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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OMG, Catherine, The Masqueraders is one of my comfort reads. Read it four times the summer and fall that my (almost-ex) husband was dying. Glad you are enjoying it.
I just finished Nora Robert’s Undercurrents. It was not one of her best. There were times when I felt like I’d read it before. There were not many details about the heroine’s job so no competence porn. Cute dog was hardly on screen at all. Connection between H/h not really felt. Still enjoyed large parts of it. After all, Nora’s not her best is still much better than many other authors’ best.
I also read Year One by Ms Roberts and loved it. There were times when there was a hint of The Stand but barely a hint. She really went her own direction on this. Have place library hold for the next book.
Started Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik and had some trouble easing into it. I really want to read it but not now. I returned early because of all the holds after me. That may have been part of the problem, the pressure to finish.
Lovely War by Julie Berry, WWI tales told by Aphrodite. Interesting and historically educational, as one of the people it follows is a Black musician on the French front. Would recommend.
Princes Elizabeth’s Spy by Susan Elia MacNeal is a follow up to Mr. Churchill’s Secretary which I read last time and liked. This one was also great. I liked seeing the princesses, the corgis, and more of the heroine. Good action and does not shy from politics that one might want to sweep under the rug.
Now working on His Majesty’s Hope by MacNeal. This one is darker as our heroine, Maggie Hope, heads to Berlin where her thought-to-be-dead mother is high up in the Nazi machinery. And we see the beginnings of the camps.I believe I would recommend this one, too.
Also working on The Map of True Places by Brunonia Barry. A psychologist gets too involved in the life of a patient who reminds her of her bipolar, deceased mother. Having a little difficultly getting into it.
Also read The Secrets of Lost Stones, magical realism about three strangers coming together at a boarding house and finding that they are all connected. Some on-page trauma and what they are all dealing with is the death of a close person. Not a romance but is uplifting.
@DiscoDollyDeb, the first book that came to mind vis a vis your priest request was Colleen McCullough’s The Thorn Birds which is more saga than romance.I’m guessing you’re familiar with it since it was published in the seventies which is when I read it.
I picked up Jeannie Lin’s Gunpowder Alchemy after it was listed on a sales post here. I have only started reading it but enjoying it so far.
I read all three of T.A. White’s The Broken Lands and really enjoyed them. I also read Dragon-Ridden the first book in her Dragon Ridden Chronicles. I liked it though not as much as the Broken Lands books.
@Kareni: oh yes—I read THE THORN BIRDS back in the day…I remember wishing there had been more scenes between the heroine and the priest because, iirc, years go by between their, um, encounters. But certainly, for a “woman of a certain age” like me, THE THORN BIRDS was a romance rite of passage.
Since last time ~
— Permafrost by ALASTAIR REYNOLDS which I found to be a quick and thought provoking read.
— The Flatshare: A Novel by Beth O’Leary is a book that I quite enjoyed; I suspect this is a book I’ll be rereading. It had me laughing frequently.
— Ben Aaronovitch’s The October Man. This novella is a spin off from the author’s Rivers of London series. I enjoyed it.
I’m participating in a reading challenge on a different site, which is why I’m more verbose than usual.
For a New-to-Me Author —
Last year I won a giveaway by author Sam Burns; the prize was to have a character be given my name. I read Wolf Lost in one day.
The book begins in Colorado with Sawyer, an Omega wolf, on the run from his California pack. The new alpha murdered Sawyer’s father, the previous alpha, and wants Sawyer as his mate. Dez is our other hero; he’s a new wolf and a recently discharged green beret with injuries. He and two comrades, all alpha wolves, are a pack of three. These three men are NOT choosing a career involving violence, instead they have decided to open a coffee shop though none of them know how to use an espresso machine or bake. The three men stand with Sawyer when he runs onto their property and take him into their home. My namesake character runs the bookshop next to their coffee shop, and plays a nice role in the story. This is a low angst story with touches of humor; I enjoyed it.
I chose to read Midlife Crisis by Rob Rosen. The book was told in the first person and written with a definite sense of humor. The main character went back to his childhood home and attempted to find his first love. Along the way he encounters and is helped by a man who had bullied him in high school. It’s a rather over the top story which needed a better editor. Nonetheless, it was a pleasant read.
