September 2021 Reads — Like the Comet

September felt like both the longest and shortest month of the year so far.

I had a weird reading mood this month and wasn’t necessarily super motivated to get through a bunch of new books. Like obviously, as you will see, I got caught up in the Ice Planet Barbarians series lol, but I ended up rereading some of those books towards the end of the month because I was just too tired to start something new and they’re legit maybe 200-250 pages max.

Personally, I blame the fact that I’ve been so busy socially lol. I know, I know. *Eye roll* Like what a problem to have, right? But, as your resident introvert, ya girl’s gas tank was running on fumes for most of September. That said, all of my plans were loads of fun. I even made a trip out to Chicago to visit one of my best friends and found a cute little indie bookstore called Sandmeyer’s Bookstore. So, if you’re in Chitown, definitely check it out!

Okay let’s move on with this, shall we?

*All summaries are taken or paraphrased from Goodreads.

THE PUSH by Ashley Audrain

Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary: Blythe Connor is determined that she will be the warm, comforting mother to her new baby Violet that she herself never had. But in the thick of motherhood’s exhausting early days, Blythe becomes convinced that something is wrong with her daughter - she doesn’t behave like most children do. Or is it all in Blythe’s head? Her husband, Fox, says she’s imagining things. The more Fox dismisses her fears, the more Blythe begins to question her own sanity, and the more we begin to question what Blythe is telling us about her life as well. Then their son Sam is born - and with him, Blythe has the blissful connection she’d always imagined with her child. Even Violet seems to love her little brother. But when life as they know it changed in an instant, the devastating fall-out forces Blythe to face the truth.

My Thoughts: Yeesh. This book put me on EDGE. I wouldn’t categorize this as a thriller by any means, but it was definitely a psychological work of fiction that will make your heart race a little bit. I loved how easy it was to fall into the mindset of this morally gray character yet still question whether or not she actually is a couple fries short of a Happy Meal. The author truly makes you feel all of Blythe’s anxieties, moments of bliss, grief, frustrations, and more to your core. The pace of the plot was extremely steady, but with everything going on it was absolutely effortless to keep the pages turning. I’d say the ending provided much-needed validation for not only some of the characters, but also the reader - who has been along for this mind-twisty ride from the start. Highly recommend this book if you’re looking for something a little psychological but not necessarily scary.

ICE PLANET BARBARIANS by Ruby Nixon

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Summary: You’d think being abducted by aliens would be the worst thing that could happen to Georgie. And you’d be wrong. Because now, the aliens are having ship trouble and they’ve left their cargo of human women on an ice planet. The only native inhabitant Georgie has met is big, blue, has horns and has taken a liking to her.

My Thoughts: LOL. Okay, I’m going to be frank with you here. This book is straight up sci-fi smut. It’s a very quick, very steamy, intergalactic read. The plot isn’t super strong by any means, but I did end up really liking the main character, Georgie, and her ice planet boii toy, Vektal. All of the barbarians are actually super sweet gentlemen once you get to know them, so that was nice. There’s a potentially triggering scene in the beginning of the book that doesn’t involve any main characters, but is still pretty graphic, so please be aware. I can’t sit here with a straight face, and in good conscience, and honestly recommend this book to anyone lmao, but I also can’t say this hasn’t become a guilty pleasure series for me. So yeah. That’s my review lol. :)

BARBARIAN ALIEN by Ruby Dixon

Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary: Twelve humans are left stranded on a wintry alien planet, and Liz is one of them. In order to survive, they have to take on a symbiont that wants to rewire their bodies to live in this brutal place. Liz likes to call it the cootie. And, she thinks her cootie is a jerk because it also thinks she’s the mate to the biggest, surliest alien of the group.

My Thoughts: What a quick, cosmic, smutty read this was! Lucky for us, this book actually had a plotline! Not a super strong one, don’t get too excited, but it was definitely there! I loved the enemies-to-lovers trope between Liz and Raahosh. They were the cutest little match - where one was quiet, the other wouldn’t shut up. Where one was a burly alien, the other was a rambunctious blonde. Both were stubborn as hell though which provided some fun banter. This book was also SPICY, but we love some out-of-this-world smut, do we not?! Again, I can’t sit here and recommend this book to anyone. Mostly out of fear of mild judgement once you do pick it up to read. HOWEVER, these are such fast reads, that I can sit here and say, I will probably keep moving through this sci-fi smut series. Will I read all 22 books? Probs not (this year), but who’s to say? Yanno?

THE MAGIC OF FOUND OBJECTS by Maddie Dawson

Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary: Phronsie Linnelle was conceived at Woodstock in a serendipitous liaison between a free-spirited hippie and a farmer’s son and was born with a magical wonder flickering in her DNA and rationality knit into her bones. All her life she’s been torn between the two. But now that she’s been betrayed by both love and the mother she once idolized, her rational side is winning. So when her best friend from childhood proposes that they give up on romance and marry each other, Phronsie agrees. Who better to spend your life with than your best friend? Maybe the connection they already have is love. Maybe there’s no falling to be done. But immediately after they announce their engagement, she encounters someone who makes a very charming and compelling argument for revisiting romance. While her even-keeled stepmother argues for the safety that comes with her new engagement and her mother relays messages from the universe to hold out for true love, Phronsie must look to her own heart to find the answers that have been there all along.

My Thoughts: This was the book of the month for one of my favorite podcasts, Bad on Paper, and I absolutely loved Maddie Dawson’s book, Matchmaking for Beginners. So, I was very excited to read this one! First off, this book is extremely relatable in regards to being tired of dating lol. You know the saying “finding a job is a job”? Same concept. Dating is WORK, so I completely related to Phronsie being fed up with the whole process. Her character was hard to pin down in terms of who she felt she was. You never knew if she was going to be practical “Frances” or free spirit “Phronsie” which made it hard to root for her at times. After getting more back story about previous relationships (both romantic and familial) that shaped her though, I had more empathy. This book was the perfect balance of fun and seriousness, and every flashback to Phronsie’s past served a significant purpose to the present story. The only thing that didn’t satiate me enough was a romantic element that we only got to see during a handful of pages. Overall though, this book was funny, quirky, and an extremely easy read! If you’re looking for something quick and a little lighter, I definitely recommend this one!

BARBARIAN LOVER by Ruby Dixon

Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary: As one of the few humans stranded on the ice planet, Kira should be happy that she has a new home. Human women are treasured there, and one alien in particular has made it clear that he wants her. It’s hard for Kira to push away the sexy, flirtatious Aehako, when all he wants to do is take her to his furs. But she’s got a terrible secret - the aliens who abducted her are back, and thanks to the translator in her ear, they can find her. Kira fears her presence with the new tribe endangers everyone, but can she give up her new life and the man she wants more than anything?

My Thoughts: We have a plotline, y’all! Honestly, this series is actually developing into something quite interesting with a continuous and branching storyline. This book follows Kira who has a translator implanted in her ear by the aliens who originally abducted the twelve women. In addition to the intimate romance blooming between her and the very sweet Aehako, we get to see a lot of Kira’s character development. She goes from being the cautious Eeyore of the group to a confident badass who doesn’t let her fears hold her back for the sake of her new tribe. It was also cool to see the setting branch off from the main tribe’s cave to a secondary cave where more storylines are sure to blossom. There’s a scene towards the end of this book that follows a side character, Harlow, that is clearly a cliffhanger for a future book. So needless to say, I will be continuing on lol.

BARBARIAN MINE by Ruby Dixon

Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary: The ice planet has given Harlow a second lease on life, so she’s thrilled to be here. Sure there’s no cheeseburgers, but she’s healthy and ready to be a productive member of the small tribe. What she didn’t anticipate is that there’d be a savage stranger waiting nearby, watching her. And when he takes her captive, the unthinkable happens - Harlow resonates to him. Resonance means mating, and children, but she doesn’t know if this guy has ever been around anyone before. He’s truly a barbarian in all the ways, right down to clubbing her over the head and claiming her as his own. So why is that she can’t get enough of him?

