Ah, Sacramento. My hometown. We are the home of lovely trees and rivers. We have also been the home of Dorothea Puente, the “Death House Landlady,” The Vampire of Sacramento, The Golden State Killer, and the headline, “Woman With Skull on Stick Leads Police to Body.” So I guess it makes sense that Karen Rose’s new romantic suspense series is set in Sacramento. I don’t normally read romantic suspense, but since the first book is … Continue reading Say You’re Sorry by Karen Rose →
Fans of romantic YA and fans of dark retellings of fairy tales will want to check out The Sea Witch. The Sea Witch is both a YA retelling and prequel of The Little Mermaid. It abounds in fantasy and plot twists and romance, although it’s quite clear from the outset that this book will NOT have a happy ending. A cool ending, yes. A weirdly satisfying ending? Sure. A happy ending? Nope. The story takes place … Continue reading The Sea Witch by Sarah Hemming →
CW/TW: Sexual assault I’ve been a romantic suspense/mystery/thriller mood lately (Ed. note: “always”) so I was excited to read Kat Martin’s latest rom sus about a woman searching for her missing brother. At first, The Conspiracy worked okay for me; the hero was a little bit boner-led, but the action and the plot made up for that flaw. Then I got a graphic sexual assault scene that was totally unnecessary and I just noped on out. The … Continue reading The Conspiracy by Kat Martin →
This is one of those times where I wished technology had advanced so much that I could start this review with a video of me winking and doing sassy finger guns at you, and you all would just GET IT. Because that’s how this book made me feel. This sci-fi romance was nearly everything I ever hoped and dreamed I could find in this subgenre. I also don’t want to take up valuable reading time. … Continue reading Polaris Rising by Jessie Mihalik →
NB: We have a suspicion that many of the Bitchery are Buffy fans, which means this squee is in good company. This review from Crystal Anne With An E was originally graded “A with Extra Squee Because Buffy,” but we felt bumping up up to a full on squee was fair. Crystal reads a lot, cross-stitches, and is an autism consultant by day and goes to library school by night. She is a Hufflepuff. … … Continue reading Guest Squee: Slayer by Kiersten White →
Mystic by Cheryl Brooks is the second book in a spinoff sci-fi romance series from Brooks’ original Cat Star Chronicles. I have neither read the first book in this spinoff series, Cat Star Legacy, nor the original series, but I’m always down for some bonkers reading from time to time. Not being familiar with any of the book’s predecessors was probably to my detriment, but my inability to understand the world has nothing to do with … Continue reading Mystic by Cheryl Brooks →
TW/CW: sexual assault. I enjoyed The Gown: A Novel of the Royal Wedding by Jennifer Robson, mostly because it tackles a subject that is dear to my heart: why is traditionally-female created art (think quilting, embroidering, knitting) labeled “a craft” and of less than value than male-produced art? As a historical novel, a full third of the narrative I found to be unnecessary, which meant there were parts of the book I had to slog through … Continue reading The Gown by Jennifer Robson →
Crazy Cupid Love is an interesting fantasy/paranormal romance that will definitely appeal to mythology nerds. There’s a friends to lovers romance, an adorable beta hero (who gifts the heroine with Dunkaroos), and a whodunnit. While neither the romance nor the mystery were incredibly strong, the world and the surrounding mythologies could lead to some wonderful future books. Eliza Herman is a descendant of Cupid and exists in a modern world, specifically California, where people turn to … Continue reading Crazy Cupid Love by Amanda Heger →
It Takes Two To Tumble is a ridiculously adorable romance very loosely inspired by The Sound of Music. In this Regency m/m romance, a grumpy ship captain comes home as a new widower to find that the only person who can control his three unruly children is a very handsome vicar named Ben. This book is the first book in the Seducing the Sedgewicks Series and it’s a fine standalone as well. Naval Captain Philip Dacre’s wife … Continue reading It Takes Two to Tumble by Cat Sebastian →
My love of books examining productivity and time management is no secret, but I’ve been leaning away from books that want to tell me how to cram more activity into the house I have, and looking eagerly for books that examine how to be efficient and selective about the work I’m doing with my time. This book focuses on the idea of being “off the clock,” or, more specifically, “time freedom,” the expanse of schedule … Continue reading Off the Clock: Feel Less Busy While Getting More Done by Laura Vanderkam →
This anthology collects fantasy and science fiction short stories by author N.K. Jemisin. Many of these stories involve resistance of some kind. All feature protagonists of color, and all are challenging, uncompromising, and delightful. Several of these stories, like “The City Born Great” and “The You Train,” explore the spirits of and in cities. “Red Dirt Witch” takes place in rural Alabama, where the Fey can be fought off with the traditional rowan and ash, … Continue reading How Long ’til Black Future Month by N.K. Jemisin →
