Tag: queer

Tribute Act (Porthkennack, #8) by Joanna Chambers

January 23rd, 2018

Tribute Act by Joanna Chambers

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I loved this. Two opposite main characters fall in love over the course of one’s recovery from donating part of his liver to their extremely ill sister. Yes, they are stepbrothers, but they don’t meet until right before said donation due to a crappy father situation. Normally I’d be a little wary of stepbrother romance, but Chambers could publish her to do lists and I’d probably read them. That’s how crisp and lovely her writing is.

Last year, her other entry in Riptide’s Porthkennack series, A Gathering Storm, was one of my favorite reads. The series is definitely made pretty excellent by Chambers’s contributions. I look forward to reading more in this series and more by this author.

View all my reviews
Review: Dragon Fire, Angel Light by Shara Godwinson

December 12th, 2017

Dragon Fire, Angel Light by Shara Godwinson
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

*I received an eARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

I really wanted to like this. It has an intriguing premise–a dragon shifter thousands of years old falling in love with a human–but it did not work on paper. The main characters were not believable as three dimensional characters, and the narrative was off. Characters’ reactions felt stilted, and there was too much telling going on and not enough showing. Don’t even get me started on the villains (the first one introduced was described as a black man; I mean, really?).

View all my reviews
Kidnapped by the Pirate by Keira Andrews

November 30th, 2017

Kidnapped by the Pirate by Keira Andrews
4 of 5 stars

Holy swashbuckling, Batman! This was even more enjoyable than I thought it would be. One would think there would be great amounts of adventure in a book with the word pirate in the title, but that didn’t exactly cross my mind when I began reading this, nor did the possibility of the sheer amount of sexy times one can fit into such a book.

In addition to adventure and sexy times, there’s probably a trope for every romance reader in this book. May-December? Check. Virgin main character? Check. Naive captive falling in love with a pirate with a heart of gold? Check. Although that last one might not be a trope now so much as a throwback to some of the crazysauce from old school romance, with the subversiveness of making it about queer characters.

What a fun, romantic, and sexy ride. I’ll be reading more by Andrews in the future.

View all my reviews
Kill Game (Seven of Spades, #1) by Cordelia Kingsbridge

November 29th, 2017

Kill Game by Cordelia Kingsbridge
5 of 5 stars

A detective and a bounty hunter are thrown together on a serial killer case that gets personal. The mystery, the characterization, the chemistry, the writing are all basically perfect. I love these characters and have no idea who the killer is, which is rare for me.

This is the first in an ongoing mystery/suspense series, and I don’t even care because it means I get more time with these dudes and their budding romance in the future. A+

View all my reviews
In the Middle of Somewhere (Middle of Somewhere, #1) by Roan Parrish

November 28th, 2017

In the Middle of Somewhere by Roan Parrish
4 of 5 stars

I was thinking the other day about this book, and it was really just me making noises about it in my head. It could probably be about 50 pages shorter, with some sexy times cut, but I often read books like an editor. Parrish’s writing is some kind of sorcery because despite the flaws I was riveted. The characters’ backstories made me feel some type of way, and the relationship development was super satisfying. TW for some violence.

View all my reviews
Baked Fresh (Portland Heat, #2) by Annabeth Albert

November 27th, 2017

Baked Fresh by Annabeth Albert
4 of 5 stars

What I loved about this was how real the two main dudes are. One is a newly dumped recovering addict, and the other lost three family members to heart attacks before undergoing gastric bypass surgery. The way they worked through their issues together was believable and respectful. There wasn’t much resorting to a-holeness which was refreshing. Lots of sexy times that are there for actual reasons.

View all my reviews
Joy (States of Love) by C.S. Poe

November 26th, 2017

Joy by C.S. Poe

4 of 5 stars

Gideon Joy is on a quarter life crisis road trip when he has to stay in a small town in New Hampshire after his and another guy’s cars are wrecked during a moose crossing. Gideon is a walking manifestation of Murphy’s Law, or so he’s convinced.

This is low on the drama and high on the self-exploration and wit. The only thing I don’t like about this short, funny novella is that it isn’t longer. I want more time with these characters, main and minor.

View all my reviews
A Gathering Storm (Porthkennack, #2) by Joanna Chambers

November 25th, 2017

A Gathering Storm by Joanna Chambers
4 of 5 stars

This is so, so good. I started reading it after it first came out and then put it down for a long time before finally doing myself a favor and finishing. I often have trouble getting through historicals (I know, I’m weird) so it’s not a commentary on the book.

The heroes are both flawed, lovely people. The conflict revolves around class and grief. The passages about being alone, grieving, and figuring out what you want are beautiful.

View all my reviews