Thursday, May 30, 2024

Weekly Newsletter - May 30, 2024

 


Hope everyone has a great weekend! 
We did lunch out, stopped for ice cream, went to see the ships at the locks, and went to mini golf & fed the animals (they have chickens, ducks, & goats!)  






Books I Read This Week: 

Title: Casket Case 
Author: Lauren Evans 
Release Date: September 10, 2024


"It was very campy, and a cute, & light & fluffy read." 
3⭐ out of 5⭐ 
See full review here

Title: Can't Help Falling In Love 
Author: Sophie Sullivan 
Release Date: September 17, 2024 


"It was an adorable read, with perfect fall-vibes." 
4⭐ out of 5⭐ 


What I Watched This Week: 



What I Listened To This Week:


Weekly Meme: 




 Recent Releases |

Upcoming Releases | Freebies 


Title: Sizzling 
Author: Abbi Glines 
Release Date: May 26, 2024 


Blurb:

Briar

Running. It seems that’s all I ever do. I’ve been running since I was fifteen. Some days I wonder if I’ll ever be able to stop. Would I even know how to live a normal life if I could? Doubt it. No reason to waste good time thinking on it either. Sitting around wishing for something never did anyone a favor. If you want it, then you go and get it. By any means necessary. And I was an expert at using my strengths. I’d been born with beauty, and it had been a curse that haunted me until, one day, I grabbed it and used it to my advantage. Don’t judge. You have no idea the demons I’ve fought… and the ones I still do.

Storm

Sure, I was raised to kill when needed and to protect the family. However, my momma also taught me to open doors for women and respect them unless they prove they’re not ladies. It was a damn shame the sweet little piece I’d been unable to get out of my head had never been a lady a day in her life. That gorgeous face and mouthwatering body were real nice wrapping paper to distract men. Briar Landry was a liar, a thief, a cheat, and a very talented gold digger. She disgusted me. The more I was forced to be around her, the more I hated her. I knew the evil inside her and I had enough twisted darkness of my own. Treating her with cruelty, I hadn’t known I possessed, was the only way to keep from letting her pull me inside her web.


Title: Forever Enough 
Series: Love In Montana series
Author: Kelly Elliott 
Release Date: May 28, 2024

BLURB
 
Not long out of college, Mackenzie Reeves has found herself halfway across the country, relocated from Atlanta, Georgia, to small-town Hamilton, Montana. But it’s not just a fresh start—it’s an escape. For years, she’s been trying to steer clear of the abusive stepfather who’s made her life hell and turned her mother into someone she doesn’t recognize. Now, on Dirk and Merit Littlewood’s gorgeous farm, she’s found a bit of peace. Until a certain dimpled, dark-eyed handsome devil walks into her barn and changes her life with a single look.

Not quite twenty-four, and champion bull rider Bradly Littlewood already feels twice his age. He loves the sport, but between the politics, the lonely nights, missing his family…his heart and head are no longer in the game. And when he’s home for the holidays, surrounded by cousins who’ve married and started their own families, he can add jealousy to the mix. He’s missed so much, and he wants what they have. Turns out, one unplanned stop at the family barn and he may have found it…in the form of a pajama-clad angel, singing and dancing for a captive audience of farm animals.

Mackenzie and Bradly’s instant smolder in the barn becomes a blazing wildfire within days, surprising everyone. Both their futures are uncertain for very different reasons. But their love? That’s rock solid. Beyond a doubt.

A love so strong, so unbreakable, even forever isn’t enough.

The author suggests you read the books in order for a better reading experience.


Title: Sheltered 
Series: Harper Security Ops series 
Author: A.K. Evans 
Release Date: May 28, 2024 
| Audio |

BLURB
 
Harlow Stout has lived a quiet and sheltered life. Needing something else, something more, she decides to break out of her shell and do something impulsive for once. She just never anticipated she’d find him.

Blaze Matthews has seen and done it all. Working for Harper Security Ops, there’s no shortage of excitement in his life. But when he meets Harlow, he thinks it’s time to start considering settling down.

Unfortunately, someone isn’t very happy with the town’s elite private investigation and security company. And they’re unwavering in their quest to take Harper Security down by any means necessary.

Just as things heat up between Blaze and Harlow, everything else starts crashing down. And when Harlow gets caught in the crossfire, she wonders if seeking a thrill was her smartest move.

Blaze has to find a way to hold onto Harlow and keep her safe from the danger while he figures out who wants to destroy them.


Title: Inferno
Series: Valhalla Rising MC 
Author: Andi Rhodes 
Release Date: May 28, 2024 

BLURB
 
Humans are taught that death is the end, that it’s their soul’s final curtain call. But for the members of Valhalla Rising MC, death is only the beginning.
 
Inferno…
Life is a series of events that can either make or break a man. As a human, I always seemed to find trouble, and that was never more true than the day I ran into a burning building to save its occupants. Unfortunately, I was only able to save two, and they went on to live another day. I, on the other hand, died in that fire.
 
But it wasn’t the end for me. I became a celebrated hero, both in Valhalla and in the human world. When the little girl I saved is all grown up, she’s in danger again, and Odin sends me to the land of the living to protect her. The problem is, I look exactly as she remembers, and that leads her to the wrong conclusion that I’m the enemy.
 
It doesn’t matter. The second I lay eyes on her as a beautiful woman, I know I’ll do whatever it takes to save her life… again.
 
Emmy…
When I was a child, I was one of two survivors of a horrible tragedy. Hundreds died that day, including the man who rescued me. I was changed in ways I couldn’t even begin to fathom at such a young age, but as I got older, it became more clear. Helping other survivors of trauma is my calling, my passion.
 
But how can I help others when I can’t even help myself? I’m suddenly the target of a deranged stalker, and my life is once again in jeopardy. A ghost from my past appears, quite literally, and I’m convinced he’s the one who’s out to get me. But despite my fear, there’s something about him that forces me to accept his help.
 
My life was spared once, but will my luck hold out? Or will I die right as the world starts to make sense again?


Title: One More Truth
Series: Carson Brothers series
Release Date: May 30

Goodreads | Purchase

Blurb: 

Jessica and Troy’s gripping story concludes with the third book of the HIDDEN SECRETS TRILOGY as passion and danger collide . . .


After everything she’s been through over the past ten years, Jess should be focusing on her healing. She should be figuring out where her future will take her. And she should be finding herself after her abusive husband ripped away her identity.


Too bad someone else has different plans.


After a national newspaper article reveals to everyone in Maple Ridge about her past and her shame, Jess’s life and plans are put in jeopardy. Prejudices in the town run strong against her—prejudices because of where she spent the last five years.


But it’s not only her life that is at risk. Everything that matters to Troy, the man she’s falling in love with, will be ruined…unless she finds a way to stop it all from crumbling before it’s too late.


Stop it before the truth destroys Jess and all that she loves…


The dual timeline story is the final novel in Hidden Secrets trilogy. The books in the trilogy must be read in order. All other books in the Carson Brother series are standalone.


Title: The Thief 
Series: Soldiers of Anarchy
Author: Nikki J Summer 
Release Date: May 30 

Blurb

Five… minutes. That’s how long I was supposed to be there. Get in, get out. Job done.

Four… guns pointed at my head. It wasn’t supposed to go down this way. 

Three… years old, and she clung to her mum as we sat huddled together on the floor, chained to the pipes on the wall.

Two… choices, when my time finally came. To let it all play out or fight with everything I had.

One… split second that changed the course of my life… forever.

My name is Tyler Evans. They call me The Thief. But on that day, the last thing I expected to become was the hostage.

The Thief is a standalone romance set in the Soldiers of Anarchy world. You do not need to read the other books in the series to enjoy this story. Please read the trigger warnings at the beginning of the book before starting this journey.


Title: The Copper Valley Fireballs series 
Author: Pippa Grant 
Release Date: May 30 

BLURB
 
Meet the Copper Valley Fireballs, baseball's lovable losers whose hot heroes are determined to turn this team around and resisting finding love along the way! This box set includes four full-length romantic comedies and a bonus novella.

About the books:

Jock Blocked is a home run of a feel-good romantic comedy featuring the world’s most superstitious sports fan, baseball’s oldest virgin hero, a rogue meatball, an adorable puppy with a cussing problem, and a happily ever after more satisfying than a game-winning grand slam.

Real Fake Love is a line drive straight to the heart featuring a grumpy athlete, a jilted bride, a fake relationship, and the world’s laziest cat. It stands alone and comes complete with sibling rivalry, the world’s most awkward shower scene, and a sweetly satisfying happily ever after.

The Grumpy Player Next Door is a fun-filled enemies-to-lovers romcom featuring a ray of sunshine on a mission, an athlete who’s only grouchy around her, and an epic prank gone wrong. It stands alone and comes complete with small-town shenanigans, a goat who’s not nearly as wise as his name suggests, and proof that sometimes, love is the best kind of vengeance.

Irresistible Trouble is a hilarious grand slam of a romcom about a baseball player whose ego is catching up to him, a pop star who’s a bit of a hot mess when the cameras aren’t looking (and sometimes when they are), and the kind of family and teammates that everyone deserves… in small doses.

Have Yourself a Grumpy Little Christmas is a hit of holiday sweetness featuring a grumpy retired baseball pitcher who hates the holidays, his best friend's little sister, and a Christmas tree mishap.


Title: The Leathal Touch Codename Rayna
Series: Apex Tactical series
Author: Candice Wright 
Release Date: May 30 
Goodreads | Purchase 

Blurb: 

Born to a man of faith who let his vision for the future twist his mind,

I learned to stay in the shadows, collecting the kids that ended up in this godforsaken place with me.

They’re the lost ones, and I’m their Wendy.

The forgotten one, the dud, the failure.

My only use now is as a future breeder to the cause.

But they’ve taken enough, and I’ll be damned if I let them take more.

When the chance of escape is dangled before me like a carrot on a stick, I take it.

I run with my lost ones toward a new life where the kids can be kids, and I can be free.

But freedom is an illusion when you belong to another, and your nightmares are ready to hunt you down and drag you back to hell.

What do you do when you can’t run anymore and have nowhere to hide?

You turn back.

You fight back.

And slay your monsters before they get you first.

Forgive me, Father, for I’m about to sin...

 

Authors note: The Lethal Touch is the final book in the Apex tactical series. It is a ménage romance intended for 18+ readers.

Trigger warning: As with most of my books, The Lethal Touch contains some scenes that readers may find upsetting, so please proceed with caution.


Title: Refrain
Series: Tin Gods rockstar series
Release Date: May 30 
Goodreads | Purchase 

Blurb: 

What happens on tour doesn’t stay on tour. Not when she’s your best friend’s little sister.

 

Ella Robinson

I’m kinda the definition of a flake. I’m on my—one, two three—fourth career. And I’ve had to ask my brother for help navigating through all of them. I thought I’d have my life together by now. But here I am, still leaning on my big brother. He’s hired me to be his social media photographer while he’s on tour with his band, The Tin Gods. The last thing I need right now is complications. Enter Jesse Mala.

 

Jesse Mala

She’s the definition of forbidden—my best friend’s little sister. I’ve known her since she was in kindergarten. She was always a pest to Chase, but it made me feel good to look out for her. Until her graduation party when I almost stepped over that invisible line. Since then I’ve done my best to put distance between us. Ella is just too damn tempting.

Good thing she’s going on tour with us. And following us around with her camera. And sleeping on our bus.

No way is this gonna end well.


Title: Her Bully 
Series: The Ruthless Love series 
Author: Glenna Maynard
Release Date: May 30 

Blurb: 

Dahlia Darlington is a filthy little liar, and I’m going to expose her.


Everyone thinks she’s perfect.

Pure and untouched.

But I know the truth.

I hear her late at night in her bedroom, crying out my name.

She says she doesn’t want me. That she hates me.

My darling doll has secrets, and I’ll force her to confess every last one.

Only one of us will walk away unscathed, and I’m the king around here. Dahlia will bow to me and kiss my crown if it’s the last thing she ever does.



For the Full list of Upcoming Releases, links and sign ups click here


Title: Leather & Lark 
Series: The Ruinous Love trilogy
Author: Brynne Weaver 
Release Date: June 4


Title: Psycho Love
Series: Psycho trilogy; Sons of Khaos series
Author: N.O. One
Release Date: June 6 

Title: When Kings Rise
Series: The O'Sullivan's Brides series 
Author: Vi Carter
Release Date: June 7 


Title: Dead of Summer
Author: AJ Merlin
Release Date: June 10 



Title: Wicked Scandal 
Series: Misfits series 
Author: Rachel Leigh 
Release Date: June 14


Title: Primal 
Series: Heathans Hollow series
Author: Alta Hensley 
Release Date: June 21 


Title: Tell Me How You Hate Me 
Author: Cali Melle 
Release Date: June 24



Title: Rule Breakers Fall Hardest 
Series: The Boys series 
Release Date: June 27


Title: The DM Diaries
Author: Teagan Hunter 
Release Date: July 02 


Title: the Hunted Heir
Series: the Veiled Kingdom series 
Author: Holly Renee 
Release Date: July 23


Title: Promise Me Not
Series: Boys of Avix 
Author: Meagan Brandy 
Release Date: October 1 



You can check out the Upcoming Releases page Here:


Upcoming Releases (https://natashareadsbooksbookblog.blogspot.com/p/upcoming-releases.html?m=1)


For books releasing soon, & any links I may have including signups, goodreads, and preorders.


You can also check out Booksmacked website for a new release list also: 

𝗡𝗲𝘄 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘀 → https://geni.us/BBNR

𝐔𝐩𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐬 → https://geni.us/BBUR




Looking for some freebies? 

Check out my freebie list Here

Remember to always double check prices before one clicking. Books are free at time they are added. 

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3JLOW0U3BVX19/?ref_=lol_ov_le


Giveaways: 



Win a Copy of FOURTH WING and IRON FLAME by Rebecca Yarros! Ends 11:45 PM May 31, 2024 



Win a Bundle of Beach Reads! Ends 11:45 PM May 30, 2024


One lucky winner will get a SIGNED hardback of Age of Vampires book 1: Eternal Reign, AND a SIGNED hardback of Age of Vampires book 7: Devious Gods

Enter for a chance to win a copy of STEALING HOME by Grace Reilly, now with exclusive bonus content! Ends June 04, 2024 
Click here to enter

Enter for a chance to win All My Kisses for You (Lancaster Prep Next Generation #1). Ends June 03, 2024
Click here to enter 

That's all for this week! 



Monday, May 27, 2024

Review: Can't Help Falling In Love

 


Title: Can't Help Falling in Love 

Author: Sophie Sullivan 

Release Date: September 17, 2024



A struggling waitress and the heir to a major Seattle company stumble into a high-profile fake engagement while simultaneously trying to keep up with their own love lives in this flirty fall rom-com!

Lexi Danby is looking for some no-strings, fall fun. Once a college track star, she was forced to drop out when her father passed away. Now she’s trying to make ends meet while putting herself through school and caring for her grieving mother. When her comically bad waitressing lands her directly in the path of a handsome, charming stranger named Will, Lexi may just have found the distraction she’s been looking for. Their first date looks promising until a misunderstanding at a party thrusts Lexi and Will into a fake engagement they can’t talk themselves out of. And Will turns out to be a member of Seattle royalty.

Will Grand is heir to a major company, and Seattle’s most eligible bachelor. But he’s been placed in charge of an important merger with a company that values family above all else, and needs to show them that he’s settled down. While a fake engagement is advantageous from a business standpoint, it’s not so great for a budding relationship with a woman who’s wary of commitment. With a woman who Will is beginning to care about much more than he could have anticipated.

As Lexi gets a taste of Will’s glamorous world and the pair keeps up the pretense of their fake engagement for the press, they decide to see where a more casual relationship takes them out of the spotlight. And amid apple picking in comfy flannels, outdoor breweries in the crisp air, and fun Halloween preparations, Lexi starts to realize the scariest part of the season might just be taking a chance on love.

"Sophie Sullivan consistently crafts romances to root for." -Courtney Kae, author of In the Event of Love and In the Case of Heartbreak

Goodreads | Preorder



Will first lands his eyes on Lexi, as she was struggling to waitress - but when old friends of Lexi's showed up to her work, she say down pretending to be on a date with Will. They were invited to an engagement party together, and their fake date turned into a fake engagement. But the scariest part of it all, is the real feelings that start to emerge.


Lexi is a struggling, down on her luck waitress, and Will is the heir to a major company and Seattle's most eligible bachelor. Their lives couldn't be any more different.


This book was cute - touches on some topics like grief - but still held a light fluffy feel throughout.


Lexi may have been struggling and barely making ends meet, but she was still strong and resilient. She cared for others, but struggled with seeing herself in a positive light- making her real, and a character that others can relate to.
Will was sick of his mom trying to set him on dates and marry him off. And something about Lexi drew him in. They made each other laugh, and they liked spending time with each other. The engagement may have been fake, but the feelings they began to develop was real.


I really enjoyed these characters, and this book. It made me giddy and want to keep picking up this book to read it. It was an adorable read, with perfect fall-vibes. It was a little cheesy, but in a good way. And while it was mostly light & fluffy, it did have some real emotion behind it too, rounding it out. So if you love meet-cutes, and adorable light fall reads, I definitely recommend this book.
4⭐ out of 5⭐.
1🌶️ out of 5🌶️. There was chemistry & tension but no ful detailed scenes.

Tropes:
→ contemporary romance
→ rom-com
→ meet cute
→ fake engagement


TW:
• death /death of a parent
• grief 



ABOUT THE AUTHOR


SOPHIE SULLIVAN is a Canadian author as well as a cookie-eating, Diet Pepsi-drinking, Disney enthusiast who loves reading and writing romance in almost equal measure. She writes around her day job as a teacher and spends her spare time with her sweet family watching reruns of Friends. TEN RULES FOR FAKING IT is her romcom debut novel, but she's had plenty of practice writing happily ever after as her alter ego, Jody Holford.

Website | Facebook | Instagram

Saturday, May 25, 2024

Review: Casket Case

 


Title: Casket Case

Author: Lauren Evans 

Release Date: September 10 



Blurb: 


In this charming debut rom-com, a young woman returns home to run her family's casket business and falls in love with a seemingly perfect stranger. But there's just one problem . . . he works for Death.


Nora thought she was finished with Rabbittown, Alabama, for good. But an unexpected tragedy turned her life upside down, and she’s found herself back in her tiny hometown running the family casket business.


There aren’t exactly a lot of prospects for a single woman in her thirties in a place like Rabbittown. Until Nora Clanton’s ordinary, casket-selling day is interrupted by a handsome stranger wandering into her shop and asking for directions—as well as a date.


Garrett Bishop seems like the ideal guy. He’s thoughtful, he’s kind, and he has a lucrative job as a logistics coordinator, for which he seems to have a passion. She’s not totally sure what “logistics” entails, but she knows it means long hours, lots of travel, and urgent calls in the middle of the night.


When a few of Rabbittown’s residents suddenly pass away—a heart attack here, a car crash there—and Garrett is spotted at the scenes of, well, all of the deaths, his frustratingly vague job description starts to become increasingly . . . suspicious. What is it that Garrett actually does for a living?


He’s a logistics coordinator for Death.


When Nora discovers the truth, she is unable to reconcile the wonderful man she knows with the unthinkably cruel job he loves. Will she ever be able to understand how he can do what he does, or will she have to lay her best chance at love to rest?


Casket Case is the heartfelt story of a small-town girl who feels surrounded by death—literally and figuratively. This clever, endearing, and romantic debut explores how love and loss are forever intertwined . . . but death might not be as scary as it seems.


Goodreads | AmazonBarnes & Noble | Google Play | Apple Books | 



An unexpected tragedy turned Nora's life upside down, and she moved back home to Rabbittown, Alabama to take over the family business. What she doesn't expect in her quiet little town is for a handsome stranger in a fancy suit and Mercedes to walk through her door, asking for directions, and a date. 

Garrett seems like the perfect guy - he's thoughtful, kind, and has a passion for his job as a Logistics Coordinator - whatever that means. Nora knows it means long hours and traveling, but Garrett is always vague with his answers. But when residents of Rabbittown start passing away - a heart attack here, a car accident there - and Garret is at the scene of each of the deaths, his vague answers start to become suspicious. 

Nora wants the truth in what Garrett actually does for a living, but can she handle the truth - that Garrett is a Logistics Coordinator for Death? 


So I grabbed this book, because the title & blurb drew me in & it sounded like it would be right up my alley. I thought it would be a cute, feel-good romantic comedy, and perfect fall-vibes read. I love rom-coms and autumn is my favorite time of year. 

This book was cute. It kind of fell flat for me. It gave off Hallmark movies vibes & I'm not a Hallmark movie type of person. And while this book was light, it also had some depth and dealing with some darker topics (i.e death) as well. It was a fluff romance. It made me smile from time to time, but didn't really add any comedy in this romantic comedy. 

I pushed through because I wanted to see more of Garrett. But Nora and Garrett's relationship was too sweet at times and very insta-lovey, which isn't one of my favorite tropes. Despite Nora working in a Casket company, Garrett's job was a deal breaker for her. 

It was overall, an okay read. It was very campy, and a cute, & light & fluffy read. Not really funny per-say, but it could have just not been for me, just because I didn't love it, doesn't mean you won't like it. 

3⭐ out of 5⭐. 

1🌶️ out of 5🌶️ - it was mostly closed door/fade to black (mentions sex, but no details). 


Tropes: 

→ contemporary

→ insta-love 

→ small town romance 


TW:

• death of a parent 

• death of a child 

• sickness 

• car accident 



ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lauren Evans holds a BA in English from The University of Alabama and an MA in Liberal Studies from The University of North Carolina Wilmington. She now works in higher education in Atlanta and writes in her spare time, whenever her beagle Lucy allows. Casket Case was longlisted for the Cheshire Novel Prize in 2022 and is her debut novel.


Website| InstagramPenguin Random House | 

Friday, May 17, 2024

Review: Buns Gone Bad

 


Title: Buns Gone Bad 

Series: Fluffle Bunnies

Author: Anna Humphrey

Release Date: May 21, 2024



For fans of The Bad Guys series, this is the origin story of the terrifying group known as The Fluffle: three bad-bunny kingpins. A brand-new graphic novel chapter book series for ages 6 to 8.

This story starts, as stories often do, with a tragedy.

Three bunnies are left without their mother when she goes off to Brazil to learn jiujitsu.

The bunnies, Flop, Biggie and Boingie, learn some hard truths about life pretty quick: squirrels will take over your cozy nest as soon as you leave and refuse to give it back, dogs are to be avoided at all costs and raccoons will believe anything you tell them.

With quick thinking, ingenuity and maybe a little bit of raccoon manipulation, these three buns will take on all comers to be the rulers of the park. Will they win?

Well, this IS an origin story . . .

Goodreads | Amazon |



Buns Gone Bad is an Fluffle Bunnies origin story, about how Flop, Biggie, and Boingie learn about some hard truths in life pretty quick when their mother leaves to learn jiujitsu. 

First, they leave their nest on search of food, only to not find any, having their net over taken by squirrels and being chased by dogs. With some quick thinking and a little bit of raccoon manipulation will they be able to over come their hardships, and become rulers of the park? 

The book was a cute origin story in how the Fluffle Bunnies became tuff bunnies & taking the power into their own paws- changing their bad luck into a plan on overcoming everything that was thrown their way. 

Here is what my 9 year old had to say: 

"I liked it, it was funny, and silly. Easy to understand, and I liked the illustrations." 

Perfect for fans of the Bad Guys and ages between 6 through 8, this book is an easy read with plenty of illustrations throughout.  4⭐ out of 5 ⭐. 



Anna Humphrey is the author of the Megabat and Clara Humble series of books. She writes in the attic of a big old brick house that she shares with her husband, kids and cats in Kitchener, Ontario.

Website | Instagram