Summertime Blues! It's a real thing. There's even a song about it, so it has to be true, right?

Summer kicks off fine enough. Weather is just starting to warm up so BBQs, lounging by the pool or lakeside or beach with your favorite book are utter perfection!

Then... hell kicks open the gates sending us scurrying for the A/C. Let's take a moment of silence to appreciate the person who invented air conditioning.

We want to do stuff. We want to enjoy life whether it be parties with friends and neighbors or some alone time with our favorite novels so we can live in their worlds for a brief spell.

But it's too dang hot!

I'm here to assure you, my friends, that we can still enjoy ourselves. And most importantly, we can enjoy our books. This is the PERFECT time to retreat to our air conditioned rooms with our TBR pile.

So I encourage you to take advantage of the pre-work I've already done in order to recommend some tomes worthy of your time in summer hibernation.

KC's Reading Recommendations

The Lure of Sea and Song (McFey Salvage Book 2)

by SZ Cypress

https://storyoriginapp.com/swaps/88279dfe-2cdc-11ef-9aeb-d3e91f4f278e

Love is enchantment without magic.

A mermaid’s instinct... Nissa of the Mer Clan is driven by her instincts to conceive a child, but her undersea cluster does not include males. She must transform into a human-like siren long enough to enchant a mate with her song. Then she can return to the sea. If she fails, she’ll die.

A playboy's desire... Peter McFey, hunky surf bum turned treasure hunter, has never turned down a sexy woman, but the sapphire-eyed siren wants to make him her pet.

In the sensual battle between a mermaid’s instinct and a playboy’s desire, there is no winner. When the siren sings, her mate can hear nothing else.

Enchantment will save her life and leave him insane.

My thoughts on The Lure of Sea and Song ~ Who doesn't love mermaids and mermen? I mean, come on! I hear the siren's call whenever I see an ad with Aquaman (Jason Momoa) in it and get all "bothered." The story has a off-the-charts sexy The Little Mermaid adaptation you didn't know you needed. I recommend the whole series.

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Zeus, Frozen Origin Book One

by Crystal Dawn

https://storyoriginapp.com/swaps/a40daa00-2ae2-11ef-bcc3-2b2537023290

Get ready to be swept away on a thrilling adventure with Zeus, the powerful and willful leader of the gods! Created by the Origin to help the wealthy have children, Zeus and his brothers quickly became test subjects and were forced into mercenary work.

But when a Special Ops team led by the feisty and beautiful Sierra offers them a chance at freedom, Zeus and his siblings know it's now or never. As danger looms and the stakes get higher, Sierra and Zeus must fight side by side for their survival against the cunning Origin. Along the way, secrets are revealed that threaten to tear them apart, but their intense attraction and determination to overcome the odds keep them going.

Packed with action, adventure, and scorching hot romance, Zeus is a thrilling sci-fi read that will leave you on the edge of your seat. Perfect for fans of steamy romance and epic sci-fi battles, this book is intended for mature audiences only.

So what are you waiting for? Join Zeus and Sierra on their heart-pumping journey and discover the electrifying power of true love!

My thoughts on Zeus ~ While it's more SciFi than I typically like my Greek mythology, there is no denying the steamy, instalove/lust of Zeus and Sierra appeal. I recommend have a water spritzer near by to douse yourself when the flames erupt.

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Vengeance & Sin

by Sara Hinds

https://storyoriginapp.com/swaps/8f408f02-1719-11ef-bdd0-af69503db3fd

Never stop surviving.

For as long as I can remember, this has been my life. Be who they want, do what they want, and keep their attention on me. If all they see is me, the other girls are safe, making it all worth it. I would do anything to keep them from going through what I have.

Over the years, I’ve changed hands and owners. I’ve lied, killed, and fought, but the goal is always the same.

Shut it all down.

Five of the six trafficking rings are gone now, and I’m close to achieving the goal that has kept me going for so long.

But as it often does, life has other plans, and for the first time ever, I’m on the outside.

I’m free.

Too bad I have no idea what to do with this freedom.

With nowhere to go and no idea how to take down the last ring from the outside, I find myself going home with the police chief's wife.

There I find Roderick, Spencer, and Zander, the same three who pulled me from the pit two nights ago.

Apparently, Vengeance runs this city, and it just so happens we have a common goal.

The more we work together, the more I see what a future of freedom could be, and the harder it is to keep that goal a priority. Not just for me but for them.

But I’ve worked too hard to give up, and if I have to go back to shut it down, I will.

And nobody and nothing can stop me.

Vengeance & Sin is a full-length new adult romance. It is book 1 of 3 in the Vengeance City Series and does end on a minor cliffhanger. This is a slow to medium burn, why choose romance with some darker elements that reads should be aware of such as graphic violence, mature adult themes and topics of mental health. Please read the trigger warnings.

My thoughts on Vengeance & Sin ~ Readers, I must emphasize this exponentially... READ THE TRIGGER WARNINGS, then re-read them. This story (and series) is not my usual read, but despite the darker elements I mostly try to avoid, this story was well-told and gripping.

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Blue - Odin's Fury Motorcycle Club Book 6

by Victoria Jayne

https://storyoriginapp.com/swaps/cebb2976-16e2-11ef-abbf-ab3926e1b95c

Blue needs a new life. Despite all her hard work, she has to leave the tattoo shop and Odin's Fury Motorcycle Club. They were never hers to begin with.

And neither was Mooky.

Mooky has a plan to get his life in order and win Blue back. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. There has to be.

Turns out, that light is from a cop car. Their bad situation surpassed Tragic and landed firmly in Abysmal. Otherwise known as jail.

But with trouble mounting, prison is the least of Mooky and Blue’s worries. The Odin’s Fury Motorcycle Club are getting impatient with the heat Mooky has brought to their table and may have to take matters into their bloody hands.

Can Mooky put an end to the chaos and to the police pressure on the club? Or will he and Blue find themselves at the doorstep of Náströnd?

My thoughts on Blue ~ I'm recommending strongly that you go ahead and get the entire series. I read this one first but found I HAD to get the previous books to catch up and find out more about my new favorite characters. The series is addicting!

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FYI

My newsletter will not go out next month, August 2024. I will be super-mega-where-did-i-lose-my-head busy the whole month moving four of my adorable children in/out of our house and in/out of college housing (3 going to 3 separate schools across the nation; 1 moving back home while finishing out final semester at local university). It's going to be cray-cray in the Freeman household. There will be tears, to be sure. And I suspect September will be much quieter than I could ever imagine my house to be.

Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers as my heart goes with my babies.

Much love to all! See you on the flip side!