I’m not a huge fan of Christmas romance in general. So it’s really not surprising that my Christmas posts for the next few weeks will feature a couple historicals and, well, this. I guess it’s sort of futuristic? I’d called it speculative fiction rather than sci fi though because there’s no real science going on
Back in October during Queer Romance Month, I picked up A Matter of Disagreement by E.E. Ottoman. The premise of the book grabbed me right away: two steampunk scientists have an academic difference of opinion regarding the future of their chosen field of mechanical animation. As plots go, it’s a fresh one, and the conflict
Anyone who’s been following this blog for awhile probably knows that I’ll take a “beta” hero over an “alpha” hero any day, but that mostly I wish the distinction didn’t exist. Actually, I don’t think sociology upholds the dichotomy at all so outside of romance novels, the distinction really doesn’t exist. It’s arbitrary, unrealistic and
I love the old Harlequin Presents romances I pick up at thrift shops and used bookstores, mainly out in the hinterlands of Virginia: their heroine-centric perspectives, island and glamorous European settings, strong heroes who read like real people. But they are often just the slightest bit dissatisfying. Some endings seem rushed. The hero falls heads
Apples Should Be Red by Penny Watson is a book I read months ago, a recommendation based on my love for Victoria Dahl’s older couple novella, Fanning the Flames. I saved it for a Thanksgiving post though because the story takes place in the few days before the holiday. Plus it’s a short, sweet, comedic
Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. Weird, right? Most kids will say Christmas or maybe Halloween if they’re still high on candy. Adults of my acquaintance will cite Easter or Christmas or Fourth of July. But Thanksgiving, with its focus on gratitude and food and hanging with friends and family is mine. I haven’t been home
Beyond Possession is the latest novella in Kit Rocha’s apocalyptic, dystopian erotic romance series about the bootlegging O’Kane gang. If you haven’t read any of the series, I can’t recommend that you start with this one, although I’d argue that it’s the easiest book thus far in a series that pushes boundaries in nearly every
This week Jackie Horne of Romance Novels for Feminists discussed feminism in Kit Rocha’s Beyond series and found it wanting. If you haven’t read the novels or the RNFF post or both, this post isn’t likely to make much sense and for that I’m sorry. It’s just that after reading all the full-length novels and
There are generally several common features to romances that star billionaire CEOs. Overwhelmingly, the CEO is the hero, not the heroine. There’s also better than average chance that he’s into BDSM (and he’s the top, natch). He probably doesn’t actually do all that much work over the course of the novel and, since it’s a
Normally I put my disclosures at the bottom of the post, but the book I’m featuring today is a special case. This isn’t a review. It’s cover copy and a recipe and a heads up that One Kiss with a Rock Star by Shari Slade and Amber Lin went on sale yesterday. Having been a
