3 Book Reviews: Trans representation

Title: I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST – Mason Deaver

Genre: YA Contemporary

Premise: This novel follows Ben, a teenager who is kicked out of their home when they come out to their parents as nonbinary. Following this they go to live with their sister Hannah, and her husband, who they haven’t seen for 10 years. Ben, struggling with anxiety, decides to only come out in their new home whilst keeping a low profile at school. However, Ben soon starts becoming close with a boy in their class, Nathan, and they have to decide how to navigate these new feelings.

Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I found the writing to be excellent, this is the authors first novel but they did a great job in getting me to feel what Ben was feeling which I think is always a sign of a good author. Whilst Ben is struggling with anxiety attacks I found myself feeling helpless along side them. Don’t worry, whilst this book does deal with heavy topics there’s also a lot of beautiful moments and I think Mason did a fantastic job in making this book hit just the right tone. I loved the romance here, it’s quite clear early on that there is a mutual attraction between Nathan and Ben but these two take a while to realise it for themselves and I just loved watching them uncover their feelings. My only negative was that I would’ve liked more about the sibling relationship between Hannah and Ben. They have a very interesting dynamic to me, in them having not seen each other for so long and now Hannah is Ben’s guardian, that I would’ve liked to get more on that.

Overall, this was a fantastic read and i’m very happy that I did read it. This was the first book I ever read with a nonbinary MC and I do actually feel like I learnt a lot from it, books have so much power and influence that I cannot stress enough how important it is to get own voices representation in them. I think this was an incredibly important book and I hope i’ll be seeing more nonbinary representation in the future.

Title: STARTING FROM SCRATCH – Jay Northcote

Genre: Adult romance

Premise: Starting From Scratch follows Ben who’s beginning again at uni after transitioning. He’s living with a group of guys who he doesn’t allow himself to get close to because he hasn’t told them that he’s trans and he’s not sure how they’d react, but at the beginning of the new year he’s decided to try and put himself out there a bit more. On one of his first outings with his housemates their joined by some other guys, one of who is Sid. Sid is attracted to Ben fairly quickly but Ben is scared about getting into a relationship as he’s not sure how people will react to him being trans.

Review: This is book 5 in Jay’s Housemates series, although this can read as a standalone, and I have to say that this was easily my favourite so far. I loved the romance here. Ben and Sid’s relationship progresses very naturally and I loved seeing Sid, whose clearly used to things happening quicker in his past relationships, take the time to get to know Ben and make Ben comfortable before they begin dating. I also loved that Sid doesn’t show any negativity when finding out that Ben is trans, he takes the time to ask a couple of questions but always tries his best to make sure Ben is comfortable with whats happening between them.

Ben is struggling with dysphoria in this book, and his mental health is not always at it’s best, but that felt very realistic to me. I believe that Jay wrote this one whilst in the process of transitioning which doesn’t surprise me as this book does feel rather personal at times with things that Ben is feeling and struggling with. Again, I felt like I learnt things reading this as there were things Ben has trouble with that i’d never considered before so I loved that it opened my eyes more. This was definitely a strong romance novel, and less than 200 pages, so perfect if you want a quick and sweet romance read.

Title: THE DOCTORS DISCRETION – E.E Ottoman

Genre: Adult Romance

Premise: This is a historical romance novel following two doctors. Researcher Doctor William Blackwood and retired Navy surgeon Doctor Augustus Hill are brought together when they are both tasked with curating a medical library but it soon becomes clear that there is an attraction between them. Augustus also works at a hospital and is distressed one day to find out that there is a new patient who has been brought in after being arrested for being ‘a woman impersonating a man’. He immediately knows he needs to do whatever he can to help this patient but the only person he can go to for help is William.

Review: First of all, I loved the diversity in this book – it’s not often that books have such diverse casts but it was especially rare to see in a historical – as Augustus is a gay, disabled man, whilst William is a black, gay man. I did also read Augustus as being a trans man, however it’s never stated whether him, and Moss, are trans or intersex and it can be read either way. I was also a big fan of the characters here, both William and Augustus were fantastic well-developed characters.

