Part of Your World Trilogy by Abby Jimenez (Part of Your World, Yours Truly, and Just for the Summer) by Abby Jimenez

  

Part of Your World (Part of Your World #2) by Abby Jimenez

My rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction
Content: Strong Language, Moderately descriptive sex

 
After a wild bet, gourmet grilled-cheese sandwich, and cuddle with a baby goat, Alexis Montgomery has had her world turned upside down. The cause: Daniel Grant, a ridiculously hot carpenter who’s ten years younger than her and as casual as they come—the complete opposite of sophisticated city-girl Alexis. And yet their chemistry is undeniable.

While her ultra-wealthy parents want her to carry on the family legacy of world-renowned surgeons, Alexis doesn’t need glory or fame. She’s fine with being a “mere” ER doctor. And every minute she spends with Daniel and the tight-knit town where he lives, she’s discovering just what’s really important. Yet letting their relationship become anything more than a short-term fling would mean turning her back on her family and giving up the opportunity to help thousands of people.

Bringing Daniel into her world is impossible, and yet she can’t just give up the joy she’s found with him either. With so many differences between them, how can Alexis possibly choose between her world and his? 

 

This was the first book I've read by this author and I loved it. I was so glued to this book!  I haven't found a contemporary romance author that I like this much since I started reading Katherine Center's books. I loved these characters and how they end up falling in love. I love how Alexis learns to trust Daniel and the whole evolution of her character. I loved how Daniel was there for his family and I loved how everything gets resolved. 

 

 “I was a mosaic of someone else’s design where none of the fragments were put in the right place. And now I had finally put myself together and I recognized myself for the very first time.”

 

I also loved that this book made me laugh out loud a few times. A lot of rom-coms aren't nearly as funny as they should be. I love that the author added some very serious topics into this book that made it more than just a romance. The topic of emotional abuse was handled well. This and Katherine Center's Hello Stranger are my top two reads so far this year. I also want to mention that I hated cartoon looking covers on romance books, and for the most part I still do, but this one I like and I also love the one for Just For the Summer. 

 

“I think my soul recognized hers the second I laid eyes on her.”

 

 

 

 

 

Yours Truly (Part of Your World #2) by Abby Jimenez 

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction
Content: Strong Language, Moderately descriptive sex

 

Dr. Briana Ortiz’s life is seriously flatlining. Her divorce is just about finalized, her brother’s running out of time to find a kidney donor, and that promotion she wants? Oh, that’s probably going to the new man-doctor who’s already registering eighty-friggin’-seven on Briana’s “pain in my ass” scale. But just when all systems are set to hate, Dr. Jacob Maddox completely flips the game . . . by sending Briana a letter.

And it’s a really good letter. Like the kind that proves that Jacob isn’t actually Satan. Worse, he might be this fantastically funny and subversively likeable guy who’s terrible at first impressions. Because suddenly he and Bri are exchanging letters, sharing lunch dates in her “sob closet,” and discussing the merits of freakishly tiny horses. But when Jacob decides to give Briana the best gift imaginable—a kidney for her brother—she wonders just how she can resist this quietly sexy new doctor . . . especially when he calls in a favor she can’t refuse.

  

After reading Part of Your World I was looking forward to this book. This one features Briana, best friend of Alexis from Part of Your World. I liked it in general but the third act break-up, the assumptions, and non-communications almost ruined this whole book for me. Luckily there was enough about this that I loved to lift my rating to 3.5 stars. What I loved were the characters. Briana and Jacob were great characters and I loved the way their relationship forms through letters and notes to each other. As a person that has dealt with social anxiety for years, I could relate to Jacob. I may not have it to the extent that he does in the book but there were several times when something felt very familiar. I loved how Briana was able to see Jacob and knew how to support him and help him through situations. 

 

“It’s like I always say,” Mom said, wiping under her eyes. “Love shows up. That’s how you know when it’s real.”

  

That being said, I did not love some of the things Briana did in the last part of the book. For most of the book I thought Briana and Jacob communicated with each other pretty well, and it was nice and refreshing, but at some point in the last quarter of the book the characters stopped communicating their concerns with each other and went on assumptions alone, especially Briana. This leads up to the third act break-up that trauma also played a part in. I felt so let down by this book at that point. I don't personally think a third act break-up is necessary for every romance book. This is something that got discussed recently in an author's reading group on FB that I follow. She writes a lot of romance and was saying that she didn't want to include that kind of a break-up in her book because it didn't fit. I really respect that she's going to write her book the way she feels will work best, instead of adhering to some formula. I wish that this one had been written a little differently but I still loved a lot about it.

The break-up in this book felt forced to me. I get that the character had trauma to deal with, but it didn't make sense to me that there was such a huge inability to trust at this point. On top of that, the trauma was brought on by something that we didn't get a lot of inner monologue about by the character, so it felt like it almost came out of nowhere. I also thought it was ridiculous that two doctors weren't smart enough to keep themselves out of this predicament to begin with. One of their mother's even pointed that out in the book. 

 

“We’re all a little broken, Briana. We are a mosaic. We’re made up of all those we’ve met and all the things we’ve been through. There are parts of us that are colorful and dark and jagged and beautiful. And I love every piece of you. Even the ones you wish didn’t exist.”

 

Even after things get resolved, I just didn't like the way certain things happened, and that resulted in me not liking most of the last part of this book. Despite that I'm still really invested in this series and want to read more from this author. I love her writing style and I thought the other two things I read by her were really good.  

 

 

 

 

 

Just For the Summer (Part of Your World #3) by Abby Jimenez

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Women's Fiction
Content: Strong Language, Moderately descriptive sex

 

Justin has a curse, and thanks to a Reddit thread, it's now all over the internet. Every woman he dates goes on to find their soul mate the second they break up. When a woman slides into his DMs with the same problem, they come up with a plan: They'll date each other and break up. Their curses will cancel each other’s out, and they’ll both go on to find the love of their lives. It’s a bonkers idea… and it just might work.

Emma hadn't planned that her next assignment as a traveling nurse would be in Minnesota, but she and her best friend agree that dating Justin is too good of an opportunity to pass up, especially when they get to rent an adorable cottage on a private island on Lake Minnetonka.

It's supposed to be a quick fling, just for the summer. But when Emma's toxic mother shows up and Justin has to assume guardianship of his three siblings, they're suddenly navigating a lot more than they expected--including catching real feelings for each other. What if this time Fate has actually brought the perfect pair together? 

I didn't think Abby Jimenez would be able to top Part of Your World, but for me, Just For the Summer ended up being a half star higher at a 5. This book did what I think the author was trying to do in Yours Truly with it's third act breakup; show how trauma can affect a person at a very deep level. Only it was done so much better here, and really did feel believable, and didn't almost ruin the story for me. It made sense for the story, and didn't feel like it came out of nowhere. We were privy to a lot of thoughts that led up to the decision and that helped a lot. 

 

“Unhealed trauma is a crack. And all the little hard things that trickle into it that would have rolled off someone else, settle. Then when life gets cold, that crack gets bigger, longer, deeper. It makes new breaks."

 

This book really hit me in the feels, especially towards the end. Emma's mom and the things that happened throughout Emma's life because of the way her mom was, left me so emotional. I love that these books are more than just fluff, but include people who are dealing with trauma and actually show them dealing with it. I'm glad I read these books in order because I liked the way this last book was tied to the others, in particular the first book, and how the characters are intertwined. 

 

“You are not what happened to you. You are what you do next.”   

 

There were some really funny parts in this book that had me laughing out loud too. That goes for everything I've read by this author so far. One of my main complaints about rom-coms is that they usually aren't all that funny, but this author knows how to make things funny. I particularly like the pet names she gives in her books. The Toilet King thing was pretty darn funny, and if Abby Jimenez didn't sell Toilet King t-shirts on her website, she should have! I'm looking forward to reading more Abby Jimenez books.

 

“The love stories sold us the wrong thing. The best kind of love doesn’t happen on moonlit walks and romantic vacations. It happens in between the folds of everyday life. It’s not grand gestures that show how you feel, it’s all the little secret things you do to make her life better that you never tell her about."

 

 

 

 

 

 

Platform Decay (The Murderbot Diaries #8) by Martha Wells

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Sci-Fi, Space Opera
Content: Strong Language

 

Having someone else support your bad decision feels kind of good.

After volunteering to run a rescue mission, Murderbot realizes that it will have to spend significant time with a bunch of humans it doesn't know.

Including human children. Ugh.

This may well call for... eye contact!

(Emotion check: Oh, for f—)

  

I'm so glad that I went back and reread all the books in this series in chronological order before reading this one. I feel like I was able to appreciate this one so much more because of that. Everything was fresh in my mind, and the overall story being told throughout the books made more sense in chronological order. 

This was another fun entry to the series. I particularly enjoyed Murderbot's reactions to the different people it met, and how it was trying to work through its feelings through emotional checks. It seems Murderbot is adjusting.

I've enjoyed all of Murderbot's adventures and I'm looking forward to more. I love that most of these are short novella length and I can listen to them in one sitting. This is one of the few series that I enjoy listening to instead of eye reading. 

 

Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Books for providing me with an ARC of this book. 

 

 

 

 

June 2026 Reading List

I want to read some of the books I've been eager to get to so, I've decided that even if it means I end up not reading one of two of the obligated reads for the month, I'm going to prioritize those books.  

This month's book that I've been really wanting to read but putting off is-

 

This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me (Maggie the Undying #1) by Ilona Andrews

When Maggie wakes up cold, filthy, and naked in a gutter, it doesn't take her long to recognize Kair Toren, a city she knows intimately from the pages of the famously unfinished dark fantasy series she's been obsessively reading and re-reading while waiting years for the final novel.

Her only tools for navigating this gritty world of rival warlords, magic, and mayhem? Her encyclopedic knowledge of the plot, the setting, and the characters' ambitions and fates. But while she quickly discovers she cannot be killed (though many will try!), the same cannot be said for the living, breathing characters she's coming to love—a motley band that includes a former lady’s maid, a deadly assassin, various outrageous magical creatures, and a dangerously appealing soldier. Soon, instead of trying to get home, she finds herself enmeshed in the schemes—and attentions—of dueling princes, dukes, and villains, all while trying to save them and the kingdom of Rellas from the way she knows their stories will end: in a cataclysmic war. 

 

 

 

Reading with The Mystery Book Club-

 

Backstitched and Stabbed (Grace Designs #2) by Tilly Wallace

The only thing worse than wet woollen togs, is a knife in the back…

As the kiwi summer draws to a close, a family outing to the beach takes a deadly turn when a lifeless body washes up on shore. Grace is devastated to recognise the victim, Ricky, who worked in her friend’s bakery. But when the supposed drowning victim is rolled over, a shocking truth is revealed—he was murdered.

Drawn into finding the murderer of the cheerful baker, Grace picks at the tangled web of secrets that surrounded Ricky. The man lived a double, or even triple, life. But which version of him had provoked the fatal encounter? Grace and her friends must find the person responsible, before another life is lost to the same tide of violence that claimed Ricky.

This is the second instalment in the Grace Designs mystery series, about a seamstress turned sleuth in Wellington, New Zealand at the dawn of the 1920s. 

 

 

 

Imminent Harm (Cass Leary #6) by Robin James

Small-town lawyer Cass Leary's latest case could rock the Delphi justice system to its very core.

Cass’s last trial badly bruised her reputation with the local bar. Good thing Cass doesn’t care what people think. Nonetheless, her client list is drying up. When newly appointed District Court Judge Kent Tucker comes to her with a sensitive personal problem, Cass sees it as a way to get back into the judge’s and the town’s good graces.

