Meet & Greet Challenge Round 6 (Oct/Nov): READING

[Ty]

Nadine wrote: "YIKES I just noticed I haven't posted any of my books read....OK here goes:

Group 1
Read: 10/16

Laurla: The Art of Submission finished 11/10 ****

Vi: [book:Sweet Dreams|1122..."

lol wow. that's a lot of KA in a short period of time. I think I can only handle 1 or 2 a month. Otherwise, her run-on sentences would drive me up the wall and over the dang cliff...

[Melissa]

I haven't posted an update in over a month!

Group 1 - Gea

I finished Girl on a Wire two weeks ago. I enjoyed it, but it turned out to be a "new" take on Romeo and Juliette to the point it got a bit annoying. This book read almost like a children's chapter book at times even though some of the content was YA. In the end, I gave it 3 stars. Thanks for the pick!

Group 1 - Skandia

I finished your pick, The Night Season, and really enjoyed it. This was book 4 in a series and I loved reading about the familiar characters. The writing was great, but in the end, the story got a bit ridiculous so I only gave it 3 stars. Thanks for picking it for me!

Group 1 - Nadine

I finished your pick, Dark Thirst, and LOVED it! I've owned this book for years and this was one of those times where I could kick myself for not reading this years ago! I loved this book cover to cover. The story line, the characters, the world...everything was so great. Sincere thanks for giving me the push I needed to read it. Now I've got a new series to enjoy!

[Nadine Bookaholic]

Melissa wrote: "Group 1 - Nadine

I finished your pick, Dark Thirst, and LOVED it! I've owned this book for years and this was one of those times where I could kick myself for not reading this years ago! I loved this book cover to cover. The story line, the characters, the world...everything was so great. Sincere thanks for giving me the push I needed to read it. Now I've got a new series to enjoy! "

I'm so glad you liked it, everyone needs a little push now and then...LOL

[Larissa]

Group 3
Becky 4*
This was slower than what I am normally used to but it was very well written. Thank you for the pick!

[MountainKat, Moderator]

I finished Ezi's pick for me and never came back to comment! Thanks for the excuse to listen to Pleasure of a Dark Prince. Garreth and Lucia's story worked for me - I loved it!

I'm about halfway through beppy's pick for me - Strawberries for Dessert. I am really enjoying this one too! I didn't particularly like either character in the previous books, but I really want them to make things work in this one!!

[Melissa]

Nadine wrote: "I'm so glad you liked it, everyone needs a little push now and then...LOL"

Yes, indeed! I've even dusted off a few other books that have been sitting on my bookshelves for years because based on this experience, I just know I'm missing out on some good reading!

[Dee]

I finished up Bones Are Forever recommended by Joyce - while this book in the series felt much more like earlier ones - I think i'm about burnt out on Tempe - I love when she talks science-y - but the Ryan angst and her ability to do frequent dumb-shit is just starting to irk me

[LaurLa]

Finished a few more since my last update... I was disappointed in Theresa Marguerite Hewitt's latest 2 in the Wakefield series - I gave them 3 stars but they were prolly closer to 2.5. I really enjoyed the first two in the series, but these both seemed a bit draggy to me and the h was a bit of a whiner (she cried ALL the time, for everything, good or bad).

And Ty - if you haven't read Reward of Three yet, be ready. It's a tear-jerker... but still very good. Not as much smexy times as you would think, though, for Kelly Jamieson - it was definitely more emotional than I expected.

Meet and Greet Round 6 – October-November

Picks from Group 1:
✔Ty: Reward of Three - Kelly Jamieson - 10.31 ★★★★
✔Ella: Along Came Trouble - Erin Kern - 11.06 ★★★
✔Penney: I Never Asked You to Save Me - Theresa Marguerite Hewitt - 11.11 ★★★
✔Melissa: Asking For Trouble - Leslie Kelly - 11.01 ★★★


BONUS Picks from:
✔Shelby: Take Me Home - Theresa Marguerite Hewitt - 11.12 ★★★
✔Sunshine: Beck - Harper Sloan - 11.01 ★★★★

[~Melissa~]

I have totally forgotten to come and post here ~ oops! Plus I haven't gotten many done off my list :(

Susan A ~ so much better than book #1!!! I will be reading #3 this month as well. 4♥'s
Diane~Firefly~ ~ as always I love being in Hearne's world. Love love love Oberon and Atticus! 4♥
Lily ~ ok I admit it - I skipped book #5 but I needed a 6 for a challenge. This was much better than I was expecting - last book in this series that I read just kind of dragged. 4♥
Poongothai - Loved it! It was so realistic - you know this stuff actually does happen. I could actually put some of these characters into parents I actually know. This was such a good book and is great to do as a Buddy read 4.5♥'s rounded up to 5 on GR

I'm currently reading Dex in Blue -loving it so far and Dirty Secret - my issue with this - all the odd names you have to try to remember - I have such a hard time knowing who is who,lol

[Nadine Bookaholic]

Ty wrote: "ol wow. that's a lot of KA in a short period of time. I think I can only handle 1 or 2 a month. Otherwise, her run-on sentences would drive me up the wall and over the dang cliff..."

I really enjoy her books, I tend to overlook the errors, if I didn't I would never read. You would be surprised with some of the crap editing that is out there!

[~Melissa~]

Nadine wrote: "Ty wrote: "ol wow. that's a lot of KA in a short period of time. I think I can only handle 1 or 2 a month. Otherwise, her run-on sentences would drive me up the wall and over the dang cliff..."

You would be surprised with some of the crap editing that is out there! "

So true,lol. sometimes I'm re-reading a sentence several times to figure out ...what am I missing...what word was supposed to be there etc

[Nadine Bookaholic]

~Melissa~ (~Cainis~ the Elf) wrote: "Nadine wrote: "Ty wrote: "ol wow. that's a lot of KA in a short period of time. I think I can only handle 1 or 2 a month. Otherwise, her run-on sentences would drive me up the wall and over the da..."

I HATE when that happens!!!
The best is when they repeat a sentence right after it so you are reading the same exact sentence twice, ugghh

[~Melissa~]

Too true LOL

[~KarenH~, Moderator]

Once again I've been lax in showing up to report in, so I have several books that I've finished since the last time:

Preethi - That Touch of Magic ★★★★ Cute and quirky...maybe not as good as the first book, but still enjoyable

Karla - The Art of Breathing ★★★★ Loved the story and where it took the characters, but the writing seemed to drag a bit in places. Still very excited that there will be another book, though!

Ezinwanyi - Pleasure of a Dark Prince ★★★★ I really enjoy this series, and this one was no exception...looking forward to reading the next one!

Roger - Midnight Vengeance ★★★★ Loved it! It's so nice to get back to classic LMR after her last series!

Thanks everyone for the great picks!

[Ty]

Laurla wrote: "And Ty - if you haven't read Reward of Three yet, be ready. It's a tear-jerker... but still very good. Not as much smexy times as you would think, though, for Kelly Jamieson - it was definitely more emotional than I expected."

I'm always surprised at how emotional that series is - the first two were pretty much on that scale also. Looking forward to book 3!

[Jojo]

I'm really sorry I haven't been good at postin this time but here is my finished list of book - I would promise to do better next time but I think I might just say I'll try!

Group 1

✓ 1. Macwolf01 [Elise]- Blood Magick - 15/11/14 ★ ★ ★ ★
✓ 2. Laurla - Finding Sarah - 18/10/14 ★ ★
✓ 3. Vi - Watch Your Back - 05/10/14 ★ ★ ★ ★
✓ 4. Ty - Quinn - 2/10/14 ★ ★ ★ ★
✓ 5. Grace - Betrayal - 19/10/14 ★ ★ ★ ★
✓ 6. Sunshine - Savor the Danger - 09/11/14 ★ ★ ★ ★
✓ 7. Nadine - Playing to Win - 10/10/14 ★ ★ ★ ★
✓ 8. Skandia - Veil of Midnight - 10/10/14 ★ ★ ★ ★
✓ 9. Ramneek - Hot on the Hunt - 01/10/14 ★ ★ ★ ★
✓ 10. Ella - Serendipity - - 11/11/14 ★ ★ ★ ★
✓ 11. Penney - Undertow - 14/11/14 ★ ★ ★ ★
✓ 12. Melissa - A Brew to a Kill - 13/10/14 ★ ★ ★
✓ 13. Becky - Turbulence - 01/10/14 ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
✓ 14. Leslie - Wild Fire - 17/10/14 ★ ★ ★ ★
✓ 15. Gea - After the Storm - 09/10/14 ★ ★ ★ ★

[Dee]

Finished up Blood Games - also recommended to me by Joyce - felt much more like the earlier books; less angsty but still some romance - be interested to see where she takes the series next

[~Melissa~]

Finished my 5th book


Thanks so much Katie Dex in Blue was great! I enjoyed it so much more than book 1 and made me look forward to Ethan in Gold

[Sassafrass]

Ezinwanyi--Group 2

I finished your pick, Rome. Oh so hot. Loved this one. I was a little pissed off at Cora but I love how these guys go "all in" when they find their girls. They may be a little clueless when it comes to real relationships but they are freakin' fantastic when they find the right one.

