Ellie Reads All the Books: diverse books

What to Read: Diverse Historical Romance

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There has been a lot of talk about diversity in romance and based on the list of RITA 2018 finalists it seems that the lack of diversity is especially glaring with regard to historical romance. While there is an abundance of white, UK-set, aristo-focused, cishet historical romances, there are very few romances that present the stories of common people, queer people, people in time periods and places other than Victorian England.

I have read some diverse historicals though not nearly enough, and loved them all. I tried to collect my recommendations in a list and added more diverse historicals suggested by romance Twitter.

The list is divided in two - my personal favourites followed authors recommended by other romance readers on Twitter. You can find reviews of my recommendations on the blog.

My recommendations

(Title links to first book in the series, it's Amazon affiliates link)

KJ Charles - Author of historical and paranormal queer romances, there is the occasional aristo but most of her MCs are common people, some are POC (An Unseen Attraction - one MC is half-Indian; Wanted, A Gentleman - one MC is a Black freed slave)

My favourite series of hers is Society of Gentlemen and my most favourite book is The Secret Casebook of Simon Feximal - historical romance with paranromal/horror elements about a ghost hunter and his partner in crime and in love

Cat Sebastian - Author of historical queer romances. I've only read It Takes Two to Tumble about a sea captain and an vicar coming together raising his kids. Her latest release is on my TBR list, Unmasked by a Marquess, m/enby romance. The Turner series is another m/m historical romances series.

Joanna Chambers - Author of m/m historical romance, my favourite is the Enlightenment series. A Gathering Storm is m/m romance with one MC who is a scientist and the other is a land steward and half-Romani.

Sandra Schwab - Author of historical romances, both m/f and m/m. The Return of the Earl is a m/m romance between a reluctant new earl and his stablemaster. She also has a series of m/f romances, Eagle's Honor, set in Roman times.

Tess Bowery - Author of Treading the Boards, a series of queer historical romances - m/m, f/f/m, m/genederfluid MC (both are Black)

Alyssa Cole - WOC author of The Loyal League, as series of m/f romances set during the Civil War featuring characters of colour

Molly O'Keefe - author of Into the Wild, a series of historical romances set in the aftermath of the Civil War in the US

Rose Lerner - author of Lively St. Lemeston series of historical romances about common people, book 2, True Pretenses, has Jewish hero. My favourite is book 3, Listen to the Moon about a valet and maid finding happiness together.

EE Ottoman - trans author of The Doctor's Discretion, historical romance with one trans MC and one Black MC set in late 19c New York. Next in the series will be another trans romance.

Recommended on Twitter

(Title links to first book in the series, it's Amazon affiliates link)

Hamilton's Batallion - anthology of m/m, m/f Jewish and f/f historical romance novellas by Rose Lerner, Alyssa Cole and Courtney Milan

The Brightest Day: A Juneteenth Anthology by Kianna Alexander, Lena Hart, Piper Huguley and Alyssa Cole - ownvoices historical romances with Black and mixed race characters

Daughters of a Nation: A Black Suffragette Historical Romance Anthology by Kianna Alexander, Lena Hart, Piper and Alyssa Cole

Lydia San Andres - author of m/f historical romance series set in the Caribbean islands, A Summer for Scandal (currently on sale for $1.99)

Jeannie Lin - WOC author of Tang Dynasty, series of historical romances set in China

Mia West - author of queer historical series about the court of King Arthur, Sons of Britain

Elizabeth Kingston - author of Welsh Blade, m/f series of Medieval romances

Jennifer Hallock - author of Sugar Sun series of m/f historical romance set in the Philippines with characters of colour

Mimi Milan - WOC author of The Jericho Resistance series of m/f sweet historical romances with Mexican American characters

Piper Huguley - WOC author of inspirational m/f historical romances with Black MCs, Home to Milford College series

Beverly Jenkins - WOC author of many historical romance series with Black MCs, Old West series

Vanessa Riley - WOC author of Regency romances with Black and mixed race characters, Advertisements for Love series

Decades: A Journey of African American Romance is a series of historical and contemporary romances with Black MCs

Kianna Alexander - WOC of sweet (no on page sex) historical romances with Black characters, The Roses of Ridgeway series

Lena Hart - WOC author of Hearts at War series of historical romances with heroines of colour (Book 1, Native American heroine, it' s currently free)

P. J. Dean - WOC author of Love Vanquishes All series of interracial historical romances with heroines of colour

Cathy Yardley

Review: Level Up by Cathy Yardley

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Titlle: Level Up (Fandom Hearts #1)
Author: Cathy Yardley
Genre/Themes: Contemporary romance / gamers / fandom
Release Date: 3 Jan 2016

Author's links:
Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads
Add on Goodreads

My rating: 3.5 Stars

Synopsis

Geeky introvert Tessa Rodriguez will do whatever it takes to get promoted to video game engineer– including create a fandom-based video game in just three weeks. The only problem is, she can't do it alone. Now, she needs to strong-arm, cajole, and otherwise socialize with her video game coworkers, especially her roommate, Adam, who’s always been strictly business with her. The more they work together, though, the closer they get…

Adam London has always thought of his roomie Tessa as “one of the guys” until he agreed to help her with this crazy project. Now, he’s thinking of her all the time… and certainly as something more than just a roommate! But his last girlfriend broke up with him to follow her ambitions, and he knows that Tessa is obsessed with getting ahead in the video game world.

