We made it to Friday y’all. And it is kind of a weird day filled with lots of memories for many of us. Be extra kind and gentle with yourself today. But on to the books. Here is a smattering of books I started and finished recently. I even put them in order of how much I liked them, because why not? You Had me At Hola by Alexis Daria- This book was so good I am not sure I have the words to properly explain it. Beautifully written and engaging from page 1, Daria tells the story of two Continue Reading
Excerpt: In Case You Missed It by Lindsey Kelk
Blurb: When Ros comes home after three years away, she’s ready to pick up with life exactly where she left it. But her friends have moved on, her parents have rekindled their romance, and her bedroom is now a garden shed. All of a sudden, she’s swept up in nostalgia for the way things were. Then her phone begins to ping, with messages from her old life. Including one number she thought she’d erased for good – the man who broke her heart. Is this her second chance at one big love? Continue Reading
Review: You Had Me at Hola by Alexis Daria
You Had Me at Hola by Alexis DariaContemporary RomanceAugust 4, 2020 by Avon ARC Favorite Quote: 1. Leading Ladies only end up on magazine covers with good reason.2. Leading Ladies are whole and happy on their own.3. Leading Ladies are badass queens making jefa moves.And then there was the fourth mental item she hadn't dared write down: Leading Ladies do not rebound with their new costars. If you are desperately looking for a fun, fresh, romantic time-out from the craziness of 2020, Continue Reading
Guest Post: Smexy Welcomes Emma Salah
It’s been my dream to be published since I was a small child. But as a young, black woman growing up in London (vibrant, but expensive London), the concept of being an author was appealing, but being an author was never truly feasible. I was raised on the immigrant idea that I must become either a doctor, an engineer (if you’re a boy, of course) or a teacher. But I couldn’t stop dreaming about characters and worlds that were so vivid I had to write them down. And I didn’t just want to write, I Continue Reading
DNF Review: The Heir Affair by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan
Our friend Melinda @melindaedits, is here with a review for The Heir Affair by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan. This is a follow up to The Royal We by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan of The Fug Girls, fashion bloggers who I follow and really enjoy. The Royal We, and now The Heir Affair, is a thinly disguised alt fan fic of Princes Harry, William, and Kate Middleton. The Royal We pre-dates the arrival of Meghan Markle on the scene so there’s really no fictionalized version of her Continue Reading
Angela’s Minis- A Sweet Mess by Jacyi Lee and Forbidden Desire by Robin Lovett
I had two ARCs to read this week, one ended up being super sweet and the other sinfully sexy. Both were pleasant reads that kept me going during my Covid quarantine. Pleasant, easy reads for different reasons. A Sweet Mess by Jayci LeeContemporary RomanceJuly 14, 2020 by St. Martin's Press A Sweet Mess is my first book by Jayci Lee. I one-clicked this for review because the blurb sounded cute, and well... a little sweet, and that is something I need in my life right now. This couple Continue Reading
Angela’s Minis- Alpha Night by Nalini Singh and The Marriage Game by Sara Desai
Alpha Night by Nalini SinghPsy-Changeling Trinity #4Paranormal RomanceJune 9, 2020 by BerkleyARC Let me start this review by saying that I love this author and will read anything she writes. Literally anything. I was super excited when I read the blurb for Alpha Night and realized it would feature an Alpha wolf and Arrow pairing. What I didn't realize until I first started reading was that this couple falls into a mating at first sight. And instalove is probably my least favorite trope. Continue Reading
Angela’s Minis- A Dark and Stormy Knight by Kerrigan Byrne and Beach Read by Emily Henry
A Dark and Stormy Knight by Kerrigan ByrneVictorian Rebels #7Historical RomanceJune 2, 2020 Self PublishedARC Kerrigan Byrne quickly jumped onto my auto-buy list the moment I read the first book in the Victorian Rebels series, The Highwayman. I was with Fiction Vixen back then, so I went back through Goodreads and read my review and I was positively gushing with praise and adoration for this author's words. Jump to five years later and I still look forward to every one of Ms. Byrne's Continue Reading
Angela’s Minis- Reviews for books by Sajni Patel, K.J. Charles, and Kwana Jackson
The Trouble with Hating You by Sajni PatelContemporary RomanceMay 12, 2020 by ForeverARC I don't normally do this, but I did read Kini's review before I began writing mine. I was curious what her thoughts were and it appears we had a lot of the same issues with this book. She is spot on with her content warnings... mentions of past sexual abuse, rape, and trauma as well as emotional abuse and slut shaming that had me turning Kindle pages angrily. It was a lot, and I wasn't quite expecting Continue Reading
Angela’s Minis- The Tourist Attraction by Sarah Morgenthaler and Dear Enemy by Kristen Callihan
The Tourist Attraction by Sarah MorgenthalerMoose Springs, Alaska #1Contemporary RomanceMay 5, 2020 by Sourcebooks CasablancaARC I think it was the grumpy hero in the blurb that clinched the deal for me as far as snapping up this book for review. I was expecting a fun, easy read and that's exactly what I got. The Tourist Attraction is the book equivalent of a Hallmark movie. Beautiful small town touristy setting, quirky characters, a couple of "awww" inducing pets for comic relief, and a Continue Reading