It Had to be You is a Mr. and Mrs. Smith style romance novel about two assassins who fall in love while also trying to kill each other. It’s a book that I loved, but will either work really, really well for someone or not at all. Neither of the main characters, Jonathan or Eva, are good people—they are both contract killers so that shouldn’t be a surprise—and I think some readers will struggle with … Continue reading It Had to Be You by Eliza Jane Brazier →
CW: I’m going to include the entire note from the start of the book: “Dark Restraint is an occasionally dark and very spicy book that contains abortion (off-page, historical), elements of dubious consent, non-consenual drugging, biting without prior negotiation/conversation, guns, violence, blood, child abuse and assault (historical, off-page, referenced briefly).” Gentle reader, this is a dark romance; the darkest of the series. I am, in fact, a very gentle reader and so for me this … Continue reading Dark Restraint by Katee Robert →
What is the opposite of Dark Academia? Bright Academia? Radiant Academia? Whatever it is, Letters to the Luminous Deep certainly qualifies. This cozy, epistolary fantasy features a slow blooming romance and an intriguing mystery. The world in this novel is predominantly aquatic with only a small landmass being available to humans. People either live on ships, in buildings underwater or on man made islands. Our heroine E (her full name isn’t revealed until the end) … Continue reading Letters to the Luminous Deep by Sylvie Cathrall →
The cover for The Lifeguards is more fitting for a romantic comedy than this twisty, suburban thriller. Reminiscent of Big Little Lies, I think this book is a perfect fit for readers who want suspense and thrills without gore or terror. Focusing on the inner vs outer lives of three women, The Lifeguards follows Austinites Whitney, Liza and Annette. All three live in the same posh neighborhood and their respective fifteen-year-old boys are close friends, … Continue reading The Lifeguards by Amanda Eyre Ward →
I started working at a local nature center about a year ago, and since then I’ve delighted in being more aware of the nature that inhabits my yard, fills apartment window boxes, and struggles through sidewalk cracks. Thrive Where You’re Planted: A Guided Journal to Help You Connect with the Natural Wonders in Your Neighborhood is a lovely exercise book for those of us who want to become more aware of the natural world around whether … Continue reading Thrive Where You’re Planted by Andrea Debbink →
I am no stranger to m/m hockey romances and I’ve reviewed a few here. This one has been on my TBR for a while and my library hold finally came in yesterday. Yes, I read it that quickly, folks. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that I devoured it. Ezekiel Boehm, or Zeke as he is more commonly known, is a gym teacher at a relatively posh private school. (The school is a Quaker … Continue reading Lucky Bounce by Cait Nary →
Gretchen Acorn is a fake spirit medium. Raised by a conman and from a long line of con artists, Gretchen is in the family business because conning people is the only way that she knows how to make a living. Something happened in her past, though (you find out towards the end of the book what it is) and her nascent conscience kicked into life. So acting as her own moral bulwark, she has The … Continue reading Happy Medium by Sarah Adler →
I am a sucker for an interesting premise and this book certainly has one. In this series, the female leads write for a newspaper for women, by women. Specifically, young women. In this book, it is the reviewer who takes centre stage. Julia Addison works as a companion to a sort-of related aunt-in-law. On the side, she secretly pens her reviews of plays put on in London under the nom de plume Miss On Scene. … Continue reading The Lady Plays with Fire by Susanna Craig →
I think there is a fine art to creating cosy mystery television. It’s so easy to make the mystery predictable or even outright boring. But at the same time, you don’t want to make it so thrilling that it’s no longer cosy. In my mind, Sister Boniface Mysteries gets the balance just right. In Great Slaughter (the name of this English village) in the early 1960s, Sister Boniface, a Catholic nun, works as a scientific … Continue reading Sister Boniface Mysteries →
I suspect mileage will vary significantly for readers of The Aristocrat. It’s going to depend a lot on how much emotion you want in your reading (this one has quite a bit). I kept raising my eyebrow at the heroine’s implausible perfection and that pulled me out of the story. Felicity lives in Narragansett with her foster mother. She’s enjoying a summer off before going to law school when two handsome Brits move into the … Continue reading The Aristocrat by Penelope Ward →
I think I wouldn’t have been so disappointed in The Star and the Strange Moon had the premise not been so intriguing. This book had the potential to be so excellent, but the pacing was all over the place and most of the novel just dragged on while the best parts felt rushed. In 1968, French-American actress Gemma Turner’s career was struggling. She’s starred in surfer movies that while popular aren’t exactly critically acclaimed. Now … Continue reading The Star and the Strange Moon by Constance Sayers →
