Thank you to Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for Providing me with a digital copy of “The Great Dating Fake-Off” by Livy Hart in exchange for an hoThank you to Entangled Publishing and NetGalley for Providing me with a digital copy of “The Great Dating Fake-Off” by Livy Hart in exchange for an honest review.
Nora is managing her best friend’s bookstore one day when extraordinarily attractive Sebastian walks in to inquire about meeting space for the local youth mentoring club. They immediately hit it off but just as he’s about to ask her out, they are interrupted by aforementioned best friend Benji. Sensing the time is not right, Sebastian leaves.
Nora is disappointed but then she’s immediately drawn into the drama that has strolled in with Benji. Benji’s sister Ro is getting married and so Ro and their mother are harassing him about bringing a date to the wedding. Knowing that Benji is not interested in dating, even in the face of serious pressure from his family, Nora immediately offers herself up as his fake-girlfriend/wedding date.
Meanwhile, Sebastian’s best friend Alessia is the groom’s sister. Alessia is in a relationship with Eloise but Alessia’s not ready to come out to her very traditional, equally intrusive family. So Sebastian has agreed to be Alessia’s fake-boyfriend/wedding date.
You can see where this is going. Sebastian and Nora are shocked to find themselves constantly thrown together at the wedding. They really, really try to ignore their mutual chemistry to maintain the charade, but alas, it’s too strong.
Meanwhile, Ro and groom Enzo are living out a Romeo and Juliet scenario, complete with feuding Italian families. They secretly dated for a year before getting engaged and, now at the wedding location, their families are circling each other like the gangs in West Side Story. It only takes one incident to destroy the uneasy peace, and unfortunately, that incident is Nora and Sebastian.
What follows is the process of Nora and Sebastian trying to figure out how to manage their overwhelming attraction and patch up the implosion they unintentionally set off.
This may all seem like a lot of drama. To a certain extent, it is. But honestly, it’s the best kind of drama. The families can be toxic, hence all the fake dating, but at the center of the story is Nora and Sebastian, and their friends, who are all making honest efforts to live their lives as happily as they can. They all have blind spots and frustrations, but in the end, they all figure out how to compromise and get the happily ever after for everyone.
It’s a great book. It’s fun, funny, well-written, and manages to put a fresh spin on the fake-dating trope. Highly recommended for fans of the fake-dating trope, people who like genuine emotional growth, adult behavior from protagonists, and anybody who has naughty thoughts in photobooths....more
Thank you to Tor Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of "A Sorceress Comes to Call" by T. Kingfisher in exchange for aThank you to Tor Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of "A Sorceress Comes to Call" by T. Kingfisher in exchange for an honest review.
Cordelia is trapped. Her mother Evangeline, a powerful, cruel sorceress, craves money and luxury more than anything. and she's willing to do anything to get it, including manipulation and murder. Cordelia is just one more tool at her mother's disposal So when Evangeline's latest lover rejects her, Cordelia, Evangeline, Evangeline's familiar Falada go off in search of a new benefactor. They find the Samuel, the Squire, who lives in a big, stately home with his old maid (though not prospectless) sister Hester.
Samuel immediately falls for Evangeline's charms but Hester does not. She and the household staff quickly realize that all is not what it seems and that they are all in a great deal of danger, including Cordelia. Hester immediately calls in the help of old friends, including her long-time beau, to defend against Evangeline's machinations.
What follows is a classic Kingfisher story: scary magic, droll humor, a middle-aged and kickass heroine, and a terrifying horse. It's entertaining and horrifying and absolutely fantastic. Highly recommend for Kingfisher fans, as well as readers who enjoy mixing pseudo-Regency eras with magic and mayhem....more
Veera Mathur is in a tough place, both figuratively and literally. After being forced out of the family company and losing her best friend Deepak DattVeera Mathur is in a tough place, both figuratively and literally. After being forced out of the family company and losing her best friend Deepak Datta in the process, she's been traveling the world with her twin sister as they try to start their own consulting business. But when her sister backs out of their business plans and they are shipwrecked after a client's yacht sinks, she's really hit her limit. In need of cash, she calls the one person who can front her the money: Deepak.
Deepak is not in a great position either. Months ago, he proposed a loveless marriage to a fellow company board member. Then one morning, he wakes up to a Get Ready With Me video of her explaining why she's ending their engagement. The relationship that should have cemented his nomination as company CEO now threatens to end it. So, when Veera calls for help, he flies across the world to her side. He tells himself that it's to lay low during a PR disaster, but the truth is, he's missed her, having distanced himself following his engagement.
After some heavy drinking, they agree to demonstrate a traditional marriage ceremony for a couple they meet and in the process, end up married themselves. What started as a lark on a beach quickly becomes another potential public relations disaster, and Deepak is quick to suggest that they continue their semi-fake marriage, at least until he's officially the company CEO.
Veera, who's been deeply in love with this utterly blind man since they first met, agrees. They quickly fall into a happy, comfortable routine. But Veera's evil father, still part of the company, is out to sabotage Deepak's chances at becoming CEO and he's got a willing ally in Deepak's former fiancé. It will take the rest of their family and friends to overcome this hurdle, but Veera and Deepak eventually get what they want.
