In this second chance romance, the food is more memorable than the love story. After reading First Love, Take Two, I was left feeling vaguely annoyed at the happy couple. But I also wanted to eat my way through Houston. Daniel and Preeti were each other’s first loves, until she let his wealthy Black parents, and her prejudiced Desi aunties, break them up. Preeti has weathered the ostracism and gossip in her close-knit Hindu community … Continue reading First Love, Take Two by Sajni Patel →
Miss Eliza’s Kitchen has a fascinating subject and lots of detail, but this historical novel (not a romance) skips over the most interesting parts of the story. I wanted to love this book, but in the end I was not filled up. The material is fascinating, and the use of language is lovely, but be prepared for some frustration if you expect answers to all the questions raised and an unambiguous ending. The book tells … Continue reading Miss Eliza’s English Kitchen by Annabel Abbs →
You Sexy Thing involves characters, settings, themes and tropes that are pure catnip for me. One of these themes is cooking. I have therefore translated the book into a recipe so as best to convey its nature. Before we begin the recipe, here’s a quick overview. You Sexy Thing is the space opera tale of a group of both military veterans and civilians who run a restaurant on a space station and who find themselves, … Continue reading You Sexy Thing by Cat Rambo →
This is a very odd book that I have read one or two chapters at a time, and then told people about, usually starting with, “Can I tell you about this weird-ass book I’m reading that I can’t stop thinking about?” The format follows a dialogue between a student and a philosopher, a follower of the Adlerian theory of psychology. While the subtitle reads, “The Japanese Phenomenon That Shows You How to Change Your Life and … Continue reading The Courage to Be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koga →
The Liar of Red Valley is kind of awesome, despite an abrupt ending and some world-building issues. This is a book of suburban/rural fantasy in which a young woman has to make some desperate choices to save her own life and the life of her small town. Here is the publisher’s description of what is, frankly, a fairly confusing plot: Don’t trust the Liar. Do not cross the King. Never, ever go in the River. … Continue reading The Liar of Red Valley by Walter Goodwater →
TW: Gore, gaslighting, controlling relationships, codependency and depression, vomiting. Also SO MANY SPIDERS. Cackle is a feminist and creepy yet cosy read that asks us to explore the boundaries between an empowering friendship and a toxic one. Annie (our protagonist) finds some of both in her relationship with Sophie, a glamorous, elegant, mysterious woman, who lives in the small town of Rowan. This book is narrated by Annie. She has lived in New York City … Continue reading Cackle by Rachel Harrison →
I’ve always loved The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, the 1947 film about a widow who falls in love with the ghost of a sea captain, but I greatly dislike a certain plot complication that occurs near the end of the movie. The Ghost and Mr. Moore is a gender-swapped version of the story that avoids the complication and is entirely optimistic, with love conquering all. It’s a warm, sweet, comforting story with solid storytelling and … Continue reading The Ghost and Mr. Moore by Wendy Dalrymple →
After I finished reading The Seat Filler I had two important questions: 1. WTF did I just read and 2. Is Adam Driver ok? The Seat Filler turned out to be a self-insert RPF (real people fiction) about actor Adam Driver and it had the most ridiculous conflict ever. It had moments where it was genuinely cute, but I couldn’t get over the squickiness of the RPF angle or the fact that the conflict could easily … Continue reading The Seat Filler by Sariah Wilson →
When I read A Spindle Splintered, I had completely forgotten what it was about. I tore through the whole novella in one night and was blown away. And while I know you’re here to hear all about it, this is one of those few times when I want you to trust me and read this book without knowing anything else because that was a big part of the magic for me. In case I’ve persuaded … Continue reading A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow →
Payback’s a Witch was a fun, spooky, sexy way to kick off my autumnal reading. With enjoyable characters with clear development, a sultry queer romance, a delightfully magical setting, and beautiful prose, there’s lots and lots to like here. At the outset of the story, Emmy Harlow is returning to her magical hometown of Thistle Grove after a whopping nine-year absence, during which time she has not seen any of her family or childhood friends … Continue reading Payback’s a Witch by Lana Harper →
Well, colour me pink and call me tickled. This was a read that was worth waiting for. I had squirreled it away in my TBR knowing that the publication date was only in September (HOW are we past September already?!) and past me did present me a real solid in that respect. This is a slightly creaky but charming romantic comedy that had me smiling at the pages. Olive is a graduate student in the … Continue reading The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood →
