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Novelettes & Stories
A Clumsy Handful of Stars
Less Is More
Christmas Shorts
Tags:
...or click the thumbnail to go directly to the title you want to see:
Novelettes & Stories
A Clumsy Handful of Stars
Less Is More
Christmas Shorts
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The Blighted Stars (The Devoured Worlds Book 1) by Megan E. O'Keefe
She's a revolutionary. Humanity is running out of options. Habitable planets are being destroyed as quickly as they're found and Naira Sharp thinks she knows the reason why. The all-powerful Mercator family has been controlling the exploration of the universe for decades, and exploiting any materials they find along the way under the guise of helping humanity's expansion. But Naira knows the truth, and she plans to bring the whole family down from the inside.
He's the heir to the dynasty. Tarquin Mercator never wanted to run a galaxy-spanning business empire. He just wanted to study rocks and read books. But Tarquin's father has tasked him with monitoring the settlement of a new planet, and he doesn't really have a choice in the matter.
Disguised as Tarquin's new bodyguard, Naira plans to destroy the settlement ship before they make land. But neither of them expects to end up stranded on a dead planet. To survive and keep her secret, Naira will have to join forces with the man she's sworn to hate. And together they will uncover a plot that's bigger than both of them.
Why you should read it: I devoured this entire trilogy so quickly I gave myself emotional whiplash, and I regret nothing. It's not often a series hits me this hard or sticks with me so intensely that I want to start reading from the beginning the second I finish. I need everyone to read this trilogy. But also the first book is a really satisfying standalone story, if you want to dip your toe in without committing to an entire series. Fantastic characters, terrific chemistry, and a compelling mystery to tie them all together. The world-building is strange and fascinating and intricate, and the pacing of the book sucked me in from page one. If you're into audiobooks, the narrator for for this series does a brilliant job--I turned around and bought the entire series the second I finished listening to book one from the library.
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All Systems Red (Murderbot Diaries Book 1) by Martha Wells
A murderous android discovers itself in All Systems Red, a tense science fiction adventure by Martha Wells that blends HBO's Westworld with Iain M. Banks' Culture books.
In a corporate-dominated spacefaring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. Exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids, for their own safety.
But in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn't a primary concern.
On a distant planet, a team of scientists are conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied 'droid -- a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module, and refers to itself (though never out loud) as "Murderbot." Scornful of humans, all it really wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is.
But when a neighboring mission goes dark, it's up to the scientists and their Murderbot to get to the truth.
Why you should read it: I knew going in that I was very likely to enjoy these books, but I was not prepared for just how much I would adore Murderbot. What a fantastic narrator, what a fascinating setup of world and characters, what beautiful and understated worldbuilding! I'm fascinated by how well this book works as a novella, while leaving me feeling like I want so much more. Which is fine by me, since the series continues and I can, in fact, have more. All around a fantastic read.
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Liberty's Daughter by Naomi Kritzer
Beck Garrison lives on a seastead — an archipelago of constructed platforms and old cruise ships, assembled by libertarian separatists a generation ago. She’s grown up comfortable and sheltered, but starts doing odd jobs for pocket money.
To her surprise, she finds that she’s the only detective that a debt slave can afford to hire to track down the woman’s missing sister. When she tackles this investigation, she learns things about life on the other side of the waterline — not to mention about herself and her father — that she did not expect. And she finds out that some people will stop at nothing to protect their secrets . . .
Why you should read it: I really loved this book. At no point did I have any idea what was going to happen from scene to scene, but with every pivot into unexpected territory I was happy to be along for the ride. I found the POV character to be incredibly compelling, with a voice that walked a really good line between pragmatism and heart, while she navigated one impossible situation after another. The worldbuilding was fascinating and vivid, the world of the stead itself uncomfortably claustrophobic by design. I'll be thinking about this one for a really long time.
The Blighted Stars (The Devoured Worlds Book 1) by Megan E. O'Keefe
She's a revolutionary. Humanity is running out of options. Habitable planets are being destroyed as quickly as they're found and Naira Sharp thinks she knows the reason why. The all-powerful Mercator family has been controlling the exploration of the universe for decades, and exploiting any materials they find along the way under the guise of helping humanity's expansion. But Naira knows the truth, and she plans to bring the whole family down from the inside.
He's the heir to the dynasty. Tarquin Mercator never wanted to run a galaxy-spanning business empire. He just wanted to study rocks and read books. But Tarquin's father has tasked him with monitoring the settlement of a new planet, and he doesn't really have a choice in the matter.
Disguised as Tarquin's new bodyguard, Naira plans to destroy the settlement ship before they make land. But neither of them expects to end up stranded on a dead planet. To survive and keep her secret, Naira will have to join forces with the man she's sworn to hate. And together they will uncover a plot that's bigger than both of them.
Why you should read it: I devoured this entire trilogy so quickly I gave myself emotional whiplash, and I regret nothing. It's not often a series hits me this hard or sticks with me so intensely that I want to start reading from the beginning the second I finish. I need everyone to read this trilogy. But also the first book is a really satisfying standalone story, if you want to dip your toe in without committing to an entire series. Fantastic characters, terrific chemistry, and a compelling mystery to tie them all together. The world-building is strange and fascinating and intricate, and the pacing of the book sucked me in from page one. If you're into audiobooks, the narrator for for this series does a brilliant job--I turned around and bought the entire series the second I finished listening to book one from the library.
- — - — - — - — -
All Systems Red (Murderbot Diaries Book 1) by Martha Wells
A murderous android discovers itself in All Systems Red, a tense science fiction adventure by Martha Wells that blends HBO's Westworld with Iain M. Banks' Culture books.
In a corporate-dominated spacefaring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. Exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids, for their own safety.
But in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn't a primary concern.
On a distant planet, a team of scientists are conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied 'droid -- a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module, and refers to itself (though never out loud) as "Murderbot." Scornful of humans, all it really wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is.
But when a neighboring mission goes dark, it's up to the scientists and their Murderbot to get to the truth.
Why you should read it: I knew going in that I was very likely to enjoy these books, but I was not prepared for just how much I would adore Murderbot. What a fantastic narrator, what a fascinating setup of world and characters, what beautiful and understated worldbuilding! I'm fascinated by how well this book works as a novella, while leaving me feeling like I want so much more. Which is fine by me, since the series continues and I can, in fact, have more. All around a fantastic read.
- — - — - — - — -
Liberty's Daughter by Naomi Kritzer
Beck Garrison lives on a seastead — an archipelago of constructed platforms and old cruise ships, assembled by libertarian separatists a generation ago. She’s grown up comfortable and sheltered, but starts doing odd jobs for pocket money.
To her surprise, she finds that she’s the only detective that a debt slave can afford to hire to track down the woman’s missing sister. When she tackles this investigation, she learns things about life on the other side of the waterline — not to mention about herself and her father — that she did not expect. And she finds out that some people will stop at nothing to protect their secrets . . .
Why you should read it: I really loved this book. At no point did I have any idea what was going to happen from scene to scene, but with every pivot into unexpected territory I was happy to be along for the ride. I found the POV character to be incredibly compelling, with a voice that walked a really good line between pragmatism and heart, while she navigated one impossible situation after another. The worldbuilding was fascinating and vivid, the world of the stead itself uncomfortably claustrophobic by design. I'll be thinking about this one for a really long time.
Tags:
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When Brooklyn Was Queer by Hugh Ryan
Hugh Ryan’s When Brooklyn Was Queer is a groundbreaking exploration of the LGBT history of Brooklyn, from the early days of Walt Whitman in the 1850s up through the queer women who worked at the Brooklyn Navy Yard during World War II, and beyond. No other book, movie, or exhibition has ever told this sweeping story. Not only has Brooklyn always lived in the shadow of queer Manhattan neighborhoods like Greenwich Village and Harlem, but there has also been a systematic erasure of its queer history―a great forgetting.
Ryan is here to unearth that history for the first time. In intimate, evocative, moving prose he discusses in new light the fundamental questions of what history is, who tells it, and how we can only make sense of ourselves through its retelling; and shows how the formation of the Brooklyn we know today is inextricably linked to the stories of the incredible people who created its diverse neighborhoods and cultures. Through them, When Brooklyn Was Queer brings Brooklyn’s queer past to life, and claims its place as a modern classic.
Why you should read it: This is an incredibly well-researched book of Brooklyn's queer history, and I really appreciated the way it was written. It's incredibly thorough and detailed while still being written in a conversational style that really worked for me. The author is clearly writing and researching a topic he is passionate about, and the result is compellingly personal. There were inevitably portions of this book that made me incredibly sad, or incredibly angry — or both — but the history has its moments of joy too. The last few lines of the book made me cry a little. All-in-all a fantastic read.
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Do I know You by Sadie Dingfelder
Science writer Sadie Dingfelder has always known that she's a little quirky. But while she's made some strange mistakes over the years, it's not until she accosts a stranger in a grocery store (whom she thinks is her husband) that she realizes something is amiss.
With a mixture of curiosity and dread, Dingfelder starts contacting neuroscientists and lands herself in scores of studies. In the course of her nerdy midlife crisis, she discovers that she is emphatically not neurotypical. She has prosopagnosia (face blindness), stereoblindness, aphantasia (an inability to create mental imagery), and a condition called severely deficient autobiographical memory.
As Dingfelder begins to see herself more clearly, she discovers a vast well of hidden neurodiversity in the world at large. There are so many different flavors of human consciousness, and most of us just assume that ours is the norm. Can you visualize? Do you have an inner monologue? Are you always 100 percent sure whether you know someone or not? If you can perform any of these mental feats, you may be surprised to learn that many people—including Dingfelder—can't.
A lively blend of personal narrative and popular science, Do I Know You? is the story of one unusual mind's attempt to understand itself—and a fascinating exploration of the remarkable breadth of human experience.
Why you should read it: Well this was completely fascinating, holy hell. A memoir written in a wildly amusing style, despite the fact that there is some seriously heavy subject matter to be found within the pages — I really, sincerely enjoyed having reality tilted this way and that while I read this book, as Dingfelder's investigation kept messing with things I assumed about my own perceptions of reality. This is fascinating science, mind-boggling in places, and left me with so many new questions to consider.
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Wild Faith by Talia Lavin
All across America, a storm is gathering: from book bans in school libraries to anti-trans laws in state legislatures; firebombings of abortion clinics and protests against gay rights. The Christian Right, a cunning political force in America for more than half a century, has never been more powerful than it is right now—it propelled Donald Trump to power, and it won’t stop until it’s refashioned America in its own image.
