Seducing the Sorcerer – Lee Welch
Published: 23rd September 2021
Source: Purchased
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, LGBTQ+
My Rating:
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?
Let's begin by saying Seducing the Sorcerer was 100% a Nick influenced purchase. I had seen her mention it on Twitter and as soon as I read her review of Seducing the Sorcerer over at The Infinite Limits of Love I knew I needed it in my life. It perfectly fit my reading mood and it was just such an easy read. It was exactly the perfect book for my mood as I've been reading a lot of fanfic after falling into a slight reading slump but the writing style and characters were lovely and it just perfectly fit my reading mood.
I wasn't certain at first as Fenn was a homeless drunk who seemed to have a weird obsession with horses. That is basically what you get from the first couple of pages anyway. I was seriously questioning what I was reading and if I was going to become invested. Luckily, after another couple of pages I swiftly retracted my initial thoughts as he wasn't a drunk, he simply got a bit caught up in his drink one night and made a the foolish decision to follow a fine looking horse. Who hasn't found themself drinking more than they intended? And he was homeless but, as I learnt later, it was because he couldn't allow himself to be restricted to a boring job stuck indoors which would suck the life out of him, instead he knew he needed to be out in nature. And I definitely know a few people who can relate to that job struggle. Fenn was simply a man down on his luck. He thinks his luck is becoming worse when he appears to have been duped after a hard days labour to be given a scarecrow of a horse made of sackcloth and sticks waiting for him instead of the knackered old horse he had been promised to be able to sell to the knackers yard himself for a bit of cash. He takes the cruel joke on the chin but that sackcloth horse had far more magic within than he realised and leads him off on a grand adventure to Morgrim's door. Fenn was easy to love as he might have appeared gruff and rough looking, he was an absolute sweetheart once you got to know him. He was so soft-hearted and any man who cared for animals as much as he did couldn't be anyone bad.
Morgrim should have been the grumpy one I was slow to warm to. He was the court sorcerer with a fearsome reputation as cold and uncaring, along with being scheming and manipulative. It was a reputation he was happy to nurture because having a reputation as such meant people would think twice about crossing him. I was suspicious of him taking Fenn and his magical horse in at first and did guess some of his reasons fairly quickly. But I could tell that his reputation was undeserved as he was so kind and he cared so much about people. He didn't become the court sorcerer to abuse his power but he wished to help people and give them the assistance he could and felt guilt over those he couldn't help when he felt he should. How could I not be charmed by him?
Fenn and Morgrim might have seemed like an odd couple. They had lead different lives until they met but they were both such kind men who did care about helping others. They balanced one another as well and I loved their slightly awkward courtship of being polite and making eyes at each other whilst Fenn went about simply fixing things and helping Morgrim with silly little tasks to show he could help care for Morgrim even if he wasn't what people would call a gentleman. Their romance seems like it should be totally sweet but they definitely had a little kink when it came to the bedroom with them exploring a little light BDSM. That was something I'd expected after reading Nick's review but it was something a little different to a lot of the romance I'd read lately. It was handled very well with frequent check ins between both of them to be sure they were comfortable with how things were progressing and boundaries were set which is always good to see. And did I mention that both Morgrim and Fenn were in their 40s? It's so refreshing to read a romance with older MCs it can be a little boring to continually be reading about young twenty something's off falling in love.
As for the plot and magic system, it wasn't overly complex. It was easier to understand and there wasn't the need for pages of world building, which I really appreciated because I think it would have slowed the book down and really detracted from the good things I read. I really enjoyed this and so I know this book won't be the last I read from Lee Welch.
Have you read this book or anything from lee Welch? And please give me some fantasy romance recs because that is obviously what I keep coming back to reading.
I took a week off and I won't lie, I did nothing productive. I have no excuse for not writing a Sunday post last week, i just didn't feel like it. It was the one weekend for the whole of October where I had no plans and so I decided to do absolutely nothing. Or, I actually spent a lot of time watching Squid Game and then finally finishing Run On. But it was nice to not make myself do certain things and just went where the mood took me. It was partially because I'd had a load of things through from my solicitor so it seemed like the house move could be imminent so i had a mad panic of making sure I had boxes and got all of my books packed up... and then there were more delays so the mad rush was for nothing. But also I am still in my book slump and I thought if I didn't pressure myself to blog during my one free weekend maybe I'd use the time to read. Didn't happen so I figured probably shouldn't avoid blogging and just suck it up to see when the reading mood will strike instead.
Listening
@ryanjondunn HOSPITAL + BEDROOM w @toni.lodge #toniandryan #lol #bedroom ♬ original sound - Ryan Jon
I’d normally feature music here but I’m actually a little obsessed with a new podcast and that requires me to listen. It’s called Toni and Ryan and it’s just two friends who are chatting away about whatever grabs their attention but they are hilarious. Laugh out loud funny so I don’t tend to listen to this out of the house so I don’t seem crazy. Great episode lengths for doing a bit of housework, though. I will say there is some swearing and I heard them from the ‘the things you can say in x and also in the bedroom series’ so I guess if you don’t find these funny maybe not for you.
Life
The past couple of weeks have pretty much revolved around house related things. Chasing solicitors and estate agents and general rubbish like that. And a whole heap of packing. I have boxes everywhere, it's as bad as when I first moved in. I'm hoping it's the last stretch and I can move soon because this has been dragging on. I just want to move and make my next house my own. I'm excited and nervous. I actually had a note through my door about the school having a bonfire the start of November and so there would be noise and fireworks and it really reminded me why I want to move. I do not want to live next to a school and I am fed up living here.
