Summer in the City of Roses by Michelle Ruiz Keil is an engaging YA fantasy romance that, while it lovingly flirts with fairy tales and myths, unfortunately gets bogged down in an uneven engagement with magical realism. That situation isn’t helped by the inclusion of a parental figure whose selfish decision making supersedes just about any wicked stepmother out there, and an unfortunate ending that manages to perpetuate harmful tropes that are the opposite of … Continue reading Summer in the City of Roses by Michelle Ruiz Keil →
The Library of the Unwritten by A.J. Hackwith is $1.99! This is a Kindle Daily Deal and is being price-matched. Carrie read this one and gave it a C+, noting it was the wrong book for her at the time, as it’s dark and rather angsty. Have you read it?
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Amanda and I are chatting about our favorite romance-laden RPGs, and our favorite characters to romance in Stardew Valley, Dragons Ages (all of ‘em), Witcher 3, and more. We compare romance options, discuss favorite pairings, and yup, we really like Dragon Age. Moral of this episode: Don’t Bring Your Tits to a Gunfight. This is the TikTok we chortle about. … Music: Purple-Planet.com
Happy Bachelorette night! Somehow we’re cramming Hometowns and The Men Tell All into 2 hours. I’m already tired. [Ed. note: I am, too.] I have a BFC (big fuckin can) of cherry Whiteclaw and Pudding has a new catnip kicker. Judging from her expression she’s already feeling the ‘nip. Also there are like no photos of tonight’s episode. No idea what’s up with that. So we start off with Katie telling Tayshia she’s uncomfortable telling more than … Continue reading Elyse Watches The Bachelorette–S17 E8: A Clipshow and Pointless Drama →
This is request for our very own Shana, who is looking for closed door romances that don’t fall into the inspirational umbrella. I thought we did this before, but I couldn’t find anything so here we go! Sneezy: Loathe at First Sight has no sex at all. Amanda: I know there are a few newer contemporaries that qualify? Guillory or maybe Christina Lauren? Can’t say for certain though! Elyse: If the Shoe Fits by Julie … Continue reading The Rec League: Non-Inspirational Closed Door Romances →
Welcome back to Wednesday Links! How the heck are all of you? It’s the last Wednesday of July and then some of us will be moving onto the dog days of summer, which is honestly my least favorite time of year where the boob sweat is at its highest. My brother is returning to his base after his deployment and I’m hoping I’ll get to visit him in Germany soonish, travel restrictions permitting. … If … Continue reading Links: Marginalia, Emma, & More →
The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas is $2.99! I believe we featured this on a previous Book Beat and this was going around on Romance Twitter a month or so ago. Needless to say, I’m very curious.
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Devil in Disguise is a fun, hot romance that tells the story of Lady Merritt Sterling, the widowed daughter of the Earl of Westcliff, and Keir MacRae, a whisky distiller from Scotland. It’s very much fanservice for readers who enjoyed the Wallflower series, with Lillian, Westcliff and Evie all appearing in the story, and Sebastian, who is now the Duke of Kingston, playing a particularly prominent role. I am honestly not quite sure how well … Continue reading Devil in Disguise by Lisa Kleypas →
Help A Bitch Out - SOLVED!
This HaBO comes from Jill who wants to find this contemporary romance: This is a long shot because I remember so little and it’s not terribly searchable with what I have, but any help is appreciated from the SBTB community! What I remember about this contemporary, hetero romance novel is this: – the hero speaks another language fluently, I’m pretty sure it’s Spanish – both hero and heroine are a bit commitment phobic and view … Continue reading HaBO: Searching for the Paella Man →
Playing for Keeps by Jill Shalvis is $1.99! This contemporary romance released earlier this year and is the seventh book in her Heartbreaker Bay series. Readers recommend this one for a low-angst, but still emotionally fluent read. And it has a cute dog. However, others expressed annoyance at the heroine’s continuing self-sabotaging behavior.
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Help A Bitch Out - SOLVED!
This HaBO is from Heather S., who is looking for this romantic suspense: I read this romantic suspense book back in the late 90s at a friend’s house (isn’t that how many of us snuck our romances?). The deets: The whole thing takes place on an island or some tropical costal location. There was a car accident at the beginning of the book and the heroine had to have facial reconstruction surgery. She’s also the … Continue reading HaBO: Heroine Has Facial Reconstruction Surgery →
