karenmarie reading and occasional nonsense in 2026 - Part V

Welcome to my fifth thread. I’m up for nonsense and reading to help dull the pain of where our country is this July of 2026.

Eight ways to describe me and books: bibliolater, bibliomaniac, bibliophile, lectiophiliac, bookworm, Book Dragon, biblioflâneuse, and librocubicularist.


Book Worm, Book Dragon, Book Angel

The Good: Family, friends, kitties, books, and soccer in constantly-rotating order. Arsenal won the Premier League Championship 2025-2026. World Cup was fun and is now over. I’m glad Spain won. Smut, of course, and book sort team and sales/Friends of the Library.

The Bad: The chaos of illiterate people, illiterate people in power, the world allowing the threat of fascism again, and most religions and their pursuit of a world with only their religion in it. The evil one in the White House interfering with the World Cup. Balogun and the awarding of the trophy mostly.

From the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists Doomsday Clock. This information was published on January 27, 2026, when the clock was set to 85 seconds before midnight, apocalypse. 85 seconds is the shortest time to apocalypse since the clock was created in 1945. Rather than try to quote parts or even the whole thing, I’m going to provide the link for those with the stomach to read it: Doomsday Clock 2026

The ugly: Everything political in the US at the national level and quite a bit at the local level in almost every state. ICE.

I read and am a charter member of the Redbud and Beyond Book Club, started in 1997. This is the schedule for our 2026-2027 Book Club Year.

Aug – The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
Sep – A Coin for the Ferryman by Megan Edwards – my choice
Oct – The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng
Nov – Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage
Dec – I, Robot by Isaac Asimov
Jan – I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman
Feb – Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adidhie
Mar – Atmosphere by Talor Jenkins Reid
Apr – The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong
May – Whistler by Ann Patchett
June – Book Selection for 2027-2028

I have been married to Bill for 35 years. I am mother to Jenna, who turns 33 in August and is married to Hwan, who turned 30 in June. Bio daughter and bonus daughter have moved to Washington State. I’m happy for them. I’m unhappy that they are 3 time zones away from me.

Great-Great Grandparents: The Jiri (George) and Anastazia Chadima Family at the Farmhouse in Fairfax Iowa, circa 1900. My Great-Grandfather, also named George, is standing on the right.



The Gingers, July 2026



My goal is still conservative, 250 books, but more than last year’s goal of 200. I still really, really enjoy reading MM romance – aka smut – and will continue until it no longer interests me. It’s getting more challenging to find books as I’ve refined my targeted trope(s), but I’ve become a great detective. I’ve read 293 books and abandoned 73, total pages read 73,376.





News avoidance is still about 85-90% of the time.

And, finally, I always, always need to remember to express gratitude for what I have - family, friends, intangibles and tangibles - every single day.

Currently Reading:
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
The American Civil War by Professor Gary W Gallagher The Teaching Company 2000 24 hours mine
Self-Help From the Middle Ages by Peter James Random House Audio 2026 8.25 hours Audible Mine
The Federalist edited by Jacob E. Cooke 5/28/22 656 pages hardcover 1961
And, of course, one or more books of smut. 😊

read I

001. 3.50* An Omega for Christmas by Sam Abbot 12/31/25 1/1/26 87 pages 2017 ebook KU Matthew and Grey Alpha and Omega Stories 5
002. 3.80* Ruined by the Bodyguard by Jenny Pineapple 1/1/26 1/1/26 167 pages 2025 ebook KU Grayson and Wyatt
003. 4.20* Unhinged by Onley James 12/30/25 1/1/26 306 pages Kindle Adam and Noah Necessary Evils 1 2021 *reread* mine
004. 3.40* Pascal and the Forger by Avril Ashton 1/2/26 1/3/26 274 pages Kindle Mathieu and Win 2023
005. 4.00* Psycho by Onley James 1/1/26 2/3/36 283 pages Kindle August and Lucas Necessary Evils 1 2021 *reread* mine
006. 2.80* Anonymous Alpha by MM Farmer 1/3/26 1/4/26 233 pages Kindle Evan and Sable Bangers & Mash 7 2023
007. 3.20* The Wrong Omega by MM Farmer 1/4/26 1/5/26 232 pages Kindle Ty and Winslow Bangers & Mash 2 2022
008. 4.00* Top Secret by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy 1/5/26 1/7/26 272 pages Kindle LobsterShorts and Sinner 2023
009. 4.00* Ruthless Titan by EV Olsen 1/7/26 1/8/26 406 pages Kindle Ryan and Connor North Shore Titans Hockey 6 2025
010. 3.70* Masked Marionette by EV Olsen 1/9/26 1/9/26 88 pages Kindle Jasper and Adrian 2024
011. 2.50* Apple Pie by West Greene 1/9/26 1/9/26 27 pages Kindle Noah and Lincoln Slice of Forever 1 2022
**abandoned Alpha Unleashed: Two Werewolves for Sebastian by DJ Heart ** 283 pages
**abandoned Christmas Heat by MM Farmer ** 148 pages
012. 4.60* How the Word Is Passed by Clint Smith 12/30/25 1/11/26 hardcover 293 pages and Kindle 2021
013. 4.30* Saddle to Sunup by Emmy Sanders 1/10/26 1/11/26 315 pages Kindle Oakley and Lawson The Darling Brothers 3 2025
**abandoned Alpha's Claim by Oliver Kingsley ** 121 pages
**abandoned The Holiday Exchange by Christina Lee ** 52 pages
**abandoned Salad on the Side by Karenna Colcroft ** 88 pages
014. 4.80* Finance Bros by August Jones 1/12/26 1/13/26 448 pages Kindle Ryan and Malcolm Bay Area Bros 1 2025
015. 4.85* The Liar's Reckoning by August Jones 1/13/26 1/15/26 605 pages Kindle Unlimited Silas and Graham Doormen of the Upper East Side 4 2025
016. 3.80* Money Shot by Eden Finley and Saxon James 1/15/26 1/15/26 314 pages Kindle Unlimited Finn and Curtis 2025
017. 4.10* Game Changer by Rachel Reid 1/16/26 1/16/25 378 pages Kindle mine Scott and Kip Game Changers 1 2018
018. 4.90* Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid 1/16/26 1/17/26 342 pages Kindle mine Shane and Ilya Game Changers 2 2019
019. 4.00* Tough Guy by Rachel Reid 1/17/26 1/18/26 288 pages Kindle mine Ryan and Fabian Game Changers 3 2020
020. 4.40* Heartbreak Hockey by S Legend 1/18/26 1/19/26 438 pages Kindle Unlimited Jack and Mercy Heartbreak Hockey 1 2023
021. 4.00* Common Goal by Rachel Reid 1/19/26 1/20/26 320 pages Kindle mine Kyle and Eric Game Changers 4 2024
022. 4.20* Ice Dance Hockey by S Legend 1/21/26 1/23/26 463 pages Kindle Unlimited Rhett and Logan Heartbreak Hockey 2 2024
**abandoned A Cowboy Holiday by Lane Hayes ** 87 pages Sickeningly sweet.
**abandoned The Curse Before Christmas by Eli Easton ** 97 pages Ugh. Krampus doll
023. 4.00* Breakneck Hockey by S Legend 1/23/26 1/25/26 427 pages Kindle Unlimited Casey and Sutter Heartbreak Hockey 3 2024
024. 3.70* Hidden Scars by Andi Jaxon 1/26/26 1/26/26 456 pages Kindle Unlimited Preston and Jeremy Darby U Hockey Boys 1 2022
025. 3.60* Textual Confusion by Fifer Rose 1/27/26 1/27/26 Kindle Unlimited Asher and Marcus 2024 **reread**
**abandoned Iced Out by CE Ricci ** 142 pages
026. 4.70* Bean by Nora Phoenix and EM Lindsey 1/27/26 1/27/26 322 pages Kindle Unlimited Bean and Jarek Honorably Discharged 2 2024
**abandoned Omega for Rent by Liam Kingsley ** 108 pages
027. 3.20* The Quirky Vet by Casey Cox 1/27/26 1/28/26 214 pages Kindle Unlimited Muir and Fitz Vet Shop Boys Down Under 2 2024
**abandoned Iced Out by CE Ricci ** 142 pages
**Barchester Towers by Anthony Trollope ** 10 pages
028. 4.90* Heart by Jesse H Reign 1/29/26 1/30/26 344 pages Kindle Connor and Lennon 2026
**abandoned His Pretty Omega by Raven Matthews ** 189 pages Emotions too strong too early. A bit twee.
**abandoned The Billionaire Bear's Feisty Fox by Asher Wylde ** 132 pages
**abandoned Hawk by Jacki James ** 51 pages
**abandoned Too Hot to Handle by JD Light ** 27 pages
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029. 4.20* EWB (Enemies with Benefits) by NR Walker 1/31/26 2/1/26 353 pages Kindle Unlimited Marshall and Valentine reread 2023
030. 4.40* Switched by NR Walker 2/1/26 2/2/26 277 pages Kindle Unlimited Israel and Sam 2016
**abandoned Puck Hard by Brooklyn Cate** 117 pages
031. 4.30* Darling by Scarlett Drake 2/2/26 2/3/26 366 pages Kindle Unlimited Christian and Asher Famous Young Things 3 2025
032. 3.90* Pretty Mess by Lily Morton 2/3/26 2/4/26 418 pages Kindle Unlimited Wes and Cormac 2025
033. 2.50* Omega's Forever Home by Lacey Daize 2/4/26 2/5/26 108 pages Kindle Unlimited Kent and Beau Harris Cove Billionaires 1 2021
034. 3.80* Omega's Flaw by Sasha Silsbury 2/5/26 2/6/26 234 pages Kindle Unlimited Jamie and Carter Prime Match 5 2026
035. 4.30* Role Model by Rachel Reid 2/5/26 2/7/26 341 pages Kindle mine Troy and Harris Game Changers 5 2021
036. 2.40* Hunted and Claimed by Morgan Vale 2/8/26 2/10/26 475 pages mine Damien and Rowan 2026
**abandoned Breathe by Sophia Soames ** 202 pages Unpredictable behaviors in a way I didn't like. Stupid, actually. Luke and Ryan
037. 3.00* Rothko: The Color Field Paintings by Janet Bishop 2/10/26 2/10/26 68 pages Kindle Unlimited 2017
038. 4.80* Hamartia by Scarlett Drake 2/9/26 2/12/26 396 pages Kindle Unlimited Raphael and Jaehyun Famous Young Things 1 2023
039. 3.00* Claimed by the Quarterback by Margot Hart 12/12/26 12/12/26 65 pages Kindle Unlimited Eli and Rowan (Ro) Hale University Omegas 1 2025
**abandoned Pah! by Cora Rose and EM Lindsey ** 62 pages Dex and Rome, who's actions aren't those of even a remotely sane person
**abandoned A Present for Parker by Jodi Payne and BA Tortuga ** 90 pages No spark, nothing beyond the predictable
**abandoned The Punk by Kelly Fox ** 19 pages
040. 3.20* Accidentally Mated by Phoenix Cross 2/12/26 2/13/26 123 pages Kindle Unlimited Greyson and Miles ROAR Dating Agency 1 2025 too many reverents
**abandoned A New Year's Pandemonium by Jennifer Carter** 57 pages
**abandoned More than KPOP by Dante Blackwood** 75 pages
041. 4.00* The Mechanic and the Surgeon by Steve Milton 2/14/26 2/14/26 115 pages Kindle mine **reread** Joshua and Ritter Collins Avenue Confidential 1 2015
042. 2.00* The Billionaire Alpha's Surprise Omega by Bonnar King 2/15/26 2/15/26 206 pages Kindle Unlimited Jamie and Nicholas 2026 the word detail? too many reverents weird timeline re Jamie being 12 weeks pregnant to waddling, several scenes appear twice in different words
043. 3.30* The Christmas Switch by Briar Prescott 2/15/26 2/16/26 236 pages Kindle Unlimited Gabriel and Josh 2024
044. 2.80* Kissing the Grump by Baylin Crow 2/16/26 2/16/26 47 pages Kindle Unlimited Elliot and Forrest 47 2024
045. 4.20* A Suitable Consort by R Cooper 2/16/26 2/17/26 147 pages Kindle mine Mattin, Arden, and Mill The Suitable 'Verse 1 2021
046. 4.60* Fishy Riot by Lindsey Black 2/18/26 18/26 223 pages Kindle Unlimited Taylor and Sietta 2017 4.6
047. 2.30* My Ex's New Boyfriend is a Murderer by Gaia Tate 2/19/26 2/20/26 128 pages Kindle Unlimited Miles and Kieran Miles & Kieran 1 2023
048. 2.90* Bedroom Lessons by Milana Spencer 2/21/26 2/21/26 240 pages Kindle Unlimited Hayden and Nick Love Letters 2 2025
049. 2.60* One Wild Heat by Kelex 2/21/26 2/21/26 219 pages Kindle Unlimited Bellamy and Quinn Alphas of the Western Provinces 1 2019
**abandoned Enemies with Benefits by Romeo Alexander ** 171 pages
**abandoned The Best Man's Secret by Ana Ashley ** 41 pages
050. 4.95* The Long Game by Rachel Reid 2/7/26 2/22/26 437 pages Kindle Mine Shane and Ilya Game Changers 6 2022
051. 3.00* The Alpha Wolf Rancher's Runaway Omega by Ashler Wylde 2/23/26 2/23/26 220 pages Kindle Unlimited Wesley and Zack 2025
052. 2.20* Bitter Sweetheart by Jenny Pineapple 2/23/26 2/23/26 78 pages Kindle Unlimited Caspian and Nate My Last Valentine 4 2025
053. 3.90* His Snowbound Omega by Chani Lynn Feener 2/24/26 2/24/26 190 pages Kindle Unlimited Thorn and Baal Beguiled Omegas 2 2025
054. 4.95* The American Civil War by Professor Gary W Gallagher narrated by Professor Gary W Gallagher 11/20/25 2/25/26 The Teaching Company 2000 24 hours CDs mine
**abandoned Feinted Love by Elle Keaton ** 28 pages
**abandoned Daddy From Flames by Ashe Moon ** 108 pages
**abandoned Mated to the Wrong Alpha by EJ Waugh ** 25 pages
**abandoned Love and Moonlight by Killian Ford ** 45 pages
055. 3.60* His Marked Omega by Chani Lynn Feener 2/25/26 2/26/26 319 pages Kindle Unlimited Fenrir and Oberon Beguiled Omegas 4 2026 trans alpha -> omega
056. 4.70* Quiet by Zile Elliven 2/26/26 2/27/26 316 pages Kindle Unlimited Isa and Briar Enchanted University 2 2021
057. 2.50* The Lion's Sunshine by Caitlin Ricci 2/27/26 2/27/26 189 pages Kindle Unlimited Toby and Knox Golden Pride 1 2026
058. 4.00* Bedside Manner by CG Macington 2/27/26 2/28/26 206 pages Kindle Unlimited Jax and Max The St. Judes Medical Series 1 2026
059. 4.00* Conflict of Interest by CG Macington 2/28/26 2/28/26 195 pages Kindle Unlimited Preston and Lucas The St. Judes Medical Series 2 2026
060. 3.20* Client Privilege: When Protection Becomes Forbidden Passion by CG Macington 2/28/26 2/28/26 311 pages Kindle Unlimited Alex and Damian 2025
061. 4.30* Broken Obsession by Chani Lynn Feener 3/1/26 3/1/26 341 pages Kindle Unlimited Eden and Ares Vicious Vices 1 2025
062. 4.40* X Marks the Spot by Willow Dixon 3/3/26 3/4/26 417 pages Kindle Unlimited Xave and Damon Silvercrest U 4 2026
063. 3.80* His Prize by MM Farmer 3/4/26 3/6/26 77 pages Kindle Unlimited Darby and Kieran Omegas After Dark: Omega Auction 1 2025
064. 4.70* Moderating Love by Jax Calder 3/6/26 3/6/26 89 pages Kindle Unlimited Travis and Devin Queer Ways to Fall in Love 1 2026
**Feinted Love by Elle Keaton ** 71 pages
**The Shots You Take ** by Rachel Reid ** 200 pages
065. 4.20* Chance Match by Wendy Rathbone 3/6/26 3/6/26 147 pages Kindle Unlimited Jace and Storm Perfect Match Agency 2 2023
066. 4.10* Owning Jett by Lucy Lennox 3/6/26 3/7/26 337 pages Kindle Unlimited Jett and Locke Made Marian Legacy 3 2026
067. 4.30* HEA: Happily Ever After by Lucy Lennox and Molly Maddox 3/7/26 3/8/26 272 pages Kindle Unlimited Hugh and Locke After Oscar 5 2024
068. 4.00* Good Stepbrother Bad Stepbrother by Jenny Pineapple 68 pages Kindle Unlimited Lucian and Austin The Red Corner 1 2026
069. 3.20* One Winter Night by Jenny Pineapple 3/8/26 3/8/26 54 pages Kindle Unlimited Dominic and Julian Dominic & Julian 1 2024
070. 2.50* Dark Desire by Jenny Pineapple 3/8/26 3/8/26 53 pages Kindle Unlimited Jack and Tristan My Last Valentine 3 2024
071. 4.40* Mr. Important by Lucy Lennox and 3/8/26 3/9/26 390 pages Kindle Unlimited Reagan and Thatcher Honeybridge 2 2024
**abandoned Only the Small Bones by CP Harris ** 113 pages
**abandoned the Misfits of Copper County by Lucy Lennox and May Archer ** 171 pages
072. 4.10* Villain by Chani Lynn Feener 3/10/26 3/11/26 310 pages Kindle Unlimited Nix, Yejun, West, and Lake Demons of Foxglove Grove 1 2024
073. 4.00* Martyr by Chani Lynn Feener 3/11/26 3/11/26 298 pages Kindle Unlimited Nix, Yejun, West, and Lake Demons of Foxglove Grove 2 2024
074. 4.10* Saint by Chani Lynn Feener 3/11/26 3/12/26 266 pages Kindle Unlimited Nix, Yejun, West, and Lake Demons of Foxglove Grove 3 2024
075. 4.00* Sinner by Chani Lynn Feener 3/12/26 3/13/26 285 pages Kindle Unlimited Nix, Yejun, West, and Lake Demons of Foxglove Grove 4 2024
076. 4.00* Claimed by Design by EA Adams 3/14/26 3/14/26 109 pages Kindle Unlimited Curt and Leonid The Chase 2 2026
077. 2.50* Knot Club: Stranger by Ansley Ellis 3/14/26 3/15/26 56 pages Kindle Unlimited Wren and Sully Knot Club 1 2026
078. 3.30* My Rival Mate by Lexie Slater 3/15/26 3/15/26 99 pages Kindle Unlimited Sam and Devan Westbridge Mates 3 2025
079. 4.75* Echo by Chani Lynn Feener 3/15/26 3/16/26 437 pages Kindle Unlimited Rabbit and Baikal Devils of Vitality 1 2023
080. 3.00* A Bestiary by Toulouse-Lautrec, introduction by Philip Hofer 3/17/26 3/17/26 47 pages
081. 3.40* His Dark Paradox by Avery Tu and Kota Quinn 3/17/26 3/19/26 260 pages Kindle Unlimited Nuri and Silver 2022
082. 2.80* Bone to Pick by May Archer 3/19/26 3/20/26 129 pages Kindle Unlimited Theo and Porter Sunday Brothers 5 2023
083. 4.70* Devil May Lie by Chani Lynn Feener 3/20/26 3/20/26 450 pages Kindle Unlimited Madden and Berga Devils of Vitality 6 2024
084. 4.40* You Will Never Know by Chani Lynn Feener 3/20/26 3/21/26 278 pages Kindle Unlimited Hunter and Odin A Whisper in the Dark 1 2022
085. 4.40* Don't Breathe a Word by Chani Lynn Feener 3/22/26 3/23/26 179 pages Kindle Unlimited Hunter and Odin A Whisper in the Dark 2 2023
086. 4.40* Don't Let Me Go by Chani Lynn Feener 3/23/26 3/24/26 250 pages Kindle Unlimited Hunter and Odin A Whisper in the Dark 3 2023
087. 4.00* Going Up by Amy Lane 3/24/26 3/24/26 74 pages Mine Zach and Sean 2013
088. 3.70* Dominant Blood by MJ Kim 3/24/26 3/24/26 258 pages Kindle Unlimited Yujeong and Suha 2026
089. 4.90* Stormy by Wren Wilds 3/24/26 3/26/26 522 pages Kindle Unlimited Tex and Stormy 2026
090. 4.20* Double Dared by Raquel Riley 3/26/26 3/27/26 504 pages Kindle Unlimited Tru and Dare 2026
091. 4.60* It Started With a Text by Jax Calder 3/27/26 3/27/26 125 pages Kindle Unlimited Anthony and Nick Queer Ways to Fall in Love 2 2026
092. 4.00* Claimed by Fate by EA Adams 3/27/26 3/28/26 115 pages Kindle Unlimited Remy and Darryl The Chase Book 1 2026
093. 3.10* Claimed by Fear by EA Adams 3/28/26 3/29/26 114 pages Kindle Unlimited Dalvin Min-Ho The Chase Book 3 2026
094. 4.20* Omega's Flush by Sasha Silsbury 3/29/26 3/29/26 193 pages Kindle Unlimited Theo and Dom Prime Match 6 2026
095. 3.40* The Omega's Song by EA Adams 3/29/26 3/30/26 115 pages Kindle Unlimited Colm and Rafael The Valenti Family 4 2026
096. 4.20* Claimed by Blood by EA Adams 3/30/26 3/30/26 120 pages Kindle Unlimited Dae-hyun and Deveon The Chase Book 5 2026
097. 4.40* Feral Vow by Ash Wilder 3/30/26 3/30/26 91 pages Kindle Unlimited David and Evander Feral Hearts 1 2025
098. 4.10* Alpha's Demand by Ash Wilder 3/30/26 3/30/26 87 pages Kindle Unlimited Brody and Emmett Feral Hearts 2 2025
**abandoned Cinders by Harper B Cole, Trisha Linde, Colbie Dunbar ** 91 pages
099. 4.20* Howl of Possession by Ash Wilder 3/30/26 3/31/26 92 pages Kindle Unlimited Callen and Dre Feral Hearts 3 2026
100. 4.30* Snowed in With the Alpha by Ash Wilder 3/31/26 3/31/26 90 pages Kindle Unlimited Rax and Ray Feral Hearts 4 2026
**abandoned In His Defense by River Frost ** 228 pages

...
101. 4.40* Swipe My Alpha by Lexie Slater 3/31/26 4/1/26 93 pages Kindle Unlimited Jude and Rhys 2026
102. 2.00* My Alpha's Secret by Rosa Swann 4/1/26 4/1/26 62 pages mine Wilder and Sterling Second Chance Mates 2017
103. 4.50* Emberbound by Ash Wilder 4/1/26 4/1/26 131 pages Kindle Unlimited Neil and Tylor Feral Hearts 5 2026
104. 3.50* Gone Wild by Jesse H Reign 4/1/26 4/1/26 305 pages Kindle Unlimited Lucien and Branson Wild Hearts 1 2026
105. 4.70* Romeo Falling by Jesse H Reign 4/1/26 4/2/26 342 pages Kindle Unlimited Jude and Romeo 2024
**abandoned Claimed by Wrath by EA Adams** 77 pages
106. 4.50* Saint Laurent's Sins by Lola Malone 4/2/26 4/4/26 376 pages mine Louis and Noah 2025
107. 4.00* The Arab Billionaire's Reluctant Husband by Dominick Cummings 4/4/26 4/4/26 142 pages Kindle Unlimited Evan and Khalid Forbidden Bonds 25 2026
108. 3.30* My Marriage Contract With My Straight Boss by Dominick Cummings 4/4/26 4/5/26 138 pages Kindle Unlimited Henry and Javier With heart...MM Romance to Make You Swoon 11 2026
109. 3.40* Seduced by the Straight Sheikh by Dominick Cummings 4/5/26 4/5/26 36 pages Kindle Unlimited TJ and Omar Forbidden Bonds 18 2025
110. 3.50* Getting Owned by the Alpha Business Executive by Dominick Cummings 4/6/26 4/6/26 56 pages Kindle Unlimited Seung-woo and Evan Forbidden Bonds 17 2025
111. 2.90* Wrong Text Right Guy by Alessia Imogen 4/6/26 4/26/26 41 pages Kindle Unlimited Trevor and Lorenzo Wrong and Right 1 2022
112. 3.70* Suddenly His Alpha by Kelex 4/6/26 4/6/26 76 pages Kindle Unlimited Tulla and Beckett related to Omega Quadrant 2019
113. 3.20* Pack Law and Sin by Roman Blacke 4/6/26 4/7/26 247 pages Kindle Unlimited Dmitri and Elian 2026
**abandoned Beneath the Indigo Sky by Rayne Hawthorne ** 258 pages
**abandoned Wicked Stepbrother by Delilah Drew ** 183 pages
**abandoned Shameless by Lola Malone ** 71 pages
**abandoned Perfect Prey by Vasha Crow ** 129 pages
114. 4.30* Blinding Light by Lola Malone 4/7/26 4/9/26 373 pages Kindle Unlimited Cyprian and Moargan Claimed by Kings 1 2025
115. 4.20* Burning Ice by Lola Malone 4/7/26 4/11/26 373 pages Kindle Unlimited Kylix and Mirel Claimed by Kings 2 2025
116. 4.70* His Surrogate Omega by Kelex 4/11/26 4/11/26 445 pages Kindle Unlimited Gray and Rohan Omega Quadrant 1 2018
117. 4.10* The Early Middle Ages by Professsor Philip Daileader narrated by Professor Philip Daileader 2/26/26 4/12/26 The Teaching Company 2004 12 hours CDs mine
118. 4.30* Fake It 'Til You Make It by Louisa Masters 4/12/26 4/12/26 39 pages Mine Michael and James 2018
119. 4.40* I've Got This by Louisa Masters 4/12/26 4/12/26 184 pages Kindle Unlimited Derek and Trav Joy Universe 1 2020
120. 3.30* Silent Howl by Ash Wilder 4/12/26 4/13/26 218 pages Kindle Unlimited Kyle and Darren Wolves in Winter 3 2025
121. 4.10* Collared by Lola Malone 4/13/26 4/13/26 116 pages Kindle Unlimited Thurel & Maël The Wicked Chase 1 2024 * reread
122. 4.10* Trapped by Lola Malone 4/13/26 4/14/26 125 pages Kindle Unlimited Arsene and Robin The Wicked Chase 2 2024 reread
123. 4.10* Hunted by Lola Malone 4/14/26 4/14/26 124 pages Kindle Unlimited Alexandre and Olivier The Wicked Chase 3 2024 reread
124. 4.10* Marked by Lola Malone 4/14/23 4/15/23 128 pages Kindle Unlimited Romain and Edouard The Wicked Chase 4 2024 reread
125. 4.30* Vile Heart by Lola Malone 4/14/26 4/15/26 Kindle Unlimited Camren and Davian Vicious Valentine 1 2025
126. 4.40* Distant Heart by Chani Lynn Feener 4/15/26 4/16/26 Kindle Unlimited Illya and Rex Vicious Valentine 2 2025
127. 4.30* Carnal Heart by Emmy LaRoux 4/16/26 4/16/26 84 pages Kindle Unlimited Zaiah and Devin Vicious Valentine 3 2025
128. 4.40* The Button Man by Davidson King 4/15/26 4/16/26 258 pages Kindle Unlimited Kelly and Duke Button Man 1 2022
** abandoned Shameless by Lola Malone ** 77 pages
** abandoned Wicked Stepbrothers by Delilah Drew ** 166 pages
**abandoned Beneath the Indigo Sky by Rayne Hawthorne ** 150 pages Jace and Jace amnesia last 10 years
129. 4.20* Long Winter by Rachel Ember 4/17/26 4/18/26 284 pages mine Robbie and Lance Wild Ones 1 2021
130. 3.80* Feral by Alessandra Hazard 4/18/26 4/18/26 247 pages Kindle Unlimited Jules and Devlin The Wrong Alpha book 2 2021
131. 4.50* The Incredible Ordinary by Briar Prescott 4/18/26 4/19/26 381 pages Kindle Unlimited Milàn and Jordan 2026
132. 4.20* Forbidden by Alessandra Hazard 4/19/26 4/19/26 210 pages Kindle Unlimited Lucien and Askel Wrong Alpha 5 2024 210 pages
133. 4.60* The Hazard and the Hitman by Cambria Hebert 4/20/26 4/10/26 386 pages Kindle Unlimited Kieran and Haz The Protectors 1 2026
135. 4.50* Prince by Cambria Hebert 4/20/26 4/21/26 522 pages Fletcher and Ethan Kindle Unlimited Misfits 2 2021
135. 3.20* Expert by Alessandra Hazard 4/21/26 4/21/26 213 pages Kindle Unlimited Eric and Hugh Wrong Alpha 4 2022
136. 4.80* Undone by Alessandra Hazard 4/21/26 4/21/26 228 pages Kindle Unlimited Michael and Anthony Wrong Alpha 6 2026
**abandoned Red by Cambria Hebert ** 182 pages
137. 3.80* Accidental Omega by MJ Kim 4/22/26 4/23/26 174 pages Kindle Unlimited Eojin and Jaeheon 2026
138. 4.10* His Wicked Alpha by Ansley Ellis 4/23/26 4/23/26 203 pages Kindle Unlimited Miles and Ray Messy Ever After 3 2026
139. 4.60* Knot Club: Revival by Ansley Ellis 4/23/26 4/23/26 52 pages Kindle Unlimited Perry and Beckham Knot Club 2 2026
140. 4.70* Scent of Ruin by Lucian Grey 4/23/26 4/23/26 374 pages Kindle Unlimited Caius and Emory 2026
**abandoned Blood and Bond by Julia Todd ** 112 pages
**abandoned Illicit by Alessandra Hazard ** 80 pages
**abandoned Remember My Name by Wren Wilds ** 261 pages Sooo angsty, so depressing. There will be an HEA...
141. 4.40* His Ruthless Acquisition by Blake Ashford 4/25/26 4/25/26 227 pages Kindle Unlimited Callum and Eli 2026
142. 4.90* Galaxies and Oceans by NR Walker 4/25/26 4/26/26 301 pages Kindle Unlimited Aubrey and Patrick 2019 reread
143. 3.90* Becoming Bennet by Cora Rose and Nicole Dykes 4/26/27 4/26/26 237 pages Kindle Unlimited Bennet and Jasper Behind the Camera 2 2023
144. 4.40* Maybe Tomorrow by Sophie O'Dare 4/26/26 4/27/26 136 pages Kindle Unlimited Harold and Peter Marked by His Alpha 2 2024
145. 3.80* Tasting Silver by Cody Ryder and Victoria Light 4/27/26 4/27/26 140 pages Kindle Unlimited Alan and James SoCal Boys 4 2020
146. 3.20 *My Math Professor by Maya Collins 4/27/26 4/27/26 601 pages Kindle Unlimited Con and Theo Forbidden Lectures 2 2026
147. 3.50* Got Me Hoping by Casey Cox 4/27/26 4/28/26 231 pages Kindle Unlimited Haze and Noah Vet Shop Boys 1 2021
148. 3.50* Kingmaker by Marian Black 4/28/26 4/29/26 315 pages Kindle Unlimited Sandro and Emilio The Inferno 1 2025
149. 3.10* The Debt by Marian Black 4/30/26 4/30/26 193 pages Kindle Unlimited Luca and Dante 2025
150. 3.10* Vital Signs by Marian Black 4/30/26 4/30/26 183 pages Kindle Unlimited Ethan and Marco 2025
**abandoned Bloodline Omega by DS Mark ** 301 pages
151. 4.90* How to Read a Book by Monica Wood performed by Eileen Stevens 4/6/26 5/3/26 10.25 hours mine
152. 4.60* Slow Heat by Leta Blake 5/2/26 5/3/26 388 pages Mine, a reread. Vale and Jason Heat of Love 1, 2017
153. 4.10* Hammer & Gavel by CT Whistle 5/3/26 5/5/26 442 pages Kindle Unlimited Oliver and Lucas The Omegaverse Case Files 1 2024
154. 4.20* The Scent of Sin by Halle Dawson 5/5/26 5/5/26 340 pages mine Max, Atlas, Bane, and Zero Blood & Omega 1 2026
155. 4.30* The Bond of Blood by Halle Dawson 5/5/26 5/5/26 368 pages Kindle Unlimited Max, Atlas, Bane, and Zero Blood & Omega 2 2026
156. 3.70* Scentless Secret by Em Prague 5/5/26 5/6/26 268 pages Kindle Unlimited Malachi and Joshua The Gilded Nest 1 2026
157. 3.40* White Out by Roman Valk 5/6/26 5/7/26 366 pages Kindle Unlimited Elias and Konrad 2026
158. 3.60* The Terms of It by Marilyn Blake 5/7/26 5/7/26 31 pages Kindle Unlimited Thomas and Eli 2026
159. 2.50* The Omega Contract by Wolf Specter 5/7/26 5/8/26 138 pages Kindle Unlimited Harris and Cameron 2015
160. 4.40* Avalanche by Jillian D. Wray 5/8/26 5/9/26 300 pages Kindle Unlimited Hanlon and Stone Ricochet Ridge 3 2026
161. 3.90* Sweat & Honey by Ivo Slade 5/9/26 5/9/26 120 pages Kindle Unlimited Jude and Pace 2026
162. 4.00* Blood and Heat by Bea Bellafonte 5/9/26 5/10/26 129 pages Luca and Enzo 2026
163. 4.00* A Gift for the Devil by Holly Myers 5/10/26 5/11/26 222 pages Kindle Unlimited Lucian and Elias Gods of Montcove 6 2026
164. 4.30* Den of Paradise by Eryn Hawk 5/11/26 5/12/26 539 pages Kindle Unlimited Dylan and Caine 2026
165. 4.30* Wicked Games by Willow Dixon 5/12/26 5/14/26 372 pages Kindle Unlimited Killian and Felix Silvercrest U 1 2025 **reread**
166. 4.30* Hide and Seek by Willow Dixon 5/12/26 5/14/26 381 pages Kindle Unlimited Jax and Myles Silvercrest U 2 2025 **reread**
167. 3.80* Comforting the Grump by Nora Phoenix 5/15/26 5/15/26 289 pages Kindle Unlimited Ennio and Marnen Forestville Silver Foxes 1 2025
**abandoned Vile Saint by Vesper Vane ** 252 pages
**abandoned Bound to Two Bears by Kelex ** 113 pages
**abandoned Master of Pain by Holly Myers ** 143 pages
**abandoned Baby for My Omega by Dex Bass ** 89 pages
**abandoned Bitter Amber by Rowan Valk ** 167 pages
168. 4.00* Unbonded for You by Amy Bellows 5/15/26 5/16/26 170 pages Kindle Unlimited Sebastian and Thomas Nerds Who Knot 5 2023
169. 3.70* The Omega's Hesitant Hero by Kelex 5/16/26 5/16/26 100 pages Kindle Unlimited McCoy and Jackson Bishop's Bay Omegaverse 1 2021
170. 4.40* The Heat Professor by Amy Bellows 5/16/26 5/17/26 184 pages Kindle Unlimited Tatum and Damien Nerds Who Knot 4 2019
171. 4.10* Match My Alpha by Lexie Slater 5/17/26 5/17/26 151 pages Kindle Unlimited Milo and Callum KnotMe 2 2026
172. 4.40* I Could Write a Book by Andie Elliott 5/17/26 5/17/26 296 pages Kindle Unlimited George and Owen 2025
173. 3.00* Carrying the Alpha's Heir by Jerry L O'Neill 5/17/26 5/17/26 140 pages Kindle Unlimited Noah and Ezra Gay Guys Romance 6 2026
174. 4.20* The Forgery Mate by Sophie O'Date 5/17/26 5/18/26 329 pages Kindle Unlimited Ren and Ezra Taken by His Alpha 6 2025
**abandoned Muse by N. Slater ** 160 pages
175. 4.00* The Lodger by Tom North 5/20/26 5/20/26 59 pages Kindle Unlimited Tom and Nick 2026
176. 4.30* Knot Club: Obsession by Ansley Ellis 5/20/26 5/20/26 52 pages Kindle Unlimited Kieran and Everett Knot Club 3 2026
177. 4.30* Omega's Fold by Sasha Silsbury 5/20/26 5/20/26 194 pages Kindle Unlimited Wyatt and Julian Prime Match 7 2026
178. 4.00* The Boss by Tom North 5/20/26 5/21/26 50 pages Kindle Unlimited Eliot and Marcus 2026
179. 4.85* The Revenge Mishap by Jax Calder 5/21/26 5/21/26 402 pages Kindle Unlimited Leo and Archie The Revenge Club 2 2026
180. 3.90* The Arrangement by River Thorne 5/21/26 5/22/26 355 pages Kindle Unlimited Sebastian and Finn The Arrangement and the Heir 1 2026
** abandoned equivalent Mated to the Alpha Judge by Mason Blake ** 19 pages
181. 4.10* Claimed by Choice by River Thorne 5/22/26 5/22/26 213 pages Kindle Unlimited Jonah and Eli Knot My Alpha 4 2026
182. 3.40* The Lion's Haven by Caitlin Ricci 5/23/26 5/23/26 284 pages Kindle Unlimited Devlin and Silas Golden Pride 5 2026
**abandoned Empire of Tides by Emily Moka ** 37 pages
183. 4.10* A Christmas Less Lonely by Scarlet Blackwell 5/24/26 5/24/26 233 pages Kindle Unlimited Alex and Lucas 2024 *reread*
184. 3.30* Cinderella in the Sheets by Reece Pine 5/23/26 5/24/26 131 pages mine Presley and Louis 2018 *reread*
185. 1.50* First Class Protection by Sage Foxley 5/24/26 5/24/26 77 pages Kindle Unlimited Felix and Thomas Billionaire Bosses 3 2026
186. 3.60* Grabbed by Suzi Hawke and Crista Crown 5/24/26 5/25/26 157 pages Kindle Unlimited Preston and Noah Team A.L.P.H.A. 1 2019 *reread*
187. 4.00* Taming His Alpha by Sophie O'Dare 5/25/26 5/25/26 183 pages Kindle Unlimited Joshua and Austen Marked by His Alpha 9 2024
188. 3.40* Taking Two by Sophie O'Dare 5/25/26 5/25/26 5/25/26 5/25/26 142 pages Kindle Unlimited Gael and Heath Marked by His Alpha 7 2024
189. 3.80* His Secret Omega by Chani Lynn Feener 5/26/26 5/27/26 342 pages Kindle Unlimited Sky and Kian Beguiled Omegas 1 2025
190. 3.10* Violent Devotion by L Norell 5/27/26 5/28/26 355 pages Kindle Unlimited Kelly and Alexei Empire of Sins 1 2026
191. 4.00* The Fighter by Viv Allen 5/28/26 5/28/26 370 pages Kindle Unlimited Tav and Con Built to Break 1 2026
192. 3.90* Born Wild by Jesse H Reign 5/28/26 5/29/26 343 pages Kindle Unlimited Jensen and Alphie Wild Hearts 2 2026
193. 4.30* That One Moment by CS Autumn 5/29/26 5/30/26 401 pages Kindle Unlimited Jamie and Caiden Altered Paths 1 2025
194. 3.50* The Debt by Kiya Voss 5/30/26 5/31/26 221 pages Kindle Unlimited Jonah and Luca 2026
195. 3.20* Venting Heat by Lance Roddick 5/31/26 5/31/26 72 pages Kindle Unlimited Greyson and Lucas Fur Real Love 10 2026

books read II

196. 4.30* Cowboy Haven by BA Tortuga 6/1/26 6/1/26 253 pages Kindle mine Heath and Kolt BA's Cozy Cowboys 9 2022 - reread
197. 4.20* His Captor by MM Farmer 6/1/26 6/2/26 250 pages Kindle Unlimited Hayden and Mace Omegas After Dark 2 2024
198. 3.00* Feral Omega by Quinn Michaels 6/3/26 6/4/26 92 pages Kindle Unlimited Oren and Rue Omega Refuge 3 2026
199. 3.50* Owned in Writing by SL Marlowe 6/4/26 6/5/26 96 pages Daniel and Victor Kindle Unlimited Dark MM Romance - Victor's Empire 1 2026
200. 4.20* His Snowbound Omega by Chani Lynn Feener 6/5/26 6/6/26 189 pages Kindle Unlimited Thorn and Baal Beguiled Omegas 2 2025 – reread
**abandoned Fake Dating the Hired Alpha by Bonnar King ** 139 pages
**abandoned The Omega’s Mask by EA Adams ** 80 pages
**abandoned All I Want for Christmas is Revenge by KA Merikan ** 196 pages
**abandoned The Math Teacher and His Professor by Shaw Montgomery ** 108 pages
201. 2.50* The Alpha's Virgin Omega by Austin Bates 6/6/26 6/7/26 286 pages Kindle Unlimited Alec and JT 2018
202. 3.50* The Breeding Contract by Bella Bennet and Riley Sloane 6/7/26 6/7/26 103 pages Kindle Unlimited Aidan and Jude Alphas of Chicago (Hennessy Syndicate) 1 2026
203. 3.30* Owned by the Underboss by Evan Blackthorne 6/7/26 6/8/26 124 pages Kindle Unlimited Eli and Dante 2026
204. 3.70* Sold to the Wrong Alpha by Anna Ward 6/8/26 6/8/26 355 pages Kindle Unlimited Ren and Brody Omega Underground 1 2026
205. 4.70* This Guy by Lane Hayes 6/8/26 6/9/26 294 pages Kindle Unlimited Silas and Cooper Wood Hollow Stories 1 2026
206. 3.70* Forbidden Little Game by Raleigh Ruebins 6/9/26 6/10/26 278 pages Kindle Unlimited Torin and Noah Crimson College 4 2026
207. 4.00* The Room I Paid For by Crea Reitan 6/6/10/26 6/10/26 82 pages Kindle Unlimited Gabe and Edries 2025 reread
208. 2.50* Corporate Heat by Shea Moran 6/10/26 6/11/26 140 pages Kindle Unlimited Julian and Damien 2026
209. 4.60* Primal Urges: Moccachoo series #3.5 by Felton Kingsley 6/11/26 6/11/26 99 pages Kindle Unlimited Hunter and Winks 2026
210. 3.00* Human Omega Claimed by a Ruthless Alpha by Dorian Vale 6/11/26 6/11/26 192 pages Kindle Unlimited Elliot and Dominic 2026
211. 3.50* Runaway Pregnant Omega by MT Calder 6/11/26 6/12/26 166 pages Kindle Unlimited Avren and Rovan MM Mafia mpreg romance standalones 5 2026
212. 4.40* The Mark of Mine by Halle Dawson 6/5/26 6/13/26 231 of 400 pages Kindle Unlimited Max, Alex Bane, Zero Blood & Omega 3 2026
213. 4.30* Where There's a Will by Anna Sparrows 6/12/26 6/13/26 279 pages Kindle Unlimited Connor and Will Dads & Adages 1 2023
214. 4.20* Silver (Fox) Linings by Anna Sparrows 6/13/26 6/14/26 103 pages Kindle Unlimited Kenneth and Cody 2025
215. 4.40* What He Doesn't Know by Jason Pound 6/13/26 6/14/26 72 pages Kindle Unlimited Greg and Keith MM Older Men Behaving Badly 11 2025
216. 4.80* Best of Both Worlds by NR Walker 6/14/26 6/15/26 101 pages mine reread Sebastian and Ryland 2017
217. 4.10* Let's Call the Whole Thing Off by Andie Elliott 6/14/26 6/15/26 45 pages Kindle Unlimited Robert and Jamie 2024
218. 1.50* Hot Boss by Scarlet Blackwell 6/15/26 6/15/26 106 pages mine Nathan and Sasha 2023
219. 4.40* Worst.Christmas.Ever.LOCKED by Casey Cox 6/15/26 6/16/26 83 pages Kindle Unlimited Darby and Kip 2025
**abandoned Knocked Up By the Groomsman by Bella Bennet ** 56 pages
**abandoned The Omega's Mask by EA Adams ** 80 pages
**abandoned The Leak Between Us by Maya Collins ** 74 pages
**abandoned A Match Made in Evan by Anna Sparrows ** 48 pages
**abandoned Under Broken Stars by Atreus Rosewood ** 124 pages
**abandoned Booked Solid by Jace Wilder ** 317 pages
220. 4.40* Heartsmashed by Brooke Blaine 6/17/26 6/18/26 289 pages Kindle Unlimited Sawyer and Beckett Hate to Love You 2 2026
221. 3.60* My Cursed Valentine by Gaia Tate 6/18/26 6/18/26 80 pages Kindle Unlimited Min and Logan My Valentine Disaster 1 2026
222. 3.50* Airplane Crush by Gaia Tate 6/18/26 6/18/26 69 pages Kindle Unlimited Elliott and Alex 2024
223. 3.40* Not Here for the Romance by Gaia Tate 6/18/26 6/18/26 73 pages Kindle Unlimited Cameron and Kyle 2025
224. 4.30* My Billionaire One Night Stand by Gaia Tate 6/18/26 6/18/26 90 pages Kindle Unlimited Nico and Matteo 2025
225. 3.20* Step Games by Jenny Pineapple 6/18/26 6/19/26 86 pages Kindle Unlimited Oliver and Duarte 2025
226. 3.20* Protected by the Mafia Prince by Tyler M Belcher 6/19/6/19 107 pages Kindle Unlimited Cassian and Theo 2026
227. 4.40* Only for the Camera by Jenny Pineapple 6/19/26 6/19/26 155 pages Kindle Unlimited Bobby and Eddie Station Thirteen 4 2026
228. 4.30* Rebound My Alpha by Lexie Slater 6/19/26 6/20/26 122 pages Kindle Unlimited Benji and Knox KnotMe 3 2026
229. 4.00* My Father's Enemy by Jenny Pineapple 6/20/26 6/20/26 66 pages Kindle Unlimited Mason and Vittorio 2025
230. 2.50* My Fake Billionaire by Ana Ashley and Rhys Everly 6/20/26 6/20/26 70 pages mine Denver and Will 2021
231. 3.00* His First Alpha by Madeleine Grey 6/20/26 6/20/26 29 pages Kindle Unlimited Elliott and Noah His First Alpha 1 2024
232. 3.50* Little Red by Queenie Wise 6/20/26 6/21/26 413 pages Kindle Unlimited Peter and Damon Big Bad Wolves 1 2019
233. 3.80* The Wolf's Claim by Willy Stroker 6/21/26 6/21/26 40 pages Kindle Unlimited Evan and Cal Monster Boyfriends 1 2025
234. 4.20* Alpha's Scent by Jerry Nicholas 6/21/26 6/21/26 126 pages Kindle Unlimited Ethan and Kenneth/Joss Unexpected Heir 1 2025
**abandoned The Accidental Donor by Kay Marie ** 72 pages
235. 4.00* Rescuing the Writer by Nora Phoenix 6/21/26 6/22/26 73 pages Kindle Unlimited Waylon and Melbourne Forestville Silver Foxes Novellas 2 2024
236. 2.00* Brutal Harvest by CJ Wilder 6/22/26 6/22/26 89 pages Kindle Unlimited Finn and Colt MM Hight Heat Romance 1 2026
237. 3.60* Claimed by Accident by River Thorne 6/22/26 6/22/26 161 pages Kindle Unlimited Owen and Felix Knot My Alpha 2 2025
238. 4.40* Seven Year Secret by River Thorne 6/22/26 6/23/26 292 pages Kindle Unlimited Elliot and AJ 2026
239. 4.60* His to Protect by River Thorne 6/23/26 6/23/26 259 pages Kindle Unlimited Alec and Camden 2026
240. 3.70* Knot and Order by Jamie Kassel 6/23/26 6/24/26 151 pages Kindle Unlimited David and Michael 2019
241. 4.00* Omega's Heat by River Ryan 6/24/26 6/24/26 63 pages Kindle Unlimited Benji and Mercer 2020
242. 1.30* Trapped by the Alpha by Lyndon Land 6/24/26 6/24/26 158 pages Kindle Unlimited Toby and Mason Moonbond Run 4 2025
243. 4.30* Killer Love by Onley James 6/24/26 6/24/26 123 pages Kindle Unlimited Walker and Dakota Kiss. Kill. Repeat 2 2026
244. 4.50* Blocked by KC Lawson 6/24/26 6/25/26 163 pages Kindle Unlimited Jonah and Duncan Blockers 1 2026
245. 2.70* Buckled and Barefoot by Bella Bennet 6/25/26 6/26/26 163 pages Kindle Unlimited Finn and Colt Baby Makes Three 9 2026
246. 3.90* Bloodline Mandate by FR Locke 6/26/26 6/27/26 363 pages Kindle Unlimited Evren and Thayer 2026
247. 3.20* Unclaimed by River Thorne 6/27/26 6/27/26 238 pages Kieran and Damon 238 pages Kindle Unlimited Knot My Alpha 1 2025
248. 4.80* The Don's Omega by Marian Black 6/28/26 6/28/26 227 pages Kindle Unlimited Elia and Lorenzo 2026
249. 2.80* An Heir for the Don by Marian Black 6/28/26 6/28/26 199 pages Kindle Unlimited Marco and Vincenzo 2025
250. 3.70* Forged in Bad Faith by Marian Black 6/28/26 6/29/26 105 pages Kindle Unlimited Luca and Damiano 2026
251. 4.95* Culpability by Bruce Holsinger 6/27/26 6/30/26 354 pages Kindle mine 2025
252. 3.40* Defiantly Claimed by River Thorne 6/30/26 6/30/26 205 pages Kindle Unlimited Micah and Sully Knot My Alpha 3 2025
**abandoned His Forbidden Obsession by Silvia Violet ** 169 pages
**abandoned The Bratva's Omega by Bella Vasquez ** 209 pages
253. 3.50* Slash & Strangle by Adara Wolf and R Phoenix 7/1/26 7/2/26 404 pages Kindle Unlimited Liam and Ryker Serial Killers in Love 1 2026
254. 4.80* Ruthless by L Eveland 7/2/26 7/3/26 473 pages Kindle Unlimited Vincent and Luka The Ferrymen 1 2025
255. 4.20* Your Devoted Monster by Leo Rivers 7/3/26 7/3/26 73 pages Kindle Unlimited Ezra and Gabriel 2025
256. 3.80* The Killer's Brother by Min azur 7/3/26 7/3/26 355 pages Kindle Unlimited Ethan and Adrian 2025
257. 2.50* His to Protect by Leo Rivers 7/4/26 7/4/26 106 pages Kindle Unlimited Felix and Dante Heart of Thornes 3 2023
258. 4.70* Sunshine for Sale by Cora Rose and Nicole Dykes 171 pages 7/5/26 7/5/26 pages Braxton and Jimbob Homegrown Hearts 1 2024 **reread**
259. 4.30* Brim over Boot by Emmy Sanders 7/5/26 7/7/26 313 pages Kindle Unlimited Colton and Noah The Darling Brothers 2 2025
260. 2.80* Knotty Not Nice by Ash Wilder 7/7/26 7/8/26 47 pages Kindle Unlimited Kit and Nick Wolves in Winter 4 2025
261. 3.00* Coldest Mate by Ash Wilder 7/8/26 7/8/26 225 pages Kindle Unlimited Samir and Hayden Wolves in Winter 2 2025
262. 3.50* The Rut Contract by MT Calder 7/8/26 7/9/26 127 pages Kindle Unlimited Joryn and Narek MM mafia mpreg romance novellas 1 2026
263. 4.30* Exposed by KC Lawson 7/9/26 7/9/26 186 pages Kindle Unlimited Tomo and Wes Blockers 2 2026
** abandoned The Ghost of Kyoto by RC Grant ** 201 pages
**abandoned His Forbidden Omega by Chani Lynn Feener ** 83 pages
**abandoned Mating Season by Apollo Surge ** 11 pages
**abandoned Broken by Nicola Haken** 229 pages
**abandoned Apex Architect by Rowan Valk ** 220 pages
264. 4.50* Virgin Hearts by Emmy Sanders 7/10/26 7/10/26 294 pages Kindle Unlimited Hawthorne and Mateo Plum Valley Cowboys 2 2022
265. 4.60* Knot Club: Control by Ansley Ellis 7/10/26 7/10/26 52 pages Finch and Nico Kindle Unlimited Knot Club 4 2026
266. 3.20* Captive Heat by Marian Black 7/10/26 7/11/26 124 pages Kindle Unlimited Jamie and Vincent 2026
267. 3.40* Married to the Enemy Alpha by Lucas Silverstein 7/11/26 7/11/26 272 pages Kindle Unlimited Silas and Dorian 2026
268. 4.00* Private Practice by Juliet M Dixon 7/11/26 7/12/26 70 pages Kindle Unlimited Channing and Armin Beneath the Scrubs 1 2024
269. 4.50* The Anatomy of Us by Juliet M Dixon 7/12/26 7/12/26 138 pages Kindle Unlimited Channing and Armin Beneath the Scrubs 2 2024
270. 4.80* Healing Hands by Juliet M Dixon 7/12/26 7/13/26 483 pages Kindle Unlimited Channing and Armin Beneath the Scrubs 3 2024
271. 4.40* Runner's High by Juliet M Dixon 7/13/26 7/13/26 60 pages Kindle Unlimited Lucas and Myles 2024
272. 4.60* Knot Club: Control by Ansley Ellis 7/10/26 7/10/26 52 pages Finch and Nico Kindle Unlimited Knot Club 4 2026 *reread*
273. 4.75* Echo by Chani Lynn Feener 7/13/26 7/14/26 437 pages Kindle Unlimited Rabbit and Baikal Devils of Vitality 1 2023 *reread*
274. 4.65* That Telling Moment by Marlowe Kent 7/15/26 7/16/26 381 pages Kindle Unlimited Steven and David (Ryland) The Huxley Omegas 1 2026
275. 4.50* That Tender Moment by Marlowe Kent 7/16/26 7/17/26 307 pages Kindle Unlimited Colin and Diwa The Huxley Omegas 2 2026
276. 3.20* Corporate Claim by Shea Moran 7/18/26 7/18/26 133 pages Kindle Unlimited Julian and Drew 2026
277. 4.60* The Stepbrother Distraction by Jenny Pineapple 7/18/26 7/19/26 148 pages Kindle Unlimited Gabriel and Marshall 2026
278. 3.00* Two Summer Days by Jenny Pineapple 7/19/26 7/19/26 66 pages Kindle Unlimited Dominic and Julian Dominic & Julian 2 2024
279. 3.40* Desires Next Door by Jenny Pineapple 7/19/26 7/19/26 60 pages Kindle Unlimited Eric and Jax Peak Edge Innovations 3 2025
280. 3.60* Craved by the Quarterback by Jenny Pineapple 7/19/26 7/19/26 119 pages Kindle Unlimited Bennett and Reid Off-Limits 1 2026
**abandoned Sold to the Bratva Alpha by CD Caldwell ** 129 pages
**abandoned These Silent Stars by Chani Lynn Feener** 275 pages
**abandoned Wayward Love by Rhys Everly ** 135 pages
281. 4.30* Reclaiming His Heart by Wade Hart 7/20/26 7/20/26 96 pages Kindle Unlimited Daniel and Reed Polar Love Stories 3 2026
**abandoned Hard Focus by Milo Hart ** 173 pages
282. 4.50* Rearranged by EM Denning 7/20/26 7/20/26 213 pages Kindle Unlimited Rowan and Sid Do-Over 1 2024
283. 4.70* Villain by Chani Lynn Feener 7/20/26 7/21/26 289 pages Kindle Unlimited Nix, Lake, West, and Yejun Demons of Foxglove Grove 1 2024 *reread*
284. 4.50* Martyr by Chani Lynn Feener 7/21/26 7/22/26 273 pages Kindle Unlimited Nix, Lake, West, and Yejun Demons of Foxglove Grove 2 2024 *reread*
285. 4.60* Saint by Chani Lynn Feener 7/22/26 7/23/26 245 pages Kindle Unlimited Nix, Lake, West, and Yejun Demons of Foxglove Grove 3 2024 *reread*
286. 4.50* Sinner by Chani Lynn Feener 7/23/26 7/24/26 285 pages Kindle Unlimited Nix, Lake, West, and Yejun Demons of Foxglove Grove 4 2024 *reread*
287. 4.00* Vile Heart by Lola Malone 7/23/26 7/24/26 80 pages Kindle Unlimited Camren and Davian Vicious Valentine 1 2025 *reread*
288. 4.30* Distant Heart by Chani Lynn Feener 7/24/26 7/24/26 103 pages Kindle Unlimited Illya and Rexton Vicious Valentine 2 2025 *reread*
289. 4.40* Carnal Heart by Emmy LaRoux 7/24/26 7/24/26 82 pages Kindle Unlimited Devyn and Zaiah Vicious Valentine 3 2025
290. 4.30* Don't Call Me Brother by V Blackwell 7/24/26 7/24/26 112 pages Kindle Unlimited Rowan and Cade Don't Call Me 1 2026
291. 2.00* Dad's New Neighbor by Maya Collins 7/24/26 7/24/26 209 pages Kindle Unlimited Ryan and Sebastian Dad's New Neighbor 1 2026
292. 3.30* Seduced by the Stepbrother by Finn Brooks 7/24/26 7/25/26 103 pages Kindle Unlimited Owen and Sawyer Another Man's Seduction 1 2026
**abandoned Chokehold by Leigh Rivers ** 267 pages
293. 4.20* Phantom Flower by Melysia M 7/25/26 7/26/26 291 pages Kindle Unlimited Rei and Dimitri Void Kings 1 2026

adds - 361 in 2025

1. Kindle - Narrative of the Life and Adventures of Henry Bibb, an American Slave, Written by Himself
2. Audible - A Coin for the Ferryman by Megan Edwards, narrated by Mark Ashby
3. FoCCL - Wilmington's Lie by David Zucchino
4. FoCCL - The Worst Case Scenario: Expert Advise for Extreme Situations by Joshua Piven and David Borgenicht
5. FoCCL - Animal Farm: The Rest of the Story by Forrest C. Greenslade, PHD
6. FoCCL - O Caledonia by Elspeth Barker
7. FoCCL - Haggadah for the Liberated Lamb by Roberta Kalechofsky
8. FoCCL - Captain's Dinner by Adam Cohen
9. FoCCL - The Proving Ground by Michael Connelly
10. Kindle - Apple Pie by West Greene
11. Kindle - Game Changer by Rachel Reid
12. Kindle - Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid
13. Kindle - Tough Guy by Rachel Reid
14. Kindle - Common Goal by Rachel Reid
15. FoCCL - Arcane Carolinas: Folklore, Urban Legends, and Tales of Modern Weird from the Carolinas Volume 1 by Charlie Mewshaw
16. Audible - Up the Down Staircase by Bell Kaufman narrated by Barbara Rosenblat
17. Audible - The First Salute: A View of the American Revolution by Barbara Tuchman, narrated by Wanda McFaddon
18. Audible - The Island at the Edge of the World: The Forgotten History of Easter Island by Mike Pitts
19. Kindle - Role Model by Rachel Reid
20. Kindle - The Long Game by Rachel Reid
21. FoCCL - Islam by Karen Armstrong
22. FoCCL - Only Yesterday by Frederick Lewis Allen
23. - 26. Peggy - First Four in the Clara Vine series by Jane Thynne
27. Kindle - Hunted and Claimed by Morgan Vale
28. Kindle - A Suitable Consort by R Cooper
29. FoCCL - California 2.0 by Thom Bryant
30. FoCCL - Once in Golconda: A True Drama of Wall Street 1920-1938 by John Brooks
31. FoCCL - The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
32. Kindle - Don Juan by George Gordon, Lord Byron
33. Audible - The American Civil War by Professor Gary W Gallagher
34. FoCCL - Ancient Christianities: The First Five Hundred Years by Paula Fredriksen
35. FoCCL - 1001 Things Everyone Should Know About the South by John Shelton Reed an Dale Volberg Reed
36. Kindle - The Room I Paid for by Crea Reitan
37. FoCCL - Myrtle Beach Cookin' by United Methodist Women United Methodist Church Myrtle Beach SC
38. FoCCL - Inglis Fletcher of Bandon Plantation by Richard Walser
39. FoCCL - Looking for Alaska by John Green
40. FoCCL - Strong Poison by Dorothy L. Sayers
41. Audible - Spoon River Anthology by Edgar Lee Masters
42. FoCCL - The Impossible Fortune by Richard Osman
43. FoCCL - Miracles and Wonder by Elaine Pagels
44. FoCCL - Agatha Christie by Laura Thompson
45. FoCCL - Sacred Games by Vikram Chandra
46. FoCCL - The Book of Common Prayer and Administration of the Sacraments and Other Rites and Ceremonies of the Church by The Protestant Episcopal Church
47. FoCCL - Coyote Cafe by Mark Miller
48. FoCCL - The Catch by Mick Herron
49. FoCCL - Chinese Poetry Translations From the Chinese By Arthur Waley Hardcover Illustrated Chinese Poems. by Arthur Waley
50. FoCCL - World War I, the "Great War" by Professor Vejas Gabriel Liulevicius
51. FoCCL - The Jews in the Twentieth Century: An Illustrated History by Martin Gilbert
52. FoCCL - So Much for That by Lionel Shriver
53. FoCCL - Hiroshima by John Hersey
54. FoCCL - Code Breaking: A History and Exploration by Rudolph Kippenhahn
55. FoCCL - Lincoln's Smile and Other Enigmas by Alan Trachtenberg
56. FoCCL - Suspect Identities: A History of Fingerprinting and Criminal Identification by Simon A Cole
57. FoCCL - Gertrude Bell: Queen of the Desert, Shaper of Nations by Georgina Howell
58. FoCCL - Library: An Unquiet History by Matthew Battles
59. FoCCL - The Carolina Table: North Carolina Writers on Food by Randall Kenan
60. FoCCL - Native Carolinians: The Indians of North Carolina by Theda Perdue
61. FoCCL - An Arab Philosophy of History: Selections from the Prolegomena of Ibn Khaldun of Tunis (1332 - 1406) by Charles Issawi
62. FoCCL - A History of the Borgias by Frederick Baron Corvo
63. FoCCL - American Heritage History Of The 1920s & 1930s by American Heritage
64. FoCCL - Eyewitness: 150 Years of Photojournalism by Richard Lacayo and George Russell
65. FoCCL - Stanley Spencer by Elizabeth Rothenstein
66. Kindle - Saint Laurent's Sins by Lola Malone
67. Mark - A Far-Flung Life by ML Stedman
68. Kindle - How to Read a Book by Monica Wood
69. Audible - How to Read a Book by Monica Wood
70. FoCCL - The Lost Bible by JR Porter
71. Amazon - The Carmina Burana: Songs from Benediktbeuern translated by Tariq Marshall
72. Kindle - The Scent of Sin by Halle Dawson
73. Kindle - Baby for My Omega by Dex Bass
74. Kindle - Bound to Two Bears by Kelex
75. Kindle - Mating Season by Apollo Surge
76. Jenna - Trucks by Byron Barton
77. Jenna - Fire Engine illus by Norman Gorbaty
78. Jenna - School Bus illus by Norman Gorbaty
79. Kindle - The Omega's Mask by EA Adam
80. Kindle - Fake it 'til You Make Out by Isla Olsen
81. Kindle - Trapped in Silk by Santi Merino
82. Kindle - The Invention of Nature: Alexander von Humboldt's New World by Andrea Wulf
83. Kindle - The Complete Novels of Jane Austen
84. Kindle - I, Robot by Isaac Asimov
85. Audible - Letter to a Christian Nation by Sam Harris
86. FoCCL - A Little History of Canada by HV Nelles
87. FoCCL - A Short History of Time by Leofranc Holford-Strevens
88. Kindle - Human Omega Claimed by a Ruthless Alpha by Dorian Vale
...
July
89. Kindle - The Correspondent by Patricia Evans
90. Audible - No Ordinary Bird: Drug Smuggling, Plane Crash, and a Daughter's Quest for the Truth by Artis Henderson
91. Amazon - The Notebook: A History of Thinking on Paper by Roland Allen
92. Jenna & Hwan - I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman
93. Jenna & Hwan - The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
94. Benita recommended - The Kierkegaard Collection
95. Amazon - The Mulai by Munir Hachemi trans. by Julia Sanches

culls - 193 in 2025

1. If You Exist by Lillian Moats
2. The Jumblies by Edward Lear Drawings by Edward Gorey
3. Chasing Shakespeares by Sarah Smith
4. Spring Fever by Mary Kay Andrews
5. Dear Committee Members by Julia Schumacker
6. Wet Pussies: Hilarious Snaps of Damp Cats by Charlie Ellis
7. Big Cocks: Hilarious Snaps of Prominent Poultry by Charlie Ellis
8. Calico by Lee Goldberg
9. Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver
10. Healthy Aging by Andrew Weil, MD
11. Eve In Hollywood by Amor Towles
12. The Women by Kristin Hannah
13. The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley
14. Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty
15. The Ancestor's Tale by Richard Dawkins
16. Girl Reading by Katie Ward
17. Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell - not in catalog but on shelves
18. In the Company of the Courtesan by Sarah Dunant

YTD Statistics through June

252 books read
247.5 ebooks, 3 audio books, 1.5 paper books
55970 pages in completed books
46.75 hours in completed audio books
63 books abandoned, 7626 pages abandoned, 0 hours abandoned

63596 total pages read

Avg pages read per day, incl books abandoned: YTD = 351
Avg pages read per book, only those completed: YTD = 252

Book(s) of the Month: Culpability by Bruce Holsinger
The Don's Omega by Marian Black

Books by Month
Jan - 27.5 ebooks, .5 paper books
Feb - 31 e-books, 1 audio books
Mar - 40 e-books
Apr - 49 e-books, 1 audio book
May - 44 e-books, 1 audiobook
Jun - 57 e-books

Author
Male 14%
Female 58%
Undeclared * 27%
Non-Binary 1%
* - can't find info anywhere

Living 100%
Dead 0%

US Born 22%
Foreign Born 17%
Undeclared * 61%
* - can't find info anywhere

Medium
Audio Book 1%
e-Book 98%
Paper Book 1%

Source
My Library 11%
Library 0%
Kindle Unlimited 89%
Borrowed 0%

Misc
Galley Proof 0%
Re-read 10%
Series 74%

Fiction 99%
NonFiction 1%

Author Birth Country
Australia 5%
Canada 7%
England 1%
France 1%
Greece 1%
Grenada 1%
Netherlands 1%
New Zealand 1%
Scotland 1%
South Africa 1%
UK 2%
Undeclared* 55%
US 23%
* - can't find info anywhere

Original Decade Published
1950s 1%
2000s 1%
2010s 10%
2020s 88%

Genre
Contemporary Fiction 1%
Crime Fiction 0%
Historical Fiction 1%
History 0%
Humor 0%
Informational Nonfiction 2%
Memoir 0%
MM/MMM/MMMM Romance 96%

Average Rating Expanded to include .1 stars.
.1-.5: Anathema 0
.6-1: Don't Bother 0
1.1-1.5: Very Bad 2
1.6-2: Bad 3
2.1-2.5: Average 12
2.6-3: Good 17
3.1-3.5: Very Good 41
3.6-4: Excellent 62
4.1-4.99: Stunning 115
5: Masterpiece 0

Average Rating 3.85
Books acquired YTD (361 acquired in 2025) 87
Books culled YTD (193 in 2025) 18

6232 cataloged on 12/31/25

Jun Lightning Round

Any in bold are NOT MM romances, few and far between as they are.

Quite a few of the smut books have warnings about triggers that I don’t mention here. Caveat emptor re triggers if you want to dip your toes in.

4.30 * Cowboy Haven by BA Tortuga 6/1/26 6/1/26 256 pages Kindle – mine

Reread, first read in November of last year. This is what I wrote then:

Heath is hoodwinked into giving up his savings in order to rent a fancy ranch in New Mexico so that he and his 3-month old triplets can start a new life away from his ex. The ranch turns out to be a rundown and abandoned farmhouse. Winter has arrived, Heath is at the end of his rope. Kolt is a semi-retired bull rider, still recovering from a recent major injury in the ring. He has earned enough to have a gorgeous house on a large ranch. He has family nearby and thinks his life is fine as it is. He sees smoke coming out of what he knows to be an abandoned farmhouse, and rides over to see who is squatting. He is shocked at how Heath and his babies are barely surviving, and takes them home. He calls on his family to help. They arrive with all the baby supplies needed to help the babies. They help Heath and Kolt and start loving the babies and Heath. So does Kolt. However, there’s stalker after Heath, and they think it’s Heath’s ex. The stalking escalates from dead animals on Heath’s SUV to photos of Heath and Kolt and them in town with the babies. They turn to friends and family to find out who the stalker is, and after a particularly harrowing incident, the stalker is captured. Kolt knows that Heath and his babies are it for him, and Heath is more than in love with Kolt, too. This one was sweet and made me envious of Kolt’s large, noisy, and in-your-face family. Caveat emptor re sex.

Nothing to add. I’m so glad I reread it.

4.20* His Captor by MM Farmer 6/1/26 6/2/26 250 pages Kindle Unlimited

Omega Hayden is on a business trip where he hooks up. He returns to work. The alpha continues with his life. The alpha, Mace, is in the midst of illegal maneuvers by his business partner and sets up an independent company in another town and one of the new hires is Hayden, who is now 7 months pregnant. Imagine their surprise when they meet. Normal protective alpha stuff, normal omega independence stuff, highly readable, and they get their HEA. Caveat emptor re sex.

3.00* Feral Omega by Quinn Michaels 6/3/26 6/4/26 92 pages Kindle Unlimited

Omega Rue escaped his pack 5 years previously and has been living in hiding ever since. Oren is his pack’s enforcer and is patrolling the borders when he comes across a sprung trap with blood leading away from it. He follows the blood and comes across an almost-dead wolf, a feral wolf. He carries the wolf to outside his cabin and leaves the door open. He puts food and water out, and after several days of doing this, Rue comes inside. It takes quite a while to get Rue to trust Oren. In the meantime, Oren’s pack is alarmed and bounty hunters are on the trail of Rue. Lots of fighting and protection and bonding. Oren’s patience in earning Rue’s trust as Rue goes back and forth being a feral wolf and a feral human is well written. Caveat emptor re sex.

3.50* Owned in Writing by SL Marlowe 6/4/26 6/5/26 96 pages Kindle Unlimited

Daniel’s father’s architectural business is heavily in debt and his father has health issues. Daniel has taken over as much as he can, but is at the end of his rope. Enter Victor, who has bought up the debt specifically so that he can own Daniel for a year. Daniel moves into his apartment, dresses as Victor likes, eats what and when Victor wants, and is completely owned by him in all aspects. Daniel rebels at first but eventually discovers that he likes and needs to relinquish control to someone in order to quiet his mind. Daniel’s father eventually finds out. Daniel and Victor get their HEA, although the control and dominance continue. This is a book where it was like reading through cotton balls. Muted, story rather than description. Some books are like that. The style is noted. Caveat emptor re sex.

4.20* His Snowbound Omega by Chani Lynn Feener 6/5/26 6/6/26 189 pages Kindle Unlimited

I read this in February of this year and gave it 3.9*. Here’s what I wrote:

One in the Beguiled series. Feener’s books feature strong alphas who coerce and control their omegas. However, their omegas want this by the end of the book, without Stockholm Syndrome. Thorn is an omega faced with inherited debt and a seriously ill younger brother. He signs up for the White Hunt. If he successfully makes it to the sanctuary or he’s captured by an alpha, his debts are paid off. He’s at the end of his rope and when he receives the invitation he cannot refuse. He doesn’t know that Baal has been stalking him for years and sees the White Hunt as a way of getting him. He does get him, they have a bit of power balance struggle. Thorn capitulates, but they both get a HEA, both surprised that there’s love and a fated mate bond. Caveat emptor re sex and dubcon.

Nothing to add or change. Sometimes I just need something predictable.

**abandoned Fake Dating the Hired Alpha by Bonnar King ** 139 pages

Oh my god. I don’t mind shortcuts in writing, but when there’s terrible writing with inconsistent dates and times it sticks in my craw. As soon as Declan realizes Finn’s pregnant he abandons him, saying he needs time and writes a letter that I had been the recipient, I would have shot him on the spot. Somehow, they end up happy, but I don’t know why because I did something I rarely do – I skipped to the last chapter. Caveat emptor re sex.

**abandoned The Omega’s Mask by EA Adams ** 80 pages

Nathan is the heir apparent of a mafia family. Andrea was supposed to be his contracted omega. Andrea ran. Ten years pass. Andrea hs become an assassin for another family and is hired to kill Nathan. It doesn’t work out that way. They overcome Nathan’s father’s nature. A little bit of sex, a little bit of ho-hum.

**abandoned All I Want for Christmas is Revenge by KA Merikan ** 196 pages

I tried for a reread because I remembered this book fondly from December of 2023. I don’t know if my tastes have gotten refined or this one was truly stupid, but I just couldn’t continue. Caveat emptor re sex.

**abandoned The Math Teacher and His Werewolf by Shaw Montgomery ** 108 pages

Omegaverse stuff is always remarkably unbelievable, but this book, with the math professor, a human, immediately accepting a werewolf, is major silliness. It wasn’t really going anywhere.

2.50* The Alpha's Virgin Omega by Austin Bates 6/6/26 6/7/26 286 pages Kindle Unlimited

Alec has two half -brothers and at the reading of their father’s will, they each get property but the bulk of the fortune, $200 million, goes to the first son who has a legitimate heir within marriage. Both half-brothers are married. One has two daughters, one is married to a man and had no intention of having children. Alec wants the money and gets involved with a former lover, JT. They get married. They fight. One or the other leaves. Alec turns up pregnant, they have a baby, Alec’s mother provides a formal wedding in a park for them. I’m pretty unhappy with this one, can’t believe I read all 286 pages. Caveat emptor re sex.

3.50* The Breeding Contract by Bella Bennet and Riley Sloane 6/7/26 6/7/26 103 pages Kindle Unlimited

Jude is a mafia don’s son and he somehow forces Aidan, an omega, whose mother just died, to sign a breeding contract. Doesn’t force him but when Aiden goes into heat they have sex. They get closer and plan on being bonded. However, there are people who don’t want them to be together. At their wedding, there’s a shoot’em up and Jude bites Aidan, bonding with him. Everybody also realizes Aidan’s pregnant. Shallow but doable at only 103 pages. Caveat emptor re sex.

3.30* Owned by the Underboss by Evan Blackthorne 6/7/26 6/8/26 124 pages Kindle Unlimited

Eli is caught copying files by Dante and is taken to Dante’s home. He agrees to stay a ‘prisoner’ to pay off his sister’s embezzling debt and help Dante root out financial discrepancies within his organization. There’s drama with Dante’s father, the solution to who killed Dante’s brother 3 years earlier, pregnancy and a baby. Yet for all that, it was like reading through cotton balls. Muted, story rather than description. Some books are like that. The style is noted. I don’t read too many books like that, abandoning them with glee. There was implied sex and a lot of negotiation between
Eli and Dante.

3.70* Sold to the Wrong Alpha by Anna Ward 6/8/26 6/8/26 355 pages Kindle Unlimited

Ren is an omega, prostituted out by his father and brother to cover his father’s gambling debts. One night he’s auctioned off for $700K for a year’s worth of being owned by Resnikov, an alpha who is abusive and scares and disgusts him. As things progress, he’s slipped a piece of paper and told to run when the lights go off. He does, gets to a place of safety, and sees that the paper has an address. He avoids the pursuers and gets to the address, which is owned by an alpha named Brody. I’ll just say here that there is way too much discussion of their scents, especially Brody’s raisins and walnuts. There is instalust and love and Ren turns up pregnant. He’s still being pursued, so they go out of town to an ob/gyn. However, they’re attacked on the way there. Ren’s kidnapped, taken to Resnikov’s penthouse suite, and thinks Brody’s dead. For 4 days a guard named Sergei takes him food and water yet doesn’t engage. When Ren’s rescued, Sergei deliberately leaves the door open. Ren’s rescued and tells Brody that Sergei helped him escape, so Sergei becomes part of their retinue. They get their HEA. Two things: we do not find out what happens to/with Ren’s father and brother and there’s a serious ‘printing’ error, where chapters 14 is repeated as chapter 15. Sheesh. Anyway, caveat emptor re sex.

4.70* This Guy by Lane Hayes 6/8/26 6/9/26 294 pages Kindle Unlimited

Cooper lives in a small town in Vermont, sharing parenting duties with his ex-wife. He loves his life and his two kids, Ivy and Chase. Silas has just retired from the NFL, is at loose ends, and borrows a friend’s house in the same town. The house is next door to Cooper’s. Silas doesn’t have the right winter gear and thinks he can walk to town in his inadequate gear to get groceries. He’s already met Cooper and they’ve exchanged numbers. A snowfall turns into a blizzard. Silas calls the taxi service, not knowing that the owner is out sick. He calls Cooper, almost unconscious. Cooper takes him home to his house, knowing that he needs to get Cooper warm and hydrated and out of his wet clothes. Cooper insists he stay there. Silas is in the closet, but definitely bi, and they spend several days with each other. They have to be circumspect in town but are spending lots of time together, even when Silas goes back to his friend’s house. People in the town know. They dance around commitment. Silas is offered a last season in the NFL in Boston. They make it work long distance. There are dogs, there are barbeques, Silas coaches a flag football team, there’s sex. Silas never thought he’d get a family because he’d never be able to be out. Cooper and his kids are at a game, and after it’s over, still on the ice, the kids run up to Silas, Cooper comes to Silas. Silas tells Cooper he loves him, Cooper says the same, and they kiss. Remind you of something? Like, Heated Rivalry’s Scott and Kip? I really loved this book. Caveat emptor re sex.

3.70* Forbidden Little Game by Raleigh Ruebins 6/9/26 6/10/26 278 pages Kindle Unlimited

Stepbrothers, Noah is finally cleaning up his partying life and discovers that he wants to settle down. Torin is much more responsible, but is a nomad, moving around project by project. They end up on the same campus over the summer. They dance around each other, nominally enemies. There’s a threat against Noah which Torin protects him from. They get their HFN, which will eventually be a HEA. They’ll be bound together and be together when Torin comes home. The only thing that really irritated me is Torin’s repetitive mentioning of Noah’s scent. Caveat emptor re sex.

3.30* The Room I Paid For by Crea Reitan 6/6/10/26 6/10/26 82 pages Kindle Unlimited

I originally read this book in December of 2025 and gave it 3.5 stars. Here’s what I wrote then:

Gay for you short story has a luxury cabin double booked with Edries, who is straight, and Gabe, who is not. They can’t get another cabin because everything’s booked up, can’t get a room for one of them because the lodge is booked up. They irritate one another then captivate one another and by the time the snowplows make it to their cabin they are well on the way to falling in love. The title becomes a running joke between them. Edries’ children meet Gabe and they become one family. The ending is cute, when a year later the teenagers give them two onesies – one for Baby Brother and one for Baby Sister. They want a sibling, and it seems like that will happen before the next Christmas. Caveat emptor re sex.

I laughed and wiped tears out of my eyes. Sweet, strong, vivid writing. Two men who are so sad and make a happy life together. All this in only 82 pages.

2.50* Corporate Heat by Shea Moran 6/10/26 6/11/26 140 pages Kindle Unlimited

Amazon’s blurb:

JULIAN MERCER built a billion-dollar tech empire by hiding the one secret that could destroy everything.
He's an Omega.
In a world ruled by powerful Alphas, Julian has spent years suppressing his instincts, burying his biology, and proving that intelligence—not pheromones—belongs in the boardroom.
Then Damien Wolfe launches a hostile takeover.
Billionaire. Prime Alpha. Corporate predator.
Damien doesn't just want Julian's company.
He wants Julian.
When Damien uncovers the truth behind the Ice King CEO's carefully guarded identity, a ruthless business war becomes something far more dangerous. Trapped between shareholder battles, corporate sabotage, and an undeniable biological attraction, Julian finds himself facing the one opponent he cannot outmaneuver.
As suppressants begin to fail and tensions rise, Damien offers a deal that could save Julian's company—but accepting it may cost him the independence he's fought his entire life to protect.
Can the hidden Omega CEO resist the possessive Alpha determined to claim him?
Or will the wolf finally bring the Ice King to his knees?

When they first meet, Damien thinks mate, Julian doesn’t go that far, but is attracted. I finished it, but honestly, I actively dislike the words reverent or reverence and – you may not believe this – but there was actually too much sex. I know! They get their HEA. Caveat emptor re absolutely too much sex.

4.60* Primal Urges: Moccachoo series #3.5 by Felton Kingsley 6/11/26 6/11/26 99 pages Kindle Unlimited

There’s a lot to unpack in this novella. Hunter loves being a barista at a van he owns, which is near a football field. Two nights a week, a young man nicknamed Winks comes over to his van after practice. He tries to engage with Hunter, but Hunter refuses because Winks is a ‘cutie-twink’, nicknamed Vanilla Boy by the other rugby players. Hunter is a primal play … well… hunter. His van is located near a very large forested area, where he arranges primal play hookups. Winks ends up getting Hunter to chat with him and they share bits of themselves. Hunter looks forward to the after-practice visits. Winks wants more. He ends up following Hunter one night and realizes what his kink is and arranges an anonymous hookup with him. They play, Hunter eventually figures out who Winks is, and they get their HEA. It’s sweet and kinky. Caveat emptor re sex.

3.00* Human Omega Claimed by a Ruthless Alpha by Dorian Vale 6/11/26 6/11/26 192 pages mine

Dominic is a powerful alpha who has written a devastatingly honest and accusatory memoir about the death of his brother. He wants different art work than the publisher has offered and has a meeting with Elliot, an omega, a graphic designer. They meet at Dominic’s office and from the minute he meets Eliot, Dominic is attracted and lets Elliot know it. Elliot has been traumatized and is skittish and defensive and hiding from the world. After two public meetings, Dominic approves the artwork. In the meantime, Elliot is stalked and for some reason calls Dominic, probably because he knows deep down that Dominic can protect him without putting demands on him. Stalker activities escalate to outright attacks. Dominic moves Elliot into his penthouse. Elliot has a heat, they refrain although Dominic provides water and food and whatever else Elliot needs. Elliot moves in, they’re still searching for whoever is attacking Elliot. Elliot is also writing a graphic novel about his experience coming out and the issues an omega faces in an alpha-dominated world. It gets published and Elliot’s parents, who kicked him out when he presented as a gay omega, reach out. Elliot also turns up pregnant, both books are wildly successful, they get a baby, and a very sappy HEA. But, that’s the second reason I read smut – first, obviously, to read about (mostly female) versions of gay sex, and secondarily to always get the HEA. Caveat emptor re sex.

3.50* Runaway Pregnant Omega by MT Calder 6/11/26 6/12/26 166 pages Kindle Unlimited

Avren has hidden himself from being controlled by his family. He’s 20 weeks pregnant. Rovan, the father of the baby, finds Avren when there’s a crisis of succession. He does not know Avren is pregnant. Avren is extremely defensive about anybody trying to touch him, control his body or information about him or the baby. We keep hearing about keys and locks and circuits, and routes. There’s political finessing done to keep Avren happy, which includes keeping Avren’s family away from him and having Rovan give up several of his routes and sources of income. He does this. Eventually things settle down and the baby is born. This is another of those books that I read through a fog – no real descriptions of the people or the type of governments, fighting mafia houses. Avren is completely in control of everything, including every single touch that Rovan is allowed. Eventually that becomes a bond and the restrictions lift. Rovan will keep Avren and the baby safe. Caveat emptor re sex.

4.40* The Mark of Mine by Halle Dawson 6/5/26 6/13/26 231 of 400 pages Kindle Unlimited

Third in the Omegaverse series with Max, an omega, and his stepbrothers, all alphas, Alex, Bane, and Zero. By now they’ve all bonded with each other and are somehow, miraculously, keeping it from Max’s adoptive mother and ABZ’s father Richard, although they all live in the same house. It comes to a head one night when Max’s adoptive mother sees Max and Zero kissing on the front porch. She comes unglued and calls Richard downstairs. Richard tries to punch his son but Max gets in the way and gets clobbered. She takes Max with her to a hotel. Max does not want to leave but leaving with her now will, he hopes, calm the situation down. It doesn’t, and she plans on taking Max to her sister in another state. Max calls a friend, leaves the hotel, and nobody knows where he is. The brothers are going crazy trying to find him and discover that their stepmother has bought two tickets to Wisconsin. They are on their way to intercept them when they see Max sitting by the fountain in front of the house. He tells them that he's gone to the police to give all the information about the omega trafficking ring that took him (in book 2). He wants to be with them. His stepmother continues to Wisconsin, ABZ’s father is made to relinquish the business and shunned by them. All 4 live in another house together, happy as clams as Max returns to school and ABZ each do the work they love to support their definitely unorthodox family. I admit to skipping some of the middle, but I don’t feel that it caused me to miss any essentials. Caveat emptor re sex.

4.30* Where There's a Will by Anna Sparrows 6/12/26 6/13/26 279 pages Kindle Unlimited

Connor and Will live in the same apartment complex. Connor is an event coordinator, Will, 49, is a firefighter. Connor, 32, has a sister Daisy who is pregnant. The father out of the picture. At seven months, she’s in an accident and Will’s called out. Connor is driving home from work and sees a car that can only be Daisy’s. He pulls over and comes unglued when he realizes that is Daisy. She’s taken to the hospital and Will offers to drive Connor. Daisy doesn’t survive the accident but her baby does, and per Daisy’s will and desires, Connor becomes her dad. He’s in way over his head, of course. One day of baby Victoria’s screaming brings Will downstairs. Will’s got twin sons aged 30 and baby stuff comes back to him quickly. Between them, they set up Victoria’s room and get a routine going (when Will’s not working) for feedings, sleeping, doctor’s appointments, etc. They’re both in love with the baby and are starting to fall in love with each other. The baby daddy shows up and contests guardianship and gets every other week visitation, which devastates both Connor and Will. They start coming to grips with it and the rest of the book is wonderful and I won’t spoil it any more than I already have. They fall in love, of course. Caveat emptor re sex.

4.20* Silver (Fox) Linings by Anna Sparrows 6/13/26 6/13/26 103 pages Kindle Unlimited

Cody is meeting a hookup but it starts going wrong. He’s had a bit too much to drink and has barricaded himself in a bathroom stall. He tries to call his friend Silvia, but unintentionally text ‘Silver Fox’, his best friend’s dad. Kenneth goes out to rescue this unnamed and unidentified young man and is shocked when he gets there and has gotten rid of the Grindr guy to see that it’s his son’s best friend Cody. He takes Cody to his house, where he lets him sleep it off. In the morning, over coffee and breakfast, they discover that they both are avid fans of a fantasy series and start watching it every Friday night. Proximity turns into lust, and they start having a relationship. Kenneth is disturbed at the 19-year age gap, Cody less so, and they resolve that, and fall in love. Caveat emptor re sex.

4.20* What He Doesn't Know by Jason Pound 6/13/26 6/14/26 72 pages Kindle Unlimited

Greg is 21 and is on a hookup app as Jake. Keith is 52, nominally straight, but also on the same app as D. They start a chat and decide to meet up at a hotel 30 miles out of town. They really hit it off and end up meeting seven times before Christmas. Greg’s best friend Nate invites him to his dad’s house for Christmas. You can see where this is going… Greg is shocked and devastated but Keith doesn’t appear gobsmacked. The meal ends, Greg stays off the app for several weeks but agrees to meet Keith at a diner for coffee. Keith knew who Greg was the minute the door opened the first time, apologizes but doesn’t excuse not stopping things right there and identifying himself. Several more weeks down the road they realize that they can’t stop seeing each other. However, Greg needs for Nate to know and Keith insists it’s his job as Nate’s dad to do this. All sorts of angst, upset, and yelling, and Nate doesn’t talk to either for months. Eventually they recognize that it’s love not just sex, Nate agrees to meet with them, and it's easy to see how things will be painful yet ultimately grow into a new relationship between Nate, his dad, and Greg. Caveat emptor re sex.

4.80* Best of Both Worlds by NR Walker 6/14/26 6/15/26 101 pages mine reread

This is a reread. Here’s what I wrote in 2023:

This one has writing from the heart and I actually shed a few tears while reading it. Ryland has left his hometown after his parents reject him for being gay and he’s beaten to within an inch of his life. He is closeted, working in construction. Sebastian is local, out to his family but closeted elsewhere, and they meet at a club every Friday night. Eventually they meet on the job, and although Ryland is gun-shy, comes home with Sebastian. Sebastian’s family takes Ryland in. The brother who didn’t say anything when his parents rejected him reaches out, an comes to visit with his wife. They reconcile, but the parents are still out of Ryland’s life until he gets a devastating call. Funerals, car accidents, and healing are all part of this very special novella. Caveat emptor re sex.

All I want to add is that I would love to part of Sebastian’s family.

4.10* Let's Call the Whole Thing Off by Andie Elliott 6/14/26 6/15/26 45 pages Kindle Unlimited

Robert is an unwilling participant in his colleague/nemesis’s wedding and has hired a fake boyfriend for the event. They’re in the elevator together when it stops abruptly. Jamie’s chaotic and has ripped his pants – Robert has a sewing kit on him. They’re kissing when the elevator starts back up and opens to photographers and the flash of bulbs. There’s implication of a future romance. It was sweet and the characters were developed for a short story. I particularly liked that Jamie knew how to sew, being as he’s a theater major.

1.50* Hot Boss by Scarlet Blackwell 6/15/26 6/15/26 106 pages mine

Hot mess, more like. Nathan’s having a drink at a bar when a hot guy comes up to him and they hook up in the bathroom. Next day, Nathan is horrified to discover that Sasha is his new boss. This is not a bad premise, but they both act irrationally, they both act stupidly, and they both act unprofessionally. They’re off in Sasha’s cabin when Sasha gets the new that his company has burned to the ground. Another gay employee, jealous of Nathan, has done the deed. Sasha relocates, they announce their relationship. Ugh. Just, ugh. Caveat emptor re sex.

4.40* Worst.Christmas.Ever.LOCKED by Casey Cox 6/15/26 6/16/26 83 pages Kindle Unlimited

This is really sweet and cute. Darby is given unlimited credit at a fancy Rodeo Drive boutique. He swans in about 20 minutes before closing, picks a few pair of pants and a shirt or two, and goes into the very fancy dressing room. Kip, the owner, noticed Darby when he went into the dressing room. When he tries to come out, the door won’t open. It’s a fancy electronic door, and the mechanism has failed. Darby panics. Kip assures Darby that he has the override key in his office, and sings all the way there and back so Darby can focus on something. The key does not work. Kip calls Mitch, the maintenance supervisor, to bring the master key over, but Mitch is doing crowd control for Taylor Swift. Kip stays to keep Darby from spiraling, and they talk about all sorts of things. In the meantime, a joke gift/sex toy rolls out from underneath the door. Kip asks if Darby will use it, Darby does. Kip is a Dom, Darby is a sub… Mitch finally shows up, Darby is rescued, and they realize they want to start a relationship. On MLK Day they move in together, Valentine’s Day Kip proposes. What I really liked is that Kip is a former famous model. He has given up the body sculpting, the fillers, the makeup, coloring his hair, and is just an incredibly sexy and real silver fox. Caveat emptor re sex.

**abandoned Knocked Up By the Groomsman by Bella Bennet ** 56 pages

Caleb is a wedding planner, Declan is a groomsman at one of the events Caleb is working. Caleb breaks his own rule and has a hookup with Declan at the reception. Caveat emptor re sex.

**abandoned The Leak Between Us by Maya Collins ** 74 pages

Liam is housesitting at his jet-setting parents’ house. There is a leak, things get damaged. Enter Mason, a plumber, who fixes the leak but also sees that there is more water damage than initially thought. Does Liam get in touch with his parents? No. Does Mason seem to need money right away? No. I didn’t care to finish it.

**abandoned A Match Made in Evan by Anna Sparrows ** 48 pages

James asks his friend Evan to pretend to be his boyfriend so as to present a stable family life so James’s daughter can get into a performing arts high school. Lying, and etc. I do not mind lying, but this one just seemed ridiculous.

**abandoned Under Broken Stars by Atreus Rosewood ** 124 pages

Nick is the son of a rancher and his wife. They owe the Mafia 4 million dollars. They can either pay, lose the farm, or give Dante their daughter in marriage. Really squirrely. It gets more squirrely when Dante, gay, insists that he marry Nick instead. Nick agrees. He is supremely pissed off about this and does the bare minimum to help Dante learn the running of the ranch. They do spend time fixing fences and managing the herd. One cow, part of the new herd Dante’s bought, tries to go for Nick when he’s been thrown from his horse. The cow starts charging again, and Dante stands in front of Nick, gets trampled, and nearly dies. He protected Nick because Nick is his. Okay. Where I stopped reading was after Dante comes home from the hospital and is on bedrest for 6 weeks for broken ribs and etc. Nick has to work the ranch and leaves Dante to take care of himself although he can hardly walk. The pain killers are in the kitchen. Why? Dante can hardly walk. Why don’t the parents or the sister help with Dante? Here’s where I bailed. Caveat emptor re sex, although how Dante can participate with his injuries is another piece of the puzzle that I couldn’t fit into the whole.

**abandoned Booked Solid by Jace Wilder ** 317 pages

Buttoned-down Librarian Miles discovers that tattoed, loud, and insecure bartender Jax is trying to study for his GED using the Library’s outdated GED study guides. He helps him, guides him, builds special programs to help him, and along the way they start off hooking up then dating. There’s a conflict of interest with them, things get dicey, but we can see that they are going to get their HEA. Caveat emptor re sex. Oh, and Jax has a serious praise kink. Fun to read about.

