Welcome back to Whatcha Reading! Here’s how we’re kicking off October:
Elyse: I am reading The Black Hunger ( A | BN | K | AB ) which reminds me a lot of a Call of Cuthulu adventure. It’s set partially in India and Tibet during the early 1900s so TW: for colonialism.
The books is this bananas supernatural adventure that takes us from Tibet to the Orkney Islands to Ukraine, and there are death cults, hungry ghosts and cannibals. Also the end of the world might be happening.
Sarah: I am going to start the new Elizabeth Hoyt, No Ordinary Duchess, ( A | BN | K | AB ) and I am extremely excited. I also think this is a bad idea because I have a lot going on this week and no time for tiredness if I stay up too late reading.
Lara: I try to read my ARCs about a month before release date so I can write a review for the site. Sometimes though a book just grabs you and so I’m reading a January 2025 release! My Inconvenient Duke by Loretta Chase. She’s not an author I’ve read a lot of, but I’m really enjoying the two main characters and their interactions.
Claudia: I am currently closing a gap in terms of older romance, and picked up Uncommon Vows by Mary Jo Putney. ( A | BN | K | AB )
Shana: I’m reading Daughter of the Merciful Deep by Leslye Penelope. ( A | BN | K | AB ) I will freely admit I selected it because the cover is drop dead gorgeous. So for, the book is living up to the cover.
Susan: I’m finishing up The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes, and I’m kinda eh on the plot, but absolutely here for the vibes of “Man who will do violence (for justice) is hopelessly smitten with woman who is discovering that she is ALSO willing to commit violence (for justice).”
Sarah: The vibes of ‘my felony chaos matches your felony chaos?!’ are VERY fun
Carrie: In keeping with my habit of being late to every party, I’m finally reading The Secret History by Donna Tartt. ( A | BN | K | AB )
I have doubts about my ability to finish it as I’m less than fifty pages in and already loathing all the characters.
Whatcha reading, Bitchery? Let us know in the comments!
I’m reading Temporary Partner by Nicky James. It’s the first of a m/m series about two detectives named Valor and Doyle, and there’s so much wrong with it that I’m about ready to skip to the end to find out how the mystery ends up and leave it at that.
One of the main characters is a predator, but he’s supposed to be the hero. He’s been assigned as a temporary case partner to the other main character, who is currently in a relationship with a serial cheater. This guy is slimy – when they’re at the scene of abduction, he’s drooling over the missing child’s mother. When they’re working the scene, he’s making comments about his partner’s ass. There are multiple occasions when he touches his partner – squeezing his thigh, massaging his neck etc – when the partner says he doesn’t want him to. But the partner ends up liking it. So essentially this character is a “no means yes” kind of guy and the behaviour gets rewarded.
He says things like, “Hungry? I have a nice Italian sausage in my pants that I can feed you.”. He calls a POI in the case – a woman having an affair with a married man – a cheating whore. And the only 3 women in the book are either provocative or jealous.
I feel like the HEA in this book should be the other MC reporting this guy for harassment, then leaving his cheating partner and going on a solo vacation to Spain.
Why does it feel like the last WAYR only just happened?
In chronology from the end of Sept, I started SUNBRINGER by Hannah Kramer, a book 2, but it took me a while to get into it.
So I detoured into BOOK LOVERS by Emily Henry which I sped through much quicker. It was my second Henry book, with the recurring theme of two people snarking at each other and banting being the main part of flirting, which is fine with me lol. An easy read, but a little bit more substantial than a popcorn read for me.
Then I took myself back to SUNBRINGER, which picked up as it progressed. However I didn’t enjoy it as much as book 1, as the MCs from book 1 were separated and communicated less, and I could see the build towards a big battle/war, which I’m not in the reading vibe for.
Then onto my current (non-fic) read, BURNOUT by Emily & Amelia Nagoski, which I picked up on sale for 99p at Kobo UK – I enjoyed Come As You Are, and Burnout has been well highlighted so far. It has a strong feminist lens, and I appreciate the authors acknowledging factors that are outside of our control in terms of stress.
Overall, not a lot of books, but non-fic is definitely slower reading for me. I’m eyeing up NOTHING BUT BLACKENED TEETH which I have, or maybe buying A NIGHT IN THE LONESOME OCTOBER, as my contribution to spooky season reading, but we shall see.
Willow Dixon’s FLIPPING THE SCRIPT is the first book in her new Legacy Mechanics series, and it features a very hot antagonists-to-lovers story between Jesse (a mechanic at the series title business) and Sebastian (a former musician now working as a tattoo artist). The two men have known each other since childhood, and there’s always been a somewhat abrasive vibe between them. When Sebastian moves back to their home town, he and Jesse are thrown together because they have some mutual friends and Jesse’s brother is dating Sebastian’s sister. One thing leads to another, and, well, as Bryan Ferry says, you can guess the rest. One of the great things about FLIPPING THE SCRIPT is that every sex scene reflects a change in the emotional dynamics between the MCs: starting out basically with hate-fucking (at least, hate-frotting/fighting) and incrementally becoming much more meaningful and intimate. Both guys are initially dazed by their feelings, baffled by their continuing tendency to hook up whenever they’re alone together; they seem to be the last people in their friend group to realize they love each other. The book also features Dixon’s familiar hallmarks: found family, strong friendships, a non-judgmental attitude toward sex work (Jesse was once an escort), and problems that Gen Z/Millennials tend to encounter (in this case, how difficult it is to make money as a musician). FLIPPING THE SCRIPT is a great balance of heat and heart. Highly recommended.
With DIVINE HEART, we are now eight books into Garrett Leigh’s Rebel Kings series of motorcycle club romances. This is certainly Leigh’s magnum opus (right now, the series is projected to go to 11 books). DIVINE HEART features two characters who have been on the periphery of the previous Rebel Kings books: Ranger and Viktor. You can’t jump into Rebel Kings with DIVINE HEART because much of the MCs’ backstories are covered in prior books (especially book #7: ETERNALLY BLESSED). As usual, we have characters with dysfunction and trauma (cw/tw) in their backgrounds; in addition, these are people for whom criminal activity often exists in a grey area of “well, at least we’re better than the really bad guys.” I frequently assert that in Leigh’s books either the sex is easy but the intimacy is hard or the intimacy is easy but the sex is hard. DIVINE HEART falls into the latter category. The first part of the book is an extended scene where Ranger & Viktor (after a successful raid on human traffickers) get drunk and high and kinda/sorta make-out (Leigh perfectly captures that sense of distorted/heightened reality that various forms of intoxication can bring). A year later, Viktor is addicted to heroin (after the events covered in ETERNALLY BLESSED), and Ranger is prevailed upon to help him kick the habit. The middle portion of the book is set on an isolated Mediterranean island while Viktor regains sobriety and the men begin their relationship in earnest. The end of the book is a predictable explosion of violence against the aforementioned really bad guys (I freely admit to skimming those sections), then bringing us full circle to Ranger & Viktor’s HEA. As one character says: “It is not easy to love…the ones who choose us….But to fight it wastes time we do not have.” That could be an epigram for the entire Rebel Kings series. Recommended.
