November Hello!

 

Hello. Long time no speak... again. Honestly, I wonder why I keep the blog sometimes but then I remember that I actually prefer writing bookish thoughts more than any of the social media stuff... Then I'm left pondering why I don't spend more time on here?! I blame my brain. I have a very short attention span these days so scrolling is easier than sitting still and thinking thoughts to translate into a blog post. 

Anyhoo! Hello! It's November! 

I cannot believe we're almost at the end of another year but since this is my favourite time of year I'm all excited about it.

I last updated on what's been going on in August (😱) so a quick run down of what's been going on since then:

👉I went to Florence (and attended RARE Florence whilst there.)

👉 The professor got promoted at work.

👉The little dude has started his second year of secondary school and got an award for academic excellence in his first year. 

👉I got a new hamster (named badgey) and he's pretty cool... (I still miss Bucky though. He was the bees-knees.)

👉I caught and recovered from Covid (for the second time.)

👉 My mum's health has been really poor and she's pending surgery but she'll hopefully be on the mend soon! Despite that, she was cleared to come visit for a couple of weeks which was lovely.

👉 It was my birthday! 38... that big 40 is creeping ever closer!

👉 I got a new laptop. It is super fast and super snazzy (not surprising considering my old laptop was over 8 years old) but like a new pair of boots, breaking in new technology takes time and I'm in the frustrating phase of having to reinstall things, save passwords, reset passwords, try and find where things are saved now... Bleh. It'll be good in a month or two once it's been suitably trained. 😂

👉 I managed to snag tickets to RARE's 10 year anniversary in Edinburgh next year (Sept).

👉 We completely redecorated the little dude's bedroom... It's went from "little kid room" to "teenage room" but the general chaos it's caused with furniture and boxes and stuff being all over the house whilst we decorated, sold/gave away old furniture, moved in new furniture etc... Ugh. Glad we don't have to do that again any time soon!!

👉 I've been stuck in a never ending cycle of blanching and freezing vegetables from the garden... Not to mention making chutney, pickling beetroot and other forms of preservation. I love how the husband's hobby has forced me to learn a whole new set of life-skills so the abundance of stuff he hauls from his garden doesn't go to waste! 😶 

I'm sure there's other stuff that I could add in here but I've rambled enough... Whilst the blogging mood has stuck me, I plan on working up some posts today so hopefully the blog won't be barren for much longer! Also, I've managed to transfer my blog list to the new computer in an easy to click through format so I'll hopefully be hopping around and catching up with folks!

(Instagram is fun and all but I miss my original blog-buddies!!)

I'm not going to list off what I've been reading since August but instead share my birthday book haul!

I got the Waterstones special edition of Kerri Maniscalco's Throne of the Fallen and it is beautiful! Printed edges, gorgeous embossed cover underneath the dust jacket... I've always been a cover whore but I've never really been a book collector but with how pretty some of these editions are I may be flipping...

Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

Between Us by Mhairi McFarlane

The Many Lives of Hadley Monroe by Bec McMaster

Spice Road by Maiya Ibrahim

Her Radiant Curse by Elizabeth Lim

In other news, it's the time of year for the HoHoHo Readathon hosted by Kimberly and I am, of course, going to take part! I think the HoHoHoRAT is my favourite of all of them every year!

 Who else is joining in?

❤

Hope you're all well! 

Hello, Sunday Posters, it's been a long time!!

 

Hello Sunday Posters!!

Wow, it's been a long time... So long I can't even remember the last time! I bet there's a lot of new bloggers on the roll and others missing... But hopefully there's still a lot of familiar faces! 

So, what's been going on over here? 

Erm... Not much. My mental health is still on the merry rollercoaster it's been on for the last couple of years (I'm on a nice steady part of the ride atm). 

The kid has finished his first year of high school and is on summer break atm (driving me steadily more insane with his pre-teen shenanigans). I'm still in the same job (project managing STEM stuffs), the professor is still plodding away with his job... We still have 3 cats but we lost our Bucky boy hamster months ago and I miss the little nut something fierce. 

Summer is here and I've been hating it (naturally) although we've been going on some day trips and what not which has been fun.

I attended RARE London back in July and met a load of authors (both new and known) and now I'm on the countdown to RARE Florence in September!

I'm so excited for Florence... We haven't been out of the UK as a family since 2017(ish) so a break is LONG overdue! While in Italy we'll be enjoying both Florence and Pisa and even though it's only a month away it stills feels like it's too long to wait!

Despite being completely erratic at posting here on the blog over the past few months... or maybe that should be years? I've been trying to be active over on Instagram with reading updates, reviews and the like. If you have an account, and want to keep up with me, that's the place to do it!

Oh yeah, and I deleted all twitter accounts - personal and blog. Mr Musk has lost his flippin' marbles and the whole "X" thing was the final straw for me.

Throughout August I've managed to read a grand total of ZERO books, so far!

What can I say, I'm on a roll. 😂

In all seriousness, I'm being such a moody moo mood reader at the moment... I currently have 6 different books at various stages of completion. Ideally, I'd like to finish all of them by the end of August but who knows what I'll end up doing. 

Bad Luck Charm by Julie Johnson

GWENDOLYN GOODE LIVES A CHARMED LIFE.

As owner of an occult shop in downtown Salem, Massachusetts she’s accustomed to all things odd and otherworldly. But when a bloody animal sacrifice is left as a warning outside her place of business, the police seem to think Gwen might be the target of some truly evil-doers. Suddenly, her sunny existence is riddled with danger in the form of crazed pagans, rogue employees, and nefarious henchmen. And there’s only one man who can protect her until the storm passes...

GRAHAM GRAVES HAS NO TIME FOR WITCHY NONSENSE.

Not in his love life, and definitely not in his line of work. Despite the ever-present oddities of his hometown, the private investigator and acclaimed police consultant prides himself on staying objective in every case that comes across his desk. That all changes when Gwendolyn — a woman who gets under his skin like no other — finds herself in the crosshairs of dangerous criminals. Graham is determined to make her safe, even if her presence tests his steely resolve. But as their mutual dislike sizzles into unexpected attraction… he becomes even more determined to make her something else:

HIS.

3.5/5 Stars

Bad Luck Charm is a quirky romantic suspense / mystery set against a magical backdrop that left me confused as to whether or not magic is supposed to actually be real in this world or not... Either way, one thing is for sure, if magic is actually a thing in this world, Gwen doesn't possess it. What she DOES possess, however, is her grandmother's witchy shop in Salem alongside super savvy business acumen which (when combined with her sass) was enough for me to like her.

The whole book focuses around a series of weird ritualistic sacrifices which puts Gwen at the top of the intended victim list and throws her into the protective clutches of her childhood crush turned adulthood "enemy" Graham.

The push/pull between Gwen and Graham was initially delicious (how Gwen didn't know the snark between them was foreplay, I'll never know!) but it went on for so long that it got exhausting before they finally got it together... And just when you think all is good on that front Gwen is a pain in the ass again. But! Once together *together* there is no third act break up which was great as I really wouldn't have survived anymore drama/acrimony between those two...

The story was engaging but it would have read a lot better had it not been quite so long! 500 odd pages was a bit excessive considering a lot of it was relationship drama (that I've already mentioned was exhausting) and the story really wasn't that complex. That said, I didn't work out who the killer was until embarrassingly late in the story so that was genuinely fun!

I absolutely loved the setting, the witchy vibes, the history, Salem... Johnson really brought the environment to life... Plus, Graham gave me serious Henry Cavill vibes from his description and the supporting characters were interesting enough that I'm up for reading the next book in this series.

All in all, a good addition to the spooky season reading list, I'd say!

❓ 

I know it's only August but I don't care... Who is getting excited for autumn/spooky season already?!

Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez

A novel of terrible first impressions, hilarious second chances, and the joy in finding your perfect match.

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.

This is one of three Abby Jimenez books I own and despite some niggles I'm ready to jump straight into another one!

Yours Truly captured my attention and held it from the first chapter to the last. A full day reading binge and I regret nothing.

Jacob and Briana were awesome together! They get off to such a rocky start full of misunderstandings but then the letters start and you just fall in love with them together...

I loved the banter, the getting to know you elements, and the hospital setting.

The first half was awesome and definitely heading towards a sparkly 5 stars from me... Then the second half hit and Briana's issues started to irritate me. The angst, stress and annoyance caused by the lack of communication (mostly on Briana's side but not exclusively) drove me demented... And just when I thought that the worst was over, and she was going to stop torturing the sweet gorgeous cinnamon roll that is Jacob, Briana lost her fckn mind! Like... what the actual hell?! 😣 I almost hurled the kindle across the room. (Vague, I know, but... spoilers.)

I understand the trauma she'd shoved down and ignored but she was so wilfully, ridiculously, stupidly illogical in thinking that Jacob could ever be anything like her crapbag ex or her worthless father. Just... Ugh. I wanted to shake her. Shout at her. Make her STOP sabotaging her life and happiness (and Jacobs too!!) But alas... All I could do is keep reading and eventually get to the happy ever after that mostly made up for the drama-based headache the second half of the book caused.

All in all, I appreciated the fact the book covered physical and mental health issues in a realistic manner and despite being an integral part of the story they didn't make the story too heavy or hard to read.

TMST: What is your favourite thing about summer?

 

What is your favourite thing about summer?

When it ends.

Seriously, I'm not joking. 

Summer brings me sadness.

Why?

It's hot.

(This should be self-explanatory.)

There are bugs. Flying bugs that just want to fly into orifices and lay eggs! 

(Okay, that might be an irrational fear of mine but the fear is REAL. I really hate bugs!) 

The clothes are not my preferred clothes.

(I'm a jeans, jumpers and boots gal. F-off with short shorts, dresses and flip-flops!)

I get sunburn. 

(Yes, I wear sunscreen. Yes,  I STILL burn. I'm pale, Scottish and pretty much a red-head...)

My migraine frequency increases by a factor of 10.

(I'm not joking.)

The food.

(Everybody is all, "ooh, it's hot let's have a bbq! Let's have a salad! Let's have ice-cream!" No! I want food that is cooked indoors. I only eat salads on the side of a proper meal. Ice-cream is great but is it sticky toffee pudding with custard? No. Stick your cold teas, cold coffees and lack of hot-chocolate somewhere uncomfortable!)

It doesn't get dark until really late.

(I like pulling the curtains closed, ignoring the world, cuddling under a blanket and reading with hot beverages. Can you do those things when it's never dark and always flipping sunny and warm?! No. 

Plus, everyone is all, "it's a lovely day! let's go outside!" Like, no! Leave me alone in my cave!! I don't like outside! There are people there!)

It doesn't rain enough.

(I like rain. Actually, I love rain. You don't get enough wet stuff when the hot thing is blazing.)

The colours.

(Blues, greens, yellows, pink... Bright, bold, and cheerful. Gag.)

The duration of school holidays.

(Look, I'm in the UK so I know I get insane amounts of leave compared to my counterparts across the pond but seriously?!! How is any parent supposed to cover all the school holidays whilst working FT and maybe, just maybe, having a day here or there for themselves? It's deranged! I love my kid and think he's hilarious but after 7.5 weeks of summer  - just summer! not even all the others - I'm re-considering all my fkn life choices!)

So... yeah. Anybody got some counter points? What do people actually like about summer? 

TMST: Have you found a way to cut back significantly on your TBR pile?

Have you found a way to cut back significantly on your TBR pile?

Bahahahahhahaha!!!!! 

(Do excuse me while I try not to die laughing over here...)

Cut back on my TBR pile? Cut back?!!! I lost my mind earlier this year and COUNTED how many books I actually had on my TBR pile - physical, audio and ebook - and it was over 1400 books. 

Since then, I've added... More. So many more. 

(Ebook sales! They're the devil, I tell ya!)

Then I went to RARE London and added even more books...

And I have RARE Florence in September... Don't be mistaken in thinking that the plane ride and baggage limitations will stop me! 

At this point, I don't think anything can... I have an addiction. 

Suffice to say, I have no way to cut back on the TBR pile. 

Well, that's not entirely true... I could stop acquiring books and spend the next 10-12 years just reading books I own but let's be realistic... That ain't going to happen!

So... How about you? Any tips/tricks for cutting back on the TBR pile? 👀

The Modern Girl's Guide To Magic by Linsey Hall

So here’s the deal—I’m a magical disaster. A witch from a family of witches, and the only one whose magic blows up in her face. Which is why I came up with my rules… 1. Never get involved with magic 2. If you must, do not enter a competition to win the biggest magical fortune in England 3. And definitely don't fall for Callan Hawthorne, the sexy billionaire mage who you've hated for years So how the heck do I end up in a situation that promises to break all those rules? It's the only way to save Seaside Spells, my family’s magical potion shop. But it’s cool. When I go back home to Charming Cove—a village of ancient pubs and foul-mouthed familiars—I will totally ignore Witch Weekly’s Sexiest Man of the Year. I’ll win the competition, and if I’m lucky, I won’t turn myself into a toad in the process. This'll be fine. It’ll all be fine. Riiiight.

The Modern Girl’s Guide to Magic is a fun, light romantic comedy full of laughter, love, and magical hijinks. It’s the first in a series of stand alone romances set in the seaside village of Charming Cove.

OMG, guys! This book was absolutely delightful!!

It has humour, family/found family, romance and magical shenanigans!

It was so easy to read that I barely noticed time passing and before I knew it I was done!

It was a perfect, feel-good, cosy book.

It's not complicated and it's not deep. It lacks drama and there are no surprises. It was so soothing!

I'm a little disappointed that future books won't be about Aria and Callan but I look forward to reading more about the people of Charming Cove! Plus, I'm sure Aria and Callan will feature so we'll get an update.

If you're looking for a heart warming read with a sprinkle of magic then look no further!

Chick Magnet by Emma Barry

 

From Emma Barry comes a clever romance about a hot veterinarian and a chicken-loving influencer who can’t help but ruffle each other’s feathers. 

Nicole Jones needs a fresh start. “Chick Nic” to millions of internet fans, the social media star and her flock of chickens bask in the spotlight—until she’s publicly dumped by a YouTuber for clout. 

She has no choice but to round up her birds and move on. But when one of her hens has an emergency, Nic gets her first taste of her new stomping grounds—and it isn’t good. 

Veterinarian Will Lund is wildly attractive, yes, but he’s also surly. In fact, he comes right out and calls her a menace for parading her chickens on social media. 

As neighbors, Nic and Will can’t exactly avoid each other. Then again, maybe they don’t want to. The two can’t deny their smoldering attraction, and it isn’t long before late-night confessions lead to backyard shenanigans. 

Is this the start of a neighborly relationship—or could something more be hatching?

Chick Magnet is one of those quirky, cute and wholesome books that make you happy, smile and feel cosy inside whilst still dealing with some pretty serious issues.

(Issues including the impact of Covid-19 on small businesses, situational depression, coercive and manipulative exes, and asshole family members.)

I really enjoyed it! 

It's light but not fluffy. Fun and flirty whilst also serious. Nic and Will are adults and act like adults and they're both extremely likeable. Their attraction is pretty instantaneous but their relationship evolves slowly.

 The story unfurls in a way that felt authentic but still managed to work out well for them and their future.

All in all, if you like contemporary romance (with med-low spice) then definitely give this one a try!

Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood

Rival physicists collide in a vortex of academic feuds and fake dating shenanigans in this delightfully STEMinist romcom.

