Brooke Carston is a country-pop star who’s heading home for the holidays for her first extended visit in almost a decade. Brooke wants to reconnect with her family and spend some time recharging, so romance is the last thing on her mind. And yet, when Brooke sees her childhood best friend, Nicole Livingston, it’s like no time has passed. Nicole also left Mountain Crossing after high school, but she came back after a couple of … Continue reading Silent Night by Lily Seabrooke →
Thanksgiving is a bit shorted in the romance world. I suppose this is because some people think that fighting with your family, consuming your body weight in pie, and entering a food coma are not romantic activities. To them I say…what kind of pie are we talking about here? After all, one of the most romantic lines in all of literary history refers to Thanksgiving – I refer of course to Rose saying “He ate … Continue reading A Match Made For Thanksgiving by Jackie Lau →
TL;DR: if you like science fiction, comforting tales about comfort and care, and stories that are the literary version of warm late afternoon sunshine slanted through leafy branches on a day with perfect temperatures when all the biting insects are on vacation, you’ll like this. Sibling Dex has chosen a new path in life, and with the support of their community (literal support – the community builds Dex build a trailer and provides everything needed) … Continue reading A Psalm for the Wild Built by Becky Chambers →
I have barely ever mentioned the Murderbot series in the past year, so it may have escaped your notice. I definitely cannot adequately transcribe the noise I made when I received an ARC of Fugitive Telemetry, the newest in the Murderbot Diaries. I was in the midst of yet another re-read of the series, and having a brand-new Murderbot story was a delight. And now everyone gets brand new Murderbot to read! In October 2020, … Continue reading Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells →
(Trust) Falling for You is a fun, sweet novella about two college professors with very, very different personal and teaching styles falling for each other on a Team Building retreat in the woods of Wisconsin. This retreat, incidentally, sounds both like an HR nightmare and the sort of thing guaranteed to result in multiple letters to Ask a Manager, and also precisely like something that someone in academic administration would decide was a brilliant thing … Continue reading (Trust) Falling for You by Charish Reid →
Her Pretend Christmas Date is a novella comprised almost entirely of Catherine catnip. I am an absolute sucker for White Christmas settings, I love me a Fake Relationship (especially when they come with Only One Bed), I adore a buttoned-up hero who gets completely unravelled by a messy heroine but do you know what I really love? A Christmas gathering that devolves into a gingerbread house making competition that is run, commentated on and judged … Continue reading Her Pretend Christmas Date by Jackie Lau →
Queens of Noise is like a great punk song – short, loud, chaotic, and unforgettable. This f/f shifter romance includes multiple kinds of shifters plus witches, most of whom are in bands, and many of whom are people of color and people who identify as queer in some way. It also includes a battle of the bands and evil chickens. The only problem with this book is that I want it to go on and … Continue reading Queens of Noise by Leigh Harlen →
Deven and the Dragon is an adorable novella that is as sweet and light as the best meringue. This fairy tale-like story has clear Beauty and the Beast influences but without the coercion. It’s a m/m romance involving a rogue and a dragon shifter, both of whom love books. It warmed my cranky heart. The plot is thus: Deven is the local hottie. He works in the stables and enjoys consensually casual sexual relationships with … Continue reading Deven and the Dragon by Eliot Grayson →
Grumpy Jake by Melissa Blue is a delightful and tightly written novella (with a gorgeous cover!) about a kindergarten teacher developing a relationship with a student’s dad over a time period of about six months. There was actual guffawing coming from my direction and, granted I will acknowledge that I read it while drinking some spiked agua fresca which was more spike than agua fresca (my kingdom for a decent alcoholic agua de jamaica), I’m … Continue reading Grumpy Jake by Melissa Blue →
We have another review from Carole B! If you missed her amazing review of Hearts on Hold, have a look! Carole B. is a Jamaican immigrant, a lover of politics and popular culture, a Tar Heel by way of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Media and Journalism, and a die hard, unrepentant bookworm. She teaches, researches and writes about media and society, politics, and public opinion. She’s most interested in … Continue reading Guest Review: House Rules by Ruby Lang →
The best part of Mangos & Mistletoe is the mouthwatering descriptions of pastries created in a GBBO-inspired holiday baking competition set in Scotland. The worst part of Mangos & Mistletoe is the mouthwatering descriptions of pastries created in a GBBO-inspired holiday baking competition set in Scotland. Do not repeat my mistakes: you must not read this f/f enemies-to-lovers-in-only-one-bed novella without a plate of delicious pastries nearby. My baking experience is limited to an almost burned … Continue reading Mangos & Mistletoe by Adriana Herrera →
