Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory is a short story that occurs after the events of Exit Strategy. This 20 page novella is told entirely from Dr. Home: Habitat, Range, Niche, Territory is a short story that occurs after the events of Exit Strategy. This 20 page novella is told entirely from Dr. Mensah's perspective.
Of course, I was slightly reluctant about having a narrator other than Murderbot (I love being in it's head, what can I say?) but this novella was incredible! This is our first time really getting to see Murderbot from not just someone else's perspective, but from the perspective of it's favourite human, Dr. Mensah. She's still reeling from the kidnapping and confinement that took place in the events of Exit Strategy. As her and her team are holed up in the hotel, trying to figure out what comes next, it was fascinating getting things from her point of view. And of course, when an unknown threat crops up, we get to see Murderbot leaping into action. Although this one is short, it packs a punch and I think it's a really great addition to the series. For fans of Murderbot, you definitely don't want to miss this short one. I was thrilled to learn it existed, and it was worth it for sure!...more
Compulsory is a prequel to Martha Wells's incredible The Murderbot Diaries series. You certainly don't need to have read it to start the series4.5/5 ⭐
Compulsory is a prequel to Martha Wells's incredible The Murderbot Diaries series. You certainly don't need to have read it to start the series, but it's a fun bonus. A shorter version of this already short (I think it's less than ten pages long) story in a magazine, but it's now available as an e-book.
Of course I loved this! I only wished it was longer. We meet Murderbot before the events of All Systems Red, and at this point it has already hacked it's governor module and can enjoy it's favourite media, The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon. This short story, where a miner on Murderbot's contract is in sudden peril, explores the emotional conundrums that Murderbot experiences. It must choose between risking the discovery of it's hacked module and leaping into action to help the human (well, while it pauses it's media, of course). It's a great setup for the series itself, and alludes to later complex moral dilemmas it will face. A must-read for fans of the series!...more
Alcaeus is another erotic short story by Rey Rider. It is a part of their Touch of Dionysus collection of short stories. Here's what you can e4.25/5 ⭐
Alcaeus is another erotic short story by Rey Rider. It is a part of their Touch of Dionysus collection of short stories. Here's what you can expect from Alcaeus and Dionysus:
Hypatos is an erotic short story by Rey Rider. It is a part of their Touch of Dionysus collections of short stories. Here's what you can expect4.5/5 ⭐
Hypatos is an erotic short story by Rey Rider. It is a part of their Touch of Dionysus collections of short stories. Here's what you can expect from Hypatos and Dionysus:
The Loner is the first book in Riley Hart's The Vers Podcast series. The books in this series can be enjoyed as interconnected standalones. Here's whaThe Loner is the first book in Riley Hart's The Vers Podcast series. The books in this series can be enjoyed as interconnected standalones. Here's what you can expect from Declan and Sebastian:
Exit Strategy is the fourth book in Martha Wells's The Murderbot Diaries series. This series is best read in order. It's told exclusively from4.75/5 ⭐
Exit Strategy is the fourth book in Martha Wells's The Murderbot Diaries series. This series is best read in order. It's told exclusively from Murderbot's perspective, and follows it's adventures in the aftermath of All Systems Red.
This was such a cool installment of The Murderbot Diaries. In Exit Strategy, we find Murderbot making it's return to Dr. Mensah, Murderbot's favourite human. Of course, it's never that easy! Murderbot has evidence against a corrupt corporation, and it's friends (it uses that word hesitantly) are in danger. I loved seeing Murderbot back with the original crew from All Systems Red. We're getting quite the character development as Murderbot navigates it's way not just through the galaxy, but a tidal wave of emotions it would rather have in private. I never thought a sci-fi or sentient AI could be so relateable, but Murderbot's antisocial tendencies speak to something within me. Like it, I would rather forego socializing and just read my books and watch my shows. I can't wait to see where Murderbot goes next! ...more
Rogue Protocol is the third book in Martha Wells's The Murderbot Diaries series. You definitely need to read this story in order, both to help4.75/5 ⭐
Rogue Protocol is the third book in Martha Wells's The Murderbot Diaries series. You definitely need to read this story in order, both to help with background information and overarching storylines. This novella is told exclusively from Murderbot's perspective, and has a happily-for-now as the series progresses.
