We’re wrapping up September with our second Whatcha Reading. We want to know what you’re reading to close out the month.
Elyse: I’ve been knitting more than reading lately, but I did just start Salt Kiss by Sierra Simone. ( A | BN | K )
Sarah: I have been listening to a book that KJ Charles recommended on the podcast – definitely not a romance: Johannes Cabal the Necromancer. He has a year to collect 100 souls for the devil so he can get his soul back (lack of a soul interfering with his science experiments you know) and has to do so by running a traveling carnival.
Elyse: I LOVE the Cabal series so hard.
One of my favorites.
Sarah: I was struggling to get into it at the beginning but Johannes is signing souls or whatever it is he does and I’m intrigued. The narrator for the audio is terrific.
Elyse: The second book is my favorite. Let me know when you get to the origami swan.
Sarah: The wat.
Shana: I just finished A Match for Bernadette by Parker J. Cole. ( A ) It’s an inspirational romance with a Quaker heroine which isn’t a genre I read often, but it was just the easy and short read that I needed. I adore mail order bride romances and it’s hard to find ones featuring women of color. Now I’m celebrating Sapphic September by starting Can’t Let Her Go by Kiana Alexander.
Sneezy: I had vertigo last week, of probably the inner ear imbalance variety, so I couldn’t lie on my side and only barely look at screens. And it turns out I got overstimulated easily, even though I was bored! A French podcast about baking turns out to be just the right amount, where I was only catching snatches of words here and there and can dream about cake. Not being able to understand most of what was being said kept the dreams vague and fluffy enough that they didn’t set off my nausea. Papilles by Léa Reverdy saw me through!
The idea came from Catherine, actually. She suggested I watch a French baking show that had no subs to practice listening for the rhythm of French while enjoying beautiful food porn. So not applied as intended, but that’s where the idea to listen to something in a foreign-to-me language came from. Since there are so many languages in the world, this trick will always be available! Thanks Catherine!
Now that I can have more screen time, I’ve of course been rolling around in webtoons again!
This story isn’t free of angst, but it starts off really cute and slightly ridiculous. I love the art! It’s a simpler style, softer colours, and the artist/artist team uses both very cleverly, I think.
Lara: I should be reading the next book for my international reading challenge, but I keep losing myself in Alice Coldbreath novels. Alpha men who are humbled by the love of a woman. I’m hooked.
Tara: I’ve been listening to Deep Work by Cal Newport, to see if it could help me focus better, but based on the names he’s dropping throughout, I’m expecting it to show up on a future episode of the If Books Could Kill podcast.
Sarah: Oooh it will I’m nearly certain.
The thing about Cal is that he can do all this deep work because he’s not doing any of the unnamed forms of labor. He’s offloaded that to other people.
Susan: I’m in the middle of Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo, which is both very good and very stressful.
I love Lily discovering her queerness in 1950s San Francisco! It’s just that between the Red Scare, the Lavender Scare, and the social pressure on her, it constantly feels like there’s another shoe about to drop.
Tara: That’s why I couldn’t finish that one. Beautifully written, made me too anxious.
So, whatcha reading? Let us know!
I actually liked DEEP WORK but it was definitely a take what you need, leave the rest kind of book. His next book was even more out of touch with non-privileged males. His big suggestion for a hobby to fill your non-Internet time was. . . metal working. B/c that’s a hobby that doesn’t take up a lot of time and space and expensive equipment. Let me just squeeze all that into my apartment with roommates or with my kids. I mean I guess it’s not dressage or polo? But it still doesn’t strike me as practical for a lot of people.
I’ve been on an awesome roll with reading lately. I wish I knew what precisely was the trigger b/c I’d use it to replicate this success if I could. I am trying to stick to shorter books b/c I find just the success of finishing a book often keeps the momentum going.
So, since last we met 😉
I tore through the entire 3 books in Alys Clare’s “World’s End Bureau” mystery series – THE WOMAN WHO SPOKE TO SPIRITS, THE OUTCAST GIRLS, and THE MAN IN THE SHADOWS. Historical mysteries set in 1880s London with a woman running a detective agency with her male assistant. There’s occasionally hints of the paranormal but I would not call the series paranormal at all. Also hints of romance, but if it’s coming to happen it’s going to be a very slow burn. I think Miss Scarlet and The Duke fans might enjoy it, although I did give up on that show after the first season.
I’m actually going to list the flaws/possible detractions to the series before I list the good stuff. The big one is that the plots can get pretty contrived and stretch credibility. I realize I am very contrary since I just complained in the last Whatcha Reading about contrived mystery plots, but I guess I’ll forgive a lot when something ticks other boxes. Just as an example, there’s a lot of to-ing and fro-ing on railroads. I know even in the Victorian era British rail was very good and reliable, but I wish the author wouldn’t rely on it so much.
Two other possible turnoffs for some people – There can be quite a lot with children in danger. Yes, some children are murdered (all off the page). Also, the main characters have very modern attitudes about women, race, class, etc. To be fair, they recognize they are out of step with their times, but I feel like that can be a tricky balance and different readers have different expectations.
So why did I like them? Honestly, they’re short (under 300 pages), they’re very well paced and a lot of the characters (not just the main detectives) are just darn likable. There’s a cast of supporting characters that are overall endearing and entertaining. I can so picture this as a TV show. Aside from the modern attitudes, I feel like the author is good at capturing a certain ambiance, middle class to working class London. The books aren’t too gritty and self-important, but they aren’t too cozy and idealized. And, I suspect there is a very, very slow burn romance developing in the background, but I’d read it even without that b/c I just enjoy sinking deep into the world and spending time with the characters.
I feel like British publishers are better at coming out with these types of historical mysteries that are brisk and not overly gimmicky. Just an enjoyable quick read. Maybe they do well in the library market? American publishers publish some good historical mysteries too, but there seems to be an overt emphasis on some obvious hook (Mark Twain solves mysteries!) that I find tiresome at times.
I only read one romance, but it was one I really, really loved. So there’s that. Continuing in the short read vein I read The Harlequin SuperRomance (I miss that line!) ALL I AM by Nicole Helm. I’m going to cut and paste a short part of my review from Wendy the Super Librarian’s website.
Grumpy guy with some emotional and physical damage collides with a woman who sees herself as a party girl and a screw up who is not capable of more. I have a soft spot for both these types! This is what I want in my contemporary romance. No Navy SEALs or billionaires. I didn’t even find the small town twee or annoying. Strong voice and flashes of humor, but not “wacky.” Sexy times but grounded in reality and real emotions. I think one of my favorite things is how the author showed both the characters taking emotional risks and being vulnerable to each other. I checked out the author’s website and this book is no longer available in ecopy but she is tweaking it for re-release. I also found out she has moved on to . . . cowboys and billionaires. Sigh. I have been known to read an occasional billionaire if it’s an author I really enjoy but cowboys and me don’t mix as rule. Onward!
Been in a bit of a slump recently—it’s my husband’s busiest season at work so picking up extra slack around the house and with the kiddos and then when I do have time to read, I’m tired. Anyway, enough whinging.
Jackie Lau’s books often have somewhat silly titles (HE’S NOT MY BOYFRIEND or HER FAVORITE REBOUND) but I always enjoy the family and friends that surround the MCs. The heroine’s grandmother in HNMB is a delight and while I didn’t love the dark beat at the three quarter mark, it was still a lot of fun. REBOUND (no basketball theme) is the weaker entry—it doesn’t have a ton of plot, but the sex scenes are delightfully smutty and sometimes that’s really all you need.
