Books I Plan to Read September 6-12 and last week's results

 

Good evening to all (or good day),

I am getting this out quite late. The weather has been up and down again, temperatures in the 70's and 80's with the odd dip into the 60's. There has been some rain, some humidity, and a few comfortable moments. Packing slowed down this week as my sinuses have been bothering me. Today, I feel a little less snuffy and drippy. I hope you are all doing well.

Last week's reading went fairly well. I did put off one book as I received an ARC in a series.

Ebooks:

Miss Wylde and the Wynd by Jane Charles - 4 1/2 stars

The Rough Life by Danny Fanelli - 5 stars

Torrent's Treasure by Nat Logan - 5 stars

Eternal Obsession by Vanessa Fewings - 4 1/2

Audiobooks:

Property of Vex by Kathleen Kelly - 5 stars

Snowed in with My Ex's Brother by Kelly Myers - 5 stars

Reading for September 6-12:

Ebooks:

(from last week) Property of Whisky by Morgan Jane Mitchell

Audiobook:

As I look at the list, it does look light, but I hope to be enjoying a Renaissance Faire over the next day or so. One last chance to attend what has been my "home" faire before I move. It will be bitter sweet.

Talk the opportunity to enjoy your favorite activities, hobbies, and family. You never know where life is going to take you. Have a wonderful week, and we will "talk" next week.

Kon nichiwa (goodbye) and Jad ne (see you) in Japanese.

Blitz: Everything That's Left Behind by Kelly Lydick with a giveaway

Everything That's Left Behind

by Kelly Lydick

Fiction/Science Fiction

Date Published: June 28, 2026

Publisher: Sapphire Stories

 

When Nichola Rodale stumbles upon information suggesting her father—a renowned scientist and brilliant puzzle maker—may not have died during The Great Drought, she embarks on a perilous journey across the desolate American Southwest to discover the truth.

 

About the Author

 

 Kelly Lydick’s writing has appeared in Natural Awakenings, Co Yoga + Life, True Blue Spirit, American Art Collector, Western Art Collector, and many others. She has been featured on NPR’s The Writers’ Block and the Word podcast, and on iHeart radio. She is the author of the experimental Mastering the Dream, a contributing author to the anthology Dreams That Change Our Lives, and the author of Dream Incubation for Greater Self-Awareness: A Handbook. Everything That’s Left Behind is her first novel.

Contact Links

Website

Facebook

Goodreads

Instagram

Purchase Links

https://mybook.to/EverythingLeftBehind

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Sale!!! Devil's Playground (Dark Refuge #1) by Maddie Taylor, 99 cents for a limited time

Devil's Playground by Romantic Fiction by Maddie Taylor has it all and you can savor every moment for just 99¢! 

 https://geni.us/DevilsPlayground1 

🖤 Mafia Princess

 🔥 FBI Agent
 🖤 Second Chance
 🔥 Bodyguard/Protector
 🖤 Heroine On The Run
  🔥 Steamy Romantic Suspense

Pampered mafia princess Carina Denali is running from two men:

one wants her heart, the other wants her dead...

 

In the wake of her father's murder, Carina fled her life of luxury. She manages to stay one step ahead of her deranged, duplicitous uncle and Nick Devlin, the gorgeous FBI agent who stole her heart then crushed it. As she struggles to survive and stay out of sight, she soon realizes Nick is her only hope of coming out of her predicament alive.

 

Nick has been searching for the right woman for a very long time. When Carina turns to him for protection, he knows deep down his search is over. All that remains is keeping her safe from the Mob and winning back her trust for good.

 

Just as Carina starts to believe a new life with Nick is possible, the vengeful Godfather from her deadly past resurfaces with a chilling demand. There can be no peace, and he won't rest until more of the family's blood is spilled.

Release: Masters of Secrets Box Set (Books 7-9) by Golden Angel

CAN YOU KEEP A SECRET?

The Masters of Secrets box set by Golden Angel Romances is now live!

 

 https://geni.us/MastersofSecrets
 

These Doms are keeping secrets…

7. Hidden Away – Master Brian and Rae have been attracted to each other from the moment they met, but she can't give him the one thing he really wants so they stay away from each other rather than risk the friend group. Then they find themselves sharing a room on an island and none of their friends know… one week secretly hooking up and getting their attraction out of their systems, what could go wrong?

8. Secret Submission – Mistress Julie's secret admirer is finally ready to reveal himself… but is she ready for the reveal?

