We are approaching the end of February and I could not be more excited. There’s something about this month that makes me so unbelievably tired and sluggish. I hope I’m not the only one!
But of course, let’s talk books!
Sneezy: I’m pinging between so many books and webtoons right now that I’m almost confused by this question. I remember reading… What did I read? Did I actually read???
I’m re-reading City Kitty and Country Mouse by Alyssa Lynn Palmer. This book is a safe bubble for me to cozy into.
Also Laziness Does Not Exist by Dr. Devon Price. Because their words go stabbidy stab stab at the infections on my heart. Not a fun pain, but a good one.
Another thank you to Sarah for recommending it.
Shana: I’m listening to the audiobook of Romancing Mister Bridgerton, ( A | BN | K | G | AB | Au | Scribd ) Colin and Penelope’s book. I loved the book on my first read, and Colin holds up well as a charming hero who falls for a smart but unpopular girl. But I’d forgotten that Penelope magically loses a bunch of weight between books so that she can now be attractive to her longtime crush. I don’t like that trope, and it’s dampening my enjoyment of his bewildered love for her.
Sarah: I just finished listening to Foxglove Summer by Ben Aaronovitch, ( A | BN | K | AB ) and am now listening to Mira’s Last Dance by Lois McMaster Bujold. ( A | BN | AB ) I joined a quilt square exchange on Twitter so I have been sewing 8″ squares and listening to books. Supremely satisfying.
Amanda: Sarah is a quilting goddess. She made me my very own for the holidays and I love it.
Elyse: I’ve been in a slump. I can’t seem to finish anything.
I’ve reached this point in quarantine for the past month where I’m struggling with words, both reading and writing. I know it will pass but it’s depressing. I think my brain energy is depleted. I’ve been knitting simple patterns and playing games that don’t involve much puzzle solving. I’m giving myself brain rest as a form of self care.
Sneezy: You GET that rest Elyse!!!!! Elyse on Team Elyse!!!!!!
Carrie: I just finished Dragon Hoops by Gene Luen Yang. ( A | BN | K | AB ) I love his other work but would have passed this by if the librarian had not basically insisted that I read it – so good! It’s about basketball – but in unexpected ways that are absolutely captivating despite my previous lack of interest in the sport. A good example of how anything can be interesting once you dig into it.
EllenM: Honestly a significant portion of my free reading time this past week was absorbed completely by me finally downloading Stardew Valley and playing it every free moment I’m not studying, ha! But I also read the very cute 1-volume graphic novel Help Us, Great Warrior and it was heartwarming and adorable.
Amanda: Does that mean you’re enjoying it?!
EllenM: YES it is so fun!!! I’ve already played through almost an entire year!
Amanda: Loving this journey for you.
Sarah: Stardew WINNNN!
I love that you’re experiencing it for the first time.
Tara: So, I’ve been pretty addicted to my Switch lately. But in great news, one book has definitely captured my attention for my end of day reading time lately. Last Night at the Telegraph Club, Malinda Lo’s new YA f/f romance that takes place in the 1950s. I’m hoping and trusting that there will be a happy ending, even though it takes place in a time when it was illegal to be gay.
Kiki: I recently finished What We Don’t Talk About When We Talk About Fat by Aubrey Gordon which was really fantastic and I think is critical reading, especially for my fellow straight sized folks. It’s about anti-fat discrimination and what cultural changes are required for fat justice. I listened to the audiobook but am going to get a hard copy so I can keep going back to it. The author also has an INCREDIBLE podcast called Maintenance Phase in which she and her co-host debunk bad health science and weight loss fads.
In terms of romance I was suddenly overcome a few days ago to reread all of the Bedwyn Saga by Mary Balogh? ( A | BN | K | G | AB ) It was very out of left field but I just finished the first and am enjoying the reread!
What are you reading this month? Let us know!
I’ve been in a bit of a reading slump lately, but loved THE FLATSHARE by Beth O’Leary. Despite the dual first person POV, which isn’t something I normally enjoy, it was fabulous. I also read AN UNEXPECTED EARL by Anna Harrington. It’s fun and a nice next step in the series. TOO WICKED TO KISS by Erica Ridley was a fun gothic romance.
I haven’t been able to read much lately as well. Mostly because of work, I can’t switch my brain from work mode at the end of the day for to really get into a book.
Despite that, I had a book hangover from THE WITCH’S HEART by Genevieve Gornichec. I am now reading it for the third time in two weeks. So good. But I am a little disappointed with the ending, mostly because I wanted Angrboda to be at the centre of the action more, to get her revenge on the gods, not just for what they did to her family but to her specifically.
NORSE MYTHOLOGY by Neil Gaiman. The author included some titles on Norse mythology at the end of the Witch’s Heart and this one of them. This was a very good retelling of some of the stories, mostly on the adventures of Loki and Thor.
THE GOSPEL OF LOKI by Joanne Harris. This was disappointing honestly. It was just mean to the women. The female goddesses were portrayed as either vain, manipulative or crazy and there was a lot of body shaming too. Maybe one could argue that this is from Loki’s POV and that’s how he sees woman and maybe that’s the choice the author was going for but I just didn’t like it.
Some books I want to get back to when work calms down:
DAUGHTERS OF NIGHT by Laura Shepherd-Robinson. The author’s debut BLOOD & SUGAR was one of my favourites from last year, a historical murder mystery about an aspiring MP investigating the murder of his best friend and its ties to what happened on a slave ship (based on the case of the Zong). The main character in this one is Caro Corsham, the wife of the Harry from the last book. Caro is investigating the murder of her friend since the authorities have no interest in looking into the death of a prostitute especially if it involves inconveniencing rich men.
SEVEN FOR A SECRET by Lindsay Faye. I’m really into historical mysteries at the moment. Second book in the Gods of Gotham series. The first book is excellent and this one is bit easier to get into since we mostly know the characters and what their deal is. I’m also here for the sibling relationship between Tim and his brother Val.
After finally re-reading Zoe Chant’s Wildfire shifters series (next one not out yet), I read Tamed by Tana Stone it was very meh. There were a few comedy moments with the spaceship done up like the Love Boat and using eighties game shows to screen for prospective brides mildly funny (reminding me of Galaxy Quest and that Simpson’s skit with The Pong game) but apart from that the characters weren’t very developed and the heroine a spoilt rich girl type. Also these sci Fi romances go on about fertility and females a lot, maybe it’s just me but these plot points get to me after a while. I read a few other sci fi, but mostly DNF.
