I said in Whatcha Reading about reading Lavender’s Blue, “In some ways my brain feels like I am putting on clothing from two jobs ago that fit but feel strange and familiar at the same time.” Now that I’ve finished it and sat with my thoughts and tried (several times) to write out a longer impression, I agree with my earlier assessment that it is both strange and familiar, but disagree with the idea that … Continue reading Lavender’s Blue by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer →
Unsuccessful English writer Henry’s novel sells to no one. But when his book is suddenly a surprise hit in Mexico, his publicist insists he travel there on a promotional tour. Upon arrival, a confused Henry discovers the reason behind his novel’s popularity – Mexican translator Maria has rewritten his dull book into a steamy erotic novel. As tempers flare between them, the sparks begin to fly. … I have a teensy crush on Sam Claflin … Continue reading Movie Review: Book of Love →
Trigger warning for on-page suicide attempt Claudia and I (CarrieS) are suckers for good historical fiction, good historical romance, and Beauty and the Beast retellings. So we were excited about At Summer’s End, in which an artist (Bertie, short for Alberta) takes a job at an English estate following WWI and meets an isolated, traumatized, and scarred survivor named Julian. While this book did a decent job with the tricky themes of PTSD and disfigurement … Continue reading At Summer’s End by Courtney Ellis →
The Duke Who Loved Me is a friends to lovers romance between James Cantrell, the new Duke of Tereford, and Miss Cecelia Vainsmede, the daughter of the man who acted as his guardian during his minority. It has some fun and interesting things going on in the background to the story, but it missed the mark for me for two reasons. The first was James’s insufferable self-centredness, and the second was the failure to resolve … Continue reading The Duke Who Loved Me by Jane Ashford →
CW: Off the page suicide attempt of a minor character. Classism, including jokes about hobos. The blurb for Last Tang Standing recommends it for “fans of Crazy Rich Asians and Bridget Jones’s Diary.” I liked those books, and I can see the superficial similarities—this is a humorous diary set in wealthy Singapore—but this book doesn’t bring much of an original perspective to the story of a 30-something finding themselves. Last Tang Standing tries so hard … Continue reading Last Tang Standing by Lauren Ho →
I read Cowboy Wolf Trouble because I rarely read cowboy or shifter romances, and I was in the mood for something different. Well, I got something different, all right. Many of the things I disliked about this book will be pure catnip to other readers, but a few things were straight up problematic. However, I can’t deny that I zipped right through this book wondering what was going to happen next. Forgive my frequent use … Continue reading Cowboy Wolf Trouble by Kait Ballenger →
How to Catch an Errant Earl is the second in Amy Rose Bennett’s “Disreputable Debutantes” series. It has a loveable heroine but the hero is such a douchebag that I simply could not even. The heroine of this novel is Miss Arabella Jardin. She is one of four friends who were expelled from Mrs. Rathbone’s Academy for Young Ladies of Good Character for “conduct unbecoming.” I assume we hear more about this in the first … Continue reading How to Catch an Errant Earl by Amy Rose Bennett →
Blitzed is the third book in Alexa Martin’s Playbook series. I spent the entire time I was reading it thinking that it was the final book, but just so you don’t go into it with the same misconception: It’s not the final book! There is a fourth book, Snapped, to come. The heroine of Blitzed is Brynn, owner of HERS, a bar created predominantly for women. HERS has reached a level of fame that Brynn … Continue reading Blitzed by Alexa Martin →
Alright, bitches, I watched The Knight Before Christmas so you don’t have to. Or so that you will watch it immediately. It’s on Netflix and I’m not here to judge your choices. I highly recommend that you use the subtitles because they are, presumably accidentally, super funny. I was disappointed by this film even when judged by the standards of other holiday films, but I will admit that the leading man is cute. The plot … Continue reading Movie Review: The Knight Before Christmas →
Madeline Hunter is a talented writer, but this novella did not work for me at all. Adam Prescott, the Baron of Thornhill, is kidnapped by a mysterious lady and gentleman after he briefly exits a mail coach on his way to his cousin’s home for Christmas. He’s held at gunpoint and carried off to a mysterious estate. Caroline’s animosity and kidnapping bewilders Adam, but he is nonetheless attracted to her. Because falling in love with … Continue reading A Christmas Abduction by Madeline Hunter →
I’m a fan of Tana French’s Dublin Murder Squad books, so I was excited to see she was releasing a standalone mystery. To my disappointment, The Witch Elm has a great premise, but shaky execution. The book opens with our narrator, Toby, going home after a night out with the lads. Toby is described as one of those guys who manages to navigate the stickiest of situations without suffering any consequences–case in point, he’s recently massively screwed … Continue reading The Witch Elm by Tana French →
