So many incredible books to read in May. We're truly spoiled for choice this month. What's you on your Must Read Now list?
RECOMMENDED: The Blacksmith Queen by G.A. Aiken is $2.99! What a coincidence, as this was my one pick for hilarious reading in our latest Ready Set Go. I also gave this an A-. Seriously, it’s so much fun:
The Blacksmith Queen is a bloody, feminist romp that exudes girl power in all forms, and I’m envious of its fantasy girl squad.
CW: The death of a child, sexual assault, suicidal ideation The Lost Ones by Anita Frank lured me in with the promise of a Gothic set in WWI, but the pacing was massively slow and the characters largely unlikeable. As a result, I only finished the book because I needed resolution on the ghostly portion. This book actually made me grind my teeth, and at one point my cat, Dewey, shut the book on me … Continue reading The Lost Ones by Anita Frank
Hero in the Highlands by Suzanne Enoch is $2.99! This is the first book in the No Ordinary Hero series and has an enemies-to-lovers element. Some readers thought the romance felt forced, while others loved Enoch’s writing. Have you read this?
CW lifted from the book: The Girl Next Door includes a description of a sudden past death of a partner. I (Tara) am a Chelsea M. Cameron superfan, so I was excited when Shana asked if I wanted to review this with her. Unfortunately, although there were elements I liked about The Girl Next Door, it ultimately fell a little flat for me. Shana hasn’t read Cameron, but her catnip is small-town romances where a … Continue reading The Girl Next Door by Chelsea M. Cameron
Today, I’m talking rakes, rakesses, and historically ferocious women with Scarlett Peckham. We talk about what she calls her feminist primal scream book, The Rakess, about steely steadfast cinnamon roll heroes, and we deep dive into what we love about characters who destabilize and unpeel one another emotionally and, uh, literally. Also: a sneak peek into what’s next in her Sirens series and for the Charlotte Street series! TW/CW: talk about sexual harassment, the price … Continue reading 407. The Privileges of Being a Rakess with Scarlett Peckham
Time’s Convert by Deborah Harkness is $2.99! Fans of Harkness, please give me clarification. Can this one be read without reading the A Discovery of Witches series? Or is that essential to the story? If it’s the latter, Lara just wrote a great post about why the series is such a favorite for her.
This Rec League was sent into us by Deborah! Is there a good fantasy romance novel or series in which the heroine is normal and STAYS normal? I’m getting a bit tired of the Chosen One cliche and would like to read about a character who doesn’t have a billion hidden/latent talents and solves her problems like all us average plebs. Sarah: I think some of the Laurenston Pride books have heroines who are not … Continue reading The Rec League: “Normal” Heroines in Fantasy Romance
Time for the most evil recommendation feature we have: READY, SET, GO! Here are the rules: We pick a specific sub-genre, trope, or type of romance, and we have to make ONE recommendation for that type. ONE. YES, ONE. And no more than two sentences as to why. It’s a challenge! Which one book do you pick to fill that rec? This month we have a guest request from Susan T: “Since I don’t have to … Continue reading Ready, Set, Go: Un-Putdownable Romances
I may have already complained about this, but I’m going to complain again. It’s completely unfair that I have to deal with allergy season when I have avoided going outside way more than usual. And to make all the sinus pressure even worse, I have a wisdom tooth coming in. HOW! WHY! Frankly, this is bullshit. … The Smithsonian Channel is offering a free trial and may I suggest using it to watch their Baby Animal … Continue reading Links: Baby Animals & What is Love
