Can you fall in love in thirty-six questions?

The closest rookie lifestyle writer Derelie Honeywell gets to megastar reporter Jackson Haley is an accidental shoulder brush in The Courier's elevator. That is, until the love experiment: a study designed to accelerate intimacy using thirty-six questions and four minutes of sustained eye contact.

As far as Derelie is concerned, Jack Haley has always been a man best imagined in his underwear. He's too intimidating otherwise. But participating in the love experiment is her make-or-break chance. With another round of layoffs looming, Derelie knows holding on to her job means getting the story no matter what. Even when the what is kissing Jack like a maniac.

Jack Haley has zero interest in participating in a clickbait story. He didn't plan on finding Derelie smart and feisty and being mesmerized by her eyes. He certainly had no intention at all of actually falling in love with her.

The conclusion to this experiment? Thirty-six questions might lead to love, but finding the answer to happily-ever-after is a lot more complicated.

Review

This was my first book by this author and I enjoyed it a lot. It's a modern day sort of opposites-attract romance with complex character, a love story full of twists and turns unfolding at the background of the desperate struggle of old-school newspaper against going digital edition only. I'm in general wary of office romances but here the hero and heroine are colleagues, albeit he is much more professionally successful and influential (in a way) but there is none of the boss-employee dynamics which I find problematic.

The romance starts (or rather has a false start) with a very interesting premise - hero and heroine are cast to do a quistionnaire of 36 questions designed to help create connection/intimacy between people. It had all the possibilities - to be fun and friendly, flirty and playful, downright seductive but it was all a bust because of Jack's refusal to engage with it. 

He is a city boy, investigative journalist, media star, defender of the people while she is a small town girl, trying to make it in the big city and find her place in the changing world of journalism. There is lots of tension between them both professional and on a personal level. 

I liked the slow burn, the gradual change from outright dismissal on his side through interest  and fascination to full-blown being completely smitten by her. And he didn't know how to react to that, what to do with his love for her. 

There is a Fight Club element in his arc which is usually not my thing but worked brilliantly here. I was totally convinced of it being the right thing for Jack and could see how he needed/used it to cope with the pressures of his life. 

One of the things I liked the most in this romance was that we saw so much of their life after they got together and all the efforts it took to make the relationship work. Falling in love is not a miracle cure for all your problems. They were happy together but they still have their professional struggles (and a bit of adversary to be honest). Hiding their relationship at work while each of them tried to make the best of a difficult professional situation was not easy and put a lot of strain of their relationship. We also get a glimpse of how difficult it is for someone used to live alone to learn to share their personal space, their daily routines with someone. It was new and unfamiliar territory for Jack, yet it made him so unspeakably happy, most of the time.

I found both Jack and Derelie and the supporting cast really interesting, realistic characters. I liked that neither was presented as perfect, they were human, made mistakes, learned some lessons the hard way, fought for their dreams (won some but also lost some and that was Ok in my book because that's how life is). 

There was a big fight towards the end and a bit too much drama for my liking, all ending in what felt a somewhat rushed HEA but nevertheless, I liked the overall story very much. It's deep and thought provoking, a reflection of the times and the slow death of serious investigative journalist. i liked how it brought to the fore something I personally find very important - the ability to adapt to the changes in your personal and professional world, to dream new dreams for yourselves, to be open to give and receive love, to move forward and to be happy. 

My guest this Monday for the New and Debut spotlight is RL Mosswood, debut author of queer romance whose novella Golden comes out today. I absolutely love the cover and the premise sounds rather intriguing. Read on to learn more about the author and their book.

Meet RL Mosswood

Blurb

Harem boy might not be the most appropriate role for someone who’s never really seen the appeal of sex, but Elin’s status as dahabi: golden in a land of tan and brown, has marked him for The Dragon’s service since birth. He’s content enough with his life of uncomplicated, if restrictive, luxury, until an unremarkable chore becomes a case of love at first sight.

