L-L-L-Little Reviews #37: Last 3 Non-Tour Titles of 2021

Posted December 30, 2021 by Lisa Mandina in Review / 2 Comments

Okay, with these last three books I passed my final goal on Goodreads of 210 books to make it to 215. I think I started the year with 215 but dropped the total down when I got behind about halfway through the year. But anyway I want to get all non-tour reviews done before the end of the year, so let’s do this!

Sanctum (Blackwater Pack #1) by Hannah McBride:
L-L-L-Little Reviews #37: Last 3 Non-Tour Titles of 2021Sanctum by Hannah McBride
Series: Blackwater Pack #1
on August 21, 2020
Genres: YA Paranormal, YA Paranormal Romance
Pages: 532
Source: Publisher, Purchased
Format: Newsletter serial, Paperback
My Rating: five-stars
Goodreads
Buy on AmazonBuy on Audible

A survivor on the run
Barely escaping with her life, Skye Markham and her mother flee their sadistic pack and seek sanctuary within Blackwater. Against all odds, Skye tries to create a new life for herself. A life she thought only existed in dreams is now within reach.
An alpha with a pack to protect
Remy Holt has spent years guarding his pack - his family - from threats as the next alpha in line. When the Blackwater pack decides to help the Markhams, Skye becomes one of his own … In more ways than one, if his wolf has anything to say about it.
A bond unlike any other
As Skye and Remy’s lives collide, the shifter world starts to implode. Missing shifters, a dying population, and pack wars are causing their sanctuary to crumble around them. Skye thought she was finally safe … but maybe there’s no such thing.

My Review:

So I wasn’t sure I’d like this. It was so long and I haven’t been into paranormal romance as much as more contemporary books lately. But the sample on Amazon grabbed me, and I’d heard such great things that I decided to go ahead and buy it last year. And once I picked it up, I could not put it down! I read this over 500 page book in two days during my holiday break. It was so good! There were a lot of things that happened differently than what I’d expected from the start of the book, and then there was a bit or two towards the end that I kind of wondered would happen when things started going differently than I’d expected. But then there were things I didn’t see coming at all, and the book/story, it was just so good! I remember this author both from when she ran blog tours, as well as her blogging. I’m so impressed, and in awe, and actually books this great by newbie writers make me think there’s no way I’ll ever be that good, I should just go back to reading and enjoying what good writers write. Anyway, book 2 is being shipped as I write this, now to find out when I can fit it in to my 2022 reading schedule!

There’s Something About Merry (Mistletoe Romance #2) by Codi Hall:
L-L-L-Little Reviews #37: Last 3 Non-Tour Titles of 2021There’s Something about Merry by Codi Hall
Series: Mistletoe Romance #2
Narrator: Lee Samuels, C.J. Bloom
Published by Audible Originals on November 18, 2021
Genres: Adult Holiday Romance
Length: 10:43
Source: Audible Plus
Format: Audiobook
My Rating: five-stars
Goodreads
Buy on AmazonBuy on Barnes & NobleBuy on Audible

Listening time 10 hours 43 minutesGet in the holiday spirit with this sexy rom-com from the author of Nick and Noel's Christmas Playlist.
Merry Winters has the holiday blues. She's spent the last year learning to love herself, and now she's ready to find the right guy. But the pickings are slim in Mistletoe, Idaho, and it’s just her luck that the man who catches her eye is the stoic new foreman at her family’s Christmas tree farm. Too bad he wants to keep a 39-and-a-half-foot pole between them.
Single dad Clark Griffin isn't looking for romance, but he wouldn't mind a friend to snuggle with on a cold winter's night. When he signs up for online dating, he doesn't expect to connect with the sassy, crafty Knottygirl25 and get wrapped up in every message she writes.
But when Merry turns out to be his blind internet date, his surprise causes him to miss his chance under the mistletoe. Can a little Christmas magic give these two a second chance at a first impression?

My Review:

I ended up loving this one just as much, if not more, than the first one! First, the character’s name, Clark Griffin, made me think Clark Griswold, from the Vacation movies? So that was fun. With yet another romance book though, my expectations for texting conversations or dating app conversations with guys has been set pretty high, and I have yet to find a guy that even comes close. There were several things about Merry that I related to, like assuming people aren’t interested, even when to other people the other person actually is interested. Or at least I wish that would happen to me. One thing I love about these stories in this series is that there are so many awesome characters in the town that I want stories and HEAs for all of them! Like Clark’s brother Sam. And I still want Nick and Noel’s friends Anthony and Pike to get stories. My guess is that we will get Nick and Merry’s sister Holly next. And I’m hoping/assuming her love interest will be the store owner next to her that she has a lot of complaints from. But the relationship between Merry and Clark was perfect. I loved Clark’s son, and I loved the little dog that Merry ended up with. It wasn’t only the singletons in the town that I loved as side characters though, it was also Merry’s whole family, parents included. And then, oh my gosh, I want a Voodoo peen so bad! Someone needs to make those! I can’t decide if I’d want a Slytherin one in honor of Draco Malfoy/Tom Felton, or a bearded one in honor of Penny Reid’s Winston Brothers. Love, love, loved this one! And for those people wishing this would be in paperback as well as audiobook, I think I saw a paperback release date in March maybe? But I could be wrong on the date, I did see for sure there is a paperback coming.

Australia: A romance anthology to benefit firefighters & wildlife:
L-L-L-Little Reviews #37: Last 3 Non-Tour Titles of 2021Australia by Skye Warren, Penny Reid, Meredith Wild, Sierra Simone, Carly Phillips, Emma Scott, Kennedy Ryan, Rebecca Yarros, Willow Aster, Susan Stoker, Kylie Scott, Aleatha Romig, Willow Winters, A.L. Jackson, Julia Kent, Tijan, Giana Darling, Emma Hart, Chelle Bliss, Noelle Adams, A. Zavarelli, Jenika Snow, Dylan Allen, Audrey Carlan, Robin Covington, Mary Catherine Gebhard, Melanie Moreland, Parker S. Huntington, Nana Malone, Jewel E. Ann, Annabel Joseph, Celia Aaron, Michelle Heard, Brighton Walsh, Tamsen Parker, Pam Godwin, Kayti McGee
Published by Book Beautiful on February 4, 2020
Genres: Adult Contemporary Romance
Pages: 824
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
My Rating: four-stars
Goodreads

A romance anthology with over THIRTY original, never-before-seen stories from bestselling and award-winning authors. Each piece was written for this anthology to benefit firefighters and wildlife in Australia. AUSTRALIA is only available for a limited time, so one-click your copy before it's gone.

All royalties from this project will be donated to relief funds in Australia, with 50% going to a firefighter charity and 50% going to a wildlife charity. We aren't affiliated or endorsed by these charities. We are simply authors who want to support an important cause.

My Review:

So this review will be a little longer maybe because there were so many stories. I’ll probably just list the author’s name and my thoughts on each story that I made comments on Goodreads about.

  • Skye Warren – This is the first I’ve read of this author, but reading this I think I need to read her book Overture now. I have a few of her books as free e-books, I should try to read more since this author is supposed to be at Book Bonanza in 2022.
  • Penny Reid – of course I loved her story: “Pash, No Rash”.
  • Kennedy Ryan – this story was longer than the first two, and the first story I think I’ve read by her unless she is in another one of the anthologies I have. She is also going to be at BB22 and I should try to read some of the ebooks of hers that I have.
  • Giana Darling – Only story I’ve read by this author, but I did enjoy it! Don’t know if I’ll read others by her or not, but she is also going to be at BB22.
  • Meredith Wild – I liked this story, especially since it took place in NOLA!
  • Emma Scott – another author I need to read more by since she will be at BB22 and this is the first story I’ve read from her. I liked it, wished something like that could happen to me.
  • Tijan – another author I haven’t really read, and this story was really short and kinda weird. Not sure I liked it.
  • Noelle Adams – another new to me author, enjoyed her story.
  • Nana Malone – my first again by this author as well, also going to be at BB22 and I should read more. I liked her story.
  • Jewel E. Ann – so I liked the story other than the cheating aspect. Another first read for me by a BB22 author.
  • Aleatha Romig – an author I really have liked most of her books, the story was good, but I was NOT pleased in this case to have the ending left to my imagination, lol
  • Parker S. Huntington – loved the story “3-2-1”!
  • A.L. Jackson – an author I’ve read and enjoyed, and I liked this story, although think it was a prequel and now I need to read another story maybe?
  • Carly Phillips – I do like this author, and I enjoyed this story!
  • Jenika Snow – I’ve read this author before and wasn’t a fan, but this story was short and sweet, as well as very hot!
  • Rebecca Yarros – my first read for this author, and I did enjoy this story. This is another BB22 author I should try to read more by.
  • Annabel Joseph – the story “Until Next Year” was good.
  • Kylie Scott – Mal Ericson, my book boyfriend, was in the story, so of course I loved it.
  • Tamsen Parker – the first story I quit reading. It wasn’t bad, but then he wanted her to wash his feet and sorry, but yuck!
  • Sierra Simone – I’ve liked her books in the past. But I’m not really into adult paranormal, so her story in this one I ended up DNFing.
  • Willow Winters – my first story by this author and it was not bad, but really short.
  • Susan Stoker – skipped that one, I didn’t know the married couple, so that wasn’t really enjoyable for me.
  • Robin Covington – liked this story! Another BB22 author I should try to read more by.
  • Pam Godwin – enjoyed the pirate story! Another BB22 author.
  • Dylan Allen – ditto on the story not being too bad and another BB22 author.
  • Mary Catherine Gebhard – this story was just wow!
  • Julia Kent – loved her story with Declan and Shannon from the Shopping series.
  • Emma Hart – hadn’t read the series this story went with, but I probably should because I liked this story.
  • Melanie Moreland – I adored this story!
  • Audrey Carlan – another author I like and I enjoyed her story.
  • A. Zavarelli – liked this story
  • Kayti McGee – her story “Taken by the Hobo” was funny, but so cute!
  • Michelle Heard – a new author to me, and now I think I need to read her Trinity Academy series.
  • Celia Aaron – liked everything about the story for the most part except choking doesn’t do anything for me, actually kind of turns me off.
  • Brighton Walsh – I wanted to read the one story by her that everyone was going on and on about, I can’t remember the name now, but I think it had an almost solid orangish colored cover? Maybe I’m wrong, but I didn’t like the smoking that the characters were doing, I’m just so turned off and can’t stand cigarettes. But this story was so good, so hot, that I’ll have to give her another try! Of course, now that I think about it, maybe I’m thinking of a different author that I didn’t like? I’ll have to check my DNF list on goodreads.
  • Chelle Bliss – a first for me by this author, and I’m not a big biker romance fan, but I did like this story!
  • Willow Aster – This final story in the book was so good and the perfect way to wrap up the story! It was my first story by this author, and she is another BB22 author that I should try to read more before the convention this summer!
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