Update: I still need a vacation and am not getting one till January, so I’m reading all the beach-y things. Enter Holiday in the Hamptons. Sarah Morgan is one of my go-to Happy Feels authors, but I was lukewarm on Holiday in the Hamptons because of weak internal conflict and a heroine who, on occasion, baffled and irritated me. Felicity “Fliss” Knight grew up with a horribly emotionally abusive father, so her summer vacations in the Hamptons … Continue reading Holiday in the Hamptons by Sarah Morgan →
I feel like this was an experiment of a book: take a girl, make her a surprise heiress, and don’t tell the reader which of three potential gentlemen is the actual hero until the last act of the book. I don’t think it really worked. Elisabeth Elham is a penniless governess when her estranged and extremely rich uncle dies and leaves everything to her, because when her parents died, she did not beg him for … Continue reading Last Gentleman Standing by Jane Ashford →
In an interview recorded at RWA, I interviewed Alyssa Cole, and we talked about…clothing! Don’t worry – we start with books and history. And Hamilton! We begin by talking about her upcoming publications, and about the pockets of resistance among people in the South during the Civil War who fought against the Confederacy. Some of her research on that topic appears in A Hope Divided. Then we focus on her spring release from Avon, A … Continue reading 263. Behind the Scenes with Clothing, Creativity, and Cover Art: An Interview with Alyssa Cole →
Assassin’s Gambit by Amy Raby is $2.99! This fantasy romance is the first in the Hearts and Thrones series. Readers seemed to be mixed on the assassin heroine. Some really liked her and felt for her inner turmoil and conflict. However, others felt they never got to see her “assassin” skills in action.
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I picked up this book to read because one of my favorite strains of reading catnip is the tension between public selves and private selves. This is a tricky reading niche for me to fill, as I don’t often enjoy rock star romances, though that trope would be ideal for that particular tension. Since identifying and refining my reading catnip is an ever-evolving process, I keep looking for different settings in which that tension might … Continue reading Need You Now by Emma Douglas →
We’re combining two similar requests for this Rec League on competence porn! Flchen1 asked for a Rec League on this specifically in the comments of a RITA Reader Challenge review. And we received this email request from reader KK: Heroines with successful careers that are respected by the narrative and their partner. The field doesn’t overly matter, and while I don’t often read Romantic Suspense or Inspirational, I’m sure I’m not the only one interested … Continue reading The Rec League: Competence Pr0n →
We featured some of the authors of the Sight Unseen anthology in a recent podcast and many of you have been talking about this anthology. The authors of each story in the anthology were a secret – until now. And we’re hosting the reveal for two of the stories! Judith, the publisher of the anthology, conducted interviews with each writer as part of the reveal. If you’ve been following along as the authorship has been … Continue reading Sight Unseen Story Reveal →
It’s Wednesday! But man, I wish we were closer to the weekend. My fall allergies have made a resurgence and Benadryl reduces me to a useless, blanketed lump. Hopefully your week is going better! … The Book Smugglers have started a Kickstarter campaign! Sarah has already backed the project and I probably will as well: In 2018, The Book Smugglers turns 10 years old—and it’s now time to level up! We want to do more. … Continue reading Links: Kickstarter, Cosplay, & Witches →
RECOMMENDED: Moon Called by Patricia Briggs is $2.99! This is the first book in the Mercy Thompson urban fantasy series and I really loved this book. Admittedly, I’m not caught up in the series and have only read the first three or four books, so maybe someone can add some thoughts on how the series unfolds, whether good or bad. Many people love the heroine because she’s a bit of a badass. However, some people feel like the first book is a little slow.
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Over the years here at the Hot Pink Palace of Bitchery, my fortitude has been tested. I’ve read books about reindeer shifters and suffered through hours of Nick Viall trying to form a coherent sentence. My constitution strengthened by rum, I’d describe my loins as exceptionally girdy. My aunt has been recommending JD Robb’s (aka Nora Robert’s) In Death series to me forever, but I’ve always been intimidated by the length of the series. Then Secrets … Continue reading Secrets in Death by JD Robb →
I was so absorbed in this novel, I read it in one long, very lovely day, the kind of weekend day where you look back with a sort of awed gratitude that you spent most of the daylight hours reading happily. Everything that I found so enthralling about the first book in this series, A Study in Scarlet Women, I found here: layers of meaning, thoughtful scenes and pieces of dialogue, multi-faceted examinations of simple but … Continue reading A Conspiracy in Belgravia by Sherry Thomas →
