#An Island Princess Starts a Scandal by Adriana Herrera

[betterbooksandthings]

"Radically reimagining queer joy is the project of the best queer historical romance books.

Historical research and fantasy are the founding pillars of historical romance. There are certain things about the past that any historical romance is willing to hand-wave away. In return, readers of the genre buy into that imagined past.

Queer historical romance is perhaps more radical in its approach. Not because it is less historically accurate than any other historical romance but because it works against the myth that queer people never existed in the past.

Patriarchy, Teleology, and Queer Historical Romance

Patriarchy and teleology undoubtedly work against queer historical romance. The teleological view of history is the idea that history works in a forward march of progress to a single unified goal. Teleology works against historical romance’s aim to humanize people from the past. The genre gives characters access to joy and agency that often feels anachronistic, especially to readers unfamiliar with the periods.

Pair teleology with a frankly overwhelming body of historians using patriarchal lenses to interpret history, and many dismiss all historical romance as entirely inaccurate. Not to mention, a general de-prioritization of joy and the humanization of people throughout history complicates the idea that everyone should view the past one way.

As historical romance books continue to include queer and BIPOC characters, arguments of historical inaccuracy continue to pile onto the genre. Queer historical romance rejects the claim, “In the before times, things were bad, everyone was horrible, and queer people or non-white people didn’t have power.”

So, while all historical fiction will include fiction by its genre category alone, diverse historical romance bears the brunt of historical inaccuracy claims.

What Makes a Great Queer Historical Romance?

So maybe it is unsurprising that I love queer historical romance quite so much. It’s radical, fun, engrossing, and sometimes downright silly.

Selecting just a dozen books to feature in this list was difficult, especially when so many queer historical romance authors have excellent backlists. If I were you, I would start with the twelve best queer historical romance books here and then go into each other’s backlist for an even better time."

[lgbtqreads]

Fave Five: Victorian F/F Romance

A Bluestocking’s Guide to Decadence by Jess Everlee A Long Time Dead by Samara Breger (PNR) Hen Fever by Olivia Waite Don’t Want You Like a Best Friend by Emma R. Alban Mrs. Martin’s Incomparable Adventure by Courtney Milan Bonus: While not technically Victorian itself, An Island Princess Stars a Scandal by Adriana Herrera is set in Paris during that era

[libraryleopard]

an island princess starts a scandal by adriana herrera (canary street press, 2023)

[pridepages]

🌈 Happy Pride! 🌈

Good things come in sets of sixes as I spotlight some of my favorite rainbow reads.

✨ Category is: Favorites Read in 2023✨

Learn more about them under the cut!

Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail by Ashley Herring Blake (RomCom, Rep: F/F, lesbian, bisexual)

Self-Made Boys by Anna-Marie McLemore (YA gay remix of The Great Gatsby, Rep: M/M, transmen, sapphic characters, BIPOC mcs)

Gearbreakers by Zoe Hana Mikuta (YA Scifi, Rep: F/F, bisexual, lesbian, BIPOC mcs)

Teacher of the Year by MA Wardell (Spicy/Sweet Romance, Rep: M/M, gay, unlabeled queer mc, BIPOC mc, neurodivergent mcs, ADHD mc, Jewish mc)

Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli (YA coming out/romcom, Rep: F/F, bisexual, lesbian, nonbinary sc, Jewish mcs, BIPOC scs)

An Island Princess Starts a Scandal by Adriana Herrera (Historical Romance, F/F, lesbian, BIPOC mcs)

[the-final-sentence]

'We live happily ever after, princesa,' she answered instantly, her heart full of this wild, untamable love, and she believed ever word.

Adriana Herrera, from An Island Princess Starts a Scandal

[dhaaruni]

So excited to get into these two ARCs!

