Review: The Worst Guy by Kate Canterbary

February 8, 2023February 8, 2023 Dani @ Overflowing ShelfLeave a comment

The Worst Guy
Kate Canterbary
Publisher: Vesper Press
Publication Date: December 28, 2021
Series or Standalone: Vital Signs #2
Links: Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Goodreads – StoryGraph
Rating:

MY REVIEW

CW: Eating disorder; abandonment; strained parental relationship

If you’re looking for a good hate-to-love, enemies-with-benefits, “good girl” filled romance that delivers on the sexiness and the emotions, look no further than The Worst Guy. I can understand why so many people have been talking about this book. This was my first Kate Canterbary book, but it won’t be my last.

January 2023 Reading Recap

February 6, 2023February 5, 2023 Dani @ Overflowing ShelfLeave a comment

Goodbye and good riddance to January!

2023 got off to a bit of a rocky start for me. I had a lot of travel and then got COVID for the second time in 4 months, which took me down for a week at the WORST possible time. So thank god that January is in the rearview window.

I am happy I managed to finish 5 books given everything that was going on. I also was a major mood reader and was reading at least 6 books at the same time by the end of the month.

Here’s what I read this January:

Audiobook Review: Delilah Green Doesn’t Care by Ashley Herring Blake

January 30, 2023February 5, 2023 Dani @ Overflowing ShelfLeave a comment

Delilah Green Doesn’t Care
Ashley Herring Blake
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: February 22, 2022
Series or Standalone: Bright Falls #1
Links: Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Goodreads – StoryGraph
Overall Rating:

Performance Rating:

Story Rating:

MY REVIEW

CW: death of parents (past); grief; teenage pregnancy (past); strained relationship with stepfamily; abandonment; references to infidelity (past)

Dani doesn’t really care for this book. I was so excited to finally get to read this as I heard so many people rave about it, but finishing this book proved to be a bit of a struggle. I think this book was returned to the library about five times before I finally finished it.

Review: Merry Inkmas by Talia Hibbert

January 25, 2023January 25, 2023 Dani @ Overflowing ShelfLeave a comment

Merry Inkmas
Talia Hibbert
Publisher: Nixon House
Publication Date: December 1, 2017
Series or Standalone: Standalone
Links: Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Goodreads – StoryGraph
Rating:

MY REVIEW

CW: domestic abuse; homelessness; intrusive thoughts; reference to parental death from cancer

Merry Inkmas is not your traditional holiday romance novella. If you’re looking for a light-hearted holiday romance, this is not the story for you. Now, I don’t think that should put you off the story though.

However, and I’m being honest, this is a bit of a hard novella for me to review. After reading it almost a month ago, I feel a bit indifferent toward it. Don’t get me wrong, I liked it, but it didn’t leave as much of a lingering impression on me as I thought it would. It was fine?

Review: Once Upon a Winter’s Eve by Tessa Dare

January 13, 2023January 13, 2023 Dani @ Overflowing ShelfLeave a comment

Once Upon a Winter’s Eve
Tessa Dare
Publisher: Samhaim Publishing
Publication Date: November 15, 2011
Series or Standalone: Spinde Cove #1.5
Links: Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Goodreads – StoryGraph
Rating:

MY REVIEW

CW: Violence; sexual harassment

I somehow skipped this novella when I did my last reread of the Spindle Cove series. Now, normally I adore Tessa Dare’s work – she writes some of the funniest, smartest, and sexiest historical romance novels out there. But this novella was not it. I think I actually hated it? And that pains me to say. Violet should have stayed FAR away from Christian as that man is a walking red flag.

Review: A Holiday by Gaslight by Mimi Matthews

January 11, 2023January 11, 2023 Dani @ Overflowing ShelfLeave a comment

A Holiday by Gaslight
Mimi Matthews
Publisher: Perfectly Proper Press
Publication Date: November 13, 2018
Series or Standalone: Standalone
Links: Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Goodreads – StoryGraph
Rating:

MY REVIEW

Did I read this book after Christmas? Yes. I don’t know why, but I always want to read holiday novels AFTER the holidays.

A Holiday by Gaslight was a super cute, light and fun holiday romance novel! Novellas can be very hit or miss for me as it’s hard to balance the plot, characters, and romance in such a small amount of space, but Mimi Matthews had no problems with that!

ARC Review: Midnight Duet by Jen Comfort

January 5, 2023January 4, 2023 Dani @ Overflowing ShelfLeave a comment

Midnight Duet
Jen Comfort
Publisher: Montlake
Publication Date: January 10, 2023
Series or Standalone: Standalone
Links: Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Goodreads – StoryGraph
Rating:

MY REVIEW

CW: injury/disfigurement; fire; minor slut shaming & infidelity (not with main couple)

Things I didn’t know I needed in my life – a modern-day, gender-bent retelling of The Phantom of the Opera. But now, I cannot imagine not having this book in my life. Midnight Duet is pure campy goodness. It leans into the bonkers but doesn’t take itself too seriously, so the story works perfectly. I’m a huge musical theater nerd, and I was DYING at all the musical references. It was perfection! Also, I never expected to cry over some rats (yes, rats), yet this book made me do that.

December 2022 Reading Recap

January 4, 2023January 3, 2023 Dani @ Overflowing ShelfLeave a comment

Hello, 2023! I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and a happy new year!

I took some time off from the holidays from blogging to spend time with the family, but I’m back and ready for action! I did a TON of reading in December (14 books to be exact) to help me hit my reading goal of the year, finishing up book 100 on New Year’s Eve. Hopefully, you hit all your bookish goals!

I will do a reading recap for 2022 sometime soon, as well as recap some of my favorite reads of the year so keep an eye out for that!

And now, let’s take a look at my last reads of the year.

Review: The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton

December 20, 2022December 21, 2022 Dani @ Overflowing ShelfLeave a comment

The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels
India Holton
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: June 15, 2021
Series or Standalone: Dangerous Damsels #1
Links: Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Goodreads – StoryGraph
Rating:

MY REVIEW

CW: Gun violence; murder; death of parent; sexism

The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels is unlike any book I’ve ever read. It’s absurd and over the top, yet I loved every second of reading it! This book combines a fantastic romance with an incredibly unique premise, badass female characters, and razor-sharp wit. I don’t think I’ve had this much fun reading a book in ages!

Review: A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall

December 16, 2022December 15, 2022 Dani @ Overflowing ShelfLeave a comment

A Lady for a Duke
Alexis Hall
Publisher: Forever
Publication Date: May 24, 2022
Series or Standalone: Standalone
Links: Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Goodreads – StoryGraph
Rating:

MY REVIEW

CW: deadnaming; misgendering; ableist language; suicidal ideation; drug/alchol use; PTSD

A Lady for A Duke has a beautiful love story at its center, and I would love to read more historical romances with trans characters as protagonists. And as much as I thought I would be giving this 5 stars at the start, the story did drag toward the end, which knocked my rating down a bit.