Tag: lgbt+

Let’s Talk: The Mid-Year Freakout Tag 2026

Robin3 Comments

It feels like just yesterday that I was unveiling my mid-year freakout for 2025 and in all that time an entire year has passed. I am certainly not who I was before reading the two hundred or so books I have since then, so here we are back again to address my new picks for 2026. For the newbies around here, the Mid-Year Freakout Tag is like my Oscars, but for books. I get overly invested in nailing down the choices that I may go *slightly* insane, but well worth it for the chance to sort things into categories and lists. It feels like every year is getting more and more difficult—as my favorite author’s appear determined to outdo themselves. This year has been chock full of some truly phenomenal debuts as well that the choosing was not at all easy. I suppose I can thank my job for keeping me from reading as much as I read last year. Read on for my predictions for my top book of the year, the best sequel, books that made me cry, and more!

BEST BOOK OF 2026

Everyone in my life is either begging for me to shut up about this book or saying exasperatedly “Robin, we know” whenever I come their way. But I am getting back on my soap box in case you are one of the few people who have yet to be held captive by my recommendation for Veronica Roth’s latest masterpiece, Seek the Traitor’s Son. Prophecy, fever, and fated love combine in a series debut that sees Roth once again taking the crown for dystopian fantasy. Tethering three characters across a futuristic earth where fever reigns, Roth brings us to an incident that changes everything: the day a prophecy is given to two individuals who will fight to take it. Seek the Traitor’s Son is a masterclass in the balancing act of the speculative genre. Roth brings together a unique blend of science fiction fantasy elements, dystopian, and romance, and the result is an unforgettable speculative epic the like of which I have not seen in years. Throw in my absolute favorite: a deeply tormented man and a reluctant heroine and this could not have been more for me. Don’t let the fact that Roth is releasing another book this year fool you, this is the one to watch, the one that reflects her continued rise within the fantasy genre. You can read my full review here.

BEST SEQUEL OF 2026

The best sequel in the house for 2026 is also the book that had me the most squeamish, Robert Jackson Bennett’s, A Trade of Blood. Third in the series that began with The Tainted Cup, this installment sees our favorite investigative duo called out to a far away canton to stop the bloodshed between two rival families. What they discover is a gruesome scene and a murderer who is willing to set the canton alight in blood to settle the score. Now everyone knows the love I have for Dinios Kol, disaster bisexual and general chaotic presence, and Ana Dolabra, a peculiar investigator and confounding personality. Robert Jackson Bennett has created two of the most endearing, frustrating, delightful (all of the above) characters who are only getting better with every passing mystery. Bennett always has a handle on his themes and what he is exploring within the confines of the mystery and this time it is the cattle industry. Why we hunger and what for are two of the lodestones for this mystery and the path Bennettt carves to answer them will leave you shaken. Rest assured A Trade of Blood is only further proof that Bennett is at the helm of the best in fantasy right now. That and Din and Ana continue to delight and the mysteries are only getting better—and bloodier—from here. Read my full review.

NEW RELEASE I HAVE YET TO READ

So funny thing about this one is I started it a few months ago and put it down one day and just completely forgot to pick it back up. I’m not unique in thinking Kennedy Ryan is one of the most talented writers in the romance genre right now. I and hundreds of others were frothing at the mouth for her next contemporary romance, Score. Score plots the second chance love story between a screenwriter and musician whose decade ago romance failed epically and left them both scarred. Brought back together to work on a Harlem Renaissance Biopic, Monk and Verity are drawn into close quarters where they fight the feelings that never left and test whether time indeed heals all wounds. From what I have read so far this book is delicious, a gorgeous second chance romance that is unafraid in depicting the realities of life and love and where the two are in conflict. I love the queer representation from Kennedy in Verity, whose bisexuality is a large part of the opening section of the novel as she experiments with her sexuality and desires. It’s frank and just really refreshing to see laid bare so honestly. Maybe it’s cheating since I already started this, but this is one recently released book I am planning on getting back to as soon as possible.

MOST EXCITED FOR IN SECOND HALF OF 2026

When it came to yearning books of the last year, Kalie Cassidy’s, In The Veins of the Drowning was at the top of my list. A romantasy debut that follows a siren on a mission to claim her freedom by binding herself to a king, this book introduced me to a new favorite couple and author all in the same breath. Look no further for a series that expertly balances the plot, romance, and character work. As a fan of both plot and characters this book kept me endlessly fed (just like Eusia *wink* *wink*). Between duty bound Theo of Varya and the impassioned siren Imogen Nel the character work in this duology is astounding. Cassidy’s background in theatre and her continued enjoyment of historical romances is evident in the contrast between her characters and the yearning that develops. The tension is in the unsaid, in the conversations that are rife with misunderstanding. These two clash, they retreat, and come back ready to do the whole thing all over again while realizing that they are in fact more to each other. I really appreciate Cassidy’s commitment to drawing out the conflict, to continue testing the resolve of Theo and Imogen both. While I have had the immense privilege to read an early version of the second book, I am still most looking forward to In the Wake of the Ruined releasing July 7th. The entire book had me on edge and the ending had me sinking to the floor (in a good way). Review coming soon but in the meantime preorder here.

BOOK THAT SURPRISED ME

Natasha Siegel wrote one of my favorite books of 2025, As Many Souls as Stars and then she turned right around and wrote my next favorite with her upcoming novel. How far would we go to achieve our hearts desire? That’s what Siegel’s latest, Chateau Reverie asks in earnest. A young woman wishing to forget the death of her companion, and a young man desiring his liberation are extended invitations to the mysterious Chateau Reverie where as the invitation details, they could achieve their greatest desires. Once at the Auction of Secrets they are held captive by a larger power that will not rest until all but one stands the winner. As Leander and Genevieve fight to secure their futures, they face a love that could spell both of them their doom, or bring one of them to happiness and the other forever to ruin. With a premise like that it’s hard not to immediately drop everything to read Chateau Reverie and when I did, it came as no complete shock that I loved it. Even so, this one still managed to surprise me—as much of Siegel’s novels often do. One reason why Siegel’s works have resonated so much is that she always seems to be standing on the beat of humanity, what makes us tick and why we are driven to do certain things. This was certainly true to her last novel and it echoes in this one. This is essential to Chateau Reverie, especially to the romance that evolves between its two main characters. Now I’m not often one for a romance condensed into such a short period of time, but Genevieve and Leander completely had me swayed. It’s got to be Siegel’s extreme powers for yearning because I am apprehensive and still she manages to get me by the second or third page. I’ll be summarizing my thoughts in a review soon, but the twist in this one is completely magnificent and still has me in shock. Surprising indeed!

NEW FAVORITE AUTHOR

If I were to point to the romance novel of the year it would be Ríoghnach Robinson’s forthcoming romance Bad Words. Everyone who ever heard me say I don’t believe in enemies to lovers in a contemporary romance setting has seen me proven wrong since reading this novel. When a renowned book critic and a novelist come to blows after a bad review, the interaction is filmed without their knowledge, leading to a viral feud that spirals out of control. As the two spark a larger conflict online, the necessity of literary criticism and journalistic integrity are called into question—the bad words underpinning the good in the wider literary ecosystem. Drawn into conversation again and again, Parker and Selina slowly realize: sometime’s the person that knows you best is the person that has known you at your worst. And the person that saw you at your worst up and wrote a bad review about it. What’s so fun about a novel so deeply entrenched in the publishing industry and the foundations of literary criticism is that I read this truly disbelieving how Robinson could pull off the romance between author and critic. And how I love being wrong. The viral feud between author Parker Navarro and critic Selina Chan has widespread implications for the entirety of the novel, the elephant in the room as they slowly start to fall in love with each other. One can almost feel the tension radiating off of the page as Parker and Selina frantically rage back and forth on twitter, to even the quieter moments across their email correspondence. Being proven wrong has never felt so right and this book is evidence of that entirely. My full review

NEWEST FICTIONAL CRUSH

Am I talking about Emma M. Lion, Young Hawkes, Islington, or Niall Pierce? The answer is clearly all four. Now I know everyone and their mother is reading The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion right now. For those of you uneducated, this epistolary historical fiction series follows the elusive return of one Emma M. Lion to London after many years away to secure her inheritance and residence at Lapis Lazuli House. Foiled by her eccentric cousin who has spent the bulk of her inheritance, Emma will have to resort to unconventional means to remain in London. Including but not limited to: lying about having a chaperone to one’s demanding aunt, establishing a new tenant (a photographer no less) in residence, rejecting numerous proposals from one Charles Goddard, participating in the neighborhood scavenger hunt, exchanging favors with a nuisance, and so much more. One thing about these volumes, they suck you in until you come to having read all eight of them. I already had this series on recommendation from my dear friends Tara and Jeanne so I knew they were going to be a hit from the get go. Yet still I was not prepared for how charming these ended up being. I even went so far as to purchase each volume in hardback so you know it’s serious. Beth Brower is responsible for four new fictional crushes (and don’t make me choose between them please).

FAVORITE FICTIONAL COUPLE

Voidwalker by S.A Maclean was a dark fantasy gem I uncovered in the depths of the London spring. After a voidwalking smuggler named Fionamara accidentally gets roped into a coup, she ousts the ruling member of their winter territory, Antal. Antal is one of the Daeyari: creatures that originated in the void who consume human flesh to survive. Without a true plan, all that’s left is to team up with the cannibal monster to set the government to rights, or fail together (and isn’t that romantic). Now there is a lot going on in this premise but just trust me in that it is one of the best fantasy romances of the last year. If you like your relationships freak for freak or where they are both pathetic (affectionate) then the Beasts of the Void duology is most assuredly for you. The sequel was high up on my list of most anticipated reads for this year and I was thrilled to be back with my beloveds Fi and Antal. Sunsplitter asks what else there is to confront after successfully toppling the government and falling in love with a cannibal??? Daddy issues. This sequel sees Maclean deepen her themes, her character work, to test the bond between human and Daeyari. Lots of angst and tension ahead babyyyyyyy (and you know that is my favorite flavor of romance). Fi and Antal continue to take the crown for favorite fictional couple. They are just too good and no one else should even try.

NEWEST FAVORITE CHARACTER

My first Ilona Andrews? As a longtime fantasy reader this feels like a sin to admit but I am so happy to have found a new favorite author, character, and series in just one read. For the portal fantasy fans out there, This Kingdom Will Not Kill Me is all about waking up in your favorite fantasy novel and fighting like hell to survive. Who amongst us wouldn’t leap at the chance to try this? And who among us would actually succeed. Well if you don’t know the currency conversion of your favorite series you might just not. Fortunately our protagonist Maggie has a memory like a steel trap and remembers almost everything from her favorite dark fantasy series. After waking up in Kair Toren, a city she has yearned to venture into, Maggie soon knows she will not survive if she doesn’t quickly get scrappy. She robs a character she knows carries wealth and uses information about the plot™ to ally herself with a tortured byronic hero to acquire security. Maggie is everything I love about complex, layered heroines. She knows her worth, stands by her principles, and is unafraid to tell it like it is. Also clever to the extreme (I’m serious). Of course she’s not perfect or it would make for a most boring narrative, but her sharp wit and quick thinking make for a vastly entertaining read. I’ve got to hand it to the writing duo that is Ilona Andrews: this is how you write fantasy and female characters.

PRETTIEST BOOK BOUGHT

If you are reading this and you are a coworker of mine you know this is in fact on the holds shelf (but it’s the thought that counts). I am always singing endless praise to the historical fantasy powerhouse that is Katherine Arden. Her work invigorated my love of both genres and the possibilities in melding the two. The Winternight Trilogy is one of my favorite all time works of fiction and her latest, The Unicorn Hunters, is another stunning meld of fiction and fantasy. Not without a kernel of romance either! How to paint a picture for this hardback other than it has tapestry endpapers and a silver foiling on the naked cover. Truly a gorgeous edition that is representative of the contents of the book within. Want more reason to pick this one up? Read my review.

BOOK THAT MADE ME CRY

I am not the kind of reader who cries often, so when a book guts me to my core or has me close to tears I know it is flawless. Elizabeth Lim’s upcoming historical fantasy adult debut, Fishbone Cinderella did that for me. A generational saga and cinderella story following a family of women with strange abilities who are torn apart by war and circumstance, Fishbone Cinderella tests familial bonds and the cost of generational wounds. Across 1940’s Hong Kong and San Fransisco in the 1960’s, we follow mother and daughter both as they face the consequences of trauma, their choices, and their respective gifts. Lim is the master at the fantasy narrative and while this one is firmly placed within our world, it still has that speculative gleam to it. Magic here is viewed as a curse, yet one perfectly aligned with situation: to disappear in the face of those who wish you harm and to know by touch the memories of those around you. Lim understands how to utilize the speculative to inform her characters and get after themes and situation. Fishbone Cinderella is a heartrending portrait of mother’s and daughters, the pain we bury, and the lengths one must go to reconcile the past. If you’ve read this you’ll understand how moving the final scenes were. Sheer perfection.

BOOK THAT MADE ME HAPPY

How to explain Alicia Thompson’s latest other than its for the Leap Year and While You Were Sleeping lovers. As that is me two and two this was the perfect romance. Waking up on the lawn of the brother to your horrible date of the previous evening (after telling him you’d rather be on a date with his brother) is one hell of a coincidence. That lawn also happens to be in Ireland thousand of miles from where you were last night. No Money, no passport, no anything, protagonist Jess must figure out how to get home and unfortunately Eamonn is her only shot. He begrudgingly agrees to help her and the rest is romance history. In Every Possible Way is a contemporary romance that pushes the line of the possible and I am endlessly grateful for it. Because everyone yearns to be squired around Ireland by a hot mechanic while basking in all of life’s possibilities. Who even cares how you got there? I was simply along for the ride. In Every Possible Way is a romance that made me feel all the things, but the emotion I felt most of all was happiness. Alicia Thompson’s latest is there to remind us that we’re allowed to have it all even if we have to risk it.

BOOK TO READ BEFORE END OF 2026

Liana De la Rosa what cant you do? Taking a detour from the historical romance for which she is best known, Liana De la Rosa is serving up a forbidden friends to lovers romance this summer with Mutual Discord, out this August. As I am altogether familiar with Liana’s game I know this is going to be EPIC and it is the romance I will be getting to before the end of this year. Following an influencer whose virtual friendship with a mysterious “A” is revealed to be the partner of an old friend, Mutual Discord promises the mess, the romance, and the heat together in one novel. If there is one thing I trust implicitly, it’s historical romance writers breaking into the contemporary space. I know Liana is going to nail the tension, the yearning, and the conflict right on the head. She did after all completely sweep me away with her Luna Sisters trilogy (which comprised all three). I definitely want to extend support to my favorite writers who are taking different avenues as publishing shifts and Mutual Discord is up next for me.

Let’s Talk: Romances For Winter

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Yippee Ki-yay romance lovers. It’s the best time of year for romance with that winter chill keeping us all cozy inside (storms included). Cozying up with romance is the way to survive the winter and I wouldn’t have it be any different. This next crop of romance recommendations was absolutely meant to be shared around the holidays but with work getting busy my writing slowed down a ton. Fitting since now I can count this as my first quarter romance picks ahead of the Valentine’s Day holiday.! This was an excellent quarter of romance reads as I read everything from ghosts to sports romance. Tis the season as it were. Yet I stayed true to my roots with second chance romance and yearning—which I will never abandon. Lot’s of sophomore novels and debuts leading out the beginning of the year. Sink in and enjoy!

Disclosure: I will be linking my Bookshop affiliate link below my reviews. I earn a small commission if you purchase books through this link and it is one way to support my reviewing! My affiliate link will simply be labeled “Bookshop.”

Sunk in Love by Heather McBreen

Second chance romance while on vacation in Hawaii: hot. Being stuck on a cruise ship with your entire family: not. Two spouses veering towards divorce must pretend they’re still in love on a final family vacation—rather than let their family in on the truth and ruin their last trip together. Roslyn and Liam are a sworn pair. Together so long one could not think of one without the other. When a tragedy occurs, they face a reality where they aren’t or rather cannot be what each other needs. After months of avoidance and silence lead to a three month separation and encroaching divorce, they face telling Roslyn’s family. Both would rather push through the upcoming vacation than reveal the truth. But vacationing away from their lives is more difficult than they thought as Roslyn and Liam must question not is the love still there, but is it ever really over. Sunk in Love, Heather McBreen’s sophomore novel is an achingly heartfelt second chance romance set alongside a scenic Hawaiian cruise. I make it no secret that second chance romance is my favorite romance trope. The possibilities are limitless and the angst even more so. Sunk in Love is another one to add to a growing list of flawless second chance stories. Tracking a present and past narrative between Liam and Roslyn as love is discovered, lost, and regained, McBreen charts the ups and downs of a family vacation and a love story all in one. McBreen understands the inherent hotness of the British accent, someone making you lasagna from scratch (on a first date no less), and a man who reads romance novels (I know). This is a gorgeous gorgeous second chance love story for the cautious hopeless romantics, yearners, and lovers of stoic men. Sunk in Love is proof you can have it all.

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Sparks Fly by Zakiya N. Jamal

Tired of waiting around for life to find her, twenty-seven year old journalist Stella Renee Johnson decides to seize it with two hands—literally. An invite to NYC’s hottest club and an unshakable determination, Stella quickly comes face to face with a handsome stranger and just as quickly flees their steamy assignation. At work the next day the last person she expects to see is the stranger from the party. That handsome stranger is Max Williams, the brother to their CEO—a CEO who is currently ramping up a partnership integrating AI into their writing. With the chemistry already sparked, Stella and Max can’t seem to pull themselves away from each other even as professional ties suggest they should. Even more, they may not want to. A romance for the late bloomers and the bisexuals. That’s what Zakiya N. Jamal brings to the scene with her perfectly modern love story, Sparks Fly. Sizzling chemistry initiates a romance between unlikely duo, Stella and Max as they navigate workplace and personal conflict alongside their blossoming relationship. This is a romance that starts out with the heat on high and dials it back as our leads face whether or not their chemistry can outlast the everyday. Like your boss forcing you to use Generative AI in your writing process putting your career on the line. Despite the various ups and downs, Stella and Max never make you doubt their incredible connection. It’s there, they just have to fight for it. Jamal builds up a flawless romance while interrogating artificial intelligence in the workplace, fraught friendships, and complicated familial dynamics. Sparks Fly is a whip smart contemporary romance that not only made me feel the sparks but the power in building your future step by step.

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Heart Check by Emily Charlotte

Luke Dawson and Harper Braedon have always been at odds. He’s the town’s hockey darling and she is decidedly not, making a name for herself in handcrafted jewelry and hating on the beloved sport. But the two are stuck working together in the local diner after school, sharing classes, and navigating the ins and outs of their small town. Ahead of an opportunity for a young entrepreneurs grant, their school’s hockey coach is fired for embezzlement and Dawson is partially responsible for starting a rumor that Harper spilled the beans. Now the grant is a no go, and Harper and Dawson are forced into the close proximity they have spent years avoiding—to build something better or be stuck forever on opposing sides. Venture into Hamilton Lakes in Emily Charlotte’s delightful young adult romance Heart Check, a small town coming of age story involving the misperceptions of the heart and all of the quirks in leaving animosity behind for uncertain ground. It has been awhile since I have been so utterly charmed by a story such as this one and lord was I charmed!! Heart Check reeled me in with the hate to love premise and left me feeling empowered and entirely heart-warmed by its end. This novel hits the perfect shot with hilarity (see Dawson having Troy Bolton level anxiety crashouts and Harper losing it over a crush because he signaled before turning (a green flag)) and deep emotion. Exactly what you’d expect of the turbulent high school years. Heart Check is absolutely a romance, but it’s also about two opposites breaking down social barriers to reach mutual understanding—challenging predisposed beliefs and building to something better. Readers won’t just find comfort in the small town wintery-scape of Hamilton Lakes or the romance Charlotte has crafted, but the strength embedded in this community.

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The Wild Card by Stephanie Archer

The entire Vancouver Storm team and one feral alley cat: Jordan you need to be with Tate. Jordan Hathaway’s safe space is the Filthy Flamingo, the bar she manages in Vancouver and home away from home for the local hockey team. Behind the bar she can avoid her past failures and the fraught relationship with her father, the owner of the Vancouver Storms team. Breaking that peace is Tate Ward, Vancouver Storm’s coach stuck checking in on Jordan every now and again despite the fact that they cannot stand one another. When her father announces his plans to sell the team Jordan is thrust into the orbit of hockey, her second love and the thing her father chose over family time and time again. A defining choice: to take over the team or let it extinguish right as it is on the brink of making history—something Tate is not willing to let Jordan decide alone. The Wild Card is a hockey romance to end all hockey romances. Seamlessly a hard hitting look at the lives we lead for others and the power that comes from opening ourselves up to authentic connection, it’s a romance fueled by misunderstanding, coffee runs, clothing mishaps, and forgiveness. I’m always going to crave a true hate to love story where we get to crack open the interiority of our characters and pour over the details. Wild Card doesn’t rush headlong into the romance, instead opting to establish our two leads and the issues they have to surmount—earning every single one of its almost five hundred pages. Tate and Jordan are two feral cats at a standoff (which is why it’s even funnier they get roped into coparenting a stray cat together). The Wild Card expertly contrasts the bitterness and grief packaged into a chaotic five foot tall bartender, and a stoic controlled hockey coach trying to hold it all together. Sharp, steamy, and brimming with delicious tension, The Wild Card is not just the best Vancouver Storm novel, it belongs in the hockey romance hall of fame.

Preorder a Copy — Out 3rd February

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For Our Next Song by Jessica James

What’s next for your rock band is nothing compared to unresolved feelings for your bandmate. Keyboardist Jane and drummer Keeley have always had a perfect harmony on stage. Off it they are desperate to hide their feelings by a tried and true staple: avoidance. When a chance for collaboration forces both women into close proximity, decades of feeling and attraction come pouring out in the music and the space between them. A forever kind of connection may be in the cards, that is if they can navigate a much larger test through the media and their respective families. Jessica James returns to her acclaimed recently reunited punk pop group the Glitter Bats in For Our Next Song, a sapphic friends to lovers romance all about composing music and the importance in living our authentic truth. A reunited rock group on the brink of a major resurgence is merely the beginning of this romance and much like their comeback it’s only better from there. For Our Next Song is the rock filled sapphic romance we deserve, striking the perfect chord between angsty and romantic like all the best sort of love songs. This her second in the Glitter Bats series, Jessica James strives to connect the history of a band both past and present, a slow burn sapphic romance, breaking away from religious trauma, and the fragility of the media, all of which are executed to perfection. James doesn’t just make you feel for her main characters; she makes you fall in love with the landscape surrounding them—be they writers, fans, industry names, or fellow bandmates. It made me wish I could really kick back to the Glitter Bats and throw support behind these two women (or force them to confront feelings from within the band). Jane and Keeley need that push and the result is electric and heartfelt, a love story well worth cheering on from the crowd or behind the stage.

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The Odds of You by Kate Dramis

Writer Sage Collins already did the hard thing and bet on herself, quitting her day job after the success of her dystopian series debut. But the hard thing is actually writing its direct sequel, of which Sage has written practically nothing. On a flight to Comic Con Sage is tested further with an overly curious passenger, Theo, who could have been created in a lab just to irritate her. Theo is also a rising star, but instead of books he has made a name for himself in film. After their strange encounter is captured on camera at the airport, rumors spark of a romance between them and squashing them leaves Sage even more on edge—especially considering she and Theo do have a connection. Sparks are one thing but Sage can’t afford to give into her heart, not when she’s still trying to prove that she is worth it, to herself and to everyone else. Kate Dramis’ contemporary romance debut is a stunner, no other way of looking at it. Seamlessly welding the magic of the love story with an unflinching view on perfectionism, familial expectations, and a homage to Nancy Meyers’ The Holiday, The Odds of You is romance novel perfection (entirely the good kind). This novel was written with the perfectionists in mind, or anyone working through the often Sisyphean nature of personal standards. Dramis is here to affirm just how we still deserve epic and loud love stories—not in spite, but because of who we are. The Odds of You has a great kernel of conflict: can we even reach for the love we know is there if we can’t see ourselves as worth anything? The journey out of that is a poignant one. Grounded in expansive locales, sweeping romance, and a breadth of emotion that left me floored, you won’t find a book more representative of the beauty of the romance genre and the power in the modern love story than this one. 

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The Ex-Perimento by Maria J. Morillo

How to Lose a Guy in Ten Days, but it’s trying to win back the man who left you after four years together, all with the help of your favorite indie singer. A breakup gone viral, a firing, and a list to fix it all begins this gorgeous contemporary romance debut from author Maria J. Morillo. Bringing readers to Caracas, Venezuela—the people, cityscapes and serene nature— all while exploring the downfall of living our lives solely for other people, The Ex-Perimento is a romance meant to be lived in. Just like our protagonist Marianto, stuck for so long living life for others, this novel forces the reader to experience the journey of finding oneself when we aren’t trying to be what others expect of us. The Ex-Perimento is a story for the people pleasers who twist themselves into whatever everyone else wants them to be, and the reality of untangling ourselves to uncover exactly who we are. Wrapped up in a quest for discovering how to win back an ex while falling for your wingman, The Ex-Perimento feels classic rom com with a deeper pulse of community and want. Morillo understands the atmosphere of the romance, where the city is almost its own character and the characters struggle against suffocating expectations, finding freedom in the attempt to live their lives differently and the romance which evolves parallel to that. Marianto casting off the desires of others to forge a new path of her own making is an altogether freeing journey, as is her romance with Simón who provides her the space to grow and decide what it is she wants. Tied with a sparkling romance that leans into the slow burn and strong Venezuelan roots, The Ex-Perimento is one debut to live vicariously in and savor endlessly.

Preorder a Copy –Out 17th Feb

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Our Exes Wedding by Taleen Voskuni

What if we found out not only that we share the same ex but were stuck planning her wedding together. Ani Avakian has two problems: credit card debt from a failed wedding and unresolved feelings for the woman who broke her heart. When she gets the chance to plan the wedding of a lifetime for an indie movie star, Ani joins forces with Raffi Garabedian, notorious playboy and owner of the Armenian winery where the wedding is to be hosted. Her initial annoyance with Raffi is greatly surpassed by the revelation that the indie star’s wife to be is Kami, her ex girlfriend. Pulling off the career making wedding is now more important than ever, but it means putting faith in a man she does not like—someone whose heart was also broken by Kami. Taleen Voskuni unveils her third romance, Our Exes Wedding, rich in backstory, Armenian culture, and wedding planning antics. Two perspectives, Ani: the wedding planner and Raffi: the winery owner face past heartbreak as they attempt to pull off the wedding of the year all while fighting for their respective futures. Taleen Voskuni has a knack for intriguing protagonists and this novel is abundant with the character quirks while evolving a truly fabulous romance. Like the feminist book club Raffi stumbled into entirely by accident that helped him better himself, the whisper network, and the queer entanglements. Our Exes Wedding has the kind of setup that makes for not only an incredible romance but deep character study. Characters Raffi and Ani are simply delightful with a magnetic push and pull that kept my heart racing every time they interacted on page. Ani and Raffi love big and fall hard and with all the internal work their love story feels so earned by the time they get their clients to the altar. Our Exes Wedding is big on the details and unconventional in its setup but it all shapes up a wonderful Armenian romance with a queer twist!

