It’s the 62nd day of January and I can't wait for January to be over. Here are some thoughts on books I read recently Mermaid Inn by Jenny Holiday. Y’all know I am a fan of Jenny Holiday’s books. This book was good but not a great read for me. The heroine, Evie, returns to the seaside town where she spent her summers while growing up. Her aunt has passed away and left Evie the inn. Evie doesn’t want it, but she doesn’t have options. The hero, Sawyer, is the townie boy who broke Evie’s Continue Reading
Guest Post: How a Librarian from The Mummy Inspired Hearts on Hold by Charish Reid
Charish's new book, Hearts on Hold, releases next week, 2/3 and she stopped by to talk a little bit about the inspiration behind it. FYI- I finished this book last week and will have a mini review tomorrow, it was good, so you should go ahead and preorder it :) I saw the 1999 The Mummy when I was thirteen-years-old and sang it’s cinematic praises for about four months straight. I’m certain my friends grew exhausted by my excessive fan-girling… But what I loved most was the blossoming Continue Reading
Guest Post & Giveaway: My Favorite Contemporary Romances by Alice Archer
With the rerelease this month of my novel Everyday History, a contemporary gay romance about a young man growing up enough to capture a man who’s all but given up on love, I’ve been reconnecting with my favorite contemporary romances. These stories stuck with me over time. I reread and talk about (and sometimes can’t shut up about) them. They each beguiled me as a reader and informed me as a writer. Hot Target (Troubleshooters #8), by Suzanne Brockmann The subplot of the early connection Continue Reading
Guest Post: Things I Love About the Secret Baby Trope by Mona Shroff
Today we have Mona Shroff talking about one of my favorite tropes, secret baby. Mona's debut novel Then, Now, Always is out tomorrow, January 28. If you are in the Maryland/DC/Virginia area, Mona will be signing books at Turn the Page, Nora's bookstore on Saturday, February 1. (note from Kini: I am friendly with Mona after I met her through local books friends last year) The secret baby trope is one of those that elicits strong feelings. You either love it or hate it, and I love it! Why Continue Reading
Top Ten – January 24, 2020
We made it another week y’all. Happy Friday! 10. We are basically a Cheer fan account now, so I felt compelled to share this with you. Buzzfeed has a round-up of celebrities tweeting about Cheer. 9. But have you seen their whole Daytona performance? I've watched it several time. 8. Idol by Kristen Callihan has been turned into an interactive story. If anyone has tried this out, please let us know how it works. 7. Do you love the Ice Planet Barbarian books by Ruby Dixon? Do Continue Reading
Did Not Finish Friday
Today we bring you a round of up books that we did not finish. Life is too short to read books that aren't bringing you joy. Let us know in the comments what books you DNF so far this year and why. Now, Then, Always by Mona Shroff- You might be wondering how this could have ended up on my DNF list after I was really excited about it. And I wondered the same thing. Basically it just wasn't drawing me in. It probably had more to do with external factors like life and the story wasn't Continue Reading
Excerpt & Giveaway: Almost Friends by Jill Shalvis
ALMOST JUST FRIENDS by Jill Shalvis (a standalone Wildstone novel) out now! We are teaming up with Jill's publisher, Harper Collins, to give away one paperback copy of Almost Just Friends. Leave a comment below to tell us your favorite book you've read so far in 2020 and we will pick one winner. Comment before 11:59 PM EST on 1/25/2020. Winner will be chosen by 1/27/2020 Piper Manning’s about as tough as they come, she’s had to be. She raised her siblings and they’ve thankfully Continue Reading
Kini’s Monday Minis- Reviews for books by Rachel Reid, Lucy Parker, and Adriana Anders
Tough Guy by Rachel Reid- It has been a while since I read a hockey romance and this one did not disappoint. Hockey playing hero Ryan suffers from anxiety and it was handled so well by the author. His love interest is Fabian and Fabian seems to present as gender non-conforming. All in all the story was sweet and sexy and was a great reintroduction to hockey romance for me. This is part of a series but can be read as a stand alone. Reid hints at another couple that has my interest Continue Reading
Review: Love Her or Lose Her by Tessa Bailey
By now y’all may know that I love the marriage in trouble trope. There is something so appealing to me about reading about couples who have to figure out their shit and decide to make their marriage work. I haven’t read Bailey in quite some time, I’ve kind of moved away from reading and enjoying her brand of possessive alpha heroes. But with this trope, I was never not going to read Love Her or Lose Her. I ended up having incredibly mixed feelings about this book. I will start with the good. Continue Reading
Guest Post: Lucy Parker’s TBR
Lucy's last TBR post with us did so well, we invited her back to talk about her 2020 TBR. Lucy's new book Headliners releases next week. I've already read it and it was delightful and you should definitely add it to your TBR. I’m personally confused as to how it’s already 2020 at all, but despite the fact that 2019 disappeared in the blink of an eye, it brought some incredible books, and I’m so excited for what new additions I’ll have this year for my keeper shelf and my much-cherished Continue Reading