Review: The Grip Series by Kennedy Ryan

       

"Don't you feel how connected we are?" I ask. "If I break your heart, I break mine."

I spent the past few days immersed in the three books that make up the Grip Series by Kennedy Lane. I believe this is a new-to-me-author though she has been publishing books since 2014 and I am so impressed with what she's produced with this series. I'll definitely be looking into her backlist of books.

So what can I say about this series? Well, I'm still reeling from the reading experience - it hit me on so many emotional and intellectual levels. I was chuckling in parts and bawling my eyes out in others, as well really thinking deeply about issues of race, prejudice, social justice and more. We're only a few weeks into 2018 and I feel like I've already hit a phenomenal high with this series.

On my radar for 2018

I thought I'd share a quick post revealing what's on my reading radar for 2018. 

My reading list is already way out of control, but there are already a few books coming out this year that I'm looking forward to.

I don't know about anyone else, but even though there are a ton of books I've been wanting to read on my reading list, I'm a sucker for newly published books. I can't explain it, but it just is.

Blood Fury (Black Dagger Legacy #3) by J.R. Ward

Releasing on January 9th, 2018

With this much-anticipated third instalment from the Black Dagger Legacy spin-off series being released next week, this series is at the top of my reading list for 2018. 

A vampire aristocrat, Peyton is well aware of his duty to his bloodline: mate with an appropriate female of his class and carry on his family’s traditions. And he thought he’d found his perfect match—until she fell in love with someone else. Yet when his split-second decision in a battle with the enemy endangers the life of another trainee, Peyton has to face the idea that his future, and his heart, actually lie with another. 

Novo, as a female in the Black Dagger Brotherhood’s training program, feels like she has to prove herself to everybody—and she has no interest in being distracted by falling in love. But when Peyton proves to be so much more than a rich playboy, she is forced to confront the tragedy that has broken her soul and closed her off from love. 

As the two grapple with Novo’s past and Peyton’s present, another couple must contend with an erotic connection that is unparalleled—and potentially scandalous. Saxton, who has had his heart broken, discovers in himself a deep-seated attraction to Ruhn, a new member of the household. But will the other male explore the connection? Or will he close his mind and his heart to what could be true love . . . and cost Saxton everything? 

Review: Day of the Duchess by Sarah MacLean

"Would you like to know why I kept the name?"
"Yes." More than anything
"Because doves mate for life, and I knew there would never be another for me"

I picked up Day of the Duchess by Sarah MacLean after hitting a high note reading The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare and The Highwayman by Kerrigan Byrne at the tail end of 2017. It had been a while since I'd read a historical romance and these two books certainly reminded me of all the reasons why I should be getting back to this romance sub-genre. I would recommend reading these two books if you haven't already done so.

Unlike some readers, I don't squirm at the idea of starting a series from the middle or end on one. Day of the Duchess is number three in the Scandal and Scoundrels series and I haven't read the first two books in this series.

My Favorite Reads of 2017

According to Goodreads, I read a total of 412 books in 2017. So I thought I'd kick off 2018 and this blog with a look at my favorite reads of the year that was. Overall, it was busy year filled with paperbacks, e-books and audiobooks - some were fantastic reads, while many were mediocre, and then there were a few that were just plain disappointing.

Although I did read a lot of books in 2017, I still fell short of my 2016 total, which was 503 books. This was due to getting severely side-tracked from my usual reading zen half way through the year, but I did manage to pull up my reading socks in the last couple of months.

Reading continues to be my lifeline. I seriously don't know how I would survive the real world without the worlds of fiction, romance (heavy on this genre of course) and a handful of non-fiction.

Without further ado, here are my favorite reads for 2017: