Welcome back to Whatcha Reading! Here’s what we’re reading right now:
Lara: I am reading another bananas book: Tender Cruelty by Katee Robert. ( A | BN | K | AB ) It’s the next book in the Dark Olympus series and the tension is at a ten the whole time. I need to take breaks from the intensity of it!
Susan: I’m reading volume 3 of Stars of Chaos by priest (m/m steampunk in historical China) ( A | BN | K | AB ) and the main couple have kissed! There has been an acknowledgement of feelings!
I am only halfway through the book.
Claudia: Just finished The Governess and the Rogue by Mimi Matthews! ( A | BN | K | AB )
Okay, folks! Whatcha reading?
Last WAYR post I was in the midst of two very different books. So I ended up finishing Lake’s Claiming the Tower, but DNFing the hockey romance because I couldn’t hack the whole overprotective brother thing or the resultant continual lying. Moving on. . . .
Never Marry the Best Man by Julia Kent
I generally enjoy this author, but this fourth book in her series about Wedding Protectors did not work for me. I liked the MCs, I wanted to root for them, and that’s the only reason I finished this book. Start with a road trip, add a series of ridonkadonk coincidences. throw in a little Vegas marriage of convenience, and finish up with inflated trauma over the bride’s advanced age. Repeat the latter, ad infinitum. Ranney and Tom did not have a character arc; they had an endlessly looping repetitive argument about their age difference. But the worst part? Ranney’s daughter is relentlessly horrible about their relationship, and that’s on a loop as well. The shit this girl says is brutal and rage inducing and more suited to a spoiled teen than a grown assed adult. I expected a pleasant balance of romance and humor and got an angst level that rendered the HEA rushed and improbable.
A Winter Wedding Adventure by Leonie Mack
This romance (m/f) was a welcome palate cleanser after my last adventure in wedding shenanigans. In fact, I had to convene the Bad Decisions Book Club to finish it. Kira is an adventure guide in reluctant wedding planner guise, and she is the perfect amount of grumpy competence for sheltered operatic baritone Mattia. who sees the kind heart beneath her defenses. They are very different yet respond to each other’s subtler qualities from their first meeting. Watching them adapt and grow together against the fierce beauty of the Austrian Tyrol and the equally challenging run up to the wedding is just so good. Even though I usually hate a frigid winter setting, I absolutely loved this book,
The Rebound by Stefanie London
This novel is a short category romance set in Australia with a runaway bride plot. It’s well written, but I think I’m currently burnt out on wedding drama and rich people’s problems. Somewhere in chapter eleven I ditched the upmarket burlesque show, skipped to the last chapter to check out the ending (solid HFN), and called it quits. So, DNFish at 44%.
Ice Cold Boss by Olivia Hayle
It’s weird, but this author seems to be either a DNF or five stars for me. Mind you, I haven’t read that many of her books, but this second book in the Paradise Shores series really worked for me. Though the book began with an alcohol infused poor decision, it rapidly became obvious that both MCs were intelligent adults, and they wouldn’t be humiliated for the sake of cheap laughs. The story starts as a seemingly typical workplace romance between senior architect Henry and his new (overqualified) assistant Faye who is also an architect. However, underneath the serene competence and witty conversation between these two, the UST is real. Faye is honest, smart, and takes no guff, while Henry is remote but respectful and dedicated to his work. I adored this couple and appreciated their struggle to manage their workplace boundaries and take responsibility for their behavior. I also really liked the architectural background and the Marchand family dynamic. The book was well written, solidly constructed, and dealt honestly with serious issues. Recommended.
Love Walked In by Sarah Chamberlain
I loved this author’s first book and looked forward to this one. While it was well written and made of Pam catnip, the characters never quite sold me on the love story. Leo and Mari are both book people with problematic pasts. Mari is in London for a limited time to revitalize Leo’s family bookstore, and when they become lovers, they know there’s an end date. The protagonists had real obstacles to overcome, but the conventional denouement kind of sidestepped those issues with a little deus ex machina action. I think I needed the MCs to show their work. I like to see the personal growth, not hear about it after the fact. I don’t consider this a major flaw, but more of a me problem. I’ll be looking forward to reading more by this author.
Never Want to Sea You Again by Leonie Mack
This novella is a short turbulent trip on the ocean of instalove. In her haste to leave her dismissive Daddy’s superyacht, impulsive, barefoot Giovanna hides out on a smaller sailing yacht and finds herself an accidental stowaway surrounded by the Atlantic. The yacht’s owner, captain, and sole crew member is grumpy Damir, who is also engaged in a spitting match with Giovanna’s dad, aka his boss. Damir is not happy at the intrusion, and they spar (heh) quite a bit.. There’s quite a bit of sex for a book with such a low page count and not enough character or relationship detail for me. The sailing parts were my favorites. As a Mack fan, I found this novella to be kind of a let down.
Small Town Hero by Olivia Hayle
The final Paradise Shores romance is well written and enjoyable, but didn’t knock my socks off. I think I’m suffering from Richie Rich fatigue. Jamie returns to Paradise Shores with a six year old daughter and a crap tonne of baggage courtesy of her abusive ex. She finds a job waitressing at The Yacht Club, now owned by Parker Marchand, brother of her high school BFF and self-described recovering lawyer. Basically, the plot is Parker being perfect as Jamie slowly recovers her emotional footing, all seasoned liberally with sex. It was fine, just not as interesting to me as Henry’s and Rhys’s stories.
The Accidentals by Sarina Bowen
Thank you, @Kareni, for mentioning this in a recent WAYR post. I thought I had most of Bowen’s books, but I seem to have overlooked this YA delight. While there is a romance arc, it doesn’t dominate this story of a high school senior navigating the loss of her mother and negotiating a detente with the stranger who fathered her.The writing shows a delicate touch in dealing with both emotional complexity and human frailties. I loved how layered this story was and the way music is used to add nuance to Rachel’s experience of both grief and love. (CW for death, grief, and attempted sexual assault; think YA for mature teens)
Slow Burn by Oti Mabuse
This romance is set in the world of dance performance. Lira is a former champion who left the world of competitive dance thirteen years ago to manage her parents’ dance studio. Chance brings her to the attention of a noted choreographer, and she’s given the opportunity for a featured role in a stage show, based on her chemistry with Gabriele, a well-known Italian male dancer, especially while dancing her favorite Argentine Tango. While I enjoyed the dance background, I had two problems with this story. 1) The language seemed kind of stilted to me, which could have been due to its formality or to unfamiliar idioms. 2) With one huge exception, most of the obstacles faced by Lira and Gabriele just sort if melted away in a fairy tale-like manner. I think these are me problems, so ymmv.
Berlin Calling by Lilo Moore (Leonie Mack)
DNF @ 54%
This book is a bouncy, sexy tribute to Eurov*sion. Extreme optimist Rose is competing with surly Emil and his artist sister in the big song contest, but her performance style is pure wriggling golden retriever. She and Emil are also boning. Frequently. Rose is what manic pixie dreamgirl means to me–ruthlessly cheerful and filter free. I found her exhausting and inescapable as a narrator. I liked Emil, his sister Daria, and the large, diverse, supporting cast, as well as the glittery setting. However, when I realized how much I was struggling with the narrator’s relentlessly sunshiney voice, I hopped to the end and called it a day.
Madly: a New York Novel by Ruthie Knox
The first book in the New York trilogy, Truly, is one of my favorite romances ever. As a result, when the second book came out eight(!) years ago, I could not get past the first chapter. . . twice. It’s like I was so afraid of being disappointed that I couldn’t even begin to get into it. Lucky for me I tried again, and Knox came through for me as she always does. This story of a Wisconsin native and a British businessman meeting in New York is superb and has the best sex scenes–steamy, individual, and seamlessly integrated with conversations between the protagonists. And Allie and Winston have really good conversations. While this book works well as a standalone, If you haven’t read Truly, consider hunting it down and giving yourself a treat.
I’m still trucking along w/sister Frevisse mysteries by Margaret Frazer (a few more to go), WAR AND PEACE (at a slowish bit where Tolstoi is scolding Russian generals and thinkers for everything they got wrong about Napoleon’s invasion), and the occasional Ryder and Loveday mystery by Faith Martin. They don’t have much in common except all being historical. I clearly don’t want to be in the here and now.
I *am* listening to CLOSE KNIT by Jenny Colgan, part of her loosely connected series about a small airline company at the very Northern tip of Scotland. I mostly listen to it to nap (ah, cozy Scottish voices) but I’m enjoying it enough I may have to actively read it at some point. It’s light on romance, but pretty satisfying. I have a very low tolerance for American set small town romance/cozy fiction, but I am totally willing to suspend my disbelief for non-US settings, I admit it. Especially Scotland, which doesn’t get enough love compared to Ireland.
I have some newish things to try, but I won’t say anything b/c I don’t want to jinx it.
In order of happiness making:
There is a new KJ Charles and to no one’s surprise I am thrilled! It’s called ALL OF US MURDERERS and it’s *hilarious* although as always it probably helps to have read the books it’s inspired by. If you’ve even a passing familiarity with the Gothic genre this is unspeakably gratifying. I think even if you don’t, it would still be? It is scary, sort of, but not in ways that are too difficult for me, mostly thanks to our hero Zeb, who is phenomenal at puncturing the overwrought atmosphere. Also I am not claustrophobic and I am fine with spiders, and it seemed clear to me all along that there were not actually any ghosts although I am sure if I were ever in a house so horrible I would be crawling along the corridors because I am chickenshit. To stay under the notice of the ghosts, which, look I am not saying it makes sense, although if they float…. Anyway. New KJ Charles. Heaven, with a hellish atmosphere. Another extremely believable romance between two people that are far from perfect but perfect for one another. The romance is secondary to the mysteries but very central and open door.
I also enjoyed THE POTENCY OF UNGOVERNABLE IMPULSES by Malka Older, third in a series that would make a lot more sense in order, plus definitely spoilers for precious books. I dunno if I would have stuck with this one if I hadn’t read the others, it doesn’t have as much of the sapphic Holmesian dynamic that is what I am personally in it for. It’s still really good, but now that I am familiar with the world, well, it’s not as new, so it didn’t seem as groundbreaking. Anyway, if you’ve read haven’t read the first two (it’s Lesbian Sherlock in space mystery romance, what else could one want) definitely start there and if you have read them I can’t imagine any quibbles I had with this one could, nor should, deter you. I am definitely looking forward to a future book in which there are fewer academics. I’m not sanctioning murder, I’m just sayin.
I tore through a bunch of older Ginn Hale books that my library had acquired without my noticing. It’s very fan fic in structure, as in there is not much structure, and the writing is florid and kind of YA for my tastes. But sometimes I need extremely unchallenging reading, and even though it’s a lot of theoretically end of the world stakes magical danger, nothing bad is going to happen, certainly nothing that can’t be magicked right in the end. THE LORD OF THE WHITE HELL is the first in the series and I had read and enjoyed a few years ago despite YA but I hadn’t realized that THE CHAMPION OF THE SCARLET WOLF and MASTER OF RESTLESS SHADOWS were part of it too, so that was a nice distraction, especially since they take place after we’re done with high school (but magical boarding school with queer sex, which is apparently what I require to enjoy YA).
THE UNDERCUTTING OF ROSIE AND ADAM by Megan Bannen was…fine. I like the series, I do, it’s very cute. I just… hetero romance is increasingly inaccessible to me. Also, I don’t enjoy Duckers the way the author clearly assumes I am going to. I’m sure that’s a me problem and lots of people find him adorable. I know it would go against the compact of the cozy magical world for him to die tragically but in my headcannon he absolutely does, and I never had to hear him be a dick to the chef dude for idk why inconsistent plot reasons, unless it’s just because he’s, y’know, a dick. Or how he can’t mention Adam without mentioning his height like it was a personality trait or a fetish. While I am whinging about a perfectly nice book, I was also a little disappointed by Rosie’s lingerie. Again, probably just me but there was such a big deal made out of how she wears sexy lacy “high quality” things *just for her own pleasure* that by the millionth time I was told this I just flat out didn’t believe it, and then there were only like, two sets that kept getting described? Anyway. As far as hetero romance goes, the whole series is some of the best I have read in recent years, and I like the older characters (even if they don’t necessarily behave that way).
Finally a shout out to BLACK WOLVES OF BOSTON by Wen Spencer which I guess I am recommending even though it is not precisely good, I just personally am very here for werewolves in Boston. If that doesn’t sound utterly irresistible to you don’t bother, it’s wildly uneven and perfunctorily plotted and the characters are cartoonish. But werewolves! In Boston! And mercifully not omegaverse, although there’s no sex at all which is disappointing. My libraries don’t have the sequel(s?) which I absolutely would have read but am completely fine without.
Thinking ahead to Halloween, I’m leaning into the to paranormal romances right now.
Boy Toy (Man Hands Book 3) by Sarina Bowen and Tanya Eby (KU)
Romantic comedy brings together the divorced mother of toddler twins and her children’s daycare teacher that she also happened to babysit for when she was a college student. (He was old enough that he didn’t really need a babysitter at the time. He had younger siblings that were her primary responsibility.) I think he’s what people mean when they call the hero a cinnamon roll. The humor isn’t subtle, but the book overall is sweet, and I enjoyed it.
I read a couple of short stories published by Amazon. They were cute.
– Beautiful Nightmare (Scared Sexy) by Katee Robert (KU)
Sleep paralysis demon who is very bad causing the fear required for her job.
– My Boyfriends are all Monsters (Scared Sexy) by Kimberly Lemming (KU)
A hiking trip turns decidedly spooky after she makes a wish at an abandoned well.
Heated Rivals (The O’Malleys Book 2) by Katee Robert (KU)
Mafia romance, and while we are focused on the sister of the male lead from book 1, I don’t recommend this one as a standalone. This time we are following Carrigan O’Malley and James Halloran, the new head of his family. And, yes, the same James that kidnapped her in the last book. It’s complicated. Despite that, Carrigan and James are attracted to each other. Unfortunately, Carrigan’s dad wants to marry her off for political reasons, and James is not on the approved list, see events of previous book. It’s was good enough that I followed with the next book in the series.
Twisted Secrets (The O’Malleys Book 3) by Katee Robert (KU)
Mafia romance continues. This time it’s one of the middle O’Malley brothers (Cillian, the bookkeeper) who falls for a prickly bartender. But she’s got secrets! (Spoiler, she’s related to one of Carrigan’s suitors from the previous book.) When her past threatens her and her child, Cillian steps up to protect them. It entertained me. (And now I’m sad because Book 4 is not KU.)
Best Hex Ever: A Novel by Nadia El-Fassi (library)
I think I wasn’t in the right mood for this book, because there’s a lot of good things here, but it didn’t quite work for me. On the plus side: The female lead is a half-Moroccan, half-Welsh bi witch who owns a bakery in London. The male lead is a museum curator who wants to return artifacts in the British museum to their original homes. Our female lead is cursed such that bad things happen to her lovers, so she has sworn of relationships. Enter the hero, page left. So, why didn’t it work for me? I’ll try to explain it, but it will need spoilers.
– So, I think what bugged me was tied to the curse that heroine Dina was suffering from. At the beginning of the story, we are told that when she and her ex (Rory) broke up, she didn’t want to accept it and she cast a spell to get her and Rory back together. The spell backfired, and Rory got hurt. And for revenge, Rory cursed Dina so that all of the people who love Dina would get hurt. Dina believes that her mother could help her break the curse but that it would involve revealing to her mother that she’s bi, which she doesn’t want to do because her mom might be disappointed. And I’m sympathetic, but once people who love her start getting hurt she chooses her comfort over protecting them. That’s the definition of selfish. (I’d like to point at that there is no evidence that her mom would care about her sexuality beyond her mom’s assumption of her straightness and a comment about wanting to be a grandmother someday.) (Also, my “annoyingly immature” might be someone else’s “enjoyable character growth”.)
– The other thing that bugged me about the curse is that it is designed to only hurt people who are completely innocent of what Dina did to Rory. This meant that I spent most of the book kind of annoyed about the evil ex-girlfriend while Dina basically falls into instalove with a guy who is making her appreciate things about guys that she never cared about before. And that just rubbed me the wrong way, because I kept wondering “is the author subconsciously making some sort of heteronormative argument here? date a girl and get cursed. date a guy and enjoy your submissive sexuality.” Which isn’t really supported by the rest of the book, which has positive LGBTQ+ elements, including a background character who works in the heroine’s cafe that uses they/them pronouns and the hero having two moms. But, the big reveal is that (**actual spoiler incoming**) it wasn’t Rory who cursed Dina, rather Dina cursed herself out of guilt for what she’d done to Rory. And that changes the dynamic with the curse and the ex, and I think that if I’d realized that earlier, it would have changed may relationship with the characters and the book. But as it is, I’d already spent so much of the book annoyed at things that I’m still annoyed. (YMMV.)
– Another thing that kind of bugged me is how the author incorporated elements of Moroccan culture, like she mentions traditional foods in a couple of places, which should be great, but since I don’t know what these things are already and I couldn’t tell very much from context. I felt like I was being given homework rather than insight.
– Speaking of instalove annoyances. They’ve been dating for less than a month. Why is she his emergency contact at work? Why not his moms who are about an hour away? Why not his best friend, the one that he regularly goes rowing with. You know, the one whose wedding weekend was half the book?
Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood
This YA romance set in the world of professional chess was a reread. The first time around I remember being annoyed by some of the more manipulative aspects of the hero, thinking that it was a little dark for something being marketed for YA. This time around, they didn’t bug me as much. Perhaps I was too harsh before? Not that the hero is perfect, but this time it felt more like Miles Vorkosigan awkwardly trying way too hard in A Civil Campaign than a dark stalker romance.
Love Bites (Tails from the Alpha Art Gallery Book 1) by Cynthia St. Aubin (KU)
Love Sucks (Tails from the Alpha Art Gallery Book 2) by Cynthia St. Aubin (KU)
Romcom with paranormal elements that I picked up because it was recently positively reviewed on this site. I absolutely agree with SaraGale’s comment “And how does Hanna even function in the real world?” But, it was funny.
The Wolf King’s Mate (Marked Beneath the Moon Book 1) by Lola Glass (KU)
Do you like werewolves, and are you cool with fated mates and kidnapping, because that is what this book has going for it. It was light on world building, and while it seems the world knows that werewolves exist, it doesn’t seem to have any real impact on popular culture, down to the books on the shelves being taking from today’s bestsellers. It was fine and I may read more in the series.
To Run with the Wild Hunt: A Fae Fated Mates Dark Fantasy Romance (Monsters of Faery)
by Mallory Dunlin (KU)
MMF Why Choose monster erotica romance novella featuring the lord of hunt, one of his hounds, and a mortal woman discovering that they are soulmates. This one is short and not terribly complicated, so if you like fangs, spines, antlers, and blood and such, maybe it will work for you?
I’m reading DEFENDING THE GALAXY by Maria V. Snyder, which is a young adult sci-fi novel.
Also waiting on my TBR pile are IT HAD TO BE YOU by Eliza Jane Brazier and JEWEL ME TWICE by Charish Reid.
I’m also looking forward to diving into some holiday romances and all the holiday movies on Hallmark, Lifetime, Netflix, etc. I can’t believe it’s mid-October already. Where has the year gone???
Hello, my friends!
I have had a couple great weeks of reading, which I really needed, because . . . I don’t need to explain the exhaustion of peopling the people who act like people.
I am forcing myself to not just read the latest Kindle offering, but to invest in better books that I have been saving for a rested day. There will be no rested day.
Not surprisingly, I like the books more, even if they take a little more out of me.
GRIM’S DELIGHT Abigail Kelly — contemporary fantasy romance/urban fantasy M/F — great book! I have enjoyed this whole series. Complex emotional development, lots of action, strong, powerful, smart women, good spice level — just fantastic. Also finished BURDEN’S BONDS, also highly recommend. If you have not read Kelly’s New Protectorate series or the latest New Protectorate Syndicate series, get them now. You will thank me in two weeks.
