#LittensLoveRomance Ch.19-20: once again, we‘re suffering from not communicating properly. Emily is insecure - and she has plenty of reason to have learned her behaviour - but she‘s jumping to a lot of conclusions without talking to Simon, Chris and even April. She‘s allowing her future to fall through the cracks based on misplaced assumptions. She needs to talk things out - especially with Simon. We‘ll all feel better if she does.

#LittensLoveRomance Ch.17-18: naturally the doubts creep in. She really needs to take her own advice and give the guy a chance. But she also deserves to be romanced. She‘s never had that and it will feel nice. But will Simon woo her as himself or will he be more confident in his pirate persona?

#LittensLoveRomance Emily is given a well-needed nudge by a fortune cookie and Mitch (of all people!) and she goes to straighten things out with Simon. Thank goodness for that. See what talking to each other gets you, folks? But I worry that they both still have a lot of insecurities which may weigh them down in the chapters to come.

#LittensLoveRomance Ch.13-14: it seems as though Emily is finally ready to talk - with her sister, but maybe with Simon too. That is the only way she‘ll get things sorted with Simon. Because he is definitely not helping. Boy‘s got issues - totally understandable ones - but issues nonetheless with Mitch and his brother. I think Emily needs to be brave and take charge and go after what she wants, in both love and life. ⬇️

#IDLR #InDeathLongReadalong Book 16: Ch.11-15: It‘s so strange to see Roarke lose control. I don‘t know - have we seen him drunk before? Maybe tipsy but I don‘t think drunk. Poor guy. His past always hits him like a ton of bricks. Eve is used to him taking care of her - we see a role reversal in this book. I‘m less interested in the case than in the personal aspects this time. But despite being distracted Eve is still coming closer to the killer.

#LittensLoveSJM #ToG Novella 4: The assassin and the underworld: Celaena is back in Rifthold and after all the talk of Arobynne we get to meet him in the flesh. I think he‘s such a piece of work. Poor Celaena and poor Sam, growing up in that world. And now Celaena has seen that there could be something better for her and Sam. ⬇️

#LittensLoveRomance Ch.11-12: boy it sure would be nice to get some of Simon‘s POV. He is giving off mixed signals. He is obviously going through stuff with his brother‘s passing and maybe he feels conflicted about his feelings for Emily. But being confusing is doing nothing good for Emily‘s self esteem and state of mind. Once again: my advice is Talk to each other 😝

#LittensLoveRomance Ch.9-10: Ren Faire means flirting with pirates - Simon is definitely throwing off confusing vibes. He‘s so different in his costumed persona. No wonder Emily is getting whiplash. She is making progress with Chris and her cafe idea. She‘s starting to put down roots in this town. But will she let herself make a life there? Or insist she doesn‘t belong?

#LittensLoveRomance Ch.7-8: Wow, Ren Faire is intense. I doubt many would give up so much of their time and energy when they weren‘t getting paid. But is it that busy all 6 weeks? Maybe people come from other areas to keep up the momentum. By the last weekend Emily will be drained I think. Or filled with the contagious enthusiasm of her fellow performers ⬇️

#LittensLoveRomance Ch.5-6: some pretty emotional chapters early on in the book. Poor Sean and poor Simon. No wonder Simon‘s been a grump. Running the Faire must be so hard, about as hard as it would be to shut it down. Interesting that Simon seems to have left town and returned to help his sibling, similar to Emily. I hope Emily realizes she‘s allowed to stay in that town if she enjoys the life she is making there.

#LittensLoveRomance Ch.3-4: I like a bit of back and forth but I think Emily has Simon pegged wrong. For one, I‘m definitely getting the vibe that his brother passed away and didn‘t just move. People are being too close lipped about Sean for it to have been simple. I wonder how Emily will bring Simon out of his shell. Does she even want to?

#IDLR #InDeathLongReadalong Book 16 Ch.6-10: Poor Roarke. He never handles his past well (and can you blame him?) but he should not shut Eve out. She won‘t stand for that. I‘m glad she‘s planning to get to the bottom of what‘s bothering him or kick his ass trying. The case is interesting and there are a lot of interesting characters Eve comes across. ⬇️

#LittensLoveRomance Ch.1-2: good start so far: we‘re introduced to the down-on-her-luck Emily, fresh off of a nasty breakup. She‘s wrangled into volunteering for a Renaissance Faire by people who take the event very seriously. Emily just wants to help out her niece. One of the show runners is Simon who, let‘s be honest, has a stick up his bum. What is his problem with Emily? Be nice to your volunteers! We‘ll see how that back and forth turns out😆

#LittensLoveSJM #ToG The Assassin and the desert: Celaena is sent to train with the master of the Silent Assassins in the desert as punishment for defying Arobynne - after he beat the crap out of her and did god knows what to Sam. Celaena meets a girl named Ansel who has had a difficult traumatic life, just like Celaena - and she makes a friend.⬇️

This was the next instalment of the London Steampunk series that I started with #LittensLoveRomance. It‘s Rip and Esme‘s story and I loved it - this series is dark and gritty but full of great characters that you root for and fall for. I can‘t wait for the next one.

