Review: The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton

The Lady Society of Lady Scoundrels
(Dangerous Damsels #1)
India Holton
Release: June 15, 2021
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A prim and proper lady thief must save her aunt from a crazed pirate and his dangerously charming henchman in this fantastical historical romance.

Cecilia Bassingwaite is the ideal Victorian lady. She's also a thief. Like the other members of the Wisteria Society crime sorority, she flies around England drinking tea, blackmailing friends, and acquiring treasure by interesting means. Sure, she has a dark and traumatic past and an overbearing aunt, but all things considered, it's a pleasant existence. Until the men show up.

Ned Lightbourne is a sometimes assassin who is smitten with Cecilia from the moment they meet. Unfortunately, that happens to be while he's under direct orders to kill her. His employer, Captain Morvath, who possesses a gothic abbey bristling with cannons and an unbridled hate for the world, intends to rid England of all its presumptuous women, starting with the Wisteria Society. Ned has plans of his own. But both men have made one grave mistake. Never underestimate a woman.

When Morvath imperils the Wisteria Society, Cecilia is forced to team up with her handsome would-be assassin to save the women who raised her--hopefully proving, once and for all, that she's as much of a scoundrel as the rest of them.

Review:
This book was absolutely bonkers in the best way! I'm not sure what rock I was hiding under but I really thought this was a pure historical romance book and not a fantasy book. But I am not mad that it didn't turn out as I thought.

I will say that it took me a while to get my head into the way the story was narrated but once I was able to immerse myself I didn't look back. I'm not sure how to describe what goes on in this book. At-a-glance, this book is a romance, an adventure, and a tiny bit steampunk with a dash of the piratical all rolled into one hilarious romp! I don't want to say too much because I think this is one of those books that you want to go into a bit blind. I will say that this story is chock full of so many great things that I would have never of thought to put together! Pirates with flying houses! Scoundrels! Assassins! SO many shenanigans! Proper Victorian ladies! Enemies-to-lovers! A master of disguise! Complex family relationships! The literary references and subsequent roasting of said literature! So many book references! It was kind of amazing, to be honest.

I especially loved the flying houses and the weird camaraderie and competition found between members of the Wisteria Society! I had a difficult time at first keeping the characters straight. And I will admit I had a hard time relating to the heroine, Cecilia, at first but I grew to love her by the end of the book. I will say I loved Ned and his friend, Alex, from the moment they appeared on page. 

This alternate version of England with magic and battle houses made me grin from ear to ear. I can't wait to read more books by this author! I am especially looking forward to the next book in this series which will star a certain Irish pirate!

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.

   

  4 / 5 Stars

Recommended for fans of: 

The Parasol Protectorate Series by Gail Carriger

Review: The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi

The Kaiju Preservation Society
John Scalzi
Release: March
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The Kaiju Preservation Society is John Scalzi's first standalone adventure since the conclusion of his New York Times bestselling Interdependency trilogy.

When COVID-19 sweeps through New York City, Jamie Gray is stuck as a dead-end driver for food delivery apps. That is, until Jamie makes a delivery to an old acquaintance, Tom, who works at what he calls "an animal rights organization." Tom's team needs a last-minute grunt to handle things on their next field visit. Jamie, eager to do anything, immediately signs on.

What Tom doesn't tell Jamie is that the animals his team cares for are not here on Earth. Not our Earth, at at least. In an alternate dimension, massive dinosaur-like creatures named Kaiju roam a warm and human-free world. They're the universe's largest and most dangerous panda and they're in trouble.

It's not just the Kaiju Preservation Society that's found its way to the alternate world. Others have, too--and their carelessness could cause millions back on our Earth to die.

Review:
As someone who spent their teen years devouring everything Michael Crichton and Clive Cussler had ever written while simultaneously devouring all the multiverse books, mecha anime, and monster media I could get my hands, this book had everything I could ever want in it! It was like Jurassic Park and Pacific Rim had a nerdy baby and it was so much fun to read!

This was my first John Scalzi book so I didn't know what to expect. But OH MY GOODNESS! I seriously loved everything about this book! The characters! The alternate Earth! The kaiju! The science! It made my little nerd heart sing with joy! I haven't laughed out loud so much at a book in I don't know how long. The dry humor and the banter was SO good! I loved the interactions between Jamie and the other newbies as well as the veterans. Every time Jamie had to go up in the helicopter with Satie I found myself cackling like a madwoman. 

