#Wanna Bet by Talia Hibbert

[viscountessevie]

Yesss we have an Indian bestie in this book!!We love to see it! Asmita Shah I love you alreadyyy

We've got Rahul the Indian hero too and Jas is a Black heroine! I love having rep like this 😍😍

[triviareads]

do you have diverse modern romance recs?

Yep! I've (mostly) organized it by author:

Naima Simone: I'm obsessed with literally everything this woman writes, both Harlequin and not Harlequin. Naima writes a lot of fabulous Black heroines (and she writes great body diversity as well) and a decent amount of POC heroes as well. My favorites include . Black Tie Billionaire (Black heroine, Asian hero), Secrets Of A One Night Stand (Black heroine, Pacific Islander hero), and Trust Fund Fiancé (both the hero and heroine are Black). The best thing about Naima's books is just the uniformity in how she writes every body type as attractive and desirable and the sex is very hot. Would absolutely recommend.

Katrina Jackson: I haven't talked about Katrina enough, when she's out here doing the most for mafia romances and spy romances with diverse characters. I could happily read her novella Beautiful & Dirty over and over, but it's a prequel to the mafia series which ends with my favorite, The Don, which has a Black heroine. Katrina also wrote a spy series (The Spies Who Loved Me!) and the first in that series, Pink Slip, has a Black heroine who's lusting over her married bosses (the wife, Monica, is Latina I believe) and surprise, they're both into her too.

Angelina M. Lopez: Angelina writes excellent Latino rep. Her fictional town Freedom, Kansas, which is the setting in multiple stories, has an amazing Mexican-American community she builds on. I'd recommend After Hours on Milagro Street, which has a Mexican-American heroine, as well as her upcoming Full Moon Over Freedom, which is next in the series. The way she melds culture, magic, and romance is gorgeous. Also! Lush Money, which is set within this universe, has a Latina heroine and is very fun and worth reading.

Tara Pammi: If you want to read about Indians in India or Bollywood-centric romances, Tara is the author. I liked Claiming His Bollywood Cinderella and The Secret She Kept in Bollywood (that man is suuuch a DILF he's great).

Jadesola James: I've talked about her before (see here) but Jadesola has written a couple Harlequin Presents stories set in Africa. I'd recommend The Royal Baby He Must Claim and The Princess He Must Marry, which are about sisters who are Nigerian princesses.

Talia Hibbert: The Brown Sisters books are bangers, sexy and emotionally comforting at the same time. I'd recommend all of them: Get a Life, Chloe Brown, Take a Hint, Dani Brown, and Act Your Age, Eve Brown. I also love her novella Guarding Temptation, which has both a Black hero and heroine and Wanna Bet? which has a Black heroine and a British-Indian hero (thanks for reminding me @viscountessevie).

Wrong to Need You by Alisha Rai: The hero and heroine are in-laws (well, her husband, his brother, is dead) so the romance was very emotional and slow-burn, but the pay-off was absolutely worth it. The heroine Sadia is Pakistani-American, and the hero Jackson is of Japanese and Hawaiian ancestry. Alisha also delves pretty deep into South Asian family dynamics which hit a liiiittle too close to home, but I can't deny the accuracy.

Reel by Kennedy Ryan: This a romance between an actress and her director (both are Black) and I particularly appreciate the amount of research Kennedy Ryan put into the Harlem Renaissance, Black artists of that era (she created a fictional artist to base the movie off of), as well as their contributions to the Civil Rights movement which I think isn't discussed enough.

Sink or Swim by Tessa Bailey: See here.

From what I recall, Katee Robert did a pretty good job of body diversity without super explicitly mentioning race in her Fairytale Villains Who Fuck Wicked Villains series.

[moodywyrm]

Hi moonster!! Do you have any book recommendations? :)

do I have book recs!! you bet your sweet ass I do!! I love giving book recs ok I got so giddy when this came in. this is gonna be kinda a mishmash of recs, but I have sapphic book recs linked in my pinned post!

I think everyone should read A Ghost in the Throat by Doireann Ní Ghríofa. It's best described as creative nonfiction, following Ní Ghríofa's attempts to scavenge together the life of Eibhlín Dubh Ní Chonaill, the classical Irish language poet. It explores the concept of "a female text" and I wrote an entire essay on this just a few weeks ago. It's beautiful and an exploration of things like motherhood, identity, control, etc. etc.

