Georgie, All Along by Kate ClaybornContemporary RomanceJanuary 31, 2023 by Kensington Review by Melanie There’s something so lyrical and almost poetic about Kate Clayborn’s prose that just immerses you in the world she creates, her words are lush and evocative, so full of vivid imagery that you can almost smell the air or feel the heat of a sun-warmed wooden dock under your feet. Georgie, All Along is no different, an expansive book, to borrow a word from the author herself, about Continue Reading
Review: Do I Know You? by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka
Do I Know You? by Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-BrokaContemporary RomanceJanuary 24, 2023 by Berkley Review by Melanie Romance novels tend to follow a set of pretty rigid rules. There’s of course the requirement for a HEA (Happily Ever After) or, at the very least, a HFN (Happy For Now). The driving force of the plot must center on a romantic relationship, the focus being on these main characters (human or otherwise, 2 or more) and the journey they take to get to their eventual Continue Reading
Review: Ship Wrecked by Olivia Dade
Ship Wrecked by Olivia DadeContemporary Romance November 15, 2022 by Avon Review by Melanie Let me begin by stating that Olivia and I are very friendly on Twitter and I generally adore her both as a writer and as a human. That being said, I can promise you that my personal feelings for her did not in any way influence the amount of effusive praise I am about to heap on this book I don’t know what it is about her books that just does it for me but to be blunt, Olivia’s brand of Continue Reading
Review: The Make-Up Test by Jenny L. Howe
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
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
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