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Tuesday, June 2, 2026

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Haven't Read YET!!!

 

Happy Tuesday, and welcome to another edition of Top Ten Tuesday blog link-up sponsored by That Artsy Reader Girl. I looked at my overloaded TBR and found books that seem to have been there the longest, and hoping that this summer I can actually read them. My mouse died last night, and for some reason, my mousepad wouldn't work, which is why I'm posting today.





Strong-willed Adri Rivera always dreamed of becoming a professional mixed martial artist, but then she fell in love with a man who smashed everything to pieces. When their tumultuous relationship finally comes to a head, Adri flees with their young daughter to her small hometown in the mountains of Pennsylvania. There, she must face the people she left behind and put her broken life back together as a single mother.
Jabari Hall has spent his entire life chasing victory on ice--but one devastating hit leaves him benched, not just from hockey, but from the future he thought he had. Now, as he struggles with deteriorating eyesight, his well-meaning teammates set him up on a date, hoping it will cheer him up--only the date they choose is none other than Val Elliott, his ex's sister.

Val never expected to be sitting across from Jabari, especially after the way he broke her sister's heart. But when Jabari opens up about his diagnosis, Val's guarded heart softens, and she offers him a listening ear out of compassion. What begins as a simple friendship quickly turns into something more.

Some viruses go after the body. But the Nightmare Virus goes after the mind.When dream technology goes wrong, a virus spreads across the globe, trapping people in a universal dreamscape. They call it the Nightmare Virus.Cain Cross is determined to find a cure . . . if he can decipher his brother’s chicken-scratch formula notes. But when he gets infected, he has only 22 days until he’s trapped in the mental prison forever. Now, every time he falls asleep, he must fight in a Nightmare Arena until he earns his freedom to live in the “new world” that exists only in the mind.Then he finds a way to manipulate the Nightmare—to change it by mere thought.Forced to navigate a world of nightbeasts, mistblades, and half-truths, Cain turns his focus to survival. When the Emperor offers him a LifeSuPod—and access to a cure—in exchange for a dangerous favor, Cain thinks he’s found a way out. But Cain’s new power threatens to take him on paths that jeopardize his very soul.Will he continue searching for a cure, or will he swear allegiance to the Nightmare? And the bigger question might be . . . will he even have a choice?

A near-death experience catapults workaholic junior editor Kelsey Worthington into changing her life--one yes at a time.

Kelsey Worthington always dreamed of being a writer, but she's settled into a routine of helping other people tell their stories in her job as a junior editor. She doesn't go outside of her comfort zone. Her relationships are safe. Her job is secure. Her existence is stable. And she's great with that.

And then, the accident.

While she's in the hospital overnight, she meets an older woman named Georgina Tate--a glass-ceiling-shattering, wildly successful businesswoman. Georgina sacrificed everything to become the woman she is today, but now, with a pair of failing kidneys and only a handful of months left to live, Georgina is forced to come face-to-face with her regrets. Kelsey is forced to reckon with her own list of "things I'll do someday," and she starts to ask a simple but life-changing What if I said yes to all the things I normally say no to? And The Yes Plan is born.


On a remote Outer Banks island, a serial killer collects his prized specimens. And to stop him, an FBI agent must confront his own twisted past.

FBI agent Tiberius Granger has seen his share of darkness. But a new case sets him on edge. It’s not just the macabre way both victims—found posed in front of lighthouses—are tattooed with flowers that match their names. There’s also the unsettling connection to the woman Ty once loved and to the shadowy cult they both risked everything to escape.  

Bexley Hemmingway’s sister has gone missing, and she’ll do anything to find her—including teaming up with Ty. That may prove a mistake, and not just because Ty doesn’t know he’s the father of her teenaged son. It seems the killer is taunting Ty, drawing everyone close to him into deeper danger.
Everyone expected Violet Sorrengail to die during her first year at Basgiath War College—Violet included. But Threshing was only the first impossible test meant to weed out the weak-willed, the unworthy, and the unlucky. Now the real training begins, and Violet’s wondering how she’ll get through it. It’s not just that it’s grueling and maliciously brutal, or even that it’s designed to stretch the riders’ capacity for pain beyond endurance. It’s the new vice commandant, who’s made it his personal mission to teach Violet exactly how powerless she is—unless she betrays the man she loves.
Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general―also known as her tough-as-talons mother―has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders.

