He Who Drowned the World by Shelley Parker-ChanThe Radiant Emperor #2LGBTQ Historical FantasyAugust 22, 2023- TorARC After absolutely loving the first book in this duology, She Who Becomes the Sun, I was desperate to get my hands on the finale. This book is brutal. The main protagonists are dark and unrelenting in their separate quests- for power, for redemption, and for revenge. These are terrible people who repeatedly do terrible things. The story is told from multiple POVs and Continue Reading
Jen’s Mini Reviews: Books by Christina Henry, Kate Canterbary and Tara Westover
I have a few mini reviews from wildly different authors. All are absolutely excellent and highly recommended. I’m starting with Lost Boy: The True Story of Captain Hook by Christina Henry. Wow! This recommendation came from a colleague and it did not disappoint me one bit. It’s a dark retelling of Peter Pan and the origin story of Captain Hook. In this not so happy fairy tale, Peter is a spoiled narcissistic psychopath. Not a doctor here…but I’m going for it with the psychopath Continue Reading
Kate H’s Mini-Reviews: Diversion Plan by Tag Gregory and Endless, Forever by E.M. Lindsey
Diversion Plan by Tag Gregory The book Diversion Plan is set in Portland, Oregon, and uses a court-ordered diversion program for drug and alcohol issues much in the way other romances might use getting lost in a blizzard or stranded on an island: as a chance for its main characters to really get to know one another. Brent, a workaholic who hews to the safety of routines after having survived an abusive, manipulative ex-boyfriend, is the manager at a hotel. Guthrie is the Continue Reading
Jen’s Mini Reviews: Books by Marni Mann, Rachel Kapelke-Dale and Claire Kingsley
I feel a bit out of practice with writing reviews. Its, unfortunately, been a busy few weeks. The good news is, I liked all three of these books. And they were VERY different stories. First up, When Ashes Fall by Marni Mann. This book was heart breaking and inspired by a real life tragedy. Alix is a paramedic. She meets Dylan a wealthy owner of a private jet company and a pilot himself. Their romance is deep, all encompassing, not perfect, but beautiful. They get engaged and then Alix Continue Reading
Angela’s KU Update!
I don't know about you, but the choices in Kindle Unlimited can be daunting to wade through when you are looking for something new to read. Here are a few I enjoyed recently and would recommend. Contemporary: In a Jam by Kate CanterbaryPublished 9/20/22 Marriage of convenience, slow-burn, grumpy/sunshine... this romance has it all. After being dumped at the alter only hours before her wedding, Shay is depressed and hiding out in her best friend's house. Then she finds out she has Continue Reading
Iby’s Minis: Reviews for books by Mariana Zapata, Lauren Layne and Elizabeth Cadell
When Gracie Met the Grump by Mariana ZapataUrban FantasySeptember 15, 2022Kindle Unlimited Mariana Zapata is a stealthy author - she just randomly announces on instagram that she is dropping a book that day, and everyone rushes to read it. If you like Zapata’s writing, this book will definitely work for you. Highly slow burn, over 600 pages long, lots of dialogue between the two main characters. What’s different about this book is that it’s not contemporary romance - it’s a superhero Continue Reading
Jen’s Mini Reviews: Books by Cate C. Wells, Zoey Draven and Elle Kennedy
I have to giggle a bit when I think of the title of the Cate C. Wells book I just finished. It’s The Tyrant Alpha’s Rejected Mate. This was a really fun crackalicious read. You get the story from the title. We have a rejected mate plot with the major alpha male shifter. But there’s a twist! Una is the FMC. When she was young, Una protected a young wolf from an attack and nearly died. Because of the beating she took, she has an injured leg that never healed properly. She’s a single wolf who Continue Reading
Angela’s Minis- Reviews for books by Rin Chupeco, Catriona Ward, and Megan Bannen
Silver Under Nightfall by Rin ChupecoLGBTQ FantasyPublished 9/13/2022 by Gallery/Saga PressARC I haven't read a vampire fantasy in a good long while, so when I spied this for review I immediately snapped it up. The first thing you should know is the worldbuilding in Silver Under Nightfall is quite unique for a genre that is full almost to bursting with scary and even sexy men with teeth. This book reads like a regency historical polyam romance with horror and fantasy elements. Lots of Continue Reading
Melinda’s Audio Minis: Just Like Home by Sarah Gailey & The Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope
Just Like Home by Sarah GaileyHorrorJuly 19, 2022, by TorAudio ARC Review by Melinda This book begins with Vera coming home to take care of her dying mother. And everything is just…off. Her mother is hostile towards her, there’s something living under her bed, and her father was a serial killer who may be haunting the house, so things are complicated! We get bits and pieces of their backstory revealed, combined with pieces of what’s currently going on; but there are still so many Continue Reading
Melinda’s Mini Reviews: No Strings by Lucy Bexley & the Roxane Weary series by Kristen Lepionka
No Strings by Lucy BexleyLGBTQ Contemporary RomanceJan 11, 2022Purchased Review by Melinda No Strings by Lucy Bexley is genuinely one of the most charming and surprising books I’ve read! The cover may be one of the worst I’ve ever seen so I would never have picked it up without a friend telling me it was 5 stars for her. Elsie is a puppeteer on a kid's TV show that she basically created…but gets next to no credit OR money for. And when the head of the company dies, his daughter Jones Continue Reading