Whatcha Reading for September is here! Are you ready? We are!
Susan: No Good Men by Thea McAlistair! ( A | BN | K | AB ) The protagonist is a pulp writer moonlighting as the mayor’s bodyguard to get by, which is a great job until the mayor gets shot. Now he’s being blackmailed by a reporter, flirted with by the “grieving” widow, and flirting with mob assassins while trying to find out whodunnit. It’s pulpy noir with a queer protagonist, which is definitely my speed.
Catherine: Our conversation about Georgette Heyer sent me back to my Heyer shelf, so I’m now reading The Masqueraders ( A | BN | K | G | AB ) and I am delighted to say it has not been visited by the suck fairy or the even the Problematic Ideas About How Noble Blood Makes Noble People fairy, and it is just as much fun as ever. It’s such a satisfying story on so many levels. I love the adventure and the high romance, and also the sheer competency porn of how good Robin and Prudence are at playing their respective roles. And Sir Tony, who thinks Prudence is just wonderful, and who also understands that you can’t say yes unless you also know that you can say no, which is framed as chivalry, but I am THERE for heroes who are very clear about what they want but don’t push.
Also, I’m now really relating to Prudence and that whole ‘yes, you really are very brilliant indeed, now how are we actually going to address this problem?’ attitude to her father. I had not previously considered this, but she would be a brilliant academic administrator.
Ellen: I just finished The Tokaido Road by Lucia St. Clair Robson while I was in Japan. Being in Japan during a trip where I went from Tokyo to Kyoto and reading a book about a (much more difficult, on foot) trip from Tokyo to Kyoto was delightful. The book is incredibly well-researched and I found it really enjoyable. There is a romance subplot but the central theme is honor and vengeance for people (especially women) of the samurai class.
Sarah: Ellen, that is so cool.
I have been reading The Admiral’s Penniless Bride by Carla Kelly ( A | K | G | AB ). This book has been recommended to me so many times (marriage of convenience, quiet pining) and wow were all those recommendations spot on. (edits after I read more) While much of Kelly’s backlist is both comforting and harrowing – there’s a lot of war and trauma mixed with decent people trying to make the best of their lives – this one sometimes tips toward the latter.
Amanda: I’ve been having a bit of a separation from romance, but I’ve been picking up a lot of romance-adjacent things. After much poking and prodding, I’m finally going to read Uprooted by Naomi Novik ( A | BN | K | G | AB ).
Charlotte: I’ve been stress-rereading a bunch lately. I just reread a bunch of Carolyn Jewel’s paranormals and the entire Ilona Andrews’ Hidden Legacy series.
For new to me stuff, Kelley Armstrong’s Rockton novels, which are thrillers but with a romantic subplot.
Amanda, I really enjoyed Uprooted. It has a strong Robin McKinley vibe.
Aarya: In non-fiction, I’m going through Dr. Jen Gunter’s The Vagina Bible after listening to her podcast with Sarah. I was hesitant to start it because I’m not great with medical non-fiction (I don’t understand it easily and it doesn’t hold my attention for long). But I was wrong, and the book is flat out amazing and accessible, even to people who normally struggle with nonfiction. I firmly believe that every person with a vagina should read this book. I thought I was well-informed about my body, and it has become clear to me that I am not. So it’s a little embarrassing to reflect on my ignorance, but I’ll take a smidge of shame if that’s what it takes to educate me.
In romance, I’m reading Adriana Herrera’s American Love Story (out in October) ( A | BN | K | G | AB ). I’m enjoying it so far, and here are two things I appreciate outside the angsty romance: 1) the book is set in Ithaca, and it’s a throughly weird and thrilling feeling to read about your former home and have the details be right; and 2) the book does not shy away from tackling issues like racial injustice, and it feels so right and true to life. It’s not a breezy read, but it’s worthwhile and thoughtful in a way that I’ve rarely encountered. I haven’t finished yet, so I’m hopeful the book stays strong.
Shana: I just finished a bunch of great books and have been aimlessly picking at my TBR shelf. I’ve gotten furthest into Hearts Like Hers by Melissa Brayden, a f/f about a woman who runs a coffee shop. There are lots of delicious coffee descriptions. I’m thinking about jumping ship for the faster paced Duke in Disguise by Cat Sebastian.
Elyse: I just had a bunch of books magically appear on my Kindle for new release Tuesday and I’m super excited to start The Nanny by Gilly Macmillan ( A | BN | K | G | AB ).
Claudia: I’m a bit between things again. I had a rare DNF (I’m a… completionist? There should be a word for people who read a book through the end despite their mounting reservations about it.) If a book bores me, I usually skim; this one, The Taming of the Shrew by Shana Galen, came closer to making me angry, and it was boring. I’m loving my current read, though, and stayed up way too late last night because I couldn’t put it down. That’s Gilded Cage by K.J. Charles, which I plan on reviewing. So far, it’s really enjoyable.
Lara Diane: I am swimming in the glorious forest of Ixia pretending to be Yelena. Shout out to anyone who’s with me on this! Rereading Poison Study ( A | BN | K | Scribd ) and Magic Study both by Maria V Snyder never fails to ease my heart. I’m currently hunting for my next new romance… and my fellow Smart Bitches are giving me ideas. Yes, please!
Tara: I just finished a book, so I’m looking forward to finally diving in to Reverb by Anna Zabo. I’ve been excited about it for a while because I love celebrity romances.
Amanda: So interesting because I HATE celebrity and rock star romances.
Tara: Give me every celebrity romance. Actors, rock stars, popular authors. I don’t care. I want them all in my eyeballs if there’s one or more queer ladies in them. I’m excited that there’s a trans dude in this one too. I don’t see that often.
Elyse: I’m with you, Tara!
Carrie: I am loving How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse by K. Eason, and I also just started The Library of the Unwritten by A.J. Hackwith ( A | BN | K | G | AB ). So far I’m loving both but won’t say a lot here because I’m working on reviews.
My current bathroom book is The Portable Beat Reader, which I’m reading for another project. I’m both enjoying re-reading the Beats and consumed by an urge to run them all over with a large truck.
AJ: I just started Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir and I am LOVING. IT. It’s everything I wanted and more. Plus it goes with my decor!
Which books have you finished so far?
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Have you guys seen the trailer for the Dublin Murders, based off the Tana French series? It looks so gooooood. Coming to Starz in November!
Faves
– THIS IS HOW YOU LOSE THE TIME WAR by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone (audiobook) – a very scifi f/f romance, and it’s almost a prose poem, it’s so beautifully written. Weird, in a great way.
– MARCH SISTERS: ON LIFE, DEATH, AND LITTLE WOMEN by Kate Bolick, Jenny Zhang, Carmen Maria Machado, & Jane Smiley – each sister is covered in an essay by one of the contributors. I liked the Beth & Amy essays the most. (Amy is my favorite sister, shhhh)
– WRITTEN IN MY OWN HEART’S BLOOD by Diana Gabaldon – this one, um, goes off the rails a little bit but that wackiness made it the most exciting volume in the series since VOYAGER, imo. And I found myself liking the Brianna/Roger storyline more than the Claire/Jamie storyline for the first time ever.
– A ROOM WITH A VIEW by E.M. Forster – okay so, I liked the book fine. But the 1985 movie that I just watched? Incredible.
– BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER #7 by Jordie Bellaire & David Lopez – Willow and the divide in her soul, love that it’s coming in this early. New art is still weirding me out.
GOOD
– THAT AIN’T WITCHCRAFT by Seanan McGuire – ghosts and a big old house and case to solve. So much fun.
– THE RIVER by Peter Heller (audiobook) – adventure story. Great on audio. Best to go in knowing very little about the plot.
– THE TURN OF THE KEY by Ruth Ware – big old house! Ghosts, maybe! I think this is Ware’s most gothic book and it’s my favorite so far
– THORN by Anna Burke – f/f Beauty & the Beast! Pretty great!
– A NATURAL HISTORY OF DRAGONS / TROPIC OF SERPENTS by Marie Brennan (audiobooks) – pleasant listens but I kinda wish there were more dragons?
– THE RIGHT SWIPE by Alisha Rai – I wish I liked the characters more. But the writing is good!
Meh
– THE WICKED + THE DIVINE: BOOK ONE by Kieron & Jamie McKelvie – the art is gorgeous and I wanted to love this but the story made no sense and I couldn’t follow the main character’s motivations at all
– LEADING MEN by Christopher Castellani – too many storylines over too many time shifts but I liked the descriptions of Italy.
Currently Reading
– SHE LIES IN WAIT by Gytha Lodge – first in a new police mystery series set in England. Strong so far.
HOW TO LOVE A DUKE IN TEN DAYS by Kerrigan Byrne. TW: Rape and murder. Victorian historical. Lady Alexandra is raped in her final year in school. I debated reading on, since the subject matter seemed too grim for my mood, but I decided to give it a chapter or two. Byrne’s good writing, great characters and overflowing crazy sauce made it worth while. Her literal partners in crime go by “Red Rogues” and use male versions of their names. I can’t wait to read their stories. Piers, the Duke in the title was the moody/broody then sweet and tender. I thought the BIG SECRET and accompanying angst went on a bit too long.
BILLIONAIRE’S WAKE-UP-CALL GIRL by Annika Martin. Fun and funny, just the lift I needed. The plot had certain logic in its crazy set up. She is NOT a call girl, she provides a wake call service, just for the head of the company, who does not know her identity. SPOILER/MINI RANT: The wake up call rapidly becomes phone sex, but what bothered me was that he referred to her “pink pussy”, how did he know she was caucasian? He didn’t know if she was 75 (nothing wrong with that) or even fit norms of beauty (which, of course, she does). I would like to think it wouldn’t matter…?, Before and after that hump, it really did enjoy it.
I FINALLY finished Sanderson’s Oathbringer, which was really good, but at 1200 pages, puts the ‘epic’ in epic fantasy. A- because he could have used an editor in some places.
I also finished Kelley Armstrong’s Cainsville series. Eh. B-. When they weren’t on the love triangle, the plot was good. I picked up her Exit Strategy on a Kindle sale, so I’ll be interested in how that plays out.
A Capitol Death by Lindsey Davis. The latest in her Flavia Albia series and the best yet! I already loved Albia and now, I ADORE Tiberius Manlius Faustus.
Currently reading Old Bones by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. This is their new series and features Corrie Swanson and Nora Kelly. After Oathbringer, it feels like a Little Golden Book 🙂
OMG Tana French is coming to Starz! EEEEEE.
Not a lot of reading this month, but I’ve made good choices with what little time I have.
SHIVA’S BOW by Skyla Dawn Cameron: The fourth Livi Talbot novel, about a disgraced former debutante/single mom/tomb raider who understands the importance of relationships (even with sketchy strangers when they have to work together to stay alive). A yeti gets kicked in the nuts. I’m sure somebody’s pissed about the last-chapter revelation, but I considered it a narrative inevitability for the series and am happy it went there. Reassuring spoiler that takes place entirely within the first couple of chapters, so it shouldn’t spoil anything but a sick feeling: Her daughter is examined for sexual abuse, but that is NOT what happened. It’s a different medical issue. The kid is safe.
SOURDOUGH (OR, LOIS AND HER ADVENTURES IN THE UNDERGROUND MARKET) by Robin Sloan: Overworked programmer is gifted with a sourdough starter that radically changes her life. I suffered the double-edged sword of knowing too much (“yay, I understood that reference” but also “lol, that sourdough rose HOW fast?”), but since the starter also sings and lights up, I could mostly suspend disbelief for the lol wut parts. Lightly funny. Low stress. Colorful characters. Probably the first time since childhood I’ve wanted to live a book.
I’m participating in Joyfully Jay’s reading challenge.
I read City Boy for New To Me Author Week: m/m A pro-hockey player hooks up with an apple farmer. This started as 2 star book, the main characters connected super fast. I kept reading since it was for the challenge and it got so much better. The relationship building was good. Ended as a 3.5 star book.
I read How to be a Normal Person (TJ Klune) for Diversity Week: m/m neuro-atypical(?) guy falls in love with an asexual hipster. I liked it a lot but I spent the whole book on edge waiting for extra angst to kick in (which didn’t happen but I was worried) 4/5 stars
I started Not your Sidekick by CB Lee
‘Devil In Winter’, by Lisa Kleypas. Normally I don’t like romances with gaming / gambling pubs as a setting, but I’m really enjoying this book.
‘Once Upon A Star’, by Nora Roberts and other authors.
I told myself I was taking an extended break from the ‘Outlander’ novels, but I found myself starting ‘The Fiery Cross’ last weekend. I’m going to go at my own pace and not try to out-race the TV series anymore. I haven’t even seen the fourth season yet, but I’ll get to it whenever I get to it.
I read two of Mary Balogh’s books from the Westcott series (Someone to Love and Someone to Hold.) They’re…okay. More slow burn than I usually go for and I wasn’t really buying the romance in the first one. The felt older than I would have thought given the 2016 copyright.
Finished THE KINGDOM OF COPPER (the sequel to The City of Brass)—it was excellent although suffers slightly from being the middle book in a trilogy. Good plot advancement, but no real resolution. Can’t wait for the third one!
Also really enjoyed COME AS YOU ARE. I know Emily Nagoski is popular around these parts and I can say it’s a well-deserved reputation. Definitely recommend to anyone who is a woman or who has sex with women.
And in what I think was my most amusing work teleconference ever, a client of mine and I ended up sharing our cross-stitch projects (a sampler of microbes and and bluebird with a ribbon that said “trust no bitch”) so I’m also browsing The Stranded Stitch Etsy shop. Pretty sure there’s a “Feminist AF” project in my near future.
Re: Diana Gabaldon: OUTLANDER holds a special place in my memory (16 year old me found the first-person sex scenes to be revelatory—the idea having my own narrative about sex rather than being the object of someone else’s narrative blew my mind. Fuck you, patriarchy), but man, they got too weird and rapey. And I wish they hadn’t because I’d like to finish the story, but I can’t quite manage it.
Two new books from Kati Wilde! It almost makes up for having to wait until September 30 for LOSING IT ALL.
I don’t read much shifter romance, but when Kati Wilde—one of my all-time favorite writers—publishes a shifter story, I’m there. In Wilde’s TEACHER’S PET WOLF, a shy school teacher is attacked by a werewolf and subsequently transforms into one every full moon—a process that hurts and scares her so much she retreats even further into her quiet personality. She is unaware that the forest ranger she’s been crushing on for a year is a wolf shifter (born, not bitten, into the shifter world, he had nothing to do with the attack on the heroine). He has been drawn to her even before the attack and he is determined to help her once he learns the truth of her condition. Perhaps because I’m now more conversant with shifter lore and the conventions of shifter romances, I enjoyed TEACHER’S PET WOLF more than Wilde’s earlier foray into the shifter world, HIGH MOON (which is not a bad book, but contains an eye-glazing amount of information about shifters). I felt that WOLF was less about the logistics of shifting and more about learning to accept all the disparate parts of yourself to become a fully-integrated person. Also, Wilde always writes scorching sex scenes which, while extremely explicit, possess a strong emotional component, and TEACHER’S PET WOLF is no exception—it has some of the hottest sex scenes I’ve read this year. I recommend this book, even if (like me) you’re not much of a shifter reader. Now I’m waiting for Wilde’s next shifter book featuring the heroine’s sister (a sheriff) and the hero’s brother (a former army ranger and, oh yeah, a bear shifter)—that should be fun.
THE MIDNIGHT BRIDE, the latest in Kati Wilde’s Dead Lands fantasy series, was also published earlier this month—although it was first released as an audiobook back in June as a part of the Read Me Romance line. This earlier release as an audiobook made me wonder if some of Wilde’s writing choices (the story of a princess on a quest and the barbarian warrior who both helps and hinders her is entertaining but also wildly over-the-top in tone, style, and plot) were dictated by the fact that the book was first to be released in audio. I rarely listen to audiobooks because the way I process a story usually requires me to see the words, but I have to think that a writer may make different choices based on whether what she’s writing will be read or heard first. Anyway, I think an interesting conversation could be had about whether authors do write differently for different mediums. Compared to THE MID-WINTER MAIL-ORDER BRIDE (my favorite Dead Lands book), THE MIDNIGHT BRIDE has more of a medieval-epic-quest-legend vibe—as if every character is a type, rather than an individual; but all of Wilde’s reliable characteristics are there too: strong heroine (she thinks of herself as “only a woman with no power except for her courage and her will”), alpha-but-not-alphahole hero, challenging circumstances, violence (yes, there’s plenty), hot but emotional sexy-times, and—of course—true love.
Kelly Hunter has been one of my favorite “finds” of 2019. I’ve been impressed by everything I’ve read by her: beautifully-written, character-driven, emotionally-nuanced, and tinged with a delicious splash of melancholy. What I like so much about Hunter’s style is that her characters are adult in feelings and outlook, with conflicts that develop from real-life concerns. In Hunter’s EMMA (part of the Outback Brides of Wirralong series), the heroine (a distant cousin of Maggie from MAGGIE’S RUN, one of my favorite books of the year) is a product of the British nobility; she finds the only place she can escape the repercussions of her chilly, lonely upbringing is in the Outback where she often visits. She meets a rancher whose childhood was as lonely as hers, although for entirely different reasons. Both of them have been reticent about pursuing a relationship, but when the rancher invites her to participate in a “muster” (cattle drive), they finally give in to their mutual attraction. But his home is in the Australian Outback, hers is in Bath. How will they make things work? A nasty encounter with a poisonous snake leads to conversation, compromise, and a next-level romantic gesture on the way to an HEA.
