Absolutely adorable, and so funny and cute that I laughed out loud multiple times. I liked but didn't love the first book in this series of standaloneAbsolutely adorable, and so funny and cute that I laughed out loud multiple times. I liked but didn't love the first book in this series of standalone fantasy rom-coms; this one, I just adored. And I'm really hoping that the next book will star a side-character in a different part of the country who sounds fantastic!...more
Ahhh I was lucky enough to get an early copy of Book 2 in this fast-paced, action-heavy, romantic fantasy trilogy starring a brutally focused heroine,Ahhh I was lucky enough to get an early copy of Book 2 in this fast-paced, action-heavy, romantic fantasy trilogy starring a brutally focused heroine, and I loved it even more than book 1. Having gotten through the one battle she'd expected, Sierra is now facing a whole set of new challenges - and also figuring out, as a person devoted to her plans, how to combine her lifelong dreams for the future with an unexpected and INCREDIBLY swoonworthy romance that shifts to a new level in this book.
Sometimes book 2 in a tightly-linked trilogy can feel like filler; this was anything but. I adored it from the beginning, I loooooved the ending, and I cannot wait to read Book 3! I'm so glad that Casey is releasing all three of these books so quickly....more
This is an incredibly fun short novel absolutely packed with magical action and adventure, narrated by a brilliant heroine who's been waiting for yearThis is an incredibly fun short novel absolutely packed with magical action and adventure, narrated by a brilliant heroine who's been waiting for years to set her radical, revolutionary plans in motion...but is taken totally off guard by falling in love along the way. I absolutely barreled through it, loved the action, loved the magic, loved the heroine, and loved the demon hero, too.
This one ends on - not quite a cliffhangery note (because it was a great spot to end the book), but in the classic mode where one big problem may be taken care of, but another one has just been set up. So I'm thrilled that Casey Blair is releasing all three books in this trilogy in quick succession, and I can't wait to read Books 2 and 3!...more
Honestly, this was the single most fun horror-romance I've ever read, and a plane ride was the perfect way to devour it, because it provided such a grHonestly, this was the single most fun horror-romance I've ever read, and a plane ride was the perfect way to devour it, because it provided such a great escape! It managed to be both fantastically creepy and also very funny and romantic, I loved the way it all came together at the end, and my only tiny nitpick (or maybe just a warning?) is that the hero's level of protective violence would probably work more naturally in a fantasy setting instead of in a small rural American town in the year 2000. But if you can just roll with that as being part and parcel of the over-the-top fun of this book (as I decided I could), you'll have a fabulous time reading all of it!
PS: As someone born in the late 70s, it gave me physical pain to mark this as a historical novel on my Goodreads shelves. ;) But on the upside, I really did enjoy all the familiar references and the nostalgia-factor! And I appreciated Gannon's afterword a lot....more
This book is beautifully written, warm and compassionate, and honestly, it would have gotten 5 stars from me if I hadn't just read Newman's other noveThis book is beautifully written, warm and compassionate, and honestly, it would have gotten 5 stars from me if I hadn't just read Newman's other novel (Sandwich), which stars essentially the same heroine and the same family members, just with different names and one gender-swap - the same in terms of both personalites and physical descriptions, making the identities impossible to miss. Honestly, I would be happy to read many books about these same warm, generous, neurotic, imperfect people doing their best, but speaking purely for my own subjective reading tastes, I would have enjoyed the overlap more if she'd just kept the same names for those characters in both books, so that the repetition felt more explicitly intentional.
But that being said, if I'd read this first I would have just loved it (as I did love Sandwich), and it is a really lovely novel when read purely on its own merits....more
Ohhhh this book. This book - !!! [Insert all the heart-eyes here.] It is the most deliciously fun combination of genuine thrills and scary moments witOhhhh this book. This book - !!! [Insert all the heart-eyes here.] It is the most deliciously fun combination of genuine thrills and scary moments with laugh out loud hilarity. Seriously, I cannot remember the last time I laughed out loud so many times while reading any book - and yet, it still caught me up in heartfelt emotions underneath all the jokes and banter.
I always loved Olivia Dade's contemporary romances, but this first foray of hers into paranormal rom-com genre filled me with total glee. Here's to many more hilarious romantic adventures in the series! (And I'm already particularly looking forward to Book 2 - which stars a different couple - after the hints given at the end of Book 1.)...more
This is such a fun closer to a fantastic trilogy, full of adventure, space-operatic political intrigue, and romance. I cannot wait to read more from JThis is such a fun closer to a fantastic trilogy, full of adventure, space-operatic political intrigue, and romance. I cannot wait to read more from Jessie Mihalik!...more
Another incredibly fun space opera romance from Jessie Mihalik! This trilogy should definitely be read in order for the full effect - and I'm having sAnother incredibly fun space opera romance from Jessie Mihalik! This trilogy should definitely be read in order for the full effect - and I'm having so much fun devouring it. I absolutely loved all of the characters, and the only reason this one is 4 stars instead of 5 is because the stakes of the main plot in this one were less personal and more about high-level saving the world, and I just personally, subjectively prefer those more intimate stakes in stories. That being said, I still raced through this with *huge* enjoyment, cheered when the frustratingly-noble hero finally gave in to the fantastic heroine (whom I adored), and can't wait to dive into book 3. :) I'm loving this trilogy!...more
I was lucky enough to get to read an early copy of this one, and it's delicious - quite possibly my favorite in the series so far, and the most delighI was lucky enough to get to read an early copy of this one, and it's delicious - quite possibly my favorite in the series so far, and the most delightful possible escape-read while dealing with covid. Highly recommended!...more
I enjoyed every moment of this adventure (filled with Russian mythology and adorable evil animals), and while I was happy to see Roman again after enjI enjoyed every moment of this adventure (filled with Russian mythology and adorable evil animals), and while I was happy to see Roman again after enjoying him as a side character in the Kate Daniels book, you can absolutely read this without having read any other Andrews books beforehand. So much fun!
There's also a tiny bonus short story at the end which was a pure delight. <3...more
This is the blurb I sent for this novella after reading my e-ARC: “Expertly mingling suspenseful space battles, political intrigue, clashing rivalriesThis is the blurb I sent for this novella after reading my e-ARC: “Expertly mingling suspenseful space battles, political intrigue, clashing rivalries, tender romance, and the creation of a new found family, Navigational Entanglements is just dazzlingly good.”
A lovely, short and straightforward retelling of the Tam Lin ballad, with a determined heroine and a sweet hero and a nice touch in turning the Queen A lovely, short and straightforward retelling of the Tam Lin ballad, with a determined heroine and a sweet hero and a nice touch in turning the Queen of Faerie (usually so gorgeous as she rides through the forest in most tellings) into a genuinely frightening bog-fae....more
What an absolutely wonderful book - like a big warm hug in paper form! (Or like a soft hug from the hilarious and deeply endearing sentient spider plaWhat an absolutely wonderful book - like a big warm hug in paper form! (Or like a soft hug from the hilarious and deeply endearing sentient spider plant sidekick in this novel.) The Spellshop is deeply, deeply cozy, but with a sharp enough edge (as the heroine flees the bloody aftermath of a revolution she supports in principle - but that would kill her if she stayed - and then sets up an illicit spell shop that will definitely HELP people, but that could get her executed if the wrong people find out) that it's never saccharine. Instead, it's like the tart, incredible raspberry jam she makes (in scenes that made my mouth water as I read). And I looooooved the lowkey romance subplot, too! There was so much in this book about vulnerability and courage and community, and none of it felt simplistic - it was all carefully thought through, which made its themes really powerful.
I loved the characters - I loved the story - and I finished the book with a huge smile on my face. I'm glad I got it in hardcover, because there will definitely be MANY comfort re-reads of it in the future....more
OK, this was just ridiculously fun! I kept thinking as I read it that it would make a great rom-com film, in the style of Knight and Day or The ThomasOK, this was just ridiculously fun! I kept thinking as I read it that it would make a great rom-com film, in the style of Knight and Day or The Thomas Crowne Affair, and as a book, it's also perfect for anyone who loved Jennifer Crusie's Faking It. I loved the twistiness of the plot, all of which was nicely grounded and foreshadowed, and I had so much fun as I read this battle of wits between two fantastic characters.
A quick note: I spent the first 50 pages or so thinking it would be a 4-star read, because I was having fun but not sure I could really completely buy into the hero based on some of his actions. Then a LOT more stuff came to light, and...let's just say, it's going to be a very fun book to re-read, knowing everything I discovered by the end! And it's a 5-star read all the way for me, now. :)
This is officially the second book in a series, but it was the first book I read, and it stood alone perfectly. ...more
Lovely and resonant, probably even more so because I'm not yet at quite the same life stage as the heroine (who's dealing with menopause, a*4.5 stars*
Lovely and resonant, probably even more so because I'm not yet at quite the same life stage as the heroine (who's dealing with menopause, a newly empty nest, and elderly parents) but I can definitely see it all in the near distance. I think a lot of readers may be put off by the heroine's menopause-aggravated flashes of rage - which are definitely not well directed or necessarily sympathetic - but they do feel awfully emotionally true. Sooooo many lines throughout this book are just so beautiful and emotionally raw.
Honestly, I only had one very tiny nitpick, which was that 3/4 of the way through, for the very first time and out of nowhere, without any textual preparation, the heroine suddenly addressed the reader as "You" as if she'd been telling a story to a particular audience all along...and that just didn't work for me, personally, with the whole style of the story so far. However, it was only referenced one more time (IIRC) in just one or two more lines, so although each time threw me out of the story for a minute, it definitely didn't detract from my intense enjoyment of the book.
I will absolutely be reading this one again across my life, and I'm glad I bought a hardcover copy....more
An adorable mashup of Twelfth Night and A Midsummer's Dream, set in a very unique high school full of the fairies from AMD and bursting with vibrancy.An adorable mashup of Twelfth Night and A Midsummer's Dream, set in a very unique high school full of the fairies from AMD and bursting with vibrancy. Honestly, if I'd ever been a fan of the original Twelfth Night, I think this would have been five stars all the way! And even as-is, I tore through it in less than an hour and enjoyed it all the way....more
The first book in this SF romantic thriller trilogy was fun, with great characters and banter and a compulsive pace that swept me through it. However,The first book in this SF romantic thriller trilogy was fun, with great characters and banter and a compulsive pace that swept me through it. However, it was also SO breathlessly paced that I could never quite tell whether all the pieces of the mystery really lined up.
This book, though? This book was just *excellent* - a thriller that (while still fast paced) took the time to line up every single piece in an inexorable, inevitable, and incredibly tense line while also giving fantastic banter and a wonderful slow burn romance.
I thought about giving it 4.5 stars just subjectively, because ARGH that cliffhanger was so painful, but honestly, that wouldn't be fair. It's Book 2 in a tightly-arced trilogy - we all know the kinds of endings those get, and the author pulled it off perfectly, closing the individual book's story off really well. I will definitely be reading Book 3 ASAP!...more
This book feels like the loveliest possible mashup of Cat Sebastian's gentle historical queer romances and Ellen Kushner's Swordspoint, and it's just This book feels like the loveliest possible mashup of Cat Sebastian's gentle historical queer romances and Ellen Kushner's Swordspoint, and it's just wonderful. Funny, cozy, and romantic, with fabulous swordfighting and lovable characters. The plot is less propulsive than the Last Binding books, but that gives Marske time to really dive deep into the characters.
A big fat immersive fantasy book that starts with a dark fairy tale and goes on to tell the story of one woman's life (from the beginning to the end) A big fat immersive fantasy book that starts with a dark fairy tale and goes on to tell the story of one woman's life (from the beginning to the end) as she fights to find her place and purpose in a harsh world. There are a lot of lovely messages about survival and compassion, and along with the darkness there's a slow burn romance and growing hope. Perfect for readers who really want to sink into another world and live there for a good while!...more
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