In Wild Faith, critically acclaimed author Talia Lavin goes deep into what motivates the Christian Right, from its segregationist past to a future riddled with apocalyptic ideology.
Using primary sources and firsthand accounts, Lavin introduces you to “deliverance ministers” who carry out exorcisms by the hundreds; modern-day, self-proclaimed prophets and apostles; Christian militias, cults, zealots, and showmen; and the people in power who are aiding them to achieve their goals.
Along the way, she explores anti-abortion terrorists, the Christian Patriarchy movement, with its desire to place all women under absolute male control; the twisted theology that leads to rampant child abuse; and the ways conspiracy theorists and extremist Christians influence each other to mutual political benefit.
From school boards to the Supreme Court, Christian theocracy is ascendant in America—and only through exploring its motivations and impacts can we understand the crisis we face. In Wild Faith, Lavin fearlessly confronts whether our democracy can survive an organized, fervent theocratic movement, one that seeks to impose its religious beliefs on American citizens.
Why you should read it: This one is a difficult read. A truly excellent book about some completely terrifying realities of the current social and political landscape of America. A lot of the over-arcing information is stuff that I already knew on some level, yet seeing it spelled out and framed this way — seeing the extra details and explanations and analysis — and reading the words of people with traumatic first-hand experience... This book is incredibly well researched and painful. I'm glad I read it. I think the information and perspectives revealed by this research are incredible important. But also, WUFFdah. Approach with care.
When Brooklyn Was Queer by Hugh Ryan
Hugh Ryan’s When Brooklyn Was Queer is a groundbreaking exploration of the LGBT history of Brooklyn, from the early days of Walt Whitman in the 1850s up through the queer women who worked at the Brooklyn Navy Yard during World War II, and beyond. No other book, movie, or exhibition has ever told this sweeping story. Not only has Brooklyn always lived in the shadow of queer Manhattan neighborhoods like Greenwich Village and Harlem, but there has also been a systematic erasure of its queer history―a great forgetting.
Ryan is here to unearth that history for the first time. In intimate, evocative, moving prose he discusses in new light the fundamental questions of what history is, who tells it, and how we can only make sense of ourselves through its retelling; and shows how the formation of the Brooklyn we know today is inextricably linked to the stories of the incredible people who created its diverse neighborhoods and cultures. Through them, When Brooklyn Was Queer brings Brooklyn’s queer past to life, and claims its place as a modern classic.
Why you should read it: This is an incredibly well-researched book of Brooklyn's queer history, and I really appreciated the way it was written. It's incredibly thorough and detailed while still being written in a conversational style that really worked for me. The author is clearly writing and researching a topic he is passionate about, and the result is compellingly personal. There were inevitably portions of this book that made me incredibly sad, or incredibly angry — or both — but the history has its moments of joy too. The last few lines of the book made me cry a little. All-in-all a fantastic read.
- — - — - — - — -
Do I know You by Sadie Dingfelder
Science writer Sadie Dingfelder has always known that she's a little quirky. But while she's made some strange mistakes over the years, it's not until she accosts a stranger in a grocery store (whom she thinks is her husband) that she realizes something is amiss.
With a mixture of curiosity and dread, Dingfelder starts contacting neuroscientists and lands herself in scores of studies. In the course of her nerdy midlife crisis, she discovers that she is emphatically not neurotypical. She has prosopagnosia (face blindness), stereoblindness, aphantasia (an inability to create mental imagery), and a condition called severely deficient autobiographical memory.
As Dingfelder begins to see herself more clearly, she discovers a vast well of hidden neurodiversity in the world at large. There are so many different flavors of human consciousness, and most of us just assume that ours is the norm. Can you visualize? Do you have an inner monologue? Are you always 100 percent sure whether you know someone or not? If you can perform any of these mental feats, you may be surprised to learn that many people—including Dingfelder—can't.
A lively blend of personal narrative and popular science, Do I Know You? is the story of one unusual mind's attempt to understand itself—and a fascinating exploration of the remarkable breadth of human experience.
Why you should read it: Well this was completely fascinating, holy hell. A memoir written in a wildly amusing style, despite the fact that there is some seriously heavy subject matter to be found within the pages — I really, sincerely enjoyed having reality tilted this way and that while I read this book, as Dingfelder's investigation kept messing with things I assumed about my own perceptions of reality. This is fascinating science, mind-boggling in places, and left me with so many new questions to consider.
- — - — - — - — -
Wild Faith by Talia Lavin
All across America, a storm is gathering: from book bans in school libraries to anti-trans laws in state legislatures; firebombings of abortion clinics and protests against gay rights. The Christian Right, a cunning political force in America for more than half a century, has never been more powerful than it is right now—it propelled Donald Trump to power, and it won’t stop until it’s refashioned America in its own image.
In Wild Faith, critically acclaimed author Talia Lavin goes deep into what motivates the Christian Right, from its segregationist past to a future riddled with apocalyptic ideology.
Using primary sources and firsthand accounts, Lavin introduces you to “deliverance ministers” who carry out exorcisms by the hundreds; modern-day, self-proclaimed prophets and apostles; Christian militias, cults, zealots, and showmen; and the people in power who are aiding them to achieve their goals.
Along the way, she explores anti-abortion terrorists, the Christian Patriarchy movement, with its desire to place all women under absolute male control; the twisted theology that leads to rampant child abuse; and the ways conspiracy theorists and extremist Christians influence each other to mutual political benefit.
From school boards to the Supreme Court, Christian theocracy is ascendant in America—and only through exploring its motivations and impacts can we understand the crisis we face. In Wild Faith, Lavin fearlessly confronts whether our democracy can survive an organized, fervent theocratic movement, one that seeks to impose its religious beliefs on American citizens.
Why you should read it: This one is a difficult read. A truly excellent book about some completely terrifying realities of the current social and political landscape of America. A lot of the over-arcing information is stuff that I already knew on some level, yet seeing it spelled out and framed this way — seeing the extra details and explanations and analysis — and reading the words of people with traumatic first-hand experience... This book is incredibly well researched and painful. I'm glad I read it. I think the information and perspectives revealed by this research are incredible important. But also, WUFFdah. Approach with care.
Tags:
A Blissful Distraction
by Yolande Kleinn
M/M, Contemporary Romance, Explicit
[Coming July 17, 2025 / 6,000 Words]
AMZ / Apple / BN / Kobo / SW / All Buy Links
When Owen needs a little distance from a crowded wedding reception, what better way to escape than following a meandering path through a cheerful forest? Even better, his not-quite-boyfriend has joined him without complaint. Now, alone with Gail at last, Owen is ready to find more intimate distractions to share.
( Excerpt )
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The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
Aiden Bishop knows the rules. Evelyn Hardcastle will die every day until he can identify her killer and break the cycle. But every time the day begins again, Aiden wakes up in the body of a different guest at Blackheath Manor. And some of his hosts are more helpful than others. With a locked-room mystery that Agatha Christie would envy, Stuart Turton unfurls a breakneck novel of intrigue and suspense.
Why you should read it: This is a delightfully confounding book. The perplexing premise is beautifully and intricately executed, with a skill that keeps the story moving at an increasingly urgent clip. The prose delighted me, as did the vividly crafted locations and characters. I finished the book with unanswered questions about the world, and the technology (or magic?) responsible for the mechanism of the mystery--but those questions didn't temper my enjoyment. I'm not sure they could have been answered without destroying the vibes of the book. All in all, this was a fantastic and fascinating read, and I'm very likely to pick it up again.
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House of Frank by Kay Synclaire
Powerless witch Saika is ready to enact her sister's final request: to plant her remains at the famed Ash Gardens. When Saika arrives at the always-stormy sanctuary, she is welcomed by its owner, an enormous knit-cardiganed mythical beast named Frank, who offers her a role as one of the estate's caretakers.
Overcome with grief, Saika accepts, desperate to put off her final farewell to her sister. But the work requires a witch with intrinsic power, and Saika's been disconnected from her magic since her sister's death two years prior. Saika gets by at the sanctuary using a fragment of a fallen star to cast enchantments--while hiding the embarrassing truth about herself.
As Saika works harder in avoidance of her pain, she learns more about Frank, the decaying house at Ash Gardens, and the lives of the motley staff, including bickering twin cherubs, a mute ghost, a cantankerous elf, and an irritating half witch, among others. Over time, she rediscovers what it means to love and be wholly loved and how to allow her joy and grief to coexist.
Why you should read it: This book is so full of heart, with characters who are all genuine and kind and complicated. I adored the romance that takes place throughout the ebb and flow of this story, alongside so many friendships and challenges. The found family dynamics in this book are delightful, and there is something so cathartic in the way the story engages with grief. I'm glad I read it.
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A Scatter of Light by Malinda Lo
Aria Tang West was looking forward to a summer on Martha’s Vineyard with her best friends—one last round of sand and sun before college. But after a graduation party goes wrong, Aria’s parents exile her to California to stay with her grandmother, artist Joan West. Aria expects boredom, but what she finds is Steph Nichols, her grandmother’s gardener.
Soon, Aria is second-guessing who she is and what she wants to be, and a summer that once seemed lost becomes unforgettable—for Aria, her family, and the working-class queer community Steph introduces her to. It’s the kind of summer that changes a life forever.
Why you should read it: While this book is only tenuously a sequel to "Last Night at the Telegraph Club," I enjoyed it enormously. It reads like a standalone novel rather than a continuation, taking place decades later and starring a main character who has never met Lily or Kath, and having a completely different tone from the first book. None of this hampered my enjoyment of this new installment. It's an uncomfortable story, beautifully told, and I remain in awe of Malindo Lo's writing. Be warned that the romantic arc comes with a heavy dose of infidelity, but the author never makes light of this fact, and the guilt and conflict make up a huge portion of Aria's growth as a character throughout the book.
The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
Aiden Bishop knows the rules. Evelyn Hardcastle will die every day until he can identify her killer and break the cycle. But every time the day begins again, Aiden wakes up in the body of a different guest at Blackheath Manor. And some of his hosts are more helpful than others. With a locked-room mystery that Agatha Christie would envy, Stuart Turton unfurls a breakneck novel of intrigue and suspense.
Why you should read it: This is a delightfully confounding book. The perplexing premise is beautifully and intricately executed, with a skill that keeps the story moving at an increasingly urgent clip. The prose delighted me, as did the vividly crafted locations and characters. I finished the book with unanswered questions about the world, and the technology (or magic?) responsible for the mechanism of the mystery--but those questions didn't temper my enjoyment. I'm not sure they could have been answered without destroying the vibes of the book. All in all, this was a fantastic and fascinating read, and I'm very likely to pick it up again.
