The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick

I have never watched The Silver Linings Playbook and had no idea what it was about, except that it was a sort of romance between two mentally ill people who are more than they appear, and that there's a very popular clip from the movie of Pat throwing a book out the window. So with those two pieces of knowledge, I dove in.

Pat is from a New Jersey town with a working class father and a stay-at-home mother. He has just returned from The Bad Place, or a psychiatric facility, and he is not 100% sure why he was sent there or how long that it's been. He thinks that his life is a movie being produced by God (a romance, specifically, it seems) and he seems to feel that it's high time he got the happy ending that is his due, specifically being reunited with his estranged wife, Nikki.

This book kind of reminded me of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime and The Perks of Being a Wallflower, in the sense that the hero's mental illness makes him an unreliable narrator in his own story and you kind of have to sift through the pieces to figure out the reality of what's really going on. I also feel like it takes a very sensationalized look at mental illness and there's an almost childlike element to the narration, which often makes the hero feel closer to a teenager than his actual age (thirty-five).

I did ultimately like this book. I especially liked Tiffany, the love interest, who has her own problems. She's a difficult heroine and at times she almost but not quite feels like a manic pixie dreamgirl. I like that the author sidestepped this too-easy trope by giving her agency and her own backstory and some, honestly heartbreaking, motivations for behaving the way she does. That said, I'm not sure this is a book I'd recommend to everyone, as the hero is "unlikable" and does some things that are very uncomfortable and sometimes pretty cruel, even though the book provides context for why he does them. It's not a particularly happy book but it does have a happy ending and by the end, I cared about these characters a lot.

3.5 out of 5 stars

The Ideal Countess by Katherine Grant

I got this during a SYKD event and I am so glad I did because I've been seeing Katherine Grant advertising her books in my feed for ages but hadn't taken the time to pick one up. I love her writing style, it's so accessible and very Bridgerton-coded, with difficult heroines and swoon-worthy heroes. I loved that Hugh was neurodivergent coded and that Alice was kind of flighty. Even though it frustrated me how she didn't fall for the hero right away like I did, I understood that she was young and vulnerable-- who hasn't made mistakes in youth?

Definitely recommend this for readers who are looking for charming historical romances by underrated authors that have plenty of drama to keep you turning pages but not so many stakes that it becomes stressful.

3.5 out of 5 stars

Tenderly, I Am Devoured by Lyndall Clipstone

This book has elements of The Six Swans, Hades x Persephone, and The Secret History, which a dash of co-dependent queer relationships and culty chthonic hijinks. The writing itself feels very 2000s fantasy, reminiscent of authors like Sherwood Smith, Maria V. Snyder, Patricia McKillip, and Juliet Marillier, so even though it's a recent work, something about it feels very wistful and nostalgic, kind of like a Hayao Miyazaki movie or an old-fashioned British boarding school.

I don't want to say too much since this book is not out yet, but the heroine, Lark, comes from a poor salt-mining family and after witnessing a ritual that she shouldn't, she ends up bargaining herself as a bride to the local swan god of the underworld. We also learn that she's been booted from her boarding school for reasons that aren't quite clear, and for also unclear reasons, she's at odds with the two beautiful rich children that her family is semi-indentured to even though they used to be childhood friends.

TENDERLY, I AM DEVOURED is a short gothic masterpiece that manages to accomplish a lot of story and depth of feeling in a limited page time. It never fully went where I expected it to go, and usually that was a good thing. There were a few characters I personally felt needed to be stabbed who were not stabbed, but hey, you win some, you lose some. At the very least, this book lived up to his coming-of-age promises and obsessive throuple.

Cut to me chasing down everything this author has written because I love the vibe.

Thanks to the author/publisher for sending me a copy! 

4 to 4.5 out of 5 stars

Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry

This was like a YA version of The Walking Dead and I thought it was brilliantly done. The way the community was portrayed, the rules they had to follow for safety, and the economy that revolved around trading and bounty hunting was a really creative and interesting take on the zombie dystopian formula. Especially since, like a lot of zombie horror media, we find out that humans can be the worst monsters.

Brothers Benny and Tom really stole the show, and I liked Benny's character arc as he went from unlikable and petty boy to a teenager who was starting to become more like the adult he would one day be. His grown brother, Tom, was probably my favorite character, and like a lot of the female characters, I kind of had a bit of a crush on him.

The female characters on this book were less interesting and less fleshed out. They weren't bad, exactly, but none of them were particularly interesting and they tended to either fawn over the male characters or end up as collateral. Even The Lost Girl, the female bounty hunter, often ends up a casualty to the male gaze.

That said, this was entertaining from start to finish and I was excited to see how it would go down. Jonathan Maberry is a very talented story teller and I'm excited to read further into this series.

4 to 4.5 out of 5 stars

Knock Knock, Open Wide by Neil Sharpson

I got KNOCK KNOCK, OPEN WIDE off of the suggested reading list on Amazon for a sapphic horror novel I had really enjoyed. And I really enjoyed this one, too. I should have reviewed it when I finished it two days ago, but to be honest, I kind of wanted to dwell on it for a while because the vibes were so immaculate. This blends together Satanic horror, Irish folklore, and the creepiness of children's television shows perfectly, and it's set primarily in the 90s and 2000s, and honestly feels like it could have been written then, too. There's a major Clive Barker/Kathe Koja feel to this book that I loved.

I honestly don't want to say too much more because I don't want to spoil the book, but if you like difficult heroines, sapphic horror, creepy Celtic folklore, and dual timeline thrillers, you'll probably enjoy KNOCK KNOCK, OPEN WIDE. It was brilliantly done and I was never fully sure where it was going to go or how all of the pieces were going to connect. I was not disappointed in the slightest by the answer.

4.5 out of 5 stars

The Mistress & The Renowned by Alexis Rune

I read THE MAIDEN & THE UNSEEN pretty quickly but I plowed through this one in less than twenty-four hours. TM&TU was a low-stakes spicy romantasy featuring Hades and Persephone, but TM&TR ups the ante a lot, with very real stakes, intense character and relationship development, and a cliffhanger that feels mean.

I said in my previous review that this feels like a Greek gods version of ACOTAR (but better) and I stand by that in this book. Especially with how Hades and Persephone grew. They had instant sexual chemistry in the first book but in this one, they navigate their past hurts and try to set boundaries with each other in a way that felt both healthy and believable for their relationship.

This book didn't have as many lolzy moments as the first book because it was more serious in nature, but Persephone nicknaming Cerberus "Berry" and refusing to do it with Hades while he's watching was gold. Also loved the interactions between them and the other Greek gods (and some cameos from other pantheons!) and how the relationship between Helios and Melinoe is going.

A lot of books get slower or weaker in book two but I'm pleased to report that there's not a hint of second book syndrome with THE MISTRESS & THE RENOWNED. Great job, gang.

3.5 out of 5 stars

A Wounded Name by Dot Hutchinson

I'm honestly shocked that the ratings for A WOUNDED NAME are so low because for the right audience, I think this would be an instant favorite. I suspected I would like it from the beginning because I'm a sucker for literary retellings, and the absolutely stunning cover was promising gothic vibes that it 100% delivered on.

A WOUNDED NAME reminded me a lot of Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet in the sense that it modernized the characters and setting, but kept its old-fashioned dialogue. Instead of being set in Denmark, in a cold and drafty castle, A WOUNDED NAME is set at a posh boarding school where the Danemark family serve as headmaster. After Hamlet Danemark passes, his brother, Claudius takes over and marries his late-wife, Gertrude.

Ophelia is the daughter of the Dean of Curriculum, who serves as the headmaster's righthand man. She lives in the school year-round, even during summer, which is how she's grown so close with her brother Laertes's friends, Horatio... and Dane, Hamlet's son. 

I saw a lot of reviews claiming that this book romanticized an abusive relationship but I don't think that's true. It's pretty clear in the subtext that both Ophelia and Dane are behaving destructively. Ophelia is mentally ill and has been institutionalized because she claims she can see the bean sidhe like her mother (and, like the ghosts, it's never fully certain whether what she sees are imaginary or not). She hates taking pills and Dane later encourages her not to, as he pretends to be mentally ill himself to confound and trick his and Ophelia's father figures (which begs the question: if he's that good at pretending, is it an act?).

The writing in this was so good and the toxic relationship between Dane and Ophelia was as compelling as it was repulsive. Portraying him as a manic theater kid with privileged rich boy energy was perfect, and Ophelia's naivete, desperation, and insanity were perfectly done. A WOUNDED NAME is not a happy story, but then, neither was the original, and I think if you enjoy a well-written dark academia with heavy gothic themes and a pastiche style retelling that goes for big and bold, like Baz, you'll love this.

I regret putting off reading this for so long. It was incredible and does not have nearly as many ratings as it deserves.