Judge Tucker knows Cass isn’t afraid to take on tough cases. His sister is married to a monster and he’s hoping Cass can help her find a way out. When the case takes a tragic turn, Cass will face her toughest challenge yet. There’s more to this case than meets the eye and uncovering the truth leads to dangerous consequences for Cass and those around her.

Imminent Harm is the sixth book in this series of high-stakes legal thrillers. If you like blood-pumping action, compelling characters, and twisted crime conspiracies, then you’ll love Robin James’s dark tale.

 

 

 

Reading for NetGalley-

 

An Ordinary Sort of evil (A Rip Through Time #5) by Kelley Armstrong 

Modern-day homicide detective Mallory Mitchell has grown accustomed to life in Victorian Scotland after travelling 150 years into the past into the body of a housemaid. She’s built a new life for herself. Even though she works as an assistant to forensic-science pioneer Dr. Duncan Gray and Detective Hugh McCreadie, she considers them true friends. And with Gray in particular, perhaps, someday, something more.

Late one night, Gray and Mallory are summoned urgently to the home of Lady Adler, a patron of Gray’s undertaking business, and they assume there's been a death in the household. But instead, they arrive in the midst of a seance with a ghost demanding Gray's presence. The ghost is Lady Adler's former maid, who had gone missing but now requests that Gray investigate her murder. Although Gray and Mallory are skeptical, they agree to look into the matter, whether she's dead or alive. But unsure if there's been a murder or not, unable to call out the medium as a fraud, and concerned for the fate of the young maid, Gray and Mallory are once again drawn into a mystery much more puzzling--and more dangerous--than it first seems 

 

 

 

Blindside (Planeside #5) by Michael Mammay

Colonel Carl Butler charges back into the world of military crisis, corporate malfeasance, and intergalactic mystery in the action-packed fifth Planetside novel from science fiction master Michael Mammay.

Carl Butler has returned to his home planet from the moon Taug and is looking forward to some rest and relaxation. But following two mysterious deaths connected with the Taug mission, he realizes that the intruders that recently set off his home’s security system might be looking to add him to the death toll.

Having been Butler’s muscle on numerous missions, Mac is no stranger to getting involved with mysteries that should be none of his business. So when the daughter of one of his gym members goes missing, he offers to help. Mac assumes she’s a simple runaway, but the case turns out not to be so clear-cut. Wondering if these strange occurrences are somehow related, Butler—along with Mac, Ganos, and the rest of his small crew—once again finds himself neck deep in intrigue.

As the clues for the various cases begin to intertwine, Butler sees the hand of an old enemy at work, and…well…he’s never been one to sit back and wait for something to happen. Gathering the team, he heads off across the galaxy to confront his suspects head-on.

But this time, they’re waiting for him. 

 

 

 

Reading for book club-

 

Decision at Thunder Rift (BattleTech Legends: Saga of the Gray Death Legion #1) by William H. Keith Jr.

THE EPIC FIRST NOVEL OF THE LEGENDARY SCIENCE FICTION SERIES...

Thirty meters tall, seventy tons of quick-striding death and destruction, the armored war machines called BattleMechs are the front line forces of the crumbling star empire locked in the horror of the endless Succession Wars. Their pilots are MechWarriors, 31st-Century knights riding armored machines powerful enough to take a city apart.

Grayson Death Carlyle had been training to be a MechWarrior since he was 10 years old, but his graduation came sooner than expected. With his friends and family dead and his father's regiment destroyed, young Grayson finds himself stranded on a world turned hostile. Now he must learn the hardest lesson of it takes more than a BattleMech to make a MechWarrior...

But to claim that title, all Grayson has to do is go out and capture one of those giant killing machines...if it doesn't kill him first.

 

 

 

Pick it for me book-

 

The Ether Witch: The Casting Call (The Ether Witch #1) by Delemhach

Tamlin Ashowan has troubled his family for years. Between the fearfulness of his magic and his refusal to share exactly what it does, his loving parents and sister don’t know how best to guide him. Tam, on the other hand, insists he doesn’t need any assistance. Despite ignoring his magic and possessing a preference for remaining locked up in his room with a good book, Tam is determined to play his role as the heir to his dukedom to the best of his ability. But being the son of Finlay Ashowan, the famous hero of Daxaria, his life is prone to chaos.

Will a new assistant, who has even more secrets than Tam himself, be able to help navigate Tam's endless responsibilities? Will all chaos break out thanks to the unstable kingdom of Zinfera? And lastly, can Tam handle everything without having to use his magical power, or will he be pushed to new limits as his fate rushes to meet him?

Find the answer to these questions and more in the new trilogy set in the same universe as The House Witch series, The Princess of Potential, and The Burning Witch series. There's no need to read the previous books to enjoy the new, fun adventure. Feel free to jump right in! 

 

 

 

ARC I'm looking forward to reading-

 

No Good Deed (The Scarsdale Fosters #6) by B.E. Baker

Her entire life, Ardath has wanted to do one save people in a way no one managed to save her mother. After growing up without any real family, she wants to spare others from the same fate. She’s come up with a brilliant plan to save even more lives, if only she can fund it.

Albert Devonshire the fourth—whose friends call him Ace—founded a successful gaming company that he loved running. . .until his dad got sick. When he takes over management of the family-owned chain of hospitals, he discovers his Dad’s been struggling with dementia for a while. The business is in shambles, and his mother’s spending isn’t helping anything.

When a young, beautiful doctor asks for funding to launch a program she’s clearly passionate about, he hates turning her down, but he has no choice. They’re one do-gooder program away from shutting down.

Ardath doesn’t take his refusal very well, and the more time Ace spends around Ardath, the more he hates being her enemy, but he can’t let the family empire collapse over yet another crush. Can Ardath and Ace make peace, or will their duties to their families set them irrevocably at odds. . .forever? 

 

 

 

 

May 2026 Reading Wrap-Up

I ended up reading  8 novellas, 5 full length novels, and a few children's books this month. I don't usually count the children's books when I do these updates, but this time I'm including 2 of them because I liked them so much. I also started a book that I haven't finished it yet. I wasn't able to squeeze in all the books I wanted to read this month, but I got through most of them. I had to push Blindside by Michael Mammay,  An Ordinary Sort of Evil by Kelley Armstrong, and No Good Deed by B.E. Baker to June. The buddy read of The Soulforge by Margaret Weis ended up not getting scheduled this month, so I'll wait and see what happens with that one.

I started the month out with a reread (in chronological order) of The Murderbot Diaries, and listened to the first four while simultaneously eye reading a couple of other books. After that, I paused Murderbot for a while to completely focus on The Strength of the Few. I wanted to get that one read before book club since it's the sequel to our book club book. All but one of my ratings stayed the same for the Murderbot books after rereading them. 

 

 

All Systems Red (Murderbot Diaries #1) by Martha Wells

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Sci-Fi, Space Opera
Content: Strong Language

 

See My Original review here. 

 

 

 

 

Artificial Condition (The Murderbot Diaries #2) by Martha Wells 

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Sci-Fi, Space Opera
Content: Strong Language

 

See my Original review here.

 

 

 

Rogue Protocol (The Murderbot Diaries #3) by Martha Wells 

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Sci-Fi, Space Opera
Content: Strong Language

 

 

 

 

Exit Strategy (The Murderbot Diaries #4) by Martha Wells

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Sci-Fi, Space Opera
Content: Strong Language

 

 

 

  

Fugitive Telemetry (The Murderbot Diaries #6) by Martha Wells (This is #5 chronologically)

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Sci-Fi, Space Opera
Content: Strong Language

 

See my original review here.

 

 

 

  

Just for the Summer (Part of Your World #3) by Abby Jimenez

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Review to come.

 

 

 

 

The Strength of the Few (Hierarchy #2) by James Islington

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

 

Review to come.

 

 

 

 

Network Effect (The Murderbot Diaries #5) by Martha Wells (This #6 Chronologically)

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Sci-Fi, Space Opera
Content: Strong Language

 

See my original review here.

 

 

 

 

System Collapse (The Murderbot Diaries #7) by Martha Wells

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Sci-Fi, Space Opera
Content: Strong Language

 

I enjoyed this more on reread. Bumping my rating up a star.

See my original review here. 

 

 

Platform Decay (The Murderbot Diaries #8) by Martha Wells

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

 

Review to come.
 

 

 

  

The Shippers by Katherine Center

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

 

See my review here.

 

 

 

 

Seams Like Murder (Grace Designs Mysteries #1) by Tilly Wallace

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Sci-Fi, Space Opera
Content: Strong Language

 

I enjoyed this cute cozy mystery set in New Zealand. It was a nice, light novella and the main character was very likable.

 

 

I don't usually talk about the children's books that I buy and read. We have a couple of grandchildren and I've been reading and buying them lately. I own quite a few books by Eric Carle but this month I bought and read two of his books that I had never read before. I ended up loving these two books. I love that there are poems about each of the creatures and animals featured in them, and I'm personally a fan of Eric Carle's art in all of his books so, I loved that too.

  

Dragons, Dragons & Other Creatures That Never Were by Eric Carle

My rating: 5 of 5 stars 

 

 

 

  

Animals, Animals by Eric Carle 

My rating: 5 of 5 stars 

 

 

 

  

How to Walk Away by Katherine Center

My rating: 5 of 5 stars  

Review to come.

 

 

 

  

Blood Evidence (Cass Leary #5) by Robin James

Still reading so no rating yet.  

 

 

 

 

 

The Shippers by Katherine Center

  

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Romance, Contemporary Romance
Content: 

 

After a whole lifetime of being bad at love, JoJo Burton decides to solve her intimacy issues once and for all at her sister’s destination wedding on a cruise ship. With the help of a little pop psychology, she diagnoses herself with a fixation on the neighborhood guy who was her her first crush and first kiss (and who just happens to be a newly-divorced wedding guest ), and she decides to woo him during the cruise for some long-delayed closure. Only problem is, her sister’s a little busy being a bride at the moment—so JoJo ropes in her childhood bestie, Cooper Watts, to be her wing man. Cooper: who RSVPed no, but then showed up, anyway. Cooper: who left town without a word four years earlier and moved to London. Cooper: who was, if she’s honest, the worst heartbreak of JoJo’s life. It’s bliss for her to see him again, and it’s agony, too—and the more they team up for Project Conquest, the more she obsesses over questions she can’t bring herself to ask.

Shipboard antics ensue in this witty, heart-tugging, childhood-friends-to-lovers romance—as JoJo and Cooper fake flirt, slow dance, share a cabin, sing duets, treat sunburns, get jealous, rescue each other over and over, and finally, at last, figure it all out in the most blissful, swoony, romantic way.
 

  

I enjoyed the heck out of this book even though I had some issues with it. The main character, JoJo was very self-centered and oblivious a lot of them time, and she could have ruined the whole thing for me, but there were times where I saw her better qualities peek out. Like when she saw her dad for who he really was and helped him learn how to be a better person. She gave her dad a lot of grace; more than most of us would and it's what saved him. Of course that was just a subplot of the book. 

I enjoyed the main plot despite Jojo being immature and blind to things that were staring her right in the face. I felt that she should have been able to figure out why Cooper left for four years and didn't talk to her, among other things. But somehow despite that this book worked for me. 

I enjoyed the dynamic between the characters and the friends to lovers aspect of the story. Cooper was easy to fall in love with, which made we wonder why JoJo was so clueless about him. Some people do pick the wrong kind of people to date, fall for, and marry. Some people are smart academically and professionally but lack sense in their personal lives. JoJo was like that.

As usual for romance, there were some miscommunications and twists. The miscommunications were annoying, but at least some of the time the characters tried to communicate things, They just wouldn't always listen to each other. I pretty much saw every little twist in this book coming, so there were no surprises, but I enjoyed it anyway. Overall, I enjoy Katherine Center's writing style. It always pulls me right in and I get really engrossed in the story until the end. 

 

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me with an ARC of this book.

 

 

 

 

  

April 2026 Book Club: Waifs and Strays (The Cat Lady Chronicles #1) by Helen Harper

  

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Content: Nothing I can remember

 

Nobody is just a cat lady.

Kit McCafferty's life is quiet, unremarkable and filled with cat hair. In the magical city of Coldstream, located on the border between Scotland and England, Kit is viewed as little more than mildly eccentric and mostly harmless. She passes her days caring for her family of five cats, feeding the local feral moggies, and maintaining relatively good relations with her neighbours.

All that changes, however, when a teenage werewolf shows up at her door in the desperate hope of renting out a nearby vacant flat. Kit knows that the smart move is to tell him to leave. The last thing she needs is to become embroiled in complicated shapeshifter politics. But something about the secretive young werewolf tugs at her heartstrings.

It's not long before Kit ends up caught in a maelstrom of mysterious crime and magical wrong-doing. Fortunately, there's far more to Kit McCafferty than meets the eye and she has a few dark secrets of her own.

Of course, anyone with an ounce of intelligence knows that you underestimate a cat lady at your own peril. 

 

I liked this but didn't love it. It was a fun, light read with an urban fantasy setup but with a cozier feel. I like that the author included all the normal urban fantasy species in this book; vampires, werewolves, etc., and I liked the different take on a few things. I found the cats to be the best part of the book, but then I always like cats in books. The main character's ability was different from other things I've read, and what she does to trigger this ability made me laugh even though it was also a little gross. 

Where I think the book fell short is the same place I think a lot of other self-published urban fantasies fall short, and that's a lack of depth in the characters and plot. I thought the characters were interesting but a little dull. I thought the world was interesting but the plot was a bit bland and predictable. I did enjoy the reveal at the end and it left me mildly interested in the next book, but I'm not sure if I'll continue.

 

This book was an easy one to draw inspiration from for book club snacks. My husband and I had a really fun time coming up with foods to serve this time around. He had the idea for the 'cat food' and I think he did a great job of making something that looked like cat food but wasn't gross. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I decided to make sugar cookies shaped like cats and found cute cat cookie cutters.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you've read the book then you'll know why I made 'cat hair' and 'hairball' treats beyond just those things relating to cats, there's something significant about them in the book. I used cotton candy for the cat hair and made coconut haystacks for the hairballs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross

 

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre:  Fantasy, Romaance
Content: Moderately descriptive sex, Strong language

 

Born to the firelit domain of the underworld, Matilda is the youngest goddess of her clan, blessed with humble messenger magic. But in a land where gods kill each other for magic, Matilda must come of age sooner than most. She may be known to carry letters through the realms, but she also carries secrets of her one of them deadly, the other a mortal boy who dreams of her, despite the fact they have never met…

Ten years ago, Vincent of Beckett wrote to Matilda on the darkest night of his life – begging the goddess he befriended in dreams for aid. But his prayer went unanswered, forever hardening his heart against the gods. That is until the same goddess comes tumbling through his window, bearing a letter to change both their destinies. For Matilda and Vincent are tangled together by threads of fate and the promise of a future beyond dreams, one that might rewrite the dark, blood-soaked ways of the gods…or end them. 

 

After reading and loving A River Enchanted, and A Fire Endless, I was excited to read another book by Rebecca Ross. So it was a little unfortunate that I didn't love this one. In the beginning it took me a while to get into this. I think I was around 20 percent in before it grabbed me and I felt more engrossed in the story. I had mixed feelings about the main female character. I didn't like or understand why she got involved with one of the characters in the story the way she did. It was off-putting to me that she developed the kind of relationship that she did with this person. There were red flags all over the place. She even saw them but that didn't stop her. Also, it didn't make sense to me that she made the deal with the river god, especially considering who he was, when she could have just used her cloak to disappear and swim across? Why did she need to walk across the bottom of the river to get to the keep?

I also had mixed feelings about the main male character. As a romantic character he was fine but I felt like he was a weak leader and a very poor strategist. In fact everyone involved in the war in this book was a poor strategist, and believe me, if I'm saying this then that says something, because that is not my forte. We have the god of war in the story and I have no idea what role he really played in helping them besides killing a few people. He seemed very inept. This part of the story should have been built up more. None of the characters really thought through their actions enough or even used their god powers to the best of their advantage. This stuff really frustrated me. There's more I could say but I'm trying to avoid spoilers so I'll leave it there. 

There were things I did like about this book enough to give it 3 stars. I like some of the supporting characters a lot and I liked the way the romance came about between the two main characters, and once I got into the story it was hard to put it down. I also really enjoy this author's writing style. Will I read more Rebecca Ross after this? Yes, I'll still give her other books a try because I love the first two I read so much.

On another note, I wasn't really sure how to categorize this book. It reads rather YA and although this is a standalone story, it is connected to a YA series. However, the age of the characters and some of the other content has me categorizing it for adult readers. I wouldn't recommend this for younger YA readers.

 

“He chose me first,” I replied. “He dreamt of me before I knew of him. His soul found mine before I even knew how to look for his.”

 

 

 

Twelve Months (The Dresden Files #18) by Jim Butcher

  

 My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Content: Strong language, Grief and PTSD are depicted

 

Harry Dresden, Chicago’s only professional wizard, has always managed to save the day—but, in this powerful entry in the Dresden Files, can he save himself?

One year. 365 days. Twelve months.

Harry Dresden has been through a lot, and so has his city. After Harry and his allies narrowly managed to save Chicago from being razed, everything is different—and it’s not just the current lack of electricity.