Dominic Lim’s ALL THE RIGHT NOTES (published last year) is a nicely-written m/m romance with a lot going for it: an obvious love for Filipino culture and food; a deep understanding of the impact of music; and a refreshingly unfetishized duo of Asian-American MCs. But there were parts of the book that dragged (especially the scenes set in the past), supporting characters (like one MC’s boyfriend) who felt like little more than placeholders, and a very large unanswered question regarding what actually happened between the MCs when they were in college. The story moves back-and-forth in time as we meet Quito, a former musical prodigy now in his thirties. Quito’s earlier promise has evaporated; he now spends his day running between jobs playing piano accompaniment and half-heartedly trying to help his boyfriend’s co-worker write a musical. When Quito’s father (a high school choir director) becomes ill, Quito returns to his childhood home in the Bay Area to help (including substituting at his father’s job), and remembering his teenage crush on Emmett Aoki, who later became a huge action movie star and is now committed to returning to the school to participate in a retirement concert for Quito’s father. In flashbacks, we see how Quito & Emmett first meet, their very tentative friendship which gradually becomes much deeper (although never romantic or sexual during the time the guys were in high school), and ultimately the events that led to them being incommunicado for almost two decades. Which leads me to a point that really bothered me:
I also think that while the writing of ALL THE RIGHT NOTES is solid, most of the characters (except for Quito and his wonderful roommate, Gerome, aka Ujima) need far more fleshing out. A somewhat lukewarm recommendation from me.
WELL BRED by Adriana Anders (publishing as A. Anders) is an erotic romance (far heavier on the eroticism than the romance) between Kit, a restaurant owner just turning 40 who is desperate to have a baby, and Jake, the decade-younger ex-con who works as a cook in Kit’s restaurant. Kit negotiates with Jake to father her child (her list of things they can and cannot do sexually to make this happen is rather comical), and eventually there’s some primal play and breeding kink in the frame; but I never felt these two had much in common beyond sexual compatibility (when Kit finally acknowledged it). WELL BRED is worth it for the sex scenes—as Anders has shown in her Kink Camp books, she writes excellent erotica—but don’t be looking for much in the way of romance (although there is one). Another rather tepid recommendation.
Hey, Smart B’s! In Annapolis for the first time for a wedding. Lovely town! Going to go find the bookstore after breakfast. There’s a boat show that I will be ignoring while I read outside somewhere. I know you all get it.
Can’t Nair’s LUCKY BOUNCE was an excellent M/M hockey romance. I kept waiting for a stupid misunderstanding to piss me off, but it was just a really great story of two unique people with sometimes complicated lives falling in love. One of the best things I’ve read this year. Will reread for sure.
Read AURORA RISING by Jessie Mihalik M/F space opera. I have read all her books and they are all a sure thing. Lot of action and tech talk, but not too convoluted. This one got me through my work trip this week. Recommend the whole series. They are similar to each other, so space them out. Unintentional pun!
Lastly, read RAZE AND THE HEART THIEF. M/F – kinky shy introvert and MMA fighter who have been crushing on each other in real life also been pen pals for most of their lives. Very good. Some aspects annoyed me a little, so prob won’t reread, but very satisfying and would recommend.
Have a great weekend!
I’m hoping to check out A TRIBUTE OF FIRE by Sariah Wilson and A VERY BAD THING by J.T. Ellison.
I also want to check out THE WILD ROBOT by Peter Brown. The movie looks super-cute, and I always like to read the book too. 🙂
There have been no (new) truly exceptional books in the past couple weeks, but four good ones, which is unusually lucky for me. They’re all authors I have read before, though, so I had some idea what I was in for.
I liked but didn’t love CONFOUNDING OATHS as much as I expected to. Maybe my expectations were too high? Maybe I was just less invested in the couple than I was in the first of this series? It was still a lot of fun, and clever, as Alexis Hall tends to be, but it didn’t make me cry. Which is a weird complaint, as I am more likely to resent a book that makes me cry. But here we are, with me feeling cheated of the complete Alexis Hall experience, but still grateful for the ride.
THE MARS HOUSE by Natasha Pulley was probably my favorite read of the past couple weeks. She doesn’t always work for me, I feel like the edges are filed down. But sometimes one wants something soft! This felt a little too twisty-turny for the sake of it, but I definitely enjoyed the journey. I wanted more dancing. I know the book is not about that, indeed we get a fair bit of it considering there’s all kinds of cool scifi political backstabbing and colonizing plots and cultural differences to navigate. But. The hero is a ballet dancer. So yeah, it’s a lot of fun, very interesting, I adored that the other main character was truly gender neutral (although, minor quibble, I think clean as a word should be barred, certainly from describing food and people). I was willing to endure the plot moppet and the excruciatingly obvious villain (which paid off, surprisingly) but it needs more dancing please.
THE UNDERMINING OF TWYLA AND FRANK was good, it was almost great, but there were a couple of things that really put me off. The heroine’s whole identity and worth were wrapped up in her mom-ness, which I loathe, although I accept a lot of people probably really need that. Still, it’s ok that her middle-aged body isn’t perfect *because* she gave birth? Yeah, ok: fuck right off. Plus she has this heteronormative gender essentialist rant about ‘equipment’ with which she frankly narcissistically reacts to the news of her daughter’s wedding that just about ruined the whole book for me. Both because it undermines the she’s such a good mom supposition and the she’s such a good person supposition. But don’t worry, we get actual deus ex machina told she’s still a good person when we’ve just been shown she isn’t, lol. Also, I really thought she was going to be ace, and she just needed the right dick. Also also, the dragons were just embarrassing, it’s like expecting Wookiees and getting Ewoks. No thank you. And the villain was obvious. And wouldn’t it be great if we could have m/f friends to lovers in a way that didn’t ground itself in some kind of m/f friendships are inevitably about boning afterall bullshit? And…look, there are a lot of flaws, but I really did enjoy the book. I swear. It’s good.
I’d also recommend DISPLEASURE ISLAND by Alice Bell. The first in the series was better, or at least more promising. This felt a little phoned in comparatively, I think because this time there was basically one detective rather than the team of four and it seemed like that choice was made because that an easier, faster book to write, than because the situation was earned. It was fun, if obvious, and it was nice to be with the returning characters even if we didn’t get enough of them.
Also been enjoying some Adrian McKinty books, because his audiobooks are read by Gerard Doyle. Doyle does Mick Herron’s books, which I admittedly like a lot more. But the holds at the library are interminable, and I am stuck in the car so much with the protracted long-distance move from hell (yes it has been over a year, I’m doing great thanks).
I can’t remember if I have raved about VAMPIRE FAMILY on Webtoon, but even if I have I can’t have raved sufficiently because it’s utterly delightful. If you hateread Twilight, this is a better takedown even than Alexis Hall’s Kate Kane series. Much like those books, it’s enjoyable and hilarious on its on merit as well as superb meta commentary.
KU – I’ve been both rereading and finishing a few of Pippa Grant’s rom-com series. I had read a few of FIREBALLS series awhile back and enjoyed the goofball antics, but got stuck in the 3rd book and stalled out. I needed some light and fun to read, so I reread from the beginning. The 3rd was still a little sluggish for me – I’m not that into the “Can’t date my friend’s sister” trope. But it was worth it to get to the 4th book IRRESISTABLE TROUBLE which has two adorable MCs and brings the Fireballs to a well deserved (happy) ending.