Plucking up the courage to read Radical by Colleen Crowley but I have a few issues with the way the hero treated the heroine in the first book. Only saving Grace that the hero regrets it, but I can’t see how this will turn into a trust based relationship?
I haven’t been reading b/c my brain has felt a bit fried lately. It is at least due to fun things (writing fanfic and lots of Italian learning) and not ‘oh god, oh god, the world is on fire’ (for all I know the world might be on fire, I’m drastically limiting my news).
But I did still read/listen some cute things! In order of enjoyment –
IF THE BOOT FITS by Rebekah Witherspoon. Cinderella story with modern Black cowboys. I don’t usually do modern Cinderella stories b/c if the author really piles on the abuse for the Cinderella character, I feel emotionally manipulated rather than sympathetic. But this was just right. It was cute, sweet, sexy and very low-conflict which I was in the mood for. There is a bit of a mean girl character, but I thought even that was handled well. I also don’t usually do cowboys, but this definitely worked for me. And I’m looping back and reading the Sleeping Beauty one and I can’t wait for the Beauty and the Beast one! This is the first Witherspoon that really clicked for me.
I also listened to the audio of ROMANCING MR BRIDGERTON. I tried to get into the Netflix show, but I kept looking at Colin and Penelope and thinking ‘those ones. Those ones are the one I want. Why are we spending time with these other people?’ I agree, I was not fond of the ‘losing weight, now I’m desirable in a socially acceptable way’ plotline, so I just (mentally) stuck my fingers in my ears and went ‘la, la, la’ every time it was mentioned. Then I checked out the book and read it, even though I had just listened to it. It was my binky. It was definitely the fluffy, safe story I needed, and I think I will probably continue from that point in the series in audio (listening to SIR PHILLIP WITH LOVE right now but not done yet). Maybe eventually I will loop back around to the beginning, but I’ve tried THE DUKE AND I and THE VISCOUNT WHO LOVED ME several times and have bounced hard off the heroes every time.
GHOSTING: A LOVE STORY by Tash Skilton. This was adorable. Two people are dating app ghostwriters (I’m not sure that’s a thing, but go with it) who are both acting as Cyrano and falling in love with each other online. At the same time, they’re bickering at the local coffee shop in person. I’m here for any YOU’VE GOT MAIL/CYRANO DE BERGERAC type story. This had lots of great banter, once again, not a lot of angsty conflict, and a great hilarious side character that has to be inspired by Carrie Fisher. She alone is worth reading the book for. I feel like I should give it a higher rating, but I also can barely remember it? Would definitely read something again by these authors.
SIRI, WHO AM I? by Sam Tschida. A woman wakes up in a hospital in a designer gown, bashed on the head, with no idea who she is. I kept reading this one for the mystery but I had a hard time finding sympathy for the heroine. Both b/c she seemed pretty shallow and b/c she kept making very dumb/weird choices for plot reasons. She spent days upon days in the designer gown and I’m still not really sure why other than it made for some funny punchlines. Yes, she doesn’t have a lot of money or time, but she borrows money several times and goes on a shopping spree for another person. Buy yourself some damn yoga pants or a cheap sundress. The mystery did have some pretty satisfying twists and I gained more sympathy for the heroine as more was revealed, but I think this would have made more sense as a movie script than a book. I have gut suspicion it started as one.
THIS IS TRUE LOVE Jamie Wesley. An actress who has just gone through a humiliating divorce buys out a production company from her ex. The other half of the company is owned by her ex’s best friend and there is an attraction there they have to deal with. I wanted to like this b/c the heroine, Felicity, was very endearing. But it felt all over the place, zipping from plot point to plot point and emotional beat to emotional beat. I also felt at times the attraction was written a very over-the-top way that personally always makes me feel the writer is spoon feeding me. I can put that aside if I like other things about the book, but there wasn’t a lot here for me. I finished it b/c it was my TBR challenge, but probably just an author who is not for me.
Last night when I prepared my toddler for bed, I forgot to put a diaper under her pyjamas… that was a wonderful discovery to make at 3 AM. Yay me.
During the day, I’m still sorting through old boxes of books. I’ve moved on from the manga boxes for now, have done a couple of scifi/fantasy ones (kept everything except Storm Constantine) and am now staring at my erotic romance box. Robin Schone, and secrets/hot/spicy anthologies I mostly kept for the Angela Knight & Maryjanice Davidson stories. Eh, I so don’t feel like reading them. Maybe that right there tells me whether I should keep them or not.
What I did read was RIDICULOUS! (Ridiculous Lovers 01) by D.L. Carter. I loved it. It was mentioned in the women wearing pants rec league, so thanks y’all. I found most of the characters well-drawn, but it was the heroine that carried the book. She was so clear-eyed and perceptive – both about herself and others – and clever! Delightful plot, cleanly wrapped at the end. I’m very tempted by the sequel, but it’s seems to be not up to par to the first book. Anyone here read it? What did you think?
Another book I was keeping in reserve for our first snow day (as in : schools are closed, and when we go outside to shovel snow, it comes up to the kid’s armpits and everyone has a blast playing in fluffy snow) which we had last week — As an aside, I want to give a shout out to all Texans who just endured their own hellish snow week. Sent all good vibes and wishes and $ your way — Hum, the snow day book. SNOWSPELLED (Harwood Spellbook 01) by Stephanie Burgis. A short read, 158 p. It wrapped up quickly and satisfyingly, which fit well in a busy day where the kids were home. Her main characters are well defined and relatable; her villain a bit unidimensional; her world was interesting (in the Harwood books, it’s alternate Angland where men are magicians, women rule, and where it’s the men that run the risk of being compromised). But… it wasn’t as good as The Art of Deception.
My favorite romance read of the last two week was EARTH HUSBANDS ARE ODD by Lyn Gala (sql to Earth Fathers Are Weird). The story is complete in itself but the set up leaves lots of space for more books – yay! Lyn Gala is so darn good at world building. It was marvelous to get more of Max and Rick and their kids. They are back to (alien) civilisation where Max realizes how much Rick and the kids are discrimined against. Max is not okay with that, very not okay, and he hatches a plan to do something about it. Gala manages to make her humans so human while having them navigate alien society.
In this book, Max has to create the human template that will influence all future meetings between aliens and humans once the latter get off their planet. He finds himself trying to describe general principles of humanity, like awareness, intelligence, violence, gender… and he’s often stumped. I liked his conversation with Rick about Rick’s gender (and how Rick, in the end, doesn’t give – or have? – an answer). The romantic attachment between Max & Rick is better illustrated in this book and more satisfying. There’s also an important character introduced midway, I find she was short-changed in the narrative, but she leaves with them, so I have good hopes she’ll get her due in later books.
Other than that I’m still into Proust (two new pages a day, still an enjoyable meander). This week I spent most of my free time darning my kids’ jeans and my flannel sheets and I loved it. I felt like an historical heroine 😉 I’m also deep into embroidery books. The book that most sparks the inspiration for me is Embroidery and Patchwork Revisited by Janice Vayne, can’t wait! to try to do some of the stitches on the prototype crazy quilt I’m working on.
I was pleasantly surprised to see that Julie Kriss had (with very little fanfare) released her latest book, WICKED DANGEROUS, the fourth and final book in her Filthy Rich series about four friends who grew up rough on the wrong side of the tracks and ended up unexpectedly wealthy. WICKED DANGEROUS is a second-chance romance with a rather melancholy tone: the hero & heroine were married in their early twenties and things didn’t work out. Both of them were from different types of dysfunctional families—his, poor and abusive; hers, wealthy and apt to sweep problems under the rug. Being young and immature, the couple soon divorced and, at the beginning of the book, they have not seen each other for 13 years. There is a subplot involving the heroine’s unintentional witnessing of a drug deal that puts her in harm’s way, but the essence of the story is how two people can come to terms with the mistakes of the past and figuring out how they can move forward together. Recommended.
I was intrigued by the premise of J. Kenner’s DESTROYED WITH YOU, the latest romantic-suspense story in her Stark Security series: A former small-town sheriff, who lost his wife five years ago in a car explosion, learns that not only is his wife still alive, but she is also an undercover agent. Then the sheriff (who was also working undercover during the time he was married) is tasked with bringing his wife to the head of a security agency. But when husband and wife finally reunite, they discover that both of them may be working for “dirty” bosses and have to go on the lam together—and get Stark Security involved—to uncover the truth. While I didn’t enjoy DESTROYED WITH YOU quite as much as my favorite Stark Security book, BROKEN WITH YOU, I still thought Kenner did an excellent job describing the disorientation the hero felt discovering his wife was still alive, and the devastation the heroine felt knowing that, years before, she’d had to fake her own death the keep her husband alive. I did find my eyes glazing a bit with talk of double-agents and who could be trusted and what organizations were involved in what operations—and I also found it a bit rich that the hero was angry with the heroine for not telling him when they were married that she was an undercover agent when all along he had also been, unbeknownst to her, an undercover agent. But, these elements aside, I thought the book was a good analysis of whether love can exist when people are hiding their essential selves and whether love can thrive between two people who both have reasons to distrust the other. My advice: read the book for its study of love, trust, and coming back from heartache; you can safely skim the bang-bang-pew-pew stuff.
Back in the day, Lauren Blakely’s latest, MY ONE-WEEK HUSBAND, could easily have been categorized as what we then called a “shopping and fucking” novel because there’s a lot of both going on, along with a Parisian travelogue. The hero and heroine are business partners—who share a mutual, but never-acted-upon, attraction—in France to scope out boutique hotels to add to their portfolio. They decide to masquerade as a married couple to make their snooping a little less obvious. So, in between scenes of the heroine’s shoe shopping jaunts with her good friend (the owner of a football team and certain to be a future Blakely heroine), we have a fake-relationship/enforced-proximity/unresolved-sexual-tension trope-gasm. Naturally, the course of true love cannot run smoothly, especially when both hero & heroine are hiding so much secret pain. Will being fake honeymooners while sleeping side-by-side in lovely hotel rooms in the most romantic cities in the world allow the MCs to free their hearts and achieve their HEA? MY ONE-WEEK HUSBAND is an enjoyable, if predictable, read, both fluffy and erotic. If you’re looking for something quick and hot, with lots of Parisian landmarks, lingerie, mirrors, role-play, sexy times, and, oh yeah, shoes, lots of shoes, look no further than MY ONE-WEEK HUSBAND.
One of my favorite books of 2020 was Marley Valentine’s WITHOUT YOU, an m/m romance between a man and his late brother’s boyfriend. It was a beautifully-written story of love and overcoming grief. So when I saw Avril Ashton’s TEMPLE had a similar premise (a man falls for his late friend’s boyfriend), I grabbed it. Sadly, lightening did not strike twice. Although TEMPLE is competently written (albeit with a bit more tell-not-show than I prefer), I never really felt there was much chemistry between the two heroes: too much time was spent with each man blaming himself for the situation that killed the friend/boyfriend; and the sex scenes went from zero to seventy way too fast, without the emotional build-up that helps make sex scenes truly hot. While TEMPLE is not a terrible book, if you can only read one “man falling for his late brother’s/late friend’s boyfriend” romance, choose WITHOUT YOU.
When I first started reading Natasha Knight a number of years ago, her work was extremely dark, featuring abduction, captivity, non-consent, and some other very rough stuff. Over the past few years, her stories have settled into a milder (although still dark) formula: an innocent young woman, usually connected to a ruthless mafia/crime family, is forced into an arranged marriage or abducted as part of a revenge scheme by a rival mob boss. Knight’s latest duet, WITH THIS RING & I THEE TAKE, continues in this vein: the heroine and her younger brother (part of a drug cartel family) are abducted by a rival family. To keep her brother safe, the heroine agrees to marry the head of the other family. Relatives in both families are revealed to be untrustworthy and eventually the h&h must work together to uncover a series of betrayals going back a generation. You know the drill, you either like this type of thing or you don’t. Read (or don’t) accordingly. [One more thing: hot cover alert for WITH THIS RING: shirtless guy in profile—beard, hairy chest, abs, head bowed, gazing pensively—with a dress shirt held casually over his shoulder. Yum!]