SMALL MIRACLES by Olivia Atwater was also fun—I haven’t read GOOD OMENS but apparently people have compared it to that. Angels, demons, adolescence, and humor: it’s a good time.
THE UNPLEASANTNESS AT THE BELLONA CLUB—one of the Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries. Always enjoyable.
Up next: new KJ Charles! I didn’t love the first book in the series, but THE NOBLEMAN’S GUIDE TO SEDUCING A SCOUNDREL is off to a good start.
I hope everyone who’s being impacted by all the rain on the east coast just has more time for reading and no ill effects!
I completely agree about Deep Work – there’s a lot of regular life work that Cal Newport seems to have avoided or outsourced. Like many highly productive men. At the same time I think the book has some good insights and suggestions. It’s changed how I approach work and immersion.
LOVED:
TRAVEL LIGHT by Naomi Mitchison – picked this up from the mention in THIS IS HOW YOU LOSE THE TIME WAR. Amazing that this was written in the 1950’s. A beautiful little Norse-influenced fairy tale with some heavy topics – forming your identity, communication, the tiredness of war, among them. While there were violent moments in the story, the writing and progression of the story is very peaceful. Also, very well-done dragons.
ROLE PLAYING by Cathy Yardley (AUDIO, narrated by Chris Brinkley and Elyse Dinh) – I found this contemporary romance charming. Maggie and Aidan were rich, full fledged characters with emotional and personal growth they work through in this story. Their lives and concerns felt real; the small town Washington state setting enriched the story. Nice representation of demi/bi here too. The narration was excellent as well. This was a great ‘listen’.
LIKED:
THE ADVENTURES OF AMINA AL-SIRAFI by Shannon Chakraborty. Loved the setting and the adventure, as well as the gradual reveal of the backstory. Loved the middle-aged FMC. Felt the banter between Amina and Jamal was distracting. Also felt the voice of Amina felt awfully modern for the setting. Granted, this is a fantasy novel, but her voice felt out of step with the rest of the setting and her age & experience. I didn’t find the pacing compelling; this was very easy for me to put down and took me a long time to get through.
DIDN’T ENJOY:
THE VASTER WILDS by Lauren Groff (AUDIO) Historical fiction about a servant girl who runs away from Colonial Jamestown and her journey in the American wilderness. The setting was interesting, and the prose was lyrical, but there was too much suffering and religion in this book for me to enjoy it. I mean, there was SO much suffering and misery, in the story itself and the backstory and flashbacks. Also, I hated the ending immensely. But if you enjoy historical fiction, survival, and have a higher tolerance for religion than I do, you might like it.
CURRENTLY READING/UP NEXT:
THE SEGONIAN by Dianne Duvall
A LADY IN THE SMOKE by Karen Odden
I haven’t posted in awhile. Between all of the free book events and my wandering attention, I’ve started a lot of books and finished a few.
How to Get a Girlfriend (When You’re a Terrifying Monster) by Marie Cardno
4/5 stars. Cute, cozy fantasy Sapphic romance novella that delivers pretty much exactly what the title and cover promise. It’s not super deep but it’s a lot of fun.
Trillin, the terrifying monster, is a Lovecraftian type eldritch horror that used to be part of The Endless and now just wants to stay a separate being and create a body that mostly stays solid and lets her get to know Sian, the attractive and impulsive human witch / grad student conducting research on the Endless void. Hijinks ensue.
I read the entire The Brat & The Beast series by Misha Horne, starting with Hurt Me, Daddy
4/5 stars. Sloooow burn, super angsty m/m jock/nerd daddy kink. Nobody does angsty hurt/comfort spanking erotica better than Misha Horne and MH really turned up the angst to 11 on this one.
It was a little too angsty for me – much more like MH’s earlier, smuttier Old School Discipline or Benched but with the pacing and romance of newer books like Looking for Trouble (seriously, no action until more than 50% in for book 1)
The Endgame by Riley Hart, mm contemporary
3.5/5 stars
Sexy, low-conflict romance between a closeted professional football player and an out and proud US Senator. I loved the beginning but thought it dragged a little towards the end.
City of Strife by Claudie Arseneault, queer high fantasy, no romance
C+/B-
I enjoyed this queer high fantasy, although I’m still mad it ended on a cliff hanger. I’d call this a competent high fantasy – it has an interesting world but it feels fairly familiar. It’s very plot driven rather than character driven. The thing that feels fresh is the huge number of queer characters, especially ace and aro characters.
Books in progress
Buffalo is the New Buffalo by Chelsea Vowel – stunning speculative fiction short story collection, written from a queer, feminist and indigenous (Metis) viewpoint. I can’t say enough good things about this collection. It’s immersive and beautifully written and it’s making me think about the world differently, which is what spec fic is supposed to do.
They Ain’t Proper by M.B. Guel, queer Latinx nb/f historical romance set in the American west. A mail order bride is delivered to the wrong ranch and ends up staying. I only got to the second chapter before getting distracted. It is a debut and the writing felt a little rough in spots, but I enjoyed what I read and am planning to come back to it.
Speaking of POC mail order brides – Shana, you might like this one.
THE LAST DEVIL TO DIE by Richard Osman. Oh to be part of the Thursday murder club. Many revelations and tears, another perfect series entry.
THORNHEDGE by T. Kingfisher: What a lovely, unexpected and welcome retelling of a sleeping princess held in a tower. Kingfisher never disappoints me.
I SHOT THE BUDDHA by Colin Cotterill, #11 in the series: Dr. Siri is one of my favorite characters. He, Madame Daeng and the entire crew are such wonderful people with the best dialog. The books should be read in order, at least the first, THE CORONER’S LUNCH. If you want an idea of Laos in post-war Vietnam and a dash of crime solving, this is the place.
ON ROTATION by Shirlene Obuobi: A Ghanian-born student makes her way through third-year medical school while dealing with parental expectations, a roommate, an ex-boyfriend, and maybe a new one. The author’s introduction to the book about the importance of representation was emotional, not gonna lie. I recommend this romance and also recognized my struggles with a FMC who couldn’t let some things go. And why should she? Definitely gave me something to ponder about myself.
THE BODYGUARD by Katherine Center: So enjoyable, my first read by this author. Hannah is a bodyguard, star/actor Jack has a stalker who is possibly stepping things up. Family — found and by birth — all the feels, choking anger about a lost brother, and a really interesting twist. Just plain delightful. We are all deserving of love.
THE SECRET HOURS by Mick Herron: I’ve raved about this book already in an unrelated post (couldn’t help myself). All the answers to all the secrets, but absolutely imperative that some of the first books be read before starting.
GRAFFITI ON THE WALL OF THE UNIVERSE by Gene Doucette: Book 3 in the Sorrow Falls series, must be read in order. Shippie the spaceship is
goneburied in Annie’s backyard and giving her ideas about advanced technologies. It all goes badly, of course, in quite interesting ways. All the gang is here and the author promises more books. I’m holding him to that.Only three books since the last WAYR—an all-time low for me. On the positive side, I’m midway through three additional books. There’s light at the end of the tunnel.