Other than that things have been quiet until this weekend. I went to the Birmingham Bierkeller and it's safe to say they put on a funny night with music, two Birmingham lads dressed up in their lederhosen pretending to be German and getting you to drink out of steins and do some German drinking songs (and many British ones too). There were loads of people dressed up for the show as well and one woman who there was even actually German and recommended a great beer festival to attend in Germany so now my friend wants to go next year (I don't even drink beer). But it was a funny night at a place I'd never even heard of before.
You'll all be pleased to hear I also sorted out my halloween costume. I decided I couldn't do anything scary or involving face paint because even as a kid I got annoyed with having my face painted so it needed to be easily recognisable. What did I decide on? Red riding hood. I know it's a little boring but I saw one of the buffy halloween episodes where she went as red riding hood and it's lovely and simple and I even have a basket already to carry with me. I'm glad to have it sorted and it didn't require me buying too much to get it right.
TV
Like I said at the start, I've been doing quite a bit of TV watching. I watched all of Squid Game in a couple of days and that was fantastic, highly recommend if you can get through the first episode. I was hooked but I know it might not work for everyone and obviously not recommended for children. I then decided I really needed to finish Run On because I've been watching that for weeks. I did finish but I realised I could only really watch one episode a day because it was such a light soft k drama which didn't lean into too many of the OTT elements you can have in some of the romance ones. But that meant it was almost too sweet if that makes any sense?
I've now moved on to finishing the third season of New Amsterdam as it's finally aired here. I'm trying to take it slow since I'm a little hesitant watching shows which heavily feature the impact of the pandemic because I almost want my TV to be my escape, but I've always enjoyed New Amsterdam so I'm watching. It is a heavy reminder how tough it's been for almost two years now.
Reading
As you can see, not a lot of reading has been done since my last Sunday post. I’m still reading some fanfic so that’s something, but I just don’t know what I’m in the mood for. Mood reading is the worst. Even my random number method has failed me… or not failed but highlighted I am really in a specific reading mood and can’t figure out what said mood that is. I’ll try rereading some favourites next. I thought Seducing the Sorcerer would fix my slump because I sped through it and it was exactly what I wanted to read when I started. But once i finished I was back to my confused search to find my next book. I borrowed All Systems Red from my library thinking maybe a quick listen would help get me in the reading mood and, again, loved it. Listened to it all in one sitting but still don’t know what I want to read next and the next two audiobooks are on hold but could take up to 4 weeks so can’t even listen to them. Lucky Shot and Chasing Impossible were a couple of random number picks… neither was great and considering Lucky Shot was like 25 pages are something stupid short I thought it would get me in the mood to read more Sarina Bowen books… it did not. And I love Katie McGarry books but I’ve realised there is a specific reading mood I must be in to read them otherwise I just roll my eyes at them so Chasing Impossible suffered as I wasn’t in the right reading mood. And now I am back to reading Drarry fanfiction and wondering what I want to read. I don’t think I’m in the mood for anything contemporary because I did pick up The Love Hypothesis but put it down after just a few pages.
I’m sure I’ll figure out my reading eventually. Just hope it doesn’t take another 6 months.
New To Me
Just one other book purchased other than Seducing the Sorcerer, which I read straight away, and that was The Prison Healer. It was in the monthly kindle sale and it sounded interesting so I figured I’d give it a read and promptly didn’t pick it up. I might try that next, at least if I hate it I can return it. But I tend to avoid doing that unless I genuinely hate a book or realise I bought the wrong book because I thought the cover looked like another books I wanted to read (it happens).
And that is my past couple of weeks. I’m off to figure out what I can talk about what I’ve not been reading much. At last I’ve finished a couple of books so there can be reviews. What books have you been reading lately?
What a month! I’ve just got back into blogging and already everything feels chaotic. I always forget how much time blogging takes up, as does reading. How did I ever find the time? Not that I’m going anywhere but I’m definitely around less than I used to be. I suppose that’s what we call a healthy life balance? Except for half of the time I'm not around as much as I'm either working through my lunch or working late before going out with friends so maybe I don't know the meaning of balance and need to sort myself out. I won't though, because I love doing everything a little bit half arsed and very much crossing my fingers and hoping for the best. Let's see if I can remember how to wrap up my life, although I swear I attempt to do that each month with little to no success.
Playlist
I would like to say for whoever has seen this post when it was posted why didn't you tell me I missed my September playlist? Looks like the embed code got removed when I was editing stuff, that is such a me error to have. I even read through the post and still missed my playlist disappeared.
This is a weird mix for my September playlist. I have also been listening to a lot of other Taylor Swift albums but I figured you didn't want my playlist of songs that I like to sing and annoy my neighbours with. Instead, these are the songs I searched out to listen to and a whole heap of Genesis because I have a new found love for them after seeing them live. I just worry I'll still be listening to the same songs when it comes to October.
Life
I feel like you've had my life highlights in my Sunday posts. I've even looked at my photos to see what I've been doing and it's mostly been convincing my mom to feed me when I go to hers, drinking, seeing friends, working, and trying to keep my Duolingo streak going (I'm at 479 days which is amazing! I will say that a lot of streak freezes have been utilised in that time and I am no closer to being good or even slightly fluent at German).
