It’s that time again! Whatcha Reading sometimes sneaks up on me.
Hope you all have been getting some ready done. It’s okay if not! I’ll be traveling next week and I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I can make a dent in my immediate TBR.
Here’s what the SBTB staff as been reading lately:
Catherine: I just finished The Dare by Elle Kennedy, who is becoming a bit of a guilty pleasure author for me. I love her heroes, who are all these super hot, athletic, hockey superstars, who are also really very sweet and gentle and into consent when it comes to the women in their lives – but there seems to be a lot of casual sexism / gender stereotyping baked into the overall premise, which makes me wince.
And now I gave picked up the Enhanced Edition of Courtney Milan’s Turner series, ( A | BN | K | AB ) and I’m very much enjoying rereading the stories with Courtney’s commentary and Mr Milan’s helpful input on the subject of syphilis.
Shana: I just finished Honor and Desire by Rebel Carter. Like the rest of the books in that series, it was low-angst, and set in an unusually tolerant and diverse Western town. There wasn’t quite enough groveling for my taste, though. I feel cheated.
Right now I’m in the middle of Justina Ireland’s Deathless Divide, ( A | BN | K | AB ) and I wish I liked the sequel as much as I adored Dread Nation.
Carrie: I’m plugging away at my “War and Peace in a Year” reading (a chapter per day) and just started the The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows by Olivia Waite ( A | BN | K | AB ) which I am SO EXCITED ABOUT OMG!!!!
Tara: I just started My Heart’s in the Highlands by Amy Hoff. ( A | BN ) It has a woman in Edinburgh in 1888 who’s created a time machine. When she takes it on its first real flight, it drops her 500 years or so in the past, and a magnificent hunk of a woman finds her. So far it’s quirky and fun, so I love it.
In audio, I’m listening to Not the Marrying Kind by Jae. It has two women in a small town. One of them runs the town bakery and the other runs the flower shop, but she’s deeply closeted. They’re going to fall for each other as they work on the same wedding together. It’s cute so far.
Elyse: I just finished Boyfriend Material. ( A | BN | K | AB ) It dealt a fair amount with anxiety related to childhood trauma, which I liked. Also Miffy-short-for-Clara and Alex were delightful
Carrie: I loved that book so much!
Lara: I’m returning to the world of Kate Shugak and reading Dead in the Water by Dana Stabenow. ( A | BN | K | AB ) So far, so brilliant!
EllenM: I’m reading Dragon Unleashed by Grace Draven ( A | BN | K | AB ) and loving it! Such fantasy romance goodness. So far it’s less dark than the first book in the series (Phoenix Unbound). I also just read the delightful romance graphic novel Taproot by Keezy Young. Gardener and ghost love story!
Claudia: I’m about a third of the way through The Making of Highlander by Elisa Braden. ( A | BN | K | AB ) I’m surprised I’m enjoying it that much since there’s a touch of paranormal and a lot of “cannae” and “ken” from the heroine, who is Scottish (and plucky as all book Scots seem to be). The latter is one of my peeves, but the book is really funny and light so far.
Sarah: I started an ARC of a book that isn’t out until September (I think) so I am The Literal Worst but Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots is REALLY fun so far.
The narrator loves spreadsheets and sarcasm. I like her a lot.
Aarya: I’m doing something that I never do, and that’s reading multiple books at the same time. Alternating chapters is weird. It’s an experiment. We’ll see how it goes because so many folks read like this (sooo strange to me. How do y’all just STOP reading one book and flip back and forth?). I’m in awe because the process is not coming natural to me.
The first book is Talia Hibbert’s Take a Hint, Dani Brown. It is a freaking delight and a hug in book form. There are constant pauses where I set my tablet down and try to stop shrieking with laughter. My family thinks I’m weird enough; I don’t need Reading Snort Gurgles on my list of Aarya quirks. Witchy bi heroine, gruff rugby-playing bodyguard hero, fake relationship, and many other things designed to produce good book noises. Only halfway through, but I don’t anticipate changing my recommendation.
