Thirsty Thursday | September Book Recap

Hello Lovelies!

I read a total of 15 books in September. I didn't stick with a certain troupe, but they were all romance and fiction. I am going to give the Amazon synopsis along with my review, and I am going to put my ratings in order (5*-1*), as much as I can. 

How I read

I read on Kindle Unlimited, and I do that for a few reasons: 1) convenience- the books are literally at the tip of my fingers, and 2) it's cheaper. Kindle Unlimited is only $10 a month and it works like the library- you borrow a book and then return it. You can have up to 20 books in your "library" at a time, which does not include the books you do buy. You can still buy Kindle copies of books and there are a bunch of authors that offer Kindle Unlimited books.

This month I read Kindle Unlimited, like usual. I also read some ARCs (Advanced Reader Copies), which I will showcase.

The rating system

• 1* Eh, not memorable
• 2* Just ok.
• 3* Good book, definitely recommend reading.
• 4* Great book, can live without a print copy.
• 5* Wow, would read again. Probably will get a print copy for my library at home.

Kindle Unlimited

*Please read any and all trigger warnings before diving into any of my read books*

Mercy (Salacious Players' Club) - Sara Cate // 5*

Synopsis from Amazon

I don’t want to hurt him—I just want to punish him.

It’s bad enough being the only female owner of the Salacious Players’ Club, but I’m also the only one without a kink, or so I thought.

Imagine my surprise when the kink quiz suggests that I’m not so vanilla after all.

In fact, I’m a lot more like Emerson Grant than I thought.

Just one problem—I have no idea how to be a Domme.

That is, until the app matches me with someone willing to help me learn.

He’s too young for me.

Too stubborn. Too good looking.

And, oh yeah, my friend’s son.

Beau Grant is a brat. I’d hate that about him if I didn’t love punishing him so much.

Underneath all of that attitude is a man who is misunderstood, selfless, and in need of direction.

But if he wants mercy, he has to earn it.

There are a million reasons why I should stay away, but I’m tired of doing what everyone thinks I should do.

I finally know what I want, and I’m ready to take what’s mine.

My Review

I had been waiting for Mercy to come out since I finished the last Salacious Players' Club book, and it did not disappoint! It was so smutty and wonderful written and I loved every moment of it! I love the actual relationship dynamic between the two main characters, and that they actually have one outside of their sub/domme relationship.

Glitch- Briana Michaels // 5*

Synopsis from Amazon

Glitch
I’m obsessed with a woman I’ve never met. Hell, I’ve never even seen a picture of her, unless you count the cartoon avatar she displays during our online gaming nights. To Ara, I’m a quiet gamer who keeps a chat open in case she wants to vent about her day or her loser boyfriend. She has no clue who I am, what I look like, or that she’s the star in the filthy audio recordings I create for my personal pleasure.
When we finally meet face-to-face, I already know Ara’s everything I’ve ever wanted in a woman and there’s nothing I won’t do to have her. To keep her. To satisfy her. I just hope she can handle my intensity because I’m not going to hold back.
And no one else better stand in my way.

Ara
Glitch rules my thoughts and plays a recurring role in my dirtiest fantasies. When we finally meet, he’s nothing like I expected. He’s better. My mind short-circuits the instant he touches me. And when he says my name in his incredibly deep voice? Panty. Meltdown.
After my last relationship, I’ve been shy about starting something new. But Glitch makes me want to take this leap and there’s no denying how badly I want him. There’s just one itsy bitsy problem: my carnal appetite is insatiable.
Will Glitch be able to keep up or will he shut me down once he learns what I like and how often I like it?

My Review
Hot Damn.... this book was off the charts hot! I loved every minute of it, and couldn't put it down! The smut was so on point and I loved it! My favorite part was how Glitch didn't judge and helped Ara find her true self in and outside of the bedroom.

The Deal Dilemma - Meagan Brandy // 5*

Synopsis from Amazon
Ever wonder what would happen if you bribed your brother’s ex-best friend to be your first?
Yeah, me either, but I did it anyway. Now the moody man is madder than ever, but I came prepared to strike a deal …
One he can’t refuse.
Crew Taylor is the picture of perfection, if gruff, grumpy, and prone to throw a punch is your type. Clearly, it’s mine or I wouldn’t be begging him to bite the bullet and claim my virginity as his own.
Sure, he’s a bit of a caveman, broody and bossy and oh so naughty, but that’s sort of the point.
He’s experienced, his heated hazel eyes promising sinful skills in seduction, and I want him to teach me all he knows.
Lesson by lesson.
Night after night.
The problem?
He says he won’t allow me in his bed … but I wonder what it would take to get him to play in mine a bit?

My Review
I really can't give a review without spoiling anything, but I can say this: Crew was such an alpha and I loved him for it!

Red Handed: An Enemies to Lovers Mafia Romance (The Gentlemen Book 1) - Kate King/Jessica Wilder // 5*

Synopsis from Amazon
Forced to live with my ENEMIES.
They think they OWN ME.
But I own their HEARTS.
Nico, Rush, and Beck are the three leaders of The Gentlemen Mafia.
For my entire life, my family has been at war with their gang, splitting our city down the middle. They’re Violent, Possessive, and Psychotic.
When my sister is kidnapped, I have no choice but to turn to them. But to trust them is to risk it all.

My Review
This book was hot! I loved the dynamics between Raegan and the guys! From the start, neither side can deny the attraction to the other, and once they finally give in, the results are explosive!

When Sinners Play (Sinners of Hawthorne University Book 1) - Eva Ashwood // 4*

Synopsis from Amazon
Sin isn’t supposed to feel this good.
I never wanted to come here.

The scholarship to Hawthorne University is my ticket to a better life,
but I don’t fit in with these rich, privileged students.
I’m the daughter of a drug addict.
A girl with a half-remembered past.
A foster kid who’s seen too much of the wrong side of humanity.
My tattoos are my battle scars, and my heart beats for no one.
Until I meet them.
Gray, Declan, and Elias.
The Sinners.
They run this school, and one day, they’ll run this whole city.
They snap their fingers, and the world falls at their feet.
They breathe a word, and that word becomes law.
I’ve been numb my whole life, but when they touch me, sparks dance across my skin.
For the first time in years, I feel.
I feel so much.
Confusion.
Desire.
Anger.
Need.
Too bad there’s only one thing the Sinners feel for me.
Hate.

My Review

I really liked the character dynamics in this one! The FMC was strong and didn't take shit from anyone. She was badass! I also love how the spice started early and it was surprising! It didn't take me long to finish and start the second book! 

Savage Games: An Academy Bully Romance (Bastards of Boulder Cove Book 1) - Rachel Leigh // 4*

Synopsis from Amazon
I shouldn't be here.

Let me rephrase that...
I never wanted to be here.
I didn't ask for any of this.
Not the society I was born into.
Definitely not the academy I'm supposed to attend.
And sure as hell not the group I'm forced to play nice with.
Unfortunately, one too many school suspensions has catapulted me into the world I swore I'd never live in.
Boulder Cove Academy: Where The Lawless reign and those beneath them are ash between their fingertips.
The three leaders of this place—Crew, Jagger, and Neo—have always been an aching thorn in my side.
When things get ugly, I have no choice but to turn to the boys I loathe.
Acceptance means I become a slave to their darkest desires.
Bones to rattle.
A mind to shake.
In the thick of it all, I begin to see the truth. They never intended to help me.
They only want to destroy me.
One game at a time.

My Review

Overall, I liked the idea of the book. I didn't like that it was set in high school, but whatever. The FMC was strong and didn't cower under the boys. The spicy scenes were very spicy and the library scene... oh my! Let's just say, I was fanning myself. I can't wait till book 2 comes out!

Promises and Pomegranates (Monsters & Muses Book 1) - Sav R. Miller // 4*

Synopsis from Amazon

Elena
To most, Kal Anderson is a villain.
Harbinger of death, keeper of souls, frequenter of nightmares.
Doctor Death. Hades incarnate.
They say he stole me.
Usurped my fiancé and filled the cracks in my heart with empty promises.
Imprinted his crimson fingerprints on my psyche and tried to set me free.
They’re not wrong, per se.
Except it was my choice to stay.

Kal
To most, Elena Ricci is an innocent.
Goddess of springtime, lover of poetry, angel of my nightmares.
Little one. Persephone personified.
They say I ruined her.
Shattered her virtue and devoured her soul like a succulent pomegranate.
Embedded my evil as deep as I could possibly get and tried to set her free.
They’re not wrong, per se.
Except it was she who ruined me.