My month began with me staying at my mom's for a long weekend house sitting but mostly hanging out with Milo. It was a chilled weekend that didn't involve as much TV watching or reading as originally planned because my brother kept coming over to keep my company and then friends wanted to make plans at the weekend. I got my quality Milo time in, though, he remembered how awesome I was and I remembered how cosy he was at bedtime curling up with me. I did forget he is totally averse to a lie-in and that to him getting up late is staying in bed until half 7. The sacrifices you make for pets, right?
I also finally got back to blogging, I still feel rusty as hell and I am amazed I used to have time to blog hop, reply to comments, write new posts, and read some actual books. It was some actual witchcraft I was performing before my hiatus, now I'm amazed I ever have time to post anything. And I was doing it all while having an hour commute to work. I must have really used that commute time for reading because god knows when I fit it in. I also think I used to sleep less. But even now I am constantly tired and I'm getting the sleep in... sort of. Actually, maybe I just waste a lot more time now and have a shorter attention span.
What else? I've spent a lot of time going out and seeing friends, that's been marvellous. Although is it possible to revert in age? I turned 30 this year and I swear I'm going out as much as I used to when I was a student. I definitely blame that fact on the pandemic, now that restrictions have eased I think everyone I know is trying to fit in everything they've been missing. It's still weird to be going out but I do feel better about it now I'm fully vaccinated. I also went to see genesis, I've only mentioned it a few times. That was my first really crowded event. It's one thing going to a pub or a bar and having to go back to service at the bar but it's very different being in a big venue and seeing all of those people. It's an interesting people-watching experience to see how everyone acts and behaves.
I fully expect my October to be just as busy, I'm even planning to go out for Halloween (ideas for a Halloween costume would be much appreciated otherwise I will be something boring and half arsed. I also refuse to wear face paint, there are limits).
Blogging
Random Number Generator // WTF do I read next?
My favourite books of 2021 (so far)
Why am I so bad at finishing series?
My Thoughts // Kate Daniels series - My likes and dislikes
Reading
I was actually pleased with how much I read this month. 11 books with only one DNF is not bad going. After finishing the Kate Daniels series I did fall into a slump and then pretty much spend the rest of the month reading Drarry fanfiction but who is perfect really? I finsihed a series I've been meaning to finish forever and managed to clear a couple more books from my TBR, it's a win all around and no one can tell me otherwise.
And that was my September, a weird month but good. What did you read in September? What was your favourite book?
Any we are finally in October, I don't like it. New month's stress me out as I start thinking I need to get loads done and realise I did nothing the month before. I'm still not sure what I think I should be doing, though. I really need to stop drafting these the same day they need to be posted, but sometimes I am just too lazy to do them sooner.
Music
I actually haven't been listening to anything new this week. I think I’ve just been listening to Taylor Swift on repeat along with about 4 albums I’ve been obsessed with for months. One song I’ve been listening to a lot is Rumours by Lizzo and Cardi B. Honestly, it is such a tune and I kind of love it. I forgot I went through a phase listening to Lizzo on repeat and it got slightly renewed when I heard this song.
Life
It's been a full week of work for me this week, I don't think I worked a full week through the whole of September with various days of annual leave booked in so this week felt long! It's also the first week the weather has truly turned and felt like Autumn. I've been wrapped in blankets and have taken to having a hot water bottle around while I work, it's especially nice to keep my feet warm when I'm sat working because slippers just aren't enough, they aren't heated! I was trying to stay strong and leave the heating off until October but I had to give in eventually. It's not like I'm a student any more where we were constantly telling ourselves to put on another jumper. I spent a lot of my student years in bed to stay warm. Now, I just don't like turning the heating on too early as it feels like I'm giving in and once I do it will just be permanently cold weather. I never claimed to be a reasonable person.
I also bought a new phone this week, I'd been debating buying the new iPhone when they announced it since the battery on mine is becoming worse as time goes on but it seemed a bit excessive. Mine was still working I just have to carry a charger round with me if I'm out all day. But then my mom upgraded her contract and got one and the want became too much. I'm a little embarrassed to say I bought a new phone because I sort of wanted one but mostly I was jealous. I may be 30 but I'm still able to be petty and unreasonable. Don't worry, I'd got money saved away for a potential new phone anyway, but I'd been trying to stay strong. It's is very shiny and new, though. I love shiny and new tech and my old one is being sold so at least I'm not one of those people who hoards away a million old phones in their house. I suppose I should be allowed to treat myself to nice things, but I get the guilt like I shouldn't waste money in that way. It's strange, physical possessions I feel bad about buying but if it's a trip then it seems ok. Strange how brains work.
I had a fun night out on Friday, I was only going to the pub and then my friend was like do you want to go into town there's a band on and somehow we ended up out watching a band in a little bar I haven't been to since 2019 and it was awesome. I then woke up the next day a little worse for wear and then started feeling the going out guilt. Restrictions here have been eased in the UK with the government telling us to wear masks where we think it's sensible and social distancing isn't possible. It's such a wet blanket approach to things but I think because vaccine take up has been fairly high they're relying on that to keep hospital covid admissions down. Anyway, since that is our guidance most people are going about their business like we've not been living in a pandemic and I am functioning through the weird middle ground of doing normal things because they're allowed but then feeling guilty any time I do and constantly worrying I'm not wearing a face mask enough but then it's only effective if the person who is sick is wearing a mask. Basically, I don't think my brain is ready for complete normality and anytime I go out and do normal things I'm worrying. It's good for me to get out, though, and lateral flow testing is around for a reason.