The second book is Sarah MacLean’s Daring and the Duke (out June 30). ( A | BN | K | AB ) It is polar opposite in tone to the Hibbert. Angsty AF second-chance romance with a villain hero. I struggle with villain heroes when they’re SO VILLAINOUS in the previous books of the series. The jury is still out; it’s going well so far, but I don’t know if there’ll be enough groveling to make me happy. We shall see.
Carrie: Oh, I’m dying to hear if the groveling is sufficient!!
Aarya: HE IS SO EVIL. But also maybe good? My heart can’t take it.
Shana: Me too. I can never get enough groveling, and that villain in particular has a lot to apologize for.
Susan: NEW CAT SEBASTIAN! NEW CAT SEBASTIAN!
By which I mean Two Rogues Make a Right dropped this morning and I have been waiting for this convoluted relationship since the first book
Sneezy: Finally my turn for The War Priest by Ann Aguirre! GAH! So good!
Which books are rounding out your reading month? Tell us in the comments!
:::rolls in humming “Who Lives Who Dies Who Tells Your Story because ONLY 5 MORE DAYS AND IT IS ON!!!:::
Not quite as many books this time, just because everything has been pretty long and damned if my book consumption does not reflect an overarching desire to swim away. Well, let’s see, I left off on The Starless Sea, which was pretty, and had some cool imagery, and I’m pretty sure I didn’t really understand the ending. I followed it up with You Should See Me In A Crown by Leah Johnson, which was funny, sweet, and clever. I assure you that the band geek rep was dead-on (recovered band geek, 6-12 grades). The prom queen thing may have been somewhat regional (I’m in the South, they live for homecoming here), but the promposals made me laugh (I have certainly seen those on social media, and as a 41 yo, I honestly think that would have terrified me). Then I decided to get on a spaceship and read Aurora Burning by Jay Kristoff and Amie Kaufman. I greatly enjoyed it, more than I did Aurora Rising, actually. I liked getting more information on Kal’s family, am always here for more hot space elves and snarky AIs, and continued to love Fin (my disaster son), Scarlett, and Zila (I might love Zila more now, actually). Good stuff, that. However, it ended on a cliffhanger and that was MEAN. After that, I decided it was time to go to NYC and fired up The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin. I will be honest, Jemisin is a fantastic author and I couldn’t do The Broken Earth series because it was so very bleak. This was more my speed. It had anger, as any book about NYC should, and it also had courage, and balls, and massively great world-building (a good chunk of it is set in my sister’s neighborhood). In addition, if you love horror and hate Lovecraft’s racist-ass legacy, she gives him the giant middle finger alllll through this. The story is informed by Lovecraft’s monsters, and his work is explicitly referenced throughout, and it also answers him, and how wrong and terrible he was. Also, there’s a possessed Karen monster, and who can’t relate to that right now? Which brings us to today and I’ve decided to head to the Old West with My Calamity Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows. We’ve got the Old West, Annie Oakley being awesome, werewolves, and snarky narrators. I’ve already had a few snickers reading it. Until next time, folks, raise a glass to freedom, something they can never take away, no matter what they tell you.
I’ve been enjoying reading for Ripped Bodice Bingo. And I got my first bingo this week (woo hoo!)
Excellent:
Xeni by Rebekah Weatherspoon. MF bi romance. The hype was right. I just loved this book. And it works for many bingo squares – dumped at a wedding, apple orchard, musical instrument (bagpipes) and meddling matchmakers.
Very good
Two Rogues make a Right by Cat Sebastian- mm historical and lovely conclusion to her Seducing the Sedgwicks trilogy. It might work as a standalone but I think it’s better if you’ve read the other books. (Title is a pun)
Take a hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert. Really fun mf bi romance. I think it might have been a higher grade for me if I hadn’t read it the same week as Xeni. They’re definitely different books but there was enough overlap that I found myself mixing them up a bit in my head. In both books, the heroine IDs as a witch and casts a spell for the perfect partner / fuckbuddy and is not expecting the big, handsome yet gentle man served up by the universe.
(meddling matchmakers, even though the matchmaker is the goddess Oshun)
Meh
Rulebreakers by Cathey Pagaeu. FF SFR bi romance about a low level con artist and thief who gets in way over her head when her ex recruits her for a dangerous job and she falls for her mark. It’s been on my TBR for years. I didn’t really buy the plot or the side characters but I did like the main couple quite a bit – I liked watching two flawed women fall for each other and try to be better for the sake of the other. (Secret identity)
Currently reading The Killing Moon by N.K. Jemisin. This duology doesn’t seem to get a lot of love in SFF circles, but I really love the world building even though I’m not necessarily sold on the characters.
Started Julia Quinn’s First Comes Scandal this morning and it seems promising. I also won a copy of Sajni Patel’s The Trouble With Hating You and I’m saving that for the 4th of July road trip.
I have 7 other books started but haven’t really made much of a dent in any of them.
I forgot the CW for bad parenting by River’s mother in THE REDEMPTION OF RIVER. Come to think of it, Martin in TWO ROGUES MAKE A RIGHT is more likely bisexual and demiromantic (either way, there’s some demi going on there)…
Still comfort reading categories, although I’m breaking out a bit more now, because I’m just about glutted on troubled rich boys who can’t love.
One actually made me so angry I’m not going to name it, just rant about it at excessive length. It started off quite well – the characters’ emotions and reactions felt quite real, then it descended into tropes that did not bring me joy.
The 22-year-old heroine has been recently orphaned leaving her with a baby brother to care for, and is trapped in her house by rampaging journalists because she and her brother are now the heirs to enormous wealth. Then the inverted commas hero comes along, virtually kidnaps them both to the standard-issue Greek island on the orders of Evil Grandpa. So far, so category romance.
It goes off the rails when twenty-four hours after first meeting her he takes her to bed. She says she wants him to, but instead of him saying, ‘No. This would be a bad idea because, you know, you’re grieving, are dealing with a new baby brother and I’ve just kidnapped you. Oh and I’m ten years older than you and have banged my way round the Mediterranean twice over,’ he does indeed have sex with her. Then accuses her of trying to trap him into marriage because she was a virgin. *first confused emoji*
The Evil Grandpa is evil because his son disappointed him by running out on an arranged marriage when he was 18 to a woman 14 years older than him with a 10 year old son and the heroine seemed to… sympathise with Evil Grandpa? By this time I just didn’t know whose side the author expected me to be on and I just ended up hating everyone except the baby and the dead parents. Oh, and it had that old skool thing where the guy is overbearing and every time the heroine stands up for herself he sexes her into submission then at the end suddenly he’s apparently always loved her and couldn’t she tell all along despite the fact that nothing in his behaviour has demonstrated anything of the sort. And it was weirdly confusing and boring despite all the stuff going on.
*breathes in*
On the other hand, there’s Maisey Yates writing this in Carides Forgotten Wife:
“She realised finally that even if Leon didn’t think she was worth it, even if her father had never thought she was worth it… she thought she was.
She realised it with a rush of absolute certainty and strength. How could she be a mother to Isabella if she taught her that a woman should twist and contort and bend endlessly in order to accommodate other people in her life?
She didn’t want that little girl to bend, not even once. The world should bend round her…”
So that was a good palate cleanser.
I also read Beast Behaving Badly which was a lot of fun. I nearly always get a bit confused with Shelly Laurenston’s books, but I just buckle in and enjoy the ride and usually by about a third of the way in I’ve mostly figured out what’s going on.
Also re-reading Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons because that’s never a bad decision.
Still haven’t finished The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman and in fact forgot I had it on my Kindle which isn’t a good sign.
Having enjoyed Jackie Lau’s Mr Hotshot CEO, I’ve got the Baldwin Village series lined up next and looking forward to that.
Just burned through DOCILE by K.M. Szpara, which I… liked seems like the wrong word? It’s in many ways an uncomfortable and excruciating work. Dystopian BDSM fiction with trigger warnings up the wazoo. But it was also compulsively readable to the point where I burned through the entire thing in a single afternoon. Which is a big deal for me, these days. As a kid the ADHD hyperfocus frequently let me rocket through novels but these days that kicks in less often and the ADHD is more likely to be my enemy than my friend when I try to get through a book. But this book, for whatever reason, regardless of the inherently disturbing subject matter, was GRABBY. I appreciate grabbiness.
Aside from that I’m mostly reading via playing right now. I got a metric whacktonne of games from itch through their massive charity bundle a few weeks back, which included a bunch of interactive fiction and visual novel games.
I played POM SIMULATOR 9000 by d Marie, an interactive text novellette about a guy accidentally becoming a werepomeranian. And I LOVED it. I cried! I did not expect to cry! I did not expect to catch feels over the game about a guy turning into a pomeranian! But feels were caught! Seriously, this is very much worth playing. The relationship between the protagonist and his girlfriend and the HEA in the True Ending are SO SATISFYING.
Currently playing Arcade Spirits, a visual novel romance game set in an alternate timeline where the video game crash of the eighties never happened and arcades are still a mainstream thing. The art direction and overall style and design are delightful, the writing is snappy and witty, the characters are all likeable and engaging. Including the protagonist! Which is not always a guarantee in romance games, where the main character is often left to be a blank slate void. This protagonist is customizable in name and appearance and their personality can take a few different directions, but they always HAVE a personality. I hear a sequel in this universe is in the works and I am HERE for it.
Finished my reread of HEARTSTONE by Elle Katherine White and it is now enshrined among my comfort rereads. P&P with dragons — what’s not to like?
Now, prompted by a conversation in a previous Rec League, I’m doing a reread of HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE and the sequel CASTLE IN THE SKY by Dianna Wynne Jones, and looking for the third book in the trilogy, THE HOUSE OF MANY WAYS, which for some reason I have never read. Also thinking of picking up her DARK LORD OF DERKHOLM, which I think my D&D loving sons will get into. Anybody looking for a witty, intelligent YA comfort read, check out Wynne’s books; IMHO you can’t go wrong.
In the last month or so I’ve read The Virgin and the Rogue by Sophie Jordan, which I loved. She is a recently discovered author for me and I have torn through her Debutante Files and Rogue Files series since quarantine started. They are the perfect amount of zany with a splash of angst and a healthy dose of heat and have been my escapist favorite during this time. I also read Her Best Worst Mistake by Sarah Mayberry, which was a pull-over-and-one-click during a recent listen to Fated Mates. The writing was so good I forgot that the premise gave me weird feelings (girl sleeps with her best friend’s former fiance yikes) but I did feel like the resolution in the end was a little too neat. Then came The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon. This was just OK for me. I was actually about to DNF because I just couldn’t get into it, and then I decided to skim the rest and by the end I was enjoying it. The female friendship was the best part. The romance was meh. I felt like I needed to know more about why these two people liked each other, beyond “he thought she was hot/she thought he was hot.” I DNF’ed Lady Isabella’s Scandalous Marriage by Jennifer Ashley. People seem to love her writing but this was not for me. I can’t handle a book where I feel like the entire conflict could be solved by one honest conversation. Over the weekend I started Kiss of Steel by Bec McMaster, which has been on my TBR list forever. It’s VERY different than what I’ve traditionally read in PNR/vampire romance so I had a bit of trouble figuring it out at first, but the writing is good and the story is interesting so I’m sticking with it.
@KB: There’s a companion book to HER BEST WORST MISTAKE called HOT ISLAND NIGHTS, also written by Sarah Mayberry. The heroine is the best friend of the heroine from HER BEST WORST MISTAKE. She breaks up with her fiancé and goes to Australia to try to find her father (iirc) and ends up having a fling with a hot surfer. But then the fling develops into something more. I think reading the two books together gives a fuller arc to both stories.
@DiscoDollyDeb thanks! I thought there must be a story about the friend! I had figured everything would work out happily because romance, but the fact that she was SO totally fine with the new relationship had me a little confused.
Still reading up a storm, and although I may just prefer historicals and paranormals/fantasy none of the Contemporaries I have read lately have worked for me. Perhaps it is the escapism of the others that just really works for me in this messed up world we are living in right now.
Polaris Rising: I liked it, but felt that I really did not understand the characters motivations or devotion to one another. I do plan to read the next in the series so I guess that it is a good sign.
Friends Without Benefits by Penny Reed: I have been avoiding this one for a while. I did not like Elizabeth in the other books in the series and reading an entire book about her seemed daunting. I also found out that I don’t like the Hero, like at all. Major miss for me, although I did really enjoy other books in the series. Although I generally like those bearded Winston boys better 🙂
Duke of My Heart by Kelly Bowen: I read the third book in this series first and now am playing catch up. I liked it, I liked Ivory as a strong, capable woman who made her own way and Max for eventually learning to trust her. Plus Gil and Alex were so fun to see again.
Beauty and the Blacksmith by Tessa Dare: Not the best of the Spindle Cove Series, but cute and hot blacksmith, what else do I have to say….
A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro: Not a romance, but part of a challenge for my libraries summer reading program. It was okay, why with the Sherlock retellings does Sherlock have to be a woman? And why is Watson a love interest? Plus this was a YA novel. I do not understand this genre, if I want a book for children I will read one, if I want a grown up book then be grown up! My god the Twilight books killed me. As a friend said about Bella and Edward “Fuck her, bite her, do SOMETHING.”
Strange Practice by Vivian Shaw: I am in progress with this one, but keep taking breaks to read other books. Not a sign that I am going to love it, but maybe it will pick up the pace soon. I keep having these Divinci Code flash backs with the fanatical monks.
A Duke in Shining Armor by Loretta Chase: It was cute. I liked both the Hero and Heroine, although there was too much blah, blah, blah about honor and whatnot. Plus I am a sucker for a good dog and this book has a good dog.
Protect the Prince by Jennifer Estep: Kill the Queen was by far the better book. This one got a little angsty with Evie and Sully. Plus everything got tied up a little too neatly at the end. Nonetheless Crush the King is on my TBR list.
England’s Perfect Hero by Suzanne Enoch: I don’t know why I am constantly reading book 3 in a series first, but whoops I did it again. I love, love, loved Robert, what a great hero and I love the relationships between all the Carroway brother.
Any Groom Will Do by Charis Micheals: Meh, not bad, not great, it took me a away for a while and the epistolary chapters were great.
Prince of Midnight by Laura Kinsale: DNF, couldn’t stand the heroine, the hero literally almost lost his dog because of her, made it more than halfway and you know what life is too short to read stuff you don’t like.
Uprooted by Naomi Novak: Another Library challenge book, I liked it, the romance is very light and the “hero” is a major, major grump, but I loved the magic and the idea that a forest was hurting and needed to be healed.
The Surgeon’s Lady by Carla Kelly: Maybe a little too much blood, gore and war time drama. Sweet story.
Radiance by Grace Draven: LOVED this book, have reread sections multiple times. I am afraid to read the sequel since it may not meet by VERY high expectations.
Souless by Gail Carriger: It was a solid, fun book. Not sure about the hero, but I liked the heroine and the world she built. Will definitely read the next book.
Falling Free by Lois Bujold: Great world building with the quadies and life on a space station. Was a little creeped out by the age difference between the hero and his love interest (calling her a heroine would be a bit of a stretch).
It Takes Two to Tangle by Theresa Romain: It was sweet, light and I like that the villain got a dressing down.
