Read & Have Opinions On
Quick Note -  I went through so many books this past month that instead of including a "Looking Forward To" section, you're getting the proverbial word vomit of all my thoughts and feelings. And there are actually other books that didn't make it on here, but I felt like for the sake of everyone's sanity this was enough. Thanks for accepting me in all my book craziness! 

Kimiko and the Accidental Proposal by Forthright 
She wasn’t aware of her gift’s significance, yet he expects to be courted.

Kimiko enrolls at the In-between’s prestigious new high school, which is designed to promote the integration of the human and inhuman races. As a reaver, she’s supposed to act as peacemaker, bridging a formidable cultural gap, but the other two members of her triad don’t need any help in that department. Akira and Suuzu have been friends since middle school. Instead, the boys must rally behind Kimiko when she inadvertently initiates a courtship with Eloquence Starmark.


My Thoughts: I'm just going to put it out there that this description is so much less than the book's whole. Like, I understand that the intricacies of the world Forthright has created makes it harder than normal for blurbs to capture the whole thing, but y'all. This book is so good. This series is so good and I can't wait to see how it continues to evolve. Forthright excels at writing incredible relationships, that grow and build in ways that I just don't see in other fantasies or romances - plus there's a special place in my heart for relationships that develop after lots of conversation to get past misunderstandings. It's incredibly soothing. Plus this book brings back characters from book one, building on their stories without detracting from the main couple (which is hard). If you're looking for an engaging series with interesting, well developed characters and a sweet romance - this is it.


Witchmark by C.L. Polk
In an original world reminiscent of Edwardian England in the shadow of a World War, cabals of noble families use their unique magical gifts to control the fates of nations, while one young man seeks only to live a life of his own.

Magic marked Miles Singer for suffering the day he was born, doomed either to be enslaved to his family's interest or to be committed to a witches' asylum. He went to war to escape his destiny and came home a different man, but he couldn’t leave his past behind. The war between Aeland and Laneer leaves men changed, strangers to their friends and family, but even after faking his own death and reinventing himself as a doctor at a cash-strapped veterans' hospital, Miles can’t hide what he truly is.

When a fatally poisoned patient exposes Miles’ healing gift and his witchmark, he must put his anonymity and freedom at risk to investigate his patient’s murder. To find the truth he’ll need to rely on the family he despises, and on the kindness of the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen.

My Thoughts: I kept seeing this one talked about on Twitter so I decided to take the plunge with the help of my local library (thanks DC!). It's an interesting one for me, an alternate history England where the slowburn romance is adjacent to the main mystery plot. I liked how the initial symptoms that Miles encountered as a doctor whose patients were exclusively Veterans could easily have been categorized as a form of PTSD, but throughout the book took on more and more sinister connotations. There are also a ton of complicated relationships in this book, between friends, family, community, etc. and each of them is flavored by their own societal dictates of propriety in addition to emotion. The big reveal at the end even surprised me, because while I had guessed some of it, I definitely hadn't grasped the full breadth of the whole enterprise - or the huge ramifications to society that will be examined more thoroughly in the next book. For me Witchmark was a bit of a slow burn with a satisfying payoff, so I would recommend.

Leopard's Blood by Christine Feehan
Though he was born into a leopard’s lair in the bayou, Joshua Tregre’s fighting skills were honed in the rain forests of Borneo. Sleek and deadly, he’s the perfect man to take over a crime syndicate back home in Louisiana’s lush swamplands. His razor-sharp instincts give him an edge in the violent underworld he knows so well, but even the watchful leopard inside him isn’t prepared for the threat that comes from the girl next door...

She is a woman who can create beauty out of thin air—and out of the ruins of her own life. The games that dangerous men play have taken their toll on her, but she is bent, not broken. And it’s her fierce spirit that’s like a lure to Joshua, a temptation he can’t resist—even if it means bringing his true nature into the light...

My Thoughts: You know, I picked this book up from the library because while I don't read Feehan with the same consistency anymore, the blurb made it sound like it was going to perhaps be a bit more like her older work. Plus I vaguely remembered Joshua from earlier on in the series when I was still following more closely. In the end I think it mostly just cemented why these aren't so much my cup of tea anymore. I don't have a problem with insta-love, but insta-lust that's fueled by hormones/bodily functions that "can't be resisted"? Not my jam. Plus it but the heroine immediately on the defensive during the relationship, when she had very some very good reasons for feeling the way she did. Plus, I've lost my ability to be totally on board with helpful heroines. I want her choices to be respected, even if they're made on incomplete information, so being physically bullied into doing what was "best" for her was just...not fun. I don't need every woman to be able to kick every man's ass, but I want her to have agency dammit, not just the masquerade of it [shakes fist]. Also, I'm just gonna leave you on this one note: leopard sex. I actually don't ever need my people romances to feature animal sex, and I think that's ok.

Diamond Fire by Ilona Andrews
Nevada Frida Baylor and Connor Ander Rogan cordially invite you to join their wedding celebration. Summoning, weather manipulation, and other magical activities strictly forbidden.

Catalina Baylor is looking forward to wearing her maid of honor dress and watching her older sister walk down the aisle.  Then the wedding planner gets escorted off the premises, the bride’s priceless tiara disappears, and Rogan's extensive family overruns his mother’s home.  Someone is cheating, someone is lying, and someone is plotting murder.

To make this wedding happen, Catalina will have to do the thing she fears most: use her magic.  But she’s a Baylor and there’s nothing she wouldn't do for her sister's happiness.  Nevada will have her fairy tale wedding, even if Catalina has to tear the mansion apart brick by brick to get it done.

My Thoughts: In the best way possible I want to say that this was exactly what I expected and it was great. This novella is a complete story that also acts as a bridge to the next arc of the series, which will focus on Catalina (and the rest of the Baylor children?). Catalina proves herself to be a woman just as capable as her sister, with powers that have their own interesting depths and gradation of expressions.  Andrews focusing this story in and around the wedding was a great way to immediately increase tension since everyone's emotions are already running high, and while I wouldn't say the whodunit was totally unexpected, there are few scenes as recklessly fun as that final confrontation.

A Little Familiar by R. Cooper 
A powerful witch, Piotr Russell has resigned himself to loneliness, because ordinary humans can’t know what he is, and other witches are intimidated by his abilities. Generations of Russells have lived and died with only their familiars at their side. The presence of a friendly familiar is enough to keep even the loneliest witch sane, and yet Piotr deliberately hasn’t chosen one. He forces himself to keep busy instead, but the emptiness of his house haunts him even more the spirit of Great-Great-Aunt Elysia in the parlor. With Samhain and Halloween approaching, he’ll have much to do, and knowing that, his concerned coven seizes the chance to intervene and sends help to his door in the form of Bartleby Dorchester.

The rarest of rare jewels, Bartleby is a human familiar: a witch with no magic of his own, and a desire to find a strong witch to help and serve. In particular, he desires to help and serve Piotr, and everything in Piotr wants to let him. Bartleby was meant to be his familiar; Piotr knows it as surely as he knows when it will rain or when the apples in his garden will ripen. But what Piotr wants from Bartleby, all he’s ever wanted, is for Bartleby to love him, something he thinks is impossible.

Russells live and die unloved, and he won’t allow Bartleby to feel obligated to spend his life with him as his familiar if he could be happy in love with someone else. But Samhain is a time for change, when walls come down and borders grow thin, and Bartleby isn’t going to waste what might be his last chance to convince Piotr that they were meant to be. He might have no magic, but love is a power all its own.

My Thoughts: I'm again throwing my thanks out to Twitter for this $.99 gem, because I really enjoyed myself. There's something about gruff-but-kind heroes and their hidden emotions that have be slowly drawn out into the light by match that gets to me. It speaks to all the rainbows and butterflies in my soul that love a good romance books. And the relationship between Piotr and Bartleby hit all those buttons in the best way possible. I feel like over the past couple of months, months were I've deliberately tried to read more Own Voices/Non Cis-Heterosexual, I've enjoyed myself more than I have in a while. I think in these stories the authors are placing more emphasis on the conversational bonds and emotional cornerstones that result in a romance that feels real, and I'm loving it. GIVE ME ALL THE CONVERSATIONS. ALL THE EMOTIONAL CONNECTIONS. Plus, these aren't to the exclusion of sexy times - Cooper does a bit of fade to black after some spicy physical back and forth, and at no point did I feel like I was missing out on that part of their relationship. I immediately bought book two and I can't wait to read it.


