Okay, so, hear me out. I’m not much of a romantic comedy girl, especially when it comes to rom com novels with little to no spice. This book and its pOkay, so, hear me out. I’m not much of a romantic comedy girl, especially when it comes to rom com novels with little to no spice. This book and its predecessor, however? I love these books. I adore them. They are cute as perfectly frosted cupcakes, sweet as sugar, and as funny as a food fight conducted with the assistance of magic. These books are like an explosion of colored sugar crystals, edible glitter, powdered sugar, flour, and clouds of candy floss/cotton candy have all exploded into a romantic, screwball mess. I like to think of these books as Bewitched, but make it screwball comedy. Or, My Girl Friday, but make it magical. Cary Grant would make a great straight man to our protagonist, Bailey, who just so happens to meet her biological mother and discover she’s descended from esteemed witch stock with less than a month to go before she’s supposed to be married to a very uptight and upper-crust family. At the same time she comes across her well-meaning but wacky biological mother she also manages to come into contact with Seton Atterbury, a man whom her extremely powerful witch mother impulsively brought into the future from 1930 when she saw him plummeting to the ground out of the window of a high-rise building in Manhattan.
Poor Bailey. All she thought she had on her plate were overbearing in-laws and stressing out about finding the right dress for the wedding. You make plans, the universe laughs, and it laughs hard.
I like to think the subtitle of this book should be: “A story about collateral damage”. There’s just so much collateral damage and schadenfreude coming from every direction, all angles, and to and fro so many people in this book. Heck, there’s even a house in this book that’s nicknamed the “Schadenfreude House” by one of the characters. It seems that no matter where you turn in this book, someone is getting hurt or affected in a negative way by someone else. Sometimes it has hilarious results, sometimes it has sweet results, sometimes it has dangerous results, sometimes it has downright hurtful results, and sometimes it’s a step away from death. I love it though, because it certainly keeps you on your toes.
The first book in this series, A Letter to Three Witches, was superior only be sheer fact that the mischief was a little more funny and we got to see and feel the physical presence of the series’ main antagonist, Tannith, but that doesn’t mean this book doesn’t have it’s own strengths. Esme’s continued soft spots for illegal witchcraft deeds done in the name of a soft spot in her heart continues to delight, and Bailey’s thespian parrot is hilarious. The fact that Tannith only grew in power after the events of book one certainly was interesting. And the sweet, soft romance inside this book is the kind of stuff that melts my cynical, black heart.
I can’t believe so many people are sleeping on this series. Give it a chance. Seriously. It’s cuteness personified.
I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
File Under: Book Series/Contemporary Romance/Cozy Mystery/Found Family/Paranormal Fantasy/Paranormal Romance/Rom Com ...more
I was surprised and delighted by the first book in this series, last year’s A Botanist’s Guide to Parties and Poisons. I really didn’t expect to love I was surprised and delighted by the first book in this series, last year’s A Botanist’s Guide to Parties and Poisons. I really didn’t expect to love Saffron Everleigh and this type of cozy mystery as much as I ended up doing and I was so happy to get a chance to read this second installment.
I’m in no way surprised that I was just as delighted by this book as I was the first, even with all the growing pains this book had to overcome being the sophomore novel in the series and with the presence of Saffron’s love interest from the first book, Alexander, away on an expedition in the Amazon during the vast majority of this book. In his place is the insufferably flirtatious, persistent, and impetuous Dr. Michael Lee, who has been paired with Saffron to complete a research study and also ends up assisting her with trying to help the police solve the central mystery in this book: the murders of three women, each done in a different manner, but each preceded with the delivery or drop-off of a bouquet filled with poisonous, toxic, and/or dangerous flowers. In an inspired move (which I honestly would’ve thought of myself, even in this day and age because I’m a fan of messages within messages), Saffron decides to decode the underlying meaning of each bouquet using the Victorian art of floriography, in which people conveyed messages not polite to speak aloud using different flowers bundled into bouquets, sachets, or boutonnieres. Not only are the physical parts of the bouquets poisonous, but the messages are just as dark and toxic. Intrigued by the mystery of it all and needing a distraction from all the drama going on at the university in the wake of the scandal that made up the story from the first book in the series, Saffron goes to the police and offers her services as a consultant on the case. Surprisingly, they take her up on the offer, since the bouquets had totally stymied them.