A different vibe, but I also highly recommend Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno Garcia. Chances are you've heard of this, but I literally cannot shut up about this book and I read it Last Year. It's pretty much exactly what the title says, it follows a woman who goes to visit her sister at her husband's family home, due to some concerning letters. It's quite slow, and if that's a dealbreaker for you, you might wanna avoid this one. But! If you can push through, and honestly even the slow parts are incredible, the last section of this book hits you like a fucking truck. I love this book, man. Creepy fucking vibes.

If anyone wants to read my favorite classics, including more modern classics, you've got Frankenstein, East of Eden, Dracula, The Secret History, and Little Women <3

For series! I love the Arc of the Scythe trilogy by Neal Shusterman. It basically explores a world in which natural death has been eliminated, necessitating the existence of "Scythes". I think it's pretty good to go in knowing very little. This series is a fucking ride and I would love to talk about it more </3

Want incredible sci-fi fantasy? Read The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin. That's all I have to say. This book was fucking incredible and I need the rest of the series as soon as possible. The first books I'm buying once my book ban is over. Earth(like the material)-centered magic/ability system. Complex social systems, a world unto itself. It's genuinely beautiful.

Babel by R.F. Kuang. Y'all. A critique of imperialism, academia, capitalism, race, and more all in one beautiful book. Set in a speculative fiction version of England and the British Empire that centers the near-magical abilities of silver and language. It's fucking incredible, and is one of the best books I've ever read. Also it has footnotes. I love footnotes.

for my graphic novel babes! Mooncakes by Wendy Xu, Suzanne Walker, and Joamette Gil! A witch and a werewolf, sapphic, just overall incredibly cozy and lovable and I wanna reread it <3

Also! For good romance with plus size characters that also had neurodivergent and chronic illness rep!! The Brown Sister's Trilogy by Talia Hibbert. I've probably talked about these before but they're incredible. My fave is probably Take a Hint, Dani Brown, but they're all so so good. Literally just beautiful stories about three plus size black women being loved and appreciated. Fucking incredible. Some of the only romance books I physically own because they're just that fucking good.

that's all for now folks! if yall want any specific recs feel free to ask! I love talking about books so these asks always make me feel all warm and fuzzy <3

[diehard-fangirl]

DOWN & DIRTY QUICKIE REVIEW!

One Sentence Summary:

She's a curvy, black, Anti-Relationship woman & he's her Indian, loved-her-for-years BFF roommate.

Name That Trope:

Friends To Lovers with the closest friendship & the hottest loving!

Forced Proximity = rooooooommates!

College quickie

Sex positive BAMF heroine

Heroine’s childhood abuse means tragic backstory

Betatastic fluff-muffin hero + Alphatacular tough-cookie heroine = swoons!

What part made you fangirl squeal:

Every single witty banter OTP moment!

When Rahul deconstructions the misogynistic Friend Zone Theory! He accepted Jasmine’s romantic & sexual rejection without ultimatum or temper tantrum, because he respected her agency by acknowledging friendship with expectation is NOT friendship at all? FANGIRL FEELS WERE FANGIRLED!

When Jasmine used coping mechanisms & corrective behavior techniques, on page?! I fangirled the fuck out of The Power Of Love not being the magic fix to our heroine’s mental health.

The 5937364937 times this hero emo-lusted after Jasmine! Whether he was heart-musing his adoration of her verve & fire, or pants-feeling over her stretch marked thighs, I WAS HERE FOR ALL OF IT!

Favorite Character:

CURSE YOU, HOE, FOR MAKING ME PICK! It’s impossible.

Jasmine is fun loving & broken & a survivor & sassy & smart & hilarious! Rahul is loyal & sweet & considerate & protective & supportive & sexy!

Choosing 1 god to worship is blasphemous, goddammit.

How smexy was the smex?

PANTIES-MELTING-HOTTTTTT! Y’alls reproductive organs gonna combust when you read this hero blatantly, obviously cheating at a game of cards.

And when Jasmine is straight up BEGGING for the D but Rahul replies, “Let me play with you.”...Y’all my ass astral projected across the fangirl universe!

I mean, this hero got so hot for Jasmine he literally jerked off in his locked office! THIS IS THE SMEXY SMEX I’M HERE FOR

Whose Line Is It Anyway:

‘Her thighs were soft and rippled with stretch marks, like waves across an ocean’s surface. He was more than ready to drown. How could he separate loving Jas from loving her body- Jas, who was her body more than anyone he’d ever met, who’d had her soul in her eyes when she’d come for him?’

***

Jasmine: Talking is for nerds.

Rahul: Says the future lawyer.

Jasmine: Future solicitor. Talking is for nerds; litigation is for warriors.

***

‘He’d upset her. And now he felt like tearing his own heart out of his chest, and offering it in apology- but, realistically, all that blood would upset her even more.’

***

'Under her gaze he became a king.’ 

Got any bitching to do?

Yeah, the fact that I can never read this book again for the first time!

Visually Depict Yo Book Feels:

Famous last words:

This book is goddamn beautiful! It captures every single human emotion under the sun so effortlessly.

The writing uses deep POV with characters that are emotionally spectacular! It has inclusive language, and a diverse cast of characters!

Plus the heroine calls the hero “my darling potato” & “sugar-tits.” If that’s not reason enough to read this book, I don’t know what is!

----------------------------------------------------------

For a more in depth, LOL-fest discussion on romance novels, HERE BE MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL!

[firstdove15]

August Reading

This is officially the most books I’ve read in years and I’m still on a roll.

1) Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik (Four Stars)

I found myself enjoying this more than I did Uprooted, which surprised me because I really did enjoy Uprooted and the spins Novik put on her magic system (standard magic vs. working magic in your own way). I blame it on the fact that there’s fae in here. XD Granted, the Staryk king was a major dick but I still found him entertaining because he’s a fae; of course his morals are going to clash with humans. Also ice fae. Need I say more? XD And the tsar...my goodness. Couldn’t stand him at first, but then he showed to be just as much a victim AND having barely a brain cell to run his own freaking country. And I’m saying that generously. At least it’s heavily implied he’s realized how lucky he is to have his wife by his side (’cause she totally saved his tush). The found family juice was strong in this one and I enjoyed every second of it.

2) Boys Run the Riot Volume 2 by Keito Gaku (Four Stars)

I actually enjoyed this as much as I did the first volume so it really should be four and a half stars, but that ending was so not okay. O_O I imagine volume three is going to be more emotionally tense. *hugs baby boy*

3) Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun Volume 11 by Izumi Tsubaki (Four Stars)

There’s no denying that some of the humor is becoming hit or miss but I still chuckle more often than not. <333

4) Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun Volume 12 by Izumi Tsubaki (Four Stars)

See above. I’d totally keep buying the volumes as they come out in English because it’s pretty much modern Ranma 1/2 in terms of character development not being the main priority in its narrative. As long as it makes you chuckle; it’s doing its job.

5) A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik (Four Stars)

Yo, yooooooo. I can’t live in that world. I can’t. I do not envy the characters. If I lived in that world and found out I had magic powers, I’d be screwed. Anyway, I highly enjoyed El and her snark. I didn’t expect this to be a dark comedy and dark comedies are actually up my alley. XD It was nice watching her slowly develop some genuine friendships in an otherwise hostile environment and her dynamic with Orion is where I don’t care where it goes as long as they care about each other. Platonic, romantic, quasiplatonic. I’ll take it.

Also, I’m still lowkey reeling from that last sentence. Best believe I’m buying the sequel.

6) To Your Eternity Volume One by Yoshitok Oma (Three Stars)

I didn’t know how to feel about this one. I mean, it’s well-written but I couldn’t decide if this is the type of story I want to follow because the premise, while fascinating, can possibly lead on the depressing side. I mean, I freaking watched a child get his leg infected and die in his sleep in the first freaking chapter (which I totally saw coming given who the author is, but dang). But judging from screencaps I saw of the manga and the themes going on, I’ll probably continue. Or at least follow the anime.

7) That Kind of Guy by Talia Hibbert (Four Stars)

It’s Hibbert. She writes; I read. All I have left is Wanna Bet? (which apparently got renamed The Roommate Risk) but I look forward to reading it sometime in the future.

8) Allegedly by Tiffany D. Jackson (Four Stars)

I was gonna wait until the start of September to read, but I ended up starting early and finishing early. Monday’s Not Coming broke my heart; Allegedly freaking betrayed me. Like, it’s been two days and I’m still lowkey pissed. XD And the worst part is you can totally recall what counted as hints to the twist and, YMMV, but I thought it was clever. Disturbing, but clever. I found out people either loved the ending or hated it and honestly, both are fair.

9) Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson (Four Stars)

I speed through this in two freaking days. I had to know who killed the man so I could shake their hand. Then when I found out who they were (minor spoiler), it was like, “Yo, he deserved to rot in jail, not this.” Then it was revealed that they started the assault but the finishing blow by the other person was justified. I appreciated that while the novel mentioned a tragic backstory and let you realize why he partially turned out the way he did, it absolutely did not justify what he did to all those girls. Not at all.