9. Third Wheel – Master Zach has been keeping his relationship with Master Kincaid a secret from his family. He's also been keeping his attraction to his best friend Amy a secret from, well, everyone. But when Amy is left at the altar and kicked out of her home, the two Doms quickly take her in and everyone's secrets start coming out…

 

Sale!!! Up to Me (Shore Secrets #1) by Christi Barth, 99 cents for a limited time only

SMALL TOWN HE FALLS FIRST ROMANCE!  Up To Me by Christi Barth is on sale now for only 99c!   https://geni.us/UpToMe Read Now With Kindle Unlimited   A hard-nosed businessman with contempt for small town America is forever changed by the love of a sexy hotel owner and a quirky but tight-knit community famous for its anonymous journal by the shore. Ella Mayhew's working view from the spa of her family's hotel improves dramatically when a hot stranger runs across the grounds—shirtless. He's the first man to kick-start her hormones since she lost her parents. Too bad she doesn't even know his name...   Graydon Locke's undercover assignments are always the same: assess a business, recommend it for closure, then roll out before anyone discovers his decision impacts/ruins hundreds of lives. This time, though, he makes two mistakes—falling for the sweet, sexy woman who owns the very business he's on the verge of axing. And letting the small-town's residents get involved in both his life and his relationship with Ella.   Ella's the best thing to ever happen to Gray, but he's lied to her from the start. If he pulls the plug on Mayhew Manor, the entire lakefront town may crumble from the job losses. Ella couldn't save her parents, but it's up to her to save their hotel. Even if that means turning her back on true love.

Sale!!! Warrior on Base (Hearts on Base Series) by Shaw Hart, 99 cents for a limited time

Warrior on Base by Shaw Hart is only 99c!

 

https://geni.us/WarriorOnBaseWide 

Available On All Platforms 

💜 Marriage of Convenience

💜 Grumpy × Sunshine

💜 Military Romance

💜 Instalove

💜 He Falls First

I never believed in love at first sight…until I met her.
 

Rowan
I've always wanted to be a doctor.
The only problem is that no matter how many hours I work, I'll never be able to afford it on my own.
Then I meet him.
Grant Bennett.
He's grumpy, scarred, and way too intense.
He's also the most gorgeous man I've ever seen.
And when he makes me a shocking offer, I don't know if I should laugh, cry, or say yes.

Grant
I came back from my last mission broken.
The doctors tell me I should be grateful I'm alive, but all I feel is restless, angry, and empty.
I don't want to be sidelined. I don't want to be in Colorado getting treatment.
Then I see her.
Rowan Turner.
She's pure sunshine with curves that have my mouth watering, and she makes me feel alive again just by smiling at me.
She deserves the world, and I can give it to her.
With my GI Bill benefits, she can finally afford med school.
All she has to do is marry me.
I tell her it's just paperwork, but the moment she says “I do,” I know I'll never let her go.
Now I have my hardest mission of all.
Convincing her that I'm the warrior for her.

***
Welcome to Ridgeway Base, where duty meets desire in a heartbeat. Hearts on Base is a series of swoon-worthy instalove military romances featuring rugged servicemen, fierce heroines, and the kind of heat that doesn't quit! Each book delivers a complete, feel-good love story with high stakes, instant sparks, and a guaranteed happy ending. Who says love can't be a tactical advantage?

Free!!! Secrets in the Surf (The Driftwood Key Beach Reads #1) by Clara Palms, free for a limited time

FREE FAMILY SAGA! 

Secrets in the Surf by Clara Palms is FREE for a limited time!

 

https://geni.us/SecretsInTheSurf

Read Now With Kindle Unlimited

 

Sometimes the only way forward is to go back home…

Jessica Steele just received the worst early birthday present ever—her husband of almost thirty years has left her without a word.

Now adrift and running out of options, Jess takes her teenage daughter, Glory, back to the Florida Keys. Jess hopes that fixing up her uncle's rambling beach house will be the fresh start they both need.

But she doesn't expect that her older daughters will join them—Liberty, the pediatric nurse with the seemingly perfect marriage, Anthem, the lighthearted musician who seems to be holding a surprising secret, and even one of Jess's nieces, who is looking for help only Jess can provide.

One by one, they arrive at her door, filling the old beach house with mysteries, laughter and tears, and standing behind Jess as she moves forward in her new life.

The Steele women are so much stronger together, but under the crystal waters lie secrets about why Jess's husband left her, as well as the truth about her own past. And if Jess and her family can't face them, everything she's built might vanish with the tide…

The Driftwood Key Beach Reads series is a family saga featuring determined women finding happiness in the pale sands and crystal blue surf of the Florida Keys.

Read them all in order: Secrets in the Surf, Memories in Sea Glass, and Promises in the Sand

 

Free!!! Sweet Surprises by Clara Pines and Unexpected Gifts by Tess Thompson (Sugarville Grove Series, first two books), free for a limited time

Welcome to the small town of Sugarville Grove!

- Escape to Vermont with this wholesome and sweet romance series -
 

Sweet Surprises by Clara Pines and Unexpected Gifts by Tess Thompson are both totally FREE for a limited time!

 

https://geni.us/SugarvilleGroveSeries

FREE with Kindle Unlimited

 

Welcome to Sugarville Grove, where clean & wholesome small-town romance awaits you on every corner. Life is sweet in Sugarville Grove! Be sure to read the whole series! 

Narrator Reveal: Fake It 'Til Fall (Faking the Holidays #2) by Claudia Burgoa, narrators Stephanie Nemeth-Parker and Ryan Lee Dunlap

Fake It 'Til Fall

Series: Faking the Holidays Book 2

by Claudia Burgoa

Release Date: September 23rd

Check out these tropes!

