When I first read the description of The City of Stardust, it seemed like a tempting amalgamation of things I love in a quasi-dark academia package. Things I heard and read alluded to a magical mystery, vengeful gods, and a forbidden romance. Yes, I can confirm the book had all of those things, but wow, did it take a lot of time to get things done. Violet Everly knows her family is cursed. Once in … Continue reading The City of Stardust by Georgia Summers →
CW: Graphic violence, blackmail, sexual harassment, and mind control If I had to pick one word to describe Throne of the Fallen, it would be ✨ decadent ✨. A second choice would be indulgent. It has the seven deadly sins in corporeal form, a journey through a seductive fantasy world, and it’s incredibly horny. It also reminded me delightfully of early 2000s paranormal romances, with its borderline corny details and powerful supernatural hero and plenty … Continue reading Throne of the Fallen by Kerri Maniscalco →
Escaping Mr. Rochester is not the book I hoped for but it’s OK. This is a YA retelling of Jane Eyre. If you’ve been reading SBTB for awhile, you know that Jane Eyre is one of my favorite books. I read it annually, and each year it gives me a new experience, ranging from comforting and empowering to deeply challenging. I liked the basic content of Escaping Mr. Rochester, but wished it delved more deeply … Continue reading Escaping Mr. Rochester by L.L. McKinney →
I read about book 3 in this series, Death Comes to Kurland Hall, in the December 2015 issue of Romantic Times, which we’re recapping on the podcast. As I mentioned in Whatcha Reading, like a completely strange human being, I didn’t start with book three. I started with book one, Death Comes to the Village. This review will be mostly about that book, with some warnings about book two, Death Comes to London. A Very Important … Continue reading Death Comes to the Village by Catherine Lloyd →
CW: I’m going to quote the content note verbatim here: “Midnight Ruin is an occasionally dark and very spicy book that contains violence, murder, blood, guns, pregnancy (not the heroine) and abortion (off-page, not the heroine).” I can’t be trusted to be objective and balanced when the book in question made me gasp repeatedly and then exclaim at my partner that the book was SO GOOD. This book gave me so much Good Book Noise! … Continue reading Midnight Ruin by Katee Robert →
A Fragile Enchantment is a gentle, cozy fantasy romance (I refuse to use the word romantasy–you can’t make me), and it’s perfect for anyone looking for a romance that’s got a solid conflict, but isn’t angsty. I loved this book. This book is like being wrapped up in a blanket that just came out of the dryer. This book is like drinking the perfect cup of tea while watching it snow outside, knowing you don’t … Continue reading A Fragile Enchantment by Alison Saft →
This book is CHARMING. C.H.A.R.M.I.N.G. I devoured it in just over a day and what a beautiful day it was. Emily Wilde is a scholar of the fae, or ‘Folk’ as they’re called in the book. She’s serious, a bit curmudgeonly, dedicated to her studies, and utterly genius when it comes to studying and interacting with the Folk. The Folk are tricky and cunning, with some of them being outright gruesome and vicious. In book … Continue reading Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett →
The Ladies Rewrite the Rules is a “proper,” traditional Regency novel that reminds me of something I might have read years ago from a category line. The heat level stops at smooching and we don’t get a ton of angst or conflict. If you’re looking for a more modern voice (like Sarah MacLean vs Georgette Heyer) this isn’t the book for you. Maxwell Dean is a second son who publishes a booklet identifying wealthy widows … Continue reading The Ladies Rewrite the Rules by Suzanne Allain →
Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend is a funny, sweet variation on The Parent Trap. The plot is simple but the characters and their activities are uniformly delightful. This was a fun historical f/f romance with serious stakes that kept me wildly entertained until the last page. It’s the first in the Mischief and Matchmaking series. The plot, as I said, is super simple: Beth, who doesn’t want to get married, has one season … Continue reading Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend by Emma Alban →
Carrie: Ana María and the Fox came out back in April but it has taken lo these many months for Shana and I to manage a review. I’m glad this book made it to the top of my TBR, because I found it to be romantic, educational, and entertaining. But I had problems with some plot stuff. The plot: Ana María and her two sisters, who are the subjects of two upcoming books, are sent … Continue reading Ana María and the Fox by Liana De la Rosa →
I had a crappy, stressful week and I was tired and I don’t care about soccer AND YET I found Cleat Cute to be delightful. Honestly if this book worked for me on this particular week it ought to work for anybody. This Grumpy/Sunshine f/f romance has clear traces to Ted Lasso but not so many as to feel derivative. It’s just a really nice story about two decent human beings falling in love. Grace … Continue reading Cleat Cute by Meryl Wilsner →
