Books I Plan to Read October 18-24 and last week's results

 

Wah gwaan (What's going on in Jamaican Patois),

I hope you all are well this week. With storms, hurricanes, and such, I pray you stayed safe. We received some rain, wind, and a change in temperature for a few days. Now it feels like fall/autumn has officially arrived. Evenings seem to make it into the 40's. During the day, it seems to be 50's and 60's.

My packing is coming along swimmingly. I have one corner of one room left to complete. I am feeling a bit less stressed as I finish up. As a reminder from someone struggling through packing up, try to do a yearly sweep of your belongings, clothes, etc. to keep it under control. Don't let it go more than five years. This will keep it from being overwhelming.

Now, on to my reading last week. I actually made it through one extra book and one audiobook.

Ebooks: 

A History of Malpractice by Clarice Montgomery - 5 stars

Gray Matters by Jessica Buss - 4 1/2 stars

Gambling on Her Dragon by Anna Lowe - 5 stars

Bloodstained Chrome by E.C. Land - 5 stars (extra book)

Audiobooks:

Chasing Smoke by Piper Rayne - 5 stars

Give Me Tonight by Jennifer Sucevic - 5 stars (extra audiobook)

Planned for October 18-24

Ebooks:

Audiobooks: 

The ebooks are both longer than my usual reading. If I manage to do it, I have a couple novellas that I can pull out of my overabundant TBR pile. Do you have a small or large TBR pile? I have been able to do more reading since I retired. It does help me to de-stress from all the packing.

This is it for this week. I hope everyone takes an opportunity to de-stress and relax. Find something fun to do with your days on occasion. 

Likkle more (see you later in Jamaican Patois).

Audiobook Review: Give Me Tonight (Chicago Railers Hockey #6) by Jennifer Sucevic, narrators Vanessa Edwin and Christian Fox

 

Blurb: 

Waking up married in Vegas? Not exactly part of the plan.
Especially when the groom is Jax Wilder—Chicago Railers hockey star, shameless flirt, and the most infuriating man I’ve ever met.
I want an annulment.
He wants to stay married.
But with custody of my younger siblings on the line, a stable home—and a husband—might be exactly what I need to keep us together.
Jax offers me a deal: stay married, move into his penthouse, and let him help until everything is settled.
It’s only temporary.
Except Jax doesn’t just make room for me. He makes room for all of us.
And somewhere between family dinners, late nights, and sharing a bed with the husband I never wanted, our marriage starts feeling dangerously real.
Falling for my husband was never part of the plan. Neither was wanting to keep him.

Give Me Tonight is an enemies-to-lovers, Vegas wedding, pro hockey romance featuring a golden retriever hero who falls first—and a black cat heroine who’s spent her whole life standing on her own. He’s determined to prove he’s in it for the long haul… even if she’s terrified to believe him.

Amazon: Amazon.com: Give Me Tonight: A Vegas Wedding, Enemies-to-Lovers, Forced Proximity Hockey Romance (Chicago Railers Hockey Book 6) eBook : Sucevic, Jennifer: Kindle Store

Audible: Give Me Tonight: A Vegas Wedding, Enemies-to-Lovers, Forced Proximity Hockey Romance (Chicago Railers Hockey Book 6) Audiobook by Jennifer Sucevic

B&N: Give Me Tonight: A Vegas Wedding, Enemies-to-Lovers, Forced Proximity Hockey Romance | Barnes & Noble®

Kobo: Give Me Tonight eBook by Jennifer Sucevic - EPUB | Rakuten Kobo United States

Google: Give Me Tonight: An Enemies-to-Lovers Accidental Marriage Hockey Romance by Jennifer Sucevic - Books on Google Play

Bookbub: Give Me Tonight: A Vegas Wedding, Enemies-to-Lovers, Forced Proximity Hockey Romance (Chicago Railers Hockey Book 6) by Jennifer Sucevic - BookBub

Goodreads: Give Me Tonight (Chicago Railers Hockey, #6) by Jennifer Sucevic | Goodreads

My Review - 5 of 5 stars - 

This story touched my heart. Jax took to Sloane and her siblings quickly, and all felt right to him. Sloane had become so focused on survival for her family that she lost sight of the better things as they presented to her. She was a very strong and independent woman, and I fell in love at the beginning of this story. Sloane's siblings were a kick in the pants, bringing smiles to my face. As the story started to wind down, I had tears, some sad but mostly happy ones. I loved it.

I thoroughly enjoyed the narration by Vanessa Edwin and Christian Fox. I felt they brought out all the emotions and love with the characters.

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

Ebook Review: Bloodstained Chrome (31 Days of Trick or Treat 2026: Bikers & Mobsters) by E.C. Land

 

Blurb: 

The beast inside me never needed anyone until her...

Primal

I don't play well with others. Solitude suits the lion clawing at my insides. Especially when she's in the room.

Sibley is an anomaly. Older than time but hauntingly pure. She's been waiting for her mate, and she's convinced that I'm him. But I don't do destiny and I'm not interested in forever.

So why can't I get her out of my head and out of my space?

Because the ruthless predator inside me knows the truth. Every time she looks at me, the hunger grows. No matter how high I build the walls, the ancient tether between us just gets stronger. And a beast can only ignore his nature for so long.

Eventually, I'm going to stop running. And when I do, no one will stop me from making her mine.

Amazon: Bloodstained Chrome (31 Days of Trick or Treat 2026: Biker & Mobster) - Kindle edition by Land, E.C. . Paranormal Romance Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

Goodreads: Bloodstained Chrome by E.C. Land | Goodreads

My Review - 5 of 5 stars -

I enjoyed this story. Both Sibley and Primal were blind to their true connection, and it was entertaining watching them dance around each other. A blast from her past brought danger to Sibley's life, and I loved how she was willing to do what was needed. Her belief in Primal came through as he rescued her. The difference in abilities within the MC and the others coming into the club house made for a fun read.

I received a copy through 1852 Media, and this is my unsolicited read.

Ebook Review: Gambling on Her Dragon (Shifters in Vegas #1) by Anna Lowe

 

Blurb: 

She’s stolen his earnings — along with his heart.
Shifter Trey Dixon can play poker like his wolf can howl, but what he doesn’t know about the shady underworld of Las Vegas gambling might just get him killed. By the end of one crazy night, he’s sucked into trouble — and falling hard for the petite dragon shifter who steals his winnings along with his heart. Before he knows it, it’s not just money at stake — it’s his destined mate’s life.

Kaya Proulx didn’t mean to fall for the mystery man who was supposed to be her ticket out of a tight spot. But that spot only gets tighter when her sizzling-hot lover leads her straight into a den of wolves. She has enough problems with vampires, gargoyles, and her missing sister. Now, the clock is ticking and her life is on the line. Can she trust her inner dragon and bet against the highest odds of all?

Shifters in Vegas by Anna Lowe
Prequel: Gambling on Trouble
Book 1: Gambling on Her Dragon
Book 2 Gambling on Her Bear
Book 3: Gambling on her Panther

Zany paranormal romance with adult content — not to mention vampires, gamblers, card-dealing panther shifters, and much more!

Amazon: Gambling on Her Dragon (Shifters in Vegas Book 1) - Kindle edition by Lowe, Anna. Paranormal Romance Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.

Bookbub: Gambling on Her Dragon (Shifters in Vegas Book 1) by Anna Lowe - BookBub

Goodreads: Gambling on Her Dragon (Shifters in Vegas, #1) by Anna Lowe | Goodreads

My Review - 5 of 5 stars - 

Easy, fun, and full of action. I truly enjoyed this story. Kaya was trying to save her sister, and Trey wanted to win enough money to buy his own ranch. Despite some questionable circumstances, they found themselves together and unable to forget the other. I loved the dragon and wolf pairing, and keeping the dragon on a smaller size. This was a wonderful read.

This is my unsolicited review.

Audiobook Release: The Mating Trials: The Alpha by Anastasia Daniels, narrators Stephanie Rose and William Macleod

The Mating Trials: The Alpha by Anastasia Daniels is now live on audio!

Narrated by: Stephanie Rose & William Macleod

The first in a spicy new fated-mates shifter romance series, following a fiercely independent heroine determined to avoid finding a mate and the possessive Alpha who must claim one—or lose his pack and his chance of surviving the Mating Trials.

