This Guest Review is from Jen Barr. Jen is an over-educated wonk who likes reading and writing both cool real-life stories and cool made-up stories. To her surprise, she currently lives in Denver, but will always be a Californian at heart. Ed. Note: this book is literally about historical murder, so please be careful with yourself and this review. Emma Southon’s book is a highly readable, incredibly smart, sometimes funny and sometimes heart-wrenching history of … Continue reading A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum: Murder in Ancient Rome→
I don’t recall exactly how this trilogy came to my attention. Strangely, it may have been their long titles, which may have signaled to me an Austen-esque voice, one that at the same time did not take itself too seriously. In any case, I was very happy I picked up the first novella, In Which Margo Halifax Earns Her Shocking Reputation, and from then on I waited impatiently for weeks and weeks before the second … Continue reading In Which Winnie Halifax is Utterly Ruined by Alexandra Vasti→
Within the first paragraph of reading this I knew I wanted to review it. When the writing itself is just so good, you have to share it. About a chapter in, I actually stopped and restarted the book because I was reading it too quickly and I wanted to savour it. The book didn’t quite live up to the promise of those first few pages, but I still devoured it in one sitting. The book … Continue reading The Shabti by Megaera C. Lorenz→
To Cage a God is a fantasy novel with romantic elements that I think will work well for a lot of readers. It’s got similar vibes to the Grisha/ Shadow and Bone Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo, has a sapphic romance, has a morality chain romance, and has disability rep. All of that is topped off by a unique magic system and some really fun world-building. The world in To Cage a God is reminiscent of … Continue reading To Cage a God by Elizabeth May→
I’m having a bit of a tryst with Katee Robert books lately and this one did not disappoint. After the events of Hunt on Dark Waters which I reviewed, I was desperate for what promised to be an epic sequel. In book one, we are introduced to Lizzie, a truly fearsome vampire. At the start of book one, Evelyn (the heroine of book one) steals Lizzie’s family jewels and disappears into Threshold, a fantastical place between … Continue reading Blood on the Tide by Katee Robert→
I am no stranger to m/m hockey romances and I’ve reviewed a few here. This one has been on my TBR for a while and my library hold finally came in yesterday. Yes, I read it that quickly, folks. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that I devoured it. Ezekiel Boehm, or Zeke as he is more commonly known, is a gym teacher at a relatively posh private school. (The school is a Quaker … Continue reading Lucky Bounce by Cait Nary→
NB: This is a review for both this book, and the entire trilogy. I adored Jodi McAlister’s Marry Me Juliet trilogy. This contemporary romance series lovingly satirizes the Australian version of The Bachelor while offering a lot of wish fulfillment for fans of reality dating shows. Each book includes at least one moment that I’ve always wanted to happen on The Bachelor—from two bisexuals who fall for each other instead of the lead, to having … Continue reading Not Here to Make Friends→
I’m in an unusual position here. Usually, Cat Sebastian novels are endlessly charming and they have caused many a Bad Decisions Book Club over the years. This one didn’t quite hit that same high for me, but I did still enjoy it. Let’s unpack this situation together. Eddie O’Leary found out on national television that he was being traded to the Robins in New York. His outburst in response to the news could not have … Continue reading You Should Be So Lucky by Cat Sebastian→
Gretchen Acorn is a fake spirit medium. Raised by a conman and from a long line of con artists, Gretchen is in the family business because conning people is the only way that she knows how to make a living. Something happened in her past, though (you find out towards the end of the book what it is) and her nascent conscience kicked into life. So acting as her own moral bulwark, she has The … Continue reading Happy Medium by Sarah Adler→
I am a sucker for an interesting premise and this book certainly has one. In this series, the female leads write for a newspaper for women, by women. Specifically, young women. In this book, it is the reviewer who takes centre stage. Julia Addison works as a companion to a sort-of related aunt-in-law. On the side, she secretly pens her reviews of plays put on in London under the nom de plume Miss On Scene. … Continue reading The Lady Plays with Fire by Susanna Craig→
I sit here stunned. Yes, I have written this review twice. The first version was too overwrought because I was entirely overcome by this book. This is such a bracing, visceral story of deep thoughts and even deeper emotions that it left me wrung out. Before I go any further, I need to beg you to absolutely delete this book’s cover from your mind. It is horribly misleading. Our hero is not a smug git. … Continue reading My Season for Scandal by Julie Anne Long→
