With May behind us (how?!), it’s time to round up the books that I read to help make progress on Project 100 Unread. If you’ve not heard this challenge before, Project 100 Unread is a challenge I created for myself to help me read down my unread print book collection. The goal is to have 100 or less unread print books by January 1, 2030. So while I’ve been making great progress, I keep adding books to my collection making the volume of books I need to read more than when I started. Moving forward, each month’s wrap up will include some stats on not only how many books I’ve read, but where I ended the month in terms of unread book count. Since I wrote many of the last few month wrap ups well after the month was completed and I added a bunch of books, I really wasn’t in a position to do this until today.
Similar to before, I am not including books I purchased that I already read in any of the below. May was the month of audiobooks and listening while playing video games. That’s honestly the main reason I was able to get through so many. May is also the month I started making an effort of purposefully picking books to read that not only fit my mood but would help make progress on this challenge. I was able to finish 16 books as part of this challenge this month from monster to historical to taboo romance. It was a lot of fun to read these! My favorite of the month has to be either Love, Theoretically or Any Duke in a Storm. Both were incredible with a few other books not far behind in terms of favorites for the month. As of the end of May, the volume of unread books in my collection is 346 (up from 318 at the beginning of February; no, I do not want to discuss it).
Here are all the books I read for Project 100 Unread in May 2024:
The Rogue of Fifth Avenue by Joanna Shupe
Series: Uptown Girls #1
Published by HarperCollins on May 28, 2019
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Historical / American
Pages: 400
Goodreads
Silver-tongued lawyer.
Keeper of secrets.
Breaker of hearts.He can solve any problem . . .
In serving the wealthy power brokers of New York society, Frank Tripp has finally gained the respectability and security his own upbringing lacked. There’s no issue he cannot fix . . . except for one: the beautiful and reckless daughter of an important client who doesn’t seem to understand the word danger.
She’s not looking for a hero . . .
Excitement lies just below Forty-Second Street and Mamie Greene is determined to explore all of it—while playing a modern-day Robin Hood along the way. What she doesn’t need is her father’s lawyer dogging her every step and threatening her efforts to help struggling families in the tenements.
However, she doesn’t count on Frank’s persistence . . . or the sparks that fly between them. When fate upends all her plans, Mamie must decide if she’s willing to risk it all on a rogue . . .
Not So Much Appreciated (W/W/M Monster Office Romance) by Clio Evans
Series: Warts & Claws Inc. #5
Published by Amazon Digital Services LLC - Kdp on January 8, 2023
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Paranormal / General
Pages: 190
Goodreads
It's just another Monster Monday...
Alex expected many things to happen- but going into heat during a new hire interview with his secretary present was not one of them.
Anne is a bright and sassy gorgon that has kept the Warts & Claws office from crumbling. Sylvia is a sweet arachnid creature new to the office and finding her place in the world.
After months of chaos and destruction, these three are hoping for simple lives. But, when passions ignite and enemies return- they find themselves working to make it to the weekend one last time.
The end of Warts & Claws is here...
This story contains the following:
- Monster Office Romance
- Fated Mates
- Dirty Talk via the company phone
- Omega heats
- 'Good girl'
- and more.
The Warts & Claws Inc series is a spicy monster romance series following an evil HR department vs. the office. Each book will have a different relationship dynamic, inappropriate use of office supplies, creatures finding love, and more.
Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood
Published by Penguin on June 13, 2023
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Contemporary, Fiction / Romance / Romantic Comedy, Fiction / Romance / Workplace
Pages: 400
Goodreads "The reigning queen of STEM romance."—The Washington Post
An Indie Next and Library Reads Pick!
Rival physicists collide in a vortex of academic feuds and fake dating shenanigans in this delightfully STEMinist romcom from the New York Times bestselling author of The Love Hypothesis and Love on the Brain.
The many lives of theoretical physicist Elsie Hannaway have finally caught up with her. By day, she’s an adjunct professor, toiling away at grading labs and teaching thermodynamics in the hopes of landing tenure. By other day, Elsie makes up for her non-existent paycheck by offering her services as a fake girlfriend, tapping into her expertly honed people-pleasing skills to embody whichever version of herself the client needs.
Honestly, it’s a pretty sweet gig—until her carefully constructed Elsie-verse comes crashing down. Because Jack Smith, the annoyingly attractive and arrogant older brother of her favorite client, turns out to be the cold-hearted experimental physicist who ruined her mentor’s career and undermined the reputation of theorists everywhere. And he’s the same Jack Smith who rules over the physics department at MIT, standing right between Elsie and her dream job.
