Yet again, I have picked up a book because of its cover. I feel zero shame for this shallowness on my part. Okay, sometimes it backfires on me, but this time it worked out, kind of. Although I’ve landed on a C- here, depending on your answers to the questions I pose in this review, you might land in DNF territory, or as high as a B. Very much a case of ‘your mileage may … Continue reading The Duke’s Got Mail by Samara Parish
I got my hopes up too high for this novel. Strategic fail. You see, I had been trying to find a copy for review purposes for months, but it was never available in South Africa. When the book finally was available, I grabbed it with both hands. It’s a rare book that can live up to months and months of anticipation and sadly this one did not. Lydia is rich thanks to the wool processing … Continue reading How to Lose a Lord in Ten Days by Sophie Irwin
I rather enjoyed the last third of A Lady Would Know Better. Granted, I read that last third of it at about 2AM while trapped in the bathroom (health problems) and while substantially hopped up on prescription painkillers (use only under care of a physician please; the opioid crisis is real). Is it a coincidence that this was the part I most enjoyed? I think not. The rest of the story suffered due to heroic … Continue reading A Lady Would Know Better by Emma Theriault
I was really excited going in to see Superman, wanting it to be a technicolor, hopeful answer to superhero movies, one that would be more uplifting than recent fare. While the movie tries to do that, it’s also kind of a mess and unfortunately the best scenes have been shown already as clips in the trailer. I would recommend renting Superman when it comes to streaming services, but save your money when it comes to … Continue reading Movie Review: Superman (2025)
I’m keeping this review brief because there’s only so much you can say about the third book in a trilogy without completely giving away the other two books. Also, this book is kind of a letdown. The glory and wonder of that angry vampire in book two is admittedly a tough act to follow. But let’s unpack. There are two plots in this book: the romance plot and the adventure plot. The romance plot focuses … Continue reading Rebel in the Deep by Katee Robert
The Stars Too Fondly has queer romance, found family, diverse representation, multiple references to Star Trek, and space travel. I love all of these things. I should adore this book. But I found it to be deeply implausible, frustrating, and full of undeveloped emotion, ideas, and characters. A really bad book is fine – I can toss it aside with never a qualm. A really, REALLY bad book that delivers its badness exactly as advertised … Continue reading The Stars Too Fondly by Emily Hamilton
This guest review comes from Lisa! A longtime romance aficionado and frequent commenter to SBTB, Lisa is a queer Latine critic with a sharp tongue and lots of opinions. She frequently reviews at All About Romance and Women Write About Comics, where she’s on staff, and you can catch her at @thatbouviergirl on Twitter. There, she shares good reviews, bracing industry opinions and thoughtful commentary when she’s not on her grind looking for the next … Continue reading Best Hex Ever by Nadia El-Fassi
I really love looking at the colorful art on the covers of books, which is in part why my physical library is shelved by color and why I belong to book subscriptions like Illumicrate and Owlcrate–so I can get those beautiful special editions. I read mostly on my Kindle Oasis, but I definitely love the look of physical books. When the new Kindle Colorsoft came out, I thought that maybe this would reduce my need … Continue reading Kindle Colorsoft
CW: I’m going to include the entire note from the start of the book: “Dark Restraint is an occasionally dark and very spicy book that contains abortion (off-page, historical), elements of dubious consent, non-consenual drugging, biting without prior negotiation/conversation, guns, violence, blood, child abuse and assault (historical, off-page, referenced briefly).” Gentle reader, this is a dark romance; the darkest of the series. I am, in fact, a very gentle reader and so for me this … Continue reading Dark Restraint by Katee Robert
I am a sucker for an interesting premise and this book certainly has one. In this series, the female leads write for a newspaper for women, by women. Specifically, young women. In this book, it is the reviewer who takes centre stage. Julia Addison works as a companion to a sort-of related aunt-in-law. On the side, she secretly pens her reviews of plays put on in London under the nom de plume Miss On Scene. … Continue reading The Lady Plays with Fire by Susanna Craig
The first book in this series is not perfect, but I read it because I enjoyed the interplay between the main characters. For book two, the same happened: great interplay between the main characters but then things fell apart beyond that. Calladia Cunnington is the mayor’s daughter and the mayor has clear expectations for how Calladia should behave, expectations which do not include wearing athleisure and enjoying a casual brawl. Moments after book one ends, … Continue reading A Demon’s Guide to Wooing a Witch by Sarah Hawley