My Review

I won't lie, it took me a minute to read this one... it was wordy. I did like the story and the fact that it was a Hades and Persephone retelling. I hated the big secret that came out and what it did to Elena, but I actually guessed it earlier in the book. The smut was definitely on point, especially the theater scene. Whooo! 

Bound By Duty (Born in Blood Mafia Chronicles Book 2) - Cora Reilly // 3*

Synopsis from Amazon

Dante Cavallaro’s wife died four years ago but her memory still haunts him. On the verge of becoming the youngest head in the history of the Chicago Outfit, Dante needs to remarry or risk appearing weak.

Valentina is chosen for the role.

She, too, lost her husband, but her first marriage has always been for show. Even after her husband’s death, Valentina carries the weight of his secrets with her— to protect the honor of a dead man and herself.

With her wedding to Dante, her castle of lies threatens to crash.

Valentina fears the wedding night might reveal her secret, but her worries prove unfounded when Dante ignores her. Soon, her fear turns to confusion and anger.

Valentina is tired of being ignored. She’s determined to get Dante’s attention and desire, even if she can’t get his heart that still belongs to his dead wife.

My Review

I felt sorry for Valentina for the majority of the book. She was basically competing with the ghost of Dante's first wife for his affection, which he would only give to her at night. I didn't get it. I did like Valentina's character, though. She was strong and spoke her mind!

Forbidden Obsession: A Dark College Enemies-to-Lovers Standalone Romance (Whitmore Elite Novel Book 1) - J.A. Owenby // 3*

Synopsis from Amazon

Jagger Whitlock is my worst nightmare.

He’s a straight-up asshole who lives to torment me, and he’ll stop at nothing to punish me over the smallest slight.

When he digs up a sex tape starring—you guessed it—me, he takes bullying to a whole new level, using it to blackmail me into doing his bidding.

If the video gets out, it will ruin me.

But my stepbrother makes it clear that he doesn’t give a damn.

He drags me deep into his dark and twisted world, showing me the monster he hides beneath his handsome exterior, taking risks that put our lives in danger.

I thought I knew the devil I lived with.

I was wrong.

But so is he.

He thinks I’m nothing more than a pampered princess, but soon he’ll realize I’m a Queen.

And it’s time I put Jagger in his place.

My Review

The smut started early in this one and it started hot! The one thing that I did like about this book was the character building! 

 

ARCs (Advanced Reader Copies)

Mafia Lust: Age Gap Forbidden Romance Standalone - L. Steele // 5*

Synopsis from Amazon
He's my boyfriend's father, also my boss, and totally off limits...
JJ Kane. Billionaire tycoon. Ruthless villain. Supposed head of the underworld.
The first time I set eyes on him I hated him with a visceral intensity that took me by surprise.
Considering he gave me a roof over my head when I had nowhere else to go, I should be grateful.
Instead, I can’t seem to stop baiting him.
He's also my boyfriend’s father. Twenty-six years older.
And all wrong for me.
He goes out of his way to avoid me, treats me like I don’t exist...
...also gives me a job in his office, and protects me from my boyfriend's anger.
Now he’s also my boss, so I can’t afford to antagonize him.
Yet we can’t seem to stop fighting every time we meet.
That is until he kisses me...

My Review

This book was hot! The age gap, the forbidden-ness, the mafia bit, the everything. JJ Kane is everything you would want in a book boyfriend and more! UGH! 

Halloween Queen - Kindra Woods // 4*

Synopsis from Amazon

Trick or treat?
Josephinea isn't a social girl, but she's finally going to a ball on Halloween night. Where she meets the very attractive, bad influence Mr. Edward.
When the evening is over, she finds out her little one-night stand was with the now King Edward.

My Review

I liked this short and spicy book! It's a great novella for Halloween with just the right amount of spice! I was surprised that with how short it was that it actually had a plot, which was really good, by the way. 

Wishing on Snowflakes : A Romantic Comedy Novella (The Silver Linings Series, Book 1) - Natalie Parker // 4*

Synopsis from Amazon
Gwen
People don’t exactly know me for my coordination around here.
Hell, I couldn’t even storm out on my cheating, embezzling ex, gracefully.
Ah well, life is full of tradeoffs, like this brand new custom snowboard I confiscated from the jerkwad that I don’t know what the hell to do with - that is until I meet a handsome nerdy snowboard instructor who has an idea.
A physically-fit adonis who tears up the snowy mountain, Kyle is a techy nerd when he’s off the slopes… and I find both sides of him dreamily sexy, not to mention, sweet.
He doesn’t even give my klutziness a second thought when he offers to teach me how to board.
He believes in me, and he may make me believe in love again.

Kyle
A beautiful goddess quite literally just stumbled into my life, and now I never want to let her go - one, because I’m crazy about her and want to keep her close, and two, to keep her from tripping over air.
Not only do I find her adorable when she knocks things over, but I’m absolutely smitten with the way she owns it. Add that to the fact that she seems to be enamored with all of me, nerdiness and all.
The two of us meeting is like a wish coming true.

My review

OMG, this novella was simply the cutest! Gwen is the clumsiest person, but she owns it like nobody's business, and Kyle is a Star Wars loving nerd. They meet at a bar, and things go great from there. Kyle teaches Gwen how to snowboard, and that's when things start to heat up.

Wishing for Always : A Best Friends to Lovers Novella (The Silver Lining Series Book 2) - L.M. Dalgleish // 4*

Synopsis from Amazon

I missed my chance to tell her how I felt once before, I'm not going to let it happen again...

Brody
For years I buried my feelings for my best friend, Skye, because she needed my friendship more than anything else.
Now she’s decided she’s finally ready to take a chance on falling in love.
Just... not with me.
But I refuse to stand by and watch her fall for another man. Not when I know we’re perfect for each other.
So, when we end up trapped in a snowed-in cabin, I use the opportunity to show Skye exactly how good we can be together.

Skye
Getting stuck in a cabin with my best friend shouldn’t have been a big deal.
But that was before he let me know exactly how he feels about me.
I’ve had a good reason for never letting myself see Brody as anything more than a friend, though. And I’m fighting this attraction with everything I have.
Only, I’m not sure I’m going to win. Because Brody is determined to make me his.
And I’ve got a feeling he won’t go down without a fight.

My Review
I thought this book was so cute! I love a good friends to lovers story and this one was good! I understood Skye's hang ups and why she didn't immediately want to dive into a relationship with Brody, but I also understood where Brody was coming from too!

Wishing Upon a Star: A Second Chance Novella (The Silver Lining Series Book 3) - Christina Berry // 5*

Synopsis from Amazon

I’ve only ever loved one man: Hollywood heartthrob Griffin Stone. Of course, I never told him.

In high school, Griffin was hot jock Mr. Popular, while I was the dorky science nerd who tutored him. Now, ten years later, I’m a leader in space technology and a newly-minted billionaire, and apparently I’ve stepped through a wormhole to an alternate dimension because Griffin freakin’ Stone just admitted he’s always had a crush on me. He thinks I rejected him.

Can time heal old wounds and bring our stars into alignment?

My Review

Griffin and Scarlett each had feeling for each other back in high school, but neither of them knew it. Now, ten years later, they admit to each other their past feelings, and guess what?! Yep, the feelings are still there! This story was so sweet! I love how reluctant Scarlett was to let Griffin in, but he was bound and determined to show her that he would make her his!

Wishing for More : An Accidental Pregnancy Novella (The Silver Lining Series Book 4) - Jenni Bara // 5*

Synopsis from Amazon

They say be careful what you wish for ...

With her only child away at college, Bridget Adams is ready for less work and more play.

She didn’t expect it to come in the form of Ryan Daily, major league baseballs party boy.

One night rounding the bases with the young pitcher they both get more than they bargained for.

Ryan wants extra innings, will Bridget risk her heart?

My Review

I didn't even realize that this was an accidental pregnancy novella, but I fell in love with it anyways! Bridget and Ryan each have a thing for the other, but they don't know it, until Bridget looses a bet and has to tell Ryan that she wants to have a drink with him. Things then get spicy! The interactions between Bridget and Ryan are swoon worthy! Bridget has been hurt before and I love all the ways Ryan shows her that she can trust him and that he is different. 

#1 FAVORITE BOOK this month:

Mercy- Sara Cate

Did you read any good books in September?

View all of my Thirsty Thursday book reviews here

Read about my top 12 FAVORITE authors here

Find out which books were my most favorite of 2021 here


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