When an anthology includes titles like SOLD TO THE HIGHEST BIDDER, STALKER, THE DIRTY BARGAIN, and POISONED HEARTS, it’s clear what the themes of the stories are; so the contents of TALES OF DARKNESS AND SIN should not be surprise. The stories are for the most part new ones written (or co-written) by some of my favorite dark romance writers like Skye Warren, Sierra Simone, Cora Reilly, and Natasha Knight. All royalties from the sale of the book benefit the National Women’s Law Center—which represents a variety of women’s rights and LGBTQIA issues—so the purchase does more than bring a new batch of dark romances to your e-reader. However, be forewarned that most of these stories are pretty damn dark and a couple of them were DNF for me (dark is one thing, but constant cruelty is another; I have my limits). My very favorite—and the most light-hearted—story in the anthology is NOT A DIRTY LITTLE SECRET co-written by Gianna Darling & Sierra Simone. It’s an m/m romance between a self-contained British Prime Minister and his much younger, far more out and open, archeologist step-brother. There was a very dry, upper-class British tone to the story which reminded me in some ways of Alexis Hall’s work. Overall, I’d recommend TALES OF DARKNESS AND SIN for those who like dark/mafia/mob-type romances—because that describes the majority of the stories—and how can I fail to recommend a collection where one author (A. Jade) describes herself as “a die-hard lover of Oxford commas”?
I read The Gentle art of Fortune Hunting by KJ Charles and dear god I loved everything about it. So now I’ve gone and bought 3 more of hers. She’s been on my radar for months now but I read a review on another site and took the plunge.
I’m having trouble with my ereader and I can’t replace it right now, so I’ve dug into my physical shelves and am currently rereading Mary Renault’s The Persian Boy. It’s one of my favorite novels and I’ve been lingering over it. Her prose is just so lush–sometimes it doesn’t work for me at all, far too purple, but I feel like The Persian Boy is the best expression of it.
I’m reading HOT BRITISH BOYFRIEND by Kristy Boyce.
Waiting on my TBR pile are DARK WIZARD by Jeffe Kennedy and A CURIOUS BEGINNING by Deanna Raybourn.
I’m also bingeing out MISS SCARLET AND THE DUKE. I’m enjoying it so far, although I do wish it was a bit more fun, like MISS FISHER’S MURDER MYSTERIES. Plus, the hero (and I use that term loosely) is pretty awful to the heroine at times.
Happy Saturday! Mostly pleased with the romances I’ve read since last Whatcha Reading!
Romance:
DUKE OF MY HEART by Kelly Bowen: B+, this worked well for me! I always enjoy a couple that teams up together to work on something, and Ivory & Max were very competent while doing so. There were some minor moments where Max basically could have prevented some issues if he’d thought of women as fully fledged people, but I was willing to give him a pass mostly because he worked to make up for it afterwards. Trying to not go through the rest in the trilogy immediately.
HOW TO CATCH A QUEEN by Alyssa Cole: B, this had some really interesting dynamics going on–the villain had some Mother Gothel-from-Tangled vibes, if that makes sense (and also serves as a content warning). I loved Shanti, and I liked Sanyu generally (he was willing to work through his deep anxiety!), but he was definitely on that edge of needing a little more individual therapy to work through some of his issues–I’d have liked the book better if he’d already been actively working on some things at the outset, because I felt like he needed more time for himself before being able to serve as an equal partner for Shanti. The aforementioned villain IMO needed to be doing a little more groveling for a redemption plot. Also, I was briefly put off by the pro-monarchist stances before I remembered how messed up Western democracy has been. I am excited for the next one out in May, Bez’s appearance here was delightful.
A LADY’S FORMULA FOR LOVE by Elizabeth Everett: first DNF of the year–I could have seen myself liking this more if I had been a bit less stressed when starting it, but there was a lot of series set-up worldbuilding, the anti-workers’ movement stuff wasn’t sitting well, and I found it upsetting that Violet’s so-called friends were *so* condescending to her. Arthur & Violet had some good chemistry. If the next one gets good reviews, I may pick this back up. (I like the idea of lady scientists forming a group!)
FIRST COMES LIKE by Alisha Rai: B+, I was excited for Jia’s book and very happy for her! As a note, Rai sort of alludes to COVID indirectly–Jia was sick at some point in the recent past and one of her sisters had the same illness but had more long-term consequences, her doctor family members were evidently busy at that time–though the book is set in a time without mention of face masks or travel restrictions, so it’s in an imagined future maybe? Anyway, Jia & Dev were cute, I liked how they worked through Luna’s issues together, and Dev’s full support of Jia’s career (as a beauty influencer whose own family and friends don’t seem to take the time to understand what it is she does, Jia needed this). I wanted more of an epilogue, sigh.
THE LOTUS PALACE by Jeannie Lin: A-, loved this, can’t wait to read the rest of the series. (See above: my catnip is the couple teaming up to work on something, so Huang & Yue-Ying working together to solve a mystery is IT.) Lin does such good work with this setting, too.
(TRUST) FALLING FOR YOU by Charish Reid: B+, I think the review on this site summed up my feelings pretty well. I laughed a lot (the TB recurring bit is very Team-Building Retreat Nonsense) and wanted even more of the book. Yolanda & Sam have a very opposites-attract thing going on but I liked how they worked with their differences.
Non-Romance:
FINITE AND INFINITE GAMES: A VISION OF LIFE AS PLAY AND POSSIBILITY by James Carse: B, my partner’s pick for our long-distance book club. Very aphoristic, which isn’t exactly my jam, but I flagged a lot of pages and may come back to it because it did make me think about things.
REAL LIFE by Brandon Taylor: A-, I’d put some content warnings on this (CSA, scenes with dubious consent, hella racism), and also say it was incredibly, incredibly good. I keep thinking about it and it’s been at least a week!
PURE AMERICA: EUGENICS AND THE MAKING OF MODERN VIRGINIA by Elizabeth Catte: A, it’s a short, accessibly written history of the eugenics movement in Virginia as a case study for how it worked everywhere. I highly recommend reading this as much public discourse around COVID has had eugenic thinking. Catte is not a historian to rationalize the actions of the most harmful eugenicists as “of their time” and I appreciated that stance very much.
Currently Reading / On Deck:
THE GUTENBERG ELEGIES: THE FATE OF READING IN AN ELECTRONIC AGE by Sven Birkerts: I have the 2006 updated edition so I’m going to be interested to see what he’s learned in the afterword ~15 years after writing the essays here. I think he was correct about some things and wrong about others, but also, some of the issues that were a problem in the early 1990s evidently never got resolved, so still relevant thought here.
TEN THINGS I HATE ABOUT THE DUKE by Loretta Chase: I’m only a few chapters in and liking it so far! Glad I’m finally off the library waitlist and hope to finish it this weekend.
LOVE AT FIRST by Kate Clayborn: just got this in from the library as well, and I did read the sample-length section this week to get a little preview. I’ve been nervous because I adored LOVE LETTERING (it was one of the only books I read twice last year) and didn’t want to have misaligned expectations. I’ve been surprised by the varied reviews on the tone–some people seem to think it’s darker than LOVE LETTERING and others think it’s lighter? TBD.
@Jennifer Estep I love Miss Scarlet and the Duke! Though I probably would have saved the storyline involving her father’s death for a second season. William / Duke gets on my nerves at times, too. I also don’t like how he treats Moses.
I’m reading The Rogue Not Taken. It’s my first time reading Sarah MacLean. It took a couple chapters for me to get into it, but I’m loving it. (That scene in the carriage! *is still fanning herself*)
I took a vacation week to clean out my kid’s room and do a general declutter of the house. So not much time to read and I bounced around on several books.
The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han — I didn’t like this one as much as the Lara Jean series. The main character’s nickname was Belly and that pesky detail drove me up the wall. But it was a fast read and I mostly read in the car while waiting in the school pickup line.
I finished The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle and while I really liked the premise and how the mystery unfolded, the characters were rather underwhelming.
Currently reading Magic Shifts by Ilona Andrews and I fell asleep with the book on my face last night. This one I really like so far. Cool mystery, feels like we are moving somewhere instead of rehashing tired plots.
Also reading The Blossom and the Firefly by Sherri Smith. This one takes place in Japan during WWII. He’s supposed to be a kamikaze pilot and she’s the schoolgirl who takes care of his laundry and meals. I know it is going to break my heart.
My list feels rather short this time, perhaps because nothing really grabbed me and I’ve been waiting for various holds at the library.
WRITTEN IN THE STARS—this was okay. I’m not generally into f/f, but I think I spotted this in a Hide Your Wallet post and decided to give it a try. It’s thin on plot and long on angst, which is not really my thing. I have weird feelings about books where both characters have crappy families of origin—it never gives me much confidence in an HEA. That said, the dialogue is sharp and I think it’s probably a good fit for people who prefer more angst than I do.
MRS. DREW PLAYS HER HAND—another commenter recommended this recently. It read like half Regency half Western? It was a little odd. I liked the overall plot and the characters, but the Regency setting didn’t quite work for me in the context of the plot. Also, I found the resolution with the villain to be rather upsetting/inadequate. There’s an apology, but given the magnitude of the villainy? Not cutting it.
Currently reading THE GENTLE ART OF FORTUNE HUNTING. I really do adore KJ Charles—she writes wonderful scoundrels and the partners who help them lean into their better sides/scoundrels who help their buttoned up partners unwind a bit. It always feel like they’re both better together and I love that. I am eagerly awaiting the next plot twist and (I hope) the next book in the series.
Also of note, I am over the freaking moon that Jasper Fforde has announced that he is FINALLY writing the sequel to SHADES OF GREY. I have been waiting for this book for over *10 years* and I am desperately hoping it lives up to my expectations! (When it comes out in 2022…)
Hello, SB’s! Read some really good books over the last two weeks!
I have not read through all the comments yet, but I assume I am not the only one who chugged THE GENTLE ART OF FORTUNE HUNTING by K.J. Charles (m/m historical) down like a frat boy having his first beer at a party. I sheet-caked that book, people, shoveling it into my eyes with a spatula. And IT WAS EVERYTHING I HOPED FOR! Thank you, K.J. Charles, for a sweet, yet believable story with just the right amount of conflict for pandemic times. The characters had depth, the plot moved, and the resolutions felt possible, yet delivered a HEA – something that is not that easy to do for a LGBTQ historical! Loved the secondary characters, too. FANTASTIC!
I found another GREAT book, WINTER’S ORBIT by Everina Maxwell, because another author mentioned it on Twitter (Zoe Archer or Anna Zabo? Can’t remember). M/M in space, with a mystery and political maneuvering within an empire. Reminded me in some ways of GOBLIN EMPEROR, but this was more sci fi than fantasy. Really excellent book that didn’t over-explain the world, but still did some strong worldbuilding. I enjoyed the fact that we got the view point of each of the main characters, especially because they both did not understand each other, nor did either of them have an appreciation for their own strengths. I also love the pairing of a socially adept, gregarious person, with a more reserved, serious partner, esp. when both are misunderstood. Really well paced, really well written – stayed up way too late two work-nights in a row to read it. Also, this would be a good LGBTQ book to recommend to younger readers, because while there was a strong attraction between the heroes, any sexy times were off page. Hope this author writes many, many more books, and hope SBTB reviews it soon so more folks know to read it!
MRS. DREW PLAYS HER HAND by Carla Kelly was recommended on this site recently, and I really enjoyed it. Classic Carla Kelly – if you are in the mood for a M/F historical with sensible, warm characters, I highly recommend it.
ELEMENTAL by Whitney Hill, urban fantasy with romantic elements was fine. I finished it, but don’t think I’ll continue with the series.
So a great couple weeks of reading! Hope you all had the same, and I am looking forward to seeing all your recommendations, as usual. Stay safe, Smart Bitches!
I’m still climbing my way out of a reading slump and Im not yet to enjoyment of romance. But I read some books recommended on SBTB that are not exactly romance.
My Sci Fi Book club is reading Into the drowning deep by Mira Grant. Its like reading a disaster movie (I love disaster movies). At one point I could hear the movie music in my head. Two characters are so cartoonishly villainous. We meet tomorrow to discuss the first half; I can’t wait to see what they think
My copy of Dark Archives: A Librarian’s Investigation into the Science and History of Books Bound in Human Skin came in at the library. Shout out the librarians working curb side pickup. I was surprised how full the lot was of people using the pickup and the librarians were hustling!
@Kris, @FashionablyEvil I’m saving KJ Charles Gentle art of Fortune Hunting for an emergency but I’m glad its there in my TBR bank.
@ KatiM Ive had 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle checked out from kindle unlimited for so long, I just need to start it!
