Transitive Verve

Hey friends (if anyone is still reading this blog!) Obviously, I haven't updated in a really long time--the truth is, ever since quarantine/shelter-in-place began in earnest back in March, I've had a really difficult time focusing enough to read even my favorites, let alone anything new. (And, I mean, I also had a baby in June, so... new parenthood and the requisite sleep deprivation have played a role in that too.) For the first time in YEARS, I have not completed my Goodreads Challenge, even though I lowered my goal to the lowest number I've ever chosen. Reading was just not really in the cards for me this year, let alone writing any formal reviews for my blog.  So what DID I read? I had a sharp drop-off in reading romance because I think I'm just tired of reading the same tropes, character types, storylines, etc. over and over. To be blunt, I'm tired of reading about beautiful white het couples' drama. Give me people of color. Give me LGBT. Give me differentl

Thoughts at a glance: ***** (It was amazing!) Summary: This is book 2 of the Aurora Cycle series. To read my review of book 1, please click here . This review will contain spoilers for the first book. Tyler Jones and his misfit squad 312 from the Aurora Legion are on the run--from the law, from an ancient evil collective threatening to take over the universe, and now... from a psychopathic-but-also-strangely-attractive Syldrathi girl. They are mourning the loss of their good friend and squad member, and they are puzzling over a mysterious set of clues and objects that have been left for them. All the while, Aurora struggles to control her powers as they search for the weapon to help them save the universe. 

Thoughts at a glance: *** (I liked it) Summary:  Bryce Quinlan is half-human/half-fae in a world where even being full human makes life hard, let alone being a "half-breed." But she has a job as an assistant to an antiquities dealer, an apartment she shares with a ballet dancer, a mercenary, and the someday-heir to the wolf shifter throne, and weekends full of wild partying. All of that comes crashing to a halt as she comes home one night to find her best friends slaughtered. The murderer is apprehended, but Bryce will never be the same again. Two years later, similar murders are being committed, and it's clear that there is a further mystery to be solved. Bryce is recruited to help investigate, due to her connections to the victims, and along with fallen angel/assassin Hunt Athalar, Bryce dives into the deep underbelly of Crescent City in order to discover the truth and avenge her best friend, unprepared for the secrets that will be uncovered.

Disclaimers: while my blog post itself does not contain any sexual content, this book does. This is a review for a book that is meant for mature audiences, and therefore is unsuitable for minors. This book was provided to me for free by the author in exchange for an honest review. Thoughts at a glance: ***** (It was amazing!) Synopsis (provided by publisher): Sex. Lies. Revenge. On the heels of a devastating loss, Evelyn fights to put her life back together. Only … part of her husband belongs to another woman, and the devil owns her soul. “If you tell her the lie, I will tell her the truth.” When her best friend goes to great lengths to protect Evelyn from destruction and devastation, mistakes are made, lines are crossed, and all trust is shattered. “We weren’t unbreakable. I just needed to believe we weren’t unrepairable.”

Disclaimers: while my blog post itself does not contain any sexual content, this book does. This is a review for a book that is meant for mature audiences, and therefore is unsuitable for minors. This book was provided to me for free by the author in exchange for an honest review. Thoughts at a glance: **** (I really liked it) Synopsis (provided by publisher): Sex isn’t love. Love isn’t sex. And friendship is neither. The son of a French Olympic skier and a Malaysian fashion designer, Ronin Alexander has lived the life of a nomad, traveling the world to find his next adventure. Life takes a dramatic turn when he meets Evelyn, a beautiful scientist who owns a bath shop in Aspen, Colorado. They defy all the rules of relationships, falling hard and quickly in love. Their world intertwines with Evelyn’s two best friends, the Governor and his soon-to-be wife. The four become close—very close. When tragedy strikes, things from their pasts are unveiled—unimaginable truths