I both love and empathize with Saffron. She’s full of genius, as many women who tried to make it in the academic world post-WWI were, but with it being such a boy’s club she has to work twice as hard for half as much while dealing with racism, sexual harassment, outright sexual perusal, verbal accusations of sleeping with everyone from the new department chair to her research partner, and accusations of her family money buying her admittance to the university. Academia is a world of publish or perish: Always had been and always will be. Saffron works constantly and diligently to try and pursue her Master’s degree, but obstacles are thrown in her way constantly. It’s no wonder she feels more freedom, respect, and fulfillment using her botanical knowledge helping the police solve crimes.
Saffron’s best friend, Eliza, continues to be an absolute hoot of a supporting character, providing Saffron with a foil to her straight man when the scenes are just the two of them. Eliza is somehow a best friend, a sister, a therapist, a partner-in-crime, and a comic foil all in one. She’s whatever Saffron needs her to be, like only the best foils can be. Dr. Mike Lee may be a good man at heart, but he’s short-sighted in more ways than one and too impulsive by half. I hope to see more of him after this book, but as of the end of this book he’s too impulsive by far to be much good for Saffron.
The Saffron Everleigh books are my idea of the perfect type of cozy mystery: the pacing is steady but not too quick, the story is interesting and has plenty of twists and turns, there’s a varied cast of characters that keep you guessing at who might be involved in the central mystery, there’s a light sprinkle of romance, there’s an air of society scandal, and the last turn is a genuine surprise. Most of all, this being a series, it leaves off on a small outcropping leading to the next installment. Not quite a cliffhanger, but not a story resolved by far.
I’m going to tell you to read this book as well as the first book in the series. They’re both a great read for late summer evenings.
I was provided a copy of this title by NetGalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.
File Under: Book Series/Cozy Mystery/Historical Fiction/Historical Mystery/Historical Romance/Mystery ...more
This is the first book I’ve read in this intriguing, alternative-Earth, fantastical mystery series set in the Westside of Manhattan during the Jazz AgThis is the first book I’ve read in this intriguing, alternative-Earth, fantastical mystery series set in the Westside of Manhattan during the Jazz Age. That being said, I really didn’t have any issues reading it as a standalone.
The setting and premise are absolutely great: intriguing, mystical, vibrant, and obviously well-researched and then redeveloped into something wholly different than what Jazz Age New York was really like. The place where fantasy meets reality closest regarding this time and age in Westside Manhattan is socioeconomics, and I think that’s a very salient point, given the author’s overall plot arc and cast of characters.
Our protagonist, solver-of-tiny-mysteries, Gilda Carr, is fierce and irreverent. She may be our main character, but the whole cast of characters is nothing to frown upon (although, there are a lot of them). The dialogue is sharp, witty, and bright.
The pacing of this book is a little slower than I like (unless I’m in the mood for something a tad more cozy than a thriller or even suspense mystery), but it can definitely read close to a noir mystery, which isn’t a bad thing at all.
Where Akers’ writing shines best is when he’s writing about New York itself, whether it be the elements closer to reality or the distinct elements that transform this New York into something from an alternative Earth.
The book is entirely worth checking out, as are the other two books before it. I love this influx of alternative Earth mysteries and fantasies focused on eras like the Jazz Age.
Thanks to NetGalley and Harper Voyager for early access to this title and a physical ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. ...more
This book was a pleasant surprise: quick-witted, tinged with wry humor at just the right times, limned with familial drama, and underpinned by the morThis book was a pleasant surprise: quick-witted, tinged with wry humor at just the right times, limned with familial drama, and underpinned by the moral dilemmas surrounding consumer privacy rights, data mining, machine learning, AI, and algorithms and how they are increasingly playing a part in how humans around the world make their day-to-day choices and what all of that could mean for our futures.