4.5 out of 5 stars

The Maiden & The Unseen by Alexis Rune

I was having a terrible mental health day and THE MAIDEN AND THE UNSEEN was exactly what I needed. Low-stakes Hades x Persephone smut with an office romance twist. That said, the sequel is a lot darker in tone-- I actually liked it more because of that, and how these authors expanded their relationship, but the tones are so different. This one almost feels like a romcom at times. There are moments I don't think I'll ever forget, like Hades using his shadow powers to finger Persephone at a night club, or coming all over her fancy designer sweater and then trying to fix it with DETERGENT.

Jeanette Rose and Alexis Rune have a unique take on the appearance of Hades and Persephone as well, as they both have wings and horns. In fact, Hades is a lot like a bat boy (although I like him much better than Rhysand). The inclusion of side characters not often seen in the Greek pantheon was super fun, too. Minthe, as always, is a vindictive bitch, but I loved the pairing of Melinoe with Helios.

If you just read ACOTAR and want something that's slightly more condensed and has better chemistry and more smut, check these books out. This is actually what I was hoping ACOTAR would be for me, so I am delighted.

3 to 3.5 out of 5 stars

Lord of Bones by Aiden Pierce

LORD OF BONES has been chilling on my Kindle for a long time, waiting for when I got back into dark fantasy romance. Which was interesting because this was neither as dark nor as fantastical as I thought it would be. It opens up in the real world with the heroine, Rayven, robbing a grave. She's a professional grave robber in the 21st century, because apparently people are still making like it's ancient Egypt and burying themselves with their jewels. Inheritance who? Don't ask questions.

Anyway, one day, Rayven and her boyfriend rob the wrong tomb: it's the tomb of a woman who was once the unwilling consort of the Lord of Bones, a demon of the underworld who guides souls throughout the various levels (above and below). He's furious to see his ex-consort's tomb violated-- only HE is allowed to do that-- and as punishment, he kills her boyfriend and drags her down to hell to punish as he sees fit. Except he's a little too attracted to her so the punishments are sexy punishments.

However, remembering how his consort tried to get away from him (TW: unaliving herself in creative and horrific ways), he decides to give Rayven a sporting chance. If she can escape from his labyrinth and survive all the horrors in there, he will set her free. But in the meantime, there's lots of degrading and creatively painful sex to be had, so let the games begin.

This is like a very spicy cross between Beauty and the Beast and Labyrinth. I saw another reviewer saying that it feels like Labyrinth fanfiction at times and I could definitely see that: the moving hands in the walls, the oubliette, the time limit to solve the labyrinth, etc. There's also definite Beauty and the Beast elements too, as the skeleton daddy is a little possessive of his fruit trees and he has talking objects in his castle (including a teapot, although this one is no Mrs. Potts). The demonic hierarchy and humiliation sex reminded me of Harley Laroux's work, although I don't think I've ever seen a book where the hero banged the heroine with a wine bottle so he could "drink" her. When I posted about that on Bluesky, I had two people IMMEDIATELY ask me for the title. (Which I happily provided upon request.)

I honestly haven't come close to finding a book that reminded me of my Quizilla years as much as this one did. The alt-goth heroine, the compelling silliness of the plot, the smutty homages to cult classics, and the "I hope my mom doesn't see me reading this" vibes of the outrageous sex scenes gave me flashbacks to being fourteen and staying up until 5am reading Lestat smut on my laptop. I regretted nothing then and I regret nothing now. Will I read more of the series? Probably. It ends on a cliffhanger and the hero had a lot of character development. I have to see what happens at that sinister party with his brothers.

3 out of 5 stars

Serpentine Valentine by Giana Darling

SERPENTINE VALENTINE was an impulse read but I enjoyed it so much more than I ever thought I would. At its core, it is a dark sapphic romance and a revenge story, but it is also so much more than that. It has brilliant commentary on Greek mythology and classic literature, and its also a savagely vicious tale for women who have been hurt or thwarted in their pursuit of justice.

Lex is a scholarship student at Acheron University and brilliant. When one of her professors reaches out to her, she thinks it's as a friend and mentor. But then he rapes her brutally on Halloween night and the college dean sides with the professor in the interest of preserving her own reputation and the school's, leaving Lex to recover alone.

