[43] Done and Dusted (Rebel Blue Ranch #1) by Lyla Sage
Fiction / Romance / Contemporary, heard about from Ene then Val, Kindle

Synopsis: After a frightening riding accident, barrel racer Emmy Ryder returns to her small hometown of Meadowlark, Wyoming, unsure of her next move. There, she reconnects with Luke Brooks—her brother’s best friend, local bad boy, and the man who once drove her crazy. Sparks fly as Luke helps Emmy become comfortable with riding again.

Review: This was fun enough and I liked both of these characters but something was missing. I can’t pinpoint what, and am just going to to blame it on me being such a moody reader lately. I do have to note, my friend Val told me Luke calling Emmy “sugar” made her bonkers in the audio version and I was curious to see if it would in “print”—not so much! But I did notice it more.

Recommend? Nah

[44] Duty Bound (Blackthorn Security #1) by Gemma Ford
Romance / Military Fiction, saw on my Kindle, Kindle

Synopsis: When Lily is kidnapped by the Taliban for the military secrets in her head, her only hope is the man she never wanted to see again—Blade Wilson, a special ops soldier haunted by his past and the death of his best friend—Lily’s boyfriend. As Blade risks everything to rescue her from captivity in Afghanistan, the two are forced into a high-stakes escape where survival depends on trust.

Review: I loved the high stakes and excitement throughout this entire book. And it was the perfect length—well under 300 pages! Yes, please! Is this brilliant, award-winning writing? No. Did I find a typo in the book (and already in book #2)? Yes. Do I care? No. It’s entertaining and almost unputdownable, which is apparently just what I need to keep me engaged right now.

Recommend? Yes

[45] Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle
Fiction / Women, saw on “Available Now” on Libby/heard about from Tiff, Audio

Synopsis: For over twenty years, Daphne Bell has received mysterious slips of paper predicting exactly how long each of her relationships will last—until one day, a paper arrives with just a name: Jake. As their connection deepens, Daphne starts to question fate, love, and whether some truths are better left untold.

Review: I didn’t think I was in the mood for a Serle book, but then when I started it and Julia Whelan was narrating, I was ALL IN! Serle always comes up with interesting premises like this. I enjoyed the story, and how it was told—mostly chronological, with some flashbacks, rather than all chronological. It was kind of a mindf*ck to ponder how this knowledge would mess with you. I found myself judging Daphne for how she acted based on the information on the papers, but knew damn well I’d also be doing something similar. This book also made me think about the secrets we keep, which was a big theme in the Mina Lee book as well. Only in that book, secrets were kept to try to protect someone’s emotional state, and in this one, the secret wasn’t deemed worth sharing since the relationship had an end date. All very interesting. A huge part of the book is predictable and the way they get there is a bit effed up, but whatever.

Recommend? Yes, on audio