Tag Archives: Lime’s Reads

Limecello’s 2023 [Reading] in Review

Hi friends! So ALBTALBs turns 13 this year! … The site is older than some of your children! … 😅 if the people I’m thinking of are still even checking this site/clicking links …

First of all I unfortunately am still dealing with a lot (so many 😭) health issues, so I’ve still got that GoFundMe Campaign – if anyone is willing to donate or even share the link I’d so appreciate it: https://www.gofundme.com/f/please-help-limecello thank you!

Anyway, I did very little reading in 2023 Just a smidge over 50 books. There was that whole miserable surgery thing. Mostly I watched Chinese dramas, and if you’re curious as to what … here’s my MDL list. A few of them I watched long long ago, some I watched at the end of 2022, but the vast majority I watched last year. However near the end of the year I picked up reading again … but translated Chinese romances. And I’ve been having a grand old time.

However, I’m here to do my annual “Read in Review” or whatever – I really need to come up with an “official title” … without further ado, my 2023 reads! It was a lot of re-reads for me at first. That’s what the asterisk indicates. The “♪” means it was an audiobook read.

January
*On Fortune’s Wheel/The Tale of Birle by Cynthia Voigt
*Kincaid by Laurelin Paige
The Thief Who Loved Me by Cynthia Eden
Deck the Halls by Cynthia Eden
Division 11’s Princess Agents by Xiao Xiang Dong Er
Taken by the Horde King by Zoey Draven
Throne of the Horde King by Zoey Draven
Mine Tonight by Christina C. Jones
*The Satin Sash by Red Garnier
*Anonymous Acts by Christina C. Jones ♪
Kraving Tavak by Zoey Draven

February
Tempest by Beverly Jenkins ♪
Kiss Me This Christmas by Cynthia Eden

March
[Who Rules The World] 且试天下 (Qie Shi Tian Xia) by 倾泠月 (Qing Ling Yue)
*Downfall by Evelyn Sola
Defeat by Evelyn Sola
*Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas
*The Winter King by C.L. Wilson
*Scandal Never Sleeps by Shayla Black and Lexi Blake
*Teacher’s Pet Wolf by Kati Wilde

April
Touched by Ice by Cynthia Eden

May
Do Me by Sheryl Lister ♪
The Legend of FuYao by 天下归元 (Tian Xia Gui Yuan, World Convergence)
Love Me by Delaney Diamond ♪
Show Me by Sharon C. Cooper ♪
Queen of Barrakesch by Delaney Diamond ♪
Field of Pleasure by Farrah Rochon ♪

June
Spacer’s Cinderella by Adria Rose

September
Somebody’s Wife by Robbi Renee ♪
Devoted by Evelyn Sola
Desire in His Blood by Zoey Draven
Beyond The Story: 10-Year Record of BTS by Myeongseok Kang

October
All the Feels by Olivia Dade ♪
The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren ♪

November
Marriage of the Di Daughter by 千山茶客 (Qian Shan Cha Ke)
The Rebirth of the Malicious Empress of Military Lineage by 千山茶客 (Qian Shan Cha Ke) – which I reviewed
Rebirth of a Star General by 千山茶客 (Qian Shan Cha Ke)
The Rebirth of an Ill-Fated Consort by 千山茶客 (Qian Shan Cha Ke)

December
The Job of an Imperial Concubine by 月下蝶影 (Yue Xia Die Ying, Butterfly’s Shadow Beneath the Moon)
Greetings, Ninth Uncle by 九月流火 (Jiu Yue Liu Huo, September Flowing Fire) – which I reviewed
Don’t Be A Favored Concubine by 九月流火 (Jiu Yue Liu Huo, September Flowing Fire)
It’s Better To Be the Empress Dowager by 九月流火 (Jiu Yue Liu Huo, September Flowing Fire)
A Mistaken Marriage Match: Mysteries in the Imperial Harem by 浅绿 (Qian Lu)
The Yandere Came During the Night by 風流書呆 (Feng Liu Shu Dai, Casanovanic Bookworm)
The Noble Woman’s Guide On How to Tease One’s Husband by 漪光 (Yi Guang)
After Marrying the Disabled Crown Prince of the Enemy Country by 新了个喵 (New Meow)
Xiao Qi, Wait (小七,且慢) by 悠若清风 (You Ruo Qing Feng)
The General Wants to Hug and Sleep and 千草 (Sleep by Qian Cao)
The General’s Genius Daughter by 灼华 (Zhuo Hua)
I’ll Be the Male Lead’s Sister-in-Law by by 九月流火 (Jiu Yue Liu Huo, September Flowing Fire)
The Imperial Guard’s Revenge by by 九月流火 (Jiu Yue Liu Huo, September Flowing Fire)

I also want to add in my “defense” these c-novels are hefty. I might have mentioned one of the chapters for Empress was like over 30,000 words, I believe the author’s notes for Guard said the novel was over 700,000 words … so yeah. And that was without any side stories/epilogues if there are any, which I hope there are! There’s a lot going on – AND I’M LOVING IT. In fact most these books also have extra/side stories, which are more epilogues or vignettes, and I’m really sad when translations don’t have them. Anyway I wrote the English titles, not bothering to look for the original Mandarin, but for author names I tried to do both. How it works here is I put the original Mandarin, then the pinyin (pronunciation/”romanization”), and then sometimes they translate the names and added that too. As you can see some of the titles are … interesting. Some things don’t exactly translate well, and sometimes that’s part of the fun.

