The Duke's Desire (12 Dukes of Christmas #8) by Erica Ridley

From Goodreads

 Meg Church adores two things: life in a village of perennial Yuletide, and the freedom of being a spinster with no reputation to protect. Oh, very well, three things: She’s harbored a secret tendre for Christmas curmudgeon Lucien le Duc since the moment she first glimpsed him. But the sexy blacksmith won’t give her the time of day, much less a night of torrid passion.

Ever since Lucien le Duc was forced to flee his beloved France during the revolution, his all-consuming goal has been to recover not only his lost land and fortune, but also his rightful place among the French aristocracy. He would never be distracted by an English dairy maid’s sultry glances… or her soul-consuming kisses… or the temptation to turn one night into forever…

My thoughts

My thanks to the Publishers via NetGalley for the opportunity to read the story in exchange for an honest review.

This novella features Meg Church local spinster and dairy maid in Yuletde an English village and Lucien le Duc, a handsome French blacksmith that has piqued  her interest in more ways than one.

Will this couple become more than just acquaintances as their paths begin to cross?  

This was an enjoyable addition to the 12 Dukes of Christmas series by this author.  A novella romance with just the right amount of erotic addition that we readers have become used to in the series.  I do like settling down with these and find them a nice escape from day to day life.

   

Killing Jericho (Scott Jericho #1) by William Hussey

From Goodreads

Murder this twisted demands a new kind of detective

Fresh out of prison, former Detective Constable Scott Jericho is a desperate man.

Disgraced and penniless after his assault on a violent suspect, he is forced to seek refuge with the fairground family he once rejected. Now, troubled by his failure, Jericho’s brilliant mind stagnates.

That is until a series of bizarre murders reawaken his interest. Men and women with no obvious link to each other are being ritualistically slaughtered.

Slaughtered in ways that recall an old legend of the Jericho Travelling Fair.

Now, in a race against time, he must unpick the threads of a baffling mystery. But as his investigation unfolds and the corpses pile up, a shocking truth awaits him. A revelation that will test not only Jericho’s intellect but challenge the very core of his morality... 

,My thoughts

This was a book that I grabbed from my local Library.  The author is aka Will Harker, he has written books in both names and in different genres..  As far as I can see, this is the first book that I have read by this author.    

Telling the story of Scott Jericho a former Detective Constable who is fresh out of prison.  How the hell is he going to fit back into normal life?  He has had a chequered past and has secrets that he needs to overcome in order to move forward and make a new life for himself.   

I enjoyed the story and the relationship that developed between the characters.  I look forward to reading the next in this series and seeing where Scott Jericho is likely to take us, as he is a man with issues that he needs to overcome.

The Secret Keeper (The House of Morgan #19) by Victoria Pinder

From Goodreads

Anthony Morgan is the last man I should ever work for.

Too bad I don’t have a choice.

It started with an email from Jennifer Gonzales.

It ended with me walking into a boardroom face-to-face with the man who wants to protect her.

The same man who looks at me like I’m a threat to everything he built.

And maybe I am.

He’s cold. Controlled.

Italian billionaire in an Armani suit, hiding bruises behind bank accounts.

He thinks I’m still loyal to my former best friend—the woman who broke his brother’s heart and stole something she should’ve never touched.

But I’m not here for Belle.

I’m here to do a job.

Security.

Protection.

No distractions.

Except Anthony Morgan is a distraction.

His eyes strip me bare.

His voice is a seduction I never saw coming.

And every time we fight, it feels like foreplay.

Getting too close to him is a mistake.

Falling for him?

Dangerous.

But if there’s one thing I’ve learned from war zones and heartbreak…

It’s that the most forbidden fire burns the hottest.

And Anthony Morgan is pure flame

My thoughts

My thanks to the Publishers via NetGalley for a copy of this story in exchange for an honest review.  In some ways this story reminded me a little of the books that I read in my teens.  An easy read romance that engages the reader easily and isn't too taxing (if you know what I mean),  

This is the 19th book in a series by this author.  The books in the series are linked together, but it's quite easy to read the books as one off stories.  This was th first in thee House of Morgan series that I have read.

Telling the story of Emily who is employed by members of the Morgan family to do a job, as a security and protection employee to help keep family safe.  She crosses paths with Anthony Morgan a member of the family.  As their paths cross more and more, a relationship begins to form that is soon more than just professional.  

I enjoyed this easy read story and fully recommend it to others. 