I also read Concurrence by Marc Rokoff which I thought was a romance but wasn’t. I chose the book because the description indicated a time travel element which sounded appealing. I found the first paragraph off-putting, and the story as a whole proved disappointing.
For a Diverse Book -–
I read Failure to Communicate by Kaia Sønderby whose main character is Xandri Corelel. Xandri was born into a world that has been practicing gene modification for centuries; however, her parents followed a short lived fad of natural birth. Consequently, she may be the only person in the world who is autistic. The reader sees how she meets the stresses of everyday life on board her ship and on other worlds.
We meet her four years after she has joined the crew of the Carpathia where she is now the head of Xeno-Liaisons. Throughout her difficult childhood, she became an expert at reading body language; that knowledge has enabled her to become a skilled liaison with the inhabitants of other worlds. The book deals primarily with one mission.
I’d describe this book as PG-13; there is violence, language, and mention of past abuse. Xandri appears to be attracted to both men and women. I found this a pleasant and easy read and would happily read the next book in the series. There is also a prequel which covers Xandri’s life prior to joining the Carpathia. The author describes herself as a “Queer autistic writer of everything speculative.”
I also read Still Waters by Alex Gabriel, a short paranormal romance that features a merman (…or does it?). This story is set in what seems to be our world, but a rift has permitted the passage of several beings from elsewhere. This is a slightly dark fantasy with a dead body or two, attacks, and more. I enjoyed it, and it’s currently free for Kindle readers.
For Older or Younger Hero book —
I read Not Dead Yet by Jenn Burke which has two heroes that are over forty. One, a sort of living ghost who retrieves stolen objects, is significantly older than forty. The other hero is the police officer with whom the first had a five year relationship some thirty years earlier. As you might imagine this is a paranormal romance that turned out to be full of surprises. I enjoyed it and look forward to reading the sequel.
I read Exit Plans for Teenage Freaks by ‘Nathan Burgoine which was a quick and FUN read. The story takes place over a couple of weeks when Cole, who is about to graduate from high school, discovers that he can teleport. Cole is a game playing nerd (Onirim, anyone?) who has wonderful parents, a supportive teacher, and a diverse group of friends in his school Rainbow club. He has a crush on a fellow student, and there is someone who might be stalking him. This is a decidedly G rated romance; I’d recommend it to teens and adults.
For Judge a Book By Its Cover ~
The cover of Painting with Fire by Lissa Kasey shows the face of a young man with two different colored eyes who is not quite meeting the eyes of the viewer; I find it memorable.
That young man is Bastian Hart, a talented artist, who is a highly successful doll painter; he is the survivor of childhood abuse and is fairly reclusive. Our other hero is Charlie Fox, a wildfire fighter, and best friend of Bastian’s aunt. The two men meet when Charlie accompanies his friend home for a funeral. I enjoyed this book and learned a few things about the art of doll painting.
The cover of Anhaga by Lisa Henry shows a raven with a tower, castle, and other buildings superimposed upon it; it’s quite eye-catching.
This story is set in a medieval type world where magic (hedgewitches, sorcerers, and necromancers, oh my!) is commonplace and the fae are feared. Our hero is Min, a man of few coins and questionable morals, who comes to the rescue of his adopted nephew when he is caught bedding a young noblewoman. Harry, the nephew, is cursed and will die within weeks if Min does not carry out a task. That task is to travel to Anhaga to retrieve a young hedgewitch, Kazimir, who did not return home after his apprenticeship. Once home, Kaz will be forced to marry his uncle and bow to the will of his evil grandfather. Min can either save his nephew or Kaz but not both. I really liked this story and recommend it.
I also reread Linesman, Alliance, and Confluence by SK Dunstall.
I read Murder in the Blood (The Doyle & Acton Murder Series Book 10) by Anne Cleeland which I quite enjoyed. This is a series that definitely needs to be read in order, so if interested begin with Murder in Thrall. And now I’m wondering if I totally overlooked the issues that others (@Deborah and @Cassandra) had with this story or if I simply considered it unsurprising for the hero/anti-hero.
