Mystic by Cheryl Brooks is the second book in a spinoff sci-fi romance series from Brooks’ original Cat Star Chronicles. I have neither read the first book in this spinoff series, Cat Star Legacy, nor the original series, but I’m always down for some bonkers reading from time to time. Not being familiar with any of the book’s predecessors was probably to my detriment, but my inability to understand the world has nothing to do with … Continue reading Mystic by Cheryl Brooks →
Sarah asked us to think about throwback series, and I knew immediately that I wanted to discuss the Orphan Train Series by Linda Lael Miller. I remembered them VERY FONDLY from my early teenagerhood (early 1990s) and wondered how well they would hold up. I was pretty sure the answer was going to be in the realm of “not great” but it turns out, no, it’s all the way over in “VERY VERY BADLY.” In … Continue reading Lily and the Major by Linda Lael Miller →
I read Princess of Zamibia because it’s a romance between an African prince and an African American woman, and because it avoids negative stereotypes of African countries. I ended up being triggered and upset and a little bit murderous. Rant ahead. TW for kidnapping and rape. I’m angry, people, and anger is contagious. It’s OK to skip everything ahead. Short version is that the hero in Princess of Zamibia is an asshat. It’s my duty … Continue reading Princess of Zamibia by Delaney Diamond →
Reading Roomies was a bizarre experience. I had two reactions simultaneously. One was great enjoyment in a lovely romance with great characters and dialogue and a comforting fairy tale atmosphere. The other was of pure, blinding rage brought on by the political and social issues that currently crowd my brain. The clearest way to describe these two reviews, which are at odds with one another, is to imagine viewing them through a zoom lens. For … Continue reading Roomies by Christina Lauren →
I really wanted to like this book. The description made it sound like a battle of wits would occur, which I love due to the intellectual tension and often coded dialogue present in such stories. Alas, the first chapter was infuriating and the hero even more so, and I stopped reading a few pages into chapter two. I think DNF reviews are very illuminating as they can highlight what makes a reader stop, or keep … Continue reading To the Duke, With Love by Amelia Grey →
Romeow and Juliet was brought to my attention during a recent edition of Cover Snark. While the front cover suggests that this is a romance between two cats, the back cover copy quickly sets us straight: Romeow and Juliet is the first in a cozy mystery series set on Madrona Island, a fictional island within the San Juan Islands off the coast of Washington State. As a fourth generation islander Caitlin Hart is struggling to make her … Continue reading Romeow and Juliet by Kathi Daley →
This WTF guest review is from Courtney Milan, who gives fair warning that this book is bonkers. Here’s her intro so we can ease on into this thing: At RT, somehow I mentioned that one of the first sexy books I ever read was a non-romance novel. I was 13. My sister had just turned 15. She liked fantasy novels and cats, and so one of her friends found what looked like the perfect birthday … Continue reading Guest Review: Cat House by Michael Peak →
NB: We have a doozy of a book rant this Saturday, but after spending some quality time with family members, we might all be in need of letting out a little aggression. The Ladies of Missalonghi also sounds like a pretty good candidate for an intense hate read. This particular book rant comes from author Marian Perera. Marian Perera lived in Sri Lanka, Dubai and Texas before settling in Toronto (for now), where she runs … Continue reading Book Rant: The Ladies of Missalonghi by Colleen McCullough →
NB: This is a guest rant. Many years in the making I believe. It’s aged in a notebook like fine wine. Decant it with care and savor! The backstory on this is that, like, 4 or 5 years ago, I accidentally late-night-bought a free ebook that threw me into such a rage that at like 3AM I decided to write down all my feelings about it. I think I meant to submit it to SBTB. But I … Continue reading Guest Rant: Feral Sins by Suzanne Wright →
Back in October of 2014, LJ sent us a picture of the cover of Forbidden Passion by Sarah Holland, and shared some of the content with us, too. Blazing eyes! A unicorn on set! She was reading it at the time, and now has written up a most epic rant about this book, which sounds simply marvelous. Because this rant is long, like HELLA long, I’m adding some gifs and images to help break up the … Continue reading Forbidden Passion by Sarah Holland: A Guest Rant by LJ →
Catherine Heloise thought Shakespearean retellings mixed with rockstars sounded right up her alley, in the most cracktastic way possible. But…there are many things that sound great in theory, and sometimes you just need a good Book Rant to get it all out of your system. And not only did she share the rant with us, but I’m told she also complained at length to her spouse about this book, and now he’s ranting about it, … Continue reading Book Rant: Sometimes Shakespeare & Rockstars Don’t Mix →
