en-US Fri, 25 Apr 2025 04:40:35 -0700 60 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg 195820745 #1 New York Times bestselling author Adalyn Grace delivers a sensational conclusion to the deathly and decadent Belladonna trilogy, with dramatic twists and a seductive new romance that will set readers' hearts ablaze.

Blythe Hawthorne has never let anyone tell her what to do—not society, not her overprotective father, and certainly not the man she’s bound herself to, no matter how rude and insufferable he is. In fact, she’s determined to be a thorn in his side for the rest of her days, even as he ensures that her life in his palace is anything but a fairytale. But as Blythe discovers a new side of herself linked to his past, she’ll have to decide if she’s willing to let an unexpected spark ignite…and to discover the truth about who she really is.]]> 419 Adalyn Grace 0316569380 Cait 0 currently-reading 4.25 2024
author: Adalyn Grace
name: Cait
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/25
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 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 Cait 4 friend-favorites-fridays
This was such a sweet, touching read! This book has been on my radar for a little while, so I’m glad I finally read it at the suggestion of my friend, Tina. I immediately fell in love with the kiddos of this story�� I think Chauncey was my special favorite. Each of them was given a tough lot in life, but they were each able to prove the idea of resiliency. Despite not being shown enough love in their pasts, each character demonstrated how impactful a loving role model and friend can make. Despite Linus being a human without supernatural gifts, his background and childhood was just as bleak as the children’s. It didn’t matter that he was a “normal�� being�� he was similarly shown how impactful love and care can be, in the most beautiful way. This was such a special read. ]]> 4.37 2020
author: T.J. Klune
name: Cait
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/24
date added: 2025/04/25
shelves: friend-favorites-fridays
review:
4/5⭐️

This was such a sweet, touching read! This book has been on my radar for a little while, so I’m glad I finally read it at the suggestion of my friend, Tina. I immediately fell in love with the kiddos of this story�� I think Chauncey was my special favorite. Each of them was given a tough lot in life, but they were each able to prove the idea of resiliency. Despite not being shown enough love in their pasts, each character demonstrated how impactful a loving role model and friend can make. Despite Linus being a human without supernatural gifts, his background and childhood was just as bleak as the children’s. It didn’t matter that he was a “normal�� being�� he was similarly shown how impactful love and care can be, in the most beautiful way. This was such a special read.
]]> 217106597 Being hired by a ranch for the summer sounds picture-perfect, right? Except your new boss looks a whole lot like every fantasy and daydream you’ve ever had come to life—oh, and he’s already accidentally seen your favorite ‘toy��.

I’ve always been the hyper-independent free spirit. Sage Maloney, the wild child.

The eldest daughter, with my heart locked away safely out of sight. I had a summer of fun ahead of me.

Only, I didn’t count on a former pro bull rider to stride into my life. Beau Heartford. The much older cowboy with a mustache to go weak at the knees for.

He’s a whole package of temptation. Someone who lures me in with glimpses of what it might be like to let my guard down�� to be taken care of.

My married boss.

Summer days rapidly turn scorching in this sleepy little town among the mountains. As the temperature continues to climb, we’re both stuck fighting a mutual attraction we can’t ignore.

Sparks fly, and we really should be putting more distance between the two of us.

In this scenario, more is at stake than just crossing a line between boss and employee.

There’s a wedding band on this cowboy’s finger.

Taming The Heart is an interconnected stand-alone, book 3 in the Crimson Ridge series, and can be read separately. Intended for ages 18 and over.]]> 446 Elliott Rose 1991281277 Cait 0 arc-tbr, currently-reading 4.59
author: Elliott Rose
name: Cait
average rating: 4.59
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/24
shelves: arc-tbr, currently-reading
review:

]]> 217245639
I never anticipated Charlie Florek.

Good things happen at the lake. That’s what Alice’s grandmother says, and it’s true. Alice spent just one summer at a cottage with Nan when she was seventeen—it’s where she took that photo, the one of three grinning teenagers in a yellow speedboat, the image that changed her life.

Now Alice lives behind a lens. As a photographer, she’s most comfortable on the sidelines, letting other people shine. Lately though, she’s been itching for something more, and when Nan falls and breaks her hip, Alice comes up with a plan for them both: another summer in that magical place, Barry’s Bay. But as soon as they settle in, their peace is disrupted by the roar of a familiar yellow boat, and the man driving it.

Charlie Florek was nineteen when Alice took his photo from afar. Now he’s all grown up—a shameless flirt, who manages to make Nan laugh and Alice long to be seventeen again, when life was simpler, when taking pictures was just for fun. Sun-slanted days and warm nights out on the lake with Charlie are a balm for Alice’s soul, but when she looks up and sees his piercing green gaze directly on her, she begins to worry for her heart.

Because Alice sees people—that’s why she is so good at what she does—but she’s never met someone who looks and sees her right back.]]> 400 Carley Fortune 0593638913 Cait 0 4.51 2025
author: Carley Fortune
name: Cait
average rating: 4.51
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/23
shelves: to-read, berkley-romance-2025-influencer
review:

]]> 62816044 Two villains, one girl, and a deadly battle for happily ever after.

Evangeline Fox ventured to the Magnificent North in search of her happy ending, and it seems as if she has it. She’s married to a handsome prince and lives in a legendary castle. But Evangeline has no idea of the devastating price she’s paid for this fairytale. She doesn’t know what she has lost, and her husband is determined to make sure she never finds out . . . but first he must kill Jacks, the Prince of Hearts.

Blood will be shed, hearts will be stolen, and true love will be put to the test in A Curse for True Love, the breathlessly anticipated conclusion to the Once Upon A Broken Heart trilogy.]]> 386 Stephanie Garber 1250851203 Cait 5 5/5⭐️<br />1/5 4.14 2023
author: Stephanie Garber
name: Cait
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/22
date added: 2025/04/22
shelves: 5-stars-in-2025, enemies-to-lovers, famous-not-famous-or-royal-not-roya, fantasy, hea, love-triangle, young-adult
review:
5/5⭐️
1/5
]]> 209439446
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.]]> 527 Rebecca Yarros 1649374186 Cait 0 currently-reading 4.18 2025
author: Rebecca Yarros
name: Cait
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/20
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> 220873332
EVEN IN DEATH is the second book in the Fragile Divine, an interconnected dark fantasy romance series about the frailty of gods and goddesses. You can expect high stakes, all the emotions, a mythology-inspired world, urban settings, mental health rep, and a little horror. The series must be read in order.]]> 480 Randi Garner Cait 5 AUDIOBOOK VERSION (APRIL 2025)
I knew this audiobook was going to put me out of commission for a while... and I was right! ALL THE FEELINGS! There is just something about having the auditory experience of one of your favorite books. I laughed, I cried, I gasped a lot. Randi's writing is absolutely incredible, and to hear it with the wonderful vocal talent we were blessed with was out of this world. I could so perfectly see the characters with their voices; the switches between accents and the dual narration was phenomenally well done. I will absolutely cherish this audiobook and am so grateful to have been given the opportunity to have an early listen! Thank you to Dreamscape Media, Randi Garner and Netgalley!
•�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ���
KINDLE VERSION (FEBRUARY 2025)
5/5⭐️
1/5]]> 4.69
author: Randi Garner
name: Cait
average rating: 4.69
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/20
date added: 2025/04/20
shelves: 5-stars-in-2025, arcs-2025, book-boyfriend, enemies-to-lovers, fantasy, forbidden-relationship, forced-proximity, hams, hea, ku, lgbtqia, opposites-attract, second-chance-romance, secret-relationship, witchy
review:
AUDIOBOOK VERSION (APRIL 2025)
I knew this audiobook was going to put me out of commission for a while... and I was right! ALL THE FEELINGS! There is just something about having the auditory experience of one of your favorite books. I laughed, I cried, I gasped a lot. Randi's writing is absolutely incredible, and to hear it with the wonderful vocal talent we were blessed with was out of this world. I could so perfectly see the characters with their voices; the switches between accents and the dual narration was phenomenally well done. I will absolutely cherish this audiobook and am so grateful to have been given the opportunity to have an early listen! Thank you to Dreamscape Media, Randi Garner and Netgalley!
•�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ���
KINDLE VERSION (FEBRUARY 2025)
5/5⭐️
1/5
]]> 217927423 A marriage of convenience threatens to go off track in this steamy Formula 1 romance from the USA Today bestselling author of Cross the Line.

Stella Baldwin thought her life couldn’t get worse. Being left at the altar was bad enough, and the drunken rant she posted to her social media followers in the aftermath was the cherry on top. But having to show up at her cousin’s bachelorette party in Las Vegas barely two weeks later feels like a cruel joke.

Thomas Maxwell-Brown is just looking for a good time. With his family’s expectations pressing down, his career as a Formula 1 driver threatened by fresh talent, and a new reputation as the most hated man on the grid, he needs a break to clear his head. And what better way to decompress than with a stag party in Vegas?

Stella isn’t the woman Thomas expects to meet that night. And Thomas isn’t the man Stella expects to wake up next to in the morning—with a ring on her finger. Staying married might be the perfect solution to all their problems, even if it is a little wild. Sometimes, what happens in Vegas doesn’t need to stay there. . . .]]> 448 Simone Soltani 0593818164 Cait 0 4.12
author: Simone Soltani
name: Cait
average rating: 4.12
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/19
shelves: to-read, berkley-romance-2025-influencer
review:

]]> 217927395
Nox has been steadfastly working as a quartermaster for the rebellion for years. They don’t ask for much in return, except for one crucial condition—their ex, the noble Lord Bastian, stays as far away from them as possible. To say things ended poorly between them is a gross understatement . . . and it’s the only relationship Nox has never quite recovered from.

But now the rules have changed. Siobhan, the rebel leader, has emerged from hiding to tell Nox that Bastian’s involvement in the rebellion has been discovered, and he’s being taken to stand trial in the capital as a traitor. The fate of the entire rebellion now rests on Nox and Siobhan’s ability to rescue Bastian from the Cŵn Annwn ship.

Saving Bastian is only the start of their hardships, as the trio is tracked by ferocious pirates across Threshold. And Nox’s complicated relationships and entanglements with Bastian and Siobhan put not only their life at risk but their heart on the line.]]> 352 Katee Robert 059363912X Cait 0 4.11 2025
author: Katee Robert
name: Cait
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/19
shelves: to-read, berkley-romance-2025-influencer
review:

]]> 199926331 Estranged exes must stick close together to save their best friend’s wedding after a string of disasters in this swoony and steamy second-chance romance.

Georgia Woodward lives by her lists, none more so than the one about her ex, Eli Mora. It’s full of the ironclad dos and don’ts they’ve been following since she returned to the Bay Area after their cataclysmic breakup five years ago.

With the wedding of their mutual best friend, Adam, looming, and them about to step into their roles as best woman and man, Georgia’s never needed it more. She refuses to threaten their tight-knit friend group with her messy—and still very present—feelings. The rules on that list will keep her cool, calm, and compartmentalized.

What’s not on her list? Eli arriving from New York with a new rule-breaking attitude or the all-inclusive venue burning to the ground, leaving the bride and groom in dire straits. Nor does she anticipate Adam asking her and Eli to help him make a miracle happen. Together.

As Georgia and Eli rush up to Napa Valley to pull off the perfect wedding, their old chemistry comes back in technicolor. Somewhere between cake tastings gone wrong, disastrous DJ auditions, and Eli’s heated attention, Georgia starts recognizing the man she fell in love with before. And if she lets herself break her rules, she might find what they’re building isn’t the something old that ruined them—it’s a chance at something new.]]> 399 Jessica Joyce 0593548434 Cait 0 4.12 2024
author: Jessica Joyce
name: Cait
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/19
shelves: to-read, friend-favorites-fridays
review:

]]> 231265101 The Witcher clashes with the Shire in this sexy strangers-to-lovers romantasy about a broody monster hunter and the charming innkeeper he’s duty-bound to protect, tempted to love, and destined to kill.

He’s Fated to kill her; she’s going to fall for him anyway.

When Anya looks into the Mirror of Death at her small town’s annual Fate Festival, she expects to see what she always a long and peaceful life in the community she loves. But this year, she sees a strong, handsome, and Fated to drown her.

When she finds herself convicted of her own future crime, Anya embarks on a dangerous quest to the capital to clear her name—only to be attacked by a monster that shouldn’t exist, and rescued by the very man destined to murder her.

Idris is a knight of a secret order, now duty-bound to escort Anya to her trial. As they face terrifying monsters, assist quirky townsfolk, and share a tiny tent together, Idris and Anya find themselves drawing inexplicably closer. But when enemies from Idris’s past drag Anya into a world of cutthroat criminals and sordid politics, Idris fears he’ll be the end of her, after all.

As desire, duty, and dark conspiracies thrust Anya and Idris into a world of intrigue and danger, they’ll have no choice but to tempt their disastrous Fate.



Fate’s Dangerous Fortune is a spicy strangers-to-lovers romantic fantasy for adults—perfect for readers who enjoy bold heroines, heroes who fall first, character-driven plots, and unique world building.

This is the first book in the Mirrors of Fate series, which are interconnected fantasy romances, each about a different couple, with a guaranteed HEA. This book contains high-stakes action and cozy small-town shenanigans, with detailed descriptions of spice and gore. Recommended for fans of Helen Scheuerer, Danielle L. Jensen, Dungeons & Dragons, and Sarah J. Maas. ]]> 352 Nicola Victory Cait 0 to-read 5.00
author: Nicola Victory
name: Cait
average rating: 5.00
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 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.]]> 432 Emily Henry Cait 5 5/5 ⭐️<br />2/5 4.23 2025
author: Emily Henry
name: Cait
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/18
date added: 2025/04/18
shelves: berkley-romance-2025-influencer, 5-stars-in-2025, arcs-2025, favourites, forced-proximity, grumpy-sunshine, he-falls-first, hams, hea, netgalley, rivals-to-lovers, strangers-to-lovers
review:
5/5 ⭐️
2/5
]]> 38311338 From Olivie Blake, the New York Times bestselling author of The Atlas Six comes Masters of Death, a story about vampires, ghosts, and death itself!

Viola Marek is a struggling real estate agent, and a vampire. But her biggest problem currently is that the house she needs to sell is haunted. The ghost haunting the house has been murdered, and until he can solve the mystery of how he died, he refuses to move on.

Fox D’Mora is a medium, and though is also most-definitely a shameless fraud, he isn’t entirely without his uses—seeing as he’s actually the godson of Death.

When Viola seeks out Fox to help her with her ghost-infested mansion, he becomes inextricably involved in a quest that neither he nor Vi expects (or wants). But with the help of an unruly poltergeist, a demonic personal trainer, a sharp-voiced angel, a love-stricken reaper, and a few high-functioning creatures, Vi and Fox soon discover the difference between a mysterious lost love and an annoying dead body isn’t nearly as distinct as they thought.]]> 349 Olivie Blake Cait 4 3.5/5⭐️<br />1/5 3.64 2018
author: Olivie Blake
name: Cait
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/18
date added: 2025/04/18
shelves: witchy, strangers-to-lovers, fiction, fantasy
review:
3.5/5⭐️
1/5
]]> 216970877
Ex-grifter Phoebe Graves�� new life threatens to come crashing down around her in the next unputdownable novel from the New York Times bestselling authors of the Addicted series.

As the daughter of a con artist, Phoebe Graves only knew a life of swindling the rich until her best friend and fellow grifter, Hailey Tinrock, proposed an idea to start a new, honest life in a wealthy college town of Connecticut. Once there, they decided to leave behind their deceitful tricks and be truthful for once. But you know what they say about best intentions. . . .

While Phoebe is fake-dating Jake Waterford, the third-born son to an uber-wealthy and influential family, she’s actually dating and falling deeper in love with Brayden “Rocky�� Tinrock—Hailey’s older brother. To make matters more complicated, Phoebe’s mother shows up out of the blue with conniving match-making designs of her own.

