When Tara Met Farah by Tara PammiBollywood Dance & Drama Society Book 1Contemporary RomanceJanuary 26, 2021 Review by Melanie A little bit about me before I delve into this review. I don’t DNF books lightly. In fact, I do everything in my power to resist DNF’ing a book. Ironically, I advise people to DNF on the regular because life is too short to force yourself to read a book that isn’t working for you. But rarely do I ever take that advice for myself. Having said all that, I almost Continue Reading
Review: Best Laid Plans by Roan Parrish
Best Laid Plans by Roan ParrishGarnet Run #2LGBTQ Contemporary RomanceFebruary 23, 2021 Carina Adores Review by Melinda When I want to recommend a book with great mental health representation I immediately go to Roan Parrish because she has yet to fail me in this area. Her books almost always have characters who have depression, anxiety, or panic attacks - or a combination of all three. And Best Laid Plans is no different - Charlie has a lot of anxiety, particularly around other people's Continue Reading
Blog Tour Excerpt: Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers
Book Summary: HONEY GIRL (Park Row Books; February 23, 2021; $17.99) by Morgan Rogers is a stunning #ownvoices debut, a charming, lyrical, and introspective romantic coming-of-age story about Grace Porter – millennial, Black woman, astronomy Ph.D. – who wakes up after a wild night in Vegas married to a woman she doesn’t know. Strait-laced and structured all her life, Porter now faces life without a plan for the first time ever. Between her disappointed military father, the Continue Reading
Melinda’s Minis: Just Like This by Cole McCade & The Beautiful Things Shoppe by Philip William Stover
Just Like This by Cole McCadeAlbin Academy #2LGBT Contemporary RomanceNovember 24, 2020 by Carina Adores The follow-up to Just Like That takes place at the same academy for young boys as the previous one. What I love about McCade’s writing is the emotional development between the characters. Rian and Damon are extremely different teachers with different backgrounds coming together to try to help a student in trouble. Their relationship is both steamy and a bit of slow-burn simmering Continue Reading
Melinda’s Minis: Learned Behaviors by Jayce Ellis & We Could be Heroes by Mike Chen
Learned Behaviors by Jayce EllisHigher Education #1LBGT Contemporary RomanceNovember 9, 2020 by Carina Press I’m generally not a reader who gravitates to single father stories but this cover drew me in because it’s gorgeous. This story has so much going on, but all of it works together. Two single men, with families, both with heavy work loads, working together and fighting their growing attraction. I really enjoyed the subplot there is with their two daughters also being in love Continue Reading
Melinda’s Minis: This is Not the End by Sidney Bell & How to be Good by Chace Verity
Thi is Not the End by Sidney BellContemporary Romance/Menage/PolyamoryJanuary 11, 2021, by Carina Press I am always looking for more polyam books, especially ones with heat and emotion. This one delivers on both sides. Anya and Zac are married and have a son, and what works for them in their marriage is for them to have sex - together - with other men. Other people may not understand this but it works for them. Zac’s bandmate, Cal, definitely cannot understand this but both the emotion and Continue Reading
Review: Persephone Station by Stina Leicht
Persephone Station by Stina LeichtLGBT Science Fiction/Space OperaJanuary 05, 2021 by Gallery/Saga Press Reviewed by Angela I chose this book for review mainly because the cover caught my eye, and the blurb sounded awesome: Blurb: Persephone Station, a seemingly backwater planet that has largely been ignored by the United Republic of Worlds becomes the focus for the Serrao-Orlov Corporation as the planet has a few secrets the corporation tenaciously wants to exploit.Rosie—owner of Continue Reading
Review: Get It Right by Skye Kilaen
Get it Right by Skye KilaenLove at Knockdown #1LGTQ+ Contemporary RomanceDecember 1, 2020Review by Melinda This was a surprise of a book for me and I'm so happy that I read it. Finn and Vivi meet while Finn is incarcerated and Vivi is the Nurse in the prison. It's extremely clear nothing happens while there is such a clear power imbalance between the two of them and for that I was very glad. But while nothing happens it is obvious there are some sparks flying and when Vivi just disappears Continue Reading
Review: Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur
Written in the Stars by Alexandria BellefleurContemporary LBBT RomanceNovember 10, 2020 by Avon Review by Melinda This was apparently a Pride and Prejudice retelling but those kinds of retellings completely miss me because I have no idea when they’re being done. However, I still enjoyed this bisexual contemporary love story. What worked for me was the opposite attracts personality types of Darcy, who is a reserved actuary, and Elle, who is a social media astrologist. I truly loved how Continue Reading
Guest Post: Writing Single Parent Romance by KD Fisher
I love reading romance epilogues. I adore the cozy feeling of everything settling into its place, the sureness of the couple having overcome the challenges standing in their way. In the epilogue the characters have figured out their life together. Oftentimes epilogues are where you can find the true happily ever after. There’s always some kind of lasting commitment: a new house together, marriage, or, perhaps, even a baby. When I started writing The Secret Ingredient, I wanted to write a Continue Reading