In case you missed it, we’re doing Whatcha Reading twice month! If you missed Part One, you can find it here.
This post is where we can talk books (obviously) and discuss all the good and bad we’ve read. Your TBR piles will never be the same and I inevitably end up adding at least two books from the comments section.
Let’s get started! So, whatcha reading?
Carrie: I’m almost done with The Bird King by G. Willow Wilson( A | BN | K | G | AB ) and it has been AMAZING.
Sarah: I cannot wait to hear about it.
Amanda: I’m getting ready to start The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren ( A | BN | K | G ). Their writing is so comforting for me and I think it’s what I need right now.
Elyse: I’m debating if I want to start Fumbled by Alexa Martin or A Prince on Paper by Alyssa Cole ( A | BN | K | G | AB ).
I just finished The Savior by JR Ward ( A | BN | K | G | AB ).
Sarah: I’m reading Stealing Luna by Carla de Guzman ( A ) – there’s a princess and a bodyguard and a plan to kidnap a dude for revenge. It’s dishy!
Amanda: Oh! We just mentioned that on Book Beat. It looks good!
By request, since we can’t link to every book you mention in the comments, here are bookstore links that help support the site with your purchases. If you use them, we greatly appreciate it, and if you’d prefer not to, no worries. Thanks for being a part of SBTB and hopefully, you’ve found some great books to read!
@Deianira recommended The First Faux Pas by Katy Leen. I see that it is currently free for Kindle readers.
Contemporary: I just inhaled The Austen Playbook which might well require me to re-read the first three books in her London Celebrities because I love Lucy Parker as a writer that much. Historical: I’m reading Louise Allen’s Married to a Stranger on hoopla: complex and layered relationship building. That’s always my experience with Allen’s work.
Now that I have guardianship, much of what I have been reading in the last two weeks is the paperwork for Medi-Cal applications for my bipolar teen with PTSD. No one seems to get that we don’t really have a month or two to wait for treatment.
On the book front, I re-read more Nora, The Obsession, which always makes me happy with the dog and the house porn and the matter-of-fact mechanic boyfriend. Though this time, I started thinking about how old her brother would have to be to have had all that schooling and it didn’t work. Still enjoyed it.
I also read At Our Service by Sandra Antonelli (thanks, Bitches). It was a lot of fun.
Now wending my way through Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Caine. It is interesting and nicely done.
Super busy school holidays in our little tourist town so haven’t had as much time to read as I’d like!
I finished Pipe Dreams by Sarina Bowen. A second-chance romance between a hockey-hating executive assistant and her ex, a hockey goalie. Considering the heroine’s attitude and how she was perceived by the other characters earlier in the series, I thought she had a very easy and quick change of heart about both the hero and about hockey. Otherwise it was very good, especially the depiction of the hero’s grieving 13-year-old daughter.
Then I re-read Brooklynaire, which happens concurrently with Pipe Dreams. It was a cute, sweet, low-angst friends-to-lovers. I adored the ending and the epilogue. I was really intrigued by one of the secondary characters, Alex, and would love to see a story about her!
I often enjoy DiscoDollyDeb’s recommendations, so I searched Overdrive for the Caitlin Crews HP she recently recommended. I couldn’t find it so instead I picked up a 2012 HP, The Man Behind the Scars. It was part of one of those epic, multi-author HP miniseries but seemed only tangentially related. The heroine is a part-time model who’s put in a perilous financial position by her mother and propositions a straightforward marriage of convenience to the hero. The focus on the main couple is intense and total – neither of them have family or friends to speak of, and they spend most of the novel at a remote Scottish estate. It has a very Beauty and the Beast feel to it – the hero (as per the title) is badly scarred and believes he’s an unloveable monster for… reasons; the estate has an enormous library; he asks her to join him for dinner each night. Both of them are damaged by their upbringing and it’s rather lovely to watch them break down each other’s barriers. Crews uses descriptions of weather and physical surroundings to set the atmosphere and ratchet up the tension, and the sexual tension is amazingly well-written and believable, relying on their developing feelings and physical attraction (not on mental lusting and inappropriate boners trying to create UST). My only complaint was the very quick resolution (due to the tight word count in HP??) – I would’ve liked to have seen a final scene or epilogue after their declaration of love.
Then I went to Janice Kay Johnston, one of my Harlequin Superromance stand-bys. In Because of a Girl, the cop hero falls for a single mom. The external conflict is that she has taken in her daughter’s pregnant 15-year-old best friend who disappears, and the heroine is something of a suspect; the internal conflict is that the heroine reminds him of his flighty mother who lit out on him when he was a child, and the heroine has serious trust issues. My favorite character was the teenage daughter who has a rather sweet secondary romance while trying to track down her friend. (The missing pregnant teenager is found alive & well, which, although I was glad about that, was kind of a plot hole.)
Going through some bookshelves I came across and re-read Karina Bliss’s Superromance What the Librarian Did. A prequel of sorts to her Rock Solid series, with Devin the ex-rock star hero and Rachel the librarian hero. Adults acting like adults, and I liked them together, but the secondary storyline took away from the romance, which had a lot of push-pull and back-and-forth then happened really quickly. I’ll have to re-read Rise, because I despised Zander (Devin’s brother) in this book and need to see how Bliss turned him into a hero in his own book.
I’m currently reading The Marriage Contract by Katee Robert and enjoying it; and slogging my way through the non-fiction Village of Secrets: Defying the Nazis in Vichy France by Catherine Moorehead. It’s a bit dry so far.
I’ve gone back to academia at the age of 45 after a ten year hiatus for babies, and it’s been hard concentrating on my reads. But I discovered, when in trouble, pick something else up and go back to it.
So my random side steps were:
– Re-read of The Hating Game by Sally Thorne, I loved it more than the first time back in 2016, hard act to follow.
– Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins: YA, but I so adored this easy romantic read with heart, I didn’t even miss the absence of sex (LOL).
– Theirs for the Night by Katee Robert, book 1 of the Thelanian Dynasty – Free on Amazon. This is ménage erotica, and was Sexy AF!! Way too short though, lots of questions to answer, I Must Read The Series!!
So, after these, have gone back to reading Mine to Possess by Nalini Singh, book 4 of the Psi/Changeling series. I’ve loved this series, but struggled with this one; however by the time I picked it back up at about 35%, they’ve resolved the issues I was having fault with (his possessiveness, jealousy and slut shaming and ultimately his alpha-ness – maybe I’ve outgrown alpha heroes?), with communication and talking it out, and I’ve been loving it since. Devouring it, when I get time.
I’ve really enjoyed ARCs of Proper English by KJ Charles (f/f Edwardian, murder mystery), American Fairytale by Adriana Herrera (m/m contemporary, latinx characters), Made For You by Anyta Sunday (m/m contemporary, found family theme), That Kind of Guy by Talia Hibbert (m/f contemporary, fake relationship, friends to lovers, black older heroine) and Red, White & Royal Blue (m/m contemporary, royal/celebrity theme, new adult).
I just finished Tessa Bailey’s short, touching m\m romance set on the Jersey Shore, “Heat Stroke”. I liked it a lot. A muscle bound gym rat has had a confusing crush for 3 years on the brainy, sexy professor that he can’t stop thinking about.
I also read Scarlett Scott’s “Darling Duke” and “Heartless Duke”. Both made me want read more of her catalog.
Currently book-hungover from the newest PsyCop book ‘Murder House’ – Cleo is absolutely right that it’s a book for fans, because it was truly so much fun to be back in Vic’s head. It was also an unexpectedly sweet love letter to Jacob, and the ending pretty much sent me into a tsunami of feels.
Also really liked LaQuette’s ‘Under His Protection’ – it checked all the right boxes for a good romance, plus bonus points for great family relationships. An uncomplicated read for when you’re in the mood for something quick and dirty but still warm and fulfilling.
Right now I’m just killing time until the new Mia Hopkins book ‘Trashed’ comes out (mark your calendars for 16 July!). ‘Thirsty’ was my best read of 2018 and I’m soooo excited for the next in the series!
::::hops in to the Avengers theme, because you know that’s what I did yesterday:::
These entries won’t be quite as long for me, with the twice a month thing. I finished Defy the Fates, and ultimately really liked how that story wrapped up, in that it was the beginning of another one, and felt very optimistic in that way. It felt very Star Wars in that way, which is kind of interesting, since Claudia Gray writes a lot of Star Wars books. Then I read A Duke In Disguise by Cat Sebastian. I liked how it played with gothic tropes, and the heroine was prickly and interesting, and some of the sex scenes were, ahem, CREATIVE. And now I’m reading The Austen Playbook by Lucy Parker, which is warm and delightful, funny and hot. So it’s the book version of Jason Momoa, maybe. Also, whoever mentioned the whole Slytherin/Hufflepuff romance thing before is RIGHT. I think that’s eventually going to be a full trope in its own right, says the Hufflepuff (I married a Gryffindor, though). Till next time, keep the socks dry, folks. Or wear sandals. Whatever.
Miranda in Milan – Katharine Duckett, this book takes place after Miranda and her father Prospero leave their island and he resumes his rule over Milan. While I’m a huge fan of Shakespeare, I’ve always hated Prospero but this book basically strips away the happy forgiving mood with which The Tempest ends and gives us a Prospero who continues to be not only manipulative but evil. Miranda, an underwritten character in the play, discovers all that her father kept from her, gains an understanding of her own biases and falls in love with her maid. I loved it
The Silent Patient – Alex Michaelides, about an artist who murders her husband and then never speaks another word and a psychotherapist who becomes obsessed with her case. Although I love mysteries I generally avoid this psychological thriller genre. Not bad but I figured it out quickly.
The Austen Playbook – Lucy Parker, Along with seemingly everyone else I really liked this. Parker is very good with banter, acerbic heroes and warm but sarcastic heroines, but the characters feel genuine and they seem to be talking to each other rather than the reader. I especially appreciate the scenes of realistically imperfect sex. There is never any smoothly flipping a woman over like a ragdoll to reposition her in Parker’s books.
Forever In Your Service (In Service Book 2) – Sandra Antonelli – so much catnip! Super competent female butler, tough guy spy who cries and reads romance novels, sharp dialogue, awkward sex, what’s not to love? I could do without the violence, it feels realer and more painful here than it does in many books, as do all the interactions between Mae and Kit even when some of the events seem far-fetched, so I suppose even the violence is necessary.
Lady Derring Takes a Lover – Julie Anne Long, I really liked this historical about a pair of women, a new widow and her husband’s mistress meeting after his death, realizing they are both destitute, and joining forces to renovate and establish a boarding house. I’ve seen some comments elsewhere complaining that the romance seems like a subplot and while it’s true that the relationship of the women and the running of the boarding house gets at least as much page time as the romance, I found this to be realistic and the interactions that Delilah and Tristan did have were both funny and laden with sexy undercurrents. And the stiff and cynical Tristan writes a love poem which is truly wonderful.
A Dangerous Duet – Karen Odden nearly a dnf. There were too many serious issues, mental illness, sexual abuse of minors in orphanages that functioned as window dressing, or worse as unconvincing rationales for engaging in and covering up criminal activity. Then excusing the crimes with claims that the perpetrator is a good man.
A Dangerous Collaboration (A Veronica Speedwell Mystery Book 4)- Deanna Raybourn – I read this last month when it first came out and was uncertain about my opinion so I decided to listen to the audiobook and my meh rating is now confirmed. There is finally some advancement in the very slow burn romance but I’m disappointed in the lack of growth in the main characters. For most of the book Stoker is still behaving like a hot and cold tease towards Veronica while resorting to violence (against others) too readily and Veronica, who I have always appreciated for her honesty in sexual matters is still remarkably inconsistent in her judgements of people and is significantly more sympathetic towards men then women. Especially of Stoker’s brother Tiberius who is a sociopath and who I’m really tired of.
A Nefarious Engagement: (Beatrice Hyde-Clare Mysteries Book 4) – Lynn Messina, A breezy cosy mystery series filled with many absurd conversations, it’s unexpectedly good. Although the action sometimes veers into farce the relationship between the spinster Beatrice and the pompous Duke of Kesgrave is characterized by a gradual but real understanding of each other, the Duke’s willingness to stand by and let Beatrice make her own discoveries rather than stepping in and taking charge speaks of genuine love and respect. My main complaint is that the books are too short and too much time is spent rehashing situations from the previous installments, particularly annoying in a book that is only 200 pages long.
The Duke’s Tattoo: A Regency Romance of Love and Revenge, Though Not in That Order – Miranda Davis, DNF
I’m not sure what convinced me to try this, I despise revenge plots and it’s right there in the title! A woman has a man captured and mutilated with an embarrassing tattoo’d phrase directly above his genitals in revenge for sexual advances made years before which saw her thrown out of her family. Wait, it’s the wrong man and she really didn’t mean it, she was just fantasizing about revenge with her employees. High jinks ensue! Yuck. This is horrifying and I find it no more acceptable than the much more common storyline of men exacting abusive retribution on women who subsequently fall in love with their abuser. I’m the wrong audience for this I suppose but the willingness to cause harm to someone who initially means nothing to you is more than a character blip corrected by love. It has glowing reviews which just depresses me.
Most of my reading time since the last Whatcha Reading was spent rereading The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. I was inspired to do so by the cathedral fire; I last read the book in junior high, almost (gulp) thirty years ago. It is very much not a romance, but I knew that going in, and I’m glad I revisited it. Before that, I read and enjoyed Artistic License by Elle Pierson, (aka Lucy Parker) intending to go right on to The Austen Playbook when it was released, but I was sidetracked by The Hunchback of Notre-Dame. Then my library request of Christina Lauren’s Beautiful Secret became available, so I’ve just started that.
@Kristen, such a great description of A Man Behind The Scars, I’m with you about the ending. Despite really liking it I was left worried about their future. Rafe not only had physical scarring but deep emotional scars from a family who were verbally abusive to him. Then the black moment in the story comes and he in turn verbally eviscerates Angel. I wish there had been some acknowledgement about how difficult this cycle of abuse is to overcome even when you love someone. That man needs counseling as well as love.
I personally wish more of Caitlin Crews recent HP’s were like this rather than all the shock! widow/slut/new mother is a virgin type she seems to be doing now.
I read The Bird King by G. Willow Wilson and really enjoyed it a lot. I wandered into Barnes & Noble today and was surprised to find “Arctic Sun” by Annabeth Albert on the shelf. (Queer romance is a rarity there.) I also picked up “The Matchmaker’s List” by Sonya Lalli because it looked like fun. Also have “Internment” by Samira Ahmed and “The Children of Jocasta” by Natalie Haynes from the library.
There has not been much pleasure reading in my life the past month due to an intense deadline at work while dealing with a sinus infection. Exhausting, but behind me now. My most recent reads are A Notorious Vow by Joanna Shupe and The Devil of a Duke by Madeline Hunter which each took well over a week to read and both were appreciated for their strong heroines. I am currently re-reading Deception by Amanda Quick, recently on sale, and immediately remembered the hero must be a pirate/buccaneer running joke. I also remembered reading parts of the book to one of my friends. “A woman of the world” became one of our catch phrases at work.
It was a month with a bad back, so more time for reading.
Awesome
Boykin, Alma – Miners and Empire. A slight fictionalization of medieval stonecutting and mining (there’s a bit of magic, but not much). It’s a great addition to her Merchants and Empire series. Some plot, but more day to day life. It shouldn’t have been as fascinating as it was, but it reminded me of why I like to read. And I craved dark rye bread by the time I was done.
Soto, Ada Marie – Empty Nests; Bowerbirds. From the author of His Quiet Agent. A contemporary romance between a tech support single dad and a Silicon Valley executive. Set in the Bay Area it was refreshing to see people stuck in traffic, doing laundry, and other real life things. I read these two books and then immediately started from the beginning to read them again.
Great
Cooper, R. – Izzy and the Right Answer (YA). My kindle kept telling me to read this. It is definitely YA and very much about trying to figure out your identity and first love at college. Very sweet. Also read some of her shorter works, which were Good, but not Great including Checking Out Love and Some Kind of Magic.
Derr, Megan – Blood and Marriage; A nice novella addition to her Unbreakable soldier series. This has an Aromantic hero, and its refreshingly seen as a given, not something to be cured.
Dunstall, S. K. – Linesman series – Took the plunge and enjoyed this. So much so, I was very sad when I realized there was no book 4.
Gala, Lyn – Earth Fathers are Weird. [M/?] A fighter pilot is rescued by aliens and has to earn money for the passage back to earth. He thinks it’s a nanny job for a tentacled alien (that he nicknames Rick) but the translator isn’t working well. Not a comedy, but a very enjoyable read.
Laurenston, Shelly – The Badger Way. Enjoyed it! Made me want to re-read her other works, so I did!
Nordgren, Wendie – The remainder of the Space Merchants series. This series has made me angry and sad and a couple other things. I think I even ‘hate read’ for part of it. But then the heroine starts to get a brain, and starts to use said brain. And she calls out the people for acting poorly.
Ok
Buroker, Lindsay – Star Nomad. Space adventure!
DeCandido, Keith – Dragon Precinct [3]. More crime procedural than fantasy. Which might have been the point.
King, Davidson – Snow Falling; Hug it Out. These are dark. Oh the angst. But I kept reading to find out the ending.
Galenorn, Yasmine – Blood Music ; Bewitching Bedlam. Witches and other creatures on an island near Seattle. I’m not sure whether I’ll invest the time to read the rest of the series. It was OK, but didn’t get to like the heroine or understand the hero.
Marie, Annette – Three Mages and a Margarita series. It was cute, it was fun. Kind of Urban Fantasy light. Enjoyable. And I’ll read the next one when it comes out.
Sue, Victoria – In Safe hands. Romantic suspense. I remember liking it, but not much else.
Not so great
Cothern, Brenda – Witch’s Brew 2. I liked the premise on this, and I remember liking the previous one in the series. It was going good places and I started to like the heroes. However, they had an issue with not talking and there were plot holes (like an entire hook up which seemed part of another story and was never mentioned again). And then it ended. Without resolution.
@Jennifer Estep the Marjorie Liu “Black Widow” comic series from 2010 is pretty good from what I remember. It’s only eight issues long and I think she only wrote the first arc (1-5). I also think the 2014 series was well recieved at the time. I don’t have any real recommendations for Cap comics.