Melissa Brayden is on a roll lately! I love love LOVED this couple and their chemistry. Some aspects of the third act conflict made me scratch my headMelissa Brayden is on a roll lately! I love love LOVED this couple and their chemistry. Some aspects of the third act conflict made me scratch my head, but overall, a great example of a compelling romance....more
4.5 stars. This book is awesome! I love the relationship between Caitlyn and Ruth, despite it being the slowest of slow burns. Caitlyn’s abysmal prete4.5 stars. This book is awesome! I love the relationship between Caitlyn and Ruth, despite it being the slowest of slow burns. Caitlyn’s abysmal pretending-to-be-Chloe skills led to plenty of LOL-worthy moments. Overall, I’m really impressed with how compassionate this book is. Caitlyn and Ruth both mess up at times, but the way they come to forgive each other is truly beautiful. Also, I thought Chloe was going to be cast as an unlikable character, but I was pleasantly surprised to find out that she’s ultimately a flawed yet lovable character just like our MCs. Quinn Ivins has gained another fan, and I can’t wait to read her other two books! ...more
4.25. This book is fantastic!! Love love love all the discussions of mental health, queerness, and the general melancholy associated with being an adu4.25. This book is fantastic!! Love love love all the discussions of mental health, queerness, and the general melancholy associated with being an adult. Plus, Julie and Elle are so sweet together! The reason I’m not giving a full 5 stars is that the pacing was a bit slow for my liking and I sometimes found it hard to stay invested. But overall, Anita Kelly has definitely delivered! ...more
Reread 2023: Okay, so I listened to the audiobook this time and Jesus Christ. It was even BETTER due to Abby Craden’s stellar narration. Sabine and ReReread 2023: Okay, so I listened to the audiobook this time and Jesus Christ. It was even BETTER due to Abby Craden’s stellar narration. Sabine and Rebecca are two of the most beloved characters in sapphic fiction for a reason. I am head over heels in LOVE with their love!! I swear every time I read about them I fall in love with them even more. Also can I be Rebecca Keane when I grow up (minus the military and medical stuff)? She’s so caring, capable, and admirable, and I envy her leadership skills. Also I’m majorly in love with Sabine. God, what a woman. She is EVERYTHING!!!
Original read 2022: Oh my god, this book was just what I needed. As other reviewers have said, reading it felt both familiar and new: not unlike reading a great fanfiction!
Sabine Fleischer and Rebecca Keane are two of the loveliest, most swoon-worthy characters I’ve ever encountered within the pages of a book. Thinking about their love story makes me feel content, ecstatic, warm, and full. Ask, Tell got me hooked on their story, Ask Me Again made me feel all the things, and If the Shoe Fits was the most delightful spin-off. Heck, I love these characters so much that I even created Sims of them! So of course, when I heard about this book, I was over the moon.
I loved spending time in Rebecca’s head. Her calm, collected exterior hides the fact that she’s endured lots of hurt and that she’s trying to fight a maelstrom of attraction toward Sabine (god, some of her thoughts are just ...more
4.5 stars. Hello hi Alexis Hall just made me fall in love with two heteros and I have no regrets!
As children, Viola Carroll and Justin de Vere, the D4.5 stars. Hello hi Alexis Hall just made me fall in love with two heteros and I have no regrets!
As children, Viola Carroll and Justin de Vere, the Duke of Gracewood were the best of friends. And by adulthood, they were the most important people in each other’s lives. But when they went off to war, everything changed. Gracewood saw enough horrors to last him a lifetime and was left grieving the loss of Viola. Viola, though, saw her brush with death as an opportunity to shed her old life and finally start living as her true self. Two years later, when Viola hears Gracewood has been having a difficult time and is given the opportunity to see him again, she can’t resist being there for him in his time of need.
Ahhhhh! Viola and Gracewood are one of the loveliest pairings I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading about! I just love their childhood-friends-to-lovers story and how all the *feelings* that have been brewing for years make the romance feel that much more complete. :,) There’s a moderate amount of angst related to the protagonists’ personal struggles and their separation from each other, but never so much that it takes away from the feel-good nature of the story. Personality-wise, they fit together so well, and the sweet words they say to each other had me weak in the knees!
This book features commentary on the societal and gender-related expectations of the Regency era. Not only is Viola learning to navigate the expectations of womanhood, but Gracewood becomes more conscious of his status as a man and a duke, learning to use his power for good and to reject toxic masculinity. Thankfully, there’s no transphobia in this book and Viola’s friends and family are all loving and supportive. I also appreciate how sensitively Gracewood’s addiction and PTSD were handled.
