Such a great roommates-to-lovers romance! Plus there’s a unionizing effort, queer awakening, trans community, and much admiration of muscles. Mira neeSuch a great roommates-to-lovers romance! Plus there’s a unionizing effort, queer awakening, trans community, and much admiration of muscles. Mira needs a place to live after breaking up with her emotionally abusive boyfriend and Isabel had just been considering finding a roommate when they meet. Mira’s grad school attempting to unionize gives their relationship a place to start from, courtesy of Isabel’s experience as a union electrician. Their respective insecurities and fears are diametrically opposed: Mira doesn’t want to be trapped in another living situation while Isabel wants to be needed but is terrified of needing too much from Mira and making her feel trapped. They both want to do right by each other, whether as roommates or girlfriends, but the path forward isn’t always clear. Very true to life.
The middle got bogged down a little and repetitive but it ended on a really strong note. It was great to see Mira and Isabel work through their issues and show real growth, whether it’s Mira's confidence in her unionizing abilities or Isabel reconciling with her sister. It made me believe not only in their relationship but their staying power. I look forward to reading more from this author!
Characters: Mira is a 27 year old bisexual trans Jewish mixed (Indian-white) Classics grad student. Isabel is a 31 year old tall butch lesbian Chinese American union electrician. This is set in NYC.
Content notes: recent emotional and financial abuse by Mira’s ex-boyfriend, recent infidelity (Mira’s ex-boyfriend cheated), brief harassment by ex-boyfriend, brief transphobia, past death of Isabel’s sister (car accident), bisexual awakening, bad knee, sprained ankle (work injury), broken wrist, body commentary, past transition surgeries, on page sex, strap-on, masturbation, alcohol, ageist jokes, ableist language, mention of homophobia (Isabel’s ex-girlfriend’s family disowned her for dating Isabel)...more
The right book at the right time. I loved watching Tara and Holley get out of their own (emotionally stunted) way and make a real go of things. The CaThe right book at the right time. I loved watching Tara and Holley get out of their own (emotionally stunted) way and make a real go of things. The Carrigan’s crew (including Kringle the cat) can do no wrong in my eyes and I’m so sad this series is over.
Also: as an Augustana College grad, I got a kick out of the Quad Cities connection.
Characters: Tara is a 36 year old lesbian white lawyer. Holley is a 32 year old lesbian white waitress and baker. This is set in Upstate NY, Charleston, SC, and Davenport, IA.
Content notes: social anxiety, emotionally abusive family, fatshaming, past arson, past divorce, parental estrangement (secondary characters, including due to homophobia), sober secondary character, family planning discussion (neither want kids), pregnant secondary character, off-page sex, alcohol, gendered pejoratives, mention of past diet pills...more
4.5 stars. I asked for books that would make me cry and Emma Barry pointed me in the direction of this novella. The prose was astoundinCW: miscarriage
4.5 stars. I asked for books that would make me cry and Emma Barry pointed me in the direction of this novella. The prose was astounding—I highlighted so many lines. It’s heartachingly good with a very earned conflict. Marriage-in-trouble books can be a tricky needle to thread but Florand nailed it. I loved watching them rediscover each other and see how they’ve changed and grown in their time apart. There are also some really tender and hot sex scenes. I will never see powdered sugar the same way, that’s for sure.
However, it did not make me cry, although I felt the potential a couple of times toward the end. Kai and Kurt were both astounded that the other person loved them, believing they brought nothing to the table, and that is always going to pierce my heart at least a little. Alas, my heart stayed as frozen as Kai’s was at the beginning. It’s possible specifically asking for a book that would make me cry messed with my expectations and the story’s ability to affect me emotionally.
The author deftly handled their respective grief and acknowledged the undercurrent of anger that affects them in different ways. Kai had never had anything bad happen to her before the miscarriages (this always floors me about people and characters alike) and this made her ill equipped to grieve. This contrasted with Kurt growing up in a home with a controlling, perfectionist mother who became even more of an ice queen after her own miscarriages, to the point where her husband left. That Kurt chose to do the opposite of his father—that what his father did was never anywhere near the table—was incredibly powerful.
You never know how a romance dealing with miscarriage will end. In this case, (view spoiler)[it’s fairly open-ended. Kai came across as resistant to trying the pregnancy route again to me but she did not completely close the door. They’ve also mentioned adoption as a possibility. I could just as easily see them deciding not to pursue anything. (hide spoiler)] I was so relieved about this choice and to see them resolve things but I found the actual ending to be on the abrupt side.
Characters: Kai is a white food stylist. Kurt is a white lawyer. They separated a year and a half ago
Content notes: past miscarriages (FMC, MMC’s mother), grief, past depression/postpartum depression, past suicidal ideation, generalized family planning discussion (including possibility of adoption but they don’t make a plan), marital separation, grief-related weight loss, MMC’s father left his mother after her miscarriages, on page sex, sensation play (snow!), gender essentialism, ableist language, hyperbolic language around suicide, mention of suicide as common in men after the death of their families
Merged review:
CW: miscarriage
4.5 stars. I asked for books that would make me cry and Emma Barry pointed me in the direction of this novella. The prose was astounding—I highlighted so many lines. It’s heartachingly good with a very earned conflict. Marriage-in-trouble books can be a tricky needle to thread but Florand nailed it. I loved watching them rediscover each other and see how they’ve changed and grown in their time apart. There are also some really tender and hot sex scenes. I will never see powdered sugar the same way, that’s for sure.
However, it did not make me cry, although I felt the potential a couple of times toward the end. Kai and Kurt were both astounded that the other person loved them, believing they brought nothing to the table, and that is always going to pierce my heart at least a little. Alas, my heart stayed as frozen as Kai’s was at the beginning. It’s possible specifically asking for a book that would make me cry messed with my expectations and the story’s ability to affect me emotionally.
The author deftly handled their respective grief and acknowledged the undercurrent of anger that affects them in different ways. Kai had never had anything bad happen to her before the miscarriages (this always floors me about people and characters alike) and this made her ill equipped to grieve. This contrasted with Kurt growing up in a home with a controlling, perfectionist mother who became even more of an ice queen after her own miscarriages, to the point where her husband left. That Kurt chose to do the opposite of his father—that what his father did was never anywhere near the table—was incredibly powerful.
You never know how a romance dealing with miscarriage will end. In this case, (view spoiler)[it’s fairly open-ended. Kai came across as resistant to trying the pregnancy route again to me but she did not completely close the door. They’ve also mentioned adoption as a possibility. I could just as easily see them deciding not to pursue anything. (hide spoiler)] I was so relieved about this choice and to see them resolve things but I found the actual ending to be on the abrupt side.
Characters: Kai is a white food stylist. Kurt is a white lawyer. They separated a year and a half ago
Content notes: past miscarriages (FMC, MMC’s mother), grief, past depression/postpartum depression, past suicidal ideation, generalized family planning discussion (including possibility of adoption but they don’t make a plan), marital separation, grief-related weight loss, MMC’s father left his mother after her miscarriages, on page sex, sensation play (snow!), gender essentialism, ableist language, hyperbolic language around suicide, mention of suicide as common in men after the death of their families...more
Do I have a lot of questions about what I just read? Yes. Did I love it anyway? Yes. Am I forlorn IA hasn’t written the next book in this series yet dDo I have a lot of questions about what I just read? Yes. Did I love it anyway? Yes. Am I forlorn IA hasn’t written the next book in this series yet despite this one coming out several years ago? YES.