#IDLR #InDeathLongReadalong Book 16: Ch.1-5: Eve starts off the book in a happy mood b/c Summerset, her nemesis, is heading away for vacation. Unfortunately his plans get derailed by a broken leg and Roarke is faced with Summerset‘s fragility in a way. Eve gets tipped to a murder by Nadine and finds a young college student as the victim. ⬇️

#LittensLoveSJM #ToG The Assassin and the Healer: this was a great story and another example of Celaena finding a way to help someone and do something for the greater good. She meets Yrene, a wannabe healer who is adrift and feeling lost in the wake of Adarlan‘s conquest. She teaches Yrene some valuable lessons and gives her the means to become what she is destined to be. I have a feeling we will be seeing Yrene again. ⬇️

Our September read for #LittensLoveRomance has been selected and we‘re going to the fairgrounds. Has anyone ever been to a renaissance fair? I‘ve always wanted to go but there aren‘t any good ones in my area that I know of. But they sound like a lot of fun and a great setting for our next book. We‘ll be reading 2 chapters a day starting Sept 15. Let me know if you want to join in on my daily posts! @LitsyEvents

#IDLR #InDeathLongReadalong Book 16 - Our next read is set to start this week (sorry for the quick turnaround). We‘ll check in on Sunday Sept 7. As we get deeper into the series we‘re getting to know and love these characters- including her fun cast of side characters. I always want to know more about what‘s happening with everyone in this universe.

‘‘Tis the season of freshly sharpened pencils, lunchboxes, and back to school routines. My little one is starting JK this year (I‘m definitely 😢) and this got me thinking of teacher romances (where one or both MCs are teachers). Not Teacher/Student which is a whole trope in itself. Here is the link to vote: https://forms.gle/512c5FRpoGckjcLi7

#IDLR #InDeathLongReadalong Book 15 Ch.16-22/review: Eve faces a lot of ethical and emotional questions in this book. She feels disillusioned with people who she thought were working with her on one side of the law. But when the justice system fails, is it right to take the law into your own hands? What if in doing so, you hurt people who get in the way? Eve faces threats to members of her own team - Trueheart, Mcnab, and Peabody. ⬇️

#LittensLoveSJM The Assassin and the Pirate Lord: What a wild swashbuckling ride this was! We get to see 16-year-old Celaena, brash and reckless, sent with Sam on a mission by Arobynn. They are supposed to make a deal with Rolfe, the Pirate Lord, but Arobynn wasn‘t completely forthcoming in the reason for their mission. We see elements of Arobynn‘s corruption and Celaena starts to lose trust in her Master. She also grows closer to her rival Sam⬇️

#LittensLoveRomance Ch. 25-26/review: in a whirlwind couple of chapters Phoebe musters up her courage and tells Ren how she feels, only to cut and run in the morning. WTF Pheebs? Way not cool. At least everyone calls her out on it, including Ren, and they establish that there aren‘t so many obstacles standing between them as she keeps insisting upon. I was a bit annoyed at Pheobe towards the end. ⬇️

#LittensLoveRomance Ch.23-24: Anybody watching the scene in the garden is wincing right now. I can understand why Ren is upset. He thinks Pheobe was toying with him when he has real feelings for her. She‘s got some explaining to do. At least Bel stepped aside without drama. Although that would have made for some entertainment at the party. Do we think Myrna was who bought Ren‘s grandpa‘s house? How can she have any money left after that party?

#LittensLoveRomance Ch.21-22: Myrna gives some great tough love. That woman can sure give a speech. Here‘s hoping Pheobe takes her advice to heart. I‘m looking forward to seeing it all happen at this party. Bring on the drama! Already Pheobe is contacted by her ex‘s fiancée. Poor thing- hope she doesn‘t marry him.

#littensLoveRomance Ch.19-20: Man, we all need a sister like Suzanne. She‘s great. She‘s going through her own thing and still very much wants to take care of Pheobe - I mean she brings her to Disney! I love that they are closer now and being honest. Pheobe just needs to admit to what she‘s feeling for Ren. I think everything will come out at the big party. Maybe that‘s Myrna‘s plan.

