This October was a crazy month for me. I got married and I got a real life happily ever after. It all feels a bit like a dream. I also read (and re-read) so many incredible books in October. If you’re looking for suggestions, below you’ll find a list of everything I read this month.
Masked Sins by Amanda Richardson is the fourth installment of the Ravaged Castle series, a series of interconnected standalones, each following one of the Ravage brothers. Each of the brothers is extraordinarily wealthy, and each brother and their love interest have their own specific brand of kink. This one follows bad-boy Dominant Orion and his innocent ballerina love interest, Layla. Masked Sins is a slow burn with lots of sexy tension and a payoff that is worth every single page. The Ravaged Castle series has earned its place among the best contemporary romances of the year.
Vesselless is a stunning romantasy that takes all those familiar tropes, and puts them in an entirely original space and makes them feel brand new. The characters are all deeply complex, blending all kinds of grey areas in a way that feels deeply authentic. Dagen, in many ways, is a classic romantic hero. He’s charming and more than a little dangerous. Nizzara is a classic romantic heroine who is ferocious and faces enormous battles that sometimes seem impossible to overcome. Vesselless boasts a great deal of action coupled with a tantalizingly slow-burn romance that makes for an engrossing read. This story keeps the readers hooked from the first page to the last with its clever premise, but be warned. This story ends on a bit of a cliff’s edge, so you, like me, might be waiting eagerly for book two.
Verdict: Love It
Ensnared + Entangled by Rebecca Quinn
I finally caved and read the first two books in the Brutes of Bristlebook series, even though the third book isn’t out yet. I regret it deeply, but only because these books are so incredibly good. I am dying for the third book, which is hopefully coming some time in November. In a post-apocalyptic society, this why choose romance manages to create distinct characters, deeply emotional interactions, action for days, and top notch (and I mean truly off-the-charts) spice. It’s everything I want in a romance series and more.
A Song of Ash and Moonlight by Claire Legrand is the continuation of The Middlemist Trilogy, a gothic fantasy romance series following a trio of sisters living in a dangerous magical world. A Song of Ash and Moonlight suffered from such a slow start, just like its predecessor. It’s not that the plot is slow, but the language is very descriptive, sometimes to excess. It made this book a very slow-paced read, despite the high stakes. This is a solid middle-ground fantasy. I loved the magic here, and I loved the main character, but it just didn’t quite hit the full mark for me with the pacing and the character development.
Verdict: Sigh. Love It, I Guess
The Love of My Afterlife by Kristy Greenwood
The Love of My Afterlife by Kristy Greenwood is a romantic comedy tale of a woman who died tragically, young and alone, and finds herself on a wild journey to find her soulmate and get her life back. It was cutesy, but it was also touching and clever, with characters you can’t help but love. And, essential for a rom-com story, it was a page-turner. This book made me cry, in a good way. Even my creepy black heart loves a good romantic comedy every once in a while. The Love of My Afterlife is perfect for fans of the likes of Lucy Score, or anyone who is looking for something moving and sweet to get started in the romance genre.
Verdict: Love It
Swallow Your Fear by Karley Brenna
Swallow Your Fear by Karley Brenna was pitched to me on social media as an ultra-spicy dark romance with cowboys. It’s a little unusual, although not unheard of, to find dark romance and cowboys together in the same book. Normally cowboy romances skew a little more towards the romantic comedy subgenre, so I was intrigued. The problem is, the whole plot is more than a little far-fetched. The author is trying to find a reason for these two characters to be forced together, but it doesn’t particularly come together in a way that makes sense. By the middle of the book, which is short, Brynne and Booker have never had an actual conversation and now they’re supposedly falling in love. The plot events and the character development feel rushed, and it leads to a book that doesn’t evoke the usual investment in the character’s journey. I found myself not particularly caring about these two or their happily ever after. There are better options out there for dark romance readers and cowboy enthusiasts alike.
Verdict: Leave It
The Harlequin Crew Series by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti
I decided to do a reread of the Harlequin Crew series because it was my wedding week and I didn’t want to think too hard about literally anything. I just wanted to read something familiar with a fast-paced plot and a fun romance. This series was the perfect choice. Harlequin Crew is a gangster themed why choose romance with a ton of action and so much delicious tension, set in a beach town that I just want to move to. It also has all the campy fun this author duo does so well. You know a series is good when you stay up way too late reading it even though you already know what happens. Do with that what you will.
Verdict: Still Love It
Fairydale by Veronica Lancet
Fairydale by Veronica Lancet is part fantasy, part historical fiction, part gothic romance, with a touch of horror thrown in for good measure. All such disparate elements somehow work together seamlessly to allow the author to create a story that is both utterly unique and a truly bewitching read. Fairydale is very suspenseful, and not just with the spice. The author tantalizingly leaves details for the readers like breadcrumbs, revealing information ever so slowly always leaving us wanting more. This is a truly incredible story. I’ve never read anything else like it, which is among my favorite things to find in a book. It gives Invisible Life of Addie LaRue vibes but with more romance, more magic, and more intrigue. I have so much more to say about this story, but you’ll have to wait until the full review comes out next month.
Verdict: Love It
Forged in Blood by Sadie Kincaid
Forged in Blood by Sadie Kincaid is a romantasywhy choose novel with MM interactions within the group. While it’s a significant departure from what Sadie Kincaid usually does, it has all her trademark spice. These vampires are freaky, and I mean that as the highest of compliments. Forged in Blood has a slightly unoriginal fantasy premise, but I couldn’t care less. I’m fully hooked on this series despite the fact that it feels a little like I’ve read this book before. It has several common fantasy tropes that make it feel familiar. There’s a magical university, a human girl who’s not quite actually human, vampires, a sexy professor, and enemies to lovers. There are vampires, witches, demons, and elemental magic. We’ve seen it all before, but that doesn’t make it any less enjoyable.
Verdict: Love It
The Favorite Sister by Jessica Knoll
I had to read at least one mystery this October in honor of spooky season, and as the end of the month approached, I was on the hunt for one that would blow me away. The Favorite Sister follows the stars of a Housewives-esque reality show and is mired in astute societal observations similar to those found in Luckiest Woman Alive but with an entirely different tone, subject matter, and character scape. It has a clear and poignant message about the dark side of modern feminist culture and reality television but gets it across without sacrificing plot, which is a feat. The plot is engaging, and while you are rooting for absolutely none of these characters, except Layla, Kelly’s twelve-year-old daughter, they are still quite entertaining to read. If you are not a Bravo watcher, this may not be the book for you. But for those of us enmeshed in this culture, it’s a fantastic read.
Verdict: Love It
Monarch by Sophie Lark
Monarch by Sophie Lark is the second book in her Grimstone series but it can be read as a standalone. It’s a contemporary novel that’s part romance and part thriller, which makes for a great combination to close out the spooky season. Elena needs to get out of Ukraine fast. Her only option is to become a mail-order bride. Her new fiancé, Lorne, is a wealthy American author, and she can’t believe her luck. As she gets to know Lorne, she wonders if her white knight who saved her might just be a nightmare in disguise. Monarch is a great book because it’s rooted entirely in real-world fears. There are moments in the plot and character interactions that are truly chilling, especially as the ending approaches.
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