Book Review: "The True Confessions of First Lady Freeman" by Deesha Philyaw

Can I get an “amen”? Deesha Philyaw’s first novel is deliciously gossipy, thought-provoking, steamy, and emotional. Having been an enormous fan of Philyaw’s debut story collection, The Secret Lives of Church Ladies, I’m not surprised how good this is. But it’s a lot of fun, too.

“And you know what? I own all the parts that are true. The lies and the lessons. The messes and the mistakes. Because they are the stones that forged the path leading from my difficult past to my beautiful present.”

Scharisse Freeman is the much-younger wife of Rev. David Freeman, pastor of the Hope in Christ Baptist Church, one of the largest Black megachurches in the U.S. Given the age difference and the fact that Scharisse had no real religious background before marrying her husband, it’s taken quite a while for some in the church to warm up to her as First Lady. But she hasn’t let that stop her from using her brand to make millions of dollars.

What she craves more than anything, however, is acceptance from the First Ladies of other churches. Yet a misstep when she was first married has made her a pariah. But when she finally gets an invitation to compete in the First Lady USA pageant, she believes that winning will be her ticket to acceptance.

However, she doesn’t anticipate being in the middle of a huge scandal, which calls her reputation into question. It also highlights the hypocrisy of many so-called devout people, as well as the double standard that exists between men and women where infidelity is concerned. She needs to find her own path and be her authentic self—no matter what.

Schar isn’t always the most sympathetic character, and when miscommunication occurs a few times, I wanted to shake her a bit. But she is a woman who wears her heart on her sleeve, and definitely doesn’t suffer fools! I really enjoyed this.

The book publishes 9/29.

Book Review: "See You Next Tuesday" by Kate Stayman-London

I loved this book for several reasons, but one of them is that it reminded me of what it was like to be excited by a political candidate and be hopeful for the future. Lord knows we could use a lot of that in the U.S. right now!!

Nothing gets Anya more energized than working on a political campaign. She loves helping candidates she believes in, candidates she thinks would make a difference. When she meets Gabe, she is awestruck by his handsomeness, but his ego and what she sees as his lack of principles irritate her to no end.

They keep running into each other, either working in different roles on a campaign, or being brought together by mutual friends. There’s no doubt that they’re attracted to one another, but they can’t be around each other for long before they’re arguing again. They try to at least be friends, but one always makes the other one mad fairly quickly.

The book follows them through more than a decade of working on campaigns—local, state, and national. When they work together for a charismatic woman running for the U.S. Senate, they become friends, and both want more, but they’re too afraid to admit their feelings. Yet the two stand by each other through difficult personal times, and then they finally fall in love.

But when Anya and Gabe both get jobs working for Democratic presidential candidates, suddenly they’re rivals. Anya feels strongly that her candidate is the right one for the country. While Gabe might not feel the exact same way, he knows his candidate is more electable. Can they be opponents at the same time as being lovers?

I really enjoyed the way the book not only portrayed the frenzy, the highs, and the lows of political campaigns, but also how challenging it can be to hold onto yourself. I loved how the book explored grief and moving on, and while Anya could get a little self-righteous at times, I thought she and Gabe had great chemistry.

Book Review: "Love & Other Killers" by Brynne Weaver

“Everybody’s gotta have a hobby, even if it is hunting the most wretched pieces of shit on the planet in a blood sport competition, and I intend to maintain my run as champion of the Annual August Showdown.”

I haven’t read any of the books in Brynne Weaver’s Ruinous Love trilogy yet, but after reading this, I definitely need to! This was a fun, twisty, dark, and steamy story.

Sloane and her husband Rowan, along with his two brothers and her best friends, have an annual competition each August. But it’s not quite your usual competition. The six of them are all serial killers, and each year they challenge each other to hunt down a cold-blooded killer. Whoever makes the kill—the more brutal, the better—gets bragging rights.

This year’s target is Allan Munster. He’s a chicken farmer with a moonshine distillery on the side. He goes to church every Sunday. But he’s also a monstrous murderer who has covered up his actions. Or so he thinks.

So it’s women versus men to see who can take Munster down first. They’re lying in wait. But Sloane can’t help but wonder what the appearance of someone from their past earlier in the day means…

I thought this was great. The characters and their banter were fantastic. (One character called another “Budget Batman” a few times and it made me laugh.) There’s lots of steam, too. Suffice it to say, I’m heading for the Ruinous Love trilogy now!

Book Review: "Unsayable: A Life in Writing" by Michael Cunningham

“When you set out to be a writer you may or may not understand all that you’re agreeing to. You’re saying, by implication, that you’re qualified to write about the passions and sorrows and underlying motives of others. You live, with various degrees of comfort and discomfort, with the fact that even if your work is read by only a handful of people, you’ve claimed the right to set down the definitive version of relations that, in fact, have no definitive versions.”

Michael Cunningham is one of my all-time favorite writers. The Hours and The Home at the End of the World, in particular, are books that, more than 30 years after they were published, still profoundly affect me. So I couldn’t resist reading his new memoir, which talks about how he found his way to writing and how his love of language and storytelling shaped him.

Even as a young child, he was obsessed with language, and the specifics of it. There wasn’t just a tree in his yard, it was an oak tree, while there was a maple tree in his neighbor’s yard.

He started writing stories when he was young but he never had much confidence in them. So he turned to painting and drawing as a creative way of expressing himself. But he never stopped searching for the words to convey emotions or share accounts of his experiences—true or false.

Cunningham touches on specific moments in his life—being with his best friend in high school, who was his first love; spending time in Provincetown with an elderly gay couple who loved his stories about his adventures; working briefly as a hustler; and the first time he met the man who would become his husband.

This was a fascinating, at times emotional, book. I definitely thought it provided some insight into a writer’s mindset and it made me appreciate Cunningham’s writing even more.

Book Review: "The Gulf of Lions" by Caitlin Shetterly

Alice is a recent breast cancer survivor. It’s only been a year, and she’s still very scared of her long-term prognosis. Just before she was diagnosed, she learned of her husband Pete’s infidelity. So while he did everything during her surgery and recovery and chemotherapy, she still isn’t sure how she feels about him and their marriage.

She once was a writer, and during her recovery she found passion for it again. She’s landed a fantastic freelance assignment: she and her two daughters will travel to France, where they will camp across the country. Her daughters, Sophie and Iris, are 13 and 8-1/2. None of them have ever camped before. But this trip is both mother-daughters’ reconnection and a trip of triumph.

The places they go, the scenery they see, the people they meet, the food they enjoy, all of this imbues the trip with beauty and joy. But at the same time, Alice isn’t fully prepared for a trip with two girls who need more of her than she’s prepared to give, nor is she fully ready to be alone with her own thoughts about her mortality and the state of her marriage.

“There are versions of me I don’t recognize anymore.”

While this book is billed as a standalone, Caitlin Shetterly’s previous book, Pete and Alice in Maine, is, inherently a prequel. I wish I had known that because that book would probably have set the foundation for these characters and their actions, and perhaps make me feel more sympathetic towards them.

There are many beautiful and thought-provoking moments in the story, and the imagery is absolutely vivid. However, I didn’t really love the characters—especially Sophie and Iris. And the last 15 percent of the book came out of nowhere, creating melodrama where there had not previously been any.

Book Review: "Yes, Chef" by Grace Reilly

A grumpy/sunshine romance with a handsome, brooding, tattooed chef with abandonment issues? Plus lots of delicious-sounding food and ultra-steamy steam, too? I’m in!

Poppy’s family owns a major restaurant company, but her own job as a brand influencer is criticized for not being serious enough. She tries hard to please her family and make them respect her, but every effort seems to turn disastrous or, worse, publicly humiliating.

One night, at one of her family’s most renowned restaurants, she has a very public meltdown when her boyfriend breaks up with and denigrates her. At the same time, one of the restaurant’s chefs, Jack Hartman, causes an angry scene before quitting. Both Poppy and Jack commiserate in a bar and lick their wounds. They both need to run away.

Jack heads back to Diamond Bay, Florida, where he grew up. His recently deceased mentor left Jack his restaurant, where he worked as a teenager. He figures he can resurrect the restaurant, show off his prowess running his own place, and hopefully parlay that into a new job back in New York City. With nowhere else to go, Poppy follows Jack, hoping he can use her influencer skills to build a brand and buzz for this new restaurant.

Of course, despite their attraction to one another, they get along like oil and water until both realize they’re working toward the same goal. Plus, Jack has unresolved issues with his mentor’s memory as well as fearing failure, while Poppy just wants to prove herself to her parents once and for all.

Give me a book that takes place in a restaurant and you know I’ll be happy. The chemistry and banter between Poppy and Jack is top-notch, as are all of the supporting characters. I loved that the book dwelled on emotional issues and featured two love interests with ADHD. Such a great book!

Book Review: "The Au Pair" by Teddy Wayne

I’m never quite sure which I like more: a popcorn thriller I can read quickly, or a thriller with lots of twists, that makes you say or think, “Wow!” This book definitely fell into the first category, although I kept hoping for at least a bit of the second.

Steven’s first novel was a huge success. He hoped his second book would be received even better, but it took a critical drubbing and barely anyone read it. He’s hoping his third book will help rebound his career.

When he married Lucy, he was the breadwinner. But she co-founded a company and they live an extremely comfortable life, thanks to her money. Steven is a stay-at-home dad, and Lucy pays him a stipend each month, while he tries to find a way out of his writer’s block.

In order for Steven to truly concentrate on his writing, they decide to hire an au pair. Astrid is from Norway. The children become enamored of her quite quickly—and Steven can’t take his eyes off her. When he learns she loved one of his books, he’s utterly flattered, and he falls head over heels for her. He tries fighting his attraction as long as he can, but his resistance is futile.

When the family takes a vacation to a house in the Catskills, Lucy is on edge most of the time. Astrid is there to care for the children, but Lucy feels left out. And when scandal results into a high-profile trial, no one’s lives will ever be the same.

This book definitely kept my attention the whole time—I read the whole thing very quickly. I felt that I had seen the whole story before, and while I hoped for surprises, the book was fairly predictable.

Book Review: "The Revelation of Dionne Daphne" by Mara Brock Akil

Speaking of revelations, this book was truly fantastic. Mara Brock Akil is the creator of television programs like Girlfriends and Being Mary Jane, but unbelievably, this is her debut novel. I’m so grateful to Storehouse Voices for the advance copy of this!

“It’s like this idea that if you heal yourself, you heal a bunch of generations behind you and in front of you. We’re all just glints in the dirt, waiting for someone to reveal us.”

It’s 1991. Dionne Daphne seems to have it all. She’s the associate beauty director at Essence magazine and she’s in the running to succeed her boss and mentor as director. She’s stunning and smart, and men want to be with her.

But her whole life changes with a late-night visitor. Her ex-boyfriend Darren shows up at her door around 5:00 am, desperate to talk to her. What he tells her threatens to upend everything she’s worked for and, perhaps more importantly, her life as she knows it.

The more she tries to reconcile this disclosure from Darren, the more she starts thinking about childhood trauma that she’s kept hidden all these years. But now, in the wake of all that might change for her, she needs to speak up. She decides to go visit her mother and stepfather in Kansas City and share the secrets she’s kept hidden. Will the release of this trauma help her find peace?

The book is told over a two-week period. It’s a heavy story that might be triggering for some, but it’s also powerful and insightful. Dionne is a character I’ll be thinking about for a long time!

Book Review: "The Lowe Job" by Grace Alexander

I thought this was absolutely great. Such gossipy, soapy fun, but with some serious themes thrown in. Grace Alexander hit her debut novel out of the park!⁣

⁣ “It started with a blow job. They had aspirations for it to become the most notorious blow job of all time. It was a lofty aim. They knew that realistically they were never going to beat that blow job—you know the one—but the least they could do is try.”⁣

⁣ Lili Lowe is a beautiful and intelligent young woman who wants a career in politics. Her intelligence is often discounted because of her looks, and she is valued by her boss, who is a member of Parliament. One day she is caught by the paparazzi giving her boss a blow job in his car. A scandal erupts that threatens to ruin her life, while her boss seems to escape reasonably unscathed.⁣

⁣ But Lili has a hidden asset: her mother, Lydia. Once a ruthless talent agent, Lydia has a plan to milk the scandal for all it’s worth. Her machinations lead to media opportunities, endorsement deals, and a reality show called The Lowe Job. Lili, Lydia, and her three other daughters become household names—whether they want to or not.⁣

The book follows the Lowe women through the ups and downs of post-scandal life, and also traces the past of each of them. Lili’s three sisters—ambitious Stevie, ethereal Iris, and distraught teenage Katie—each have their own reactions to their newfound fame, and each has their own issues to deal with.⁣

⁣ I really couldn’t get enough of this book. It definitely had some very pointed commentary about the double standard that exists between men and women when a sex scandal erupts. These are not totally likable characters, but I was hooked on their stories.

