en-US Thu, 01 May 2025 18:00:58 -0700 60 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg Friend1421429514 Thu, 01 May 2025 18:00:58 -0700 Comment290132981 Thu, 01 May 2025 16:01:24 -0700 /topic/show/23119684-may-book-of-the-month theappleisledreamer made a comment in the Books and Bitches Down Under Aussie Book Club group:

The audiobook is 🔥 ]]> Review7522367008 Sun, 27 Apr 2025 02:48:22 -0700 /review/show/7522367008 theappleisledreamer gave 5 stars to Seven Days of Silence: The Watcher of Crystal Falls Series (Kindle Edition) by Morrigan King
A great short horror read from Morrigan King!

Ivy lives in a small, quaint little town, but one night her life is thrown into danger with late night phone calls from nobody, and ominous notes left around her house that leave her terrified!

Definitely recommend this one for any horror lovers who just want a quick 15-30 minute read!! ]]> Review7519184108 Fri, 25 Apr 2025 19:32:20 -0700 /review/show/7519184108 theappleisledreamer gave 4 stars to Played By The Bishop (Murdoch Mafia #1) by Samantha Barrett
]]> Review7514480233 Thu, 24 Apr 2025 01:12:05 -0700 /review/show/7514480233 theappleisledreamer gave 5 stars to On Your Knees (Masked Men series) by Jaye Pratt
Full Review to follow closer to release date.... but trust me, you will not be disappointed with this book!!! ]]> Review7514376530 Wed, 23 Apr 2025 23:32:50 -0700 /review/show/7514376530 theappleisledreamer gave 4 stars to Wilde Secrets: A Small Town Curvy Romance (Cape Wilde) by Melanie Hepburn
Wilde Secrets is like a warm hug with a spicy twist! It gives vibes similar to if Nashville the TV series and Elsie Silver's Chestnut Springs series got together and had a baby... it would be this book!
Harper, a curvy songwriter in crisis, gets shipped off to a tiny town after a career oopsie which could potentially ruin her sisters career as well as her own—and ends up rescued by Logan, a grumpy carpenter with golden retriever energy. Cue forced proximity, sizzling tension, emotional growth, and small-town shenanigans. It’s heartfelt, steamy, and totally swoon-worthy. Logan = life goals. Cape Wilde? Sign me up. Can’t wait for more!

Tropes:
Dual POV, Third Person, MF, Bed Sharing, City girl in the country, Cowboy, Fish out of water, Forced Proximity, Grumpy/Sunshine, Insta Love / Love at first sight, Opposites Attract, Protector/ Nurturer, Slow Burn, Small Town Romance, Stuck together (stranded, snowbound), Dealing with Loss/ Grief, Self Discovery Journey, Found Family, Underdog Story

Triggers:
Abandonment, Accidents, Alcohol, Anxiety, Bodily Fluids, Cancer, Control, Death of a Loved One, Emotional Abuse, Family Conflict, Forced Actions, Gaslighting, Graphic Sex, Harassment, Hostile Work Environment, Illness, Injury, Manipulation, Mental Abuse, Military Service, Nudity, Panic Attacks, Pressure, Verbal Abuse, Victim Blaming ]]> GroupUser14878586 Sun, 20 Apr 2025 20:12:08 -0700 /group/show/1270954-books-and-bitches-down-under-aussie-book-club theappleisledreamer joined the Books and Bitches Down Under Aussie Book Club and Reese's Book Club x Hello Sunshine groups. ]]> Review7492076264 Thu, 17 Apr 2025 02:43:34 -0700 /review/show/7492076264 theappleisledreamer gave 5 stars to All Laid Bear (Ghost Rebels MC: Kilkenny Book 3) by Kate Bonham
First, I thought nothing could top Ace and Sheridan as a couple, then Hawke and Morena became my favourite Ghost Rebels couple, but they were so quickly replaced by Bear and Orla in this book!

Book 3 in the Ghost Rebels MC series is just as action packed, just as spicy and has just as many tragic backstories as the previous two. I was confused by the dynamic between Bear and Orla at first, but as the story progressed and the information about their past together came to light my heart broke for them and I began to absolutely love both of them! Character development and backstory are 10/10 for this book!
The overarching plotline throughout the series still draws you in and the familiarity that I have developed with the MC in the previous books helps to heighten the emotions in this one, and it is clear that a lot of forward planning has happened as Kate is masterfully guiding the story along her main plot line but making the journey all the more exciting with the different mini arcs throughout with each of the couples!
I cannot wait to continue on in this world, and meet the next couple in the series!

Tropes:
Friends to Lovers, Second chance romance, forced proximity, dual pov, MF, Touch her and die, sweet only for her, who did this to you, Childhood friends reunited, betrayal and redemption, secrets from the past, protector/nurturer dynamic, hurt/comfort, reunited lover, first love, found family, chosen family vs blood family.

Triggers: Abandonment, Abortion (dodgy back alley), abusive relationship (not mains), alcohol, blood, bodily fluids, confinement, death, fear, fighting, gangs (MC), graphic death, graphic sex, guns, hostage situation, human trafficking (mentioned), incarceration (mentioned), kidnapping, manipulation, mass deaths, mass shootings, medical procedures, murder, nudity, organised crime, pain, physical abuse, police brutality (mentioned), pregnancy, profanity, rape (attempted gang rape as form of torture), slut shaming, stabbing, threats, torture, turf wars, verbal abuse, victim blaming, violence, weapons. ]]> Review7495422602 Thu, 17 Apr 2025 01:53:54 -0700 /review/show/7495422602 theappleisledreamer gave 4 stars to Shadows of the Lost Relic (Vanguard of the Ancients #1) by L.K. Shear
3.5â­�
1.5 🌶�

A fun, fast-paced start to a YA/NA paranormal fantasy series with major Percy Jackson meets Tomb Raider vibes. Lyra, a morally grey thief descended from the Tooth Fairy (yes, really), is pulled into a world of ancient relics, shady organizations, and monsters that haunt your dreams.

She’s joined by three gorgeous, god-descended triplets—Theo, Evan, and Kane—and a quiet, broody fire-wielding tech genius, Caspian. Together, they work for the Vanguard to stop dark forces from tipping the balance.

The found family dynamic is everything, and Lyra’s growth from reluctant thief to badass (reluctant) hero is so well done. There's great world-building, a slow-burn “why choose� romance, and just enough spice by the end to keep things interesting—without going overboard.

Some pacing lulls early on, but it ramps up with action, magic, and an ending that’ll leave you wanting book two ASAP. Great intro for younger readers or anyone easing into the genre.

Tropes:
banter, chosen one, discovering hidden powers, elemental magic, fated mates, found family, friends to lovers, grumpy/ sunshine, magic school, magical transformation, mysterious artifact, orphaned hero, outsider, prophecy, quest for a magical object, reluctant hero, slow burn, soulmates, training montage, why choose,

Triggers:
abandonment, blood, bodily fluids, bones, burning/burns, coma, cults, death, death of a loved one, fighting, fire, gore, graphic death, graphic sex, hospitalization, injury, nudity, pain, panic attacks, PTSD, scars, stabbing, violence, war, weapons

I Choose in the Why Choose: Caspian ]]>