January is soon coming to an end. Here’s what we’re reading right now:
Lara: I tried to read a book featuring a disabled/chronically ill couple but instead of relating or learning, I just felt deeply triggered. So that was that. Now I’m flailing looking for something to take me out of my head.
Sarah: Oh heck I hate when that happens. I’m sorry you’re going through it. Do you have a “break glass in case of emergency” book?
I’m listening to Grave Expectations by Alice Bell, ( A | BN | K | AB ) which is entertaining if not compelling. I love one of the side characters but the main character is giving me increasing feelings of frustration.
Lara: Sarah, I had an emergency nap which always resets me. I’m going to dive into one of Jodi McAlistair’s bachelor inspired books tonight. Something new to me from an author I really enjoy. I’m hoping that’ll set me on the right path.
Elyse: I’ve really been on a historical fiction kick this month. I just finished Meet the Newmans ( A | BN | K | AB ) and now I’m reading The Star Society. ( A | BN | K | AB )
Claudia: I ‘ve just finished an amnesia Harlequin historical and loved it, much to my surprise! It’s A Marquess to Remember by Jenni Fletcher.
Susan: I’m reading the first volume of Art Thou Ailing by Ru Si Wo Wen, and all of the beats of the romance feel very familiar. Not in a bad way, just in a “Ah, here is where they pin each other to a wall to hide from a guard… Here is where there’s only one bed… Here is where they fall over and one protects the other from snow…”
This is not a complaint, btw. I read fanfic, you KNOW I will read these tropes in every form they come in.
Shana: I’m reading Make Room for Love by Darcy Liao ( A | BN ) and it is such a perfect comfort read. It’s about a trans woman healing from a bad breakup, who moves in with butch woman who has some healing of her own to do. There’s union organizing, and forced proximity, and so much yearning.
Carrie: I am reading The Shocking Experiments of Miss Mary Bennet by Melinda Taub ( A | BN | K | AB ) and it is a delight.
Amanda: My latest game board square is to read something published ten or more years ago. Motivated by our latest solved HaBO, I picked up book one in the series: In Bed with a Highlander by Maya Banks. ( A | BN | K | AB )
Whatcha reading right now? Tell us in the comments!
I’m currently listening to The Antidote by Karen Russell and reading A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah Maas.
It’s been a minute since I’ve posted in WAYR, but some recent highlights/ones I’d recommend:
THE KEEPER OF MAGICAL THINGS by Julie Leong. Sometimes you just need a low-key book with magical bees, giant daffodils, and a catdragon. This is that book.
HER RADIANT CURSE by Elizabeth Lim. The pacing on this one is relentless from start to finish, the character arcs are fascinating, and it made me cry (unusual for me!).
HER BASEBORN BRIDEGROOM by Alice Coldbreath. I have realized that I actually like insta-lust stories–this one is definitely “let’s bang and then we’ll figure out if this might work.” Bossy men in bed? Also my catnip.
ALL OF US MURDERERS by KJ Charles. Can KJ Charles do wrong? I don’t really think so. This one’s more gothic and the ending felt a little abrupt, but I still enjoyed it.
Not a romance, but THE CORRESPONDENT by Virginia Evans was great. It’s entirely epistolary with a great sense of the evolution of character and unspooling of plot.
Two books that did NOT work for me:
ICEBREAKER by Hannah Grace–the characters are all wildly immature, no one seems to go to class despite being in college, the resolution with the villain is deeply unsatisfying, and the epilogue is the most bananas thing I have read in quite some times. If you ever thought The Cutting Edge would be better if it were set at a college with a bunch of immature trust fund babies, you might like this more than I did.
HIS FORSAKEN BRIDE also by Alice Coldbreath. I mentioned this in the Coldbreath thread, but this book needs sooooooooooooooooooo much more grovel/I’m not actually sure there is enough grovel possible to redeem the hero. I kept looking for him to say he was sorry at any point for being so terrible to the heroine and the closest he gets is “Sorry I overreacted.” So, he’s sorry for being a jealous twit, but not, you know, for demeaning her, berating her, and coming perilously close to the line of sexual assault. (There’s a scene where she, not unreasonably, asks him whether someone is his mistress and he decides to prove a point/punish her for asking the question by making her have sex he would have with a mistress with him. I suppose she nominally consents, but it was a lot and I was really uncomfortable with it.)
@Elyse, I just finished ” Meet the Newmans,” and I thought it was great! I have about six Libby audio books to choose from, and am going to cozy up as the sleet falls outside.
I’m reading THE LONG WAY TO A SMALL, ANGRY PLANET by Becky Chambers, which is cozy sci-fi IMO.
Up next, I want to check out FINDING HER EDGE by Jennifer Iacopelli. I am about halfway through the Netflix show, which I am loving so far. THE CUTTING EDGE is one of my all-time favorite movies, so I will watch/read just about anything with similar vibes. Toe pick! 🙂
Stay warm and safe out there this weekend!
The weather forecast around here says that it is a good time to stay inside and catch up on my reading. I hope everyone is staying warm and dry! The past few weeks have been a bit mixed for me.
The Pumpkin Spice Cafe (Dream Harbor Book 1) by Laurie Gilmore (KU)
Bingo: Aggressively Twee Small Town
I’m not saying that this is Stardew Valley fan fiction, I’m just saying that if you are looking for Stardew Valley fan fiction, I have good news for you. Quick summary: Jeanie used to be an assistant for a businessman in Boston, but his stress-induced death caused her to rethink her life. Her Aunt Dot wants to retire and is giving her coffee shop to Jeanie so that Jeanie can try a simpler life in (aggressively twee small town) Dream Harbor. Enter hot young farmer with issues of his own, stage right. It’s very cute.
Immortal in Death (In Death Book 3) by JD Robb (library)
Bingo: AITA (spoiler), Swiss Army Knife Character (Roarke)
Lt Eve Dallas finds another murderer and, even more terrifying, gets ready for her wedding to Roarke in this futuristic romantic suspense novel published in the mid-1990’s.
– Roarke has previously slept with at least one of the murder victims in all of the novels in this series so far. Does this continue through the rest of the series? I appreciate a good running gag, but there’s over 60 books now! (There’s a joke about their overlapping body counts in there somewhere, perhaps involving a Venn diagram.)
– At one point in the book they talk about a criminal who is trafficking in illegals. It took me way too long to realize that they were talking about illegal drugs. I forgot this was written before drugs won that war.
Heated Rivalry (Game Changers Book 2) by Rachel Reid
Bingo: Social Media Made Me Buy It (*gestures wildly *), OG Cover was Replaced by Illustrated One, Start Mid-Series, AITA (spoiler)
Have you ever had trouble getting motivation to read or watch something because it was too popular? Maybe out of fear it not living up to the hype or just plain stubbornness? It took me a little while to read this one, but I’m glad I finally did. (MM Hockey, rivals-to-hookups-to-lovers, slow burn on the romance but not on the sex)
The Friend Zone (Game On Book 2) by Kristen Callihan (KU)
Bingo: A Favorite Author Blurbed It (Sarina Bowen), Start Mid-Series, OG Cover was Replaced by an Illustrated One (Reissue), Character Name Sounds Like a Law Firm (Gray Grayson, named for the reporter in The Pelican Brief which is at least law adjacent), AITA (spoiler)
I really wanted to like in this friends-to-lovers story between a college football star and a sports agent’s daughter, but it didn’t quite work for me. I think a large part of that is because I had trouble believing the initial “We can’t date because you are my best friend and I don’t want to ruin that” set up. They’ve been texting for two weeks, that’s it. And, since I was having trouble with the initial setup, I wasn’t able to get into the rest of the story. I do think that there was stuff that I would normally have liked pretty well going on in this book, so maybe I was just in the wrong mood for it. AITA here:
Me ranting about things in this book that didn’t land right in my current mood:
– She doesn’t seem to have any other friends besides her sister, which may explain why he’s been promoted to best friend status so quickly. There’s some mention of being a new grad and losing connection with her college friends, which I get, but, honestly, this is problematic.
