I had a great September, and the best part is that my most anticipated reads lived up to my (very high) expectations! Last month, I had a lot more success trying out new-to-me authors and exploring, but my favorite books this month were almost exclusively ones I’d been looking forward to for awhile – plus one unexpected delight!
I tried S.J. Tilly for the first time earlier this summer, and I binged the first two books in this series recently, so I was really hoping that the third installment would be just as good. And it was! I binged it so quickly and loved the outlandish, engrossing vibes. I’ll definitely be diving into her backlist while I await the next one.
I also had high expectations for the final book in Lucy Score’s biggest series. I wasn’t sure that I was going to love this complicated couple, but the hate to love scenario was immensely engaging and the tension crackled. I’m sad to see the series go, but excited for whatever is next.
One new-to-me author makes this list, and it might just be my favorite book of the month – only time and distance ever tells me that! I had a fantastic time checking out Nikki Castle’s emotional romance, and the hero at the heart of it was so memorable.
I’m happy to report that I seriously enjoyed the newest from Elena Armas. It was soft and quiet, with a tender, slow-burning love story, and the couple grew on me more and more with every page.
Finally, I was delighted when I heard Livy Hart was going to have a new book out this month. I loved both of her first two books, so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this one. It was so fresh and banter-filled, with a unique concept that kept my interest with ease.
Here’s hoping that next month is just as good! It’s looking like a great October, with a mix of highly anticipated releases and intriguing surprises. I’ll also be working through my TBR to zero in on books with Best of the Year potential as 2023 winds down.
If you missed my October Release Calendar, you can find it here – there are so many books to look forward to!
I’ve got my review for each of this month’s best books below – you can’t go wrong with any of these!
TOP PICKS
I love it when a book feels like a 5-star read from the start and then proceeds to just get better and better with every page – especially when it’s by a new-to-me author. I stumbled upon this book on just the right day, diving in with little to no expectations. It took no time at all to win me over; the secretly sweet, broken boy at the heart of it grabbed my interest and didn’t let go. He’s the kind of guy who is all anger and intensity on the surface, heartache and vulnerability on the inside. An MMA fighter who trains simply so he has a place to let out all of his bottled-up emotions. Pairing him with a sweet, former ballet dancer makes for a classic bad boy/good girl dynamic, but this felt so much deeper than that. It’s equal parts emotional and introspective, lighthearted and swoony, spicy and tense. Castle deftly navigates all of the hero’s conflicting emotions, allowing his story to truly shine. I loved watching him slowly let down his walls and reveal the sweetheart inside – a guy who is loving, protective, and wholly deserving of his own HEA. It had me hooked the whole way through, and left quite the impression on me. I loved it!
The story follows Kane (26), a guy whose childhood shaped the man he is today. Years of disappointment and pain have hardened his heart and left him with some anger issues, which further isolate him from the world. So Kane is less than impressed when a pretty little rich girl moves into the apartment next door. Kane has had to fight for everything he has, and this spoiled girl has clearly been handed everything she needs. But there’s more to Isabella (23) than meets the eye, and the sweet-hearted girl is stronger than she looks. It’s not long before the two are seeing new sides to each other, and Kane is surprised when he starts opening up to Isabella in a way that he hasn’t with anyone else. There’s no way that Isabella would choose a guy like Kane for the long-run, but maybe he can bask in her sunshine for a little while.
I really didn’t know what to expect going into this, but I saw so many glowing reviews that I figured I’d better dive in. And the book took no time at all to win me over; even the smaller moments have an undercurrent of depth that intrigued me. There’s something so endearing about a broken hero, and I loved watching Isabella heal Kane’s shattered pieces. When he finally has the strength to let some love into his life, it was incredible to watch the transformation. The book still feels young and fresh because of the characters’ ages, but the emotional depth is definitely there. It’s rare that a book pulls me in so deeply and that a character grows so much throughout their time on the pages, but Kane absolutely stole my heart. There are some downright SWOONY moments paired with plenty of tender ones. And I can’t forget the steam; there are so many SPICY scenes that are intimate and revealing while also simply being fan-worthy. I loved the intensity of the story as well as the quieter moments, and it’s the kind of book I wanted to devour with no interruptions. A definite win for me!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3PHJ8yk
Unhinged, indulgent fun is really the only way to describe this series. It’s spicy, addictive, and darkly funny in the best of ways, and each installment has me tearing through the chapters. I devoured all 500 pages of this in 24 hours, and my only regret is that now I have to wait months for the next one. I seriously enjoyed every bit of this wild ride, and it is definitely QUITE the wild ride, lol. I don’t actually know how to describe the plot without it sounding outrageous and wholly problematic (which it is, honestly), but it was SO much fun. I couldn’t help but love the antihero at the heart of it, and watching him fall for his perfect match was incredibly entertaining. It’s playful and sexy and a little chaotic, but underneath that is a layered and nuanced romance. I applaud Tilly for making me love a story with so many red flags (sooo many), and that is exactly what she did.