Seasons of Sorcery by Amanda Bouchet, Grace Driven, Jennifer Estep & Jeffe Kennedy
WINTER'S WEB BY JENNIFER ESTEP
An assassin at a renaissance faire. What could possibly go wrong? Everything, if you’re Gin Blanco. This Spider is trapped in someone else’s icy web—and it seems like they don’t want her to leave the faire alive . . .

A WILDERNESS OF GLASS BY GRACE DRAVEN
The stretch of sea known as the Gray rules the lives of those in the village of Ancilar, including widow Brida Gazi. In the aftermath of an autumn storm, Brida discovers one of the sea's secrets cast onto the shore—a discovery that will change her world, mend her soul, and put her in the greatest danger she's ever faced.

A CURSE FOR SPRING BY AMANDA BOUCHET
A malevolent spell strangles the kingdom of Leathen in catastrophic drought. Prince Daric must break the curse before his people starve. A once-mighty goddess trapped in a human body might be the key—but saving his kingdom could mean losing all that he loves.

THE DRAGONS OF SUMMER BY JEFFE KENNEDY
As unofficial consort to the High Queen, former mercenary Harlan Konyngrr faces a challenge worse than looming war and fearsome dragons. His long-held secrets threaten what he loves most—and he must make a choice between vows to two women.

My Thoughts: Anthologies live and die by your feelings about the authors themselves, so I'd give this one a solid B. I was really in it for Draven's story, but Bouchet's was also incredibly well done, both with the vivid characters and emotional connections that make their other works so enjoyable. Estep's story was good, but I definitely got the feeling it was a  small vignette in a larger story arch (which it admittedly is) and it didn't stand incredibly well on its own for a new reader. Kennedy is a harder one for me to judge. I've read a few of her stories in other anthologies, and the problem is I just don't enjoy her Twelve Kingdoms series. The characters and world building are great, but each one seemed to have a character whose backstory included not a little, but a LOT, of sexual assault and the related trauma, and I'm a hard pass on that. I don't feel bad giving a trigger warning and I think your mileage may vary when it comes to her work. 

Natural Witch by K.F. Breene
Something has always been missing from my life. A hole that I could never seem to fill.

When I accidentally turn a coven of witches into nightmares, I find out what that something is.

Magic.

And it turns out, I have a crap load of it.

As a latent power awakens deep inside of me, I’m exposed to one of the most powerful and corrupt organizations in the magical world—the Mages’ Guild.

Barely knowing a spell from a few swear words and luck, I won’t be able to evade them alone.

And that’s when I meet him.

The Rogue Natural. The best and most feared mage in the world.

He’s dangerous, mysterious, and has a vendetta of his own. He is now the only thing between me and magical enslavement.

My Thoughts: For the moment, this book is one of my few DNF (did not finish). Can anyone who's read this book tell me if it gets better? Because right now the characters are so cliched it's kind of becoming funny in a bad way (like the hero has a whole internal monologue when he's first introduced about how it's "better" that he's alone, that it's safer for those mythical other people, and I actually laughed out loud) and the burgeoning romance between him and the hero is not doing it for me. This got a lot of props in the Twitterverse so maybe this is just a me thing?

In solidarity with what feels like 90% of the internet, brown and brown tones have definitely taken the spotlight in my new purchases. I'm not sure how much neutral as a whole is taking over my wardrobe, but I do really like the look of mixing them together, so looks like today's brown and black make my heart happy.

Also funnily enough this combines two different pieces of Nordstrom Blogger collaborations - the sweater is from Chriselle Lim's collection, and the cami underneath from Blair's Halogen collection. I'd wear one without the other, but I have to admit that together it's become one of my favorite looks.

It's funny how at this point I almost fee like writing a "fit post" for The Frankie Shop. Every time I'm in NY I like to swing by and try on some of their wares, because despite the "one size" label that so many of their pieces have, they can end up fitting pretty perfectly. This green corduroy shirt fulfills a few different wants I had, in a way that's much more versatile than a blazer (which is the other corduroy piece I was toying around with buying).

I'm still working on creating a wardrobe I'm 100% happy with, but I feel like maybe I'm coming around more and more to The Anna Edit's version of a capsule - not a particular number, but a determination to only have pieces that I love, and moving out-of-season items to a different spot in my closet (and not because I don't have space, but because it's distracting to have them cluttering things up).

I realize that I just did all that ranting about how I didn't feel happy with my closet, but shockingly, I think purging it so aggressively has helped. I feel like it wasn't totally dissimilar from one of Style Bee's 10x10s, because now what I'm looking at are only the items that I like, and when I pair them in new ways, there are less options to get distracted/dissatisfied by. Case in point, I went to NY for my birthday weekend and brought one pair of jeans. One pair that I felt totally happy with the entire time (except for that moment right before the bus ride back when I realized how bloated I felt hahaha).

Maybe there does come a point for people (some people) where all the extra stuff cluttering up your closet is more of a detriment than a help. I even took some of the summer/spring stuff out to store in a suitcase, and that's by someone who isn't limited by closet space - I just didn't want to see it anymore.

I don't know friends, we'll see how things continue, but I am starting to feel a bit better, which since 2018 has been a huge dumpster fire, is a relief.

This post is a bit of a project in options, since I just recently purchased this blouse from the Atlantic Pacific x Halogen collection. Trying it on in store I could mostly see what I wanted to do with it, but I also hadn't bought such a brightly patterned piece - outside of a dress - in a long time. Thankfully these vintage trousers I picked up over the summer are turning into a wardrobe workhorse, and pair so well with pretty much everything. The gray blazer (also second hand, this time from Poshmark) I threw over it at the last minute (this was almost pictured with a leather jacket) and the look felt finished to me. The super high rise pants and long length blazer balance each other out nicely in my opinion, while the subtle tweed textures plays well with the floral print.

So September and October went a bit off the rails there, but you know what? Mine is a closet in crisis. Or at least it feels that way anyway. I just don't feel satisfied by what I have. I can't explain it. I buy individual pieces that I *think* fit with what I already own and what I *think* I want to look like, and instead of satisfied I just feel incomplete. Which I then feel kind of bad about, because I don't think like one should feel incomplete by their wardrobe? So October ended up a bit of a wash, as I tried to both logically and emotionally fill the gaps in my wardrobe.

How does anyone figure out what they want to look like? Like for realsies, do you find someone physically shaped like you who's style you admire? Or do you pull inspiration from magazines and other places? I'm having this weird brain moment where the women whose style I admire aren't shaped like me, and as such the clothing that I like so much on them won't look the same on me. Which I acknowledge is a pretty "duh" conclusion, but it doesn't change the fact that I can't really take as much inspiration as I would like from the women who's style I admire.

Right now that means I've even more aggressively purging. I may not sell/donate all that I'm taking out, some of it's become more of a seasonal banishment if you will, but I just don't want to see it. I want those particular pieces of clothing to go somewhere else, while I try to figure out how I can wear what I already have.

1. Cropped Sweater (& Other Stories)
2. V-Neck Cardigan (Chriselle Lim Collection/Nordstrom)
3. Striped Shirt (Ralph Lauren Outlet)
4. Linen Shirt (Urban Outfitters)
5. Fuzzy Jacket (Zara)
6. Replacement Madwell Jeans x 2 (I have no explanation here other than the fact I love my Madewell 10" high rises and my thighs have started to destroy the fabric. So I freaked out and bought a couple new pairs, one on sale at Madewell and one from Poshmark.)
7. Faux Leather Jacket (Nordstrom)
8. Green Crew Neck Sweater (H&M)
*9. Plaid Blazer (Ralph Lauren via Poshmark)
*10. Burgundy Zip Up (Eddie Bauer)
*11. Nightmare Before Christmas Cardigan (Hot Topic)
*12. Camisole (Atlantic Pacific x Halogen)
*13. Floral Button Down (Atlantic Pacific x Halogen)
* 14. Striped Sweater (Atlantic Pacific x Halogen)

So many things happened behind the scenes of these photos:

1) I had to buy a new camera cause of environmentally induced damaging (f*cking wind) and while I made sure that the Sony Alpha a6000 had an app to remote trigger the photo, it didn't occur to me to check how long I'd have to pose. Every camera I've ever owned has had a 10 sec self-timer, but guess what? With the Sony? 2 SECONDS. Also, it's much harder to see before you trigger the timer what the camera is focused on so... fun times.

2) This is iteration two of this outfit, mostly due to the fact that I took a bunch of photos in outfit one, hated myself, went back home and tried again because I bought this sweater for myself last year as a birthday gift, and I am determined to figure out how to style it on my frame.

 Read & Have Opinions On:

A Girl Like Her by Talia Hibbert 
Everyone has secrets. He wants all of hers.

Meet the man next door…

After years of military service, Evan Miller wants a quiet life. The small town of Ravenswood seems perfect—until he stumbles upon a vicious web of lies with his new neighbour at its centre.

Ruth Kabbah is rude, awkward, and—according to everyone in town—bad news. Thing is, no-one will tell Evan why. Does she perform ritual sacrifices? Howl at the moon? Pour the milk before the tea? He has no clue.

But he desperately wants to find out. Because Ruth doesn’t seem evil to him; she seems lonely. And funny, and clumsy, and secretly quite sweet, and really f*%king beautiful…

The more Evan’s isolated, eccentric neighbour pushes him away, the more he wants her. Her—and all her secrets. Because there’s no way a girl like Ruth truly deserves the town’s scorn.

…Is there?

My Thoughts: I had picked up A Girl Like Here due to all the Twitter hype, and you know what I did? I sat on it for months. I have this weird stubborn headedness that makes me instantly skeptical of a book if it is loved by practically everyone. I'm happy to report that after a bit of a book block I finally picked this up and it is actually just that good. Hibbert does a tremendous job of creating a heroine that has her own ways of interacting with the world around her, and a hero that takes the time - and enjoys taking the time - to understand that. Especially right now, the fact that this is romance where the two main characters have multiple conversations about consent, understanding what each other wants (in and outside the bedroom), and the future, to be incredibly soothing. I immediately purchased the follow up book about her sister, and you know what? ALSO GOOD. Don't be like me ok? Do what I say, not what I do, and read this book ASAP.

Here Kitty, Kitty by Shelly Laurenston

Angelina Santiago didn't think her life could get any stranger. Her best friend is a shapeshifter. Her other best friend is in love with one. And people are actively trying to kill her. But she never thought helpful hillbillies would kidnap her, drag her cross country, and dump her at the home of their eldest brother and gorgeous shapeshifter, Nikolai Vorislav, for safe keeping. Nik the Hillbilly Tiger never wanted a woman in his life for more than a night, but he never met anyone like the psychotic hellcat his brothers drop on his doorstep. Now he has every intention of showing his little house pet exactly how strange and sexy life can get.


My Thoughts: Now this book isn't even a little new to me, I bought it way back when, when I was in college and romance books were hard to get to without an easily accessible bookstore (i.e, without a car). Shelly Laurenston proved herself then as an author who writes incredible kick-ass heroines, and Angelina is one of my favorites. I do think this little trio of stories should be read in order (this is the third), but even on its own the characters are unique, hilarious, and make the HEA that much better. Laurenston remains one of my constant comfort read authors, which is why Here Kitty, Kitty is making an appearance years and years after I bought it.


The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter by Theodora Goss
Based on some of literature’s horror and science fiction classics, this “tour de force of reclaiming the

Mary Jekyll, alone and penniless following her parents’ death, is curious about the secrets of her father’s mysterious past. One clue in particular hints that Edward Hyde, her father’s former friend and a murderer, may be nearby, and there is a reward for information leading to his capture…a reward that would solve all of her immediate financial woes.

But her hunt leads her to Hyde’s daughter, Diana, a feral child left to be raised by nuns. With the assistance of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, Mary continues her search for the elusive Hyde, and soon befriends more women, all of whom have been created through terrifying experimentation: Beatrice Rappaccini, Catherin Moreau, and Justine Frankenstein.

When their investigations lead them to the discovery of a secret society of immoral and power-crazed scientists, the horrors of their past return. Now it is up to the monsters to finally triumph over the monstrous.
narrative, executed with impressive wit and insight” (Publishers Weekly, starred review) debut is the story of a remarkable group of women who come together to solve the mystery of a series of gruesome murders—and the bigger mystery of their own origins.

My Thoughts: I hate to read things under the gun, but a looming "must return" date with the library did help me get past an unexpected story quirk. Goss writes this story with interjections and conversations from the heroines, even when we don't know who they are, and it took me a few chapters to get into the story enough to look past it - or enjoy it.  Ultimately I was really impressed with a story that took characters from a bunch of familiar myths/fables, and turned them into real women. Women who had suffered, who took back their agency, and who had the courage to help others. It was a timely tale for October, and I've already picked up book #2 from the library :).

I'm Looking Forward To:

Love Rekindled At Christmas by Various

Christmas is a time for rekindling love in five new historical romance novellas. These couples will be sheltering from blizzards and hiding in wardrobes, reuniting with old flames, stealing mistletoe kisses, and falling in love. Passions are reignited by Snapdragon, a fiery Regency party game, but who will receive the best Christmas present of all - a happy ending? Immerse yourself in the romance, snow-covered landscapes, and blazing hearths of a heart-warming, sensual, Regency Christmas.





Witchmark by C.L. Polk
C. L. Polk arrives on the scene with Witchmark, a stunning, addictive fantasy that combines intrigue, magic, betrayal, and romance. The New York Times calls it “thoroughly charming and deftly paced... an accomplished and enjoyable debut.”

In an original world reminiscent of Edwardian England in the shadow of a World War, cabals of noble families use their unique magical gifts to control the fates of nations, while one young man seeks only to live a life of his own.

Magic marked Miles Singer for suffering the day he was born, doomed either to be enslaved to his family's interest or to be committed to a witches' asylum. He went to war to escape his destiny and came home a different man, but he couldn’t leave his past behind. The war between Aeland and Laneer leaves men changed, strangers to their friends and family, but even after faking his own death and reinventing himself as a doctor at a cash-strapped veterans' hospital, Miles can’t hide what he truly is.

When a fatally poisoned patient exposes Miles’ healing gift and his witchmark, he must put his anonymity and freedom at risk to investigate his patient’s murder. To find the truth he’ll need to rely on the family he despises, and on the kindness of the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen.

European Travel for the Monstrous Gentlewoman by Theodora Goss

In the sequel to the critically acclaimed The Strange Case of the Alchemist’s Daughter, Mary Jekyll and the rest of the daughters of literature’s mad scientists embark on a madcap adventure across Europe to rescue another monstrous girl and stop the Alchemical Society’s nefarious plans once and for all.

Mary Jekyll’s life has been peaceful since she helped Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson solve the Whitechapel Murders. Beatrice Rappaccini, Catherine Moreau, Justine Frankenstein, and Mary’s sister Diana Hyde have settled into the Jekyll household in London, and although they sometimes quarrel, the members of the Athena Club get along as well as any five young women with very different personalities. At least they can always rely on Mrs. Poole.

But when Mary receives a telegram that Lucinda Van Helsing has been kidnapped, the Athena Club must travel to the Austro-Hungarian Empire to rescue yet another young woman who has been subjected to horrific experimentation. Where is Lucinda, and what has Professor Van Helsing been doing to his daughter? Can Mary, Diana, Beatrice, and Justine reach her in time?

Racing against the clock to save Lucinda from certain doom, the Athena Club embarks on a madcap journey across Europe. From Paris to Vienna to Budapest, Mary and her friends must make new allies, face old enemies, and finally confront the fearsome, secretive Alchemical Society. It’s time for these monstrous gentlewomen to overcome the past and create their own destinies.