Stars Collide

       

Title: Stars Collide

Series: Stars Collide #1

Author: Rachel Lacey

Publisher: Montlake, May 2, 2023

Pages: 313

Genre: LGBTQ Contemporary Romance

Eden Sands has been a star for twenty years, but it’s lonely at the top. Her mediocre marriage just ended, and her inner circle is smaller than ever. The stage is the only place she’s ever felt like she truly belonged, and yet, her last album flopped, and her upcoming tour hasn’t sold out. Eden’s desperate for her star to shine bright again, but when her team suggests a collaboration with an up-and-coming young star to give her a boost, she balks.

Anna Moss is pop music’s rising star. She’s idolized Eden Sands for most of her life—so it’s a dream come true when she’s invited to perform with her at the Grammys. Anna’s tired of being defined by her bubbly persona. She wants to be taken seriously as an artist, and a duet with Eden could be just what she needs.

As Anna and Eden rehearse, they soon realize they have more in common than their musical talents. Now they just have to decide if what is between them is a one-hit wonder or the making of a romance worthy of one of the greatest love songs of all time.

If someone were to tell me that this was a Taylor Swift / Sabrina Carpenter fanfic, I would absolutely believe them. Maybe not Taylor Swift because Eden Sands is supposedly experiencing a rough year, but something like that. And it's very cute. Just a little light sapphic romance about pop stars. 

Ratings

Stars: 3/5

Spice: 1/5

This Poison Heart

   

Title: This Poison Heart

Series: This Poison Heart #1

Author: Kalynn Bayron

Publisher: Bloomsbury YA, June 29, 2021

Pages: 387

Genre: LGBTQ YA Fantasy

Briseis has a gift: with a single touch she can grow plants from tiny seeds to rich blooms.

When Briseis's aunt dies and wills her a dilapidated estate in rural New York, Bri and her parents hope that surrounded by plants and flowers, she will finally learn to control her gift. But their new home is sinister in ways they never expected-it comes with a mysterious set of instructions, a walled garden filled with the deadliest botanicals in the world, and generations of secrets. There is more to Bri's sudden inheritance than she could have imagined, and she is determined to uncover it.

I love a retelling! Especially a retelling of a story that I am not as familiar with. I love Greek mythology, and I'm obsessed with witchy books for fall. So this was pretty perfect and very timely. This is like a contemporary Circe meets Practical Magic, and that is a beautiful thing. 

Ratings

Stars: 3/5

Into the Drowning Deep

         

Title: Into the Drowning Deep

Series: Rolling in the Deep #1

Author: Mira Grant

Published: Orbit, November 14, 2017

Pages: 562

Genre: LGBTQ Horror Science Fiction

The ocean is home to many myths, 

But some are deadly. . .

Seven years ago the Atargatis set off on a voyage to the Mariana Trench to film a mockumentary bringing to life ancient sea creatures of legend. It was lost at sea with all hands. Some have called it a hoax; others have called it a tragedy. 

Now a new crew has been assembled. But this time they're not out to entertain. Some seek to validate their life's work. Some seek the greatest hunt of all. Some seek the truth. But for the ambitious young scientist Victoria Stewart this is a voyage to uncover the fate of the sister she lost. 

Whatever the truth may be, it will only be found below the waves. 

But the secrets of the deep come with a price.

This book is exceptionally spooky. It's beautifully well-written. I could not put it down for a single second. I mean, I guess for a single second. But it was tough, for sure! And I am DESPERATE to know what happens after this book. Like, no spoilers, but I have to know!!!! 

I think the romance in this book was actually for the sirens. Sure, Poppy and Tory are wonderful. But those sirens were DEVOTED. Could it have been biological imperative. Maybe. Does that make it less romantic? Maybe. Does that make me care less. Absolutely never.

Ratings

Stars: 5/5

        

Title: Rolling in the Deep

Series: Rolling in the Deep #0.5

Author: Mira Grant

Published: Subterranean Press, April 6, 2015

Pages: 79

Genre: LGBTQ Horror Science Fiction

When the Imagine Network commissioned a documentary on mermaids, to be filmed from the cruise ship Atargatis, they expected what they had always received before: an assortment of eyewitness reports that proved nothing, some footage that proved even less, and the kind of ratings that only came from peddling imaginary creatures to the masses.

They didn't expect actual mermaids.  They certainly didn't expect those mermaids to have teeth.

This is the story of the Atargatis, lost at sea with all hands.  Some have called it a hoax; others have called it a maritime tragedy.  Whatever the truth may be, it will only be found below the bathypelagic zone in the Mariana Trench…and the depths are very good at keeping secrets.

Even knowing how this would end, I HAD to read this novella. And it did not disappoint. It was just as hauntingly well written as the novel. I am glad that I read the novel first, but this was so beautiful.

Ratings

Stars: 5/5

The Coldest Touch

                

Title: The Coldest Touch

Author: Isabel Sterling

Publisher: Razorbill, December 7, 2021

Pages: 384

Genre: YA LGBTQ Romantasy

Elise Beaumont is cursed. With every touch, she experiences exactly how her loved ones will die. And after her brother's death—a death she predicted but was unable to prevent—Elise is desperate to get rid of her terrible gift, no matter the cost.
 
Claire Montgomery also has a unique relationship with death, mostly because she’s already dead. Technically, anyway. Claire is a vampire, and she's been assigned by the Veil to help Elise master her rare Death Oracle powers.