At The Water’s Edge by Sara Gruen: I wanted to like this book more than I did. It was another Library Challenge read and I am not sure I would have picked it up on my own. The heroine is a dilatant and her husband is even worse. Plus Loch Ness mythology is not my bag. However despite that I did for the most part enjoy reading the book.
You’re The Earl I Want by Kelly Bowen: So far I have liked All the Lords of Worth series (I even read them in order). Joss was fun and smart and all the crazy characters the thief butler, the horse thief coachman and all the chickens what’s not to like?
Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte: Another challenge book. God save me from YA….
The Lady’s Companion by Carla Kelly: I really loved the hero and the unconventional romance. My favorite Carla Kelly so far.
Fantasy Lover by Sherilyn Kenyon: This was not what I expected, something hotter, not one where the sex scene was not until the very end and involved like a 6 hour session of penetration, doesn’t that just make your J sore thinking about it?
Empire of Sand by Tasha Suri: This was a really slow start for me, but I am glad that I stuck with it. Amun was sweet and I loved all the magic and the tribal culture in the midst of a non-magical empire.
The Marriage Game by Sara Desi: It was funny and sweet and brought a smile to my face.
Whiteout by Adriana Anders: I like books set in cold places (here in Arizona we will have triple digit highs for the next several months). However I could not quite let go and have that willing suspension of disbelief that this book really required. They totally would have frozen to death and sex in temperatures that cold is just sounds uncomfortable and not sexy.
The Dutchess Deal by Tessa Dare: I think I am reading this series backwards, but I found the hero ridiculous in the other books in the series and I get him more now. Maybe I will even start swearing in Shakespearean quotes too.
Bay of Sighs by Nora Roberts: Another Library challenge book. I used to read Nora Roberts back in college and graduate school in the late nineties and early 2000’s, but have not read her in years. It was an interesting story, a little to neat 3 men, 3 women on a mystical journey as they pair off novel by novel. It kinda felt like reading the equivalent of a Hallmark Channel movie, the plot lines are so telescoped you would have to be a complete moron not to see where everything is going.
The Blacksmith Queen by G.A. Aiken: I loved this book, badass heroines rock and she rocks hard. The romance was a little clunky like she forgot there was a love interest and had to insert a love scene into all the action. That being said I liked the hero and hope there will be a next installment.
The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley: I read the Firebird by her last year and I found the flashbacks a little jarring. I would just be getting into the story in one time line to be jerked into another time. This book had many of the same issues, but I loved the descriptions of Scotland and the modern hero with his dog I loved. The hero in the historical time didn’t really work for me and I kinda felt our historical heroine got the major short end of the stick.
Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews: I had read some short stories of hers before starting the Kate Daniels books (from the beginning I know you are all shocked). It was good, really good, light on the romance, but a kick ass girl with a complicated life and shifters, can’t wait to see where the story goes next.
Silent in the Grave by Deanna Raybourn: So I hated the Veronica Speedwell book I read, but people had such nice things to say about this series. I liked it better than the Speedwell book I read, but I had some major issues. It seemed really homophobic that all the queer characters were morally bankrupt and hurtful. Plus the hero just did not work for me.
OMG I read too much!
For whoever was talking about the No Cry Sleep Solution, it was a complete flop for me too. I felt that Solve Your Child’s sleep problems to be the most helpful and when you read it, it is not advocating leaving your child alone crying for hours at night. I used to be in the room with my girls (21 months apart) with them in their cribs and me on the floor until they fell asleep and then I would sneak out. Sleeping through the night for my youngest did not happen until she was two and I weaned her completely.
Stay safe girls, stay healthy (mask up) and keep all these great recommendations coming!
Hi, @Hot in AZ, we appear to have similar tastes in Carla Kelly, I agree Enoch’s “England’s Perfect Hero” was great. So you have totally sold me on the Kelly Bowen book with your comment “the thief butler, the horse thief coachman and all the chickens what’s not to like?”