• All Reviews,  Literature

    ARC Review: The Otherwoods

    11 September, 2023

    Just a quick intro to this post from us today, in the interests of getting straight to the point. Have you been craving some creepy middle grade lit in your life? Well, make sure you have your eye on Justina Pucella Winans’ middle grade debut, The Otherwoods, because it fits the criteria entirely! And it’s out tomorrow, so only a few hours wait!

    And also only a few hours left to make sure you have your copy to start rightaway!

    The Otherwoods is calling. And it won’t be ignored.

    Some would call River Rydell a ‘chosen one’: born with the ability to see monsters and travel to a terrifying spirit world called The Otherwoods, they have all the makings of a hero. But River just calls themself unlucky. After all, it’s not like anyone actually believes River can see these things-or that anyone even believes monsters exist in the first place. So the way River sees it, it’s better to keep their head down and ignore anything Otherwoods related.

    But The Otherwoods won’t be ignored any longer.

    When River’s only friend (and crush) Avery is kidnapped and dragged into The Otherwoods by monsters, River has no choice but to confront the world they’ve seen only in their nightmares-but reality turns out be more horrifying than they could have ever imagined. With only their cat for protection and a wayward teen spirit as their guide, River must face the monsters of The Otherwoods and their own fears to save Avery and become the hero they were (unfortunately) destined to be.

    Justine Pucella Winans will have you cowering and cackling as you follow River’s reluctant hero’s journey, perfect for fans of Doll Bones, Ghost Squad, and Too Bright to See.

    The Otherwoods

    Justine Pucella Winans

    Goodreads

    Rep: nonbinary mc, Mexican American pan li, lesbian side character
    CWs: deadnaming
    Release: 12th September 2023

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  • All Reviews,  Literature

    ARC Review: In the Roses of Pieria

    20 August, 2023

    Fans of lesbian vampires should look no further than Anna Burke’s next book. Think dark romantic fantasy, lesbian vampires, murderous fey, and you’ll have some idea of the content of the book. This alone should be enough to convince you to read it, no? But if it’s not, here’s a review that hopefully will!

    So, do yourself a favour and preorder this one!

    When Clara Eden is offered a job as an archivist working for eccentric estate owner Agatha Montague, she thinks her prayers have been answered. Soon, she finds herself sucked into her research world, captivated by a romantic correspondence thousands of years old. But as her feelings for her employer’s assistant, Fiadh, deepen, so does her suspicion that something about Agatha Montague isn’t right. Unfortunately for Clara, it is far too late to run by the time her suspicions are confirmed..

    In the Roses of Pieria

    Anna Burke

    Goodreads

    Rep: lesbian mc & li, sapphic side characters
    CWs: gore
    Release: 22nd August 2023

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  • All Reviews,  Literature

    ARC Review: Translation State

    11 May, 2023

    Personally, I don’t think you can truly call yourself a science fiction fan until you’ve read some of Ann Leckie’s work. The Imperial Radch series is one of my absolute favourite series, so I was so excited to get to read the next book in it. If you’ve read the original trilogy, or even if you haven’t, Translation State is one you won’t want to miss out on!

    Don’t forget, you can still preorder Translation State wherever books are sold up until 6th June: US, UK, & int’l.

    Qven was created to be a Presger translator. The pride of their Clade, they always had a clear path before them: learn human ways, and eventually, make a match and serve as an intermediary between the dangerous alien Presger and the human worlds. The realization that they might want something else isn’t “optimal behavior”. It’s the type of behavior that results in elimination. 

    But Qven rebels. And in doing so, their path collides with those of two others. Enae, a reluctant diplomat whose dead grandmaman has left hir an impossible task as an inheritance: hunting down a fugitive who has been missing for over 200 years. And Reet, an adopted mechanic who is increasingly desperate to learn about his genetic roots—or anything that might explain why he operates so differently from those around him.

    As a Conclave of the various species approaches—and the long-standing treaty between the humans and the Presger is on the line—the decisions of all three will have ripple effects across the stars.

    Translation State

    Ann Leckie

    Goodreads

    Rep: nonbinary mcs & side characters, achillean mc
    CWs: gore, cannibalism
    Release: 6th June 2023

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  • All Reviews,  Literature

    ARC Review: In Memoriam

    7 March, 2023

    For the past eight months or so, we’ve both been obsessed over one particular book — Alice Winn’s In Memoriam — and it’s just your luck that we’ve finally reached its release date! Now all of you will be able to read this book too and suffer just like we did! But, just in case you needed a bit more convincing, check out our review below!

    Don’t forget you can follow Alice on instagram too.

    A gripping, heart-shattering love story between two soldiers in the First World War

    It’s 1914, and talk of war feels far away to Henry Gaunt, Sidney Ellwood and the rest of their classmates, safely ensconced in their idyllic boarding school in the English countryside. At seventeen, they’re too young to enlist, and anyway, Gaunt is fighting his own private battle – an all-consuming infatuation with his best friend, the dreamy, poetic Ellwood – not having a clue that Ellwood is in love with him, always has been. When Gaunt’s German mother asks him to enlist as an officer in the British army to protect the family from anti-German attacks, Gaunt signs up immediately, relieved to escape his overwhelming feelings for Ellwood.

    The front is horrific, of course, and though Gaunt tries to dissuade Ellwood from joining him on the battlefield, Ellwood soon rushes to join him, spurred on by his love of Greek heroes and romantic poetry. Before long, their classmates have followed suit. Once in the trenches, Ellwood and Gaunt find fleeting moments of solace in one another, but their friends are all dying, right in front of them, and at any moment they could be next.

    An epic tale of both the devastating tragedies of war and the forbidden romance that blooms in its grip, In Memoriam is a breathtaking debut.

    In Memoriam

    Alice Winn

    Goodreads

    Rep: Jewish gay mc, gay mc
    CWs: gore, violence, suicide, period typical antisemitism, period typical homophobia, internalised homophobia, PTSD, panic attacks
    Release: 7th March 2023

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  • All Reviews,  Literature

    ARC Review: How to Excavate a Heart

    22 November, 2022

    If you’re looking for the perfect read for December and an impending Christmastime, then look no further than Jake Maia Arlow’s How to Excavate a Heart. It’s out now in the USA, and on Thursday in the UK, so you have no excuse for not picking it up! Start your December right and let this review tell you why!

    Before we get to the review though, don’t forget you can follow Jake on instagram too.

    It all starts when Shani runs into May. Like, literally. With her mom’s Subaru.

    Attempted vehicular manslaughter was not part of Shani’s plan. She was supposed to be focusing on her monthlong paleoichthyology internship. She was going to spend all her time thinking about dead fish and not at all about how she was unceremoniously dumped days before winter break.

    It could be going better.

    But when a dog-walking gig puts her back in May’s path, the fossils she’s meant to be diligently studying are pushed to the side–along with the breakup.

    Then they’re snowed in together on Christmas Eve. As things start to feel more serious, though, Shani’s hurt over her ex-girlfriend’s rejection comes rushing back. Is she ready to try a committed relationship again, or is she okay with this just being a passing winter fling?

    How to Excavate a Heart

    Jake Maia Arlow

    Goodreads

    Rep: Jewish lesbian mc & li, Indian American sapphic side character
    CWs: past sexual assault, past controlling relationship
    Release: 24th November 2022

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  • All Reviews,  Literature

    ARC Review: The Red Scholar’s Wake

    12 November, 2022

    No one writes romantic SFF like Aliette de Bodard writes romantic SFF. If you haven’t given any of her books a go, then now is the time to start. The Red Scholar’s Wake is a sci fi like you’ve never read before, and one you don’t want to miss out on.

    Before we start with the review though, don’t forget you can follow Aliette on twitter too (for now…).

    Xích Si: bot maker, data analyst, mother, scavenger. But those days are over now-her ship has just been captured by the Red Banner pirate fleet, famous for their double-dealing and cruelty. Xích Si expects to be tortured to death-only for the pirates’ enigmatic leader, Rice Fish, to arrive with a different and shocking proposition: an arranged marriage between Xích Si and herself.

    Rice Fish: sentient ship, leader of the infamous Red Banner pirate fleet, wife of the Red Scholar. Or at least, she was the latter before her wife died under suspicious circumstances. Now isolated and alone, Rice Fish wants Xích Si’s help to find out who struck against them and why. Marrying Xích Si means Rice Fish can offer Xích Si protection, in exchange for Xích Si’s technical fluency: a business arrangement with nothing more to it.

    But as the investigation goes on, Rice Fish and Xích Si find themselves falling for each other. As the interstellar war against piracy intensifies and the five fleets start fighting each other, they will have to make a stand-and to decide what kind of future they have together…

    The Red Scholar’s Wake

    Aliette de Bodard

    Goodreads

    Rep: Vietnamese cast, sapphic mcs
    Release: 24th November 2022

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  • All Reviews,  Literature

    ARC Review: The Stars Undying

    4 November, 2022

    I don’t know about you, but I’m loving this growing trend of taking classics and/or events from history, making them gay, and setting them in space. (I say trend, but really so far it’s this book and Suzan Palumbo’s upcoming Countess.) If that sounds good to you—which it should—then let me urge you now to get your preorders in for The Stars Undying (US, UK, int’l) because trust me. You won’t regret it.

    Before we start with the review though, don’t forget you can follow Emery on twitter too.

    A spectacular space opera debut perfect for readers of Ann Leckie’s Ancillary Justice and Arkady Martine’s A Memory Called Empire, inspired by the lives and loves of Cleopatra and Julius Caesar.

    Princess Altagracia has lost everything. After a bloody civil war, her twin sister has claimed not just the crown of their planet Szayet but the Pearl of its prophecy, a computer that contains the immortal soul of Szayet’s god. Stripped of her birthright, Gracia flees the planet—just as Matheus Ceirran, Commander of the interstellar Empire of Ceiao, arrives in deadly pursuit with his volatile lieutenant, Anita. When Gracia and Ceirran’s paths collide, Gracia sees an opportunity to win back her planet, her god, and her throne…if she can win the Commander and his right-hand officer over first.

    But talking her way into Ceirran’s good graces, and his bed, is only the beginning. Dealing with the most powerful man in the galaxy is almost as dangerous as war, and Gracia is quickly torn between an alliance that fast becomes more than political and the wishes of the god—or machine—that whispers in her ear. For Szayet’s sake, and her own, Gracia will need to become more than a princess with a silver tongue. She will have to become a queen as history has never seen before—even if it breaks an empire.

    The Stars Undying

    Emery Robin

    Goodreads

    Rep: bi mcs, lesbian side character, nonbinary side character, gay side character
    Release: 8th November 2022

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  • All Reviews,  Literature

    ARC Review: One Night in Hartswood

    28 October, 2022

    If you’re looking for a new histrom to get excited about, then look no further than the upcoming One Night in Hartswood by Emma Denny, releasing from Mills & Boon next year. You’ll sadly have to wait another 2 and a half months (or so) for this book, for which I have to apologise, but trust me when I say that it’s one you won’t want to miss out on. And this post will give you five reasons exactly why!

    Before we start, don’t forget you can follow Emma on twitter too.

    A love story worth fighting for…

    Oxfordshire 1360

    When Penn and Raff meet in Hartswood Forest the only truth they know of each other is a brief moonlit kiss they had shared previously. But Penn is escaping a life of cruelty, and an arranged marriage to a woman he has never seen. Raff is tracking the elusive missing groom of his sister to restore his family’s honour. Neither are looking for a travelling companion. Yet both men find themselves drawn to each other in ways neither imagined.

    Unaware of their true identities they venture north together through Hartswood Forest. And, as their bond deepens, their fates become irrevocably entwined. But, with one escaping a life of duty and one tracking a fugitive, continued concealment threatens everything they know and trust in each other. So when secrets are finally revealed, and the consequences of their relationship become clear, both must decide what they will risk for the man they love.

    One Night in Hartswood

    Emma Denny

    Goodreads

    Rep: bi mc, gay mc, lesbian side characters
    CWs: violence, implied child abuse
    Release: 19th January 2023

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  • All Reviews,  Literature

    ARC Review: Lavender House

    14 September, 2022

    If you’re a fan of historical mysteries, then trust us when we say this isn’t one you’ll want to miss out on. Marketed as Knives Out meets Carol, that alone should pique your interest sufficiently. But if, for some unknown reason, that hasn’t worked, check out our review to find out why Lavender House should be right up there on your TBR!

    And don’t forget, you can follow Lev on twitter.

    A delicious story from a new voice in suspense, Lev AC Rosen’s Lavender House is Knives Out with a queer historical twist.

    Lavender House, 1952: the family seat of recently deceased matriarch Irene Lamontaine, head of the famous Lamontaine soap empire. Irene’s recipes for her signature scents are a well guarded secret—but it’s not the only one behind these gates. This estate offers a unique freedom, where none of the residents or staff hide who they are. But to keep their secret, they’ve needed to keep others out. And now they’re worried they’re keeping a murderer in.

    Irene’s widow hires Evander Mills to uncover the truth behind her mysterious death. Andy, recently fired from the San Francisco police after being caught in a raid on a gay bar, is happy to accept—his calendar is wide open. And his secret is the kind of secret the Lamontaines understand.

    Andy had never imagined a world like Lavender House. He’s seduced by the safety and freedom found behind its gates, where a queer family lives honestly and openly. But that honesty doesn’t extend to everything, and he quickly finds himself a pawn in a family game of old money, subterfuge, and jealousy—and Irene’s death is only the beginning.

