TART Challenge - Round 5 - Reading on Empty (11)

[Maggie]

I’m just about done with my reads. I’m out running errands/appointments right now but will have them logged around dinner EST. Sorry to hold us up!! I can say that Backstage Pass is a 5 star. I’m wobbling on Falling Hard between a 3.5 and a 4 star.

[Maggie]

Completion Post
Task 13 - 69. Read 6 books that have won/been nominated for an award.


Falling Hard by Lexi Ryan

Qualifies: RITA Award by Romance Writers of America for Contemporary Romance: Long (2018)
Pages: Kindle Edition, 376 pages
Read on: 5/16/2022
Rating: 4 stars
Review: I have Spinning Out (the first book in this series) sitting on my TBR and after reading Falling Hard I have this urge to binge the entire series. Lexi is one of those authors who just draws you into her stories. Her people are amazing, not perfect in any way, and they are all broken in different deep ways. Keegan and Emma take you on a twisty and deeply layered journeyed story before coming out the other end as whole people let alone with a "happy" ending. I will say that reading this book first not only really added to my insane curiosity about the rest of the series, but I probably should have read the rest of the series in order. I have a good feeling that Keegan would be that guy I'd love to hate in the other books. The even bigger "funny only to me thing" was that I started a second book to help "come down from the deep dark" in this one....and the other book was JUST AS TWISTED, DEEP, and INTENSE. I've had a rough book weekend and I'm in a massive book hangover. I adore Lexi's writing style and will be reading more from her as soon as I can work her back into a challenge prompt LOL.

[Maggie]

Selection Post
Task 13 - 69. Read 6 books that have won/been nominated for an award.


Backstage Pass by Olivia Cunning
Qualifies:Readers’ Crown Award by RomCon for Best First Book (2011)
Pages:Kindle Edition, 384 pages
Read On: 5/16/2022
Rating: 5 Stars
Review: This one is a full 5 stars. I wasn't sure at first as it seemed to just be a long 48 hours of two people finding every conceivable surface or place to put various bits of their bodies into each other's bodies, but around 50% of the book the author REALLY found her story and the book just took off. There was a TON of build up with the band and different wrongs, hurts, betrayals and pain which is even at the end of the book still being dealt with. With the MFC, I honestly wasn't sure where we were going to wind up as at 97% of the book she was still hearing her creeper ex husband's voice in her head and all I was thinking to myself was "If I have read almost 500 pages of this and it's a cliff hanger--- I will throw my kindle!" the author wrapped it up, but almost too quickly. As in within two pages. She's written longer orgasms for these two. I'm fully into the band drama though and I now need to double check and see if this is a series as I have to know what happens with the rest of the guys. As I mentioned in the Falling Harder review above, I read this book in tandem with Falling Harder. Both are intense and layered reads. Dense books. I fell a bit deeper into this one as it was the start of the series whereas with Falling Harder it was the second to last book of the series and I felt off of the plot a bit. What I didn't realize about Backstage Pass until I just read the back matter - author thank yous and all was that this was her DEBUT novel. That alone would have upped her rating from me, but her story and her characters more than earned it with what she put all of these people through. And no, it wasn't just the rock n roll orgy scenes or the "I like to watch" scenes. It was the "I don't feel like I can be loved or I'm worthy of love" or the "my profession cheapens me as a woman" or other stigmas her characters struggled with.

[Maggie]

COMPLETION POST- Team 11- Reading On Empty
Task 13
69. Read 6 books that have won/been nominated for an award.

Kirsten: Msg 297
Kirsten: Msg 298
M: Msg 299
Kira: Msg300
Maggie: Msg 302
Maggie: Msg 303

*Posted on Q&A

[MountainKat, Moderator]

I'm not checking completions tonight, hopefully tomorrow.

Here is your next task!

Task 14 - 61. Read 4 books rated over 4.5 on GR.