Her mother’s arrival threatens to unravel Phoebe’s plans. To keep her love, her friends, and her newfound happiness, Phoebe will have to return to her old games . . . and win.]]> 512 Krista Ritchie 0593549570 Cait 0 4.08 2025
author: Krista Ritchie
name: Cait
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/17
shelves: to-read, berkley-romance-2025-influencer, physical-tbr
review:

]]> 215951585
As a chart-topping country singer, I’m living the dream.

While my family is all back in Austin, embracing their happily-ever-afters, I’m on the road on a sold-out tour.

I should feel ecstatic, yet all I am is lonely.

Maybe that’s why I find myself drawn to a fan who pops up at one of my shows.

Something about the way he watches me on stage has me thinking…he knows my secret.

And after the first kiss, I can’t seem to let him go.

But Jensen Miles has some secrets of his own:

He isn’t just a regular fan. He’s a preacher.

And not just any preacher—the new preacher at my dad’s church.

Where I come from, preachers don’t have filthy mouths and dirty hookups, let alone with a male country singer.

But Jensen has scars like mine. They just run deeper.

We can’t stay away from each other, though. One night turns into nearly every city of the tour; the two of us sneak around backstage, onto tour buses, and in hotel rooms.

And while I’ve never been happier…I’m tired of hiding.

With Jensen, I might be able to escape the monsters from my past—even if the scariest one has just been set free.

With Jensen, we can outrun our demons together.

With Jensen, I’m finally ready to come home.]]> 434 Sara Cate Cait 0 to-read, physical-tbr 4.69 2025
author: Sara Cate
name: Cait
average rating: 4.69
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/17
shelves: to-read, physical-tbr
review:

]]> 214537762 The truth is stranger than fan fiction in this sexy paranormal rom-com.

The only place small-town outcast Alex Lawson fits in is the online fan forum she built for The Arcane Files, a long-running werewolf detective show. Her dedication to archiving fictional supernatural lore made her Internet-famous, even if she harbors a secret disdain for the show’s star, Devin Ashwood. (Never meet your heroes—sometimes they turn out to be The Worst.)

Ever since his show went off the air, Devin and his career have spiraled, but waking up naked in the woods outside his LA home with no memory of the night before is a new low. It must have been a coincidence that the once-in-a-century Wolf Blood Moon crested last night. The claws, fangs, and howling are a little more difficult to explain away. Desperate for answers, Devin finds Alex—the closest thing to an expert that exists. If only he could convince her to stop hating his guts long enough to help....

Once he makes her an offer she can’t refuse, these reluctant allies lower their guards trying to wrangle his inner beast. Unfortunately, getting up close and personal quickly comes back to bite them.]]> 415 Rosie Danan 0593437160 Cait 0 to-read, physical-tbr 3.83 2025
author: Rosie Danan
name: Cait
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/17
shelves: to-read, physical-tbr
review:

]]> 211004924 DELUXE EDITION—featuring beautiful original illustrated stenciled edges with a foil case stamp, and designed endpapers!

An instant New York Times bestseller!

House of the Dragon meets From Blood and Ash in this epic, scorching dark romantasy.

A conqueror captivated��
A witch prophesied to save them all��
An unforgiving world where dragons rule Rome.

Julian Dakkia, Roman general and nephew to the emperor, has played his role as conqueror well. Yet, the moment he laid eyes on Malina, he was enthralled by the Dacian dancer. Years later, the fierce beauty stands before him, a captive on a scarred battlefield, her life in danger. He instinctively shifts into his fierce dragon form to save her, an action that may mean his head on the imperial gate.

The rules of their world dictate that he is the conqueror and she is the captured. But he and his dragon know one thing: their bond has nothing to do with the laws of mighty Rome. She belongs to them. And they belong to her.

Fierce and powerful, twenty-one-year old Malina has survived the loss of her family and she is determined to fight until her dying breath. Still, she can’t believe that the centurion who had once bestowed a secret talisman on her is the Roman general of legendary brutality…and now holds her life in his hands. Nor can she deny how her soul has always seemed to answer his. Slowly she learns that Julian is caught in his mad uncle’s machinations for domination, and helps him plot the downfall of the empire itself.

As they navigate a world where flying deathriders conquer and burn, their love will ignite a firestorm that can only end in heartbreak or death. Or both.

Firebird is a fantasy with some dark themes, including elements of master/slave relationship, attempted sexual assault (not between MCs), and dubious consent (not between MCs). Readers who may be sensitive to these elements, please take note.]]> 400 Juliette Cross 1250339944 Cait 0 to-read, physical-tbr 3.54 2025
author: Juliette Cross
name: Cait
average rating: 3.54
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/17
shelves: to-read, physical-tbr
review:

]]> 123219460 Betrayal.

He was the deception waiting in the night; the truth I never saw coming. After a lifetime of manipulation, I finally learned the truth. I was his puppet—even if I never saw my strings.

Even knowing how deep his betrayal runs, I can’t shake the undeniable connection between Gray and I—the way a single glance from him sets my soul on fire. We are not the same. We’re enemies, poised to battle for the future of the very thing I’d wanted to destroy.

With the Covenant gone, the revenge I thought I wanted is no longer my priority. The witches that remain played no role in my aunt’s death, and the only person standing in the way of righting those wrongs is the very man determined to keep me in his bed.

But the remaining members of the Coven will never forgive me for the role I played in their demise and subjugation, and the worst part of all is that I can’t even blame them for it. I’d been naive, believing my own delusions of grandeur when destiny clearly had other plans for me. Plans that had been set in motion centuries before my birth.

But even that had been a lie, and now it is my duty to do everything in my power to undo it.

To protect my Coven from my husband’s hatred—no matter what the cost.]]> 324 Harper L. Woods Cait 0 to-read, physical-tbr 3.57 2023
author: Harper L. Woods
name: Cait
average rating: 3.57
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/17
shelves: to-read, physical-tbr
review:

]]> 75396525
There are no whispered words here. No condemnation for the blood that flows through my veins. The only animosity I face comes from the beautiful and infuriating Headmaster, Alaric Grayson Thorne, a man who despises me just as much as I loathe him and everything he stands for.

But that doesn’t mean secrets don’t threaten to tear the school in two. No one talks about the bloody massacre that forced it to close decades prior, only the opportunity it can afford to those fortunate enough to attend.

Because for the first time in fifty years, the Coven will open its wards to the Thirteen: thirteen promising students destined to change the world.

If the ghosts of Hollow’s Groves�� victims don’t kill them first...

The Coven is book one in the Coven of Bones series and ends on a cliffhanger. This is a gothic, dark-academia, paranormal romance and includes elements that may be triggering to some listeners.]]> 298 Harper L. Woods Cait 0 to-read, physical-tbr 3.73 2023
author: Harper L. Woods
name: Cait
average rating: 3.73
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/17
shelves: to-read, physical-tbr
review:

]]> 214151222 Paedyn and Kai are reunited but face a terrible decision in this thrilling conclusion to the New York Times bestselling romantic fantasy trilogy perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and The Red Queen.

Paedyn Gray and Kai Azer return to the Kingdom of Ilya��

And Paedyn has a life-altering choice to make. Whatever she decides will determine her fate—and the fate of those around her—forever.

In the ultimate battle of love and loyalty, who wins?]]> 608 Lauren Roberts 1665955465 Cait 0 to-read, physical-tbr 4.32 2025
author: Lauren Roberts
name: Cait
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/17
shelves: to-read, physical-tbr
review:

]]> 217453509 A small-town waitress and a Hollywood star’s worlds collide in this new romance by Ashley Herring Blake, USA Today bestselling author of Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date.

Once upon a time, Ramona Riley was a student at a prestigious art school, with dreams of landing in Hollywood as a costume designer to the stars. But after her father’s car accident, she had to quit and return to her small New Hampshire town, Clover Lake, to help take care of her younger sister. Twelve years later, Ramona is still working at the town’s café, all but given up on her dream. But when a big-budget romantic comedy comes to Clover Lake to film, she wonders if this could be her chance. There’s only one problem—Dylan Monroe, her first kiss and Hollywood’s favorite wild child—is the star.

Dylan Monroe has always lived an unconventional life, having famous rock icons for parents. But she wants to prove that she’s not some chaotic, talentless nepo baby, that she has actual skills, that she’s just a normal person. To do that, Dylan takes on a project at a charming lake town—she even works at the town’s café (very quaint), shadowing a local waitress there (very cute), and asks her to take Dylan around to do Normal People Things.

But Dylan soon realizes it’s not just some small-town waitress she’s getting to know—Ramona Riley is someone she’s met before, someone who remembers her even more vividly. Before long, however, reality hits them, and both women must decide if the spark between them can fan the flames of their individual dreams, or if it will extinguish their light.]]> 416 Ashley Herring Blake 0593815998 Cait 0 4.27 2025
author: Ashley Herring Blake
name: Cait
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/17
shelves: to-read, berkley-romance-2025-influencer, physical-tbr
review:

]]> 198815697 I have one job in this arranged marriage, and that’s to seduce my husband.

It should be easy; I’m the heiress to a transatlantic fortune, bred and raised to make a good match. I’ve spent a lifetime building up my endurance, my discipline, my dedication to my god and my church. The danger lies in falling for the devil who put his ring on my finger—a mistake I made years ago, and can’t afford to make again.

There is one more danger: handsome and green-eyed, emotionally wounded. Tristan Thomas, former soldier and my new husband’s bodyguard. A hero who stole my heart with salt-soaked kisses on the sea.

But Lyonesse is not like other places, and this isn’t like other marriages. Soon Tristan, Mark, and I are tangled in a knot of vicious jealousy and gorgeous wickedness, where suspicion is an aphrodisiac and secrets and vows are one and the same.

And there is something far darker at play than my real purpose, than the machinations of the Church I serve. Darker even than the twisted longings of my own heart. Because my husband has secrets of his own, and the reason he’ll stop at nothing to possess me could slice my soul deeper than the honeysuckle-hilted knife he gave me once upon a time.

Because when it comes to Mark Trevena and his games, the first cut is more than the deepest—it’s the sweetest.

And he always leaves you begging for more��

Honey Cut is the second book in the Lyonesse Trilogy.]]> 434 Sierra Simone 1949364380 Cait 0 to-read, physical-tbr 4.12 2024
author: Sierra Simone
name: Cait
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/17
shelves: to-read, physical-tbr
review:

]]> 216437557 disastrously close. A gorgeous veterinarian giving Greek god vibes—all while cuddling a tiny kitten? Immediately yes. That is until Xavier opens his mouth and proves that even sculpted gods can say the absolute wrong thing. Like, really wrong. Of course, there’s nothing Samantha loves more than proving an asshole wrong��

. . . unless, of course, he can admit he made a mistake. But after one incredible and seemingly endless date—possibly the best in living history—Samantha is forced to admit the truth, that her family is in crisis and any kind of relationship would be impossible. Samantha begs Xavier to forget her. To remember their night together as a perfect moment, as crushing as that may be.

Only no amount of distance or time is nearly enough to forget that something between them. And the only thing better than one single perfect memory is to make a life—and even a love—worth remembering.]]> 416 Abby Jimenez 0349442827 Cait 0 to-read, physical-tbr 4.14 2025
author: Abby Jimenez
name: Cait
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/17
shelves: to-read, physical-tbr
review:

]]> 210428052 What do you get if you mix Harry Potter with Fourth Wing, Zodiac Academy, a dash of Arthurian legend, and lots and lots of vampires? Bloodwing Academy.

I didn't sign up for this.

A half-fae in a school of highblood vampires? That's a recipe for torment.

I'm Medra Pendragon—last of the dragon riders, or so they tell me. Funny thing is, there are no dragons left. Not a single one. But somehow, that hasn't stopped the vampires from deciding I'm worth capturing. Now I'm stuck at Bloodwing Academy, where the highbloods run everything and blightborn like me? We're just blood in their veins, pawns in their games.

But that's not even the worst part. Enter Blake Drakharrow. Cold, arrogant, and way too gorgeous for his own good. He's been tormenting me since the moment we met, and now, thanks to some ancient ritual, we're betrothed. He acts like he owns me, but I'm not going down without a fight.

Bloodwing isn't just a school—it's a battlefield. Highbloods fight for power, and if you're weak? You're dead.

Between deadly competitions, lies that could get me executed, and a dragon-shaped secret looming over my head, all I have to do is survive. Easy, right? Except I'm starting to think the real danger isn't the academy—it's what I'm becoming in this twisted game of power.

And Blake? He might just be the one who pushes me over the edge.

They think they can control me. They think they can use me.

But they have no idea what they've awakened.


Bestselling epic fantasy author Briar Boleyn returns with a new series perfect for fans of hate to love romance, heart-pounding action, and dark magic.

On Wings of Blood is a dark academia fantasy romance featuring a bully villain with Draco Malfoy energy who (eventually) gets the girl, all the tension and banter, and a tantalizingly dangerous blend of court and school intrigue all set in an intricately crafted world with unique vampire and dragon lore. Bloodwing Academy may have crossover characters from the world of Blood of a Fae, but can be read completely independently. If you're a fan of original mythology, unique world-building, and character-driven romantasy books such as Crowns of Nyaxia, From Blood and Ash, and A Court of Thorns and Roses, you won't want to miss out on this riveting new saga. ]]> 523 Briar Boleyn Cait 0 4.01 2024
author: Briar Boleyn
name: Cait
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/16
shelves: to-read, friend-favorites-fridays
review:

]]> 42046112 Memory makes reality.

That's what NYC cop Barry Sutton is learning, as he investigates the devastating phenomenon the media has dubbed False Memory Syndrome—a mysterious affliction that drives its victims mad with memories of a life they never lived.

That's what neuroscientist Helena Smith believes. It's why she's dedicated her life to creating a technology that will let us preserve our most precious memories. If she succeeds, anyone will be able to re-experience a first kiss, the birth of a child, the final moment with a dying parent.

As Barry searches for the truth, he comes face to face with an opponent more terrifying than any disease—a force that attacks not just our minds, but the very fabric of the past. And as its effects begin to unmake the world as we know it, only he and Helena, working together, will stand a chance at defeating it.

But how can they make a stand when reality itself is shifting and crumbling all around them?

At once a relentless pageturner and an intricate science-fiction puzzlebox about time, identity, and memory, Recursion is a thriller as only Blake Crouch could imagine it—and his most ambitious, mind-boggling, irresistible work to date.]]> 326 Blake Crouch 1524759783 Cait 5
I am... almost speechless. And for those that know me, and follow me and my reviews, you know that it preeeeetty rare. I always have a thought. I always have something to say (scream) about the books I've read.

I'm speechless because this book was so incredibly good. Like... ruined my life for twenty four hours, good. Could think of little else, good. Brought it into almost every conversation I had today, good. I finished in a little over a day and found little time to do anything else.

This was a powerful story. A heady story. I went in with zero point zero knowledge of plot, not even realizing who the author was. With most of the recommendations I'm given, I try to go in as blind as possible. It became clear pretty shortly that this was the same author as Dark Matter which I also loved. Same vibes, same feel, but a new story which kept me on my toes. The entire story? Locked-in. The science-heavy plot? Utter confusion... until I wasn't. I thrived. I LIVED.

This was spectacular.
*Dumbledore mini clap*]]> 4.15 2019
author: Blake Crouch
name: Cait
average rating: 4.15
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/15
date added: 2025/04/15
shelves: friend-favorites-fridays, 5-stars-in-2025, fiction, favourites
review:
5/5⭐️

I am... almost speechless. And for those that know me, and follow me and my reviews, you know that it preeeeetty rare. I always have a thought. I always have something to say (scream) about the books I've read.

I'm speechless because this book was so incredibly good. Like... ruined my life for twenty four hours, good. Could think of little else, good. Brought it into almost every conversation I had today, good. I finished in a little over a day and found little time to do anything else.

This was a powerful story. A heady story. I went in with zero point zero knowledge of plot, not even realizing who the author was. With most of the recommendations I'm given, I try to go in as blind as possible. It became clear pretty shortly that this was the same author as Dark Matter which I also loved. Same vibes, same feel, but a new story which kept me on my toes. The entire story? Locked-in. The science-heavy plot? Utter confusion... until I wasn't. I thrived. I LIVED.