– So, dude’s mom died of breast cancer, and while they are making out, he feels a lump in her breast, freaks out, and runs off. She manages to get an appointment with an urgent care place, learns she is pregnant, and has to call his friends to help find him because he isn’t answering her calls. When they do track him down, she does what she can to take care of his emotional needs before even starting to talk about what’s going on with her. It’s both sweet and infuriating.
– Back to the oops, she’s pregnant. This book was written a decade ago, so they do get to have time to make a decision on what to do about it. But, in today’s political climate, I found very stressful.
– The pregnancy scare ends with a miscarriage, which is both heartbreaking and saves them from actually having to make a decision. Again, this probably landed differently for me than it would have when it was written.
King of Corruption: Dark, Mafia, Steamy Romance (Kings of Las Vegas Book 4) by Tammy Andresen (KU)
Bingo: 1st Person Single POV Book Copy, Social Media Made Me (stupid facebook ads), AITA
Mafia stuff in Vegas. It had potential but ultimately didn’t work for me. More ranting in the spoiler tag.
– OK, so let’s say that we are willing to forgive the bad casino gambling stuff, and move on to the male lead’s plans. It turns out that her bratva family has placed a casino in her name for money laundering and/or tax purposes (the property? the business itself? both?) and our mobster male lead wants to use the marriage to gain control of “her casino”. I don’t think business law works this way, but whatever. Anyway, I’m sure that her bratva family will go along with this sort of hostile takeover, and not shoot him for it. No problem. Not to mention that he’s going behind his family’s back, which will piss them off, when he will probably need them for protection. I just don’t think he’s thought his plan through.
– But fine, how is the romance? I mean, she’s had an abusive childhood, but she’s still sweet and desperate for someone to treat her with the barest hint of decency. He’s an asshole, but he realizes that he’s falling for her and wants to protect her. And, apparently the love of a good woman is what it takes to change a man for the better. The sex? Well, I hope you are excited about her being an enthusiastic virgin.
– The epilogue does a LOT of heavy lifting. In addition to the standard pregnancy announcement, it covers a year of therapy, including ADHD, anxiety, and autism diagnoses, plus her getting over her anger over dude’s planned betrayal and coming to believe in his love in about two paragraphs. WTF?
– “AITA if I *gestures to plot of book*?”
– For the record, I read the first book in the series and it was fine for what it was, the second didn’t work for me (the characters made dumb choices), and I skipped the third.
Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman (library)
Bingo: Clearly a Stand-In For a Real Life Celebrity, A Favorite Author Blurbed It (Kate Spencer, Rachel Lynn Solomon), Social Media Made Me Buy It (recommended in the unhinged bingo comments, thanks SB Sarah!), Book In a Book
This book tells the story of two interviews that take place a decade apart between the same writer and movie star. The first interview takes place when she is a fledgling author and he’s about to get his big break as the next James Bond. It goes viral and does great things for both of their careers. There’s a personal connection, but things don’t work out. The second interview takes place when she’s an established author and he’s trying to make a comeback. It’s a dual timeline, so what went right and wrong during the first interview is told alongside the second interview. I found this to be an enjoyable read, though I’m not sure that a couple of intense weekends together spaced 10 years apart is enough to be confident in their HEA. Good for fans of celebrity romances.
My reading has slowed down considerably since the last Whatcha Reading (lots and lots of DNFs), but since last we met . . .
I finished FAN SERVICE by Rosie Danan and it really delivered on all levels for me personally. I don’t like celebrity romances *OR* werewolf romances but this one made me laugh and honestly get a little choked up at the end w/the hero’s growth. This was one of those books where yes, people do stupid things and don’t always communicate well, but I found it totally understandable in context.
Since then, I’ve had a good book hangover where nothing I read romance-wise is hitting right. I might have to go back and read DO YOUR WORST by the same author b/c I started that one a while ago and life got in the way. I’m also very intrigued to see if I like her upcoming vampire romance this year b/c vampires are usually my anti-catnip. I tried Olivia Dade’s ZomRomCom last year and sadly I couldn’t get into it even though she’s one of my favorite contemporary authors.
In audiobooks
THE SILENT PATIENT by Alex Michaelides, another unreliable narrator thriller where everyone is rich and sexy and a terrible person. I did foresee the twist in this one, but I still enjoyed it. The reader was good and it was a man w/a lovely British accent, which I’m not going to lie, never hurts.
EVERY HEART A DOORWAY by Seanan McGuire. I wish I liked this more than I did b/c the younger kiddo really likes the series and they’re great novella length books. Alas, I thought it was well-written, but the characters just didn’t really grab me. I’ll probably keep going b/c they’re not terrible, they’re fast reads and I’m just happy my almost 14 year old likes to read and wants to talk to me about it. He has first crack at our library copy of NETWORK EFFECT by Martha Wells this weekned b/c I’m a really nice mom.
Like a lot of the continental US, I’m in the path of a winter storm but we’re pretty well set for supplies and power, so I plan to read and bake this weekend. Baking will be accompanied by audiobooks, so I’m hoping to get a lot under my belt, reading wise.
Please everyone, stay safe and warm!
@Jennifer Estep – Thank you for reminding me that FINDING HER EDGE exists. I saw reference to that somewhere a week or two ago and then promptly forgot. I think that tea & a movie is in my future this weekend when it’s nasty outside.
CAPTIVE PRINCE (trilogy) by C. S. Pacat
Finished this series up yesterday. I have a terrible habit of randomly changing what I’m reading mid-series, and then being surprised that I’ve forgotten key details when I return. So I’m pretty sure that my confusion at the beginning of book 3 is a me thing and not a book thing. But the book kept my attention anyway (go book!). I did have a “really?” moment during the big reveal at Kingsmeet, a reveal that totally shocked Damen and absolutely no one else. The foreshadowing was laid on so thickly that even I saw it coming and I am not exactly the most observant reader. But hey – there were swords, intrigue, romance. The bad guys were vanquished. What more could you want in a book?
ENSHITTIFICATION by Cory Doctorow
I’m apparently on a non-fiction, tech overlords book streak. I gave up on MORE EVERYTHING FOREVER about two thirds of the way through because it was just too depressing and picked up ENSHITTIFICATION, Cory Doctorow’s screed on how and why our tech overlords have made their own products so much shittier than they once were. Doctorow is a really great author and this book is a lot less repetitive than MORE EVERYTHING FOREVER, so I think I’m going to finish this one. TL;DR: Monopolistic tech companies can be shitty to everyone because monopolies. Also, don’t believe a word these companies say about their platforms having to be shitty in order to be profitable (lies), protect users (lies), provide good service (lies), protect content creators (lies), the list goes on. These platforms are shitty because it’s extremely profitable for them to be shitty.
ONLY ON GAMEDAY by Kristen Callihan
I just started this one and I’m already enjoying being in another Callihan sports romance. It’s working well on my HEATED RIVALRY hangover.