This is a very expansive story featuring lots of wonderful (and some not-so-wonderful) side characters. Viola’s nephew Little Bartholomew was so cute, her sister-in-law Louise was funny and ridiculous. I grew to especially adore Gracewood’s sister Miranda, and I think she’d make a wonderful protagonist for a sequel!
My main complaint with this book is that it dragged in places. Hall uses very descriptive language that at times worked for me and at times didn’t. There are also a few scenes in Viola’s POV where a long, drawn-out dialogue is going on between other characters, and during these scenes I lost sense of Viola’s POV and was left confused when entering her mind again.
I’m so happy with my first Alexis Hall read, and I’ll definitely be reading more from him!
Content warnings are provided by the author at the beginning of the book.
I received an ARC from NetGalley via Forever Press am voluntarily leaving a review.
4.5 stars (took off half a star because it dragged in places) and okay FINE I’ll round up because this book is just wonderful and complete and joyous and THAT EPILOGUE AHH!!!...more
4.25 stars. Stephanie Shea should definitely be more well-known! This is the first book I’ve read from her, but now it’s my mission to read everything4.25 stars. Stephanie Shea should definitely be more well-known! This is the first book I’ve read from her, but now it’s my mission to read everything she’s written. She’s a damn good writer — from her descriptions to her characters’ thoughts and dialogues, it’s clear that she knows how to engage the reader.
Chef’s Kiss features a lovely, opposites-attract pairing between two talented chefs. Valentina Rosas de Leon (28, Mexican American) is the vivacious new stage at Gia, San Francisco, an upscale Italian-Mexican fusion restaurant. I love that she decided to take her life in a new direction in her mid-20’s, and that she embraces being both self-assured and vulnerable. Jenn Coleman (37, Black, biracial) is Val’s new boss and longtime idol/crush. Aside from being a brilliant chef, Jenn also is the mom of a thirteen-year-old son and has a good co-parenting relationship with her ex-wife. Due to past trauma, though, she’s built up a wall of stoicism and control. I ADORED the chemistry between Jenn and Val and thought they quite literally fit perfectly together. Each is confident where the other is insecure, and the balance of power in the intimate scenes is just perfection.
Basically, I thought everything about this book — including main character backstories and side characters — was stellar except for the pacing. I thought the relationship moved a bit too fast and wish we were given more of a buildup. It’s kinda both slow-burn and insta-love, which doesn’t really work for me. For a pairing with such ridiculously good chemistry, I just wanted more from the romance. On the flip side, I thought the book started off a little slow and I could have done without so much page time dedicated to Landon, the slightly himbo-ish, slightly annoying chef at Gia. I did, however, appreciate the lack of a formulaic 80% dark moment.
In short, despite my gripes, Chef’s Kiss is a wonderful romance with stellar writing and a main paring I adored. I’m excited to read the next book in the series, which will feature Avery, HR director at Gia and Jenn’s best friend!
content warnings: panic attack, graphic sex, cancer scare, death of a parent from cancer (past), parental disownment, transphobia, blood/fear of blood, medical stuff, teenage homelessness ...more
This book is so sweet! I love the mental health and sobriety themes throughout, and Reese and Arden are adorable together. It’s refreshing to read aboThis book is so sweet! I love the mental health and sobriety themes throughout, and Reese and Arden are adorable together. It’s refreshing to read about a very introverted/socially anxious herione, and past me could definitely relate to Reese. Bexley’s writing is engaging and funny and I highlighted quite a few passages.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t get a good feel for Arden’s character. In the beginning she feels like an intimidating ice queen, but later in the book this couldn’t be further from the truth. I wish we’d had her POV because I think that would have helped with this. Also, my interest started to wane during the second half of the book, but I don’t really know why. There are also some oddly structured sentences that could have been edited better imo.
The positives definitely outweighed the negatives for me though, and I’m glad I read this book! I’ll be checking out more of Bexley’s works in the future....more
(Yes, I know this review is too long LOL. Am I sorry? Not sure...)
Katia Rose has outdone herself! I haven’t been this impressed with a romance in a lo(Yes, I know this review is too long LOL. Am I sorry? Not sure...)
Katia Rose has outdone herself! I haven’t been this impressed with a romance in a long time. I read and loved Catch and Cradle and Stop and Stare, so I was super excited to read this one. I thought I’d end up liking Catch and Cradle best, but I think this book is even better than Catch and Cradle. Absolutely nothing felt contrived or unnecessary, and it’s amazing how much emotional depth is packed into a relatively short romance novel. Once again, this book is written in double-first-person POV, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Katia Rose’s writing is succinct and effortless, with hilarity for days.
Meg Doyle (22, lesbian) is upset when her Paris architecture internship falls through, and she’s even more upset that she must return from Montreal to her hometown of Chapel Creek to get things settled. Meg is an out-and-proud lesbian, but she feels stifled by the expectations that come with living in Chapel Creek. I adored Meg from the start: she’s hilarious, caring, and wears her heart on her sleeve. I can just picture her unique swagger and style, and I know I’d love to be her friend. In the book she gets compared to a lesbian icon we all know and love, and god, I could not agree more! While Chapel Creek is a stifling place for Meg, she has a loving family in her taciturn dad, exuberant mom, and angsty-yet-lovable teen brother, all of whom enthusiastically accept her as she is.
Connie Shipley (22, anxiety) has been raised as the “perfect First Daughter of Chapel Creek.” Since her dad runs the biggest resort in town, the town expects her to behave a certain way. Her Hollywood beauty means she gets underestimated as nothing but a “pretty girl” and stands out from the crowd more than she’d like. While I love Meg, I think Connie is my favorite of the two protagonists due to how much I related to her. Connie suffers from anxiety that was especially terrible in the year after she graduated high school (god, same), making it so herself and her controlling parents doubted her readiness to go off to university. As a result, Connie spent four years working at her family’s resort when she’d have rather gone to school in Montreal to major in creative writing.
Connie’s anxiety is portrayed so well and I felt for her so, so much. My social anxiety presents differently from Connie’s anxiety, but god, I felt her hopelessness deep in my bones. I know what it’s like to feel anxious over the stifling, crushing weight of your community’s expectations of you. I also know what it’s like to feel like you’ve wasted important parts of your life due to mental illness. Mental health representation in books is so important and I’m so glad a character like Connie exists. Connie is a kind, creative, badass woman, and the strength she shows throughout the course of this book made me incredibly emotional.
Reading this book reminded me that I LOVE a good second-chance romance. The yearning, the regret, the angst, the amount of time that their love has had to simmer and grow…just yes! Meg and Connie were best friends from seventh grade until twelfth grade, when they kissed and things fell apart. From the first time they meet on-page, it’s easy for them to fall into their old friendship patterns despite their situation, and it’s obvious that they care for each other deeply and still have amazing chemistry. Every time they’re on page together, there’s a charge to the air and declarations of love begging to burst forth. There are a few parallels to their first relationship that happen, and it’s great seeing them process the events while trying to avoid jumping to conclusions. Meg and Connie are both flawed, but I could understand each decision they make. I’m happy that there’s plenty of honest communication in this book and that there’s no contrived breakup/conflict to be found.
There are plenty of cute date/hangout scenes, which is what I need in a romance. And as you’d expect from the cover, some scenes involve boats! The two make friendship bracelets together, which I love because I’m around the same age as Meg and Connie and also made friendship bracelets as a kid. Also, there are some ridiculously cute scenes of Meg introducing Connie to queer/sapphic culture, which had me smiling from ear to ear. These two can’t not be adorable together!
As for side characters, the standout for me is Meg’s mom. She’s well-meaning and hilarious but extremely overbearing, and I loved how Meg and her mom come to understand each other better. One scene between the two of them brought a lump to my throat. I also love Meg’s university friend Justice, who gets little screen time but makes a huge, hilarious impression. Every single side character is fleshed out (and most are lovable), which really brings this book to life.
Again, Katia Rose writes the new adult experience SO WELL. It’s a weird transition period where no one’s sure what’s gonna happen and everyone’s at a bit of a different stage. Meg knows what she wants in life and is ready to take the world by storm, while Connie’s just starting to discover her career goals and has spent years not living fully as herself. Despite their differences, the two completely accept each other where they’re at! I love how Connie is filled with joy at seeing how far Meg has come, and I love how Meg never, ever disparages Connie for anything and always wants to celebrate her. These two are an OTP if there ever was one!
In short, I adore this book and Katia Rose is a standout writer. I can’t wait to read what she comes up with next! In the meantime, I just might binge read some of the f/m romances in her backlist!
