JanineBook Reviews / C- ReviewsAdvertising / Contemporary / family drama / interracial marriage / mothers and daughters / Nigeria / pregnancy / TorontoNo Comments

Dear Jane Igharo, It was the premise (and the pretty cover) caused me to request an ARC of your debut novel, Ties that Tether, a contemporary romance. The story concerns Azere, a Nigerian-Canadian advertising executive whose life is turned upside down when she meets and falls in love with Rafael, ... more >

JayneA Reviews / Book Reviews / Recommended Readschildrens-books / picture books / POC author1 Comments

In this heartfelt story about courage, change, and moving on, a girl and her companion fox travel together away from a sorrowful past, through challenging and stormy times, toward color and light and life. Along the way they find friends to guide and support them, and when the new day ... more >

JanineB Reviews / B+ Reviews / Book Reviews / Recommended Reads1950s / assassination attempt / bisexual characters / Cold War / FBI agent / investigation / joint review / Russian / secret agent / Soviet Union / star-crossed lovers5 Comments

Content warnings: Sirius and I reviewed Aster Glenn Gray’s f/f novella, The Wolf and the Girl, early this year. We decided to reunite for her new m/m novel, Honeytrap. Both works feature Russian characters so I’m especially glad to have Sirius, who lived in what was then a part of ... more >

JayneB Reviews / Book ReviewsAustria / class differences / England / Historical / music / opera / post WWI / self made man / social privilege / Vienna8 Comments

In the spring of 1922, young Austrian Princess Theresa-Maria – known to her ancient aunts as ‘Putzerl’ – abandons her crumbling castle and her royal duties. Disguising herself simply as Tessa, she enrolls as under wardrobe mistress of the International Opera Company and soon loses herself in the intoxicating world ... more >

JayneB- Reviews / Book ReviewsContemporary / enemies to lovers / f/f romance / gardening / government / LGBTQ romance / opposites attract / Seattle2 Comments

A single-minded government employee, a former Peace Corps volunteer, far too many goats, and one stray dog…what could possibly go wrong? Sara’s entire life has been nomadic—developing and growing sustainable sources of food in small rural communities has meant no place to call her own. Now she’s ready to come ... more >

KaetrinB Reviews / Book Reviewsage gap / bisexual / Contemporary / demisexual / Gay / hockey / m/m romance / queer8 Comments

Dear Rachel Reid, I’ve been meaning to try your books for a while now, having heard good things about them and I am a fan of hockey romance (notwithstanding that I’ve never watched a game and know very little about the sport, but you know… details), so I snapped up ... more >

JanineC- Reviews#ownvoices / Contemporary / detective / enemies to lovers / LGBTQ / locked room mystery / Missouri / mystery / police procedural / romantic-elements2 Comments

Trigger warnings: Dear Gregory Ashe, Recently I finished Pretty Pretty Boys, the first novel in your Hazard and Somerset series. While it wasn’t a keeper for me, the slow, slow burn relationship between the main characters and their explosive chemistry sucked me in, and I knew when I finished that ... more >

JayneMisc / Need A Rec!book-pimp / Open Thread / Promotion12 Comments

Got a book you want to talk about? Frustrated with a book or series? In love with a new one? Found a buried treasure? An issue that keeps popping up in the books you are reading? Just want to chat about stuff in general?

JanineBook Reviews / C Reviews / C- Reviews#ownvoices / abuse / Black heroine / coming-of-age / high-school / POC / POC author / rock stars / singer / YANo Comments

Trigger warnings: Dear Tiffany D. Jackson, A couple of months ago I read and reviewed your YA novel, Monday’s Not Coming, and was impressed. The book had a powerful mystery at its center, a disappearance of a teenager noticed only by her best friend. Even before I read it, I ... more >

JayneBook Reviews / C+ ReviewsAmerican historical / Historical / Historical fiction / strong heroine / turn of the 20th century / westernNo Comments

Shay Billings is pleasantly surprised at discovering a new bridge over the river, as it cuts several miles from his trip into town. Ambushed and left for dead, he has even more cause to be grateful when the bridge-builder saves his life. Shay’s savior turns out to be a mysterious ... more >