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RedditToday I want to share my thoughts on the 27 books I read in August 2022. I actually read 29 books last month but two of the books were read earlier in the month and are books I will not promote. You can read my post on problematic authors to understand why I will not promote certain books or authors.
This was a month of escapism for me evidently and while I still managed to post some here on the blog I did very little writing of my own debut books. That’s ok I really needed the time to escape and relax due to some outside stresses that were affecting our lives.
Next month I likely won’t read as many books because I hope to be focusing more on writing my own books. This post is already going to be on the longer side so let’s dive into my thoughts and ratings on the books I read this month.
Books I Read in August 2022
Below are all the books I read in August with the exception of two that I will not promote after finding out how problematic the author is.
Lilac by B.B. Reid
When Bound lost their lead guitarist, Braxton was brought in to play with the band on their world tour. Lead Singer Houston is a type A perfectionist, Loren is the womanizer bassist, and Rich or Jericho, is the drummer with a hidden secret. They aren’t happy with the new addition but their label is requiring it so their only option is to get Braxton to quit. There is no doubting the chemistry between them all but can Braxton trust these men after everything they did when she first joined them?
Lilac is a why choose rock star romance. It’s a beautiful story filled with unique personalities, healing, tension, and plenty of steam. Check trigger warnings for sensitive subjects. I gave this book 5 stars, 4 peppers, and 1 tissue. I highly recommend reading this.
Play Me A Song by C.M. Guidroz
This is supposed to be an exciting and happy time for Brianna. She’s engaged and planning a wedding to the man she loves. Except their sex life leaves a lot to be desired, her mother is all about appearances, and his best friend hates her. Vince thinks Brianna is a stuck up princess but when he sees a different side to her he starts to wonder if maybe his best friend isn’t telling him the complete truth. Both of them feel the attraction to each other but both of them are off limits.
C.M. Guidroz gives us Play Me A Song a book about an ex’s best friend who does it better. The characters are fantastic, the world building is good, and I really liked this story. The two main love interests do not cheat but there is cheating in this book. I gave the book 4 stars and 2 peppers.
Royals of Forsyth University by Angel Lawson and Samantha Rue
Books 1-3
Story will do anything to escape the home she’s living in, including being on a sugar daddy website. When her step brother and his friends find out though things are about to get a lot worse. Now she has a dangerous stalker and the three boys she ran from may be the only ones who can protect her.
This is a dark romance series so I highly recommend checking all the triggers before reading. The stories are in series of threes so I read the first three books about the Lords of Forsyth U. I do recommend reading this series in order. I will likely read the next three books in October when the 6th book comes out. I gave this series 5 stars and 3 peppers.
Four Horsemen by Sarah Bailey
4 books
10 years ago their best friend had a life changing accident and then was kidnapped. Drake, Francis, Preston, and West want Scarlett back but after the accident she doesn’t remember who they are. Now they have the chance to get her back but she’s been brainwashed to believe they are the enemy.
The Four Horsemen series is another dark romance so I highly recommend checking trigger warnings before reading. I blew through this series pretty quickly because I just couldn’t put it down. The character growth is fantastic. I gave this series 5 stars and 5 peppers.
Room Twenty-Two by Mila Crawford
When Stella’s mom marries a mobster it’s his son and his two crazy best friends who decide Stella now belongs to them. For years they stalked her and obsessed over her and now she’s home for the summer and they are going to make her theirs.
The Room Twenty-Two novella is dark and I highly recommend checking those trigger warnings, there is dub-con in this book. I read this book in about 2 hours and at the end of it I didn’t really know how I felt. Now it’s been a little bit and I can say, it’s not for me. I gave this book 2 stars and 5 peppers.
Renegade Hearts by Nikki J Summers
After her brother’s death, Emily Winters is just trying to get through the day while her father, a politician, and her mother want her to live the life they choose for her. When her brothers best friend keeps showing up he wants her to find out some of the shady dealings her father takes part in.
I love Nikki J Summers but I didn’t love Renegade Hearts and actually DNF’d the rest of the series. It wasn’t because the writing was bad, it was good, it’s just not my type of story. The characters are all 18-22 and act that way. I would classify this as New Adult Romance. I gave this book 3 stars and 1 pepper.
Shattered Vows by Shain Rose
Morina just wants to live a simple life in her small town but after her grandmother’s death that simple life is about to be torn apart. In the will her grandmother requires that Morina marry Bastian for protection while Morina figures out who is the best option to sell her stakes in the local oil company. The attraction between them though could lead to more.
Shain Rose is becoming a must read author for me. Shattered Vows is a wonderful story about a mafia boss and a surfer hippie woman. I love the tension, the character growth, and the overall plot in this book. I gave it 4 stars and 2 peppers.
1 book that I no longer promote
For more information about why some books will disappear from my read lists check out my post on problematic authors here.
Four by Sara Kate and Rachel Leigh
When someone attacks her home and kills her father his last words to Iris was to find Silas Black. When she arrives he agrees to take her in. There is more to Silas, his son Baron, and his adopted son Gabriel though, they are assassins and they may be the only people who can protect and teach Iris how to protect herself.
I had such high hopes for Four but was a bit disappointed in the character development. I wanted more from Iris than the snotty princess and while the men were ok I had anticipated more from them too. I gave the book 3 stars and 2 peppers. It was supposed to be a dark romance but lacked a lot of the heart pounding tension that goes with it.
Bricks Ruin by Tonya Ink
In the prequel to the Lucifer Saints MC we meet Vera, a mafia princess who’s working as a waitress in hiding from her enemies, and Brick, the president of Lucifers Saints Motorcycle Club Sacramento chapter. He’s known from the first moment he saw her smile that she’s the one for him and she can feel the attraction growing between them. When a rival club wants to claim their territory her past might come back to haunt her.
Bricks Ruin absolutely stole all of my attention with addictive characters and delicious plots. Vera is a badass that no one would expect and Brick is a caveman type doing everything within his power to win her over. I devoured this book and immediately read the first book in the series afterwards. I gave this book 5 stars and 2 peppers.
Secret Sinner by Tonya Ink
Talon broke Gabriella’s heart, now 17 years later she’s back with some shocking reveals. She is the daughter of a Mafia Don who has been doing business with Lucifers Saints for a long time and when that secret along with others is revealed all hell breaks loose in the club.
Secret Sinner was the first book I’ve read in a very long time that has had little to no sex with loads of tension and a plot that wouldn’t allow me to put the book down. I am in love with Gabriella and her entourage in this book. The next book comes out in December and I absolutely cannot wait to read it. I gave this book 5 stars and 2 tissues.
Wicked Opportunity by Sian Ceinwen
Lexi has been in a decade-long relationship with Dante, the bass guitarist for Wicked Stallion, and I’ve been friends with the entire band for just as long. I love them and they love me. Nate, the lead singer, has always had stronger feelings towards me. After appearing in their music video my husband wants to take this relationship to a whole new level. Problem, not everyone around us is accepting that I’m in love with other members of the band too.
If you are looking for a fantastic smutty read, Wicked Opportunity is it. Every page has smut with this why choose romance. I’ll forewarn you just like the author does, this book has a tiny plot and is a lot of sex scenes. I gave this book 3 stars and 5 peppers for the sheer amount of smut. I love this author but when I am rating books I prefer a lot more plot and tension building.
Code of Silence by Shantel Tessier
Luca broke Haven’s heart two years ago and now he’s back to purchase her from her adoptive father. She’s now going to marry the son of a Mafia Boss and everything she knows is about to be turned upside down.
I typically like Shantel Tessier’s books but Code of Silence was not it for me. I didn’t connect to the characters and it came off like she was trying to make the characters dark while at the same time not really pulling it off. I still gave the book 3 stars and 2 peppers, because I don’t think the book was bad, it just read like it could have been better. I will probably still give the rest of the series a shot in the future.
Mercy by Sara Cate
Maggie is 34 and seemingly has her life together as a part owner of Salacious, but her sex life is leaving a lot to be desired. So when her own dating app matches her with her friend and co owners son she’s ready to give up on dating all together. Beau has never felt completely satisfied in his relationships so when his father’s dating app pairs him with Maggie he wants to explore and she would be the safest person to do that with. That exploration though is leading into something more than either of them are prepared for.
Look, we all know I love Sara Cate. Her books are consistent in spice, emotion, and in telling beautiful stories that stick with you. Mercy is no exception to that. The character growth in this book is absolutely beautiful and I couldn’t put the book down. I gave this book 5 stars, 3 peppers, and 2 tissues.
Grim and Beast Duet by Bea Paige
2 books
Grim is set to become a partner in Carter’s, her dad’s, business. Carter has Beast, his second in command, being her bodyguard to protect her from any and all harm. Even if that harm is himself and with the way they flirt it’s becoming harder for him to follow through with his word to protect her from himself.
Tales You Win and Heads You Lose wasn’t as great as I felt it could be. There was a lot of inner monologue that I felt was a bit unnecessary and repeated a lot. Additionally, there were scenes where I felt like the characters’ personalities change so drastically, and not just for the sake of who they are in private vs. who they have to appear to the world they live in. I gave the books 3 stars but the spice doesn’t hit till book two and I would say it’s maybe 2.5 peppers.
Queenie and the Krakens
Naomi has a few rules she sticks to. She minds her business and she stays out of trouble. In the matter of a day she’s broken both rules and now a dangerous motorcycle club of Mermen are after her and she needs protection from the rivalry club. She wasn’t expecting that protection would also mean five hot mermen constantly watching over her.
I absolutely loved Queenie and the Krakens. It is a why choose romance with MM and MFM. The character growth, the strong FMC, and the whole world was beautifully done. I am looking forward to Lourdes and the Mafa which comes out in May of next year. I gave this book 5 stars and 4 peppers.
The Ward Duet by Shanora Williams
2 books
To the outside world Gabby has it all. She’s a newlywed and her and Kyle have just moved into a big home in a new state. There is always some problems with change though and since Kyle is leaving for days on end for work Gabby is lonely and trying to make friends. So when she clicks with Marcel, her landscape architect, she doesn’t think anything is wrong. That is until Marcel makes it clear that he sees her and sees her unhappiness. Try as she may to keep it friendly Marcel feels safe and she doesn’t feel so alone when he’s around.
The Man I Can’t Have and The Man I Need are a heartbreaking duet and while they have a happy ending there is a lot going on here that isn’t as it seems. If you do not like the cheating trope I completely understand, I don’t like it either, but this one was worth it. There are potential triggers in this book if you want to know those triggers I will have a review up soon. I gave this book 5 stars, 2 peppers, and 3 tissues.
The Do-Over by TL Swan
Christopher has been stuck in the same routine and after a rather rude awakening about what people actually think about him he decides to leave it all behind for a year. He leaves behind his luxurious life in London to go backpacking. He doesn’t expect to meet Hayden, a woman that claims she isn’t interested in being with him but will end up being the friend he needs even if he wants more than just a friendship.
The Do-Over is such a cute and happy read with a few laugh out loud moments, a few heart touching moments, and a good happy ending that left me crying a few happy tears. I needed this read after the last two books I read that while fantastic were emotionally hard for me. I gave this book 4 stars, 2 peppers, and 1 tissue.
Truth by Trilina Pucci
Drew Matthews has spent most of her life so far focusing on her career and now that she’s crashed through the glass ceiling and took her two powerful friends with her she’s ready to get into a relationship. However, the longer she’s in this relationship the more she loses herself in order to be supportive and loved by a narcissist. She finally breaks free from that relationship but immediately meets Dominic King, he wants more than she’s willing to give right now.
Truth was a great instalove mafia romance with plenty of smut and an interesting story. I’m not big on instalove stories but this wasn’t that bad. I loved how strong the FMC is in knowing what she wants and going for it but in also demanding the respect she deserves. I gave this book 4 stars and 3 peppers.
Worship by Trilina Pucci
Luca King is in a marriage with a woman who doesn’t want anything to do with him or their daughter and he’s out to punish her for that. Though when he gets time to hang out with Gretchen, his sister in law Drew’s best friend, he can’t stop thinking about her. He watches her, obsesses over her, and will do anything to win her over, except letting go of his estranged wife.
The story line for Worship and the character growth is good. Luca has to learn to let go and not always win or get his way. Gretchen is a strong woman who has to learn to forgive when she’s wronged. It was good so I gave it 3 stars and 2 peppers.
27 Books I Read In August
Like I mentioned at the beginning of the post I actually read 29 and that absolutely amazes me. I was 2 books shy of reading a book a day throughout the whole month which is something I never do. I am probably not going to continue at this pace for reading though as I’d like to get a lot more writing done.
Have you read any of the books I read this month? What were your thoughts? Let me know in the comments below. Follow me on TikTok and Pinterest for more like this and pin this to your favorite book boards.
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