I now know and love and understand what "PMB" stands for (pouty man bear)! What a great character.

All Duke Crawfod wants from life is to work hard and then relax hard, preferably with a grill out, a cold Budweiser, and a few minutes of uninterrupted Sports Center viewing. But living with your four recently divorced sisters, two newlyweds, and a three-year-old means Duke never really gets what he wants.

So, Duke isn't really looking for anything, but finds himself completely entranced by the new girl in town. Samantha Waverly is his boss's step-sister, a children's illustrator with the biggest, brownest doe eyes he's ever seen, that make him want to protect her, especially once he gets to see her sparkling personality in action. He also wants her, more than he's ever wanted anyone before.

But, there's no way in hell this tiny woman is going to want a dirty, scruffy, hairy, beer bellied-giant is there?

Samantha is such a fun heroine, and I loved her enthusiasm for life, her art, and for Duke. This story was a bit insta-love for me, but I didn't even really care. There is a ton of slamming against the wall sexy-times, and who doesn't love that?! Also, nice to see a hero who doesn't have a perfect six-pack. I sure don't!

Holy shit the audio book version of Duke is even better than print version Duke. Absolutely filthy and heart-warming all at the same time. Grunty, fucking hero at his finest.

Absolutely soapy and over the top second chance, brother's best friend romance that wasn't my to my personal reading taste, but was a fantastic and angst filled romance that will be right for many many readers from from an author who has penned many category romance titles for Kimani Romance (RIP).

A young India spent a wild night under the stars kissing her brother's best friend and her sister's on again, off again hookup, a birthday to remember, but is devastated when he announces his engagement to her sister just two weeks later.

India leaves her home, her family, and strikes off on her own path against her imperious father's wishes. Cut to ten years later and India is now a successful concert violinist, but is being called home to help her brother's election team. A team that also includes Travis.


Travis has been divorced from India's sister for two years but still seems off limits. Her sister is family, no matter what India's heart wants. But Travis is out to get India for himself, consequences be damned.

There is SO MUCH going on in this story. It was hard to recap in a short blurb. I personally wanted way more of India and Travis on the page together, but the story often veered into many different paths and is clearly setting up a series for many of the other characters. I also am, in 2019, having a difficult time reading about rich people in politics, as I find it hard to believe billionaires are not Republicans. Also, for a story that involves politics so heavily it felt weird to not have any party names mentioned or political affiliation. One is left to guess.

I received a free copy from Library Journal to review. I will try to remember to post a link to that review when it is live!



CW for miscarriage (off page), cheating (not between the main couple), India's family is wealthy because of their large Tobacco business, gun violence, a shooting, alcohol use.

Magda thinks she's finally found the perfect job, but is struggling to keep her head above water and her student debt while also trying to sell her grumpy Uncle's Harlem townhouse and the vacant lot next door which isn't quite so vacant. She's also beginning to have feelings for the handsome Tyson Yang even though he's actively working to prevent her from selling the property to anyone but his community garden friends.

Two people who are chafing at their respective circumstances find out they may just be perfect for each other, but need to figure out if they are willing to risk giving up what they both think they need in order to be together.

Sweet and oh so steamy, I loved this! Absolutely delicious consent featuring a blackout, a rooftop, and a sleeping bag that doesn't survive the sexy times. Also some great phone sex.

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC!

I recently finished reading an ARC of Cat Sebastian’s A Delicate Deception which features two disarmingly lovely and grumpy people falling head over heels for each other, slowly but surely, after they keep running into each other on their morning jaunts.

Extremely tall Sydney with his stern eyebrows but kissable mouth and reclusive Lady Amelia Allenby living her best life free of the ballrooms and anxieties that plagued her in London society are an absolute treat.

I always adore how Cat Sebastian handles and subverts romance tropes. Lady Amelia's nonchalance about her "deflowering" yet her supreme happiness with being with Sydney was just *chef's kiss* lovely. This story also is absolutely queer, and I loved how the happily ever after worked out for both characters.

If you can’t wait for A Delicate Deception, Cat Sebastian has a wonderful back list of amazing titles you can jump in to right away!

I reviewed from a free copy downloaded from Edelweiss+

Before filming a PBS episode of Who Do You Think You Are, Alan Cumming's father revealed that he was not, in fact, his biological father. Alternating between the past and details of his father's emotional and physical abuse and his present day search for his roots, Cumming's memoir is poignant, searing, surprising, and absolutely riveting.

I listened to this on audiobook, which I highly recommend as Cumming is a natural story teller and narrator.

That CLIFFHANGER *screams like a diving hawk*

AH. Well, I gloriously stretched out my first read of this lovely return to Ronan's world by listening to Will Patton's amazing voice. I need to do another read as I think I've missed some important details and as we know, each re-read of a Stiefvater gives ever more gifts.

My first Loretta Chase and wow, what a treasure! I read this as part of the FatedMates "Books that Blooded Me" podcast and I'm so glad I did! The insults and banter Lady Jessica and Dain fling back and forth at each are GOLD. Such animosity, such lust, so smoldering. I was a bit dubious at first, because the prologue is very hard to get through. I wanted to go and murder Sebastian's terrible father and then go beat up all the boys at Eton, every single one of them. So, careful reading through, but it is all supremely important in building Dain's character.

Lady Jessica is a damn queen, and I'm ride or die for her for all time. I loved her attitude about marriage, her frankness about being in lust with Dain, her complete and utter unwillingness to let him get away with being a shit or for saying shitty things, especially about women. I really appreciated Lady Jessica's approach to Dain's previous lovers, no slut shaming here!

And wow, when they had that argument about who would tame who, boom went my ovaries. Lady Jess telling Dain he would be eating out of her hand, on his knees, so hot.

I need to find an old copy of this for my shelf!

Sebastian Holloway has secretly adored Lady Grace Wyatt ever since sharing a pencil with her in the library they both frequent. But Sebastian is merely a poor scholar with no prospects, and Lady Grace is on a mission to make a famed naturalist she wants to wed notice her, a plan that includes molding Sebastian into a rake of the first order. But as these two bookish souls spend more and more time together, they realize that that happiness and true love may be right under their bespactacled noses.

I had a grand time watching these two nerds blushingly fall in love with each other and I cannot wait to read more in this series! There are a lot of great lines, but I'll wait until I see a finished copy before quoting.

I received a free ARC in exchange for a fair review.

An exceptional set of essays, my favorites including the #shoutyourabortion and the discussion of why Adam Sandler is no longer funny. Both witty and thought provoking, I'm glad I made time in my 99% romance novels reading schedule for The Witches are Coming.

"Why is my humanity only seen or cared about when I share the ways in which I have been victimized and violated?"

Vivek Shraya, I'm Afraid of Men

A brief but powerful exploration of the masculinity forced on a trans musician as a child and how it continues to haunt her as an adult.
I found the call out to complicit women especially poignant.
Trans rights are human rights.