Overall: ⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖 (It was short, which helped in immensely!)
Feels: 🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡
Romance: 💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋 (Me, attempting to think about how sensual was it when the yogurt shoots from the cucumber 😆
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑 (It’s basically a short story with one sex scene)
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥
Humor: Ummmm YES but I was laughing at it and not with it...
Perspective: Third person from the heroine
More character focused or plot focused? umm character??
How did the speed of the story feel? fast
When mains are first on page together: It actually felt like forever before she met THE GROCERIES (about 32% into the short story)
Cliffhanger: No? This ends on a supposed happy for now, but it’s not with the groceries
Epilogue: No
Format: read an e-book version through kindle unlimited

Should I read in order?
No, you don’t have to read in any order and you also shouldn’t read this at all.

Basic plot:
After Ashley acts like a twat at the grocery store, a clever woman curses her to get fucked by her groceries

Give this a try if you want:
- my god, I’m not sure I can entice you here…
- a tongue made of ham?
- a yogurt slinging cucumber?
- maybe you are trying to budget and are about to go grocery shopping and want to lose your appetite?
- human heroine/hero made of literal groceries

Ages:
- Nothing mentioned. The groceries were fresh though!

First line:
Raising the gun, she gripped it with both hands to keep the barrel steady.

My thoughts:
Okay – this one is AWFUL. I have read some weird shit, but this one is one of the worst (along with one of the dinosaur porn ones…). Laughable the whole way through, cringing, maybe some dry heaving. The ending was ridiculous. The whole thing was absurd...I want to go back to who I was when I was just reading about fucking doors and coats.

Cock/Hero Stats:

- he’s a conglomeration of foods, including a lettuce head with olive eyes, a ham tongue, eggplant biceps, a long thick cucumber for a dick and balls that change from nectarines into plums with no reasoning
- semen is literal yogurt

Quotes/thoughts: (Any mistakes are my own)

Unintimidated, the man stepped forward, and she saw that it was no man at all.
It was...the groceries.
Not the jumble of fruits, vegetables and grains that the teenager at Piggly Wiggly had packed into brown bags, but an amalgamation of her purchases, somehow shaped into human form.
---

Our grocery man is just over 6 feet tall

A large sack of flour formed the thing’s abdomen, and it had a broad chest and shoulders composed of packages of ground beef. The rounded slabs of meat gave it a sculpted, muscular look that matched its bulging eggplant biceps.
---
Between those whole-grain thighs hung a long, thick cucumber and a pair of smooth, ripe nectarines.
---
“What do you want from me?”
“To plant my seed. Rise, woman. Give me what is mine.”
---
The heavy sound of his footsteps drew her eyes down to his feet, each one a butternut squash. A twitching movement drew her eyes higher, and she saw that his cucumber cock had begun to rise, angling upward like a flagpole jutting from the side of a building.
---
He rubbed her with the slow undulating rhythm of cornstalks swaying in a gentle summer wind.
---
Ashley found herself kneeling in front of Zaka’s cucumber manhood, the warm bedroom light shining on the mottled red and purple of his plum balls.
---
“Suckle my fruits, woman,” Zaka commanded. “Taste me.”
---
His thick, slightly curved length felt tight and perfect, a well-oiled sword sliding into a supple leather sheath.
---
“Come on baby,” she pleaded. “Gimme them groceries! Gimme them fucking groceries!”
He did!
---
Inside her, Zaka’s cucumber cock swelled like a ripe seedpod ready to burst, and she felt something erupt from its tip in thick, warm gouts. A vague image played across her mind: an empty yogurt container lying on its size in the kitchen. Now she knew where the yogurt had gone.

 

Content warnings: (This should be taken as a minimum because I could have missed some!)

- there’s usage of voodoo culture brought by Haitian immigrants
- classism and ignorant comments regarding immigrant, homelessness, etc
- gun usage

Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:

 
Safe sex: 

Oh, no way. That cucumber had who knows what on it and slung yogurt all up in her womb 

 
Hows the consent? 

