Here’s how we’re wrapping up our reading this November:
Elyse: I’m reading Christmas Eve Love Story by Ginny Baird. ( A | BN | K | AB ) It’s a holiday romance where the heroine keeps reliving Christmas Eve over again ala Groundhog’s Day. She also has a senior cat she’s fostering so I love her character
Sarah: I am re-reading Call of Crows, and I’m very happy about it. I also started with my favorite, book 2. Yes I am a monster.
Shana: I just finished That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Human by Kimberly Lemming. ( A | BN | K ) It had some fun moments but it’s not my favorite in the series.
Tara: I’m reading Don’t Marry Me at Christmas by Clare Lydon. ( A ) Last year, there were barely any sapphic holiday romances and this year there are a lot of them, so I’m trying to keep up!
Sarah: OH YAY! I love when…I was going to say a gap gets filled but that’s not great.
Tara: It was strange, for sure. There are usually a handful, but last year I found two, then this year there’s probably 10 or more?
Carrie: I’m reading Shark Heart by Emily Habeck. Beautiful, heartbreaking, and joyful.
Claudia: I just picked up Some Winter’s Evening by Erin Langston ( A | BN | K | AB ) for 99 cents! It’s a Christmas novella so I am looking forward to diving in.
Sneezy: I’m reading Dreaming Freedom. Apparently I’m wanting some angst right now. I think it’s one of the two stories I know of that pulls off the yandere lover trying to be good. It helps that this particular one is yandere x yandere haha. There’s LOTS of content warnings for this one, including bullying and violence. That’s not a comprehensive list, so please tread carefully if you want to try.
Whatcha reading? Let us know in the comments!
I’m currently reading Patriot by Alexei Navalny. It’s dense but pretty good!!
Best thing I have read of late is MINISTRY OF TIME which is maybe not as good as all the hype but still excellent. It’s sci-fi but very little science which is my favorite kind. I don’t think it qualifies as a romance, although my brain is working hard to transmute an ambiguous/ominous ending into a happy one.
I also started reading Anne Bishop’s THE OTHERS series (that’s not really the title so idk that I should put it in all caps for those of you that like to search that way but I am too lazy to look up all the names of the books in it). It’s good, but I had avoided it because it’s an interpretation of mental illness and cutting that I find difficult sometimes so I have to go slowly with it. Worth it though, at least so far. I am not sure if I am sad or relieved I didn’t have the books when I was a teenager! I am actually hopeful there won’t be a romance, I am almost certain it will, but it’s one of those situations a friendship seems higher value than if all his decisions are based on subconsciously having found his mate or similar.
Everything else has been negligible. Either fine or …fine.
My library actually got a Ruby Dixon book – BULL MOON RISING. I think she’s got to be one of those platform exclusive writers? There are a number I hear about here that Libby can’t find even on deep searches. Anyway, it was some of the most boring monster fuckery I have ever come across. The female MC was fairly intolerable but I think that was intentional, like it was supposed to demonstrate growth or be played for laughs? So much tedious world building meant a slow build, but alas not a slow burn, just a slog. It wasn’t terrible, but I was ready for something crazy and fun and what I got was linear and dull. Very curious if her fans will consider this one typical or disappointing.
I have been trying to avoid rereading KJ Charles constantly, so I did some Cat Sebastian rereading instead, THE TURNERS series. Which was great, she’s very soothing, but even so I needed more because for some mysterious reason this November has been especially grim, so I am back with THE MAGPIE LORD series. It’s the best comfort available! It starts off intensely dark, of course, like it gets the kind of self-harm cautionary warnings that make the Anne Bishop books look like a frolic. But then it’s fixed, actually truly fixed, and in the first chapter. (I don’t think that’s a spoiler? If for no other reason than I have gushed about it repeatedly, but it’s part of the set up.) There has never been a more convincing display of magic being magical, imo.
My brain has been mush since the election but I did actively enjoy THE LAST DEVIL TO DIE by Richard Osman, latest in the Thursday Murder Club. I know I posted this on the Rec League lately, but anyone who is looking for something on the more cozy side of mystery, but with humor that is more sarcastic and less super cutsey might enjoy. Older folks solve mysteries together and form their own little found family. Warning for people who are reading these in order, this one is a bit of tearjerker but I found it very emotionally satisfying.
W
I read and mostly enjoyed HAUNTED EVER AFTER by Jen DeLucca. Woman comes to a small touristy Florida town and finds that the ghosts the town is famous for are real. I recommend people read the review here to get a feel if it is for them. I am a big Jen DeLucca fan girl, so I read it, skipped the part that sounded unpleasant, with no guilt whatsoever. I will say this is one of those books where the actual romance felt a little thin, but it was just nice to hang out for a while with some pleasant people in a small town with spooky (but not super scary) vibes. Nice palate cleanser for me.
Since it’s been super long since I’ve participated in Whatcha Reading (soooo much life stuff going on) I will throw out a quick recommendation for A HOUSE WITH GOOD BONES by T. Kingfisher. Woman in her 30s who is temporarily out of work comes back home to live with her mother and realizes mom’s house might be haunted. This has that T. Kingfisher flavor I love. Funny, competent people who can laugh at themselves and spooky vibes. This weirdly gave me almost. . . Barbara Michaels vibes dare I say? It only had a hint of romance (I wouldn’t even call it a full subplot) and it definitely got more gross/scary that Barbara Michaels at the end, but it had the vague unsettling vibe and snarky heroine down.
Today I learned a new word: thank you Sneezy for introducing me to “yandere”.
Mhairi McFarlane’s JUST LAST NIGHT (published in 2021, and languishing—why? why?—for almost as long on my kindle) is a brilliantly-written book about a foursome of thirty-something friends and what happens to them when tragedy strikes. Yes, the book does deal with some heavy topics (loss, grief, uncovering secrets, moving on), but there’s also humor, love, growth, self-awareness, and eventual self-acceptance as narrator Eve (whose inner voice is both snarky and tender) must come to terms with the shifting dynamics in her friend group. The first quarter of the book introduces us to Eve and her best friend since primary school, Susie, and their other two best friends since high school, Ed and Justin. Eve has been hopelessly, silently in love with Ed since they were teenagers, but Ed has had a steady girlfriend, Hester, almost as long. In fact, on the night the friends have their regular meet-up to play pub trivia, Ed and Hester get engaged. In a fit of pique, Eve half-heartedly considers going to bed with a much younger man (“Lead the way, I say with all the enthusiasm of Let’s get Brexit done!”). By the next day, however, a devastating loss has occurred—and things will never be the same between the friends again. It’s hard to write too much more about the book without spoilers, so spoiler box it is:
McFarlane writes in a confident style and handles changes of tone, attitude, and outlook with nuance and care, so that the book never feels uneven or crowded. There is a romance in JUST LAST NIGHT, but the story itself is really more about Eve’s journey to realizing that in order to move on she has to adjust her perceptions of the past and her plans for the future. JUST LAST NIGHT will definitely be on my list of favorite reads of 2024 (published in a prior year). Highly recommended.
I wasn’t as enthralled with Julie Soto’s NOT ANOTHER LOVE SONG as I was with her earlier book, FORGET ME NOT. Perhaps it was that the characters felt far too young: they are musical prodigies in their early-twenties, but both of them frequently seemed like teenagers cosplaying classical musicians. Or perhaps it was that the dynamics between the MCs felt like a retread of those in FORGET ME NOT. Whatever the reason, I didn’t get into NOT ANOTHER LOVE SONG (despite an extremely sexy scene where the famous pot-throwing scene in “Ghost” is reimagined with cello playing) as I had the previous book. In NALS, Gwen and Xander (aka, Alex) play in the Manhattan Pops orchestra: Gwen on violin, Xander on cello (Xander also has a career rock music where he is very popular). There’s animosity between them, although Gwen is not entirely sure why. I must admit, I did not care for Xander for much of the book: he’s annoying, conceited, critical, and insulting. Yes, it’s true he uses some of these characteristics as a deflection to hide his own pain, but I felt that Soto left it far too late in the story to let us see why. I also didn’t like how much of Xander’s discontent seemed to focus on Gwen who is essentially a complete innocent in the interplay between Xander, the orchestra’s conductor, and the woman Gwen replaces as first chair. While Soto obviously has a good grasp of the emotional impact of music—and she’s excellent at tying up all the loose ends of her story—I never felt truly invested in Gwen & Xander’s relationship. A somewhat lukewarm recommendation from me.
I’ve been so accustomed to reading Garrett Leigh’s Rebel Kings series of motorcycle club romances for the past couple of years that it took a while for me to adjust to the relatively lower-angst and almost complete lack of violence in her CHRISTMAS ON STARDUST LANE (set in the same world as last year’s CHRISTMAS ON FIREFLY HILL). In STARDUST LANE, Tam is a calligrapher who keeps pretty much to himself after being injured in a motorcycle accident several years ago (“My body is a map of scars and bad decisions” he observes). His only close friend is his brother who encourages Tam to rent out the small apartment behind his house to bring in some much-needed income. Bhodi, a nurse with a history of fleeing to new places when relationships don’t pan out, arrives as Tam’s new tenant, and the chemistry between the two men quickly intensifies. Not much happens in CHRISTMAS ON STARDUST LANE, it’s a rather low-key and gentle Christmas romance (and let’s not forget Rudy, Tam’s little dog who thinks he’s a rottweiler). If you’re looking for something in a minor key to get you into the Christmas spirit, CHRISTMAS ON STARDUST LINE would be a good choice. Recommended.
I just realized I made a blundering error in my spoiler box for JUST LAST NIGHT above. The character of Finlay is Susie’s brother not Eve’s.
First, how do you do spoiler boxes?
I hope everyone’s ready for the upcoming holiday marathon. It looks like since the last WAYR, I’ve read:
– Love Lessons by Sarina Bowen. This is book 5 of the Brooklyn Hockey series. This one might not stand alone as well as others, as part of the story involves this story’s couple going on a trip to Italy with some couples from the previous books. (But, to make up for it, we get to read about an awesome vacation to Italy.) I was a little disappointed in one aspect of this one. The FMC informs the MMC that she doesn’t usually orgasm from intercourse, and for a moment I thought that’s something that could be different and interesting to work through. (This was something that had been stressing her out and that made it hard to get into a relationship.) But instead the issue was apparently resolved with 3 minutes of oral sex, and at that point, really, why even bring it up? Don’t get me wrong, it was over all a good book, I just saw a glimpse of a different book that would also have been good. Available on Kindle Unlimited.
– Stay by Elle Kennedy and Sarina Bowen. This is the 2nd book in the WAGs series. Hockey romance, between a player and a divorced business owner. This collaboration has more romantic comedy vibes than the Brooklyn Hockey series. Pretty good. Available on Kindle Unlimited.
– Cruel Winter With You by Ali Hazelwood. This is a short Christmas-themed novella with a best friend’s older brother element. It was fine. Available on Kindle Unlimited.
– Miss Determined by Grace Burrowes. Book 7 of the Mischief in Mayfair series. Honorable young man falls in love with honorable young woman, but to earn their HEA they must triumph over the greedy solicitors. The power of friendship will be out in force, so if you want to know who the side characters are you’ll need to have read (or maybe be inspired to read) other books by the author.
– Miss Dashing by Grace Burrowes. Book 8 of the Mischief in Mayfair series. A sheltered young man must learn to navigate high society and finds love with a strong young woman in the process. This whole series has been very sweet.
– Beware of Chicken Vol. 4: A Xianxia Cultivation Novel by Casualfarmer. Not strictly speaking a romance. It’s a serial originally published on Royal Road that’s being published on Kindle Unlimited now. Absolutely do not start with book 4. That being said, we continue the adventures of Jin Rou, a man from our world who wakes up to find himself in the body of a cultivator (a martial artist who trains to build their life force and attain immortality). He decides that the cultivator life of eternally striving and threats of death isn’t for him, so he packs up and leaves to become a farmer. It’s an affirming tale of found family that reads a like anime, with all the wackiness that entails. Is it perfectly polished? No, but it is a lot of fun.
I’m about to start ISLAND OF BONES by Imogen Robertson
It’s book three in the Westerman & Crowther series featuring an 18th century widow and an anatomist. Historical mysteries are my favorite and the eighteenth-century is underrepresented in the genre so I’m excited about this one. I haven’t read the first two books in the series but I like to keep my life unpredictable.
@C: put the word spoiler in brackets [], enter your spoiler information, then put /spoiler in brackets [] to close the spoiler box.
It’s been a good couple of weeks for reading for me! I had some library holds come in which was helpful.
Read:
Pat of Silverbush and Mistress Pat by LM Montgomery. Recommended by a friend as an antidote to election anxiety. I enjoyed it, but there were some flaws. I can’t believe I hadn’t read it before, but I’m glad that I finally got to it.
The Beast Takes a Bride by Julie Ann Long. I’m a sucker for a second chance romance, and this was pretty good.
The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst. Where is the sequel and when can I read it? I really loved this book – just so unique. I don’t have enough words.
Sleeping with the Enemy by Natalie Cana. Enjoyed it while I was reading but now can’t tell you anything about it. I vaguely remember being annoyed that people didn’t just TALK to each other.
Food52: A New Way to Dinner by Amanda Hesser & Merrill Stubbs. Read for inspiration more than actual recipes, as it was a little highbrow for my budget & skills, but it was creative and I appreciated how everything was laid out.
Much Ado About Margaret by Madeleine Roux. I wanted to like this more than I did, but it was still enjoyable.
The Undertaking of Hart & Mercy and The Undermining of Twyla & Frank by Megan Bannen. Both good, both a delightful escape. I know these have been recommended here before, so I will just say “thanks” to those because they were excellent. I will admit that trying to figure out the parameters of the world did stress my brain just a bit. I’m looking forward to the third.
This Will Be Fun by EB Asher. My biggest complaint was the self-flagellation by one of the characters, but it was an enjoyable read. Once I found out that it was three authors under one pen name, it made a bit more sense. Did not care for the deus ex machina ending.
