#ff romance

when life gives you lemons (massive $700 return from Ingram), you make lemonade (put the books up on etsy to recoup the loss)

anyway for the first time ever i'm offering signed books shipped straight to you - limited quantity; once they're gone, they're gone

annotated books are also available and 25% off

the book is a sapphic vampire romance called she's my eternity (sequel to the girl who bit me)by valerie hunter. i'm including the synopsis here bc it does a better job of conveying basic plot than i can:

"Yasmine Sokolov has built a life most people would kill for. She’s the richest vampire on Earth, a professor with nearly unlimited research funding, and owner of a mansion across from Central Park. The only thing she hasn’t managed in a thousand years? A long-term girlfriend. After moving to New York City to help Sylvia and Aster adjust to unexpected parenthood, Yasmine is pushed back onto VampireMatch—where a dozen disappointing dates convince her that another thousand years alone might be her fate. That is, until she meets someone she absolutely cannot fall in love with: the devastatingly beautiful, and devastatingly human barista, Bella Dragomir. But as a string of vampiric killings begins spreading across New York City—killings that seem to draw closer and closer to Bella herself—Yasmine finds herself wondering if the truth is more complicated than she wants to believe. Especially when it comes to Bella."

completely aside from the amazing experience i had as a beta reader (which was incredible, just incidentally), i think the author has crafted a touching and impactful narrative that succeeds as a more straightforward romantic suspense novel, but that really, at its core is a story about trauma recovery and the healing power of queer love.

also, the leads are both researchers, so that allows for some really delightful and incredibly romantic fantasy science. i will never think about mitochondria the same way again. (oh! and also there are sea urchins!)

one of the things i appreciate about valerie's writing is that she is able to deliver devastating gut punches, but they are always couched in humor or tenderness or absurdity or something to soften the blow.

i don't know how many of you (if any) are followers from way back when i actually wrote things and shared them on the internet, but if you liked my writing i think you will enjoy this book. valerie deals with heavy topics with kindness, compassion, and understanding, which comes through in the writing.

What A Feeling (2024)

Nova & Alice (2024)

I Can't Think Straight (2008)

Desert Hearts (1985)

Nina's Heavenly Delights (2006)

Imagine Me & You (2005)

But I'm A Cheerleader (1999)

Saving Face (2004)

With Every Heartbeat / Kyss Mig (2011)

Summerland (2020)

I feel like the question behind it is basically: “Men wouldn’t be into FF romance, so why would women be into MM? Why would women want a story where they can’t self-insert as the girl being desired by a man?”

But that’s exactly the point: a lot of straight men can’t imagine enjoying MM or FF romance unless they can project themselves into it and “get” something out of it. They assume everyone else consumes stories the same way they do.

Women (and plenty of other people) don’t need a carbon-copy self insert or a “conquered by a man” fantasy to care about a story. They’re interested in emotion, dynamic, chemistry, and narrative, not just “could I be the one in this scene?”

^I think this referal link gets you $10 off if you join the group! There are also other critique groups for other genres and levels.

I'd appreciate signal boosting! The critique group start date is delayed because so far not enough people have joined.

The Caribbean Sea, 1675. Jacquotte Delahaye is the mixed-race daughter of a wealthy tavern owner on the island of Tortuga. Instead of marriage, Jacquotte dreams of joining the seafarers and smugglers, and she falls in love with a pirate. But when he returns to the sea, Jacquotte decides to make her own way in Haiti.

✨ BOOK REVIEW ✨

The Guest Book by Mae Marvel

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

QOTD: What makes the difference between a 4.5 and 5 star read for you?

Honestly I can never articulate it 😂 it’s just a feeling.

[instagram]

Review below