The God of the Woods

      

Title: The God of the Woods

Author: Liz Moore

Publisher: Riverhead Books, July 2, 2024

Pages: 312

Genre: Psychological Thriller

Early morning, August 1975: a camp counselor discovers an empty bunk. Its occupant, Barbara Van Laar, has gone missing. Barbara isn’t just any thirteen-year-old: she’s the daughter of the family that owns the summer camp and employs most of the region’s residents. And this isn’t the first time a Van Laar child has disappeared. Barbara’s older brother similarly vanished fourteen years ago, never to be found.

As a panicked search begins, a thrilling drama unfolds. Chasing down the layered secrets of the Van Laar family and the blue-collar community working in its shadow, Moore’s multi-threaded story invites readers into a rich and gripping dynasty of secrets and second chances. It is Liz Moore’s most ambitious and wide-reaching novel yet.

This book is a whole aesthetic. It's a summer camp in upstate New York in the 70s. It feels so much like the beginning of a classic slasher movie. 

This was such a ride. The use of a split timeline keeps you guessing until the very end. Well, it kept me guessing until the very end. I had to work through a lot of different theories for this one, but the way it all worked out was perfection. 

I absolutely recommend this book to anyone who likes a good mystery, or anyone who wants to get into the spooky season mood!

Ratings

Stars: 5/5

Funeral Songs for Dying Girls

     

Title: Funeral Songs for Dying Girls

Author: Cherie Dimaline

Publisher: Tundra Books, April 4, 2023

Pages: 275

Genre: LGBT YA Fiction

Winifred has lived in the apartment above the cemetery office with her father, who works in the crematorium, all her life, close to her mother's grave. With her sixteenth birthday only days away, Winifred has settled into a lazy summer schedule, lugging her obese Chihuahua around the grounds in a squeaky red wagon to visit the neglected gravesides and nursing a serious crush on her best friend, Jack.

Her habit of wandering the graveyard at all hours has started a rumor that Winterson Cemetery might be haunted. It’s welcome news since the crematorium is on the verge of closure and her father’s job is being outsourced. Now that the ghost tours have started, Winifred just might be able to save her father’s job and the only home she’s ever known, not to mention being able to stay close to where her mother is buried. All she has to do is get help from her con-artist cousin to keep up the rouse and somehow manage to stop her father from believing his wife has returned from the grave. But when Phil, an actual ghost of a teen girl who lived and died in the ravine next to the cemetery, starts showing up, Winifred begins to question everything she believes about life, love and death. Especially love.

This was such a beautiful book. I loved Winifred. She was such a little weirdo. This is kind of the perfect book to read during fall. It's a little bit Wednesday Addams and a little bit Coco. Winifred is a weird kid who feels more comfortable around tombstones than kids her own age. It's also the perfect book for anyone who's ever felt like an outcast.

Ratings

Stars: 5/5

My Curvy Rival

    

Title: My Curvy Rival

Author: Leigh Carron

Publisher: January 31, 2024

Pages: 166

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Jazz Legend is fat, fit, and fabulous. She's a former ballet dancer who channels her love of dance and the joy of movement into her new size-inclusive, women's only gym—Fab Fitness—right down the street from Leo Foster's club. Nothing like a little competition to heat things up.

Leo, a former hockey player and athletic trainer, has a different perspective on exercise. For him, it means discipline, hard work, and setting goals. Not motivational slogans, provocative dance classes, and kumbaya. So when he discovers bright pink flyers advertising Fab Fitness scattered across his parking lot, he sets out to confront the new gym owner. Only he hadn't counted on the impact of those buttery curves and that saucy smile. Or that he'd be captivated by a free-spirited woman who meditates, creates her own essential oils, and was still in diapers while he was growing peach fuzz. 

The undeniable attraction makes no sense to Leo's logical brain, but his body isn't listening. And if that situation wasn't complicated enough, there's a bitter history with his younger brother, Kai, that reaches a boiling point when Leo and Jazz act on their mutual desire. What was meant to be a single night of indulgence to "get each other out of their systems" leads to unexpected consequences, Leo finds himself torn between his beliefs, his brother, and the alluring woman who threatens to upend it all.

OK, this was cute. I just don't love a love triangle. And Jazz was so naive about her love triangle, which made it worse. But I DO love Jazz's relationship to her body! And I love Leo's relationship to Jazz's body. ;) Especially when Jazz reminds him that you can be hot And fat.

Ratings

Stars: 3/5

Spice: 3/5

Nona the Ninth

     

Title: Nona the Ninth

Series: The Locked Tomb #3

Author: Tamsyn Muir

Publisher: Tor Books, September 13, 2022

Pages: 502

Genre: Sci Fi / Fantasy

Her city is under siege.

The zombies are coming back.

And all Nona wants is a birthday party.

In many ways, Nona is like other people. She lives with her family, has a job at her local school, and loves walks on the beach and meeting new dogs. But Nona's not like other people. Six months ago she woke up in a stranger's body, and she's afraid she might have to give it back.

The whole city is falling to pieces. A monstrous blue sphere hangs on the horizon, ready to tear the planet apart. Blood of Eden forces have surrounded the last Cohort facility and wait for the Emperor Undying to come calling. Their leaders want Nona to be the weapon that will save them from the Nine Houses. Nona would prefer to live an ordinary life with the people she loves, with Pyrrha and Camilla and Palamedes, but she also knows that nothing lasts forever.

And each night, Nona dreams of a woman with a skull-painted face...

After the snark of Gideon, and the sulk of Harrow....Nona's innocence is almost off-putting. This book took a little longer for me to get into. Once I realized what was going on, it was easier to get into it, but it definitely took a moment. I was warned not to read this series by the same people who recommended it to me. Mostly because there is potentially another book to come out in the series...and I HAVE TO HAVE IT! Tamsyn Muir, here is my solemn plea. Tell me all about Alecto, please!!!

Ratings

Stars: 4/5

Just for the Cameras

   

Title: Just for the Cameras

Author: Viano Oniomoh

Publisher: Viano Oniomoh Desires, July 20, 2023

Pages: 312

Genre: LGBT Romance

Sex worker couple Kian Kalu and Jordanne Daye decide to fantasise about their hot, untouchable flatmate and best friend, Luka Prince, just once. Just to scratch the itch. They totally don't want anything else from Luka—not his body, nor his heart.

The last thing Luka expects to come home to is his two sexy flatmates and best friends getting frisky underneath their blanket on the living room sofa. And for the first time in a long time, Luka lets himself want.

It was supposed to be one video for Jordanne's and Kian's subscribers.

One video. No strings attached.

Except now, Jordanne and Kian don't know how to let Luka go, not after they know how fucking perfect he feels between them. And Luka feels like maybe he can risk getting his heart broken again, if it means he gets to have Jordanne and Kian forever.

These three are so stinkin' hot! Their care for each other is the dream. With and without the super duper hot sex. On and off the cams. I love them.

Ratings

Stars: 4/5

Spice: 5/5

Harrow the Ninth

    

Title: Harrow the Ninth

Series: The Locked Tomb #2

Author: Tamsyn Muir

Publisher: Tor Books, August 4, 2020

Pages: 538

Genre: Sci Fi / Fantasy

She answered the Emperor's call.

She arrived with her arts, her wits, and her only friend.

In victory, her world has turned to ash.

After rocking the cosmos with her deathly debut, Tamsyn Muir continues the story of the penumbral Ninth House in Harrow the Ninth, a mind-twisting puzzle box of mystery, murder, magic, and mayhem. Nothing is as it seems in the halls of the Emperor, and the fate of the galaxy rests on one woman's shoulders.

Harrowhark Nonagesimus, last necromancer of the Ninth House, has been drafted by her Emperor to fight an unwinnable war. Side-by-side with a detested rival, Harrow must perfect her skills and become an angel of undeath — but her health is failing, her sword makes her nauseous, and even her mind is threatening to betray her.

Sealed in the gothic gloom of the Emperor's Mithraeum with three unfriendly teachers, hunted by the mad ghost of a murdered planet, Harrow must confront two unwelcome questions: is somebody trying to kill her? And if they succeeded, would the universe be better off?

Wow. The mystery in book one was pretty wild. But the mysteries that Harrow goes through in this book? Nigh impossible to follow. I think this might have been a better book to read with my eyes, I think I was missing too much in the audio. That doesn't mean the audio wasn't a blast. I really like this weird creepy universe!

Ratings

Stars: 4/5

Crown of Midnight

           

Title: Crown of Midnight

Series: The Throne of Glass #2

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing, August 27, 2013

Pages: 440

Genre: YA Romantasy

Celaena Sardothien won a brutal contest to become the King's Champion. But she is far from loyal to the crown. Though she goes to great lengths to hide her secret, her deadly charade becomes more difficult when she realizes she is not the only one seeking justice. Her search for answers ensnares those closest to her, and no one is safe from suspicion-not the Crown Prince Dorian; not Chaol, the Captain of the Guard; not even her best friend, Nehemia, a princess with a rebel heart.

Then, one terrible night, the secrets they have all been keeping lead to an unspeakable tragedy. As Celaena's world shatters, she will be forced to decide once and for all where her true loyalties lie . . . and what she is willing to fight for.

I knew I was going to get faked out after ACOTAR. Right? I knew it was coming. But there are also so many more books. Is it going to happen again?? Is there going to be more fake outs before the end of this? I am really proud of myself for getting these from the library though. It puts way more time between reading these books than I would usually have. But it's working for me....so far. 

Ratings

Stars: 4/5

Spice: 1/5

Gideon the Ninth

   

Title: Gideon the Ninth

Series: The Locked Tomb #1

Author: Tamsyn Muir

Publisher: Tor Books, September 10, 2019

Pages: 479

Genre: Sci Fi / Fantasy

The Emperor needs necromancers.

The Ninth Necromancer needs a swordswoman.

Gideon has a sword, some dirty magazines, and no more time for undead nonsense.

Tamsyn Muir’s Gideon the Ninth unveils a solar system of swordplay, cut-throat politics, and lesbian necromancers. Her characters leap off the page, as skillfully animated as arcane revenants. The result is a heart-pounding epic science fantasy.

Brought up by unfriendly, ossifying nuns, ancient retainers, and countless skeletons, Gideon is ready to abandon a life of servitude and an afterlife as a reanimated corpse. She packs up her sword, her shoes, and her dirty magazines, and prepares to launch her daring escape. But her childhood nemesis won’t set her free without a service.

Harrowhark Nonagesimus, Reverend Daughter of the Ninth House and bone witch extraordinaire, has been summoned into action. The Emperor has invited the heirs to each of his loyal Houses to a deadly trial of wits and skill. If Harrowhark succeeds she will be become an immortal, all-powerful servant of the Resurrection, but no necromancer can ascend without their cavalier. Without Gideon’s sword, Harrow will fail, and the Ninth House will die.

Of course, some things are better left dead.

This book made me laugh out loud. How did a book full of death and gore and reanimation make me laugh out loud? Read it and find out! There were so many pop culture references here, and that is hilarious. We love a sci-fi with over the top pop culture references. The mix of sci-fi and fantasy was so well done. Just as I got lost in the fantasy, they'd throw in a space ship or automatic doors to shake things up. Then they were all so super gay, and it was perfect!

Ratings

Stars: 5/5

The Undermining of Twyla and Frank

  

Title: The Undermining of Twyla and Frank

Series: The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy #2

Author: Megan Bannen

Publisher: Orbit, July 2, 2024

Pages: 407

Genre: Fantasy

The entire town of Eternity was shocked when widowed, middle-aged Twyla Banneker partnered up with her neighbor and best friend, Frank Ellis, to join the Tanrian Marshals. Eight years later, Twyla’s rewarding career patrolling the strange land of Tanria remains a welcome change from the domestic grind of mom life, despite the misgivings of her grown children.

Fortunately (or unfortunately) a recent decrease in on-the-job peril has made Twyla and Frank's job a lot safer ... and a lot less exciting. So when they discover the body of one of their fellow marshals near an enormous footprint—and Frank finds himself the inadvertent foster dad to a baby dragon—they are grateful to be back in action.
 
Soon, the friends wind up ensnared in a nefarious plot that goes far deeper than any lucrative Tanrian mineshaft. But as danger closes in and Twyla and Frank's investigation becomes more complicated, so does their easy friendship. And Twyla starts to realize that her true soul mate might be the person who has lived next door all along...

Twyla Banneker is a dream. She is also one of the most irksome women ever! She's so staunchly opposed to anything that looks like dependence. And I understand it, and even identify with it in some ways. But good night! 

In saying all of that. If I'm even a little bit like her in 10-15 years, I'll be doing so so well. And I'd take a pet dragon too, if that's on the table.

Ratings

Stars: 5/5

Spice: 2/5

The Last Romantics

        

Title: The Last Romantics

Author: Tara Conklin

Published: Mariner Books, February 5, 2019

Pages: 362

Genre: Literary Fiction

When the renowned poet Fiona Skinner is asked about the inspiration behind her iconic work, The Love Poem, she tells her audience a story about her family and a betrayal that reverberates through time.

It begins in a big yellow house with a funeral, an iron poker, and a brief variation forever known as the Pause: a free and feral summer in a middle-class Connecticut town. Caught between the predictable life they once led and an uncertain future that stretches before them, the Skinner siblings—fierce Renee, sensitive Caroline, golden boy Joe and watchful Fiona—emerge from the Pause staunchly loyal and deeply connected.  Two decades later, the siblings find themselves once again confronted with a family crisis that tests the strength of these bonds and forces them to question the life choices they’ve made and ask what, exactly, they will do for love. 

A novel that pierces the heart and lingers in the mind, The Last Romantics is also a beautiful meditation on the power of stories—how they navigate us through difficult times, help us understand the past, and point the way toward our future.

This book really put me through the wringer. It made me contemplate my relationship with my own siblings. This family is something else. It was so interesting to see this view of the future, all while seeing the past through Fiona's eyes. I did think that Luna was going to work out differently, but it was a beautiful full circle moment.

Ratings

Stars: 5/5

On the Care and Keeping of Orcs

        

Title: On the Care and Keeping of Orcs

Series: The Shades of Sanctuary #2

Author: Kass O'Shire

Publisher: January 25, 2024

Pages: 296

Genre: Fantasy Romance

Catrin's half-orc children are going through a difficult... growing phase. But since their orcish father left while she was pregnant, she doesn't know how to help. When Torsten, the first orc to break her heart, swaggers back into her life, he's got all the answers she needs.

Torsten has always regretted what happened with his best friend's sister when they were kids, but he had no choice. After fifteen years away, he's returned with no direction, no ties, and every reason to explore where they went wrong. A ridiculous horse heist might just be the perfect time to figure out what he wants in life… and it might involve an adorable rabbit-shifter and her orcish children. After all she's suffered, Catrin can't weather another heartbreak, but can she afford to miss out on a second chance at true love?

For fans of plus-sized heroines and golden retriever orcs, On the Care and Keeping of Orcs is the second standalone in The Shades of Sanctuary, where the vibes are cozy, the heat is high and the mates are monstrous. Grab a cup of tea and snuggle in, because while there might be some angst along the way, the burn is fast, the stakes are low, and the HEA is only a few hours away!

I don't love miscommunication typically, but it worked pretty well here. If only because their age when the miscommunication lends itself to misunderstandings. And it doesn't help that Torsten has got a dang mouth on him! And Catrin's little bunny is pretty sassy and cute to boot. Just a very sweet story!

Ratings

Stars: 3/5

Spice: 4/5

Bonus Novella!

Title: The Curious Incident of the Great Cookie Snackcident of 979

Series: The Shades of Sanctuary #1.5

Author: Kass O'Shire

Publisher: June 27, 2024

Pages: 89

Genre: LGBT Fantasy Romance

The Curious Incident of the Great Cookie Snackcident of 979 is a cozy, slower burn workplace romance with two MCs who connect over a shared passion for their calling. It features a demi heroine, a non-binary shadow monster, wooing with snacks, footnotes from an in world narrator, and shadow tentacle play!

I love Abi and Senka! Senka is the cutest shadow monster you could meet. Do they need to eat? Who cares! They like to cook and they like to share meals with Abi. It's a delight to watch them do it as well.

Ratings

Stars: 3/5

Spice: 4/5

A Novel Love Story

        

Title: A Novel Love Story

Author: Ashley Poston

Publisher: Berkley, June 25, 2024

Pages: 378

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Eileen Merriweather loves to get lost in a good happily-ever-after. The fictional kind, anyway. Because at least imaginary men don’t leave you at the altar. She feels safe in a book. At home. Which might be why she’s so set on going her annual book club retreat this year—she needs good friends, cheap wine, and grand romantic gestures—no matter what.

But when her car unexpectedly breaks down on the way, she finds herself stranded in a quaint town that feels like it’s right out of a novel…

Because it is.

This place can’t be real, and yet… she’s here, in Eloraton, the town of her favorite romance series, where the candy store’s honey taffy is always sweet, the local bar’s burgers are always a little burnt, and rain always comes in the afternoon. It feels like home. It’s perfect—and perfectly frozen, trapped in the late author’s last unfinished story.

Elsy is sure that’s why she must be here: to help bring the town to its storybook ending.

Except there is a character in Eloraton that she can’t place—a grumpy bookstore owner with mint-green eyes, an irritatingly sexy mouth and impeccable taste in novels. And he does not want her finishing this book.

Which is a problem because Elsy is beginning to think the town’s happily-ever-after might just be intertwined with her own.

Reading this just a few months after getting engaged was maybe not exactly what I needed. Talk about stressful! But Eloraton was too magical to keep me down for long!

I mean, what a dream vacation. To find yourself staying in the loft above a bookstore in the town where your favorite book series is set? Now, getting real life, or magical realism, proof of the not so happily ever after bits that come after your favorite books finish? That may not be ideal, and Elsy certainly feels like it's not. So she does a little more meddling than anyone should. But all's well that ends well, and I quite enjoyed this ending.

Ratings

Stars: 4/5

Spice: 2/5

Throne of Glass

          

Title: Throne of Glass

Series: The Throne of Glass #1

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing, August 7, 2012

Pages: 428

Genre: YA Romantasy

In a land without magic, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She has no love for the vicious king who rules from his throne of glass, but she has not come to kill him. She has come to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three murderers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she will be released from prison to serve as the King's Champion.

Her name is Celaena Sardothien.

The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. And a princess from a faraway country will befriend her. But something rotten dwells in the castle, and it's there to kill. When her competitors start dying mysteriously, one by one, Celaena's fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival-and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world.

Celaena Sardothien has too many names. I love it, but it's too many names. I am not surprised that I loved this again the second time around. Reading this after reading ACOTAR and CC is very interesting. Finding the easter eggs along the way is pretty fun. I'm sure I'm missing just as many as I'm finding. But it's a fun journey either way. 

Ratings

Stars: 3/5

Only One Coffin

       

Title: Only One Coffin

Author: A.J. Truman

Published: Truman Books, December 24, 2022

Pages: 180

Genre: LGBT Paranormal Romance

After centuries of eternal existence, and still mourning the loss of my lover to vicious slayers, I needed a few days of peaceful solitude at the Hotel Draugr.

But thanks to a double-booking mishap, I’m forced to share my coffin with Kilroy, a freshly bitten vampire who loves his new afterlife as much as he loves hanging ten. My unexpected roommate is determined to show me how “totally awesome” being a vampire can be.

Doesn’t he know vampires don’t do sunshine of any kind?

Through epic snowball fights and midnight meetups at vampire speakeasies, the ice around my not-technically-beating heart begins to melt. And during days sharing our too-small coffin, one part of me has trouble staying dead.

Maybe this budding relationship has teeth…that is, if we can evade the slayers closing in on the hotel.

This book is adorable. Kilroy is adorable. Magnus would pissed to know, but he is also adorable. I love that all vampires are bi, because even with eternity no one has time for homophobia. I would absolutely ready another book about these cutie pies. But I'm great with thinking about them living out their adventures together.

Ratings

Stars: 4/5

Spice: 2/5

Seas and Greetings

               

Title: Seas and Greetings

Series: Christmas Notch #2.5

Author: Julie Murphy and Sierra Simone

Published: Avon Impulse, July 9, 2024

Pages: 148

Genre: LGBT Romance

The Rules:

No roaming off alone.
No secrets.
No bodyguard/client fraternization.
No olives.

This is Krysta Morton’s last job. She’s done with being a bodyguard and is ready for a real nine to five where work stays at work. But when Addison Hayes’s manager offers Krysta a ridiculous amount of money to keep the high-maintenance singer-turned-influencer safe on a cruise, Krysta can’t make herself say no. Not when the money means that she’ll be able to set her grandma up at the nicest senior living community in town. (It has a brand new pickleball court! And a juice bar!)

Addison Hayes is at the top of her game. After a long and healthy career as a B-list celebrity, she’s successfully made the transition to lifestyle brands and her dream of expanding her empire into hotels and cruises is within reach. With her first branded cruise about to disembark, she’s in dire need of hired security while she curates the passenger experience and oversees the debut run of The Lion and the Lamb, her first attempt at producing a musical (and her ode to all things Twilight).

With Krysta’s no-nonsense attitude, Addison is certain her newly hired bodyguard loathes her. Then a steamy shore excursion reveals that Krysta’s icy shell is hiding a simmering hunger. And if this bodyguard isn’t careful, she might start breaking her own rules…

I know the whole series has queer rep. But....I do find the pattern of featuring MF relationships in the novels and MM and FF relationships in the novellas to be....interesting.

Ratings

Stars: 3/5

Spice: 3/5

My Lady Jane

        

Title: My Lady Jane

Series: The Lady Janies

Author: Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, Jodi Meadows

Publisher: HarperTeen, June 7, 2016

Pages: 474

Genre: YA Historical Fantasy

In My Lady Jane, coauthors Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows have created a one-of-a-kind YA fantasy in the tradition of The Princess Bride, featuring a reluctant king, an even more reluctant queen, a noble steed, and only a passing resemblance to actual history—because sometimes history needs a little help.

At sixteen, Lady Jane Grey is about to be married off to a stranger and caught up in a conspiracy to rob her cousin, King Edward, of his throne. But those trifling problems aren’t for Jane to worry about. Jane gets to be Queen of England.

Like that could go wrong.

I watched the show that was recently released on Amazon Prime, and I HAD to see what the book was all about. The show was very good, but it certainly wasn't a faithful representation of the book. The book was fine. Much more YA than the show would lead you to believe. I will say, Guildford was just as big of a baby in the book as in the show. But he overcame it more quickly in the book, which helped in finishing it. But while I hope for a second season of the show, I don't think I'll continue these books.

Ratings

Stars: 3/5

The Prospects

      

Title: The Prospects

Author: KT Hoffman

Published: The Dial Press, April 9, 2024

Pages: 386

Genre: LGBT Sports Romance

Hope is familiar territory for Gene Ionescu. He has always loved baseball, a sport made for underdogs and optimists like him. He also loves his team, the minor league Beaverton Beavers, and, for the most part, he loves the career he’s built. As the first openly trans player in professional baseball, Gene has nearly everything he’s ever let himself dream of—that is, until Luis Estrada, Gene’s former teammate and current rival, gets traded to the Beavers, destroying the careful equilibrium of Gene’s life.

Gene and Luis can’t manage a civil conversation off the field or a competent play on it, but in the close confines of dugout benches and roadie buses, they begrudgingly rediscover a comfortable rhythm. As the two grow closer, the tension between them turns electric, and their chemistry spills past the confines of the stadium. For every tight double play they execute, there’s also a glance at summer-tan shoulders or a secret shared, each one a breathless moment of possibility that ignites in Gene the visceral, terrifying kind of desire he’s never allowed himself. Soon, Gene has to reconcile the quiet, minor-league-sized life he used to find fulfilling with the major-league dreams Luis inspires.

This triumphant debut romance reveals what’s possible when we allow ourselves to want something enough to swing for the fences.

Sports, second chance, friends to rivals to lovers, queer, etc. What more could you need?! Gene and Luis are SO cute. Gene is one of the most positive characters that is somehow not completely obnoxious! Luis is a very anxious baby. Who has the best emotional support dog in the world. I love them. You will love them.

Ratings

Stars: 5/5

Spice: 3/5