Unsuccessful English writer Henry’s novel sells to no one. But when his book is suddenly a surprise hit in Mexico, his publicist insists he travel there on a promotional tour. Upon arrival, a confused Henry discovers the reason behind his novel’s popularity – Mexican translator Maria has rewritten his dull book into a steamy erotic novel. As tempers flare between them, the sparks begin to fly. … I have a teensy crush on Sam Claflin … Continue reading Movie Review: Book of Love →
Someone Perfect is a slow burn, slowly paced romance that offers a highly emotional secondary conflict. Aside from the plethora of secondary characters who I couldn’t always keep track of, I really enjoyed this book, but you definitely need to be in the mood for a romance that takes time to build. Justin Wiley assumed the role of Earl of Brandon six years ago. In that time his stepsister, Maria, has been living at one … Continue reading Someone Perfect by Mary Balogh →
Editor’s note: Catherine passed away suddenly last week, and we will miss her very, very much. This is her last review for us. May her memory be a blessing. … Meet Me In the Margins is a sweet, funny, epistolary novel about writing and publishing and getting out of your own head. Savannah is an editor at a very highbrow literary publishing house, and she is also secretly working on the manuscript of her romance … Continue reading Meet Me in the Margins by Melissa Ferguson →
Ramón and Julieta is a romance novel about Ramón, a billionaire, and Julieta, a chef. It’s also a novel about identity, culture, ethics, gentrification, music, family (toxic and healthy), and food. I wasn’t sure how this couple could possibly find a happy ending, but I sure wanted them to. However, given the weight and nuance of the topics addressed, especially gentrification, I wasn’t completely satisfied with how the story resolved. Ramón is the son of … Continue reading Ramón and Julieta by Alana Quintana Albertson →
Content warnings: Loss of a parent, post-partum depression Donut Fall in Love is a funny, flirty, foodie romance which deals with themes of grief and family in a very honest and thoughtful way. I liked the way that it explored serious themes and messy family dynamics while still being a fun, sweet, and often light-hearted read. Ryan Kwok is an actor whose abs regularly trend on Twitter. His most recent film was a flop, and … Continue reading Donut Fall In Love by Jackie Lau →
Nnedi Okorafor is here and she is not here to play. Remote Control is the African futurist story of Sankofa, a young girl in Ghana in the near future who wanders from town to town in search of a lost treasure from the skies, accompanied by a fox and a cat. People call her the Adopted Daughter of Death for her ability to cause the death of anyone in her vicinity through seemingly supernatural powers. … Continue reading Remote Control by Nnedi Okorafor →
Grace Carter is a magic “source.” Maggie Mulvaney is her “catalyst,” helping Grace harness the magic so that, together, they can take out demons. Maggie is also the love of Grace’s life and Grace has been searching for her for nine months after a forced separation. When Grace finds Maggie, Maggie doesn’t remember her or their life together in the demon-hunting Order of Saint Teresa, where they were the strongest duo the Order had seen … Continue reading The Demon Equilibrium by Cathy Pegau →
TW: discussion of rape, alcoholism, torture, suicidal ideation, violence, foot binding, emotional abuse, needles (mostly for acupuncture, but there are enough of them that if you are phobic you’ll want to read with care). Iron Widow has had a ton of buzz since it came out in October of 2021. My library hold finally came through and I was just gobsmacked by this book and could not believe I hadn’t read it sooner! This Own … Continue reading Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao →
I have been talking about wanting to read D’Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding for ages! Tara has been very patient with my desperation to read this book. A lesbian rom com about a wedding reality show? Girl, sign me up! Anticipating a book for years usually leads to crushing disappointment, but this book lived up to the hype for me. It’s so good, y’all! Tara, what did you think? Tara: Patient, *snort*. Shana, you … Continue reading D’Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding by Chencia C. Higgins →
The Donut Trap is a New Adult romance with strong coming of age themes. Jasmine’s parents sacrificed and suffered so that their children would have better lives, but at times, Jasmine feels like she and her brother are the sacrifices. They feel bowed down under a weight of expectation and obligation, and the result is that they both resort to hiding important parts of their lives from their parents. A year or so after finishing … Continue reading The Donut Trap by Julie Tieu →
Weather Girl is a rom-com that manages to stay sweet and funny despite tackling some serious subject matter. I found this book to be charming and relatable, and I especially enjoyed the mature communication between the two leads. Ari Abrams loves being a meteorologist, but hates the constant conflict between her boss (the weather reporter, Torrance Hale), and Torrance’s ex (Seth, the station director). After a particularly awful and grossly unprofessional fight between Torrance and … Continue reading Weather Girl by Rachel Lynn Solomon →