Quicksilver (Fae & Alchemy #1) by Callie Hart

From Goodreads

Do not touch the sword. Do not turn the key. Do not open the gate.

In the land of the unforgiving desert, there isn't much a girl wouldn't do for a glass of water.

Twenty-four-year-old Saeris Fane is good at keeping secrets. No one knows about the strange powers she possesses, or the fact that she has been picking pockets and stealing from the Undying Queen's reservoirs for as long as she can remember.

But a secret is like a knot. Sooner or later, it is bound to come undone.

When Saeris comes face-to-face with Death himself, she inadvertently re-opens a gateway between realms and is transported to a land of ice and snow. The Fae have always been the stuff of myth, of legend, of nightmares... but it turns out they're real, and Saeris has landed herself in the middle of a centuries-long conflict that might just get her killed.

The first of her kind to tread the frozen mountains of Yvelia in over a thousand years, Saeris mistakenly binds herself to Kingfisher, a handsome Fae warrior, who has secrets and nefarious agendas of his own. He will use her Alchemist's magic to protect his people, no matter what it costs him . . . or her.

Death has a name. It is Kingfisher of the Ajun Gate. His past is murky. His attitude stinks. And he's the only way Saeris is going to make it home.

My thoughts

Meet Saeris Fane an Alchemist and Kingfisher a Fae warrior.  When their paths inadvertently cross, it's not long before a bond is formed between them both, that will have far reaching consequences on them both as they're from different realms.  How will they learn to live together and what sort of a relationship will develop between them?

What a read!  This is the first in the Fae & Alchemy series by Callie Hart. I presume that there will be more to follow in this series, as there is so much more that can happen in this fantasy world that we have been taken into and between the two main characters and the relationship that has evolved between them in this story.

At times it was a hard read trying to get my head around what was happening and at others it was a great read to escape into.  I enjoyed the relationship that developed between Kingfisher and Saeris.  From two different forms of beings, how will they get on with the differences in their lives and the way that they live?  

Please be aware that at times the story is a little on the violent side and a little sexual, but not overly so.  

Looking forward with baited breath to read the next one in the series and see how things progress.  Please don't keep us waiting too long.

Beyond Control (Beyond Love #1) by Karice Bolton

From Goodreads

Everything in Gabby Sullivan's life is going according to plan--her father's plan. With a brilliant job in the corporate world, glamorous parties, and a beautiful condo overlooking Seattle, she is thrown into a world she doesn't want to claim. It's not until Jason crashes into her world that she realizes she's not really living.

Facing his own demons, Jason attempts to piece his life back together after a personal tragedy. Damaged by his ghosts, Jason finally begins to forgive himself whenever Gabby's around. She makes him feel--alive, something he hasn't felt for a long time.

It's only as their love grows and secrets are revealed that they realize a devastating connection from their past might actually tear them apart.

My thoughts

This was a freebie read from Amazon that had sat on my Kindle for 10 years.  The trouble for us book alcoholics is, that their are too many books to read and not enough time to read them in! 

This is the first in a series of books by this Author called Beyond Love.  This book features thee female lead character Gabby Sullivan, she appears to have a privileged life some would say.  With an over protective father, who has mapped her life out for her.  She is feeling suffocated to a certain extent and needs to break free.  When a stranger called Jason crashes into her life one day, he brings a new perspective into her life in more ways than one.  

A bond is formed between the two that as you read, hints may go deeper than you think.

I enjoyed this story and the interaction between the main characters Gabby and Jason, and how the secondary characters were involved in their lives. .  Whilst it was a sweet read, it kept me engaged when reading and I was left wanting to grab it again once I had put it down.   

The Author mentioned the following songs in the book and  I had to find the following song ~ Tidal Wave by Sub Focus, it was not a song nor a performer that I knew and I played it while I read the book.  Gabby played it as she was driving home from work one evening.  Nor had I heard ~ Love Somebody by Maroon 5, I did .know of them as a group though.

Into the Mist (Into the Mist #1) by P.C. Cast

Froom Goodreads

As men fall to the mist, the age of womankind begins to rise

Bombs strike US cities and military sites, cause fires, explosions, sonic detonations, quakes, slides, and green mist. Breathed in, the toxin melts men into puddles of bloody clothes. But women may get strange new powers.

High school science teachers leaving an Oregon mountain conference find their blood may cause plants to grow suddenly. "Warrior" Mercury 30s is now incredibly strong and fast. "Seer" Stella 40s senses future, directs them, where and when, to go or stay. "Watcher" Imani gazes toward her lost family for hours. Christian "Priestess" Karen 50+ sees their powers act, in the spirit world, as a green glow.