Whoops, I did not intend for all of that to be bold? Sorry. I don’t suppose you can remove the bold?
I finished two books that were music-industry adjacent. Alexandria Bellefleur’s new book, PLAYING FOR KEEPS, started great but I wasn’t as enthralled as the story continued. The novel centers on Poppy (narrated from her POV), the not-always-confident-in-her-skills publicist, and best friend since childhood, of a high-profile professional football player, Cash, who is starting to date a world-famous pop singer, Lyric, whose publicist is the notoriously stern and prickly Rosaline. For most of the book, Lyric and Cash are just as important to the plot as Poppy and Rosaline, the supposed MCs of this F/F romance. I liked the first third of the novel a lot– it featured great banter and hot, emotional sex scenes as Poppy and Rosaline moved from antagonists to flirting to friends with benefits. But after the Cash+Lyric and Poppy+Rosaline couples were established, the storytelling bogged down. The impetus for the third act breakup that affected both couples didn’t seem credible to me, considering what A-list celebrities and their handlers should know about 21st century uses of media. Obviously Lyric and Cash are inspired by Taylor and Travis, and I’ve read a couple of reviews suggesting that Rosaline could be based on a real member of the Swift PR team, but I didn’t consider this to be Real Person Fiction. It wasn’t Bellefleur’s best; however, it had enough redeeming moments to confirm her place on my auto-buy list.
AUGUST LANE, by Regina Black, has been in my TBR stack for a while– I bought a copy when the New York Times declared it the “best romance of the year” in 2025. This is a slow, melancholy story about people who have been wounded (by racism, parental abuse and neglect, addiction, unwanted pregnancies, estranged families, unrequited love, and lots more emotional and physical baggage) and turned the pain into art. FMC Augustina “August” Lane is the daughter of JoJo Lane, a Black country music star who is about to be honored as a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame. A special concert headlined by JoJo is scheduled for the small Arkansas town where JoJo grew up before taking off to find fame, leaving August in the care of JoJo’s mother. MMC Lucas, another Black country musician who is currently on a downward professional trajectory, has been invited to perform with JoJo at the concert, singing his big hit “Another Love Song”– with lyrics written by August when Lucas and August were in high school together, and August dreamed of following her mother into a career as a Black country artist, perhaps with Lucas as a partner. Lucas has never told anyone that the song he claimed was completely his own had a co-author he loved, and he’s not eager to be back in the town that generated lifelong heartbreak. The story is told through POV of both August and Lucas, with present-day (2023) scenes alternating with flashbacks to 2009 high school experiences. The narrative also is advanced through transcripts from a podcast interview with JoJo, whose insights are an important part of understanding the full story. There’s an HEA, and the characters are compelling, but this book is not a light read.
I’ve finished 4 of the 6 Valentine’s Day themed short stories in the new Amazon collection “The Improbable Meet-Cute: Second Chances.” I liked ACCIDENTALLY YOURS by Christina Lauren (a woman “crashes” a Zoom meeting she wasn’t invited to, which leads to a job offer as well as romance), and SECOND ACT ROMANCE by Julie Soto (theater performers who had great on-stage chemistry in the past are reunited for a performance of “Oklahoma” where most of the cast is coping with the aftermath of food poisoning). The stories by Hannah Bonam-Young and new-to-me writer Trilina Pucci were OK as well. Two more to go, by additional new-to-me authors Catherine Cowles and Navessa Allen.
Like many others, I’m hunkering down for the snowpocalypse; the next item on the checklist is making more soup. To everyone affected, please stay safe and warm!
I’ve reached the “I’m too old for this shit” age, so I told my boss Thursday that neither I nor my 19yo car were going to be coming in on Friday. Surprisingly, she responded with “I support that”. Did I read? Not as much as you’d expect.
Emma Thompson was on The Graham Norton Show (Anyone else watching this? Soooo entertaining.) talking about her new show, DOWN CEMETERY ROAD based on the book of the same name. She talked about browsing in a book store and picking it up and loving it. If you can’t take a book rec from Emma Thompson, who can you? Very tense story having to do with a government cover up, illegal bioweapons research and a women at a crossroads in her life who fixates on the little girl who disappears after surviving a bombing.
I picked up my first Roxie Noir during one of my free on Kindle scrolls and enjoyed it immensely. ENEMIES WITH BENEFITS is the story of two people who have been each other’s nemesis since kindergarten. Both leave high school with big plans. Both of them find life has other plans. Eli returns to their small town after roaming the world learning to cook. Violet has never left having given up her full ride at Yale when her mother becomes ill. Really enjoyed how these two who have never had a civil conversation navigate working at the same event center, which leads to a tentative friendship, then a “secret” relationship. Or as his brother points out: how secret can it be when your truck is parked outside her house all night?
Currently reading Kelley Armstrong’s THE HAUNTING OF PAYNES HOLLOW. I was hooked from the first line.
“The morning of my grandfather’s funeral, I open the last email he sent me, the one that’s been sitting in my inbox for six weeks. Sitting there unread, and even now, I don’t feel the slightest twinge of guilt about that.”
I knew I’d like this character, and I do, but I had to put it down after only a chapter this morning because something very bad has happened, and I just can’t first thing in the morning. Sam Payne’s family mostly disowned her and her mother after her father’s suicide. A death they blame her for. She discovered her father trying to bury the body of another local child and told the truth. Now in order to inherit the very valuable property that could save her from financial ruin and keep her mother in her nursing home, she must stay on said property for a month. The site of her family’s summer home and the deaths that changed her life. Spooky stuff starts happening almost immediately. I think this will be a middle of afternoon read.
Bundle up people and stay safe.
I am rereading The Courtship of Julian St. Albans (Consulting Magic, #1) by Amy Crook because I am nothing if not influenced by the bitchery. (Awesome rec, thank you Rhonda!) It was an excellent book to start the year with.
(I am a little worried about my attention span, because the love charm logistics are going over my head. I think I am now one of those annoying people who, when given a block of text with all the information, neglect to read properly and bug the information giver with all the annoying questions that were answered in the text. I blame the internet, because me not paying proper attention? Totally someone/thing else’s fault!)
I have an itch to reread some Nora Roberts—or maybe I’ll break the glass and try a new-to-me la Nora?
I fell down the rabbit hole of alien/human fated mates reads for a long stretch – starting with rereading Zoey Draven’s HORDE KINGS OF DAKKAR + THE HORDE KING OF SHADOWS – the first book in the next DAKKAR set series + BRIDES OF THE KYLORR. Yea – it was a binge for sure. I think I was just so happy they dropped on Hoopla since they were only available on KU prior.
That binge led me to start Ruby Dixon’s ICE PLANET BARBARIANS series on audiobook. Which are generally amusing and pretty cookie cutter, but they get me through my mindless paperwork moments at work.
I reread Jeffe Kennedy’s TWELVE KINGDOMS series. It had been awhile since I read those and I enjoyed them on reread. There’s good world building. My favorite of the series is PAGES OF THE MIND which features a librarian as the FMC. It helps to read these as a series as they build on one another.
For new books – I enjoyed Kristen Ashley’s NIGHT’S FALL. Modern paranormal – fated mates situation. First book in her new series.
I read two of Pippa Grant’s new books – THE SPITE DATE and THE PRETEND FIANCÉ FIASCO. Like all Pippa Grant the stories were high on quirkiness and cute, but not fantastically memorable.
