Review: Destined for an Early Grave (Book 4) [Dramatized Edition] by Jeaniene Frost & GraphicAudio.net

 

💬: N/A

📖Genres: fantasy, romance, urban fantasy, paranormal, vampires

📚Page Count: N/A

🎧Audiobook Length: 07h 33min

👩🏾‍🏫My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 5/5 

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Destined for an Early Grave (Dramatized Edition) is a graphic audio published by the company Graphic Audio and written by Jeaniene Frost, based on the fourth book in her Night Huntress series, Destined for an Early Grave. Cat and Bones decided to take a vacation to France, but all is not well because Cat is now having dangerous dreams about a vampire named Gregor. A vampire that Cat has a history with, but even she doesn't remember that. How can Cat and Bones confront Gregor for his transgressions?

This story started off in a really convoluted way and I was not expecting to like this novel as much as I did. I thought the idea that Cat had a history with a "secret" vampire but she didn't know it was very sloppy writing at first, but when the pieces started to fall into place I could see that the author put much more thought into this book than I had originally suspected. (This of course is the dramatized adaption so it's not exactly like the book, but the execution of this adaption was awesome.)

The spicy scenes were good and I liked them even more after Bones and Cat were reunited (IYKYK [if you know, you know]). I'm giving the spicy scenes three point five chilies 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5 out of five chilies

After finding out the premise of this addition to the Night Huntress series, I was not expecting the story to be good. The story was great, it had action, it gave me mini heart attacks, and I sat on the edge of my seat while reading this. I'm giving this 5 stars, not only because I really liked it but because it subverted my expectations, and I'm happy about that. I'm giving this 5 out of 5 stars.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 5/5  Stars

I listened to this for free on [Hoopladigital.com]

Review: Devil to Pay (Book 3.5) by Jeaniene Frost

 

💬: "“Why did you try to jump in front of the train?” she asked. Blake closed his eyes. That’s right, the last thing he remembered was the train. “Did you stop me?” he asked incredulously. “Damn it, why?” She raised a brow."

Frost, Jeaniene. Devil to Pay (Night Huntress) (p. 7). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition. 

📖Genres: fantasy, romance, urban fantasy, paranormal, vampires

📚Page Count: 89

🎧Audiobook Length: 02h 18min

👩🏾‍🏫My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 3/5 

----

Devil to Pay is a novella and it's book 3.5 in Jeaniene Frost's Night Huntress Series. Blake, a human possessed by a demon and Elise, a vampire sired by Mencheres are the main characters of this novella. The story starts off with Blake trying to commit suicide and Elise saves him. I don't want to say much else (just so I don't spoil things) about this story other than, Elise and Blake start to get to know each other after she saves him. 

This was just okay. I understand that it's a novella and it's supposed to be short, but it was just too short for my liking. The specific parts of the story were there, like the plot and climax, the problem is that just about every scene/chapter was too short to make me care. I will say that the story did have an interesting start.

There was a singular spicy scene and it started spontaneously and, in my opinion, it was too short. I'm giving it 2 🌶️ chilies out of 5 chilies🌶️.

Overall, this novella was just okay. Although we somewhat got backstory on the main characters of this novella, it was too short to make me care about the characters that were new. I'm going to give this 3 stars out of 5.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 3/5  Stars

I listened to this for free on [Hoopladigital.com]

Review: Happily Never After (Book 1.5) by Jeaniene Frost

💬: "He didn’t budge. “Plenty of room, Kitten. I’ll stay here.” “Don’t call me Kitten.” My voice was sharper than romance dictated, but I was seriously aggravated. The sooner he was truly dead, the better."

Frost, Jeaniene. Happily Never After (Night Huntress) (p. 83). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition. 

📖Genres: fantasy, romance, urban fantasy, paranormal, vampires

📚Page Count: 97

🎧Audiobook Length: 02h 47min

👩🏾‍🏫My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 3/5 

----

Happily Never After is book 1.5 in the Night Huntress series, it's about a human named Isabella and one of Bones' friends, a vampire named Chase. Isabella somehow was promised to be engaged to a wanna be mob boss, one that she is repulsed by and one that wants to kill her brother. Well, Chance is going to try to make sure this wedding doesn't happen, even if he has to "die" several times to ensure it.

