unsuccessfulbookclub's Reviews (916)

Monsieur X

Adriana Herrera

3.75

emotional medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Very spicy and sweet! I so identified with Max, the ADHD coded character. I just wish there had been a little more story.

Content Warnings

Unmasked by the Marquess

Cat Sebastian

4.25

adventurous emotional lighthearted medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

Shit, Actually: The Definitive, 100% Objective Guide to Modern Cinema

Lindy West

4.0

funny lighthearted fast-paced

Content Warnings

Never Marry a Cowboy

Lorraine Heath

2.5

adventurous challenging emotional fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

The first like 75% of this book had so much promise and the way the two MCs were sort of slowly unfurling towards one another was really something. And then they got in a really really silly fight over something that is just Aggressively Hetero TM and IDK, it bothered me on so many levels not the least of which was that it was a baloney fight. Just really not something they couldn't have figured out with time. Even if their time was limited due to the FMC's illness.

Then there were like four more plots thrown in and one of them feature a war widow who was unapologetically a supporter of the Confederacy which like... WHY LORRAINE???? WE DID NOT NEED THAT.

Anyway. Gorgeous cover and 5 star read until the last 25%.

Content Warnings

Mrs. Martin's Incomparable Adventure

Courtney Milan

5.0

funny hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Content Warnings

They Ain't Proper

M.B. Guel

3.75

adventurous emotional lighthearted medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

They Ain’t Proper is a VERY Western Hissy RoNo featuring a non-binary MC, Lou, and an FMC, Clementine, who are thrown together when Lou’s mail-order house gets mixed up with their crappy neighbor’s mail-order bride.

This book is pretty much exactly what it promises: a Western romance featuring queer characters. It’s so lighthearted although it features ALL THE WESTERN TROPES, including: hanging, outlaws that aren’t really outlaws, for real outlaws, sheriffs behaving badly, bandanas, wild horses, lone ranchers, saloons and saloon girls aka sex workers, gun slinging, mixups with Mexico, “I thought you were dead!”, vigilante justice, camping in the desert, poker games, whiskey, shootings, “get off my land!”, mentions of Texas and of course, multiple cowboy hats.

👍🏻Recommended. Is this ✨literature✨? No. But it was thoroughly enjoyable and fun to read. I got moderately frustrated at the MCs for acting silly about Talking About Feelings™️ and Pretending Not To Be Attracted To Each Other©️. If you like Westerns and love it when an author uses the title of their book in the book? You will enjoy this.

Content Warnings