The Make-Up Test by Jenny L. HoweContemporary RomanceSeptember 13, 2022 by St. Martin's Griffin Review by Melanie Let me just state for the record, that I will die on the hill that romance novels need to end with a HEA (or a HFN, at the very least). I will also state that I love a second chance romance, especially when it comes with a side of grovel novel. This is why it pains me to say I really did not like this book, despite it being second chance romance, and when the end of the book Continue Reading
A Year of Ms. Bev
By Melanie Listen, I don’t want to point fingers and assign blame, but I must get this off my chest. Beverly Jenkins has caused me a lot of sleepless nights this year. At the end of 2021, as I was looking back at my reading over the course of the year, I was also thinking about making a reading resolution, one that went a little bit beyond setting a reading goal on Goodreads. I decided to focus a part of this year on reading Ms. Bev’s extensive historical romance backlist. I had already read Continue Reading
Review: To Catch a Raven by Beverly Jenkins
To Catch a Raven by Beverly JenkinsHistorical Romance August 23, 2022, by Avon Review by Melanie I don’t want to point fingers but Beverly Jenkins has been responsible for a lot of the late, sleepless nights in my life, especially this year. Early this year, I decided I was going to do a deep dive into Ms. Bev’s histrom back catalog. I had already read several but after perusing her website, there were 18 titles I hadn’t yet read, including her newest release. I’ve been reading a couple Continue Reading
Scenic Sunday: Emerald Blaze by Ilona Andrews
This is our final Scenic Sunday countdown to Ruby Fever which is out this Tuesday!!! This book is hugely action packed and a lot happens in terms of moving both the overarching plot along as well as the progression of Catalina and Alessandro's relationship. Rather than pick a very action packed sequence for this post, I chose to focus on a fairly quiet scene that really shows a lot about how these two characters feel about each other but also showcases vulnerability in a character who is Continue Reading
Review: Rival Radio by Kathryn Nolan
Rival Radio by Kathryn NolanContemporary RomanceMay 20, 2022, by That's What She Said Publishing Review by Melanie I normally review a lot of ARCs for Smexy but I have to make an exception for this book, which came out in May of this year. I don’t know how I managed to miss a book that so very clearly tapped into all of my romance novel catnips but I’m glad I finally got my eyeballs on it because I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It’s a workplace romance with two bickering radio hosts Continue Reading
Scenic Sunday: Sapphire Flames by Ilona Andrews
Still doing the Scenic Sunday countdown to Ruby Fever! Only two more Sundays to go! I am not a patient person and cliffhangers are my one big no-no. Therefore, I binged Sapphire Flames, Emerald Blaze, and an arc of Ruby Fever in July and honestly, it was the best decision I ever made for myself, holding off on reading the first two books until I had the 3rd one firmly in my grasp. In this week's Scenic Sunday countdown to Ruby Fever, we bring you a scene from the first installment of Continue Reading
Review: Storm Echo (Psy-Changeling Trinity #6) by Nalini Singh
Storm Echo by Nalini SinghParanormal RomanceAugust 9, 2022, by BerkleyARCReview by Melinda and Melanie Melanie: Melinda and I were super excited to get to read an ARC of this book together months before it was released. We’re obviously huge fans of Nalini Singh as well as the series as a whole. However, that being said, this was not our favorite book in this series, not even close. But look, it’s the 6th book in the spin off series, Psy-Changeling Trinity and if you count the original Continue Reading
Review: Bend Toward the Sun by Jen Devon
Bend Toward the Sun by Jen DevonContemporary Romance August, 9, 2022, by St. Martin's Griffin Review by Melanie Don’t let the phrase “A Novel” on the cover fool you. Lush, evocative, poignant, Bend Toward the Sun is one of those books that stays with you long after you’ve finished it. It also happens to be one of the most romantic books I’ve read in a long time, with a HEA so perfectly sweet and tender. This book will definitely show up in my top reads of 2022 list at the end of the year. Continue Reading
Review: Thank You for Listening by Julia Whelan
Thank You for Listening by Julia WhelanWomen's FictionAugust 2, 2022, by Avon Review by Melanie First, let's get this out of the way: I hate the term women’s fic. No need to dismissively label an entire genre just because it focuses on a female protagonist’s journey. Just call it fiction. We’re not going around labeling Franzen as men’s fic, are we? (Wait, ARE we?!?) So, yes, while I have labeled it as women’s fiction per the publishing industry standards, please let it be known that I Continue Reading
Scenic Sunday: Written On His Skin by Simone Stark
I read this perfect little novella when it first came out in 2017 and I've read it multiple times since then. It's a quick little read, about120 pages in all, and every word of this tightly written book is perfect. Simone Stark really delivered the ultimate novella on her very first try and I hope she knows just how many people love this sweet. sexy story. Usually, when I do Scenic Sunday posts, I pick a book and I already know which scene I'm going to focus on. For this one though, I found Continue Reading