I don't want to say too much about the plot of this book because it's one of those that you need to go into a little blind. Were parts of it predictable? Yes, but I was having so much fun it didn't matter. I read the Author's Note at the end of my ARC when I was trying to figure out what to write for my review and I think Scalzi's words about this book perfectly encapsulate my feelings on the book:

"KPS is not, and I say this with absolutely no slight intended, a brooding symphony of a novel. It’s a pop song. It’s meant to be light and catchy, with three minutes of hooks and choruses for you to sing along with, and then you’re done and you go on with your day, hopefully with a smile on your face."

Mr. Scalzi, your book was indeed the perfect pop song and it put a giant smile on my face! I can't thank you enough for that and I sincerely look forward to rereading it many times in the future when I need a good pick me up. 

 

I can't recommend this book enough if you're looking for a fun sci-fi read! It is hands down one of my favorite books of the year so far! And I can't wait to get a physical copy to put on my own shelves to sit with the other Scalzi books that I predict I will be reading in the very near future!

 ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.

    1/2

  4.5 / 5 Stars

Recommended for fans of:

Pacific Rim

Jurassic Park
Stargate SG1

Review: Delilah Green Doesn't Care by Ashley Herring Blake

Delilah Green Doesn't Care
(Bright Falls #1)
Ashley Herring Blake
Release: February 22, 2022
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A clever and steamy queer romantic comedy about taking chances and accepting love—with all its complications—by debut author Ashley Herring Blake.

Delilah Green swore she would never go back to Bright Falls—nothing is there for her but memories of a lonely childhood where she was little more than a burden to her cold and distant stepfamily. Her life is in New York, with her photography career finally gaining steam and her bed never empty. Sure, it’s a different woman every night, but that’s just fine with her.

When Delilah’s estranged stepsister, Astrid, pressures her into photographing her wedding with a guilt trip and a five-figure check, Delilah finds herself back in the godforsaken town that she used to call home. She plans to breeze in and out, but then she sees Claire Sutherland, one of Astrid’s stuck-up besties, and decides that maybe there’s some fun (and a little retribution) to be had in Bright Falls, after all.

Having raised her eleven-year-old daughter mostly on her own while dealing with her unreliable ex and running a bookstore, Claire Sutherland depends upon a life without surprises. And Delilah Green is an unwelcome surprise…at first. Though they’ve known each other for years, they don’t really know each other—so Claire is unsettled when Delilah figures out exactly what buttons to push. When they’re forced together during a gauntlet of wedding preparations—including a plot to save Astrid from her horrible fiancé—Claire isn’t sure she has the strength to resist Delilah’s charms. Even worse, she’s starting to think she doesn’t want to…

Review:
One of my reading goals for 2022 is to read more queer romance, specifically more sapphic romance. There is a lot of good hype around this book which always makes me nervous. I shouldn't have been. Delilah Green Doesn't Care lived up to all of my expectations plus some! I loved it so much! It was tender, funny, sexy, and heartbreaking all at the same time.

Struggling artist, Delilah Green, has been hired to photograph her estranged stepsister, Astrid's wedding which means returning to her hometown of Bright Falls. The one she ran away from ten years ago. She doesn't want to go back to the place where she didn't fit in but she needs the money desperately. Her first night back, she gets hit on at the bar by none other than Claire Sutherland, one of her stepsister's best friends. What follows is a series of swoon-worthy sexy times, snark, hi-jinks, and wedding shenanigans that show Delilah that Bright Falls might not be as bad as she remembered.

Delilah and her prickly edges captured my attention from the start. Despite the title and what Delilah thinks, she did indeed care. In fact, I would say she cares a lot. And OMG! The pining! And the snark! All Delilah has wanted was to fit in and be included and it pulled at my heart strings even though she found a place for herself in the world with her tattoos and her art. I wanted her to have a happy ever after and a forever partner before I was done with the first chapter!

Oh! And I adored Claire and her warmth, curviness (stretchmarks and all) and her awesome bisexual energy! And she runs an independent bookstore! In the last few years I have become a fan of the drama that comes with single parent love interests in romance and I quickly fell for Claire's daughter, Ruby. I loved how Delilah wasn't hesitant to step in and lend a hand. I am practically swooning over this romance still days after I finished it! 

But the romance wasn't the only star of this book! The platonic friendships and the familial relationships added so much depth to this story that I would love for each of the main side characters to get their own books. 

I can't wait to read Astrid's book that comes out later this year! And I really, really hope we get an Iris book! If you're looking for an awesome F/F romance, you must go read it immediately! It will definitely be on my top ten favorite books of the year list for sure!

