M

I am Lover of romance, who indulges in the romantic adventures of literature

My name is Renee, and I am the host of this site. I am a 34 year old woman, on the prowl for her mate, searching out the best of books, exploring the wilds of the imagination and delving into the heart of a beautiful love story.

 

April 2022: Monthly Recap

by | May 2, 2022 | At A Glance | 8 comments

April was such a fast-paced month and it flew by like crazy, I can’t believe how fast it flew and I am blown away by the fact that we are in May already. Like what on earth
:?? Granted I think my health issues have caused it to feel like I lost a month in the year. And even though half the month I had High Blood Pressure issues, my reading was much better than I thought it would be. Of course the last two weeks of the month, I got into a reading frenzy or maybe I just felt my normal reading pace but it felt amazing to be able to read so much and love it and be able to focus on these books that I was able to pick up. I have been working on keeping up on the blog stuff this month and keeping up on commenting a bit more. I was also able to get permission to start working from home. I won’t do it full time, because I know myself and I need human interaction on occasion but I will be working from home at least half the time which will be nice. There were some ups and downs throughout the month, but a solid month despite the crazy weather. There was some drama that occurred in the month. Two major factors if you aren’t aware of it. The first is the issue of trigger warnings. There was a book release by Micalea Smeltzer. I saw two booktubers mention something serious about this book that I didn’t see in any other reviews. There was a huge trigger at the end of it, like MAJOR!! But they seemed to be the only ones that really mentioned this and I was about to read this and I am grateful that they mentioned it. And there was this debate about whether we as reviewers and content creators should be having trigger warnings. This is something I haven’t included ever, mostly, because I rarely get triggered. However, the major ones I do feel like should be mentioned, so I have adjusted my reviews to include the big ones at least. If you don’t mind spoilers and are interested in reading these books I would recommend watching these videos here. Then there was drama with the cover concerning the Tessa Bailey book. This was hard for me because a friend of mine is the artist of the first cover, and even though she is a friend, I disagreed with her on this and a madness that spread throughout the community over it. I did appreciate the thoughtful post that Tessa Bailey wrote concerning the situation but to be honest I really can’t stand illustrated covers so I didn’t really like either of the covers. Maybe May will be a smoother quieter month for the community. I hope you all had a GREAT month of April!!

Monthly Stats

Books Read: 23

Audiobooks: 2

Audio Book Listening: 22 Hours

Number of Pages: 7,165

Library Books: 3

Re-Reads: 0

Total Books For Year: 100

Historical: 6

Contemporary: 5

Dark: 5

Epic Fantasy: 2

PNR: 2

Romantic Suspense: 2

Science Fiction: 1

5 Stars: 4

4.5 Stars: 5

4 Stars: 10

3.5 Stars: 3

3 Stars: 1

Top Books of the Month

An Irish mobster with a brutal grudge.
An Italian mafia princess with a dark secret.
Two enemy empires joined in sacred marriage vows.
Let the hating games begin.

Author’s Note: There is a thirteen-page epilogue set in the future not included in the ARCs that will be in the digital and paperback versions.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

This book was such an epic feeling romance, it was such a badass romance that is the type that will keep you up all night reading! It is so well balanced while its a dark romance it also has plenty of laughs to balance out the darker elements, it involves enemies to lovers and the arranged marriage trope. Not only a top read of the month but of the YEAR!

This first book in Rosanne Bittner’s popular Savage Destiny series tells the powerful love story of 15-year-old Abigail Trent, who is traveling west with her family; and a very rugged plainsman, Zeke Monroe, the half-Cheyenne guide who wins Abbie’s heart as they journey through an untamed land beset with Indians, outlaws and nature’s harsh challenges. Although Zeke and Abbie come from very different worlds, violence and personal loss bring them together in unexpected ways, including a very poignant situation that involves Abbie’s little brother. By journey’s end, Abbie has changed from an innocent young girl to a strong woman whose courage and determination to survive make her the perfect woman for the sometimes violent Zeke, whose past and upbringing make him a challenge only Abbie’s love and personal faith can overcome. Sweet Prairie Passion is the beginning of many more stories about this unforgettable couple and their life together as they face the perils of settling…

Rating: 4 out of 5.