    When your existence is a crime, everything you do is criminal, and the gates of Lavender House can’t lock out the real world forever. Running a soap empire can be a dirty business.

    Lavender House

    Lev A. C. Rosen

    Goodreads

    Rep: gay mc, Mexican lesbian side character, lesbian side character, gay side characters, Jewish bi side character
    CWs: suicidal thoughts, murder, homophobic slurs, homophobic violence (ch. 10)
    Release: 18th October 2022

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  • All Reviews,  Literature

    ARC Review: Contract Season

    3 September, 2022

    It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that Contract Season was one of both of ours most anticipated reads of the year. We both loved Season’s Change, and expected to love Contract Season just as much. And guess what? We did! So, if you’re looking for a great romance to devour over the next few days, let us put forward this one. Need more convincing, though? Check out our review below.

    And don’t forget, you can follow Cait on twitter.

    A heartbroken hockey player and an up-and-coming country music star fake it for the cameras (or do they?) in Cait Nary’s delightfully sexy new novel.

    Brody Kellerman has a plan. First, become the best defenseman in professional hockey. Second, get over his ex-boyfriend so he can focus on his game. Hooking up with the singer at his buddy’s wedding was the perfect solution, but it was never meant to be more than a one-night stand.

    Seamus Murry has never planned a thing in his life, including hooking up with a smoking-hot hockey player. Being ghosted sucks, but at least one good thing came from it—the breakout hit song of the summer. Now he’s one of country music’s brightest stars, but one slipup—or in this case, video—might cost him his career.

    When their video goes viral, Brody and Seamus agree to fake a relationship. But soon it’s impossible to remember what is real and what’s pretend, and although Brody has no intention of falling for freewheeling Seamus’s charm…life doesn’t always go according to plan.

    Contract Season

    Cait Nary

    Goodreads

    Rep: gay mcs
    Release: 6th September 2022

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  • All Reviews,  Literature

    ARC Review: In the Event of Love

    27 August, 2022

    In the Event of Love is only one of my favourite reads of the year, so I’m incredibly excited that finally everyone else can get to read it (that’s a hint. Don’t wait around). If, however, for some inexplicable and foolish reason, you’re on the fence about it, let this review serve to convince you otherwise.

    And don’t forget, you can follow Courtney on twitter.

    Morgan Ross can plan world-class events, but she didn’t plan on returning to the hometown that broke her heart seven years ago—and re-discovering the girl of her dreams . . .

    With her career as a Los Angeles event planner imploding after a tabloid blowup, Morgan Ross isn’t headed home for the holidays so much as in strategic retreat. Breathtaking mountain vistas, quirky townsfolk, and charming small businesses aside, her hometown of Fern Falls is built of one heartbreak on top of another . . .

    Take her one-time best friend turned crush, Rachel Reed. The memory of their perfect, doomed first kiss is still fresh as new-fallen snow. Way fresher than the freezing mud Morgan ends up sprawled in on her very first day back, only to be hauled out via Rachel’s sexy new lumberjane muscles acquired from running her family tree farm.

    When Morgan discovers that the Reeds’ struggling tree farm is the only thing standing between Fern Falls and corporate greed destroying the whole town’s livelihood, she decides she can put heartbreak aside to save the farm by planning her best fundraiser yet. She has all the inspiration for a spectacular event: delicious vanilla lattes, acoustic guitars under majestic pines, a cozy barn surrounded by brilliant stars. But she and Rachel will ABSOLUTELY NOT have a heartwarming holiday happy ending. That would be as unprofessional as it is unlikely. Right?

    In the Event of Love

    Courtney Kae

    Goodreads

    Rep: bi mc, bi li, f/f, gay side character, bi side character, East Asian trans side character
    Release: 30th August 2022

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  • All Reviews,  Literature

    ARC Review: Wranglestone + Timberdark

    18 August, 2022

    Did you ever go through a phase of reading all the zombie apocalypse books you could get your hands on? No? Just me? Okay then. But even if you didn’t, this is a series you’ll want to be on the lookout for. I was lucky enough to read an ARC of Timberdark, but my review here is for the whole series, because I couldn’t review one without the other. So, let’s dive in!

    And don’t forget, you can follow Darren on twitter.

    The islands of Lake Wranglestone are a safe haven in a world filled with the Restless Dead. But as the lake freezes over, there’s nothing to stop them from crossing the ice.

    Peter’s has never really felt at home in a place where practicality and grit are valued above all else. He’s nothing like rancher, Cooper, the boy he’s always watched from afar. But when he’s is ordered to join him out on the mainland to help herd the Dead from their shores, they find more than just each other.

    There they unearth a dark secret about Wranglestone’s past. One that forces the pair to question everything they’ve ever known.

    With the tide turned against the Dead, Peter and the remaining community on Wranglestone prepare to leave for town, where the comforts of the world before await them. Could this be the home that finally brings both safety and unity for all?

    Cooper isn’t so sure. He harbours feelings from that terrible night on the lake and worse, a secret… codename, Timberdark.

    With Cooper’s new found connection to the Dead, Peter’s suspicions about what he might do next grow. Faced with losing the boy he loves, Peter must uncover the truth about the mysterious Timberdark before their future together and the world around them is placed in danger.

    Wranglestone Duology

    Darren R. Charlton

    Goodreads

    Rep: gay mc, gay li
    Timberdark release: 1st September 2022

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  • All Reviews,  Literature

    ARC Review: A Taste of Gold and Iron

    9 August, 2022

    A Taste of Gold and Iron is a book we imagine you’ve been anticipating ever since it was announced, because we know we were! We’re a mere 3 weeks out from release now, so, without waffling on any further, let us give you a little taste of what you can expect in this review. (And, as ever, there’s a mix at the end too.)

    And don’t forget, you can follow Alex on twitter too.

    Kadou, the shy prince of Arasht, finds himself at odds with one of the most powerful ambassadors at court—the body-father of the queen’s new child—in an altercation which results in his humiliation.

    To prove his loyalty to the queen, his sister, Kadou takes responsibility for the investigation of a break-in at one of their guilds, with the help of his newly appointed bodyguard, the coldly handsome Evemer, who seems to tolerate him at best. In Arasht, where princes can touch-taste precious metals with their fingers and myth runs side by side with history, counterfeiting is heresy, and the conspiracy they discover could cripple the kingdom’s financial standing and bring about its ruin.

    A Taste of Gold and Iron

    Alexandra Rowland

    Goodreads

    Rep: Turkish coded cast & setting, gay mc with depression and anxiety, bi mc, achillean side character, nonbinary side characters
    CWs: violence, panic attacks
    Release: 30th August 2022

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  • All Reviews,  Literature

    ARC Review: Something Certain, Maybe

    7 July, 2022

    On some level, I’m sure we’re all looking for a book that captures the highs, lows, and uncertainties of university life. It seems a fairly underrepresented age range in publishing, so I’m happy to be able to say that, if that’s what you’re on the lookout for, look no longer! I have one right here for you today. Take a read of our review and then get yourselves to a bookshop, because this book is out right now.

    And don’t forget, you can follow Sara on twitter.

    Rosie is ready for her life to begin, because nothing says new life like going to university. After years of waiting and working hard, she’s finally on the road that will secure her future.

    Except university turns out to be not what she hoped or imagined, and although she’s not exactly unhappy – really! – she might be a little bit worried that she doesn’t really like her course much. Or her flatmates. Or really… anything? But it’s normal to be homesick (right?) and everything will have settled in a month or two, and it’s totally fine that her friends seem so much happier than she is, and that the doctors don’t seem to know what’s wrong with her mother.

    But then she meets Jade, and everything starts to look a little brighter. At least, it does if she’s only looking at Jade. But is first love enough when everything else is falling apart?

    Something Certain, Maybe

    Sara Barnard

    Goodreads

    Rep: bi mc, British Iranian Spanish lesbian li
    CWs: mentions of past attempted suicide
    Release: 7th July 2022

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  • All Reviews,  Literature

    ARC Review: If You Still Recognise Me

    9 June, 2022

    You may recall a few months back, we revealed the (gorgeous) cover for Cynthia So’s If You Still Recognise Me. Well, today’s finally the day that you can read it! But if, for whatever (foolish) reason, you’re not convinced yet, let us help you out!

    And don’t forget, you can follow Cynthia on twitter.

    Elsie has a crush on Ada, the only person in the world who truly understands her. Unfortunately, they’ve never met in real life and Ada lives an ocean away. But Elsie has decided it’s now or never to tell Ada how she feels. That is, until her long-lost best friend Joan walks back into her life.

    In a summer of repairing broken connections and building surprising new ones, Elsie realises that she isn’t nearly as alone as she thought. But now she has a choice to make…

    If You Still Recognise Me

    Cynthia So

    Goodreads

    Rep: British Chinese bi mc, British Chinese lesbian side character, British Indian sapphic side character, biracial Black sapphic side character, Vietnamese nonbinary bi side character, Chinese side characters, Chinese gay side character, gay & sapphic side characters
    CWs: past toxic relationship, homophobia
    Release: 9th June 2022

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