The characters from several series overlap in Pippa Grant Land – so I also read the BRO CODE series. All very enjoyable, funny reads. I liked the last book, THE HOT MESS AND THE HEARTTHROB just a touch more than the others. Fun and wacky single mom and the international rock star that falls hard for her.
I reread THE WORST WEDDING DATE also by Grant – it’s the start of the THREE BFFs AND A WEDDING series. I’ll wander back into the other two eventually.
To close out my Pippa Grant marathon – I’m listening to her newest release, THE FAKE WEDDING PROJECT. The audiobook is also included with KU. I’m loving the MMC narrator – hello sexy, deep voice, the FMC narrator is ok – it’s hard to swap between his and her readings. It’s a Romeo and Juliet style story with fake engagement + real feelings, set in the summer in a Christmas all year round tourist town in MI.
Hoopla/Library – After seeing her books recommended on SBTB – I finally found SARAH PAINTER’s books on Hoopla. I started with THE WARD WITCH – reading the trilogy with THE BOOK KEEPER and THE ISLAND GOD. These were all quick reads. I wished they were longer. There’s a romance running through the books – but lots of ups and downs before it solidifies. The island is mysterious and information is sparse on the whys and hows sometimes. The books are told from multiple perspectives, which helps piece the picture together.
I moved backwards from that series to CROW INVESTIGATIONS by Sarah Painter. I’m about 4 books in. These have to be read in order. I just reached a pinnacle main character decision, I’m very curious where the story goes from here.
I started rereading TJ Klune’s HOUSE ON THE CERULEAN SEA – but I haven’t been able to get my brain engaged. I’m interested in the sequel SOMEWHERE BEYOND THE SEA, but I wanted to reread the first book. Klune’s books are both endearing and poignant. I absolutely loved UNDER THE WHISPERING DOOR, especially having worked as a hospice nurse. It was beautiful. I might need to put a little effort into getting back into the first book, maybe I’ll try the audiobook instead.
Audiobooks – I’ve been on a major listening streak, BUT, I’m finding that a few books have been hard for me to finish up. I listened to HAUNTED EVER AFTER by Jen DeLuca and still haven’t finished the ending. Like the SBTB review and some of other folks comments – I just couldn’t stay invested. The MMC was way too intense about the relationship when it was not really even quite a relationship. They’d only met a week or so before.
I reread DeLuca’s Well Met series – listening to the last book WELL TRAVELED. It hadn’t been my favorite when I read it – I enjoyed it much more this round. I liked that the MCs had time around each other – it wasn’t instalove or enemies to lovers. It was a nice change.
Took a break after my last and reread COTILLION by Georgette Heyer. It was never one of my faves but it gets mentioned here so often I thought maybe I missed something. Sorry to say it’s still not one of my faves, although I will agree Freddy is total green flag in terms of how well he looks after the heroine and treats her with respect and caring, and the fairly compassionate way neurodivergent Dolph is handled (regardless that he is frequently used as comic relief) was a surprise. I’m just a total IQ snob and tend to lose patience with unintelligent characters, regardless that they bumble their way into a HEA for all concerned. YMMV.
Currently reading A GIFT OF SANCTUARY, an Owen Archer mystery by Candace Robb, which I picked up from a book trade table at a convention. Since I am a huge Ellis Peters/Cadfael fan this is fully in my house of wheels and I am enjoying it quite a lot. It’s from the middle of the series but i am having no trouble with it as a stand-alone and liking the characters immensely. Major props that I have not yet ID’d the murderer(s), which I have a tendency to do early on in most mysteries I read. Enjoying the ride and looking forward to seeing how it all plays out.
I can’t believe it’s already time for WAYR again. However my kindle, is telling me that I’ve been busy. In the order I read them:
– ONE CURSED ROSE by Rebecca Zanetti (KU)
I think I learned about this one from an upcoming releases post on this site which mentioned Beauty and the Beast inspired romance. If you read the publishers blurb, do pay attention to the description of this as a _dark_ romance. This is a new to me author, and I did not realize what I was getting into at the start. Look, this is basically a mafia romance with some paranormal trappings. There are four-ish competing families who are competing to control sufficient magic to greatly increase their life spans. The magic system is based on some amalgamation of crystals and social media, and, yes, it is basically powered by likes and subscribes. It would probably make for a decent Mage TTRPG campaign setting. In order to further his goals (power, getting the girl), the MMC tortures and kills bad guys on the page. The advantage of the hilarious magic system is that it makes the torture scenes a little less impactful, because the amount of suspension of disbelief is already so high. If that description hasn’t scared you off, I was entertained, but this is not going to appeal to all readers.
– THE DUKE’S DISASTER by Grace Burrowes
I usually find Grace Burrowes to be reliable and sweet historicals, and I needed something a bit lighter after One Cursed Rose. Unfortunately, this was not my favorite of her works. It’s about a duke who marries the companion of the lady who rejected him. A lot of the plot and conflict revolves around a sexual assault of the heroine that occurred prior to our main characters meeting. In most of her other books, the villains get a punishment that feels like justice has been served, but in this one, I didn’t feel that resolution. Sure, it’s probably a more realistic ending, but not the catharsis I wanted. Overall, it’s a fine story just not quite what I wanted.
I should probably have gone for the Lord Julian mysteries that people recommended during the last WAYR. Unfortunately, I’ve already read the first four that my library has in ebook format. I’ve also read her Lady Violet mysteries, which are also good. Lesson probably not actually learned, but I acknowledge the attempt.
– LOVE, LIES, AND CHERRY PIE by Jackie Lau
Again, Jackie Lau is generally reliable and sweet contemporaries, with bonus points for food descriptions. This one was perfectly fine, and I think that it may really work for the right reader, but I had some trouble relating to the FMC. She’s about thirty and at one point goes on a date with someone who is 7 years younger, and the experience just makes her feel the age gap. And I kind of felt the same way about her, that her inner monologue criticizing internet articles that criticize Gen-Z and avocado toast made me feel old. But, if you really love books where the main character is a writer and working through the struggles of that industry or if you enjoy books that address the experience of second generation immigrants, this may work for you.
– UNDER YOUR SPELL by Laura Wood (KU)
The last couple of WAYR’s had people who recommended this one, so I was delighted to see that it had appeared in the KU selections this month. Thank you; I really, really enjoyed it. (There’s a rock star, there’s a down on her luck heroine, there’s some plot-reasons isolation at a beach house, there’s some really great sisters who I hope to see again, lots of good stuff.)
– FALL (VIP book 3) by Kristen Callihan
I had so much fun with the rock star vibe, I looked at my TBR for more. I had previously read the first couple in Callihan’s VIP series, so I pulled the next one the list. This one lets us get closer to Jax, the band member whose suicide attempt a few years prior nearly broke up the band. He falls for his neighbor, who has a few issues of her own (mom died, con-man dad really terrible). But they work together. It’s good, but it’s not all sunshine.
This is also the only romance novel I can remember reading with footnotes from the author with comments about their life experiences that inspired scenes and characters. I’ve read others where there were fictional footnotes like Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries, but that’s part of the story, not commentary on the story.
– THE ONE NIGHT MISTAKE (prequel story), THE PLAYING GAME, and THE SCORING SECRET (Off the Ice books 1-3) by Ainsley Booth (KU)
Sexy Canadian hockey players. Book 1 is the characters of The Playing Game meeting and having a one night stand, Book 2 is what happens two years later. He’s a hockey player with a certain reputation, and she’s got reasons to not trust a charming playboy, but there’s enough sparks to start fire and this is romance land where it will all work out in the end. The Scoring Secret has a fun “online personas like each other but she’s not interested in person” thing going on. I enjoyed these a lot.
– A LOT LIKE LOVE by Julie James
The second book in the FBI/US Attorney series, but while the main characters from the first one do make an appearance, it should function as a standalone. These books read very much like an action movie to me. Fun stuff.
Ballad of Smallhope and Pennyroyal by Jodi Taylor: Awesome, but all the triggers that usually apply to Taylor.
Ruse of Shadows by Sherry Thomas: LOVED. IT. The series as a whole is on track for my second favorite read of the year (Daughter of Fair Verona is favorite. I snort-laughed through the entire book). A relative who is NOT a romance fan liked it too, and since she’s in hospice, I’m happy to be able to keep her in books.
Elusive by Genevieve Cogman: You wouldn’t think the French Revolution + vampires was dull, but I have to say this is being a slog. Scarlet was too, but this sloggier (it’s a word now)
I’m trying to read from my (very long, very old) TBR list, and prioritizing titles that are older so they’re actually available through Libby. This has been hit or miss so far. I’m in a bit of a downswing with my reading, so I’m optimistic that’ll improve soon.
Read:
Deja Brew by Celestine Martin. New. Skipped the sex scenes, but overall I enjoyed it. Definitely brings the fall/Halloween vibes. I found it a little insta-love-y, but still cute.
One Star Romance by Laura Hankin. A random “I need something to read, this looks good and it’s available now” download from the library. I enjoyed it more than I expected, the characters really resonated for me.
The Referral Program by Shamara Ray. I don’t think I am the target audience, sadly. I found it tough to get into, and hard to believe in the romances.
Taylor Swift Style by Sarah Chappelle. I went down a Taylor Swift rabbit hole last year, and have been seeing this book advertised so I placed a digital hold. This was not a good digital read – the formatting was whacky and the pictures were out of alignment. The actual writing was good though.
Re-read: Jessica Day George’s princess trilogy. I find them comforting.
Started, not yet finished:
Our Mothers’ War by Emily Yellin. Nonfiction about women on the home front during WWII. (From my TBR) A little slow going, and the stories feel a bit disjointed. I intend to continue, as my grandmother was a WAVE, but didn’t talk a lot about her service time and I’m a WWII buff on top of that.
Keeping the Castle by Patrice Kindl. (From my TBR) I’ve read one chapter, can’t tell you anything about it. This may be a DNF but it’s too soon to tell.
The Wedding Witch by Erin Sterling. New. Have read half of the first chapter, hasn’t grabbed my attention. I’ll probably go back to it once I have more time.
TBR:
Secret History of the Pink Carnation. (From my TBR). I’ve seen it recommended for years, and it was available on Libby. Haven’t started it yet, so I may let the loan lapse and try again another time.
Over the past week ~
— I belong to two book groups; one meets in person while the other meets online. I met with my online group and was all set to lead the discussion only to learn that I had read the wrong book…oops! I had a good time anyhow hearing all about the book I ought to have read. So, the book I read was actually the January book for my in person group, Notes on Your Sudden Disappearance by Alison Espach. It was told in first person over a series of years by (initially) a thirteen year old addressing her 16 year old sister who has died in an accident. It proved to be an interesting story.
— learned that the newest volume in a favorite mystery series had been published so promptly bought and read Murder in Preemption by Anne Cleeland. I don’t even bother trying to solve the mysteries in this series; I simply enjoy revisiting the characters. If interested, you should start with the first volume, Murder in Thrall.
— was gifted an advanced readers copy of Outcaste by Christie Meierz; this science fiction romance will be published in November. This is book six in a series which is best read in order; it took me a while to remember details of the earlier books, but I did enjoy this book. I recommend starting with the first in the series, The Marann (Tales of Tolari Space Book 1).
— stayed up late to finish Expanded Roster by Aimee Rivkin; this is a contemporary polyamorous romance which I enjoyed. A young woman starts an Only Fans channel as she needs to earn some money quickly.
— recently enjoyed two novellas ~ Not a Boy by Elle Keaton and Under the Stars by Amy Lane. These are both contemporary male/male romances.
— Also read a boatload of Kindle samples.
— I’m a longtime reader of romances so can say that many are pure fun while others have significant depth. Between Sinners and Saints by Marie Sexton falls into the latter category, and I quite enjoyed it. It features a bartender who left home after coming out to his Mormon family (with whom he still maintains fraught contact) and a therapeutic massage therapist who has a lot of challenges due to childhood abuse.
— also enjoyed Falling Down by Eli Easton. This romance featured a house painter with PTSD who had served as a marine in Afghanistan and a homeless, severely depressed, 18 year old whose mother recently died. The latter travels to New England to see the leaves turn, something his mother had dreamt of doing; he then plans to die. The two cross paths and the former offers temporary work, room, and board to the latter.
— read a science fiction novella about a young teen undergoing puberty who learns that her hair is sentient (and has an attitude!). Tangled Truths by K.E. Brungardt is a prequel young adult work to a series which I am dithering about reading.
BTW: Extra triggers for the Taylor: Off-page suicide, death of a pet, and description of an extremely violent rape. The description doesn’t go into any details, but you there’s enough to know what happened. This would also apply to the most recent Time Police novel.
Where to start? Had a nice time with ZERO STARS DO NOT RECOMMEND a promising start for first time novelist MJ Wassmer with a protagonist that is surely based on himself. Under achiever Dan finally gets this girlfriend to take a vacation, just in time for the apocalypse to strand them on a remote island. All he wants is to get his girl home to her family without having to kill anyone. Are some of the characters a bit cliche? Sure, but also written in a way that you care about what happens to them.
Found a Tessa Dare shirt buried in my kindle. THE SCANDALOUS, DISSOLUTE, NO GOID MR. WRIGHT. What a delight. Haven’t read any Tessa Dare for a while. Now that I’m reminded of what a delight she is, I’ll be doing some catching up.
Finished Jen DeLuca’s HAUNTED EVER AFTER this morning. A comfy entry to spooky season. Set in a small tourist community where residents tend to stay forever, even when they’re deceased. Coffee shop owner Nick has been living with the shop’s former owner’s unwanted advice in this text messages and in this head for years. Cassie is a new residents who is freaked out to discover that they town’s ghost themed kitsch has a very real foundation when the previous of her house makes her presence known. Can Nick help her come to appreciate her unusual new town, her haunted house, and the many who makes perfect hazelnut lattes – especially since Cassie’s housemate does not seem to like him? There is a line that you can see coming, but it and the situation that generated it was still pretty damn funny. Delightful.
