2025 Reading Challenges Conclusion

2025 is nearly over! 2026 is looming to be conquered next! I had a lot of challenges this year. Let's see how I did!!!

Goodreads -  140/140 books. Success.

Romance Reading Bingo - 25/25 boxes. Success. 

2025 Library Love Challenge - 36/36. Success. Bonus win....using the library I saved $423.88

➜ Winter Semester: Jan. 1st, 2025 – April 30th, 2025

Book	Type
Into the Wilderness by Sara Donati	ebook
Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson	audiobook
Lord Dashwood Missed Out by Tessa Dare	audiobook
Kiss of Snow by Nalini Singh	ebook
Tangle of Need by Nalini Singh	ebook
King of Flesh and Bone by Liv Zander	audiobook
The Scandalous, Dissolute, No-Good Mr. Wright by Tessa Dare	audiobook
The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson	audiobook
Dungeons and Drama by Kristy Boyce	audiobook
The Charm School by Susan Wiggs	ebook

➜ Summer Semester: May 1st, 2025 – Aug. 31st, 2025

The Hero of Ages by Brandon Sanderson	ebook
Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez	audiobook
Highland Flame by Mary Wine	ebook
Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez	audiobook
Between a Highlander and a Hard Place by Mary Wine	ebook
The Key Ingredient by Susan Wiggs	ebook
The Inn at Blue Hollow Falls by Donna Kauffman	ebook
Just For the Summer by Abby Jimenez	audiobook
The Murder of Mr. Wickham by Claudia Gray	ebook
A House with Good Bones by T. Kingfisher	audiobook
Binding 13 by Chloe Walsh	ebook
The Situationship by Abby Jimenez	ebook
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie	ebook
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie	audiobook

➜ Autumn Semester: Sept. 1st, 2025 – Dec. 31st, 2025

Accomplice to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer	audiobook
The Queen of Rot and Pain by Liv Zander	audiobook
Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli	ebook
Heart of Obsidian by Nalini Singh	ebook
The Nightmare Before Kissmas by Sara Raasch	ebook
The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss	ebook
A Rip Through Time by Kelley Armstrong	audiobook
Dime Store Magic by Kelley Armstrong	ebook
The Poisoner's Ring by Kelley Armstrong	audiobook
The Lump of Coal by Lemony Snicket	audiobook
Happy and Merry by Lisa Scottoline, Francesca Serritella	audiobook
Hercule Poirot's Christmas by Agatha Christie	audiobook

2025 #Audiobook Challenge - .65/75+. Failure. 

Close but no cigar. I just can't beat this challenge. :/ 

Here is my first audio of the year vs. my last audio of the year

Cloak and Dagger Reading Challenge - 26/16-25 books. Success.

TECHNICALLY, I read well over 25. I just stopped counting them. I was on a mystery/thriller kick this year. I think (if I do this one again) I may up the number ;) 

2025 #TBRChallenge - 12/12. Success.

OVERALL:

I pretty much accomplished all my reading goals! I fell a little shy on the audiobook challenge, but it was close. I could try it again next year, but we'll see. 

Good year overall! 

Audiobook Review: Hercule Poirot's Christmas by Agatha Christie

Author: Agatha Christie

Narrator: Hugh Fraser
Title: Hercule Poirot's Christmas

Series: Hercule Poirot #20

Genre: Mystery, Classics, Thriller
Format: Audiobook
Published: December 19, 1938
Where I Got It: Borrowed from library

Summary: 

In Hercule Poirot's Christmas, the holidays are anything but merry when a family reunion is marred by murder — and the notoriously fastidious investigator is quickly on the case. The wealthy Simeon Lee has demanded that all four of his sons — one faithful, one prodigal, one impecunious, one sensitive — and their wives return home for Christmas. But a heartwarming family holiday is not exactly what he has in mind. He bedevils each of his sons with barbed insults and finally announces that he is cutting off their allowances and changing his will. Poirot is called in the aftermath of Simeon Lee's announcement.

Review:

What better to read during Xmas then a murder? Love me some Poirot!!!!

Hercule is on the case! For this family, the holidays are no longer holly and jolly. This family reunion is marred by a murder. Lots of suspects and lots of motives because the wealthy head of the family announced he was changing his will. 

I felt like I had read this because things seemed SO familiar. Which is okay. It was nice revisiting one I had read forever ago. I thought I remembered who the murdered was, but I pleasantly re-surprised. Gasp!

I did remember one big twist so that was nice ;) I still didn't like this particular twist. I won't spoil anything. 