I trailed back into Kristen Ashley for some hibernating rereads with THE DREAM MAN series and the newer WILD WEST MC series – I’ve really enjoyed the Wild West series – especially SMOOTH SAILING – which is a really sweet and emotional read (the epilogue – so many tears). TW for off page sexual assault.
I’m working my way through TURNS OF FATE by Anne Bishop. This is her newest book – I really like it. It’s in the vein of THE OTHERS series – follows multiple characters with overlapping threads. Like The Others – there’s a strong thread of the justice and vengeance for greed and cruelty which is quite cathartic to read at the moment.
I’m listening to LOVE ME, STALK ME by Laura Bishop – giant TW for extremely manipulative relationship/serious gaslighting – body shaming – on page sexual assault. This is in the LIGHTS OUT vein – dark romance – not serial killery – stalking and possessiveness at high level – but not creeper/mafia style. I am enjoying the narration and style – waiting for the other shoe to drop on the unknown to FMC stalking.
After years of avoiding buying analog books – I’ve started picking up some of my favorites reads. Some are books I can’t get from my library (like the first book of Juliet Marillier’s SEVENWATERS series, which was a bridge into romance reading for me) and favorite authors who mainly sell through Amazon (which is part of our “Evil Empire” purchasing boycott) like Mariana Zapata. I want to have these available for rereading, so I’ve been buying used books from local stores and online used books sites. I picked up a couple of Zapata’s books – LINGUS and HANDS DOWN. I’m rereading HANDS DOWN now. Total golden retriever MMC, pro football player and a sassy adorable FMC who grew up together. Lots of pining.
My TBR includes books releasing in the next couple months – Jessie Mihalik’s SILVER AND BLOOD, Grace Draven’s THE MOON RAVEN, Ilona Andrew’s BEAST BUSINESS (Hidden legacy novella) and THIS KINGDOM WILL NOT KILL ME.
Stay warm and safe!!!
I’ve been out of work after a medical emergency and have mainly been trying not to rot in bed for the past two weeks and now have that winter storm warning for the US east coast too, but that’s prime reading time.
Started The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells and have gotten all the way up to maybe 2/3 of the way through Network Effect. I love this awkward cyborg and its found family.
On WebToons I’m reading This Isekai Maid is Forming a Union! by Frostlight Comics/catesartworks on tumblr. The “generic maid character” in an isekai romance (fantasy where someone from the modern day wakes up in another world, often as the privileged-but-victimized main character from their favorite romance novel…) has had it with workplace abuse and bad wages, let alone the “poor suffering love interest who has never known affection and therefore mistreats everyone horribly” and has decided to do the hard work of starting a servants’ union in her fantasy world, which she is aware is a fantasy world in a novel (because not everyone gets reborn as a main character in the nobility!). I really like this and it’s especially fun if you’re at least a little familiar with the tropes it’s playing with (I haven’t read many isekai stories, but I’ve seen plenty of shallow fantasy worlds with self-pitying noblewomen and their vile broody-mcbroodingpants love interests…also, just working in the service industry for any length of time).
Also reading How to Cook a Wolf by MFK Fisher, nonfiction cookbook/general life and chitchat book first published during WWII and then annotated in the early 50’s. The title is a reference to hunger as “the wolf at the door,” with recipes and general life advice and philosophy for how to not only survive but enjoy the lean years. Since the author was American that mainly meant having less food available and especially less access to fuel to cook with, not literal starvation, but every so often some horrifying tidbit comes through anyway–a reference to “if you have an icebox and it hasn’t been requisitioned by the Red Cross for storing blood plasma,” with the annotation “This is something that reminds me the current war is still ‘cold’,” drops in out of the blue early on; references to “Paris before it fell” as well. I can’t agree with all of her ideas–she seems to prefer her eggs as raw as possible–but the general idea, some of the recipes and methods, and just the reality check of what life was like during a time not all that long ago makes this a really good read. Warning for ‘period typical’ attitudes at times, however.
On my work computer I was reading Nghi Vo’s <The Chosen and The Beautiful, a Great Gatsby retelling with demon’s blood as the drink of choice for the Roaring Twenties. Jordan Baker is a Vietnamese “adoptee” (possibly in the Great White Victorian ‘I kidnapped a street urchin to civilize them’ style of “adoption”) who’s in love with Daisy and realizes Gatsby has made some sort of demonic deal to “win” her. I like how this one calls out the way privileged people can afford to be “nice” and “accepting” without really extending friendship or respect, and how even friendship and basic respect doesn’t make them truly good people if they’re still beating their wives or running criminal operations.
Stay warm, everybody!
Even here, 30 minutes from New Orleans, on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain, we are waiting for the frigid weather (which we are absolutely unprepared for). We haven’t gotten word that our school district is closing schools on Monday, but let’s be real, ain’t nobody sending Louisiana kids to school when the wind chill is 8 degrees above zero. So, on to books: I find myself in the odd position of writing about Christmas books a month after December 25, but that is the way my reading has gone since New Year’s. It just so happens that three of my favorite writers (Kate Canterbary, Zoe York, and Garrett Leigh) released books (two of them Christmas-themed) toward the end of December, but I just couldn’t get around to them until after the holidays. Oh well, we can all use a little more Christmas, right?
Kate Canterbary’s IN A SECOND and Zoe York’s THE EX-MAS BREAKUP both feature very similar setups: a former couple pretend to still be together for the sake of family. Both books are good—and it only goes to show that talented writers can take the same template and create something unique. In IN A SECOND, teacher Audrey reconnects with her teenage love, Jude, who is now a single father. He asks her to pretend to be his girlfriend and visit his mother (who is recovering from breast cancer). Cancelled flights and limited hotel rooms mean the two go on a road trip where, in addition to having to share a bed, they begin to deconstruct the events that led to their breakup a decade before (hint: Audrey’s awful father—who runs a conservative Heritage Foundation type organization—had much to do with it). I liked IN A SECOND—and I’m pleased to say it is much more streamlined than some of Canterbary’s recent books that were cluttered with too many subplots and supporting characters—but there were parts of the book I didn’t quite jibe with, particularly Jude’s mother’s casual attitude to dispensing psychedelics without the consent or knowledge of the person taking them. And while I liked Jude’s son Percy, I thought he behaved far too advanced (both mentally and emotionally) for a four-year-old. But overall, I enjoyed and recommend IN A SECOND, and I especially liked Canterbary’s anti-AI dedication to “the em dash—each one lovingly placed by a wholly human author.”
Zoe York’s THE EX-MAS BREAKUP introduced me to a new term, “bicker-banging”, which the MCs of the book (Rory, a OB/GYN just finishing her residency, and Garrett, her boyfriend since their teen years) do frequently. While living in Ottawa, Rory & Garrett break up (although their breakup has been punctuated by regular hookups), but when it’s time to return to the couple’s hometown of Pine Harbour, they decide to not tell their families that they are no longer together. Of course, they have to share a bedroom and a bed…and…well, let’s just say the bickering and the banging continue apace. I really enjoyed how Rory and Garrett worked through their issues, neither of them falling into the fallacy that because they have plenty of sexual chemistry, they don’t have conflicts they have to learn to resolve. I enjoyed and recommend THE EX-MAS BREAKUP although I would have preferred York not spend so much time setting up some upcoming books, but all-in-all, it’s a worthwhile read, even if Christmas is still eleven months away.
Garrett Leigh’s CHRISTMAS ON COSMIC AVENUE features characters who pine for each other…so. much. pining. Single-father Sab has decided to explore his newly-recognized bisexuality (“My sexuality has expanded not shrunk,” he notes) when he encounters fireman (and pansexual) Galen. Both external and internal factors keep the guys from getting together for a long time. They exchange conversations on a Grinder-like app, and they see each other out and about (their houses have adjoining back gardens), but there’s a real slow burn going on (along with a lot of “I’m not good enough for him”/”He deserves better/more than I can offer” etc., on both sides). I think Leigh’s Rebel Kings MC romances have primed me to expect more external conflicts, even violence, in her work, but this is a Christmas story, and it is far gentler than many of Leigh’s other books. Recommended—even if you have to wait for next Christmas.
Stay warm and safe everyone!
@DonnaMarie: DOWN CEMETERY ROAD is excellent. I’ll read anything Mick Herron writes — so obviously I’m biased — but his characters are memorable and compelling. I look forward to this new show.
THE OFFICIAL WE DO NOT CARE CLUB HANDBOOK by Melani Sanders is every bit as fun and informative as her videos. I’m 71 and while I’ve always had a voice, I didn’t have the words. Now I have the words and I do not care much any more.
THE RETIREMENT PLAN by Sue Hincenbergs: What to do when your husband and three of his friends lose their/your entire retirement funds — and those of your closest friends — in a surefire ponzi scheme. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the four women decide to hire someone to kill their husbands in order to collect on life insurance policies, and it all goes to hell from that point on. Talk to each other, people. Entertaining.
THE PHOENIX PENCIL COMPANY by Allison King: A cross-generational story about two cousins in Shanghai before WWII, the special wooden pencils their mothers created that record written words; and the next generation of young women trying to understand what happened, who owns our memories in our data-driven times, and who should have access to them. Thought-provoking.
THE MEASURE by Nikki Erlich: Indestructible black boxes containing varied-length strings arrive on Earth for every person over 22. Our book club discussion was robust, sometimes angry about who decides what the strings mean and how we segregate people as a result. Recommended.
Can’t remember if I mentioned this one before. THE SQUARE OF SEVENS by Laura Shepherd Robinson. The twisty-est story with completely unreliable narrators all around, totally worth the investment to hang on until the end, which was completely satisfying. A young girl can read the square of sevens to tell fortunes and everyone has something at stake. Highly recommended, albeit long.
A B+ kind of time, with my favourite read of these weeks being Sarah Maine’s WOMEN OF THE DUNES, a Gothic three timelines story (Viking times, 19th C, and contemporary) set on the Scottish Hebrides, including a bit of mysticism, early Christianity, archeology, local legends, and lots of family drama. Scotland and archeology are my catnip. They way it slipped into a romance felt very Mary Stewart-esque.
Also quite liked Hannah Bonan-Young’s contribution to the Improbable Meet-Cute: Second Chance series, “Time Will Tell.” I found the Christina Lauren contribution fine.
In contemporary f/m romance I liked Matthew Norman’s GRACE & HENRY’S HOLIDAY MOVIE MARATHON, about a widow/widower helping each other avoid their family’s machinations (though did think their romance happened a little soon after the deaths of their spouses), and Ellie Palmer’s ANYWHERE WITH YOU, a type A FMC meets up with her oldest friend, a nomadic musician while she tries to stop her sister from marrying an on-again, off-again boyfriend.
In HR I also enjoyed (taking the time written into account) Eloisa James’ POTENT PLEASURES (yes, the MMC was an idiot) and ENCHANTING PLEASURES, and Caroline Linden’s WHAT A WOMAN NEEDS.
In romantasy, I like Stacia Stark’s WE WHO WILL DIE a little less than her previous series so far at least, and the second in Tracy Deonn’s Legendborn series BLOODMARKED felt a little more uneven than the first but I still liked it and am impressed by the way she incorporates so many issues (race, femininity, different kinds of magic and legends, cultures) so well.
Much to my surprise, I quite liked the first of Sable Sorensen’s Wolves of Ruin series, DIRE BOUND. I’d heard it was too like other current series but I felt it was well-handled with interesting twists.
OMG — I forgot today was WAYR day! Excellent, because we are going to be snowed in tomorrow, and I need something to read! Yes, I have a magnificent TBR pile, but I need inspiration, friends! Please post if you have not already!
I have read two excellent books, one really interesting book, and one meh book that others may be in the mood for.
Excellent books —
STUCK IN THE MIDDLE WITH YOU Frances M. Thompson. Two men in their forties both dealing with their own unique mental health issues become friends and then something more. Both characters were lovely, realistic individuals, and I really believed in their love story. I also found it interesting that one of them was very open and accepting about his mental health challenges (ADHD) but hadn’t figured out that he was bi. The other man was very open and comfortable with his sexuality (also bi), but was hiding his OCD from his friends and coworkers. I don’t know if this was intentional on the part of the author, but it really worked. For me it was also a great way to learn how some folks have to work around their own brains. Really lovely book all around. Highly recommend!
FREE FROM FALLING by E.L. Massey was also a really sweet, slow burn love story. Trans woman who headlines an up-and-coming rock band and professional male hockey player fall for each other despite very busy schedules, their own insecurities, and the very real backlash from hockey fans. Great book for folks who love music (author is very knowledgeable) and I would bet for those who love hockey, too — though I cannot confirm. Check it out!
Interesting — SUNWARD by William Alexander. I felt like this book was written from the viewpoint of one of Murderbot’s human friends. Different world and set up, but basic premise is woman who fosters baby robots so they can become individuals is trying to protect them, when humans become afraid the bots have turned on them. Did not feel fully realized — it ended very abruptly. It was worth a read if you are in the mood to think about what makes a person a person.
Lastly, I read THE WAKE-UP CALL by Beth O’Leary. I skipped a few sections when I got bored. It was just too twee for me. However, it might be just what the doctor ordered, if they ordered a “save the failing hotel” story with two adversaries to lovers who work there for you.
Have a great weekend! Stay safe and warm out there!
I had quite a few DNFs to finish up January, but I only listed the ones in which I invested significant time. There were quite a few sports romances as well. Several were cheap or free hockey romances with less than stellar writing or character development, so they only got a chapter or two of my time but none of yours.
The Book Proposal by KJ Micciche
(Bingo: G-5, book in a book)
I actually read this book at the beginning of the month, but forgot to include it in the last WAYR post, which is weird because I liked the book. Grace drunkmails Colin at his job, confessing her high school crush, insulting him, embarrassing herself, and launching an awkward correspondence. Grace is messy, plagued by writer’s block and a bad break up, but once she meets tidy, contained, HOT Colin, her life is destined to become way messier. I was not always comfortable with the crap Grace pulled, but I loved her honesty and her willingness to acknowledge mistakes and work on herself. I also loved her interactions with Colin. I am eager to read more by this author. Thank you to @EditChief who mentioned Micciche in a WAYR post.
The Billionaire Scrooge Next Door by Olivia Hayle dnf @15%
(Bingo: I-2, blank faced cover, or O-5, 1st person, single POV cover copy)
I think the dnf stems from a book hangover. I was a little spoiled by an earlier read. In contrast this seemed thin, flavored with an overabundance of bland dialog, matchmaking, and Christmas crap. Actually, this book is about 80% dialog so far, strung together with introductory or transitional paragraphs, leaving little room for depth, atmosphere, or nuance. It just doesn’t have any appeal right now, so I’m out..
Only on Game Day by Kristen Callihan (paused @34%)
This New Adult sports romance is tropey af, leaning heavily into August’s fake relationship with long time family friend Pen. A third of the way into the book, the football is all talk, the big scandal is pretty silly, and the mutual crushes are kinda middle school. There’s a hint of mental health issues, which the fake fiancée seems to sooth by her mere presence, and that makes my hair stand up. If I get back to it, y’all will be the first to know.
The Game Changer by Lana Ferguson
Yet another sports romance here. Ian returns to Boston to play on his parents’ pro hockey team after a six year exile. In an effort to rehab his reputation, he appears on an old friend’s cable baking show. The episode is a huge success, boosting Ian’s rep and Delilah’s ratings, Naturally, the connection evolves into more. I enjoyed this story despite its lack of actual hockey content. The MCs were extremely likable, and their immediate circle was pretty entertaining, especially Ian’s ex and her new wife, and Delilah’s hockey playing big brother, Jack. There’s a fair amount of steam, and family drama to up the ante, but this book is one for the Comfort Reads folder.
Unromance by Erin Connor
(Bingo: I-4, Romance meta-ness; also book within a book, character name sounds like law firm, AITA)
Overall, I enjoyed this book. Sawyer is a grumpy, blocked romance writer still recovering from a break up with her long time girlfriend. She’s also sardonic and funny. Mason is an actor in a popular medical series and a tender-hearted romance addict. The characters have a lot of fun with various tropes as they try to “fix” the romance problems, but Sawyer really needs professional help dealing with her abandonment issues, and that tested my patience by the final third of the book. In the end, the author managed to keep things on track for a satisfying HEA. My only other gripe was the number of small, annoying editing fails, but that was minor compared to the mostly excellent storytelling.
Hockey Boys Don’t Read by Sara Ney
This New Adult short story consisted of a meet cute and two sex scenes. The FMC tells the MMC she likes a slow burn, and I. . . do not think that means what you think it means. There are quite a few typos for such a short piece, but it was a freebie. The best part was the banter among the guys in the hockey house. There is zero actual hockey–no doubt due to the abbreviated format.
The Packing List: A Later in Life Romance Anthology by various authors.
This collection of twelve stories is connected by two conceits:
1) Mature protagonists
2) A journey
While most are contemporary, a few different genres are represented and there is some character diversity. Each story starts with a meet cute and/or surprise proximity leading to sexytimes, feels, and an HFN. I gave a half dozen of these stories an A grade for the quality of the writing; one was a B; four got a C; one was a DNF. My faves were by Calamy, Dubb, Hardy, Hopkins, Lopez, and Vale. I think this is pretty good for a group of short stories–never my favorite format–and I’m pretty tickled to have new authors to check out.
Like I Never Said by C. W. Farnsworth
This novel opens with two teens who reconnect over three summers before heading to college. Auden is a mature, detached child of privilege whose parents are extremely disengaged. When Mom and Dad split up, she is sent to visit her aunt and cousin in Canada where she meets Elliot whose life is dedicated to hockey and to one-upping his vanished father. The MCs become best friends but neither is willing to risk a closer relationship. The entire story is them learning to acknowledge their fears and their feelings for each other. There are several explicit and sometimes awkward sex scenes which make this authentic yet iffy as a YA novel, but adult content can’t guarantee adult interest. There is also an epilogue set several years in the future, skipping all the negotiations that would make a long term relationship viable and interesting. Not my favorite by this author, but I’m clearly not the audience for this book.(Also, it’s petty, but I don’t think Stanford Hockey wears green.)
Loverboy by Sarina Bowen
(Bingo: B-4, OG cover replaced by illustrated cover)
Bowen is an autobuy, rereadable author for me, but I thought I’d DNFed this one twice before. Turns out, I managed to finish it that second time. It mostly read like a new book though. This second chance love story has a suspense subplot that might seem a little garbled for someone who hasn’t read the first book in this truncated series. The actual romance between Gunnar the security operative and Posy the piemaker is as light and sweet and spicy as her chocolate chili pie. I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with them. The suspense subplot does involve some brief but intense violence. Cybercrime issues are a bit dated, and there are dangling plot threads that make me wonder whether this was meant to be a trilogy, but after six years it seems unlikely that the author would return to it. Sad, because I would totally buy Max and Scout’s story.
The Exception by Vi Keeland
(Bingo: O-5, 1st person, single POV book copy)
Too bad, so sad, dnf @61%
I almost always buy this author but I don’t always finish her books. I know this up front, so it doesn’t bother me. This one was a m/f workplace romance with an eight year age gap, major power imbalance, flashbacks to the MMC’s troubled past, a FMC with trauma of her own, instalust, some kink, and lots of spice. In short, pretty typical. I quit when I realized that the DOJ’s antitrust suit against the MMC’s company was more interesting to me than the outcome of the romance. Also, CW for rape in a character’s past and stalking. The book is well written but not for me.
Epic by Sarina Bowen
I read some version of this in the past, but The ‘zon was happy to sell me a second copy. Fortunately it’s a short story, and cheap. It’s also part of the Him series. Jamie’s having a career crisis and Wes is there for him. HEA redux, and yes, I did enjoy it..
Darkroom by Kate Willoighby
So, I picked up three bargain hockey romances, and this was the only one. that made it past chapter two. The MCs immediately engaged and held my interest. MMC Hudson is an elite college hockey player dealing with pressure from family, team, and career prospects, while the FMC, Indi, is a pre-med student who projects calm assurance while basically hiding the birthmark that made her a target for bullies when she was younger. Both are extremely likable, but far from perfect. They meet in a photography class, end up partnering on class projects, and, unlike the rest of us, don’t end up contemplating acedemicide. Part of their appeal is the way they work through problems and flaws. I felt like there was a lot packed in this book as both characters go through major changes, and at the end there were some minor plot threads dangling. Other than that, I wholeheartedly enjoyed Indi and Hudson’s story. (Also, the way this author writes about food is glorious.)
Falling for Flynn by Kate Willoughby
I started and stopped a couple of romances before settling on this one. Retired NHL player Flynn is spending his retirement running a brewery with two former teammates when he literally bumps into Tracey for the first time. Tracey is a doctor, but she’s been involved in hockey all her life including college and her current side gig coaching girl’s hockey. Needless to say, there are sparks. I had high hopes for this, but the story was kind of thin. It’s short (133 pages), and a lot happens in a brief span of time, so character and background are only sketched in. Would not reread.
On the Surface by Kate Willoughby
dnf @32%
The title of this novel is right on the money; the characters are all surface. The book originally came out in 2014, but it reads even older, except older books were more honest with their sexism. Talking about how you’ve outgrown the fuckboi follies of your youth while slut shaming the women who gave you “blow jobs in the parking lot” is not the admirable take you think it is. Also nurse in hot pursuit of the dreamy yet oblivious doc? Oooo, ick!
So disappointing.
Audrey Lane Stirs the Pot by Alexis Hall (Bingo: O-4, 1st name, last name does a thing)
This might be the best book in this series. It’s definitely better than the last one, and the best of my book month. Small town journalist Audrey initially clashes with foul-mouthed Bake Expectations producer Jennifer Hallet, stirring up a whole lot more than cake batter. The novel deftly weaves together love stories past and present as it explores the need to see ourselves depicted in our broader history. Hall is such a good writer; he could write church bulletins, and I would save them in a quilted scrapbook. Recommended.
Stay warm, y’all.
@book_reader_ea01sj71r4 says:
I almost cried when you apologized for your comment being in bold. I found it such a relief to read something that wasn’t in that pale grayed out font that’s all over this and other sites. I have my phone set to bold everything but it doesn’t work within a site or app. *sigh*
@PamG and. @book_reader_ea01sj71r4, l too liked the bold!
