My reading life picked back up this month!

The Monster Mash Readathon that took place during the first 10 days of October helped with that. As did taking some time away from social media.

I’m making a lot of progress on my fall TBR. It’s the mid point in my fall reading season and I’m currently halfway through my autumn reading list!

So far this month, I read 10 books and I have 9 reviews to share today.

Almost all of these have been off that fall TBR and subsequently available through Kindle Unlimited. I shared a peek into my KU Library last week with the October Edition of What’s in My Kindle Unlimited Library. 

Two of these were 5-star books – one for A Dose of Romance Book Club! Check out my review of Wolf Gone Wild by Juliette Cross below.

Here’s what I’ve read so far in October.

 

Mid October Reading Recap:

Muscles & Monsters by Ashley Bennett

Rating: 3.5 stars

Steam Level: 4

This was the first book I picked up for the Monster Mash Readathon at the beginning of October.

It’s off my fall TBR and the entire series is available on KU. I listened to the audio version via Hoopla thanks to my library.

From goodreads:

“After a wedding cake catastrophe, local decorator Tegan finds herself being helped by a solid wall of fur and fangs named Atlas. She’s never met anyone like him and finds herself enamored by his wolfish charm. After their sweet encounter, Atlas invites her to his gym anytime she needs his cake lifting services.

Tegan decides that instead- she wants to lift the cakes herself. She signs up for a membership with Leviathan Fitness, determined to build her strength.

Primal desires emerge as Atlas and Tegan test just how much their new love can lift— and if there are any limits to what monsters and humans can do.”

 

My Thoughts

I don’t have a ton to say about this one. It was a quick listen. The world and characters Bennett creates were fun. Her story had a unique blend of sweet and spicy. 

There was more character development than I expected. Both Atlas and Tegan dealt with past body image issues and scars from bad relationships. I loved how they respected and supported one another moving forward. 

I loved the sex positivity and body positivity with Tegan especially. It isn’t often in a romance that stretch marks are even mentioned let alone in a positive light. 

I continued the series because the second book, Tentacles & Triathlons, was also available as an audiobook on Hoopla and it crossed off another space on the Monster Mash bingo board. 

While it was also a 3.5 star, I didn’t enjoy it quite as much. I may continue the series but likely not until more of the audiobooks are available through my library.  

 

Other Books in the Series that I Read this Month:

• Tentacles & Triathlons (3.5 stars)

 

Wolf Gone Wild by Juliette Cross

Rating: 5 stars

Steam Level: 2.5

This is the first book in Juliette Cross’s Stay A Spell paranormal romance series set in New Orleans.

These books have been on my radar for a long time since I’ve listened to the Smart Women Read Romance podcast for years and Juliette is one of the hosts. I actually tried reading this a few years ago but couldn’t get into it at the time. 

The series has gotten a lot of love again recently on romance booktube and bookstagram so I knew I wanted to try it again this spooky season! It made it onto my fall TBR and was the October selection for A Dose of Romance Book Club over on Fable. 

From goodreads:

“What’s the worst thing that can happen to a werewolf? Unable to shift for three months, Mateo Cruz knows all too well. His wolf has taken up residence in his head, taunting him night and day with vividly violent and carnal thoughts. Convinced he’s cursed, he needs the help of a powerful witch before he literally goes insane.

​Evie Savoie has always obeyed the house rules of her coven — no werewolves. They’re known for being moody and volatile. So, when a distempered, dangerous werewolf strolls into the bar and almost strangles one of her late-night customers, she’s ready to bounce him through the door. But the desperation in his eyes when he begs her to help him softens her heart and convinces her to bend the rules.

​What Evie doesn’t know is that Mateo’s wolf has a mind of his own. And now that she’s in his sights, he wants only one thing. Her.“

 

My Thoughts

This book had everything I wanted and even a few things I didn’t realize I needed.

There was an amazingly atmospheric setting, intense chemistry, a tight knit family, intriguing side characters (especially Violet and Jules), a bit of mystery, and a ton of humor.

I loved the way Mateo and Evie’s relationship truly developed on page. Cross writes spice in a way I’ve never read before. This was one of the few slow burn romances that worked for me. You could cut the tension between them with a knife. And when we finally get to the big scene the emotional connection she wrote was even stronger than their physical one.  

The world building and magic system was very complex and fully fleshed out. I didn’t even know I wanted that much understanding of magic and detail in their spell casting but it was really fun!

This book also featured some delicious sounding food and drinks and really fun events and festivals. I’m ready to book a trip to New Orleans!  

The only complaint I had was how rushed the ending felt. I’d have loved to read another chapter with things resolved but I’m guessing we will see Mateo and Evie again in the series. 

Overall I adored it and can’t wait to continue reading about the Savoie Sisters!