Elsie is prepared for an all-out war of scholarly sabotage but…those long, penetrating looks? Not having to be anything other than her true self when she’s with him? Will falling into an experimentalist’s orbit finally tempt her to put her most guarded theories on love into practice?
Any Duke in a Storm by Amalie Howard
Series: Daring Dukes #4
on January 9, 2024
Genres: Fiction / Historical / General, Fiction / Romance / Historical / Regency
Pages: 416
Goodreads Historical romance takes to the high seas. Famed spy Lady Lisbeth Medford is on a ship bound for the West Indies, and the only thing more dangerous than her mission is the elusive Duke she's trying to capture.
Lady Lisbeth Medford, Countess of Waterstone and famed international spy, is caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. She's determined to infiltrate a notorious smuggling ring in the West Indies while on a covert mission as a ship's captain. But even when her identity is compromised and she's forced to flee, the men chasing her are still hot on her heels.
The trouble in front of her, however, might be even worse. Raphael Saint, the Duc de Viel, is her ship's new aggravating and dangerously charming sailing master, who might very well be part of the smuggling ring Lisbeth must bring to justice. But when a new deadly threat on the high seas looms, the only way out of danger is to face it...together.
Praise for Amalie Howard:
"Amalie Howard is the fresh voice historical romance needs right now. ...Her prose is delightful, her writing masterful, her characters unforgettable... I will read every word she writes."—Kerrigan Byrne, USA Today bestselling author, for The Princess Stakes
"Fiery chemistry...[with] fun action scenes of both the perilous and sexual varieties."—Kirkus Reviews for The Duke in Question
"An adventurous romance...readers will not be disappointed."—Publishers Weekly for Rules for Heiresses
Run Away Home by Mimi Francis
Series: The Loves of Lakeside #1
on June 15, 2021
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Contemporary, Fiction / Romance / General, Fiction / Small Town & Rural
Pages: 132
Goodreads
Serena Chasey has nowhere left to go...
After an awful relationship and a vengeful ex, she’s run out of places to hide. Taking her father’s advice, she heads for Montana to stay at her family’s lake house on Flathead Lake, the last place anyone would look for her. She’s desperate to start over, desperate to feel normal after the nightmare she’s lived for the last three years. Evan “Van” Brooks spent the last three years drowning in guilt, swallowed up by a past he can’t get away from, living in isolation in the tiny town of Lakeside, Montana.
He wants to be left alone to wallow in his grief. The barrier he built around himself is impenetrable; no one gets in except his best friend and business partner Lincoln and his dog, Soldier. Everything was fine until Serena Chasey moved into the condo across the way and turned his life upside down.
The Professor by Mimi Francis
Series: The Loves of Lakeside #2
on October 30, 2021
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Contemporary, Fiction / Romance / General, Fiction / Small Town & Rural
Pages: 142
Goodreads Love has much to teach us!
Jacob Moore was more than ready to start over. Moving back to Lakeside meant a clean slate. The town’s private university was thrilled to have him, and he couldn’t wait to teach his new classes. He hadn’t expected there to be a new girl, not so soon, but something about Avery Collins made him stand up and pay attention. In more ways than one.
Avery Collins wasn’t interested in a relationship; she had one year left of college and she planned to buckle down and do it right. She was determined to stay on the straight and narrow. Falling for her professor wasn’t part of the plan.
Our Two-Week, One-Night Stand by Mimi Francis
Series: The Loves of Lakeside #3
on December 29, 2022
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Contemporary, Fiction / Romance / General, Fiction / Small Town & Rural
Pages: 196
Goodreads One night turns into two weeks when their worlds unexpectedly collide.
Cecily Devereaux knows better than anyone that being the daughter of a billionaire can make it hard to trust people. Every relationship she’s ever been in turned out to be nothing more than an attempt to get her father’s money, and after a failed engagement, she vows to stay away from commitment. Shifting her focus to enjoying herself, she finds satisfaction in one night stands, defying her father’s demands, and spending time in her adopted hometown of Lakeside, Montana. Cecily doesn't need anything else. Until Lincoln Dunn strolls into her life.
With no business to run, no woman in his life, and nothing tying him down, Lincoln Dunn is at a crossroads. He’s free to do whatever he wants in New York City and that is exactly what he is doing. Uninterested in relationships, he runs through women with no regrets. Tourist Cecily Devereaux is just supposed to be one of those women ... until he comes to Lakeside and finds her again.
