Book Reviews

If I Stopped Haunting You by Colby Wilkens

If I Stopped Haunting You

This guest review comes from Lisa! A longtime romance aficionado and frequent commenter to SBTB, Lisa is a queer Latine critic with a sharp tongue and lots of opinions. She frequently reviews at All About Romance and Women Write About Comics, where she’s on staff, and you can catch her at @thatbouviergirl on Twitter. There, she shares good reviews, bracing industry opinions and thoughtful commentary when she’s not on her grind looking for the next good freelance … Continue reading If I Stopped Haunting You by Colby Wilkens

Peaches and Honey: These Immortal Truths by R. Raeta

Peaches and Honey: These Immortal Truths

This guest review is from Danielle Fritz. Danielle is a former librarian who has a special affection for children’s lit and books about the funeral industry. She first cut her criticism teeth as a fanfic writer. A resident of the upper midwest, she’s learned to love beer and tater tot casserole and tolerate long winters. Most nights will find her cuddled up with her pups and wearing out her wrists with yet another crochet project. … Continue reading Peaches and Honey: These Immortal Truths by R. Raeta

Three Reasons to Run by Jackie Lau

Three Reasons to Run

This guest review comes from Lisa! A longtime romance aficionado and frequent commenter to SBTB, Lisa is a queer Latine critic with a sharp tongue and lots of opinions. She frequently reviews at All About Romance and Women Write About Comics, where she’s on staff, and you can catch her at @thatbouviergirl on Twitter. There, she shares good reviews, bracing industry opinions and thoughtful commentary when she’s not on her grind looking for the next good freelance … Continue reading Three Reasons to Run by Jackie Lau

Haunted Ever After by Jen DeLuca

Haunted Ever After

This guest review is from Danielle Fritz. Danielle is a former librarian who has a special affection for children’s lit and books about the funeral industry. She first cut her criticism teeth as a fanfic writer. A resident of the upper midwest, she’s learned to love beer and tater tot casserole and tolerate long winters. Most nights will find her cuddled up with her pups and wearing out her wrists with yet another crochet project. … Continue reading Haunted Ever After by Jen DeLuca

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year

This book is charming in every possible way. Maggie Chase is a cosy mystery writer. Her parents died when she was 18 and she’s in the process of recovering from finding out her best friend and her husband have been having an affair. Maggie’s pain and lack of confidence are visceral to read. My heart just ached for her. Ethan Wyatt is a Leather Jacket Guy, in Maggie’s eyes: all easy charm and women throwing … Continue reading The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter

The X-Files: Perihelion

The X-Files: Perihelion

This guest review is from Crystal Anne! Crystal Anne with An E comes to us from a sunny clime, but prefers to remain a pale indoor cat. She enjoys reading, cross-stitching something nerdy, going to see live music, and playing video games. She works as an autism consultant by day, got a degree in information science for fun, and currently serves on her local library advisory board. … Okay, now that I have made sure … Continue reading The X-Files: Perihelion

Consecrated Ground by Virginia Black

Consecrated Ground

Joan Matthews is headed to her hometown because her father Trevon died. Like him, she is a witch. However, their relationship broke many years ago when she chose to become a war witch and kick ass wherever she’s needed, rather than take up their family’s traditional role as a binder witch who casts protection spells on their town. Joan plans to stay just long enough for the ceremony that will lay him to rest, but … Continue reading Consecrated Ground by Virginia Black

Just Playing House by Farah Heron

Just Playing House

After I finished Just Playing House, I immediately ran around telling everyone I knew to read it. I’m totally obsessed with this second chance + celebrity romance. It was cozy but with enough emotional twists and turns to keep me interested. Marley is a personal stylist with two goals. She wants to convince the department store where she works to promote her to a personal shopper for the rich and famous. And she wants to … Continue reading Just Playing House by Farah Heron

Blood of a Gladiator by Ashley Gardner

Blood of a Gladiator

I mentioned in the recent Whatcha Reading post that I think it was flchen1 (Hi! Thank you!!) who posted about Blood of a Gladiator in the comments a week or so ago, but I inhaled this book. I wrote in the post: “Ashley Gardner aka Jennifer Ashley writes great mysteries with very slow connections and growing emotional depth between the characters, and this book was excellent. It got me through some insomnia (perimenopause can fuck … Continue reading Blood of a Gladiator by Ashley Gardner

Loser of the Year by Carrie Byrd

Loser of the Year

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

Second Night Stand by Fay Stetz-Waters and Karelia Stetz-Waters

Second Night Stand

This is a hard book to review because there were a few elements that didn’t work for me, but I don’t think they’d stop other readers from loving Second Night Stand. But before I dig into everything I adored about this book, and how everything I didn’t like is my own fault, let’s describe the plot. Lillian is the aloof dance master of a Very Serious™ ballet company on the brink of disaster. Her backers … Continue reading Second Night Stand by Fay Stetz-Waters and Karelia Stetz-Waters