End of the Month Wrap Up - June 2026

 

We have passed the half way point of the year!! How is everyone holding up? Hopefully everyone is doing well. This reading challenge has been amazing for me this year. I think I have embraced the audiobooks more and it has allowed me to devour this challenge! I will say that this month, this has been the slowest reading month for me. For the most part I have been gaming and then there has been the fact that I apparently decided to read two huge books at the same time. So it has definitely taken me some time. Thankfully, I should finish it within the first few days of this month. I am definitely making an effort to complete it! So far we are at 76 books read for this year. With half the year left, I definitely think we are going to complete this challenge! My TBR has grown to epic proportions! If you have any recommendations for me, then definitely send it on over. If I haven't read it then I will add it. I am also trying to read some of my physical collection! So look for those reviews and vids when I get a chance. With that being said, let's jump into the books that I've read this month and then of course the superlatives! See ya in July!

Favorite Character : Odie (The Butcher of the Bay P2) - I really enjoyed seeing how resilient this character was. She didn't allow her circumstances to dictate how she was going to live the rest of her life. She was not afraid to face her trauma and with the help of Illi, she was able to overcome things that some of us would crumble under. Not to mention she was also willing to embrace the darker side of herself. I liked that she didn't try to change Illi. She allowed him to be who he is while also learning to be the new her.

Spiciest Book: The Butcher of the Bay P2 - These two were going at it like some rabbits. When Illi wasn't out getting revenge against not only those who wronged Odie but for himself, they were banging. This was not only for them but also it helped Odie reclaim herself after everything that has happened up til now. J Bree really knows what she is doing with these spicy scenes too. Whew, I definitely had to turn on my fan cuz it was getting H O T in here!

Best Narration: Cheeky King by Nana Malone - I really enjoyed this narration. It was a dual narration and yeah, definitely worth it. I wish that I listened to the first book too. I would definitely recommend this one if you are looking for a book with a good dual narration!

Top Baddie: The Jackal (The Butcher of the Bay P2) - This guy was really on some ish. He was out here jealous of Odie. Not even because she was gorgeous and he wanted a girl for himself. No, because she was monopolizing Illi. Like sir, are you ok? I mean, I guess I can understand someone being jealous of someone taking their bestie but he really took this to another level. Now instead of having a bestie you have an enemy who is gunning for you. Crazy work.

Best Cover: The Butcher of the Bay P2 - I really love the way these covers were done. I really enjoy a good model cover. If it's good then it is definitely going to win. I love when the covers capture the essence of the characters in the book. Sometimes there is a cover model and they don't really vibe with the character that I'm reading about. This series though...amazing covers!

Best Storyline: Dance With the Demon - This book really managed to capture everything that it needed without making you feel overwhelmed by everything that is happening. I love that for us. I like the characters and how things are being slowly revealed for us. I can't wait to finally finish this series!

Author of the Month: Stacia Stark - Surprise! I know you were probably thinking that this was going to be someone else but I had to send out this acknowledgment. This book is a re-read and it still hits like this was the first time I read it. I was hooked and I had to finish the first book and almost immediately hopped into book 2. Shout out to having great re-readability! I can't wait to read more books from this author! I definitely have quite a few of her books sitting on my shelves that I can't wait to start!

Book of the Month: Dance With the Demon - This book was so good! The reveals, the spice, the characters that we meet and the background that we learn. I loved that we got more of Samael's POV in this book. Getting to learn more about not only him but so many others in this book was a nice touch. Everyone feels important and I feel very immersed in this world. I can't wait to continue this series. I try to stay away from re-reads being my book of the month but I just HAD to acknowledge how great this book is!