Goldilocks is not a romance, but it is relevant to the interests of the large subset of Bitches who are both feminist and nerdy. This novel about women who steal a spaceship (!!!) is sciency, thrilling, and female-centric, and squarely aimed at those who stopped reading this review to one-click at the words “women who steal a spaceship.” For the few of you who remain, here’s more about the plot. In the not very distant … Continue reading Goldilocks by Laura Lam →
We were super tickled by this request sent in by Anna: This might be a vague question, but it’s for a library patron! I am looking for books with a similar relationship dynamic to Howl’s Moving Castle (not necessarily in a fantasy setting!) where the woman is plain, pragmatic, and reserved and the man is flamboyant, charismatic, and more conventionally attractive (same-sex pairings and queer and non-binary characters with similar dynamics welcome, just not straight … Continue reading The Rec League: Pragmatic Meets Flamboyant →
This book knocked me sideways with its charm, but nuts and bolts were falling apart for me from the second half. By the end I was infuriated with how some things were mishandled and other fucked up things were shoehorned in. A lot of what’s good about this book was really good, but the things that didn’t work for me downgraded my experience a lot. Matzah Ball Surprise is about Gaby and Levi who both … Continue reading Matzah Ball Surprise by Laura Brown →
Before you guys read this review I want to flag that the review includes discussion of: I honestly found this book very hard to read and hard to write about, especially with what’s in the news these days. I’m sorry if this is upsetting for you guys to read. I thought about not reviewing it but I think there is a worthwhile discussion to be had about what it means that a book like this … Continue reading War by Laura Thalassa →
Heiress Gone Wild is the fourth book in the Lady Truelove series. It stands alone – I have read the first book in the series, but not the others, and while characters from the previous books make appearances in the book, you certainly don’t need to know their stories to read this one. The story starts when Jonathan Deverill goes to collect his new ward, the daughter of an old friend, from her school in … Continue reading Heiress Gone Wild by Laura Lee Guhrke →
The Trouble With True Love is a historical romance that combines the ‘rake meets wallflower’ plot device with the ‘pretend dating’ plot device and the ‘advice columnist gets characters into trouble’ plot device. There’s nothing new here but it’s all quite delightful due to excellent characterization and use of language. Clara is a newcomer to Society and is shy. All her life she’s been overshadowed by her older sister (they mutually adore each other – … Continue reading The Trouble With True Love by Laura Lee Guhrke →
I recently shared on a podcast with Sarah that my mom would be undergoing a pretty major surgery, and I was stocking up on books to keep me out of my head (where my anxiety lives) while I waited during the procedure. Due to some complications (Mom is fine) I found myself once again camped out in the ICU waiting room. Turns out ICU waiting rooms are absolute shit for sleep but great for whittling … Continue reading Touch of Red by Laura Griffin →
For My Lady's Heart by Laura Kinsale is a Kindle Daily Deal today at $1.99, and that price is being matched at BN. Woot! (I'm leaving the Kobo link up in the event Kobo matches later today.) This is a powerful romance and is a reader favorite for many – though some struggle with the medieval language. This is the book Kat Mayo discusses in podcast 104 – it's one of her very favorite romances ever. … Continue reading Books on Sale: Re-Released Werestags, Laura Kinsale, and More! →
The Ideal Man by Julie Garwood is $2.99 digitally right now. This is a romantic suspense novel, the ninth in Garwood's Buchanan/Renard series. This book has a 3.85 GR average, and one reviewer, Shawna, calls it “romantic suspense lite” – more focus on character development, and less on the suspense. Other readers really liked the doctor heroine, especially when she's being watched over by the FBI agent hero. Dr. Ellie Sullivan has just completed her … Continue reading Books on Sale: Romantic Suspense from Julie Garwood, Heather Graham & Laura Kaye →
This RITA® Reader Challenge 2013 review was written by Fran. This story was nominated for the RITA® in the Romantic Suspense category. The summary: Motive, opportunity, and no alibi – it seems close to a slam-dunk. But while rookie detective Allison Doyle’s department has ID’d a suspect in a young woman’s vicious murder, she is uneasy. Then legendary FBI profiler Mark Wolfe shows up with a startling theory: if he’s right, the real murderer … Continue reading RITA Reader Challenge: Twisted by Laura Griffin →
This RITA® Reader Challenge 2013 review was written by Sassy Outwater. This story was nominated for the RITA® in the Romantic Suspense category. The summary: Motive, opportunity, and no alibi – it seems close to a slam-dunk. But while rookie detective Allison Doyle’s department has ID’d a suspect in a young woman’s vicious murder, she is uneasy. Then legendary FBI profiler Mark Wolfe shows up with a startling theory: if he’s right, the real … Continue reading RITA Reader Challenge: Twisted by Laura Griffin →
