LIFE'S A PEARL

I have been reading a ton in the first part of July but I only have seven reviews to bring today.

I’m in the midst of three massive series and instead of reviewing every book, I decided to discuss my favorite and give my star ratings for the others.

So far this month, I made more progress on my summer tbr – I’ve read 18 of the 20 books listed there!

I also enjoyed a new buddy read! Well, I didn’t love the book but the experience made up for it.

And I’m happy to report my reread of Flawless for A Dose of Romance Book Club was wonderful! I wound up enjoying it even more the second time around and I got two friends on the Chestnut Springs series bandwagon!

Here’s what I’ve read so far in July.

Mid July Reading Recap:

Barbarian’s Seduction by Ruby Dixon

Rating: 4 stars

Steam Level: 3

This is book 17 in the Ice Planet Barbarians series. It tells the story of Zennek and Marlene, one of the original pairings from when the humans first crash landed on Not-Hoth.

As of this posting, the series is available on KU but I listened to the audiobook via Hoopla.

From goodreads:

“Marlene’s not like the other humans. They weep while she smiles. They look at us with fear, while she entices me with a come-hither look. I…have no idea why such a bold female resonated to a male like me. I am the most reticent of all the sa-khui tribe, a hunter that never expected to have a family of my own. But resonance chooses, and it has chosen her for me. And Marlene is quite determined to seduce me…and who can say no to such a woman?”

My Thoughts

These flashback style stories are not my favorite of the series but this was one of the better ones! I felt like the current storyline was just as entertaining as their origin story.

It was a quick and sweet read and it was fun to get to know this couple better. Especially Marlene since she’s been an important side character and has such a care-free personality.

I enjoyed the large family dynamics. Often we see a lot of tribal interactions in this series but there are very few families by blood.

I loved Marlene’s spirituality and the way she continued to get heart messages from her mother!

I also thought it was hilarious that Zennek and Marlene mostly use their shared French for dirty talk in front of others since nobody else can understand it.

A quick note about the audio – I realize Marlene is French so it’s probably true to character but the narrator’s French accent got old after awhile on the audiobook.

Other Books in the Series that I Read So Far this Month:

• Barbarian’s Treasure (4 stars)

Devi’s Distraction by Ruby Dixon

Rating: 5 stars

Steam Level: 3

This is the sixth book in Ruby Dixon’s Icehome series. I’m reading the series in order but this was one of my favorites of the month so I’d rather talk about it!

As of this posting, the series is available on KU but I listened to the audiobook through Hoopla.

From goodreads:

“It’s hard to make friends with the other women at the Icehome camp when you’d rather be dissecting the local fauna. Which is why I’m surprised when one of the big, brawny islanders asks me to help him make a prosthetic leg. I don’t know N’dek, but since I’m a scientist, he wants my help. And while I’m more into dinosaurs than anatomy, I love a challenge!

As we work together, I come to see that N’dek’s not just clever and determined, he’s also protective and sweet. And he kisses like a fiend!

He’s a distraction I don’t need… but he might be everything I’ve ever wanted. Too bad he says he’s going to resonate to someone else…“

My Thoughts

I was so excited for this one and it delivered!

I adored Devi as a brainy and somewhat awkward side character in previous books and fell for her in this one. N’Dek was equally intriguing with past glimpses of him and quickly became loveable. There’s IPB-style disability rep with N’Dek, who lost his leg in a previous incident.

The way their relationship starts out as a friendship really worked for me. Then a crush develops with all the giddy anticipation. Finally there are cultural lessons around the art of dating and mating humans which offered a bunch of hilarity, pining, and swoony moments.

One of my favorite lines of the series is from N’Dek – “I would rip my khui from my chest if it dared to resonate to another.” – Sigh!

I really loved the build up of Devi and N’Dek’s relationship. It felt very natural and realistic compared to some of the more instalove fated mate storylines. They choose one another before anything else comes into play!

Other Books in the Series that I Read So Far this Month:

• Hannah’s Hero (4 stars) – the book previous to this one
• Nadine’s Champion (4.5 stars)
• Callie’s Catastrophe (5 stars)
• Penny’s Protector (3.5 stars)
• T’was the Night Before No-Poison Day (4 stars)
• Mari’s Mistake (4.5 stars)

General Thoughts on the Series

I’m enjoying this series more than the original Ice Planet Barbarians series.

Maybe this one benefits from all the world building and establishing that one has already done.

The steam in this series also falls between a 3 and 4, but I’m liking the balance of spice and story going on here. Many of these books feel more complex with stronger characters, plots, and tribal dynamics at play.

These books dig further into characters’ backstories which makes them feel more relatable and complete.

The heroes in this series seem to have much more distinct personalities. Which often leads to some very funny scenes and interactions due to cultural differences.

There’s also a level of danger and suspense in the most recent storylines which I’m really digging!

And while I love the fated mates trope, it’s fun to mix things up with some couples who choose one another before resonance is a factor.

Flawless by Elsie Silver

Rating: 5 stars

Steam Level: 4

This was the July pick for A Dose of Romance Book Club.

This was a reread for me. I previously shared a review of this one in my mid May reading recap.

Since July is my birthday month, I really wanted to enjoy a shared reading experience of this book. And I hoped to introduce a few friends to this series that I’ve become obsessed with!

The book club was a success! At least two members also loved this book and I went on to change my rating from 4.5 stars to a full 5 star on the reread.

The third act conflict still bothered me but honestly that’s like two chapters and the rest of the book was just so good!!! It was such a blast to read together on Fable!

A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham

Rating: 3 stars

I was invited to buddy read this book with a new group of bookstagram friends.

As of this posting, this book is available on KU.

From goodreads:

“When Chloe Davis was twelve, six teenage girls went missing in her small Louisiana town. By the end of the summer, Chloe’s father had been arrested as a serial killer and promptly put in prison. Chloe and the rest of her family were left to grapple with the truth and try to move forward while dealing with the aftermath.

Now 20 years later, Chloe is a psychologist in private practice in Baton Rouge and getting ready for her wedding. She finally has a fragile grasp on the happiness she’s worked so hard to get. Sometimes, though, she feels as out of control of her own life as the troubled teens who are her patients. And then a local teenage girl goes missing, and then another, and that terrifying summer comes crashing back. Is she paranoid, and seeing parallels that aren’t really there, or for the second time in her life, is she about to unmask a killer?”

My Thoughts

While this book was just ok for me, I really enjoyed my buddy reading experience! I was so happy to meet some new book lovers who also use fable for their buddy reads.

I was in the minority opinion on this book – most of the group loved it. It was a great one to discuss with the group in real time as we finished each chapter and fable makes it so easy to avoid spoiling one another while we read at our own pace.

Many parts of this story were interesting. It brings up a lot of questions about whether you can ever really know a person, the darkness hiding in some, the media’s role in sensationalizing violent crimes, and society’s need to place blame for the inexplainable.

But too much of the plot was convoluted with odd writing style choices. For me, the story also became bogged down with a lot of unnecessary inner dialogue and random detail. The main character made the same bad choices over and over and many of the twists weren’t believable.

I found this book frustrating because I could see the potential in this story and the complex issues it addressed but the execution was off for a large chunk of the book. I love a twisty thriller but the reveals in this one felt heavily manipulated by the author – I prefer when the author’s hand isn’t so noticeable in orchestrating things.

Hello Stranger by Katherine Center

Rating: 4 stars

Steam Level: 1

This was my final anticipated new release on my summer tbr. It’s also the last of my audible preorders from those credits I needed to use or lose earlier this year.

Katherine Center was also one of the authors I wanted to read again this year from my reading life bucket list. I’ve previously read Happiness for Beginners (my favorite), Things You Save in a Fire (5 stars), and The Bodyguard (4.5 stars).

From goodreads:

“Love isn’t blind, it’s just little blurry.

Sadie Montgomery never saw what was coming . . . Literally! One minute she’s celebrating the biggest achievement of her life—placing as a finalist in the North American Portrait Society competition—the next, she’s lying in a hospital bed diagnosed with a “probably temporary” condition known as face blindness. She can see, but every face she looks at is now a jumbled puzzle of disconnected features. Imagine trying to read a book upside down and in another language. This is Sadie’s new reality with every face she sees.

But, as she struggles to cope, hang on to her artistic dream, work through major family issues, and take care of her beloved dog, Peanut, she falls into—love? Lust? A temporary obsession to distract from the real problems in her life?—with not one man but two very different ones. The timing couldn’t be worse.

If only her life were a little more in focus, Sadie might be able to find her way. But perceiving anything clearly right now seems impossible. Even though there are things we can only find when we aren’t looking. And there are people who show up when we least expect them. And there are always, always other ways of seeing.”

My Thoughts

Since the author’s note – Katherine Center’s are always amazing – asked that we stop using the word predictable for love stories and instead use anticipation, I’ll try to do that here.

The face blindness aspect of this story was wild especially given Sadie’s profession. The way she copes with it was what I found most interesting in this book. I also loved her dog Peanut!

I found Sadie’s character to be somewhat naive through the whole book and borderline annoying in the beginning.

Throughout the entire story there’s a feeling that something isn’t adding up with her love interests and I guessed from the start what that was. So there wasn’t much anticipation built up for me with the final reveal.

Sadie’s family dynamics were infuriating and then touching but also seemed incredibly unlikely.

Overall this was a fun, quick, and sweet read but probably my least favorite of the Katherine Center books I’ve read.

Caressed by Ice by Nalini Singh

Rating: 5 stars

Steam Level: 2.5

Slave to Sensation, book 1 of Nalini Singh’s Psy-Changeling series, was on my summer tbr. I enjoyed that one but the third book in the series, Caressed by Ice, is my favorite thus far so I’d rather discuss it.

From goodreads:

“As an Arrow, an elite soldier in the Psy Council ranks, Judd Lauren was forced to do terrible things in the name of his people. Now a defector, his dark abilities have made him the most deadly of assassins—cold, pitiless, unfeeling. Until he meets Brenna . . .

Brenna Shane Kincaid was an innocent before she was abducted—and had her mind violated—by a serial killer. Her sense of evil runs so deep, she fears she could become a killer herself. Then the first dead body is found, victim of a familiar madness. Judd is her only hope, yet her sensual changeling side rebels against the inhuman chill of his personality, even as desire explodes between them.

Shocking and raw, their passion is a danger that threatens not only their hearts, but their very lives . . .”

My Thoughts

This is the book where the series really clicked into place for me.

It’s different from the others I’ve read so far since it follows the Snow Dancers (wolf changelings) and features the female main character as the changeling and a male as a psy. The others have been reversed with female psy love interests and follow Dark River – the leopard changelings.

I loved both Brenna and Judd! They each have tragic pasts but the way they work together to overcome those was everything!

The psy mind scenes are still a little over my head but I was able to hang with it and even follow some of this story on just audio where I’ve usually been tandem reading these.

I enjoyed that there’s more than just the romantic storyline going on here.

There’s a touch of mystery and suspense in all of the books so far but this one felt like both characters were in a lot of danger and that kept me invested and the story moving quickly. I think having the killer’s POV at times really ratcheted up the tension.

I also enjoyed the small chapters that follow the Psy Council and the events going down there.

This book had family ties that came into play on both main character’s sides and I really loved that.

There was also some great banter!

Other Books in the Series that I Read So Far this Month:

• Slave to Sensation (3.5 stars)
• Visions of Heat  (4 stars)
• Mine to Possess (4.5 stars)

General Thoughts on the Series

This is a paranormal/science fiction romance series. It’s set about 50 years in the future among a United States where three races exist – humans, changelings, and psy. So far the books have taken place in a reimagined California where the Bay Area is still a massive city but the rest of the state seems to be taken back over by nature.

There’s a touch of dystopian also with a technologically advanced futuristic world where the psy have removed their ability to feel any emotions. They believed this would make them perfect, ridding their race of violence and making the world better. Spoiler – it did not.

This series is a lot darker and more complex than I realized when I added it to my tbr. All the books so far follow a couple who’ve been thrown together to catch a murderer – often a serial killer.

What the psy have done and continue to do to their people including children is horrifying. Most of these things are pretty abstract, just setting the stage for this world. However the last book I read, Mine to Possess, dealt with physical abuse, sexual abuse, and death of children which is usually way too dark for me. So I’m proceeding with caution.

It also took me awhile to find my footing with all the mental warfare, rooms, and communication that happens involving the psy. It’s pretty out there and I get thrown by not having a tangible object to center on. A lot of it still feels over my head but I’m trusting the rules of the world that Nalini Singh lays down.

Her creativity and world building amaze me!

I’m also loving the witty banter, awesome one-liners, and her ability to write pretty darn steamy scenes with very little graphic language. That element definitely feels like more old school romance to me.

The Devil I Don’t Know by L.K. Shaw

Rating: 3 stars

Steam Level: 2

Mafia romance is a subgenre I’ve been cautiously wanting to explore more. I know it’s loved by many romance readers.

I read Ivan by Sophie Lark last month. While I gave it 4 stars, I wasn’t sure I wanted to continue the series and have been looking for another to try.

From goodreads:

“Jacob

My father is dying, and I’ve been called back to Brooklyn to take my place as the head of the Italian syndicate. After a seven year absence, my first test of loyalty is to marry the granddaughter of the Irish mob’s leader. I may not want a wife, but I’ll kill anyone who tries to harm her.

I only hope she doesn’t expect love in our marriage because I can’t—won’t—love her. Not ever. I don’t have it in me.

Brenna

My life has always been about duty. When my grandfather signs a marriage contract, I become a pawn in an alliance between the Irish and the Italians. Once again, I’m bound by duty.

I’ve always been invisible—the person who fades into the background—except soon my new husband begins to see me.

He’s a Brooklyn king, but will our enemies destroy my chance to become his queen?”

My Thoughts

I didn’t really like this book but opted to be generous with my rating because it might just be that this subgenre isn’t for me.

I struggled with the tone that switches from chapter to chapter. It felt so unbelievable and jarring.

We would go from introducing rape survivors to a virgin heroine. Sometimes it would go from a graphic torture scene to an over-the-top family scene complete with an annoying kid sister running the show. Am I really supposed to believe this man who tortures and murders people for a living would humor the sister like that?

Jacob at least felt true to his character for the most part. Brenna was written all over the place – virgin, naive, and timid to sudden sex kitten, bullet patcher, and mafia co-leader with very little development in between.

Even at the end, little thoughts would pop up like she didn’t know how to feel about her husband conducting business in a dance club where there’d be other women. And that was a dance club not a strip club – like do you even realize what you’ve signed up for?

There was too much violence against women for my liking. Add to that unbelievable characters, zero relationship development, and odd descriptions during the steamy scenes – cotton candy colored nipples and scenting her arousal in a room full of people when we’re not reading a paranormal 🤔 – and I’m out.

I still want to try Jagger Cole’s Dark Hearts series and Sophie Lark’s Brutal Birthright series before I officially decide this subgenre isn’t for me.

If you have a favorite mafia romance for me to try, please let me know in the comments!

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What’s on your mid July reading recap?