The House in the Cerulean Sea (2020) TJ Klune This book came out a week into the pandemic lockdown, and it’s possible it might have been lost in the ensuing insanity. Except that it is such a comforting read, it was precisely the thing to read to escape the world. Linus works for DICOMY (Department […]
A Dangerous Deceit (2017) Alissa Johnson (The Thief-Takers) Set in England in ~1872 This is such a marvelous book. Jane, struggles with so many things, and is justifiably terrified of anyone discovering her secret, which makes it one of the few books where it is completely logical for the main characters to keep secrets from […]
A Gift for Guile (2016) Alissa Johnson (The Thief Takers) Set in England in 1872. Esther has finally admitted that she was involved in her father’s schemes–as his teenage henchman. And no one blames Esther for that–except Esther herself. Though he suspected she’d be surprised to hear it, Samuel didn’t hold it against her. She’d […]
A Talent for Trickery (2015) Alissa Johnson (The Thief-Takers) Set in England in 1872 Owen Renderwell, the first Viscount Renderwell and Gentleman Thief-Taker needs to solve a series of crimes. And to do so, he needs the help of a woman he hasn’t spoken to in eight years. A woman who sent all his letters […]
Twice Baked (2019) Andrew Grey Luke is a popular food blogger–known for writing about foods he hates, and how it’s okay to not like goods. Professionally, I was a graphic artist, and I had a small number of clients that I worked with. Each of the businesses had been very successful but didn’t have the […]
The Cubby Hole: A Bear Camp Short (2022) Slade James I’ve enjoyed the other stories I’ve read by Slade James–I picked the first novella up free, and was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. (It’s set in a gay nudist camp, so there was a whole lot of potential to be absolutely something not […]
Murder in Pastel (2015) Josh Lanyon Kyle Bari still lives in the home that belonged to his father, the famous painter Cosmo Bari, and makes his living writing mysteries. “That was the summer I got sick. Rheumatic fever.” “ Which left you with a weak heart.” “It was the summer my father disappeared.” Adam MacKinnon […]
Color of You (2017) C.S. Poe (A Lancaster Story) I think I finally figured out why this is my least favorite story in this series. Although it has a mystery (good!) and I adore the characters (good!) the dynamic between the couple isn’t standard (good!) and the misunderstandings are … understandable, something has always felt […]
Joy (2017) C.S. Poe (A Lancaster Story) There is something about this book that just calms me. Makes me happy. It’s low-stakes, and funny. “Are there, like… street signs or—” “He’s not from around here,” Nancy said to a guy at the counter who started laughing. I noticed over his shoulder that several of the […]
Kneading You (2016) C.S. Poe (A Lancaster Story) Reread. Because I can’t settle down into anything. Rating: 8/10
The Soldier’s Dark Secret (2015) Marguerite Kaye (Comrades in Arms) Set in England in 1815. I’d picked this book up on a whim in2015, and was surprised by how much I liked it. Jack was a soldier for 13 years, and was Wellington’s code-breaker during the war with Napoleon. He resigned his commission after being […]
Wrong Number, Right Woman (2020) Jae Denny is not good at flirting. Or talking to women. What she is good at is being a fantastic aunt and helping her sister raise her daughter. Eliza has had terrible luck dating, so her best friend and neighbor gives her a subscription to a new dating service. When […]
An Unsuitable Heir (2017) KJ Charles (Sins of the Cities) Set in England in 1873. I have complicated feelings about this story, and I’m pretty sure they’re all on me and not the story. “What does he do?” Pen paused. “He didn’t say, actually. We mostly talked about, well, me.” “No wonder you think he’s […]
An Unnatural Vice (2017) KJ Charles (Sins of the Cities) Set in England in 1872 Although we were introduced to Nathaniel in the previous book, my favorite character by far is Justin. Justin used innuendo and throaty moans in the same way he used stolen information and a fanatical level of planning: as weapons. What […]
An Unseen Attraction (2017) KJ Charles (Sins of the Cities) Set in London in 1873 The first book in the Sins of the City series. they said the eyes were the windows to the soul, and Clem didn’t feel comfortable peering into people’s windows. “Most people,” Clem said carefully, “most people think that I shouldn’t […]
Come Unto These Yellow Sands (2011) Josh Lanyon Something about this book works perfectly to pull me out of my head. Part of it is that Swift is a reformed screw-up who knows how and why he messed up, but also how easy it could be for him to fall of the wagon. Physical violence […]
Grilled Cheese and Goblins: Adventures of a Supernatural Food Inspector (2018) Nicole Kimberling This books is simply a delight. I mean, supernatural food inspector. What more could I want? Keith was momentarily too stunned by the idea that the vampire realm had a publishing industry to think of a follow-up question. Gunther saved him. I […]
