Sunday, December 31, 2023

Alphabet Soup Challenge 2024

 


I have added this challenge to my 2024 challenges. I thought it looked interesting, and it will add an additional depth to my reading.

I will be keeping track of my books completed by alphabet. This is hosted by 2024 Alphabet Soup Reading Challenge - Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book - Great Escapes Book Tours

Join in and see how well you do.



What an Animal Reading Challenge 2024

 


I did What an Animal Reading Challenge in 2023, selected the level 2 goal which was 7-12 books. My actual count was 15. For 2024, I have decided to up my goal so I am selecting level 3 which is 13-20.

I do hope to read more paranormal romance this year. 

Join me and sign up for the challenge which is hosted by Socrates' Book Reviews...: What An Animal Reading Challenge 2024 - Sign Up (socratesbookreviews.blogspot.com).




What an Animal Challenge 2023 Wrap-up

 


My goal for 2023 was Level 2 which was 7-12 books. I succeeded with 15 books. I have listed them below.


Untamed by Renee Rose and Vanessa Vale

Under a Harvest Moon by Julie Trettel

The Nine: Zane by Elle Arroyo

To Reject a Mate by Poppy Ireland

To Save a Mate by Poppy Ireland

Where the Wild Things Bite by Molly Harper

The Surfing Mouse by Stefan Piccione

Jack the Runaway Terrier by Gill McLean

To Claim a Mate by Poppy Ireland

Rascal Cat Brothers by Lisa Jacovsky

Horse and Zebra Bake a Cake by Whitney Sanderson

Sammy the Sailing Sea Turtle by Gwendol

Twiggy and the Lost Socks by Renee DeVincent

The Bear and Her Book by Frances Tosdevin

Clash of Kings by Faith Gibson


I had hoped to read more paranormal romance, but I hope to do better in 2024.



Netgalley and Edelweiss Reading Challenge 2024

 


I hope to have better luck in 2024 than I did in 2023. I have selected in the same goal of Silver which is 25 books from my Netgalley and Edelweiss TBR pile. I think I need to keep better track of the books I have read and include two a month from Netgalley.

I very much failed to update my progress on a monthly basis and plan to remind myself to do so in the coming year.

The host for this challenge is https://socratesbookreviews.blogspot.com/. Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to push myself to get on top of my TBR pile.



Netgalley and Edelweiss Reading Challenge 2023 results

 


I did not achieve my goal of Silver (25 books) for 2023. The 16 that I did read are as follows:

Iron Canuck Reviews & More: Book Review: Doc Showmance by Zoe Forward

Iron Canuck Reviews & More: Book Review: Love on the Line (Vauxhall Voices #1) by Anabelle Bryant

Iron Canuck Reviews & More: Book Review: It Happened on Saturday by Sydney Dunlap

Iron Canuck Reviews & More: Book Review: Jack the Runaway Terrier by Gill McLean

Iron Canuck Reviews & More: Book Review: Power Zones (Billionaire Doms Duet) by Bronwyn Judde

Iron Canuck Reviews & More: Book Review: Bear with Me Now by Katie Shepard

Iron Canuck Reviews & More: Book Review: The Genius Kid's Guide to Mythical Creatures by Sara Novak

Iron Canuck Reviews & More: Book Review: The House on Prytania (A Royal Street Novel # 2) by Karen White

Iron Canuck Reviews & More: Book Review: The Most Important Animal of All by Penny Worms

Iron Canuck Reviews & More: Blitz: The Lake House by Bella Amy with a giveaway

Iron Canuck Reviews & More: Book Review: Magic in His Kiss (Vauxhall Voices #2) by Anabelle Bryant

Iron Canuck Reviews & More: Book Review: Horse and Zebra Bake a Cake by Whitney Sanderson

Iron Canuck Reviews & More: Book Review: Practice Makes (Almost) Perfect by Hannah Carmona

Iron Canuck Reviews & More: Book Review: Miss Morton and the Spirits of the Underworld (A Miss Morton Mystery) by Catherine Lloyd

Iron Canuck Reviews & More: Book Review: The Bear and Her Book by Frances Tosdevin, illustrated by Sophia O'Connor

Iron Canuck Reviews & More: Book Review: Earl Crazy (Games Earls Play #4) by Anna Bradley

I am going to try again in 2024. You can always join me.



Goodreads Reading Challenge 2023


 Goodreads Challenge results

My goal for 2023 was 200 books. I actually read 257. The following are stats that Goodreads generates.

Total number of pages read - 558,848

Average book length - 217 pages

Average rating - 4.3 (slightly higher than 2022)

First review - Wolf by D. Williams

Last review - Clash of Kings by Faith Gibson

Some of my own stats that I keep track of are below.

Listened to 38 audiobooks

Read 5 paperbacks

Lowest rating 3 1/2 stars (2 books) A Promise Broken and Copper

I have 47 4 1/2 star ratings

I have 70 5 star ratings.

Let's see what happens in 2024.



Audiobook Challenge 2024

 


I am accepting the Audiobook Challenge 2024. I had success in 2023 and look forward to pushing myself a bit. Again, I chose Binge Listener which is 20-30.

Some of the audiobooks I listen to have been given to me to review, and the rest are those that I have purchased. My main source for audiobooks is Audible. Other places I listen to audiobooks are Chirp, Spotify (Authors Direct), and once in a while, Netgalley.

More often than not, I listen in my car going to and from work. On the days I get to work an hour before opening, I will continue to listen while doing my paperwork. I do get a bit grumpy when someone interrupts me before I need to stop.

Here is to a great listening year!



Audiobook Challenge 2023 results

 


At the beginning of this challenge, I chose 20-30 audiobooks. Well, I surprised myself by finishing with 39. On my blog, I have 39, but in Goodreads it only shows 38. Somewhere I missed something in shelving. Following is a list of all audiobook posts from this blog.








































I am doing the Audiobook Challenge for 2024, keeping the same goal. I will try to do a better job in keeping track of the audiobooks on Goodreads and this blog. If you enjoy audiobooks, challenge yourself in 2024.




Saturday, December 30, 2023

Release: Knox (Knights Corruption MC - Laredo #3) by S. Nelson

Knox


Series: Knights Corruption MC Series - Laredo, Book 3


by S. Nelson


Genre: MC Romance


Cover Design: CT Cover Creations


Goodreads: https://bit.ly/KnoxGR





Blurb: 

I was happy being single.

No relationship drama.

No woman putting demands on my time.

I had my family and my club. I didn’t need anyone else.

But when a mysterious brunette walked into our clubhouse, something inside me shifted.

She wasn’t like anyone I’d ever met.

Everything I prided myself on, being unattached, emotionally unavailable, in it for nothing but sex… it all shattered.

But with the cartel still threatening the Knights Corruption, I kept her at a distance, treating our relationship as nothing more than casual.

When my plan backfired, she walked away. And I let her go without a fight.

Distance meant safety.

Or so I thought.

When another attempt was orchestrated against our club, I was forced to make a different choice.

There was only one issue, though.

I had to convince her to give me another chance.

Would my decision prove to be the right one?

Or would it all come crumbling down around us?


Buy Links: Kindle Unlimited

Universal: https://books2read.com/KNOX-KCMCLaredo

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BXDTK6YW

Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0BXDTK6YW

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BXDTK6YW

Amazon AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0BXDTK6YW


Praise for the novel: 

★★★★★ “Nelson certainly packed this book full of steam, action and angst, I found myself totally immersed.” -Joanne P.





In The Series: 

Tag (Book 1) → https://mybook.to/Tag

Renner (Book 2) → https://mybook.to/Renner


Author Social Media Links: 

Website: https://snelsonauthor.com/

Newsletter: https://www.subscribepage.com/snelsonnewsletter

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorSNelson

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/snelsonauthor/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@authorsnelson?

Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorsnelson1

Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/430975187065799/

Amazon: https://amzn.to/3FReKfp 

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/s-nelson 




Friday, December 29, 2023

Preorder: Cowboy's Christmas Hope (Trinity Falls Sweet Romance - Icicle Christmas #2) by Clara Pines



Cowboy's Christmas Hope 

by Clara Pines 

Releases on January 2nd!
FREE with Kindle Unlimited




Blurb:

The only thing the country boy and the city girl have in common is that they both think they’ve sworn off dating…

Jacob Cassidy is a good man with a streak of mischief a mile wide. He’s generous, smart, and the guy in small town Trinity Falls most everyone comes to with animal troubles. Unfortunately, his family has deemed him “hopeless” because he’ll never get serious about a woman.

But when the house next to Cassidy Farm sells to a beautiful girl and her lively young son just before the holidays, Jacob finds himself helplessly fascinated with the pair.

Hope Turner has sworn off men. Her beauty has won her nothing but unwanted attention from guys, coldness from other women, and a terrible marriage to a man who loved her face but not her heart. The light of her life is her funny, kind-hearted son, Nick, who longs for the freedom of wide-open spaces they just can’t find in the city. So, when her husband divorces her and remarries, she and her beloved boy finally move out to the country to live the simple life introverted Hope has always craved – just the two of them.

But when her new job behind the scenes at the local radio station turns into something far more public, Hope may just have to rely on the kindness of the too-handsome cowboy next door.

Jacob finds that he’s excited to help out, especially if it means more time with his new six-year-old bestie and his soft-spoken mom. Suddenly, he and Nick are having the time of their lives doing fun home projects and making excessive plans for Christmas.