Rather than leaving, Lex forces the school to keep her on as a student with the assistance of a lawyer and, with the help of her friends, starts a vigilante group to punish the boys on campus who are benefiting from the institutional sexism of the university. But that's not enough: she wants to punish the professor and the dean. And it just so happens that the dean's young and virginal daughter is a student at the school.

SERPENTINE VALENTINE is a retelling of the Medusa myth and I thought that Giana Darling did a great job of this. But I also liked how the romance itself was so intense and surprisingly sweet. Even though Lex originally wants to destroy Luna, they end up being a healing presence for one another, making each other into stronger, better people. And like, yeah, sometimes they're a little toxic, but M/F dark romance is like that too, so if you want that, but sapphic, this your book.

The only thing I couldn't get on board with was Lex telling Luna that she tasted like pasta water "down there" when she was trying to seduce her. I'm sorry but that's not sexy. I use that to water my plants.

3.5 out of 5 stars

Sirens & Muses by Antonia Angress

DNF @ 12%

I really did not like this at all. The writing style was perfectly fine and I thought the author had some really interesting commentary on modern art (which was part of the reason I bought this book!), but none of the characters were particularly interesting and I didn't care about any of them at all. I can forgive unlikable-- but not dull.

2 out of 5 stars

The Maid's Secret by Anita Zara

I got THE MAID'S SECRET during one of those Stuff Your Kindle events and while it's not what I normally read, I actually enjoyed it. This is an erotic novella about a young woman named Artemisia working as a maid for a wealthy woman living in Voltaire Manor: her name is Viola and she has a butler named Florian. Both are incredibly attractive and they're also fucking, so when Artemisia isn't tending to her mistress, she's obsessing over her fellow residents and watching them like a panicky bisexual voyeur, which was very entertaining.

I haven't read a lot of tentacle romance and usually it's not pleasant for me, but Anita Zara did a good job making it believably sexy. Still not my kink, but she made it work on-page. I feel like selling the mechanics of monster romance is probably one of the hardest parts. There's also a bit of a mystery atmosphere to the book, although I don't think I would actually call it a gothic, even though the author is branding it that way. There's not really enough atmosphere or suspense to really give it that haunting, creepy gothic vibe.

Speaking of branding, I am VERY confused on the "dark academia vibes" the author included in the summary, because this was not that at all. And I only bring it up because the dark academia girlies can be ruthless about upholding their aesthetic. This does not take place at a university or school, there are no studies, and none of the characters are professiorial. The most academic thing any of the characters does is sneak an extended look at a work of Japanese tentacle erotica. I have to figure that when the author says "dark academia vibes," she actually means that the book has a British uppercrust Victoriana aesthetic, which is true, but perhaps less snappy for marketing purposes.

If you're a monster romance fan and enjoy a short story that offers distinct vibes up along with the sex, you'll like THE MAID'S SECRET. It delivered on the sapphic pining, has surprisingly sensual monster sex, includes voyeurism and polyamory (two tropes I don't think I've seen in monsterotica yet), and has a fun and interesting take on aquatic monsters. I'd check out more from this author. Her Carmilla retelling looks excellent.

3 out of 5 stars

The Violent Season by Sara Walters

I'm honestly shocked that this has such low ratings because I fucking loved 90% of it. THE VIOLENT SEASON kind of reminded me of a YA version of Amy Engel's THE FAMILIAR DARK: it's set in a small dead-end town in rural Vermont that has an inordinate amount of deaths given the small population size. The heroine, Wyatt, has noticed-- like a lot of people-- that the death count rises every November. Some people think that the town of Wolf Ridge is cursed with a sickness that drives people to commit murder seasonally. After her own mother joins the death count, Wyatt becomes haunted by and obsessed with finding out her town's dark secret.

This story went in a lot of different directions and I was never really fully sure until the end whether this was going to be a slasher horror or a paranormal/occult horror. The lyrical writing and heavy angst were what sucked me into the story. You can really feel Wyatt's claustrophobia and desolation at being trapped in this potentially murderous town, and her volatile and combustive relationship with her bad boy not-quite-boyfriend would have had a teen me obsessed.

That's actually one thing I really enjoyed about this book: even though there's a love triangle, I could see the appeal of both leads (and usually I only like one). Wyatt's relationship to the other people in this book were also really well done: I liked her relationship with her dad, with her friend Quinn, and with the mean girls in her classroom (whose ringleader also mysteriously died). Did I end the book with some unanswered questions and a twist in mind that I would have liked slightly more? Yeah. But I think it was a really good horror/thriller done in an angsty and poignant tone that is hard to get right without sounding too melodramatic or whiny (this was neither), so I think that people should give this book a chance despite the shockingly low average rating, especially if they like Amy Engel's work and Scream.

4 to 4.5 out of 5 stars

My Dearest Darkest by Kayla Cottingham

MY DEAREST DARKEST is one of those books that I knew was going to be a five-star read from the get-go. It was basically a checklist of everything my wussy little self loves in the horror genre I can only barely bring myself to read: strong and complicated girls who are sometimes unlikable, excellent anxiety rep, coming of age stories, dark academia vibes, eldritch horrors, cults, sacrifices, liminal spaces, and creepy abandoned buildings.

Finch is delighted when she gets to audition at the prestigious Ulalume Academy, a private school for the arts. As a piano prodigy, it's her dream school. But a terrible accident on the way back from her audition steals the lives of both her parents and has her clawing her way out from a black river, half-dead, under the sinister gaze of a stag with eight eyes.

Meanwhile, Selena is enjoying her senior year as one of the pretty and popular elite, reveling in being an out-of-control bitch. But she's still stinging from breaking things off with her ex-flame, Kyra, and chafing inside from being unable to live as her authentic self.

Their stories connect because of something sinister dwelling in the tunnels beneath their school. Ulalume is built on top of something dark and ancient. Something that might be able to give them their deepest, dearest, darkest desires-- but only at a terrible cost. At first, the price seems small-- even nonexistent-- but all the girls of Ulalume very quickly realize that nothing in this world or the next is free.

So obviously I loved this book. I loved it so much I stayed up into the middle of the night reading it because I could not bear to put it down. I had to make sure that everyone was okay (that's the downside to reading horror instead of romance; there's no guarantee of an HEA). The vibes were immaculate. The romance was sweet. The dialogue was witty. The horror was fucking terrifying (will I have nightmares tonight? Probably). Did I immediately buy this author's other sapphic horror novel, THIS DELICIOUS DEATH? Most definitely. Will I recommend this book to you? Absolutely.

Kayla Cottingham, you evil genius.

5 out of 5 stars

All Tomorrow’s Photos by S.S. Genesee

This was another Stuff Your Kindle find, which is exciting because I had literally never heard of this book or this author before. ALL TOMORROW'S PHOTOS is a queer serial killer romance set in the 1970s. Maurice is a vain serial killer who murders women and then desecrates and photographs their corpses. Kenneth is a male nurse who is blind in one eye because of cataracts. When Maurice is going to his art class, he sees a picture of Kenneth where he modeled for his sister (also in the class) and thinks he's the most beautiful man he's ever seen. He begs his sister to put him in contact so he can photograph him too, which is how the romance begins... even as a detective begins to look at the mounting female bodies, circling closer and closer...

There were some things about this book I really enjoyed and some I enjoyed less so. First, the positives. The author did their own cover, I think, and they did an absolutely amazing job nailing the time period and the vibe. That goes for the slang and the set dressing in the book, too. I loved how music played such a prominent role in the story. I also liked how Maurice is both self-aware and not self-aware when it comes to his vanity. He's so arrogant but he's also a dork. I loved that.

The things I liked less were the contrast of the relationship with the violence of the murders. It felt like Maurice's character was very inconsistent, the way he behaved with Kenneth versus the way he was before. And maybe part of that is his ability to mask as a psychopath, but if so, this wasn't made clear in the narrative. And the blushing lovey-dovey relationship didn't really work for me given the knowledge of what Maurice was doing when he wasn't with Kenneth. I found myself skimming over a lot of their scenes together, which is never great in a romance. But while reading, it did kind of hit me that this has the vibes of a semi-dark yaoi from the 2000s, which also sometimes had these jarring shifts in tones, and given some of the dialogue and characterizations, I did wonder if maybe that was an inspo for this author, in which case, I'm not the target audience for this book but others definitely would be.

I'm not sorry I read this book and I thought it was a very creative and unusual dark romance premise, but I probably won't be reading further into the series.

2.5 out of 5 stars

Butterfly by Jo Brenner

I got this during a Stuff Your Kindle Day event and I'm glad I did because I don't usually read college romance or sports romance, so I'm not sure I would have picked this up otherwise and I'm glad I did because this was quite entertaining. Even though this is a dark romance, it's quite funny, and while there is dub-con that borders on non-con, it's almost... cozy. The unhinged take-no-prisoners hero and tonal dissonance reminded me a lot of my friend Kate Raven's books, so I think if you like that author, you'll like Jo Brenner.

The hero, Mason, is attracted to the heroine, Leslie, from the moment he lays eyes on her at his parents' engagement party. Unfortunately, she's his new stepsister, which means she's out of bounds. He decides to deal with this as any rational person would: by bullying her. And then sexually tormenting her. And then fucking her.

BUTTERFLY really tries to do all the things. It's a bully romance, a sports romance, a stepbrother romance, a college romance, a stalker romance (he puts security cameras in her rooms and drugs her so she'll sleep with him). There's also breeding kink, Daddy kink, and sharing. The beginning and the end feel like two different books and I do wish that maybe the bullying had been more prolonged because it was over so quickly, and I  was really enjoying how much this reminded me of L.J. Shen's VICIOUS at the start, what with the "I love her, so I'll make her my enemy" vibes.

This book also just has some truly hilarious and outlandish scenes. Like, he jerks off onto her ballet shoes and leaves them covered (literally dripping) in come, so she leaves a dead fish in his car. And then there's a scene when they're having sex and HE SINGS MULAN TO HER WHILE THEY'RE HAVING SEX.

BUTTERFLY was bizarre in the best possible way and I think I have to read more by this author.

3 to 3.5 out of 5 stars

Firethorne by Nikki J. Summers

Nikki J. Summers is a new-to-me author but I will definitely be checking out more of her work. I heard about FIRETHORNE from TikTok. A reader put it on a list of gothic dark romance novels and I really liked the title. I would say it's kind of like a cross between Cruel Intentions and Haunting Adeline. A girl named Maya Cole comes with her father to a place called Firethorne, owned by the Firethorne family, to work as a maid in their mansion. As soon as she sets out on the trip, though, she starts getting mysterious warnings to stay away. And we soon find out that the Firethorne family has sinister intentions for her, including a bet to see who can steal her virginity first.

Look, I'm a sucker for melodrama and mystery and this book had both. If I had one complaint, I would say that the first half was slightly better than the second half simply because it went in a direction that I wasn't quite expecting (and isn't one of my personal favorite plot devices). But the author made me like it and she made it work, and honestly, Damien and Lysander's characters were both so interesting and twisted that I really enjoyed seeing what they would do next.

This is an interesting modern twist on the traditional gothic format, and it's heavy on the spice, and features a dark romance hero who isn't quite as evil as some. Also ***SPOILER*** the heroine bites someone's ween off. I'm surprised more people aren't talking about that. I'm all for a female rage moment and trust me, here, the action was more than justified. Work it, girlie.

3.5 out of 5 stars

If The Fates Allow by Chloe I. Miller

IF THE FATES ALLOW was a Stuff Your Kindle Day find and I finally got around to reading this little gothic novella today. This story is set at a Florida mansion called Haven House, which is owned by the Fairweathers, a rich family whose fancy pockets are starting to grow thin. Because of this, the family patriarch, Stephen Fairweather, is trying to force his three children, Lucy, Cal, and Willa, into advantageous marriages.

Willa is supposed to marry a man named Richards, but her sister, Lucy, is writing to him instead since she's the charming one and a lifetime of chronic illness and breathing fits has made Willa self-conscious around men. But then one day, she meets a doctor named Noah who challenges her without ever making her feel like an inconvenience or a burden. And she starts to question her family's plan for her, which leads to an uncovering of some very dark secrets...

I liked this story a lot. The way it starts out, you think it's just going to be a sweet, light Victorian romance, but it ends on a surprisingly dark note. I appreciated the wintry vibes, and the "love conquers all" message of the story, couched in a surprisingly bittersweet and sinister setting. I think I own one of this author's full length novels, and while I was excited to read it before, I'm even more so now.

4 out of 5 stars

Midnight Mischief by Lyla Andrews

MIDNIGHT MISCHIEF is a smutty short story set during Halloween and features age-gap and light primal. There's not a lot to say about it, except that the author does a good job of keeping the story moving and making consent sexy and a natural part of the story. I don't think I've ever read anything by this author before but I'll definitely be reading more from her.

4 out of 5 stars

Her Soul for Revenge by Harley Laroux

I liked the first book a little more but this was still a wonderful continuation of a story I am growing to appreciate the complexities of with every new installment. Abelaum and the Liberi and their sinister death cult and eldritch god are truly the stuff of nightmares, and in addition to the spice and the horrors, I love how each book has themes of recovering from religious trauma and finding strength in adversity. Harley's female characters are flawed and have many weaknesses, but they're also incredibly strong in their varying ways, and I love that their heroes draw out this strength and cause it to burn all the more brightly, without trying to command the flame.

Juniper is a very different heroine than Raelynn. Rae was like an alt-goth Disney princess; quietly enduring and inherently good, but very much a damsel in distress (although she learns to save herself eventually). Juniper, on the other hand, is a menacing tornado of a girl. After the people she called friends tried to sacrifice her and betrayed her and her family in the worst possible way, she's ready for blood, and will do anything to get it, even sell her soul to a demon.

The chemistry between Juniper and Zane was great, almost as good as Rae and Leon (although they're such different characters, it's hard to compare). I feel like Leon has more of a protective, paternalistic role towards Rae, whereas Juniper and Zane feel more like equals-- in and out of the bedroom. I also really loved Zane's malicious playfulness and dry sense of humor. All of the best one-liners in this book were his. The violence level is upped a lot, too. Book one wasn't exactly a charming walk in the park, but this book has the leads banging on top of a freshly killed corpse and slaughtering infernal behemoths.

HER SOUL FOR REVENGE was a dark delight and I can't wait to read the last installment (even though I don't think I'm ready for this series to end yet-- when is their next book coming out again?? SOON?).

3.5 to 4 out of 5 stars

The Magpie Lord by K.J. Charles

Why didn't I read this sooner? THE MAGPIE LORD is a glorious supernatural gothic, featuring Lucien Vaudrey, the lord of a sinister and corrupt legacy, and Stephen, a magical enforcer. They meet when Lucien's manservant, Merrick, goes out to fetch a magician to save him from a curse that is trying to drive him to kill himself. Even after he finds the cause, what the magician unravels turns out to be far more complex and depraved than either of them ever banked on.

This book basically ticked all of my boxes: enemies to lovers, sexual tension, sinister houses, family curses, dark secrets, and evil magicks. I've read other books by K.J. Charles before but I honestly think that this is one of her best. I devoured it in just a couple hours and couldn't put it down. Parts of this book reminded me of old school bodice-rippers from the 1970s, which is basically one of the highest compliments I can pay a book.

I waffled between 4 and 5 stars, and I think ultimately I'm giving it 4.5 rounded up because this felt like a queer Ilona Andrews book, or like an M/M version of Grace Callaway's ABIGAIL JONES.

4.5 out of 5 stars

How to Get a Girlfriend (When You're a Terrifying Monster) by Marie Cardno

HOW TO GET A GIRLFRIEND WHEN YOU'RE A TERRIFYING MONSTER was an impulse buy. I love that it starts out in a liminal space occupied by a monster known as the Endless. The monster heroine, Trillin, is a shape-shifting shard that chipped off of the whole. She's developed both a sense of consciousness and irony, and knows that if the Endless finds her again, it will devour her.

Luckily, its attention is occupied by a portal that keeps opening in their realm. The portal is opened by an Australian witch named Sian, who is working with her professor. They're studying portals and Sian is fascinated by the Endless. When she meets Sian, she is enchanted, especially when Sian saves her from being eaten by another "shard."

This was short and cute. The writing was great and I liked the dry humor and the introduction of a pet cat-bunny-tentacle creature named Bunny. I wish there had been more depth to the world-building and more chemistry between the MCs, but if you're looking for a short, sweet sapphic monster romance, you will probably really enjoy this.

2.5 to 3 out of 5 stars

Lavender House by Lev A.C. Rosen

I've seen a lot of books comparing themselves to Knives Out but a lot of the time, what they just mean is that it's a locked room mystery. Knives Out has a very specific vibe and tone, and when those vibes aren't there in a book, the comparison falls way short. Out of the dozens and dozens of comps I've read, only two books have really nailed the Knives Out vibe: Rachel Hawkins's THE HEIRESS... and this book, LAVENDER HOUSE.

From start to finish, I adored LAVENDER HOUSE. The hero, Evander Mills, used to be a cop. But it's the 1950s and people still regard homosexuality as a criminal act. When he's caught at a gay club by his now-ex colleagues, he's booted off the force and essentially turned into a pariah. When we meet him, he's drowning his sorrows in a bar, which is how he's approached by Pearl.

