Mr. Fake Husband Grump by Francesca Spencer

 The funny part of this story is the two enemies are thrown together & forced to fake being married. Two times they have to pretend to be married. And each time it is to help the other out. But what they don't realize is they aren't fooling anyone. The people who insisted they had to be married could tell they weren't. I am shocked at how fast Max, Julia's son takes a liking to Nick a lot faster than I'd believe in real life. And Julia never tells Nick who Max's father is. A very important thing to know if you're going to marry her. Does Max's father have visitation rights? All important need to know information before marrying someone with a child. Otherwise, it's a good heartwarming story. A clean romance with nothing but kissing. I find I like these stories more as I get older. 

Relic Hunter (Riley Cruz series book 1) by L. A. Cruz

 I totally love this author. And I promise it has nothing to do with the fact that I've lived my whole life close to Kansas City. Although, it is nice to read about an area I'm so familiar with. Riley is such a quirky character. How many stories do you read where the shifter is a goat? And having a goat as a relic hunter is brilliant! I can totally buy that. Riley has a dark mysterious past. And it's also quite tragic. I love Dez. The vampire who's squeamish about blood. But he's a computer hacker who used to own a major company. He's still rich thanks to stocks. And then there's the local Alpha Max. He's your typical broody overprotective Alpha who thinks he has to protect everyone. Riley lived with 4 witches when she came to Kansas City. They made a deal with Max. Riley is on her own living on name brand ramen. And working as a terrible bartender. From the age of 12-16 years old an Alpha named Carl took her after her parents died in a questionable fire. He trained her to be a thief. He used abusive tactics. Riley double crossed him at age 16 and fled to Kansas City. She has made a home here with the witches, Dez, & 2 necromancers. When a demon escapes her friend has to find a way to send it back to hell. Then she is targeted by the demon. He tells her about a demon blade that is going to be auctioned off to the highest bidder. It has magical properties. While she gets Dez to help her steal the dagger Carl has been trying to locate her. There is a hook up scene in here parents. It's not as bad as most in this genre. But I always want parents to be aware. Carl makes his move and Riley is naive enough to not expect a double cross from an old acquaintance. She & Dez barely escape. Then Riley tries to sell the dagger again and she almost dies at the hands of a demon. Max rushes to save her. She loses the dagger to the demon. They regroup in Kansas City and come up with a plan to steal another demon relic that conveniently is being sold by the guy she stood a relic from for Carl and then buried before she ran to Kansas City. Now Max insists on going with her because there are a lot of guards and she could use the muscle. But as usual everything goes wrong. Where Riley goes chaos ensues! You'll love these quirky characters.

Onyx Storm book 3 by Rebecca Yarros

First of all there's a big book hangover after this one folks. Normally, I'd call it a cliffhanger but I'm stunned by this ending. To be fair I thought this was a trio of books though. Again parents there are things in this book I wouldn't let my teenager read. Not until their an adult. I am a big believer in not letting my kids learn about things they shouldn't be doing until they're adults. I'll also probably piss some people off by saying there is mention of same gender couples and leave it at that. I will say it is closed door though. Or I wouldn't have read this series! Now this book is all about how many rules the riot can break in order to save as many lives as possible. First they join with the fliers to integrate with the dragons. Then they take off on an island hopping adventure to locate an army of dragons like Andarna. In order to accomplish this they can't fly as far because the gryphons can't fly as far as dragons. So they have to travel to islands that the gods temples are on. There they become the "entertainment" in the gods sick games. I will warn you we lose some good people in this book. Some that have been with us a long time. Yes I cried a few times. Also, we have to deal with Xaden turning into a venin. And the reactions of what happens when his secret comes out to friends. The last battle is very brutal & may have cost Xaden everything. But I have hope in Aaric and his manifested powers. Plus it appears that Violet put some plans into motion herself at the end of the book. I'm dying to find out the truth but it sounds like it might be another year before that happens.

Wolf Call: A New Dawn book 7 by Rachel M. Raithby

 I have been waiting for this book for so long. But I also understand life happens. I'm glad the author has had some time off for her family. This book can be read as a standalone. Once you read it I would encourage you to go back and start at the beginning of A New Dawn with Winter Wolf. It's one of my favorites! And this series is unique in that two packs actually become one that's briefly explained because it's already happened by the time of this book. Okay, so Zac who was bitten by a wolf was left to fend for himself by his monster of an alpha named Niel. Zac's family immediately seeks help for him. Zac has a sister that's a veterinarian. That helps because she can sedate him & help get him to other wolf shifters. Zac turns out to be a really strong wolf. He could almost be an alpha. Because of that he can choose a different alpha than Niel who turned him. Zac finds a great pack. He is able to work a job flipping hamburgers at a dinner around humans. And he likes protecting the pack. The women, children, & less dominant wolves. Plus you never know when another pack will attack. 

Niel is the worst alpha ever! He hunts humans who he believes need a purpose & he thinks will not be missed by anyone. But he was wrong about Zac & he's wrong about Ashley. Neil has been stalking Ashley & because her mom's in a psych ward her dad is too busy working & visiting his wife to even communicate or stop by the house. He rarely checks to see if she made it home or if there's food in the house. Neil makes his move & attacks Ashley by biting her. He lets her go home so he can watch to see if she can survive the change. Ashley wakes up & runs downstairs on 4paws. She thinks she's going crazy like her mom. Neil and some of his pack kidnap her & take to their pack territory. To confuse her she is blind folded. Held in a cage. She spends most of her time in human form but transforms to sleep. Ashley has no will to live 

Zac is taken off guard when he is ambushed by Neil when he's supposed to be protecting a friend's wolf cub. In order to save them he goes with him willingly. But Neil holds grudges so he kidnaps the mom & wolf cub to get Zac to do as he's told. When they awake in a basement with boarded up windows & I special cages they discover Ashley in her shifted form. Zac is taken with Ashley to numerous locations until they arrive at Neil's compound. Zac soon realizes that Ashley is his mate. He has to protect her. But Ashley hates what she's become & wants nothing to do with this new life. In Neil's pack you fight daily for dominance. If you don't he'll kill you. Can Zac save them both? And what happens when Zac finds out what Neil is really doing? 

Son Of A Bite by Lucia Ashta

I have to say this is one of my least favorite books. And here's why. This book is full of vulgar language, words I don't even use to call women I don't like. While there are new creatures I've not heard of before. All the men in the book talk about are drinking, doing drugs, & having relations with the opposite gender. Although, it is mentioned that certain people say if they liked the same gender they'd like that person. I normally like dark vampire books. But this book is too gritty and I find the characters are not ones I connected with enough to stay interested. And at eighty percent of the way through I couldn't read it anymore. Which is a shame because I feel like Luciana books have really changed over the years from fun worlds & characters to several series I don't want to read.

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

Here's my parental warning that I always put in books that I think warrant them. At first this book wasn't bad just talking about people hooking up without details. There is mention of same gender relations. About halfway through the book is where the relationship between two people changes. And yes this get descriptive. I will say it's not too spicy. I've read worse but a lot of those times I had no idea what I was getting into. As far as your teen reading this it really depends on how conservative you are. And I grew up very conservative so I wouldn't even let my 18 year old read this. But technically, they are adults then & don't listen to us. Some of you might let your 16 year old read this but that's on you. I should also mention the dark way this book treats death. People die left and right in this book and the characters are supposed to treat it like it's A part of life. People are literally burned along with their belongings & their names read once & then everyone moves on. I always recommend parents read a book before they allow their kids to. 

If you love books about dragons, schools, and characters who learn things about themselves they never knew you will love this. It's an enemies to lovers, right vs wrong, corrupt politics, & bullies who'd rather kill you so they can take your spot. I personally love dragon rider books. I've been reading them for years. This one has rich world building and previous battle history. On top of this Violet is a very intelligent girl who has a joint and ligament condition. Her bones also break easily. Violet is the daughter of a dragon rider general (mother) and a scribe. Violet was all set to take the scribe test & become one until her mom interfered. Violet only had 6 months to train for what others train for all their lives. Of course, she passed the written tests it's the physical part that she has to worry about. Personally I can't stand her mother! I think she resents the fact that her daughter has something wrong with her. Plus, Violet reminds her mother of her dad. I think she expected her to die and not make it through the first year. Now Violets mother was part of the military that had to kill all the resistance parents. They were ordered to kill them in front of their children. Which is totally barbaric. Xaden took 107 scars on his back to protect that many kids who lost their parents that day. If any of them rise up against the leadership Xaden dies. Xaden is a 3rd year wing leader. And the leader of Violets squadron. Now here comes love interest number two Dain. Rain is Violets best friend who grew up with her. He's a year older but already a squad leader. But here's Dain's big problem he does everything by the rules. Yeah, I know you can see the train wreak coming. Xaden tells Violet he's going to kill her but he has plenty of opportunities and doesn't. In fact, he's intrigued by her. He gives her opportunities to get him in trouble but she doesn't tell his secrets. Violet gets help from a diary her brother gave her. It allows her to beat her opponents in hand to hand combat. Because of her last name & because she's weak there are plenty of people who want Violet dead. Zander starts to get Violet to think about challenges she can't physically complete for a legal way to accomplish them. Whereas Dain keeps trying to talk her into running back to the scribes & hiding from her mother. And when Violet saves a little dragon from 3 bullies she is rewarded by the most powerful dragon wanting to bond with her. She's surprised to learn the little dragon has bonded to her as well. This makes the military officials go crazy. They want her to choose one. What Violet doesn't know is her dragon is mated to Xaden's. And because of this they can all telepathically talk to one another. Xaden desires he has to help train Violet or she won't pass the other trials. Plus she's so little she can't stay on her dragon. He has others he trusts train her, protect her, etc. Violet quickly falls for Xaden who tells her not to after their first time together. When Violets signed power (magic she & her dragon power) comes out it scares her because she ends up causing an avalanche that kills the bully that was trying to kill her. Violet is a very compassionate person. Something the harsh world she lives in doesn't understand. When the war games come something feels off to Violet and she should've read more into the look Dan's dad gave him before they all left to pack. That would've sent red flags off in my head. When Xaden changes plans & has Liam & Violet go with him instead of Dain she should've noticed Dain's demeanor. Because when they stop for a water break they are warned by gryphon fliers that the town they are flying towards has venin, mythic creatures, coming to attack. Violet's dad used to read a fairytale book to her about them when she was younger. Violet is furious because Xaden has been keeping secrets from her. He was part of the people stealing supplies. But until she sees the cabin for herself when they get to their destination she never would've believed they were real. Plus something is seriously wrong the keep is empty. Hundreds of soldiers are gone. All that is left is a note from Dain's dad with an impossible choice. They can leave all the people in the town unprotected & relinquish Xaden's wing leader title or stay & fight. Fighting is basically a death sentence. There are four venin and they are immune to dragon fire. Plus even with their numbers venom channel with dark magic which is stronger than the magic they wield. There is a big cliffhanger at the end!