- — - — - — - — -
House of Frank by Kay Synclaire
Powerless witch Saika is ready to enact her sister's final request: to plant her remains at the famed Ash Gardens. When Saika arrives at the always-stormy sanctuary, she is welcomed by its owner, an enormous knit-cardiganed mythical beast named Frank, who offers her a role as one of the estate's caretakers.
Overcome with grief, Saika accepts, desperate to put off her final farewell to her sister. But the work requires a witch with intrinsic power, and Saika's been disconnected from her magic since her sister's death two years prior. Saika gets by at the sanctuary using a fragment of a fallen star to cast enchantments--while hiding the embarrassing truth about herself.
As Saika works harder in avoidance of her pain, she learns more about Frank, the decaying house at Ash Gardens, and the lives of the motley staff, including bickering twin cherubs, a mute ghost, a cantankerous elf, and an irritating half witch, among others. Over time, she rediscovers what it means to love and be wholly loved and how to allow her joy and grief to coexist.
Why you should read it: This book is so full of heart, with characters who are all genuine and kind and complicated. I adored the romance that takes place throughout the ebb and flow of this story, alongside so many friendships and challenges. The found family dynamics in this book are delightful, and there is something so cathartic in the way the story engages with grief. I'm glad I read it.
- — - — - — - — -
A Scatter of Light by Malinda Lo
Aria Tang West was looking forward to a summer on Martha’s Vineyard with her best friends—one last round of sand and sun before college. But after a graduation party goes wrong, Aria’s parents exile her to California to stay with her grandmother, artist Joan West. Aria expects boredom, but what she finds is Steph Nichols, her grandmother’s gardener.
Soon, Aria is second-guessing who she is and what she wants to be, and a summer that once seemed lost becomes unforgettable—for Aria, her family, and the working-class queer community Steph introduces her to. It’s the kind of summer that changes a life forever.
Why you should read it: While this book is only tenuously a sequel to "Last Night at the Telegraph Club," I enjoyed it enormously. It reads like a standalone novel rather than a continuation, taking place decades later and starring a main character who has never met Lily or Kath, and having a completely different tone from the first book. None of this hampered my enjoyment of this new installment. It's an uncomfortable story, beautifully told, and I remain in awe of Malindo Lo's writing. Be warned that the romantic arc comes with a heavy dose of infidelity, but the author never makes light of this fact, and the guilt and conflict make up a huge portion of Aria's growth as a character throughout the book.
Tags:
Once Upon a Dragon
by Yolande Kleinn
NB/M, Contemporary Fantasy, Romance
[35 Pages / 8,600 Words]
AMZ / Apple / BN / Kobo / SW / All Buy Links
The day Mo Dillavou comes home to a dragon nesting in their apartment is as confusing as it is magical. Dragons don't exist. Even if dragons do exist, surely they're not supposed to be this small. Or this cuddly. Or this unreasonably cute.
When Mo's neighbor, Tanner Linn, comes looking for his pet 'lizard,' Mo is intrigued: by the prospect of keeping a creature of myth as a pet; by the puzzle of how the dragon snuck into Mo's apartment in the first place; and most of all by Tanner himself, the gorgeous recluse next door.
If keeping Tanner's secret means getting tangled in his life, then sign Mo right up.
( Excerpt )
Just a Taste
by Yolande Kleinn
Queer Contemporary Flash Fiction
[102 Pages / 23,500 Words]
Paperback / AMZ / Apple / BN / Kobo / SW / All
From cuddly to explicit, romantic to platonic, unrequited to hopeful, silly to serious: enjoy twenty-five contemporary snapshots of queer love, each at one thousand words or fewer.
Collection includes:
Nearly Home—Compromise—An Icy Rain—Stubborn Care—Losing Sleep—In the Crowd—Frantic Heat—Longer Distance—Musical Notes—Sleeping In—At the Beach—A Messy Question—Rooftop Interlude—On a Mission—Midnight—An Intimate Morning—Something Green—Smitten—A Kiss to Start—A Terrible Idea—The Easiest Thing—Simple Equations—In the Library—Discordant Details
( Excerpt )
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The Phoenix Bride by Natasha Siegel
It is 1666, one year after plague has devastated England. Young widow Cecilia Thorowgood is a prisoner, trapped and isolated within her older sister’s cavernous London townhouse. Burdened by grief, at the mercy of a legion of impatient doctors, Cecilia shows no sign of improvement. Soon, her sister makes a decision born of desperation: She hires a new physician, someone known for more unusual methods. But he is a foreigner. A Jew.
David Mendes fled Portugal to seek a new life in London, where he could practice his faith openly and leave the past behind. Still reeling from the loss of his beloved friend and struggling with his religion and his past, David is free and safe in this foreign land but incapable of happiness. The security he has found in London threatens to disappear when he meets Cecilia, and he finds himself torn between his duty to medicine and the beating of his own heart. He is the only one who can see her pain; the glimmers of light she emits, even in her gloom, are enough to make him believe once more in love.
Facing seemingly insurmountable challenges, David and Cecilia must endure prejudice, heartbreak, and calamity before they can be together. The Great Fire is coming—and with the city in flames around them, love has never felt so impossible.
Why you should read it: I absolutely adored this book. It strikes a truly overwhelming balance between grief and joy, with characters who find each other and truly see each, other despite a world arranged to keep them apart. The depth of this story left me winded, and made me cry more than once. No spoilers of course, but there's one line that hit me in the chest so hard that I actually said, "Oh my god." Like. Out loud. While crying (good tears.) And then I had to rewind my audiobook, because I missed the next several paragraphs. This might well be the best book I read this year.
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Slippery Creatures by KJ Charles
Will Darling came back from the Great War with a few scars, a lot of medals, and no idea what to do next. Inheriting his uncle’s chaotic second-hand bookshop is a blessing…until strange visitors start making threats. First a criminal gang, then the War Office, both telling Will to give them the information they want, or else.
Will has no idea what that information is, and nobody to turn to, until Kim Secretan—charming, cultured, oddly attractive—steps in to offer help. As Kim and Will try to find answers and outrun trouble, mutual desire grows along with the danger.
And then Will discovers the truth about Kim. His identity, his past, his real intentions. Enraged and betrayed, Will never wants to see him again.
But Will possesses knowledge that could cost thousands of lives. Enemies are closing in on him from all sides—and Kim is the only man who can help.
Why you should read it: Oh this was lovely. I devoured it even faster than I anticipated. It's a marvelous tale of spies and sex and inconvenient feelings, setting up a very fun dynamic to follow, through more books in the series, and I enjoyed it enormously.
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The Perks of Loving a Wallflower by Erica Ridley
As a master of disguise, Thomasina Wynchester can be a proper young lady—or a bawdy old man. Anything to solve the case. Her latest assignment unveils a top-secret military cipher covering up an enigma that goes back centuries. But when Tommy’s beautiful new client turns out to be the highborn lady she’s secretly smitten with, more than the mission is at stake…
Bluestocking Miss Philippa York doesn’t believe in love. Her cold heart didn’t pitter-patter when she was betrothed to a duke, nor did it break when he married someone else. All Philippa desires is to rescue her priceless manuscript and decode its clues to defeat a powerful enemy. She hates that she needs a man’s help—and she’s delighted to discover the clever, charming baron at her side is in fact a woman. Her cold heart… did it just pitter-patter?
Why you should read it: Charming and lovely and so incredibly satisfying, this book was a wild ride. I loved the chemistry between Tommy and Philippa, and their mischievous-partners-in-crime dynamic was such a delight to behold. I was also impressed by how well the story incorporates such a wide cast of characters without leaving me remotely confused about Tommy's numerous siblings and their distinct personalities. I didn't realize until I started that I was stepping into a series in progress, but I thought the author did a deft job of getting me up to speed without too much info-dumping. A genuinely fantastic read, I absolutely loved it.
The Phoenix Bride by Natasha Siegel
It is 1666, one year after plague has devastated England. Young widow Cecilia Thorowgood is a prisoner, trapped and isolated within her older sister’s cavernous London townhouse. Burdened by grief, at the mercy of a legion of impatient doctors, Cecilia shows no sign of improvement. Soon, her sister makes a decision born of desperation: She hires a new physician, someone known for more unusual methods. But he is a foreigner. A Jew.
David Mendes fled Portugal to seek a new life in London, where he could practice his faith openly and leave the past behind. Still reeling from the loss of his beloved friend and struggling with his religion and his past, David is free and safe in this foreign land but incapable of happiness. The security he has found in London threatens to disappear when he meets Cecilia, and he finds himself torn between his duty to medicine and the beating of his own heart. He is the only one who can see her pain; the glimmers of light she emits, even in her gloom, are enough to make him believe once more in love.
Facing seemingly insurmountable challenges, David and Cecilia must endure prejudice, heartbreak, and calamity before they can be together. The Great Fire is coming—and with the city in flames around them, love has never felt so impossible.
Why you should read it: I absolutely adored this book. It strikes a truly overwhelming balance between grief and joy, with characters who find each other and truly see each, other despite a world arranged to keep them apart. The depth of this story left me winded, and made me cry more than once. No spoilers of course, but there's one line that hit me in the chest so hard that I actually said, "Oh my god." Like. Out loud. While crying (good tears.) And then I had to rewind my audiobook, because I missed the next several paragraphs. This might well be the best book I read this year.
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Slippery Creatures by KJ Charles
Will Darling came back from the Great War with a few scars, a lot of medals, and no idea what to do next. Inheriting his uncle’s chaotic second-hand bookshop is a blessing…until strange visitors start making threats. First a criminal gang, then the War Office, both telling Will to give them the information they want, or else.
Will has no idea what that information is, and nobody to turn to, until Kim Secretan—charming, cultured, oddly attractive—steps in to offer help. As Kim and Will try to find answers and outrun trouble, mutual desire grows along with the danger.
And then Will discovers the truth about Kim. His identity, his past, his real intentions. Enraged and betrayed, Will never wants to see him again.
But Will possesses knowledge that could cost thousands of lives. Enemies are closing in on him from all sides—and Kim is the only man who can help.
Why you should read it: Oh this was lovely. I devoured it even faster than I anticipated. It's a marvelous tale of spies and sex and inconvenient feelings, setting up a very fun dynamic to follow, through more books in the series, and I enjoyed it enormously.
