Review originally posted 5/18/2022 by Kate H. Never Been Kissed by Timothy JanovskyLGBTQIA Contemporary RomanceMay 3, 2022 by Sourcebooks Casablanca Wren Roland is about to graduate college. A passionate film buff, with two great best friends, Wren came out in the year before the book Never Been Kissed begins. His friends seem eager to help him socially, but Wren isn’t sure why his romantic and sexual experiences seem to be on a different timeline than everyone Continue Reading
Review: No Man’s Land by Sally Malcolm
No Man's Land by Sally MalcolmLGBTQ+/Paranormal/Historical RomanceNovember 21, 2024- Self-publishedReview by Kate H This is the romance I didn’t know I needed. No Man’s Land by Sally Malcolm is a gay historical paranormal romance. It is set during the First World War, both at the war front in Flanders. Amidst the horrors of war and the brutal workload of a Red Cross medic, Josef Shepel tries to photograph what he sees at the front in the hopes that it will change minds at 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: 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
Review: Silk & Sand by Katherine Diane
Silk & Sand by Katherine Diane (Book 1)Fantasy, LGBTQ+ RomanceKindle editionMarch 7, 2024 Review by Kate H. This book has tension. Tension between different personalities. Circumstantial tension. Loads of sexual tension. And on top of that, plot tension. And, if you don’t realize it’s going to end on cliffhanger, it might just rip out your heart and stomp it on the floor. But the tension is developed so artfully. And, next thing we Continue Reading
Review: Pretty Dogs by Riley Nash
Pretty Dogs by Riley NashDirty Strays #2LGBTQ+/Contemporary RomancePublished December 8, 2023 Pretty Dogs, the second book in the Dirty Strays series by Riley Nash, was so refreshing to me. Class is a variable thing in romance novels. We’ve got all the millionaire/billionaire books, with their Ferragamo shoes and Tom Ford suits. With the penthouse apartments where the furniture is in minimalistic black or white leather and the wall to ceiling glass Continue Reading
Review: One Night in Hartswood by Emma Denny
One Night in Hartswood by Emma DennyHistorical Romance/LGBTQ+November 7, 2023 by Mills & Boon Review by Kate H. One Night in Hartswood begins with both main characters lying to one another about who they are. William de Foucart, aka Penn, is fleeing an oppressive marriage arranged by his abusive father who needs this alliance and is repulsed by his son’s preference for men. Penn is posing as a servant. Raff Barden, who is supposed to be hunting his sister’s fleeing fiancé, Continue Reading
Review: Stars in Your Eyes by Kacen Callendar
Stars in Your Eyes by Kacen CallendarLGBTQ+, Contemporary RomanceOct 10, 2023Forever Books Review by Kate H. The contours of Stars in Your Eyes will be a bit familiar if you read a lot of Hollywood (or rock star or celebrity) romances. Fake dating goes with this territory like butter on bread. And recently, several romances have spilled ink on the darker side of being a celebrity: the exploitation of minors by their parents or predatory directors/producers/agents; blackmail, rape, Continue Reading
Review: Once a Rogue by Allie Therin
Once a Rogue by Allie Therin Roaring Twenties Magic #2LGBTQ+, Historical Paranormal RomanceAug 22, 2023- Carina Press Review by Kate H. I really resist romance books which are series that center on the same relationship. And when it’s been over a year since I read the previous books, I am always dubious that I will stitch myself back into the feelings, and the narrative. But without a doubt, I was sucked back within a minute of starting Allie Therin’s Once a Rogue, the sequel Continue Reading
Review: Reluctant Renegade by Garrett Leigh
Reluctant Renegade by Garrett LeighJuly 12, 2023- Fox Love PressLGBTQ+ Contemporary Romance Review by Kate H. When I saw that the 5th book in the Rebel King’s series was coming out so soon after the 4th, I was a little bit nervous. But I guess some people are just that talented. Reluctant Renegade is the love story of Decoy and Folk, both former British military, but very different men. Unbeknownst to the rest of the Rebel Kings MC, they had met briefly during their Continue Reading