I've been a Ruby Dixon fan-girl since her Ice Planet Barbarians series, but I've been crushingly underwhelmed with her other books*4.5 stars*
Finally!
I've been a Ruby Dixon fan-girl since her Ice Planet Barbarians series, but I've been crushingly underwhelmed with her other books since, especially her newer offerings. However, I could NOT stop reading Bound to the Shadow Prince, and I pulled two nearly all-nighters to finish this nearly 600 page book.
I've read nothing but kind of negative reviews of this book, so I went into it with extremely low expectations. However, I was SO pleasantly surprised with this one! Like, it went above and beyond my expectations, which probably contributed to my high rating.
Warning: this book has a VERY slow burn romance, enemies-to-lovers, lots of violence and death, and it is LONG. This isn't the typical Ruby Dixon "love at first sight" kind of story. It is kind of slow with lots of world-building, and I was here for it!! It struck me in just the right sort of ways.
The romance is romancing, baby! Give me a bookish, kind of nerdy GIANT male alien MC and a sultry female seductress MC any day of the week. Just, YES. It really worked for me. I loved the chemistry that developed between these two, and I kept wanting more. Also, I adored the chronic medical condition representation in this romance. I would postulate, based on symptoms and treatment, that the medical condition is loosely based on type-1 diabetes, and it's really well done.
I have very few negatives about Bound to the Shadow Prince. Any book that keeps me reading all night automatically gets 4.5-5 stars, in my book. Be ready for twists and turns, and some smoldering sex scenes. Thank you, Ruby Dixon!
Okay.... OMG, guys. I can't stop thinking about this graphic novBRB, going to scream everywhere about how much I loved My Brother's Husband, Volume 1.
Okay.... OMG, guys. I can't stop thinking about this graphic novel/manga. The storyline is just so incredible. I don't know how the author got just the right mix of painful, moving, and hopeful, but Gengoroh Tagame nailed it.
I know this might sound trite to say, but I really learned a lot from this story. It's eye-opening how gay people are viewed in Japan, which is still a very traditional country. This story is the journey towards acceptance, told through the lens of a widower and his husband's brother. Touching doesn't even begin to describe this one. Such a powerful graphic novel with so few words.
But the ILLUSTRATIONS... *fans self.* This is an all-ages story, and I'm giving it to my teenage daughter next, but the drawings will make you swoon. Trust me, I've never been so attracted to a drawing before. You will want to read this author's less family friendly offerings next (after finishing this series of course).
I'm over the moon that I have this in hardcover. 1000% recommend.
It's been well over a decade since I've read a Sara Donati novel, and though her "Into the Wilderness" series is a 5-star favorite of mine,*4.5 stars*
It's been well over a decade since I've read a Sara Donati novel, and though her "Into the Wilderness" series is a 5-star favorite of mine, a LOT has changed about my reading tastes since then. So the question remains; would I still love Sara Donati in 2024? I'm thrilled to report that not only did I enjoy The Sweet Blue Distance, but I couldn't put it down.
The Sweet Blue Distance is an 800+ page behemoth of a book, but don't let that put you off. It flows beautifully. It's actually amazing how this author can make 800 pages read so well and with so much detail, all while keeping the readers' interest. The story is also loosely tied to the "Into the Wilderness" series, but you don't need any knowledge of the other story to read this one. For me, it was nice to have the call-backs to that series, like visiting old friends. It made me want to dust off my old paperbacks and give the series another re-read.
The novel is a slow burn, low steam historical American romance with a lot of character development and medical content. The female MC is a midwife, and we see her emotional and physical journey as a medical professional at a time when women working in medical fields weren't properly respected. I adored everything about this book, especially the complicated race relations and personal details that the author doesn't shy away from. I'm not an expert on the historical accuracy, but it all felt very real.
The romance is understated but beautiful. You have to wait a bit for the relationship to develop over time, but it was a lovely, drama-free romance that you can swoon over. This book is perfect for fans of this author's other series as well as Outlander enthusiasts. Personally, I adored it and it reignited my desire to explore this author's backlist.
Ultra-competitive co-workers to lovers romance with non-human/human pairing and giant barbed penises?? Lily Mayne, you just know how to tu*4.5 stars*
Ultra-competitive co-workers to lovers romance with non-human/human pairing and giant barbed penises?? Lily Mayne, you just know how to turn my crank.
For those of us (MEEEEE) who are huge fans of Lily Mayne's Monstrous and Folk series, the Deep Earth Dating books are an interesting change of pace. They are lighter, low angst, more humorous reads, and I really enjoy them. Especially since Lily seems to be having so much fun writing them, and though they are less intense, they still manage to bring so many feels.
I liked the dynamic between the two MCs. They are both out to win in all aspects of their lives, and they are always up for a challenge (*wink, wink*). I think that was an interesting switch from the first book in the series: Here, the male MC couldn't have been more different from the passive Greid. In this book, we get some epic one-upmanship sex and some incredible chemistry between Anita and Nuni. I adored it.
I think some of the tension felt a little forced, and I was happy the author didn't throw in some last minute turmoil, but I really loved this book as a whole. Honestly, is there something Lily Mayne can't write??
Whew! I have a lot of thoughts about this *scorching* hot audiobook.
I hadn't listened to this these narrators before, but they really did a fantasticWhew! I have a lot of thoughts about this *scorching* hot audiobook.
I hadn't listened to this these narrators before, but they really did a fantastic job. They talked through some GRAPHIC content, and I was here for it. This falls into the "one-handed read" category, for sure.
I couldn't stop listening. I listened for probably 6 hours a day until I finished this baby, which is a LOT. Huge props to the author for making a sexuality discovery story to remember.
But the book... it also has flaws.
*NERD ALERT, AHEAD* First of all, my husband and I both went to the two schools that Avi got into, and let me tell you- Tufts and BC are NOT for mediocre, slacker students. The fact that Avi got into them while failing his classes is laughable. Also, Somerville, where these guys lived, is not the suburban, preppy haven in the book. It used to be crap, but now it's sort of all upscale urban condos. These are issues I had with the location and college aspects, and I kept talking to myself, arguing with the inaccuracies. But that will just probably bother only, like, two people.
But the rest of the plot also has loose ends. A few plot points just dangled and went nowhere, and you can't tell me that the book didn't devolve into fantasy-land at the end. Just wackadoodle stuff, and it didn't ring true. Also, the book is LONG, and I think 100 pages could have been cut out and everything tightened up a bit.
Despite the flaws, I can't help myself- I adored this one. The chemistry was just FIRE, and I really liked the enemies-to-lovers plot. I wish it was less all over the place and messy at times, but listening to this book was truly a joy. a sexy, sexy joy.
Heather K (dentist in my spare time)
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