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 →
If you had told me I’d be thoroughly charmed by a romance between a human and a mothman, I’d have thought you were imbibing too many berries of a fermented nature. I really enjoyed this story, which is equally cozy and erotic. The book has extremely explicit sex and lots of it (the first line is “She was too horny to think”) as well as a fully developed and very sweet romance, with realistic conflicts … Continue reading Sweet Berries by C.M. Nascosta →
Amy owns a restaurant on the brink of failure. She’s done everything she can think of to save her dream, but even hiring a reality-show runner-up as her chef isn’t enough to save it. Sure, Sophie’s even hotter in person than she was on TV (and she was plenty hot there), but she’s turned out to be quiet and uninspiring in the kitchen. If Sophie’s learned one thing from the spotlight, it’s that she just … Continue reading The Romance Recipe by Ruby Barrett →
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 →
It’s come to this, my friends. During a panel at Baycon, a panelist mentioned having read a book about donut shifters. I could not let this rest. This is a poly fated mate shifter erotica with what I can only assume is a UTI waiting to happen. I had so many questions! Questions like: How? And Why? I read the book. Dear Bitches, I give you Her Donut Shifters by Mia Harlan, with spoilers. This … Continue reading Her Donut Shifters by Mia Harlan →
OMG you guys, The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes is just one big basket of adorable and I never wanted it to end. This cozy historical romance follows the exploits of Marian, wife, or possibly (well, probably) widow to the Duke of Clare, and Rob, the highwayman who tries to blackmail her. This book is a sequel to The Queer Principles of Kit Webb and although I had no trouble following the story, I very … Continue reading The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes by Cat Sebastian →
