Amy

Amy
I’m a Midwestern lady who devours books. Back in my “music days,” I wrote about the local music scene for many outlets in Chicago as well as ran my own website. I did a career switch-a-roo back in 2016 and magically transformed into a librarian. When I’m not at work or snuggled up with a romance book, I enjoy reading comic books, trying new beers, working on cosplay, and binge playing video games. Follow me on Twitter @roboticdinos for romance, nerdery, and (hopefully) witty library insights.

Recent Posts

Review: The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics, by Olivia Waite

[fa icon="calendar'] Nov 11, 2019 9:45:00 AM / by Amy posted in review

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I was really excited about this book because I am an Olivia Waite fangirl. I love her column on the Seattle Review of Books, and she’s one of the people I recommend heavily in my work at the library. So when I saw she was coming out with a queer historical with science ladies, I knew I should take a chance on it. And I’m happy I did! The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics is a delight. I read it at a time when I was super stressed out and needed some relief during Big Life Stuff, and Catherine and Lucy’s story was like a warm, safe weighted blanket at the end of the day.

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Review: Aurora Blazing, by Jessie Mihalik

[fa icon="calendar'] Oct 3, 2019 9:45:00 AM / by Amy posted in review

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Aurora Rising has  everything I want to read in an SF book and a Romance book - action, adventure, girls with guns, so much hacking, and of course kissing in space. Though the romance in Aurora Rising not the driving force behind the plot, it’s hard not to get engaged in Bianca and Ian’s drama.

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Review: Crashing into Her, by Mia Sosa

[fa icon="calendar'] Jun 12, 2019 9:45:00 AM / by Amy posted in review

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 Sometimes it’s hard to jump into the last book of a series. As a reviewer, this can happen a lot. Sometimes it can feel like you’re always playing catch-up while reading, and it’s easy to get distracted by the details. But sometimes you find a book that makes you want to go back and read the entire series. Crashing Into Her was that for me. Mia Sosa showed me a world I wanted to know more about, and even though I came in late, I’m so glad I found it.

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Review: The Chai Factor, by Farah Heron

[fa icon="calendar'] Jun 10, 2019 9:45:00 AM / by Amy posted in review

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The Chai Factor is a beautiful contemporary romance with a message. It’s fun but not fluffy, engaging but not light. Amira and Duncan’s story isn’t unseen in romance - a girl from a traditional family falls for a guy outside of her culture - but Heron tells it in such a way that’s it’s new and refreshing.

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Romance in Libraries

[fa icon="calendar'] Apr 9, 2019 9:45:00 AM / by Amy

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It’s National Library Week, yay! Last year a kid threw up in front of me, probably because they were so excited about public libraries. This year I’m hoping for a calmer celebration.

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Food, Weddings, and Diaspora: An Interview with Nisha Sharma

[fa icon="calendar'] Apr 1, 2019 9:45:00 AM / by Amy posted in interview

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Amy, who is Sri Lankan-American, is reading Nisha Sharma's new  romance, The Takeover Effect, for Love in Panels and Nisha was gracious enough to answer her questions for us!

Read on for their discussion about writing across age ranges, weddings, and the Indian-American experience.

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Review: Shadow Pact, by Tally Adams

[fa icon="calendar'] Mar 13, 2019 9:45:00 AM / by Amy posted in review

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Tally Adam’s first book in the Immortal Romance series has a lot going on. It wears its influences on its sleeve - Underworld, Supernatural, and many other vampire and werewolf movies and shows of the 90s and 00s. Shadow Pact follows William, a half werewolf half vampire who is the official executioner of the Coven, a shadowy organization that rules the immortals of the world. He and his surrogate father figure and friend, Paoli, act as the Coven’s hand to kill any who disobey their laws. When they go to a werewolf pack to exterminate a new target, they meet Emily, a human who is trying to save her estranged sister from the pack. Surprise, surprise, William and Paoli’s target is Emily’s sister. William attraction to Emily is immediate, and together he and Paoli discover that Emily must be his mate. But a werewolf has never had a mate that’s been human before!

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Love's Sweet Arrow - Q&A With the Backlins

[fa icon="calendar'] Mar 4, 2019 3:43:27 PM / by Amy posted in interview

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Romance fans rejoice - a romance-only bookstore may be coming to the Midwest! Marissa and Roseann Backlin are a mother/daughter team who currently have a Kickstarter for Love’s Sweet Arrow. Their goal is to open up a romance focused bookstore in the south suburbs of Chicago with the funds raised. We spoke to Marissa and Roseann about their Kickstarter, their goals for the store, and some of their favorite romance reads.

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Review: His Dark Magic, by Pat Esden

[fa icon="calendar'] Jan 1, 2019 9:45:00 AM / by Amy posted in review

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His Dark Magic follows Chloe, a witch from a well-connected family who is a medical student in Vermont. A terrible incident from her past has led her to pursue a career in medicine, where she hopes to combine her magical talent with her scientific work to heal otherwise unhealable conditions. The local coven, the Northern Circle, takes notice of her ability and asks her to join. At first, Chloe isn’t very interested in joining - the Northern Circle has had a rough past, and its reputation is discouraging. 

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Review: Tikka Chance on Me, by Suleikha Snyder

[fa icon="calendar'] Nov 13, 2018 9:45:00 AM / by Amy posted in review

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Gosh, I wish there was more of this book. I want more of these characters! But what we have is still very, very good. Tikka Chance on Me is about two people who return to their hometown for very different reasons. Pinky Grover came back home to small-town Indiana to take care of her sick mother and ended up staying well after her mom was better. She dropped out of her Ph.D. program to work at her family’s Indian restaurant (the only one for miles), and it’s nothing like the life she was living in Chicago. The only bright spot in her day is seeing local bad boy Trucker Carrigan. Trucker left Indiana and has come back to join the Eastville Eagles, the local semi-legitimate biker gang. He insists that he and his friends come to the restaurant once a week for Indian food, but his real motivation is to catch glimpses of Pinky. They’ve stayed clear of each other, limiting their interactions to sneaky glances and whispered flirting, but one chance encounter at the Walmart garden center (the sexiest part of any store) sets some steamy moments in motion.

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