For all its levity, this is a book that does take on some heavy moral and social issues, but it does so deftly, never letting the issue settle in long enough to bring the reader down. Pek lets it linger long enough on the page to make just a jab of impact before drawing us away from the inevitable ennui or melancholy that could easily settle in with overwrought discussion arising from such an overwhelming topic. It’s a masterful bit of storytelling: to parry and thrust with the heavy and the light so the reader can both absorb the implications of the narrative and have time to recover from it in order to enjoy the story as well.
Claudia is a terrific character, and her brief interactions with her family members only serve to highlight certain bits of the main plot, which is a great move on Pek’s part. It would’ve been easy to let the family distract us or to use their drama to create sympathy for Claudia. But Pek just uses their stories to subtly illuminate aspects of the story already occurring. It’s a nice narrative touch.
I didn’t think the book was perfect, but it was very enjoyable, and I highly recommend it.
Thanks go to NetGalley, Knopf Doubleday, and Vintage Books for early access to this title in exchange for a fair and honest review! ...more
First off: This book will require you to suspend some of your disbelief and not be overly invested in being cynical and overReal Rating: 3.5 / 5 Stars
First off: This book will require you to suspend some of your disbelief and not be overly invested in being cynical and overanalyzing every little thing.
Second: Give this book a chance and do exactly all of this and you will have a fun time reading this amateur sleuthing novel with a hefty handful of stage magic, illusions, sleight-of-hand, mentalism, and magical stories with hidden meanings.
I have to admit that I was pretty lost for about the first 25-30% of the book. I think I might have been in chapter 8 or 9 when I actually became invested in the book. Before that point, the book was a bit of a hot mess. Too many characters being introduced in too few pages, too much exposition to set up the world of the book in that same time period as all those characters are being introduced, and barely any time at all to get to know our protagonist, Tempest (which is such a cool name). But once the plot and the players are in place, it stops being such a hot mess and just becomes an escapist sleuthing mystery with plenty of twists, turns, red herrings, and magical fun.
I’m loath to admit it, but the character I liked the most was actually the family business: Secret Staircase Construction. Some may not agree the company itself counts as a character, but in my opinion it looms too large and permeates too much of the story for it to not be a character. And boy is it an interesting one! The combination of amazing carpentry and the know-how of a stage illusionist come together to create a company building hidden passages, stairways, rooms, and other secret things? That’s my idea of a kick-butt business!
So lock the door on your cynicism and skepticism and throw the key into a desk drawer before you read this book. Then allow yourself to escape and enjoy!
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martins Press, and Minotaur Books for early access to this title in exchange for a fair and honest review. ...more
I have to admit: it took me a little while to get into this book. It started slow. I actually thought I was going to be put completely off by it for tI have to admit: it took me a little while to get into this book. It started slow. I actually thought I was going to be put completely off by it for that very reason, initially; but then it started to pick up, and once it did, it just kept going and I just couldn’t stop turning pages.
Will Parker and Lillian Pentecost are two of the most interesting characters I’ve ever come across in my reading this year. I missed Spotswood’s first book in this series, but I’m going to be sure and go back to read it, because I feel the compulsion to fill myself in from the beginning.
While it’s unlikely that people in the same positions as Pentecost and Parker would have existed in the real America of the 1940s as successful and sought-after private detectives of the female persuasions, I was happy as a clam to see the diversity in this book. From Pentecost’s multiple sclerosis to Parker’s bisexuality and outwards to the supporting cast, it was nice to see a mystery written by a male author where diversity was not something seen as a token effort but something to be strived for.
I also have to admit that Spotswood has written some of the most engaging, witty, and intelligent dialogue I’ve read this year. I absolutely love when an author doesn’t dumb down their language for the masses or just assumes their readers would be too stupid to understand big words.
So thank you, Stephen Spotswood, for using the word “adenoidal” in a sentence properly. If only more authors used their thesauruses more often! ...more
I liked this book a lot. I mean, a lot! It wasn’t something I’d read again and again, but it was a compelling read that I was invested in all the way I liked this book a lot. I mean, a lot! It wasn’t something I’d read again and again, but it was a compelling read that I was invested in all the way to the end.
Unlike a lot of sci-fi books I’ve read this year, I didn’t find any drag or filler in this book. It moved along at a natural, nice pace: accelerating where needed, slowing down when needed, and coasting naturally. The constant changes of scenery, switching of sides and allegiances, and “side quests” (as I took to calling them inside my head) kept everyone and everything moving around the FMC’s central conflict, ensuring no character was wasted. That’s something that’s really refreshing, because I’m really sick of seeing supporting characters wasted.
All in all, this book was a very promising start to what looks like will be a series? I know I’ll be on the lookout for more. ...more
While this book wasn’t full of surprises, it was charismatic and full of ambience. What it lacked for in originality, it made upReal Rating: 3.5 Stars
While this book wasn’t full of surprises, it was charismatic and full of ambience. What it lacked for in originality, it made up for in gothic mystery and all-too-human emotion.
I loved the psychological aspects of this book. I loved the pointed commentary on private schooling versus public schooling and the importance of literacy. As the mother of two neurodivergent children, I deeply identified with Claudia (the FMC) and her struggle to be the best mother she could be to her child (even though I was at a loss as to why it seemed she hadn’t ever taken him to see a pediatrician or a child psychiatrist). And I loved the compelling, cultish atmosphere of The Hawthorne School and its denizens.
I just wished it had been less predictable. ...more
I really liked the blurb for this book when I read it, and when it came time to read it, I really hoped it would live up to its premise. Sadly, to me,I really liked the blurb for this book when I read it, and when it came time to read it, I really hoped it would live up to its premise. Sadly, to me, this was just another one of those mildly entertaining mysteries with a hint of the paranormal that starts out too slow, has too many loose ends left dangling for shock value alone, and you find yourself simply finishing reading because you might as well.
I’m not usually a fan of love triangles, but the love triangle in this book really had me going. The different kind, yet equal amount of tension between the FMC and the two men she’s torn between had me more riveted than the actual plot of the book. And that’s not a good sign for the book itself. If I wanted an angst-filled story about a sexy love triangle, I’d read a romance novel.
Nonetheless, I felt compelled to give this book 3 stars for the well-written characters and chemistry amongst the members of the love triangle. It’s too bad the mystery wasn’t as compelling. ...more
All of the stars in my rating for this book go to the beautiful prose of Shea Ernshaw. The writing in this book is elegiac… simply beautiful with a shAll of the stars in my rating for this book go to the beautiful prose of Shea Ernshaw. The writing in this book is elegiac… simply beautiful with a shroud of haunting cast over it.
This isn’t a quick read book. This is a book you take your time with, because it will take its time with you. That isn’t to say it’s boring. But it’s not a rollicking ride, either. This book is an atmospheric stroll through dark, creepy woods and walking on eggshells amongst an isolated, paranoid cult. There are three major characters in this both, and while they are all captivating in their own way, I found I enjoyed Bee’s story arc the most.
That being said: the turn in this book was predictable to me. Very predictable. I wasn’t counting on guessing it with less than half the book over.
But this is a beautifully-written book with themes that are, in turn, horrific and touching. And it may not end exactly how you envision. I highly recommend it. ...more
I took a quick hop on over to Amazon to read the synopsis of this book and to see how the professional reviewers describe this book, and I saw words lI took a quick hop on over to Amazon to read the synopsis of this book and to see how the professional reviewers describe this book, and I saw words like, "chilling", and "fear".
I snorted. Because I didn't feel anything chilling or fearful in this book. I don't know if that speaks to just how screwed up my sense of humor is or what. Because I LOVED this effing book so much because I found it morbidly, perversely funny. This is snarky, dark, psychotic humor.
Belmont Academy is like its own ecosystem: it spawns, nurtures, encourages its inhabitants to go out into the wild to find mates and reproduce, and then to bring their offspring back to the mothership so the process can begin again. Sometimes, as with most of the teachers, going out far into the beyond to find the right mate and reproduce isn't necessary, so sticking close to the mothership and letting it take care of you as you take care of it in turn is for the best. And if new inhabitants are introduced to the ecosystem? Well, it upsets the balance. Just as with any malignancy, it takes time, but it does end up upsetting the balance and the ecosystem will eventually fail if no one takes notice and action in enough time.
Private schools are like gates communities: they don't keep problems out. They keep problems festering inside within the walls without public oversight to point out the issues that would be plain as day to outsiders. Of course, that's what parents and boards want when it comes to private schools: they don't want the government putting its fingers into their children's educational pies, but oversight is what keeps gardens from dying.