Continuing with darker themes, I’m moving on to HOW TO BECOME A DARK LORD AND DIE TRYING by Django Weaker. Stuck in a loop where she battles to defeat the Dark Lord over and over, Davi decides to flip the script. If the Dark Lord always wins, it’s time to NECOME the Dark Lord. This one is under a double time limit. Can I read 386 pages before I a) have to return it to the library; b) leave for vacation? Both on Wednesday. In the way? Cleaning the house, packing, and two quilt projects – once that must be completed today (guild challenge) and the other requiring the ironing board which needs to be out away before I leave. Because who wants to come home from vacation to their ironing board?
Challenge accepted.
I’m kinda rockin’ October this year with my reading, so here goes.
The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter
When the last WAYR dropped I was halfway through this book and unsure whether I’d finish. Well, I did indeed finish the book, but my feelings are still mixed. After a very gimmicky start involving multiple timelines and POVs, Wonderful Crime settled into a tribute to the classic English country house mystery with nods to cozy and “leather jacket guy” subgenres. I found myself liking the romance better than the mystery, which did not entirely adhere to the Golden Age rules of fair play. I really didn’t like the way that the MC’s background trauma was doled out in various flashbacks (and forwards). I did enjoy the way the author played with various romance & mystery conventions & tropes. Overall, an ok read, but I would not reread.
Just the Sexiest Man Alive by Julie James
This was a reread for me, an early Julie James that’s perhaps not to everyone’s taste. Taylor is a hot-shot lawyer while Jason is a major movie star. Both protagonists are flawed and not always likable, basically due to arrogance and ego, but watching them ping off of each other is so much fun. This a true rom com, and it always makes me laugh.
Forever Starts Tonight by Karla Sorensen
I enjoy Sorensen’s romances, especially the sports ones, but the Wilder family books, following members of a family in the construction business, work for me too. If I’m honest, this one was a bit disappointing. Told from the POVs of the youngest daughter and the construction guy/brother’s best friend, it’s much too internal monologuey for me. I could have done with much less navel gazing angst and more interaction with the abundant family and friends. Also, there are way too many unexamined tropes, particularly that one that involves drunken bad decisions by adults who should know better as we approach the 2nd quarter of the 21st century. In fact, the majority of the book involved the consequences of said bad decision, and I’m so not here for it. Will never reread.
(Though I do look forward to the next one.)
Pumpkin Spice and Not So Nice by Becky Monson
I bought this on impulse because it was cheap. Cute, cozy seasonal romance is not usually my thing. This one is a slow smolder* romance in the FMC’s 1st person POV and features the family pumpkin farm as the story’s centerpiece. Jenna Peterson is a serial dater of emotionally unavailable men who go on to marry elsewhere once Jenna “fixes” them. (Seems like there’ve been a number of these stories lately.) Each chapter opens with one of the insights Jenna’s gained from her experience, but the chapter itself generally undercuts her advice. I liked Jenna’s voice, her family and friends, the “gruff” MMC Aiden, and the relationship between Jenna and Aiden. This is definitely a cozy, low stakes rom com, but both characters experience personal growth in order to achieve their HEA. Pumpkin Mild and Not So Wild might be a more apt title, but sometimes that’s just what we’re looking for.
*(Not hot enough for a burn)
Mr. Absolutely Not by Alina Jacobs
DNF @ 6%
This aptly named workplace rom-com opened on scenes of unprofessional, unrealistic, and obnoxious chaos. If I didn’t hate the main characters so much, I would have been embarrassed for them. Mr. unrelentingly vicious and Ms. whiny wimpish really put the *ass* in embarrassing. I would have booed their HEA, so I bowed out at 6%. When you know, you know.
Duet by Julie Kriss
I love me some rock romances–most performers really–and I hate a few as well. Lifestyle centered stories larded with trite sex and bad grammar put me off; I like strong personalities, craft, pining, and the day-to-day. Duet totally delivers on the latter goodies, and I’m wicked grateful to the reader who mentioned the Road Kings series on SB-TB. Duet is the story of Denver, the “retired” lead singer of the storied Road Kings, and Callie, the happily single piano teacher/jazz pianist/cat lady he encounters in a Portland bar. Also, this book has some of best love scenes I’ve read in ages–explicit but not raunchy, emotionally moving, and integral to the MCs’ characters. Two loners making beautiful music together. Totally a keeper.
Riff by Julie Kriss
So, I went straight into the 2nd Road Kings novel, and I have no regrets, though the central romance did not grab me the way the first one did. Neal, the former bass player of the RKs works as a studio musician, wrestles his suburban lawn, and nurtures his 13 year old daughter. He and her mom, Raine, share custody in a civilized yet cool manner, until circumstances force them to reexamine their relationship. There is chemistry and sexytimes, but something in their interactions seems kind of muted to me, perhaps as a natural consequence of full-fledged adulthood. What I did like was the way Kriss wove together the band’s reunion tour, the individual musicians’ lives and the lives of those who are connected to the band. Road Kings are an idealized version of a rock band that remains devoted to its music and never “sold out.”
Rhythm by Julie Kriss
Road Kings the third rises to the level of Duet, lacking only that spike of excitement you get the first time you read a new author that you really really like. Rhythm focuses on Axel, the RKs drummer, and Brit, his next door neighbor turned sobriety companion. Axel is the most fragile member of the band due to his past struggles with addiction, but he is also the most openly kind and warm hearted. These latter traits are the qualities that draw him to Brit who is regrouping after an abusive relationship. When Axel is required to have a “babysitter” during the band’s first tour in five years, his response is to hire Brit, resulting in mutual support and healing. Before long, their friendship begins to evolve into something good for both of them. Again, totally recommend.
Reverb by Julie Kriss
The fourth Road Kings novel focuses on Stone, the band’s snarly, antisocial, and brilliant lead guitarist. He and the rest of the band are mightily offended at the presence of Sienna Maplethorpe, the young music journalist assigned to travel with the band and document life on the road with the famously uncooperative group. A surprising act of kindness brings Stone and Sienna together and launches a somewhat fraught frenemnity that blossoms into something more once the tour is history and the band is back in Portland sorting out their musical future.
What Happened Last Night by Julie Kriss
The fifth Road Kings book stars Will Hays, the mysterious millionaire genius who backed the band’s reunion tour. Though the tour is over, Will’s involvement with the band is not. In the process of transplanting himself to the Northwest from New York, Will hires Luna McQueen as his new assistant, and a reluctant workplace attraction ensues. There is lots of pining evolving into steamy true lurve, but for me, both the best and the dumbest moments involve Luna’s whack-doodle family.
Songs to Break Up To by Julie Kriss
The sixth and final (so far) Road Kings novel is a departure in that it features characters who haven’t been a part of the band’s circle since book one. Juliet Barstow is the no-BS bass player who is filling in for Neal during his extended paternity leave. Playing with the band has the potential to be a huge boost for her career, but, in the run-up to her sister’s wedding, her family just doesn’t understand this. Further complicating her feelings is the presence of best man Finn Wiley who met her 13 years ago when his career as a teen idol took its first downward turn. A lot of water has flown under that bridge in the years between, leaving the pair with little in common but music and the memory of that night. I enjoyed this book more than I expected to, but the sparse 235 page count really wasn’t enough to do full justice to these characters. Stuffing 10 pounds of angst in a 5 pound bag is almost as bad as wallowing in the stuff.
I want to say a bit about why I dug this series so much. Kriss does an incredible job making these books work both as individual novels and as part of a larger story arc. They are straightforward and almost spare, each book coming in at under 300 pages. At the same time, each book is a fully realized, stand-alone romance with three dimensional, grown-up characters, no padding, and no excessive leaning on overused, conventional plot devices. (No 11th hour breakups. Yay!) The whole series is going into my comfort reads file and has become one of my top four rock romance series evah. (Stage Dive, Love & Steel, and Rock Solid, in case you wondered)
Miss Delectable by Grace Burrowes
This Regency romance is the second series I’ve broached by Grace Burrowes, and is apparently a spinoff from an earlier series. It was completely delightful with wonderful protagonists, a charming romance, food pr0n, delicate touches of humor, vast quantities of workplace competence, and an intriguing thread of mystery. The story was also conspicuously lacking in pointless misunderstandings, 11th hour breakups, and harrowing plot points meant to crank up reader anxiety. Definitely going in my comfort reads file. Again, thank you bitchery.
Mile High with a Vampire by Lynsay Sands
I stopped reading the Argeneau Vamp series years ago, but every so often one will go on sale. Then, when I’m “oversensitized” after reading something seriously good, I can level out with something totally predictable and ridonkadonk. I mean passing out after irresistible yet repetitive life mate sex should guarantee extinction eventually, right? At least this entry in the series didn’t explain vampire origins in doomed Atlantis in dreary detail.
Play by Kylie Scott
Play is the second in the Stage Dive series and I’ve read it multiple times. I don’t need to glom the series to relish frenetic Sex Puppy(™) drummer Mal Ericson and unflappable narrator Anne Rollins. I think this ebook may have the most highlights of any book I’ve read since getting my first Kindle. Anne and Mal are imperfect individuals who are somehow the perfect pairing. Both are genuinely funny and both conceal depths of feeling beneath the humor. Every reading reveals new layers, and I and my select button are here for it.
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There are no words for how much I hate autocorrect. Caught all the thes it changed to them, but missed his becoming this and others. And WTF is NECOME?
@Deborah T – I’ve read the entire Valor and Doyle series, except the prequel and I’d forgotten, or blocked out, how icky Doyle was at the start. Both of these guys have serious issues which help explain, if not excuse, their behavior. I’m not sure I’d have continued the series if it hadn’t been free on KU but I liked it more as it went on (I’m very partial to these kinds of stories).
I’m reading a similar series right now – Abigail Roux’s CUT AND RUN. I thought I’d take a break after book 3 but there was a glimmer of hope that they might get their sh*t together and I got sucked in. I recommend the series with the caveat that you have to be able to tolerate a long and twisty road to effective communication between the main characters.
In non-fiction, THE MISINFORMATION AGE: HOW FALSE BELIEFS SPREAD. “Philosophers of science Cailin O’Connor and James Weatherall argue that social factors, rather than individual psychology, are what’s essential to understanding the spread and persistence of false beliefs.” I’ve read other books about the reasons people hold onto false beliefs even when the evidence is against them but am still looking for realistic, practical solutions.
I’ve got a list of books from the “Top 3 Re-reads” posts from earlier this week. Thank you for that!
@PamG glad to see someone else likes rockstar series. Julie Kriss’s and Kylie Scott’s are also among my favourites. Kristen Callihan’s and Jane Diamond also really work for me.
My top read of this time period is definitely Cara Bastone’s forthcoming PROMISE ME SUNSHINE which I received via NetGalley and need to write a proper review of soonish. Her work just gets stronger and stronger.
I also really, really enjoyed my audio re-reads of Kristin Cashore’s YA+ Graceling Realm fantasy series. Horrible things happen but the characters and world is so engaging and the characters’ ways of dealing with those horrors is life-affirming. I just finished listening to WINTERKEEP and SEASPARROW and I’m mourning that there aren’t more of these. Yet?
Ginny Kubitz Moyer’s A GOLDEN LIFE was an interesting story of a career woman in Hollywood in the 30s. I enjoyed the evocation of the era and personalities, as well as the realities for a woman in that time. Loved the story (and character!) of the woman from a previous generation of performers whose story they wanted to tell in a 1930s movie.
Also surprisingly (to me at least) liked EMMA OF 83RD STREET by Audrey Belezza + Emily Harding. I generally like Austen retellings, at least good ones, but EMMA is my least favourite Austen; however, this really worked for me, because Good Pining even when the characters weren’t willing to recognize that’s what it was. Also, the story was well-translated into the world.
Liked Ali Hazelwood’s audio-only TWO CAN PLAY–as reviews pointed out it was very much a replay of her usual themes, but they work for me and I liked the short length for this one.
Liked Falon Ballard’s ALL I WANT IS YOU, but honestly can’t remember much about it, even scanning Goodreads to prompt my memory. I do remember enjoying the read, tho!
Read Meg Kassel’s BLACKBIRD OF THE GALLOWS YA fantasy series and found the mythology interesting.
Enjoyed Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone’s A JINGLE BELL MINGLE, the last of that series of novels chronicling the collision of a p0rn movie group with a Hallmark Christmas town. Quite charming and the characters’ fondness and understanding of each other is charming.
I live in Asheville, and I am among those affected by Hurricane Helene, and while multiple things in my life have been upended, one result is that I have had more time to read fiction, and I am currently reading the Lodestar by Pamela Belle, which I highly recommend if you like historical fiction with a romance. It is set in the ear of Richard III, so the setting is interesting too. It is one of several books I downloaded for my trip to Europe this summer, and I was lucky that I didn’t get to any of them, so I’ve got fictional reading material for awhile. In all important particulars such as access to food and water, and a support system of people who love me and with whom I can stay while the resultant problems are fixed, but it is still a lot to handle. I have a place in which I normally live, a condo which my parents bought and for which they put me on the deed, but it doesn’t make sense to stay in it since getting water to it is difficult, but not impossible. Also, they have plenty of food. I could go into more particulars, but I woldn’t be sure where to start.
@DonnaMarie: I hear you and sympathize about autocorrupt. The thing I’m curious about is “Found a Tessa Dare shirt buried in my kindle.”
@Stefanie Magura: sending good wishes as you cope with all that happened due to Hurricane Helene.
@DeborahT – Yeah, I had the same reaction to Temporary Partner by Nicky James. I haven’t bothered with any of the author’s other books because of it.
@Amanda
I have tried to post a couple of times during the day but both times it seems to have disappeared into the ether? I don’t think I’ve written anything that might send me into moderation?
@Big K – I didn’t like Lucky Bounce as much as I did Season’s Change, but I really like how Nary handles third act drama. It’s organic to the story and not melodramatic. I hope she keeps writing.
Im reading Haunted Ever After by Jen DeLuca.
Also read this month so far:
Magical Meet Cute by Jean Meltzer
Daydream by Hannah Grace
Hers for the Weekend by Helena Greer
The best read of the fortnight for me was HERE FOR THE WRONG REASONS, the debut novel by Annabel Paulson & Lydia Ware (who, according to the promotional materials, became a real-life couple as they worked together on the book). I’ve mentioned in a previous WAYR that one of my favorite romance themes is “two women contestants on a ‘Bachelor’-like reality show fall in love with each other” and this novel is now in my top tier for that category.
Both main characters are in their early 20s and both experience a lot of self-doubt and a considerable amount of introspection before they reach their HEA. Lauren is on “Hopelessly Devoted” simply to boost her career as a social media influencer, and doesn’t expect to make it to the final round, so she’s not worried about being a lesbian competing on a hetero dating show. However, she didn’t expect to fall for Krystin, a self-described “rodeo queen” from Montana. Krystin entered the competition believing she really does want to (and will be able to) find love and a husband via a TV show, after some unsatisfactory hetero dating– and a fraught relationship with a female former best friend that Krystin tries not to think about too much.
The story is told primarily in alternating first-person POV chapters, which allows readers to understand and appreciate what’s entering each woman’s thoughts throughout the twists and turns of the reality show (including periodic “TV confessional” moments from Lauren, Krystin, and other contestants). The slow burn turns into a sizzle, and the closer they get to “cutting the final string” (the fictional substitute for the Bachelor franchise’s ceremonial rose), the more each woman has to confront her feelings about love, happiness, and expectations of others, and consider the consequences that will come from possibly following the “wrong” path.
My quick summary sounds didactic, and it’s not that sort of book. The reality show scenes (and behind-the-scenes scenes) are fun; Lauren’s and Krystin’s friends and family members are well-developed characters; and even the “Hopeless Romantic” of the show, Josh, has an appealing storyline. The journey of self-discovery that ultimately leads Lauren and Krystin to each other is told in a thoroughly compelling way, and I look forward to the next offering from these authors.
@Stefani Maguara, wishing you all the best in recovering from the hurricane.
I picked up HAPPY MEDIUM by Sarah Adler at the library, on many lists as a cheerful and cozy spooky read. Almost DNF’ed a few pages in (present tense, why?) but kept going and am now enjoying it. The situation is ridiculous but it’s genuinely funny in parts and I can absolutely picture it being a film.
Still blinking in surprise that we have arrived at another WAYR, but there it is 🙂
Standouts–
– Erin Nicolle’s (a penname for Erin Nicholas’s hotter, first-person stories) RAGS TO ROYALS is Cian O’Grady and Scarlett Gale’s story, and a fine example of how beautifully she can can make me feel ALL THE THINGS.
Readers first meet Cian in earlier books, although this book stands alone perfectly well. Cian has been a bit of a free-spirited golden-retriever type, while Scarlett is a single mom working fiercely on what she sees as her own redemption story. Seeing Cian both mature into his own strength and be determined to help Scarlett recognize her own is incredibly swoony, and the way this story calls out hypocrisy in such a real way is incredibly powerful. Will definitely reread.
For something completely different than that, Lila Dubois and Mari Carr’s POWER’S FALL… a new trinity is called together to stop a blackmailer, and it’s got all the hallmarks of this duo’s series–sizzling chemistry, bigger than life action sequences, frequent humor… another win.
I enjoyed the recent post on everyone’s favorite rereads in part because a bunch of my recent reading has been re-reads. I was in the mood for some m/m sports romance, so I binged again Lisa Henry’s FULL THROTTLE (F1 racing); Ari Baran’s GAME MISCONDUCT, DELAY OF GAME, and HOME ICE ADVANTAGE (hockey); Beth Bolden’s HOT STREAK (baseball); and then dove into her newest, the start of a new college hockey series, MELTING THE ICE. This one is a fantastic double bi-awakening story, as Brody and Dean fumble with catching chemistry and then feelings, and juggle classes and concerns about their future plans with the pressures of playing competitively and with an eye towards a professional career. One thing Ms Bolden does an excellent job with is building out a strong community, and I love getting to know Brody’s teammates and a few of Dean’s. Their friendships are vital to these guys, and they’re so much fun to read.
I read Lana Ferguson’s THE FAKE MATE for the first time, and enjoyed it–her characters are quite amusing, and Mack, her heroine, is someone who generally knows her own mind. Ms Ferguson lets the readers in on the “look, they’re falling for each other but don’t know it” scenario, and seeing both Mack and Noah acknowledge what they want and find in each other is very satisfying. Curious to read Ms Ferguson’s other reads.
I’m currently rereading Marie Harte’s Veteran Movers, THE WHOLE PACKAGE, HANDLE WITH CARE, SMOOTH MOVES, and DELIVERED WITH A KISS. It’s about a moving company launched by vets, to employ vets, and give its owners a way to transition from military life. Reid Griffith initially started Vets on the Go! to help his brother Cash, who was struggling to get back into life as a civilian. Marie Harte does a great job with the characters and their families and friends are a clear and important part of their lives. Ms Harte’s writing is entertaining and engaging, and balances the steamy moments with the emotionally charged. I’ve really enjoyed the whole series.
Thanks again all!
@Neile
I’ll have to check out Jane Diamond. I highly recommend Karina Bliss (Rock Solid) and Jessica Topper (Love and Steel, especially Louder Than Love)
I reread the first two books in Jeannie Lin’s Pingkang Li Tang-set mystery romance series and then read the newer four, and I have some mixed feelings. I absolutely do recommend this series, especially the first four, because the world-building is stellar, the characters are interesting, and the romantic pairings all make sense, but I have to admit that I enjoy them more as mysteries than as romance. The romances feel realistic but not necessarily primed for success.
THE LOTUS PALACE – the first book in the series, featuring an aristocrat studying for the imperial exams and a maidservant in the pleasure quarter who was once a prostitute. I think this one has the strongest mystery, and so many aspects of the romance are done well, particularly the FMC’s initial struggle with intimacy after her past in the brothel. She is a great character, very easy to root for. The problem is, she has a lot of reservations about the relationship because of the difference in their social class and because she would be giving up a lot of freedom, and I shared those reservations because, while I like the MMC, I didn’t trust him to understand where she was coming from. And the thing is…having now read the rest of the series and seen the direction this relationship takes after the book, the FMC and I were correct to be concerned, and I’m genuinely angry at the MMC.
THE JADE TEMPTRESS – the second book features the courtesan formerly served by the FMC of LP and the police constable dogging the heels of the leads, and it’s my favorite of the series. The two leads are both difficult characters, sympathetic but troubled, but they’re both fairly self-aware, and overall I was less concerned about them than most of the other couples; it helps that they don’t have to deal with class difference. The mystery is pretty good too.
LIAR’S DICE/THE HIDDEN MOON – prequel novella and full-length story about two characters associated with the MMC from LP: his academically brilliant younger sister and an enigmatic associate from the criminal underbelly. The mystery is fine, but I struggled with the romance of this one because these two people have been acquainted for about a week, come from completely different worlds, and barely know each other beyond pants feelings. I get it, they’re both hot and they each symbolize something to the other, but their relationship requires too much dramatic upheaval on too superficial a relationship for me to believe in them, especially when the FMC’s arc doesn’t have the character development she desperately needs. (She’s apparently Lin’s favorite character she’s ever written, so I guess the author didn’t want her to have character development, but she needed it.)
