I’m not nitpicky when it comes to books. So long as I am entertained, I can forgive minor foibles. However, I recently finished a suspense novel (published January 2026) in which a twenty-six-year-old woman in present-day Chicago doesn’t charge her phone for over a week. I’m not going to regurgitate all the hoops the author…
I’ve been fascinated by some of the conversations the internet has been having about fanfic and the ethical/financial questions it raises. We live in a time where fandom no longer involves just buying a one-off product but often means investing in the whole world of that commodity via websites, online communities and yes, fanfiction which…
Another year has come and gone! 2024 marked my 14th year as a reviewer and my 24th+ year as a reader at AAR .I’ve found many, many great romances here. These are my favorites published in 2024: The London Bookshop Affair by Louise Fein. A dual-time story taking place in London during the 1940s/1960s this…
I’ve never really liked one-size-fits-all clothing. Sure, it works for knitted items like scarves and hats, but beyond that, these materials are so shapeless they tend to fit relatively few people well. Recently, it feels as though publishers are moving towards one-size-fits-all in books, because I am increasingly reading romances that would, a decade ago,…
Every year, after we’ve run all our individual “Best of” lists, we ask each reviewer to choose their ONE favourite book of the year from their list. We’re an eclectic bunch when it comes to our reading habits, so this is an eclectic list – hopefully with something for everyone!
2021 was a rollercoaster of a year for me – and I would imagine for many others. Regardless of where on the political spectrum you fall, you were no doubt affected by the controversies surrounding the events at the U.S. Capitol in January, the vaccine debates that have raged the world over since the spring…
(originally published on June 3, 2016) In another of our occasional series in which we discuss the merits – or lack thereof – of fictional heroes and heroines, AAR staffers turn their attention to Alex Markov of Kiss an Angel by Susan Elizabeth Phillips. Kiss An Angel taps into the classic “arranged marriage” trope. The two protagonists,…
originally published on February 3, 2017 Women have a long history of standing up for their beliefs, and there are great romance novels starring heroines doing just that. American and British suffragettes (or suffragists), Civil Rights activists, lawyers, writers, organizers, and military rebels – you’ll find all of them here, and more. Let these ladies…
My best book of 2020 was not a romance, though it did have a romantic subplot. The Sun Down Motel by Simone St. James was perfection in book form and was the highlight of my reading year. Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, which also had a sweet romance running through it, was a close second….
To me, nothing is scarier than reality, especially 2020 reality. While I can blissfully disdain most tales of ghosts, ghouls and other things that go bump in the night, I find it much harder to be blasé about the terrifying things people do to each other. Which is why my perfect scary read is a…
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