What a silly premise. A silly-goose premise, if you will. But what a delightful book. I was sceptical when I picked this one up. Really? A stuffed goose is a huge deal?! But I had enjoyed both of the author’s previous books that I’d picked up so I felt compelled to give this one a go too. And I am so glad I did. First – and this is included in the book, but you … Continue reading Wild Goose Chase by Sarah Adler
This is not a happy book. The cover looks kind of whimsical and the title suggests a fun flirtation. You’d be wrong on both counts. This book is somber. But please, do not let that put you off. It is beautiful as well, in an aching kind of way. Neelu works on a reality TV dating series that’s set in tropical locations. She’s been based in LA since she and her mom moved there when … Continue reading Just a Highland Fling by Naina Kumar
This guest review comes from Lisa! A longtime romance aficionado and frequent commenter to SBTB, Lisa is a queer Latine critic with a sharp tongue and lots of opinions. She frequently reviews at All About Romance and Women Write About Comics, where she’s on staff, and you can catch her at @thatbouviergirl on Twitter. There, she shares good reviews, bracing industry opinions and thoughtful commentary when she’s not on her grind looking for the next … Continue reading The Bonnet Brigade by Christy Matheson
Oh man, I had a GREAT time with Fossil Feud! Rich in detail, drenched in chemistry and wonderfully, bitingly smart. Ripley is a private paleontologist. She dropped out of her PhD programme after some seriously nefarious shit by her then-boyfriend, Will, and moved from academia into the private sector. At the start of the story, she’s working on an Indigenous-owned ranch in Montana excavating fossils in a partnership with Cara, the ranch owner’s granddaughter. There … Continue reading Fossil Feud by Maggie North
For the duration of my time with The Cloak and Dagger Club, there was one question which I kept asking myself: Why am I still reading this book? It was the same reason I finish every murder-mystery novel I pick up: I need to know who the killer is. Often this is to my detriment. I have dragged my suffering self through many a terrible novel just to know who killed the victim. It’s okay, … Continue reading The Cloak and Dagger Club by Jackie McMahon
I made a tactical error with this book. While I originally picked this one up because of the cover (a clearly plus size main character? Sold!) I read the acknowledgements before writing the review. In that piece of writing, it became clear just how much of the author’s own life was put on the page. Big things. Life changing things. It made me look at the book differently. I really enjoyed Vera Stein is Fine … Continue reading Vera Stein is Fine by Julie Murphy
I absolutely loved The Scandalous Confessions of Lydia Bennet, Witch by Melinda Taub so you can imagine my glee when she wrote a second book, The Shocking Experiments of Miss Mary Bennet. Even the fact that it was a library book and my dog chewed up the cover and I had to pay for it did not lessen my joy. Here is the publisher’s summary of the plot: Awkward, plain, and overlooked, Mary Bennet has … Continue reading The Shocking Experiments of Miss Mary Bennet by Melinda Taub
The protagonist of Fabulous Bodies, Poppy, appears on the scene as a horrible person who has survived a horrible childhood. Early on, she meets someone who says, “I’m not a bad guy. I’m just a survivor.” Over the course of the novel, Poppy learns what the difference is. This story by Chuck Tingle is a gory horror-thriller that I absolutely ate up, but be prepared for a high body count and a lot of implausibility. … Continue reading Fabulous Bodies by Chuck Tingle
The blurb promised me a Regency Bachelorette (like the TV show). What I found was a bit different, but nonetheless a great time. It has been decreed by the powers that be (yes, I’m being vague on purpose) that Charlotte should marry by the end of the summer. She has her own reasons for marrying and can’t see her way out of this ‘decree’ anyway, so her gran invites a series of eligible suitors to … Continue reading Just for the Season by Rachel Griffiths
When I read the following scene near the start of Big Stick Energy, I knew I was going to have a good time with this hockey romance. The captain, Eric (our hero) describes his teammates getting off the bus by saying “I watch as they file toward the front, a procession of exhausted millionaires griping like toddlers before nap time.” It made me hoot with laughter. I thought, here was a sports romance that a … Continue reading Big Stick Energy by Sarina Bowen
I am RIDDLED with flu and seem to have spent most of the weekend waiting for my flu meds to kick in. To pass the time, I picked up Dearest Beast and it did a very good job of distracting me from my revolting sinuses and aching body. Rebecca works as a midwife in London in the early 1800s. Our hero Roger’s truly horrific 9-year-old daughter Fannie sets fire to Rebecca’s workroom (and house) through … Continue reading Dearest Beast by Felicia Grossman