My Thoughts: I feel like this has been my favorite book of this sci-fi alien smut series by far. It picks up with Harlow being held captive by Rukh, who is basically the planet’s equivalent to Tarzan (living off the grid and out of society). Due to a misunderstanding, Harlow feels like she can’t go back to the tribe. Not to mention, she’s also resonated with him which basically means their lives are bound together from here on out. There have been language barriers in previous books between characters, but since Rukh literally hasn’t talked to anyone in YEARS, it was really heartwarming to see him and Harlow learning how to communicate with each other in order to survive in one of the most remote areas of this icy planet. I appreciated that the plotline in this one fast forwards about a 1.5 years from the time where the first three books take place as well because we get to see how more characters are developing. Y’all I can honestly say this series has been gaining some depth the farther we get into it, and I am hooked lol.

WE FREE THE STARS by Hafsah Faizal

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Summary: The battle on Sharr is over. The dark forest has fallen. Altair may be captive, but Zafira, Nasir and Kifah are bound for Sultan’s Keep, determined to finish the plan he set in motion: restoring the hearts of the Sisters of Old to the minarets of each caliphate, and finally returning magic to all of Arawiya. But they are low on resources and allies alike, and the kingdom teems with fear of the Lion of the Night’s return. As the zumra plots to overthrow the kingdom’s darkest threat, Nasir fights to command the magic in his blood. He must learn to hone his power into a weapon to wield not only against the Lion but against his father, trapped under the Lion’s control. Zafira battles a very different darkness festering in her through her bond with the Jarawat pushing her to the brink of her sanity and to the edge of a chaos she dare not unleash. In spite of the darkness enclosing ever faster, Nasir and Zafira find themselves falling into a love they can’t stand to lose, but time is running out to achieve their ends, and if order is to be restored, drastic sacrifices will have to be made.

My Thoughts: Yaaaaassss! This book gave us everything we wanted, but didn’t quite get from the first, and I am just squealing with reader’s fulfillment lol. For starters, the world building and scene descriptors were phenomenal and made following this adventurous plot seamless. The setting transitions were my main pain point about the first book because they were touch and go in this category. We had character development arcs across the board - Zafria and Nasir, specifically. The author didn’t make Zafira the naive, do-gooder Huntress that everyone came to know and love in the first book. Instead there was a question of whether our protagonist was going to succumb to a darker power which has the potential to change the entire trajectory of her mission to restore magic. Nasir, our lil bad murder assassin boi, was going through some shit involving his dad that, overall, made him the vulnerable prince we’ve been wanting to see. I loved the romance and sexual tension that was strung between our two MCs the entire book. Honestly, the only v small complaint I have is that it was a little longer than I thought it needed to be, but my friends, this book sure did free those stars! For sure recommend continuing onto the second installment of this series if you made it through We Hunt the Flame.

THE WORST BEST MAN by Mia Sosa

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Summary: A wedding planner left at the altar. Yeah, the irony isn’t lost on Carolina Santos, either. But despite the embarrassing blip from her past, Lina has managed to make other people’s dreams come true as a top-tier wedding coordinator in DC. After impressing an influential guest, she’s offered an opportunity that could change her life. There’s just one hitch… she has to collaborate with the best (make that worst) man from her own failed nuptials. Marketing expert Max Hartley is tired of living in his older brother’s shadows and is determined to make his mark with a coveted hotel client looking to expand its brand. Then he learns he will be working with his brother’s whip-smart, stunning, absolutely off limits, ex fiancee. If they can survive the next few weeks and nail their presentation without killing each other, they’ll both come out ahead. But even the best laid plans can go awry, and soon Lina and Max discover animosity may not be the only emotion creating sparks between them.

My Thoughts: This book was so much fun! With an enemies-to-lovers plotline, the banter between Lina and Max is quick, witty, and everything I wanted from this newly formed partnership. Plus, there were a few revenge-seeking ventures from both characters involving hot peppers, a workout class, and loads of wedding cake that made me laugh out loud. It was absolutely adorable watching Max and Lina fall for each other, and getting each of their perspectives on the situation. Don’t get me wrong though, there were definitely some spicy scenes woven into the cuteness of this storyline that gave us the perfect balance of everything we want in a romance. So, if you’re looking for a fun rom-com to brighten your reading list, I definitely recommend adding this book to it!

JULIET TAKES A BREATH by Gabby Rivera

Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary: Juliet Milagros Palante is leaving the Bronx and headed to Portland, Oregon. She just came out to her family and isn’t sure if her mom will ever speak to her again. But Juliet has a plan, sort of, one that’s going to help her figure out this whole “Puerto Rican lesbian” thing. She’s interning with the author of her favorite book: Harlowe Brisbane, the ultimate authority on feminism, women’s bodies, and other gay-sounding stuff. Will Juliet be able to figure out her life over the course of one magical summer? Is that even possible? Or is she running away from all the problems that seem too big to handle? With more questions than answers, Juliet takes on Portland, Harlowe, and most importantly, herself.

My Thoughts: This was a great read that touched on very relevant topics affecting our culture and society everyday. In this YA book, we follow Juliet through her summer internship where she explores coming into her own identity, understanding her self-worth, and finding her voice. She’s only 19 and has never experienced the type of community she’s surrounded by while in Portland - very liberal, pretty hippy-dippy, etc. So, the whole summer is a culture shock for her which lays the foundation of the path she takes to finding herself. She’s not my favorite main character ever, but Juliet definitely was the best protagonist for this book. The examples the author used throughout the storyline to depict lessons of intersectional feminism, LGBTQ+ issues, racism, and more were crystal clear, and I never felt like they were being forced through the characters’ interactions. It did take me a minute to get into this book, but I think that was mostly because I wasn’t always in the mood to pick it up. Overall though, if you’re looking for a quicker read that provides some impactful lessons (especially if you’re a white woman), I definitely encourage you to pick this up!

ICE PLANET HOLIDAY by Ruby Dixon

Rating: 2.5/5 stars

Summary: All this snow and no holidays? What’s a stranded human to do? Create a new holiday of course. Georgie and the other women decide to bring some new traditions and cheer to the sa-khui. More babies are born, presents are exchanged, and a new romance blossoms between a human woman desperate for a change, and the alien determined to protect her.

My Thoughts: I believe this book is technically a novella to the series, but I’d have to say it was my least favorite thus far. It splits the focus between Gerogie’s pregnancy and Claire’s love story. The pregnancy storyline was just alright. We haven’t seen a lot of Georgie since she was the MC in the first book. Basically, women on the ice planet can have a gestation period anywhere between 1-3 years (yikes), and a lot of Georgie’s friends already popped out their kits (aka kiddos), so getting her perspective on all of it was interesting since she was one of the first ladies pregnant. Claire’s storyline was a little intense as she tries separating herself from a very possessive f-buddy who is borderline problematic. So, the shy guy, Everen, swooping in to help defend her was very sweet. Other than that, not a lot happens that I can remember tbh. You honestly could probably skip this book in the series if you wanted to.

BARBARIAN’S PRIZE by Ruby Dixon

Rating: 4/5 stars

Summary: It’s hard being the most popular girl on the ice planet. The alien men are falling all over themselves to impress Tiffany in hopes that she will take them to her furs. But they don’t know her secrets - none of them do. And they don’t realize behind her smile, she just wishes all of them would go away. She doesn’t want any of them. She wants someone else. He’s the only one that knows the truth, and maybe with him, she can work through her fears of the past. But, she’s pretty sure he wants more than just a friendship. He wants forever, and Tiffany isn’t sure she can give it.

My Thoughts: Okay, so I loved that the author took a different approach to this book with a friends-to-lovers trope. That aspect softened part of the storyline that dealt with (trigger warning) sexual assault, and how the main characters approached their relationship. Watching Salukh be so incredibly patient with a really delicate situation, and Tiffany allowing herself to be vulnerable with him was sincerely heartwarming. There were still some spicy moments throughout this book as well, do not worry there lol. I also appreciated that we got to see more of a side character, Josie, who up until this point, has been described as a loud and obnoxious girl. However, she’s Tiffany’s best friend and seeing how protective they are and how much they care about each other made me like Josie a lot more. Overall, I really liked the sixth installment of this series!

2021 Book Count: 76

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YOUR TURN! Let me know in the comments what books you’re planning to read during spooky szn.