I had no idea that Rome was going to be so incredibly hot. We really hadn't gotten too much of a sense of him in previous books. He seemed more like a big killjoy more than anything, but I loved seeing things from his perspective.

I am so continuing with this series. It is a must. there's no way that I would be able to stop myself from continuing even if I tried. *4.5 STARS*

[Dee]

i actually read Hope Flames in October and never reported it here - recommended by Amie/Susan A - i've come to the conclusion that Jaci Burton is just an author who doesn't work for me = ideally her stuff should be right up my alley, but it just never actually works - but glad i got this book off the TBR finally

[Diane ~Firefly~]

Poongothai - I recently finished and really enjoyed it. Thanks for recommending.

[Melissa]

I finished two more picks this weekend bringing my total to 7.


Group 1 - Grace

I didn't enjoy Flame nearly as much as the first two books in the trilogy. It was very chaotic at times and then lots of repeating of things from a different character's point of view. Just a bit disappointing for me. The conclusion saved it in the end so I ended up giving it 3 stars because I loved how the whole story ended. Thanks for the pick because it always feels good to finish a series!

Group 1 - Ty

I finally finished Fire after almost a month and a half! I borrowed it from my library for my kindle and half way through it was due and I had to wait for my turn again! Of course, once I started reading it again, I was glued to it. I just loved this story so much and it was cool how it tied in with book 1, but wasn't an actual sequel. I'm definitely going to read book 3 before the end of the year. Thanks for the pick!

[Ty]

glad you liked it, Melissa! I heart the first one. :)

[Ty]

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Penney & Vi for picking .
Holy mother.... did I cry. AT WORK. gah.
A five-star read.

[Nadine Bookaholic]

Group 1
Books 11 - 16 have been completed

Macwolf01 [Elise]: Take Me finished 11/15 *****

Skandia: Being Me finished 11/22 ****

Ella: Beautiful Oblivion finished 11/20 ****

Melissa: My Life With Kate finished 11/16 ***

Sunshine: For You finished 11/24 *****

Extra book from Macwolf01 [Elise]: The Book of Spellsfinished 11/15 ****

I have posted full review for each book if you would like to check them out this is the link to my shelf to make it easier my ratings and reviews
.

Challenge COMPLETED

[UnusualChild{beppy}]

i've finished more, and i may even have a chance to complete this challenge...minus bonus picks, of course.

aarati Unspoken 5 stars, 11/16 - boy, oh boy, i wish i had read this back when i was able to spend money on books, because i would have bought (and read!) the rest in the trilogy tout de suite. i liked the world building, the characters and the story; everything just clicked for me.

preethi Lord of the Fading Lands 5 stars, 11/21 - i really liked this one as well. i liked that ellie didn't just roll over for rain because they had a soul bond.

dana For Nick 4.5 stars, 11/20 - the only reason that this didn't get 5 stars from me was because i felt that the writing and the characters themselves were a little juvenile at times. it sure packed an emotional wallop, though.

tina The Alpha's Mate 5 stars, 11/20 - i truly liked everything about this book, especially the h and H. again, i liked that she didn't just roll over because they were perfect mates. i liked that the h stood up for herself in spite of great odds against her.

karla Nearly Departed in Deadwood 2 stars, 11/16 - ugh. definitely not for me. i think it was supposed to be funny, but i really wasn't feeling it. also, for a mother so worried about her kids, she sure introduced them to a lot of strangers and let said strangers have easy access to them.

tabs Santa Olivia 5 stars, 11/21 - so refreshing to have an h this strong. when i realized that the story wasn't going to be about the mother, i thought for sure the story would focus on the brother, and i was really pleased when it didn't. i liked the world building and the story.

mountainkat Hard as It Gets 3 stars, 11/22 - don't shoot me, but i am someone who didn't like Hearts in Darkness by the same author. i didn't like the writing style or the characters, and for the first 18% of this book, i felt the same way, but i decided that i would read to 25% before i would dnf. i'm glad i did, because i did enjoy it. maybe not enough to go out of my way to read another laura kaye, but enough that i won't run screaming the other way if i see one.

BONUS PICKS

roger A Rookie Move 4 stars, 11/03 - i enjoyed this. it seems that i've been reading a lot of gfy stories lately, but this one felt different than the others, with no insta anything.

jane(ps) Hounded 5 stars, 11/18 - loved this. i liked oberon, atticus and surrounding characters. the world building was well done, and i enjoyed the story.

ella Embattled Hearts 3 stars, 11/23 - i'm not quite sure why i didn't click with this, but it seemed as though there was too much self-reflection going on. or something.

all in all, i think i've had a really good run of books this time around. i've still got 8 more that i'm planning to read before month's end, so i hope the luck continues.

[Aarati]

So glad you enjoyed most of your picks beppy! i added Unsopken to my TBR a while ago. I'll be reading it soon!

[Aarati]

I haven't updated in a while. So here goes:

Kathy Reckless 4 stars. I really enjoyed it. It was fun and sweet and hot and dirty. I loved it.

TabsThe Reaper and the Cop 3.5 stars There wasn't much in this novella. It felt more like a short story though. The whole book was set in 1 day.

GraceDead Reaper Walking 4 stars. Now this one was good. It starts right after The Reaper and the Cop ends. The author could have easily combined both books into one book and made a novel out of it and it would have been really good. The heroine was spunky and sarcastic and i loved her. The hero was hot as hell.

EllaThe Mark of Athena 5 stars. This was AMAZING!!! Percy and Annabeth are together gain and WOW!! AWESOME!!! Leo as usual cracked me up, we find out a bit about the rest of the seven too. All in all a winner!

Thanks all you guys for all the wonderful books! :)

[Jane (PS), Moderator]

beppy wrote: "i've finished more, and i may even have a chance to complete this challenge...minus bonus picks, of course.

aarati Unspoken 5 stars, 11/16 - boy, oh boy, i wish i had read this bac..."

I loved Hounded as well - so I'm pleased it was a good pick for you :)

[[deleted user]]

I'm glad you liked it Beppy. The Tairen Soul series is one of my favorites!

[Dee]

trying to squeeze in a couple more before the end of the month - reading Down for the Count (Larissa) and Crazy Little Thing (Lizz Neill)

I also have The Trouble with Cowboys (also Larissa) and Dreams of Perfection (Cariann/Katie) borrowed from Kindle Unlimited right now

[MountainKat, Moderator]

beppy wrote: " Hard as It Gets 3 stars, 11/22 - don't shoot me, but i am someone who didn't like Hearts in Darkness by the same author. i didn't like the writing style or the characters, and for the first 18% of this book, i felt the same way, but i decided that i would read to 25% before i would dnf. i'm glad i did, because i did enjoy it."

Not everything works for everyone! I know there are several authors that do nothing for me that are super popular, so I completely understand. I'm glad you did enjoy it in the end though. =)

[Jane (PS), Moderator]

I'm almost done with my group picks! I'm reading my last book right now :) I think this is the first time I will have finished... Yay!

Jennifer - Obsession: I liked the action in this book - lots of Luxen, human and Arum battles; but I wasn't so convinced on the main relationship. Thanks for the pick! 2.5 stars.

Lily - Strong Enough: This is solid sweetness - start to finish. Not a lot of angst - just enough to keep it interesting. Thanks for the pick! 3.5 stars.

Becky bookworm - Red Dirt Heart: I'll look to continue this series. It was great to read a book set on a cattle property, already knowing how they are run. Thanks for the pick! 4 stars.

beppy - bonus - We Danced: I loved the main characters (including Ty of course) in this story. I liked the way the author didn't put roadblocks in the way, by using issues from the past of either of the MCs. Thanks for the pick! 4 stars.

Ezi - bonus - Perfect Imperfections: Adorable and sweet with virtually no angst :) Great characters: JJ is full of talent and quirky issues; Reggie is fun, calm and contained. Loved both MCs to bits. Thanks for the pick!! 5 stars.

Amie - Dark Lycan: Except for the interminable sex/love passages that go for pages, this would have been a 5 star read for me. I love that we are back in the Carpathian Mountains with so many couples from past books, and with a new and dangerous enemy/s. Thanks for the pick! 4.5 stars.

Ramneek - bonus - The Fire Within: 'Ok' pretty much sums up how I rate this book. Nothing really stood out for me. BUT I have to note that this was written back in 2005 and likely this was new material back then... it just didn't translate for me now. Thanks for the pick - it moved it off my TBR :) 2 stars.

~Melissa~ - Dirty Secret: A lot of ppl love the audio version of these books, and the narrator does an excellent job of accents and character differentiation. Unfortunately I had an issue with his constant pauses mid-sentence. ...I think I prefer the 'Sinner' series. Thanks for the pick! 3 stars.

Penney - bonus - Sixty Five Hours: The Twelve Days of Christmas: A great epilogue to the Sixty Five Hours freebie. Thanks for the pick! 4 stars.

Shelby - Ball & Chain: It took a little longer to get into this story but I still really enjoyed this solid installment on the Ty & Zane train - with a bonus side of Nick & Kelly ;) Thanks for the pick! 4 stars.

Becky - bonus - Battle Scars: My first FF book. It's well-written, gentle and sweet, and knowing next to nothing about PTSD I certainly learnt about that. I wasn't wrapped up in the relationship :( Thanks for the pick! 3 stars.

Shelby - bonus - St-st-stuffed: Sweet story. I was concerned at the beginning that the bullying would be too much the focus, but really it is all addressed pretty quickly. Thanks for the pick! 3.5 stars.

Roger - bonus - Wacky Wednesday: I'm not big on BDSM - if I had been, I think this would have been a 4 star read :) Thanks for the pick! 3 stars.

Tabs - bonus (& Ty from round 5) - The Soldier And The Baby: My first book by this author, and I'd definitely read another book by her. Thanks for the pick. 3 stars.

Joyce - Skinwalker: I generally always enjoy urban fantasy and there is enough intrigue in the background of our MC that it keeps my mind alive to possibilities. Thanks for the pick! 4 stars.

Katie - Of Dark and Bright: This was SO much better than I expected. Book 2 fell into a screaming heap for me (too much internalised whinging and waffling as I recall) after having loved book 1... Thanks for the pick!! 5 stars.

Karla - bonus - Let Love Live: Upfront I admit that I haven't read the preceding 4 books and perhaps if I had, I would have enjoyed the first 40%; instead I found it pretty sad and was chomping at the bit to move into the present day. ...I really enjoyed the second half though... Thanks for the pick! 3 stars.

Cariann - Howl's Moving Castle: This is a lot of fun and actually quite complex. I can see me listening to this again sometime, and picking up more about the whole story... Thanks for the pick! 4 stars.

Susan A - The Magpie Lord - currently reading and really enjoying :)

[Nadine Bookaholic]

Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Americans.

[Jane (PS), Moderator]

Nice Nadine! ;)

Happy thanksgiving to all of you over there :)

[~Leslie~]

I have an abysmal record of reading this month. I'm so sorry to all my pickers. Y'all did a great job. RL (new grandbaby, moving, new job) got in the way. But have no fear, I will continue to read your picks long after our time is up!
Here's what I've read
Ty 5★ Loved this book and have now finished the second book as well. Thanks for the introduction to this series.

JoJo 4★ Another good one in the Harmony series.

Nadine 3.5★ A good start to a new series. I am looking forward to reading more.

Skandia 3.5★ It's not my favorite by this author, but any book by her is good. She is a definite favorite!

Bonus Picks

~Melissa~ 4★ Another good one in one of my favorite series.

Ezi 4★ I hadn't read this series for awhile and forgot how much I like it. This one was good!

[Shelby]

Alright here's my update for the round. I didn't do too badly honestly. Better than I thought I'd do with how crazy these last couple of months have been for me. :D

Read: 6/15

Group 3

☑ Becky - Tattoos & Teacups (10/17) ★★★½
☑ Jane (PS) - Freefall (10/23) ★★★★½ - Another great addition to the series! :D
☑ Lily - Full Disclosure (10/21) ★★★★½ - Liked this so much better than the first book. :D
☑ ~Melissa~ - Love Lessons (11/20) ★★★★★ - Amazing! Loved this book!
☑ Poongothai - Long Time Gone (10/24) ★★★★½
☑ Susan A - A Case of Possession (11/15) ★★★★★ - So fantastic!



R5 Bonus Picks: 1/20

☑ Becky - Family Man (10/7) ★★★★★



And because I never give up on getting through my past picks...
R5 Carryovers 1/12

☑ Laurla - Savage Love (10/14) ★★★★



R5 Bonus Picks Carryovers 1/6

☑ Katie - Magic Bites (11/13) ★★★★½



R3 Carryovers 1/11

☑ Bebby - The Fire's Stone (11/7) ★★★★½

[bookcover:The Fire's Stone|338131

[☘KathyD☘]

got through all of my picks this round! lots and lots of really great books! looking so forward to the next round!

After the Kiss — Mountain Kat — ★★★ 10/25

I really wanted to like this book. The story wasn’t bad, I’d just seen the movie version already. Overall, it was a quick, albeit predictable, story. I’ll be interested to see if the following stories are similar or if the stories evolve a bit.

The Wild Ones — Sassafras — ★★★★ 11/3

This was a fun book that I wished could go on further. I enjoyed getting to know the characters and would have liked to see more of them together rather that the dance leading up to hooking up and the damage/fix after they split. Looking forward to Rusty’s and Jenna’s story!

Caressed by Ice — Ezi — ★★★★★ 11/1

This series just gets better and better! I enjoyed getting to know Brenna and Judd better. They were first introduced in Slave to Sensation, but obviously were not the main focus of that book. They have a unique connection and it is fun to watch it play out through the course of the book. Needless to say, I’m ready and waiting for the next book! :)

Saving Justice — Beppy — ★★★★★ 10/29

Let me begin by apologizing for the soapbox that I will stand on for a second! I saw the cover of this book and decided it was a five-star book…then I read it and confirmed it! Those soulfull, pittie eyes are what did me in! I’m a huge advocate for pitbulls. For the past (almost) eight years, I’ve been mama to my sweet Lily girl. I met her the day she was born and will love her and be by her side until she takes her last breath. The scariest thing about my baby girl is her gas! She is loving, patient, goofy…I cannot figure out how anyone could be scared of her. I am also a volunteer with a local pitbull rescue. I have seen so many pitties that have come from deplorable situations, including fight rings, go on to be loving companions to their furever families. I can’t contain how happy I am that this book touched on dog fighting and pitbulls, as well as the horrible stigma these dogs live with. It was a breath of fresh air to read a story that included a pitbull in a positive light; too many stories take jabs at this breed and it irks me every…single…time.

Ok, off my soapbox, dusted off my pants…on to the book…LOVED it! I appreciated how well the subject of PTSD was tackled, I’ve already had my say on how awesome Justice’s story was, and I enjoyed how well the couple progressed despite the numerous steps backward that were made. I felt like, even though there was a happy ending, it wasn’t perfect because there were still so many obsticales to get past. But, as the story concluded, you just got a sense that even with all the backward steps that could come, progress would still be made and regardless of what path this couple takes, both will be Ok in the end.

Lover Unleashed — Tabs — ★★★★★ 11/25

V is one of my favorite Brothers....so this story focusing on his twin and his relationship with Jane was right up my ally....and it did...not...disappoint! I enjoyed the story of Manny and Payne, and can't wait to see more of them in future books, but it was seeing the progress of Vishous and Jane, and by extension, Butch, that really did it for me. I love that each of the Brothers has their own book, but I also enjoy seeing the progress they make as individuals and with their mates as time goes on in their world. On to the next....and then the next! :)

Night Pleasures — Preethi — ★★★★★ 11/22

What an awesome story! I love the world that is being weaved together and the characters that are in it! I am ready to dive into the next book to see how this world and characters expand!

Gabriel's Inferno — Anita — ★★★★★ 10/27

This has been on my radar for a while, so I’m really glad I got the proper kick in the butt to read it! As an woman with a degree in English, I felt so stupid reading this. All those wonderful references and I didn’t know any of them! Oh well…I guess that means more reading in my future! ;)

Anyhow, I was sucked in with how this story built up and progressed. I enjoyed reading the subtle (and sometimes less than subtle) dance between Julia and Gabriel. I’m chomping at the bit to read the next books, but I have too many others to read first…maybe they’ll be my Christmas present to myself!

A Touch of Crimson — Roger — ★★★ 11/12

I had really high hopes for this book. I read the short novella prior to picking this one up and enjoyed the story. This book dragged for me. It’s the first time in a long while I considered not finishing the book. I enjoyed the characters and the idea of the plot, but something just didn’t work well enough for me to be super excited to move on to the next book. I will probably continue to the next book…but I’m in no rush… :(

Tethered Wings — Zara — ★★★★ 11/18

I was pleasantly surprised by this book...I can't pinpoint what I was expecting, but I can tell you that I really enjoyed the characters and how the story progressed!


When Day Breaks Karla — ★★★★ 10/19

I’ve been waiting to read this and avoiding it for a while…I looked forward to Swanny’s story for so long, but avoided it because it means I have to wait for the next KGI installment! Ugg…the problems of loving a series so much! The only reason I couldn’t give this book five stars was because there was a little too much repetition…retelling other plot points over and over, repeating issues…it just got kind of old. But the story of Swanny and Eden was very sweet and I’m glad I finally read it! Now I just have to wait for the next book…ho, hum… :)

Effortless Karen — ★★★★ 10/23

I was much happier with this book than its predecessor. The characters have grown, but there are still lingering uncertainties as Kellan and Keira are testing time and again. I really enjoyed getting to see more of the band and learn a bit more about each one. Not a ton of information, but enough so you can get a better sense of the dynamic of the four men.

Beautiful Oblivion Aarati — ★★★★ 10/14

One of the parts of the Maddox brothers’ stories that I enjoy so much is how they overlap/repeat. Yes, I know that sounds ridiculous, but the first two books each gave the couples point of view. This story centered around a different Maddox brother, but we still got to see a little of Travis and Abby. I enjoyed seeing the relationship unfold for Trent and Cami. We got to see a sliver of it in Travis/Abby story. They are just as dysfunctional as Travis and Abby, but still unique enough to be interesting! I saw a review with a spoiler that caught me off guard, but I was happy to see the spoiler was wrong. I’m hoping to read this story from Trent’s side and then I’m looking forward to the next Maddox brother’s story!