 

Feral Sins by Suzanne Wright

Rating: 3.5 stars

Steam Level: 4

This was another paranormal romance series on my fall TBR that I wanted to try. It has a read and listen for free option through Kindle Unlimited. I read it as a hybrid experience. 

From goodreads:

“When female wolf shifter Taryn Warner first encounters Trey Coleman, an alpha male wolf shifter with a dangerous reputation, she’s determined to resist his charms. After all, Trey—who was only fourteen when he defeated his own father in a duel, winning the right to be alpha of his pack—can’t have anything to offer the talented healer besides trouble, or so she thinks.

Taryn finds herself drawn in by Trey’s forceful demeanor and arctic-blue eyes, and she eventually agrees to enter an uneasy alliance with him. If the two succeed in convincing their respective packs that they’ve chosen each other as mates, Trey will win valuable political allies, while Taryn will escape an odious arranged mating.

But there are a lot of potential pitfalls to this plan—including the very real possibility that the wolf shifters, overwhelmed by their growing attraction to each other, will be unable to maintain the clear heads needed to pull off the deception.”

 

My Thoughts 

The writing in this one was a little difficult to follow. Wright jumps into different characters’ heads within the same chapter which was sometimes confusing. 

I was intrigued by the shifter culture and traditions that she builds. There was a quite a bit of time given to exploring their wolf sides. I never felt fully grounded or understanding of how any of that actually worked though. 

At times the book felt long and there was a lot of info dumping through dialogue rather than gradually showing how things worked. 

There was a lot of spice in this book! Far more than was necessary to develop Taryn and Trey’s romantic relationship. Sometimes it was hot but some of it made me uncomfortable. He’s very much an alpha male and Taryn’s wolf requires her to battle Trey before submitting. 

Taryn’s character was a very over the top but most of the time I enjoyed her and her snark.

What I didn’t enjoy was that almost any interaction between her and another female character pitted them against one another. It got to the point where it was repetitive and so overdramatic and unbelievable that other females would keep putting themselves in that position knowing how it would play out. 

Overall I enjoyed this story but I’m not in a hurry to continue the series.

 

Trick by Shae Sanders

Rating: 3 stars

Steam Level: 3

This was a short story I had on my fall TBR to read for Halloween. I read it early for the Monster Mash Readathon because it takes place on Halloween, one of the bingo board spots. 

As of this writing the ebook is available on Kindle Unlimited. 

From goodreads:

“Denard and Tyra go on a date that doesn’t go quite as planned…but that was the plan all along.”

 

My Thoughts

There’s a note at the beginning of this story sharing that it’s a short erotic story with little character development. It’s a standalone story but mentions characters from other books by Sanders. 

I haven’t read any books by her before. 

This is exactly as she says. It was short and steamy.

I found the inciting incident at the pumpkin patch pretty funny and nicely seasonal. There’s a touch of magic to the story which is fun for Halloween. 

I wasn’t a fan of the lack of discussion around protection against pregnancy or STDs. The way things went down felt really irresponsible. 

I read half of the next short story in this series, Treat, but haven’t returned to it again. The covers are really cute!

 

Still Beating by Jennifer Hartmann

Rating: 4.5 stars

Steam Level: 2

This is a dark romance of my fall TBR. I’ve heard many great things about Jennifer Hartmann but have been cautious to read her because “books that will tear your heart out” aren’t my catnip. 

This was a tandem read. I followed along in the ebook (currently available on KU) while listening to the audio. I read it in one night.  

From goodreads:

“When Cora attends her sister’s birthday party, she expects at most a hangover or a walk of shame. She doesn’t anticipate a stolen wallet, leaving her stranded and dependent on Dean—her arch nemesis and ultimate thorn in her side.

And she really doesn’t anticipate waking up in shackles in a madman’s basement.

To make matters worse, Dean shares the space in his own set of chains.

After fifteen years of teasing, insults, and practical jokes, the ultimate joke seems to be on them. The two people who always thought they’d end up killing each other must now work together if they want to survive.

But Cora and Dean have no idea their abductor has a plan for them. A plan that will alter the course of their relationship, blur the line between hate and love, and shackle them together with far more than just chains.”

 

My Thoughts

Obviously this is a very dark premise so check your trigger warnings carefully before picking it up. 

I read this book so fast because there are no safe places to put it down. 

There were interesting discrepancies between the ebook (2020 version) and the new audiobook (2023). I preferred the audio version because the descriptions of what happens during their kidnapping were less graphic. At the same time I’m a little grossed out if it was reworked by a traditional publisher to make that content more “palatable”.

The book is split into 3 parts and the POV alternates between Cora, then Dean, and finally Cora again. I wish we’d had dual POV that rotated chapters instead. Dean was pretty amazing (he gave me Ryan Parker from Home Game vibes) but I would have liked to see him work through his own trauma a bit more. 

