willaful

#WhatchaReading ? I read A Mother for Christmas, a kindle freebie. A bit mawkish, but I can't say I wasn't warned by the title. The prose was quirky and had some personality to it. Could have used more payoff at the end.

@romancelandia
@romancebooks

#WhatchaReading ? I'm still sniffling after finishing Stars in Your Eyes by Kacen Callender. Painful but beautifully tender and hopeful m/m romance that explores how abuse and trauma can negatively impact a relationship. Checking the CWs highly recommended!

Excellent full cast audiobook, which does justice to the partially epistolary "multimedia" structure. One of the narrators seems to be NB, though both main characters are apparently cis.

@romancelandia
@romancebooks

#WhatchaReading ? I didn't love the style and tropiness of Eight Dates and Nights, but I did love reading a Hanukkah book that was really focused on Hanukkah. And it's really cool to read about Jewish history in a rural area of Texas.

Favorite moment: It's not a queer romance, but the MMC has a bumper sticker with a Pride flag and the words "Shalom Y'All Means Y'All."

@romancelandia
@romancebooks

#WhatchaReading ? I finished the most waste of time old Harlequin, The Wild Side by Diana Hamilton. One of those awful misogynistic old skool books that's pretty fun if you're in the right mood -- but then there's the most lukewarm ending! Why did I suffer through all that angst?! Where is my payoff?!

@romancelandia
@romancebooks

I went browsing for Hanukkah romances and found such interesting stuff from Harlequin I was unaware of. A book with a Japanese and Jewish MMC, another with an autistic FMC (both in their medical lines) and a Harlequin Presents with a plus size model on the cover! They have really upped their representation game, though I don't know if it's reflected in their actual authors.

@romancelandia
@romancebooks

#WhatchaReading ? I read the lovely Agents of Winter by Ada Marie Soto. Third in a series and you should really read them in order; also you want to read them all. 😁 (Unless you are very agin gentle and/or asexual romance.)

My review of the first book is here: https://willaful.wordpress.com/2022/01/16/snowinlovebingo-shorts/

@romancelandia
@romancebooks

#WhatchaReading ? My last two romances were Lies and Lullabies and Love at First Spite and they were prefectly cromulent ways to pass the time but I don't have much to say about them. (Except the MMC has a rather unusual disability in LaFS. And it irked me that we don't see any decision process when the FMC gets pregnant in L&L.)

Also listening to Evvie Drake Starts Over, which is thoughtful and funny. Wonderful narration by Julia Whelan, as usual.

@romancelandia
@romancebooks

I discovered I could use a Nora Roberts book for a challenge prompt, which is awesome... but now how do I pick from her 143,679 book backlist?!

@romancelandia
@romancebooks

#WhatchaReading ? I just finished Dionysus in Wisconsin and I'd feel a little delicate about mentioning it since the author is on this instance, but fortunately I loved it. 😁 It's kind of like if Neil Gaiman and Cat Sebastian collaborated on a m/m historical fantasy romance. Magic, myths, high stakes, true love.

@romancelandia
@romancebooks

#WhatchaReading ? I was somewhat disappointed in The Lady Unmasked by Aydra Richards.

https://willaful.wordpress.com/2023/11/09/the-lady-unmasked-by-aydra-richards/

@romancelandia
@romancebooks

#WhatchaReading ? If "too much sex" reviews make you perk, you'll want to check out Her Halloween Treat by Reisz. Nothing but sex and banter, often at the same time. Way too much of both for me.

Also DNF'd The Road to Roswell, second Willis DNF in a row for me. To paraphrase my husband, I'm tired of her shtick.

@romancelandia
@romancebooks