Well, thanks to my new spreadsheet, I can tell you that I have read 20 books in the last two weeks. Which is probably why I need to do laundry on a desperate basis. This is my stress response, btw.
The 5 Star books:
Fighting Mr. Knight by Rosa Lucas. Kick-ass architect FMC, struggling to continue to work under the direction of her ex-fiance, trying to avoid the super rich somewhat douchy MMC who contracts with their firm. They both grew up poor in the same neighbourhood and there are traumas in their pasts that cause a really remarkable problem. I did enjoy this one.Obvs since it’s a 5
Pen Pal by J T Geissinger. Loved it, loved it, but wow. There is a plot twist that makes total sense but turns everything on its head. It starts at a funeral and then she goes home to her empty house, missing her husband, having to deal with all the house stuff herself, finds herself a hot handyman. Yeah, wow.
Bent Winged Angel by Hannah Shield. She’s a cult survivor and he is ex-military with cPTSD in a small town in CO. She may have a stalker, he may want to protect her while keeping his emotional distance.
Penalty Play by Julia Connors. Part of a series but can stand alone. They meet in a bar the night before a wedding and have a no-names ONS, only to find that they are both at the wedding because their parents are marrying. Oh, my step-sibling! Which they worry about the optics but decided to have three night stand because they will never see each other again. Until next Monday, at work…where she is doing publicity for a hockey team and he is returning to play after an injury. Oh, no, we work together and my dad has warned you off. I enjoyed it, mostly because there was a lot of adulting going on, including adult discussions with their support people.
Some of the 4s:
The Cuddle Clause by Roxie Ray which I thought I would DNF because it was just too cute but it got a lot better. She, fresh off a bad breakup, rents a room in his apartment, a no werewolves allowed apartment, which is too bad because he is a werewolf, with autism, trying to pass. It was fun.
Manhattan State of Mind by Rosa Lucas. She’s IT, returning to work after a concussion and amnesia for the whole past year. He is the CEO who seems very interested in making sure she is taken care of at work while she recovers. They gradually start a relationship. Her memories begin to return and she is appropriately angry that he didn’t tell they’s been together and had a bad breakup. Oh, my, will they get their second chance? I liked it.
Not going to recap all the other many books. No 1s or 2s or I would warn you all about them.
I hope everyone in the storm area stays safe and warm. I hope we all maintain our courage in the face of current events.
@SaraGale: I loved TURNS OF FATE! I have a feeling I’m going to love this series more than The Others. Now I just need to find when the next book’s coming out.
@VicSolo: I love PEN PAL! It was one of my favorite books of the year a couple of years ago. It’s such a unique combination of romance, psychological suspense, gothic (the house is doing weird things), paranormal, and (rather unconventional) HEA. I always urge people not to look for spoilers or even read reviews (iirc, one of the first Amazon reviews totally reveals the twist—I’m glad I didn’t look at reviews until after I’d finished the book). The strange thing is, after PEN PAL, I tried other Geissinger books and none of them did anything for me.
@VicSolo & @DollyDiscoDeb The blurb for PEN PAL is a work of art unto itself – short and extremely intriguing – I wish they were all like that. Hoopla has the audio. So it’s next up on my listen list. Thanks for the rec.
And @ella, I finished TURNS OF FATE last night and was so bummed to be done. Loved how it wrapped up. I already checked Anne Bishop’s website and not a peep about the next one. Oh the pains of reading an in process series.
Well, I’ve bounced off two books in the last 48 hours. I’m pretty sure it’s all the “look at the news and what’s happening to my country”.
Anyway, since last time, I’ve read Melissa by Alex Gino, which is a middle-grade novel about a transgender girl that wants to play Charlotte the Spider in the school play, and how she begins understanding more about herself and revealing this part of herself to her friends and family. It was sweet and educational, and probably very important to trans children. I read it because I’m on the local library advisory council and ah, someone doesn’t like it, we’ll say. Then, I read By the Bootstraps by Alexa Martin, a new cowboy/Western romance that I think releases in March. It was funny, and I liked the somewhat chaotic bravery of the main character, and her grumpy, slow-to-warm beau. The only thing I felt was unnecessary was the bleak moment toward the end. It felt a little forced to me, and I don’t think the book needed it.
So until next time, call your senators. Even if, like me, it feels a bit like shouting into the void.
Hi I just wanted to dive in here and tell @Lara what respect I have for them not name checking the author or the title: “I tried to read a book featuring a disabled/chronically ill couple but instead of relating or learning, I just felt deeply triggered. So that was that. Now I’m flailing looking for something to take me out of my head.” This shows such deep respect for the writer and their art that triggered you. So many reviews are not about the novel but about the reviewer and what has triggered them. Some day my novel will be done and self-published. I hope I have the privilege of your review whether you love it, hate, DNF it. Kthanksbye My break glass book is Tiffany Reisz The Mistress btw. It’s smutty and morally gray.
@PamG, I greatly enjoyed your summary of THE BOOK PROPOSAL and I’m happy to have helped introduce KJ Micciche’s writing to other readers!
C, no Roarke hasn’t slept with all of the murder victims or suspects, but he does own a LOT of property so that comes up in many of the cases.
Testing as three prior attempts to post (yesterday and today) have been unsuccessful.
Perhaps separate posts would work better?
— enjoyed He’s to Die For by Erin Dun which is categorized as both mystery and romance. It’s set primarily in New York City and features a young detective (son of a famous American model and a British lord) and a rock star who is a suspect in a murder case. While I liked this, it took me about six weeks to complete.
— enjoyed A Fortunate Blizzard by L.C. Chase, a contemporary romance set at Christmastime between an artist (who is on a transplant list as his kidneys are failing) and a lawyer who is intent on making partner. They meet when a blizzard closes the freeway, and they end up sharing a hotel room. This was a touching story that I could see rereading.
— A Christmas for Beck by Jackie North was another romance set around the Christmas holidays; it featured two men who encounter each other in the Colorado mountains. One rescues the other when his car spins out after hitting a patch of ice and before it goes over the edge. One man is from a loving and wealthy family; the other used to steal cars.
— quite enjoyed Breeze Spells and Bridegrooms (Fae & Human Relations Book 1) by Sarah Wallace which is set in a regency-ish era world similar to ours but where the fae exist and are accepted in society. It’s also a world in which homosexuality is accepted. The two leads, one human and one fae who both scored poorly on standardized magical tests, are assigned to work together on a project to redo those tests. This book is currently FREE to US Kindle readers. I look forward to reading more by these authors.
— enjoyed After the Shut Up Ring by Cate C. Wells. This story begins at the wedding of a young woman who is marrying her long term partner, the father of her two children. His behavior is obnoxious, and she leaves him at the altar. A romance ultimately develops between her and the brother of her longtime best friend.
So, what have I been doing since the last WAYR? Doing my damnedest not to doomscroll. It…hasn’t been going well. But when I haven’t been doomscrolling, I did manage to read a few books.
THE LAST GUY ON EARTH by Sarina Bowen (Bingo Entry: start mid-series). Fifteen years ago, Clay and Jethro were a pair of up-and-coming hockey players sharing an apartment. Friendship developed into something more, but Jethro didn’t realize that Clay had fallen in love with him, and definitely didn’t realize he’d fallen in love with Clay, so when one of them is called up to the pros, things end badly. Fifteen years later, they’re reunited when Jethro, a veteran goalie, is traded to the team Clay’s now the head coach for. Needless to say, neither man is thrilled with this move. Overall, I’d say I enjoyed the book. The flashbacks of what happened between Clay and Jethro were well-integrated into the story without bogging it down, and the story of how they finally get together after some stops and starts worked for me, for the most part.
