Jenn Burke’s Not Dead Yet earned a place on my keeper shelf earlier this year for many reasons, not least of which were the great storytelling, excellent worldbuilding, memorable characters, snappy dialogue and unusual premise. Wes Cooper was murdered in 1933 by his lover Michael, but was resurrected by Michael’s sister – a witch. Somehow,…
In a world where there are very few romances featuring trans heroes and heroines, it’s nice to see such characters featuring in books published by a mainstream publishing house like Carina Press. When the representation is excellent – as is the case in Reverb, which is dashing, sparkly fun from the first page to the…
What do you do when your life goes in the direction expected, but not the one you wished for? That’s the burning question in this story of finding love in middle age, with a partner who is willing to be your second chance at happiness. Cam McGhee’s life followed a predictable pattern for a guy…
The Shop Around the Corner is one of my favourite films. Set around Christmas time, it tells the story of two co-workers who don’t get on and bicker all the time in spite of the attraction that sparks between them – and which they ignore. He thinks she’s stuck-up, she thinks he’s crass and in…
Rogue Nights is a multi-author anthology featuring seven new novella length romances, stories of women and men fighting back against political ideologies that seek to disenfranchise women and minorities through racist and oppressive policies. It’s part of the Rogue series that came about as the result of the backlash to recent political events. Featuring people…
Girls of Paper and Fire is one of the most anticipated YA fantasy releases of the year. Featuring a diverse cast of characters and an LGBTQ+ heroine, it is a story of magic, mayhem, rebellion and young love. Two hundred years ago, in the kingdom of Ikhara, the demon Bull King of Han took control…
Kacen Callender’s funny, flawed, authentic story of young love and broken arms, This is Kind of an Epic Love Story focuses on the messy complexities of romance, friend-love and parental love in all of its frustrating, confusing forms. Seattle-raised sixteen-year-old high school junior Nathan Bird, stuck mending a broken arm in the middle of the…
Although I wasn’t wild about Imperial Stout, the first book in Layla Reyne’s new Trouble Brewing series, I wanted to read book two, Craft Brew, because I was intrigued by what was clearly going to be the series’ overarching plotline, and hoped for progression. I got a little of what I wanted, but Ms. Reyne…
Welcome to the latest work from K.J. Charles and as ever, we have historical accuracy, fantastic writing, and the occasional naughty bits. Band Sinister centres around Sir Philip Rookwood and his ‘hellfire club’ known just as ‘The Murder’. These hellfire clubs did exist around the eighteenth century; they were secret societies among the elite and…
Sally Malcolm’s first published m/m romance is a contemporary retelling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion (which regularly vies with Emma for first place in my ranking of Austen’s novels!) set in a sleepy New York seaside town. I admit I’m usually a bit wary of retellings of classic novels – especially when they’re great personal favourites…