Y’all know how much I love Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, so it’s no surprise that when someone mentioned a gender-bent version I was intrigued. John Eyre doesn’t match up for me as a version of Jane Eyre, but it is an atmospheric, compelling Gothic – low on heat and character development, but with enough chills to be fun for a stormy winter’s night. John Eyre: A Tale of Darkness and Shadow tells the tale … Continue reading John Eyre by Mimi Matthews →
I love a good gothic, and The Death of Jane Lawrence had a lot of buzz. But now that I have read it, I am confused about three key elements, which I list here in a Non-spoilery format: Is the title accurate? Is this a romance? What the hell happened? The book starts off in standard but solid Gothic mode. The main character, Jane, wants an “unconventional” marriage, one which will allow her to remain … Continue reading The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling →
The Wrong Marquess is a Regency-set romance between sought-after bachelor Brandon, the Marquess of Hullworth, and Elodie Parrish, a 25-year old spinster who is waiting for her childhood friend, George, to propose to her. While the story managed to use some of my least favourite tropes in some very clever ways, it also contained an incredibly frustrating love triangle that extended so far into the book that I really questioned Elodie’s judgment. Brandon is the … Continue reading The Wrong Marquess by Vivienne Lorret →
Bitchery, I am on a quest to bring you all of the fantasy romance and romantic fantasy I can get my hands on. As a part of this quest I finally picked up Vengeance Born, a fantasy romance from 2012 that has been on my TBR for a few years now. There were some things I quite liked about this series opener and some things that made me shake my head and sigh, but overall, … Continue reading Vengeance Born by Kylie Griffin →
Elysium Girls begins in a small Oklahoma town in 1835. The tiny town of Elysium is trying to make it through the Dust Bowl years after the massive dust storms of Black Sunday (April 14, 1935) scour the land and leave survivors in what seems to be the only town left in the world. There’s no telephone, no radio, nothing but desert. People can wander in the desert up to a point, but beyond Elysium … Continue reading Elysium Girls by Kate Pentecost →
CW/TW: abortion consideration and discussion, toxic family, discussion of miscarriage, pre-eclampsia Tara: I mentioned this book in a recent Whatcha Reading post with the comment “I’m only a third of the way through, but if you like the idea of an f/f romance with fat rep, knitting, friends with benefits, and a truly nonjudgemental dive into abortion vs opting to complete a pregnancy, this is the book for you!” And guess what?! Carrie was into … Continue reading Knit, Purl, a Baby and a Girl by Hettie Bell →
Grey Dawn is an odd little book. It didn’t quite gel for me, but I admired its gumption. It’s always lovely to see an attempt to do something new with a story even if it doesn’t quite come together, and it had a lot of heart. The book takes place in two time periods, both in Philadelphia. In 1858, Chloë and Leigh met. In Chloë’s words: We were an unlikely pair: she, born in a … Continue reading Grey Dawn by Nyri A. Bakkalian →
Confession time: I skip to the end within the first 10% of most books. (Please don’t yell at me. I’ve already been told by horrified friends that it’s a moral failing.) When I skipped to the end of Queen of Coin and Whispers, I was hit by one of the most compelling lines I’ve read in a long time: She loved me as I loved her, fierce as a bloodied blade. Does it give you … Continue reading Queen of Coin and Whispers by Helen Corcoran →
Content warning: Discussion of a trans character who isn’t treated very well by the narrative. A Lady’s Formula for Love is a story about love, politics, science and the frustrations and difficulties of being a woman in 1840s England. It’s also a story about second chances, and reclaiming yourself after years of needing to be – or believing yourself to be – someone else. Perhaps most of all, it’s a story about claiming the right … Continue reading A Lady’s Formula for Love by Elizabeth Everett →
Maid for the Musketeer would have gotten a higher grade from me if it hadn’t taken a sharp tonal turn at the last minute. For the most part, I enjoyed this feminist romance between childhood friends who are forced by Cardinal Richelieu to become spies in France in the mid-1600s. The introduction warns us that the book, like The Three Musketeers by Dumas, is “not historical fiction, it’s more accurately described as historical fanfiction.” With … Continue reading Maid for the Musketeer by Anna Klein →
Virginia, Lady Dulverton is widowed and happy to be so. After an abusive childhood and an unsatisfactory marriage, she prefers to give her attention to the orphanages that were her husband’s passion. She has no intention of marrying again, which is a good thing, too, because the terms of her husband’s will are…complicated, and make remarriage difficult. Unfortunately, she is finding Francis, Lord Wolverstone hard to resist, and he is not particularly inclined to let … Continue reading Virginia and the Wolf by Lynne Connolly →
