Building the Book Pile #498

Welcome to Building the Book Pile!

Happy Sunday!

I recently decided to start bullet journaling again to try to keep myself on track. I have also been trying to have more reflection time to think about highlights since I know I am going to get busy and then stress about too many things soon. Now I have all the notebooks - I have my bullet journal, my reading journal, and my work notebook where I jot things down during meetings/ calls and to remember.  Do you have notebooks? or are you more electronic? I feel like writing things down helps me a lot and typing isn't the same.

Anywho.... this week

Monday 

Students are back on campus! We had our Welcome to school orientation session with the dean and everyone was so excited. This is the start of a 2-wk orientation. I always feel inspired after hearing the dean welcome them. The new student energy is so fun. I also went to Verizon and got a new phone. 

Tuesday

The Career Services orientation with the students was all day - so we had 4 sessions ALLLL day and met all 300+ students. Lots of talking and presenting, but it was a fun day. 

Wednesday

Another longer work day with meetings and things but the new student vibe was still strong and we had a bunch of students pop in to say hi. I had a migraine all day but instead of the big lights- we had a desk-lamp day and the vibe was chill and amazing. We need more floor lamps though to make it a tiny bit brighter. 

Thursday

WFH day, so much to do though. Between house stuff and meetings it was a busy day. Then we had  to go to get a new microwave because ours finally decided to die. I sadly can't live without a microwave... but we had dinner out and that was nice.

Friday

I started work early because later in the morning I had to go to a funeral. It wasn't anyone that I was close to but I was there to help my friend with he kids while she was there. We hung out in the playroom. 

Weekend 

We are just relaxing and running errands. We have been to the gym and cleaned up a bit from the week, otherwise we are watching movies and reading. Hope you are having a cozy weekend and hope you had a great week!!

Linking up this week with the Caffeinated Reviewer and her Sunday Post series.

xo steph

Coming up on the Blog

Early Reader Review: Leaving the Station by Jake Maia Arlow

Early Reader Review: The Book of Heartbreak by Ova Ceren

Books Received Recently...  

  

Deathly Fates by Tesia Tsai

Rainbow Fish and the Great Escape by Marcus Pfister

Witches of Honeysuckle House by Liz Parker 

Have you missed anything lately?

July ReCap

Donating Caffeine is greatly appreciated ... Donate on Ko-fi

What have you been reading?  How was your week? Feel free to leave a comment!

Happy Reading! 

Reading ReCap - July 2025

Hello Readers, Bloggers, and Awesome people! 

In July, I...

 read 6 books and DNFed 2 - A Sky So Hollow and  Fateless

StoryGraph Visual

~~Books I Read in July~~   

DNFs 

Feel free to share in the comments! I would love to know what you are reading! 

Building the Book Pile #497

Welcome to Building the Book Pile!

Happy Sunday!

This week, I finished a review book, picked up For Whom the Belle Tolls by Jaysea Lynn and am about half way through it.  So on the reading front - things are looking good.

On Monday, I gave a presentation to the incoming class about what campus recruiting will entail, it is a general overview and a good chance to meet the class of ~300 in smaller groups. This Tuesday we meet the entire class as a whole team to give our session. Not for work, but work adjacent, I gave a presentation about hiring assessments to a group of career transitioning adults. It was a blast, and I think I was helpful.  I came home to some salmon my husband made and it was so yummy.

On Tuesday, I had some meetings and the workday felt so long, but it was a productive day. I got a lot of things done for the upcoming weeks and recruiting season. At home, I played with the dogs for a bit and we all watched tv. I did more reading before bed.

On Wednesday, I had a day full of meetings, and ended the day at the local pub for pizza and a drink. Thursday was a work from home day so I did some home chores in between meetings and emails. There is always so much laundry. Friday I took the day off, it is the last day before the whole class arrives and I wanted a breather before the chaos. It was pretty relaxed I read a bit, played with the dogs, and then downloaded Tiny BookShop on Switch... so cute. The end of the day was chaotic but we made it to the weekend...

Saturday errands were ran, we sold a car that has been on our garage as a project for a while, and just relaxed a bit. And we will see what today brings, it is supposed to be hot we might need to find water/ a swimming hole. 

I hope you had a great week!!

Linking up this week with the Caffeinated Reviewer and her Sunday Post series.

xo steph

Coming up on the Blog

It will be a light week:

July ReCap

Books Received Recently...  

Bought (last Sunday)

 

For Whom The Belle Tolls by Jaysea Lynn

Have you missed anything lately?

Blog Tour: Suddenly Tempted by Katie Evergreen (Adult) -4 stars

Recent Reads: Wild Side (Rose Hill #3) by Elise Silver (Adult)  - 5 Stars

Recent Reads: How My Neighbor Stole Christmas by Meghan Quinn (Adult)- 4 stars

Donating Caffeine is greatly appreciated ... Donate on Ko-fi

What have you been reading?  How was your week? Feel free to leave a comment!

Happy Reading! 

Recent Reads: How My Neighbor Stole Christmas by Meghan Quinn

How My Neighbor Stole Christmas by Meghan Quinn 
Series: How My Neighbor Stole Christmas #1
Publisher: Bloom Books
Publication Date:  October 15, 2024

 

Format: Ebook
Source: Kindle Unlimited

Rating:


Goodreads Synopsis: 

A new winter holiday, enemies-to-lovers romance, from the undeniably funny and always spicy, USA Today bestselling author, Meghan Quinn.

Living in a year around Christmas town has it's drawbacks. The caroling, the decorations, the insanely cheery spirit, it never disappears. It's why I like to hibernate away in my cave--I mean house--keeping a healthy distance from the holly jolly spirits.

And all was going according to plan until my nemesis, Storee Taylor, moved in next door to care for her Aunt Cindy. Without blinking, she turned my simple world into a real nightmare-before-Christmas, especially when she decided to enter the town Christmas Kringle contest - which she was determined to win.

Well guess what? Over my cold-hearted body.

There was no way I was going to let her win, not after the history we'd shared.

So despite my promise to myself of never participating in the sickening Christmas season, I entered the competition as well. That's right, I planned on beating Storee at her own game by pretending this grump’s heart grew three sizes this season.

And it was working until feelings between us started heating up.

We pretended to date.

We kissed.

And well, sparks flew from there.

Which led to one explosive night involving Christmas lights, the competition, and a ladder. Don't let me convince you who stole Christmas, I think you need to find out for yourself...

Review: 

I was in the mood for something light and wanted to chip away at my TBR pile, so I finally picked up this KU book that has been sitting in my list forever.

In the story, Storee and her sister are forced into (essentially) Christmas town when their Aunt Cindy breaks her hip. She needs someone to help her out and also take her place in the Joyous Christmas Kringle Contest. 

Told in alternating POVs between Storee and Cole (Cindy's neighbor and Storee's former friend), the story quickly dives into bickering and the enemies to lovers setup. Cole is so mad at Storee for things she said over a decade ago as a teen and decides she is not contest- worthy and Storee is confused but determined to win for her Aunt.

I enjoyed this one, it has a "he falls first" vibe, with great enemies to lovers tension, and a touch of secret romance. Atlas, Cole's best friend, was amazing as a side character and comic relief for the story. It was just cute, really shared a love for Christmas and traditions, and just had a cozy feel. Just what I needed. 

The only reason this wasn't a full five-star read for me is that the spice ramped up around the 60% mark and started to overshadow the plot. If that’s your thing, you’ll probably love it, but for me, it took away from the story just a bit. 

Overall, if you are looking for a spicy Christmas romance with heart and humor, this is a funny one to check out.

Recent Reads: Wild Side by Elsie Silver

Wild Side by Elsie Silver 
Series: Rose Hill #2
Publisher: Lyric Audiobooks
Publication Date:  March 4, 2025

 

Format: Audiobook
Source: Bought/ Own

Rating:


Goodreads Synopsis: 

I’d always dreamed of my wedding day. But not like this. Not looking into the eyes of the man who betrayed me.

But when my nephew’s guardianship is contested, I decide I’ll do whatever it takes to keep him in Rose Hill. Even if it means marrying the enemy.

