L-L-L-Little Reviews #63: June 2024

Here are the books I read this past month that were not part of scheduled reviews.

In the Weeds (Lovelight #2) by B.K. Borison

In the Weeds by B.K. Borison
Series: Lovelight #2
Narrator: Pippa Jayne, Dane Anderson
Published by Dreamscape Media on September 20, 2022
Genres: Adult Contemporary Romance
Length: 10:46
Source: the library
Format: Audiobook
My Rating:
Goodreads
Buy on Amazon, Buy on Barnes & Noble, Buy on Audible

One incredible weekend in Maine, and Beckett Porter is officially a distracted man. He’s not unfamiliar with hot and heavy flings. He knows how it goes. But Evie wove some sort of magic over him during their tumble in the sheets. He can’t stop thinking about her laugh, her hand pressed flat against his chest, her smiling mouth at his neck, her eyes, her legs.
So when she suddenly appears on his farm as part of a social media contest, he is confused. He had no idea that the sweet and sexy woman he met at a bar is actually a global phenomenon: social media influencer Evelyn St. James. When she disappears again, Beckett resolves to finally forget her and move on.
But Evelyn St. James has a problem.
Feeling disconnected from her work and increasingly unhappy, she’s trying to find her way back to something real. She returns to the last place she was happy, Lovelight Farms and the tiny town of Inglewild.
It has absolutely nothing to do with the hot farmer she spent two incredible nights with—nothing at all.

My Review:

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, Lovelight Farm, and so decided to try to listen or read each of the other books in the season they were kind of supposed to go with. And while it is kind of summer, it was technically spring when I started it, lol. I did enjoy this one as well. Although I might have fast forwarded through the steamy scenes a bit as I was more interested in the story. It moved a tiny bit slow for me at times too. The narrators kept pronouncing produce so it sounded like prod-uce, and I am used to hearing it like pro-duce. I also was a bit grossed out by her wearing his socks. I mean one reason I don’t wear socks very often is because I hate how when they get stretched out and then don’t fit your feet, but that’s a me weird thing I guess. The story also had a lot of miscommunication or just not communicating honestly or completely at times. I did like how Beckett’s issues with being around people or loud rooms was handled in the story. It was nice to see that type of representation. But I did hate how he didn’t give her a chance to talk or explain at the end, even if I do understand that is the whole drama we so often get in romance. Also the townspeople were fun, and I look forward to reading whoever is up in the third book. I’ve got it on hold at the library for their digital audio!

House of Light and Ether (Gilded City #3) by Leia Stone

I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

House of Light and Ether by Leia Stone
Series: Gilded City #3
Published by Bloom Books on February 28, 2024
Genres: YA Fantasy, YA Paranormal Romance
Pages: 272
Source: the publisher
Format: E-galley
My Rating:
Goodreads
Buy on Amazon, Buy on Barnes & Noble, Buy on Audible

The unthinkable has happened, Fallon Bane has gone dark.
As hard as Fallon tries to control her power, it only gets stronger. In a fit of desperation she asks for help from the most unlikely person and is wickedly betrayed in the worst way possible.
But there has always been a bright spot in Fallon’s life, someone who can reach her even when others can’t.Ariyon Madden must decide just how far he’s willing to go to save the girl he loves and the people he has pledged to protect. For the Nightling War approaches, and it’s more horrifying than anyone could have imagined.
Together Ariyon and Fallon must give all that they are to save the people of The Gilded City.
The final book in the stunning romantic fantasy trilogy by Leia Stone.

My Review:

So I was afraid I wasn’t going to get approved for this, and then right before pub date I got the notice of approval on Edelweiss for the e-galley. This is a series that the first book, House of Ash and Shadow, blew me away! The second was good, and this one was probably on par with the second one for me. The beginning of this one seemed like they solved the issue really quickly, even though obviously it wasn’t the solution or the end to the sort of war that was coming. I still like how the powers work in this story, and how they can kind of trade, or some people can. I like how enemies can become allies or even friends, and the author shows the reason people become like they do, and can create sympathy even as you know someone is just going to be evil. It was a quick read and a satisfying end to this series.

Cleave – Poems by Boyd Bauman

Cleave by Boyd Bauman
Published by Spartan Press on April 11, 2018
Genres: Poetry
Pages: 94
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
My Rating:
Goodreads
Buy on Amazon

Boyd Bauman grew up on a small ranch south of the town of Bern, Kansas (population 200). His dad was a storyteller and his mom the family scribe. Grist for the mill included stints as a flight attendant out of New York City, dude ranch worker and ski bum in Colorado, and King Salmon sherman in Alaska. Boyd has taught English in Hiroshima, Japan and Saigon, Vietnam. He is currently a librarian and writer in the Kansas City area. Boyd lives with his lovely wife Lisa and their little poets Haven and Milly. Visit him at boydbauman.weebly.com.

My Review:

This was written by my former co-librarian at Sumner Academy. I’m not really a poetry reader. But I had to buy it to support him. While I may not quite “get” some poems, I appreciated the effort and seeing the things about him I knew in his poetry, as well as maybe learning some things I didn’t!