Book Review: Lessons in Love by Charlie Cochrane An Edwardian romance for anyone who wishes EM Forster had written more love stories

This past month, I’ve really enjoyed diving into Charlie Cochrane’s Cambridge Fellows series. The series starts in England near the beginning of the twentieth century during the rule of King Edward VII, and it features a lovely romance between free-spirited English professor Jonty Stewart and the more uptight math professor Orlando Coppersmith. … Read more

Guest Author: Avery Duran shows a romantic side of Israel in Ahava Is Love

Ahava Is Love book cover

I’m delighted to have author Avery Duran on my blog tonight, the eighth night of Hanukkah, to talk about her newest book, Ahava Is Love. It’s a romance between an Israeli medic and an American real estate agent who is traveling in Israel to explore his heritage. The trip takes place in winter and happens to coincide with the eight days of Hanukkah. The festival serves as a backdrop to the book’s events, offering a way to mark the time and to reflect on the developing relationship between the two protagonists. … Read more

Book Review: Honey and Heat

book cover for Honey and Heat by Rian Durrant

Today I am talking about first-time novelist Rian Durant’s Bulgarian Christmas romance, Honey and Heat. Keep reading for an excerpt and some bonus photos of Varna, Bulgaria, the city where most of the story takes place. … Read more

Book Review: The Guy With the Suitcase by Chris Ethan

Today is the last day that proceeds from The Guy With the Suitcase by Chris Ethan are going to the Russian LGBT Network to save lives of gay Chechens and others persecuted for their perceived sexual orientation. I finished the book last night, and it was refreshingly unlike most romances I’ve read recently. … Read more

Weekend Read: First Swallow of Spring by Asta Idonea

A swallow alighting on a branch in a marsh.

“First Swallow of Spring” by Asta Idonea is sexy, smart, and surprising. I loved the worldbuilding, which was detailed enough to paint a clear picture of the fairy kingdom, but sparse enough not to weigh down this short story. … Read more

Book Review: Falling for a Pirate by Meredith Bond | Proceeds help gay Chechens

“How can I be more kind?” It’s a question at the heart of the poetry of Hafez, a Sufi mystic often quoted by pirate captain Salim al-Mandri, the beloved in this time-travel romance. And it becomes a crucial question for our hero Dylan, who’s not sure how to square his affection for Salim with his revulsion for violence. Falling for a Pirate by Meredith Bond is an adventurous romance with a philosophical soul.
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Rainbow Snippet and Book Review: Olivia Helling’s Nocturnal Lessons

Damon Snow boxed set by Olivia Helling

This week, I’m sharing from a story that isn’t mine. It’s from Nocturnal Lessons, Book 1 of Olivia Helling’s Damon Snow series about a prostitute, or “molly,” in early 19th-century London. Reader beware: The paint burned off my walls while I was reading this book. … Read more

Book Review: Serpent’s Kiss by Layla Dorine

serpents kiss book cover

Serpent’s Kiss by Layla Dorine is a wild ride full of mystery, intrigue, and suspense in a society that’s been driven underground. Readers who enjoy fantasy filled with political machinations, assassination plots, and outsider heroes will be drawn in by this novel. Of course, there’s romance too and a bit of steam — though the leads are surprisingly chaste for how much they want to tear each other’s clothes off. … Read more