Tikka Chance on Me is a bad-boy-falls-for-good-girl romance that, according to the author’s Twitter, was inspired by this photo: Which begs the question, how many 2018 romance novels (and to-be-released 2019 titles) have been inspired directly by Evans? I feel like at this point he might have started his own subgenre. Or at least his beard did. Anyway, the Evans inspired hero of Tikka Chance on Me is Trucker Carrigan, enforcer to a local biker gang … Continue reading Tikka a Chance on Me by Suleikha Snyder →
Back in the early aughts I worked in a family-owned bookstore where, during slow periods, I would pretend to dust but really sneak-read chick lit (unless you’re reading this, Peggy, then I was totally dusting). My favorite authors were Sophie Kinsella, Jennifer Weiner and Helen Fielding. One in a Million by Lindsey Kelk made me nostalgic for those books while blending in enough romance that it certainly qualifies as a romance novel. Set in London, this novel … Continue reading One in a Million by Lindsey Kelk →
December is upon us, which means if you’re like me, you’re frantically knitting last minute gifts for the holidays. The ones you knew you were going to make back in, like, April. But you waited until now. Because you make bad choices. Luckily for you we’re here with some last minute gift ideas, holiday décor and just plain fun patterns to work on if (unlike me) you planned well and have time to spend crafting … Continue reading Stuff You Should Be Stitching: The Holidays →
For the fifth night of our Hanukkah-palooza, Elyse has another a prize collection for the crafty Bitches out there – the nerdy crafty ones in particular. This collection is so fun. Take it away, Elyse! Elyse: This holiday I wanted to celebrate some of things that have given me joy this year. The theme for this Hanukkah giveaway is knitting and nerdery. The knitting community is largely female, and it’s also super nerdy. It’s a … Continue reading 2018 SBTB Hanukkah-palooza, Night Five! →
Thanksgiving has come and gone, which means at Chez Elyse it’s time to decorate for the Christmas holiday. And by decorate I mean put up the Bookmas Tree. This is Fisher’s first holiday season (well, with us) and he was both mystified and fascinated by the Bookmas Tree process (Dewey slept through the whole thing because he’s seen this before and was unimpressed). He and I are here to give some instructions on how to … Continue reading How to Build a Bookmas Tree (With Commentary by Fisher) →
For the second night of our Hanukkah-palooza, Elyse wanted to offer a prize collection for the crafty Bitches out there. Take it away, Elyse! Elyse: For this year’s Hanukkah giveaway I wanted to share some of the items that have brought me comfort and a sense of peace this year. Some people ask me how I can live in Wisconsin where it gets terribly cold, but the truth is I love winter. I love snowstorms … Continue reading 2018 SBTB Hanukkah-palooza, Night Two! →
If you like friends-to-lovers romance and snowed-in sexytimes, then Snowlicious is going to be all your catnip. I found it to be sexy and cute, although I was a little confused by the hero’s actions. Best friends since high school, Mike and Thea have always had each other’s backs. When Thea, a florist, loses her spot decorating a Christmas tree for a high profile holiday competition, Mike sweeps in and gets her the slot of … Continue reading Snowlicious by Leigh LaValle →
Solace Island is a book that isn’t entirely sure what it wants to be. It starts off reading very much like a romantic comedy and finishes up as romantic suspense. This didn’t greatly bother me since those are both things I enjoy, but I could see how another reader could feel like they started one novel only to finish an entirely different one. Maggie Harris is trying to figure out her future after her fiancé … Continue reading Solace Island by Meg Tilly →
If you were to put a holiday novella under a box, propped up by stick that had a string tied around it in order to form a great Elyse-trap, Heartstrings would be the book you’d want to choose. This novella features: A sexy British actor who plays villains in every movie. A young woman who is obsessed with Wonder Woman and Gal Gadot. Sex in a heated pool. You don’t need to read any of the other … Continue reading Heartstrings by Belinda Williams →
Close to the Bone by Kendra Elliot is the first in a romantic suspense novella duology and features a creepy cold case on a remote island in the Pacific Northwest. Cate Wilde is a FBI Special Agent who is taking some time off after being shot on the job. She’s staying with her grandmother on Widow’s Island, where she grew up, when a skeleton of a young woman is found on nearby Ruby Island. Cate … Continue reading Close to the Bone by Kendra Elliot →
I really, really love a contemporary romance that features an emotionally fluent hero and real conflict that’s handled with respect and intelligence. Sleepover by Serena Bell hit both these nails on the head, making it one of the best, most emotionally satisfying contemporary romances I’ve read this year. It’s also got some crazy-hot sex scenes which is a nice bonus. Sawyer Paulson and his son Jonah move into a Seattle suburb two years after the death of … Continue reading Sleepover by Serena Bell →