Books selected for this task need to have an average rating of 4.5 or higher on GR. You can find this information on the main book page under the title or add it to the settings on your shelves. Please include the average rating in your completion posts. If the average rating may drop below 4.5 during this task, for example if it is a new book with very few ratings, a screen shot might be advisable.

[Kirsten]

I’m going to read the next in this achingly sad bu t gorgeous series I started yesterday: Carved in Bone

[Maggie]

I've got three I'm trying to decide between.
For now I'm starting

[Kirsten]

Task 14-61
Completion Post

Carved in Bone
Michael Nava
226 pages
Completed 17 May
Average 4.52 rating (see link above)

4.25 stars
Oh, Henry, you ache.
Heart wrenching AIDS chronicle.
Two men of many.

I am definitely glad I read this book, but it (and the first in the series) are really hard, honest chronicles of life for (some) gay men in the 1980s.

[M]

Just checking in... life has been crazy the last few days. Should have my book read by tomorrow morning 😊

[Maggie]

Ladies don’t worry at all - just let me know you’re still around, and doing okay.

For laughs - today we’ve been trying to figure out how our son wound up at an underground hot dog eating contest at a local minor league ball park. His school had gone for a field trip to see one of our universities close out their season. When I picked him up at school he started telling me how he’d won a bunch of money but a kid had stolen it and thrown it onto the field. The more we ask for details the more hysterical it gets.
Apparently our guy had gotten hungry and had gone to the concourse to get food and some random dude asked him if he wanted a hot dog and let him over to a random cart by some tables. The guy told our son it was all you could eat and free.
So - we EPICALLY failed at the whole “stranger danger” and “kidnapping” parenting lessons here 🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️

My husband can’t stop laughing about it though 🤣🤣🤣

Provably because we thought our daughter was fighting allergies and another reaction to a new birth control for the last three days and today we got a call that she was exposed to COVID in all of her classes Thursday and Friday last week 🤦🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

[M]

OMG, Maggie! That story is one for the books. I don't think I could have listened to it with a straight face. Hope you guys stay healthy. Sorry about the exposure. Have you guys had it yet?

[M]

Completion Post
Task 14 - 61. Read 4 books rated over 4.5 on GR.


Merciless Punks: Dolls and Douchebags Part Three by Madeline Fay


Qualifies Rated 4.59 on GR
Page count 210 pages https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09...
Date completed 5/19/22
Rating 4
Review This was dark, sexy and intense. I think it's my favorite one in the series so far. The start of this was hard to read, but nothing like how book 1 broke me.

Tillie is made strong by the men in her life. Logan, Dalton, Nicky and Tey will try their best to be what she needs now that secrets are coming to light. Tey pretty much stole the show for me. His dark humor is the best. One part towards the end had me giggling out loud. If I wasn't smiling, I was holding my breath wondering what bad would happen next. Ooh and I love that there might just be a 5th. Didn't see that coming with how alpha some of these dudes are, but totally down with it.

I'm ready for her to breathe a bit easier and just be.
That cliffhanger.... gah! Gutted. Need the next book asap!

[Maggie]

Completion Post
Task 14 - 61. Read 4 books rated over 4.5 on GR.

Wild About You by Rebecca Jenshak
Qualifies: was rated 4.58 when I started the book, fell to 4.54 while I was reading the book. (Screen shots to be added)
Page Count: 229 per Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09...
Date Completed:5/19/2022
Rating: 5 stars
Review: This story was a little different from the sibling stories Rebecca has written in the past. There's a smallish age difference between Tyler and Everly. Enough so that he's an adult, a rookie on an NHL team, and she's a minor with some behavior problems. Their mom - not such a great parent with the whole "being there for her kids" thing. The story begins with Everly showing up at Tyler's apartment unexpectedly for a break from her mom. It turns in the story of how the two siblings finally grew up, learned to trust and lean on people. learned to love and trust each other, and learned that it IS okay to let people in. It was a great storyline with Tyler being the older brother and having a personality where he feels he needs to give away everything that he's close to or loves (even people) if he can't give them everything he things they need. He never once stops to consider that HE is actually what they need. Everly is a taker. She expects people to do things for her, but she also has lines that she will not allow others to cross. She's at the perfect state of too many changes about to happen in her life and too many voices in her head. It was lovely to read through how these two started to heal each other by letting others in to lighten the load for each of them. Then it was "You need this person in your life because" for Ev it was Ty's teammates as they could help her with homework or other things that he couldn't. It also gave her a group of big brothers to lean on. Something she both hates and loves. For Ty it was his sister realizing he'd broken the heart of the woman he loved at 18 and while he's was still hurting hers was destroyed. Everly helps put that back together. It was natural to read this larger and smaller family emerge from this story. I haven't had a chance to read Maverick's book yet. I have it in my Kindle, but this one met our requirements and the early comment's on Rebecca's feed were stomping all over my curiosity. This book felt more like the true beginning of a new series. Mav's book is about the last two kids in the college crew FINALLY figuring stuff out. Yes. I desperately want to read Mav and Kota's story, but after reading Wild About You, I have a feeling Wildcat will be more of a long sweet drawn out farewell to the college crew. Wild About You fully cuts the ties to that other world, plops us into Minnesota and gives a new family. There wasn't any front or back office drama. Minimal locker room talk or drama. It was all away from the ice and how the family unit was gelling at home. In the cozy neighborhood. Setting up and solidifying the team members. Rookies, mid years, old guys. I'm now stalking Rebecca's next two releases and I'm REALLY REALLY hoping that Ev and Declan are a book. Their relationship is not giving off big bro/little sis vibes. Ty seemed to be picking up on some of that at the end of this book. Oh well. It may be awhile. Ev still has college to get through.



[image error]

[Maggie]

COMPLETION POST- Team 11- Reading On Empty
Task 14

Kirsten: Msg 308
M: Msg 312
Maggie: Msg 313

[Maggie]

Hey Ladies -

I have some errands to run most of the morning /early afternoon tomorrow. I wanted to make sure I got my book logged just in case.

Kira - If you happen to stop by and post a completion post, would you mind also posting over in the Q&A for us?

Or anyone for that matter?

I know I have a drs appointment in the morning, school drop off, some grocery and birthday party shopping, school pick up, I think I get a two hour break, and then the birthday parties.

May is crazy. Next week is a tiny bit worse. Then it gets better with school ending on the 14th.

[Maggie]

M wrote: "OMG, Maggie! That story is one for the books. I don't think I could have listened to it with a straight face. Hope you guys stay healthy. Sorry about the exposure. Have you guys had it yet?"

His story is cracking us up. His dr told us "illegal underground hot dog eating contest" is going to probably win her "craziest patient story of the quarter" We adore this dr. she's been working with both kids since they were in elementary school.

COVID. UGH this thing is a never ending trip in our house. I think this time around we're going to be okay.

The shortest story is - yes we have all had it. The kids and I had it originally in March of 2020. Mine was sort of bad. I didn't need a hospital, but it took a really long time for the brain fog, cough, anf fatigue to clear.

Then last year around this time I became ill after my second does of my vaccine. I started exhibiting symptoms of long COVID. I also had an allergic reaction to my second shot. I was fine up until about 12 hours after the shot and then I quickly slid into a massive vertigo attack, wasn't lucid at all (my texts were hysterical) and then passed out for 10 hours. When I finally woke up - everything but the vertigo was gone.
The vertigo lead to cluster headaches, brain fogs, and I found I couldn't work on the computer for more than two to three hours a day. If I did my brain functions would start to fail. Much like when I had a medium concussion a several years ago. From May through August I had a cluster headache on the right side of my head that never left. I was in constant pain. I also kept having recurrent respiratory issues.
I've now got a cardiologist, a pulmonologist, and a headache specialist. I've been headache pain free almost completely since October.
In December, shortly after my husband, our daughter and I all got our boosters - my husband finally got COVID. As did I and our son. He was only 11 at the time and he has an auto immune issue that doesn't fight respiratory illnesses. We knew this would happen eventually. This round was easier for all of us. Jake (our son) and I were on a bunch of steroids, and I was just fatigued and brain fogged again. Then Jake picked up COVID again at the beginning of March. I had a respiratory infection only at that time. My cough from that one still hasn't gone away. I actually need to go have an MRI on my sinuses done and go see my pulmonologists again. I'm just in utter doctor fatigue at this point though.

