August 2025 – Jill's Book Blog

Review: The Bali Bucket List

Title: The Bali Bucket List
Author: Ava Wilde
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: Independent
Source: Bookinfluencers.com
Format: Paperback
Release Date: July 21, 2025
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

After HR’s favorite good girl, Jasmine, gets dumped three months before her wedding, she escapes solo to Bali with a bucket list of everything she’s been too scared to try.

Caught between three irresistible men and a hostel crew of beautiful disasters, she starts writing her way through heartbreak, lust, and self-destruction—one filthy blog post at a time.

When her anonymous sex blog goes viral and threatens to expose her, Jasmine has no choice but to confront the woman she’s become. Because sometimes, finding yourself is the only way to find the love you’ve been searching for.

Review:

This is a very spicy romance about discovering your true self. Jasmine travels to Bali after an unexpected break up with her fiancé of eight years. She decides to document her wild sexual experiences in an online blog. However, there are some consequences to her actions and her posts online. This was probably the spiciest book I’ve ever read. Check the content warnings before reading.

The Bali Bucket List is a spicy romance!

Thank you Bookinfluencers.com for sending me a copy of this book for a sponsored campaign.

Content warnings: break up, BDSM, polyamory

Have you read The Bali Bucket List? What did you think of it?

Review: A Bedtime Story (Beauty Meets the Beast) (Fairy Tales From the Underworld #1)

Title: A Bedtime Story (Beauty Meets the Beast) (Fairy Tales From the Underworld #1)
Author: L.C. Moon
Genre: Romance
Publisher: BookBaby
Source: Bookinfluencers.com
Format: Paperback
Release Date: February 10, 2025
Rating: ★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

A traumance. A tragedy. A love story.

Fairy tales weren’t always about finding true love with Prince Charming. Once upon a time, they were dark stories about innocence lost, seeking through veiled attempts to make sense of life’s unfathomable hardships. Unfit parents turned to evil stepmothers, kindly neighbors became fairy godmothers, while alluring but dangerous men were presented under the guise of the Big Bad Wolf. Through their trials, the heroes were forever changed. For better or worse.

It is a tale as old as time. Good girl meets bad boy; the pure faces the corrupt. Loosely inspired by classic tropes, Fairy Tales From the Underworld breathes new life into age-old motifs, casting them against the backdrop of modern times. Beasts and monsters no longer lurk in shadows but now inhabit our protagonists, who are plagued by the ceaseless whispers of their inner demons.

A Bedtime Story is not a romance, but a raw erotic tale chronicling the twisted love affair between two profoundly broken souls: the child of the moon and the child of the underworld. Their paths were never meant to cross… And yet, by a twist of fate, Beauty meets the Beast, plunging into a world of lies, deceit and debauchery, where her only salvation lies in the hands of her captor.

As Part I of the Fairy Tales From the Underworld saga, this first installment delves deeply into the psyche of its characters, offering a poignant exploration of the relentless pull between torment and passion in the aftermath of trauma.

(Please note, this book contains graphic sexual content and deals with heavy subject matter, suitable for readers 18+.)

Review:

This story is a dark romance. It loosely followed the Beauty and the Beast fairytale, but it had dark themes such as abuse and human trafficking. Kayne, the “beast,” didn’t have redeeming qualities like the Beast does in the usual fairytale. The ending deviated from the traditional ending as well. There were quite a few dark scenes, so check the content warnings before reading.

A Bedtime Story is a dark twist on Beauty and the Beast.

Thank you Bookinfluencers.com for providing a copy of this book as part of a sponsored campaign!

Content warnings: child abuse, human trafficking, murder, gun violence, rape, drug use, overdose

Have you read A Bedtime Story (Beauty Meets the Beast)? What did you think of it?

Review: Doom Breaker, Vol. 1 (Doom Breaker #1)

Title: Doom Breaker, Vol. 1 (Doom Breaker #1)
Author: Blue-Deep
Genre: Graphic Novel, Fantasy
Publisher: Wattpad Books
Source: Publisher
Format: Paperback
Release Date: July 25, 2023
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Zephyr is the last human fighting evil in a world abandoned by the gods. After a five-year war against humans and demons, Zephyr is slain by Tartarus, the Demon Lord. In the aftermath, much of humankind was either slaughtered or captured as hosts for demons. When all seems lost, Zephyr is abruptly reincarnated, much to the sinister amusement of the gods, to save humanity and avenge those he loves.

With his newfound second life, Zephyr is flung ten years into the past without his physical strength, starting at square one as a temple slave. Marked with a brand keeping him in servitude, he must navigate his new reality and regain his former powers. Some gods are still rooting for Zephyr’s success and offer him perks as he continues his quest, leading to the ultimate battle against the god of destruction, Tartarus, once more. Can Zephyr finally have his revenge and save the woman he loves, or is he doomed to repeat the past?

This volume collects episodes 1–10 of the hit WEBTOON comic.

Review:

This graphic novel is a thrilling start to the series. Zephyr was sent ten years into his past, as amusement for the gods. He knows what will happen in his life but he has to alter his past to be able to beat the god Tartarus in the future. I’m looking forward to reading the next book in the series!

Thank you Wattpad Books for providing a copy of this book!

Content warnings: violence, death, sword violence

Other books in the series:

Doom Breaker, Vol. 2 (Doom Breaker #2)

Have you read Doom Breaker, Vol. 1? What did you think of it?

Review: One Piece, Omnibus, Vol. 1

Title: One Piece, Omnibus, Vol. 1
Author: Eiichiro Oda
Genre: Manga
Publisher: Viz Media
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
Release Date: December 1, 2009
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Get Ready to Set Sail!

As a child, Monkey D. Luffy dreamed of becoming King of the Pirates. But his life changed when he accidentally ate the Gum-Gum Fruit, an enchanted Devil Fruit that gave him the ability to stretch like rubber. Its only drawback? He’ll never be able to swim again–a serious handicap for an aspiring sea dog! Years later, Luffy sets off on his quest to find the “One Piece,” said to be the greatest treasure in the world…

The treasure trove of high seas adventures just got bigger with this collection of the first three volumes of One Piece!

Review:

I decided to try this manga to see what all the hype was about and it didn’t disappoint! It was a cute pirate story with many laugh out loud moments! I’m so glad I finally read it. Now I’m excited to watch the tv show adaptations!

Have you read One Piece, Omnibus, Vol. 1? What did you think of it?

Review: Free to Be Me

Title: Free to Be Me
Author: J.D. Webb
Genre: Thriller, Contemporary
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Source: Publisher
Format: Ebook
Release Date: July 7, 2025
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Tawnya Davitakov is ordered to either convince the KGB’s US money launderer to begin work again or eliminate him. In her nine-year career, no one has ever been nice to her. Not anyone in Russia, Europe, or the Middle East. In her first assignment in the US, everyone is nice.

Weary from her dangerous and stressful work, she decides to quit and become an American. It seems easy. Not so much.

She teams with an ex-fighter pilot to confront a Spetsnaz assault team, then travels to Russia one final time as an assassin.

Review:

This is an intense spy thriller. Tawnya is a former Russian spy who is on the run in the United States. She’s been through a lot in her career and personal life, and she has had to look out for herself. There were a lot of traumatic things that happened to Tawnya throughout her life so check the content warnings before reading!

Free to Be Me is a short and fast paced thriller!

Thank you The Wild Rose Press for providing a copy of this book as part of a sponsored campaign.

Content warnings: stalking, death of parents, death of child (mentions), stabbing, bombs, surgery, sterilization

Have you read Free to Be Me? What did you think of it?

Review: Divided Heart

Title: Divided Heart
Author: K.M. Daughters
Genre: Romance, Contemporary
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Source: Publisher
Format: Ebook
Release Date: July 30, 2025
Rating: ★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

Cassidy Finnegan, a widow, returns to her hometown Redbird, Illinois after inheriting a book store from her mother. Ty Martin, a celebrated gallery artist and a member of the fantastical Sisters of the Legend Binder family, has moved to a home a straight shot from Cassidy’s across Redbird Lake.
Cass meets Ty at his book signing at her store the same day that she is visited by the ghost of her dead husband, Sawyer, whom she met at Cozy Nook Books, too. It was love at first sight with Sawyer…and maybe with Ty.
When Sawyer visits Cassidy, their perfect love is rekindled. When she is with Ty, all she wants is the new love blossoming between them.
Ty learns he is the unwitting third in Cassidy’s spectral love-triangle. He has no problem competing with flesh and blood men. But the heaven-perfected spirit of her loving husband? Nothing in Ty’s realm of experience prepares him for that contest.
Cassie is forced to choose in order to mend her divided heart.

Review:

This is a cute cozy romance! I love books about bookstores. A lot of this book took place in Cassidy’s bookstore, where she met Ty. This book is part of a series but it can be read as a stand-alone. There was a supernatural twist at the end of the story which I wasn’t expecting, but it tied everything together.