However, I had one major problem with this book and it was that I wanted more. This is a short novel – clocking in at under 200 pages – and I just felt like I would’ve loved it more if it’d been longer. At the length it is I never felt the depth that I wanted from the romance and I found that things cleaned up a little too nice and neat for my taste. Overall, this is a good novel with some great representation but it was lacking in the romance and plot development I wanted – I would like to try more from this author in the future though.

Tome Topple TBR

Tome Topple is a readathon created by ‘Thoughts on Tomes’ where the objective is to read books over 500 pages long, and this round will be taking place from the 9th to the 22nd of May. I’ve never participated in the past but when I saw there was a new round beginning this month I knew I just had to take part, as i’d already been hoping to knock out some of my bigger books in the coming weeks.

The book highest on my TBR for this readathon is ‘IMAGINARY FRIEND’ which is a book i’ve been desperate to read since it was first announced. I loved Perks of Being a Wallflower when I read it years ago so when I heard the author had a new book coming I knew I needed to read it but then I heard it was going to be a horror and I was even more determined as I love horror novels! The reviews i’ve seen have been very mixed so far but I still have high hopes for this one, and I can’t wait to finally see what I think of it.

I had to include a Stephen King on here and i’ve got a couple on my shelf that would fit for this readathon but the ones i’m most likely to pick up are ‘Nightmares and Dreamscapes’ and ‘Bag of Bones’. NIGHTMARES AND DREAMSCAPES is a short story collection so I figured it would be a good choice as I can then read a story or two whenever i’m in the mood for something shorter, and BAG OF BONES is one that I have an audiobook of so that would sort my listening for the coming weeks.

I knew I was going to want some romance to read and i’ve been meaning to pick up another Mariana Zapata book ever since I read ‘The Wall of Winnipeg and Me’ as that’s one of my favourite romances so I figured now was the perfect time. I’m going for ‘KULTI’ as this seems to be her other most popular romance and I can’t wait to get started with it.

‘MIDDLEGAME is out of my usual comfort zone but i’ve been trying to read some more fantasy recently and i’ve found myself quite enjoying it so this is one that I feel will be a great read for me. I’ve also seen some fantastic reviews on this one so i’m really looking forward to seeing what exactly it’s all about.

I’ve got a few other options that I may pick up if I have more time but these are the book that i’m definite about wanting to get to. Are you going to be participating in Tome Topple? Let me know what you’re reading!

What Lucy Read: April 2020

April was definitely a strange month which led to me getting a lot of reading done. I read a total of 31 books which amounted to 8314 pages read and 38 hours listened. It’s no surprise considering i’m currently furloughed from work and don’t have much else to occupy my time, and reading is always a favourite hobby of mine, but i’m definitely happy with how much I got read although i’m even more so with how much I enjoyed the books I read.

I read seven 5 star books this past month, the first of which was The Sandman – my first read of the month and a total win! I read both this one and Stalker, which are the fourth and fifth books in Lars Kepler’s bestselling Joona Linna series and these were my favourites of the series so far. This is such a wonderful crime series that follows one of my favourite fictional detectives and I can’t wait to get to the next one in the series.

Next up was Unbelievable – a true crime, non-fiction novel that is the basis of the Netflix limited series. Unbelievable is a book that was hard to read times as what happens to Marie is so incredibly maddening and disappointing. This book was so well-written and you could tell how much work the authors put into their research of not only Marie’s case but also rape cases in general and how they’re handled. A must read!

Girl Gone Viral is the follow up to The Right Swipe – a romance I adored last year – so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this one and it didn’t disappoint. Alisha Rai is an author I only discovered last year and she’s quickly becoming one of my favourites. This one has great mental health rep, as well as a diverse cast of characters and a beautiful, realistic friends-to-lovers romance which makes it an easy recommendation for anyone after a romance novel with a bit more depth.

My next 5 star book came from an author who is always a 5 star read for me and that’s Talia Hibbert. Mating the Huntress is a paranormal romance novella that had me laughing and swooning. This novella has two of my favourite MC’s; Luke is a werewolf who is adorably socially awkward whilst Chastity is an intelligent and self-assured woman who just wants to prove herself to her family but her time spent with Luke never ends up going quite as planned. This one might only be novella length but it’s definitely not lacking in any way.