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Get Over It, April Evans by Ashley Herring Blake

Falling for your exes’ ex while rooming together and teaching a summer art course?? The kind of mess I live for. April Evan’s world is falling apart. Her tattoo business has failed and to make ends meet she’s subletting her house while she’s away for the summer teaching an art course at a nearby resort. But all of these woes are nothing compared to her fiance’s infidelity three years past, when she unceremoniously dumped April for a younger woman. When April arrives at Cloverfield, she’s surprised to learn she’ll be rooming with another member of staff for the duration of the summer—and who should that person be but Daphne Love, the woman her fiance left her for. But Daphne has no idea who April is. Her relationship with Elena is over and done, and the rocky relationship she faces with April in its wake only reveals a forbidden attraction and a chance for them to reach for all the things they’ve been yearning for. Ashley Herring Blake loves mess in her romances and I am just along for the ride. Her latest romance series, Clover Lake, is shaping up to be messy, queer goodness and this latest addition is the imperfect romance we all deserve. Two artists reaching for something bigger, connected by romantic entanglements of the past, serving a bit of “and they were roommates” on a summer art intensive is just the surface of this scintillating romance novel. Since book one I’ve been half starved for April’s story. Our resident tattoo artist lingering upon the past needed her moment and that moment is finally here. Get Over It, April Evans is in large part about the events that shape our lives, and the moment we set them down to rediscover our desires and who we are outside of them. April and Daphne are each on their own distinct journeys, but somehow Ashley Herring Blake is able to draw them together in an incandescent portrait of forgiveness, queer discovery, and an unforgettable New England summer.

Preorder a Copy – Out 3rd February

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Daddy Issues by Kate Goldbeck

Twenty-six and going nowhere, art history graduate Sam Pulaski has been living at home with her mother since the pandemic. Stuck in a relentless cycle of job hunt purgatory, cynicism, and shame, Sam has accepted her lot in life—at least until she can get accepted into a PhD program and open doors to a job relevant to her field of study. But change cares little for her future plans as her moms upcoming wedding threatens to throw her living situation up in flames. Through all this, Sam makes a connection with her new next door neighbor, Nick, a divorced father, Trekkie, and manager of the local Chilli’s. Their relationship is impossible, a future even more so, but it’s the very thing that has Sam finally reaching for an imperfect future despite her reservations. Kate Goldbeck’s return to the contemporary romance scene is nothing short of iconic. Daddy Issues is an earnest portrait of the mid twenties, perfectionism, and what happens when those who fear failure fail hard. It’s also the perfect novel for anyone feeling lost and aimless in the years following a life altering global pandemic. Mark me down as I’m in this picture and I don’t like it. Daddy Issues portrays this struggle to move forward with such nuance and no loss of humor from Goldbeck, suffusing a comedic core to her sophomore romance. Our heroine Sam is a romance protagonist for modern times, navigating a post pandemic world and the reality that the future she was raised to believe was hers is no longer possible. This loss is a huge part of the narrative, a chasm Sam attempts to cross to a future that feels so far out of reach. Though struggle-ridden and watching a trainwreck-esque, Daddy Issues is fiercely romantic, capital H hot, and endlessly heartfelt. Through all of it Goldbeck has two calls to action: it’s never too late to reach for what you want and moving forward is far better than remaining listless in place.

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Seeing Other People by Emily Wibberley &Austin Siegemund-Broka

Morgan has a ghostly annoyance in the form of the man she went out with once and he is ruining her life. She would do anything to get rid of him, even venture to a mysterious support group for the haunted. Sawyer has a much different problem: he will do anything to keep his ghost around, even live in a half finished house that has slowly morphed into a haunted one. A chance encounter at the aforementioned support group leaves the two with a plan: Morgan will help Sawyer keep his ghost provided he helps her ditch hers. Excising their respective ghosts is one thing, but uprooting the past will require them admitting the real unfinished business: a chance to love again. Ghosts aren’t the only thing haunting this house in the latest from romance duo Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka. A story about the ghosts we bring with us into our relationships, both the literal and the baggage in tow, Seeing Other People is the kind of love story that both haunts and touches upon the uniquely human aspect of loving: the capacity to grieve. It’s a double edged sword here in this romance where the ghosts are not even haunting the narrative, they’ve got both hands on the wheel. Haunted by a ghost with an appreciation for Carly Rae Jepsen is a blessing not a curse (many would say), but for Morgan Lane her ghost is connected intricately to everything she’s been running from. Sawyer’s is the heartbreaking wave of letting go to move forward after taking the back seat in his own life story. Seeing Other People isn’t just concerned with the possibility of actual ghosts, but in the beautiful moments that spiral out from the connections we make with others—ever expanding in an overwhelming tapestry of compassion and second love.

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The Bodyguard Affair by Amy Lea

What happens when you work in a public facing government role and your after hours spent moonlighting as a secret romance novelist comes to light? Lie your way into fake dating the prime minister’s personal bodyguard to turn off the heat (this will have the exact opposite effect actually). The Bodyguard Affair is another sensational romance from author Amy Lea that acts as a window into the complexities surrounding forgiveness, family caregiving, and the vulnerability in sharing yourself with the world through story. And that’s all while serving up a truly fabulous workplace fauxmance. Big on the emotions with that slice of Ontario living and tropetastic feel, this book is a love story entirely of its own caliber. Shelve it all the way up to: a book too good to be real. This is the kind of love story that belongs to both its characters—splitting perspectives between personal assistant/secret romance writer Andi Zeigler and bodyguard Nolan Crosby. Where Nolan is wrestling with his childhood parental abandonment as he cares for his aging mother diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, Andi is stuck behind the wheel of her current career and life path as she chases her true passion: writing romance. Both have their own problems and the solution comes out of the most unconventional means—fake dating your colleague to help them out of a jam (said jam being rumors of an affair with your boss because you wrote a spicy workplace romance in your current field). Amy Lea knows how to bridge immense turmoil to the forefront of her narratives without losing the core of the romance novel. That is The Bodyguard Affair in a nutshell, intimately connected to the work involved in building a partnership out of everyday chaos and the exacting art of loving someone else. It’s wild, it’s messy, but the work of loving will always be worth it—one of the most deliberate acts we can ever undertake.

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Review: The War Beyond by Andrea Stewart

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Please note this review contains spoilers for the former book in this series, The Gods Below, and contains references to some of the events in this sequel. Read with caution. 

Rating: 5 out of 5.

To reunite with the sister she unwittingly abandoned, Hakara risked everything. Now face to face with her sister Rasha after ten long years, Hakara knows she is beyond saving. For Rasha is an altered, one of the humans transformed by the god Kluehnn as he restored their home country, and she will not leave her place as a godkiller nor give up Kluehnn’s will as the one true god. Hakara and the Unanointed rebels instead decide to track down one of the elder gods, Lithuas, who betrayed her elder comrades in an act that ushered in Kluehnn’s reign and spelled their demise. Capturing her could provide valuable intel, and swaying her to their side even more. Back in Langzu, Sheuan plays a dangerous game in allying herself with the Sovereign in marriage, but she knows he hides secrets. Meanwhile, her cousin Mullayne searches for Tolemne’s tomb, the human who bargained with Kluehnn centuries ago. If he can discover the truth beneath the legend, perhaps they can learn Kluehnn’s master plan and why Tolemne returned to the surface. Across the fractured continent war is kindling. Hakara harnesses a great power in the corestone suffused with untold power, but she won’t stop even if using said power costs her life. Rasha begins to question the teachings of Kluehnn and if war is exactly what he wanted all along. On opposing sides of a war between gods, Hakara and Rasha’s loyalty is no longer to each other. Restoration is coming and only the answers in the past could turn the tide and help bring about the end to a violent god.

Andrea Stewart’s Hollow Covenant trilogy bridges the gap between climate fiction and high fantasy in a climate ravaged world where humanity is at the whim of a vengeful god who promises restoration with a price. In her sequel to The Gods Below, Stewart demonstrates her breadth of both plotting and storytelling as she amplifies her godly war and the history of centuries past to plunge ever deeper into revenge and the cost of excess on generations. As her four characters face down a restoration event, Hakara and Rasha, sisters separated by circumstance, find themselves on opposite sides of a war over the future of their world. Sheuan plots and Mullayne continues to pick at the threads of the past. Loyalties are tenuous at best and Stewart proves just how much in a sequel that questions the cost of vengeance and whether transformation is the true catalyst of change. Four perspectives, all concerning some aspect of the truth, are split apart on a shattered landscape, and as time runs out they will piece together the past behind the stories they’ve been taught to believe. Vengeance, grief, loyalty, and love coalesce in The War Beyond and it’s nothing short of world altering. With countless perspectives and a wealth of history to get lost in, the Hollow Covenant speaks to the best of the fantasy genre, and something tremendously human captured within a fantasy setting: consumption with no thought for consequence. 

The War Beyond is the novel that took me from interested to eternally invested in the Hollow Covenant trilogy. Like coveted gods gems I gobbled up all of the character perspectives, lore, and rich history of this shattered world, left temporarily transformed in their wake. For a world utterly expansive in measure there are so many things to admire and take away from Stewart’s trilogy. Mainly Hakara and Thassir who I would like to put in my pocket and protect from harm (I say while still craving the incredible angst that appears whenever they are in the same room together). From the moment I first heard the pitch for the Hollow Covenant series I knew it had the capacity for greatness: a decimated climate the result of human consumption, future generations left to toil for a better world, and gods hunted to extinction by an opportunistic being who promises a return to the world humanity destroyed. However, it wasn’t until this sequel that these all sunk in for me as Stewart uncovers more to this history and the motivations of core characters. The World Beyond is a fascinating sequel excelling on the basis of story, to world, characters both major and minor, and the romance subplots (oh the subplots). Four unique perspectives: the altered, the rebel, the spy, and the explorer take a larger stand against the change being wrought in their world—to succeed or be irrevocably altered in its wake.

Andrea Stewart reveals the depth of the deception across the centuries through her focus on the power of information systems in dispersing the truth. To control how information is recorded comes with the ability to control the narrative no matter how inaccurate—an essential component to how things develop within this sequel. Through the epigraphs, the known history of The Shattering, the burning of the Numinar trees, and Tolemne’s path, Stewart lays clues to Kluehnn’s motivations and his rise to power centuries prior. Many of these primary and secondary sources become suspect with just one sentence as Stewart unveils her revolutionary plot twist. And what a twist! I can count on one hand the plot reveals that have left me floored as I try to pick up the pieces, and I can now count The War Beyond amongst them. Very much here for the plot twists that recontextualize the playing field and history while deepening the knowledge we have on our antagonists. The War Beyond does this perfectly while instigating the next stage of this narrative. As this book nears its end, Stewart hammers in the power of oral storytelling and the impact of information systems that have broken down in the aftermath of a world altering event. The result is misinformation and our characters grapple with this while endeavoring to right the wrongs taking place within their world.

In reaching the end of The War Beyond comes the question: how to move on. And if that’s not the mark of an excellent book I don’t know what is. Stewart’s follow up certainly feels timely, homed in on a world decimated by a changing climate and the current generation left to atone for the sins of the past. Tethered to the past and their alliances, each of our core perspectives understands the unerring call: they may not be the direct cause but they are responsible for righting the problems in their world. The heart of these perspectives continues to be sisters Hakara and Rasha whose lives were sundered following the destruction and rebirth of Kashan. This theme of sisterhood is such a strong tether within this series and it is tested in the pursuit of revenge and worship for each sister respectively. Hakara’s desire for revenge is mirrored in the most unexpected way as Stewart reveals how all of these world altering events have been driven by revenge and retribution in some manner. Really cannot emphasize how brilliant the central plot twist is for this sequel (I am still thinking of it weeks after). There are still many mysteries afoot when it comes to the history of this world and the actions of the elder gods. Thassir in particular continues to be an iconic grieving cat protector and I loved seeing him level up and take back the godly mantle he had abandoned. The War Beyond is just all around a superb sequel, digging deeper into the dark to unearth the past and transform an unsteady world. Stewart places her characters on the path to intervene with a god and I know I will come out just as altered before its end.

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

Trigger warnings: death, blood, murder, mutilation, body horror

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Let’s Talk: Short and Sweet Novellas

Robin2 Comments

My favorite thing is whatever Tor dot com has got going on in autumn. Whenever I’m feeling stuck with what I’m reading, I can always count on Tor dot com to bring me back with their stellar offerings in short fiction. There are so many new authors to try in this range of fiction and honestly some of the best concepts first began as novellas—see Alix E. Harrow’s, The Six Deaths of the Saint. This season is giving us Veronica Roth’s sequel to When Among Crows, the next book in the Singing Hills Cycle (Nghi Vo my love), and some really amazing queer speculative journeys. As part of my elaborate plan to reach my yearly reading goal this month I’m reading an entire slew of novellas and telling you all the one’s that are worth your time. Short and sweet is the recipe for success here so look no further for the books to take you to new heights!

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To Clutch a Razor by Veronica Roth

Real found family-ism is letting them help rob your birth family. Months after surrendering his bone sword—the weapon all Knights of the Holy Order possess, tethered to their souls and sheathed into their spines, Dymitr is ready to bargain it back. The trade for his transformation into a Zmora by Baba Jaga, the feared witch isn’t willing to just hand it over for nothing. Her price: the death of his grandmother, one of the Knights legendary hunters. Not willing to kill a member of his family, Dymitr instead plans to steal her book of curses, hoping it will be enough to unite him with the other half of his soul. Veronica Roth’s Curse Bearer is a dark urban fantasy gem rooted in Slavik folklore and given new life in modern day Chicago. It’s the kind of bite sized adventure that fills the space of a larger novel, sating the appetite without the high page count. To Clutch a Razor returns readers to our precarious found family as they continue to clash with an order intent on their eradication. Dymitr is now counted among them, as he has cast off his status as Holy Knight, to become something he was taught to destroy. Alliances and bargains bring together different motivations in Dymitr, Niko, and Ala in this sequel as they travel to Poland for a funeral, for an assassination, and a heist—all in the home of Dymitr’s family, one of the most revered in the Holy Order. A former knight, a zmora who feeds on fear (and has an innate talent for illusions), and a strzygi who feeds on anger make for a great trio. To Clutch a Razor will put their bonds to the test in some of Roth’s best writing to date. Dymitr’s journey to atone for the past and the sins of his family is the still beating heart of this series. To Clutch a Razor is a valiant display of bravery in not just becoming the monster in order to stop being one, but facing the greatest monster of all: your family line.