The story follows Val (25), a woman whose half brother is a mafia boss. Or at least that’s what she assumes – the two aren’t all that close, and she can’t exactly google the details. So, while Val has a connection to the underworld, it doesn’t affect her day-to-day life all that much. When she meets a sinfully handsome stranger at the airport, they seem to bond quickly – and in ways that are out of character for the sweet and self-conscious Val. She’s hopeful that the spark between them doesn’t fizzle out after that first encounter, and is delighted when Dom (41) continues to pursue her afterwards. But little does Val know that Dom has some secrets of his own, and her connection to the mafia pales in comparison.
This particular love story felt the most interconnected so far in the series – I think you’d still enjoy it as a standalone, but it’s a million times better with the context of the first two books. Those first two books will also prepare you for the level of unhinged chaos in this one; I’m so desensitized to all of the red flags at this point that they just made me chuckle, lol. Val, girl, there were some pretty clear signs of trouble ahead. Yeah, Dom is a bad, bad boy when he’s trying to get his way. I enjoyed the first act but was also waiting for the other shoe to drop, and I loved the tension that’s created in the aftermath. It didn’t follow the path I predicted, so the unraveling was even more engaging. Dom and Val were great together, especially once everything was out in the open, and I loved seeing what a sweet man Dom could be. It’s so compelling to read about a tattooed, intimidating, and dangerous man being so absolutely head over heels for his girl. And the spice didn’t hurt either. If you haven’t read the other books in the series, then some of his actions might be too much to handle, but I understood where he was coming from. Lots of potentially triggering content in this story though, so be sure to check out the CW if needed. I just sat back and enjoyed the ride, and I can’t wait to see where the series goes from here. It’s been pretty fantastic so far.
Amazon: https://amzn.to/45KM3LD
What a way to end the series! I gobbled up the first 400 pages without even feeling like time was passing; the sexual tension and intensity of the story had me completely gripped, and I was caught up in the romance. Going in, I wasn’t confident that I was going to love Sloane and Lucian’s story because of the tropes at play, but I quickly realized that wasn’t going to be an issue. Despite their MESSY history and decades of feuding, their love story pulled me in without hesitation. They have some insane chemistry, and the spicy scenes were SMOKIN’ hot. I loved the constant bite of sexual tension laced throughout the first half, and the hate sex was off the charts sexy. But more than that, those spicy scenes revealed so much about this couple; they’re connected in a way that they’d probably both deny, and it was easy to see the deeper undertones of their relationship early on. It’s a story that resonated with me in a way that I wasn’t expecting, and I ended up really loving it.
The story follows Sloane, a woman whose father recently passed away. His death has reminded Sloane that she is approaching forty without fulfilling her dreams of a family, and there aren’t any prospects on the horizon. Though there are plenty of nice guys in town, the only one who makes her blood heat is Lucian, the bane of Sloane’s existence. Now that their friends are coupled up, they’ve been spending more time together – and it’s a constant reminder of the things that tore them apart. Sloane and Lucian have been guarding the secrets of their past for the last two decades, and now that’s finally catching up with them. They can’t stand to be in the same room together, but they can’t seem to stay away from each other either, no matter how much they’d like to. Unfortunately, the death of Sloane’s father has brought a few things to light… and Sloane will never be able to look at Lucian the same way again.
I’ve really enjoyed this series, and this makes a fitting conclusion. The romance itself is easy to read as a standalone, but the suspenseful elements tie the series together. Personally, I have very little emotional investment in the suspense, so I felt like the first 400ish pages were significantly stronger than the last 200. Like, really strong. I absolutely LOVED the angst and intensity of Sloane and Lucian’s story, and it was incredibly engaging for me. Digging into the details of their past was just as interesting as watching them fight their feelings in the present, and Score deftly weaves together those elements. We get a few flashbacks to piece together their history without it bogging down the present day story, and that insight makes the romance that much richer. Even when Sloane and Lucian were denying their feelings for each other, it was easy to see that there was more than met the eye. The spice was not only hot as sin, but also incredibly intimate and laced with meaning. Though Lucian is stubborn as can be (and the breakup was a little rougher than I’d like), I could easily see where he was coming from. It’s an emotional, often heavy, story that pulled me in right away and didn’t let go the whole way through. I loved it!
Amazon: https://amzn.to/45QyUAG
I might just be a Hart fangirl at this point, because she has delivered three outstanding, personality-filled romances so far… and I am happy to go along for the ride! This was SO much fun, with tons of banter and such a playful feel. These two instant enemies have some crazy chemistry from the moment they meet, whether they realize it or not. Their feuding was actually foreplay, and I loved that the concept felt so fresh. I’ve never read a romance with a setup quite like this one. I adored that they slowly, begrudgingly found their way together, and the initial sparks that flew between them turned into a fiery inferno. Wowza, this was one SPICY delight. The first hookup scene was absolutely phenomenal, with heat dripping from the page. It’s sexy and intimate one moment and completely hysterical the next, which made it such an engaging, entertaining read. I loved it!
The story follows Mia and Alex, two people who met on a dating app and had one brief, disastrous date. When Alex discovers that he is Mia’s dad’s boss, he can’t get out of there fast enough – and Mia isn’t exactly heartbroken that things didn’t work out with the infuriating workaholic. That would’ve been the end of it if their best friends hadn’t started dating and then proceeded to set them up on a blind date. Between hangouts with their friends and work events where they pretend not to know each other, Alex and Mia find themselves spending a lot of time together against their will. As they get to know each other better, the two soon discover that they’re more compatible than either realized, but there’s absolutely no way that crossing any lines is a good idea. Not only does Mia’s dad hate Alex, but she does too… right?
I loved Hart’s first two books, so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this one – and it definitely did not disappoint! Alex and Mia are electric together, with the kind of banter and chemistry that leaps off the page. I loved how their initial feuding set the tone for the story, and yet it didn’t take long for those feelings to morph into something else entirely. Very few books have the kind of palpable chemistry and tension that these characters have in nearly every scene, and the spicy scenes were particularly memorable. Hart does a fantastic job bringing those moments to life. And I also loved the characters themselves; not only did Mia feel one-of-a-kind and was such a firecracker, but I loved Alex more with every page. He reveals a side of himself that was devastatingly addictive, and the book transitions into “he falls first” or at the very least “he pursues relentlessly” vibes. Which I adored, by the way. Honestly, I adored a whole lot about this. It was exceedingly easy to binge and will likely leave me with quite the book hangover, but it was such a playful, sexy, swoony ride.
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3OJyKUI
HONORABLE MENTION
Slow burn lovers, this one’s for you! It’s a long game indeed for these two instant enemies, with a quiet, soft story that takes its time before slowly cranking up the heat. The first half teases with smaller moments and potential-filled glances, leaving a trail of breadcrumbs towards the tension-filled romance that sparks in the back half. It gets richer and deeper as the story progresses, with a tender and intimate love story at the heart of it. These two are both grumpy at first glance, but peeling back the layers of their personalities and tearing down their walls allows them to understand the ways in which they’re perfect for each other. I loved that the hero was such a sweetheart underneath his initial gruff, and he made the ideal counterpart to the bossy, “cold” heroine. Together, they made a fantastic team, and watching them slowly connect was quite the journey.
The story follows Adalyn, a woman whose father owns a professional soccer team. Adalyn has been working hard to prove herself, and that often makes people believe she’s cold and unfeeling. It’s not until a viral video ruins Adalyn’s reputation that she realizes just how little love she has in her life – punctuated by the fact that her own father has temporarily exiled her to a small town. Adalyn expects to be working with a smaller soccer team… and is dismayed to discover that it’s actually a team of little girls. Even worse? Their coach is the grumpy stranger Adalyn may or may not have hit with her car when she arrived in town. The two started feuding the moment they met, and they continue to clash over how to run the team. But the more Adalyn and Cameron get to know each other, the more they realize that their initial assumptions were all wrong. They’re both in town while grappling with some major changes in their lives, and Cameron’s unexpected support is a balm to Adalyn’s system.
I ADORED The Spanish Love Deception, but the audiobook narrators ruined The American Roommate Experiment for me, so I was cautiously optimistic going into this. I wasn’t sure what to expect. So this love story snuck up on me, especially with the exceedingly slow burn at the center of it. Though I was interested in Cameron and Adalyn’s story the whole way through, the first half focuses on quietly tearing down their walls. As we learned more about each of them, I really grew to love them both as individuals – and it was easy to see the little kernels of connection. This truly is a slow burn romance that will require some patience from the reader, but it burns so good in the back half. Cameron reveals himself to be such a loving, supportive man, and I swooned over how well he understood Adalyn. He’s definitely a man with layers, and I loved peeling back all of them. As with The Spanish Love Deception, the tension starts building later in story, with some intensely intimate and spicy moments between these two. I became more emotionally invested in the story with every page, and it ended up being a pretty stellar read.
Amazon: https://amzn.to/48mgnhC
Did you see my October Release Calendar?
It includes the October releases I’m excited about AND 200+ upcoming books that are available for preorder! Check it out here.
Check out this week’s new releases here.
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