This guest review comes from Lisa! A longtime romance aficionado and frequent commenter to SBTB, Lisa is a queer Latine critic with a sharp tongue and lots of opinions. She frequently reviews at All About Romance and Women Write About Comics, where she’s on staff, and you can catch her at @thatbouviergirl on Twitter. There, she shares good reviews, bracing industry opinions and thoughtful commentary when she’s not on her grind looking for the next … Continue reading Guest Squee: The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics by Olivia Waite →
The cover of This Earl of Mine won me over before I even read the description, as I’m a bit of a book magpie. The biggest compliment I can give this book is that it was fun as all get out. The characters were cheeky and the fake courtship between Georgie and Ben incited a riot of butterflies in my stomach. A lot happens, though, and as a selfish reader, I didn’t appreciate the details … Continue reading This Earl of Mine by Kate Bateman →
Angel in a Devil’s Arms is the second book in Julie Anne Long’s Palace of Rogues series, and it is adorable. I loved basically everything about it, from the ensemble of ‘found family’ at the Palace of Rogues, to the humour, to the sweetness and intimacy of Lucien’s conversations with Angelique, and most especially to the subversion of several very Old Skool tropes which are beyond ready to be retired. You don’t really need to … Continue reading Angel in a Devil’s Arms by Julie Anne Long →
I know we shouldn’t judge books by covers but I took one look at the gorgeous cover of The Earl’s Christmas Pearl and thought, “A) I want that dress, B) I also want that suit, and C) yep, I’m definitely reading it.” Luckily for me, this cover didn’t lead me astray and I enjoyed most of this sweet Christmas novella about a duke’s daughter and a grumpy Welsh earl with a Welsh corgi (who should’ve … Continue reading The Earl’s Christmas Pearl by Megan Frampton →
This guest review is by Emma Holliday. Emma Holliday is a Berlin-based writer, blogger, and all-around creative type. As a teenager, she read romance ironically, but these days she loves happily-ever-afters with her whole heart. She’s a feminist, an Episcopalian, and a Hufflepuff. You can find out more about her on emmaholliday.com. … In for a Penny was Rose Lerner’s first book, and although it shows a little bit in the pacing, it was a delightful … Continue reading Guest Review: In for a Penny by Rose Lerner →
Recently, I treated myself to a trawl through Bikini Books, a legendary secondhand bookstore in Gordon’s Bay, South Africa. It is the kind of shop that gifts you with surprises, if you take the time to look. One such book was The Coroner’s Daughter by Andrew Hughes. It is a whodunnit with the coroner’s daughter, Abigail Lawless, taking up the investigator’s mantle when those in authority aren’t brave enough to wade into uncertain waters. This … Continue reading The Coroner’s Daughter by Andrew Hughes →
Madeline Hunter is a talented writer, but this novella did not work for me at all. Adam Prescott, the Baron of Thornhill, is kidnapped by a mysterious lady and gentleman after he briefly exits a mail coach on his way to his cousin’s home for Christmas. He’s held at gunpoint and carried off to a mysterious estate. Caroline’s animosity and kidnapping bewilders Adam, but he is nonetheless attracted to her. Because falling in love with … Continue reading A Christmas Abduction by Madeline Hunter →
A Perfect Match starts out with so much promise but it fizzles out into an uninspiring finish. Unlike the preceding novella, the “kidnapping” in this one is relatively benign. Lord Heywood has traveled away from his military regiment in order to protect his friend Douglas’s sister Kitty from a dastardly villain. When he spots the villain Malet making plans to elope with Kitty at a ball, he takes desperate measures and “kidnaps” Kitty and her … Continue reading A Perfect Match by Sabrina Jeffries →
This review was very, very difficult for me to write. I’ve spent most of the past day wondering if I overreacted or was being too sensitive. Hours later, I’ve come to three conclusions: My feelings are 100% valid. The content is harmful enough that I feel obligated to rant and warn readers about it. One Wicked Winter Night contains racist drivel that should’ve never been cleared for publication. The premise is… you know what, the … Continue reading One Wicked Winter Night by Mary Jo Putney →
Marry in Secret is the third book in Anne Gracie’s Marriage of Convenience series. The series follows the Rutherford family, and this is the story of Rose, the eldest sister. This novel works as a standalone, but it’s definitely better read in context – Gracie writes lovely, complex webs of characters and families, and it’s a shame to miss out on that. In the prior books, Rose has been characterised as beautiful, very headstrong, and … Continue reading Marry in Secret by Anne Gracie →
Heiress Gone Wild is the fourth book in the Lady Truelove series. It stands alone – I have read the first book in the series, but not the others, and while characters from the previous books make appearances in the book, you certainly don’t need to know their stories to read this one. The story starts when Jonathan Deverill goes to collect his new ward, the daughter of an old friend, from her school in … Continue reading Heiress Gone Wild by Laura Lee Guhrke →