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Psychopomp and Circumstance by Eden Royce

In death, there is no greater honor than the pomp, the role of planning the funeral service for the newly departed. When she learns of her aunt Cleo’s passing—years after she was exiled from the family, Phee St. Margaret goes against her family’s wishes and volunteers to pomp the dead—to travel to the town her aunt made her home and plan the funeral. At the home of her aunt, the dead may not really be dead, and various objects clue the truth to her aunt’s estrangement with her family. Though the task may be daunting, Phee will pomp for her aunt and stand in place for a future she never expected at all. Psychopomp & Circumstance is a quieter novella, but brimming in the Southern Gothic tradition and the history surrounding the Reconstruction era South. Emotional and haunting, Eden Royce knows how to establish a firm tension in her narrative through family wounds, secrets, and the goings of an unknown town. With a pomp to accomplish, the heart of this tale is held in our heroine Phee, who grapples with the expectations of her family to marry well, against her desire to do more. Royce’s portrayals of the pomp and the importance of death rituals is not to be denied and perfectly wound up in Phee’s arc in reaching for a larger role and standing firm in her autonomy. Though the setting of Cleo’s house is unsettling, it is the anxiety of successfully pulling off this service that is felt so close to the surface. Phee’s emotions and the secrets buried within a house and family make this novella a positively unnerving read, yet unique and eye opening all the same.

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Fate’s Bane by C.L. Clark

Another sapphic fantasy story from C.L. Clark? The world rejoiced. Held captive for many years by an enemy clan, Agnir is raised alongside the children of their chieftain as his ward. Ever held at arms length, held hostage to continue the peace, Agnir falls hopelessly and recklessly in love with the chieftain’s daughter, Hadhnri. Together they harness a magic that could transform the clans of the fens, if they can at first endure a bitter separation. Fates Bane is a perfect novella for the fantasy obsessed, or anyone looking to get a slice of sapphic tragedy with half the page count. Anyone familiar with Clark’s writing knows they aren’t afraid to go for the jugular and that is decidedly the spirit of their latest novella. Fates Bane serves a sapphic childhood friends to enemies to lovers romance alongside clan wars, conflicting family bonds, dangerous forests, and leather soaked in magic. With a story like this, it’s evident how everything is carefully arranged, allowing every word its maximum effect—the story to become its own kind of legend. Fate’s Bane is heavily immersed in tales retold and reinterpreted, and just reading it becomes an integral part in the making of things. Blade sharp yet comforting in its forbidden love and familial bonds, Fate’s Bane exquisitely toes the line between competing loyalties and an inevitable clan confrontation left in the fallout. The result is an action packed third act and an ending that will shape you in disbelief. Relentless, inevitable, Fate’s Bane is the kind of story told at midnight between the weeping willow fronds with all the promises of devoted youth made sacred through love and hidden magic.

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A Mouthful of Dust by Nghi Vo

We’re back with the wandering Cleric Chih and their stalwart hoopoe companion, Almost Brilliant as they travel the land recording stories. This time the history of a village plagued by famine beckons. Known for its slow roasted pork, but even more for its three year famine of eighteen years past, the village of Baolin still bears the wounds of hunger, starvation, and mass death. Plagued by a famine demon with a hunger never slated, Chih is more curious of the secrets held by the wealthy and powerful of Baolin. Upon their arrival, Chih is taken and sequestered inside the manor of the local magistrate where they learn just now much secrets cost and the lingering proof of complacency and violence. If you know Nghi Vo, you know her novellas are some of the best in short fiction. A Mouthful of Dust is another incredible addition to her The Singing Hills Cycle, following an inquisitive cleric as they wander and record the stories of the land, and find themselves embroiled in danger, feuds, and murder plots more often than not. The fun of this series is the contrast between, where genre blurs but the commitment of our main character never wavers. A Mouthful of Dust contrasts accounts of the working class with those in power all centered around a life altering famine event in Baolin. In some, a famine demon bargains over pork, in others, the demon poisons the land and the people starve. It’s a fantasy story tinged with horror, but the claws dug deep into Baolin do not just belong to a malevolent demon ever hungering, but real human things. Hidden white cats, delicious pork, dark secrets, and cannibalism make up this next section of Singing Hills and all serve its continued calling for storytelling and enduring memory.

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The Lies of the Ajungo by Moses Ose Utomi

In The City of Lies, Tutu has grown up knowing only one thing: there is no water, there are no heroes, and there are no friends beyond its walls. At the age of thirteen, all citizens lose their tongues and the ability to speak—all to trade with the mysterious Ajungo empire and the meager water they provide. As his mother succumbs to dehydration, Tutu makes a deal with the city’s Obo: water for his mother in trade for his journeying into the desert in search of a water source. A journey that will transform not just himself, but the city he thought he knew. With his debut novella, Moses Ose Utomi proves you don’t have to write a full length story to have a narrative impact and pack a punch. A simple quest narrative is anything but with The Lies of the Ajungo, as a young boy travels into the desert and discovers the bones of the past children who searched for more and a strange group of women from a nearby city. From Tutu’s journey to the individuals he meets upon the way Utomi shows the act of narrative in defining a society, providing a common villain to hide the real violence taking place beneath the constructs of a city. The act of speaking, hearing, seeing, are all vital for truth telling in unique respects. The Lies of the Ajungo plays these senses in tandem revealing a system that deliberately ripped them away from a populace to hide the truth and benefit the powerful. Tutu’s journey is one that will stick with you as he navigates desert oasis, would be assassins, and the facades of friends and enemies. Concerning storytelling, history, and oppression, The Lies of the Ajungo dares us to see beyond the stories we’ve been told to what lies beneath—a writhing, shameless abuse built and carried out with startling intent.

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Cinder House by Freya Marske

House ghost, but literally. When her father was poisoned, sixteen year old Ella should have inherited everything, had she not promptly fallen down the stairs to her death. But Ella remained as a haunting, a ghost tethered to the house just corporeal enough to become her stepmother’s personal maid. As she ages, Ella learns she can leave the boundaries of the house, but only for short periods of time, and she is always returned to the house at midnight. One day she befriends a charm seller who offers her a chance to attend the three night celebration taking place at the palace. There she meets a prince, and her (after) life is transformed forever. Freya Marske takes the Cinderella bones and reconstructs them into a ghostly queer fairytale of house hauntings, mysterious correspondence, and of course, magic. It’s the story you always knew, but not quite. In Cinder House a house is its own living thing, tethered to the violence of several murders and reacting to any harm upon our resident ghost, Ella. The house is a ghost of its own, but it’s also Ella and it holds the sins of this family and its tumultuous past, making this novella positively gothic indeed. Yearning for the freedom ever denied her, Ella discovers an unconventional means at escape, finding community in those who also feel trapped. One such individual: a young man at the ballet who yearns to dance again, another a sorcerer and scholar from a bordering kingdom. Knowing Freya Marske this is not your standard Cinderella story, and that extends to the romance which is nothing short of queer brilliance. Enchantments, mirrored slippers, ghostly houses, and secret letters shape the surface of this narrative about autonomy and forging your own path. Cinder House is all around an unconventional fairy tale, highlighting how the real happily ever after is the family and love we make for ourselves—its own kind of home.

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Volatile Memory by Seth Haddon

When she happens upon a dead body with a Hawk mask after following a beacon, scavenger Wylla knows it could be the thing that saves her, from the payout alone. What she doesn’t know is the mask is alive, retaining the memory of the wearer long after their death. That person is Sable, whose consciousness has been transferred over to the mask but she doesn’t remember anything before Wylla, just flashes of a life previously lived. With an advanced technology now in her grasp, Wylla must decide to stay in the shadows or take a stand against the group that resulted in Sable’s death and revenge of course is the sweeter option. Volatile Memory is exemplary science-fiction and the fact that it is a novella is just a bonus. Traversing deep into the boundaries of identity and body autonomy, Seth Haddon’s Volatile Memory feels both cathartic and startlingly relevant. Wylla, our main character, has clawed her way to her identity, shaping a body that belongs to her in a world that controls every aspect of your identity down to your genetic code. Accepting her trans identity goes against everything she has been told to be, and yet Wylla has done everything to live fully as herself. Haddon contrasts this through Sable, a woman whose physical body was violently ripped away from her to become housed within a mask. Yet she is so much more than a mere mask. Told entirely in second person, this novella floored me with the sheer love wrapped up in the recounting of events, and that is all from Sable. Volatile Memory is an exhilarating window into survival and existence, whether it can transcend the physical body to become something unforeseen, but no less powerful.

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Review: The Last Soul Among Wolves by Melissa Caruso

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Rating: 5 out of 5.

Months after surviving a deadly New Years Eve party, Kembral Thorn is tired. All she wants is to be home with her newborn daughter and to have time to romance her former rival turned girlfriend, Rika Nonesuch. But as a member of the Hounds she is called to weigh in on an important will reading by a friend in dire need. At a decrepit mansion on an island accessed only by low tide a wealthy matriarch has died, leaving behind an unlikely inheritance. Brought to the island to witness, Kembral comes face to face with an unlikely group—her friends from childhood, most of whom she has not seen since, and all of whom are the potential inheritors. When the will is read, a violent inheritance is revealed concerning three relics, a ledger, and a coveted wish gained by crossing off all the people in the ledger until there is a lone victor. With no choice but to solve the case before her friends are all killed, Kembral finds herself back in the action and at her side, her girlfriend and rival, Rika Nonesuch. But uncovering the mysterious lantern of souls and the wolf who guards it will require Kembral to return into the dangerous echoes only a few months after naming the Crux year. Her blood will be a beacon to all beings across the echoes, but getting ahead of the machinations of an immortal foe will require scheming and quite a bit of danger of their own, if they are to survive.

Melissa Caruso’s, The Echo Archives returns with The Last Soul Among Wolves, commencing a mystery involving cursed relics, rival sapphic agents, and empyric beings, across multiple layers of reality. After the absolute triumph that was The Last Hour Between Worlds I wondered how this sequel would fare against such an exemplary series debut. A locked room murder mystery across a repeated hour of New Years Eve is hard to beat. Yet Caruso holds true to her characters, introducing a new layer to an already compact narrative and another impossible mystery to solve. A new locked room mystery of sorts is at play in The Last Soul Among Wolves, with a sequestered manor and a race to track down a wolf and a lantern of souls before time runs out and everyone is killed. Characters Kembral Thorne and Rika Nonesuch find their balance in this second installment, seasoned to the lower echoes and the conspiracies present at all levels of reality. But true to Caruso’s style, this mystery is anything but typical and as new elements are revealed they are forced to compromise and take unconventional steps forward. For anyone loving a well plotted mystery cloaked in numerous realities ever increasing in weirdness, The Echo Archives has this formula locked down. The romance is romancing, the mystery is uncanny, and all of it aligns a perfect finale like dominos ready to fall.

The Last Soul Among Wolves is just: two former rivals now girlfriends finding themselves the victim of yet another locked room murder mystery. Where solving said mystery is contingent on them returning to the alternate layers of reality only two months since they almost died. The Echo Archives would not be nearly as strong as it is without its solid character work. From our main perspective Kembral Thorne—Hound and mother, to her enigmatic rival: Rika Nonesuch, our potential murder victims, and a babysitting Elder dragon, Caruso has it all in hand. Alongside these individual character arcs, what makes this sequel so great is the unveiling of just how much the first novel laid the foundation for the second. Taking fruition in the depths of reality with an empyrean—the most powerful of all Echo beings— intent on control at any cost, The Last Soul Among Wolves reveals its holdings lie prior to the events of this novel. Caruso’s twists always land with the finesse of a blink step and unsettling as the very fabric of reality shifts and resettles. Digging deeper into the empyreans, the echoes, and the heartwarming relationship between Kembral and Rika, this sequel reinforces this unique fantasy world and all its idiosyncrasies. Even with new characters to discover the heart and soul of the Echo Archives remain our disparate but remarkably compatible duo finding romance between the danger. Often with no regard for the danger itself.

The intersection of mystery and fantasy is being well supplied this year and Melissa Caruso is the one leading the charge with her Echo Archives trilogy. The Last Soul Among Wolves is second in a line of extraordinary fantasy mysteries featuring unconventional characters at the helm and bonkers plotting (in the best kind of way). A little bit of Knives Out, an abundance of murder and contrasting realities, and you’ll find there is nothing quite like this mystery series. Though connected to the first novel, The Last Soul Among Wolves is an entirely new pitch than its predecessor. For one, we’re no longer stuck at a New Years Eve party for an entire book, but instead a will reading hosted in a mansion with cursed heirlooms and a collection of mismatched personalities stuck inside the manor until the case is solved. After an entire book orienting us to the Echoes and the dangers present at the lower levels of reality, it’s refreshing to get more insight into the runnings of this world and the inter Guild politics. A big part of this sequel is reconciliation for Kembral and her friends from childhood, and Rika and Kembral pursuing a romantic relationship while staying true to their Guild alliances. It’s a tough line to straddle and Caruso makes sure to tie it to some of her larger revelations. With The Last Soul Among Wolves the main word that comes to mind is “exceptional.” It’s the kind of book to venture into boldly and enjoy recklessly like all the best adventures are.

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

Trigger warnings: death, murder, blood, grief

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Let’s Talk: Romances For Autumn

Robin3 Comments

Oh a brief chill in the air? A hot drink in one hand? A crunchy leaf on the ground to give you a boost of serotonin? It must be autumn! We need not argue over which season is the best (the fall). Instead, I’m here to discuss the romances of autumn. The autumnances if you will. I am LOVING how many books this season feel like the essence of autumn. Either by way of a books atmosphere, the tropes, or the characters. The fall romances are screaming autumn this year and I couldn’t be more happy about it. In preparation for sharing this list I read through a new romance every night for a week and a half. Lot’s of ghosts, magic, small towns, and of course, yearning to keep me happy. Typical for me, 90% of these are upcoming romances for the season so please consider preordering my recommendations or purchasing them when they hit shelves. Let the fall reading commence!

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If It Makes You Happy by Julie Olivia

Fall goodness meets small town Vermont in If It Makes You Happy, a romance novel of 90’s nostalgia, timeless tropes, and Gilmore Girls fame. Down after her divorce, Michelle Cadell throws herself into the runnings of Bird & Breakfast, the B&B her mother ran in the (not so) quiet town of Copper Run, Vermont. Her reception from guests is less than savory, if the lack of signings in her guest book and the inedible scones she’s been serving for breakfast is any indication. A mutually beneficial deal: baked goods in exchange for babysitting puts Michelle in close quarters with her neighbor Cliff: single father and owner of the local bakery. The two become not just best friends, but true partners—that is if Michelle can see Copper Run as her forever home. Billed as perfect for Gilmore Girls fans and lovers of the autumnal slow burn, If It Makes You Happy is everything I’ve come to love about the small town romance, set in one of my favorite places on earth: Vermont. A fictitious town with a not so fictitious larger than life quality to it, I quickly fell into the happenings of Copper Run and its inhabitants. Julie Olivia paints the small town with that Hallmark-esque quality: city girl goes to a small town and falls in love with the next door neighbor while trying to succeed in running her mothers bed and breakfast. If It Makes You Happy grounds itself in familiar tropes to build a multi-faceted story of, yes, love, but also building a life where you’d least expect it. I really appreciate how much Michelle and Cliff feel like 30-somethings still figuring out life, struggling, failing, and eventually triumphing overall. This is a true friends to lovers as well, and Olivia provides this friendship unadulterated with romance because the romance is baked into their tremendous bond. Looking for love amid the falling leaves, small town coziness, and nosy neighbors? Look no further.

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Uncharmed by Lucy Jane Wood

More witchy goodness from the witchy author herself, Lucy Jane Wood, means fall is officially here. Taking readers back to an alternate London where magic thrives in spades and witches abound, Lucy Jane Wood’s, Uncharmed sees Andromeda “Annie” Wildwood, witch, bakery proprietor, best friend, and confidant’s perfectly curated life completely fall apart when her coven tasks her with training an unruly teen witch at a cabin in the middle of nowhere. Away from her routine Annie casts off the trappings of her old life—one spell in particular, to determine what is serving her, and what is ultimately serving others. Uncharmed certainly re-enlivens the magic Lucy Jane Wood first captured with her stellar debut, Rewitched, but with an entirely new, potent flavor. Its magic diluted in its strongest form upon the page and it is easy to get swept up in the spells, secret societies, and the utterly delicious confections and baked goods. While complete with a romance subplot to die for, Uncharmed focuses most of its attention on the character of Annie and her relentless people pleasing tendencies and overall perfectionism. Annie’s strive for perfection comes at the expense of her autonomy—literally, as she douses herself daily with a spell to help her meet the impossible expectations she, and others, have set for her. The spell keeps her placid, able to be what others need without her emotions and beliefs interfering. Yet, stuck in the woods with an orphaned witch is all it takes for that to come crashing down, for good this time. Lucy Jane Wood’s witchy novels find harmony with intimate character studies, cozy atmosphere, and romance perfectly mixed and baked to perfection. Uncharmed is proof that Wood is only getting better and better and this found family story with magical creatures and a cottage in the woods is heartwarming as it is magical!

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Give Me A Reason by Jayci Lee

Jayci Lee reimagines Jane Austen’s Persuasion for the modern day in when Anne, a famous K-drama star, reunites with Frederick Nam, a dedicated firefighter captain and the man she was persuaded to give up ten years ago. Frederick has every reason to hate Anne for breaking his heart a decade ago, and he has spent just as long forgetting her, but her return to his life brings forth all the feelings he buried. Ten years may have not changed their affection, but wounds are still fresh and a second chance will mean excising everything that led to their breakup and deciding if they have what it takes for a happily ever after. Jayci Lee’s reimagining of Persuasion hits all the notes for a perfect second chance romance and Austen retelling. We have family members being genuinely terrible (and some who are delightful), the meddlesome friends, longing, and characteristic melancholy of one Anne Lee. Give Me a Reason makes the Persuasion story entirely its own however, with wedding planning antics and firefighters instead of navy officers (because of course). Also in the connection between our two leads Anne and Frederick, which we learn wasn’t exactly perfect. Frederick based all of his hopes around Anne instead of his own life, and Anne still placed so much trust in her family—similar to the original novel. I love that we get Frederick’s perspective this time because I really do love seeing the torturous longing right from the source. Frederick is exactly what I want from a modernized Wentworth. He’s tortured with love for Anne, who he’s convinced has moved on, but who very much has not. Give Me a Reason is a perfect look at Austen’s greatest novel (sorry P&P), and yet another call for reimagined classics for the modern day—that keep the yearning.

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Love At First Sighting by Mallory Marlowe

The love child of the Ex Files and Men in Black, Love at First Sighting concerns a UFO sighting, a social media influencer, a government agent, and a conspiracy gone wrong and all of it is out of this world romantic. El Martin, aforementioned social media influencer, witnesses a UFO sighting that changes everything (if anyone would actually believe her). The only person who does is Carter Brody, agent for the Private Intelligence Sector tasked with keeping tabs on her. But Carter is drawn to El for more personal reasons: mainly the death of his father many years ago—who bore witness to the same object El saw careening through the sky only nights prior. With a UFO mystery afoot, Carter and El will become unlikely allies and unexpected partners and lovers, as they race to uncover the truth before it’s too late. If you like your romances served with an entire plate of chaos and absurdity (affectionate), then look no further than Mallory Marlowe’s latest, Love at First Sighting. I’m big on the unconventional duo’s and social media influencer x government agent has to be the icing on the unconventional cake. Love with a dash of the paranormal is always the right call especially for autumn and this one leans heavily into alien sightings and all the conspiracies you’ve read about. With a slower build, Love at First Sighting gives a lot to its two perspectives, El and Carter—how they are different, and what exactly makes them the best of partners even when they aren’t chasing down UFO’s and breaking and entering. Love within the quirks is something I have come to adore. Here it’s chewing gum, suspenders, and Carly Rae Jepsen songs, all of which are essential to the romance. This is a romance for those who don’t just think of extraterrestrial contact as a far off possibility, but know it’s here, and anyone craving more romance formed in the fire of the paranormal.

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Every Step She Takes by Alison Cochrun

Another year, another exemplary queer romance from author Alison Cochrun. Reupholsterer extraordinaire Sadie Wells is stuck—literally, running her grandmother’s antique furniture store after her passing while avoiding any adventure of her own. When her travel influencer sister is injured ahead of an important partnership, Sadie takes a leap and volunteers to take her place traveling the Camino de Santiago in Portugal. Except her dear sister neglected to mention it’s a tour for anyone who identifies as sapphic and Sadie is coming to the table fresh off a full blown sexual identity crisis. Additionally, the gorgeous woman she came out to on the plane is on the tour, and she’s made it clear she’s not one for anything more than a one time fling. If days and days of walking can change anything, that is. When I think of an author who not only provides unique queer love stories but leaves me constantly in my feels the person who immediately comes to mind: Alison Cochrun. Balancing a queer love story with self discovery, fraught familial relationships, and gorgeous scenery, Cochrun’s Every Step She Takes is a coming of age story with European adventure and lesbian romance all deliciously rolled together. There’s not enough words to describe how much I love this unabashedly queer book. From Sadie and her sister, Vi, to the people joining her on the Camino walk, and the tour host, an out and proud Trans woman. It’s what I needed to read right now and exactly the kind of affirmation that comes with reading this genre. Every Step She Takes is all about that: steps, the ones we take to get away, and the ones we take to reach for a new path. That change doesn’t always require a leap, but a step towards something better. Cochrun’s focus on queer adolescence as ever evolving and not contingent on time is a beautiful concept raised here. Witnessing it blossom in Sadie and even Mal, even more so.

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Once Upon a Time in Dollywood by Ashley Jordan

Playwright Eve Ambroise is running—far enough away to escape her mistakes and the failures that have broken her inside and out. To clean the slate, she breaks up with her fiance, Leo, and leaves behind her judgmental parents to travel to the Tennessee mountains under the guise of a writing retreat. In reality, she’s at the cabin formerly belonging to her grandmother, hoping to finish her next play and perhaps recover from the wounds of the past. Yet she finds unexpected company in her neighbor, Jamie, fresh off of a custody trial for his son and desperate for a break of his own. Jamie and Eve pursue a relationship on the weekends, between writing plays and raising children, but love may not outweigh their pasts or their present responsibilities. Once Upon a Time in Dollywood interrogates if two people can find healing through a romantic relationship, or if healing requires a more deliberate personal introspection and internal work on its own. As much a story of healing as it is a romance, Ashley Jordan’s debut novel is a multifaceted love story that encompasses the wonder, pain, and joy of our innate existence. Eve Ambroise is a troubled protagonist still grappling with grief of her teenage years—when her parents forced her to carry a baby to term and then put the child up for adoption. This keen sense of loss and a lack of closure follows her years on as she and her fiance try for kids and she experiences several miscarriages. Ashley Jordan focuses all of her attention on the personal growth of her two characters, Eve and Jamie, as they move out from feeling stagnant and stuck in trauma to breaking free of that cycle. Jordan’s message is clear: we don’t have to be wholly without trauma to enter into  romantic connection, but there is a tremendous bravery in taking pause to pursue recovery and better serve ourselves and those we care about.

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A Waltz on the Wild Side by Erica Ridley

In Erica Ridley’s The Wild Wynchester’s the absurdity is alive and kicking and A Waltz on the Wild Side might just take the crown in that respect. A chaotic family of orphans adopted by a wealthy baron spend their lives investigating crimes, fighting injustice, and aiding the working class in regency London—finding love amidst conspiracies, heists, and castle sieges. At long last we have the book for my favorite, arguably the most chaotic Wynchester: Jacob. If you’ve ever found yourself asking: what if there was an animal with you all the time that you could train to aid in your crimes, Jacob has not only asked this, he has succeeded. With his menagerie of animals and secret famous poet lifestyle, Jacob meets his match in a playwright who carries a tarantula spider on her person for protection, can redirect flying daggers, and also has a tamed badger. Erica Ridley continues to brilliantly contrast the struggles of the working class, immigrants, and Black, queer, and disabled people in this historical romance series, and A Waltz on the Wild Side is her best by far. Vivian Henry, our heroine, is a former enslaved woman running her cousin’s household in Cheapside, writing plays in her off time. When her cousin disappears under mysterious circumstances she turns to the family everyone reveres (except for her) to bring him home. The tension between Viv, Jacob, and the rest of the Wynchester family is sublime. Ridley focuses on how our experiences shape our morality and our views on justice, enclosed within Vivian and Jacob’s romance and her views of his family’s calling. Vivian seeing herself as a product, only worth as much as she is useful is a harsh, but very real extension of her experiences in enslavement. Ridley elevates Viv’s liberation and Jacob’s personal aspirations in this gobsmackingly wild, fierce and swoonworthy historical. Wynchester’s forever!

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Soul Searching by Lyla Sage

Collins Cartwright is running from ghosts of the strictly metaphorical kind. The real ones have gone quiet. When she left Sweetwater Peak, Wyoming, to pursue photography she never expected to return on a permanent basis, but after being fired from her photography job she’s back in town, crashing in the resident upholsterer’s spare room until she figures things out. Yet with her constant companions gone quiet—the various ghosts that inhabit the town and its backwaters, her only company is the suspiciously uninteresting individual she’s currently renting from: Brady Cooper. Her solution: show him some adventure and maybe send her ghost block into the afterlife where it belongs. Only Lyla Sage could put ghost sightings, small towns, and romancing the new to town upholsterer after accidentally macing him together in one whirlwind romance novel. But Soul Searching is so perfectly Lyla Sage, centering another forgotten gem of a town and its struggling inhabitants finding their footing and reaching for love without reservation. All with a side of occasional ghost sightings. Soul Searching’s main characters Collins and Brady are the definition of slow romance. At the beginning they don’t even like each other, but intrigue wins out in the end. Soon they’re confiding in their pasts and previously mentioned ghostly abilities all while taking in the hidden spots of Sweetwater Peak side by side. Get you a man that makes nonstop Lord of the Rings references, can reupholster furniture, and is constantly in awe of you. Oh and pays no mind that you are constantly talking to the ghosts that have been ignoring you. It’s a romance with a side of paranormal the Lyla Sage way. Hot, spooky, and thrilling!

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It’s Different This Time by Joss Richard

Sometimes love is inheriting a six million dollar west village brownstone with your former friend and love of your life who looks a little bit like David Corenswet (niche people understand). That’s exactly where Joss Richard’s debut, It’s Different This Time begins. Two former best friends, Adam and June, are reunited after six years apart when they learn they’ve inherited their former apartment building after the death of the owner, their former landlord. Sell or keep, they’ll have to spend a month together before they can sign away ownership but that means facing what drove them to separate sides of the country six years ago. Ensuing your classic dual timelines where the past is flung wide, Joss Richard builds a friends to lovers saga where an aspiring chef and theatre actress/part time bookseller agreed to be roommates, but ended up becoming the best of friends. Adam and June really are that classic romance novel couple. Unlikely friends they may be, the friendship between them is unmistakable as is the support they lend each other across the years. Richard knows how to plot out an electrifying slow burn and with an entire decade since their first meeting, June and Adam are ripe for that angst and tension I need from my romances. It’s Different This Time feels like a When Harry Met Sally style story, both narratively, and in the relationship between June and Adam. Where the fall feels like a separate character—as does the city of New York. I love a dash of miscommunication in my fiction (for good health) and boy do we get that here. Really I expected nothing less from these two, but Richard grounds it in their individual pasts so it never feels overwrought, only typical of two people scared of change and scared to reach for what they want. It’s Different This Time is an impressive, nuanced love story between two people at first scared to try and then brave to start all over again. That it’s enough that it is different this time to hold onto a second chance with both hands. 

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August Lane by Regina Black

Have you ever read a book that redefined romance for you? Because Regina Black’s, August Lane has done so for me. Luke Randall, a not so successful country music singer, has clung to relevancy on the back of a hit song he didn’t even write. Many years prior Luke met August Lane, daughter to a country music star, Jojo Lane. Luke and August burned fast and bright, while complicated family matters and issues in their Arkansas community pushed Luke to the outskirts where he had no choice but to leave it and August behind. Now Luke has been granted the opportunity to sing alongside Jojo Lane, but doing so will require his return to Arcadia and the person whose work he stole to make his name—August herself. When I say this book has enough angst to power a small town, I mean it. And that town is Arcadia, Arkansas. Second chance meets small town romance in Regina Black’s sophomore novel, a romance all about reconciliation and the messy, complicated side of resurrecting the past. August Lane has so much tied up in its central romance, drawing attention on Black musicians’ contributions to the country music genre, racism, grief, and the cycle of trauma—mainly women in motherhood and the impact on their children through neglect, abuse, and alcoholism. Regina Black continues to push boundaries within the romance genre with her flawed, imperfect characters who live loud and love not in spite of past wounds, but because of them. August Lane presents a melodic heart wrenching ballad between two people who find the strength to reunite and explore the chance of more—of writing their own love song together.

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To Heist and to Hold by Christina Britton

Sometimes you unexpectedly stumble upon a historical romance gem, and like the very gems our heroine seeks to recover at a scandalous gambling hell, I want to plan a heist around this entire book. New in an emerging series from Christina Britton, To Heist and to Hold has all the delightful accoutrement of the best historical romances. We have a widowed blacksmith attempting to seduce the owner of a gambling club, and we have that same stoic club owner choosing to succumb to her advances because of course you can better keep your eye on a widow you don’t trust by sleeping with her. Of course you can. But don’t let the utter hilarity fool you, To Heist and to Hold is a deeply emotional plunge into the physical and mental traumas of growing up on London’s streets, as well as the lives of widowed women socialized only to be useful and effectively cast out upon the deaths of their husbands. This book starts off with a smash as Heloise, our heroine, discharges a blade of her own invention (we love), and it really only gets better from there. Featuring a group of women—The Wimpole Street Widows, who use their position in society to solve cases, To Heist and to Hold brings an essential one: retrieve a missing ruby necklace from within a gambling hall. The plan: use the guise of a boxing event to do it—placing Heloise under the ire of Ethan Sinclaire, owner of Dionysus and the man she has been sent to seduce. What feels so refreshing about this novel isn’t just the quiet stoicism of our hero but the capable nature of our heroine, be that in a blacksmith forge, fencing, or methods of seduction. Ethan and Heloise soldier a lot of pain from their pasts, but love and an ill-timed heist force them out of the roles they’ve cloaked themselves in and into a brave, uncertain, certainly chaotic, future together.

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Sweet Heat by Bolu Babalola

Second chance romance lovers are going to feast on Bolu Babalola’s latest romance, Sweet Heat. After quitting her podcasting job, The HeartBeat, late twenty-something Kiki Banjo finds herself adrift at a time when she desperately craves control. Her relationship has stalled, her parents are selling their beloved restaurant, and her ex boyfriend is soon to be in town for the first time since their devastating breakup. Kiki decides to pour herself into planning her best friend’s wedding festivities, but the Best Man is none other than Malakai Korede, the man who broke her heart all those years ago. The chemistry is sizzling and the heat is still high, but for the sake of the wedding Kiki and Malakai will try to keep it all under wraps—or risk falling back into love and heartbreak. Bolu Babalola’s foray into the second chance romance arena is not to be outdone. From the moment Kiki and Malakai meet on page the angst is fierce and the wounds of the past are arrayed starkly upon the narrative. Babalola certainly takes her time to establish the perspective of Kikiola (our love interest Malakai does not even appear until after the first quarter) and the singular attention to this perspective is what makes the character work and the romance so strong in the later sections. The first part of this romance is all about the angst baby, and laying the foundation for the reconciliation between Kiki and Malakai which was in one word: sublime. Many have called Bolu Babalola the next great romance writer and Sweet Heat is proof she is worthy of the crown. This book bases the crux of the romance upon knowledge, the act of understanding someone at their marrow and the ache that is left in their absence. Phenomenal doesn’t even begin to cover Sweet Heat. It is a romance triumph!

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Review: Playing for Keeps by Alexandria Bellefleur

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Rating: 4 out of 5.

Few people have more at stake than Poppy Peterson, publicist to NFL’s rising star quarterback, Cash Curran. Best friends since childhood, Cash lent a lifeline to Poppy after a setback, giving her a place to stay and handing her the reins in managing his publicity. Now Poppy has made it her sole pursuit to set him up for success, but she didn’t anticipate a Twitter fiasco—more specifically, she never thought Cash would be so stupid as to publicly hit on a popstar to his fifteen million Twitter followers. Lyric Adair is music royalty, past superstardom and in the realm of untouchable, but somehow she finds Cash’s attempts at flirting to be charming. The two initiate a romance, one that comes with a glaring NDA and a sit down with Lyric’s revered publicist, Rosaline Sinclair. Poppy has long admired Rosaline, but being on the receiving end of her attention is unsettling. Worse, Rosaline is convinced the romance will crash and burn. Cash and Lyric’s flourishing romance only forces Rosaline and Poppy into closer quarters where the tension is high and so is the heat. As Cash and Lyric get more serious, Rosaline and Poppy confront their flawed expectations as what they truly are: self preservation, and if they can set them aside to face the real music beating between them.

Only Alexandria Bellefleur could hand me a romance novel during these unprecedented times and leave me feeling hopeful despite it all. Bellefleur’s latest, Playing for Keeps, is a romance novel of epic pop culture references, twitter exchanges, meta curveballs, and of course an unconventional sapphic romance between two clashing publicists. As newbie publicist to an up and coming NFL star, Poppy Peterson attempts to have it all with celebrated publicist Rosaline Sinclair, while a powerful popstar and a football himbo engage in a poorly timed but nevertheless endearing romance. Playing for Keeps does not wait around to kick off this delightfully chaotic narrative, and in Bellefleur’s signature style it’s a witty and highly engaging romp through the trials of PR and modern fame. Bellefleur continues to play it close to home in the Pacific North West, a setting plentiful in queer romance and culture (complete with easter eggs to her former novels). The Alexandria Bellefleur Cinematic Universe—the ABCU as it were—is a dynasty entirely of its own and watching it flourish continues to be a joy for readers everywhere. Playing for Keeps marks a new shift for Bellefleur, unequivocally displaying her power in subverting the space between fiction and reality, with marvelous results.

Playing for Keeps can be enjoyed on the level of chronically online to the cannot tell-a-pop-culture-reference-to-save-their-life individual just here for a good time. Because beneath the premise of two publicists managing their clients in a reverse Set It Up situation—they wish they didn’t have to set it up, we have a deep look into familial boundaries, recovery from alcoholism, and the vulnerable act of putting yourself back together after a life setback. That and of course a complicated sapphic workplace (ish) romance. Bellefleur has always proven her ability to integrate the absurd with the real, showcasing this blend as essential for human existence. This time around her references are on another level with Twitter back and forths, magazine articles, and interviews relating to the popstar x quarterback romance and their two publicists (who are being shipped online). These online exchanges are humorous on the surface, but Bellefleur instills deeper references: like @ Evanbuckleystan98 leaving some deep cut commentary here and there. In Playing for Keeps the social media landscape is an essential component for its development, both on the level of plot and the romance. Bellefleur expertly ties this together with Poppy and Rosaline and the result is a distinctly layered contemporary romance with myriad pop culture moments to sink your teeth into.

It’s safe to say that so long as Alexandria Bellefleur is writing romance, things aren’t looking so bad. Romance as a space where characters can make mistakes and take charge of their lives is very much Bellefleur’s playing field. I loved her attention to boundaries and going no contact with family members who are no longer serving your mental health and life goals. Poppy’s struggles with being an afterthought, parental neglect, and being under scrutiny at all times was definitely the heart of this story. It’s a triumphant moment for her to realize she is not a failure and to surround herself only with people that believe in her competency. Though this romance is from a single point of view, Rosaline and the secondary romance still have a presence. The ins and outs of the PR management of Cash and Lyric’s romance is adjacent to everything going on between Poppy and Rosaline, but it still is a strong contender plot wise. Playing for Keeps does feel strictly oriented to this current moment in time, at least where the beginnings to this story come from and the various allusions to celebrities and general pop culture. Yet still it charmed me and it’s definitely a book I could venture back to again like most, if not all of Bellefleur’s extensive backlist..

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

Trigger warnings: alcoholism (character in sobriety, but discussed), parental neglect

Preorder a Copy – Out 6th January

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Review: The Isle in the Silver Sea by Tasha Suri

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Rating: 4 out of 5.

There is an island in the sea that subsists itself entirely on stories retold. Lifetime after lifetime the characters from these tales are reborn to play out the narrative in an endless cycle, else the isle shall fall. For some this means fame or fortune, but for others its life in an enchanted wood as the evil sorceress, or a knight doomed to first kill his great love before killing himself. When she first arrived on the shores of this great Isle, Simran knew she was destined to play out the tale of The Knight and the Witch as the powerful sorceress incarnate. In this tale, a knight and a witch are doomed to love and to die at the other’s hand. Simran will do anything to escape this fate, but a story is a powerful thing and not even a determined witch can outrun it forever. One fateful evening, Simran encounters Vina, a dutiful knight to the Eternal Queen and undeniably the knight set to win her heart and end her life. Escaping Vina’s clutches, Simran travels home where she immediately confronts a murderous assassin intent on ridding the island of the stories that fuel its survival—and her story is next. Stealing away her close friend from childhood, Hari, the assassin gives her a task: find out his name, and discover why he cannot die. Too insurmountable of a task to accomplish alone, Simran must ally with Vina, her knight and intended killer, to discover the true beginnings of the isle and if they can rid themselves of its deadly fate.

Ensnared by a story takes a literal sense in The Isle in the Silver Sea, in which an island endlessly rebirthed through stories is doomed to fall unless a reincarnated supply of characters follow a tale eternal—down to the very letter. Tasha Suri’s newest fantasy standalone brings queerness, sapphic lady knights, witches, and sprawling libraries into the center focus and goddamn if it didn’t leave me wanting to fall into a never ending cycle of story (wherein I fall for a hot butch knight). That and exploring old books in a library hidden away in an ancient forest. Romance and violence are a double edged blade in this novel, as a witch and knight face down a fate that can only lead to one thing: their death. But knowing your fate is to die does not mean you cannot yearn at unprecedented levels, and Tasha Suri takes that challenge at its utmost. A pale assassin stalks the stories that have let the island prosper, but it is a set of archivists serving as the very architects of history that feel the most sinister. Tasha Suri examines the preservation of history, from those determining the fate of certain narratives to the construction of a nation. In a fictitious Britain intrinsically tied to story, Suri swings her sword at myths, monarchy, and a vicious nationalism intent on controlling the narrative by any means necessary. Even riding a nation of its “otherness” and anything antithetical to its agenda.

The Isle in the Silver Sea poses an essential question: who decides what stories are told, how they are designed, and how they are disseminated—and what happens when there are those that threaten this goal. Britain stands as the bedrock for Suri’s inquiry where stories are a fuel, both in the literal sense to ensure the island’s survival, and for the rhetoric that is kindle for an ever burning flame of a nation. Archivists pour over a plethora of the island’s written information, preparing a narrative where nation is everything and the crown triumphs because incarnates do their duty. There is no room for heresy, or outsiders questioning the way forward, and they are dealt with in a quiet violence as they are cut from the narrative. Certainly what unites the lady knight books of this year is the examination of storytelling as a deliberate act of mythmaking, and how stories can serve as a stepping stone for higher powers forcing their sinister agendas. It’s not that stories aren’t beautiful— when they have the space to flourish unrestrained—but that those that are carved out for some higher purpose will in turn be wielded as a weapon. Epigraphs at the start of each chapter mark a process where archivists determine the acceptable tales for mass consumption, and those that are a threat to the narrative they’ve constructed. It’s deliberate, it’s violent, and it leaves no room for new stories to take hold. After all, what is a nation if not a collection of narratives molded together to suit its own image. 

Ruled by a queen everlasting, this island constructed by story sees otherness as the true threat. No stories emerge from the outside, and no outsider is able to take up a prominent role within the narrative. Simran Kaur Arora, a witch from elsewhere, is thus a contradiction. A blip in the cycle that should have ensured a blonde and blue eyed witch play out the tale of The Knight and the Witch. But otherness is strength, as we well know. Against her deadly fate, Simran meets Vina, a valiant knight raised in service to the queen everlasting. If you’ve read a Tasha Suri book before you’ll be prepared for the friction between reluctant allies who maybe also want to kiss a little. That’s Vina and Simran in a nutshell, yearning for what cannot be while avoiding their feelings. When one’s fate is tied to their lover, to kill or be killed, you’d think there’d be no room for yearning. Tasha Suri is here to show us just how wrong that is—in fact it makes the yearning that much stronger. Between trekking through a disappearing forest, cutting down trees while exasperatedly saying your lover’s name, being captured by a group of rogue witches, and trying to save the isle, these two imbue romance. Some of my favorite passages with Vina and Simran are where the romance is unexpected and relates back to a crucial part of memory: the act or desire to document. This is essential to all that the Isle in the Silver Sea is trying to impart and just makes these interactions all the more romantic.

