NatashaReadsBooks: Weekly Newsletter

Ugh this book slump is real, & I hate it. Constantly picking up & putting down books unsure what I want to read 😩😩

So, I didn't see any of this on my social media feeds (thankfully!) but wanted to address the issue with the murder who I won't even deem important to name. He is absolutely vile, murdering 2 women - RIP Kristen Melton and Diane Ruiz 💙 - and attempting a third; his fiance who survived 💙- but it's sooo disgusting that women are fetishizing & romanticizing him, making thirst traps & calling him "daddy" & saying "they can fix him" etc and if THAT wasn't enough, there was also women saying "booktok is here" & comparing him to MMC's of dark romance books, so much so that the authors have spoken out about it. It's disgusting & neither booktok or the dark romance community condone or support such behavior. 🤮🤮 And the ones hating on dark romance readers in general bc of the few gross women who are simping & thirsting over this monster - no. It's not us. Women have been fans and romantizing killers long before booktok & dark romance was a thing.

Anyways, onto other news. This week we stopped off at indigo/Cole's in Canada & I bought Fable & Namesake by Adrienne Young in paperback with the sprayed pages and also The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller in hardback with the sprayed pages as well. And my daughter got 3 books as well and my husband got a handful of books too. And we got Cards Against Humanity family edition.

My husband also bought me my 10 books for the social media (Tiktok) challenge even though I only got 694 likes out of the 1,000 I needed. 🥰🥰 - make sure you are following me on tiktok to see my book haul 😉

Also on my Tiktok, I shared some indigenous recs for Indigenous peoples day (July 1/Canada Day) - so be sure to check that out as well.

Then we had to do another grocery shopping trip to grab ingredients to make a food & dessert for my Father In Law's birthday today - doing a cook out & then later going to watch fireworks.

For those that celebrate, I hope you have a great weekend. 😊

What I Read This Week:

So I didn't read anything this week unfortunately 😩 my slump has just been getting the best of me... But Happy Release Week to Teagan Hunter for the DM Diaries!! 🎉🎉

Title: The DM Diaries

Author: Teagan Hunter

Release Date: July 02

Goodreads | Purchase |

It's cute, and funny and has some steam. I loved every second of it, and couldn't put it down. 4.5 ⭐ out of 5 ⭐ See Full Review Here

What I Watched This Week:

What I Listened To This Week:

Meme of the Week:

Recent Releases |

Upcoming Releases | Freebies

Title: A Love Beyond the Stars

Series: S.S. Paradise

Author: Jennifer Chipman

Release Date: June 28

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Blurb:

Aurelia Callisto has spent her whole life looking to the stars.

The day she’s been working for her entire life has finally come: her first day as a pilot on the S.S. Paradise. Only her new captain turns out to be a grump who thinks she has no business being a part of his starship's crew, even if she graduated first in her class from flight school. It doesn't quite feel like a paradise when your boss hates you and you're millions of light years away from the only home you've ever known. Until suddenly, he's not looking at her like she's less, but rather, more...

Captain Sylas Kellar didn't see it coming. He didn’t see her coming.

Not the daughter of his childhood icon, nor his attraction to her. And he shouldn't want her. It’s his first command as captain, and he really doesn’t want to screw it up. Not when he has to prove himself to the world. But he can't resist the tension between them, and the ever-constant proximity to her has him losing his mind. Which begs one question: what happens when he gives in?

In a world beyond the stars, can the two find a love that will last a lifetime?

A Love Beyond the Stars is a science-fiction romance featuring open-door, explicit sex scenes and adult language. It is a standalone romance featuring a grumpy space captain and his sunshine first pilot falling in love as they travel the galaxy.

Title: Penalty To The Heart

Series: Puckered Hearts

Author: Ivy Fox

Release Date: June 30

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Blurb:

𝐍𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐢𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭.

I care deeply for all my patients, but falling in love with one was never a risk.

My heart had closed up shop years ago.

As the Boston Guardians' in-house therapist, I was perfectly content helping athletes deal with their pain and trauma, happy to see others thrive and overcome life's obstacles.

I was content…until I wasn't.

Everything changed when a devastating accident shattered the life of the club's star goalie—Caleb Donovan.

I was tasked with saving him from his self-sabotaging ways and told to become his beacon of hope and savior in the darkness.

How could I have ever predicted that as I delved deeper into the tangled mess of his fractured emotions, I'd find that his broken spirit mirrored mine?

That his heart would call out my name in the dark, pulling me in?

On the hard, paved road to healing, Caleb changed courses on me, preferring my ruin over his salvation.

And now…my career, my reputation, and my very sanity are all in jeopardy.

In a world where love can be the ultimate downfall, do I have the courage to risk it all for a glimpse of happiness, or will I succumb to the shadows of guilt and fear that threaten to consume us both?

This is the third standalone novel in the interconnected Puckered Hearts series.

Title: Hold Me Until Morning

Series: Time River series

Author: A.L. Jackson

Release Date: July 01

Goodreads | Purchase |

Blurb:

I should have known I’d be playing with fire when I found the sexy as hell woman moving in next door...

It was pouring rain, so I figured the neighborly thing to do would be to lend a hand.

I nearly dropped to my knees when I realized who she was.

Hailey Wagner.

It’s been six years since I’ve seen her, and she’s always been the one person on earth who is off limits.

My past sins I’ve kept like an ugly secret made sure of that.

Too bad this single mom with the soulful eyes still makes my pulse speed the way it did back then, and I soon find our chemistry is just as strong.

When I find her ex threatening her, I insist on staying with Hailey and her little girl until I’m sure they’re safe.

I thought I could handle being under her roof. Only the tension between us strains, and with one forbidden kiss, all restraint is lost. We collide in a lightning bolt of greed, the two of us locked behind her door night after night.

Falling so hard I know there will be no coming back from it.

But being with Hailey exposes the past I’ve been trying to hide, and I’ll do anything to protect her from it. Because if I don’t? We’re both going to pay the consequences…

Title: Heart of Shadows

Series: Empire of Blood and Malice

Author: Meg Crowley

Release Date: July 01

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Blurb:

If A Court of Mist and Fury and Lord of the Rings had a baby, the Empire of Blood and Malice series would be it. A morally grey shadow elf lord, a courageous mortal heroine, and delicious slow burn steam with an incredible payoff. A must read!

Stolen magic. Rising evil. Tangled loyalties.

Possessing a legendary Dragonheart makes Harper the most wanted person in a land of elves where magic rules and every person she meets will betray her. The Dragonheart is a chance for a better life, and Harper will not waste the opportunity of a lifetime. Thrust into action and peril and with only her sharp wits to guard her in a realm where everyone will betray her for their own gain, Harper will succeed—or die.

Searching for the king’s missing relic is his ruthless spymaster, Dimitrius. Dimitrius will stop at nothing to achieve his own treasonous agenda concerning the Dragonheart—and eliminate anyone who stands in his way. Including Harper.

When their paths cross, one look into the alluring spymaster’s eyes threatens more than just her safety and his mission. Dimitrius knows he should kill her. She could ruin him—but she is also the key to his salvation. Forced together, Harper and Dimitrius must ally to survive the King’s wrath in a fickle court where honesty is as lethal as lies.

Who will drown in deceit, who will rise triumphant—and who can resist forbidden temptation?

USA Today Bestselling Author and two-time SPFBO Semi-Finalist Meg Cowley presents an unmissable adult romantic fantasy quartet. Fans of the literary style, content, and heat levels of A Court of Mist and Fury, Fourth Wing, and Blood & Steel will adore the completed Empire of Blood and Malice series.

Heart of Shadows is the first book in this slow-burn, steamy, enemies to lovers romantasy. Enjoy a protective but morally grey hero, a fated one wrenched from obscurity to step into her powerful destiny, and an immersive epic fantasy world that will hold you long after the last page.

Note: This book was previously released as Heart of Dragons in the Chronicles of Pelenor series. The series has been completely re-written with a steamy romance arc added, and every line remastered. Enjoy this bestselling series in even richer glory today.

Title: The DM Diaries

Author: Teagan Hunter

Release Date: July 02

Goodreads | Purchase |

Review

Blurb:

Falling in love with a guy like this is easy. Finally meeting him is a different story in a funny, flirty, and emotional romantic comedy about celebrity, secrets, and plus-sized dreams.

Olive O’Brien is a plus-size influencer with half a million followers and big dreams. And she’s feeling the pressure to stand out while staying true to herself. To cope, Olive finds solace in an unexpected place: the DMs of Jasper Rafferty, the world’s hottest movie star, where she feels safe to share her hopes, fears, and secrets because it’s not like he’ll read them. Until he does. Kind of.

Career-wise, Jasper’s younger brother, Jude, is in free fall. After an interview gone wrong, Jude now has the thankless job of managing his brother’s social media accounts to help reboot his own image. Olive’s messages are unexpected, and her wit and vulnerability catch his interest. How can “Jasper” not respond? And how long can Jude keep up the ruse?

As the DMs get flirtier and more personal, the bigger question is what’ll happen when Olive finds out she’s fallen for a fraud. It might not be what either of them expects.

Title: Reckless

Series: Powerless series

Author: Lauren Roberts

Release Date: July 02

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Blurb:

Paedyn and Kai battle with duty and desire in this highly anticipated second installment in the sizzling and epic romantic fantasy trilogy that’s packed with spicy tension and edge-of-your-seat betrayal.

The kingdom of Ilya is in turmoil…

After surviving the Purging Trials, Ordinary-born Paedyn Gray has killed the King and kickstarted a Resistance throughout the land. Now she’s running from the one person she had wanted to run to.

Kai Azer is now Ilya’s Enforcer, loyal to his brother Kitt, the new King. He has vowed to find Paedyn and bring her to justice.

Across the deadly Scorches, and deep into the hostile city of Dor, Kai pursues the one person he wishes he didn’t have to. But in a city without Elites, the balance between the hunter and hunted shifts—and the battle between duty and desire is deadly.

Title: Don't Fall For Your Brother's Best Friend

Series: Magnolia Ridge series

Author: Logan Chance

Release Date: July 02

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Blurb:

From USA Today bestselling author Logan Chance comes a wickedly, funny romcom that'll have you laughing out loud one minute and swooning the next. What happens when you fall for your older brother's best friend?

They say there are lines you shouldn't cross, but where's the fun in that? Especially when it comes to falling for your brother's best friend...

Picture this: I've got five brothers, and I'm the only girl. Standing out isn't easy, especially with my big bro breathing down my neck. So, when I pitched my genius idea for jazzing up our family establishment, Atta Boy Brewery, you can bet he wasn't on board. Maybe he thinks I'm too much of a risk, or maybe he's just protecting his turf.

The best friend? Griffin Cole, the hotshot chef and my brother's lifelong buddy. When I suggested turning a dusty storage room of the brewery into a party zone, I didn't expect Griffin to have my back. Suddenly, we're cooking up more than just great beer ideas together.

Late nights, shared laughs, and a dash of chemistry have us toeing the line between friendship and something a whole lot juicier.

But when we take that leap, it's a game-changer.

It's sizzling.

It's wild.

And it's totally off-limits.

Now Griffin's torn: keep the relationship a secret, or take a shot at something that could turn our worlds upside down. And when family drama threatens to tear us apart, will we fight to save what we’ve cooked up?

Title: One String

Series: Lighter One series

Author: Aleatha Romig

Release Date: July 04

Goodreads | Purchase |

Blurb:

Second-chance, enemies-to-lovers, fake-date, little-sister’s-best-friend, forbidden, stand-alone contemporary romance.

Ricky Dunn is the equivalent to a splinter under my fingernail.

Romantic?

Right.

He’s the older brother of my best friend, and no matter how hard either of us try, we can’t seem to avoid each other. The problem started on the night my best friend and I graduated from high school. The party was joyous, a celebration.

That night, I willingly gave Ricky a part of me—more than the kiss we told others about.

Our deal was simple.

No strings.

Ricky kept his side of the bargain.

Years have passed.

Being from the same small town and crossing paths, I haven’t noticed how handsome he’s become or the way he’s filled out.

If you ask me, he hasn’t noticed me either.

Until he calls.

I’m working for a finance company, one he’s now interviewing for.

“Marilyn, will you be my date for the dinner with the partners? It’s only for one date and no strings.”

The problem is my heart hasn’t kept my side of our bargain.

I want at least one string.

Do I agree to his proposal, or do I turn him down flat?

Have you been Aleatha’d?

Check out Aleatha’s 2024 Lighter One—ONE STRING—second-chance, enemies-to-lovers, fake-date, little-sister’s-best-friend, forbidden, stand-alone contemporary romance.