Welcome back to Whatcha Reading! Here’s how we’re kicking off August:
Lara: I’m indulging in another instalment (number three) of the Sebastian St. Cyr series by CS Harris. ( A | BN | K | AB ) I’m delighted to have so many books ahead of me in this series! Things are getting intense with Kat Boleyn and I’m developing a crush on Hero although my first love will always be Paul Gibson.
(P.S. I forced Sarah to reveal the long term love interest to me because I was in such a state about it – anyone else sometimes seek spoilers out so you can read without the tension?)
Elyse: I just started The Summer Between Us by Jennifer Probst. ( A | BN )
Sarah: I’m reading Ravished by Amanda Quick, ( A | BN | K | G | AB ) inspired by the RT Rewind we just recorded. My gosh the heroine can be a complete doofus but the charm, it works.
Sneezy: Only Hope is back, and I just… I just…
Whatcha reading? Tell us in the comments!
Summer is heading into the dog days. July was a mild-mannered puppy in my neck of the woods, but I expect August will find me panting under the porch, y’all.
The Revenge Mishap by Jax Calder
Bingo: wrong sibling or mistaken identity.
This m/m romance is the second in a series and works very well on its own. I will have to read book one, however, just because book two is so hilariously good. Brought together by a syrup fueled assault spinning out of control, shame and sucrose turn Leo and Archie into roommates, co-workers and. eventually, lovers. The humor in this book hovers on the edge of humiliation without ever quite tipping over the brink. It’s the characters of Leo and Archie that prevent that fatal (to me) flaw. Both MCs respond to challenges with intention and control, and each is careful about the other’s limits. Calling this a grumpy/sunshine romance is a gross oversimplification; this book deserves better than to be reduced to a trope. Recommended.
One Summer by Nora Roberts
dnf @23%
There are many things worth revisiting from the 1980s, but Nora isn’t necessarily one of them. I am not rage-quitting this book, but I don’t have the patience for the performative gender crap. (She wants to excavate the depths of his soul; he’s obsessing over long legs, hair, and “lazy sexuality.”) It’ not awful, but I feel like the rage bait is just around the next corner, and it’s fucking with my concentration. The MCs are photographers from the pre-digital era embarking on a months-long road trip to capture summer in America, so there’s a lot of old tech and competence. That appeals, but I feel like I already read this article back in the day and don’t want to revisit it.
Romance Revival by Christina Lauren
Bingo: Flowers on cover, Contemporary
These authors have become an autobuy for me in recent years. I’m never quite sure what I’m going to get, but nothing in my recall was as unexpected at this book. It’s just a hair on the SF side of romance, finished with barely a twist of suspense. Mostly, though, I really enjoyed spending time with workaholic Emery and nurturing Luca as they reconstructed their faltering marriage. Also, their support team– especially Betty, the kickass octogenarian–was outstanding. Sorting out the Big Bad was a mite rushed and missing some relevant detail, but forgivable in light of the relationship focus. Overall, this was a fun book destined for the Comfort Reads folder.
Runaway Rockstar by Kylie Scott
Bingo: Performer or artist, Released in the last three months
This book is pretty standard fare for Scott. Agressively self-deprecating Ordinary Girl(™) encounters boy who is some combo of good looking, talented, sad, and overprivileged. He is immediately blown away by her wholesome ordinariness. They flirt, have (extraordinary) sex, stutterstep in the final quarter of the book, and reconcile. I felt like nothing really happened in this book, but I finished it because it was easy and pleasant, which worked for me in the moment.
Extracurricular by Rachel Lynn Solomon
Bingo: Performer or artist, Released in the last three months
Despite mixed reactions from readers, I chose to read this book because I’ve enjoyed the author’s earlier work. Professor-student romances are inherently problematic, but every so often I approach one with hope that the problems will be resolved in an acceptable way. Alas, having likable protagonists can not fully satisfy that hope. The third person present tense narration slightly distances the reader from the action and softens the hard edges of Nick and Ramona’s situation, but cannot erase the basic flaws in this trope. There’s lots of feels as well as sex packed into this relationship, and both MC’s are vulnerable, caring adults, but the risks and consequences of their affair are gently blurred in pursuit of the HEA. I finished it, but, overall, this was a nope for me.
Made for Mayhem by Aimee Vance
Bingo: Character with tattoo, Latest in series
While I really enjoyed book one of the Mayhem Hockey series, the hockey in this one is barely peripheral to the plot, and what remains is not my jam. The central theme is grief, and it permeates everything. The romance is sweet and tender; the small, can-do mountain community is both supportive and gorgeous; and there is an adorable orphan connecting the couple, as well as a plethora of slightly damaged pets. This is definitely a well-constructed story with likable characters, but, sadly,I am not a Hallmark girlie, and this level of sentimentality is not for me.
Partners in Crime by Alisha Rai
Bingo: Heist or con
Rai is one of those authors I always meant to read, but then some book would shout “Squirrel!” and I’d get sidetracked. I’m really grateful to this summer’s bingo card for motivating me, because this book is a delight. The fast-paced, suspenseful plot completely hoodwinked me, yet never distracted from the engaging characters of Mira and Naveen. Definitely a winner, and I can’t wait to read the sequel.
And One Last Thing by Molly Harper
Bingo: Friends with benefits
Back when I first started reading Molly Harper, it was all paranormal all the time. The first time I saw this title, I thoight it a bit pricey, but eventually I succumbed and left it gathering dust on Mount TBR. Finally, bingo made me open it, and–surprise!–it’s a new fav. More women’s fiction than unadulterated romance, Lacey’s story takes her from betrayed divorceé to a woman taking charge of her new and vibrant life, via a cast of colorful characters, equally colorful and funny dialogue, and Monroe, her very appealing literary neighbor..
Maggie and Arthur’s Magic Moment by Leslie René
Bingo: Person’s name in title
I found this book so inviting from the very first chapter when the masked protagonists celebrate Beltane with anonymity and passionate kisses. The bulk of the story details the initially hostile relationship of two professors at magical Hawthorne College. I really liked the down to earth nature of the magical system–its logic, its uses, and its hazards. I also liked that ther was no quest, no mission, no glory, and no Big Bad. This story is grounded in work, responsibility, and kindness with a delicate soupçon of desire that escalates slowly toward a lusty tipping point. The pacing is deliberate and suited my mood but might seem slow for another reader. Recommended.
Ooh, I feel you on seeking out spoilers—sometimes you just need to know a certain plot angle is going to be okay!
I have been diving into the Brother Cadfael series (recommended by both SB Sarah and my mom.) They are so good! I really enjoy the writing and the cast of characters. I wasn’t totally sure I was going to make it through book 2 (there are 94 people executed as part of the ongoing fight between King Stephen and Empress Maud for the throne), but I’m glad I’ve stuck with it and am now on book 7.
On the romance side, I read STAR SHIPPED by Cat Sebastian. I liked it until about the last 75 pages when I felt like it started to drag a bit. I kept having this feeling of, “Let’s get these two over the finish line!” But definitely a solid B+ for me.
I’m currently reading till summer do us Part by Meghan Quinn. I’m about 30% in and I don’t love it. It’s for book club so I’ll finish it but I don’t like the MCs. Scottie is annoying and the banter is starting to grate. I’ve never been on board with the fake relationship trope. I can’t think of a book where it’s been done well.
@Amanda, as far as spoilers go, I check the 1 and 2 star reviews on goodreads for anything involving animals or children being hurt. I just can’t.
The Sebastian st. Cyr mysteries have been recommended by a few friends so I need to give it a try.
I definitely also either seek out spoilers, or speed read just to find out what happens and reread for enjoyment.
I don’t remember if it was here that someone recommended TAIWAN TRAVELOGUE, but it is definitely the best thing I read in the past couple weeks. It’s not really a romance, though there are elements. Lotta slow burn pining that you know is not going to end well but in a good way if that makes sense? The plot is actually very slight. I am not sure how to describe this but I think it’s like if a cozy queer romance between a Japanese author and her Taiwanese translator in the 30s went through a paper shredder of real life problems and was glued back together. It’s unspeakably meta, so incredibly layered. It’s about translation, and colonization, and hunger, lots of big theme stuff that I can find irritatingly didactic but did not in this case. Mostly I was distracted by all the food. So much of the book is about food in Taiwan, if you are not into detailed food writing it is not for you.
A lot of mediocre gardening books, a lot of advice on short row knitting that I am skeptical I have actually absorbed, a lot of KJ Charles, and a lot of perfectly adequate but forgettable romances. However! Nothing I hated! Even though it’s hot out, and I am surrounded by family! So that’s a real gift from the universe (beyond the gift of KJ Charles, which we don’t deserve but I sure have come to rely upon).
This is the time of year where my enthusiasm for tracking my reading goes way down. I’m reading/listening to short stories (which I don’t usually bother to mention here) and most things have been DNF. It’s still hard to believe I haven’t finished one book between the last Whatcha Reading and now. But the numbers don’t lie;.
I am almost done reading the third Amory Ames book A MOST NOVEL REVENGE and enjoying it, but not as much as the first two. The author is using the conceit of our amateur detective reading a tacky Roman a clef (written by the murder victim) to find clues that are important to who the murderer is/why it happened. The author is poking fun at a type of writing, but to me it’s not bad to read in a fun way, it’s just bad. It can go on for pages and pages at a time. I’ve started skipping right over it. If the solution hinges on something that was in those passages, I’ve made my peace w/it.
The next book in the series is set in Capri which makes me feel nervous/excited. There’s certain places where I’ve never been or at least don’t know super well and am happy to suspend disbelief. Montana? Sure. Scotland? Absolutely. Miami. Yup. But I know a lot about Italy and particularly that area and can be an unbearable pedant about it. I know this about myself, which I hope makes it a smidge less annoying, but my friends and family may have a different opinion 😉
I completed four books in a row that relied on flashbacks to tell the story, and now I’m thinking I’d like to be able to flash back to June and extend the time I have available for summer reading. I just finished Sarah Adler’s new book, WILD GOOSE CHASE, and I thought it was delightful. The romance was compelling and the twists and turns of the search for a taxidermied goose were fun and surprising. As she did in MRS. NASH’S ASHES, Adler builds intriguing juxtapositions between characters and storylines from the past and the present, and then brings the diverse plot elements and historical references into a completely satisfying conclusion. And as @Lara’s recent review pointed out, Adler’s writing style is glorious.
I’m not sure what prompted me to pull books by new-to-me author Elissa Sussman from my lengthy TBR stack, but I’m glad I did. I liked FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK (2022) and liked the follow up, TOTALLY AND COMPLETELY FINE (2025), even more. Both blend angst with the romance, a combination I typically enjoy. The first tells the story of FMC Chani, a writer, and MMC Gabe, an actor. Gabe has been Chani’s celebrity crush for a long time and she’s excited and nervous about writing a profile of him when she’s a 26-year-old trying to behave professionally despite her attraction to the man she’s interviewing. The published interview becomes an important turning point for Chani’s career, as well as the start of a relationship with Gabe. I liked the flashbacks as well as excerpts from articles, blog posts, and other “outside sources” used to help explain the history of the connections and struggles that affected these characters.
I gathered from reading reviews that many other readers preferred FUNNY YOU SHOULD ASK but for me it wasn’t as satisfying as TOTALLY AND COMPLETELY FINE. The second book also uses extensive flashbacks for the story of Gabe’s sister, 40-year-old FMC Lauren, who is living in the small town in Montana where she and Gabe grew up, running a bookstore and craft store funded by Gabe’s Hollywood earnings, and raising her 13-year-old daughter alone since the death of Lauren’s husband in a car accident three years prior. Gabe, who is in recovery from struggles with alcoholism and solidly coupled up with Chani, is now the co-owner of a theater in their small town where MMC Ben, a 30-year-old up-and-coming film actor who Lauren met on a visit to one of Gabe’s film sets, will co-star in the theater’s opening production. I was particularly impressed and touched by the descriptions of dealing with grief and trying to move forward, for both Lauren and her daughter, and I appreciated the extended group of friends (some carried over from the first book) that interacted with the adults and the teens in this book.
Every book KJ Micciche has published has been a winner for me until her newest, THEN CAME THE FALL, became the first “meh”. According to the author’s note, it’s a love letter to her childhood summer camp experiences, and the detailed descriptions of activities at the fictional summer camp in this book were more interesting to me than the journey taken by FMC Taylor and MMC Matt. The two meet at camp at age 6, remain best friends (and more) through high school, break up (twice) and get together again at age 31, after many complications that affect both MCs. I usually enjoy second chance romance and angst-filled romance, but this plot moved from drama to melodrama too many times. I didn’t mind the many flashbacks, but I wanted a lot more of the banter that has been a strong point in the relationships of other Micciche couples. I’ll look forward to her next book, though– one miss after five hits is still a darn good percentage of reading enjoyment.
@Sarah, Ravished is probably my favorite Amanda Quick so I’m interested to hear your thoughts. It’s the one of hers that I reread occasionally. Harriet is definitely a doofus though! Just finished Jenny Holiday’s Book Club Boyfriend, highly recommended!
I am struggling to do anything other than re-read books I’ve already read a million times before. @Lara – I totally understand the impulse to want the spoilers. I often start a book, skip ahead to find out what happens, and then go back to finish the middle. Maybe that’s why I’m enjoying re-reads at the moment. I know exactly what will happen.
Several of my holds have come available at the library and they just aren’t working for me. Crossing fingers for the third one, JUST FOR THE SEASON by Rachel Griffiths, that I’m going to start today.
THE SHIPPERS by Katherine Center: DNF
I just don’t like the main character. She’s heading into TSTL territory in a way that I’m just not finding charming. Katherine Center is hit or miss for me, but I haven’t actually decided to not finish any of her books before.
THIS MONSTER OF MINE by Shalini Abeysekara: DNF
Too dark. I should have realized from the cover, but this is just too dark for me. I’ve gotten through a couple of chapters and the book isn’t working.
KNITTING IN THE CITY by Penny Reid: on the umpteenth re-read
I just enjoy these books. They are completely wacky, plot-wise. It’s not clear to me why Reid waited until the entire series was over before writing BANANAPANTS because she honestly could have used that as the title for any of these books. The characters are interesting and behave in a mostly reasonable manner, given the bizarre situations they find themselves in.
I finished A TRADE IN BLOOD by Robert Jackson Bennett. I love these fantasy/mystery hybrids. They are so entertaining and engaging. I joined the bad decision book club and stayed up late reading this one because I couldn’t stop!
I am reading THE SEMINARIAN by Patrick Parr. This is a nonfiction book about MLK’s years at Crozer Theological Seminary in Pennsylvania. This is an under scholarshiped area of King’s life. The details are absolutely fascinating. I recommend
I’m another who seeks spoilers, speedreads and then goes back and reads to enjoy, and generally does not usually read narratives in the order they are presented. Also another doing a lot of re-reads.
A nonfiction book I really enjoyed was NIGHT MAGIC: ADVENTURES AMONG GLOWWORMS, MOONGARDENS, AND OTHER MARVELS OF THE DARK by LEIGH ANN HENION. The author learns about various night creatures and plants and ponders our relationship to darkness. A chapter on moths, on glowworms, on bats, etc. Henion lives in a part of the country I am familiar with (western NC), so that was fun. It also prodded me, as a fantasy writer, to remember to include more ordinary night creatures in world-building.
Also liked HOW TO BE OKAY WHEN NOTHING IS OKAY by JENNY LAWSON. It’s my first book by her and I’ll be looking up others. Friendly, weird, sympathetic, encouraging. I find the covers of her books unsettling (which is why it’s taken me a while to read one)–they communicate anxiety and I feel like I don’t need more? But I’m glad I got past the cover.
Over the past two weeks ~
— To fulfill the Scot prompt in a summer romance bingo, I reread a historical romance set in Scotland in 1816, Doing No Harm by Carla Kelly. This featured a naval surgeon retired from long years of wartime service looking for a nice village in which to set up a practice. The other lead was a thirty year old woman, a tea room proprietor, helping as many as she is able in a decidedly not nice village. This is a time when many highlanders were forced from their homes and driven into the lowlands of Scotland (or sent abroad). The surgeon stops in her village to help a child with a broken leg.
— To fulfill the shifter (not bear, wolf, or cat) prompt in a summer romance bingo, I read Wriggle & Sparkle: The Collected Tales by Megan Derr whose main characters are kraken and unicorn shifters. When this collection of stories begins, the leads are both working as law enforcement agents for a paranormal bureau.
— For a summer romance reading bingo, I quite enjoyed a reread of Honeytrap by Aster Glenn Gray; this is for a historical (non-regency era) romance. The main characters, an FBI and a Soviet agent, are assigned to work together to solve an attack in the US (fictional, I believe) on Khrushchev. It starts in 1959 (the largest part of the book) and ends in 1992.
— For my book group, I read Horse by Geraldine Brooks. It will likely not surprise you to learn that a horse features in this novel which is based on a real racehorse that raced in the 1850s. A number of characters in that time period are modeled on real people. The main character from that time is an enslaved man who raises/trains the horse from birth; also featured are several of his owners and a painter. The book goes back and forth in time. In the present time are a black art history graduate student and a woman, a bone expert, who works for the Smithsonian. Several pieces of art featuring the horse play a role. Sad things happen, but it was a gripping read.
— Night’s Fall (The Four Realms Book 1) by Kristen Ashley is a fantasy set in a world with humans, shifters, fae, vampires, and more. In many ways the world feels like ours as, for example, the lead characters meet in an exclusive nightclub. The female lead, a costume designer, was attacked several months before the book begins and her shifted form taken; she is suffering from trauma. The male lead is a prince, a dragon shifter, and also a successful businessman. I read many books by this author years ago, but I still recognize some of her signature phrases.
— the urban fantasy Dead Wrong by Alexander C. Eberhart begins with a man being resurrected by his ex in order to locate his missing sister, the heir of his cruel and powerful mother.
— Silent Flames by Cate C. Wells is a contemporary romance. This book was unusual in that it began with the female lead discovering her husband being unfaithful to her.
— enjoyed We Have Till Dawn by Cara Dee about a retired sex worker (a musician, barista, and more) who accepts a lucrative two month contract from a man with Asperger’s.
