A Royal Affair, by Allison Montclair

In the “better late than never” category, I’m using this ARC as my ‘freebie’ entry to SuperWendy’s TBRChallenge–beyond the fact that this book has been in my digital TBR pile of doom for well over two years, despite my enthusiasm last summer, I happen to also have the ARC for the upcoming fifth title in the series that I would like to review on time, so I better catch up as best (and fast) as I can.

Beware: one of the protagonists has been flirting with alcoholism for a few years (probably as a coping mechanism for PTSD); threat of violence more than actual violence; one asshole forcing a kiss on an unwilling woman.

The Other Lady Vanishes, by Amanda Quick

Better two days late than never: this is my entry for the TBR Challenge for April, theme “unusual historicals”. Set in the California coast–not in Los Angeles–in the 1930s, and, having been sitting unread in my shelves in 2018, this one fits the bill very nicely.

Beware: explicit sex on page; several murders staged as suicides; violence; forced drugging; references to rape; shitty treatment of mental health issues.

Gallant Officer, Forbidden Lady, by Diane Gaston

This month’s TBR Challenge theme is ‘baggage’; as SuperWendy notes, ‘baggage’ is the bread and butter of genre romance, so I was spoiled for choices. Which of course meant that I couldn’t think of anything.

However, this book has been inching its way up the towering pile of print TBR books in my nightstand for a while (a long while–I’ve had this signed copy since 2009, gog help me), and with a hero who survived the 1812 siege and subsequent pillaging of Badajoz, “baggage” was a given.

Reader beware: descriptions of battle scenes, PTSD, attempted rape, sex on the page.

A Christmas to Remember (anthology)

Over the years, I have realized that most genre romance Christmas stories are not a good match for me.

No, that’s not true.

Most genre romance Christmas stories at best irk me, at worst enrage me.

And yet, I have so many of them spread all over the TBR cordilleras of doom, both print and digital. (I blame poor impulse control when an author I’ve liked is involved, or if the blurb is clever.)

Anyhow, this anthology (one of several so named), was my choice for SuperWendy’s TBR Challenge for December 2022 (“festive”). I hoped that, being short stories, I could read it quickly (I did), and review it quickly (oh, sweet innocent past me).

For what it’s worth, here is the belated review. Beware: relentlessly hetero, relentlessly white; death of parents, death of spouse, death of child (all off-page, as character backstory); some sex, not terribly explicit, on page. Oh, and spoilers for a couple of the stories abound in the review.