This was a lovely listen. The narrator did a lovely job. 

What a way to end the year! Love this author and def recommend Hercule. 

4 stars for me. 

 Challenge(s):

- Audiobook #65

- Library Love #34

Book Review: The Charred Grape by Caroline Baccene

Author: Caroline Baccene

Title: The Charred Grape

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Short story

Format: ebook

Pages: 36

Published: March 5, 2025

Where I got It: My shelf (Amazon)

Summary: 

Rachael, a hardworking single mom, juggles the chaos of making ends meet as a waitress at the beloved restaurant The Charred Grape and always strives to be the best mother she can for her young son, Leo.

When the restaurant is bought out and taken over by a new owner, Rachael and the rest of the staff are understandably more than a little nervous. Will they lose their jobs? Will new management be so unbearable they'll be forced to quit? Will their loyal customers accept this change of hands?

Those nerves turn into something else entirely as the days pass and Rachael learns more about her new boss and also becomes friends with the new chef. What starts as an easy and carefree back-of-the-house and afterhours friendship quickly seems to be turning into something else, but can Rachael find space in her busy, high-stress life for romance?

Review:

A nice short story while decompressing after the Xmas chaos of joy.

Rachael is your atypical hardworking and single moms. She is juggling her job and her private life. When the restaurant she is working at is bought out and taken over by a new owner, Rachael and the staff are concerned for their jobs. However, things turn to hope when she is offered a promotion and she becomes close to the new chef. 

This was short and sweet. Lovely to read over a couple of coffee like me.

Rachael was a sweet pea. She deserves the best. 

The chef (I can't remember his name) was meh. I didn't like his reaction at the bar. He just jumped to the worst conclusions even though she had mentioned her son before. Like...what?

Rachael is a gem and deserved better. I hope he groveled at some point. We didn't really get to see that. It was a quick fix and next thing we know it was the epilogue. I would've liked to see him grovel JUST a teeny bit.

I'll give this 3 stars. 

Short and sweet to read over your coffee. 

 

Audiobook Review: Happy and Merry by Lisa Scottoline & Francesca Serritella

Author: Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella

Narrator: Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella
Title: Happy and Merry

Genre: Short Stories, Anthology, Humor, Essays, Nonfiction
Format: Audiobook
Published: October 26, 2012
Where I Got It: Borrowed from library

Summary: 

Just in time for Christmas comes a collection of the very best holiday essays from the bestselling Mother/Daughter writing duo. Whether their shopping for matching reindeer dog sweaters or having second helpings of egg nogg, Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Serritella will keep you warm with their humor and heart. So give yourself some holiday cheer in the midst of all the shopping, cooking, wrapping, and baking madness…you deserve to get a little Happy and Merry!

Review:

Randomly saw this as a nice "short" for the holidays on my Libby app. So why not? I listened to this while doing some chores. 

We'll divide and conquer this review...

Thanksgiving

I really liked this one. It had a nice message. It was very sweet. 5 stars. Nice start!

Holiday Guilt

Interesting look at the holiday guilt. Interesting way to think. I did chuckle a bit. 4 stars. 

Thank You

*scratches head* I can't fully remember this one. Did I zone out? Errrrrr. 1 star.

Busy Signal

This one had me chuckling a bit. It does make you try to appreciate the life we have now and not be so impatient. Nice messaging for sure. I'll stamp it with 5 stars. 

Twas the Night Before

This was okay. I liked it. I think it needed...more. It felt like it was the beginning of a nice piece. 3 stars. 

Lisa Hits the Eggnog

Some humor. Some nice messaging. 4 stars. 

And Many Happy Returns

Not memorable for me. I barely remember this one, and it was the finale. I remember the ending! The beginning and middle? Maybe it needed more or something. It just didn't stick with me. But I'll give it a 3. 

Overall

Some holiday humor and some important messages that we need to remember. Like being patient and taking it day by day, and being kind to others. Also, thank your local soldier. There was a lot of "life could be worse! You could be away from your family member who is a soldier for this country, far, far away." Oof. Thanks for that. Yes, nice to be thankful to be home, and yes, thank your servicepeople. 

After some complicated math...I'll stamp this with 3 stars. 

 Challenge(s):

- Audiobook #64

- Library Love #33

Audiobook Review: Unmask Me If You Can by Shana Galen

Author: Shana Galen

Narrator: Victoria Aston
Title: Unmask Me if You Can

Series: The Survivors #4

Genre: Historical Romance
Format: Audiobook
Published: November 6, 2018
Where I Got It: My shelf (Audible)

Summary: 

This masked lord...

