TW: Sexual Harassment The Stand-In is a celebrity romance that also celebrates female friendships, openly discusses the stigma against mental illness, and allows the main character the space to explore the complexities of being bi-racial. It does all of that without feeling unbalanced or taking away from the romance that’s the center of the plot. I listened to this on Audible and the narrator, Philippa Soo, does a wonderful job of delivering the story. Gracie Reed … Continue reading The Stand-In by Lily Chu →
Hey, everyone! It’s that time again! Please tell us what you’ve been reading and if you haven’t been reading anything, that’s okay too! Shana: I have a kindle unlimited trial and I’ve been burning through KU romances. My favorite so far is the short story Fall Into You by Georgina Kiersten. It’s a small town f/f about a chubby graphic designer whose childhood friend is now hot, butch and recently moved to town to open … Continue reading Whatcha Reading? June 2022, Part Two →
Good morning! It’s a slow content day, so that means Wednesday Links is up first thing! This evening, I will be off to Germany, after having weeks of anxiety about traveling. Thank goodness I also had therapy yesterday to get all my thoughts and feelings out. I have an overnight flight with a stopover in Iceland. I’m very excited to be reunited with my brother, who I haven’t seen in at least 3 years. Also, … Continue reading Links: Crochet, Farah Heron, & More →
In this week’s podcast episode, we’re looking at the book reviews for the March 2016 issue of RT Book Reviews. Thank you to Shannon Stacey for sending me this issue. You can also find all the RTRW content at our category page for Romantic Times Rewind. And, most importantly, if you want to listen and follow along with this entry, we have more detail in the audio, but you can click play and listen and read … Continue reading Romantic Times Rewind: March 2016 Reviews →
Last year, it was my New Year’s resolution to learn more about cheese. In pursuit of this knowledge, I decided to take a cheese pairing class of month at the lovely Curds&Co in my area. It’s a fabulous cheese shop owned and managed by an awesome team of women. Over the course of twelve classes, I got to know the management team well (shoutout to Marisa and Gillian!). My “Stay Gold, Horny Girl” sweatshirt definitely … Continue reading Romance Novels + Cheese Pairings →
January is my least favorite month. Every January, the steady stream of people hating their bodies intensifies into a deluge. Nonstop weight loss ads fill my tv screen and social media feed, promising dramatic, if unlikely, results. At gatherings, the delicious holiday cookies from December have been replaced with tasteless grain-free hockey pucks. Inevitably at least one family member will talk incessantly about their diet, while looking askance at my body. And I’m grumpy because … Continue reading Fat Representation in Romance: Counter-Programming with Fat Romances →
Today’s Kickass Women doubles as a SQUEE grade book review. Balloonomania Belles by Sharon Wright is a comprehensive, fun, and sometimes harrowing look at female aeronauts (who flew balloons) and parachutists (who jumped out of them) from the first days of ballooning through the Edwardian Era. This book is easy to read, well organized, and comprehensive. However, it’s not very technical so for the mechanics of ballooning and parachuting, you’ll want to look elsewhere. Additionally, … Continue reading Kickass Women in History: Balloonomania Belles →
Was there a Snark last week? Who knows! Time is a construct! Tara: I…cannot. Elyse: Looking at this is like having a fever dream. Shana No. No. No. This is bizarre, even by the (low) cover standards of Bella Books. Amanda: Ghost Ship meets The Shining, right? Sarah: They can keep their secrets. Thanks. CarrieS: Why is the bartender wearing a wig cap? Why is everything floating? Is it a ghost bar? Is it a … Continue reading Cover Snark: Drink Until It Makes Sense →
As the 1938 hurricane approaches Rhode Island, another storm brews in this New York Times bestselling beach read from the author of The Summer Wives and The Golden Hour. Lily Dane has returned to Seaview, Rhode Island, where her family has summered for generations. It’s an escape not only from New York’s social scene but from a heartbreak that still haunts her. Here, among the seaside community that has embraced her since childhood, she finds comfort in the familiar rituals … Continue reading A Hundred Summers →
In one of yesterday’s HaBOs, Amanda wrote about being grounded from the library for reading romance novels as part of her request to find her lost book – which was found because y’all know pretty much everything, including, I suspect tomorrow’s lottery numbers. Maybe. After Amanda’s lost book was identified as Silver Fire by Sally Stone, the discussion that evolved afterward was all about your memories of using the library, either the one at school or the one … Continue reading Library Memories →
On Bernadine Brown’s fifty-second birthday she received an unexpected gift—she caught her husband, Leo, cheating with his secretary. She was hurt—angry, too—but she didn’t cry woe is me. Nope, she hired herself a top-notch lawyer and ended up with a cool $275 million. Having been raised in the church, she knew that when much is given much is expected, so she asked God to send her a purpose. The purpose turned out to be a … Continue reading Bring on the Blessings →