The story was angsty and emotional. The push and pull between Dean and Cora and the complete mess of their lives in the aftermath of this trauma made sense. 

While I loved the growth these two went through, I do wish we’d seen a little more of them working through things in therapy. I also loved the growth the entire family goes through. 

I wound up enjoying the story, but I don’t think I’d ever pick it up again. There are other books that are connected to this one that I have no desire to read. They sound way too tragic and heartbreaking. That’s just a personal preference for me. I don’t like devastatingly sad books that much so Hartmann won’t be a go-to author for me.

 

Haven by Claire Kent

Rating: 5 stars

Steam Level: 3

This is another book off my fall TBR that is available on Kindle Unlimited. I’ve been wanting to try Claire Kent seeing Jenn at The Book Refuge talk about her post-apocalyptic romance series. 

This is the first book in her Kindled series. 

From goodreads:

“Maybe Jackson would be different if he were in love. If he were in a relationship. Or if the world outside this room hadn’t fallen into violent chaos, hadn’t become a constant war we have no choice but to fight. Maybe he would take his time. Be softer. Gentler. Maybe he would smile or even laugh.

Maybe I would be different too.

I wouldn’t need his hungry eyes and demanding hands in the dark.

But this is how we are together every time.

He’s not my friend or my boyfriend, but sometimes I go to his room after the sun goes down. I need to. Not for sweet words or soft kisses but because his arms, like the flickering light of that one candle, are the only things that can hold back the night.”

 

My Thoughts

I loved this book and flew through it but I was also uneasy the whole time reading because this world is definitely not safe.

It gave me Walking Dead vibes but without the zombies or Nora Roberts’ Year One without the fantasy element. Very fitting for what I was wanting in a post-apocalyptic series! 

It was steamier than I expected. There’s a lot of spicy times and I’m not sure I agree with other reviewers who say Kent only puts it in to develop the characters or relationship. But I’m also not complaining. 

I do wish we had Jackson’s POV. Faith’s fears were well rooted though and somewhat resolved with Jackson’s help. They made sense for the rough and dangerous world they now live in with very little control over their circumstances. 

The message on how to live and love even when there are scary forces outside of your control is a positive one because there always are. Even in our modern world. I also loved the examples of community and the importance of belonging. 

While reading this I realized that though the simple life appeals to me, I probably wouldn’t survive long in a post-apocalyptic world because I have very few skills that would transfer. 

I’m bummed that the series doesn’t continue with characters we’ve met at the farm (I would love to get Kate and Miguel’s story). I definitely plan to read more though!

I wish I started with Last Light. It’s a standalone romance set in this world. We meet that couple at one point in this book. I heard people mention it but thought it was a different series so I was confused by where to start. I’ll know better after reading that one. 

 

Finlay Donovan is Killing It by Elle Cosimano

Rating: 3.5 stars

I took a break from romance to listen to a few of the mystery/thrillers on my fall TBR . This series is one I’ve been wanting to check out since it released and made such a splash! I think Cosimano is already onto book 4 now. 

From goodreads:

“Finlay Donovan is killing it . . . except, she’s really not. She’s a stressed-out single-mom of two and struggling novelist, Finlay’s life is in the new book she promised her literary agent isn’t written, her ex-husband fired the nanny without telling her, and this morning she had to send her four-year-old to school with hair duct-taped to her head after an incident with scissors.

When Finlay is overheard discussing the plot of her new suspense novel with her agent over lunch, she’s mistaken for a contract killer, and inadvertently accepts an offer to dispose of a problem husband in order to make ends meet . . . Soon, Finlay discovers that crime in real life is a lot more difficult than its fictional counterpart, as she becomes tangled in a real-life murder investigation.”

 

My Thoughts

I didn’t love this one as much as I hoped but my reading experience was mostly fun. It’s full of campy humor which I found pretty funny.

Occasionally I was a bit annoyed with Finlay. She definitely exacerbated a lot of her problems with increasingly poor decisions. Sometimes I wanted to tell her to stop blaming her ex and get her own shit together. 

I loved that I was listening to this as we stopped at a Panera on our trip. 

The mom stuff was very relatable. I feel naked without my diaper bag and my physician’s assistant laughed at me just the other day when I automatically checked for Mr. O before heading in for my appointment.

No offense to Finlay but her situation often made me feel pretty good about my own parenting. Even on days like today when my 2-year-old will eat nothing but peanut butter. 

For a murder mystery about a romantic suspense author there was no steam and very little romance. 

I wasn’t planning to continue the series but I have to admit the last few paragraphs of this one tempted me to grab it immediately. I’m still curious. 

 

Home Before Dark by Riley Sager

Rating: 3.5 

Riley Sager is a second chance author on my my fall TBR. I had Final Girls on last year’s autumn reading list but never got around to it. This one sounded wonderfully atmospheric with the story centered on a haunted house. 