Jackie Ashenden’s THE DEBT is the first of a new four-book series called The Billionaires Club from Dare (each book will be written by a different author). In THE DEBT, the heroine—desperate to save her father’s car company because she feels responsible for its financial problems—gets a job as chauffeur to a rough-hewn billionaire who grew up tough on the mean streets and has the knife scars on his face to prove it. The heroine hopes to persuade him to keep his investment in her father’s company while the hero needs a girlfriend to ensure that an important business deal goes smoothly: Hey, perhaps they can help each other! Fake relationship and enforced proximity alert! It’s Jackie Ashenden, so you know the drill: distinctive fragrances, amazing eye color, unresolved issues from bad parenting & dysfunctional childhoods that make it difficult to admit to any perceived weakness—especially love, unwanted attraction, page-burning sexy-times, and an HEA. You love the template or you don’t…and I’m in the “love it” camp!
Cara Dee’s m/m romance, TOP PRIORITY, is the first book in her new BDSM series called The Game which is blurbed as being, “where romance meets the reality of kink. Sometimes we fall for someone we don’t match with, sometimes vanilla business gets in the way of kinky pleasure, and sometimes we have to compromise and push ourselves to overcome trauma and insecurities.” In other words, can physical attraction and emotional connection overcome misaligned sexual chemistry? In TOP PRIORITY, two gay men—one an Air Force fighter pilot about to redeploy to Iraq, the other preparing to leave his father’s real estate business—meet unexpectedly in a restaurant-bar during a storm. Both men are “Daddy Doms” in the bdsm world, so neither is interested in submitting to the other; in fact, when one of the men sussed out the other’s sexual proclivities almost immediately, I was wondering if I missed the secret handshake or if we were back in the 1970s with the handkerchief code (yeah, I’m old—look it up, you young-uns). The story takes place over the pilot’s deployment period and we meet the other hero’s friends in the kink community—all of whom, I assume, will feature in their own books in the future. TOP PRIORITY is not completely successful: I think it suffers from its novella length, there’s quite a bit of “telling not showing,” and I never really got the incompatibility between the two men since one of them seems perfectly happy to submit to the other. But I am interested in reading future books in the series—the subject matter is certainly intriguing even if the execution of this particular book was a bit wobbly.
Keri Lake’s RICOCHET and Jane Henry’s THE BRATVA’S CAPTIVE are both very dark “revenge romances” wherein a hero, who has suffered devastating loss, kidnaps a female relative of the man he holds responsible (the wife in RICOCHET, an adult daughter in BRATVA). Naturally, during the course of the heroine’s captivity, something changes the hero’s attitude and eventually the relationship between kidnapper and captive morphs into a fraught romance. I refer to these sort of books as “Stockholm Syndrome stories”: not only is consent problematic to say the least, but the plots hinge on the notion that an innocent woman should essentially be an instrument of punishment for a guilty male relative. It goes without saying that both of these books are incredibly dark and require claxons loudly heralding trigger and content warnings for absolutely everything. And yet…if you like the occasional dark romance (which I do), both of these books are twisty and compulsively readable—but I’m not joking about the dark stuff.
I read another book by Keri Lake: ABSOLUTION, a well-written, intricately-plotted, dark romance (again, tw/cw for basically everything) about a priest who hears a confession that triggers his search for an abducted child. In a seemingly unrelated turn of events, an abused woman, who has occasionally attended his church, turns to him for help in escaping her situation; notice I say “seemingly unrelated”—there’s definitely a connection between the two incidents. Priests who fight, albeit unsuccessfully, to maintain their vow of celibacy are a bit of a jam of mine (let me stress here that I’m talking about fictional priests and their consenting adult partners): Sierra Simone’s PRIEST is one of my keeper-shelf favorites, and let’s not forget the priest-turned-hitman hero of Callie Hart’s Dirty Nasty Freaks series, and the about-to-be-ordained hero of Natasha Knight’s DISGRACED. So when I saw the blurb—and cover!—for ABSOLUTION, I knew I had to read it. Despite their unwanted attraction for each other, both h&h are keeping many secrets—and can it be a simple coincidence that they are unknowingly connected by a terrible event in the past? Although I could have done without Lake’s cringeworthy attempts to render the accent of the heroine’s Filipina neighbor (likewise to a scene that comes out of nowhere in which an Uber driver makes some horribly transphobic remarks), overall I liked ABSOLUTION—it reminded me in some ways of Skye Warren’s darker books, especially when Lake, like Warren, shows how physically meaningless sex can be for a woman when there’s no emotion involved and how wildly erotic even the slightest touch can be when there is. I would recommend ABSOLUTION with the caveat that it is very dark.
On a related note, other than the books I’ve mentioned above, can anyone recommend other “forbidden romances” involving Catholic priests and consenting adult partners (gay or straight). I know there are romances featuring Protestant priests & pastors, and I’ve read a couple, but since Protestant priests & pastors usually pledge to be “married or chaste” but are not bound by a vow of celibacy as Catholic priests are, the fight to not give in to temptation isn’t quite as delicious and the ultimate surrender to temptation not quite as transgressive. I’m not sure there are enough “priest romances” out there to justify a Rec League, but if you know of any, I’d love to hear about them.
This has been a stretch of perfectly fine, I’ll take it, even if it means I don’t have much to say. These are all B reads, right on down the line.
In the romance category –
“The Brazen and The Beauty” by Sarah MacLean. I liked this but I’m finding the tone of the Bare Knuckled Bastards kind of over the top for my current taste. It’s very much a YMMV thing. There’s hints of the setup for the next book and I’m not super thrilled to be honest. I’ll keep reading them, but I think the “Rule of Scoundrels” books will always be my favorite.
“Say No to the Duke” by Eloisa James. Every time I think I’m going to give up on EJ, she writes one I enjoy. This was just a pleasant low angst story. Even with the hero having PTSD, it was almost gentle. Maybe too slow or low conflict for some, but perfect for me. Not a lot of big secrets or big misunderstanding, which I enjoyed and it didn’t have the problem I have with some of her books where the side characters and side plots overshadow the romance.
