Susan Scribner
Cute and fairly low-angst M/M Christmas romance. A little too much of both MC's internal monologues, but I appreciated the fact that the “third act breakup” was quickly resolved (and was barely a breakup at all).
Very impressed by this new-to-me author. This was not an easy book to read, but it was real and true. Bauer shows the lingering effects of a traumatic, violent event on a group of people with the focus on the alleged “hero” who stopped the shooter. But given that challenging backdrop, she portrays a moving romance between new teacher Isaac and “hero” John, as well as a great friendship between John and fellow teacher Tommy. The way the men interacted felt more genuine to me than a lot of M/M romance novels; it was affectionate but down to earth and full of humor too. Some of my favorite parts of the novel were scenes portraying Tommy and John trash talking each other about their respective college football teams with Isaac looking on in fond confusion.
There were a few things that didn't work for me. Isaac had a lot of his own baggage that didn't quite get the attention it deserved. And some of the Isaac melodrama seemed like it belonged in a different novel than one that took such a gritty view of how individuals and communities heal from what has become all-too-common sudden violence.
But those quibbles didn't detract much from my admiration for the author and engagement with the story, especially given her courage to give the book a realistic (still happy in that the MCs are together) ending in which love can ease but not erase the pain.
Brava Sara Dobie Bauer. I'll be checking out your backlist for sure.
ARC from Net Galley provided in exchange for honest review.
2.5 stars. I suspended my disbelief enough to accept the premise that Canada now has a monarchy. But I couldn't move past the paper-thin characters who frequently bear only passing resemblance to actual human beings. The only emotion that rings true is Billy's ongoing grief three years after the death of his father. Without believable characters the entire “Crown Prince of Canada discovers he has a long lost twin who is the actual heir to the Canadian throne - and they're both queer” plot was dead on arrival. Ditto for the romances. YMMV if you stan anything that reminds you of [b:The Prince and the Pauper 62446 The Prince and the Pauper Mark Twain https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1376406798l/62446.SY75.jpg 2071994], [b:The Horse and His Boy 84119 The Horse and His Boy (Chronicles of Narnia, #5) C.S. Lewis https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1661032718l/84119.SX50.jpg 3294501], or even The Parent Trap.
Well-written YA queer dystopian fiction and a strong debut. Plot was fairly predictable but still impactful. Hits a lot of dark notes but not without humor, mostly from the wisecracking MC. Romance is a very slow burn, with one MC self-identifying as straight for most of the story. Besides, they are trying to stay alive in a dangerous situation, so there's not a lot of time for pining for each other. YMMV if the premise of 98% of the population being wiped out by a lethal pandemic hits too close to home.
Not a big fan of “poor little billionaire” MCs, or MCs who keep big secrets, and both of those apply to Jacob. West deserved better IMHO. The Love Starts Here trilogy so far is based on secrets and misunderstandings. Maybe Lindsey wanted to have fun with an annoying trope, but I much prefer the straightforward plots of their Irons & Works series ([b:Free Hand 44752509 Free Hand (Irons and Works, #1) E.M. Lindsey https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1554153249l/44752509.SX50.jpg 69385197], et al).
I want you! I want you, too! You're too good for me! I must let you go for your own good! Repeat ad nauseum for 250 pages.
3.5 stars. E.M. Lindsey shows their sweeter, softer side for this duology of novellas. There is some angst, but the story of two guys on opposite sides of an apartment wall falling in love without ever seeing each other can't help but be adorable. Must be read after [b:Malicious Compliance 59656980 Malicious Compliance (Loose Lips Sink Ships #1) E.M. Lindsey https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1637369918l/59656980.SX50.jpg 93944634], otherwise you will miss the beginning (and best part) of the romance.
First half was a four-star historical romance, second half was a disjointed two-star mess as the author tried awkwardly to integrate the third “runaway bride” narrative with the occurrences of the two previous novels. As a result, the romance was abruptly shortchanged. Which was a shame, because I liked Lucinda and Tait and would have liked greater depth to their love story.
Although there were four runaway brides introduced in the first book of the series, it looks like noble half-black Prudence and noble half-Native American Thomas may not get their own novel, which may be just as well. Those two are portrayed so stiltingly and patronizingly I doubt I could endure 300 pages of them.