It's a great book. The whole series is excellent. However, if you are at all sensitive to toxic family dynamics, these can be tough reads. Veera's father is the absolute worst, but frankly, her twin sister has some messed up moments. And Veera, numb in her grief over losing her career AND Deepak, neglected her other, female friends, so she has some issues to work out too. There are definitely some wonderful, accepting, lovely side characters and almost everyone who messes up is redeemed (just don't expect any fairy tale endings with dear old Dad). So it isn't to say that all the characters are awful. But it's a theme in this series that the people who raise you can also hurt you pretty badly, and if that isn't a comfortable place for you, maybe steer clear.
Recommended for readers who enjoy smart, fierce business women who are willing to confront their toxic family dynamics AND international business relations. If competence is your thing, this book (along with the rest of this stellar series) is for you. If you don't mind a friends-to-lovers trope with a MMC who you occasionally want to smack upside the head, "Marriage & Masti" is a good choice.
Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of "Marriage & Masti" by Nisha Sharma in exchange for an honest review....more
Thank you to Tor and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of "Fiasco" by Constance Fay in exchange for an honest review.
This sequel to Fay's "CalamiThank you to Tor and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of "Fiasco" by Constance Fay in exchange for an honest review.
This sequel to Fay's "Calamity" focuses on bounty hunter Cyn Khaw and medic Micah Arora, both introduced in the first book. However, when readers first met Cyn, she was deep undercover to retrieve someone from a dangerous cult. By the start of Fiasco, Cyn has parted ways with the crew of Calamity and shed her false identity. Her life's mission is to track down the Abyssal Abductor, the merciless kidnapper who murdered her cousin Aymbe years before.
When she's recruited to find the Abductor's latest victim, she's reunited with the Calamity crew, including the ship's medic Micah. Micah takes an immediate interest in her, though whether that's based on suspicion or lust, Cyn isn't sure. To make matters worse, a powerful Family member is blackmailing her into taking a secret bounty: unbeknownst to him, Micah is being set up as a political scapegoat and Cyn is the one who must bring him in.
The Abductor's trail leads right back to Cyn's home planet, forcing her to confront the fractured family she left behind, memories she'd really rather forget, and secrets she never saw coming.
Fiasco is a solid follow-up to Calamity. It's got many of the best sci-fi building blocks: an important, time-sensitive mission, quirky side characters, and a metal-eating, flying lizard. (Though, really, there could have been much more lizard. Vuur was one of the best characters and it never even speaks.) The world-building is excellent, particularly Cyn's home world Ginsidik. The big, political system is important in this plot, but not quite as central as it was previously.
The one thing to keep in mind is that if you're reading this for the romance, it's not as strong as it was in the first book. At it's core, this is the story of a family reeling from tragedy, and how it has affected them through the years. Cyn and her family have never really processed their trauma from Aymbe's death. Most of Cyn's emotional journey is related to that.
So while there is a romance with Micah, it's not ABOUT that romance. You can take that portion of the plot out, and the book doesn't lose much. Furthermore, in the best romances, the relationship brings positive emotional growth to both characters; here, Micah doesn't really grow much. He's a solid guy who wants to take care of her, but he doesn't really change from start to finish. He's still a handsome, grumpy yet nurturing dude with attractive muscles.
It's a good book. It's interesting and exciting. It's less Romanscifi, but rather more straight up sci-fi, so as long as you go in with that expectation, you won't be disappointed. Recommended for fans of space opera with a hint of romance....more
Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and to NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of "The Au Pair Affair" by Tessa Bailey in exchange for an Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager and to NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of "The Au Pair Affair" by Tessa Bailey in exchange for an honest review.
Marine biology student Tallulah is ready to step into the world for adventure. Unfortunately, adventure, grad school, and decent apartments in in Boston all require a great deal of money that she does not have. So when a child-caretaker job offer spontaneously arrives from veteran hockey player Burgess, it's tough to pass up the opportunity.
Burgess is at a bit of a crossroads himself. He's struggling with physical issues that could end his storied professional hockey career and his relationship with awesome tween daughter is challenging. Then he meets Tallulah and he's immediately smitten. Offering her the job seems like a great idea, until he finds himself pining for his employee. And because he isn't a total creep, he tries to be respectful of that power dynamic.
However, this is a romance novel. Chemistry wins, of course.
In general, it's a fun, sexy book, if not terribly surprising. Apart from some of Tallulah's backstory, it plays out pretty much like you'd expect. But it's full of Bailey's trademarks: dirty talk from an emotionally intense MMC. So if you enjoy that, chances are you'll like The Au Pair Affair. Recommended for fans of sports romances and big gruff dudes pining for their lady love....more
Thank you to Disney Publishing Worldwide and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of "The Last Rhee Witch" by Jenna Lee-Yun in exchange for Thank you to Disney Publishing Worldwide and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of "The Last Rhee Witch" by Jenna Lee-Yun in exchange for an honest review.