Going from friends to something more is one hell of a challenge. Can Tessa and Adam level up their relationship to love?

Review

I picked this book for free a couple of weeks ago (and still is!) because I was intrigued by the premise - a geek gamers' romance with a Latina heroine who is a real game coder and is trying to fit in professionally with the rest of the boys in the game making/designing business.

Overall, I enjoyed this light and fun romance a lot. It has a an easy flow to it and I found the characters believable in their struggles into adulthood.

It's a friends (roommates)-to-lovers trope which I generally enjoy and found it pretty convincing here. Tessa was an introvert and a geek, focused on getting ahead professionally and not really good with social interactions. Adam on the other hand, was more outgoing and laidback at the same time, though he was struggling through the betrayal of his ex-girlfriend who left him for a better job in NY.

I quite liked both Tessa and Adam and they were adorable together, both resisting the attraction to one another because of fear it would destroy their easy friendship (and being colleagues, just further complicated things for them).

Adam's friends (who are also coders in the same company) and the group of girls Tessa befriends also fitted very well into the story. Together they made a very sweet romcom - geeky, full of pop culture trivia and fandom references but also easy to follow and relate to even if you are not a gamer or into fandoms.

What I liked the most is how refreshingly normal the characters and their issues were - just ordinary young people navigating the tricky road between professional success and personal relationships. While reading, I kept thinking yes, thisis real, this could happen to anyone.

I have some minor issues with the writing which felt repetitive at the times (certain phrases were used far too often). I also felt the the strong the anti-homophobic and feminist messages, which I greatly appreciate, came off preachy and overimposed on the story/characters rather than an intrinsic part of the narrative.

Still, I very much appreciate the diversity aspect of the story, it's stance on equality and freedom of choice. Overall, this is a fun, easy romance, refreshingly everyday while successful avoiding most of the genre cliches.

Purchase links (FREE): Amazon / Smashwords

Amy Jo Cousins

Waiting on Wednesday: Real World by Amy Jo Cousins

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Waiting on Wednesday is a book meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and it features books that we are eagerly awaiting to be released.

Title: Real World (Bend or Break #5)
Author: Amy Jo Cousins
Genre/Themes: M/M romance
Release Date: 17 Nov 2015
Add on Goodreads

Pre-order links: Amazon / B&N / iBooks / Samhain

Synopsis

When talking fails, it’s time to break out the big guns.

Give years ago, Tom Worthington busted his ass to overcome the fear and paranoia that led him to withdraw from the world and nearly lose his boyfriend. He never thought he’d find himself right back there, shutting Reese out, keeping secrets again.

Reese Anders is ready to try anything to get Tom to talk: if he can’t seduce his boyfriend with food, he’ll get Tom to open up in bed. But even Tom’s confession that his dad is getting out of prison soon doesn’t clear the air between them. And as the holidays approach, intensive mentoring from a new British boss creates more distractions, until Reese is keeping secrets of his own.

At a company Christmas party, it only takes Tom one look at Reese’s new boss to figure out how much danger their relationship is in. But he’s not about to let the connection that started all those years ago at Carlisle come to an end. It’s time to deal with their problems like adults. Face to face. Or back to front. Starting in the bedroom.

*** *** ***

Why am I waiting for this? - It's pretty simple, the Off Campus series is my favourite queer (diverse) NA romance series and this book goes back the first couple, Tom and Reese whom I love so very much. We get to see them as grown ups in an established relationship dealing with ossies any long-term couple faces, yet which are rarelly explored in romantic fiction.

diverse books

Waiting on Wednesday: Black Iris by Leah Raeder

21:30

Waiting on Wednesday is a book meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine and it features books that we are eagerly awaiting to be released.

Title: Black Iris
Author: Leah Raeder
Genre/Themes: New Adult, Queer romance

Release Date: 28 April 2015

Add on Goodreads

Purchase links: Amazon • B&N • Indiebound • iTunes

Synopsis

It only took one moment of weakness for Laney Keating’s world to fall apart. One stupid gesture for a hopeless crush. Then the rumors began. Slut, they called her. Queer. Psycho. Mentally ill, messed up, so messed up even her own mother decided she wasn't worth sticking around for.

If Laney could erase that whole year, she would. College is her chance to start with a clean slate.

She's not looking for new friends, but they find her: charming, handsome Armin, the only guy patient enough to work through her thorny defenses—and fiery, filterless Blythe, the bad girl and partner in crime who has thorns of her own.

But Laney knows nothing good ever lasts. When a ghost from her past resurfaces—the bully who broke her down completely—she decides it's time to live up to her own legend. And Armin and Blythe are going to help.

Which was the plan all along.

Because the rumors are true. Every single one. And Laney is going to show them just how true.

She's going to show them all.

*** *** ***

Why am I waiting about this? - I have the debut novel of Ms Raeder, Unteachable, on my kindle but haven't read it yet. I've heard great things about this book and I'm curious to try it. The blurb is really intriguing and it fits nicely with the diverse books I've been reading lately.