• All Reviews,  Literature

    ARC Review: Summer’s Edge

    20 May, 2022

    Thriller fans listen up: if you haven’t had Summer’s Edge on your radar before, now is the time to rectify that. Looking for the kind of thriller that thrills you? Gets your heart pumping and your blood racing? Well, you’ll want to have your eye on this one. Don’t believe me? Let me explain why…

    And of course, you should follow Dana on twitter.

    I Know What You Did Last Summer meets The Haunting of Hill House  in this atmospheric, eerie teen thriller following an estranged group of friends being haunted by their friend who died last summer.

    Emily Joiner was once part of an inseparable group—she was a sister, a best friend, a lover, and a rival. Summers without Emily were unthinkable. Until the fire burned the lake house to ashes with her inside.

    A year later, it’s in Emily’s honor that Chelsea and her four friends decide to return. The house awaits them, meticulously rebuilt. Only, Chelsea is haunted by ghostly visions. Loner Ryan stirs up old hurts and forces golden boy Chase to play peacemaker. Which has perfect hostess Kennedy on edge as eerie events culminate in a stunning accusation: Emily’s death wasn’t an accident. And all the clues needed to find the person responsible are right here.

    As old betrayals rise to the surface, Chelsea and her friends have one night to unravel a mystery spanning three summers before a killer among them exacts their revenge.

    Summer’s Edge

    Dana Mele

    Goodreads

    Rep: lesbian mc, bi mc
    Release: 31st May 2022

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  • All Reviews,  Literature

    ARC Review: The Science of Being Angry

    10 May, 2022

    If you’ve followed us on the blog for a while, you probably noticed that we’re fans of Nicole Melleby’s books. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that we very much wanted to read her latest as soon as possible. And like always, Nicole did not disappoint! Read our review to learn why you should buy yourself a copy, if you haven’t preordered it before!

    And of course, follow Nicole on twitter.

    Related: How to Become a Planet review, our best books of 2021 and of 2020.

    Eleven-year-old Joey is angry. All the time. And she doesn’t understand why. She has two loving moms, a supportive older half brother, and, as a triplet, she’s never without company. Her life is good. But sometimes she loses her temper and lashes out, like the time she threw a soccer ball—hard—at a boy in gym class and bruised his collarbone. Or when jealousy made her push her (former) best friend (and crush), Layla, a little bit too roughly.

    After a meltdown at Joey’s apartment building leads to her family’s eviction, Joey is desperate to figure out why she’s so mad. A new unit in science class makes her wonder if the reason is genetics. Does she lose control because of something she inherited from the donor her mothers chose?

    The Science of Being Angry

    Nicole Melleby

    Goodreads

    Rep: sapphic mc with anger management issues, sapphic li, lesbian parents
    TW: blood, bullying, panic attacks
    Release: 10th May 2022

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  • All Reviews,  Literature

    ARC Review: Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor

    7 May, 2022

    Buckle up folks because Xiran Jay Zhao is back with another book, their middle grade debut, and they’re back with a bang! If Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor wasn’t on your radar before, make sure it’s there now. If you like books in the vein of Percy Jackson, this is one for you.

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

    Zachary Ying never had many opportunities to learn about his Chinese heritage. His single mom was busy enough making sure they got by, and his schools never taught anything except Western history and myths. So Zack is woefully unprepared when he discovers he was born to host the spirit of the First Emperor of China for a vital mission: sealing the leaking portal to the Chinese underworld before the upcoming Ghost Month blows it wide open.

    The mission takes an immediate wrong turn when the First Emperor botches his attempt to possess Zack’s body and binds to Zack’s AR gaming headset instead, leading to a battle where Zack’s mom’s soul gets taken by demons. Now, with one of history’s most infamous tyrants yapping in his headset, Zack must journey across China to heist magical artifacts and defeat figures from history and myth, all while learning to wield the emperor’s incredible water dragon powers.

    And if Zack can’t finish the mission in time, the spirits of the underworld will flood into the mortal realm, and he could lose his mom forever.

    Zachary Ying and the Dragon Emperor

    Xiran Jay Zhao

    Goodreads

    Rep: Hui Chinese American Muslim gay mc
    Release: 10th May 2022

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  • All Reviews,  Literature

    ARC Review: Blaine for the Win

    9 April, 2022

    After reading and loving The Sky Blues in 2021, Blaine for the Win was one of our most anticipated reads of 2022, and it definitely didn’t disappoint. Trust us when we say you don’t want to miss out on it. But if you need a few more reasons than that, check out our review below!

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

    High school junior Blaine Bowers has it all—the perfect boyfriend, a pretty sweet gig as a muralist for local Windy City businesses, a loving family, and awesome, talented friends. And he is absolutely, 100% positive that aforementioned perfect boyfriend—​senior student council president and Mr. Popular of Wicker West High School, Joey—is going to invite Blaine to spend spring break with his family in beautiful, sunny Cabo San Lucas.

    Except Joey breaks up with him instead. In public. On their one-year anniversary.

    Because, according to Joey, Blaine is too goofy, too flighty, too…unserious. And if Joey wants to go far in life, he needs to start dating more serious guys. Guys like Zach Chesterton.

    Determined to prove that Blaine can be what Joey wants, Blaine decides to enter the running to become his successor (and beat out Joey’s new boyfriend, Zach) as senior student council president.

    But is he willing to sacrifice everything he loves about himself to do it?

    Blaine for the Win

    Robbie Couch

    Goodreads

    Rep: gay mc, Vietnamese American bi li, Black sapphic character, Latina sapphic character, gay side characters
    Release: 12th April 2022

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  • All Reviews,  Literature

    ARC Review: Wild and Wicked Things

    26 March, 2022

    Finally, it’s almost time for one of our most anticipated books of the year to be out in the world! The lesbian witchy retelling of The Great Gatsby that exceeds every expectation anyone had about it! Adult fantasy keeps gifting us in the most surprising of ways.

    You could still preorder a copy of Wild and Wicked Things, and in the meantime don’t forget to follow Fran on twitter, if you’re not already!

    Related: interview with Fran & most anticipated LGBT releases of 2022

    In the aftermath of World War I, a naive woman is swept into a glittering world filled with dark magic, romance, and murder in this lush and decadent debut.

    On Crow Island, people whisper, real magic lurks just below the surface. 

    Neither real magic nor faux magic interests Annie Mason. Not after it stole her future. She’s only on the island to settle her late father’s estate and, hopefully, reconnect with her long-absent best friend, Beatrice, who fled their dreary lives for a more glamorous one. 

    Yet Crow Island is brimming with temptation, and the biggest one may be her enigmatic new neighbor. 

    Mysterious and alluring, Emmeline Delacroix is a figure shadowed by rumors of witchcraft. And when Annie witnesses a confrontation between Bea and Emmeline at one of the island’s extravagant parties, she is drawn into a glittering, haunted world. A world where the boundaries of wickedness are tested, and the cost of illicit magic might be death.

    Wild and Wicked Things

    Francesca May

    Goodreads

    Rep: lesbian mc, nonbinary lesbian mc, bi side character
    CWs: domestic violence, child abuse, magic requiring self harm, blood
    Release: 29th March 2022

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  • All Reviews,  Literature

    Book Reviews: Gay Books for the Soul

    21 March, 2022

    A while back, I did a post titled lesbian books for the soul. Well, it just so happened that I had 3 books to review (two backlist, one out in May), which all happened to be gay, and so was born this post. These are all books that I enjoyed reading, so I really hope that this post convinces you to pick at least one of them (if not all of them!) up. And feel free to let me know if you do!