THE HOUSE ON VESPER SANDS by Paraic O’Donnell was an unusual detective/spiritualist ghost story set in 1893 London. We have the makings of a Holmes/Watson duo between a Met officer and a former divinity student, along with a determined journalist fighting her way through a society that doesn’t recognize her. The story was quite twisty and much deeper than one might expect with its eye on misogyny, poverty, lack of rights of women and so on. Definitely worth a read, IMO.
Doug Johnstone’s DARK MATTER is the story of three women who run a mortuary service and a fledgling detective agency. The patriarch of the family has just died and secrets begin to surface. The setting is contemporary Edinburgh and while I don’t care for amateur detectives as a rule, the journey for these women is so much more. Highly recommended.
For something different, Jenny Lawson (The Bloggess) wrote about an escape room puzzle she and her family played. BLACKBRIM: 1876 from Puzzling Pursuits sets the scene with the kidnapping of a local police force. The clues are revealed through letters and other ephemera and I loved it. I thought it was something my husband and I could play, but the puzzle is based on words and context, not his thing. But it was great to play by myself and I spent many hours working through the clues. The puzzle isn’t cheap, $35 plus shipping when I bought it, but I was so grateful for something different, as well as supporting a small business. If you don’t write on the clues/papers, you can share it with any number of people.
MOONSHADOW by Thea Harrison was just the crazy sauce I needed. This may be my new standard for a contemporary heroine dealing with, well, any man, really.
I’m currently reading LETTERS TO ZELL by Camille Grier, a contemporary version of fairy tale princesses moving on with their lives. Although we know the stories of Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and Rapunzel, I am mightily confused about what’s going on. Some are marrying/married, one wants to become a chef in The Outside. I’ll hang in there because it’s an interesting take told through letters to Rapunzel/Zell, but it’s work.
I hated The Four Winds by Kristan Hannah. The heroine was such a martyr.
I am reading the Autumn Bride by Anne Gracie should be done today so may read the next or give myself a break since I just read Marry in Scarlet by the same author.
Also I read Stranded With a Bilionaire by Sophie Brooks which was a quick fun and a KDD a few days ago. I hope the rest of the series is on sale on Amazon or Bookbub where I wish listed it.
@Crystal F.: I just finished the episode about the women’s suffrage movement, and some of William’s comments in that episode got on my nerves. But overall, I am really enjoying the show. I hope it gets renewed for a second season.
Reading Kelly Bowen’s A Duke in the Night which gets a ‘meh’ from me. The hero’s a twat (who appears to be invested in slave plantations..?) and I can’t work out why the heroine is interested. Also, there’s dialogue like “Are you… Are we good?” which yoinks me right back into the twenty-first century. I’m expecting him to apologize by saying “My bad, babe” at some point.
Very much excited about the latest in the T.Kingfisher Paladin romances – Paladin’s Strength, Isthvan’s book – which should drop on to my Kindle TOMORROW. T.Kingfisher books have been one of my few joys during this long pandemic season. I don’t know exactly how she’s managed to be so freakishly prolific, but I’m very grateful that she’s managed it.
Currently reading Murder on Black Swan Lane by Andrea Penrose. I’m about 1/4 into it and having fun with it so far.
The Invisible Life of Addie Larue is on deck and I can’t wait. Heard so many good things about it!
The last three books I finished (WINTERKEEP, WRITTEN IN THE STARS, and A SONG OF WRAITHS AND RUIN) have had a lot of discussion of mental illness. Honestly, Winterkeep felt like it was written in such a strange tone. It felt like a middle grade book with adult content. But maybe that’s just because two of the protagonists felt neurodivergent. Written in the Stars felt unfinished, plotwise. I understand family angst is complicated, but I wanted more resolution than we got. The story didn’t even go to the book release, or mention Darcy’s birthday. Capricorn only goes to January 19, so it should have happened soon after the book abruptly ended. And A Song of Wraiths and Ruin definitely kept me guessing! I felt so much compassion for both main characters.
Rereads, cozy soothing rereads. Digging deeper in the archives, found some good ones I haven’t mentioned on here.
Mirabile by Janet Kagan – collection of linked sci-fi short stories with tons of competence, delicious food, humor and a nice uncomplicated romance for an older couple (one is thirty years older than her trainee, the other has adult children who we get to meet). And there’s cute animals!
CW for mentions of infectious disease in one of the stories “Getting the bugs out” – it’s in the background and far in the past, never bothered me before, but it did this time. It’s okay to skip that story or any other, they are loosely connected and each one stands on its own. Now that I think of it, there’s a wildfire in another of the stories that may be triggering for some folks. All ends well, no one gets too badly hurt.
The Rest of Us Just Live Here by Patrick Ness – the story of what happens to all the regular kids in town while the chosen ones are running around fighting ancient evil and blowing up the high school (again). CW for mental illness – ocd, eating disorder, dementia.
Dragon in Distress short story by Mercedes Lackey and a coauthor – it was a kindle rec some years ago when I went looking for more fluffy fantasy along the lines of her 500 Kingdoms series.
The one new thing I read was the f/f mermaid Webtoon reviewed by Sneezy – The Sea in You. Inhaled it in one afternoon. The story is not finished and updates are slow, so if you need closure maybe hold off on this one.
THE DUKE HEIST by Erica Ridley. I have read Erica Ridley before and found her enjoyable but forgettable, but this book is fun with a Tessa Dare vibe. Charming, fun with fairly low conflict. Six orphans were adopted by a (now deceased) wealthy Baron. Each has their own interests/quirk, ie. totally inappropriate for society. Our Beta Hero has inherited a highly in debt Dukedom, has NOT spent his youth as a rake and must marry for a large influx of cash. Yes, there is a painting, falconry, disguises, distraction cat (apparently a thing) and lots of humor. But at its core is the desire of both the main characters to be seen as who they are, who they want to be, and that found family is a real family. And the next book looks like it be a f/f.
Baby Girl arrived in the middle of January and her sleep has been great for a newborn (really great for any infant – I have been amazed so far). Still, life is a little crazy with a 16 month-old and newborn, but we are getting our new routines in place! It has been a long time since I posted so here we go:
Excellent:
The Woman in the Water by Charles Finch: Are there any fictional characters I would rather spend time with than Charles Lenox, Lady Jane, Graham, Toto, McConnell, Polly, Dallington, Edmund, Kirk and the rest? The only ones I can think of are Temeraire and Will Laurence from His Majesty’s Dragon series by Naomi Novik. This book is the first prequel to the Victorian England-set mystery series and while I was skeptical that I would want to go back in time in this series, I was wrong. The mystery was great, seeing Charles Lenox just out of school and working with Graham was wonderful, and there was even a twist in the history of the characters that I really enjoyed. If you like historical mysteries, I can’t recommend this series enough.
Justice Hall by Laurie R. King: In my November WAYR post, I mentioned the fifth book in the Mary Russell (and Sherlock Holmes) series O Jerusalem which I liked but didn’t love that it was a prequel of sorts and the characters lacked the growth we had seen through book 4. I now understand why it was book 5, though, because it was a direct set up to book 6 and my enjoyment of book 6 would have been much diminished without it. Were there holes in the plot of this book? Yes. Was the epilogue with the resolution of the story arcs of two important characters a little unsatisfactory? Yes. But all the same, this was an engrossing story of a crime committed during World War I and an old home and family in England with deep oots and a lot of secrets.
Very Good:
The Satapur Moonstone by Sujata Massey: The second in the Perveen Mistry historical mystery series set in 1920’s India, this one did not quite live up to the first because the writing fell flat in a few places and some actions of the characters seemed out of the blue. That being said, it was still great – Perveen, as the only female solicitor in her region, is commissioned by the British government to mediate a dispute in a Raja-ruled state between the Rajmata and the current Maharani over the education of the child Raja. CW for death of a child and pet animal and another two children in peril.
Death at La Fenice by Donna Leon: The first in the Commissario Brunetti mystery series set in modern Venice, Italy, Brunetti is called in to investigate when a famous conductor is found dead of poisoning in the middle of an opera performance. This was written in the early 1990’s and much of the plot revolves around homophobia and the persecution of LGBTQIA+ persons. This book really dug into the issue of justice, punishment, and fairness. I plan to read the next in the series. I can’t go into details of additional CWs without spoilers, but I would suggest reading reviews with spoilers if you want to find the additional CWs.
Good:
First Degree by David Rosenfelt: The second in the Andy Carpenter series which are legal/courtroom thrillers slash mysteries. Unfortunately, this one seemed to have a lot of the same tropes and plot points as the first in the series. It was still a fun read, but I didn’t enjoy it nearly as much as the first.
Stress Less Live Better For Pregnancy, Postpartum, and Early Motherhood by Dr. Diane Sanford and Megan Lauer Demsky: I bought this after my son was born and finally got around to reading it. It covers mindfulness and exercises to practice mindfulness, how mindfulness is important in the postpartum period and has perspectives on new motherhood from one of Dr. Sanford’s patients.
Meh:
Dim Sum of All Fears by Vivien Chien: The second in the Noodle Shop cozy mystery series, I liked it, but didn’t enjoy it as much as the first.
The Bad:
None
I’m another in the having trouble reading books club. I started and DNF’d Real Men Knit (too much loss in the first few chapters, couldn’t deal!); 40 Love (just not feeling it though I generally like Dade!); For My Lady’s Heart (not for me). I did randomly read Playing for Keeps though have not read anything else in the series so it was a little weird. I did manage to finish Mermaid Inn (fine) and Paradise Cove (liked a lot despite a plot line I typically really avoid – but I love small town doctor stories). I read Blood Heir, which was pretty good though the Kate Daniels world is not my favorite Andrews series – I much prefer Hidden Legacy. The Bromance Bookclub – liked the premise, wasn’t totally enthralled; I really don’t like sports ball heroes.
I LOVED A Deadly Education – cranky, brilliant heroine, Novik’s usual strong focus on female friendships. I’m now reading The Once and Future Witches, which I really like but may not finish before my library copy runs out. Trying to start Pandemic but maybe not the right nonfiction for these days. Just got the new Beowulf (Headly) translation out of the library so I’m interested to see how that one is.
Been struggling with words and jumping around a lot, but I seem to have settled a little. I just finished Calculated Risks by Seanan McGuire, the latest Incryptid book, a series which I love, and this book resolved a cliffhanger that had me shrieking in anguish and rage. Also it had Greg. I love Greg.
I also did some comfort re-reading to rest my brain. On Valentine’s Day I reread The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery. The ending is lousy but the rest leading up to it is delightful and it’s one of my standard valentine traditions to reread either that or The Barretts of Wimpole Street. Sometimes both but I didn’t have the mental spoons for both this year. Sorry, Barrett Brownings.
After that I skipped around again trying to find something “sticky” that my brain would adhere to and it seems to have settled on The Wounded Sky, a Star Trek novel by Diane Duane. We’ll see if it’s sticky enough for me to get it finished today, because otherwise it will ABSOLUTELY be interrupted in order to read the new T Kingfisher fantasy romance that is coming out tomorrow. It’s called Paladin’s Strength and it’s a sequel to Paladin’s Grace and it’s about Istvhan and a mysterious nun and GIMME.
I inhaled ARCHANGEL’S SUN by Nalini Singh because I must have all the Guild Hunter and Psy Changeling worlds in my eyes ASAP. I liked that it focused on a different couple than Elena and Raphael, though I’m sure we’ll get back to them soon enough. I currently have Singh’s latest suspense novel on hold. It’ll be weeks, but worth it.
I just finished THE STARLESS SEA by Erin Morganstern, and it was as beautiful as everyone says. It did take the entire three week library window for me to get through it, though. But that’s a me problem. I’m having trouble trying new-to-me authors right now and my focus is not good at all. I’m aiming to get THE NIGHT CIRCUS soon and give that a shot because I really do like her writing style.
@Katie C.: Congratulations on your new little one. Sending all best wishes & good thoughts your family’s way.
@HeatherC I highly recommend to allow yourself time to really get into Evelyn Hardcastle. The first few chapters are really confusing and it’s easy to get lost.
@Kris. KJ Charles is WONDERFUL! I am jealous of you getting to read their work for the first time. The Magpie Lord series is my favorite.
Since last time ~
— The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick. When my group met in December to choose future books, we discussed how many depressing books we’d read. This book was suggested to balance that. It was a pleasure to read a book for my book group that was not dark and dismal!
— the science fiction romance Overload Flux: Central Galactic Concordance Book 1 by Carol Van Natta which was a gift from a friend who knows I like space opera and romance; I enjoyed it. Interestingly, it has a pandemic storyline though it was written in 2014.
— enjoyed the book Mail Me Art: Going Postal with the World’s Best Illustrators and Designers by Darren Di Lieto. It was fun looking at all the different art pieces with their various styles; I also liked reading the included artist interviews.
— a second gift book: Finders Keepers by Linnea Sinclair. This author’s books often show up on lists of science fiction romances. Interestingly, I’ve tried several of her books in the past with no success; this one I enjoyed.
— Metal Boxes by Alan Black. The book is silly in parts; however, it definitely kept my attention, and I enjoyed it. I see it’s classified as both space opera and military science fiction.
— Driving the Deep (The Finder Chronicles Book 2) by Suzanne Palmer. I enjoyed it. I’m glad that I read it fairly soon after the first book as I was already starting to forget some details. If interested, this is a series that absolutely needs to be read in order. Start with Finder (The Finder Chronicles Book 1).
— Velocity Weapon (The Protectorate Book 1) by Megan E. O’Keefe. This was definitely a book that kept the reader guessing — who is telling the truth?, what is happening? I hope to read the second book at some point … hopefully before I forget too much of what happened in this book!
— reread Alliance and Confluence by S. K. Dunstall; I enjoyed them yet again.
— plus a host of book samples.
I DNF’d a LOT of books/audiobooks recently, including several that have been highly recommended. This had me worried that it was ME and not THEM, until I started THE INVISIBLE LIFE OF ADDIE LARUE. OMG that book is so good! I am about half-way done and am very torn. I desperately want to get to the end because I have an idea about how it might all be resolved, and I want to know if I’m right, but I do not want the book to ever end–it’s that good. I am listening on audio (and Julia Whelan’s narration is phenomenal, as always), but I have the print book open at my side as well.
The only other book worth mentioning was the incredible WHEN WE WERE VIKINGS by Andrew David MacDonald. As so often happens, I have no idea when or why it ended up on my library queue, (so if it was someone from SBTB, thank you!!) but it was fantastic. Not a romance, but a poignant story of a young woman with developmental delays struggling to gain independence and a purpose in our less than accommodating world. It’s one of those books that I think I will never forget.
Stay safe, everyone. Vaccines will soon be available to us all!
I wanted to reply quickly, because I do read a lot-and get overwhelmed about posting what I’ve been reading! Roan Parrish is a fairly new to me author, and thanks to SBTB, I read Better Than People and LOVED it! I’m in the middle of Best Laid Plans, the sequel and enjoying it just as much. M/M romance with lots of cats (cat and dogs in the first book) and love all the characters. This one is with the older brother of one of the hero’s from the first book-Charlie. I was taken with him from the beginning of the first book, and love him even more now.
Nalini Singh’s new thriller Quiet in Her Bones really kept suspense levels high. It has no romance and an unreliable narrator.
And since I’m one of T. Kingfisher’s Patrons, Paladin’s Strength was just delivered to us and it’s all I can to do finish my work and not immediately dive in.
Cinnamon Rolls abound!
I just finished LOVE LIMITS by Reese Morrison + CUP OF JOE by Annabeth Albert
Currently reading EARTH HUSBANDS ARE ODD by Lyn Gala + GENTLE ART OF FORTUNE HUNTING by K.J. Charles, and audiobooks of PHOENIX EXTRAVAGANT by Yoon Ha Lee + BLACK TUDORS by Miranda Kaufmann.
@Taylor. The Magpie Lord , first one ,is one of the books I bought!
I’ve been reading paranormal MM lately. I’m in the middle of the Big Bad Wolf series by Charlie Adhara and the PsyCop series by Jordan Castillo Price and am really liking them. I’d heard of both authors before but just recently tried them. I also discovered a new to me author, Mary Calmes, and loved her House of Maedoc series. It seems to be her most recent work and though I’m not finding her backlist to be quite as good I’m definitely looking forward to whatever she puts out next.
A while back I read the West Hell Magic series by Devon Monk which I loved. It’s UF where the paranormal heroes are hockey players, and it made me want to read more paranormal sports books but I could never find any. Then I recently stumbled over Suckerpunch by Elyse Springer. (I like to look up books I enjoyed on Goodreads and check out the Readers Also Enjoyed feature. It’s not perfect but I occasionally find good books that way.) I really enjoyed the characters and plot. If anyone has suggestions for paranormal sports books, I’d love to hear them. I haven’t figured out a way to search goodreads for books that overlap genres.
Like several others I read and really loved Duke of my Heart by Kelly Bowen. The supremely competent heroine, and her career as fixer for the ton was great.
I finished Best Laid Plans by Roan Parrish and it was good to get a Charlie’s story after meeting him in Better Than People, loved it.
And I’m about 1/3 through kj Charles’ Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting – she’s an auto buy for me and this is lovely so far.
Life and age is getting in the way of believing in an HEA or even HFN, so I’ve moved to fantasy (Lois McMaster Bujold’s PENRIC series) and paranormal (Jordan Castillo Price’s PSYCOP series) where I can root for others dealing with issues and not have to worry that the endings are actually unattainable IRL.
Read the first two stories in THE DUKE I’D LIKE TO F*** which put me in this mindset. (Well enough written, just tiresome by the third story.) Delivery from problems in the world just doesn’t happen IRL, no matter how good or kind or faithful or hardworking or internally imaginative one is. One just learns to keep on keeping on, I guess. Age and illness (and caretaking of beloved ones, older, same AND younger generations) are much more likely endings than appears in most HET romances. Not a great month, but still loving to hear the Bitchery’s take on TBs! Need it.
@Qualisign hugs to you, I know that feeling. Lois McMaster Bujold had gotten me through some dark times. Her characters are very relatable and inspiring to me, especially Miles in the Vor saga and Dag in the Sharing Knife series. Living with physical limitations, grief and loss, heavy responsibilities to others, and saving the day again and again.
@Ellen thank you for mentioning Help Us, Great Warrior! My library has it on hoopla, and it’s the last day of the month so what the heck, I clicked borrow. Very cute and also relatable… if you’ve ever been woken up by someone demanding you act like a responsible adult when all you want is your blanket and snacks and books… as @theLatestKate says, taking time for yourself isn’t selfish, it’s self care. Even if you happen to be a female in a caretaking role. You are worthy of kindness and care.