This was okay, it was somewhat interesting so it kept my attention for the short duration of the audiobook (which was about 3 hours long.) I was disappointed to find out that this novella wasn't about Bones but just one of his former acquaintances. 

There was one spicy scene and it was okay, I think it could have been more exciting so I'm going to give this scene 2.75🌶️ chilies out of 5 chilies🌶️.

Overall, this novella wasn't as good as the first novella in the series, "Reckoning" the story about Bones. I even Happily Never After has spicy in it and Reckoning doesn't, I still think Reckoning was a more exciting story. I'm going to give this 3 stars out of 5.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 3/5  Stars

I listened to this for free on [Libbyapp.com]

Review: Reckoning (Book 0.5) by Jeaniene Frost

💬: "It was past nine when Bones came back. His coat was lined with several knives, both steel and silver. No telling whether Delphine and Louis might have vampiric help with them, so best to have all bases covered."

Frost, Jeaniene. Reckoning: From Unbound (Night Huntress) (p. 34). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition. 

📖Genres: fantasy, romance, urban fantasy, paranormal, vampires

📚Page Count: 59

🎧Audiobook Length: 01h 50min

👩🏾‍🏫My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 - 3.5/5 

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Reckoning is book 0.5 in the Night Huntress series, it's about Bones before he meets Cat. I wasn't sure what to expect with this novella, but the audiobook kept me interested throughout. Bones is in New Orleans and he ends up doing some work for real world historical figure Marie Laveau the herbalist, midwife, and Voodoo practitioner, the Queen of New Orleans. There are tourist that are getting eaten by a couple of ghouls and Laveau wants the issue and the ghouls taken care of. 

There's a lot of gore scenes and decapitation going on in this novella. It was action packed. I don't think it's necessary to read this novella before continuing with the series, it's just an interesting sided story about why Bones is no longer allowed in New Orleans. 

There were no spicy scenes in this novella, I will not be giving a spice rating. N/A 🌶️.

Overall, this novella was action packed and it revealed a bit of information about Bones' past. It was exciting and a little gross. I'm giving this novella 3.5 stars out of 5.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 - 3.5/5  Stars

I listened to this for free on [Hoopladigital.com]

Review: At Grave's End (Book 3) [Dramatized Edition] by Jeaniene Frost & GraphicAudio.net

💬: N/A

📖Genres: fantasy, romance, urban fantasy, paranormal, vampires

📚Page Count: N/A

🎧Audiobook Length: 07h 27min

👩🏾‍🏫My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 5/5 

----

At Grave's End (Dramatized Edition) is a graphic audio published by the company Graphic Audio and written by Jeaniene Frost, based on the third book in her Night Huntress series, At Grave's End.  In this book someone new is after our favorite couple, we meet new but also very old vampires, there's a ton of action, and even some sad and emotional bits. This addition to the series was a roller coast, one that I want to continue to ride. 

There was only one thing I didn't like, and that was the minor sexual assault that happens to Cat while she's in the club scene. She does end up beating up the people who touched her without permission, so I supposed there was that at least. 

There weren't many spicy scenes in this, if I remember correctly there was one. It was done well so I enjoyed it. I'm giving the spicy scenes three chilies 🌶️🌶️🌶️ out of five chilies

Each addition to this series is better than the last, and book 3 (Dramatized) is no exception. I'm so delighted to be experiencing this series for the first time. I'm giving this 5 out of 5 stars instead.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 5/5  Stars

I listened to this for free on [Hoopladigital.com]

Review: Both Feet in the Grave (Book 2.2) by Jeaniene Frost

 

💬: "Bones traced the lines in Cat’s tattoo. Every notch and curve was identical to the one he had on his upper arm. She’d memorized his cross-bones so thoroughly that a picture couldn’t have been more accurate. His emotions fired like the finale of a fireworks show."