So our daughter only has massive sinus congestion and she lost her voice. She's tested negative for COVID three times. She's triple vaxxed, and it's only clear sniffles which respond to Mucinex and allertex. She's allowed at school with a mask. Her pediatrician will see her either tomorrow if her ear drum ruptures again (she's had ear issues since infancy) or on Monday for a sinus infection if the ears stay stable.

Once again, I can't visit my mom though. It's getting to be ridiculous. I think we've gotten to the point where my dad is going to bring her up to our house on Saturday so she can resuce the plants I am killing which are her mother's day gifts, and she can listen to Jake perform his songs from his concert that they had to miss (it was indoors. She's not allowed in crowds) she and dad are going to hang out on the porch and we get the lawn. It is what it is. But I keep telling my siblings - I outright refuse to be the kid who accidentally kills either of our parents.

We've had a betting pool running on which one of us would accidentally lead them to their death since I got my driver's license. LOL

[Kira]

COMPLETION POST
Task 14: 61) Books rated over 4.5
The Wrong Heart by Jennifer Hartmann

Page numbers: 339 (See Above Links)
How book qualified: Avg Rating 4.55
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review: I have so many feelings right now I don't know how to summarize this. I am glad I had tissues handy. The topic of grief was handled beautifully. I love a grumpy hero that melts for the heroine. Melody & Parker's story is not one I'll forget anytime soon.

[Kira]

COMPLETION POST- Team 11- Reading On Empty
Task 14 - 61. 61. Read 4 books rated over 4.5 on GR.

Kirsten: Msg 308
M: Msg 312
Maggie: Msg 313
Kira: Msg 317

* Posted in Q&A

[Kirsten]

Maggie wrote: "M wrote: "OMG, Maggie! That story is one for the books. I don't think I could have listened to it with a straight face. Hope you guys stay healthy. Sorry about the exposure. Have you guys had it ye..."

Maggie, at least you can laugh about it!

[MountainKat, Moderator]

Maggie wrote: "Completion Post
Task 14 - 61. Read 4 books rated over 4.5 on GR.

Wild About You by Rebecca Jenshak
Qualifies: was rated 4.58 wh..."

Likely a typo, but please correct the page count to 299, no need to repost. Thanks.

And I believe you have a screen shot though it doesn't show and I'm glad because the rating is even lower now. 😊

[MountainKat, Moderator]

Here is your next task!

Task 15 - 113. The first person on your team alphabetically, selects a book or series and everyone reads a book in that series.

The first person on your team alphabetically is Kira. So Kira selects a book or series and everyone reads the selected book or a book in the selected series. Please include the selected book/series in your completion posts.

[Kira]

Maggie wrote: "Ladies don’t worry at all - just let me know you’re still around, and doing okay.

For laughs - today we’ve been trying to figure out how our son wound up at an underground hot dog eating contest a..."

I'm catching up on this thread now and this story is hilarious 😂. I'm glad the underground hotdog eating contest wasn't harmful. How many did he eat? How much did he win? And I'm so glad you're going to get to visit with you parents, even if it's not under ideal circumstances.

[Kira]

MountainKat wrote: "Here is your next task!

Task 15 - 113. The first person on your team alphabetically, selects a book or series and everyone reads a book in that series.

The first person on your team alphabeticall..."

I am feeling the pressure on this. I HATE decisions. Lol. I am in the mood for another hockey romance though. Living in Alberta, the Flames and the Oilers facing off in NHL play offs is a big deal. 😂

So on that note. I was kind of looking at:
Moo U by multiple authors
Cold Fury by Sawyer Bennett
Seattle Sharks by Samantha Whiskey
Pucked by Helena Hunting
Assassins by Toni Aleo

I know Moo U was one we were interested in as a group. Seattle sharks is the only series I've started. But the others have been on my TBR radar for a long time. Any preferences? Or other suggestions?

[M]

Finally had a chance to pop in. Today has been so busy!

Kira that is way pressure lol. You made some great suggestions though. I've read the Pucked series, but I would be ok with any of the others. I haven't read any books by the other authors you mentioned so it will be nice to check one of the list.

[M]

I was just looking at the Assassins series and book 1 is 594 pages. I don't want to read that long of a book lol. So I don't vote for that one!

ETA - I vote for Moo U

[Kira]

M wrote: "I was just looking at the Assassins series and book 1 is 594 pages. I don't want to read that long of a book lol. So I don't vote for that one!"

Good catch! I don't want to make a commitment like that either. I obviously did not vet these series super thoroughly. 😆

[Kirsten]

Moo U! I’ve read a ton of Bennett and Whiskey. I’ll read any of them but prefer 1or 9 bc fake relationship trope.

[Kira]

Okay! I chose the Moo U Series

I think we can all read whichever book. The task makes it sound like it's fine if some of us end up reading the same book.

[Maggie]

Moo U works for me! I have one of them on my Meet and Greet challenge 🤣

Kira - AWESOME choices I love all of these series ❤️

[M]

Awesome! I'll go ahead and start book 1 of Moo U when I get done reading my arc.

[Maggie]

M wrote: "Awesome! I'll go ahead and start book 1 of Moo U when I get done reading my arc."

🤣🤣
This was the book I was going to start this afternoon as well! It's the one I have on my Meet and Greet.

And I think it's one of the ones Kirsten was looking at for the fake relationship troupe 🤣🤣

ARE we all able to read the same book within the series?
I also have Rebecca Jenshak's Slapshot and Holdout looked good to me as well. It's available through my library so I'll download that today.

[Maggie]

***Repost/Correction Post***

Completion Post
Task 14 - 61. Read 4 books rated over 4.5 on GR.

Wild About You by Rebecca Jenshak
Qualifies: was rated 4.58 when I started the book, fell to 4.54 while I was reading the book. (Screen shots to be added)
Page Count: 299 per Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09...
Date Completed:5/19/2022
Rating: 5 stars
Review: This story was a little different from the sibling stories Rebecca has written in the past. There's a smallish age difference between Tyler and Everly. Enough so that he's an adult, a rookie on an NHL team, and she's a minor with some behavior problems. Their mom - not such a great parent with the whole "being there for her kids" thing. The story begins with Everly showing up at Tyler's apartment unexpectedly for a break from her mom. It turns in the story of how the two siblings finally grew up, learned to trust and lean on people. learned to love and trust each other, and learned that it IS okay to let people in. It was a great storyline with Tyler being the older brother and having a personality where he feels he needs to give away everything that he's close to or loves (even people) if he can't give them everything he things they need. He never once stops to consider that HE is actually what they need. Everly is a taker. She expects people to do things for her, but she also has lines that she will not allow others to cross. She's at the perfect state of too many changes about to happen in her life and too many voices in her head. It was lovely to read through how these two started to heal each other by letting others in to lighten the load for each of them. Then it was "You need this person in your life because" for Ev it was Ty's teammates as they could help her with homework or other things that he couldn't. It also gave her a group of big brothers to lean on. Something she both hates and loves. For Ty it was his sister realizing he'd broken the heart of the woman he loved at 18 and while he's was still hurting hers was destroyed. Everly helps put that back together. It was natural to read this larger and smaller family emerge from this story. I haven't had a chance to read Maverick's book yet. I have it in my Kindle, but this one met our requirements and the early comment's on Rebecca's feed were stomping all over my curiosity. This book felt more like the true beginning of a new series. Mav's book is about the last two kids in the college crew FINALLY figuring stuff out. Yes. I desperately want to read Mav and Kota's story, but after reading Wild About You, I have a feeling Wildcat will be more of a long sweet drawn out farewell to the college crew. Wild About You fully cuts the ties to that other world, plops us into Minnesota and gives a new family. There wasn't any front or back office drama. Minimal locker room talk or drama. It was all away from the ice and how the family unit was gelling at home. In the cozy neighborhood. Setting up and solidifying the team members. Rookies, mid years, old guys. I'm now stalking Rebecca's next two releases and I'm REALLY REALLY hoping that Ev and Declan are a book. Their relationship is not giving off big bro/little sis vibes. Ty seemed to be picking up on some of that at the end of this book. Oh well. It may be awhile. Ev still has college to get through.

