Tuesday, February 28, 2023

Book Review: Lost To The Alien Lord by Ella Blake

 

Book Description

I signed up for a research mission with five other women. Instead, we crashed on an alien planet with too many dangers to count. Separated from the other women, I’m on my own until a huge alien with color-changing skin and a massive sword gets me out of a bad spot. I don’t understand Savair’s language, but I think he’s under the impression that I’m his.

I am NOT his. I’m a 34-year old divorced scientist with no time for such nonsense. But if he can help me find the others in my group then perhaps I can play at being “his” for a while. It’s not a hardship. He’s the sexiest male I’ve ever met with a jawline to die for, but there’s no way I’ll fall for this guy. Nope. Not a chance…

Jetta makes me ache. I desire her the moment I pull her from a Brakken meat trap. Her soft, warm body awakens hungers long banked. But my Sola, the living ship I am bound to, is dying, and thus, so am I. I must find a way to save my Sola and my mate, or none of us will survive.

This is book one of the Lords of Destra series. Each is a complete story with no cliffhangers or cheating. My books always have consent and a happy ending. Cheers!


My Review

Savair rescues Jetta from a trap and keeps her safe. He takes her back to his ship (Sola) and the sentient ship is able to make it so they can communicate with each other. But his Sola is dying and because they are connected, so is he. 

Jetta was on a ship that got attacked. She and the other women who were on a research mission crash landed on a planet where they find themselves in a lot of danger. There are friendly aliens like Savair and most of his people and then there are the Brakken who are not nice at all and might just eat anyone they find. 

Savair thinks that Jetta might be his mate and he wants to keep her even though some of his people don't think he should have a mate since his first priority should be to his Sola. He and his sentient ship are connected and most leaders who have a Sola do not get mates as well so some of his people are having a hard time accepting Jetta. 

Jetta sets out to save some of the women who were on the ship with her and she shows Savair and his people that she is more than just a mate, she can be helpful too and she was. The Sola was strange though and I had some problems in the way she acted. I'm calling the Sola a she because she gave off female vibes to me. But she had secrets and I didn't like that she wasn't more forthcoming. There were a few small questions that came up in this story that never got answered and that bugged me. It did end up being a good read though. 

I give this book 3 out of 5 stars. 

Monday, February 27, 2023

Happy Raturday!

 



*All pictures this week are courtesy of martymousehouse.com*

Sunday, February 26, 2023

Apartment Life #355

 

This is a weekly blog post that I'm calling Apartment Hell  Life. I've mentioned a few times some of the crazy things that go on in and around my apartment complex in the past 25 years that we've lived here and people keep telling me I should write a book. But instead of a book, I've decided to share the crazy things that have happened in and around my apartment complex in the last 25 years here in a weekly blog post. 


When my daughter got on the bus to go to work on Monday, she spotted police just down the street. They had someone sitting on the sidewalk but I have no idea what was going on.

This street is just around the corner from us so it was close. Maybe just a traffic stop though. 
---

The homeless druggies strike again. This apartment became vacant and right away I started seeing the druggies coming and going from the apartment like they lived there. Last Monday morning maintenance went in and kicked them all out and I thought that would be the end of it for a while but the very next night they broke out the bedroom window and was able to get it open and climb in. They came and went for a few days until maintenance once again went in and kicked them out. Then maintenance fixed the broken window and that night as I was outside with Falcor I watched a couple of druggies trying to break into the door. So I stood there and made sure they knew I was watching them. They stopped and walked around the back where the fixed window was. So I took out the trash and made sure they saw me watching them. They didn't break into the apartment that night. So at least that's something, Maintenance should call the police when they find people have broken in but they won't and if I call, the police will do nothing, They won't even make them leave because there is no apartment manager on property to tell them that they don't live there. It's ridiculous. 
---

I'm sure you all remember the apartment fire across from my apartment that happened back on December 4th? Well this place just hired a company to come out and clear out the apartment. The guy that lived there was a hoarder and the place is packed. 

They set up a plastic barrier around the door, looked almost like hazmat containment. My brother (retired firefighter) said they did this because these old apartments have asbestos. That makes sense.


The high this week was 70F/21C
The low this week was 34F/1C

So that's it for this week's Apartment Hell  Life! Be sure to come back next week for more.

Saturday, February 25, 2023

Favorite Song of the Week

 

This song, Dial Tone by Catch Your Breath is one of those songs that I have been playing on repeat non stop since I found it on Tiktok. This is the first song from this band that I've heard but they have some really good music and the lead singer's voice is one that I can definitely see myself listening to more often. I hope you like this song as much as I do. 

Friday, February 24, 2023

Freebie Friday!

 
Welcome to another weekly Freebie Friday post, where I tell you what free samples and full sized products I received in the mail and how you can get them too. Someone asked me why I do a "Freebie Friday" each week, so I'll tell you.

A while back I listed all the free samples and wins that I had received that previous year and so many people didn't believe that I could have gotten so many free things. So I decided to prove it by taking a picture every week and sharing the sites that I found the links to the freebies at. So now you too can get great free samples coming to your mailbox each week.

  You can find links to great samples at Hey It's Free and Freebie Shark.

This week I received:

The Little Freebies Box from Bloomingdale's. In it was....

Penhaligon's perfume. 
Tom Ford Lost Cherry Eau De Parfum. 
Aqua Di Parma Signatures Of The Sun Lily Of The Valley Eau De Parfum. 
BVLGARI Allegra Baciami Eau De Parfum. 
Charlotte Tilbury Charlotte's Magic Serum Crystal Elixir. 
CLE' De Peau Beaute The Serum. 
Jo Malone London English Pear and Freesia Cologne. 

I really enjoyed all the different perfume's. They smell really good. I like the two different face serums too. That Lily of the Valley perfume smells the best to me. I love that one. 

Did you receive any freebies this week?

Thursday, February 23, 2023

Low Carb Breakfast Recipe: Mexican Bowl

 
Now this might be called a Mexican bowl because when I looked up the recipe it said to layer all of the ingredients in a bowl, but I don't like all my food to be mixed up so everything is separate on my plate. lol And of course I changed this recipe to suit my own tastes. This recipe will feed 3 people. 

You will need: 

1/2 lb of hamburger
3 slices of bacon- crumbled
1 TBSP Taco seasoning
1 Avocado- sliced
Homemade Pico De Gallo- recipe below
Cacique Queso Fresco- Mexican Cheese but you can use whatever cheese you like. 
1/2 Bell Pepper- diced
1/2 Sweet Yellow Onion-diced
8 White Mushrooms- sliced
6 eggs- scrambled
1TBSP Oil
1/4 cup water
Salt and pepper to taste


What to do: 

Slice bacon into small pieces and fry. Set aside when crispy. 

Add onion, bell pepper and mushroom to a pan, add oil and sauté until cooked through, add hamburger and cook until hamburger is done. Add water and taco seasoning. stir until incorporated. Cook for 5 minutes or until water is gone. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with a little of the bacon on top. Sprinkle a little of the Queso Fresco cheese on top. 

Scramble eggs and serve them with this. Serve with sliced avocado and Pico De Gallo. 


Pico De Gallo Recipe

4 large tomatoes diced small
1 1/2 large yellow onions diced small
One bunch of cilantro diced small (about 1 cup)
Juice from 2 lemons
Salt to taste

 Mix all ingredients together and let sit overnight in container in the fridge. You can eat it right after it's been made but for more flavorful Salsa, make 2 days ahead of time and let it sit in an air tight container in the refrigerator.

You can make your own taco seasoning if you want to but I used a packaged taco seasoning because it tastes better to me. I've tried making my own and it never tastes right for some reason.

Would you eat this?

Wednesday, February 22, 2023

Favorite Picture of the Week

 
This sunset was so pretty with all of those dark clouds in the background and just enough space between then to let a little light through. 

The clouds were covering the peaks of the mountains out that way. The next day they had more snow on them.

These clouds looked so close to the ground, I thought it was weird but interesting. 

Tuesday, February 21, 2023

Book Review: Lion Hearts Tiger by V. Vaughn

 
Book Description

Who— What am I?

When Lexi wakes up in a hospital room, she doesn’t even know her own name. But she does know one thing, she’d like the hot guy hovering over her bed to stick around. As she fights to regain her memories, she’s faced with a horrifying truth she doesn’t want—she can shift into a huge lion. And if that’s not enough of a shock, the sexy man who claims to be her mate can turn into a tiger.

Tristan is beside himself with worry over Lexi’s amnesia. The woman he wants to marry doesn’t recognize the love she has for him or the lion inside her. As he helps her heal physically and emotionally he battles with a secret he is afraid to reveal, because when the truth comes out he could lose her again. And this time it could be forever.


My Review

When Lexi wakes up in the hospital and can't remember who she is or who the guy in her room is, she freaks out. But Tristan just wants to get her out of the hospital before the doctors find out their secrets. They're shifters. Lexi is a lion and Tristan is a tiger. But Lexi doesn't trust Tristan right away and the fact that Tristan doesn't tell her what they are right away doesn't help things. So when she starts to heal fast and her tests come back a little weird, the doctor is justifiably excited and Tristan has no choice but to tell Lexi some of why they need to leave right away. 

Lexi has trouble believing anything Tristan says because shifters? Really? Who's going to believe that? So he has to show her to prove it to her and when she tries to shift into her lion, it's not as easy for her because she's forgotten how to do it. 

I love a good amnesia story and having to get to know your husband/wife but throw in some type of paranormal element that you've forgotten and have to learn again, was just too much fun. I really liked this and had a good time with it. 

I give this book 3 out of 5 stars. 

Monday, February 20, 2023

Happy Raturday!

 



*All pictures this week are courtesy of martymousehouse.com*

Sunday, February 19, 2023

Apartment Life #354

 
This is a weekly blog post that I'm calling Apartment Hell  Life. I've mentioned a few times some of the crazy things that go on in and around my apartment complex in the past 25 years that we've lived here and people keep telling me I should write a book. But instead of a book, I've decided to share the crazy things that have happened in and around my apartment complex in the last 25 years here in a weekly blog post. 

Sunday night the police were all over my street and the cross street at the end of my street. The police were shining their bright spot light on their cars right at the bedroom windows all along my street. I don't know what they hoped to accomplish with that act of rudeness but they were also shining the light down the walk ways into the different courtyards. They seemed to be looking for someone.

That went on for a while and then they all left. It was almost 10PM and I'm sure some people were sleeping. Probably not for long with the bright spotlight being shined into their bedroom windows. I'm still trying to figure out what that was about. Were they mad/afraid someone was watching them or filming them from a bedroom window? I know I've been yelled at before for doing just that but I'm inside my apartment, not in their way. So sick of the bullying tactics when people aren't doing anything wrong.

---

Sunday evening about 8:30 PM  I got so mad when I went outside. I saw two people standing over by the old maintenance shop shooting up drugs. They weren't even trying to hide what they were doing. There are kids in this courtyard, my own grandson walks right by that area when he takes the trash out. So I yelled at them. 

"Are you seriously shooting up right there? Are you f*cking kidding me. There are kids in this courtyard that don't need to be seeing that sh*t. You have 5 f*cking seconds to get your shit and leave or I'm calling the cops. 5 seconds!" Is what I said. Then I took Falcor inside and went back out to see if they were gone and they had split.

So the next morning I sent an email to the apartment manager telling her about the drug problem and how drug dealer is the problem around here. Here is the response I received. 


"Good Morning Mary,

My name is Mayra and I'm the Regional Manager for the area.  I understand your concerns and want to sincerely apologize that you feel this way.  It has been brought to our attention, and we have begun legal proceedings against this unit.  I am unable to give you further information on what the status is or exactly what we're doing, but we are working on getting our unit back from them.  I promise you we are working diligently through the legal process to get possession of our unit.  
Thank you for being a valued resident "

So apparently it's not just me fed up and complaining and they are going to be out of here soon. *does little happy dance* 

I don't know how soon but it can't be soon enough for me. 
----

The high this week was 64F/17C
The low this week was 31F/-0.5C

So that's it for this week's Apartment Hell  Life! Be sure to come back next week for more.

Saturday, February 18, 2023

Favorite Song of the Week

 

I know I've shred From Ashes To New before but this song, Panic was so good that I had to share them again. I hope you enjoy. 

