I recently shared on a podcast with Sarah that my mom would be undergoing a pretty major surgery, and I was stocking up on books to keep me out of my head (where my anxiety lives) while I waited during the procedure. Due to some complications (Mom is fine) I found myself once again camped out in the ICU waiting room. Turns out ICU waiting rooms are absolute shit for sleep but great for whittling … Continue reading Touch of Red by Laura Griffin
Over the years here at the Hot Pink Palace of Bitchery, my fortitude has been tested. I’ve read books about reindeer shifters and suffered through hours of Nick Viall trying to form a coherent sentence. My constitution strengthened by rum, I’d describe my loins as exceptionally girdy. My aunt has been recommending JD Robb’s (aka Nora Robert’s) In Death series to me forever, but I’ve always been intimidated by the length of the series. Then Secrets … Continue reading Secrets in Death by JD Robb
I can’t explain why Katee Robert’s O’Malleys series works for me. Normally I don’t go for stories about dudes who run criminal empires. I don’t find the mafia to be sexy. The recent trend of morally dubious motorcycle club leader heroes doesn’t work for me. I’m firmly on the side of the “good guys.” Usually. My romantic suspense heroes are more Captain American and less The Professional. Usually. But then I pick up an O’Malleys … Continue reading Forbidden Promises by Katee Robert
King’s Captive is one epic, delicious mind fuck of a book. I started it after finishing another book at 11 p.m. and read it in one glorious sitting (Bad Decisions Book Club, y’all) and when I was done I needed a cigarette. And I don’t smoke. So first of all, this book is total crazysauce but the best kind of crazysauce. I was totally invested in what was happening. I gave up many precious hours … Continue reading King’s Captive by Amber Bardan
Sometimes I can only take so much crazysauce and wtfery before I have to tap out. I know, I know, you good folks rely on me to read this shit so you don’t have to, but even I have my limits. I DNF’d Hunt the Dawn, but I did get far enough to share some prime F+ moments with you. Hunt the Dawn is a romantic suspense novel featuring Lathaniel (yes, yes, that is his actual … Continue reading Hunt the Dawn by Abbie Roads
If I’m being very specific, When All the Girls Have Gone by Jayne Ann Krentz is really a romantic mystery not romantic suspense, and that’s what I loved about it. There’s been a trend I think lately of publishing darker books with characters in more dire circumstances, and romantic suspense certainly isn’t exempt from that. Sometimes the hero and heroine’s combined emotional sturm und drang is so intense it’s overwhelming. Adding scary suspense themes to that–murder, … Continue reading When All the Girls Have Gone by Jayne Ann Krentz
I really, really enjoyed Going Deep by Anne Calhoun. It’s an excellent blend of romance and mystery, and it features a bodyguard hero, which I love. In addition, it’s pretty much free of violence, so if you’re iffy on romantic suspense because you don’t like violent themes, then this book is for you. Cady Ward aka pop superstar Queen Maud, is returning to her hometown for the holidays. She’s exhausted from being on tour for … Continue reading Going Deep by Anne Calhoun
The world is a great big dumpster fire right now and it’s got me all depressed. So when I picked up Love and Protect by Lori Ryan I was just hoping for a decent romantic suspense read–what I got was a surprisingly comforting, healing book that brought tears to my eyes. I mean, it’s still a romantic suspense so there is some violence–this isn’t a comfort read the way a traditional Regency is. Also trigger warning for … Continue reading Love and Protect by Lori Ryan
I was really excited when Hold Your Breath was released because it’s romantic suspense centered around a Rocky Mountain search and rescue team which is 100% my jam. The book was an interesting blend of suspense, action/adventure, and small town romance, and it’s very, very funny. Louise “Lou” Sparks left behind her controlling family and unsatisfying job for a new life in rural Colorado. She’s a diver on the search and rescue team, meaning when … Continue reading Hold Your Breath by Katie Ruggle
The Obsession by Nora Roberts is some creepy suspense, followed by a chunk of contemporary small-town romance, followed up by a dash more suspense. It’s a strange book in that the suspense plot isn’t very evenly distributed, but Roberts’ writing is so excellent that I didn’t care. Roberts’ books are filled with fabulous detail–from competence pr0n to home remodeling pr0n to descriptions of old barns–that my brain just goes into vacation mode. Her novels, even … Continue reading The Obsession by Nora Roberts
The cover for Scandal Never Sleeps by Shayla Black and Lexi Blake strongly suggests an erotic contemporary, which it is, but what surprised me is that it’s also very much a romantic suspense. It’s hard to classify this book–fans of hot contemporary romances featuring larger than life heroes will appreciate it, but so will fans of mystery-driven romantic suspense. The series centers around a group of successful, rich, sexy men who all call themselves The Perfect … Continue reading Scandal Never Sleeps by Shayla Black and Lexi Blake