Not good - definitely non-conned by the groceries until she feels the cucumber size then she's into it 

 
45% - fingering for her, bj for the grocery man’s cucumber, then missionary to doggy 

 

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋💋 (I LOVED the steamy scenes in this one – perfect blend of emotional pull and details and explicitness for me)
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Humor: A bit
Perspective: First person from both hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? slow to medium
When mains are first on page together: First chapter (in statue form) – first interaction is at the end of chapter 4, so a little while
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes (maybe a few months in the future?)
Format: read e-book version from kindle unlimited

Should I read in order?
I believe this is a stand alone?

Basic plot:
Summer’s work has always been overseen by the stone gargoyle behind the desk at Hopkin’s Museum of the Strange. She realizes he is more than a statue when he comes to get in a dream...

Give this a try if you want:
- Monster romance (contemporary time period)
- small town setting
- gargoyle hero/human heroine
- size difference – the hero is nearly a foot and a half taller than the heroine
- I could say virgin hero but he definitely doesn’t act like one 😂
- save the world
- branding (with some fated mates vibes)
- protective/possessive hero
- higher steam – 4 full scenes with some hot partials/shorter scenes

Ages:
- Didn’t see them mentioned. Would guess Summer is mid to late 20s while Zuriel is hundreds, possibly thousands, of years old

First line:
I push my glasses higher up my nose and glance over the small group of tourists in front of me.

My thoughts:
I absolutely adored this book!

I know some of the complaints were that it was slow and boring but I just love those simple, super character focused books like that. I loved the slow build up of tension and getting to know each other in this one. I do agree some parts were slow to me – mainly when Zuriel was in statue form during sunlight hours but I think that is because I was so in love with them together I just wanted it all the time!

I thought the tension was so good. I loved the emotional pull of the sex scenes here. When I was like ¾ of the way through I went and ordered more books by the authors because I was loving it so much! It was just really tugging on my emotions and I was breathless for them...

I had some minor issues with some pacing. And just when I was starting to get very frustrated with Summer for not talking to her parents about her comfort level with a side character (they had a good relationship, so I didn’t see why she was enabling it!) she finally did it, so I was placated a bit.

I loved how gentle and protective Zuriel was. And I loved Summer! I saw some reviewers say she was annoying and useless and her glasses were mentioned 6000 times – and I found her so relatable. I also wear glasses and am useless and probably annoying 😂😂 I love you Summer!!! I loved this couple.

Minor qualm

Is this a child free HEA? Zuriel was surprised there was semen in his new cock, but he’s sure gargoyle’s can’t reproduce. The epilogue doesn’t say so I’m assuming it remains that way but am hesitant to mark it as such 

Cock/Hero Stats:

- wings, clawed hands, curved horns and tail
- dream cock??? is so cold – like a popsicle that doesn’t melt
- fangs
- Zuriel learns to hide his cock inside him
- he can fly and draws bats to him wherever he goes
- turns to stone during the day

Quotes/thoughts: (Any mistakes are my own)

“My name is…”
My eyes crack open, and I look around my room thinking I heard a voice. The cut on my hand tingles.
There’s nobody. Yawning, I flip onto my side and snuggle back into my bedding.
Something cold brushes my lips. Softly swaying back and forth, it whispers like a kiss. I turn over and lift my hands to my mouth.
My lips are chilled like they’d been caressed by frost.
---
Stomping to the doors, I step out onto the balcony, my teeth gritted like vices. As I try to look beyond, I realize I’ve made a big mistake.
The gargoyle crouches on the railing, cast in the moonlight. He straightens, becoming a towering, gothic sight, his webbed wings spanning out from his body, surround by a cloud of bats.
---
Her brow wrinkles as she drops her gaze to the floor. “I knew he was too handsome to be human,” she says under her breath.
Handsome?
Handsome!?
The word strikes me with unprecedented rage and shame. A growl rips from my throat as my wings rush against my body, thrusting outward, each wingbone stretched and strained.
Being handsome has never mattered, not until I heard the word on her lips. No wonder she was terrified of me the other night. I am...grotesque.
---
Taking the chains in my grip, I tear them apart. The thick metal clinks.
As I toss them to the ground, Summer bumps against my flexed arm. She shudders again. “God, you’re strong.”
She compliments me...She finds me strong.
My cock bursts through the magical binding to drop between my legs.
---
He releases my wrists and clamps his hand around my neck, holding me against the monument’s wall. He pins me there, and his gaze leisurely roams up and down my body. Aroused by his attention, I arch back.
His face nears mine, mouth parting into a fanged snarl to say something more, something about the wrongness of this, but I interrupt him.
“Kiss me,” I whisper.
His glinting gaze drops to my lips.
---
His eyes never move from mine. “If you do not tell me to stop, I will demand more than stories and laughter. Your kisses will only be the beginning.”
 