The Mirror by Nora Roberts. Classic Nora, but it definitely suffers from “middle in a trilogy” syndrome. She often manages to escape that, but not this time. Inheritance was so good, so I guess my expectations were just a little high. Very excited for the third, and disappointed that I have to wait a year.
Currently Reading:
Earls Trip by Jenny Holiday. I’m about 3+ chapters in, and I think it’s going to be a fun read.
Up Next:
I have The Bodyguard by Katherine Center on my Libby shelf. I let her other book, The Rom-commers lapse, just because it didn’t appeal. We’ll see… I’ve been enjoying my dip into fantasy and historical romance a lot, so I’m struggling with contemporary.
I’m generally not one for re-reading, but Tessa Dare has been hitting the right notes for me recently—just revisited THE DUCHESS DEAL and ANY DUCHESS WILL DO. I really hope Dare comes back to writing because she’s just so funny and charming and I would gladly read anything else she chooses to write.
I also read the latest Flavia de Luce, WHAT TIME THE SEXTON’S SPADE DOTH RUST and while Alan Bradley is a great writer and I would read about Flavia and Dogger any day, this one is a doozy in terms of plot. A character is ostensibly murdered on account of having eaten poisonous mushrooms, but one of the GR reviews I read noted that Bradley must have been doing mushrooms while plotting this one and I can’t say I disagree.
Currently reading THE MUSE OF MAIDEN LANE. Mimi Matthews is a reliable author for me, although I kinda wish her stuff weren’t always closed door. I have been waiting for Teddy’s book so I’m glad it’s arrived.
For several days I read only short stories and novellas from two sets of Amazon Originals: the 6-part “Busybodies” mysteries followed by the 5-part “Under the Mistletoe” romance collection. All are free on Kindle Unlimited, or 99 cents each for non-KU readers.
I enjoyed all of these snack-size offerings, and I thought the “Mistletoe” stories were well-crafted holiday-themed spicy tidbits. I was familiar with 4 of the 5 authors (Ali Hazelwood, Tessa Bailey, Olivia Dade, Alexandra Bellefleur) and was especially happy with the 5th offering, ONLY SANTAS IN THE BUILDING, by (new-to-me author) Alexis Daria. The story involves a work-from-home comic book illustrator who is trying to meet a deadline and the upstairs neighbor she has lusted for from afar, but then encounters at their apartment building’s holiday party.
That quick read sent me in search of other Alexis Daria books, and I found some in my Kindle TBR stack. Read TAKE THE LEAD, which was Daria’s first book, but was revised and reissued last year. The setting is a “Dancing with the Stars” type reality show; professional dancer Gina is paired with celebrity Stone, who is also on a reality show where he and his family (mom, dad, brothers, sisters) cope with life in the Alaskan wilderness. Gina realizes that the producers want to set her up in the season’s “showmance” and she resists because it’s not how she wants her career to develop… but over the course of the season her feelings for Stone grow, so complications ensue.
I liked Daria’s exploration of the behind-the-scenes aspects of both Gina’s and Stone’s reality shows, and appreciated her examination of Gina’s complex feelings about not wanting to be stereotyped as the “Puerto Rican spitfire” who sleeps her way to fame. Stone was less interesting to me, but the story overall was compelling.
Followed up with DANCE ALL NIGHT, a holiday-themed novella from Daria also set in the world of reality dance competition; again I enjoyed the travails of the reluctant-to-fall-in-love heroine as she grappled with her feelings. Evidently there’s at least one more book in this “Dance Off” series scheduled for reissue in 2025 and meanwhile, I still have one more unread Daria on my Kindle.
The Last Sky (Atrophy Book 1) by Jess Anastasi
CW/TW
This was a DNF for me at 27% in. This is a sci-fi romance and I had high hopes going in, but alas, it just didn’t work for me. I’m always chasing the high of Michelle Diener’s Class Five series, which for me is a very high bar, and this didn’t even come close. The writing is clunky, the characters are stereotypes, just overall not my cup of tea. I almost DNF in the first chapter because of this exchange between Zahli, our FMC, and her brother Rian, the stereotypical hotheaded ship’s captain:
“Erebus.” Cold dread bloomed deep in her veins … “The prison planet?”
“…trying not to remember the rumors that no one ever came back from Erebus.”
I’m pretty sure the “no one ever came back from Erebus” refers to the people incarcerated there as inmates, not for other people who may need to stop there in an emergency, or, I don’t know, supply ships or the like? Just kind of an eyeroll moment!
Part Two, because I wanted to test my spoiler tag before I posted
The Marann (Tales of Tolari Space Book 1) by Christie Meierz
CW/TW
Another sci-fi romance that didn’t quite land for me. I finished it, but will not be continuing with the series. The premise was interesting if a little far fetched, but it failed in the execution for me. The world building is minimal, and there is just too much “telling not showing” for me. And one of the things that made me shake my head was the description of the Tolari people. In an effort apparently to make them seem alien, I guess? is that their feet are called “peds,” and the reason they are is because they don’t have individual toes. The toe bones are all there, just like ours, but there is no separation between them. Huh? It is explained that it doesn’t affect their walking or balance since the toe bones are all there, but I don’t think that’s true! Other than that, they are completely the same as us . . .
The Sural, the MMC, is all knowing, and there’s quite a bit of him doing things behind the scenes for the good of Marianne, our FMC, without her being included in the decisions or even knowing what is happening because she is purposely left in the dark. The biggest “nope” moment for me was
The more I think about this book, the more it is making me mad! I may need to retroactively throw my kindle across the room!
In the past few months I’ve read T Kingfisher’s Paladin series and Django Wexler’s How to Become the Dark Lord or Die Trying, so I was interested when I saw a recommendation for Assistant to the Villain by Hannah Nicole Maehrer.
I was highly disappointed. It was not just a DNF, but a DNF with prejudice accompanied by a rant to my husband. It read like poorly edited fanfiction with zero tension, an obnoxious narrator, and incoherent world building. I was not surprised to read that it was based off of the author’s TikToks.
(I would note that I read fanfic, I am not anti-fanfic, but my expectations for a published book are very different from my expectations for fanfic. If I had gone in knowing what to expect, I might not have been so frustrated with it.)
(Also, everything about Booktok makes me feel middle aged.)
Re: @Sneezy’s use of “Yandere” –
Well, @DDD got here before me, so I’ll just add
this link, for the rest of the Bitchery who may be wondering, like I was:
https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Yandere
According to the first definition, there are 20 (20!) variations of “Yandere”. A possible off-season Bitchery game comes to mind:
1) If we come up with 4 more types, we could make a Bingo board…
2) …on which we would fill in spaces by finding examples of each type of Yandere from all of our past non-Manwha* reading, which could be so engrossing and time-consuming that…
3) …we breathe free for several hours untethered from and even unaware of the 24/7 raging dumpster fire out there. BINGO!!
(*https://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Manwha)
@Carrie – I hope you’ll post a review of Shark Heart; I’ve heard a lot of great things about it.
@Claudia – In case you missed it, there’s a 2nd
Forever Your Rogue prequel novella, A Day Until Forever. It’s the origin story of Nate’s older brother Raymond – the eventual Earl – & Rosalie. It’s nice to meet them as young adults, but it’s bittersweet if you’re caught up with Nate and Cora’s lives now.
