I received an email from Lela, who is looking for a specific type of romance:  In a nutshell: can you recommend, or solicit recommendations of, some awesome sci fi romances? Longer version: I was trolling the Amazon daily deals and came across a 99cent novella billing itself as “science fiction romance” (it was “Kidnapping Keela“, in case you're wondering). Hold the phone! Is that a real thing? I'm the nerdiest sci fi nerd you could … Continue reading The Rec League: Sci Fi Romances When Aliens Are Your Jam →

I received an email from Cordy, who is looking for some recommendations: Hello there! Once upon a time, I read your review of Laura Kinsale's Midsummer Moon and I am finally getting around to actually buying and reading the book. And it turns out that I have a never-before suspected intense love for books about weird creative-genius ladies and the suave-but-befuddled dudes who can't help themselves around them. Okay, this book veers, sometimes, toward The Twee … Continue reading The Rec League: Brilliant Science Heroines Rule! More Please? →

I received an email from Milly, who is looking for some books to read:  I was just enjoying my lunch hour reading the latest O magazine – the summer reading one and I realized very few books in it were HAPPY. Now I wouldn't expect otherwise from “serious” readers but come on… their beach reads section was quite depressing. So I got to thinking: what is the bitchery's best beach reads that some of us … Continue reading The Rec League: Beaches and Beach Reading →

And now, the most expensive and tempting thread, wherein I ask what you're reading, and you all share and then we all buy more books because everything sounds awesome.  You ready? Credit cards in the freezer? Yeah? OK, let's do this!  Currently I'm reading Zoe Archer's last Nemesis book, Wicked Temptation ( A | BN | K ), which I'm enjoying immensely, though I'm still in the first third of the story. It took me a few … Continue reading Whatcha Reading? June Edition →

I have been thinking about the awesomeness that is the feeling you get when you had high expectations of a book, and those expectations were met. Do you know what I mean? Sometimes it's the fact that I paid more than I wanted for the book, or it's that the last book was so good, I worry like a weird person that the next one won't live up to that enjoyment. But there are times … Continue reading The Rec League: Expectations Were MET! →

I received an email from Cordy, who loved a particular element of Seize the Fire and is looking for more scenes like it:  I just finished Laura Kinsale's book Seize the Fire ( A | BN | K), and I really liked one aspect of it so much I'm hoping to find other books with the same element: The hero loves the heroine's body. It isn't just vague handwaving about how she's so attractive and [insert … Continue reading The Rec League: Your Body is My Wonderland →

When you're a romance reader, it's both empowering and helpful to learn what plot devices, tropes, characters and familiar elements of romance constitute your particular catnip. If you know you like May/December romances, or stories about characters who struggle with speech impediments, and you know those make the mental prairie dog poke his head out and say GIMME READ NOW, it gets easier to shop or find books that will make you and your mental … Continue reading What’s Your Catnip? →

Ilona wrote to me recently, looking for a specific type of book: adventure romance. I was looking at my bookcase today (I'm a student who is moving out again soon so my books are all in a messed up order) And saw Scoundrel by Zoe Archer and remembered how much fun it was to be reading an adventure romance with an adventure in different places. I really loved having obvious bad guys who always lost, … Continue reading The Rec League: Adventure Romance! →