Ronnie Miller has been struggling lately. Although of Korean heritage, she doesn't feel fully, truly Korean, and she deeply feels the passing of her mother, even though it's already been five years. Her overprotective father and her own overly cautious nature keep her world tightly contained. Her friendship with bestie Jack has been shaken up and to make matters worse, since she turned 12, she can't stop rhyming everything she says.
Even though she's nervous and resistant to change, she sees going away to summer camp as a chance to reestablish her friendship with Jack, and maybe get over the rhyming thing. But camp hasn't turned out the way she expected: Jack immediately bonds with another boy who seems to loathe Ronnie and the camp is haunted by a terrifying Korean ghost, rumored to be the last member of the family who once owned the camp groups. Ronnie seems unable to decide which is worse.
Except, it does get worse. Much worse. The ghost seems fixated on her and very soon, she's fending off attacks from an unknown foe. She's so rigid and distrustful that she's pushing away friends and potential friends, all the while finding clues that suggest she is more deeply connected to the ghost and the camp than she ever expected.
The Last Rhee Witch looks unflinchingly at Big Issues. Ronnie is dealing with a loss that continues to profoundly affect her and leads her to make some really bad choices. She's also wrestling with feelings of jealousy as she watches her best friend drift away. Readers will feel every bit of her struggle as she tries to make sense of everything. All this heavy emotion is well-balanced with action and excitement, so it never feels too bogged down. Ronnie's emotional journey is genuine; she's a kid dealing with some heavy stuff and while it can be frustrating to observe, it's rewarding when she finally comes to a place of peace. The story's skillful use of Korean folklore adds another layer of details and interest.
All in all, it's a terrific book. At different times, it's creepy, emotional, and exciting. Recommended for curious readers, but ones who can handle a plot firmly centered around the loss of a parent....more
Thank you to Tor Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of "When Among Crows" by Veronica Roth in exchange for an honest review.
Dymitr Thank you to Tor Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of "When Among Crows" by Veronica Roth in exchange for an honest review.
Dymitr joins forces with Ala, a fear-eating zmora, to find the legendary witch, Baba Jaga. Ala wants to break a curse that has destroyed her family and now threatens her. Dymitr's motives are more mysterious, but he's willing to face extraordinary challenges to track down Jaga. Along the way, another demon Niko joins them as they travel the dark, magical side of Chicago. Along the way, they are hunted by an ancient order of Knights, dedicated to killing every supernatural being they find.
When Among Crows is an incredible story. Roth makes this modern urban fantasy feel timeless. A novella feel epic. She brings story elements we're all familiar with - a quest, a harried march through unfamiliar territory, legendary Baba Jaga - with less familiar elements from Polish folklore. It's exciting and emotional. It wrestles with questions about loyalty, guilt, grief, and forgiveness. It's by turns exciting and creepy.
It might have helped to include a glossary in the back to keep the lore straight, but other than that, it is absolutely fabulous. Recommended for readers who enjoy the Witcher, Slavic folklore, urban fantasy, and anyone who just loves a really well written adventure....more
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of "The Kiss Countdown" by Etta Easton in exchange for an honThank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of "The Kiss Countdown" by Etta Easton in exchange for an honest review.
Event planner Amerie Price isn't in a good place. She's lost her job, her romantic partner, and now she's about to lose her apartment. Her mother is recovering from serious illness (and equally serious hospital bills) and Amerie doesn't want to admit that things are rough, for fear of spoiling everything now that her mother is finally enjoying life again.
Desperate, she agrees to fake date devastatingly handsome astronaut Vincent Rogers. She can stay in his home as long as she poses as his girlfriend to please his family. Saving on rent will help her launch her own event planning business so despite the myriad risks in the proposition, she agrees.
As you might imagine, things don't go as planned. Amerie and Vincent have overwhelming chemistry and very quickly, the fake-dating starts turning less fake. But Amerie's been burned by relationships in the past and Vincent has a past tragedy to overcome and he is LITERALLY GOING TO THE MOON, so it takes a little while for them to come the conclusion that they are actually perfect for each other.
It's a lovely take on the fake-dating trope. There are a lot of things to like here. These are two people with genuine emotional baggage who need to decide whether their relationship is more important than their scars. But that said, it's not too heavy on melancholy. It's also great o see characters who are great but not TOO unbelievably great at their jobs.
Recommended for readers who always wanted to travel to the moon and those who enjoy the fake-dating trope....more
Thank you to Tor Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of "Ghost Station" by S. A. Barnes in exchange for an honest review.
PsychThank you to Tor Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of "Ghost Station" by S. A. Barnes in exchange for an honest review.
Psychologist Ophelia Bray, survivor of a mass murder aboard a space station when she was a child, has dedicated her life to fighting ERS, a psychological condition afflicting certain space-based professions and the cause of the mass murder. To this end, she signs up for a planet-hopping expedition with a team who recently lost a member to ERS. They land on a planet that features the remains of a lost, alien civilization with the intent of completing a planetary survey.
The crew dynamics are messy, they all seem to hate and resent her, and after they set up in an abandoned human base, they discover signs which suggest that the last human mission didn't end well.