[Maggie]

MountainKat wrote: "Maggie wrote: "Completion Post
Task 14 - 61. Read 4 books rated over 4.5 on GR.

Wild About You by Rebecca Jenshak
Qualifies: wa..."

Updated! And yes - total typo on the page numbers. It was late, my sleeping meds were kicking in, and I'm never more thankful for spellcheck than I am between midnight and 4am 🤣

I THINK I finally figured out how to insert a photo in a review/comment. I found a YouTube video Alessandra Torre posted (LOVE HER). Apparently the magic only works if you are on a laptop and NOT if you are trying to work on your phone in a drs waiting room 🤣

Thanks for letting me update/correct this one Kat! Let me know if there is anything else still needed.

[Maggie]

Kira wrote: "Maggie wrote: "Ladies don’t worry at all - just let me know you’re still around, and doing okay.

For laughs - today we’ve been trying to figure out how our son wound up at an underground hot dog e..."

He ate 30 hot dogs (according to him) he's 4'6" (crazy short kiddo) and he's only 68lbs. So I don't think it was 30, I'd maybe give him 20.

Neither my husband nor I had realized that he'd missed taking his ADHD med that morning as it was such a rush to get out the door that day. His med is awesome. It's one that flushes through the system over the course of the day. The downside is it suppresses hunger. Knowing he didn't take it - he absolutely would have been eating like he hadn't seen food in over a month.

Even funnier was he had soccer practice that night and he ran a 5k and did skill drills for that. He came home starving and in the middle of dinner started complaining of a weird tightness in his chest and throat. He was trying to convince us it was a new type of asthma flair. I was hanging off of the dining room table laughing so hard. My husband was barely able to get two words out he was laughing so hard and his sister just hits him with that teenage dead eye stare and says "That's heartburn you idiot. Grab a Tums."

Now that I've learned how to insert a photo into these things 🙄

This was us last summer on vacation. I think he's a little taller now, but not by much. The hoodie he's wearing fits him instead of being oversized these days.

[Kirsten]

Maggie wrote: "Kira wrote: "Maggie wrote: "Ladies don’t worry at all - just let me know you’re still around, and doing okay.

For laughs - today we’ve been trying to figure out how our son wound up at an undergro..."

Haha! Get a Tums. You have a lovely family.

[Kirsten]

Task 15 - 113. The first person on your team alphabetically, selects a book or series and everyone reads a book in that series.
Completion Post

We chose Moo U, the multi-author series from Sarina Bowen's Heart Eyes Press

Boyfriend
Sarina Bowen
265 pages
Completed 22 May

3 Stars
Easy, familiar
NA hockey, with a side
of grief and assault.

I thought this was a fine book, but I'm just not an MF reader, and this felt predictable to me. I did like both characters, and the world was like the Ivy Years, Off-Campus, CU Hockey and more. I like that world, and you can never have too much hockey!

[M]

Beautiful family, Maggie and I love the hot dog story. That is a lot of them. He should get Tums in his Christmas stocking from now on haha!

[M]

Completion Post
Task 15 - 113. The first person on your team alphabetically, selects a book or series and everyone reads a book in that series.