Pearl is the secret wife of a soap making magnate, Irene, who just died suspiciously. Pearl thinks it was murder, but she can't quite bring herself to face the truth, because in her house-- Lavender House-- she and her found family have created a safe progressive haven that protects them from the homophobia of the outside world. She and her wife were the matriarchs, and then their gay son lived in secret with his boyfriend, Cliff, and his "beard": Margo, and her girlfriend, Elsie.

Even their staff are gay!

Evander is fascinated by the dynamics of Lavender House and part of him wants the murder to have come from outside the house as well. Because he's already haunted by the demons of having turned against his own people for self-gain, and the knowledge that nobody can be trusted kind of cements the grim feelings he already has about the world: that maybe, everyone is in it for themselves and you can't trust anyone.

The film noir vibes of LAVENDER HOUSE were everything. I've read Rosen's YA and loved it, and he brings the same energy to the table with this adult novel. Evander is morally grey and sometimes unlikable, but all of his decisions make sense. I also adored how this book is so steeped in San Francisco Bay Area history. It was fascinating to see this little glimpse into what San Francisco was like in the 50s. He clearly did so much research and I felt like he really brought the setting to life.

I'm already reading book two in the series.

5 out of 5 stars

Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

Holy shit, I want to live in this world. LEGENDS & LATTES is one of those TikTok books that deserves all of the hype. I loved Viv, the grizzled and world-weary adventurer orc who is tired of bounty-hunting and just wants to open a gnomish coffee shop. I loved Tandri, the succubus; Amity, the direcat (I want a direcat!); Cal the hob; and Thimble, the rattkin. This is probably the most likable crew of characters I've encountered outside of a Terry Pratchett novel, and even though this book advertises itself as having low stakes, I was still very concerned for all of their various well-beings.

I think it's hard to do cozy books well because the tension has to be replaced by something, and that something is usually character-driven, and if the author isn't good at writing compelling characterization, the book kind of falls flat. But this whole book was like playing Dungeons and Dragons over tea and crumpets with an enthusiastic and kind-hearted dungeon master who is gleefully reading off his character sheet while rolling nat 20 after nat 20.

I loved this book so much and read through it in a single day, which was a mistake, because after it was over, I still wanted more. I was so desperate for more cozy fantasy content that I immediately went out and bought a book called TIL DEATH DO US BARD that was comping itself to this one, because apparently I'm not ready to let go of my cozy queer fantasy wanderlust yet.

5 out of 5 stars

Ash by Malinda Lo

I am honestly shocked that so many of the top reviews for this book are tepid at best and negative at worst, because I thought this was a beautiful, vivid, melancholy story-- there's something about pre-2000s YA fantasy. I think being written before the proliferation of the internet meant that they could be more experimental, and less at the mercy of appealing to the demands of the algorithm. They feel remote, isolated, and hopeful; islands onto themselves. I love that about them.

ASH is a Cinderella retelling about Aisling, a girl who lives on the edge of the wood with her mother and father. Her father is upright and traditional but her mother has pagan beliefs and believes in the faeries (and her father loves her so much that he indulges this). When her mother dies and her father remarries, Ash is heartbroken, especially when her new stepmother and stepsisters seem to want little to do with her, leaving her to grieve on her own in the woods.

I don't want to say too much, but this is a queer awakening as much as it is a story about bargains, different kinds of love, and the power of illusions. The way that Lo writes is both simple and ornate, and I adored the way that she wove magic into the "real world," to the point where everything feels like a shimmering illusion and you find yourself questioning what is and isn't real.

At times, this story feels almost gothic (the scenes where Ash sleeps on her mother's grave), and there is such powerful imagery in ASH. It's definitely a book that came out well before its time (I mean, a sapphic YA Cindrella story in 2009??), and it's aged so well. Especially with how Ash has a more complicated relationship with her stepsisters that goes beyond "slutty, gold-digging bitches = bad." I'm glad to see it getting a second wind, because I honestly think anyone who loved ELLA ENCHANTED will love this.

And yes, she saves herself in this one.

4.5 to 5 out of 5 stars

Providence Girls by Morgan Dante

DNF @ 30%

Morgan Dante is a favorite of mine but this book just wasn't it. The characters both felt kind of flat and the progression of the story was slow and uninteresting to me. I have loved most of what I have read by this author and I know that they can do slow-build well because they did that in UNHOLY WITH EYES LIKE WOLVES, but this one just lacked tension, in my opinion. Still an auto-buy author for sure, but PROVIDENCE GIRLS was a disappointment for me.

I do seem to be in the minority on that opinion, however.

2 out of 5 stars