Out of Nowhere, by Felicia Davin

The second book in the Nowhere trilogy, Out of Nowhere ratchets up the tension from Edge of Nowhere. I confess, I stalled somewhere around the halfway mark, not opening the book again for weeks. Eventually, trusting the author to fulfill the promise of a happy ending that’s the immutable part of genre romance got me over the emotional block.

Reader, beware: some sex on the page between two adult men, swearing, trauma from childhood and from recent forced experimentation, including starvation, and a bit of violence. The author has a very comprehensive list of warning and tags here, below the blurb.

Someone to Wed, by Mary Balogh

Back in 2018, I glommed the first three novels in this series. Now that I seem cursed to re-reading more than reading new stuff (often because the writing voice is comforting, or because, even with the HEA promise of genre romance, I don’t have the emotional spoons to brave the relationship journey with an author I don’t yet know), I re-read them, and, I hope, finally learned my lesson: I cannot enjoy Ms Balogh’s newer work.

Someone to Hold, by Mary Balogh

This novel, set just a few months after the end of Someone to Love, tells the story of the second daughter of the late Earl of Riverdale. I first read the first three books in what is now ::checks:: a nine book series just over four years ago, while struggling with the neverending reading slump from hell. As I’m still struggling with that, because ::gestures widely at the world::, I’ve re-read them recently. And, as I need blog fodder, here’s my review.

Content note: I curse a fair bit, because the whole “blood is thicker than water” schtick so many genre romance authors cleave to gets on my ultimate nerve. (see footnote 1)

Whistling in the Dark, by Tamara Allen

The most lovely Marilyn recommended this book on twitter when it was on sale, and I’m very glad I caught it. And hey, look, it fits this month’s theme for SuperWendy’s TBR Challenge!

Reader beware: both of the main characters suffer from PTSD; there’s also alcohol abuse, mentions of suicide ideation, grief and death of loved ones, and some violence on page, .

This book was originally published in 2008, and was re-released by the author this month.