4.40* Heartsmashed by Brooke Blaine 6/17/26 6/18/26 289 pages Kindle Unlimited

Sawyer’s boyfriend walks out one morning, gets rid of his phone. Three months later Sawyer’s mom’s are having a 35-year recommitment/wedding weekend, and Sawyer learns that his schmuck ex will be there on the arm of the moms’ friend. Sawyer ‘buys’ a weekend date and is supposed to meet him at a downtown lounge. The ‘date’ will be wearing a blue tie. Beckett is at the lounge to meet a hookup, who is coming on to a man who’s wearing a blue tie. Sawyer sees a single man wearing a blue tie at a table. He assumes the man is his ‘bought’ date and Beckett decides that Sawyer should take him instead of the sleaze who Sawyer’s actually hired. The weekend goes well, they start having feelings, the ex is aggressive, Sawyer finds out the Beckett is not the man he hired. It’s sweet and angsty and sexy. Good dialog, too. Caveat emptor re sex.

3.60* My Cursed Valentine by Gaia Tate 6/18/26 6/18/26 80 pages Kindle Unlimited

Min owns a flower shop in the same building as business partners Carter and Logan. Min has a crush on Logan, Logan has a crush on Min. Logan is a hookup kind of guy, Min has gotten dumped just before or on Valentine’s Day and is cursed. There’s a blizzard, and Min comes next door because his power’s out and he has no resources. Logan lets him in, and they talk and etc. One year later, Logan proposes – on Valentine’s Day. It’s sweet and Min and Logan are very appealing characters who deserve a bit of luck. Caveat emptor re sex.

3.50* Airplane Crush by Gaia Tate 6/18/26 6/18/26 69 pages Kindle Unlimited

Elliott has been summoned home to meet the company’s new PR manager, Xander. His father owns a media company that is homophobic. Elliott is gay. On the plane, both his and another man’s seats are upgraded – we don’t officially know why but by the end of the novella we can figure it out. Elliott’s seatmate is Alex, and they are wildly attracted to one another and join the mile-high-adjacent club, planning on meeting the day after Elliott’s dinner with his mom, dad, and the new PR guy. We can see where this going, but it’s a pleasant ride getting there. Turns out Xander is Elliott’s Alex. Elliott spills wine on Xander’s shirt so he can take him upstairs for an explanation. When they come back down it makes more sense. Sweet and fun to read. Caveat emptor re sex.

3.40* Not Here for the Romance by Gaia Tate 6/18/26 6/18/26 73 pages Kindle Unlimited

Cameron overhears coworker Kyle make a comment that he thinks is disparaging and it’s instant enmity on his part. They’re both sent to woo a customer, and of course the hotel gives them a room with only one bed. The comment is explained, the hurt feelings gotten over, the attraction acted upon. Sweet and sexy. Caveat emptor re sex.

4.30* My Billionaire One Night Stand by Gaia Tate 6/18/26 6/18/26 90 pages Kindle Unlimited

Nico is in Tuscany to be in his sister’s wedding. The night before the rehearsal, he hooks up and things are fine. Nico spends the rest of the night. In the morning he discovers a gun under the pillow, freaks out, and leaves. It’s a comedy of errors, while he tries to figure out if Matteo is Mafia or not. Matteo convinces Nico that he’s ‘just’ a billionaire businessman. There’s a wedding, there’s attraction and a decision to date, but then Nico discovers a message on Matteo’s cell phone – he isn’t prying, just sees it lying face up when he’s looking for his clothes – and the message talks about ambushes and men dead. That’s the end. I like the novellas where there’s more that goes on after the story ends, and in this case, I can see more misunderstandings, Matteo probably being Mafia, and Nico having to figure out of that’s okay or not. Caveat emptor re sex.

3.20* Step Games by Jenny Pineapple 6/18/26 6/19/26 86 pages Kindle Unlimited

Oliver’s father marries Duarte’s mother and it’s instant war and vicious pranks between the stepbrothers. They are going to different colleges, but the clueless parents rent an apartment between the campuses so that they can live together, save money, and bond. They’re both livid. The parents’ housewarming gift to them? An air fryer. Duarte’s gift to Oliver? A sex toy. They both continue the pranks. One day Oliver sets it up so that Duarte is able to watch him use the sex toy in the shower, and things definitely change. The attraction overcomes the enemies’ bits. They eventually are together and eventually the parents find out when they show up unexpectedly and Duarte comes out of the bathroom with a towel around his waist, saying “Babe, do I smell coffee?” After the initial shock, the parents are okay with it. Caveat emptor re sex. I have to say that Jenny Pineapple’s novellas are always good, always vibrant, with strong emotions, and sexy sex scenes.

3.20* Protected by the Mafia Prince by Tyler M Belcher 6/19/6/19 107 pages Kindle Unlimited

Not vibrant, collapsed. Gray, if you will. Two dimensional, Cassian is the Mafia Prince, Theo is a forensic accountant kept in Cassian’s house as he researches internal embezzlement. Of course they get together, of course there’s danger. Caveat emptor re sex.

4.40* Only for the Camera by Jenny Pineapple 6/19/26 6/19/26 155 pages Kindle Unlimited

Bobby is a successful cam boy. Eddie is a fireman. Bobby’s at a bar, Eddie sees that he has Labubu keychains on his backpack. I did not know what Labubu was, now I do. Bobby gets Eddie’s number and asks him if he’d collaborate. Firemen are hot, and he’s only asking for kiss. Eddie really needs the money because his sister always needs money for rent or the twins or a date or whatever. Eddie agrees, the kiss is hot, and Eddie earns almost $1000. Bobby wants to collaborate again, Eddie agrees. More money, all a secret because Eddie’s nominally straight. Things keep escalating on camera, feelings get involved, and after quite a bit of angst, Eddie comes out unintentionally over the firetruck’s comms system with his team. Nobody cares, he and Bobby get together, Eddie stands up to his sister, and they get their HEA. Caveat emptor re sex.

4.30* Rebound My Alpha by Lexie Slater 6/19/26 6/20/26 122 pages Kindle Unlimited

Benji hooks up with Knox on a dating app and they spend the night. Knox leaves before Benji wakes up, doesn’t leave a note or anything, deletes his KnotMe profile, and ghosts Benji. Benji is traumatized by this, and 6 months later he creates a new profile and finds Knox’s new profile. He swipes right, Knox shows up and the attraction is still there and they realize they are fated mates. Benji is on again off again, eviscerating Knox verbally, other times in perfect harmony. Knox bonds Benji without his permission, there are fireworks from that, but soon Benji starts nesting – using clothes that smell like Knox’s scent in his bedroom. It takes time and compromise, but they eventually get their HEA. Caveat emptor re sex.

4.00* My Father's Enemy by Jenny Pineapple 6/20/26 6/20/26 66 pages Kindle Unlimited

Mason is the only son of a mob boss but is a major disappointment because he’s gay. He’s sent to negotiate a contract with Vittorio’s mob to use the hotels for high-class escort services. Mason’s father has sent him with an insulting offer of only 10% of the profits. Vittorio is fascinated with Mason, and they go at it hammer and tongs until Mason gets a good contract. When the contract is agreed upon, they sit and drink wine and Vittorio offends Mason by implying he’s an escort, Mason clocks him on the jaw, then after the shock wears off, goes to Vittorio and kisses him. Things escalate and Mason spends the night and next day. Vittorio has never been with a man before, but is strongly attracted to Mason. Months later Vittorio meets Mason’s father and he approves of the relationship. As if he could force the issue, but still. Caveat emptor re sex.

2.50* My Fake Billionaire by Ana Ashley and Rhys Everly 6/20/26 6/20/26 70 pages mine

Denver has just come of a bad relationship and landed a job as the Barefoot Librarian, a vlog content creator on an island in the Seychelles. Will has been sent by his parents to start looking the island over to see if it can be part of their hotel chain. Over the course of several days, they bond over sunrises and have a strong attraction to one another. Denver’s horrible ex-boyfriend is on the island as the companion to a very rich old man and berates Denver as often as he can. Will steps in and says that he’s Denver’s boyfriend. Will’s horrible parents arrive, too, and abuse Denver to his face because he's not from their class. By the end Will’s bought the island so it can’t be destroyed by his family’s vision and he and Will are very happy. Caveat emptor re sex.

3.00* His First Alpha by Madeleine Grey 6/20/26 6/20/26 29 pages Kindle Unlimited

Elliott hasn’t presented as alpha or omega by the time he’s 23, so he assumes he’s a beta. He goes into heat and asks his best friend Noah, an alpha, to take care of during this time. So it’s basically 29 pages of sex and emotions, and amazement that two nominally straight men are the loves of each other’s lives. Caveat emptor re sex.

3.50* Little Red by Queenie Wise 6/20/26 6/21/26 413 pages Kindle Unlimited

Peter is a human high school senior, who lives in Climax, MI. I’d say this is ridiculous, but I live 32 miles from Climax, NC. Peter is bullied for being skinny and not an athlete, pressured by his father to be a football star. He has several good friends and lives a reasonable angsty teenage life. One night while he and his friends go to the local ‘haunted house’ on a dare, Peter’s grabbed and bitten on his ankle. One shoe is gone. He doesn’t think too much of it until his hearing and sense of smell become acute, and he is stronger. Most foods now repulse him, and he only wants to eat rare meat. You can see where this is going. He notices that his eyes glow gold several times but amazingly doesn’t think much of it. He comes home one evening. The house is trashed, his father is dying, his mother missing. Werewolf hunters are there to kill Peter and his family. Peter escapes but is tracked down by a wolf shifter and his pack of other shifters. He doesn’t know this yet, however. He fights it all the way and tries to escape yet Damon and his pack take Peter back to his pack house and the town they live in. Peter’s angry and confused. He goes to shifter HS, fights bullies there, too. By the end, he’s reconciled to his new life and the attraction between him and Damon has become strong enough that I’m sure that it will get addressed pretty quickly in the next book. I thought it well done because the teenage feelings and actions rang true. There are three books. Sigh. Caveat emptor an almost rape and implied almost sex.

3.80* The Wolf's Claim by Willy Stroker 6/21/26 6/21/26 40 pages Kindle Unlimited

Evan works dead end jobs, has a car on its last legs, and lives in a terrible apartment. He’s heard about something killing animals in the neighborhood. He goes out to sleep in his car one night so that he doesn’t have to listen to his female roommate and her hookup. He sees yellow eyes in the woods, is scared, but they disappear and a neighbor is walking home. He refuses to let Evan sleep in his car and offers his couch in the same apartment building. Evan accepts. Cal locks himself in his bedroom and Evan wakes up to growls and chains. Even jimmies the door open and there’s a werewolf in chains. They have very odd and rather impractical sex, given that Cal’s currently in his wolf state. I don’t understand how he doesn’t shred Evan’s skin because his claws are frequently mentioned. Turns out they are fated mates. Even seems easily reconciled to his new reality. Caveat emptor re the first time I remember reading about a shifter and human having sex while the shifter is in his animal form. A very vivid and well-written short story that works for me. Caveat emptor re werewolf/human sex.

4.20* Alpha's Scent by Jerry Nicholas 6/21/26 6/21/26 126 pages Kindle Unlimited

Ethan has fled his powerful and demanding family in order to be an omega not confined to being bonded and popping out pups. He is now the successful owner of a Starbucks-type coffeehouse. The town he lives in is a combination of shifters and humans, although the humans are ignorant of the paranormal in their midst, and he’s developed a brew that works with shifters, who need extra boosts of caffeine. One day Kenneth and his Army buddy Wyatt come into the coffeehouse and Kenneth immediately recognizes his fated mate, who he was blackmailed into leaving by Ethan’s father many years previously. Kenneth and Ethan have sex. Kenneth breaks off a friends-with-benefits relationship with Wyatt, who sacrifices himself because he loves Kenneth and Kenneth’s happiness with his fated mate overrides Wyatt’s love for a man who doesn’t love him. They are both kicked out of the Army. Wyatt tells Kenneth that Ethan’s pregnant with Kenneth’s baby. They start a life together. Kenneth works in the shop, Ethan grows with his baby, and one night Ethan’s parents, who he hasn’t seen and who have shunned him call to say they are at the airport and are coming to take him home to help raise the baby. Kenneth and Ethan go to the airport, bring them home, explain that that’s just not going to happen. The parents come around. Interestingly, the last 3 chapters are about Ethan’s father George’s illicit alpha-alpha relationship with what turns out to be Kenneth’s father/wife. It was interesting but not necessary. Caveat emptor re sex.

4.00* Rescuing the Writer by Nora Phoenix 6/21/26 6/22/26 73 pages Kindle Unlimited Waylon and Melbourne

Waylon is a deputy sheriff in a small town. He’s out but has no experience. Melbourne is a successful writer whose RV’s engine’s caught fire. Waylon gets there first, puts it out, gets it towed, and since all the hotels are booked up for miles around, offers to let Melbourne stay at his house. Over the next several days they are attracted to each other. Melbourne offers sex to give virgin Waylon experience, no strings attached. Well, strings develop (*smirk*) and they eventually fall in love and get their HEA. This is one of those books where a virgin miraculously has the expert bedroom skills of a man 20 years his senior. Yeah, right. Caveat emptor re sex.

**abandoned The Accidental Donor by Kay Marie ** 72 pages

OMG. Theo, an alpha billionaire, had testicular cancer and insured that he’d be able to have heirs via surrogate or IVF later in his life. Oliver, an omega, isn’t in a relationship and doesn’t see himself getting into a relationship. He’s 27 and wants a child, so he buys a donor’s sperm from a highly rated service. He gets pregnant with twins. Theo learns that instead of being identified to be saved, his sperm has been classified as available. Oliver, of course, choose this package out of many hundreds. They find out, they meet, and it goes from there. It’s an absolute butchering of syntax spelling, and punctuation. Words are missing from sentences and words used are incorrectly.

”So he’s beautiful?” My mom laughed.
I was confused until I looked at nearby mirror and saw that I had been blushing (no period)
“Don’t make fun of the poor boy. It’s been like 5 years since the whole Lewis fiasco”, Dad choked in.
“Hey, don’t mention that devil in my house. How dare that man leave our son in his time of need because he didn’t want to be with a poor man? Ugh. I feel like the air is contaminated. I’ll have my shaman come over later to do a cleanse of the house” Mom half yelled while being very serious.

Horrible, horrible, horrible. I’m amazed I stuck it out for 72 pages.

2.00* Brutal Harvest by CJ Wilder 6/22/26 6/22/26 89 pages Kindle Unlimited

Finn is living on the ranch his stepfather owns, although his stepfather has just died. His stepbrother Colt is called home for the reading of the will. Colt is mean and mad at the world. I don’t know why I finished this. 89 pages of threats and longing and vulgarity and inconsistencies, no context for why they hated each, no context for why the father/stepfather required them to both live on the ranch so everything won’t go to charity. By the end it’s all lovey dovey. Not to mention that there were repeat paragraphs, and repeat half pages. There were the same scene done a bit differently, like the author didn’t know what he/she wanted but forgot to take out the one not wanted. Just sloppy. Caveat emptor re rough sex.

3.60* Claimed by Accident by River Thorne 6/22/26 6/22/26 161 pages Kindle Unlimited

Owen is hanging out at the end of the bar in a club. Felix has come to the club because home is too quiet. They hook up in the bathroom and Felix makes the huge, unforgivable mistake of biting/claiming Owen. Owen is flipped out and angry for a long time. Relatively shallow, but it turns out that the marketing company that Felix co-owns with his brother is working on an ad campaign for Owen’s company. Felix helps Owen through a heat by simply caring for him, nothing more. They get their HEA. Caveat emptor re sex.

4.40* Seven Year Secret by River Thorne 6/22/26 6/23/26 292 pages Kindle Unlimited

Elliot is an event planner, owns his own company. He plans the 65th birthday party for a prominent member of society. The owner’s son AJ and Elliot are wildly attracted to each other and hook up in a coat closet during the event. *eye roll* Elliot turns up pregnant, fears that AJ and his billionaire family are going to take the baby. He literally shuts his business down and goes into hiding. Seven years later he’s returned with his six-year old daughter, who is the spitting image of her father. Elliot is hired by AJ’s sister to plan her wedding after her planner quits at the last minute and Elliot has to take his daughter to the estate when school’s closed and his babysitter can’t take her. He parks her in a quiet room to draw and color. AJ’s there to support his sister, not realizing Elliot is the planner. He sees a door cracked, goes in, sees a little girl who has his eyes and names Elliot as her father. He sees Elliot and has finally found him after looking for him for years. They become a little family at Elliot’s small apartment. He refuses to let AJ change her schools or even let his family know about her until he can give Elliot assurances that the family will not take her. Of course, once his mother sees her she tries to, immediately mentioning lawyers. AJ says no. AJ says no to Mandarin lessons, horseback riding lessons, a fancy new school, moving her into the family home. He sticks with Elliot and they become a family. AJ’s mother comes around and Elliot and AJ get their HEA. Caveat emptor re sex.

239. 4.60* His to Protect by River Thorne 6/23/26 6/23/26 259 pages Kindle Unlimited

Alec is an artist who paints whimsical and eccentric pictures. Think seven-foot iguanas eating chocolate cake. He has a successful business with many collectors who commission his works. He’s hired Camden through a heat services company to take care of him during these times. Camden services many omegas to help them through their heats. He’s an ex-cop and has feelings for Alec. Alec has feelings for Camden but they keep their feelings private. Alec’s ex, Garrett, has a sex tape that he has used to extort $80K from Alec. Alec tells Camden, who is there the next time the ex comes a’calling. There’s a legal case to be made, Camden’s a large and intimidating alpha, too. The ex is thwarted and eventually prosecuted. Alec’s fear about how his clients will reject him is unfounded. Feelings come out, Camden moves in. He’s encouraged by Alec and others to get his PI license. Happiness, humor, and belly-laugh conversations. Caveat emptor re sex.

3.70* Knot and Order by Jamie Kassel 6/23/26 6/24/26 151 pages Kindle Unlimited

David is an omega, pretending to be a beta. His family did not respect him, the only omega son, and he fled when he was young. His anger at the world, at the entitlement of alphas and abuse of omegas has him lashing out irrationally at Michael. Michael is an alpha, of course, but a very low-key caring alpha. However, David does not see Michael as he really is and feels threatened by him. They’re assigned to work together on a case, and one will be offered a partnership afterward. They head off to Kentucky to talk to witnesses. Things get heated between them, and after they fly back home they go to David’s house and have sex. They’re told the case went well and each is to write up what he brought to the case so that the partners can make a decision. Michael’s feelings for David cause him to find another job, quitting so that David will make partner. They get their HEA. Caveat emptor re sex.

4.00* Omega's Heat by River Ryan 6/24/26 6/24/26 63 pages Kindle Unlimited

Benji is a dishwasher, Mercer works for a security company and lives upstairs from Benji. There’s a blizzard. The power goes out, the water goes out. Benji hadn’t charged his cell phone, AND he’s going into heat. Mercer has come downstairs to give Benji some food. He recognizes Benji’s in heat, he helps him through it. He goes out of town for what is supposed to be a short business trip but extends to a month. Benji thinks Mercer has abandoned him. He’s pregnant. When Mercer comes home, Benji tells him he’s pregnant. Mercer’s all in. They have a daughter named Poppy – one of my favorite names ever. They buy a bookstore. Mercer wanted to call it I Like Big Books and I Cannot Lie, but Benji overrides him and it’s called The Book Nook. Benji’s sweet, Mercer’s a strong alpha, and they are in love and have a wonderful relationship. Caveat emptor re sex.

1.30* Trapped by the Alpha by Lyndon Land 6/24/26 6/24/26 158 pages Kindle Unlimited

Toby is a college student, a human being tormented by a shifter named Liam. Liam is the son of the pack Alpha Mason. Mason sees Toby being bullied and decides that he has to have Toby in his life in his bed and Toby everywhere. Toby is also being pursued by a group of shifters for how he can be leveraged into spying on one of his professors. Toby is forced to live at Mason’s house to keep him safe. Serious dubcon. All’s well that ends well. I had abandoned this one but decided to finish it. I don’t exactly regret finishing it, but 1.3* means that it barely passed the threshold. Caveat emptor re sex.

4.30* Killer Love by Onley James 6/24/26 6/24/26 123 pages Kindle Unlimited

Kota’s having a bad day. He’s hitched a ride with a long-haul trucker at a rest stop. Unfortunately, before they can get on the road, the trucker tries to kill him and a man comes up to the cab and kills the trucker. The man, Walker, hauls Kota out while he decides where and how to kill him. First of all, he has to clean the cab, dispose of the body, and etc. He takes Kota with him although he doesn’t know what to do with him. However, as a day or two goes by and he sees how sweet and vulnerable and needy Kota is, he decides that Kota is his. He lets Kota meet other contract killers, and the partner of one of them becomes Kota’s friend. Laugh out loud conversation, two wounded men who find each other. Caveat emptor re sex.

4.50* Blocked by KC Lawson 6/24/26 6/25/26 163 pages Kindle Unlimited

Jonah is an omega masking as a beta. Duncan is an alpha managing the company bearing his name. He gives Jonah the plum assignment of the largest project for the company to date. Jonah’s to work directly with Duncan. He starts working killer hours and the timing is bad. After 6 years, his suppressants start failing. He gets a higher dosage from his doctor. In the meantime, Duncan has smelled an omega in the building but doesn’t know who it is. He starts playing detective. In the project site’s trailer he confirms that Jonah is the omega. Jonah has a breakthrough heat and Duncan has a breakthrough rut. They’re fated mates, get married, and Jonah is pregnant. Even before Duncan realizes that Jonah is the omega, he has started working with his HR department to change their DEI policies to stop excluding omegas from positions of authority and power. The architectural planning, load bearing, concrete requirements, cantilevering, terracing, and extra expense offset by allowing increased purchase prices and etc. fascinated me. It's left with them moving in together waiting for the birth of their child and the acknowledgement that Jonah’s an omega and Duncan’s mate. Caveat emptor re sex.

2.70* Buckled and Barefoot by Bella Bennet 6/25/26 6/26/26 163 pages Kindle Unlimited

Finn has legally broken the bond with his alpha and flees to a small town in Montana. Colt has a mare in distress. Finn’s the closest vet and saves the mare and her foal. Finn and Colt are immediately attracted to one another. Finn fights it because it’s too soon, he doesn’t trust it, doesn’t want another alpha’s control issues, and he’s afraid of his ex finding him. Finn’s ex finds him because of his vet’s license and starts harassing him with phone calls and texts. Finn’s pregnant with Colt’s twins, the ex escalates his harassment, and the town rallies around them and the ex is arrested. They get their HEA and a boy and a girl. Caveat emptor re sex.

3.90* Bloodline Mandate by FR Locke 6/26/26 6/27/26 363 pages Kindle Unlimited

Evern is the highly controlled pawn/son/omega of a mob boss. The Don of Chicago, Thayer, and Evern’s father are irrevocable enemies, and they’ve been at war for the last ten years. The council that controls the families in their area decrees that Evern and Thayer get married. Big church, made men from each organization, the vows are said and rings exchanged. There’s immediately gunfire. Thayer covers Evern’s body with his and gets him safely out of the church back to his compound. There have been betrayals all around, Evern and Thayer are attracted to one another, and they’re both under attack. It eventually comes to a head. The organizations are merged, bad influences neutralized, and they are bonded physically, emotionally, and as ne organization. Without a doubt both of them are morally gray characters. The weirdest thing I noticed was the inconsistency of Thayer’s wedding band. Evern always wore a heavy signet with Thayer’s family’s crest, but Thayer’s ring kept bouncing between a platinum band or gold band. However, the book was good. Lots of violence, sex, political machinations. Caveat emptor re sex.

3.20* Unclaimed by River Thorne 6/27/26 6/27/26 238 pages Kindle Unlimited

Kieran rejected his fated mate Damon when he was 25 and Damon was 17. Damon is still traumatized and bitter. Kieran and Felix own a marketing company and hire Damon. Felix does this to get them together, but it’s not immediately obvious. Damon can hardly bear to be around Kieran. He’s been on suppressants for 5 years and it’s beginning to take a physical toll on him. He goes into heat and retires to his room at his parents’ house. His parents are worried, get in touch with Keiran, and Kieran comes over and takes care of Damon without sex or bonding. He’s his alpha and provides soothing pheromones. He does this amother time, and Damon mostly forgives him. It’s not easy for them, but they do get their HEA. Caveat emptor re sex.

4.80* The Don's Omega by Marian Black 6/28/26 6/28/26 227 pages Kindle Unlimited

Elia has been searching for his brother Luca for 6 months, needing money to continue the search. He has gone to a service that provides relief to alphas in rut. He is given a 4-day assignment with Don Lorenzo, head of the Castellani family in Naples, a Mafia family. He’s there for the 4 days and it profoundly affects him and Lorenzo. Lorenzo gives him his private phone number in case Elia ever needs it. One night Elia has tracked down a warehouse that is staging stolen omega and betas to be trafficked. He is convinced that his brother, Luca, is there. Unfortunately, he’s seen, chased, and escapes, but only after he stabs one of the men and gets a deep cut on his shin. He calls Lorenzo, who goes to him. Lorenzo mounts an operation to rescue all the taken ones. He and his men go in and kill all the guards, and then Elia comes in and finds his brother. All are taken to Lorenzo’s compound where they’re fed, treated, and eventually returned to family or placed. Luca is given one of the cottages on the estate. Elia is told that Lorenzo’s younger brother Mattia was stolen 17 years previously. Lorenzo and Elia bond, and Lorenzo funds a foundation, the Mattia Foundation, to help omegas and betas who need free services. One day a 30-year-old man walks in and gives his name as Mattia. As soon as Elia sees him he sees Lorenzo’s face. Mattia had escaped from Paris, slowly worked his way home, but feared that his brother would be disgusted with him and refuse to acknowledge him. Not true, and the book ends with Mattia and Lorenzo holding on to one another in the portico while Elia and the driver, Aldo, go into the house. Oh my. Kleenex time. This is a love story, a trafficking story, and a story of brothers. It’s almost painful to write about because the emotions between Elia and Lorenzo are scent compatible from the first, and they quickly come to an agreement after they start trying to free Luca. They bond, they marry, and it’s a pleasure to see two men who never conflict, never fight, are in almost complete harmony over everything. Caveat emptor re sex.

2.80* An Heir for the Don by Marian Black 6/28/26 6/28/26 199 pages Kindle Unlimited

Marco is the son of a discredited and deceased Mafia Don, whose holdings have been distributed among other families. Marco’s college fund evaporates, but he’s given scholarships and finishes. He becomes a forensic accountant, barely scraping by, happy to not be involved in mob activities. Vincenzo is being pressured by his family to marry and get an heir. He’s refused all the women and men he’s met and asks after Marco. They meet, there is chemistry, there’s a heat, there’s a pregnancy. They’re both happy, although Marco is insecure about being good enough for Vincenzo. Lots of repetitive insecurities, some family snobbery and calling Marco a gold digger. Alls well that ends well, pregnancy, marriage, child, Marco fitting into the organization as a forensic accountant. A touch twee. Caveat emptor re sex.

3.70 Forged in Bad Faith by Marian Black 6/28/26 6/29/26 105 pages Kindle Unlimited

Luca is the omega son of a Mafia Don. He is an expert in forgeries and spends most of his days in this pursuit. Damiano, an alpha, is the son of another Mafia Don. The two fathers agree that their sons should marry. Neither expects any different from life – marry as the family requires you to. They meet, nothing special happens. However, at another event, where Luca is the only omega surrounded by 40 alphas, he is given a spiked drink which induces heat. He's in danger on all sides, but Damiano gets to him first, asks him if he can walk. He takes him upstairs, and he barricades them in a bedroom. Heat + an alpha means that they anticipate the marriage vows. Luca goes home, Damiano goes to his home. However, Luca is moved into Damiano’s home soon after. Damiano provides a perfect environment for Luca’s forgery workshop – lighting, ventilation, tables, and etc. Luca is charmed. They meet for meals occasionally. The wedding hasn’t been set. Luca turns up pregnant, of course, and they grow closer as they live together and with a baby on the way. Luca figures out who spiked his drink, there’s retribution, and there’s marriage and parental joy for them. Cavet emptor re sex.

3.40* Defiantly Claimed by River Thorne 6/30/26 6/30/26 205 pages Kindle Unlimited

I gave it .4* more than it would have otherwise deserved because I loved Sully’s personality and how he was so patient and careful of Micah’s insecurities and family history. Micah is Kieran and Felix’s cousin – their stories are in Unclaimed and Claimed by Accident. He has sacrificed everything to pursue his goal of double major and working for a large corporation doing biological research. He’s an omega and ultimately is not surprised that he’s rejected. He’s devastated by it, though. His single mother has sacrificed for him too. His barista job is not covering the bills on his and his mother’s apartment. His mother gets in

419 books read


1 Masterpiece
41 Stunning
189 Excellent
112 Very Good
40 Good
23 Average
10 Bad
3 Very Bad
0 Don't Bother
0 Anathema


Best Fiction
James by Percival Everett Review
Dinosaurs by Lydia Millett Review
The Future by Naomi Alderman Review
Tilt by Emma Pattee Review
The Hallmarked Man by Robert Galbraith Review

Best MM/MMM/MMMM Romance
Omegaverse - Matehub: Legend by Marie Reynard - February Lightning Round
Romance - To Catch A Firefly by Emmy Sanders - June Lightning Round
Stepbrothers - Chokehold by Leigh Rivers and Harleigh Beck - September Lightning Round
Hockey - Last Guy on Earth by Sarina Bowen - October Lightning Round
Western - Red Dirt Heart by NR Walker - December Lightning Round

Best Nonfiction
Back With the Tide: Memoirs of Ellen Douglas Bellamy Review
Honor, the Duel, and Indiscretion: The Life of Elizabeth "Betsey" Pollock Devereaux Jones (1818-1879) by W. Davenport Robertson - March Lightning Round
Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green Review

Top five overall for the LT Top Five Books of 2025 List
Dinosaurs by Lydia Millett Review
Tilt by Emma Pattee Review
The Hallmarked Man by Robert Galbraith Review
To Catch A Firefly by Emmy Sanders June Lightning Round
Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green Review

…...

Hiya, RD. It’s not hard to make scratch cakes, I agree. You have to have the right ingredients and tools, of course. *smooch*

Hi Peggy. Things are between tolerable and adequate. I was going to write good, but my brain is going like a hamster in a wheel. Nothing bad, just so many projects half started or needing to be started.

I am so envious of anybody who’s seen a Painted Bunting. Your neighbors are very lucky. The range for Painted Buntings only officially includes thin strips of NC coastline according to allaboutbirds.org. Oh, I hope you enjoy Belgravia. It’s got the same premise as Heyer’s An Infamous Army – romance with a British officer on the eve of the Battle of Waterloo and the Duchess of Richmond’s Ball.

'Morning, Mark! Happy Sunday to you, too. I’m envious. I’ve seen Kingfishers and Bald Eagles – one was even in my yard one day. Yay for the Buntings. I hope Matt and you have a good time.

I’ve got a male Cardinal, a very wet looking sparrow, and a male hummingbird. My feeders need attention.

Wordle 1,863 2/6* trope, grape

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All the usual things - reading, spreadsheets, Lightning Round. I filled one feeder. Bill and I watched 3 episodes of The Other Bennet Sister.

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All the usual things plus bringing in the packing boxes and paper, which I didn't get around to the other day. We'll watch the last 2 episodes of The Other Bennet Sister. It's even better the second time.

Welcome!