The many lives of theoretical physicist Elsie Hannaway have finally caught up with her. By day, she's an adjunct professor, toiling away at grading labs and teaching thermodynamics in the hopes of landing tenure. By other day, Elsie makes up for her non-existent paycheck by offering her services as a fake girlfriend, tapping into her expertly honed people-pleasing skills to embody whichever version of herself the client needs.

Honestly, it's a pretty sweet gig - until her carefully constructed Elsie-verse comes crashing down. Because Jack Smith, the annoyingly attractive and arrogant older brother of her favourite client, turns out to be the cold-hearted experimental physicist who ruined her mentor's career and undermined the reputation of theorists everywhere. And he's the same Jack Smith who rules over the physics department at MIT, standing right between Elsie and her dream job.

Elsie is prepared for an all-out war of scholarly sabotage but... those long, penetrating looks? Not having to be anything other than her true self when she's with him? Will falling into an experimentalist's orbit finally tempt her to put her most guarded theories on love into practice?

First off, this isn't a standard "fake dating" book. Elsie fake dates people as part of a service as she's broke and needs the income to make ends meet. At no point does she fake-date Jack and the "twist" that's not really a twist is that Jack's brother is one of her fake dating clients... That's why I dislike calling this book fake-dating as it's really not.

Apart from the "fake dating" marketing, this book is another Ali Hazelwood winner for me! She seriously doesn't seem capable of writing a book that doesn't chime with me. 

The characters are well written, the relationship is awesome, the humour throughout the book is spot on and the drama is pretty minimal.

They are the perfect brain-soothing, soul hugging, novel a gal needs when the world is kicking her in the face.

A criticism I often see levelled at the author is that everything in her books is too "samey" and while I can see where people are coming from, I don't care. Not one little bit.

However, with Love, Theoretically I don't think the characters/plot is "samey" at all. It focuses on the more political aspects of STEM academia and that's quite different to her other books. 

Elsie is different from Bee (Love on the Brain) and Olive (The Love Hypothesis) with the only similarity being her obliviousness to the guy right in front of her! And even on that point, she's nowhere near as clueless as Olive and Bee were.

Jack is a big, bulky, well rounded guy much like Levi (Love on the Brain) and Adam (The Love Hypothesis) but that's where his similarities end. He's more argumentative, his past is sluttier, he goes after what he wants (aka Elsie) and doesn't hide it. (Oh, and he has tattoos which... Yeah. They tick my boxes!)

It was a new dynamic that still held all the magic and tension of the other books. 

All that's left to say is I really hope the next book from Hazelwood (after her NA entry later this year) focuses on Elsie's roommate Cece and the mysterious Kirk! I mean... He's STEM. It would fit the theme... But he's also rich from science (new) and Cece isn't STEM but a Lit PhD! (Also new...)

C'mon, Hazelwood... Make it happen!

Have you read this? What were your thoughts?

Is it a song? No, it's a book! Actually... It's both. (Top Ten Tuesday)

This week's Top Ten Tuesday is a freebie week and therefore I couldn't resist finally posting this topic... Book titles that are song titles! It's seriously amazing how many book titles are identical - or close to identical - to song titles. I mean, it probably shouldn't be surprising... Inspiration goes both ways when it comes to music and writing! But still, I was flicking through the never-ending feed of ebooks on my kindle and so many were jumping out at me! I actually had a hard time whittling it down to 10 for this post!

So how did I whittle it down? I made a list of around 40 books from my kindle and randomly started deleting them! (From the list... Not the kindle.) Those that made the cut were probably because the song jumped into my head and took root but there really wasn't anything more to the choices than that!

Now... To the list!

With You by Nashoda Rose

Gets paired with... With You by Linkin Park!

I haven't read the book despite it having lived on my kindle for years... But, With You (and the whole of hybrid theory) is part of the soundtrack of my life so it had to be on the list!

☕

Stay With Me by J. Lynn

Gets paired with... Stay With Me by Sam Smith!

Stay With Me is another book that's been lingering unloved on the kindle... I'll get to it. I'm sure. Eventually... As for the song, I'm not personally a fan of the song but it was undoubtedly popular in its time...