I am dying to know what Elara really is and how her power works and what Hugh is going to make of it. Then there’s Hugh’s ability to still do blood magic, even though Roland cut him off. (view spoiler)[Is he somehow related to Roland and therefore Kate??? (hide spoiler)]
Plus plus plus Elara and Hugh’s Moc-to-lovers arc is such a slow burn. This is more focused on the external threats than what’s between them but what’s between them is so promising. Their banter was top notch! They just have to figure out if they can trust each other—and Elara needs to be more forthcoming about the security risks. They don’t want to cooperate with each other which can be self-sabotaging.
This deals with Hugh’s past atrocities and the mind control. If not for the mind control, I’m not sure any redemption of Hugh would be possible because he did truly unforgivable things. Yes, Roland ordered him to do it. But now that he’s free of Roland’s control he has to really grapple with his actions and if he ever pushed back at Roland’s commands. Really get at the toll and cost to the people affected by what he did. And it’s no wonder that he couldn’t cope at all once Roland exiled him. Not only was he cut off from Roland, he’s no longer insulated from the atrocities he committed. Now I’ve never done anything close to what Hugh’s done but there was a lot in his experience of “the void” that reminded me of how it felt after I had to cut off some family members so my empathy for him was off the charts. It also helps that we get to see how much Hugh really does care for the Iron Dogs and the people under his care.
Speaking of which, I’m big into the Iron Dogs and people we get to know in The Departed (Elara’s people). There are some promising romances there. Fingers crossed we get the next book sooner than later.
Characters: Hugh is a warlord. Elara is a white witch with some kind of eldritch magic and she has white hair. This is set in Berry Hill, KY.
Content notes: self-harm for blood magic, concern of alcoholism (it’s unclear whether MMC actually has an issue or was using alcohol as a temporary way to numb out), depression (“the void”), nightmare, dream violation (FMC enters MMC’s dreams without consent), recent exile/rejection by surrogate father, mass murders, murder, torture, battles, hostages (secondary characters), physical assault, abduction, gore, attempted biological warfare, lacerations, needle (stitches), vampires, monsters, arson, animal death, animal sacrifice, enslaved and abused elephant god, past atrocities committed by MMC (murder, torture), past mind control by Roland, past child trafficking, past child homelessness and starvation, food poverty, past death of MMC’s parents (Roland became his surrogate father), past attempted filicide in the womb (secondary character), past intimate partner violence (secondary character killed his wife), religious bigotry, orphaned children, secondary characters and horse with facial scars, secondary character who is blind in one eye, deaf secondary character, mute secondary character, unsafe sex practices (no condom for penetrative sex without discussion of STI or pregnancy prevention; unclear what kind of birth control exists in this world), on page sex, FMC slaps MMC during sex (unclear if this should be considered partner violence; it is not impact play), alcohol, inebriation, casual ableism, small penis joke, acephobia (not countered), gendered pejoratives, gender essentialist language, ableist language, hyperbolic language around suicide and addiction, Harry Potter reference, appropriation of Indigenous colloquialism (“bury the hatchet”)...more
Since it’s been quite a while since I read the last book, I was singing Aguirre’s praises for including a “previously in this series” primer at the beSince it’s been quite a while since I read the last book, I was singing Aguirre’s praises for including a “previously in this series” primer at the beginning. More authors should do that! I probably would have been fine without it but it was helpful to have a reminder of the various factions in this world.
We’ve got a political marriage of convenience between Ice Queen Thalia and friendly wolf lord Raff. Unfortunately, that doesn’t stop the threats against Thalia’s throne. They don’t have any expectations of what their relationship will be like and yet Raff can’t help but look after Thalia and she’s drawn to him as well. The romance became a bit of an afterthought thanks to a flurry of action at the end but I really loved how things developed up to that point.
Characters: Raff is a 59 year old Pine Ridge alpha and wolf shifter with brown skin. Thalia is a white Eldritch princess around 300 years old.
Content notes: past child physical and mental abuse by MMC’s father, suicide by poison (attacker trying to evade capture), perceived infidelity (FMC sees MMC comforting secondary character and wrongly assumes he’s cheating on her), nightmare, murder, attempted murder, battles, beheading (secondary characters), physical assault, lacerations, gunshot wounds, poison, broken bone, xenophobia, hunting, animal death, past infidelity (MMC cheated on his partners), facial scar (MMC was comforting a woman when her partner returned and took a knife to his face for perceived infidelity), past imprisonment of FMC by her father (for failed rebellion against him), past death of MMC’s brother (died protecting him from their father’s beating), past death of FMC’s mother (poisoned by her father’s mistress), past death of MMC’s mother (childbirth), past execution of FMC’s father (traitor during the war), past war and casualties, family planning discussion, pullout method, on page sex, somnophilia (specific act isn’t pre-negotiated but MMC had told FMC she could do whatever she wanted sexually, which he confirms afterward), alcohol, ableist language, hyperbolic language around suicide, mention of secondary character with incurable illness...more
This was a real mixed bag. Arden had no idea her father and brother were involved in a Ponzi scheme until they were arrested and now she’s left to deaThis was a real mixed bag. Arden had no idea her father and brother were involved in a Ponzi scheme until they were arrested and now she’s left to deal with the fallout, no matter how much she wishes someone else in the family would rise to the occasion. She’s dealt with debilitating panic attacks for years. When her best friend suggests private art lessons as stress relief, she readily agrees and that’s how she meets life model Seth, a Marine veteran who recently returned from his last deployment and hasn't dealt with the death of his best friends.
It’s a great set up and yet I never fully bought them together. They don’t really know each other outside of sex and drawing. I was very uncomfortable that Arden continued to pay Seth for private sittings even though they were having sex the whole time. Too many blurred lines there and it highlighted the class and power differences. I really needed both of them to go to therapy before I could believe they had more than a trauma bond.
Additionally, it was difficult to believe that NYC paparazzi would care that much about a woman who wasn’t actually involved in the Ponzi scheme to the point of standing outside her home and eventually hacking into her cloud. If she was Paris Hilton, sure. But Arden is the exact opposite of a socialite like Paris. So the whole (view spoiler)[leaked sex tape (hide spoiler)] plot choice was completely implausible, in addition to being unnecessary. Not to mention, I never understood how the (view spoiler)[sex tape was supposed to help with her panic attacks. Seth’s explanation made no sense. (hide spoiler)] If not for this plot choice, I might have bumped my rating up a star.
While I appreciated that Arden essentially cut off her dad and brother once she learned about their actions, I could not understand her dedication to redeeming the MacCarren name. Her family is AWFUL, except for her lawyer cousin. What is there to redeem? In addition to her dad and Charles’s crimes, they’ve always been ableist about her mental health and even now her mom questions her ability to be the face of the family as the trial preparations get underway. Her mom’s reaction to the repercussions from the Ponzi scheme reminded me of Erika from the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. Which is to say: not a good look. That said, I was shocked by Arden’s level of naivety about how the Foundation would be affected. Obviously organizations would be withdrawing their applications for support! Obviously the government would go after the endowment since their family donated money from defrauded investors! Thankfully, (view spoiler)[Arden does the right thing and turns the endowment over and closes the foundation. But I did find it weird that the epilogue has her planning to start a new investment bank when she purposefully has not worked in finance since finishing college. Just because her great-grandfather had great ideals does not mean anyone is going to want anything to do with the MacCarren name anymore. Her continued idealization of her family and their name was wild. (hide spoiler)]
I loved the role that art played for both MCs. I just wish the rest of the story had lived up to its premise.
Characters: Arden is a 28 year old white charitable foundation CEO. Seth is a 30 year old white bike messenger, life model, Marine veteran, and artist. This is set in NYC.
Content notes: image-based sexual abuse (view spoiler)[someone hacks FMC’s cloud and steals the sex tape, then sells it to Gawker who leaks it (hide spoiler)], panic attacks, PTSD, FMC has panic disorder, past deployments, recent death of MMC’s best friends (killed by IED 5 months ago), past injury from IED, past pedestrian accident (FMC was hit by a cab at 13 years old; broke shoulder and collarbone, torn ligaments, shattered knee, moderate concussion), FMC’s brother and father incarcerated for Ponzi scheme, physical assault, paparazzi harassment, FMC’s brother is estranged from their father and brother, past infidelity (FMC’s fiancé left her for her best friend and they’re somehow all still friends), secondary character’s father cheated on her mother and impregnated both of her nannies (past), nude modeling, body scars, mental illness stigma and ableism (FMC’s family), internalized ableism, fatphobia, stress-related weight loss, body commentary, on page sex, role play, sex tape, masturbation, alcohol, inebriation (secondary character), excessive drinking (secondary character), Valium (FMC’s mother), past marijuana (secondary character), diet culture, gendered pejorative, gender essentialist language, ableist language, hyperbolic language around addiction, mention of past death of friends by overdose, mention of past death of FMC’s grandparents...more
What I loved about this historical romance: 1. Jeremy is a treasure 2. Chloe’s plan for revenge on behalf of her dad’s stolen recipe 3. Chloe’s lists 4. What I loved about this historical romance: 1. Jeremy is a treasure 2. Chloe’s plan for revenge on behalf of her dad’s stolen recipe 3. Chloe’s lists 4. Chloe’s daily grief ritual, honoring her mother. 5. (view spoiler)[The whole town knew he was a Duke all along! (hide spoiler)] There’s a clue very early on that this might be the case and I was gratified to be right. 6. Honestly, everything about Wedgeford. The trials, the sizable Asian population, Chloe’s friends!
It’s too bad there aren’t more England Times romances like this; I’d read the subgenre much more often.
Characters: Jeremy is a 23 year old mixed race (Chinese and white) British Duke and virgin. Chloe is a 25 year old Chinese sauce purveyor and a virgin. This is set in 1891 Wedgeford Downs, Kent.
Content notes: reveal about parentage (view spoiler)[FMC’s father is actually her uncle; he raised her after her mom died and her mom never told him who her husband was after they were separated due to war (hide spoiler)], FMC’s father has rheumatoid arthritis, minor horseback accident (horse sprains legs but MCs are okay), racism, colonialism, ableism, ageism, past death of MMC’s father (typhus), past death of FMC’s mother when she was a baby, past death of MMC’s relatives (cholera, horseback accident, pneumonia, heart attack, sunk ship), body commentary, past immigration to England, past stolen recipe, pull out method for birth control, on page sex, masturbation, alcohol, inebriation, hangover, ableist language
*Love it or Leighve it* (aka cleaning out my Kindle) Purchased: 2020...more
4.5 stars. Jessica Joyce is now two for two in writing books that make me cry and I thank her for it.
Georgia broke up with Eli 5 years ago, shatterin4.5 stars. Jessica Joyce is now two for two in writing books that make me cry and I thank her for it.
Georgia broke up with Eli 5 years ago, shattering both of them. She’s lived by a list of rules ever since so that they can keep up appearances for their best friend Adam’s sake. But when Adam and Grace’s wedding hits one snag after another, including the mother of all snags with the wedding site burning down, Georgia and Eli wind up teaming up to figure out a plan B so Adam and Grace can still get married in a week. It’s the last thing she wants to do but she really will do anything to make Adam happy.
In the process, Georgia sees hints that Eli isn’t the same workaholic she left. He’s more attentive to her and her needs. He rarely has his phone on him. He’s just as devoted to planning this wedding as a way of making up for not being as helpful or available during the original planning. She doesn’t think she can trust him though, not enough to risk her heart or jeopardizing their friendship with Adam, which they’ve worked so hard to prioritize.
The resulting romance works through Eli’s workaholism, anxiety, and fear of not having enough and Georgia’s pathological inability to ask for help, people pleasing, and fear of abandonment. Digging into childhood wounds makes it sound like this is really heavy—and it certainly is emotional in places—but somehow Joyce manages to keep everything balanced. This is partly due to Eli actively being in therapy and Georgia having seen a therapist in the past. For as much as Georgia wants to delay or avoid certain conversations, Eli knows when to push her and when to hold space. They know each other well, sore spots, strengths, and all, and that means something different this time around. That said, I did spend much of the book yelling at Georgia to go back to therapy. Thankfully, she finally listened by the end.
There were three reasons I loved this: it’s a second chance romance without flashbacks, the strong emotional arc, and the embodied sex scenes. More authors should take a page from Joyce on that last one. She knows how to build intimacy and personalize sex to the characters as individuals and who they are together. You’d think that would be standard and yet good sex scenes have taken a real hit in this age of “smut”. Anyway.
There was only one part that didn’t work for me and that was the romcom shenanigans during wedding planning. The people Georgia and Eli meet were more like caricatures and the situations felt wacky instead of realistic, which was not in keeping with the tone of the rest of the book. The contrast was even stronger (view spoiler)[on Adam and Grace’s wedding day. Things go wrong then too but they made sense and they didn’t feel shoehorned in. (hide spoiler)]
The story kept surprising me, never going the predictable route. Georgia and Eli felt incredibly real and I was swept away in their respective feelings and insecurities. The ending could not have been more perfect! (view spoiler)[THE NOTES ON THE PAPER RINGS, MY GOD. (hide spoiler)] Jessica Joyce is cementing herself as an autobuy author. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.
Characters: Georgia is a 28 year old white recruiter. Eli is a 28 year old white bank TMT associate who enjoys working on puzzles. They broke up 5 years ago after dating two years and first became friends when they were 15. This is set in Glen Lake and Rutherford, CA.