Okay, I loved this book. I loved the raw emotions, the realistic depictions of life as an existential 20-something, and the overarching message that sOkay, I loved this book. I loved the raw emotions, the realistic depictions of life as an existential 20-something, and the overarching message that softness is a good thing. I loved the journal format and how intimately we got to know the our wonderful protagonist Kayden. While I questioned some of the plot points and occasionally struggled with the writing style (I know it’s a journal and therefore not meant to be *perfect,* so maybe this is just a me thing), I still wholeheartedly recommend this book. ...more
This is my first book by Morgan Lee Miller and I’m happy to say it didn’t disappoint! Miller’s writing is evocative and readable, and her characters aThis is my first book by Morgan Lee Miller and I’m happy to say it didn’t disappoint! Miller’s writing is evocative and readable, and her characters are well-crafted, interesting, and lovable. This is a heavier romance that involves strong themes of loss and guilt, but I’d say that the overall tones are hopeful and sweet.
Surgeon Eliza Walsh (31, lesbian) is still struggling with the loss of her first love, Tess. She has PTSD and has panic attacks when certain memories are brought up, and it’s stated multiple times that she’s been to therapy. I found Eliza to be a nuanced character who’s reserved yet quirky in her own way, and I related to her journey of allowing herself to be seen. Losing Tess has made Eliza guarded when it comes to love, so she’s surprised when she starts to fall for the fun, incorrigibly flirty chef, Blake Navarro (30, lesbian, Mexican American). I smiled throughout their entire meet-cute and knew I’d end up having a good time with this book.
Blake’s voice throughout the story is distinct from Eliza’s, which was great to see. Blake is hilarious and has the kind of personality that lights up an entire room. She’s able to empathize with Eliza’s loss because she lost her brother, with whom she was very close (while Blake’s loss is definitely acknowledged, this book is more about Eliza’s loss as it directly interferes with her ability to find love). Aside from their shared feelings of grief, I thought Blake and Eliza complemented each other well: Blake is often impulsive to the point of reckless, but Eliza is there to talk reason into her when she needs it. Likewise, Eliza is often extremely cautious, and Blake is there to remind her that she doesn’t always need to be afraid.
When either of the main characters thinks about or confronts her past, the emotions are intensely palpable. There are a few flashback scenes throughout, and boy did they make me ache. The dynamics between Eliza and her estranged parents were frustrating, sad, and very realistic. On a lighter note, this book is full of delightful side characters including Blake’s entire family (gosh, I’d love to just hang out with them!), Eliza’s sister Violet and niece Emma, and Eliza’s friend and roommate Allison. There weren’t any pointlessly annoying side characters, thank goodness!
I thought the conflict was okay. It was maybe a little forced, but I thought it could be realistic considering their life situations at the time. (view spoiler)[I did struggle to understand how Blake, who was understanding with Eliza throughout the story, could suddenly seem to not understand why Eliza would want to take things a bit slowly. (hide spoiler)]
Overall, I thought this was great and I will definitely be reading more from Miller in the future.
content warnings/trigger warnings: alcohol (recreational), anxiety, PTSD, panic attacks, car accident, hospitalization, medical stuff, serious injury, homophobia (off-page), conversion therapy (off-page), guilt, death of a partner, death of a sibling
I received an ARC from NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books in exchange for an honest review.
3.5ish stars. This is a sweet, easy-to-read, YA romance. Britton Walsh (18, lesbian) grew up in the foster care system and has lived in her share of t3.5ish stars. This is a sweet, easy-to-read, YA romance. Britton Walsh (18, lesbian) grew up in the foster care system and has lived in her share of terrible, oftentimes abusive, foster homes. Her new foster parents, Tom and Cate Cahill, seem to be the kindest ones yet, but Britton’s growing attraction to their daughter Avery (17-18, bi) promises to complicate things.
This book is told in first-person from Britton's POV. Britton is a likable, sympathetic protagonist. She’s had a hard upbringing and has PTSD due to the way she was treated. I felt kind of meh about Avery through most of the book, as some of her behavior is pretentious/controlling and she definitely exudes that rich girl vibe. Britton is quick to notice the sadness behind Avery’s picture-perfect veneer, however, and when Avery’s pain is revealed, I started to sympathize with her more. I liked Britton’s new friend Spence, the confident jock lesbian who has history with Avery but proves herself to be a great friend to Britton. I found Spence’s relationships with both Britton and Avery to be some of the most interesting parts of this book. Honestly, I think my favorite characters were Tom and Cate, who are lovely individuals and come to accept Britton as part of their household.
Unfortunately, I didn’t feel much for the main romance, though this does put me in the minority. It’s cute and they obviously care for each other, but I didn’t feel the chemistry and I didn’t feel warm-and-fuzzy while reading. I can also see how some readers might be put off by this romance, as Britton and Avery have the same parental figures, but it didn’t seem weird to me. It’s not like they grew up together, after all.
