morganthebee's reviews
452 reviews

Basil and Oregano is a cute YA graphic novel set at a magical cooking boarding school. There's a diverse set of characters, with Basil having two dads, a trans friend, a nonbinary teacher, and a Muslim teacher (which is important in a magical cooking school as the dishes had to be halal), just to name a few. The story wasn't super deep, although there were a few topics that were touched on, most heavily about financial inequality. The story moved and resolved quickly so I felt like it was geared toward middle school age, maybe early high school, but it was a fun, quick read and I loved the artwork.

I mean, Her Best Friend’s Sister is basically sapphic smut with a side of plot. If you like that, particularly if it involves a strap, you’ll probably like this. If not…well, you probably won’t. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Ribbonwood, set in a small Australian town of the same name and told from multiple points of view (primarily Lara and Ollie’s, but also others), begins with a prologue that gives us an introduction to the townspeople’s opinion of Lara Bennett. She’s the beautiful town femme fatale who is at the center of all town rumors: seductress, homewrecker, ice queen, man killer. You name it and someone has probably called her that at some point, but Lara keeps herself above it all.

Lara’s high school nemesis, Dr. Viola (Ollie) Gabrielli, comes home to Ribbonwood to be with her family as her grandmother’s health declines and try to recover from burnout as a pediatric emergency doctor. Their inevitable encounter goes about as well as can be expected, but something said by Ollie’s sister makes her reconsider everything she previously thought about Lara. She’s determined to figure her out and break through her defenses, but Lara’s walls are high and she’s resolved not to let herself be vulnerable.

Lara and Ollie are both wonderfully deep characters whose chemistry and banter are off the charts. As Ollie melts the ice queen, what unfolds is a gorgeous love story, surrounded by a bit of mystery and a lot of steam. On top of that we have a host of other characters, from Ollie’s loving family to Lara’s daughter and best friend, to the townsfolk, who all add to the story. Ultimately Ribbonwood is about women coming together to support and empower each other, and how opening ourselves up to love in all its forms can be freeing, and it’s a beautiful, beautiful thing.

I received a free ARC from the author, but my review is unbiased and left voluntarily.

Take a Chance is the first book I've read by Claire Highton-Stevenson. I've meant to read her before but never got around to it, and then this one came out and I saw it on KU so I figured I'd check it out and get in a good holiday story while I was at it. It's apparently a spin-off of Last Chance, which I (obviously) haven't read, and while I do think I would have known who some of the side characters were better, I don't think it's necessary to have read it to follow this one.

Daisy is miserable at her job, getting evicted, and has dumped her cheating girlfriend, so she heads home to spend the holidays with her loving family. Her car breaks down in a snowstorm when she's almost there, but she's rescued by a cute passerby named SJ who helps her carry her luggage to her destination before heading home in the snow. The two feel a connection and both keep looking for each other until they meet again and oh, goodness, does the spark between them burn hot.

The two of them both have toxic exes in their pasts and try to navigate their feelings for each other while contending with their past traumas. The story itself is fairly straightforward and simple, with a lot of sexy times, a bit of angst, and more comedy of errors moments. I enjoyed it immensely, and this definitely won't be my last Claire Highton-Stevenson book, that's for sure!

What's Been Missing is the story of Haven, a country star who has reluctantly come home for the holidays to her small mountain hometown, where she left the love of her life 10 years ago. On her way her car breaks down so she calls the town's mechanic, who happens to be Phoebe, the love she left. The feelings they had for each other back then are still smoldering, although there's a lot of hurt that they'll have to work through if they're going to find their way back to each other. 

Haven had a horrible childhood, and although the cause of that (her abusive stepfather) is gone, and she loves the two little sisters her mom had with her current husband, there's still a lot of animosity between Haven and her mother and brother. Part of that is related to her childhood, and part of it is that neither can accept that she's a lesbian. 

Haven and Phoebe spend a lot of time together reconnecting, in part because of their feelings and in part so Haven can escape her family, and Phoebe becomes the safe space that she once was for Haven. The story felt very real and I definitely bought the connection between them emotionally, but Phoebe is a smoker who does so frequently throughout the book. I found that off-putting and I'm not sure I buy that a famous singer would be very happy about it, either, but I guess no one is perfect? 

I received a free ARC from BookSirens, but my review is unbiased and left voluntarily.

I loved Honey in the Marrow. One of the best books I've read this year. It's a beautiful story of grief, love, and discovering oneself. Told from the POV of Stella who, at age 51, has recently lost her husband in the line of duty, and in the aftermath she's taken a leave of absence and then ultimately left her job as a Deputy District Attorney in LA. Her niece, Addie, is moving to LA to live with her and start a new life, but also to support Stella as she grieves. 

The story starts off slowly as we're witness to Stella's grief and depression as she struggles to get out of bed, leave the house, and even eat properly. Addie does her best to take care of Stella, helping her where she can and encouraging her to get out of the house. One evening, Addie finally convinces Stella to visit her at the bar where she works, and it's there that she encounters Elizabeth, a 60-year-old detective that she used to work with through the DA's office, and who worked under her husband at the time of his death.  Stella does her best to push Elizabeth away, but she's steadfast and patient in her support and slowly Stella begins to accept her friendship. In the process she begins to realize that she may feel more for Elizabeth than she ever expected. 

Waters give us depth but treats the characters with such tenderness, even when they may not behave in the nicest way. There's some drama, but nothing unnecessary and all of it moves the story along to a very satisfying ending (even if I did have to suffer through the best almost-kiss ever along the way).