Reviewing anthologies is much different from reviewing a single title. Sometimes we choose to highlight a couple of stories, sometimes we give a general overview, and sometimes we give a short review for each story. I've been using this anthology, Into the Mystic, Vol. 3, as a palate cleanser between longer stories, which is both why this review is a bit late and why this review is going to be Option 3 - short reviews for each story.
What Kind of Day is a lovely gentle read about two people becoming who they want to be with some assistance from each other. Naya runs small, specialized tours around Manila and the Philippines, and one day Ben appears. He has just resigned from his job working for a senator when he sits down in Naya’s van. The book takes place over months, but really three or so days.
Veronica Scott is a sci-fi romance author, but she's also a dedicated SFF reader. (If you haven't caught her monthly Sci-Fi Romance Best Bets column, the June one went up just a few days ago.) Today she's here with a guest review of Nalini Singh's Ocean Light, the latest in her Psy-Changeling series!
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Summer time! Sum-sum-summertime! The weather is warming up (for some of you it’s positively boiling…), my favorite sporting pastime time is in full swing (baseball!), and what better way to unwind during the busiest months at my day job than with some new historical romances. Here is what is catching my eye in June:
ROGUES RUSH IN is a duet of stories by Dare and Caldwell, each focusing on roguish men and their scandalous paramours. In HIS BRIDE FOR THE TAKING, Lord Sebastian Byrne has pined for Mary Caldwell, the sister of his best friend, for years. But when Mary’s brother died in battle, he made a promise to honor and protect her for the rest of his life. None of this included marriage. This code of honor has kept him from pursuing Mary for years. When Mary’s fiance leaves her at the altar though, all bets are off. Sebastian sees this as an opportunity to not only fulfill his friend’s wishes for his sister by saving her from embarrassment but also finally wedding the woman of his dreams. Dare’s story is super cute, with a lot of witty banter and some small twists that make for a sweet love pairing. BUT WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT THE IKEA SCENE.
Veronica Scott gives us five, yes FIVE, top Sci-Fi Romance reads for June!
This morning, we published Eva's review of Bed of Flowers, Erin Satie's new historical romance. Now we're sharing an excerpt and access to a giveaway!
When Charles Gavin finally proposes to Bonny, she couldn’t be happier. The marriage will mean the end of her family’s financial difficulties since he promises to support them after the wedding. She is so happy that she doesn’t even mind that his proposal boils down to “I looked for a woman that was beautiful and rich but couldn’t find one so one who is just beautiful will have to do.” Only when Baron Loel hints that Gavin has a dark secret she starts wondering if she made the right choice. And when she develops feelings for Loel she never had for Gavin she wonders even more. But it’s not just her family’s fortune that’s at stake: Loel is the reason her family lost their fortune in the first place.
As a reader who struggled a bit with Maclean's last series, I'm so happy to say that I think Wicked and the Wallflower is something of a return to form for Sarah Maclean. As I said to a friend, the heroine gives me the same feelings as Callie from 9 Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake, with the dangerous underworld feels of her series that takes place at a gambling hell.
