bandherbooks's Reviews (3.65k)

Exquisite romance novellas are gems. They introduce you to an author you may not have otherwise tried, the format is the right length to read in about a day, and you can just sink into a tightly plotted and highly focused romance arc. Swoon.

Well welcome Sing Anyway to my perfect romance novella pantheon. I would like to put on a Celine Dion song and sing with Sam & Lily and their friends at Moonies.

Kelly immediately sets the scene at Moonies, bringing both the place, and the people within it, alive. You feel like you *know* Sam in just a few paragraphs, and once you meet Lily, the same. For being a fairly short read, you are left completely satisfied with their courtship arc.

I especially especially loved the details of Lily's love of making clothes and fashion becoming one of her love languages to Sam, and Sam loving Lily's body exactly how it is, and her outfits, too. Just so lovely. Both Sam and Lily are also, despite being thirty and forty something, a little lost. And you know what, I appreciate seeing that as a little lost almost 40yo too.

What more can I say, this is exquisite and give it a go. I said exquisite a lot, but I mean it!

I read a paperback gifted to me from a friend (and it is signed yay)!

Content notes: Sam is a white, nonbinary history professor (loves maps yay!!!!) and uses they/them pronouns. Lily is a white cis woman and works as a front office manager/secretary at a veterinary office, using she/her pronouns

Some discussion of fatphobia, homophobia, misgendering, and fear is discussed

um what did I just read? My Sagittarius ass jumped in because centaurs, and now I know about "slick" and a new gland and impossible proportions oh my.

I guess if you enjoyed the special milking contraption from Morning Glory Milking Farm you might like this.

Alexis finds herself in the backroom with "Treasure" during her sister's bachelorette party, leaving Alexis with some major pants feelings, a crush, and some sadness she'll never see Treasure again. But lo, "Treasure" is in Alexis's new computers college course. Her name is Trisha, and she's just as curious about baby butch Alexis.

The stumble into a new friendship and more, discovering each other along the way. Fighting past their different backgrounds (Alexis is a rich girl with a severe father who judges her mental health struggles and her suicide attempt; Treasure is working to make ends meet, help her mother and her step siblings, and pay her tuition, and is proud of her work) will be part of the work towards their HFN, but both are worth it.

This was super sweet, spicy, and really soft. I loved these two falling for each other, and the author did a spectacular job of writing them as young, new adults.

Content notes: Suicidal ideation and attempt (in the past, survived), discussion of drug use, alcohol, secondary character vomits, homophobia (countered), parental strife - comes around at the end

Ragnar Ambrose isn't thrilled sunshine artist-in-residence Kellan is moving into the lighthouse he tends for three months. Ragnar is morose, a loner, and loves enjoying all his spare time making local legend come to life as a walrus shifter, known as the Selkie King.

But, Kellan and his love for coffee, the light, and so sunshine brings new life to Ragnar, but they'll have to work through Kellan's mistrust and Ragnar's own secrets to find their HEA.

I just loved this. So atmospheric (please take me to this Irish island stat), Ragnar KNITS his own sweaters and blankies, can make bread!!, and will special order a coffee maker for you, besides boarding up your windows and rescuing you from drowning. Kellan was also so sweet and I hated that he had been so hurt by his ex, and I was glad Ragnar showed up for him finally in an epic grovel.

Love this world, cannot wait to read more. I will say, the lack of lube in a few scenes made me go ouch but the characters chose it together, so ymmv.

Content notes: Ragnar is a white Irish cis man who shifts into a walrus. Kellan is a white American cis man who paints and is an artist for a living. Discussion of emotional abuse in a relationship (past), danger (Kellan almost drowns), toxic family (Ragnar's shifter family who he barely has a relationship with anymore because they don't think his walrus is noble enough??)

A delightfully filthy space sex fest complete with a golden space chaise, a robotic tentacle sex sling, and big, blue, fat aliens. Everyone's happy and everyone f*cks. What more can you ask for?

The sort of fish out of water element in how the king used a dating app to begin woo-ing the heroine was hilarious.

Great fun, cannot go wrong.

*the author and I are friends; reviewed from a copy I checked out via my personal KU subscription

A really sweet and short PNR shifter romance about a wolf shifter who finds his fated mate, his asexual fated mate. Sex is needed to complete the mating bond so that his fated mate can also shift into a wolf, but after learning about what his new love's needs (and wants) are, they make it work for them, not how everyone in Brandon's pack expects him to act as the alpha/leader.

this is very short, but the writing was fun as was the premise.

My first ever KJ Charles! I know, gasp! This was a long time coming and whew, worth it. Fabulous story about a smut peddler who reconnects with his boyhood friend and former lover who is now a lawyer to try and find a missing man. Their only clue is the parents' plea and some explicit photos that if they get caught with, would land them both in a world of hurt and gaol.

I adored how, in the short span of this novella, Charles explored class, race, privilege AND sex worker (plus more), without ever making it feel like an "issues" book. Vikram Pandey, lawyer, is uptight and looks down up and does not understand sex work or how Gil Lawless can do 'illegal acts,' but Gil helps bring him to understanding and not making everyone a 'victim.'

All the little details, to how Gil and Vik explored a relationship as boys, to how they both grew up in their own ways, and how they find their HEA. Loved it! Cannot wait to read more by this author.

Content notes: Gil Lawless is a Black, cis male English bookseller; Vikram Pandey is an Indian cis male lawyer who has lived in England since he was three, but considers himself an Indian National. Death, murder, wounds (described), danger, violence, discussion of sex work (both of choice and not), discussions of poverty, fear of outting

um. so. this is why I have a goodreads, so I can be o.O about a book I need to review for others to enjoy.

Between the small dick joke bit (to break up with an ex) to an epilogue that was quite unexpected, yeah no this wasn't for me.

Content notes: transphobic jokes, fatphobia (countered, from parents), toxic parents, divorced parents fighting, drinking, emesis

thanks to the pub for the ARC.

This was fine, but way too full of manners and ballrooms and talk, and I wanted more romance. I got about 50% through and drifted away so I'm marking this one done.

Okay this was very good, and the narrator was also exquisite.

Full review on Library Journal.

Thank you to the publisher for the advance listening copy!