Chloe Gong’s adult fantasy debut, Immortal Longings, is inspired by Shakespeare just as much as her YA novels are. But in this case, it’s the real-life tragedy of Antony and Cleopatra which shapes this science-fiction twist on the Bard. Unfortunately, Gong imports a little too much of The Hunger Games into her brew, causing the…
Have you ever read a romance that leaves you feeling glad all over? Can’t Let Her Go is warm, tenderhearted and cheerful; a great story about friends who figure out how to fall in love without losing the spark of their friendship. Barber shop owner Patricia – Peaches – Monroe and nail tech and chemistry…
Kismat Connection is such a sweet, confidently-told, well-paced book, and you could be forgiven for not realising it is Anaya Devarajan’s début novel. It’s a fun fake-dating romance in which two teenagers try to escape the karma that threatens to haunt their futures for all eternity. Madhuri Iyer is doubly-doomed. Her mother informs her that…
Reviewing Crazy Bao You is like disciplining a puppy. This book is trying SO HARD to be a good book. It wants SO BADLY for me to like it. Having to look it in the face and say ‘I get that you’re trying, but you still pooped on the rug’ makes me feel like a…
The Enchanted Hacienda is Encanto with more romance and whole lot more spice. The end result is a fun, likable brew that entrances the reader. Unfortunately the romance here really holds up the fun. Harlow Estrada is in pain. A wannabe writer who dreams of writing a novel of some import, she’s just been cut…
With their latest standalone romcom, The True Love Experiment, perennial dynamic duo Christina Lauren prove, once again, they’re soaring among the best business partnerships ever. Batman and Robin. Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders. Lennon and McCartney. Gene Wilder and Richard Pryor. Starbucks and Spotify. Whether they’re writing smartypants STEM romcoms, angsty YA contemporaries, or heavier…
Ana Maria and the Fox revolves around the usual British-set historical romance ballrooms but gives us a unique look at that familiar place through fresh eyes. Ana María Luna Valdés is used to feeling alone and vulnerable, so relocating to England to live among strangers in order to flee the French takeover of Mexico isn’t…
I think it’s time we stopped considering the notion of published books resembling fanfiction a bad thing. Because – I’m not going to lie to y’all – The Comeback is very trope-y, and very fanfiction-y. That is, however, not a bad thing, as I had a great time with a heroine who is both imperfect…
Jasmine and Jake Rock the Boat is a story about love, family, and what happens when you take the path less traveled. Jasmine’s conservative Indian parents have never understood her determination to be all-American. While they love to talk about tradition and immerse themselves in their community, Jasmine revels in the not-traditional and loves to…
Did You Hear about Kitty Karr? is a great idea that suffers from a disorganized storytelling and a weak modern framing story. But its portrait of colorism, racism, and life lived in a segregated America is compelling. When storied actress Kitty Karr Tate passes away and wills her $60 million fortune to the St. John…
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