Happy Saturday! It’s time for Whatcha Reading! Here’s how we’re kick off May:
Lara: After reading Dolly All The Time by Annabel Monaghan ( A | BN | K | AB ) (and LOVING it with one tiny caveat – full review coming), I’ve decided to delve into her back catalogue and this morning I started Nora Goes Off Script. Of course I only got 20 minutes in before my daughter woke up and the pre-school morning routine kicked in, but I’m looking forward to it. (edited)
Claudia: I am in some circle of hell where nothing is sticking!!
Shana: Oh no! That sounds so hard, Claudia.
I’m reading A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers, ( A | BN | K ) on audiobook. I tried to read the book when it first came out, but I wasn’t in the right mood for a meditative read. It’s perfect for me right now!
Sarah: I’m reading Platform Decay for the 2nd time, and a book called Murder at Gulls Nest, a mystery set in the 50s featuring a former nun who leaves her convent after 30 years to figure out what happened to her missing friend, a former novitiate.
Susan: My brain is very smooth this week, so I’m basically switching between D-Genesis ( A | BN | K | AB ) (researcher accidentally kills a dungeon boss in a car accident and unlocks the stat window, decides to research how levelling up works) and The Other World’s Books Depend on the Bean Counter ( A | BN | K | AB ) (very fun; an accountant gets summoned to a magical world, attempts to solve the national budget, and falls into a very respectful fuck or die).
Sarah: Update: I’ve now started the audiobook of Platform Decay, narrated by Kevin R. Free, AND am still reading Murder at Gull’s Nest.
Whatcha reading? Tell us in the comments!
May got off to a good start with a group of very solid reads. None of them inspired me to rave about them, but none of them was awful either. The single DNF was purely a response to some of my least favorite plot devices rather than a blanket condemnation of said book.
Darksight Dare by Lois McMaster Bujold
The sixteenth in Penric and Desdemona’s adventures harks back to earlier in Pen’s travels when he first encounters his future wife Nikys and her brother General Arisaydia. The General sends Cinar, a cavalry captain who has been cruelly blinded, to Pen in hopes that he can cure or improve Cin’s sight. While Cin’s malady cannot be healed as Adelis’s was, Pen and Des, in their usual convoluted way are able to offer a partial solution. I deeply enjoyed this latest entry in a favorite series–even more so than the last few novellas. Pen and Des are perhaps my favorite quick comfort reads. Recommended.
Overruled by Lana Ferguson
DNF @19%
So Dani and Ezra are rival lawyers on opposite sides in a high profile, high stakes divorce case, but they can’t keep their pants on when they’re together. Dani bemoans this constantly, and Ezra constantly needles her about it. And I am just. . . Stop it, Danzra, You’re embarrassing me! The writing is fine and all, but I’m not enjoying it, so I am bowing out.
A Ticking Time Boss by Olivia Hayle
I’ve been soldiering through this workplace romance series, but this one was really hard. Set at a respected (fictional) NYC newspaper, the story was hampered by my awareness of what’s been happening in journalism for years now. Carter is the investor who takes over as the CEO tasked with making the Globe profitable again. Audrey is the dewy eyed, idealistic young reporter whom he first encounters in a bar. While the age difference isn’t that major, the experience gap between these two is a chasm. Both have trust issues stemming from events in their youth, and there is a twist that is painfully obvious early on. Lies of omission by the MMC threaten the relationship, but the very real HR issues are hand waved away. I finished it, but it left me feeling itchy and uncomfortable.
An Italian Island Love Story by Leonie Mack
This romance is the third Wedding Planners adventure. While I loved the Elba locale and appreciated the premise, this story does not work as well as the previous two–at least not for me. Wedding planner Toni is on Elba for a week of vacay before tackling her first destination wedding and plans to stay with her online “girl” friend Gabri. Florist Gabriele looks forward to hosting his pen pal Toni. Big Mis evolves into a fling and then into lies and evasions when Toni’s son and her Mum arrive on Elba. Awkwardness simply rolls off the pages, and this couple never seemed to finish a single much needed conversation in the run up to Toni’s departure. I found it very unsettling that two adults tottering on the verge of forty had such a shaky grasp on how communication and consequences work. Despite all, HEA is achieved.
Unknown Depths by Celia Lake
I think this is destined to be one of my favorite reads by this author. Thom Marwick is a selkie, whose shifter magic is contained by his inherited sealskin. Rowena Edgerton’s shapeshifting ability is Learned. Though both embrace the ocean as seals, on the the surface they have little else in common until Thom’s Gran sends them on a quest to discover and heal the unknown force that is troubling local waters. This story is both highly detailed and deeply focused, which I loved. My only gripe is that Thom’s character is kind of muted in contrast to the much livelier Rowena. This treatment of male characters seems to be a trend in Lake’s recent books, and for the most part, I’m not loving it. It seems like you should be able to support your partner without becoming one with the wallpaper. Fortunately, there are compensations in this one, like lots of Gabe Edgarton, one of my favorite scions of Albion. Recommended.