What I LOVE so much about this book is how EVERYONE acts like they're in high school. It's like, with them all being in this closed ecosystem, they can't help but be tainted with this same type of privilege that smacks of arrogance, snark, narcissism, and spite. It's what kept me laughing continuously throughout the book. This continuous notion of thinking they'll get away with things, of begging forgiveness instead of asking for permission, of being naive enough not to think of every possibility because OF COURSE you could never be caught or someone could outwit you.
And Teddy Crutcher is the absolute worst, being a downright malignant narcissist stuck right there in the middle of the sociopathy scale. He's not a complete sociopath, but he has a God Complex almost as bad as some surgeons you see on prime time crime procedurals. It's either all about him or it should be. If it's not about him then how can he make it about him? If he makes a mistake and the blame gets shifted to someone he feels is his responsibility, then someone else will just have to take the wrap--but it has to be someone he doesn't give a whit about and he thinks is an inconvenience to him or has done him wrong in some slight way before--because that mistake wasn't part of the plan and now that wrong has to be righted.
I'm not even mad the book ended pretty much how I thought it would or that the epilogue went pretty much how I thought it would. I'm not mad AT ALL. Because in the end this book had me laughing my morbid ass off and I wouldn't trade my black sense of humor for anything. ...more
I liked this book as much as I thought I would, but in a totally different way than I thought I would.
See, I had thought this book would be closer inI liked this book as much as I thought I would, but in a totally different way than I thought I would.
See, I had thought this book would be closer in tone to "The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels", and so I was expecting a lot more whimsy and dry wit. Instead, it was much more grounded (err, literally) and had a wittier (and maybe even a touch of screwball) sense of humor to it. There were also deeper political and social questions woven into this book that I wasn't really in the mood for when I read this book but I'm not mad about it.
Sadly, it was kind of predictable, but I guess I'm not too torn-up about that since "whodunit" isn't the prize at the bottom of the cereal box we're after in a romance novel like this.
But it was what it advertised, and I liked it a lot. ...more
This book gets 3 stars because I think teens that are truly in their teen years and looking for a little scandal in their reading material will probabThis book gets 3 stars because I think teens that are truly in their teen years and looking for a little scandal in their reading material will probably find it titillating. Honestly, if I were a teenager looking for something a little like a prime-time soap opera about social media influencers, I’d probably love this book. But it’s a book with a setting we’ve seen before, with a plot we’ve seen so many times before I guessed the whodunit less than 30% into the book and ended up just finishing the book because I wanted to get it over with.
The only thing that distinguishes this book from other books or movies with almost the exact same plot that seem to crop up about every ten years or so is that this one is about social media influencers and not about how many people you have friended or unfriended on a social media platform.
But for a teenager looking for some juicy, gossipy drama? They’ll probably eat it up....more
This has to be one of the most charming books I’ve ever read. Sure, it’s a romantic-comedy mixed in with an homage to some of pop culture’s most belovThis has to be one of the most charming books I’ve ever read. Sure, it’s a romantic-comedy mixed in with an homage to some of pop culture’s most beloved comedic murder-mysteries (the most notable, by far, being the classic and inimitable “Clue”), but this was so much fun to read and had so much wit and a domestic sense of warmth within it that it disarmed me completely.
And it was just so danged cheeky! I know you might accuse me of leaning into the British of it all, but that’s simply the best word I can come up with to describe the feeling I got every time there was a glancing or oblique “Clue” reference (the walls of the Colonel’s room in the hotel were painted mustard yellow!). It made me want to reach through my e-reader and pinch Alexis Hall’s cheeks (gently, of course) and call her a cheeky little monkey for having been so clever. And the cleverness didn’t stop there! The call-outs on gun violence, classism, how service workers tend to go unnoticed and unrecognized for all they do inside places like hotels and resorts? It was all just so dang bright and sharp and nicely woven together into one great narrative arc.
