Georgie Radcliffe finds herself acting as an amateur sleuth because she a) pays attention and b) is a keen horticulturalist. She lives at Radcliffe Hall in Buncombe-upon-Wooly, a small village in the Cotswolds in the 1930s. In that tiny village, there have been four murders, three of which she solved through her horticultural knowledge. So far you’re thinking that this is about as cosy as cosy mysteries get, and you wouldn’t be wrong, but there … Continue reading And Then There Was The One by Martha Waters →
I have to be upfront about some personal pet peeves first. I hate cosy witch stories. I don’t like twee and I don’t like cutesy. This book has touches of that initially and a lot towards the end, which has definitely coloured my experience of this book. So if cutesy, twee, and cosy are things that bring you joy, then bump this grade up a level or two. Lara, it’s already a B, I hear … Continue reading Love at First Fright by Nadia El-Fassi →
This guest review is from Danielle Fritz. Danielle is a former librarian who has a special affection for children’s lit and books about the funeral industry. She first cut her criticism teeth as a fanfic writer. A resident of the upper midwest, she’s learned to love beer and tater tot casserole and tolerate long winters. Most nights will find her cuddled up with her pups and wearing out her wrists with yet another crochet project. … Continue reading All Superheroes Need PR by Elizabeth Stephens →
Love is a War Song is a fun sunshine/grumpy/fish out of water romance with a New Adult feel. While the romance is fun, the cultural representation is what sets this novel apart from others. Here’s the publisher’s plot description: Pop singer Avery Fox has become a national joke after posing scantily clad on the cover of Rolling Stone in a feather warbonnet. What was meant to be a statement of her success as a Native … Continue reading Love is a War Song by Danica Nava →
Back in the early aughts I had a minor obsession with the Tudors. The Other Boleyn Girl was in theatres, The Tudors was on Showtime, and Phillippa Gregory and Alison Weir were having literary moments. Six Wild Crowns pulled me right back into my fascination with that moment in time (in fact, I’m rewatching The Tudors). This is a high magic fantasy based loosely on Henry VIII and his six wives, but with a feminist … Continue reading Six Wild Crowns by Holly Race →
If you’re curious about this book, please check triggers. The author has a more comprehensive list on her website. Hooked is a dark, contemporary mafia romance with lots of winks and nods to Peter Pan. It’s the first book in the Never After series, which is a reimagining of known fairytales and House of Mouse movies, but with villains as the love interests. This is your common revenge story of a man wanting revenge against … Continue reading Hooked by Emily McIntire →
This guest review comes from Lisa! A longtime romance aficionado and frequent commenter to SBTB, Lisa is a queer Latine critic with a sharp tongue and lots of opinions. She frequently reviews at All About Romance and Women Write About Comics, where she’s on staff, and you can catch her at @thatbouviergirl on Twitter. There, she shares good reviews, bracing industry opinions and thoughtful commentary when she’s not on her grind looking for the next good freelance … Continue reading When We Chased The Light by Emily Bleeker →
I absolutely devoured the first two books in this trilogy. I loved the highly original premise and found both stories beyond charming. The third is more of the same, but not quite to the same heights as the first two. I would recommend avoiding this review if you haven’t read the prior two in the trilogy because it’ll be filled with spoilers. For more about Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries, you can read this guest … Continue reading Emily Wilde’s Compendium of Lost Tales by Heather Fawcett →
Oh Dear Readers, what can I possibly tell you about Hot Frosty that you don’t already know? That it has some fish out of water jokes? That it it takes place in a quirky small town? That romance wins in the end? You know all this. Either you like the Netflix versions of Hallmark Christmas movies or you do not. If you do not, then no amount of shirtless Dustin Mulligan will save you. If … Continue reading Movie Review: Hot Frosty →
This series has been hit-or-miss for me. This one wasn’t quite the heights of some of the other books by this author that I’ve read, but I devoured it nonetheless and am happy to recommend it to others. Stella Hobhouse is a clergyman’s sister, a great friend, an excellent horsewoman and completely stuck in life. Her brother has really strict expectations of her and Stella chafes against them. (This later causes serious ructions in her … Continue reading The Muse of Maiden Lane by Mimi Matthews →
This guest review is from Danielle Fritz. Danielle is a former librarian who has a special affection for children’s lit and books about the funeral industry. She first cut her criticism teeth as a fanfic writer. A resident of the upper midwest, she’s learned to love beer and tater tot casserole and tolerate long winters. Most nights will find her cuddled up with her pups and wearing out her wrists with yet another crochet project. … Continue reading Haunted Ever After by Jen DeLuca →