[overflowingshelf]

Review: An Island Princess Starts a Scandal by Adriana Herrera

An Island Princess Starts a Scandal Adriana Herrera Publisher: Canary Street Press Publication Date: May 30, 2023 Series or Standalone: Las Léonas #2 Links: Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Goodreads – StoryGraph Rating: MY REVIEW CW: Lesbophobia, homophobia, misogyny, racism, emotional abuse Well, this was a disappointing read. After really enjoying A Caribbean Heiress in Paris, I was looking…

[thebooklovebot]

REVIEW: An Island Princess Starts a Scandal by Adriana Herrera

PUBLISHER: Canary Street Press PUBLICATION DATE:May 30, 2023. GENRE: Romance / Historical Romance / LGBTQIA+ Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy in exchange of my honest opinion! I’m so happy I got the chance to read this book. I completely fell in love with The Leonas and their lovers. I fell in love with Adriana’s writing, I loved every second of reading…

[fahye]

your book reccomendations are always excellent, do you have any favorite queer romance authors? looking for the standard “trashy” romance vibes but with queer people if possible, thank you so much!

let's see! romance vibes but make it queer.

Delilah Green Doesn't Care by Ashley Herring Blake (f/f contemp small town romance)

One Night in Hartswood by Emma Denny (m/m medieval historical, fluff and identity shenanigans in a forest)

Mistakes Were Made by Meryl Wilsner (f/f contemp 'oh shit I banged my roommate's hot mum')

basically anything by Alexis Hall but start with Boyfriend Material (m/m contemp romcom) or A Lady For A Duke (m/f regency with a trans heroine) for classic romance vibes

Teacher of the Year by M.A. Wardell (m/m contemp about a teacher and a student's dad) is extremely sweet

I can't imagine you've spent any time around my tumblr without hearing me yell READ EVERYTHING BY KJ CHARLES!! but today I will rec Any Old Diamonds (m/m historical, thief/aristocrat with HEIST SHENANIGANS)

For the Love of April French by Penny Aimes (m/f contemp with trans heroine and lots of kink) is scorching hot and heaps of fun

I have heard great things about An Island Princess Starts a Scandal by Adriana Herrera (f/f historical, SEX PACT WITH A DUCHESS) but my ordered copy hasn't arrived yet

ditto The Fiancée Farce by Alexandria Bellefleur (contemporary f/f celebrity marriage of convenience/fake dating), which I JUST got my paws on today and am excited to read

fuck it, Gaywyck by Vincent Virga was the first m/m gothic romance (1980!) and it's Truly The Most Gothic so if you like oldschool romances where the vibes are problematic but extremely delicious, check it out.

...and then read this great article by chels about Problematic Queer Books and why we need them

[mermaidsirennikita]

NOVEMBER 2024 LGBT+ ROMANCE RECS

It's always important to support diverse books, y'all. This isn't new.

But on a financial and outspoken level, it's going to be important in the coming days for Americans (and honestly, unfortunately, non-Americans too) to support queer (and BIPOC) books.

So, with no preamble.... And I do want to make clear, I'm a cis white woman (sexuality: God, I don't even know anymore)... Queer books I think you should try—

F/F:

Make the Season Bright by Ashley Herring-Blake. Contemporary. CHRISTMAS. Charlotte heads to her best friend's house for the holidays, only to find that her best friend's sister brought HER best friend... Brighton, Charlotte's childhood sweetheart who left her at the altar years ago. Angst, lots of holiday dating, and hot hot sex ensue.

Seas and Greetings by Sierra Simone and Julie Murphy. Contemporary. Christmas-adjacent. A high-end influencer embarks on a brand cruise with a stern, super hot bodyguard. But someone is threatening to expose her secret... (not her bisexuality).

This Will Be Fun by E.B. Asher. Fantasy. Years after their fearless leader is killed saving the world, a fgroup of heroes must come back together to... save the world again? Sort of? Two core romances, one of which is m/f and one of which is f/f—a nerdy witchy agoraphobic type comes back into play with the assassin she used to hook up with on previous quests.

