelves: currently-reading, blushing-babes-are-up-all-night
review:

]]> The Answer Is No 219876684 In a hilarious short story from New York Times bestselling author Fredrik Backman, the absurdities of modern life cause one man’s solitary world to spin suddenly, and comically, out of control.

Lucas knows the perfect night entails just three things: video games, wine, and pad thai. Peanuts are a must! Other people? Not so much. Why complicate things when he’s happy alone?

Then one day the apartment board, a vexing trio of authority, rings his doorbell. And Lucas’s solitude takes a startling hike. They demand to see his frying pan. Someone left one next to the recycling room overnight, and instead of removing the errant object, as Lucas suggests, they insist on finding the guilty party. But their plan backfires. Colossally.

Told in Fredrik Backman’s singular witty style with sharply drawn characters and relatable antics, The Answer Is No is a laugh-out-loud portrait of a man struggling to keep to himself in a world that won’t leave him alone.]]> 68 Fredrik Backman 1662526520 Tera 5 3.94 2024 The Answer Is No
author: Fredrik Backman
name: Tera
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/09
date added: 2025/01/09
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[One Baby Daddy (Dating by Numbers, #3)]]> 37647917 "What are you doing now that your team is out of the running for the Stanley Cup?"

Forget.

I need to forget. I need an escape.

Only one person isn't falling for my reputation as the NHL's Golden Boy; she captured my attention the minute she called me out for snooping through my best friend's house. She didn't want to hear my reason � she only wanted to playfully give me a hard time.

Adalyn is bold, sassy� and the perfect escape.

She's everywhere. In town and in my dreams, and suddenly I need to spend every waking moment with her.

And I do, making this summer the best off-season I've ever had.

But in the midst of getting lost in Adalyn, what I don't expect is to get her pregnant.

And what I definitely don't expect is having to fight for her affection.]]> 364 Meghan Quinn Tera 4
The connection between these two is instant. The sexual tension is hot. The chemistry is through the roof. The communication is lacking. Where I think the intention was to increase the angst, it more just made me want to groan. It didn't give me that angsty feel. But what I did feel was plenty of heartfelt moments between these two where there was literally a grin on my face and so many laugh out loud moments.Ěý

Meghan Quinn continues to bring so many amazing characters to life. It's one of the best parts of her books. I love that although this book is book three in her Dating by Numbers series, it is also interconnected the Binghampton books (which are all standalones). Meghan Quinn is a top author for me. She never disappoints.]]> 3.92 2018 One Baby Daddy (Dating by Numbers, #3)
author: Meghan Quinn
name: Tera
average rating: 3.92
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2018/05/23
date added: 2025/01/08
shelves: blushing-babes-are-up-all-night
review:
Hayden was my favorite from the first book in the Dating by Numbers series, Three Blind Dates, by the always hilarious Meghan Quinn. Hayden is a sexy, but perfectly sweet hockey player who truly values being a gentleman.Ěý He meets stubborn, strong, feisty Adalyn at a party at Racer's (remember Racer, from Twisted Twosome!?? *pants*).

The connection between these two is instant. The sexual tension is hot. The chemistry is through the roof. The communication is lacking. Where I think the intention was to increase the angst, it more just made me want to groan. It didn't give me that angsty feel. But what I did feel was plenty of heartfelt moments between these two where there was literally a grin on my face and so many laugh out loud moments.Ěý

Meghan Quinn continues to bring so many amazing characters to life. It's one of the best parts of her books. I love that although this book is book three in her Dating by Numbers series, it is also interconnected the Binghampton books (which are all standalones). Meghan Quinn is a top author for me. She never disappoints.
]]> The Rom-Commers 195790586 She’s rewriting his love story. But can she rewrite her own?

Emma Wheeler desperately longs to be a screenwriter. She’s spent her life studying, obsessing over, and writing romantic comedies―good ones! That win contests! But she’s also been the sole caretaker for her kind-hearted dad, who needs full-time care. Now, when she gets a chance to re-write a script for famous screenwriter Charlie Yates―The Charlie Yates! Her personal writing god!―it’s a break too big to pass up.

Emma’s younger sister steps in for caretaking duties, and Emma moves to L.A. for six weeks for the writing gig of a lifetime. But what is it they say? Don’t meet your heroes? Charlie Yates doesn’t want to write with anyone―much less “a failed, nobody screenwriter.� Worse, the romantic comedy he’s written is so terrible it might actually bring on the apocalypse. Plus! He doesn’t even care about the script―it’s just a means to get a different one green-lit. Oh, and he thinks love is an emotional Ponzi scheme.

But Emma’s not going down without a fight. She will stand up for herself, and for rom-coms, and for love itself. She will convince him that love stories matter―even if she has to kiss him senseless to do it. But . . . what if that kiss is accidentally amazing? What if real life turns out to be so much . . . more real than fiction? What if the love story they’re writing breaks all Emma’s rules―and comes true?]]> 336 Katherine Center 1250283809 Tera 0 to-read 4.06 2024 The Rom-Commers
author: Katherine Center
name: Tera
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Heart of the Sun 218267163 For a limited time only. From mega-bestseller and TikTok sensation Mia Sheridan comes an all-new epic second-chance romance with an unexpected and gritty speculative twist, in deluxe paperback with beautiful sprayed edges and foil detail. Pre-order your copy today!

When the world is plunged into darkness, who would you turn to?

Amid the sun-drenched orange groves of California, childhood friends Tuck Mattice and Emily Swanson shared a bond that seemed unbreakable—until life ripped them apart.

Thirteen years later, Emily is a rising pop sensation in need of security, and Tuck, a brooding ex-con, is in need of a fresh start. When fate brings them together once again, Emily hires him on as her new bodyguard. They butt heads and bicker, just like the old days—yet neither can deny the heat rekindling between them.

But when a cataclysmic solar flare disrupts the electrical grid, society is suddenly plunged into chaos and darkness. For Emily, the familiar comforts of fame and fortune crumble, but for Tuck, this stark new reality could be the chance he needs to finally prove himself. As they come to terms with all they've lost and the bitterness that's kept them apart, they must find their way back to one another and discover a new place, under the sun.