Oh, yeah – I’m reading Peter Carlin’s The Name of This Band is R.E.M., and re-reading the short and amazing Ejaculate Responsibly by Gabrielle Blair. Anyone who is concerned with women & girls’ susceptibility to unwanted pregnancies, and wonders what to do about the incredible imbalance in the responsibility of each partner involved needs to read this 140-ish page book of 28 2-3 pages of detailed suggestions (& it should be required reading for anyone who is or knows someone who is old enough to, or will eventually ejaculate in or around a vagina). It’s all there. Prepare to have your consciousness rearranged. And then prepare to buy a case and send one to every legislator who thinks they know all about pregnancy and gets to decide what women can(‘t) do about it.
My reading has been exclusively in fantasy and sci-fi since the US election. I recognize this is a coping mechanism and it’s working for me. I started with Becky Chambers, first THE LONG WAY TO A SMALL ANGRY PLANET and then moved on to A CLOSED AND COMMON ORBIT (which I’d already re-read once this year, during some stressful home renovations). Chambers’ characters are kind and competent and working to make their world a better place. I’ve got the other two Wanderer books lined up for re-reads as well.
I wandered through the fantasy/sci-fi section of my library the other day, and I found Vivian Shaw’s GRAVE IMPORTANCE on the shelf. Though it’s the third book, I was intrigued by the idea of a treatment center/spa for mummies. But about half-way through I couldn’t stand not knowing the backstory, so now I’m reading STRANGE PRACTICE instead. I also got Julie Leong’s THE TELLER OF SMALL FORTUNES, Lucy Jane Wood’s REWITCHED, and Catherynne M. Valente’s SPACE OPERA this week from the library.
I’m looking forward to the long weekend for the US Thanksgiving, with books piled up around me!
Hi, everyone,
Since last time, standouts–
FEUDS AND INTERLUDES by RL Merrill–I really liked this one. It’s part of the multi author series The Road to Rocktoberfest 2024. Shane Butler and Boone Collins are the grandsons of famed rockers. They’ve managed to keep their distance for years in the wake of their grandfathers’ successes and upheavals. But when a reunion performance of sorts connects their grandparents, it provides them the space and opportunity to re-evaluate how they see each other. RL Merrill writes an emotional and immersive story, giving readers a peek at the creative process of the music industry. Boone and Shane butt heads as they try to balance their protective instincts for their respective families and legacies while juggling their own creative outlets and passions. I thought it was terrific.
THE CHRISTMAS LEAP by Keira Andrews–Keira Andrews’ bi-awakening, fake relationship friends-to-lovers is a sweet read, and Will and Michael are sympathetic characters. Fits the bill as an entertaining holiday story.
IT’S COMPLICATED by Willow Dixon–the second in Willow Dixon’s Legacy Mechanics series but stands very well alone. I dove into this double bi-awakening, friends/roommates to lovers story without having read the first in the series and loved it. Isaac and Jamie have been friends and roommates for a couple years and very much enjoy their lives together, hanging out, working, working out… When they agree to a no-strings threesome one night after a party, that nudges them both into seeing the other in a different light.
I found Willow Dixon’s story is hard to put down, with Isaac and Jamie somewhat cluelessly trying to regain their footing after the way they see themselves and each other is shaken. Seeing their warm and generous support of each other made me smile, and their kindly perceptive friends also play a strong role in helping them find their way through their confusion. I really enjoyed their journey.
TENDING TYLER and ROPED IN by Jodi Payne and BA Tortuga–really enjoyed the feel of the warm family ranch, and these were just sweet m/m cowboy with a non-cowboy romances.
OUTING THE QUARTERBACK by Tara Lain–angsty and emotional, this is an emotional rollercoaster ride of a read. Ms Lain allows readers to feel every bit of that intense pressure Will experiences as he tamps down his own desires to try to please his father and remain a good student, a team player, and be a good friend and teammate. Noah sees and brings out a side of him he usually keeps deeply hidden.
DIAMONDS AND DIRT ROADS by Erin Nicholas–this is the first in a small-town trilogy that I really love. The premise is that triplets move to Bliss, Kansas, for a year to fulfill the terms of their late father’s bequest. That it gives them the means and space to become more who they really are and to find a partner who is eager to help do that is so satisfying. Onto HIGH HEELS AND HAYSTACKS, the second in the series…
THE RULE BOOK by Sarah Adams–the second in The Cheat Sheet series. I read it without having read the first in the series, and it stands alone fine. This is the first I’ve read by this author, and I enjoyed it. Derek is a delicious mountain of a guy who is essentially a giant pile of heart-eyes for Nora, although he did initially resort to some mean-spirited hazing when their new arrangement was first announced. For her part, Nora is a manic-pixie dream girl with an organizational fetish. Sarah Adams does a creditable job of giving readers a chance to see what drives these two and how each was reluctant to show the other their soft underbelly, but it’s a sweet pile on when they figure out they’re better together. And Derek’s football buddies are a hoot. Quite entertaining.
Wishing everyone who celebrates a warm and joyful Thanksgiving with lots of yummies for their eyes and tummies.
Eek! I totally forgot to add another CW/TW to The Marann, my apologies
I just finished The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow. Not as wonderful as Once and Future Witches, but still a solid read, after a slow start. Then I read the erotic Rendevous by Lisabet Sarai. Short and steamy! Then I read Starter Villain by John Scalzi, which is a very funny story about an “everyman” whose uncle dies and leaves him his villainous empire, including a volcanic island secret lair, cats and dolphins who’ve been genetically altered to talk to humans, and many attempts to eliminate Charlie, the new competition. Now I’m reading The Krampus’ Queen by Ellen Mint. Her comment on the dedication says the book is for everyone who looked at pictures of the Krampus with his VERY long tongue, and was intrigued. LOL.
I read quite a few good books from Kindle Unlimited. I highly recommend Accidently in Love with Best Friend’s Brother by Abby Greyson (clean football romance that was truly wonderful and romantic). I also read Finding Hayes by Laura Pavlov (steamy marriage of convenience)
I have read a couple of books since last time:
A Legend In The Baking was a solid B. I don’t remember a thing about it but I did enjoy it.
I also read The Spellshop by Sarah Beth Durst and I don’t want to harsh anyone’s squee so we will leave it at that.
Hopefully I read another Great Book like The Teller of Small Fortunes soon!
Please consider remembering the Indigenous Day of Mourning this week. Thank you.
Penny Reid’s ALL FOLKED UP is the tale of Isaac Sylvester who has been glimpsed throughout her Winston Brothers series. He’s the brother of the parentally suppressed Jennifer Sylvester and appeared as part of the local motorcycle gang. Here he’s on his final undercover operation and wants the help of a dancer at the Pink Pony strip club who is just leaving dancing and moving into a managerial position. I love Penny Reid’s characters and plots.
I’ve been a huge fan of L.H. Cosway gentle romances and fascinating characters since I ran across her work years ago, and I loved her new book, QUIET LONGING, a second-chance romance where kind of like the next in my list, a couple had a late-teen romance then were separated for many years and come back to each other’s orbit. Really lovely.
