I enjoyed The Afterlife of Holly Chase very much – but I didn’t love it until the very last page. The end is what earns it a spot on my keeper shelf, and I won’t reveal the end, no, not even in a spoiler tag. You just have to trust me that it’s lovely. Holly Chase is a rich teenager who is a simply horrible person. At the age of seventeen, she is visited by … Continue reading The Afterlife of Holly Chase by Cynthia Hand
Squee from the Keeper Shelf is a feature wherein we share why we love the books we love, specifically the stories which are permanent residents of our Keeper shelves. Despite flaws, despite changes in age and perspective, despite the passage of time, we love particular books beyond reason, and the only thing better than re-reading them is telling other people about them. At length. If you’d like to submit your reasons for loving and keeping … Continue reading Keeper Shelf: Poppy Jenkins by Clare Ashton
Carols and Chaos is a slow-paced, gentle romance set in 1817 during Yuletide. Kate Darby is a lady’s maid at Shackleford Park. Matt Harlow is the valet of Kate’s employer’s fiancée. When Matt’s employer comes to Shackleford Park for Christmas, Matt and Kate meet and begin a cautious flirtation. Their relationship is complicated by their different career goals and by Matt’s friend Johnny, a footman who tries to discover the source of a counterfeit coin … Continue reading Carols and Chaos by Cindy Anstey
Back in the early aughts I worked in a family-owned bookstore where, during slow periods, I would pretend to dust but really sneak-read chick lit (unless you’re reading this, Peggy, then I was totally dusting). My favorite authors were Sophie Kinsella, Jennifer Weiner and Helen Fielding. One in a Million by Lindsey Kelk made me nostalgic for those books while blending in enough romance that it certainly qualifies as a romance novel. Set in London, this novel … Continue reading One in a Million by Lindsey Kelk
Holiday Homecoming is one of the most oddly paced books I’ve ever encountered. It starts off well, introducing the characters and conflict, and then nothing happens until the second-to-last chapter when suddenly it becomes a thriller. It’s marked as “wholesome.” There’s no sex, and by the end everyone is getting along with each other, so that’s pretty wholesome, I guess? I kind of loved this book, and I kind of hated it. It’s a mess, … Continue reading Holiday Homecoming by Pamela Tracy
Life on the Leash is not a great romance, and it’s not great as romantic comedy either. However, this book about a dog trainer does a great job when it comes to dogs. This book is about Cora, a dog trainer. She’s very successful, with an upper-class clientele. When an engaged couple with a new puppy hires Cora, she gets a crush on the guy (Charlie). However, at around the same time a mutual friend … Continue reading Life on the Leash by Victoria Schade
This is the story of Anne, Queen of Great Britain, and the power struggles between two women who sought to use their relationship with the Queen to further their own aims. It’s a darkly FUNNY movie with a love triangle, with a dash of political intrigue. The main story is the push and pull between these three women, and it’s seriously amazing. This is based on real events…well, more like it’s based on real relationships. … Continue reading Movie Review: The Favourite
If you like friends-to-lovers romance and snowed-in sexytimes, then Snowlicious is going to be all your catnip. I found it to be sexy and cute, although I was a little confused by the hero’s actions. Best friends since high school, Mike and Thea have always had each other’s backs. When Thea, a florist, loses her spot decorating a Christmas tree for a high profile holiday competition, Mike sweeps in and gets her the slot of … Continue reading Snowlicious by Leigh LaValle
The Black God’s Drums is an awesome novella set in a steampunk, alternate history New Orleans. The narrator of the book, Creeper, is a homeless thirteen year old girl who dreams of becoming an airship pilot someday. She is also visited on a regular basis by Oya, the Yoruba goddess of wind and storms. Creeper befriends the captain of a visiting airship, hoping to earn the captain’s trust and secure a place onboard. Oya and Captain … Continue reading The Black God’s Drums by P. Djèlí Clark
Ill Will is NOT a romance. It does not have a happy ending. It features graphic violence against animals, women, and children. In the latter cases, the violence includes rape. The ending is depressing as hell. BUT. I would recommend this book to the tiny cohort of people who share my conviction that Wuthering Heights is a gothic (and highly political) horror novel as opposed to a love story. This book begins immediately after Heathcliff … Continue reading Ill Will by Michael Stewart
Sarah asked us to think about throwback series, and I knew immediately that I wanted to discuss the Orphan Train Series by Linda Lael Miller. I remembered them VERY FONDLY from my early teenagerhood (early 1990s) and wondered how well they would hold up. I was pretty sure the answer was going to be in the realm of “not great” but it turns out, no, it’s all the way over in “VERY VERY BADLY.” In … Continue reading Lily and the Major by Linda Lael Miller