A Dangerous Madness (2014) Michelle Diener (Regency London) Set in England in 1819. Phoebe Hillier has always done everything she was supposed to, following all the rules. But when the man to whom she was betrothed (and her father’s insistence) breaks their engagement, she seemingly has little to lose any more. Impotent rage, her old […]
Emperor’s Conspiracy(2012) Michelle Diener (Regency London) I reread the second book, so then I had to go back and reread the first book. “Em.” Lord Durnham watched as his sister ushered her children out the door in front of her with disbelief. “I don’t understand . . .” He caught Charlotte’s eye as she waited […]
Banquet of Lies (2013) Michelle Diener (Regency London) I needed to reread this as well. For her, what people ate, and how they ate, was just as interesting as the stories they told. This one is also about food. Her voice was as bitter as burned coffee, and just as dark. But in addition to […]
The Remaking of Corbin Wale (2018) Roan Parrish Romance plus bakery The best bakeries had a cohesive vision. You didn’t want a counter selling bran muffins next to key lime tarts next to baklava next to polvorones. The menu needed to have range, but not feel chaotic— provide surprises, but not overwhelm. Even the bits […]
Waiting for the Flood (2018) Alexis Hall (Spires) I got into another funk–nothing was working for me. Everything was meh and nothing drew me in. So I dove back into a favorite, and (as happens every single time I reread this) was shocked by how good and how beautiful it is. Edwin repairs and restores […]
In a Treacherous Court (2011) Michelle Diener (Susanna Horenbout and John Parker) Set in England in 1525 Although this is fiction, it is based upon real historical characters. Few details are known about them, so aside from the bare details, this is fictional, although the time period is well-researched. Susanna Horenbout is sent by her […]
I’m So (Not) Over You (2022) Kosoko Jackson Kian is totally over Hudson. Except for the part that’s still completely in love with him and dreams of Hudson admitting he was wrong. The first rule, and only rule, of getting over your ex is not to answer your ex’s messages. This can be done in […]
Lessons in Trust (2018) Charlie Cochrane (Cambridge Fellows) Set in England in 1908. It’s been a year since Jonty and Orlando were involved in a mystery, and Orlando wishes just a little they’d fine one Instead, they’re in London and–worse–got their in Jonty’s new prized possession. Jonty’s brand new Lagonda, or, as he told people […]
A Ghost of a Chance (2012) Josh Lanyon Rhys Davies is writing a book on haunted houses while teaching a course in parapsychology at UCLA. After a rough break up, he ends up traveling to the home of Oliver de la Motte to study the abandoned–and supposedly haunted–mansion on his land, that had belonged to […]
Heartbeats in a Haunted House (2022) Amy Lane (Hedge Witches Lonely Hearts Club) This book recovers the events of the previous three, only told from the points of view of Dante and Cully, who are trapped in the house, because they couldn’t admit what everyone around them could see: they’d been in love with each […]
Pentacles and Pelting Plants (2021) Amy Lane (Hedge Witches Lonely Hearts Club) Jordan’s coven screwed up. Badly. “It’s more personal than that,” he said. “The magic itself was offended. We hadn’t just told a polite lie on paper— we’d told a polite lie to ourselves.” Tow of their friends as lost in space and time, […]
Portals and Puppy Dogs (2021) Amy Lane (Hedge Witches Lonely Hearts Club) Alex is glad his roommate Bartholomew has found his true love, but Alex’s life is still a mess: he put in for a transfer, so he could try and move on from his huge crush on his boss, but Simon wants to know […]
Shortbread and Shadows (2020) Amy Lane (Hedge Witches Lonely Heart Club) Bartholomew Baker has had a crush on the guy who usually has the stall next to him, for two years. But Barty is painfully shy, struggling to try and make baking works so he can quit his day job, and, well, his coven just […]
In the Cards (2019) Celia Lake (Mysterious Charm) Set in England and Sicily in 1925 Yes, I still (badly) wants these books edited, but I am still reading. Explaining how they really were, that was more complicated. They’d made agreements, he and Galen, about when they’d share certain things, and when they wouldn’t. This is […]
Summer Makeover (2021) Kelly Fox This is a cute story about returning to the real world after the pandemic. Cal spent his pandemic hiding in his cabin, working and working out. But he has to present at a big conference, so he really needs to stop looking like a wild man. As I make my […]
Mistlefoe: A Mead Realm Tale (2021) Kimberly Lemming This story is very silly. It’s also fun. Many family dinners throughout my childhood were filled with ramblings on taxes being too high or the current king spending too much money on mistresses and trebuchets. Ruby’s father snuck into a demon’s territory and stole some ore (because […]
Whirlwind (2021) A. M. Rose (Daydream, Colorado) This book finishes the arc started in the previous book. Felix is clairvoyant. He didn’t have some grand purpose, but he could help ease the suffering of both the living and the dead, and that was just as powerful. He goes to where he is pulled, never settling […]
Wards of the Roses (2019) Celia Lake (Mysterious Charm) Set in Wales & England in 1920 I still want these books to be edited. But the story and world building keep pulling me in. Kate Davies doesn’t want a return to war, but she would like the more interesting assignments she got while all the […]
An Agreement with the Soldier (2021) Sadie Bosque (Necessary Arrangements) Set in England in 1817. Miss Samantha Lewis twice had her coming seasons interrupted for periods of mourning. So she is quite old to be on the marriage mart despite her looks and her dowry. John Godfrey never expected to become the Baron of Ashbury. […]
A Sanctuary for Soulden (2021) J.A. Rock and Lisa Henry (The Lords of Bucknall Club) Set in an alternate England in the early 1800s. Philip Winthrop, Viscount Soulden is easily bored. But you wouldn’t guess that if you saw him out on the town, where he presents himself as a fop, concerned with little other […]
Bee Cave Magic (2020) Kelly Fox Micah is a dud. He’s 25 and never shifted, which means that he avoids his long-time crush, Rex, like the plague. I’m a non-shifter, and he knows as well as I do that shifters and non-shifters should never date or fall in love. Also, coming from a family of […]
Hearts and Flowers: A Tale of Hay Fever and Bad Decor (2013) Angel Martinez This is a very silly story. The ballroom looked like a Hallmark store had wandered by and thrown up its innards in a fit of disgust over the excesses of the season. Michael has been forced to attend a costumed Valentine’s […]
Heartwood (2021) A.M. Rose (Daydream, Colorado) For months, Darian has been searching for the man his friend Mason has Glimpsed. Someone hurt, in danger, being chased. So he isn’t surprised when Tate shows up. Tate, however, had no idea that magical communities such as Daydream even existed. I’ve read several books and novellas in this […]
Magician’s Hoard (2019) Celia Lake (Mysterious Charm) Set in England in 1926. Pross has been a widow for six years, raising her daughter, running a small bookstore, and taking on the occasional research project. “What did you want from the Society, then? You seem to have most of it covered.” He looked up at her […]
Celtic Myths series (2021) A. L. Lester These are stories based upon various Celtic myths, shifted, twisted, and retold. Surfacing Again (2021) Lin (Malinda) is now spending her Christmas alone, after a blow-up with the friend with whom she was supposed to be vacationing with. The subtext was that she’d turned up on Lin’s doorstep […]
A Case for Christmas (2021) J.A. Rock and Lisa Henry (The Lords of Bucknall Club) Set in an alternate England during the Napoleonic Era. The only thing that makes this a fantasy is this bit: In 1783, the Marriage Act Amendment was introduced in England to allow marriages between same-sex couples. This was done to […]
The Love Hypothesis (2021) Ali Hazelwood There are things I quite like about The Love Hypothesis–first and foremost all the science and academia bits. I’m a grad student living in Stanford, California. I make less than thirty thousand dollars a year. My rent takes up two-thirds of my salary. I’ve been wearing the same pair […]
That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon (2021) Kimberly Lemming (Mead Mishaps) This is utterly ridiculous. My self-preserving habits made me a bit of an outlier with the other girls in town. “Who wouldn’t want to go off on a grand adventure with a bunch of hot heroes also chosen by the goddess?” […]
Fearless (2016) Shira Glassman Lana Novak is okay being divorced, as she and her ex-husband were finally able to admit who they were to each other–and the world. Although neither of their parents are enthused, their kids are fine with it, so when Lana develops a crush on one of the high school conductors / […]
Lessons in Discovery (2009) Charlie Cochrane (Cambridge Fellows) Set in England in 1906 Amnesia! An historical murder! Letters hidden for centuries! It’s been a year since Jonty and Orlando met, but they didn’t expect to spend their first anniversary in the infirmary, with Orlando suffering from a concussion and a complete loss of memory of […]
Dearest Milton James (2021) N.R. Walker Malachi Keogh’s father is giving him one last chance to stick with a job. What Malachi isn’t expecting is to end up at what used to be known as the Dead Letter Office. (T)his is the Mail Redirection Centre. It used to be called The Dead Letter Office, but […]
Lessons in Desire (2009) Charlie Cochrane (Cambridge Fellows) Set in England in 1906 Jonty and Orlando take a vacation! Murder ensues! That’s the summation, but it isn’t at all the feel of the story, just so you know. Unsurprisingly, Orlando has never taken a vacation. “It sounds delightful, Jonty,” Orlando said, with liar written plain […]
The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels (2021) India Holton (Dangerous Damsels) Set in an alternate Victorian England. Cecilia Bassingwaite is a proper Victorian young lady, and she is also a member of the Wisteria Society crime sorority, and she flies around England drinking tea, blackmailing friends, and acquiring treasure by interesting means. Ned Lightbourne goes […]