RECOMMENDED: Bonds of Brass by Emily Skrutskie is $2.99! This is a Kindle Daily Deal, and I recommend checking them out today since there are a lot of great cookbooks included, like Ottolenghi’s Flavor. Ellen read this one and gave it a B+:
I think it has elements to satisfy a wide reading audience: a sizzling slow-burn romance between people with actual significant obstacles to their relationship, a sweeping and epic plot about the rise and fall of empires, gut-wrenching internal character conflict, and wacky space hijinks.
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Lightning Reviews are back! All three have historical settings! One is more historical mystery, while the other are historical romance. And they’re all well-reviewed, which means your TBR will probably grow a bit. Let’s go!
The Devil and the Heiress by Harper St. George is a tropey historical romance with light conflict. Readers looking for a lot of angst probably won’t enjoy this one, while readers looking for a romance with a lot of action and minimal conflict will be fine. It worked totally for me, but lately I’ve needed less darkness and fewer obstacles for the main characters to overcome in my reading. American heiress Violet Crenshaw is in … Continue reading The Devil and the Heiress by Harper St. George →
I love the Kat Holloway series to the point that I’ve recommended and purchased copies for people all around me. I knew I’d like this one, and I did, indeed. The challenge here is that this is the fifth book in the series, so identifying the audience for a review is tricky and tends to slow down my ability to write said review. Meta aside, a brief summary: Kat Holloway is still balancing her life … Continue reading Death at the Crystal Palace by Jennifer Ashley →
The Companion came out in April, but I only got around to it now. It’s the best queer historical romance I’ve read in ages. Do not sleep on this erotic love story between three beautiful and wounded people, a trans man, and two trans women. This is a gorgeous little book about finding a soft place to land. It has serious #cottagecore vibes and would be a perfect comfort read for when you want to … Continue reading The Companion by E.E. Ottoman →
The Frozen Crown by Greta Kelly is $1.99! This is the first book in a fantasy duology and was mentioned in a Kindle Daily Deal. One thing that grinds my gears is anything fantasy-related with a youngish heroine is automatically classified as young adult. I’m pretty sure this one is adult fantasy, maybe with some crossover appeal.
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This is a weird book, y’all. It opens with raunchy pining, segues into creepytown, and ends with a full-throated critique of Catholicism. What did I just read? As a devoted veteran of tortured priest love stories, I was curious to see if this book could avoid the potential minefields in the pairing. The first couple of chapters made me think I was getting an edgy romcom with steamy high-conflict angst. By the end, the book … Continue reading Hot Under His Collar by Andie J. Christopher →
Welcome back! We’re wrapping up July with our second Whatcha Reading of the month! Shana: I’m reading Jasmine Guillory’s latest, While We Were Dating. So far, it might be my favorite of hers. The mental help rep seems strong and I adore the cinnamon roll meets playboy hero. I hope I love the ending as much as I’m enjoying the beginning! I also just finished the ebook of the AI Who Loved Me by Alyssa … Continue reading Whatcha Reading? July 2021, Part Two →
Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson is $2.99! This is a young adult fantasy with romantic elements and I’ve heard such good things. I believe I remember Aarya squeeing about this in Slack, but I could be wrong.
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Tara joins me to talk about how reading lesbian romances helped them realize their sexuality after having grown up in a very conservative religious environment. Side trips include Robin Hood in many varieties, “Don’t Stop Believing,” and movies to watch while kinda stoned. Romances help people understand a lot of aspects of themselves, and I love hearing about how reading has helped Tara live more authentically. TW/CW: we talk about growing up queer in a … Continue reading 467. Realizing Sexuality Through Romance with Tara Scott →
