I just realized I’ve read a lot of books lately without saying anything about them. Rather than do a separate review for each, I thought I’d do a catchup post for all of them, in no particular order but grouped loosely by theme. Here we go:
Soulless, by Gail Carriger (Parasol Protectorate, Book 1)
I thoroughly enjoyed this smart, funny book. Alternate history in Victorian England, paranormal romance with a touch of steampunk. Did I mention funny? I’ll be moving briskly on to the next book in the series.
If you like your paranormal romance with some humor, also check out the Blood Lust trilogy by Zoe Winters (available at Amazon). I’ve read Kept and Claimed, and Mated is due out soon. Winters does her own modern-day twist on the paranormal, and she has a knack for lacing it with snark. Two novellas by Ciar Cullen, The Egyptian Demon’s Keeper and The Egyptian Demon’s Daughter, also mix the light-hearted with the paranormal.
Moving on to some erotica: The Wicked West by Victoria Dahl (M/F, Marked for Pleasure by Jennifer Leeland (M/F), and The Royal Touch by Zoe Nichols (F/M/M) all do a good job with BDSM relationships. Nichols’ stellar first-person narrative is believable from word one. Megan Hart’s Passion Model puts the (non-BDSM) erotica into a futuristic setting; a couple of plot points felt forced, but I liked the worldbuilding and relationships. Finally, Kirsten Saell’s The Chancellor’s Bride (M/M/F) is probably the best erotica I’ve read to date. Well-done in every respect.
Other bits and pieces: Butterface is a touching, well-done YA by Gwen Hayes (available at Smashwords; also check out her YA novella So Over You). If the gothic is more your style, there’s Beauty Tempts the Beast by Leslie Dicken, with an atmospheric old house, villains (plural), a plucky heroine, tortured souls, sweetness and steam. Maggie Robinson’s Mistress by Mistake has been widely reviewed; I found it surprisingly sexy and a lot of fun. Jacquelyn Frank’s Stealing Kathryn is another paranormal romance that I enjoyed. And last but not least, Shiloh Walker’s Broken is a solid romantic suspense story.
That’s all for now. What are you reading? Any recommendations?
