If Present Day Elyse traveled back in time and told Past Elyse that someday Nora Roberts would write a romantic suspense novel that didn’t quite work for her, Past Elyse wouldn’t have believed her. Then Past Elyse would have squinted at Present Day Elyse and said, “Are we growing out our bangs again? You know we’re only going to last six weeks before we cut them.” I love Nora Roberts’ romantic suspense books. I schedule … Continue reading Under Currents by Nora Roberts →
Happy Bachelorette Day everyone. There’s rum in my Coke and I’m going to need it because part of tonight’s episode is “The Men Tell All,” which I assume will give lots of air time to the dumpster fire that is Luke. We open with a shot of Hannah standing on a balcony in Greece, looking pensive. She’s wearing her Dreaded Rose Ceremony evening gown so I can tell where this is headed. She says she’s in … Continue reading Elyse Watches The Bachelorette–S15 E11: The Return of Luke →
Happy Thursday everyone! It’s Bachelorette time, and this week is Fantasy Suites week which means we’re finally going to get the “fucking in a windmill” that Hannah promised. It’s time for the show! Everyone is in Crete, Greece, and the first date goes to Peter. He and Hannah go sailing and spend some time making out on the deck of the boat. At one point we see a deckhand doing sailing stuff while trying not to look … Continue reading Elyse Watches The Bachelorette–S15 E10: It’s Windmill Time, Bitches! →
This week is Hometowns, the episode where Hannah travels to the hometowns of Luke, Tyler C, Jed, and Peter in order to meet their families. This is always the worst episode of the season for me because the contestants drag their families into this nonsense and it’s always awkward as hell. We start off in Westlake Village, CA, which is Peter’s hometown. Peter picks her up in his car, which is refers to as his … Continue reading Elyse Watches The Bachelorette–S15 E09: Awkward Family Dinners →
I went into Crashing the A-List by Summer Heacock expecting a celebrity romance with RPF (Real Person Fiction) overtones. I love celebrity romance and I could even overlook the fact that the hero’s name is Caspian Twiddleswich and that he looks a lot like a certain Sherlock star. This book is light on the romance, though, and reads a lot more like the novels I devoured in the early aughts that were frequently labeled “chick … Continue reading Crashing the A-List by Summer Heacock →
In Kill the Queen Jennifer Estep introduced readers to a fantasy world that was immersive and blissfully lacking in info-dump. It featured female gladiators, political machinations, and an underdog heroine. I really enjoyed Kill the Queen, so I was delighted to find that I loved the sequel Protect the Prince even more. It’s a blend of fantasy-adventure, romance and mystery, and I devoured it in a single day. You do need to read Kill the … Continue reading Protect the Prince by Jennifer Estep →
If you want an unrepentant, badass assassin heroine, then Milady by Laura L Sullivan is the book for you. I loved it. I gave up precious sleep for it. I want to read it again. My introduction to The Three Musketeers and therefore the Countess de Winter (also known as Milady) was through the 1993 movie that starred Chris O’Donnell as D’Artagnan and Rebecca De Mornay as the Countess de Winter. It also starred Charlie … Continue reading Milady by Laura L. Sullivan →
Happy Thursday everyone! And happy Fourth of July to our US readers. I don’t have to work tomorrow, which means I am free to get shitfaced while watching this episode, and I may need it. Unleash the Kraken…rum. Luke hasn’t been eliminated yet, and I want to issue a trigger warning for this recap. Luke engages in manipulative, abusive behavior including gaslighting. I found his words and actions incredibly disturbing, and some readers may want … Continue reading Elyse Watches The Bachelorette–S15 E08: Fucking in a Windmill →
Happy Thursday everyone, it’s time for The Bachelorette. Be warned that this episode contains levels of toxic masculinity, posturing, and gaslighting that made me long for something better to do with my time…like have food poisoning. I’m incredibly fed up with Luke this season who has full-on exposed himself as someone who is emotionally abusive and who is being kept around probably by the producers. Men like Luke should get no airtime, but of course, The Bachelorette … Continue reading Elyse Watches The Bachelorette–S15 E07: Toxic Luke →
Right now my brain is very, very tired. My brain doesn’t want puzzles to solve; it wants a nap, a cat to cuddle, and possibly a glass of wine. Rogue Most Wanted worked really well for my brain-fatigue; it’s a fake-engagement romance that features the heroine being welcomed into a warm and loving family. The black moment and resolution were pretty predictable, but predictable worked for me perfectly in this moment. I already guessed what … Continue reading Rogue Most Wanted by Janna MacGregor →
I absolutely loved A Family of Strangers by Emilie Richards. It’s a beautifully executed mystery with a lovely second-chance romance subplot. It also offers a depiction of what living with chronic pain can look like, and as someone who has Fibromyalgia, that was really meaningful to me. I do want to caution potential readers that this book does contain child abuse, specifically and some violence, so if that’s a trigger for you, you’ll want to … Continue reading Family of Strangers by Emilie Richards →
