Whenever a lesbian romance shows up on Hoopla (via my library) on audio, I give it a try. One reason is because I'm desperate for good f/f romances. The other reason is because the "lesfic" publishers price their books higher than I can reasonably afford. Sure enough, this one from Ylva Publishing is at $9.99 in ebook and $17.99 in print. (If you want f/f romance at a more accessible price point, your (US) options are: indie authors, sales on the Bella/Boldstrokes/Ylva websites, or libraries.)
Teacher’s Pet, Vol. 2 is the second anthology from Ninestar Press that features stories about student/teacher relationships. However, in most of the cases the teachers are private tutors, yoga or gym teachers or similar. In the stories that are set at a university, the couples agree to wait till the semester is over before they get serious, so they can avoid issues with power-imbalance. The one exception to that is the one story in the anthology that is erotica rather than romance (Press “Copy” to Begin) and in my experience erotica tends to be less concerned with reality anyway.
Three mini-reviews of three very different books: a paranormal novella, a contemporary romance, and the debut novel from Hank Green.
KJ Charles newest novel is a sweet, tender, funny and unapologetically queer polyam romance. Readers of Heyer’s classic regencies will recognize Charles playful nods to Heyer’s style throughout the novel from its character types, distinctive slang and energetic resolution. Long-time Charles readers will find delight in the depth of characterization, her scene-stealing secondary characters and her complex emotional conflicts even if no one is gruesomely or mystically murdered.
A Taste of Agapi is a gay romance between two college students in Greece. Reading it felt like going on a summer abroad. It's a story filled with sweetness: Really wonderful, supportive friends! Comic book stores and superhero debates! So! Much! Coffee! (The Greeks all drink frappes all day every day, and hardly ever go to class. They spend alottt of time lounging around in cafes drinking coffee and smoking cigarettes.) Really adorable welcoming-at-the-airport-
Arrivals-gate scenes. Wonderful, loving, accepting responses to someone coming out (and no negative responses). Tent sex! (First time naked with another man, first time having sex at all tent sex!) Tired boys who haven't been sleeping finally getting rest together, and the sexual tension that ensues. There's also drinking games, drunken nights at a club, spin-the-bottle on a camping trip, and sooo much delicious Greek food!
Something a little different today - a subscription box review!
You know how the last couple of weeks (years, let's be real) have been AWFUL? Well, I have found the cure. It's $4.99 and it's available wherever you buy your eBooks.
If I Loved You Less is a lovely retelling of Jane Austen’s Emma that stays very true to the original novel. Theo is a social butterfly in Hanalei, where she runs her father’s surf shop. Upon meeting Laurel, Theo takes control of Laurel’s life by finding her jobs and attempting to matchmake Laurel with eligible men without great success. Meanwhile, her friend, Kini, watches Theo make mistakes and stumble, trying to help Theo become a better person. So, if you are unfamiliar with Emma, this is totally a slow burn friends to lovers story.
The first in what I hope is a series, JN Welsh's In Tune is an enemies-to-lovers romance set in the Electronic Dance Music (EDM) scene. The hero, Luke, is a DJ from Chicago who is embarking on a world tour and needs someone to manage him. (Though Luke isn't from the Netherlands, I pictured him as Afrojack, complete with soul patch.) The heroine, Leona, is on a year-long break from the business after a horrible breakup with a producer named Paul Reeves. Her boss and longtime friend, Abe, pulls her back in because Luke's agent wants Leo to manage the tour and Abe's business is in financial trouble.
