Sexy, sweet, and low-angst polyam (triad) romance! Bonus: sex workers, demisexual rep, mental health rep, therapy rep (could be better but not objectiSexy, sweet, and low-angst polyam (triad) romance! Bonus: sex workers, demisexual rep, mental health rep, therapy rep (could be better but not objectionable), and a very diverse cast of secondary characters. I think this could have been better as a novella--it starts to drag a bit at times, and some of the family story lines aren't fleshed out enough--but I definitely recommend this.
Overall rating: 4 Hannah Angst Scale rating: 1 Content notes: emotionally/psychologically abusive and neglectful parents, past domestic violence exposure, past death of grandparent who was primary caregiver, anxiety, slut shaming and anti-sex work sentiment (challenged), on page alcohol and marijuana use, explicit sex scenes and light kink (voyeurism/exhibitionism, mild D/s play)...more
This is a hard book to review because there is so much that I loved but also so much that left me wanting. It's classified as a fantasy, but does featThis is a hard book to review because there is so much that I loved but also so much that left me wanting. It's classified as a fantasy, but does feature a central romance plot with an HEA of sorts (the author's note at the end actually says this is his response to readers asking for happy endings for his characters).
The world Miller creates here is fascinating: essentially an AU 1920s New York in which tattoos can imbue their wearers with magical powers, and the artists are traditionally part of Lineages that train in specialty magic specific to them. The story is anchored in the boxing world of the time, particularly underground fighting and organized crime. It's also very Jewish, queer, and anti-capitalist. On top of all that, the story is being told by Kid Wolf and Kraken Boy from some point in the future (relative to the main story)--a future when the USA elected its first black woman president in the 1980s, corporations are outlawed, queerness is mainstream...you get the picture. The meat of this book is about how Kid and Teitelstam's relationship with each other and with their boss Hinky helps to alter the course of history, but ultimately, yes, it's a love story.
All that is great and the prose is gorgeous in the way that you feel x-rayed by the author ("That’s the thing about fear. You can’t imagine how much it’s holding you back, until you’ve gotten over it—and all of a sudden the world has gotten so much bigger"). That said, I really wish this was a full-length novel instead of a novella. Kid's and Teitelstam's relationship ends up feeling instalovey, which doesn't serve the intensity of everything that happens throughout the story. I would have loved for them to spend more time on page together, experiencing that push and pull and truly falling for each other. Also for how queer it is, there is a glaring lack of trans rep and I was somewhat discomfited by the way femme people are treated at times. One the one hand, union leaders are pretty much all women we're given to admire. On the other hand, there are scenes of violent union-busting that target those women. Also, (view spoiler)[MAJOR SPOILER -- the resolution of the plot involves Hinky, a woman, being body swapped with a villain who is a man. She consents, he very much does not. That female body is then disfigured and killed. Hinky then uses that white male body to affect all the change that leads to that utopian future. I don't know, I just feel that a truly liberationist book has got to better respect bodily autonomy, even for villains, and could have found a way to empower a Jewish or other marginalized woman to do the things while inhabiting a marginalized identity, you know? (hide spoiler)]
Anyway, not at all sorry that I read this and would recommend, but not to everyone.
Overall rating: 3.5 Hannah Angst Scale rating: 2.5 Content notes: homophobia, antisemitism, sexism, classism, xenophobia, violent union busting tactics, death of parent, depictions of boxing fights and related injuries, murder, blackmail, character gets cancer, suicide (of villains, depicted on page)...more
A wonderfully cozy, heartache-y winter novella that made me want all the baked goods. It also has one of my favorite types of angst (“I’m not allowed A wonderfully cozy, heartache-y winter novella that made me want all the baked goods. It also has one of my favorite types of angst (“I’m not allowed to love because something about me is dangerous, but oh god please love me anyway”), though overall I found this less angsty on my personal scale than others by this author.
Overall rating: 4 Hannah Angst Scale™ Rating: 3 Content notes: See Leigh’s review for a comprehensive list...more
I'm not sure exactly how to review this magnificent book. I do not typically enjoy YA (the anxiety I experienced reading this because teenagers and hiI'm not sure exactly how to review this magnificent book. I do not typically enjoy YA (the anxiety I experienced reading this because teenagers and high school SUCK) but Felix grabbed me from the first page and refused to let go. I walked away feeling so proud of Felix and his friends for being so unapologetically themselves, even with all the drama and the questioning and general adolescence. If only we could give a little bit of that to every teenager in the world, we might all be better off. The most poignant part for me is Felix's struggle with his identity. He shows us it's possible to have confidence/comfort in who you are and still question what that really means. I loved it and I wish it was possible to group hug a bunch of the characters.