Frost, Jeaniene. Both Feet in the Grave: A Night Huntress Novel (pp. 80-81). NYLA. Kindle Edition. 

📖Genres: fantasy, romance, urban fantasy, paranormal, vampires

📚Page Count: 335

🎧Audiobook Length: 10h 06min

👩🏾‍🏫My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 5/5 

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Both Feet in the Grave written by Jeaniene Frost, is an alternate perspective book based on the second book in her Night Huntress series, One Foot in the Grave. Both Feet in the Grave was more exciting than the original second book in the series, I really love Bones as a character and his thoughts and decisions are interesting to follow. I'm really excited to read the third book from his perspective (if the author ends up writing it), but for now let's discuss Both Feet in the Grave. 

Cat and Bones have been separated at this point for 4 or 5 years, neither of them has contacted the other in this time span. Cat is now working as a special agent in a Supernatural department of a special government agency. By happenstance Cat and Bones end up once again crossing each other's paths. 

There were so many cool actions scenes and we all know that Cat is a badass, but these alternate perspective books are definitely where Bones shines. I think both the main characters are really cool but these books tell so much of Bones' background story, it's all so interesting. 

The spicy scenes were really enjoyable. I'm giving the spicy scenes three point five chilies 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5 out of five chilies

There was a lot of action in this novel, but there was also a bit of romance. I think the action overweighs the romance, but the story is still a good one either way. I'm giving this 5 out of 5 stars. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️- 5/5  Stars

I listened to this for free on the library app [HooplaDigital.com]

Review: One Foot in the Grave (Book 2) [Dramatized Edition] by Jeaniene Frost & GraphicAudio.net

💬: N/A

📖Genres: fantasy, romance, urban fantasy, paranormal, vampires

📚Page Count: N/A

🎧Audiobook Length: 07h 27min

👩🏾‍🏫My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 - 4.5/5 

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[SPOILERS BELOW]

One Foot in the Grave (Dramatized Edition) is a graphic audio published by the company Graphic Audio and written by Jeaniene Frost, based on the second book in her Night Huntress series, One Foot in the Grave. Cat Crawfield hasn't seen Bones in about four or five years, but after she's targeted for assignation, Bones might be the only one who can help her. After having worked as Special Agent Crawfield for the last four (or five) years she definitely has acquired some new (and old) enemies. Will Bones be able to save Cat from the impending danger? Will they be able to rekindle their lost relationship?

I really enjoyed this addition to the Night Huntress graphic audio series, it was so entertaining. There was so much going on and the music, sounds, and voice actors really came together to help tell an exciting story. 

The spicy scenes were okay in this. They weren't the best but they weren't terrible I'm giving the spicy scenes three chilies 🌶️🌶️🌶️ out of five chilies

This was really exciting and all the elements came together to make a really nice dramatized adaption of One Foot in the Grave. I'm giving this 4.5 out of 5 stars instead.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 4.5/5  Stars

I listened to this for free on [Hoopladigital.com]

 

Review: The Awakening (Book 1) by Christine Feehan

 

💬: "The breath slammed out of her lungs. Flames shot through her body, from her breast to her deepest core. The strange roaring was back in her head. Need was on her. Not some gentle emotion, not a pleasant feeling, but a raging tidal wave of hunger, of craving."

Feehan, Christine. The Awakening: The Novella That Introduced the Leopard People (Leopard series Book 1) (p. 51). Penguin Publishing Group. Kindle Edition. 

📖Genres: fantasy, romance, urban fantasy, paranormal, shapeshifters

📚Page Count: 121

🎧Audiobook Length: 3h 38min

👩🏾‍🏫My Rating: ⭐️⭐️.5 - 2.5/5 

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The Awakening by Christine Feehan is a novella and it's the first story in her series "Leopard People". Maggie inherits a house in the jungle and if I read this correctly, she just "wakes up" or "awakens" in the jungle (I'm unsure of how she actually got there.) Maggie is on the cusps of a physical and mental evolution, and she meets a man named Brandt who's supposed to help, he also says he's her mate. 

