An anthology of four stories with BSDM as the focus.

The first story A IS FOR ASSIGNMENT by Ginny Glass has Lane, a police psychologist, working undercover with Detective Cameron Isley to break a drug ring at the local BDSM club. One night she dominates. The next he does. Things go too far, and they cannot think of the other without remembering the night she dominated him at the club. But will they break the drug ring? I liked this story. I liked Lane and Cameron. He is too used to dominating others that seeing him fall submissive under Lane's hands is good. I liked that both kept thinking of their session. I also liked that both decided to be honest when the time comes to talk.

Second is B IS FOR BONDAGE by Christina Thacher. Rachel goes to Marc to learn how to be a good submissive so she can gift her submissiveness to her boyfriend, Danny. Turns out Rachel and Marc break the rules. Danny is no dominant but an abuser. When Rachel goes to her final lesson, the truth comes out. Will Marc like the truth? I liked Rachel for her shyness. I liked Marc because he tried to follow the rules and not get involved with Rachel. When she comes for her class after Danny finds out, I liked how Marc showed Rachel her bruises did not change his feelings. I also liked that he puts the brakes on but Rachel has a mind of her own.

Next comes C IS FOR CURIOSITY by Emily Cale. Hilary works as the receptionist at a BDSM club where Mistress Rebecca works. Trying to find a private space, Hilary inadvertently walks in on Mistress Rebecca's session. After the session, Mistress Rebecca tells Hilary she must be punished for breaking the rules. Mistress Rebecca gives the punishment to Hilary. Hilary responds beautifully to Mistress Rebecca. What happens when the one time is done? I enjoyed this story. I liked that both were afraid of being fired for their behaviors. Hilary's curiosity was refreshing as was Mistress Rebecca's feeling for Hilary. I liked Hilary's eagerness and her recommendation. It was a twist Mistress Rebecca was not expecting.

Last is D IS FOR DETAINED by Maggie Wells. Sherry has to go back to her hometown to clean out her parents' shop. Not having good memories of the town makes it hard for her. While there, Deputy Tyler comes in thinking she is a criminal. He is also the only boy who said no to her during high school. He now makes up for it. Will Sherry forgive him? I liked this story. Sherry finally finds out why Tyler said no. They explore what they could have had and find out they like it. It was fun watching Sherry goading Tyler. I also liked that Tyler has plans for the future which include her.

Each story had its own special hotness. I will have to see if more volumes were written in this series.

Update #1 (June 25, 2020)

9 novellas read (about 25% of total novellas)

1 anthology finished

1 anthology DNF; read 2 out of 11 stories (18%)

I feel like I should be further ahead than I am. I am going to read more from my NOOK. No need for random number generator since the BL-opoly game is doing the job. 

**********************************************************************************************

Original Post

I decided that my summer reading project was to read anthologies and novellas/shorter works (150 pages or less) off my NOOK and Kindle. Short and sweet is the theme for this year, as I wanted space to read longer works at my leisure without feeling unproductive. Also, I want to have short works ready to read so I can structure my days around reading and other hobbies, errands, and such and not the news or social media (BL exception, of course) - I really need to get off my phone more, that screen time tracker is not good for my health.

Dates for this reading project: May 25th (Memorial Day) to Labor Day (Sep 7th) - 106 days. I am aiming for one story from an anthology or novella per day, with the goal of averaging about 100 pages per day. I put a few winter holiday ones on the list for a Christmas-in-July reading week. To kick off the project, I will be starting the longest anthology and use Random Number Generator to pick a novella. After that I will use RNG or go by mood - probably the second method most of the time.

Anthologies

1. No Dukes Allowed by Various Authors 0/3 stories read

2. This Wedding is Doomed! by Various Authors 0/4 stories read

3. Hearts Entwined by Various Authors 0/4 stories read

4. Once Upon a Wedding by Various Authors 2/11 stories read; DNF the rest.

5. Because He's Perfect by Various Authors 20/20 stories read - FINISHED!

6. Love by the Letters by Various Authors 0/3 stories read - Currently reading

7. The Christmas Heirlooms by Various Authors 0/4 stories read

8. Serving Up Love by Various Authors 0/4 stories read

Novellas

Nook:

1. Changing Leaves by Edie Bryant

2. The Cost of Hope (The Cost of Love #1) by G.S. Carr

3. Once Upon a Winter's Eve (Spindle Cove #1.5) by Tessa Dare

4. A New Life (West Meets East #1) by Merry Farmer Done!

5. Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell

6. Hollywood Holiday (Hollywood Headlines #2.5) by Gemma Halliday Done!

7. Out of the Storm (Beacon of Hope #0.5) by Jody Hedlund

8. A Lady of Esteem (Hawthorne House #0.5) by Kristi Ann Hunter

9. A Search for Refuge (Haven Manor #0.5) by Kristi Ann Hunter Done!

10. Love by the Letter (Unexpected Brides #0.5) by Melissa Jagears

11. Love on the Prairie (McKinnie Mail Order Brides #1) by Ciara Knight

12. Love in the Rockies (McKinnie Mail Order Brides #2) by Ciara Knight

13. Mrs. Sartin's Secretary (Lords of Chance #2.5) by Wendy LaCapra

14. That Healing Touch (Cutter's Creek #1) by Kit Morgan

15. The Christmas Mail Order Bride by Kit Morgan

16. What Lies Behind Us (World War II Sisters) by Sierra Rose

17. A Little Light Mischief (The Turner Series #3.5) by Cat Sebastian

18. Tycoon (The Knickerbocker Club #0.5) by Joanna Shupe

19. A Hero's Promise (Culpepper's Ring Novella) by Roseanna M. White

20. Fairchild's Lady (Culpepper's Ring Novella) by Roseanna M. White

21. Mail Order Cowboy (Gold Valley #1.5) by Maisey Yates

22. Hometown Heartbreaker (Copper Ridge #3.5) by Maisey Yates

23. Claim Me, Cowboy (Copper Ridge #4) by Maisey Yates

Kindle:

24. Proper English (England #0) by KJ Charles Done!

25. Dance All Night (Dance Off #2.5) by Alexa Daria Done!

26. Willow: Bride of Pennsylvania by Merry Farmer

27. Engaging the Competition (With This Ring? Novella) by Melissa Jagears

28. Mrs. Martin's Incomparable Adventure (Worth Saga #2.75) by Courtney Milan Done!

29. Dueling the Desperado (Brides of Blessings #4) by Mimi Milan Done!

30. Where Snowy Owl Sleeps (Brides of Blessings #9) by Mimi Milan Done!

31. Birth of the Butterfly (Brides of Blessings #11) by Mimi Milan Done!

32. Miracle on Ladies' Mile by Joanna Shupe

33. After a Fashion (A Class of Their Own #0.5) by Jen Turano

34. The Husband Maneuver (A Worthy Pursuit #0.5) by Karen Witemeyer

35. Worth the Wait (Ladies of Harper's Station Novella) by Karen Witemeyer

It's Juneteenth, the day the last enslaved person was told the war was over and they were free. Yesterday, I attended (via Zoom) a panel discussion organized by Next Gen Climate Action Committee, a political action group my friend works for, on Celebrating Juneteenth and Ensuring Black Voices in Progressive Spaces. It was a great discussion and I am glad my friend invited me, considering I live in Kansas and the group works in VA on VA matters/policies. Rep Don Scott really spoke to my head and heart and he was on for just a few minutes. 

It's rainy and much cooler here, so no poolside reading today. I've got a beef soup simmering in the slow cooker for dinner; just have to whip up some cornbread to go with it and I am good to go. Spending the day reading and tonight I am going to watch Soledad O'Brien's documentary on the early days of COVID-19 in the US (it is airing on Hearst stations, so I am hoping to catch it streaming online).

Tomorrow is Litha/Summer Solstice and I have plans: including a hamburger picnic (using a plant-based "ground beef") and making Lemon-Ginger-Raspberry Zinger sun tea, while reading in the sunshine. Sunday is Father's Day, so I making a special easy breakfast for the hubby to enjoy, followed by pool time and a nice dinner. 

I'm finishing up Birth of the Butterfly for BL-opoly, then taking the weekend off from the game; right after that I want to knock out finally Proper English by KJ Charles. For COYER #BLM RAT, I am reading The A.I. Who Loved Me by Alyssa Cole and New Year, Same Trash by Samantha Irby. That's my weekend. 

Next week I will be working my way through Beneath a Ruthless Sun and One Person, No Vote for the library's adult SRP prompts. I swapped out Once Upon a Wedding anthology (that first story is a slog and I am still not done with it) with Love by the Letters anthology which I should get done by the end of the week (it is only 3 stories). I might just skip to the Sonali Dev's and Pricilla Oliveras' stories in the Wedding anthology and call it good - those were the reasons for picking up the anthology in the first place. And then whatever the BL game goddesses decide for me to read. 

Happy Juneteenth! Happy Father's Day! Happy Reading!

What actually is required to sort out a problem is to share it with your closed ones!Your family or your friends or anyone whom you trust.Because sometimes the only solution of the problem is sharing.And that's what Ava Dellaira's novel :'Love Letters to Dead' teaches.

            The style with which ava has presented an emotional as  well as a frightening journey is praise worthy!There are many instances when the reader is awestruck with what has happend to the protagonist.The pain and suffering is so real that many of the people can relate it to.Whether it's about the hesitation of talking to people at the first day of school or being honest with everyone.

 Laurel loved her sister (who is dead) very much.It's been one year still she was not able to free herself from that deadly incident.(what  that incident was,well you have to know it for yourself by reading!)In the meantime she began writing letters to all the great personalities and legends most of whom were singers.She began to understand the pain and intention with which they have written and sung songs.She discovered about their life,their sufferings ,their daily struggles etc.Cut short,she began to understand life.She comprehend the poetry and find beauty in it.In all as she was alone from inside she found company in other things.

                But very soon she realized what love means.A kind of love which your friend and family showers on you! And that was the end of her endless pain.

        It may seem to you that something drastic has happened and the very cause is you.And you just take the whole guilt of it forever in your life which does no good other than make your heart heavy and hate yourself but opening it up to someone lift it up like a bubble in the air.

Lily Michaels-Ryan is a highschooler with ADHD. When breaking something lands her in detention with Abelard, a beautiful and brilliant guy who has Asperger's, she can't help but feel intrigued. He seems thirty seconds behind in a conversation while she's thirty seconds ahead. When a paper gets posted online - one that never should have been posted in the first place - Lily and Abelard discover that they both love old novels, especially The Letters of Abelard of Heloise. The two fall for each other hard but their relationship isn't going to be an easy one. 

Those black lines through the hearts got my attention. I was hooked from the very first page. The writing is so good - the whole book flowed smoothly, the characters were three-dimensional and they were interesting. We get a glimpse of what it's like for Lily being a teenager with ADHD. School is hard for her and nobody understands her. She feels like she's dragging her mother down. She has to make some tough choices. I like how the author showed how naive she was and also how she grew and took charge of her life. Lily and Abelard were so cute together and you can't help but root for them. This is one of those stories that will stick with you long after you've read it.

I won a copy of this book through Goodreads First Reads. Thank you to HMH Books for Young Readers for an ARC.