Despite a pile of new(er) books on my tbr, I basically inhaled Cait Nary’s CONTRACT SEASON (published in 2022) when I got it on sale last week. CONTRACT SEASON is the second book in Nary’s Trade Season series of m/m hockey romances. This first book, SEASON’S CHANGE, is one of my favorite books read this year. While CONTRACT SEASON isn’t quite as good as SEASON’S CHANGE, I enjoyed it very much, and I really liked Nary’s take on the “fake relationship” trope. Closeted professional hockey player Brody and equally-closeted country-music singer/songwriter Seamus (called “Sea”—pronounced “Shay”) meet at a celebrity-studded wedding. Their chemistry is instant, but both men are keeping secrets: Brody doesn’t share the fact that his boyfriend recently ended their three-year relationship because he (the boyfriend) was tired of being a secret; Sea neglects to mention that he is, for all practical purposes, a virgin. After their hook-up, Brody ghosts Sea. Months later, when Brody is traded to the hockey team in Nashville—where Sea lives—the men reconnect; but their second hook-up is not a success (Nary is very good about being in the heads of the MCs and showing, rather than telling, why things don’t work out between them the second time). It might have ended there, but (similar to Shane & Ilya in THE LONG GAME) the men were caught kissing in the background of someone else’s selfie, and they are outed. This leads Brody’s and Sea’s respective management teams presenting the guys with a fake relationship contract that neither man wants but both realize that, if there’s a hope of salvaging their careers, they have to go along with. What I really liked about CONTRACT SEASON was how well Nary dissected a relationship that has to be conducted on more than one level: the affectionate one for public consumption and the more complicated private one where the guys are still trying to figure each other (and themselves) out. There’s also a nice cameo with Benji & Olly from SEASON’S CHANGE. If you’re looking for a unique take on the fake relationship trope—with MCs who screw up and really have to work for their HEA—I highly recommend CONTRACT SEASON.
Another oldie from Mount TBR was UNBROKEN COWBOY (published in 2019), part of Maisey Yates’s long-running Gold Valley series of cowboy romances. In UNBROKEN COWBOY, Dane has been seriously injured in a rodeo accident. He is recuperating in a house owned by (but not lived in) by his sister. Bea is Dane’s former sister-in-law (her brother was once married to his sister). She loves animals and dreams of opening an animal sanctuary. She has also loved Dane from afar for years—a fact to which Dane is completely oblivious. While on the surface, UNBROKEN COWBOY is about Dane coming to terms with his injuries, Bea realizing that loving a flesh-and-blood man is far different than having a teenage crush on an idealized version of him, and Dane & Bea slowly falling in love, the book also has a strong subtext about fathers—the ones who stay, the ones who leave—and how, for better or worse, they shape our lives and who we are. Dane’s father left years ago, Bea’s father is in her life, but is cold and distant. As part of their growing and maturing, Dane & Bea have to address the issues their fathers have created for them in order to live and love in a healthy way. Yates’s books always function on more than one level—and UNBROKEN COWBOY is no exception. Recommended.
ENTWINED WITH YOU is the 11th (!) book in J. Kenner’s Stark Security romantic-suspense series, and this is the second time she has used the plot device of “the love of the hero’s life, presumed dead for many years, suddenly reappears.” For 15 years, former-conman-turned-Stark-Security-agent Brax has been mourning the death of his great love, Sabrina, in a diamond heist gone tragically wrong. When Sabrina’s “identical twin”, Samantha, shows up—determined to steal the diamonds that were the target of the original theft—Brax finds himself feeling alive for the first time in years. However, Brax cannot tell Samantha that he has been charged by Stark Security with protecting those very diamonds. Stark Security books tend to lean much more toward the suspense than the romance—and such is the case with ENTWINED WITH YOU: agents, double-agents, triple-agents, good guys, bad guys, bad guys pretending to be good guys, not to mention the question of why Brax’s great love neglected to mention that she had an identical twin (can you guess why?). It feels almost as if the romance is window dressing for what is basically a heist story with crosses, double-crosses, and triple-crosses at every turn. Recommended—but be ready for what you’re getting into.
Traveling carnival to make soul quota, looks like the perfect series once I’m done with my Harrow Faire re-read.
Thanks to a preview at the end of a Rachel Reid book, I also just became aware of Cait Nary’s books. Finished SEASON’S CHANGE the other night and loved it. Benji and Olly feel so real, the author clearly knows hockey, plus I enjoyed the often-hilarious cast of Eagles teammates. Am very excited to read CONTRACT SEASON.
The Last Daughter of York by Nicola Cornick
A dual-timeline mystery with one set in the wars of the Roses, and one set in the present day, where the body of the protag’s twin sister is discovered improbably buried in an eighteenth century tomb. I don’t usually like dual timeline narratives but I thought this one had an interesting hook. It was engaging, though I do wish the actual relationship between the sisters had been given more space.
His Lordship’s Secret by Samantha SoRelle
A gay Earl being blackmailed comes across a prizefighter- who is his oldest friend, from the workhouse they lived in as children- and hires him as a bodyguard. I mostly enjoyed this until the climax, which I thought was way overdramatic and silly.
Love in the Big City by Park Sang Young
A Millenial gay man in Seoul explores four of his relationships. This is very definitely autofiction. I really enjoyed the voice of the narrator, and as a Millenial (though not gay, male, or Korean) certain lines hit me in a very specific way. I’m trying to read more work in translation, and this was a good choice.
And finally I finished volume 2 of Heaven Official’s Blessing by MXTX. I had managed to forget just how annoying the Green Ghost is…
Lots of books waiting on the TBR pile including LOVE HARD by Nalini Singh and A PROPOSAL THEY CAN’T REFUSE by Natalie Caña.
I’m also looking forward to checking out some holiday romances, including WRAPPED WITH A BEAU by Lillie Vale, which comes out next week.
I can’t believe it’s time to think about holiday romances. Where has the year gone?!
Haven’t read that much lately. Mostly fanfics (The Sandman). Other than that, the only book I’ve read is HOLLY by Stephen King, which I thought was wonderful. I adore Holly Gibney – a definite favorite of mine among his characters – and it was great to spend some more time with her.
Best read of the week: THE RIVER WE REMEMBER by William Kent Krueger. Not a romance, but a beautiful read. Small 1950’s town where memories and prejudices are long held. secrets run very deep and good people make poor choices. Sheriff Brody Dern finds himself forced to conduct an investigation into the death of one of the town’s leading citizens. A man wealthy, powerful, and almost universally feared and loathed. Was it suicide, a horrible accident or murder? Brody knows that the answer could lead to someone no one would blame, while the town is set on pointing the finger at two people living unwelcome on their fringes: a Dakota Sioux whose land was taken over by the dead man’s family and his Japanese wife. WKK has a simply beautiful writing style and a way with describing humanity that makes his characters beautiful and wrenching. I half wish that I hadn’t read the epilogue. It’s not told from the point of view of character I would have hoped for, and it was both beautiful and sad and uplifting. I closed the cover with a tear and a smile and a sigh. I cannot recommend this author enough.
On the romance front: SCOUNDRELS OF SUMMER, an anthology of four short historical romances. Two good, one okay and one meh. Then there was a contempory from Carly Phillips, DATE TO LOVE. I should have known better. She’s an author that is hit or miss, mostly miss, for me. This was a miss.
Started Lucy Parker’s CODENAME CHARMING this morning. It hasn’t grabbed me the way her other books have, which is concerning, but I remain hopeful.
Still on THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE (Shirley Jackson), as it’s at work and I only get to read it in bits and pieces.
Also reading THE SPYMASTER’S LADY by Joanna Bourne. Spy vs Spy in Post-Revolutionary France, with a French lady-spy who’s got secrets on secrets but has grown tired of the constant conniving and a rugged British spymaster who believes she’s the enemy agent who got his men killed. They know they shouldn’t want each other but just can’t help themselves. It had been recommended (here? or another review site?) for the excellent writing and historical accuracy, and I agree on the first and trust in the second. Wish they didn’t use the G-slur for Romani people but I also know neither the characters nor the author probably would’ve considered that insensitive. I was warned there were some strains to credibility once the story got going–for example, the cynical worldly heroine who frequently used sexwork as a cover for her spy activities has actually never had sex, because a heroine has to be a virgin don’cha know. Overall while Big Angery Alpha Dude & Worldly Yet Secretly Delicate Heroine aren’t my preferred types, they’re not my anti-catnip and these two are fascinating enough I’d read anyway.
Also reading SPEAK EASY, SPEAK LOVE by McKelle George after seeing it in the Shakespearian retellings thread (because my TBR pile needed to get bigger…). YA retelling of Much Ado About Nothing set in 1920’s New York. YA sometimes annoys me in ways that drive home how I’m just not a young adult anymore, but this one luckily doesn’t. Benedick and Beatrice have their enemies-to-lovers thing going on but it’s definitely a different vibe than the play’s characters. That’s not a bad thing, in a novel they get room to have backstory and internal thoughts that the play doesn’t, but they’re distinctly their own people. Same with Hero and Claude(io), and the Prince’s (here just a guy nicknamed ‘Prince’) relationship with the villain. I wonder if it would be called something else if retellings weren’t the market trend right now, because it could really be its own thing (that happened to take inspiration from Shakespeare, if the author wanted to mention that).
Well, last WAYR my daughter was in the PICU with croup and then my son was sick and then my husband and I got sick. Thankfully, my daughter had to stay only two nights in the hospital and is back to her normal self – the rest of us are on the mend as well (and it was not Covid, so that was good too). I have read so much though – tons to cover since the last WAYR.
Excellent:
AGAINST A WALL by Cate C. Wells (Contemporary Romance – M/F – Stonecut County #2): I have yet to read a book of hers that I don’t like and this one was sooooooo good. Set in a rural mountainous area – enemies to lovers – kind of. I don’t know if I have ever read a bully romance before, but this is for sure one – although the hero and heroine had at one time been friends. This was also along the lines of the hero teased her because he liked her forever story. If that wouldn’t be your jam, I totally get it, but it worked so well for me here. This also had opposites attract and fake dating. And this pairing is what I need more of, for sure, the hero is not the brightest bulb in the bunch – he was a popular loudmouth extrovert while the heroine was an introvert. On paper, her ex-boyfriend seemed the better choice, but she liked the hero’s rough edges. Maybe I might like bully romances or is Cate C Wells just that good?
Very Good:
MADNESS OF THE HORDE KING by Zoey Draven (SFF/Alien Romance – M/F – Horde Kings #3): These are leaning much more to the fantasy rather than SF side. Here the hero/Horde King (who everyone else regards as a bit “off” because he can hear and see ghosts) and the heroine (a slave sent on a mission by her enslavers) team up. While this was very good, it could not make excellent because there was too much secret keeping on the part of the heroine – clearly the hero was better than the aliens who enslaved her (!!!), so I kept getting frustrated when she didn’t trust him with the whole story.
CHOOSING THEO by Victoria Aveline (SFF/Alien Romance – M/F – Clecanian #1): This was mentioned in an August WAYR and I promptly ordered it because alien romance seems to be my jam right now and this one was right up my alley – the hero was constantly overlooked and “unwanted” by most of the females on his planet so he is shocked that the human heroine is attracted to him (he is is so shocked that he is suspicious that she is a spy). There are parts of the set-up that need to be hand waved for sure and there were a few eye-roll worthy moments when the heroine is “not like the other females,” but overall I really enjoyed it and am looking forward to the next in the series. CW: Abduction, threatened sexual assault, what I can only describe as consensual dub-con/forced seduction
Good:
The ALIEN’S DREAM by Zoey Draven (SFF/Alien Romance – M/F – Warriors of Luxiria #5): Reading so many in this series so close together, they are getting formulaic and predictable, but I still enjoyed it.
BRONZE GODS by A.A. Aguirre (Steampunk/Fantasy Mystery with strong romantic elements – M/F – Apparatus Infernum #1): I should have checked if this series was finished before starting the first book, but I didn’t. And at this point it looks like it will never be finished. There is good chemistry between the two police inspectors trying to solve the murder of several young women from powerful families and there was a good secondary romance as well. But, alas, neither of those were concluded and the world building could get very confusing. CW Abduction, torture, murder
NEW TRICKS by David Rosenfelt (Mystery – Andy Carpenter #7): These books are very formulaic, but the narrative voice and the supporting characters work for me.
HALLOWE’EN PARTY by Agatha Christie (Mystery – Hercule Poirot #41): This is a very very loose inspiration for the movie, A Haunting in Venice, which just came out. I was supposed to go to dinner and a movie with my mystery book club to discuss the book and see the film. I finished the book, but wasn’t able to go. The story was good with some good twists, but not the best Christie I have read. CW: Murder of a child, abduction of a child
A TEST OF WILLS by Charles Todd (Historical Mystery – Inspector Rutledge #1): Another read for my mystery books club – it was good, but it needed to be about 75 pages shorter. The MC spent a lot of time going over the same evidence, saying that something didn’t feel right, and then ruminating that he didn’t know the answer. And then doing it all over again. It is set in rural England, post-WWI and features a MC that has severe PTSD. I am very much on the fence about this one – I don’t know if I will continue to read the series or not. CW: Child with PTSD
SCREAMING ON THE INSIDE: THE UNSUSTAINABILITY OF AMERICAN MOTHERHOOD by Jessica Gross (Non-fiction): As a mom who had one child five months before the pandemic started in the USA and then had her second child during the pandemic in 2021, this hit home in a few places to me. But much of this book was geared towards moms who work outside the home and I am a stay at home mom – there is major overlap in some issues we face, but not in others. I do think some of the cultural criticism was spot on, but already the parts on Covid 19 felt dated. That being said, if you are a mom who works outside the home, I would recommend this book.
THE ALIEN’S OBSESSION by Zoey Draven (SFF Alien Romance – M/F – Warriors of Luxiria #6): Again, these very much follow a formula, but I like it.
Meh
TANGLE OF NEED by Nalini Singh (Paranormal Romance – M/F – Psy-Changeling #11): While I enjoyed seeing other characters from past books (and the couple from book #10 was heavily featured which I loved), I didn’t totally buy the romance here.
The Bad:
None
Don’t Know How to Assign a Grade:
HEART OF OBSIDIAN by Nalini Singh (Paranormal Romance – M/F – Psy-Changeling #12): I am at a true loss on how to grade this one. While I had been eagerly anticipating getting to this book, I am not sure I bought into the “hero” – yes, he had endured horrific psychological and physical torture and abuse from a very young age, which basically broke him. But I was extremely uncomfortable with some of his choices and plans to get revenge for the wrongs done to the heroine. Also, after being apart for 7 years and the heroine unable to access all of her memories until the end of the book, I found the insta-lust between them to be unbelievable (especially considering the hero was a “Silent” Psy). BUT there were so many moments of yearning. CW: Abduction, torture, abuse, mass terrorist attacks involving the death of children (not caused by the hero FYI)
Not going to lie, it’s been so busy with work and prepping the youngest for college move in that I completely forgot what I’d read since last time, LOL…
So, I actually have had a string of excellent reads, which are all either newly released or about to release…
Naima Simone’s PLEASE DON’T GO, GIRL, is the third in her Love on the Radio series. Super fun, super hot fake relationship with real vulnerability… Lena, the heroine, is one to girl crush on— she ultimately stands up for herself with confidence and a great deal of compassion, and her willingness to speak the truth to Kade and others is courageous and inspiring. Kade too steps up to the plate. While he does have a few missteps along the way, it is quite satisfying to see him find himself again, and be willing to step up.
