TL;DR: this is one of the most hurtful and painfully cruel books I have ever attempted to read. I have serious concerns about readers’ potential experiences with this story, and the harm and hurt it may cause. My notes begin with the following sentence and I stand by it: THIS BOOK IS TOXIC. Please proceed with this review and with this book with extreme caution. TW/CW: fat shaming, disordered eating, and physical and emotional self-harm … Continue reading Good Luck With That by Kristan Higgins →
Lisa Kleypas was one of the first romance authors I read, way back when I was a little baby teenage Amanda. Her Wallflowers series will always hold a special place in my heart. But since then, I’ve become estranged from historical romances. Now, I’m dipping my toe back in thanks to this encouraging thread on Twitter. When several passionate romance readers start espousing the swooniness of a romance hero, I take notice. Dreaming of You … Continue reading Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas →
I picked up this title because it was recommended to me as a historical with a mystery and a slow-burn romance. I like all those words. I like them quite a bit. What I ended up with was a narrative that, the more I thought about it, didn’t make sense because the first half of the story didn’t match the second. Former soldier Adam Drummond is working for the British government undercover as a majordomo … Continue reading To Love a Duchess by Karen Ranney →
The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs was getting a lot of love on Twitter and Instagram, and I can understand why. This paleontological history is told with warmth and humor; it’s eminently readable, never dry, and full of fascinating information. Brusatte, a paleontologist, answers questions like: how did sauropods get so big?; what kind of parents were dinosaurs?; and how smart was a T Rex? This is the type of book that works well … Continue reading The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World by Stephen Brusatte →
Siren’s Tide is the first book in the Sea King’s Daughter novella series that follows six mermaid sisters. I thought the novella was a little rushed and uneven, and while it sets up the world for the remaining five books, it didn’t do a great job of capturing my imagination. Ianthe Liakos is a mermaid and paranormal investigator (she looks human when she’s not in the water). She’s working in DC with her assistant/friend the … Continue reading Siren’s Tide by Philippa Ballantine →
I tend to have very girdy loins when it comes to dark and twisted fiction, so imagine my surprise when I discovered that The Forgotten Girls was a little too disturbing for me.TW/CW: discussions of sexual abuse and rape. The seventh book in the Louise Rick series can be read as a stand alone and centers around a Danish investigator (Louise Rick) who heads up a Missing Persons Deptartment. When the body of a woman is … Continue reading The Forgotten Girls by Sara Blaedel →
After putting down several books out of disinterest, I can proudly say that Mister Hockey was the one to break that pattern. It was funny and sexy and I really enjoyed both main characters. However, what kept the book from really knocking it out of the park was the narrative’s aversion to really getting down and dirty with the serious issues the hero and heroine were facing. Briana “Breezy” Angel is a children’s librarian and … Continue reading Mister Hockey by Lia Riley →
TW/CW for this book: sexual manipulation, emotional and physical abuse, and allusions to and discussion of child physical and sexual abuse. Summary: Jane Doe is a first-person POV thriller – author Victoria Helen Stone calls it “emotional suspense” in our podcast interview, and I think it’s an ideal term for this book. Jane is a sociopath. She knows it, and she’s done considerable research to figure out why and how she was different from other … Continue reading Jane Doe by Victoria Helen Stone →
Bed of Flowers is a historical that has a lot of things going for it: it’s got a loveably grumpy hero, it depicts female friendships, and it features secondary characters of color. I appreciated all of those elements, and I liked the vaguely gothic feel it had. I really, really enjoyed this book, but I have to admit the ending was a little weak. That said, I was willing to overlook it because my experience … Continue reading Bed of Flowers by Erin Satie →
The Enchantress of Numbers is a fictional retelling of Ada Lovelace’s life, narrated by a fictional version of herself. As far as I can tell, it’s quite faithful to the events of Ada’s life and the relationship between her and her mother. However, as the book progresses, it starts to skim over her vices and dwell on Ada as a good wife and mother who wants to do math but also do her motherly duties. … Continue reading The Enchantress of Numbers by Jennifer Chiaverini →
By Fire Above is the sequel to The Guns Above, a novel that rekindled my romance with steampunk. The steampunk element is mostly limited to the existence of airships. Josette is the first female airship captain in the war between Garnia and Vinzhalia. The aristocratic Lord Bernat was assigned to her ship as a spy, and is now Josette’s staunchest and crankiest supporter. I recommend reading The Guns Above prior to By Fire Above. In … Continue reading By Fire Above by Robyn Bennis →