Consensual Dana — ★★★★★ 10/5

This book was not what I expected. But I very much enjoyed the power exchange with a woman as the dominant. The story had a good pace and I'm eager to see where the story goes from here!

Bared Tina — ★★★★★ 10/6

I’ve noticed, a lot of “club-“type stories focus on pairings that have no history. This story follows a D/s relationship that has been established for more than two years. It played out well and was good to see how both characters figured out the obstacles they faced so they would be better for each other.

Ruined Beppy (extra pick for missing group member) — ★★★★★ 10/17

This book surprised me. I’m not sure what I expected, but I was surprised at how the story unfolded. It was a good story with some interesting twists and turns. I was so into the story, I had to read the next book in the series!

[Aarati]

Kathy wrote: "got through all of my picks this round! lots and lots of really great books! looking so forward to the next round!

After the Kiss — Mountain..."

I am glad you enjoyed most of your picks Kathy.

- When i read it, it reminded me of How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days, but the 2nd and third book are better in my pinion. I like the 2nd book best, 'cause it's a lot lighter in the angst dept and fun.

- I'm a fellow Psy-changeling lover. And I Love Judd so so much. Glad you loved him too.

- Another favourite book of mine. i love Kyrian too. Though I did leave this series mid-away after reading Acheron's book.

- Glad you enjoyed it. I wasn't the biggest fan of Abby and Travis. I found their books to be alright, so I'm in no hurry to read this book. But I'm really glad you enjoyed it!

[Ezi]

@Katie: I finished , I don't know. I liked it but I'm so over these stories where guys hold all the cards in a sexual relationship and the chick goes along for the ride. It ended unfinished so I'll listen to book 2.

@lizz Neill: I listened to And I was happy because I missed that Scottish brogue in my life.

Thanks to you for my recs.

[Joyce]

Meet and Greet Round 6 – October-November

I got to four of the titles this month, just too tired at night from working so many extra hours. Found myself falling asleep after one page. LOL

Group 3

Shelby: - I really enjoyed The Darkest Kiss this series is really intriguing. I'll definitely be continuing this series.

PS: how do you make those little colored check boxes? Can you share the html code for it.

Diane ~Firefly I read The Enchantment Emporium It was good but not as good as Tanya Huff's other series. It was lighter but still enjoyable.

Cariann I read Dance Upon the Air
which was a great read. I can always count on Nora Roberts to flesh out her characters so well.

Poongothai I read The Ocean at the End of the Lane it was really good I read it in two days, could not put it down. Gaiman is always a bit strange but I enjoyed it.

[[deleted user]]

Kathy wrote: "got through all of my picks this round! lots and lots of really great books! looking so forward to the next round!

Night Pleasures — Preethi — ★★★★★ 11/22

What an awesome story! I love the world that is being weaved together and the characters that are in it! I am ready to dive into the next book to see how this world and characters expand!"


I'm glad you liked it. I loved this book too. This was my first Sherrilyn Kenyon book and reading it made me determine to catch up with all her books.

is one of favourite books of the Psy-Changeling series too!

[[deleted user]]

I've been slacking at updating my reads. Here is what I finished till now:

Group 2- Completed: 6/14.

Zara- - ★ I unfortunately did not like this at all.

KarenH- - ★★★★★ Loved this book. It was so much better than the previous one. I can't wait to read to the next book!

Sassafrass- - ★★★★ I liked this book too. A lot of action. But, I did not like it as much as the Psy-Changeling series. However, I'm hopeful I will love this series a bit more as I read the next books.

Anita- - ★★★★A quirky, fun Cozy Mystery. Loved the small town and girl-power feel of the book. I'll definitely be reading the next books in the series.

Tabs- - ★★★★ A Lisa Kleypas book. Of course I loved it!

MountainKat- - ★★★★★ I absolutely loved this book. Thanks for picking this. I need to catch up with this series soon.


BONUS:
Completed: 4/17

Katie- - ★★★★ A short, fun Fantasy book. A bit more details about the world it is set in would have made it awesome. Since it was a novella, it focused solely on the story, and lack development on the character and world-building level. Still, I enjoyed it.

Ramneek- - ★★★★ This series is getting weirder by the minute. I'm totally loving it! Lots happen in this book. Can't wait for the next book to get released!

Vi- - ★★★★ I was surprised by how much I loved this steampunk fantasy. Thank for picking this. I probably would never have touched it for a long time, if you hadn't picked this. I would have missed a great book!

