Lessons for Suspicious Minds (2013) Charlie Cochrane (Cambridge Fellows) Set in England in 1909. NOTE: This story goes back in time, probably set after Lessons in Trust (book 7) and is set before the war–and all the changes that caused to the characters and the world. Jonty and Orlando go with Jonty’s parents to visit […]
- May 7th, 2023
- Categories: 7/10, British, Cozy, eBook, Historical, Mental Health Rep, Mystery, Novella, Queer, Romance
Loud and Clear (2016) Aidan Wayne He turned on the light in his car and squinted. Those were letters, all right. Probably there was even a sentence. Caleb had written something on the receipt. Huh. Curious, Jaxon bent over the words, trying to sound them out. Caleb’s handwriting wasn’t messy or anything, but Jaxon had […]
Team Phison (2017) Chace Verity It’s necessary to be good at hiding the truth when you work in sales and customer service. Operation: Win Tyson Over hasn’t been going well. Mostly because I haven’t actually done anything. Rating: 7/10
It Takes Two to Tumble (2017) Cat Sebastian (Seducing the Sedgwicks) Set in England in 1817 “You have no right—” “No, I don’t. I don’t care, though. I’m not leaving your children alone with a virtual stranger who doesn’t seem kindly disposed to them.” Phillip sucked in a breath. “I have no intention of harming […]
- May 5th, 2023
- Categories: 9/10, British, Comfort Read, eBook, Historical, Mental Health Rep, Neurodiversity, Physical Health, Queer, Reread, Romance, Sexual Content
And Everything Nice (2016) Ada Maria Soto Angelo is a coder who has terrible luck with getting a date unless baked goods are involved. So when the company hires a new tech writer, Angelo tries to discover the way to Simon’s heart through his stomach. I love the tech related bits of the story that […]
Not So Cookie Cutter (2019) Aidan Wayne He clasped his hands behind his back, at-ease stance so he wouldn’t cross his arms. He’d been told enough times that it made him look like a thug, so he tried to avoid doing it. He tended to hyper focus when it came to certain subjects, and to […]
Candy Hearts (2020) Erin McLellan (So Over the Holidays) Because I wanted all the positivity and self-acceptance of this story. Benji was over it. Over the dating scene. Over unsatisfying sex. Over the romantic-industrial complex called Valentine’s Day. Well, actually, he wasn’t over it at all, but he was trying to be. He was trying […]
Vincent’s Thanksgiving Date (2014) R. Cooper Just wanted a comforting romance. He didn’t understand why other people found silence so uncomfortable when it had never bothered him. But every time he was quiet for too long he could see people start to wonder what was wrong with him. Then he’d get cold and his palms […]
Gumption & Gumshoes (2013) Alex Kidwell Chinchilla shifter. I wanted to shift. I didn’t often, because seriously, what would be the point? None of us did. Personally, I was just really hooked on the opposable thumbs thing that I had as a human. But right then, I wanted to be smaller. I feel like I […]
- April 24th, 2023
- Categories: 7/10, eBook, Fantasy, Good Cover, Mystery, Queer, Reread, Romance, Sexual Content, Supernatural
Agents of Winter (2022) Ada Maria Soto (The Agency) Martin’s dietitian would be glad as well. Evidently, his comment at his last appointment of ‘I currently weigh more than I did prior to the incident’ did not paint a good picture of Martin’s long-term health management skills. Martin was sent home with an entirely new […]
An Unnatural Vice (2017) K.J. Charles (Sins of the Cities) Justin stayed upstairs until he heard the door shut. Some people would call it flagrant physical cowardice to leave a twelve-year-old girl to deal with a large enraged man, and those people would be absolutely right, but Justin would have bet the house that Nathaniel […]
- April 23rd, 2023
- Categories: 8/10, British, eBook, Historical, Mental Health Rep, Mystery, Queer, Reread, Romance, Sexual Content
An Unseen Attraction (2017) K.J. Charles (Sins of the Cities) Look me in the eyes, boy! had been a constant refrain at school, but they said the eyes were the windows to the soul, and Clem didn’t feel comfortable peering into people’s windows. Rowley had thought at first the beast had no name; it had […]
- April 17th, 2023
- Categories: 9/10, British, eBook, Historical, Mental Health Rep, Mystery, Neurodiversity, Queer, Reread, Romance, Sexual Content
Color of You (2017) C.S. Poe (A Lancaster Story) “His voice was just so flippin’ gorgeous,” I said, sighing a little. “I’ve never heard an amber voice. It was smooth and flowed like blues music.” Sound-to-color synesthesia. When you look a certain way, a lot of men expect you to behave the part. Society had […]
Merlin in the Library (2018) Ada Maria Soto (The Agency) A very brief story from Martin’s POV, set a couple of weeks after his return. The previous day had been bad on the pain scale, leaving him with little appetite. Now, under the persistent ache, he found himself to be hungry. He would have to […]
His Quiet Agent (2017) Ada Maria Soto (The Agency) Comfort reread. His supervisor sighed. “Agent Drams, no one knows who you are.” “We’re a black budget government agency. No one is supposed to know who we are.” Arthur looked over at The Alien. It was a Go Away sign, but it was a very specific […]
- March 31st, 2023
- Categories: 9.5/10, Ace, Comfort Read, eBook, Mental Health Rep, Neurodiversity, Novella, Queer, Reread, Romance
A Carriage of Misjustice (2020) Charlie Cochrane (Lindenshaw Mysteries) Adam and Robin are married, but since their wedding was during the school year, they’re putting off their honeymoon. Which is good because Robin is requested for a secondment in Hartwood, which means Robin and Pru will be staying at a hotel for the duration. A […]
Old Sins (2019) Charlie Cochrane (Lindenshaw Mysteries) Back from vacation, Robin and Adam are trying to decide about wedding plans, and taking Campbell for a walk, when they hear a shot and discover a dead dog. This not a common occurrence, and the difference between gun laws in the US vs UK is fascinating. “Somebody […]
Two Feet Under (2018) Charlie Cochrane (Lindenshaw Mysteries) Adam has just started as deputy headteacher at a new school when Robin is called out for a murder–this time at an archeology site. “It’s not one of those routine ‘found a body; we’re pretty sure it’s from the time of Cromwell, but we have to call […]
Jury of One (2015) Charlie Cochrane (Lindenshaw Mysteries) Adam and Robin are now an item, living together although Robin still hasn’t sold his flat. Then Robin is called to a secondment to investigate a murder in a nearby town, where the locals are tied up in a serial slasher case. Robin said having to explain […]
The Best Corpse for the Job (2014) Charlie Cochrane (Lindenshaw Mysteries) Needed a cozy series, and nothing new was working for me, so I went back to this series. Adam is part of a group interviewing applicants for the headteacher position in his school. Back again. Same classroom, same panel, same anticipation of death by […]
- March 30th, 2023
- Categories: 7/10, British, Cozy, eBook, Mental Health Rep, Mystery, Police, Queer, Reread, Romance
Hottie Scotty and Mr. Porter (2016) R Cooper Why reread? Because Scotty is so very sweet and kind. He picked up Becks to give nervous, overprotective Bobby a break from watching over her all the time, before taking Bobby’s hand for the walk home. Scott didn’t get any more time to think about it, because […]
Liar City (2023) Allie Therin (Sugar & Vice) No one knows where the empaths came from. All people know is they have to be touching you to read you–and that they are all pacifists, unable even to defend themselves. Because the real empath she knew wouldn’t be doing shots with rich workaholics; he’d be lecturing […]
Dead in the Shop (2018) Dahlia Donovan (Grasmere Cottage Mystery) Pudding crawls had become one of their traditions after one of their many Olivers had given up drinking. They’d supported him through Alcoholics Anonymous, and decided to create a way to celebrate without alcohol. Instead of reunions spent in one pub after the other, they […]
- March 21st, 2023
- Categories: 8/10, British, Cozy, eBook, Good Cover, Mystery, Neurodiversity, Novella, Queer, Reread
Dead in the Pond (2018) Dahlia Donovan (Grasmere Cottage Mystery) Bishan found it very difficult to force himself to do anything without understanding the reason. “Would you rather stay?” Yes. “Yes, but if I do it’ll make leaving harder the next time.” They hadn’t restocked his cereal yet. Bishan didn’t feel up to making something […]
- March 21st, 2023
- Categories: 8/10, British, Cozy, eBook, Good Cover, Mental Health Rep, Mystery, Neurodiversity, Novella, Queer, Reread
Dead in the Garden (2018) Dahlia Donovan (Grasmere Cottage Mystery) Cinnamon. What did I just read? No matter how many times Valor read it, the cause of death didn’t change. His old schoolmate had been killed by inhaling cinnamon. It had been good for him. Valor didn’t know if he’d have grown into the same […]
- March 21st, 2023
- Categories: 8/10, British, Comfort Read, Cozy, eBook, Mental Health Rep, Mystery, Neurodiversity, Novella, Queer, Reread