Suite on the Boss by Olivia Hayle
This book is the final entry in the New York Billionaire series, and it was one of the better ones. Sophie meets Isaac on one of the worst days of her life. He is kind and supportive, but she is no crushed heroine. In the year that follows, she divorces her cheating spouse and pours her energy into her career as a consultant until she once again meets Isaac–this time across a conference table pitching a proposal to expand the Winter Hotel empire. I really liked Sophie and Isaac as a couple. They begin as friends and gradually progress to more than friends, dealing with some weighty baggage as they do so. I was happy to conclude this series on an upbeat note.
Duchess in Diamonds by Jennifer Ashley
This Regency romance is a light, mildly spicy story, perfect for those moments that require a simple HEA without too much angst or complexity. It introduces three friends who meet in boarding school, survive Waterloo together, and are seeking their fortunes in London after the war. Eamon Stone is a charmer whose work as an art appraiser brings him into the orbit of impecunious widow, Lady Aylesmore. Eamon finds himself much taken not only with the duchess, but also with her son Leo, the nine year old Duke. Though Caroline’s first priority is to protect her son, she finds herself returning Eamon’s regard, and together they work to unravel several puzzles with the help of their friends. I look forward to reading upcoming books in the series.
Island Affair by Priscilla Oliveras
(CW: references to accidental deaths and discussion of eating disorders)
This atmospheric romance is set in the Florida Keys. Sara is hoping to sort things out with her achievement oriented family during a week-long vacation in Key West, but her no-show boyfriend undermines her ability to do so. Luis, who is on involuntary leave from his job as a firefighter, is willing to fill in as her partner for the week, primarily to help Sara deal with the stress of her situation. It’s clear from the beginning that these two are really good together despite the personal issues each is dealing with and the way their lies keep tripping them up. The dynamics of Sara’s driven family–doctors all–as well as Luis’s lively Cuban-American famiglia are a welcome focal point of this book. I especially loved the sensual writing style, applied to both the emotional and the ambient landscape. It’s not so much a matter of spice level as it is the immediacy of their experiences and the vivid sense of place. My two main caveats are the insta- aspect of falling in love within three days and the abruptness of the happy ending. However, I will definitely read more by this author.
Love on the Line by C. W. Farnsworth
This sports romance is the final book in the Kluvberg trilogy. Football (soccer) players Claire Caldwell and Otto Berger meet, become lovers, and part during the Olympics in Paris. Six years later, Otto is an elite football player for FC Kluvberg in Germany, temporarily coaching a professional women’s soccer team in the States while recovering from a debilitating injury. Claire is a player for the Boston Siege. Yup, the very same team. Watching these athletes find their way back to each other while juggling family and team responsibilities is an unadulterated pleasure even with the flashbacks to their earlier encounters. I’ve read a bunch by this author, but the Kluvberg sequence is my favorite. It portrays adults coping with and maturing through grownup problems. It also portrays sport as both demanding and rewarding work rather than some kind of golden ticket to pampered prosperity. Wholeheartedly recommended.
Navy Captain’s Convenient Wife by Carla Kelly
This modest historical romance covers familiar ground for Kelly’s long time fans. Anna meets Royal Navy Captain John Beatty when he brings her news of her brother’s death in action. She, in turn, offers refuge to him and two young children to the detriment of her reputation. Cue marriage of convenience. What follows devolves into a sort of boys’ (and girls’) own adventure splashing about the Med post-Trafalgar. In short, this was a mildly daring tale with a surprising amount of cheerful sex, touches of domestic humor, and bunches of Royal Navy cheerleading. I found it a very soothing read, though I would have really liked some payback for Anna’s maliciously gossipy neighbors and un-Christian congregants.
Thirty Love by Tom Vellner
(CW: health issues, bullying and sport related homophobia)
I’m currently reading this m/m sports romance that Sarina Bowen recommended on Goodreads. It’s written in third person present tense single POV which I sometimes find a bit awkward. Leo Chambers is a pro tennis player who has always been coached by his dad, himself a former tennis pro whose career was cut short by MS. Leo’s primary rival is Gabe Montoya, a strong competitor who becomes the first pro player to come out as gay. Leo, who is a rule follower, is also gay but deeply closeted. This is a fairly complicated slow burn story with a large cast of interesting characters. It seems a lot weightier than just sport and romance. . . and there’s a LOT of tennis, about which I know fuck all. Still, the sports content is fairly accessible, even for me. This story grew on me the longer I read it. I especially like the touches of sly and occasionally sophomoric humor that emerge as Leo’s character reveals more complexity and Gabe lets down his guard. Recommended.