Book Reviews / C Reviews / C- Reviews / DNF Reviews / Reading Lists#ownvoices / contemporary fantasy / Ghost / gods / Harlequin Historical / historical romance / immigrant / long lost heiress / Malaysia / POC / POC author / Reading lists / Regency6 Comments
Black Water Sister by Zen Cho I enjoyed Zen Cho’s two books in her Sorcerer Royal series, with their lovable characters, whimsy, humor, and Heyer homages, so when I saw she had a fantasy novel set in modern-day Malaysia coming out, one that was initially billed as a third installment, ... more >
B- Reviews / Book Reviews / DNF Reviews / Reading Lists1870s / 1880s / 19th century England / anonymous sex / class differences / countess / Duke / Earl / fortune hunter / heiress / historical romance / Impersonation / mistorical / pregnancy / Reading lists / twins / viscount5 Comments
I haven’t had the best experience with Lorraine Heath; both Sweet Lullaby and Waking Up with the Duke disappointed me. However, lately I’ve been desperate for an engaging historical romance and I was intrigued by the premise of book two in the Hellions of Havisham series, The Earl Takes All, ... more >
Book ReviewsMemoir / mystery / POC author / Reading lists / Suspense9 Comments
Usually I have more books on my quarterly reading list, but in addition to the five books here, I read and reviewed seven other books: The Trials of Koli, Quiet in Her Bones, Overnight Sensation and Superfan, Book of Love, The Fall of Koli, and An Unexpected Peril All Creatures ... more >
B Reviews / B+ Reviews / B- Reviews / Book Reviewsarranged-marriage / Asian characters / class-difference / historical romance / Historical-China / Lotus Palace series / mystery / POC / POC author / Reading lists / scholar / Tang Dynasty6 Comments
Several years ago I fell in love with Jeannie Lin’s Lotus Palace novels. Whether you consider them romances or mysteries (I think of them as romances), the setting, a pleasure quarter called the Pinkang Li, part of the Tang Dynasty capital, Chang’an, during the 840s CE, is beautifully rendered and ... more >
Book Reviews#ownvoices / Arranged Marriages / California / Chef / coming-of-age / cops / m/m mystery / Missouri / Muslim / POC / POC author / police procedural / Reading lists / revenge porn / South-Asian / YA8 Comments
More Than Just a Pretty Face by Syed M. Masood Jayne’s review of this #ownvoices YA novel got me to pick it up and I was glad I did. Danyal Jilani is a good-looking and sweet nineteen-year-old in his senior year of high school (he was held back a year ... more >
Book ReviewsChristmas / classic / Essays / Gothic / horror / Illustrated Humor / Memoir / mystery / non-fiction / Reading lists / Recommended Reads / Suspense22 Comments
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson This was my annual “spooky Halloween read.” I have a hard time judging it, having spoiled myself on the twist long ago. I find it hard to believe that this twist wouldn’t have been obvious even if I hadn’t known, ... more >