Fret Me Not by Sarah EstepContemporary RomanceAugust 29, 2024 Self-published Review by Melanie Sarah Estep continues to be one of my favorite author discoveries of 2023 and it should surprise no one that the third installment of her Brunch Bros series manages to capture the tenderness and heat of her first two books and while still making it feel fun and new and completely its own thing. If you’ve read the first two books (and I highly recommend you do, per my reviews of Keyed Up and So Continue Reading
Review: The Broken Kingdom Series, books 1-3 by LJ Andrews
I actually read the spin-off of this series, The Ever Seas, earlier this year and really enjoyed. I've always read a lot of fantasy and romantic fantasy which means I am positively delighted by this romantasy trend. Not all the choices available in Kindle Unlimited are well written or even unique, but occasionally I'll hit on a few gems. I didn't realize The Ever Seas series was a spin-off until I got quite a bit into the first book, but I immediately went to the author's page and did a little Continue Reading
Review: 68 Whiskey by Erin Russell
68 Whiskey by Erin RussellPossum Hollow Book 2LGBTQ RomanceJune 26, 2024-Self-published Review by Kate H. I felt like I had to wait a week to write this review because I was so excited about this book that I didn’t trust myself. After a week I can say that my enthusiasm is warranted. This is one of the best books I’ve read this year. It has some of the normal tropes we are used to, but the originality of the writing and the portrayal of the characters make it seem really fresh and Continue Reading
Review: Primal Mirror (Psy-Changeling Trinity #8) by Nalini Singh
Primal Mirror by Nalini SinghParanormal RomanceJuly 23, 2024, by Berkley Review by Melanie A personal note before I start this review: the entire reason I ever picked up a Psy-Changeling book to begin with is because of my friend and former Smexy reviewer, Melinda, who sadly passed away earlier this year. She adored Nalini’s books and was rightfully convinced that I would love the Psy-Changeling series despite my claims that I just didn’t think PNR was for me. To appease her, I picked up Continue Reading
Review: Not Another Love Song by Julie Soto
Not Another Love Song by Julie SotoContemporary RomanceJuly 16, 2024- ForeverARC Review by Angela I really enjoyed this author's debut, Forget Me Not, which released last year. I will admit that the cover and blurb for her sophomore release really caught my attention and had me hitting that request button almost immediately. And holy smokes- I'm so glad I did. Rival string players in an orchestra is not a thing that I knew I needed in my life, but apparently my romance loving soul Continue Reading
Review: The Ex Vows by Jessica Joyce
The Ex Vows by Jessica JoyceContemporary RomanceJuly 16, 2024- BerkleyARC Review by Angela Y'all, this book wrecked me. I mean I had high expectations after reading this author's previous release, You, With a View, but I had no idea how utterly ruined I would be after reading. This is a second chance romance, which admittedly is one of my favorite tropes. Maybe because these books have the potential to be so emotionally messy. Maybe because I love seeing people in love make their Continue Reading
Review: Isabel and the Rogue by Liana De la Rosa
Isabel and the Rogue by Liana De la RosaHistorical RomanceJune 4, 2024 by Berkley Review by Melanie The first book in the Luna Sisters trilogy was such a delight last year (you can find my review of it here) that I was eagerly anticipating the 2nd book in the series and let me just say, it did not disappoint. Isabel and the Rogue is the story of Isabel Luna, the middle sister, quiet and slightly awkward and overlooked in favor of her much more vicious younger sister. But Continue Reading
Review: Duke for the Summer by Emily Spady
Duke for the Summer by Emily SpadyLGBTQ RomanceMay 19, 2024-Self-published Review by Kate H. This book took me by surprise, in the best way. Based on the description, I had thought it was going to be a ring-around-the-tropes m/m romcom with characters that were somewhat complex but had problems that were easily resolvable. But I am a sucker for novels where an MC pulls a geographic, so I plowed ahead. Imagine my surprise to find two flawed, human characters - not archetypes, not Continue Reading
Retro Review: Mortal Ties by Eileen Wilks
Originally posted in October 2012 on Fiction Vixen by Angela. Mortal Ties by Eileen WilksWorld of the Lupi #9Urban Fantasy/Paranormal RomanceOctober 2, 2012 by Berkley Eileen Wilks’s World of the Lupi series is one of my favorites. What started out as a paranormal romance with the first couple of books has evolved into a wonderful, detailed urban fantasy world. Lily is an awesome heroine as she is smart and capable and is allowed to be those things even while she has navigated Continue Reading
Retro Review: Grim Shadows by Jenn Bennett
Review originally posted in June of 2014 on Fiction Vixen by Angela. Grim Shadows by Jenn BennettRoaring Twenties #2Paranormal Historical RomanceJune 3, 2014- Berkley After reading the first book in Jenn Bennett’s Roaring Twenties series, Bitter Spirits, my first thought was “why didn’t I pick this up sooner?” Such a great romance. Apparently when you mix bootleggers and speakeasies, ghosts and zombies, one sexy, freckled heroine and a big, scarred hero what you get is complete Continue Reading