Tag: fiction

Review: Isn’t It Obvious? by Rachel Runya Katz

Robin3 Comments

Rating: 5 out of 5.

High school librarian and part time podcaster Yael Koenig never expected The Sophomore English Agenda, her podcast exploring the high school reading list, to gain any traction online. But seeing as it’s her side gig and its popularity has skyrocketed, she now needs to hire someone to help in its production. Enter Ravi “Kevin” Kissoon, a freelance editor and producer who recently moved to Portland to help his brother Suresh raise his four year old daughter. Working together on the podcast remotely, Ravi and Yael communicate entirely via email, which soon spirals into non-work related chats as the two strike up a friendship. Unbeknownst to the two of them, Ravi and Yael have met before, when he made a desperate escape out of her second story window after a disastrous one night stand with her roommate, Charlie. When Ravi turns up at her afterschool queer book club as the new library volunteer, Yael is certain nothing could be worse, but her hatred is short-lived as Ravi is surprisingly charming and his presence is good for the students. Just as Yael and Ravi fall hard in person, their online identities are revealed, and reconciling two identities into one may be impossible, even where true love is concerned.

I needed a book that was proudly pro library in these trying times and Isn’t It Obvious answered the call, while asking the question, what if we romanced each other over email while hating each other at queer book club? Yael, a librarian with a secret podcast critiquing the high school reading list, with witty titles such as “A Lack of Reading Comprehension Is a Prerequisite for Serving in Congress,” grates against her new library volunteer. Ravi, a freelance editor precariously balancing a new life, is more than a tad desperate to convince the roommate of his latest hookup that he isn’t an asshole, even continuing to volunteer at her queer book club. With hidden identities and exquisite tension in the library, Isn’t it Obvious puts romance on the books and every single page sings with hate to love goodness. Rachel Runya Katz was a relatively new to me author as of this year, but she has quickly become an unrivaled talent and one of my favorite romance authors in the contemporary romance scene. Isn’t It Obvious, her third novel, is undoubtedly the best romance of this year. Not just the library representation we deserve, but a reminder of the power in these spaces especially for the queer youth of today, and how much we stand to gain from reaching for love in spite of our supposed shortcomings.

Isn’t It Obvious details the love story between a librarian and her new book club volunteer and overall nuisance (who she hates if you didn’t know) while they unexpectedly fall for each other online. Rachel Runya Katz takes the concept of a secret identity and gives it a queer You’ve Got Mail twist, but set primarily within a library that screams out a profound love letter to these spaces. Over the course of just one romance novel, Runya Katz follows two individuals juggling their mental health, familial, and career responsibilities, all while falling hard for the last person they should ever want. Characters Yael and Ravi pretty much immediately charmed me—with their incessant arguing as one of them dangles precariously out of a second floor window while attempting to flee a misguided hookup. Hating each other in person, flirting over email, Yael and Ravi build trust and vulnerability with humor and tremendous feeling. In fact, as we get to know these characters, the correspondence via email gets even funnier. Like Ravi, my sweet summer child, signing off an emotional email with “best wishes,” which is so on point for him I cried laughing. Isn’t It Obvious deftly balances all the best aspects of the romance novel, the humor, the depth, the longing, and it brings new meaning to the word “romance” entirely.

In Isn’t It Obvious even mundane actions somehow manage to be so exquisitely agonizingly hot, and that is for one reason and one reason only, two people that hate each other so very much. Ravi and Yael wanted absolutely nothing to do with each other and god if that wasn’t a palpable feeling from the start. Rachel Runya Katz takes every opportunity to make these two confront each other, with exquisite interactions that straddle the line between love and hate. With a background like theirs it’s no wonder every interaction hinges on something more. Even helping each other shelve library books was terribly sexy and had my jaw on the floor. And wrist touches may be the new hand flex because Ravi made that into a whole art. So much of what I love about the hate to love trope is someone seeing you at your worst and still deciding you are worth the effort and that is the crux of the story Rachel Runya Katz designs. Yael, a young woman living with Bipolar disorder has always been treated as “too much” and newly minted Portlander Ravi is convinced he has taken on too much to ever have a serious relationship. I love the idea that we don’t have to be perfect to reach for the love we deserve at any time, which is essential to Yael and Ravi’s romance arc. These two really bring the chaos together and I’d expect nothing less from two bisexuals who got off to a rough start.

I could easily wax poetic about Isn’t It Obvious until the end of time. It is that good of a romance. It gladdens me to know that these kinds of books exist—unapologetically queer, neurodiverse, BIPOC, and jewish all at once. So many scenes from this novel will stick with me for all time, like the drag performance scene, Ravi and Yael talking in the car after taking Leo home, and Ravi’s love confession. In hand with her romance, Rachel Runya Katz devotes significant attention to the importance of libraries in creating community for queer youth. Ravi and Yael both get to be elders for the next queer generation which honestly made me tear up a little, particularly during the epilogue. The book club scenes in this made me want to pull up a chair and offer my thoughts on the current queer book and argue on the next one (clearly I just need to join a book club). Rachel Runya Katz has written one of my all time favorite romances and books to ever exist. Period. Isn’t It Obvious rightfully romanticizes the wrist touch, the book club rivalry, lit crit podcasts, and of course, libraries and falling for your nemesis. It is a beacon for anyone out there longing for love but determined to be perfect to have it. Know that your time is now. 

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me the advance review copy.

Trigger warnings: homophobia, parental abandonment, mental health disorder

Preorder a copy – Out 21st October

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Review: Gabriela and His Grace by Liana De la Rosa

Robin1 Comment

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Gabriela Luna Valdés has long felt the odd one out. Since fleeing France’s occupation of Mexico and making her way to London with her two eldest sisters, Gabi has sought to carve out meaning in her new life. Yet, as her eldest sisters have all married and gone on to contribute politically to Mexico back home and abroad, Gabi cannot help but feel adrift. The only constant in all of this is Gabriela’s years-long enemy, Sebastian Brooks, the Duke of Whitfield. A rake of the highest order, Sebastian charmed Gabi and just as quickly lost all her regard on the night of their meeting. After a scandal leaves her with no choice but to flee London, Gabriela intends to return to Mexico. Who should be called to provide a watchful eye on the ship bearing her home but her nemesis. Avoidance is impossible with the ship forcing them into close quarters, but outside of the expectations of London society Gabriela and Sebastian soon discover how little they actually know each other, and the sizzling chemistry underlying their years of hatred. But with Gabi’s family expecting a politically advantageous marriage, Sebastian is the last person she could ever have, and choosing him means standing in a life of her own design if she can first follow her heart.

Two enemies get the close proximity treatment in Gabriela and His Grace, a historical romance novel concerning misperception, rebellion, and forging your path against all odds. A historical series staking claim on an untapped portion of Mexican history, set within the regency, and centered around resistance and sisterhood, The Luna Sisters is a historical romance trilogy unlike any other. This being my first experience reading Liana De la Rosa, Gabriela and His Grace completely transformed my views on what makes a good historical romance, and how historical periods can best be examined and interrogated. In Gabriela and His Grace, Liana De la Rosa focuses on the end years of the illegal occupation of Mexico by the French as her heroine travels home to a world transformed. Gabriela Luna Valdés meets her match in the dually irritating and intriguing Duke of Whitfield, a man predisposed to push her buttons and enliven her to a plethora of new possibilities. These two battle their beliefs and lay waste to their plans, all while engaging in various arguments, heated dances, and there-was-only-one-room-on-a-ship trope. Gabriela and His Grace is a liberating novel in all regards and Gabriela and Sebastian’s love story is everything you could possibly want from a historical romance.

Gabriela and His Grace was my first escapade into the works of Liana De la Rosa and it was enough to have me clawing at my chest and racing to read her entire backlist. Hate to love, when done well, just reminds me of the power in great love stories and that was absolutely the case with the third Luna Sisters novel. Sebastian and Gabi had swoon worthy levels of chemistry from the start, even as they are sniping at each other, desperate to escape one another’s orbit on a ship where that is impossible. A very niche thing I enjoy in romance novels is scenes where one character sees another unguarded. I love witnessing characters removed from their comforts so much that the facades come down and that is central to Gabi and Sebastian’s romance. The beginning scenes on the ship, with Sebastian boisterously playing dice as Gabi looks on and their hopscotch moments, give way to deeper intimacy and the understanding that they were wrong about each other. Liana De la Rosa really works to make Sebastian and Gabriela see one another, and that in contrast to their upbringings made for some delicious conflict. 

Gabriela and Sebastian are a prime example of hate to love done right. These two have particular personalities that lead them to clash and then retreat way back at the beginning of this series. In this novel, De la Rosa unwinds her established dynamic, upstaging these two from their comforts as they confront how little they actually know each other. Liana De la Rosa does not rush a single bit of Gabriela and Sebastian’s romantic arc, leaving the first half of the novel for them to build trust and begin to deconstruct their flawed perceptions. What comes after is really the slowest of slow burns, which is just as I like it—heavy on the longing and comprised of an aching sort of affection. Romance is written into every single interaction no matter how small—with Sebastian vehemently standing up for Gabi when she’s not in the room, his nicknames, and their various shenanigans. These all build to a blazing moment on the ship back to London where De la Rosa excels at a tried and true trope within this genre and gifting us with hot, hot, hot scenes between her two characters. I say I’m above persuasion but it was the quote “grab the headboard, love” that had me first running to request this book. If that isn’t romance marketing at its finest, and representation of just how these two connect on all levels I don’t know what is.

Part of this novel’s excellence lies in its skillful balance between the history rendered and the development of its romance. Since this novel takes place between London and Mexico, there is an added layer to consider in addition to the general intertwining of romance with history that the genre entails. Gabriela and His Grace windows into a part of history long uncovered within this genre, of France’s illegal occupation of Mexico during the late nineteenth century and the lives of those working to call attention and oust the occupying forces. The glimpses into the Luna family, innately embroiled in the resistance against the French were fascinating to read from. Liana De la Rosa entwines this tumultuous time in Mexican history with an exploration into home and how we can stand for our communities and ourselves. At the center of this is Gabriela who endeavors to find a place within a family of considerable personalities. Gabi’s journey to finding her voice and a path separate to that laid down by her domineering father is a powerful one, but held parallel to her relationship with Sebastian, is only that much more so.

Gabriela and His Grace is the kind of historical romance that doesn’t come around often, and one you cannot help but hold close for as long as you can. Liana De la Rosa’s talent has completely floored me and I’m afraid I will be making this the standard for all historical romances to follow—particularly hate to love—so take notes. The final Luna Sisters novel is an informative journey through a turbulent period of Mexico’s history and Liana De la Rosa handles this with such grace and skill. Knowing her intentions with this series just makes these novels all the more sweeping from its grounded history to the overarching romances. Gabi and Sebastian captivated me from the very beginning, embarking on a journey across oceans where avoidance slowly turns into affection and then lasting love. This really was the perfect romance. As an aside I don’t think I will be moving on from the sharing-one-bed-on-a-boat scenes, they were just so so hot (thank you Liana De la Rosa). This was a scrumdiddlyumptious romance, one I won’t be able to stop yelling about in the months to come.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy.

Trigger warnings: colonization, war, abuse (not on page, but mentioned), racism

Preorder a Copy – Out 26th August

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Let’s Talk: Fantasy Favorites Old and New

Robin1 Comment

It’s my first fantasy roundup of the new year *gasp* and I am so excited to share all of the speculative fiction I have enjoyed in this first quarter of 2025. Fantasy has come second to romance these past few months but the ones I have read have really stuck with me. I have continued the trend of moving through my backlist of advance copies while interspersing some rereads to keep me out of the dreaded reading slump. On the reread front, I reread Shardless and the Jasad Heir ahead of their sequels publishing this summer. There are so many new books out this year and it’s so hard to keep up with all of them so I am committed to checking in every few months on here just to move through my favorites. So let’s get to it here with a chaotic fantasy debut, THE best friends to lovers fae fantasy of all time (I’m serious), a romantic fantasy novel brimming with unhinged yearning, an epic fantasy debut involving the powers of the ancestors, and a gay murder mystery fantasy mashup.

The Prince Without Sorrow by Maithree Wijesekara

If you like your fantasy heavy on the chaos and the vengeance, then Maithree Wijesekara’s, The Prince Without Sorrow is the perfect book. A young prince destined to inherit a legacy of tyranny and violence, and a mayakari witch outcasted for her magic become entangled after a curse gone wrong kills the reigning emperor. Now The Prince Without Sorrow is pure chaos. Love me a book where the characters have no coherent plan and are just rolling with the punches and coming up with ideas on a complete whim and that was the essence of this debut in the best possible way. Wijesekara plays with the paths, chosen and inherited and the notion of legacy across her debut with such skill. I loved seeing these characters grapple with their morality as they endeavour to right the past and be different from their predecessors. Shakti in particular struggles with the pacifism of the Mayakari and the consequences of breaking their rules to curse Emperor Adil and enact her revenge, while Ashoka is determined to honor his commitment to nonviolence. Having a dead emperor offering you his unsolicited advice because you are now bound to his spirit is a specific kind of problem only Shakti could handle. She truly lept into this with flying colors and I was so here for her tendency to act on impulse. The Prince Without Sorrow fascinated me with its intricate politics, queer romance, and characters just trying to do the right thing but ultimately going down a path they always feared. There are so many threads present in this debut and I am hanging on to every single one as I await the next installment.

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The Mask of Mirrors by M.A. Carrick

In the city of Nadežra one can be reborn. After fleeing the city and a life in its criminal underbelly with her sister Tess, Ren returns for the con of a lifetime. Masquerading as the lost cousin of House Traementis, Ren hopes to instill herself in the family, securing wealth and prospects. What she doesn’t expect is how deep the con will take her, the bonds she will make with her pseudo-family, and the dark magic transforming the city into a waking nightmare. When I started The Mask of Mirrors I was confronted with a plethora of rich detail that at first is difficult to surmount. The elaborate backdrop of a city split between two banks, upper and lower, and the island in between, plus the ruling families with complex alliances, and the magic system make for a riveting read if you can absorb its wealth of information. Interwound with the house politics, a variety of perspectives, and a vigilante stalking the shadows known as the Rook, The Mask of Mirrors is certainly one of the most intensely layered fantasy trilogies I have ever read. There is a deep heart of mystery M.A. Carrick taps into to construct the beginnings of this trilogy. With so many masks worn not just by our main character, Ren, Carrick questions who one can trust when confronting larger constructs tied up in wealth and power—and the ties we hold to our cultures and families. The emergence of children lost to dreams proves the deception runs deep, and uncovering the mystery will rely on Ren taking on a third and final identity. The Mask of Mirrors is a puzzling dream that one cannot begin to untangle with just one read. This is the kind of book that requires time invested, but earned back through its memorable characters and intricate political landscape.

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The Rebel Witch by Kristen Ciccarelli

Rune Winters has been a witch in hiding even before her identity was unveiled by the man she loved and she was delivered to her enemies. Now Cressida Roseblood, a witch long thought dead has returned and she has a plan to restore a world where witches reigned. To aid her Rune will have to excise the part of herself that still cares for Gideon Sharpe, the witch hunter, lest she see the rest of her kind destroyed for good. The Rebel Witch initiates the long awaited conclusion to Kristen Ciccarelli’s Crimson Moth duology. This sequel elevates the tension between our witch and witch hunter through an entertaining game of cat and mouse that sees entirely new stakes emerge now that Rune’s witch identity has been revealed. The chemistry between Rune and Gideon is even more palpable as they reluctantly become allies while retreating back into the roles they used to occupy. Ciccarelli interrogates the crux of enemies to lovers—the conflicting worldviews, how these characters have been socialized to see one another as the enemy, and if love and hate can truly coexist. Gideon is at the forefront of this conflict as he has centered his life around hunting witches outside his experiences at the hands of the series villain, Cressida Roseblood. Gideon’s feelings towards Cressida are deeply personal, but enacting his revenge could destroy his relationship with Rune and his ability to let go of the rhetoric that has fueled so much of his life. The Rebel Witch makes clear the cost of othering one group in defense of another and the difficulties in disentangling oneself from the propaganda and rhetoric fueling such hatred. This conclusion is romantic and action packed, earning its place in one of my favorite duologies of the past few years.

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Shardless by Stephanie Fisher

On the island of Tempris the immortal magic wielding fae hold status above all others. Humans, or shardless, possess no magic and are treated as lesser citizens. When she was discovered in the ashes of her family home as a child, with no memory of her past, Taly Caro was adopted by a fey noble and his family, who became her family themselves. But after experiencing magic—premonitions of the future seconds before they happen, Taly knows she is in danger, for this kind of magic hasn’t been seen in an age, and she will be hunted like those who came before. When I say this book is my favorite romantic fantasy I am deadly serious. I first read Shardless back in 2020 and since then I’ve reread it four other times, each one only serving to deepen my love and appreciation for this brilliant fantasy novel. Every part of this story is well thought out, from the prologue detailing a glimpse at Taly’s beginnings, the epigraphs of letters and portions of Tempris’ history, and the engaging plot at its center involving Taly confronting her magic and the mystery of her past. Fisher deepens this with a stunning friends to lovers arc between Taly and Skylen Emrys, which was serving that delicious delicious angst only intensified by the secrets Taly refuses to give up. Every part of this world is epic in scope, but it is the gateways sundered in the schism that locked away entire worlds and trapped much of Tempris’ population in one place, that renders this novel its post-cataclysm feel. Adding the intersection of fae magic with modern weaponry places Shardless decidedly in the category of steampunk-esque. I could really wax poetic about this incredible book for a life age. But just trust in me for your next obsession because it is this novel.

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Immortal by Sue Lynn Tan

Liyen, heir to Tianxia, ascends to the throne after the passing of her grandfather who risked everything for her survival—securing a magical lotus flower belonging to the immortals that helped her recover from a deadly poison at the cost of his life. The relationship between the kingdom of Tianxia and the immortal realm has long been strained, but the loss of the lotus flower spells even more trouble for their alliance. Liyen travels to the Immortal Realm where she comes face to face with Zhangwei, the legendary God of War. As their respective worlds deem they work together, Zhangwei and Liyen push past their ire, confronting an unexpected connection and worse, an impossible love. Immortal is a novel I consider to be the height of romantic fantasy. Sue Lynn Tan poured her entire heart and soul into this mesmerizing tale of redemption and transcendent love. Ruthless betrayals, immortal bargains, and secrets are just the surface of this epic love story. There’s the tenuous relationship between the immortals and mortal realms, and an evil preying on the mortal lands connected to the Netherworld and our main duo. The breadth of the Celestial Kingdoms from Sue Lynn Tan’s former duology expands, providing a fabled sort of setting around which the entire love story is conducted. I’m afraid I have never seen yearning portrayed in the way the character Zhangwei yearns for Liyen and all of that is due to the layered relationship building Sue Lynn Tan imparts from start to finish. Immortal is surely the romantic fantasy of the year. Prepare to see a God of War down bad for his love interest as he suffers bouts of unshakable yearning and longs for a love he cannot get back.

