My day was very productive until I picked up Never-Contented Things, planning to read just a few pages.That concluded the day’s productivity. I’m not saying that this book is perfect but I am sure as heck saying that it is gripping. This is NOT a romance. It’s really good YA Urban Fantasy/Fae Horror, with a really good fledgling romance in it. Ksenia and Josh are foster siblings. They met in foster care when Josh was … Continue reading Never-Contented Things by Sarah Porter →
This Guest Review is from Lara Diane and is a review of both the first book and the next two. Lara is a teacher, feminist, knitter and proud co-parent to the greatest three-legged black cat in the southern hemisphere. … Tara Sharp is a woman I would very much like to be, and that’s just how I like my protagonists – worthy of admiration, but not perfect. Tara is in her mid-twenties and is in that … Continue reading Guest Review: Sharp Shooter by Marianne Delacourt →
The Astronaut Wives Club is an excellent companion to Hidden Figures (nonfiction). While Hidden Figures discusses women who had an active role in NASA’s daily operations, The Astronaut Wives Club tells of the women behind the scenes. The wives of the astronauts formed a tight-knit group that supported each other through photoshoots, their husbands’ absences, terrifying space missions, and deaths. NASA’s first group of astronauts, The Mercury Seven, was announced in 1959. They were selected in an intensely … Continue reading The Astronaut Wives Club by Lily Koppel →
As someone who reads tarot cards professionally, I was excited about Tarot, a YA novel about a young woman named Anna locked in a Tower in the Land of Pentacles who escapes and flees to the Land of Cups. Alas, this book fails as an allegory, because it casts certain elements of Tarot in a villainous light in a way that is inconsistent with the actual nature of the deck. It fails even more so … Continue reading Tarot by Marissa Kennerson →
Kitschy Crafts: A Celebration of Overlooked 20th Century Crafts is fun on multiple levels. This book is short but full of photos and projects, including instructions. It covers such delights as pin-beaded fruit, latch hook wall hangings, and crocheted toilet paper covers. Why, yes, it does include macrame. It also includes staples like needlework and embroidery, as well as things I never knew existed. Resin grapes? Really? This book defines “kitsch” as “any decoration that takes … Continue reading Kitschy Crafts by Jo Packham and Matt Shay →
I thought that The Afterward would be a fun adventure story, and it was, but I was thrilled to realize that it is also a moving romance that works beautifully as a romance novel despite its unusual structure. This story describes what happens to a group of knights (all women) plus a thief and an apprentice knight (also women) during and after an epic quest. It’s told from the viewpoints of the thief (Olsa) and the … Continue reading The Afterward by E.K. Johnston →
The Unhoneymooners is an enemies to lovers romance set in a romantic destination. It has Christina Lauren’s trademark humor and wit, but a plot twist and tonal shift knocked me off balance and left me unable to regain my footing. Ami and Olive Torres are twins. Ami is the lucky one, winning many of her wedding planning items from the dress to the food to even her honeymoon, through a mix of contests, sweepstakes, and … Continue reading The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren →
This guest review is by Claudia. A bit about Claudia: “At sixteen, I found my older cousin’s stash of Barbara Cartlands and assorted Harlequin-type romance housed in an old sewing cabinet and life was never the same! I love history, so I mostly read historical romance. Favorite authors include Meredith Duran, Mary Balogh, Miranda Neville, Elizabeth Kingston, and Rose Lerner.” (An earlier bio mis-attributed, and is totally the fault my non-caffeinated, mixed-up brain. Sorry! – Sarah) … Continue reading Guest Review: At Your Service by Sandra Antonelli →
Once I realized that author Susan Grant wrote a romance with an alien puppy in it, I knew it was my duty to review it. Star Puppy is a science fiction novella told from the points of view of Trysh, an Earther pilot, and Prince Rornn, the Vash exchange officer and fellow pilot. The Vash are a humanoid alien race. The story is also told from the point of view of Puppy, who is an … Continue reading Star Puppy by Susan Grant →
Look for something new to watch on Netflix? Yes? Then read this squee from Darbi Bradley! You can find Darbi on Twitter (@darbibradley). She is a romance reader from Toronto, Canada currently living in Washington, DC. She hasn’t thought about moving home since November 2016. Not once… … Right at this moment, I’m on my couch in my pjs. It’s a rainy Friday night, and I’m about three-quarters of the way through a deeply mediocre … Continue reading Guest Squee: Someone Great →
Those familiar with author Sonali Dev know that her books involve a lot of food, complicated family issues, and angst. Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors has all of these qualities, but the angst overwhelmed the romance to the point where I didn’t believe in the happy ending. I did, however, want to eat ALL the food. Trisha is a neurosurgeon in San Francisco. Her wealthy parents immigrated to America from India. They demand excellence and … Continue reading Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors by Sonali Dev →
