Weekly Goals

 So I'm thinking about a goal that isn't necessarily about finishing books but rather pages read. As per usual my brain is being spicy so I am having a difficult time focusing. So instead of saying "I want to read these books this week" I'm going to say I am going to read this many pages this week. 

Make sense? Maybe if I can take that as a goal it might motivate my brain to actually latch onto something to actually friggen finish!? I did finish one book during my casual thon, so that was a great lil boost of confidence! Look for the review later this week! 

So I'm going to aim for 1k pages read this week (Monday-Sunday) and see how that goes. I do have a sorta stack to "taste" from. A book buffet if you will. 

Here they are: 

• The Wind Through the Keyhole (been reading this one already)
• Wuthering Heights (also reading this one already)
• Project Hail Mary
• 11/22/63 
• Wolves of Calla

I've downloaded a few ebooks too but not so sure I'll try them this week. 

I have some mini goals as well but they are all of the mundane variety. 

• Get moving around more
• Watch my sugar intake (been sugar loading far too much, lately)
• Do some academic studying (right now I'm focusing on Biology)
• Get outside more (been a cave rat this last week, I need the sun)

So what do you do when things get stressy messy?  What books are you wanting to hop into this week? 

Lazy Day Readathon (Updates)

 

Today I'm declaring this my Lazy Day Readathon! It's a no stress, no fuss kind of shindig but I am going to aim for 15 hours and see how well I do! I'm gonna wake up at 8am (I work til midnight previous night) and get my things done then sit my ass down and start reading. 

It's not a pressurized event, as I still have my caregiving duties to attend to but I have nothing else on deck planned up. Gonna leave my TBR open ended and mood read a bit. I have one review book that I want to get into though, so that's the only one that is set in stone. 

I don't think I'll do many updates, just my thoughts as I go along. I'll end the readathon at Midnight and do all the fun things like pages read, books started/finished, time read, etc. then. 

Update 9am (slept in a lil bit)

Book: 

This is a review book, I started reading it yesterday but didn't get too far in. Starting with page 8. Coffee and water just to start the day. 

Finished! It was a great read! Look for my review soon!

Book: 

DNF on God of Malice. Wasn't feeling it. 

Started on 

Happy April 1st!

So it's the 1st of April and a Wednesday, so that means new goals AND a day off! The Lady has already had her weekly nurse visit, so I have nothing really to do other than some rando daily chores! So I am going to be reading. I was contemplating a read-a-thon but decided to keep it just casual. 

The TBR as of now:

• Project Hail Mary 
• Wuthering Heights
• The Wind Through the  Keyhole
• Wolves of the Calla

Now I have tons of other choices on my kindle/tablet so this is just a tentative stack. I  also have a review book that I am going to read Wired for Magic by Janet Roberts. So look for that later in the month. 

I'm gonna be realistic and say my goal for the whole month is 2 books. 

So let the fun begin! 

 

March Goals

 

It's a new month so I am going to try to do things a bit differently. I'm just gonna make one big monthly post and then update as I go along, so no more weekly reading posts, etc. When I finish a book I'll post about it. When I hit one of my goals I'll post about it. That sort of thing. 

The last few days of February were a bit of a nightmare. My sweet German Shepherd tripped me (I'm going to assume accidentally) and caused me to fall, hard. I smacked my elbow, landed hard on my hip and banged my head pretty badly. I had a concussion, or have..I'm about 2 days post fall now. So I wasn't exactly in the mood to do much reading or really anything. I'm doing fine now, still very tired but that's apparently normal after a head injury. So I didn't hit my goal for last month. 

I'm still needing to finish Wizard and Glass. 

So I'm adding that to my goal for March. The other goals are as such:

• Read 3 books 
• Work out in some form at least 3 times a week (at least 20-30 minutes a day)
• Track food daily
• Get outside as many times as I can weekly
• Start saving money each check and NOT touching it!
• Work on my other hobbies (embroidery and maybe planting more seeds once the weather starts to settle)
• Start to organize my bedroom 
• Get into a self care routine

My TBR as of now looks like:

• Wizard and Glass (I'll count this as one of the 3 books)
• The Wind Through the Keyhole (SK)
• Wuthering Heights
• Horus Rising 
• 11/22/63 

There may be a few more sprinkled or added in but for now that will do. 

I'm probably going to sign up for a few blog tour stops, but I think I'll hold off on reviews for now. 

What are your goals this month? What are you reading? 

Mercy's Peril by Virginia Barlow (Blog Tour/Review)

 

 

Mercy’s secrets run deep, and her presence stirs a past Connor cannot outrun.