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The Perks of Loving a Wallflower by Erica Ridley
As a master of disguise, Thomasina Wynchester can be a proper young lady—or a bawdy old man. Anything to solve the case. Her latest assignment unveils a top-secret military cipher covering up an enigma that goes back centuries. But when Tommy’s beautiful new client turns out to be the highborn lady she’s secretly smitten with, more than the mission is at stake…
Bluestocking Miss Philippa York doesn’t believe in love. Her cold heart didn’t pitter-patter when she was betrothed to a duke, nor did it break when he married someone else. All Philippa desires is to rescue her priceless manuscript and decode its clues to defeat a powerful enemy. She hates that she needs a man’s help—and she’s delighted to discover the clever, charming baron at her side is in fact a woman. Her cold heart… did it just pitter-patter?
Why you should read it: Charming and lovely and so incredibly satisfying, this book was a wild ride. I loved the chemistry between Tommy and Philippa, and their mischievous-partners-in-crime dynamic was such a delight to behold. I was also impressed by how well the story incorporates such a wide cast of characters without leaving me remotely confused about Tommy's numerous siblings and their distinct personalities. I didn't realize until I started that I was stepping into a series in progress, but I thought the author did a deft job of getting me up to speed without too much info-dumping. A genuinely fantastic read, I absolutely loved it.
Tags:
Bring You Home
by Yolande Kleinn
F/F, Contemporary Fantasy, Romance
[19 Pages / 4,000 Words]
AMZ / Apple / BN / Kobo / SW / All Buy Links
When Karna completes her degree in magical studies, she's disappointed her girlfriend can't make it to the graduation ceremony.
Karna doesn't blame Celeste. It's always been a challenge, balancing grad school ambitions, a high pressure corporate job, and a long-distance relationship between them. Still, Karna misses Celeste so intensely that she's halfway convinced she can feel her through the magical tether connecting them.
But that's impossible. Celeste is busy in New York. She can't be here in Minnesota, just within reach. Can she?
( Excerpt )
A Scandalous Position
by Yolande Kleinn
M/M, Historical Romance, Friends-to-Lovers
[37 Pages / 8,000 Words]
AMZ / Apple / BN / Kobo / SW / All Buy Links
As chamberlain to the sixth son of the royal family, Lirren's relationship with Prince Ector has always been unorthodox. Theirs is a longstanding friendship, as irreverent as it is improper, a devotion that cannot be denied.
When a childish scuffle escalates to reveal uncomfortable truths, Lirren is shocked by his own reaction. Confusion, fascination, desire: suddenly he is craving intimacies he's never considered before, with an urgency that leaves him breathless.
But Lirren isn't the only one wanting scandalous things. Ector started this. Now Lirren just needs to persuade him to see it through.
( Excerpt )
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Death in the Spires by KJ Charles
1905. A decade after the grisly murder of Oxford student Toby Feynsham, the case remains hauntingly unsolved. For Jeremy Kite, the crime not only stole his best friend, it destroyed his whole life. When an anonymous letter lands on his desk, accusing him of having killed Toby, Jem becomes obsessed with finally uncovering the truth.
Jem begins to track down the people who were there the night Toby died – a close circle of friends once known as the ‘Seven Wonders’ for their charm and talent – only to find them as tormented and broken as himself. All of them knew and loved Toby at Oxford. Could one of them really be his killer?
As Jem grows closer to uncovering what happened that night, his pursuer grows bolder, making increasingly terrifying attempts to silence him for good. Will exposing Toby’s killer put to rest the shadows that have darkened Jem’s life for so long? Or will the gruesome truth only put him in more danger?
Some secrets are better left buried…
Why you should read it: Oh this is absolutely glorious. I don't think I can coherently express how impressed I am that this book manages to simultaneously be so full of heart while also conveying all the fucked up toxic social dynamics of a brilliant murder mystery. The POV character is compelling and stubborn and painfully sincere, and his need to find out what really happened is a palpable force all through the story. The way the mystery is paced, the gradual revealing of first the events leading up to the murder, and then the untangling of how much was really going on beneath hose events... Fucking hell. It's just. SO GOOD. And the finale was so satisfying I'm still sitting here stunned. Goddamn beautiful.
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In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune
In a strange little home built into the branches of a grove of trees, live three robots—fatherly inventor android Giovanni Lawson, a pleasantly sadistic nurse machine, and a small vacuum desperate for love and attention. Victor Lawson, a human, lives there too. They’re a family, hidden and safe.
The day Vic salvages and repairs an unfamiliar android labelled “HAP,” he learns of a shared dark past between Hap and Gio–a past spent hunting humans.
When Hap unwittingly alerts robots from Gio’s former life to their whereabouts, the family is no longer hidden and safe. Gio is captured and taken back to his old laboratory in the City of Electric Dreams. So together, the rest of Vic’s assembled family must journey across an unforgiving and otherworldly country to rescue Gio from decommission, or worse, reprogramming.
Along the way to save Gio, amid conflicted feelings of betrayal and affection for Hap, Vic must decide for himself: Can he accept love with strings attached?
Why you should read it: Melancholy and hopeful and warm and sweet and sad and lovely and just fundamentally GOOD. Honestly, I don't have a lot of coherent things to say about this book. I loved it. It kicked my ass (emotionally speaking) in the best possible way. I recommend it very fiercely.
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Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas
As the daughter of a rancher in 1840s Mexico, Nena knows a thing or two about monsters—her home has long been threatened by tensions with Anglo settlers from the north. But something more sinister lurks near the ranch at night, something that drains men of their blood and leaves them for dead.
Something that once attacked Nena nine years ago.
Believing Nena dead, Néstor has been on the run from his grief ever since, moving from ranch to ranch working as a vaquero. But no amount of drink can dispel the night terrors of sharp teeth; no woman can erase his childhood sweetheart from his mind.
When the United States invades Mexico in 1846, the two are brought abruptly together on the road to war: Nena as a curandera, a healer, striving to prove her worth to her father so that he does not marry her off to a stranger, and Néstor as a member of the auxiliary cavalry of ranchers and vaqueros. But the shock of their reunion—and Nena’s rage at Néstor for seemingly abandoning her long ago—is quickly overshadowed by the appearance of a nightmare made flesh.
And unless Nena and Néstor work through their past and face the future together, neither will survive to see the dawn.
Why you should read it: This book is an excellent horror story and romance all wrapped up together, and I enjoyed it enormously. I ached for both Nena and Néstor, as children stumbling into danger they couldn't possibly have anticipated, as adults navigating all the hurt and consequences of what happened while facing that same danger again tenfold. The violence of a tumultuous historical setting works painfully well to frame the supernatural horrors of the narrative, and was vividly depicted besides. Not an easy read, but a terrific one.
Death in the Spires by KJ Charles
1905. A decade after the grisly murder of Oxford student Toby Feynsham, the case remains hauntingly unsolved. For Jeremy Kite, the crime not only stole his best friend, it destroyed his whole life. When an anonymous letter lands on his desk, accusing him of having killed Toby, Jem becomes obsessed with finally uncovering the truth.
Jem begins to track down the people who were there the night Toby died – a close circle of friends once known as the ‘Seven Wonders’ for their charm and talent – only to find them as tormented and broken as himself. All of them knew and loved Toby at Oxford. Could one of them really be his killer?
As Jem grows closer to uncovering what happened that night, his pursuer grows bolder, making increasingly terrifying attempts to silence him for good. Will exposing Toby’s killer put to rest the shadows that have darkened Jem’s life for so long? Or will the gruesome truth only put him in more danger?
Some secrets are better left buried…
Why you should read it: Oh this is absolutely glorious. I don't think I can coherently express how impressed I am that this book manages to simultaneously be so full of heart while also conveying all the fucked up toxic social dynamics of a brilliant murder mystery. The POV character is compelling and stubborn and painfully sincere, and his need to find out what really happened is a palpable force all through the story. The way the mystery is paced, the gradual revealing of first the events leading up to the murder, and then the untangling of how much was really going on beneath hose events... Fucking hell. It's just. SO GOOD. And the finale was so satisfying I'm still sitting here stunned. Goddamn beautiful.
- — - — - — - — -
In the Lives of Puppets by TJ Klune
In a strange little home built into the branches of a grove of trees, live three robots—fatherly inventor android Giovanni Lawson, a pleasantly sadistic nurse machine, and a small vacuum desperate for love and attention. Victor Lawson, a human, lives there too. They’re a family, hidden and safe.
The day Vic salvages and repairs an unfamiliar android labelled “HAP,” he learns of a shared dark past between Hap and Gio–a past spent hunting humans.
When Hap unwittingly alerts robots from Gio’s former life to their whereabouts, the family is no longer hidden and safe. Gio is captured and taken back to his old laboratory in the City of Electric Dreams. So together, the rest of Vic’s assembled family must journey across an unforgiving and otherworldly country to rescue Gio from decommission, or worse, reprogramming.
Along the way to save Gio, amid conflicted feelings of betrayal and affection for Hap, Vic must decide for himself: Can he accept love with strings attached?
Why you should read it: Melancholy and hopeful and warm and sweet and sad and lovely and just fundamentally GOOD. Honestly, I don't have a lot of coherent things to say about this book. I loved it. It kicked my ass (emotionally speaking) in the best possible way. I recommend it very fiercely.
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Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas
As the daughter of a rancher in 1840s Mexico, Nena knows a thing or two about monsters—her home has long been threatened by tensions with Anglo settlers from the north. But something more sinister lurks near the ranch at night, something that drains men of their blood and leaves them for dead.
Something that once attacked Nena nine years ago.
Believing Nena dead, Néstor has been on the run from his grief ever since, moving from ranch to ranch working as a vaquero. But no amount of drink can dispel the night terrors of sharp teeth; no woman can erase his childhood sweetheart from his mind.
When the United States invades Mexico in 1846, the two are brought abruptly together on the road to war: Nena as a curandera, a healer, striving to prove her worth to her father so that he does not marry her off to a stranger, and Néstor as a member of the auxiliary cavalry of ranchers and vaqueros. But the shock of their reunion—and Nena’s rage at Néstor for seemingly abandoning her long ago—is quickly overshadowed by the appearance of a nightmare made flesh.
And unless Nena and Néstor work through their past and face the future together, neither will survive to see the dawn.
Why you should read it: This book is an excellent horror story and romance all wrapped up together, and I enjoyed it enormously. I ached for both Nena and Néstor, as children stumbling into danger they couldn't possibly have anticipated, as adults navigating all the hurt and consequences of what happened while facing that same danger again tenfold. The violence of a tumultuous historical setting works painfully well to frame the supernatural horrors of the narrative, and was vividly depicted besides. Not an easy read, but a terrific one.
Tags:
All the Way Home I'll Be Warm
by Yolande Kleinn
M/M, Contemporary Christmas Romance
[167 Pages / 46,000 Words]
Paperback / AMZ / Apple / BN / Kobo / SW / All
Driving home for the holidays, Jamie Phipps can't believe his car has broken down only four hours from the finish line. At least he finds distraction in the arms of a gorgeous older man. When they part ways, Jamie hopes a string of sweet text messages means they'll stay in touch.
For now, it's nearly Christmas, and Jamie has other worries. Like hitching a ride with his sister for the final leg of the journey. Like his car, stranded at the repair shop for want of parts. Like meeting his father's closest friend, Victor Leone, a stranger Jamie doesn't remember at all.
But when Jamie crosses his parents' threshold, Victor is no stranger. And even worse than the mutual shock of realizing he slept with his dad's best friend: Jamie can't stop craving an encore. It doesn't matter how powerfully the attraction simmers between them. If anyone learns the truth, their secret will ruin more than just Christmas.
Jamie knows Victor is off limits. If only he could make his stubborn heart believe it.
( Excerpt )
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Spear by Nicola Griffith
She grows up in the wild wood, in a cave with her mother, but visions of a faraway lake drift to her on the spring breeze, scented with promise. And when she hears a traveler speak of Artos, king of Caer Leon, she decides her future lies at his court. So, brimming with magic and eager to test her strength, she breaks her covenant with her mother and sets out on her bony gelding for Caer Leon.
With her stolen hunting spear and mended armour, she is an unlikely hero—not a chosen one, but one who chooses. Aflame with determination, she begins a journey of magic and mystery, love, lust and fights to death. On her adventures she will steal the hearts of beautiful women, fight warriors and sorcerers, and make a place to call home.
Why you should read it: A strange and riveting take on Arthurian legends, compelling and gloriously queer. I didn't realize until the author's note at the end that Peretur is an alternate name/spelling for Percival, but this did not at all diminish my enjoyment of the book. The familiar elements of the mythology are beautifully rendered and fit into an incredible story that never once landed where I expected it to go.
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Sword Stone Table by Swapna Krishna & Jenn Northington
From the vast lore surrounding King Arthur, Camelot, and the Knights of the Round Table, comes an anthology of gender-bent, race-bent, LGBTQIA+ inclusive retellings.
Featuring stories by: Alexander Chee • Preeti Chhibber • Roshani Chokshi • Sive Doyle • Maria Dahvana Headley • Ausma Zehanat Khan • Daniel M. Lavery • Ken Liu • Sarah MacLean • Silvia Moreno-Garcia • Jessica Plummer • Anthony Rapp • Waubgeshig Rice • Alex Segura • Nisi Shawl • S. Zainab Williams
Here you’ll find the Lady of the Lake reimagined as an albino Ugandan sorceress and the Lady of Shalott as a wealthy, isolated woman in futuristic Mexico City; you’ll see Excalibur rediscovered as a baseball bat that grants a washed-up minor leaguer a fresh shot at glory and as a lost ceremonial drum that returns to a young First Nations boy the power and the dignity of his people. There are stories set in Gilded Age Chicago, ’80s New York, twenty-first century Singapore, and space; there are lesbian lady knights, Arthur and Merlin reborn in the modern era for a second chance at saving the world and falling in love—even a coffee shop AU.
Brave, bold, and groundbreaking, the stories in Sword Stone Table will bring fresh life to beloved myths and give long-time fans a chance to finally see themselves in their favorite legends.
Why you should read it: This was a fascinating collection with a dizzyingly wide range of stories. Some fantastic Arthuriana retellings that did a fantastic job of hitting the mark while offering up beautiful new perspectives... Some terrific stories that didn't quite understand the assignment but were enjoyable reads nonetheless... Some especially gorgeous gems by writers I will absolutely be seeking out in future. Definitely an anthology worth checking out.
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Gwen & Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher
Gwen, the quick-witted Princess of England, and Arthur, future lord and general gadabout, have been betrothed since birth. Unfortunately, the only thing they can agree on is that they hate each other.
When Gwen catches Art kissing a boy and Art discovers where Gwen hides her diary (complete with racy entries about Bridget Leclair, the kingdom's only female knight), they become reluctant allies.
By pretending to fall for each other, their mutual protection will be assured. But how long can they keep up the ruse? With Gwen growing closer to Bridget, and Art becoming unaccountably fond of Gabriel, Gwen's infuriatingly serious, bookish brother, the path to true love is looking far from straight...
Why you should read it: This book was everything I hoped and more. Charming, sweet, sincere, genuinely funny. I love a story that deftly balances a light tone with heavier themes, and this one manages to be an incredibly cheerful read while still doing a beautiful job with the more serious elements in play. The characters are wonderful and complicated, the pacing is excellent, and the ending is wildly satisfying. Even the contemporary tone and dialogue worked perfectly, despite the setting being nebulously medieval, maybe because everything felt so grounded in genuine emotion. I adored this book.
Spear by Nicola Griffith
She grows up in the wild wood, in a cave with her mother, but visions of a faraway lake drift to her on the spring breeze, scented with promise. And when she hears a traveler speak of Artos, king of Caer Leon, she decides her future lies at his court. So, brimming with magic and eager to test her strength, she breaks her covenant with her mother and sets out on her bony gelding for Caer Leon.
With her stolen hunting spear and mended armour, she is an unlikely hero—not a chosen one, but one who chooses. Aflame with determination, she begins a journey of magic and mystery, love, lust and fights to death. On her adventures she will steal the hearts of beautiful women, fight warriors and sorcerers, and make a place to call home.
Why you should read it: A strange and riveting take on Arthurian legends, compelling and gloriously queer. I didn't realize until the author's note at the end that Peretur is an alternate name/spelling for Percival, but this did not at all diminish my enjoyment of the book. The familiar elements of the mythology are beautifully rendered and fit into an incredible story that never once landed where I expected it to go.
- — - — - — - — -
Sword Stone Table by Swapna Krishna & Jenn Northington
From the vast lore surrounding King Arthur, Camelot, and the Knights of the Round Table, comes an anthology of gender-bent, race-bent, LGBTQIA+ inclusive retellings.
Featuring stories by: Alexander Chee • Preeti Chhibber • Roshani Chokshi • Sive Doyle • Maria Dahvana Headley • Ausma Zehanat Khan • Daniel M. Lavery • Ken Liu • Sarah MacLean • Silvia Moreno-Garcia • Jessica Plummer • Anthony Rapp • Waubgeshig Rice • Alex Segura • Nisi Shawl • S. Zainab Williams
Here you’ll find the Lady of the Lake reimagined as an albino Ugandan sorceress and the Lady of Shalott as a wealthy, isolated woman in futuristic Mexico City; you’ll see Excalibur rediscovered as a baseball bat that grants a washed-up minor leaguer a fresh shot at glory and as a lost ceremonial drum that returns to a young First Nations boy the power and the dignity of his people. There are stories set in Gilded Age Chicago, ’80s New York, twenty-first century Singapore, and space; there are lesbian lady knights, Arthur and Merlin reborn in the modern era for a second chance at saving the world and falling in love—even a coffee shop AU.
Brave, bold, and groundbreaking, the stories in Sword Stone Table will bring fresh life to beloved myths and give long-time fans a chance to finally see themselves in their favorite legends.
Why you should read it: This was a fascinating collection with a dizzyingly wide range of stories. Some fantastic Arthuriana retellings that did a fantastic job of hitting the mark while offering up beautiful new perspectives... Some terrific stories that didn't quite understand the assignment but were enjoyable reads nonetheless... Some especially gorgeous gems by writers I will absolutely be seeking out in future. Definitely an anthology worth checking out.
- — - — - — - — -
Gwen & Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher
Gwen, the quick-witted Princess of England, and Arthur, future lord and general gadabout, have been betrothed since birth. Unfortunately, the only thing they can agree on is that they hate each other.
When Gwen catches Art kissing a boy and Art discovers where Gwen hides her diary (complete with racy entries about Bridget Leclair, the kingdom's only female knight), they become reluctant allies.
By pretending to fall for each other, their mutual protection will be assured. But how long can they keep up the ruse? With Gwen growing closer to Bridget, and Art becoming unaccountably fond of Gabriel, Gwen's infuriatingly serious, bookish brother, the path to true love is looking far from straight...
Why you should read it: This book was everything I hoped and more. Charming, sweet, sincere, genuinely funny. I love a story that deftly balances a light tone with heavier themes, and this one manages to be an incredibly cheerful read while still doing a beautiful job with the more serious elements in play. The characters are wonderful and complicated, the pacing is excellent, and the ending is wildly satisfying. Even the contemporary tone and dialogue worked perfectly, despite the setting being nebulously medieval, maybe because everything felt so grounded in genuine emotion. I adored this book.
Tags:
Crossed Wires
by Yolande Kleinn
F/F, Contemporary Fantasy, Friends-to-Lovers
[Coming Jan 16, 2025 / 6,000 Words]
Apple / BN / Kobo / SW / All Buy Links
It's been two weeks since Noemi botched a magic spell and created a telepathic bond between herself and her best friend—which wouldn't be a problem, if not for the one secret she's been keeping from Thea for years. Guarding her thoughts has been an exhausting and nearly impossible task, and Noemi is running out of ways to keep Thea out of her head. Now, even worse, it seems Thea's finally had enough. When the inevitable confrontation comes, there's no going back.
( Excerpt )
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The Pomegranate Gate by Ariel Kaplan
Toba Peres can speak but she can’t shout; she can walk but she can’t run; and she can write in five languages… with both hands at the same time.
Naftaly Cresques dreams every night of an orange-eyed stranger; when awake, he sees things that aren’t real; and he carries a book he can never lose and never read.
When the Queen of Sefarad orders all the nation’s Jews to leave or convert, Toba and Naftaly are forced to flee, but an unlucky encounter leaves them both separated from their caravan. Lost in the wilderness, Toba follows an orange-eyed stranger through a mysterious gate in a pomegranate grove, leaving Naftaly behind.
With a single step, Toba enters an ancient world that mirrors her own. There, she finds that her fate—and Naftaly’s—are bound to an ancient conflict threatening to destroy both realms.
Why you should read it: I'm not even sure where to start, I loved this book so much. I can't remember the last time I read a book with this many POV characters handled this brilliantly. They weren't all likable, but I adored them all, and the interweaving of so man intersecting threads was just... I have no idea how to explain how good this was without giving mountains of spoilers. The world-building and magic had me riveted every bit as much as the characters and relationships, and the whole thing felt so grounded and real. An incredible book. I sincerely cannot wait for the sequel, and I'm so glad book two is coming out in less than a month.
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Entreat Me by Grace Draven
Afflicted by a centuries-old curse, a warlord slowly surrenders his humanity and descends toward madness. Ballard of Ketach Tor holds no hope of escaping his fate until his son returns home one day, accompanied by a woman of incomparable beauty. His family believes her arrival may herald Ballard’s salvation. …until they confront her elder sister. Determined to rescue her sibling from ruin, Louvaen Duenda pursues her to a decrepit castle and discovers a household imprisoned in time. Dark magic, threatening sorcerers, and a malevolent climbing rose with a thirst for blood won’t deter her, but a proud man disfigured by an undying hatred might. Louvaen must decide if loving him will ultimately save him or destroy him. A tale of vengeance and devotion.
Why you should read it: Oh this was lovely! A terrific historical fantasy that feels so sincere while playing around with folk tale tropes in fun ways. This might be my favorite Beauty and the Beast retelling to date. The characters are so lovely, with a perfect balance between instant attraction/chemistry and a slow burn that really earns it when they finally tumble together. Their relationship is so candid and sassy and earnest all at once, and even the side characters are fleshed out and charming to a degree that it felt like the book would fall apart without them. A beautiful reading experience all around.
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Siren Queen by Nghi Vo
“No maids, no funny talking, no fainting flowers.” Luli Wei is beautiful, talented, and desperate to be a star. Coming of age in pre-Code Hollywood, she knows how dangerous the movie business is and how limited the roles are for a Chinese American girl from Hungarian Hill—but she doesn’t care. She’d rather play a monster than a maid.
But in Luli’s world, the worst monsters in Hollywood are not the ones on screen. The studios want to own everything from her face to her name to the women she loves, and they run on a system of bargains made in blood and ancient magic, powered by the endless sacrifice of unlucky starlets like her. For those who do survive to earn their fame, success comes with a steep price. Luli is willing to do whatever it takes—even if that means becoming the monster herself.
Why you should read it: This book is haunting and hopeful, and absolutely gorgeous. Nghi Vo has such a talent for world-building, creating intricate magic in a surprisingly short span. I read "The Chosen and the Beautiful" a while back and it blew me away, so I went in with high hopes for Siren Queen. I was not disappointed, this book is phenomenal. The magic is very different—more old-gods-and-eldritch-horror tinged—but it still hums eerily alongside the vividly crafted historical setting in a way that felt somehow both understated and terrifying. The characters in this book are complicated and earnest and WONDERFUL even if they're not always GOOD, and I absolutely adored it. Please read this book.
The Pomegranate Gate by Ariel Kaplan
Toba Peres can speak but she can’t shout; she can walk but she can’t run; and she can write in five languages… with both hands at the same time.
Naftaly Cresques dreams every night of an orange-eyed stranger; when awake, he sees things that aren’t real; and he carries a book he can never lose and never read.
When the Queen of Sefarad orders all the nation’s Jews to leave or convert, Toba and Naftaly are forced to flee, but an unlucky encounter leaves them both separated from their caravan. Lost in the wilderness, Toba follows an orange-eyed stranger through a mysterious gate in a pomegranate grove, leaving Naftaly behind.
With a single step, Toba enters an ancient world that mirrors her own. There, she finds that her fate—and Naftaly’s—are bound to an ancient conflict threatening to destroy both realms.
Why you should read it: I'm not even sure where to start, I loved this book so much. I can't remember the last time I read a book with this many POV characters handled this brilliantly. They weren't all likable, but I adored them all, and the interweaving of so man intersecting threads was just... I have no idea how to explain how good this was without giving mountains of spoilers. The world-building and magic had me riveted every bit as much as the characters and relationships, and the whole thing felt so grounded and real. An incredible book. I sincerely cannot wait for the sequel, and I'm so glad book two is coming out in less than a month.
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Entreat Me by Grace Draven
Afflicted by a centuries-old curse, a warlord slowly surrenders his humanity and descends toward madness. Ballard of Ketach Tor holds no hope of escaping his fate until his son returns home one day, accompanied by a woman of incomparable beauty. His family believes her arrival may herald Ballard’s salvation. …until they confront her elder sister. Determined to rescue her sibling from ruin, Louvaen Duenda pursues her to a decrepit castle and discovers a household imprisoned in time. Dark magic, threatening sorcerers, and a malevolent climbing rose with a thirst for blood won’t deter her, but a proud man disfigured by an undying hatred might. Louvaen must decide if loving him will ultimately save him or destroy him. A tale of vengeance and devotion.
Why you should read it: Oh this was lovely! A terrific historical fantasy that feels so sincere while playing around with folk tale tropes in fun ways. This might be my favorite Beauty and the Beast retelling to date. The characters are so lovely, with a perfect balance between instant attraction/chemistry and a slow burn that really earns it when they finally tumble together. Their relationship is so candid and sassy and earnest all at once, and even the side characters are fleshed out and charming to a degree that it felt like the book would fall apart without them. A beautiful reading experience all around.
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Siren Queen by Nghi Vo
“No maids, no funny talking, no fainting flowers.” Luli Wei is beautiful, talented, and desperate to be a star. Coming of age in pre-Code Hollywood, she knows how dangerous the movie business is and how limited the roles are for a Chinese American girl from Hungarian Hill—but she doesn’t care. She’d rather play a monster than a maid.
But in Luli’s world, the worst monsters in Hollywood are not the ones on screen. The studios want to own everything from her face to her name to the women she loves, and they run on a system of bargains made in blood and ancient magic, powered by the endless sacrifice of unlucky starlets like her. For those who do survive to earn their fame, success comes with a steep price. Luli is willing to do whatever it takes—even if that means becoming the monster herself.
Why you should read it: This book is haunting and hopeful, and absolutely gorgeous. Nghi Vo has such a talent for world-building, creating intricate magic in a surprisingly short span. I read "The Chosen and the Beautiful" a while back and it blew me away, so I went in with high hopes for Siren Queen. I was not disappointed, this book is phenomenal. The magic is very different—more old-gods-and-eldritch-horror tinged—but it still hums eerily alongside the vividly crafted historical setting in a way that felt somehow both understated and terrifying. The characters in this book are complicated and earnest and WONDERFUL even if they're not always GOOD, and I absolutely adored it. Please read this book.
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Iris Kelly Doesn't Date by Ashley Herring Blake
Everyone around Iris Kelly is in love. Her best friends are all coupled up, her siblings have partners that are perfect for them, her parents are still in marital bliss. And she’s happy for all of them, truly. So what if she usually cries in her Lyft on the way home. So what if she misses her friends, who are so busy with their own wonderful love lives, they don’t really notice Iris is spiraling. At least she has a brand-new career writing romance novels (yes, she realizes the irony of it). She is now working on her second book but has one problem: she is completely out of ideas after having spent all of her romantic energy on her debut.
Perfectly happy to ignore her problems as per usual, Iris goes to a bar in Portland and meets a sexy stranger, Stefania, and a night of dancing and making out turns into the worst one-night stand Iris has had in her life (vomit and crying are regretfully involved). To get her mind off everything and overcome her writer's block, Iris tries out for a local play, but comes face-to-face with Stefania—or, Stevie, her real name. When Stevie desperately asks Iris to play along as her girlfriend, Iris is shocked, but goes along with it because maybe this fake relationship will actually get her creative juices flowing and she can get her book written. As the two women play the part of a couple, they turn into a constant state of hot-and-bothered and soon it just comes down to who will make the real first move…
Why you should read it: This is the charming third installment in a series I adore. Iris is such a fun character, and I enjoyed getting to spend time in her POV after seeing her at the periphery of everyone else's stories. And Stevie is just so sweet and lovely (and very believably riddled with anxiety). Plus, I'm a sucker for a good fake-dating-leads-to-real-feelings plot, and it's so well done here. A delightful read all around.
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D'Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding by Chencia C. Higgins
'Instant I Do' could be Kris Zavala’s big break. She’s right on the cusp of really making it as an influencer, so a stint on reality TV is the perfect chance to elevate her brand. And $100,000 wouldn’t hurt, either.
D’Vaughn Miller is just trying to break out of her shell. She’s sort of neglected to come out to her mom for years, so a big splashy fake wedding is just the excuse she needs.
All they have to do is convince their friends and family they’re getting married in six weeks. If anyone guesses they’re not for real, they’re out. Selling their chemistry on camera is surprisingly easy, and it’s still there when no one else is watching, which is an unexpected bonus. Winning this competition is going to be a piece of wedding cake.
But each week of the competition brings new challenges, and soon the prize money’s not the only thing at stake. A reality show isn’t the best place to create a solid foundation, and their fake wedding might just derail their relationship before it even starts.
Why you should read it: This book was so very sweet. I'm not a big fan of reality TV, but I picked the book up anyway and I'm SO GLAD I did. The characters were lovely and complicated, the chemistry was incendiary, and the author delivered on an over-the-top premise in all the best ways. I really appreciated the way the story was paced and structured. I love the way it avoids detouring into a breakup to add extra drama, building momentum and tension in other ways. A lovely read all around.
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Count Your Lucky Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur
Margot Cooper doesn’t do relationships. She tried and it blew up in her face, so she’ll stick with casual hookups, thank you very much. But now her entire crew has found "the one" and she’s beginning to feel like a fifth wheel. And then fate (the heartless bitch) intervenes. While touring a wedding venue with her engaged friends, Margot comes face-to-face with Olivia Grant—her childhood friend, her first love, her first… well, everything. It’s been ten years, but the moment they lock eyes, Margot’s cold, dead heart thumps in her chest.
Olivia must be hallucinating. In the decade since she last saw Margot, her life hasn’t gone exactly as planned. At almost thirty, she’s been married... and divorced. However, a wedding planner job in Seattle means a fresh start and a chance to follow her dreams. Never in a million years did she expect her important new client’s Best Woman would be the one that got away.
When a series of unfortunate events leaves Olivia without a place to stay, Margot offers up her spare room because she’s a Very Good Person. Obviously. It has nothing to do with the fact that Olivia is as beautiful as ever and the sparks between them still make Margot tingle. As they spend time in close quarters, Margot starts to question her no-strings stance. Olivia is everything she’s ever wanted, but Margot let her in once and it ended in disaster. Will history repeat itself or should she count her lucky stars that she gets a second chance with her first love?
Why you should read it: Very sweet, very lovely, and with a wildly satisfying dramatic flourish right at the end. (Seriously, I don't want to say anything specific that might ruin the moment, but it was delightfully cathartic.) The characters in this book have a complicated history between them, of being best friends who crossed some very specific lines before drifting completely apart for over a decade — and I really loved how that shifted the balance of the story, giving us two people who simultaneously know each other SO WELL and also need to spend significant effort learning how to exist together in their current lives. The stubborn miscommunications are incredibly believable, and I'm such a sucker for characters who are doing their best despite fucking up along the way. I enjoyed the hell out of this book.
Iris Kelly Doesn't Date by Ashley Herring Blake
Everyone around Iris Kelly is in love. Her best friends are all coupled up, her siblings have partners that are perfect for them, her parents are still in marital bliss. And she’s happy for all of them, truly. So what if she usually cries in her Lyft on the way home. So what if she misses her friends, who are so busy with their own wonderful love lives, they don’t really notice Iris is spiraling. At least she has a brand-new career writing romance novels (yes, she realizes the irony of it). She is now working on her second book but has one problem: she is completely out of ideas after having spent all of her romantic energy on her debut.
Perfectly happy to ignore her problems as per usual, Iris goes to a bar in Portland and meets a sexy stranger, Stefania, and a night of dancing and making out turns into the worst one-night stand Iris has had in her life (vomit and crying are regretfully involved). To get her mind off everything and overcome her writer's block, Iris tries out for a local play, but comes face-to-face with Stefania—or, Stevie, her real name. When Stevie desperately asks Iris to play along as her girlfriend, Iris is shocked, but goes along with it because maybe this fake relationship will actually get her creative juices flowing and she can get her book written. As the two women play the part of a couple, they turn into a constant state of hot-and-bothered and soon it just comes down to who will make the real first move…
Why you should read it: This is the charming third installment in a series I adore. Iris is such a fun character, and I enjoyed getting to spend time in her POV after seeing her at the periphery of everyone else's stories. And Stevie is just so sweet and lovely (and very believably riddled with anxiety). Plus, I'm a sucker for a good fake-dating-leads-to-real-feelings plot, and it's so well done here. A delightful read all around.
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D'Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding by Chencia C. Higgins
'Instant I Do' could be Kris Zavala’s big break. She’s right on the cusp of really making it as an influencer, so a stint on reality TV is the perfect chance to elevate her brand. And $100,000 wouldn’t hurt, either.
D’Vaughn Miller is just trying to break out of her shell. She’s sort of neglected to come out to her mom for years, so a big splashy fake wedding is just the excuse she needs.
All they have to do is convince their friends and family they’re getting married in six weeks. If anyone guesses they’re not for real, they’re out. Selling their chemistry on camera is surprisingly easy, and it’s still there when no one else is watching, which is an unexpected bonus. Winning this competition is going to be a piece of wedding cake.
But each week of the competition brings new challenges, and soon the prize money’s not the only thing at stake. A reality show isn’t the best place to create a solid foundation, and their fake wedding might just derail their relationship before it even starts.
Why you should read it: This book was so very sweet. I'm not a big fan of reality TV, but I picked the book up anyway and I'm SO GLAD I did. The characters were lovely and complicated, the chemistry was incendiary, and the author delivered on an over-the-top premise in all the best ways. I really appreciated the way the story was paced and structured. I love the way it avoids detouring into a breakup to add extra drama, building momentum and tension in other ways. A lovely read all around.
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Count Your Lucky Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur
Margot Cooper doesn’t do relationships. She tried and it blew up in her face, so she’ll stick with casual hookups, thank you very much. But now her entire crew has found "the one" and she’s beginning to feel like a fifth wheel. And then fate (the heartless bitch) intervenes. While touring a wedding venue with her engaged friends, Margot comes face-to-face with Olivia Grant—her childhood friend, her first love, her first… well, everything. It’s been ten years, but the moment they lock eyes, Margot’s cold, dead heart thumps in her chest.
Olivia must be hallucinating. In the decade since she last saw Margot, her life hasn’t gone exactly as planned. At almost thirty, she’s been married... and divorced. However, a wedding planner job in Seattle means a fresh start and a chance to follow her dreams. Never in a million years did she expect her important new client’s Best Woman would be the one that got away.
When a series of unfortunate events leaves Olivia without a place to stay, Margot offers up her spare room because she’s a Very Good Person. Obviously. It has nothing to do with the fact that Olivia is as beautiful as ever and the sparks between them still make Margot tingle. As they spend time in close quarters, Margot starts to question her no-strings stance. Olivia is everything she’s ever wanted, but Margot let her in once and it ended in disaster. Will history repeat itself or should she count her lucky stars that she gets a second chance with her first love?
Why you should read it: Very sweet, very lovely, and with a wildly satisfying dramatic flourish right at the end. (Seriously, I don't want to say anything specific that might ruin the moment, but it was delightfully cathartic.) The characters in this book have a complicated history between them, of being best friends who crossed some very specific lines before drifting completely apart for over a decade — and I really loved how that shifted the balance of the story, giving us two people who simultaneously know each other SO WELL and also need to spend significant effort learning how to exist together in their current lives. The stubborn miscommunications are incredibly believable, and I'm such a sucker for characters who are doing their best despite fucking up along the way. I enjoyed the hell out of this book.
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The Weather Outside
(A Christmas Shorts Story)
by Yolande Kleinn
M/M, Contemporary Christmas Romance
[22 Pages / 3,600 Words]
AMZ / Apple / BN / Kobo / SW / All Buy Links
When a blizzard strands Colby halfway up a mountain, the timing could hardly be worse. He's supposed to spend Christmas with his family—not trapped in a cabin with his best friend, snowed in without electricity or a safe path into the city. At least he and Pierce have everything they need to survive the inclement weather: food, firewood, and an old iron stove to keep them warm. Now Colby just needs to sort out the soft new signals his heart keeps sending him, before Pierce catches on.
( Excerpt )
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The Marquis Who Mustn't by Courtney Milan
Miss Naomi Kwan has spent years wanting to take ambulance classes so that she can save lives. But when she tries to register, she’s told she needs permission from the man in charge of her. It would be incredibly wrong to claim that the tall, taciturn Chinese nobleman she just met is her fiancé, but Naomi is desperate, and desperate times call for fake engagements. To her unending surprise, Liu Ji Kai goes along with her ruse.
It’s not that Kai is nice. He’s in Wedgeford to practice his family business, and there’s no room for “nice” when you’re out to steal a fortune. It’s not that the engagement is convenient; a fake fiancée winding herself into his life and his heart is suboptimal when he plans to commit fraud and flee the country.
His reason is simple: Kai and Naomi were betrothed as children. He may have disappeared for twenty years, but their engagement isn’t actually fake. It’s the only truth he’s telling.
Why you should read it: I adored this book. The main characters are carrying such complicated and not always compatible baggage, and the ways in which they both grow and change and learn through the book feel SO SATISFYING. The fact that their respective histories of hurt actually help them truly see and resonate with each other is just... I'm not sure I have words for how perfect it felt. Gorgeous and vindicating and completely lovely. (The third book in this series just came out and words cannot convey how excited I am for it.)
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The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting by K.J. Charles
Robin Loxleigh and his sister Marianne are the hit of the Season, so attractive and delightful that nobody looks behind their pretty faces.
Until Robin sets his sights on Sir John Hartlebury’s heiress niece. The notoriously graceless baronet isn’t impressed by good looks, or fooled by false charm. He’s sure Robin is a liar—a fortune hunter, a card sharp, and a heartless, greedy fraud—and he’ll protect his niece, whatever it takes.
Then, just when Hart thinks he has Robin at his mercy, things take a sharp left turn. And as the grumpy baronet and the glib fortune hunter start to understand each other, they also find themselves starting to care—more than either of them thought possible.
But Robin’s cheated and lied and let people down for money. Can a professional rogue earn an honest happy ever after?
Why you should read it: Delightful. DELIGHTFUL. Oh my god, I loved this book even more than I expected to (and my expectations were high.) The chemistry! The characters at odds in so many ways, doing their best to do right by each other! The mutual protectiveness! The scorching hot sex scenes! I've enjoyed every book I have read to date by K.J. Charles, but this one is definitely in the running for reigning favorite. I cried a bit at the end, when a very good and satisfying and cathartic thing happened. A truly excellent book.
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Don't Want You Like a Best Friend by Emma R. Alban
It’s 1857, and anxious debutante Beth has just one season to snag a wealthy husband, or she and her mother will be out on the street.
Gwen, on the other hand, is on her fourth season and counting, with absolutely no intention of finding a husband, possibly ever. She has plenty of security as the only daughter of a rakish earl, from whom she’s inherited her penchant for drinking too much and dancing ‘til dawn.
Beth and Gwen are enchanted with each other on sight. And it doesn’t take long for Gwen to hatch her latest scheme: rather than join the husband hunt, they should set up Gwen’s father and Beth’s newly-widowed mother.
They had a fling years ago, after all...
Why you should read it: This book blew my expectations completely out of the water (and my expectations were pretty high to start with, since it came recommended by some very trusted sources). I loved these characters. I loved the way the author used the complicated and sometimes convoluted world of the historical setting to navigate such a satisfying story of hope and expectations and heartbreak and love. I loved how you could see from the start what shape this happily-ever-after was going to take, and the whole journey is riveting while you wait to find out just how they'll get there. I need book two of this series in my brain immediately.
The Marquis Who Mustn't by Courtney Milan
Miss Naomi Kwan has spent years wanting to take ambulance classes so that she can save lives. But when she tries to register, she’s told she needs permission from the man in charge of her. It would be incredibly wrong to claim that the tall, taciturn Chinese nobleman she just met is her fiancé, but Naomi is desperate, and desperate times call for fake engagements. To her unending surprise, Liu Ji Kai goes along with her ruse.
It’s not that Kai is nice. He’s in Wedgeford to practice his family business, and there’s no room for “nice” when you’re out to steal a fortune. It’s not that the engagement is convenient; a fake fiancée winding herself into his life and his heart is suboptimal when he plans to commit fraud and flee the country.
His reason is simple: Kai and Naomi were betrothed as children. He may have disappeared for twenty years, but their engagement isn’t actually fake. It’s the only truth he’s telling.