This site did a post about short kings, which led me to BED ME, EARL by Felicity Niven. Excellent historical M/F with a tall woman and short man — what a great book! I liked the fact that they were really into each other, but that they had to figure some things out about themselves and each other before it could work. And that she was his savior in many ways, because she was so good at running an estate and handling finances. Deeply satisfying. Thanks for the recommendation — I am going to check out other books by this author.
Finally, would someone please bring K.J. Charles some chocolates and a bottle of wine? Or whatever other treats this literary god requires to continue her work? A NOBLEMAN’S GUIDE TO SEDUCING A SCOUNDREL was just fantastic. M/M historical. All I can say is “Thank you!”
It’s a long weekend here in the States, so extra happy reading to all and sundry! Looking forward to everyone’s recommendations. 🙂
Sasha Avice was a new-to-me writer when, earlier this year, I basically inhaled her Contested Possession of m/m romances (especially the last one, WE WERE NEVER LOVERS, which is on my list of favorite reads of 2025), so I was thrilled to see she had just released a new book, ON THE LAND, WE SHOOT STRAIGHT, which I devoured just as quickly as I had her earlier books. ON THE LAND, WE SHOOT STRAIGHT is a historical romance set on a farm/ranch in what I assume is the Australian Outback (Avice admits that she is deliberately vague about the geographical location) in the early 1980s. Let me say right now that the idea of labeling a book “historical” when it’s set in a time not only after I had finished high school but had also finished college was a chastening moment, but the book itself is so good, I forgave it for pointing out that I’m old, lol. The story is told in third-person exclusively from the viewpoint of Grady, a farmer/rancher who lives in the farm house he inherited from his father. Although married, Grady is content to live alone while his wife (an attorney) lives in town and visits occasionally. When Cole, the youngest son of a large family who lost their farm through mismanagement, comes looking for work as a hand, Grady’s initial impulse is to refuse, but there’s something about Cole that seems to call to Grady, and so Grady offers Cole room & board, but can’t pay any wages. Cole seems content with that—and the two men settle into an existence defined by the hard work of running a ranch. Avice does a wonderful job of showing their working life: harvesting, mending fences, herding cows, lambing, sheep shearing. Parts of the book reminded me of Rachel Ember’s Wild Ones series where interaction with animals is an essential part of life: if you like books where animals become secondary characters, ON THE LAND, WE SHOOT STRAIGHT has two dogs and two horses who each have their own personalities and completely own the scenes where they appear (it was no surprise to me that Avice dedicated the book to the memory of her late horse). From his first appearance, it is obvious that something bad has happened to Cole in the past. Grady has heard bits and pieces of Cole’s family’s story—but it takes him a long time to put two-and-two together: readers will undoubtedly figure things out before Grady himself does. Beyond the slowly-evolving relationship between Grady & Cole, there is another thread running under the main story of ON THE LAND, WE SHOOT STRAIGHT and that is the idea that “straight” men, finding themselves in an area with very few women, will “help each other out”: in the book, we witness Grady having quick, utterly meaningly encounters with other men, just getting a physical release with absolutely no emotion attached. For all intents and purposes, Grady considers himself straight—even after he and Cole begin a relationship that eventually evolves from “helping each other out” to genuine romance (although the guys start fucking fairly early in the book, it is well past the 50% point before they actually kiss). As with Cole’s backstory, readers will clearly see long before Grady does that Grady has fallen in love with Cole. I found ON THE LAND, WE SHOOT STRAIGHT a fabulous read—especially recommended if you like angsty hurt/comfort romances and will not be upset by Cole’s eventually revealed backstory (if you’re concerned, please read the content warnings first). Highly recommended.
A BREATH OF LIFE is the latest installment in Nicky James’s Shadowy Solutions series of romantic-suspense novels featuring boyfriends and private-eye business partners, Diem Krause and Tallus Domingo. Diem and Tal are now living together and (at least part-time) working together—but it’s not all hearts and flowers: although the guys love each other, Diem is still processing the trauma of his childhood—and, despite therapy and various interventions, some of his coping mechanisms (alcohol, tobacco) are not healthy. Tal, meanwhile, can be both bratty and self-absorbed. I really like how James allows her MCs to be imperfect people who, nonetheless, love and want to be better for each other. A BREATH OF LIFE begins with a situation that would be characterized as “no good deed goes unpunished”: while out for a walk one evening, Diem & Tal help a man who has been stabbed and severely beaten. Close to death, the man hands the guys a playing card made of expensive gems and begs them to get rid of it. After the ambulance takes the man away, Diem (who hates the police and anything requiring him to deal with them) is all for throwing the card in the trash, but Tal sees the potential for a big payout (which is confirmed when a jeweler acquaintance later appraises the card for five figures). However, the two men can decide what to do, Diem is kidnapped by some very scary guys who not only want the playing card but want Diem to find the man who gave it to him. A BREATH OF LIFE sets a hectic pace and is extremely violent in parts (I’d say it has the most on-page violence of the entire Shadowy Solutions series so far); the book also churns up the anxiety as Tal must enlist the help of friends (including his cousin Costas who, inevitably, brings along Detective Valor from James’s Valor & Doyle series) to rescue Diem and bring down the baddies. For all it’s violence and tension, the ending of A BREATH OF LIFE is very sweet: Diem and Tal are closer than ever, and Diem contemplates addressing his problems with alcohol (will Doyle be the one to help him? Signs point to yes). You can’t jump into Shadowy Solutions with A BREATH OF LIFE; this is a book with characters that really make no sense unless you’ve been with them from the beginning. I highly recommend A BREATH OF LIFE, but don’t start here.
I had mixed about The Rivals of Casper Road by Roan Parrish. I felt like the inciting incident reflected immaturity by one of the leads, and the third act breakup felt flimsy (I don’t mind a third act breakup, but I think it needs to have a reason behind it besides the editor wanting a third act breakup). I did think the backstory of one of the leads was interesting though and I don’t think that particular side of it is very explored even within genres where that story is more common (I.e. mystery/thriller).
Otherwise I’ve been having a good reading month. I loved Death in the Spires by K J Charles and The Hymn to Dionysus by Natasha Pulley, and I really enjoyed getting caught up with the October Daye series (I’ve read Sleep no More, The Innocent Sleep and Silver and Lead over the last week).
I just finished OVERDUE by Stephanie Perkins, who’s known and loved for her YA book Anna and the French Kiss and its sequels. True story, immediately after I finished Anna, I turned to my spouse and told him we HAD to visit Paris (we went the following year, LOL).
