Carrie and Shana decided to start December off right with a midweek movie night. Also in attendance were Carrie’s daughter, a dog, and a cat. As consummate professionals, we prepared by reading this article about the realism, and lack thereof, of the movie. It’s been a long time since we’ve done a recap, and we are prepared. Shana was in charge of snacks. Bitches, let me tell you. If you ever have the chance to … Continue reading A Castle for Christmas →
The Ice Swan is a slow-burn and rather tender romance about two people building a relationship after their worlds have crumbled around them. It is set in the Russian emigré community in Paris during the final months of the Great War, and then in rural Scotland in the War’s aftermath, and it manages to be both angsty and gentle. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Princess Svetlana Dalsky fled the Bolshevik uprising in Russia with her mother … Continue reading The Ice Swan by J’nell Ciesielski →
Hey hey! It’s still February and here in New England, we’re getting lots of snow. I still very much love the snow. I find it so magical and peaceful, and it helps that I don’t really have to leave the house. Valentine’s Day is this Sunday! I hope you’re doing something nice for yourself. I bought myself a fancy box of chocolate and my boyfriend and I are doing a special dumpling takeout dinner Sunday … Continue reading Links: Deep Dives and Samoyeds →
The best part of Mangos & Mistletoe is the mouthwatering descriptions of pastries created in a GBBO-inspired holiday baking competition set in Scotland. The worst part of Mangos & Mistletoe is the mouthwatering descriptions of pastries created in a GBBO-inspired holiday baking competition set in Scotland. Do not repeat my mistakes: you must not read this f/f enemies-to-lovers-in-only-one-bed novella without a plate of delicious pastries nearby. My baking experience is limited to an almost burned … Continue reading Mangos & Mistletoe by Adriana Herrera →
Highland Crown by May McGoldrick is the first book in a Scottish historical series, and despite the absence of a time-travel element, it feels extremely Outlander-y. The book features a doctor heroine, an outlaw hero, and both are on the run from a very bad English solider. Sound familiar? The book is a lot of fun and it’s got almost non-stop action that makes it easy to read in a single sitting. Unfortunately all that action … Continue reading Highland Crown by May McGoldrick →
There’s such a wonderful feeling in discovering a new author that works for you and realizing they have this whole backlist to dive into. It’s like when you treat yourself to a fancy coffee on a frigid day and the first blast of heat and caffeine and sugar hits you, and you’re just warm and happy. That happened to me this weekend with Sarah Maine. I picked up Women of the Dunes because it featured an … Continue reading Women of the Dunes by Sarah Maine →
Did you know that it’s Wednesday?! Thank you for all the birthday wishes last week. I had a great time eating some delicious pizza and A Quiet Place was pretty good. Not too spooky, but I’ve also had a weird interest in horror movies lately. Fingers crossed I’m getting braver! Additionally, Labyrinth is coming back to theaters April 29th to May 2nd. I plan on going and I invite you to check your area too! … Romance meets Jenga … Continue reading Links: Gerard Butler, Kobo, & Kickstarter →
The past month has been kind of rough in terms of the number of books I’ve DNF’d. I’ve put down two brand-new historicals in a week, so while I wasn’t thrilled with The Laird Takes a Bride, I was determined to power through it just to finish something. The problem with The Laird Takes a Bride is that it’s an incredibly uneven novel. The first half of the book is frustrating, and while it improved considerably by … Continue reading The Laird Takes a Bride by Lisa Berne →
I read this book while I was half out of my mind with a high-fever flu, and it was exactly what I needed. It wasn’t a perfect romance – the romance is very understated – but a book about books, about finding yourself and others books to be friends with, and about finding the life you want had a deeply beneficial medicinal value for me, and I was tremendously comforted by it. Summary time! Nina … Continue reading The Bookshop on the Corner by Jenny Colgan →
We are a shameful couple. Dreadful people. The worst parents of all. We lost one daughter to a fall and somehow we are losing the other. We deserve all of this. Are you intrigued yet? The Ice Twins by SK Tremayne is superbly fucking creepy. This is a book that either you’ll really love or you’ll hate passionately, and it all depends on your ability to withstand the spooky-level. We’re not talking about guts and … Continue reading The Ice Twins by SK Tremayne →
