bandherbooks's Reviews (3.65k)

What a romp. Delighted by the premise - a kink summer camp with explicit consent rules and codes of conduct for campers to explore and play as they please - combined with the heat level. Personally, I'd rather not ever get chased in the woods and tussle, but the two main characters LOVE IT and make you love it for them.

A bit insta-lust/love for my personal taste, Grace and Liev having hot primal sex in the woods was more than worth my time reading, and I cannot wait to read more in the series.

I was also pleased with how casually diverse the cast of secondary characters were and hope that is explored more in future tales. Beyond their primal play, Grace and Liev were white, cis het, and monogamous.

Do know there is some lingering grief issues for Liev (his wife died years ago).

An absolutely delightful romance, both funny and poignant in ways that capture at its essence, the heart of its source material - Jane Austen's Emma & Bollywood films.

The author's work continues to grow, shine, and sparkle - with witty prose, delicious food descriptions, and slow-burn yet fiery longing that while fade to black, never once leaves you feeling like you need more.

Toronto is also its own character, and you'll want to meet up with Kamila to help her take a photo of her cute pup, and join in on the Bollywood movie nights she and Rahul are such a fan of.

CW: emotional abuse of a child, in the past; car accident and parental death, in the past; medical emergencies and scares (secondary character, survives), gender essentialist language. the cute dog is never in danger.

Thank you to the publisher for the advanced copy!

This was...fine. The steam was great, but the plot/pacing were all over the place. I felt like we never got to know Kareena enough beyond her sweater vests and her toxic family, and her love of her mother's car. Her friend group felt more there to serve as sequel bait yet I can't remember any of them so I guess is that even bait?

Anyway - this was not Taming of the Shrew for me. Kareena was not particularly shrewish, she was just being constantly hurt by her family. Yes showing up to Dr. Dil's show was not great, but also her sister shouldn't have live streamed it for clout. I don't know - I don't need an exact adaptation but I just didn't even get the ~vibe~ of the play either.

I wanted more of Prem and Kareena together, less of her going on other dates, and just - more oomph to the reasons they couldn't just be together.

Otherwise, this was quite readable and I did laugh a little - and my favorite part was when Kareena has an allergic anaphalactic reaction and Prem goes full doctor mode and swoops her off to the hospital. Yum, that's my jam.

Then he ruined it, by flinging her glasses. Twice. And calling his penis Charlie LOL.

Anyway, a bit juvenile but a fine pass time and fun to discuss with my book club.

I had an early copy from Avon, and also read a paperback I checked out from the library.

CW: grief, death of parent (in the past), death of fiancee (in the past, brain tumor), toxic family, emotional manipulation, drinking

A speechless Ian stared down at the woman who’d caused it all. She met his gaze with a raised eyebrow.

Gosh, what a fucking great romance. Is there anything I like more than a romance with a tough as nails love interest who is just completely baffled and astounded by someone they find themselves falling head over heels with?

Maggie is great, I love how she thwarted Ian left and right and kept him on his toes. Also the way Ms. Bev shows menstruation in her books is goals - more of this please (and her heroes are always caretakers for their lovers, the best).

Ian tried to make amends. “Man like him just wants to put you behind a plow, give you a bunch of babies, and work you to death.” “And what will you give me besides a date with the judge?” “If things were different, books.”

And this line!? Marry me.

Perfect romance, perfect cover, loved every minute of this read.

Don't marry my evil half brother let me kidnap you and marry me instead shenannies this morning

I have re-read this book and so many of the scenes over and over again. God tier sex writing. God tier romance.

I never wrote anything about my feelings for this story, but I will fix that soon.

Still trying to process my love of this romance. I don't really have great words except that it is exceptional in every way and makes me think and feel. Mia Hopkins DID THE WORK on this one.

Lyrical and poetic writing in a memoir style, featuring the story of Luli Wei, a Siren Queen, recounting her rise to power on the silver screen. Hollywood execs are actual monsters, magic can be used to change your face, your voice, your body, and power both corrupts and assists.

Set in 1920s and 1930s magical Hollywood, this was both very much of that time period, from the racism, sexism, xenophobia, and queerphobia, but also timeless in that, have we actually overcome these same awful problems now in 2022? I don't think so, and that hurts my heart a bit.

Thankfully as an author, Nghi Vo handles both her character and her reader with care - while not protecting them from the harsh realities of both the scariness of racism, etc and monsters as well.

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC; I am friendly with the author online, and she is a patron of my library. I interviewed Nghi Vo for the launch of SIREN QUEEN on May 11, 2022 at the Milwaukee Public Library.

Well, that was a thing I read. I picked it up because I've seen this creepy AF cover floating around and have heard both good/bad things, plus the top Amazon review made me laugh out loud (made me moister than an oyster anyone??) and it was on KU so why not.

The single POV from just the gamer bro was not to my liking, and well, the kinks just didn't suit me at all. I'm not into humiliation, degradation, etc - and the way the main character was written made me feel like it could be any gamer/streamer who thinks they are hot shit but are actually a creep.

YMMV, but not for me.

CW humiliation, leashing, mildly dub con?

I was eagerly collecting the books in this series and I read through them in a few glorious days and am so happy. Alessandro and Catalina are so much fun, so sexy, and I just loved being with the Baylors again. The way I gasped at the ending, I really really hope we get another trilogy please!

I don't really have many more deep thoughts at this time, because I need to go back and read through this series again, preferably in audio.

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC - it is always a great time to read Hidden Legacy!

Okay, ranking purely on vibes and did I enjoy the reading experience? Five stars, great prose! The sentences! Exquisite!

The romance though, wow that was a flop for me. Also the sex scenes were truly not sexy, beyond the dub-con of it all.

Loved loved loved the heroine Emma, or Miss Muffin, or one of her other great aliases. She's a former con-woman, she's run lots of games, she is pissed off that her male lamb was killed in a carriage accident (by the hero's carriage!!) and the path to her getting what's her due from that was exhilarating and hilarious.

but whew, the hero was a huge man baby, and he reminded me of a proto-kylo, and while he was super out there and extra I didn't find the power imbalance was addressed well in the romance at all.

His last speech/grovel was pretty okay though, so okay sure then!

CW: dub con, death of spouse (in the past), child abuse, implied domestic abuse and rape (in the past, hero's mother), animal death (lamb, on-page, grisly), gun violence, gun shot wound (in the past), racial slurs