3.5 stars. Dangerous Promise is set in 1923, with the trauma of the Great War still present. Jonty and Orlando take on a case that hits very close to home. A former soldier asks the Fellows to help him fulfill the deathbed promise he made to his lover, who died in battle. The dead man's previous lover has been accused of child molestation, and his reputation is in shreds. Even worse, the accused man has disappeared so our sleuths can't get his side of the story.
As usual, I'm not that interested in the mystery, but I am here for one of the more sentimental entries in the long-running series. Jonty and Orlando love, support, and gently tease each other through Jonty's still fresh grief at losing his parents to the flu epidemic, his memories of being abused in boarding school, and both men's acute realization that their happy life together could have easily gone a different way given their dangerous roles in the War.
A few years ago, I lost one of my balls to ball cancer, so if there's some annoying thing I don't feel like doing I ask myself if I would rather do the annoying thing or lose the other ball and that's usually enough to motivate me.
With that beginning, how can I.M. Flippy's debut novel be anything other than awesome? I've now read almost everything by this author, and while her grammar and copy editing may not be perfect, her ability to capture the goofy joy of two decent people falling in love more than makes up for the few rough spots.
Lev Freberg is an adorable self-described “twinky art major” who is recovering from the aforementioned testicular cancer and a bad breakup in the lovely California town of Grass Valley. Then an action hero walks into the dog park where Lev is chilling. He says his name is Ernie and he's not very forthcoming about why he is in Grass Valley. There's an immediate attraction, but it's obvious that Ernie has a Big Secret related to the flash drive that he guards so zealously. After one disastrous date, the two men Friend Zone each other, which provides lots of opportunity for flirting and pining, until a crisis in Lev's life forces Ernie to realize it's time for the truth.
At times Ernie (real name John) feels like he walked out of another book, like an MC from of [a:Annabeth Albert|6477494|Annabeth Albert|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1497461817p2/6477494.jpg]'s “Out of Uniform” series, but for the most part the focus is on the relationship between the two men and not the danger that John is facing by sharing the flash drive information. Even the inevitable “I have to break up with you because I can't put you in danger” scene is pretty quickly dispensed with, as the two MCs realize they are acting like idiots.
After reading about a half dozen of her books, I can safely say that Ms. Flippy speaks my language in combining gentle humor, a reasonable amount of snark, and genuine emotion between extremely likeable MCs. I think I only have one book from her backlist remaining, and then I will have to just sit back and wait for her to write more.
Forget about the romance - the novel is worth the cost just for the spirited sniping between Rafe and Thomas. And for Ash's grumblings too. Warner writes heroes to die for, and Rafe is one of her best. Laconic but honorable, his actions definitely speak louder than words. I didn't love Warner's last two books but this one shows her back on track. I am worried that Thomas and Prudence's story, which comes next, will read like the romance between a noble savage and a saintly black woman, and not a real relationship between two genuine human beings, but maybe she can pull it off.
DNF. The MC/narrator was obnoxious and self-centered - Victor Kalinski from [b:Point Shot Trilogy Box Set 34416357 Point Shot Trilogy Box Set V.L. Locey https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1488244408l/34416357.SX50.jpg 55077345] et al but without the charm. He just didn't understand why the man he loved and abandoned without a word 20 years ago wouldn't just take him back without any questions. And then he insisted on inserting himself into a criminal investigation even though he had absolutely no place being involved at all. It's possible that he redeemed himself later in the book and/or groveled sufficiently but I wasn't sticking around long enough to find out.
I have loved Deborah Smith from the time she was a Loveswept romance author in the 1980s through her hardcover mainstream publisher glory days to her fine novels released through her Belle Books publishing company. But I have to admit that this novella format is not turning out to be her best friend. She is trying to cram too much into too few pages and something is lost in the process. I was looking forward to the childhood friends-turned-enemies love story between Gabby and Jay ever since they were introduced in The Biscuit Witch, but I felt like their story was shortchanged in favor of introducing numerous colorful secondary characters. The reader doesn't get to see enough of the two of them together, so the impact of their reunion and realization of their true feelings is muted. An extra hundred pages of development would have been welcomed.
I will still be first in line to get the last book in this trilogy.
Publication date 5/28/24
CW: An offensive Yiddish word for Black person is used twice in this novel. The character who says the word is not a sympathetic one, and the author goes out of his way to show that the two MCs are not racist. The novel's most important secondary character is a Black woman. But even with all of those modifiers, that word left a lingering bad taste in my mouth.
From the blurb, I was expecting an “estranged twin brothers take a road trip, hijinks and reconciliation follow” plot, and Goyhood does offer several set pieces with humorous elements. The overarching mood however is serious, as Mayer (formerly Martin) wrestles with his commitment to Orthodox Judaism and his long-held belief that studying Jewish texts to the exclusion of everything else is the most exalted way to live. The so-called comic relief comes from the contrast with Meyer's twin David, who has wasted his life on drugs, women, and shady business deals that never paid off. For a good part of the book, the voice of reason is Charlayne, a beautiful Goldman Sachs financial analyst turned Instagram brand ambassador and would-be Appalachian Trail hiker. I guess if you're a white Jewish author writing a token Black character, you might as well make her perfect.
The Orthodox Jewish laws and customs are not always explained well, so I don't think this book will appeal to non-Jewish readers. It barely appealed to me before the offensive language took me out of the story for good.
ARC received from Net Galley in exchange for objective review.
I love Marian Keyes but I have to agree with other reviewers that this was a bit of a disappointment. The premise was interesting and there were plenty of funny parts, but they didn't really add up to anything. Stella shows a lot of strength in her recovery from the illness that paralyzes her, but she is very passive otherwise. A lot of things happen to her (and again, some of them are very funny), but she never really takes charge of her own life. The romance falls flat too because of the inequity of roles between Stella and the object of her affection.
I will always view early Keyes books Rachel's Holiday, Watermelon, and Last Chance Saloon to be among the best early British Chick Lit, but her more recent efforts have been less impressive.
This was my least favorite of the three (at least so far) Butternut Lake novels. The plot was entirely predictable, a mix of “Sleeping with the Enemy” and “Me After You.” The characters were flat, especially compared to Caroline, Jack, Daisy and Will from Butternut Summer. Maybe McNear tried to write too many novels too quickly, but this one was paint-by-numbers women's fiction.
Pretty basic stuff for an old Boomer rom-com fan, but if Esther Zuckerman's book gets at least one Millennial or Gen Z'er to watch Barbara Stanwyck and Henry Fonda in 1941's The Lady Eve, she deserves a special place in Heaven. Jimmy Stewart and Margaret Sullavan in The Shop Around the Corner or Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell in His Girl Friday would also be acceptable.
This is an odd little book. I can't quite figure out who it is targeted to - it's not really romantic enough for women and it definitely lacks enough action for men. Two people meet, are attracted to each other, and then talk talk talk talk talk talk about whether or not they want to get involved. Does the woman want to finally move on past the grief of losing her husband 10 years ago? Does the man want to finally have a meaningful relationship after years of casual affairs?
The author has a nice delicate touch and although nothing really happens, it's a quick read with a hopeful ending. Basically the message is the same as one of those Jane Seymour heart necklaces - if you keep your heart open, love will find a way in - but not as saccharine or cloying. Takes a long time to get there, though.
Compulsively readable - an old-fashioned melodramatic romance that spans 15 years and includes love at first sight, infidelity, tragedy, PTSD, love triangles, and characters who actually say things like “you only go around once in life so you have to grab the gusto while you can” (I'm paraphrasing, but the original is almost as corny). Certainly not great literature, but for some reason I could not put it down and am considering checking out books #2 and 3 in the series.
Had the potential to be a good old fashioned queer Western, with a young hero who inherits a huge ranch after his father's untimely death, facing off against a rich, greedy bad guy who wants the land by means fair or foul. I was expecting that the conflict would be woven into the romance between the hero and his new, even younger ranch hand. Unfortunately, Walker chooses to focus the vast majority of the plot on the love story. Granted it's heartwarming to see two queer virgins explore the physical and emotional feelings they have never dared act on until now. But the threat of losing the land to the bad guy just kind of fizzles, so that more pages can be devoted to the young men's discovery that butter makes butt stuff better. Felt like a missed opportunity to me, but then again this is N.R. Walker, not [a:Mary Renault 38185 Mary Renault https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1378247630p2/38185.jpg].
Liked, didn't quite love this book. The last chapter was the strongest; it felt like the author wrote and polished that scene first, and then built the rest of the book around it without quite the same skill level. Sadie was a force of nature, and I enjoyed her journey from lonely widowhood to exploring passion and discovering what she wanted in a partner. Also appreciated the complex relationship with her daughter. Some of the other subplots, especially the one involving her wealthy tenant, kind of fizzled. Overall an interesting story, especially for readers like me whose immigrant grandparents might have crossed paths with Sadie.
