At Midnight, edited by Dahlia Adler, is a creative, inclusive mix of fairy tale reimaginings from a diverse YA perspective. Some of the stories are funny, some horrifying, but all are inventive and subversive. Different people will of course have different favorites, but my favorite story was “In the Forests of the Night.” In this retelling of “Fitcher’s Bird,” author Gita Trelease creates a bloody, vengeful, feminist and anti-colonialist version of the fairytale set in … Continue reading At Midnight edited by Dahlia Adler →
The ever reliable K.J. Charles is back with The Secret Lives of County Gentlemen. This is a charming but intense story in which two very different men with very different lives navigate a relationship in the marshlands of Kent, where smuggling is a cultural norm, everything is just a little bit gothic, mystery abounds, and “out-marsh” people are held in suspicion. ‘London’ and ‘Kent’ hit it off in the big city as clandestine and anonymous … Continue reading The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by KJ Charles →
I very much enjoyed The Gentlemen’s Book of Vices, by Jess Everlee, despite an ending that I thought was a bit of a cop-out. This was a gentle, fun, and sexy book that explores the love between two men in Victorian England, one a reader and one a writer. I fell into the warm cadence between the two protagonists and loved and worried about them and delighted in their joys. Our story begins with Charlie, … Continue reading The Gentleman’s Book of Vices by Jess Everlee →
To my great delight, The Boxing Baroness is about a female prize fighter in Regency England, and yes, that was a thing. This sumptuous historical romance has great characters and a swooping, gorgeous romance. The plot gets a little wonky but overall I enjoyed this book. Marianne was adopted as a small child by her uncle who owns a small traveling all-female circus. It has the fabulous name ‘Farnham’s Fantastical Female Fayre.’ Marianne was sent … Continue reading The Boxing Baroness by Minerva Spencer →
The follow-up to Donut Fall in Love is an opposites-attract romance with a deeply introverted heroine and a larger-than-life hero. Although it can be read as a standalone, I enjoyed revisiting characters from the first novel. While I loved the romance, the depictions of the hero’s job fell flat, sometimes pulling me out of the story. Quiet, reserved Vivian Lao is going to be a bridesmaid in her roommate Lindsay’s wedding to actor Ryan Kwok. … Continue reading The Stand-Up Groomsman by Jackie Lau →
At this point, Laura Griffin’s books are a one-click purchase for me. I know that with her books I’m safe. I’ll have competent heroines, strong heroes and a great mystery. This book is no exception. Although, warning: there are cops. Ava Burch is a corporate lawyer who has moved to a small town in west Texas. She’s been given custody of her dad’s search-and-rescue dog and she’s set up a small law practice with her … Continue reading Vanishing Hour by Laura Griffin →
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 Guest Review: The Princess and the Scoundrel by Beth Revis →
CW: Death/Murder, Bugs, a scene where a character is deadnamed The minute I saw this cover (we featured it on Cover Awe!) and heard the series name was Midsolar Murders, I was sold. Honestly, I didn’t need to know anything else. In the most succinct genre description, it’s a sci-fi cozy murder mystery. While that definition holds true, it’s also a chaotic blend of world-building, an inventive cast of aliens, and serendipity. For as long … Continue reading Station Eternity by Mur Lafferty →
I have a few tests for cookbooks I want to try. First, I borrow them digitally and read through, bookmarking recipes I might want to try. Once I reach four or five bookmarks, I put the book on hold at the library so I can borrow and use post-it notes on a physical copy. This book passed both of those tests in record time. In fact, I started reading it digitally while on vacation, and … Continue reading I Dream of Dinner (So You Don’t Have To) by Ali Slagle →
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 →
There are a few reasons that this book and I were destined to meet. I love hockey romances, specifically m/m hockey romances. This book uses one of my favourite tropes: fake relationships. Catnip! I was specifically on the hunt for books similar to ones that I’ve loved as I was heading for surgery and needed the comfort of the familiar but the excitement of something new. Distracting yourself is a fine art. So that’s three … Continue reading Contract Season by Cait Nary →