 

Title: Mercy's Peril

Author: Virginia Barlow

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Pages: 348

Genre: Historical Western Romance

Format: Paperback, Kindle

When Mercy Jackson slips into Calhan Shipping under cover of darkness, she expects to steal a secret and disappear. What she doesn’t expect is Connor Calhan, a man as dangerous as he is relentless. Mercy has one mission: to expose a killer, protect her family, and vanish before anyone uncovers her true identity. But the deeper she digs, the more tangled the lies become, and the more drawn she is to the man who stands in her way. Connor is determined to unmask The Phantom, a traitor hiding in plain sight. But Mercy’s arrival threatens everything. Her secrets run deep, and her presence stirs a past Connor cannot outrun.

Mercy’s Peril is available at Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

If you like:

 Historical Romance

 Civil War Drama

︎ Enemies to Lovers

 Happily Ever After

You’ll love this book!

Excerpt:

 

Richmond, Virginia, 1857

Tonight, I gave birth to a fragile miracle, a daughter. She arrived feet first, and Dr. Perry urged me to surrender to death, but Mammy, through her courage and faith, turned the child. For two long hours, I clung to life while Mammy fought beside me, and when it was over, my daughter’s tiny fingers curled around mine, bringing tears of gratitude.

Percival sent a cruel message condemning me for my failure to produce a son and vowed to take my gilded chest as punishment. He demanded I name her Rue, for regret. But I will not let his darkness define her. I call her Mercy, for she is my salvation, a light in this house of shadows, and a reminder that grace can bloom even in sorrow. She will grow strong and pure, a light undimmed by her father’s shadow. –Grace Bennett

– Excerpted from Mercy’s Peril by Virginia Marlow, Marrow Publishing, 2025. Reprinted with permission.

My Review: 

I am not usually a reader of historical romance, but something about this one grabbed my attention. I dived right in without any assumptions about the story or the genre. The first chapter pulled me in and kept me very interested to see what would happen. 

The characters were interesting, the plot was well developed and it all came together in the best way ever. I enjoyed every page. I am definitely interested in reading the other books.

I had a good time and I think you will too! 

About the Author

Virginia Barlow has been a dreamer her whole life. She loves reading, traveling, and roses. She will dive headfirst into any romance she can get her hands on in any genre. Although her first love is Regency Romance and always will be.  Something about the era calls to her soul like a siren’s song rising from the depths.

She writes richly layered historical romance infused with intrigue, drawing readers into worlds of aristocratic scandal, hidden bargains, dangerous desire, and women who refuse to remain pawns in other people’s games. Her heroines are intelligent, resilient, and quietly defiant; her heroes carry honor, guilt, and a capacity for devotion that cuts deep. Beneath the silk gowns and rigid rules of society, Virginia’s stories explore freedom, longing, and the cost of choosing one’s own heart.

Known for her sensual yet elegant prose, Virginia favors emotional tension over excess, intimate moments over spectacle, and romance that simmers before it ignites. Her work often weaves together family secrets, shadowed power brokers, and high-stakes love, where a single kiss can be as dangerous as a duel.

The most important thing in Virginia’s life is her family, and spending time with them. When she is not bouncing a grandbaby in her arms or handing out popsicles, she is writing and dreaming up her next story.  Virginia has published sixteen romance novels with another two on the way and has half a dozen more circling inside her head, eager to make their debut.

Her latest book, Mercy’s Peril, is available at  Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

Visit her website at www.virginia-barlow.com. 

Connect with her on these social networks:

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• Facebook
• Instagram
• BookBub
• TikTok
• YouTube

Sponsored By:

This Week's Reading Plans

 

I'm going to be pushing to finish this month off strong! Work shifts have changed so there's that, the Lady is needing extra care and I'm going to attempt to get back on track with my work outs and diet, so I'm gonna be a busy lady! 

On deck for the rest of February are as such:

*if I don't finish by Sunday

Yes, I've jumped on the bandwagon for WH. I am not interested in the movie but I am interested in the story. 

And I might jump into:

We shall see. So what is it that you are reading? What's on you TBR? Gimmie gimmie the yummy recs! 

2026 Winter's Respite Readathon (with Updates)

 

So I did sign up for this. I won't be able to do the whole 24 hours but I will get as much in as possible. I'm kinda sorta combining this with my Friday readathon, rolling it over to the weekend. 

Starting off with 

Just like yesterday. I'll keep pushing through until my book A.D.D. kicks in and I swap to something else. I have a few stacked up for if and when that happens. My plan is to get most of my non-work tasks done, then read until I have to work or do something for the Lady. I may even just roll these two over til Sunday night? I really wanna finish Wizard and Glass so I can start a new week with a fresh book.

Starting Page: 306