Anyway if anyone is interested in c-dramas or translated c-novels, I HAVE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR YOU! 😄

I hope everyone has a lovely new year and that 2024 is the best for all of us yet! ❤️

Maybe Every Book Limecello Read in 2022

The subject kinda says it all but … like look – my life is a mess. I know in early January I was still recovering from surgery. (Which … 😐 stay tuned ….) I can’t recall what all I did – I’d thought it was February but also now I think it was January 2022 that I watched Schitt’s Creek in a week, and watched both seasons of Ted Lasso in something like 3 days. (I miss having Netflix access T_T) … and you do what you gotta do when your free trial of Apple TV is ending. 😜

I also don’t know the status of the HarperCollins strike – I think they’re in the process of negotiations? I also know there were a lot of suggestions/tips as to how to support the union. I truly didn’t have the bandwidth to check who published what from what I read – nor did I add “grades” this time for the same reason. Definitely I support the union though and don’t consider this reviewing or promoting – although I think the stikers said they weren’t asking for reviewers to stop? I’m not a good source for all this though – there are various places you can check.

ANYWAY. I truly don’t know how complete this list is … I also re-read a lot last year. And not just that, but I’d read the same book over and over. Especially audiobooks. As usual, the asterisk before the title means it’s a re-read. The “x#” after a book means how many times I read it in a row this time. I don’t think it’s all the books I read but it’s about as comprehensive of a list as I can get now.

January
*Crave by Evelyn Sola x2
*Indigo by Beverly Jenkins x7
*Vivid by Beverly Jenkins x4
*The Satin Sash by Red Garnier

February
Loverboy by Sarina Bowen
*Night Hawk by Beverly Jenkins x3
*The Taming of Jessi Rose by Beverly Jenkins x3
*Exorcising Sean’s Ghost by Beth Kery
Studfinder by L.B. Dunbar
*Ante Up by Christina C. Jones x6
Evil Twin by Kati Wilde
*Crave by Evelyn Sola
Black Pearl the Prequel by Tiffany Patterson
At Her Command by Joey W. Hill

March
*Black Pearl by Tiffany Patterson
*Aaron’s Patience by Tiffany Patterson
Destiny’s Embrace by Beverly Jenkins x3
Takeover by Evelyn Sola Mar 9
The Storm’s Whisper by T. A. White
*Pulling Doubles by Christina C. Jones x2
*Getting Schooled by Christina C. Jones x2
*Mr. Vega by Xyla Turner x3
*Tempest by Beverly Jenkins x2
*Destiny’s Embrace by Beverly Jenkins x2
The One Who Got Away by Cynthia Eden
Ghost of a Chance by Cynthia Eden
Say I Do by Cynthia Eden

April
Scandal Between the Sheets by Brenda Jackson
Stranded With the Tempting Stranger by Brenda Jackson
Subordinate Position by Delaney Diamond x2
Counting on Cole by Cynthia Eden
Sunshine by Robin McKinley
Mama’s Boy by Avery Flynn
What Happens on Vacation by Brenda Jackson x2
Cross My Heart by Cynthia Eden
Chase After Me by Cynthia Eden
Pretend You Want Me by Cynthia Eden
Crossing the Line by Cynthia Eden
What He Wants for Christmas by Brenda Jackson
Impromptu Seduction by Stephanie Nicole Norris
*Let Me Love You by Alexandria House
Roman Will Fall by Cynthia Eden
Intimate Seduction by Brenda Jackson x2
Her Naughty Suitor by Stephanie Nicole Norris
*I Think I Might Love You by Christina C. Jones
The Heart You Break by Cynthia Eden
Secrets of the Tycoon Bride by Emilie Rose
Tempted By You by Stephanie Nicole Norris
No Escape From War by Cynthia Eden
Don’t Play with Odin by Cynthia Eden
One Christmas Wish by Brenda Jackson
A Catalina Cove Christmas by Brenda Jackson
Anonymous Acts by Christina C. Jones
*Equivalent Exchange by Christina C. Jones x2
Perfect Fit by Brenda Jackson
Deadly Sexy by Beverly Jenkins
Sexy/Dangerous by Beverly Jenkins
*The Satin Sash by Red Garnier
*Exorcising Sean’s Ghost by Beth Kery

