5*
I’ve never been a fan of fantasies involving made up lands or mystical creatures. So it’s a real testament to Lily Morton and her gifted storytelling and world-building how much I loved this sweet Christmas romantasy set in Cornwall, UK. The way she describes the settings is magical in itself.
Like her previous Christmas romantasy, On a Midnight Clear, there is a gorgeous, otherworldly male protagonist who takes a human form and a kind, lonely human who finds love when he least expects it. in this story, Sigurd is an immortal dragon who has spent centuries in search of his soulmate and Cary is newly dumped by the latest in a long string up men who find him emotionally cold and only surface deep. When Sig and Cary finally find each other, it’s so heartwarming. It’s also fascinating to be introduced, right along with Cary, to a host of magical creatures from mer people to giants and more who run the gamut from mischievous to mildly threatening while also being incorrectly portrayed in the books of myths Cary grew up reading and discussing with his father.
On a final note, I love how beautifully the cover illustrator captured Sig’s human form. If you’re looking for a steamy, spooky, and magical gay romance to read over the holidays, I highly recommend this delightful novel.
4*
Since Mannequin is one of my favorite movies, I was eager to read Janovsky’s gay version of the awkward window dresser whose wish for the perfect man comes true. Janovsky’s story does not disappoint. Henry is lonely, disillusioned from past relationships gone bad, suffering from social anxiety, and desperately trying to save his Great Aunt Isla’s vintage store. Aidan, with his charm, naïveté, and sense of wonder, is the perfect foil for Henry. Set in a small New Jersey beach town at Christmas, it has all the earmarks of a Hallmark movie (a theme that runs throughout the book) with a little bit of spice. It’s low angst, full of humor, and a perfect gift for readers to give themselves during the holidays. Highly recommended.
I received a complimentary ARC of this book from St. Martin’s Griffin through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.
5*
What an amazing, fantastical, beautiful story! When the Tides Held the Moon is a multi-genre masterpiece. It’s a gay romance, a historical fiction novel set in 1911 NYC, focusing on Coney Island, a fantasy featuring a merman dubbed Rio, and a window into our country’s abysmal history of xenophobia, racism, classism, eugenics, and organized crime. I chose this book to fulfill a reading challenge prompt of an illustrated book, and the ink drawings scattered throughout are gorgeous renderings of the cast of characters (members of a freak show) who populate the book. This oddball assortment of carnival sideshow attractions (or the dehumanizing term “exhibits” coined by their unscrupulous boss Sam Morgan) welcomes fellow misfit Benny Caldera into their chosen family after he helps capture the merman who will live in the elaborate tank he created. Benny has spent his entire life being rejected for who he is: an asthmatic, brown-skinned, Puerto Rican gay man whose self-esteem has plummeted as a result of loss and unwarranted hatred. It isn’t until he befriends and is championed by Rio that he finds the strength to stand up for himself and defend the people who he has grown close to. When tragedy strikes, will he be able to save those he’s come to love and save himself as well?
If you like gay romance, romantasy, and a glimpse into the spectacular, yet also sordid and corrupt underbelly of early 20th-century NYC, you’ll love this phenomenal, magical novel. Highly recommended.
I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Erewhon Books through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.
Tags: #romance, #romantasy, #HistoricalFiction, #fantasy, #dualpov, NYC, #NY, #ConeyIsland, #Freakshows, #immigration, #mermen/maids, #xenophobia, #racism, #eugenics, #LGBTQ, #GayRomance, #MMRomance, #cleanRomance, #Slowburn, #ChosenFamily
Alternate reality romance with a “what if “scenario which poses the question of whether or not true love transcends space and time.
Can a moment in time (or a missed opportunity) profoundly change your life’s trajectory? If you had the chance to live your life in two different dimensions but had to sacrifice one or more loving relationships, which life would you choose? Equipped with this knowledge, would you be able to make the necessary changes and take the risk of rejection to have an epic love in either dimension? These are the questions Olivia Dusk faces when she suddenly finds herself in an alternate reality. In her Real Life, she’s a recently furloughed middle school drama teacher in Los Angeles, busy planning her best friend Masha’s wedding, hosting a fledging podcast with her mother, and dreading the arrival of best man Jake Glasswell, former high school crush and nemesis who wouldn’t kiss her at prom, but went on to New York City for college and a very successful career as a talk show host. In high school, they competed in sports, on stage, and in the classroom, both being voted Most Likely to Succeed, However, when Olivia’s father died right after prom, she gave up her dreams of attending Juilliard and becoming a successful actress to support her grieving mother. When Jake arrives for the wedding, their sniping picks up right where they left off 10 years before, but there’s a fine line between love and hate. When Olivia finds herself in the other dimension (her High Life), she experiences the life she would have had if the prom kiss had actually happened. With no memory of the intervening years, however, she can’t live genuinely and honestly, nor can she repair the relationships she damaged along the way.
This is the first book I’ve read of Lauren Kate’s, but it definitely won’t be the last. I really enjoyed this fantastical romance reminiscent of the movie 13 Going on 30. Whatever dimension, the chemistry between Jake and Olivia is palpable and the love they have for each other in the High Life is relationship goals! The friendship between Liv and Masha and her relationship with her mother in her Real Life are a wonderful depiction of female empowerment. Living in LA, it was also fun for me to read about places I enjoy just like the characters. If you’re looking for a fun summer read, check this one out. Highly recommended.
I received a complimentary ARC of this book from G.P. Putnam’s Sons through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.
Not being a fan of science fiction or fantasy, it was difficult to read this story because it’s not in my nature to suspend disbelief. However, the premise is so intriguing and the characters so charming and flawed that I felt compelled to see it through to the end. I’m so glad I did, because this metaphorical tale full of magical realism about a family of artists whose drawings influence life is unique, thought-provoking, and ultimately redemptive. I had so many questions along the way, and I’m still not sure I found satisfactory answers to some of them. There were also a couple of decisions that the main character Keryth made that I wished had been different, but that’s the prerogative of the author.
It’s not possible to give a clear synopsis of this book given the twists and turns it takes, but the appendix of book discussion questions helped me make more sense of what I read and can share without spoilers. Ultimately, this book is about “the act of creating, and the role of a creator in defining—both successfully and not—what they’re trying to bring into the world.” In this case, it makes the reader think about the choices creators make, whether it be fine artists or tech gurus, the ethical considerations behind their ideas, and the impacts (both positive and negative) their work has on the people around them and, sometimes, all of humanity. It makes us think about the choices we’d make if we had the opportunity to revive someone we’ve lost, rekindle an old love, or hold tight to something that wants or needs to be set free. It also makes us reflect on the lessons we’ve been taught by our parents and the ways we interpret them, sometimes wrongly. This impactful story will stick with me for awhile, thinking about the life choices I’ve made, the people I’ve loved and lost, and the way I might reimagine my future. Kudos to author Audrey Burges!
I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Ace Berkley through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.
Just after Fiona Abry and her brother Daniel make a bet over who will find and accept love first, Fiona’s hippy dippy mother Buttercup, who abandoned her at age 6, comes for a very brief visit and gifts her a long-lost family heirloom, the first pocket watch made by Adolphus Abry, founder of the family’s watch company. According to her great-great-uncle Leo, who gave her mother the watch to pass on to her, if Fiona falls asleep holding it, “it will show you your heart’s desire. And then once you’ve dreamed it, you can grasp it.” Next thing she knows, she’s waking up on an isolated Caribbean island in bed with a stranger, Aaron, and mother to two children. To further confound things, she looks like the woman whose body she seems to be possessing. Over the course of the summer, she revisits the island nightly in vivid dreams, never knowing how much time has passed, if any, and slowly falling for Aaron.
There were a couple of minor issues that kept this from being a 5* read for me. It frustrated me how unintentionally cruel Fiona was by not being honest with Aaron about who she is, causing him such incredible hurt. Also, as a huge fan of Jillian and Daniel Abry, the couple from Ghosted, it is disappointing that this story takes place before they meet, so readers don’t get to revisit with them.
As always, though, Sarah Ready does an incredible job of crafting romances that defy time, space, and logic. In this third book of the Ghosted series, there are so many twists that readers are left guessing until the end whether Fiona’s dream guy, Aaron, is real but in another dimension or just a figment of her imagination. Highly recommended!
I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Swift & Lewis Publishing through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.
Possible spoilers
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One of the things I like about the time travel trope is the various ways authors manipulate it. Will choices the character makes rewrite history? Will travel back and forth through time land you in the same place and time when you return? Will you remember your past or future life after you move between times? In The Good Part, Cousen’s female lead, Lucy Young, is a 26-year-old living in a cramped and damp flatshare in south London who has been struggling to gain a foothold in the competitive television industry all while watching her 3 best friends find success. In addition to her frustrating employment, she’s fed up with the dreadful dating scene and dealing with thoughtless roommates. So, after one especially difficult day when she wakes up to water dripping from the upstairs flat, is relegated to gopher duty by her boss despite her new promotion, gets into an argument with her best friend, and then encounters a flasher, she enters a shop to escape the rain and finds a vintage wishing machine. Her wish? To skip over all the messy, dissatisfying bits of her life so she can just get to the “good part.” Of course, it’s another case of being careful what you wish for.
When she wakes up the next morning in an unfamiliar bed with a gorgeous man who seems to know her, she has no idea how she got there. All of a sudden, she’s 16 years older with two kids and no memories of the time she’s missed. Her precocious son, 7-year-old Felix, thinks she’s an alien and encourages her to find the portal so she can leave and he can get his real mummy back. Her wonderful, loving husband Sam thinks she had temporary amnesia and makes it his mission to fill in her lost memories (both good and bad) and, in the process, she easily understands what made her fall in love with him in the first place. She also realizes that she’s become a very successful producer, but without her memory, doesn’t feel equipped to navigate the demands of the job.
So, if there is a chance to find the portal that will transport her back in time, will she take it and risk losing the family she’s come to love or will she give up trying to get those sixteen lost years back?
Cousens writes lovely stories with likable, fallible characters. This is one of her best. I found this story totally captivating and fell a little bit in love with Sam and the kids. I was going to give it 5* but I didn’t like the choice the FMC made in the end. Like her, as a reader, I’m hopeful it will all work out in the end, but I guess I’m just more risk-averse. Highly recommended.
I received a complimentary ARC of this book from G.P. Putnam’s Sons through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.