Friday, February 17, 2023

Book Review: Wickedly Tainted by A E Nalle

 You may be asking where the Freebie Friday post is but since I didn't receive any freebies this week I thought I would review this book since I did get this one for free last month. 


Book Description

One brutal night in her past changed her life forever. Now, sixteen years later, Jill feels as though she is still stuck in the past as new trauma encompasses every waking and unconscious moment. One strong panic attack and a phone call later, Jill’s already chaotic mind is thrust even further into disarray as Damon Santos enters her life yet again.

The one passionate encounter they had nearly put Jill on her knees. She had wanted to relinquish her tightly coveted control for the first time in years. With his crooked grin, dark eyes, and unique brand of domination, Damon slowly breaks down every wall she has built around herself to show her what it means to be truly healed.

But when her past rears its ugly head she must find the strength within herself to fight back and reclaim her life.


My Review

Jill had been brutally assaulted sixteen years earlier. The guy got put away in prison but it hasn't been easy to get her life back on track. Now with panic attacks and an emotional wall that keeps most people away, she isn't doing great. One night she finds her window broke, locks herself in her car and while having a panic attack calls Damon for help. But he finds her after she's fainted. Thinking that she needs medical help, he breaks the car window and gets her out and when she explains what actually happened he helps her through the panic and goes to check out the window. 

She has feelings for him but doesn't want to let him get too close. But the pull between them is strong. He wants to get to know her but she just wants a one night stand to get him out of her system. One night isn't going to be enough for either of them though. Damon is a cop so she seemed to feel safer with him because of that. But she's also taking self defense classes and she's pretty good at it. Damon has a bit of a kinky side which really made this one spicy read, not that I'm complaining. I really liked him. He just wanted to help her through her panic attacks, get to know her more, spend more time with her so she would finally let him in and stop pushing him away. He was very patient with her. Gosh, I just loved him.

I can completely understand Jill being a mess after what's she's gone through and the assault is just one thing that happened. When things start moving around her apartment and her cat goes missing she thinks she might be going a little crazy. The nightmares aren't helping at all either. But what is actually happening is much worse. 

While this isn't my usual type of book, I really enjoyed this a lot. I would say that if talk of SA or assault triggers you at all, this might not be the book for you. 

I give this book 5 out of 5 stars. 

Disclosure: I was given an e-ARC of this book via NetGalley but all thoughts and opinions are my own. 

Thursday, February 16, 2023

Low Carb Side Dish- Roasted Spaghetti Squash

 

You will need:

1 tsp. oil
1 Spaghetti Squash- cut in half
Salt and Pepper to taste
McCormick Roasted Garlic and Herb seasoning
McCormick Chipotle and Roasted Garlic seasoning

What To Do: 

Sprinkle each half with salt. Place each half cut side down in a baking dish and let sit for 1 hour to release some of the moisture in the squash. Then, get rid of the liquid and wipe out each squash to get rid of any excess moisture and excess salt. This will help keep the squash from getting mushy.

Add 1/2 tsp. of oil to each half and spread around with your fingers. You don't need a lot of oil. Then add your spices. I used the ones I listed but you can use any you like. You can always add more afterwards if there's not enough on the squash after you shred it. 

Place each half cut side down in a baking dish. Add to a preheated 400 degree oven and bake for 25-40 minutes. Check your squash after 20 minutes to see if it is getting soft. You know this is done when your pierce the inside with a fork and the fork easily slides through the squash and peel. Do not over cook or it will get mushy. 

Remove from oven, use two forks to scrape the inside of the squash to form spaghetti stands. 

I was surprised how easy this was to cook and how good it was. The spaghetti strands still have some crunch to them and it tastes so good. I know some people add pasta sauce to this but I liked it just like this. 

Have you eaten this?

Wednesday, February 15, 2023

Favorite Picture of the Week

 
We've had a few overcast, rainy days lately. It's been nice. I thought I would get Falcor out for a walk before the clouds opened up but as we were out, it started raining. Falcor finished up and dragged me back home. He doesn't hold my same affection for rain. He doesn't like to get his dainty paws wet. 

Another day all we got were really big clouds, no rain. 

Tuesday, February 14, 2023

Book Review: My Alien Prince by Reverie Harwood

 

Book Description

Hunky green aliens aren’t what I signed up for…entirely.

After my fiancé left, I impulsively joined my sister on a spaceship for an Earth-sponsored trip to Xavia, a friendly, tropical planet with handsome, alien men.

Getting paid to vacation—was too good to be true. I woke up from stasis to find we’ve been dropped off to serve as wombs for the dying Xavian race. The Xavians are just as surprised as we are and treat us with respect, despite their population crisis. Another alien race has decimated their kind, and almost all their women.

Until Earth returns for their payment, I’m hosted by the Xavian Prince, Drex. As promised, he’s devastatingly hunky, but I’m not jumping into a relationship as quickly as I jumped onto that ship. I’ve learned my lesson, no matter how the sparks start to fly.

Bursting with sexy aliens, steamy fantasy, and smart charm, Rotha Mates of Xavia is a galaxy of dreamy romance and fated happy endings. Dive in.


My Review

Katy and her sister Sara get on a space ship for what they think will be a nice vacation. Katy will get paid for taking photographs of the alien planet and her debt from the wedding that didn't happen will be paid for. They are put into statis for the journey but once they arrive they find out that their government lied to them and they are there to help repopulate the alien species in exchange for some metals that are on the planet.

The aliens are shocked that the human government would lie to the women but make sure that they know that they will be treated well and are under no obligation to mate with anyone. The aliens are very good hosts. But another alien race, are a species everyone has to hide from because they can fly and will kidnap anyone outside. Though it's not really said what happens to them once they are taken, I was under the impression that they are killed and eaten. 

Drex is the alien prince and Katy is being hosted by him in his home. She is adamant that as soon as the ship comes back, she is leaving but the longer she and Drex are around each other, the more she starts to feel something for him. Drex already has feelings for her but is the perfect gentleman until she makes a move and lets him know that she wants more. 

The sex scenes were spicy! Oh my goodness, the author made these alien men, very alien and I liked it. But there is a bit of a miscommunication or not enough communication between them and they almost don't get their happy ending. Katy's sister finds herself mated to Vance, her alien host and they are very happy together so she doesn't want her sister to leave when the ship comes back for their payment of the alien metal. 

I really liked this story, I love the alien men and how gracious and nice they were. I would definitely recommend this if you like alien worlds and alien romance. 

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars. 


Disclosure: I was give this book for free via NetGalley but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

Monday, February 13, 2023

Happy Raturday!

 



*All pictures this week are courtesy of martymousehouse.com*

Sunday, February 12, 2023

Apartment Life #353

 
This is a weekly blog post that I'm calling Apartment Hell  Life. I've mentioned a few times some of the crazy things that go on in and around my apartment complex in the past 25 years that we've lived here and people keep telling me I should write a book. But instead of a book, I've decided to share the crazy things that have happened in and around my apartment complex in the last 25 years here in a weekly blog post. 

There was some loud shouting going on down at drug dealers apartment and the next day their back bedroom window was busted out. I saw they left a small hold in the board, large enough to be able to reach through so they can deal what I suspect are drugs from this window. I see people going up to this window a few times, I mean what else could it be?
---

On the path that I walk Falcor there are two places that the homeless people set up camp. One is down there in the middle of the picture on the left hand side of the police car. Next to the police car there is a Marshall's car and I didn't want to get any closer since the police were down there making the homeless people pack up their shopping carts and leave so they could bring in the trucks to clean the mess that is right in front of the McDonalds there. 

The other place they set up camp is right behind the wall that separates the alley from my apartment complex and the Cal Ranch parking lot. I took a little video of the mess they left after having stayed in this spot for about a week. After this video was taken the same homeless people that were down by the McDonald's in the first picture, came to this area and also packed up what they wanted to keep in their shopping carts and the police called a clean up crew and they used a pick up truck to load everything else up and take it to the dump. I didn't get any video or pictures of it because I knew the clean up crew would be coming really quickly but there were all kinds of spent needles in and among the debris I filmed.


There were 5 people living between the two spots and every one of them frequent drug dealers apartment a lot. If this place gave a damn about the drug dealing and evicted drug dealer, I'm sure that most of these drug addicts would move somewhere else because they seem to want to be close to where they buy their drugs. Don't get me wrong, I feel bad for the homeless people but I really don't like having to walk past this or having people shooting up around every corner around here and leaving dirty needles just laying about for anyone to stick themselves with. 
---

Friday night around 8:30PM  I heard this horrible banging against my living room window and wall. For a second I actually thought someone was trying to break into my apartment through the window. I grabbed my tazer and ran to the door, opened the inner door, leaving the metal security door locked. But no one was outside. So I went outside looking for the person but they were long gone. But one of our chairs that is right by our door is broken now. The table is all cockeyed, and the chair had been dragged a couple of feet. They must have been on a bicycle or something to have been gone that fast. They must have been moving pretty fast because my neighbor's video camera who is recording 24/7 wasn't able to catch on video who or what went by. 
----

The high this week was 66F/18C
The low this week was 37F/2C

So that's it for this week's Apartment Hell  Life! Be sure to come back next week for more.

Saturday, February 11, 2023

Product Review: Daily Goodie Box- February

 
The Daily Goodie Box has been around since about July of 2016. I signed up for an account right after I heard about them. They are 100% free, you don't even have to pay for shipping. And for a free box it's a nice sampler box of products.

What was in the box?

Birthday Candles- I've used this brand of candles before and they worked great for my grandsons birthday cake. Always a good idea to have some candles around just in you need them.

Zolli Ball Popz Easter- I love this brands candy. They are sugar free but they taste great. I can eat them and not worry about it and my grandson loves them too. 

Hydrating Face Oil- I'm not big on face oil but this is one of those good ones that absorb right into your skin and doesn't leave it feeling oily. I have been using a little at night and washing it off in the morning before putting on my makeup. 

Hydration Powders- I'm not a fan of hydration powders and this was no different for me. I didn't care for the taste of this. 

Coconut Noodles- While these are low carb and keto friendly, they are a little strange. They are made with coconut water and they taste mildly of coconut but they aren't bad. I made a Chinese stir fry sauce that I found online and had this with some stir fry vegetables. It was just ok for me but not bad, I did eat it. Not sure I would buy this for myself though.

Natural Lip Balm- I like the lip balm, it works well and made my lips feel soft. 

BBQ Chicken Salt- I was hoping to like this because I sauté up some chicken breast to go with my salad most days for lunch and I'm always looking for a new spice to go on it but this was not it for me. It has Tumeric in it and I do not like Tumeric at all. Tumeric has become one of those fads that people believe has a bunch of health benefits so it's in all kinds of stuff now. No thank you. 

Maui Mango- This tea was good. Who knew mango tea would be so good. I would definitely buy this again.

Steeped Coffee Bags- I liked the coffee as well. I'm not a big coffee drinker unless it has a bunch of sweetener and powdered creamer in it. I made this and added the creamer and sweetener, I use Equal because I'm trying to cut most sugar out of my diet and this was a good coffee. I would drink this again.


All they ask you to do is try the products and leave reviews for the products you got in order to be eligible for more Free Goodie Boxes. Daily Goodie Box will send you a box of free samples and full size products and all you do is let them know what you think. Shipping is Free. No credit card required EVER! As you guys already know, I'm a fan of all these types of boxes. I love all the different subscription boxes and it's really nice to be able to try new to me products for free. This is a great box to try for.

Oh and one more thing, if you visit their FB Page, they give away Goodie Boxes to people who interact with their posts. So if you've tried before and weren't able to get a Goodie Box, there's even more ways to get one now.



Have you signed up? Have you received one of these boxes?

I'm a fan of subscription boxes and love trying new products for free so this was a huge hit with me. New products+free box = Fabulous!

Disclosure: I was given and free box in exchange for a review but all opinions are my own.

Favorite Song of the Week

 

I couldn't find an actual music video for this song, One More night from the band, From The Ash but the song is so good I just had to share it. The lead singer's voice is just so nice. I hope you enjoy it. 

Friday, February 10, 2023

Freebie Friday!

 
Welcome to another weekly Freebie Friday post, where I tell you what free samples and full sized products I received in the mail and how you can get them too. Someone asked me why I do a "Freebie Friday" each week, so I'll tell you.

A while back I listed all the free samples and wins that I had received that previous year and so many people didn't believe that I could have gotten so many free things. So I decided to prove it by taking a picture every week and sharing the sites that I found the links to the freebies at. So now you too can get great free samples coming to your mailbox each week.

  You can find links to great samples at Hey It's Free and Freebie Shark.

This week I received:

4 perfume/mens cologne samples from Givenchy, Paco Rabanne, and John Varvatos.

I like the Givenchy perfume and the mens cologne smells really nice too.

Did you receive any freebies this week?

Thursday, February 09, 2023

Book Review: Forgiveness by Celeste Raye

 
Book Description

Valerie has a normal life that she likes. She still lives at home with her mom, they get along, and she was saving money to finish up her degree. Every day was the same and she was content in it.

She had a boyfriend that she cared for. Life was good. Bland, but good.

All of that changed when she got a mysterious package in the mail. Her aunt had died and left her a house, as well as some assets. She’d never met her aunt, but knew the stories about her. Her Aunt June was a bit eccentric, but Val thought it was time for an adventure.

She got in her car and left. She didn’t know what she was going to find when she got there, but Valerie knew that it had to be better than the same old thing. Her contentment with her life took a sudden veer to the left and she was wondering what she was doing.

Then she met Frank.

Frank changed everything at a time when a relationship was the last thing on her mind.

He wanted more than she was willing to give, but he pushed boundaries to get what he wanted. He made her fall for him and Valerie was lost from the first time that they kissed. When his arms went around her, she felt like the world was anew and everything was going to be better than before. With Frank, everything else just fell away and they were the only two left.

But Frank wasn’t at all what he appeared. He had a wild side to him that she scared her.

She had to decide if she wanted her old, dull life back, or something new. It was frightening as hell, but Valerie was drawn towards the beast, as well as the man.


My Review

Val didn't know her aunt but when she died, her aunt left her a house. She goes to check out the house and meets Frank the neighbor. He's nice and hot and seems to have known her aunt really well. So she chats it up with Frank to get to know her aunt a little better and when she realizes that she really likes it there, she decides to stay instead of selling the land and house like her mother and boyfriend wants to her. 

What Val doesn't know is that Frank has a secret and so do some of the townspeople and they are hoping she will sell most of the land back to the people of the town that have been there for generations. Things are not what they appear to be and when Val finds out that her aunt might have been killed and how it has to do with her land, she finds herself in danger as well. Frank isn't going to let anything happen to her though and they fall for each other really fast, too fast if you ask me. I liked them as a couple of but I didn't feel the romance was real for most of it. The characters weren't as vibrant and believable as I would have liked but the story ended up being good in the end. 

I give this book 3 out of 5 stars. 

Wednesday, February 08, 2023

Book Review: For What It's Worth by Josephine Light

 

Book Description

Koda Tucker is lying. Or at least she’s not telling the whole truth. Despite what the tests say, she’s not a beta, she’s an omega—one that doesn’t even perfume properly. For years she’s managed to hide her scent, but it becomes increasingly difficult after she catches the attention of an alpha pack.

Jenson is her professor. He makes her feel like the most important person in the world. Aidan is the gorgeous male who isn’t as self-assured as he appears. And Lorenzo is the quiet alpha who makes her feel safest when she’s in his arms. All three are pursuing her, but what happens when they find out she isn’t a beta?

What happens when the academy finds out?

Be Warned: reverse harem romance (MFMM), anal sex, triple penetration, public exhibition


My Review

Koda is an Omega but she smells like a Beta so she can do things that most other Omega's cannot. She is at college with Alpha's and Beta's but if they find out she's an Omega she'll have to go to the Omega complex. Koda is getting along fine until she comes across Enzo, Jenson and Aidan who are all part of the same pack. They make her feel things that she hasn't felt before and they know her secret. She feels comfortable around them and starts to feel more but doesn't want to give up what she has. The Alpha's want her as their Omega and after a while they just stop fighting what they all feel. I liked the lead up and getting to know one another a little bit before their hormones took over and they all ended up in bed together. It was a very hot and spicy read. 

I would have liked a little more back story about the whole Alpha, Omega and Beta thing and why Omega's are treated so differently. But it was a fun read. 

I give this book 3 out of 5 stars.


Disclosure: I was given a copy of this book via NetGalley but all thoughts and opinions are my own.