This guest review is from Danielle Fritz. Danielle is a former librarian who has a special affection for children’s lit and books about the funeral industry. She first cut her criticism teeth as a fanfic writer. A resident of the upper midwest, she’s learned to love beer and tater tot casserole and tolerate long winters. Most nights will find her cuddled up with her pups and wearing out her wrists with yet another crochet project. … Continue reading Haunted Ever After by Jen DeLuca →
This book is charming in every possible way. Maggie Chase is a cosy mystery writer. Her parents died when she was 18 and she’s in the process of recovering from finding out her best friend and her husband have been having an affair. Maggie’s pain and lack of confidence are visceral to read. My heart just ached for her. Ethan Wyatt is a Leather Jacket Guy, in Maggie’s eyes: all easy charm and women throwing … Continue reading The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter →
This guest review is from Crystal Anne! Crystal Anne with An E comes to us from a sunny clime, but prefers to remain a pale indoor cat. She enjoys reading, cross-stitching something nerdy, going to see live music, and playing video games. She works as an autism consultant by day, got a degree in information science for fun, and currently serves on her local library advisory board. … Okay, now that I have made sure … Continue reading The X-Files: Perihelion →
Joan Matthews is headed to her hometown because her father Trevon died. Like him, she is a witch. However, their relationship broke many years ago when she chose to become a war witch and kick ass wherever she’s needed, rather than take up their family’s traditional role as a binder witch who casts protection spells on their town. Joan plans to stay just long enough for the ceremony that will lay him to rest, but … Continue reading Consecrated Ground by Virginia Black →
It Had to be You is a Mr. and Mrs. Smith style romance novel about two assassins who fall in love while also trying to kill each other. It’s a book that I loved, but will either work really, really well for someone or not at all. Neither of the main characters, Jonathan or Eva, are good people—they are both contract killers so that shouldn’t be a surprise—and I think some readers will struggle with … Continue reading It Had to Be You by Eliza Jane Brazier →
After I finished Just Playing House, I immediately ran around telling everyone I knew to read it. I’m totally obsessed with this second chance + celebrity romance. It was cozy but with enough emotional twists and turns to keep me interested. Marley is a personal stylist with two goals. She wants to convince the department store where she works to promote her to a personal shopper for the rich and famous. And she wants to … Continue reading Just Playing House by Farah Heron →
I mentioned in the recent Whatcha Reading post that I think it was flchen1 (Hi! Thank you!!) who posted about Blood of a Gladiator in the comments a week or so ago, but I inhaled this book. I wrote in the post: “Ashley Gardner aka Jennifer Ashley writes great mysteries with very slow connections and growing emotional depth between the characters, and this book was excellent. It got me through some insomnia (perimenopause can fuck … Continue reading Blood of a Gladiator by Ashley Gardner →
CW: I’m going to include the entire note from the start of the book: “Dark Restraint is an occasionally dark and very spicy book that contains abortion (off-page, historical), elements of dubious consent, non-consenual drugging, biting without prior negotiation/conversation, guns, violence, blood, child abuse and assault (historical, off-page, referenced briefly).” Gentle reader, this is a dark romance; the darkest of the series. I am, in fact, a very gentle reader and so for me this … Continue reading Dark Restraint by Katee Robert →
CW: homophobia After a failed acting career in LA and a recent divorce, Mattie Belman has returned to her tiny hometown in Pennsylvania to teach theatre at the local all-girls Catholic high school. It’s weird enough that she’s thrown into the deep end of Catholicism as a Jewish lesbian, but her life gets way more complicated when the school’s arrogant soccer coach decides Mattie is her new enemy. Jillian Reed is the local hero who’s … Continue reading Loser of the Year by Carrie Byrd →
This is a hard book to review because there were a few elements that didn’t work for me, but I don’t think they’d stop other readers from loving Second Night Stand. But before I dig into everything I adored about this book, and how everything I didn’t like is my own fault, let’s describe the plot. Lillian is the aloof dance master of a Very Serious™ ballet company on the brink of disaster. Her backers … Continue reading Second Night Stand by Fay Stetz-Waters and Karelia Stetz-Waters →
This guest review is from Jeevani Charika! Jeevani (also known as Rhoda Baxter) writes award nominated romantic women’s fiction and romcoms. She has a YouTube channel teaching authors how to use Canva to make fun graphics. She is a ‘resting’ microbiologist. She lives in Yorkshire in the UK, where she enjoys eating cake, playing with Lego and, when she’s run out of excuses, writing. You can find out more about her (and get a free book) … Continue reading Queen of Tears (Netflix) →
