I’d never heard of a space opera before. Having just read my first, I’m not sure that I’m qualified to define it, but I can tell you that I absolutely love it! This is 429 pages of reading joy. That this is book one in a series fills me with delight – so many happy reading hours ahead! As I see it, a space opera seems to be part romance, part space adventure. Let’s dive … Continue reading Only Bad Options by Jennifer Estep
How to Date a Superhero (And Not Die Trying) is a surprisingly intense book about a young woman’s efforts not only to survive dating a superhero, but also her efforts to overcome the trauma that she experienced as collateral damage in a fight between a different superhero and a supervillain. Even though the story revolves around Astrid’s love for her superhero boyfriend, Max, it’s not a romance so much as it’s an exploration of trauma, … Continue reading How to Date a Superhero (And Not Die Trying) by Cristina Fernandez
This is a book about loneliness, about living a life when constantly dealing with death, and about being seen and heard and understood. If you like grumpy, taciturn characters with squishy, gooey insides, characters who struggle to become who they are or be recognized for who they are, and, above all, you like a major epistolary element to your stories (I have raised all my hands to that list) you will really like this. Hart … Continue reading The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy by Megan Bannen
This book is a magical heist set in DC in the 20s. For those folks who just headed over to find a copy, I hope you like it! For those who need a bit more detail: I started this book on a chaotic morning when there was a lot of noise in my house and a lot of barking because of the noise, and despite all that, I could not put it down. Each chapter … Continue reading The Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope
Oh my gosh, this was such a tender m/m fantasy romance, steeped in narratives about healing, acceptance, and love. It’s also a mystery about a series of bloody, brutal killings (including, I regret to inform you, the death of a horse). And it’s a political thriller. There’s a lot happening here and fortunately the novel takes its time with all the pieces although it doesn’t quite stick the landing. While the book involves a lot … Continue reading A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows
This review is from Marion, who is a college student, a very amateur short story writer, and a proud nerd, who got into romances and found SBTB over COVID. … I’m a bit of a map geek, and picked up The Cartographers expecting a decent thriller plot with a little information about old maps woven in. It turned out rather differently than I’d expected, but I was happy about that. The plot setup: Nell Young … Continue reading The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd
Crystal Anne With An E comes to us from a sunny clime, though she is an indoor cat that prefers to remain pale. She is an autism consultant by day, and recently completed a degree in information science, mostly because she could and it was fun. She likes to read (obviously), watch TV while cross-stitching something geeky, play video games, beg her plants not to die in the hell heat of summer, and walk while … Continue reading In Every Generation by Kendare Blake
Oh my gosh you guys, this book is just as dreamy and adorable as its cover suggests. I’m not usually fond of the trope in which the main conflict between a couple is that neither can bring themselves to admit their feelings. However, I have a soft spot for this charming story in which a young group of questers has to sort out their feelings while managing a kingdom that they didn’t think they’d be … Continue reading So This Is Ever After by F. T. Lukens
I’ve always maintained that it is difficult to do a romance short-story because the format doesn’t allow for the required amount for character or relationship growth. I’m happy to say that the anthology Someone in Times: Tales of Time-Crossed Romance is the exception that proves the rule, with an amazing collection of love stories in short-story form (some with happy endings and some not) and not a bad story in the lot. All of these … Continue reading Someone In Time edited by Jonathan Strahan
Crystal Anne With An E comes to us from a sunny clime, though she is an indoor cat that prefers to remain pale. She is an autism consultant by day, and recently completed a degree in information science, mostly because she could and it was fun. She likes to read (obviously), watch TV while cross-stitching something geeky, play video games, beg her plants not to die in the hell heat of summer, and walk while … Continue reading Star Wars: The Fallen Star by Claudia Gray
Wild and Wicked Things is a fantasy novel of magic and mayhem on fictional Crow Island, where a group of young people throw endless, Gatsby-esque parties in the aftermath of WWI and practice illegal magic. I loved the imagery and the portrayal of the English side of the Lost Generation – the parties are equally beautiful and hollow, tainted by grief and cynicism. However, I found the book to be maddeningly repetitive and the characters … Continue reading Wild and Wicked Things by Francesca May
