Top 5 Saturday: Books with Bones on the Cover!

October 9, 2021October 9, 2021 Dini @ dinipandareads15 Comments

Welcome back to another Top 5 Saturday! Just in case you don’t know Top 5 Saturday is a weekly meme created by Mandy @ Devouring Books and it’s where we list the top five books (they can be books on your TBR, favourite books, books you loved/hated) based on the week’s topic. You can see the upcoming schedule at the end of my post 🙂 This week’s topic is actually: Bones on the Cover

It’s been a hot minute since I did a Top 5 Saturday post but of course I had to come back on the day when the topic is a toughie (for me!) LOL. 😂 It took a little bit of digging on Goodreads but I managed to find 5 books that are on my TBR that have bones on the cover and that I can’t wait to read! ☠️

If We Were Villains

Oliver Marks has just served ten years in jail – for a murder he may or may not have committed. On the day he’s released, he’s greeted by the man who put him in prison. Detective Colborne is retiring, but before he does, he wants to know what really happened a decade ago.

As one of seven young actors studying Shakespeare at an elite arts college, Oliver and his friends play the same roles onstage and off: hero, villain, tyrant, temptress, ingenue, extra. But when the casting changes, and the secondary characters usurp the stars, the plays spill dangerously over into life, and one of them is found dead. The rest face their greatest acting challenge yet: convincing the police, and themselves, that they are blameless.

#WWWWednesday: 06 October 2021

October 6, 2021October 6, 2021 Dini @ dinipandareads16 Comments

Hello, hello and welcome back to another episode of WWW Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words, which means I’ll be answering these questions:

What did you read last?
What are you currently reading?
What will you read next?

Since last week I’ve read seven books. This past week I discovered one of my favourite reads of the year and I can’t recommend it enough—especially if you’re a fan of Norse mythology and unapologetically queer characters! 😍

The Sweetest Oblivion (Made #1) by Danielle Lori ★★★★☆
I didn’t expect to enjoy this mafia romance as much as I did but the characters, the slow burn romance and absolutely explosive sexual tension made this a delightfully heart-pounding read. My review

As Good As Dead (A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder #3) by Holly Jackson ★★★½
This is the third and final book in the AGGGTM series and although Pippa’s story took a wild turn that was outrageous and had me really suspending my disbelief, I appreciated how Jackson tied in all the stories and had everything come full circle. My review

The Goddess of Nothing at All by Cat Rector ★★★★★
This is an amazing Norse Mythology retelling told from the perspective of the lesser known deity Sigyn Odindottir, aka Loki’s wife (and so much more in her own right). This dark fantasy is as much a love story as it is a tragedy that ripped my feelings to shreds, and if you love mythology, queer retellings, and morally grey characters, then defo give this a try! My review

Sundays in Bed With… #MyWeeklyWrapUp

October 4, 2021October 3, 2021 Dini @ dinipandareads14 Comments

We’re back with another Sundays in Bed With… meme! This meme dares to ask you what book has been in your bed this morning and is hosted by Midnight Book Girl. Come share what book you’ve spent time curled up reading in bed with, or which book you wish you had time to read today!

I’ll be spending the rest of my Sunday finishing Seducing the Sorcerer by Lee Welch. I’ve never heard of this author before but I picked it up cos I saw Nick @ The Infinite Limits of Love review it and since it sounded like a fun MM romance, I thought I’d give it a try! It took a while for me to get into it but I’m enjoying it so far! These two are such softies (outside of the bedroom) and I they’re so awkwardly sweet together! ❤️

Homeless and jobless, Fenn Todd has nearly run out of hope. All he has left is his longing for horses and the strength of his own two hands. But when he’s cheated into accepting a very ugly sackcloth horse, he’s catapulted into a world of magic, politics and desire.

Fenn’s invited to stay at the black tower, home of the most terrifying man in the realm: Morgrim, the court sorcerer. Morgrim has a reputation as a scheming villain, but he seems surprisingly charming—and sexy—and Fenn falls hard for him.

However, nothing is as it seems and everyone at the tower is lying about something. Beset by evil hexes, violent political intrigue and a horse that eats eiderdowns, Fenn must make the hardest choices of his life.

Can a plain man like Fenn ever find true love with a scheming sorcerer?

What are you currently reading?

#WWWWednesday: 29 September 2021

September 30, 2021September 29, 2021 Dini @ dinipandareads16 Comments

Hello, hello and welcome back to another episode of WWW Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words, which means I’ll be answering these questions:

What did you read last?
What are you currently reading?
What will you read next?

Since last week I’ve read six books. It’s more romances from my side although I think I’m going to stop with this particular romantic suspense series for now… I also found my first 5-star read in months!

Warping Minds & Other Misdemeanors (Guild Codex Universe #1) by Annette Marie & Rob Jacobsen ★★★★☆
I’ve never read anything set in this universe but this was such a fun read! Lots of magic, rogue magic guilds, the “magic police”, hunting psychopaths and ex-best-friends, demons and more. Kit is our main character and he’s delightfully witty and deviously charming! Can’t wait to read more from this universe (and there are a lot of books to read). RTC.

Lucky Number Eleven by Adriana Locke ★★★☆☆
Minor spoiler: I’m not a fan of the surprise pregnancy trope and this one surprised me by having it so this is a “it’s not the book, it’s me” moment! 🙈 I liked Branch at the start but he was quite the dillweed when he found out about Layla’s situation and it took time for me to be convinced of his turn-around attitude. I respected Layla’s determination to be on her own but I kind of wished we saw more strength from her character—it was more tell than show. There were defo cute banter-filled moments though and I’m glad they worked out their HEA in the end! RTC.

Sundays in Bed With… #MyWeeklyWrapUp

September 26, 2021September 26, 2021 Dini @ dinipandareads9 Comments

I’ll be spending the rest of my Sunday night in bed with Good Girl, Bad Blood by Holly Jackson. It’s the second book in the Good Girl’s Guide to Murder series and I’m looking forward to reuniting with Poppy and seeing what’s on the cards for her this time around!

More dark secrets are exposed in this true-crime fueled mystery.

Pip is not a detective anymore.
With the help of Ravi Singh, she released a true-crime podcast about the murder case they solved together last year. The podcast has gone viral, yet Pip insists her investigating days are behind her.

But she will have to break that promise when someone she knows goes missing. Jamie Reynolds has disappeared, on the very same night the town hosted a memorial for the sixth-year anniversary of the deaths of Andie Bell and Sal Singh.

The police won’t do anything about it. And if they won’t look for Jamie then Pip will, uncovering more of her town’s dark secrets along the way… and this time everyone is listening. But will she find him before it’s too late?

What are you currently reading?

#WWWWednesday: 22 September 2021

September 23, 2021September 22, 2021 Dini @ dinipandareads22 Comments

Hello, hello and welcome back to another episode of WWW Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words, which means I’ll be answering these questions:

What did you read last?
What are you currently reading?
What will you read next?

Since last week, I’ve managed to finish six books! The majority were still romances and I binged a dark romance trilogy early on in the week, but I’ve also enjoyed a great collection of middle grade short stories!

White Monarch Series (#1-3) by Jessica Hawkins ★★★★☆
I haven’t read a cartel romance before but it was definitely dark and whole lot of sizzling build up of physical chemistry to a steamy combustion in the last book! Hawkins doesn’t shy away from the darker and dirtier side of cartel business from drugs, arms, and human trafficking and the book was surprisingly as heavy on cartel politics and revenge as it was on the romance. I loved Cristiano and Natalia and thought they were such a great couple and theirs was an entertaining story! Full series RTC.

The Duke of Diamonds (A Lady to Suit #1) by Emily Windsor ★★★½
I really liked Windsor’s writing style. The language fit the period, it’s full of wit and warmth and I found myself laughing-out-loud a lot as I read! Although their initial meeting was based on lies, I loved how Casper and Eveline came alive around each other especially over whilst discussing the art which they are so passionate about. It was a slow-burn but well worth the wait! RTC.

Sundays in Bed With… #MyWeeklyWrapUp

September 19, 2021September 19, 2021 Dini @ dinipandareads10 Comments

I spent part of my Sunday finishing up The Duke of Diamonds by Emily Windsor. I’m still on that romance kick and have been diving (sorta) deep into the supernatural romances, so I decided to change things up and read a regency romance! This was a slow-burn romance but the hero/heroine are easy to like and the writing was so witty and it made me laugh quite a bit. Looking forward to reading the next in the series (which is on Kindle Unlimited, if you’re interested)! 😉

In the coldest flint, there is fire…
Casper Brook, the eighth Duke of Rothwell, has forever spurned frivolous pleasures, his restless emotions remaining buried beneath duty and command.
Yet when a titian-haired minx perches upon his ducal desk and claims to know the whereabouts of his one burning obsession, a game of wits and passion erupts…

Fire ignites from a spark…
Miss Evelyn Pearce possesses naught but a frail young sister and an ebony-black cat. Left destitute by her baronet father’s spendthrift ways, fate and talent hand her the opportunity to seek escape from the dangerous alleys of London town.
The cold Duke of Diamonds holds the key, and all Evelyn must do is resist his not-so-cold kiss…

A dance of flaming desire…
A passion forged on secrets can never be satisfied, but as guises fall and plots unravel, will the duke’s controlled façade shatter to reveal his searching heart within?

Regency romance with warmth and wit. This book contains sensual scenes.

What are you currently reading?

#WWWWednesday: 15 September 2021

September 16, 2021September 19, 2021 Dini @ dinipandareads9 Comments

Hello, hello and welcome back to another episode of WWW Wednesday, a weekly meme hosted by Sam @ Taking On A World of Words, which means I’ll be answering these questions:

What did you read last?
What are you currently reading?
What will you read next?

Since last week, I’ve managed to finish nine books? This is in part thanks to the paranormal romance binge that I did in a little over a day! What can I say? I’m definitely in a romance binging mood!

The Dark Bite (Vampire Hunter Society #1) by Leia Stone ★★★½
Set in the same Magic City world of The Wolf Girl series (below), this spin-off focuses on vampire royalty, Luka and Aspen, the Vampire Hunter he mistakenly bonds with. This had lots of action and our hunter is definitely a kick-ass baddie with a stake, but I wish we got more character development and we got to see our H/H interact just a little more than they did. It’s a promising set up for the series though! RTC.

The Wolf Girl Series (1-4) by Leia Stone ★★★☆☆
This paranormal romance series was so easy to binge. This is a sub-genre that I don’t normally read but this had high entertainment value and it was so easy for me to just turn off my brain and get sucked into the supernatural creature world and of course, major drama! If you’re not into drama, this might not be for you. But if you’re looking for an action-packed series that doesn’t shy away from blood, violence or a slightly angsty but steamy werewolf romance, you might want to check this out! RTC.

Sundays in Bed With… #MyWeeklyWrapUp

September 12, 2021September 13, 2021 Dini @ dinipandareads13 Comments

I spent my Sunday in bed with The Raven Heir by Stephanie Burgis. I’m part of the blog tour for this MG fantasy so I’ll be sharing my full thoughts on it next week and my Top 5 Reasons for why you should read it. It was a fast-paced and adventure filled MG full of magic, shape shifting, and squabbling siblings and I enjoyed it!

Deep within an enchanted forest lies a castle where a set of triplets and their sorceress mother have lived for years — safe from the decades-long war for the Raven Throne that rages in the kingdom beyond. Cordelia, one of the triplets, has the power to become any animal with just a thought, and she yearns to discover more about the world outside her castle.

But one day, the world comes to her, when the eldest of the triplets becomes the newest heir to the throne. Knowing that being named heir means certain death, Cordelia’s mother hid the truth about which child is the eldest when she hid them in the forest. When her family is captured, it’s up to Cordelia to use her powers to keep her siblings hidden and discover the truth about the Raven Heir — before it’s too late.

A thrilling new fantasy full of magic, adventure, and the power of family.

What are you currently reading?

Top 5 Saturday: Hyped Books

September 11, 2021September 11, 2021 Dini @ dinipandareads17 Comments

There are so many hyped books so this list really could be endless. While I’m always eager to know what the hyped books are, I’m also quite wary of them because I’m intimidated by the hype and I’m always worried that I won’t end up liking the book half as much as everyone else! Though I do get caught up in the hype and I quite often cave in and pre-order or buy the book not long after its been released, they usually end up sitting on my physical/kindle shelves for… A long time before they actually get read. I know you know what I’m talking about, right?! Here are some more “recent” hyped books that I’ve been telling myself to read but have still not picked up!

These Violent Delights

The year is 1926, and Shanghai hums to the tune of debauchery.

A blood feud between two gangs runs the streets red, leaving the city helpless in the grip of chaos. At the heart of it all is eighteen-year-old Juliette Cai, a former flapper who has returned to assume her role as the proud heir of the Scarlet Gang—a network of criminals far above the law. Their only rivals in power are the White Flowers, who have fought the Scarlets for generations. And behind every move is their heir, Roma Montagov, Juliette’s first love…and first betrayal.

But when gangsters on both sides show signs of instability culminating in clawing their own throats out, the people start to whisper. Of a contagion, a madness. Of a monster in the shadows. As the deaths stack up, Juliette and Roma must set their guns—and grudges—aside and work together, for if they can’t stop this mayhem, then there will be no city left for either to rule.