Harry lost people he cared about in the battle, and that’s the kind of loss that takes a toll. Harry being Harry, he’s doing his best to help the city and his friends recover and rebuild, but it’s a heavy load. He needs time.

Time is one thing Harry doesn’t have, however. Ghouls are prowling Chicago and killing innocent civilians. Harry’s brother is dying, and Harry doesn’t know how to help him. And last but certainly not least, the Winter Queen of the Fae has allied with the White Court of vampires—and Harry’s been betrothed to the seductive, deadly vampire Lara Raith to seal the deal.

It’s been a tough year. More than ever, the city needs Harry Dresden the wizard—but after loss and grief, is there enough left of him to rise to the challenge?

  

**Some spoilers for previous books in the series. Read with caution. 

It was nice being back with Harry Dresden, even though he was grieving throughout most of the book. It had a real human quality to it that I think most of us could relate to. There was a big hole in this book without Murphy but that reflected what it feels like in real life when we lose someone. Jim Butcher did a really good job of showing how it feels, and I was feeling all the same things right along with Harry. 

 

“Pain is a fire. That’s true for all of the people, some of the time. If you’ve never had to stand   in that fire, be patient: Your turn is coming.”

 

I liked that this book took its time in developing the relationships and characters, letting them breath and grow and change at a pace that felt real. I'm not sure how I feel about the deal with Lara yet, but I liked the way things played out. I'm also really glad that Harry was able to step up and be more present in Maggie's life. 

 

 “There’s a little girl who is waiting for you,” he said. “She keeps a little light in her window     at night, you know. In case you come to see her and need it to find your way.”

 

Overall, I'm happy with the way this book progressed the plot and characters and that a couple of things got resolved, one being Thomas's situation. I was glad it wasn't dragged out longer, even if some of it ended up not ideal. I was also glad that Harry found some peace and happiness in the end. 

 

 “I realized that peace and happiness aren’t the same thing. Not at all. Happiness is peace in    action. And peace is happiness at rest. And neither one has to be perfect to be real.”

 

As always, I'm looking forward to the next book in this series. 

 

 

 

May 2026 Reading List

I've got a lot of books planned to read for this month. More than normal, but most of them are novellas. For book club this month we're reading The Will of the Many, which I just finished a reread of so, I won't be reading it again but I'll be starting the second book, The Strength of the Few this month.

 

 

Reading for NetGalley-

 

The Shippers by Katherine Center

One of the hottest, fastest-rising rom-com stars delivers her latest swoon-worthy novel about a destination wedding on a cruise ship.

After a whole lifetime of being bad at love, JoJo Burton decides to solve her intimacy issues once and for all at her sister’s destination wedding on a cruise ship. With the help of a little pop psychology, she diagnoses herself with a fixation on the neighborhood guy who was her her first crush and first kiss (and who just happens to be a newly-divorced wedding guest ), and she decides to woo him during the cruise for some long-delayed closure. Only problem is, her sister’s a little busy being a bride at the moment—so JoJo ropes in her childhood bestie, Cooper Watts, to be her wing man. Cooper: who RSVPed no, but then showed up, anyway. Cooper: who left town without a word four years earlier and moved to London. Cooper: who was, if she’s honest, the worst heartbreak of JoJo’s life. It’s bliss for her to see him again, and it’s agony, too—and the more they team up for Project Conquest, the more she obsesses over questions she can’t bring herself to ask.

Shipboard antics ensue in this witty, heart-tugging, childhood-friends-to-lovers romance—as JoJo and Cooper fake flirt, slow dance, share a cabin, sing duets, treat sunburns, get jealous, rescue each other over and over, and finally, at last, figure it all out in the most blissful, swoony, romantic way.

No one does summer romance quite like Katherine Center. THE SHIPPERS will take readers on the cruise of a lifetime in a story awash with romantic longing, top-notch banter, long-held secrets . . . and true love rediscovered. 

 

 

-This month is sci-fi month for the monthly reading challenge so I decided to not only read Platform Decay but I decided to do a reread of the whole series in chronological order. I won't post the covers and descriptions of all the books in the series but there are 8 in total with most of them being novellas.

 

Platform Decay (The Murderbot Diaries #8) by Martha Wells 

Everyone's favorite lethal SecUnit is back in the next installment in Martha Wells' bestselling and award-winning Murderbot Diaries series.

Having someone else support your bad decision feels kind of good.

Having volunteered to run a rescue mission, Murderbot realises that it will have to spend significant time with a bunch of humans it doesn't know.

Including human children. Ugh.

This may well call for... eye contact!

 

-Another NetGalley read that works for sci-fi month. 

 

The Blindside (Planetside #5) by Michael Mammay

Colonel Carl Butler charges back into the world of military crisis, corporate malfeasance, and intergalactic mystery in the action-packed fifth Planetside novel from science fiction master Michael Mammay.

Carl Butler has returned to his home planet from the moon Taug and is looking forward to some rest and relaxation. But following two mysterious deaths connected with the Taug mission, he realizes that the intruders that recently set off his home’s security system might be looking to add him to the death toll.

Having been Butler’s muscle on numerous missions, Mac is no stranger to getting involved with mysteries that should be none of his business. So when the daughter of one of his gym members goes missing, he offers to help. Mac assumes she’s a simple runaway, but the case turns out not to be so clear-cut. Wondering if these strange occurrences are somehow related, Butler—along with Mac, Ganos, and the rest of his small crew—once again finds himself neck deep in intrigue.

As the clues for the various cases begin to intertwine, Butler sees the hand of an old enemy at work, and…well…he’s never been one to sit back and wait for something to happen. Gathering the team, he heads off across the galaxy to confront his suspects head-on.

But this time, they’re waiting for him.

 

 

-I'll be reading this one if I have time.

 

An Ordinary Sort of Evil (A Rip Through Time #5) by Kelley Armstrong

New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong returns to Victorian Scotland in the latest in the genre-blending Rip Through Time series.

Modern-day homicide detective Mallory Mitchell has grown accustomed to life in Victorian Scotland after travelling 150 years into the past into the body of a housemaid. She’s built a new life for herself. Even though she works as an assistant to forensic-science pioneer Dr. Duncan Gray and Detective Hugh McCreadie, she considers them true friends. And with Gray in particular, perhaps, someday, something more.

Late one night, Gray and Mallory are summoned urgently to the home of Lady Adler, a patron of Gray’s undertaking business, and they assume there's been a death in the household. But instead, they arrive in the midst of a seance with a ghost demanding Gray's presence. The ghost is Lady Adler's former maid, who had gone missing but now requests that Gray investigate her murder. Although Gray and Mallory are skeptical, they agree to look into the matter, whether she's dead or alive. But unsure if there's been a murder or not, unable to call out the medium as a fraud, and concerned for the fate of the young maid, Gray and Mallory are once again drawn into a mystery much more puzzling--and more dangerous--than it first seems 

 

 

 

 

Reading with the Mystery Book Club-

  

Seams Like Murder (Grace Designs #1) by Tilly Wallace

There are two things that can’t talk—moving pictures and dead showgirls…

1920, Wellington, New Zealand. Grace Devine is poised to build her thriving dress design business as the twenties begin to soar. But when a fashionable client is murdered, suspicion falls on Grace as the last person to see Agatha alive.

As wary clients cancel and business begins to fail, Grace decides there’s only one way to prove her innocence and save her career…this seamstress will turn sleuth to find who really murdered the showgirl.

The more she learns, the more she uncovers of the darker side of the dead woman’s personality. Agatha liked to collect secrets and use them against people. But what target snapped that fatal night? Can Grace stitch together the clues before her life is torn apart…

Seams like Murder is the first installment in the Grace Designs mysteries series. These heart-warming historical mysteries will send you on a unique New Zealand adventure. 

 

  

Blood Evidence (Cass Leary #5) by Robin James

She’s tough as nails when defending criminals. Can a simple test destroy her resolve?

Defense lawyer Cass Leary believes wholeheartedly in justice for all. So when her deadbeat dad suddenly reappears begging for help, she throws her better judgment out the window. But Cass’s family drama takes a back seat when a new client’s desperate search for her birth parents flips from happy to horrifying.

The adoption investigation hits a dead end, so Cass gives her client a simple at-home DNA kit. However, before she can act on the findings, the attorney’s father gets arrested for a scandalous crime. And as Cass finally follows the trail from the ancestry test, she uncovers a gruesome family tree watered with decades of blood.

Can Cass bring to light the shocking truth of two twisted cases?

Reading at Fantasy Buddy Reads-

 

The Soulforge (Dragonlance: Raistlin Chronicles #1) by Margaret Weis

 A mage's soul is forged in the crucible of magic.

Raistlin Majere is six years old when he is introduced to an archmage who enrolls him in a school for the study of magic. There the gifted - but tormented boy comes to secretly, for they see shadows darkening over Raistlin even as the same shadows lengthen over all of Ansalon.

As Raistlin draws near his goal of becoming a wizard, he must first take the Dread Test in the Tower of High Sorcery. It will change his life forever.

 

 

 Pick it For Me book-

  

How to Walk Away by Katherine Center

Margaret Jacobsen has a bright future ahead of her: a fiancé she adores, her dream job, and the promise of a picture-perfect life just around the corner. Then, suddenly, on what should have been one of the happiest days of her life, everything she worked for is taken away in one tumultuous moment.

In the hospital and forced to face the possibility that nothing will ever be the same again, Margaret must figure out how to move forward on her own terms while facing long-held family secrets, devastating heartbreak, and the idea that love might find her in the last place she would ever expect. 

 

 

 

 

Other Books-

 

The Strength of the Few (Hierarchy #2) by James Islington 

The Hierarchy still call me Vis Telimus. Still hail me as Catenicus. They still, as one, believe they know who I am.

But with all that has happened—with what I fear is coming—I am not sure it matters anymore.

I am no longer one. I won the Iudicium, and lost everything—and now, impossibly, the ancient device beyond the Labyrinth has replicated me across three separate worlds. A different version of myself in each of Obiteum, Luceum, and Res. Three different bodies, three different lives. I have to hide; fight; play politics. I have to train; trust; lie. I have to kill; heal; prove myself again, and again, and again.

I am loved, and hated, and entirely alone.

Above all, though, I need to find answers before it’s too late. To understand the nature of what has happened to me, and why.

I need to find a way to stop the coming Cataclysm, because if all I have learned is true, I may be the only one who can.

 

 

 

No Good Deed (The Scarsdale Fosters #6) by B.E. Baker

Her entire life, Ardath has wanted to do one save people in a way no one managed to save her mother. After growing up without any real family, she wants to spare others from the same fate. She’s come up with a brilliant plan to save even more lives, if only she can fund it.

Albert Devonshire the fourth—whose friends call him Ace—founded a successful gaming company that he loved running. . .until his dad got sick. When he takes over management of the family-owned chain of hospitals, he discovers his Dad’s been struggling with dementia for a while. The business is in shambles, and his mother’s spending isn’t helping anything.

When a young, beautiful doctor asks for funding to launch a program she’s clearly passionate about, he hates turning her down, but he has no choice. They’re one do-gooder program away from shutting down.

Ardath doesn’t take his refusal very well, and the more time Ace spends around Ardath, the more he hates being her enemy, but he can’t let the family empire collapse over yet another crush. Can Ardath and Ace make peace, or will their duties to their families set them irrevocably at odds. . .forever? 

