Before reading a book, I try to go in with an open mind and without judgments. “Try” being the operative word. Because sometimes, I hear about a premise and my eyes roll to the back of my head. No way, I think, no way in hell is this going to work. I shouldn’t even try to read this book because it won’t succeed and I’ll regret even trying. And when I heard about the premise … Continue reading One Day to Fall by Therese Beharrie
This guest review is a follow up from a Solved HaBO, and it comes from Lisa! A longtime romance aficionado and frequent commenter to SBTB, Lisa is a queer Latine critic with a sharp tongue and lots of opinions. She frequently reviews at All About Romance and Women Write About Comics, where she’s on staff, and you can catch her at @thatbouviergirl on Twitter. There, she shares good reviews, bracing industry opinions and thoughtful commentary … Continue reading Guest Review: Stealing Midnight by Tracy MacNish
CW/TW: Sexual harassment Some of you know that I’ve been doing guest reviews here at SBTB for a couple of years. So when it came time to choose a book for my first review as an official part of the team, I knew it had to be this one. It’s my favourite book of all time and to read it is to know me, so what better way to introduce myself? Jill “Friday” Fryman is … Continue reading Hoosier Daddy by Ann McMan & Salem West
Ran and the Gray World is a delightful manga series about Ran, a young girl with immense magical powers and the hijinks she gets up to. She, like many her age, is enamoured with the idea of being an adult, and with being just as beautiful and amazing as her mom. The difference is, she can magically age her body, which also increases the magnitude of her magical powers. So basically, every parent’s worst nightmare. … Continue reading Ran and the Gray World by Aki Irie
The Wallflower Wager delivered many things I love with humor, pathos, and sexy times. It involves a woman who loves everything and everyone and a Very Bad Man who is helpless against her powers. It also involves animal rescue. While there are some structural flaws and the pace of the character revelations bothered me, I ate it up. Lady Penelope (Penny) Campion rescues animals that no one else loves. She is, at the start of the … Continue reading The Wallflower Wager by Tessa Dare
The events of the last couple weeks have underscored how crucial and life-saving the romance genre is to me. It’s an escape, a safe haven in the storm, and a place where happily-ever-afters are always guaranteed. Romance has literally (and I don’t use that word lightly) saved my life while I clung to a spark of happiness amidst the terror of recent events. Playing House isn’t a perfect novella, but it came into my life … Continue reading Playing House by Ruby Lang
I started Dating by the Book with high hopes: You’ve Got Mail is my favorite 90s romantic comedy and this was supposed to be a charming retelling set in a cozy bookshop. Unfortunately, the enemies in Dating by the Book — author vs. critic instead of independent bookstore vs big retailer — marred my enjoyment. Additionally, the heroine’s frustrating actions — including her baffling behavior as a soon-to-be-published author and her selfishness — ultimately ruined … Continue reading Dating by the Book by Mary Ann Marlowe
Reading Jane Doe by Victoria Helen Stone was the spark to my powder keg. The inferno it produced could only be fed with books that featured that same kind of enigmatic female protagonists. As an ardent fan of Killing Eve, I thought it was the protagonist’s psychopathy in Stone’s book which made Jane so compelling, but reading Maestra by L. S. Hilton showed me how wrong I was on that count. Then began a – … Continue reading A Cold Day for Murder by Dana Stabenow
CW/TW: Abusive romantic and familial relationships. Rhi’s ex is seriously menacing in a few parts, so take care of yourselves! Alisha Rai is beloved here in the Pink Palace, so I approached The Right Swipe with some apprehension and excitement. What if I didn’t love it? Would my new friends kick me out of this very cool book club? I’m not always a fan of contemporaries, and am not particularly drawn to stories where the … Continue reading The Right Swipe by Alisha Rai
Sure Thing was recent-ish-ly featured for Books on Sale. Since I’m the one who usually puts these posts together, it can be a work hazard. But shit, it was 99c! It also had some promising reviews on Goodreads and the quotes people pulled had me interested. It sounded fun! After finishing the book and sitting with my thoughts for days, though, I have no idea if I enjoyed it or not. Like I said, I … Continue reading Sure Thing by Jana Aston
If Present Day Elyse traveled back in time and told Past Elyse that someday Nora Roberts would write a romantic suspense novel that didn’t quite work for her, Past Elyse wouldn’t have believed her. Then Past Elyse would have squinted at Present Day Elyse and said, “Are we growing out our bangs again? You know we’re only going to last six weeks before we cut them.” I love Nora Roberts’ romantic suspense books. I schedule … Continue reading Under Currents by Nora Roberts