Just finishing up The Girl With the Make-Believe Husband by Julia Quinn, which was not at all what I expected but very complex, saddish, and a little dark. Also takes place in New York during the Revolution, an unusual location that Quinn uses to great effect. A little annoyed at the heroine for constantly finding excuses to lie/keep secrets from the hero, but can understand why she does. One of Quinn’s better books IMHO.
Sounds like I’m in good company with Bringing Down the Duke. Really enjoyed it. I’m rereading The Nightingale for book club, and on my paperwhite I borrowed The Reckless Oath we Made. I wasn’t sure about it, but I’m about halfway thru and finding it a very good read. Some of the reviews said the old English that one of the characters uses was difficult, but I haven’t found it that way.
Currently reading IF IT’S ONLY LOVE by Lexi Ryan, the last in her Boys of Jackson Harbor series. I found this series to be a bit uneven but second chance romance and brother’s best friend are catnip for me, and this one has so far not disappointed.
I really enjoyed WELL MET by Jen DeLuca and am looking forward to more from her. The renaissance faire setting was unique, and the emotional issues both the heroine and hero needed to overcome felt very authentic. The only issue I had was at times wishing there were dual POVs so I could understand the hero a bit better.
TINY HOUSE BIG LOVE by Olivia Dade was a super cute friends to lovers novella about a woman on a house hunters like show for tiny homes. I laughed out loud several times during her descriptions of the truly awful tiny homes she looked at. Dade writes good sexy times with an emphasis on enthusiastic consent.
HANDLE WITH CARE by Helena Hunting, in her Shacking Up series. Still don’t love this one as much as the Pucked series, mainly because billionaires aren’t my jam, but the hero in this one doesn’t really care about the money and he and the heroine have awesome chemistry.
WAITING FOR TOM HANKS by Kerry Winfrey – I was hesitant about this one because I read some mediocre reviews, but I thought it was really cute – kind of Mindy Project-ish with the heroine’s love of romcoms. Sex is off the page, but I even found her explanation for this fit with the book – Classic romcoms don’t need sex scenes, it’s all about the crackling chemistry. The end feels a bit rushed, but overall I enjoyed this one and am looking forward to her follow up.
A few KU:
FAR CRY by Kate Canterbary – growly bartender JJ and finance whiz bombshell Brooke get their story – a lot of very hot hate sex if that’s your thing, but the hero is never a jerk. Loved this one.
JOCK ROAD by Sara Ney, quick cute college athlete story, inexperienced southern hero.
CRAZY by Adriana Locke – I’ve found most of her Gibson Boys stories forgettable, but I have been waiting for Peck’s story and it was worth it. This technically stands alone but if you don’t know Peck from the previous books I don’t think it’s as enjoyable.
Three major reads this month so far. One: The Bride Test by Helen Hoang. Serious bad decisions book club material: I raced through it in a day and then was like “Is it 5:30 PM already? I was supposed to get a bunch of things done today.” The writing was great, and I was pulling so hard for Khai and for the couple to figure things out. In hindsight, it did have too many fairy-tale-perfect things in it (Esme being right to accept the very strange offer at face value, her father showing up just at the dramatically right moment, her getting a perfect score on the GED less than a year after starting to study English, etc.) So many funny & real moments though.
Two: The Queens of Fennbirn series by Kendare Blake. Another YA fantasy series with girls struggling for the crown. But a good one, with constant inventiveness, well-distinguished characters (so many different & awesome women!), and an intriguing puzzle about why the island has the traditions it has, with the Goddess sending every queen triplet girls who must fight each other to the death. The first two volumes had me flipping pages like mad, and delivered many major twists apiece. The pace definitely dragged in the third book & I’m apprehensive about the fourth and final one which I’m waiting for. I’ll tell you, though, it’s a good choice if you’re looking for a series with kickass women of all ages, from Luca, an elderly high priestess trying to navigate a world that has suddenly changed radically from what she’s known all her life, to Madrigal, selfish, dainty, and rather dismissed by her own daughter, who turns out to have amazing secret power; to the young queens themselves, stoic Arsinoe, gentle Mirabella, and tormented Katherine; a large cast in which men mostly play supporting roles.
