FFAF: Spring Cleaning Book Tag

   

Intro

I am so happy that spring is upon us! At the time of writing this blog it's in the 80s outside which is so warm! As such, I've got the cleaning bug. That's where the spring cleaning book tag comes in! I found it on the Book Cheshire Cat blog. The tag is originally from Between the Shelves. Let's clean up!

The Prompts and My Picks

Getting started: a book series you've been wanting to read

The Addicted/Calloway Sisters series by Krista and Becca Ritchie

I absolutely adore the Webs We Weave series that these sisters also write. I've heard amazing things about this series. The only reason I have read it yet is that I want to read it physically. As I am trying to maintain a book buying ban, I am only very slowly able to obtain the series. So far, I have collected the first two books.

Cleaning/organizing the closet: the best way to organize books

The simplest answer is, however they fit and works for you. 

I think in my official library I hope to have once I move, I would sort by genre and keep series together. Other than that, just a vibe really.

Getting rid of unnecessary things: book/series you no longer need

Let Me Count the Ways by Laurel Osterkamp

I have read this book and don't think I would ever reread it. As such, I do not find the need to keep it.

Get some air: you favorite lighthearted read

One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune

This was one of my top reads of last year. It was oh so good and perfect for me during the time I listened to it. I loved it on so much. Highly recommend! 

Clean out the kitchen cupboards: favorite food-themed read

Café con Lychee by Emery Lee

This was such a nice YA read. It's got queer rep and portrays culture so well! You should absolutely check it out if given the chance.

Dust the shelves: what's the fifth book on your bookshelf

The Grandest Game by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

As she is my favorite author, her books come up first on my shelves. This series is currently ongoing so I look forward to finishing it!

Wishing for the end: a 2026 release you are excited about

Game On by Navessa Allen

I have just read the second book in this series. While I did not enjoy it as much as the first book in the series, I still enjoyed my time with it. I'm curious to see if book three works better for me.

Long but satisfying: the longest book series you've read

The Wolf Mountain Ranchers series by Erin FitzGerald

I am not counting any of the series that I read as a kid and know I never finished (as some are still getting books added). As such, this series with 5 main books and a novella is the longest series I have finished as an adult.

Outro

Are you feeling cleaner? I know I am! If you are interested in doing this one, consider yourself tagged!

Top 5 Tuesday: Satisfying Book Series

Welcome back to Top 5 Tuesday, now following the list from That Artsy Reader Girl! As always, I do a top 5 instead of a top 10 because I tend to struggle to find 10 books for prompts.

This week's prompt is..... satisfying book series

These are in no particular order

1. The Naturals series by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
2. Wolf Mountain Ranchers series by Erin FitzGerald
3. Orleans University series by Maren Moore
4. So Not My... series by Evie Sterling
5. Streams and Schemes series by Rebecca Kinkade

I am admittedly not the best at finishing series, but here are a few that I did finish that I feel like were bangers all the way through. All are romance series apart from The Naturals. I know there are a lot of series currently in progress that I am reading and loving. I would be happy to include those if a similar prompts comes up again when those series are concluded.

Here it all is in a pretty lil' graphic 😁

It took me a minute to find all completed series, but I did it! All of these have different vibes, but all are ones I loved. Have any of y'all finished any of these series? See you tomorrow!

Free For All Friday: Spring Cleaning Book Tag

Free For All Friday: Spring Cleaning Book Tag

Intro

Hello loveslies! As the spring weather is coming to a close, what better time to finally complete a bit of bookish spring cleaning? Of course, this is just a book challenge. I actually managed my shelves not that long ago. I saw this tag on Dini Panda Reads' blog. Anyone who sees this is welcome to give the challenge a try! Let's get to cleaning!

The Prompts

• Getting started: A book series you've been wanting to read (Beartown)
• Cleaning/organizing closet: the best way to organize books (by author and series)
• Getting rid of unnecessary things: book/series you no longer need (Skink No SUrrender)
• Get some air: your favorite lighthearted read (Beg, Borrow, or Steal)
• Clean out the kitchen cupboards: your favorite food-themed read (Sweet on You (on a peach farm))
• Dust the shelves: the fifth book on your shelves (Unsteady by Peyton Corinne)
• Wishing for the end: a 2025 release you are excited about (Caught Up)
• Long but satisfying: the longest book series you've read (Wolf Mountain Ranchers)

My Picks and Explanations

Getting Started: I have really been wanting to try reading the Beartown series by Fredrik Backman. I've heard fantastic things about it, and I am a big hockey fan, so I think it would be totally up my alley!

Cleaning/organizing closet: I admit I don't have the best shelf organization due to very limited shelf space. That said, I always keep series and authors together. Otherwise, it is just based on what fits. 😬 Hopefully, in the future, I also have room to sort by genre.

Getting rid of unnecessary things: The only book on my shelves that I don't know if I would actually read is Skink No Surrender by Carl Hiaasen. I used to love his book growing up. I had gotten this one and even started it, but never got the chance to finish it. 

Get some air: I had a bit of trouble deciding what book I've read recently that would actually be considered nearly entirely lighthearted. That is when I landed on Beg, Borrow, or Steal by Sarah Adams. I remember it being quite lighthearted and a fun read. If I am incorrect and forgot something notably heavy, my apologies.

Clean out the kitchen cupboards: There are very few food-themed books I've read, which feels like a fail on my end, and I will do my best to remedy this in the near future. That said, I did recently read a book set on a peach farm, so I think that counts. Right? That book is Sweet on You by Dani Galliaro.

Dust the shelves: After referencing my shelves, the fifth book on it is Unsteady by Peyton Corinne. Which I admit I saw in Barnes & Noble one day, and totally fell in love with the cover. Needless to say, I really want to read it when I have the time. It appears to not be too long. 

Wishing for the end: Admittedly, I have a whole series on my blog called Can't Wait Wednesday, so I had a lot of trouble deciding which I wanted to choose for this challenge. In the end, Caught Up by Navessa Allen won out. I cannot wait to experience more of her dark comedic writing later this year!

Long but satisfying: This prompt seems to really be made for the fantasy reader girlies, so this isn't really for me. I am also generally not a fan of super-long series, so the longest I could remember reading in recent memory was the Wolf Mountain Ranchers series by Erin FitzGerald. 

Outro

Well, lovelies, we have come to the end. Do you feel cleaner? I don't know if I would go that far, but I do feel productive, so that is worth something. I absolutely love doing book tags like this one, so if you discover any in the book blogging world, feel free to send them my way! I will see you all on Sunday for the start of the Wonderland Pride Spotlight interviews!

The Something Smutty Book Club by Erin FitzGerald Review

 

* This review is spoiler-free *

5/5 ⭐

Tropes

➮ Silly novella

➮ Found family

➮ HEA

Synopsis

The last thing anyone should have allowed Mathilda Cooper to do was start a book club. The town's librarian and notorious man fiend has made it her mission in life to find the smuttiest, filthiest books in print and the women attending are starting to wonder if it's entirely for shock value.

Every other Wednesday night, the women in the small community of the Wolf Mountain Ranchers meet to talk books--and listen to Mathilda run her mouth. Catch up with Emily, Genesis, Lana, Ashley, Jenna, Clara, Talia, and Morgan in this fun collection of Wednesday night revelations.

My Thoughts

This novella was just a further reminder of how in love I am with these characters and this series as a whole. While I am very sad to see it go, I am also so happy with how it was wrapped up. It truly did such an amazing job at helping the plotlines of the main characters and background characters feel settled. While I will always be down for more of this series, I am also quite happy with this as the series conclusion.

This was such a perfectly silly goofy good time seeing everyone in the town come together. I really applaud Erin for creating character relationships in a small town that are genuinely interwoven but didn't end up where every character somehow automatically knew every other character just because they are from the same area. I really can see all of these ladies having a fun time in a book club together and most of their men reaping the benefits of their reading materials content.

This paragraph is to Erin and only Erin, everyone else can scroll past. Erin, babes you did it again! You absolutely knocked it out of the park. I am always amazed at how I love your writing more and more with every single book. I would give this more than 5 stars if possible honestly.  Thank you for blessing us with such beautiful characters! You know I am a ride-or-die for your writing and will shout from the rooftops about how everyone needs to experience the magic in your stories. 

You absolutely need to read the rest of the series before picking this one up but when you do it will be so worth it. It truly felt like coming home and being wrapped in a warm hug. Even one page in, there were no punches pulled with the silliness. Coop will always be Coop (iykyk). So many moments in this book pulled at my heartstrings to see everyone growing older and settling into their lives. 

If it wasn't obvious from the title, this book does contain spicy content. If you aren't into that sort of thing this book isn't for you. 

I received this book as an arc from the author. My review is honest and voluntary

Something Saved by Erin FitzGerald Review

 

* This review is spoiler-free *

5/5 ⭐

Tropes

➮ Single uncle

➮ Cowboy romance

➮ Small town

➮ Nanny romance

Synopsis

When Morgan shows up on my doorstep wearing a pencil skirt and heels, demanding she be allowed to interview for the position I posted for a nanny, I'm reasonably sure she's joking. The woman the kids take to immediately makes it plain straight away that she has no experience as a nanny, and I wonder what's the real backstory to the slightly familiar-looking woman who doesn't seem to legally exist. In my experience, women have secrets and it turns out Morgan is no exception. Something about her begins to glue the pieces back together. I'm exhausted, fighting to fill the financial holes my father's big dreams have created, and the truth is that my third-generation ranch is under threat from developers with deep pockets. The bigger problem? The kids Morgan is nannying aren't actually mine yet. Can I live with what she's hidden, or is it best for everyone if I just cut her loose?

My Thoughts

It is truly so devastating to me that this is the last full-length story in this series. I am truly so in love with all of the characters and their entangled stories. I am going to have to deal with the angst-neglect I feel until the spinoff series next year. (I'm not crying, you are!) But for real, this series will forever have a place in my heart, this story included. 

I am so happy Grant finally has his happy ending. He's had the short end of the stick for this entire series so Morgan was definitely what he needed. Their angst was exactly what I've come to expect from Erin. They are such a natural pairing and draw out the best in each other. It certainly isn't simple for them to reach their happy ending but that is what makes it have that incredibly rewarding feeling. 

If it wasn't for Erin, I still wouldn't be a fan of kids in books. Brandt and Amelia are both precious and entertaining respectively. They added some very necessary propulsion to the plot. Without them, this story wouldn't have been nearly as impactful. Seriously, if you don't like single-parent figures, this series may very well change your mind as it did mine. Also, I want to highlight how fun of a character Alberte is as well. She pairs so well with the kids and provides some much-needed comic relief. 

Of all the books in this series, this one really excels at having an intriguing intermingled A and B plot. It gave a more sitcom feeling in that way which I didn't notice in the other books. It was a nice twist to the style of the series thus far that kept things interesting. I love it when the MCs in romance books grow both together and apart.

My favorite scene in the book was definitely when Jenna showed up. It was the justice for Grant moment I was hoping for and made me giggle. 

This book was also riddled with many fun references to all sorts of things. I won't go into specifics so you can find them on your own but they certainly brought me joy

This upcoming novella to wrap up the series has me intrigued and I cannot wait for it. Also, the series following Ashley's brothers should be quite entertaining. Thank you Erin for continuing to keep us well-fed.

Psssst, Erin if you are reading this, I think Morgan's family could make an interesting series on their own. Is this me begging you to never stop writing? Maybe...

This book does contain open-door spice. It can probably be skipped without missing too much important content. 

Overall, I highly recommend this series as a whole. Not only is it written by a woman who has my heart, but it will keep you up reading with angst to die for. The characters have wonderfully rich backstories that truly impact who they are today. Now that the series is (mostly) concluded, you have zero excuses to not binge the whole thing!

Thank you Erin for the arc! Trust me, I have nothing to lie about how much I adore this series

Something Sacrificed by Erin FitzGerald Review

 

* This review is spoiler-free *

4.75/5 ⭐

Tropes

➮ Cowboy romance

➮ Friends to lovers

➮ Single mom

➮ Angst/painful pasts

➮ Age gap

➮ He falls first

➮ Small town

Synopsis

Some people would call this a midlife crisis, but I know better. Pulling up my shallow roots, I decide on a whim to move from Texas to Montana, leaving what I've known for the past three decades. The woman I cross paths with is one I've known for 20 years, someone to whom I've grown close: My best friend's widow, Genesis, who's running the family ranch after her husband's tragic death. Startled by her unexpected appearance, I create a situation I can't seem to fix. But a bigger problem is that her ranch is under threat. Can I mend what I've broken and convince her not to make the biggest mistake of her life?

Best Quote From the Book

“I'm so angry with you-furious-stop trying to confuse me with your stupid wonderful lips."

My Thoughts

Oh gosh, where do I begin? Unsurprisingly, I totally adored this story. Bestie Erin, you did it again what can I say. Y'all nobody has emotional romance mastered the way she does, truly no one. I will try to keep this review from purely being a rant about how much I adore Erin and her stories but no promises!

I have admittedly been chatting with Erin a bit about this story as part of her arc and overall support team and I wanted to share a bit she told me about this story in particular as I totally noticed it myself while reading and it added exponentially to the emotional strength of this story. Will's story is inspired by one of her close friends who wasn't in this world long enough to get a happy ending of his own. This story is a gift to him that creates a happy ending that he deserves. I could absolutely tell while reading that this story had more of a personal touch than the others in the series. There is this unspoken depth to the characters that makes this one additionally hard-hitting. I'm honored to witness both a healing experience for Erin and a lovely ending for her dear friend. There were also just general moments where it was obvious that more of Erin's personal touches were shining through. For example, as a Food Network girlie myself, I could tell Erin actually watches those shows too. Those little sparks of her are what make the book feel special. 

Now that we've gotten the sappiness out of the way I can dive into my thoughts about the story itself. The way the characters are described is particularly beautiful. I could feel Genesis and Will's pure awe towards each other. It was refreshing to see two strong characters fall for each other. Neither of them pulled any punches. Their headstrong attitudes feed into the angst perfectly. I also love how the angst is prominent but doesn't come off as juvenile. 

There were a few moments that made me fall in love and Will and Genesis. These include Will's adorable happy dance, Willa's disaster sushi fascination, Jud's brutal honesty that he knows exactly what his mother is up to, and Genesis' moments where she stands up to Ford. Ford, all I will say is that I hope you continue to have the future you deserve (no spoilers here). I also want to shout out that I am so happy to see more of the softened version of Mark. He has absolutely rounded out as a person since being with Lana for an extended period. They are from Something Lost if you were unfamiliar. I am shocked at how well Erin incorporated characters from past books this time. Every time someone we recognize met Will, it was for a legitimate reason and didn't feel forced. 

This story most definitely includes spice scenes that are very spicy. If you don't like spice, I would suggest skipping this book. The spice was giving and most definitely had me blushing while reading. 

Overall if you couldn't tell, I adored this book. Everything about it hit and felt so authentic to Erin and the series as a whole. I will be sad to read the last book and conclude the series later this year so prepare for a sob fest when that happens. I will be constantly recommending this book and the series as a whole!

I received this book as part of the Erin Fitzgerald arc team. My review is honest and voluntary