Gabbi Grey’s latest Gaynor Beach story is a good one. Gabbi Grey has written a terrific slowish burn story with XAVIER’s family really at the center of much of it. Zed and Xavier’s mutual attraction builds alongside Zed’s friendships and support of Xavier’s daughters, and their relationship feels well paced. Readers will enjoy glimpses of other Gaynor Beach residents, and find this a satisfying addition to the series.
PUCK ONE NIGHT STANDS is the first in Emma Foxx’s Chicago Racketeers why-choose contemporary romance series. The stellar writing duo of Erin Nicholas and Erin McCarthy bring the laughs, heat, and feels with the very fortunate Danielle Larkin, aspiring romance writer and hockey fan, the center of attention for Nathan Armstrong, billionaire team owner; Michael Hughes, considerate team doctor; and Crew McNeill, the hockey phenom also known as her best friend’s younger brother…definitely a fun, hot read!
THE HEAD GAME is the second in Brigham Vaughn’s excellent #RelationshipGoals series. Staid referee August Manning and life-of-the-party player Nico Arents seem to get along as well as oil and water or two cats in a bag…. It’s a terrific fake relationship story. Brigham Vaughn’s story is well paced and balances the character and plot development so well. I couldn’t stop smiling, laughing, and swooning as I turned the pages. Nico and August’s reactions and feelings feel so real, from their tendencies to annoy each other to near fury to their snarky moments with the people they’re closest to, to their uncertainties and fears. I also loved their interactions with their families and friends, including some of Nico’s teammates and a few of the Evanston Otters.
Finally, HOTT SHOT, the first in Serena Bell’s Hott Springs Eternal series, made me smile and made my heart sing. (Probably not literally, and YMMV…)
Quinn Hott and his four brothers are called back to Rush Creek for their grandfather’s funeral. They and their sister, Hanna, are then confronted with the unusual terms of their grandfather’s will and the lengths he’s gone to get them to jump through his hoops even after his death. Serena Bell’s characterizations and storytelling are stellar as usual.
Hott Shot is a terrific grumpy/sunshine, opposites attract, temporary roommates to more story that launches this new series beautifully.
@DiscoDollyDeb, @SW, I loved Cait Nary’s series also, and am eagerly awaiting Lucky Bounce, the third in the series. I think it’s releasing early next year?
@cat_blue, Joanna Bourne is one of my favorite authors—her writing just pulls me in and gets me every time. I’m just sad she isn’t writing, but that whole series is so excellent. I still reread them regularly.
@flchen1: a while ago, LUCKY BOUNCE appeared in the Kindle Store with a cover, blurb (hockey player & his child’s school teacher), and publication date, but right now, LUCKY BOUNCE isn’t even showing up when you search for it. Not sure what happened—but I’ll be grabbing LUCKY BOUNCE whenever it’s finally released!
@Katie C, yes, she’s just that good. I’ve actually read a couple of her MC romances, linked to the Wall books through the oldest brother and the sister, and really enjoyed them even though the MC genre is just above Mafia romance on my loathe list.
HIGHER, described as a butch on butch love story in the blurb, was interesting. Judaism is central for both heroines; Tali withdrew from rabbinical school for family reasons and has yet to go back, Maple is a Sephardic Jew and artist hired to help with an art installation at the synagogue where Tali works. They both have relationship issues and after starting with a bang most of the book is them separately working out their feelings then coming back together at the end. Since both identify as tops, it also made me think more specifically about roles in sex apart from the heterosexual dynamic, I kind of thought most people would be flexible.
I heard about the book on Hanukkah Erotica, a podcast that reviews Jewish romance novels with 2 very charming step sisters as hosts.
I read HYACINTH by Minerva Spencer. This is the 2nd in a lightweight series about 5 sisters, which I seem to be hooked on. Good for fans of cross-dressing heroines. In this case she’s passing at a man so she can enter gambling clubs and win money because her family is broke.
I had mixed feelings about a sci-fi, THE BLIGHTED STARS. It was action-packed, with a complex plot and characters. My problem was the horrific violence, which is not treated lightly, but still. I had to skim over those parts, which were frequent. If you can get past that, there is a lot of thought provoking stuff.
I read THE DUKE WHO LOVED ME by Jane Ashford. She has been writing Regencies since forever and she’s very prolific. I slacked off reading her it seems for just a year or two, and now I’m like a half dozen books behind. This was one of her better books, great humor, and the hero shows a lot of growth, after starting out pretty clueless. I followed it up with THE DUKE’S BEST FRIEND, which I thought was next in the series, but turned out to be #5! It’s not quite as good.
Almost forgot, earlier this month I read YOU WERE MADE TO BE MINE. It was absolutely delightful, a joy to read, Julie Anne Long never misses.
I did some Rosalind James. I generally enjoy her work. Her latest, JUST FOR ME, a m/m rugby story, dropped into my kindle. Luke and Hayden have figured in previous books and now we get their story, the meet cute, the tension around Luke’s closet and how he finally comes out, the family dramas. I enjoyed it and would recommend. It can be a stand alone so don’t worry if you have not read the others.
I also found Ms. James’ STONE COLD KIWI at a reduced price and goggled it up. It is somewhat adjacent to her rugby series in that some of the characters overlap. Really enjoyed this one. Hero and heroine meet as H, an ER doc, is delivering her third baby on the grass outside the hospital and h is finding out at pretty much the same time that her husband is cheating. Lots to deal with and handled well. The conflict that she was at one point his patient, the marriage disolving, family interference, etc. Nicely done, though.
Kristen Proby’s THE SECRET, the first in her Single in Seattle series, is on KU. I enjoyed it for the most part. Daughter of famous actor/director who was kept out of the spotlight and now working in industry under another name meets nepo baby heartthrob. They start an affair that turns into a romance that they try to keep out of the spotlight. Enjoyed though she was a bit privileged and I thought the conflict was a bit overdone.
I’ve been reading Janie Crouch’s Linear Tactical series on KU, romance and suspense with ex-military guys and kick-ass women. The latest was SHADOW. Heroine is curvy though cover model is not (I hate that) and also has a medical condition, WPW, that has made her family way over-protective. Happily, the medical part of the story was pretty well done. She is pre-ablation so we get to see medical management. The H, ex-military with PTSD and other issues, is working undercover at the university where she is getting her PhD. Paths cross, she is in danger, she is very clear-headed. He and his team ride to her rescue. I have been enjoying this series.
Susan Stoker’s THE ROYAL, another group of ex-military, not sure how I got into this so much this summer. This is a Cinderella re-telling complete with horrible stepmother and stepsister and an actual prince of the usual minor European nation hidden in the mountains somewhere as they usually are. Or maybe it’s an island somewhere. The nations tend to run together in my mind. At least this one does not have sand dunes. Sorry, distracted. He rescues her after she saves him from their scheming, There is peril. There is HEA.
Also a deep dive into Caitlin Crews’, Maisey Yates’, Kelly Hunter’s, and Jackie Ashenden’s backlists. Enjoyed but tntc at this point. (Lab speak for too numerous to count.)
@Vicky: Crews, Yates, Hunter, and Ashenden—my queens of angsty romance: all excellent writers!
I’ve not had any outstanding romances lately, but I wanted to thank whoever suggested LONE WOMEN by Victor LaValle. I loved it!
A Summer Lesson in Romance by Noor Juman!!!! Terrible KU cover and almost no reviews for this pure FIRE age gap about a Kolkata grad student who spends the summer nannying for a Darjeeling tea magnate. Feels like discovering early Eve Dangerfield or something unexpectedly grounded and new. Juman is an exciting new voice and deserves to be HUGE. I can’t wait for more people to discover this book!
:::hobbles in to the Beetlejuice theme:::
I have been at Universal Studios theme parks for the last two days and they REALLY loved playing that one. Why am I hobbling? BECAUSE MY FEETSIES HURT.
Anyway, I’d love to brag about how much I’ve been reading, but for whatever reason, the past couple weeks have involved me reading really slow. Who knows why?
Anyhow, I did read Inheritance by Nora Roberts, the first in her Lost Bride trilogy, which will be out at the end of November. I really enjoyed it, the most I’ve liked one of her books in a good while. It had a really effective gothic feel, and I really enjoyed the ghosts themselves (not a spoiler, they’re mentioned in the book description). It did end on a cliffhanger, and I’m like MOAR NOW, but I will not be the person that harasses La Nora about this, because my name is not Deborah and I do not need the process personally explained to me. I’ll just read the next one when it comes out, eagerly. And now I’m back on my Preston & Child bullshit, and reading Riptide. It’s from 1998, so the tech-speak in it is dated, but my brain gets around it by treating it like a (lolsob) period piece. I’m enjoying the emerging story about the pirate curse, and there was a GNARLY amputation scene. I read it while standing in line at Guest Services, and I may have muttered “Holy SHIT”.
So until next time, may the cushioned socks and Epsom salts be with you and your feet.
Working on THE WITCH KING by Martha Wells. Definitely different from Murderbot, definitely enjoying it!
Real life continues to stress me out, so I desperately needed a fictional escape into someone else’s problems, preferably magical ones, solvable within a short enough story for my attention span – squirrel! Thankfully my reading slump finally broke so my brain can focus on something else besides endless anxiety spirals.
ROAD TO ROSWELL by CONNIE WILLIS – big thank you to the commenter who mentioned this on the last Whatcha Reading. Does exactly what it says on the tin – road trip shenanigans across the Western desert with UFO chasers and an actual alien. If you like Connie Willis’s more lighthearted stories, you’ll like this. Plenty of her signature wit, plot twists, classic film references, a bit of romance, a bit of tugging at the heartstrings. She has definitely been on a road trip in that desert, the detail is excellent and immersive.
MAGIC FORGED by K. M. Shea – the whole trilogy is free on Amazon prime reads under the title Hall of Blood and Mercy. Nice fluffy fantasy story, likeable competent characters, the worldbuilding is your standard vampires, werewolves, fae and wizards. Not too violent or gory, some found family elements, slow slow burn romance (m/f), humor and banter. I’m halfway through book 2 already, it’s keeping me entertained without logging too much time in the bad decisions book club.
SHADY HOLLOW by Juneau Black – this is basically a cozy murder mystery where the characters just happen to be forest animals. This is not explained, just roll with it, think Wind in the Willows. It’s cozy and cute, I’m in the hold queue for book 2 at the library.
(Side note, I tried THREE BAGS FULL by Leonie Swann, a murder mystery told entirely from the sheep’s POV – great concept, but didn’t work for me personally, felt a bit too dark. I was hoping for Shaun the Sheep vibes, what I got was more like Watership Down, it may be just me, others have enjoyed it.)
Not a book: TASKMASTER season 16 has started off with a bang, this cast is bonkers and hilarious. In a nutshell it’s 5 comedians doing ridiculous challenges, then getting judged and mocked by the host – yet it doesn’t feel mean spirited, just silly fun. If you’re not in the UK or Europe, it’s available free on their official YouTube channel. New episodes premiere Fridays and ALL the past 15 seasons are available there too, free and clear. I found this show during the quarantimes thanks to someone here recommending the Big Fat Quiz, which led to a wonderful rabbit hole of British comedy panel shows – Would I Lie To You, QI (with Sandi Toksvig who you may recognize from the GBBO), 8 out of 10 Cats Does Countdown, and the one show to rule them all is Taskmaster.
Also not a book: Sneezy’s French language podcast seems to fill a similar role to my Italian pop songs playlist. Current favorite – the 1997 duet Cose Della Vita from Eros Ramazzotti and Tina Turner. Look up the live performance on YouTube, their chemistry is electric.
@Escapeologist, I read Three Bags Full shortly after it was published, and whoo, it was unique all the way through. I spent a week or so unsuccessfully trying to pin down what, exactly, I thought about the book. It didn’t cross my mind again until I saw your comment.
@Vicki-Thank you for the heads up on the new Escape to New Zealand book by Rosalind James! I’m so excited to read more about Hayden and Luke-as you mentioned they were in previous books, but really happy they have their own story. I LOVE Rosalind James, her rugby books are wonderful. I also really enjoyed the first few in her New Zealand Ever After series, but the ones about the cult? I bought the last one but haven’t read it yet, not my cup of tea. BUT-she’s a wonderful writer, and totally turned me into a rugby fan. Much to the dismay of my husband, because when he’s watching football (American) I can’t help commenting how often the action stops, unlike rugby!
A few books I’ve loved these last few weeks…
HOTT SHOT-by Serena Bell. Start of a new series, in the same world as the Wilder Adventures. She is an autobuy for me. Family having to abide by their grandfather’s will, or the land they grew up on goes to a mining company. Love the interaction between the brothers, how they were once close by one by one they left home for college. It’s quite poignant, I’m the second of 5 children but was the first to leave for college. Years later my younger siblings shared how it felt to feel left behind by me. A good read!
THE NOBLEMAN’S GUIDE TO SEDUCING A SCOUNDREL-by KJ Charles. LOVE this world, and I realized reading this book, I’m a total sucker for storylines where there is a mess, and a competent person comes in and sets things in order. Luke is such an interesting character, and his feelings about his father? I had to re-read the first book to refresh my memory-but it’s powerful.
WITH LOVE, FROM COLD WORLD-by Alicia Thompson. From the author of LOVE IN THE TIME OF SERIAL KILLERS (her debut novel), I wasn’t expecting much to be honest. I loved her first novel, and sometimes it’s better to manage your expectations for the second. I’m happy to say I really enjoyed this, even though there was some hostility between the main characters at the beginning (M/F) I liked their interactions and the way they were able to admit when they were wrong.
Happy first day of Fall!
I’m mostly re-reading in anticipation for new releases in favourite series.
Just to join the Cait Nary cheering section – I loved, loved, loved SEASON’S CHANGE. I think it’s my favourite m/m hockey book. I wasn’t as enthused about CONTRACT SEASON, but its still good.
Just finished re-reading HOME GROWN TALENT by Joanna Chambers and Sally Malcolm. I love this series, and I’m super excited to read the next one which is out later this week. HOME GROWN TALENT is about the gardener brother of a tv writer (hero from book 1 which is also delightful) and a model/influencer, who wind up filming a gardening segment for a talk show together. There’s a big bad tv producer and surprising drama surrounding a pineapple.