Mysterious newcomer Hathar, a roguish “merchant adventurer” from far-off lands, ignites an exploration of Elin’s first taste of physical desire, as well as a desire to experience life beyond the palace. Now, they must find a way to escape before Hathar’s ship departs, stranding them forever in The Dragon’s harem.

Purchase links: Publisher / Amazon / Goodreads

Author Bio and Links

RL Mosswood lurks in the depths of the Pacific Northwest rainforest, where they dabble in queer fiction in an attempt to add a little magic to their otherwise mundane existence.

Twitter / Facebook / Website / Email: mosswoodauthor@gmail.com

There’s a new deputy in town, and she’s a law unto herself. 

Jeremiah Church is still aching for justice to be served after his father’s murder. Though the killer has been caught, the authorities are no closer to knowing why the Churches were targeted—and if the family’s still at risk. When Miah receives an anonymous letter hinting at a darker conspiracy, he decides it's high time he seeks justice on his own terms, with the help of his fellow Desert Dogs. 

Patrol Deputy Nicki Ritchey is new to Fortuity, and hoping to make a clean start for her and her son. Involved in the Church’s case, she's kindled a friendship with Miah that's evolving into something more. But Miah is crossing lines with his personal vendetta, and Nicki’s attraction is making it tough to tell right from wrong…

Review

This was a long-awaited but fitting end to a great romance suspense/crime series which I enjoyed a lot. I've loved Miah all through the series and was so happy how it all turned out for him in the end. It was a struggle, not what he planned or expected but oh, so worth it and happy making.

We kept getting glimpses of his characters throughout the series and we got more insight into his character in the novella, Drive It Deep, his brief but passionate affair with Raine which left him shattered.

I loved Miah's character arc, the change of perspective he underwent. He was a man with a plan, girlfriend-marriage-kids and things were not happening for him for various reasons.

His grief felt real, his loss of direction felt real to, his desire to desire to get his life back on track felt real. And his relationship with Nicki, from friendship to love felt real and easy to relate to.

Nicki was a back female deputy, newcomer from the big city to the small, mostly white Fortuity. She was divorced single mom, as far away as possible from Miah, yet she was the perfect fro him. They stated as friends, helping each other through grief and Miah's sense of hopelessness.

Ii liked how the story was very much grounded in everyday life. They had to put efforts to make their relationship work and it was not because of their own feelings/insecurities but because life was happening around them and they had obligations and responsibility. They couldn't leave everything and just be together, it was a lot more complicated for both of them In the midst of a murder investigation which concerned them both they had to take time to be together.

I liked how the intimacy between Miah and Nicki took place, tentative, exploitative at the beginning, always open and honest. I felt Miah's claustrophobia was better handled in Drive It Deep, while here it seemed to easily 'cured'. Still, I very much enjoyed the intimacy between them.

I loved seeing the rest of the gang and the story had the sweetest epilogue. I don't need marriage and kids in every romance but here they were fitting considering Miah's character.

On the whole, I can recommend the whole Desert Dogs series as a well crafted, smart and sexy contemporary romance with a side of crime plot series. And do not miss the prequel novella about Miah and Raina which is not a romance per se since they don't end up together but it's an intense, emotional story about passion and love and well worth a read!

I'm happy to welcome on the blog Lynn Turner, a debut #ownvoices author whose interracial contemporary romance, BETWEEN YOU AND ME is coming September 20th, 2017.

Blurb

Love at first sight strikes Seattle Scientist Finnegan Kane at the worst possible moment, paralyzing him as he’s pitching his cutting-edge idea to powerful New York venture capitalist Emanuela Monroe…

Finn survived the crash that killed his parents when he was sixteen. Twenty years later, his smart devices are about to redefine what it means to be disabled. 

Emanuela makes dreams come true for a living, but still longs to fulfill her own. Despite Finn's stunning secret, she thinks his idea might be worth the risk...and he’s determined to show her that he is, too.

Pre-order links: Amazon / B&N

Author Bio and Links

Lynn Turner inherited her writing gene from her mother, who created fantastic tales about witches, invisible worlds and talking animals, and read them to her children at night. Lynn isn’t as great with the voices as her mother, but Rome wasn’t built in a day.

She discovered romance far too young, when a mission to find a young adult fantasy title led her to historical romance. She spent hours skimming those sumptuous pages, drinking in the vivid descriptions of settings and clothes, feisty heroines and looming lords, and poetic language. (She may or may not have enjoyed the PG-13 bits too, tucking a new title beneath her pillow at night).

She enjoys character-driven narratives most, and anything that transports her someplace else. Passionate about food and travel, she features healthy doses of both in the stories she crafts. Above all, she is dedicated to writing inclusive stories that explore what it means to be imperfectly human.

When she isn’t writing, she’s traveling, dreaming of traveling, or watching old Samantha Brown travelogue videos and wishing she had her job. She and her husband share their home in California with their two extraordinary children, and hope to add a little furry one to the family very soon.

Website / Goodreads / Twitter / Facebook 

Title: Completely (New York #3)

Author: Ruthie Knox

Date of publication: 26 Sept 2017

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Author's links:

Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

Add to Goodreads 

My rating: 3 stars

Review

Here is the history behind this post. A few weeks ago I finished Beard in Mind, a romantic comedy (though a bit more serious that the rest of the series, I still feel it's a romcom) by Penny Reid. The heroine has OCD and I found the portrayal of her dealing with it and the way it affected her and all her relationships (with friends, family, lovers) very moving and powerful. The road to her HEA was not easy but it was particularly satisfying to see her get there in the end (my review). Prompted by this amazing book I decided to do a post with recommendations for romances with neurodivergent characters similar to my posts on crossover series and romances set around the world. I'll start with some personal recommendations and then move on the ones I got when I asked my friends on twitter for their favourite romances with neuroatypical characters. 

Just a few quick notes before I proceed with the lists themselves.

1/ All the books in this post include nuerodivergent characters, some of whom we see dealing with severe cases of mental illness, their stories might raise triggers for some readers. Please, read  the authors' notes/trigger warning for any book you are interested in reading before picking it up.

2/ I want to express my gratitude to Corey Alexander (@TGStoneButch) who helped me with the correct terminology in the field of mental illness and neurodivesity in general. It's a complicated field and I am not an expert in it by any means, so Corey's input has been invaluable. Any mistakes are my own only.

3/ Disclaimer: I use Amazon affiliates links on my blog and in this post to support my reading/book blogging. I have also included links to my reviews of the books I have read. 

1. Beard in Mind (Winston Brothers #5) by Penny Reid, mf romcom where the heroine has OCD. My review (it can be read as standalone but works better if you read the previous books first). My review

2. Hate to Want You by  Alisha Rai, mf where the heroine has depression. It's my first book by this author and I absolutely loved it. My review

3. Glitterland by Alexis Hall, mm romance, one of the MCs has bi-polar disorder and depression. It was my first time reading about a bipolar character in romance and I was blown away by the book as a whole. My review

4. Curio and the Curios Vignettes by Cara McKenna, mf romance, the hero has agarophobia. I love Cara McKenna's books and this is one her best in my opinion. Tender and passionate love story of a French male prostitute and an American museum worker who comes to him a virgin at 28yo.

5. An Unseen Attraction (Sins of the Cities #1) by KJ Charles, mm historical, one of the MCs is dyspraxic (possibly on the autistic spectre). It's a lovely, tender story about kindness and being oneself and two people coming together. My review

6. Mnevermind series by Jordan Castillo Price - mm speculative fiction/romance. One of the MCs is on the autism spectre. The series follows the same couple and book 2 is told entirely from the POV of the autistic character. Very powerful and moving. My review

7. Strong Signal by Santino Hassell and Megan Erickosn, contemporary mm romance, one of the MCs has anxiety and agarophobia. My review

8. Trade Me by Courtney Millan, mf romance, hero has eating disorder. It was my first time reading about a man dealing with eating disorder. My review



Here are the recommendations I got when I asked Twitter.





1. Broken by Nicola Haken, mm romance

Title: Beard in Mind (Winston Brothers #4)

Author: Penny Reid

Publication Date: 01 Aug 2017

Genres: Contemporary, Humour, Romance

Author's links: Website • Twitter • Facebook • Goodreads

Add to Goodreads

My rating: 5 Stars

Blurb

All's fair in love and auto maintenance.

Beau Winston is the nicest, most accommodating guy in the world. Usually.

Handsome as the devil and twice as charismatic, Beau lives a charmed life as everyone’s favorite Winston Brother. But since his twin decided to leave town, and his other brother hired a stunning human-porcupine hybrid as a replacement mechanic for their auto shop, Beau Winston’s charmed life has gone to hell in a handbasket.

Shelly Sullivan is not nice and is never accommodating. Ever.

She mumbles to herself, but won’t respond when asked a question. She glares at everyone, especially babies. She won’t shake hands with or touch another person, but has no problems cuddling with a dog. And her damn parrot speaks only in curse words.

Beau wants her gone. He wants her out of his auto shop, out of Tennessee, and out of his life.

The only problem is, learning why this porcupine wears her coat of spikes opens a Pandora’s box of complexity—exquisite, tempting, heartbreaking complexity—and Beau Winston soon discovers being nice and accommodating might mean missing out on what matters most.

I have only two words for this book - LOVED IT. I know I often say this about Penny Reid's books but this one is definitely my favourite of all her books so far. I didn;t expect it to go in the direction it did, though by now I shouldn't be surprised by anything Ms Reid writes, but it was one tough emotional journey which I love with all my heart.

I rarely cry at the romances I'm reading but Shelly's story brought tears to my eyes more than once. It is so powerful, so raw and at the same time, tender and loving. I'd describe the novel as a story about love and family and friends and true life partners. It's a kind of enemies-to-lovers romance starting with animosity on the part of Beau and misunderstood rudeness from Shelly.

While I liked the complexity behind the easy-going, charming Beau but it was Shelley who stole my heart in this book. Her struggles with OCD, it was nothing like I have read before. I can't attest how accurate the presentation of her mental illness is (though the author includes a detailed note about it in the end of the book) but it was powerful and moving and made Shelley feel like a real person dealing with a serious mental illness in the best way she could. There is no sugarcoating, no making OCD about arranging your library alphabetically or sorting your wardrobe by colour. We see the terrible impact of this disease on all aspects of Shelley's life, and how it affects the people around her.

Beau, oh Beau, he was thee sweetest, kindest, most gentle and considerate man after he got over himself and his initial confusion and hurt over Shelly's rude attitude towards him. He had to deal with a rather nasty revelation about himself which I didn't expect and which broke my heart. It took him a while to figure out how to handle the situation and he made a mistake or two regarding this and it made it all the more real and relatable to me. We see the Winston family being their amazing selves and providing uncomnditional love and support when he needed it the most.

It was I liked how much emphasis the story placed on Beau and Shelley being truly partners to each other. The awesome sex they had was just one aspect of their relationship. Being there for each other, supporting, giving space and alternatively providing comfort and advice when needed.

I especially appreciate all the insight the author offers on friendships/ love relationships/sibling relationships - it's so rich, nuanced, colourful. We get the usual bit of crazy shenanigans though this story very much like Ashley's (though for completely different reasons) felt more serious, not dark but difficult to read at times.

I really can't put into coherent words how much I loved this story. Just go read it (it could work as standalone though I recommend reading at least Cletus' and Duane's books before it, or better add Jethro's to the mix too).