Shadow Garden is a book that is difficult to classify, but after a lot of pondering I think it’s best described as a thriller with some Gothic elements. The plotting is so excellent that I read it in one sitting, but I struggled to find a character to root for. Former socialite Donna Pryor has moved to a beautiful assisted living community called Shadow Garden while she recovers from a broken hip. Donna’s memory is … Continue reading Shadow Garden by Alexandra Burt →
If you’re anything like me, you need some comfort in your life and quite urgently. If you do, consider The Baby-Sitters’ Club, the new series on Netflix, a prescription-strength balm for the soul. It will ease your tired mind and your sore heart and make you feel hopeful for what is to come. First a little background. Books were my first real friends. Hell, they still are my friends. And it started with Sweet Valley … Continue reading The Baby-Sitters Club (Netflix 2020) →
Bookish and The Beast isn’t a WOW book, but it’s a comforting, often funny YA read for romance fans who are either geeks or geek-sympathetic and who enjoy beauty and the beast variations. This is the third book in the “Once Upon a Con” series and while it works as a stand-alone, characters from the rest of the series make appearances. While the plot is nonsensical and the main characters are bland, the supporting characters … Continue reading Bookish and the Beast by Ashley Poston →
Content warning: A secondary character is a survivor of domestic violence. Also, the hero makes a living downsizing companies and firing people, which Catherine thinks ought to count as a trigger in this day and age, and makes Sneezy consider the merits of expressing herself with a flamethrower. The Marriage Game is a romantic comedy set in the Indian-American community in San Francisco, and it has an amazing sense of atmosphere and family. It’s also … Continue reading The Marriage Game by Sara Desai →
I try not to be overly hyperbolic in reviews and recommendations; after all, “this is the best book I have ever read!!!!” loses its impact if it’s my go-to phrase for any enjoyable read. So when I say that Milla Vane’s A Touch of Stone and Snow is the best fantasy romance I have ever read, I’m not exaggerating. It is perfect from chapter one and — defying all known logic — continuously surpasses itself … Continue reading A Touch of Stone and Snow by Milla Vane →
As a Canadian, my little ears perk up whenever I hear about an f/f romance that has anything to do with Canada. So, when I saw that Hairpin Curves is a road trip romance that takes the characters from Florida to Quebec, I said “Oh yes, please and thank you!” Although we see very little of them in Canada, I still enjoyed parts of this story because the angst is low, which is my speed … Continue reading Hairpin Curves by Elia Winters →
You can bet when I saw the words “gender-swapped Alexander the Great in space” used to describe a book, my immediate reaction was PUT IT IN MY EYEBALLS. Plus, it’s written by Kate Elliot, who wrote the totally amazing and ass-kicking Spiritwalker fantasy trilogy. I figured Unconquerable Sun was a guaranteed winner. Folks, it is a winner–eventually. After a stuttering start, it is jam-packed with incredibly cool and interesting sci-fi world-building and nonstop twisty politics … Continue reading Unconquerable Sun by Kate Elliott →
Tara and I loved The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows, a slow-paced f/f romance that is a standalone novel in the “Feminine Pursuits” series by Olivia Waite. I (Carrie) raved about The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics so I was very excited for this book. Although you don’t have to have read that book to enjoy this one, you’ll recognize one of the main characters, Agatha, if you have. Agatha Griffin is a printer … Continue reading The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows by Olivia Waite →
Tara: Hello! It’s me, once again crashing one of Shana’s reviews (thank goodness she loves me). I was SO excited when I found out she was reading My Heart’s in the Highlands, because I’d just finished and was desperate to talk to someone about it. This book is BANANAS and kind of messy, but I was into it. Shana: Meanwhile, I was quietly squeeing to myself, with no one to talk to about how ridiculous … Continue reading My Heart’s in the Highlands by Amy Hoff →
The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon is a very funny and very sweet workplace romance at a tech company between two super competent programmers (of color!!!) that unfortunately gets bogged down in the lies and secrets… Samiah is a Black woman working at Trendsetters, a well-known tech company in Austin, Texas. She’s worked incredibly hard to get where she is and she’s very aware of her talents. Daniel is a Black and Korean man who … Continue reading The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon →
I’ve been following Mikki Kendall for years on Twitter and appreciated all the knowledge she’s shared for free on that hellscape of a platform. So I was more than a little excited when Hood Feminism dropped earlier this year. Because I’ve been following her for so long, I don’t know that any of the concepts in it were entirely new for me, but I learned a lot because of the time and attention given to … Continue reading Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall →
