#karelia stetz-waters

[sapphic-book-tournament]

[wttnblog]

6 Incredible LGBTQ+ Romance Books Eligible for The Goodreads Choice Awards

It’s Goodreads Choice Awards season once again, and as per usual it has already done its best to be un-inclusive and problematic. In a stroke of creative antagonism, Goodreads removed the Poetry, Middle Grade, and Children’s categories from contention, meaning that three entire genres of books cannot be recognized. At the same time it added “romantasy”, a trend sub-genre that is already…

[liv-fatale]

Behind the Scenes by Karelia Stetz-Waters

DNF @ 9%

This writing style is 100% not for me. I don't vibe with the lightness or the choppiness of it. It feels very YA to me, which is not inherently a bad thing but for me it's not what I'm looking for in an adult romance. It makes everything seem really immature and I would rather not picture the 30 year olds as high schoolers.

I can't really speak on the relationship because I genuinely couldn't make it past the beginning. The writing did me in and then the vivid description of ASMR served the killing blow. I love ASMR, but I do not need to hear about someone "sensually" messing with cantaloupe seed. That's right. The word that was used was "sensual". Ick.

Anyways, I can't necessarily recommend or *not* recommend this book, I really didn't get far enough in to be able to say anything definitive other than if you are like me in not liking this type of writing style then it's most likely not the book for you.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange of an honest review.

[flowerbwrites]

Satisfaction Guranteed by Karelia Stez-Waters

The premise made me laugh, and the book itself did too! I loved Cade especially, the tough as nails daughter trying to prove herself. I’ve always been a bit “prudish” in public so her discomfort was relatable as she learned about the world Selena’s been in for a while.

Selena does have trauma with an emotionally abusive relationship so if that’s a trigger for you steer clear! I think the book handled it well and Selena’s ending with the book made me hug the book to my chest for a few minutes.

If you like reading about dildos, the principles of owning a small business, and art, pick this up next!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

12/18/2022

[thereadingchallengechallenge]

Review: Satisfaction Guaranteed by Karelia Stetz-Waters Rating: 4/5

What happens when two women jointly inherit a sex shop?

This was just pure fun, which was exactly what I needed today. I love an opposites-attract romance, especially with an unusual setting and a focus on growing together. Cade and Selena were just perfect together and even when they butted heads, there was never any unnecessary angst. I'll definitely be giving this author's other books a go! 

[betterbooksandthings]

“It is my absolute delight to present eight of the best romance novels out in January 2023. The new year is all full of bubbles and sparkles and hope. And, you know what they always say: “new year, new you, new books.” Well, maybe I added that last bit, but I for one typically ring in the new year by taking stock of the books I am looking forward to reading in the year to come.“

[womenusingwords]

Second Night Stand

The details… Title: Second Night Stand Author: Karelia and Fay Stetz-Waters Publisher: Forever Publication date: May 21, 2024 Available formats: ebook, paperback, audiobook Print length: 336 pages Audiobook: 10 hours and 30 minutes; narrated by Wesleigh Siobhan Genre: contemporary romance Themes: friendship, family, women loving women, sapphic relationships, dance, reality television,…

[sapphicbookoftheday]

Behind the Scenes by Karelia Stetz-Waters

Today's sapphic book of the day is Behind the Scenes by Karelia Stetz-Waters!

Summary: "Fans of Abby Jimenez and Meryl Wilsner will fall in love with this hilarious and refreshingly authentic novel about second chances, pugs, and finding the perfect muse . . .

Business consultant Rose Josten might not have officially reached “pug lady” middle age, but she’s already got the pugs—along with their little Gucci coats and trash-lovin’ appetites. Still, life is good, with her work, her sisters, and a secret hobby creating incredibly tactile (if surprisingly sexy) mindfulness videos. So why does it feel like it’s not quite enough? Which is exactly when former filmmaker Ash Stewart enters camera left, and Rose’s world suddenly goes full technicolor . . .

Ash never looks at anyone. Not since her ex ripped her heart from her chest in Spielberg-esque style, crushing Ash’s reputation, dreams, and directorial career in one brutal blow. But Rose is altogether different. She’s curvy, beautiful, and just so damn put together. And her business expertise might be Ash’s best bet for getting her last film—and her last chance—financed. Now if they can just keep their attraction under wraps, Ash’s lost dream could finally come true. But are they creating movie magic . . . or setting the stage for disaster?"

[bookishblathering]

The dog owner experience

Behind the Scenes - Karelia Stetz-Waters

[battyaboutbooksreviews]

🌈 Queer Books Coming Out in May 2024 🌈

🌈 Good morning, my bookish bats! Struggling to keep up with all the amazing queer books coming out this month? Here are a FEW of the stunning, diverse queer books you can add to your TBR before the year is over. Remember to #readqueerallyear! Happy reading!

[ Release dates may have changed. ]

❤️ Farzana's Spite - Felix Graves 🧡 Archangels of Funk - Andrea Hairston 💛 How It Works Out - Myriam Lacroix 💚 Queer History A to Z - Robin Stevenson, Vivian Rosas 💙 Queerceañera - Alex Crespo 💜 Second Night Stand - Karelia Stetz-Waters, Fay Stetz-Waters ❤️ You Can Call Me Cooper - Cali Kitsu 🧡 Gooseberry - Robin Gow 💛 Grand Slam Romance - Ollie Hicks, Emma Oosterhous 💙The Witches of Silverlake - Simon Curtis, Stephanie Son 💜 Drawn to the Enemy - Barbara Winkes 🌈 The Truth of Our Past - Heather Leighson

❤️ Infaust - T.D. Cloud, Ambi Sun 🧡 Garner for Gold - Catherine Labadie 💛 The Z Word - Lindsay King-Miller 💚 Snake Charming - Genevieve McCluer 💙 The 7-10 Split - Karmen Lee 💜 Loving Jemima - Sienna Waters ❤️ The Potion Gardener - Arden Powell 🧡 A Swift and Sudden Exit - Nico Vincenty 💛 The Worst Ronin - Maggie Tokuda-Hall, Faith Schaffer 💙 Murray Out of Water -Taylor Tracy 💜 The Guncle Abroad - Steven Rowley 🌈 The Weight of What Was - Pip Landers-Letts

❤️ The Amazing Alpha Tau Pledge Project - Lisa Henry, Sarah Honey 🧡 I Met Death & Sex Through My Friend, Tom Meuley - Thom Vernon 💛 Malicia - Steven dos Santos 💚 The Sins on Their Bones - Laura R. Samotin 💙 SLUTS: Anthology - Michelle Tea 💜 You Should Be So Lucky - Cat Sebastian ❤️ Death's Country - R.M. Romero 🧡 Cinema Love - Jiaming Tang 💛 The Brides of High Hill - Nghi Vo 💙 Emma - Jenna Kent 💜 Wish We Were There - Lionel Hart 🌈 A Troublemaker in Her Eyes - Genta Sebastian

❤️ I Make Envy on Your Disco - Eric Schnall 🧡 Lavash at First Sight - Taleen Voskuni 💛 Queer Power Couples - Hannah Murphy Winter, Billie Winter 💚 In Repair - A.L. Graziadei 💙 A Heart Divided - Angie Williams 💜 Long After We Are Gone - Terah Shelton Harris ❤️ The Queen of Steeplechase Park - David Ciminello 🧡 Lunar Boy - Jes Wibowo, Cin Wibowo 💛 Hot Boy Summer - Joe Jiménez 💙 Sunhead - Alex Assan 💜 The Summer Love Strategy - Ray Stoeve 🌈 Into the Mouth of the Wolf - Erin Gough

❤️ The Girl in Question - Tess Sharpe 🧡 The Lost Erwain - Mariah Stillbrook 💛 Starfire - Naomi Hughes 💚 Adrift - Sam Ledel 💙 Shanghai Murder - Jessie Chandler 💜 April May June July - Alison B. Hart ❤️ A Bone in His Teeth - Kellen Graves 🧡 Cabin Fever - Tagan Shepard 💛 Don't Be a Drag - Skye Quinlan 💙 The Ride of Her Life - Jennifer Dugan 💜 The Redemption of Daya Keane - Gia Gordon 🌈 Nearlywed - Nicolas DiDomizio

❤️ The Sunforge - Sascha Stronach 🧡 The End of Time - Trudie Skies 💛 Silent Ones - Melissa Polk 💚 Prime Time Travelers - Neil Laird 💙 My Darling Dreadful Thing - Johanna van Veen 💜 The Honey Witch - Sydney J. Shields ❤️ Spitting Gold - Carmella Lowkis 🧡 Last Chance - Claire Highton-Stevenson 💛 Road Home - Rex Ogle 💙 Only for Convenience - Shannon O'Connor 💜 Linus and Etta Could Use a Win - Caroline Huntoon 🌈 Finding Molly Parsons - Alyson Root

❤️ Breathe: Journeys to Healthy Binding - Maia Kobabe, Dr. Sarah Peitzmeier 🧡 See You Next Month - Jamey Moody 💛 Until You Say My Name - Tatum Schroeder 💚 Disembark - Jen Currin 💙 True Love and Other Impossible Odds - Christina Li 💜 Flyboy - Kasey LeBlanc ❤️ Thirsty - Jas Hammonds 🧡 Hands Off - N. Slater 💛 Flooded Secrets - Claudie Arseneault 💙 The Deer and the Dragon - Piper C.J. 💜 To Be Loved - Frank G. Anderson 🌈 Snowblooded - Emma Sterner-Radley

❤️ Blood Remains - Cathy Pegau 🧡 Blood on the Tide - Katee Robert 💛 We Were the Universe - Kimberly King Parsons 💚 Loyalty - E.J. Noyes 💙 Spirits and Sirens - Kelly Fireside 💜 Clean Kill - Anne Laughlin ❤️ The Worst Perfect Moment - Shivaun Plozza 🧡 Oye - Melissa Mogollon 💛 Here for the Wrong Reasons - Annabel Paulsen, Lydia Wang 💙 Exhibit - R.O. Kwon 💜 Experienced - Kate Young 🌈 Parenting with Pride - Heather Hester

❤️ Road to Ruin - Hana Lee 🧡 Meet Me in Berlin - Samantha L. Valentine 💛 The Advice Columnist - Cade Haddock Strong 💚 where lost & hopeless things go - Bryony Rosehurst 💙 Pit Stop - Ellis Mae 💜 The Switchboard - Christina K. Glover ❤️ In the Shallows - Tanya Byrne 🧡 Have You Seen This Girl - Nita Tyndall 💛 Another First Chance - Robbie Couch 💙 The Only Light Left Burning - Erik J. Brown 💜 Keepers of the Stones and Stars - Michael Barakiva 🌈 A Little Kissing Between Friends - Chencia C. Higgins

[duckprintspress]

Celebrate Romance Month with Queer Books!

August is Romance Month, and so we’re back with another rec list, this time featuring our favorite romance books and/or books with prominent romance subplots. This list builds on the one we did last year for Romance Month, which you can view by following this link. These books don’t necessarily fall into the romance genre, but they’re centered around romantic love and have a happy ending. Contributors to this list are: Meera S., Sebastian Marie, Terra P. Waters, Shadaras, Nina Waters, Tris Lawrence, Dei Walker, E. C., Shea Sullivan and two anonymous contributors.

I Want to be a Wall by Honami Shirono

A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall

Heaven Will Be Mine from Pillow Fight Games and Worst Girl Games

start;again from Two and a Half Studios

A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows

How to Find a Princess (Runaway Royals series) by Alyssa Cole

Satisfaction Guaranteed by Karelia Stetz-Waters

Cover Story by Rachel Lacey

Truly, Madly, Deeply by Alexandria Bellefleur

Those Who Wait by Haley Cass

A Marvellous Light (The Last Binding series) by Freya Marske

Limerence by Jiang Zi Bei

If You’ll Have Me by Eunnie

My Summer Of You by Nagisa Furuya

Something Fabulous (Something Fabulous series) by Alexis Hall

Triple Sec by T.J. Alexander

Beating Heart Baby by Lio Min

Never Ever Getting Back Together by Sophie Gonzales

So This Is Ever After by F.T. Lukens

Otherworldly by F.T. Lukens

Consort of Fire & Queen of Dreams (Bound to Fire and Steel series) by Kit Rocha

Blood on the Tide (Crimson Sails, #2) by Katee Robert

The Lady or the Duke? by A.L. Heard

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

Witchmark (The Kingston Cycle series) by C.L. Polk

Winter’s Orbit & Ocean’s Echo (Winter’s Orbit series) by Everina Maxwell

The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun

Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers

What are your favorite queer stories with romantic plots? Tell us in the comments!

Want to chat your favorite reads with us? Join our Book Lover’s Discord server!

Update your Goodreads TBR with any of these books by visiting our queer romance shelf on Goodreads! Or, jump straight to buying your own copies by visiting our affiliate shop recommendation list on Bookshop.org.

[lgbtqreads]

Any stories any genre that feature butches? Besides gideon the ninth

This is extremely nonexhaustive (and you can always find more at The Lesbian Review, which does a great job categorizing which books have butch MCs), but: https://lgbtqreads.com/representation/gender-identity/

And just for ease, pasting the non-Gideon books currently on the site here:

YA

Home Field Advantage by Dahlia Adler

The Weight of the Stars by K. Ancrum

Girl Mans Up by M-E Girard

Radical by EM Kokie

Like Other Girls by Britta Lundin

NA/Adult

A Masc for Purim by Roz Alexander

Rooting for You by Roz Alexander (Amz)

The Unbroken by CL Clark

Once Ghosted, Twice Shy by Alyssa Cole (Stud)

Stone Butch Blues by Leslie Feinberg

Sizzle Reel by Carlyn Greenwald

Season of Love by Helena Greer

D’Vaughn and Kris Plan a Wedding by Chencia C. Higgins (Stud)

*A Little Kissing Between Friends by Chencia C. Higgins (Teddy Bear Stud)

Departure from the Script by Jae

The Unspoken Name by AK Larkwood (Fantasy)

Against All Odds by Cara Malone

The Night Off by Meghan O’Brien

The Butch and the Beautiful by Kris Ripper

Last Chance by Lily Seabrooke (Amz)

Perfect Pairing by Rachel Spangler

Spanish Surrender by Rachel Spangler

Satisfaction Guaranteed by Karelia Stetz-Waters

Treasure by Rebekah Weatherspoon (NA)

Eight Kinky Nights by Xan West z”l

Shattered by Lee Winter

Stud Like Her by Fiona Zedde (Amz)

Opposites Attract novella collection (Amz)

[wttnblog]

10 Anticipated May Book Releases: Memoirs, Queer Fiction, Fantasy, and More

It’s May, and that means I’m back with another list of books coming out this month that I am desperate to get my hands on. Unlike usual, there’s a heavy emphasis on memoirs in this list. I’m not sure what it is about the month of May, but everyone’s publishing! Aside from that, we have queer romance, a thriller, fantasy, and so much more. If I missed out on your book coming out this month (or one…

[read-alert]

Happy Lesbian Visibility Week! 📚📖🏳️‍🌈

Again, I'm not 100% certain these all feature characters who identify specifically as lesbians, especially given that I haven't read them yet, but they are all sapphic. Full titles under the cut!

Treasure by Rebekah Weatherspoon

Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

A Little Kissing Between Friends by Chencia C Higgins

Cheer Up! Love and Pompoms by Crystal Frasier

Alice isn't Dead by Joseph Fink

How to Excavate a Heart by Jake Maia Arlow

The Girl from the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag

How to Succeed in Witchcraft and Aislinn Brophy

D'Vaugh & Kris Plan a Wedding by Chencia C Higgins

Stud Like Her by Fiona Zedde

Second Night Stand by Karelia & Fay Stetz-Waters

Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera

The Art of Saving the World by Corrine Duyvis

The Final Strife by Saara el-Arifi

Siren Queen by Nghi Vo

The Divines by Ellie Eaton

Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki

The Dyke & the Dybuk by Ellen Galford

The Perks of Loving a Wallflower by Erica Ridley

Boyish² Butch x Butch Yuri Anthology by Akizora Sawayaka, Hanakage Alt, Nekobungi Sumiro, et al

Dykette by Jenny Fran Davis

Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alisom Bechdel

A Masc for Purim by Roz Alexander

Chlorine by Jade Song

Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield

Ice Massacre by Tiana Warner

Black Water Sister by Zen Cho

The Seafarer's Kiss by Julia Ember

The Little Homo Sapiens Scientist by SL Huang

The Siren, the Song, and the Spy by Maggie Tokuda-Hall

Those Beyond the Wall by Micaiah Johnson

Mangos and Mistletoe by Adriana Herrera

[bojanus]

Mid-Year Book Freak Out

Thank you for the tag @falliblefabrial, since my new years resolution this year was to read more, it's exciting to lay out some of my reading so far mid way through the year :D

Number of books you’ve read so far: 29

Best book you’ve read so far in 2024:

Though I've read several fantastic books, I'm gonna highlight Sex Bunker Apocalypse by Adam Brink here. It was among the first handful of books I picked up this year to start reading more, and its fast pace and pure commitment to its premise made it an engaging read. The setup is uniquely zany (three people bunker down in a sex shop during an apocalypse, and when they leave it the world has changed in fantastical ways), and it's executed with such heart and sincerity that I was invested from the first page to the final one.

Best sequel you’ve read so far in 2024: 

I have a terrible habit of reading like, the mid-series or even final books of romance series without reading the first books, but thankfully they're usually designed for each book to stand on its own.

So far my favorite has been An Island Princess Starts a Scandal by Adriana Herrera, which is technically #2 in the Las Leonas trilogy. I discovered this year that I'm a sucker for historical romance, but was struggling to find a good execution of a sapphic historical romance until THIS book. The pairing is great, there's a delicious push and pull of the power dynamic since each have something the other wants, but it's also grounded in some real historical context of the lesbian scene in Paris. Lovable characters, real stakes, and tension that culminates in some decadent sex scenes!

New release you haven’t read yet but want to: 

I have Don't Want You Like a Best Friend by Emma R. Alban and A Blustocking's Guide to Decadence by Jess Everlee on some of my libby lists. I may or may not read them depending on library availability. Can you tell I'm trawling the "sapphic historical romance" tags? XD.

Most anticipated release for the second half of the year:

I'm not super plugged in to release schedules and such, so currently don't have anything in particular anticipated!

Biggest surprise favorite new author (debut or new to you): 

If you can believe it, I never read any Jane Austen until this year and I am now HOOKED. Pride & Prejudice, Emma, and Persuasion are the ones I've read so far, and each one continually delights me. Despite being written over 200 years ago, her characterizations, emotions, and social foibles are timeless. I remember in Emma there's a section towards the end where a woman excitedly reads a letter her crush sent her to a friend and I was like "!!!! That's literally just like today, like sending screenshots of texts in the groupchat!!!!" So even though I am no expert in some of the historical nuances, I find the characters and their interactions SO relatable they feel like something I could find today.

Newest fictional crush:

In The Salvation Gambit by Emily Skrutskie, there's a super hot lady who works in a forge carved out of a spaceship making weapons, and she's described SO cool and hot and competent and sweaty... Ahaha I drooled (honestly all the women in that book are hot)

Book that made you cry: 

Okay well let's be real I'll cry at almost any book, but I'll specify that I cried while reading Satisfaction Guaranteed by Karelia Stetz-Waters. It's an adult romance that felt very grounded, and there were some particular scenes about following your dreams and such that touched my heart (plus the beginning is a funeral! There are funny bits but there is also some sincere grief that got to me).

Most beautiful book you’ve bought so far this year (or received): 

The Stars too Fondly by Emily Hamilton has a beautiful cover that matches the book very well.

Book that made you happy: 

The Gentleman's Gambit by Evie Dunmore was the first modern-written historical romance I read this year (I had read some Jane Austen prior, which is of course slightly different vibe), and revealed to me just how fun and engaging historical romance can be. I remember literally kicking my feet and giggling because I was so invested and delighted in how things played out.

What books do you need to read by the end of the year?: 

Well currently A Psalm for the Wild Built by Becky Chambers just arrived on my libby, so I need to read that soon before the loan runs out. I also just ordered Endurance by Elaine Burns since I'm in a bit of a sapphic sci-fi mood, so once that's here I hope to read it. I also am pretty sure I need to finally read Murderbot at some point (it's the kind of thing where I've heard so many good things about it that I'm pretty sure I'll love it, but then once I've read it it'll be over ahaha so I keep "saving" it for later).

No pressure tags (if you want to ignore, I will not be offended): @lifeofmysteries, @3eggy5me, @meiioh, @avatar-masterofallfandoms, @musicallynerdy

[thereadingchallengechallenge]

Read in August 2024

my reads this month made a rainbow so I took a pic for a change :3 the standouts this month were Satisfaction Guaranteed and, as always when I read their work, Loose End by Ivan Coyote

it feels so good to be reading again after touching virtually nothing in July. I just hope I can have more luck with series in September 🙈 I've been really struggling with my series goal this year and I would like to make some progress on it between now and December

Series read: The Scholomance trilogy by Naomi Novik

A Deadly Education - DNF

Backlog books:

My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones - DNF

The Arrival of Someday by Jen Malone - 4/5

Edie in Between by Laura Sibson - DNF

Familiar authors:

Loose End by Ivan E Coyote - 5/5

At Her Service by Amy Spalding - 4/5

Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle - 3/5 (audio)

I’ll Be Waiting for You by Mariko Turk - 4/5 (audio)

Other reads:

Bunny by Mona Awad - 2/5 (audio)

Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe by Fannie Flagg - 3/5 (audio)

Our Hideous Progeny by CE McGill - 2/5

Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis - 4/5

Satisfaction Guaranteed by Karelia Stetz-Waters - 4/5 (audio)