Three: Evan Harrington, or He Would Be a Gentleman by George Meredith. A comedic novel from 1860, now little know to any but specialists. Features the machinations of the Coutess de Saldar, a tailor’s daughter (yikes!) who, having had the luck to marry a Portuguese count, is now determined to conceal her origins while maneuvering her brother, Evan, into marrying the heiress to a country estate, and her unhappily-married sister into becoming the mistress of a duke (both these plotlines come to a satisfactory ending though not the one the countess had planned). The countess, the story’s antagonist, is affected, snobbish, and an enormous hypocrite, but also a quick-witted and daring social manipulator, and it’s fun to watch her get out of awkward situations. The 17-year-old hero, Evan Harrington, is the polar opposite, being extremely serious about honorable behavior—so serious, indeed, that I’m sometimes tempted to tell him to get over himself, but I guess that comes with the age. The heroine, Rose, is equally serious, and not lacking in social courage, once she makes up her mind to accept Evan tailor shop and all: there is a delicious scene where she shuts down her pickle-faced Aunt Shorne’s objection to their marrying. Rose’s mother is one of my favorite characters in the story: a Tory who thinks society functions best when people have a fixed place in it, but recognizing merit in people of all stations, and unwaveringly just. My other favorite character is the formidable mother of Evan and the countess, Mrs. Mel, who is not the least embarrassed about the tailoring business and who has a way of managing difficult people with firmness that can’t be evaded. Interestingly for a Victorian, in this novel Meredith is firmly in favour of the right of women to leave their husband. OK, to forestall the inevitable comparison to Austen, I’ll say that this novel is not in the least like Austen in style. Give it a try if you like 19th century comedy of manners though. It’s free at Wikisource in an edition that includes illustrations by the great Charles Keene. It was the illustrations that first got me to read this novel; in case you’re not sure what scene the picture depicts, I added explanations to each one, just click on the picture to read that (I hope you find it helpful). Keene was a master at drawing character emotions and interactions but not so good at making characters look the same from one illustration to the next.
(If the spoiler tag below didn’t work, I am so very sorry.)
@Cassandra – Good to know I’m not alone in that reaction to the revelations at the end of Murder in The Blood.
@Kareni – Unlikely you overlooked anything. You’re right: Acton is an anti-hero and book 10 reminds anyone who may have drifted into complacency (me, obviously) of that fact.
@DiscoDollyDeb – Thanks for the blurb on The Game series. A satisfactory romance featuring protagonists with non-compatible sexual kinks is my unicorn. I really want a book where someone with a kink falls in love with someone vanilla and they have to negotiate what intimacy will look like for them (as opposed to another BDSM romance where the “vanilla” partner turns out to be a repressed submissive or untapped dom).
@Deborah: I’m interested in seeing how Dee executes the concept of sexual incompatibility in future books in the series. As I said, I didn’t think TOP PRIORITY was completely successful—mostly because it didn’t seem to me that the two heroes were that incompatible—but it introduced several other characters whose stories I’d like to read.
@Deborah, thanks for the added discussion and your spoiler note; I definitely appreciate your point of view. While the revelation was surprising, it still seemed in keeping with A protecting D at any cost.
@DiscoDollyDeb and @Vivi12: Thanks! Annika Martin’s MOST ELIGIBLE BILLIONAIRE was the first book of hers I read. And thanks for your opinion on the 3rd book.
I finally read (re-read?) Camber of Culdi, the first prequel to the medieval fantasy Deryni series by Katherine Kurtz. Not really any romance elements but still endlessly fascinating and so much more historically evocative than a lot of fantasies.
I devoured a lot of Shelly Laurenston’s backlist before diving right into The Blacksmith Queen which may be too much of a muchness there but was undeniably fun. I also read Mary Balogh’s Someone to Honor which was lyric and lovely. And I had a grand time finishing the first two Jackie Lau’s Baldwin Village books.
I’m commenting before I read any other comment! So, Julie Anne Long-I have read her contemporaries and loved them. Years ago I tried the first in her Pennyroyal Green series, and it just didn’t grab me. If I remember correctly-it felt too busy with characters for me. Well cue summer of 2019-and I believe it was on this site-mentioning the series. I dipped back into the well, I now have a section in my reading journal tracking my reading of the series. I LOVE it! I don’t know why I was so resistant to read the historicals from this author-she has humor, depth and heat. I’m doing a juggling act to get ebooks from different sources. I do like it so much I will probably ending up buying it.
I don’t think I mentioned this before, but if I have-sorry! My local library has a very limited selection of ebooks, and romance? Doesn’t seem to be on their radar. Did a bit of googling and long story short, for $50 a year, I joined the Brooklyn Public Library. I live in Alaska, so pretty far from Brooklyn-but I’ve been a member for a month, and I’m already out ahead in terms of price. I was curious so I tracked what was available from my library, what was available on Amazon (I do have Kindle Unlimited)-this has been a real blessing for me! My own library only allows 7 ebooks at a time, BPL allows 15 with overdrive, and if I understand correctly-15 with Cloudlibrary. The hold time? Even though I might be 93-it might be on 20 copies. Please don’t get me wrong, I LOVE my local library-but this is the best $50 I ever spent. Not to mention I had a question, did a chat with a librarian-their patron services are amazing.
So Pennyroyal Green! Join the Brooklyn Public Library!
@ DiscoDollyDeb – Your request brought to mind He’s No Saint by AJ Harmon, which is the story of a priest and a nun who come to the religious life for reasons and then find each other. If I remember correctly, Father Hugh really is no saint.
I have been reading a few more contemporary romances than usual. Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes reminded me of an early Kristan Higgins novel, from the snappy dialogue to the closed door sexytimes. I really enjoyed seeing Evvie and Dean grow together and start their new journey. I also read Let Your Hair Down which is a loose re-telling of Rapunzel with a heroine who lived in a tower in a castle in Virginia who travels to Europe for a wedding and meets her prince in a rose garden. Rachel Lacey puts together great descriptive sentences (She was stabbing at her salad like it had personally offended her.) with a heart-warming romance in her books. There is usually a pet rescue theme which this one lacked and I missed. I also read Summer by the Tides by Denise Hunter which was mentioned on SBTB. I’d call it an inspirational romance, but there is plenty of beach read drama and sibling angst, with a bonus enemies-to-lovers romance.
In historical land, I give a shout out to Felicia Grossman for Dalliances & Devotion because how often do you see “shmuck” or “meshuggener” in a historical romance? The story is a post-Civil War road trip where a twice-divorced beauty columnist is being escorted home by her former beau, now a Pinkerton. I can imagine Amalia as an Instagram influencer today as much attention is paid to her appearance. David wears glasses and says or thinks “oy” often. I was drawn into the story, however, the publisher does warn about mentions of war, PTSD, antisemitism, and a sibling death. I thought all were handled well by the author and will watch for her third book.
The Wallflower Wager by Tessa Dare was a fun read. I loved the dialogue between Gabriel and Penny! Penny’s quirkiness and love of animals was adorable, but my favorite part was how her friends supported her. “Someone has to eat the sandwiches.”
I started reading Brazen and the Beast this morning and am enjoying Hattie’s moxie and Beast’s smoldering so far. I haven’t read a Sarah MacLean book in a while but I am expecting the usual crazy sauce.
While I appreciate the info, Maureen, my family may say otherwise. I am now signed up for ebooks from the nearby Big City Library and they may have to fend for themselves for the next several weeks. Because I work sometimes for a business in that city, my application was free. I am also looking into the Brooklyn Public Library. Gotta say you are a genius and thanks for sharing the idea.
Finally a good reading month, now that everyone’s back in school. I raced thru RED, WHITE AND ROYAL BLUE — I really liked it, very fresh and cheery — (alternate universe where a female TX democrat won the Presidency in 2016, sigh).
RED SISTER — OMG. Just give me invisible knives that come out of my hands when I’m raging mad and let me out there. It’s like murderous all-girls Hogwarts in a convent. And Winter is Coming. (*lots of murder and betrayal, no sexual assault, which I found refreshing).
MICK HERRON everything. And I got my father in law and my spouse started. I have been alternating between the written ones and the audio, which has perfect character voicing of Jackson Lamb. However, now that I’m a few books into the Slow Horses series (must avoid spoilers) — I find I’m so nervous when reading anything, that the writer is going to do to me what Mick Herron has done. Anyone else read Slow Horses and Dead Lions and now suffer nerves about characters’ fates when reading other books?