Why you should read it: I adored this book. The main characters are carrying such complicated and not always compatible baggage, and the ways in which they both grow and change and learn through the book feel SO SATISFYING. The fact that their respective histories of hurt actually help them truly see and resonate with each other is just... I'm not sure I have words for how perfect it felt. Gorgeous and vindicating and completely lovely. (The third book in this series just came out and words cannot convey how excited I am for it.)
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The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting by K.J. Charles
Robin Loxleigh and his sister Marianne are the hit of the Season, so attractive and delightful that nobody looks behind their pretty faces.
Until Robin sets his sights on Sir John Hartlebury’s heiress niece. The notoriously graceless baronet isn’t impressed by good looks, or fooled by false charm. He’s sure Robin is a liar—a fortune hunter, a card sharp, and a heartless, greedy fraud—and he’ll protect his niece, whatever it takes.
Then, just when Hart thinks he has Robin at his mercy, things take a sharp left turn. And as the grumpy baronet and the glib fortune hunter start to understand each other, they also find themselves starting to care—more than either of them thought possible.
But Robin’s cheated and lied and let people down for money. Can a professional rogue earn an honest happy ever after?
Why you should read it: Delightful. DELIGHTFUL. Oh my god, I loved this book even more than I expected to (and my expectations were high.) The chemistry! The characters at odds in so many ways, doing their best to do right by each other! The mutual protectiveness! The scorching hot sex scenes! I've enjoyed every book I have read to date by K.J. Charles, but this one is definitely in the running for reigning favorite. I cried a bit at the end, when a very good and satisfying and cathartic thing happened. A truly excellent book.
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Don't Want You Like a Best Friend by Emma R. Alban
It’s 1857, and anxious debutante Beth has just one season to snag a wealthy husband, or she and her mother will be out on the street.
Gwen, on the other hand, is on her fourth season and counting, with absolutely no intention of finding a husband, possibly ever. She has plenty of security as the only daughter of a rakish earl, from whom she’s inherited her penchant for drinking too much and dancing ‘til dawn.
Beth and Gwen are enchanted with each other on sight. And it doesn’t take long for Gwen to hatch her latest scheme: rather than join the husband hunt, they should set up Gwen’s father and Beth’s newly-widowed mother.
They had a fling years ago, after all...
Why you should read it: This book blew my expectations completely out of the water (and my expectations were pretty high to start with, since it came recommended by some very trusted sources). I loved these characters. I loved the way the author used the complicated and sometimes convoluted world of the historical setting to navigate such a satisfying story of hope and expectations and heartbreak and love. I loved how you could see from the start what shape this happily-ever-after was going to take, and the whole journey is riveting while you wait to find out just how they'll get there. I need book two of this series in my brain immediately.
Tags:
Bring You Home
by Yolande Kleinn
M/M, Contemporary Erotic Romance
[33 Pages / 7,200 Words]
AMZ / Apple / BN / Kobo / SW / All Buy Links
When Noel Decker volunteers to help Roy Hollis rake leaves, he doesn't begrudge the daunting scope of the project: just the two of them pitted against all the trees in Roy's massive backyard. Noel will take any excuse to spend time with Roy, and anyway, what are friends for?
What Noel doesn't anticipate are all the new and distracting feelings that kindle in his chest, surrounded by the wild oranges and reds of autumn. For all that he's known Roy for years—Noel's whole life in fact—he's never wanted to cross lines like this. Suddenly Noel is getting all sorts of ideas about this gorgeous older man. Unexpected, brazen, thoroughly explicit ideas.
How is he supposed to resist these reckless impulses, when Roy admits to wanting him too?
( Excerpt )
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Liar City by Allie Therin
It’s the middle of the night when part-time police consultant and full-time empath Reece gets an anonymous call warning him that his detective sister needs his help. At an out-of-the-way Seattle marina, he discovers that three people have been butchered—including the author of the country’s strictest anti-empathy bill, which is just days from being passed into law.
Soon, Reece’s caller arrives: a shadowy government agent known as The Dead Man, who is rumored to deal exclusively in cases involving empathy. He immediately takes over the investigation, locking out both local PD and the FBI, but, strangely, keeps Reece by his side.
As the two track an ever-growing trail of violence and destruction across Seattle, Reece must navigate a scared and angry city, an irritating attraction to his mysterious agent companion, and a rising fear that perhaps empaths like him aren’t all flight and no fight after all…
Why you should read it: Oh, this is a PHENOMENAL book—a contemporary paranormal mystery with truly excellent world building. The premise is so well executed that I would be impressed even if I hadn't found the story itself riveting, but the characters and pacing had me on the edge of my seat too. I'm so excited that this is the first in a series. I hope book two's tentative release date can be trusted, because I'm gonna need the sequel in my eyeballs as soon as humanly possible. What a ride!
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Something Wild and Wonderful by Anita Kelly
Alexei Lebedev’s journey on the Pacific Crest Trail began with a single snake. And it was angling for the hot stranger who seemed to have appeared out of thin air. Lex was prepared for rattlesnakes, blisters, and months of solitude. What he wasn’t prepared for was Ben Caravalho. But somehow—on a 2,500-mile trail—Alexei keeps running into the outgoing and charismatic hiker with golden-brown eyes, again and again. It might be coincidence. Then again, maybe there’s a reason the trail keeps bringing them together. . .
Ben has made his fair share of bad decisions, and almost all of them involved beautiful men. And yet there’s something about the gorgeous and quietly nerdy Alexei that Ben can’t just walk away from. Surely a bad decision can’t be this cute and smart. And there are worse things than falling in love during the biggest adventure of your life. But when their plans for the future are turned upside down, Ben and Alexei begin to wonder if it’s possible to hold on to something this wild and wonderful.
Why you should read it: This was such a lovely story, with sweet and earnest characters who fuck up sometimes but are genuinely always doing their best. Lex and Ben spend the book finding themselves just as much as they're finding each other, and seeing them learn to trust each other is a wonderful journey.
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The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles by Malka Older
Mossa has returned to Valdegeld on a missing person’s case, for which she’ll once again need Pleiti’s insight. Seventeen students and staff members have disappeared from Valdegeld University—yet no one has noticed. The answers to this case may lie on the moon of Io—Mossa’s home—and the history of Jupiter’s original settlements during humanity's exodus from Earth.
But Pleiti’s faith in her life’s work as a scholar of the past has grown precarious, and this new case threatens to further destabilize her dreams for humanity’s future, as well as her own.
Why you should read it: A second charming installment in a delightful series. I definitely recommend reading the first one—The Mimicking of Known Successes—before diving into this title, so you can really appreciate the depth of the characters and their relationship. But I also feel you could read this one as a standalone just fine, since the mystery is wholly self-contained. It's a quick read, and downright silly in some places, but never in a way that threw me out of the story. Honestly, the sillier references (and I don't want to give any spoilers for them, you'll just have to read and find them for yourself) fit right in with the wry, occasionally cheeky tone of the story. All-in-all a lovely novella with unmistakable Holmes/Watson vibes.
Liar City by Allie Therin
It’s the middle of the night when part-time police consultant and full-time empath Reece gets an anonymous call warning him that his detective sister needs his help. At an out-of-the-way Seattle marina, he discovers that three people have been butchered—including the author of the country’s strictest anti-empathy bill, which is just days from being passed into law.
Soon, Reece’s caller arrives: a shadowy government agent known as The Dead Man, who is rumored to deal exclusively in cases involving empathy. He immediately takes over the investigation, locking out both local PD and the FBI, but, strangely, keeps Reece by his side.
As the two track an ever-growing trail of violence and destruction across Seattle, Reece must navigate a scared and angry city, an irritating attraction to his mysterious agent companion, and a rising fear that perhaps empaths like him aren’t all flight and no fight after all…
Why you should read it: Oh, this is a PHENOMENAL book—a contemporary paranormal mystery with truly excellent world building. The premise is so well executed that I would be impressed even if I hadn't found the story itself riveting, but the characters and pacing had me on the edge of my seat too. I'm so excited that this is the first in a series. I hope book two's tentative release date can be trusted, because I'm gonna need the sequel in my eyeballs as soon as humanly possible. What a ride!
- — - — - — - — -
Something Wild and Wonderful by Anita Kelly
Alexei Lebedev’s journey on the Pacific Crest Trail began with a single snake. And it was angling for the hot stranger who seemed to have appeared out of thin air. Lex was prepared for rattlesnakes, blisters, and months of solitude. What he wasn’t prepared for was Ben Caravalho. But somehow—on a 2,500-mile trail—Alexei keeps running into the outgoing and charismatic hiker with golden-brown eyes, again and again. It might be coincidence. Then again, maybe there’s a reason the trail keeps bringing them together. . .
Ben has made his fair share of bad decisions, and almost all of them involved beautiful men. And yet there’s something about the gorgeous and quietly nerdy Alexei that Ben can’t just walk away from. Surely a bad decision can’t be this cute and smart. And there are worse things than falling in love during the biggest adventure of your life. But when their plans for the future are turned upside down, Ben and Alexei begin to wonder if it’s possible to hold on to something this wild and wonderful.
Why you should read it: This was such a lovely story, with sweet and earnest characters who fuck up sometimes but are genuinely always doing their best. Lex and Ben spend the book finding themselves just as much as they're finding each other, and seeing them learn to trust each other is a wonderful journey.
- — - — - — - — -
The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles by Malka Older
Mossa has returned to Valdegeld on a missing person’s case, for which she’ll once again need Pleiti’s insight. Seventeen students and staff members have disappeared from Valdegeld University—yet no one has noticed. The answers to this case may lie on the moon of Io—Mossa’s home—and the history of Jupiter’s original settlements during humanity's exodus from Earth.
But Pleiti’s faith in her life’s work as a scholar of the past has grown precarious, and this new case threatens to further destabilize her dreams for humanity’s future, as well as her own.
Why you should read it: A second charming installment in a delightful series. I definitely recommend reading the first one—The Mimicking of Known Successes—before diving into this title, so you can really appreciate the depth of the characters and their relationship. But I also feel you could read this one as a standalone just fine, since the mystery is wholly self-contained. It's a quick read, and downright silly in some places, but never in a way that threw me out of the story. Honestly, the sillier references (and I don't want to give any spoilers for them, you'll just have to read and find them for yourself) fit right in with the wry, occasionally cheeky tone of the story. All-in-all a lovely novella with unmistakable Holmes/Watson vibes.
Tags: