What Deanna Read #110: September 2025

In an attempt at getting ahead and organized, I am starting my September What Deanna Read early-ish. It's not that early since there are only three days left of September, but the reality is I've not been reading as much as I like, my brain is mush, and my entertainment when I'm not reading for work has been watching cooking videos and audiobooks.

As reading months go, at a glance, I'd say this was a sad effort.

Here's what I read in the last month.

Praise Me: Pilot

Oops Baby for the Rockstar

His One Exception

For Sale Baby Shoes Never Worn

It Takes a Psychic

Dies The Fire (full cast dramatized version) 🎧Graphic Audio 📘Kindle eBook

Pride and Prejudice (full cast dramatized version) 🎧Full Cast Audio 📘Kindle eBook

Solomon's Jar (full cast dramatized version) 🎧Graphic Audio

Cowboy's Last Stand

A Study In Brimstone (full cast dramatized version) 🎧Graphic Audio 📘Kindle eBook

September was, to put it mildly, a very sad reading month. Work was bonkers because one of my author clients decided it was a good idea to do a double release and send me the second book (an eighty-plus page prequel) twelve days before release day. Then I had to scramble to do all the things. I pulled it off - go me! But I think it also melted my brain.

Then I had some terrible, terrible health news in my ongoing battle with menopause and diabetes. It's not sexy, nor is it cute, so I won't bore you with the details. Suffice it to say, I'm not dead yet, but at one point I came very close to giving up. It's been an exhausting two and a half years on the health front.

Fortunately, a promised and much needed, booked in advance short break was right around the corner after the double book release and the (surprise very bad) health news, so I've had time to regroup. Four wonderful days of doing nothing but resting, sleeping, and being fed the most glorious food by a very good friend who became the executive chef of the hotel we stayed at. We did, in fact, intentionally book that short break just to catch up with him and eat his food.

On the book front, some stand outs. That prequel I mentioned? His One Exception was... how do I put it? Exceptional. I'm truly blown away by the writing, so kudos to Emma Hartlight for pulling off such a wonderful story in such a short time. Her debut full length novel, For Sale Baby Shoes Never Worn was wonderful too. It might not be for everyone since it's on the sweeter side, fade-to-black, but it's got a very interesting mystery thrown in to add excitement. If you value good writing, storytelling, and plot over spice, this might be for you. Shameless plug!!

Of course, Cassie Mint did not disappoint. I needed her version of a comfort read and Oops Baby for the Rockstar was lovely. And It Takes a Psychic by Jayne Castle aka Jayne Ann Krentz was clever and captivating once I got my brain back online enough to engage and read.

I listened to a full cast audio production (not Graphic Audio, sadly) of Pride and Prejudice and it was good. But sadly, I'm so familiar with the writing and the story that it felt old and repetitive rather than exciting and fresh. As much as I love the story and Jane Austen's writing, this has been done so much and I've read it so many times, watched every variation of the book in movie and TV adaptations, etc., etc., that it no longer holds the appeal for me that it used to.

And finally, another Graphic Audio win which is not even surprising at this point. Do I even listen to anything else? Solomon's Jar by Alex Archer was another fun addition to the Rogue Angel series and seeing how there are over sixty of these in Graphic Audio, I'm not going to be running out of listening material anytime soon.

I lied. I have one more finally. Another Graphic Audio. A Study In Brimstone by GS Denning. This was available to listen within the Plus catalog so I decided to try it out. Firstly, I'm slow at listening to audiobooks. I only get  half hour in each day, usually while doing chores—mostly when I'm cooking. It came out of Plus before I finished but it was SO good I ended up spending a credit on it. WORTH IT! This was so dang funny and clever. It's a paranormal/supernatural twist on the Sherlock Holmes stories and the first line in the blurb is "Sherlock Holmes is an unparalleled genius. Warlock Holmes is an idiot." He really is. But dang it, this was so much fun. At one point, while cooking lunch one day, I had to stop cooking because I was laughing so hard. In fact, I was laughing so much that Hubby thought I was either choking or dying and ran out of his office to check on me. I scared the poor man half to death and I'm sure I shaved a few years off his life. Anyhoo, funny. I could hardly breathe from laughing so hard and laughed for a good ten minutes straight. I've already bought the next one in the series to listen to. Bravo, Graphic Audio. This one was a winner.

Let's hope October is a better month.

So, what did you read for the last month? Tell me below.

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