Divided Heart is a short and sweet cozy romance!

Thank you The Wild Rose Press for providing a copy of this for a sponsored campaign.

Content warnings: death of spouse, death of parent, cancer

Have you read Divided Heart? What did you think of it?

Review: Legacy of Honor: The Descendants

Title: Legacy of Honor: The Descendants
Author: Larry A. Freeland
Genre: Historical Fiction, Military
Publisher: Publish Authority
Source: iRead Book Tours
Format: Ebook
Release Date: February 10, 2025
Rating: ★★★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

From award-winning author of Chariots in the Sky, author Larry Freeland pens “Legacy of The Descendants.”

An enthralling military novel and multigenerational war saga, The Descendents immerses readers in the valor and sacrifice of the McCormick family across 20th-century battlefields. This gripping historical fiction, the culminating book of the Legacy of Honor trilogy, follows three American brothers—Alan, Lee, and Scott—whose unwavering commitment to duty and family defines their lives amid the Army and Navy’s most harrowing conflicts.

Alan, the eldest, commands an Infantry Company in the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division during the Vietnam War, leading his men through brutal jungle combat in the A Shau Valley, including the ferocious battle for Hamburger Hill. Lee, a skilled U.S. Navy helicopter pilot, braves perilous missions, from Vietnam’s skies to the First Gulf War’s deserts, embodying courage under fire. Scott, the youngest, serves in the Army along South Korea’s DMZ during the Vietnam era before joining the CIA, undertaking covert operations across the Middle East. Bound by a proud military lineage, the brothers’ patriotism shines, yet they grapple with the moral complexities of war, as Scott “What happens if my sense of right in the moment clashes with others’ judgment after the fact?”

From Vietnam’s jungles to Middle Eastern sands, this powerful saga of brotherhood, honor, and resilience captures the McCormick family’s sacrifices. Freeland’s vivid prose, steeped in military history, contrasts the brothers’ receptions—Alan’s cold homecoming from Vietnam against Lee’s heroic welcome from the Gulf. This novel isn’t just a war story; it’s a testament to survival, family, and an enduring military legacy.

Review:

This is a thrilling saga about a family in the U.S. military. It follows three brothers who all fought in different wars in the 20th century. They each saw tragedy in war as well as their family lives. This is the third book in a trilogy about generations of this family, but it can be read as a stand-alone. I recommend this book if you’re looking for a book that will touch your heart.

Legacy of Honor is a thrilling and emotional military story.

Thank you iRead Book Tours for providing a copy of this book as part of a sponsored campaign.

Content warnings: war, death, death of child, cystic fibrosis, lupus, death of parent, suicide

Other books in the series:

Legacy of Honor: The Patriarch
Legacy of Honor: The Air Warrior

Have you read Legacy of Honor: The Descendants? What did you think of it?

Review: A Love to Die Kill For

Title: A Love to Die Kill For
Author: Stephen B. King
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Source: Publisher
Format: Ebook
Release Date: February 26, 2025
Rating: ★★★

Goodreads Synopsis:

When Susan is diagnosed with a fatal skin disorder, her world collapses. Wracked with despair, she sits on the ledge of a Manhattan building, waiting to jump. Police negotiator Dave, driven by his own trauma, saves her life.

Pledging to help one another, Susan offers advice about Dave’s marriage, which is in shambles due to Lynne’s suspected infidelity. Dave helps Susan, who has always been beautiful, to understand that her life isn’t over while there is hope.

Dave discovers his wife is the victim of a controlling, obsessive, and insane man. Lynne, Dave, and Susan become close. But Dave and Lynne’s children are abducted, and Dave must confront a man who terrorizes innocent people to further his own obsession, including murder.

Review:

This story is an intriguing thriller. Dave had a dangerous job as a police negotiator. He had to negotiate with people who were suicidal. There were some unlikely events that almost seemed too convenient, like an amazing job offer right after losing a job and Dave having a connection to a specialist skin doctor when his new friend Susan had a rare skin condition. There were many potentially triggering events in this story so make sure to check the content warnings before reading.

A Love to Kill For is a suspenseful thriller!

Thank you Bookinfluencers.com and The Wild Rose Press for providing a copy of this book as part of a sponsored campaign!

Content warnings: adultery, suicide, rape, death of pet, animal abuse, blackmail, burglary

Have you read A Love to Die Kill For? What did you think of it?