Boyfriend by Sarina Bowen

Qualifies Kira chose Moo U as the series for us to read
Page count 265 pages
Date completed 5/22/22
Rating 3.5 stars
Review This was a sweet easy read. Weston was swoon worthy to the max. I pretty much adored him. He was total book boyfriend material. Abbi was perfect for him. I wanted a bit more angst, but overall if you're looking for a sugary sweet sports read - this one is it!

[Maggie]

Completion Post
Task 15 - 113. The first person on your team alphabetically, selects a book or series and everyone reads a book in that series.

Boyfriend by Sarina Bowen

Qualifies: Kira chose Moo U as the series for us to read
Page count: 265 pages
Date completed: 5/23/22
Rating: 3.5 stars
Review: I find it fun that so far we've all read the same book from the Moo U series. 😆 As Kirsten and M said, this was a fun, fast read. The storyline was a bit predictable, but the characters were worth it. I loved Weston and Abbi. These two actually reminded me a lot of Drew and Abby from Amanda Shelley's Drew. He was also a student athlete, pre-med, and she was also a "don't have time for dating" sort of girl. That's really where the similarities end. I know that all of the guys on the team get their own books, so I know I will be diving into the series deeper as I'm curious how the rest of the team makes out. Particularly the twins. I'd looked at their books and passed on them. Now that I've "met" them...I'm intrigued. They also remind me another set of twins in a different hockey series. I agree with Kirsten that I've read enough Bowen books that this one was a cute read, but I prefer her Brooklyn series more. I'm annoyed that she stuck with "Westie" for a nickname. Weston deserved a better boyfriend name than that. I really want a Stevie and Tamar book! I'm going to go scope out the rest of Bowen's books to see if they have one. Price as a predictable character and a bit of a predictable story line. I think I've been reading too many dark books on the side. I was hoping for full on stalker from him or hidden jealousy and craziness in Lila. I may need to cut back on the dark and twisty reads a bit....

[Kirsten]

Maggie wrote: "Completion Post
Task 15 - 113. The first person on your team alphabetically, selects a book or series and everyone reads a book in that series.

[book:Boyfriend|583412..."

If you find Steve and Tamar, let me know! I did a quick search of the Bowen books I own as well as a google search, but got nothing.

[Maggie]

Kirsten wrote: "Maggie wrote: "Completion Post
Task 15 - 113. The first person on your team alphabetically, selects a book or series and everyone reads a book in that series.

[book:B..."

I may need to join her reader’s grp and see if the question has been asked as well.
Such a hardship 🤣🤣

[Maggie]

Oh! Also
To continue my family’s stupid medical stories -
I wound up in the ER yesterday with sharp pain in my upper abdominal muscles.
Turns out (please laugh long and hysterically at this next part) I tore the abdominal wall in the upper left quadrant by taking a swing at a unicorn piñata on Friday night.

I really really wish this I was joking.
My friends are finding this doubly hysterical as prior to my round with our piñata, my softball playing niece had taken all of her end of school year rage out on the teens’ piñata. I’d had my head back laughing at something one of my friends was saying, her swing demolished the piñata, and I took a bag of smartfood to the throat. The bag exploded and I wound up with popcorn in my hair for the rest of the night. I was WELL outside of the “blood circle” as the nephew before her had used his katana on the piñata.
Someone (me) had thought it would be a fun idea to have “a plethora of piñatas” at our May birthday gathering.
And it really was. We all wound up wearing pieces of piñata like we were some sort of heathen hunter gather tribe.
I’d filled the adult piñatas with jolly ranchers and small bottles of booze. 🦄🪅
Who knew my baseball swing was as epically horrifying as my golf swing 🤷🏻‍♀️
But, I’m on a muscle relaxer now. I have to take my next dose. Which means anything I attempt to write from here until about 5 hours from now won’t make any sense.
If Kira posts could someone note it on the Q&A?
Thanks
(For real - laugh. My friends sent me voice texts of them just laughing their butts off once the ER confirmed it wasn’t anything serious 🤣🤣)

[Kirsten]

I pulled my lat doing planks. I loved my muscle relaxant but hated the pain. I hope you feel better soon!

