At the risk of sounding conceited, when you read as many thrillers as I do, at some point it becomes easy to predict the twist. It’s fairly uncommon for me to be completely surprised by the ending of a psychological thriller, but Lucy Foley does it every time. The Paris Apartment is no different. The Paris Apartment is told from multiple points of view, with the heroine being Jess, a barmaid from England. Jess is … Continue reading The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley→
Grace Carter is a magic “source.” Maggie Mulvaney is her “catalyst,” helping Grace harness the magic so that, together, they can take out demons. Maggie is also the love of Grace’s life and Grace has been searching for her for nine months after a forced separation. When Grace finds Maggie, Maggie doesn’t remember her or their life together in the demon-hunting Order of Saint Teresa, where they were the strongest duo the Order had seen … Continue reading The Demon Equilibrium by Cathy Pegau→
TW for book: Disordered eating The Worst Guy was the first book I read in 2022, and I hope it’s setting the tone for the rest of the year because I loved it. It’s an enemies-to-lovers story with tons of competence porn. It’s also The Grumpy One/…the Introverted One, I guess? There’s no sunshine here, and I honestly appreciate a heroine who doesn’t have to be the sunshiney one. Sebastian Stremmel is a trauma surgeon … Continue reading The Worst Guy by Kate Canterbary→
Shana and I both read While We Were Dating by Jasmine Guillory and we had thoughts! Anna Gardiner is an actress who is going to appear in an advertisement campaign for a new mobile phone. Ben Stephens designed the campaign and will be working closely with Anna during filming. Ben is a self-admitted playboy who is open that he’s only looking for fun, nothing serious. Anna is focused intensely on the next phase of her … Continue reading While We Were Dating by Jasmine Guillory→
The Companion came out in April, but I only got around to it now. It’s the best queer historical romance I’ve read in ages. Do not sleep on this erotic love story between three beautiful and wounded people, a trans man, and two trans women. This is a gorgeous little book about finding a soft place to land. It has serious #cottagecore vibes and would be a perfect comfort read for when you want to … Continue reading The Companion by E.E. Ottoman→
The Ice Swan is a slow-burn and rather tender romance about two people building a relationship after their worlds have crumbled around them. It is set in the Russian emigré community in Paris during the final months of the Great War, and then in rural Scotland in the War’s aftermath, and it manages to be both angsty and gentle. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Princess Svetlana Dalsky fled the Bolshevik uprising in Russia with her mother … Continue reading The Ice Swan by J’nell Ciesielski→
Content Warning: PTSD, violence and trauma I read this book at such a furious pace that I’m sure I missed the details. In fact, I know I did. Because I’m struggling to write this review beyond simply repeating “wow” to myself ad infinitum. There was such a wonderful balance between a strong character-driven development and sheer plot momentum that I couldn’t control myself. I just had to devour this book. Did I ignore all of … Continue reading Rare Vigilance by M.A. Grant→
I am writing this while sleep deprived, guzzling a cold brew, having stayed up all night reading. At some point I remember my husband telling me he was going to bed and me telling him I’d be right up. The next time I looked up I had finished The Last Thing He Told Me and, aside from my reading light, the house was pitch dark. The Last Thing He Told Me is an excellently plotted … Continue reading The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave→
I confess, I have read almost all of Cat Sebastian’s books. There are so few left that I haven’t read, I’m savouring them and trying to make them last. So when I received an ARC of this book, I was just about ready to plotz. Saying that I went into this book with high expectations would be an understatement. Usually, this doesn’t end well for me, but, dear Bitchery, that is not the case this … Continue reading The Queer Principles of Kit Webb by Cat Sebastian→
Shana: When Tara showed me the blurb for an opposites-attract rom-com set in a sex toy store, I jumped on the chance to read it together. I’m glad I did, because Satisfaction Guaranteed is my first official Squee of 2021. Tara: Isn’t it the freaking cutest? This book made me laugh out loud and gave me so many happy sighs. But let’s start by telling everyone what it’s about. When Cade’s aunt Ruth dies, she … Continue reading Satisfaction Guaranteed by Karelia Stetz-Waters→
Beth and Amy is a pitch-perfect retelling of Little Women / Good Wives from the point of view of Beth, Amy, and occasionally Abigail March. It completely captures the personalities of the March girls and their friends and family, while bringing them convincingly into the modern era. I loved it. Amy is returning to Bunyan for her sister Jo’s wedding to Eric Bhaer, and is apprehensive about seeing Trey Lawrence again. She has had a … Continue reading Beth and Amy by Virginia Kantra→
