To Sir Phillip with Love: You’ve Got Mail in the 19th Century

Kat's back with part 5 of the Let's Talk About the Bridgertons series. Buckle up, let's look into Eloise and Phillip's story. Enjoy!

Need to catch up?

• Introduction
• Part One
• Part Two 
• Part Three
• Part Four
• Recap [1-4]

To Sir Phillip with Love: You’ve Got Mail in the 19th Century

Contains spoilers for for Saw 3 and Saw 4 (it makes sense, I promise).

Content note for brief mention of depression and suicide; discussion of sexual assault.

Just Don't Call It Identity Politics: The Bridgertons Books 1-4

Kat's back with an in-depth recap of the Let's Talk About the Bridgertons series so far (1-4) and how it relates to the HEA/HFN. Enjoy!

Need to catch up?

• Introduction
• Part One
• Part Two 
• Part Three
• Part Four

Just Don't Call It Identity Politics: The Bridgertons Books 1-4

Romancing Mister Bridgerton: Externalized Misogyny, Internalized Misogyny, and #NotLikeOtherGirls

Kat's back with part 4 of the Let's Talk About the Bridgertons series. Buckle up, let's look into Penelope and Colin's story. Enjoy!

Need to catch up?

• Introduction
• Part One
• Part Two 
• Part Three

Romancing Mister Bridgerton: Externalized Misogyny, Internalized Misogyny, and #NotLikeOtherGirls

Contains spoilers for Lady Whistledown’s identity

An Offer from a Gentleman: Cinderella and Class Politics

Kat's back with part 3 of the Let's Talk About the Bridgertons series. Buckle up, let's look into Sophie and Benedict's story. Enjoy!

Need to catch up?

• Introduction
• Part One
• Part Two

An Offer from a Gentleman: Cinderella and Class Politics

Content note: Brief mention of sexual assault, description of physical child abuse.

The Viscount Who Loved Me | Dealing with Undiagnosed PTSD

Kat's back with part 2 of the Let's Talk About the Bridgertons series, and today she's talking about trauma, mental health, and death, all things that come up in Anthony and Kate's story. Enjoy!

Need to catch up?

• Introduction
• Part One

The Viscount Who Loved Me: Dealing with Undiagnosed PTSD

Content note: Discussions of death, traumatic symptoms, DSM PTSD diagnostic criteria




What happened last time: Daphne (Bridgerton Sibling 4) and Simon (the Duke of Hastings) overcame disability (his stuttering) and assault (her cowgirling his sperm into her vagina) to have a HEA.

Disability in the World of the Bridgertons [The Duke and I]

Ready for Part 1 of the Let's Talk About the Bridgertons series? Kat's talking about THE DUKE AND I today. Enjoy!

Please note: This post contains spoilers for The Duke and I and To Sir Phillip, With Love.

The Duke and I: Disability in the World of the Bridgertons

Julia Quinn’s initial offering in The Bridgerton series focuses on Daphne Bridgerton, who is actually fourth in age of the siblings. I haven’t figured out why she goes out of order at two points in the series (Daphne, Anthony, Benedict, Colin, Eloise, Francesca, Hyacinth, and Gregory), but I wonder for the first one if she began writing the story and then the saga developed out of it.

We Need to Talk About The Bridgertons

Today Kat is kicking off a new discussion series on the blog. Think of today as the introduction to it all. The first post will be up next week, and the rest will follow in the coming months as she finishes up each book. I hope you check back for each installment, this should be interesting!

Like many people, I was excited to hear that Julia Quinn’s series The Bridgertons was being adapted into a Netflix series.



Beloved and recognized romance book series? High production quality vis a vis Netflix? SHONDA RIMES?

Kat's Review: The Craft of Love by EE Ottoman

The Craft of Love by EE Ottoman
Publisher: EE Ottoman, October 19, 2018
Genre: Historical Romance -- Queer

When professional respect leads to something more ...

Benjamin Lewis has created a life for himself as one of the most respected silversmiths and engravers in New York City. For Benjamin, his work is his passion and he has never sought out companionship beyond the close ties of family. Stumbling across dresses sew by his late mother, however, reawakens painful memories from his past. Now he is determined to forge something beautiful from the remains of the life and identity he left behind. In the process, he discovers stunning and fiercely intelligent Miss Quincy who might just have the power to tempt him out of his quiet isolation.

Remembrance Quincy's talent is as undeniable as her needlework is exquisite. She has made a name for herself crafting quilts and embroidery pieces for all the wealthiest ladies in the city. When soft-spoken, yet charming, Mr. Lewis comes to her with a particular project in mind she is intrigued both by his artistic design and by the man himself. He treats her like an equal, values her work and makes her smile, but Remembrance already gave her heart away once, now can she risk doing it again?

Where to Buy*:

Kindle | NOOK | Kobo

More Info:

Author's Site
Add it on Goodreads!

Kat's Review:

Kat's Review: American Dreamer

American Dreamer by Adriana Herrera
Publisher: Carina Press (March 4, 2019)
Series: Dreamers, 1
Genre: Contemporary Romance -- Queer, M/M

No one ever said big dreams come easy

For Nesto Vasquez, moving his Afro-Caribbean food truck from New York City to the wilds of Upstate New York is a huge gamble. If it works? He’ll be a big fish in a little pond. If it doesn’t? He’ll have to give up the hustle and return to the day job he hates. He’s got six months to make it happen—the last thing he needs is a distraction.

Jude Fuller is proud of the life he’s built on the banks of Cayuga Lake. He has a job he loves and good friends. It’s safe. It’s quiet. And it’s damn lonely. Until he tries Ithaca’s most-talked-about new lunch spot and works up the courage to flirt with the handsome owner. Soon he can’t get enough—of Nesto’s food or of Nesto. For the first time in his life, Jude can finally taste the kind of happiness that’s always been just out of reach.

An opportunity too good to pass up could mean a way to stay together and an incredible future for them both…if Nesto can remember happiness isn’t always measured by business success. And if Jude can overcome his past and trust his man will never let him down.

Where to Buy*:

Kindle | NOOK | Kobo

More Info:

Author's Site
Add it on Goodreads! | Find the Series

Content Warnings: Anti-queer religious ideology, racist anti-immigrant rhetoric






Kat's Review:

Kat's Review: Unmasked by the Marquess

Remember, this is a Royal Pick for the month! Check back on December 27th when the monthly giveaway opens!

Unmasked by the Marquess by Cat Sebastian
Publisher: Avon Impulse (April 17, 2018)
Series: The Regency Impostors, 1
Genre: Historical Romance -- Queer (M/enby)

The one you love…
Robert Selby is determined to see his sister make an advantageous match. But he has two problems: the Selbys have no connections or money and Robert is really a housemaid named Charity Church. She’s enjoyed every minute of her masquerade over the past six years, but she knows her pretense is nearing an end. Charity needs to see her beloved friend married well and then Robert Selby will disappear…forever.

May not be who you think…

Alistair, Marquess of Pembroke, has spent years repairing the estate ruined by his wastrel father, and nothing is more important than protecting his fortune and name. He shouldn’t be so beguiled by the charming young man who shows up on his doorstep asking for favors. And he certainly shouldn’t be thinking of all the disreputable things he’d like to do to the impertinent scamp.

But is who you need…

When Charity’s true nature is revealed, Alistair knows he can’t marry a scandalous woman in breeches, and Charity isn’t about to lace herself into a corset and play a respectable miss. Can these stubborn souls learn to sacrifice what they’ve always wanted for a love that is more than they could have imagined?

Where to Buy*:

Kindle | NOOK | Kobo

More Info:

Author's Site
Add it on Goodreads! | Find the Series

Reviews for Sebastian's Books:

• It Takes Two to Tumble

Kat's Review:

Group Review/Discussion: Thrall

Group review / discussion, ahoy! Jen, Kat, and Melinda all read Roan Parrish and Avon Gale's newest queer release, THRALL, and have some thoughts on it. Hope you enjoy! :)

Thrall by Avon Gale and Roan Parrish
Publisher: Philtre Press (September 27, 2018)
Genre: Queer Fiction / Mystery w/ Romantic Elements

Dating Sucks and Love Bites 

Happy couple Mina Murray and Lucy Westenra have begun to garner national attention for their quirky New Orleans true-crime podcast, Shadowcast. When Lucy's brother Harker disappears while researching the popular new dating app Thrall, they're thrown into a real-life mystery. Aided by their social media expert, Arthur, and Harker's professor, Van Helsing, they follow the trail, hoping to find Harker before it's too late.