☕

Take A Chance by Abbi Glines

Gets paired with... Take A Chance (On Me) by Abba

Who doesn't love a bit of Abba?!

Abbi Glines on the other hand... Well. She can be a little polarising. 

☕

Wild Thing by Michelle Hercules 

Gets paired with... Wild Thing by The Troggs!

Sorry for the earworm!!

☕

How To Save A Life by P. Dangelico

Gets paired with... How To Save A Life by The Fray!

This book is another one that's lived on the e-reader for way too long without being read but I had to share it when it marries up with a song as wonderful as this!

☕

Drive by Kate Stewart 

Gets paired with... Drive by Incubus!

Yes, this is another book I own but haven't read but... INCUBUS! Another bad from my teens and another song that brings happy memories.

☕

Some kind of Wonderful by Giovanna Fletcher

Gets paired with... Some kind of Wonderful by The Drifters

Did you expect anything less? This song is simply wonderful!

☕

Who's That Girl by Mhairi McFarlane 

Gets paired with... Who's That Girl by Madonna

Haven't read the book (yet) and I'm not a huge fan of the song but the titles go together like two little peas in a pod!

☕

Don't Speak by Katy Regnery 

Gets paired with... Don't Speak by No Doubt

I mean... Obviously. I can't be the only one who immediately thinks of this song when hearing this title, right?!

☕

And finally... I've saved the best until the last! (imo)

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte meets its soulmate in Wuthering Heights by Kate Bush!

(Oh, come on... Like I'd forget to mention it!! )

☕

Can you list any others?

Gracie and The Grump by Mariana Zapata

Of all the things that could have landed in her yard… it had to be him.

For most people, finding a half-naked superbeing in their yard might be a dream come true.

Unfortunately for Gracie Castro, it’s the exact opposite.

Especially when he’s grouchy, rude, and shows no signs of leaving anytime soon.

But when a hero of mankind needs you, you do what you have to.

Even if it compromises everything you know.

And totally changes your life.

Mariana Zapata has been a favourite of mine for a long time but some of her books just fail to hit the mark. Gracie and The Grump is definitely a book that people are going to love or hate.

I personally enjoyed it but I'm not going to lie and say it wasn't a slog to get through the first half. 

OMG, it was so slow - even by MZ standards!!

It took forever for the story to go anywhere! Then it went somewhere I really wasn't expecting - or enjoying much - before swinging in a slightly different - but very much related - direction that I absolutely loved and could have read about forever... So yeah. A mixed bag for sure!

I liked the character of Gracie but found her a little too self-sacrificing which was annoying. 

I really liked Alex the more we got to know him but sweet baby J in the first half of the story he was even more uncommunicative and grunty than MZ's fellas usually are! Seriously, he was defensive, grumpy and almost mute for the entire first half of the book!

And that's the thing, this book really is a book of two halves. The first half is painful in so many ways but the second? Oh, I loved it. We got answers, we got communication, we got other characters and connections and all the good things that MZ can bring to a story.

The second half saved this book.

I ended up adoring Alex, liking Gracie and absolutely loving them together. 

I loved the superhero premise and I always enjoy grumpy x sunshine pairings so... Overall, it was a win for me. Although if I ever re-read I'll be skimming/skipping huge chunks at the beginning.

Under One Roof, Stuck With You and Below Zero by Ali Hazelwood

Three Ali Hazelwood novellas = three lovely escapes from reality!

PS - Calling them the "STEMinst" novellas had me giggling for no reason at all beyond being a woman working in the world of STEM and permanently adding the word to my vocabulary. 

Confession time:

I first listened to these on audio (the narrators were excellent), and then I added them to kindle as they popped up on sale... Then I bought them when they were released in a paperback collection. 

I'd say that I think I'm crazy but that's more of a fact at this point!

Under One Roof

Mara, Sadie, and Hannah are friends first, scientists always. Though their fields of study might take them to different corners of the world, they can all agree on this universal truth: when it comes to love and science, opposites attract and rivals make you burn….

