Monthly Book Roundup #1(September)

If you haven't figured it out, I devour books like I need then to survive. I average about a book a day when I have time, but at least three a week. I do promise that I have a life, a full time job, and a loving partner. I just happen to read 164 pages an hour...but anyways. I am going to do my best to do a monthly update of the best books I read each month. Since I like to read pretty much anything, there should be a good mix of material each month, though I do occasionally and up with a sub-genre hyper fixation. So, without further ado, here are some of my favorite reads from September(sorry I'm late.)

Landon by S.M. Shade

Zoe is barely making ends meet, and with a younger brother to support, she needs a new job fast. When she responds to a help wanted ad for a housekeeper, the last person she expects to answer the door is the handsome asshole, Landon, that she turned down at the club a few days before. But she needs the money and begrudgingly accepts the job. As time goes on Landon realizes that he loves Zoe's presence in his house, when he's only lived a life of darkness and one night stands. But will Zoe be able to handle a life in the dark with him, or will he have to let the only woman he's ever loved walk away?

This book was so sweet, spicy, and had a great plot with found family, navigating life with medical issues, and finding happiness in unlikely places. I loved Zoe as an FMC. She is smart, strong, and a fierce protector of those she loves. Despite her instant attraction to Landon in the club when they meet, she tells him to take a hike when he comes off like a dick. She's left raising her 16 year old brother, Ethan, after their parents kicked him out for being gay. All she wants is to give them a better life.

Landon has lived his whole life in the darkness due to a medical condition that means he can't go into the sun. His perspective on how he has to live his life is a story of resilience while also being heartbreaking. He tries so hard to ignore his feelings for Zoe because he doesn't want to drag her into his nocturnal way of living, when she is the embodiment of sunshine. But he doesn't realize that his girl can do anything she sets her mind too. Together they manage to make their lives work together.

Don't Call Me Daddy by Jeré Anthony

Working through her sister's so-called Fuck-It List, Ivy finds herself in Ashford Falls, home of one of her sister's favorite authors. When she ends up with her car in a ditch being rescued by a handsome stranger, it feels like failure. When Leo picked up the much too young, ray of sunshine, Ivy Lane, the last thing he expects is to end up moving her into his house. But in a wild turn of events, Ivy ends up as his fake fiancee, trying to help Leo secure the CEO position of his father's company. The more time they spend together, the harder their feelings become to ignore, and the more real their relationship becomes. It was supposed to only be one month, but suddenly leaving doesn't feel like an option.

There was a lot happening in this book in all the best possible ways. I absolutely loved joining Leo and Ivy on their (kinky) journey. Full of plenty of wit and sarcasm to balance out the heartbreak and healing, the growth these characters go through is beautiful. Ivy is desperately trying to figure out life after the death of her twin sister, Fern. Using Fern's Fuck-It List as a guide, Ivy is trying to go on a once in a lifetime journey. It turns out Leo is more than meets the eye and is the perfect person to help complete it.

Where's Molly? by H.D. Carlton

A spin-off of Haunting Adeline, Where's Molly? follows the story of Molly Devereaux, who disappeared into thin air 15 years ago. The only person who knows she's still alive? Cage, the gorgeous man who made her a new identity and dropped her of safely in Alaska 9 years ago. When their paths cross once more, Cage knows there's no way he's letting her go again, despite her protests.

I absolutely loved Haunting Adeline, so to have this spin-off that wrapped up so many questions, soothed something in my soul. Molly's story was so heartbreaking. An entire life spent being abused until she saved herself and her baby sister. What this book lacked in length, it made up for in detail. It covered all of the 15 years that Molly had been 'missing.'

If you loved the Cat and Mouse Duet, then this is a must read...especially the ending.

Neon Gods by Katee Robert

In this modern retelling of the tale of Persephone and Hades, the gods are more vicious, the power more terrifying, and the games even more deadly. When Demeter announces to all of Olympus that her daughter, Persephone, is set to marry the much older Zeus, Persephone panics. Ending up on the wrong side of the River Styx, in the arms of a man believed to no longer exist, her world comes crashing down. Hades decides that they can use each other to get what they both want, the downfall of Zeus. But when the lust becomes so much more, he has to decide what's more important, keeping Persephone safe, or revenge.