Gimme Romance!

All of her life Cassie has live in a little tourist town where a ghost known as old salt has hunted every day at 8:15 PM since 1879. Her family has made a living off of catering to the tourists who come to see the clockwork ghost. But Cassie sick of it. Sick of the tavern. Sick of the town. But most definitely sick of the ghost. But when she takes her anger at the ghost a little too far the ghost himself has something to say about it. And did we mention that he’s hot.

Don’t let the tagline fool you. Halloween has nothing to do with the plot of the story. And that’s just fine. Because the story is freaking adorable. Frankly I love this story it is wonderful and sweet and the characters are realistic and there’s tons of funny lines.  William has just the right amount of pathos when you consider that he’s been a ghost for over 100 and some odd years. I mean his unlife sucks, don’t get me wrong. But it hasn’t killed his sense of humor.

Cassie is wonderfully modern and a great character she’s also not stereo typically beautiful being freckle covered. She’s not glamorous or “special” she’s very much an every woman and that’s kind of awesome. Her inner monologue is hilarious. I loved it, a lot.

I do have to say that you need to go in with the understanding that this is a romance where one of the leads is already dead when the story starts. There’s only a few ways they can end up together… which can be off-putting for some people. I’ll put the potential trigger in the tags.

Basically I liked how the universe and the people becoming/staying ghosts worked.

It was a breath of fresh air…

Five easy stars.

If this is your jam, you can get it here.

So, every publication and blogger is putting out a Valentine’s Day romance list, and we are nothing if not followers. We’ve assembled a large list (33 Books) of a mix of traditionally and indie published books. All of the books on this list are ones we’ve read and feel comfortable recommending. And they all fit the definition of romance - a story where the relationship is central to the overall plot and features a happy for now or happily every after ending.

We’re going to break this down into several categories because not everyone reads Regency romances (but we are going to start there).

Regency Romance

These are books set between 1795-1837. While the Regency itself was only from 1811-1820 most people use these dates including Wikipedia. This was honestly one of the hardest for us to narrow down, mostly because it’s the dominant genre in traditionally published romance – even Contemporary doesn’t hold a candle to Regency right now.

Sweet Disorder - Rose Lerner - M/F Romance (Steamy) - Election hijinks ensue when the local election hinges on who the widowed wife of a newspaper printer marries. Other Notes: Plus-Sized Heroine, Family Drama, Disabled Characters, Everyday People Falling in Love, Marginalized Author (Jewish).

The Baroness Affair - Jean Wilde - M/M/F Romance (Steamy) - A desperate noblewoman enlists the help of a male courtesan to help her get pregnant… no it’s not what you think. Other Notes: Equal Triad Polyamory, Period Appropriate Homophobia, LBGT Romance, Family Drama.

How To Start a Scandal - Madeline Martin - M/F Romance (Steamy) - A wallflower and secret society reporter reconnects with the Earl Next Door who’s recently returned from the war. Other Notes: Plus-Sized Heroine, Family Drama, Positive Mental Illness Portrayal, Cute Plot Animals.

Project Duchess - Sabrina Jeffries - M/F Romance (Steamy) - A duke returns to his family after the mysterious death of his stepfather, yet another duke, only to be enchanted by a woman who has a connection to the last person to see his stepfather alive. Other Notes: Older Heroine (the whole series features these), Romantic Suspense Series, family drama. I’m really enjoying the whole series and it’s worth a read.

The Rakess - Scarlett Peckham - M/F Romance (Steamy) - This is a love it or hate it kind of book that flips so many of the conventional romance tropes on its ear. It features a hard-drinking, hard-smoking, highly sexual woman who authors progressive literature and causes a scandal just by living her life meeting up with a mild-mannered reputation conscious Scottish Architect with two small children. Even the cover flips the script on the classic clinch cover. I loved it. A lot people didn’t. Other notes: Period appropriate sexism/hypocrisy/etc., CW: alcoholism, neighbors to lovers, adorable plot moppets.

Paranormal Romance

These are romances that feature a fantastical element. This can be anything from vampires to shifters to time travel. These also will often be series which may or may not continue with the same relationship throughout several books.

Hot Ghost - Annika Martin - M/F Romance (Steamy) - A waitress finds love with the ghost who haunts the pier near her family’s restaurant. Other Notes: Major Character Death (It’s a Ghost Romance…), Everyday People Falling in Love, Novella.

Accepting Fate - Deanna Chase - M/F Romance (Steamy) - Fresh from a bad break up, a woman meets her soulmate at an art gallery opening. Together they have to work through their trauma and find out if they can be happy together. Other Notes: Childhood trauma, Fire Fighter Romance, Soulmates, Artists.

Gretel - Niamh Murphy - F/F Romance (Steamy) - A retelling of the fairy tale Hansel and Gretel with a very interesting twist. Other Notes: Age-Gap Romance, Novella.

One Shade of Grey - Monica Corwin - M/F Romance (Steamy) - Dorian Grey, yes that one, has a bit of a problem. He keeps seeing a woman who he thinks is the reincarnation of his lost love. But is she really? Or is he going insane? Other Notes: Positive Portrayal of Mental Illness, Classical Story Retelling, Billionaire Romance, Immortality

Tangled in Time - Barbara Longley - M/F Romance (Steamy) - Cursed to see spirits, Regan is approached by the spirit of a cursed Irish warrior. Now they must work together to lift his curse and fall in love along the way. Other Notes: Fae Romance, Time Travel Romance, Ghost Romance.

Hunger Pangs: True Love Bites - Joy Demorra - M/M/F Romance (Steamy or Fluffy) - A vampire, a werewolf, and a magic user walk into a plot to end the world. Of course they have to fall in love along the way. Other Notes: Vampire Romance, Werewolf Romance, Magic User Romance, LBGT Fantasy Romance, Bisexual Romance, Postive Mental Illness representation, Marginalized Author (Disabled, Queer, Neurodivergent).

Read time: <1 Day Rating: 5/5

The quote: "Hard to keep secrets in Arctic Bay.” “Have you tried?” Kin was silent for a moment. “Everyone has something to hide.“ — Kin Carsen & Jack Turner

Read Time: 1 Day Rating: 5/5

Books I Read in 2021

#78 - Keepsake, by Sarina Bowen

Rating: 5/5 stars

As a Jaguar in a pack of leopards, Vaughn has always been on the outside looking in. A loner. Alone. While out scouting, Vaughn’s curiosity is piqued when he stumbles across a secluded house hidden deep in the Sierra Nevadas. The grand house is guarded by Psy guards. Intrigued, Vaughn intends to find out just what treasure the psychics are hiding . He never expects the treasure to come to him.

One of the rarest and most treasured of Psy, Faith has always been on the inside looking out. A seer, Faith is plagued by visions of the future… and recently of murder. When her sister is found dead—murdered—in a way Faith herself has foreseen, she knows she can no longer sit on the sidelines. She makes her escape only to stumble into the arms of a curious changeling. A changeling whose touch overwhelms her senses and stokes her silenced passions.

This book builds upon the first entry into the Psy-Changeling universe. While this book can partially stand on its own, it is definitely improved by having read the first book in the series. Events are referred to that happened in the first book and both Lucas and Sascha make reappearances

I did like the characters more in this book than I did in the previous book. While I still didn’t love that Vaughn kept overstepping the bounds, the reasons this time were made clear that the boundaries themselves were harmful and Vaughn was making a point that they were. But it’s still not my favorite trope in the world, but at least here the rationale made more sense.

I really liked Faith as a character. I liked her agency and proactiveness especially when everything around her was trying to take away her agency and her individuality and her very sense of self. I like that she struck out on her own and challenged things. She was definitely an interesting character and I do hope to see more of her as the series progresses.

I also really liked something that happened toward the very end with a character that would be a huge spoiler, but I really want to see more of this character in the future.

The plot itself was very standalone. It was similar to the previous book in that’s it’s a hunt for a killer. But unlike the first book, I was surprised as to who the killer was revealed to be. We also got to see more of some of the other characters in different roles and we’ll see how they progress from there. I’m particularly interested in Judd Lauren, who looks to be the hero of the next book.

In all, this was an enjoyable light read. Five stars.

If this is your jam, you can get it here.

Books I Read in 2021

#56 - Hot as Puck, by Lili Valente

Mount TBR: 53/100

Beat the Backlist Bingo: Kept you up late reading

Rating: 5/5 stars

When monster hunter, Maggie Hoskie, is called in to hunt down a missing girl, she doesn’t expect to encounter a kind of monster that she’s never seen before. Concerned, She takes it to a medicine man that she knows to hopefully find answers. She gets answers. But unfortunately she also gets a partner, in the form of the medicine Man’s grandson, Kai. Together they try to track down the source of this new monster that threatens the very lives of everyone living in the Dinetah.

I’ve had this book on my radar for a long time. And I don’t know why I didn’t pick it up sooner, because I really enjoyed this post apocalyptic tale Featuring a Navajo monster hunter who is Anita Blake, Kate Bishop, and Katniss Everdeen all rolled into one. I loved Maggie. She was strong but also vulnerable. Hard but with a heart of gold. Intelligent but not infallible. She was flawed and I loved her flaws as much as I loved her ability to take names and kick butt. But as much as I loved Maggie, my favorite character far away was Kai. I never expected to want to cuddle this absolute cinnamon roll of a man. A cinnamon roll who has some massive hidden depths. Like so massive. Hugely Massive. Spoilery massive. Kai reminded me in a lot of ways of Peeta Mellark from the Hunger Games series. And well, that’s not a bad thing. Kai was the balm to Maggie’s burn. A healer and a diplomat, Kai complemented Maggie… and he could stand on his own in a fight. I love cinnamon rolls like that.

It was also really wonderful to see the native peoples being portrayed as modern living and breathing human beings. People who have quirks and foibles and don’t automatically get shoved into the harmful stereotype of the mystic native. Oh there’s magic and there is mysticism in this book–because the story is very deeply rooted in Navajo traditions and Navajo folklore–but it isn’t the kind of story that implies that the people are dead and lost to time. There’s a lot of call outs to the trials and hurts that the Native American people have endured and are enduring currently. But the story isn’t about the struggle. It’s very much a “we need to save the world and find out where these monsters came from: kind of story. You know… pure urban fantasy post apocalyptic kind of stuff. So while the pain and the history of the Navajo people is part of the color that brings the story to life it isn’t the whole story. And what a story it is. In a weird way, at its core its a “Coyote thought this was a good idea…” kind of story, which a lot of Navajo myths are.

But it’s also more than that. It’s a love story that promises to be fully romance in the next book. It’s a hunt to save the world. And it’s about finding and being true to one’s self. I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It was well crafted. I did not see one of the main points of the ending coming. But looking back at the story I do see it was foreshadowed well. I’m really looking forward to reading the next book in the series and seeing more of what the author has out there. Five stars.

If this is your jam, you can get it here.

This is a tough one and it’s exactly what we’re here for. For disabled romance, we will be including mental and physical disabilities on this list. They will be stated.

LBGTQIA+ Sci-Fi Romance

The Shifting Ice by Alyce Caswell - M/M - Open Door - Interracial Romance

The Whispering Grass by Alyce Caswell - M/F - No Sex - Asexual Romance, Black Romance

The Creeping Moss by Alyce Caswell - FtM/F - Open Door - Transgender Romance

Evolved by N.R. Walker - M/M - Open Door - Android

The Cybernetic Tea Shop by Meredith Katz - F/F - Closed Door - Robot, Asexual Romance

That Alien Feeling by Alessandra Hazard - M/M - Open Door - Alien Romance

Winter’s Orbit by Everina Maxwell - M/M - Unknown - Alien Romance

In the Wreckage by Hailey Turner - M/M - Open Door - Metahuman Romance, Military Romance.

Omega Revealed by Alexis B. Osbourne - M/M/F - Open Door - Omegaverse

Ecstasy from the Deep by Octavia Kore - M/M/F - Open Door - Alien Romance

Paid to Kneel by Romilly King - M/F - Open Door - Futuristic - BDSM, series It has come to our attention that Romilly King has been credibly accused of plagiarism and therefore we are immediately removing this book from our list.

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Disabled Sci-Fi Romance

The Hunger Games - M/F - Closed Door - Interracial Romance, Dystopia, YA Romance, Series - Peeta is an Amputee, Katniss has hearing loss, EVERYONE has PTSD.

The Grandfather Paradox by J.T. Bock - M/F - Unknown - Time Travel Romance (Sci-Fi based) - Hero is Hard of Hearing and uses a hearing aid - Series

Psy-Changeling Series by Nalini Singh - M/F - Open Door - Urban Fantasy - Shifter Romance. (Note: This series features heroes and heroines with Mental Illnesses and Physical Disabilities. I will try to list which books have the rep in it - As a note, after book 5 the books stop standing on their own... and the Psy-Changeling Trinity series is a pure continuation and cannot stand on its own.)

Visions of Heat (Book 2) - Mental Break, PTSD

Caressed by Ice (Book 3) - PTSD

Hostage to Pleasure (Book 5) - Claustrophobia

Blaze of Memory (Book 7) - PTSD

Heart of Obsidian (Book 12) - Mental Break/PTSD like OMG

Shield of Winter (Book 13) - Malfunctioning Tech on Arm

Ocean Light (PST Book 2) - Implant Malfunction, Mechanical Heart, PTSD

Wolf Rain (PST Book 3) - PSTD (TW: Pet Death)

Alpha Night (PST Book 4) - PSTD

Last Guard (PST Book 5) - Spinal Injury (In Pre-release)

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Both!

The Flickering Flame by Alyce Caswell - F/F - Open Door -  Interracial Romance, Amputee Heroine (who stays disabled)

Surrender Love by Kayelle Allen - M/M - Open Door - Alien Romance, Musician Romance, Nearly Blind Hero (This has the Magical Healing Cock Trope FYI)

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So you might have noticed 4 books by Alyce Caswell on this... Well, you can get all four in one compilation. And there are 3 other books in the Galactic Pantheon Series.

Hope Brookes is thoroughly tired of men who see her hourglass figure and red hair as nothing more than an invitation. When hiding from one annoyingly persistent suitor, she meets Luke Duff, recent marquess who is hiding from his brother's widow. Sparks fly, right until a misunderstanding ends with Luke in the nearby fountain. Hope is determined to forget the encounter ever happened - right until he happens to move in next door! While I enjoyed the first in this series about three talented sisters who set the scandal sheets ablaze, I think this one is even better! Hope and Luke have incredible chemistry from the very start, so it's no surprise that tongues start wagging! Their banter is witty and eloquent, and it is clear that Luke's attracted to Hope not just for her body but also her mind.Hope's struggle to be taken seriously as a writer, both by misogynistic publishers and her well-meaning but differently-talented family, still resonates today. Likewise, Luke's overwhelm at his sudden elevation in status is eminently relatable. His mother's secret battle with mental illness is also treated with compassion and dignity. He's definitely flawed - Luke jumps to conclusions and has serious foot-in-mouth syndrome - but he realises his mistakes and apologises at the first opportunity. This is a fabulous read that I couldn't put down (except to share a particularly lovely turn of phrase with my patient flatmates!) and I can't wait until Charity gets her turn in the spotlight!

The Marquess Next Door is available now in ebook or hard copy

Mr Masters by TL Swan

Blurb: He was powerful, older and my boss, a lethal combination. Job satisfaction has taken on a whole new meaning. When I lied on my resume, I didn’t expect it to matter. I mean any child would love me; I was born to be a nanny. I applied for a position working for a woman, or so I thought. But Julian Masters is definitely all man…the kind you dream of licking chocolate from. The first day was bad. The kids were the spawn of the devil and I spied through a window and caught him doing something obscene…. and equally fascinating. The second day was worse, he caught me snooping in his bathroom cabinet in my skimpy pyjamas and all hell broke loose. On the third day, I ran over him in a golf cart. And by day four I had decided that I wanted that chocolate…all of it. Melted….on me. But intelligent, widowed Judges don’t fall for ditzy nannies. Or do they?

My Review: TL Swan has quickly become one of my favourite romance (and steamy) authors! I find all her books are different, with a range of diverse characters and storylines.

5.29.2021

Love cannot be planned so carefully, my dear. It will stir things up a bit. That is part of its charm.

This was such a cute, quick read for this afternoon! And apparently the lighthearted book I didn’t know I needed this week!