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The Bitter Twins by Jen Williams

In a moment of desperation, Tormalin the Oathless and Noon, a fell-witch of extraordinary power brought forth the Ninth Rain after many years of silence. Now these war beasts of legend, brought to life through the tree of Ygseril, have no memory of their pasts. Tormalin and Noon must figure out how to mobilize them, or see Sarn fall to the Jure’lia, their enemy of old. The Bitter Twins is the expansive follow up to Jen Williams the Ninth Rain where Williams returns to the Eboran empire after an intense battle with the Jure’lia who are once again intent on conquering all of Sarn. The characters Williams brings together remain the highlight of her Winnowing Flames trilogy. Vincent, a peculiar lesbian explorer obsessed with exploring ancient ruins and the dangerous wild, Tormalin, her hired immortal who thirsts for answers as he clings to the past, and Noon, an imprisoned witch who will do anything to retain her freedom. Brought together by less than typical circumstances, this sequel deepens the relationships inside and outside our trio while introducing the temperamental war beasts now bonded to them. The Bitter Twins envisions a cycle interrupted and what happens when the cycle that has stalled for many years all of a sudden begins anew. At the forefront of this are those who have resigned themselves to a particular fate given the chance to step out from the shadows and fight back. Williams’ layered characterizations, involved histories and peoples, and intriguing legend make for an all-encompassing fantasy world and a wild journey from start to finish.

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A Song of Legends Lost by M.H. Ayinde

Across the Kingdom of Nine Lands the ability to invoke the spirits of ancestors in battle is a coveted power granted only to those of noble birth. After a strange interaction leaves her bound to a mysterious spirit who grants her impossible power, Temi, a commoner, becomes embroiled in a plot connected to the ancestral realm and the truth to her kingdom’s history. A Song of Legends Lost debuts a gripping tale of ancestral power, histories lost, and revenge interwound with a quintet of characters confronting the legacy of their kingdom and the lies hidden at its heart. M.H. Ayinde constructs a unique fantasy world where advanced technology collides with legend. Both have power over the noble families fighting against the threat of Greybloods—mysterious beings of matter and techwork that are pushing into the lands, and these populations at large. A civilization long ago destroyed is remembered through forbidden techwork technology, a source of class tension that sees information suppressed from the top down. There’s power in storytelling and the histories that are passed down through generations, and Ayinde interrogates this at the center of her debut. Long ago civilizations and wars no one can remember are given context by the kingdom itself, an entity with its own agenda and a violent past. A Song of Legends Lost spans unique cultures, perspectives, and history, all given their time on the page through her organization of perspective. Ayinde skillfully submerges readers in her story and builds to an epic confrontation at its final act. A Song of Legend is the height of epic fantasy, confronting the legacy of colonization and the weaponization of history. I’m calling this as the best fantasy debut of the year and am imploring everyone to experience it for themselves.

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The Gentleman and His Vowsmith by Rebecca Ide

Lord Nicholas Monterris has never been free to make his own choices. As the Monterris heir, Nicholas holds his family’s hopes in restoring their fortune through his arranged marriage to the daughter of his fathers greatest rival, Lady Leaf Serral. Combining the magic of two families is a delicate process, requiring a vowsmith to craft the marriage contract while the families are confined to the manor. When someone dies on the first night, Nicholas realizes someone wants to impede this marriage, and they are willing to kill for it. Locked in the manor with a killer, Nicholas relies on his intuition and unlikely companions—his fiance, Leaf, and former love, Dashiell sa Vare, to uncover the truth before the killer strikes again and his family is truly left beyond saving. The Gentleman and His Vowsmith sees historical fantasy meet arcane magic, a locked manor murder mystery, and a second chance romance. In this incomparable historical fantasy novel, two former flames reunite in a decaying manor where murder abounds and an impending marriage constrains any chance of their happily ever after. It should come at no shock to anyone that historical romance is one of my favorite genres. I’m a fan of anything blending genre and subverting conventions and tropes within this space, which this novel does wonderfully. Rebecca Ide delivers a queer romance with such intense longing and characters you can’t help but root for amidst the murder plot. Ide writes for anyone wanting the labyrinthine locked room mystery plot to come with a side of gay yearning and a dash of magic and The Gentleman and His Vowsmith delivers on all three fronts.

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This Monster of Mine by Shalini Abeysekara

Four years ago, Sarai was discovered broken and brutalized beneath Sidran tower. Against all odds she was put back together, though the physical and emotional scars have forever lingered. Pursuing the justice she never received, Sarai finds a way back to the capitol as a petitor, a prosecutor with the ability to detect lies. Taking on the mantle of petitor, Sarai is assigned to work alongside Tetrarch Kadra, the only figure she can remember from her fall off the tower, whom she thinks committed the crime. This Monster of Mine initiates an extensive quest for vengeance that questions the ability of achieving justice through a judicial system and the costs of striking out alone. Set in a fantasy world inspired by ancient Rome, Abeysekara builds out a series of tetrarchs with competing notions and dynamics of power, and a flawed justice system. Sarai, a victim of brutal violence saw no justice from the tetrarchs, necessitating her quest for revenge that reveals an intentional plot within this hierarchy. This Monster of Mine uncovers a larger exploitation at the heart of the city and the individuals more than comfortable upholding these injustices for personal gain. Alongside this, Abeysekara examines a society’s tendency to mythologize a person and their situation rather than fight for truth and justice. Sarai is hiding in plain sight, but her story as the “Sidran Tower Girl” has been local legend as long as she has sought the truth. This Monster of Mine attempts several threads of mystery, romance, and magic, and all of them have a strong connection within this story. I love a good revenge narrative and this one handles the nuances of such an arc with a mix of grace, heartbreak and “good for her.”

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Greenteeth by Molly O’Neill

For hundreds of years Jenny Greenteeth has made her home beneath the lake, where she devours her unwilling prey and witnesses the years pass on. In all her time beneath its waters, Jenny has never met a human, but that is quick to change when a young woman is bound hand and foot and thrown into the lake. Accused of witchcraft in the surrounding village, Temperance would have drowned if not for her rescue at the hands of the resident lake monster. Jenny and Temperance are nothing alike but this newfound fear of magic does not just threaten Temperance’s community, but Jenny’s home as well. Leaving behind the safety of her lake, Jenny and Temperance embark on a dangerous quest for fae magic to unravel the darkness before it consumes their respective homes and all they hold dear. Greenteeth wickedly ensnares folklore, magic, and Arthurian legend together in one adventurous fantasy standalone. Following the Jenny Greenteeth of tale and legend, O’Neill basks in uncovering her peculiar nature, the conflicting states of being between teeth barred and someone seeking connection. Monsters aren’t all as they appear in Greenteeth and O’Neill reveals the depths hidden beneath the murky surface of her charming cast of characters—a witch, a lake monster, and a spirited goblin. Found family never fails to get to me and Greenteeth achieves that along the road to adventure. Despite their oftentimes clashing perspectives, Jenny and Temperance find solid ground. I liked seeing how they connected over roles in motherhood, and their innate desire to protect others (even if you eat things sometimes). Greenteeth brings us to a Britain on the outset of legend, where the greatest power held is in memory and the legends themselves.

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Upon a Starlit Tide by Kell Woods

Lucinde Léon has always felt an affinity to the sea. Raised at the side of her adoptive father, a wealthy French shipowner, Lucinde has been granted every comfort, but the surrounding walls of Saint-Malo only serve to block her from the waves that call to her beyond. In secret, Luce spends her days on the water, learning to sail alongside her friend and closest confidant, Samuel. But in the aftermath of a storm, a shipwreck washes up on shore, and Luce rescues its only survivor—setting off a chain of events that will reveal the truth to her heritage, her father’s legacy, and why she finds power in the treacherous deep. Upon a Starlit Tide strikes a delicate balance between historical fiction and fantasy, and retelling the Cinderella and The Little Mermaid fairy tales, finding a unique footing in the spaces between these genres and the folktales themselves. Subverting various touchstones for these stories and centering eighteenth century Brittany as her backdrop, Woods crafts a glimmering tale of betrayal, tragedy, and forbidden love. This has exactly my kind of romance, connecting to those siren and selkie tales of old, and the longing of awaiting your love to return. Upon a Starlit Tide has a bit more of a slow build, with the political and romance elements percolating to an intense confrontation in the final act. As Luce finds her power, Upon a Starlit Tide uncovers the deliberate violence orchestrated over her lifetime. Woods connecting this back to a certain figure in Luce’s life and their choices is timely, as was Luce coming into her abilities and choosing herself. Upon a Starlit Tide is a heady mix of history and folktales made real and I was mercilessly swept up in its tumultuous undertow like a ship wrecked upon its shore.

