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Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones

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Wintersong

by S. Jae-Jones
February 7, 2017 · Thomas Dunne Books
RomanceHistorical: European

This may be the hardest review I’ve ever had to write because there are just so many things trying to escape my mind at one time. My love of Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones has been broadcasted on my Twitter and I even made a super delicious cocktail for it. The prose is beautiful, lyrical, and it seems to surrounded you. This is definitely a book that drags you into it. You won’t be able to stop reading it until your eyes start to cross and you find yourself reading the same sentence over and over.

However, I will issue a vague warning on how everything ends. There is a sequel, which comes out in 2018 (*sobbing*), so I hope you’re picking up what I’m putting down.

Before we can get into the super good stuff, here’s the basics. Wintersong takes places in historically set Bavaria (19th century, I believe). Elisabeth, or Liesl, is the oldest of three children and an innkeeper’s daughter. Her sister is the beautiful one, getting married to Liesl’s crush. Her brother is the talented one, training to becoming a master violinist. Elisabeth has a gift as well, the gift of composition, but because she’s a girl, her father scolds her for spending time on her musical creations instead of being responsible and helping with the care and running of their inn.

Elisabeth’s grandmother is rather superstitious and warns the girls about the Goblin King, which causes vague, childhood memories to surface in Elisabeth’s mind. As the veil between the Underground and the human world reaches its thinnest, Elisabeth’s sister is kidnapped by the Goblin King to be his bride. Elisabeth is tasked with trying to save her, but it’s a lose/lose game to be quite honest. Because hello…she’s dealing with the Goblin King.

I’m sure you’re picking up Labyrinth parallels.

David Bowie in tight pants tapping a riding crop on his foot

But if the possibility of some David Bowie fantasies doesn’t tempt you, Wintersong also has elements of:

  • The Phantom of the Opera
  • The Little Mermaid
  • Hades & Persephone
  • Beauty and the Beast

I feel a little bit like a very shouty man in an informercials. WE’VE GOT BROODING. MORE SEXUAL TENSION THAT YOU CAN SHAKE A STICK AT. ORDER TODAY AND WE’LL THROW IN A BONUS UGLY CRY FOR JUST THE COST OF EXTRA SHIPPING AND HANDLING.

While romance plays a large part of Elisabeth and the Goblin King’s relationship, Wintersong is more about Elisabeth coming into her own. When she enters the Underground, she’s unsure of herself and her talents. She’s so used to giving up her dreams for the sake of her siblings being able to pursue theirs that being selfish is foreign to her. But as she learns to embrace her musical gifts, her blunt honesty, and her femininity, there’s great satisfaction in seeing the Goblin King’s growing fear of this bold, blossoming woman. While I, of course, want a man to adore me, there’s a part of me that also wants to be found intimidating.

Charlize Theron saying the key to walking like an evil queen is to think about murder

The Goblin King is more than just the mischievous anti-hero that we’ve come to associate with David Bowie, tight pants, and that…codpiece. We come to learn that the Goblin King is just as trapped in the Underground as Elisabeth is, and it’s heartbreaking seeing him war with his exhaustion at playing this role. He is no longer a man. He’s a myth. The Goblin King’s true identity, who he was before he was king, remains a secret, but we get little glimpses of who he used to be. Elisabeth desperately wants to know the man, who can play the violin and often takes solace in the Underground’s chapel.

There were also times when I started humming “Tale As Old As Time” in my head.

He cleared his throat. “Are you—are you all right, my queen?”

So distant. So formal. He always called me my dear, said in that sarcastic tone of his, or else it was Elisabeth, always Elisabeth. He was the only one who called me that, and I wanted to be Elisabeth for him again.

“I am fine, thank you, mein Herr.” I matched his distance with my own. The chasm between us grew to twice its size. I ached to bridge it, but did not know how.

 

Beauty and the Beast dancing

Just a little change
Small to say the least
Both a little scared
Neither one prepared…

Jae-Jones’ writing is so descriptive and entrancing. The goblins and the Underground are detailed with this mix of dark romanticism, a twisted glamour where nothing is as it seems. That said, because of the detail, the reading was dense at times. It’s like eating a rich meal. You love every bite, but you know you’re going to get sick if you gorge yourself on it. You have to slow down and savor.

But I was afraid. I had danced and feasted at the Goblin Ball, but this was something entirely different: wild, untamed, and feral. The Goblin Ball, hosted by the Goblin King, had had a veneer of civilized behavior overlaying its orgiastic abandonment, but there were no such niceties now. This was not hedonistic indulgence; this was savagery. I could smell blood—freshly spilled. It smelled of copper and iron and flesh. Twining, writhing shapes copulated in the corners of my vision, and I thought of the little objet d’art in my barrow room that depicted the nymph and the satyr. Music wailed on pipes and horns and catgut lutes—rude, rustic, without refinement. The goblin wine took the edges off my fear, but the chill of it still ran through my veins.

Music also plays a large part in the story in Elisabeth’s identity, in the dysfunction it causes between her and her family, in the growing attraction between Elisabeth and the Goblin King. But I am not musically inclined. I took band for one year in 6th grade, where I begrudgingly played the flute after being denied my choice of playing the alto sax. That’s the extent of my musical knowledge, so the jargon used to describe various elements of musical composition went right over my head.

As I mentioned before, there’s a sequel planned, and thank god, because the ending made me cry. Like shoulder-shaking, full on snot bubbles, crying. The ending is bittersweet, but it’s not the ending I was hoping for and there are still a lot of questions left unanswered. The continuation of Elisabeth and the Goblin King’s story (even if I do have to wait a year) was the only thing keeping me from going into a full blown book hangover.

Everything hurts and I'm dying gif

For those who love Labyrinth or any of the elements I mentioned above, please get this book. It’s whimsical, spellbinding, and full of things that will make fairy tale lovers squee. This is Jae-Jones’ debut novel and because of Wintersong, you can guarantee that I’ll be following her writing closely, whether it’s up and down the Escher staircase or knee-deep into the bog of eternal stench.


Bedchamber Games by Tracy Anne Warren

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Bedchamber Games

by Tracy Ann Warren
March 7, 2017 · Jove
RomanceHistorical: European

Two years ago, I reviewed the first book in this series, The Bedding Proposal ( A | K | G | iBand mentioned that I was planning on reading the SHIT out of the next book with the sequel hook twin brother. That was some time ago, and then the sequel arrived at my door and reader, I devoured it.

Rosamund Carrow is the daughter of a barrister, and the sister of a barrister. She learned legal theory and legal argument at her father’s knee, but because she’s a woman, she doesn’t get to actually be a barrister and put all of that lovely theory into practice. Her brother, Bernard, is good at theory and research, but has debilitating anxiety when it comes to actually barrister-ing in court. Their father handled that part, until he very impolitely died. The Law Firm of Carrow and Carrow still had some cases, so Bernard and Rosamund hatch a plot: they’ll dress Rosamund as a dude, tell them this is Bernard’s cousin, Ross Carrow, get her admitted to The Inns of Court, and she will handle the actual representation.

Simple, right?

Of course, the first barrister they oppose in court is Lawrence Byron, who is SUPER good at law, and wins most of the time and then, when “Ross” shows up in court, he LOSES. The indignity! They strike up a friendship, and hang out at Lawrence’s club and at a boxing match, and suddenly Lawrence is contemplating the shapeliness of “Ross'” ass. It’s very disconcerting for him (shades of Sebastian and Viola in Twelfth Night).  He figures out that “Ross” is a woman (that scene was fun) and shenanigans ensue.

So the fun part about “I need to dress up like a dude for ~reasons~” plots is the question of “does she put in the work to make this work, or did she just put on some pants?” You’ll be happy to know that Rosamund and Bernard put in the effort to make the disguise successful, from voice work, practicing walking, altering clothes, and then relying on that old standby, “People see what they expect to see.” For most of the crusty old lawyers of Lincoln’s Inn, they idea that one of their number could be a woman wouldn’t even enter their minds.

I loved that Rosamund had a brilliant legal mind, and while I am very curious about the nature of her legal arguments, I also would have picked them apart. It’s probably better that Warren let it happen off screen. I would have enjoyed a few barnstorming court scenes, though.

Now, much like his brother, Lawrence has some boundary issues. When he figures out that the reason he’s obsessed with the shapely ass in question is because it’s the ass of a woman, he’s like, “Oh, that makes sense.” Then he decides that his best course of action is to seduce her, because sure. Once all the cards are on the table, he realizes that he actually LIKES her, THEN they negotiate their relationship, like fucking grownups.

But, you know, the part where he decides revenge by seduction is the best choice is a bit ooky.

The main obstacle between Lawrence and Rosamund is fairly easily handled, though I appreciated that it was something that Lawrence had to put thought into. The ending was a bit tidy and mildly rushed — and might have come with some social consequences, but then, the Byrons have demonstrated in previous books that they really don’t give a shit.

There was a chance for a much more complicated resolution, which could have been fun (but also would have ruined at least one legal career, maybe three), and it sucks that any reasonable resolution required that…

Show Spoiler
Rosamund not get to practice law anymore (I assume she’ll be helping Lawrence out, because she IS better than he is).

Bonus! There is sexy time in a law library which…. well, *I* did not partake, but I know that every study room in my law school’s library was used for clandestine rendezvous. (Not the most romantic…or clean…of locations TO BE HONEST.)

Either way, I very much enjoyed this book! MORE LAWYERS PLEASE.

Romantic Suspense, Fantasy, & Thieves

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Hold Your Breath

RECOMMENDEDHold Your Breath by Katie Ruggle is 99c at Amazon and Barnes & Noble! This is the first book in the romantic suspense Search and Rescue series. The other books are also available for 99c each! Elyse gave the book a B grade:

While the suspense and action were intense, I found the romance to be a little tame. Part of it was that we never get inside Callum’s head. The book is mostly 3rd person POV from Louise’s perspective. When you have a hero as taciturn and withdrawn as Callum, keeping his thoughts a mystery weakens the romance. Like the heroine, we have to guess at his feelings and desires, which reduces some of the sexual tension.

While Hold Your Breath isn’t perfect, it’s still a fast, funny read and a promising start to a new series.

In the remote Rocky Mountains, lives depend on the Search & Rescue brotherhood. But in a place this far off the map, trust is hard to come by and secrets can be murder…

As the captain of Field County’s ice rescue dive team, Callum Cook is driven to perfection. But when he meets new diver Louise “Lou” Sparks, all that hard-won order is obliterated in an instant. Lou is a hurricane. A walking disaster. And with her, he’s never felt more alive…even if keeping her safe may just kill him.

Lou’s new to the Rockies, intent on escaping her controlling ex, and she’s determined to make it on her own terms…no matter how tempting Callum may be. But when a routine training exercise unearths a body, Lou and Callum find themselves thrust into a deadly game of cat and mouse with a killer who will stop at nothing to silence Lou-and prove that not even her new Search and Rescue family can keep her safe forever.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

This book is on sale at:

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To Kiss a Thief

To Kiss a Thief by Susanna Craig is $1.99! This was featured in August 2016 Hide You Wallet post. Redheadedgirl said, “Second chance, arranged marriage, secrets and lies, basically full of catnips. All the catnips.” But reviews on Goodreads that the hero is a bit undeserving of the heroine. The next book in the series is on sale for 99c as well!

Can a marriage made for money blossom into something more?

Sarah Sutliffe, Lady Fairfax, dreams of love—until she overhears her new husband proclaim his heart will never be hers. Devastated, she offers no defense when a sapphire necklace disappears during a ball and she is accused of its theft. Instead, she runs away from the scandal…and the heartbreak.

St. John, Viscount Fairfax, has sworn never to love again. How could a mousy merchant’s daughter tempt him to break that vow? Three years after Sarah vanished, St. John uncovers her hiding place. Now, he’s out to prove she’s a thief before she steals his heart.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

This book is on sale at:

Amazon Barnes & Noble Kobo Google Play iBooks

 

 

 

Dark Light of Day

Dark Light of Day by Jill Archer is $2.99! This is the first book in the Noon Onyx fantasy series. Readers loved the world-building with a land ruled by demons, but some found that all the info-dumping slowed down the pace. Have you read this book?

Armageddon is over. The demons won. And yet somehow…the world has continued. Survivors worship patron demons under a draconian system of tributes and rules. These laws keep the demons from warring among themselves, the world from slipping back into chaos.

Noon Onyx grew up on the banks of the river Lethe, daughter of a prominent politician, and a descendant of Lucifer’s warlords. Noon has a secret—she was born with waning magic, the dark, destructive, fiery power that is used to control demons and maintain the delicate peace among them. But a woman with waning magic is unheard of and some will consider her an abomination.

Noon is summoned to attend St. Lucifer’s, a school of demon law. She must decide whether to declare her powers there…or attempt to continue hiding them, knowing the price for doing so may be death. And once she meets the forbiddingly powerful Ari Carmine—who suspects Noon is harboring magic as deadly as his own—Noon realizes there may be more at stake than just her life.

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

This book is on sale at:

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Jess Haines Bundle

The Jess Haines Bundle is $2.99! This collection contains books one through four of the H&W Investigations series. That’s four full-length urban fantasy novels! This is a series that (according to Goodreads ratings) seems to get progressively better and features a detective heroine who works with supernatural creatures.

They are the Others–the vampires, mages, and werewolves once thought to exist only in our imaginations. Now they’re stepping out of the shadows, and nothing in our world will ever be the same again…

Hunted By The Others

In A Town Like This, Being A P.I. Can Be Murder

Shiarra Waynest’s detective work was dangerous enough when her client base was strictly mortal. But ailing finances have forced her to accept a lucrative case that could save her firm–if it doesn’t kill her first. Shiarra has signed on to work for a high-level mage to recover an ancient artifact owned by one of New York’s most powerful vampires.

As soon as Shiarra meets sexy, mesmerizing vamp Alec Royce, she knows her assignment is even more complicated than she thought. With a clandestine anti-Other group trying to recruit her, and magi being eliminated, Shiarra needs back-up and enlists her ex-boyfriend–a werewolf whose non-furry form is disarmingly appealing–and a nerdy mage with surprising talents. But it may not be enough. In a city where the undead roam, magic rules, and even the Others aren’t always what they seem, Shiarra has just become the secret weapon in a battle between good and evil–whether she likes it or not…

Taken By The Others

Once, New York P.I. Shiarra Waynest’s most pressing problem was keeping her agency afloat. Now she’s dealing with two dangerous, seductive vampires who have been enemies for centuries. The only thing Max Carlyle and Alec Royce agree on is that they both want Shia–for very different reasons.

Max is determined to destroy Shia for killing his progeny, while Royce’s interest is a lot more personal. That’s not sitting well with Shia’s werewolf boyfriend, Chaz. As the feud between Max and Royce gets ever more deadly, a powerful vampire-hunting faction is urging Shia to join their side. Shia has always believed vamps were the bad guys, but she’s discovering unexpected shades of grey that are about to redefine her friends, her loyalties–and even her desires…

Decieved By The Others

Shiarra’s relationship with sexy werewolf Chaz may be somewhat unconventional. Still, after a few bumps, Shia is finally ready to get serious. That means meeting family–or in this case, bringing Chaz’s entire werewolf pack along for a rollicking full-moon weekend in the Catskills.

Soon after they arrive, threatening notes appear, warning Chaz to go home. Then their cabin is ransacked. Shia starts digging to find out whether it’s the work of upstart teenaged werewolves or something more sinister. Yet as rumors about her vampire connections arouse the pack’s hostility, Shia has to contend with other dangers. Not just from an adversary about to make his fatal intentions known, but from a threat that’s even closer than she knows…

Stalking The Others

Once, she was one of the good guys–or as close as a New York P.I. can get. Then Shiarra Waynest was drawn into the world of the Others. Every faction has its own loyalties and agenda. And Shia’s recent betrayal by her ex-boyfriend means that she may be on the verge of becoming a rogue werewolf at the next full moon…

Add to Goodreads To-Read List →

This book is on sale at:

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Links: Women of NASA, Resistance, and Kittens

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Workspace with computer, journal, books, coffee, and glasses.It’s International Women’s Day! For today’s links, I tried to collect things that celebrate women and might make us feel empowered, warm and fuzzy, or might bring a smile to your face if you’re feeling sad, frustrated, or anywhere in between.

Sonali Dev is hosting an author interview series called Lit with Love. If the name is any indication already, this is going to be awesome. Two upcoming interviews have already been scheduled: Beverly Jenkins on March 16 at 6pm CST and Julie Ann Walker on June 23 at 3pm CST. You can watch live or catch the interview on YouTube afterwards!

 

LEGO and NASA have combined to make a kickass WOMEN OF NASA mini-fig set, to help honor women in STEM. Science editor and writer Maia Weinstock created the concept and you can follow Lego NASA Women on Twitter to keep up with the set’s release!

I recently took up cross stitching and I’m absolutely in love with it. I put on an audiobook or podcast and get to stitching. If you’re a cross stitcher or want to start, I’m over at Book Riot, showing off some great bookish patterns for stitching!


Laptop Cord Winders

I have one of these from Above the Fray, and it's great for keeping my MacBook cord contained and safe from being pulled or frayed. There are earbud winders, too! -SW


New York Times article shows how independent bookstores are helping to “stoke Trump resistance,” and it makes me love the book community even more:

Many stores have distributed information for customers who are mobilizing against Mr. Trump’s actions: his cabinet choices, his threat to cut off funding for sanctuary cities and his immigration bans on refugees and many Muslims. At City Stacks, a bookstore in Denver, employees printed out forms with elected officials’ contact information in a gentle nudge to customers. On Inauguration Day, Broadway Books in Portland, Ore., handed out free copies of “We Should All Be Feminists,” a book-length call to arms by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, the novelist.

All over the country, independent bookstores have filled their windows and displays with “1984,” by George Orwell; “It Can’t Happen Here,” by Sinclair Lewis; and other books on politics, fascism, totalitarianism and social justice. Booksellers have begun calling the front table devoted to those titles the #Resist table.

I’ve seen some great bookstore displays in Boston. Have you seen any?

And…kittens! The Icelandic Cat Protection Society has a “Keeping Up with the Kattarshians” live stream with four cute kittens that have little kitty bunkbeds!

Don’t forget to share what super cool things you’ve seen, read, or listened to this week! And if you have anything you think we’d like to post on a future Wednesday Links, send it my way!

Guest Squee: The Liberators of Willow Run by Marianne K. Martin

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The Liberators of Willow Run

by Marianne Martin
October 17, 2016 · Bywater Books
GLBTRomanceHistorical: American

NB: We have a great guest squee review from Reader Tara Scott! The review is also perfect to tie in with yesterday’s Internal Women’s Day and our current political climate. 

Tara reads a lot of lesbian romances. You can catch her regularly reviewing at The Lesbian Review and Curve Magazine and hear her talk about lesbian fiction (including romance) on her podcast Les Do Books. You can also hit her up for recommendations on Twitter (@taramdscott).

We’ve all seen the iconic “We Can Do It!” poster, famously used during WWII to recruit women to work in factories. Rosie the Riveter’s image is ubiquitous still, available on t-shirts and coffee mugs (or even bobbleheads, if tchotchkes are your thing). We’re so far removed from the events of more than 70 years ago that it’s easy to forget how essential she was, getting women out of their homes and into the workforce gaps left by men who were on the front lines. Ads asked women “Can you use an electric mixer? If so, you can learn to operate a drill.” And did those women ever answer the call. The Liberators of Willow Run is a historical romance that gives us a fictional view into the lives of some of the women who helped the United States win the war, one B-24 bomber at a time.

Audrey is the first character we meet, and her newfound independence is more precious than she can describe as she lives on her own and works as part of a high-performing crew building liberators at the Willow Run factory. Her mother can’t understand why she didn’t stay at home to wait for Bradley to come back from the war, but what her mother and coworkers don’t know is that there is no Bradley. The convenient fabrication lets her live freely without having to find a husband, hiding the fact that she’s a lesbian. She learned in the hardest way possible that secrecy is where safety lies, and yet she can’t stop the feelings that grow as she gets to know Ruth, the new waitress at her local diner. Ruth moved to Ypsilanti with her own secrets beyond also being a lesbian, and now that she’s seized the chance to live on her own terms away from her family’s expectations, she won’t let fear rule her.

Nona works with Audrey at Willow Run, and as a black woman from Kentucky, she faces more scrutiny and is cut fewer breaks than anyone else in the factory (despite having an incredible attitude and being more precise at the job than most). She’s got a plan, buying war bonds as quickly as she can to pay for the degree that will let her follow her dreams of becoming a teacher. Her friendship with Audrey enriches life for both women, but some rules can’t be broken, no matter how unjust they are.

The Liberators of Willow Run has a lot going for it, and all of it is good. The writing is simple and elegant, bringing the era to life without ever resorting to info dumps and I found myself savouring Marianne K. Martin’s phrasing. The book also perfectly captures a moment in time that was very difficult and yet in some ways almost magical for some women because, for once, they were allowed out of the few specific roles available to them and were able to earn money and live independently if they chose. The difference when the war is over and Audrey is working wherever she can is heartbreaking, showing just how special it was that women were as essential as men to the war effort.

Although a good chunk of the book takes place with Audrey and Ruth apart, their romance is so carefully and delicately drawn that it’s beautiful to watch unfold. Audrey is understandably afraid, given how her last relationship with a woman ended, and yet Ruth’s courage and understanding props her up. Ruth is the perfect partner for Audrey, meeting her exactly where she’s at and only nudging where appropriate. I imagine them as a formidable couple for decades to come, quietly loving each other while making a difference in their community.

Discrimination is also examined from several angles. Nona faces it many times for her race, both at and outside of work, which is in stark contrast to the bigotry that Audrey is able to opt out of by hiding her identity as a lesbian. Nona almost loses her job because her ride to work didn’t show up one day and she can’t eat at the diner with Audrey (or anyone). Audrey, on the other hand, can pass easily through any situation simply by keeping her mouth shut and occasionally making mention of Bradley. Like Audrey, Ruth can carefully choose when or even whether to reveal that she’s a lesbian, as well as the secret of where she was before she moved to Ypsilanti. During that time, at a home for unwed mothers, we also see the judgemental attitudes faced by women who were shunted aside by their families for the sake of reputation, whether it was their own choices that landed them there or not. That alone occasionally left me shakingly angry, although I have to tip my hat to the author for handling such difficult material as gently as she did.

With discrimination against people of colour and the LGBT community seemingly legitimized by the current administration in the US, The Liberators of Willow Run feels like a very timely book. The fear and frustration that many people are feeling now is not new, and examples of quiet resistance like we see with Audrey, Ruth and Nona are more important than ever. This is a book that brings hope and a well-earned happy ending in a time when we need it, and it’s more than worth the read.

The Rec League: Noir/Murder Mystery Romance

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The Rec League - heart shaped chocolate resting on the edge of a very old bookThis Rec League request spawned a bit of a debate a SBTB HQ. Before we get to our thoughts, here’s the request from Jacqui:

I really want to read a good noir detective book with a romance in it (preferably between the detective and someone else). Penn (Penelope) Williamson’s Mortal Sins comes to mind. Am not fussy about the setting or time period. A good noir murder mystery rather than a normal crime book. Not too much gore (not a particular feature of noir anyway). But I want a romance in it. Am just feeling in the mood for something that is not only a romance. Hope you can help!

Though Jacqui mentions some features she’s looking for, a couple of us were confused about what aspects of noir she wanted.

Carrie: True noir romance is hard to find because the genre is antithetical to romance.

RASL is a noir comic with a lot of romance, but no HEA.

Fast Women
A | BN | K | iB
What the Lady Wants by Jennifer Crusie is a comic romance with touches of noir and Fast Women by Crusie isn’t noir but it has noir homages.

Elyse: A Dangerous Invitation by Erica Monroe

Sarah: For a reader who doesn’t know quite what that is, can you explain how you are defining or identifying noir?

Carrie: It’s a term that originated in film. It subverts the idea of heroism, and usually features a cynical protagonist and characters who are morally gray at best. Justice is often not achieved. Examples in film include The Maltese Falcon, The Big Sleep, and Chinatown.

Romance is almost always an element of noir but given the shady nature of the characters and their cynical view on life there is rarely a romantic HEA.

A Dangerous Invitation
A | BN | K | iB
Well, there are some noir movies (sorry, I know she’s looking for books, I just know more about movies) that DO have happy endings (The Big Sleep) and there’s also stuff that isn’t classically noir but is noir-influenced.

Elyse: Is she looking for a morally gray detective hero? Is she looking for mystery with a hint of romance or romantic suspense inspired by the detective genre? Is romance across several books acceptable?

The thing with noir is it’s usually about sad man feelings and duplicitous women. It’s not very romantic.

Carrie: Commenters on my review of RASL listed some feminist noir but I can’t vouch for HEAs.

The message of noir, by which I mean classic, hard core noir, is that people want to exist in a world where there is good and bad, but actually everyone is some of both and usually bad wins.

Elyse: A Dangerous Invitation plays with some noir themes but that’s the only one I can think of.

Amanda: At the very least, she wants a murder mystery with romance and a detective character.

Carrie: I’d try Fast Women by Jennifer Crusie then. Plus it has homages to The Maltese Falcon. A tough detective telling a tiny dog, “I won’t play the sap for you, sweetheart” is a scene not to be missed.

Sins and Needles
A | BN | K | iB
Sarah: I wonder if some of the darker contemporaries with morally ambiguous heroes might fit. Like the Professional series from Kresley Cole, or the Halle series.

Crap. The one with tattoos.

Shooting something. SCARS. Shooting Scars. Crap that’s book 2. I can’t remember 1.

Also maybe Anne Stuart.

AmandaBlack Ice by Anne Stuart could fit!

I don’t think I’d recommend The Professional ( A | BN | K | G | iB ) as there’s no mystery element. Just corn field fingerblasting.

Sarah: HAHAHAHAHA

Then never mind! The thing is, this is not my genre. cynicism, pessimism – not why I’m here, you know?

Black Ice
A | BN | K
Carrie: Same in books, although I used to like a few of the movies for the rapid fire dialogue and the visuals

Amanda: Halle MIGHT fit. There may have been a detective element; I’ll have to double check.

Elyse: Amanda, I got to the cornfield scene and was like WTF am I reading? I thought it was a romantic suspense.

Amanda: SURPRISE!

Over the Line by Lisa Derochers ( A | BN | K | G | iB ) might fit as well.

Carrie: I’m with Elyse – we would need to know what parts of noir she likes. Detective? Banter? Morally murky characters? The hot blonde/helpful brunette? The visual style (lot’s of high contrasts and great clothes). Does she like the time period of the more classic noirs? Would she like stuff that Elyse likes like Gone Girl, where there’s a twist?

What do you think? Any romance you know of with various aspects of noir? Care to join in on our friendly debate?

 

Historical Romances on Sale!

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When a Marquis Chooses a Bride

When a Marquis Chooses a Bride by Ella Quinn is 99c! This is the second book in The Worthingtons series and features an opposites attract romance. Readers loved the heroine, who is described as fragile, yet strong in a couple reviews. However, some felt the plot was a bit thin. It has a 4-star rating on Goodreads.

Thanks to their large extended family and unconventional courtship, the Worthingtons have seen their share of scandal and excitement. But nothing has prepared them for this…

The Dowager Lady Worthington isn’t quite sure what to make of country-girl Dorothea Stern. As the granddaughter of the Duke of Bristol, Dotty is schooled in the ways and means of the nobility. But her sharp wit and outspoken nature has everyone in a tizzy. Especially their cousin, Dominic, the Marquis of Merton.

Prematurely stuffy, Dom was raised by his cheerless uncle to be wary of a host of things, including innovation, waltzing, and most perilous of all: true love. Still, there’s something about Dotty, beyond her beauty, that Dom cannot resist. But the odds are against him if he intends to win her as his bride. Will he choose loyalty to his family—or risk everything for the one woman he believes is his perfect match…

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Hero in the Highlands

Hero in the Highlands by Suzanne Enoch is $1.99! This is the first book in the No Ordinary Hero series and has an enemies-to-lovers element. Some readers thought the romance felt forced, while others loved Enoch’s writing. Have you read this?

WILD AT HEART

Scotland, 1812: He’s ferocious and rugged to the bone, an English soldier more at home on the battlefield than in any Society drawing room. And when Major Gabriel Forrester learns that he’s inherited the massive Scottish Highlands title and estate of a distant relation, the last thing he wants to do is give up the intensity of the battlefield for the too-soft indulgences of noble life. But Gabriel Forrester does not shirk his responsibilities, and when he meets striking, raven-eyed lass Fiona Blackstock, his new circumstances abruptly become more intriguing.

Like any good Highlander, Fiona despises the English—and the new Duke of Lattimer is no exception. Firstly, he is far too attractive for Fiona’s peace of mind. Secondly, his right to “her” castle is a travesty, since it’s been clan Maxwell property for ages. As the two enter a heated battle of wills, an unexpected passion blazes into a love as fierce as the Highlands themselves. Is Fiona strong enough to resist her enemy’s advances—or is Gabriel actually her hero in disguise?

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Not Quite a Duke

Not Quite a Duke by Eva Devon is 99c! I’m not sure if this is the regular price or not, but all the other books in the Duke’s Club series are $3.99, so I’m just going to assume it’s a sale. Readers on Goodreads thought this was a fun, marriage of convenience plot with an outspoken feminist heroine. It has a 4.2-star rating on Goodreads.

A Rake With A Broken Heart:
Deadly with a rapier and one of the most notorious rakes London has ever known, Lord Charles, twin brother of the Duke of Hunt, is hiding a dark secret. Wine, women, and song can’t drown his pain but when he wins Barrow House in a night of gambling, he finds that he’s also won an entanglement with the owner’s niece, Lady Patience. Prickly, forthright, and clad in black from head to toe, she’s the opposite of every thing he’s ever desired in a woman and yet, Lord Charles is inexplicably drawn to her. When he discovers she has a secret just as serious and scandalous as his own, he knows marriage into his powerful family is the only thing that can rescue her. But can a rake take a chance at marriage and risk losing his heart?

A Lady in Disguise:
Lady Patience has no wish to be rescued but nor is she willing to give up her double life as the extremely successful author P. Auden. When her secret identity is exposed, she has no one to turn to but the rake who won her family house in a card game. But Lord Charles is all that she dislikes in a man. A womanizer and a gambler, she should abhor him. Only Lord Charles is not as simple as he seems. With each day she discovers the hidden depths and pain under his witty and cold exterior. And as she finds that underneath he is a good man nearly destroyed by a terrible secret, she cannot help but lose her heart to the rake who has sacrificed everything for his family’s happiness. Can she save him from his past just as he has saved her? Or will the past claim them both and ruin their chance at love?

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Lips That Touch Mine

Lips That Touch Mine by Wendy Lindstrom is 99c at Amazon and Kobo Books! This is an American historical with a saloon owner hero. Be warned that the heroine’s late husband was abusive, but readers say the heroine’s backstory didn’t feel gratuitous. This is the third book in the Grayson Brothers series and several of the other books are available for less than $4.

Haunted by her past, Claire Ashier must protect her new home and her battered heart from Boyd Grayson—the charming saloon owner who is ruining her business. That’s not easy do when her only friend in town is Boyd’s animated dog Sailor. While tending the dog, and marching on Boyd’s noisy saloon, Claire matches wits with the handsome playboy and they develop an unexpected friendship that changes the game for both of them. But the game is filled with risk. Boyd wants more, but are the stakes too high for Claire to trust a saloon owner and open her heart to love again?

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237. New Books and New Insights Into History: An Interview with Beverly Jenkins

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Beverly Jenkins joins us to talk about her latest book Breathless and the series in progress. Of course, we talk about history and the stories that inspire her, especially the unsung, undiscovered, or forgotten women behind major figures in history.  We also discuss the communities of women throughout history that worked to help one another, and about her next book – which we really want to read already.

TRIGGER WARNING: we discuss some violent images from the recently released photography collection from Cornell at 17:04 to 17:38. I’ll warn you in the middle to skip ahead when it’s time.

Listen to the podcast →
Read the transcript →

Here are the books we discuss in this podcast:

You can find Beverly Jenkins on her website – including her travel schedule – and on Facebook.

In our archives, there’s more to enjoy, including:

We also discussed a recent Guardian article about characters and readers, information about Lozen, and the collection of photographs of African American life from Cornell – please be cautious if graphic images upset you.

If you like the podcast, you can subscribe to our feed, or find us at iTunes. You can also find us at PodcastPickle and on Stitcher, too. We also have a cool page for the podcast on iTunes.

More ways to sponsor:

Sponsor us through Patreon! (What is Patreon?)

What did you think of today's episode? Got ideas? Suggestions? You can talk to us on the blog entries for the podcast or talk to us on Facebook if that's where you hang out online. You can email us at sbjpodcast@gmail.com or you can call and leave us a message at our Google voice number: 201-371-3272. Please don't forget to give us a name and where you're calling from so we can work your message into an upcoming podcast.

Thanks for listening!

This Episode's Music

The music in our podcast is provided by Sassy Outwater.

This is from Caravan Palace, and the track is called “Bambous.” You can find Caravan Palace and their two album set with Caravan Palace and Panic on Amazon and iTunes. You can find Caravan Palace on Facebook, and on their website.

Remember to subscribe to our podcast feed, find us on iTunes, via PodcastPickle, or on Stitcher.

Podcast 237, Your Transcript Awaits!

Covers & Cocktails: Knock Knock

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Happy Friday! I hope everyone has some great weekend plans. Meanwhile, I’m making whiskey sours at 10am on a Thursday. Because, apparently, that’s part of my “job.” It’s March and my free time has disappeared in the wake of several exciting new releases and galleys that are sitting on my nightstand.

This month’s cocktail inspiration comes from Kit Rocha’s Ashwin! This is the first book in the Gideon Rider’s spin-off series after wrapping up their Beyond series ( A | BN | K | G | iB | Scribd ). It’s got a touch of sci-fi and it’s set in a dystopian world, but overall, it has a large, diverse, and amazing cast of characters. Plus, supportive female friendships out the wazoo.

Ashwin
A | BN | K | iB
As I mentioned above, we’re doing a whiskey sour for Ashwin. It’s mostly a traditional sour with more lemon juice and a dash of orange bitters. And, we’re calling it…Knock Knock, but more on that later.

I used Buffalo Trace Bourbon Whiskey because I used it in a previous recipe and I liked it. I’m not much of a bourbon drinker and this one works with my delicate, vodka-drinking sensibilities. The use of bourbon whiskey is an homage to the Beyond series, though Ashwin can definitely be read as a standalone. And while bourbon always gives me the impression of a stiff and serious drink, the lightness of the lemon juice and foamy egg white gives the drink a great smooth tartness.

The name “Knock Knock” is in reference to a knock knock joke. The hero, Ashwin, is a modified super soldier who has been trained not to feel emotion, so reading a particular scene where he tries his hand at telling a knock knock is pretty hilarious. It’s a perfect inspiration for a whiskey sour. A serious, deadly hero trying to bring some levity to a situation.

Now onto the recipe!

Ingredients for a whiskey sour

Shopping list:
Bourbon
Lemon
Egg
Simple syrup (sugar + water)
Orange bitters

Proportions:
2 oz bourbon
2 oz lemon juice
1 oz simple syrup
1 egg white
A few dashes of orange bitters

Recipe for simple syrup:

  1. I make my simple syrup in a 1:1 ratio.
  2. Take one cup of water for every one cup of sugar and pour it into a saucepan. Increase the amounts as needed.
  3. Stir the mixture regularly over medium heat until all the sugar is dissolved. You don’t want the water to boil or simmer.
  4. Pour into a jar or other container to let cool in the fridge. I tend to make big batches at a time, so I always have it on hand. It’s great for sweetening iced coffee, which I love, despite it being twenty-five degrees outside.

Directions:

  1. Put bourbon, lemon juice, simple syrup, and egg white into a shaker full of ice.
  2. Shake it like a Polaroid picture!
  3. Strain into a chilled glass with ice.
  4. Give it a few seconds for foam and bubbles to rise to the top.
  5. Add a few dashes of orange bitters.
  6. Avoid the urge to draw a dick into the foam.

Modifications and notes:

  • Feel free to use a bourbon that you like! Buffalo Trace is not necessary.
  • Serve it neat, if you prefer!
  • Since I’m not a huge bourbon drinker, I added more lemon juice. As you can see, I picked the biggest lemon that ever existed and used the all the juice it could muster.
  • If drinking something with egg white grosses you out, skip it!
  • Regular Angostura bitters will work as well, but I like the subtle added orange.
  • Pro tip: When separating the yolk from the white, do not do it over your shaker because you will inevitably drop the yolk right into the drink.

A copy of Ashwin on a bookshelf next to a whiskey sour.

Cheers!

The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

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A

The Sun Is Also a Star

by Nicola Yoon
November 1, 2016 · Delacorte Press
Young Adult

Normally I don’t buy into a lot of YA romance because I’m pretty cynical at the realism of finding HEA in high school. I mean, I know that a lot of people do marry their high school sweethearts; I just remember what I was like at that age. Growing out my bangs was enough to send me into existential crisis – no way did I have the emotional bandwidth to manage a serious relationship.

But YA has been proving me wrong lately – there is so much amazing fiction coming out (much of it romance) that I’m willing to concede that I’ve been totally wrong. The Sun is Also a Star sucked me in and I totally bought the love story between the main characters. In fact it was so engrossing, it made me forget the news for awhile: I was sitting on the couch reading when my husband came in the room to turn off CNN because he couldn’t take it anymore. Cable news had been on in the background of my reading session for two hours and I hadn’t even realized it.

The Sun is Also a Star utilizes the “one day in New York City” meet cute, but with a twist. Natasha is high school senior, star science student, and also an illegal immigrant. She remembers little about her native Jamaica, but after her family’s immigration status is discovered when her father gets a DUI, she finds herself about to be deported. She’s spending her last day in the United States trying to find a way to stay her family’s deportation, and she’s not having much luck.

During her quest she (literally) runs into Daniel. He’s the son of Korean immigrants who came to the United States legally and who have big dreams for their sons. Daniel has an interview scheduled with a Yale alum that’s part of the process of getting into the school. Daniel is on the Ivy League path to becoming a doctor like his parents want, not a poet like he wants, and he’s miserable.

There’s a moment of kismet when Daniel and Natasha meet. Both are facing overwhelming futures designed by their parents and are struggling to find their place in the world. Recognizing a similar disaffection in each other, they spend the day together. Daniel takes Natasha to Koreatown where he shares with her his favorite things about his culture. She talks to him about her passion for science.  All of this could be incredibly contrived, but it’s not. The Sun is Also a Star manages Daniel and Natasha’s day-long courtship in a way that feels totally organic and believable.

Daniel is a romantic; Natasha is a cynic. She has a lot of anger, and she’s entitled to all of it. Her life is being disrupted in a way that will separate her from her friends, fracture her family, and ruin her chances at the college she wanted to attend. Despite all of that, she’s charmed by Daniel and his patience and genuine interest in her. They don’t discuss deportation or Yale or parental disappointment, but rather things like time travel. All of this works because we get such deep POV from both characters, both have strong voices, and all of it flows beautifully.

Daniel muses:

There’s a Japanese phrase that I like: koi no yokan. It doesn’t mean love at first sight. It’s closer to love at second sight. It’s the feeling when you meet someone that you’re going to fall in love with them. Maybe you don’t love them right away, but it’s inevitable that you will.

I’m pretty sure that’s what I’m experiencing right now. The only slight (possibly insurmountable) problem is that I’m pretty sure that Natasha is not.