When their investigation crosses the path of a possible serial killer, the line between fantasy and reality begins to blur. And as they race against the app's countdown clock, so does the line between friendship and love. What starts as a flirtatious rivalry between computer-savvy Arthur and techno-averse Van Helsing becomes much more, and Mina and Lucy's relationship is tested in the fires of social media.

As they get down to the wire, the group discovers that nothing on their screens is as it seems—including their enemy.


A modern retelling of Bram Stoker's Dracula

Where to Buy*:

Kindle | NOOK | Kobo

More Info:

Author's Site | Author's Site
Add it on Goodreads!

Group Review / Discussion:

Kat and Melinda's Review: Kiss Me

Today Kat and Melinda review 3 stories from the Kiss Me anthology. Note: they do not review the entire anthology, but they do rate and review the stories they managed (barely...) to finish. And honestly, it's probably not a stretch to say the rest of the anthology has similar issues, too.

Kiss Me: An Asian Hero Boxed Set by Joanne Dannon + 7 others
Publisher: IndieWrites (August 12, 2018)
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Two Worlds, One Kiss, a Lifetime of Love

This set features EIGHT sweet contemporary romance novellas featuring handsome Asian heroes.

From Australia's vineyards to the bright lights of Hong Kong, these stories have something for anyone looking for a little international flair in their romance.

This set will only be available for a limited time, so don't miss out!

Joanne Dannon - An Unexpected Forever

Khardine Gray – Kisses and Blossoms

Imogene Nix – Hero of Heartbreak Hill

Aislinn Kearns - Until You

Dakota Harrison – Once Upon a K-Pop Prince

Fiona Marsden – Beautiful Stranger

Terri A. Wilson – A New Ending

Zena Oliver - Seven-Day Cruise

Where to Buy*:

Kindle (KU Title)

More Info:

Add it on Goodreads!

Kat's Review: Calling Calling Calling Me

Remember, since this is a Royal Pick, come back on September 27th for a chance to win an ecopy of your own!

Calling Calling Calling Me by Natasha Washington
Publisher: Natasha Washington (September 4, 2018)
Genre: Contemporary Romance -- Queer, M/M (New Adult)

Patrick Mahoney has one goal in mind: get out of his native Fresno and find freedom in the rainbow and glitter-painted streets of San Francisco. As a college freshman, he’s sure he’ll finally have the chance to be himself, away from the judgmental eyes of his conservative hometown.

Josh Dirda’s never wanted to be tied down before, preferring the emotional ease of the one night stand. But when Patrick moves into the apartment that Josh shares with three friends, Josh is pulled in by Patrick’s sly wit and quietly creative spirit. As Patrick’s self-appointed tour guide, Josh can be Patrick’s introduction to the city he loves. But after a drunken Halloween hook-up crosses lines, Patrick and Josh must reckon with their true feelings—and decide whether they can let go of the ghosts from their pasts that haunt them.

Where to Buy*:

Kindle | NOOK | Kobo

More Info:

Author's Site
Add it on Goodreads!

Content note for the book: Contains a conversation where one person makes derogatory comments about trans folks.

Kat's Review:

Kat's Review: Over and Over Again

Remember, since this is a Royal Pick, come back on August 30th for a chance to win an ecopy of your own!

Over and Over Again by Cole McCade
Publisher: Cole McCade (July 23rd, 2018)
Genre: Contemporary Romance -- M/M

A ring of braided grass. A promise. Ten years of separation.

And memories of an innocent love with the power to last through time.

When Luca Ward was five years old, he swore he would love Imre Claybourne forever. Years later, that promise holds true—and when Luca finds himself shipped off to Imre’s North Yorkshire goat farm in disgrace, long-buried feelings flare back to life when he finds, in Imre, the same patiently stoic gentle giant he’d loved as a boy. The lines around Imre’s eyes may be deeper, the once-black night of his hair silvered to steel and stone…but he’s still the same slow-moving mountain of a man whose quiet-spoken warmth, gentle hands, and deep ties to his Roma heritage have always, to Luca, meant home.

The problem?

Imre is more than twice Luca’s age.

And Luca’s father’s best friend.

Yet if Imre is everything Luca remembered, for Imre this hot-eyed, fey young man is nothing of the boy he knew. Gone is the child, replaced by a vivid man whose fettered spirit is spinning, searching for north, his heart a thing of wild sweet pure emotion that draws Imre into the compelling fire of Luca’s frustrated passions. That fragile heart means everything to Imre—and he’ll do anything to protect it.

Even if it means distancing himself, when the years between them are a chasm Imre doesn’t know how to cross.

But can he resist the allure in cat-green eyes when Luca places his trembling heart in Imre’s hands…and begs for his love, over and over again? 

Where to Buy*:

Kindle -- KU Title

More Info:

Author's Site
Add it on Goodreads!

Kat's Review:

Kat's Review: Blaze

Remember, since this is a Royal Pick, come back on August 30th for a chance to win an ecopy of your own!

Blaze by Jocelynn Drake and Rinda Elliott
Publisher: Jocelynn Drake (June 22, 2018)
Series: Unbreakable Bonds, 5 [but book 2 for this couple]
Genre: Contemporary Romance -- M/M

The rings have been selected.
The champagne placed on ice.
The cake decorated.

And the pre-wedding sex is off the charts...

Lucas Vallois and Andrei Hadeon are finally ready to walk down the aisle. There’s just one small problem.

A ghost from Lucas’s past shows up days before the wedding, desperate for help. Against his better judgement, Lucas and his best friend, Ashton Frost, plan a fast trip back to the one place they swore they’d never go: their hometown in Oklahoma. But the danger is worse than they expected.

Now, they’re in a race to track down a killer, keep a young girl safe, and get Lucas back in time to say, “I do.”

Where to Buy*:

Kindle (KU title)

More Info:

Author's Site
Add it on Goodreads! | Find the Series

Kat's Review:

Kat's Review: Tight Quarters

Remember, since this is a Royal Pick, come back on July26th for a chance to win an ecopy of your own!

Tight Quarters by Annabeth Albert
Publisher: Carina Press; Original edition (July 1, 2018)
Series: Out of Uniform, 6
Genre: Contemporary / Military Romance -- M/M

Petty Officer Bacon, a navy SEAL and ace sharpshooter, has been on the front lines of more than his fair share of dangerous ops. Yet when a minor injury relegates him to the beta team, he’s tasked with what may be his riskiest assignment yet: the silver fox journalist he’s babysitting is the hottest, most charismatic man he’s ever encountered.

Award-winning journalist Spencer Bryant may have been named one of Pride magazine’s most eligible bachelors of the year, but he’s not looking to change his relationship status. He’s a consummate professional who won’t risk his ethics or impeccable reputation by getting involved with a source. Even a sexy-as-hell military man. But while Spencer can resist his physical attraction to Bacon, he has less control over his emotions—especially when the mission goes sideways and the two men are trapped alone.

Getting out of the jungle alive turns out to be easy compared to facing the truth about their feelings for one another back in the real world. And whether or not they can build a future is a different story altogether.

Where to Buy*:

Kindle | NOOK | Kobo

More Info:

Author's Site
Add it on Goodreads! | Find the Series

Reviews for Albert's Books:

• Status Update
• Beta Test
• Connection Error
• Treble Maker
• Love Me Tenor
• All Note Long
• Knit Tight
• Wrapped Together
• Danced Close
• At Attention
• On Point

Content Warnings: Discussion of suicide, suicidal ideations, serious bodily injury, child death

Kat's Review:

Kat's Review: Contraband Hearts

Contraband Hearts by Alex Beecroft
Publisher: Riptide Publishing (April 28, 2018)
Series: Porthkennack Series, 10
Genre: Historical Romance -- M/M

His future depends on bringing the smuggler to justice. His heart demands to join him.

Customs officer Peregrine Dean is sent by his patron to investigate rumors of corruption in the Porthkennack customs house. There he is tasked by the local magistrate to bring down the villainous Tomas Quick, a smuggler with fingers in every pie in town. Fired with zeal and ambition, and struck to the core by his first glimpse of Tomas, Perry determines to stop at nothing until he has succeeded.