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The Jasad Heir by Sara Hashem

All Sylvia remembers about her past is the fire and destruction that ripped her away from her family and the kingdom she loved. In the aftermath, the kingdom of Jasad was pillaged and its remaining citizens scattered, later rounded up and executed simply for the magic they wield. As the lost Jasad heir, Sylvia has hidden herself away in a small village, suppressing her limited magic so as not to alert anyone to her survival. After a slipup involving an inquisitive guard and her beloved sesame candies Sylvia comes face to face with Arin, the Nizahl heir. Caught between the heir and survival, Sylvia makes a bargain with Arin, she’ll help him track a group of Jasadi rebels in exchange for her walking free. But the closer she gets to Nizahl and its pesky heir, the more Sylvia confronts the legacy of the Jasad crown and if she can truly leave the past behind to be left as nothing more than a legend. Egyptian inspired high fantasy involving ill-placed bargains, trials, and an enemies to lovers arc was enough for me to first pick up The Jasad Heir two years ago and it still holds up today. Sara Hashem’s debut is a piercing blade that expertly dissects the legacy of a kingdom lost to violence and the conflicting path to survival in a world seeking to eradicate all that you are. Sylvia is the beating heart of this story, caught in an impossible situation as she leverages her abilities to survive, but makes a choice that could see more of her kind captured and killed. She’s conflicted, yet uncompromising in protecting those she loves and safeguarding her future. Lost heirs returning is a niche kind of story I just adore and god is this one of the best I’ve read in years. That final chapter is nothing short of masterful, the masks come off in the best way as Sylvia chooses her fate over Jasad and her rightful crown.

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Review: Queen Demon by Martha Wells

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Please note this review contains spoilers for the former book in this series, Witch King, and contains references to some of the events in this sequel. 

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Kaiisteron, Demon Prince of the Fourth House and the Witch King, survived a conspiracy that left him close to death and his companions scattered across a continent. If not for Kai’s careful planning many years prior it would have aided in the rise of an empire from within the Rising World Coalition. Now, their companion Dahin believes he has uncovered the precise location of the Hierarchs Well. Kai and his family will do anything to prevent the return of the Hierarchs and the well that grants untold power. Knowing Dahin isn’t telling them everything, but trusting in his judgement, they quickly travel to the University of Ancartre in Belith where a conspiracy is brewing. Meanwhile, in the past, Kai works alongside Bashasa and his allies to continue to wage war against the Hierarchs and wrest control back to the allied territories. The mysterious dustwitches who claim allegiance to no one but their own are causing problems on the road, and it is Kai who is called to fix the problem and bring them into the fold. Past and present contrast and in both timelines Kaiisteron must step into the mantle as leader and Witch King to unite his allies and stop the rise of the hierarchs—before more are corrupted by the allure of their forbidden power.

After the radiant triumph that was Witch King, Martha Wells returns with a sequel decidedly more world spanning that sees Kai and his crew on the road to the Hierarchs’ Well. Kaiisteron, Prince of the Fourth House of the Underearth, the Witch King, initially endeared me with his demonic nature and violent tendencies. From that first chapter of Witch King, as Kai awakes to his murdered body and a mage trying to control his magic to the “I’m the demon” line, I knew he was going to be one of my all time favorite fantasy protagonists. Uncovering a sinister conspiracy and facing a dark power that would see him enslaved, it is Kai’s inner goodness that manages to shine through the various betrayals, deaths, and even the loss of his family. Martha Wells reassembles our unconventional crew and family in the next installment to her Rising World series, this time embarking on a mission of academic research with disastrous consequences. In this sequel, the dynamics shine and the inner workings of the Rising Coalition and Bashasa’s rebellion are finally unveiled. Queen Demon takes a leap back in time and a step forward in the present, confronting the issues of empire and whether or not true power can be willingly destroyed before it is corrupted.

Where Witch King very much throws readers into a bottomless well, Queen Demon steps back to view the creation of long established alliances and relationships we saw present in book one. The mystery of the hierarchs comes to a head as Dahin enlists his family to travel to Sun-Ar where he believes the true fount of the hierarchs’ power to be located. So much of what I love about this sequel is getting to peek behind the curtain—to the hierarchs, the issues present in the Rising World Coalition, and the intricacies to our main character, Kaiisteron himself. An enigmatic figure no matter where we intersect his journey, I eagerly consumed everything Martha Wells elected to reveal about Kai in this sequel. Confounding the expectations of many even as he stays true to his roots, Queen Demon challenges Kai as a leader to his fellow witches and the bonds to his family. As Wells shifts back to the past, detailing the revolution against the hierarchs she furthers Kai’s endless desire to protect, especially in the present where those who once met the call to war have long since passed. 

Stepping back to the conspiracy that involved Bashat, foremost of the Rising World Coalition, kidnapping Kai and his allies so they could not vote in an upcoming council meeting that would have granted him an empire, Kai wishes only to leave the past behind and move forward. Yet, in essence, Queen Demon is about how much he cannot. As long as there exists power to be gained, whether through the Well of the Hierarchs or the creation of an empire, someone will try to take it. Shaped by his experiences of war and genocide, Kai is unwilling to entertain a situation that would usher in an empire—especially after fighting for years to wrest back territories from the hierarchs and establish the coalition. The strength in his character rests entirely in his reservations and his commitment to toil for a better world, of which empire has no part. My favorite moment in this sequel is when Kai comes face to face with Bashat and tells him exactly why he foiled his plans within the coalition. A big part of why I love morally grey characters so much is how throughout their conflicting choices, their desire to protect shines through. Kai has undeniably been shaped by his experiences and his journey hinges entirely around preventing further injustice. If he kills a few people in the middle of that it’s all part of his demonic charm.

Queen Demon continues Martha Wells’ seamless narrative structure of past and present. Witnessing the various successes and pitfalls of the war against the hierarchs alongside Kai and Bashasa is a long time coming after the effort at the Summer Palace in book one. As the center of focus for the past here in its sequel, I loved getting in deep with Bashasa’s plans, especially knowing Kai’s connection to Bashasa whom he mourns in the present. Alongside this, Martha Wells examines the difficulties of mobilizing a fight against an oppressive force, with differing cultures and peoples that have unique costs to fighting back. Kai’s bonds to others are the real star of the show here. His connection to Ziede and Tahren, her brother Dahin, Tenes and the orphan Sanja serve that unconventional found family aspect I crave in fantasy. There is a core of goodness to Kai represented in all of his endeavors, especially in regards to his family. This culminates in an ingenious final act at the Hierarchs Well, where Martha Wells once again demonstrates her proclivity for cliffhangers—and we’ll just have to wait until book three to see how it’s all resolved. 

If you fell in love with Witch King prepare to surrender all the more in this sequel. Queen Demon is everything I wanted after I finished book one, expanding on the world we were initially introduced to, its unique peoples, and struggles. Once a fledgling demon, Kai is now fully instilled in Bashasa’s rebellion against the hierarchs at his right hand and in the present, he faces the dangerous power that fueled their conquest. With all of our characters reunited, Wells is able to further expand upon character dynamics and relationships in an entirely new environment. The found family element is at its height with our characters on the path to destroying the Hierarchs’ Well. Queen Demon is not without its twists, particularly as our crew uncovers a sinister plot amid the hidden well of the Hierarchs. I never put it past Martha Wells to leave you stranded in uncertain territory and Queen Demon frames that in an entirely new light. The Rising World is certainly one of the best new high fantasy series and if nothing else, read it for a demon witch main character on a quest of revenge & academic inquiry with his chaotic found family.

Thank you to Tor Books for providing me with an advance copy to review.

Trigger warnings: death, blood, violence, war, slavery, genocide

Preorder a Copy – Out 7th October

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Review: The Maiden and Her Monster by Maddie Martinez

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Rating: 4 out of 5.

Once, the forest was good. Before it became known as Mavetéh, Into Death, the forest bordering Malka’s village of Eskravé was a place of beauty. Now five years soured, the forest devours all women who enter it. In the footsteps of these disappearances is a plague that has struck many of the villagers low. Malka is the daughter of a healer. When her mother is falsely accused of murder by a priest, Malka has the chance to prove their stories of the woods are true and save her mother from execution. All she has to do is enter the forest and bring back the Rayga, the monster itself. But when she enters the woods, Malka discovers Nimrah, a golem exiled for her crimes. Nimrah agrees to take the blame for the killings, in exchange for Malka aiding her in freeing her creator, the Maharal, a rabbi known for his teaching and practicing of Kefesh—a type of Yahadi mysticism. The Maharal is currently imprisoned and awaiting trial in the capital city Valón. To get there, Nimrah and Malka will have to engage in a bargain steeped in Kefesh, but when Nimrah and Malka make it to the capital, they find a devious plot at work within the city. Confronting it will mean facing down a world that sees one of them as a monster, and the feelings that have taken root through their flawed bargain.

In The Maiden and Her Monster, Maddie Martinez reimagines the Jewish myth of The Golem of Prague, connecting the power of folklore, memory, and faith in one transformative fantasy debut. Now I know I am not the only one that has been eagerly awaiting this novel ever since Maddie Martinez first announced it. Sapphic romance intimately connected to folklore, a monstrous forest, and romantic yearning is like Cupid’s arrow aimed directly at my heart. Martinez more than delivers with The Maiden and Her Monster, as a Yahadi healer and a monstrous Golem bargain to save their people and uncover a love they will risk everything for. The Maiden and Her Monster intricately lays bare the conflicting facets of storytelling, from those that connect a larger community and its struggles, to those built, in effect, to justify violence and oppression. Scattered across the narrative, these folktales expand upon Martinez’s inquiry into identity and the long-lasting endurance of a people. Enveloped in history and folklore, The Maiden and Her Monster hides much behind the overgrowth of one twisted forest, if one is courageous enough to venture into its gaping maw.

