Mortal Follies

   

Title: Mortal Follies

Author: Alexis Hall

Publisher: Del Rey, June 6, 2023

Pages: 400

Genre: LGBTQ Historical Fantasy Romance

A young noblewoman must pair up with a rumoured witch to ward off a curse.

It is the year 1814 and life for a young lady of good breeding has many difficulties. There are balls to attend, fashions to follow, marriages to consider and, of course, the tiny complication of existing in a world swarming with fairy spirits, interfering deities, and actual straight-up sorcerers.

Miss Maelys Mitchelmore finds her entry into high society hindered by an irritating curse. It begins innocuously enough with her dress slowly unmaking itself over the course of an evening at a high-profile ball, a scandal she narrowly manages to escape.

However, as the curse progresses to more fatal proportions, Miss Mitchelmore must seek out aid, even if it means mixing with undesirable company. And there are few less desirable than Lady Georgianna Landrake—a brooding, alluring young woman sardonically nicknamed “the Duke of Annadale”—who may or may not have murdered her own father and brothers to inherit their fortune. If one is to believe the gossip, she might be some kind of malign enchantress. Then again, a malign enchantress might be exactly what Miss Mitchelmore needs.

With the Duke’s help, Miss Mitchelmore delves into a world of angry gods and vindictive magic, keen to unmask the perpetrator of these otherworldly attacks. But Miss Mitchelmore’s reputation is not the only thing at risk in spending time with her new ally. For the rumoured witch has her own secrets that may prove dangerous to Miss Mitchelmore’s heart—not to mention her life.

**ARC REVIEW**

This was very exciting for me! My first Net Galley ARC, and it's an FF Alexis Hall??!! There was much celebrating done when my request for the ARC was approved. I hadn't even read the description, and I was certain I was going to love it. I really do know myself well. I absolutely DO love it!

Now that I'm reading the blurb, I'm so struggling to decide just how much I want to talk about in this review. I don't want to spoil anything, but my favorite part of the whole book isn't really discussed in the blurb!!! Suffice it to say, allusion was used to the fullest extent, and I appreciated it IMMENSELY!

This was absolutely hilarious. I don't love a "ruined reputation" trope, but the adventures and hijinks that take place to maintain Miss Mitchelmore's reputation are quite entertaining. I do love a reluctant hero, and Lady Georgianna Landrake is absolutely that. She is every rakish duke from every regency historical romance I've ever read. With the bonus of being a woman!!! She's just trying to live her best broody, gothic life on the moors, and she keeps getting distracted by Miss Mitchelmore's predicaments and pretty tears. It's a slow burn, and once it burns it fades to black. But it is very, very swoony!

I'm fairly certain that Miss Mitchelmore's best friend, Miss Lysistrata Bickle is my spirit animal. She is always optimistic, easy to please, and desperate for adventure and magic. She is the kind of ride or die friend that I can only strive to be!!! She absolutely makes the book for me! Well, her and the narrator, of course. 

Ratings

Stars: 5/5

Spice: 1/5

Brothersong

          

Title: Brothersong

Series: Green Creek #4

Author: TJ Klune

Published: Tantor, October 27, 2020

Pages: 477

Genre: LGBTQ Fantasy Romance

In the ruins of Caswell, Maine, Carter Bennett learned the truth of what had been right in front of him the entire time. And then it - he - was gone.

Desperate for answers, Carter takes to the road, leaving family and the safety of his pack behind, all in the name of a man he only knows as a feral wolf. But therein lies the danger: wolves are pack animals, and the longer Carter is on his own, the more his mind slips toward the endless void of Omega insanity.

But he pushes on, following the trail left by Gavin.

Gavin, the son of Robert Livingstone. The half-brother of Gordo Livingstone.

What Carter finds will change the course of the wolves forever. Because Gavin's history with the Bennett pack goes back further than anyone knows, a secret kept hidden by Carter's father, Thomas Bennett.

And with this knowledge comes a price: The sins of the fathers now rest upon the shoulders of their sons.

"It is finished." Honestly, it couldn't have ended any other way. But I am SO upset that it had to end. I mean I get it, we don't want too much of a good thing. But I'm not ready to say goodbye to the Bennetts!!!  

Carter Bennett is stupid. He's had a timber wolf following him around for years. But it's not until the wolf shifts back into a man to save his life, and then runs away to save his pack, that he realizes they're mates. Maybe. Probably. He's still not sure. The only thing he's sure about is that he needs to run off into the wild unknown to chase after the wolf, AKA, Gavin. 

While he's off on his wild wolf chase, things in Green Creek are a changing! Not huge changes, but they are making preparations for battle. And they're also searching for Carter... who's searching for Gavin... who ran off to save them from Livingstone... who they're also searching for. It's like a whole thing. 

Watching Carter slipping into Omega insanity was so compelling. He had his reasons, and they made sense to him. Whether they made sense to anyone else...well, that's part of madness. But it was so sad to see that he just wanted to be with his family, but he couldn't let go what Gavin could mean to him. Especially with the breadcrumbs that Gavin was leaving behind.

I cried my way through the last quarter of this book. It was a beautiful tribute to these characters that I've fallen in love with over the course of the series. I was also really concerned about the big battle that had to happen. Like.... I *knew* it was going to work out ok, but I was very nervous with what *ok* was going to look like! I'm still not ready to say goodbye to the Bennetts though. See you soon, I hope. My fingers are crossed!

Ratings

Stars: 5/5

Spice: 2/5

To Ravish a Rogue

         

Title: To Ravish a Rogue

Series: Dangerous Tides

Author: C.M. Nascosta

Published: October 24, 2023

Pages: 250

Genre: Bonkers Pirate Fantasy

Charlotte Davenport is a woman on a singular mission: get onto a ship bound for Atlantis by any means necessary, and get home to her sister. When she joins the crew of the Malediction, she has no idea she's made herself an unwitting captive of its pirate captain. Captain Lirian Jurel is cocky and secretive and infuriatingly handsome, and she can't shake the feeling that he's laughing at her . . . but Charlotte has a secret of her own, and she'll do anything to keep it. After all, who could possibly understand the life of a monster?

Captain Lirian Jurel has only one thing on his mind — the next adventure. Fucking, feasting, and fighting — it's a pirate's life for him, and he loves the watery path he's chosen. He's never been able to stay away from danger, and Charlotte Davenport — the impudent little witch disguising herself as a member of his crew — seems like the most dangerous creature he's ever encountered.

Striking a bargain to bring her home is an easy trade for having her warm in his bed . . . But bringing her home means saying goodbye, which is harder than he anticipated.

When you're a vicious sea monster like him, being alone is the wisest course of action, but once they reach Atlantis, Lirian vows to help Charlotte see her journey through — wherever it leads.

Consider that rogue ravished! 

Lady Charlotte Davenport has to get home. Captain Lirian Jurel is headed in the right direction on his ship, the Malediction. It's bad luck for women to be on ships, everyone knows that. And Charlotte isn't sure when her next chance will be. Clearly her only choice is to cosplay a cabin boy and make herself as useful as possible during the voyage. 

Lirian knew from the start that Charlie wasn't your average cabin boy. That didn't stop him from playing along with Charlotte's little ruse for a time. Eventually, as all good ruses go, the jig is up. After that: hilarity, swashbuckling, and ravishing ensue. 

In this book there are portals and petticoats. There are pleasure auctions and poetic declarations of love. There are downstairs teeth and vore. This. Book. Has. It. All!!! When they said Bonkers, they meant it!! And we love it!

Ratings

Stars: 5/5

Spice: 5/5

Nothing Ventured, Muffin Gained

        

Title: Nothing Ventured, Muffin Gained

Series: The Mysteries of Cozy Cove #4

Author: Virginia K. Bennett

Published: April 28, 2023

Pages: 108

Genre: Cozy Mystery

INVESTIGATING AN ENIGMA PUTS AN AMATEUR SLEUTH AT HIGH WHISK.

Keeping up with the demands of summer tourists is enough to cause a mental bake-down. Mackenzie couldn't have donut without her trusty assistant, Arthur, who has risen to the occasion behind the counter and the computer.

When Mackenzie takes an afternoon off to tee up for a mini golf date with her beau, Brian, they finish with ice cream at the Regional Frozen Dessert Competition. An unexpected medical emergency for a high-profile judge puts the freeze on their plans and sends ripples through the dessert community. Though police say no crime has been committed, Mac suspects there is something half-baked about the situation.

Mackenzie's gut is getting her into trouble. Can her intuition get her out? 

Things have gone south in Cozy Cove.

Beware. Reading this without access to ice cream and/or baked goods is ill-advised. I wanted ice cream SO BAD! 

But I enjoyed this quick trip to Cozy Cove. This tiny town has SO MANY restaurants. What a dream. Also, while there is a lot of ice cream in this one, don't worry, there're vegan options! Just check your allergen labels!

Ratings

Stars: 5/5

Clytemnestra

            

Title: Clytemnestra

Author: Costanza Casati

Published: Sourcebooks Landmark, May 2, 2023

Pages: 489

Genre: Ancient Historical Fiction / Mythology

As for queens, they are either hated or forgotten. She already knows which option suits her best…

You were born to a king, but you marry a tyrant. You stand by helplessly as he sacrifices your child to placate the gods. You watch him wage war on a foreign shore, and you comfort yourself with violent thoughts of your own. Because this was not the first offence against you. This was not the life you ever deserved. And this will not be your undoing. Slowly, you plot.

But when your husband returns in triumph, you become a woman with a choice.

Acceptance or vengeance, infamy follows both. So, you bide your time and force the gods' hands in the game of retribution. For you understood something long ago that the others never did.

If power isn't given to you, you have to take it for yourself.

How is it possible that this book ended in an uplifting way? I guess that's the whole point of regression to the mean. Things can never be too good or too bad, they always settle out somewhere in the middle. I bet Clytemnestra would disagree. She would probably say that things can definitely be too bad. And I would have to agree with her. 

I love a feminist spin on history/mythology. Taking a story that we've heard before and tweaking it just enough to remind you that you have no idea what actually happened, and the winners write the history books. Not just the winners, but the winners and their male advisors and translators. 

I always forget how completely tragic these stories are. Human sacrifice. An abundance of rape. All I can say about it is that Clytemnestra was the Queen of striking when you least expect. She had no problem waiting 15+ years for her vengeance. She knew she was going to get hers. And she got it! 

This was beautifully written. Impeccably narrated. But I definitely need a break from the tragedy before I jump into another book like this. But I think I will be reading more like this. 

Ratings

Stars: 5/5

Thieves & Monsters

           

Title: Thieves & Monsters

Series: Three Fates Mafia #1

Author: Clio Evans

Published: May 9, 2023

Pages: 325

Genre: Dark Mafia Fantasy Romance

When it comes to stealing from mafia men, there are three rules.

Don’t get caught.
Don’t be seen.
And most of all— don’t fall in love with them.
After being hired to steal a painting, I find myself ensnared.
Damon, Minos, and Aaecus are monsters, and they only want one thing.

Me.

Seven days of sin in exchange for freedom from the Three Fates Mafia.
If only it were that easy.

The strings of fate have bound the four of us together, and not even gods or monsters can keep us apart.

Read your content warnings. I cannot stress this enough. Read. Your. Content. Warnings. It is all there.

Now that that's out of the way. I am here for a new spin on mythology. I love reading about characters that I've met many, many times, in new and fun ways. This was certainly new, and it was definitely fun. Very naughty as well. Ashley is a thief, sent to steal from Cerberus by Hercules. She gets caught by the three men that can shift into monsters and combine to form the monster of legend, Cerberus. They are Mighty Morphin' Power Hellhounds!! And I was here for it. 

When they catch her, Damon, one head of Cerberus, wants to kill her. However, his other two monster men, Minos and Aaecus, are not about that. They want her. So they draw up a contract for her to be their sex slave for 7 days. After the contract is fulfilled, they will pay off her debt to Hercules and she is free to go on her merry way.

Then all Hades breaks loose. Not literally, but nothing goes to plan in this book. Well, I'm sure they went to someone's plan. Specifically, Clio Evans's and the Fates' plans. But certainly not Ashley, Damon, Minos, OR Aaecus. All of their plans go to shit. And it's pretty funny to watch. 

This did drag a little for me. I knew that some of the content, listed in the fairly thorough content warning was not for me, and I was right. I managed to push through, and I'm glad I did. But those things did hang me up a few times and that's ultimately why I can't give this a higher rating. 

Ratings

Stars: 3/5

Spice: 4/5

Today Tonight Tomorrow

          

Title: Today Tonight Tomorrow

Author: Rachel Lynn Solomon

Published: Simon & Schuster, July 28, 2020

Pages: 382

Genre: YA Contemporary Romance

Today, she hates him.

It’s the last day of senior year. Rowan Roth and Neil McNair have been bitter rivals for all of high school, clashing on test scores, student council elections, and even gym class pull-up contests. While Rowan, who secretly wants to write romance novels, is anxious about the future, she’d love to beat her infuriating nemesis one last time.

Tonight, she puts up with him.

When Neil is named valedictorian, Rowan has only one chance at victory: Howl, a senior class game that takes them all over Seattle, a farewell tour of the city she loves. But after learning a group of seniors is out to get them, she and Neil reluctantly decide to team up until they’re the last players left—and then they’ll destroy each other.

As Rowan spends more time with Neil, she realizes he’s much more than the awkward linguistics nerd she’s sparred with for the past four years. And, perhaps, this boy she claims to despise might actually be the boy of her dreams.

Tomorrow…maybe she’s already fallen for him.

My high school graduation was 17 years ago. This book brought me right back to all of those feelings. So strongly that it may as well have been last month. 

This so perfectly encapsulates the doubt/fear/regret/excitement/pride/joy that I experienced my senior year of high school. Is there a word that means all of those things? If anyone would know, I think it would be Neil McNair. 

Then there's Rowan Roth. She feels so uncomfortably familiar. She's too competitive for her own good. To the point where it affects her friendships. She is idealistic, but also gets so scared of the what if that she doesn't even try. She clings to things that aren't necessarily making her happy because they are "supposed to" make her happy. They're the things that people do, so this must be what she should do. Again. It was all very uncomfortably familiar. 

But it was so well done. The swoon factor is off the charts. I definitely cried a few times. And this Howl game that they're playing? Like a scavenger hunt around Seattle on the last day of school for seniors, that goes all night with the potential to go all weekend? Where was this when I was graduating? It sounds like a BLAST! 

Ratings

Stars: 5/5

Spice: 1/5