Content warnings: (This should be taken as a minimum because I could have missed some!)

- scenes of possession, talk of angels, demons and hell
- death on page/fire

Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:

Safe sex: 

  No, but even though there’s semen, gargoyles can’t reproduce 

Hows the consent? 

good! 

5% - 🔥 heroine self pleasure while she sucks the invisible stone dick
Something cold brushes my lips. Softly swaying back and forth, it whispers like a kiss. I turn over and lift my hands to my mouth.
My lips are chilled like they’d been caressed by frost.

26% - heroine self pleasure – it’s a bit short so I decided not to count it
35% - primal play scene that leads to cock touches in the graveyard and a branding – I consider this a very hot partial!
49% - 🔥kisses, he puts her on the desk and gives her oral
Unable to deny this any longer, he grinds his cock into my abdomen, groaning deeply. His other hand twists into my hair as his brow drops to mine.
“Summer,” he groans.
He pushes hard along my stomach.
I close my eyes and moan around him, my whole body clenching.
“Enough!” He yanks his hand out of my grasp, slamming his fist onto the floor, and takes my mouth.
56% - 🔥sex against the wall, anal tail play
”Invoke me, tell me to stop,” I goad. “I’m not done with you.”
Her lips flatten as she holds my gaze. Her cheeks flush prettily, stirring my tongue to strain against the roof of my mouth. I could stuff it into her mouth before she speaks.
“This is our first night together.” I seize her arms and clutch her wrists between us, exposing her. “I want more of you before it ends.”
“More?” she whispers. “You’re not spent?”
“Spent? Is that possible?”
61% - 🔥oral for her, blow job for him
Leaning down, she takes hold of my erection with both hands and kisses the tip.
I go still, my wings bracing against the wall, arching with strain. Tension floods my limbs as she kisses my tip, again and again, caressing it with her soft lips. She kisses and kisses and kisses.
92% - oral for her (it’s pretty short and I decided not to count)
97% - some elevator foreplay 

 

Overall: 4.5 rounded to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Humor: Yes
Perspective: First person from both hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together: I didn’t note it but think it was almost immediately
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes, not quite a year later
Format: listened to the audiobook from the library (Hoopla)

Should I read in order?
I picked this one up alone and found it enjoyable but see the other characters have their HEAs within this story – I wonder if there’s character depth for these mains throughout the series and their on/off relationship.

Basic plot:
A wedding brings Pris and Juan Pablo together again after their umpteenth break up...

Give this a try if you want:
- Contemporary romance
- second chance
- police officer by day, sex podcast creator by night heroine
- found family/close family and friends vibes
- therapy positive
- open to a child free HEA
- higher steam – 4 scenes within a shorter feeling page count

My thoughts:
So I feel like somehow all I read read this month is second chance, which makes me whiny and grumpy. But! But!! I overall really enjoyed this one.

Why did it work for me? I think part of it is that this one felt a bit shorter to me (I think the audio was like 6 hours? And I usually listen to like 9-11 hours. 😆 Really though, I did feel like there was a lot of sweetness in this one. One thing that ends up bothering me about second chance is I usually get no feels – no butterflies and no angsty because it’s like the good stuff happened off page and I’m left with the anger and resentment of a failed relationship. This one didn’t really have an enemies to lovers vibe – they kind of fell into being friends again. And what really got me was that Juan Pablo put in the hard work to make himself better for Priscilla. He went to therapy. He reflected. He made choices that were hard for him and didn’t benefit him. And it was really sweet – it gave me feelings of a new relationship that I could appreciate and fall in love with.

