As always before we dive into my week in review, I’ll be taking a small amount of time out to once again express my appreciation for all the authors that I’ve read this week.
Your time, efforts, and dedication to your expression of art are seen, AND
This week has been a slow week reading wise, spring break with kids will do that to you 😅. However what I did read, when I got some uninterrupted reading time in, I thoroughly enjoyed.
Some stats about my week
- I completed 6 books this week
- by 6 different authors ( 1 new to me)
- totaling 1.815 pages
- making it around 302.5 pages per book
- averaging 259.3 pages read per day
Overview of the Books read
Week Opener
This week I opened my week visiting Wintermoon, thanks to Mrs. Tessa Stone‘s Forgiving Levi. The story about how Levi and Nia came to be.
Before starting this read I was pretty much neutral, about the both of them.
SheReadsaLot to SheReadsaLot: Will you please stop telling stories to these people!
SheReadsaLot to Audience: Ok, so Levi’s mismanagment of the Alpha role and Nia’s bitterness grated my nerves…
So to get the backstory on how it all ended up being…. a mess…
was something that appealed to me. And I mean, it’s Wintermoon!
SheReadsaLot to SheReadsaLot: We love Wintermoon over here!
This read was a true drama, meaning it held all of life’s components, joy, love, trauma, grief, resentment, reconciliation. In saying all this, this was one of the most emotion heavy reads in the Wintermoon realm.
Now let me go into my thoughts, I’ll be keeping it semi short.
SheReadsaLot to Audience: Let me start of saying that Nia is a character that I don’t particularly like or dislike, but she will easily be one of the most divisive characters, to date, in Mrs. Stones Wintermoon.
The way Mrs. Stone fleshed out Nia, a character that previously was just there for me on the outskirts of Wintermoon is something to be applauded. One of the things that is a testament of the authors talents to me, is the way they will truly make you feel one way or the other about a character.
And when I tell you that Mrs. Stone managed to do just that??
She MANAGED TO DO JUST THAT.
Nia has had a rough go of it being bullied, no true loving familial connections outside of her grandmother. She feels voiceless, unseen. All things that I believe we have felt at least once in our lives. It is hard having to feel as if your voice, your wants, needs always are secondary to somebodies else’s wants. Seeing others receive the things you feel are lacking, can and did compound those feelings, leaving room for bitterness to take hold.
After reading Forgiving Levi, I am now wanting to see how Nia will get redeemed, wondering if she will finally use her voice, and if when she uses it. It will finally be heard, that she will be seen. Not only for the bitterness that she has allowed herself to be shrouded by, but also for the loving and caring person she is. As this part of her has become overshadowed.
After my last read I needed a mental reset, to me nothing helps more than a fast paced short read. Enter the latest release by Mrs. Kyeate, Bunnie Hunt.
Now don’t ask me what I thought this read was gonna be, because I went in blind. Knowing that Mrs. Kyeate wouldn’t dissapoint.
I started reading, and thought.. Well I know how this is going to go. This is going to be an easy fast paced ride…
Some pages further, I was like.. OK. Mrs. Kyeate decided to change directions…
Some pages further in.
*Wait…*
How did we end up getting here?
This was NOT AT ALL what I expected it to be, and still exactly what I needed?
Yes, I know! Confusing statement, but I simply LOVE when I can’t predict where the story is going.
Mental reboot?
Mrs. Charae Lewis, was up next. With the second installment of the Mob Love Series.
Book one, Forever His Favorite, we got to know Devyn.
This time however we get to know more about the “forgotten” twin, Kymeco. Who has a “girlfriend” that doesn’t feel safe disclosing the relationship between the two, because of a rivalry between the Crown’s (Kymeco), and the Lucas’ (Desirae).
Mrs. Desirae got the bright idea to start a family to ease the tension between the two families. Start right away she said! Let’s use a surrogate she said!
This book has been out two weeks already, but I won’t be spoiling this one for you as readers.
This one had so much drama!
Love in unexpected places, action, some bobblehead behavior, laugh out loud moments, and the stresses and intricacies of familial relationships. In other words…
Mrs. T’Lyn released Kenya’s story.
You know the oldest Amari sister, the one that was maybe a bit over protective of her sisters.. Didn’t particularly like men..
SheReadsaLot to SheReadsaLot: She did have some valid reasons though!
SheReadsaLot: I mean he was hounding her for years to get a chance…
SheReadsaLot to SheReadsaLot: And to be left at the alter after he did all that!
SheReadsaLot: But Mrs. T’Lyn did our Kenya right!!
SheReadsaLot to SheReadsaLot: Sanchez was alright! Kenya was more Bad *$$ than we initially thought… She was a whole..
SheReadsaLot to Audience: Kenya and Sanchez’s lovestory is A-Typical, it is a ride.. Kenya Falls HARD, however so does Sanchez!
SheReadsaLot to SheReadsaLot: And there was growth for you as well, you approved of Kenya’s petty!