In the third installment to the Lovers of Lakeside series, two complicated people who aren’t looking for love fall into a sexy, steamy relationship. When feelings neither of them want to face come to the surface, which one of them will admit their feelings first?
Second Semester by Q. B. Tyler
Series: Campus Tales #2
Published by Independently Published on December 14, 2019
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Contemporary
Pages: 202
Goodreads Serena Mitchell, very unlike her free-spirited sister played by the rules. Poised, polite and polished, she observed the world behind square frames and a guarded heart. But then she met Landon West and she learned some rules were highly overrated.Fast forward three months: Serena Mitchell has changed. She was in love. With her boss.With her father's best friend. A father who is dangerously close to finding out their secret. This wasn't supposed to happen. She wasn't prepared to lose anything at the end of the school year except mind numbing orgasms. Not her father. Not the love of her life. And certainly not her heart.Second Semester can be read as a stand-alone and the second in the Campus Tales Series
King of Greed by Ana Huang
Series: Kings of Sin #3
on October 24, 2023
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Billionaires, Fiction / Romance / Contemporary, Fiction / Romance / New Adult
Pages: 352
Goodreads
Also by this author: King of WrathHe had her, he lost her...and he'll do anything to win her back.
Powerful, brilliant, and ambitious, Dominic Davenport clawed his way up from nothing to become the King of Wall Street.
He has everything--a beautiful home, a beautiful wife, and more money than he could spend in a lifetime. But no matter how much he accumulates, he's never satisfied.
In his endless quest for more, he drives away the only person who saw him as enough.
It isn't until she's gone that he realizes there may be more to life than riches and glory...but by then, it may be too late.
***
Kind, intelligent, and thoughtful, Alessandra Davenport has played the role of trophy wife for years.
She stood by her husband while he built an empire, but now that they've reached the top, she realizes he's no longer the man she fell for.
When it becomes clear that she'll always come second to his work, she finally takes charge of her life and puts herself first--even if it means leaving the only man she's ever loved.
But what she didn't count on was his refusal to let her go...or for him to fight for their marriage, no matter what it takes.
Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez
Series: Part of Your World #3
Published by Grand Central Publishing on April 2, 2024
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Contemporary, Fiction / Romance / Romantic Comedy
Pages: 400
Goodreads Instant #1 New York Times bestseller and a Good Morning America Book Club Pick!
This witty, slow-burn rom-com is the "ideal beach read." --ElleJustin has a curse, and thanks to a Reddit thread, it's now all over the internet. Every woman he dates goes on to find their soul mate the second they break up. When a woman slides into his DMs with the same problem, they come up with a plan: They'll date each other and break up. Their curses will cancel each other’s out, and they’ll both go on to find the love of their lives. It’s a bonkers idea… and it just might work.
Emma hadn't planned that her next assignment as a traveling nurse would be in Minnesota, but she and her best friend agree that dating Justin is too good of an opportunity to pass up, especially when they get to rent an adorable cottage on a private island on Lake Minnetonka.
It's supposed to be a quick fling, just for the summer. But when Emma's toxic mother shows up and Justin has to assume guardianship of his three siblings, they're suddenly navigating a lot more than they expected--including catching real feelings for each other. What if this time Fate has actually brought the perfect pair together?
- A Crazy Little Thing Called Love by Christina C. Jones (Romance fiction writer)
Series: Serendipitous Love #1
Published by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform on May 19, 2017
Genres: Fiction / Romance / African American & Black
Pages: 210
Goodreads Simone is a woman on a mission: Stop being boring, and fall in love.That's easier said than done with no prospects on the table... or under the table... or near the table. Her luck changes when fellow neighborhood business owner Roman Taylor walks through the door of her flower shop.Roman is single, successful, and sexy - everything Simone is looking for to embark on a whirlwind summer romance with the potential to spark an everlasting love.But things are never as "perfect" as they seem, and Simone - and Roman - have to decide if they're willing to risk their hearts when things get a little messy in their pursuit of a crazy little thing called love.
Can't Fight The Feelings by Mimi Francis
Series: The Loves of Lakeside #4
on July 1, 2023
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Contemporary, Fiction / Romance / General
Pages: 194
Goodreads Falling in love with his best friend's sister wasn't part of the plan.
Mason Adler has been in love with Nate's sister since they were kids. He thought he'd finally put those feelings behind him until a heartbroken Natasha shows up at their apartment in the middle of the night, needing a place to stay. After she moves in, Mason puts his feelings aside to give her whatever she needs.
Natasha Garin's life is in disarray. After she leaves her cheating boyfriend, she's forced to move in with her twin brother Nate and his best friend Mason. Living with two bachelors isn't easy, especially when long-buried feelings for her brother's best friend start to surface. Mason shouldn't be the guy she wants; they're friends and that's it. To her dismay, fighting those feelings gets harder with every passing day.
In the fourth book of the Loves of Lakeside series, two friends discover long-buried feelings are more complicated than they ever could have imagined-fighting them might not be worth the battle.
The Worst Kept Secret by Q. B. Tyler
Published by Amazon Digital Services LLC - Kdp on October 31, 2023
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Contemporary
Pages: 286
Goodreads I've had a crush on the single dad next door, ever since I was thirteen years old.
Theo Graham is charming. Sweet. Absolutely gorgeous.
But, I'm not a little girl anymore.
I shouldn't want him.
I can't have him.
I should know better than to want my best friend's dad.
My best friend, Theo's son, who may or may not have had feelings for me on and off for the past eight years.
Wanting my best friend's dad was the one secret that was never supposed to come out.
Except now, he wants me too.
The Dragon's Bride by Katee Robert
Series: A Deal with a Demon #1
Published by Trinkets and Tales LLC on March 29, 2022
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Fantasy
Pages: 190
Goodreads
Also by this author: An Indecent ProposalBriar Rose might have a name out of a storybook, but she learned at a very young age that no prince was coming to save her. She'll have to save herself. Unfortunately, even that is an impossible task in her current situation-trapped in a terrifying marriage to a dangerous man.
Desperate times call for desperate measures, which is how she finds herself making a deal with a demon. Freedom from her husband...in return for seven years of service.
She expects the service to be backbreaking and harsh. She doesn't expect to be put on an auction block in a room full of literal monsters and sold to the highest bidder.
To Sol.
A dragon.
He might seem kinder than his fearsome looks imply, but she knows better than to trust the way he wants to take care of her, or how invested he is in her pleasure. In her experience, if something seems too good to be true, it certainly is.
Falling for Sol is out of the question. She's suffered enough, and she has no intention of staying in this realm...even if she leaves her heart behind when she returns to her normal life.
Author note: For all tropes, tags, and CWs, please check author website.
The Season of Secrets by Q. B. Tyler
Published by Amazon Digital Services LLC - Kdp on December 27, 2023
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Billionaires
Pages: 234
Goodreads "The boss is unashamedly into you."
At least, that's what my friend says.
It doesn't matter that Wes Beckham owns the company I work for or that he's twenty years older than me or that there's a strict "no fraternization policy" in place.
She is convinced he wants me and that the office holiday party is the perfect place to let him know I'm interested.
Because while he's technically my older, very off- limits boss, he's also gorgeous and charming and despite his grumpy nature, he seems to have a soft spot for me.
So, I go for it. I take a risk for once and choose to be spontaneous and have one wild night with my boss.
But one night turns into a full weekend and by the end, it's very obvious that he has zero intentions of letting me go.
He wants me and I want him but how long can we keep our relationship a secret*This book can be read as a stand-alone or as a prequel to The Worst Kept Secret
Her Soul to Take by Harley Laroux
Series: Souls Trilogy #1
Published by Kensington on February 20, 2024
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Erotic, Fiction / Romance / Fantasy, Fiction / Romance / Paranormal / General
Pages: 496
Goodreads FEATURING NEW EXCLUSIVE BONUS CONTENT!
Like Buffy or The Vampire Diaries but with tons more spice, a titillating fork-tongued demon, and a ritualistic monster cult, the edgy dark romance that set Tiktok on fire is now here as a special edition with bonus content for fans of Scarlett St. Claire, Penelope Douglas, and Katee Robert.
The demon didn't just want my body. He wanted my soul.
Leon: My reputation among magicians is unblemished. Killer, they call me; killing is what I’m best at. One wrong move and you’re dead. Except her. The one I was supposed to take, the one I should have killed. The cult that once controlled me wants her, but I’m not about to lose my new toy to them.
Rae: I’ve always believed in the supernatural. Hunting for ghosts is my passion, but summoning a demon was never part of the plan. Monsters are roaming the woods, and something ancient—something evil—is waking up . . . and calling my name. I don’t know who I can trust, or how deep this darkness goes. All I know is my one shot at survival is the demon stalking me, and he doesn’t just want my body—he wants my soul.