3.5 stars. Like 2022's [b:Honey and Pepper 60620498 Honey and Pepper (When in Pheme, #1) A.J. Demas https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1647308677l/60620498.SX50.jpg 95554039], this one feels slight compared to the brilliant [b:Sword Dance 51856712 Sword Dance (Sword Dance, #1) A.J. Demas https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1564091594l/51856712.SX50_SY75.jpg 71873589] trilogy. Hylas has a strong personal arc; he arrives in Tykanos with a boatload of emotional and professional baggage, but develops ease and confidence over the course of his stay. Zo is a bit of a cipher because Reasons, but props to Demas for writing an MC with chronic pain issues. Their love story is meh, but if Hylas is happy with Zo, I am happy for him. I'm still a huge fan of the author, who astutely describes her work as “gentle love stories with a strong sense of place and a lot of talking”; and “characters who make good choices most of the time and treat each other with respect.” Demas warns that her next book, to be published in September 2024, amps up the angst and tropiness. I'm glad she's trying something new, but hope she doesn't forsake the rare and welcome niche that she inhabits in the queer romance space.
Why shouldn't Orthodox Jews have the opportunity to read category romance novels? The challenge to the author is to convey attraction and something resembling passion within the constraints of a society that doesn't allow touching before marriage. Unfortunately there are too many one-dimensional characters (all bad/all good) and lots of Big Misunderstandings that could have been cleared up with one conversation. But I give Yael Levy credit for dipping a toe into the romance novel pool and for portraying the richness of the modern Orthodox world. Who knows, maybe one day yarmulke romances will be as popular as Amish “Bonnet” romances.
E.M. Lindsey makes a surprising but welcome return to their Irons and Works series, which is arguably their best work. The close-knit found family of men who work at the tattoo parlor are rough around the edges but are willing to do anything for their “brothers” and partners. The fact that most of them live with disabilities is presented as a matter-of-fact aspect of their personalities that doesn't define them. This book introduces Micah, who has Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and bipolar, as well as being a partial amputee. The men of Irons and Works have accepted him as one of their own, despite his occasional spirals and meltdowns. He meets Ryan, an IT worker whose young daughter is chronically ill with cystic fibrosis, and after a hookup the two men feel a strong connection. But Ryan has no time or energy for a relationship when his daughter has frequent medical emergencies, and Micah knows he can't maintain a relationship because of his tendency to get hurt easily and strike out angrily. But they really like each other...It's a long, angst-filled road to a HEA for the two MCs, and gut-wrenching all the way. There are very real obstacles that aren't easily overcome; this is no Big Misunderstanding or Big Secret that can be resolved with a good heart to heart. Fortunately Micah has the Irons & Works men at his back. Lindsey wisely limits the involvement of most the previous MCs, choosing to focus on Miguel from [b:Scarification 48565478 Scarification (Irons and Works, #6) E.M. Lindsey https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1571862192l/48565478.SY75.jpg 73427227] and James from [b:Bio-Mechanical 48702898 Bio-Mechanical (Irons and Works, #4) E.M. Lindsey https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1572890870l/48702898.SY75.jpg 71880568] so as not to overwhelm Micah and Ryan's story.A Goodreads reviewer with BPD noted that Micah's portrayal was very accurate, and I came away from the book with a greater understanding of the daily challenges of living with a brain that frequently feels too much. I understood how hard it would be for Ryan and Micah to make it in the long run, but was confident that they would beat the odds and stay together. I'm so glad that Lindsey is revisiting the men of Fairfield Colorado. They promise three more books to come - yay!
3.5 stars. This is the only “fake dating” book I've read that 1) has a genuinely good reason for the MCs to do so (not just “I want my ex to be jealous”) and 2) realistically portrays the very real hurt that it can cause to both participants in the ruse (besides “oh no, I've caught feelings”).
Bogs down a little too much in the middle, and neither Win nor Leo are always likeable (especially Leo, a “poor little rich boy” whose primary redeeming feature is his willingness to drop everything and help Win whenever she needs him). But the challenges of being a young British Indian actress trying to break into Hollywood, and the misogynistic, capricious nature of celebrity gossip (the very fact that Leo and Win need to be seen together anytime someone accuses Win of being “difficult) ring true.
Note: you can tell this book is “romantic fiction” rather than “contemporary romance” because there is no cute cartoon characters on the cover.