Category: Romance

Winning a Lady's Heart by Christi Caldwell

8/23/2015

I heard about Christi Caldwell because she is coming to Houston for Rt Readers & Writers Roundup in October.. To keep track of our Rt Reviews please visit here.

Synopsis:

For Lady Alexandra, being the source of a cold, calculated wager is bad enough...but when it is waged by Nathaniel Michael Winters, 5th Earl of Pembroke, the man she's in love with, it results in a broken heart, the scandal of the season, and a summons from her grandfather--the Duke of Danby.
To escape Society's gossip, she hurries to her meeting with the duke, determined to put memories of the earl far behind. Except the duke has other plans for Alexandra...plans which include the 5th Earl of Pembroke!

My Review:

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Winning a Lady's Heart by Christi Caldwell
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 Platypires for Winning A Lady's Heart by Christi Caldwell.

I have a soft spot for historical romance books. When I found out that Christi Caldwell was coming to my city I just had to check this novella out. Going in I was very much aware this was going to a short read and a delightful read it was. The story is about Nathan & Alex and their love story set against high society and scandal.
This was a nice quick read and would recommend it for those who want to check out an author but don't want to invest in a full length novel. Now after reading this novella, I will be sure to check out more from Christi Caldwell no matter the length.

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Doing It for Love by Cassie Mae

8/19/2015

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There is a scene in the book where the characters celebrated their engagement at a paint party. This is us at Dayglow.

CASSIE MAE HAS A NEW BOOK! CASSIE MAE HAS A NEW BOOK!

Yesterday, I got to read her latest book "Doing it for Law." and I really loved it. This is one of those books that should be one-clicked immediately. DO IT! You won't regret it.

My fellow blogger Joood also read this book back in June so please check out her review here.

Synopsis:

Cassie Mae’s charming, sexy new novel, perfect for fans of Emma Chase, puts a steamy twist on modern love as one bride-to-be tries to put the spark back in the bedroom—by any means necessary.

Elizabeth Fanning’s life looks pretty perfect, judging by the diamond ring on her finger. Her fiancé, Landon, is sweet, handsome, and hilarious. The trouble is, before they’ve even tied the knot, their sex life has gone from mind-blowing to “meh”—and Liz isn’t ready to be part of an old married couple. After a cathartic call to her best friend, Liz comes up with a brilliant idea. She and Landon may never be able to re-create the magic of their first time, but how amazing would their wedding night be if everything below the neck was off-limits until then?

Liz thinks it’ll bring them closer together. Landon’s convinced she’ll cave first. So they raise the stakes: Whoever lasts longer gets to pick their honeymoon destination. With her heart set on the Bahamas and Landon fighting for snowbound Utah, Liz simply has to win. But pretty soon, her body is screaming for attention, and Landon’s never seemed so far away. Has Liz’s experiment backfired? Losing their little competition would be frustrating—but the one thing she can’t afford to lose is him.

My Review:

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Doing It for Love by Cassie Mae
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5 Platypires for Doing It for Love by Cassie Mae

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley & Random House Publishing for an honest review.

When I saw a Cassie Mae book turn up on Netgalley for review I immediately one clicked without even reading the synopsis. Its no secret that I am a fan but this is the first time that I would be reading one of her adult novels. I definitely noticed the differences right from the start with the very sexy subject matter. At first I thought Liz came off as a cat in heat but really she was just a young women deeply in love with her fiance. At first reading this book I thought it was going going to be predictable and just be a regular romance novel.
Boy was I wrong. This book was so much more than a regular romance novel. If you have ever been in a long term relationship you will understand this couple so much. I immediately was able to relate and put myself in Liz's shoes. I laughed at their high jinxes and might have shed a tear on their lows. BTW the scene where Lizzie broke down over spilled noodles really got to me. OH how I've been there. This novel is a true romantic, adorable read that I just could not get enough of.
In true Cassie Mae fashion this novel is filled with great pop culture references. I loved the boy band and the geek references. Those were my favorite and made for the perfect sound track while reading this book.

I would highly recommend this novel.

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Truth or Beard by Penny Reid

8/2/2015

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I repeat! I think Joood and Penny Reid are the same person. This the second book that I have read by Ms. Reid and I found more similarities. I am really suspecting that my friend Joood has been holding back on me. I won't believe that they are different people till I them in the same room at the same time. Even then I still might have my doubts. I read science fiction. ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE!!!!

Truth or Beard is apart of the Platypire RT Reading Challenge. For more information, please click here.

Synopsis:

Beards, brothers, and bikers! Oh my!
Identical twins Beau and Duane Winston might share the same devastatingly handsome face, but where Beau is outgoing and sociable, Duane is broody and reserved. This is why Jessica James, recent college graduate and perpetual level-headed good girl, has been in naïve and unhealthy infatuation with Beau Winston for most of her life. His friendly smiles make her tongue-tied and weak-kneed, and she’s never been able to move beyond her childhood crush. Whereas Duane and Jessica have always been adversaries. She can’t stand him, and she’s pretty sure he can’t stand the sight of her…

But after a case of mistaken identity, Jessica finds herself in a massive confusion kerfuffle. Jessica James has spent her whole life paralyzed by the fantasy of Beau and her assumptions of Duane’s disdain; therefore she’s unprepared for the reality that is Duane’s insatiable interest, as well as his hot hands and hot mouth and hotter looks. Not helping Jessica’s muddled mind and good girl sensibilities, Duane seems to have gotten himself in trouble with the local biker gang, the Iron Wraiths.
Certainly, Beau’s magic spell is broken. Yet when Jessica finds herself drawn to the man who was always her adversary, now more dangerous than ever, how much of her level-head heart is she willing to risk?

My Review:

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Truth or Beard by Penny Reid
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 Platypires for Truth or Beard

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed "Truth or Beard" and thought it was just delightful. After the first chapter I was hooked. Come on! Sexy Gandolf? WTF! That was just hilarious and I knew I was gonna like it. The writing was great and I freaking love all the quotes at the start of each chapter. I am a quote fan so that was just awesome. I really liked the love story between Jessica & Duane. My only complaints to the story is that I felt their were a tad too many characters. There were times where I was a tad confused about each brother and their personality type. I gather it was to set up for the next books in the series but I even felt there were a lot of other side characters. My other complaint is the biker story-line. I thought at first they came across as kinda silly and not at all dangerous. What biker gives a 2 week deadline? Of course my only comparisons is watching documentaries on bikers and lots of episodes of Sons of Anarchy. Personally I do not know anybody in a real biker gang. My opinion of the biker gang later changed but that happen later in the book. I do not want to give away spoilers. Other than those two issues I really did like this book and freaking can't wait to read more in this series.

I would highly recommend this series for fans of quirky romance stories.

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Neanderthal Seeks Human by Penny Reid

7/31/2015

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Autograph and swag from Penny Reid

I got to meet author Penny Reid last year at the Houston Author Bash. I regret not reading her books sooner. I freaking had the magnet swag on my fridge this whole time and never took the opportunity to read it untill I found out she was coming back to Houston in October. ( Keep up with the Platypire RT Reading Challenge here) Oh well, I am glad I rectify that situation and got to read Neanderthal Seeks Human. BTW the book is free at the time of posting.

Synopsis:

This is a full-length, 110k word novel and is the first book in the Knitting in the City series.

There are three things you need to know about Janie Morris: 1) She is incapable of engaging in a conversation without volunteering TMTI (Too Much Trivial Information), especially when she is unnerved, 2) No one unnerves her more than Quinn Sullivan, and 3) She doesn't know how to knit.

After losing her boyfriend, apartment, and job in the same day, Janie Morris can't help wondering what new torment fate has in store. To her utter mortification, Quinn Sullivan- aka Sir McHotpants- witnesses it all then keeps turning up like a pair of shoes you lust after but can't afford. The last thing she expects is for Quinn- the focus of her slightly, albeit harmless, stalkerish tendencies- to make her an offer she can't refuse.

My Review:

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Neanderthal Seeks Human (Knitting in the City, #1)

Neanderthal Seeks Human by Penny Reid
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 Platypires for Neanderthal Seeks Human by Penny Reid.

I heard about this book about a 1 1/2 years ago at an author signing event here in Houston. I added this book to my never-ending TBR list and only decided to pick it up because the author is coming back to town later this year. I should never have waited this long. BIG MISTAKE. I really did like this book and lost some sleep reading it. Smart and nerdy characters FTW. I thought Janie was just too cute and the romance was just adorable. Quinn is defiantly book boyfriend material. I thought he had so much patience with Janie especially with all her quirks.
The biggest issue I had with this story were all of Janie's trivia ramblings. It got to be too much to the point when her sister told her to stop with the Wikipedia crap, I actually said THANK YOU out loud. Instead of it being a cute quirk it got to the point of being slightly annoying. I sill liked Janie. I just wanted her to stop and just chill out.
Overall, I did truly enjoy this book. It was a fun, romantic, smart read. (I actually had to look up some words, kudos for that.)

Highly recommend this book for someone looking for a funny romantic read.

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Rowdy (Marked Men #5) by Jay Crownover

5/4/2015

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Rowdy, booked 5 in the Marked Men series by Jay Crownover.

Book one review here

Book two review here

Book three review here

Book four review here

Synopsis:

The New York Times and USA Today bestselling Marked Men series continues with this sizzling, sexy story of love, heartbreak, fate, and second chances.

After the only girl he ever loved told him that he would never be enough, Rowdy St. James knocked the Texas dust off his boots and set out to live up to his nickname. A good ol’ boy looking for good times and good friends, Rowdy refuses to take anything too seriously, especially when it comes to the opposite sex. Burned by love once, he isn’t going to let himself trust a woman again. But that’s before his new co-worker arrives, a ghost from the past who’s suddenly making him question every lesson he ever learned.

Salem Cruz grew up in house with too many rules and too little fun—a world of unhappiness she couldn’t wait to forget. But one nice thing from childhood has stayed with her; the memory of the sweet, blue-eyed boy next door who’d been head over heels in love with her little sister.

Now, fate and an old friend have brought her and Rowdy together, and Salem is determined to show him that once upon a time he picked the wrong sister. A mission that is working perfectly—until the one person that ties them together appears, threatening to tear them apart for good.

My Review:

Rowdy by Jay Crownover
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3 1/2 Platypires for Rowdy by Jay Crownover.

After reading Nash and finding out about Salem being the next female lead in the marked men series had me ecstatic. I was so looking forward to reading a Hispanic female getting involved with one of the guys that I immediately started reading. While her Hispanic roots didn't really play a part of her story besides her curves and skin color it was still cool to see. I did like the story and I really did like Rowdy. All the Marked Men guys are great. I just felt like in this edition the story felt flat and very repetitive. I lost count how many times the origin story of Salem and Rowdy was told. I got it the first couple of times. This had me put the book down a few times. I just wasn't that engrossed.
I did like seeing all the previous cast of characters and really like the set up for Asa. I'm definitely reading the next book because that ending was epic.

I would highly recommend the Marked Men series.

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Nash (Marked Men #4) by Jay Crownover

4/26/2015

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Jay Crownover signing my autograph book.

Nash, book four in the Marked Man series by Jay Crownover.

Book one review here.

Book two review here.

Book three review here.

Synopsis:

Will their past determine their future?