And let’s not forget something close to my heart and the main thread of this book: repairing a marriage on its way to breaking up after quite some time of being together. Granted, I had the privilege of being in a herterosexual marriage when I was married and didn’t have to wait for the right to be granted to me by law, but I was married for 18 years and it was fraught with issues. We went to marriage counseling three times, because marriage is messy and it is work. It’s both as simple as waking up every day and deciding to stay and as messy as waking up and knowing that you will always love your spouse but is love enough of a reason to stick around and when is enough really enough? And those moments in the book, usually most reflected upon during the brief hours of downtime our main characters get in this novel, are some of the most heartfelt, touching, warm, and realistic moments in the entire book and are worth treasuring just as much as all the cheekiness.
I highly recommend this book. Come for the “Clue” references, stay for the heart of it. ...more
It’s no secret I love reverse harem romances. It’s no secret I love books that have themes involving sleep and/or dreams, either. I know my fascinatioIt’s no secret I love reverse harem romances. It’s no secret I love books that have themes involving sleep and/or dreams, either. I know my fascination with sleep and dreams originates from my own lifelong issues with sleep and how I am one to have an overabundance of nightmares and very few dreams (which probably speaks a lot to who I am as a person, right?), and that’s what drew me to “Reverie and Redemption”: reverse harem and dreams. Sounded like a match made in reading heaven to me.
And it was! I was captivated by the book from the first page. Reverie is the type of FMC I love: snarky, witty, and still a romantic at heart. She’s got (justifiable) walls built up a mile high, but she hasn’t gone completely cold yet. If Reverie had been written even a little bit weaker in personality or in humor, this book wouldn’t have worked for me. If she had come across as some vulnerable, beaten-down heroine, this would’ve fallen flat on its face. But because Reverie is more than willing to flip the middle finger at just about anyone than cower, it works. Her banter with law enforcement and quips when encountering certain fellow townspeople show off her sharp tongue and quick mind.
Kaydence Snow’s imagination and creativity was put to hard and good use in creating Reverie’s dreamscapes, too. Each one was memorable, fresh, and interesting to enter. Those dreamscapes were integral to the plot, and if they hadn’t been as vividly depicted in the manner Snow managed the book may have suffered much for it.
And the boys: Hollis, Oskar, and Sinan. I’m sure everyone has a favorite (I’m not telling). Each one was fully-profiled and spent a good amount of time on the page. They were, in turns, tragic and beautiful. Which is fitting for their roles in the book.
I wanted to pick a little bit on the magic system in the book, as I didn’t think it was as well-explained as it could’ve been, but I really don’t know if it could’ve been explained much better. The ending might have also been tied up a bit too neatly, but I don’t review and rate primarily on how well a book is written: I review and rate primarily on how good a book made me feel. And this book was a fantastic joy to read. And I’ll read it again. I suggest you read it too. ...more
I didn’t think I was going to like this book… until I got to chapter five. I was all ready for this to be a predictable and snooty billionaire romanceI didn’t think I was going to like this book… until I got to chapter five. I was all ready for this to be a predictable and snooty billionaire romance snoozefest until we got to chapter five, and then I perked up some and took notice. From there, my interest only climbed until I was completely invested in the story of Vance and Emery and the twisted mini-verse that is Cape Hill.
You see, I am almost convinced Nikki Sloane doesn’t write bad books. She may write disappointing books, or books that might not be what I’m into, but she doesn’t write BAD books. For instance: I didn’t like “The Initiation”, the first book in this series. I also had a lot of criticism for “The Architect” (even though there were a great deal of things I did enjoy about that book). But this book? This book is really, really good.
I love the dual POV. I love Vance, now so removed from the events of the first book but also so lost amongst the rubble of Alice’s machinations. I liked Emery from when we first met her, but by chapter four I was in love with her. I kind-of want to reach into the book and steal her away. Even the mystery that kicks this whole book off (which had me turned off completely at first) which then turns itself into a subplot so the romance and a larger plot can come first is a matter I became invested in and I enjoyed how Sloane brought it back in and tied it all together at the end.
