yourbookishbff's reviews
572 reviews

Seduced In A Storm by Royaline Sing

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hopeful lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

A charming story of separated childhood friends who were on the *cusp* of being more when a misunderstood event pushed them apart. Reunited unexpectedly years later, we get flashes of their childhood and teen years amidst their present day scandal-in-the-making. Sweet and lighthearted with some on-page spice. Set during Holi!
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The Winter Companion by Mimi Matthews

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emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

Set in North Devon during the winter holidays, The Winter Companion is festive on the inside (of the abbey) and gray and rainy on the outside, making it a perfectly Gothic Christmas romance for our final parish orphan. Neville is underestimated so consistently - even by those who love him - that this story has some seriously sharp edges for the reader, but he finds his heart's match in Clara, an overlooked lady's companion harboring self-doubt alongside heavy familial burdens. The way these two come together is so tender, and I was moved to see how they claim each other and their dreams in the end. As to be expected in Mimi Matthews, I spent a good bit of this feeling weepy, but gosh what a lovely conclusion to this series.
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The Duchess Takes a Husband by Harper St. George

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emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

This was an angsty and emotional conclusion to the series that had me ugly crying well before the 30% mark. We knew Camille's backstory would include some significant trauma, and I thought that it was handled well and with the appropriate nuance to help contextualize how a woman of this time - with some limited exposure to women's rights movements - might begin to think about and heal from her own experience of abuse and assault within a marriage. Camille's growing self-confidence through the story was beautifully done, and I loved seeing her reclaim agency and pleasure on her own and in partnership with Jacob. Jacob's arc was missing something for me, though, and I felt his attitude turn-around wasn't adequately supported by character development, so it mostly felt like whiplash. Part of it may be that the set-up for his internal conflict just felt insufficient? I didn't feel entirely confident that he had worked through his own issues in a meaningful way by the end.
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Amor Actually by Adriana Herrera, Sabrina Sol, Diana Muñoz Stewart, Mia Sosa, Priscilla Oliveras, Alexis Daria, Zoey Castile

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

I LOVED this! It is probably most enjoyable (and most cohesive) if you're familiar enough with Love Actually to recognize the storylines these authors are subverting. This is full of queer love and self-discovery and the traditions we inherit and those we make for ourselves. A powerhouse group of authors take the source material, burn it, and remake it into something more inclusive and real.
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Miss Dominguez's Christmas Kiss and Other Stories by Lydia San Andres

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hopeful lighthearted reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.0

A sweet and lighthearted short story collection set before and after Nochebuena and New Year's at the turn of the century in the Dominican Republic. These three shorts each center characters who live in the same boardinghouse in Ciudad Real. The first is F/F (and available as an extra on her website for free) and the second two are M/F (the middle story features a 40+ bi FMC!). I read this little collection in one sitting - loved how sweet this was (and a bit spicy in that middle story!). 
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How the Dukes Stole Christmas by Sarah MacLean, Sophie Jordan, Tessa Dare, Joanna Shupe

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emotional funny lighthearted reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Diverse cast of characters? No

4.0

Of the four novellas, Sarah MacLean's angsty second-chance romance (with the lightest touch on the shortbread) was my favorite. These are tonally very different, with Dare's lighthearted and sweet, MacLean's angsty AF, Jordan's borderline fated mates and Scottish hijinks, and Shupe's... Oh Shupe. Only Shupe could make me root for the boss starting an "affair" (closet bang) with his "married" (single and virginal) employee amidst the stressiest holiday dinner party on the planet. This was a fun holiday anthology!
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Meet Me in Los Feliz by Kelly Reynolds

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funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.0

I struggled with this female main character's repeated ghosting of the male main character as a stress response and the lack of real context for that behavior. And the intimacy scenes felt rushed and out of character for these two at various points. 
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The Lady Tempts an Heir by Harper St. George

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emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes

4.5

This was a risky premise for a conflict, but I loved its resolution - so well done. This started slow for me, but once Max and Helena were on page together consistently, their chemistry was excellent. Loved this third act so much.

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A Convenient Fiction by Mimi Matthews

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emotional hopeful mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

My favorite of the series so far, Alex's story was everything I love in romance. The mutual trust and respect he and Laura build, the new families they forge and the families they reclaim together, their earnest vulnerability - it all worked so beautifully that I never wanted to step away from the story. And, as always in a Mimi Matthews romance, I was thoroughly weepy by the end. And the declaration(s) of fidelity?! I was ecstatic to see these moments perfectly executed on page - there are so many exchanges between Alex and Laura I won't forget. 
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When The Lord Adored Me by Lydia Lloyd

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funny hopeful lighthearted reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

I loved this sweet little novella. This was a surprisingly tender character exploration - set within a 12-days-of-Christmas-let's-just-get-it-out-of-our-systems sexual retreat for two besotted friends. Lloyd deftly navigates friends-to-lovers, nailing the challenges in the transition from friends to more - the feeling of remarkable intimacy and comfort counterbalanced with anxiety and vulnerability. I loved these two people and how well they knew themselves and each other - and how Lloyd used their differences as fulcrums for their own self-discovery. This is lighthearted - while also being tender and earnest - and delightfully sexy. 
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