SheReadsaLot: Now you know that I would’ve accepted death as well, but a visual reminder of how to act right was very much acceptable..
SheReadsaLot to SheReadsaLot: Yes…
And then… THE Mrs. Charity Shané offered me the chance to ARC read Truce of the Matter.
There was only one possible answer for me!
I went in expecting romance with the spice… What I got was SO MUCH MORE.
This was about Truce, the FMC. Who is the rock of a lot of people in her life. As the oldest sibling not only her parents and little sister depend on her, the people of her families restaurant (that she manages) do as well.
Now when you are the strong one in your circle, that means a lot of times you get overlooked when you are in need of some support yourself. So what happens when you need it yourself?
Enter Rex, the MMC. A divorced single dad of the most precious seven year old girl. He sees all of Truce, and has been enamored with her since his teen years after a short but memorable encounter for him.
As Truce of the Matter has just released I’ll keep it short, and tell you why I think this is more than a romance.
At the start of Truce and Rex’s romance…
Life starts to life.. And yes, Happiness, Love, and Joy is most definitely part of it! So is grief, and I’m not solely talking about death. You can also grief the experiences that you didn’t have.
However life gets made a bit easier when you have the right people surrounding you. And Rex is just that.
What more you’ll find between these pages as well, family dynamics, secrets, drama, LOVE, spice, and MC that aren’t perfect, but nonetheless perfect for each other.
SheReadsaLot to Mrs. Charity Shané: Thank you once more for this opportunity. And I’ve said it once, I’ll say it again, and most probably again and again 😅. Ma’am I LOVE the way you write your men. I think for now Rex might be my favorite!
SheReadsaLot to Audience: I will be going in-depth (and did, you can find it here) on this one, as there was so much I’d like to discuss. If you do decide to pick this up? Be prepared to feel your feelings with this one!
SheReadsaLot to SheReadsaLot: Come to think of it, should we be thanking Mrs. Shané? As she had us…
SheReadsaLot: We’ll discuss when we go in-depth!
Week Closer
Closing out my week was new to me author Mrs. N. Sonia Nkera with The Oracle Asylum. An ARC of an African Mythology Fantasy.
I am still trying to find words, as I finished this one last night.
This all takes place in Itaaka which is ruled by a King who has just passed away, and four Royal houses. The House of Blood, The House of Hail, The House of Life, and The House of Veil.
They all have their particular talents, however the Heiress (Ekara) to the House of Blood, which has been falling in decline in regards to reverence, deems her talents as a cropper (growing of plants) to be of no use. So do the rest of the houses and Itaaka. Resulting in Ekara not being betrothed yet, and having to participate in the Prancing ceremony to find herself a husband. Which hasn’t happened previously in their history…
That is until an event takes place and the Oracle Asylum opens. The heirs of the four Royal houses are invited to the Oracle Asylum to decide who will be the next regent.
Now why do I say this is beautiful?
SheReadsaLot to SheReadsaLot: Why do you say that indeed? I remember you being quite aggravated with Ekara!
SheReadsaLot: Ok, so I didn’t particulary like how she was so dismissive of the talents that her late mother heralded her for…
SheReadsaLot: Refused to exercise those particular talents… And that she only cared for being a wife..
SheReadsaLot to SheReadsaLot: Now you know everyone has the right to choose their own paths in life!
SheReadsaLot: I know that!! It’s just did she choose so for the right reasons?
SheReadsaLot to SheReadsaLot: Who decides what the right reasons are though?
SheReadsaLot:
And you said that everyone has the right to choose, but at the other houses a lot of strings were pulled… And not to their betterment.
SheReadsaLot to SheReadsaLot: The way those parents used their kids was truly abhorrent.
SheReadsaLot: Now why are you talking as if you are at court?
SheReadsaLot to SheReadsaLot: Don’t you find it to be fitting? And abhorrent truly covers the way those parents treated their children.
Audience to SheReadsaLot: There is a lot of talking again, but nothing concrete.
SheReadsaLot to Audience: The Oracle Asylum releases on the 2nd of May.. And you should be experiencing this one for yourself… I will give you a little tidbit however!
Where there is power to be gained, a lot of games will be played. Meaning there will be intrigue, rivalry, hidden knowledge, symbolism and magic. This story will be told to you in vivid color, and poetic language.
SheReadsaLot to Mrs. Nkera: This was my first, but it most definitely will not be my last!
SheReadsaLot to Audience: I’m leaving you with this quote that really had me thinking… Because asking for help doesn’t always look like a question
“We brought the blight to Itakaa.” The king speaks.
The Oracle Asylum by Mrs. N. Sonia Nkera
“When King Mbyale took my sister but still refused to help us. We hoped that we could get your attention, that you would help us if you were also suffering. It has been twenty-three years and you are the first help we have received.”
Another short one this week, maybe this coming week will be longer? But for now…
👩🏾SheReadsaLot 