OVERDUE was just released and I think has flown under the radar, but it’s an absolutely lovely book. I think it’s the author’s first adult romance. The romance is very slow burn but beautiful. The story follows a woman who met her first and only boyfriend in college. They are now about to turn 30 and they know they are stuck but neither understands what is wrong. Since they have no experience dating outside of each other, they decide to take a one month break to see other people. Needless to say, this radical action is the catalyst for the FMC to completely change her life. It’s messy and emotional and so achingly real. Plus, the FMC initially works in a library, then decides to open a bookstore and her love of books is a driving force in the story.
I am currently reading Martha Wells’ QUEEN DEMON, it is so very very good. I love this world and the main characters, and I know I’m going to have a bad book hangover. I’ll probably finish it today despite reading slowly to savor. This is a second book in what I hope will be a trilogy at least, and I’d strongly recommend reading WITCH KING first – because it’s also an amazing book.
Two non-romances that will be on my best of the year list: first, Hallie Rubenold’s STORY OF A MURDER. This is about the murders committed by Hawley Crippen in the late 19th and early 20th century, but as with her book on the victims of Jack the Ripper, Rubenold focuses on the women whose lives were cut short, particularly the way in which their stories were stolen and misrepresented, particularly his second wife/victim, Belle Elmore (I didn’t know before reading this that he probably murdered his first wife and completely abandoned their son). She also writes about Crippen’s accomplice Ethel Le Neve, who got to play the lovelorn victim while stealing Belle Elmore’s clothes, money, and jewelry.
Second was Daniele Cybulskie’s HOW TO LIVE LIKE A MONK, which is not a spiritual or religious book, but a guide to mindfulness and minimalism. I always learn something from her podcast, The Medieval Podcast. and she had an episode recently, drawing from her book, talking about how some of these practices (like gardening, spending time outside, reading books, being in community) can guide or anchor us in today’s anxiety and chaos (she is from Canada). I appreciated the beautiful illustrations, and it made me want to re-read Cadfael yet again.
As always, I’m looking forward to reading about other people’s reading!
@Big K I will join you in your KJ Charles support campaign! I have her newest ALL OF US MURDERERS, and I can’t decide if I should read it next or save it to savor it.
I totally triggered the Bad Decisions Book Club for Abby Jimenez’ LIFE’S TOO SHORT. She turned the angst up by a factor of ten for YouTube travel creator Vanessa and buttoned-down lawyer Adrian. Always on the move Vanessa has been temporarily grounded when she takes over care for her sister’s newborn. Adrian is the neighbor whose style is being cramped by the screaming baby next door. Let’s all admit there are few things sexier than a man who turns out to be a baby whisperer. Our neighbor had a croupy baby. She and my mother would take turns all day trying to ease the suffering and get him to settle. My dad would get home from work, hear the screaming when he got out of the car, walk next door, and take the baby. Sleeping baby in five minutes. Every. Time. My mother said they’d have stabbed him if they weren’t so damn grateful. Hand him any fussy, crying baby and he’d hand you a sleeping baby five minutes later. Pretty sure it’s why we have my baby brother… Anyhow. Vanessa has been living like there’s no tomorrow because she’s pretty sure she doesn’t have one due to a genetic sword hanging over her head. Adrian is a workaholic with a snarky assistant who is trying to get him to have a life, including one aggressive geriatric chihuahua foster. They both have complicated (understatement) family relationships. Assumptions are made that lead to heartbreak, but this is Abby Jimenez, so all comes right in a wonderful, hopeful way. I was up way too late and then had to try to fall sleep with clogged sinus’ because I wept. Wept.
Finished Kelley Armstrong’s WRITING MR RIGHT this morning. I’m so used to the dark and suspenseful from her that it took a couple chapters to realize that this was going to be emotional mayhem rather than bloodshed. Recently divorced Gemma has just published her first romance novel. Her Alphole hero bears a more than passing resemblance to her school crush, hockey star Mason, who delivered a blow her tender heart can’t forget. They are reunited in a gotcha tv interview orchestrated by a mean girl former classmate. It doesn’t go the way she expects as Mason is lovely with Gemma. So much so that they become a trending hashtag. The way Armstrong develops their renewed friendship and has them confront their past mistakes is both realistic and gripping. There is believable growth for them individually and as a couple. I don’t usually use the term “rooting for” but even knowing there as a HEA in the offing, I was still rooting for it. The chapter where Mason reads the book is amazing. He is mystified that Laird Argyle is the hero of her book. He a total asshole. And why is the heroine such a doormat? Surely newly introduced Lilia, full of Gemma’s sass and take no bullshit personality is the heroine, but no? Realization that it isn’t just his physical appearance that inspired Laird Argyle is a real blow. So many themes!! The aging athlete, childhood trauma, lingering teenage angst, loss of self, toxic ex. The best part? Adult conversations, adult responses. I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!
Currently reading LONG LIVE EVIL from Sarah Rees Brennan, but I just don’t know… The premise is great: terminally ill girl gets a chance to be cured if she survives the fantasy book series her sister has been reading to her. Maybe my brain can’t handle the ever-growing cast of characters? But I read
Tolkien and Herbert. I read The Psy/Changling series, and The Black Jewels andThe Guardians. So how could it be that? The writing is engaging. Descriptive without being flowery. The characters are interesting… Going to keep plugging away.
Also started spooky reading season with INK BLOOD SISTER SCRIBE by Emma Torzs. Two sisters, Joanna, guardian to a secret room full of secret spell books written with blood ink. Esther always on the move, mandated by her father to change locations every November 2 or be found by whatever killed her mother. Now one of the books has killed their father, and it’s November 4 and Esther hasn’t moved on from her job in Antartica. Oh, and Esther has smelled a spell in the air and found blood magic on the station mirrors…
Whoooo……
I DNFed a couple of books this time before landing on a couple I enjoyed. Probably will return to some of the DNFs; they just seemed too slow when I wanted more energy from characters and stories.
I’ve read a few books by Lynn Painter but don’t have any lasting memories of most of those reads– HAPPILY NEVER AFTER is the exception. I suspect ACCIDENTALLY AMY, a light and mildly amusing story, will fall into larger group of Painter novels I’ve read, enjoyed in the moment, and promptly forgotten. The FMC of ACCIDENTALLY AMY (named Izzy, but also known as Amy at times because of what happens in the opening meet-cute scene) and the MMC, Blake, spend a lot of the novel texting and calling each other to share quirky banter based on a lot of in-jokes. Both are described as competent professionals (he’s a VP-level executive and she’s a human resource specialist), and I think I would have liked to have seen a little bit more of their work lives in exchange for considerably less quirkiness. I didn’t consider DNFing, but this isn’t a book I’m likely to reread.
I liked BACKHANDED COMPLIMENTS, the first novel by Katie Chandler. This is also the first novel I’ve read that uses the “soulmarks” trope– in this case, referring to characters who can see the name of their soulmate physically visible on their wrists. I think the rivals-to-friends-to-lovers story could have been told without the magical realism, but it was used in some interesting ways at times– like the MCs observing soulmarks on ancient Roman statues during a visit to a museum and reflecting on how difficult it would have been to locate your soulmate in a time of no social media. The MCs in this F/F sports romance are both 24-year-old pro tennis players and competitors in matches that begin at the Australian Open and end at the U.S. Open, with several other tournament venues contributing to the plot as well. Luca is Croatian, anxious at times, and annoyed that she’s constantly described as “Lucky Luca” rather than getting full acknowledgement of her athletic skills. Juliette is Italian, has two sisters who are also highly ranked players on the women’s pro tennis tour, is coached by her sometimes overly critical father, and has had little success when she’s playing against Luca. Chandler’s descriptions of tennis matches were thrilling—I thought she did very well at recounting how it feels to play each point of a tennis match at the highest level. The many ups and downs of the relationship between these soulmates were well conveyed also, and the spicy scenes included plenty of focus on the romance and emotions and not just the mechanics.
In the past few days, I’ve read four of the six Amazon Original novellas in the new “Scared Sexy” series. I especially enjoyed HOT FOR SLAYER by Ali Hazelwood (a vampire and her slayer are forced to spend time together), FALLING by Christina Lauren (woman meets an intriguing stranger at a party), and SPACE VAMPIRE by Ruby Dixon (a human and an alien hybrid are trapped on a space station). I wasn’t as pleased with SPICY LITTLE CURSES by J.T. Geissinger (journalist searches for info about a mysterious New Orleans tattoo artist), a quick read that had a lot of repetitive elements. Two more to go, so I guess I’ll add those comments in the next WAYR.
Still in re-reading mode – right now the Long Con series by Amy Lane – currently on book 2 The Muscle which is one of my favorites because MMC Grace is so chaotic neutral and I love it.
Non-fic that I just finished that was amazing: Girl on girl : how pop culture turned a generation of women against themselves by Sophie Gilbert. I think this resonates particularly well with millennials because we grew up in the 90s/aughts, but this was really interesting.
And lastly T. Kingfisher since it is spooky month – Nettle and Bone, which is creepy but also might have a cute little romance that I am starting to get excited for 🙂
CROCODILE TEARS and GHOST EYE, books 1 and 2 of I Xanthe Walter’s Dark Water series. The setting is a future world in which rising seas drowned a lot of the world. The new social order required those from the destroyed areas to choose between indentured servitude or a soggy, desperate existence in the lost zones. Indentured servitude as also used to punish criminals. The characters are Josiah, a detective and Alex, a young man accused of murder. Both have tragic backstories and neither of them seemed very likeable to me at first. I warmed up to Josiah first and, about half-way through the 1st book, I could guess more of Alex’s story and he made more sense to me. I’m half-way through the second book, which continues from book 1 as Josiah tries to solve the murder. He knows Alex is hiding something and it knocks Josiah for a loop.
The 1st book was dark (indentured servitude + substance abuse + guilt for having done bad things + loss of close family members) but the second book is much darker. The villain introduced in book 1 turns out to be on the extreme end of the antisocial personality disorder spectrum. Never a good thing but especially bad when paired with the screwed up indentured servitude system.
Lots of meaningless sex and some romance in Josiah’s flashbacks (both characters’ back stories are revealed in many flashbacks)., but he and Alex are growing closer. I want to find out what happens but these are hard to recommend because there are so many triggers. They remind me a little of some of Chani Lynn Feener’s or Onley James’ books with their vigilante serial killers getting happy endings.
I’ve been re-reading Shelly Laurenston’s Honey Badger and Pride series. I was really looking forward to the latest Honey Badger novel TO KILL A BADGER. But I was hoping to see more of the OG Honey Badger Squad. This book has a lot of the hero and heroine teaming up with another honey badger posse, who I am calling the GenX Honey Badgers. And while those ladies are fun,and very much my contemporary age group, I kinda feel like I missed out on a Nelle and Keane team-up with Nelle’s basketball teammates and Keane’s brothers. It was fun but not what I was hoping for. But looking forward to the next book by Laurenston, which I believe is going to be a prequel about those GenX Honey Badgers.
Laurenston’s humor and violence is just what I need right now. I’m angry but exhausted,and super busy at my job. My brain isn’t up for processing new stories. Diving into comfort reads is all I can handle.
After I finish revisiting the Pride novels, I think I’ll re-read the Crows. And then maybe her G.A. Aiken Dragon Kin. series. Annwyl the Bloody is my spirit character right now. I have daydreamers of raining down vengeance on those evil fuckers terrorizing my country. Maybe not the healthiest mindset, but it helps my relax and get some sleep.
Over the past two weeks ~
— enjoyed Dot Slash Magic by Liz Shipton which my library has categorized as fantasy. A young woman in her early twenties returns to San Diego at the urging of her parents and enrolls in the local community college in exchange for an uncle’s boat in which she lives. She begins to witness magic and is strongly encouraged to join a club to learn to manage her own newly manifesting magic which she does by writing an app. This is the rare book that surprised me several times; I am now curious to see what other books this author has written.
— enjoyed a reread of Kensho by Lyn Gala. This is a fine collection of spin off stories from the author’s Claimings series.
— finished a variety of author provided epilogues, stories, and novellas that range from highly enjoyable to barely memorable. They are contemporary, historical, and fantasy; all are LGBT romance.
Bells are Ringing, Redressed, and 2022 Holiday Epilogues by Cat Sebastian
Arrows by KL Noone
Love, Isidor by Nell Iris
Ghostly Investigations by Edward Kendrick
Shore Leave by Ellie Thomas
PictaBook by Ofelia Grand
Bomber’s Moon by Paul Alan Fahey
— enjoyed Morbidly Yours by Ivy Fairbanks which is a contemporary romance set in Ireland. The lead characters are a visiting American working as an artistic director and a mortician who needs to marry in the next six months in order to keep his family’s funeral home. The former, a recent widow not interested in remarrying, decides to help the second find a suitable partner. I hope to read more by this author. (Content alert for forthright mortuary details)
— read Little Bird of Heaven by Joyce Carol Oates for my book group. I found this an unsettling read and cannot say that I enjoyed it. The book has two focal characters, a preteen girl and a young teen boy when the story starts. They become linked when their fathers are considered persons of interest in the death of the boy’s mother with whom the girl’s father was having an affair.
— enjoyed Fool’s Gold by Celia Lake which is a historical romance fantasy set in a 1920ish world in which some have magic. What is particularly interesting is that the female lead is the third woman in her family line who can only be seen by family members (including distant cousins); the male lead, however, can see her. She works for her banking family; he is a skilled artist who dabbles in selling and in forgery. And there is a dragon!
— enjoyed another book by Celia Lake, Wards of the Roses. This book is set in the nineteen twenties; the female lead is one of the magical Guard while the male lead is a mathematician who was blinded in the war. He chooses her from amongst several candidates to assist him on a project he has been asked to undertake; a manor house has suddenly reappeared after disappearing for some centuries.
— A recent blog post on book inscriptions reminded me of this book, Forgotten Bookmarks: A Bookseller’s Collection of Odd Things Lost Between the Pages by Michael Popek. For the past year or so, I’ve been collecting things that I’ve found in books, so I probably enjoyed this more than my first read in 2013. It took me about an hour.
@PamG ~ I’m pleased to know that you also enjoyed Sarina Bowen’s The Accidentals. Heading off now to investigate some of your recommendations.
PamG, thank you for reminding me about Ruthie Knox’s romances–I loved them, especially the series you mention, but really all of them.
I’ve missed so many of these WAYR posts, but I just retired on Thursday!!! and am looking forward to having more time to yack about books.
The last days of trying to get my job organized for someone else to take over were hell and I couldn’t sleep–I’d been in that job 36 years (it changed a lot over time, moving from running one program to 4.5, which is how I managed to stay interested that long, plus the wonderful staff, faculty, and especially students I got to work with.
Anyway, there is a point to this, and that is that I got happily lost in SenLinYu’s ALCHEMISED. Yes, it was violent, dark, had horrific parts and horrible villains, but the main characters were fascinating and I enjoyed the length because I could get truly lost in it. I had read MANACLED, the Dramione fanfic that was the seed of this, but wow so much was changed that it truly was like reading a new book and it felt original to me.
I also am reading a lot of Celia Lake. I like the feel of her books so much. I can see why they don’t click with some people but they sure do for me.
Other recent top reads for me:
• Hannah Bonam-Young, PEOPLE WATCHING
• T. Kingfisher, HEMLOCK & SILVER
• Ali Hazelwood’s PROBLEMATIC SUMMER ROMANCE
• Jessica Joyce’s THE EX-VOWS
• Lily Chu’s THE STAND-IN
• Georgette Heyer, VENETIA
• Loretta Chase, DON’T TEMPT ME
• Loretta Chase, YOUR SCANDALOUS WAYS
@kkw – I enjoyed All Of Us Murderers, even though I don’t read Gothics at all. I probably missed some of the references, but a lot of the staples of the genre are just part of pop culture now so I wasn’t lost.
I also read Every Step She Takes by Alison Cochrun.
4.5 stars – Sapphic romance while walking the Camino. Once again I sobbed my way through the end of this so-called rom-com. I just really resonated with both MCs and how they grew during the course of the story.
Well, let’s see. My reading has admittedly been curtailed by the fact that I have the AC Shadows DLC (Claws of Awaji) and Hades 2, and BOY ARE THEY FUN.
But…I started things off with Soul Searching by Lyla Sage. I liked the characters a lot, and it was actually an interesting study of depression and its effects, but it was oddly plotless. Also, I’m not normally weirded out by sex scenes, but uh, that was some weird shit to do with certain fluids. Just sayin’. Then I jumped into The Astral Library by Kate Quinn, which I cannot say enough good things about. It was the dream of every library kid, and it was funny and fast-moving and chock-full of everything you’ve ever loved about libraries. Which brings us to now, in which I’m like 6 pages into And Now Back To You. I’m hoping for funny and sweet, which is what this book seems to promise. So until next time, I hope it’s cooling off wherever you are.
Still can’t get over how many new books you people read in a month! I found an old Rhys Bowen (Royal spyness) in a charity shop and it was OK. Then caught a cold so fell back on comfort reads: Jane Austen (esp Mansfield Park) and a couple of spinoffs purporting to be diaries by Georgiana Darcy. Forgettable but fun.
Continuing my Barbara Michaels marathon. So far:
– Vanish with the Rose: 3.5/5 on the BM scale (old roses and gardening, the love interest collects large dogs, there might be ghosts)
– Houses of Stone: 3/5 (Most frustrating BM heroine so far. She’s inexplicably rude to people and constantly lectures her friends. Anyway, really creepy stone house in a small Southern town.)
– The Sea King’s Daughter: in progress, the mystery of the Minoan shipwrecks is very intriguing
BROOD by Claire Kent – a young woman born in a post-apocalyptic bunker is anticipating marriage to a childhood friend when she is suddenly reassigned to a childless widower.
TRADE by Cate C Wells – a childless woman (late 30s) living in a post-apocalyptic bunker is divorced by her cheating husband, who has impregnated his affair partner. This places her in the pool of unattached women who are pimped out by the bunker’s leadership to “outsiders” in exchange for goods the bunker cannot produce.
Both of these novellas are part of the After the End Kickstarter collection, whose physical books are going to be published two to a volume in tête-bêche format. After reading the ebooks, I checked which stories would be paired and was deeply disappointed to see that these two won’t share a binding. They’re perfect inverses of each other, from the women’s marital status to the flipped age gaps (the MMC in the Wells is much younger than the FMC). These books belong together!
Unfortunately, neither made for particularly great romance reading, being more focused on politics and female rage (gee, I wonder why?) than with romantic emotional connection. Good stories? Yes, though the Wells was brutal. Romantic? Enh, not so much.
And speaking of female rage…I had to DNF the audiobook of HOW FREAKING ROMANTIC by Emily Harding because the narrator was emoting too much anxiety for me. Fortunately (because I loved the chemistry between the protagonists and wanted moar now), my library came through with an ebook a couple of days later. The FMC is angry about everything, which I think was meant to validate women’s right to be loud, unapologetic, and expressive, but it didn’t work for me because the FMC keeps violating friendship boundaries without ever apologizing. The book opens with her storming unsolicited into her divorcing friend’s ex’s lawyer’s office to figuratively nail his balls to the wall for daring to include spousal support in the filing. “Unapologetic” shouldn’t mean “unable to acknowledge the damage she’s potentially doing to people she supposedly cares about.” It’s really NOT all about you, Bea.
On a happier audiobook note: I’ve been revisiting Susie Tate’s backlist via audiobook, and was delighted to discover that the female narrator for the UNPERFECT/UNWORTHY/UNWANTED trilogy is Billie Fulford-Brown (credited here as Zara Hampton-Brown). Brown’s narration of Lucy Parker’s ACT LIKE IT is a monthly repeat for me (both for the quality of the story and the performance). It’s a bit like having Lainie Graham read a book to me, since Brown’s voice is forever coded as that character. And that appears to be Brown’s only drawback as a narrator: she is perfectly capable of creating distinct voices for female side characters, but when the side character moves on as the protagonist in her own book, Brown employs her default voice (which is lovely, but it makes everyone Lainie).
I forgot to post last time, so I have quite a bit to write…
FRIGHT ON STAGE RIGHT – GB Ralph. New Zealand set cosy mystery with a side of closed-door m/m romance. They remind me of Josh Lanyons Pirate’s Cove series in a few ways – but Lanyon’s series is frankly speaking the better one. Still, Ralph’s Milverton series is a nice cosy diversion in a crazy world. This one took a fairly long time to get to the murder, and the solution was not one could have figured out, and it felt a little rushed at the end. Overall, I feel this book could have been better balanced.
Then I went into an old school Signet Regency Romance binge! I came across Gail Eastwood’s An Unlikely Hero, found it a soothing read in crazy times, though it is not totally perfect, and continued with a few more of her books. Regency Romance was my gateway to romance and for a long time most of what I read in romance, but I don’t think I’ve read any books by Eastwood before, at least none rang a bell. But they are absolutely the kind of romance I was gobbling up as a teen. So here’s what I read:
AN UNLIKELY HERO – this was quite delightful, with a few more serious undertones. Houseparty shenanigans with the goal of marrying twin sisters off. The hero is the twins’ brother’s best friend and not there with the goal marrying one of the girls: he’s cash-strapped, bookish and “only” a viscount. Though it’s never said, I think the brother did have the idea at the back of his head that his friend would be a perfect husband candidate and of course he gets the girl in the end. I liked this one, definitely a beta hero, but one who comes through for his love interest when needed. There are a few things though that I would have liked to have seen fleshed out more, like the secondary romance (which I did see sort of coming), how the other sister emancipates herself from being protected too much by her siblings – and how the hero goes from not wanting to marry (he has reasons that are explained but they remain kind of diffuse) to going for it anyway. Also there are a lot of interesting side characters at the house-party that I would have liked to have seen fleshed out a bit more.
A PERILOUS JOURNEY – this is the story of Gillian, the sister of Gilbey, hero of An Unlikely Hero and takes place before that book. But both can easily be read on their own. This a road trip romance with Gillian and Gilbey fleeing their uncle who has marriage ideas for Gillian that she doesn’t want. A nobleman helps them and well… an adventurous plot ensues and love happens. This was again a cute read. Also in all of these books – no sex because no sex actually happens. There’s attraction and sexual tension, but that’s it.
THE PERSISTANT EARL – this one has a wounded military hero with a bad reputation, and a widowed heroine who it turns out is being hounded by a secret – and a baddie. Again, does what it says on the tin. My major quibble here is, the the hero turns out to be not as bad in person as his reputation (of course!) and there are reasons as to how he got said bad reputation – which to me seem very thin and he could have easily fought those. This whole bit of his backstory did not quite make sense and was in the end just hand-waved away. As for the baddie going after the heroine, in this case it turned out to be that tired old cliché “because he was mad”. Duh. Up to that bit at the very end, I found the book engaging, but really… that one could easily have been done better. Also, the author seems to disregard basic inheritance law regarding the baddie, which again seemed lazy.
THE MAGNIFICENT MARQUESS – Again, this one was mostly fun to read, except for one truly TSTL idea the heroine has and actually puts in motion – and the baddie’s motivation. The heroine is not TSTL otherwise and at the end, when the baddies get her, she mostly saves herself before the hero turns up, but that one thing she did was just *facepalm*. I hadn’t seen the baddie coming, I admit. I had thought for a moment “could it bee….” but then again, no. Anyway, the reason for him doing all those dastardly things was only given at the very end and it was another old cliché – mainly his being gay and jealous. Ugh, ugh, ugh. At least he was not portrayed as your usual clichéd gay man, I’ll give the author that, but yes, that ending again felt like at the other book’s end, like a lazy way out – with added homophobia. The author could easily have found another explanation for his behaviour. These books are 25 years old and I think it shows in instances like this.
Right now, I’m reading KJ Charles’ ALL OF US MURDERS – not yet finished due to unforeseen family stuff, but I am enjoying it greatly! Like @cleo, I am not a reader of Gothics and I haven’t ready any of the books Charles lists on her blog as influences, though I know of quite a lot of them. Still, I agree, a lot of the staples of the genre are well-known these days and one is not lost. It’s also a second chance romance and at the beginning, one of the heroes is quite mad at the other for reasons that are valid from his viewpoint, but they do actually talk (and listen) to each other and reach an understanding. And now it’s back to strange appearances of a “monk” (which I’m sure is not a ghost) and terrible family members who I hope will get their comeuppance!
@Deborah:
I had no idea that Billie Fulford Brown was Zara Hampton brown. I guess I would have found out eventually. I think she’s a great narrator, and will have to put her books closer to the top of my list.
Comfort re-read of Naomi Novick’s Uprooted and Spinning Silver. I read the whole Temeraire series over the summer and as someone who loved Patrick O’Brien’s Aubrey Maturin series and G.A. Aiken’s Dragon, Actually series it was like Novick just put a bead on my heart. Am starting How to Kill a Witch: A Guide for the Patriarchy by Claire Mitchell and Zoe Venditozzi. Looking forward, as one of my favorite non-fiction books of the past couple of years was In Defense of Witches: The Legacy of the Witch Hunts and Why Women Are Still on Trial by Mona Chollet.
@ella
Glad to hear about your Barbara Michaels journey. Keep up the good work.
Vanish with the Rose is a favorite of mine because I love old roses, though elements of the story are a retread of Devil-may-care. I adore Houses of Stone; yes the protagonist can come off as aggressive, but (a) she’s a short baby-faced woman who is tired of being patronized “for her own good” and (b) the book hints that she’s channeling some of the rage of the ghost in the book, especially during the lecture to the literary society.
Have you got to Wings of the Falcon? That’s a historical that you might like. And the archaeology is pretty cool too, straying close to Michaels’ Elizabeth Peters persona.
I read two romances from the 1960s and 1970s by Mary Faid. Love Will Venture In and The Other Side of the Park. I’d recommend them to people who like DE Stevenson, and, for the first one, the Miss Read books – the heroine is a schoolteacher in a Scottish village. Slowish, relatively calm, though there’s some domestic abuse in the first one and a family row in the second. Happy endings all round though (apart from for the abuser).
Read and really enjoyed an oldish Barbara Hambly fantasy, The Silent Tower. Slow-burn romance, first of a trilogy.
Read and did not like a reprinted DE Stevenson, Spring Magic. Just didn’t like any of the characters, felt the heroine was sleep-walking into marriage.
Read a really bad 1886 Gothic-y romance by Annie S Swan, Across Her Path – you can see my rant on Goodreads if you like.
Enjoyed the latest Donna Andrews, Five Golden Wings. Must not think about time passing and how some characters (and animals) seem to age differently to others …