A new Saturday post where you can share with us what you are currently (or just finished) reading and I will share my brief thoughts on books that I read during the previous week.
Week of April 16th:
The Magpie Lord by K.J. Charles
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Kindle | NOOK | Kobo Goodreads |
- Wayward lord (Lucien) returned home now that his brother and father are dead
- Has been in Asia for years, sent away by his father
- He has tattoos, too!
- Young magician (Stephen)
- Lucien seeks him out because he feels like he's under some sort of curse, has blacked out and tried to kill himself multiple times since returning to England
- Turns out there is a curse, in a way, and the problem goes deeper than they first thought
- Same curse caused his brother and father's suicides, is corrupting the very areas around his estate
- Interesting magical world building
- A bit of a twist, too, as to Lucien's family and what the magpies mean
- Much more of a slow to build romance, but there's some good tension between them and I wasn't left wanting
- Really enjoyed the end, and their letters with a running joke (won't spoil it)
- Will definitely be back for the rest of the series, and more from Charles
Still $1.99!
By the Hour by Roni Loren
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Kindle | NOOK | Kobo Goodreads |
Rating = 4 1/2 Stars
April Royal Pick
- HATE-FUCK AHOY!
- Banter! Friction! Tension! GAH All the good things!
- Off the chart chemistry
- Older heroine, younger hero (about a 9 year gap)
- Both work in the therapy field -- she a doctor, he a sex surrogate also working to get a degree to do counseling
- Some BDSM/kink, hot and well done
- Both characters have pasts and baggage to get through
- She had the shittest of shitty ex, for example
- Did I mention it's hot?
My review goes up on Wed (26th)!
The Hot Shot by Kristen Callihan
Rating = 4 1/2 Stars
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Kindle | NOOK | Kobo Goodreads |
- Seriously one of the few authors I pre-order!
- This entire series is one of my all-time favs
- Photographer heroine
- Pro quarterback hero
- She's the one hired to shoot him and his team for a calendar (yep, nude shots)
- They start off as a friends, both aware that they're attracted to one another but not planning to act on it, slowly turns into more
- Great slow burn/friends-to-lovers dynamic here
- Finn and Chess each have a fairly big secret from their past, but Callihan handled it nicely
- SPOILER: Miscarriage and infertility
- Callihan had me swooning, laughing, fanning my face and even nearly crying for these two
- Finn is ridiculously sweet and sexy
- Their song though! Perfectly matches and made me even more emotional (Can't Help Falling in Love)
- Must contain my squee for this one, but yeah, I loved it and I cannot wait for the next in the series.
- Could be read as a standalone, but really, read the whole series, thank me later. :)
Find all my tweeted quotes HERE
Bad Neighbor by M. O'Keefe
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Kindle Goodreads |
- Since I have an ARC of 2 (out 5/1), and bought this one when it was on sale earlier this year, decided to read it now
- Quick read -- about 200 pages, but also quick pacing, no nonsense to slow things up
- Sexy and dirty -- it's O'Keefe!
- Hero is bi
- Often gets off on having a menage with a couple he knows
- One does not equal the other, btw (bi does not equal "loves menages"), I'm just listening two things about him and his sexuality/desires here
- A little bit dark and gritty
- Jesse's brother, book 2's hero, has a . . .complicated and dark past
- Jesse is a fighter, working illegal fights
- Charlotte is an illustrator/designer (currently working on a Where's Waldo type book, but with Jane Austen!)
- She also has a twin, who will be the heroine of book 2
- Did I mention it's hot? :)
- My one complaint was the ending -- waaaay too rushed and a total let down after the previous 90%+ of the book
- It IS a HEA, don't worry! By let down I just mean I had high hopes because of how much I enjoyed everything else, and then we get things slapped together into a The End bow in a few pages
- Looking forward to starting Jack and Abby's book this coming week
Find all my tweeted quotes HERE
Heart of Obsidian by Nalini Singh
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Kindle | NOOK | Kobo Audio Goodreads |
Narrators = Angela Dawe
Narration rating = 4 Stars
Rating = 5 Stars
April Royal Pick
- I don't want to ruin too much considering how far into the series this is so I'm going to be vague
- Possibly one of the most tortured heroes ever. Oh Kaleb. Damn the sick fuck who "mentored" him from 3 years (3 YEARS) on.
- These two were childhood friends (....though it's really more complicated than that), she was kidnapped and held hostage for 7 years (age 16 on), he just got her back -- something he's been working on doing all those years
- HOT sex scenes and tension
- Literally a hero who cannot lose control or else bad things will happen (due to his powers) -- and she definitely makes him lose control
- Both are virgins, but the sex isn't awkward or shy
- He took the time to research, thoroughly, what sex and intimacy is (yes, including lots or porn) and puts that information to VERY good use
- Moves the overall plot forward as Pure Psy starts putting their attacks in motion
- But also focuses on the romance, very satisfying
DNF
Necessary Medicine by M.K. York
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Kindle | NOOK | Kobo Goodreads Releases Monday |
DNF after chapter 2. Slow pace + lack of interest in the main character (or any character) + multiple reviews from others I follow that say it doesn't pick up and the romance is MIA (though there is a HEA). No use wasting my time, to be quite honest.
If you want to know more about the book and why it's a bit of a dud, or at least not what readers thought it would be, look at this review and this one, both by readers that I follow and trust.
Relationship Status by K.A. Mitchell
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Kindle | NOOK | Kobo Goodreads |
Honestly, it's not that there's anything majorly wrong with this novella, and I liked their first 2 books (3-3 1/2 stars for each) but I'm just not feeling this one for whatever reason. When I found myself just skimming from page to page, even in a short novella, it's time to move on to something else.
DNF @ 20%
Currently Listening To:
Currently Reading:
So what are YOU currently reading?
Enjoy!
Until Next Time,

*TBQ's Book Palace is a member of both the Amazon and Barnes and Nobles affiliates program. By using the links provided to buy products from either website, I receive a very small percentage of the order. To read my full disclosure on the matter, please see this post!
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Kindle | NOOK | Kobo Audio Goodreads Currently $1.99 (ebook)! |
Currently Reading:
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Kindle | NOOK | Kobo Goodreads Out Tuesday 4 Stars |
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Kindle | NOOK | Kobo Goodreads I read their story when it came out but missed their novella |
So what are YOU currently reading?
Enjoy!
Until Next Time,
*TBQ's Book Palace is a member of both the Amazon and Barnes and Nobles affiliates program. By using the links provided to buy products from either website, I receive a very small percentage of the order. To read my full disclosure on the matter, please see this post!
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