Set the Record Straight by Hannah Bonam-Young. Contemporary. Christmas! A pair of friends do the classic fake dating thing when one of them needs a girlfriend for a work function and the other needs a girlfriend to show up her ex at a holiday get together. Bi awakening, very sweet, novella.

An Island Princess Starts a Scandal by Adriana Herrera. Historical. Latina and Afro-Latina leads. An heiress strikes a deal with an older businesswoman; she'll give the businesswoman the property she wants in exchange for an introduction and adventure in sapphic Paris before our girl has to marry a man. Truly excellent content.

The Stars Too Fondly by Emily Hamilton. Sci-fi. A scientist ends up accidentally launching herself and her friends into space, and their only help is the hologram of the ship's former captain, who mysteriously went missing with her entire crew years ago. Also, she's a hot ice queen.

A Sweet Sting of Salt by Rose Sutherland. Historical fantasy. A midwife helps a mysterious fisherman's wife give birth, only to find that the woman's origins may be more mystical than they seem. Spoiler alert: lesbian selkies. Also spoiler alert: Comeuppance for a shitty, shitty husband.

A Long Time Dead by Samara Breger. Historical paranormal. A sex worker is transformed into a vampire and enters into a looooong term sapphic love triangle with the villain of the novel and the uptight, persnickety mentor who's taken her in. Kinda like Interview with the Vampire, but hotter and gayer (yes) and way less of a sausage fest.

Mortal Follies by Alexis Hall. Historical fantasy. A young debutante in a "Midsummer Night's Dream x Pride and Prejudice" type world ends up hexed and in a back and forth with a mysterious lady duke rumored to have committed at least two murders.

The Conquering of Tate the Pious by Sierra Simone. Historical. A medieval abbess has to defend her nunnery against the villainous lady conqueror who's come to town. "Defend" can mean many things, FYI.

The Fiancee Farce by Alexandra Bellefleur. Contemporary. A fun little fake dating inheritance game book, in which a cover model/heiress convinces a woman who's already been pretending that she's his girlfriend to quiet questions, to... You know. Fake being her fiancee. In a farce.

M/M

The Will Darling Adventures by KJ Charles. Trilogy, historical. A WWI vet gets entangled with capers and espionage, while falling for a former Bolshevik upper class danger man. SO FUN.

The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting by KJ Charles. Historical. A romcom in which a prickly upper class man strikes a deal... of a carnal nature... after catching a fortune hunter trying to seduce his niece.

The Witch Walker Series by Charissa Weaks. Fantasy. Multiple romances, and the primary is M/F, but there are multiple POVs and a prominent, excellent, villain second chance romance between two men, both of whom have POVs. Additionally, the hero of the M/F romance has recently been revealed to be bi through the offshoot Tales from Tiressia. Yay!

We Could Be So Good by Cat Sebastian. Historical. 1950s reporters begin as friends, then become roommates, then become... more than roommates.

You Should Be So Lucky by Cat Sebastian. Historical. A baseball player on a rough streak and a grieving and snippy reporter following him around on the sports beat get entangled.

The Queer Principles of Kit Webb by Cat Sebastian. Historical. A former highwayman-turned-cafe-owner agrees to mentor a dandy in the art of highwaymanery so that he can steal from his horrible father. Has deminisexual rep, as well as disability rep.

Glitterland by Alexis Hall. Contemporary. A bipolar down on his luck author hooks up with a working class club kid, then accidentally ends up in a relationship.

Saint by Sierra Simone. Contemporary. A monk ends up touring monasteries with his reporter ex-boyfriend. Lots of exploration of mental health here (and it's super hot).

The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by KJ Charles. Historical. A new baronet moves to the marsh to care for his messy family, only to find out that one of the leading members the local organized crime family is that guy he used to anonymously hook up with.

The Nobleman's Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel by KJ Charles. A veteran turned nobleman employs a secretary in order to help him hold on to his title (his family hates him) only to realize... that secretary... is hot.

Snow Place Like L.A. by Sierra Simone and Julie Murphy. Contemporary. Christmas-adjacent. A costume designer runs into the one who got away and is SUPER BITTER. But, you know. It's a time for forgiveness.

Mafia Target by Mila Finelli. Dark/mafia. An assassin after a prominent don's son gets obsessed in a different way, and their game of cat and mouse becomes something more.

Band Sinister by KJ Charles. Historical. A flustered young innocent ends up having to head over to the Dangerous House after his sister has to rest there following an injury. Finds out that the group of scoundrels there are both better and worse than he thought. Sendup to gothics!

Heated Rivalry and The Long Game by Rachel Reid. Hockey contemporary. A pair of connected books about the long-term relationship between two hockey rivals, which begins as a hookup situationship and turns into something more... One of my ultimates!

Something Fabulous by Alexis Hall. Historical. After the woman he proposes to runs away, a stuffy duke enlists her fabulous twin brother to help him catch her... Demi rep.

Trans and NB

The Prospects by KT Hoffman. Baseball contemporary. The first trans man in the league ends up on the same team as the guy who abandoned their friendship years ago—leading to a rivalry... which leads to another thing.

Rules for Ghosting by Shelly Jay Shore. Light paranormal. A ghost-seeing trans guy ends up having to return to helping with his family's funeral home... And falls for a volunteer... only that volunteer's husband is currently haunting him. Jewish rep.

Most Ardently by Gabriel Cole Navoa. Historical. YA. A Pride and Prejudice retelling in which we have Oliver Bennet, a trans boy trying his best, and Darcy, the dude he hates.

A Shore Thing by Joanna Lowell. Historical. A widow ends up on a long distance bicycle race with a rakish former artist turned bicycle fiend, who happens to be trans. As a note, the author is married to a trans man who happens to be a queer historian!

Chef's Choice by TJ Alexander. Contemporary. A down on her luck woman agrees to pretend to date a Frenchman from a billionaire family as he embarks on an ancestral cooking challenge. Both leads are trans.

A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall. Historical. After faking her death at Waterloo in order to transition, a woman ends up tending to her former best friend as he recovers from PTSD and a laudanum addiction. He doesn't recognize her at first. At first... Disability and addiction rep.

For the Love of April French by Penny Aimes. Contemporary. A trans woman hooks up with a stranger, only to discover he's just been hired as a higher-up with her company.

The Pairing by Casey McQuiston. Contemporary. Exes (one of whom has come out as NB since they broke up) end up on the same European food and wine tour years later, and agree to reestablish their friendship (dating back to childhood) in a competition to see who can hook up with the most people.

His Valet by S.M. LaViolette. Historical. An NB valet (uses she/her pronouns in respect to the era) pretends to be a man while infatuated with her boss. In order to have a few nights with him, they take up the identity of a mysterious widow... And it spirals BIG TIME from there.

Unmasked by the Marquess by Cat Sebastian. Historical. A marquess believes his new best friend is a man—they're actually in disguise (uses she/her pronouns in respect to the era). After he discovers their true identity, the friendship yields to more...

Something Spectacular by Alexis Hall. Historical. A genderfluid dandy sets out to grudgingly help her ex seduce a castrato soprano... Only to capture their attention herself.

Queer Non-Monogamy (Everyone Is Together To Be Clear)

Triple Sec by TJ Alexander. Contemporary. Open poly triad romance. A bartender meets a sparkly lawyer, only to find out that the sparkly lawyer has an NB spouse. While our bartender dates the lawyer at first, she soon begins recognizing a tension between herself and her new girlfriend's prickly, aloof wife...

The New Camelot Trilogy by Sierra Simone. Dark contemporary, closed triad. A retelling of King Arthur set within the presidency. Super sexy, super angsty, suuuuper poly.

The Lyonesse Series by Sierra Simone (ongoing). Dark contemporary, closed triad (presumably). A retelling of Tristan and Isolde, in which a bodyguard falls for his boss, then is sent to collect said boss's fiancee... And the shit really hits the fan. Again, super hot, really intense.

The Thornchapel Series by Sierra Simone. Dark light paranormal. Closed(ish) triad with a secondary but prominent monogamous f/f romance. A group of childhood friends get back together just in time for a mysterious magic to begin wreaking havoc on the land... VERY dark academia with some pretty intense taboo (message me if concerned).

Consort of Fire and Queen of Dreams by Kit Rocha. Fantasy, closed triad. A princess sets out to marry a dragon shifter known for killing his previous spouses—except she, with the help of her handmaiden and lover, sets out to kill HIM.

Give Me More by Sara Cate. Contemporary, closed triad. A married couple and their best friend set out on a road trip together, only for things to become... blurred.

[bookish-afrolatina]

AfroLatine Authors by Bookish AfroLatina

A few folks have asked me for book recommendations by and about AfroLatine folks so here are some amazing authors I want to introduce y'all to:

Romance:

Adriana Herrera (Dominican) She's one of my favorite authors of all time! Herrera writes both Contemporary and Historical Romances with nuanced, fun, and tender characters and plenty of heat.

A.H. Cunningham (Panamanian) I'm just starting to get into her books but I already know I need them all! The chemistry! The heat!

Mia Sosa (Puerto Rican & Brazilian) My first introduction to Mia Sosa was The Worst Best Man which was messy in the best ways. I love the scenarios she puts her MCs in!

Young Adult Fantasy

Julian Randall (Dominican) He has a lot of range! I've read 3 out of his 5 books and each one has opened me up to processing my own identity and experiences.

Maya Motayne (Dominican & Guyanese) Her series is gripping and fascinating. It surpassed my expectations!

Young Adult

Maika & Maritza Moulite (Haitian) Dear Haiti inspired me to learn more about the Haitian Revolution! I haven't read their second book yet but I'm very excited for The Summer I Ate The Rich.

Jessica Parra (Guatemalan & Cuban) This beautiful soul sent me her work last year. I read and loved Rubi Ramos, so I expect I will probably enjoy The Quince Project as well!

Literary Fiction & YA

Camille Gomera-Tavarez (Dominican) High Spirits knocked me off my feet! The stories were so real but also used elements of Magical Realism.

Elizabeth Acevedo (Dominican) Another of my favorite authors! Acevedo's books give me a sense of belonging and warmth every time I read them.

Ibi Zoboi (Haitian) Zoboi writes in many genres but I've only read her YA so far. Her voice is powerful and her characters have strength through their vulnerabilities.

Books listed on my website: https://www.bookishafrolatina.com/blog

What AfroLatine authors do y’all recommend?

[ID: Slide 1-Gabby smiles behind a copy of An Island Princess Starts a Scandal. Text: AFROLATINE AUTHORS. I WANT TO SHARE WITH Y'ALL. Background is light purple with white stars. Slide 2-TEXT: ROMANCE. ADRIANA HERRERA. Adriana poses in black rectangular glasses and a burgundy top with her hair in short honey curls. 9 of her book covers surround her and a small Dominican flag sits below her. Slide 3-TEXT: ROMANCE. A.H. CUNNINGHAM. The author smiles in a floral top/dress and honey-colored braids. Below her sits the Panamanian flag. 9 of her book covers surround her. Slide 4-TEXT: ROMANCE. MIA SOSA. The author smiles in a denim top, dark rectangle glasses, and dangly earrings. Her dark brown/black hair is in short curls. Slide 5-TEXT: YA FANTASY & SPECULATIVE FICTION. DANIEL JOSÉ OLDER.  9 of her book covers surround him with a small Cuban flag below him. The author poses in the middle with a dark blue hat and gray shirt. Slide 6-TEXT: YA FANTASY, POETRY & ESSAYS. JULIAN RANDALL. The author laughs with his eyes closed. His hair and facial hair are black/dark brown. He's wearing a red and black jersey. Below hit, a small Puerto Rican flags sits and he is surrounded by 5 book covers. Slide 7-TEXT: YOUNG ADULT. FANTASY. MAYA MONTAYNE. Maya smirks with her dark hair in curls and wearing a dark green v-neck top. Below her, the Guyanese and Dominican flags sit above her three books. TEXT: MAIKA MOULITE & MARITZA MOULITE. The authors pose back to back. Maika smiles in her red lipstick, a tan fitted dress, and is bald. Maritza smiles in dark red lipstick, a blue, red, and white striped dress, and her black hair extends below her shoulder. Above them sit their 3 books and below them is the Haitian flag. Slide 8- TEXT: LITERARY FICTION & YA. CAMILLE GOMERA-TAVAREZ. The author poses with her hand under her chin. She wears her shoulder-length, dark brown hair in tight curls with 2 braids framing her face. She has dangly earrings and dark pink lipstick. Below her are a small Dominican flag and her two books. TEXT: JESSICA PARRA. The author poses in a pink tank top with her dark brown/black hair in loose curls reaching her shoulder blades. Her two books sit above her and mini ‎Guatemalan and Cuban flags flank her name. Slide 9-TEXT: LITERARY FICTION, POETRY & YA. ELIZABETH ACEVEDO. The author wears her honey brown, curly hair out and a patterned orange and purple top. A dominican flag sits below with 5 book covers surrounding her. Slide 10-TEXT: YA/MIDDLE GRADE & MORE. IBI ZOBOI. The author poses with her hand under her chin. She has her dark hair in short coils, large cat eye glasses, and a turquoise, orange, and cream top. The Haitian flag sits below her and 7 book covers surround her.]

[eusuntgratie]

25 books for 2025

thank you for the tag @taste-thewaste 💜💜

Currently reading: Game Changer by Rachel Reid

Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosrat

Anita de Monte Laughs Last by Xochitl Gonzalez

Ravensong by TJ Klune

Heartsong by TJ Klune

Brothersong by TJ Klune

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik

Beartown by Fredrick Backman

Take it Outside by @landrybrennan

Shoot Your Shot by Lexi Lefleur Brown

The Broken Heart of America by Walter Johnson

Taste by Stanley Tucci

Milk Fed by Melissa Broder

Bellies by Nicola Dinan

The Guncle by Steven Rowley

The Charm Offensive by Allison Cochrun

communion by bell hooks

Astrid Parker Doesn't Fail by Ashley Herring Blake

Hell Follows With Us by Andrew Joseph White

An Island Princess Starts a Scandal by Adriana Herrera

Love Radio by Ebony LaDelle

Hunger Pangs by @thebibliosphere

Family Meal by Bryan Washington

The Martian by Andy Weir

The New Kid by Eliot Schrefer

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

This would be about twice the number of books I read in 2024 so we shall see what happens!

no pressure tagging: @lostcol @bigassbowlingballhead @basil-bird @stratocumulusperlucidus @jbarneswilson

@captainjunglegym @insecuregodcomplex @stnichols

+ open tag for anyone hoping to do some reading in 2025!

[lgbtqreads]

Happy Caribbean American Heritage Month

Happy Caribbean American Heritage Month! We’re celebrating as we do, with queer Caribbean fiction! Middle Grade Hurricane Child by Kacen Callender Being born during a hurricane is considered unlucky where twelve-year-old Caroline Murphy lives, and she has had her share of bad luck lately. She’s hated and bullied by everyone in her small school on St. Thomas of the US Virgin Islands. A spirit only…

[libraryleopard]

Adult historical F/F romance novel set in Belle Epoque France

Heiress Manuela comes to Paris for one more summer of freedom before her arranged marriage and enters into a contract with the infamously ruthless Duchess Cora–one summer of Cora's guidance through the carefree lesbian scene of the city in exchange for selling a parcel of family land that Cora needs for her business ventures

But as the two of them grow closer during their summer of art and scandal, Manuela and Cora must decide if it's worth risking their contract–and their reputations–for love

Afro-Dominican-Venezuelan lesbian main character; Chilean lesbian main character

[pridepages]

🏳️‍🌈 Titles read in April 2023🏳️‍⚧️

Ace of Spades by Fariddah Abike Lymidide

An Island Princess Starts a Scandal by Adriana Herrera

The Feeling of Falling in Love by Mason Deaver

The Problem with Perfect by Philip William Stover

[sofipitch]

1,3,4,12,13 and 24 for book asks

1. How many books did you read this year?

93 but I am reading 3 books RN and will likely finish them before the end of the year

3. What were your top five books of the year?

No particular order:

Metal from Heaven by August Clarke

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

She Who Became the Sun and He Who Drowned the World by Shelley Parker Chan

The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson

My reviews of all are just read them. House of Leaves may not be for everyone but otherwise

4. Did you discover any new authors that you love this year?

No particular order

Shelley Parker Chan, Delilah Dawson, Yoss, Ellen Kushner, August Clarke, Micaiah Johnson, C J Leede

All authors I plan to read more of!

12. Any books that disappointed you?

Are You My Mother? by Alison Bechdel: I really loved Fun Home but this one was not on par. Bechdel really got into Freudian psychoanalysis before writing this one and it's pretty excruciating to read about a dream about hiking or whatever that actually represents her troubled relationship with her mother

Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky: This book was VERY conservative Christian. Dostoevsky would be saying it was wrong to shoot that CEO, that's basically the book actually

13. What were your least favorite books of the year?

Things Have Gotten Worse Since We Last Spoke And Other Misfortunes by Eric LaRocca: VERY poorly written. All women in this also only had one personality trait: wanting to be pregnant

Most of the books I disliked are in the dnf category actually which is next and quite long

24.Did you DNF anything? Why?

Oof going through storygraph and there is a fair amount:

John dies at the end by Jason Pargin: Too stupid to keep reading. It was a webnovel first so it does the nonstop cliffhanger thing I hate about webnovels but doesn't have anything else really going for it. The humor got old fast

Woman, Eating by Claire Kohda: The subtitle was "A literary vampire novel" which should have been a warning. MFA book about a depressed vampire getting frustrated with a FedEx employee. This is a good example of "write what you know" can be the worst advice to give to boring ppl

Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder: Another example of a literary horror book (see above) that sucks bc the literary author thinks they are doing something very unique and elevating stinky dumb genre fiction

Kalpa Imperial: The Greatest Empire That Never Was by Angélica Gorodischer: Honestly just kind of boring. Short stories are easier to dnf bc it's easier to find out if it's not going anywhere you care for

The Infinite and the Divine by Robert Rath: This is a Warhammer book, my partner is really into Warhammer and he listened to all of TLT so it only seemed fair but I think I needed more than a passing familiarity with the lore, way too confusing

Luck in the Shadows by Lynn Flewelling: Being gay doesn't save it from being boring as shit

An Island Princess Starts a Scandal by Adriana Herrera: I was excited for a Latine wlw historical romance, any Latine genre fiction that isn't YA or short stories excites me bc YA or short stories feels 90% of the Latine genre fiction available in the States. But this just was too poorly written to enjoy

The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn: Sometimes the adaptation is MUCH better. Also poorly written

Dawn by Octavia Butler: Okay before you throw stones at me, I was REALLY enjoying this one. I just have a phobia of something that was introduced and had to stop. Scifi hates me personally bc it loves this trope. This one would actually be my biggest disappointment of the year but in a "how could you do this to me" kind of way

Genesis of Misery by Neon Yang: My frustration with this book cannot be quickly summarized, a cool concept very poorly rendered

Witch King by Martha Wells: This is like if you stripped Murderbot to only the characters talking about the plot. It is painfully boring