Ophelia and the others start thinking and acting more erratically, until finally their pilot ends up horrifically, gruesomely dead, seemingly by his own hand. What follows is a taut, scary, sometimes bonkers tale. Ophelia works, sometimes with and sometimes against, her crewmates to get to the truth of what's happening to them.
The first quarter of the book starts a little slow. There's a lot of context to establish, including Ophelia's credentials as a fringe member of a monstrously rich and powerful family as well as her Traumatic Past, both of which loom large throughout the story. But if you push on through, things pick up considerably after that 25% mark. It's scary, weird, and compulsively readable.
One interesting aspect is the explanation for what happened to the previous team and why things are going to heck for the current one. Without spoiling anything, this one felt fairly fresh.
Highly recommended for readers who enjoy space horror, heavy on psychological messiness and relatively (though not completely) light on gore....more
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of "The Love Remedy" by Elizabeth Everett in exchange for an Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of "The Love Remedy" by Elizabeth Everett in exchange for an honest review.
A female apothecary living in Victorian London, Lucy Peterson is struggling. She sums it up pretty well herself with this speech, "I work eighteen hours in the day, my brother has disappeared on me, and my sister is working herself sick. The Guardians* have been protesting outside my shop and scaring patrons, and I've no money to hire an apprentice because my spurious lover stole my formula." Further added to her woes, she has a super-annoying hypochondriac customer who takes up WAY too much of the word count until the end when he suddenly becomes useful. (Lucy might not consider Gentry a major issue in her life, but there's a good chance readers will.)
*The Guardians are a militant group protesting the fact that Lucy and her sister Juliet concern themselves with the issues of women's health, specifically birth control and abortion. This being the Victorian era, even discussing birth control is verboten, so the Peterson sisters are operating outside social norms.
After said formula was stolen by her spurious lover (the son of a rival apothecary) and then a SECOND formula also disappears, Lucy engages help from a Pinkerton-esque agency to investigate and get the formulas back. When she doesn't get the answer she wants, Lucy immediately tries to break into her former lover's shop, only to get stuck in the window. She's rescued by Jonathan Thorne, an investigator who followed her there specifically because he was sure she was about to do something stupid.
Jonathan and his daughter move into a flat above the apothecary shop and he begins investigating the second missing formula. Things progress as you might expect: they all bond emotionally, Jonathan investigates and discovers both the answer to the disappeared formula and the aforementioned disappeared brother. Things generally turn out for the good.
The Love Remedy is an interesting blend of historical romance, political commentary, and a brush of faith/inspirational content mixed in. Both the story and the author's note afterward make it clear that the discussion of women's health issues are important, both then and now, and the author is using her story as a vehicle to encourage discussion.
Another interesting aspect: although it's not a super spicy book, the heroine briefly explores bondage and blindfolding during an amorous scene In most circumstances, this is a dominance thing, (which if that's your thing, cool) but in this context, it's an attempt by Jonathan to help Lucy stay focused in the moment. It was an interesting way to exploring the emotional aspects of kink, rather than just the naughty bits.
That said, the story is not perfect. It can be a messy at times, and if you are a stickler for historical accuracy, you won't find it here. It's more like the author liked the idea of the Victorian era, but found many of the details inconvenient for telling the sort of story she wanted to tell. The characterization is inconsistent too; at times, Lucy seems much too naive for someone shouldering so much responsibility in her particular context. Jonathan's personality makes more sense, but his backstory is SO full of unlikely details. The answer as to where the second formula went seems hard to believe as well.
All in all, the social aspects of the story are the most compelling, especially in how they explore the way that low-income women are affected by their access to health care and their ability to manage procreation. Setting all this in the Victorian era further demonstrates how much work remains to be done, as it's clear that in some ways, not much has changed in over a century.
Recommended for readers who don't mind a political conversation, and folks who want a mildly spicy book with a dash of faith....more
Thank you to Random House Children's and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of "Cursed Cruise" by Victoria Fulton and Faith McClaren in exThank you to Random House Children's and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of "Cursed Cruise" by Victoria Fulton and Faith McClaren in exchange for an honest review.
Following the events of "Horror Hotel" the Ghost Gang has returned to investigate another wildly haunted place, the cruise ship The Queen Anne. The Queen Anne is famous for hundreds of onboard deaths since it was first launched, including the highly publicized "suicide" of an heiress in the 1980s. The heiress, Elizabeth, is now said to haunt the Queen Anne as a Woman in White type ghost. Naturally the Ghost Gang has signed up to join the ship's relaunch following (a supposedly thorough) retrofit in drydock.
Joining them on this trip is Kiki's mother, Billie, who clearly has complicated feelings about how Kiki is managing her life at the moment, and a rival gang of ghost hunters, the Paranormal Patrol. The Paranormal Patrol are the Ghost Gang's exact opposites in every way, so much so that they are basically the GG's evil twin, stopping just short of sporting goatees. At first, it seems like the PP will be important plot component but apart from some possession late in the book, they are really nonentities.
The first thing to know is that the Ghost Gang, made of Chrissy, Emma, Kiki, and Chase, has learned very little from their near fatal experience at the Hearst Hotel. They withhold vital information from one another, they split up to follow ghosts around (predictably nearly dying in doing so), and they make very rash decisions. This silly behavior fuels the plot, kinda, but also makes you wonder how these the people have survived this long.
For so short a story, it packs in a great deal of absurdity. Without too many serious spoilers, the ship is sentient, there may or may not be an Egyptian curse on it because of a mummy that may or may not be stashed onboard (which, if so, the workers mysteriously overlooked during the retrofit.) One of the tragic deaths onboard involved the former ship's chef, who was cooked alive in the ship's walk-in oven by his kitchen staff. There's a little girl ghost who drowned in a pool, and for some reason, ghost of the captain of the Titanic, Captain Edward Smith, is also onboard. He doesn't actually do much apart from leaning on the railing to look for icebergs. (The fictional Queen Anne is supposed to have been built by the same company that built the Titanic. That's all the explanation you get for his presence.) There may be more to Elizabeth's death than authorities previously believed, and the ship makes it very clear that it does not approve the Ghost Gang interfering with any of it.
But fear not, everything gets resolved in a... mostly good way?
The only way to enjoy this story is to really just lean into the ridiculousness. The scares are cheap, there's no real build up of tension, and it's very hard to take seriously any story that invokes an ancient Egyptian curse.* So this is recommended for readers that want a quick and easy ghost story that doesn't make you work too hard and for readers that will embrace the "it's so bad, it's good" humor in the story.
*The 1999 cinematic masterpiece The Mummy, starring Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz, being the sole exception....more
THANK YOU to Tor and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of "The Book of Ile-Rien" by Martha Wells in exchange for an honest review.
MarthaTHANK YOU to Tor and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of "The Book of Ile-Rien" by Martha Wells in exchange for an honest review.
Martha Well is truly a master at her craft. No matter which book of hers you start with, you are in for an adventure. "The Book of Ile-Rein" is an excellent place to begin.
"The Book of Ile-Rein" is a combination of two previously published novels, "The Element of Fire" and "Death of the Necromancer", both updated and revised.
"The Element of Fire" features Thomas Boniface, Captain of the Queens Guards, and Kade Carrion, the bastard half-fae daughter of the now-deceased King Fulstan. The story opens with Thomas on a rescue mission, sent to retrieve the kidnapped sorcerer Dubell from the clutches of the EVIL sorcerer Grandier. The mission goes a little sideways but ends well enough. Meanwhile, Kade has joined a theater troupe to quietly infiltrate the palace to confront both her past and her half-brother, who now sits on the throne. That starts well enough, but goes pear-shaped when the performance is crashed by a golem intent on murdering her.
And then the Fae invade. The Unseelie Court, to be specific. These are not the lovely, dainty fairies from a "A Midsummer Night's Dream" (although Titania and Oberon DO rule the Seelie Court here). These are the nasty, vile, hateful fae, who have allied with Grandier.
What follows is an extraordinary adventure tale, led by a Thomas and Kade. The story is large in scope but never feels overwhelming. The characters, for the most part, feel real and appropriately flawed. Every detail is well-thought out, but never info-dumped so the pace remains steady. It's exciting, interesting, and emotional. Wells's ability to pull together a complex plot is incredible.
"Death of the Necromancer" is set in the same city, about 100 years after "Element of Fire." While the city is not London, it definitely has a Victorian era feel to it, not the least of which because the city now has gas-lighting and a deep interest in Spiritualism. The main character of this story is Nicholas Valiarde, master thief.
It begins when Nicholas and his associates undertake an intricately plotted heist of a wealthy but sketchy society matron. But while they are about their business, they discover someone else has broken into the manor at the same time, apparently with different aims. Nicholas tangles with a ghoul and they make off into the night with the Duchess's, now theirs, ill-gotten gains. They return to Nicholas's manor for the evening, only to be confronted by.... a golem.
Again, what follow is a fantastic story. Whereas the previous story was an adventure and a bit of a conspiracy, this one is a mystery too. Her writing is well-plotted, thoroughly detailed, and man, she really knows how to use the English language. Recommended for readers of High Fantasy....more
I received a digital copy of "Remedial Magic" by Melissa Marr from Tor Publishing Group and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This will be eI received a digital copy of "Remedial Magic" by Melissa Marr from Tor Publishing Group and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This will be exceedingly honest.
Ellie Brandeau doesn't know it, but she's a witch. Her powers start awakening after a compelling encounter with a beautiful, mysterious woman named Prospero. A near-fatal accident sends Ellie to Crenshaw, a magical Brigadoon-like place where witches live in peace, safe from the centuries of persecution witches experience in what the witches call the "Barbarian Lands." Except, things are very, very wrong in Crenshaw. The land and water are polluted, witches are dying, and Ellie is the key to fixing all of it.
This is the worst book I have read in a very long time. The marketing for this book would lead you to believe that it's a cozy, sapphic, witchy romantasy. It has a cute cover, a cute description, a cute setting. All lies.
A romance implies a happily ever after. There is nothing happy about the ending. A romance implies two people consenting to being in a loving relationship: THERE IS NO CONSENT IN THE CONCLUSION. I can't describe it without spoiling it, but Ellie emphatically and specifically does not agree to be in the relationship she ends up in. I was horrified.
As far as the technical aspects of the story, here's a quick summary: none of the characters act like real humans with real human emotions. There is only one potentially happy relationship but they are side characters and even then I have my doubts. The writing is awkward. The world-building is superficial at best. The plot would be interesting (Let's save the day!) but the Big Serious Problem is not actually resolved. I mean, at all. The book just ends before the Crenshaw is saved from danger. There are a ton of other, minor dangling plot threads.
I am guessing this is meant to be a first book in a series and that those things will be resolved in a future story. There's a suggestion that even the nonconsensual relationship issue will be resolved at some point. I will not read any further books to find out.
There are two things I liked. First, Crenshaw is a place where members of the LGBTQIA community are safe to live and love whomever they choose. It's about the ONLY thing that's safe in Crenshaw but at least there's that. Second, when people break Crenshaw law, they are temporarily turned into badgers. Why badgers? Who knows, but I did find that amusing.
I would have ordinarily DNF'd this early on because I had doubts very quickly. But I committed to reading it for NetGalley and I take that seriously. I genuinely wish I hadn't. I typically believe that when a book is not to my taste, there will still be readers who like it. So I review accordingly and while I may criticize, I try to consider who might actually enjoy it. My first draft of this review was a pages-long, sputtering mess and I still can't think of anybody I'd recommend "Remedial Magic" to....more
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of "The Partner Plot" by Kristina Forest in exchange for an hThank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of "The Partner Plot" by Kristina Forest in exchange for an honest review.
Celebrity stylist Violet Green is running on fumes. Her career is flourishing despite a very public, very messy breakup with her cheating fiancé. Between consultations, fashion shows, and awards galas, she has no down time and no relationship. So when she runs into her former high-school sweetheart Xavier Wright in Vegas, what's the harm in indulging in a little casual fun?
They wake up with a fake wedding bands, have a laugh, and part ways again. Only to be pushed back together soon after when she accidentally blurts to a reporter that she has married her old flame. To further complicate matters, a serious injury forces her to take a few weeks off from her non-stop career.
Meanwhile, former college basketball athlete Xavier is aiming for bigger things in his own career. He's been content with his job coaching high school basketball, but he's pushing for a job at the college level. His prospective boss wants a candidate with stability so Xavier is willing to go along with the fake-relationship Violet has inadvertently concocted. She moves into his place to rest and recover from her injury, all the while playing happy newly weds.
And of course, they find their old chemistry has never really gone away.
Second chance romances are hard to pull off in a meaningful way. The couple in question has broken up before, so the author has to find a way to make that split acceptable. Somebody screwed up. How does one make that forgivable?
Kristina Forest more than ably does exactly that in "The Partner Plot." She successfully demonstrates the personal growth that her characters made both before and during their reunion so that by the end of the story, they make perfect sense together. It was wonderful.
The characters are excellent. They come across as passionate, flawed, loving, and real people sorting through their lives. There are a few poisonous characters on the sidelines but for the most part, their damage is minor.
This book is perfect for readers looking for legit, identifiable emotional development between two adults who loved one another in the past....more
Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Farrar, Straus and Giroux and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of "A Tempest of Tea"Thank you to Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, Farrar, Straus and Giroux and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of "A Tempest of Tea": by Hafsah Faizal in exchange for an honest review.
Criminal "mastermind" Arthie Casimir does whatever it takes to survive in the gritty world she grew up in. She has flamboyantly colored hair, a magic gun of questionable (but Arthurian-ish?) origins, and a ride-or-die friend/business partner named Jin. She and Jin run Spindrift, a tea house by day and illicit blood parlor by night. She also collects secrets from the mighty and low alike, using these secrets to pressure and manipulate people all over the city. Unfortunately, she's made a lot of enemies along the way, including the city guard.
Pressure from the city guard has increased enough to threaten her tea house and Arthie finds herself desperate to save Spindrift. A mysterious Guard approaches her to help with a seemingly-impossible heist, the score of which will give her a great deal of negotiating power. So she and Jin recruit a team and get to work.
Well. This book. It's A LOT. So much world-building. The story takes real historical details -particularly the atrocities of British colonialism and the East India Company- and twists them into a fantasy world populated with vampires. There's magic but there's also some light industrialism, like the lightest dab of steampunk.
The story is a little inconsistent at times, both in terms of plot and pacing. The first 25% drags a little because there is so much to learn. It picks up once the heist planning and execution are underway, and the last 25% flies by in a blur. There a number of details that don't really make sense: small "What, what- WHY?" moments that seem either incomplete or sloppy.
But there is plenty in this book for people to enjoy too. The dual romance plots worked well. The heist was fun. It's adventurous and sexy and the plot will pull readers right in....more
Thank you to Avon and Harper Voyager, Avon and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review of "My Season of Scandal" by Julie Anne Long.
Prepare yourselThank you to Avon and Harper Voyager, Avon and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review of "My Season of Scandal" by Julie Anne Long.
Prepare yourself, readers, for another gushing review of Ms. Long's work. Because she is an absolute gall darn master of her craft and "My Season of Scandal" is another sterling installment in the Palace of Rogues series.
Catherine Keating is a country girl, in the city to find a husband. But when her chaperone proves to be absolutely useless and Catherine is exposed to the Ton's nastier side, she's cast adrift. Her fellow boarding house resident, Lord Dominic Kirke quietly steps in to protect her and in doing so, ends up head over heels for her.
If you want the angst, yearning, and sexual tension that characterize Ms. Long's stories, you will not be disappointed with this age-gap romance. As always, she balances tension and humor perfectly. As many other reviewers have observed, the big finale is incredible. You will never think of the word "clover" the same way again.
As always, it's a pleasure to return to the Grand Palace on the Thames and myriad of souls who reside there....more
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for giving me a digital review copy of “At First Spite” by Olivia Dade in exchange for an honest review.
When Athena GrThank you to NetGalley and Avon for giving me a digital review copy of “At First Spite” by Olivia Dade in exchange for an honest review.
When Athena Graydon buys the townhouse adjoining the one owned by her pediatrician fiance Dr. Johnny Vine, she imagines it’ll be a fantastic wedding gift. Unfortunately, her would-be brother-in-law convinces Johnny to break the engagement. So instead of a wedding and fabulous Hawaiian honeymoon, Athena is left alone with no job and a piece of real estate she can’t afford, in a town far from her family and friends.
To make matters even worse, her now ex-fiance’s brother, Dr. Mathew Vine (pediatrician and severely parentalized father figure to Johnny) lives on the other side of Athena’s awkward new home. And boy, does she hate him for the role he played in ending her engagement. What follows is a march from enemies-to-lovers for Athena and Mathew, with a hefty dose of “whaaaat?” thrown in.
The beauty of a good romance is when the developing relationship forces genuine character growth for both parties involved, as it does in “At First Spite.” Athena is a complex woman. She can’t seem to stay in a job, despite extensive schooling and kind (wealthy) parents who support her without reservation. The broken engagement and real estate fiasco physically remove her from that comfortable sphere and force her to keep trying without the safety net.
Mathew is also not your standard romance hero. Sure, he’s tall and good-looking and awesome at his job, but his extreme cinnamon-roll characteristics have thrown his life far out of whack that it’s threatening him both emotionally AND financially. His feelings regarding Athena (both his romantic interest and his guilt over how his interference has affected her) force him to do some work too.
Some aspects of the story are incredibly realistic: Athena is thrown into a legit depression by everything that’s happened and it truly takes a toll on her. Athena stops leaving the house, neglects her personal hygiene, and basically goes numb. There’s nothing melodramatic about this episode; she’s not just really sad. It’s as gross, grueling, saddening, and frustrating as depression can be. And Mathew’s efforts to help pull her out of it are pretty realistic too. He doesn’t try to fix her, as much as give her the tools she needs to help herself. It’s awesome.
But then, other aspects of the plot are a bit much. Early on, Athena takes a job in a local bakery, where the owner/head baker really, REALLY enjoys listening to audiobooks. His stories of choice are monster erotica. Not only doesn’t Athena feel sexually harassed (a reasonable response, honestly), she enjoys it. Unironically. Ok, sure. Later, as a way of exacting revenge on Mathew from breaking up her wedding, Athena plays the monster erotica loudly through her open windows, and the neighbors also seem to enjoy it. Then Athena becomes involved in a book club and all the members ALSO want to read the monster erotica. Every flipping citizen in this town is overly interested in stories about Sasquatch threesomes. No one, not a single person, says, “Hey, you know, this mythological shagging thing really isn’t my cup of tea. Maybe we could just read the latest bestseller instead?” It’s mind-boggling. It feels like a joke taken too far.
In general, it’s a good story and if you can suspend your disbelief regarding the monster stuff, it’s a fun, quick read. Recommended for anybody who gets a giggle out of the popular monster erotica sub-genre and folks who want to see real emotional growth from the main characters....more
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkeley Publishing Group for giving me a digital review copy of “Only When It’s Us” by Chloe Liese in exchange for an honeThank you to NetGalley and Berkeley Publishing Group for giving me a digital review copy of “Only When It’s Us” by Chloe Liese in exchange for an honest review.
Willa Sutter is a massively talented college soccer player; she’s good enough that she reasonably expects to be drafted to a professional team after she finishes college. Unfortunately, as excellent as her career aspirations are, her personal life is more challenging. She’s never had a father in her life and her mother is sick with cancer. She has neither the time, the interest, nor the emotional availability for a romantic relationship.
Ryder has been somewhat socially isolated since illness destroyed his hearing. His close-knit family and roommates haven’t given up on him, but he doesn’t pursue relationships either. He gave up his own soccer playing and focuses solely on his classes now.
When his brother-in-law college professor assigns Willa as Ryder’s partner, things get off to a rocky start. Mr. Professor doesn’t explain that Ryder is deaf so Willa assumes Ryder is ignoring her, and thus is a complete jackass. Unwilling to be intimidated, she pushes back and thus begins a prank war. EVENTUALLY they arrive at understanding but it’s pretty cringe until then.
Of course, they grow closer and closer until they are teetering on the edge of an actual relationship. But Willa is emotionally closed off and unwilling to explore ANY feelings, let alone romantic ones. Things get more complicated when it’s revealed that her mother’s oncologist (and long time friend) is Ryder’s dad (because… of course he is….). This folds Willa and her mother into the big, extended Bergman family.
Unfortunately, this particular story is unevenly paced and Willa’s angst over commitment gets a little tedious. It’s understandable, for the most part, but also tedious. The series of coincidences gets to be a bit much too (Ryder’s professor is his brother-in-law, Ryder’s father is Willa’s mother’s doctor AND old army buddy).
In general, Willa’s spitfire attitude on the playing field is fabulous; fierce female characters are awesome. Ryder’s patience with Willa’s commitment issues is heartwarming too. And as always, Liese’s commitment to bringing different ability levels to the page is admirable. Overall, it’s an okay story. It’s just that it’s unevenly plotted and emotional and angsty.
Recommended for folks who enjoy bold female characters, emotional complexity, and a good cry. (No specific spoilers, but yeah, you may need some tissues.)...more
Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of "This Spells Love" by Kate Robb in exchange for an honest review.
AfterThank you to Random House and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of "This Spells Love" by Kate Robb in exchange for an honest review.
After a rough breakup with her long-term boyfriend and stuck in a miserable job, Emma Wilde casts a spell to eliminate her ex from her life. The spell works: she wakes up in an alternate reality where she never met her ex and she's a successful small business owner. Unfortunately, she quickly discovers that in this universe, she's never met her best friend Dax, whose friendship means everything to her.
Thus begins Gemma's quest to undo the spell and get back to her own reality. She needs Dax to do that, so she must reestablish their friendship. This Dax, however, is not exactly the same as her Dax and it forces her to reconsider aspects of their relationship. However, they have fabulous chemistry in any universe and it isn't long before they connect again. This time, without the distraction of Gemma's ex, their relationship grows develops along more romantic lines.
Unfortunately, Gemma's default is self-absorption. She's not a terrible person, but her main priority, in both universes, is how Gemma feels. She misses big things: Original Universe Dax is clearly crazy about her. Alternate Universe Dax's business is on the bring of failure. Alternate Universe Kiersten's not in a good emotional place.
Gemma is so caught up in herself that she kinda hurts the people love her. But characters need to start low in order to grow up, right? Gemma eventually realizes how blind she's been. It then comes down to a choice: give up the reality where she's doing great but her loved ones are not? Or go back to her own reality and figure out how to make that one awesome too?
As frustrating as Gemma can be at times, it IS a sweet book. Recommended for readers who enjoy friends-to-lovers, witchy vibes, and sweet, easy stories....more
Thank you to Tor Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of "System Collapse" by Martha Wells in exchange for an honest reThank you to Tor Publishing Group and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of "System Collapse" by Martha Wells in exchange for an honest review.
First off, I am an huge fan of the Martha Wells and the Murderbot series. Even so, when this story opened RIGHT where Network Effect left off, I found I needed a refresher. So I reread Network Effect and settled back in for another wild ride. I was NOT disappointed.
When last we saw Murderbot and friends, they were on the surface of a planet, having just defeated the effects of alien contamination on the local inhabitants. Now, they are confronted with a new threat: an evil corporation wants to indenture the survivors and press them into working their corporate mines.
Murderbot's ship friend ART (aka Perihelion) and its crew specialize in disrupting these kinds of corporate machinations, but their attempts to do so this time are complicated by the existence of a second, disconnected group of settlers living in the north. This group has been out of contact via standard communications for decades, so Murderbot and crew head north, hoping to 1) determine whether this group still exists and 2) if they do exist, convince them NOT to join up with the evil corporation.
To make things more dicey, Murderbot is suffering from *redacted.* (It's a legit spoiler, but Murderbot keeps redacting the story until it feels ready to share that part with us.) The effects of this *redacted* is that it no longer trusts in its abilities and fears whether it can do the job it needs to do. In terms of character development, I love this because it layers even more complexity into a fascinating character. It sucks for Murderbot, but it really further blurs the definition of "what" Murderbot is. It's not human, but it's not fully machine either. Murderbot's been grappling with having FEELINGS since the start of the series, but now it has to contend with *redacted* too.
This story also amplifies the effect that Murderbot has on the greater universe. Those ripples started early in the series, but certain actions in Network Effect and System Collapse should have significant consequences down the line. I CANNOT WAIT.
In short, as usual, I really enjoyed this story from Martha Wells. It has a little less snark and a bit more angst than previous installments but I see this character development as a real bonus. Readers can still expect the kind of heart-pounding action scenes that they are accustomed to, but the focus has shifted a smidge.
I fully recommend this for fans of the series, but for new folks, I do NOT recommend starting here. This story does NOT work as a stand-alone....more
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