Genre: Urban Fantasy

The Weekly Recap (146)

Posted July 13, 2020 by Rowena in Features | 13 Comments

Hey everyone! Long time, no chat. I’m sorry I up and disappeared and that I seem to keep doing that on the regular. You’d think that since I ain’t going nowhere thanks to this ‘Rona that I’d have all the time in the world to blog and to read and to do all of the things but I’ve sunk into the hole of Korean Dramas and that’s about all I’ve been doing. I’m watching a lot more than I’m reading right now but I’m working on trying to find a balance so that I can, you know, do all of the things.

Things might look a little different around here but I thought a little makeover was long overdue. I also thought that changing the look up might motivate me to start writing again and…it worked! With this new look and a little change of direction, I’m pumped to start blogging again. Now, I know that you guys are here for the book content but I’m thinking of going back to a more personal blog so that I can write about more than just what I’m reading.

So, Welcome Back! Pull up a seat, grab a beer, and let’s catch up, shall we? I missed y’all!

What I’m Currently Reading

Magic Binds
by Ilona Andrews
Series: Kate Daniels #9
Published by Penguin, Ace on September 20, 2016
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Point of View:First Person
Pages: 333
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
Add It: Goodreads

The new, “heart-stopping”* novel in the New York Times bestselling series that “defines urban fantasy.”

Mercenary Kate Daniels knows all too well that magic in post-shift Atlanta is a dangerous business. But nothing she’s faced could have prepared her for this…
Kate and the former Beast Lord Curran Lennart are finally making their relationship official. But there are some steep obstacles standing in the way of their walk to the altar…

Kate’s father, Roland, has kidnapped the demigod Saiman and is slowly bleeding him dry in his never-ending bid for power. A Witch Oracle has predicted that if Kate marries the man she loves, Atlanta will burn and she will lose him forever. And the only person Kate can ask for help is long dead.

The odds are impossible. The future is grim. But Kate Daniels has never been one to play by the rules…

After taking almost two months off from reading, I’m back at it again and I’m about a third of the way into this book. I need to finish this series before I jump into any other new to me books because I tried to read a few contemporaries before this one and I couldn’t finish any of them. You know its bad when I tried reading a Lauren Layne book and my attention was all over the place. I couldn’t buckle down long enough to finish the book so I gave up not too far into the story. I blame Kate Daniels. I just need to see where my friends end up after the last book and hopefully, it’s somewhere nice and tidy. So far, this one is good so I’m glad to be back with all of my homies…especially Curran and Kate. So I’m looking forward to finishing this one.

What I Read

Blind Date with a Book Boyfriend by Lucy Eden | 4 out of 5

I finally read a book, y’all! I haven’t read anything since the end of May and though I’ve been trying, nothing has been holding my attention but after chatting on Zoom with my book girlfriends, I picked this one up (at their recommendation) and I’m super glad that I did. It was too cute and super short so just what I needed to kick my ass in gear and start reading again. Thanks Ames and Holly!

What I Got

Blind Date with a Book Boyfriend by Lucy Eden
The Bridge Kingdom (The Bridge Kingdom #1) by Danielle L. Jensen
My Truth by Don Benjamin
The One by John Marrs

What I’m Currently Watching

It’s Okay to Not Be Okay (2020)
Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth (2016)

I debated with myself on if I wanted to start Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth right now because I’m running out of Park Seo Joon shows and movies to watch. He is my number one boo thang right now and I want to savor everything of his that I still have left.

What I Watched

My favorite watch of the week is a tie between Strong Woman, Do Bong Soon and Weightlifting Fairy, Kim Bok Joo. Both dramas were kind of similar in the sense that both heroines were physically strong and the love triangle is different in Weightlifting Fairy but I hella loved both of these shows. I enjoyed the romance, the stories, and just everything about both of them. I’ve already made a list of shows and movies that my favorite actors/actresses from both shows are in because I want to see more of them.

My least favorite show from this week goes to The K2. I was looking for a different speed than the other shows I watched and I’ve been hearing such great things about this show so I started it up. It’s on Netflix, the main male lead is FOINE so I thought, why not? While it was interesting and I did like it overall, the beginning was a bit slow and I struggled to connect with both of the main leads for a bit. Still, not bad just not my favorite.

What Made Me Laugh

There you have it, my week in review. How was your week?

13 Comments
Tags: Currently Reading, Currently Watching, The Weekly Recap, Week in Books, Week in Movies, Week in TV Shows

The Wednesday Post (23)

Posted November 20, 2019 by Rowena in Features | 0 Comments

Can’t Wait Wednesday is hosted by Tessa over at Wishful Endings and it was based on Waiting on Wednesday that was hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme that is hosted by Sam at Taking on a World of Words.

I decided that I’m going to do a mashup of the Can’t Wait Wednesday and WWW Wednesday posts here on my blog. I’m bringing them together and calling it The Wednesday Post. Here’s what I’m up to this week.

WWW Wednesday

What did you recently finish reading?

Goddess of Spring (Goddess Summoning #2) by P.C. Cast

It took me so damn long to read this book. I was bored in the beginning, I didn’t like the heroine all that well, Hades portrayal was all wrong to me and after all was said and done, I thought the book was okay. I think I would have preferred if we got to see Persophone’s adventure on earth than Lina’s adventure in the Underworld. Honestly though? I’m just glad that I’m done with that book and I can finally move on.

What are you currently reading?

Lady Derring Takes a Lover (The Palace of Rogues #1) by Julie Anne Long

I’m still in the early days of this book but so far, I’m enjoying this book heaps more than I enjoyed Goddess of Spring. I haven’t read too many books by Julie Anne Long but Holly loved this book so I know that I’m going to love it too so I’m excited to keep reading.

What do you think you’ll read next?

The Kingmaker (All the King’s Men #1) by Kennedry Ryan
The Rebel King (All the King’s Men #2) by Kennedy Ryan

The last couple of weeks I’ve been lying to y’all. I keep saying that I’m going to read this book and that book but I’m not reading shit. But this week? I’m for real. After I finish Lady Derring, I’m moving on to this duet of books. I need some new Kennedy Ryan goodness in my life and Nick won’t stop screaming at the top of her lungs about these books. I have to check them out. See you guys on the other side.

Can’t Wait Wednesday

Crush the King
by Jennifer Estep
Series: Crown of Shards #3
Published by Harper Collins, Harper Voyager on March 17, 2020
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 432
Add It: Goodreads

A fierce gladiator queen must face off against her enemies in an epic battle in this next thrilling installment of New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Jennifer Estep’s Crown of Shards series—an action-packed adventure full of magic, murderous machinations, courtly intrigue, and pulse-pounding romance.

Queen Everleigh Blair of Bellona has survived the mass murder of the royal family, become a fearsome warrior trained by an elite gladiator troupe, and unleashed her ability to destroy magic. After surviving yet another assassination attempt orchestrated by the conniving king of Morta, Evie has had enough. It’s time to turn the tables and take the fight to her enemies.

There is no better opportunity to strike than during the Regalia Games, a time when warriors, nobles, and royals from all the kingdoms come together to compete in various sporting events. With the help of her loyal friends, Evie goes on the attack at the Regalia, but things don’t turn out the way she hopes. Soon, she is facing a terrifying new threat, and she will have to dig deep and learn even more about her growing magic if she has any chance of defeating her foes.

Because to secure her throne and ensure her kingdom’s survival, Evie must think like a true Bellonan: she must outsmart and outwit her enemies . . . and crush the king.

I still need to read the second book in this series but that doesn’t mean that I’m not excited for this release. This series started off strong and I’m determined to catch up on this series before this one comes out. I have until March 17, 2020 to get caught up on this series and I’m going to do it. I need to know what Everleigh is up to and what’s going on with her and and her boo thang from the first book.

So, what are you reading this week? Anything good? Anything that you want to rant about?
Are you looking forward to Crush the King? What other books are you looking forward to releasing this year?

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Tags: Can't Wait Wednesday, Currently Reading, My Wishlist, The Wednesday Post, Week in Books, Weekly Reads, WWW Wednesday

The Wednesday Post (21)

Posted October 30, 2019 by Rowena in Features | 6 Comments

WWW Wednesday

What did you recently finish reading?

A Madness of Sunshine by Nalini Singh

I finished this last night and enjoyed it. It was a little slow in parts but overall, I thought the story was a good one. I’d read anything by Nalini Singh and I’m happy to report that it remains true of her mystery and suspense stories. 🙂

What are you currently reading?

The One for You (The Ones that Got Away #4) by Roni
Loren

Oh, man, am I excited to jump into this one. I’m going to start it today. I would have started it last night after finishing A Madness of Sunshine but a bitch was tired so I took my ass to sleep but today is all for Kincaid. Yippy skippy!

What do you think you’ll read next?

Open House (Uptown #2) by Ruby Lang
Don’t Break Me by Ash Ley

I’m reading these two bad boys next. Open House is a new addition to my review pile and it comes out in November so I need to get that one read and reviewed but I’m looking forward to reading it since I’ve been seeing good things around Twitter about. I’ve also been seeing good things about Don’t Break Me so I got it on Kindle Unlimited and am going to see for myself how good it is.

Can’t Wait Wednesday

Smoke Bitten
by Patricia Briggs
Series: Mercy Thompson #12
Also in this series: Silver Borne
Published by Penguin, Ace on March 10, 2020
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Point of View:First Person
Pages: 368
Add It: Goodreads

Mercy Thompson, car mechanic and shapeshifter, faces a threat unlike any other in this thrilling entry in the #1 New York Times bestselling series.

I am Mercedes Athena Thompson Hauptman. My only “superpowers” are that I turn into a thirty-five pound coyote and fix Volkswagens. But I have friends in odd places and a pack of werewolves at my back. It looks like I’m going to need them.

Centuries ago, the fae dwelt in Underhill–until she locked her doors against them. They left behind their great castles and troves of magical artifacts. They abandoned their prisoners and their pets. Without the fae to mind them, those creatures who remained behind roamed freely through Underhill wreaking havoc. Only the deadliest survived.

Now one of those prisoners has escaped. It can look like anyone, any creature it chooses. But if it bites you, it controls you. It lives for chaos and destruction. It can make you do anything–even kill the person you love the most. Now it is here, in the Tri-Cities. In my territory.

It won’t, can’t, remain.

Not if I have anything to say about it.

All I have to say about this upcoming release is…COME TO MAMA! I am all in on the Mercy Thompson train and all of these books later, I’m still Team Mercy. I cannot wait to see what Briggs has planned for Mercy in Smoke Bitten because whatever it is, I’m sure it’ll be a good one. At least I have my fingers crossed that it will. This one comes out on March 10, 2020 so there’s still a bit of a wait but we can do it! I’ll gladly wait for more Mercy books.

So, what are you reading this week? Anything good? Anything that you want to rant about?
Are you looking forward to Smoke Bitten? What other books are you looking forward to releasing this year?

6 Comments
Tags: Can't Wait Wednesday, Currently Reading, The Wednesday Post, Week in Books, Weekly Reads, WWW Wednesday

Eye Candy Friday: Mercy Thompson from Night Broken by Patricia Briggs

Posted July 5, 2019 by Rowena in Features | 0 Comments

Eye Candy Friday is all about the heroes and heroines that I’m loving and wanting to spotlight right now. Sometimes I’ll do full-on gush fest posts on why I love these guys, sometimes I’ll post pictures of what I think they look like and that’s it but if they’re featured here, the one thing that will be constant is I loved the hell out of them and want everyone to know. Thanks for coming along for the ride.

Eye Candy Friday: Mercy Thompson from Night Broken by Patricia Briggs

Night Broken
by Patricia Briggs
Series: Mercy Thompson #8
Also in this series: Silver Borne
Published by Penguin, Ace on March 11, 2014
Genres: Urban Fantasy
Point of View:First Person
Pages: 353
Format: eBook
Source: Purchased
Add It: Goodreads

An unexpected phone call heralds a new challenge for Mercy. Her mate Adam’s ex-wife is in trouble, on the run from a stalker. Adam isn’t the kind of man to turn away a person in need—and Mercy knows it. But with Christy holed up in Adam’s house, Mercy can’t shake the feeling that something about the situation isn’t right.

Soon her suspicions are confirmed when she learns that Christy has the furthest thing from good intentions. She wants Adam back, and she’s willing to do whatever it takes to get him, including turning Adam’s pack against Mercy.

Mercy isn’t about to step down without a fight, but there’s a more dangerous threat circling. Christy’s stalker is more than a bad man—in fact, he may not be human at all. As the bodies start piling up, Mercy must put her personal troubles aside to face a creature with the power to tear her whole world apart.

Today’s eye candy is Mercy Thompson from the Mercy Thompson series by Patricia Briggs. Mercy is the mate to the Alpha for the Columbia Basin Pack in Washington but she’s also so much more than just a regular VW mechanic. She’s unique in that she’s a walker so she can shift into a coyote but more than that, she was raised by the Marrok himself (the King of all of the Werewolves) and she is the lone Coyote in a werewolf pack. Things have never been easy for Mercy but one of the things that I admire the hell out of where she’s concerned is that she doesn’t shy away from what’s right. She never takes the easy way out of things, she’s smart and she’s strong. She would make a great Polynesian person because aiga (aiga means family in Samoan) is important to her and Mercy’s aiga isn’t just her pack. She’s got friends everywhere and those friends are part of her family. Nobody gets left behind with Mercy and it’s hard not to love and cheer for someone as awesome as she is.

“If she tried anything, she would be sorry. Adam was mine. She had thrown him away, thrown Jesse away—and I had snatched them up. Finders keepers.”

In Night Broken, my love and admiration for Mercy grew by heaps and bounds. She just kept right on being hurt by the people that are supposed to have her back but she pushed through and didn’t let her hurt get in the way of doing what was right for everyone involved…even the main person who was hurting her. My limits and my patience were tried in this book but my love for all things Mercy Thompson Hauptman grew and grew until I was damn near bursting with pride and love for her. She is honestly my favorite character of the year so far and I don’t see any other character coming close.

“Just be careful, Mary Jo. Be very careful. You’ve made mistakes. Everyone makes mistakes. One you should not make is to imagine that Christy will ever be Adam’s mate. He is mine, and unlike her, I don’t throw away people who are mine.”

Mercy is everything. She is the best. She is caring but more than anything, like my friend Holly said, she’s just a regular person trying to do her best. She’s small but she’s fierce and I completely get why everyone will protect her with all that they are because she would and probably already has done the same for them. Is it any wonder that she’s this week’s Eye Candy Friday?

Character Casting

Another thing that Mercy is…is gorgeous. This is how Mercy looks in my head when I’m reading these books. Isn’t she gorgeous?

Mercy Thompson Series

Have you read Night Broken by Patricia Briggs? Did you love Mercy as much as I did? Who is your favorite character this week?

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Tags: Character Crush, Eye Candy Friday, Mercy Thompson, Patricia Briggs, Urban Fantasy

The Weekly Recap (134)

Posted July 1, 2019 by Rowena in Features | 4 Comments

This week was a pretty quick one for me. I spent as much time as I could with Caiden because he went back to his Utah home on Friday but I also got some books read that I’ve been meaning to read for ages now so all in all, it was a pretty good week. Brenna went camping with her friends this past weekend so I had the freedom to do whatever I wanted and I stuck close to home, refreshing Twitter to see where Kawhi Leonard lands (please say that Lakers, please say the Lakers) in his free agency. Fingers crossed that he lands back home…in a Los Angeles Lakers uniform.

I binged Mercy Thompson too and I have no regrets. Mercy is the bomb!

Now, onto the books…