— Halo by E.M. Lindsey is a contemporary romance. One lead is a sex worker (a bingo prompt) who is also a graduate student who grew up in foster care after being kicked out of his home after coming out as gay. The other lead is a CEO who is on a solo honeymoon after finding his fiance with his partner/friend. The latter gets into the former’s car believing him to be a hired driver.
Yesterday the third book of a trilogy finally came out so I am in the middle of The Prince’s Fealty by Ellie Ash – mm fantasy with family drama, coups and treason, and magic. In book 1 Prince Tor is ordered by his twin brother King Varex to go marry someone for political reasons who he knows is incompatible with him magic-wise, so he re-interprets the order and decides to go court a completely unsuitable non-magic royal for pretend to prove to his brother how ridiculous this is… and then Prince Pel thinks he is an ass, doesn’t fall for his charm, and Prince Tor falls for Pel for real. Lots of character growth for Prince Tor (he needs it), and then lots of other stuff starts going wrong. I binged 1 & 2 and have been waiting for 3, but already there has been lots of stuff I was not predicting.
I also just finished Strangers by Belle Burden and really struggled with sympathy given all the Uber privilege of the main characters and how self-centered Belle was, so I went from that to Agnes Sharp and the Tripof a Lifetime, where Edwina was just as hilarious as in book one and a fantastic antidote to Belle, and Bernadette had a second chance romance plot that was wonderful. If you liked The Thursday Murder Club premise I highly recommend the Agnes Sharp books.
This month my BYOB book club is doing evil tech – Empire of AI was one of my fav reads last year, and I am struggling to find something as relevant and good so if any one has any recs let me know! I could do fiction too, but I am more fantasy than sci-if, which is why I was thinking non-fiction… but all suggestions welcome!
Also I am 1000% anti-spoiler, but that then totally increases my reading anxiety when books start to go in questionable directions 🙁
I rarely look for spoilers in romance novels—I trust in the author’s ability to formulate an HEA even out of the most unpromising circumstances. When it comes to mysteries and psychological suspense, I accept that likeable characters may not make it or may end up being the culprit, so rarely look for spoilers. However, every once in a while, I will skip ahead in a thriller or even women’s fiction, just to know a sympathetic character will be ok.
I keep thinking I’m going to get “back to reading” but then the stars refuse to align. House renovations are almost done, but school just started, and my days are completely jammed. As I keep telling my husband, “Look for me after Labor Day.” However, I did manage to squeeze in two books this month:
DEEP END is the first Ali Hazelwood book I’ve read, and I was in two minds about it. On the one hand, it’s very well written: Hazelwood really gets into the head of the heroine, an overthinking/overanalyzing college athlete (diving) whose façade begins to shatter after a bad injury. On the other hand, the book seemed a throwback to the cultural idea (popular in the 1970s & 80s, and, sadly, still around today) that all a woman needs is a really good fuck (in the case of DEEP END, a really good BDSM-themed fuck) to get all her physical and emotional issues addressed. Scarlett is a member of her college’s diving team; she’s also a med student with heavy training and academic workloads. Although she has recovered physically from an injury she received when a dive went wrong, she experiences a block about performing the dive again. Scarlett inadvertently learns that her teammate, Pen, is unhappy in a relationship with Lukas (a member of the swim team and an Olympic medal winner for Sweden) because Lukas is into BDSM and Pen is not. Through a series of not completely plausible situations, Pen & Lukas break up, and Scarlett & Lukas start dating. Naturally, Lukas is just what Scarlett needs, and before you know it, Scarlett is executing her dives, acing her medical exams, and having multiple orgasms courtesy of Lukas’s soft dom approach. Because the book’s POV is almost exclusively Scarlett’s, it’s hard to get much of a handle on Lukas. He seems too perfect at times—just exactly what Scarlett needs in every way. I’m ambivalent about DEEP END: it’s well-written with hot sexy-times, but it also seems to imply that good sex solves everything—and I’m sure all of us wish that were true!
Jill Sorenson’s LAST MAN STANDING is a bit of a return to her Dirty Eleven books (of which, alas, she only published two: RIDING DIRTY and SHOOTING DIRTY). Although not quite as gritty as those books, LAST MAN STANDING does have a number of similarities: crimes of the past coming back to haunt the victims (and perpetrators); working-class characters trying to keep their heads above water; and a somewhat bumpy road to love. Paul is lying low, recovering from a gunshot wound (the circumstances of which are slowly revealed over the course of the book), and fixing up a damaged cabin in his spare time. A mix-up with reservations means that newly divorced Vanessa and her young daughter find Paul living in the place Vanessa had booked for a planned vacation. Surprisingly, this does not lead to a “shared room/only one bed” situation, but the cabin remains a point of contention between the two MCs. Naturally, sparks fly, but Paul and Vanessa are cautious, having both been burned in various ways in the past. Sorenson is great at slowly tightening both the sexual tension and the suspense as Paul’s past and Vanessa’s clash in unexpected ways. I also liked the story’s resolution: things aren’t perfect for Paul & Vanessa, negotiation and compromise are required for the two to carve out a life together. LAST MAN STANDING is apparently the final book of Sorenson’s His to Protect series, but there is a character in the story—a morally-gray veteran whose family ties rather than natural inclination make violence inevitable—who I would love to see in a future book. If any romance writer can redeem someone like that, it’s Sorenson.
Nothing I’m really excited to rant about this time around but my favourites this time are both f/m romantasies.
Stacey McEwan’s A FORSAKEN PROPHECY is the middle book of a trilogy that it’s hard to talk about without spoilers but I really enjoyed it. It’s set in a fantasy dystopia where everything and everyone is complicated. Things are very bleak right now and I want that third book. Reviews say the world is Peaky Blinders-ish but I couldn’t tell you, being ignorant of Peaky Blinders. British-coded poverty + crime world with a terrible dominant class?
Also liked Ruth McKell’s standalone fantasy HONEY IN HER VEINS. Set in small-town Appalachia with haunting folk magics and family complications, and she has growing magic and he has decay magic. I like this even more in hindsight.
Grace Reilly’s f/m contemporary YES, CHEF had a lovely energy where both characters are obviously growing and I enjoyed seeing that. She’s an influencer and he’s a Michelin-starred chef who grew up in the foster system. Both have ADHD and serious emotional issues that they work on pretty realistically (though maybe a little direct therapy would be a good idea?). Anyway, enjoyable.
Also quite liked f/m hockey contemporary BEFORE WE CAME by Sloane St. James. I believe this is her first novel, and it’s not perfect but it was fascinating because it’s the story of a woman who was kidnapped by a psychotic narcissist at six years of age. The woman had killed her own daughter and she grabbed Birdie because she looked enough like her daughter that she could pass her off as her. She convinced Birdie that her parents had deliberately put her up for adoption and it’s only when her adoptive mother dies and she finds her diaries that she discovers her family have been looking for her all these years. The discoveries are fascinating and the MMC was her older brother’s best friend and still very close to her birth family. He’s the hockey player.
Read Lucy Score’s f/m contemporary MISTAKES WERE MADE, very much a Lucy Score book. I enjoyed it more than the first of her STORY LAKE series. The quirky townsfolk may be a bit much for some people but I liked the FMC and MMC quite a lot. I mostly read this while picking blueberries so it has that kind of feel for me in hindsight.
f/m contemporary Victoria Lavine’s NOT THAT KIND OF PROPOSAL and Naina Kumar’s JUST A HIGHLAND FLING were both totally readable but maybe a little long? I liked them both.
Currently in the middle of H.M. Wolfe’s dystopian fantasy DAGGERMOUTH and the counterbalance of Celia Lake’s UNKNOWN DEPTHS. Damn I love Lake’s work!
DOLLY ALL THE TIME (Annabel Monaghan) and WILD GOOSE CHASE (Sarah Adler) were as good as many hear said. Lots of Bad Decision nights, absolutely worth it.
Arthur C. Clarke’s CHILDHOOD’S END was an excellent twist on alien invasion, with benevolent overlords requiring nothing more than we end war, poverty and cruelty. Whatever we will do without those self-inflicted wounds?
Re-read THINGS WE HIDE FROM THE LIGHT by Lucy Score, by mistake when looking for THINGS WE LEFT BEHIND in the Knockemout series. I don’t know, sometimes it’s all too much. Fun dialog, lots of anger, redemption, too many bullets flying. Still, here I am.
RING THE BELLS in CK McDonnell’s “Stranger Times” series was more insane perfection. If you like weird, dark urban fantasy that makes you laugh, start with THE STRANGER TIMES and just keep going.
I’m deep in a season of Re-read many, many books – starting in pre-summer with Ilona Andrew’s INNKEEPER CHRONICLES AND HIDDEN LEGACY series.
We’ve had two roadtrips from Chicago to the East coast this summer for kid related activities. On trip #1, I reaD Andrew’s THIS KINGDOM WILL NOT KILL ME twice back to back. It was absorbing in all the best ways. On trip #2, I listened to the TKWNKM audiobook, which made the books even better and highlighted so many details. Fantastic narration.
I reread THE GOBLIN EMPEROR by Katherine Addison. Which takes an investment in learning the names and politics but is a book with such a deep, kind heart. It’s soothing in our current world climate. I thought I’d jump into the follow ups and found they didn’t take.
NIGHT’S FALL by Kristen Ashley got a reread when I realized the next book is coming out this month (8/17). It’s contemporary fantasy with demon’s, shifters etc. That lead into a reread of her WILD WEST MC series, going from last to first. This series has a lot of characters from her CHAOS series, and a storyline running through the 3 books. You can start here, but definitely with #1, STILL STANDING. Lots of alpha males. The last book SMOOTH SAILING is my favorite – there’s no 3rd act breakup – it’s a growing together with the MMC having to shift his core understanding of himself. There’s some great community in this book. Trigger warning for on page attempted sexual assault, off page rape and physical assault.
This week, I went back to THE HORDES KINGS OF DAKKAR by Zoey Draven. Lots of Alpha humanoid alien males and women who step into their own worth and power (something literal powers).
I revisited many of my favorite Grace Draven books – ENTREAT ME, THE UNDYING KING, WYVERN, THE MASTER OF CROWS series and FALLEN EMPIRE SERIES.
And I always thoroughly enjoy reading Kimberly Lemmings MEAD MISHAPS books. They are off the wall goofy and delightful.
I have read a new book or two – but have had many DNFs mostly due to “meh”, generic writing/story. I can’t remember most of them.
I enjoyed BROOKLYNAIRE by Sarina Bowen – nice to have a non-asshole MMC in a billionaire book.
I’ve read the first two books in Alexandra Ivy’s MAGIC FOR HIRE series. I think book 1 was in the daily deals. Entertaining – a little instalovey for me.
I wanted to like Jessie Mihalik’s SILVER AND BLOOD. I DNFed after 1/4. This was something I’ve noticed before, when the MCS are stuck somewhere together with very little interaction with other people or the outside world, the author needs to put a lot of work in to build tension and grow the beginning of the relationship. In this case once the couple had sex for the first time, the minimal tension deflated and I totally lost interest. I honestly can’t recall the portion I did read.
I have Grace Draven’s new book THE MOON RAVEN lined up on Hoopla. I was very excited to see it pop up on the service last night.
And how could I almost forget – Julie Anne Long’s newest Palace of Rogues books – GAME OF ROGUES – was so satisfying. A fantastic continuation of an already amazing series. I deeply enjoy the building of each relationship – her written is expert.
@DiscoDollyDeb: My take on DEEP END was a little different. NB: I haven’t read much BDSM so have no real comparison, also it’s been a few months and I don’t remember all the details.
Rather than sex, I felt control was what Scarlett needed to surrender and Lukas was the means to that. Maybe that’s what BDSM means or provides? Idk. Did that break or quiet her crippling anxiety? Again, Idk, but I didn’t see it as sex solving everything. Obviously, our mileage varied.
OTOH — and I’m looking at YOU, JR Ward. You broke my f*ing heart with LOVER UNLEASHED. Payne was supposed kick Wrath’s ass, she was supposed to be a Brother. Instead, she’s healed with the power of Manny’s mighty wang and we never, ever really SEE her. Shame on you. /rant
Just finished BOOKSHOPS AND BONEDUST by Travis Baldree, which I liked better than LEGENDS AND LATTES just because there was more tension, the stakes were a little higher and things didn’t always end neatly. It was also nice to see a younger Viv who didn’t quite have herself figured out yet and watch her development.
