Tag: books

  • jlgribble.com | Book review: Priest Series (Priest, Sinner, and Saint) by Sierra Simone

    Book Review: Priest Series by Sierra Simone

    This post includes reviews of the books in the Priest series: Priest (#1) Sinner (#2) Saint (#3) Priest (Priest #1) I enjoyed this book a lot more when I stopped thinking about it as a romance. I have very little patience for the religious angst of white guys, especially when it involves a religion with…

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  • jlgribble.com | Book Review: A Mage's Guide to Human Familiars (R'iyah Family Archives #1) by A.J. Sherwood

    Book Review: A Mage’s Guide to Human Familiars (R’iyah Family Archives #1) by A.J. Sherwood

    American readers of a certain age probably got a strange hit of nostalgia while reading this delightful queer paranormal romance novel. The ways Sherwood presents the mage/familiar bond and how Bel interacts with both Nico and Garen gave me lovely echoes of the television show Sentinel; however, this book is not fanfic with the serial…

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  • Book Review: Heart by Garrett Leigh

    Leigh usually rips my heart out with her writing, and this book more than lived up to that expectation. I first met these heroes as side characters in another series by Leigh and immediately knew I needed to learn more about them. This story is half about the unexpected connection and subsequent romance shared by…

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  • Book Review: Heal (White House Men #7) by Nora Phoenix

    Read my reviews of the previous books in the White House Men series. Like many others, I anxiously awaited the final book in this amazing political romance series. This book tied together not only the remaining characters who more than deserved their happily ever after but also acted as a sort of epilogue for the…

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  • Book Review: Always Eli (Forever Love #1) by Charlie Novak

    As the titular character, everything about Eli would have made it easy for him to overshadow everything about this romance. However, Novak is adept at character, which always brings her storytelling to the next level. Not only does Tristan’s solid sweetness function as more than a match for Eli’s sharper edges, but these men exist…

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  • Book Review: Disciplinary Action by Onley James

    I love reading about power exchange relationships, but only those that come from a position of equality. Therefore, I was hesitant to start this book for quite a bit until it was the only book left by this author that I hadn’t read. Since she hasn’t let me down yet, I figured it was time…

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  • Book Review: Bee Cave Magic by Kelly Fox

    Fox is an author for whom I’ll read everything released, even romances tropes I don’t particularly prefer. However, I think the “fated mates” concept works better for a novella-length story than a full novel, so it was even easier to spend an hour with this delightful re-release, originally published before I was a fan of…

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  • Book Review: Peter Cabot Gets Lost (The Cabots #2) by Cat Sebastian

    Read my review of “Tommy Cabot Was Here” (The Cabots #1) as part of the He’s Come Undone anthology. Sometimes I don’t highlight much of a book when I read it on my Kindle because otherwise, I’d end up highlighting the entire text. This is often the case with Sebastian’s work for me. I thoroughly…

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  • Book Review: Open Ice Hit (Sin Bin #1) by E.M. Lindsey & Marina Vivancos

    I should state for the record that my mom grew up in Queens, but my best friend lives in Brooklyn, so I can’t really choose sides between the Sea Dogs or the Phantoms. Two players from rival teams falling in love seems a bit cliché, except the fact that Tommy and Vicki aren’t on the…

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  • jlgribble.com | book review banner for the Kiss Me series by Charlie Novak

    Book Review: Kiss Me Series by Charlie Novak

    This post includes reviews of the currently available books in the Kiss Me series: Strawberry Kisses (#1) Summer Kisses (#2) Spiced Kisses (#3) Strawberry Kisses (Kiss Me #1) This story is the perfect read if you’re looking for a balance of sweetness, steam, and feels. Patrick and Connor have been best friends for years and…

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  • featured image of random book pages with the label November Wrap-Up and December Goals

    November Wrap-Up & December Goals

    As 2022 barrels down on us, I can say two things with certainty: 1) I still dislike cold weather; and 2) If the Kindle Unlimited price ever goes up, it’s probably my fault. But good news! In 3 weeks, I’ll be headed to warmer waters (literally) for a much-needed true vacation. And the best part…

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  • Book Review: Weave the Dark, Weave the Light by Anna Zabo

    Disclaimer: I am friends with this author; however, I purchased this ebook for full price. A novella is a tricky length for a story, especially one that includes fantasy worldbuilding. However, Zabo does an amazing job with this sweet yet steamy romance between two unexpected characters. Jonathan is both something like a dream come true…

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  • Book Review: The Masked Boys by Julia McBryant

    I began this book expecting nothing more than some ridiculous kinky fun between bored rich boys at a boarding school. I was half right. The motivation behind the Plan is a bit silly, and the boys are certainly bored and rich, but the boarding school is not what I expected. These are (adult) teenagers who…

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  • Book Review: Playing the Palace by Paul Rudnick

    I find it hilarious that “gay English prince” is a legitimate subgenre of queer romance. Still, I worried that I’d find it repetitive after previously enjoying Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston and The Spare by Miranda Dubner. Overall, this book is much more of a romantic comedy like the former, but it…

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  • Book Review: Without a Doubt (Love Starts Here #1) by E.M. Lindsey

    This series is described as “light-hearted” in the cover description, and I suppose this book is when compared to other works by Lindsey. Carter is a cinnamon roll, and Rhys has the hard edges for them to mesh perfectly. However, both men carry a certain amount of emotional damage that doesn’t make a relationship easy,…

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  • Book Review: Pretty Obsessed (Pretty Broken #1) by J.R. Gray

    Rock star romances can be a mixed bag for me, but Gray had me at “cinnamon roll writer” and Emory and River’s incredibly unique meet-cute. As their interactions progressed, Gray also provided me with one of my favorite tropes ever (idiots in love) as Emory and River both try to hide their (sometimes low-, sometimes…

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  • jlgribble.com | Book Review: Candy (Wrecked novella) by Kelly Fox

    Book Review: Candy (Wrecked novella) by Kelly Fox

    Disclaimer: I received an electronic ARC of this novella from the author. ‘Tis the season for holiday treats, and Fox provides an amazing present to her readers in the form of a return to our favorite gym for combat vets. Caleb is not a combat vet in the traditional sense, but he has just finished…

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  • Book Review: Last First Kiss by E.M. Denning

    Disclaimer: I received an electronic ARC of this book from the author. This book is one of those stories that is exactly what it says on the tin, and absolutely nothing about that is bad. Denning is deft enough at characterization that Logan and Ezra are more than walking stereotypes of young twink and jaded,…

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  • Book Review: Enemies Series by Cara Dee

    This post includes reviews of the books in the Enemies series: A New Enemy (#1) I’m Not Your Enemy (#2) A New Enemy (Book 1) I’m sure other readers might complain about how Dee sometimes breaks her stories into shorter books. While I might be tempted to add to those complaints because I want nothing…

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  • Book Review: Cryptic (Puzzles #1) by Jodi Payne & B.A. Tortuga

    I’ve loved everything I’ve read by this pair of authors, so I knew I had to check out their newest foray into the romantic thriller genre. Though none of the characters is a Texan former rodeo cowboy, their combined voice shines through the intriguing combination of Derek, NYC detective, and Matthew, a profiler from New…

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