But can Jacob get Hope’s heart back in the saddle?

And when all is said and done, is the happiest bachelor in Trinity Falls even ready to win the love of the shy city girl?

Trinity Falls Sweet Romance is all about finding family – one clean & wholesome romance at a time.

From an ex-football star finding out about a secret baby, to a reserved tech genius who opens his heart to a small-town barista and her adopted daughter, you’ll lose yourself in these feel-good books celebrating love, family, and the very special small town community of Trinity Falls.


About the Author:

Clara Pines is a writer from Pennsylvania. She loves writing sweet romance, sipping peppermint tea with her handsome husband, and baking endless gingerbread cookies with her little helpers. A holiday lover through and through, Clara wishes it could be Christmas every day. You can almost always figure out where she has curled up to write by following the sound of the holiday music on her laptop!




Thursday, December 28, 2023

Sale!!! The Baker's Creek Brothers Boxset (Books 4-6) by Claudia Burgoa, 99 cents for a limited time



99¢ SALE FOR A LIMITED TIME

The Baker's Creek Brothers Boxset (books 4-6) by Claudia Burgoa!

The Baker’s Creek Billionaire Brothers series is a romantic comedy saga packed with the perfect mix of angst, tears, and laughs. If you like strong heroines & alpha males, steamy romances, and witty love stories, this series is for you!

This collection contains:

Call You Mine: Best-friends-to-Lovers, Rockstar romance, No third act break-up
As We Are: Single Dad, Hockey Player, Nany Romance
Yours to Keep: Grumpy Sunshine, M/M, Medical Romance

https://geni.us/BCBB2

#CallYouMine #ClaudiaBurgoa #CallYouMineRB #AldridgeBrothers #BakersCreekSeries #BakersCreek #FriendstoLovers #Brothersinbooks #Romanceauthors #BakersCreekSeries #Billionaireromance #smalltown #claudiaburgoa #smalltownromance #Angstybook

#99centsale 

Book Review: Clash of Kings (Rebel Moon Shifters #2) by Faith Gibson

 

Blurb

He’s a Gargoyle King. A trusted friend. A fierce warrior.

Sebastian Stone is ready to take his place as Gargoyle King. Like his father before him, Bas has the strength of their Clan to aid in his rule. The only thing missing is his Queen. He encountered the she-wolf as a teen, but before they could meet, she vanished. Ten years later, and Bas has resigned himself to living life as a solitary Gargoyle. Things are changing in the shifter world, and Bas has taken it upon himself to search out and meet with other Alphas to keep their secret safe. Things are going well until he runs into a different kind of king – one who is determined to undermine Sebastian at every turn.

She’s a wolf shifter. A bartender. A romantic fool.

Dakota Young is unlike the other single females of her pack who’d do anything to become the Alpha Mate. There’s a reason she refuses the bond, one only her family and best friend knows. Dakota believes a man from her past, one who is likely dead, will somehow find her. The notion is far-fetched, but Dakota is nothing if not stubborn. With each day that passes, it gets harder to stick to her guns and not fall prey to the demands of her pack. With both the Alpha and her father breathing down her neck, Dakota makes a rash decision. Just when she’s ready to move on with her life, fate intervenes.

Two alphas are vying for the same female. When the claws come out, will either King still be standing?


The next generation is here. The kids from The Stone Society and The Hounds of Zeus MC series have grown up, and it’s their turn to protect humans while keeping their own existence hidden. And if they find their mates along the way? Even better. It isn’t necessary to have read the two original series, but you will find more of the characters’ back-stories there.

Amazon: Amazon.com: Clash of Kings: A Paranormal Shifter Romance (Rebel Moon Shifters Book 2) eBook : Gibson, Faith, Majeau, Corey, Czermak, Golden: Kindle Store

Bookbub: Clash of Kings: A Paranormal Shifter Romance (Rebel Moon Shifters Book 2) by Faith Gibson - BookBub

Goodreads: Clash of Kings (Rebel Moon Shifters #2) by Faith Gibson | Goodreads





My Review - 4 1/2 of 5 stars - 

4 1/2 stars. The story was well done, pulled me in most of the time. Sebastian (Bas) was so kind and caring with Dakota from the start, and very protective. He wanted to better things in the world, protect shifters, and unite the different shifters. Dakota (Kody) made him stronger. She was a wonderfully strong, loving, and independent alpha female. There were moments of tears as well as smiles. Anthony was a hoot, and I enjoyed Jolee and her friendship with Dakota. Well worth the read, and I look forward to more.

I received a copy through Enticing Journey Book Promotions, and this is my unsolicited review.



