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Review: Sapphire (Jewels Cafe #2) by Eva Delaney
I think this series is definitely less on the serious side and more on the absurdly ridiculous spectrum of the fantasy genre. Once again, this “reverse harem” actually means over-the-top and unbelievable wish fulfillment rather than real relationships. I honestly would have enjoyed this more without the sex, if it was just about Sapphire the…
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Review: Amber (Jewels Cafe #1) by Mia Harlan
I checked out this series because I saw it recommended in another author’s mailing list. I’ve previously enjoyed other reverse harem series, so why not? It turns out I enjoy the conflict and drama that can accompany polyamorous relationships rather than the wish-fulfillment/escapism of one girl with a handful of dudes swooning over her. Amber…
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Review: A Delicate Deception (Regency Impostors #3) by Cat Sebastian
As an author who experiences chronic anxiety, I identified perhaps too well with the character of Amelia in this Regency romance story. In her place, I’d happily retreat to the countryside and abandon all my triggers, but I also sympathized with her desire to stay part of her loved ones’ lives. It’s a difficult balance…
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Review: Wicked Deeds on a Winter’s Night (Immortals After Dark #4) by Kresley Cole
I keep really enjoying these books and then knocking a star off my rating because the heroes REALLY need to learn about consent and boundaries. Coming to this paranormal romance series as a “modern” romance reader definitely makes certain scenes more cringe-worthy than sexy, but Cole continues to suck me in with her world-building and…
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Review: SEAL of Honor (HORNET #1) by Tonya Burrows
Disclaimer: I am acquaintances with the author; however, I purchased this ebook for full price. As a military spouse, I never really saw the appeal of romance fiction featuring a military (or former military) hero. I know too much about the realities of military life to have any desire to romanticize it, but I’ve known…
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Review: Thieves’ Honor (Wizards of London #1) by Jamaila Brinkley
Disclaimer: I am friends with the author; however, I purchased this ebook for full price. I devoured this book so quickly, and with such enjoyment, that I forgot to take any notes for my review! Brinkley’s debut novel features romance, magic, and mystery set in historical London. She weaves together the tropes from multiple genres…
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Review: Wolfromance (Reluctant Necromancer #3) by Kaye Draper
I understand that authors are always warned not to “info-dump” to their readers, that they should include the information the reader needs to know naturally through the story. But there’s a downside to that, when so many things are going on that everyone EXCEPT the main character knows about. At some point, someone needs to…
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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 must travel to London, they…
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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 greater magical world through her…
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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 book is from a single…
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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 female character” taken to the…
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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 2019. He starts the book…
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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 to Edinburgh brings to life…
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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 different backgrounds, but David Lauriston…
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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 the Hidden Legacy series, though…
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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 twentieth century. In combination, she…
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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 to both Christian and Victor.…
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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 this series is how much…
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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 of magic in this version…
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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 bride,” “werewolf mate,” etc. facet…
