August is officially over, here comes Spooky Season! I read 35 books in August and found some pretty great reads!
First off, I listened to all of the Crescent City audiobooks and fell even more in love with SJM. I also started the Throne of Glass audiobooks and am about half way through as of the end of August. These books are kind of like Harry Potter to me as in they are so jam packed with Easter eggs that I devour each reread and squeal with delight when I notice another one. Since ACOTAR is so far from finished and, from what I can tell, CC has a fourth book planned but no release date, I am holding out hope that SJM manages to combine all three worlds' characters even more. I dream of the day she releases a book where all of the characters combine forces and defeat the Asteri for good.
Demons in My Bed is a spin off of the Emerald Lakes series (a RH series with demons and magic users fighting against evil) and leaves you on a cliff hanger that I am quite upset about. From what I can tell, there is a second book in the series called Demons in My Head but is impossible to find. There was a Kickstarter at one point where you could order both books but that is it. It's not on KU or available from the author. I LOVED the book and am highly disappointed I can't finish the story.
Wife Number One is the first book in Elle Thorpe's newest Saint View series and I will tell you right now that if you don't like cliff hangers and sitting around waiting for the next book, wait until all three are released. This was a great read but I was practically screaming at the end knowing I had to wait another couple months to find out what happens. You should also read the other Saint View books, preferably in order, since all of the books have cameos from other characters. It just helps to tie everything together.
Here There Be Monsters was a fun ride. There is so much smut in this book that I was surprised that there was even a story as I have definitely read a few books with no plot whatsoever. There is so much fun banter that you can't help but enjoy the characters. I actually found a hard boundary in terms of the trigger warnings in the epilogue of this book which I was quite surprised by (I actually bought the book because of the long trigger warning list) I also met this author at an event a few weeks ago (she is delightful) and she is a Kansas City native so I highly recommend her books!
Assistant to the Villain. How the hell did I miss out on this when it came out? Seriously. 5 stars all around. There isn't much spice BUT the dialogue had me cackling the entire time. Great story and characters and I am dying to read the sequel. The only reason I didn't immediately jump into Apprentice to the Villain is because it isn't available on KU and I try to make it a point to buy the physical book when I enjoy the authors instead of paying 5 bucks for an Ebook.
Praise is a great read. The first page makes it seem a little more lighthearted but it is still a good read. It is an age-gap romance with dom/sub themes. I downloaded the next book in the series but have yet to start it.
Finally, Quicksilver! I have been seeing this for a couple of months now and was trying to hold out on reading it until the second book was released but I have zero self control. I loved the book and the author does a good job keeping the story line going to keep you interested. I always enjoy when an author finds a creative way to solve the whole "fated mates but one is immortal and the other is human" trope so they don't have drastically different life spans.
August 2024 Reading List - In Reading Order
The Magic of Betrayal by Britt Andrews (The Emerald Lakes series)
House of Earth and Blood by SJM
The Magic of Revenge by Britt Andrews
The Magic of Destiny by Britt Andrews
The Magic of Eternity by Britt Andrews
Demons in My Bed by Britt Andrews
Praise by Sara Cate
All Hallows Night by Leigh Kelsey
The Dragon King's Mate by Lola Glass
House of Sky and Breath by SJM
The Dragon King's Hate by Lola Glass
Dance With The Devil by Amanda Richardson
Rejected Mate by Callie Rose
Untamed Mate by Callie Rose
Cursed Mate by Callie Rose
Raven's Mark by Angel Lawson
Claimed Mate by Callie Rose
Tethered by Elayna R. Gallea
Wife Number One by Elle Thorpe
Tethered to the World by Stacey Brutger
Shackled to the World by Stacey Brutger
Here There Be Monsters by EC Garrett
Ransomed to the World by Stacey Brutger
The Assassin's Blade by SJM
Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
House of Flame and Shadow by SJM
The Lies We Steal by Monty Jay
Throne of Glass by SJM
Silver Fox Firefighters Next Door by Summer Haze
Start a War by Elle Thorpe (a reread)
Half the Battle by Elle Thorpe
It Ends with Violence by Elle Thorpe
Crown of Midnight by SJM
Quicksilver by Callie Hart
Heir of Fire by SJM