Fantasy isn’t normally but my thing but I was intrigued by the description of this novelette so I thought I’d give it a go – and I’m glad I did. Whilst obviously very short and quick to read at only 12,000 I thought Lancaster did a really good job of starting a longer narrative whilst introducing the main characters and completing a story within the novelette.
The captain of the ship is interesting but at this point we don’t know much about her. We are mainly introduced to two lesbian secondary characters in a relationship and the challenges they face conducting their relationship whilst ship breaking. There’s some intriguing samples of life on the ship – and life off the ship (including some interesting sushi action).
All in all this a good start to the series and I’m looking forward to the next part to see where things go.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The story is told from the point of view of Clare, a senior at high school and part of the popular crowd. She dreams of using photography as her way out of her small town and constricting life. Hilda enters her life as a transfer student from Germany, returning to her hometown and forces Clare to examine all that she knows about herself.
This is the second book I’ve read recently that included controlling religious parents, and I thought the tone of this book was done really well so that it had impact but was appropriate for a YA novel.
There a lots of characters in Clare’s friend group, something that can be a little hard to keep track of at times. As you’d probably expect there is quite a bit of angst in this book – both from the main characters and those around them, but for the most part it works well within the narrative.
The book keeps a hopeful tone, especially in the ending, but doesn’t promise anything. All in all this kind of book I wish had been around when I was a teenager.
I received an e-ARC via BookSirens in exchange for an honest review.
I found this to be a really sweet novella. I don’t normally read fantasy books but had heard good things about this one so thought I would give it a try and I’m really glad I did. I thoroughly enjoyed the storyline and would have loved the story to have gone on for longer.
When we meet Evie she is experiencing her worst nightmare – the loss of her role as an assistant editor at a prestigious publisher due to underhanded tactics by her soon to be ex-girlfriend. Evie is banished to the mountains to join the librarians guild and become a member of the pack-horse librarians, with only her books and her cats to keep her company.
I found the world building to be done really well and found myself enjoying imagining the world Evie was experiencing, even though it is somewhat bleak. The romance in the book is meaningful and sweet, but very quick. It isn’t the focus of the book at all and that isn’t a bad thing. I loved how this book encounters many different types of characters and for the most part they all seem accepting of each other. I’ve read quite a few heavy books recently and this made for a really pleasant read for me because of this.
Evie is described as a “timid city mouse” and this is an accurate depiction of her at the start of the story. I liked her journey to a more confident character and would have enjoyed a little bit more of this to delay the ending of the book. I also thought it was a shame we didn’t get to experience more of Evie’s own magic on the page. I would have liked to have spent more time with the other librarians too.
The length of the book naturally means it’s a quick read and I would recommend to anyone looking for a sweet, inclusive book with some fantasy overtones. It’s also a great read if like myself you wouldn’t normally read fantasy.
I received an e-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I’d never read Murphy before this book but I found myself unable to put this down – reading the whole thing in one sitting. Mai, a TV chef, moves back to small town life after losing her show and hires Dale as a contractor to renovate her restaurant. They try to deny their feelings for each other for the sake of their business arrangement, so the majority of the book is about the MCs getting to know each other.
I really appreciated the different ways Murphy explored all of the contrasting elements of both MCs characteristics, through their jobs, their gender presentations, their families and in bed. The sex scenes are steamy and include some light BDSM in places. I really liked both characters and rarely for me I couldn’t choose a favourite between the two.
I especially enjoyed the family dynamics in this story, with both characters being in their 40s and the sons being older, it gave a new dimension to things I’ve been reading recently. As a step-parent of older children Mai’s interactions with the boys felt familiar from the getting to know each other stage – adding an authenticity to the story I really welcomed. There is also a secondary story in the book regarding one of Dale’s sons that comes across as enjoyably authentic.
Overall this is a good romance with enough compelling aspects to keep things interesting and make it a worthwhile read.
It should be noted the book does include some incidences of racism and homophobia.
I received an e-ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I don’t quite know how to describe a book that is both incredibly depressing and a page-turner. I felt so sad reading this but I couldn’t stop reading, despite the domino effect of each event playing out on the page.
Don’t get me wrong, this is a great book – I’ll even want to read it again, but the attempted rape, homophobia, conversion therapy and life-changing accident are hard hitting so make sure you’re in the right place to read this before you start.
The book is split into parts – spanning approximately 10 years of the main characters life, starting with senior year in high school. Bryce’s realisation that she’s gay came a little quickly for my liking but her comfort level with the realisation is a welcome change of pace. I really enjoyed the friendship group that features around Bryce, especially as they’re another great example of chosen family.
This is a quick read, which despite it’s heavy storyline has lots of redeeming features and is well worth the time to read.
LGBTQ+ Reader 