I so very much enjoyed The Astronaut and the Star, a romance novel with ADHD representation, bisexual representation, and a lot of happy nerd things. It wasn’t a perfect book, but it was a fun romance with great characters. The problems with the book are easier to describe than the charm of the character interactions. Suffice to say that watching these people talk to each other and navigate various interactions was a treat. Reggie is … Continue reading The Astronaut and the Star by Jen Comfort →
Mary Bennet is my favorite of the sisters in Pride and Prejudice. Her great sin is that she has no sense of humility and no sense of humor, but I’ve always believed that over time she might develop those qualities and just be an awesome nerd who likes reading in the corner. Being Mary Bennet is a modern-day story in which a high school senior at a San Francisco boarding school comes to accept the … Continue reading Being Mary Bennet by J.C. Peterson →
Based on the amount of Carrie’s Personal Catnip content alone, One for All should have been a SQUEE grade book. Set during the reign of Louis XIV, it features found family, multiple kickass women, and a heroine whose chronic illness doesn’t prevent her from being an accomplished fencer. And yet, Dear Bitches, it pains me so much to say that I found the book to be, for the most part, deeply boring. Our heroine, Tania, … Continue reading One for All by Lillie Lainoff →
TW: violence, death from burning, both explicit and implicit threats of sexual assault, ego and stupidity Where has this book been all my life? Burning Bright takes place in a slightly alternate Regency England in which some people are born with special abilities, called talents. If you ever wanted to read a feminist story about superheroes on Royal Navy ships fighting pirates then rejoice, for this is your lucky day. When Elinor discovers that she … Continue reading Burning Bright by Melissa McShane →
Redwood and Wildfire is a slow book, and one steeped in trauma. The book depicts a lot of violence, including abuse of animals, a lynching, and a graphic rape scene, and although there is a love story in it, this is historical fiction/historical fantasy. If the reader approaches the book knowing what to expect, they will be rewarded by lush prose and a detailed view of America during the Great Migration in both the rural … Continue reading Redwood and Wildfire by Andrea Hairston →
a.k.a. Pandagate: A Drama In Three Acts Act One: That Bear Has Seen Some Shit Interior, day. Smart Bitches HQ. It’s a large room filled floor to ceiling with books, like the library in Beauty and the Beast. Many of them are pink. Between shelves, there is an occasional tasteful painting of nipples shaped like fruit. The Bitchery are draped across various large fluffy chairs, reading or napping. Elyse is curled up on a sofa … Continue reading The Writer’s Baby Bear by Sophie Stern →
Someone Perfect is a slow burn, slowly paced romance that offers a highly emotional secondary conflict. Aside from the plethora of secondary characters who I couldn’t always keep track of, I really enjoyed this book, but you definitely need to be in the mood for a romance that takes time to build. Justin Wiley assumed the role of Earl of Brandon six years ago. In that time his stepsister, Maria, has been living at one … Continue reading Someone Perfect by Mary Balogh →
Editor’s note: Catherine passed away suddenly last week, and we will miss her very, very much. This is her last review for us. May her memory be a blessing. … Meet Me In the Margins is a sweet, funny, epistolary novel about writing and publishing and getting out of your own head. Savannah is an editor at a very highbrow literary publishing house, and she is also secretly working on the manuscript of her romance … Continue reading Meet Me in the Margins by Melissa Ferguson →
Ramón and Julieta is a romance novel about Ramón, a billionaire, and Julieta, a chef. It’s also a novel about identity, culture, ethics, gentrification, music, family (toxic and healthy), and food. I wasn’t sure how this couple could possibly find a happy ending, but I sure wanted them to. However, given the weight and nuance of the topics addressed, especially gentrification, I wasn’t completely satisfied with how the story resolved. Ramón is the son of … Continue reading Ramón and Julieta by Alana Quintana Albertson →
Content warnings: Loss of a parent, post-partum depression Donut Fall in Love is a funny, flirty, foodie romance which deals with themes of grief and family in a very honest and thoughtful way. I liked the way that it explored serious themes and messy family dynamics while still being a fun, sweet, and often light-hearted read. Ryan Kwok is an actor whose abs regularly trend on Twitter. His most recent film was a flop, and … Continue reading Donut Fall In Love by Jackie Lau →
Nnedi Okorafor is here and she is not here to play. Remote Control is the African futurist story of Sankofa, a young girl in Ghana in the near future who wanders from town to town in search of a lost treasure from the skies, accompanied by a fox and a cat. People call her the Adopted Daughter of Death for her ability to cause the death of anyone in her vicinity through seemingly supernatural powers. … Continue reading Remote Control by Nnedi Okorafor →
