Katie Stone is back in Fairfield, the small Georgia town in which she grew up, after four years away to help her parents deal with her mother’s recent MS diagnosis. The problem is that Katie doesn’t want to be back home because she’s filled with all sorts of self-loathing and guilt over the wreckage she left behind when she hightailed it out of town in the middle of the night after doing the very horrible, … Continue reading My Hope Next Door by Tammy L. Gray →
When the RITA finalists were announced, I found I’d already read and reviewed three of the four finalists for my favourite genre, Romance with Religious or Spiritual Elements. And three worthy finalists they are. I will admit to a natural bias in favour of Close to You by Kara Isaac, because she’s a fellow Kiwi and the novel is set in New Zealand. Close to You also finaled in Best First Novel, so I’m not … Continue reading Keeper of the Stars by Robin Lee Hatcher →
Searching For Disaster had a premise that I was excited for, but then everything spiraled into a disappointing into a pile of WTF and alphahole nonsense. I will put a disclaimer here – Searching For Disaster is the seventh and final part of the “Searching For” series so I’m sure there’s things I’m missing. That said, I’m not exactly tempted to go back and catch myself up. Our Hero and Heroine are Officer Liam Devine, … Continue reading Searching for Disaster by Jennifer Probst →
Two years ago one of my favorite podcasts, NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour, dedicated an entire episode to romance novels. The host, Linda Holmes, was joined by two other NPR reporters and Smart Bitches’ own Sarah Wendell. The episode was 45 minutes of discussion of the romance genre and its many sub genres. I always enjoy the show, but what really impressed me in this installment was the uproariously good time the panel was having. … Continue reading Do You Want to Start a Scandal by Tessa Dare →
Squee from the Keeper Shelf is a feature wherein we share why we love the books we love, specifically the stories which are permanent residents of our Keeper shelves. Despite flaws, despite changes in age and perspective, despite the passage of time, we love particular books beyond reason, and the only thing better than re-reading them is telling other people about them. At length. If you’d like to submit your reasons for loving and keeping … Continue reading Keeper Shelf: The Darkangel by Meredith Ann Pierce →
I decided to review Two Doctors and a Baby because I thought it sounded like a light, slightly silly book to enjoy on my family’s vacation to Mexico last week. What I got was something cute and more bland than crazy, but still enjoyable read. The plot follows an obstetrician named Avery Wallace who rings in the New Year by getting it on with the local hospital hottie, Justin Garrett. They’ve of course had feelings … Continue reading Two Doctors and a Baby by Brenda Harlen →
Obstetrician Avery Wallace and ER doctor Justin Garrett have always had a mutual attraction. But she doesn’t want to date another doctor, and definitely not one with his reputation for sleeping around. However, when a moment of passion after a stressful shift leaves them with unexpected consequences, she has a lot of decisions to make. The first thing I do when setting out to write a review of a book is to look back at … Continue reading Two Doctors and a Baby by Brenda Harlen →
Sabrina Jeffries is a flower-crown-wearing romance QUEEN! I shiteth you not, fangirls; when I say this book has all of the things, I do mean all of the things! Friends to lovers, bickering lifelong acquaintances, lessons in love, alpha heroine/beta hero, wagered love bets, opposites attract, an unrequited smitten hero, a marriage of convenience, and a dastardly stalker! That’s right. I said dastardly! The trope gods have bestowed blessings on blessings with this OTP. Our … Continue reading The Study of Seduction by Sabrina Jeffries →
The Study of Seduction is set in the spring of 1830 and begins with the hero, Edwin Barlow, the Earl of Blakeborough, being asked to watch over Lady Clarissa Lindsey, who is related to his best (and very nearly only) friend, as the Season unfolds. The book is the second in a series but stands well on its own. Clarissa is being pursued by a French nobleman and diplomat who is accosting her in increasingly … Continue reading The Study of Seduction by Sabrina Jeffries →
A Hostage Negotiator, a Lawyer, and a Crazy Murder. Boy, Oh, Boy! Strap into your helicopters for a grand adventure. F.Y.I. Overwhelming Force by Janie Crouch is the fifth book in the Omega Sector series, but no need to worry. I feel that you do not have to read the first four books to know what is going on. You can jump or helicopter in with no problems what so ever. We are introduced to our … Continue reading Overwhelming Force by Janie Crouch →
Trigger warning for attempted assault and date rape. Full disclosure: I wanted to love this book. I wanted to devour every single word of it in a fit of sun loving – I am so over this winter and I really wanted to escape to someplace warm and tropical adventure. I had read Synithia Williams’ Full Court Press last month and it had hit all of those marks for me so when I saw this book … Continue reading A Malibu Kind of Romance by Synithia Williams →