Overall rating: 5 Hannah Angst Scale™ rating: 3 Content notes: transphobia, deadnaming, homophobia, bullying, dysphoria, parental abandonment, TERFy secondary character, marijuana use, underage drinking, secondary character was disowned after coming out
This was an interesting reading experience. On the one hand, I really liked it! On the other hand, I was...well...disappointed. I love love love the LThis was an interesting reading experience. On the one hand, I really liked it! On the other hand, I was...well...disappointed. I love love love the London Celebrities series and rec it to everyone, and Battle Royal has the same quirkiness, real-feeling characters, and snappy dialogue that those books have. For the most part.
I don't know if it is the change in publisher/editor or the pandemic funk or another reason that we'll never know about because authors are people too, but the book never felt completely right to me. The editing could have been stronger; the royal wedding cake subplot was plenty, clearly the most thought-out, and ultimately was dragged down by the Operation Cake and too many other subplots. I'd seen many people warn that despite the cute premise, Battle Royal deals with very heavy subjects and is actually a pretty sad book. Which it is, I guess. It's certainly not a rom com. But it didn't register very high on my Angst Scale and I think that's largely due to being distracted from potential angst by superfluous plot events. Hopefully with more time and familiarity editor and author will get a better grip on things.
(view spoiler)[I also was very disgruntled by the bit at the end when royal fiance's mentally ill stalker violently attacks them, wounding Dominic's sister. The only reason I could see for it was to set up the next book between Pet and the bodyguard, which would have happened anyway if Pet is going to work for Johnny. It was unnecessarily dramatic and out of place. (hide spoiler)]
All that said, I'm still giving this 3.5 rounded up to 4 stars and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it. The strength of the romance and the handling of grief are traditionally Lucy Parker-strong and really save the book. There's a scene in the The Dark Forest at Sugar Fair that I found particularly moving! If it had been allowed to focus on Sylvie and Dominic gently falling in love and finding safety with each other this would have been a solid 4 stars, possibly even 5.
Overall rating: 3.5 Hannah Angst Scale™ rating: 2.5 Content notes: grief, past death of parental figures (I did not note specific causes, though there are reminiscences of hospital scenes), childhood emotional abuse and neglect, cheating (not by main characters, (view spoiler)[hero's mother was unfaithful multiple times, passing mentions of royal family members having affairs, Princess's fiance is inaccurately accused of cheating (hide spoiler)]), ableism (secondary character is bullied for stuttering), death by car accident (happens before events of book), brief mentions of sexual harassment, physical assault with knife, hospital scene, stalking of secondary character ((view spoiler)[Princess's fiance is being stalked by a mentally ill person with erotomanic delusions (hide spoiler)]), on page sex, on page alcohol use...more
I was extremely nervous about this book because the last book by Kristen Callihan that I read (Dear Enemy) is one of my most hated books ever. But I lI was extremely nervous about this book because the last book by Kristen Callihan that I read (Dear Enemy) is one of my most hated books ever. But I love the VIP series, so I had to give this one a try and phew! It's good!
I loved getting to see Rye and Brenna turn all that tension into something real. It starts with a sex pact; Brenna lays out a series of rules that they both start breaking almost immediately (*laughs in romance*). I'm kind of a sucker for big personalities that secretly just want someone to snuggle them. That's Rye and Brenna. The emotional parts of the story hit the mark for me; they're both reaching new phases of their lives and trying to learn who they are without losing contact with who they used to be. Hello, relatable. Bonus: Brenna is queer!? She does not provide a label for herself but mentions early on that she has had sex with different genders (my inference would be bi/pan or possibly sexually fluid).
The main downfall of the book for me is that there are too many extra plot points. Like, things happened and I just didn't get the why of them all apart from creating drama where there was plenty of angst already. It disrupted the pacing and pulled me out of a few important moments, lowering the overall impact of the angst. I would have five-starred this if the whole book was just these two romantic fools wrestling with their feels.
While I suppose Exposed could be read as a standalone, I recommend reading at least one of the other VIP books to get a sense of the hate-to-want-you sexual tension Rye and Brenna start out with.
Overall rating: 4 Hannah Angst Scale™ rating: 3 (but barely) Content notes: hero's parents are divorced due to father's cheating, heroine's parents are emotionally abusive, past suicide attempt of secondary character, temporary physical disability interfering with work/life ((view spoiler)[hero experiences pain/spasms in hands and arms preventing him from playing instruments, he finds out later it is tendonitis (hide spoiler)]), on page alcohol use, on page sex...more
This book was out of my comfort zone because of the supernatural/paranormal element (not typically my wheelhouse), but I'm so glad it was recommended This book was out of my comfort zone because of the supernatural/paranormal element (not typically my wheelhouse), but I'm so glad it was recommended to me. This is one of the more raw and honest depictions of depression/mental illness that I've seen, and it does it in a way that doesn't shame the MC for being suicidal. It will be hard to read for a lot of people (see CW), but also worth it if you have the emotional space for it.
Overall rating: 5 Hannah Angst Scale™ rating: 4 Content notes: (as stated by author in foreword) suicide attempt by gunshot (graphically described), other discussion of suicide and self-harm, self-harm/cutting as part of supernatural ritual, suicidal ideation, depiction of chronic severe depression, ableist language (MC uses to describe himself), on page cis m/m sex, mild bloodplay, discussion and implication of sexual assault, car accident, reference to drug/substance abuse, scenes in ambulances and hospitals (reviewer note: includes depiction of, imo, uncompassionate mental health care), magical wasting illness that mirrors real-world terminal illness...more
I ended up being disappointed in this book, though objectively I would say I'm not the right reader for it. I'm typically a high-angst reader (the morI ended up being disappointed in this book, though objectively I would say I'm not the right reader for it. I'm typically a high-angst reader (the more my heart hurts, the better) and Better Than People is a soft, sweet romance. I know a lot of readers who absolutely love that kind of story, but unfortunately I was expecting the emotional sucker punch I've experienced from Parrish's other books. There isn't much plot, and without a heavy emotional angle I struggled to remain engaged with the story.
I did love the depiction of severe social anxiety. I think Parrish's mental health representation is some of the best out there. Simon's descriptions of what it's like to experience that level of anxiety are vivid, impactful, and realistic.
Ultimately, there wasn't anything wrong or bad here. I just ended up feeling bored because the low-angst, low-stakes stories are not my cup of tea these days.
CW: detailed descriptions of anxiety, broken leg/related confinement, death of family member (before events of book)
I received a free eARC in exchange for my review....more
The greatest endorsement I can give The One For You is this: I stayed up ridiculously long past my bedtime to finish it in one sitting, and when I skiThe greatest endorsement I can give The One For You is this: I stayed up ridiculously long past my bedtime to finish it in one sitting, and when I skimmed it again in preparation for writing my review, I felt all the feelings again. I must be a masochist, because my gauge of how much I love an angst-ridden book is how much physical pain I feel while reading this. And Roni Loren makes me feel it in my bones. The pining! Oh, the pining.
Kincaid has been a bit of a mystery through the previous books. I really enjoyed finally getting to know her on a deeper level. She’s sassy, quick-witted, and creative. I like that she’s unapologetic about who she is. It’s no wonder that Ash has been stupid in love with her for eons. I invested in Ash so hard. I loved seeing an introverted, bookish nerd who’s so far in his own head get constantly yanked back to the real world by the force of nature that is Kincaid. Their friendship gives them such a good foundation to develop a new kind of relationship on even with all the baggage we learn about. Plus—hot guy reading with glasses and tattoos. I mean, come on. It’s just not even fair.
I think this book could be read as a stand-alone, but readers will get a lot more out of it by reading the full series in order. It’s important to understand the context of the characters’ shared trauma. It’s also the best way to experience how deftly Loren writes about healing and moving forward from tragedy—namely, that there’s no one way and certainly no right way to do it. The right way is the one that lets you survive. More than in the previous books, Ash and Kincaid think they have that figured out. They think that by putting it behind them they have conquered it. Ash ignores it. Kincaid gives it the finger. It’s worked well enough, but this is a romance. The reward of reading it is seeing them realize they’re not doing as well as they thought and that they do immensely better together.
The One For You is an excellent conclusion to one of my favorite series. It’s one I can see myself coming back to time and time again.
CW: gun violence, violent death, domestic violence, gender discrimination in the workplace, child neglect Tropes: Childhood friends to lovers, pining hero, stoic/repressed one falls for tornado one, sex pact, unrequited love...more
I'm trying to explain my experience of reading this book in a professional manner, but fuck it. It's like you're floating andHello, virgin artist hero
I'm trying to explain my experience of reading this book in a professional manner, but fuck it. It's like you're floating and relaxing on the best floatie in a perfect pool, and then...WHAM! A cannonball of emotion and angst splashes a shitton of water all over you. You're not quite sure how you didn't see that coming, but now you're soaked and it's actually okay because you were thinking about swimming a few laps anyway. This book has several things to endorse it, not the least of which are a dominant bisexual heroine and a virgin artist hero. If that doesn't convince you, perhaps a witchy demon cat or a little light bondage will. It's a perfectly cozy comfort read like I'm coming to depend on this author for. It gave me angsty chest feelings without being so emotional as to mess with my head. I enjoyed it immensely and would recommend indiscriminately....more
I was lucky enough to win an ARC of this book in a Goodreads giveaway. Thank you to GR and the publisher for the chance to read it!
I'm not sure there'I was lucky enough to win an ARC of this book in a Goodreads giveaway. Thank you to GR and the publisher for the chance to read it!
I'm not sure there's anything I can say about this book that hasn't already been said in every other rave, but I'll throw my two cents in the mix anyway.
I LOVED THIS BOOK. SQUEE LEVEL LOVE. OMG LOVE. I finished it in less than 24 hours and have already recommended it to pretty much everyone I know, including non-romance reading friends. That's how confident I am about this book. I'm calling it the Mary Poppins of books because it's practically perfect in every way. It's the exact right amount of sweet, funny, angsty, and sexy. I don't think there's anything about this book that I didn't love.
Talia Hibbert consistently creates some of the most realistic, well-rounded characters I've ever read. Everything about them feels believable and consistent. Chloe and Red are masterpieces. Chloe is a grouchy, snarky, dry-witted queen whose first reaction in a traumatic situation is to ask for her favorite premium chocolate (reasonable). Red is a warm, charming, tattooed artist who enjoys taking care of people and gets sucked into having horrible dinners with old ladies because they cry. Their banter is adorable. They make each other happy. They're good for each other. Reading about them filled me with an effervescent happiness that I still can't get enough of.
"She liked flowers, and strawberries. He added that carefully to the list of things he knew about Chloe Brown, a list that was longer than he'd ever expected it to be, but still not long enough. Maybe it would never be long enough."
The thing about Get A Life, Chloe Brown is that within the joyous romance package is a delightfully relatable story about living life for yourself. Each of the MCs have a Reason that they have been treading water in life and getting to watch them grow and change is just...sigh. Lovely. The best part is that it doesn't take the whole book or a magic relationship moment for them to discover this. It's not so much that they fix each other--it's that they're working on themselves, and they find each other at the right time, and get to support the other as they continue working on themselves. It's so...human. And healthy.
"She'd been right about her plan, about her list: the process of completing each task involved multiple adjustments in attitude and countless bite-sized moments of bravery, and those would all add up. By the time she finished, she'd have more than checkmarks and a few stories to tell. She'd have a life."
I can't gush about this book enough. Sometimes hype does a disservice to a new release by building up your expectations so high there's no chance the book can actually meet it. In this case, the hype is more than justified. Get this book and put it in front of your eyeballs or however you read your books. You won't regret it....more
Reread August 2024 I originally gave this book 4.5-5 stars, though on this reread I’m downgrading to 4 stars. I still like so much about this story, buReread August 2024 I originally gave this book 4.5-5 stars, though on this reread I’m downgrading to 4 stars. I still like so much about this story, but now having read and loved everything else from this author I see some weaknesses here that mean this book ranks near or at the bottom of my personal Kate Clayborn list. It’s still a solid four stars. Something about the initial development of the romance was lacking for me though, so I ended up feeling the least convinced about this pairing of all the ones in the series. Not unconvinced, though. Probably this book suffers in comparison to the most perfect book ever written (Luck of the Draw). To be fair, most books do.
I also still don’t like Patricia. I went in trying to be more open minded (I’m a much more relaxed therapist than I was five years ago) but goodness her approach is only good as a plot device.
Original review August 2019 After Luck of the Draw for such a number on me I had to go immediately to Greer and Alex's book. It is almost as good, plenty of angst but in a, shall we say, warmer way? The angst here is about balancing independence and connection. Greer and Alex are such interesting characters. Reading the last book in a series is always interesting because you have ideas and expectations for characters you've already met, and Kate Clayborn does an excellent job navigating those while giving the MCs so many beautiful layers.
I'm going to be a little nitpicky here--I love love love that there is therapy rep in this book. Actual on page therapy sessions. The description of anxiety/panic attacks is very real. And I am trying to keep in mind that for a book, things need to be simplified AND stylized for entertainment. But it kind of felt like a depiction of what someone thinks good therapy is. I want readers to know, if you read those scenes and go "yikes, this is why I don't go to therapy," this is NOT what all therapy looks like. It doesn't look anything like the way I practice (I'm a licensed counselor) and there were a couple borderline unethical moments that made my eye twitch. Entertainment, I know, but it's still disappointing for me to be constantly looking for good depictions of therapy in fiction and to struggle so hard to find it.
Most readers probably won't bat an eyelash at any of that, it's my personal thing and it did not detract from the book as a whole. Still a lovely read....more
This book is why I love romance. It starts with some taboo-level hotness, deals with some serious and real personal issues, adds in some more hotness,This book is why I love romance. It starts with some taboo-level hotness, deals with some serious and real personal issues, adds in some more hotness, proceeds with some actual character development, and ends with love and happiness.
I LOVED the heroine, Rana. She felt so real to me—I swear I know this woman who loves bright lipstick and short skirts and has been told her whole life the only thing worthwhile is about her is her looks. I loved that despite all her insecurities, she is always steadfast about wearing that lipstick FOR HER and not for any stupid man. Then there’s Micah, who is a traumatized artist trying to get his mojo back. He is adorable. The first note I made about this book was “hallelujah!” that there’s another romance hero who’s been in therapy. I could write a brief essay about how well Alisha Rai writes the daily experience of having PTSD. But I’ll refrain because “brief” would be a lie. Micah is a total cliche, sure (hot, moody artist discovers his creativity again in the arms of a woman), but a very enjoyable one.
I thought at first this story was going to be darker and angstier than it was. Instead, it’s a near-perfect balance between adorable and serious. It also made me really want Indian food. Fortunately I always keep some of the Trader Joe’s channa masala on hand for emergencies....more
I couldn’t give this book anything less than five stars. It just gives me all the happy fuzzy feelings!
This is a single first person POV story from thI couldn’t give this book anything less than five stars. It just gives me all the happy fuzzy feelings!
This is a single first person POV story from the hero’s perspective. I’m not normally a huge fan of that narration style but Nick Hammer (giggle) is so damn delightful that it worked for me in a major way. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed getting to know Harper through Nick’s eyes. I was also surprised by how sweet the story is. I mean, the premise is a guy who specializes in giving orgasms. I expected him to be more rakish and for the vibe to be a little darker. Instead I got one of the most adorable, geeky couples and some truly giggle-inducing scenes.
That’s not to say I didn’t spend about 93% of the book getting hot and bothered. I mean, the man is known as Mister Orgasm. I also may or may not have spent a disproportionately large amount of time searching the internet for pictures of buff, bespectacled, tattooed gentlemen. Because reasons.
💖 loved this one and can’t wait to dive into more of her backlist!...more
// review originally posted on ig @hannahheartsromance // I have loved @taliahibbert ever since I discovered her books. The first one I read was actua// review originally posted on ig @hannahheartsromance // I have loved @taliahibbert ever since I discovered her books. The first one I read was actually A Girl Like Her, the first book in this series. I’ve since devoured almost her entire backlist including Mating the Huntress (which I loved despite my general apathy about paranormal romance). So anyway, this book features Hannah, a fiery heroine whose gift is children but has been barred from normal jobs with children due to previous and completely justified rage antics. She tries to protect a cool and controlled image, but underneath she is MAD. Our hero is Nate, who is the perfect Talia Hibbert sweet hotness, i.e. tattoos and a reputation but who actually lives to make everyone around him happy. Being a single dad, he hires super nanny Hannah. They end up hating each other and never speaking again.
LOL, kidding. Making love and LOVE happens, this is romance we’re talking about!
I didn’t like this book quite as much as others, but it’s still such a fun story that I read it in one sitting. I appreciate that the power differential of employer-employee was addressed regarding the sex. I also found Hannah’s struggles with her emotions very real. Women aren’t allowed to be angry even when they should be angry. There were definitely some moments when Hannah’s rage leaked out that were immensely satisfying. This series is so good at shaking up stereotypes, but in a way that’s so subtle you just accept the realness of the characters. Like, of course the girl is the emotionally distant one and the guy is head-over-heels after one kiss. Among others.
My favorite part of these books is the Kabbalah sisters’ names. Ruth and Hannah. My name is Hannah Ruth. Do you know how many times a Ruth, let alone paired with a Hannah, happens in romance? So thanks for making me feel the sexiness of my Jewish grandmother name, Talia....more
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