I didn’t find the writing style particularly remarkable. The plus side is that it’s easy to fly through; the downside is that it comes off as a bit simplistic. Section breaks occur very frequently, which felt to me like a bunch of random scenes spliced together (of course, this is an artistic choice, but it didn’t really work for me).
There’s an abundance of slang in this book, both in conversation and narration. I don’t live in the northeastern part of the US, nor am I currently a teenager, but I still didn’t find all that slang very realistic. One side character in particular seemed to have a personality that was 100% slang. It kinda got old after a while, though some of Britton’s slang-filled thoughts were quite hilarious.
(I’ll also note that the cover, while very aesthetically pleasing, doesn’t quite depict the MC’s accurately. I’m assuming that Avery is the brunette, but in the book her hair is long and wavy/curly instead of short and bobbed. Also, Britton seems to be on the baby butch/soft butch side of things, and it doesn't seem like she'd wear hoop earrings. It’s nitpicky, I know, but I’ve noticed that there are many BSB books with less-than-accurate covers.)
Content warnings: animal abuse (off-page), child abuse (off-page), alcohol (recreational use), claustrophobia, car accident (off-page), death of a loved one (off-page), guilt, panic attack, PTSD
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ...more
I was sucked into this dark, emotional YA thriller. It’s the epitome of secondhand anxiety and there aren’t many light moments to balance out the dread, but since this book deals with the ugly aftermath of sexual assault, I think the vibe was spot-on. I had an anxious, sick feeling in my gut the whole time I was reading this, and while that doesn’t sound like a good thing, I think it speaks to how well Rubin conveys those emotions.
The story is told from the first-person POV of Trixie Denton, a high schooler who waitresses at a diner and cares for her single mother with dementia. Trixie has been sexually assaulted in the past and the “hog men” who frequent the diner bring up those terrible memories. Trixie’s two sources of light are Judy, the spunky grandmotherly figure who also waitresses at the diner, and Lux Leesburg, her longtime best friend and crush. When Trixie and Lux plan a weekend getaway, they’re looking forward to some time off, but a horrible event en route turns their lives upside down and prompts them to go on the run.
Rubin does a great job of weaving feelings of dread throughout the novel. Trixie appears to suffer from panic attacks/PTSD and depersonalization, and she often has intense feelings that things are “off” about a situation. Trixie and Lux meet lots of people during their journey, and Trixie’s waffling between feelings of trust and distrust left me on the edge of my seat. It was also heartbreaking to witness Trixie and Lux missing the kind people they leave behind: both in their hometown (Judy, Trixie’s mom, Lux’s family) and along their journey.
Trixie and Lux are both very flawed and neither is always likable. While they are oftentimes frustrating, I found their portrayal realistic and important. They actually act like teenagers, from the way they speak to their mannerisms to the way they don’t make the wisest decisions. We get to see how horrible situations might affect teenagers, might make them scared and not know where to turn to, might make them think the only way out is to dig themselves deeper and deeper into a hole of destruction.
There is also a friends-to-lovers romance between the girls, but this isn’t one of those books that focuses on relationship buildup and falling in love. Trixie and Lux are implied to be already in love at the beginning of the novel, and the main focuses are their leaning on each other, supporting each other, and finally recognizing their feelings for each other.
There’s also discussion of how the girls’ disastrous night impacts the whole country, as people are divided on who to believe and support. There’s some focus on activism from the local university’s WOC-led Intersectional Feminist Union, and likewise there are people who hate their activism and want to bring assault survivors down (be forewarned that the misogynistic comments in this book are very disturbing and might be too much for some readers). Trixie and Lux also acknowledge that they have privilege as white girls, which was good to see.
I would have liked to have seen more from the ending, and I while I’m not mad that the girls made a bunch of reckless decisions, I thought that some of their narrow escapes were quite convenient. There is also the question of whether certain aspects of the book are playing into harmful narratives (ex: queer women hate men and/or were abused by men, cops can be saviors), but after some deliberation, I don't personally feel like this story is broadcasting those messages.
Buddy read with Hsinju!. Check out her review here for a different interpretation.
I received an ARC from Wednesday Books via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
I love the worldbuilding and I love all 4 MC’s! Arlo is so sweet and relatable, Nausicaä is so badass and hilarious, Vehan is so earnest and good, andI love the worldbuilding and I love all 4 MC’s! Arlo is so sweet and relatable, Nausicaä is so badass and hilarious, Vehan is so earnest and good, and Aurelian is so brooding and protective. And guess what?? This book gifts us TWO queer grumpy/sunshine pairings ...more
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