I did spend yesterday feeling a little delicate, which is why I didn't do anything I planned to. Now I know I'll be spending my Sunday doing my whole to do list and doing nothing fun. I'm hoping I can start Squid Game this afternoon if I get laundry and cleaning done.
Reading
Look, I'm still in the slump and fanfic blackhole I entered after finishing the Kate Daniels series. I will get back to reading next week (I hope) but I don't know what I want to read. I ended up DNFing the novella collection I was trying to read last week because I'm just not with it. Although, it's not an official DNF I've more placed it to one side to go back to at a later date. I am listening to an audiobook of Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything which is quite interesting. I fancies a non-fiction listen while I was working. I've had a hardback copy of that book on my shelf since uni and I am honestly never getting through it, sometimes stuff like that is easier for me to take in if someone else reads it to me. I've a little over halfway through so fingers crossed I finish next week and I can finally remove it from my shelf!
New To Me
Just one new book this week, I finally bought The Love Hypothesis and now I'm worried about starting it. With all of the hype what if I don't like it? I also don't know if I'm in the mood for a contemporary romance, but it's my ultimate romance trope so I know I need to read it. I'll get there, that can potentially be next week's read if I can get back in the book mood. I do normally get tired after a couple of weeks of binge reading fanfic so there's the chance I'll be back then.
What have you been doing this week? Any good book recommendations or songs I should be listening to so I don't just listen to the same 5 albums on repeat?
It has taken me many years and several attempts but I have finally finished the Kate Daniels series by Ilona Andrews. It is one I have long claimed as a favourite, despite never having read all of the books released. Now, I can finally confirm that it gets a place on my favourites list. Not that it is a particularly exclusive list, I think I proclaim a book as a favourite all of the time. I am very easily pleased, but it is there all the same. And it was deserved, because I can see this being a series I continue to want to reread over and over again.
I really wanted to talk about the series on my blog, but with any series it's so difficult to do because spoilers are inevitable. Something which is a well established fact later on in the series is often hush hush and yet to be revealed at the start. How on earth was I meant to talk about everything when it's basically a minefield of spoilers? I decided to look at the general things I loved, this may contain minor character spoilers but I obviously won't tell you the specifics of what happens. To be safe, if you want to avoid spoilers then you are probably better off skipping this whole post, which would suck, but I know not everyone lives life on the edge like me and just embraces the spoilers as they happen.
The good
The romance
The main romance here is between Curran and Kate and it was wonderful. I loved that it was so slow burn, it takes several books for them to even get close to admitting they like each other and there were still hurdles to over come. They were such a great couple, htough. Yes, kate was impulsive and reckless and Curran was a bit of a control freak and was a touch over protective. But they balanced each other out and the great thing was that neither expected the other to be something that they weren't. Too often you see characters change through a long running series and they don't even resemble who they were when it started. But not here, they grew as people and a couple but I never felt like they were becoming something that they weren't, even when Kate was adjusting to life within the pack and the rules of being with The Beast Lord, you could tell she was herself. The titles and rules didn't sit right with her but she knew there were limits to which she could push those rules and she always did.
The secondary characters
One thing I love in a long running series is that you can truly have a full cast of characters because you know that there is time for them to be fleshed out in various books. As the series progressed so did the secondary characters who made frequent appearances, and as the series progressed those who were featured more often changed too. I loved that you saw Kate find herself with a mismatched collection of friends and colleagues. It was so nice to see her grow closer with Andrea and get herself a best friend, and various faces within the pack like Barbaras and Aunt B. There were just so many wonderful characters who came and went through the books. And even better was that there were novellas which focused upon some of those secondary characters and there are spin off series too. This was really a series which kept on giving with all those people I wanted to claim as a favourite.
Each book had an interesting plot
Look, that doesn't always happen with a series. I honestly expected to say that it lost me a little in the middle or it had a weak ending but that's not the case. In actual fact, the worst book of the series is probably the first one. It's not as well written as the later ones and because there was so much introduction to the world and the various characters it was a slower, and it was shorter. But this seemed like a series which grew and got better as it went along. You could tell Ilona and Gordon were finding their feet as the series progressed, they had an idea and it took a while to really get going and that's fine. After the first book the writing was stronger and I loved that I was always kept guessing what kind of direction things were going to take. There were some twists along the way I really wasn't expecting.
The grumbles
Look, I am not stupid enough to claim that the series is always perfect, there were flaws. As I said, the first book wasn't great and I did have things that, looking back, I wish hadn't been there or had been written better. But I loved the series anyway.
Magic system
Look, in a world where tech and magic comes and goes in waves there has to be some sensible magic system in place, and there was to some extent. And the various different cultures and folklore meant different types of magic. I loved that magic was a flexible thing which was changed and influenced by people and their beliefs. The problem was that as I think about it now magic seemed completely fluid and I still can't grasp if there was a specific magic system in place. It seemed that it could conveniently change each book to help fix each issue that came along and that did get a little frustrating. There were limits on the magic, and it was explained why Kate's abilities with her magic grew through her use of them but it would have been nice to have a more solid magic system and for there to be more limits on what it could and couldn't do.
I never worried they wouldn't make it
I'm not saying no significant characters died through the whole series, that really would have been ridiculous. But I never once worried about Kate and Curran not surviving. Even when I think I was meant to worry about them (they both really liked to throw themselves into life threatening situations with no regard for their own safety) I just felt certain it would be ok. I suppose part of that came from the fact that they always made it through in previous books. They were badly injured, and even looked like they wouldn't make it from time to time, but by the final book I didn't have that worry any more. I mean, it was the last book. Anything could have happened but I didn't feel that tension as things progressed when I was meant to be worried.