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.

    

  5 / 5 Stars!

Review: A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske

A Marvellous Light
(The Last Binding #1)
Freya Marske
Release: November 2, 2021
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Red White & Royal Blue meets Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell in debut author Freya Marske’s A Marvellous Light, featuring an Edwardian England full of magic, contracts, and conspiracies.

Robin Blyth has more than enough bother in his life. He’s struggling to be a good older brother, a responsible employer, and the harried baronet of a seat gutted by his late parents’ excesses. When an administrative mistake sees him named the civil service liaison to a hidden magical society, he discovers what’s been operating beneath the unextraordinary reality he’s always known.

Now Robin must contend with the beauty and danger of magic, an excruciating deadly curse, and the alarming visions of the future that come with it—not to mention Edwin Courcey, his cold and prickly counterpart in the magical bureaucracy, who clearly wishes Robin were anyone and anywhere else.

Robin’s predecessor has disappeared, and the mystery of what happened to him reveals unsettling truths about the very oldest stories they’ve been told about the land they live on and what binds it. Thrown together and facing unexpected dangers, Robin and Edwin discover a plot that threatens every magician in the British Isles—and a secret that more than one person has already died to keep.

Review:
Do you ever read a book and love it so much but can't explain why in words? That is me with A Marvellous Light. I finished it back in February and I have been trying to write a review that is not just me yelling at you to go read this book ASAP! And honestly, stop reading this review right now and go get a copy of this book for yourself.

One of the reasons I adored this is because it made my nostalgic for all the fantasy-of-manners books Teen Me was obsessed with. This book is the queer version of that genre college me wanted so very much! Even better is that it is the first in a trilogy! This series starter is set in Edwardian England and is about a down-on-their-luck, non-magical person discovering that the upper crust noble families of England are secretly magicians and that magic is very much real when a clerical error puts him in position in a government office where his job is to be the civil service liaison to this magical secret society.

I came for the queer romance but the world building, intrigue, and magic system of this book was so exquisitely done that I stayed to see what was going to happen next! Well, and the magical house. The romance was everything though! I love me a good sunshine/grump romance and this book delivered! Robin had my heart within the first chapter and Edwin wasn't too far behind him! This was the historical romance himbo/librarian pairing I didn't know I needed in my life and they seriously needed each other. I am so damn glad that we will be getting more books in this world! 

The next book has Robin's sister, Maud, as the main character and it is taking place on a ship! I cannot wait to read it in all of its sapphic glory! And hopefully we'll see more of Robin and Edwin as well.

ARC provided by the Publisher via Netgalley

    

  5 /5 Stars!

 

Recommended for fans of:
A Matter of Magic by Patricia C. Wrede

The Parasol Protectorate by Gail Carriger

Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal
The Page & Sommers Series by Cat Sebastian

Review: Hunt the Stars by Jessie Mihalik

Hunt the Stars
(Starlight's Shadow #1)
Jessie Mihalik
Release: February 1, 2022
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The critically acclaimed author of Polaris Rising takes readers on an exciting journey with the start of her brand-new series about a female bounty hunter and the man who is her sworn enemy.

Octavia Zarola would do anything to keep her tiny, close-knit bounty hunting crew together—even if it means accepting a job from Torran Fletcher, a ruthless former general and her sworn enemy. When Torran offers her enough credits to not only keep her crew afloat but also hire someone to fix her ship, Tavi knows that she can’t refuse—no matter how much she’d like to.

With so much money on the line, Torran and his crew insist on joining the hunt. Tavi reluctantly agrees because while the handsome, stoic leader pushes all of her buttons—for both anger and desire—she’s endured worse, and the massive bonus payment he’s promised for a completed job is reason enough to shut up and deal.

But when they uncover a deeper plot that threatens the delicate peace between humans and Valoffs, Tavi suspects that Torran has been using her as the impetus for a new war. With the fate of her crew balanced on a knife’s edge, Tavi must decide where her loyalties lie—with the quiet Valoff who’s been lying to her, or with the human leaders who left her squad to die on the battlefield. And this time, she’s put her heart on the line.

 

Review:

I have been looking forward to picking up Jessie Mihalik's next series since I finished the Consortium Rebellion back in 2020. I loved that series so you can imagine how excited I was when her new series features a female bounty hunter captain and an enemies-to-lovers romance! And y'all! I love this series even more than the Consortium Rebellion and it has definitely earned a spot for Jessie Mihalik on my list of auto-buy sci-fi authors! 

 

I loved so much about this book that I could rave about it for days! I was totally on board for the slice-of-life, twisty mystery, enemies-to-friends-to-lovers romance vibe this book had going on and I need more! The characters! The world building! The politics! The back story! The found family! The romance! The psychic alien race! I seriously loved everything about this book!

 

It's fun to read an author's work from their debut because you can see how their writing is growing and changing. Jessie Mihalik is definitely getting better at writing those plot twists that you can only partially see coming. She totally surprised me several times while reading this book because I thought I had things figured out and than wham! plot twist! It made this such a fun story to read!

I quickly fell in love with Tavi and her crew! Kee and Eli are polar opposites with Kee being the sunshine and Eli being the grump but they are highly protective of each other and Tavi. I especially loved Luna! It was intriguing to see the crew interact with Torran and his team, their once sworn enemies! I loved how Tavi's plan to keep her enemies close turned into both teams finding some common ground. 

 

The one thing I will say I wish this book had (and it's something I wanted in Mihalik's other series) was multiple POVs or just a dual POV with the love interests. While I came to like Torran's team, I didn't come to love them as much as the Tavi's crew because Tavi's POV was the only one we had. I get why the author didn't because some of the plot twists wouldn't have worked with a dual POV but it is something that I find myself wanting every time I've read one of her books.

 

I cannot wait to read more in this series as Tavi, Torran, and their teams start to hunt down who is trying to restart the war between humans and the Valoffs! I will admit that I am shipping some of Tavi's and Torran's crews together. I have my fingers crossed for a certain doctor and first officer pairing but we'll see if that happens. The seeds are there for that romance though! The next book is Kee's and I can't wait because the love interest looks to be a specific Valovian weapons expert and I ship it!

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley

    1/2

  4.5 / 5 Stars

My reviews of other books by this author:
Polaris Rising (Consortium Rebellion #1) by Jessie Mihalik
Aurora Blazing (Consortium Rebellion #2) by Jessie Mihalik
Chaos Reigning (Consortium Rebellion #3) by Jessie Mihalik

Review: A Bargain of Blood and Gold by Kristin Jacques

A Bargain of Blood and Gold
(Midnight Guardians #1)
Kristin Jacques
Release: June 15, 2021
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A novice hunter with a mission. A five-hundred-year-old vampire with a strong sense of irony. A town plagued by creatures in need of saving.

When Johnathan Newman arrives in Cress Haven, the last thing he expects is for his life to be irrevocably changed. Sent by a clandestine league of vampire hunters to investigate a string of murders, signs point to a vampire lurking amid the townsfolk. Johnathan’s attempt to enlist the locals leads him to an unlikely partnership with Vic, the town's most eligible, enigmatic bachelor.

As the pair work to solve the mystery, Vic’s secrets come back to bite him. Revealed, the vampire fights his attraction to a man trained to destroy him, while Johnathan’s emotions land him in the middle of forbidden desires. Even if Vic isn’t the murderer, how can Johnathan yearn for his natural enemy?

As Vic leads Johnathan into encounters with terrifying beings straight from children’s nightmares, Johnathan learns that not only is the world stranger than he knew, but that those he once trusted have far darker intentions that will place hunter and vampire at the center of a conflict between realms.

Cress Haven holds more sinister secrets than its resident vampire, a secret so great, it could unleash Hell itself.

For fans of Gail Carriger’s Supernatural Society, The Charm of Magpies series by KJ Charles, Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh, and The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzie Lee.

Review:
Do you ever see a beautiful cover and read a book's comp titles and immediately think "I need to read this book!"? That was my experience with A Bargain of Blood and Gold. It was compared to some of my favorite queer historical paranormal romance series so I had pretty high expectations going in to this book. Unfortunately, they were a little too high in the end.

This read was both intriguing and drove me absolutely bonkers. I felt like we just get thrown into the deep end with the worldbuilding and I spent a good chunk of the book trying to figure out how everything fit together. I think part of this stems from the writing style which was kind of disjointed and full of awkward phrasings. To be honest, I'm still not 100% clear on what was happening in the back story.

I did enjoy the characters and the mystery (which is where the author put all of their money in the storytelling) by the end but not enough to earn a place on my favorites list. I feel like the synopsis put a lot more emphasis on the romance than there was romance in the story. While there was some chemistry between the two love interests, for me, it wasn't enough to explain how the characters got together in the end. I will say that I am intrigued to see what happens next especially with a certain female character so I'll probably pick up the next book in the series at some point.

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley

  

  3 / 5 Stars

Review: You Sexy Thing by Cat Rambo

You Sexy Thing
Cat Rambo
Release: November 16, 2021
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Farscape meets The Great British Bake Off in this fantastic space opera You Sexy Thing from former SFWA President, Cat Rambo.

Just when they thought they were out...

TwiceFar station is at the edge of the known universe, and that's just how Niko Larson, former Admiral in the Grand Military of the Hive Mind, likes it.

Retired and finally free of the continual war of conquest, Niko and the remnants of her former unit are content to spend the rest of their days working at the restaurant they built together, The Last Chance.

But, some wars can't ever be escaped, and unlike the Hive Mind, some enemies aren't content to let old soldiers go. Niko and her crew are forced onto a sentient ship convinced that it is being stolen and must survive the machinations of a sadistic pirate king if they even hope to keep the dream of The Last Chance alive.

Review:
This book was fun! It took me about fifty pages to get into the omniscient narration style but once I did I didn’t want to put this book down! The idea of an ex-military squadron owning and operating a restaurant was a space opera plot I didn’t know I needed in my life! There’s a reason I love the found family trope so much! And the sentient bioship was just icing on the cake! The food aspect of this book is compared to Great British Bake-Off (GBBO) but really there wasn’t as much food content as I expected from the tagline. It more embodies the feeling you get from watching GBBO.

This book reminded me a lot of Becky Chambers’ Wayfarers series. There are some pretty heavy parts in this story but they’re infused with hope and a good dose of sarcastic wit. I laughed a lot but there are some places where I cried. It still makes me sad to think of some of the events of this book.

The other reason this reminds me of Becky’s books is that the aliens are diverse and peculiar. They act alien and not like pseudo-humans. I loved the whole crew so much! The Farscape comparison is a good one.

The story is billed as a standalone and while it ended in a satisfactory way, it is open-ended enough that a whole series could be written from this book. I, for one, am hoping for some more books following this crew and their culinary and non-culinary adventures!

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.

   

  4 / 5 Stars

Review: All the Feels by Olivia Dade

All the Feels
(Spoiler Alert #2)
Olivia Dade
Release: November 16, 2021
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Following Spoiler Alert, Olivia Dade returns with another utterly charming romantic comedy about a devil-may-care actor—who actually cares more than anyone knows—and the no-nonsense woman hired to keep him in line.

Alexander Woodroe has it all. Charm. Sex appeal. Wealth. Fame. A starring role as Cupid on TV’s biggest show, God of the Gates. But the showrunners have wrecked his character, he’s dogged by old demons, and his post-show future remains uncertain. When all that reckless emotion explodes into a bar fight, the tabloids and public agree: his star is falling.

Enter Lauren Clegg, the former ER therapist hired to keep him in line. Compared to her previous work, watching over handsome but impulsive Alex shouldn’t be especially difficult. But the more time they spend together, the harder it gets to keep her professional remove and her heart intact, especially when she discovers the reasons behind his recklessness…not to mention his Cupid fanfiction habit.

When another scandal lands Alex in major hot water and costs Lauren her job, she’ll have to choose between protecting him and offering him what he really wants—her. But he’s determined to keep his improbably short, impossibly stubborn, and extremely endearing minder in his life any way he can. And on a road trip up the California coast together, he intends to show her exactly what a falling star will do to catch the woman he loves: anything at all.

Review:
I have been looking forward to the sequel to Spoiler Alert since I finished the book in 2020 especially when I learned it was going to be Alex's book! And y'all! I adored everything about this book from Alex being a human Golden Retriever to Lauren finding her voice and learning to have Big Harpy Energy! It was amazing!

This book has so many great things in it! The ADHD rep in Alex's character was so spot on and I loved being able to see experiences similar to my own show up on the page. Lauren's PTSD from her previous job and the way she tried to make herself invisible broke my heart. And the way her cousin treated her made me so angry! It made me root for the romance between Alex and Lauren even harder so she would have someone see her for the amazing person she was!

The romance was a perfect slow burn and it was *chef's kiss*! It had so many of my favorite romance tropes in it and I was so sad when I ran out of pages. It was so fun seeing the crossovers with the first book and the fanfiction world! I loved this book so much! And I totally need a Big Harpy Energy shirt of my own! I am so sad that there will be no more books planned in this world because I want to see more of these characters!

ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley.

    

  5 / 5 Stars!



My reviews of other books in this series:
Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade