A Taste of Her Own Medicine

author: Tasha Harrison

A Taste of Her Own Medicine is both an erotic romance, and a post-divorce reinvention story. This book was earthy, sensual, and made sex in a garden sound strangely reasonable.

Sonia is an herbalist and newly single mother who decides to start her own business after years of propping up her ex-husband’s career. She takes an entrepreneurship class, and falls into mutual insta-lust with her teacher, a younger man named Atlas. Yes, this is a man whose broad shoulders can hold up the world, or keep Sonia’s thighs open.

Thanks to her browbeating ex, Sonia has self-esteem issues, and is initially confused by Atlas’ attention. He’s a gentle pursuer, and gives her plenty of space to figure her shit out between make-out sessions and pep talks. I found Sonia’s emotional fragility overwhelming at times, although I appreciated that her kooky sisters played as least as large a role as Atlas in helping her heal from her divorce. The book was at its best when Sonia reconnects with her family’s expertise as Gullah traditional medicine makers, and there’s a fair amount of witchy woo. After a dollop of love potion, the couple decide not to use condoms at the last minute because “the thought of any sort of barrier between us [was] almost unbearable.”

Um...

Unsafe sex without a substantive discussion? So, we’re still doing this in 2019. Right. I almost gave up on the book, but after a deep breath, I soldiered on and was rewarded with a satisfying emotional trajectory where Sonia finally realizes her worth, and grows both personally and professionally.

She makes luscious sounding herbal tonics, and more importantly, learns how to have partner-assisted orgasms! Despite zero safe sex practices, and some emotional flailing, A Taste of Her Own Medicine was still a gooey treat with a rare middle-aged heroine getting the action she deserves. A final warning to grammar warriors: there were several typos in the final third of the book.

– Shana

Romance, Contemporary Romance

Daughter of the Sun

author: Effie Calvin

Daughter of the Sun is the second book in the Tales of Inthya series, but it stands alone, and does not overlap at all with The Queen of Ieflaria. It is a simple, sweet story about the power of kindness to inspire love and change.

Orsina is a Paladin of the God Iolar, whose mission is to fight evil and in particular to banish Chaos Gods, who enthrall their worshippers and lead them into destructive pathways. She is kind, honorable, serious, and dutiful, and she is on a mission to defeat a Great (and unknown) Evil. Questing after her destiny, she encounters and defeats Aelia, a minor Chaos God, whose province is caprice and distraction – she is not malicious, but her followers suffer nonetheless because they forget to bring in the harvest or to feed their flocks, and thus risk starvation. Orsina believes that she has successfully banished Aelia, but in fact Aelia survives, though seriously injured and with a new face and body. And so when Orsina encounters an injured, frightened woman on the road the next day, she doesn’t recognise her as the Chaos God she just defeated. Instead she sees a woman fleeing a dangerous situation – and in need of a Paladin’s protection.

I adored this book. Aelia is fickle and flighty and naively fascinated with mortals, if a bit too Chaotic Neutral to make the ideal girlfriend for a Paladin. While she initially plans to use Orsina to help her get hold of a relic that will allow her to resume her normal shape and powers, she is (typically) distracted by her interest in the humans she meets and in their artistic endeavours. She unintentionally acquires new worshippers – her childlike, imaginative nature makes her ideally suited to provide inspiration to artists, though she lacks the focus to make art herself. She even begins to assist Orsina, since she doesn’t want her sibling Chaos gods to harm her new human pets. She becomes a better person (better goddess?) almost by accident.

Meanwhile, Orsina is Lawful Good personified, and I loved how her steady, reliable kindness not only inspired Aelia’s love but also prompted her to change and to learn to care about others. I usually dislike ‘changed by love’ narratives, but it turns out I am absolutely there for ‘changed by kindness and reliability’. And I loved how Aelia saw Orsina and valued her for her honesty and goodness, where others had seen these as attributes to exploit.

The one flaw in this book is how long it took for Aelia to confess her identity to Orsina. Given Orsina’s honorable and straightforward nature, this felt like a real betrayal, and I would have liked to see it addressed a bit more thoroughly. But if you are looking for a sweet, gentle comfort read which champions kindness and human connection, then this is the book for you.

– Catherine Heloise

Romance, LGBTQIA, Science Fiction/Fantasy

White Whiskey Bargain

author: Jodie Slaughter

At one point in this book, the hero and heroine sip moonshine and slowly grind on the dance floor of a speakeasy, both of them dazed by the attraction that pings between them. The scene is languorous and sexy, and neatly epitomizes what I loved about White Whiskey Bargain. This is a book where heat builds slowly but intensely, featuring an emotionally mature couple who don’t let their fears keep them from exploring a romance. It’s also a very atmospheric book, with a strong sense of its setting in Harlan County, Kentucky. I had this song running through my head while I was reading.

Hannah Hawkins has just dutifully taken over the family moonshine business after her mother’s sudden death, when a mysterious outside competitor forces her into an alliance with her local rivals, the Mezas. The uneasy truce is sealed with a marriage of convenience between Hannah and Javier, the son who’d rather spend his time mixing up moonshine recipes than running a sprawling illegal liquor business.

The backbone of the story is lightly suspenseful, but low-angt. Hannah and Javier investigate the threat against them, while working to merge their two operations. Competence porn abounds! I now consider myself an expert on corn liquor after seeing Hannah manage her temperamental distillers. I loved that despite her imposter syndrome tendencies, Hannah was a fantastic leader, and Javier, a supportive sidekick with a powerful presence. Hannah sees the marriage as a short-term solution, but Javier gently pushes against her reserve, and asks her to stay open to their relationship growing into love. Already once divorced, he’s hoping not to fail at marriage a second time.

Javier is a protective nurturer, and I found the combination soothing to read. He seduces Hannah with a lovingly described pozole; I’m a sucker for a hero who cooks. Watching pragmatic Hannah slowly let down her guard and acknowledge their chemistry made me squirm with joy. And did I mention the cunninglingus scene, on the hood of a car, in the rain? Whew.

Unfortunately, the antagonists were cookie-cutter villains, and the rationale for their behavior wasn’t as complex as I’d hoped. After the relaxing pace of the first part of the book, the mystery is resolved abruptly. It was a bit like guzzling grain alcohol after nursing a glass of bourbon. However, the focus of the book is the love story, and the HEA was satisfying, although I would have liked to see a deeper exploration of Hannah and Javier’s challenges, and spent more time with them settled into married life. Still, it’s a good sign when my biggest gripe is wanting more of the characters I loved.

Going into White Whiskey Bargain, I only knew that it was set in Appalachia, and reflected the racial reality of the region, with Latinx and Black main characters. All true, and delightful. I was pleasantly surprised to be sucked into the book, and weeks later, I’m still thinking about my favorite chapters.

– Shana

Romance, Contemporary Romance