Cujo by Stephen King is a book I think we’ve all heard of – a horror novel following a rabid dog – and whilst I enjoy King’s novels this one was not one I had the highest hopes for as the synopsis didn’t hold too much appeal for me, but I was so wrong. This was a gripping, terrifying and deeply saddening novel that I found myself utterly enthralled by, and whilst part of me was eager to find out how it all ended another part of me was desperate not to find out. I’m surprised this doesn’t seem to be a more popular of King’s books as it was a definite win for me, and is one I won’t be forgetting anytime soon.

Black Summer is the follow up to The Puppet Show and the second book following detective Washington Poe. I was so taken by the first book in the series because of how wonderful the characters are, and Washington Poe and Tilly Bradshaw yet again make for a formidable team in this one! These books truly make for a sensational, page-turning and thrilling read – an absolute must read for any crime/thriller fans.

Here’s hoping my May reads may be anywhere near as good!

Kindle Unlimited Wishlist: Romance

After writing up my KU wishlist for crime/thriller novels I figured it made sense to also share some of the most anticipated romances on KU. I actually have a very long list of romance novels that i’m hoping to get to but these were the ones that most stood out to me when I looked through my Amazon wishlist, all are ones i’ve heard fantastic things about and can’t wait to see what I think about them!

Kate Stewart is an author i’ve been wanting to try for a while, but last year her book The Guy on the Right received such rave reviews from pretty much everyone I know that I can’t actually believe I haven’t read it yet! I also love the idea of an underdog romance, it’s such a fun and fresh take on the romance genre.

Strike One-My mother named me Theodore after her favorite chipmunk. Not cool, Mom .I‘ve spent most of my life answering to Teddy, because I couldn’t make Theo work. Except for here. College. The place where all bets are off, and I’ve managed to redeem myself. There’s only one problem, my new roommate, Troy, is football royalty and looks like he stepped off the set of an Abercrombie shoot. Doesn’t matter, I cook a mean breakfast for his panty parade, and we get along well. And anyway, this year I got the girl. And she’s perfect.That’s right. Theodore Houseman, former band geek, now marching band rock star has finally landed the girl of his dreams. Everything is perfect.

That is, until Troy takes a good look at her.I’m not going down without a fight. As a matter of fact, I’m not going down at all. As glorious as these days may be for my all-star roommate, Laney is my end game.I may not know much about play strategy, but I’ve been the good guy my whole life. I’ve been listening and I know exactly what women want. Framed in a picture standing next to me, Troy may seem like Mr. Perfect, but he’s underestimating the guy on the right.

Spoiler alert: In this story, the underdog is going to win.

Karina Halle has written a tonne of romance novels that i’m so far behind on that I could mention any number of them here but one that’s really taken my interest lately has been The Forbidden Man. I actually don’t think i’ve ever read a younger man/older woman romance so that would be a chnage for me! Also, I know that whilst this is a standalone it has some connection to her Love, in English book which is one I adored.

Forty-years old and still reeling from a public and painful divorce, Thalia Blackwood is looking for a fresh start, somewhere far away from her upside down life. When she’s offered a new job as the sports therapist for a football (soccer) team, she jumps at the chance. This is just what she needs to leave the heartbreak and shame of Manchester behind, trading it in for the warmth and hopeful vibrancy of Madrid.

Twenty-three year old Alejo Albarado is rising up the ranks in his career. As the charming forward for the Real Madrid team, Alejo’s life revolves around women, parties, and being a tabloid darling, that is until the new sports therapist joins the team. What starts out as a strictly professional relationship between Thalia and the young Spanish player, slowly evolves into something more. Much more.

Their relationship was forbidden.But their combustible chemistry and simmering sexual tension can only go so far—should Thalia give into Alejo’s advances, she’s at risk of not only losing her job, but succumbing to a much younger man will drag her through the spotlight again. Alejo might be worth that risk. Unless he breaks her heart in the process.

Jewel E. Ann is actually an author i’m currently reading my first book from, one of my current reads is the first book of her Jack & Jill series, End of Day. I’m enjoying her writing in the book in that one so she’s definitely an author i’d be happy to read more from and the one that most interests me is A Place Without You. I believe this is a different take on a student/teacher relationship, and i’ve heard it makes for a very emotional read.

Sometimes … fate is forbidden.

Everything feels temporary when you’ve experienced tragedy—until Henna Lane meets Bodhi at a music festival. Young and spontaneous, they have a lust for seizing the moment, falling hard and fast. When Bodhi is forced to leave without a goodbye, Henna thinks she’ll never get over him. But then she meets Mr. Malone, her sexy, new guidance counselor.

They are reckless. They are forbidden.

When their secret is discovered, Henna has to choose between finishing school—banned from seeing Mr. Malone—or dropping out to follow her nomad dreams. Henna chooses her dreams. Life is not a destination or a journey. Some things are more than temporary. Forbidden can never be ignored. But if she returns for him, will he still be hers?

Erica Lee‘s Anyone But Her is the only f/f romance on the list but it’s one that i’m most definitely eager to read. I haven’t read much f/f and if i’m honest a lot of the ones i’ve read I haven’t enjoyed much, but i’m always trying to find more that I can read, hopefully enjoy and then recommend to others. This is one that not only has great reviews but the synopsis also sounds super appealing to me.

Reagan Cooper has been an out and proud lesbian since high school, but can’t say no when her gay best friend, Jamie Miller, asks her to pretend to be his girlfriend for his family reunion. Jamie has been there for her through everything. Plus, she’s interested in learning more about the family he never speaks of.

Living in California for eight years, Charlie Miller has been able to live authentically, but being back in her small Maryland hometown with her conservative family means going back into the closet. What she didn’t expect was to be so attracted to her brother’s girlfriend.

Giana Darling is the author of The Evolution of Sin series which is a series that i’ve previously read and enjoyed, but I know her most popular books by far are her The Fallen Men series. The first book Lessons in Corruption which is a student/teacher romance and another younger man/older woman so ticking two boxes there for me. I know her books generally have a forbidden trope in them which is one of my personal favourite romance tropes!

He was eighteen.

The heir to a notorious, criminal MC.

And my student.

There was no way I could get involved.


No way I could stay involved.
Then, no way I could get out alive.

Jenna Hartley is a newer author but i’ve already heard so many wonderful things about her debut romance Unexpected. I’ll be honest this one initially drew me in just because of the cover as I think it is beautiful! However, since then I have also seen that so many of my romance reading friends have been loving this one. This one is another forbidden romance following a single parent and her child’s nanny.

He’s so hot.
But off limits.

Younger than me.
Yet still so mature.

Worst of all…
he’s my daughter’s new nanny.

I don’t mix business with pleasure.
Or at least, I’ve never been tempted to until him.

Joely Sue Berkhart‘s Queen Takes Knights is the final book on this list and it’s a little different to the others but another that i’m super excited for nonetheless. This one is a reverse harem, paranormal romance novella that is the first in quite a long series. I love paranormal romance, it totally works for me so this one originally caught my eye because of that. However, this is also a reverse harem which is something I actually haven’t read before so i’ll be interested to see how I find that.

A lost virgin vampire queen. Two vampire knights sworn to protect her.
It’s about to get very hot… and bloody…

Ever since her mother was murdered by monsters five years ago, Shara Isador has been on the run. Alone, scared, and exhausted, she’s finally cornered in Eureka Springs, Arkansas. Out of hope with nowhere else to turn, she’s ready to end it all when two men come to her rescue. They say she’s a lost queen descended from Isis, and they’re her Blood, vampire knights sworn to protect her. It all seems like a crazy nightmare, until the alpha offers his blood. Then she realizes she’s never wanted anything more. Except maybe his body… and his friend’s, too.

But they’re not the only ones searching for a lost queen. Shara must learn how to wield her new powers quickly and conquer her fears if she intends to keep them all alive.

Do you use Kindle Unlimited? What’s your favourite romance on there? Let me know!

Kindle Unlimited Wishlist: Crime/Thrillers

I first discovered Kindle Unlimited in 2017 and I’ve definitely got my use out of it, however, I’ve pretty much always used it for reading romance (they have a great selection of indie romances!) but recently I’ve been coming across more and more thrillers on there. I keep adding new books to my wishlist on Amazon so I thought i’d share some of my most anticipated in case anyone else is looking for new thrillers to read!

Mark Edwards is an author i’ve been wanting to read for a while and while most of his novels have taken me interest, Follow You Home is the one i’ve heard the most about thus will most likely be my first of his. Also, this synopsis definitely sounds like it’s going to make for a rather creepy read.

It was supposed to be the trip of a lifetime, a final adventure before settling down.

After a perfect start, Daniel and Laura’s travels end abruptly when they are thrown off a night train in the middle of nowhere. To find their way back to civilisation, they must hike along the tracks through a forest…a haunting journey that ends in unimaginable terror.

Back in London, Daniel and Laura vow never to talk about what they saw that night. But as they try to fit back into their old lives, it becomes clear that their nightmare is just beginning…

J.S Monroe has three novels available from KU but there’s one in particular that’s taken my eye which is The Other You. This book was just released earlier this year and i’ve seen some fantastic reviews from people I follow which has me eager to get to this one!

Kate used to be good at recognising people. So good, she worked for the police, identifying criminals in crowds of thousands. But six months ago, a devastating car accident led to a brain injury. Now the woman who never forgot a face can barely recognise herself in the mirror.

At least she has Rob. Kate met him just after her accident, and he nursed her back to health in his high-tech modernist house on the Cornish coast. When she’s with him, the nightmares of the accident fade, and she feels safe and loved.

Until, one day, she looks at Rob anew and knows, with absolute certainty, that he has been replaced by an impostor. Is she right? Have her old recognition skills returned? Or is it all in her damaged mind?

Stefan Ahnhem‘s book Victim Without a Face is the first novel in his Fabian Risk series, a Scandinavian thriller series that i’ve been hearing nothing but wonderful things about. Scandinavian thrillers are definitely a popular genre right now and one which I tend to really enjoy so this is most definitely an anticipated read of mine. Four books out, all available in KU.

A KILLER WITH A MESSAGE.
Two men have been murdered. Both of them were school bullies when they were younger. Plenty of people would have wanted them dead. A single clue has been found at the scene: a class photo from 1982, with two faces neatly crossed out.

A DETECTIVE WHO CAN’T LET GO.
Fabian Risk is the lead detective on the case. He’s also one of the children in the photograph. As more people die, and more faces are crossed out, it becomes clear that a serial killer is targeting old classmates one by one. Fabian Risk thought he’d left his schooldays behind… Now he must confront his past if he is to find the killer before it’s too late.

Joanna Schaffhausen‘s The Vanishing Season is another first book in what looks to be a promising thriller series. This one follows the survivor of a serial killer and I do tend to love crime novels that follow someone with a dark past so it’s no surprise that this one caught my eye. Three books out so far, first two available in KU.

Fourteen years ago, teenager Ellery Hathaway was victim number seventeen in the grisly murder spree of serial killer Francis Michael Coben. She was the only one who lived.


Now Coben is safely behind bars, and Ellery has a new identity in a sleepy town where bike theft makes the newspapers. But each July for the last three years, locals have been disappearing. Then Ellery receives strange messages hinting that the culprit knows exactly what happened to her all those years ago. When she tries to raise the alarm, no one will listen, and terrified she may be next, Ellery must turn to the one person who might believe her story…

Dot Hutchison‘s The Butterfly Garden is book one in The Collector series and probably the book here that has been on my TBR the longest. I’ve heard that this one is particularly dark and disturbing which is exactly my kind of thriller so I really have no excuse for not having already picked this one up! Four book series, all available in KU.

Near an isolated mansion lies a beautiful garden. In this garden grow luscious flowers, shady trees…and a collection of precious “butterflies”—young women who have been kidnapped and intricately tattooed to resemble their namesakes. Overseeing it all is the Gardener, a brutal, twisted man obsessed with capturing and preserving his lovely specimens.

