I will be doing a full review for Library Journal so these are my messy thoughts for a mess of a novel.

I was assigned this book to review as for Library Journal. I review specifically "Historical Romance" novels for Library Journal. This book looks like a historical romance novel, has back copy that reads like a historical romance novel, and even has a Hawaiian language glossary at the back, all things that indicate this is a historical romance novel. But. The author's note at the beginning makes sure to specifically point out:

Bound in Flame is not intended to be an accurate portrayal of history, but rather a re-imagining, a consideration, of what might have been...Is this a romance? Is this a fantasy? Or merely the ramblings of an old woman who has spent too long in the sun? I leave that for you to decide.

No thank you. I don't want to have to guess whether this is a romance or a fantasy and the story doesn't embrace any of these genres in any satisfying way.

1900s Hawaii is a time period fraught with colonialism and racism and if you aren't ready to do the work besides following your own personal research rabbit holes, than don't write a historical fiction novel. Don't use historical figures. Don't make your blurb sound like you are writing about a real person (as far as I can tell Letty Lang is made up).

Most readers and book clubs are going to pick this up and think oh, how lovely, this will lead to such interesting discussion, but will not have the wherewithal or the prior knowledge to understand that this book is at best badly written and misleading and at worst highly problematic.

Letty Lang is 18 years old, is a budding Suffragette, an aspiring veterinarian, and SHE'S MAGIC. I hated that Letty's skills were made possible by magic she barely understood and that wasn't fully comprehensible to me, a white lady who is very unfamiliar with Native Hawaiian mythology. I just felt uncomfortable about it all.

And if that weren't enough, Letty is also best friends with the former Queen of Hawaii, rides at least fifteen different horses with different names throughout the story, interacts with other Native Hawaiians who seem to only be able to speak stilted English, and falls in love with an older English "nice white guy" who owns a sugar plantation. But she might kill him with her fire powers you know. And of course it is the MAGIC that is keeping them apart, not the fact he's a White plantation owner and she's a Brown Native Hawaiian who gets to experience casual and forthright racism throughout the story. Oh and there's a polo match, and a ball, and some other sort of horse race, and a magic white donkey riding lady who appears sometimes, and a dog named Rosebud, and a bad guy who wants to sabotage the nice White Guy for some reason and is mean to horses and kidnaps Letty and tortures her. SO MUCH STUFF. And the Hawaiian Ladies' Riding Society is barely mentioned, and again should perhaps been the focus of the story?

Basically this felt like it should have been a YA fantasy novel that took inspiration from Hawaiian myth, took more responsibility for not being "own voices," and just really shouldn't be out here masquerading as an Adult Historical Romance novel (there is one explicit sex scene).

I revisited my first ever Tessa Bailey novel on audio, and the female narrators Irish accent is lovely! I really appreciated Jack's journey toward recovery and seeing a small, Irish girl be a badass arms instructor.

CW for alcoholism, addiction, and discussion of a past sexual assault.

When Irish shooting instructor Katie McCoy meets NYPD trainee Jack Garrett, she thinks she's found the perfect candidate to tick off all the sexy items on her first visit to the USA list. Jack also seems to think so, but his very real drinking problem throws their instant love connection into risk.

This was my first Tessa Bailey and I really enjoyed it and immediately went in search of the first book in the series. That said, I had a few personal issues with Jack's possessive nature, especially him not wanting any other man to even look at Katie and sending people to keep tabs on her "to make sure she was safe." That toed the line for me to creepy behavior.

Also, I was a bit leery of Jack's alcoholism and it "being solved by magic sex" but Bailey does a sensitive job addressing this. I did like that it was the hero who had sexual trauma that the heroine was helping him with, as often it is the reverse.

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC!

Since I read both book 1 and 2 back to back, I wish they would have been one story. Everything I Left Unsaid was super compelling, I enjoyed the tension of Annie and Dylan's phone relationship, and gah that cliffhanger. This book felt more repetitive, with lots of little breaks between Dylan and Annie as they try to navigate being in an actual relationship and a lot of stuff with the motorcycle club that I didn't really care about.

I'm really intrigued to read more about Annie's neighbor in her book. Cannot wait.

Holy wow this book. My lord, my heart, and my loins.

Content warnings behind spoiler

Shannon's horrid father repeatedly raped her throughout her childhood/teen years (only alluded to, never discussed in detail). Will picks Shannon's apartment door lock and is in her apartment without her permission once. Shannon's brother attempts suicide by binge drinking while also diabetic. Shannon has sex with a different man (not on page, described as meh) while she and Will are kind of broken up. He handles in the most mature way I've ever read in any romance novel - no chest beating her besides "get rid of him"

Shannon Walsh, known to me as the kickass now take names later go-getter who takes care of her family while running the family architecture business with an iron fist is my forever favorite. Type-A and brilliant and bowled over in the best way by Will Halsted, Navy SEAL, heart of gold, and book boyfriend of my dreams. And when I say Shannon is bowled over, she is bowled over in the most Shannon of ways in that it takes her years to realize it, and Will is with her the whole way. Despite being an extreme alpha, Will is also the most patient and gentle (but not in bed) with the woman who was horribly hurt as a child, the woman who he knows is IT for him, despite having to work as hard as he's ever worked for anything.

Canterbary knows how to build the best emotional tension, and chooses to give you the hot sex immediately than make you want MORE of it so bad, especially as Shannon and Will spend a significant amount of time apart due to his covert missions. I adored that there was never a huge "break" moment in this romance, but a gradual ebb and flow of issues most couples facing the secrets and distance these two had would also experience. This is competence porn at its finest as Shannon is a pro at her job, maybe too much so, and Will never questions her career, her choices, or whether he would be willing to sacrifice for her.

This series is rapidly becoming one of my favorite family romances, and I love how each book builds upon the next. I skipped Sam's book because I am not super in the mood for how angsty his romance with Tiel seems. I can't wait to read Erin's book as she's obviously with Dr. Nick and I must know what that is about. I am also not quite sure what exactly went down between Erin and Shannon and why they still haven't spoken in nine years, but I'm hoping we'll soon find out!

SUPER heavy, but written with Beharrie's sensitive and warm style. Just not for me at this time.

SPOILERS and CW's only notes:


I read about half of this story. I did not look up any reviews before starting but I typically enjoy a "marriage in trouble" romance so I jumped in.

While excellently written I personally had an issue wanting to keep reading because of the lingering grief issues and relationship problems the couple have because of Mila's miscarriage when she was in her six month of pregnancy. Both sets of their parents are also dead, one of the parents from cancer, and Mila struggles with what seems to me to be PTSD. She fell walking down stairs which led to her miscarriage.

Lady Pearl is the daughter and sister no one ever notices, which means she gets left behind in her family's London home after a large shopping trip. With no servants and no food in the house, she appeals to her grumpy neighbor, the Earl of Llanover for assistance. He's alone in London with only his Corgi Mr. Shorty for company, in order to recover from a leg injury he sustained on his Welsh sheep farm. While trying to maintain propriety, the two share the holiday season and fall in love while getting to know one another and getting snowed in.

Really cute and steamy novella, a fun read for the season. I think if the characters had known each other even a little bit before the novella begins it would have helped strengthen their truly whirlwind romance.

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

I am going to be honest and admit that I read this anthology strictly for the Kate Clayborn novella. I was not disappointed. The premise of two best friends and colleagues who have so much mutual respect for the other that they absolutely refuse to address the fact they are stupid in love with each other was so splendidly well done. The juxtaposition of a grumpy who doesn't like Christmas for very valid reasons and the sunflower who does love Christmas coming together over some baked holiday cookies and sweet love making under the holiday lights is my perfect Christmas romance story. The end.

*I received a free copy in exchange for a fair review.

CW on page gun violence

Passable contemporary romance with slight hint of the holidays. I've read all of the books in this series and the series where we first meet Kel and I still had trouble remembering who is who. There are so many characters to juggle which will please many but for me made me wish the focus could be brought back to our couple.

Kel and Ivy both felt recycled, familiar as a Shalvis couple, but almost too familiar. Their chemistry is good but I didn't personally care for the suspense element involving Ivy's criminal brother.

I did enjoy the juxtaposition of Kel and Ivy's differing feelings on family, what makes a family, and yearning for family.

Also, for a "holiday romance" the holiday is real light in this one and it felt very violent, which fine, but not what people might be expecting.

If you're a fan, give it a go, but this one was real meh for me.

Aspiring artist and college student Magdalena "Lena" Martel takes a job as a housekeeper for a mysterious man in a mansion hidden away in the wilds of Montana. She needs the work because her step-mother stole her identity, threatening her dream of finishing school by landing her in loads of debt on top of her student loans.
Patrick Halloran is angry at himself, angry for being on top of the world with his dancing, his modeling, and his new movie career and losing it all in one terrible car accident caused by his selfish choices. Now badly scarred and afraid of having nothing without his looks, Patrick is stuck, not only mentally, but also physically in his house. He's angry that his best friend and romance novelist Scarlett has hired a stranger to be in his home, but acknowledges he needs the help. And as he gets to know Lena, observing her from his window and through text messages that turn into phone calls, he realizes that maybe he needs to see himself differently.
I love all the messages of this novel, about looks, family, and working hard. The audiobook narrators were AMAZING, so I highly recommend reading via that method if you can. There are some issues of power that gave me pause, namely Lena being friends with the people who are paying her as their employee, but overall thought it was handled appropriately.

The sex scene with the paint and the canvas is fire. Pow.

Great end to the series, but you don't have to have read the others. PLUS I've heard the author is working on a Ricky novella, which after you've read this you'll understand why I'm the most excited.

The Trouble with Christmas by Amy Andrews has:

☃️Fake Dating