Tomas Quick is an honest thief—a criminal regarded by the town as their local Robin Hood. He’s also an arrogant man who relishes the challenge posed by someone as determined and intelligent as Perry. Both of them come to enjoy their cat-and-mouse rivalry a little too much.

But the eighteenth century is a perilous time for someone like Perry: a black man in England. Two have already disappeared from the wrecks of ships. Tomas and Perry must forsake their competition and learn to trust each other if they are to rescue them, or Perry may become the third victim.

Where to Buy*:

Kindle | NOOK | Kobo

More Info:

Author's Site
Add it on Goodreads! | Find the Series

Kat's Review:

Kat's Review: Behind These Doors

Remember, since this is a Royal Pick, come back on June 28th for a chance to win an ecopy of your own!

Behind These Doors by Jude Lucens
Publisher: Greenwose Books (June 22, 2018)
Series: Radical Proposals, 1
Genre: Historical Romance -- Menage

Lucien Saxby is a journalist, writing for the society pages. The Honourable Aubrey Fanshawe, second son of an earl, is Society. They have nothing in common, until a casual encounter leads to a crisis.

Aubrey isn’t looking for love. He already has it, in his long-term clandestine relationship with Lord and Lady Hernedale. And Lucien is the last man Aubrey should want. He’s a commoner, raised in service, socially unacceptable. Worse, he writes for a disreputable, gossip-hungry newspaper. Aubrey can’t afford to trust him when arrest and disgrace are just a breath away.

Lucien doesn’t trust nobs. Painful experience has taught him that working people simply don’t count to them. Years ago, he turned his back on a life of luxury so his future wouldn’t depend on an aristocrat’s whim. Now, thanks to Aubrey, he’s becoming entangled in the risky affairs of the upper classes, antagonising people who could destroy him with a word.

Aubrey and Lucien have too much to hide—and too much between them to ignore. Rejecting the strict rules and closed doors of Edwardian society might lead them both to ruin… but happiness and integrity alike demand it.

An Edwardian Romance. 

Where to Buy*:

Kindle

More Info:

Author's Site
Add it on Goodreads! | Find the Series

Kat's Review:

Kat's Review: The Boss of Her

The Boss of Her by Julie Cannon, Aurora Rey, and M. Ullrich
Publisher: Bold Strokes Books (April 16, 2018)
Genre: Contemporary Romance -- F/F

Going to work never felt so good. Three office romance novellas from talented writers Julie Cannon, Aurora Rey, and M. Ullrich. 

In For Your Eyes Only by Julie Cannon: Dress for success takes on a very different meaning. CFO Riley Stephenson finds herself in a particularly difficult position when the stripper she's fallen for shows up at her office―as her new employee.

In Lead Counsel by Aurora Rey: Attorney Elisa Gonzalez is happy working behind the scenes while still having time for a life. All that changes when her firm takes on a major case and Parker Jones, powerhouse litigator and her law school crush, is named lead counsel.

In Opportunity of a Lifetime by M. Ullrich: Luca Garner is eager and hardworking, but her new boss is a total nightmare―snarky and uncooperative, not to mention an ice queen. VP Stephanie Austin doesn’t mean to be unkind, but the last thing she wants is an assistant getting under her skin, especially one who is as attractive as she is kind.

Where to Buy*:

Kindle | NOOK | Kobo

More Info:

Author's Sites: Here, Here, and Here
Add it on Goodreads!

Kat's Review:

Kat's Review: King Consort

King Consort by J.R. Gray
Publisher: J.R. Gray (May 15, 2018)
Genre: Contemporary Romance -- M/M
Dual 1st POV

Avoiding sleeping with women was my specialty, an art form even. As the future King of England I couldn’t be caught sleeping with men. My whole life played out in front of the paparazzi, and they didn’t miss a thing.

I had a carefully crafted womanizing persona to maintain. My life came with rules, all of which I broke when I couldn’t resist a one night stand with the enemy: A beautiful paparazzo with a heart of gold. He may be the only person who doesn’t want me for my title, and he can never be anything more than my secret.

But secrets have a way of coming out and not only will they scare him away, but they’ll lose me the crown.

Where to Buy*:

Kindle

More Info:

Author's Site
Add it on Goodreads!

Kat's Review: