yourbookishbff's Reviews (650)

That feeling when the inside of a book is even more beautiful than its stunning cover art - indescribable. A Shore Thing is so refreshing for about a hundred reasons, but primarily for its sensitivity to queer and trans history and representation in historical fiction and romance. Our male main character, Kit, has started a new life as himself in St. Ives, a destination for painters (the light!) and cyclists (the coastal paths!) and algologists (the seaweed?!). Muriel "Penny" (but-only-if-you're-Kit) Pendrake is begrudgingly in St. Ives to collect seaweed specimens and commission an illustrator for an upcoming botany lecture. The two end up partnered in a bicycle race around the coast, naturally (god I love romance). 

What I love most about this story is how the various political subplots - early cyclist tension over cycle prototypes that were more or less accessible to women and less experienced riders, advocacy among artists seeking greater representation for women in competitive galleries, shifting friendships among sapphists as Kit begins to live openly and authentically - all contribute to a really nuanced portrayal of late 19th century England. Our love story weaves so naturally into these discussions, as our characters have to navigate a lot of fluidity in their sense of self and others and embrace new ways of being in relationship with one another. I live for the quiet, yearning moments in stories like this - the jealousy Muriel feels over Kit's friendship with Lucy, the yearning Kit feels for a life where a partner will see him for who he is, the grief Kit feels over his lost connections and friendships, the frustration Muriel feels as a woman in STEM at a time when she has to claw her way to recognition. I was weepy by the end, desperate for Muriel and Kit to feel loved and safe.

And it has to be said just how lush Lowell's scene-setting is and how beautifully gutting her emotional insight feels. And it's FUNNY! This was a joy to read.

This was my first by Joanna Lowell and easily stands alone! I was grateful for this entry point and will be going back into her backlist now.

My stand-out favorite of the Girl Meets Duke series, The Wallflower Wager had me crying and crying-laughing throughout. Penny has been the glue holding this crew of unlikely female friends together, and it's her ability to make others feel safe and loved, and her determination to live beyond her own trauma, that makes this such a heart-wrecker of a book. This is another class difference story, this time with a lady, though a spinster and a wallflower, and a Duke in power - not title - who has schemed his way to the upper echelons of a society that rejects him for his business acumen and "lowborn" roots. 

This isn't insta-love, but it is insta-trust, which doesn't bother me at all, and the chemistry between these two is HOT. Penny takes pleasure on her own terms, and Gabriel Duke, the Duke of Ruin, commits himself to whatever she wants or needs. I love how Dare navigates both of their backstories, handling trauma with sensitivity and care so that it never feels gratuitous, and so that each character can find the closure they need through their own actions and agency. 

Come for the brothel parrot, stay for the moment you sob over a penny.

This is a sexy contemporary rom-com that is equal parts sexy and hilarious. Is the male main character, Colin, a perfect human being who makes zero mistakes throughout this book and approaches every conversation and conflict with loving kindness? Yes. He has very little character development because honestly he starts out with five gold stars for me. Our female main character, Truly, does have some growth in store, but only as she comes to terms with her own two-dimensional perspective on lifelong commitment and her own insecurities in being loved. This is a wide-open-door romance with some pleasantly surprising femme domme and one of my favorite microtropes (this man is quick off the mark, IYKYK). 

I suggest comedy goggles for the adult parent trap shenanigans in the third act, because if you take it *too* seriously, you, like Colin, might need a breather. 

Also, this is bi-4-bi and has one of the most beautifully affirming conversations around bi-erasure and impostor syndrome that I've read in romance. I was misty-eyed, and so grateful to Bellefleur for this explicit representation and dialogue. 

I LOVE a reformed rake and Chase's character arc absolutely delivers! From The Cave of Carnality and the "inconvenience" of our emotionally scarred (and hilariously macabre) young wards, to a happily-ever-after deserving of our stubborn survivor, Alex, this is alternately silly and gentle. I love seeing a man terrified of love slowly cracked open and refilled with affection, trust and security, and I particularly love when a woman is celebrated for her career achievements on page. This was a winning combo. I felt minor annoyance in how the third act finally resolved but it's a little quibble. 

Also, the scenes between Ash and Chase were worth any annoyance I could possibly feel. Perfect, no notes, besties forever please.

ALSO ALSO, this contains elite sickbed/caretaking content and one of the best tiny nods to medical accuracy (that's also a wicked setdown).