Tarah DeWitt is becoming a favourite contemporary romance writer for me. She digs a little deeper than average for her characters and I feel immersed in them and their situations. THE CO-OP is a second-chance romance where the character’s grandmothers became partners and the two of them had a late-teen romance that ended badly then their grandmothers’ deaths force them to deal with each other to repair their old house in order to sell it. This is a mainstream-published revision of a previous indie release.
I really loved Jandy Nelson’s I’LL GIVE YOU THE SUN back in the day so leapt on her new YA novel WHEN THE WORLD TIPS OVER. Great, terribly complicated characters and a long complicated journey for them all. I really enjoyed it. Family drama, multiple romances, a family curse, and a touch of magic realism.
Reading Kelly Barnhill’s children’s (?) fantasy THE OGRESS AND THE ORPHANS felt so like reading an allegory of the current political situation that I was astonished. Judging from the 2022 publication date it was likely written during the previous administration so yeah. It’s longish, but painfully wonderful. A happy, prosperous town has a series of tragedies and becomes miserable and poor. An ogress ends up living on its outskirts and she and the inhabitants of an orphanage eventually figure out the cause. Kind of a spoiler though you can guess early:
Also really enjoyed Mary E. Pearson’s first adult fantasy, THE COURTING OF BRISTOL KEATS, the first of a duology. After her parents die, a young woman whose family has always been on the run discovers the fae world wants her help, and her parents may not be dead and none of them may be as normal as she thought. I always like Pearson’s books.
Also re-read the first of Devon Monk’s Allie Beckstrom paranormal novels in audio and really enjoyed it. I will be continuing the series, which I remember liking a lot back in the day. I just discovered that my library has all of them available in ebook and audio.
@betsydub, I think people should use ‘Ejaculate Responsibly’ to teach their kids to read.
@Steph—Assistant to the Villain was an aggravating DNF for me for exactly the reasons you mentioned. Since you read Wexler’s Dark Lord Etc., you might try Sarah Rees Brennan’s Long Live Evil or Caitlin Rozakis’s Dreadful? Both are about fantasy villainy and really wonderful books. Long Live Evil is one of my favorite books of the year; first in a trilogy but it does tell a complete piece of story. I loved Dreadful too; it’s a very sweet book (though that seems like an odd word to use). Villain loses memory and remakes the kind of person he wants to be.
A few years ago, Natalie Zina Walschots’s Hench had a similar vibe but was more SF than fantasy. A complete story but it left me wanting more in the world. And the sequel’s coming out next year! YAY
@Theresa R. Thank you for the recommendations- I have placed some holds!
Over the past two weeks ~
— continued a series that I began recently and enjoyed The Unlikely Spy Catchers (St. Brendan Book 2) by Carla Kelly. It’s book two in a historical romance mystery series featuring a married couple.
— read Unlikely Heroes (St. Brendan Book 3) by Carla Kelly. This book is set in the early 1800s and does not shy away from death (due to miscarriage, shipboard accident, battle, and more). While it made me cry, I did enjoy it. If you are familiar with this author, you might be interested to know that I found this to have some earthy humor. I see there is a fourth book; I’ve just requested my library purchase it. If interested, you should begin with The Unlikely Master Genius.
— reread Carla Kelly’s Christmas Collection which contains an enjoyable quartet of regency romance novellas.
— reread Quarter Share by Nathan Lowell which is a favorite of mine; it’s a slice of life science fiction work and the first in a series.
— enjoyed Unmasked: A Hidden Wolves novella by Kaje Harper. It’s about a werewolf who is asked to go trick or treating in wolf form with children from his pack in order to put werewolves in a positive light. During the course of the evening, he helps a lost child find her way home. A romance ensues between the werewolf and the child’s father.
— enjoyed Playing Games (Franklin U Book 1) by Riley Hart about two college students (m/m) from very different backgrounds who connect when they end up working at the same bar.
— For my book group, I read Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane. This is set in Boston in the summer of 1974 when many parents were upset at the coming integration of area schools. The main character is a white woman whose 17 year old daughter goes out one night but does not return. At the same time a young black man is found dead near the local subway tracks. I was reading about fifty pages a night. When I reached the halfway point, I read the remainder in one sitting. This book had a lot of dialogue that felt very real to me. Content warning for violence.
— Family Law by Mackey Chandler was an enjoyable and busy book. It’s science fiction (set on other planets and earth) two or three centuries from now. It focuses on a twelve year old girl who is with her parents and their longtime alien partner (the girl’s honorary uncle) investigating a newly found world when her parents are killed. The surviving pair travel to the uncle’s planet and then to earth to register their claim. Cultural differences, discrimination, and people choosing not to uphold the law lead to an intriguing story. I would happily read on but my library does not own the follow on books…sigh.
— enjoyed the historical regency romance novella, “Something New” by Carla Kelly which I found in this anthology, A Wedding Bouquet by Anne Barbour and more.
— enjoyed a world war one era historical romance novella, A Winter’s Hope by Liv Rancourt, that featured two young servicemen who meet in Europe then meet again by chance in the US.
@kkw: I believe you’ll be satisfied with The Others regarding friendship versus romance; it’s much more the former than the latter.
Also testing the spoiler feature:
@LisaM – I feel seen. I too am on an election-fueled Scifi/Fantasy binge.
STORM FORGED by Lindsay Buroker is book 6 of DEATH BEFORE DRAGONS, a series I discovered earlier this month. This is a pretty low steam, slow burn story with a sword and gun-wielding heroine in present day Seattle. I inhaled books 1-5 before deciding I needed a break. Happy to report that book 6 was just as fun as the first 5 and that Val is still the heroine we need should dragons, elves, gnomes, etc. start misbehaving. And Zav is an extremely convenient dragon, who always shows up at just the right moment.
QUICKSILVER by Callie Hart is long, but never tedious. High fantasy with enemies-to-lovers, another sword-wielding women, magic, elves, vampires, and so on. I enjoyed the heck out of the world building and ridiculously bad bad guys (and gals), but I worry that by the time book 2 comes out, I will not remember enough details from this book to be able to follow what’s going on in the next one. Authors used to take pity on their readers and give us a little summary of what happened before, but now it seems as though we’re on our own.
TO CATCH A FIREFLY by Emmy Sanders. If you love angsty friends-to-lovers, which I absolutely do, this is the book for you. Not much happens other than excessive, delicious, and slightly ridiculous longing for half the book followed by some very hot scenes in a farm silo and some additional angst while the MCs come to the very obvious conclusion that they should spend the rest of their lives together. The key to a book like this is how well the author gets in the heads of the MCs to make all of this mildly believable and Sanders gets the job done. I look forward to working my way through the rest of her back catalog.
Over the past year I’ve been reading the Amberlough Dossier trilogy (AMBERLOUGH, ARMISTICE, AMNESTY) by Lara Elena Donnelly; an alternate universe political-shenaniganery series with clear parallels to Weimer Berlin/WWII. I enjoyed AMBERLOUGH (alternate-universe Cabaret), but slogged unevenly through ARMISTICE (gun running and movie making on the edge of the war) and only recently started AMNESTY (after the war). Cordelia was my favorite character and I think she’s not shown enough love in her own story, and while I understand the point of the series is more about how ‘ordinary’ people deal with changing politics I get frustrated when the Big Important Events get glossed over or in many cases, skipped and summed up in the intro to the next book. Also, it was also clearly written during the last time and I find it…not naive, per se, but not what I want to hear right now. I’ll probably finish the last book in a few months or so, but it’s on the back burner for now.
I needed something lighter, so I’ve been reading THE VENETIAN AND THE RUM RUNNER by L.A. Witt, a 1920’s M/M romance between a gangster and the thief he hires to, as the title suggests, run alcohol past the prohibition agents in New York. Maybe ‘lighter’ is a weird word choice, but more escapist, or at least less relevant to the real world right now. M/M romances written by women tend to be hit or miss for me and mafia romances often feel like they’re just billionaire romances with a palette swap, but this one works for me (and I’m somehow more tolerant of a mafia hero who’s in the actual historical mafia than I am of a billionaire who smugly broods about how outside-the-law he is…). Daniel and Carmine have the sort of chemistry where they hate each other due to circumstances, but see more in each other and keep finding things to like almost like they’re rooting for each other against the odds. I like the exploration of queer culture at the time and how even the ritzy glamorous side of the city has a gritty side. I like Giulia owning her own speakeasy and navigating ‘a woman’s place’ in a world where she has to be tough but also has to flatter men’s egos to keep from losing what she’s got. Also, I just like 1920’s New York as a setting in any story.
@LisaM: I’ll recommend some of my favorite science fiction/fantasy reads in case they are new to you: Touchstone series by Andrea Höst, Linesman series by S.K. Dunstall, The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison; The Martian by Andy Weir; Dark Horse by Michelle Diener; Uhura’s Song by Janet Kagan.
Ever since the election, I’ve been reading to escape. (Even more than usual, I mean.) That has meant both rereading and some new-to-me books.
I loved THE TELLER OF SMALL TALES by Julie Leong. It’s cozy quest fantasy with a found-family vibe, but it also deals with questions of racial identity. The author is Chinese-Malaysian raised in America and (in high school, I think?) China, and her main character reflects the ambivalence and pain of not feeling like you belong anywhere. The side characters are delightful, and the food p*rn had me longing for scones, cinnamon rolls, and other tasty baked treats. I also really appreciated how the big bad villains… weren’t.
I finished up FEUDS, the latest Valdemar short story anthology edited by Mercedes Lackey. Some of the stories are sequels to previous stories in the same series of Valdemar anthologies, but even most of those can be read as standalones. It was the usual mix you’ll find in any anthology; there were a few stories I really liked and a few stories that I didn’t connect with very much; most of the rest were interesting enough to keep me reading. Lackey’s novelette at the end is a Romeo and Juliet retelling in which Herald-Mage Vanyel and his aunt Savil are able to avert disaster with some good detective work and well-played magic. I appreciated seeing Vanyel and Savil team up as Heralds, and I enjoyed having the R&J plotline turn out all right for a change.
I dipped into several books after that, but couldn’t settle on a choice, so I decided to start Celia Lake’s new Mysterious Fields trilogy, her first series where a romance arc plays out over several books instead of just one. Book #1 in the trilogy, ENCHANTED NET, came out in September; book #2, SILENT CIRCUIT, came out on Nov. 15. I had originally planned to wait until the third book was available and then read them all at once, but I was in dire need of an Albion fix at that point, so I plowed through both books in a couple of days. Fortunately, both books end at reasonable places to pause, and I will only have to wait about three more weeks for the third book. I loved both books, especially the second one, and the two romantic leads and their relationship are exactly what I needed right now: caring, kind, and very careful and attentive to what the other needs and wants, and to each other’s safety and reputation as well.
Then, feeling guilty about the overdue ARC review books on my virtual TBR pile, I read SMOKE AND MIRRORS by M. E. Hillard, the fourth mystery in the Greer Hogan series. This book finally finds Greer actively pursuing the mystery surrounding her husband Dan’s murder three or four years earlier, though at least one murder in the previous book was also related to Dan’s death. I enjoyed figuring out whodunnit (which I did, before the reveal); I was even on the right track when it came to the why. Hilliard is good at sprinkling in a few clues to the next mystery in the series, and in this case, I think — I hope! — it’s going to revolve around Greer’s temporary workplace in this book: an old brownstone once owned by a stage magician, where Greer has been hired to catalog the extensive collection of books on magic. Her similarly temporary assistant provides significant help to Greer in her quest to solve Dan’s murder, but there are hints that he has mysteries of his own to solve.
Along with those, I am listening to one of my all-time comfort series: Mercedes Lackey’s Heralds of Valdemar series, beginning with ARROWS OF THE QUEEN. I have loved these books since they were published (1987-88), and revisiting them is tremendously comforting despite the travails and griefs in book #3. (I haven’t actually gotten that far yet; I’m still in book #2, ARROW’S FLIGHT.) This is the first time I have listened to them, and while the narrator is quite good, I occasionally take issue with some of her choices, particularly in terms of accents. Not only have I read this series at least 15 times, I have also read it aloud to my then-teenager, complete with voices and accents. So I have very decided ideas about how different characters should sound. By this point, halfway through the second book, I have mostly stopped grumbling about it. (Mostly.) Despite the occasional muttering on my part, though, I am very much enjoying the narrator’s reading as well as the joy and comfort of spending time inside a favorite book.
Currently, I’m reading MRS. POLLIFAX AND THE SECOND THIEF by Dorothy Gilman. I could swear I had read this back in the day; I love Gilman’s series about the adventures of a 60-ish widow who volunteers as a spy for the CIA. But apparently I missed this one, because nothing in the book rings any bells. Well, other than the recurring characters, of course. It’s as delightful a romp as any in the series. And what a treat to get to read a Mrs. Pollifax novel for the first time, when I thought I had read them all!
I also just started THIS WILL BE FUN by E. B. Asher, a “rom-quest” that combines a fantasy quest with two (or possibly three?) romantic storylines and the humor of a rom-com. I’m only about 15% in, but so far it definitely lives up to the title and the hype.
I’m not making a whole lot of reading headway. MY SEASON OF SCANDAL is good, but I somehow couldn’t finish it before the library due date, so I had to go back on the waitlist to get it back. I did manage to finish an older historical, ALMOST A GENTLEMAN by Pam Rosenthal. In it a widow of a miserable marriage decides that life is a lot better for men, so she decides to live the rest of her life as a man. This is not just dress up, she “kills off” her female legal identity, with a substitute body in the grave, and completely adopts the identity of a fashionable man about town. I thought it was pretty groundbreaking for the time it was written(2003) although there were a couple of tropes that would now be considered cliches. For instance, the hero is immediately attracted to her and it worries him because he’s never been attracted to a man(as he thinks she is) before. There is also a very conventional HEA too. Still, a lovely story with great characters, even the bit players are memorable.
It has been a YEESH of a month. And my reading has taken a hit.
Among the very few options that my brain has accepted, I read Heir by Sabaa Tahir. I had intended to save it for my Christmas break, but we were in “break glass for emergency reading” territory. It’s set in the same world as her Ember In the Ashes series, and several characters from that series make appearances. There’s something about characters fighting back against atrocities and evil forces that really makes the heart sing right now. Can’t imagine why. I followed that up by snagging an option off the Fated Mates Best of the Year list, and tried out Lips Like Sugar by Jess Hardy. So far, it’s very funny and sweet, and the GenXness of it all absolutely speaks to me (I’m GenX, and the hero being the drummer for a Seattle rock band absolutely makes sense to my brain).
So on that note, enjoy the turkey, don’t be afraid to eat all the stuffing, because life is short.
@book_reader_ea01sj71r4 reading solidarity! I had looked at the Lindsay Buroker books in KU. I’m considering resubscribing (except Jeff Besos), and those books would be one reason. I just put Quicksilver on hold at the library – there’s quite a queue ahead of me.
@Kareni, thank you for the recommendations. I have re-read The Goblin Emperor at least twice this year, and I’ll probably read it again. I’m glad the new Thara Celehar book finally has a release date. One of the reasons I’m thinking KU again is the Michelle Diener books. I’ve had them checked out before but never got around to them.
I’ve read a LOT lately (escapism much?) and had some hits and some misses.
Major hits: You Should Be So Lucky by Cat Sebastian. Her characters are just always so kind, desperately needed that this month. Also this might be borderline TMI, but I had a family member who was a gay man in this era and we only just recently found a wonderful photo of him with someone that was clearly a partner (he’d been deeply in the closet with family his whole life. It gave me a tiny taste of what my much-loved family member’s life might have been like, in a really sweet and positive way.
Rules for Ghosting – was expecting cute ghost-adjacent romance, got a long meditation on loss and grieving, plus some very sweet romance, loved it so much.
Hers for the Weekend – really liked this final book in the trilogy.
Fly With Me & Fall For Him – read these out of order, liked them both a lot, especially Fall. Another set of romances that really focuses on grief, I guess I’m in a phase. I like a renovation romance and an enemies to loveers, and Fall was a good one for both of these.
(DDD, I also LOVED Just Last Night, one of my favorite books I read in 2023, it is so good and captures grieving a good friend so well. Man I love that book.)
Likeable enough: At First Spite by Olivia Dade – fun and lots to like here including the cinnamon roll hero but it paled in comparison to YSBSL, which I had just read.
Love You at a Latke- a little too insta love to be believable, but cute. Also I thought I hated holiday romances but it’s actually just Christmas romances I hate! So that’s nice to know.
Haunted Ever After – cute, shallow, didn’t love the section of the plot that everyone hates.
Misses: Am currently reading The Cottage Around the Corner and just not really enjoying it, it’s just….bland. However my library copy of the non-fiction I’m reading expired so I can’t get any new fiction on it till I finish it, so…am stuck reading this for fiction.
Also started and didn’t finish Us in Ruins, too YA for me, and Jim Butcher’s Storm Front, which a friend recommended as fun but it is just too grossly sexist for me…reminded me why I rarely read fiction by men! I don’t want to hear about how nice the breasts are on a corpse, YUCK.
The non-fiction I’m trying to finish is The Anxious Generation, which is good and thought-provolking, and The Light Eaters, about plants, which is fantastic so far.
Also in the last month-ish I re-read all of Kate Daniels and the associated books, which was fun and a good pre-election escape, unfortunately I should’ve saved them a week or so….can’t wait for the next installments for Hugh and Julie.
Oh! And following on a reminder from an earlier WAYR, I re-read all of Julie James FBI/US Attorney books. Those are so good, they really might be the perfect romances. They’re dated just a bit, and usually I can’t do a cop hero, but these are just so sparkling and funny and enjoyable. I wish she would write more!
@S, that reminds me that I haven’t reread Julie James in a while… might be time, LOL! I’ve been slowly collecting them in ebook.
And love that You Should Be So Lucky gave you a peek at a positive could have been!
I read SWORDCROSSED by Freya Marske and loved it, just like most people. I’m hopeful that there will be a sequel in the same universe, perhaps featuring the MC’s sister. I thought the romance was really gorgeous and I enjoyed the non-romance plot as well.
Also read TIME TO SHINE by Rachel Reid. I haven’t actually finished any of her other hockey books, but I did like this one. Very slow burn friends to lovers, where one character is demisexual.
My current reading is not blowing me away, but imperfect is better than nada. I’m grateful that I have the freedom to read. I think I’m spending this year’s gift budget on organizations that will resist the mandates of the upcoming guvmint. In the meantime, here’s what I’ve been reading.
The Last Waltz by Mary Balogh
It looks like the original pub date on this is 1998. It’s an old school Regency with a hate to love/second chance plot line. The hatey part goes on a bit long, but overall, there are valid reasons for the protagonists to play it cautious. It does go just a tad beyond a closed door romance, which is consistent with the era in which it was written. That, and the extremely mellow Christmas house party in which it is set make it a very nice comfort read.
An Unlikely Duchess by Mary Balogh
DNF @ 51%
I actually don’t know why I stuck with this up until chapter 10. I knew within a couple of chapters that Heyer had done the anonymous nobleman tale so much better (The Foundling), and I knew that our so-called heroine was–to quote her brave swain–a “brainless little chit.” Thing is–I can’t even be outraged with him. His description is exactly correct. Not only is she TSTL, but she has a nasty temper and is lavishly over-indulged by her family. This book is a road trip travesty full of silly-assed gyrations & characters who are just as annoying in the last chapter as they were at the beginning. Yeah, I’m not proud, but I peeked. Do not recommend!
A Match Made in Venice by Leonie Mack
I’ve always loved the pairing of travelog and romance, so Mack is a natural choice for me. Practical Didi travels to Venice to secure a contract with Piero, a young, cutting edge glass artist from an old Murano family. The British department store Didi works for wants a one of a kind piece for a Christmas window display, but Piero is suffering from an artistic slump. As the couple become better acquainted, their “achievable goals” begin to merge into a form neither expected. Another soothing love story.
Second Chances by Mary Balogh
This collection of four stories is anchored by the Bedwyn adjacent novella recounting the courtship of Eleanor Thompson, spinster sister of the Duchess of Bewcastle. It is by far the most substantial story in the collection. While I enjoyed the romance, I found the house party setting to be too reminiscent of the gathering that sealed Wulfric’s courting of Christine. The other three stories are shorter and slighter. Won’t reread.
The Unknown Ajax by Georgette Heyer
It has been many, many years since I’ve reread Heyer, but many of the books I‘ve been reading for comfort have been too flimsy to offer a solid refuge. Heyer is a complex and even difficult read at times. The very sight of her pages has a heft to it that current writing often lacks with its emphasis on screen friendly white space. While Unknown Ajax is undoubtedly a delightful romance, it is also an unmatched comedy of manners that uses humor to explore an often toxic family dynamic. Heyer’s grasp of human nature is dead accurate, and that’s what makes her descriptions and her dialog work so well despite the deliberately antique language. I know some find her writing problematical these days, but while I don’t enjoy all her work equally, few writers can better her best.