Each mating season, every eligible mate must take the journey to the ancient castle and participate in the

Mating Trials

This is Ember’s first year eligible to participate in the trials.

But what is every female's dream, is her nightmare because finding a mate might mean losing everything she’s worked for.

Thorn’s been participating for ten years and has never found a mate.

Making him unworthy to his pack. When his position as Alpha is threatened,

Can he find a mate and survive the trials?

Welcome to Year 100 of the Annual

Mating Trials

A Spicy Fated Mates Paranormal Romance Featuring Steamy Trials and a Possessive Alpha.

Listen today!

Universal: https://bit.ly/4zwaXxx

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/4hIfk2t

Preorder: Lonesome Moon (Cowboy Christmas at Crescent Moon Ranch #3) by Tess Thompson

Lonesome Moon 

by Tess Thompson 

Releases on October 20th!

https://geni.us/LONESOMEMOON

Available on Kindle Unlimited

The only family he's ever chosen. The only woman he's ever wanted. He can't keep both.

Luci Wilder is the one woman Grant Walker can't have. She's also the only one he wants.

She's his best friend's little sister — off-limits, the line he swore he'd never cross. As the drummer in Jack Wilder's band, Grant has spent years guarding the only family he's ever chosen, watching Luci from a careful distance and saying nothing. Wanting her in silence is the price of keeping them all whole. He's paid it for years.

Then Luci arrives at Crescent Moon Ranch for the month, and the careful distance gets a lot harder to keep.

Because Luci adores her big brother. When they were kids and their single mother worked two jobs to keep the lights on, it was Jack who raised her — Jack who went without so she wouldn't have to, Jack who made sure she got out and became the pediatrician she is today. She owes him everything. And falling for one of his bandmates is the one thing she knows he'd never forgive.

So she's kept it to herself for years, the same as Grant has. Two people, the same secret, the same person they'd both rather die than hurt.

But under a month of Christmas lights and Montana snow, all that careful distance starts to feel less like loyalty and more like the only thing standing between them and the person who's always felt like home.

Loving each other could cost them the only family either of them has ever chosen.

Walking away might cost them the only love they've ever wanted.

A closed-door romance. Best friend's little sister, a hero who's pined in silence, and a slow burn years in the making.

Five interconnected stories, one unforgettable Montana Christmas. Each book stands alone; together they tell the story of one magical month.

 

Preorder: Coaxing Katie (Whiskey and Roses #5) by Cassie Colton

Coaxing Katie 

by Cassie Colton 

Releases on October 20th!

https://geni.us/CoaxingKatie

Read With Kindle Unlimited

Five years after losing his wife and child in a tragic car accident, Caden “Spider” Renner has resigned himself to a life of grief. Returning to Texas to help care for his ailing mother, he joins Serenity Securities’ Texas team, hoping to earn the money needed for her mounting medical expenses. The last thing he expects is a mission that will take him across the ocean and straight into chaos with a fiery redhead.

When Victoria Rostov asks for a personal favor, Spider is sent to Ireland to locate Kate Brynes. A woman who vanished while honoring her late husband’s final wish to provide medical care to those who need it most. Kidnapped and desperate to survive, Kate trusts no one, especially the rugged Texas cowboy claiming he's there to rescue her.

As bullets fly and betrayal closes in, Spider is injured protecting her, forcing Kate to risk everything to keep them both alive. Fleeing from Ireland to Embers, Texas, their growing attraction becomes impossible to ignore. Haunted by loss, bound by promises, and pursued by ruthless enemies, Spider and Kate must decide whether to remain prisoners of the past or risk their hearts for a second chance at love. 

Teaser: Ripped & Rugged (#TNTNC27 Anthologies Paperback)

These heroes run wild, and they're not to be tested...

Preorder RIPPED & RUGGED, the #TNTNC27 anthologies while you can!

Packed with overlapping storylines, shared small-town drama, and pulse-pounding crossovers, the stories in this two volume collection are guaranteed to leave you breathless. 