But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away...because dragons don’t bond to “fragile” humans. They incinerate them.

With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter―like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant.

She’ll need every edge her wits can give her                                                                 just to see the next sunrise.

                                                 

When a cold-case serial killer returns, FBI special agent Fiona Kelly has one last chance to stop him before he claims the prize he’s always wanted— her .

The sight of a goose feather at a murder scene modeled after a children’s poem is enough to make FBI special agent Fiona Kelly's blood turn to ice. Almost two decades ago, a feather was left with her sister's body—and with every subsequent victim of the Nursery Rhyme Killer. Now he's back. Only this time, his latest gruesome murder is a message to the only one who ever got Fiona.

Finding “Rhyme” is an obsession that's fueled Fiona's career—and destroyed her marriage to fellow FBI agent Asa Kodiak. Now Fiona and Asa have to put their past tensions aside and work together one last time. But Rhyme is watching, and catching this killer may force Fiona to reveal her biggest, darkest secret…the one only he knows.


Deep in the Kentucky hills, three women have been found brutalized and murdered.
But the folks in Night Holler have their own ways and their own laws.
And they’re not talking…

Led to an isolated Appalachian Mountain town by a trail of disturbing murders, FBI special agent Violet Rainwater’s determined to catch a serial killer with a twisted agenda. With locals refusing to reveal their secrets, Violet’s only ally is Detective John Orlando. But even John has an ulterior motive—he’s convinced this case is connected to his wife’s murder.

Lorelai Diederich, crown princess and fugitive at large, has one mission: kill the wicked queen who took both the Ravenspire throne and the life of her father. To do that, Lorelai needs to use the one weapon she and Queen Irina have in common—magic. She’ll have to be stronger, faster, and more powerful than Irina, the most dangerous sorceress Ravenspire has ever seen.

In the neighboring kingdom of Eldr, when Prince Kol’s father and older brother are killed by an invading army of magic-wielding ogres, the second-born prince is suddenly given the responsibility of saving his kingdom. To do that, Kol needs magic of his own—and the only way to get it is to make a deal with the queen of Ravenspire, promise to become her personal huntsman—and bring her Lorelai’s heart.





Are any of these on your list, or have you read them? Let me know in the comments.

Sunday, May 31, 2026

May in Review

 

It's been a long time since I've done a month in review. And it's been a heck of a long time since I've read 4, almost 5 in a month. Being able to read again like I used to is such a blessing, and I'm enjoying every minute!









                                   Almost done. ↨↨↨

We don't realize how valuable our eyes are until we can't use them.

I hope you had a great May. Ours was a mixture of good and bad, so I'm hoping June is amazing. As of today, I am six months seizure-free, which is amazing!

Have you read any of the books I've finished this month? Please let me know in the comments.

The Girl Upstairs: A Gritty Psychological Thriller by Jessica R. Patch Reviewed




 
About the book:

Title: The Girl Upstairs

Author: Jessica Patch

Source: Purchased

Format: Kindle

Publisher: Love Inspired Trade




She bought this house to save her marriage. Unearthing its secrets might just claim her life.

Gwen McDaniel’s life is broken. But she knows the perfect place to fix it. Cold Harbor, Maine, an idyllic small town with views of Acadia National Park, is where she used to vacation with her parents as a child. Here, she and Steven can start over, renovating their cliff-side fixer-upper while patching up their marriage. Soon, everything will be better.

Except from the moment they arrive, Gwen sees and hears things, and it’s more than just the drafts and shadows that are part of any old house. Steven downplays her fears, warning her not to fixate on problems as she has in the past. But Gwen spent years as a homicide detective, and her instincts don’t lie. Something happened here. Proof comes when she rips up the attic’s carpet to discover a chilling message carved into the wood underneath.

As Gwen delves into the history of the house and the Cold Harbor community, she begins to piece the fragments together. And gradually, a terrifying picture A missing girl. A house of horrors. And a dark, decades-old nightmare that is more haunting than Gwen ever imagined…

Add to Goodreads || Amazon || B&N


My Thoughts:

I'm honestly not sure what to say about a book that literally takes you to another time and place. That has you on the edge of your seat, as well as trying to figure out what's going on, but creates a masterful ending worthy of Frank Peretti.

Jessica R. Patch knows how to spin a tale of all of that and more. 