Lord Jasper, younger son of a marquess, suffered horrible burns fighting in the Napoleonic Wars. He wears a mask to hide his face from the stares and screams and finds comfort in the shadows. Jasper is an exceptional bounty hunter, so when a woman summons him to her deathbed and asks him to find her runaway daughter before she passes away, he doesn't refuse. Jasper is close to his quarry when he's knifed by an assailant. Imagine his surprise when he regains consciousness in the arms of the woman he seeks. Except she's not at all what he expected.

Is not the only one with scars.

On a remote cliff on the sea, Olivia Carlisle calls her five-year-old son in from an approaching storm. But the little boy is more interested in the man he's found on the trail to their hidden cottage. Olivia fears men and wants nothing more than to leave the injured man where she found him. But his knife wound is severe, and with the approaching storm, she knows leaving him will condemn him to death. As Jasper begins to heal, Olivia acknowledges her attraction to him, even though such emotions terrify her almost as much as returning to London. Jasper must convince her that her only chance at safety is to challenge the man who pursues her. They must travel into the lion's den—he to face his vulnerability and she to face her worst fears.

Review:

Had some issues with the last book, so I was hesitant to keep on going. However, the cover drew me in and I was super curious and hopeful for Jasper. He really deserves love!

Here we have Jasper who one of the survivors. He was mentally scarred and physically. He hides behind a mask because of the scars. He accepts jobs to find people and he is hired to find Olivia who ran away 5 years ago. Easy peasey. Right? As he finds her, he is attacked and left for dead. Olivia drags him to her cottage on a remote cliff near a small village. She fears men, but she can't leave him to die. As she heals him, she starts to like him and that terrifies her. After some time they grow to trust each other and they realize that her time of hiding is over. 

This one was really sad, but happy all at the same time. These two people are so damaged and so hurt. Through friendship and love, they start healing together. I really loved this slowburn. Yes, the lust is there, but they both need the time to trust the other and themselves. 

Jasper was a heartthrob. I loved him so much. I liked him in the other books, but we got to see the man behind the mask and I ended up loving him. Olivia was perfect for him. Sweet girl. And her son? What an angel of a boy. 

The author did a wonderful job with this story of healing. It didn't happen over night. But it didn't ruin the "romance". It was very sweet and still a sprinkle of spicy to make it fun. 

The conclusion of a baddie was lovely. I did want more. Maybe we'll more of his downfall later in another book. It surely can't be the last we see of that monster. 

The narrator was pure perfection for these characters. All the voices felt different. 

All-in-all, this renewed my spirits with the series. I was let down a bit with the last one, but this one has me excited for more. I hope we see Jasper and Olivia make some cameos. They were so sweet. 5 stars from me. 

 Challenge(s):

- Audiobook #62

Book Review: Highland Hearts Holiday Bookshop by Tricia O'Malley

Author: Tricia O'Malley

Title: Highland Hearts Holiday Bookshop

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Fantasy

Format: ebook

Pages: 338

Published: December 2, 2024

Where I got It: Kindle Unlimited

Summary: 

The universe is playing a joke on me.

An unexpected inheritance has gifted me with the dream of a lifetime – owning a charming bookshop in small-town Scotland. Little did I know this gift comes with a surprise – Highland Hearts bookshop has been running an underground magical matchmaking service – and as new owner of the shop, I am expected to deliver on these matches.

As Christmas looms, and lonely hearts beg for love, I’m tossed into the world of magic and romance, aided by a meddling book club who seems more interested in romance than reading.

The problem is – I just don’t believe in love. Or so I thought.

It turns out there’s one local bird nerd and Scottish hottie, Alexander MacTavish, who has my heart all aflutter. While he’s more into puffins than paperbacks, I can’t help but notice he’s showing up at the bookshop to help every time something goes wrong. Maybe it’s my determination to have an adventure, or maybe it’s the magic, but every time tall, dark, and grumpy enters my bookshop, I find myself wanting to read up on birds just to catch his attention.

As my newfound magic falters, and the town enters my shop into a cutthroat Christmas window decorating competition, I find myself working side-by-side with Alexander, who seems just as determined to avoid love as I am.

With Christmas fast approaching, I must figure out if I can suspend my disbelief and make the match of a lifetime – my own.

Review:

Awww I really like this author! She is so much fun and has such good ideas!

Here we have Rosie who has never taken a gamble or reached for anything. Everything she has settled for. She finally wakes up when she inherits a bookshop from a distant relative in Scotland. This is the new, fresh start she needs! Along with books, she is tossed into some magic, puffins, a hot man named Alexander, and a cutthroat Christmas window decorating competition. She will need Alexander's help to meddle through. 

This was adorable and I didn't want to stop reading. 

Loved the puffin. 

Loved the small town. 

Loved the magic element. 

Loved Alexander. 

Loved Rosie. 

Loved the book club!

It was adorable and fun for the holiday season. I def recommend this one! Too cute. Super fresh. 

5 stars. 

Blodeuedd's Monday: The List of Suspicious Things by Jennie Godfrey

Narrated by: Joanne Froggatt, Mark Noble, Asif Khan, Gemma Whelan, Simon Harvey

Release date: 12-30-25

Length: 10 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher: Tantor Media

Fiction/to review

Have I ever heard of the Yorkshire Ripper? No, but he killed a lot of people! Those few years must have been quite scary for women.

Miv is 12. Her mother is not really present, but she does not know why. She is just there. Her dad is busy at work and her aunt is staying with them. Everyone is talking about the Ripper, and they are told to be careful. Even if he goes after a certain kind of women, something she is not sure what it means either.

But together with her best friend Sharon she makes list of suspects and they investigate. During their investigations they make new friends, and find things that are not right. But how to solve problems when you are just a child?

It does get sad too, I did not expect it to get sad, but you are warned.

It was a really interesting book, I do confess to checking out who the ripper actually was in the end. I was just so curious! But I also managed to forget the name so I never knew what would happen.

A story of growing up.

There is quite a cast of narrators, 5 in total, that pop in here and there. And it works well, mostly it is Mivs POV, but there are other people around her too.

Twelve-year-old Miv is panicking. Life has been complicated since her mom got sick, and now her dad is talking about wanting to move their family away from the town Miv has lived in her whole life—because of the murders. Young women are dying, everyone is afraid, and no one knows who the culprit might be.

But as far as Miv is concerned, leaving Yorkshire and her best friend Sharon simply isn't an option, no matter the dangers lurking round their way; or the strangeness at home that started the day Miv's mum stopped talking. Perhaps if she could solve the case of the disappearing women, they could stay after all?

So, Miv and Sharon decide to make a a list of all the suspicious people and things on their street. People they know. People they don't. But their search for the truth reveals more secrets in their neighborhood, within their families—and between each other—than they ever thought possible. What if the real mystery Miv needs to solve is the one that lies much closer to home?

2026 Romance Reading Bingo Challenge

Hosted by: Blodeuedd @ Book Girl of Mur-y-Castell Jen @ That's What I'm Talking About Carole @ Carole Rae's Random Ramblings

We are doing it again in 2026! It's the Romance Reading Bingo Challenge (#RRBC2026), hosted by Carole, Linda, and Jen! The challenge is to read a book and check the boxes.

List of Challenges (Romance books):

• Re-read
• Wedding trope
• Wallflower/Ugly Duckling
• Office romance
• Blind Date/Arranged Marriage
• Number in the title
• Cat/Dog on the cover
• TBR over 2+ years
• Part of a series you meant to go back to
• Published in 2026
• Duke in the title
• Alien/Cyborg romance
• Secret Royal/Billionaire
• Pink Dress on the cover
• Audiobook with 2+ narrators
• MC Works in the Food Industry
• Non-Regency Historical romance
• Small Town romance
• Second Chance
• Sunset/Sunrise on the cover
• Book starts with same letter as your name
• LGBTQ+
• Necktie on the cover
• Travel / Vacation
• Non-Christmas Holiday

Rules:

• It MUST BE a genre romance book (HFN/HEA).
• One box per book. If your book meets more than one box, you have to pick just one.
• No changing the box. Once you put a book in a box, you can't move it.
• Books can be used in other challenges. (examples: Goodreads, Library Love, TBR, Audiobook, etc.)
• The goal is to get at least one BINGO! (see levels below)
• The challenge runs from January 1 to December 31, 2026.
• You may join whenever.

Bingo Levels: 1 or 2 Bingos: Beginner 3 Bingos: You're getting the hang of this! 4 Bings: Expert Level Entire Sheet: Supreme Ruler of Bingo! If you want to add your blog or Goodreads to the list, click on the linky below. NOTE: You do not have to have a blog or URL to sign up!

You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!

Click here to enter

So what level will you try in 2026?