Silent Circuit by Celia Lake
This novel is the second in Lake’s Mysterious Fields trilogy and was pretty satisfying for a second series entry. The romance arc extends across the whole trilogy, but Lake doesn’t faff around with cliffhangers, bless her. I really like the dynamic between Thessaly and Vitus and especially the intersection of their talents and crafts. A couple of events are a bit more harrowing than is usual in Lake’s work, though they don’t dominate the action. There are deaths, and there is also some blatant abuse. Just thought I’d mention that, since the Albion books usually lean heavily into the cozy. I kind of appreciated the added edge, as the magic and social dynamics in some of Lake’s books can be fairly fuzzy around the periphery. I look forward to the release of the final book next month and the resolution of a trio of mysterious deaths.
The Co-op by Tarah DWitt
DNF @ 39%
Two grandmothers die and leave half ownership of their shared home to their respective grandkids, LaRynn and Deacon. The young’uns have a difficult past, dating back to high school, yet they eventually agree to a marriage of convenience in order to renovate their inheritance. I have three problems with this book. 1) The heroine comes across as whiny which seriously puts me off, despite or because of her crappy home life. 2) The story jumps back and forth between their teen years and the present, which in this case makes their adult selves seem unpleasantly kiddish. 3) Every so often the narratve suddenly descends into campaign-worthy word salad garnished by thesaurus croutons. Parts of speech exist for a reason. Ripped me right out of the story, it did.. So, if I only have a decade or so to read all the books, I shouldn’t waste my time on grammar abuse. Hence, DNF.
Neanderthal Seeks Ninja by Penny Reid
I finally downloaded the BookFunnel App so I could access all my freebies and non-Azn purchases. Sitting atop the pile was Neanderthal, which is essentially an annotated early version of Bananapants, which I’ve read. I kind of love this book despite the often difficult content. The MMC, Des, has severe bipolar disorder, which is under control at the time of the story, but there is much discussion of his particular complex of symptoms and related conditions, including suicidal ideation and an extremely graphic panic attack that happens on the page. Ava, the FMC, is his childhood BFF, whom he hasn’t seen in forever. Their slow relearning of each other is tender and often amusing; they share–not always willingly–a caper type adventure; and there’s rafts of found family action typical of The Knitting in the City series. Familiarity with the series is helpful, though not absolutely necessary to enjoy this book. The careful balance between intense romance, mental health discussions, and nerdy humor worked for me, and made this a genuine comfort read. IMO, nobody does kindness better than Penny Reid.
We’ll Always Have Venice by Leonie Mack
This is the sequel to A Match Made in Venice, but I don’t know if any others are planned. Both stand alone, but make a nice pair. Norah is the sister of the MFC in the earlier book. Recovering from a serious accident, a derailed academic career, and a horrible break-up, she takes a research position in Venice where she meets Gianluca, a craftsman and fellow nerd. Because Norah’s position is temporary, she and Gianluca are happy with their warm friendship, but their feels have other ideas. This is the epitome of a sweet, slow burn. The chemistry is the warm fizzy kind and the story has as much to say about family as it does about lurve. An excellent comfort read.
First Impressions by Nora Roberts
This is Roberts retread from 1984, and it shows. They’re drinking instant coffee by the second chapter, and at 25% she’s painting her front porch to the tunes on a portable radio. Not even a damn walkman. Rich women are draped in dead animals, and canned soup is heated on the stove. Also FMC offers MMC $5 an hour for skilled carpentry work. It feels weird to call it a contemporary, especially since current authors are producing new books larded with 80s nostalgia. This one is larded with Roberts’s favored locations and preoccupations. I did love the heroine though. She was constantly breaking into uncontrollable laughter at the drop of a hat. Such a great way to manage alph-hole tendencies. The book is well written, and while dated, is not particularly cringeworthy except for the love at first sight/lack of explicit consent conundrum. Lots of sexytimes too.
Snow Days with You by Leonie Mack
I sort of hated this book, and yet I think it’s one of her best. Thing is, snow and cold and survival at high altitudes is my recipe for all the nopes. I didn’t much care for the grief-stricken, directionless FMC either. Definitely not feisty, yet, nevertheless, she persisted. In the wake of her mother’s death, Luna finds herself the beneficiary of a stranger’s life insurance policy. Uncomfortable with this largesse, she impulsively heads for the French Alps in search of a stranger and a sense of connection. She meets up with a member of the French version of mountain rescue who is dealing with his own griefs. Still, Yanni is pretty damn’ adorable. There’s a lot of technical info about skiing, climbing, and mountain rescue and parts of this story are kind of harrowing. Unlike much of what I’ve been reading lately, Snow Days is not a comfort read, but it was well worth the persistence.
All Folked Up by Penny Reid
This novel was 477 pages long, and it was freakin’ interminable. Reid’s Winston Brothers and adjacent series are my least favorite of her work, due to criminality and angst swamping the humor. I had looked forward to this because I thought Isaac, the MMC, had considerable potential, but he and his sweetie, Hannah, bored the crap out of me. They had zip chemistry, and I never say that. The suspense subplot depended on a sketched in villain and served no purpose other than to place the heroine in jeopardy. Reid will always be an auto-buy for me, but I don’t expect to reread this one.
Wishing all y’all a Happy Thanksgiving. Hope you get to eat something wonderful and hug someone you love.
I finished Crooked Kingdom, the conclusion to the Six of Crows duology by Leigh Bardugo and enjoyed it, although it was a little too dark for me right now.
I picked up several books in the Diner Days queer romance series when they were on sale and have been enjoying them. It’s a multi author series set around an inclusive diner in Boston called Randy’s, featuring trans masc protagonists. The four I’ve read have been low conflict, high heat and fun, tropey fluff. They’re all pretty standalone – the first is Written at Randy’s by Katherine McIntyre.
I wanted to like One and Done by Frederick Smith a little more than I did. MM contemp romance between two 40-something Black gay professionals. I enjoyed getting to know both characters but I felt like the book fast forwarded over developing their emotional connection. And while this isn’t the most ridiculous portrayal of higher ed in Romancelandia that I’ve read, the descriptions of the accreditation process seemed so off, and so different than what I’ve experienced, that it kept taking me out of the story.
I’m impatiently waiting to read The Lotus Empire by Tasha Suri, the conclusion to the Burning Kingdoms trilogy. It just came out and I’m number 14 on my library’s waitlist. I love this immersive queer feminist epic fantasy series set in magical alt-India. I’m a bit worried it’s going to be too dark for me right now, but I’m still looking forward to it.
@PamG – Yes. 100% agree on Winston Brothers not being Reid’s best. Cletus was honestly my least favorite brother, so I’m kind of eh on his spinoff mystery series. Much prefer KITC, Elements of Chemistry, and Laws of Physics. Heck, I’ve re-read Dear Professor at least a couple of times. Bananapants was marvelous. Having said that, I enjoyed All Folked Up while I was reading it. I found Hannah to be appealingly competent and matter-of-fact. Would I read it again? I mean, maybe? But Bananapants – definitely yes!