RED BLOSSOM IN SNOW – features a magistrate who has been around from the beginning of the series and a courtesan introduced in HM. This book felt weaker than the earlier ones; the mystery relied on too many coincidences and felt contrived. But I liked the couple together. They had quietly and platonically gotten to know each other well before the book starts, so their connection felt solid, and they’re the only couple I felt pretty confident in. I also kind of have a weakness for setups involving quiet mutual pining, and these two have a lot of it because of their class differences.
LOVE, DEATH, AND LANTERNS – novella featuring two secondary characters from RBiS, mostly tying up a loose end. Definitely the weakest entry in the series; it’s not a mystery so much as suspense over how the loose thread will be dealt with, the relationship is barely developed, and both characters are young, hotheaded, and extremely messy people. I simultaneously get why they’re into each other and suspect that their relationship is a terrible idea. But they end up in a very open-ended place that felt right for them.
Lots of new reads for me over the last couple of weeks!
A GENTLEMAN OF UNRELIABLE HONOUR – Grace Burrowes (Regency mystery). Next in the Lord Julian series. Lord Julian is called to a house party by his distant mother to investigate some missing letters. A very good instalment of the series – but definitely read these in order! Julian finds out his mother might after all not be so remote, things with Perry get cosier and Arthur finally takes ship. Plus another engrossing mystery. I had a suspicion earlier on that turned out right but that didn’t take away any of the suspense.
DEATH IN DOUGLAS GLADE – GB Ralf (contemporary myster). Another instalment in this New Zealand set cozy m/m mystery. In some ways similar to Josh Lanyon’s Pirate’s Cove books, though with a few less peculiar townspeople. Things between Addison and Sergeant Jake Murphy are finally going somewhere, but of course there’s another murder! And Keith the cat gets jealous… Each book features a new murder case, so theoretically they can be read on their own, but the slowly simmering romance between Addison and Jake and other side stories make more sense if read in order. Another satisfying, not too taxing mystery!
HOT MALL SANTA – AJ Truman (m/m contemporary). Cute novella about a guy who works at a store in a mall and said Hot Mall Santa who makes people swarm to the mall. Funny and heartwarming. It is just a novella, so not everything gets fleshed out, but it’s satisfying and cute.
ANCIENT HISTORY and DRAMA! – AJ Truman (m/m contemporary). These are the first two books in a series about four gay highschool teachers who are best friends. All feature nerd/jock pairings, but besides that, the tropes vary. Ancient History is a second chance romance between two teachers who were secret boyfriends in highschool. They split up because of one of them was threatened by one of his soccer team mates, and haven’t talked since. Amos is already a history teacher at the school where he was a student, when Hutch, the ex-soccer player comes back as trainer for the soccer team. Hutch tries to reconnect, he knows what he did wasn’t right, but Amos is still deeply hurt and tries to keep Hutch at a distance. Except that they have been put on lunch duty together to keep an eye on students… and it’s soon clear that they can’t keep away from each other long. This was cute, though I question a few of the sex scenes (like at the school office – and being found out by the principal… nope!). There is potential for conflict and a possible 11th hour breakup but they support eachother and it doesn’t happen. It also has a great supporting cast, not least Hutch’s dad.
Drama! is a fake boyfriend story between the drama teacher and the football coach. Everett has a very sharp tongue and no time for sports bros, and Raleigh loves needling him. When a social media post is misunderstood and Everett receives an invitation to a wedding that his ex (who is a successful actor and showing his new BF off everywhere) is also attending, he needs a fake boyfriend to go with him, which of course is Raleigh. This was another fun read. The wedding only happens in the second half of the book, before that we see the two going on a few fake dates and getting to know each other better. It’s clear that they have massive chemistry even though they keep pretening that they’re just fake-dating. Things do come to a bit of a head at the wedding and there is again that 11th hour breakup potential, but again they work it out. This was also quite cute, and I loved the banter and Everett’s sharp tongue. Another cute entry in this series and I will probably read the other books too. The end of each book sort of sets up the next couple, but basically they can be read on their own.
In honor of spooky season, I’m reading GOTHIC: AN ILLUSTRATED HISTORY by Roger Luckhurst. It’s a deep-dive into the historical and cultural contexts of gothic fiction. Very engaging. Highly recommend.
@MirandaB ELUSIVE is on my TBR and now I’m rethinking it. I also found SCARLET to be a bit slow.
@Stefanie Magura Good wishes all the way. Thanks for rec, it sounds like my jam.
MARGO’S GOT MONEY TROUBLES (by Rufi Thorpe) was a big, big win for me. Pulled me out of a temporary reading slump. I was worried that it wouldn’t live up to the hype it’s generated (being made into an Apple series with Elle Fanning), but it was marvelous — intense and profound but also unrelentingly funny.
I loved 20-year-old single mother Margo, her retired pro wrestler dad, baby Bodhi, and her found family of OnlyFans misfit content creators.
My book club is reading RULES FOR GHOSTING by Shelly Jay Shore this month. So far it’s really good—the ghosts give me the chills but I don’t think they are going to turn out to be horror-movie-type ghosts.
Normally this time of year is all about SPOOKY SPOOKY SPOOKY for me, but I’m finding myself bouncing off a lot of this of late. It might be because I desperately need this election cycle to be over.
At any rate, I started things off with The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter. Very funny, very sweet, even with the backdrop of disappearances and attempted murders. Then I went with Backpacking Through Bedlam by Seanan McGuire. I think I would have liked this much better without the entire first third of the book, because the second third is really when we got into the actual story itself. I always like the Aeslin mice, but that first third was a bit of a struggle to get through. Which brings us to now, in which I bounced off of one book last night, and literally just opened Love and Other Conspiracies by Mallory Marlowe. It’s got a lot of my catnip, especially with the X-Filesish bent of podcast that the love story will be centered around. So on that note, by the time we do this, Please God I will have early voted (my state doesn’t open early voting until the 21st). Until then, back to playing Horizon Forbidden West and disassociating.
I just finished THE WEDDING PEOPLE by Alison Espach and found it funny, charming, and a bit emotional. TW for self-harm but it’s a small part of the beginning of the book.
I enjoyed Lisa Jewell’s NONE OF THIS IS TRUE which is my book club selection.
In an entirely different vein, I read ALL THAT SHE CARRIED by Tiya Miles, which focuses on an antique cotton sack that was found in a bin at a yard sale. It turned out that the sack was given by an enslaved mom to her daughter when the planation owner died and one of them was sold away. The sack stayed in the family and a descendant embroidered a few sentences on it to memorialize the story. This is tough reading in some respects as the author gives a lot of detail about what life would have been like for Rose, the woman who first gave the sack to her daughter.
I could have sworn I posted this comment before. I guess I posted it somewhere else. Thank you everyone for the good wishes. I am hopeful my area will recover, but experiening this is bewildering to say the least.
@ella: This is the forth book in a series, but it can be read as a standalone, or before the others, which take place during the English
Civil War and restoration. I am set to read these next, and then read Pamela Belle’s other series set in the 1600’s.
That was supposed to say “experiencing” and “fourth.” I really must be tired.