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
TW: OMG you guys, SO MANY. That Time I Got Drunk And Saved a Demon is a mood, people. This book is impossible for me to grade – either you are down for it or you aren’t. But personally, I rather enjoyed this bonkers story about a woman whose family owns and operates a cinnamon farm, the demon she rescues, and the false goddess they team up to take down. You should be able to … Continue reading That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming
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
I have a confession to make: the actual mystery in mystery novels is usually not very interesting to me. I don’t care who died, or how, or who dun it. Yet I eat up historical mystery novels like M&Ms, because in a mystery novel we often have a detective (official or unofficial) who, in the course of their investigation, gets to talk to people from a variety of classes and backgrounds, which I find fascinating. … Continue reading Miss Aldridge Regrets by Louise Hare
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
I so very much enjoyed The Astronaut and the Star, a romance novel with ADHD representation, bisexual representation, and a lot of happy nerd things. It wasn’t a perfect book, but it was a fun romance with great characters. The problems with the book are easier to describe than the charm of the character interactions. Suffice to say that watching these people talk to each other and navigate various interactions was a treat. Reggie is … Continue reading The Astronaut and the Star by Jen Comfort
The Dating Dilemma is a fun, sexy contemporary romantic comedy about learning to ask for the things you need in life. Lexi is on a six month break from dating, because her boyfriends always take advantage of her giving personality. But when a hot fireman turns up to perform a safety inspection at the youth centre where she is the Assistant Director…well, even if one isn’t dating, one can enjoy looking. Dylan, the hot fireman … Continue reading The Dating Dilemma by Mariah Ankenman
A Marvellous Light is a slow-paced, M/M fantasy romance set in the Edwardian Age, and is the first of a trilogy. I thought the writing was lovely in terms of describing the use of magic and the romance development, but I kept drifting away from the story. A great deal of the charm and fun of the book is the opposites-attract format of both the world-building (magic meets bureaucracy) and the main characters, Robin and … Continue reading A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske
Carrie and Shana decided to start December off right with a midweek movie night. Also in attendance were Carrie’s daughter, a dog, and a cat. As consummate professionals, we prepared by reading this article about the realism, and lack thereof, of the movie. It’s been a long time since we’ve done a recap, and we are prepared. Shana was in charge of snacks. Bitches, let me tell you. If you ever have the chance to … Continue reading A Castle for Christmas
Hark and LO, bitchery! It is I, your intrepid fantasy romance correspondent, delighted to inform you I have found a winner. The Shadow and the Sun is a fun, sexy, pretty well-written, and unabashedly FANTASY romance novel. The setup is this: in a medieval-ish fantasy world called Quoregna, a warrior woman named Halina, who is the bastard daughter of the king of Ursinum, is charged with a mission to convince a reclusive wizard, the Shadow … Continue reading The Shadow and The Sun by Monica Enderle Pierce
Payback’s a Witch was a fun, spooky, sexy way to kick off my autumnal reading. With enjoyable characters with clear development, a sultry queer romance, a delightfully magical setting, and beautiful prose, there’s lots and lots to like here. At the outset of the story, Emmy Harlow is returning to her magical hometown of Thistle Grove after a whopping nine-year absence, during which time she has not seen any of her family or childhood friends … Continue reading Payback’s a Witch by Lana Harper