There wasn't enough of an epilogue
This is a silly complaint, especially as I know there's a Julie spin off series and Hugh's spin off series, but I wanted a longer final epilogue in Magic Triumphs. I'd spent all of this time with Kate and I wanted to see more of what was next for her. I know she will appear elsewhere, as will the various other characters, but it would have been nice to see more of them settled into their new normal after the final battle. I suppose my issue was I didn't want the series to end, and when it did I wanted more of a neat little bow on things before new drama and dangers emerged in the spin off series.
Have you read this series? What have you enjoyed about it and disliked from what you’ve read? It’s firmly on my favourites but no book can be perfect.
I can’t believe it’s October next week! I have so many different things coming up over the next few weeks and months and beyond so it’s scary that time is slipping on by so fast. I should be used to it. The pandemic certainly showed time doesn’t only fly when you’re having fun. I could descend into a whole thing about how time is relative but I don’t really understand it so how am I meant to explain it? I had actually intended to post a little more this week and get my posts drafted for next week but best laid plans and all that. Oh well, I posted and I was pleased with that, we’ll see what comes next when it comes to blogging. I’ve got plenty of other things on so falling behind on stuff was inevitable.
Music
I mentioned last week I was seeing Genesis and they were great. Way better than expected. So, in honour of that, I thought I include my favourite song from them and my favourite song which they performed. They did a little acoustic set in the middle of their performance and this was one of the songs they performed and it really blew me away. There were doubts about Phil Collins’ ability to perform with his health struggles and although he had to spend the performance sitting down he can still put on a good show. His voice has changed with age but he knew how to perform the songs so we all knew them and could enjoy them. I obviously only recognised half of them but I could tell everyone around me knew them all and enjoyed them.
Watching
I’ve still not finished Run On, I meant to continue watching Monday as I had the day off of work but instead, I was getting my to-do list done. I’m planning on trying to watch some today but again have to do things on the to-do list. Why do I always have a to-do list? Midnight Mass was released Friday so I binge-watched that Saturday ignoring the to-do list, which means I am technically writing this post Sunday morning but sometimes I like to be last minute and chaotic. Midnight Mass was good, I couldn’t stop watching as I tried to figure out how it was going to resolve itself but I don’t know how to feel about it now. My problem with binge-watching is the fact I don’t have time to process all of the events in the show. I’m waiting for one of my friends to finish so we can discuss as we had theories when we first started but she had to go out and I refused to move from the sofa so I’m just left with all of these thoughts! It was a good show, I am glad I watched but I need digest time to decide if it was really good or just a decent watch.
Life
I always wish I had really exciting things to catch you up on here but I honestly don’t. I don’t think you want to hear how I managed to get everything ticked off on my to-do list Monday or that work was boring but has been really pushing me hard with people taking time off so we can get everything done. I don’t want to be boring and talk about work. The only work thing I will mention is that a team lead is once more leaving and I wasn’t even told I found out in a newsletter we get! I don’t think I was blogging during the time of both the team leads in my department leaving but that was back in March. One was finally replaced in July but I guess they don’t like it as they’re off again. Honestly, the company is not having a great job at keeping people in supervisory positions. I’ve been without a supervisor since March, I just have a manager who is managing like 20 people now. We’ll see what happens there.
Tuesday was obviously Genesis day, after work we went off to Birmingham and faced the crowds of the Utilita arena. It was strange to be in a place with so many people, I’ve been to shops and bars but nothing that big. There was a mix of people some with face masks and others without. And then the woman who sat next to me had a face mask on and spent the whole concert with her fingers in her ears. She was bouncing her legs along with the music so she seemed to be enjoying it. I just wish I had some earplugs I could have offered her. It was a really fun night out with my mom but I regretted it a little the next day as I was so tired but what can you do? I’m not trying to convince people to come to more concerts with me. We’re eyeing up Elton John for 2023 and possibly The Weeknd next year but why is it always so expensive for tickets?
That was really the highlight of my week. The only other interesting thing I did was go to a friends house for some drinks and a catch up where we ended up talking to 1am. I love those nights as they are so chilled and I got to hang out with her little dog too. We were busy making plans for next month and next year. Hopefully, all of the things we were planning will happen but we’ll see. It’s just really nice to catch up with folks, to be honest.
Reading
I didn’t read as much as I planned this week. I finished the Kate Daniels series and I fully blame Magic Triumphs for me not being in the mood to read anything after. I decided not to read Julie’s book yet, since it’s a new series I figure I can wait a little while to start it. I turned to my trusty random number generator to help me start clearing a few more Kindle books since I am lost on what to read next. Lucy in the Sky I expected to DNF, the writing at the start was rough to say the least but I got sucked in somehow and ended up finishing it one evening. I did skim sections but I enjoyed it. Never going to be a favourite but I’m so glad it popped up. Sadly, the next book chosen was a Colleen Hoover one and I have a love/hate relationship with her books. I finally decided to DNF as I just couldn’t face what was going to be an angsty read. Then came Once Upon A Dream, I am so close to DNF-ing it but it’s a novella collection of 3 fairytale retellings, how can I DNF novellas? I actually read a whole heap of Drarry fanfiction instead while I avoid reading my latest book pick. Hopefully, I won’t be in a month long blackhole of fanfiction but with me I honestly never know.