RESERVE YOUR COPIES HERE 👇

https://forms.gle/PkAF3aGeLs9uTXfp6

If you love outlaw brotherhoods, rugged outdoorsmen, and the women who bring them to their knees, this rowdy romance collection is for you...

Tempted & Tantalizing is back with a brand-new, multi-author, two-volume romance anthology where the wilderness is unforgiving, the club business is ruthless, and the heroes run wild and are not to be tested.

Fire up your engines and dive into RIPPED, where iron-willed bikers live and love by their own merciless laws. Possessive, lethal, and fiercely loyal to their own, these outlaws will stop at nothing to defend what's theirs, no matter the cost. 

Then scale the wild heights in RUGGED, and try not to fall for the hard-working men who brave the harshest terrain to carve out a living on their own terms. Armed with endless grit and stoic devotion, these relentless protectors know exactly how to shelter the women they love from any storm.

Featuring overlapping storylines, shared small towns, and crossover characters, this pulse-pounding double anthology proves that whether a man works the land or builds an empire, he will give everything he has for the one who holds his heart. 

Includes pairs of connected romances from: 

Janine Infante Bosco & E.C. Land

E.R. Whyte & Gwyn McNamee

Maria Vickers & Amy Marie

D. Vessa & M. Merin

Stephanie Dillon & Penny Anglene

Cassie Colton & April Moran

Miranda Lynn & Elle Shane

Elise Gedicke & KC Savage

BR Curry & CA Miconi

CJ Pinard & Angela Rush

LEARN MORE ABOUT TEMPTED & TANTALIZING AUTHOR EVENTS HERE 👇
http://tntnyc.net

#teasershare #bookteaser #teaserfriday #bookevents #readerevents #authorevents #booksignings #romanceanthologies #romancecollections #ripped #rugged #tntnc #tntnc27 #temptedandtantalizing #comingsoon #romancebooks #romancenovels #romanceanthologies

 

Release Boost: Trying It All (The Naked Men Series #4) by Christi Barth

Trying It All 

by Christi Barth 

Available now!

https://geni.us/TryingItAll

Read With Kindle Unlimited

He lives by the rules. She thrives on breaking them.

Attention to detail. Order. Never leaving anything to chance. Those are the qualities that make Riley Ness a terrific NTSB agent—and an absolute nightmare for anyone who believes life should come with a little spontaneity.

After a tragic accident bound him to his best friends and turned them into brothers by choice, Riley learned the hard way that risk comes with consequences. These days, he keeps his life controlled and predictable.

Summer Sheridan is everything he avoids.

Free-spirited, impulsive, and impossible to ignore, she is chaos personified. She lives in the moment, and takes particular pleasure in pushing every one of Riley’s buttons. Worse, she’s made a target of the wildly popular podcast Riley created with his friends, putting the two of them on opposite sides of a very public feud.

He thinks she needs a lesson in reality.

She thinks he desperately needs to loosen up.

But somewhere between the arguing, the teasing, and all that inconvenient chemistry, enemies start looking a lot more like something else. Especially once the fighting turns into kissing.

Now Riley must decide what matters more: protecting the life he’s carefully built… or risking it for the one woman who refuses to play by his rules.

Falling for each other might be the biggest disaster of all…

 

Release Boost: Dillon (The Wolfe Mountain Men #2) by Cassie Colton

Dillon 

by Cassie Colton 

Available now!

https://geni.us/Dillon

Read With Kindle Unlimited

Dillon Wolfe thought leaving Wolfe Mountain and his family’s tragic past would bury the pain for good. After his mother’s death and his father’s imprisonment, the military gave him purpose, distance, and a way to forget the one person he never should have hurt: Charlotte Lawson.

Years ago, one reckless lie cost Dillon his future with Charlotte. Now he’s back on the mountain with his brothers, determined to uncover the truth behind his father’s murder and face the woman he never stopped wanting.

When Charlotte is taken captive, the danger surrounding the Wolfe family turns personal. Dillon will risk everything to save her and heal the heart he broke.

Hidden away at his new home, Charlotte must decide whether Dillon is still the boy who betrayed her or the man strong enough to protect her. As secrets close in and a killer lurks in the shadows, their second chance could be the only thing more dangerous than the truth.