The best takeaway from this book is Emery. Emery Emery Emery. ...more
When I review and rate a book, the first thing I take into account is if I vibed with the book. If I don’t vibe with a book, IReal Rating: 3.5/5 Stars
When I review and rate a book, the first thing I take into account is if I vibed with the book. If I don’t vibe with a book, I can’t read it. The second thing, and probably the most vital thing, is how much fun I had reading the book; or, if you want to look at it through a different lens, how much I enjoyed the book. That enjoyment can come in myriad forms. This book’s enjoyment just came in the form of it being a fun book to read.
Am I a sucker for New Orleans lore? Yes. Unashamedly so. Do I love the decentralized religions like Voudun and all types of witchcraft? Always have! Do I love haunted houses (especially plantation houses) and mysteries? Oh yes. Do I love serial killers? Ever since I was a kid!
Did I find the book revelatory? No. Romantic? Not really? Steamy or spicy the way I like it? Not really. Did I find it kind of obvious? Pretty much.
But it was fun to read. And therefore it wasn’t time wasted. ...more
It’s such a normalized thing in our society to see men in their thirties (and even forties) checking out college-age girls when walkingRating: 4 Stars
It’s such a normalized thing in our society to see men in their thirties (and even forties) checking out college-age girls when walking down the street or in a grocery store or at the park… Don’t lie. You’ve seen it. I’ve seen it. We’ve all seen it.
What makes people uncomfortable, and what people don’t like to talk too much about, is how women in their thirties and forties are sometimes doing the exact same thing: checking out those college-age boys (and girls, don’t lie) at the park as they toss footballs back and forth, or play with a slack line, or just mess around with a grill cooking for their friends. We don’t like to think about it because thinking about women that could be old enough to be proper moms (or, since I was a mom at 21, old enough to be a college kid’s mom) lusting after adults younger than us makes some of us really uncomfortable… but yet we’re so used to men lusting after younger adults that as long as they’re legal we’re not usually too bothered.
And that power shift--that tilt of sexual dynamic is what makes “Burn For Me” so friggin’ HOT. I really clinged onto Everly West as a character. I’m older than her now and I never made it to professor, but I was in undergrad when I was her age, and I very often got mistaken for the class professor at the beginning of each semester when there was supposed to be a female professor, and I was often left in charge of the class if the professor needed to duck out because I was the most mature and usually best student in the class. And, being a full believer in “dressing for the job you want and not the job you have” (and me wanting to teach community college), I dressed in trendy, business casual clothes everyday, including heels quite often. Back then I was thinner, and most boys in undergrad haven’t learned yet how to disguise the way they stare at you. And, even though I was in my thirties back then, even some male professors didn’t know how to keep their eyes where they belonged, either.
So I sympathize for Everly West. Her career peaked early, she had thrown her best years into her career, and now she’s in her thirties and feels like she’s left with dregs of adult men to choose from if she wants to form some sort of semblance of love and family now that she has the time. But she’s only human, and of course she’s looked at the college boys once or twice or who-knows-how-many-times. (Don’t worry, Everly, I don’t blame you!) She’s never had time to figure out exactly what she wants and doesn’t know how to get it… and then an angry, sharp, cut, rough, and gorgeous ghost from her past walks into her Journalism class and takes the last seat. And she knows she’s effed.
This book takes a little while to find its footing: I’m not going to lie. I’d say the first 20% of the book or so is a bit rough. But it’s Sara Cate, and if there’s anyone who I trust to pull everyone out of a rough start, it’s Sara. I think it’s because it took a long time to reconcile that although Cullen and Everly couldn’t be more different as individuals, they’re very much the same deep inside--like all those years ago when they made eye contact they were cocooned inside different chrysalises so they could undergo whatever they had to go through to make sure that one day they could find their way back to one another because they would need one another. They had unfinished business and neither Everly nor Cullen was going to be able to move on until they crashed back together.
YES, this book is about hot reverse age-gap romance, spicy af scenes, and a little prof/student action, but underneath it all are two souls who got stuck in time in a courtroom eight years before this book even began. These two were always meant to meet where two trails become one and to walk it together after being alone for too long. They just had to go through so much to get there it left them both with a great many scars, within and without, to work through to get to the point where they could finally take those steps together, hand-in-hand. And yeah, it’s not conventional. But who the heck cares? In the end, who the heck really cares? If a man can have a girlfriend ten or twenty years younger than him, then why can’t a woman?
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