Author: Brandee @ (un)Conventional Bookworms

Up Close & (un)Conventional Bookish Babble ~ Birthday Girl & Credence ~ A Comparison

As y’all probably know, I’m a genre omnivore. If there’s something in literature that I won’t read, I’ve not found it yet. But why do I read? It’s not all about entertainment. Studies have shown reading fiction is good for us. It broadens our minds and changes our perspectives. It builds empathy, makes us better communicators, improves our memories, and enhances our understanding of the world. Being able to read about something in the fictional world that’s outside our comfort zone helps us comprehend and be empathetic to those things in the real world. That’s why I read whichever genre or trope speaks to me at the time and why I was able to enjoy Birthday Girl and Credence despite […]

Posted 20 September, 2021 by Brandee @ (un)Conventional Bookworms in Discussion Posts / 10 Comments

Review ~ Seeking Vengeance ~ Eden Summers

Seeking Vengeance was a steamy, emotional thrill-ride! I was immediately drawn into the story. And to say I’ll be impatiently awaiting the next installment might just be the understatement of 2021 so far. (as it relates to my reading anyway ;)) Layla wants to be enough. As the daughter of a crime lord, she feels tainted by her family’s business. Then there’s the guilt she feels over a family betrayal that shouldn’t be held against her, yet is. And she’s paid the unthinkable price. Her family despises her and she’s seeking vengeance as well as redemption. Matthew is rather an enigma. He holds his cards close to his chest – except for his feelings for Layla. His life experiences have shown him […]

Posted 9 September, 2021 by Brandee @ (un)Conventional Bookworms in Reviews / 3 Comments

Blogger Wife Chat Review ~ The Next Mrs Russo ~ Jana Aston

Hooray! JAston is BACK! And with The Next Mrs Russo she’s better than ever! 🙂 Oh my gosh – it was all I could have ever wished for and more! I immediately fell for Audrey. Her quirky personality and her hysterical internal dialog was so much fun and it allowed us to really get to know her. I adored that she up-cycled vintage clothing (I didn’t know that was a thing) and that her plumbing was essentially held together with duct tape. Audrey made me realize how much I’d missed JAston’s characters. What about you? Audrey was fantastic – I loved her stream-of-consciousness talking and thinking. I had never heard of up-cycling vintage clothing either, but that was so cool […]

Posted 4 August, 2021 by Brandee @ (un)Conventional Bookworms in Reviews / 6 Comments

Brandee & Linda’s Excellent Reading Challenge Adventure ~ Mid-Year Update

Here’s how we’ve done in the first half of 2021: From the Read Harder Challenge: Read a book you’ve been intimidated to read. I Know Why The Caged Birds Sing by Maya Angelou Read a non-European novel in translation. Read a memoir by a Latinx author. Read a historical fiction with a POC or LGBTQ+ protagonist. From the Reading Women Challenge: Read a cookbook or foodie memoir by a woman of color. Read a book by a neurodivergent author. Your Body is Not an Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor Read a book with a biracial protagonist. Read a book with a female protagonist over 50. Gray Hair Don’t Care by Karen Booth. (The heroine is 47 at the beginning, […]

Posted 19 July, 2021 by Brandee @ (un)Conventional Bookworms in Reviews / 3 Comments

Review ~ Homecoming Heartbreaker ~ Joss Wood

I quite enjoyed my initial visit to Moonlight Ridge with Homecoming Heartbreaker. I love the setup for the entire series and look forward to seeing how these brothers, and their dad, end up ensnared by just the right woman. 😉 Homecoming Heartbreaker focuses on Mack, the oldest Holloway brother, and Molly Haskell, the girl he left behind. With Mack’s dad being ill, he’s back to run the business (a luxury resort) for a while. He’s determined to clear the air with Molly so they can move on, leave the past in the past, and work together amicably (she stayed on a Moonlight Ridge and is an integral part of the business.) However, Mack’s willpower to stay away from Molly is […]

Posted 15 July, 2021 by Brandee @ (un)Conventional Bookworms in Reviews / 3 Comments

Audio Review ~ The Duchess Deal ~ Tessa Dare

I was giggle-snorting in the first few minutes of The Duchess Deal. Between Emma’s antics and Ashbury’s reactions to them, I knew I was in for an entertaining romp. Mary Jane Wells once again impressed me with her narrating skill. All in all, this was an aural delight! Emma Gladstone, a seamstress, has darkened the doorstep of the Duke of Ashbury in order to demand payment for the wedding gown of his former fiancee. Emma is rather in dire straits, as her rent is due and her cupboards are bare. She happens upon the Duke at a serendipitous moment as he’s just determined he’s in need of a wife with a few qualifications. All of which Emma meets – most […]

Posted 13 July, 2021 by Brandee @ (un)Conventional Bookworms in Reviews / 6 Comments

Audio Review ~ A Secret for a Secret ~ Helena Hunting

A Secret for a Secret finishes off the All In trilogy and it was a more than satisfactory ending. The fact that the narrators, Stella Bloom and Jason Clarke, were able to keep the story perfectly paced while breathing life into these characters only enhanced the experience. Ryan “King” Kingston is a character I’ve been eager to get to know better if only because I knew there was more to him than met the eye. 😉 King’s a good guy. Always there for his friends, a rule-following, milk-drinking, adorable guy. He’s taken some hard hits lately, though, and not on the ice. So the one night he decides to loosen up and have a little fun would naturally be life-changing. […]

Posted 6 July, 2021 by Brandee @ (un)Conventional Bookworms in Reviews / 3 Comments

Blogger Wife Chat Review ~ Dream Spinner ~ Kristen Ashley

Dream Spinner was a highly anticipated installment in the Dream Team series for me. Let’s start at the surface level before we delve deep into Hattie & Axl, shall we? Yes, let’s do that! I have to admit that I’ve been looking forward to Hattie and Axl’s story from the beginning – or at least since we met them. There seemed something a little deeper about these two and I was keen to explore it. KA had hinted at Hattie’s history so it wasn’t a surprise. Finding out she had indeed suffered abuse – both emotional and physical – at the hands of her father was sickening. Add to that her previous relationships…bad news. That she continued to expose herself […]

Posted 28 June, 2021 by Brandee @ (un)Conventional Bookworms in Reviews / 2 Comments

Review ~ The Love Interest ~ Kayley Loring

The Love Interest was such a sweet story. It was the perfect listen – the right balance of humor and heat. And the narrators really brought the characters to life! This was my first read/listen for both KLoring as well as ALL the narrators and it will NOT be the last! (If you have recs for listens with Teddy Hamilton, Shane East, Connor Crais, and Mackenzie Cartwright, please leave them in the comments ;)) Fiona has come to NYC all the way from sunny California to pursue her writing career…and to take advantage of photo ops with her 4ft metal cock, Goliath. LOL But that’s more for her mom. I adored Fiona’s sunny disposition – she refueses to let grumpy […]

Posted 23 June, 2021 by Brandee @ (un)Conventional Bookworms in Reviews / 2 Comments

Review ~ Mafia King ~ CD Reiss

Oh my! I couldn’t wait to get my hands on Mafia King and CD Reiss didn’t disappoint. This part of Santino and Violetta’s journey found them at a fork in the road and the two of them at odds over which direction to take. The decision, however, may have been taken out of their hands. At the end of the first installment Santino and Violetta are clashing over a secret Santino’s been keeping. Watching them work through this issue, especially since Violetta’s assumptions about the secret are far-fetched – was compelling. I didn’t understand why Santino wouldn’t just come clean. Things were illuminated. Santino doesn’t believe he’s a good man or that he deserves Violetta. It’s up to Violetta to […]

Posted 21 June, 2021 by Brandee @ (un)Conventional Bookworms in Reviews / 2 Comments