Friday, March 18, 2022

What's on the Reading Radar? #read #TBR #WishList

What's going on? The week blew by and I don't feel as if I accomplished anything. The writing it crawling along like a slug. But!! But I've read something other than the Murderbot Diaries. Not really an accomplishment but something changed. LOL


Series: Murder Sprees and Mute Decrees, 1
Author: Jennifer Cody
Length: 215 pages

Genre: Romance / Paranormal / Gay

Notes: This wasn't what I'd expected. Don't go into this book thinking it'll be about a dark psycho. There is some gore (you know, all the mentions of murder means something) but it's also on the light-hearted side. There is some humor, but humor is different from person to person. This is angst free and you learn about the world along with Romily. I found it to be very fun and I looked up the author's back list when I finished. (There was an excerpt at the back for The Diviner's Game that sucked me in so I'm put that on my TBR.)

Blurb: Romily:

Third time’s the charm, right? At least that’s what I tell myself when I witness the same hot guy commit mass murder three times in a few days. I’m either the luckiest mute boy ever or possibly the unluckiest. Who knows, maybe him kidnapping me will turn into the greatest love story ever told? Hey, it could happen! You never know how these things will turn out. I happen to believe in love and soulmates, and if nothing else, Arlington Fox doesn’t treat my disability like a nuisance. It’s not everyday you find someone who just gets you, and I’m not going to look a gift horse in the mouth even if the horse in question is a man so good at killing people that I should probably introspect a bit about why that skews my moral compass and possibly my kinks. But c’mon, competence is sexy, amiright?

The Trouble with Trying to Date a Murderer is an MM Paranormal Romance with lots of sass, humor, a ridiculous 3000 year age-gap, and an inordinate number of tables.

Praise for The Trouble with Trying to Date a Murderer:

"Arlington Fox is so smexy, but if he accidentally gets blood on one of my suits again, we're going to have words." —Romily Butcher, aka the narrator.

"I'd never accidentally get blood on any of his suits." —Arlington Fox, aka Future Husband.


Title: Pyro 
Series: Wayward Warriors, 1
Author: Kaydee Robins
Length: 139 pages

Genre: Romance / Paranormal / Motorcycle Club / Poly

Notes: I can't tell if this is MMM or MMMM romance. It sounds like the later. TBR

Blurb: Two hot bikers, one drag queen, a secret past and conflicting personalities. Is there any hope for this trio, or is their relationship doomed from the start?

Secrets ruin everything. Pyro’s is no exception. He knows he should trust his best friend and sometimes lover, Zen, with his past but he just can’t. He’s ashamed, it’s not who he’s worked so hard to be. Zen would look at him differently, right?

Keeping Zen at arm’s length is becoming increasingly difficult especially now that Teddy’s entered the picture. The hot little firecracker with the sinful mouth is making Pyro want things he shouldn’t.

Before Pyro can bare his soul, his men are kidnapped. Now he has to rescue his heart from the past that he ran so hard from. Can Pyro save his mates, or will his past destroy everything?

The Wayward Warriors series is a spinoff of the Legends of the Packs series. The books in this series are solo reads but do feature characters and cross timelines with Legends of the Packs. For maximum enjoyment, it is recommended to start with the first Legends of the Packs book, Ginger Fella.

Series: Fairy Godmother Inc., 1
Author: Elizabeth Silver
Length: 205 pages

Genre: Romance / Fairytale / Paranormal / Gay

Notes: I almost want to say this is an enemies to lovers but it can't be since the hated boss doesn't despise his employee. TBR

Blurb: Theo

I hate my job.

No. Wait. I don’t hate my job—I hate my boss. Maximus Cole. He’s short-tempered and selfish, and the past couple of years working for him has been a nightmare. The paycheck’s nice, but not worth staying a second longer than I have to, not now I have my freshly-printed graduate degree in Alchemy and Potions Sciences Management.

Right when I’m in the middle of living my best fantasy life of quitting in a blaze of glory, it all blows up in my face. He insists I take an insane job as his personal assistant for the next month and a half, or else.

If I turn him down and leave as planned, my cousin will lose his job, his apartment, everything. Or I could stay and do one little thing.

All I have to do is solve an unsolvable problem. Easy-peasy, right?

Max

When my sister gives me the gift of a fairy godmother wish, I’m tempted to throw it away. But then I come away from meeting a sassy fairy with a problem money can’t solve, and gift receipts suddenly make a lot more sense.

With the clock ticking down to complete social ruin, I wind up blackmailing a manager from one of my clubs into being my personal assistant. If anyone can figure out a way to break this curse, it’s him. He’s got the education and drive to make it happen. It also doesn’t hurt that he might be the only person in town who isn’t terrified of me.

The thing is, is my temporary assistant makes me feel things. Inconvenient things. And while I’m feeling human for the first time in years, I’m pretty sure all he sees when he looks at me is a beast.

Series: Monstrous Hearts
Author: Quell T. Fox
Length: 324 pages

Genre: Romance / Paranormal / Angels & Demons / MFM

Notes: This is a world that several authors have written in and it can be read on it's own as far as I can tell. TBR

Blurb: Villains in life and not in love.
Bexley

My mother always gave the best advice, even if it seemed like a crock of sh*t when I first heard it.

Right now, I’d love nothing more than to have my mother’s wise words to guide me through this roller coaster I call life. Especially after being taken to hell by a Wrath Demon, and a Lust Demon—more commonly known as an Incubus. Demons… Apparently, they’re real, and I’ve fallen under their spell and into their beds.
My only chance at surviving rests on the shoulders of my best friend and the Angel who found himself mixed up in this mess alongside us.