Ms. Patch picked the perfect time of year to set this story in: Halloween. I'm not a fan of Halloween for several reasons, but that doesn't matter. Having a house of death set against Halloween gave Ms. Patch the perfect backdrop to this amazing story.

I hope you give this book a try!




Jessica R. Patch is a New York Times and Publishers Weekly bestselling author of more than thirty novels. Known for her pulse-pounding plots, emotionally charged characters, and signature twists, Jessica’s stories explore themes of justice, resilience, and the unshakable power of hope.

Whether weaving inspirational stories of danger edged with romance or crafting chilling thrillers that probe the shadows of the human heart, Jessica delivers fiction that thrills while shining light in the darkest places.

She makes her home in Northwest Mississippi, where she enjoys life with her family, a good cup of tea, and dreaming up her next edge-of-your-seat story usually over tacos and queso.

You’re invited to join the Patched In community at her website: www.jessicarpatch.com and receive a FREE short thriller, Nobody Has to Know.

Jessica is represented by Rachel Kent of Books & Such Literary Management.

You can connect with Jessica on the following social media platforms.

Facebook || Instagram

Monday, May 25, 2026

Top Ten Tuesday Favorite Books From My Favorite Authors


Happy Tuesday, and welcome to another edition of Top Ten Tuesday link-up sponsored by That Artsy Reader Girl. Today's theme is ten of your favorite books from your favorite author. I mixed it up a bit.

























Monday, May 18, 2026

The D's Have It


 

Happy Tuesday, and welcome to the Top Ten Tuesday blog link-up sponsored by That Artsy Reader Girl. Today's theme is favorite secondary or minor characters, and I can't think of any, so I decided to continue with the alphabet challenge. 

If the title starts with The or an A, I will use the second letter. I'll post them in alphabetical order. This is perfect for those alphabetical reading challenges.














I hope you have found a new book or two, or found one or two to add to your TBR. Thanks for stopping by, and have a wonderful Tuesday!

Secrets Chase Her by Rachel Dylan



 About the book:

Title: Secrets Chase Her

Author: Rachel Dylan

Series: Deadly Justice Book 2

Source: Publisher

Format: E-book

A brutal murder. A deadly secret. A lawyer who won't back down.

When high-powered attorney Quinn Kelly finds her protégé brutally murdered, she’s plunged into a nightmare—one that points directly to a ruthless serial killer. FBI Agent Samira Haddad takes over the case, but her complicated past with Quinn threatens to cloud the investigation.

Blackmailed by a powerful tech mogul who holds incriminating evidence against her, Quinn is forced to take on his defense to keep him silent. But she refuses to sit on the sidelines while Samira hunts the killer who took her friend’s life. Quinn’s search for answers uncovers a chilling someone close to her is in the crosshairs—and she may be the reason why.

The killer is watching and lying in wait. With trust in short supply, both women must decide how far they’re willing to go for justice—and survival.

Add to Goodreads || Amazon || B&N || 


My Thoughts

This is book two of Rachel Dylan's Deadly Justice series. This is definitely a series you'd have to read in order so you could understand the relational dynamics.

Rachel Dylan knows how to write a courtroom thriller. I love reading her books because she's a lawyer, and she knows how to write an intriguing courtroom drama. This had me on the edge of my seat, trying to figure things out. I never can, but that doesn't stop me from trying, and I'm always shocked and dismayed by the truth.

The twists and turns, even the ending, were superb, and opened the door for book 3, which I'm all in for.

If you've read book one of the Deadly Justice series, you have to read this next installment.

I received a copy of this book via the publisher; I wasn't required to write a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.


About Rachel Dylan




Rachel Dylan is an award-winning and bestselling author of legal thrillers and romantic suspense. Rachel has practiced law for over a decade including being a litigator at one of the nation’s top law firms. The Atlanta Justice Series features strong, female attorneys in Atlanta. Deadly Proof, the first book in the Atlanta Justice series, is a CBA bestseller, an FHL Reader’s Choice Award winner, a Daphne du Maurier Finalist, and a Holt Medallion Finalist. Lone Witness is the winner of a Holt Medallion, the Maggie Award, and is a Selah Finalist. Rachel lives in Michigan with her husband and five furkids–two dogs and three cats. Rachel loves to connect with readers. You can find Rachel at her WebsiteFacebookInstagram, and Twitter.