I LOVED the found family/friend feels in this one. The family and friends are just so heartwarming and hilarious. It felt like a wonderful hug to read. And I got some angsty feelings towards the end from their relationship and family vulnerability that I appreciated.

I believe this was my first by Herrera, but definitely going to be picking up more!

Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.

- miscarriages mentioned (heroine’s mom)
- police work and problematic cases including child rape and molestation resulting in pregnancy

Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:

 
Safe sex: 

  Condoms used 

 
Hows the consent? 

  It’s good! 

 
28% - 🔥sex on the beach
46% - 🔥kisses, blowjob, oral for her, her on top
63% - kisses
70% - 🔥cock ring, oral for her
86% - 🔥mutual masturbation 

 

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥 (I could be off, I listened to the audio and didn’t take good notes)
Humor: I can’t recall much
Perspective: third person from both the hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? it kind of felt like a more equal mix to me? Maybe even a bit more character
How did the speed of the story feel? medium to fast
When mains are first on page together: I didn’t note it but I think it was pretty soon in
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after for the couple (But a few plot points/villains are left open for the next book)
Epilogue: Yes
Format: listened to audiobook from my library (Hoopla)

Should I read in order?
Ideally, yes. The series flows together and it’s all kind of like walking into a story already started and I think it might get confusing if you start here? There’s some spy plot line and villain carryover from the first book.

Basic plot:
A bet reignites the possibility of a once failed marriage

Give this a try if you want:
- Georgian time period – 1784
- on the run
- close proximity (for some parts – it’s not the whole book)
- marriage in jeopardy
- bargain/bet
- spies
- low to mid steam – I may have missed some but I only recall 2 full scenes towards the middle of the book

Ages:
- Didn’t catch either

My thoughts:
I knew this one was second chance going in – I think the whole series is and both books I’ve read so far I can’t help but feeling like I’m walking in on half the story. :(

I feel like there is so much telling and not showing in both books in the series so far. There’s a lot of narrative covering the back story and marriage problems and how everyone feels about everything that happened off page internally but I am left rather bored because I missed all that and keep waiting to connect with the characters on page.

I did enjoy the part where they kind of come together at the Quaker village/cabin because they were actually interacting with each other and I felt some of the marriage angst and wanting to fix that.

Overall I will finish this series but this isn’t one I would reread. I think those that love second chance with aspects of spies and danger thrown in will like this a lot more than I did.

Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.

- marriage in trouble
- scenes of danger, violence, and death
- mention of miscarriage

Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:

 
Safe sex: 

I don’t believe so? 

 
Hows the consent?

It’s good! 

 
44% - kiss
54% - 🔥 oral for her, missionary then followed by doggy that fades
69% - 🔥 blow job, sex 

 

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥
Humor: A bit
Perspective: First person from both hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? It’s fairly slow
When mains are first on page together: Not far in at all...about 6%
Cliffhanger: This ends with a happily ever after for the couple.
Epilogue: Yes, but it’s from Maeve’s POV and a feature for the next book in the series
Format: voluntarily read an advanced reader copy from the author in e-book form

Should I read in order?
Ideally I think yes? This one really has a decent amount of focus on the main couple which is really nice, but I think you’ll get a bit better idea of the world building with reading in order. If you happened to grab the Supra Velum anthology, a prequel novella is also in there with Fated to the Lost Warrior – the hero is mentioned here but definitely not needed to read – If you didn’t grab Supra Velum I believe Fated to the Lost Warrior is available through her newsletter now.

Basic plot:
Remi has escaped her Earth problems by taking a one way ticket to planet Tavikh – here she can focus on honing her warrior skills no matter what the arrogant Zydon makes her feel.