Kingdom of Chaos by Julie Hall

This book is in my opinion better than the first book! And we all know that's hard to do. In this book we are racing to find a way to a gate to get to the human world. Then we need to locate Becks & see if he's still alive after being stabbed in the heart. Locklyn wastes days because her parents want answers about Chaos. But Locklyn needs time to process everything she went through & the new information that changes everything she knew about herself. Because she was told by the evil Kerrim that she was human. Which she was very angry about because if her parents knew this why would they pretend like she was a creature & take her to the doctor? That's just cruel. When her parents force her to talk she learns the secrets of her adoption. And the circumstances are pretty sketchy. Yet, her parents wanted a baby so bad they never questioned any of it. This book has a lot of ups & downs. Locklyn, Ensley, & Titus take a road trip to get Talon. He had returned home. There the meet Talon's annoying yet tough as nails vampire cousin, Imogen. Talon comes clean with them & reveals the Arcane Society (the group his family leads to help keep the 8 gates closed) true purpose. But by revealing so much he is banished from the group & his family. He gave up a lot to help them find Becks. I know part of him felt guilty but he really only did it for Locklyn. I have to say it infuriates me that she lies to herself all the time! She claims that Becks has always been so supportive but that's a lie. A guy that loves you & trusts you should believe in you. That you are strong without magic. And not constantly say things that hurt her so much that it feels like a literal punch to the gut. Becks treated her like a trophy but one he was afraid to show off. I don't care who you are that hurts. She had to feel like his dirty little secret. I would've! And Talon was right, Becks never stood up & fighted for their relationship. That tells me he's not committed enough or mature enough for one! This book is one fight, strategy, & survival at a time. They go through a gate & find themselves in human gatekeepers hands. Things do not go well. But they get information & transportation to get to Central Park. On the way there someone's shadow magic seems to get out of control when they get emotional. Talon continues to be a calming balm to her anxiety & overthinking. Talon has to teach Locklyn how to control her new powers. And she soon learns how hard it is to keep her emotions in check. Especially, since she's constantly worried about Becks, thinks that everything that's happened is her fault. As time to rescue Becks grows closer Locklyn lies to herself about her feelings toward Talon & she fights to lock them up. Locklyn makes some hard deals to get Becks out. And when he gets out in my opinion he acts like a overprotective pig! I would've pulled him aside & told him no way are you to treat me like that again. Because everything he did was for show to stake a claim on Locklyn. He might as well have marked her as a dog does. According to a prophecy Locklyn has to fight Kerrim. That fight is pretty nasty. Ensley gets kidnapped before they can initiate their plans. So Locklyn can't stand the thought of that creep hurting Ensley and they arrange to meet the next day. The plans go wrong as usual several of them get hurt. In order to save Locklyn Talon shares his power with her. But will he have enough to sustain himself? And who will Locklyn choose to be with? There are several surprises at the end. I was upset when Talon was injured early on & never seemed to heal. Especially, as he got seemed but hid it behind his mask like he always does. 

Savage Crown (Bonded by Fate Duet book 2) by Leia Stone

Kaelric is my mate but he will never forgive me because Valkaryn (the powerful sword who has his mothers soul in it) rejected him. It's supposed to help him win save his people. My names Brynn and I sacrificed giving my family magic for this sword. And now my mate says we can't be together because I'm human. I could die in childbirth. And he left me & the sword here after the trials. Don't get me wrong he gave me & my family his mom's childhood home. After living in the Dregs this is a mansion. But he never uses the mind speak to talk to me anymore. I find myself thinking of him every second of the day. I help my people build houses. Cassian moved here because someone was trying to assassinate him. He comes over every night for dinner. My best friend Elia is here and I see her a lot. Her daughter & my little sister are best friends. Finally, a wolfkin comes & tells me Kaelric needs me. We ride to the war front. Turns out it's Godric, Kaelric's uncle (second in command). Kaelric apologized. But, we have a problem the evil king has Mind Render a sword that is second only to mine. He also has Ella's mom as his concubine. Mind Render basically gives him power to control everyone in town. I learn I am a weak vessel for Valkaryn. And I find out how she was able to have children with her wolfkin mate as a human. So, in a desperate attempt to save the kingdom I try it. Only things don't go as I planned. There are consequences. But I am able to help Kaelric get the kingdom back. Then I have to deal with the consequences that I didn't tell Kaelric about. One more quest before I can rest. After all I made a promise I intend to keep. But it ends up costing me a lot in the end. But I promise this book like all Leia Stone books has a happy ending.

Traitor Wolf by Leia Stone

 I loved this book. This is a hunger games meets shifter/forbidden love type of story. And it also has an another guy who likes the heroine Brynn. In this story Brynn is a girl who grew up dirt poor. She’s one of 7 siblings. Her father died & her mother is left to take of all the kids. Brynn has to drop out of school to help pay the bills. The rich or Elites who by the way have magic of course, keep raising taxes on the magicless. Because of this Brynn’s mom works 3 jobs. And Brynn herself works 2-3. There is very little food where they live and it costs a lot. Brynn and her mother have gone without food for 3 days quite a bit to make sure her younger siblings are fed. When fate singles her out to go through the Arcane trials without magic most say it’s a death sentence. But if Brynn were to win she would get magic for her whole bloodline. And that automatically changes your status to an Elite. An Elite has to sponsor her and the guy that did died so his brother has to take over. Lucky for her he’s not like most Elites. He wants the social hierarchy to change. He like his brother sees the magicless as humans not rats (as the Elites call them.) In order to enter the trials a magical sword has to choose you. The more powerful the sword the better off you are. The last element to the trial is a wolfkin has to choose to bond with you. This is based on the sword you choose & the wolfkins pack status. The wolfkins can fight for the right to bond with you until the most powerful one wins. When they bond with you it’s like a typical shifter bond they can talk telepathically. The sword that chooses Brynn can actually talk too. It turns out the sword she gets hasn’t bonded with anyone in thousands of years. And the wolf that bonds with her is very powerful too. Yet, he’s been branded a Traitor Wolf for killing who he was supposed to protect in these games. So Brynn can’t trust him. Yet, for the first trial her life depends on her trusting Kaeleric because the Elites are trying to kill her in this trial. Cassian warns her not to trust him because of his mark. Yet, when he finds out the Elites plan to kill her he has to convince Brynn to trust Kaeleric or she’ll die. And of course, Kaeleric has a dark past one he doesn’t want to share. Plus Brynn has been taught nothing about wolfkins in school. Only Elites know anything about them. Both Cassian & Kaeleric do what they can to help feed the magicless. But who will win her heart in the end? And will she survive the trials without magic?

Black Hearted by Leia Stone & Julie Hall

I loved Zane through this whole series and felt so sad for him because he was the last to get a mate. He had to stand by and watch his brothers fall madly in love. He was always so funny & charming but he had to wait for the one person made for him. Lorelei was just as sweet, considerate, respectful, and caring as Zane. Both wanted to sacrifice themselves to save both worlds and the thousands of fae. Queen Liliana was a really evil twisted fae. In fact I don't buy the story that shellfish changed after her husband died. He wasn't her mate. I think there's more to it. Anyone who had to kill their mate would be devastated. Whether they only IKEA them for a few minutes or not. I would love to see the authors do a novella about Queen Lilliana's backstory! Princess Lorelei is kidnapped by Queen Liliana. And I thought she was cruel before. The torture techniques she uses are nothing but barbaric. When the princess escapes & gets caught she is severely punished. Not to mention the way the queen siphons off her with the intention of opening the portal. Dawn goes into early labor & we learn just how many babies she is carrying. And there is a surprise when the babies are born in reference to their gender. Lorelei has a secret power that only her family knows about. This power saves her mice by getting messages to Zane & her mother. Shockingly Zane & her mom team up to rescue her. And Zane gains a little sister. He rescues a orphan girl & brings her to the Spring Court with him. The bond the establish softens the Spring Queen & princesses heart. Like I said Zane is special. I don't think Lorelei could've killed anyone. She hates taking plant life to live or heal. I bet she could also cause death with her power too. She just never tried. And it's a good thing Queen Liliana never figured it out. That woman's crazy! Talking about killing her own grandchildren if they had black blood. Who does that? A crazy person!