Mini Reviews and Reading Recap #13
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A long overdue set of mini reviews and reading recap. Work has been too intense over the past few months and I have fallen behind both on my reading and blogging.
A Summer for Scandal by Lydia San Andres
I lovely historical romance set on an imaginary Caribbean island in the early 1900s. It features two MCs who are rival writers under pen names. I loved the strong strong, independent, modern heroine. They made a nice match with hero though he came off as weaker, more confused and uncertain. The story is very atmospheric and you could literally feel the heat coming off its pages. It's fun and relatively low on angst with emphasis on women's issues. hero needed to do more groveling to heroine and to his best friend from make up for his awful behaviour before. I wish his father's mistakes were more strongly condemned. I could see it a movie - the heat in the area at all times, the turn of XIX c fashion, the buildings the scenery - very present without being overly descriptive.4 STARS
Tikka Chance on Me by Suleikha Snyder
This has been a pure awesomeness in a bite size. My first by this author and it won't be my last for sure.
It's a very sexy and intense story with a cinnamon roll hero in disguise and an active, adventurous Asian heroine
This novella is all about the choices we make, obligation, loyalty and following your dreams, taking chances at being happy, loved. Both MCs felt like real - messy, making mistakes but ultimately good people.
This novella is all about the choices we make, obligation, loyalty and following your dreams, taking chances at being happy, loved. Both MCs felt like real - messy, making mistakes but ultimately good people.
Lots of sexy times where consent is central, never implied but alwasy explicitly discussed, something that I appreciate so much.
5 STARS
5 STARS
The Craft of Love by EE Ottoman
This is a sweet m/f historical romance with a trans MC. It's quiet, low on heat and angst, high on kindness and happy-making. I loved the mutual respect the MCs had for each other as professionals. The story is rich on historical details on blacksmithing and embroidering. We get a strong feminist heroine who genuinely cares about other people and their well being. At the same time she someone who is focused on her profession, proud of it, striving after the same respect and acknowledgment the other craftsmen out there get.
I very much liked how fundamental for the love relationship was the friendship between the hero and heroine. Both had things in their past making them hesitant to fall head fast in love but they slowly built trusty and intimacy which made them feel comfortable and happy to be together.
HFN ending and to be honest, I wanted more resolution from it, but it still felt fitting to the characters and overall quieter nature of the characters.
4 STARS
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