Tasha Suri’s legend crafting prowess is a vital part of The Isle in the Silver Sea: a story all about stories themselves. I’m not sure anyone else could have constructed such a glorious tale of reincarnated lovers breaking free from the narratives designed to control them and an island built upon stories. Ink stains, tattoos, old libraries, forests, and legends broken apart and remade are the scattered pieces brought together and unified within this novel. At the heart of this are the stories themselves, and Suri makes it clear: diversity of perspective and experience are what truly keep the island alive. In all parts of my reading experience, I viewed The Isle in the Silver Sea as a love letter to those who not only painstakingly preserve history but make it widely available. Not just the archivists, but the librarians who toil endlessly to help make information accessible (and are very much under fire right now). The Isle in the Silver Sea is another essential reading for the times we are in. Where inaccurate information is widespread and individuals are handed a narrative to suit someone else. In this regard, to question is necessary, and to seek the truth is a key part of resisting. The Isle in the Silver Sea shows just how affirming a story can be when entrusted to the right hands, and how dangerous when in the wrong ones. That otherness does not mean you cannot build a community or a story of your own, if you can at first pick up the pen.

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

Trigger warnings: death, violence, murder, xenophobia, racism

Preorder a Copy – Out 21st October

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Let’s Talk: Sizzling Summer Romance

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Summer, summer, summer, summer (please read in the theme of Disney’s High School Musical 2 hit song “What Time Is It”). Hello and welcome to another installment of my quarterly romance recommendations. It’s insane how many romance novels have published since last quarter so to honor that this is a bit longer than usual. I’m still catching up to many April/May romances since I spent the month getting ready to move back home. Picture the last few weeks being me just reading romance there are that many. Summer is already heating up and the romances are just as hot (hallelujah). We’ve got small town messy sapphics, rival bands, Persuasion inspired historical romance, and plenty of unconventional love stories. Also please ignore that I put an October romance in here. Just preorder it (trust me). Happy reading!

Dream On, Ramona Riley by Ashley Herring Blake

Ever since her mom left their small New Hampshire town, Clover Lake, never to return, Ramona Riley’s dreams of doing costume design became an impossibility. Shortly after, she dropped out of college to assist her recently injured father in raising her younger sister Olive, and for decades that was all she could see. Now Olive is set to graduate and leave for college, and Ramona is still stuck in Clover Lake working at the local cafe. But when she hears that the next big romantic comedy is set to film in Clover Lake, Ramona begrudgingly sees this as an opportunity to forge a way to her dream career. Unfortunately the film’s lead star is her first kiss and once crush, Dylan Monroe, and she does not remember a single thing about Ramona. Luckily Ramona can spend the entire time avoiding her. Right? No one is doing small town romance like the sapphics and Ashley Herring Blake. Dream On, Ramona Riley recaptures the small town atmosphere of her first series, Bright Falls, and proves it’s not just a lucky strike, but an innate talent Blake can bring to any romance. As a lover of all things New England, rom-coms, and messy bisexuals, this had all the shapings of an unforgettable romance, and it delivered from beginning to end. Featuring another delightful extended romance cast—like April Evans the tattoo artist (up next for book two), and some of Ashley Herring Blake’s hottest sex scenes (trust me), Dream On, Ramona Riley really is queer romance perfection. The core of this story sees caretaking as a sacrificing act, but also a hopeful one—a poignant theme which threads through Ramona’s second chance career and eventual love story. Dream On, Ramona Riley is for anyone who’s ever thought the words “it’s too late,” because it never is. I am elated for more messy sapphic love stories from Ashley Herring Blake!

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Passion Project by London Sperry

Bennet Taylor has no passion. She’s experiencing a passion deficit as it were. But who else is in their twenties working as a temp while desperately trying to forget the grief of the love of their life who they are pretty sure was the one. Pushed into a first date she didn’t want Bennet flees, only to run into her intended date, Henry, hours later where she confesses the grievous sin that she is not ready. She even admits to her passionless state, and Henry agrees he’ll help her find it. Now they’re having adventures all over the city, and Bennet and Henry realize they’re not just good friends and passion aficionados, they’re each other’s next chance at the love they’ve been waiting for. Disaster over pasta carbonara begins this hopeful romance debut from London Sperry that leans heavily into works in progress finding love not in spite of their circumstances but because of all that they are. New York City is very much a main character as Bennet and Henry traverse the boroughs and the nooks and crannies in search of ever elusive “passion” while avoiding unexpected feelings. Now with a founding father name like Henry Adams you wouldn’t expect a man to be so effortlessly romantic and capable of such yearning, but Sperry has written the romantic love interest of the year with Henry. I mean the spectacles?? Come on! Bennet Taylor had such strength while in the presence of this man I commend her for all of it. The journey of Bennet and Henry out of grief, to friendship, and then love is overwhelmingly gentle. Passion Project has a truly beautiful message baked in—that we don’t really have to have it all together to be worthy of love and happiness. The focus on depression and grief is one we journey on alongside Bennet, and it is as important as the love story. Passion Project doesn’t take the stance that love begets an end to these things, but we love in spite and live to heal day by day. Find your passion with London Sperry. It’s as easy as reading this novel.

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Isabel and the Rogue by Liana De la Rosa

Isabel Luna Valdés has made being overlooked a strength. As the unremembered third  Luna sister she uses her talents to gather intel to aid Mexico in their fight against French occupation. Wallflower bookish Isabel has had no issue sneaking away from the various balls and society gatherings while her sisters entertain, that is until Captain Sirius Dawson starts to take notice of her disappearances. Sirius is a spy himself, for the British Home Office, and in taking concern over Isabel is in danger of losing it all for the chance to aid her. When Isabel unearths something that could transform the entire occupation she has the ability to finally provide something concrete, but what will she risk to help her country if the cost is her heart. Bookish women being loved for who they are is actually something that is so personal to me and that is essential to Liana De la Rosa’s, Isabel and The Rogue. Isabel Luna Valdés, the woman that you are! This follow up to the first Luna sisters novel sees a wallflower use her place in London society to uncover correspondence to aid her country, bringing a flawless addition to the rake and wallflower pairing. Liana De la Rosa has captured the spirit of each of the Luna sisters in their respective novels and Isabel’s feels like a comforting love letter to the spirited, bookish heroines finding inner strength and a place of their own. Sirius and Isabel are a well matched couple and their chemistry is fierce. I’m still thinking about the desk scene and probably will be for all time. The glimpses into London society from the perspective of three Mexican heiresses, the kernels of sisterhood, and the insights into Mexican history is what makes this one of the most unique historical romances out there right now.

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Some Kind of Famous by Ava Wilder

Ten years since her singing career crashed rather spectacularly and two years since leaving behind a failed romantic relationship, Merritt Valentine is still in Crested Peak, the small Colorado town where her twin sister has elected to set down roots. Now with a baby on the way, her sister gives her ample notice that she will need to find another place to live so they can make room. Luckily, Merritt has a property she purchased not long after her arrival in town, however it needs quite a bit of renovating before she will be able to move in on a permanent basis. But getting things up to code will require her to engage the services of one Nikolaos Petrakis, local contractor, jack of all trades, and the man whom Merritt is hopelessly infatuated. I don’t think I’ve fully been captivated by a romance novel as quickly as I did with Some Kind of Famous. Maybe it’s just the setting, and the company of such wonderful characters but I quickly fell in with this on the most extreme level and it’s safe to say the rest of the novel carried it through. What’s so endearing about Some Kind of Famous is the extent it is emphasized that our two main characters are works in progress—two people still figuring life out but scared to reach for love with two hands when things aren’t perfect. Fear of the past is a big theme for Ava Wilder, and it imbues an immense pressure on both Niko and Merritt as they pursue a romance. Some Kind of Famous is about finding ourselves after setbacks and not closing ourselves off to connection just because we’re scared of trying again. The ups and downs are vast, but this is an exquisite addition to the celebrity romance space. Prepare to fall as hopelessly in love with this one as I did.

Preorder a Copy – Out 28th October

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Eliza and the Duke by Harper St. George

Facing down a loveless marriage to a man flaunting his dalliances across Europe, American heiress Eliza Dove wishes for one night to experience the real side of London. Her ticket in is Simon Cavell, Montague Club’s manager and the celebrated boxer of Whitechapel known only as “The Duke,” after a chance meeting leaves her an opportunity to convince him of her plan. All Simon yearns for is securing a life for his niece currently held by the man whom he owes a great debt, but soon all he yearns for is her, Eliza, the impossible heiress. Between the dark streets of London, townhomes, and tension filled carriage rides, soon it is impossible to deny that the only thing Simon and Eliza want is a life side by side, but that is as impossible as the feelings running between them. There is no power on earth strong enough to tear me away from a good historical romance, and Harper St. George is one of the strongest talents in the genre right now. Her Doves of New York series first ensnared me with The Stranger I Wed, but this follow up has outsold everything that came before. Eliza and the Duke concerns two people who never thought they could be loved—Eliza the hopeless romantic, and Simon the strong and silent boxer who made a life through his fists, finding unconditional, lasting love. Eliza and Simon are two individuals you can’t not root for. With Persuasion levels of longing, their connection is not only palpable, but grounded against their pasts leaving space for a beautiful romance to develop and plenty of angst to savor. And what a layered romance this is. Like that carriage scene? *fans self to no avail*. Eliza and the Duke is certainly for the Jane Austen lovers amongst us and it’s a historical romance that left me more than a little unhinged (a glowing commendation if there ever was one).

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Never Over by Clare Gilmore

When songwriter Paige Lancaster meets with one of Nashville’s premier music publishers for a potential contract, she never expects them to leave her with a tremendous task of writing new songs. Paige takes this songwriting challenge to the extreme and enlists Liam Bishop, her ex, to aid her in the task—they’ll start dating again while she joins him on tour, and then when the romance is at its height, he’ll break her heart. Yet all this re-breakup plan does is force Liam and Paige to address the past, why they broke up, and if they have the courage to try it all over again—for real this time. Never Over is second chance romance goodness, written with aching emotion and lending voice to the weight of grief and how far we will go in pursuit of our dreams. Messy twenty-somethings still figuring out life is Clare Gilmore’s bread and butter, and her third novel is arguably the best of the best and the messiest of the twenty somethings. Dual timelines give rise to a second chance love story between determined songwriter Paige Lancaster, and Liam Bishop, once lauded baseball pitcher now concert manager on the tour circuit. Never Over is a love story centered around life on tour, bookstore meet cutes, baseball training, and a heartwarming love letter to Bristol, Tennessee. Clare Gilmore has completely shifted what constitutes an excellent execution of the second chance romance trope with Never Over and I am in complete awe of her talent. This feels like a book written for the overlooked younger children finding their voice and their place in adulthood after being lost in the background for so long. At the same time, the danger in letting yourself be defined by one thing and what happens when that dream abruptly ends. Like the most addictive sort of love song: Never Over is a romance to pour over, read, and repeat. Healing and cathartic all in one note.

Preorder a Copy – Out 28th October

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These Summer Storms by Sarah Maclean

Born into a family of obscene wealth and privilege, Alice Storm was never afforded her own path, and was subsequently exiled for choosing one of her own. Upon the death of her father, Franklin Storm, Alice is called back into the fold to mourn his passing and celebrate the legacy of a tech industry titan. Stuck on the family’s private island off the coast of Rhode Island, Alice and her siblings soon face the strings attached to their inheritance and the final game their father constructed from beyond the grave. The catch? They have to play or forfeit the millions they hoped to inherit. With one week to play the game the past is never closer to the present, and family grievances could be the deciding force in who wins the game and who is out before it can even begin. Sarah Maclean never saw a structurally sound building or complicated family dynamics she couldn’t mess with and I, as always, am here for her meddling. These Summer Storms is a far departure from Maclean’s typical historical romance ventures, but nevertheless a clever twist on the corporate family power struggle. Maclean brings together her flawed family—the straight and narrow eldest with a secret life, the arrogant successor convinced he will inherit the crown, the exiled artist, and the crystal & astrology obsessed youngest daughter, all vying for their inheritances. These Summer Storms is Succession on steroids, complete with all the spiteful feuds and particular personalities that clash and make these stories so entertaining while exposing unique experiences of grief and family. It all comes crashing down rather spectacularly (quite standard to Maclean) with reconciliation not so far off and even the fiercest of storms finding harmony.  

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Can’t Get Enough by Kennedy Ryan

Hendrix Barry has it all, a successful business, incredible friends, and a supportive family. Yet as her mom’s dementia worsens, Hendrix knows she’ll need to step up more than she already is, and balancing it all could cause the precarious house of cards that is her life to finally crumble. When she meets Maverick Bell, a charming self made billionaire, Hendrix knows she’s in trouble. Unfortunately as the ex of a current client, dating Maverick breaks every kind of girl code so Hendrix backs off. If only Maverick understood the memo, pursuing Hendrix with the determination of someone who knows what he wants, and is used to getting it. With their undeniable connection and chemistry to consider, giving in may mean finally reaching for the love she’s been denying herself, but of course that’s easier said than done. I’ve been eagerly anticipating the conclusion to Kennedy Ryan’s Skyland trilogy from the moment I finished, This Could Be Us. Hendrix Barry has this larger than life quality that leaps off the page and I knew her book would be divine from the previous books alone. Kennedy Ryan’s familial connections to caregiving deepens a story centered strongly around caring for aging parents. Ryan’s nuances around caring for a parent with dementia are carefully done, how one can feel like a failure for making mistakes and at the same time feel selfish for enjoying things outside of it. Hendrix handles it all with such grace and she deserves to be taken care of—which is where our love interest Maverick comes in. His attentiveness and understanding to Hendrix as she struggles and triumphs is one of the most romantic things. These two really were partners to each other in everything which is peak romance to me. Kennedy Ryan really is an incomparable talent and Can’t Get Enough is irrefutable proof.

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Anywhere With You by Ellie Palmer

Charley Beekman thought she could figure it all out, but after her divorce and her stalled legal career, things have undoubtedly changed. Surprisingly, that’s not her biggest problem. When her impulsive younger sister announces her imminent elopement to her ex boyfriend and friend from childhood, Charley only has one course of action: break off the wedding before they hurt each other again. Who should join her in the road to breaking up the wedding, but Ethan, her childhood best friend. Ethan (unsurprisingly) doesn’t really believe in breaking off the wedding, but a road trip to rekindle their friendship after a falling out is worth anything, even if it requires recognizing the feelings they have avoided years on. Anywhere With You is for the childhood friends to lovers fans wrapped up in a road trip gone wrong and a well intentioned but disastrous breakup plan. Former best friends Ethan and Charley have this intense, raw chemistry that sent me spiraling as they are forced into close proximity in the most bizarre ways (like a truck stop shower scene that is unusually heated). Alongside a road trip of reconciliation and feelings revealed, Palmer flits back to the past, uncovering the complicated ties between these two and where they are headed. Coupled with their pasts, Palmer shows why Ethan and Charley work together and the freedom afforded in them finally giving into their feelings. Ethan begging, tortured for Charley and Charley unlearning some of the cynicism stemming from her parents’ relationship, in that regard. Anywhere With You is the epitome of the friends to lovers trope. For every person still figuring out their plan, on a road with all the dips, turns, and returns that life affords. 

Preorder a Copy – Out 5th August

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Love at First Book by Jenn McKinlay

Librarian Emily Allen has been stuck for too long on Martha’s Vineyard living under her mother’s thumb that she’s prepared to do something drastic—like moving all the way to Ireland to work for her favorite author from childhood. Siobhan Riordan’s acclaimed children’s fantasy series charmed the masses, but the tenth book has yet to be written due to her debilitating writer’s block. Emily’s job is to help her finish the manuscript while pitching in at the bookstore alongside Kieran the overly protective, grumpy bookstore manager—and Siobhan’s son. As Emily helps Siobhan complete the manuscript she learns Siobhan’s greatest secret, and it could ruin her resolve at her own next chapter. Shelve this under, made me sob uncontrollably (and in the would recommend category). There are few books out there that have the power to make me bawl and Love at First Book is one of them. Now on the surface this appears to be your standard romance novel, with a bit of hate to love around an American transplant living in Ireland and the grouchy bookstore manager who wants her gone (classic), but wow is this anything but. Love At First Book explores the transformative power of literature and how writing offers us the chance to reconcile the past while looking to the future. This book is about old and new beginnings as we follow a young librarian fleeing her narcissistic mother to a new life, a terminally ill writer trying to complete the final book in a series that was a love letter to her son, and a bookstore manager desperate to keep his life intact. Love at First Book showcases the power in the written word in bringing unlikely people together, to better themselves and find community. It’s romantic, tragic, and an aching portrayal of loss. If you’re in need of a good cry look no further. 

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Along Came Amor by Alexis Daria

Now that her divorce has been finalized, Ava Rodriguez is a free woman. Alone at a teaching conference she seizes the chance for a one night stand with the incredibly handsome Roman Vázquez, the self made businessman who owns the hotel, after he flirts with her at the hotel bar. Their scorching chemistry doesn’t just lie in the bedroom, and soon neither of them want to leave it at just one night. The catch: Roman will have to wait until Ava reaches out to make contact, and they won’t tell their friends. Months on and the fling is working perfectly, albeit with a few rule breaks, but when Ava discovers Roman is the best man to her friend’s fiance she’ll have to determine just how much she’s willing to break her rules for the chance at being his. Permanently. Along Came Amor is the long awaited third novel in Alexia Daria’s Primas of Power trilogy. This book is for the people pleasers in every regard and a cautionary tale for anyone precariously balancing every aspect of their life to appear perfect. Our heroine Ava is the victim of these people pleasing tendencies, always striving to be the perfect everything for anyone—lest they see the truth and cast her aside. Her liaison with Roman changes everything as she finds someone who loves and cares for her exactly as she is. Now Roman is the perfect love interest for a people pleaser because he was down bad for Ava from their very first meeting. Literally screaming, crying, throwing up for the chance that she reaches out to him after their one night stand. Roman and Ava are hilariously compatible and it’s very entertaining to watch them dance around each other for almost 500 pages. Along Came Amor is without a doubt the best read for the summer, featuring thirty and forty somethings attempting to have it all, next level sex scenes, and people pleasers leaving perfection behind in favor of authentic connection.

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No Ordinary Love by Myah Ariel

Acclaimed popstar Ella Simone built a career around music in small part due to the influence of her husband, Elliot Majors, a bigtime music producer. Now Ella is considering a shift in management after Elliot’s constant cheating leaves her with no choice but to end their marriage. Ella’s voice stands on its own, but to win out against the prenup she signed eight years ago and maintain control of her music, she’ll have to be on her best behavior. Enter stage right Miles Westbrook, a pro baseball player and Ella’s unfortunate downfall. After a wardrobe mishap and their palpable chemistry live on stage at an awards show, the rumor mill is indeed churning. Luckily, Ella and Miles’ PR teams have a plan to capitalize on the attention and it involves spending even more time with a man who has the potential to become a real problem for Ella’s already fragile heart. No Ordinary Love is an unforgettable romance novel drawn forward by an inner music that moved me from the very start. Myah Ariel knows the appeal of the celebrity romance and the slow burn and said you can have this entire book….as a treat. From multiple fronts, No Ordinary Love interrogates the entertainment industry, legacy, and personal beliefs and at the center of this is Ella Simone who embodies it all—control, ambition, and a deep love for her craft. Not just a character to admire deeply, Ella is one to root for as she casts off a toxic partner and works to build the life she wants for herself all while pushing the boulder uphill. Miles is the perfect harmony to Ella and his unconditional love and support was the grounding this story needed to become a true romance classic. Myah Ariel showcases the power in two driven and somewhat single minded individuals letting go just a little to find the music side by side. Where the bonus is falling in love.

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The Chemistry of Familiar Objects by Alexandra Vasti

On 57 Gresham Street the true showdown is occurring. For Emmeline Starling, the building is the perfect space to test her skills in chemistry, but on the ground floor Robert Vane, a children’s book printer is one explosion away from a complete meltdown. Years of towing the line and stewing in their personal hatred for each other all ends when a dangerous concoction of Emmeline’s is stolen. Together, Emmeline and Robert are entangled in a dark conspiracy to weaponize her compound and the only way to uncover it is to work side by side—if they can do so without first burying the hatchet directly in the other’s chest. What would you say if I told you a real love language was blowing stuff up in front of a man who disdains you? What then? The Chemistry of Familiar Objects features all of my favorite things: man who is so sick of a specific woman he could vomit (but really), woman who can’t stop blowing things up/lighting things on fire, and love stemming from schemes and conspiracy. Alexandra Vasti is an undeniable power within the historical romance space, whether that’s writing full length novels or bite size novella adventures, and this novella is her pièce de résistance. How else does one craft something so profoundly moving and romantic all in under two hundred pages without losing any real depth from the page count. Em and Robert were (regretfully) in cahoots until it transformed into in cahoots (affectionate) and the entire journey is so delicious I could scream. Vasti doesn’t lose up on any of that wonderful romantic tension she is known for, nor the jaw dropping sex scenes that will be seared into my brain for all eternity. The Chemistry of Familiar Objects is a masterclass in intimacy, vulnerability, and that kernel of hate to love that moves all of us one way or another. Also chemistry. Lots of chemistry!

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For the Record by Emma Lord

Once music rivals now complete strangers, Sam Blaze and Mackenzie Waters captivated their listeners with their chemistry on stage and their rumored romance. Several years since leaving their respective bands, Sam and Mack are independently striking out on their own, if only they can convince their labels that it’s a good idea. To secure the next stage of their singing careers, Sam and Mack agree to team up on a joint album in a comeback that will drag their past back to the present. Reviving the music and their undeniable chemistry could secure them a future in music if wounded hearts don’t first prevail and they can remain on the good side of the spotlight—no matter the cost. Effortlessly funny, charming, romantic, you name it, Emma Lord excels at it all and her second adult romance is no different. For the Record is a nostalgic rivals to lovers’ romance that made me yearn for the music while reminiscing on the days of bands long past. Emma Lord immediately swept me up in the drama of the bands Candy Shards and Thunder Hearts (think edgy punk rock group versus pop girl trio) and their notorious rivalry. One thing that always gets me with Emma Lord’s writing is the effortless way she brings readers into the lives of her characters and those orbiting our main duo. Even though we see little of them, the bond between Mackenzie and her former band members Hannah and Serena is quite the standout, as was Sam’s bond with his son and family. The romance still takes center stage here and god did Sam and Mackenzie bring on that unbearable romantic tension that made me want to bonk my head against the wall. Emma Lord knows how to write a romance and this one is a soft and hopeful love song you can’t resist being enamored by.

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Review: Love At First Fright by Nadia El-Fassi

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Rating: 5 out of 5.

Cult horror writer Rosemary Shaw has always been able to see the dead—ever since she was ten years old and her recently deceased grandmother came back for a final lesson in making her signature strawberry jam. Rosemary’s talents led her into a career writing horror novels and now her Victorian gothic horror novel, When The Devil Takes Hold, is slated to be adapted into film. This should be a tremendous accomplishment if not for the glaringly obvious fact that the actor hired for the titular role is just wrong. Ellis Finch is Hollywood’s favorite charmer. Known for his action movies, all Ellis really wants to do is to step away to more meaningful projects, and Rosemary Shaw’s adaptation offers him a chance to pivot. When Ellis learns the author of the source novel wants him out as the leading man he is infuriated, but nothing will stop him from this career making project, not even opinionated Rosemary Shaw. Filming at a picturesque Hallowvale manor in England’s countryside, there are zero opportunities for Rosemary and Ellis to avoid one another. Especially as the manor is so much more than a set draping for a gothic horror movie, it’s literally haunted. Ghosts of all kinds have made the manor their home, bringing mischief down on the film crew, but as Rosemary and Ellis bury the hatchet they discover far greater are the ghosts of feelings lingering between them.

When you’re a horror author who’s novel is being adapted and the primary actor for the part is just wrong but also the set is being haunted by a pair of ghosts from the regency wreaking havoc with their unhinged lesbian-yearning-for-what-can-never-be vibes. Guys Nadia El-Fassi simply never misses and her sophomore novel is written for the chaos demons and bisexuals in mind. As a representation and a purveyor of both, Love At First Fright was inherently a Robin classic and a romance sensation from its very first moments. Love At First Fright is the epitome of what a modern romance should be with a healthy dose of the paranormal and hate to love on a gothic horror movie set where the ghosts are real and so are the feelings. Horror writer Rosemary Shaw hates her adaptation’s film lead, suave action star Ellis Finch, who is just a little burnt out and hoping playing a sickly Victorian man in a gothic horror film is the cure. Spoiler alert it’s that and romancing a talented horror writer. Love At First Fright finds romance in the unlikeliest of places, like telling someone you watched Crimson Peak when they mentioned it one time, debating Jane Austen’s best work, and helping the two regency lesbian ghosts move past their internalized homophobia and find peace. Nadia El-Fassi’s sophomore novel reasserts her immense talent for grounded, meaningful modern love stories. Call me a ghost lover because I want to be haunted by this novel for all eternity.

In Love At First Fright the ghosts are front and center, but Nadia El-Fassi proves it’s not really the ghosts haunting the narrative, but various regrettable circumstances and the vulnerability in laying ourselves bare. This book screams romance to me even as two regency lesbians wreck havoc on the film crew, a ghost dog lingers by his former owner, and its characters grapple with truly delicious levels of tension. It’s also a deep cut for the bisexuals. Like Rosemary came out DAYS after watching The Mummy (1999) in youth. I’m afraid this is not just a stunning romance novel, but also the unadulterated bisexual representation we deserve! Rosemary and Ellis get off to a rough start but from there it’s—well it’s still a bit rough but albeit sexier and a whole lot hornier. These two had me crazy to the point that if I was a member of the When The Devil Takes Hold crew I would have stopped dead in my tracks just to inquire if there was something else going on between them. Because in no way were these two discreet yearning out in the rain (which FYI is the hottest scene in the book and they are fully clothed). Rosemary and Ellis had no reason being so intense about each other but in fairness I’m obsessed with them both so I do get it. The way these two communicate, the honesty they find in between the tense moments, only make this romance that much more profound. 

Love At First Fright is certainly the romance novel to read this fall. Proving spooky can be sexy, and that the best love stories are told alongside the paranormal. Nadia El-Fassi pours so much into just one romance it’s a triumph to witness it all coalesce into this visionary love story. From the regency ghosts, the splendidly gothic manor Harrowvale, Jane Austen hot takes™, and the healthy exploration of kink, Love At First Fright is a romance novel like no other and it has something in it for every kind of reader. Leads Rosemary and Ellis brought on the simmering tension and achingly hot scenes, it’s a wonder I didn’t perish on sight after reading them. This book oscillates between the frightening, yearning, grief, and humor infused moments with such skill—and oftentimes all within one scene. It’s masterful. Also there’s something so hilarious about the regency lesbian ghosts being exposed to Bridgerton (I need a oneshot of this on my desk immediately). I am left with one question and one question only after my reading experience which is: what sapphic books would I give to a Victorian Era lesbian ghost to help her unlearn her internalized homophobia. If you thought Best Hex Ever was extraordinary, you’ll lose it for El-Fassi’s follow up, Love At First Fright. Utterly spooktastic!

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

Trigger warnings: animal death (in the past, but recounted), homophobia, blackmail, grief

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