May
Private Arrangements by Brenda Jackson x2
Possessed by Passion by Brenda Jackson x2
Jinx You’re It by Cynthia Eden
*Deadly Sexy by Beverly Jenkins x3
One Dance with a Duke by Tessa Dare
Love Notes by Christina C. Jones x2
Behind the Scenes by Christina C. Jones
One Night with the Wealthy Rancher by Brenda Jackson
The Edge of Dawn by Beverly Jenkins
Flagrant by Alexandria House
Technical by Alexandria House
The Edge of Midnight by Beverly Jenkins
*Topaz by Beverly Jenkins
*Night Song by Beverly Jenkins

June
Never Gonna Happen by Cynthia Eden
*Scandal Never Sleeps by Shayla Black and Lexi Blake
*Something Like Love by Beverly Jenkins x2
*The Taming of Jessi Rose by Beverly Jenkins
*Smoke and Sin by Shayla Black and Lexi Blake
*Night Hawk by Beverly Jenkins
Natural Law by Joey W. Hill
*Destiny’s Embrace by Beverly Jenkins
Prior Affair by Christina C. Jones x2
*Indigo by Beverly Jenkins
*Always and Forever by Beverly Jenkins
A Duke Worth Falling For by Sarah MacLean
Daring and the Duke by Sarah MacLean
*Scent of Darkness by Christina Dodd
We Shouldn’t by Vi Keeland

July
*Guilty Pleasures by Laura Lee Guhrke
*His Every Kiss by Laura Lee Guhrke
*The Marriage Bed by Laura Lee Guhrke
Relationship Goals by Christina C. Jones x2
*Tempest by Beverly Jenkins
*And Then He Kissed Her by Laura Lee Guhrke
Back in the Day by Katrina Jackson
*Let Me Love You by Alexandria House
And They Lived Happily Ever After by Therese Beharrie
One Last Chance by Therese Beharrie
Governess Gone Rogue by Laura Lee Guhrke
Bring On the Blessings by Beverly Jenkins
Ballsy by Elise Faber
Caught by Elise Faber
The Truth About Love and Dukes by Laura Lee Guhrke
*Dirty Player by Stacey Lynn
In Bed With Her Boss by Brenda Jackson
*Equivalent Exchange by Christina C Jones x2
Remember Ramsey by Cynthia Eden

August
The House on Blueberry Lane by Brenda Jackson
*The Serpent Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt
*Equivalent Exchange by Christina C Jones
Keep Me by Stacey Kennedy
Save Me by Stacey Kennedy
Baking Lessons by Katie Allen
*Ante Up by Christina C. Jones x2
*The Wicked Ways of a Duke by Laura Lee Guhrke
*Secret Desires of a Gentleman by Laura Lee Guhrke
*Just Friends by Delaney Diamond x2
*Suddenly You by Lisa Kleypas
Something Wilder by Christina Lauren

September
*Tempt Me At Twilight by Lisa Kleypas x2
*Wild Side by Cynthia Ayman
Love in the Afternoon by Lisa Kleypas
*Aaron’s Patience by Tiffany Patterson
*Married by Morning by Lisa Kleypas
What a Westmoreland Wants by Brenda Jackson
*Safe Space by Tiffany Patterson
Unlocked by Courtney Milan
Taking Care of Business by Brenda Jackson x2
*Bad Night Stand by Elise Faber
The Scoundrel Falls Hard by Sophie Jordan
*Devil in Spring by Lisa Kleypas
To Catch a Raven by Beverly Jenkins x2
Something Borrowed by Eve Dangerfield
Something Else by Eve Dangerfield
Locked Box by Eve Dangerfield
Midnight by Beverly Jenkins
Out of Control by Shannon McKenna
Ex Marks the Perfect Spot by Cynthia Eden

October
The Bodyguard Next Door by Cynthia Eden
*The Black Hawk by Joanna Bourne
Bittersweet by Christina C. Jones
Billionaire’s Proposition by Leanne Banks
Cause for Scandal by Anna DePalo
Begin Again Again by Eve Dangerfield
*Scandal Never Sleeps by Shayla Black and Lexi Blake
*Winds of the Storm by Beverly Jenkins
*Something Borrowed by Eve Dangerfield
The Kracken’s Sacrifice by Katee Robert
*The Unwanted Wife by Natasha Anders
*Tempest by Beverly Jenkins
The Dragon’s Bride by Katee Robert
Not Your Shoe Size by Eve Dangerfield
*Carter’s Flame by Tiffany Patterson
*Aaron’s Patience by Tiffany Patterson x2
*The Satin Sash by Red Garnier
Maggie Moves On by Lucy Score