It was really evident that this was a novella with the rushed pacing. The two main characters talk for what seems like a day and after that, it seems like Maggie already trusts him. At one point Maggie mentions that she used to be asexual (or at least she thought she was asexual) but now she's having sexual cravings for Brandt and she can't explain why. Before evening knowing if she was interested Brandt kind of flashes her while he sits in the nude in her house or bungalow, he claims that she's his mate so I guess he thinks this is acceptable. 

The spicy scenes were alright, it was hard to get into them because the male protagonist was so pushy with his sexual advances, the part where he surprises and flashes her with his nude body really bothered me, he didn't even know if she was truly interested at that point. I'm giving the spicy scenes two chilies 🌶️🌶️ out of five chilies

Overall this story was a bit strange and baffling. I wish the pacing was a little smoother, and it would have been nice if we saw the characters interact with each other outside of their sexual cravings. I will read the next book in the series and give this series another chance, as of now I'm giving THIS novella 2.5 out of 5 stars. 

⭐️⭐️ - 2.5/5  Stars

I listened to this for free on [Libbyapp.com]

Review: Halfway to the Grave (Book 1) [Dramatized Edition] by Jeaniene Frost & GraphicAudio.net

💬: N/A

📖Genres: fantasy, romance, urban fantasy, paranormal, vampires

📚Page Count: N/A

🎧Audiobook Length: 09h 30min

👩🏾‍🏫My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25 - 4.25/5 

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Halfway to the Grave (Dramatized Edition) is a graphic audio published by the company Graphic Audio and written by Jeaniene Frost, based on the first book in her Night Huntress series, Halfway to the Grave. This was my first time listening to a production by the company Graphic Audio and I was not disappointed. Catherine Crawfield is a half-vampire and she's made it her mission to kill other vampires because one vampire in the past, destroyed her mother's life. Bones, a full fledged vampire agrees to help train Catherine and help her find her father as long as she agrees to help him take out some of his vampire enemies. 

[SPOILERS & POTENTIALLY TRIGGERING CONTENT BELOW]

The story itself was outdated at certain parts, but it was very exciting otherwise. There was a very outdated and poorly aged part where;these two guys at the club try to drug Catherine to date rape her. Because she's a half-vampire, the drugs don't fully work on her so they end up triple dosing a human woman after it didn't work on Catherine. The human woman died, Bones found the perpetrators while they were assaulting the victims dead body. Further spoilers, Bones kills the perps for their crime. This entire scene made me uncomfortable. I see a trend with older (circa - mid 90's - late 2000's) paranormal or urban fantasy stories where the author includes copious amounts of sexual assaults'.  Other than the issues with date rape and sexual assault, the graphic audio was enjoyable because the story's twist and turns were so interesting. This audio is action packed and it really has me excited to read the second installation. 

The spicy scenes were good, I enjoyed them and I really liked the voice actor for Bones. He has a very attractive voice. I'm giving the spicy scenes three point five chilies 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5 out of five chilies

Overall, disregarding the sexual assault issues I found this graphic audio to be really riveting. If the outdated parts in the story weren't there, I would definitely have to give this the max stars, but because of the triggering content, I'm giving this 4.25 out of 5 stars instead.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 4.25/5  Stars

I listened to this for free on [Hoopladigital.com]

Review: A Cowboy to Remember by Rebekah Weatherspoon

 

💬: “Well, hey there, little lady,” he said in that fake Southern accent that made her laugh and drove her crazy all at the same time. “I haven’t seen you around these parts before.”

Weatherspoon, Rebekah. A Cowboy to Remember (Cowboys of California Book 1) (p. 306). Kensington Books. Kindle Edition. 

📖Genres: romance, contemporary romance, spicy

📚Page Count: 307

🎧Audiobook Length: 10h 33min

👩🏾‍🏫My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 3/5 

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A Cowboy to Remember by Rebekah Weatherspoon is the first book in the Cowboys of California series, it's the first western I've ever read and it was very cute. Evie Buchanan is a chef who has a spot on a morning show and she has recently lost her memory from a accident at an industry party. After waking up with amnesia she's informed that there's only one person on her emergency contact list, a sexy African American cowboy named Zach, apparently from her past. Zach messed up the first chance he had with Evie, now that he has a fresh start, will he be able to convince her to fall in love?

Evie and Zach were cute together, and almost all of the side characters were really nice. I don't think this was my favorite romance story, but I did enjoy the read. I can not see myself reading this again though, because of the slow pacing in the middle of the book. It feels as if not much happens for a bit and I hate when I feel like the plot is stalling. I did like the epilogue.  

The spicy scene was okay, there was only one if I remember correctly. It wasn't my favorite spicy scene and I honestly wish there were more, but I understand that the author is trying to tell an actual story that's not exactly an erotica. I'm giving the spicy scenes two point seventy-five chilies 🌶️🌶️.75 out of five chilies

Overall this romance was okay, there were cute moments, a few moments that were boring, and the one spicy scene was alright. I'm giving this 3 out of 5 stars.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 3/5  Stars

I listened to this for free on [Hoopladigital.com]

Review: Xeni by Rebekah Weatherspoon

💬: “It’s a sex chair,” Xeni blurted out. “A sex chair for a sex witch,” Mason joked. “Pretty much.” He walked over and examined it more closely. “May I?” he asked."

Weatherspoon, Rebekah. XENI: A Marriage of Inconvenience (Loose Ends Book 2) (p. 206). Rebekah Weatherspoon Presents. Kindle Edition. 

📖Genres: erotica, romance, contemporary romance, interracial romance

📚Page Count: 217

🎧Audiobook Length: 07h 13min

👩🏾‍🏫My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 4/5 

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Xeni by Rebekah Weatherspoon is the second book in the "Loose Ends" series. Xeni's famous aunt Sable Everly passes away and leaves most of her estate to Xeni. Due to Xeni's mother and her other aunts having a decades-old feud with their sister Sable, Xeni has a limited amount of time to clean out her aunt Sable's house alone. That is until she finds out that to claim her inheritance she has to marry her Aunt Sable's young friend and protégée. Well, now Xeni and her new husband Mason can clean out Sable's estate together. They're trying to make the best of the situation, maybe that includes falling in love.

This was a really cute romance and I enjoyed the read. Both Xeni and Mason seem very attractive and, I think the narrator did an okay job on the audiobook. I didn't have very many issues with this book but, even though I liked it, it's not my favorite romance. I would recommend this book to a friend though. 

[SPOILERS BELOW]

The issue I had with the book was with the miscommunication trope at the end. The two separated for a while before finally getting back together and that was a bit frustrating to me, though I understand they both wanted to work on their separate lives and issues for a bit. 

I loved the spicy scenes! There's even a pegging scene in here and that was enjoyable. I like that the couple used condoms until they had been together for a while. I'm giving the spicy scenes three point five chilies 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5 out of five chilies

Overall this romance was sickeningly cute. I'm giving this 4 out of 5 stars.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 4/5  Stars

I listened to this for free on [Hoopladigital.com]

Review: Radio Silence by Alyssa Cole

💬: “You can try to fight it with all your might, but unless you're some all-powerful being and forgot to tell us, you can't stop every bad thing from happening. You're doing your best, and everyone loves you for it. That's all you can ask yourself for."

Cole, Alyssa. Radio Silence (Off the Grid Book 1) (p. ?). Carina Press. Kindle Edition. 

📖Genres:  romance, contemporary romance, interracial romance, dystopian, sci-fi, post-apocalyptic 

📚Page Count: 308

🎧Audiobook Length: 07h 34min

👩🏾‍🏫My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 - 4.5/5 

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Radio Silence by Alyssa Cole is a dystopian romance and it was surprisingly good. For some reason I didn't think dystopian and romance genres went together (I guess I wasn't paying attention while reading The Hunger Games.) I thought this was cute and some what action packed, the story kept my attention for the duration of the book. 