Audiobook Review: The Lump of Coal by Lemony Snicket

Author: Lemony Snicket

Narrator: Neil Patrick Harris
Title: The Lump of Coal

Genre: Humor, Fantasy, Children's story, Short Story
Format: Audiobook
Published: September 30, 2008
Where I Got It: Borrowed from library

Summary: 

This is a story about a lump of coal who can think, talk, and move itself around.

Is there a more charming holiday tale to behold? Probably, but Lemony Snicket has not written one.

Review:

I was digging through some quick audio shorts on my Libby app. I wanted something cute and Xmas-y, and then I found this. 

This is a story about a lump of coal who wants more out of life. 

This was certainly charming and funny. I want to find the actual book so I can see the illustrations! Maybe next year! I could read this again. It was super adorable. Very short, but fun for all ages. 

I ADORE the narrator. Everything he touches turns to gold. 

5 stars. 

 Challenge(s):

- Audiobook #62

- Library Love #33

Audiobook Review: The Poisoner's Ring by Kelley Armstrong

Author: Kelley Armstrong

Narrator: Kate Handford
Title: The Poisoner's Ring

Series: A Rip Through Time #2

Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery 
Format: Audiobook
Published: May 23, 2023
Where I Got It: Borrowed from library

Summary: 

Edinburgh, 1869: Modern-day homicide detective Mallory Atkinson is adjusting to her new life in Victorian Scotland. Her employers know she’s not housemaid Catriona Mitchell―even though Mallory is in Catriona’s body―and Mallory is now officially an undertaker’s assistant. Dr. Duncan Gray moonlights as a medical examiner, and their latest case hits close to home. Men are dropping dead from a powerful poison, and all signs point to the grieving widows… the latest of which is Gray’s oldest sister.

Poison is said to be a woman’s weapon, though Mallory has to wonder if it’s as simple as that. But she must tread carefully. Every move the household makes is being watched, and who knows where the investigation will lead.

Review:

Mallory is still in the body of a housemaid in 1869 Scotland. However, employers know the truth and have allowed her to moonlight as Dr Gray's assistant and work on cases. This case is a little too close to home. Men are dropping dead from a powerful poison, and all signs are pointing to Gray's eldest sister. 

Make sure to read book 1 first before going into this one. This review may have some spoilers if you haven't read book 1. 

Eeeee! I'm loving this series. I'm loving the fact that Mallory can be more of herself now that some people know the truth. 

I love Mallory. I love Gray. I love McCreadie. I love them all. 

This one had a lighter tone to it (at least in the beginning). Some jokes were tossed around, and some silly moments. I loved seeing Gray be...relaxed? 

Things do get more serious as we get deeper in the story, especially when it looks like Gray's older sister is a serious suspect for these poison murders. The ending was especially brutal. GOOD, but damn. 

The narrator was the same as book 1, and she does a great job. 

I can't wait to read the next one. It's short, and it sounds lovely. 

5 stars from me. 

 Challenge(s):

- Audiobook #61

- Library Love #32

Book Review: The Christmas Tree Farm by Laurie Gilmore

Author: Laurie Gilmore

Title: The Christmas Tree Farm

Series: Dream Harbor #3

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Chick Lit

Format: ebook

Pages: 369

Published: October 10, 2024

Where I got It: Kindle Unlimited

Summary: 

Every book in the Dream Harbor series can be read as a standalone.

Kira North hates Christmas. Which is unfortunate since she just bought a Christmas tree farm in a town that’s too cute for its own good.

Bennett Ellis is on vacation in Dream Harbor trying to take a break from both his life and his constant desire to fix things.

But somehow fate finds Ben trapped by a blanket of snow at Kira’s farm, and, despite her Grinchiest first impressions, with the glow of the fairy lights twinkling in the trees, and the promise of a warming hot chocolate, maybe, just maybe, these two lost souls will have a Christmas they’ll remember forever…

The Christmas Tree Farm is a spicy romantic mystery with a HEA guaranteed, perfect to curl up with this winter!

Review:

Book 3.

Here we follow Kira, who has bought the Christmas Tree farm, but why? She hates Christmas and hates how cute this town is. Bennett is on vacation in Dream Harbor. He loves to fix things, and maybe he can help Kira fix the farm and fix her feelings on Christmas. Thanks to fate, Bennett and Kira are trapped by a blanket of snow on Kira's farm. 

You could read this as a standalone, but I feel like reading the other two will help get some backstory of the town and some of the people we come across. 

Kira is grumpy and just wants to succeed on her own. She has a lot of internal issues to deal with. She honestly needs a therapist before getting into ANY relationship.

Bennett is too sweet for his own good. He hates disappointing people. I liked him.

I did like watching these two interact. Their banter was funny. However, it got really, really old after a bit. Sure, they warm up and fall in love, but it was a long, long, LONG road. Was it...I dare say....boring at times? Sadly, yes. It took everything I had not to skip through. 

All-in-all, this was just okay. I enjoyed some of the banter, and it did feel very Christmas-y. However, there were some boring spots. I'm not sure I will continue with the series. Maybe if I have nothing else to read? I'll be nice since I do love the cover and this town. 3 stars. 

 Challenge(s):

- TBR #12 (Celebration/Holiday Story)

 

Blodeuedd's Tuesday Review: Midlife Christmas Vigliante by Eve Langlais

By: Eve Langlais

Narrated by: Anne Robert

Length: 4 hrs and 50 mins

Release date: 12-11-25 by Tantor Media

Paranormal romance

Christmas and short, yes thank you.

Our heroine is rather sad, lonely, but she loved her cat! And then some ahole tortured it! Yes she is angry, and the legal system did nothing. So she ends up rather almost dead after a confrontation. Luckily a handsome vampire walked by and thought she had some spirit in her.

And suddenly she is a vampire at 47 and does not believe it to be true. It does take some time for her to get her head around it and soon she is getting back into shape. As the book starts with her doing vigilante stuff 2 years later. Taking down bad guys the cops can´t take down themselves.

Oh and she does find some romance too, some hot romance.

A bloody xmas paranormal romance. They are vampires after all. I enjoyed it. It worked well in audio too. The narrator was good and it was fun listening to.

Just before Christmas my life underwent a major change. And I’m not talking about the fact I hit menopause hard—I mean, we're talking night sweats and hormones gone wild. Nope, it was worse than that. I almost died, and would have actually been six feet under if I'd not been transformed into a vampire.

You heard me right. At the ripe age of forty-seven, I became a blood-guzzling, sunlight-hating, fanged menace with an insatiable appetite. Thankfully, criminals taste delicious.

But the wicked aren't the only people I'm nibbling on this holiday season. When I'm not taking a literal bite out of crime, you will find me unwrapping the handsome vampire who gave me the best present of all.

Love.

Book Review: Secrets at Midnight by Nalini Singh

Author: Nalini Singh

Title: Secrets at Midnight

Series: Psy-Changeling #12.5

Genre: Paranormal Romance, Novella

Format: ebook

Pages: 100

Published: November 25, 2014

Where I got It: Borrowed from library

Summary: 

Bastien Smith is frustrated. A changeling male should be able to track his mate anywhere—through fire and hail, snow and rain. But he keeps finding and losing her scent in the city streets, ever since he first became aware of it two weeks earlier, when the elusive fragrance awakened the leopard within him...

Then Bastien is suddenly confronted with his prey. Kirby is an all-too-human woman who wants Bastien just as much as he wants her. But he can’t deny what his body and senses are telling him: there is a raging chaos inside of Kirby that he doesn’t understand, secrets that whisper awake at midnight and cause her terrible pain. If they’re to have any chance of forever, then he must solve the mystery that is Kirby...

Review:

I needed a nice short and sweet novella. Plus, I have been itching for a PNR. This fit the bill perfectly. 

Here we follow Bastien and Kirby. One day, Bastien came across a perplexing yet intriguing scent. It smells of mystery, and something about it makes him think it could be that of his mate. He can't quite keep track of it. After two weeks of searching, he finally finds her. Kirby has been alone all her life. She was an orphan, so her goal in life is to give love to the kids as a teacher. Since she has moved to this new town, something is wrong. She has been getting terrible pain, and there is chaos raging inside her. Maybe Bastien can help her figure out the mystery of her past. 

I adored this. I wish this had been a full-length novel because I really adored both of these characters. Bastien is a sweet bean, and Kirby is a gem. I loved watching them find each other and become more. I loved them working together to uncover the secret of her past. 

The last few chapters had me in tears. Awwwwwww! Happy tears, but tears nonetheless. So sweet. 

I'm curious if we'll see more of Kirby and Bas in the next few books. I want to see them be happy and in love. Maybe more will come out of their discovery. I won't spoil anything!

But yes, I needed this nice story. I've had a few meh books recently. 

5 stars. 

 Challenge(s):

- Library Love #32