Tag: reading

  • Capclave 2022 Schedule!

    Two conventions in a row?! Yes. I’ll be attending Capclave 2022 this upcoming weekend, hosted by the Washington Science Fiction Association! As this convention is local (or at least more local than Utah), I will be commuting from home, not staying at the host hotel. (Also, I think my cats would riot.) But since this…

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  • Book Review: Couture Crush (Model Love) by Charlie Novak

    My first visit to this new, multi-author series happens to be with one of my favorite authors, so I knew I was in for a treat. Novak brings her lovely writing style and well-crafted characters to a series about professional male models (and the men who love them) with a frank look at both the…

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  • Book Review: Hostile Takeover (The Game #8) by Cara Dee

    Read my reviews of previous books in The Game series: We’re now eight books into this epic, interconnected romance series, and Cara Dee consistently delivers with each new installment. This book does technically work as a stand-alone, but I highly recommend that readers also check out Out of the Ashes (The Game #5) to best…

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  • Book Review: Soft Hands (Sin Bin: West Coast #2) by E.M. Lindsey

    Lindsey treats us to a few of my favorite tropes in the latest installment of their hockey romance series. Poly romance arcs are a particular favorite because it’s like getting multiple story arcs for the price of one, and as usual, Lindsey upends every expectation by creating a unique dynamic between three well-developed characters. Plus,…

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  • Book Review: Secret Service by Tal Bauer

    Bauer is one of those authors whose stunning use of language elevates the work from general storytelling to a genuine art form. I’d probably have loved this book all on its own based on the excellent characterization and intricate plotline, but luckily, I got to read this amazing bit of literature instead. The action starts…

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  • Book Review: Diviner’s Game Series by Jennifer Cody

    This post includes reviews of the books in the Diviner’s Game series: Bishop to Knight One (Diviner’s Game #1) When I tried to read an earlier edition of this book, I didn’t get very far. A few months later, I read other books by this author and fell in love with her creativity and writing…

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  • Book Review: Play by Nikki Markham

    This book is not officially part of the series, per the author, and it works very well as a stand-alone. But, both main characters here are featured in Impact, and the overall friendship connections involved in the larger cast of characters are more interesting and carry a bit more weight if you have read the…

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  • Book Review: Pieces of Silver (Starian Tale) by Iris Foxglove

    This novella works best if you’ve read the main Starian Cycle series of novels, mostly for the identities and relationships between all of the secondary characters who make up the Starian royal family, their consorts, and their important officials. However, the narrators for this particular story are the palace guard captain and royal tailor, which…

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  • Book Review: Rebound by Kate Hawthorne

    A bit of a long-running joke in this author’s social media groups is that she can’t write a stand-alone novel. This book, however, definitely stands alone, and whether she wrote it that way on purpose or not is irrelevant, because it still includes everything I love about her writing and storytelling. Ben and Thomas are…

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  • Dissent Anthology Charity Auction

    The romance community is fighting to protect reproductive freedom with multiple fundraisers. The largest anthology, Dissent, includes brand new and exclusive works from 150+ romance authors, as well as a paired auction. 100% of proceeds from both the anthology and the auction will be donated to Planned Parenthood, the Center for Reproductive Rights, and the…

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  • August Wrap-Up & September Goals

    I have no idea how many words I wrote this month on the first draft of Steel Legacy, but I know I wrote the most important two: Trust me, I’m just as shocked as you are. As shown in the picture above, the final total for what is currently a total mess is 120,560 words.…

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  • Book Review: Lunatic (Necessary Evils #6) by Onley James

    Read my reviews of the previous books in the Necessary Evils series: Unhinged (#1) Psycho (#2) Moonstruck (#3) Damaged (#3.5) Headcase (#4) Mad Man (#5) Every time I can’t possibly love this series more, James ups the ante on us again. I knew going in that this book would cross over with another series by the same author, and that it…

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  • Book Review: Prepared (Auctioned #6) by Cara Dee

    Read my reviews of the previous books in the Auctioned series. What I expected with this book: Total fan service of Gray and Darius’ happily ever after, featuring bachelor party shenanigans, a ceremony and reception I’d cry my way through, and familiar, beloved characters showing up from other series. Had that been all this book…

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  • Book Review: Breaking Points by Chelsea Stickle

    I bought this debut chapbook to support my friend in some small fragment of the way she has supported my writing for years. It then took me an embarrassingly long time to read. Then, when I meant to treat myself to these bits of flash in between working on another project, I found myself devouring…

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  • Book Review: Sworn Enemy (Wild Heart Ranch #1) by Kelly Fox

    This book is the first in a brand-new series, but it is also set in Fox’s sprawling and delightfully interconnected world and features plenty of familiar characters. In particular, the two heroes are featured in previous books – one as a solid sort of hero and another as a specific type of villain. Even before…

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  • Book Review: Breakaway (Sin Bin: West Coast #1) by E.M. Lindsey

    I enjoyed the two original entries in Lindsey’s cowritten foray into hockey romance, and while I have no idea when or whether that series will continue, I already knew I’d also be invested in the Western Conference version written by Lindsey alone. This book includes all of what I enjoyed about that series but with…

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  • Book Review: Paper Girls Volumes 1-2

    Paper Girls Vol. 1 Brian K. Vaughan (writer); Cliff Chiang (artist); Matt Wilson (colors); Jared K. Fletcher (letters) I’ve had the first two volumes of this series sitting on my shelf for ages, and I promise it is a sheer coincidence that I finally decided to read them now that the first episodes of the…

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  • Book Review: A Date to Impress Him (Magi Accounts #2.5) by Michele Notaro

    Read my reviews of the previous books in the Magi Accounts series: Our Hearts That Tie Us (Magi Accounts #0.5) The Scars That Bind Us (Magi Accounts #1) A Kiss to Revive Me (Magi Accounts #1.5) The Shackles That Hold Us (Magi Accounts #2) Notaro has developed a wonderful storytelling pattern with this series by including “slice of life”…

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  • Book Review: Husband Material (London Calling #2) by Alexis Hall

    Read my review of the first book in the London Calling series, Boyfriend Material The structural premise of this book, four weddings and a funeral, is spelled out in the blurb. Between that setup, genre expectations over how a second story about an established relationship will play out, and the title itself, we go in…

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  • Book Review: Sin Deep by Jody Payne & B.A. Tortuga

    I’m a total sucker for the Payne/Tortuga “East meets West with a side of kink” books, and I knew I’d be reading this one even before I found out it was set in the same world as their The Cowboy and The Dom series. One of the things that most impresses me about this author…

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