Rhys Dupris.

A man who is secretive, broody, and completely infuriating. A man whose work takes him away for weeks on end and brings him back covered in mysterious bruises—ones he won’t talk about. In fact, we barely talk at all.

Which would be fine, except when he’s not talking, he’s staring. And the way he looks at me is borderline indecent.

The tension between us has always been palpable. But living under the same roof is a dangerous temptation.

I swore I would never forgive him. But that was before I knew the man behind the mask. The one who’s fierce and protective. The one who’s gentle and patient. The one who shows up for us when we need him most.

He’s not at all who I thought he was.

And that makes hating my husband so much harder… and loving him just a little too easy.

Review: 

I have loved this series so far, and upon adding this book to my read list realized there was another one coming (score!).

The characters in these books feel so realistic, except that all the men and women are hot. They all have their emotional damage for various reasons and they work through some of it in these books, all while finding love.  They also all involve kids in various circumstances as well. 

In this installment, Rhys and Tabitha are vying for custody over her nephew Mico after her sisters passing. Tabitha is his aunt, but Rhys was named in the will. In the initial chapters, it was really hard to read - so emotional. Tabitha is angry at herself, at her sister, and she is confused. Rhys is quiet and not sure how to react to Tabitha. 

This one is enemies to lovers, forced proximity, fake marriage and a lot of banter. Once they hit it off it is spicy and it all comes together so beautifully. 

Blog Tour: Review - Suddenly Desired by Katie Evergreen

Suddenly Desired by Katie Evergreen 

Series: Apex Billionaires
Publisher: Choc Lit
Publication Date:  July 29, 2025

 

Format: Ebook

About the Book:

He’s fighting for his reputation. She’s risking her heart.

Blake Fielding built the world’s biggest social media empire — until a scandalous hack turns his company, Heartbook, into headline-hell and Blake into public enemy number one.

Ellie Mae Woodward thought she was walking into her dream job interview at Heartbook. Instead, she walks straight into corporate chaos, a building in lockdown and — literally — the brooding CEO at the centre of the scandal.

Blake’s guarded and entirely off-limits. Ellie’s quirky, creative and not remotely impressed by billionaires. But he needs someone who sees past the headlines. Ellie — with her dress covered in nerdy-hearts and a pink notebook of dreams — might just be the wildcard he needs.

Teaming up to uncover the truth could save them both. But when it’s finally revealed, they’ll have to choose between clearing Blake’s name . . . Or risking it all for something neither of them saw coming.

❤️ Friends-to-lovers

❤️ Workplace romance

❤️ Opposites attract

❤️ Billionaire romance

❤️ Spice level 🌶 🌶

Rating:

Suddenly Desired, book 2 of the APEX Billionaires series, is just the right mix of romance, mystery, and corporate drama. Ellie shows up at Heartbook expecting a job interview, but she walks straight into a PR nightmare. Down on her luck she is looking at her phone when she literally runs into the company’s scandal-struck CEO, Blake Fielding. As the pair continues to meet their unlikely friendship slowly turns into something deeper.

I read this book in one sitting, it was fast-paced and easy to get swept up in. The spice level felt well-balanced and it added tension and chemistry without overshadowing the plot. Ellie was a highlight for me. I loved her determination and her bookish personality (though I wouldn’t have minded seeing that side of her explored even more). Her character arc was good, especially as she found the strength to distance herself from her toxic ex, Josh. Speaking of Josh 🤢 he made my skin crawl in the best/worst way. He was awful, which is a credit to how convincingly he was written. (but I still have a lot of anger on behalf of Ellie).

Blake is the classic brooding billionaire with a heart (and reputation) in need of repair, and while his arc wasn’t overly surprising, his dynamic with Ellie worked well. I also really enjoyed the inclusion of the APEX group chat — the banter added humor and gave a peek into relationships from the wider series. That said, I haven’t read book one, so I felt a bit behind when it came to some of the side characters and references.

All that said, the most unbelievable part was the timeline - Ellie and Black fall for each other ridiculously quick... like two days and so the timeline was a bit of an issue for me. I felt like they deserved more time together to build these feelings. 

