• ARCs,  Book Reviews,  Fiction

    MARRY ME by Melissa Brayden | ARC Review

    19th November 2021
    Cover of Marry Me (Melissa Brayden)

    MARRY ME by Melissa Brayden

    Click on the cover for my review on Goodreads.

    Ally and Megan’s chemistry was off the charts! From their first kiss to all the intimate scenes, I felt warmth in my stomach—always a good sign that the romantic connection is well-written.

    Allison “Ally” Hale, a fourth grade school teacher, and Brent Carmichael, eldest son of the rich Carmichael family, are getting married. With Ally’s parents’ financial security on the line because the Carmichaels have the power to make or break their oatmeal bars, no one expected Ally to develop feelings for the locally famous wedding planner, Megan Kinkaid (Black, biracial), a friend of Brent’s. Should Ally ignore her growing attraction to Megan, or shoot for a chance of having a happier future?

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  • ARCs,  Book Reviews,  Fiction

    Finding a Keeper by Nicole Pyland | ARC Review

    30th October 2020
    Cover of Finding a Keeper (Nicole Pyland)

    Finding a Keeper (Sports #4) by Nicole Pyland

    Click on the cover for my review on Goodreads.

    Content warnings: death of parent, mention of conversion therapy, disowning

    This is my eighth Pyland novel, and I have learned by now to never start reading her books on a busy day because they are impossible to put down. Clear your schedule, and get ready for Sloan and Marley’s cute, slow-burn, best-friends-to-lovers romance.

    Sloan Rossi (18, 1/4-Black) has just moved back to the US from the UK to attend college for soccer. As a striker in U18 Premier League (stated as EPL Youth League in the book), she doesn’t want to be a goalie. But when her new friend junior goalie Marley Nichols (20, lesbian) injures her rotator cuff, Sloan becomes the backup goalkeeper. With their strengthening friendship over the course of a year as they both stay by each other’s side through difficulties in life, Sloan and Marley become virtually inseparable. When people start assuming they were dating, Marley could only wish they really were as Sloan reevaluates her own sexuality and what Marley truly means to her.

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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

    The Silvered Serpents by Roshani Chokshi | ARC Review

    20th September 2020
    Cover of The Silvered Serpents

    The Silvered Serpents (The Gilded Wolves #2) by Roshani Chokshi

    CW: dismemberment, torture, blood Forging, off-screen killings, emotional abuse, alcohol, (possible) panic attacks, antisemitism, racism, suicide of a very minor character, bombing, manipulation

    I love the tagline, “They are each other’s fiercest love, greatest danger, and only hope.” Upon finishing, I realized just how true it is.

    “We debase ourselves for the ones we love.”

    Laila
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  • ARCs,  Book Reviews,  Fiction

    The Traveling Triple-C Incorporeal Circus by Alanna McFall | ARC Review

    18th September 2020
    Cover of The Traveling Triple-C Incorporeal Circus.

    The Traveling Triple-C Incorporeal Circus by Alanna McFall

    Chelsea Shu died a tragic death on NYC Subway tracks and never got to attend her brother Osric’s wedding. After discovering an afterlife as a ghost, she befriended Carmen, a fellow spirit, and Cyndricka, a homeless mime-performing human. The three of them, incidentally the Triple Cs, set out on foot for a cross-country trip to attend Osric’s postponed wedding in San Francisco. They understood it would be a difficult journey, but little did they know what was actually in store for them throughout the months-long walk.

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