Hard as Ice is a romantic suspense that might be a good fit for readers who don’t like a lot of violence in their books. Trigger warning: there is a brief discussion of sexual assault in the book. Most of the suspense revolves around a jewelry heist: an extremely expensive red diamond known as the Crimson Amazon was stolen from an auction house in a manner that suggests an inside job. Sales manager Nia James … Continue reading Hard as Ice by Raven Scott →
I so very much wanted to like this book, and am so very disappointed that I did not. The setting – very rural Victoria, Australia, in the 1890s – was fascinating, and I think the initial chapters do a marvelous job of not only introducing the characters but also the place. The descriptions of the trees, the birds, the desolation and the beauty of the landscape surrounding the main characters were absorbing in a way … Continue reading By the Currawong’s Call by Welton B. Marsland →
I follow Caitlin Doughty on Twitter (@TheGoodDeath) and when I saw my library had her new book, I hopped on that hold list. This is a world tour of death rituals, led by Doughty in a conversational, empathetic, and at times deeply funny style. Each chapter examines how different cultures and groups, including some that are quite remote and hard to get to, care for their dead, and the rituals that are part of their … Continue reading From Here to Eternity: Traveling the World to Find the Good Death by Caitlin Doughty →
In light of the happy news this week of one Meghan Markle and one Prince Henry of Wales announcing their engagement (I’m so happy for those two!) we thought we’d bring you one or two thoughts on the Netflix original movie, A Christmas Prince. After all, tis the season and also the royal engagement makes this so very timely. And we’re not the only ones who have noted the arrival of this direct-to-Netflix original. Bea … Continue reading Movie Review: A Christmas Prince →
YOU GUYYYYYYYYS. Okay, so you know how sometimes the second book in series, especially when the first book was like AMAZEBALLS, can be a disappointment? THIS ISN’T ONE OF THOSE. This is one of those times where the second book is better than the first one. Our heroine is Marlie, a biracial woman with a complex background. Marlie’s mother is the local root woman, and Marlie has been learning at her knee. As explained by … Continue reading A Hope Divided by Alyssa Cole →
Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe is a modern day, gender-flipped tribute to Pride and Prejudice. In this version, Darcy is a woman who has made it big in hedge funds and lives in New York. When her mom has a (non-fatal) heart attack, Darcy returns to her hometown of Pemberley, Ohio, for the first time in eight years, where she reconnects with her adoring mom, judgmental dad, gay best friend Bingley, and childhood crush Luke, … Continue reading Pride and Prejudice and Mistletoe by Melissa de la Cruz →
I should have been able to read A Duke in Shining Armor in a day. Instead, it took me a week. And do you know why? Because I purposely kept putting it down once I realized that eventually I would RUN OUT OF BOOK. How DARE this book be over? How DARE it be so incredibly perfect and constructed almost completely of Carrie Bait? It has a book collector. It has a heroine with glasses. … Continue reading A Duke in Shining Armor by Loretta Chase →
Carrie: This came just in time as I have a cold and am supposed to sit on the couch. Now can I sit on the couch and growl “I’m WORKING” at passers by. But I’m also super cranky so I should feel more sympathy for poor Iris and Amanda instead of wanting to throw kleenex at them. Elyse: I’m probably viewing this through my own professional lens, but I have a hard time believing that … Continue reading Smart Bitches Movie Matinee: The Holiday →
Back in July, I reviewed the insanely fun but also somewhat problematic book Max Seventeen . I have now read the sequel, Max Seventeen: Firebrand and I loved it, despite some problematic elements (so many rape threats, sigh) that lowered the grade. It has all the elements that made the first book fun, including a fantastic romance, but it has less of the problematic stuff from the first book – there’s still some, but much less. … Continue reading Max Seventeen: Firebrand by Kate Johnson →
Around here, we adore Jane the Virgin, and I’ve been loving the storyline of Jane becoming a romance author. Some of those trials and tribulations are just too real. This is supposed to be Jane’s first novel, which is about to be published in the timeline of the show. It’s broken the fourth wall and appeared in our hands. And… guys, I tried. I really really did. But there’s a fundamental truth that what works … Continue reading Snow Falling by Jane Gloriana Villanueva →
Squee from the Keeper Shelf is a feature wherein we share why we love the books we love, specifically the stories which are permanent residents of our Keeper shelves. Despite flaws, despite changes in age and perspective, despite the passage of time, we love particular books beyond reason, and the only thing better than re-reading them is telling other people about them. At length. If you’d like to submit your reasons for loving and keeping … Continue reading Keeper Shelf: Inda by Sherwood Smith →
