Monday, June 30, 2025

*Top Ten Tuesday* Freebie/Throwback (Christmas in July!)



Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Joood - Hooligan of Platypire reviews bossed me into doing this, so I guess this is a thing I do now. 

This week’s theme is freebie or throwback, and I'm doing a little bit of both. I was inspired by the Holiday Reads theme title from 2019, and since I'm getting ready to head to my parents this 4th of July weekend for family Christmas in July, it just felt really appropriate. So here are ten Christmas books I could read this July (although I probably won't because I have 16 book club books to read for upcoming meetings so...). Let's go!


Skipping Christmas by John Grisham


A Christmas Hope by Joseph Pittman


The Christmas Genie by Dan Gutman


Blue Christmas by Mary Kay Andrews


A Christmas Baby by Annette Blair




One More for Christmas by Sarah Morgan



White Christmas Wedding by Celeste Winters

And there we go, ten Christmas books I could read this July. This was a super easy post to build though, because I have an entire shelf dedicated to holiday books, and Christmas books are the easiest to find, so I had lots of options. 

Would you read any of these for a little holiday magic this summer?

If you're stopping by from the linkup, please be sure to drop a link to your post below so I can check out your freebie/throwback list this week. - Katie 


Saturday, June 14, 2025

*Stacking the Shelves* 14 June 2025


(Titles link to Amazon via Amazon Affiliate links)

Stacking The Shelves is a feature/weekly meme run by Reading Reality in which you share the books you are adding to your shelves, both physical and virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical stores or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

Now, I already have a monthly post I do featuring the books I get in the mail (and it's a lot because I have a serious Goodreads First Reads giveaway addiction), and I'm posting my monthly Read-A-Thon posts again too, which covers the books I receive through Netgalley. So my STS post will feature all the books I've been one-clicking on Amazon or winning through Goodreads giveaways, with the occasional store bought physical book thrown in. 

On that note, here are the books I picked up this week. I will be separating the books based on purchased, Goodreads wins, and freebies. Let's go!

Purchased

One of Us is Dead by Jeneva Rose - I got this for the bargain price of just $1.99. 
Stolen Tongues by Felix Blackwell - I got this for a mere $0.99. I've heard it's a really good horror book, so I hope I wasn't lied to. 
Darker by E.L. James - I grabbed this on sale for just $1.99. I know these books aren't particularly well written, but when I read the original series years ago, I wanted Christian's POV, so now I can read it. 
Freed by E.l. James - I grabbed this for a mere $1.99 too, so I have the full Christian's POV trilogy. Now I just gotta' read them. 
The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia - I got this on sale for just a mere $1.99. I read another book by her and I've had my eye on this one for a while, so getting it on sale was nice. 
Delicious Monsters by Leslie Sambury - I got this on sale for a mere $1.99. It first caught my eye when it was available for free through Epic Reads, but I ran out of time to read it that month. 
Of Jade and Dragons by Amber Chen - I got this on sale for just $1.99. The cover was just so appealing. 
The Monkey's Paw and Other Tales by W.W. Jacobs - I grabbed this on sale for just $3.99. I'm mildly familiar with the tale of the monkey's paw, and now I can get real familiar. 
The Wizard of Oz: The Official Cookbook by Elena Craig and Emma Bernay - I grabbed this on sale for just $4.99. The Wizard of Oz was my favorite movie when I was growing up, so I'm excited to dive into this cookbook. 
The Unofficial Simpsons Cookbook by Laurel Randolph - I got this on sale for just $1.99. Who wouldn't want a Simpson's cookbook?
It's a Date (Again) by Jeneva Rose - I got this for $4.99, but it only cost me $3.99 because I had a dollar credit for something. I haven't read romance from Jeneva Rose, but now I can.
The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green - I grabbed this for just $1.99. I've heard good things about John Green's non-fiction work. 
Dreams of Joy by Lisa See - I got this on sale for just $1.99. I read Shanghai Girls and really enjoyed it, so I'm excited to get into this sequel.
Abandon by Blake Crouch - I managed to grab this for the sale price of $1.99. After reading Dark Matter, I'm buying basically everything I find on sale by Blake Crouch. 
The I Inside by Alan Dean Foster - I got this on sale for just $2.99. Foster is one of the classic sci-fi authors that one of my parents read a lot of. I just hope this aged better than Stranger in a Strange Land by Heinlein. 
The Islam Quintet by Tariq Ali - I got this on sale for just $3.99. I'm never mad about getting over 1500 pages of reading for just $4. 
The Senator's Wife by Liv Constantine - I grabbed this book because I've heard a lot of good things about this author and it was on sale for just $1.99. I'm not mad about that. 
Cat-A-Lyst by Alan Dean Foster - I got this for the bargain price of just $3.99, again because I know at least one of my parents like Alan Dean Foster as an author. 

Goodreads Wins

Rediscover Your Wisdom by Rabbi Joel Stein
Unfiltered and Unapologetic by Judy McCutcheon
The Great Crypto Illusion by JA Engelbrecht
The Moon Goddess's Smile by Catherine C. Wu
Murder at Mablethorpe Castle by Elizabeth Rose
The Golden Dilemma by Lamar and Liana Golden
The Phoenix Elite by C.T. Clark
Some Girls Drown by Jessica Bell
The Blitz by Tamar Gakharia
Dingo Toad Joins the Rangers by Lamar and Liana Golden
Bricks and Clicks by Clifford Hudson and Craig Miller
She's So Bad by Ronita Fabian

I was supposed to be getting all caught up on my Stacking the Shelves post with my newest ebook purchases and wins after having like four different free book blasts happen just before the last one was posted, and I didn't get that done, because I spent most of today out of the house doing things with my husband and son. So now the goal is to get caught up with this next week in my STS post. We'll see if I can follow through. 

Have you read any of the books on my list this week? Any of them you think I should read sooner rather than later? 

If you're stopping by from the linkup, please be sure to drop a link to your post below so I can check out your new pretties. - Katie 

Monday, June 9, 2025

*Top Ten Tuesday* Bookish Wishlist



Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Joood - Hooligan of Platypire reviews bossed me into doing this, so I guess this is a thing I do now. 

This week’s theme is bookish wishlist. When I first saw this theme a couple months ago, I got so excited because it was going to be such an easy post for me to build. But then for Mother's Day my husband took me to Barnes and Noble for seven minutes in heaven, except he gave me 15 minutes to browse and ten minutes to pick, and I ended up with two armfuls and $600+ worth of books, which really put a dent in my bookish wishlist. So now I'm scrambling trying to figure out what ten books I want most...and trying to kind of refill my bookish wishlist that I use every month for an Amazon gift exchange. So I'm also looking forward to seeing everyone else's lists this week, to help beef it up. 

But in the meantime, let's go. 


Till Summer Do Us Part by Meghan Quinn


Silver Elite by Dani Francis


The Knight and the Moth by Rachel Gillig


The Testaments by Margaret Atwood


Son of a Witch by Gregory Maguire


Sundown Motel by Enid Everingham


All the Hidden Paths by Foz Meadows


I Was a Teenage Slasher by Stephen Graham Jones



Hideaway by Penelope Douglas

Okay, so that wasn't as much of a struggle as I thought it was going to be. If you'd like to see other books and goodies that exist on my wishlist, you can find it here

Have you read any of these books? Are there any of them you want to read too? 

If you're stopping by from the linkup, please be sure to drop a link to your post below so I can stop by and check out your list. - Katie 


Tuesday, June 3, 2025

*Book Blogger Hop* Blogger Hiatuses



We are on to a new week for the Book Blogger Hop hosted by the lovely folks over at Ramblings of a Coffee Addicted Writer. This weeks questions is: 

Have you ever wondered why a passionate book blogger might suddenly stop posting or delete their blog without notice? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer)

I definitely have not ever wondered that, because I have been the blogger who did that. Just check my posting history on the right hand side there, and you'll see a couple years where it was basically crickets around here. And although 2020 falls right in the middle of it, I cannot blame Covid for my absence entirely. In fact, my disappearance really seems to have coincided with my promotion to General Manager at the ice cream store I used to work at, and my return came after I left that job. So if I even notice a blogger has kind of disappeared, I just assume life happened for them, like it happened for me. Because this is a hobby, but that doesn't mean it's not work. And if you're finding yourself overwhelmed with life, blogging is a thing that can fall by the wayside while you cope with everything else without there being serious negative consequences for that. It was the choice I made, and I can easily understand anyone else making the same choice. So no, I've never wondered why a blogger might stop posting with no notice. 

How about you? Have you ever noticed a blogger has disappeared without commenting on their own disappearance? Did you notice when I had disappeared? 

If you're stopping by from the linkup, please be sure to drop a link to your post so I can check out your full answer. - Katie 

Monday, June 2, 2025

*Top Ten Tuesday* Summer Freebie/Netgalley Request Roulette



Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl. Joood - Hooligan of Platypire reviews bossed me into doing this, so I guess this is a thing I do now. 

This week’s theme is a summer freebie, and if you've been here for a minute, you'll know that means that I'm playing another round of Netgalley Request Roulette, because I'm insane. If you're not familiar with Netgalley Request Roulette, it's a game I created that I play against myself, where I hop on Netgalley and find 10 books to request just to see how many I'll get approved for. I'm going to strive to make the focus this time books that look like good beach reads. Let's go. 

Title: Cupcakes and Kisses in Micklewick Bay
Author: Eliza J Scott
Publisher: Storm Publishing
Release Date: July 3, 2025
Genre: Romance
Request: Pending

Blurb

Every night, Jasmine Ingilby dreams of delicate sugar flowers and perfectly swirled buttercream. By day, she steals moments between her cleaning shifts to craft stunning cakes from her tiny kitchen, hoping to transform her passion into something more. But as a fiercely independent single mother of two, finding time to grow her fledgling business feels like reaching for the impossible.

Just when her hard work seems about to pay off, Jasmine’s carefully balanced world begins to crumble. Her landlord puts a ‘For Sale’ sign outside her rented home. Then a figure from her past returns to town, reopening old wounds Jasmine thought had long healed and causing trouble at school for her young children.

Then Max Grainger – her childhood best friend – unexpectedly returns to Micklewick Bay after twenty-five years away, and Jasmine is blindsided by the emotions his presence stirs. Now a successful businessman with a son of his own, Max seems determined to solve all her problems. But years of self-reliance have built walls around Jasmine's heart that even the sweetest gestures struggle to break through.
Will Jasmine's fear of getting burned again stop her from accepting help when she needs it most? Or will the loyal support of her friends help her discover the perfect recipe for love?


Title: Third Time Lucky
Author: Aimee Brown
Publisher: Boldwood Books
Release Date: July 22, 2025
Genre: Romance
Request: Pending

Blurb

Could a blast from the past be the secret ingredient to their future?
Asher Wright has spent his career creating and concocting the perfect dishes and is about to open his very own restaurant. Life is good. His love life, however, is far from cooking! He hasn’t thought about Lucy Gray in years – not since they both graduated, reeling from the shocking loss of her then boyfriend and his best friend Kris, who tragically died at 18. So when he witnesses the breakdown of her wedding in all its humiliating glory - old wounds and long-buried emotions resurface.

As Lucy lands a right hook on her soon-to-be ex-fiancée in front of their entire wedding party, she has a moment of realization... Love is not on the menu for her! Fate, however, has other plans... A chance twist of events lands Asher as the private chef for Lucy’s spirited grandmother, Mitzi, and what begins as awkward encounters in Mitzi’s Portland mansion soon evolves into a simmering connection she never expected.

As Asher and Lucy work through their past they discover a bond that feels both familiar and excitingly new.


Title: Chasing Perfect
Author: Victoria Jax
Publisher: Cranthorpe Millner Publishers
Release Date: June 24, 2025
Genre: Romance
Request: Pending

Blurb

Sometimes, chasing perfection leads to finding something even better.

Carefree and confident Sienna knows exactly what she wants and refuses to settle for less. She crafts a list of non-negotiables and sets out to find the perfect man through a calculated search.

Grumpy and stoic Liam has been unlucky in love, until a flirty DM from a stunning blonde upends his solitary world. Deciding to give the seductress a chance, he aims to show her off and bounce back after a painful heartbreak.

Sienna’s playful charm embodies everything Liam never knew he needed. Despite his reservations, her sunshine-like spirit slowly thaws his icy exterior. As their whirlwind summer romance ignites unexpected passion, truths come to light which threaten to destroy everything they’ve built together.


Title: Inheriting the Cottage by the Loch
Author: Kennedy Kerr
Publisher: Bookouture
Release Date: June 26, 2025
Genre: Romance
Request: Approved

Blurb

The manor house overlooking Loch Cameron, with its sprawling garden of unruly blooms and tall wrought iron gates, has been uninhabited for as long as anyone in the village can remember. But an old lady hiding a family secret and a puzzling inheritance is about to bring two estranged sisters home again…

Catriona McGovern and her sister Bridget have never seen eye to eye since Catie left Loch Cameron years ago. So when they learn of a mysterious inheritance from a woman they have never met, Bridget and Catriona are stunned. The will states they must put aside their differences and live together in the beautiful, ivy-covered house overlooking the loch for at least one year.

Catie needs all the help she can get untangling historical property records and housekeeper diaries for the manor. The local laird’s wayward younger brother, 
Matt Cameron, is tasked with helping out: although surly Matt, newly returned to the Highlands under a cloud of his ownseems less than pleased. But spending time together at the old mansion, they soon bond over their love of old movies and Matt’s increasingly cheeky jokes.

But Castle View House is hiding more secrets than the sisters ever thought possible. And when a battered wall safe in the attic reveals a clue as to who left them the house and why, the sisters are pulled into a decades-old family mystery that could finally reunite them, or tear them apart for good…

Can Catie and Matt work together to see that there’s more to life than burn out in the big city, and that family is the most important treasure of all?


Title: The Paradise Hook-Up
Author: Christy McKellen
Publisher: Boldwood Books
Release Date: July 11, 2025
Genre: Romance
Request: Pending

Blurb

Stuck in paradise with only one bed…

Dee Donovan is used to living up to her reputation as the ‘wild’ twin. She finally has an opportunity to prove everyone, especially her father wrong. She just needs her sister's business partner Jem to play along with her outrageous plan. Secure a business deal by faking it as her boyfriend in Greece. The catch? Jem and Dee are not that close. In fact, Dee can’t put her finger on it, but Jem seems to really dislike her!

However, it’s just for 24 hours. Until a storm blows in trapping them, alone in Paradise! With no way of getting home, they need something to do… why not confront their tensions head on? After all, they’ve been dancing around their chemistry for years now. But Jem has a secret – he’s not quite as experienced as Dee in this particular area!

So Dee promises to teach Jem everything she knows before they return. And it’s clear that her student is a very fast learner! And all too quickly, they start wishing the storm would hang around. Because neither want to think about what will happen when they have to return to reality…


Title: Settling the Score
Author: Clare Connelly
Publisher: Boldwood Books
Release Date: July 24, 2025
Genre: Romance
Request: Pending

Blurb

Karma comes to those who wait…

Small town sweetheart, Sienna Mastrangelo has spent years dreaming of payback against her ex. Why should Aiden Carter—NHL superstar and global heartthrob—get to leave her behind while she picks up the pieces of the life he shattered? So when The Karma Club formed, it felt like fate had stepped in. Along with her new best friends they each had a chance to serve up some just desserts on the ex’s that wronged them. But when plans for Aiden’s comeuppance fall through, it’s time for Sienna to settle the score!

Now, with a gorgeous Italian island wedding as her playground, Sienna has one week to make Aiden fall hard, beg for a second chance… then dump him without a backward glance. Throw in a few pranks, some strategic seduction—easy, right? Except their chemistry is hotter than ever, and as the games heat up, so do the long-buried truths...keeping her heart locked away becomes a challenge like none other. But when it comes to this hockey god, there’s no way she’s handing over the key again, even if Karma does have some plans of its own.

Settling the Score is part of The Karma Club collection but can be read as a standalone.


Title: The Sands of Sea Blue Beach
Author: Rachel Hauck
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Release Date: July 15, 2025
Genre: Romance
Request: Pending

Blurb

Can anything rekindle the summer love between former sweethearts facing old wounds and a divided town?

Emery Quinn finds herself at a crossroads between her career and complex family dynamics. Struggling to connect with her blended family and ready for a fresh start, Emery accepts the position of editor-in-chief at the
 Sea Blue Beach Gazette. Upon her return to the Sands Motor Motel, she is flooded with bittersweet memories of her late mother and past regrets from a long-ago summer.

Architect Caleb Ransom has returned home to Sea Blue Beach, a place filled with cherished memories and potential opportunities. He means to make a difference for his family and his hometown by caring for his troubled sister's son and preserving the history of the town as the leader of the new Main Street initiative. He certainly never expected to run into Emery Quinn, the girl who captured his heart sixteen summers ago.

As Emery and Caleb revive their friendship, they find themselves facing a bitterly divided town. Together, they navigate family challenges, professional setbacks, and a high-stakes royal visit to discover how forgiveness and love can reshape their hearts and their destiny.


Title: Not My Greek Wedding
Author: Sue Roberts
Publisher: Bookouture
Release Date: June 19, 2025
Genre: Romance
Request: Approved

Blurb

She might not be the bride, but could this wedding be the start of her perfect future?

Mia is reeling from a breakup with her fiancé. And now her best friend Tasha is getting married on the beautiful Greek island of Santorini – where Mia once planned on having her own wedding.

Arriving at the resort, Mia’s breath catches at the sight of the sun-soaked terrace and vases overflowing with pink and white blooms. And with guests like local hunk, 
Christos, walking around like statues of Greek gods come to life, there’s even more to celebrate… so Mia promises to put her own heartache aside and make sure everything is perfect for Tasha – especially as she’s the Maid of Honour!

But with embarrassing speeches, champagne corks popping everywhere, and guests getting caught up in the energetic Greek dancing, there are too many problems to tackle alone. If she opens her heart, can Mia and Christos make sure the day runs smoothly, 
and could she even start her own new love story in Greece?


Title: The Four Engagement Rings of Sybil Rain
Author: Hannah Brown
Publisher: Forever
Release Date: June 24, 2025
Genre: Romance
Request: Pending

Blurb

Starling Ranch Inn promises to be a tropical paradise, and Sybil can’t wait to escape there, all expenses paid. Well technically the expenses were paid—last year, when she was supposed to go to Hawaii for her honeymoon with her then-fiancé Jamie. But the wedding didn’t go as planned (or at all), and now she’s decided to use those hotel vouchers alone, before they expire.

Sybil’s expecting mai tais, med spas and me-time, so she nearly plunges backwards into the infinity pool when she sees that Jamie has had the same idea! His family business is thinking of buying the resort, so he’s here with a gorgeous, tangerine bikini-clad “colleague” to give the property a once-over.

Desperate to save face in front of the ex who broke her heart at the altar, Sybil accidentally-on-purpose blurts out that she’s here with her boyfriend. But what starts as a harmless lie to spare her dignity soon spirals into an ex-fiancé fiasco when Sebastian—the second of Sybil’s three failed engagements—pops by fresh off a photography gig. Seb’s always up for a good time, and happy to play along …sparking unexpected jealousy in Jamie. 

From snorkeling snafus to stunning vistas to staff parties at the beach, Sybil does her best to juggle two ex-fiancés, but it’s becoming clear that her past of broken promises must be reckoned with once and for all—including that first fiancé, Liam, the one she never talks about…

Is the notorious free-spirit, life-of-the-party, runaway bride Sybil Rain ready to heal from her three past engagements and make room in her heart for a fourth and final chance at love?


Title: The Reluctant Flirt
Author: Jennifer Probst
Publisher: Blue Box Press
Release Date: July 15, 2025
Genre: Romance
Request: Approved

Blurb

Just one night…

After discovering her husband’s affair, Sierra Lourde flees to New York City for a little damage control—and a lot of wine. A tipsy night in a bar with a charming stranger seems like the perfect way to forget her troubles. No names, no promises, just one night to escape reality and regain her confidence. The next morning, mortified by her vulnerability, she flees without looking back. But who needs closure, right?

But one night changes everything…

Sierra has reinvented herself as the proud owner of Flirt, a trendy boutique in the Outer Banks. Life is good—until Kane Masterson, the man she left behind, walks back into town. And of course, he’s now the developer whose big new project threatens to bulldoze her beloved shop. Kane needs this deal to save his career, but Sierra’s not about to let him demolish her hard-won success.

With sparks flying, sarcastic jabs turning into lingering looks, and a family wedding forcing them into close quarters, Sierra and Kane find themselves tangled in a battle of wills—and hearts. But now he has to choose: reclaim his career or risk everything for a second chance with the one woman he can’t forget.


So there we go. Ten beachy looking reads that I may or may not get approved for. How many of these books do you think I'll be approved to read? Do any of them catch your eye? What books are you planning on reading this summer?

If you're stopping by from the linkup, please be sure to drop a link to your post below so I can check out your summer freebie list. - Katie