And in my other love, mystery –
“Murder on a Midsummer Night” by Kerry Greenwood. Ah, yes. A Phyrne Fisher where the plot all hangs together at last! All the family (including Lin Chung) is in this one which I found delightful. I’m almost done with the series and I can feel my sense of momentum picking up.
I really do enjoy reading finished mystery series (which I believe this is, if not officially) more than ongoing ones. Even if there aren’t a lot of ongoing plot threads, it’s satisfying to finish and I feel like I can make a more informed decision to keep reading or not if one or two books in the series is “off” or lackluster. For example, I hit a few meh Elizabeth George’s and Janet Evanovich’s in a row and I ended up quitting both entirely b/c I try not to skip around in a series and I just didn’t feel the desire to commit to mediocrity with no end in sight. They are def. not the only series I’ve done that with, just two well know examples off the top of my head.
“A Mortal Taste for Bones” by Ellis Peters. I have a long personal history of meaning to read the Brother Cadfael books and not quite getting around to it. It’s been going on for I’m say 20+ plus years and involves exciting twists such as getting in a car accident and my paperback flying out the window to be lost forever more in the Spanish countryside. So after all this time, how did it go? Overall, very well! I found it a little bit overly stilted at times, but I liked how the female characters were all well drawn and worked with in the system to get what they needed. It also had a very clever ending to distribute justice which I really enjoyed and bumped it up from a C read to probably a B or B+. Definitely a series I’m going to keep reading, especially since it’s done (RIP Ellis Peters/Edith Pargeter)
In audio –
I’m listening to “The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle” by Stuart Turton (A bit like Agatha Christie crossed with “Life After Life” or “Everyday”) and overall I was really enjoying it, but I hit this really disappointing super fat shaming part 🙁 Trying to make out that being a certain size is disgusting and shameful and not just a line or two, but a whole scene. It felt extremely unnecessary and uncalled for. What is your deal, author man? I want to keep going, but I wish it was easier to skim ahead in audio.
@Fashionably Evil. I hear you on “Outlander” right down to being about the same age when discovering them. I do still read them, but they have gone down from “must buy this and read this as soon as I can as quickly as I can” to “eh, I’ll check it out from the library and skim it when I think of it.” The last one made me so mad, I may just google spoilers and leave it at that.
I even gave away all my old books b/c I couldn’t really bring myself to reread them. They were very special to me at a certain point in time and I don’t regret reading them at all, but I’ve moved on from needing to revisit them.
@DiscoDollyDeb, I’m not sure if this fits exactly what you’re looking for or maybe you’ve already read them, but are you familiar with “The Original Sinners” by Tiffany Reisz? I haven’t read them and I think they may be more erotica than dark romance (just going by the fact there are different male protagonists/same female protagonist in book descriptions, no idea of the actual heat level), but I know it has good reviews and one of her ongoing lovers is a priest, so you may want to check it out if you haven’t.
I got THE TESTAMENTS, Margaret Atwood’s sequel to THE HANDMAID’S TALE on Wednesday and finished it last night. And I work full time. Some Bad Decisions Bookclub going on . . .
@JillQ: thank you for the recommendation. I’ve had Reisz on my tbr forever, but it always seems that something else pops up and I never get around to her books. I’m unfamiliar with The Original Sinners, but knowing that there is a priest hero may give me the incentive I need to finally try her books.
I’ve been reading some Winter Soldier comics, and I just started AN ILLUSION OF THIEVES by Cate Glass.
I’m looking forward to reading A MATCH MADE IN MEHENDI by Nandini Bajpai. It sounds like a really fun YA rom-com.
Am I the only one ready to read holiday romances? I’m looking forward to reading THE TROUBLE WITH CHRISTMAS by Amy Andrews; A COWBOY UNDER THE MISTLETOE by Jessica Clare; and 10 BLIND DATES by Ashley Elston.
I listened to the first 4 books in the Lady Darby series by Anna Lee Huber. I enjoyed the gothic atmosphere and thought the protagonist had an interesting backstory. But sometimes the pacing gets bogged down with too many descriptive paragraphs that stop the momentum of the story. But I’m enjoying the characters enough to keep going with the series. I just hope that some more of that backstory makes more of an appearance in the other books.
@KateB – The 1985 Room with a View is amazing, isn’t it? One of my favorite costume dramas of all time. Everything about it is just so well done, and that kiss in the field ranks as one of my top 10 screen kisses.
I read a lot over the last two weeks, but not much of it was memorable. I did really enjoy THE BOOKISH LIFE OF NINA HILL, a rom com about a single woman who loves books, trivia nights, and solitude, but discovers she has a large, complicated family that she never met before.
I have mixed feelings about THE VIEW FROM ALAMEDA ISLAND, a women’s fiction novel by Robyn Carr about two people finding friendship and then love as they go through painful divorces. On the one had, it was lovely to read about 40-something adults, as I’m one myself. On the other hand, it was a bit much to have both ex-spouses be cartoonishly evil.
I also read Jenny Colgan’s THE BOOKSHOP ON THE SHORE, which was exactly what you’d expect from a Jenny Colgan novel. I find them very soothing.
Bringing Down The Duke by Evie Dunmore was delightful. Looking forward to more from this author.
I haven’t been reading much lately; one of my cats (12.5 years old and my baby boy) has been sick and I’ve been too stressed over him to really have the mental focus to read.
I’ve been lingering over the last few chapters of Olivia Waite’s “The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics”. It’s definitely a quiet sort of romance that I am finding very soothing right now. The romance is believable and the obstacle is more the society of sexist men (and women who have internalized that misogyny) who believe women can’t do science or math. I really love that Lucy and Catherine are so supportive of each other. They think about each other’s feelings and they communicate so well about how they’re thinking and feeling. This book feels like the blueprint for a successful romantic relationship to me, because you can just see them building this strong, loving foundation that will carry them for the rest of their lives as a couple.
I just picked up my paperback copy of “A Little Light Mischief” by Cat Sebastian, so I’m looking forward to reading that one, and working on my backlog of Cat’s books.
I’m also still rereading “Red, White & Royal Blue” by Casey McQuiston. Another romance that, while not quiet, is a total balm for my brain.
@KateB, Yes, yes I did. Calendar marked.
Having binged on every Molly O’Keefe available on Kindle Unlimited, I have been working on not one, but two NON-FICTION books. I KNOW! Midnight in Chernobyl is my before work read. Really interesting, enraging and sad, but not enough to make me late for work. How to : absurd scientific advice for common real-world problems, Randall Munroe’s latest joyful exploration of the absurd, has Bad Decisions written all over it. The short essays and delightful cartoons are like potato chips. You have time to read one, but you end up reading six.
Yesterday my trip through the GBPL drive through netted me both The Testaments and The Blacksmith Queen. I see a really Bad Decision coming up because I dropped my dad off at the airport this morning and have zero obligations for the rest of the day. Except you know, housekeeping and laundry. I seriously will not have anything to wear to the Outlandish Chicago picnic tomorrow. If I make it to the picnic….
Read: NIGHT OF FIRE by Barbara Samuel
This was a great book that focused a good deal on consent and made it quite sexy since the hero was 100% beta and it was great. There’s also lots of pining which I know is catnip for a lot of readers here. It also has one of the most well-done love triangles I have ever seen. All the parties involved in the triangle are super likable and on friendly terms with one another and the other woman stole the book at some points since she was such a great character.
I will warn that the books drags a little at some points and while not an inspirational romance does involve God a great deal, but still never gets preachy. Basically, if you enjoy a slowish burn, beautiful writing, romances in rarer time periods(in this case Georgian) and a likable cast pick this one up. Lastly, while this book is a standalone, sequel bait is set up and the author basically stopped writing romance before the “series” was finished so that will never be followed up on. If that bothers you, you may want to skip it.
UNDER A TEXAS SKY by Dorothy Garlock
I loved this one as well. This book is a Depression Era romance about a young woman who grew up on the wrong side of the tracks until she was discovered and started working in theatre, her talent in the theatre then leads her to starring in a movie being filmed in a small Texas town. There she meets a grumpy hero who wants nothing to do with Hollywood, but is instantly attracted to her. From there some light suspense elements ensue as things keep going wrong on set. I do have to issue a CW for attempted rape and I also don’t think this book isn’t for everyone since it does involve a rivalry between two woman and not many other female characters, so if that sort of plot element does bother you please skip it l.
DNF: A DEVIL IN SCOTLAND by Suzanne Enoch
All I’m Gonna say about this book is that the hero is definitely an alphahole and it didn’t take long for his actions to get to a point where I just couldn’t root for the couple, I mean the hero literally threatens to make the heroine marry him. Skip this one for sure.
Reading: GODS OF GOTHAM by Lyndsay Faye
So far this is an intense detective story set in 1845 New York. Being a detective story, the author does not shy away from portraying New York of that era as exactly as it was; a dirty, racist, unpleasant place. However, the detective of the story is Great. He snarks like the best of them, but has a good heart deep down. I appreciate that because he could easily be the stereotypical loner who is so devoted to his job that he’s neglected everything pleasant in his life and refuses to emote cause man pain. That’s a tired archetype and it’s refreshing to see a different sort of detective at the helm of a gritty mystery. Also the historical detail is phenomenal along with the descriptions. So yeah, pick it up if you don’t mind gritty crime novels.
A surprising amount of technically-not-romance in this month’s list, but I read only for the romance.
AN ENCHANTMENT OF RAVENS by Margaret Rogerson – I don’t understand how a book that is literally fairy tale romantic can somehow manage to be not romantic enough for me. I liked the plot and the themes but thought there were a lot of unexplored emotions, particularly around Rook’s past. I’m still excitedly inching forward in the hold queue for Sorcery of Thorns. [B+]
SAPPHIRE FLAMES by Ilona Andrews – While the politics and plotting of the Hidden Legacy universe remain first-class fun, the pacing of the romance in book 4 is not in the same league as books 1-3. (Perhaps an unfair comparison: Nevada’s story has practically perfect romantic pacing.) Andrews withholds exploring Catalina’s (transparently obvious) major concern about romantic relationships until the last quarter of the book, then drops the couple’s separate, unsubtle, and easily resolved (because self-imposed) relationship obstacles on the reader at the very end. Like a very predictable anvil. [B]
Random: does Augustine Montgomery have a canonical sexuality? #askingforafriend
MURDER IN THE BLOOD by Anne Cleeland – Despite over-referencing the title in the dialogue, the tenth book in Cleeland’s Doyle & Acton series was a strong B+ until the ending left me frustrated and kind of horrified. Cleeland ends the book by surfacing (but not resolving) a huge relationship issue I assume we’re going to revisit in the eleventh book. (Please.) Meanwhile, none of my friends are reading the series because the old skool is not to their taste and most other reviewers will respect the enhanced spoiler boundaries associated with the mystery genre, so I won’t even be able to read other people’s analysis of the ending. I have all these thoughts and feelings and they have nowhere to go. So frustrating. [B]
A KISS FROM A ROGUE by Elisa Braden – The most affecting part of the final volume of Braden’s Rescued from Ruin series is the insight into acerbic Lady Wallingham’s romance with her long-deceased husband. I’ve also always enjoyed “the dragon’s” relationship with her son, which is highlighted here. It’s a rare thing for a romance author to present an opinionated mother in a positive relationship with her heroic male offspring without diminishing the strength of either character. [B-]
A DANGEROUS ENGAGEMENT by Ashley Weaver – I feel farther away than ever from any kind of closure on Milo’s pre-series infidelity. This installment drifts dangerously close to “that’s all behind us now” territory. I realize I should say something about the mystery, but I can’t focus on plot until Milo proves he has a soul by unburdening his. [B-]
ROYAL AFFAIR by Parker Swift – I really wanted to like this new adultish contemporary romantic comedy about an “ordinary” young American woman who falls in love with the hot heir to a dukedom who rejects meaningful relationships because of his past paparazzi trauma. But his kink and her personality were bland…and things only got worse in subsequent books in the series. [C+]
Not much time to read now that school has started, but I’ve read two delightful things thus far, this month.
THE RAVEN TOWER by Ann Leckie – high fantasy with strong bisexual and transgender representation. There’s a romance in one of the subplots, but it’s all fairly subtle. I really enjoyed this one; also it’s a stand-alone, which is relatively rare in the world of fantasy.
THE TWENTY-YEAR MAN by Ellen Fremedon (on AO3) is a lovely M/M fanfiction based on the Vorkosigan series by Lois McMaster Bujold. (Ivan and Byerly, in case you’re wondering.)
@HeatherT – I also got my copy of The Testaments on Wednesday. I haven’t dived in to it yet since I’m re-reading The Handmaid’s Tale first… Hopefully in the next day or so!
Hither Page by Cat Sebastian, M/M in a small English village in 1946. One of a few books recently that I don’t really know if I’d call romance or mystery if I wasn’t familiar with the author as a romance author, but equally satisfying as both. Her shorthand for it is “Agatha Christie, but make it gay.”
The View from the Cheap Seats: Selected Nonfiction by Neil Gaiman. Good but I don’t know if reading it all the way through is really the best way to go rather than browsing for a piece or two.
I reread Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado to brush up for the book club I host for the library, which dabbles in a lot of genres but usually leans pretty close to horror. Good for when you’re in the mood for something surreal with a strong feminist perspective.
A Little Light Mischief by Cat Sebastian, which I found to be a nice, quick, light read for when you need a romance without a body count.
All Blood Runs Red by Phil Keith and Tom Clavin, a biography of Eugene Bullard who was, among many other things in his long and varied career, the first African American combat pilot when he flew for France in WWI. I got this one to review so I’m saving most of my words about it for that, but in the afterward it mentions that his medals are on display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force, which is maybe ten minutes from my house, so I’m feeling the urge to schedule a trip there again soon.
@LMC – I loved the Billionaire’s Wakeup Call Girl! A confection w/o being cloying.
– I read a Genevieve Turner Emma Barry box set Fly Me To The Moon I bought on sale awhile ago set in a 60’s fictional space race. I enjoyed the setting and particularly liked Earthbound, with a female mathematician and the super cranky supervising engineer. There was a good balance the space story and the love story.
– Sticking with a theme The Ladies Guide to Celestial Mechanics was so beautifully written! I started highlighting passages I loved, which I rarely do. Again a story of women in sciences, and really all pursuits, struggling to be recognized for their achievements. I enjoyed the discussion of the value of art vs craft, men’s vs women’s work. Olivia Waite is a new author for me to follow.
– DNF for now: Nightchaser by Amanda Boucher – should have been my catnip, sci-fi romance with heroine ship captain on the run, but it just didn’t work for me. The heroine was tstl, though she was described as witty and brilliant. It was all telling, not showing. I may try it again since I loved a Promise of Fire…
All those words and I didn’t say that I too loves Bringing down the Duke!
Shout out to whoever it was who recommended Mick Herron in a few comments. For some reason that suggestion stuck in my brain, and when his digital books were made available in North America I picked up SLOW HORSES and I’ve read two more since. There’s nothing romantic about them, but they’re awesome, so thanks for the great rec!
@KateB I fell out of love with WicDiv later on than book one, so I’m not defensive here–but how could it make no sense? The premise is at the start of every issue/collection. And the lead character wants to be/near a god. I thought that while there were mysterious aspects to the magic and to OTHER characters’ motivations, so there’s stuff to discover and all, the basic what’s going on and what she wants were all super plain… Ah well.
I started reading Outlander b/c I was enjoying the show (I was halfway thru season one) and tbh I wish I’d stuck with the show. I like a lot of stuff in the books–some if it better than in the show, but mostly I feel like the show is far far superior. I think I would enjoy the show more if I’d not overtaken it with the books, so now I’m chillin for the show and will only consider reading more books when the show is done.
It’s been a weird reading time for me. Currently on vacation, but it hasn’t been super relaxing as my unwell pet had a bad reaction to her new meds and I’ve been struggling to find time to sleep or be on the actual beach between caring for her and the others. I’m thiiis close to burning out, but ah well. How it goes I guess. I have gotten to dip my toe in the ocean and see a few dolphins, so I count myself lucky getting that much of a vacation.
Before I left (by like hours) I finished WITCHMARK by C.L. Polk, after seeing it talked about here. It was fine. Sweet, even, if a tad predictable. I liked it.
I brought a few books with me, randomly grabbing WAR HORSE on my way out. Read like almost half of that and then realized it was just too dark to deal with when my own pet is having such a rough time. I do appreciate how he portrays different kinds of horsemen, even if everyone is so damn talkative with dialog going on like half a page. The movie is probably better, tbh.
Down here at the beach I came across BATGIRL vol 3: SUMMER OF LIES which is the third of her trades in the DC Rebirth line. I flipped thru and saw it was (besides the first two issues) a lot of Barbara and Dick’s relationship (friends almost to romance, basically) and as I’m starved to see new Titans episodes I’ll take just about any Grayson I can get. 😀 It was fine to read on its own and I really enjoyed it–esp having the flashbacks and current storyline going. The art was a lovely mix of fun and pretty. Really, really enjoyed that one. (And IMO it lacked some of the flaws of the Batgirl of Burnside run that started off this new, albit rad, costume.)
Now I’m starting BOUND FOR SIN by Tess LeSue. I’ve only read a few pages but it’s fun so far and what I really should be reading right now.
When I’m not deciding what to do with my last day at the beach and what to do with my baby when I get home. :-/
HITCHED by Pippa Grant and Lili Valente was a return to the small town of Happy Cat with a fake marriage trope this time. It gave me the happy feelings that their books provide. Plus Blake was a swoony, mooshy hero that gets me every time.
ALL THE BETTER PART OF ME by Molly Ringle s a M/M childhood friends to lovers trope that I seek out. I felt the writing was good in that the characters were developed in a way that I felt I knew them well. There is low level sex on the page if that is your thing.
TWISTING FATES BOOK 1: THE SCREENING ROUTINE by SMA is another M/M with a sci-fi setting. It was very low on romance and high on the science fiction. Lots of world-building since this is the first book in the series, so pretty much a cliff-hanger ending. I personally wanted more romance.
HUNTED by Grace Goodwin just came out this week and it is book 17 in her science fiction Interstellar Bride series which can be pretty intimidating to a new reader. I have read them all and love the world she has created. This particular title I enjoyed a lot and I think one could read it without knowing the world, but the backstory is always enriching to the reading experience.
I loved THE BOOKISH LIFE OF NINA HILL by Abbi Waxman. I’m a shy, bookish, introvert whose brain is packed with random useless bits of information, so Nina totally rang true to me (although thankfully, I don’t suffer from anxiety the way she does).
I also plowed my way through the PETS IN SPACE 3 anthology. If you like SF Romance and cute animals, these anthologies are a great way to find new authors, although I didn’t enjoy this one quite as much as the previous one. The anthology typically comes out in the fall, a portion of the proceeds goes to support a service dog charity, then the anthology is taken down after a few months and authors release their stories separately. This anthology isn’t available anymore, however, PETS IN SPACE 4 will be releasing in early October and I’ll be buying it.
Finally, I’m in the middle of DEMON MAGIC AND A MARTINI, the 4th book in the really fun and well-written UF Guild Codex series by Annette Marie, in which a 22 YO human woman discovers the supernatural world, becomes best friends with 3 very hot mages and gets into all kinds of adventures. This is NOT a reverse harem story, really there’s no romance at all, although there are hints here and there. The author just started a spinoff series called TAMING DEMONS FOR BEGINNERS and from the brief glimpse we got of it in this book, I am so down for it also.
I’ve been dealing with severe back pain due to a protruding disc, so I’ve wanted fun and comfort reads. I’m also reading Georgette Heyer’s The mMsqueraders, since it was mentioned here. It took me a bit to get into it, due to the old fashioned language, but I’m really enjoying it now.
Courtney Milan’s Worth series was also mentioned recently, and I realized I hadn’t read the first one in a while, and completely missed the second one, so I’m working through those now.
I downloaded Adriana Herrera’s American Dreamer yesterday when it was mentioned on sale, and Terry Pratchett’s Wyrd Sisters, so clearly I would be completely lost without Smart Bitches and Dear Author.
I’m also rereading some of the Nero Wolfe series of mysteries as easy comfort reads.
Oh! And how did I not know that Prime Reading gives Prime members access to free Kindle borrows, even if you are not in KU? My Kindle is currently downloading two cozy mysteries, two romances with dogs, and Matchmaking for Beginners. Prime Reading doesn’t have the breadth of KU, but it has several thousand books.
@LMC & ViVi12: If you liked THE BILLIONAIRE’S WAKE-UP-CALL GIRL, I strongly recommend Martin’s first book in the loosely-connected series, MOST ELIGIBLE BILLIONAIRE, a rom-com wrapped around a surprisingly serious center. I wasn’t as fond of the third book, BREAKING THE BILLIONAIRE’S RULES, I thought the power imbalance between the hero & heroine was too great.
I don’t think I read a single romance this month — the closest I came was the back and forth between Georgie and Darcy in Royal Pain, the second Her Royal Spyness mystery.
Instead I read and really enjoyed Jeff Guinn’s Go Down Together, an exhaustive examination of Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker.
I also read (and loved) Ruthanna Emrys’ two Innsmouth Legacy novels, Winter Tide and Deep Roots. Ruthanna writes a weekly column with Anne M. Pillsworth at Tor.com, The Lovecraft Reread (“Welcome to the H. P. Lovecraft reread, in which two modern Mythos writers—Ruthanna Emrys and Anne M Pillsworth—get girl cooties all over old Howard’s original stories.”) I don’t read the stories but I love the column and it’s made me familiar-ish with Lovecraft’s world (with Cthulhu and shoggoths and mi-go and Yith). What the Emrys novels do is take Lovecraft’s horror and turn it on its head — the beings he classed as Bad are the protagonists.
The books are my catnip because, among other things, they are about the formation of found families, and how those families change their members. Highly recommended…
@Deborah, you weren’t the only one horrified by the last section of Murder in the Blood. I’m honestly not sure if I want to continue the series. The depth and quality has dropped the last few books for me.
Read The Testaments straight through. Also Lee and Miller’s new Liaden book this week.
@KateB thank you for mentioning Dublin Murders! I hadn’t heard of it at all but after the trailer I’ve added it to my shows-to-try list 😀
I’ve been on a tear lately – I read all 8 of Julia Quinn’s Bridgertons series in anticipation of the Netflix series to come. I liked them all for different reasons, but I thought Francesca’s story had the best sex.
I’ve also blown through most of Courtney Milan’s Brothers Sinister series (including the novellas), I’m just about to start Free’s story.
I read The Calculating Stars and The Dates Sky by Mary Robinette Kowal. I’m a physicist, so I love the science aspects. I eyeroll a bit at the ‘rocket launch’ sex comparisons, though, oy.
I always look forward to the ‘What are you reading?’ threads for gathering new ideas!
I wanted some light reads last week that would help me to chill and pare down my TBR Pile. First read was Don’t Mess With Texas by Christie Craig and I loved it. Quirky characters, murder mystery with steamy romance – just what I needed. Will read more in this series.
Yesterday I also read Puppy Love by Lucy Gilmore which was also perfect. Big Tough Firefighter needing a service dog for his diabetes ends up with an adorable Pomeranian Puppy named Bubbles-so many Ahhhh moments. Really loved Heroine’s relationship with her sisters and that the book had serious emotional healing for both Hero and Heroine as well as the romance. Clever marketing by Ms. Gilmore who also gave us the first seven chapters of Book 2 in the series about a service dog for a child who is hearing impaired as well as an intriguing romance for her single father. I am going to pre-order it because I liked the book so much. So even if one TBR got added, I checked off Two Books on my TBR List and I really loved both – yea!!!