"Healer" Gemma 16, then three children join after losing their respective parents. They meet bad and good people in their search for The Place to build their safe perfect new world.

My thoughts

This was a book that I started back in 2024.  It was a BorrowBox read that got put to one side as other people borrowed it and I just couldn't divert the time to it that I needed to when the copy was in.my hands.

This is a dystopian horror themed story and is the first of two books in the Into the Mist series by this Author.  It piqued my interest, as these are genres that I enjoy reading and it delivered to a certain extent.  At times I felt it plodded along and didn't maintain my interest quite as much as I wanted it too.

Telling the story of devastation in the US by many different forms, that leaves a green mist loitering behind that has dire consequences for the male of the population.  The green mist if breathed in by the males is killing them off, but is leaving the females with extra powers. 

As the females are moving across the US iin an attempt to escape what is happening and stay as safe as they can.  They find that they are banding together to form a new society and try to understand what the hell is happening, and what the powers that they are finding that they have acquired actually mean to them and the rest of the survivors.

I almost gave up on the story and it's not something that I do very often, but my curiousity got the better of me and I kept reading on until the end.  

 

Intimacy by Ita O'Brien

From Goodreads

"A vital contribution to our understanding of intimacy both on screen and in life." Gillian Anderson | An Evening Standard 'Book to Watch' for 2025

From the initial spark of attraction when your eyes first meet, to spontaneously dancing together in the kitchen and falling asleep side by side - how do we create those intimate moments of connection?

As a pioneering Intimacy Coordinator, Ita O’Brien has choreographed some of the most groundbreaking, passionate and vulnerable intimate scenes onscreen. From Normal People to I May Destroy You, and in so many more productions, she has also made these scenes safer, more joyful and more empowering to perform in. No one knows intimacy, the power of true connection, better than her.

So, what can her work teach us about our own relationships, both with ourselves and others? How can we use her tools to discover what it is that we truly want in our intimate lives? And how can all of this create environments in which intimacy can take seed, grow and even thrive?

Combining embodied wisdom, behind-the-scenes stories and exercises for connection, Intimacy offers us a field guide to discovering our desires, communicating our needs, and cultivating truly intimate relationships at every stage of our lives.

My thoughts

My thanks to the Publishers via NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is not the sort of book that I usually read.  I chose it to fulfil a reading challenge ~ A book in a genre that you wouldn't normally read.  I don't tend to read many non fiction books like this as it's a self help style of book, but on reading the book it's so much more than just a self help book.

The author draws on her experiences as an Intimacy Coordinator.  She has been instrumental in working with actors both on and off screen, discussing with them what might be expected of them during intimate scenes on screen and how they might cope with it, emotionally, physically, etc.  She has helped with the choreographing of the scenes of many series, etc. 

The book is a jumbled mix that jumps between the graphic intimate sections and the personal experiences that she has had in her working life.

Whilst, I did enjoy certain aspects of the book more than others.  I feel that she could have been a little more structured in the way that it was written.  I dipped in and out of it while reading it and certain parts of the book, did make me think about the relationships that we form with one another both emotionally and intimately, and how we learn to deal with the feelings of others while in a relationship..

 Below are two quotes that spoke out to me for various reasons. 

In the quote below the author is explaining about when she worked on an adaptation by Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre's 2022 film adaptation of Lady Chatterley's Lover written by D.H. Lawrence.  The challenge was to choreograph the passion that developed between Lady Chatterley and the estate gamekeeper Mellors.

Quote 1

' This was a relationship that was so transgressive when the book  was written in 1928 that it was only published iii an unexpurgated form in England in 1960, after a famous obscenity trial. Nowadays people aren't so shocked about a love affair across the class barriers, but the relationship is still the heart of the story. Both characters find liberation because of it, so the challenge was to find ways of showing each beat of its development on screen for the audience to understand its significance. ' 

The quote below is very poignant and made me think quite deeply about our lives and the lives of our female children and female grandchildren, et al.  It's quite thought provoking really in my opinion.  

Quote 2

' I always think it is a beautiful thing that a female baby in her mother's womb contains all the eggs that she will produce in her reproductive life.  Effectively, if a woman gives birth to a girl, she is giving birth to the seed of her own grandchildren.  Once those are used , that is it!  That's one reason menopause is such a sharp process.  Ovulation ends and hormone production drops over a relatively short period of time.  It is really the end of something.'