My life is such chaos right now that I really need lighter reads; I have a whole list of books recommended by the Bitchery that I wanted to read but my local library branch had NONE of them. (I hate our library system.) So I moved on to SOMEONE TO TRUST by Mary Balough and hope that does the trick. Balough does bring the angst sometimes but at least she’s not as bad as Grace Burrows, so I’m hopeful.
@FashionablyEvil, loved the Cadfael series by Ellis Peters. Back in the 1990s or early 2000s, BBC/PBS produced a series that played on Masterpiece Mystery starring Sir Derek Jacobi as Brother Cadfael. It wasn’t as good as the books, but it was fun to watch.
I also love the Sebastien St. Cyr series by C. S. Harris and eagerly look forward to each new installment. I wonder if the author will write a story where Sebastien gets to meet his bio Dad? Harris gives us so much of forgotten Regency era history in these books. But they are also engrossing mysteries with great plots and strong characterization.
I’ve been reading Grace Burrowes’ Bad Heir Day series (currently on book 4). The first three were good, but I’m struggling with the fourth. I’m also reading The Story of Art Without Men by Katie Hesse. Hesse gives you a whirlwind tour of women artists since the Renaissance that leaves you wondering why some of these artists are not better known. I loved Julie Ann Long’s Game of Rogues and look forward to reading the continuing adventures of Dot and the rest of the crew in future books.
I’m still trapped in the land of AO3 “Heated Rivalry” fanfic (Don’t rescue me. I’ve never been happier. I’m exactly where I want to be.). When I do need to put my phone on the charger, I’ve started “Pit Stop” by Cora Rose, which wastes absolutely no time turning up the steam (it’s an A/B/O story) with an “falling for his older brother’s best friend/falling for his best friend’s younger brother” trope. I’m appreciating the short page count – it barely clears 200 pages, so it’s not a huge time commitment, which is always a bonus when your TBR pile is as big as mine. Sometimes you want category-length romances, not 400-600 pages.
@drewbird One of the most interesting and informative AI books I’ve read is AI Superpowers by Kai-fu Lee. It was published all the way back in 2018, but the author who was once Pres. of Google China and now runs a venture capital firm focusing on developing the next generation of Chinese high-tech companies. The book covers a lot, including economic changes AI is driving, the responsibilities that the US and China have to manage/control the changes, and why China is likely to be the next tech-innovation superpower. Obviously, things have changed a lot since 2018 (and probably since yesterday) but it was a really good grounding on how we got here.
And here we are again. It seems as if time has gone quickly these past couple weeks. Lots of work and family stuff. My daughter just completed an embryo adoption and now seven or eight months to go.
I just finished a book I really enjoyed. Five star love. Marriage in trouble with no cheating or other woman! My catnip. CORONERSTONE by MJ Allen. Married young due to pregnancy, a number of happy years, and he starts pulling a way. She decided to take charge of her life, gets a job in the local grocery, finds a lawyer, and it goes from there. Great FMC and surprisingly sympathetic MMC. TW for SI and loss of spouse in a family member. Plan to look for this author’s back list.
I also started Marie Force’s Fatal series. I read the prequel first and it was kind of meh. But the first book, FATAL AFFAIR was a five star for me. FMC is a cop in DC, a detective who catches a murder case, and the first witness, our MMC, is someone she had a one night with six years earlier. Sparks fly. It was nicely written and plotted. I like the secondary characters, both cops and political.I did not, for once, guess the murderer at all! I am now about four books in. Given the number of books in the series and that fact that it follows the same couple, I am wondering if she is trying to pull a JD Robb. I also am comparing one of the characters to Jessica Fletcher in that everyone they know seems to get murdered.I will continue to read this series.
I got an ARC of Maya Alden’s TRUE COLORS and enjoyed it. Not as over the top dramatic as some of her early ones. Good disability representation. And MMC did exhibit growth.
I also really liked FAKE EMPIRE by CW Farnsworth. Arranged marriage between billionaires/corporations. Initially not sure I liked them together but really did get into it. I also liked that she was at least as rich as he was, if not more. For a change. I also read the second book in that series, REAL REGRETS, which liked but not quite as much. I will probably look for more by this author.
I did DNF THE PERFECT MARRIAGE by Jeneva Rose. Murder mystery and did not like the characters.
Just finished C.L. Polk’s The Feywild Job, because I am a Polk completist. It was a heist novel featuring a couple who used to work together, split up suddenly, and start the book hating each other. It was a lovely way to spend an afternoon. The book is set in the D&D world but you don’t need to know any background going in. And one of the main characters is NB.
After seeing the recent post on captioning the Suzanne Enoch book, BETTER THAN A DUKE, the synopsis seemed interesting and I gave it a try. It was very fun, basically a take off on The Parent Trap, set in Regency times featuring a widow who moves in with relatives living next door to a widower Marquis. Her 10 YO son and his 10 YO daughter immediately become friends. Both families are trying to marry them off, her to a lecherous old duke, him to a “perfect” society miss. Instead, the kids decide to matchmake.
I also loved VERA STEIN IS FINE by Julie Murphy (a 40 YO woman reinventing herself), and BIG STICK ENERGY by Sarina Bowen (fake dating for the win!). LOST AND FOUND by Tarah DeWitt was very emotional and I’d recommend it with the caveat that it deals with the death of a best friend, and with IVF, so if those topics are a problem, then the book is not for you.
DIE FOR ME by Shirlene Obuobi was a paranormal romance with an almost palpable air of menace that makes you think it’s going to be about vamps, but it isn’t. I’m a longtime PNR reader so I figured out what was going on fairly quickly but it was a fun ride. I’d best describe it as modern day gothic and I loved the FMC who was a 38 YO Black interventional cardiologist and depicted as very much in charge and on top of her game. Having read and loved both of the author’s previous books, I was thrilled to attend an author event featuring her. In person, she is an absolute firecracker and has accomplished so much already in her life as a practicing cardiologist and an up and coming author.
Currently I’m just finishing CAVA WITH MY COLLEAGUE, by Liz Alden, which will release on Tuesday and is the conclusion of a series featuring four best friends in their 40’s who move to various European locations after one of them secures a one year job in Madrid. Throughout the series, they each find new love, and re-invigorate their lives. I enjoyed the whole series and it’s a great example of empowering female friendship.
@Lara,
The St Cyr series is one of my favorites. I’m invested in all of the characters and the mysteries. There’s a scene in Where Serpents Sleep that has stuck with me since I first read it years ago. Waiting impatiently for the next in the series due out April of 27 – Where are the Wise. I’m jealous you’re just beginning!
@Sarah I also just finished A Trade in Blood! And I’m slightly mad about it because my brain did the ADHD thing where it wouldn’t latch on to any book, and I’m fighting, and hopping from book to book, and reading at a crawl, but then my preorder for A Trade of Blood appeared in my notifications and my brain latched on HARD and then I read the entire book in twenty four hours and NOW I HAVE NOTHING TO READ AGAIN and it’s back to fits and starts and skittering between books. >_< I loved the book but I wish my brain weren't quite so… all or nothing and mostly nothing with books these days.
After reading AToB the kindle algorithm suggested a series of short fantasy mystery stories by various fantasy authors, including Robert Jackson Bennett. It seemed like a way to possibly extend the AToB reading binge high for a LITTLE longer and they were cheap, so I nabbed them. I've read the first two, Miss Gentle and the Case of the Very Flat Monk by Travis Baldree, and The Wednesday Witches Book Club by Sarah Beth Durst. They were fun breezy reads with intriguing world building that I kinda wish I could have seen more of. Not quite so strong as mysteries though? We'll see how that carries on.
Trying to read/listen to Jane Austen's Persuasion. An Australian theatre company did the entire book as a free full cast audiobook in podcast form, so I'm trying to hop back and forth between ebook and audio, changing formats whenever I lose the thread, in the hopes of taming my skittery brain.
Also catching up on manga. I just caught up to the most recent chapter of Akane-Banashi. Really enjoying that series, although the tone shifts significantly after (spoiler spoiler spoiler). Slowly and steadily catching up with the bazillion volumes of Yona of the Dawn in the hopes of finishing the manga now that it's concluded and before the second season of the anime FINALLY comes out (IT'S BEEN EIGHTY FOUR YEARS). Hoping to catch up with Witch Hat Atelier soon.
I’m in a reading slump, and my total for July was the lowest for the five years I’ve been tracking it. DNFed Meg Shaffer’s The Lost Story. Read The Ice Planet Barbarians, which was ok, but I’m not tempted to read more of the series. Read the two short 1940s children’s novels which were made into the film Bed-Knob and Broomstick, which were ok, the second better than the first. Re-read Juliet Marillier’s Heart’s Blood, a Beauty and the Beast retelling which is so good. Read a short Noel Streatfeild, Caldicott Place, which was better than I expected, though had some slight weirdness to the modern reader about a failed adoption, part-blaming the child (who was 4).
I thought I posted yesterday morning, but I don’t see it now. Maybe it got caught in the filter for being too long? But, while I’m here, let me tell you about the book I finished yesterday.
Surrender in Moonlight by Jennifer Blake (KU)
Bingo: Non-regency historical, One night stand, Pirates
This book was technically a reread for me. But, while it made quite an impression on Teenaged Me, Present Day Me couldn’t have told you much about the plot that you wouldn’t have found on the back cover. It’s a 1984 novel that follows a southern beauty and a blockade runner during the Civil War (1862). Yes, it romanticizes the time period. It’s also bonkers, and I can definitely see why Teenaged Me gobbled it up. To illustrate the kind of crazy in this book, allow me to present a brief summary of Chapter 1.
For the record, it is unclear if he would have forced her if she hadn’t allowed herself to be seduced. I wouldn’t call this book a “bodice ripper” exactly, but it’s not far from it. If the opening chapter doesn’t scare you off, you’ll be fine. I will not judge you if the opening chapter scares you off, because … yes.
Random things I noticed:
– Apparently my appreciation for handsome, charismatic, morally flexible, rich gentlemen goes way back.
– This is better written than a lot of what I’ve been reading lately, at least in that it expects the reader to have a better vocabulary and be able to process longer sentences. And I’m wondering if that is me picking books that aren’t challenging or if that is part of a more general trend. Has anyone looked at Lexile scores in romance novels over time in a systematic way?
– The F-word does not appear in this novel.
– The prose is wonderfully purple in spots. As examples, consider a passionate encounter where and in a discussion of shipping dangers including .
– This book was clearly researched and contains actual history. There are spots that feel like a travelogue for Nassau in 1862 or notes on the dangers of blockade running. (Teenaged Me could claim to be studying for both history class and the verbal part of the SATs. Teenaged Me was such a multi-tasker.)
– Early in the book, there’s a scene where our main characters are on a boat steaming south to escape New Orleans before the arrival of Captain Farragut’s troops. This blending of history and fiction gave a feeling of the historical impact: that we were witnessing history together, these characters and me. Look, I love a Romancelandia Regency house party more than is reasonable, but it’s not the same.
– This book portrays historically realistic characters, not modern people cosplaying or larping in a historical setting. This means that some of their points of view are uncomfortable. Like, in a scene where the main characters discuss the causes of the war, the profiteering blockade runner blames it all money and greed, with slavery being . Our female main character feels loyalty to the place where she was born and the life she’s known.
– There’s competition for her affections, and she has to choose between two worthy gentlemen. I’m clearly stuck in a rut in my reading choices, but it’s been awhile since I’ve read something where the plot required a meaningful choice like that. That’s good angst.
Oops. I thought I had the HTML quote tag in there in a couple of spots, but I must have messed it up. The following phrases are from Surrender in Moonlight by Jennifer Blake:
– “he sank into her, taking her plunging with him deep into passion’s blood red heart”
– “deadly formations of ancient coral reefs that could rip the bottom from even an iron-clad steamer like so much gold foil from a bon-bon”
– “mere hypothetical drum beating”
Finally found some things I wanted to read.
Non-fiction:
ANCIENT MEDITERRANEAN INCARCERATION by Matthew Larson & Mark Letteney. Although quite short this was very dry and not a fun read, but I learned a lot about the ways in which the Roman Empire was a carceral state depressingly similar to our own. The book draws on archaeology, letters from prisoners and government records to counter the idea that prisons as we know them are a recent invention.
The authors say they hope that understanding the deep roots of prisons can help us think more effectively about improvements or, better yet, alternatives.
SIDEWALK NATION: THE LIFE AND LAW OF AMERICA’S MOST OVERLOOKED RESOURCE by Michael Pollack. The author is a law professor who presents studies of sidewalks in multiple cities/towns in 4 states across the country to examine the value of sidewalks and how we can manage them better. As a pedestrian (I have never had a car) I found this fascinating and inspiring. Highly recommend.
THE CLOCK AND THE CAMSHAFT:AND OTHER MEDIEVAL INVENTIONS WE STILL CAN’T LIVE WITHOUT by John Farrell. First, that that colon seems very awkward. This was a mostly interesting book about technology in the medieval world. The author is a writer, not an engineer or historian, and I found some of the descriptions and depictions of how devices worked unhelpful. Probably this would work better as an introduction, leading the reader to better resources, than a self-sufficient work, but I did learn some things.
REPLACEABLE YOU: ADVENTURES IN HUMAN ANATOMY by Mary Roach is, as usual, both fascinating and funny. She ranges from skin grafts to butt lifts, intubation to prostheses. Highly recommend.
Ficton:
SOME PEOPLE by Parini Shroff. This novel covers about a week in which the MMC finds himself living with and taking care of his soon to be ex-mother-in-law after she is injured. Both are POV characters who have difficult relationships with the absent wife/daughter. As they get to know each other they also revise how they understand both the marriage and the mother/daughter relationship they inhabit or have judged from the outside. I found both of the characters unlikable and wonder if the MMC might be a bit of a stereotype of an autistic guy, and at the same time I was invested in their ruminations and discussions. Wouldn’t necessarily recommend this widely, but if it sounds like your thing, have a look. Oh– MMC is White, FMC moved to the US from India when her daughter was 5, so the cross-cultural aspect is significant and the MMC is honestly not great about it.
THE INN AT THE FOOT OF MOUNT VENGEANCE by Chiara Bullen. This is a cozy fantasy with a romance but the growth of the MMC is more central than the romance (despite the cover). The story is told from the POV of the MMC, Ainsworth, a historian sent to research the adventurers who climb Mount Vengeance to challenge the dragon and dark magic creatures who live there. He is initially an insufferable snob who alienates the inn staff (and the reader). The book centers on his growth as he re-evaluates his life and his research after discovering that no adventurers actually climb the mountain. I enjoyed this and will probably read anything else the author writes. There is an abusive relationship in the book so if that is challenging for you, proceed with caution.
Currently reading SEA OF CHARMS, book 3 in the series that started with The Spell Shop.
@C: I read a lot of Jennifer Blake back in the day (she also published under the name Patricia Maxwell in the 1970s/1980s). She is from Louisiana, and her books are very well-researched. However, the racial dynamics of the books (although arguably period-appropriate) have definitely not aged well—as much as I enjoyed reading her historicals 40 years ago, I’m not sure I could reread them today. Blake later published some contemporaries through, iirc, Harlequin.
@DiscoDollyDeb, You are definitely right that this is not a book that I’d want anyone to stumble into or to read without some reflection. And I’m definitely not qualified to judge whether the more problematic aspects are adequately offset by the things I enjoyed about it, particularly since those are biased by my personal nostalgia.
I’m currently re-reading the Off Campus series by Elle Kennedy after enjoying the Prime TV adaptation. I remember really loving these when I first read them but they aren’t really hitting the same now. But to be fair, I’m 31 now and not in my early 20s like I was when I first read them so that is probably why and that might be more of a feature than a bug considering it is a New Adult series. It is good in a way because I’m less annoyed by the changes the adaptation has made although some don’t make sense to me. I’m currently on The Mistake (book 2) and I will read book 3 because I remember it being my favourite but I will probably not read book 4 because
*** kinda spoiler for end of book 3 and book 4 **** I’m going to try to hide it below but my HTML is non-existent so I had to copy the steps from google.
Click to reveal a kinda spoiler for the end of book 3 and 4
Book 4 features an unexpected pregnancy which is one of my most hated plot points. I did read book 4 the first time I read the series and while the writing kept me engaged I still hated the trope.
If you’re familiar with the series you can probably guess the plot point that makes book 4 a no go for me. Is it terrible that I’m kinda hoping that the Prime series only gets 3 seasons so I’m not tempted to hate watch it?
@Alexangdra Y: Spoiler how to is here: https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/faq/how-do-i-use-spoiler-tags/. I personally have it bookmarked because I can never remember.
Two good reads and one okay read… I very much enjoyed THE FROZEN RIVER, by Ariel Lawhon. This book got a lot of buzz and my library hold finally came through. It’s the story of a midwife in l8th century New England. She is called to examine a body that is found in the titular frozen river. The midwife connects the victim with a rape that occurred a few months earlier. In addition to the mystery, there’s great characterization and interesting backstory about the role of midwives during this time period.
I also enjoyed CURSED DAUGHTERS by Oyinkan Braithewaite. I liked her previous book (My Sister The Serial Killer) and this one was also both funny and compelling. The novel takes place in Nigeria and is the story of a family whose women are supposedly cursed to have their romantic relationships fail. A little bit of horror, but engaging and warm.
I was fascinated by the concept of BLOOD SISTERS, by Vanessa Lillie, in which a Cherokee Nation member working for the BIA is called back to her hometown in Oklahoma to examine a human skull found there. At the same time, she realizes her own sister has gone missing. I loved the setting and learning more about the Cherokee culture, but the second half of the book left me a bit meh. It morphed into a shoot-em-up style ending which was repetitive (how many times can you get captured by the same people???) and not very realistic. The main character’s relationship with her wife also seemed undeveloped and trite.
Looking at my TBR pile to figure out what’s next!
I’m currently listening to the Paris Match and just sought out a spoiler because the hero is working my nerves. It’s always about the journey for me so I don’t mind.