What’s on My Bookshelf: Part 1

After writing that post Beat the Backlist Challenge 2022 I wanted to take a good look at my bookshelf and see what books I still have to read or need to finish! I don’t keep a lot of physical books since I only have limited space, but there is still on my shelf I need to read. Here’s part 1:

Books on my shelf:

The Vanishing Deep by. Astrid Scholte
Eat Your Heart Out by. Kelly DeVos
Agnes at the End of the World by. Kelly McWilliams
Forestborn by. Elayne Audrey Becker
The Secret Recipe for Moving On by. Karen Bischer

Sisters of Sword & Song by. Rebecca Ross
The Hating Game by. Sally Thorne
Illusionary by. Zoraida Cordova
The Last Garden in England by. Julia Kelly
The Fountains of Silence by. Ruta Sepetys

I did start The Vanishing Deep and Forestborn and I meant to finish but haven’t had time. I’m determined to pick them again soon though and finish it this year.

Most Anticipated Book Releases | February 2023

There are some exciting releases coming up this month! This is what I’m looking forward to:

What is your most anticipated book release this month?

First Quiver by. Beth C. Greenberg | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: First Quiver (#1)

Author: Beth C. Greenberg

Format: paperback (gifted)

Pages: 302

Publication Date: 1/25/21

Publisher: Isotopia Publishing

Categories: Contemporary, Romance, Greek Mythology, Humor, Series, LGBT+

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to Beth C. Greenberg for giving me a chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review!

Immortality isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, especially for the 3,375-year-old virgin of Mount Olympus.

Day after day, the God of Love launches his arrows, then watches from the sidelines while everyone else has all the fun. On a mischievous whim, Cupid sends a love-tipped arrow into the wrong rump—and the gods sentence him to a taste of his own medicine.

Banished from the only home he’s ever known, Cupid plunges to Earth and lands in present-day Tarra, Indiana, where mortals go on about their daily routines, oblivious to the capricious gods stirring the pot from above. Delighted to discover his wings and pubescent pudge have been transformed into a magnificent human body, Cupid swiftly leaves his virginity behind.

But his carnal spree is cut short when he falls passionately in love for the first time in his immortal life, and he understands the full measure of his punishment: he must find the Right Love match for the mortal he desperately loves, and then he must let her go.

Caught between two worlds on a quest to fix Love, Cupid must survive the violent throes of his own coming of age and triumph over the powerful gods conspiring against him. Failure will not be tolerated; success will cost him everything.

First Quiver is an irreverent, contemporary twist on mythology and the struggle between duty and love, a battle as old as the gods themselves.

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book, First Quiver, but I like greek mythology so here’s what I thought:

+ This is a light-hearted, humorous and steamy story about Cupid falling from grace (onto Earth). Cupid is basically unleashed among humans and is learning about sex and trying to learn about love.

+ I thought it was interesting how it Cupid’s job as “cupid” to find the perfect love for the woman he’s now fallen in love with. What a conundrum! It was funny how Pan, his friend, was always trying to get Cupid back on track. I enjoyed all the greek mythology aspect of this book.

+ The supporting cast with the other fallen greek gods was interesting, especially Pan. Now Cupid may be losing his virginity to women, but what is this chemistry he has with his friend Pan? I was actually rooting for the two of them to get together! Cupid hooks up with women but there is an attraction and flirtation with Pan.

~ Story-wise I did like the humor but I wanted something more to happen. I know it’s a light-hearted read and it’s perfect for a quick reading experience. But I wanted to see what would happen with Cupid and Pan’s relationship. I wonder if the two of them hook up in the next book? This is a series so there is no full conclusion at the end of this first book – Cupid’s journey in love and lust continues in the next book

Why you should read it:

you want to read a light-hearted, humorous, steamy romance
you like greek mythology

Why you might not want to read it:

not into greek mythology or romance

My Thoughts:

If you are into greek mythology and want a light-hearted, steamy, romance book, definitely try this one!

