So, this book... I have a mess of thoughts on it. And I have a lot of content warnings, and if you too are on the asexuality spectrum and want to read this book, my content warnings for you are at the bottom. There’s a lot to take in and process.
One of the best feelings as a reader is when you love a book and then realize there are another four in the series. Romancelandia Twitter tells me that we call this a "series glom," and I'm happy to report that I'm coming off of a great one. Sarina Bowen's fifth True North novel, Speakeasy, comes out today, May 29, so let's talk about the first four, shall we?
Here's what you can expect from the series as a whole:
- Excellent writing, with real, thoroughly developed characters
- Plots that are just out-there enough to hook you, but still completely plausible
- Holy hotness, the sex
The thing I love most about Lucy Parker’s books is that the protagonists are overtly kind to each other. This seems like it would be fairly common in romance, but I always struggle to find these books that hit just the right note. And Parker is almost guaranteed to give me characters who are gentle and kind to each other and behave like adults. All of which MAKING UP provides.
Content Warnings - Questionable consent during sex, parental abandonment, depicts sex work and autism as shameful
Is there anything worse than a reading slump? Because, that, my friends is exactly where I’m living these days. If it weren’t for revisiting some old favorites on audio I’d literally be getting nothing read. But one thing sure to cheer me up? Browsing for books. Even if, you know, I’m not reading them. May is kind of quiet when it comes to not-your-usual historicals, but there’s potential all the same.
You'd think that since CINNAMON BLADE: KNIFE IN SHINING ARMOR is only 80 pages, this would be a short review. You'd be right. Reader, I adored this book.
YOU, ME & HER takes place over the course of a somewhat-unconventional, potentially-controversial theatre production of Othello. As he walks in to the table-read, Nate (a white man) discovers that his being cast as Othello was in fact
not
for lack of black actors available to the director. He finds himself in a room full of black men cast in other roles in the play, with a director who's committed to the 'I cast you for your talent not your skin colour' narrative. This 100% triggered my diversity-hire-drama alarms. But nevertheless, I persisted. And I am SO glad I did! Yes, there are a couple "Sorry,
what
did this white guy just say?!" moments in the beginning, but it quickly becomes clear that there's no racial prejudice behind it; Tanya Chris is just brilliant at capturing both the uncomfortable 'Am I part of the problem? Am I about to say the exact wrong thing right now?' reality of being the only white person in a space created for people of colour, and the good-natured teasing people of colour give right back.
You know when you expect one thing from a book and you get something else? That was me and THE HENCHMEN OF ZENDA. The biggest misunderstanding we had was that I thought it would be a romance, but it was more of a suspense/adventure story with some romantic elements. And it's weird to review a book that is not a book I would normally read.
May mini-reviews, activate! A bunch of DNFs this month, plus a contemporary Suzanne loved.