Overall, this was a fun, flirty, and emotionally satisfying story with a solid mix of heart and heat. I’d happily read more in this series.

About the Author

Katie Evergreen (aka Kate Galloway Smith) is an award-winning, best-selling author, copywriter, and Consultant Occupational Therapist. Growing up devouring Famous Five, Point Horror, and Sweet Valley High, Katie now lives in Norfolk with her daughter and their cats, where she spends her time writing about people falling in love.

Find the Author

Website | Instagram | Facebook

 

Building the Book Pile #496

Welcome to Building the Book Pile!

Happy Sunday!

I have missed a few weeks - apologies, but we have been tired and just adulting our way along. 

Emma continues to try my patience. She is adorable and cuddly but likes to destroy things. Most recently, she pulled all the tissues out of a tissue box (she got up on the table to get) and shredded them all over the room... and decided she wanted to see what was under the carpet in the office (we left her gated in the living room and she was upset about that and tore the seam between the rooms). Luckily, we were going to rip up this carpet anyway so now we will just move that up in the timeline, and it looks like we might have some nice hardwoods there...but 🥱🙄😑

Our roof has been looking rough since we bought the house, and we finally had someone come out for a look/ quote. He said we likely only have a few more years still we need the new one. Good to know now before it is an issue. 

We have had some time for fun though - my work team all got together last week for our 'offsite' teambuilding. We went to the college museum and got a tour and then had a potluck at the bosses place. It is always fun to see everyone and have a no-work day while the weather is nicer. The students will start to arrive soon and we will start to get even more busy now.

Andy and I also went to the Adult Night at the local science museum. We built and raced cork boats, played with bubbles, I held a hissing cockroach, made paper airplanes/ whirlies, looked for the queen in the beehive and had some yummy tacos. It was a blast and we didn't expect to be there for the full 2.5 hours but we were. 

I have still been reading and popping reviews up, hopefully you have seen them ..and acquiring more books along the way (not that I need them). 

Hope you have a great week!

Linking up this week with the Caffeinated Reviewer and her Sunday Post series.

xo steph

Coming up on the Blog

Blog Tour: Suddenly Tempted by Katie Evergreen (Adult) 

Recent Reads: Wild Side (Rose Hill #3) by Elise Silver (Adult) 

Recent Reads: How My Neighbor Stole Christmas by Meghan Quinn (Adult)

Books Received Recently...  

Freebies from Stuff your Kindle days - I blacked out apparently. 

 

Spirits & Sleuths: Book 1 in The Harper Quinn Mystery Series by Kira Jane Harper
Potions, Poisons, and Peril: A Witchy Paranormal Cozy Mystery by Shéa MacLeod
Black Licorice Larceny by Courtney Flagg
The Corpse at Caddo Lake by Jayna Morrow
The Murder Before Christmas by Michele Pariza Wacek
Murder With a Hint of Cinnamon: An Ivy Clark Mystery by Kristy T. Dixon
Killer Cottage by Jess Haven
Dragons & Dumplings by Laura Greenwood
Sweet Sinners by N.D. Roldan
Fake As Puck by Sarah Smith
Buddy Reads (Smashed Beauty Series Book 1) by Dhara Shah
The Wild Card by Victoria H. Peña

From Amazon First Reads:

Kingdom of Tomorrow (Book of Arden 1) by Gena Showalter

Have you missed anything lately?

Recent Reads: Deep End by Ali Hazelwood (Adult, Spicy)

Blog Blitz: How to Date a Prince by Hayden Stone  

Early Reader Review: All Are Welcome by Gwen Tarpley (GN) - 5 Stars

Blog Blast w/ Giveaway!: Seven Hundred Beachfront by Ligia de Wit

Recent DNFs

Early Reader Review: Welcome to the Forest: The Harvest Party by Katie Risor (GN) - 4 stars

Blog Blast: Excerpt & Giveaway! Murder, Mystery & Mothers by Fran Heap

Donating Caffeine is greatly appreciated ... Donate on Ko-fi

What have you been reading?  How was your week? Feel free to leave a comment!

Happy Reading! 

Blog Blast: Excerpt & Giveaway! Murder, Mystery & Mothers by Fran Heap

Murder, Mystery & Mothers by Fran Heap
Series: A Willowcroft Cozy Mystery, #1
Genres: Adult, Cozy Mystery

About the Book:

“You’d better leave town or else”.

After a devastating betrayal mystery writer Tammy Rumbelow flees LA for a charming blue cottage in Willowcroft, Michigan. But when a yellowed letter in the attic reveals an unsolved 70-year-old locked room murder in her living room, her peace is shattered.

Determined to start fresh, Tammy enlists the help of a ragtag group of locals:

Bookstore owner Olivia Huddlestone offers a sanctuary for clandestine conversations and genealogical sleuthing among her shelves.

Eccentric Mrs. Hazel Temperance mines her knitting circle for gossip.

Retired detective “Wally” has contacts at the sheriff’s department.

Tech whiz kid Xander Simmons hasn’t met a computer he didn’t like—or a website he can’t hack.

And a stray cat with a nose for clues…

As threatening letters appear and break-ins escalate around town, Tammy must prove to herself—and her inner critic—that she’s capable of solving a murder, or will that be two?

Perfect for fans of multi-generational mysteries filled with quirky characters like Only Murders in the Building and crime-solving writers like Castle.

The complete series:

  

At three in the morning, with her cursor blinking on an empty page, Tammy Rumbelow stumbled upon an online listing in rural Michigan. For the First time in months, a flicker of hope sparked.

The realtor’s photos of the little blue cottage with its front porch and white picket fence, had set her heart alight. The interior was as enchanting as the exterior, featuring an antique writing desk where inspiration could strike.

On a whim—or perhaps out of desperation—she’d picked up the phone and bought it based on the pictures alone. She had never even visited the state before. Had fate handed her a lifeline, or had she made the biggest mistake of her life?

Now, six weeks later, Tammy’s fingers tightened around the steering wheel; nerves and fanfare clashed in her stomach. This was it—her fresh start. But a familiar undercurrent of doubt threatened to bubble to the surface. She turned off the highway. The country roads, flanked by dense forests of oak, maple, and pine, marked the last stretch of her six-day drive from Los Angeles to Willowcroft.

She rolled down the window. The crisp breeze tousled long, wavy strands of brown hair over her face. Tammy inhaled, savoring the clean air. It reminded her of childhood summers—when life was untangled.

As the miles stretched behind her, the hum of the tires a constant companion, fragments of her former life in LA surfaced. Tammy’s chest constricted at the memory of her best manuscript—a boundary-pushing idea. But she’d never seen it in print, at least not under her name. Instead, her rushed, uninspired replacement made it to the shelves, the one cobbled together in the aftermath, her creativity fractured and trust shattered.

The book reviews rang in her head. “No emotional depth.” “Lacked soul.” Tammy winc ed, acknowledging their bitter truth. But the one that stung the deepest: “She’s not just over forty, she’s over, full stop.” They don’t know the real story behind those pages.

“You can never do anything right,” her mother’s sneer boomed, reopening old wounds. It had taken years to quiet the nagging doubts from her childhood, but the betrayal let those words flood back stronger than ever. The steering wheel grew slick under her clammy palms.

A road sign came into view, providing a diversion. “Welcome to Willowcroft. Township Population 999. Greater Willowcroft Population 5,124.”

Will I tip the scales to an even thousand? Any distraction helped. Was two thousand miles far enough away to break free?

About the Author

I am based in Melbourne, Australia but have lived in London, Copenhagen and New Jersey. I've been to 61 countries but want to visit over 190.

I'm a poor excuse of a redhead who loves ancient ruins and drains, hates dusting, revels in going behind the scenes, can't smile in photos and detests selfie sticks (though I now own one).

I have a penchant for collecting quirky data and my favourite saying is: curiosity killed the cat, but information brought him back.

I have wanted to be a writer since I was nine but also had aspirations of being a famous actress, an astronaut, owning a department store and opening up a youth hostel. I became a career Nanny and Neonatal Nurse instead.

Now I am an author of cozy mystery novels (and travel books).

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