New To Me
I’m trying to be good but I did buy a couple of books I’d been eyeing up in the monthly Kindle deals before the month is over. I probably shouldn’t have done as two are part of a series and I said I wouldn’t invest in series without starting them anymore but I’m a rebel obviously. I’d originally planned to try reading the first book in both these series but I am very bad at following through with such plans. I won’t cry if I don’t like them, they were all 99p so it’s not terrible.
What have you been doing this week? Any favourite reads? And please tell me you’ve watched Midnight Mass so I have someone to discuss it with!
I love nothing more than a good book series. It's so nice to be able to fully immerse yourself into a world or invest in the lives of a group of characters. When it comes to fantasy reads I want a series because I often get frustrated at standalone books as you just don't get to explore the world and characters as much as I might like. I want the world to be totally fleshed out, to know the characters backstory and the connection with the other characters in the world. I want everything a series can give. And even contemporary reads, I am sad to leave a really good cast of characters, I want to see all of their stories and see their lives develop as time passes. I get excited when I see characters from previous books making a cameo and you see them happy and settled.
So if I like series so much, why am I so bad at finishing them?
I think I'm my third or fourth reread of the Kate Daniels series and this is finally the time I am finishing it. And I still haven't finished the Psy-Changeling series despite reading the first books so many times, I started reading them again last year in lockdown and still haven't finished! I have so many half-finished series on my shelves where I claim to have loved the first book yet never continued on, even when I've bought the next book in the series.
Reasons I give for not finishing:
I need a break and want to read something different
With any long-running series, like the Kate Daniels series or the Psy-Changeling, series, the reason I usually give for stopping partway through is that I need a break. I get so many books in and love the characters, but I get fatigued almost and need a break to read something else. I think, sometimes, I’m doing it almost as a pre-emptive strike to avoid a reading slump. It’s sensible to a certain extent because my reading slumps can be terrible, but I should really just power through and finish the damn series because I usually don’t go back until over a year later and I’ve forgotten what’s happened so I decide to reread and it becomes a vicious cycle of me never finishing the series. It's the same way I never finish video games, you would think I would learn!
I want to wait for the whole series to be out
This is one that really applies to trilogies but if I find that I love the first book in a series and I'm waiting for the rest of the books to be released (which will normally have a gap of at least a year between each release) then I buy the next books but say I won't read the second one until the final book it out. Inevitably, I buy the books and either can't remember what happened in the first or have seen poor reviews for one of the books in the series and become less motivated to finish. Or I just get lazy and the hype has worn off so I don't feel as motivated to continue on.
I can't remember what happened
This is the big one and I’ve touched upon it with my first reason: I have a terrible book memory. That's not because the books are bad (but sometimes, the plots and characters can blur together with other books if they are similar) but it's simply that I have a terrible memory. I can forget character names while reading a book, and as soon as I get to the end and start writing a review I can guarantee I'm having to open the book back up to refresh my memory on names. The plot stays with me longer, but I cannot understand how people can remember quotes and detailed points from a book because I am honestly incapable. The only book series I can remember really well is the Harry Potter series and I reread those books religiously from the age of 8 so if I didn’t remember them well I’d be concerned. So when I can't remember the first book I know I need to reread the whole series to finish it and sometimes I just don't have time for that! Or I find excuses not to because I worry I’ll become fatigued rereading the series or some such ridiculousness.
They add more books to the series
This is a pet peeve of mine when it comes to publishing. The mid-series cover change is one thing, and I can mostly handle it, but when a series that was originally agreed to be a trilogy and marketed as such then gets extended, probably because the author always intended a longer book series and has developed way more plot points and needs more books, then I find myself put off from reading. I keep buying them, but I lose my motivation. A 2 book series feels like a commitment so 4/5/6 just feels too much. I love a good series as much as the next person, but give me a warning beforehand so I know to expect it! I mean, I should probably be celebrating as it means more time with the characters and a well-developed plot and world but, for me, I find myself demotivated and that’s just a strangeness I have.
Another week over with. September is just flying by and I'm not totally certain I'm ok with that. I swear, 2021 has disappeared in the blink of an eye. I know I'm constantly looking forward to next year in the hopes things look better (why is it the future always seems like it will be better? I'm pretty sure I was optimistic about 2020 at the start of last year and look how that turned out) but that doesn't mean I want to fly through the year. Oh well, at least it's another week which brought me good books and some fun adventures.
Listening
I was going to feature a Genesis playlist I've been listening to on Spotify since I've somehow agreed to go see them on Tuesday with my mom but then Taylor Swift did her usual of dropping a surprise song and that has been on repeat all weekend because I'm living my main character life right now, ok?
But yes, I am going to see Genesis on Tuesday after work and, I won't lie, I only know a handful of songs. It should be interesting (keep your fingers crossed I don't get told off again). It should be fun if nothing else and my mom has had the tickets ordered since before covid but sadly her friend who was meant to go was just feeling too wary about the situation right now and dropped out. I couldn't let my mom miss out, she's excited I think but we'll probably be going masked up.
Watching
I can't believe I forgot to include my tv updates for you last week! I spend a lot of time with the tv on right now, I can't handle silence when I'm working so tend to put it on low so it's almost like the hum of conversation. I'd say I need to go back to the office but turns out it's just as quiet there. Anyway, the main show I've been watching is Run On. I'm loving it, there's just something so sweet and charming about it. I am being very slow about watching, though. Sadly, I can't watch and do other things as I need to be focused on reading those subtitles, which means it's great at getting me to focus but I also tend to make time to do other things instead, like reading and blogging. I've been watching Silent Witness and New Amsterdam as well, and really need to make time to watch Vigil.
Life
Honestly, this week has been quiet. I began the week injuring my toe doing housework (it's a lesson to me to do less of that). The last time I hurt my toe it was after I'd been drinking so it's good to know I'm just accident-prone. My foot now has a lovely purple bruise on it and I'm glad summer has passed so I don't have to make excuses not to wear sandals again. Apart from that, my week was mainly focused on work which is boring for everyone to hear about. I did book myself a long weekend from work, though, so my weekend could be more fun and focused on things I actually wanted to do.
I feel like I made my weekend the weekend to get shit done. I don't know why, but when I book time off of work I always try and fit all of my chores and to-do list into a single day. Friday saw me weeding my garden, tidying the house, washing stuff and generally sorting things. But also had me off shopping. I went to the nearest shopping centre which I haven't been to since masks were compulsory I think. I did feel a bit strange being in the minority shopping with a face mask on but I figure we’re recommended to wear them so it seems sensible. it can be frustrating not everyone agrees. I still had a fun time, at least, even if I spent more than I intended. It just sucks that was a shopping trip less for nice clothes and more to cover more things from my to-do list like buy shampoo and lots of essentials I’ve been putting off buying. I did buy some makeup and a new book, though. I treated myself a little, even if my bank account protested when I checked it at the end of the day.
The only other event of my weekend was a party I went to for my friend's engagement. It had previously been planned as her 30th birthday party but that got postponed and she then got engaged so when she changed the date made more sense to celebrate that instead. It was a good night, although it did feel weird to be mixing with so many people again. Isn’t it strange to be hoping for a return to normal yet when normal events happen they feel so foreign? It was a good night and I got to catch up with friends who I’ve not had a chance to see in so long. Now I just want to spend my Sunday reading and playing The Sims, I feel like I deserve a lazy day.
Reading
I'm almost finished with my reading of the Kate Daniels series! I've one book left but I decided to read Hugh's spin-off book since it was released before Magic Triumphs. I’d been so determined not to like Iron & Magic and I’m a little annoyed I am now a fan of Hugh and just want nice things for him. Where is the next book in that series i ask you? I’m preparing myself to read Magic Triumphs now and I don’t think I’m ready. What am I going to do when I finish the series? I can already predict the reading slump that will follow. Pray for me!
I did listen to one audiobook this week as well. It was a slow Thursday at work and I needed something to keep me focused and I won’t lie, it was a little disappointing but it did serve the purpose I’d wanted. It kept me entertained for an hour or so while I did boring stuff at work.
New To Me
Only a couple of purchases this week (go me). I wanted to read Derek's novella so had to buy that. I'm glad I did, it was good and makes me excited to read Julie's book after I finish Magic Triumphs. I also went shopping on Friday and saw The Ex Talk in my local Waterstones, this is exciting since it's a US edition and they don't tend to order in too many copies of books from the US unless it's a special order. I'd actually gone in intending to buy The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri but thought I'd check out the fiction section (no, most UK bookshops will not have a romance section. It's an issue) as well the sci-fi and fantasy and there it was! I immediately knew I needed it in my life and The Jasmine Throne will wait until and another shopping trip.
What have you been doing this week? Any good books or recommendations for me? And what do you do to avoid a reading slump after reading a really good series?
It’s so strange to think we’re into September and I’ve not spoken to you about my favourite books throughout the year. I mean, considering I haven't been blogging it isn't that strange, but I still find it weird that I could make a reference to a book and you will have no clue that I loved it because there has been no opportunity for me to declare my love for it. I had initially expected to do a whole series of catch up reviews to help you learn what I've been enjoying reading through 2021 but I cannot be bothered to write a detailed review for each of them. Hear me out, yes I've enjoyed each and every book here, but I wasn't writing the same notes and comments to myself after finishing reading while I wasn't blogging. Even when I thought it would be a few weeks break from blogging, it's like I subconsciously knew that I wouldn't be around for a while. It does help that at the start of the year when the blogging hiatus began I hardly read a thing and when I started to read again, I didn't want to worry about reviews, I just wanted to enjoy reading.
I do still want to give you some highlights because these books deserve some love and they honestly helped brighten up my year when I needed it. I might have escaped into more TV shows than books but I have still been enjoying reading and these are the books I've loved and a few honourable mentions of books I liked but won't be placed on a favourites list.
The House in the Cerulean Sea – TJ Klune
I feel like every other blogger in the world, who hasn't enjoyed this book over the past year? It was actually Vera, from Wordy and Whimsical, who first put it on my radar. I'd seen it about and loved the cover but she was the first person to say to me it was really good and recommend it. I thought it would be like usual, someone tells me a book is good and I refuse to read it. It was actually my final Scribd audiobook before I cancelled my subscription as my phase of listening to audiobooks ended for no apparent reason.
This book begins slowly, it is far more about the character's journey than some epic plot, but that is what made it so wonderful. Every single child at the orphanage won me over and I was crying listening to this. There were actual tears while I was working and listening! It could have been embarrassing but I just thought it was utterly charming. I have even bought the Illumicrate exclusive edition that came out (even though I vowed not to) because I can see myself returning to this book over and over again.
The Widow of Rose House – Diana Biller
I bought this book in 2020 because I'd seen it on Twitter and then I saw that Nick of The Infinite Limits of Love liked it and we all know Nick just has to mention a book and I'm ready to buy it because I know her readings tastes are pretty similar to mine. I tried to read it last year during one of my many book slumps of the pandemic but ended up putting it to one side. I figured new year, new me... Or new year, new reading attitude? I don't know, but I figured it was time to give it another chance and I am so glad I did. I already knew that my abandoning it last year was very much a me issue rather than a book issue, but you do worry sometimes. I think the fact I’d purchased a physical copy from Words & Kisses added another level of pressure to love it because I owned an actual copy! Thankfully, the second time was the charm and I really did love this book. I thought Alva was an amazing main character who I cheered along the way. She deserved nothing but amazing things so when she met Sam I just knew they were going to be an amazing couple. She might not necessarily agree with that assessment but she soon began to care for Sam. I mean, who wouldn’t? The slightly creepy vibes in the house were perfect. I definitely feel like this would be the perfect spooky season read for those who don’t want anything too scary, this one won’t give you nightmares but has the perfect creepy vibes to it.
Act Your Age, Eve Brown – Talia Hibbert
It took me forever to finally read my preorder of this book. I knew I would love the book, how could I not? But I had been slow to pick it up, I think I was just scared to leave the Brown sisters and wanted to prolong my time with the family. I worried that Eve wouldn't be to my tastes, she had always been a little all over the place, but as soon as the book started I was ready to slap myself, Talia Hibbert only writes brilliant characters. Of course, I was charmed by her and I loved every moment of this book. I can't wait to reread all three books and am obviously eagerly anticipating my next Talia Hibbert read. Well done me for not having caught up on her backlist yet.
The Roommate – Rosie Danan
This was another Nick motivated purchase. I feel like Nick had read this month's before it was ever released so when I saw that there were signed preorders at Words and kisses I was ready to preorder mine. I then proceeded to not read it for months until I realised the next book in the series was already out and it was ridiculous to keep waiting. As soon as I started I didn't want to stop. A romance involving a porn star shouldn't work. It should be ridiculous, but I loved it. I was hooked and it was fun and interesting and I then regretted not reading it when it was released because why wasn't I part of the hype for this one? I got there eventually, though.
You Had Me At Hola – Alexia Daria
I feel like this book was everywhere when it was first released. I ended up treating myself to the book at some point and then promptly didn't read it. Then, one sunny day in my mom's garden I figured why not? I am pretty certain it was during a mini-heatwave in the UK, it might have even been after I got my first vaccine injection, as I did spend the whole day after that reading and enjoying myself. And this is the book I was reading (I think). It was just pure escapism, exactly the kind of book I want to read on a sunny day and lose myself in. I thought the romance between the characters and then the characters they were playing on the show was genius. I had thought it might be awkward, but it was executed really well (in my opinion).
How to Talk to a Goddess and Other Lessons in Real Magic – Emily Croy Barker
I don't think I've ever talked enough about my love for the first book in this series, The Thinking Woman's Guide to Real Magic. I borrowed it years ago from the library and adored it, I was then horrified to learn there was no sequel out. I have been following along to the author's website and social media for updates so I was overjoyed to finally hear the second book had been released. Sadly, it was released in audio first but I usually want to read books rather than listen since I'm not listening to audiobooks much when I work. Thankfully, the ebook wasn't too far behind the audio. I actually decided to read the first books again, just to see if it aged well for me or was actually awful and I should skip the sequel. I adored it completely and bought the second book so fast after finishing.
Sequels are a daunting prospect, especially when this one was so highly anticipated. It was years in the making! It met all expectations and I read it as fast as I could. I would have happily skived off work to finish. This book even forced me to take lunch (something I often work through at home) just so I had more reading time. Even getting up at 6:30 seemed reasonable to get in as much reading time as possible. I don't want to spoil anything but this book was good. Even though I would have liked the romance to be more in focus than it was, that's just me. It was still really good. Now I just have to see if there is another long wait for another book in this series as there is so much more story to tell.
Empire of Sand – Tasha Suri
I was in the fantasy romance mood at this point and every time I googled to see which books fit that category this book appeared. I had bought it after seeing some hype about it on Twitter and then I promptly read nothing about what it was about and it was left to gather dust on my Kindle. I am so glad I finally pulled my finger out (as you can see, there's a general theme with my reading) I loved it. This book was amazing with a strong female character and such an interesting world was built here. And it was all done within one book. So many books rely upon it being part of a series to wrap up the plot and develop the world as the series goes along, but here there is a wonderful story and well-developed world and characters all finished within the book. There is another book to the series but it focuses on different characters. I 100% recommend this one to people, it completely transported me to another world.
One Night Stand with the Sexiest Man Alive – Ainslie Paton
I couldn't decide if this book was a favourite or an honourable mention. I decided I enjoyed it enough it deserved to be a favourite because it reminded me how much I love Ainslie Paton's writing and it was a surprise read for me as I had practically forgotten I owned it until I used a random number generator to pick my reads. It was fun, interesting and had me swooning (and laughing). Honestly, this book has all the things I look for in a good contemporary read, and it did all that along with being a short read so my attention span could handle it. I am definitely reading the other two books in this series (although, who knows how long it'll take me to get around to them knowing me) and I will happily recommend it to the others looking for a fun quick read too.
Honourable Mentions
Have you read any of the books which I’ve mentioned? What have been your favourite books of 2021 so far? And do you have any books which aren’t necessarily favourites but you think deserve some attention all the same?
Posts
Social Icons