November
*The Unwanted Wife by Natasha Anders
*Roman Will Fall by Cynthia Eden
Frozen in Ice by Cynthia Eden
*Strictly Confidential Attraction by Brenda Jackson x2
Falling For the Ice Queen by Cynthia Eden
Ice Cold Saint by Cynthia Eden
Lover Eternal by J.R. Ward
Plus One by Christina C. Jones x2
Frosted, Whipped, Buttered by Christina C. Jones x2
Press Rewind by Christina C. Jones
Ten Dirty Demands by Laurelin Paige
Single and Ready to Jingle by Piper Rayne
*Spacer’s Cinderella by Adria Rose
Aaron’s Gift by Tiffany Patterson
How to Lose a Duke in Ten Days by Laura Lee Guhrke

December
Bad Kitty by Cari Quinn
Personal Protection by Tiffany Patterson
Captured by Beverly Jenkins
Ship Wrecked by Olivia Date
Takedown by Evelyn Sola
Takeoff by Evelyn Sola
Downfall by Evelyn Sola
Make Me by Evelyn Sola
*Wonder by Christina C. Jones
A Very Krampus Holiday by Katee Robert
*Spacer’s Cinderella by Adria Rose
*Exorcising Sean’s Ghost by Beth Kery
The Rancher’s Return by Brenda Jackson

It’s kinda funny/sad. You can kinda tell when I was depressed and in a slump. (When I’m really depressed there’s no reading at all. But also sometimes when I’m depressed it’s more reading. So … >.> levels?) As always, I apologize if there are any typos and such. And if you want more information/potentially any thoughts I jotted down, you can check my GR.

My apologies also for any DYAC typos.

What Limecello Read in 2021

Hi friends! Nope – that’s not a typo, and yes, it’s taken me this long to write out this list. :X And in fact once I hit ~June 2021 I think I stopped writing what potential rating I gave a book – I’d also gotten bad about updating thoughts and have been quite bad about it this year too. Future me will undoubtedly be mad at past me when I try to figure out what I thought about a book I read. (Or potentially be surprised I read it 😅.)

Anyway what with the pandemic, terrible world events, terrible life events and work and such, here is a very likely incomplete but best as I can figure list. As you can tell the end of the year was really bad for me and honestly I basically read/listened to the same books on repeat from September through December so my tracking is REALLY bad, but I know I listened to the same book(s) on repeat daily and sometimes twice in one day and it got to a point where I could quote the books so … that’s something?

I’d say my big “new to me” author find of 2021 was Tiffany Patterson though. While there [iirc] are some editing issues, what stuck me is the characters and stories – her voice is very distinctive/I think I could pick up an unlabeled/marked book when I was in my glom and be like “yup this is a Patterson book” – but! Each one is also so unique and different. They didn’t feel cookie cutter or like widgets, which is impressive cuz I read like 20+ books of her in a row. She seems to be methodically taking her books out of KU, which I totally get … but it makes me kinda sad cuz people who might’ve read her/found them through KU now don’t get to do that. ANYWAY. Before I babble more/potentially get myself in trouble … here’s my list of reads.

January
Accused by Sharon C. Cooper ♪
*Let Me Love You by Alexandria House – B– ♪ x3
Marry in Scandal by Annie Gracie – D++
*Sugar Daddy by Lisa Kleypas – A-
Hidden Sins by Selena Montgomery ♪
Carter’s #Undoing by Sherelle Green – C- ♪
Sweet Deception by Rochelle Alers
Yours to Take by Joely Sue Burkhart
Solid Soul by Brenda Jackson ♪ – at the time of my formatting this the kindle book is on sale for $1.99
Night Heat by Brenda Jackson – C ♪ – this kindle book is also on sale for $1.99 right now
The Christmas Pact by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward
Duty or Desire by Brenda Jackson ♪
Bane by Brenda Jackson ♪
Scrooged by Vi Keeland and Penelope Ward
Rafe by Rebekah Weatherspoon – C ♪
*Crave by Evelyn Sola – B ♪
Cherish by Evelyn Sola – C+ ♪
Crash by Evelyn Sola – C+ ♪

February
*Crave by Evelyn Sola – B ♪
Wait for your love by AshleyNicole ♪
Claimed by a Steele by Brenda Jackson ♪
The Agent by Nancy Herkness
*Let Me Love You by Alexandria House – B– ♪ x2
The Boss and the Brat by Sosie Frost – D+
*Let Me Hold You by Alexandria House – C+ ♪
*Ante Up by Christina C. Jones – B+ ♪ x3
*Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams at Home by Jeni Britton Bauer
My Fake Christmas Fiancé by Julie Kriss – D+
Santa Baby Maybe by S. Doyle – B
Let Me Be Your Motivation by Tay Mo’Nae ♪
The Sweet Spot by Tay Mo’Nae ♪
The Perfect Present by Rochelle Alers, Cheris Hodges, and Pamela Yaye ♪
How My Brother’s Best Friend Stole Christmas by Molly O’Keefe C–
Room Service by Rochelle Alers C — ♪
*Taming Clint Westmoreland by Brenda Jackson ♪ x2
The Hot Mess and the Heartthrob by Pippa Grant B++
Quade’s Babies by Brenda Jackson D+ ♪ x2
I Think I Might Love You by Christina C. Jones – B+ ♪ x2*

March
Pulling Doubles by Christina C. Jones – C ♪ x2
Getting Schooled by Christina C. Jones – C – ♪ x2
Guided Meditations for Self Healing: Mindfulness and Transcendental Relaxation Techniques for Anxiety and Pain Relief – Quiet the Mind and cure Panic Attacks (for Beginners) by Mindfulness Meditation Institute ♪
Transcendental Meditation: Learn Healing and Transformation Through Mindfulness Meditation by Dr Henriette Sparson ♪
*Safe With Me by Stephanie Nicole Norris – D ♪
*Crave by Evelyn Sola – B ♪ x2
Westmoreland’s Way by Brenda Jackson D++ ♪ x2*
The Boy Toy by Nicola Marsh – C+ ♪ x2*
Mr. Vega by Xyla Turner – C ♪ x2*
Mr. West by Xyla Turner – C – – ♪ x2*
[*]Want You to Want Me by Lorelei James – B ++ ♪
Strictly Professional by Christina C. Jones ♪
Unfinished Business by Christina C. Jones D- ♪
To Wake a Dragon by Naomi Lucas
A Change Had to Come by Gwynne Forster D+ ♪
Tropical Dragons Series Boxset with Bonus Exclusive Short Story: A Sci-fi Fantasy Romance Series Books 1-3 by Naomi Lucas
Beyond Temptation by Brenda Jackson – D+ ♪
Risky Pleasures by Brenda Jackson – D – ♪ x2*

April
*Tempest by Beverly Jenkins – B++ ♪
*Vivid by Beverly Jenkins – B+ ♪
*Indigo by Beverly Jenkins – B++ ♪
*The Taming of Jessi Rose by Beverly Jenkins – B+ ♪
*Night Hawk by Beverly Jenkins – A ♪
*Always and Forever by Beverly Jenkins – C+++ ♪
*Destiny’s Embrace by Beverly Jenkins – B ♪ –
*Destiny’s Surrender by Beverly Jenkins – B – x2 ♪
*Destiny’s Captive by Beverly Jenkins – C- ♪
*Rebel by Beverly Jenkins ♪x2
*Through the Storm by Beverly Jenkins – B ♪
*Crave by Evelyn Sola – B ♪ ~*
Deeper Than Love by Delaney Diamond – D— ♪
Lust by Victoria Christopher Murray D—- ♪
Give Me Fever by Niobia Bryant – D++ ♪
When the Smoke Clears by Kenya Wright D+++ ♪
Redemption by Kenya Wright ♪
Eric’s Inferno by Tiffany Patterson – C+ ♪

May
Carter’s Flame by Tiffany Patterson – C ♪
Emanuel’s Heat by Tiffany Patterson – D+ ♪
Slamdunked by Love by Jamie Wesley – C+ ♪
Tell Me Something Good by Jamie Wesley – C— ♪
The Deal with Love by Jamie Wesley – C– ♪
A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas – C—
The Wife He Needs by Brenda Jackson – C— ♪ x2*
High Stakes Holiday by Christina C. Jones – D++
Hard Love by Peyton Banks -C– ♪ x2*
The Marriage He Demands by Brenda Jackson – C ♪ x2*
Dirty Talk by Julie Kriss
The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes by Xio Axelrod – C++ ♪ X2*
Broken by Evelyn Sola – B-
Mine by Kenya Wright – D+ ♪
Aaron’s Patience by Tiffany Patterson – C
Meant to Be by Tiffany Patterson – C+
For Keeps by Tiffany Patterson – C—
Until My Last Breath by Tiffany Patterson – D+
For You by Tiffany Patterson – D+
No Coincidence by Tiffany Patterson – C++
A Holiday Temptation by Tiffany Patterson – C–
*Before the Dawn by Beverly Jenkins ♪
*Winds of the Storm by Beverly Jenkins – C+ ♪
Just Say the Word by Tiffany Patterson – C+
Safe Space (I) by Tiffany Patterson – C
A Hope Divided by Alyssa Cole – D++ ♪
Safe Space II: The Finale by Tiffany Patterson – C+
Black Pearl by Tiffany Patterson – C => currently free for kindle
Black Dahlia by Tiffany Patterson – C
Black Butterfly by Tiffany Patterson – C-
An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole – B ♪

June
Jacob’s Song by Tiffany Patterson – B–
*Ante Up by Christina C. Jones – B+ ♪ x2
A Holiday Seduction by Tiffany Patterson, C—
This Is Where I Sleep by Tiffany Patterson, B
Luke by Tiffany Patterson
*Haunted by Christina C. Jones ♪
Forever by Tiffany Patterson
Miles and Mistletoe by Tiffany Patterson
7 Degrees of Alpha by by Sara Allen, Phoenix Daniels, SK Lessly, Kasey Martin, DJ Parker, Tiffany Patterson, and Mariah Violet
My Storm by Tiffany Patterson
*Let Me Love You by Alexandria House – B – – ♪ ~
Madness of the Horde King by Zoey Draven
Coveted by Christina C. Jones ♪
In the Doctor’s Bed by Brenda Jackson ♪
Broken by the Horde King by Zoey Draven
Love in Catalina Cove by Brenda Jackson ♪
Don’s Blaze by Tiffany Patterson
Forget Me Not by Brenda Jackson ♪
Something Special by Tiffany Patterson
Wedding Season by Natasha Anders, Alissa Baxter, Marie Dry, Ashleigh Giannoccaro, Sharonlee Holder, Suzanne Jefferies, Sophia Karlson, Romy Sommer, Jo Watson, Tanya Wilde
*The Unwanted Wife by Natasha Anders
Finding Home Again by Brenda Jackson ♪
Kraving Khiva by Zoey Draven
Prince of Firestones by Zoey Draven
Follow Your Heart by Brenda Jackson ♪
Just My Type by Sophia Karlson
Two Nights in Paris by Delaney Diamond
Takeover by Evelyn Sola
Trent by Xyla Turner
Guilty Pleasures by Deborah Fletcher Mello ♪

July
Carter by Xyla Turner
A Lifetime With You by Stephanie Nicole Norris ♪
Seducing My Guardian by Katee Robert
She Said Yes by Stephanie Nicole Norris ♪
Breaking Bailey’s Rules by Brenda Jackson ♪ x2
Reclaimed by the Rancher by Brenda Jackson ♪ x2
Locked Doors by Tiffany Patterson
Bella by Tiffany Patterson
Bad Billionaires Quickies by Elise Faber
Man in Charge by Laurelin Paige
Man in Love by Laurelin Paige
*I Think I Might Love You by Christina C. Jones – B+ ♪ x3
The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren
The Pleasure Trap by Niobia Bryant ♪
Thorn’s Challenge by Brenda Jackson
The Glass Queen by Gena Showalter
*Lover Eternal by J.R. Ward – A
Catch Me If You Can by Christina C. Jones ♪ – the kindle version is on sale for $0.99
The Beauty of Being a Beast by Jennifer Estep
Release Me If You Can by Christina C. Jones ♪
Meet Cute by Elise Faber
Charging by Elise Faber
Save Me If You Can by Christina C. Jones ♪
Broken by Elise Faber
Caged by Elise Faber
Devil in Disguise by Lisa Kleypas
Mine by Stephanie Nicole Norris ♪
*Carter’s #Undoing by Sherelle Green – C- ♪
Bad Wedding by Elise Faber
Claim the Dragon by A. C. Arthur
Bad Engagement by Elise Faber
*Midnight Man by Lisa Marie Rice – C => currently free for kindle
*Let Me Love You by Alexandria House – B – – ♪

August
Bad Bridesmaid by Elise Faber
*The Stranger I Married by Sylvia Day
Face Down Fridays by Sherelle Green ♪ x3
Sins of a Saint by Sherelle Green ♪ x2
The Doctor by Nikki Sloane
The Pool Boy by Nikki Sloane
To Marry a Madden by Sherelle Green
Seduced by Moonlight by Kenya Wright ♪
Night Song by Beverly Jenkins ♪ x3
Sanguine by Sierra Simone
The Captain’s Midwinter Bride by Liana De la Rosa
Tall, Dark … Westmoreland! by Brenda Jackson ♪ x2
Temperatures Rising by Brenda Jackson ♪ x3
When She Was Naughty by Tessa Dare
The Way You Tempt Me by Elle Wright ♪
The Perks of Seducing a Wallflower by Tessa Dare
The City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty ♪
The Kingdom of Copper by S. A. Chakraborty ♪

September
The Empire of Gold by S. A. Chakraborty ♪
*Brighter Than the Sun by Julia Quinn
*The Winter King by C. L. Wilson B+
*Mr. West by Xyla Turner – C– ♪ x2
The Initiation by Nikki Sloane ♪
The Obsession by Nikki Sloane ♪
The Deception by Nikki Sloane ♪
The Heart Principle by Helen Hoang ♪
Piece of Work by Staci Hart ♪
Player by Staci Hart ♪
Watch Me by Stacey Kennedy
Work in Progress by Staci Hart ♪
Well Suited by Staci Hart ♪
*Hot in Here by Sophie Renwick
Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert ♪
Work for It by Talia Hibbert
The Worst Best Man by Mia Sosa ♪
His Perfect Partner by Priscilla Oliveras ♪
Her Perfect Affair by Priscilla Oliveras ♪
Their Perfect Melody by Priscilla Oliveras ♪
I Think I Might Need You by Christina C. Jones ♪

October
I Think I Might Want You by Christina C. Jones ♪
One Summer Night by Caridad Pińeiro ♪
What Happens in Summer by Caridad Pińeiro ♪
The Redemption by Nikki Sloane ♪ x2
81st & Clark by Christina C. Jones ♪ x3
The Truth: His Side, Her Side, and the Truth About Falling in Love by Christina C. Jones ♪
The Lies: The Lies We Tell About Life, Love, and Everything in Between by Christina C. Jones ♪ x5
*Ante Up by Christina C. Jones – B+ ♪

November
*The Lies: The Lies We Tell About Life, Love, and Everything in Between by Christina C. Jones ♪ x11
Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson
Beyond Benefriends by Chencia C. Higgins ♪ x 11
Bad Swipe by Elise Faber
Rum and Notes by Elise Faber
Sex on the Seats by Elise Faber
Equivalent Exchange by Christina C. Jones ♪ x 10

December
Equivalent Exchange by Christina C. Jones ♪ x 5
*The Lies: The Lies We Tell About Life, Love, and Everything in Between by Christina C. Jones ♪ x5
*The Unwanted Wife by Natasha Anders – B x2
In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren
*The Satin Sash by Red Garnier B+
*Crave by Evelyn Sola – B ♪ x 17
Three Simple Rules by Nikki Sloane

*N.B. – my apologies for typos. I wrote these lists on a thing that is aggressive with DYAC – I tried to catch things but … I keep trying!

😅 Got this done with minutes to spare. By 11:35 PM I was having some flashbacks to my school days and deadlines and … this is why I can never go back to school. 😜

Annnnd I JUST realized I’d already done my “halfway through the year” list so … Welp. You can check for discrepancies here I guess.

*ETA the “♪” means I listened to the audiobook, the asterisk before the title means it was a re-read, and though inconsistent, the asterisk after sometimes means initially I’d never read the book before but I read/listened to it 2+ times in a row after; which I started denoting with “x#” – in the future I hope to be more consistent but honestly with this list I’m just glad I got it done.

What Limecello Read from January – June 2021

I did it!!! I have a post going up in a reasonably timely manner! Ahhh!!! >.> So like … remember how down all of us were on/about 2020? And like … 2021 is in some (a lot of ways?) worse? Like a lot worse? So … yeah. That’s somewhat reflected in my reading … there were weeks [a month] where I just … didn’t read much. I binge watched all of Schitt’s Creek in literally a week in February … and there are a lot of books I didn’t get around to ~reviewing/writing my thoughts on. But 🤷🏻‍♀️ Here’s my list anyway. I think the biggest note of the bunch would be Tiffany Patterson – if you like contemporary romances, I think she’s definitely an author you should check out. Each book is so unique yet her voice is so strong. I loved that each character is so developed and distinct. As you see I read through almost her entire backlist in basically a month.

Anyway, here goes! Continue reading

~All the Books Limecello Read in 2020

… Yeah that’s not a typo. I’m seriously behind. (I mean … the end of 2020 and beginning of 2021 was just … not great. And then things got a little better, but … not that much… and this is just big picture stuff. For myself … my life is one constant migraine and I’ve said this ~summary before – “Why Am I Bleeding and Where Is This Blood Coming From?: The Limecello Story.” So anyway, I had wanted to do all these things in June but part of me also gave myself permission to just … “celebrate by not.” I did want to at least do this though – so … here we go. My list of every(?) book I finished reading in 2020. The symbols are pretty self explanatory I think. As always, the asterisk means I’m certain it was a re-read. the “x#” is how many times I re-read it that time. I am big on comfort re-reading. And the past months have IMO called for a lot of it, so yes in fact there were some book(s) I read or listened to literally five times in a row. Of course the note “♪” means it was an audiobook. Bad devices etc and being held hostage by them really led me to audiobooks since it was the only thing that could run in the background – and also some temporary loss of vision. (Scary!!)

It’s likely not exact exact – near the end of 2020 I got especially bad at logging books or ~reviewing them and rating them, so that’s why a bunch of books aren’t “graded.” As usual if you want to know more of my thoughts on the books I try to put them in GR. (Which is where I get my list from, so it’s tricky. It’s also not great at slotting in re-reads chronologically…) I do also want to say I’m a definite mood reader – so how I’m feeling can to a degree affect what I think of a book. And you can really see when things were getting rough cuz I went back to books I’d just read and listened to them over and over (and over) again.

I pointed out books I noticed are on sale – N.B. this is at the time of my grabbing the link so make sure you double check. Also those are mostly for kindle formats I believe. In case you didn’t know, Amazon changes prices on a whim – or publishers, or authors, so sometimes sales are just for 24 hours. Sometimes they’re there for a few days. YMMV. Usual disclaimers apply – the links are to Amazon because we’re an associate so if you’d be willing to kick us a few pennies, please click and buy! Thanks! Continue reading

What I (Limecello) Read the Second Half of 2019

Hi friends! As you may know, here at ALBTALBS we try to provide comprehensive lists of what we’ve read during the year. (Some of us split  the year in half, some of us do it in one go.)

ICYMI there was a lot of health stuff for me this year, and my brain is pretty broken, so if things don’t make sense I apologize.

As you may have figured, I’m a major mood and comfort [re]reader. I tried to denote re-reads within the [same month] with an asterisk after the author name. (That’s what that means, I think.) If there’s an asterisk before the title, that means it’s a general re-read. [I know, even “tricked” myself with this damn system/had forgotten about it, because I couldn’t figure out why my numbers were off. Anyway, without further ado … my 2019 Part II list! (The list might be slightly off, because my computer is ancient and wants to die – if I leave it unplugged overnight it goes from 100% charge to 0%. And my internet connection isn’t great either. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ We’re struggling over here, kay?) The vast majority of the books I read are from the library. And if you’re familiar with KU, you can probably tell the periods where I took advantage of a promotional [membership] :P. Continue reading

[Adult] High Fantasy Romances: A Quest (+ Books I’ve Read in this Genre)

Hi friends! As you know, I’ve been on a big kick for adult high fantasy romances! I’m pretty sure I’ve explained “high fantasy” in previous posts … not sure about the other so … By adult I don’t mean “adult situations” I mean “the main characters are considered to have reached the age of majority in their world/culture.” (Although you know, adult situations are good too 😛 ) It seems this is still a genre dominated by YA but … you know. Also, one of my “quirks” is I hold off on reading a series until it’s finished. (Mostly because I’ll blow through an entire series in just a few days.) I do sometimes make an exception but … it’s rare. (And I also need to be assured each book can stand sufficiently alone/doesn’t end on a massive cliffhanger.)

Anyway, here’s my updated list! I would like to note… I’ve branched into YA. I mean – see above, right? I thought about trying to find some symbol to denote YA titles but … that seems too daunting. I periodically make these posts because I ask for recommendations on social media a lot, and a lot of people are always interested, so hopefully this helps us all out. 😀

Here’s what I’ve read: Continue reading

What I (Limecello) Read the First Half of 2019

Indicative of how things are going, for the year I first typed 2018, and then 2010 and … yeah. If you haven’t noticed we’ve mostly been on hiatus here at ALBTALBS, with only rockstar Babs being on point and writing all the reviews and such as expected. The Heritage Months … I so hate giving up but might be a bust. I joked about next year for APAHM and then Pride (being my birthday month) my “gift to myself” would be… totally taking both months off… BUT ANYWAY. You’re not here to listen to me whine. You’re here to see what I’ve been reading. And it didn’t seem like a lot but … I guess it has been! So whee! There have also been some gems in there that I really hope you’ll pick up!

The asterisk before means I’ve read the book in the past and re-read it this year. Or that I read it this year, and then have re-read it again since the first read. The asterisk after the author name means the book was new to me, but since reading it in 2019 I’ve re-read it. Close to one of those “I got to ‘the end’ and flipped the book around and started from page 1 and read it through all over again.” … Because yes some people do do that! … 😛 Generally not me but I’ve done something close! 😀 Continue reading

Team ALBTALBS Reads: Limecello’s 2018 Part 2.0

Hi friends! So, I always like listing what all of the review crew read for the year. Anyone is welcome to participate, to be honest, so if you’d ever like to be a guest and share your reading list you’re more than welcome! (In fact, please do!) Just contact me and we’ll set something up!

Anyway, this is the list of all the books I read from July through December of 2018. If you want to see my thoughts on them you’ll have to check my GR. I also didn’t list all my DNF books because … well that seems unnecessary here. If you have any questions about these books, please let me know! Commentary is of course welcome too! I’d love to know if you read any of these books and what you thought!

To be honest I’m also a huge “mood” reader so … it’s very possible I’d feel quite differently about any of these books if I read them today. >.> Or on a good day. Each title also takes you to the Amazon page … if you want to throw a few pennies our way. 😇 Continue reading