This is the beginning of a new epic love series that I can’t wait to immerse myself in. This rating was so HARD to determine, but due to the age of the heroine, and thus her immaturity, but the book was a beautiful one and I can’t wait for more of Zeke and Abbie. And such well written representation.

A necklace delivered to the wrong Allison: me. I’m the wrong Allison.

That misplaced gift places in a man in my path. A man who instantly consumes me and leads me down a path of dark secrets and intense passion.

Dash Black is a famous, bestselling author, but also a man born into wealth and power. He owns everything around him, every room he enters. He owns me the moment I meet him. He seduces me oh so easily and reveals another side of myself I dared not expose. Until him. Until this intense, wonderful, tormented man shows me another way to live and love. I melt when he kisses me. I shiver when he touches me. And I like when he’s in control, especially when I thought I’d never allow anyone that much power over me ever again.

We are two broken people who are somehow whole when we are together, but those secrets—his, and yes, I have mine as well—threaten to shatter all that is right and make it wrong.

Rating: 5 out of 5.

This trilogy was absolutely AMAZING! There is something about this author’s writing that is pure magic for me. I fell so hard for this pair and seeing their strong connection to each other and solving the mystery involving the”Necklace”. There is a depth of emotion and intimacy that is a powerhouse and I can’t recommend this one enough.

Honorable Mentions

How was your reading month? Did you have any successes or failures? What book was the most memorable for you? Let Me know in the comments below!

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8 Comments

  1. Samantha @WLABB

    I think trigger warnings are the responsibility of the publisher. They can put them right in the front of the book with all that legal-ese people often skip over (some do). The problem with triggers is there are common ones and ones you would never think of because they depend on the individual’s personal experience. I get the purpose of them, but still feel the publisher/authors should be the ones putting them out there.

    Reply
    • Lover of Romance

      Yeah Sam I think the topic is more focused on self published works, as most publishers and authors that are trad pub will put those in the book. But not all self-pub books will have it. I think the concern is the major ones. And there is a debate in the community right now whether it should be both, Because many readers will read reviews before picking up a book. And if its a spoiler or a cliffhanger type of trigger than most publishers probably wouldn’t even put that in. I am not sure whose responsibility it actually is at the end of the day, my plan is just to focus on the big major ones. As I won’t nit pick them and we all have various life experiences.

      Reply
      • Samantha @WLABB

        The thing about authors or publishers including triggers is that they put them in places where you can elect to skip them. I know there are databases out there, and if you’re someone who is triggered by media, I think the onus lies on the consumer to do the research. I have had people DM me to ask about things in a book I read. I have no issue answering the questions, but I am not easily triggered and feel some stuff goes unnoticed by me. If I included trigger warnings and missed something, I feel people would be frustration. I am not willing to take on that liability.

        Reply
  2. Sophie @BewareOfTheReader

    I think trigger warnings should be mandatory but not in reviews, in books. Because some people can be traumatized and really shocked. Also I am fed up with all the drama in the bookish world. Sigh.

    Reply
  3. Tanya @ Girl Plus Books

    I agree with Sam in that trigger warnings are the responsibility of the publisher (whether a publishing house of self-pubbing). And the author. I truly don’t think it is the reviewers responsibility. Triggers are so individual and subjective. I can’t begin to try and guess at what’s going to trigger one person but not another. I am blissfully unaware of whatever book drama is going on because I rarely use or engage with social media. I know there’s plenty of good out there, but all the bad just drags me down so I just avoid it.

    Reply
  4. Carole

    I have to agree with Sam and Tanya in that the publishers are really responsible for trigger warnings. I don’t get triggered by much of anything so I don’t know that I would catch the things that might trigger someone else. This year does seem to be speeding by. Yay for being able to start working from home part of the time. You had a wonderful reading month and I hope that you have a great May.

    Reply
  5. Jen

    Wow. I hadn’t heard of either of those hullabaloos. I’ve heard discussions about trigger/content warnings and like you, rarely include the information. I don’t get triggered by much and I’m afraid if I start trying to include them, I’ll inadvertently miss something, which then will be upsetting to some. I feel that the publisher and/or author should make that call.

    Sorry to hear you’ve been struggling with your health. I hope May is a better month for you!

    Reply

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