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon

Secretly Yours by. Tessa Bailey | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Secretly Yours (#1)

Author: Tessa Bailey

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 384

Publication Date: 2/7/23

Publisher: Avon US

Categories: Contemporary, Romance, Series

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to Avon US for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

A steamy new rom-com about a starchy professor and the bubbly neighbor he clashes with at every turn…

Hallie Welch fell hard for Julian Vos at fourteen, after they almost kissed in the dark vineyards of his family’s winery. Now the prodigal hottie has returned to their small town. When Hallie is hired to revamp the gardens on the Vos estate, she wonders if she’ll finally get that smooch. But the grumpy professor isn’t the teenager she remembers and their polar opposite personalities clash spectacularly. One wine-fueled girls’ night later, Hallie can’t shake the sense that she did something reckless–and then she remembers the drunken secret admirer letter she left for Julian. Oh shit.

On sabbatical from his ivy league job, Julian plans to write a novel. But having Hallie gardening right outside his window is the ultimate distraction. She’s eccentric, chronically late, often literally covered in dirt–and so unbelievably beautiful, he can’t focus on anything else. Until he finds an anonymous letter sent by a woman from his past. Even as Julian wonders about this admirer, he’s sucked further into Hallie’s orbit. Like the flowers she plants all over town, Hallie is a burst of color in Julian’s gray-scale life. For a man who irons his socks and runs on tight schedules, her sunny chaotic energy makes zero sense. But there’s something so familiar about her… and her very presence is turning his world upside down.

Content Warning:

I’ve read two books from Tessa Bailey and loved them so when I saw this one I had to request it. Here’s what I thought:

+ This is an opposites attract story that has lots of sparks. Julian is a starchy, stuffy professor who lives by a schedule. And Hallie is everything he is not – she is messy, loves to be outside in the dirt, has three dogs, she’s a tornado. When these two come together, it’s full on attraction.

+ Speaking of attraction, the steam is hot in this one. I especially love when a grumpy, man who abides by order and schedules gets rocked off their center. They both lose control with one another which is fun, there’s some dirty talking and it’s exactly what I would expect in a romance written by this author.

+ I love the supporting case, especially Lavinia who is Hallie’s best friend. She’s funny and keeps it real! I thought Julian’s sister was an interesting character too and it seems like the next book in the series is about her.

+ This story is short, sweet and hot which is everything I want in my romance novels.

~ I love that this was a quick read at under 300 pages but I also do love when this author can really get into the characters and setting like she did with the Bellinger Sisters series. So if it had been just a tad bit longer with more details on the setting, and spending more time with the characters and building them up, then this would have been five stars.

~ The second chance romance part of the story had to do with the two in high school but he barely remembers her. And I wasn’t sure about the secret love letters – it was cute, but I didn’t see the point of them.

Tropes: opposites attract, grumpy x sunshine, small town setting, second chance romance

Why you should read it:

you want to read something short, hot and sweet
opposites attract trope and some dirty talking

Why you might not want to read it:

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed this story because it was short, and sweet but with lots of hot moments. I also love a good opposites attract story, it’s one of my favorite tropes. But I didn’t see why the secret love letters were needed. Despite that I’m definitely interested in reading the next book in the series.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Hook, Line and Sinker by. Tessa Bailey | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

It Happened One Summer by. Tessa Bailey | Book Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

WWW Wednesday | 2/1/23

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Sam over on Taking on a World of Words.

The idea is pretty simple, every week you dedicate a post to the three W’s:

What are you currently reading?

What have you just finished reading?

What are you going to read next?

Happy FEBRUARY! Are we really here right now in the second month of the year? January felt like it was so fast and yet slow too – weird, but if you know, you know. February is going to be filled with some doctor appointments and I’m excited for President’s Day weekend, just to get a break. I got only a few arcs due in February so I’ll start work on the ones due in March.

What are you currently reading?

What have you just finished reading?

What are you going to read next?

What are you reading right now?

Happy Book Birthday | New Releases | 1/31/23

Happy book birthday to these new releases! Check out this list today:

Nova Albright was going to be the first Black homecoming queen at Lovett High—but now she’s dead. Murdered on coronation night. Fans of One of Us Is Lying and The Other Black Girl will love this unputdownable thriller.

Nova Albright, the first Black homecoming queen at Lovett High, is dead. Murdered the night of her coronation, her body found the next morning in the old slave cemetery she spent her weekends rehabilitating.

Tinsley McArthur was supposed to be queen. Not only is she beautiful, wealthy, and white, it’s her legacy—her grandmother, her mother, and even her sister wore the crown before her. Everyone in Lovett knows Tinsley would do anything to carry on the McArthur tradition.

No one is more certain of that than Duchess Simmons, Nova’s best friend. Duchess’s father is the first Black police captain in Lovett. For Duchess, Nova’s crown was more than just a win for Nova. It was a win for all the Black kids. Now her best friend is dead, and her father won’t fact the fact that the main suspect is right in front of him. Duchess is convinced that Tinsley killed Nova—and that Tinsley is privileged enough to think she can get away with it. But Duchess’s father seems to be doing what he always does: fall behind the blue line. Which means that the white girl is going to walk.

Duchess is determined to prove Tinsley’s guilt. And to do that, she’ll have to get close to her.

But Tinsley has an agenda, too.

Everyone loved Nova. And sometimes, love is exactly what gets you killed.

Goodreads | Amazon

“A worthy successor to the Slayer stories.” -Booklist (starred review for In Every Generation)

#1 New York Times best-selling author Kendare Blake returns to New Sunnydale in this sequel to In Every Generation, set in the world of Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Into every generation, a slayer is born. One girl in all the world . . . maybe.

Frankie Rosenberg is the world’s first slayer-witch, but she doesn’t have that slay-life balance figured out just yet. After all, being the newest slayer means that another slayer had to die. Frankie and the Scooby gang are still reeling from the deadly explosion that rocked the annual slayer retreat―and grappling with new evidence that some slayers may have made it out alive. And even though they defeated bloodthirsty vampire the Countess, it doesn’t mean Sunnydale is free from the forces of evil.

Something has reawakened the Hellmouth―and is calling old friends home. Someone is performing demon magic in the shadows, opening portals between dimensions. Everyone has demons to contend with―of the metaphorical and the very real (occasionally very hot) variety. And an oracle warns of a new evil on its way: the Darkness.

Could this be what attacked the slayers? And is it coming for Frankie?

Goodreads | Amazon

Release Date: January 29, 2023

I MEANT TO CAPTURE THE PRINCE’S HEART . . . AND ENDED UP WITH A KING’S.

My desire to sit upon the Lucin throne led me to revive an ancient, winged monarch; one I deemed a friend until that friend duped and imprisoned me.

Lorcan claims he’s holding me captive for my own safety, but then he also claims I belong to him. Slumbering for five centuries has evidently given the Crow King severe delusions.

We may share an unfortunate mind-link, but we are still masters of our own destiny, and I intend to steer mine away from the Sky Kingdom and its prophecies . . . away from him.

I quickly find out there is no escaping the possessive male. In all honesty, I’m no longer certain I want to.

Get swept away in the second installment of a slow-burn shifter fantasy series full of heartbreaking deceit, wicked supernaturals, and alpha males.

Goodreads | Amazon

Are you getting any new books this week?

Happy Reading!

New Year Celebration Book Covers | TTT | 1/31/23

Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together. Please check out her website for more TTT topics!

This week’s topic is:

New Year Celebration Book Covers

I wanted to showcase some books with fireworks or are colorful like fireworks. Also in the spirit of Lunar New Year, that was on January 22, 2023 – maybe covers with some dancing lions or some rabbits because it is the year of the Rabbit!

I think I got a good mix of book covers on here trying to showcase a bunch of New Year and Lunar New Year themes!

What’s on your TTT?

Goodreads Monday: My Sister’s Big Fat Indian Wedding

Happy Monday!

Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme where you chose a random book from your Goodreads TBR and show it off. This meme is hosted by Budget Tales Book Blog.

Title: My Sister’s Big Fat Indian Wedding

Author: Sajni Patel

Pages: 366

Publication Date: 4/19/22

Links: Goodreads | Amazon

Synopsis:

A fresh, witty rom-com romp set against the backdrop of a high-profile music competition and a riotous Indian wedding

Zurika Damani is a naturally gifted violinist with a particular love for hip hop beats. But when you’re part of a big Indian family, everyone has expectations, and those certainly don’t include hip hop violin. After being rejected by Juilliard, Zuri’s last hope is a contest judged by a panel of top tier college scouts. The only problem? This coveted competition happens to take place during Zuri’s sister’s extravagant wedding week. And Zuri has already been warned, repeatedly, that she is not to miss a single moment.

In the midst of the chaos, Zuri’s mom is in matchmaking mode with the groom’s South African cousin Naveen—who just happens to be a cocky vocalist set on stealing Zuri’s spotlight at the scouting competition. Luckily Zuri has a crew of loud and loyal female cousins cheering her on. Now, all she has to do is to wow the judges for a top spot, evade getting caught by her parents, resist Naveen’s charms, and, oh yeah . . . not mess up her sister’s big fat Indian wedding. What could possibly go wrong?

Do you have plans to read this book? Let me know in the comments below!

Just My Type by. Falon Ballard | ARC Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Just My Type

Author: Falon Ballard

Format: eBook (NetGalley)

Pages: 368

Publication Date: 2/6/23

Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s Sons

Categories: Contemporary, Romance, Second Chance Romance, Rivalry

Disclaimer: **I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.**

Thank you to G.P. Putnam’s Sons for giving me a chance to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

To win the job of her dreams, a relationship-prone journalist needs to learn how to stay single in this heartwarming and hilarious new romantic comedy from the beloved author of Lease on Love.

Lana Parker has never been single for long. After a disastrous break-up with her high school boyfriend, Seth Carson, Lana’s bounced from long-term relationship to long-term relationship. She’s an expert girlfriend, even acting as the resident dating and relationship columnist for one of Los Angeles’s trendiest websites. But now, at the age of thirty, Lana suddenly finds herself single again, and she’s determined to stay that way, no matter how challenging.

That is, until her high school ex, Seth, now a journalist in his own right, takes an assignment at Lana’s site. Ready to put down roots after years of traveling and freelancing, Seth becomes not only Lana’s colleague but also her competitor. With their combative relationship history–and undeniable chemistry–they quickly find themselves pitted against each other in a battle of wits: writing an article series that goes against dating type. For Lana, that means writing about staying single and embracing it. For Seth, it’s learning to settle down and become boyfriend material. Whoever’s is most popular wins a highly coveted columnist spot that either could only dream of. But when the two square off against one another, it’s not only their careers on the line–it’s also their hearts.

Content Warning:

I read a book from this author last called Lease on Love and loved it. So I definitely wanted to try her next book, Just My Type. Here’s what I thought about the book:

+ This is a second chance romance for two people that were high school sweethearts and everything went wrong when Lana goes off to college. I thought the author did a great job of making me feel the connection between Lana and Seth, even though they are broken up. I kind of love how it was in the lines of the sentiment “if you love something, set it free, and if it comes back to you, it’s meant to be” – or something like that. That’s how I saw Lana and Seth’s relationship.

+ Lana is a fun character who has many friends and seems to make them easily. She doesn’t have the best relationship with her mother, which is why the break-up with Seth hurt so much – his family was like a family to her and not only did she lose him, but she lost them too. The great thing about Lana is she’s willing to do things the right way if she and Seth got back together and that meant therapy and really figuring out how to be in a relationship with herself before jumping into something serious again.

+ The supporting cast with Lana’s best friend and her co-workers brought the humor in this story. The competition between Lana and Seth has them making lists for one another and tasks they have to complete and I thought the tasks were fun.

+ I was rooting for Lana and Seth all throughout the book and hoping they could heal the past so they can have a future and they have the happy ending I hoped for.

~ Lana and Seth obviously have a messy past and it was frustrating at times when they had the hardest time communicating what they wanted to say. Both parties did the other wrong but there was also a feeling of them being meant to be throughout the story. I could totally relate to Lana – even though I’m not one to ever go back to my exes – but I can see how a high school love like theirs would be something worth pursuing again if the time is right. I just wish they could have told each other the truth of their feelings before things got so messy.

Tropes: exes to lovers, second chance romance, workplace romance, rivalry, competition

Why you should read it:

you enjoy second chance romances and exes to lovers tropes
Lana’s friends are funny and the competition was a fun aspect of the story
there is a happy ending

Why you might not want to read it:

not into exes getting back together

My Thoughts:

I enjoyed this one a lot because Lana and her friends are a fun bunch. After learning about Lana and Seth’s past I was rooting for them until the very end. I love how they come to their happy ending! If you love second chance romances, definitely check this one out.

Book Links:

Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Lease on Love by. Falon Ballard | ARC Review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Daughter of the Moon Goddess by. Sue Lynn Tan | Book Review

My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Title: Daughter of the Moon Goddess (#1)

Author: Sue Lynn Tan

Format: paperback (own)

Pages: 512

Publication Date: 1/11/22

Publisher: Harper Voyager

Categories: Fantasy, Chinese Mythology, Romance, Adventure

A captivating debut fantasy inspired by the legend of Chang’e, the Chinese moon goddess, in which a young woman’s quest to free her mother pits her against the most powerful immortal in the realm.

Growing up on the moon, Xingyin is accustomed to solitude, unaware that she is being hidden from the feared Celestial Emperor who exiled her mother for stealing his elixir of immortality. But when Xingyin’s magic flares and her existence is discovered, she is forced to flee her home, leaving her mother behind.

Alone, powerless, and afraid, she makes her way to the Celestial Kingdom, a land of wonder and secrets. Disguising her identity, she seizes an opportunity to learn alongside the emperor’s son, mastering archery and magic, even as passion flames between her and the prince.

To save her mother, Xingyin embarks on a perilous quest, confronting legendary creatures and vicious enemies across the earth and skies. But when treachery looms and forbidden magic threatens the kingdom, she must challenge the ruthless Celestial Emperor for her dream—striking a dangerous bargain in which she is torn between losing all she loves or plunging the realm into chaos.

Daughter of the Moon Goddess begins an enchanting, romantic duology which weaves ancient Chinese mythology into a sweeping adventure of immortals and magic—where love vies with honor, dreams are fraught with betrayal, and hope emerges triumphant.

There are two reasons why I wanted to read this book. The cover is stunning and I heard of the legend of Chang’e, the moon goddess, from the cute Netflix movie my kids and watched 2 years ago called Over the Moon. We loved that movie and it was my first introduction to Chang’e and I loved her story. This is what I thought about the book:

+ The book cover is so gorgeous.

+ I loved that this was the story about Chang’e and Houyi’s secret child. The story about the couple is so heartbreaking but I loved how this book was about Xingyin, their daughter, and her love for her mother. She loved her so much she would do anything to free her from her punishment.

+ I enjoyed the action and adventure in the story. This story takes place in the Celestial Kingdom so the characters are immortals and there are monsters and even dragons. Xingyin is an amazing heroine who becomes a soldier and a great archer at that. She is away from her mother, and makes her life in enemy territory all with the goal of freeing her mother. I love her focus and determination.

+ The romance between Xingyin and Liwei is so sweet because it starts off as friendship and grows over the years into something more. But of course how can they be together when he is promised to someone else? Their love is full of angst and drama but I do love how their friendship is strong.

~ The romance involves a love triangle and I’m all for a girl keeping her options open after a heartbreak but clearly she wasn’t over Liwei and was rushing into whatever she was feeling with Wenzhi – even though I didn’t really feel it between them. He definitely felt like a rebound. So at the end when Wenzhi expresses how he feels about her, it felt a bit flat. I feel like Liwei will always be end game for her. I’ll have to read book two to find out!

~ For the most part I was engrossed in the story because I wanted to see if she could free her mother. But there are some moments in the middle of the story when I wondered if the story lost sight of the goal or I was wondering when it would loop back into saving Chang’e – and the story eventually gets there but there are a lot of other things in the way. I just felt like the story wasn’t straightforward and it took Xingyin too long to save her mom – I was like…did she forget about her? Clearly she didn’t but it felt that way for a few moments.

Why you should read it:

fantasy and Chinese mythology about Chang’e (but this mostly about her daughter)
romance, adventure, world-building

Why you might not want to read it:

there is a love triangle

My Thoughts:

I’m so glad I finally read this one and I didn’t have super high expectations because I’m reading this a year later so I actually enjoyed this a lot despite some issues I had with it. I don’t like the love triangle but I am convinced she will end up with Liwei. I also wish there was more about Chang’e in the story but in the end it did pull my heartstrings because of Xingyin’s love for her family. Am I going to read book two? Yes most likely since I have the story fresh in my head.