TechieScrapper: Simply Reading & Reviewing

    Book Review:  Collided  by Lauren Asher (Dirty Air #2) Book Reviewed by The TechieScrapper  Book Theme: Friends with Benefits / Forced Proximity / 6/10 Sports Romance: 7/10 Steam: 5/10 As promised, I’m back with my review of the second installment in Lauren Asher's   Dirty Air  series,  Collided . Although each book can be read as a standalone, this series shines because of its interconnected storylines, so I strongly suggest starting with   Throttled  before diving into this one. Watching familiar characters reappear and seeing events overlap adds another layer to the reading experience.   Lauren Asher takes readers back into the high-speed world of Formula 1 with  Collided , delivering romance, humor, emotional growth, and chemistry. This installment follows Liam Zander and Sophie Mitchell, two characters introduced in  Throttled (Noah & Maya's story - Maya and Sophie are close friends) . McCoy's b...

Kingdom of the Cursed by Kerri Maniscalco My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews

I recently treated myself to a little Barnes & Noble book haul, and this stack feels like such a cozy mix of everything I love to read. It has fantasy, romance, beautiful editions, and a full series I’ve been meaning to start for the longest time. There’s something so lovely about coming home with a bag of new books and already imagining the quiet reading evenings ahead. What I Picked Up This haul feels especially fun because it has a little bit of everything: a few newer titles I’ve been curious about, some gorgeous Barnes & Noble exclusive editions, and four books from Cinda Williams Chima’s Seven Realms series. Altogether, it’s the kind of stack that makes me want to make a cup of hot tea and spend the rest of the day reading. Between the romance, the magic, and all the fantasy drama, I already know this is going to be such a comforting and exciting group of books to work through. The Primal of Blood and Bone by Jennifer L. Armentrout — I was so happy to pick this one up bec...

  A Kingdom of Flesh and Blood Book started: 23 April 2026 / Book completed: 09 May 2026 Total pages: 637 / Total listening time on Chirp Audiobooks: 18 hours:25min (Iwas a GraphicAudio audiobook / Star Rating: 4.5 stars. I gave A Kingdom of Flesh and Fire by Jennifer L. Armentrout 4.5 out of 5 stars, and honestly, I was completely pulled into it. For me, this sequel delivered everything I wanted from a follow-up and then some. The emotional stakes felt higher, the world got bigger, and the connection between Penelope (Poppy) and Prince Casteel (Hawk) felt even more intense than the first book. Right from the start, I felt how conflicted Poppy was about why she was the Maiden and her feelings for Casteel. One of the biggest reasons this book worked so well for me was Poppy. I loved seeing how much she grew throughout the story, not just in terms of strength but in how she started to understand herself. Once she was stripped of the role of Maiden that had defined her for so long, I...

  WRETCHED By Emily McIntire Series: Book 3 in the Never After series Book Started: 09 April 26 Book completed: 22 April 26 Listening time: 8 hours & 25 minutes Total pages: 282 pages Own the whole series in harcopy and audio on Chirp. I finally finished Wretched. Emily McIntire is one of my favorite authors, and I’m trying really hard this year to actually finish the series I’ve started (instead of starting five more… which is my usual). So, yes—check that box.  Wretched is a dark, adult reimagining of The Wizard of Oz—but it’s not a straight retelling. Think: familiar pieces and vibes, just twisted into something grittier. Key characters: • Evelina (Evie) Westerly: Evie is the one I kept coming back to—she’s smart, guarded, and grieving, and you can tell she’s been in survival mode for a long time. • Vanessa (Nessa) Westerly: The oldest sister. She’s gone before the story really starts, but she’s the reason everyone is spiraling in their own way. • Dorothy Westerly...

Unbroken Bonds by J. Bree My rating: 4 of 5 stars View all my reviews

  God of Malice — Rina Kent (Legacy of Gods #1) A Techie Scrapper review: dark romance, elite drama, and a world bigger than my TBR pile YouTube Full Video Review - God of Malice CAWPILE Rating : 3.6 Spice : I’m calling it a 3/5 on my Sierra Simone, New Camelot Trilogy ( American Queen/Prince/King ) yardstick. Heat is present early and often, but it’s not the most incendiary trilogy-level inferno. If you’re here for angsty chemistry + dark edges, box checked. Premise : Mafia meets British Posh, enemies-to-lovers Pacing: 553 pages that were a steady-paced read.  The final act felt rushed, as if some connective scenes had been moved to companion books. It’s readable; it just leaves you suspecting the “missing pieces” live elsewhere in the universe. Heads-up: Check the trigger warnings (seriously). Knowing the parents’ books helps a lot. Reading Dates : Started 03 October 2025 / Completed 15 October 2025 Libby Listening Time : 15 hours: 25 Minutes Synopsis: “God o...

 Author: Tyler Rhodes Series: Max’s Campervan Case Files -  Book 1 of 15 Book released: 2023 Started: 26 September 2025 Completed: 28 September 2025 Format: Libby, borrowed – do not own Listening time: 6 hours Total pages: 197 pages Star rating: 3.25  Book synopsis/review: This read is very light-hearted about a chef who quit his job and went on the road with his dog, Anxious, making one-pot meals, no stress, and getting back to a simple life.  The life of a chef cost him his marriage and, at times, his sanity.  Max (MMC) Effort (note the pun) was a chef at a Michelin 3-star restaurant, and he has a plan, and he thinks it's a cunning one. Sick of preparing high-class food and despairing of anything served on a slate rather than a plate, he embarked on a tour of the backroads of Britain.  When he realized that he was not winning back his ex-wife, Min, he sold his house and bought a VW campervan.  He heads out on the road wit...

 

 

I just uploaded a new video (https://youtu.be/5pcbAGw-8to).  I am showing how I decorated my personal Hobonichi for September.  Nothing fancy, but it's been a while since I have done one of these videos.  Hope you enjoy. Social Media Links: WordPress: http://techiscrapper.wordpress.com SquareSpace: http://techiescrappersstoryscrap.com/ BlueSky: @TechieScrapper.bsky.social YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@techiescrapper TikTok:  https://www.tiktok.com/@techiescrapper Instagram:  https://instagram.com/techie_scrapper Threads:  https://www.threads.net/@techie_scrapper

 

  The Conditions of Will by Jessa Hastings   Author: Jessa Hastings Genre: Literary Fiction / Contemporary Fiction / Family Drama Themes: Grief, identity, family estrangement, addiction, legacy, love Rating: 4.75 out of 5   The Setup Jessa Hastings trades the high-gloss world of Magnolia Parks for something quieter, more introspective, and deeply affecting in The Conditions of Will. The novel follows Georgia Carter, a 24-year-old lie-detection expert in London who is called back to South Carolina after the death of her estranged father, Will Carter. The death is jarring, but what unravels from it is even more destabilizing—a surprise inheritance left to a stranger, a hidden side of her father, and the reopening of wounds the Carter family buried long ago.   Character Deep Dive Georgia Carter is messy, smart, cynical, and emotionally layered. Her voice carries both biting wit and unflinching vulnerability as she tries to r...