Review Tour: Clash of Kings (Rebel Moon Shifters #2) by Faith Gibson with my review

Clash of Kings


Series: Rebel Moon Shifters


by Faith Gibson


Release: November 22, 2023


Genre: Paranormal/Shifter Romance


Cover Designer – Corey Majeau, Majeau Designs

Photographer – Golden Czermak, FuriousFotog


Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/clash-of-kings-a-paranormal-shifter-romance-rebel-moon-shifters-book-2-by-faith-gibson


Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/195704490-clash-of-kings





Blurb:

He’s a Gargoyle King. A trusted friend. A fierce warrior.


Sebastian Stone is ready to take his place as Gargoyle King. Like his father before him, Bas has the strength of their Clan to aid in his rule. The only thing missing is his Queen. He encountered the she-wolf as a teen, but before they could meet, she vanished. Ten years later, and Bas has resigned himself to living life as a solitary Gargoyle. Things are changing in the shifter world, and Bas has taken it upon himself to search out and meet with other Alphas to keep their secret safe. Things are going well until he runs into a different kind of king – one who is determined to undermine Sebastian at every turn.


She’s a wolf shifter. A bartender. A romantic fool.


Dakota Young is unlike the other single females of her pack who’d do anything to become the Alpha Mate. There’s a reason she refuses the bond, one only her family and best friend knows. Dakota believes a man from her past, one who is likely dead, will somehow find her. The notion is far-fetched, but Dakota is nothing if not stubborn. With each day that passes, it gets harder to stick to her guns and not fall prey to the demands of her pack. With both the Alpha and her father breathing down her neck, Dakota makes a rash decision. Just when she’s ready to move on with her life, fate intervenes.


Two alphas are vying for the same female. When the claws come out, will either King still be standing?


The next generation is here. The kids from The Stone Society and The Hounds of Zeus MC series have grown up, and it’s their turn to protect humans while keeping their own existence hidden. And if they find their mates along the way? Even better. It isn’t necessary to have read the two original series, but you will find more of the characters’ back-stories there.





Buy Links (Kindle Unlimited):

Amazon Universal: https://mybook.to/Clash_of_Kings

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CDQMLPRM

Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0CDQMLPRM

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CDQMLPRM

Amazon AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0CDQMLPRM


Praise:

“This book was over way too soon. I want more.  5 stars without a doubt.” ~ Lita T (Goodreads)


“Faith Gibson did a fabulous job with Clash of Kings! Sebastian and Dakota are the perfect match for each other.” ~ Julie W (Goodreads)


“Sebastian and Dakota are a match made in flannel. It’s a proud but sad moment with the passing of the guard as Bas becomes king.” ~ Victoria B (Goodreads)


In the Series:

Strands of Gold

Amazon Universal: https://mybook.to/Strands_of_Gold 

Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BH4ZG13F

Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0BH4ZG13F

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BH4ZG13F

Amazon AU: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0BH4ZG13F





Author Bio:

Multi-genre author Faith Gibson began writing in high school, and through the years, penned many stories and poems. Since she was a child, her dreams (and sometimes nightmares) were vivid constructs, making her shake her head and ask, “where the hell did that come from?” Many of these nighttime escapades have led to a line, a chapter, or even a complete story. 

 

“Love is love, and there’s not enough love in the world.” This belief she holds strongly, and it's the prevailing theme in her works, all of which come with a happy ending.

 

Faith believes her purpose in life is to entertain the masses, even if it’s one person at a time. Aspirations of becoming a rock ‘n’ roll drummer didn’t come to fruition, but she’s fulfilling a different dream, and that’s bringing stories to life one book at a time.

 

Faith lives just outside of Nashville, Tennessee, with the love of her life and her American Staffordshire pup, Luna, the writing partner. When she’s not hard at work writing her next adventure, Faith can often be found reading, cooking up something in the kitchen, listening to live music, or off on an adventure of her own.


Social Media Links:

Facebook: http://facebook.com/faithgibsonauthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorfaithgibson

Website:  http://www.faithgibsonauthor.com

Bookbub:  https://www.bookbub.com/authors/faith-gibson 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8414787.Faith_Gibson 








My Review - 4 1/2 of 5 stars - 


4 1/2 stars. The story was well done, pulled me in most of the time. Sebastian (Bas) was so kind and caring with Dakota from the start, and very protective. He wanted to better things in the world, protect shifters, and unite the different shifters. Dakota (Kody) made him stronger. She was a wonderfully strong, loving, and independent alpha female. There were moments of tears as well as smiles. Anthony was a hoot, and I enjoyed Jolee and her friendship with Dakota. Well worth the read, and I look forward to more.




Blitz: Tender Temptation (Charming Irish #1) by Kaylene Winter with an excerpt and a giveaway

Tender Temptation Series: Charming Irish, #1 by Kaylene Winter Release date : October 3rd, 2024 Genres : Adult, Contemporary,  Romance Goodr...