Listening to the Cormoran Strike mysteries by Robert Galbraith (aka JK Rowling’s other series). Great narration, and I like the way she’s weaving personal side of the MCs and the mystery together.
DNF a couple traditional Regencies, not that they were bad, but I’m just too angry to read dukes. A couple craft books and home organizing books. The Joy of Watercolor by Emma Block keeps drawing me back.
I plan to start AMERICAN DREAMER by Adriana Herrera on Monday at the gym, where I get through most of my reading. Looking forward to it!
I am so far behind on this. I’ve been working a lot of OT lately and can’t remember when the last time I did this. So I guess I am only going to do the hightlights and unfortunately the lowlights.
—Rock Bottom Girl by Lucy Score. I LOVED this book. Heroine breaks up with boyfriend and loses job all in a 24 hour period and has to move back in with her parents and to the town she hates. She ends up getting a job as a gym teacher and a soccer coach. It was an excellent, funny book with a lot of cute banter with the students.
–Playing the Part by Robin Covington–DNF. I hated both the main characters and stopped reading around chapter 3.
–Stoned by Mandi Beck. Rock Star ends up in rehab and tries to win back his girlfriend after he gets out. Trigger warning for sexual assault mentioned in the book.
–69 Million Things I Hate About You–Kira Archer. Funny book. Assistant wins the lotto and instead of quitting her job, attempts to get fired instead.
–Forever My Girl–Heidi McLaughlin. DNF. It could have been good but I didn’t think the storytelling was good. The movie wasn’t much better.
–Storm Front by Jim Butcher. Not something I normally read and I didn’t think I would like it but I did after a friend recommended it. Broke Wizard in Chicago named Harry that sometimes helps out the Chicago PD for weird cases.
–A Blood Seduction by Pamela Palmer. Another DNF. Did not like the main male character. Stopped reading in chapter 4.
–Pestilence by Laura Thalassa. Everybody was raving about this book so I read it. It was just ok to me.
–The Guy on the Right by Kate Stewart. Big Fan of Stewart’s books. Guy ends up friend-zoned and trys to get out of it. Really funny edible pot scene.
–The Best Thing by Mariana Zapata. Gym owner reunites with her ex rugby player boyfriend. Tissue alert for the epilogue.
Bringing Down the Duke and A Duke in Disguise both came up on my library wishlist at the same time, so it was a tossup which to read first. A Duke in Disguise won, I am now 90% through, and OMG Cat Sebastian writes so beautifully! This is my first book by her and everything about it is amazing. I love her historical world with regular people who have to think about where their next meal or rent payment is coming from.
I read an old British mystery, “Vanishing Point” by Patricia Wentworth. She’s my favorite author from the golden age of British cozies, much better than Christie imo. Pre-Amazon, I used to haunt yard sales and used bookstores looking for her books, but this one somehow escaped my notice. It’s got great 1940’s atmosphere and plenty of red herrings. She has a little old lady amateur detective in most of her books, and there is always a romantic thread with an HEA.
I started A Study in Scarlet Women, and I’m having the same problem I do with all of Sherry Thomas’s books. They are very clever and well-written and I know that they are objectively good, but somehow they don’t give me the emotional feels that keeps me turning pages. I’m sure I’ll finish it anyway, just out of curiosity about where she goes with this concept.
@LauraL: thank you for the AJ Harmon recommendation and also for introducing me to a new-to-me writer with a large backlist. One of my favorite things about the Bitchery is, just when I think I must know of every writer in Romancelandia, I find a recommendation/reference to an author I’ve never heard of before.
:::sneezes all the way in, this damn cold I swear to God::::
I left off on Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson, which was clever and yummy, and surprisingly funny in parts, and had a sweet ending. I tried to read a historical fiction, because I thought my brain should have a balanced diet, and my brain completely rejected my hypothesis and demanded moar fantasy, dammit. And so it was that I went ahead and read The Blacksmith Queen by G.A. Aiken. And I loved it. Literally everything about it, the relationships, the characters, the humor, the world-building, you name it. I want all of the Scarred Earth Saga all up in my eyeballs yesterday, but I’m told that’s not how things work. After that, on the recommendation of this very site, I read Bound For Sin by Tess LeSue, and yup, just as good as advertised. It was effective as both romance and Western. I followed that up with Bound For Temptation, and enjoyed it just as much. I really enjoyed Emma and the fact that her field of fucks was absolutely barren. Really, that was why she got away with her schemes, because she pretty much decided she was going to. Which brings us to now, in which it is a week after I saw IT Chapter 2, and am now reading The Institute by Stephen King. It has been a long time since I read King, but my brain is in that place thanks to IT Chapter 2, and also superpowered kids caught up in the fighting The Government Conspiracy Man is probably one of my favorite things that he does. I’m enjoying it so far, but I’ve barely started. Until next time, take your vitamins, stay hydrated, and use the Kleenex with the lotion.
@LauraL and @DiscoDollyDeb – Goodreads reviews warn of a “shocking”, non HEA ending for He’s No Saint.
@MaryK: Hmmmmm…I wonder if HE’S NO SAINT ends in a cliffhanger and there’s a sequel with an HEA or if it really is one of those rare books that is marketed as a romance but does not have an HEA. Do you remember, @LauraL? Now I’m even more curious about the book.
@DiscoDollyDeb – There’s one review that just comes out and says it, if you want to know.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2121011076?book_show_action=true&from_review_page=1
@MaryK: thank you. [SPOILER] It puts me in mind of Natasha Knight’s SERGIO which was also marketed as a romance—albeit a “dark” one—with a similar lack of HEA. [END SPOILER]
Seeing a lot of love here for the Bookish Life of Nina Hill, but it didn’t grab me. However, my libby app had Abby Waxman’s previous book THE GARDEN OF SMALL BEGINNINGS and y’all, it is lovely. Heroine is a bit older than Nina, widowed with kids, an awesome sister, equally awesome babysitter/ house helper and there’s found family in the weekend gardening class she goes to. TW/CW for discussion of grief and depression, not too dark, but honest and real. It hit me right in the feels and then delivered a happy ending and a sense of hope… life goes on, gardens keep growing, snark keeps snarking.
Picked up THE ULTIMATE PI DAY PARTY by Jackie Lau on sale for 99 cents (thanks SBTB!), just delicious. Will read the rest of the Baldwin village series, trying to pace myself as it was my 3rd Jackie Lau book this season.
Molly Harper is my new fluffy fun escapist go-to. Found both HOW TO DATE YOUR DRAGON and LOVE AND OTHER WILD THINGS on hoopla and inhaled them. The bear shifter is such a fun character.
Slowly reading TEACH ME by Olivia Dade – a bit too much angst for me, but I love the characters.
@ DiscoDollyDeb and MaryK – The ending is definitely surprising and not a traditional HEA. I had to go back and re-read the last few chapters to jog my memory. The hero is an alpha and self-involved to where others suffer consequences.
Too much chaos in my life to write up my recent reads but
@DiscoDollyDeb
Perhaps not exactly what you are looking for but Louisa May Alcott wrote a sensational novel in 1866 a few years before Little Women came out called A Long Fatal Love Chase. Too sensational for her publisher at the time apparently because it wasn’t published until 1995. It includes a love story with a Catholic Priest and is surprisingly good with none of the sanctimony of Little Women.
This was just exactly the kind of story that Jo must have been writing when that self-righteous prude Mr. Bhaer convinced her to burn them. And when she should have been in Europe having sex with Laurie too!
Sadly I have significantly less time for reading now that the kids are back in school and soccer season is in full swing (you don’t know HOW many times I have wished I could bring my Kindle to soccer games but I am aware that this would not exactly send the right “supportive sports mom” kind of message….). However I did get to read two Harlequin Presents, the newest from Dani Collins called The Maid’s Spanish Secret, and one from Jackie Ashenden called Claiming His One Night Child. The Dani Collins one was OK, not the best I’ve read from her mostly because I didn’t really believe the connection between the two main characters, and also the conflict seemed a little fuzzy. I’ve heard such good things about Ashenden’s writing so was excited to try one from her in my favorite HQ line. The writing was good and the story was interesting, but something happened in the beginning that kind of turned me off the entire book and I just couldn’t get into it after that. Earlier this month I read Wicked and the Wallflower by Sarah MacLean which I freaking LOVED. You can really tell how her close read of Kresley Cole is influencing her writing and I am here for it. And just now I finished His At Night by Sherry Thomas. It was not quite as spicy as some of the historicals that I enjoy but the story was so good I kind of didn’t even care that they weren’t having sex. I want to read pretty much everything else that she has written immediately. Now I’m reading The Chase by Elle Kennedy, part of her Briar U series. It’s fine….but again I’m like where is the conflict? What is keeping these two apart?? Apparently I’m in the mood for more drama. Next up is Mine Till Midnight by Lisa Kleypas which I was super excited to grab on a Kindle Daily Deal yesterday, and will likely deliver the drama and then some!
@Maureen: I think you can join the Los Angeles Public Library e-media for free with just a cellphone number. Go to laploverdrive site and see!
I have five library accounts. You also might try Seattle’s Sploverdrive.
@mel burns-I tried just now to join the LA Public Library-but no go because I am out of their region. I will try to contact the library and see if there is a way though! Going to give the Seattle Sploverdrive a try too. I am more than willing to pay an out of area fee-most of the ebooks I want are at least $6.99-and to pay a reasonable year fee is both cost effective for me, and all money that goes to libraries? Feels like money well spent! Thank you for the info!
Disco Dolly, I was also coming in to suggest Tiffany Reisz’s Original Sinners series, starting in the “Red Years” with The Siren, this may be what you are looking for. It is written around a BDSM world. Nora is a Dom – Yay!! See Elyse’s review from 2014: https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/reviews/review-the-siren-by-tiffany-reisz/
Like Elyse discusses, The Siren is erotica, not romance, and it may be seen as lighter on sex scenes – yet still erotic. More character driven, amazing writing. Book 2 jumps right into the sexy stuff with a ménage/tutoring scenario, book 3 has a very dark m/m thing happening, and then… I’ll stop here to avoid spoilers – it’s best to not know what is really happening until the end of the very last book. I’ll be very interested to see what you think.
On libraries, my public library has limited selections too, and mostly caters to YA. The selections did become slightly better (relative to my own reading tastes, but not for romance) when they switched to RBDigital, though I find that app’s search feature very awkward. I also use Free Library of Philadelphia, which has much more to select from, and allows out of state members to use the library for an annual fee of $50. You can use Overdrive or Libby for them.
I’ve been totally caught up in Sapkowski’s Witcher books. I never played the games, so my impressions aren’t influenced by other media. Sapkowski isn’t afraid of switching narrative styles, and he jumps around a lot, but I feel the good stuff outweighs the frustrating. I’m looking forward to the Netflix production, which I understand will be based primarily on the books.
@Rebecca: thank you for the recommendation and the link. With or without a priest, it sounds like my catnip. I’ll certainly be checking Reisz’s books out.
This is so late that probably no one will see it, but I can’t help wondering after @DisoDollyDeb’s request just how many of us readers “of a certain age” have gone the gamut from Thorn Birds to Sierra Simone’s Priest. Also curious how The Thorn Birds would hold up to a second (ok, probably 5th or 6th) rereading after so many years. Anyone revisit it lately (and of course, lately, at my age, is a loose construct!)?
@Margaret, I haven’t reread The Thornbirds in years, so I can’t speak to how it has held up over the past (cough) forty years. Nor have I read Simone’s The Priest. However, I have moved from Barbara Cartland to Lyn Gala’s Claimings series along with a host of other good books.
@Margaret: I haven’t reread THE THORN BIRDS for close to 40 years, although it was a huge favorite of mine in the 1970s. I seem to recall there was some “problematic” representation of Aboriginal people, but I may be conflating that with another book of that vintage. Anyway, as much as I loved TTB back in the day, I don’t think I could reread it now. I’m just not the same person.
Somewhat o/t, but I was just thinking today that I read SWEET SAVAGE LOVE when it was first published in the mid-1970s. I was there for the first bodice ripper…and I’m still here reading (and loving) romance. I feel like a matriarch! (Although I couldn’t bring myself to read SSL again today.)