Beauty and Beastly is a lyrical, lovely re-imagining of Beauty and the Beast. It’s a slight story and you don’t want to be asking too many practical questions about it, but it conveys fairy tale love well. This is part of the Steampunk Fairy Tales series and although there are references to other books, I had no problem jumping in with this one. In a fantasy version of 1814 England, Isabelle and her father make … Continue reading Beauty and Beastly by Melanie Karsak →
When I’m having the kind of week where everything sucks and the world is a trash fire, I gravitate towards super fluffy, angst-free romances. Last year, I discovered one of my favourites, Marriage of Unconvenience by Chelsea M. Cameron. I was thoroughly charmed by the friends-to-lovers, marriage-of-convenience situation and smiled my way through it. So, when I heard she had another friends-to-lovers book coming out with a marriage element, I did a little happy dance. … Continue reading Didn’t Stay in Vegas by Chelsea M. Cameron →
I was raised on classic rom-coms like One Fine Day and While You Were Sleeping (which I will never rewatch as I fear they’ve not aged well) and for each new outing of a tried and true trope, I continue to be there, first in line. So my appreciation for the trope is as much nature as it is nurture. As a result, I am delighted to report that this book has SO MANY OF … Continue reading Would Like to Meet by Rachel Winters →
Damn, y’all, Hex Wives is not here to play. This is a graphic novel (a collection of Hex Wives #1-6) about some seriously angry women and I am HERE for it. Only problem is, it ends just as things are really getting good. Our story begins in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692 as a coven of witches (all women, and led by lovers Nadiya and Isadora) battles a group of men known as The Architects. As … Continue reading Hex Wives by Ben Blacker & Mirka Andolfo →
I mentioned in my review of Edge of Glory that I love sports romances, despite having zero interest in any sport in real life. Even so, I was a little skeptical when I saw that Rachel Spangler’s latest takes place in the world of curling because, well, it’s curling… (Yes, I know, I’m a bad Canadian. Please don’t take my citizenship away.) I was pleasantly surprised by Fire & Ice, though, and I’m glad I … Continue reading Fire & Ice by Rachel Spangler →
Poppy Redfern and the Midnight Murders is a mystery set in a small English town named Little Buffendon in 1942, just after the US joined WWII. Poppy, who lives with her grandparents, is the local Air Raid Warden. Her job is to walk through the village late at night and remind folks to put their blackout shades in place lest there be an actual aerial attack. The community has been dealing with war rationing, food … Continue reading Poppy Redfern and the Midnight Murders by Tessa Arlen →
I know we shouldn’t judge books by covers but I took one look at the gorgeous cover of The Earl’s Christmas Pearl and thought, “A) I want that dress, B) I also want that suit, and C) yep, I’m definitely reading it.” Luckily for me, this cover didn’t lead me astray and I enjoyed most of this sweet Christmas novella about a duke’s daughter and a grumpy Welsh earl with a Welsh corgi (who should’ve … Continue reading The Earl’s Christmas Pearl by Megan Frampton →
The Duke’s Stolen Bride by Sophie Jordan is about a young woman who wants to be a courtesan in order to support her siblings and needs a foxy duke to give her sex lessons. It’s not erotic, per say se, although I will say it’s hotter than a fair amount of historicals, and while I felt the hero and heroine had a ton of chemistry, I also thought the book relied too much on external … Continue reading The Duke’s Stolen Bride by Sophie Jordan →
It’s meet-disaster for Laura Hayes and Alex Archer: Fascinated by water, Laura is at the local pond practicing her diving skills. Alex thinks she’s drowning and tries to “save” her, much to her indignation. Little does Laura know that wading into the pond to save her was an act of sheer courage on Alex’s part, connected to a past he’d rather forget. A Convenient Fiction is the third book in the author’s Parish Orphans of … Continue reading A Convenient Fiction by Mimi Matthews →
This is a joint review by Carrie and AJ. Wayward Son is the second book in a spinoff series — you might also want to check out Carrie’s review for the previous book, Carry On, and Sarah’s review for the book that started it all, Fangirl. Carrie: Wayward Son is the sequel to Carry On, by Rainbow Rowell. If you haven’t read Carry On yet, go do that. I’ll try to avoid spoilers for Carry On … Continue reading Wayward Son by Rainbow Rowell →
Vapid, vacuous, and verbose — a waste of ink. These are the words swirling in Amalia Truitt’s head as we first meet her. It’s 1871, and Amalia is a beauty columnist for The Philadelphia Inquirer. She thinks the scathing criticism, part of a complaint to her editor, comes from a reader, but in reality that’s the opening salvo of a larger threat. The words also play straight into Amalia’s insecurities. In her mid-20s, Amalia already … Continue reading Dalliances and Devotion by Felicia Grossman →