Saint Ford has worked hard to achieve her childhood dream of becoming of nurse. Focused on her work and devoted to her patients, there’s no room for love. She doesn’t need a guy making waves in her calm, serene life—especially when he’s the unforgettable hottie who nearly destroyed her in high school. Dark, brooding Nash Donovan might not remember her or the terrible pain he caused. But he turned her world upside down... and now he’s trying to do it again.

Saint has no idea that Nash isn’t the cocky player he once was. Uncovering a devastating family secret has rocked his world, and now he’s struggling to figure out his future. He can’t be distracted by the pretty nurse he seems to meet everywhere. Still, he can’t ignore the sparks that fly between them —or how she seems so desperate to get away from him. But the funny, sweet, and drop-dead gorgeous Saint is far too amazing to give up on—especially since she’s the only thing in his life that seems to make sense.

When Nash discovers the truth about their past, he realizes he may have lost her heart before he could even fight for it. Now, Saint has to decide: is Nash worth risking herself for all over again?

My Review:

Nash by Jay Crownover
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

4 platypires for Nash by Jay Crownover.

I need to start of by saying this is my favorite cover in the Marked Men series. The cover model is a cutie and I never made a statement about a model before. I just felt like that was one that needed to be mention.

I really felt connected to both Nash & Saint and their personal issues. I think this was the first time in this series that I had something in common with both characters. Its always refreshing to read about character who share your very own personal struggles.
I thought Nash & Saint were a great couple. I love the way Jay Crownover can write her characters with a lot of depth and emotions. There is always more going on with her characters that what you see. Seriously, "Nash" had a lot of feel so have the tissue on hand.
I also loved that we get to revisit some of the characters in the previous stories. Without giving away too much details there was an AWESOME scene between Rule & Shaw that had me smiling the whole time.

I highly recommend Nash and the previous 3 books in the Marked Men series.

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Rome (Marked Men #3) by Jay Crownover

4/26/2015

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Meeting Jay Crownover

Rome book 3 in the Marked Men series by Jay Crownover.

Book one review here.

Book two review here.

Synopsis:

Sometimes the wrong choice can be just right . . .

Fun and fearless, Cora Lewis knows how to keep her tattooed "bad boy" friends at the Marked in line. But beneath all that flash and sass is a broken heart. Cora won't let herself get burned again. She's waiting to fall in love with the perfect man—a baggage-free, drama-free guy ready for commitment. Then she meets Rome Archer.

Rome Archer is as far from perfect as a man can be. He's stubborn, rigid, and bossy. And he's returned from his final tour of duty more than a little broken. Rome's used to filling many roles: big brother, doting son, super soldier—but none of those fit anymore. Now he's just a man trying to figure out what to do with the rest of his life while keeping the dark demons of war and loss at bay. He would have been glad to suffer through it alone, until Cora comes sweeping into his life and becomes a blinding flash of color in a sea of gray.Perfect may not be in the cards, but perfectly imperfect could just last forever . . .

My Review:

Rome by Jay Crownover
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Oh this was great! Hands down Rome is now my favorite from the Marked Men. I think the fact that he was never a player earned him lots of points in my book. Damaged after coming back from war and losing his younger brother, Rome made me feel for him quite a bit. I was defiantly immersed in his story.
I also just love Rome and Cora's back and forth dialogue with each other. They just made the perfect pair. Then there were the feels in this book and I'll be honest there were some tears in my eyes during some situations. I really do feel each book in series gets better. Overall, this is a great read but my only real complaint is that I felt it was a tad long. Anyways, I can't wait to read the next book.

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Jet (Marked Men, #2) by Jay Crownover

4/26/2015

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Marked Men is all about the tattoo love.

Jet book 2 in the Marked Men Series by Jay Crownover.

Book one review here.

Synopsis:

With his tight leather pants and a sharp edge that makes him dangerous, Jet Keller is every girl’s rock and roll fantasy. But Ayden Cross is done walking on the wild side with bad boys. She doesn’t want to give in to the heat she sees in Jet’s dark, haunted eyes. She’s afraid of getting burned from the sparks of their spontaneous combustion, even as his touch sets her on fire.