From goodreads:

“What was it like? Living in that house.

Maggie Holt is used to such questions. Twenty-five years ago, she and her parents, Ewan and Jess, moved into Baneberry Hall, a rambling Victorian estate in the Vermont woods. They spent three weeks there before fleeing in the dead of night, an ordeal Ewan later recounted in a nonfiction book called House of Horrors. His tale of ghostly happenings and encounters with malevolent spirits became a worldwide phenomenon, rivaling The Amityville Horror in popularity—and skepticism.

Today, Maggie is a restorer of old homes and too young to remember any of the events mentioned in her father’s book. But she also doesn’t believe a word of it. Ghosts, after all, don’t exist. When Maggie inherits Baneberry Hall after her father’s death, she returns to renovate the place to prepare it for sale. But her homecoming is anything but warm. People from the past, chronicled in House of Horrors, lurk in the shadows. And locals aren’t thrilled that their small town has been made infamous thanks to Maggie’s father. Even more unnerving is Baneberry Hall itself—a place filled with relics from another era that hint at a history of dark deeds. As Maggie experiences strange occurrences straight out of her father’s book, she starts to believe that what he wrote was more fact than fiction.”

 

My Thoughts

I don’t have a lot to say about this one. I listened to it on audio and I enjoyed the narration. 

The two timelines of the present as Maggie returns to the house alongside the retelling of her father’s book worked well for me. 

The setting and the premise were definitely creepy. I was very interested in the story. I listened to it in 2 days. 

Ultimately I preferred the fictional storyline. The ending was a little anticlimactic in how it wrapped up. I still have some questions. 

It would be a 3.75 star if I did quarter stars but I couldn’t quite give it a full 4. 

 

Hopeless by Elsie Silver

Rating: 3 stars

Steam Level: 2.5

Hopeless was the only new release on my fall TBR .

I have been obsessed with Elsie Silver’s Chestnut Springs series this year! Three of the books are absolute favorites and the previous book, Reckless (6 stars), holds my top book of the year spot. 

From goodreads:

“Beau Eaton is the town prince, a handsome military hero with a tortured past.

I’m the outcast bartender, a shy girl from the wrong side of the tracks.

He’s thirty-five and all man, and I’m twenty-two and all… virgin.

He’s also my fiancé. Correction: my fake fiancé.

We start out as a bet. He doesn’t believe that anyone holds my last name against me. So he offers me his to prove a point.

It’s win-win. He gets a break from his concerned family’s prying, and I get a chance to shed my family’s reputation while I save up to ditch this small town.

He says all I have to do is wear his ring, follow his lead, and pretend I can’t keep my hands off of him in public.

But it’s what happens between us in private that blurs all those carefully drawn lines.

It’s what transpires behind closed doors that doesn’t feel like pretending at all.

This engagement was supposed to be for show. This agreement? It has an end date.

He once told me he’d never fall in love.

And yet here I am, head over heels for my fake fiancé.”

 

My Thoughts

Unfortunately this book was a big disappointment for me. Which is a really sad way to end such a fantastic series. 

I don’t know what happened but Hopeless didn’t even feel like an Elsie Silver book.

The book started out ok but went downhill rapidly after the 40% mark (where I’d been hoping it would pick up like Powerless did for me). Instead this read like an early draft. There was very little development in terms of either plot or characters.

I was especially disappointed in the direction she took Beau’s character. He didn’t even read like the Beau we’d met before. He ran hot and cold with Bailey so much it gave me whiplash. In my opinion Silver took the easy way out but not exploring Beau’s PTSD and writing in that he just wouldn’t see a therapist. That was lame. 

I also hated the emphasis on Bailey’s virginity. That pretty much became her only character trait. Her past and family history was completely glossed over.  

The spice was all over the place. It went from borderline uncomfortable to seriously lacking compared to her past books. I never felt any emotional connection building between these two as their physical relationship played out. 

What kept Bailey and Beau apart didn’t make any sense. The final conflict was so bizarre and felt completely thrown in out of left field for extra drama.

Above all, my biggest disappointment, knowing that this was the last book in the series, is that we barely saw any of the other Eatons! Where were the amazing text exchanges that I loved so much from the other books? Where are the hilarious family dinners?

On that note, most of the humor in this book felt forced. And I’m totally good with the direction she took Harvey Eaton’s character but he deserved a better ending than that! 

One character Silver really pushed was Willa’s brother, Ford. It felt like he appeared more than Willa herself which was very random. Apparently he’s the main character in her next series but I personally have no desire to read it after this mess. 

I don’t know if she psyched herself out or was just really ready to be done with the series and phoned it in, but I’m so sad. Our beloved characters deserved better!

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What’s on your mid October reading recap?