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Five-Star Reads for September 2025
Note: Reviews are listed alphabetically by author’s last name. Like my reviews? The Fall Tal Bauer A surprise release by one of my favorite authors means that I dropped everything and read. And read. And then read some more, because while this book is a slow burn, it is also incredibly long. That doesn’t mean it’s…
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Five-Star Reads for August 2025
Note: Reviews are listed alphabetically by author’s last name. Like my reviews? Xerxes Ascendant Adelaide Blaike (House Epsilon #2) I’ve been anxiously awaiting the conclusion to this story since I finished book 1 and screamed. A lot. Luckily, Blaike doesn’t draw out that particular cliffhanger for too long; instead, she hits readers with the expected and…
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Con Report: Rainbow Readers Cruise 2025
I set sail again last week on the second annual Rainbow Readers Cruise! After having so much fun the year before, I knew this was an event I didn’t want to miss, despite my packed summer travel schedule. With my favorite emotional support human/road-trip adventure friend, Rory Maxwell, we flew down to Florida last Sunday…
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July Wrap-Up & August Goals
I know it’s been a minute since you’ve heard from me beyond book recommendations, friends. Since my last monthly update, I’ve attended book events on both sides of the country, visited my old hometown, gone on an Alaskan cruise, gotten a second tattoo, celebrated a short story acceptance, renovated my closet, and even managed to…
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Con Report: RomantiConn 2025
After attending RomantiConn last year as Rory Maxwell‘s assistant, I was thrilled to be invited as an author in 2025! This event focuses on romance, but the organizers have done an amazing job of mixing various subgenres and gender pairings. Though we were only signing on Saturday, Rory and I made a weekend of this…
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Five-Star Reads for July 2025
Note: Reviews are listed alphabetically by author’s last name. Like my reviews? Little Did We Know Cara Dee (Mclean Tales #1) After a dozen books in the primary Game series (and so many delicious cameos across probably a dozen more books set in the same world), I hope Dee isn’t surprised by how quickly her dedicated…
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Five-Star Reads for June 2025
Note: Reviews are listed alphabetically by author’s last name. Like my reviews? Remade Cara Dee (Hillcroft Group #3) This second half picks up immediately where we left the action in the first half, creating a complete romance and external plot arc by the end, but not without putting us through the wringer. Before any resolution to…
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Con Report: Pride Litcon 2025
A mere week after getting home from my epic West Coast adventure, I hit the road again! This time, for another new event a little closer to home. Pride Litcon was a single-day book signing in Richmond, Virginia, and yet another new event that I hope continues for years to come. I picked up fellow…
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Con Report: Queers & Quills 2025
When this brand new event was announced in spring of 2024, I submitted an interest form simply because you miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take. I was both shocked and thrilled to be accepted as a signing author to the first Queers and Quills! I hadn’t been back to the West Coast…
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Five-Star Reads for May 2025
Note: Reviews are listed alphabetically by author’s last name. Like my reviews? Unmade Cara Dee (Hillcroft Group #2) Dee has lured her loyal readers into her latest romantic suspense series by promising (and delivering) a ton of the crossover potential that makes the sprawling shared world of her books so much fun. However, new readers shouldn’t…
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April Wrap-Up & May Goals
Another month, another late start. I promise to try not to make this a habit. Lots happened in April, including two trips, a major deadline, a household milestone, and a long-time dream! The spouse and I briefly escaped to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic for a long weekend with my family, where I got…
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Con Report: Read the Rainbow 2025
A year or so ago, a queer romance book convention made a questionable decision to change the location of their annual event. In response, multiple new events celebrating queer fiction (romance or otherwise) have sprung up. As a fairly new author to this genre, I’ve been excited to take advantage of these opportunities. I recently…
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Five-Star Reads for April 2025
Note: Reviews are listed alphabetically by author’s last name. Like my reviews? Shifting Ties Abrianna Denae & Leigh Kenzie (Crimson Bonds #2) One of the authors in this co-write team told me before release that this was the “nice” book in this series. Either nice is a relative term, or we’re in for a real ride…
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March Wrap-Up & April Goals
Let’s start this month (which started almost a week ago, appropriately) with a question and a statement. Okay, now that we’re on the same page, the rest of this monthly update will make a lot more sense. My work productivity levels were pretty low because I’ve been white-knuckling the world to also keep my anxiety…
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Five-Star Reads for March 2025
Note: Reviews are listed alphabetically by author’s last name. Like my book reviews? Destruction Abrianna Denae & Leigh Kenzie (Crimson Bonds #1) What’s better than one sprawling, kinky, interconnected mafia family? Two, obviously. Though the individual series by Denae and Kenzie have distinct themes and vibes, these authors combine them brilliantly and each bring their strengths…
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February Wrap-Up & March Goals
I gave myself a bunch of goals this month…which promptly hit the wall of the real world. Here in the United States, it’s a pretty depressing time to work in public health, much less focused on LGBTQIA+ sexual health. Special shout-out here to Taylor J. Gray, with 22 novels from multiple interconnected series, who provided…
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Five-Star Reads for February 2025
Note: Reviews are listed alphabetically by author’s last name. Mutual Possession Aurora Crane (Nine Tenths of the Law #1) With this book, Crane not only sets a new record high for possessive characters, she obliterates the competition. The way Kendrick and Spencer think of each other isn’t necessarily sane, but that doesn’t stop their connection from…
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Con Report: Farpoint 2025
Last weekend I had a great, chill time at one of my favorite SF/F conventions, Farpoint! Since this is a local event for me, a mere 20 minutes from my house, I commuted instead of staying at the event hotel. I also had a relatively light schedule, compared to most cons where I’m a presenter…
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January Wrap-Up & February Goals
This may be the dumbest timeline ever, or a roller coaster I’d really like to escape, but I’m hanging in there for now. Early last month, I had some resolution about doing more yoga, but scratch that. New 2025 resolution: Keep writing, reading, and championing stories that feature love, queer and other minority voices, and…
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Five-Star Reads for January 2025
Note: Reviews are listed alphabetically by author’s last name. Juvenalia Jennifer Burke (Valerius Mystery #2) I was immediately swept into this book once again by Burke’s amazing talent at making the alien world of ancient Rome so incredibly relatable to a modern perspective. Valerius falls headfirst into another combination of mysteries, doing his “non” job at…