Another amazing addition to this fantastic series. In Rogue Protocol, our favourite antisocial AI is on a mission to collect more evidence against a corrupt corporation. And we're off to a great start when we catch up with Murderbot, it's acting as a security guard on a transport it bribed it's way onto. I was sucked right into Murderbot's adventure the same as I have been in the first two books. I think the really interesting aspect of this book is how we delve more into corporate greed and capitalism in the world Martha has created. Murderbot continues to be incredibly relateable. Some of the technical elements definitely can be a bit tricky to grasp at times, but Murderbot is a great narrator and I never feel like I'm missing anything in the process. The world-building and explanations are always great. Miki was a new character, and similarly to meeting ART in the last book, it's fascinating to see the different kinds of robots and their uses. The unintentionally Murderbot learns that maybe not all humans are awful...but a lot of them are, and I think it's something heavily relateable right now. I could easily make this series my entire personality, and I'm looking forward to continuing!...more
Artificial Condition is the second book in Martha Wells's The Muderbot Diaries series. This series would definitely need to be read in order, both to Artificial Condition is the second book in Martha Wells's The Muderbot Diaries series. This series would definitely need to be read in order, both to help with background information and overarching storylines. This novella is told exclusively from Murderbot's perspective, and has a happily-for-now as the series progresses.
I really loved All Systems Red, and couldn't wait to see what happened with Murderbot once it left Dr. Mensah. This series is a great example of constructive world-building. Although we're learning everything from Murderbot's perspective, it fills us in on the information we might need. Some of the jargon can be relatively technical or even a little confusing at times, but I find the way the narrator presents it to us makes it easy to understand in the context of the story. Seeing Murderbot (reluctantly) form relationships with new characters is incredible, especially considering the purpose it was designed for. It's friendship with ART (despite what that name stands for) was ridiculously wholesome, and I hope we get to see ART in future installments. I loved watching the massive transport bot and antisocial sentient AI construct navigate the landmines of human emotions. I'm also enjoying Murderbot's investigation into it's past, and I'm super intrigued to see where that's going to go. As with the first book, I'm looking forward to continuing with this series and following Murderbot's adventure, and I think it's one I can come back to as a comfort read. ...more
Walking on Broken Paths is a standalone novel by Amy Aislin, although it features a few cameos from her other books. Here's what you can expect from JWalking on Broken Paths is a standalone novel by Amy Aislin, although it features a few cameos from her other books. Here's what you can expect from Jesse and Parker:
⛵ MM contemporary romance ⛵ Third person dual point of view ⛵ Guaranteed happily ever after ⛵ Lower heat ⛵ Friends to lovers ⛵ Hurt/comfort ⛵ Opposites attract ⛵ Canadian setting (Prince Edward Island) ⛵ Grumpy/sunshine
Ensure you review the content and trigger warnings to decide if this book is right for you. Note that this list of warnings may be incomplete. Walking on Broken Paths contains themes of grief; discussions of a parent's death from cancer; and discussions of a sibling's death by suicide. Please take care of yourself while reading.
This book was absolutely beautiful! Amy is always a must-read author for me, and I think it's safe to say this might be one of her best books to date. For those that have read her other books, you might remember main character Jesse. We met him in Star of the Game, and well, we hated him. We meet him again in her Vancouver Orcas series, specifically Game Changer where he's slowly working on redeeming himself after being an awful bully. That brings me to my next point. Walking on Broken Paths isn't Jesse's redemption or his second chance story. Instead, it's a thoughtful and emotional exploration into the effects of trauma and grief. Do I think Jesse's actions in Star of the Game were okay? Absolutely not. He was a bully and he did a lot of harm to people who didn't deserve it. And grief/trauma isn't an excuse. However, Jesse does the work. He goes to therapy and he makes amends knowing not all of his victims will ever forgive him. Jesse is redeemed in my eyes, and I think it's important to keep that in mind going into his book. Not all characters deserve a second chance, but Jesse did.
Although Parker and Jesse's love story is very central in this amazing book, so is their trauma, grief, healing, and how it all ties into their lives. Jesse's been in immense pain for a decade and a half at this point. Parker's pain is fresher, as he lost his parent three months ago. It was very emotional to watch them both navigate their small town on Prince Edward Island (which was an amazing setting, kudos to Amy and the readers that helped her solidify the setting) and the memories it triggered. Although this book had some very heavy themes (I'm begging you to carefully review the content warnings as it does get very emotional at times), it was balanced out by Amy's trademark humour and lightness. The house renovation storyline as well as the side characters helped keep things light. The romance between Jesse and Parker felt so beautiful and natural, and I loved how it tied into the memories of Jesse's precious brother, Mikey. I adored this book, and highly recommend it. It was such a special and unique story, and I think Amy did an outstanding job with this one. It wasn't an easy story to tell, but it was an important one, nonetheless! ...more
Tied to Hell is the second book in Vee Debras's Monsters of Brimrey Island series. Although it could be read as a standalone, I think it would be bestTied to Hell is the second book in Vee Debras's Monsters of Brimrey Island series. Although it could be read as a standalone, I think it would be best enjoyed after reading Tied to the Waves. Here's what you can expect from Dusk and Rae:
❤️ MM monster romance ❤️ First person single point of view ❤️ Guaranteed happily ever after ❤️ Open door spice ❤️ Transmasc main character ❤️ Demon and human ❤️ Lots of banter and angst ❤️ Chronic pain representation
Ensure you review the content and trigger warnings to decide if this book is right for you. Note that this list of warnings may be incomplete. Please take care of yourself while reading. (view spoiler)[⚠️ A trans person misgendering themself ⚠️ Ableism (both external and internalized) ⚠️ Discussions about drug addiction and overdose ⚠️ Graphic sex ⚠️ Mentions of past sexual assault (not to or by the main couple) ⚠️ Mentions of past bullying and murder ⚠️ Suicide jokes and suicidal ideation ⚠️ Tampering with meds (done by the love interest) ⚠️ Transphobia ⚠️ Violence against a pregnant person that leads to a miscarriage (hide spoiler)]
Okay, this book blew me away! I loved everything about it, including the ending. It's a bit unconventional, but it completely makes sense for the characters. The storyline took lots of twists and turns I wasn't expecting, but Vee did an incredible job at weaving together a story filled with love, spice, heartbreak, trauma, and healing. The author also does a great job at world-building, which is so important in paranormal or monster romances. It's really cool how all authors can have their individual takes on the "traditional" monsters (such as demons in this case), but it's important their world is built clearly along with it. Rae is such a different demon than any I've read before, and for the majority of the book, he remains an elusive character despite the fact he's sharing a body with Dusk.
And speaking of Dusk, his character growth was sensational. After an accident left him disabled at 17, eight years later he relies on his mom and sister Juniper and feels like he's taking from them and giving nothing in return. His chronic pain representation was so raw and gritty with no sugarcoating, I really appreciated it. We go through a few different flare-ups with him, which isn't something that's always represented in this space. And it's important to note that his relationship with Rae doesn't magically cure his chronic pain. You'll have to read the book, but I like how it was addressed and ultimately concluded. His sister Juniper is an amazing character, and I'll be counting the days down until we get her book. Although this book was quite angsty, we get lots of healing. Dusk's journey was emotional, as was his relationship with Rae. I enjoyed seeing Ness and Dusk work on their relationship, and I love this blended family they're creating. The spice, similarly to the first book, was page-melting!
This was such a cool monster romance, and I'm thrilled to see what Vee has in store for us next!...more
Tied to the Waves is the first book in Vee Debras's Monsters of Brimrey Island series. Although this series can be enjoyed as interconnected standalonTied to the Waves is the first book in Vee Debras's Monsters of Brimrey Island series. Although this series can be enjoyed as interconnected standalones, I think it would be best read in order for plot elements and world-building. Here's what you can expect from Ness and Echo:
Crossed Sticks is the first book in Ryan Taylor and Joshua Hardwood's Buffalo Warriors Hockey series. Although this series is a spinoff of the3.25/5 ⭐
Crossed Sticks is the first book in Ryan Taylor and Joshua Hardwood's Buffalo Warriors Hockey series. Although this series is a spinoff of their Bethesda Barracudas Hockey series, you don't need to have read any of those to enjoy Crossed Sticks. This series can be consumed as standalones. Here's what you can expect from Harper and Luca:
Joyless is the second book in Nyla K.'s Alabaster Penitentiary series. I would strongly recommend reading this series in order, as it builds on the evJoyless is the second book in Nyla K.'s Alabaster Penitentiary series. I would strongly recommend reading this series in order, as it builds on the events from Distorted as well as sets up the next book in the series. Here's what you can expect from Velle, Rook, and Joy:
Bending the Rules is the second book in Brigham Vaughn's Rules of the Game series. This series can be enjoyed as interconnected standalones. Here's whBending the Rules is the second book in Brigham Vaughn's Rules of the Game series. This series can be enjoyed as interconnected standalones. Here's what you can expect from Noah and Simon:
Party of Three is a standalone Sapphire Cove Suit Secrets novella. You do not have to have read any Sapphire Cove books to enjoy Party of Three. Here'Party of Three is a standalone Sapphire Cove Suit Secrets novella. You do not have to have read any Sapphire Cove books to enjoy Party of Three. Here's what you can expect from Buckley, Mateo, and Jeff:
Sapphire Dawn is the fourth book in C. Travis Rice's (author Christopher Rice's romance pen name) Sapphire Cove series. This series can be read as intSapphire Dawn is the fourth book in C. Travis Rice's (author Christopher Rice's romance pen name) Sapphire Cove series. This series can be read as interconnected standalones. Here's what you can expect from Donnie and Richard:
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