If you’d asked me before writing this post if I’d read much during September I would have told you no. However, I actually finished 12 books, including graphic novels and audiobooks. I also DNF’d two books. So that’s 14 reads picked up during the month.
I’m not including them all in this post as it would be ridiculously long, so I’m picking the ‘greatest hits’. Despite the DNFs, I had some highly rated reads – something I was in desperate need of.
Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare
Read: 3/9/26 – 10/9/26
I’d been wanting to continue my re-read of this series for quite some time but felt like I couldn’t justify using my very little free time sitting down to read a book I’ve read before. Then I came across the audiobooks of this series and then genius struck – I could listen to the audiobook while doing housework. So that’s exactly what I did.
I don’t want to spoil too much from my review, as a re-read review is coming, but this felt like reading this book for the first time again. My plan is to now re-read all of the Shadowhunter Chronicles books in audio format. I had a great time and this book is still a five star read.
Get your copy of Clockwork Prince here:
*Kindle Ebook
*Paperback
*Hardcover
*Audible audiobook
Synopsis: In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street—and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa’s powers for his own dark ends.
With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister’s war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move—and that one of their own has betrayed them.
Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will—the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?
As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.
Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins
Read: 10/8/26 – 13/9/26
Oh look, another five star read. Yeah, September began with some really great reads. Can’t say the same for the rest of the month, but what a way to kick off the month. You’d think the fact that this took me so long to read would detract from my rating, but I actually read this is just 3 or 4 sittings, the big gaps were due to going away for multiple weekends for flyball competitions.
This book destroyed me. I didn’t expect to feel so much, it’s rare that books make me actually want to cry, but Sunrise on the Reaping came very close. The callbacks to the original trilogy, Haymitch’s descent into the older version we know so well, god they almost got me. I had no choice but to rate it five stars.
Get your copy of Sunrise on the Reaping here:
*Kindle Ebook
*Paperback
*Hardcover
*Audible audiobook
Synopsis: When you’ve been set up to lose everything you love, what is there left to fight for?
As the day dawns on the fiftieth annual Hunger Games, fear grips the districts of Panem. This year, in honor of the Quarter Quell, twice as many tributes will be taken from their homes.
Back in District 12, Haymitch Abernathy is trying not to think too hard about his chances. All he cares about is making it through the day and being with the girl he loves.
When Haymitch’s name is called, he can feel all his dreams break. He’s torn from his family and his love, shuttled to the Capitol with the three other District 12 tributes: a young friend who’s nearly a sister to him, a compulsive oddsmaker, and the most stuck-up girl in town. As the Games begin, Haymitch understands he’s been set up to fail. But there’s something in him that wants to fight . . . and have that fight reverberate far beyond the deadly arena.
Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer
Read: 4/9/26 – 13/9/26
Had I realised this book was created from a TikTok series I probably wouldn’t have bought it, however, I’m glad I did. I had a great time reading Assistant to the Villain. It was funny, the characters were interesting and I love the budding romance between Evie and The Villain.
I’ll definitely be continuing this series in the future. I already have the next couple of instalments.
Get your copy of Assistant to the Villain here:
*Kindle Ebook
*Paperback
*Hardcover
*Audible audiobook
Synopsis: Notorious, high-ranking villain seeks loyal, level-headed assistant for unspecified office duties, supporting staff for random mayhem, terror, and other Dark Things in General. Discretion a must. Excellent benefits.
ASSISTANT
With ailing family to support, Evie Sage’s employment status isn’t just important, it’s vital. So when a mishap with Rennedawn’s most infamous Villain results in a job offer-naturally, she says yes. No job is perfect, of course, but even less so when you develop a teeny crush on your terrifying, temperamental, and undeniably hot boss. Don’t find evil so attractive, Evie.
But just when she’s getting used to severed heads suspended from the ceiling and the odd squish of an errant eyeball beneath her heel, Evie suspects this dungeon has a huge rat…and not just the literal kind. Because something rotten is growing in the kingdom of Rennedawn, and someone wants to take the Villain-and his entire nefarious empire-out.
Now Evie must not only resist drooling over her boss but also figure out exactly who is sabotaging his work… and ensure he makes them pay.
After all, a good job is hard to find…
The Score by Elle Kennedy
Read: 22/9/26 – 23/9/26
I went into this book with big expectations. So many people name it their favourite of the series, but so far, it’s my least favourite. Yeah I love Allie and Dean in the show, but they feel like different people in the book. I wasn’t sold on the fact that they’d actually want to be in a serious relationship by the end of the book. It still felt out of character for Dean.
I have a full review of this book coming but it’s not until January as yes, I’m that far ahead with reviews right now.
Get your copy of The Score here:
*Kindle Ebook
*Paperback
*Audible audiobook
Synopsis: He knows how to score, on and off the ice…
Allie Hayes is in crisis mode. With graduation looming, she still doesn’t have the first clue about what she’s going to do after college. To make matters worse, she’s nursing a broken heart thanks to the end of her longtime relationship. Wild rebound sex is definitely not the solution to her problems, but gorgeous hockey star Dean Di Laurentis is impossible to resist. Just once, though, because even if her future is uncertain, it sure as heck won’t include the king of one-night stands.
It’ll take more than flashy moves to win her over…
Dean always gets what he wants. Girls, grades, girls, recognition, girls…he’s a ladies man, all right, and he’s yet to meet a woman who’s immune to his charms. Until Allie. For one night, the feisty blonde rocked his entire world—and now she wants to be friends? Nope. It’s not over until he says it’s over. Dean is in full-on pursuit, but when life-rocking changes strike, he starts to wonder if maybe it’s time to stop focusing on scoring…and shoot for love.
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