[Kira]

COMPLETION POST
Task 15 - 113. The first person on your team alphabetically, selects a book or series and everyone reads a book in that series.
Boyfriend by Sarina Bowen

Page numbers: 265 (See Above Links)
How book qualified: First book in Moo U
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Review: I agree with what everyone else said! 😂. This was a light read and super sweet. Nothing new or surprising, but enjoyable all the same.

[Kira]

COMPLETION POST- Team 11- Reading On Empty
Task 15 - 113. The first person on your team alphabetically, selects a book or series and everyone reads a book in that series.
Kira chose Moo U

Kirsten: Msg 336
M: Msg 338
Maggie: Msg 339
Kira: Msg 344

* Posted in Q&A

[MountainKat, Moderator]

Here is your next task!

Task 16 - 71. Pick another team and each member reads one book that was read by a member for this challenge. No pass for this task.

As a team, select another team in this challenge. Then each teammate reads a book read by a member of the selected team for this challenge. Please include a link to the selected team member’s completion post for the chosen book. Also include the selected team in your completion posts. No pass for this task.

[Maggie]

MountainKat wrote: "Here is your next task!

Task 16 - 71. Pick another team and each member reads one book that was read by a member for this challenge. No pass for this task.

As a team, select another team in this ..."

Looking through our discussions, we had talked about Team 7 Fast Like Molasses.

Since we are restricted to what the team has read during this challenge, I did some research :-)

Teams 6, 7 and 8 have completed 21 tasks thus far - this gives us the most about of book "spread"

The teams are:
6: Spice Sprinters
Lynne
April
Naomi
Heather
- notes from looking through their completion posts: there is at least one MM reader, a lot of Agatha Christie reads, a good mix of romance and general fiction, books I have read or looked interesting to me.

7: Fast Like Molasses
Tink Magoo
Karen H
Courney
Chan
- Courtney is the captain I want to be when I grow up in the RRC. They have a lot of the same books we like to read. Karen is a huge JR Ward fan. Two of my favorite MM books on their read list. Mostly MF reads, but heavy on sports romance. Football and Hockey seem to be the preferred. They just finished reading Sarina Bowen books LOL. Courtney has their team so organized and I am so in awe.

8: The Loitering Layabouts (Literally)
Lisa
Jane (PS)
Shannon
Donna
-Almost all MM readers. Some great reads in their posts. As few different tasks that we haven't hit yet, which could help us decide which way we'd like to go if they pop up in our journey. In particular was looking at the new to you author posts and the future vs past choices the teams have all had.

I found books in all of three of the teams that I've either read and would love a reread of, have been on my TBR, or caught my eye.

Let me know if these three finalist's work for you all or if you have suggestions as well.

Majority rules, and I read just about anything. Just not weird celebrities as Alien lovers. I think that may be a hard limit for right now. LOL

[Kirsten]

Maggie wrote: "MountainKat wrote: "Here is your next task!

Task 16 - 71. Pick another team and each member reads one book that was read by a member for this challenge. No pass for this task.

As a team, select a..."

I can read from any of these. Spicy Sprinters was least interesting to me.

[M]

I vote for team 7 - There were a few books that I either have on my tbr or that just caught my eye as I browsed.

[Maggie]

Kira had originally suggested Team 7 as she is familiar with the members of that team.

I know Kira hasn't checked in yet, and I also know she's working and in a different time zone.

Would it be safe to say that we'll tentatively queue up with Team 7 and finalize once Kira has a chance to check in?

*This is me stressing as I was stupid enough to sign up to read a 700 pg book for the PtP this week and now I'm having a "What did I DO moment" I 'm really just trying to get myself set with a book I can read quickly for TART so I don't keep holding us up.