When the garden is discovered, a survivor is brought in for questioning. FBI agents Victor Hanoverian and Brandon Eddison are tasked with piecing together one of the most stomach-churning cases of their careers. But the girl, known only as Maya, proves to be a puzzle herself.

As her story twists and turns, slowly shedding light on life in the Butterfly Garden, Maya reveals old grudges, new saviors, and horrific tales of a man who’d go to any length to hold beauty captive. But the more she shares, the more the agents have to wonder what she’s still hiding…

Katharine Johnson‘s The Suspects is a book that kept coming up in my Amazon recommendations but actually isn’t one i’ve heard anyone I follow mention, however, after reading the description and Goodread’s reviews I can definitely say it’s one that’s taken my interest.

Bristol, 1988.

Five young graduates on the threshold of their careers buy a house together in order to get a foot on the property ladder before prices spiral out of their reach. But it soon becomes the house share from hell.

After their New Year’s Eve party, they discover a body – and it’s clear they’ll be the first suspects. As each of them has a good reason from their past not to trust the police, they come up with a solution – one which forces them into a life of secrets and lies.But can they trust each other?

Lucinda Berry is another author i’ve been meaning to get to – I have The Perfect Child by her on my kindle which i’ve heard wonderful things about – but as soon as I read the synopsis for this one I knew i’d have to add this one to the TBR aswell. This one follows a woman who reappears after her disappearance years ago and I believe there’s some cult involvement which is always a fascinating subject to read about.

Kate Bennett vanished from a parking lot eleven years ago, leaving behind her husband and young daughter. When she shows up at a Montana gas station, clutching an infant and screaming for help, investigators believe she may have been abducted by a cult.

Kate’s return flips her family’s world upside down—her husband is remarried, and her daughter barely remembers her. Kate herself doesn’t look or act like she did before.

While the family tries to help Kate reintegrate into society, they discover truths they’ve been hiding from each other about their own relationships. But they aren’t the only ones with secrets. As the family unravels what happened to Kate, a series of shocking revelations shows that Kate’s return is more sinister than any of them could have imagine.

What Lucy Read: March 2020

It’s been a year since i’ve uploaded on this blog but I keep thinking about giving it another try and finally figured now is the perfect time seeing as i’m going to be having a fair bit of spare time going forward so here I am with my March wrap-up.

March has been a crazy month for all of us. I went in to this month with a reading slump so during the first three weeks of the month I only managed to read three books but then with my work hours being cut and eventually closing i’ve found myself with a lot of time spare to get some reading done. This all means i’ve ended the month pretty positively when it comes to my reading; I read a total of 16 books during March, with 5606 pages being read and 15 hours spent listening.

Top reads of the month:

Just Mercy was one of the books I read this month, and this one was a definite 5 star! In 2018 I read ‘The Sun Does Shine’ by Anthony Ray Hinton which is a book chronicling his years spent on death row before finally being found innocent and released – a truly incredible read – and in that book Bryan Stevenson is mentioned as he played such a pivotal role in Anthony’s release so I brought this book straight after finishing that one. I did have plans to read it sooner but you know what it’s like the TBR gets so big that books continue to be pushed back, however, i’m so glad I did finally get around to this one. This is truly a must-read novel about the part race and wealth play within the criminal justice system; hard to read at times but important and eye-opening always.

The Legacy is another book i’ve been wanting to get to for a while now and i’m so glad I finally did. There’s no other way to put it other than that this was the perfect crime novel for me, everything about it just worked so well for me; the characters, the writing and the plot. This is only the first book in a series so it’s left me supremely excited to see what else is to come, and also just to check out more from this author as she’s still a relatively new-to-me author. Check out my full review on Goodreads.

THe One is the second book i’ve read by John Marrs and after finishing it I have a feeling that he may turn out to be a favourite author of mine. After reading ‘The Passengers’ last year I was impressed with how he blended the sci-fi elements in with the real world aspects of his novel and that’s an element I definitely respect again here. This novel had just the right amount of sci-fi elements that it felt unique and impressive but not too much that it alienated non sci-fi readers (aka me). This was a fun, fast-paced thriller that I found myself unable to get enough of.

The Fire Witness is the 3rd book in the popular Joona Linna series by Swedish crime writing duo Lars Kepler. In January I finally decided to pick up the first book – The Hypnotist – in this series after having heard wonderful things about it nonstop and immediately found myself hooked. The books in this series are long but I find myself flying through them as their so fascinating. This one was definitely my favourite of the ones i’ve read so far, and I loved it so much that i’ve already picked up the next book – The Sandman – as my first read of April.

Have you read any of the above? What was your favourite read of March? Let me know!

March Haul

I brought a lot of books in March, like a whole lot, but I did get pretty much all of the physical books for cheap second hand and pretty much all of my ebooks were free so not as much damage was done as it looks like. I’m really happy with my purchases and I can’t wait to start working my way through all of my new reads.

Stephen King halloween editions boxset including Christine, Bag of Bones, The Shining and Cell.

All the Beautiful Lies – Peter Swanson

The Nightmare Girl – Jonathon Janz

Vein of Love (Blackest Gold #1) – R. Scarlett

Halo (Fallen Angel #1) – Ella Frank and Brooke Blaine

Monster in His Eyes and Torture to Her Soul (Monster in his Eyes #1 and #2) – J.M Darhower

The Girl with a Clock For a Heart – Peter Swanson

A Second Harvest and Tender Mercies (Men of Lancaster County #1 and #2) – Eli Easton

NOS4R2 – Joe Hill

Last Call (Bad Habits #3) and Hardcore (Full Series) – Staci Hart

Red Hill – Jamie McGuire

The Last Letter – Rebecca Yarros

The Devil Crept In – Ania Ahlborn

The Bird and the Sword – Amy Harmon

Full Tilt and All In (Full Tilt Duet) – Emma Scott

The Birthday List – Devney Perry

What He Doesn’t Know – Kandi Steiner

The Score (Off- Campus #3) – Elle Kennedy

A Chip and a Chair (Seven of Spades #5) – Cordelia Kingsbridge

The Silver Swan (Elite King’s Club #1) – Amo Jones

Aftercare (Ever After #1) – Tanya Chris

What Lucy Read: March 2019

March has been an amazing reading month for me. I read a total of 32 books, the most books I think i’ve ever read in one month! It was also great in that I loved pretty much everything I read, 24 of the books I read I rated 4 stars or above. I think part of the reason I managed to read so many was due to the fact that it was such a romance heavy month for me, I always tend to romance quicker that I do other genres. While i’m super happy with the books I read I am hoping in the coming month i’ll be able to fit in more thrillers, as I didn’t read many at all this month and still have far too many on my TBR.

Of Sunlight and Stardust – Riley Hart and Christina Lee ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle – Stuart Turton ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air #1) – Holly Black ⭐⭐

Fired Up (Fever Falls #1) – Riley Hart ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Pieces of Her – Karin Slaughter ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Princess, the Prick and the Priest (Confessions #4) – Ella Frank ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Halo (Fallen Angel #1) – Ella Frank and Brooke Blaine ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Sweet Pea – C.J Skuse ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Friend Zone (Game On #2) – Kristen Callihan ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Looking For Trouble – Riley Hart ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Make Me Bad – R.S Grey ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Night Olivia Fell – Christina McDonald ⭐⭐

A Chip and a Chair (Seven of Spades #5) – Cordelia Kingsbridge ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Lover Enshrined (Black Dagger Brotherhood #6) – J.R Ward ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Mouth to Mouth (Beach Kingdom #1) – Tessa Bailey ⭐⭐⭐

Locked Up Love – Alexa Riley ⭐⭐⭐

The Kiss Thief – L.J Shen ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Heat Stroke (Beach Kingdom #2) – Tessa Bailey ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Dirty Headlines – L.J Shen ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

What if it’s Us – Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera ⭐⭐⭐⭐

When it’s Real – Erin Watt ⭐⭐⭐

Extra Credit (Ivy Years #6) – Sarina Bowen ⭐⭐⭐⭐

What She Knew (Jim Clemo #1) – Gilly Macmillan ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Beautiful Chaos – Riley Hart and Devon McCormack ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Failing Hours (How to Date a Douchebag #2) -Sara Ney ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Something About You (Saint and Lucky #1) – Riley Hart ⭐⭐⭐

Little Fires Everywhere – Celeste Ng ⭐⭐⭐

Viper (Fallen Angel #2) – Brooke Blaine and Ella Frank ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Christine – Stephen King ⭐⭐⭐⭐

All the Beautiful Lies – Peter Swanson ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Affair (Evolution of Sin #1) – Giana Darling ⭐⭐⭐

The Secret (Evolution of Sin #2) – Giana Darling ⭐⭐⭐⭐

What i’m reading.

Last week I participated in the Buzzwordathon for which I read 5 books, but now that it’s over i’m diving back into a book that I started a couple of days before that readathon began. That book is Christine by Stephen King, which I am currently just over halfway through.

Honestly, when I started this book I wasn’t sure how I was gonna feel about a 750 page book where the antagonist is a car but so far it actually seems to be working for me. I still have a couple of hundred pages left so I don’t want to say too much yet especially as it’s usually in the endings where King tends to let me down, but so far so good.

Christine is actually the only book i’m currently reading, which is a bit unusual for me as I often tend to have a few different books on the go. I am planning on picking up The Affair by Giana Darling soon though, i’ll most likely start it tomorrow if I get some spare time.

The Affair is book 1 in the Evolution of Sin trilogy which i’m hoping to read now as I know her newest book Enthralled releases this week which features a character mentioned in this series. The two series aren’t connected, as far as i’m aware, but I always like to try and read books in order whenever I can. Also, just because i’ve heard great things and it looks like the series will make for a quick, sexy read.

I’m not much of a TBR person so i’m not sure what other books i’ll be picking up in the next week or so, but here are a couple of books that I own and am hoping to get to soon. These are all books that i’ve heard nothing but good things about and cannot wait to read!! There’s a few on here that i’m not really sure why I haven’t already read tbh so here’s hoping I will get to them soon.


Contemporaryathon TBR

Today marks the start of the fourth round of Contemporaryathon but my first time participating, in fact it’s my first ever readathon! The hosts are Julie, Chelsea, Natasha and Mel and this readathon will take place over one week, ending on Sunday the 17th.

There are seven challenges and I have chosen seven different books so I have one for each challenge, although I doubt i’ll actually be able to get to all of them this week. I’m usually not great with TBR’s if i’m honest so I wouldn’t be surprised if I end up changing a few of these around but for now here is my TBR for the upcoming week.

#1 Read your most recently purchased or acquired contemporary:

For this one i’m picking ‘After the Fire’ by Will Hill which I just picked up in a charity shop the other day. (I may have already started this one and so far am really enjoying!)

#2 Read a contemporary with blurple (blue or purple) on the cover:

Raze’ by Tillie Cole, this is one i’ve been meaning to get to for ages so I just knew I had to pick it for one of the challenges and luckily it has a gorgeous purple cover.

#3 Read a diverse contemporary:

I’m still not 100% on this one but i’m planning to try and get to ‘What If It’s Us’ by Adam Silvera and Becky Albertalli.

#4 Read a dark, taboo or emotional book:

This one was the easiest choice for me. I’m going to be reading ‘Last Kiss‘ by Laurelin Paige, the second book in the Last and First duology. I read book 1 last month and loved it so can’t wait to get to this.

#5 Read a book you meant to read in 2018 but didn’t get round to:

For this one i’m picking ‘Roomies’ by Christina Lauren. They’re an author i’ve been meaning to read more from for a while now so I don’t know why I haven’t got round to this one yet.

#6 Read a contemporary in a non-traditional format:

I’m thinking maybe of listening to Attraction’ by Penny Reid as she’s an author i’ve been meaning to try for a while and the audiobook is short which makes it perfect for a readathon!

#7 Read a contemporary with a picture on the spine:

Finally, i’m also hoping to get to ‘On Dublin Street’ by Samantha Young which has a picture of a girl on the spine.

Definitely going optimistic with this TBR so we’ll see how many I actually manage to get to within the week, but i’m really excited to be taking part.