Next up was GAME CHANGER by Rachel Reid (Bingo Entry: original cover replaced by an illustrated one). Not sure I need to give a recap, all things considered, but just in case someone’s not heard of the story: Scott’s a closeted hockey star who wanders into the smoothie shop where Kip works as a barista and finds himself coming back again and again for more than just the smoothies. The two start a secret relationship, but Kip realizes he wants more than it seems Scott’s ready to give. I read the entire series a year ago and had there not been a sample chapter of Heated Rivalry at the end of this, I wouldn’t have continued because I thought this book was boring. Scott and Kip are nice guys with decent chemistry and that’s about it. Then I watched the show and fell in love with them, so I reread the book hoping that it would improve my opinion of their story. Verdict: it did and it didn’t. I enjoyed the second half of the book more than I did the first time, and seeing Ilya turn up from time to time was a delight. (I had to laugh when Scott’s friends sought reassurance that he wasn’t dating Ilya. They were fine with him being gay, but dating Ilya Rozanov–oh HELL no!) But I realized that what I loved so much about Scott and Kip in the show was that their story was condensed–we got their romance and why it was so important without being bogged down with the things I didn’t care for in the book.
Continuing with my M/M hockey romance theme, I read I’M YOUR GUY by Sarina Bowen, book 2 in the “Hockey Guys” series. Tommaso DiCosta’s got a lot on his plate. As if it wasn’t enough that his mother, who’s battling cancer, is flying in for Christmas in a few weeks, he just moved into a new place that’s completely unfurnished, and he has no time to bother with picking out furniture and deciding on curtains. Enter Carter Flynn, a down-on-his-luck interior designer in desperate need of a job to pay off debts he and his ex-partner ran up while working for a client who stiffed them. Tommaso thinks hiring Carter will solve the problem, but Carter’s determined to involve him in every decision he makes whether he likes it or not. The problem for Tommaso is that he starts to like it–or rather, he likes Carter–more than he’s ready to admit. Yeah, it’s another closeted hockey star story, but unlike Scott in “Game Changer,” Tommaso has a family that long suspected his sexuality and in the case of his uncle and cousin, made his life hell for it. I enjoyed this book more than “The Last Guy on Earth,” though I can’t pinpoint exactly why.
I had half a dozen friends recommend THE EVERLASTING by Alix E. Harrow. All of Dominion knows the story of Sir Una Everlasting, a courageous orphan girl who was knighted by the woman who would become Dominion’s first queen after Una saved her life. Her devotion to her queen and country was unparalleled, and her death became the stuff of legend. Everyone knows her story…or so they think. Hundreds of years later, scholar Owen Mallory receives an ancient book that supposedly is all about the death of Sir Una Everlasting, not knowing that he’s about to embark on a journey into the past in more ways than one. It’s hard to talk about this book without giving away any spoilers, so I won’t even attempt it, but needless to say that it’s an amazing story. Una and Owen’s story is unforgettable and if this book isn’t in my top five reads of the year, then I’ll be surprised. (Pleasantly surprised, though, because it’ll mean I’ve read a lot of great books.)
The last book I read was THE BASTARD AND THE HEIR by Eden Finley and Saxon James (Bingo Entry: Am I the Asshole?), because someone in my writing Discord server was talking about it and it sounded too crazy not to read myself. Wren Porter’s never wanted anything to do with his biological father or that part of his family, but when his mother guilt trips him into attending the bastard’s funeral–and he learns that his father named him a beneficiary in his will–Wren has no choice but to get to know them. Complicating matters is his unexpected attraction to his half-brother, Darcy. Based on some of the stuff discussed in the Discord, I joked that it sounded like Matthew McConaughey/Woody Harrelson fanfic, but that’s not what it was at all. If I knew how to do spoilers, I’d include the reason why this is my entry for AITA because it’s part of the explanation for how this story works itself out, although in my opinion, there are a few things that needed to be dealt with that aren’t even brought up. Not something I’d recommend.
Finally, I finished the audiobook I was listening to, which was STORY OF A MURDER: THE WIVES, THE MISTRESS, AND DR. CRIPPEN by Hallie Rubenhold. What I knew about this story could be summed up by the pilot episode of Coupling, when Jane tried to make the point that the Crippens were happily married for a number of years…before he murdered her. I didn’t know that over the years, history had whitewashed Hawley Harvey Crippen to the point where one might think he was justified in killing his wife. This book exposes the lies behind history’s portrayal not only of Crippen but also of his victim: a would-be entertainer named Belle Elmore whose only crime was being his wife when he was ready to move on with another woman. That’s what I enjoy so much about Rubenhold’s work–that she focuses not on the infamous killers in history but rather on their victims, giving them the voice they lost when they were murdered.
I had one DNF, which was THE SILENT PATIENT by Alex Michaelides. I just couldn’t get into it.
Hope everyone’s able to stay warm, safe, and sane in these difficult times here in the U.S.
Jazzlet, I figured that the odds of Roarke being personally tied to the cases couldn’t hold out over the full series, but I’ll admit that it amused to to think it was possible. 🙂
@Laura
While late to the game, I was inspired by your suggestion of “My break glass book…” I would love a post of just break glass books, especially as doomscrolling, news watching (= doomscrolling irl), and winter madness demand some breaking of glass…
@qualisign not my turn of phrase but @lara’s and yes please to our mod’s creating a break glass list. Everyone take care of yourselves
@SB Sarah ~ I’ve tried about a dozen times to post the second half of my reading, but it simply disappears into the ether. Any ideas?
Oh that’s very strange – thank you for letting me know! It may be that the second half is too long? I’m going to poke around and look for your part 2.
@SB Sarah ~ thank you for looking. It’s far shorter than many of the above posts.
Popping in a bit late. The past few weeks have been hard as I talk for a living and have had to miss many days of work with ongoing voice strain (out again today).
I want to specifically recommend a fascinating (and short!) Non-fiction book:
HIDDEN GUESTS: MIGRATING CELLS AND HOW THE NEW SCIENCE OF MICROCHIMERISM IS REDEFINING HUMAN IDENTITY, by Lise Barneoud (can’t do the accent mark, sorry). It’s about how all humans contain cells from other humans for various reasons and how that works, but much more mind boggling than that brief description.
I also enjoyed the latest Pleiti & Mossa book by Malka Older, THE POTENCY OF UNGOVERNABLE IMPULSES. Didn’t like it as much as the previous books because she got very heavy handed with dialect (much of it Spanish I could recognize, but also some other bits and it just became tiring). Still like the characters and the world, makes me want to huddle in a college room with a pot of tea.
The 3rd Tomes & Tea book, TEA YOU AT THE ALTAR by Rebecca Thorne was a good addition to the series. We got to see the secondary couple for book 2 as well as our main couple and there are baby dragons, as well as lots of supportive community.
Just started AUTOMATIC NOODLE (my hold finally came in), so fingers crossed I will enjoy it. I’ve been bouncing off a lot of books lately, probably stress, for some reason…
Kareni: Do you want to email me your comment? sarah AT smartbitches trashybooks dot com – I can post it for you. And look for why it isn’t posting! I’m assuming you cleared your cache and boring things like that?
@SB Sarah ~ I did indeed do such boring things. I shall email you. Thank you!