Tag: romance
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Review: Enlightened (Enlightenment #3) by Joanna Chambers
The finale to this trilogy does an excellent job of concluding plot threads from previous books on multiple levels. David and Murdo have grown as people and grown closer together, but some roadblocks (internal and external) still stand in the way of their happily every after. When both of them…
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Review: Vampromance (Reluctant Necromancer #2) by Kaye Draper
I don’t get to binge-read this series like I did Draper’s previous reverse harem epic, but I’m enjoying it all the same. Esper is an intriguing character, and I appreciate the set-up of her being lost from her family line as a way for the audience to learn about the…
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Review: Gilded Cage (Lilywhite Boys #2) by K.J. Charles
I re-read the first Lilywhite Boys book right before starting this one, because I could and because it’s that good. This book concludes the short series admirably, though I highly recommend also making sure to read “The Ratcatcher’s Daughter” to get a better feel for the overall conflict. The first…
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Review: Gryphon’s Pride (Gesa’s Menagerie #1) by Kaye Draper
The author warns in the book description that this is “not your typical reverse harem.” I would also happily argue that this is not a typical romance or typical urban fantasy. With that combination, I was immediately sucked into the world-building, the plot, and the characters. Gesa is the “strong…
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Review: No Rest for the Wicked (Immortals After Dark #3) by Kresley Cole
I adored everything about this book — except for the two main characters, who fell short in contrast to the scope of this exciting tale. Sebastian’s character arc may have been typical of alpha romance heroes when this book was first published, but it doesn’t hold up as well in…
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Review: Beguiled (Enlightenment #2) by Joanna Chambers
Two years later, David Lauriston and Murdo Balfour meet once again. The events of this book revolve around King George’s visit to Scotland, which personifies one of the things I’m most enjoying about this trilogy. So much of Regency(ish) romance takes place in London and English estates. Shifting the location…
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Review: Provoked (Enlightenment #1) by Joanna Chambers
The list of romance authors I follow seems to be growing, as I add yet another writer whose books I shall now proceed to devour all of. I read this title in a single evening and immediately purchased the next in the series. Many romance books star lovers from vastly…
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Review: Silent Blade (Kinsmen #1) by Ilona Andrews
This is an older book by the authors, and I’m impressed by how far their writing ability has come (though this wasn’t poorly written by any means). They’ve always been excellent storytellers though, and this novella stands out in this regard. The society worldbuilding here reminds me a lot of…
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Review: The Rat-Catcher’s Daughter (Lilywhite Boys #0.5) by K.J. Charles
One of my favorite things about K.J. Charles’ writing is how she weaves together emotion, intrigue, and suspense. Another of my favorite things is how she inserts non-straight and nonbinary characters without unnecessary fanfare into historical fiction that too often lacks such representation as it it never existed before the…
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Review: Follow Him Home (Lovers Rush/Alternate Worlds #1) by P.W. Davies
This book started off slow, but quickly escalated to an interesting story line I found hard to put down. All three protagonists where well-developed and intriguing in their own way. Even the doctor Peter might seem bland on the surface, but his depths were revealed in the way he reacted…
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Review: The Portrait Problem (The Galipp Files #3) by Jamaila Brinkley
Disclaimer: I am friends with the author; however, I bought the ebook for full price. The Galipp Files are a solid trilogy chronicling the evolving relationship between Anastasia and her partner-turned-fiance Simon. Along the way, they solve magical crimes in their version of not overly-magical London. My biggest complaint about…
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Review: Spectred Isle (Green Men #1) by K.J. Charles
Though it’s not stated explicitly, I think this book is best read after the author’s The Secret Casebook of Simon Feximal. Some secondary characters cross over, and it provides a good grounding on how the supernatural exists in this world. However, this book takes a deeper look at the nature…
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Review: A Hunger Like No Other (Immortals After Dark #2) by Kresley Cole
I’m intrigued by the expansive world-building in the universe of this paranormal romance series, obviously enough to read the second book in the series. And I just bought the third one. But I have such conflicted feelings about the relationships in the romance aspect of the stories. The whole “vampire…
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Review: Sapphire Flames (Hidden Legacy #4) by Ilona Andrews
It’s no secret to anyone following my book reviews that Ilona Andrews is one of my “drop everything and read the new book ASAP” authors. I anxiously awaited the arrival of the newest installment of the Hidden Legacy series and devoured the book within 24 hours. Reading the previous installments…
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Review: Broken News by Sara Dobie Bauer
Disclaimer: I am friends with the author; I received an ebook in exchange for an honest review. It’s common to refer to the main characters in a romance story as the heroes, but there are no heroes in this book. Eric West is an unabashed crime lord, and Will fully…
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Review: Draakenwood (Whyborne & Griffin #9) by Jordan L. Hawk
We’re back in Widdershins for Whyborne & Griffin’s latest adventure, but this time it’s the old families who are the targets. When Whyborne is accused of murder, he and his allies must not only clear his name, but also prevent the rise of a great evil. Plenty of familiar faces…
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Review: Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
I started reading romance novels in 2016, in large part due to the emotional chaos wrought by the American presidential election. Luckily, judging by McQuiston’s author note at the end of this novel, she saw a need in the general readership and persevered in filling it. This book is exactly…
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Review: The Dragon Mistress: Book 3 (Eburosi Chronicles #10) by R.A. Steffan
I burned through all of the books in this series very quickly, then had to wait months for this latest installment. I read it all the evening of the day it was released. It was worth the wait. Like the previous books, Frella’s story contains nonstop action and adventure. Multiple…
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Review: The 5th Gender (Tinkered Stars Mystery) by G.L. Carriger
As someone who regularly speaks at writing and fandom conventions about the topic of “genre blending” or “genre blurring” in contemporary writing, I have some pretty strong opinions on the subject. Carriger’s science-fiction/romance/mystery is certainly one that I will now hold up as a great example of how to blend…
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Review: Love Across the Universe by Stars & Stones Books
Disclaimer: I am friends with the majority of the authors in this collection. I won my hardcopy in a raffle basket supporting an academic scholarship. This science-fiction romance collection was an excellent summer read. The stories themselves were a mixed bag for me, with a few being stand-outs. Favorite Stories…