Plans for September

Technically I’m ahead of the game because I was gonna read Allegedly and Grown in September, but that means time for other books. <3 So far, I already got started on Let Me Hear a Rhyme by Tiffany D. Jackson. So:

1) Let Me Hear a Rhyme by Tifftany D. Jackson

2) the book S got me for my birthday; I forgot the name but it’s safe in my room for the time being

3) The Last Graduate by Naomi Novik

4) White Smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson

5) The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

I would roll the dice for the TBR game but this list is enough. XD

[convenientalias]

Some Romance Novel Recs for Valentine’s Day

I don’t think many ppl who follow me read romance novels, but! for anyone who does, or who would like to try some bc they like shippy fanfic or want to try a new genre, here is a list of recs for Valentine’s Day, a day of romance. I tend to like romances with high levels of conflict--melodrama, thriller subplots, etc--but a few of these are also fluffy. Kind of a mix.

F/F

With This Ring by Cynthia Dane**--high society lesbian marriage of convenience

Off Limits by Vaness North--forbidden romance with a bar singer

A Treason of Truths by Ada Harper--sci-fi queen/spymaster ship, lots of intrigue

Rulebreaker by Cathy Pegau--sci-fi corporate espionage romance

Hungry for It by Fiona Zedde**--forbidden romance with a friend’s mother

M/F 

Wanna Bet? by Talia Hibbert**--Player FMC and her best friend who’s been pining after her for years

Against the Dark by Carolyn Crane--Secret agent and safecracker pull a heist and fall for each other

That Kind of Guy by Mina V. Esguerra--Exes reconnecting. Mellow, largely about FMC considering what she wants from life.

Redemption by Kenya Wright--FMC escaping abuse meets a man with a dark past who offers her protection

Ante Up by Christina C. Jones--Rich alpha male gambler meets not so rich but better than him female gambler, sparks fly. Actually very angsty and pretty dark. I read this book tonight :) It’s definitely a pageturner.

M/M 

The Undue Arrogance duology by Cole McCade**--Two books, both about rich dudes with issues who want to get dommed

Curses, Foiled Again by Sera Trevor--A vampire and an unintimidated witch

Any Old Diamonds by K.J. Charles**--Victorian diamond heist with BDSM in the background

Reason Number One by Briston Brooks--Intensely tropey college romance. (I read this a while back and don’t remember it super well, but I remember it was sappy and fun.)

Other

One Night in Boukos by A.J. Demas (m/m and m/f)--Two dudes search for their boss in a fantasy city, and find love instead

From Scratch by Katrina Jackson (m/m/f)--Sometimes you move to a new town and start a bakery and hook up with two different guys I guess

I’ve only put one book per author here (otherwise this list would be a lot longer), but I’ve starred a few authors! These authors are faves of mine and honestly I’d recommend anything by them. Cynthia Dane (aka Hildred Billings, as she has two pseudonyms) is excellent for f/f millionaire romances with alpha females who can be kind of jerks. Fiona Zedde is good for f/f that isn’t afraid to get dark, uncomfortable, messy, vulnerable. (Actually my fave book by her, Nightshade, is more erotic thriller than romance and so did not make this list, but she’s great in general.) Talia Hibbert writes m/f romances with characters you just have to root for, relationships that feel warm but MCs that feel complicated. Cole McCade I mostly know for his Criminal Intentions series, which is a mystery series with a gay romance subplot--I’d absolutely recommend that series but know going in that it’s really dark and the burn is slow as hell. And K.J. Charles you’ve probably heard of, as she’s well known for her m/m historical romances, and the hype is deserved; her books are really just a ton of fun.

Anyways, I just thought I’d throw these out here since it’s Valentine’s Day :) If anyone wants to recommend me romance novels, feel free to go ahead.

[bookcub]

What was the last book you read? Would you recommend it?

Wanna Bet? by Talia Hibbert, which is a romance novel that I would recommend. I enjoyed Chloe Brown and Dani Brown more by her but I enjoyed the characters and their banter, their back story and their general dynamic. I also loved how body positive it was and having two poc as leads and one was also queer!! I’m excited to read more of her books!!! 

[posi-pan]

Pan Week: Readathon & Recommendations

I had this idea of reading books with pan rep during that week and maybe making it a readathon. Of us pans reading books with pan characters all throughout the week and sharing our thoughts at then end. I got so jazzed, but then I realized that in order for it to work, people would need a significant amount of time to actually get the books they wanted to read, and since I thought of this idea on the first day of Pan Week, it just wouldn't work.

So, instead of just trashing the idea completely, as I was already kind of attached to it, I decided to do it myself and make a post about it at the end of the week and see if anyone would be interested in doing this next year, when they'll have time to get books (and hopefully have even more to choose from).

I'm including a list of books with pan rep that I personally recommend, along with links to my pansexual shelf and panromantic shelf on goodreads where you can check my reviews of the pan books I've read, and of course, my masterlist of books with pan rep.

Without more rambling, here is what I read for my lonely little pan week readathon.

1. Hawkeye vs. Deadpool #0-4

I wasn't intending on reading any Deadpool comics for this, but I saw a tweet about Deadpool being an under-appreciated character and it made me want to read some. It specifically mentioned how he keeps his mask lifted above his mouth so Hawkeye can read his lips, so I decided that comic is a good place to start. Deadpool really is a wonderful character and I'll fight anyone who says otherwise.

2. Deadpool Killogy #1: Deadpool Kills the Marvel Universe

I decided to keep on going for a bit with Deadpool comics, and I wanted to read Deadpool Kills Deadpool, but figured why not start with the first one. It isn't all that exciting, honestly. But the breaking of the fourth wall, especially the bit at the end, is always great.

3. Deadpool Killogy #3: Deadpool Kills Deadpool

I only realized while reading this one that it's the third in the Killogy series, not the second lmao oh well, it's the one I wanted to read most anyways. It's alright, I saw someone say it was lowkey sad and I'm always up for some Deadpool feels, but I didn't think it was sad. I thought maybe once Deadpool faced off with the Deadpool who started all this shit it would get into some self-hatred stuff, and it kind of did, but it wasn't really that much.

4. Sadie by Courtney Summers

I'd describe this book as a mix of The Lovely Bones, Undiscovered Gyrl, and Skins (that cliffhanger with Cook???? Hello!!!!!) and as those are favs of mine, I kind of love this book, too. The way it's written is a little different for me and I didn't think I'd like it, but it ended up being one of my favorite parts about the book.

Now, pansexuality. Sadie doesn't label her sexuality, but the way she describes it lowkey makes me (and others, based on reviews I've read) think of pansexuality: “when I did end up liking someone, it always made me ache right down to my core. I realized pretty early on that the who didn't really matter so much. That anybody who listens to me, I end up loving them just a little.” This definitely isn't explicit canon pan rep, and it's not an important, relevant part of the story at all.

There are a lot of content/trigger warnings for this book, so if you'd like to know before reading, I list them in my review

5. Wanna Bet? by Talia Hibbert

This is a nice friends to lovers, pining angsty book. With its fair share of sex scenes, if that's your cup of tea. I didn't like it as much as I see other people have liked it, but I also didn't find anything horrible about it. I'm pretty much in the middle about it. I like the characters and there's some growth in there, too, which is appreciated. And the rep is very appreciated. Jasmine is a fat, Black pansexual and Rahul is Muslim/Hindi. Jasmine's pansexuality isn't named on page, but the author has confirmed it elsewhere. And it's referenced in the book a few times; putting emphasis on "platonic" when talking about her girl friends who aren't girlfriends, Rahul mentioning her disappearing at parties with girls, and her friend asking if she had feelings for a girl or guy or "otherwise categorized" person.

I have more thoughts on various things and content/trigger warnings in my review

6. Tight Quarters by Annabeth Albert

The pansexual main character in this book comes out to his love interest and when his love interest is surprised, because he wasn't expecting him to be pan, he says, "congrats, you landed a unicorn" and like....that sarcastic pansexual energy is felt deep in my soul.

Anyways, a romance between a pansexual military guy and a gay journalist. If military stuff isn't your thing, like me, the first ten-ish chapters might be a little slow for you. But the romance, while I do have some complaints, is fun and sweet and a bit angsty.

The pansexual rep is mainly focused on him coming out to his team, but he addresses how people want to force him into other boxes, tell him he isn't queer enough, and tell him that he's in denial. He calls out people's queerphobic nonsense, and he corrects people who make assumptions about his sexuality and mislabel him. And non-binary people are in acknowledged here, which I'm glad about, because there are "man or woman" comments in the previous book. He talks a bit about how in high school he didn't know about the term pansexual, but just knew that the gender of his first love didn't change how he felt about them.

I go into more detail in my review, and mention some content/trigger warnings

7. Before I Let Go by Marieke Nijkamp

Um...I do not have positive feelings about this book. A bipolar pansexual character is murdered in this book. They are completely dehumanized in life and in death, and their death and mental illness are romanticized plot devices. Also, asexuality and aromanticism are conflated.

I go into much more detail in my review

8. The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan

I've known about this book for a while and all the rep it has; pansexual protagonist, Muslim hijabi main character, deaf main character who signs, Black main character. And that's just the first book. I've heard that there's more rep introduced in the rest of the series. I hadn't read it until now, because I don't typically reach for this genre, but for this readathon, I figured, why not? And man.......this book is really enjoyable. The humor and sarcasm and banter and interactions between the characters really makes it for me. I don't know if I would have liked it as much if it leaned more on the serious side, with little or subtle humor.

More of my thoughts in my review

Some pan books that I recommend:

Fortitude Smashed & Curved Horizon by Taylor Brooke (MC in Fortitude Smashed and SC in Curved Horizon, on page in sequel)

Who'd Have Thought by G. Benson (MC, on page)

Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire (MC, confirmed out of text)

On the Other Side by Carrie Hope Fletcher (SC, on page)

The Image of Deception by Charlotte Anne Hamilton (MC, on page)

Different Names for the Same Thing by Francis Gideon (LI, on page)

Target by L.C. Mawson (MC, on page)

Sadie by Courtney Summers (MC, implied/hinted)

The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan (MC, implied/hinted)

The Queen of Dauphine Street by Thea de Salle (MC, confirmed out of text)

Scorpio Hates Virgo by Anyta Sunday (LI, on page)

The Brightsiders by Jen Wilde (LI, on page)

Please let me know if you enjoyed this post or would be interested in this idea for next year’s Pan Week! Also, I know I’m trash for not really doing much for Pan Week this year

[mautadite]

august book roundup

18 books this month! i didn’t slow down as much as i thought i would lol. i love books y’all.

a girl like her - talia hibbert  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ pretty cute romance with a black autistic heroine. i’d read more het if they involved prickly, irritable girls (who are no less lovable because of it) and nice dudes. he cooked for her nonstop! was adorable.

the memoirs of sherlock holmes - arthur conan doyle  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ nth reread. contains some of my very favourite stories. whisper norbury in his ear watson!

the princess trap - talia hibbert  ⭐️⭐️⭐️ cute stuff. i’m not in love with romances about billionaires and princes and whatever, but the plot and conclusion to this one went against the grain in a couple ways and left me pretty satisfied.

wanna bet? - talia hibbert  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ another het romance where the dude is nice enough but i’m just. i was in LOVE with this heroine. i saw so much of myself in her, which isn’t necessarily a good ting, given how self destructive she could be, but it's always nice to see people with flaws like your own falling in love and being happy and taking steps towards getting better. i really like hibbert’s heroines, and i’ll be reading more of her books in the future. (also..... pls write some lesbians......... pls...................)

behind these doors - jude lucens  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ FAVE BOOK OF THE MONTH. QUEER EDWARDIAN POLY ROMANCE. MADE ME FEEL LIKE FIFTEEN EMOTIONS.

journaux intimes - charles baudelaire  ⭐️⭐️ one day i hope to be famous enough to write a bunch of shitposts, put them in a diary, sell it and still be making bank hundreds of years later. some of baudelaire’s poetry is truly lovely but i was not impressed by his inmost thoughts. i’m not totally fluent in french so maybe some things got lost in translation? but jesus he seems insufferable.

en attendant godot -  samuel beckett ⭐️⭐️⭐️ reread. had a sudden urge for some absurdity. don’t know why. sometimes, that’s just how it is on this bitch of an earth.

the boy who couldn’t fly straight (1-2) - jeff jacobson  ⭐️⭐️ teen novels heavily inspired by harry potter except the protag is gay! i thought i’d love these but alas, they were not well written or plotted at all, and when they weren't boring me they were annoying me. had some cute stuff tho.

the return of sherlock holmes - arthur conan doyle  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ nth reread. some more of my favourite stories. the adventure of charles augustus milverton has such a special place in my heart.

the hound of the baskervilles - arthur conan doyle  ⭐️⭐️⭐️ nth reread. i just love the ATMOSPHERE of this novel, even if i don’t love it as much as some of the others.

villains don’t date heroes! - mia archer  ⭐️ DON’T JUDGE BOOKS BY THEIR COVERS. this one looks very cute! a villain falling in love with her arch-nemesis heroine. cute right? WRONG this was tedious and boring and just. not very good. 

the ape, the adman and the astronaut - tham kai meng  ⭐️⭐️⭐️ short book about advertising and storytelling. interesting enough.

holding the man - timothy conigrave  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ autobiography of a gay austrailian mad who contracted HIV in the 1980s. made me cry! didn’t like him very much all the time but it was good to get a slice of history.

the handmaid’s tale - margaret atwood  ⭐️⭐️⭐️ see i liked this. i liked it a lot? but i also didn’t like it very much. i went into it completely blind, without knowing anything about it other than something something feminism and i’m glad i did. i don’t like atwood’s prose or style but this is the kind of thing i’d want to read more of.

the valley of fear - arthur conan doyle  ⭐️⭐️⭐️ nth reread. always enjoyable. i’m always struck by how much i don’t particularly like any of doyle’s main men, other than watson and holmes.

learning curves - ceillie simkiss  ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ a very very very sweet new adult f/f romance. seriously made my heart flutter. T__T

aaaaand that’s it! for september i’ll be concentrating on reading more kindle unlimited books until my subscription runs out. thinking of delving into a few more ‘famous’ book or some of the classics, just to see what i think. currently reading slaughterhouse-five by kurt vonnegut; liking it a lot even if not everything about the prose works for me. also relistening to an audiobook of his last bow.

[viscountessevie]

1) Don't Be Boring Darling should have been the title of the movie and unfortunately it really was fucking boring

2) Jas' freakout is so hilarious I cannot with this girl, she is truly emotionally constipated

[triviareads]

Hiiiii! This is a bit specific but do you know any romance novels (Modern or historical) with Brown leads that aren't about cultural trauma? 💀 I feel a bit tired everytime I pick up a book with a Brown (SWANA or South Asian) lead bc it's always about arranged marriage drama, generational clashes between disappointed old fashioned uber strict immigrant parents who wanted their kid to be doctor and their child, terrible aunties and racism and/or islamophobia related drama. I kind of feel bad for thinking like this bc all the romance books with SWANA or South Asian leads are always written by women who belong to the cultures in the books and I wanna support them whenever I can, but I'm also tired of getting slapped by trauma I personally know when all I want is fun, drama,good chemistry,cute tropes and good spice without pin straight honey blonde locks, ocean blue orbs and milky white skin,you know? 😥

I have literally dedicated my life to finding such books (I joke with a friend that every time she picks up a book with an Asian lead, there's inevitably generational trauma), and it's hard! I feel like only recently have I started to see South Asian authors write in a way that doesn't make me think they hate their own culture or are embarrassed by it. Unfortunately, I can't think of a historical romance that doesn't have some form of racial trauma (I wish more romances set in South Asia existed/were published abroad). But here are some contemporary recs:

Tastes like Shakkar by Nisha Sharma (out on 8/1): My full review isn't out yet, but I loved Bobbi and Benjamin's (dw despite the names, they're both Punjabi) relationship progression (it's sold as enemies to lovers but the enemies portion doesn't last super long tbh). It has solid sex scenes and Nisha even ventures into kink (a rarity for non-white characters). Plus, both Bobbi and Benjamin embrace their culture and you get the sense that they truly love it, and funnily enough, the aunty squad in this book is actually a force for good lol.

The Roommate Risk (previously Wanna Bet?) by Talia Hibbert: Friends-to-lovers but done RIGHT. Rahul Khan has been in love with Jasmine Allan since he gave his virginity to her (the flashback scenes in this one are great). Now, 7 years later, she's living with him because her apartment flooded, and cue all the angst and confused feelings!! Talia writes her sex scenes really well, this amazing combination of emotional intimacy and realness (and a little humor), not to mention they're uniformly hot.

Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert: So in hindsight, Talia Hibbert tends to make her South Asian heroes daddy types (stern brunch daddy types.... if you will) and Zafir Ansari fits within this pattern. Him and Dani decide to fake-date to help get publicity for his charity. The funny thing here is that Rahul is the romantic (he reads Harlequin romances!!!!!! And having sex without feelings is a STRUGGLE for this man) and Dani is relationship-avoidant, so that's fun for them. Also, Zafir is dealing with grief from losing his father and brother, but it's less "South Asian Family Trauma" and moreso just a genuine exploration of grief and coping with the help of his family.

Claiming His Bollywood Cinderella by Tara Pammi: I think Harlequins might be your best bet if you want to read about Indians in India (fun fact, Tara inspired me to try writing a Harlequin-style romance). This has kind of a Cinderella vibe; The hero Vikram is a Bollywood actor, and the heroine Naina is his grandma's assistant and they hook up at a masquerade party (which was.... very hot even if Vikram is prone to speeches while he's inside her lol), and it goes from there. It's a solid (technically slow-burn I think) romance.

The Secret She Kept in Bollywood by Tara Pammi: This is about Vikram's sister Anya and the adopted father of the child Anya gave away several years ago, Simon (he's brown too), who might also be the DILFiest DILF to ever DILF. Tell me what other man can help you through a panic attack without even knowing who you are, and then immediately proceed to give you the best sex of your life? I'll wait. No but real talk, this one hits a lot of really great emotional notes about family (not to mention a great romance) without being about, like, South Asian trauma.

Sink or Swim by Tessa Bailey: Ft. a Gujarati heroine, Jiya, and Andrew, her friend who's been in love with her since forever. What I love about this book is that the friends-to-lovers aspect isn't too cutesy; it's a bit angsty and the sexual obsession aspect is what really sold me (not to mention the fact that Andrew's a service top and that's shown in the BEST scene, therefore also subverting the "submissive Asian woman" stereotype). I also think I think the book has very reasonable portrayal of Desi parents; they want what they think is best for Jiya, and Jiya actually agrees to meet a guy in an an arranged-marriage set up, but ultimately they come around to Andrew once they understand that he loves her and will take care of her.

Serving Pleasure by Alisha Rai: Okay so maybe this has some intergenerational South Asian family drama (namely how Rana's mother views her sex life) but it's too good not to recommend! Like, sometimes you really want a crazy heroine who lowkey stalks the hero (but it's okay, Micah here gets off on it... literally), and Rana ends up being his muse (he's an artist) as they start an affair with a definite end date but obviously, Feelings get in the way.

[novelnoviceya]

Cover + Title Reveal: The Roommate Risk by Talia Hibbert

Cover + Title Reveal: The Roommate Risk by Talia Hibbert

Today, I’m delighted to be helping reveal the cover & new title for The Roommate Risk by Talia Hibbert, which was previously published as Wanna Bet? For the last couple years, I’ve been slowly working my way through Talia’s backlist & recently devoured this one and friends, I LOVED it. “Friends to lovers” stories are some of my absolute favorites, and this one was truly spectacular. Funny, deep,…

[melwikwrites]

A lot of what I read this month was fanfic so I don’t have as many faves to offer as usual, but:

A Princess in Theory by Alyssa Cole is an m/f royalty romance with an African American woman and an African prince who was betrothed to her when they were very young. All kinds of rom-com shenanigans, hidden identities, and a no-nonsense heroine. Very good.

Come to the Rocks by Christin Haws is an f/f fantasy novella about a woman evading an escalating stalker and the mermaid she meets on the rocks nearby. I wrote a full review of it here. I loved its lyrical writing style and the way it incorporated fairy tale elements with a little psychological thriller.

Big Man by Matthew J. Metzger is a YA m/m romance. It involves a fat boy who learns muay thai in order to face off bullies at his school and the trans boy who trains at the same dojo and helps him learn to face his fears. It’s adorable. I wrote a full review of it here.

Wanna Bet? by Talia Hibbert might be my favorite read of the month (idk, it’s up there) and it’s an m/f friends-to-lovers romance. I usually hate friends-to-lovers romances. I think what makes the difference for me is her complex female MCs and her male MCs who are genuinely dorky and cute and not obnoxiously alpha (or self-deprecatingly beta, either), just fun and caring. Talia Hibbert is honestly becoming one of my favorite romance authors...this is her newest book, but I really need to dig further into her backlist. Oh, and I have a full review of it here.

Next month I’m gonna have more free time so I want to dive into the backlog of ebooks on my kindle. We’ll see.

[bookbankrupt]

"Kiss me. Fucking kiss me. Give me something, give me a reason, give me permission, and I’ll give you everything I have."

Wanna bet? By Talia Hibbert

[viscountessevie]

Talia Hibbert really went OFF with the sex scenes in Wanna Bet!! They're so incredibly hot, sexy and there's an unhingeness to it we all need in our lives!

[viscountessevie]

Back to Wanna Bet commentary that 3 people (hii @hptriviachamp @randomthotshit @winterbecomesher) who are following along hsjdhd:

JAS HAS FEELINGS FOR RAHUL GUYS IT'S HAPPENING!!