As an environmental engineer, Mara knows all about the delicate nature of ecosystems. They require balance. And leaving the thermostat alone. And not stealing someone else’s food. And other rules Liam, her detestable big-oil lawyer of a roommate, knows nothing about. Okay, sure, technically she’s the interloper. Liam was already entrenched in his aunt’s house like some glowering grumpy giant when Mara moved in, with his big muscles and kissable mouth just sitting there on the couch tempting respectable scientists to the dark side…but Helena was her mentor and Mara’s not about to move out and give up her inheritance without a fight.

The problem is, living with someone means getting to know them. And the more Mara finds out about Liam, the harder it is to loathe him…and the easier it is to love him.

The first of the novellas to release and my favorite of the three! I absolutely loved it. 

Two people forced to share a house together on account of each inheriting half of the property.

The initial friction and brattiness was delightfully infuriating and evil. The big freeze and the slow thaw... beautifully done. The cluelessness. The clumsy, oblivious denial of where their relationship had evolved to... The ending. Happy sigh.

I smiled, I laughed and I wanted to start it over the second I finished it.

Ali Hazelwood's humour just hits the spot for me. Her characters are likeable and relatable. 

I can't get enough!

Stuck With You

Mara, Sadie, and Hannah are friends first, scientists always. Though their fields of study might take them to different corners of the world, they can all agree on this universal truth: when it comes to love and science, opposites attract and rivals make you burn…

Logically, Sadie knows that civil engineers are supposed to build bridges. However, as a woman of STEM she also understands that variables can change, and when you are stuck for hours in a tiny New York elevator with the man who broke your heart, you earn the right to burn that brawny, blond bridge to the ground. Erik can apologize all he wants, but to quote her rebel leader—she’d just as soon kiss a Wookiee.

Not even the most sophisticated of Sadie’s superstitious rituals could have predicted such a disastrous reunion. But while she refuses to acknowledge the siren call of Erik’s steely forearms or the way his voice softens when he offers her his sweater, Sadie can’t help but wonder if there might be more layers to her cold-hearted nemesis than meet the eye. Maybe, possibly, even burned bridges can still be crossed….

A second chance romance all thanks to little bit of forced proximity courtesy of a busted elevator = win!

I really enjoyed Stuck With You. Not as much as I enjoyed Under One Roof but I enjoyed it. 

I enjoyed how Sadie was pricklier than the others. Fierce and loving towards her friends. A hard worker... But that she had a soft centre. I was rabidly curious as to what happened between her and her Scandinavian hunk. And I adored Erik! I was smitten with how obviously taken with Sadie he was from the first... But what happened between them?!! It all plays out - past and present interwoven- and is delicious... But what left me frustrated with this story was that it all could have been resolved back in the beginning without Sadie ghosting Erik if she's just yelled/talked to him about his "betrayal." 

Yes, I understood why she felt betrayed and believed the worst - I would have too! - but come on! Conversation people!

That said, I'll be reading it again. 

In fact, I've listened to it several times and now my paperback is here so I'll be reading it again soon!

Below Zero

It will take the frosty terrain of the Arctic to show these rival scientists that their chemistry burns hot.

Mara, Sadie, and Hannah are friends first, scientists always. Though their fields of study might take them to different corners of the world, they can all agree on this universal truth: when it comes to love and science, opposites attract and rivals make you burn…

Hannah’s got a bad feeling about this. Not only has the NASA aerospace engineer found herself injured and stranded at a remote Arctic research station—but the one person willing to undertake the hazardous rescue mission is her longtime rival.

Ian has been many things to Hannah: the villain who tried to veto her expedition and ruin her career, the man who stars in her most deliciously lurid dreams…but he’s never played the hero. So why is he risking everything to be here? And why does his presence seem just as dangerous to her heart as the coming snowstorm?

I enjoyed this novella but I think it was my least favourite of the three... Despite my rating it the same as Stuck With You. 

It's hard to put my finger on why but I think it's probably because I found Hannah harder for me to "click" with than Sadie and Mara... But I loved Ian! Oh, the big grumpy bear of a man... He was yummy.

I loved how Hannah and Ian's first encounter unfolded. I hated how Hannah's shitty attitude regarding relationships got in the way of them. I wasn't fond of the cold and snow and general Norway expedition setting... And despite Ian being a big protective rescue bear, I was nervous for him. Part of me just didn't trust Hannah with this adorable man... But it worked out okay in the end. She pulled her head out her ass and the Sadie and Mara appearance - along with their men - made me happy. 

Paperback Bonus Chapter!!

Ah... This put all my nerves to bed! I love epilogues but I especially love epilogues set years in the future. I love they're all still friends. I loved seeing how their lives were unfolding and I was happy that Hannah and Ian were all good.

Fated Blades & Magic Tides by Ilona Andrews

 

Fated Blades = Audiobook = 4hrs 52min

Narrated by: Aaron Shedlock

Fated Blades by Ilona Andrews

An uneasy alliance between warring families gets heated in this otherworldly novella from bestselling author Ilona Andrews.

At first glance, the planet Rada seems like a lush paradise. But the ruling families, all boasting genetically enhanced abilities, are in constant competition for power―and none more so than the Adlers and the Baenas. For generations, the powerful families have pushed and pulled each other in a dance for dominance.

Until a catastrophic betrayal from within changes everything.

Now, deadly, disciplined, and solitary leaders Ramona Adler and Matias Baena must put aside their enmity and work together in secret to prevent sinister forces from exploiting universe-altering technology. Expecting to suffer through their uneasy alliance, Ramona and Matias instead discover that they understand each other as no one in their families can―and that their combined skills may eclipse the risks of their forbidden alliance.

As the two warriors risk their lives to save their families, they must decide whether to resist or embrace the passion simmering between them. For now, the dance between their families continues―but just one misstep could spell the end of them both.

The Kinsmen series is the only Ilona Andrews series that I'd never read and based on this one I've been missing out! 

Fated Blades has everything I've come to expect from an Ilona Andrews novel... Humour, amazing chemistry, world building, relationship building and a fast-paced adventure full of action!

This world is sci-fi/fantasy with enhanced humans, space colonisation and space battles. 

A devious, murderous, plot that needs to be unravelled and a couple who were perfect for each other despite being from warring families. 

It was novella length, addictive and perfectly satisfying.

Magic Tides by Ilona Andrews

Ilona Andrews invites you back to the #1 New York Times bestselling Kate Daniels series in this exciting new long novella featuring Kate, Curran and Conlan, some familiar faces, some new friends, and all the special brand of chaos they create!

Kate, Curran and their son, Conlan have left Atlanta, vowing to keep a low profile, and are settling into a new city and new house…but some things never change! Magical mayhem is about to erupt when Kate undertakes the rescue of a kidnapped youth, while Curran guards the homefront.

It should be a simple retrieval, but with monsters on land and sea, Kate’s got her work cut out for her. Still, she's never let her blade dull or her purpose falter. And that low profile? It’s about to wash away with the raging tides!

How I squealed and danced when I found out that Ilona Andrews was returning to Kate and Curran! 

The Kate Daniels series is, and probably always will be, one of my favourite series and I was gutted when it ended. Yes, the authors have revisited the world with spin-off series but it's not Kate and Curran, you know? But now... Now it IS! 

Magic Tides is the first story in a new Kate and Curran series. Novella length and detailing their lives as they make a fresh start away from Atlanta. 

It had everything that I fell in love with in the original KD series... Someone in need of rescue, a mythological beastie needing put down, Kate and Curran's banter, a crew of badass side kicks (new ones!) plus the joy of seeing their 10 yo son kick ass alongside his parents... Little Conlan really is going to be something insanely special seeing as he has the combined ability of his parents.

It was awesome and made me very happy.

Obviously, this is not the place for new readers to begin but for fans of the original series? I'd definitely jump up and down telling them to read it.