The book will publish 6/16.⁣

Book Review: "Isaac" by Curtis Garner

I read queer books all year long, but for Pride Month I definitely increase the number. For my first read of Pride, I stumbled upon this gem, which I liked more and more with every page I turned.

Isaac is finishing high school in London. He’s a great student, particularly in English and writing, and dreams of being a success. He’s also gay and desperate for his first encounter, which comes via an app. He quickly becomes addicted to the thrill of being desired, although he also becomes familiar with the fickleness of men on the apps.

One night at a party he meets Harrison, a 28-year-old artist, and Isaac falls quickly. He loves to be part of a couple, to be exposed to a world and friends different from those he’s familiar with. Harrison is quixotic, and little by little, Isaac starts to feel less confident and needier when he’s in his presence. But is this the way relationships are supposed to feel?

“Happiness was not a discovery to be had, like finding money on the ground. It was exactly as his mother had described: something he didn’t realise he was experiencing until he was no longer experiencing it, in the same way that misery was not something that ended and began depending on where you were; it stayed with you, even if it changed in form.”

The time draws closer to Isaac’s leaving for university in Manchester. He makes some interesting discoveries about himself, Harrison, and his mother, which force him to stand up for himself and speak his mind once and for all. But what will this do to his relationships?

This really was a beautifully written book. Isaac’s character definitely grew on me, and I loved Cherish, Moya, and Karim, too. I really could identify with the ways Isaac felt he needed to be different in order to have a relationship with Harrison. What a great kickoff to Pride Reads!

Book Review: "Frat Around and Find Out" by Devon McCormack

I like reading “important” books that challenge me as much as the next person. But sometimes I need a smutty M/M romance. This hit the spot and actually had more emotional complexity than I was expecting.

Sigma Alpha and Alpha Theta Mu are two rival fraternities. They’re constantly trying to one up each other, and when the annual TaskFrat challenges come around, the two are always neck and neck until the very end.

Lance is the president of Alpha Theta Mu. He takes his responsibilities seriously, especially when it comes to battling their foes. And he has a worthy rival in Ty, the Sigma Alpha president.

Ty is supremely confident about everything, including his prowess with women. He’s the type to love ‘em and leave ‘em, and he teases Lance for focusing more on feelings than conquests. But he also can’t seem to get Lance out of his mind, and not for competitive reasons. What’s that about?

Lance, too, realizes that Ty has an inexplicable hold over him. Is it possible that he’s crushing on his rival? The more they’re pushed together, the more they’re drawn to each other. Is this just a curiosity thing for the both of them, or are there feelings behind the attraction? And how will the brothers of both of their frats handle this?

I’m excited that this is the first book in a series, because I really enjoyed it. Both Ty and Lance are dealing with grief-related issues, and it was nice to see how each helped the other. (And in case you were wondering, the steam was pretty hot.)

Book Review: "Phoebe Berman's Gonna Lose It" by Brooke Avelar

I believe the last few years have seen more phenomenal debut novels than ever before. I love reading books from my auto-buy authors, but I get so excited when the book I’m loving is a debut. Add this one to the list—it was great!!

“There were approximately one hundred and fifty boys in my grade at Manhasset Central Middle School. By the time I turned twelve, I had been in love with at least one hundred and twenty-five of them. If I didn’t have a crush, I didn’t see the point of getting out of bed in the morning.”

Phoebe is in love with love. She’s been reading romances since she was young, hiding the smuttier ones under her bed. In seventh grade she was more than ready for her first kiss—but the expectation led to anxiety, which led to, well, a disastrous reaction. Since that moment, getting close to a guy makes her so nervous that she usually cancels dates.

But now, a month from her 30th birthday, Phoebe is still a virgin. She’s determined to change that, so being the overly organized teacher that she is, she puts together a checklist on losing her virginity in 30 days. (And she laminates it.)

As she starts making her plans, she unexpectedly winds up with three potential suitors. There’s Finn, the hot new 4th grade teacher; Matthew, a former high school classmate with whom she competes in Wordle and Words with Friends; and then there’s her roommate, Jonathan, who has been one of her best friends since college. Will one of these men help her achieve her goal?

This was a fun book, with lots of banter between the characters. And while Phoebe’s plight is definitely amusing, I loved the way this book dealt with her anxiety and other mental health issues. As Brooke Averick says in her author’s note, we rarely see this side of a character in a romance, and I’m so glad that we did!

Book Review: "Summer Husband" by Amy Lorowitz

Thanks so much to She Writes Press for an advance copy of this book—it was lots of fun.

As I’ve mentioned (lots of times) before, I spent 10 years of my life at summer camp. I definitely have fantastic memories and still keep in touch with friends I made more than 40 years ago. I love reading books about camp, especially from the perspective of an adult.

Lori really wanted to send her two daughters to summer camp, in the hopes they’d become more independent and learn to take responsibility for things. Her husband thinks it’s unnecessary, and believes Lori is only doing this to have the summer “off.” When he isn’t interested in going on a romantic vacation with her, she decides to take a job at camp, too.

Having never been to camp, Lori has no idea what to expect. As a division leader, she oversees 48 campers and 12 counselors—the work is nonstop. There are so many rules and requirements, and she doesn’t know whom to trust, but she quickly befriends her coworkers.

She continually seems to run afoul of the camp’s owner, who becomes increasingly unhinged as the summer goes on. But luckily she met Teddy, the camp’s English soccer coach, and they become illicit smoking buddies at night. After a while, their friendship turns to attraction, and Lori can’t resist him. And that’s just one of the things that will surprise her this summer.

Amy Lorowitz did a terrific job capturing the feelings of being both a camper and a counselor. I definitely felt nostalgic for my camp days. This is a really good debut novel!!

Book Review: "Invasive Species" by Ellery Adams

Whoa, this was so freaking creepy! I’m definitely not going into any water that isn’t clear, that’s for certain. I’ve been such a fan of Ellery Adams’ cozy mystery series, but nothing prepared me for how unsettled I’d feel after reading this!

Cold Harbor, NY, 1982. Natalie has just taken a job as a real estate agent, and is immediately saddled with a difficult listing. Not only does the house need a lot of work, but its backyard looks out on the creepy woods surrounding an old mansion that looks like something out of a horror movie. The owner, Mrs. Smith, has never been seen but she is definitely feared.

As curiosity around Mrs. Smith grows, the town is traumatized when some sailors disappear in a storm, and then when students in a sailing regatta meet the same fate. But two kids—including Natalie’s daughter Jill—believe they saw a bunch of eels with really sharp teeth going after the students.

And then, unexpectedly, Mrs. Smith makes her first public appearances. No one expects her to be beautiful and seductive, but all of the men in town definitely notice her. This is Mrs. Smith’s human form; she needs to devour nine teenagers in order to continue surviving for another century.

People know that something is off about Mrs. Smith, and lots of weird and inexplicable things happen to the residents of Cold Harbor. But it’s up to Jill and her Icelandic housekeeper Una to try and figure out how to destroy this creature before they all get devoured.

Adams did such a great job with this book, weaving horror and 1980s-era problems. I can’t wait to see what she does next!

Book Review: "The Accidental Italian" by Michael Hartwig

Chalk this up to another book I hadn’t heard of but stumbled upon. This was just wonderful in so many ways—any book set on the Amalfi Coast already has an advantage, but what a beautiful story.

With his marriage over, Theo decides to take a vacation to Positano. He’s not really a fan of Italy, but a friend had booked a hotel room she couldn’t use, so how could he pass it up? As soon as he arrives, he blown away by the beauty of the town, the water, and the handsome Italian men.

His beach lounger is next to Raffaello and Renata, an Italian couple. Theo is immediately drawn to Raffaello, but thinking the two are married, he keeps a low profile and doesn’t acknowledge that he speaks Italian. When at a dance club one night, Theo overhears two men talking about trafficking young children. While he doesn’t want to get involved, he needs to alert the police.