At first, Elise is reluctant to work with a vampire, but when she predicts a teacher’s imminent murder, she's determined to stop the violent death, even if it means sacrificing her own future to secure Claire's help.

The trouble is, Claire and Elise aren't the only paranormals in town—a killer is stalking the streets, and Claire can't seem to shake the pull she feels toward Elise, a romance that could upend the Veil’s mission. But as Elise and Claire grow closer, Elise begins to wonder—can she really trust someone tasked with securing her loyalty? Someone who could so easily kill her? Someone who might hold the key to unraveling her brother's mysterious death?

I started this for Sapphic September. Well, I read it for Sapphic September. But, wow. I maybe didn't need to finish this one. I did love the meta-ness of Twilight being mentioned in a sapphic Twilight fanfic! I mean come on, that was great. But that was about it...

Ratings

Stars: 2/5

How to Get a Girlfriend (When You're a Terrifying Monster)

               

Title: How to Get a Girlfriend (When You're a Terrifying Monster)

Series: Monster Girlfriend #1

Author: Marie Cardno

Publisher: Kalikoi, July 31, 2022

Pages: 115

Genre: LGBTQ Romantasy

Life is tough when you’re an eldritch abomination.

Trillin isn’t technically a person. She’s a tiny breakaway piece of consciousness from the all-devouring Endless, doomed to eventually rejoin it. But when a human witch stumbles into her world, Trillin suddenly has a new reason to figure out individuality–one shape-shifting tentacle at a time.

Sian is sure important magical discoveries are just around the corner, if she can just get her portals to work reliably. Reaching the dimension of the Endless without being eaten on sight is a dream come true, and Sian is determined to explore every bit of it. For science, of course, not for the strangely adorable life-form who keeps popping up and trying to… flirt?

But Trillin’s world can be a dangerous place, and keeping Sian safe might risk drawing the attention of the Endless itself–which will swallow Trillin up along with all her dreams of humanity. Together, can this unlikely duo escape the Endless, figure out the optimum number of appendages, and maybe even find love?

What a whacky story!!! I love the idea of looking at the monsters in their own world is fine. They might even be hot there. But then they come to earth, or whatever realm Sian lives in, and they cause intense fear nearing insanity. It's a lot like an Eldritch insanity reaction. And it was delightful. But ultimately, I don't know if it was enough to read the rest of the series for me.

Ratings

Stars: 2/5

Assistant to the Villain

              

Title: Assistant to the Villain

Series: Assistant and the Villain #1

Author: Hannah Nicole Maehrer

Publisher: Entangled: Red Tower Books, August 29, 2023

Pages: 425

Genre: Romantasy

ASSISTANT WANTED: Notorious, high-ranking villain seeks loyal, levelheaded assistant for unspecified office duties, supporting staff for random mayhem and terror, and other Dark Things In General. Discretion a must. Excellent benefits.

With ailing family to support, Evie Sage's employment status isn't just important, it's vital. So when a mishap with Rennedawn’s most infamous Villain results in a job offer—naturally, she says yes. No job is perfect, of course, but even less so when you develop a teeny crush on your terrifying, temperamental, and undeniably hot boss. Don’t find evil so attractive, Evie.

But just when she’s getting used to severed heads suspended from the ceiling and the odd squish of an errant eyeball beneath her heel, Evie suspects this dungeon has a huge rat…and not just the literal kind. Because something rotten is growing in the kingdom of Rennedawn, and someone wants to take the Villain—and his entire nefarious empire—out.

Now Evie must not only resist drooling over her boss but also figure out exactly who is sabotaging his work…and ensure he makes them pay.

After all, a good job is hard to find.

Evie Sage is a chaos machine. She's so adorable and I can't wait to see just how her mischievous streak is going to get her and the villain together finally. It's only a matter of time! Because let me tell you, the villain is so in love with that little chaos queen! 

And I tell you what, she is just as obsessed with him. Which is fairly adorable. This was really a very cute book. You have all of the mundanity of an office job, and you have dragons and forces of nature and death magic! I mean, what more could you need??

Ratings

Stars: 4/5

Mated to My Ex

             

Title: Mated to My Ex

Series: Hayes Brothers #1

Author: Kate Prior

Publisher: September 2, 2024

Pages: 319

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Divorced. Fated Mates.

Elise always knew she would run into her ex-husband again, eventually. What she didn’t expect was that he would show up in the community she’s built for herself and reveal that the family she’s been working for is the same family that disapproved of their marriage eight years ago and refused to meet her. Now he’s back in town for his brother’s wedding, the very same one she’s catering.

Shawn’s always known that marrying a human went against his pack’s rules. It’s bad enough that she’s become deeply entrenched in his hometown, but when he senses his mate is somewhere nearby, he knows he’s in trouble.

It just can’t be his ex-wife. If she was his true mate, he would have knotted in her eight years ago.

This book was an absolute delight! If this isn't the biggest advertisement for the fact that secrets aren't worth it, I am not sure what is. These two are so absolutely gone for each other it's outrageous. With the feral wolf whiling around town, I just knew that I had it figured out. Of course I didn't. All of these spicy dreams were very very good! And I can't wait to see what the next Hayes Brother is going to get up to. 

Ratings

Stars: 5/5

Spice: 4/5