Jet can’t resist the Southern Belle with mile-long legs in cowboy boots who defies his every expectation. Yet the closer he feels to Ayden, the less he seems to know her. While he’s tempted to get under her skin and undo her in every way, he knows firsthand what happens to two people with very different ideas about relationships.

Will the blaze burn into an enduring love. . . or will it consume their dreams and turn them to ashes?

My Review:

Jet by Jay Crownover
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Oh Jet even though you have a weird name your story was really good and can you please sing to me. lol.

Book 2 in the Marked Men series was even better than the first one. It had just enough drama that is wasn't too far fetched and just enough romance to keep me very much interested. I couldn't help but root for Ayden & Jet and really enjoyed reading their story.

I would recommend this for fans of new adult romance.

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Rule (Marked Men #1) by Jay Crownover

4/26/2015

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My name is "marked" on my love.

Rule book one in the Marked Men series by Jay Crownover.

Book two review here.

Synopsis:

Opposites in every way . . . except the one that matters

Shaw Landon loved Rule Archer from the moment she laid eyes on him. Rule is everything a straight-A pre-med student like Shaw shouldn’t want—and the only person she’s never tried to please. She isn’t afraid of his scary piercings and tattoos or his wild attitude. Though she knows that Rule is wrong for her, her heart just won’t listen.

To a rebel like Rule Archer, Shaw Landon is a stuck-up, perfect princess-and his dead twin brother’s girl. She lives by other people’s rules; he makes his own. He doesn’t have time for a good girl like Shaw-even if she’s the only one who can see the person he truly is.

But a short skirt, too many birthday cocktails, and spilled secrets lead to a night neither can forget. Now, Shaw and Rule have to figure out how a girl like her and a guy like him are supposed to be together without destroying their love . . . or each other.

My review:

Rule by Jay Crownover
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a really good read and I enjoyed it. Even though the storyline was kinda predictable the story still held up and was enjoyable. I only have two complaints: What's up with the weird names with no explanation? & I'm kinda over the virgin and the reformed player scenario. It's really been played out. But then again that's my issue not the authors. Like I said, I really did like the story and it had me hooked. Can't wait to read the next book in the series.

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One Tear by Denisea Kampe

3/10/2015

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One Tear by Denisea Kampe (I had an old copy from a former name.)

Last year author Denisea Kampe donated to my book club her book "One Tear." Yeah... its been over a year and I finally got around to reading it. I know... I know... that is really bad. At least I did enjoy the book.

Below check out my 3 platypires review of One Tear.

Synopsis:

Sometimes mourning the loss of one life while rejoicing the discovery of another requires more than one tear…

Living just outside an Army base in the Midwest meant Madison Melbourne grew up around soldiers by the thousands. While they were a constant in her life, she never envisioned herself filling the role of Army wife. Until Gage came along. Over the course of a few months, Madi knew two things. She might be head over heels and she was definitely pregnant. Against the advice of friends and family, she jumps over the state line and into a marriage that would later be defined by the secrets it held rather than the truths she thought it was based on. Upon his death in combat, Gage leaves Madi with more questions than answers and more debt than money forcing her from her Kentucky home and right back where she started. She may be at square one, but Madi’s determined to move forward and never to be left destitute and heartbroken again.

Seeing how difficult the Marine Corps is on marriages and families, Rafe McCarthy has sentenced himself to a life of hard time as a bachelor, living for the moment and never staying with any woman long enough for the grass to grow beneath his feet. In fact, Rafe has a reputation as the unit player that follows him everywhere he goes with a vengeance. But it seems biological time clocks aren’t just a female thing. In fact, Rafe’s biological alarm goes off one afternoon and like a man possessed, he falls into a wife seeking mode akin to the heat seeking missiles he’s watched zipping over the Middle East for the last several years. It’s only a matter of hours before he has Madi in his crosshairs and a matter of days until he realizes he’s sighted in on one tragically broken woman. But instead of listening to every single male instinct he possesses and running, Rafe digs in his heels, determined they can work and hell-bent on making her happy.

And then the tears come…

My review:

One Tear by Denisea Kampe
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

This was a nice read and I liked it. Liked the fact that the couple were older which you don't see much in romance. What I didn't like was the fact that they were older they seem a little bit immature. I'm not a real fan of instant love or really fast relationships which took place in this book. Now that being said it did show the reasons why jumping into a relationship so fast isn't so great. Couples not being able to communicate can cause lots of problems.

This book gets 3 platypires and I would recommend it to those looking for a light read.

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Forward>>

Sofia's bookshelf: read

The Fine Art of Pretending

by Rachel Harris

This was a very cute adorable read. We've all seen those movies where the romantic leads pretending to be dating but are in fact falling for each other. Well as a chick-flick fan this book hit the right spot. Yeah the story-line was a t...

tagged: 2015

The Martian

by Andy Weir

I don't know whether to give this book 4 or 5 stars. It was pretty damn good. My only complaint is that I got kinda lost in all of the space jargon. Seriously, I felt kinda dumb because everything sounded so smart that I'm just gonna as...

tagged: 2015 and nwh-bookclub

How to Talk to a Widower

by Jonathan Tropper

This year I'm planning on rereading some of my favorite books. I'm glad I started with one of my favorite authors. This book is still really good. This time I listen to the audio book instead of actually reading the book. My only complai...

tagged: fave and 2015

The Story of Awkward

by R.K. Ryals

“Love isn’t roses. It’s those little square caramels and a root beer from the gas station because he knows that’s your favorite snack. It’s watching a musical with you without groaning. It’s handing you your glasses at night because he k...

tagged: 2015, fantasy, nerdy, and 2015-reading-challenge

Desolation Row

by Kay Kendall

I want to first start off that I got to meet the author at Houston author bash earlier this year. I was immediately drawn to the cover of this book. I just think it's a beautiful cover. This was the only physical book that I bought at t...

tagged: houston-author-bash and 2014

About ME!

I was born a long time ago in a hospital in Houston At least that's the story that was told to me. I can't recall these details so I can't say with 100% accuracy that its true.

Fast forward some years and I'm an adult women who has a passion for reading. Some might say its unhealthy. Those people suck and should burn in fiery pit. My passion for reading lead me into running the best book club in Houston. I also like to attend author signings. I don't consider that stalking if the author advertised the event. Now when I'm outside their window that might be another story but lets not get into semantics. .

I enjoy reading a lot of different genres from traditionally and indie published books. I don't go out of my way to check how a book was published. If the book captures my interest then that is good enough for me to read. Now that being said I will review books in the genres below:

Romance- contemporary, historical, and new adult, erotica
YA: Paranormal, dystopian, contemporary,
Adult fiction: women lit, historical fiction, comedy,
sci fi- apocalyptic, hard science fiction, and space opera.
Fantasy: contemporary, urban, dark, fairy tales,
Horror:
Vampire, werewolf, and zombies.

I won't read : religious, true crime or fiction crime, action dealing with spy, western, military.

Sofia "The Great"

Winning a Lady's Heart by Christi Caldwell

Doing It for Love by Cassie Mae

Truth or Beard by Penny Reid

Neanderthal Seeks Human by Penny Reid

Rowdy (Marked Men #5) by Jay Crownover

Nash (Marked Men #4) by Jay Crownover

Rome (Marked Men #3) by Jay Crownover

Jet (Marked Men, #2) by Jay Crownover

Rule (Marked Men #1) by Jay Crownover

One Tear by Denisea Kampe

Sofia's bookshelf: read

About ME!

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