Shelby- - ★★★ This was just an okay read for me. I found the initial scenes in the shop between Bride and Vane totally unrealistic and it bugged me to no end. I am intrigued by Fury, though. Hope to read his book soon.


I am also almost done with 2 other picks:

-Aarati - I'm loving it a lot, so I'm taking time to read this slowly and enjoy it.

- Leslie - While I love the other Lupi books to no end, I'm finding it a bit hard to get into this book. Lack of Lily and Rule is getting to me I think. I almost done with this too, however.

I'm hoping to finish both these books by tomorrow.

I'd hoped to read all books picked for me, as all seem awesome, but this is all I was able to get to. But I'm going to continue reading and finishing all my picks.

[UnusualChild{beppy}]

finished some more:

sassafras 3 stars. i don't know, this author and i don't seem to be completely compatible.

kathy 4 stars. i couldn't get into the story at first, but it grew on me, and i really liked the h/H and the world building. i will definitely continue with this series...once my moratorium on buying books is lifted.

anita 5 stars. *sigh* loved. love, loved, loved, loved. carla kelly just does it for me. her h's and her H's are such honourable people dealing with everyday things and strife with such character.

ezinwanyi 5 stars. oh, boy. seriously liked this one, too. the relationship between mclane and riley was wonderful. (and misha, too, but he wasn't physically with them for that long.) i liked the secondary characters, too.

BONUS PICKS

katie 4 stars. i liked the humour and the mystery in this one (even though i figured it out fairly early on, it was still fun watching kit do it.)

sunshine 5 stars. i liked this one too, especially the h and H. they were just so well written and special.

i've finished my main picks, and i have 2 more bonus picks that i plan to read before the end of tomorrow. hopefully my luck continues and they are wonderful reads too. thanks for the picks, everybody. i'm kind of sorry to see this round end, because a lot of my picks for next round are so i can complete various title and author challenges, and i'm not expecting the quality to be as high. :-/ at least, not until january, when i can read some of the books i actually want to. maybe something will surprise me, though.

[MountainKat, Moderator]

Kathy wrote: " After the Kiss — Mountain Kat — ★★★ 10/25

I really wanted to like this book. The story wasn’t bad, I’d just seen the movie version already. Overall, it was a quick, albeit predictable, story. I’ll be interested to see if the following stories are similar or if the stories evolve a bit."

I wasn't expecting much when I read this book, so I was pleasantly surprised. Glad you found it worthwhile at least!

[MountainKat, Moderator]

Preethi wrote: "MountainKat- Serpent's Kiss (Elder Races, #3) by Thea Harrison - ★★★★★ I absolutely loved this book. Thanks for picking this. I need to catch up with this series soon."

I'm glad you loved it too! This series is such a good one!

[Shelby]

Joyce wrote: "Meet and Greet Round 6 – October-November

I got to four of the titles this month, just too tired at night from working so many extra hours. Found myself falling asleep after one page. LOL

Group 3..."


If you mean this ☑ box the code is really easy it's just (& # 9744) for an empty box and (& # 9745) for a checked box. :) Of course minus the spaces and the parenthesis.

[MountainKat, Moderator]

Wow, I've been bad the last couple of weeks about reporting back! I've finished all of my picks, except beppy's bonus pick - I was saving that for last and I started it today!

beppy: Strawberries for Dessert by Marie Sexton 11.14.14 - I really liked this one and that was a bit surprising! I didn't really care for either of the characters in the previous books, but I so wanted them to make things work in this one! Thanks for the push to read it!

Sassafrass: Echoes of Scotland Street 11.19.14 by Samantha Young - you know I loved this one!! Thanks for the buddy read!

Kathy: Screwdrivered by Alice Clayton 11.23.14 - It was quite different from the previous books, but I still really liked it! Thanks for the reason to listen to this one!

I'm currently working my way through beppy's replacement pick of Love Comes in Darkness, I WILL finish it in November!!

[MountainKat, Moderator]

Woohoo - I'm done! I just finished beppy's extra pick, Love Comes in Darkness and I thought it was a sweet story. At times it was almost sappy and there was lots of explaining through the story. Some of that was good and fit well, but sometimes it was a bit much. Still I enjoyed it! Thanks for giving me the extra pick beppy!

[UnusualChild{beppy}]

MountainKat wrote: "Wow, I've been bad the last couple of weeks about reporting back! I've finished all of my picks, except beppy's bonus pick - I was saving that for last and I started it today!

beppy: Straw..."</i>

i believe that this ("strawberries for desert") was the first one in the series that i read and i really liked it. you know what's a little funny, though? i haven't really wanted to read [book:A to Z because i haven't really liked zach or angelo. i'll get to it eventually, i'm sure, but i just don't really feel any urgency about it.