Much to his surprise, the police detective he reports the conversation to is Raffaello. When he enlists Theo in a return trip to the club to see if he can identify the men he heard, the two develop a quick rapport—and there’s no doubt they’re attracted to one another.

Theo reawakens dormant feelings in Raffaello, feelings he has tried to hide for a long time. He knows he would love to be with Theo, but can he risk his life and his career for a possibility? Although the two draw ever closer, Raffaello cannot give Theo all he wants to.

This is a beautiful book, filled with longing, coming to terms with your own issues and reclaiming yourself, and some really hot steam. The story is definitely an emotional one in so many ways, and I couldn’t get enough. And I needed to go to Italy pronto.

Book Review: "Little Miss Petty" by Sally Kilpatrick

“…if there’s one life lesson that has been drilled into me, it’s that you’re never too young—or too old—to be petty.” (Truer words have never been spoken.)

Stella runs a private investigator business with her partner, Ken. One night she’s able to serve a very elusive man with divorce papers, and she’s ready to celebrate. She’s got champagne, lingerie—and there’s a woman in her bed. And on Stella’s side. Apparently Ken has found himself a younger girlfriend.

Breaking up with Ken means losing her home and her job, among other things. She starts to think that being 39 is just the top of a downhill slope, and there’s no hope for romance or happiness. But she’s also angry enough to warn a young woman about her date when she eavesdrops on his phone conversation.

From this encounter, Little Miss Petty is born. Stella will help women achieve karmic revenge on those who did them wrong. It’s fun to make men pay for their stupidity, cruelty, and/or infidelity. With her two new friends, Havisham and Salcedo, Stella sets up her business and immediately gets results.

When she’s hired to get revenge on a woman’s cheating husband, it seems like an easy job. The guy lives in her new apartment building. But when all of her acts of revenge don’t make him angry, she realizes that he’s not only handsome, but funny, smart, and interested in her. He offers pizza with benefits. It would be bad to take him up on this, right?

This was a lot of fun, but the book isn’t just petty revenge plots. There’s some timely social commentary about the double standards that exist between women and men, as well as some discussion about getting older, finding love on your own terms, and keeping your heart safe. I’d love another book with Stella and her crew!

Book Review: "Ms. Mebel Goes Back to the Chopping Block" by Jesse Q. Sutanto

Oh, what a fun and thought-provoking book this was! If there’s any justice, this will be adapted for television, because Ms. Mebel is a character who needs an audience!

Growing up in Indonesia, Mebel was raised to be the perfect trophy wife. She always looks impeccable, anticipates her husband’s every need, and knows how to be the ultimate hostess and guest. Imagine her surprise when at age 63, her husband Henk says he’s leaving her for Wendy, their much younger private chef.

Mebel is angry and devastated, and worried about how a divorce will affect her social standing. She is determined to win him back, but how? Her solution: go to culinary school and learn to make a fancy dish which will dazzle him.

She enrolls in culinary school in Paris (just down the street from the flagship Hermès store), but due to a clerical error, she finds she’s been accepted to the school’s branch in England. But not London—a small town outside of Oxford. She quickly realizes that culinary school isn’t something you decide to do on a whim, or half-heartedly, and she’s three times as old as many of her fellow students.

Little by little, Mebel’s outspokenness endears her to her classmates. But when her friend Gemma drops out of school without warning, Mebel is determined to find out why. In the process, she realizes she doesn’t have to let things happen to her or those she cares about—she has the power to change things.

Jesse Q. Sutanto’s books are always filled with memorable characters, and Mebel was no exception. Watching her growth, her vulnerability, and her empathy was really enjoyable. And boy, did the descriptions of food make me hungry!!

Book Review: "The Entanglement of Rival Wizards" by Sara Raasch

I’ve been meaning to read this for a few months and I’m so glad I finally did. I love the way Sara Raasch combines romance, humor, some heavy emotional content, and fantasy. Her last two books, The Nightmare Before Kissmas and Go Luck Yourself, were fun and sexy, and this was a worthy follow-up, as well as the start of a new series.

Sebastian is a human wizard, and a graduate student at Lesiara University. He’s a bit of a black sheep in his family, as everyone else has gone into the military rather than college. And his family really doesn’t respect the choices he has made.

Sebastian’s biggest rival is Thio (short for Elethior). Thio is half-elf and comes from a wealthy family, many of whom have attended Lesiara before him. Seb and Thio have been engaged in a prank war, but Seb thinks that Thio is just a pretentious jerk, coasting on his family’s legacy.

The two are both finalists for a research grant which could change the winner’s life. But rather than compete for the grant, if they work together, they can share the money. Of course, having to work with Thio drives Seb crazy, but they learn they have more in common than either imagined.

While Seb hates Thio, his disdain only fuels Thio’s desire. Of course, Seb is so blind to anything positive Thio does, so he has no idea about how he feels. But there’s a larger issue here: Seb has a history with Thio’s family that led to some serious trauma. And that leads to a difficult decision for Seb: his research or Thio.

This was a little heavier emotionally than I was expecting, but there’s lots of humor and banter to lighten the load. I often struggle with enemies to lovers romances because the enemies part doesn’t feel genuine, but here it did. Plus, there’s an invisible fox with a cute hat. How could you go wrong?

Book Review: "Charming Puckboy" by Eden Finley and Saxon James

I may be in a tiny bit of denial over the fact that this series came to its end after 10 books. I’ve been reading these books long before Shane and Ilya went to the cottage or were drafted (IYKYK). They’ve always hit the perfect balance of attraction, romance, banter, super-steamy steam, and an ever-growing chosen family of queer hockey players and others.

When Lachie (short for Lachlan) was younger, he always seemed to attract stray animals or those in need of help. He’d always bring them to the local animal shelter, where Sam, a handsome employee (and Lachie’s crush) worked. Sam used to tease him, calling him a Disney princess.

Now, Lachie is on the cusp of becoming an enormous star in the NHL, and he’s back at home in Colorado for the summer. And when he finds a pregnant cat about to give birth, he brings it to the animal shelter and—surprise—Sam is now the director. Cue the Disney princess nickname again!

Sam can’t believe how hot Lachie has gotten. And while he never had the confidence to make his feelings known before, Lachie’s confidence has also grown. Now he’s perfectly clear about what he wants—Sam.

There’s no denying the intense attraction and chemistry between them. But Lachie is only home for the summer; is a casual fling all the two of them can handle? Or is there a chance for something more, no matter how much trouble it could cause?

This was the perfect ending to the series. Each character from the previous books got their due, and Sam and Lachie were an excellent couple to end on. I’m hoping another book will pop up down the road, but both Eden Finley and Saxon James have so many great backlist books—on their own, together, and in collaboration with others.

Book Review: "Star Shipped" by Cat Sebastian

Over the last few years, Cat Sebastian has become one of my favorite romance writers. Her last two books, We Could Be So Good and You Should Be So Lucky, both made my year-end best-of lists, so I was really excited to read this, her first contemporary romance.

Simon and Charlie are two of the stars of a long-running sci-fi show. They have terrific onscreen chemistry, which is interesting considering they can’t stand each other in real life. Simon is talented, and has awards to prove it; Charlie came to show fresh from a reality show. Each has the uncanny ability to make the other one mad.

Charlie is definitely a golden retriever; he’s tremendously good-looking, is tremendously social, and is well-liked by cast and crew. But Simon, on the other hand, is a black cat. He comes across as cold and often condescending. Not all of it is intentional, though. Simon has been dealing with anxiety issues for a number of years, not to mention OCD.

Simon has finally made the decision not to renew his contract. He’s very excited, as he plans to go to New York and do some experimental theater. He also can’t wait to be rid of Charlie. However, when the media starts hinting there is tension between the two men, they decide to embody a very public friendship.

They start to realize they enjoy each other’s company more than they thought. When Charlie needs to go out of town for a family emergency, Simon goes with him, and little by little, the walls between them come down. But if Simon goes to New York, what does that mean for this burgeoning relationship?

I loved this book for so many reasons. This is such a beautiful love story between two people who are so skittish about being vulnerable, and who desperately need to be needed. The banter between them is playful and a little sarcastic at times, the steam is quite steamy, and the mental health representation is so fantastic.