Dead Dead Girls by Nekesa AfiaHarlem Renaissance Mystery #1Historical Mystery06/01/2021 by BerkleyARC I've been on a historical mystery binge for the last year or so and have devoured one series after another. I saw the cover reveal for Dead Dead Girls on Twitter, read the blurb, and then immediately put it on my TBR wishlist. I mean who can resist gorgeous women drinking illegal booze in speakeasies and dancing with each other all night long while a killer is on the loose in Harlem? Continue Reading
Review: Still Beating by Jennifer Hartmann
Still Beating by Jennifer HarmannRomantic Suspense/Dark RomanceDecember 20, 2020Review by Jen Still Beating is a heart-breaking, uncomfortable, provocative and brilliant read. This book has been making the rounds in a few of my book groups for the last few months. I finally decided to give it a try. Warning, many, many triggers, including rape. Cora is at a bar celebrating her sister Mandy’s birthday. Cora ends up staying out late, well past when her sister and friends left Continue Reading
Review: Catch a Falling Duke by Eve Pendle
Catch a Falling Duke (Fallen #3) By Eve Pendle Self-published on May 26, 2021 Historical Romance Catch a Falling Duke is a hard book for me to write a review about. There isn't anything that necessarily stands out as not great about this book. Unfortunately, there isn't anything that really stands out as great, either. My favorite thing about Catch a Falling Duke is the characters. Beatrice is great - I love the way she just kind of goes for it at the beginning with Hugo. And Hugo is Continue Reading
Review: Totally Engaged by Mina V. Esguerra
Totally Engaged by Mina V. EsguerraContemporary RomanceMay 14, 2021, Self PublishedARC Review by Melinda I think Mina V. Esguerra is such a talented writer and generally I pick up anything she writes. But this book is really up there with one of my favorites of hers. Rose is a fashion entrepreneur who is pretty happy with her life and what she has. However, her mother is not as happy about any of it. Rose's entire immediate family immigrated to the United States, but Rose had aged out of Continue Reading
Series Review: Irons and Works by EM Lindsey
Irons & Works series by EM Lindsey Contemporary Romance Self Published Reviewed by Melinda There is almost nothing better than finding a new author to you and then loving their writing. The only thing better is when there is a whole series to binge! One of my favorite tropes in romance is found family, I gravitate to books and series that have even a hint in them, and The Irons and Works series is just teeming with found family. This series starts with Free Hand, where we're introduced Continue Reading
Melinda’s Minis: Sun of a Beach by Mia Sosa and Abel by Katee Robert
Sun of a Beach by Mia SosaContemporaryApril 8, 2021, by AudibleARC This is another audible original, which seems to be more and more of a trend with romance authors. Donovan and Naomi are given an assignment for the swimsuit edition of the magazine they work on and things are interesting since they dislike each other. Naomi began the novella in an ‘I would never date a co-worker’ frame of mind and changed to ‘I am in love’ mindset in the length of 24 hours basically. Donovan changes from Continue Reading
Review: The Revelation of Light and Dark by Sawyer Bennett
The Revelation of Light and Dark by Sawyer BennettChronicles of the Stone Veil #1Romantic Fantasy/Urban FantasyFebruary 9, 2021Reviewed by Jen Some of my favorite reads over the past several months have been in the fantasy category. The cover for The Revelation of Light and Dark by Sawyer Bennett has the same vibe as the Ash and Blood series and ACOTAR. Of course, I was in. First up- here’s your warning, each book ends on a cliffhanger. Big cliffhangers. BUT, the first three books Continue Reading
Guest Review: Always Only You by Chloe Liese
Today Smexy welcomes Alyssa (Hi Alyssa!) who is talking about disability rep in her latest read. You can find her on Twitter at @measuredandslow Always Only Yoy by Chloe LieseBergman Brothers #2Contemporary RomanceAugust 4, 2020 I was really excited to read this one; you don’t see Rheumatoid Arthritis or Autism, let alone both, in romance that often. When it does show up it tends to be in older characters or a reason for the femme character to be benevolent and caring (there’s a Continue Reading
Angela Minis: Reviews for books by KJ Charles, Kerrigan Byrne, and Sara Desai
The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting by KJ CharlesLGBT Historical RomanceFebruary 24, 2021, by KJC Books Yeah, so I'm a KJ Charles fangirl. I admit it. Every new release I just want to grab up and read as soon as it hits my kindle, but on I also want to keep it in my pocket to look forward to when I need a pick me up after a bad day. The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting features the grumpy/sunshine trope to perfection. Robin Loxleigh, Mr. Charm, is in London with his sister in order to secure Continue Reading
Review: When Tara Met Farah by Tara Pammi
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