 

 

 

 

  

Out Law (The Dresden Files #18.75) by Jim Butcher, and Paranormal Payback by Jim Butcher and Kerrie L. Hughes

  

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy
Content: Strong Language

 

In a city that’s just beginning to recover from the devastation caused by the Battle of Chicago, Harry Dresden is finally pulling himself together as well. He’s ensconced in his own personal castle, healing his various wounds, and training an eager new apprentice. The last thing he wants is any trouble. But, as history has consistently—and quite annoyingly—shown, what Harry wants is rarely what Harry gets.

It starts with a visit from Harry’s most powerful frenemy, Gentleman John Marcone, Baron of Chicago. He needs Harry to assist in the redemption of an underling who’s looking to go straight. And since Harry does kinda sorta owe Marcone for saving his life once (stupid honorable debt!), it’s not a request he can refuse. He’ll just wish he had.

Because this little favor is going to drag Harry into a fight he doesn’t want on behalf of a lowlife he doesn’t trust against an enemy more powerful and pestilent than he ever could’ve an insatiable, demonic foe whom Harry himself may have created when he wiped out the vampires of the Red Court so long ago.

Before, all it wanted was blood. Now it wants the entire world . . . 

 

I enjoyed this novella set in the world of The Dresden Files. It's a good follow up to the last novella, The Law, with the villain from that story trying to reform. I liked the way Harry goes about trying to help this guy see and understand what it truly takes to make the changes he wants to make in his life. How to change his mindset, and the real reasons for doing so.

Thanks to NetGalley and Podium Publishing for providing me with an ARC of this book. 

 

 

 

 

  

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy
Content: Strong Language

 

In this short story collection, our heroes get what’s due to them—with a supernatural flair.

But the injustices that have been holding them back might cost them more than they realized. . . . 

In “Mister Petty,” a brand-new Dresden Files story from #1 New York Times bestselling author Jim Butcher, a woman hires Goodman Grey to get back at her cheating husband. She’s about to find out that Grey isn’t your ordinary detective—he’s a professional monster. And he’s going to balance the scales.

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black, “Dying Isn’t Just for the Young” follows an elderly widow reckoning with family scheming to take away her independence in a world infected by a disease of vampirism.

New York Times bestselling author Faith Hunter’s “Razors and Revenge” finds the vampire bounty hunter Shiloh awaiting her judgement at the hands of the Dark Queen, fresh off a brutal werewolf attack and the loss of a dear friend. But Shiloh’s not just a vampire anymore—and the wolfish instincts growing inside her are howling for blood.

And Kim Harrison takes us to the #1 New York Times bestselling series of the Hollows in her story “Dog-eared.” The demon Algaliarept makes a bargain with the dangerously insane Newt, the last female demon, to punish an arrogant wizard for abusing his precious magical texts—but how ruthless is Al willing to be to get his petty vengeance?

ALSO INCLUDES STORIES BY Jennifer Blackstream * Maurice Broaddus * Delilah S. Dawson * Kevin Hearne * Tanya Huff * Kerrie L. Hughes * R. L. King * R. R. Virdi

Contents:
Mister Petty by Jim Butcher
The Underground Goddess by Kevin Hearne
Dying Isn't Just for the Young by Holly Black
A Midsummer Night's Scheming by Delilah S. Dawson writing as Isla Jewell
Contained by Tanya Huff
Dirt by Jennifer Blackstream
Black Bond by Maurice Broaddus
Dog-Eared by Kim Harrison
Razors and Revenge by Faith Hunter
A Clean Break by R. L. King
Grave Payback by R. R. Virdi
The Broom by Kerrie L. Hughes 

 

I picked this up for the purpose of reading the stories by Jim Butcher and Jennifer Blackstream, since those are the two authors with stories in the book that relate to books I've read. So my rating is for those two stories.

 

Mister Petty by Jim Butcher- 4 stars

I enjoyed this story, and I thought Goodman Gray and his assistant were fun characters. I wouldn't mind meeting them again sometime. 

 

Dirt by Jennifer Blackstream- 4 stars

I've only read the prequel book to this series, but I'm interested in continuing. I liked this story a lot. The characters are interesting, especially Peasblossom. 

 

Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with an ARC of this book.  

 

 

April 2026 Reading Wrap-Up

I finished up Twelve Months at the beginning of the month and then read five other books, had one DNF, and read three novellas, finally finished up my reread of The Will of the Many, and started another book that I'm in the middle of reading. I decided to push Platform Decay to May for sci-fi month so I didn't read that one.

 

 

Just Another Missing Person by Gillian McAllister

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Mystery, Suspense
Content: Strong Language

 

 

 

 

  

The Shabby Old Cottage (The Irish Escape #3) by B.E. Baker

See my review here. 

 

 

 

 

  

Waifs and Strays (The Cat Lady Chronicles #1) by Helen Harper

Review to come.

 

 

 

 

 

Yours Truly (Part of Your World #2) by Abby Jimenez

Review to come.

 

 

 

 

 

Out Law (The Dresden Files #18.75) by Jim Butcher

Review to come.

 

 

 

 

 

The Spectral Orchid (Leaf and Scale #3) by Tilly Wallace

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Content: 

 

I've tried to get into this series but I just can't. I'm a little bored with it and the characters feel like they are recycled from one of her other series. It doesn't help that the same narrator narrates these. I ended up stopping at 31%.  

 

 

 

 

 

Paranormal Payback by Jim Butcher and Kerri L. Hughes, and various other authors

I read the two stories from Jim Butcher and Jennifer Blackstream since those are the ones related to books I've been reading. I may get to the others later. 

Review to come.

 

 

 

 

 

The Will of the Many (Hierarchy #1) by James Islington

Still 5 stars on reread. 

Also the book chosen for my book club to read in May so my reread was just in time for that. 

See my original review here.  

 

 

 

 

 

Stolen Justice (Cass Leary #4) by Robin James

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

Category: Adult
Genre: Mystery, Suspense, Legal Thriller
Content: Strong Language

 

 

 

 

  

Just For the Summer (Part of Your World #3) by Abby Jimenez

Still reading so no rating yet