#LittensLoveRomance Ch 17-18: ahh, the ol‘ kiss cam. Bringing people together (and tearing them apart to Coldplay tunes). I‘m sure Bel saw the Kiss and that is why she is MIA now. Or she read the letter and saw that Pheobe put Ren‘s name in a heart or something. I‘m glad Suzanne clued in right away to what her sister was feeling. Everyone needs a big sister who can cut through the BS. Now Myrna wants to meet Ren. Let‘s see what her take will be.

#LittensLoveSJM #ToG Next in our journey is to go back to the beginning with the prequel novellas. B/c they‘re broken up by book, we‘ll read one per week and I‘ll post on each Saturday: Aug 30, Sept 6, 13, 20, finishing on Sept 27. I‘ve been told reading these novellas gives information that is valuable for the rest of the series. If you‘re not able to join, let me know and I can remove you from my main SJM tag list or save you for the next book.

#IDLR #InDeathLongReadalong Book:15 Ch. 11-15: That Chang is a weasel. Why do I feel as though he is part of Purity? He wants to do all those shows which would give his cause plenty of airtime. And he‘s such a pain in the butt I want him to be guilty. I don‘t think the deputy mayor is part of it - but boy will she be ticked if I‘m right. ⬇️

#LittensLoveRomance Ch.15-16: where is my cranky rich person willing to dress me up for a party? Some people have all the luck 😑 but Pheobe does deserve to have some Cinderella fun for a night. I‘m looking forward to Myrna‘s party. I‘m sure her step children will have a conniption over how much she‘s spending but I say good for her. There‘s bound to be a show down. Bring it on.

#LittensLoveRomance Ch.13-14: I‘m not sure what Bel was up to - faking an injury so she wouldn‘t have to hike. You‘d think she‘d want to spend time with Ren. This of course allows Pheobe and Ren to grow even closer, for Ren to get a bit confused. Especially when they return to the car and Bel starts acting like a spoiled brat. Not sure what Bel was thinking the outcome of this outing would be. ⬇️

#LittensLoveSJM #ToG Book 3 ch.61-end/review: well, that‘s how you ramp up a book and get the readers excited for the next book. I felt like it was Boom Boom Boom - each of our characters had smth life altering happening in these final chapters. I‘d like to make special mention of Chaol finally choosing a side and then giving up his name and identity, just as Aelin acknowledges who she really is. That wasn‘t lost on us,SJM. ⬇️

#LittensLoveRomance Ch.11-12: oh boy, setting up the garden for Ren and Bel‘s date…getting the food, the decorations…why Pheobe? And then torturing herself by watching from the weeds so to speak - I was wincing the whole time. And Bel - boy oh boy, she‘s not the greatest under pressure! By the way - Bel is not in love with Ren, she‘s in lust. Here‘s hoping they won‘t have physical chemistry and she‘ll gracefully move on to someone else. ⬇️

#LittensLoveRomance Ch.9-10: So sorry for missing last night‘s post! Life got in the way and I fell behind. And it was a cool chapter too, with Pheobe meeting an honest to goodness once upon a time Hollywood star. I‘d say she should introduce her to Bel but I think Myrna would find Bel a bit silly. Myrna has a sad story and I think she needs a friend just like Pheobe does. ⬇️

Hey guys - sorry for missing last night‘s post-life gets in the way of reading! I will keep to our schedule and post the finale tomorrow since we‘re all very eager to finish😀 #LittensLoveSJM #ToG Book 3 Ch 58-60. What a face off with Maeve! I can‘t quite believe Celaena got her to free Rowan. Was it too easy? Is it certain? Like Maeve wasn‘t just playing Fae games was she? ⬇️

#LittensLoveRomance Ch.7-8: poor Phoebe - it sounds as though her last relationship was toxic and bad for her. But those ones are the hardest to get over I think. They damage a bit of you that‘s hard to put back together. Bel shouldn‘t have brought it up so casually. She‘s a wee bit annoying imo. But I suppose she doesn‘t know how bad Pheobe feels about her ex so it‘s not completely her fault.

#LittensLoveSJM #ToG Book 3 Ch.55-57: Celaena has finally faced her past and is able to tell her story. She is healing and moving past her grief. Some of that has to do with Rowan and the bond that has built - too bad he is enslaved to Maeve. She could command him to kill Celaena and he‘d have no choice. That‘s dangerous. And Maeve will not want such a powerhouse as a potential rival. I sense bad things in the future with Maeve. ⬇️

#LittensLoveRomance Ch.5-6: Uh oh - that scene with Pheobe”talking up” Bel and her non existent love letter was a bit cringe. I‘m embarrassed for all parties. But also amused. Poor Ren. I think he thought this was a date. I mean he brought wine. And seemed disappointed that she was shipping him and Bel at first. We‘ll see how their first date goes. Is Pheobe going to have to become a modern day Cyrano?