Encompassed in a verdant snarling prose, The Maiden and Her Monster establishes a fable-like setting through the village Eskravé and its surrounding forest Kratzka Šujana twisted into Mavetéh—a dark wood seeming to swallow women whole. The threat of this twisted forest is second only to a plague spreading throughout the village and the increasingly prevalent tithes levied against the villagers by the Ozmini Church. The presence of the church gnaws on the villagers through direct and indirect acts of violence that press one healer’s daughter to brave the forest to confront the monster within. The imagery rendered within The Maiden and Her Monster is confoundingly ineffable, yet nevertheless it remained impressed upon my mind long after the novel’s conclusion. Through these details, Martinez hinges on her novel’s core themes and the journey Malka embarks upon at its start. One such instance was in Malka’s conversation with the Maharal on the edge of the woods near Valón and the crumbling ruins of a Synagogue. This portion of the novel was particularly memorable, as the memory of the shul Amichati is made present through Kefesh and the resilience of the Yahad made all the more tangible. The language, the imagery, the story retold, all illustrate the perseverance of this community and their call to rebuild again and again.

The characters Martinez molds into being were my favorite part of The Maiden and Her Monster. The juxtaposition of Nimrah, a golem assembled from river stones to protect the Yahad in Valón, and Malka, a devout Yahad and daughter to a healer was the perfect center of conflict for this story. Faith is as easy as breathing for Malka, and her connection to Kefesh as an extent to her faith and relationship to Yohev was incredibly profound. Maddie Martinez ties the mysticism of Kefesh to various folktales created to caution and warn against its practice, and conversely the autonomy gained through such knowledge. Nimrah’s arc on the other hand, is a bit more tricky. Faith to her is an essential part of why she exists—as a protector to the Yahad, but it confines and leaves her little room to forge her own path, to have unique desires, or make connections to belief unconstructed. Nimrah confronting these limitations and her core drive to protect is as liberating as the Yahad standing strong against their oppressors in Valón. Martinez bridges this with an intense query into the monstrous—are individuals only the sum of their parts and monstrous by design, or is it more deliberate—an intentional choice. 

The Maiden and Her Monster is a novel entirely concerned with story, from the tales that further nationalistic agenda and rhetoric, to the ones that confine and free all in a single breath. Maddie Martinez unveils unique interpretations within their telling, which can mean the difference between a cautionary tale, the revising of key histories, or the endurance of a community. I love the story within a story style narratives, and the patchwork narratives that connect folktales against the larger backdrop of a quest journey. The Maiden and Her Monster starts by constructing a typical quest narrative that is irrevocably, and necessarily sundered by Martinez as Malka and Nimrah arrive at a city teetering on the edge of something. The stories themselves hold tremendous weight, to empower, warn, or justify, and at the core of Maiden is an interrogation into all of these facets. Adding in the history of the Yahadi people and the political landscape within Ordobav, everything within The Maiden and Her Monster is thoughtfully placed and works in tandem as a living, breathing thing—much like stories themselves.

Trekking through an evil forest responsible for killing dozens of women while falling in love with the monster within is merely the enticing surface to Maddie Martinez’s debut fantasy novel. But like the dense and twisted forest Mavetéh, Martinez’s debut hides much within the background and the only way to uncover it is to brave the forest, and the monsters, within. Through Malka, a young woman desperate to slay the monster and return to a semblance of normalcy, Martinez illustrates a community’s pain as a representation of more deliberate, systemic injustices, than a singular evil that can be defeated with just one blow. A work long endeavored, but no less important in undertaking as this novel draws to a close. The Maiden and Her Monster sees stories take on a life of their own, becoming the extent of a people and the complex tapestry of history reinterpreted and retold. A Jewish fantasy novel abundant in history, politics, and faith, The Maiden and Her Monster is exactly the kind of story that will endure long after its initial telling. Maddie Martinez is the kind of talent that doesn’t come around often, and I am overwhelmingly feral for anything she writes next.

Thank you to Tor Books for providing me an advance review copy.

Trigger warnings: death, violence, blood, murder, gore, torture, xenophobia, antisemitism, sexism, misogyny

Preorder a Copy – Out 9th September

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Review: Love Is a War Song by Danica Nava

Robin1 Comment

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Acclaimed pop singer Avery Fox’s career has hit a bit of a rough patch. Her Rolling Stone magazine feature that was supposed to launch her to real success has come under fire after she appeared on the cover wearing a feather war bonnet. The outcome of the magazine cover and her subsequent music video has led Avery’s Native American identity to be called into question and serious threats levied against her. Though Avery is Muscogee, she has been raised outside her community by her mom turned manager and has never met anyone else in her family. But in the aftermath of the national outcry over the magazine, Avery is sent to Oklahoma and to the ranch of a grandmother she has never met. Hoping to charm her grandmother and the ranch staff until things calm down, Avery is soon met with the reality of Lucas Iron Eyes, the man who runs Red Fox Ranch and decidedly not a fan of Avery, her music, or anything she represents. In the face of the ranch’s financial situation, Lucas and Avery begrudgingly team up. He’ll help her experience what it means to be Muscogee and she’ll help him save the ranch. Working side by side, Lucas and Avery push past their initial animosity, decidedly ignoring the real connection attempting to put down roots between them.

Danica Nava brings on the music in Love Is a War Song, her sophomore romance, which explores the power in forming community and finding ourselves in unlikely places. Love Is a War Song is a phenomenal follow up to Nava’s debut, The Truth According to Ember, which I eagerly read just a few days prior to starting this novel. Romance blossoming from the mess of the everyday is Danica Nava’s forte and that is made all the more clear in this play on cowboy and celebrity romance. Nava’s protagonists are flawed, a relatable representation of what it really means to be a person still figuring things out in today’s world. Where Ember had me stressed out by the protagonist’s elaborate web of lies, Love Is a War Song reasserts the power in standing in ones history and community. Featuring Indigenous love at the center of her romances, Nava gives voice to necessary perspectives in this genre and breaks apart an often monolithic view of unique Indigenous cultures. Danica Nava is easily one of the best new writers I’ve read within this genre and Love Is a War Song is a summer romance worth basking in.

Love is a War Song is a story all about first and second chances and the fallible nature of first impressions. It’s about building your community and home even when you’ve never had one to begin with. Avery Fox is uniquely placed within this romance, having been raised outside her Indigenous community to a mother who placed all her hopes in Avery’s success. This loss of her family and a greater connection to the Muscogee community is unmistakable as this story begins and it reverberates throughout the narrative as Avery pulls together the pieces of her lost history. This connection to her culture is echoed in the music Avery workshops while in Broken Arrow with help from Lucas. Music can inform who we are and the real music Avery is desperate to give voice to is nothing like the songs she is currently performing on stage. While there is a discernible sadness in knowing that Avery was denied a community in her upbringing, returning to the music gives Avery a chance to honor the one she’s found.

Hate to love fans rejoice because Love Is a War Song brings on the tension and indescribable chemistry between its two leads, Lucas and Avery. The romance that blossoms between Lucas and Avery is profound—stemming from two people who initially met with judgment actively working to unlearn those predisposed beliefs. I love romance in the details and Lucas Iron Eyes understands that to a T. He knows the extended versions of LOTR are superior, considers Avery the most beautiful woman he’s ever seen, and doesn’t think she’ll choose him. I mean I had to love him after that. Hidden beneath a grumpy facade is a good heart and Lucas is the perfect balance to Avery’s warmth and softheartedness. Additionally, Lucas provides a necessary perspective in having lived life on the reservation alongside her grandmother, Lottie. Avery and Lucas are just so good for each other and I think I teared up a bit at some of these scenes, especially the one where she stands up to his parents. Nava integrates her romance within the larger themes of discovery and forging a new path and I was very moved by where it all ended up.

Danica Nava addresses a host of issues in this romance from the entertainment industry, to cancel culture, and Indigenous stereotypes, and all felt grounded in the story and its place. Alongside the romance, Avery confronts the hurt she caused the greater Indigenous community through her music video and magazine cover while becoming acquainted with her Muscogee community in Broken Arrow. Though she was ignorant of the connections through her music video and never intended harm, Avery acknowledges how her actions had greater consequences. Nava makes sure to draw on a larger critique of the entertainment industry parallel to this— an industry all too happy to capitalize on Avery’s Native American identity while also throwing her to the wolves the second she slipped up. Danica Nava handles this entire situation with nuance and her exploration into these subjects feels both timely and necessary. 

Love Is a War Song hits the mark for life affirming romance with just a dash of tropes and nostalgia. With Native American protagonists reaching for love and figuring out life and its plays on cowboy romance and grumpy/sunshine trope, Nava’s romance hits all the marks for a modern love story with such heart. Through Avery’s discovery of her home and life path, Danica Nava emphasizes the power of community and how it is never too late to return to one or build one for the first time. This is another romance only enriched by the ending authors note where Danica Nava delves a little bit more into her research and why she chose to represent the Muscogee Nation in this romance. There’s something about learning more of an author’s research and overall process that really speaks to me and this one is definitely worth the read. Built around misunderstanding but deepened in intimacy and newfound opportunity, Love Is a War Song is exactly the kind of romance I yearn for. Danica Nava leaves her mark with this outstanding romance and I eagerly await what she writes next.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this advance copy to review.

Trigger warnings: addiction

Preorder a Copy – Out 22nd July

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Review: Good Spirits by B.K. Borison

Robin5 Comments

Rating: 5 out of 5.

It’s the first day of December and the last thing Harriet York expects when she returns home from work is for a mysterious ghost to appear from behind the depths of her Christmas tree —or that this mysterious stranger would tell her that her soul is in danger and he has been tasked with repairing her past. Nolan Callahan is everything a Ghost of Christmas Past should be, living his afterlife aimlessly and determined to pull off his latest assignment with time to spare. But his current haunting with Harriet York could not be more atypical. For one, she doesnt appear to be at all similar to his usual assignments, she’s not sending scam emails to friends and family or forgetting her kid’s Christmas concerts. She is shockingly normal. But no matter, the assignment rests and her past must be examined. As Nolan takes Harriet through the key moments of her life, the two find themselves abruptly pulled into Nolan’s past as well. Moving on might not just be a goal for Harriet and as time moves forward and the Christmas deadline looms, Harriet and Nolan will race to uncover what’s tethering them together while fighting the real truth: that the only way they want to move on is side by side.

On the first day of December the universe gave to me a hot Irish ghost who appeared to audit my soul from behind my Christmas tree. B.K. Borison forges a new path in her latest holiday romance, Good Spirits, that not only had me romanticizing the concept of A Christmas Carol (minus Scrooge and with a hot ghost), but more importantly had me wondering where do I sign up for this soul auditing scheme. Blanketed by holiday cheer, snow, and peppermint sticks, Good Spirits is a holiday romance of epic contradictions — much like the holidays themselves. The yuletide carols and wholesome family gatherings are out of the question for Harriet York, a late twenty-something dealing with the passing of an aunt who helped her leave behind the stifling expectations of her family. Working at the antique shop she inherited while shuffling between her everyday paths has left Harriet to become her own kind of ghost. But who doesn’t want an actual ghost to appear and tell them their soul is in mortal peril? Infusing her captivating charm and capacity for unparalleled love stories, B.K. Borison’s Good Spirits is a heartening holiday romance involving loneliness and the power of memory in refortifying our present.

Romancing a ghost wasn’t on my 2025 bingo card for romance novels but I am so glad it delivered. In Good Spirits, B.K. Borison takes readers on an introspective journey through the lives of a regretful Irish fisherman turned ghost and a former lawyer turned antique dealer, Harriet York. Now I’ve never put it past B.K. Borison to introduce a unique concept and completely take it where you never expected. Romancing the mundane is her motto — those everyday tasks and quirks unexpectedly find meaning within this flourishing romance. For Good Spirits everything has its place, and the mundane is made deeper by the overhanging weight of the past and the threads of fate which become more prevalent, not unlike the irksome mistletoe conjured up by our resident ghost. Love truly is in the details for Nolan and Harriet, working to determine the cause of Harriet’s need for redemption while discovering the unexpected ways they are bound together. Borison always leaves these delicious crumbs for her readers to uncover and as a reader who likes to find connections and mull over symbolism I feasted on this novel. Like Harriet working at an antique store called the Crows Nest while her soulmate is an out of practice fisherman? Come on! Good Spirits is a treasure trove of wonder not only in its romance, but the ways in which we can find connection to others and build affirming lives.

Good Spirits in essence challenges what really makes a ghost. It isn’t just someone who has passed away clinging to some unfinished business. In many ways, loneliness and the unfinished business of the present can leave us as little more than ghosts ourselves. Harriet York is the perfect example of someone seeking affirmation while grappling with loss that has left her aimlessly wandering through the motions. The spirit of the holidays are a way for her to find comfort and bask in the beauty of this time of year. Too bad a ruggedly handsome ghost throws a wrench into these plans. Nolan Callahan not only helps Harriet recontextualize her past and present, he is the love interest Harriet deserves. Nolan is someone who can provide insight into her past but also a loyal partner who can stand by her side as she faces her family. The messy sides of these two characters is half the fun and Borison draws this out with her typical witty banter and an abundant side of holiday charm. The draw between Nolan and Harriet is in their shared loneliness and together they make each other better. Harriet who has spent years molding herself to suit her family while just wanting to be loved finds that unconditional love with Nolan who loves her without reservation.

Good Spirits isn’t your typical holiday romance, but Borison is writing in the tradition of so many romance writers both past and present —the flavors of which I felt scattered across this narrative. At the same time there is something about this romance that feels wholly unique. It’s not everyday you read a book about a woman romancing an Irish ghost in a series of ridiculous (his words not mine) patterned pajamas. But Good Spirits is about so much more than what appears on the surface, it’s about the living ghosts that haunt our present and how we can excise them. This coalesces in a satisfying final arc with Harriet and her family as she truly breaks free from their influence, and Nolan chooses a second chance and comes back to himself. And the unifying theme is found as Harriet and Nolan choose one another and endeavor to build their lives together. 

Full of warmth, string lights, hot cocoa, and various peppermint sweets, Good Spirits is the epitome of cozy holiday romance. Surrounded by all the comforts of home and the holidays, Good Spirits brings focus on the paths we walk and the fates we resign ourselves to when we aren’t really living. The real kernel of romance within is in showing up consistently for the people we care about and opening up a dialogue to our past. Letting people see the messy, imperfect parts of ourselves is daunting, but Borison proves that it’s never not worth it in the grand scheme of things. Good Spirits starts out with a bang and never lets up on the romantic tension front. Fate and memory intertwine in a romance that is endlessly heartfelt and far too entertaining to put down. Good Spirits is a continuation of B.K. Borison’s obscene powers for soul crushing romance and I was not at all surprised that this struck an emotional chord with me. I’d like to thank B.K. Borison for this entire book and also the sexy ghost representation. Not only was it desperately needed but it’s incomparable.

Thank you to Avon Books and Netgalley for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger warnings: death of a loved one, grief

Preorder a Copy – Out 21st October

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Let’s Talk: Romances to Read and Preorder This Winter

Robin1 Comment

We’re finally out of January (seriously how was this month 84 years long) and because of how long this month was I managed to read 55 books total, twenty of which were romances. The vibes were very much reading away the horrors while trying to curb the chance of an original thought occurring (haha just kidding……unless?) and the result was far too many books and people being concerned for my health and general wellbeing. This is my first roundup of 2025 and I’m refocusing my attentions on delivering my latest favorite romances and speculative fiction at least once a quarter. Seeing as January was a million years long this list was harder than usual to narrow down but without further ado, here are my favorite romances from the beginning of the year. The theme for my January romances was very much second chance so if that’s not your thing I hope to indoctrinate you by the end of this post.

Left of Forever by Tarah Dewitt

Second chance romance is the gift that keeps on giving and Tarah Dewitt’s latest is a sparkling and angst-fueled road trip between a former husband and wife who attempt to reconnect six years after their separation on the way back from dropping their son off at college. This journey follows Ellis and Wren on the road to discovery as they try to find themselves outside of their roles as parents and caregivers and decide if they can give their relationship another chance. Dewitt flawlessly navigates the emotional reconciliation after many years apart with her hilarious situations and exceptional dialogue. Left of Forever is quite the emotional read as Dewitt exposes what went wrong in this relationship and builds to a second chance. Ellis not wanting to become a parent again after having to parent to his siblings so young was extremely compelling and tied in with why their relationship ended the way it did. Dewitt places emphasis on communication and opening a dialogue up to compromise as Ellis and Wren unearth the past. Communication has, and always will be sexy, and Dewitt understands that wholeheartedly in this second novel. Pepper mishaps, letters, picnics, and one trip to grasp a love lost, Left of Forever is about love that grows deeper in absence and love refortified in the face of vulnerability and forgiveness. Though much of this takes place outside of Oregon it was so nice to be back with the Spunes crew and I am undoubtedly awaiting more from Dewitt.

Preorder – Out 20th May

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Unromance by Erin Connor

A trope filled journey that pays homage to the romance genre and its readers, Erin Connor’s, Unromance deserves its spot on all the romance TBR’s. A plan to ruin romance for a beloved actor you had a one night stand with while finding inspiration for the massive writers block currently plaguing you? That’s just the chaotic setup I live for. Erin Connor takes all my favorite components about romance into a blender and what emerges is a fascinating study on the genre, its tropes, and a love story for the ages. Connor delivers that classic romance meet cute but flips the script with two leads focused on anything but falling in love. Tale as old as time, as Sawyer and Mason adhere to their pact (rather loosely) while slowly opening up to trust and communication and falling for one another. Unromance is about two people that have made their careers around romance, through writing and acting, rediscovering its power in their own lives. Erin Connor moves through the tropes and genre conventions as fluidly as water, employing them in a beautiful love story intimately connected in friendship and understanding. In a setup seeming to flip the tropes, Connor instead recognizes their force for good within the overarching narrative. Unromance has humor in spades, shaken cynicism, and enough romantic moments —equal parts hot and sweet — to be your next favorite. 

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Wild & Wrangled by Lyla Sage

Anyone up on their cowboy romances knows that the Rebel Blue Ranch series is a tried and true staple. Wild and Wrangled brings this romantic saga to a close with the long awaited second chance love story between beloved Camille Ashwood and Dusty Tucker, her neighbor and childhood love. As a reader who eats, sleeps, and breathes second chance romance I can say with confidence that knowing this book was coming made me more than a bit unhinged. Sage has teased this romance in her previous installments and the crumbs were so delicious I knew this had the potential to be my favorite in the series. Integrating moments from their past as Dusty and Cam flirt with a second chance, Lyla Sage proves just how important first love can be and the support gained through vulnerability. Camille’s desire to please others was painfully relatable but her journey towards doing things just for herself was an important component of this romance arc. Now Dusty Tucker is the textbook definition of pathetically in love and I loved it so much. The years apart only intensified his love for Cam and he comes back ready to be whatever she needs. Dusty and Cam were so soft for one another which only enlivened their chemistry and highlighted why they work so well. The tension was tensioning and the chemistry was chemistrying just the way I liked. With Wild and Wrangled the romance is truly in the details and it’s absolutely Sage’s best work to date.

Preorder a copy – Out 15th April

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Flirting with Disaster by Naina Kumar

Stuck with your Ex in a hurricane while trying to convince him to sign divorce papers? Yes and yes. Naina Kumar said you can have a bit of angst as a treat and I ate it up like a full course meal. Flirting with Disaster is a ravaging storm contained in one life affirming romance. Married young and separated a year after they first tied the knot, Meena and Nikhil couldn’t get far enough away from each other — or at least Meena couldn’t. Nikhil is still living in their home in Texas ignoring her messages. Seven years later, Meena and Nikhil are brought back together when a hurricane leaves them stuck inside together, but the real storm is everything they have taught themselves to leave behind. Flirting with Disaster is not only an exemplary second chance romance, it’s also retelling the romantic comedy classic, Sweet Home Alabama, with South Asian characters at the helm. The longing and angst jumps out from the start as Nikhil and Meena are forced to cohabitate and confront the past. The conflict at the center of Flirting with Disaster is about wanting better for your partner, but how fraught that can be when you believe wholeheartedly that you aren’t good enough. Life goals changing, especially as one steps outside of parental expectations and reach for new dreams was another compelling theme that Kumar explores as she endeavours to bring Meena and Nikhil back together. If you like your romance heavy on the angst and one that addresses the perils and utterly human reality of miscommunication then give this one a try.

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The Partner Plot by Kristina Forest

Second chance romance but it’s the ‘we accidentally got married in Vegas after not speaking for a decade’ variety, The Partner Plot is a perfect romance of reconnection and flawed choices. Kristina Forest returns to her Greene Sister series in a follow up that focuses on Violet, the middle sibling, as she attempts a faux marriage after waking up in bed in Vegas next to Xavier, her childhood love, with a ring on her finger. Both Xavier and Violet quickly realize their marriage could be mutually beneficial, and agree to lie to their friends and the public until they get what they want from their respective careers. Right off the bat, Forest makes you feel the intense history between Xavier and Violet, the connection drawing them back together even as they tell themselves their marriage is a means to an end. The forced proximity on top of this was, in a word, sublime. I love how Forest modernizes romance tropes and uses them as a tool to expose the past between her two leads. Xavier and Forest have to confront how they’ve changed, but also how they have not, if they want to succeed in their second chance. As these two have led such different lives since their breakup, I wondered how Kristina Forest was going to make it all work but every single moment of this book works to build the foundations for a fresh start. I can’t fully describe how obsessed I am with Forest’s vibrant characters and this romance only had me gearing up to dive into the rest of this incredible series.

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Mistakes Were Made by Meryl Wilsner

As a self described lover of mess, Meryl Wilsner has always been an author after my own heart. In their sophomore novel, Wilsner takes this notion to the next level. The premise: college senior Cassie Klein hooks up with a beautiful stranger at a bar off campus, never expecting to meet them at breakfast the next day when that stranger is introduced as her friend’s mother. Was the hookup a one off? And if not how will Cassie justify pursuing a relationship with a woman so intimately connected to her personal life. When I first started Mistakes Were Made I had my doubts because the mess was high and I had no idea how Wilsner was going to bring it all together. Luckily, Wilsner knows how to set up the messiest situation ever and expertly work to build upon that initial situation with open communication and intensifying chemistry. Though Cassie and Erin were at vastly different parts of their lives their connection becomes something more and they pursue it as they dodge the one person they have in common. Mistakes Were Made is a hot book and the forbidden romance only heightens this. The tension as Cassie and Erin deny that they have a real relationship was quite funny because they were already so compatible and establishing a life where they could be together. Emboldened by moments of vulnerability that shine through its chaotic start, Mistakes Were Made is everything I love about messy queer romance and my favorite novel from Wilsner so far. More of this immediately.

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Temple of Swoon by Jo Segura

Jo Segura’s Temple of Swoon is the perfect fix for anyone that likes their romance heavy on the action and adventure. Writing in the shadow of Indiana Jones and The Mummy, Segura follows up her debut, Raiders of the Lost Heart with a brand new romance adventure. Dr. Miriam Jacobs never expected to be leading an expedition to uncover the legendary City of the Moon in the Amazon, especially not without the aid of her mentor, Dr. Corrie Mejía. Add in the handsome and effortlessly charming journalist Rafael Monfils occupying her thoughts and a dash of sabotage and Miriam is unconvinced she will ever succeed in uncovering this city of legend. Now that I have read two novels by Segura it’s evident her talent for humorous, swoony romance that delivers on the action and a satisfying commentary on archeological pursuit. There are so many components raised in this sophomore novel and all were handled with the correct amount of attention and care. Now Rafe and Mariam were giving that classic action adventure couple and their interactions had me laughing one moment and then blushing the next. Miriam working to overcome her insecurities and raise hell was by far my favorite part of this novel. I also really enjoyed the references to Segura’s former novel and seeing how they connected to this one. Sexy times in the rainforest while a dangerous group works to sabotage your mission? What could go wrong.

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Love is a War Song by Danica Nava

Danica Nava is a relatively new to me author but I now need every book written by her on my desk immediately. Love is a War Song, her sophomore novel, follows Avery Fox, a Native American pop singer who flees to the ranch of the grandmother she’s never met after coming under fire for an insensitive photoshoot and music video. Avery has never met anyone in her family after being raised alone by her mother, but this vacation from the public eye provides her the chance to learn her family history and Muscogee identity. Unfortunately, there’s Lucas Iron Eyes, the man in charge of her grandmother’s ranch and the one person who cannot stand her or her music. Love is a War Song is a romance all about second chances and the fallible nature of first impressions. It’s about building your community and home even when you’ve never had one to begin with. The romance that blossoms between Lucas and Avery is truly heartfelt —stemming from two people who initially met with judgment actively working to unlearn those predisposed beliefs. Alongside the romance, Avery confronts the hurt she caused the greater indigenous community through her music video and magazine cover while becoming acquainted with the Muscogee community in Broken Arrow. Danica Nava addresses a host of issues in this romance from the entertainment industry, to cancel culture, and indigenous stereotypes, and all felt grounded in the story and its place. Danica Nava leaves her mark with this outstanding romance and and I eagerly await what she writes next.

Preorder a copy – out 22nd July

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Let’s Call a Truce by Amy Buchanan

Hate to love workplace romances aren’t anything new, but Amy Buchanan proves there are perspectives missing from this type of story in her debut novel, Let’s Call a Truce. When she started a new job after the passing of her husband, Juliana never expected to gain an enemy on her first day of work. Ben, unfairly attractive and rude, decided to complain not so privately about her leaving early due to an emergency with her two young daughters, and it did not go over well. It’s been two years since then and Juliana and Ben still cannot get through a simple conversation, but beneath their feud lies something else – something Juliana doesn’t dare interrogate. Let’s Call a Truce is a workplace romance surrounding horrific first impressions and a feud long gone astray. Exploring grief, single parenting, and returning to work after raising kids at home, Buchanan attempts a lot, but what emerges is a flawless, well rounded romance. Though they got off on the wrong foot, I could clearly feel Juliana’s frustration with Ben and how that spiralled into years of petty interactions and pointed remarks. It also led to a palpable chemistry which Buchanan builds upon over the course of this novel. The revelation of Ben’s background only served to make this feud more well-founded and the tension all the more delicious. Let’s Call a Truce has the perfect balance of hatred and simmering heat to make me entirely obsessed and I am all but begging for more from Amy Buchanan.

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Kiss Me, Maybe by Gabriella Gamez

Librarian Angela Gutierrez has a penchant for going viral, something her superiors are none too happy about. When she openly admits online that she’s never been kissed, while also sharing her asexual identity, the video goes viral and Angela becomes determined to achieve her first kiss at all costs. Her bold idea: a scavenger hunt across the city where the winner gets her first kiss, but she’ll have to enlist the help of Krystal Ramirez, a gorgeous out of her league bartender to pull it off. Now that I have read two romances from Gabriella Gamez the overarching vision for this series is clear, but this second novel could not be more different from her first. Kiss Me, Maybe is a romance intimately intertwined with sexuality, identity, and the societal pressures to perform against an arbitrary list of experiences. Main character Angela, has found comfort in her identity but her lack of romantic experience has led her to feel behind and out of touch in her own life. Gamez calls attention to this desire to know oneself but also the pitfalls in putting too much pressure on these goals. As she develops the romance, Gamez further explores the ace spectrum and Angela’s developing sense of identity. I appreciated the attention paid to the diverse experiences under the ace spectrum through Angela’s desire to find a label that best fits herself. That and the relationship between growing up queer and these “all important” experiences really served to ground the story. Kiss Me, Maybe is a layered romance that achieves much within the friends to lovers narrative, and I loved every second of it.

Preorder a copy – Out 6th May

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Review: Ladies in Hating by Alexandra Vasti

Robin2 Comments

Rating: 5 out of 5.

When she sat down to pen her first novel all Lady Georgiana Cleeve intended was to support a life for herself and her mother. Now a celebrated writer of the gothic variety, Georgiana has a much bigger problem. Ever since she became a renowned author Georgiana has gone toe to toe with Lady Darling, another beloved writer in the genre. No one knows Lady Darling’s true identity but the similarities between her stories and Geogiana’s are far too close to be a coincidence. Determined to unmask her rival goes awry when Georgiana confronts Catriona Rose Lacey, daughter of their former butler and Lady Darling herself. Georgiana hasn’t seen Cat since her father was dismissed from service, for reasons unknown, but she has harbored the youthful infatuation she felt for her close. When a sojourn to the decaying Renwick House to research their upcoming novels leads to an unexpected confrontation, Cat and Georgiana agree to set down their swords and pen their novels side by side. But when they become trapped in the manor, fiction becomes reality, and as danger ensues Cat and Georgiana must face the desire burning its way through their bitter rivalry.

Oh no we’re two gothic novelists writing stories inspired by our childhoods together as we subconsciously yearn for the past…what happens if we kiss in a decaying manor that may or may not be haunted? If there’s one thing I am, it is a gothic romance lover to my core and Alexandra Vasti’s Ladies in Hating is a delectable feast for anyone who loves the gothic or sapphic historical romance. In the final book in the Belvoir’s Library trilogy, Alexandra Vasti pens a tender love letter to women gothic novelists, the gothic genre, and the queer people who found love and livelihood in the Regency period. Ladies in Hating is a model representation of gothic literature, in its themes and motifs, and a stunning example of what the historical romance genre can afford our greater understanding of love and connection. The persistent Lady Georgiana Cleeves meets her match in Catriona Rose Lacey, her rival and worse, the woman who could change her closely guarded principles and make her believe in love again. A wondrous rivals to lovers story submerged in fervent wanting and agonizing romance, Ladies in Hating made me feel every emotion and left me aching for more historical romance from its ridiculously talented author.

Ladies in Hating is the kind of book that feels almost written for me. This exquisite novel reached into the crumbling caverns of my heart and fortified my belief in love and existence as a radically political act. Now the gothic has long been a genre for exploring societal wounds and the intricacies of our experiences. The decaying manor house that comes to represent the fragility of the psyche or the hurts and traumas of a family is a prominent motif within the genre. Vasti understands this inextricable link as she traps two rival gothic novelists inside the dilapidated Renwick House —with its peeling wallpaper and crumbling facades, to reconcile their past hurts and confront their growing passion. But mystery takes the center stage as authors Georgiana Cleeve and Catriona Rose Lacey are left to uncover the secrets of a family long buried. 

Gothic imagery is a staple in itself and Vasti adheres to this with a cadence that submerses the reader in the intricate conventions of the genre. Renwick House and its medieval structures are transportive, invoking a period long past and ravaged by time. The host of bats that call the manor their home, the decaying trees in the orangery, and the damaged books in the crumbling library recall meaning to this place and its former inhabitants. For Catriona and Georgiana it’s a source of inspiration for their continued livelihood through their gothic novels, but it quickly becomes something far more personal. I love the sense of mystery that shrouds the narrative, wonderfully entwined with the romance between rivals. Love and horror are so often linked together and Vasti gives a dash of that in her mystery — the screams which draw Georgiana out of her bed chamber in the night to wander the hallways in the dark and the dead body unexpectedly uncovered. The moonlight conversations in the library and a conservatory hidden in the recesses of the manor are two phenomenal settings in this novel, connected to the love between these two women and the uncovered sapphic love story of Renwick’s past.

The external plotting to Ladies in Hating is essential in developing the love story at its center. Georgiana and Cat’s respective family backgrounds provide a rich foundation for the discussions surrounding sexuality, class, and sex, which Vasti brings into the fold. The tension this suffuses into the narrative as they find a mutual attraction was exquisite. Georgiana is someone who wholeheartedly believes she is responsible for bringing ruin on her family and that she will hurt everyone around her, a conviction Vasti works to shatter across this novel. It’s quite heartbreaking but an important perspective of Georgiana as a victim of emotional abuse from her father and how that necessitated having to reveal her author identity to the public. Her relationship with Cat opens up a whole world if she can only reach for it with both hands, but giving up her principles is easier said than done. Cat on the other side just wants to be chosen —an extension of their class disparities when first they met. Though brought closer in the years following Georgiana’s life away from her father, it is the basis of their understanding of one another and not easy to shake. The longing and tenderness at the center of Cat and Georgiana’s romance made me quite feral and that my friends is the barometer for an excellent romance.

Drawing her Belvoir’s Library trilogy to a close, Alexandra Vasti honors the fierce women who penned gothic stories and the queer people of the past who reached for their happiness and lived in joy. This is one of those books further enriched by its afterward where Vasti addresses the historical significance and her sources of inspiration for the text. The sheer research present is evident from the start but it was fascinating to read about the property on which Renwick House was based and the sapphic illustrations and Lesbian writers who paved the way forward. Ladies in Hating is radical in all the ways standing firm and building a life in a world that would deny you that can be. Catriona and Georgiana building a life at Renwick House is a powerful full circle moment — made stronger in the discovery of the letters between Luna Renwick and her love, Sarah Sophia Penhollow, forever immortalized in the estate. I’m truly sad to be leaving the ladies of Belvoir’s Library behind but know Vasti is nowhere near done bringing us historical romance excellence. Sapphic, mysterious, and insanely hot (praise be to Alexandra Vasti), Ladies in Hating is my latest —and eternal—historical romance obsession.

Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger warning: homophobia, physical abuse (mentioned),

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Review: Well, Actually by Mazey Eddings

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Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Eva Kitt isn’t exactly where she’d like to be. As the host of Sausage Talk —a talk show where she interviews B-list celebrities over subpar hotdogs, her dream of a career in journalism is heavily on the back burner. Frustrated and a little drunk, Eva calls out Rylie Cooper, a popular social media talent for ghosting her during college. When the video goes viral, Eva’s superiors attempt to capitalize on that attention by having her interview Rylie live on the show. In confronting the past and her first real relationship, Eva is on edge until Rylie sits down and proposes something truly outlandish. He’ll take her on six dates to attempt to make up for his behavior during college and they’ll debrief together on his show after the fact. It’s unconventional, but Eva isn’t above making Rylie squirm. Bonus, the continued publicity could launch her out of Sausage Talks’ unfortunate shadow. As Rylie kicks off his apology dates, Eva is more than sure he is above redemption. But the dates, while a little contrived, only make her more interested in righting their shared past that is not quite done with them yet.

If you witnessed the insane levels of chemistry on Andrew Garfield’s Chicken Shop Date interview this past fall and found yourself asking “Is there a book like this?” boy does Mazey Eddings come through. With her signature knack for crafting unusual romantic circumstances, Well, Actually is a quintessential modern love story of effortless humor, second-hand embarrassment, and pop culture references served with mediocre hotdogs and a quest for redemption. It’s messy, so bisexual, and the kind of book I was always going to fall for. Well, Actually introduces Eva, a down on her luck journalist with black cat tendencies, and Rylie Cooper social media’s darling and golden retriever to his core. They seemingly have nothing in common besides the five dates they went on in college before Rylie unceremoniously ghosted Eva. Well, Actually brings exactly the kind of romance setup I go for: heavy on the mess with imperfect protagonists finding love and meaning in their lives. Mazey Eddings has a grasp on the finite ledge between the humorous and emotional situations and she employs it deftly in her strongest romance to date.

In Well, Actually, Mazey Eddings proves the past is never truly past as two chaotic individuals reach for love in spite of their tense history. Eddings brings Rylie and Eva together via an unfortunate PR nightmare that initiates a journey of rediscovery and forgiveness around their complicated past. Eva as someone desperately wanting to be chosen —having been pushed to the side in her family, and Rylie whose grief made him unable to participate fully in their relationship in college is a perfect unsteady foundation for this second chance arc to blossom. Eva Kitt, fashionable and opinionated is everything I want in my romance protagonists. She’s determined and mean when she needs to be and I love her so much. The only person who (maybe) loves her more than me is Rylie Cooper who opens up a space for her to be entirely herself. From the start Rylie was giving Nick Miller energy as Eva being mean to him just made him fall even more in love. As a lover of mean women myself I could not find blame in this.

Mazey Eddings hones her dialogue to perfection and Well, Actually is a pinnacle of her talent for witty, sharp banter. There were so many moments where I laughed, screamed, or put my kindle down out of sheer frustration. Eva and Rylie’s antagonistic, snappy interactions evolving into their deeper arguments and romantic moments was the true highlight of this novel. I’m firmly of the opinion that dialogue can make a romance and nowhere is that more on display than in Well, Actually. Rylie and Eva had so much to unpack as they embarked on a new relationship and Eddings grounds that in open and honest communication. Even though it is difficult and our leads shirk from it at points, that communication opens up an avenue for reconciliation and a true second chance. The individual journeys Eva and Rylie are on are personal, yet grounded in their shared history. Loving the idea of someone is something Rylie confronts as he tries to win Eva over despite not really knowing her, and Eva has to decide if she can move past the hurt Rylie caused. The conversations surrounding anxiety, grief, and forgiveness as these two work to surmount obstacles and reach for a relationship together are outstanding and truly some of the best I’ve read within the romance genre.

Mazey Eddings brings humor and hunger (for connection and hotdogs) in her latest romance that has all the wit, heat, and depth to send you spiraling. Well, Actually is perfection captured and bottled in a second chance romance of awkward manners and resolute natures. Through her leads Eva and Rylie, Eddings initiates a discomforting journey of reconciliation and everything caught up in forging through conflict. Haters of the third act breakup can rejoice because as far as Mazey Eddings is concerned it doesn’t exist and I praise her for it. Well, Actually emphasizes change for the right reasons and loving without conditions. This story is hilarious, it’s tender, and everything my bisexual heart needed to stay sane this winter. Mazey Eddings is still the romance author I turn to for hilarious and grounded contemporary love stories and I encourage everyone to do the same. 

Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger warnings: grief, death of a loved one

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