The Honorable Jeremy Malcolm has a list of what he’s looking for in his future wife, and he holds all the young ladies of the ton to this list. He’s snubbed a few just because they don’t meet one of the requirements on his list, and one of those girls, Julia, the cousin of his good friend Lord Cassidy, is out to get some revenge on him for it. Julia pulls an old school friend, Selina, into the plot in the hopes of finding out exactly what is on Malcolm’s list without him falling in love with Selina. But all plans go down the drain when Selina and Malcolm find themselves falling in love with each other, despite the list. Julia tries to take matters into her own hands, but muddles the relationship that’s formed between Selina and Malcolm. She and Cassidy spend the rest of the book trying to get the two of them to make up and get back together, along with the help of Malcolm’s mother, all while Julia finds herself falling in love with Henry Ossamy, another one of Cassidy and Malcolm’s friends.

Towards the end of the book, when Malcolm and Selina are in the middle of their fight, Malcolm’s mother says something about love that really stuck with me. She said, “Love cannot be planned so carefully, my dear. It will stir things up a bit. That is part of its charm.” She’s completely right with this, and it makes me reconsider the short list of requirements I have for a future husband (especially since my roommate is trying to set me up with one of her co-workers). But, I think certain requirements are necessary; at least for me as a Christian there are certain things I look for that take priority over everything else, but I feel that’s a post for another day/time. Still, though, Malcolm’s mother’s words ring true - we shouldn’t have a long list of requirements for our future spouse; love will take us by surprise and stir things up a bit, just as it should.

With Leverage being renewed, I’m suddenly craving a good heist romance. Got any recs, please?

Oh we love a good heist…and we adore Leverage! So here’s some to try.

The Pirate & I by Katharine Ashe - M/F Romance, Open Door (Historical, Regency)

Confidence Tricks by Tamara Morgan - M/F Romance, Open Door (Contemporary, Romantic Comedy)

Never Mix Sin With Pleasure by Renee Ann Miller - M/F Romance, Open Door  (Historical, Victorian) [in Pre-order]

Bow Street Bachelors series by Kate Bateman - M/F Romance, Open Door (Historical, Regency) Book One / Book Two / Book Three

The Will Darling Adventures by KJ Charles - M/M Romance, Open Door (Historical, Queer)

Heiress for Hire by Madeline Hunter - M/F Romance, Open Door (Historical, Regency)

Faking It - Jennifer Cruisie - M/F Romance, Open Door (Contemporary, Romantic Comedy)

Zorak by Cyndi Friberg - M/F Romance, Open Door (Sci-Fi, Alien)

The Rakess by Scarlett Peckham - M/F Romance, Open Door (Historical, Regency)

Hunted by the Sky by Tanez Bhathena - M/F Romance, No Sex (YA, Paranormal)

A Pocket in Time by Lexi Post - M/F Romance, Open Door (Time Travel, Regency)

The Knight of Ambra by Lyn Brittan - M/F Romance, Open Door (Contemporary, Romantic Suspense)

The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting by KJ Charles - M/M Romance, Unknown Heat Level (Regency, Queer)

Brazen Angel by Elizabeth Boyle - M/F Romance, Open Door (Historical)

The Financier by Liz Maverick - M/F Romance, Open Door (Contemporary, Romantic Suspense)

Mathilde Gosselin is young and naive when her father sends her to the Parisian court of Isabella, Queen of England. Overwhelmed when the queen singles her out for attention, she pledges her loyalty. Unbeknownst to her lady, however, Mathilde meets Henry Wright, illegitimate but honourable, and thereby blossoms a friendship that as the months pass, blossoms into something more. The queen isn't content to live in comfortable exile, however, and her ambition will force Mathilde to choose between her queen and her love.

I'm not terribly familiar with this turbulent period in English history, but I was very impressed with how the author managed to weave two believable and sympathetic characters into historical events. Their relationship grows slowly with gaps of weeks or months as Henry's duties take him away from Court but I was fully invested, especially as it became clear that certain choices were going to cause tension between the pair, not least Mathilde's devotion to her queen. While both leads (and many supporting characters) are well-fleshed out, this is not at the expense of plot, for history marches on and there is little time for naval gazing.

Beautifully researched with brilliant characterisation and just a pang of heartbreak to deepen the emotional resonance, this is a fabulous historical romance set in a less usual time period. I'm definitely keeping an eye out for this author in the future!

A Marriage Made in Secret is available in ebook or hard copy.