Opium and Absinthe is a mystery with a romance thrown in. In this book, a Gilded Age heroine tries to solve the mystery of how her sister died, and who killed her. The book is lush with vampire lore, grounded in social issues, and bathed in the nightmare atmosphere of addiction. While I thought this book could have gone deeper into issues and characters, I adored it overall because of the protagonist’s character growth and … Continue reading Opium and Absinthe by Lydia Kang →
When I saw that one of my favourite comfort-read authors was writing a story that featured rival pastry chefs baking a royal wedding cake while also being judges on a show that is essentially the Great British Bake Off… well, you guys know me by now. Suffice it to say, Lucy Parker could probably hear my squeeing from across the Tasman Sea (look, it’s not that far from Melbourne to New Zealand, and I am … Continue reading Battle Royal by Lucy Parker →
Shana and I both read While We Were Dating by Jasmine Guillory and we had thoughts! Anna Gardiner is an actress who is going to appear in an advertisement campaign for a new mobile phone. Ben Stephens designed the campaign and will be working closely with Anna during filming. Ben is a self-admitted playboy who is open that he’s only looking for fun, nothing serious. Anna is focused intensely on the next phase of her … Continue reading While We Were Dating by Jasmine Guillory →
Any Way the Wind Blows is the conclusion of Rainbow Rowell’s amazing Simon Snow Trilogy. The story began as part of another book, Fangirl. Fangirl was a contemporary novel in which the main character wrote fan fiction about a franchise similar to the Harry Potter franchise, with courageous students at a magical school. Carry On gave us a different version of this same fanfic that stood on its own as a lovely and moving deconstruction … Continue reading Any Way the Wind Blows by Rainbow Rowell →
CW/TW: reference to a historical hate crime against LGBTQ people One Last Stop is the tale of August, a young woman who has recently moved to New York City, and Jane, the mysterious woman that August meets on the subway. When August moves to New York, she intends to do what she’s done her whole life, namely, keep to herself. However, her apartment roommates and neighbors are clearly not going to stand for that. Meanwhile, … Continue reading One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston →
This guest review is from Morgan Grantwood. Morgan is an aspiring novelist with a Regency series about bluestockings in the works and degrees in English and History. But her day job, where she writes millions of words per year, sometimes gets in her way. So she reads and reviews other people’s books instead. … Do you ever read one of those books where you admire and respect the narrative choices, but those same choices leave … Continue reading A Scot to the Heart by Caroline Linden →
TL;DR: if you like science fiction, comforting tales about comfort and care, and stories that are the literary version of warm late afternoon sunshine slanted through leafy branches on a day with perfect temperatures when all the biting insects are on vacation, you’ll like this. Sibling Dex has chosen a new path in life, and with the support of their community (literal support – the community builds Dex build a trailer and provides everything needed) … Continue reading A Psalm for the Wild Built by Becky Chambers →
Summer in the City of Roses by Michelle Ruiz Keil is an engaging YA fantasy romance that, while it lovingly flirts with fairy tales and myths, unfortunately gets bogged down in an uneven engagement with magical realism. That situation isn’t helped by the inclusion of a parental figure whose selfish decision making supersedes just about any wicked stepmother out there, and an unfortunate ending that manages to perpetuate harmful tropes that are the opposite of … Continue reading Summer in the City of Roses by Michelle Ruiz Keil →
Devil in Disguise is a fun, hot romance that tells the story of Lady Merritt Sterling, the widowed daughter of the Earl of Westcliff, and Keir MacRae, a whisky distiller from Scotland. It’s very much fanservice for readers who enjoyed the Wallflower series, with Lillian, Westcliff and Evie all appearing in the story, and Sebastian, who is now the Duke of Kingston, playing a particularly prominent role. I am honestly not quite sure how well … Continue reading Devil in Disguise by Lisa Kleypas →
The Devil and the Heiress by Harper St. George is a tropey historical romance with light conflict. Readers looking for a lot of angst probably won’t enjoy this one, while readers looking for a romance with a lot of action and minimal conflict will be fine. It worked totally for me, but lately I’ve needed less darkness and fewer obstacles for the main characters to overcome in my reading. American heiress Violet Crenshaw is in … Continue reading The Devil and the Heiress by Harper St. George →
I love the Kat Holloway series to the point that I’ve recommended and purchased copies for people all around me. I knew I’d like this one, and I did, indeed. The challenge here is that this is the fifth book in the series, so identifying the audience for a review is tricky and tends to slow down my ability to write said review. Meta aside, a brief summary: Kat Holloway is still balancing her life … Continue reading Death at the Crystal Palace by Jennifer Ashley →
