This book is a magical heist set in DC in the 20s. For those folks who just headed over to find a copy, I hope you like it! For those who need a bit more detail: I started this book on a chaotic morning when there was a lot of noise in my house and a lot of barking because of the noise, and despite all that, I could not put it down. Each chapter … Continue reading The Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope
Some books are just fun, and I had a smile on my face all throughout Nobody’s Princess. Graham is the de-facto head of the sprawling Wynchester clan, a family of good-doers who are following in the footsteps of their recently deceased adoptive father, Baron Vanderbean. Graham’s siblings love to tease him for his obsession with royalty, so no one is surprised when he uses his network of London informants to figure out that an escaped … Continue reading Nobody’s Princess by Erica Ridley
When I saw the half-naked men in promos for gay rom-com Fire Island, I erroneously assumed it was a reality dating show. That placed Fire Island in my mental queue just after finishing Love is Blind Brazil. Meaning moderately high, but not at the top of my To Watch list. But then Sarah told me it was actually a reinterpretation of Pride and Prejudice about a group of friends who vacation stay with their lesbian … Continue reading Movie Review: Fire Island
Amy owns a restaurant on the brink of failure. She’s done everything she can think of to save her dream, but even hiring a reality-show runner-up as her chef isn’t enough to save it. Sure, Sophie’s even hotter in person than she was on TV (and she was plenty hot there), but she’s turned out to be quiet and uninspiring in the kitchen. If Sophie’s learned one thing from the spotlight, it’s that she just … Continue reading The Romance Recipe by Ruby Barrett
Oh my gosh, this was such a tender m/m fantasy romance, steeped in narratives about healing, acceptance, and love. It’s also a mystery about a series of bloody, brutal killings (including, I regret to inform you, the death of a horse). And it’s a political thriller. There’s a lot happening here and fortunately the novel takes its time with all the pieces although it doesn’t quite stick the landing. While the book involves a lot … Continue reading A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows
TW: Sexual Harassment The Stand-In is a celebrity romance that also celebrates female friendships, openly discusses the stigma against mental illness, and allows the main character the space to explore the complexities of being bi-racial. It does all of that without feeling unbalanced or taking away from the romance that’s the center of the plot. I listened to this on Audible and the narrator, Philippa Soo, does a wonderful job of delivering the story. Gracie Reed … Continue reading The Stand-In by Lily Chu
I’m So Not Over You is a m/m contemporary romance about two men living in Boston who rekindle a relationship during a “fake dating’ weekend. I had a hard time connecting with the story, but Shana liked it a little bit better. Tropes include second chance romance, a wedding, fake dating, and ‘there’s only one bed’, and we know those are gold for a lot of readers! Unfortunately, it also has problems with the structure … Continue reading I’m So (Not) Over You by Kosoko Jackson
It’s come to this, my friends. During a panel at Baycon, a panelist mentioned having read a book about donut shifters. I could not let this rest. This is a poly fated mate shifter erotica with what I can only assume is a UTI waiting to happen. I had so many questions! Questions like: How? And Why? I read the book. Dear Bitches, I give you Her Donut Shifters by Mia Harlan, with spoilers. This … Continue reading Her Donut Shifters by Mia Harlan
TW: OMG you guys, SO MANY. That Time I Got Drunk And Saved a Demon is a mood, people. This book is impossible for me to grade – either you are down for it or you aren’t. But personally, I rather enjoyed this bonkers story about a woman whose family owns and operates a cinnamon farm, the demon she rescues, and the false goddess they team up to take down. You should be able to … Continue reading That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming
I really enjoyed Laziness Does Not Exist as a “grind/productivity culture is a big pile of garbage” manifesto, and I also really like Dr. Price’s writing. I didn’t think I was the audience for this book, which is about the masking Autistic people do to conform with neurotypical expectations, and is written by an Autistic person for fellow Autistic people. Whoodamn, I was wrong about that. This is a thoughtful, compelling, and detailed look at … Continue reading Unmasking Autism: The Power of Embracing Our Hidden Neurodiversity by Devon Price
This review is from Marion, who is a college student, a very amateur short story writer, and a proud nerd, who got into romances and found SBTB over COVID. … I’m a bit of a map geek, and picked up The Cartographers expecting a decent thriller plot with a little information about old maps woven in. It turned out rather differently than I’d expected, but I was happy about that. The plot setup: Nell Young … Continue reading The Cartographers by Peng Shepherd
I have a confession to make: the actual mystery in mystery novels is usually not very interesting to me. I don’t care who died, or how, or who dun it. Yet I eat up historical mystery novels like M&Ms, because in a mystery novel we often have a detective (official or unofficial) who, in the course of their investigation, gets to talk to people from a variety of classes and backgrounds, which I find fascinating. … Continue reading Miss Aldridge Regrets by Louise Hare