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  • All Reviews,  Literature

    ARC Review: The City of Dusk

    14 March, 2022

    Today’s post is a review of a book we know you all must be chomping at the bit for. The City of Dusk is out in just over a week, and you don’t want to miss it. But if, for whatever reason, you’re still on the fence about things, check out our review for why you shouldn’t be!

    And we’re running a giveaway of the book over on twitter, so head on over for a chance to win!

    The Four Realms—Life, Death, Light, and Darkness—all converge on the city of dusk. For each realm there is a god, and for each god there is an heir.

    But the gods have withdrawn their favor from the once vibrant and thriving city. And without it, all the realms are dying.

    Unwilling to stand by and watch the destruction, the four heirs—Risha, a necromancer struggling to keep the peace; Angelica, an elementalist with her eyes set on the throne; Taesia, a shadow-wielding rogue with rebellion in her heart; and Nik, a soldier who struggles to see the light— will sacrifice everything to save the city.

    But their defiance will cost them dearly.

    The City of Dusk

    Tara Sim

    Goodreads

    Rep: lesbian mc, bi mcs
    Release: 22nd March 2022

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  • All Reviews,  Literature

    ARC Review: Devotion

    3 February, 2022

    Today is the (long awaited, in my view) UK release day of what is undoubtedly one of the best books I read last year. Hannah Kent’s Devotion is a gorgeous historical tale, that spans lives and loves. If you’ve never read one of her works before, this is the perfect place to start. But if you’re somehow not convinced by the blurb alone, you can find my review for it in this post.

    And you should also go ahead and follow Hannah on twitter and instagram!

    1836, Prussia. Hanne is nearly fifteen and the domestic world of womanhood is quickly closing in on her. A child of nature, she yearns instead for the rush of the river, the wind dancing around her. Hanne finds little comfort in the local girls and friendship doesn’t come easily, until she meets Thea and she finds in her a kindred spirit and finally, acceptance.

    Hanne’s family are Old Lutherans, and in her small village hushed worship is done secretly – this is a community under threat. But when they are granted safe passage to Australia, the community rejoices: at last a place they can pray without fear, a permanent home. Freedom.

    It’s a promise of freedom that will have devastating consequences for Hanne and Thea, but, on that long and brutal journey, their bond proves too strong for even nature to break . . .

    Devotion

    Hannah Kent

    Goodreads

    Rep: lesbian mc, lesbian li
    Release: 3rd February 2022

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  • All Reviews,  Literature

    ARC Review: The Bone Spindle

    11 January, 2022

    It’s the day you’ve all undoubtedly been waiting for! That is, it’s The Bone Spindle‘s book birthday! If you haven’t been excited about this one I am forced to assume you’ve been living under a rock. I mean, what could be better than Sleeping Beauty crossed with Indiana Jones? Nothing, I tell you. But if, for whatever ungodly reason, you’re still on the fence about this one, let me try convince you with this review!

    And don’t forget to follow Leslie on twitter too!

    Related: check out our interview with Leslie.

    Fi is a bookish treasure hunter with a knack for ruins and riddles, who definitely doesn’t believe in true love.

    Shane is a tough-as-dirt girl warrior from the north who likes cracking skulls, pretty girls, and doing things her own way.

    Briar Rose is a prince under a sleeping curse, who’s been waiting a hundred years for the kiss that will wake him.

    Cursed princes are nothing but ancient history to Fi–until she pricks her finger on a bone spindle while exploring a long-lost ruin. Now she’s stuck with the spirit of Briar Rose until she and Shane can break the century-old curse on his kingdom.

    Dark magic, Witch Hunters, and bad exes all stand in her way–not to mention a mysterious witch who might wind up stealing Shane’s heart, along with whatever else she’s after. But nothing scares Fi more than the possibility of falling in love with Briar Rose.

    The Bone Spindle

    Leslie Vedder

    Goodreads

    Rep: lesbian mc, sapphic li
    Release: 11th January 2022

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  • All Reviews,  Literature

    ARC Review: The Midnight Girls

    21 December, 2021

    The last Tuesday of the year brings us some of the best gifts, actually. And by that we obviously mean what is probably one of the best books to read during those long winter evenings. To achieve the maximum of a Polish experience, maybe try some mead with it or at least mulled wine (not that we encourage drinking, of course!).

    Anyway, lets us give you all the reasons why you should absolutely read The Midnight Girls, enjoy the playlist for it, full of Polish songs, and don’t forget to follow Alicia on twitter, if you’re not already!

    It’s Karnawał season in the snow-cloaked Kingdom of Lechija, and from now until midnight when the church bells ring an end to Devil’s Tuesday time will be marked with wintry balls and glittery disguises, cavalcades of nightly torch-lit “kuligi” sleigh-parties.

    Unbeknownst to the oblivious merrymakers, two monsters join the fun, descending upon the royal city of Warszów in the guise of two innocent girls. Newfound friends and polar opposites, Zosia and Marynka seem destined to have a friendship that’s stronger even than magic. But that’s put to the test when they realize they both have their sights set on Lechija’s pure-hearted prince. A pure heart contains immeasurable power and Marynka plans to bring the prince’s back to her grandmother in order to prove herself. While Zosia is determined to take his heart and its power for her own.

    When neither will sacrifice their ambitions for the other, the festivities spiral into a wild contest with both girls vying to keep the hapless prince out of the other’s wicked grasp. But this isn’t some remote forest village, where a hint of stray magic might go unnoticed, Warszów is the icy capital of a kingdom that enjoys watching monsters burn, and if Zosia and Marynka’s innocent disguises continue to slip, their escalating rivalry might cost them not just the love they might have for each other, but both their lives.

    The Midnight Girls

    Alicia Jasinska

    Goodreads

    Rep: Polish-coded cast & setting, lesbian mc, bi mc, lesbian character, gay character, bi male character
    CWs: child abuse, blood, body horror (brief), death, murder
    Release: 28th December 2021

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  • All Reviews,  Literature

    Book Review: The Harbinger of Freedom

    14 December, 2021
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    In the millenary world of Taenand, the continent of Empiria is oppressed by a fifty year lasting military dictatorship perpetrated by the Army of the Harpy, the leader of which is the young General of aristocratic descent Ludwig Maximilian Eckhale who inherited the throne and became the second Emperor of his Era.

    In these challenging times, Valerius Raleigh, a young noble as the Emperor himself, takes on the mission to inspire his country to break its chains and free itself from the ever more raging tyranny, first becoming a symbol and a messenger of freedom, then building an army whose purpose is to take down the reign of terror and injustice which threatens to spread all over Taenand due to the ruthless ruler’s strategic mindset and powerful alliances.

    The Harbinger of Freedom is the first act of the Falling Feathers Series, a crazy mix of blood, sex, drugs, hacking, cybernetic augmentations, shamanism, fantasy creatures, artificial life and an overall retrofuturistic and cyberpunkish aesthetic. In this vast, complex world, liberty and self-determination play a pivotal role in the search for balance and justice for all, while the diverse characters are pawns in a gritty game of power, intrigues and violence in which there is no place for surrender or subjugation.

    The Harbinger of Freedom

    Freddie A. Clark

    Published: 30th August 2021
    Goodreads
    Rep: bi mc, gay li, achillean & sapphic side characters, nonbinary side characters
    CWs: gore, violence, implied child sexual abuse, past child abuse (for more detail, see author’s website)

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  • All Reviews,  Literature

    ARC Review: Fools in Love

    28 November, 2021

    Frankly, if Fools in Love hasn’t been a book you’ve been anticipating all year, then I do not know what to say. It’s pretty much the perfect cosy read to curl up with this winter (or, equally, the perfect beach read, if December happens to fall in the summer months for you). Trust us when we say you don’t want to miss out on this one!

    And, of course, don’t forget to follow Ashley Herring Blake and Rebecca Podos on twitter (along with all the other contributors)!

    Fake relationships. Enemies to lovers. Love triangles and best friends, mistaken identities and missed connections. This collection of genre-bending and original stories celebrates how love always finds a way, featuring powerful flora, a superhero and his nemesis, a fantastical sled race through snow-capped mountains, a golf tournament, the wrong ride-share, and even the end of the world.

    With stories written by Rebecca Barrow, Ashley Herring Blake, Gloria Chao, Mason Deaver, Sara Farizan, Claire Kann, Malinda Lo, Hannah Moskowitz, Natasha Ngan, Rebecca Podos, Lilliam Rivera, Laura Silverman, Amy Spalding, Rebecca Kim Wells, and Julian Winters this collection is sure to sweep you off your feet.

    Fools in Love

    ed. by Ashley Herring Blake & Rebecca Podos

    Goodreads

    Rep: sapphic mcs, achillean mcs, trans mc
    Release: 7th December 2021

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  • All Reviews,  Literature

    Book Reviews: Comics to Cap Off Your Spooky Season

    28 October, 2021

    October is drawing to a close now and we’re approaching Halloween itself. And, since there are three days left in the month (and only two more months in the rest of the year), perhaps you’re starting to think about how best to complete your Goodreads challenge. Fret not! Because today, we come bearing comic recs.

    So if you’re looking for the perfect short read to cap off your spooky season, Boom! Studios has you covered! Check these four out and let us know what you think!

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  • All Reviews,  Film & TV Shows

    Film Review: Operation Hyacinth

    22 October, 2021

    First time for everything! We really are here today with a film review! But really, if you follow us on twitter, you might have guessed that this was coming—we were both clearly very, very excited about Operation Hyacinth. So now that it’s been a week since the movie released on Netflix, let us tell you why exactly you should watch it too.

    Before we start, though, a quick note: please watch the film with English subtitles, they’re definitely better than the English closed captions.

    Not satisfied with the result of a murder investigation in Warsaw’s gay community, an officer in 1980s communist Poland resolves to uncover the truth.

    Operation Hyacinth

    dir. Piotr Domalewski
    written by Marcin Ciastoń

    Letterboxd

    Rep: gay mc, gay li, gay characters
    CWs: police brutality, homophobia, slurs, autopsy, implied suicide (body on screen), gun violence, shooting, homophobic violence, drowning, violence
    Release: 13th October 2021

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  • All Reviews,  Interviews

    ARC Review + Author Interview: Farhad J. Dadyburjor

    12 October, 2021

    Today’s post is two for the price of one! We were lucky enough, firstly, to read Farhad J. Dadyburjor’s romcom The Other Man early, and also interview the author himself. So, here you can find five reasons you should be reading this book (and you can even start right now! It’s out today! Buy it here) as well as finding out a little more about the mind behind it all. What’s not to love?

    A heartwarming and transporting romantic comedy about finding happy ever after on your own terms.

    Heir to his father’s Mumbai business empire, Ved Mehra has money, looks, and status. He is also living as a closeted gay man. Thirty-eight, lonely, still reeling from a breakup, and under pressure from his exasperated mother, Ved agrees to an arranged marriage. He regrettably now faces a doomed future with the perfectly lovely Disha Kapoor.

    Then Ved’s world is turned upside down when he meets Carlos Silva, an American on a business trip in India.

    As preparations for his wedding get into full swing, Ved finds himself drawn into a relationship he could never have imagined―and ready to take a bold step. Ved is ready to embrace who he is and declare his true feelings regardless of family expectations and staunch traditions. But with his engagement party just days away, and with so much at risk, Ved will have to fight for what he wants―if it’s not too late to get it.

    The Other Man

    Farhad J. Dadyburjor

    Goodreads

    Rep: Indian cast, gay mc, Brazilian American gay li
    Release: 12th October 2021

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