CW: homophobia After a failed acting career in LA and a recent divorce, Mattie Belman has returned to her tiny hometown in Pennsylvania to teach theatre at the local all-girls Catholic high school. It’s weird enough that she’s thrown into the deep end of Catholicism as a Jewish lesbian, but her life gets way more complicated when the school’s arrogant soccer coach decides Mattie is her new enemy. Jillian Reed is the local hero who’s … Continue reading Loser of the Year by Carrie Byrd →
RECOMMENDED: The Rakess by Scarlett Peckham is $1.99! Carrie read this one and have it an A-:
The combination of personal catnip with descriptive language and complex characterization is spot on. I recommend this for fans of vocal feminism, found family, angst, and explicit sex in their historicals. I plan to read my copy many, many times!
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We’re still deep into beach read season, but make sure you bring a cooler with you, because these books are gonna get you thirsty! (Some more literally than others, if you know what I mean.) (Oh, you don’t? Read on, then!)
This month on the podcast, I wanted look more closely at the intersection of romance and reality tv, particular the Bachelor franchise and Real Housewives. There is only one place to start with that inquiry: with Dr. Jodi McAlister. Jodi McAlister is a scholar of romance and an expert on all things The Bachelor, and she’s the author of the Australia-set Marry Me, Juliet trilogy, which you may remember was available digitally in the US … Continue reading 626. The Bachelor and Romance with Dr. Jodi McAlister →
Second Night Stand by Fay Stetz-Waters and Karelia Stetz-Waters is $2.99 and a Kindle Daily Deal! Shana recently gave this a B-:
Ultimately, this is a steamy sapphic romance where the love story easily overshadows the reality tv competition. Both heroines start the book feeling afraid other people will see their flaws, and I loved the themes of healing, being loved for your true self, not making work your whole life, and finding a new path to happiness.
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Hey all! We’re about halfway through our SBTB 2024 Romance Bingo card! By now, you might have knocked out a few easier spaces, but if you’re having trouble, we’re here to help! Below are some resources or recommendations you can use to fill more specific squares. And of course, I encourage you to brainstorm in the comments. For trope-specific squares, check out our Book Finder! Most of these tropes have tags in the Book Finder. … Continue reading SBTB Summer Bingo Recommendations →
Kilt Trip by Alexandra Kiley is $1.99! This is a standalone contemporary romance with a heroine who works as a travel consultant. Have any of you read this one?
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Good morning! Welcome back to Wednesday Links! We’re a little light on content today, so that means you get Links several hours early. Did any of you attend the Lady Eve’s Last Con event that Sarah hosted? I want to hear all about it if you did! I honestly can’t remember the time I attended a book event as just a fan (and not someone running it). What was the last bookstore event you attended? The … Continue reading Links: Video Games, Romantasy, & More →
System Collapse by Martha Wells is $2.99! This is the seventh book in the Murderbot series. I asked Sarah if you can jump in here. She said:
I think so. Obviously there’s more depth if you know the history, but Wells is a very strong writer and I think readers can start there if they wish. They’ll probably want to read all of them, which I support!
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Francine Pascal, creator of the Sweet Valley High series, has died at age 92. Her death was announced yesterday, and there is a lot of coverage – the Guardian, People, Variety and EW have written about her life alongside the BBC and the NY Times. For a lot of people my age, Sweet Valley was an indelible companion though adolescence. They were first published in 1983, and ran for more than 175 books over two … Continue reading Remembering Francine Pascal, Creator of Sweet Valley High and a Lot of my Reading History →