I’ll be on a cruise starting Friday and I’m super excited to have both the new Joanna Chambers/Sally Malcolm to read as well as KC Charles’ THE NOBLEMAN’S GUIDE TO SEDUCING A SCOUNDREL which other Bitches are reading with positive things to say! And Rachel Reid’s new book TIME TO SHINE is out this week too – looks like it’s set in Calgary, where I live. Hopefully the fictional team has a better stadium to play in than the Saddledome!
A GIRL CALLED SAMPSON by Amy Harmon – This one’s been on my TBR for a while and I LOVED it! I think it’s my favorite of Harmon’s since A DIFFERENT BLUE. It tells the story of Deborah Sampson, who becomes an indentured servant at age 5, grows up, and dons men’s clothing to join the Continental Army. Many of the details in this novel are based on the life of an actual women who fought during the American Revolution. Harmon changes certain details – this is a romance! – but has clearly done a lot of research into the real historical characters and events. The revolutionary war was not a fun place to be and Harmon doesn’t skimp on the details, but the book manages to not wallow in misery. There is always hope for the future.
CASSIEL’S SERVANT by Jacqueline Carey – If you loved the Kushiel’s Legacy series as I did and you’re excited to get a bit more out of that world, then this book puts you right back in Terre d’Ange. I flew through the book and enjoyed learning more about Joscelin’s background and training. But if you are looking for a compelling main character who stands on his own, this is not the book for you. 20 years ago, I inhaled the Kushiel’s Legacy series, breathlessly awaiting every novel. The first three of those novels were told from the point of view of Phèdre nó Delaunay, a courtesan and spy with a taste for pain whose adventures take her all over an alternative universe modeled on the European medieval period. In other words, Phèdre is fun. Joscelin role as her stoic foil is perfect when you are in Phèdre’s head, but is much less compelling in the other direction.
Over the past two weeks ~
— in one day, I read in its entirety Once Upon a Tome: The Misadventures of a Rare Bookseller by Oliver Darkshire; it was a pleasant way to spend a few hours, but I was hoping for a touch more humor.
— continued to ignore my many unread library books and happily reread The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison. I recommend this fantasy; one of the things I like about it is that the main character is a genuinely good person.
— read dozens of book samples.
— read Flight of the Diamond Smugglers: A Tale of Pigeons, Obsession, and Greed Along Coastal South Africa by Matthew Gavin Frank for my book group. I found it a rather depressing read and would give many content warnings. Despite some rave reviews (NPR, for example), no one in the group liked it.
— Total Creative Control (Creative Types Book 1) by Joanna Chambers was an enjoyable contemporary romance featuring a script writer and his personal assistant (both male).
— enjoyed His Last Christmas in London by Con Riley which features a restaurant critic and a photographer (both male and with an age difference of some twenty years). I will happily read more by this author.
— enjoyed We Just Couldn’t Say Goodbye by Layne Deemer after seeing it mentioned in a comment. In this romance, a young woman from the present day visits a rather retro café only to learn that it’s 1934 there. She and the café owner become involved.
— read a fantasy novella that is the start of an upcoming series, The Untouchable Sky by Will Forrest. It details a young man becoming aware that he has magical powers. Content warnings for prior abuse.
@Escapologist, I somehow started getting lots of recommended videos on youtube about 8 out of 10 cats and Taskmaster and I feel like I’ve watched SO MANY “best of” videos without having watched a single episode of either. I’m so excited that a new series has started, so now I get to actually watch it happen!
I’m deep in performance review season, so I’ve been avoiding all responsibility by reading lots of short books/novellas the last few weeks. Thanks as always to @flchen1 for alerting me to the stuff your kindle sale, because wow did I ever. I’m continuing to have to balance reading physical and ebooks, but that means I’ve now accidentally started to buy physical copies of books that I later discover on my kindle. I’ve become my father (who once bought the same book THREE TIMES in one day).
GREAT
KISS THE GIRL by Zoraida Córdova was a lovely “The Little Mermaid” inspired romance between Ariel del Mar and Eric Reyes, even though both Ariel and Eric seemed a little younger than their respective ages of 25 and 28. Ariel has been famous since she was 10, and is finally looking at freedom, after she and her sisters finish the farewell concert tour for their girl group, the Siren Seven. Eric’s band, Star Crossed, is just about to go on their first tour when he and Ariel run into each other, almost literally. One of the things I loved most about this book was that there was a rather large cast of secondary characters and they each had their own voice, personality and story happening. I was never confused about who was talking, or what their needs or goals were in each situation. Extremely well written.
GOOD
SLEEP NO MORE by Seanan McGuire was good, but not great. It’s a trope that I don’t particularly love – someone has lost their memory/is in a time loop/events get reset – because I get so frustrated about having the same concept explained over and over. I start skimming and just want to get on with it. Thankfully, that was kept to a minimum here, and instead the focus was on what people’s lives would have been like if Toby had never done her best impression of a wrecking ball. It sort of just ended abruptly, but I guess that’s because Tybalt’s book is coming out in 4 weeks. I still enjoy this series, but I think it’s starting to get a bit unwieldy after 17 books and no real end in sight.
ICE PLANT BARBARIANS (books 1-6) by Ruby Dixon. 12 girls get stolen by aliens who crash land on a different alien planet. Fated mates ensue. Books 2 and 5 require lots of content warnings, but otherwise they’re relatively quick reads that each follow a similar pattern leading to happy sexy times and pregnancy.
NAUGHTY COEDS by Sinistre Ange contained 2 short stories, that basically does what it says on the tin. First story is the very problematic and very hot relationship between 19-year-old Janie and her adopted uncle, Max (as in her adopted parents passed away, so she was staying with her father’s brother while at college). Second was about 20-year-old Annie, who discovers a Sybian in her neighbor’s basement while housesitting for him.
OK
A bunch of 50 – 60-page novellas/short stories I got through the stuff your kindle event – including Stepbrother Sleepover by Emma Bray, In Front of Everyone by Ace Regent, Topped by the Boss by Rod Langdon. None of them really stood out, but some quick happily-ever-afters are suiting me just fine right now.
I’m not sure what’s up next – I’m currently reading ILLICIT EDUCATION by Jessalyn Jameson, which is an intern/CEO forbidden romance freebie. I’m about 20% in and there’s been a lot of “but I absolutely can’t” from the CEO’s internal monologue and the intern saying a lot of ballsy stuff to people she doesn’t know, which is making my “I’ve been around office politics too long” brain just constantly cringe. I think I might have to do a “cinnamon roll” or “grumpy/sunshine” search on my storygraph and see what comes up that way.
@kareni
I just finished a re-read of The Goblin Emperor. It cheers me up and grounds me, for some reason.
I don’t have much to report on. Too much work, not even time for Bad Decisions Book Club, but I’m glad to have some good ready to take my mind off things. And more to look forward to.
THE NOBLEMAN’S GUIDE TO SEDUCING A SCOUNDREL by KJ Charles is all that I wanted! Charles is one of my favourite authors and this book was a great follow-up to Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen. Of course I had an idea what Luke was after ;-). I also loved the references to Band Sinister, one of my all-time favourite romances and a total comfort read to me as well as Unfit to Print and the novella Wanted, an Author which ties Band Sinister and Wanted, A Gentleman together. Now I wish she would actually write “Jonathan” because… well, we totally need to read this one, right? Also, loved all the Norman names of the d’Aumestys.
REALITY BITES BACK – the Troubling Thruth about Guilty Pleasure TV by Jennifer L. Pozner. I bouth this after it was recommended here and I’m still reading it, though more than halfway through. It’s an interesting book and Pozner makes some very good points, though I have to warn you, it was published in 2011, so it is a bit dated. Some of the shows she references are long over, some are still running (yikes!) and of course there’s a plethora of new ones. I admit I haven’t seen most of these actual shows as I’m not in the US, however, when things like Top Model, Bachelor, The Swan, Idol came up in their German versions, I saw their first season(s) which I watched mostly out of curiosity. And some of those versions are still out there, though I’ve long stopped watching them. Some things like diversity rep have probably changed a bit since the book’s publication, though some probably haven’t at all. Anyway, I’m still reading it with interest, it does make me think a bit more about questioning other things I’m watching or how TV tries to represent things. And I am absolutely with her based on what she reports how these shows were/are misrepresenting so many things and pushing stereotypes. However, it seems to me the author has a bit of a problem with women wanting to look good. I’m not talking about people being totally obsessed with their looks, it just seems that she somehow looks down upon the concept of women wanting to look good in general. That one is starting to grate a bit.
Like @Deborah T, I’m looking forward to the next book in the Creative Types series by Joanna Chambers and Sally Malcolm! Total Creative Control is another favourite and favourite comfort read of mine!
@Escapeologist – I had to look that video up on Youtube. Cose della Vita was a huge hit here and back then Eros was really big, but I’ve never seen this performance before. Love it, they certainly gave it all.
CLEAN SWEEP and SWEEP IN PEACE by Ilona Andrews (A) – Last week, I listened to the dramatized adaptation of All Systems Red from GraphicAudio and was underwhelmed. (I am not going to critique David Cui Cui’s Murderbot. It would be like critiquing any actor who played Spock after Leonard Nimoy. But there was a lack of distinction to the voice acting in general, with only Volescu’s and Pin-Lee’s voices standing out for me. And I counted 4-5 text errors that slipped through production.) Anyway, I wanted to give GraphicAudio a second chance and I’ve been meaning to read the Innkeeper Chronicles for a while, so I listened to CLEAN SWEEP, where the vocal performances were superior, but they decided to act out the plethora of tea-drinking scenes by slurping the tea. My misophonia was sending me into a rage. Long story short: no more GraphicAudio for me. But I loved the characters and Dina’s magic, so I went on to read — in blessed silence — the second book in the series which was so perfect I’m reluctant to go one step further.
FOURTH WING by Rebecca Yarros (B+) – Young/New Adult fantasy romance – Heroine with chronic weakness is compelled by her overbearing mother to enter a military academy for training dragon riders where it is permissible (and tacitly encouraged) to kill your fellow cadets in order to preserve the strength of the corps. I love the familiar (some would say clichéd, but there has to be a more positive term for stories that take the well-trodden paths) plot of the underestimated underdog who wins all the special things through hard work, book learning, virtue, and friendship. Plus having a broodingly reluctant love interest who is always there to growl and rescue. However, I cringe over the way the romance is handled. The heroine has inappropriate horny eyes all the time (maybe more focus on not getting killed in this death factory and less on his perfect lips, Violet), their verbal sparring is transparent and juvenile (their physical sparring, on the other hand: A+), and the heroine’s internal monologue is an unconvincing repetition of “he’s so hot but not for me.” Will I read the next book? Absolutely. Will I re-read this one? Only if I develop cringenesia.
HER BRIDEGROOM BOUGHT AND PAID FOR (B), AN INCONVENIENT VOW (B+), and THE FAVOURITE (B+) by Alice Coldbreath – Books 4-6 in Coldbreath’s Brides of Karadok series, set in a fictional medieval kingdom that allows Coldbreath to tap into the ambience of 15th-century Europe without the pesky demands of accuracy. As Lara said above, the romances all follow the trajectory of “alpha men who are humbled by the love of a woman” and they are addictive.
GODDESS OF THE HUNT by Tessa Dare (B) – this early novel is missing the clever modern humor that is characteristic of Dare’s later work.
RENT TO BE by Sonia Hartl (C+) – Contemporary romantic comedy about a newly-graduated, underemployed heroine who gets booted out of her shared apartment by her roommates because she she is crushed by her student loan debt and hasn’t paid rent for three months. Long seen as the family screw-up, she won’t ask for help from her judgmental parents or better-off brother (who would just tell mom and dad), and gets blackmailed by her brother’s best friend, who promises not to tell everyone if she fake-dates him for the summer. While I agree with a lot of what Hartl wants to say about the cruelty of encouraging college students to indenture their futures in order to earn a degree of questionable value, rampant corporate exploitation, and brutal housing costs, I’m not sure this heroine is the right frontwoman for those causes. She’s meeting the minimum requirements of a job she doesn’t enjoy because her parents dissuaded her from pursuing the library science degree she wanted, but she’s bitter that the coworkers who are putting in the unpaid overtime the company demands are getting promoted before her. She feels trapped because this company is the only place that offered her a job after graduation and she compares its soulless monotony to the (frankly too social for me) “fun” company where her fake boyfriend works, but we learn he got his job at funcorp after working an internship for them while in college. So everyone who puts in effort gets positive results; she doesn’t put in effort but wants the same results because ::waves expensive degree around::.
ASSISTANT TO THE VILLAIN by Hannah Nicole Maehrer (C) – The quirky and charming premise loses its appeal as the book goes on and on, and the antagonist reveal doesn’t include the antagonist’s motivation, which is kind of required in this specific circumstance. If you’re approaching this as a romance, you should know it is the first volume in a series and cannot stand alone. But the stopping place is probably fine for feminist cozy fantasy. I feel like somewhere along the publishing chain, we’ve lost sight of the usefulness of accurate genre labels in getting the right books to the right audience. Somebody who isn’t pissed about getting half a romance might rate this higher.
@Deborah, I appreciated your use of the word cringenesia!
@Vicki: Since we are both fans of The Goblin Emperor, I’d be interested to hear about other books that cheer and ground you.
I think I’m in a book slough. Reading about books is fine, actually reading books is more difficult. Though I am just finishing a non-fiction book about the Elizabethans and Islam, which has been interesting. In fiction, I enjoyed the third Crusie / Mayer, One in Vermillion – it’s been lovely to have these three longish books out so close together and be able to sink into the world. The KJ Charles was ok – liked all the Gothic references, but didn’t fall in love with the characters. Maybe because I really wanted Berengaria’s perspective. Read the new Celia Lake – I’m sure it’s me, I have absolutely loved some of her books (Sailor’s Jewel for instance, Fool’s Gold and several others) but haven’t got on with the last few, they’ve felt a bit didactic somehow. Oh – I also read part of an anthology of fiction from a Victorian 1880s erotic magazine; my mother found it secondhand, didn’t look at it properly, just bought it for me because she knows I like old stuff. Extremely racy in a very matter-of-fact way (outdoors sex with the servants – it’s handy because they know to bring blankets).
@Deborah, @Kareni, same–cringenesia made me laugh and nod understandingly!
@Ely, so happy to helped (distract you) during performance review season–I hope all is going well, and that your e-reader is pleasantly overflowing with options! (I would love to hear your father’s book buying story–I think I’ve been saved from doing that myself only because now I click repeatedly when I see reminders for books I want only to be pulled up short with the notice that I already OWN it (or have preordered it)… oops?)
Thank you, B*tchery, for keeping me in the know with your reading–I love reading everyone’s updates!