Give this a try if you want:
- science fiction romance
- alien setting (primitive)
- alien hero/human heroine
- never been kissed hero
- fated mates
- survival themes
- bit of frenemies to lovers feel – they don’t get along the best and the heroine has a bit of animosity towards him
- slow burn feel
- low to mid steam – there’s 2 full scenes

Ages:
- Didn’t see them mentioned?

First line:
Dust kicks up from the ground of the training arena as Johah and I spar.

My thoughts:
I am really enjoying the Tavikh series. I like the world, I love the characters and really love some of the alien aspects coming into play like the mating marks and slow progression of world building with the human and alien tribes.

Remi has a hard shell to protect her and she likes to keep most everyone at a distance. I loved her strength and her slow fall for Zydon.

Zydon is really sweet – he comes off has a bit heavy handed and bossy, but it’s his protective instincts kicking in whether Remi wants them or not…

I did want a bit more character background for Zydon. I wanted to feel like I knew him a bit better as a person (person? Alien?). And I do find myself wanting more world building here. I know the books don’t have super long page counts so there’s only so much room for building, but I wanted to see a bit more of how the tribes are coming together.

I really appreciated the slower burn feel for this couple. I love that build up before they give in as it makes it more powerful to me. I also really loved the ending of this one! I was wondering when that first novella of Hale’s I read would come into play.

As for that epilogue...I thought Benham was going to end up with a different Earthling but I am excited for their story now!

(Previously I had noted something that was niggling at me about the heroine from book 1 wanting to be a teacher and not seeing it yet here - I just read the short story add on for book 1 (like an extended epilogue) that is 9 months or so later and we get a glimpse into that! 😍 You can get it with a newsletter sign up)

Cock/Hero Stats/World building:

- They have a belief system of ‘gods’ that’s integrated through their thought process but not overwhelming (mention of Deeka blessing them/prayers sent)
- translators are used and gets most language across but there are some nuances that are lost
- hero smells faintly like chocolate
- hero’s cock has nodes that run the length of it and fill with ‘mating fluid’
- cock has a head that is flared and shaped like upside down umbrella
- when the mating nodes open there are tiny hairs that release a fluid that enhances pleasure

Endearments

The hero calls the heroine his ‘keeshla’ which I think means mate

Quotes/thoughts: (Any mistakes are my own)

Instead he pulls me close and leans down with his lips far too close to mine.
“I think I enjoy this spanking you speak of,” he whispers against them.
My nipples tighten as the timbre of his voice washes over me, and a warm heat settles low inside my belly. “Don’t get used to it.”
I hook my leg behind his and push. Except I make a tactical error. I forget Zydon’s hold on me. He tumbles to the ground but takes me with him. I land on top of him. Chest to chest. Pelvis to pelvis. I stare down at him, and his near-black vertical pupils dilate.
 

Content warnings: (This should be taken as a minimum because I could have missed some!)

- scenes of hunting animals
- scenes of violence
- mention of death of unnamed side characters in attack
- some brief remembrance of a crappy boyfriend that left after making the first sex the heroine had unpleasant

Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:

Safe sex: 

No but they are fated mates and not worried about it 

Hows the consent? 

It’s good/hero asks 

40-some% there is a brief kiss
60% - kisses
75% - 🔥 kisses, oral/fingering for her, missionary

I love how rough his voice is. Like it’s taking all his control to remain still. Except I want him to lose control. I want him to feel as good as he’s making me feel.
“Fuck me, Zydon.” The dirty words tumble from my lips before I even know I’m speaking them.

94% - 🔥 kisses, her on top, anal tail play

“Come for me, my mate.” 

 

Overall: 3.5 rounded to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔 (There is like nothing for the hero)
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞 (I mean, the coat DOES take care of her needs)
Sensuality: 💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥 (There’s one scene at the end)
Humor: She gets trapped in a coat and it diddles her?
Perspective: Third person from heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character-ish
How did the speed of the story feel? medium to fast? Not much happens, but it’s very short
When mains are first on page together: The coat is brought to her immediately, but she doesn’t realize it’s more than a coat until about 33% (all of that happens in chapter 1 – it’s a very short story)
Cliffhanger: This ends on a happy for now-ish
Epilogue: No
Format: read the book on kindle unlimited

Should I read in order?
This is a stand alone romance.

Basic plot:
Anna’s great aunt sends her a coat and it fucks her.

Give this a try if you want:
- Contemporary time period
- possessed coat hero
- human heroine
- very short story
- medium steam – there’s 1 longish scene at the end but the story is so short it feels like a lot of the book

Ages:
- Didn’t see them mentioned

First line:
A sharp knock woke her from her nap.


My thoughts:
This is a really quick read about a woman who inherits a special coat. I liked the idea of it but was left wanting more! I felt like I didn’t know anything about this….coat – and with a cover like that I wanted to know more. Even just a few more pages would have given us some more details!

Overall though it’s a steamy, quick read!

Content warnings: (This should be taken as a minimum because I could have missed some!)

- coat fucking? There might be the lightest bit of dubcon since she can’t get out of the coat and it starts touching her but then she’s into it 

Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:

Safe sex: 

ummmm there was no mention of the coat being washed before it went into those holes

 
Hows the consent? 

overall it’s pretty good – at first the heroine can’t get the coat off and it starts touching her, but then she’s into it 

 
75% - kind of a fingering for her? Coating? It rubs her and has a ‘makeshift cock’ 
 

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑 (varied a bit)
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Humor: A bit
Perspective: Third person from both hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together: quite soon in
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: No
Format: listened to audiobook from library (hoopla)

Should I read in order?
Maybe, ideally, yes?? The other characters have page time here from earlier in the series and there’s some mentions of various plot points that have happened. For a total rebel reader, you won’t be confused here to start though.

Basic plot:
Emily wants to marry to escape her families plans for her unwed...and Marcus will marry anyone that his father doesn’t approve of...

Give this a try if you want:
- Regency
- house party
- one bed at the inn (minor scene)
- compromised heroine resulting in marriage of necessity-ish
-  mid to higher steam – there’s a plethora of scenes here but some are shorter? It's hard to tell on audio sometimes...

Ages:
- didn’t catch either...

First line:
Marcus Roberts, the Earl of Blakely, leaned against the brocaded wall, arms crossed.

My thoughts:
I think I might have liked this one the most so far in the series? It was a bit more character focused than the first two and I enjoyed a lot of their push and pull at each other.

In this one, Marcus is quite tortured by his past. And some of that was frustrating, like when he refused to see the good in what Emily was doing for him and kept focusing on the pain he had. But I enjoyed the emotional pull of this one and how Marcus slowly opened for her. The sex especially I felt was just really emotional and tugged at me.

The ending of the book centers the couple and gives family depth and closure that I appreciated. I feel so invested in this series now 😆 I definitely want to read Rhoda’s story.

Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.

- wanted to mention the hero fucks another woman on page with the heroine watching – they are not together but I know some people don’t like to see the mains on page with other people
- estranged relationships – the hero hasn’t interacted much with his mother, father and sister
- mention of pregnant prior relationship and death of hero’s past love
- poisoning
- scenes of danger/physical threats/risk of death
- there’s a brief scene the hero has a barmaid (?) on his lap but nothing happens

Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:

 
Safe sex: 

I want to say no? I'm not sure if it's explicitly stated 

 
Hows the consent? 

It’s good/implied 

 
5% - heroine watches the hero fuck someone from behind
50% - 🔥breast play o for her in the carriage
56% - 🔥hero self pleasure in front of the heroine
66% - 🔥kisses, fingering/oral for her, sex (it’s a bit vague?) - this scene overall felt a bit shorter than the others but I still counted
68% - 🔥her on top in the carriage
between like 70-75% there’s a fade to black scene
79% - 🔥sex outside against a tree with the risk of discovery (felt short, but again I counted)
91% - 🔥sex against the wall 

 

Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: There’s no kisses or bedroom scenes
Sex Scene Length: There are no scenes
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): no scenes
Humor: I don’t recall much
Perspective: Third person from both the hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? slow to medium
When mains are first on page together: Not too far in, about 8%
Cliffhanger: Yes – the story continues in The Bittersweet Bride
Epilogue: No
Format: read owned e-book (it was free)

Should I read in order?
This is a prequel short story to The Bittersweet Bride (book 1 of Riley’s Advertisements for Love series)

Basic plot:
A wildflower saleswoman meets a playwright who wants more from his gilded cage.

Give this a try if you want:
- Regency (1813)
- Epping, England (outside London) and London setting
- writer hero (and second son of an Earl)
- heroine sells flowers
- short story
- forbidden love
- no steam

Ages:
- hero is 20, heroine is 18

First line:
Something had to change for Ewan Fitzwilliam.

My thoughts:
This is a short story with background for the mains in The Bittersweet Bride.

I am a bit sad I didn’t love this story – I own the Bittersweet Bride and seeing it was second chance, I was hoping by reading this first I would like that trope a bit more than I usually do.

But I found this book pretty slow and uneventful. I...didn’t dislike the mains, but I didn’t love them either. I felt like I barely knew the mains still after this story and didn’t really see their relationship as something that was strong and cemented together before this break that they experience before the next story.

Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
[
- mention of physical abuse by father of hero
- racism (heroine deals with this from a side character) 

Overall: 3.5 rounded to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑 (The scenes are pretty light, the first one is more developed but I settled at 3)
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥 - there’s one decently developed scene and then 1 shorter scene (a few paragraphs) and 1 very short and vague scene
Humor: A bit
Perspective: Third person from both hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together: Immediately with the prologue, after that it’s chapter 2, or about 10% when they meet current day
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes
Format: voluntarily read an advanced reader copy from NetGalley but was a bit late after publishing

Should I read in order?
I don’t think it’s totally necessary? I picked this one up alone and it seemed fine. There was some brief mention of the other couples from prior books in the series. I’m not sure how much character depth is created for these mains in the first two books.

Basic plot:
Iain believes his wife is dead, but comes to find out 13 years after they were married shes alive and living on the Isle of Synne. He goes to request a divorce...

Give this a try if you want:
- Late Regency - 1821
- Isle of Synne setting
- road trip vibes
- class difference – hero is a stable hand and heroine is the daughter of an earl when they marry
- second chance – it’s been a 13 year separation
- found family
- rags to riches
- heroine owns a circulating library
- Duke hero
- secret author
- marriage in jeopardy
- pets – heroine has a pet parrot
- lower steam – 1 nicely developed scene and two shorter and more vague ones

Ages:
- Heroine is 32 and hero is ‘more than 30’

First line:
I cannae believe you’re my wife.

My thoughts:
I loved the set up of this one! Second chance doesn’t usually work the best for me – but the fact that we got a backstory in the prologue and then the hero thought she was dead for 13 years...I thought I was going to really love this one.

But I struggled with Seraphina being so closed off to Iain. The woman has trauma for sure, but when she didn’t seemed too concerned about getting the full story from Iain after she finds out she’s been lied to rubbed me the wrong way. And then how she didn’t open up until the very end of the book, it kind of left that to be one of the issues for the whole book. And because she wasn’t opening up to him, I think I didn’t quite get the angst I wanted from their reuniting.

Still I think this is a very intense and worthwhile read – maybe a bit too heavy for what I was in the mood for at that time, but I did like it more than a lot of second chance I read. I LOVED the parrot, he was hilarious, and genuinely enjoyed her found family on the island. Maybe I should have read in order to get a bit more background from all the women because I found myself wanting to spend a bit more time there.

Endearments

Hero calls the heroine ‘mo bhean’ (my wife) and ‘mo chridhe’ (my heart)

Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.

- toxic and abusive family members
- heroine is imprisoned in an asylum and was abused
- heroine must work as a prostitute to support her sisters (briefly mentioned)
Author mentions she has content warnings on her website.

Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:

Safe sex: 

Hero pulls out 

Hows the consent? 

It’s good 

59% - kiss
68% - 🔥 kisses, oral for her, her on top, missionary
”Seraphina,” he said, his voice gruff, almost a caress on her feverish skin, “I will have you any way I can, for as long as you will allow me, and be thankful for it.”

71% - 🔥a mention of sex, but it’s only a few paragraphs
76% - a paragraph of sex but it’s pretty vague 
 

 

Overall: 4.5 rounded to ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Humor: Yes
Perspective: First person from both hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together: Almost immediately, chapter 1
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes
Format: listened to audiobook from the library (hoopla)

Should I read in order?
I picked this one up alone and it was fine! I am actually not sure on series order here. Because I only read 1 other Rebekah Weatherspoon (Sanctuary) which is in a difference series and those characters were in this novel. So I’m guessing her series are in the same world?? If someone knows her perfect reading order, let me know!

Basic plot:
Xeni finds out a whole bunch of family secrets after her aunt’s passing – and she now must marry to gain her inheritance

Give this a try if you want:
- contemporary romance
- Black heroine and Scottish hero
- LGBT positive – both mains are bisexual
- arranged marriage-ish (it’s called a marriage of inconvenience 😆
- light fake relationship vibes
- kindergarten teacher heroine
- thick hero – heroine notices that he doesn’t skip leg day OR a meal
- mains in their 30s
- bearded hero
- well-endowed hero
- childfree HEA
- celibate heroine – she hasn’t been with anyone in 5 years
- Wiccan heroine
- flexitarian heroine – she avoids red meat, and only eats chicken if there’s no other option (focuses on fish and plants)
- size difference – taller hero
- higher steam – 5 scenes with toy usage and pegging

Ages:
- Heroine is 35, hero is 36

First line:
The steam behind Saint Micheal’s episcopal church was a lovely place for a memorial service.

My thoughts:
The kiss wasn’t necessary. All they had to do was agree to be husband and wife. A friendly handshake would probably be the best move. Too bad another louder, hornier due to lack of physical contact with a man for almost 5 whole years voice screamed, ‘Kiss him! Hell, fuck him! You like his hands.’

This book was really sweet, surprising and beautiful! This is my second Rebekah Weatherspoon, and my favorite so far. I loved the arranged marriage vibes of this one. I loved the heroine and her finding out so much about her family history here, and the Scottish hero was just lovely.

Both Xeni and Mason have such a backstory that just endears them to you so much. I feel like they really are perfect for each other. I loved the character focus and getting to know these 2! I am a bit confused as to how Weatherspoon’s books are woven together, as I have read 2 books from the middle of 2 different series and they seemed to flow right together haha.

Definitely more eager to read more Weatherspoon now.

Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.

- death of aunt/friend is a plot point
- family secrets [including finding out you were adopted basically and another family member is actually your mom (hide spoiler)]
- mention of racism
- miscarriages remembered

Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:

Safe sex: 

condoms used 

Hows the consent? 

it’s good! 

31% - wedding kiss
36% - 🔥cock touches, oral/fingering for her, hero comes in his pants

“What kind of husband are you?”
“Cruel. Impatient. Very demanding. If I want you to come, darling, you’re gonna come.”

51% - 🔥 breast play, then a bit of a break, missionary

“Come here.” Mason held out his hand.
Usually Xeni didn’t like to be told what to do, but she found herself walking right to him. He lightly took her fingers when she was within arms reach and pulled her closer to she was standing between his legs. Slowly he parted the halves of her draping sweater, exposing her body to his heated gaze.

57% - kiss
65% - 🔥 fingering/oral for her, sex against the desk

“Does that feel good, baby?” she asked and for the first time, possibly ever, she realized what it meant to want to own a man, have him craving you in ways neither of you understood.
“You know it does,” Mason replied as he pulled out inch by inch.

81% - 🔥 anal for hero (pegging)

“The moon is telling me that this is about to be the best sex of your life.”
“That’s the spirit. Lie down on the bed, gorgeous Moon Goddess. On your back.”

98% - 🔥sex that fades then epilogue picks up at the start of a scene of him doing her against the bathroom sink
“Babe! Fuck, fuck fuck. We have to stop.”
“Not until you come,” Mason groaned.