For fans of:
� Enemies to Lovers
� Childhood Best Friends
� Slow Burn Romance
� Second Chances
� Popstar + Bodyguard
� New Adult Dystopian fiction
� The HBO show The Last of Us]]> 464 Mia Sheridan 133542492X Tera 0 to-read 3.77 2025 Heart of the Sun
author: Mia Sheridan
name: Tera
average rating: 3.77
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Cheat Sheet (The Cheat Sheet, #1)]]> 58100280 Is it ever too late to leave the friend-zone?

Hi, my name is Bree Camden, and I’m hopelessly in love with my best friend and star quarterback Nathan Donelson (so is half of America, judging by the tabloids and how much the guy dates). The first step is admitting, right? Except, I can never admit it to him because he clearly doesn’t see me that way, and the last thing I want is for things to get weird between us.

Nothing but good old-fashioned, no-touching-the-sexiest-man-alive, platonic friendship for us! Everything is exactly how I like it! Yes. Good. (I’m not crying, I’m just peeling an onion.)

Our friendship is going swimmingly until I accidentally spill my beans to a reporter over too much tequila, and now the world seems to think me and Nathan belong together. Oh, and did I mention we have to date publicly for three weeks until after the Super Bowl because we signed a contract with...oops, forgot I can’t tell anyone about that!

Bottom line is, now my best friend is smudging all the lines and acting very un-platonic, and I’m just trying to keep my body from bursting into flames every time he touches me.

How am I going to make it through three weeks of fake dating Nathan without anything changing between us? Especially when it almost-sort-a-kinda seems like he’s fighting for a completely different outcome?

Send help.
XO Bree]]> 306 Sarah Adams Tera 0 to-read 3.71 2021 The Cheat Sheet (The Cheat Sheet, #1)
author: Sarah Adams
name: Tera
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![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 Tera 0 to-read 3.88 2024 The Rule Book (The Cheat Sheet, #2)
author: Sarah Adams
name: Tera
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Lost Bookshop 65137920 The Keeper of Stories meets The Lost Apothecary in this evocative and charming novel full of mystery and secrets.

â€The thing about books,â€� she said â€is that they help you to imagine a life bigger and better than you could ever dream of.â€�

On a quiet street in Dublin, a lost bookshop is waiting to be found�

For too long, Opaline, Martha and Henry have been the side characters in their own lives.

But when a vanishing bookshop casts its spell, these three unsuspecting strangers will discover that their own stories are every bit as extraordinary as the ones found in the pages of their beloved books. And by unlocking the secrets of the shelves, they find themselves transported to a world of wonder� where nothing is as it seems.]]> 432 Evie Woods 0008609209 Tera 0 to-read 4.04 2023 The Lost Bookshop
author: Evie Woods
name: Tera
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/01/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Britt-Marie Was Here 27406704
When Britt-Marie walks out on her cheating husband and has to fend for herself in the miserable backwater town of Borg—of which the kindest thing one can say is that it has a road going through it—she finds work as the caretaker of a soon-to-be demolished recreation center. The fastidious Britt-Marie soon finds herself being drawn into the daily doings of her fellow citizens, an odd assortment of miscreants, drunkards, layabouts. Most alarming of all, she’s given the impossible task of leading the supremely untalented children’s soccer team to victory. In this small town of misfits, can Britt-Marie find a place where she truly belongs?]]> 324 Fredrik Backman 1501142534 Tera 0 to-read 4.05 2014 Britt-Marie Was Here
author: Fredrik Backman
name: Tera
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Path to Loving Him (Almond Bay, #3)]]> 220239464 From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Meghan Quinn comes a new forced proximity, single dad romantic comedy. This steamy, laugh out loud, enemies-to-lovers, small town standalone romance delivers the perfect happily ever after.

What does one do when they completely blow an interview?
If you're me, you pick up a one-night stand with the most gorgeous man you've ever seen..

That's right, after a lousy interview that could have changed everything for me, I headed over to the local small town bar to sulk when the one man I shouldn't want walked in. And when my friend convinced me to take him back to my hotel room, I didn't think about it, I just did it . . . well, I did him.

It was an unforgettable night, but I didn't stay for breakfast. Instead, I got out of there and tried not to think about him again.

Everything was fine until I received a call from the interviewer saying I got the job as the assistant baseball coach at Almond Bay High. I'd be working directly under the one and only Ryland Rowley--my one-night stand.

Now, I'm not only working with him but renting the apartment above his garage. And I have to deal with the fact that he's the man I dream about and can't have while not letting my attraction get in the way of keeping the harmony between us. Sounds easy, doesn't it?

It should have been, except the plan falls apart when my shower breaks, and night after night I have to slip into his house to use the bathroom only to find him in the kitchen, staring me down with those hungry, single dad eyes.]]> 460 Meghan Quinn Tera 4 arc-team 4.26 The Path to Loving Him (Almond Bay, #3)
author: Meghan Quinn
name: Tera
average rating: 4.26
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/29
date added: 2024/12/30
shelves: arc-team
review:
Uncle dad absolutely got me in this one! Such an emotional story for the oldest brother, Ryland. Seeing him navigate not only fatherhood, but also how to find his own happiness with Gabby was beautiful. I’ve been a big fan of the Almond Bay series, and although I think the series is complete, I really hope we still see some of these characters throughout Meghan’s other stories. My only tiny knock on this, was toward the end, it started to drag. I feel it needed to be reined in just a little bit faster, but the epilogue was perfection!
]]> Home Sweet Mess 57594200 272 Allison Ashley 0578869411 Tera 0 to-read 3.87 Home Sweet Mess
author: Allison Ashley
name: Tera
average rating: 3.87
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Perfect Distraction 51064229
Andrew Bishop can't stop thinking about the gorgeous redhead who crashed into him and then disappeared, even though he should have way more on his mind - like dealing with his Hodgkin Lymphoma diagnosis and finishing out his last year in law school. When Andrew and Lauren run into each other at the cancer center where she's working and he's being treated, they try to keep it professional. They can be friends, and nothing more.

But sometimes life has other plans…]]> 254 Allison Ashley Tera 0 to-read 3.82 Perfect Distraction
author: Allison Ashley
name: Tera
average rating: 3.82
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/12/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Would You Rather 59040907
To support her, Noah suggests they get married—in name only—so she can study full-time and still keep the insurance. It’s a risk to both of them, with jobs, health and hearts on the line, and they’ll need to convince suspicious coworkers and nosy roommates that they’re the real deal. But if they can let go of all the baggage holding them back, they might realize that they would rather be together forever.]]> 320 Allison Ashley 077838649X Tera 0 to-read 3.69 2022 Would You Rather
author: Allison Ashley
name: Tera
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Give Me a Reason (Redemption Hills, #1)]]> 213263149 From NYT and USA Today bestselling author A.L. Jackson comes a single-dad, enemies-to-lovers stand-alone romance about a jaded club owner and his son’s teacher�

Eden Murphy came into my club looking to make some extra cash.
A girl like her didn't belong in a place like this.
She'd get ripped to shreds.
Most likely by me.
There's nothing but sweetness dripping from her sexy little body, and I'm the monster who's salivating to get a taste.

Trent Lawson is the last man I should want.
Dark.
Dangerous.
So wickedly gorgeous he makes my knees weak.
He's also an arrogant jerk who happens to be my new boss.

When I discover his adorable son is also in my kindergarten class, I know I have to keep my distance.

But neither of us can ignore the attraction that flames.
One glance, and our hearts race.
One touch, and we’re aching for what we can’t have.
One night, and we’re falling fast.

Dragging her into my sordid world is wrong.
It doesn’t matter.
Eden Murphy is mine.]]> 364 A.L. Jackson 1649377797 Tera 0 to-read 3.67 2021 Give Me a Reason (Redemption Hills, #1)
author: A.L. Jackson
name: Tera
average rating: 3.67
book published: 2021
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/12/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Scarlet Thread 73297 462 Francine Rivers 0842342710 Tera 0 to-read 4.17 1995 The Scarlet Thread
author: Francine Rivers
name: Tera
average rating: 4.17
book published: 1995
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/29
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> All the Colors of the Dark 203019740 From the New York Times bestselling author of We Begin at the End comes a soaring thriller and an epic love story that spans decades.

1975 is a time of change in America. The Vietnam War is ending. Mohammed Ali is fighting Joe Frazier. And in the small town of Monta Clare, Missouri, girls are disappearing.

When the daughter of a wealthy family is targeted, the most unlikely hero emerges—Patch, a local boy with one eye, who saves the girl, and, in doing so, leaves heartache in his wake.

Patch and those who love him soon discover that the line between triumph and tragedy has never been finer. And that their search for answers will lead them to truths that could mean losing one another.

A missing person mystery, a serial killer thriller, a love story, a unique twist on each, Chris Whitaker has written a novel about what lurks in the shadows of obsession, and the blinding light of hope.]]> 608 Chris Whitaker 0593798872 Tera 0 to-read 4.24 2024 All the Colors of the Dark
author: Chris Whitaker
name: Tera
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/12/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Bookshop of Secrets 60374848 A collection of lost books holds the clues to her family's legacy…and her future.

Hope Sparrow has mastered the art of outrunning her tragic past, learning never to stay anywhere too long and never to allow anyone control over her life again.ĚýComing to Wanishin Falls in search of her family's history already feels too risky. But somewhere in the towering stacks of this dusty old bookshop are the books that hold Hope's last ties to her late mother—and to a rumored family treasure that could help her start over.

Only, the bookshop is in shambles, and the elderly owner is in the beginning stages of dementia and can’t remember where the books lie. To find the last links to the loved ones she's lost, Hope must stay and accept help from the townsfolk to locateĚýthe treasured volumes. Each secret she uncovers brings her closer to understanding where she came from. But the longer she stays in the quaint town, the more people find their way into the cracks in her heart. And letting them in may be the greatest risk of all…]]> 347 Mollie Rushmeyer 1335426213 Tera 0 to-read 3.68 2022 The Bookshop of Secrets
author: Mollie Rushmeyer
name: Tera
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Memory Library 182359374 For forty-two years, Sally Harrison has been building a library.

Each year, on her daughter’s birthday, she adds a new book to her shelves � with a note in the front dedicated to her own greatest work.

But Ella � Sally’s only child � fled to Australia twenty-two years ago after a heated exchange, and never looked back. And though Sally still dutifully adds a new paperback to the shelves every time the clock strikes midnight on July 11th, her hopes of her daughter ever thumbing through the pages are starting to dwindle.

Then disaster strikes and Ella is forced to return to the home she once knew.

She is soon to discover that when one chapter ends, another will soon follow�

All you have to do is turn the page�

Journey through the pages of this heartwarming novel, where hope, friendship and second changes are written in the margins.]]> 335 Kate Storey Tera 0 to-read 4.32 2024 The Memory Library
author: Kate Storey
name: Tera
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Story Collector 205899692 In a quiet village in Ireland, a mysterious local myth is about to change everything�

One hundred years ago, Anna, a young farm girl, volunteers to help an intriguing American visitor translate fairy stories from Irish to English. But all is not as it seems and Anna soon finds herself at the heart of a mystery that threatens her very way of life.

In New York in the present day, Sarah Harper boards a plane bound for the West Coast of Ireland. But once there, she finds she has unearthed dark secrets � secrets that tread the line between the everyday and the otherworldly, the seen and the unseen.

With a taste for the magical in everyday life, Evie Woods's latest novel is full of ordinary characters with extraordinary tales to tell.]]> 358 Evie Gaughan 0008706662 Tera 0 to-read 4.02 2018 The Story Collector
author: Evie Gaughan
name: Tera
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2018
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Atmosphere 220817728 From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones & The Six comes an epic new novel set against the backdrop of the 1980s Space Shuttle program about the extraordinary lengths we go to live and love beyond our limits.

Joan Goodwin has been obsessed with the stars for as long as she can remember. Thoughtful and reserved, Joan is content with her life as a professor of physics and astronomy at Rice University and as aunt to her precocious niece, Frances. That is, until she comes across an advertisement seeking the first women scientists to join NASA’s Space Shuttle program. Suddenly, Joan burns to be one of the few people to go to space.

Selected from a pool of thousands of applicants in the summer of 1980, Joan begins training at Houston’s Johnson Space Center, alongside an exceptional group of fellow candidates: Top Gun pilot Hank Redmond and scientist John Griffin, who are kind and easy-going even when the stakes are highest; mission specialist Lydia Danes, who has worked too hard to play nice; warm-hearted Donna Fitzgerald, who is navigating her own secrets; and Vanessa Ford, the magnetic and mysterious aeronautical engineer, who can fix any engine and fly any plane.

As the new astronauts become unlikely friends and prepare for their first flights, Joan finds a passion and a love she never imagined. In this new light, Joan begins to question everything she thinks she knows about her place in the observable universe.

Then, in December of 1984, on mission STS-LR9, everything changes in an instant.

Fast-paced, thrilling, and emotional, Atmosphere is Taylor Jenkins Reid at her best: transporting readers to iconic times and places, with complex protagonists, telling a passionate and soaring story about the transformative power of love, this time among the stars.]]> 352 Taylor Jenkins Reid 0593158717 Tera 0 to-read 4.44 2025 Atmosphere
author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
name: Tera
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/12/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> A Fire Sparkling 43236275 432 Julianne MacLean 1542006228 Tera 0 to-read 4.24 2019 A Fire Sparkling
author: Julianne MacLean
name: Tera
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Great Big Beautiful Life 218559595 Two writers compete for the chance to tell the larger-than-life story of a woman with more than a couple of plot twists up her sleeve in this dazzling and sweeping new novel from Emily Henry.

Alice Scott is an eternal optimist still dreaming of her big writing break. Hayden Anderson is a Pulitzer-prize winning human thundercloud. And they’re both on balmy Little Crescent Island for the same reason: To write the biography of a woman no one has seen in years--or at least to meet with the octogenarian who claims to be the Margaret Ives. Tragic heiress, former tabloid princess, and daughter of one of the most storied (and scandalous) families of the 20th Century.

When Margaret invites them both for a one-month trial period, after which she’ll choose the person who’ll tell her story, there are three things keeping Alice’s head in the game.

One: Alice genuinely likes people, which means people usually like Alice—and she has a whole month to win the legendary woman over.

Two: She’s ready for this job and the chance to impress her perennially unimpressed family with a Serious Publication

Three: Hayden Anderson, who should have no reason to be concerned about losing this book, is glowering at her in a shaken-to-the core way that suggests he sees her as competition.

But the problem is, Margaret is only giving each of them pieces of her story. Pieces they can’t swap to put together because of an ironclad NDA and an inconvenient yearning pulsing between them every time they’re in the same room.

And it’s becoming abundantly clear that their story—just like the tale Margaret’s spinning—could be a mystery, tragedy, or love ballad…depending on who’s telling it.]]> 384 Emily Henry 059344129X Tera 0 to-read 4.27 2025 Great Big Beautiful Life
author: Emily Henry
name: Tera
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/17
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Color of Hope (The Color of Heaven, #3)]]> 18745825
Diana is compelled to discover the truth about this woman’s identity, but the truth leads her down a path of secrets, betrayals, and shocking discoveries about her past. These discoveries follow her like a shadow.

Then she meets Dr. Jacob Peterson—a brilliant cardiac surgeon with an uncanny ability to heal those who are broken. With his help, Diana embarks upon a journey to restore her belief in the human spirit, and recover a sense of hope - that happiness, and love, may still be within reach for those willing to believe in second chances.]]> 330 Julianne MacLean Tera 0 to-read 4.44 2013 The Color of Hope (The Color of Heaven, #3)
author: Julianne MacLean
name: Tera
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Women 127305853 From the celebrated author of The Nightingale and The Four Winds comes Kristin Hannah's The Women—at once an intimate portrait of coming of age in a dangerous time and an epic tale of a nation divided.

Women can be heroes. When twenty-year-old nursing student Frances “Frankie� McGrath hears these words, it is a revelation. Raised in the sun-drenched, idyllic world of Southern California and sheltered by her conservative parents, she has always prided herself on doing the right thing. But in 1965, the world is changing, and she suddenly dares to imagine a different future for herself. When her brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she joins the Army Nurse Corps and follows his path.

As green and inexperienced as the men sent to Vietnam to fight, Frankie is over-whelmed by the chaos and destruction of war. Each day is a gamble of life and death, hope and betrayal; friendships run deep and can be shattered in an instant. In war, she meets—and becomes one of—the lucky, the brave, the broken, and the lost.

But war is just the beginning for Frankie and her veteran friends. The real battle lies in coming home to a changed and divided America, to angry protesters, and to a country that wants to forget Vietnam.

The Women is the story of one woman gone to war, but it shines a light on all women who put themselves in harm’s way and whose sacrifice and commitment to their country has too often been forgotten. A novel about deep friendships and bold patriotism, The Women is a richly drawn story with a memorable heroine whose idealism and courage under fire will come to define an era.]]> 471 Kristin Hannah 1250178630 Tera 0 to-read 4.59 2024 The Women
author: Kristin Hannah
name: Tera
average rating: 4.59
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/11/30
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The House in the Cerulean Sea (Cerulean Chronicles, #1)]]> 45047384
Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages.

When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he's given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they’re likely to bring about the end of days.

But the children aren’t the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn.

An enchanting story, masterfully told, The House in the Cerulean Sea is about the profound experience of discovering an unlikely family in an unexpected place—and realizing that family is yours.]]> 394 T.J. Klune Tera 0 to-read 4.37 2020 The House in the Cerulean Sea (Cerulean Chronicles, #1)
author: T.J. Klune
name: Tera
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/28
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> A Very Merry Mistake 201581337 A sexy cinnamon-roll lumberjack offers me a ride into town, a stay at his cozy cabin, and eventually his bed. All things I can’t refuse.

After several flirty glances and heated mistletoe kisses, we create no strings attached and no falling in love. Agreeing to the impossible might be my biggest mistake yet.

I visited the small town for one reason to prove a point to my father.
Now I’ve got a fake boyfriend.
A secret to keep hidden.
And a choice to make that will determine more than just my future.


If you’re searching for a spicy holiday romance with a protective cinnamon-roll lumberjack and sassy heroine, this book is for you! A Very Merry Mistake is a standalone with a sweet-as-gingerbread happily ever after. This small-town contemporary romance has a dash of grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity, secret identity, and tons of Southern goodness. Fade to black is NOT included! ]]> 358 Lyra Parish 1961229358 Tera 0 to-read 4.13 A Very Merry Mistake
author: Lyra Parish
name: Tera
average rating: 4.13
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Plight Before Christmas (Holiday Hijinx, #1)]]> 59632248
When Mom insisted that we all gather at my Grandparent’s ancient cabin for an old school family Christmas, I fully intended to get into the holiday spirit with the help of the three wise men, Johnnie Walker, Jack Daniels, and Jim Beam. But those boys did absolutely nothing to offset the shock or temper the sting of seeing my EX on our doorstep the first day of our holiday soiree.

Apparently, Santa missed the memo, and this elf is pissed.

Stuck for a week with the man who obliterated my heart nearly two decades ago, I did the only thing I could do and put on my game face, thankful for the home advantage.

I knew better than to drink that last cup of eggnog.

I knew better than to get tongue tangled beneath the mistletoe with the only man to ever break my heart.

I knew better than to sleep with Satan’s wingman on the eve of the Lord’s birthday.

I could blame the nog. I could blame the deceitful light blue eyes, thick, angelic hair, and panty evaporating smirk…but mostly, I blame Eli because he always knew exactly which of my buttons to push.

I foolishly thought a family Christmas filled with nostalgia was going to turn my inner Scrooge around, but this year’s festivities went up in flames. Leave it to the ghost of my Christmas past to be the one to light the match.

Fa la la la la, la FML.]]> 374 Kate Stewart Tera 0 to-read 4.13 The Plight Before Christmas (Holiday Hijinx, #1)
author: Kate Stewart
name: Tera
average rating: 4.13
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/11/26
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[These Infinite Threads (This Woven Kingdom #2)]]> 61085925
Alizeh, the heir to the Jinn throne, is destined to free her people from the half-lives they’ve been forced to live under human rule. When Kamran, the heir to the human throne, falls in love with her, he’s forced to question everything he’s been taught about Jinn.

Kamran’s grandfather lays dead at the hand of Cyrus, ruler of the neighboring kingdom of Tulan. Cyrus has stolen Alizeh away to his homeland and plans to marry her there, giving her everything she needs to become the Jinn queen—and when she assumes the throne he will have fulfilled his own bargain with the devil.

Alizeh wants nothing to do with Cyrus’s deal or the devil. But without a way to escape Tulan, and with the fulfillment of her own destiny tantalizingly close, she’ll have to decide whether she can set aside her emotions to become the queen her people need.

Kamran, meanwhile, is picking up the pieces in Ardunia. Facing betrayal at every turn, all he knows is that he must go to Tulan to avenge his grandfather. He can only hope that Alizeh will be waiting for him there—and that she hasn’t yet become the queen of Tulan.

Full of explosive magic, searing romance, and heartbreaking betrayal, this breathtaking sequel to This Woven Kingdom is from the award-winning and bestselling author of the Shatter Me series and is perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo, Sabaa Tahir, and Tomi Adeyemi.]]> 416 Tahereh Mafi 0062972499 Tera 0 to-read 4.09 2023 These Infinite Threads (This Woven Kingdom #2)
author: Tahereh Mafi
name: Tera
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/24
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Spark of the Everflame (The Kindred’s Curse Saga, #1)]]> 215697737 When old secrets catch fire, everything will burn.

In a mortal world colonized by the gods and ruled over by the Descended, their cruel offspring, Diem Bellator yearns to escape the insular life of her poor village.

Her mother’s sudden disappearance—and the discovery of a dangerous secret about her past—offer Diem an unexpected opportunity to enter the dark world of Descended royalty and unlock the web of mysteries her mother left behind.

With the dying King’s handsome, mysterious heir watching her every move, and a ruthless mortal alliance recruiting her to join the growing civil war, Diem will have to navigate the unwritten rules of love, power, and politics in order to save her family—and all of mortalkind.

Spark of the Everflame is the first book in The Kindred's Curse Saga, a four-book fantasy romance series. This slow burn, enemies-to-lovers epic is perfect for lovers of magic, dragons, angst, and banter and will appeal to fans of books like A Court of Thorns and Roses, From Blood and Ash, Gild, and The Serpent & the Wings of Night.]]> 416 Penn Cole 1668085720 Tera 0 to-read 4.19 2023 Spark of the Everflame (The Kindred’s Curse Saga, #1)
author: Penn Cole
name: Tera
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/22
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Love at First Book 196834933 When a librarian moves to a quaint Irish village where her favorite novelist lives, the last thing she expects is to fall for the author’s prickly son� until their story becomes one for the books, from the New York Times bestselling author of Summer Reading.

Emily Allen, a librarian on Martha’s Vineyard, has always dreamed of a life of travel and adventure. So when her favorite author, Siobhan Riordan, offers her a job in the Emerald Isle, Emily jumps at the opportunity. After all, Siobhan’s novels got Em through some of the darkest days of her existence.

Helping Siobhan write the final book in her acclaimed series—after a ten-year hiatus due to a scorching case of writer’s block—is a dream come true for Emily. If only she didn’t have to deal with Siobhan’s son, Kieran Murphy. He manages Siobhan’s bookstore, and the grouchy bookworm clearly doesn’t want Em around.

When Siobhan’s health takes a bad turn, she’s more determined than ever to finish her novel, while Kieran tries every trick in the book to get his mother to rest. Thrown into the role of peacemaker, Emily begins to see that Kieran's heart is in the right place. Torn between helping Siobhan find closure with her series and her own growing feelings for the mercurial Irishman, Emily will have to decide if she’s truly ready to turn a new page and figure out what lies in the next chapter.]]> 366 Jenn McKinlay 0593545753 Tera 0 to-read 4.13 2024 Love at First Book
author: Jenn McKinlay
name: Tera
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/21
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Fall of Ruin and Wrath (Awakening, #1)]]> 65214365
Long ago, the world was destroyed by gods. Only nine cities were spared. Separated by vast wilderness teeming with monsters and unimaginable dangers, each city is now ruled by a guardian―royalty who feed on mortal pleasure.

Born with an intuition that never fails, Calista knows her talents are of great value to the power-hungry of the world, so she lives hidden as a courtesan of the Baron of Archwood. In exchange for his protection, she grants him information.

When her intuition leads her to save a traveling prince in dire trouble, the voice inside her blazes with warning―and promise. Today he’ll bring her joy. One day he'll be her doom.

When the Baron takes an interest in the traveling prince and the prince takes an interest in Calista, she becomes the prince’s temporary companion. But the city simmers with rebellion, and with knights and monsters at her city gates and a hungry prince in her bed, intuition may not be enough to keep her safe.

Calista must follow her intuition to safety or follow her heart to her downfall.]]> 416 Jennifer L. Armentrout 1250750199 Tera 0 to-read 3.94 2023 Fall of Ruin and Wrath (Awakening, #1)
author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
name: Tera
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Color of a Memory (The Color of Heaven, #5)]]> 22033128
Soon Audrey discovers that in the weeks leading up to her husband’s death, he was keeping secrets, and she wonders if she ever really knew him at all. Compelled to dig into his past and explore memories that define the essence of their relationship, Audrey embarks upon a journey of discovery that will lead her down a new path to the future - a future she never dared to imagine.
]]> 253 Julianne MacLean Tera 0 to-read 4.34 2014 The Color of a Memory (The Color of Heaven, #5)
author: Julianne MacLean
name: Tera
average rating: 4.34
book published: 2014
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Four Winds 53138081 Texas, 1934. Millions are out of work and a drought has broken the Great Plains. Farmers are fighting to keep their land and their livelihoods as the crops are failing, the water is drying up, and dust threatens to bury them all. One of the darkest periods of the Great Depression, the Dust Bowl era, has arrived with a vengeance.

In this uncertain and dangerous time, Elsa Martinelli—like so many of her neighbors—must make an agonizing choice: fight for the land she loves or go west, to California, in search of a better life. The Four Winds is an indelible portrait of America and the American Dream, as seen through the eyes of one indomitable woman whose courage and sacrifice will come to define a generation.

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Nightingale and The Great Alone comes an epic novel of love and heroism and hope, set against the backdrop of one of America’s most defining eras—the Great Depression.

Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9781250178602]]> 464 Kristin Hannah 1250178606 Tera 0 to-read 4.27 2021 The Four Winds
author: Kristin Hannah
name: Tera
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2021
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/11/08
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> The Nightingale 33796137 In love we find out who we want to be.
In war we find out who we are.

FRANCE, 1939

In the quiet village of Carriveau, Vianne Mauriac says good-bye to her husband, Antoine, as he heads for the Front. She doesn’t believe that the Nazis will invade France…but invade they do, in droves of marching soldiers, in caravans of trucks and tanks, in planes that fill the skies and drop bombs upon the innocent. When a German captain requisitions Vianne’s home, she and her daughter must live with the enemy or lose everything. Without food or money or hope, as danger escalates all around them, she is forced to make one impossible choice after another to keep her family alive.

Vianne’s sister, Isabelle, is a rebellious eighteen-year-old, searching for purpose with all the reckless passion of youth. While thousands of Parisians march into the unknown terrors of war, she meets Gaëtan, a partisan who believes the French can fight the Nazis from within France, and she falls in love as only the young can…completely. But when he betrays her, Isabelle joins the Resistance and never looks back, risking her life time and again to save others.]]> 440 Kristin Hannah 1250131766 Tera 5 4.67 2015 The Nightingale
author: Kristin Hannah
name: Tera
average rating: 4.67
book published: 2015
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/08
date added: 2024/11/08
shelves:
review:
An easy 5 star historical fiction set in Nazi France that had me emotional until the very last page. Kristin Hannah is going to be on my binge list!
]]> Never Never 208456112 The twisty and devastating instant #1 New York Times bestselling romantic mystery—now in a stunning hardcover Collector's Edition featuring nine exclusive illustrations, a foil-stamped case, beautifully stained edges and custom designed endpapers.

Never stop...Never forget...Just remember.

Charlie Wynwood and Silas Nash have been best friends since they could walk. They've been in love since the age of fourteen. But as of this morning...they are complete strangers. Their first kiss, their first fight, the moment they fell in love...every memory has vanished. Now Charlie and Silas must work together to uncover the truth about what happened to them and why.

But the more they learn about the couple they used to be...the more they question why they were ever together to begin with. Forgetting is terrifying, but remembering may be worse.

Heart-stopping and utterly captivating, Never Never will leave readers breathless and believing in the power of love.]]> 400 Colleen Hoover 1335080090 Tera 0 to-read 3.26 2016 Never Never
author: Colleen Hoover
name: Tera
average rating: 3.26
book published: 2016
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/11/07
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Worth the Fall: A Small Town, Single Dad, Workplace Romance (Sugar Mountain Book 1)]]> 217273174
Nothing matters more to me than my little girl. My world stops and starts with her. Running my family's resort is a job. Being Clara's dad is a gift. I wasn't looking for a relationship, but when Brooklyn walked into my office with her firey red hair and matching personality, all bets were off. I've tried to keep it professional, but that woman pushes every single button I've got. And hell, I sort of love her for it.

So what am I going to do about it?]]> 343 J. Sterling 1945042702 Tera 0 to-read 4.17 Worth the Fall: A Small Town, Single Dad, Workplace Romance (Sugar Mountain Book 1)
author: J. Sterling
name: Tera
average rating: 4.17
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rating: 0
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date added: 2024/11/06
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]]> <![CDATA[LEGENDS: a limited-time, four-book collection of legendary love stories]]> 221073509 Breathtaking. Exquisite. Beautiful.

For over a decade, the books of USA Today and New York Times bestselling authors, Leylah Attar, Amy Harmon, Katy Regnery and Mia Sheridan, have captivated readers with their lyrical prose, spellbinding characters and heart-wrenching love stories. From Archer's Voice (Sheridan) and What The Wind Knows (Harmon), to Unloved (Regnery) and The Paper Swan (Attar), these four authors have attracted deeply-loyal fans from all over the world who praise their unforgettable storytelling.

For the first time ever, these four authors have each contributed a beloved, indie novel to LEGENDS, a limited-time collection. Four unlikely couples will sweep you off your feet, fill your hearts with hope and love, and leave you breathless for more. Whether you are a fan of all four authors, or just one, we guarantee that the stories in this collection will resonate for you.

MISTS OF THE SERENGETI (Leylah Attar): Set against the lush backdrop of East Africa, this award-winning contemporary love story follows two ordinary people, bound by tragedy, as they undertake a remarkable journey through the Serengeti to save endangered children. Jack, a coffee farmer in Tanzania, and Rodel, an English teacher from London, meet in the aftermath of devastation, but discover a connection that transcends distance, culture, and circumstance. Inspired by true events, Mists of The Serengeti is a flawlessly written, emotionally resonant tale of the unknown ways in which we are all connected.

THE LAW OF MOSES (Amy Harmon): Someone found him in a laundry basket at the Quick Wash, wrapped in a towel, a few hours old and close to death. They called him Baby Moses when they shared his story on the ten o’clock news � the little baby left in a basket at a dingy laundromat. Years later, Moses is a troubled teen: strange, exotic, beautiful...and utterly beloved by Georgia Shepard. And so begins a story of pain and promise, of heartache and healing, of life and death. Exquisitely written and deeply emotional, trust in the journey, and in Amy, your guide.

THE VIXEN AND THE VET (Katy Regnery): In this "Beauty and the Beast" retelling, disgraced journalist Savannah Carmichael returns to her hometown of Danvers, Virginia, with her once-promising career in ruins. Given the opportunity to get her skin back in the game by writing a patriotic human-interest piece, she agrees to interview local war-hero-turned-hermit, Asher Lee. Savannah has no intention of falling for the gravely-injured veteran, but fate has other plans for her. Intensely romantic, fast-paced and ultimately unforgettable, this modern twist on a beloved fairytale is an instant classic.

THE WISH COLLECTOR (Mia Sheridan): Upon arriving in magical, mysterious New Orleans, ballerina Clara Campbell is instantly captivated by the tragic legend of Windisle Plantation. Returning day after day, she speaks to a phantom voice through the cracks of a stone wall, falling deeply in love with a man whose face she's never seen...a man who knows that Clara's hopes for a future beyond the thick walls of Windisle are impossible. The Wish Collector is story of shame and triumph, of loneliness and love, and the miracle of two hearts connecting despite the barriers between them.

*Note: this special, limited-time collection will only be offered from January 1 - March 30, 2025 exclusively on Amazon and for download on KindleUnlimited. ]]> 1500 Katy Regnery 1964873649 Tera 0 to-read 4.74 2025 LEGENDS: a limited-time, four-book collection of legendary love stories
author: Katy Regnery
name: Tera
average rating: 4.74
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/11/05
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]]> When Never Comes 35889208 Author Barbara Davis deftly explores an emotionally charged landscape of pain, loss, and despair—and the risk one woman will take in the hope of loving again.

As a teenage runaway and child of an addict, Christy-Lynn learned the hard way that no address was permanent, and no promise sacred. For a while, she found a safe haven in her marriage to bestselling crime novelist Stephen Ludlow—until his car skidded into Echo Bay. But Stephen’s wasn’t the only body pulled from the icy waters that night. When details about a mysterious violet-eyed blonde become public, a media circus ensues, and Christy-Lynn runs again.

Desperate for answers, she’s shattered to learn that Stephen and his mistress had a child—a little girl named Iris, who now lives in poverty with her ailing great-grandmother. The thought of Iris abandoned to the foster care system—as Christy-Lynn once was—is unbearable. But she’s spent her whole life running—determined never to be hurt again. Will she finally stand still long enough to open herself up to forgiveness and love?]]> 367 Barbara Davis 1477808914 Tera 0 to-read 3.63 2018 When Never Comes
author: Barbara Davis
name: Tera
average rating: 3.63
book published: 2018
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/11/02
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]]> <![CDATA[A Court of Silver Flames (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #4)]]> 59440711 Sarah J. Maas's sexy, richly imagined series continues with the journey of Feyre's fiery sister, Nesta.

Nesta Archeron has always been prickly-proud, swift to anger, and slow to forgive. And ever since being forced into the Cauldron and becoming High Fae against her will, she's struggled to find a place for herself within the strange, deadly world she inhabits. Worse, she can't seem to move past the horrors of the war with Hybern and all she lost in it.

The one person who ignites her temper more than any other is Cassian, the battle-scarred warrior whose position in Rhysand and Feyre's Night Court keeps him constantly in Nesta's orbit. But her temper isn't the only thing Cassian ignites. The fire between them is undeniable, and only burns hotter as they are forced into close quarters with each other.

Meanwhile, the treacherous human queens who returned to the Continent during the last war have forged a dangerous new alliance, threatening the fragile peace that has settled over the realms. And the key to halting them might very well rely on Cassian and Nesta facing their haunting pasts.

Against the sweeping backdrop of a world seared by war and plagued with uncertainty, Nesta and Cassian battle monsters from within and without as they search for acceptance-and healing-in each other's arms.]]> 784 Sarah J. Maas 1635577993 Tera 5 audible 4.53 2021 A Court of Silver Flames (A Court of Thorns and Roses, #4)
author: Sarah J. Maas
name: Tera
average rating: 4.53
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/31
date added: 2024/10/31
shelves: audible
review:

]]> <![CDATA[If You Stayed (Deluxe Edition)]]> 215999525 There once was a man who loved me, until he forgot every memory we've ever shared�

Gabriel Sinclair would forever be my first. My first best friend, my first kiss, my first love…and my first heartbreak. The accident that nearly took his life ripped the memory of me from his grasp—and for the last decades, I've let the guilt of that one terrible night keep us apart.

It took me years to make peace with the fact that he would no longer be in my life, so when he shows up as the architect for my new home, my world's tossed upside down. Now, I'm trapped in a loveless marriage, raising a child, while Gabriel stirs up feelings I thought long buried. It feels like my soul is waking up after years of being in a deep slumber—and my controlling husband will do whatever it takes to keep us apart.

I know I should push Gabriel away to protect him from the shadows surrounding me. Yet, I can't deny the hope that blooms whenever he's near—the chance that he might remember me, that we could reclaim the chapters of our story that we've lost.Ěý

Nothing good could come from us, but I can't help but wonder what would happen if this time...he stayed.Ěý

There once was a man who loved me� And now he's my only hope for tomorrow.]]> 400 Brittainy C. Cherry 172829715X Tera 0 to-read 4.28 If You Stayed (Deluxe Edition)
author: Brittainy C. Cherry
name: Tera
average rating: 4.28
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rating: 0
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date added: 2024/10/29
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]]> Remarkably Bright Creatures 59710157 For fans of A Man Called Ove, a charming, witty and compulsively readable exploration of friendship, reckoning, and hope that traces a widow's unlikely connection with a giant Pacific octopus

After Tova Sullivan's husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she's been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago.

Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn't dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors--until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova.

Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova's son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it's too late.

Shelby Van Pelt's debut novel is a gentle reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible.]]> 362 Shelby Van Pelt 0063204177 Tera 0 to-read 4.51 2022 Remarkably Bright Creatures
author: Shelby Van Pelt
name: Tera
average rating: 4.51
book published: 2022
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/10/29
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]]> <![CDATA[The Color of Love (The Color of Heaven, #6)]]> 21947590 But when Seth’s plane goes missing after a crash landing in the harsh Canadian wilderness, Carla must wait for news� Is he dead or alive? Will the wreckage ever be found?

One year later, after having given up all hope, Carla receives a phone call that shocks her to her core. A man has been found, half-dead, floating on an iceberg in the North Atlantic, uttering her name. Is this Seth? And is it possible that he will come home to her and Kaleigh at last, and be the man she always dreamed he would be?]]> 300 Julianne MacLean 1927675170 Tera 0 to-read 4.50 2014 The Color of Love (The Color of Heaven, #6)
author: Julianne MacLean
name: Tera
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2014
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/10/24
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]]> <![CDATA[The Unbearable Lightness of Being]]> 9717 The Unbearable Lightness of Being, Milan Kundera tells the story of a young woman in love with a man torn between his love for her and his incorrigible womanizing and one of his mistresses and her humbly faithful lover. This magnificent novel juxtaposes geographically distant places, brilliant and playful reflections, and a variety of styles, to take its place as perhaps the major achievement of one of the world’s truly great writers.]]> 314 Milan Kundera 0571224385 Tera 0 to-read 4.12 1984 The Unbearable Lightness of Being
author: Milan Kundera
name: Tera
average rating: 4.12
book published: 1984
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/10/22
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]]> Variation 210482187 New York Times bestselling author of Fourth Wing comes a new contemporary romance about the summer a celebrated dancer returns home and unearths years of family secrets with the Coast Guard rescue swimmer she never forgot.

Elite ballerina Allie Rousseau is no stranger to pressure. With her mother’s eyes always watching, perfection was expected, no matter the cost. But when an injury jeopardizes all she’s sacrificed for, Allie returns to her summer home to heal and recover. But the memories she’s tried to forget rush in and threaten to take her under.

As a Coast Guard rescue swimmer, Hudson Ellis knows that hesitation can mean the difference between life and death. He’s always prided himself on being in the right place at the right time, especially when it came to Allie Rousseau…until the night he left for basic. After the biggest regret of his life, the secrets he keeps mean he can never be with the one woman he wants more than his next breath.

When Hudson’s niece shows up on Allie’s doorstep, desperate to find her birth mother, Allie finds herself in an unimaginable position. Allie and Hudson’s past and present might be endlessly complicated. The thread that tied them to each other all those years ago may have unraveled, but the truth could pull them back together, or drive them apart forever.]]> 459 Rebecca Yarros 1662514697 Tera 0 to-read 4.20 2024 Variation
author: Rebecca Yarros
name: Tera
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2024
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/10/21
shelves: to-read
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]]> The Great Alone 34912895 Unpredictable. Unforgiving. Untamed.
For a family in crisis, the ultimate test of survival.

Ernt Allbright, a former POW, comes home from the Vietnam war a changed and volatile man. When he loses yet another job, he makes an impulsive decision: he will move his family north, to Alaska, where they will live off the grid in America’s last true frontier.

Thirteen-year-old Leni, a girl coming of age in a tumultuous time, caught in the riptide of her parents� passionate, stormy relationship, dares to hope that a new land will lead to a better future for her family. She is desperate for a place to belong. Her mother, Cora, will do anything and go anywhere for the man she loves, even if it means following him into the unknown.

At first, Alaska seems to be the answer to their prayers. In a wild, remote corner of the state, they find a fiercely independent community of strong men and even stronger women. The long, sunlit days and the generosity of the locals make up for the Allbrights� lack of preparation and dwindling resources.

But as winter approaches and darkness descends on Alaska, Ernt’s fragile mental state deteriorates and the family begins to fracture. Soon the perils outside pale in comparison to threats from within. In their small cabin, covered in snow, blanketed in eighteen hours of night, Leni and her mother learn the terrible truth: they are on their own. In the wild, there is no one to save them but themselves.

In this unforgettable portrait of human frailty and resilience, Kristin Hannah reveals the indomitable character of the modern American pioneer and the spirit of a vanishing Alaska―a place of incomparable beauty and danger. The Great Alone is a daring, beautiful, stay-up-all-night story about love and loss, the fight for survival, and the wildness that lives in both man and nature.]]> 435 Kristin Hannah Tera 0 to-read 4.44 2018 The Great Alone
author: Kristin Hannah
name: Tera
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2018
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/10/10
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]]> Fallen Gods (Fallen Gods, #1) 203938051 The legends of the past are never truly dead and buried . . .

Liv Olson has been drawn to Norse Mythology her entire life. After earning her degree and working as a curator at one of New York’s most prestigious museums, she gets an unexpected offer for her dream job in Norway - the same place her brother disappeared months ago � after a cryptic message about finding their long-lost father.

She finds herself surrounded by superstitious townspeople who refuse to even look at the water. Liv soon realizes that the small town of Vonn is nothing like it seems. Shops close before dark, and things she’s only read about seem to suddenly exist. To top it off , her new boss, Tristan, is insultingly mean and engagingly beautiful � and, as part of the job, she must live with him in his mansion.

As her life quickly unravels into chaos, she’s left wondering who’s pulling the strings in this mysterious place where nothing makes sense, yet everything feels familiar.

Her studies have always told her the gods are who you trust. But what happens when the man who’s destined to kill you � is your savior?

Rachel Van Dyken's Fallen Gods duology is a steamy, dramatic myth retelling.]]> 528 Rachel Van Dyken 1649374674 Tera 0 to-read 4.67 2025 Fallen Gods (Fallen Gods, #1)
author: Rachel Van Dyken
name: Tera
average rating: 4.67
book published: 2025
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/10/08
shelves: to-read
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