Many of The Bitches were ardent fans of Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, an Australian show which ran from 2012 – 2015. We loved it for the clothes, the characters, the clever writing, and the chemistry. Maya, Aarya, and I (CarrieS) waited for the movie Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears with great excitement, only to find that it was simply awful. The clothes, the characters, the chemistry, the humor – all vanished. Seldom has … Continue reading Movie Review: Miss Fisher and the Crypt of Tears →
CW: self-harm, threat of sexual violence, passing reference to possible actual sexual violence against a young girl Have you ever said to yourself “I want to read a Robin Hood story, but full of lesbians and other queer people?” Well, good news! Because that’s exactly what Nottingham is! I couldn’t have come up with a more joyfully queer interpretation of it if I’d tried. That said, it’s specifically the queer rep that’s joyful and not … Continue reading Nottingham by Anna Burke →
Content warnings: childhood sexual abuse, murder, sociopathy I have read and reread Jane Doe (Book 1 in the series) more times than I can feasibly count. So it was with an intense case of Grabby Hands that I dove for Problem Child, a novel that follows Jane during the next step in her life. And…well…. It pains me to say this, but it was okay. It’s a solid, capable book, but it never reaches the … Continue reading Problem Child by Victoria Helen Stone →
Oh guys, I cannot handle creepy books, and this was a creepy book, and not a romance, and also gross and scary. It was also a book that I devoured in a single day and could not get out of my mind. I was sold on this book by the promise of feminist horror, and that’s what I got, so if feminist horror is your jam then you will probably like this book about four … Continue reading The Return by Rachel Harrison →
This book knocked me sideways with its charm, but nuts and bolts were falling apart for me from the second half. By the end I was infuriated with how some things were mishandled and other fucked up things were shoehorned in. A lot of what’s good about this book was really good, but the things that didn’t work for me downgraded my experience a lot. Matzah Ball Surprise is about Gaby and Levi who both … Continue reading Matzah Ball Surprise by Laura Brown →
If I Never Met You is a sweet, but very angsty, fake-relationship romance that is let down terribly by its advertising and blurb: If faking love is this easy… how do you know when it’s real? When her partner of over a decade suddenly ends things, Laurie is left reeling—not only because they work at the same law firm and she has to see him every day. Her once perfect life is in shambles and … Continue reading If I Never Met You by Mhairi McFarlane →
You’re going to see the DNF and think that this is a terrible book but the heartbreaking reality is that this is actually a good book with some bad moments. On a whim, Sara takes part in a project that sends cards to the troops for Easter. Her card ends up on Major Gabriel Randall’s desk. Cue an adorable conversation of emails, messages and FaceTime conversations. And I do mean ADORABLE. But Sara is conflicted; … Continue reading From Alaska with Love by Ally James →
Trigger warning: Lots of violence, death of major characters Fire & Water is the third urban fantasy novel featuring Kate Kane, Paranormal Investigator. I have not read the previous books in this series, but I had no trouble finding my way into Kane’s world – she provides the necessary backstory in her laconic, humorous style, and it’s enough. Having said that, I’m not sure that it stands alone, precisely – the end, while not a … Continue reading Fire and Water by Alexis Hall →
I used to write a column for The Bitches called ‘Real Life Romance.’ Due to time constraints, that column is on indefinite hold, but those who miss it may want to check out the historical love stories books by Gill Paul. World War I Love Stories: Real-Life Romances From the War that Shook the World is a documentation of history made personal, marred by an inexcusable lack of inclusion. The same series contains the books … Continue reading World War I Love Stories by Gill Paul →
Queerleaders is a romantic comedy set in a Catholic high school. Mackenzie (Mack) has always known that she is a lesbian, but she is only out to her best friend, Lila. Mack has a huge crush on a cheerleader. When Mack is outed at school and bullied by the cheerleader’s football-player boyfriend, Chad, Mack rashly declares that she can steal ALL of the football player’s girlfriends — or, at least, get them to kiss her. … Continue reading Queerleaders by M.B. Guel →
Perhaps unsurprisingly, after reading House of Earth and Blood, I posit that the best barometer of whether or not you will enjoy this book is whether or not you have enjoyed Sarah J. Maas’ other books. All the hallmarks of Maas are here: a beautiful, semi-outcast heroine hiding an incredible power; a super-powerful, much older hero with a dark past; a jam-packed cast of intriguing secondary characters; loads of snarky and sassy dialogue, and nonstop, … Continue reading House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas →
