I picked up this title because it was recommended to me as a historical with a mystery and a slow-burn romance. I like all those words. I like them quite a bit. What I ended up with was a narrative that, the more I thought about it, didn’t make sense because the first half of the story didn’t match the second. Former soldier Adam Drummond is working for the British government undercover as a majordomo … Continue reading To Love a Duchess by Karen Ranney →
I tend to have very girdy loins when it comes to dark and twisted fiction, so imagine my surprise when I discovered that The Forgotten Girls was a little too disturbing for me.TW/CW: discussions of sexual abuse and rape. The seventh book in the Louise Rick series can be read as a stand alone and centers around a Danish investigator (Louise Rick) who heads up a Missing Persons Deptartment. When the body of a woman is … Continue reading The Forgotten Girls by Sara Blaedel →
TW/CW for this book: sexual manipulation, emotional and physical abuse, and allusions to and discussion of child physical and sexual abuse. Summary: Jane Doe is a first-person POV thriller – author Victoria Helen Stone calls it “emotional suspense” in our podcast interview, and I think it’s an ideal term for this book. Jane is a sociopath. She knows it, and she’s done considerable research to figure out why and how she was different from other … Continue reading Jane Doe by Victoria Helen Stone →
Trail of Lightning was preordered around two months in advance and I would have waited triple that amount for this book if I had to. It’s steeped in Native American (namely Navajo) mythology, badassery, and lots and lots of violence. If you’re sensitive to graphic, gritty details, this book is not for you. It was rather early on that I knew this book was going to be amazing. And by early, I meant page two: … Continue reading Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse →
Song From the Sea is what vacation reading is all about. It almost, but not quite, reaches Windflower levels of wonderful absurdity. The heroine has AMNESIA! (that’s how I type ‘amnesia’ as a matter of principle) and sings with a “clear, high voice” and communicates with animals. Remember the animated Cinderella? That’s our girl. By page 36 she’s in the home of a brooding hero, being fed broth by a motherly housekeeper as she recuperates … Continue reading Song From the Sea by Katherine Kingsley →
Escort by Skye Warren is about a male prostitute who falls in love with his client. Man, do I hate when that happens. I mean, you’re just there for a night of good fun and then suddenly this sexy dude is in love with you and can’t stop thinking about your freckles, and it’s such a hassle, honestly. Anyway, this is a quick read (or was for me) told entirely in the hero’s first person POV, … Continue reading Escort by Skye Warren →
Tess of the Road is a good book, but not the book I expected. Although there are adventures in the book, for the most part it’s a story about healing and forgiveness. Tess doesn’t even start on the road until page 88 and from then on it’s a long journey consisting of Tess considering her past and how she feels about it. There is some romance in it, but it’s not romance-centric. This book is … Continue reading Tess of the Road by Rachel Hartman →
I read Wild (the first book in the Aftershock series, not the book about hiking) because it involves a zookeeper at the San Diego Wild Animal Park. Since I have been to that park many, many times, I was curious. This was basically a good novella hiding in a crappy novel. Here are some Trigger Warnings and caveats: If plot lines about infidelity are a no-go for you, don’t go to this book. If you are … Continue reading Wild by Jill Sorenson →
Assassin’s Gambit is a gritty yet glamorous story of seduction, espionage, intrigue, and romance. It has a brainy heroine, a hero with a wooden leg, some amazing clothes, magic, and many rounds of Caturanga, a game similar to chess. It also has a lot of violence, including graphic sexual violence, so readers beware. Trigger warning for rape, blackmail, and violence during sex. Lucien is the Kjallan emperor. He lost a leg in battle and struggles … Continue reading Assassin’s Gambit by Amy Raby →
If you’ve listened to our We Look Ahead to 2018 podcast episode, you might have heard me fumbling for words over how much I enjoyed The Ones Who Got Away. I want to issue a warning that the book focuses on the survivors of a school shooting. It’s a touchy subject to tackle, especially in romance, but it was also one of the main reasons why I picked up the book. However, if you’re sensitive … Continue reading The Ones Who Got Away by Roni Loren →
Content warning for this book: threats of rape and scenes of brutality that include forced feeding and assault, with a side order of legal manipulation and cruelty that seems crushingly too familiar. This is a difficult book for me to review. There were a number of things that frustrated me, the development of the characters is very uneven, and to me, there didn’t seem to be a whole lot of mystery. The marketing and cover … Continue reading City of Lies by Victoria Thompson →