Content notes: anxiety, panic attack, past infidelity (FMC’s ex cheated), past maternal abandonment, past emotional neglect by FMC’s father, past childhood poverty (MMC’s dad lost job and parents subsequently lost their home and the family had to move in with his aunt), past parental divorce, pregnant secondary character, on page sex, alcohol, mild inebriation, diet culture, gendered pejoratives, ableist language, hyperbolic language around addiction, mention of past death of secondary character’s dog
Instalove sapphic bodyguard romance. It helped to think of it as a campy, over-the-top read because there was a lot that did not make sense to me. (viInstalove sapphic bodyguard romance. It helped to think of it as a campy, over-the-top read because there was a lot that did not make sense to me. (view spoiler)[Why didn’t Addison tell Krysta about the stalker? She didn’t even talk to her agent or lawyer about the threat from the blackmailer! In what world would that make sense?! How does being such an organized person jive with disobeying Krysta’s rules? Surely someone needs more than an assistant if they’re hosting a cruise? Addison never interacts with the captain or other staff, which is extremely unrealistic. (hide spoiler)]
This doesn't at all deal with the ethics of a bodyguard and client hooking up, which is a big yikes in my book. Then after the inevitable fallout of Addison’s actions (view spoiler)[she doesn’t have to grovel one iota, even though she massively screwed up for no good reason. Krysta almost immediately forgives her! I could never. (hide spoiler)] I wish it had been a full novel so everything could have had more time to breathe. I wanted to know so much more about Addison and Krysta.
Characters: Addison is a 33 year old white bisexual influencer and ex-singer. Krysta is a white bodyguard and former stuntwoman. This is set on a cruise ship.
Content notes: stalker, blackmail, attempted physical assault, secondary character poisons shrimp so cast will get food poisoning, vomit (secondary characters), seasickness, ankle sprain, bodyguard-client relationship (Krysta almost immediately breaks her rule of not dating clients; no discussion of how this could impact Addison’s safety), closeted MC (no forced outing), past allergic reaction to skin serum, past death of Krysta’s parents, past parental divorce, parental pressure for grandchildren, on page sex, power exchange, public sex, sex toy, alcohol (secondary characters), gendered pejorative, hyperbolic language around suicide and addiction, references to cesarean in Twilight-inspired musical...more
An ambitious second installment of this fantasy series exploring the process of decolonization. Luca and Touraine have their own aims when it comes toAn ambitious second installment of this fantasy series exploring the process of decolonization. Luca and Touraine have their own aims when it comes to what will happen next for the Qazāli and Balladairans. The Qazāli have wrested back their freedom but their country is in shambles and in need of food as they figure out how to rebuild. Meanwhile, Luca must try to outwit her uncle who seeks to keep her throne, while all the nobles judge her harshly for “losing” the colony. Meanwhile she’s asked Touraine to come back to Balladaire to help her—and the Council has told Touraine to use Luca’s feelings for her to help them get food and supplies.
There is a lot happening and even more to come. With multiple POVs, it could be tricky to keep track of at times and not every POV (*cough* Fili) is as developed as it needs to be. But when you’re talking about decolonization, how can CL Clark not reach for the stars? It’s a massive undertaking and the author explores it from a number of angles, making for one compelling, albeit violent, story. Much more is to come in book 3, thanks to Pruett’s actions.
That said, I don’t buy the romance between Touraine and Luca at all. It’s not earned and they don’t trust each other so how can they be declaring their love? It’s not a healthy relationship given where they started as colonizer-colonized. I want to believe in them together but the power imbalance—and differing goals—is real.
Characters: Touraine is a lesbian Qazāli lieutenant in her mid-20s. Luca is a disabled 28 year old Balladairan princess who wears glasses.
Content notes: emotionally abusive uncle, child physical and emotional abuse, child torture and imprisonment, murder of child (poison), self-harm for blood magic and to practice healing, PTSD, cannibalism, missing child, past and present death of loved ones, assassination attempts, murder, attempted murder, torture, physical assault, violence, abuse and execution of prisoner, past and present battles and casualties, captivity, book burning, palace fire, funeral pyre, skeleton, past child sacrifice, past burning of ships with passengers to contain plague, MC uses a cane and experiences chronic pain (horse trampled her leg), lacerations, broken arm (secondary character), infected gunshot wound (secondary character), colonialism, racism, racial slurs, misogyny, crop plague, food poverty and weight loss, homophobia, classism, past forced child removal from home by colonizer, past death of Luca’s parents, secondary characters missing limbs, vomit, on page sex, alcohol, inebriation (secondary character), hookah, cigarettes, gendered pejorative, ableist language, hyperbolic language around suicide, mention of soldier who died by suicide (past)
Messy, messy, messy. I can only handle an infidelity plot if it’s going to eventually turn into a polyamorous relationship between all involved. I’m sMessy, messy, messy. I can only handle an infidelity plot if it’s going to eventually turn into a polyamorous relationship between all involved. I’m sure it’ll all turn out okay in the end but in the meantime, I was beyond frustrated with Isolde and Tristan’s carelessness and selfishness. I still don’t believe (view spoiler)[Mark didn’t know all along and even orchestrate things between them. My hope/belief is that he does know but he had to feign disbelief as part of his master plan to catch the mole in his organization and to deal with Ys. (hide spoiler)] I really hope I’m right.
There was a lot going on here. Too much, honestly. I’m not convinced the Ys plot was necessary, though I did enjoy the nods to the characters from Sherwood. I’m down for an eventual Ys series but it doesn’t quite align with my ideas about Mark, Tristan, and Isolde. However, in Sierra I trust so I will do my best to enjoy the ride. I would have been perfectly fine with a closer focus on the triad at hand and the threats introduced in the first book. The Catholic church and Uncle Mortimer alone would have held my attention! Let the record reflect Mortimer is the worst and I’m basically screaming at Isolde to wake up and smell the coffee. Which brings me to my other issue. In Salt Kiss, I absolutely bought Isolde’s competency and was eager to see how her mind worked in this installment. Instead, we’re dragged into a morass of insecurities, religious mortification, and internalized kink-shaming. Now sure, we all contain multitudes and the image we present to the world is not necessarily how our brains operate. But I was still expecting Isolde to be a badass instead of questioning her judgment on anything and everything. (view spoiler)[Her duty to God is basically brainwashing by her spymaster uncle who groomed her to become a saint aka use her to murder the people he decides while calling it holy. (hide spoiler)] That is a tricky needle to thread and it just didn’t come together for me or add up based on what we’ve known of Isolde up to this point. But I recognize Isolde’s issues could be stirring up my own religious baggage and I may not be looking at her character clearly. I just so badly want badass Ice Queen Isolde to be present and accounted for instead of making one rookie mistake after another.
Normally I love Sierra’s prose—and I still do. But it was a titch overwritten and tended to be more purple than I associate with her. This may be related to my dislike of the way Tristan and Isolde beat themselves up for nonsense reasons, who can say.
Middle books can be tricky and Honey Cut is no exception. How are these three going to become a three?? We know they're kink-compatible but as to the rest, whew. This particular series really hinges on Mark and whatever happens next. Perhaps it will upend my expectations and understanding of the previous three books. I absolutely believe this is possible and I can’t wait to find out.
Characters: Tristan is a 29 year old bisexual white bodyguard, army combat veteran, and a virgin. Mark is a 36 year old bisexual white kink club owner, Dom, ex-CIA, and Ranger veteran. Isolde is a 22 year old bisexual Catholic white art and antiquities firm employee, spy and assassin for the Catholic church, and karate and krav maga practitioner. This is set in Lyonesse and DC.
Content notes: intimate partner violence (view spoiler)[at the very end, FMC has been charged to kill her husband but she doesn’t want to. Mark catches her going through his belongings and after a confrontation, she knocks Mark out with the end of her knife, instead of cutting his throat. (hide spoiler)], infidelity (view spoiler)[Isolde and Mark agree to be faithful once they’re married. However, Isolde and Tristan have sex a few times after the wedding and they are caught. (hide spoiler)], Isolde assigned to kill priests who covered up sexual abuse by other priests, PTSD, nightmares, hyperventilation, murder, torture of secondary character, past assassination attempt of Mark (stabbed in the shoulder), Tristan killed his best friend while deployed to prevent him from assassinating the Carpathian leader and her family (past), past death of Mark’s husband (reported as “friendly fire” while he was on assignment), internalized kink-shaming, religious abuse via FMC’s uncle, past religious homophobia and sexual shaming, emotional neglect by Isolde and Tristan’s fathers, past death of parents (Mark’s parents, Tristan’s mother, Isolde’s mother), past death of friends/platoon members, professional ethics violation (bodyguards should not have a sexual relationship with their clients), past military service and deployment, pregnant secondary character, unsafe sex practices (Isolde and Tristan don’t use a condom for penetrative sex without discussion of STI prevention; Isolde and Mark do not use a condom and are tested regularly at Lyonesse but it is not clear that Tristan is, plus they are cheating so Mark is unaware of this risk), on page sex, D/s, MMF menage, sadism, degradation play, praise kink, mild breeding kink, impact play, pain play, bondage, biting, exhibitionism, voyeurism, phone sex, public sex, orgasm control, anal play, masturbation, sex toys, kink club setting, alcohol, cigarettes (secondary character), ableist language, hyperbolic language around addiction
Disclosure: I’m friendly with the author online....more
Tempest was amazing. Tristan not so much, due to his weak handling of his catty ex. That whole subplot took up too much page time and added nothing beTempest was amazing. Tristan not so much, due to his weak handling of his catty ex. That whole subplot took up too much page time and added nothing beyond showing how comfortable both MCs are with being misogynist.
I could have read a whole book about Tempest’s former assassin-turned-candlemaker life and skipped the romance. This is the first book in a series but it’s really a spinoff from whatever book was about Tempest’s mentor, where presumably readers learned about what the Garden actually was. More explanation about Tempest’s life in the Garden would have gone a long way.
Characters: Tempest is a Black ex-assassin and candle shop owner. Tristan is a 30 year old Black tattoo artist, occasional security guard, and military veteran. He has a 13 year old daughter named Kiara. This is set in Mahogany Heights.
Content notes: street sexual harassment of 13 year old girl by a man and older boys, Evil Ex trope, sexual harassment, PTSD, physical assault, casual and overt misogyny, needle (tattoo), forgetting to eat, N-word (not a slur), FMC doesn’t know who her parents were, on page sex, alcohol, inebriation (secondary character), marijuana, gendered pejoratives, gender essentialism, ableist language (including “spazzing”)...more
Messy AF erotic historical romance. Edward and Nora are 100% sexually compatible—this is some of the best humiliation kink I’ve read in a while—but roMessy AF erotic historical romance. Edward and Nora are 100% sexually compatible—this is some of the best humiliation kink I’ve read in a while—but romantically? Well. Let’s just say Edward doesn’t want to let Nora go as his sex worker-of-choice but he’s also focused on shoring up his wealth and reputation by marrying someone in the peerage. (If you don’t like seeing love interests have sex with other people, this is not the book for you.) Poor Nora decides she’ll take what she can get from him, eventually agreeing to be his mistress for one year.
Structured in three parts, we see how their relationship grows and falls apart and then comes back together. In addition to Edward and Nora’s POV, we also get chapters from Edward’s wife Catherine and his business partner Mr. Smith. While Edward is in no way a good husband to her, Catherine was truly the worst and I hated being in her head. She was a spoiled marquess’s daughter and treated everyone abominably. I wish she’d gotten some kind of comeuppance after the havoc she wreaked. While Smith’s chapters moved the story forward, Catherine’s POV bogged the story down and the middle dragged a bit as a result until (view spoiler)[she and Edward divorce and go their separate ways. (hide spoiler)] Nora does have a chance to forge her own life and I really appreciated this aspect. As much as she enjoyed being a sex worker, her true passion is being an artist and I loved watching her pursue her dream. It also gives Edward a chance to wake up and smell the coffee. He has a lot to make up for and the story gives him space to do so.
I was really enjoying this until around 75% when the author chose to take an unnecessary turn. (view spoiler)[Nora’s ex-lover rapes her as revenge for her breaking up with him. (hide spoiler)] Not only did this happen close to the end, it was in the middle of what had been a lovely (and sexy) epistolary exchange with Edward as he tries to win her back. It interrupted the flow of their reconciliation and felt like an unnecessary wrench to prolong their separation. Nora didn’t properly process what happened to her either. I also didn’t care for (view spoiler)[Nora’s estranged parents being brought back in. There was no call for that, regardless of Catherine’s machinations. (hide spoiler)]
While the execution wasn’t quite there, this was still a hot and steamy read. Even better: Nora was a compelling character and I’m glad I got to experience her.
Characters: Nora is a 23 year old bisexual white sex worker and artist. Edward is a 41 year old bisexual white merchant. This is set in 1868 London.
Content notes: rape by ex-lover, intimate partner violence (lover slams FMC into a bureau; MMC’s wife slaps him and throws marble statue at him; MMC is controlling of FMC), suicide attempt (secondary character), infidelity (MMC continues relationship on with FMC after he gets married without wife’s knowledge, statutory rape (MMC’s wife is 17 to his 41, underage clients for FMC, FMC was 15 years old when she became a sex worker, MMC was 15 when the squire he worked for asked him to have sex with his wife), FMC and wife have sex without MMC’s knowledge), workplace abuse (brothel madam overworks FMC in revenge for turning down mistress arrangement and gives her a bad client who physically and sexually assaults her), alcoholism (secondary character), sex worker shaming (MMC is jealous of FMC’s clients), reproductive assault (MMC’s wife does not want to have a baby but has no say in having sex with him or the pregnancy that results), pregnancy and forced miscarriage (MMC’s wife), likely infertility (FMC has never gotten pregnant through her years as a sex worker), family planning discussion (possibly pursue adoption), divorce, FMC is a sex worker, internalized biphobia, biphobia, mild internalized kink-shaming, slut-shaming, sexism, misogyny, ageism, weight loss, fatphobia, fatshaming (secondary character), needle (genital piercings), death of regular patron/client, classism, past childhood poverty, past corporal punishment (secondary character), vomit, parental estrangement (FMC knows her parents would judge her for being a sex worker; (view spoiler)[they come back into her life due to secondary character’s revenge and still judge her but she’s trying to have a relationship with them anyway (hide spoiler)]), toxic family (secondary character), substance abuse (secondary character’s brother), theft by MMC’s wife who then blames the maid (MMC knows she’s lying), past death of mistress (secondary character), orphan (MMC never knew his parents), dubious consent (FMC never feels she can say no to MMC’s wife), on page sex, D/s, humiliation kink, impact play, pain play, bondage, orgasm control, voyeurism, FFM menage, DP (not MCs), erotic paintings, anal play, chastity belt, sex toys, alcohol, inebriation, excessive drinking, cigar (secondary character), virginity shaming/compulsory sexuality, gendered pejoratives, gender essentialist language, ableist language, hyperbolic language around suicide, sex compared to addiction, mention of secondary character’s wife who died in childbirth...more
Rival art thieves—who had a hot night together three years ago—face off when they’re both tasked with stealing photographs from an upcoming exhibit atRival art thieves—who had a hot night together three years ago—face off when they’re both tasked with stealing photographs from an upcoming exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago. Due to a misunderstanding, Sloane and Jillian have relished sabotaging each other since parting ways. They are the embodiment of “thou doth protest too much.” This was SO GOOD!!!
The characters are sharp blades (ice royalty!!) and good at what they do. They dance around each other as they plan their respective heist and figure out how they can beat the other person at their own game. I cannot tell you how delicious this level of competency was. Should I have been cheering for art thieves this hard? I sure as hell did because they are thieves with a moral code who recognize how many museums and private collectors have ill-gotten gains. Sloane and Jillian have their own way of giving back and restoring justice. It just happens to be funded by theft.
The Art Institute of Chicago is my favorite museum so I could not have been more thrilled to read about a heist set there. I think this would be just as enjoyable even if you’ve never visited but being able to picture the different parts of the museum added to my enjoyment. Although I did laugh at how they kept calling the Bean “Cloud Gate.” LOL no one here calls it that!
I loved how inclusive this world was despite having so few characters. Sloane is nonbinary and while there are some nods to the care they take in public, there’s no misgendering. Add in a couple of twists and some close calls and you have a complete winner of a romantic suspense. Sloane and Jillian finally realizing how much time they’ve wasted? *Chef’s kiss*
Characters: Jillian is a 33 year old white art thief. Sloane is a nonbinary white art thief. This is set in Chicago.
Content notes: gunshot (blocked by vest), MCs sabotage each other (primarily past), family estrangement, Sloane’s parents’ company produced opioids (they destroyed the company), artist’s girlfriend went missing and was never found (past; (view spoiler)[by the end of the book, we learn she was an undercover agent and it was a honeypot setup (hide spoiler)]), past parental infidelity and substance abuse (secondary character’s deceased father), past childhood poverty, past death of secondary character’s parents, MCs do not want children (Jillian is on birth control), on page sex, alcohol, ableist language...more
Team Helen forever and always! She deserves 5 stars all on her own. This made me made me cry a bunch. It’s honestly a bummer to not be able to rate itTeam Helen forever and always! She deserves 5 stars all on her own. This made me made me cry a bunch. It’s honestly a bummer to not be able to rate it higher but that is all due to certain plot choices. After being cast out by her brother and society for being “ruined” and not playing along by their rules (and complete misunderstanding of the situation; see content notes below), she forges a new life out in the country. When her brother sends Stephen to get the lay of the land, it at first seems as if her brother is interested in reconciliation, even if he cowardly sent someone else in his stead. But no. Turns out he wants to do business with her ex-fiancé (and (view spoiler)[rapist (hide spoiler)]) but part of him wonders if Helen was telling the truth and so he wants to have a clean conscience. I hated her brother!!! He did not deserve reconciliation at all.
All I can say is Helen deserved better than Stephen and her brother. While Stephen did have some good moments, their efforts ultimately made everything worse. Including driving (view spoiler)[Henley to confront Helen while she’s alone. That could not have been more unnecessary. You don’t need to confront your rapist or abuser to prove anything! That choice really hampered my enjoyment. More care should have been taken with when Helen shared what happened six years ago and how it affected her now. (hide spoiler)] Plus, neither Steven nor her brother were honest about potentially working with Henley in the first place, even though Helen had said all she needed was everything to be out in the open. From there, the plot became unruly and predictable. Stephen was pretty clueless for someone who was so good at getting secrets out of people and he could be quite cruel when he felt slighted. I needed more time to see them recover from his choices in order to believe they’ll be happy together.
Helen was glorious. If only the rest of the book had been worthy of her.
Characters: Helen is a 23 year old white Earl’s sister and amateur archer. Stephen is a 31 year old white Earl. This is set in 1820 Bartle-on-the-Glen, England.
Content notes: past rape (view spoiler)[by FMC’s fiancé, she called off the wedding and came home but her brother would not believe her and the people at the house party spread rumors that she’d had sex with Henley willingly, thus being ruined. There are some very brief flashbacks and later she recounts the story to MMC. (hide spoiler)], on-page confrontation with rapist (FMC is safe but Henley refuses to leave until MMC arrives and makes him), PTSD, nightmares, FMC’s fiancé murdered a Traveler family (including a child) because they were on his land (past), MMC physically assaults and nearly murders FMC’s ex-fiancé, perceived infidelity (FMC sees MMC’s former paramour kiss him as they were getting closure over their past relationship), FMC is estranged from her brother and banished from society, slut-shaming, sexism, purity culture, Romani slur, classism, toxic family/emotional abuse by MMC’s mother, past miscarriage (secondary character), deaf secondary character (her family is ableist), sick child (weak lungs), orphan adopted by secondary characters (facilitated by FMC), past death of MMC’s brother (influenza), past death of FMC’s parents (illness + accident that caused stillbirth), past death of MMC’s father, vomit, family planning discussion (post-sex, after lack of contraception), on page sex, alcohol, casual acephobia, gender essentialism, ableist language
*Love it or Leighve it* (aka cleaning out my Nook) Purchased: 2018...more
This second chance romance was a delight to read, even if the execution didn’t quite come through for me. Readers will be best served by reading KamilThis second chance romance was a delight to read, even if the execution didn’t quite come through for me. Readers will be best served by reading Kamila Knows Best first, otherwise they might wonder why Jana is as bitter as she is. Because, y’all? She is completely justified in every bad thought she has toward Anil.
This starts out with Jana swooning over Anil as they get to know each other and begin to fall in love over the course of a couple of weeks. Until Jana finds out via a scathing anonymous text message that Anil is not, in fact, divorced like he said but married. She breaks up with him, heartbroken but determined to move forward, until she takes a pregnancy test and decides to continue the pregnancy.
Jana and Anil are great parents, first and foremost. Imani is well taken care of as she goes between their homes. Thanks to the magic of texting, parenting apps, and her mom taking care of the weekly handoffs, Jana rarely has to see Anil and therefore her anger has yet to abate. Because she was painted as a homewrecker by Anil’s ex-wife’s family, Jana lost her job and her standing in their community, on top of dealing with her mom’s disappointment. Plus, Anil was AWFUL to her during Kamila Knows Best—this book would have been better served by including some of that awfulness here because we don’t meet the same Anil four years later. If you haven’t read (or don’t remember) the previous book, you’ll only see how much growing up he’s done and how he’s tried to help Jana where he can and wonder why she's such a bitch to him. Even with those positive changes, it doesn’t mean Jana should give him a second chance. She was done wrong!!
I was hoping this would be a grovel novel but it’s not, nor is it really about him trying to win her back. He wants them to have a more civil relationship for Imani’s sake as she’s starting to pick up on Jana’s intense dislike of him. When they both wind up on a two week-long destination wedding in Tanzania, it’s the most time they’ve spent together in person since they originally were together. That softens some things for Jana, along with how she’s trying to get out of her comfort zone in her personal life anyway. Still, that doesn’t necessarily mean Anil should be anything more than a co-parent.
It’s a big undertaking, one that sometimes got lost in the more romcom shenanigans (blerg), instead of focusing on Jana letting her guard down and Anil showing he never stopped caring for her all these years. I didn’t begrudge him a romance with Jana but I do wish he’d made an actual case for why she should give him another chance after the way he broke her trust and the ramifications on her reputation. The burden was completely on Jana when it should have been the other way around.
I was relieved when, very far into the book, the romance finally kicked in and it seemed like things were headed in the right direction. That’s why (view spoiler)[I was ticked off when we’re made to think Anil is back together with his ex-wife thanks to a Facebook photo. It could not have been more contrived. Having a low moment that late in the book when it had taken so long for me to even think Jana and Anil might have a shot really took the wind out of the sails. (hide spoiler)] Just let Jana and Anil start fresh!! Show me that they both really have changed and deserve this! At that point, I was ready to ship Jana straight to therapy. She would have benefited from it either way but that plot choice made her look like (react) the bad guy and that made me question whether she really was ready for this and even why Anil was still interested. He should go to therapy too, while we're at it.
It wound up not being what I was hoping for but I had a hard time putting it down. Such is Farah Heron’s gift.
Characters: Jana is a 32 year old Indian Tanzanian Candadian woman working in international development. Anil is a 38 year old bald Indian Tanzanian American man who wears glasses. They co-parent their 4 year old daughter Imani. This is set in Toronto and Tanzania.
Content notes: infidelity (MMC told FMC he was divorced when they got together but he was still married, just hadn’t been able to find his wife in order to serve the papers. His ex-wife cheated on him with a previous boyfriend., unplanned pregnancy, cultural shaming for FMC being an unwed mother (this also led to her losing her job), purity culture and slut-shaming (countered), toxic mother, workplace sexism, past homophobia from family (secondary character), past divorce (MMC), secondary characters got together when he was a professor and she was a student (much older now; they divorced and eventually got back together), past death of FMC’s father (heart attack), past shoplifting, pregnant secondary character, vomit, on page sex, alcohol, inebriation (secondary character), past marijuana (secondary character), gendered pejorative, gender essentialist language, ableist language...more
LOL obviously I’m going to say more. When sex worker Poppy wakes up and discovers she’CW: intimate partner violence
Sapphic vampires, need I say more?
LOL obviously I’m going to say more. When sex worker Poppy wakes up and discovers she’s been turned into a vampire, her first reaction is to bemoan not being able to eat or drink anymore and querying what she’ll do for work if she can’t give blow jobs anymore. Such a refreshing change of pace! Poppy is a hopeful yet chaotic soul and adds some levity, as well as a good counter for buttoned up Roisin.
Alas, there were pacing issues throughout the middle. It was more vibes than plot until we get toward the end when the action kicked into high gear. Poppy and Roisin are away from each other for the bulk of it, while Roisin tries to go after Cane, her abusive ex and the vampire who originally took Poppy. It was difficult for me to buy the depth of feeling Poppy had for Roisin or to believe Roisin returned those feelings and they could be sustained after so many years apart. Part of that was due to how much of a martyr Roisin was and how impatient and self-centered Poppy was.
The ending went off the rails a bit too much for me. (view spoiler)[I totally called that Cane spied through the evil eye that Sarah wore as a necklace. They should have buried that thing or tossed it in the sea! Not kept it around for all their planning sessions and travels. (hide spoiler)] After all those pages, I wish more of the story had focused on trauma recovery for all of the characters and that we could have seen what normal day to day life was like for Poppy and Roisin now that they’re on a more even playing ground.
The secondary characters that make up The Brood are superb, especially Valentin, Sarah, and Carmen. Carmen is trans and stole just about every scene she’s in. She was riveting and I’d read a whole book about her.
While this wasn’t as strong of a vampire romance as I’d prefer, there’s a lot of promise in the writing. I look forward to seeing what this author does next.
Note: this heavily deals with partner violence, primarily by Roisin’s ex and the hold Cane continues to have over her. But Roisin also hits Poppy during an argument. They’re not together but this occurs during Poppy’s first year as a vampire and Roisin knows Poppy wants her. It’s not treated as partner violence but it absolutely is. Nothing happens along those again between them but they’re also apart for most of the middle of the story. I really wish that had not been included or if it was purposeful, that it had been dealt with more overtly.
Characters: Poppy is a 20 year old fat (possibly bisexual) white British sex worker, newly turned vampire, Switch, and future (view spoiler)[baker/chef (hide spoiler)]. She has dyslexia. Roisin is a 218 year old (appears to be in 20s) lesbian white Irish vampire and submissive. This is set in 1837 rural England and London, 1853 Dorset, 1868 Paris, and 1871 Transylvania.
Content notes: intimate partner violence (view spoiler)[Roisin hit Poppy before they’re involved but they both have feelings for each other. Roisin’s ex was emotionally abusive and erased her memories of her childhood and family, killed her girlfriend in front of her and kills similar-looking young girls to mess with Roisin since she left (hide spoiler)], Roisin plans to die by suicide if she has to go back to her ex, self-harm (secondary character), past enslavement by villain/ex-partner (kept Roisin in her thrall), murder, attempted murder, physical assault, burning from sunlight, institutionalization (friends break her out), mesmerism/control by villain, possession (secondary character), corpse, animal death, butchering animals, broken bones, blood drinking, hemorrhaging, Poppy was turned into a vampire without her consent (Cane almost killed her, (view spoiler)[as a way of tormenting Roisin. Roisin turned Poppy (hide spoiler)]), MC with previously undiagnosed dyslexia, internalized ableism, past ableism by teacher, past fatshaming, past death of families, past plague, tattoo, vomit, Roisin frequently dresses in men’s clothes, cross-dressing secondary characters (women dressed in men’s clothes), trans secondary character, sex worker MC and secondary character, past war, past childhood poverty, on page sex, D/s, praise kink, edging, harness and strap-on, beach sex, masturbation, alcohol, gendered pejoratives, ableist language...more
As a long-time reader of Kit Rocha, I was thrilled when they announced they were writing fantasy romance! But the results weren’t at all what I was exAs a long-time reader of Kit Rocha, I was thrilled when they announced they were writing fantasy romance! But the results weren’t at all what I was expecting. This didn’t have the same gripping quality of their previous work, instead mimicking the pace of a fantasy tome, which is to say this was slow-going. It wasn’t bad but I wasn’t ever particularly gripped. I didn’t think it was possible to be bored by one of their books and yet here we are. It was very repetitive and I’m not sure I really understand the world-building.
At the same time, the ingredients were there. I liked all the characters. I was invested in how this could possibly become an HEA: Sachi is cursed to die if she or Zanya don’t manage to kill Ash. However, I wasn’t ever eager to pick it back up until I got to 80% when the external conflict finally kicked into gear.
The High Court was fantastic and I was intrigued by all of their backstories. Zanya’s ability to take away nightmares was the literal embodiment of “sleep better with you.” (This was about the only time I really enjoyed Zanya; her characterization needed more nuance because while I understood she was reacting out of trauma, I really did not understand why she wouldn’t heed Sachi’s wishes.) Sachi felt a little too perfect. Ash was fascinating as a god and yet I’m still not clear on how he became a god or what his role actually is.
We don’t get to see the three of them in a connected relationship where there aren’t any secrets and no one is trying to kill Ash. And since Zanya has a boatload of trauma to work through and they should probably all earn trust back from one another, I’m not sure how solid the relationship is. This is the first book in a series so there’s room to grow but I believe I’ve heard the next book is about other characters. I’m not sure there was enough payoff for me to continue on with it, which is painful given how much I normally enjoy their books. I guess we’ll see if I change my tune once book 2 is released.
Characters: Sachi is a 25 year old bisexual princess, consort, and orphan. Zanya is a 25 year old bisexual handmaid and assassin. Ash the Dragon is a 3000+ year old bisexual god.
Content notes: intimate partner violence (Zanya attempts to assassinate MMC due to the curse on Sachi’s life but monster attack interrupts), codependency (Zanya does not have a healthy relationship with Sachi), self-harm/suicide ((view spoiler)[Sachi sacrifices herself but Zanya brings her back to life; prior to that, MMC was provoking Zanya to kill him so he could sacrifice himself (hide spoiler)]), physical and emotional abuse by priest, past sexual assault of Zanya (powerful men trying to take advantage of a servant; she gives them nightmares and never sees them again), nightmares, past child physical and emotional abuse, past death of consorts, past assassination attempts by consort, drug assault, blood curse, murder, slut-shaming by priest, past massacre (FMCs were the only survivors), past death of families, Sachi is an orphan who was adopted by the king at age 7, secondary character missing an arm, celibacy (MMC for 100 years), family planning discussion (unclear if High Court can procreate), on page sex, FFM menage, orgy, pain play, dragon fire play, voyeurism, mating bite, alcohol, aphrodisiac wine, inebriation (secondary characters), gender essentialism, ableist language...more
Blaze is the absolute worse. My only hope is that Maisy wised up after this novella ended and dumped Blaze for good. And then cut ties with her awful Blaze is the absolute worse. My only hope is that Maisy wised up after this novella ended and dumped Blaze for good. And then cut ties with her awful parents while she’s at it. Her parents’ mistreatment of her is probably why she so easily forgave Blaze without Blaze doing anything to make up for (view spoiler)[outing Maisy for the sake of a paparazzi photo (hide spoiler)]. Personally, I would have blocked Blaze’s number and been done for good. But since this is a romance, she at least should have had to grovel until the end of time. Blaze’s callous disregard for anything outside of herself made me so angry and I’m not convinced she understands how badly she screwed up, nor do I believe she won’t do it again. She did not deserve an HEA.
Less importantly but still annoying: this had so many logistical issues. I wouldn’t recommend this because I hated Blaze but I especially wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who follows the Olympics (what the Snow and Ice Games are based on). The idea of (view spoiler)[a skater changing her program at the very last second during what will be her final competition?! Without telling her coach?! I cannot. Similarly, Blaze is injured during an event and is thrilled that photographers are taking pictures of her bloody head because apparently any publicity is better than medaling. She was the worst. (hide spoiler)] I also didn’t find the sex scenes hot, which is a shame since that’s at least half of this novella. Blaze being polyamorous and Maisy being monogamous needed more development too in order for me to believe Maisy would ultimately be okay with sharing Blaze.
I’ve enjoyed other books by this author but this was a colossal miss.
Characters: Blaze is a polyamorous bisexual white American short track speed skater and a Switch. Maisy is a lesbian white Canadian figure skater and a Domme. This is set during the Snow and Ice Games.
Content notes: forced outing of FMC by other FMC (view spoiler)[first time: Blaze kisses Maisy in public without knowing if she’s out. second time: Blaze tells a paparazzi photographer where she’ll be so she can get coverage and purposefully kisses Maisy at an SIG event, thus outing Maisy. And she doesn’t seem to ever get how low of a blow that was. (hide spoiler)], toxic and homophobic parents, sexual shaming (internalized and external), perceiving infidelity (view spoiler)[Maisy sees a sock on Blaze’s door and immediately assumes Blaze is cheating on her, even though she has a roommate. It is in fact the roommate’s. (hide spoiler)], slut-shaming by Maisy (countered), polyamory-phobia, head wound (crashed during race), on page sex, light D/s, strap-on, vaginal fisting, sex toys, alcohol, casual ableism, “lady parts” as euphemism, gendered pejoratives, gender essentialism, ableist language, hyperbolic language around suicide
*Love it or Leighve it* (aka cleaning out my Kindle)
Purchased: 2020 Why did I buy it? JenReadsRomance recommended it and said it was hot. Reader, it was not....more
A fantastic marriage-in-trouble Thanksgiving romance novella. Margie and Mitch’s marriage has deteriorated over the course of their 20 years together A fantastic marriage-in-trouble Thanksgiving romance novella. Margie and Mitch’s marriage has deteriorated over the course of their 20 years together but now they’re at the point of no return. When all their guests back out of Thanksgiving dinner last minute, Mitch seizes the opportunity to get his wife to talk.
With flashbacks to when they first met and how things slowly went awry, we see the mistakes and misunderstandings in clear light. While it’s true that Margie wasn’t a perfect wife despite the image she presents to the world as the leader of the astronaut wives, the lion’s share of the blame is on Mitch due to his career and other choices he made. Marriage is also a choice and I really enjoyed seeing them finally be honest with each other and make the choice to still be together. It’s not an easy, straightforward process but it makes for an earned and very satisfying HEA.
Characters: Margie is a white astronaut’s wife who leads all the other astronaut wives. Mitch is a white astronaut and Army Air Force vet. They’re in their 40s and have been married 20 years. They have six children: Tom (18), Hazel, Annie (14), Ricky, and twins Sherry and unnamed. This is set in 1965 Houston, TX with flashbacks to 1945 George Army Airfield in Illinois, 1946 Muroc Air Force Base in California, 1951 Neelis Air Force Base in Nevada, 1955 Vanderberg Air Force Base in Florida, and 1961 Cape Canaveral, FL.
Content notes: infidelity (MMC kisses another woman with the intent of having sex but can’t go through with it; when he tells FMC years later, she doesn’t view it as breaking their vows because he didn’t have sex), rocket explosion, past military funerals, past deployments and war, ageism, sexism, pregnancy announcement, pregnant secondary character, past death of FMC’s parents, on page sex, alcohol, inebriation, hangover, cigarettes, gendered pejorative, gender essentialism, ableist language, hyperbolic language around suicide...more