Friday, May 15, 2026

A Brewed Awakening by Pepper Basham

A Brewed Awakening JustRead Takeover + Review Blitz

Welcome to the Takeover + Review Blitz for A Brewed Awakening by Pepper Basham, hosted by JustRead Publicity Tours!

About the Book

A Brewed Awakening

Title: A Brewed Awakening 
Author: Pepper Basham 
Publisher: Thomas Nelson 
Release Date: May 5, 2026 
Genre: Small Town Contemporary Romance 

Daphne dreams of Mr. Darcy. Finn serves up pints and rock music. Can opposites attract when a tea shop princess meets her pub-owning rival? 

In the charming mountain town of Wisteria, North Carolina, Daphne Austen clings to tradition like cream to a scone. She's built her life--and her late grandmother's tearoom, Tea Thyme--around all things English: delicate china, Jane Austen novels, and the comforting predictability of routine. The only thing threatening her perfectly ordered world? The loud, aggravatingly handsome Brit opening a pub next door. 

After his ex-wife broke his heart and his business partner nearly destroyed his career, Finn Dashwood packed up his six-year-old daughter and left England behind. He's looking for a fresh start, and the last thing he needs is a fussy, tea-obsessed neighbor criticizing his every pint and playlist. It doesn't matter that she's ridiculously kind (to everyone else) and that his daughter is utterly fascinated by her. Finn's heart is not open to being broken again. 

But disagreements turn into prank wars and then a competition when a high-profile wedding needs a last-minute caterer. The townsfolk are thrilled--Wisteria hasn't seen this much excitement since the county fair lost a goat. 

When the wedding demands both sweet and savory fare, Daphne and Finn are forced to put down their swords and pick up their serving trays. Between burnt pastries, brewing tempers, trending hashtags (#SipsAndSpats, anyone?), and one very adorable little girl, rivalry soon gives way to reluctant friendship--and maybe something that feels suspiciously like chemistry. 

Can a tea shop princess and a pub owner with a past mix their lives as seamlessly as clotted cream and jam . . . or will their differences keep them steeped in rivalry forever? 

PURCHASE LINKS: Goodreads | Thomas Nelson | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Christianbook | BookBub | Bookshop

Also Available:

Authentically, Izzy Sense and Suitability Some Like it Scot


My Thoughts:

This is a fun enemies to more rom-com. It had social media fun with hashtags after hashtags. As well as the next-door business owners, battling each other. One likes all things British, and one is a transplant who is British. The townspeople get involved in this culinary tug-of-war, which only adds to the incredible delight. Lucy is just a darling sidekick as Finn's daughter. Daphne just nestles up to little Lucy when she's picked on at school for talking "funny." 
The entire book, from beginning to end, is full of drama and loads of fun! This is a must-read, and it is my favorite book of Pepper Basham's, and I've read all of her books. 

I received an audio version from NetGalley. I was not required to write a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.


About the Author

Pepper Basham

Pepper Basham is an award-winning author who writes romance “peppered” with grace and humor. Writing both historical and contemporary novels, she loves to incorporate her native Appalachian culture and/or her unabashed adoration of the UK into her stories. She currently resides in the lovely mountains of southwestern VA, where she is a wife, mom to five great kids, a speech-language pathologist, and a lover of chocolate, jazz, hats, and Jesus.

Connect with Pepper by visiting pepperdbasham.com to follow her on social media or subscribe to email newsletter updates.


Tour Giveaway

(2) winners will receive a signed copy of A Brewed Awakening, and winners choice of a Literary Beverage Mug or a Storming Castles mug!

A Brewed Awakening JustRead Giveaway

Be sure to check out each stop on the tour for more chances to win. Full tour schedule linked below. Giveaway began at midnight May 13, 2026 and lasts through 11:59 PM EST on May 20, 2026. Winner will be notified within 2 weeks of close of the giveaway and given 48 hours to respond or risk forfeiture of prize. US only. Void where prohibited by law or logistics.

Giveaway is subject to the policies found here.

Enter Giveaway


Follow along at JustRead Tours for a full list of stops!

JustRead Publicity Tours

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Haven't Read YET!!!

  Happy Tuesday, and welcome to another edition of Top Ten Tuesday blog link-up sponsored by That Artsy Reader Girl . I looked at my overloa...