Skim Blood and Savage Verse (2017) Angel Martinez (Offbeat Crimes, #3) How could he have even thought about not celebrating his thirty-fifth birthday? Especially if it meant it gave her an excuse to invite all the old money and local officials to the affair. And outside? Of course it had to be outside. The weather […]

The Pill Bugs of Time (2015) Angel Martinez (Offbeat Crimes, #2) It was the first time Vikash had experienced Greg’s particular talent being useful. He heard emotions, but only negative ones and only avian ones, and not just any birds, but only waterfowl. It was one of the most absurdly specific paranormal talents Vikash had […]

Lime Gelatin and Other Monsters (2015) Angel Martinez (Offbeat Crimes, #1) (T)he pink and neon-blue raven folded his wings and waddled over to snap at Carrington’s pen. “Stop it, Edgar.” “You couldn’t get laid at a clusterfuck!” “I don’t really do anything,” Soren answered as he hefted the empty coffeepot. “Guess I’ll make fresh since […]

Next to You (2022) Hannah Bonam-Young (Next #2) Lane doesn’t really know what to do with herself. She’s not unhappy, but she’s not happy either. So after her birthday she decides to purchase and renovate a bus–a far cry from her twin who got respectably engaged to a respectable guy. A guy who seems to […]

A Witch’s Guide to Magical Innkeeping (2025) Sangu Mandanna Sera was fifteen when she lost most of her magic. Choosing her love for Jasmine over her loyalty to the British Guild of Sorcery wasn’t exactly difficult for Sera. The Guild was strict, stuffy, and entirely too fond of looking down their noses at almost everybody. […]

A Shore Thing (2024) Joanna Lowell Set in Cornwall in 1888 Mrs. Muriel Pendrake has come to St Ives with her best friend James both to vacation and to find a painter for her botanical images for her upcoming presentation in New York. “You have enough people to worry about in London. This is a […]

A Little Light Mischief (2019) Cat Sebastian (The Turner Series #3.5) Set in England in 1818 Molly had spent many an hour wondering what good it was for Miss Stapleton to call herself a lady, when as far as Molly could tell, all it meant was that she was unfit to work for wages. Justice […]

Love Language (2024) Jax Calder Dominic and Ashton have shared an office for three-and-a-half years. Despite the fact that much of their conversation consists of insults and griping, all of Ash’s friends insist he has a crush on Dominic. “You must be the most annoying person on the planet,” Dominic says. I ignore him. Because […]

Band Sinister (2018) KJ Charles Set in England in the 1810s I do love this story. First and foremost because of Guy. Philip’s candle had only been a stub. It guttered now, and went out in a soft sigh, and he stood in the darkness, listening to a sick woman moaning, while her brother wept […]

The Soldier’s Scoundrel (2016) Cat Sebastian (The Turner Series #1) Set in England in ~1815 It was always an unexpected pleasure when the truth aligned with what he wanted to say. This was anarchy. He had witnessed firsthand what happened when people felt entitled to deliver their own justice, and he absolutely wouldn’t stand for […]

A Nobleman’s Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel (2023) KJ Charles (The Doomsday Books #2) Set in Kent in 1823 To the surprise of everyone, Rufus d’Aumesty is the Earl of Oxney. After a seven month battle, he was affirmed as the heir, yet his uncle Conrad is still fighting to try and regain the title […]

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen (2023) KJ Charles (The Doomsday Books #1) Set in Kent in 1810 Gareth Inglis was raised by his uncle who made it clear to Gareth that he wasn’t wanted. When his father dies he learns just how awful his father was. “Your father decided that. He thought it was […]

The Duke at Hazard (2024) KJ Charles (The Gentlemen of Uncertain Fortune #2) Set in England in ~1810s The Duke of Severn inherited at age six, and since that day has never been allowed to be anything except the Duke. The Duke had been Harmsford since his birth. He had become Severn at the age […]

The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting (2021) KJ Charles (Gentlemen of Uncertain Fortune #1) Set in London in the Regency(?) Era The siblings had agreed that Alice needed a little town-bronze, which was to say a little knowledge of humanity’s infinite capacity to disappoint, before it became common talk that the plain girl came with […]

The Secret Casebook of Simon Feximal (2015) KJ Charles Set in England in 1894- “I inherited it from my uncle three months ago. The house has stood empty for many years because of its evil reputation. I felt that was an absurd superstition, and I need to sell the place, so I thought I could […]

Flight of Magpies (2014) KJ Charles (A Charm of Magpies #3) Stephen stuffed his hands in the pockets of the topcoat that Crane had insisted on buying him for this chilly winter. It had been a great deal more expensive than Stephen, who accepted gifts with startling gracelessness, had wanted; a great deal cheaper than […]

A Case of Possession (2014) KJ Charles (A Charm of Magpies #2) “And we must act in a civilised fashion in this country, you know.” … “Come with me to the office today, I want you in Limehouse. I’m going to call in some obligations and do a bit more work on Rackham’s affairs. Buy […]

The Magpie Lord (2013) KJ Charles (A Charm of Magpies #1) Merrick frowned. “Got to fight it, my lord.” “Fight what? Give me something to fight, and I’ll fight it—but how the hell do I fight my own mind?” Crane looked at the naked hostility in the other man’s face and posture, and strolled to […]

Unfit to Print (2018) KJ Charles Set in London in the late Victorian Prostitution and exploitation were words Vikram thought should be shouted aloud, along with poverty. Gil had spent his childhood here under his father’s carelessly affectionate eye. The old man might have played the fool, or the knave, with his housemaid, but he […]

Rag and Bone (2016) KJ Charles (A Charm of Magpies World) He gave it a cautious shake, heard the faintest rattle. A sealed jug, full of something. He could break the seal, prise off the wax, and have a look inside. Or he could find a rusty hatpin and jam it into his eyeball, because […]

The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes (2022) Cat Sebastian (London Highwaymen #2) Set in London in 1751 The second book in the London Highwaymen series takes place concurrently with The Queer Principles of Kit Webb but from Marian and Rob’s points of view. We learn why Marian hates the duke (her husband) so much, why […]

A Queer Trade (2015) K.J. Charles (A Charm of Magpies World) “It’s the way of things. Burn your love letters, or have ’em put in the ground with you, or they’ll be tomorrow’s packing paper.” Hall gave a slightly rueful smile. “I put ’em aside for packing, when I notice, rather than foul use.” “Is […]

Another Place in Time (2014) Tamara Allen, Joanna Chambers, K.J. Charles, Kaje Harper, Jordan L. Hawk, Aleksandr Voinov “Office Romance” by Tamara Allen Set in 1920 in NYC Characters: Foster Wetherly, Casey Gladwin Rating: 7/10 “Introducing Mr. Winterbourne” by Joanna Chambers Set in London in 1821 Characters: Lysander Winterbourne, Adam Freeman Rating: 7.5/10 “The Ruin […]

The Mystery of the Spirits (2021) C.S. Poe (Snow & Winter #5) I looked at Ferguson and offered a saccharine smile. “I guess I’m used to people telling me to shut up and therefore have to consolidate an entire religious movement that lasted nearly a century, heavily influenced by sensationalism and the mass casualties seen […]

Interlude (2021) C.S. Poe (Snow & Winter) “What brings you out to humble Durango?” “I was told we needed a vacation.” “He tries very hard to make it sound like a punishment.” Maybe it’d been selfish of me, but I’d appreciated her refusal to say there was anything deeper but the statement on the surface. […]