Arden, a Black woman, and John, a Korean man, were roommates in college when suddenly all the power went out, technology stopped working, and water stopped running (no one seems to know why). John comes up with the idea to walk the 100 miles from the college to his family's home with Arden, but on the way they come upon some trouble. It's John's brother, Gabriel, who helps Arden and John out of a dangerous situation. Now Arden, John, Gabriel, and Maggie (John and Gabe's teen sister) are tasked with surviving the apocalypse. Gabriel is stubborn, mean, and treats Arden like she doesn't know anything. How long can they last going at each other's throats? Or will they eventually notice each other's softer side? 

I think some of the decisions the character's made were really not well thought out. One example is at the beginning of the book, John and Arden make some questionable decisions and that ends up with them being in danger. Later on in the story, Maggie makes a really silly decision and that ends up putting the entire family at risk to being harmed in the apocalypse. In dystopian and apocalyptic stories, I expect the characters to try harder to live. 

The spicy scenes were enjoyable and I liked that condoms were used, because that's what makes sense in an apocalypse. I'm giving the spicy scenes three point five chilies 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5 out of five chilies

Overall this dystopian romance was cute. I'm giving this 4.5 out of 5 stars.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 - 4.5/5 

I listened to this for free on [Hoopladigital.com]

Review: Rafe by Rebekah Weatherspoon

 

💬: “She had to wonder when she would be able to look at his well-toned form and his sprawling tattoos, and not want to start drooling."

Weatherspoon, Rebekah. RAFE: A Buff Male Nanny (Loose Ends Book 1) (p. 212). Rebekah Weatherspoon Presents. Kindle Edition. 

📖Genres: erotica, romance, contemporary romance, interracial romance

📚Page Count: 258

🎧Audiobook Length: 06h 16min

👩🏾‍🏫My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75 - 3.75/5 

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Rafe: A Buff Male Nanny by Rebekah Weatherspoon is the first book in the "Loose Ends" series. This book is about Dr. Sloan Copeland, M.D who is a single mother to two twin daughters, Avery and Addison. Dr. Copeland needs to find a new babysitter and she gets a recommendation about a male Nanny named Rafe. Well, his references are good and he has the experience so he might be the right person for the job, it also helps that he's very handsome and fit. Will Dr. Copeland and Rafe keep things strictly professional, or will they pursue each other due to mutual attraction? 

This romance/erotica felt cozy and wholesome for the most part, it's advertised as low angst and I definitely agree with that assertion. Although the story was cute, it wasn't one of my favorite romance stories but I'm glad I read it, though this isn't a book I could see myself reading again. I did however like the little surprise in the epilogue. I'm a 30 year old non-binary women who is child free by choice, so it's possible that's the reason this story didn't resonate with me. 

The spicy scenes were nice, I appreciate that the couple used condoms until they got further into their relationship. I'm giving the spicy scenes three chilies 🌶️🌶️🌶️ out of five chilies

Overall this romance/erotica was cute. I'm giving this 3.75 out of 5 stars.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.75 - 3.75/5 Stars

I listened to this for free on [Hoopladigital.com]

Review: Haven by Rebekah Weatherspoon

 

💬: “So you're just a quiet, cranky, brooding mountain man?” 
“Something like that.”

Weatherspoon, Rebekah. HAVEN: Beards & Bondage (p. 88). Rebekah Weatherspoon Presents. Kindle Edition. 

📖Genres: erotica, BDSM, romance, contemporary romance, dark, thriller, interracial romance

📚Page Count: 256

🎧Audiobook Length: 07h 28min

👩🏾‍🏫My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 - 3.5/5 
----

Haven by Rebekah Weatherspoon is the first book in the "Beards & Bondage" trilogy. Haven is about Shep, a grumpy nature photographer who lives out in the woods in Northern California and Claudia, a fashionista from the city. Claudia takes a trip out the Northern California wilderness for a week long get away, but the trip ends in mayhem and Claudia is tasked with trying to survive the night. With no where else to run, Claudia ends up at Shep's door and she's desperate for help. Shep saves Claudia but now both of them are forever changed. To help with the healing process, Shep and Claudia begin a week long sexual relationship, one that includes BDSM session after session. Claudia learns how to be the perfect submissive, and Shep dominates her wonderfully. 

This started off really strong with a thriller element and even though the thriller element dies down towards the middle of the book, the book still kept my attention for it's duration. I do think the characters could have had a little more development, but this is an erotica so we got more spicy scenes than character development. 

I'm unsure of how to rate the spicy scenes, they were good but I didn't love them. I appreciated that they used a condom in every scene, because the two had just met. The scenes didn't move me in a way that I wanted them to. Keep in mind that all the scenes are BDSM related in some way. I'm giving it three chilies 🌶️🌶️🌶️ out of five chilies

Overall this erotica was okay, I wish there was a better balance between the romance and spicy scenes. I'm giving this 3.5 out of 5 stars.
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 - 3.5/5 Stars

I listened to this on [Chirpbooks.com]

Review: The A.I. Who Loved Me by Alyssa Cole

💬: “Learning is not just internalizing everything you process. You must be careful about what data you incorporate into yourself."

Cole, Alyssa. The A.I. Who Loved Me (p. 64). Alyssa Cole. Kindle Edition. 

📖Genres: romance, sci-fi, novella, contemporary, adult

📚Page Count: 159

🎧Audiobook Length: 05h 18min

👩🏾‍🏫My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 - 4.5/5 
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The A.I Who Loved Me by Alyssa Cole is a story about a woman named Trinity Jordan who works from home for Hive, a massive government research organization. Trinity is trying to put her life back together after an incident took place a while back, when she meets her neighbors handsome nephew, Li Wei. There are a few strange things about Li Wei, and soon Trinity find out that he's not human, he's actually an A.I or artificial intelligence.

This story started off really cute and funny, I enjoyed the progression from a lighthearted story into something a bit more heavy. While a few plot points were predictable, the story itself as a whole was still enjoyable. I would have really loved if this was a full novel instead of a novella, it would be great to just learn more about this world and to spend more time with Trinity and Li Wei (and also Tim, who happens to be Li Wei's cat.) The audiobook narration was high quality and some famous actors/voice actors did the voices for some characters, I think it's worth checking as I enjoyed it.

There was one and a half steamy scenes in this book, the big one was really nice. If there was one more full scene, I would have given this 4 chilis. I'm giving it three chilies 🌶️🌶️🌶️ out of five chilies

This was a really cute and endearing story, there were also a few funny parts as well. I'm giving this 4.5 out of 5 stars.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 - 4.5/5 
 

Review: The Blood Trials by N.E. Davenport

💬: "I’m a cadet. I’m nowhere close to his rank. I’m also so much more than that and good ol’ boy Radson decided to fuck with me on the right day. I smile at Radson while motioning him forward. Feeling the severe strain of my cheek muscles, I know I appear a little psycho."

Davenport, N. E.. The Blood Trials (The Blood Gift Duology Book 1) (p. 9). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition. 

📖Genres: fantasy, sci-fi, romance, adult, 

📚Page Count: 453

🎧Audiobook Length: 18h 20min

👩🏾‍🏫My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 5/5 
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The Blood Trials by N. E. Davenport is a sci fi/fantasy ADULT story about a Black woman 
who lives in a racist and misogynistic society who finds out her grandfather was murdered when she previously thought he died of natural causes. Ikenna is spending her last night as a cadet with friends when she privately gets the news, she instantly decides that she wants revenge. Joining The Praetorian Trials means that Ikenna can get close to the people who might have had a hand in her grandfathers death, so that's what she decides to do. She's sure that she cans survive the challenges, because she was trained by the best (her grandfather) and she has a secret blood gift to help her. Will Ikenna be able to survive the challenges while also figuring out who killed her grandfather? 

There were plenty of things I really liked about this book. I love how the main character made impulsive decisions, now these decisions weren't always the best ones but I felt as if the character's personality really shined through and it was consistent. I liked how Ikenna often remembered her grandfather and how she would think about what advice he might give her. The action scenes were really well described in this book. And although some of the twists in the story were predictable, the story was written well so it was still interesting when revealed. 

There was only one thing that I didn't like. I couldn't understand why the challenges were so hard, there were characters dying left and right and it felt like the Praetorians reasoning for the challenges being so hard didn't make sense. If no one survives your challenge then who actually wins? Literally no one, because the Praetorians wouldn't gain any new soldiers. There were so many people dying that it no longer became a shock when someone died, and it was no longer impactful. It ruined the immersion for me. Thankfully the story was written well so I was able to re-immerse myself back into the story a few chapters later.

There was one spicy scene, it was written well but I'm uninterested in spicy scenes between young adults. I'm giving the spicy scene a one chili 🌶️ out of five chilies.

Overall, this book was really good. There was so much I enjoyed and very little I disliked. The theme of this book is "revenge" and it really reminds me of "Iron Widow" by Xiran Jay Zhao and I gave that book a 5. This book definitely deserves a 5 as well. I'm giving this 5 out of 5 stars. 
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 5/5  Stars

I listened to this for free on the library app [HooplaDigital.com]

Review: Curvy Girl Summer by Danielle Allen

 

💬: He pointed at my drink. 
"What are you drinking?"
"Malibu Sunrise, it's delicious"
'It looks good but I can't be seen drinking that."
I blinked rapidly, "Oh?" 

Allen, Danielle. Curvy Girl Summer (Chapter 6, p.?). Bramble. NetGalley Advanced Reader's Copy. 

📖Genres: romance, contemporary, contemporary romance

📚Page Count: 210

🎧Audiobook Length: 12h 23min

👩🏾‍🏫My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 5/5 
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Curvy Girl Summer by Danielle Allen is about Aaliyah James a plus sized 29 year old who wants to find a boyfriend for her 30th birthday celebration. Aaliyah's family members think that she's getting older and her time find a boyfriend, get married, and have children is running out. Annoyed with her family's comments, she lets them know that she does have a boyfriend and that he'll be at her 30th birthday celebration. She doesn't have a boyfriend yet but with online dating, how hard could finding one be? When the first date goes not as planned, the local bartender, at the bar where the date took place seems to be kind and funny enough to make Aaliyah feel hopeful about finding more people to date. The more she spends time with Ahmad the closer she feels to him. Will she find a boyfriend in time for her birthday and will he be from the online dating app "Tinderfish" or will he be the funny, handsome, and caring bartender?

Reading this book was such a great reading experience. This is my first slow burn romance novel and now I still why people like this trope so much. There's so much built up sexual an romantic tension and it feels as if everything will erupt during the climax of the book. I loved how Aaliyah and Ahmad teased each other relentlessly, it was so cute. It was so nice that they both loved concerts, live shows, and music in general. The miscommunication trope was in there and it was so annoying, like the situation was very obvious but the main character was just not getting it. That was annoying but the book was so good overall that I'm not going to change my rating because of that annoyance. Something the author did a really good job of including is what it feels like to be a plus size woman dating with dating apps and websites in the real world.  

The audio book narrator was really good, I enjoyed their voice for all the characters. Sometimes when an author voices several or many characters some of the voices sound off but that was NOT the case with Wesleigh Siobhan and their narration. All of the words are clear and concise and the individual voices they use for each character fits so well with the story. 

Talk about a slow burn! There are two spicy scenes and let me be honest, the spicy scenes don't start happening until well over 80% through the book. The scenes come late in the book but I honestly think it was worth it. I don't really like spicy scenes with unprotected sex with almost strangers or first time lovers, though I did like the scenes in general. I'm giving the spicy scenes four chilies 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️out of five chilies

This book was a pleasant surprise! I really enjoyed myself while listening to this audiobook. It was fantastic. I'm giving this 5 out of 5 stars. 
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 5/5  Stars

Thank you [NetGalley.com], Danielle Allen (the author), and Macmillan Audio (publisher) for the arc (advanced reader's copy) of the audiobook.