Natasha follows up:

I don’t tell Red Tie [Daniel] the complete truth about what I would do with a time machine if I had one. I would travel back in time and make it so the greatest day of my father’s life never happened at all. It is completely selfish, but it’s what I would do so my future wouldn’t have to be erased.

Instead I explain all the science to him. By the time I’m done he’s giving me a look like he’s in love with me. It turns out he’s never heard of the grandfather paradox or the Novikov self-consistency principle, which kind of surprises me. I guess I assumed he’d be nerdy because he’s Asian, which is crappy of me because I hate it when people assume things about me like I like rap music or I’m good at sports. For the record, only one of those things is true.

Besides the fact that I’m being deported today, I am really not a girl to fall in love with. For one thing,  I don’t like temporary, nonprovable things, and romantic love is both temporary and nonprovable.

Of course Natasha and Daniel do fall in love, on the worst possible day for both of them, but somehow that romance works beautifully.

There’s also a lot going on in this book with regard to race, the American dream, and parent-child relationships. Both Natasha and Daniel feel like outsiders. Natasha has always been aware of her illegal status and how fragile that makes her life in the United States. They immigrated so her father could follow his dream of being an actor, a dream that faltered, and she’s watched how his bitterness toward the promise of “the American dream” has poisoned her own chances of success. Daniel meanwhile doesn’t want the life his parents have pushed so hard to create for him. His older bother, similarly stifled, has been kicked out of Harvard and now all of the pressure is on him to be the successful one.

Every relationship in this book is complex and nuanced. Yoon also head-jumps into bystanders, including Natasha’s immigration lawyer and a security guard she passes, creating this complex framework of lives that are all interwoven in tiny but significant ways. All of this makes for an incredibly satisfying read.

The Sun is Also a Star was enough to change my opinion on YA romance. It’s an outstanding, immersive, delicious book, and I urge those wary of YA fiction to give it a try.

Movie Review: Logan

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NB: Please be warned that this movie does feature violence and abuse against children and teens.

We got your female rage RIGHT HERE.

This is the most recent installation in the X-Men Series. Set in the not-to-distant future where mutants are mostly gone, Logan is an old, broken man who gets saddled with a tiny, violent, mini-girl!Logan, and a classic road trip ensues. With a lot of eviscerations.

IMPORTANT NOTE: there will be some spoilers in the following discussion.

Hugh Jackman looking wrinkled and tired, his lip and jaw trembling

RHG: THAT WAS SO GOOD.

Amanda: So so so good. I will never get tired of seeing a girl rip grown men to absolute shreds. Also…speaking of shreds, if you prefer your comic book movies with offscreen violence, this is not for you!

RHG: Not even a little. I don’t want us to get into “all comic book movies are rated R now!” (and I don’t think we will, the tween money is too good) but as a testament to the kind of rage that Wolverine carries, and the kind of damage Wolverine can do, this is UNFLINCHING. An 11 year old girl rips the head off a dude (he was a bad dude, it’s okay). We go from there.

Amanda: I think the violence is what I liked most though, if that’s not too strange to say. I’m not that big into superhero/comic book movies for the most part. My concerns also tend to stray into the sheer amounts of structural damage and bystander danger that’s happen; it’s hard to suspend my disbelief for some reason.

But with Logan, the presence of accidents caused by mutants (Charles Xavier has a degenerative brain disease, which is a huge problem for his abilities), as well as whatever mercenary teams are tasked with tracking mutants do have consequences. And I appreciated that…realism. As real as it can be when you have people unsheathing adamantium claws from their hands and feet.

RHG: Yeah, all the damage (save Charles and his seizures) was pretty damned intimate. Everyone was usually within claw-reach. That makes a difference rather than “I’mma lift this city up and dump it 17 feet to the left.” I like both kinds! Don’t replace! It’s 2017, and this is the year we embrace the power of “And.”

I thought this was an excellent send off to both Hugh Jackman and Patrick Stewart. They’ve done so well in these roles for SO DAMN LONG, and they go out in by far the best Wolverine movie and one of the best X-Men movies.

Amanda: As much as I wished that everyone lives happily ever after in some green pasture for retired mutants, the end of their story arcs made sense. And of course, I snot cried real hard. Thankfully, it’s winter in Boston and scarves double as tissues.

But! And there’s always a but, Logan ushers in a new era for mutants. I’m desperately hoping there will be a continuation that follows Laura and her fellow mutant friends. If you follow the comics,

Show Spoiler
Laura is X-23.

I’d love to see Dafne Keen, the girl who plays Laura, grow with the role like we’ve seen Jackman grow as Wolverine.

RHG: DAFNE DAFNE DAFNE. DAFNEEEEEEEE. You’ve got an 11 year old girl who has ONE credit to her name before this movie, going toe to toe with Sir Pat Stew and Hugh Jackman and holding her own. She’s like a tiny lioness! Wary, plotting, lethal, and (I think, at least) looking just a HINT like Famke Jansen which was an amazing accident. I can’t assume that was on the list of criteria, but holy shit, that kid’s eyes are scary when she turns on the “I have a plan to kill everyone in this room” light.

Little Dafne walking toward some guy saying no no with her claws out

X looking horrified and worried

Dafne flipping into the air, wrapping her legs around a guy's shoulders and jabbing her claws into his neck

Logan beside a car saying Holy Fuck

She’s AMAZING. What a fucking find.

Amanda: And to add more to her amazingness, for most of the movie, she doesn’t say a word! All her acting is physical – facial expressions, angry shouts, petulant grunts. She’s such a badass too. Even though she’s eleven, she’s just as powerful as Logan, if not more. Probably more, if I’m being honest.

Speaking of additional characterization, I have a weird, perverse attraction to Boyd Holbrook who plays super soldier bad guy Pierce and I’m REAL ASHAMED ABOUT IT.

RHG: You missed her feral screams.

I did not look at the cast list at all for this (Hell, I wasn’t gonna see it, until the trailer with Laura in the gas station came out) so I was pleased to see both Richard E. Grant (a former Scarlet Pimpernel) and Eriq LaSalle (who I haven’t seen since ER!) were in it. I think all of the supporting actors were great.

This is just a really well put together movie! PLOTS. YOU CAN HAVE A COMIC BOOK MOVIE AND HAVE A COHERENT PLOT. It can be done.

Amanda: AW ERIQ! The Munson family in Logan. Jeez Louise, that was a scene. I think that scene has stuck with me the most out of the whole film, to be honest.

But I agree, there are few things I have to complain about, save for the fact it’s set in the distant future and I desperately wanted to more about those creepy corn harvesting machines.

RHG:

Show Spoiler
I spent the entire Munson family scene hoping they’d make it out of their encounter with our heroes. I hoped in vain.

I liked that there were a lot of things that weren’t over-explained. There’s a through-line that explains why there aren’t many mutants left and why there haven’t been new ones, but you have to be paying attention for it (STOP CHECKING FACEBOOK IN THEATER OH MY GOD), because it’s only explained once and almost in passing. And-if you’re worried about “well, I didn’t see X-Men: Apocalypse because they covered Oscar Isaacs’ pretty face with makeup, will this movie make sense?” Yes, it will. I promise.

Amanda: Oh, yeah. I’ve only seen the first two X-Men movies waaaaay back when and I checked out on everything else. So you’re golden!

RHG: Hugh’s amazing at being Old Man Logan (oh, also, if you’re a comic person who knows the plot line of Old Man Logan and think “I don’t want that” it’s not even tangentially related, based on my reading of the summary. Logan is old and broken and dying and that’s pretty much the main similarity. Thank god for licensing issues). It’s been SEVENTEEN YEARS and he’s playing this stiff and sad old man who is self-medicating on multiple levels and making it through the day. I’m gonna miss him, but we have a lot of movies to go back to. Most of them are good!

Amanda: Agreed, and given what Logan has gone through and the shit he’s seen and done, it’s not much of a stretch to see him end up where he is in the movie. It’s sad, especially because it really does seem like he’s only keeping himself alive to take care of Charles. They have a dream of buying a nice boat, but I honestly can’t picture either of them in their respective states to enjoy a life on the ocean.

RHG: No, it’s a dream to keep going, that maybe tomorrow won’t be the same as today, but it’s just a dream.

What do you think for a grade?

Amanda: I really do want to give this an A, haha. I’m even willing to settle for an A-. It was a great movie with plot, emotion, and it gave us Dafne Keen. I’m really looking forward to seeing what projects she does next.

RHG: There’s an ad running that says that this movie should be considered for Best Picture at next year’s Oscars. I hope it’s at least in the conversation! Yeah, it’s an A-. It’s a road trip movie, a comic book movie, and a swan song that doesn’t shy away from the consequences of actions.

And Dafne elevates the grade level. She’s so good. SO SO GOOD.

Dafne snarling with claws out ready to kill every mother fucker in the room.

Logan is in theaters now and tickets (US) are available at Fandango and Moviefone.

Kindle Daily Deal: The Highwayman by Kerrigan Byrne

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The Highwayman

RECOMMENDED: The Highwayman by Kerrigan Byrne is $2.99! This is a Kindle Daily Deal and so far, it isn’t being price-matched. Redheadedgirl grabbed this at RT 2015 when it was held in Dallas. She reviewed it and gave it an A-:

What I liked best about this book was the liberal use of crazysauce. It’s a melodramatic tale of a broken man healed by the love of a good woman, and the good woman that’s strong enough to love this man and bring him back into the world. When he proposed the marriage idea, she’s like “Fine, but I want a baby so that’s my condition,” and he’s like, “but I don’t touch people so I didn’t really think this through,” “fine, then I’ll take a lover.” “I. WILL. KILL. HIM….”

“That’s not very solution-oriented.” (Actual quote!)

They’re rebels, scoundrels, and blackguards-dark, dashing men on the wrong side of the law. But for the women who love them, a hint of danger only makes the heart beat faster, in the stunning debut historical romance The Highwayman by Kerrigan Byrne.

STEALING BEAUTY

Dorian Blackwell, the Blackheart of Ben More, is a ruthless villain. Scarred and hard-hearted, Dorian is one of Victorian London’s wealthiest, most influential men who will stop at nothing to wreak vengeance on those who’ve wronged him…and will fight to the death to seize what he wants. The lovely, still innocent widow Farah Leigh Mackenzie is no exception-and soon Dorian whisks the beautiful lass away to his sanctuary in the wild Highlands…

COURTING DESIRE

But Farah is no one’s puppet. She possesses a powerful secret-one that threatens her very life. When being held captive by Dorian proves to be the only way to keep Farah safe from those who would see her dead, Dorian makes Farah a scandalous proposition: marry him for protection in exchange for using her secret to help him exact revenge on his enemies. But what the Blackheart of Ben More never could have imagined is that Farah has terms of her own, igniting a tempestuous desire that consumes them both. Could it be that the woman he captured is the only one who can touch the black heart he’d long thought dead?

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March Movie Selection: Love & Basketball (2000)

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Time for our March Smart Bitches Movie Matinee pick! This one is rather obvious, since it’s March and there’s some talk of basketball this time of year. But I’ve also never (to my own embarrassment) seen this movie, and I am so excited about it.

Love & Basketball came out in 2000, but based on reviews I’ve been reading, it holds up marvelously as a story and as a romance. HuffPo published an oral history of the making of the film in 2015, though if you want to be entirely spoiler-free, don’t read it until after you’ve watched the movie.

Love & Basketball is available for around $3 to rent and $10-15 to buy digitally on iTunes, Google:Play, and Amazon, and the DVD can be found at your local library, or cheaply online in new and used condition from Amazon or Alibris.

We’ll be discussing the film on Sunday, March 26th, and we hope you’ll join the conversation with us then!

Romance Wanderlust: Versailles

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Romance Wanderlust - a yellowed and burnt edge map with a compass in the corner, with Romance Wanderlust written across itEditor’s Note: Our regular columnist for Romance Wanderlust is experiencing some medical difficulties that may affect her ability to concentrate and read words. Smart Bitches cannot verify that the following statements are accurate, but we invite you to travel along in our very silly dreamscape of medicine adjustment.

Welcome to this month’s Romance Wanderlust, in which we explore real romantic places. Although I have not personally visited this romantic place I’m sure that all of the below is true and not something I dreamed about during the 14 hours a day that I currently spend asleep while adjusting to new brain meds.

This month we explore the Palace of Versailles, home to Elizabeth I and Richard the Lionheart. It has a fascinating history and has had many famous visitors. Jane Austen wrote her books in the gardens on a laptop. A little known fact is that she and Shakespeare totally did it in the Labyrinthe. Versailles is famous for having many gardens (mostly geometrically designed) and many rooms (mostly shiny). A famous shiny room is the Hall of Mirrors, which is an excellent place for people to stand around and play with their hair.

Jane and her lover Will, when they weren’t writing, ate potato chips in the hot tub which Versailles had because it was so fancy. It was a gold hot tub which you can still use today. Other people who all visited at the same time and were all non-fictional include Ching Shih the Pirate Queen, Neil DeGrasse Tyson, Sayid from Lost, and all of the Avengers including Peggy Carter and every supporting character.

The Avengers in front of the Palace of Versailles

If you wander the halls of Versailles at night wearing a white nightie and carrying a candle, you may be visited by the ghost of Lord Byron. He will chant love poetry to you until you tell him to piss off. Another ghost is Mae West. She keeps trying to get it on with Lord Byron but he is terrified of her. If you see her, ask her for dating advice. She will tell you to go for it no matter what the question is.

The Palace of Versailles is conveniently located on the coast of Cornwall near a knitting shop. You can snorkel or scuba dive in the lovely tropical waters off Cornwall’s lovely beaches. You can also rent a submarine and drive it yourself but they charge you extra if you crash it while reciting Captain Nemo’s last monologue.

A little known fact about the expansive gardens of Versailles is that there are enough cocoa and coffee trees to supply a small onsite chocolate and coffee bar where you can get drinks like the Marie Mochanette or a Louis Latte. Since every knows that all plants grow in all climates there is also a Christmas Tree Farm where it snows during, and only during, the month of December.

The best place to have sex in the Palace of Versailles is in one of the bathrooms because they are cleaned on a regular basis. The worst place is on one of the beds. They look amazing but the sheets haven’t been changed for 300 years.

Editor’s Note: At this point the submission from our regular columnist suddenly ceased. Further investigation found her asleep in bed, covered in cats and dogs. We eagerly await her next column, which she tells us will be all about the Tower of London, a charming 1920’s mansion with a moat of champagne, where Charlotte Bronte wrote her masterpiece and Edgar Allan Poe exited, pursued by Ravens.


Aliens, Dukes, & a Boxed Set

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The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper

RECOMMENDEDThe Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper by Phaedra Patrick is $1.99! This is a price-matched Kindle Daily Deal and the rest of today’s deals are also pretty good. (Veronica Roth’s Carve the Mark is only $4.99!) Sarah enjoyed the emotional journey of this book and gave it a B in a Lightning Review:

In the end, his realization that his life mattered, that he was loved, and that he had more to give the world before he died, too, was terribly poignant and made me sniffle for quite awhile after I closed the book.

Sixty-nine-year-old Arthur Pepper lives a simple life. He gets out of bed at precisely 7:30 a.m., just as he did when his wife, Miriam, was alive. He dresses in the same gray slacks and mustard sweater vest, waters his fern, Frederica, and heads out to his garden.

But on the one-year anniversary of Miriam’s death, something changes. Sorting through Miriam’s possessions, Arthur finds an exquisite gold charm bracelet he’s never seen before. What follows is a surprising and unforgettable odyssey that takes Arthur from London to Paris and as far as India in an epic quest to find out the truth about his wife’s secret life before they met—a journey that leads him to find hope, healing and self-discovery in the most unexpected places.

Featuring an unforgettable cast of characters with big hearts and irresistible flaws, The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper is a joyous celebration of life’s infinite possibilities.

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To Catch a Lady

To Catch a Lady by Pamela Labud is 99c at Amazon and iBooks! This historical romance is the first book in the Hunt Club series. Some readers loved the setup of the romance, but others found there was a lack of real conflict between the hero and heroine.

Ashton Blakely, the Duke of Summerton, cannot stop his aunt from meddling in his affairs. So rather than let her select a most disagreeable mate, Ashton decides to fire the first volley by holding a ball as a scheme to bag the ideal wife: a deferential girl eager to produce and raise an heir, leaving Ashton to his beloved hunting lodge and titled friends. But when Ashton falls for the one woman who isn’t willing to play his game, all his plans scatter like buckshot. Suddenly, the chase is on!

Caroline Hawkins has no interest in marriage. In fact, she has devoted her life to defending women from the indignities visited upon them by their husbands. She only chaperones her beautiful younger sister to Summerton’s ball in the hopes of saving her family from bankruptcy. She certainly doesn’t expect to catch the Duke’s eye . . . nor is she prepared for the heat that rises every time she thinks of his powerful build or his dark, tantalizing gaze. Caroline can run, but she cannot hide—for Ashton has already captured her heart.

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Quantum

Quantum by Erin Kellison is 99c! I feel like we haven’t had a truly cracktastic title in a bit, so here’s a scifi romance with aliens and an intergalactic dating agency. This book is the first in the Red Rock Alien Mail Order Brides series, and the others are also on sale. But, it’s also part of a bigger series called the Intergalactic Dating Agency, which is written by eight different authors with their out sub-series. That means there are plenty of books to binge.

Space Invader steals time for love…

Ex-soldier turned space pirate Tey Raider is visiting Earth to steal a fortune and use one of the Red Rock vortexes to escape into the deep black. When he bumps into Sophia West, he has no idea the human woman will throw a wrench into the hyperdrive of his master plan, and spin him, his storm cruiser, and his heart out of control.

Sophia doesn’t believe in aliens until a Sedona-based dating agency mixer puts her in direct contact with out-of-this-world clientele. She’s undercover trying to locate her brother–abducted and tortured by the big-brained bully, Nimbus. She strikes a hard bargain with Tey Raider to help her find and free her brother. Never mind that the haunted ex-soldier makes her want to reach out and make an alien connection.

The mission leads to a close encounter, and when the red dust settles, neither will be the same.

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The Darkness Series Box Set: Volume 1

The Darkness Series Box Set: Volume 1 by Katie Reus is 99c! This set collects books one through three in the paranormal romance The Darkness series. This set features wolf and dragon shifters, plus a vampire for good measure.

From New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author Katie Reus, the first three books in her Darkness series in one boxed set:

Darkness Awakened

Years ago he ended things between them to protect her…

As leader of one of the fiercest werewolf packs in the south, Finn Stavros is in full battle mode 24/7. He’s ready for anything—until his vampire long lost love shows up on his doorstep in desperate need of help.

Pregnant and kicked out of her coven, Lyra struggled to raise their rare shifter-vampire daughter Vega alone among humans. When the 16-year-old is kidnapped Lyra swallows her pride and turns to Finn. But how long can she keep him from guessing the truth about who Vega really is? As they race against the clock to save their daughter, they must defeat the threat imposed by demons infiltrating the human world and a hell gate that could destroy the world.

Taste of Darkness

He spent more than a thousand years imprisoned in Hell…

Drake is an ancient dragon shifter, one of the most powerful beings in existence, but over a millennium trapped in utter darkness has left him ill-equipped for modern society. If it wasn’t for Victoria, the sweet female brave enough to befriend him, he’d be lost. She’s smart and gorgeous and everything he never dared dream of during his years of agonizing loneliness. He may not have anything to offer her, but one thing he knows for sure: he’d die to keep her safe.

Only to fall into the heaven of her touch.

Victoria is a wolf shifter, healer of the Stavros pack. She’s seen a lot, but she’s never met anybody quite like Drake, the fiery, fascinating shifter who can blaze through the skies unseen by mere mortals. He’s lost, dangerous, and the last male she should fall in love with, but the more time she spends helping him navigate modern life, the deeper—and hotter—their connection becomes. She’s thrilled when they finally locate his family, but reuniting with his people plunges them both into unimaginable danger. It’s a race against the clock trying to figure out who wants them dead and who they can trust, especially when the threat is closer than they ever imagined.

Beyond the Darkness

Now that she has her freedom, she’s not giving it up.

Dragon shifter Keelin Petronilla spent centuries in forced hibernation dreaming of one thing: freedom. Now she’s living life on her terms—she’s ditched her clan for an unruly wolf pack, she tends bar for a half-demon, and she’s loving it…until a powerful supernatural being targets her. She intends to handle the mysterious attacks on her own…without the help of dragon Alpha Bran Devlin. Sure, he’s sexy in that hot, scowling possessive way, but Keelin wants to live her own life in her own way.

Now that he’s found his mate, he’s not letting her go.

Former black ops agent Bran Devlin is a born dragon Alpha and leader of a fierce clan. Getting mated was never part of his plan—until a feisty dragon princess gets under his skin in a big way. The hell of it is, she doesn’t want a mate; she just wants to have a good time. He plays along, but when a dark and powerful being marks her for death, he’s determined to stay by her side in spite of her protests. Now that he’s found his mate, he means to keep her safe no matter what the cost…even if he has to risk it all.

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Cover Snark: Subtle Balls

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Are you read for some Cover Snark? I sure hope so, because this one’s a doozy!

Hail Mary by Nicola Rendell. A headless, shirtless dude that's covered in bits of what I hope is mud and holding two footballs by his crotch.

From Reader Tammy Cat: I mean why does he have 2 balls between his legs.

Carrie: That’s a medical condition.

Sarah: Very subtle. The smudges of dirt on his muscles deploy an innovative chiaroscuro shading technique effectively.

Also he should see a doctor.

Carrie: I mean not only does he have that medical condition with his testicles but he’s also missing his head. That’s serious.

Amanda: It looks like he’s really straining to keep hold of those balls.

Carrie: At least they aren’t blue.

Redheadedgirl: If it lasts for more than four hours he should go to the ER.

From Reader A, about the same cover: I’m not sure if sending this to you is the correct way of thanking you for all your hard work, but there it is, and now at least I know I won’t be alone in this world with it comes to uncomfortable flashbacks to footballs.

Redheadedgirl: It’s correct.

Sarah: Another reader emailed us about Hail Mary Disco Crotch Football by Nicola Rendell.

From Reader Caitlin: I have only one question: WHY.

Wait, maybe I have two. If those are supposed to be his–ahem–balls, why is he posing for a picture and not seeking medical attention?

Wait, no, three questions. If they were going to go this broad, WHERE IS THE BASEBALL BAT PENIS.

And cycling back around to: WHY.

Redheadedgirl: Is this the cover that the most people have emailed us about?

Sarah: This year, yes.
Love With a Perfect Cowboy by Lori Wilde. The face, torso, and jeans look like they belong on separate bodies. The abs also have this weird soap opera soft focus going on.

Amanda: The face and body are from different people, right?

Redheadedgirl: I think the body and the jeans are different people.

Sarah: Is Photoshop a hot new designer jeans label? Like 7 For All Mankind, only with that eyedropper tool as the logo?

Elyse: It reminds me of the bad guy from Men in Black. Maybe he’s an alien wearing a human suit.
Ge-Mi by Mell Eight. An illustrated cover. A man is facing away from us. He's naked, but has a snow-leopard type tail, plus a leopard pattern on his back. There is an arched and hissing black cat at his feet.

Elyse: I think that cat is having an appropriate reaction

Redheadedgirl: …

Amanda: Asking for a friend, but is his front business more animal or human?

Seduced by a Marquis by Carole Mortimer. The heroine has some starchy curls piled atop her head and she's dressed in an extremely pastel pink dress. The hero is wearing some strange, embroidered velvet jacket.

Redheadedgirl: What is he WEARING? Did he get that from the Pyramid Collection?

Elyse: What are EITHER of them wearing?

Redheadedgirl: I’m just really distracted by the cutout velvet

Amanda: She looks like she’s wearing a grown up version of a Toddlers & Tiaras costume.

Elyse: I almost spit my drink out.

Carrie: Pepto Bismol pink. The color of my college choir uniform. I don’t miss it.

Sarah: He got to second base on the cover wearing that jacket.

Amanda: I looked at the cover too fast and thought the hero was wearing a Ghillie suit.

Guest Post: The Diversity Thorn – Ethnic Identity, History, and Historical Romance

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Sarah: I had a long conversation via email with Asha Ganesan that culminated in her writing this guest post that addresses her desire for more inclusive representation in historical romance and supports her argument with data and external sources. I just heard you perk up in your chairs, didn’t it? Oh, yes, data!

Welcome, Asha, and thank you for being part of our community.

This thoughtful guest post comes from Asha Ganesan. Asha is a social psychology Ph.D student in Sydney by way of Iowa (born and raised in Malaysia), currently working on research related to stereotypes of ethnicity and gender, and how cultures evolve. She’s relatively new to romance, in comparison to many seasoned readers of the genre. She says that the genre itself feels more like a movement with its extensive online presence. As she’s someone who works in understanding people in everyday situations, Asha also became interested in what motivates romance readers and women in general and what their views are on gender roles. Also, she thinks readers have the power to ask for changes that are inclusive, which in turn helps us empathize more with experiences of people who are different from us. Finally, she says, “Diversity is not just a buzzword, it was a part of history and it is the reality that we live in now.”

Historical romance (HR) has a major diversity and accuracy problem. The problem stems from assumptions that have been passed down through the lineage of HR (though these assumptions are not exclusive to this genre). The assumption is that branding a story “historical romance” includes some representation of “historical accuracy.” It does not.

I have noticed on threads and on Goodreads, commenters often respond to concerns about racism and sexism in HR as being accurately reflective of that particular era. From my perspective, this is major cherry-picking and a deeply flawed argument, because the lack of diverse characters (including diversity of ethnicity, class, and sexual orientation, but I am focusing on people of color – POC – for this discussion) is also often assumed to be (and defended as!) representative of that particular era.

In reality, HR represents some made up notions of what POCs were like in that era, which are (not surprisingly) actually pretty close to the stereotypes that most people have about POCs today.

In 2014, The Atlantic discussed how the difference within book reader demographics between White and Black readers was not statistically significant. In other words, by population size, readers were and are not more represented by one group over the other.

The quantifiable reality is that writers are now catering to a more diverse audience. But within HR, the characters remain steadfastly and almost exclusively White, even though the population of that time period was not.

Let’s make this quantifiable (I refrained from using sources that would be behind a paywall like academic journals or books, but some of these sources have links to them). Here is the minority population breakdown based on England’s migration data in the 1800s (note that census at the time is considered unreliable for migration data):

  • Americans in Britain (1881-1889): 16,000 – 19,000
  • Africans in Britain (~1800): 14,000 – 20,000
  • Indians in Britain (~1850): 40,000

Sources: Wikipedia; BBC; Migration Watch UK

So, Indian immigrants outnumbered American immigrants by more than a 2:1 margin, while Africans immigrants have comparable numbers to Americans. And yet, if HRs were truly “historically accurate,” why do we have proportionately more stories with Americans characters (usually heiresses), but not Indians? Not only have Indians historically served as seamen, diplomats, businessmen, and officials (the first non-White MP was elected in 1892), but they are also better represented in the population.

In other words, it’s disingenuous and deceitful to defend a character who is racist or sexist as “historically accurate,” while at the same time defending stories populated entirely by White people as “accurate” as well.

It’s hard for me to examine population numbers and HR and not think the discrepancy has something to do with writing and reading what’s comfortable for the general Western population. And I am certainly not the first to point this out. For a more powerful condemnation, read Zora Neale Hurston’s What White Publishers Won’t Print, which begins:

I have been amazed by the Anglo-Saxon’s lack of curiosity about the internal lives and emotions of the Negroes, and for that matter, any non-Anglo-Saxon peoples within our borders, above the class of unskilled labor.

This lack of interest is much more important than it seems at first glance. It is even more important at this time than it was in the past. The internal affairs of the nation have bearings on the international stress and strain, and this gap in the national literature now has tremendous weight in world affairs. National coherence and solidarity is implicit in a thorough understanding of the various groups within a nation, and this lack of knowledge about the internal emotions and behavior of the minorities cannot fail to bar out understanding. Man, like all the other animals, fears and is repelled by that which he does not understand, and mere difference is apt to connote something malign.

Because I am a romance reader, I am speaking of romance, specifically HR. There is a whole population of us (whether in the West or East) who want more from HR. And that more is very possible, and in fact probable.

There is historical evidence to show that there were British men who had Indian wives, and White women married and had children with Indian men. In one example, Sake Dean Mahomed (who opened London’s first Indian restaurant and introduced shampooing to English baths) converted to Anglicanism to marry his wife, Jane Daly, because the law at the time forbade Protestant and non-Protestant marriages.

So why is it so unbelievable in a HR? If we are capable of suspending reality when it comes to our handsome rake alpha not being even slightly physically affected by his debauchery and we are willing to overlook the deus ex machina in many of our favourite books (twin-swapping? Windfall? He wasn’t a commoner after all?), is it really too much to ask to make one of the MC’s lover an African woman? To make his wife Asian? To have a character be a cunning Indian businessman – villain or hero?

Personally, I have no issues if POCs were shown in the capacity reflective of that time (i.e., lower status), but right now, for the most part we have a barren wasteland where these characters have been completely erased from most HR, as if they weren’t a part of society at all.

If HR is really meant to be accurate, then there should be more diversity in its stories as that is accurately representative of the England’s population of that time. Moreover, if HR is meant to be fantasy/fiction, including diversity shouldn’t bother anyone nor should it become a chore.

Some may ask, “Why do we need diversity? These are stories about people, not race-based social commentary.” The sad part is that the lack of diversity itself is race-based social commentary.

I’m using Indians in England again as an example to illustrate my point. There are thousands of HR books with White characters, more books than the average person can read in their lifetime. Regency/Victorian HR books with POCs as central characters? I’m pretty sure I have read all of them because they amount to less than 20.

TV shows with Indians are central characters in the last 5 years: around 5. This doesn’t even address whether the central characters had depth and were not exotified or other areas like video games and comics, sci-fi & fantasy books.

The Heiress Effect
A | BN | K | iB
For me as a reader looking for any representation outside of White characters, I was almost in tears reading Courtney Milan’s Anjan Bhattacharya in The Heiress Effect having his own chapters, where he wasn’t always shown through other characters’ perspectives. I was also gleefully watching Aziz Ansari’s Master of None episode where there was a flashback to his father’s childhood in India. Neither character was treated as a social commentary exhibit or an exotic device, but as a human story.

I admit, it is likely a struggle to write about a group of people one doesn’t know. I am not a writer, but I am a researcher. So I know this problem is not just for fiction writers. But citing “lack of resources” or “I didn’t know” is not an adequate excuse for me anymore because it took me all of 10 minutes to look up the research and statistics for this write-up. At its core, diversity is about listening, reading, and understanding diverse stories. Love, lust, affection, and intimacy are not exclusive rights belonging to a particular group, even in a historical context. They do not have to be entrenched with social commentary.

To assume English historical love stories should focus solely on the upper-class, White aristocracy is myopic, limiting, and for me, rather uninteresting. The fact that there are individuals out there who make unsubstantiated assertions about an all-White Regency/Victorian England, as reflected in HR writings, is evidence enough as to why diverse characters are needed.

these emotions and experiences have not included me quoteThe default assumption about the Whiteness of England sits uncomfortably with a lot of POCs in part because historically, records and stories are written by individuals in positions of power. The truth is often only known through close examination of unbiased records taken by few individuals and interestingly enough, military records, during that time. Yes, England was a White-majority country, but that doesn’t mean interracial marriages, relationships, and births did not happen. Because, yes, interracial relationships were frowned upon and illegal, they likely went without substantial documentation – but they happened. Here is a brief example with Black British immigrants.

As a similar example, the documentation during colonial times can also be tricky, due differences in language and naming conventions across different countries. (To see an example of how tricky it is, watch the episode of Who Do You Think You Are? with Persuasion’s Rupert Penry-Jones discovering his Anglo-Indian heritage from the 19th century). This intermingling of ancestry between the English and POCs from their colonies is a well-known matter to geneticists and historians as well.

The point here is this: we readers want to see ourselves in characters we read in Historical Romance.

At one point, I did feel like I saw myself. But the more HRs I read, the more I started feeling like an outsider. I no longer experienced the dizzying highs because I realized these emotions and experiences have not included me and will likely not include me whether I am in Regency England or in real life.

In Regency England, someone like me would have no place in aristocracy (unless I’m passing for White or from the British Raj) and most HRs still focus on the aristocracy. In present day life, Indian women (and many Asian, South American, and African women as well) are often stereotyped as being repressed, submissive, or speaking with heavily-accented English. Isn’t it ironic that all the POC women I’ve read about in HRs and contemporaries stick pretty close to these stereotypes? Either I’m not present in the story at all, or, if a character attempts to resemble me even a little, it’s a limited, prejudiced representation that is so far from reality it isn’t me, either. I remain invisible. It also makes the character hard for anyone else to empathize with because it’s just a caricature.

I don’t want to be a special snowflake. In books, I want see POCs as people, heroes, villains, lovers, con-artists, or children, not as a social issue that needs to be addressed. Yes, I belong to minority groups, but beyond that, I am an individual and I would like to see characters that are supposed to “represent” me being treated as a whole individual, with strengths and flaws.

So, to summarize: historical romance was likely never meant to be historical fact, given how selective the “accuracy” of these stories has been. Let’s not mislead ourselves into thinking so and using that as a reason to exclude diverse stories. We were present in Regency England. We are present now. And we want to be included.

Witches, Love Potions, & More!

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When Beauty Tamed the Beast

When Beauty Tamed the Beast by Eloisa James is 99c! This is the second book in the Fairy Tales historical romance series. Many readers love the Beauty & the Beast retelling, but they mention the book is more humorous than historically accurate. It has a 4-star rating on Goodreads.

Miss Linnet Berry Thrynne is a Beauty . . . Naturally, she’s betrothed to a Beast.

Piers Yelverton, Earl of Marchant, lives in a castle in Wales where, it is rumored, his bad temper flays everyone he crosses. And rumor also has it that a wound has left the earl immune to the charms of any woman.

Linnet is not just any woman.

She is more than merely lovely: her wit and charm brought a prince to his knees. She estimates the earl will fall madly in love—in just two weeks.

Yet Linnet has no idea of the danger posed to her own heart by a man who may never love her in return.

If she decides to be very wicked indeed . . . what price will she pay for taming his wild heart?

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A Discovery of Witches

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness is $1.99! This is the first book in the All Soul’s Trilogy. Many readers say this is a fantasy novel filled with romance and adventure. However, others didn’t like the characters and found the hype to be overrated. Have you read this one? What’d you think?

A richly inventive novel about a centuries-old vampire, a spellbound witch, and the mysterious manuscript that draws them together.

Deep in the stacks of Oxford’s Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell.

Debut novelist Deborah Harkness has crafted a mesmerizing and addictive read, equal parts history and magic, romance and suspense. Diana is a bold heroine who meets her equal in vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont, and gradually warms up to him as their alliance deepens into an intimacy that violates age-old taboos. This smart, sophisticated story harks back to the novels of Anne Rice, but it is as contemporary and sensual as the Twilight series-with an extra serving of historical realism.

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Lovecraft Country

RECOMMENDEDLovecraft Country by Matt Ruff is $1.99! Carrie really loved this piece of fantasy horror and it earned an A grade:

Lovecraft Country is sad, and scary, and funny, and exciting. It’s also fist-pumping-in-the-air awesome. I loved the range of characters and the many tough, smart women. I loved the seamless melding of the magical and the mundane, the tragic and triumphant, the funny and the terrifying. The writing is simply impeccable. If I had extra thumbs, they would all be up.

The critically acclaimed cult novelist makes visceral the terrors of life in Jim Crow America and its lingering effects in this brilliant and wondrous work of the imagination that melds historical fiction, pulp noir, and Lovecraftian horror and fantasy

Chicago, 1954. When his father Montrose goes missing, twenty-two year old Army veteran Atticus Turner embarks on a road trip to New England to find him, accompanied by his Uncle George—publisher of The Safe Negro Travel Guide—and his childhood friend Letitia. On their journey to the manor of Mr. Braithwhite—heir to the estate that owned Atticus’s great grandmother—they encounter both mundane terrors of white America and malevolent spirits that seem straight out of the weird tales George devours.

At the manor, Atticus discovers his father in chains, held prisoner by a secret cabal named the Order of the Ancient Dawn—led by Samuel Braithwhite and his son Caleb—which has gathered to orchestrate a ritual that shockingly centers on Atticus. And his one hope of salvation may be the seed of his—and the whole Turner clan’s—destruction.

A chimerical blend of magic, power, hope, and freedom that stretches across time, touching diverse members of one black family, Lovecraft Country is a devastating kaleidoscopic portrait of racism—the terrifying specter that continues to haunt us today.

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The Love Potion

The Love Potion by Sandra Hill is 99c! This is a contemporary romance with a scientist heroine who creates a “love potion.” Readers are torn about the suspension of disbelief needed to enjoy this book. Some found it too silly, while others loved the ridiculous plot. It has a 3.9-star rating on GR.

Hijinks ensue when a beautiful chemist unwittingly tests her new love potion on a wildly handsome lawyer.

A love potion in a jelly bean?

Yep! Fame and fortune are surely only a swallow away when Dr. Sylvie Fontaine discovers a chemical formula guaranteed to attract the opposite sex. Though her own love life is purely hypothetical, the shy chemist’s professional future is assured … as soon as she can find a human guinea pig.

The only problem is the wrong man has swallowed Sylvie’s love potion. Bad boy Lucien LeDeux is more than she can handle even before he’s dosed with the Jelly Bean Fix. The wildly virile lawyer is the last person she’d choose to subject to the scientific method.

When the dust settles, Sylvie and Luc have the answers to some burning questions-Can a man die of testosterone overload? Can a straight-laced female lose every single one of her inhibitions?-and they learn that old-fashioned romance is still the best catalyst for love.

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HaBO Double Dose: Railroad Tycoons & Kisses in the Dark

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This HaBO is from Ash, who has two requests. Both are historical romances:

Been trying to track down two historicals that I read over the last few years, but can’t seem to remember them or find them through various keywords (even looked through my kindle purchasing backlog).

1. An American tycoon marries an English widow whose home he was initially planning on buying to add to his reputation in England. One detail I remember is that the lady now lives in a nearby cottage with her children and happens to drop by the mansion when the agent is showing it to the tycoon.

I think she gets upset because it’s done behind her back. Eventually, the tycoon drops by her cottage and proposes a marriage of convenience for her children’s protection and so he can get the house. I remember that one of her kids is a boy. They have a hot MOC, but he stays away a lot initially, then there is a Christmas celebration part that brings them together.

The Xmas part has a tree, mistletoe and various Xmas greenery hunting in the snow episode. There is a part where the tycoon gets lost in the forest looking for a particular greenery and doesn’t realize it’s been hours. The tycoon is also portrayed as rather stiff and awkward with intimacy in general. A part of me feels like I might be confusing the details with another Xmas book, but what really stood out to me is that this was one of the few historicals set in England with a prominent American tycoon (railroad, I believe) followed by a pretty extensive Xmas celebration. The lady had a very happy marriage with her late spouse, and I think his death was rather sudden.

2. I can only remember the intro. The hero takes a break from a party and goes into a dark room where the heroine is taking refuge as well. They have an interesting conversation, but she never allows him to see her. I think they kiss, then she leaves (they are not compromised), and I think he tries to find her. If I’m not mistaken, she knows who he is from the start. Sadly, my memory fails on what happens after. Unfortunately, I’m drawing a blank with the subsequent parts of the 2nd book, as the intro was pretty distinct to me. I think she asks him not to light the candle and to let her be anonymous. She might be an on-the-shelf spinster.

Does either book ring any bells?

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