#LittensLoveSJM #ToG Book 3 Ch.52-54: wow what a chapter 54 was - SJM can sure write impactful scenes! Seeing just some of the people Celaena has lost - and what she went through as a girl - it shows how strong she really is. I‘d be in a mental institution - hands down. And once we get more Sam scenes in the prequel novellas - I‘m going to be gutted. ⬇️

#IDLR #InDeathLongReadalong Book 15 Ch.6-10: so glad Jamie is back - I like revisiting old cases and characters. But I wonder if all those e-men together is a smart idea. They‘re about to do something very dangerous with that infected unit. And boy, will Eve be pissed. She is on the right track linking the victims of the victims. She caught on to the third person who was targeted, even if she was too late. Just give her a bit more time, fellas.

#LittensLoveRomance Ch.3-4: uh oh-Pheobe meets Bel, who likes Ren. And of course, Pheobe wants to help those two lovebirds get together: Things are going to get complicated. I found it funny that Bel thinks Ren‘s the love of her life without talking to him once. What if she doesn‘t like birds?It will never work 🤪 I‘m curious to know how Pheobe tried to break up a couple (I‘m assuming it was her ex and his new bride to be). There‘s a story there.

#LittensLoveSJM #ToG Book 3 ch.49-51: Man, Celaena seems to get betrayed a lot. I wonder who turned on them and gave Narrok‘s forces the edge. Here‘s hoping all that fire training will help her against those creatures. And finally, after the slave massacre, Dorian seems to realize his father is literally the worst. But he knows that he must remain heir to make things change. ⬇️

#LittensLoveRomance Ch.1-2: So far I like Pheobe - in all her awkward glory. What a meet-cute with the neighbor, Ren. I like that Phoebe says whatever pops into her jet-legged mind. Hopefully her holiday will prove to be a nice distraction from her ex‘s wedding and the difficulties she‘s been having at home. Seems like the perfect place to rest up for a bit while her sister is away.

#LittensLoveSJM #ToG Book 3 Ch.46-48: I think we all know how bad the King of Adarlan is. But killing every slave in those labour camps - the brutality is unthinkable. And what is his endgame? Adarlan is in charge but soon will have no people to rule over. And now the revenue from those labour camps is gone. It‘s hard to fathom such cruelty. ⬇️

#LittensLoveSJM #ToG Book 3 Ch.43-45: our characters are putting together all the evil things the king is up to. He‘s creating monsters to build his army. And he‘s planning to attack Wendlyn soon. But how can they be warned? And does Aedion even want to considering they failed to help Terrasen. We also see tension between Abraxos and even the thirteen and Manon‘s grandmother. They are loyal to Manon more than her. Does the grandmother know this?

#LittensLoveSJM #ToG Book 3 Ch.40-42: We see what burnout looks like for a Fae as powerful as Celaena and Rowan just manages to save her. They are growing closer and sharing more about themselves. She even told him about Sam. Rowan is also learning that Maeve may not be that honest about certain things. She has kept things from him. And Celaena is growing to hate Maeve the more she learns about her. ⬇️

#LittensLoveSJM #ToG Book 3 Ch.37-39: Boy-that Iskra is asking for a walloping, and I‘m glad Manon gave it to her. Poor Abraxos! But now Manon has shown her weakness to everyone. She‘d better watch her back-even from her allies. Also, what was she thinking stealing from that spider? That‘s gonna come back to haunt her, for sure. Also pretty sure the foul taste/smell is dark magic set to control the witches. Good thing Manon is smart to notice.

#LittensLoveSJM #ToG Book 3 Ch.34-36: Rowan and Celaena are making progress with each other. Turns out Rowan has lost his mate - which is the worst thing that can happen to Fae I think. No wonder he‘s so hard. Celaena has started to feel a connection to him in that they‘ve both suffered loss and need to crawl their way out of the abyss. Perhaps they can do it together. What he felt for his mate I think Celaena felt for Sam and even Nehemia. ⬇️

#IDLR #InDeathLongReadalong Book 15 Ch.1-5: sorry for the late post! Just like in the book, this heatwave has me battling headaches…luckily I haven‘t gone crazy yet 😅 Man, what a start to this book - first, poor Trueheart takes out a raging drug dealer but we find out something more is going on - Eve hands over the drug dealer‘s computer to EDD and then a detective goes batty and there‘s a hostage situation. ⬇️

#LittensLoveSJM #ToG Book 3 Ch.31-33: Man, Rowan is such a d*ck. I don‘t know what his motivation is, or what his past trauma is, but Celaena has been through so much and she‘s just asking for a friend. And he slaps her down for it. We better learn he had a good reason for it - or get to see Celaena beat his ass. ⬇️