ALSO ALSO ALSO, the doll funerals. I only regret that I will never be in attendance.

This is a romp, which feels so rare in Beauty and the Beast retellings (that often feel so dark-and-stormy). This is classic Tessa Dare humor - absurd, over-the-top, and wryly modern despite the historical setting. The melodramatic scenes feel intentionally campy, and yet the relational development throughout our marriage-of-convenience still feels very sincere and tender. For the first time in my reading existence I was more frustrated with our female main character than our male main character in the third act (who am I?!), but I still loved how well balanced these final conflicts are in construction and how authentically they mirror our characters' fears. 

A great starting point for readers newer to historical romance, and an easy entry point to Tessa Dare.

I loved this follow-up to The Queer Principles of Kit Webb! This is through-and-through a Robin Hood retelling, with a murdering Marian swapped in for Maid Marian, much to my delight. Truly, I will read any grumpy x sunshine pairing Cat Sebastian writes, because once again I adored this dynamic and her ability to create oddly hilarious and tender moments amidst heartache and trauma. Marian is in shock at the start of our story, and it takes the sustained sunshine of our pretty, preening rogue, Rob, to gradually ease her fear and anxiety. Rob's golden retriever energy is an absolute delight, particularly contrasted to the sharp edges of Marian's affection, and their chemistry had me sweating. And both of our main characters are bi?! I was floating with joy.

This is a story of reclaimed agency with big eat-the-rich energy, and it manages to weave in a road trip, only-one-bed-at-the-inn, blackmailers-to-lovers, found family, some chill kidnappings and some of the best executed femme domme I've read in historical romance. Highly recommend. Will be rereading.

This is my second by Kate Lister and a great expansion on sex work specifically for those who've read The Curious History of Sex. This is a very broad introduction to the topic, covering thousands of years and several continents, giving us glimpses into cultural shifts and defining moments in each era. A great starting point for anyone who wants to better understand the long history of sex work and the cyclical attempts to criminalize, zone, regulate and otherwise repress sex work and workers throughout millennia. 

This was a perfect novella, with a really tight timeline, insta-lust that turns into more, and an ending that feels authentically hopeful, even when it can't tie off every bow (and shouldn't, honestly!). Our female main character is a Black herbalist and our male main character is a new aristo (one of those unlikely Dukes) raised by his practical Quaker mother and grandmother (his dad's there too but he sucks). He needs her help to track down his half sister, who has fled legal trouble in England to live with her partner (also our female main character's sister) in Paris. This is a whirlwind trip for a Duke and an herbalist, and the Paris setting makes sense for the suspension of reality that we feel. If you love on-page birth control use in histrom (she wears a cervical cap and he carries French letters), lots of laughing during sex, women who know what they want and demand it, and the pretty rogues who preen for them, this is for you. Also note, our female main character is bi/pan. 

This was dark and atmospheric and deeply sexy. I loved the pacing up until the very end, when it did begin to feel rushed, unfortunately. Throughout, though, the reflections on religion, consent, freewill and "fighting fair" are expertly done. I wished for one more (very specific) scene and was surprised and disappointed by its absence, but still loved this overall.

This was a fantastic conclusion to Roanhorse's "Between Earth and Sky" trilogy. While we are still generally counting forward in time in this installment, we have a number of insightful flashbacks that help us to better understand the motivations of a few key characters, and the blend of present and past worked beautifully throughout. What I loved most about book one, Black Sun, was the countdown to Convergence and the tension and anticipation that that countdown built for the reader, and in this, while we aren't counting down, we are finally bringing all of our far-flung characters back to Tova, and that gravitational pull ensures each narrative and POV feels meaningful. 

Where Serapio's powers are the driving force in book one, and Naranpa's powers in book two, we are finally exploring Xiala's powers in this installment, and man it's so freaking cool. I loved seeing how her own journey diverges and converges with Serapio's, and how all of our Gods and God-avatars circle each other until the very end. This is bloody and merciless, with a sprawling cast of morally gray characters, all willing to bargain morality for ambition. I also appreciate that so much of the driving force in this trilogy feels accidental and circumstantial, a significant choice in a story that depends so much on prophecy and fate. We explore this very literally in dialogue between Xiala and Serapio on the power of fate, and we see it play out as characters have to continually adjust their goals to account for unforeseen outcomes and new obstacles. 

This is a grisly and compelling fantasy series all the way through, and one I look forwarding to recommending to new readers, now that it's complete! Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a complimentary copy.