Problem is, I’m not so sure I can be saved anymore.

Kaine & Maxen

A night out on the town ends in chaos, but it’s nothing they aren’t used to. Living in the dark parts of hell, there is an array of bedlam on a day to day basis. Only this time, it’s on their front doors and they have no idea how to fix it before they’re sent to live the rest of their days out in the Pit.

Can the two troublesome demons find a way to make their problem go away, or is she too tempting to let go of?


Nightmares & Sin is part of the Monstrous Hearts series but it is a stand alone. You do not have to read the other books to enjoy this one, but I highly recommend that you do.

Title: Black Port
Series: Knight Protector: Black Wyvern, 1
Author: Rachel Ford
Length: 390 pages

Genre: Romance / Science Fiction / Action Adventure / LGBTQ+

Notes: This is ranking in the LGBTQ+ Sci-Fi category though it seems to be alternate world fantasy. It's been on my list of books to look at since last fall. TBR

Blurb: A secret order, hunted by two rival kingdoms. A network of spies and saboteurs.

Valia Iceborn is the daughter of two worlds, and a servant of none: her mother was a Northern outlaw and her father a Southern deserter. She grew up in the wilds of No Man’s Land, but the open sea is her home. She swears no allegiances, lest they be to gold.

Knight Protector Portia Daysen is a loyal of daughter of the empire. She goes where she’s told, and does what she’s told. When the empire sends her to the bustling city of Black Port to ferret out a mysterious secret order threatening stability in the region, she doesn’t think twice.

Plunged into a world of deceit and derring-do, where no one is who they pretend to be, and nothing is at it seems, Daysen’s investigation leads her to Valia’s dock.

And crossing sabers with the most formidable – and charming – foe of her career might be the last mission Knight Protector Portia Daysen ever takes.

Series: 
Author: Sam Hall
Length: 212 pages

Genre: Romance / BBW / Fantasy / Why Choose?

Notes: I've heard that this one is cute and sweet. TBR

Blurb: As a plus sized woman and all round awkward noodle, I’d faced some challenges in my search for love, but none more than this.

I’ve stumbled through a portal to another dimension and fell into the arms of them: Vargan, Kren and Ghain. Three massive orc warriors who keep going on about courting me.

See, in their world, women are few and far between and are seen to be gifts from their goddesses and they are pretty intent on unwrapping me. But not just for a roll in the hay. They are looking for a love that will last a lifetime and the problem? So am I.

I’m torn between two worlds, one where my family, my friends, my life is and the other…?

I’m starting to think that’s where my heart is.

This book will be a stand alone with a guaranteed HEA, with the potential for other stories of women finding love with other monstrous suitors.

Series: The Diviner's Game
Author: Jennifer Cody
Length: 326 pages

Genre: Romance / Paranormal / Gay

Notes: This is a last minute addition to the Radar. I have to be honest. I've seen this recommended before and I have moved it on and off my wish list a couple of times because 1) age gap. The trope is not the reason why I would read any book. Many times I will skip this trope because it can be cringy. 2) tragic pasts. Sometime I cannot read even hints of tragedy because it causes me anxiety. If I have anxiety while reading, I can't enjoy the story. After I read The Trouble with Dating a Murderer, I looked up the author's back list hoping for something similar. There was an except for this book in the back matter and it intrigued me enough that I stuck a toe in the story waters. :) I'm glad that I gave it a chance. Yes, there is an age gap, but there are a couple of contributing factors that made Matt older than his physical age. Plus there was the paranormal side that changed things. Most of the characters in the book have experienced harsh trauma, and they exhibit characteristics of people who suffered from that trauma. There was no magic wand making things instantly better but it didn't feel as heavy as it could have, and that might just be my perception since I'm in a good emotional place. There is always something happening and it's interwoven with their family life. Deejay is a badass but he's fallible and makes mistakes and his character stays true to those character flaws. It makes him more human though there were a couple of times I wanted to give him a good smack with my disappointment. All the secondary characters are distinct (except the older brothers who were mentioned here or there but had very little page time). I really liked Matt and it's obvious his dependability and steadfastness are signs of his trauma. I have to add that I really felt sorry for Tio. He was feared for what he was not for who he was, and I didn't think he was a 'bad' guy. Morally ambiguous, yes. A joker and trickster, sure, but Matt and Deejay were at times tone deaf when it came to Tio and I'm waffling between being a little pissed on his behalf and understanding the fear and distrust. I hope to see him in the other books and I really hope that the author takes care of him. (Honestly, I've hated on a series simply because I got very emotionally attached to a side character who got shafted. I hope that this doesn't turn out to be the case.) I would totally recommend this book. Take the trauma warnings seriously. I'm off to read book two of the series.

Blurb: Deejay:

I have spent every day of the last ten years taking in and caring for my sisters’ sons. I’ve built this family from the ground up, and no one is going to destroy what’s mine. Someone keeps trying to kill one of my charges, but that person won’t win. I was born with enough magic to wipe them out of existence and have zero qualms about doing that. After all, I live by the motto:

We don’t hit first, but we always hit last.

Matt:

The best thing my old man did for me and my brother was die and leave us in a Naiad’s care. Deejay is rich, powerful, and sometimes gives me heart palpitations. I didn’t plan to woo him, but I won’t ignore the attraction between us for long.

After all, I might not have much time left. I don’t know what I did to Houston’s Non-Humans, but they’re not killing me without a fight.

Bring it.

Bishop to Knight One is a 115k age-gap MM paranormal romance with an HFN ending. This is not a standalone.

Trigger warnings include: off-page past child abuse and on-page descriptive violence. In this family, the boys have tragic backstories.



Thank you for stopping by and reading!!

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