🍂 Fake Dating

🍂 Grumpy x Sunshine

🍂 Feuding Families

🍂 Retired Hockey Player

🍂 Enemies to Lovers

🍂 Forced Proximity

🍂 Wedding Chaos

🍂 A rescue dog who is emotionally central and legally questionable

Blurb: 

There are three things nobody tells you about starting over in Boston.

Rent will make you consider marrying for closet space.
Cobblestones are ankle traps with historical significance.
And if you move to a city to prove you're fine, the city will take your paycheck and one glove from every matching pair you own.

I'm handling it. Mostly.

What I am not handling is Forrest Wolfcraft.

My family has been feuding with his since before either of us was born. My brother married one of them, and we've been instructed to behave. And Forrest — retired hockey player, professionally grumpy, conversational range of a locked door — sits in my café four days a week with a rescue dog named Puck and refuses to be as awful as he's supposed to be.

So when a family wedding lands in my lap, and my mother's pride makes it impossible to refuse, and the only way through eight months of questions about my personal life is to show up with someone on my arm?

I ask him.

He says yes.

That's the first problem. The second is that Forrest Wolfcraft is a terrible fake boyfriend, because he keeps outdoing all the things real ones do.

From USA Today Bestselling Author Claudia Burgoa comes the second in the Thorn–Wolfcraft feud—where the families are impossible, the weddings are worse, and nobody is fooling anybody.

About the author

Claudia is an award-winning, USA Today bestselling author.

She writes alluring, thrilling stories about complicated women and the men who take their breaths away. Her books are the perfect blend of steamy and heartfelt, filled with emotional characters and explosive chemistry. Her writing takes readers to new heights, providing a variety of tears, laughs, and shocking moments that leave fans on the edge of their seats.

She lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband, her youngest two children, and three fluffy dogs.

When Claudia is not writing, you can find her reading, knitting, or just hanging out with her family. At nights, she likes to binge watches shows or movies with her equally geeky husband.

To find more about Claudia follow her:

➙ www.claudiayburgoa.com

➙ Newsletter: https://geni.us/CBNewsletter

➙ Website: http://bit.ly/Claudiasweb

➙ Bookbub: http://bit.ly/CBBookbub

➙ Reading group: http://bit.ly/Chicasgroup

➙ Pinterest: http://bit.ly/ClaudiaPinterest

➙ Instagram: http://bit.ly/ClaudiasIG

➙ TikTok: https://bit.ly/CBstiktok

➙Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/claudia-burgoa

➙Spotify: https://geni.us/spotifyCB

Audiobook Review: Snowed in with My Ex's Brother (Home for the Holidays) by Kelly Myers, narrators Autumn Ivy and Jameson Adams

 

Blurb: 

I never planned on coming home for Christmas.
Not after I left him… and definitely not for his funeral.

But grief pulled me back to town—twinkling lights, carols, and memories I wasn’t ready to face—and straight into a storm I’d spent years trying to outrun.

Because the first person who sees me is Noah Callen.
My ex-fiancé’s older brother.
The man who’s hated me for years.

He still blames me for ruining their family… and I still can’t tell him the truth about why I really left.

He has every reason to want me gone.
And honestly, I planned to leave.

But then a blizzard hits, and suddenly I’m snowed in at the last place I should ever be… with the one man I can’t seem to avoid.

The more time we’re forced to spend together, the harder it gets to ignore the tension simmering between us—the kind neither of us dares to admit.
Not when the past is still raw.
Not when the town is watching.
Not when falling for him would be the most forbidden thing I’ve ever done.

But this Christmas?
Running isn’t an option.
And the only thing more dangerous than staying… is how much I want to.

Snowed In With My Ex’s Brother is a steamy small-town romance filled with forbidden tension, small-town drama, and a heart-mending holiday happily-ever-after.

Amazon: Amazon.com: Snowed In With My Ex’s Brother: A Steamy Small Town Romance (Home for the Holidays) eBook : Myers, Kelly: Kindle Store

Audible: Snowed in with My Ex's Brother Audiobook by Kelly Myers

Bookbub: Snowed In with My Ex’s Brother by Kelly Myers - BookBub

Goodreads: Snowed in with My Ex's Brother: A Home for the Holidays Standalone by Kelly Myers | Goodreads

This was a touching, heart-breaking story. I had tears on and off as the story progressed. Cassie had her secrets and reluctantly returned to her hometown. I felt her pain as people reacted to her return and admired her determination to see it through. Noah had his issues, and miscommunication hurt his chance at a happier life. As the heat built between these two, more information came out, pulling in feelings for both. I was touched with the ending and the bonus ending. Made me cry.
The narration by Autumn Ivy and Jameson Adams was very well done. They made the emotions more realistic and helped me enjoy this audiobook. Wonderful job.

I received a copy of the audiobook, and this is my unsolicited review.