• ARCs,  Book Reviews,  Fiction

    The Other Women by Erin Zak | ARC Review

    23rd October 2020
    Cover of The Other Women (Erin Zak)

    The Other Women by Erin Zak

    Content warnings: infidelity, mention of miscarriage, gambling addiction, mention of drugs, mention of past car accident scene, mention of parental loss, uses of ableist language

    This book is heavy on infidelity but light-hearted. The flirty interactions between these two other women are cute and them entering a friendship without expectations makes the story relatively low drama.

    Francesca Lopez (31, Latina, bi+) is recently dumped by Willow Carmichael (lesbian), who declared she was in love with a married woman elsewhere. Cecily Yates (bisexual), who has been with Willow for four years, and her husband Luke are separating. When Willow dumped her, too, while Cecily is on a business trip, Cecily meets bartender Francesca. The pair decides to spend the rest of Cecily’s trip together for an unforgettable weekend, not knowing about the woman they once shared.

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  • ARCs,  Book Reviews,  Fiction

    Cute Mutants Vol 1: Mutant Pride by SJ Whitby | ARC Review

    16th October 2020
    Cover of Cute Mutants Vol 1: Mutant Pride (SJ Whitby)

    Cute Mutants Vol 1: Mutant Pride (Cute Mutants Vol 1) by SJ Whitby

    Content warnings: transphobia, homophobia, hate crime, racism, sexual assault (one off-page nonconsensual m/f kiss), bullying, violence, blood, death of… prominent object, death of minor characters, dismembering, earthquakes

    Sometimes, I try to match the tone of my review to the voice of the book so that they give off similar vibes, but I could never achieve the level of joy this story brings. Cute Mutants Vol 1: Mutant Pride is a very queer (reps: lesbian, pansexual, transgender, etc.) and very racially diverse (reps: Korean, Kiwi-Chinese, etc.) version of X-men that is incredibly funny, quirky, and ridiculously good. If you want an exciting and fun read, definitely check this out.

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  • ARCs,  Book Reviews,  Fiction

    Beyond the Lights by Nicole Higginbotham-Hogue | ARC Review

    14th October 2020
    Cover of Beyond the Lights (Nicole Higginbotham-Hogue)

    Beyond the Lights by Nicole Higginbotham-Hogue

    Content warnings: mention of death of a side character’s parent

    Beyond the Lights is a cute novella with great potential. I liked the premise but the writing style threw me off a little and the plot was a bit more absurd than I had expected.

    Sawyer Johnson (23) is convinced that she is in love with actress Amy Mitchell, whom she has never met before. When she announces her plan of going cross-country to find Amy, her best friend Autumn Thompson (~23, lesbian), who is secretly in love with Sawyer, decides to tag along, hoping for some quality time together. All plans go out the window as they run into Amy filming a movie in a small town in Montana.

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  • ARCs,  Book Reviews,  Fiction

    Lockset by Brenda Murphy | ARC Review

    8th October 2020
    Cover of Lockset (Brenda Murphy)

    Lockset (University Square #2) by Brenda Murphy

    Content warnings: death of parent, infidelity (side characters), homophobia, arson, drug addiction, violence, blood

    This is book two of Murphy’s new series University Square, and while there are a few recurring characters, it can absolutely be read as a standalone. But book one On the Square (review) has a wonderful storyline with a Blasian butch (focusing on her Chinese roots) that is worth a read.

    Eun (은) Park (42, lesbian), an attorney in Chicago, is estranged from her family because of her sexuality. When her father calls in hopes of reconnection, Eun gives in and agrees to visit. However things don’t go as planned, and Eun soon finds herself back home, fatherless, and meets a sweet butch Morgan Wright (42), who is taking care of Eun’s father’s dog Rudy, at the worst possible timing for dating. The chemistry between Eun and Morgan is undeniable, but Eun has a life back in Chicago and Morgan’s locksmith shop is in this small town. The pair has to decide if their encounter is merely for sex, or something more.

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  • ARCs,  Book Reviews,  Fiction

    Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust | ARC Review

    27th September 2020
    Cover of Girl, Serpent, Thorn (Melissa Bashardoust)

    Girl, Serpent, Thorn by Melissa Bashardoust, read by Nikki Massoud

    AUDIOBOOK REVIEW

    Content warnings: kidnap, torture, murder

    This is a breathtaking and artful retelling of Persian mythology and fairy tales. From the beginning of story, I fell in love with Bashardoust’s writing and Massoud’s narration.

    Yeki bood, yeki nabood. There was, and there was not a cursed, poisonous girl named Soraya (18, bi+). She was the young shah’s twin sister, but kept away from everyone because of her venomous veins, deadly upon touch. When the shah captured a div—parik Parvaneh, Soraya knew she owed herself to seek answers of her own curse from the prizoner. And then there was Azad, a young man who understood her, giving Soraya the unconditional acceptance and love she craved the most, despite her poison. As she learned that the only way to undo her curse was to put her family’s lives at risk, would Soraya exchange their safety—a family who were ashamed of her monstrous quality—for her own human self, or keep herself tucked away for the rest of eternity?

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