This was spectacular.
*Dumbledore mini clap*
]]> 210196819 I’m nothing like my brothers. I’ve devoted my life to my work, and I don’t care about God or family.
I live alone, and I like it that way. Soon, I’ll have the job of my dreams far away from this place, and that’s all that matters.
Everything is going perfectly.
That is until Sadie Green walks into my class.
She is brilliant and funny and infuriating, and she’s ruining everything I have planned for my life.
When she gets the news that she’s pregnant, and the baby’s father isn't going to help her, I step in.
She needs guidance, control, and discipline.
Moving her into my house is a risk. If I’m caught living with my pregnant student, I will lose my job and everything I have planned.
But the first time she asks me to punish her, I know it won’t be so easy to walk away—because I love it.
Being with her would risk everything, but God help me, I can’t seem to stop.
Before long, I don’t recognize the good teacher I used to be.]]> 362 Sara Cate Cait 0 to-read 4.06 2024
author: Sara Cate
name: Cait
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 13605723 It's a beautiful day for a war.

As the mortal world slowly slips into chaos of the godly kind, Alexandria Andros must overcome a stunning defeat that has left her shaken and in doubt of their ability to end this war once and for all.

And with all the obstacles between Alex and her happily-ever-after with the swoonworthy Aiden St. Delphi, they must now trust a deadly foe as they travel deep into the Underworld to release one of the most dangerous gods of all time.

In the stunning, action-packed climax to the bestselling Covenant series, Alex must face a terrible choice: the destruction of everything and everyone she holds dear�� or the end of herself.]]> 297 Jennifer L. Armentrout 1937053571 Cait 5 5/5⭐️<br />1/5 4.40 2013
author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
name: Cait
average rating: 4.40
book published: 2013
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/14
date added: 2025/04/14
shelves: 5-stars-in-2025, fantasy, forbidden-relationship, forced-proximity, friends-to-lovers, he-falls-first, hea, love-triangle, young-adult
review:
5/5⭐️
1/5
]]> 214143805 From New York Times bestselling author RuNyx comes Enigma, a twisted Hades and Persephone meets scorching dark academia romance—a tale of love and obsession between two rivals.

There are secrets she must uncover.

There are secrets he must keep.

Salem Salazar is fascinated with death. The black sheep of her scandal-ridden, wealthy family, she arrives at Mortimer University as a legacy on the hunt for answers about what happened to her perfect, older sister. There, she discovers that her sister is far from the only girl to have gone missing at Mortimer. Salem will do anything to discover what dark forces are killing Mortimer's students...even if it means using herself as bait.

And Cazimir van der Waal has caught her scent. The mysterious artist and teaching assistant has a dark past, a hidden agenda, and a ravenous appetite for a beautiful, golden-eyed girl who seems determined to risk her life.

Where she is ice, he is fire. Where she is organization, he is chaos. Where she is precision, he is passion. Together they are explosive--their fates linked as secret societies and death stalk them both.

Enigma is a sensual, epic love story for those who also crave the frightful, the puzzling, the suspenseful, the dangerous and the dark.

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.]]> 463 RuNyx 1250334241 Cait 0 to-read 4.17 2025
author: RuNyx
name: Cait
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/14
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 214037674 Dirty dancing leads to a chance at forever in this sizzling single parent, found family, small town romance by Jessica Peterson.

As a recently divorced single mom, I have zero interest in flirting with guys while on a rare girls�� weekend away with my sisters. I just want to have fun, celebrate my new job, and listen to live music at a honky tonk.

But when I literally stumble into the most gorgeous guy ever on the dance floor, those plans go up in smoke. Growing up on the barrel racing circuit, I’m not immune to the charms of a cowboy. But this particular one is hot as hell: Sawyer’s got a mustache, some sexy tattoos, and a very filthy mouth.

Needless to say, we end up naked in his swanky hotel room. It’s the best sex of my life. And the way Sawyer treats me like a queen? Let’s just say a girl could get addicted to that kind of adoration.

Good thing he’ll always be just a one night stand I can look back on with a smile. I’m rebuilding our life from scratch, and I need to focus on my three-year-old daughter and the dream job I just landed.

Imagine my surprise, then, when I move to Hartsville and run into a tattooed cowboy with an endearing daughter of his own. Now Sawyer wants more than the occasional playdates between our girls. But the closer we become, the more determined this sexy single dad is to keep me forever.

As much as I am falling for Sawyer, I’m terrified. I’ve been down this road before with my ex, and I wonder if I can trust this cowboy. Will he rope the moon for me? Or is my heart destined to be trampled all over again?

SAWYER is a standalone book in the interconnected Lucky River Ranch Series. ]]> 362 Jessica Peterson Cait 5 5/5 ⭐️<br />3/5 4.36 2025
author: Jessica Peterson
name: Cait
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/13
date added: 2025/04/13
shelves: 5-stars-in-2025, arcs-2025, book-boyfriend, cowboy-romance, forced-proximity, he-falls-first, hams, hea, no-3rd-act-breakup, one-night-stand, single-parent, small-town-romance, smut, strangers-to-lovers
review:
5/5 ⭐️
3/5
]]> 59808071 Not every love is meant to be.

After Jacks, the Prince of Hearts, betrays her, Evangeline Fox swears she'll never trust him again. Now that she’s discovered her own magic, Evangeline believes she can use it to restore the chance at happily ever after that Jacks stole away.

But when a new terrifying curse is revealed, Evangeline finds herself entering into a tenuous partnership with the Prince of Hearts again. Only this time, the rules have changed. Jacks isn’t the only force Evangeline needs to be wary of. In fact, he might be the only one she can trust, despite her desire to despise him.

Instead of a love spell wreaking havoc on Evangeline’s life, a murderous spell has been cast. To break it, Evangeline and Jacks will have to do battle with old friends, new foes, and a magic that plays with heads and hearts. Evangeline has always trusted her heart, but this time she’s not sure she can...]]> 416 Stephanie Garber 1250268427 Cait 4 4/5⭐️<br />1/5 4.49 2022
author: Stephanie Garber
name: Cait
average rating: 4.49
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/13
date added: 2025/04/13
shelves: fantasy, love-triangle, young-adult
review:
4/5⭐️
1/5
]]> 221804156 reaction was to run, finding it much too hard to stay and face the harsh reality. Years later, she
finds herself back home in northern Minnesota as the lead architect on a large renovation project,
and she’s determined to push aside the lingering heartbreak that ruminates while she’s there. As
if that wasn’t hard enough, she comes face to face with another ghost from her past—one she
has long despised. Cole Fredrickson. A grumpy cabin owner who refuses to sell the land she
was hoping to attain.

When a phone call inquiring about the sale of his cabin prompts Cole Fredrickson to
travel home to check on the property, he finds the place in need of some fixing up after having
neglected it for far too long. While there, he encounters not only past demons of his own, but a
spunky, hint-of-a-flame from high school who proves to be irritatingly persistent about buying it.
What she doesn’t know is that he doesn’t plan on ever selling—especially to her. But that
doesn’t mean he won’t enjoy watching her try.

Will their pasts threaten to keep them both firmly stuck in their ways? Or will coming
together prove to be exactly what the other needs to heal?]]> Megan Reinking Cait 4 4/5 ⭐️<br />1/5 4.23
author: Megan Reinking
name: Cait
average rating: 4.23
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/12
date added: 2025/04/12
shelves: arcs-2025, cozy, enemies-to-lovers, forced-proximity, hea, no-3rd-act-breakup, second-chance-romance, small-town-romance, closed-door-romance
review:
4/5 ⭐️
1/5
]]> 13605727 110 Jennifer L. Armentrout 1937053415 Cait 5 novella, young-adult 5/5⭐️<br />1/5 4.32 2012
author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
name: Cait
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2012
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/11
date added: 2025/04/11
shelves: novella, young-adult
review:
5/5⭐️
1/5
]]> 10860399 62 Jennifer L. Armentrout 098315726X Cait 5 5/5⭐️<br />1/5 4.01 2011
author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
name: Cait
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2011
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/11
date added: 2025/04/11
shelves: 5-stars-in-2025, young-adult, novella
review:
5/5⭐️
1/5
]]> 9897164
The gods have killed thousands and could destroy entire cities in their quest to stop Seth from taking Alex’s power and becoming the all-powerful God Killer. But breaking Alex’s connection to Seth isn’t the only problem. There are a few pesky little loopholes in the whole “an Apollyon can’t be killed�� theory, and the only person who might know how to stop the destruction has been dead for centuries.

Finding their way past the barriers that guard the Underworld, searching for one soul among countless millions, and then somehow returning will be hard enough. Alex might be able to keep Seth from becoming the God Killer�� or she might become the God Killer herself.]]> 343 Jennifer L. Armentrout 1937053164 Cait 5 5/5⭐️<br />1/5 4.30 2013
author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
name: Cait
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2013
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/10
date added: 2025/04/10
shelves: 5-stars-in-2025, book-boyfriend, closed-door-romance, forbidden-relationship, forced-proximity, friends-to-lovers, love-triangle, no-3rd-act-breakup, only-one-bed, young-adult
review:
5/5⭐️
1/5
]]> 18809475
It's been a year since Seth made the deal with the gods that pledged his life to them. And so far, the jobs they've given him have been violent and bloody--which is kind of all right with him. But now Apollo has something else in mind for Seth. He's got to play protector while keeping his hands and fingers off, and for someone who really has a problem with restraint, this new assignment might be the most challenging yet.

Josie has no idea what this crazy hot guy's deal might be, but it's a good bet that his arrival means the new life she started after leaving home is about to be thrown into an Olympian-sized blender turned up to puree. Either Josie is going insane or a nightmare straight out of ancient myth is gunning for her.

But it might be the unlikely attraction simmering between her and the golden-eyed, secret-keeping Seth that may prove to be the most dangerous thing of all.

Because history has once again been flipped to repeat.]]> 335 Jennifer L. Armentrout 1939392624 Cait 0 to-read 4.22 2017
author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
name: Cait
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/10
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 199285128 Kennedy

I’m the only woman on staff for the Windy City Warriors, and after years of putting up with a sexist lead doctor, I’m desperate to land my dream job with a new team next year. All I have to do is maintain my professional reputation for my final season in Chicago.

But a Las Vegas run-in with the team’s shortstop threatens it all, leaving me with a fuzzy memory and a ring on my left hand.

Now, not only am I legally bound to the most persistent man I’ve ever met, but thanks to Isaiah’s scheme to save my job, I have to pretend the whole thing was a planned elopement and not a drunken mistake.

Isaiah Rhodes is reckless, impulsive, and frustratingly charming. He’s also my brand-new husband.

They got the saying wrong. What happens in Vegas doesn’t always stay in Vegas�� sometimes it follows you right back home.


Isaiah

As the shortstop for Chicago’s professional baseball team, I’ve had my fair share of fun. But that all ended the day Kennedy Kay became a single woman.

I’ve crushed on the team’s athletic trainer for years. I’ve flirted to no avail, so imagine my surprise when I woke up in Sin City with a ring on my finger and my favorite redhead in my bed.

We agree to stay married for one baseball season, just long enough to keep her job safe, but in my mind, I’m using our time together to prove to her I’m husband material.

Kennedy might be reluctant to join in on our game, but it’s one I refuse to lose.

So come on, wife�� play along.]]> 384 Liz Tomforde Cait 5 5/5⭐️<br />3/5 4.44 2024
author: Liz Tomforde
name: Cait
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/09
date added: 2025/04/09
shelves:
review:
5/5⭐️
3/5
]]> 221798730 "Tinx brings us her fiction debut packed with glamorous escapism, scandal, and sexual tension. Hotter in the Hamptons is the romance for a new generation." - Chelsea Handler  

Travel to the heart of the Hamptons in an irresistible summer fling from New York Times bestselling author Tinx!

As New York City's fashion it-girl, Lola has been living her dream. But when her career comes to a screeching halt after a very public snafu, everything Lola has worked for �� her loyal following, her designer closet, her perfect boyfriend �� starts to go up in flames. And when notorious culture critic Aly Ray Carter lights the final match by writing a scathing exposé, it feels as if Lola has lost it all. 

When Lola flees to the Hamptons to escape her mistakes, she expects to spend her summer drinking Minuty by the pool while carefully rebuilding both her confidence and her brand. Instead, she looks over the trimmed hedges to see none other than her rival and newest Aly Ray Carter.

As summer blazes on, Lola is swept into an intoxicating situation with the woman who ruined her life, marred by chaos and confusion as she tries to pinpoint why Aly has her so captivated. She thought the Hamptons would be the perfect place to outrun her mess, but quickly realizes there's no place to run.]]> 336 Tinx 1464245371 Cait 0 to-read, arc-tbr 2.51
author: Tinx
name: Cait
average rating: 2.51
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/09
shelves: to-read, arc-tbr
review:

]]> 9761778 History is on repeat, and things didn't go so well the last time.

Alexandria isn't sure she's going to make it to her eighteenth birthday--to her Awakening. A long-forgotten, fanatical order is out to kill her, and if the Council ever discovers what she did in the Catskills, she's a goner... and so is Aiden.

If that's not freaky enough, whenever Alex and Seth spend time "training"--which really is just Seth's code word for some up-close and personal one-on-one time--she ends up with another mark of the Apollyon, which brings her one step closer to Awakening ahead of schedule. Awesome.

But as her birthday draws near, her entire world shatters with a startling revelation and she's caught between love and Fate. One will do anything to protect her. One has been lying to her since the beginning. Once the gods have revealed themselves, unleashing their wrath, lives will be irrevocably changed... and destroyed.

Those left standing will discover if love is truly greater than Fate...]]> 330 Jennifer L. Armentrout 1937053148 Cait 5 5/5⭐️<br />1/5 4.31 2012
author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
name: Cait
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2012
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/04
date added: 2025/04/08
shelves: 5-stars-in-2025, fantasy, forbidden-relationship, forced-proximity, friends-to-lovers, love-triangle, only-one-bed, secret-relationship, young-adult
review:
5/5⭐️
1/5
]]> 59417433 This is not your typical love story.

It’s a story of almosts and could-have-beens.
Of friendship that teeters on the edge of something more.
Of passion so intoxicating, it burns.

Jamie and B are two hearts caught in the tangle of bad timing and unspoken words. Their connection defies labels—too deep for friendship, too tangled for love. Over a decade of moments, choices, and missed opportunities, they find themselves drawn together like a moth to a flame, even when the world—and their own mistakes—keep pulling them apart.

Is it obsession? Destiny? Or just self-destruction with a pretty face?

Sometimes, love isn’t about finding the right person—it’s about the moment when everything aligns.
But what if that moment never comes?

This special edition features:
* A Love Letter to Whiskey (the full, heart-wrenching story)
* Love, Whiskey (Jamie’s side, plus an extended epilogue)
* Bonus content, including behind-the-scenes stories, fun facts, and letters from the author and audiobook narrator]]> 608 Kandi Steiner Cait 5 5/5⭐️<br />3/5 4.23
author: Kandi Steiner
name: Cait
average rating: 4.23
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/08
date added: 2025/04/08
shelves: friend-favorites-fridays, 5-stars-in-2025, forced-proximity, forbidden-relationship, friends-to-lovers, hams, he-falls-first, hea, miscommunication, one-night-stand, second-chance-romance
review:
5/5⭐️
3/5
]]> 204640549 A kitchen witch with a penchant for baking and a (literally) cursed love life meets someone who's worth breaking a hex for in this sweet and spicy debut romance.

As a skilled kitchen witch, Dina Whitlock knows her way around a pastry recipe. In fact, she runs her very own London café serving magic-infused pastries for her loyal customers. But only a select few friends know about her magical abilities or the hex that has plagued her love life. It’s hard to fall in love when your partner is guaranteed to have a string of bad luck the second they start to have feelings for you.

Scott Mason is back from traveling the world and is excited to begin his new job as a curator at the British Museum. After leaving London to heal from a brutal breakup two years ago, Scott only now realizes how much he missed out on. Now that his best friend’s wedding is right around the corner, Scott is determined to be the most amazing best man ever, but he doesn’t expect to be bewitched by the maid of honor, who also happens to be the owner of his new favorite café and, more surprisingly, a witch?!

After a weekend in the countryside full of peculiar hedge mazes, palm readings by candlelight, and a midnight Halloween ritual, there’s no denying the chemistry between them. But there’s just one problem: The hex still holds, and Dina knows that Scott is in danger. In the past, she’s always cut her losses, but this time is different. Scott could be the one. Will Dina be able to undo the hex, before it’s too late?]]> 320 Nadia El-Fassi 0593871790 Cait 4 4.5/5⭐️<br />3/5 3.50 2024
author: Nadia El-Fassi
name: Cait
average rating: 3.50
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/06
date added: 2025/04/08
shelves: forced-proximity, friends-to-lovers, he-falls-first, hea, only-one-bed, strangers-to-lovers, witchy
review:
4.5/5⭐️
3/5
]]> 215361843 A lottery ticket + donuts = love in this steamy new fake dating romance from beloved author Denise Williams.

Who needs love? Not Sybil Sweet. After years of bouncing from job to job in search of something that feels right and from man to man in search of something special, Sybil is embracing her role as the directionless, floundering member of her family. All she really wants now is a little financial stability and carb comfort. Lucky for her, she’s got just enough in the bank to buy a lottery ticket, and the late-night donut store is open.

Kiran Anderson abandoned his dreams of becoming a doctor to take over running his family’s bakery, and after two years of fighting a losing battle to save the place, he’s exhausted and broke. But when a whirlwind of a woman sweeps in late one night, flirty energy gives way to more…until she runs out the next morning, leaving behind her winning lottery ticket.

Lucky for Kiran, his attempt to return the ticket looks like a grand romantic gesture and goes viral, sending sales through the roof. In an effort to keep the store afloat and to get Sybil’s family off of her back, they agree to fake a relationship for three months. Even with hundreds of millions of dollars, finding each other might end up being the sweetest bit of luck for both of them.]]> 400 Denise Williams 0593641434 Cait 3 3.5/5⭐️<br />2/5 3.51 2025
author: Denise Williams
name: Cait
average rating: 3.51
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/22
date added: 2025/04/07
shelves: berkley-romance-2025-influencer, gifted-books, arcs-2025
review:
3.5/5⭐️
2/5
]]> 216156650 Liz Tomforde Cait 0 to-read 4.67 2025
author: Liz Tomforde
name: Cait
average rating: 4.67
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 204408918 High heat. Low stakes. Sharp steel.

The cozy, low stakes of Legends & Lattes meets the scorching bodyguard fantasy of Jennifer L. Armentrout's From Blood and Ash in this enemies-to-lovers romance where, yes, the swords do cross.

A LitHub most anticipated book of 2024

Mattinesh Jay, dutiful heir to his struggling family business, needs to hire an experienced swordsman to serve as best man for his arranged marriage. Sword-challenge at the ceremony could destroy all hope of restoring his family's wealth, something that Matti has been trying—and failing—to do for the past ten years.

What he can afford, unfortunately, is part-time con artist and full-time charming menace Luca Piere.

Luca, for his part, is trying to reinvent himself in a new city. All he wants to do is make some easy money and try to forget the crime he committed in his hometown. He didn't plan on being blackmailed into giving sword lessons to a chronically responsible—and inconveniently handsome—wool merchant like Matti.

However, neither Matti's business troubles nor Luca himself are quite what they seem. As the days count down to Matti's wedding, the two of them become entangled in the intrigue and sabotage that have brought Matti's house to the brink of ruin. And when Luca's secrets threaten to drive a blade through their growing alliance, both Matti and Luca will have to answer the how many lies are you prepared to strip away, when the truth could mean losing everything you want?

"There's nothing in fantasy or queer romance that Marske can't do."—Sarah Rees Brennan

At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.]]> 384 Freya Marske 1250341639 Cait 0 dnf 4.09 2024
author: Freya Marske
name: Cait
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/05
shelves: dnf
review:

]]> 59754566 They don’t play for the same team. Or do they?

Jamie Canning has never been able to figure out how he lost his closest friend. Four years ago, his tattooed, wise-cracking, rule-breaking roommate cut him off without an explanation. So what if things got a little weird on the last night of hockey camp the summer they were eighteen? It was just a little drunken foolishness. Nobody died.

Ryan Wesley’s biggest regret is coaxing his very straight friend into a bet that pushed the boundaries of their relationship. Now, with their college teams set to face off at the national championship, he’ll finally get a chance to apologize. But all it takes is one look at his longtime crush, and the ache is stronger than ever.

Jamie has waited a long time for answers, but walks away with only more questions—can one night of sex ruin a friendship? If not, how about six more weeks of it? When Wesley turns up to coach alongside Jamie for one more hot summer at camp, Jamie has a few things to discover about his old friend...and a big one to learn about himself.

Warning: contains sexual situations, hotties on hockey skates, skinnydipping, shenanigans in an SUV and proof that coming out to your family on social media is a dicey proposition.]]> 326 Sarina Bowen 1954500491 Cait 0 to-read, physical-tbr 4.10 2015
author: Sarina Bowen
name: Cait
average rating: 4.10
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/05
shelves: to-read, physical-tbr
review:

]]> 203420369 A sweeping small-town romance about love, loss, and a Montana legacy from USA Today bestselling author Devney Perry.

I met West Haven when I was eight years old. He taught me to play poker when I was nine, and we made paper airplanes together when I was eleven. He kissed me when I was sixteen. He was the best part about my family’s summer vacations to Montana. He was the boy who stole my heart. I was twenty-three when life ripped us apart.

Years later, I’m breaking my vow and returning to the ranch, not as a guest but its new owner. West might want me gone, but even he has to admit the only way to save his family’s legacy is with my help.

It’s not easy working side by side and facing those old memories. But this situation is only temporary. We’re at a crossroads. And as long as I don’t let myself fall in love with West Haven again, maybe this is our chance to put those ghosts to rest. Maybe this time we’ll finally be able to say goodbye.]]> 300 Devney Perry 166251879X Cait 0 to-read, physical-tbr 4.12 2024
author: Devney Perry
name: Cait
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/05
shelves: to-read, physical-tbr
review:

]]> 224046016 Fall Apart, Book Two in the On the Slopes Series by Dakota Forest

Lizzy Frank has sworn off relationships after finding out her ex had been cheating on her. She is just looking for a fun distraction before her friends get to town for a vacation. When a tall, tattooed construction worker pulls up a seat next to her at the bar, she thinks she’s found the one, at least for tonight.As a former competitive skier, Clay Chapman is not looking for any distractions. He thrives on order and being in control. Everything has its place, including where he usually sits at the dive bar by one of his job sites.

These two might be opposites, but their pull to each other is magnetic.

Can they each work through their pasts to move on and find love? Can they keep it together and not FALL APART?]]> 346 Dakota Forest Cait 5 4.5/5⭐️<br />3.5/5 4.35
author: Dakota Forest
name: Cait
average rating: 4.35
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/25
date added: 2025/04/05
shelves: arcs-2025, age-gap, book-boyfriend, best-friends-brother, enemies-to-lovers, forced-proximity, friends-to-lovers, he-falls-first, hea, no-3rd-act-breakup, opposites-attract, secret-relationship, smut
review:
4.5/5⭐️
3.5/5
]]> 222248702 Every girl dreams of the perfect proposal.

And my boss thought it would be a ‘media moment�� if I proposed to my boyfriend, Rex, live on national TV. With everyone watching.

Rex said no.

Now I’m a social media sensation for all the wrong reasons and hiding out in Hawaii.

But because the universe apparently hates me, so is Rex . . . with his supermodel new girlfriend!

To avoid total humiliation I need to find my own irresistible date. And the gorgeous surfer who looks like he’s walked straight from the ocean and into my fantasies is the perfect solution.

He needs a distraction. I need help.

Dom is the perfect fake date and the heated looks between us are enough to convince everyone we’re in love.

But why are the fake sizzling kisses suddenly beginning to feel all too real . . .


❤️ Spicy Romance 🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶
❤️ Opposites attract
❤️ Holiday
❤️ Friends-to-lovers
❤️ Fake dating
❤️ Forced-proximity]]> 331 Lily Parker 1781898162 Cait 4 Spice: 3/5 ]]> 4.17 2025
author: Lily Parker
name: Cait
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/05
date added: 2025/04/05
shelves: arcs-2025, fake-dating-or-marriage, famous-not-famous-or-royal-not-roya, forced-proximity, he-falls-first, hea, miscommunication, strangers-to-lovers
review:
Rating: 4/5 ⭐️
Spice: 3/5
]]> 221275569 A Prophecy Foretold. A Love Torn Apart. An Ancient Magic Revealed.
With her sister safely freed from the evil king Gideon’s clutches and his kingdom in ruins, Aelia can finally begin to heal from her traumatic past and focus on her budding relationship with Tharan.

But their peace does not last long.

With Gideon and his mage, Erissa in the wind, Aelia and her friends set out to find the infamous Trinity Wells—ancient pools of magic hidden by the goddesses of the Trinity across the continent with the power to bring back the gods of old and destroy the world.

With no time to spare, Caiden, Tharan, and Aelia separate to each seek out a Well. Thrown into a world of lies, deceit, and political intrigue, the three must traverse vast landscapes, face ancient monsters, and conquer their greatest fears.

But the Fates have their own plans, and someone is hiding a secret that could destroy them all.

When Caiden and Aelia find themselves captured, they must work together to escape Erissa’s clutches and reunite with Tharan before the Wells fall into the wrong hands. But getting through the trials of the Trinity requires a sacrifice none are ready to make.

Don’t miss the epic second book in the Mind Breaker Series. A dark fantasy romance brimming with steam, intrigue, and heartache. Perfect for fans of Throne of Glass, Blood and Steel, and The Broken Kingdom Series. ]]> 504 K.W. Foster Cait 0 dnf 4.42
author: K.W. Foster
name: Cait
average rating: 4.42
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/04/03
shelves: dnf
review:

]]> 201573930
My 5 simple rules for hooking up keep me from being distracted. And now I’m so close to landing my dream internship. Nothing is going to make me break them.

Even a protective hockey player with clear grey eyes, a sharp jaw, and a body that makes my breath catch.

Until Jax wins a bet and one kiss has me breaking them all.
TROPES:

Slowburn
He Falls First
Friends with benefits
Jealousy
Mutual pinning]]> 396 Jessa Wilder Cait 4 4/5⭐️<br />3/5 3.78 2023
author: Jessa Wilder
name: Cait
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/02
date added: 2025/04/02
shelves: sports-romance, strangers-to-lovers, reformed-playboy, miscommunication, he-falls-first, ku, college-romance
review:
4/5⭐️
3/5
]]> 216247498 Magic and adventure swirl through this spellbinding romantasy where a young woman reignites the embers of an ancient prophecy, unleashing a storm that could save her realm or doom them all.

Fear of maegic plagues war-torn Anwyvn. Halflings like Rhya Fleetwood are killed on sight. But Rhya’s execution is interrupted by an unexpected savior—one far more terrifying than her would-be killers. The mysterious and mercenary Commander Scythe. In the clutches of this new enemy, Rhya finds herself fighting for her life in the barren reaches of the Northlands. Yet the farther she gets from home, the more she learns that nothing is as it seems—not her fearsome captor, not the blight that ravages her dying realm, not even herself.

For Rhya is no ordinary halfling. The strange birthmark on her chest and the wind she instinctively calls forth means she is a Remnant, one of four souls scattered across Anwyvn, fated to restore the balance of maegic…or die trying.

But mastering the power inside her is only the beginning. Desire for the Commander—a man she can never trust, a man with plans of his own—burns just as fiercely as the tempests beating against her rib cage for release. Rhya must choose: smother the flames…or let them consume her.]]> 544 Julie Johnson 0593817869 Cait 5 Spice: 1/5 ]]> 4.05 2025
author: Julie Johnson
name: Cait
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/02
date added: 2025/04/02
shelves: berkley-romance-2025-influencer, age-gap, arcs-2025, enemies-to-lovers, famous-not-famous-or-royal-not-roya, fantasy, forced-proximity, he-falls-first, love-triangle, miscommunication, only-one-bed, young-adult
review:
Rating: 4.5/5 ⭐️
Spice: 1/5
]]> 217245608 Falling in love with your husband is anything but convenient in this steamy romance from the New York Times bestselling author of Business or Pleasure.

Dani Dorfman has somehow made it to her thirties without knowing what she wants to do with her life. So when an office romance ends poorly and gets her fired, she applies for a job in Amsterdam, idly dreaming of escaping the mess she’s created, but never imagining she'll actually get it.

Except she does. By the end of her first week in Amsterdam, she’s never felt more adrift or alone. Then she crashes her bike into her high school ex-boyfriend—and suddenly life is blooming with new opportunities.

Wouter van Leeuwen was a Dutch exchange student Dani’s family hosted, a forbidden love that ended in a painful breakup. Years later, there’s still sizzling chemistry between them, and okay, maybe a little animosity. More importantly, Wouter needs to be married to inherit a gorgeous family home on a canal—and when Dani's job falls apart, she needs a visa. As the marriage of convenience pushes them together in unexpected ways, Dani must decide whether her new life is yet another mistake—or if it's worth taking a risk on a second chance.]]> 384 Rachel Lynn Solomon 0593548558 Cait 0 to-read 4.12 2025
author: Rachel Lynn Solomon
name: Cait
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/31
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 228552296 This novella features explicit *spicy* content and is intended for audiences 18+ only.

“Look at what you do to me, Elowen. No one holds a candle to you. Even in this hellish place, you bring me to heights I’ve never known.��
____

A glistening bead of sweat trails between the gloriously sculpted plains of his chest as he gifts me a crooked grin.

“You are the embodiment of perfection, Elowen.��

A grin curls my lips as my gaze holds his and my hands wrap around him.

“Such a good boy.��
____

The Summoning (sum-mon-ning) A pivotal life event experienced by all daemon males or dominants when they and their soulbound come of age. This Summoning urges them—mind, body, and spirit—to unite. Intense side effects may include, but are not limited heightened emotions, uncontrollable arousal, dizziness, dream walking, an increase in fluids, and an insatiable thirst and hunger for their soulbound in a variety of intimate ways that cannot be listed here (please reference the book). Some effects may be painful.

Sariel
Born in Hell, I have waited millennia for my soulbound. Now, after crossing realms to find her, the only things standing in my way are a mad doctor, a dungeon cell, and magic-suppressing shackles. Anyone who enters my cell puts their life in my merciless hands.

That is until Elowen—a delicate human female—is assigned to my care. I would know even by scent alone that she belongs to me. The moment I break free of these manacles, I will rightfully claim her as mine.

Elowen
I’ve dreamed of Sariel for three years. I know him as intimately as I know myself. So when Dr. Forsythe assigns me to care for the daemon, I’m not afraid of the massive, horned, and winged male—I’m exhilarated. Because I know, without a doubt, he is mine.

Tropes
Spicy & sweet meets gothic romantasy
Fated mates
Captured by a mad scientist
Bondage
MMC In shackles
FMC tasked w/ his care (including obtaining his s3m3n samples)
Touch him/her & become a c0rpse
HEA guaranteed
Traverses the realms to find her
Cinnamon roll only for her
Fast burn
Dom/sub dynamics
Dual POV
Unique world & magic system
Enough k!nk & spice to set your undergarments aflame
Morally grey MCs
All the banter
All the feels

Trigger Warnings
Copious amounts of s3minal fuid
Captivity (of the MMC)
Violence & gore
Highly explicit descriptions of numerous sexual acts
C_m play
Cr3am p3s
Gagging
Knotting
Claiming/marking
Dom/sub/switch dynamics
Discussion of mental health
Discussion of the death of a parent]]> 224 Chiara Forestieri Cait 0 to-read 3.64 2025
author: Chiara Forestieri
name: Cait
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/31
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 222376906
Ten years ago, Vincent of Beckett wrote to Matilda on the darkest night of his life―begging the goddess he befriended in dreams to help him. When his request went unanswered, Vincent moved on, becoming the hardened, irreverent lord of the river who has long forgotten Matilda. That is, until she comes tumbling into his bedroom window with a letter for him.

As Fate would have it, Matilda and Vincent were destined to find each other beyond dreams. There may be a chance for Matilda to rewrite the blood-soaked ways of the gods, but at immense sacrifice. She will have to face something she fears even more than losing her magic: to be vulnerable, and to allow herself to finally be loved.]]> 544 Rebecca Ross 1250373352 Cait 0 to-read 4.68 2025
author: Rebecca Ross
name: Cait
average rating: 4.68
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/31
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 217182344 Ready or Not meets Throne of the Fallen in a spicy, enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance, where an Italian getaway turns deadly after a young woman is trapped in her host family's cursed game.

Ready or not, the game has begun.

Genevieve Grimm has felt adrift ever since her sister became the head of the family. So when a mysterious friend of their mother's invites her to Italy, she accepts. She arrives at his grand palace, expecting passion and magic, decadence and luxury... perhaps even a midnight ball.

She doesn't expect the owner's ruthlessly handsome son to slam the door in her face. Rowin Silver is tall, dark, and exceptionally rude, and invitation or not, he demands Genevieve leave and never come back. But Genevieve follows nobody's orders, especially those of arrogant rich boys. She slips inside—and immediately discovers her mistake.

Rowin and his family are caught in an insidious game of hide and seek, where only one can win. The rest will be trapped in Hell... until the competition begins again.

Genevieve must either join the hunt or forfeit any hope of escaping. But to her dismay, her best chance of survival lies with Rowin. Since lovers may play as a pair, Rowin and Genevieve agree to form an alliance under the guise of a fake courtship. However, as they race through the game's elaborate labyrinth, trapped among gleaming gold and shining marble, their loathing gives way to irresistible attraction. Only Rowin is keeping secrets, especially when it comes to his ruthless family, and Genevieve can't help but wonder if she's trapped in two treacherous games: Enchantra and the one Rowin is playing with her heart.]]> 448 Kaylie Smith 1538770806 Cait 0 to-read 4.38 2025
author: Kaylie Smith
name: Cait
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/31
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 205752508 Desperation makes warriors of captives.

The Gods split the skies and rained down tyranny upon the mortal realm long ago. Ever since then, the only thing worse than being human is being of Divine Blood.

For someone like me—an undocumented God child, indebted to the Underworld Assassination Guild—that means only one thing: A life in the shadows.

Or so it should have been �� until Mortal Gods Academy. Until them.

The Darkhaven Brothers are truly the worst of all the Gods�� spawn. Arrogant. Wicked. Violent.

To them, I’m nothing more than a human plaything meant for torment. For me �� they’re the path and the key to my freedom.

But if any of them find out who I am, what I am �� even the shadows won’t be able to save me.

*Please note this is a DARK Fantasy Romance with themes of enslavement, death of loved ones, and other various themes that may be triggering. Please check trigger warnings and read responsibly*]]> 400 Lucinda Dark Cait 4 friend-favorites-fridays 4/5⭐️<br />2/5 4.04 2024
author: Lucinda Dark
name: Cait
average rating: 4.04
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/31
date added: 2025/03/31
shelves: friend-favorites-fridays
review:
4/5⭐️
2/5
]]> 58651856
The captivating sequel to the Gothic-infused Belladonna, in which Signa and Death face a supernatural foe determined to tear them apart.

A duke has been murdered. The lord of Thorn Grove has been framed. And Fate, the elusive brother of Death, has taken up residence in a sumptuous estate nearby. He's hellbent on revenge after Death took the life of the woman he loved many years ago...and now he's determined to have Signa for himself, no matter the cost.

Signa and her cousin Blythe are certain that Fate can save Elijah Hawthorne from prison if they will entertain his presence. But the more time the girls spend with Fate, the more frightening their reality becomes as Signa exhibits dramatic new powers that link her to Fate's past. With mysteries and danger around every corner, the cousins must decide if they can trust one another as they navigate their futures in high society, unravel the murders that haunt their family, and play Fate's unexpected games—all with their destinies hanging in the balance.

Dangerous, suspenseful, and seductive, this sequel to Signa and Death's story is as utterly romantic as it is perfectly deadly.]]> 465 Adalyn Grace 0316565253 Cait 4 4/5⭐️<br />1/5 4.12 2023
author: Adalyn Grace
name: Cait
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/30
date added: 2025/03/30
shelves: age-gap, fantasy, fated-mates, forbidden-relationship, forced-proximity, love-triangle, no-3rd-act-breakup, young-adult
review:
4/5⭐️
1/5
]]> 207297940 Perfect for fans of Raven Kennedy and Thea Guanzon, Rebecca Robinson’s thrilling romantasy debut combines high-stakes political intrigue and a steamy, slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers romance.

All her life, Vaasa Kozár has been sharpened into a blade.

After losing her mother—her only remaining parent—to a mysterious dark magic that has since awakened within her, Vaasa is certain death looms. So is her merciless brother, who aims to eliminate Vaasa as a threat to his crown. In one last political scheme, he marries her off to Reid of Mireh, a ruthless foreign ruler, in hopes that he can use her death as a rallying cry to finally invade Reid’s nation. All Vaasa has to do is die.

But she is desperate to live. Vaasa enters her new marriage with every intent to escape it, wielding the hard-won political prowess and combat abilities her late father instilled in her. But to her surprise, Reid offers her a deal: help him win the votes to rise in power, and she can walk free. In exchange, he will share his knowledge about the dark magic running through her veins—and help keep it at bay.

This proposal may be too good to refuse, yet Vaasa and Reid’s undeniable attraction threatens to break the rules of their arrangement. As her brother’s lethal machinations take form, everything is at stake: Vaasa must learn to trust her new husband, but how can she, especially when their perfect political marriage begins to feel like the real thing?]]> 352 Rebecca Robinson 1668052482 Cait 4 4/5⭐️<br />2/5 4.00 2024
author: Rebecca Robinson
name: Cait
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/29
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves:
review:
4/5⭐️
2/5
]]> 111163227 Love: Not as easy as ABC.

They were supposed to keep things casual. Who’d expect they’d be schooled in love?

Those who can, teach. Marvin Block is one of the best kindergarten teachers out there. And despite his anxiety, Marvin’s life is sweet. He knows what he wants. And what he wants is the Teacher of the Year Award. Not just for himself �� his school needs him to win.

Returning from break, the New Year finds Marvin all set to welcome a new pupil to his class. But when Illona walks in with her cute-as-hell single dad beside her, Marvin’s focus starts to slide.

Sure, his students always come first, but he deserves to have a life outside the classroom, too, right?

As their friendship starts to deepen, Marvin realizes Olan has the potential to teach him things about love he never thought possible. But with the Teacher of the Year award and his school’s future on the line, now’s not the time for anything complicated.

Education has always been Marvin’s world. And he needs to keep a cool head if he wants to win the award and save his school. But will it be worth it if he loses Olan in the process?

With Olan’s past and Marvin’s present colliding, their experiment in love hangs in the balance. Marvin knows what he wants out of life. But now he’s forced to consider what he wants out of love.

Will Marvin chalk the relationship up to experience? Or can they revise their story into a textbook romance?

Teacher of the Year is a steamy open door friends-to-lovers gay romance novel that explores the balance between friends, family, career, and relationships while overcoming trauma and dealing with anxiety.
]]> 347 M.A. Wardell Cait 0 to-read 3.76 2023
author: M.A. Wardell
name: Cait
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2023
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/29
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 59747519 Lambda Literary award winner and national bestselling author Alexandria Bellefleur returns with a steamy Sapphic rom-com about a quiet bookseller and a romance novel cover model who agree to a modern-day marriage-of-convenience...

Tansy Adams�� greatest love is her family’s bookstore, passed down from her late father. But when it comes to actual romance�� Tansy can’t get past the first chapter. Tired of her stepfamily’s questions about her love life, Tansy invents Gemma, a fake girlfriend inspired by the stunning cover model on a bestselling book. They’ll never actually meet, so what’s the harm in a little fib? Yet when real-life Gemma crosses Tansy’s path, her white lie nearly implodes.

Gemma van Dalen is a wild child, the outcast of her wealthy family, and now the latest heir to Van Dalen Publishing. But the title comes with one tiny condition: she must be married in order to inherit. When Gemma discovers a beautiful stranger has been pretending to date her for months, she decides to take the charade one step further—and announces their engagement.

Gemma needs a wife to meet the terms of her grandfather’s will and Tansy needs money to save her struggling bookstore. A marriage could be mutually beneficial, if they can fool everyone into thinking it’s a love match. Unexpected sparks fly as Tansy and Gemma play the role of affectionate fiancées, and suddenly the line between convenient arrangement and real feelings begins to blur. But the scheming Van Dalen family won’t give up the company without a fight, and Gemma and Tansy’s newfound happiness might get caught in the fallout…]]> 384 Alexandria Bellefleur 0063258498 Cait 4 3.5/5⭐️<br />2/5 3.96 2023
author: Alexandria Bellefleur
name: Cait
average rating: 3.96
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/28
date added: 2025/03/28
shelves:
review:
3.5/5⭐️
2/5
]]> 75699753
Working for the Russians, she is finally close to getting the one thing she wants most in life, when she’s stopped in her tracks by the notorious Ryan brothers.

The Ryans are Irish Mafia. They are unstoppable. No-one stands in their way. And nothing comes between a Ryan and his family.

That is, until the hurricane that is Jessie, crashes into their lives. With a world full of secrets and a past that she can’t outrun, will she be their salvation or their downfall?]]> 268 Sadie Kincaid Cait 4 3.5/5⭐️<br />3/5 3.87 2021
author: Sadie Kincaid
name: Cait
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/27
date added: 2025/03/27
shelves: forced-proximity, mafia-romance, reverse-harem-why-choose, smut, strangers-to-lovers, taboo
review:
3.5/5⭐️
3/5
]]> 61883147 Every action has consequences.

I made one foolish mistake and ended up with a debt I had only one way to pay...by bowing my head and submitting to the men I swore I hated. But in their dominance I found catharsis. In the darkness we share, parts of myself were brought to the light.

I've been wearing a mask for far too long.

Now I'm torn between the future I thought I wanted, and a life I once believed was only fantasy.

These feelings between us were never just a game.

What am I willing to sacrifice? My pride and carefully laid plans, my determination that I can do it all alone? Or my new-found freedom to live without boundaries with the men who turned my world on its head? How much am I willing to give up?

Who am I willing to lose?

Although not required, it is recommended to read the novella, The Dare, prior to reading Losers.

This book is part 2 of a duet. It is is First Person, Multi POV.

Losers is an 18+ polyamorous bisexual romance between one woman and four men, including MF, MM, and group scenes. Reader discretion is strongly advised, this is a dark read. This book contains graphic sexual scenes, intense scenes of BDSM, graphic violence, and strong language. A full content note can be found in the front matter of the book.]]> 480 Harley Laroux Cait 5 5/5⭐️<br />4.5/5 4.33 2022
author: Harley Laroux
name: Cait
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/26
date added: 2025/03/26
shelves: 5-stars-in-2025, book-boyfriend, enemies-to-lovers, forbidden-relationship, forced-proximity, hams, he-falls-first, hea, no-3rd-act-breakup, reverse-harem-why-choose, smut, taboo
review:
5/5⭐️
4.5/5
]]> 9761771
Being destined to become some kind of supernatural electrical outlet isn't exactly awesome - especially when Alexandria's 'other half' is everywhere she goes. Seth's in her training room, outside her classes, and keeps showing up in her bedroom - so not cool. Their connection does have some benefits, like staving off her nightmares of the tragic showdown with her mother, but it has no effect on what Alex feels for the forbidden, pure-blooded Aiden. Or what he will do - and sacrifice - for her.

When daimons infiltrate the Covenants and attack students, the gods send furies - lesser gods determined to eradicate any threat to the Covenants and to the gods, and that includes the Apollyon... and Alex. And if that and hordes of aether-sucking monsters didn't blow bad enough, a mysterious threat seems willing to do anything to neutralize Seth, even if that means forcing Alex into servitude... or killing her. When the gods are involved, some decisions can never, ever be undone.

BONUS: Contains a bonus scene from Seth's point-of-view.]]> 329 Jennifer L. Armentrout 0983157227 Cait 4 4/5⭐️<br />2/5 4.25 2012
author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
name: Cait
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2012
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/25
date added: 2025/03/25
shelves: enemies-to-lovers, famous-not-famous-or-royal-not-roya, fantasy, forbidden-relationship, forced-proximity, he-falls-first, love-triangle, only-one-bed, secret-relationship
review:
4/5⭐️
2/5
]]> 202670964
Ariella
In theory, it was the ideal way to keep me from getting attached. My life plans left no room for distractions—not if I was going to break out of my culture’s machismo and prove to my family that I could make it on my own. And the 6��4�� Texan rocking boots and a cowboy hat? He was exactly the type of distraction I was avoiding. So when the hot Wrangler-wearing man strolled up to me at a bar with a desperate plea to pretend to be his date, the rules were necessary…and completely useless.

How was I supposed to know my fake date was the star hockey player for the very team I was just hired as the strength and conditioning coach for?

Dalton
Pro tip: If your goal is to stay single so you can focus on not repeating last season’s disaster, maybe don’t ask a dark-haired beauty with looks that could kill to pretend to be your date. Especially not when her laugh makes you feel alive for the first time in years. Because that charade may last longer than you’d anticipated…and trying to keep things fake? Feels like a damn High Stick to The Heart.]]> 0 Marie M. Cait 0 4.14
author: Marie M.
name: Cait
average rating: 4.14
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/24
shelves: to-read, friend-favorites-fridays
review:

]]> 62656404 New York Times bestselling author of It Happened One Summer comes a romantic comedy about an accidental relationship between three smitten men...and one commitment phobic woman.

Elise Brandeis has never won a Pulitzer—and she never will. At least not while she’s delivering sandwiches at the Gotham Times, instead of working there as an actual reporter. Her only shot at seeing her byline in print is to prove to the no nonsense managing editor that she has a nose for news. And she’s got just the story to grab her elusive attention.

Right after she delivers this turkey on ciabatta.

Chasing down leads brings Elise to Roosevelt Island, but just when the trail of clues begins to take shape, she gets stuck. Literally. On a cable car with three strangers who couldn’t be more different. An uptight rugby coach, a construction worker and a former adult film star she pretends not to recognize a little too well.

At first, Elise wants nothing more than to be rescued ASAP.

An hour later, everything has changed. By pure happenstance, four separate journeys have collided in an intense, meaningful way. Suddenly, disentangling their lives feels more impossible than winning that Pulitzer. Good thing Elise is too busy proving herself at work to consider three boyfriends. Nobody has time for that—even if they make giving in feel oh so right. But three heads are better than one and these loners will teach themselves to work together to win Elise over forever��

And more importantly, keep their dirty socks off her floor.]]> 321 Tessa Bailey Cait 4 3.5/5⭐️<br />3/5 3.27 2022
author: Tessa Bailey
name: Cait
average rating: 3.27
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/23
date added: 2025/03/23
shelves:
review:
3.5/5⭐️
3/5
]]> 55921330
Doctor Kal Anderson assumes his heart worked at some point in his life. But at thirty-two years old, the organ in his chest seems to play a mechanical role at best. His cold, emotionless existence gives him an edge as a fixer and in-house physician for the Mafia, while his judgment is impartial and complication-free.

Until Elena Ricci, his boss’s twenty-year-old daughter.

After admiring the heartless doctor from afar most of her life, Elena catches him in a moment of weakness, and the pair shares a night of passion as they attempt to work each other from their systems. Only, the night seems to have the opposite effect. Elena is no longer a simple temptation to Kal, but a necessity.

An obsession.

One he won’t let anyone stand in his way of—even if that means crashing her wedding to another man, forcing her hand in marriage, and stealing her away to the corrupt island he resides on.

Alone with the man of her nightmares for the first time ever, Elena starts to chip away at the layers of ice surrounding his hardened heart. But the warmth and depravity from her new husband may not be worth the secrets unveiled, or the lives that will forever be altered.

Promises and Pomegranates is a standalone dark romance inspired by Hades and Persephone. Though it is not necessary, it is highly recommended to read their short prequel, Sweet Sin, before diving in. Visit the author's website for a detailed content warning list.]]> 382 Sav R. Miller 1737668106 Cait 4 4/5⭐️<br />3.5/5 3.51 2021
author: Sav R. Miller
name: Cait
average rating: 3.51
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/21
date added: 2025/03/21
shelves:
review:
4/5⭐️
3.5/5
]]> 222749253 “Loving a monster is madness; it is no easy task, and not as simple as just loving them. Loving a monster is to be consumed by them—pliant enough to weather the storm, and strong enough to fight back.��

Stetson

I am good at being alone—the best really. You don’t have to rely on anyone, don’t have to apologize when they feel like you’ve messed up, don’t have to forgive them when they inevitably let you down…being alone is better. But I’ve never really been completely alone; my demons keep me company in the darkest hours of the night. And even though I’m comfortable being alone, I also want to believe bad people get happy endings—the house, the horses, and the man waiting to tie me up when I misbehave. But now that I’m here, surrounded by the eerie silence of my family’s deserted ranch, with the weight of miles of fence to fix and the ghosts of my past lurking behind me at every turn, a happy ending feels farther away than ever. I need help, but where do I turn?

Augustus

I’m used to living in the shadows—the shadows of my older brother’s expectations, the shadows of my inner demons, and the shadows of her apartment building. But I’m tired of hiding. As a retired bronc rider, it’s time to start fresh and Moztecha, Texas feels like just the place to do that. Lucky for me, a desperate yet determined, blonde-haired vixen has a ranch that needs fixing up, and she just stumbled into my path at the local feed store. Just. Like. I. Planned. Every cell in my body screams at me to consume her, devour her, destroy her—and that’s exactly what I plan to do. I will gladly burn the world to ash if anything keeps me from her; that includes her own dark demons.

“It takes a monster to love a monster.��

As Stetson and Gus navigate the tiresome Texas heat and their explosive sexual tension, they must decide what secrets are worth keeping, and just how far they are willing to go to brand themselves on the other’s heart. With the odds stacked against them, and eyes watching their every move, a happy ending seems farther and farther away…like a fire flickering in the distance.

Will the flame in their hearts come together, or will the Texas heat burn them, and everything they love, alive?]]> 452 Landyn Hill Cait 0 4.08
author: Landyn Hill
name: Cait
average rating: 4.08
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/21
shelves: to-read, friend-favorites-fridays
review:

]]> 62926938 An overworked book publicist with a perfectly planned future hits a snag when she falls in love with her temporary roommate…only to discover he lives seven years in the past, in this witty and wise new novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Dead Romantics.

Sometimes, the worst day of your life happens, and you have to figure out how to live after it.

So Clementine forms a plan to keep her heart safe: work hard, find someone decent to love, and try to remember to chase the moon. The last one is silly and obviously metaphorical, but her aunt always told her that you needed at least one big dream to keep going. And for the last year, that plan has gone off without a hitch. Mostly. The love part is hard because she doesn’t want to get too close to anyone—she isn’t sure her heart can take it.

And then she finds a strange man standing in the kitchen of her late aunt’s apartment. A man with kind eyes and a Southern drawl and a taste for lemon pies. The kind of man that, before it all, she would’ve fallen head-over-heels for. And she might again.

Except, he exists in the past. Seven years ago, to be exact. And she, quite literally, lives seven years in his future.

Her aunt always said the apartment was a pinch in time, a place where moments blended together like watercolors. And Clementine knows that if she lets her heart fall, she’ll be doomed.

After all, love is never a matter of time—but a matter of timing.]]> 336 Ashley Poston Cait 5 5/5⭐️<br />2/5 4.18 2023
author: Ashley Poston
name: Cait
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/20
date added: 2025/03/20
shelves: 5-stars-in-2025, book-boyfriend, favourites, forced-proximity, hams, he-falls-first, hea, ku, second-chance-romance, strangers-to-lovers
review:
5/5⭐️
2/5
]]> 205435116 In a world of magical artifacts and fantastical beings, a woman determined to save her family joins forces with an unlikely partner in this captivating special hardcover edition of USA Today bestselling Ruby Dixon’s new steamy romantasy. As a Holder’s daughter, Aspeth Honori knows the importance of magical artifacts . . . which is why it’s a disaster that her father has gambled all of theirs away. Now in danger of losing their hold—and their heads—if anyone finds out the truth, Aspeth decides to do something about it. She’ll join the Royal Artifactual Guild and the adventurers who explore ancient underground ruins to retrieve the coveted arcane items. It’s a great plan—with one big problem. The guild won’t let her train because she’s a woman. Aspeth needs a chaperone of some kind. The best way to get around this problem? Marry someone who will let her become an apprentice. Who better than a surly guild member who needs a favor of his own? He’s a minotaur (it’s fine) who is her teacher (also fine) . . . and he’s about to go into rut (which is where it gets tricky). He also has no idea she's a noble (oops) and will want nothing to do with her if he finds out the truth. Now Aspeth just needs to pass the guild tests, thwart a fortune hunter, and save her hold. Oh, and survive a rut with her monstrous, horned husband, who she might be falling in love with. It's time to dig deep. Literally.]]> 427 Ruby Dixon 0593817036 Cait 5 5/5⭐️<br />3/5 4.02 2024
author: Ruby Dixon
name: Cait
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/19
date added: 2025/03/19
shelves: 5-stars-in-2025, arranged-marriage, cozy, fantasy, favourites, forced-proximity, grumpy-sunshine, he-falls-first, hea, marriage-of-convenience, monster-romance, no-3rd-act-breakup, smut, strangers-to-lovers, student-teacher, taboo
review:
5/5⭐️
3/5
]]> 222181604 In a world of magical artifacts and fantastical beings, a woman with a deadly magic secret needs the help of the minotaur she’s trying to forget in the sizzling sequel to Ruby Dixon's New York Times bestseller Bull Moon Rising.

Gwenna has always considered herself a normal person. A former servant, she wants nothing more than to land a steady job with the Royal Artifactual Guild so she can make some steady coin to send home to her mother. She's not special. She's certainly not a necromancer. That would be impossible, given how necromancing (or any 'mancing) is forbidden upon penalty of death. So if the dead keep talking to her? Well, she's going to keep on ignoring them. They're not going to stand in the way of her dreams.

Also standing in her way? One big, arrogant, far-too-flirty Taurian named Raptor. They slept together once, and now he wants more . . . but she doesn’t have time for that. Her focus is on being a fledgling, a trainee for the Royal Artifactual Guild. But Raptor won't go away. He's on a secret mission for the guild to find an artifact thief.

Problem is, he thinks the thief is Gwenna.

How can she convince Raptor that he's got the wrong girl when all the signs point to her? And how do you tell a Taurian you can't date him because you hear dead people and it might cost you your life?]]> Ruby Dixon 0593817060 Cait 0 to-read 4.24
author: Ruby Dixon
name: Cait
average rating: 4.24
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/19
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 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 Cait 5 4.5/5⭐️<br />1/5 4.06 2024
author: Katherine Center
name: Cait
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/16
date added: 2025/03/16
shelves: closed-door-romance, famous-not-famous-or-royal-not-roya, forced-proximity, friends-to-lovers, hams, he-falls-first, hea, strangers-to-lovers, workplace-romance
review:
4.5/5⭐️
1/5
]]> 36373564 City girl Calla Fletcher attempts to reconnect with her estranged father, and unwittingly finds herself torn between her desire to return to the bustle of Toronto and a budding relationship with a rugged Alaskan pilot in this masterful new romance from acclaimed author K.A. Tucker.

Calla Fletcher was two when her mother took her and fled the Alaskan wild, unable to handle the isolation of the extreme, rural lifestyle, leaving behind Calla’s father, Wren Fletcher, in the process. Calla never looked back, and at twenty-six, a busy life in Toronto is all she knows. But when her father reaches out to inform her that his days are numbered, Calla knows that it’s time to make the long trip back to the remote frontier town where she was born.

She braves the roaming wildlife, the odd daylight hours, the exorbitant prices, and even the occasional—dear God—outhouse, all for the chance to connect with her father: a man who, despite his many faults, she can’t help but care for. While she struggles to adjust to this new subarctic environment, Jonah—the quiet, brooding, and proud Alaskan pilot who keeps her father’s charter plane company operational—can’t imagine calling anywhere else home. And he’s clearly waiting with one hand on the throttle to fly this city girl back to where she belongs, convinced that she’s too pampered to handle the wild.

Jonah is probably right, but Calla is determined to prove him wrong. As time passes, she unexpectedly finds herself forming a bond with the burly pilot. As his undercurrent of disapproval dwindles, it’s replaced by friendship—or perhaps something deeper? But Calla is not in Alaska to stay and Jonah will never leave. It would be foolish of her to kindle a romance, to take the same path her parents tried—and failed at—years ago.

It’s a simple truth that turns out to be not so simple after all.]]> 390 K.A. Tucker 1501133438 Cait 4 4/5⭐️<br />2/5 4.27 2018
author: K.A. Tucker
name: Cait
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/16
date added: 2025/03/16
shelves: friend-favorites-fridays, enemies-to-lovers, forced-proximity, he-falls-first, ku, only-one-bed, opposites-attract, small-town-romance, strangers-to-lovers
review:
4/5⭐️
2/5
]]> 221287780
So what is she to do when she finds herself on a plane to California and on her way to a sure death sentence? A one-night stand. At least, that’s all it was supposed to be—one last night to be free. Only, she finds out too late that the dark and mysterious man she solely wanted as a fling is not only her new comrade but also the one she dreaded meeting most—her immediate superior and untouchable devil in the field. Bones.

He’s hell on earth—cruel and unforgiving, but most of all, he hates her, and he makes sure she knows it. And yet, she finds herself unwilling to leave his side when he’s unable to get to the evac point when their mission goes awry.

She stays behind with the devil and the secrets he keeps. They only have one another to trust when no faith is left.]]> 464 K.M. Moronova 1963474074 Cait 0 to-read, physical-tbr 3.75
author: K.M. Moronova
name: Cait
average rating: 3.75
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/16
shelves: to-read, physical-tbr
review:

]]> 199901720
How to make the handsome, brooding man across the street notice me.

Step one: Deliver baked goods to his front porch, even though he never answers his door and always returns the containers when I'm not home.

Step two: Slowly lose my mind as a whole year passes without ever running into him, no matter how hard I try.

Step three: Have my boudoir photos accidentally delivered to his mailbox instead of mine. Have him open the package. Then have him storm into my home for the most panty-melting scolding of my life.

Step four: Still figuring out step four.

HANS

I'm a dangerous man.

A man who has spent the last two decades removing so many souls from this earth that it's a miracle my hands aren't permanently stained red.

I'm a man who belongs in the shadows.

I certainly don't belong in my pretty little neighbor's bedroom when she's not home, touching her things and inhaling her scent.

I shouldn't follow her. Shouldn't watch her. Because no number of cookies on my doorstep will change the fact that love isn't an option for me.

The only option left for me is violence.]]> 432 S.J. Tilly Cait 5 4.5/5⭐️<br />3/5 4.28
author: S.J. Tilly
name: Cait
average rating: 4.28
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/15
date added: 2025/03/15
shelves: age-gap, book-boyfriend, dark-romance, forced-proximity, friends-to-lovers, he-falls-first, hea, mafia-romance, no-3rd-act-breakup, smut, taboo
review:
4.5/5⭐️
3/5
]]> 193557064
When I was nine, I went to my first funeral. Along with accepting my father's death, I had to accept new and awful truths I wasn't prepared for.

When I was nineteen, I went to my mother's funeral. We weren't close, but with her gone, I became more alone than ever before.

Sure, I have a half-brother who runs The Alliance. And yeah, he's given me his protection �� in the form of a bodyguard and chauffeur. But I don't have anyone that really knows me. No one to really love me.

Until I meet him. The man in the airport.

And when one chance meeting turns into something hotter, something more serious, I let myself believe that maybe he's the one. Maybe this man is the one who will finally save me from my loneliness. The one to give me the family I've always craved.

DOM

The Mafia is in my blood. It's what I do.

So when that blood is spilled and one funeral turns into three, drastic measures need to be taken.

And when this battle turns into a war, I'm going to need more men. More power.

I'm going to need The Alliance.

And I'll become a member. By any means necessary.]]> 474 S.J. Tilly 1962096009 Cait 4 4/5⭐️<br />3/5 4.28 2023
author: S.J. Tilly
name: Cait
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/13
date added: 2025/03/13
shelves: age-gap, brothers-rival, dark-romance, forced-proximity, forbidden-relationship, he-falls-first, mafia-romance, marriage-of-convenience, no-3rd-act-breakup, smut, strangers-to-lovers, taboo
review:
4/5⭐️
3/5
]]> 220980748 All’s fair in love and racing...

Charlotte Walker’s at an impasse in life. Not sure what her plan is after graduation, she jumps at the chance for a little breathing room to explore her options while traveling the world with her brother and his Formula 1 team. What’s even better is being around Lucas Adler, AlphaVite Racing’s star driver and tattooed Greek god come to life. He’s been her crush for years and being together in such close quarters, their sizzling chemistry can’t be denied.

Lucas knows Charlotte is off-limits. She’s the gorgeous younger sister of his best friend and teammate. Despite their easy banter and draw to one another, he’s learned the hard way that crossing lines can destroy relationships. Now as constant companions on the road, Charlotte, with her charm and infectious energy, challenges him at every turn and sees him in ways no one ever has.

As feelings grow, they both must decide if their relationship is worth the risk of losing everything or if their happily ever after is a prize to be fought for at the finish line.


Drive Me Home is a spicy Formula 1 romantic comedy with heart, heat, humor, and a guaranteed HEA. This is the third book in the Drive Me series and can be read as a standalone, although reading in order is recommended for the best experience!]]> 336 Carly Robyn Cait 4 4/5⭐️<br />2/5 4.02 2025
author: Carly Robyn
name: Cait
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/13
date added: 2025/03/13
shelves: valentinepr, age-gap, arcs-2025, brother-s-best-friend, book-boyfriend, forbidden-relationship, forced-proximity, friends-to-lovers, he-falls-first, hea, ku, no-3rd-act-breakup, opposites-attract, secret-relationship, sports-romance
review:
4/5⭐️
2/5
]]> 117562172
[TW/CW: age gap between fantasy characters, violence, abu-se, tort-ure, murder, se-x-ual threat, self-harm, expl-cit intimacy/spicy scenes, inexperienced/vir-gin female main character]]]> 431 Rebecca F. Kenney Cait 0 to-read 4.01 2022
author: Rebecca F. Kenney
name: Cait
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/13
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 216247471 The exciting new contemporary romance—and her first to feature a queer romance—by New York Times bestselling author Jasmine Guillory

Avery Jensen is almost thirty, fresh off a breakup, and she’s tired of always being so uptight and well-behaved. She wants to get a hobby, date around (especially other women), flirt with everyone she sees, all the fun stuff normal people do in their twenties. One Avery doesn't know how to do any of that. She doesn't have a lot of dating experience, with men or women, and despite being self-assured at work, she doesn't have a lot of confidence when it comes to romance.

Enter Taylor Cameron, Napa Valley's biggest flirt and champion heartbreaker. Taylor just broke up with her most recent girlfriend, and her best friend bet her that she can't make it until Labor Day without sleeping with someone. (Two whole months? Without sex? Taylor?!?!) So, she offers to give Avery flirting lessons. It will keep her busy, stop her from texting people she shouldn't. And it might distract her from how inadequate she feels compared to her friends, who all seem much more settled and adult than Taylor.

At first, Avery is stiff and nervous, but Taylor is patient and encouraging, and soon, Avery looks forward to their weekly lessons. She tells herself it's because the lessons are fun, not because she kind of might have a little bit of a crush on Taylor. Taylor doesn't even try to deny that she's intrigued by Avery, but she's still got a bet to win. With Taylor’s help, Avery is finally doing what she wants to flirting with lots of women, making friends, having fun! But after a while, it becomes impossible for Avery and Taylor to ignore their attraction to one another, despite them both insisting to themselves and everyone else that it isn't serious. When Taylor is forced to confront her feelings for Avery, she doesn't know what to do, how to deal with it, and most importantly, if she's already ruined the best thing she's ever had.]]> 416 Jasmine Guillory 0593100913 Cait 0 3.48 2025
author: Jasmine Guillory
name: Cait
average rating: 3.48
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/12
shelves: to-read, berkley-romance-2025-influencer, gifted-books
review:

]]> 215750325
Six hundred years ago, Nightweavers, cursed beings with untamed power, claimed the continents for their own. The ocean was meant to be a safe haven for humanity, including seventeen-year-old Aster Oberon and her pirate family. But after Aster’s brother is killed in an epic battle at sea against Nightweavers, Aster and her family are thrust into a new life on land.

When a handsome Nightweaver named Will offers the Oberons protection and work at his opulent estate, Aster is suspicious. As the arrogant and entitled right hand to the wicked prince, Will is everything that she has been taught to hate. But as he shows empathy and kindness, Aster can’t ignore a blooming attraction. And even more, Will opens her eyes to a new There are monsters worse than Nightweavers, monsters who may be behind her brother’s death.

As Aster hunts the creatures responsible, dark secrets threaten to unravel everything she once believed about her family, herself, and her world.

Filled with elemental magic, forbidden romance, and breathtaking twists, this is a propulsive romantasy about an iron-willed heroine avenging her brother and discovering her destiny—perfect for fans of Powerless and Heartless Hunter.]]> 432 R.M. Gray 0316583367 Cait 0 to-read 3.88 2025
author: R.M. Gray
name: Cait
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/12
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 217473498
But I have been dragged back into his gilded cage, trapped beneath his rule, and bound to a fate I had tried to escape.

My body is his to break, my magic his to wield. And no matter how many nights I dream of Dacre storming these halls, of his hands pulling me from the darkness—dreams are nothing against the greed of a king.

Even if my mate comes for me, even if I am freed from my father’s grip, I’m not sure there will be anything left of me to save.

The kingdom is dying. The land withers beneath the weight of stolen magic, and my father’s reign will not end without bloodshed.

But I have lived in the dark for too long.

And I was not made to wither, I was made to burn.]]> 488 Holly Renee Cait 4 4/5⭐️<br />2.5/5 3.59 2025
author: Holly Renee
name: Cait
average rating: 3.59
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/11
date added: 2025/03/12
shelves: arcs-2025, book-boyfriend, famous-not-famous-or-royal-not-roya, fantasy, fated-mates, he-falls-first, hea, no-3rd-act-breakup
review:
4/5⭐️
2.5/5
]]> 85164835
Running away from home at 17 wasn’t easy. Let’s face it though, nothing before, or in the ten years since, has ever been easy for me.
And I’m doing okay. Sorta. I just need to keep scraping by, living under the radar. Staying out of people’s way, off people’s minds.
So when a man walks through my open patio door, stepping boldly into my home, and my life, I should be scared. Frightened. Terrified.
But I must be more broken than I realized, because I’m none of those things.
I’m intrigued.
And I’m wondering if the way to take control of my life is by giving in to him.

Nero

The first time I took a man’s life, I knew there’d be no going back. No normal existence in the cards for me.
So instead of walking away, I climbed a mountain of bodies, and created my own destiny. By forming The Alliance.
And I was fine with that. Content enough to carry on.
Until I stepped through those open doors, and into her life.
I should’ve walked away. Should’ve gone right back out the door I came through. But I didn’t.
And now her life is in danger.
But that’s the thing about being a bad man. I’ll happily paint the streets red to protect what’s mine.
And Payton is mine. Whether she knows it or not.]]> 368 S.J. Tilly Cait 4 4/5⭐️<br />3/5 3.86 2023
author: S.J. Tilly
name: Cait
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/09
date added: 2025/03/11
shelves: age-gap, dark-romance, he-falls-first, mafia-romance, no-3rd-act-breakup, opposites-attract, secret-relationship, strangers-to-lovers, taboo, hea
review:
4/5⭐️
3/5
]]> 125948154
Okay, so, my bad for assuming the guy I was going on a date with wasn’t married. And my bad for taking him to a friend’s house for dinner, only to find out my friend is also friends with his wife. Because, in fact, he is married. And she happens to be at my friend’s house because her husband was busy working.

Confused? So am I.

Unsurprisingly, my date’s wife is super angry about finding out that her husband is a cheating asshole.

Girl, I get it.

Then, to make matters more convoluted, there is the man sitting next to my date’s wife. A man named King, who is apparently her brother, and who lives up to his name.

And since my date is a two-timing prick, I’m not going to feel bad about drooling over King, especially since I’ll never see him again.

Or at least I don’t plan to.

I plan to take an Uber to the cheater’s apartment to get my car keys.

I plan for it to be quick.

And if I had to list a thousand possible outcomes�� witnessing my date’s murder, being kidnapped by his killer, and then being forced to marry the super attractive but clearly deranged crime lord, would not have been on my Bingo card.

But alas, here I am.]]> 394 S.J. Tilly Cait 4 4.5/5⭐️<br />3/5 4.14 2023
author: S.J. Tilly
name: Cait
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/11
date added: 2025/03/11
shelves: age-gap, book-boyfriend, dark-romance, enemies-to-lovers, forced-proximity, he-falls-first, hea, mafia-romance, marriage-of-convenience, miscommunication, smut, strangers-to-lovers, taboo
review:
4.5/5⭐️
3/5
]]> 203608494
Naomi Kelly will do anything to make her new brand consulting business a success. When she lands a career saving contract to rebrand the Mukherjee family’s failing local bazaar, she knows there can be no mistakes. But as the “oops�� baby of a free-spirited Bengali mother, Naomi’s lack of connection to her roots represents everything Gia Mukherjee disdains.

Enter, Dev Mukherjee.

Dev knows everything his mother wants…including her wish for him to get married, like, yesterday. When Gia hires a matchmaker (without, you know, asking him), Dev vows to do whatever it takes to avoid ending up in a cold, loveless marriage. When a potential match assumes Naomi is his girlfriend, the solution to both their problems becomes clear: Naomi will pretend to date Dev in order to sabotage his mother’s matchmaking efforts in exchange for lessons in Bengali culture. Flawless plan, right?

But as Naomi and Dev bond over awful dancing at Garba, couples cooking classes, and tackling the rebrand as a team, they start to realize while their relationship may be fake, their feelings for each other are starting to become very real. As the line between reality and rumor blurs, Naomi and Dev must confront what it means to fit the mold, and decide how much they’re willing to risk for love.]]> 336 Aurora Palit 0593640187 Cait 0 3.70 2024
author: Aurora Palit
name: Cait
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/11
shelves: to-read, arc-tbr, berkley-romance-2025-influencer, gifted-books
review:

]]> 214537798 From the author of instant national bestseller Love & Saffron, this bright and comforting novel follows the surprising friendship between two young women in 1990s Seattle and Paris, illuminating the power of books to change our lives.

A buoyant, mouth-watering oasis of a novel, Kate & Frida is a love letter to bookshops and booksellers, to the way stories shape how we perceive ourselves, to the passion we bring to life in our twenties, and to the last precious years before the internet changed everything.

Twenty-something Frida Rodriguez comes to Paris in 1991, relishing the city’s butter-soaked cuisine and seeking her future as a war correspondent. But when she writes to a bookshop in Seattle, she receives more than just the book she requests. A friendship begins that will redefine the person she thought she wanted to become. 

Seattle bookseller Kate Fair is transformed by Frida’s free spirit, spurred to kiss her handsome coworker, to believe in herself as a writer, and to find beauty even in loss. Through the most tumultuous years of their young lives—personally and globally—Kate and Frida’s friendship sustains and nourishes them as they show each other how to overcome self-doubt and the necessity of embracing joy even through our darkest hours.]]> 288 Kim Fay 0593852389 Cait 0 to-read, gifted-books 4.06 2025
author: Kim Fay
name: Cait
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/09
shelves: to-read, gifted-books
review:

]]> 214537839 A heart-pounding romantasy following a rebellious princess who must compete to the death against her siblings for the crown to ensure justice, while fighting her feelings for her country's most powerful enemy by debut author Alexandra Kennington.

Revna is no stranger to struggle. As the only member of the royal family without a magical ability, she is seen as an embarrassing mistake to her kingdom and a blight on her family tree. Luckily, Revna has found family in other outcasts in her kingdom. But when her two closest friends�� lives are put in danger, she is determined to save them by any means necessary, no matter the cost. The Bloodshed Trials—a competition where the last sibling in the royal family standing takes the throne—might just be the ultimate price.

Revna turns down her arranged marriage and commits to competing for the throne only to be kidnapped by the mysterious and terrifyingly powerful Hellbringer, the general of her country’s greatest enemy. He has the ability to rend souls with the flick of his wrist and is every inch as intimidating as the war stories say he is. But Revna wonders if there may be some humanity left in him—especially when he reveals there are other parties who want her on the throne for their own furtive reasons.]]> 416 Alexandra Kennington 0593820118 Cait 4 Spice: 2/5]]> 3.72 2025
author: Alexandra Kennington
name: Cait
average rating: 3.72
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/08
date added: 2025/03/08
shelves: berkley-romance-2025-influencer, gifted-books, arcs-2025, book-boyfriend, enemies-to-lovers, fantasy, forbidden-relationship, forced-proximity, he-falls-first, lgbtqia, only-one-bed, secret-relationship
review:
Rating: 4.5/5⭐️
Spice: 2/5
]]> 221473129 A sizzling exes-to-lovers second- chance romance from the author of Morbidly Yours, the “sweet, spicy, and fabulous�� (Abby Jimenez, #1 New York Times bestselling author) TikTok sensation

She doesn’t do second chances. But he's not done writing their song.

Cielo “Lo�� Valdez doesn’t believe in second chances. Surviving cancer taught her life is too short to spend time on someone who wronged you. But Aidan O’Toole is determined to show her life is best spent together.

When the tough-as-nails Texan moved to Galway for medical school, she wasn’t looking for love. Aidan, a gorgeous, tattooed, mandolin-playing lawyer, slipped past her defenses. They each fell hard and fast. But when Aidan was given the opportunity of a lifetime—to move to London and record an album—he took it, breaking Lo's heart. Yet more than two years and a successful album later, every song he writes is still about her, the one he let get away. And every time Lo hears his voice on the radio singing about love, it’s an arrow straight to her soul.

Now they’re on a collision course as maid of honor and best man at a weekend-long Irish castle wedding. Are some mistakes worth forgiving? Can Aidan convince Lo their song wasn’t meant to end?]]> Ivy Fairbanks 0593851897 Cait 0 to-read, arc-tbr, netgalley 3.96
author: Ivy Fairbanks
name: Cait
average rating: 3.96
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/07
shelves: to-read, arc-tbr, netgalley
review:

]]> 203579027
After losing both their parents, Bristol Keats and her sisters struggle to stay afloat in their small, quiet town of Bowskeep. When Bristol begins to receive letters from an “aunt�� she’s never heard of who promises she can help, she reluctantly agrees to meet—and discovers that everything she thought she knew about her family is a lie. Even her father might still be alive, not killed but kidnapped by terrifying creatures to a whole other realm—the one he is from.

Desperate to save her father and find the truth, Bristol journeys to a land of gods and fae and monsters. Pulled into a dangerous world of magic and intrigue, she makes a deadly bargain with the fae king, Tyghan. But what she doesn't know is that he's the one who drove her parents to live a life on the run. And he is just as determined as she is to find her father—dead or alive.]]> 547 Mary E. Pearson 1250367573 Cait 4 4/5⭐️<br />2/5 3.70 2024
author: Mary E. Pearson
name: Cait
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/07
date added: 2025/03/07
shelves: enemies-to-lovers, famous-not-famous-or-royal-not-roya, forbidden-relationship, forced-proximity, he-falls-first, strangers-to-lovers, witchy
review:
4/5⭐️
2/5
]]> 221609317
Um, no. Because that’s how fairytales start and Ivy Addison is no princess. In fact, she’s very happy being an absolute nobody.
She doesn’t have glass slippers or a trust fund or “graces”—and she’s pretty sure she doesn't need rescuing. She also most definitely isn’t overworked as the housekeeper for a rowdy pack of royals... and she certainly has no feelings for any of them.

Well, aside from Asher, the Crown Prince and star of all her mortifying dreams. Or Sebastian, the oh-so-charming baron who always has a smile just for her. And Dair, the dangerous duke with all sorts of bad ideas in his eyes.
Turns out, there’s a reason she can’t stay away. But when these famously eligible men find out their maid is their mate��

Can the royal alphas convince Ivy they’ll be her happily ever after?


Tropes:

RH/why-choose
Royal romance
Only soft for her
Fairytale reimagining
Innocent, kind-hearted FMC
Brooding prince MMC
Charming, golden-retriever MMC
Morally gray duke MMC
Fated mates
Rags-to-riches
Second-chance
Hurt/comfort
Groveling
Touch her and d**
Omega awakening
Rut/knotting/heat

Welcome to Ari Wright's Royalverse! Once Upon A Pack is a why choose Omegaverse romance intended for readers 18+. It contains knotting, heat, swoony alphas, and absolutely no choosing! HEA guaranteed!]]> 475 Ari Wright Cait 0 to-read 4.14 2025
author: Ari Wright
name: Cait
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/07
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 220239098 Every legend has a beginning.

With their freedom on the line, a young woman and a rakish pirate take their fate into their own hands as they attempt to find a lost mythical isle with the power to save their entire world.

Saoirse yearns to be powerless. Cursed from childhood with a volatile magic, she's managed to imprison it within, living under constant terror that one day it will break free. And it does, changing everything.

Horrified at her loss of control, Saoirse’s parents offer her hand to the cold and ruthless Stone King. Knowing she'll never survive such a cruel man, Saoirse realizes there is only one path forward…she must break her curse. 

On the eve of her wedding, Saoirse seeks out the legendary Wolf of the Wild—Faolan, a feral, silver-tongued pirate. He swears to help rid her of the deadly magic, if she’ll use it to locate a lost mythical isle first. Crafted by the slaughtered gods, it’s the only land that could absorb her power.

But Saoirse knows better than to trust a pirate’s word. With the wrath of her disgraced father and scorned betrothed chasing them, Saoirse adds one last condition to protect if Faolan wants her on his ship, he'll have to marry her first.]]> 480 Maggie Rapier 0593819276 Cait 0 4.30 2025
author: Maggie Rapier
name: Cait
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/06
shelves: to-read, arc-tbr, berkley-romance-2025-influencer
review:

]]> 209753199 The first in a slow burn, enemies-to-lovers romantasy duology featuring a scholarly healer and a gentleman assassin, set in an exquisite fantasy world, perfect for fans of The Love Hypothesis and Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries.

Osric Mordaunt, member of the Fyren Order of assassins, is in dire need of healing. Naturally �� such is the grim comedy of fate �� the only healer who can help is Aurienne Fairhrim, preeminent scientist, bastion of moral good, and member of an enemy Order.

Aurienne is desperate for funding to heal the sick - so desperate that, when Osric bribes her to help him, she accepts, even if she detests him and everything he stands for.

A forced collaboration ensues: the brilliant Woman in STEM is coerced into working with the PhD in Murders, much to Aurienne's disgust. As Osric and Aurienne work together to heal his illness and investigate the mysterious reoccurrence of a deadly pox, they find themselves ardently denying their attraction, which only fuels the heat between them.

Romance tropes
Enemies to lovers
High interaction slow burn
Hypercompetent idiots
He falls first and harder
Evisceration as a love language]]> 416 Brigitte Knightley 0356524736 Cait 0 4.19 2025
author: Brigitte Knightley
name: Cait
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/06
shelves: to-read, arc-tbr, berkley-romance-2025-influencer
review:

]]> 214268995 A passionate vice principal and a guarded science teacher compete for a grand prize, only to realize their budding relationship might be the real jackpot.

Brianna Rogers has been told a time (or six) she needs to stop jumping into things head first. But when the principal rescinds his approval for a library upgrade, deciding to spend the money on a football field instead, she sees red. Literally. Brianna throws her hat in the ring and joins a team of teachers who will spend their summer in a Mars simulation. As the sister of an astronaut, this should be easy, right? What she didn’t count on was the last-minute addition to the team—Roman: science teacher, son of the principal, and too handsome for his own good.


Roman and Brianna have been hot and cold all year, and living in close quarters intensifies their animosity and attraction. Brianna is sure he’s been sent by his father to sabotage them, foiling their chance at prize money that will cover all of the school’s actual needs. But each day, Roman proves himself to be a dedicated teammate—and Brianna finds herself falling harder and harder. While it’s clear the feeling is mutual, she can’t shake the sense that he’s hiding something. As the simulation nears its end, Brianna realizes she may have to make an impossible choice, between the school she’s dedicated herself to, and the man who has won his way into her heart.]]> 320 Etta Easton 0593640241 Cait 4 3.5/5⭐️<br />2/5 3.45 2025
author: Etta Easton
name: Cait
average rating: 3.45
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/04
date added: 2025/03/04
shelves: berkley-romance-2025-influencer, gifted-books, arcs-2025, forbidden-relationship, forced-proximity, hea, he-falls-first, netgalley, rivals-to-lovers, workplace-romance
review:
3.5/5⭐️
2/5
]]> 228691354 What is wrong meets what feels right in this romance set in Italy by the New York Times bestselling author of Deep End.

Maya Killgore is twenty-three and still in the process of figuring out her life.

Conor Harkness is thirty-eight, and Maya cannot stop thinking about him.

It’s such a cliché, it almost makes her heart implode: older man and younger woman; successful biotech guy and struggling grad student; brother’s best friend and the girl he never even knew existed. As Conor loves to remind her, the power dynamic is too imbalanced. Any relationship between them would be problematic in too many ways to count, and Maya should just get over him. After all, he has made it clear that he wants her gone from his life.

But not everything is as it seems—and clichés sometimes become plot twists.

When Maya’s brother decides to get married in Taormina, she and Conor end up stuck together in a romantic Sicilian villa for over a week. There, on the beautiful Ionian coast, between ancient ruins, delicious foods, and natural caves, Maya realizes that Conor might be hiding something from her. And as the destination wedding begins to erupt out of control, she decides that a summer fling might be just what she needs—even if it’s a problematic one.]]> 416 Ali Hazelwood Cait 0 to-read 5.00 2025
author: Ali Hazelwood
name: Cait
average rating: 5.00
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/04
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 204469230 A rare conduit of Light, drawn to the Shadows. A spymaster who can’t seem to stay away.

For as long as she can remember, Arken Asher has been searching for answers—driven by an insatiable hunger, a need to understand the meaning behind her dangerous arcane secrets. She’s finally taken that leap into the unknown, leaving her simple life behind to attend the Arcane Studium: a prestigious college of magickal arts & sciences nestled in the heart of Sophrosyne: the City of the Gods.

As the Scouting & Reconnaissance Captain of the Elder Guard, Kieran Vistarii deals in Shadows, blood and subterfuge. Scarred by his past but dedicated to safeguarding Sophrosyne’s future, Kieran’s self-imposed isolation is easily masked by charm and cocksure energy. Strange disappearances have kept his cadre busy as of late, and yet the captain finds himself sidetracked, distracted by the inexplicable allure of a certain golden-eyed Conduit and her curious mind.

They both know better than to get involved, but the Fates have other plans. The dark threads of prophecy were woven long ago, and the ties that bind just might be what it takes to mend these broken, star-crossed souls�� or what forges a deadly bond that could damn them all.]]> 608 Harper Hawthorne Cait 5 4.5/5⭐️<br />3/5 3.99 2024
author: Harper Hawthorne
name: Cait
average rating: 3.99
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/04
date added: 2025/03/04
shelves: audible, fantasy, fated-mates, forced-proximity, friends-to-lovers, he-falls-first, reformed-playboy, strangers-to-lovers, taboo
review:
4.5/5⭐️
3/5
]]> 211399784 To the world, they were a scandal. To each other, an obsession.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER �� An epic love story set in the sparkling, savage sphere of elite figure skating, starring a woman determined to carve her own path on and off the ice

“P������ Wuthering Heights and part Daisy Jones & The Six, this novel is as brilliantly choreographed as a gold medal performance and will keep you guessing until its last page.”—Jodi Picoult, New York Times bestselling author of By Any Other Name

She might not have a famous name, funding, or her family’s support, but Katarina Shaw has always known that she was destined to become an Olympic skater. When she meets Heath Rocha, a lonely kid stuck in the foster care system, their instant connection makes them a formidable duo on the ice. Clinging to skating—and each other—to escape their turbulent lives, Kat and Heath go from childhood sweethearts to champion ice dancers, captivating the world with their scorching chemistry, rebellious style, and roller-coaster relationship.

Until a shocking incident at the Olympic Games brings their partnership to a sudden end.

As the ten-year anniversary of their final skate approaches, an unauthorized documentary reignites the public obsession with Shaw and Rocha, claiming to uncover the “real story�� through interviews with their closest friends and fiercest rivals. Kat wants nothing to do with the documentary, but she can’t stand the thought of someone else defining her legacy. So, after a decade of silence, she’s telling her story: from the childhood tragedies that created her all-consuming bond with Heath to the clash of desires that tore them apart. Sensational rumors have haunted their every step for years, but the truth may be even more shocking than the headlines.]]> 448 Layne Fargo 0593732049 Cait 0 to-read 4.17 2025
author: Layne Fargo
name: Cait
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/03
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> 199417231
Phoebe Graves grew up in a family where deception and seduction are as commonplace as breathing. The Graves and her best friend Hailey’s family have been on the run their whole lives, but after a high-stakes con job goes south, Phoebe and Hailey decide to run away and start over. The small Connecticut town they settle in seems too good to be true.

The biggest flaw in their plan is Hailey’s frustratingly handsome brother, Rocky, who insists on coming with them. Living honestly isn’t in his DNA, and his past with Phoebe is downright messy. He’s everything she wants, but nothing she can have. 

Phoebe worries that Rocky will tempt them back into their old ways, where lying is second nature.  She doesn’t want Rocky to mess up the new life she’s begun for herself. The longer she stays in town, the more she realizes what it means to have a reputation—and what a normal life with the man she loves could look like.]]> 464 Krista Ritchie 0593549554 Cait 0 3.76 2024
author: Krista Ritchie
name: Cait
average rating: 3.76
book published: 2024
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/02
shelves: to-read, gifted-books, physical-tbr, berkley-romance-2025-influencer
review:

]]> 210484327
What happens when a no-nonsense modern woman stumbles into a world of magick, mystery, and one ridiculously hot, broody hero? She breaks all the rules, obviously.

Hannah has always played by the book―until a tarot reading goes sideways and drops her into a world where magick is real, danger lurks in the shadows, and men look like they've stepped out of a fantasy novel. Case in point: Kane, the kingdom's gruff yet infuriatingly gorgeous protector, who claims Hannah's arrival isn't an accident. Apparently, she's the key to saving his realm from ruin.

Hannah's priorities?

Get her tarot card back.

Find a way home.

Absolutely not fall for the battle-scarred warrior who makes her want to forget all her plans.

But as the palace's secrets unravel, and enemies close in, the line between duty and desire blurs. Because if Hannah wants to return to her world, she'll have to embrace the magick inside her and trust the one man who makes her question everything.]]> 400 Kristin Cast 1464235007 Cait 0 3.01 2025
author: Kristin Cast
name: Cait
average rating: 3.01
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/03/02
shelves: to-read, gifted-books, physical-tbr, bloom-books-influencer
review:

]]> 210560840 In this story, there are three beasts and I am their initiate.

The Anguis, a secret society of power-hungry individuals, have long controlled Port Macabre from their seat at Noire House. A place where the wealthy rub shoulders and chase hedonistic pleasures. However, behind the mansion’s facade lies a poisonous, hidden underworld.

I spent one night at their mercy. An invitation to their world that I couldn’t deny, turned out to be the key to bringing my darkest fantasies to life.

They said they would come for me, but months have dragged on with no word. I’ve been forced to return to the mundane life I existed in before they gave me a glimpse of something forbidden and enticing.

What am I supposed to do, when the twisted world of the Anguis unexpectedly comes calling�� and the men I thought I could trust turn out to be liars?

Suddenly, I am no better than an unwilling initiate to their world. A pawn taken by force. Someone’s pet, claimed without warning.

In this sick and twisted world, I’m now someone’s possession and have been sucked into the Anguis�� customs. I am marked to be taught how to serve those who have laid claim to my future. One wrong move and my new masters hiding in the shadows might choose to end my life at any moment.

But as my three captors slowly reveal their individual agendas—as the proximity of being under their watchful gaze starts to break down my defenses—the greatest danger comes from falling for the men who stole my life while following orders.

Lines are crossed and desire spirals as I quickly find myself seeking out their wickedness.

I can’t succumb to three bloodstained captors�� Can I?

Macabre Gods is a Contemporary MMFM Why Choose/Reverse Harem Dark Revenge Romance (with MF, MM, and group scenes) 18+

Make sure to read NOIRE MOON first (this is the prologue novella for this story, and while it is not necessary to understand the events of Macabre Gods, it will give the reader a better experience).

Expect a hot, gritty, bisexual, enemies to lovers romance, with ruthless, morally gray, poly love interests. This book contains themes and scenarios common in dark romance.

Please check the author’s website for CWs.]]> 0 Elliott Rose 1991281064 Cait 4 Spice: 4.5/5]]> 4.43
author: Elliott Rose
name: Cait
average rating: 4.43
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/02
date added: 2025/03/02
shelves: arcs-2025, dark-romance, forced-proximity, he-falls-first, hea, lgbtqia, no-3rd-act-breakup, reverse-harem-why-choose, second-chance-romance, smut, strangers-to-lovers, taboo
review:
Rating: 4/5⭐️
Spice: 4.5/5
]]> 9680718
Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway. There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow. Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1:Relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden. Unfortunately, she's crushing hard on the totally hot pure-blood Aiden. But falling for Aiden isn't her biggest problem--staying alive long enough to graduate the Covenant and become a Sentinel is.

If she fails in her duty, she faces a future worse than death or slavery: being turned into a daimon, and being hunted by Aiden. And that would kind of suck.]]> 281 Jennifer L. Armentrout 0983157200 Cait 4 4/5⭐️<br />1/5 4.08 2011
author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
name: Cait
average rating: 4.08
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/27
date added: 2025/02/27
shelves: fantasy, forbidden-relationship, forced-proximity, young-adult
review:
4/5⭐️
1/5
]]> 203578793 Welcome, welcome back to the mysteriously enchanting world of CARAVAL! Return to the legendary magic and the whimsical wonder with this beautifully illustrated holiday novella.

Snowflakes are falling.
Invitations are arriving.
And holiday magic is swirling in the capital city of the Meridian Empire.

It’s Great Holiday Eve Eve. Scarlett Dragna is planning a spectacular Holiday celebration for the city. Donatella is searching for the perfect gift. Julian is looking ridiculously handsome in green. And Legend . . .

Well, sadly Legend is not fond of the Great Holiday. Tella is hoping her perfect gift will change his mind. Unfortunately, she hasn’t found this perfect gift just yet. But it is Great Holiday Eve Eve . . . surely there’s some holiday magic swirling around.

Welcome, welcome back to the world of Caraval, where even holidays are not as they seem.

Set after Stephanie Garber's #1 NEW YORK TIMES bestselling Caraval series, this delightful novella will take readers on the ultimate holiday adventure full of clockwork boys, poisoned candy, impish snow globes, merriment, and―if Tella gets her way―love.

Gorgeously illustrated by Rosie Thorns, SPECTACULAR is the perfect edition for collectors, readers, dreamers, and lovers of holiday magic.]]> 207 Stephanie Garber 1250893402 Cait 4 3.5/5⭐️<br />1/5 3.71 2024
author: Stephanie Garber
name: Cait
average rating: 3.71
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/26
date added: 2025/02/26
shelves: christmas-holiday, fantasy, hea, novella, young-adult
review:
3.5/5⭐️
1/5
]]> 204964640
Naia, the daughter of the High Sea Goddess, is an embarrassment. She holds no title and no power but is the key to a curse placed centuries ago on her mother: Naia must form a union with a god from an opposing family.

When the day arrives for her arranged marriage, she turns to the High God of Death and Curses for help.

He assists Naia under one condition—she must accept a curse, blindly. Willing to do whatever it takes to escape her mother’s kingdom beneath the sea, Naia agrees and flees to the Mortal Land.

When she wakes up in Ronin Kahale’s childhood home, she’s greeted by the warm, welcoming twenty-eight-year-old mortal. Distrustful of Ronin and his selfless hospitality, she’s convinced there’s more to him than what he’s sharing.

However, he’s her one-way ticket into Hollow City, an ominous concrete jungle infested with witches. Somewhere among its streets lies Finnian, Naia's younger brother and the only one capable of helping her hide from their cruel mother.

Naia desperately tries not to care for another mortal, but as her life intertwines with Ronin’s, she questions the lengths she will go to keep him safe from the gods who hunt her down—and the curse that looms over her.

With gods, though, everything comes with a price.


The Goddess Of is not intended for readers under 18 years of age. Please check content warnings as some material may be sensitive for some readers.]]> 429 Randi Garner Cait 5 AUDIOBOOK VERSION (FEBRUARY 2025)
What an absolute honor to be able to listen to an early copy of this audiobook. This book (and series!) is one of my absolute favorites. Abigail Reno did a beautiful job handling all the different voices, as this was a single narrator but duel POV story. I love the flow of the narration and will cherish the ability to relisten.

Thank you, Netgalley, for the opportunity!

•�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ���
KINDLE VERSION (JUNE 2024)

5/5⭐️
2/5]]> 4.11
author: Randi Garner
name: Cait
average rating: 4.11
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/02/25
date added: 2025/02/25
shelves: enchantedpagespr, age-gap, arranged-marriage, famous-not-famous-or-royal-not-roya, fantasy, fated-mates, friends-to-lovers, he-falls-first, hams, hea, favourites, arcs-2024, book-boyfriend, 5-stars-in-2024
review:
AUDIOBOOK VERSION (FEBRUARY 2025)
What an absolute honor to be able to listen to an early copy of this audiobook. This book (and series!) is one of my absolute favorites. Abigail Reno did a beautiful job handling all the different voices, as this was a single narrator but duel POV story. I love the flow of the narration and will cherish the ability to relisten.

Thank you, Netgalley, for the opportunity!

•�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ�Ģ���
KINDLE VERSION (JUNE 2024)

5/5⭐️
2/5
]]> 228256271 A Human hybrid and an Alpha Were claw against the bonds of fate in the highly anticipated companion novel to the New York Times bestselling Bride.

Serena Paris is orphaned, pack-less, and one of a kind. Coming forward as the first Human-Were hybrid was supposed to heal a centuries-long rift between species. Instead, it made her a target, prey to the ruthless political machinations between Weres, Vampyres, and Humans. With her enemies closing in on her, she has only one option left—if he’ll have her.

As Alpha of the Northwest pack, Koen Alexander commands obedience. His authority is so absolute, only a fool would threaten his mate. It doesn’t matter if Serena doesn’t reciprocate his feelings, nothing will stop him from keeping her safe.

But power-hungry Vampyres and Weres are not the only threats chasing Serena. Sooner or later, her past is bound to catch up with her—and Koen might be the only thing standing between her and total annihilation…]]> 432 Ali Hazelwood 0593955013 Cait 0 to-read 4.43 2025
author: Ali Hazelwood
name: Cait
average rating: 4.43
book published: 2025
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/02/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]>