In this episode, we discuss The Highlander’s Pirate Lass by Heather McCollum. It’s a pirate's life for Eliza. She’s grown up with salty sea air in her hair, an unblemished horizon as a future heading, and hatred in her heart for the scoundrel who murdered her family. Eliza has no plans to ever be a wife or even to fall in love. Meanwhile, highlander Beck needs a wife so that his family island can once again support a community and be rid of the curse that has plagued them.  Beck rescues Eliza from being stranded on an island, and the chemistry between them is overwhelming. They develop a ..read more

In this episode, we discuss The Lady and the Orc by Finley Fenn. Once upon a time, there was a Lady who was doomed to a loveless, childless, and comfortless marriage. As luck would have it, Lady Jule’s situation gets worse, when her husband Lord Norr abandons her to be captured by orcs.  Orc Captain Grimarr makes Jule the centerpiece of his plan to win his war against her husband, and Jule, in spite of herself, is on board. But, this means she has to surrender, in all ways, to her orc enemy. Content warning: Dubious consent, non-consent, exhibitionism, emotional manipulation, and domestic ..read more

In this episode, we discuss Ask, Tell by E.J. Noyes. Amid the oppression of the U.S. government's Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy, Army Surgeon Capt. Sabine Fleischer is busy in Afghanistan, patching up injured bodies while keeping her crush on her commanding officer under surgical wrap. Forced to internalize her struggles so she doesn’t face career ending consequences for revealing her sexuality, Sabine battles personal challenges related to finding her place in the military, from which she feels increasingly isolated. And, while her commanding officer Col. Rebecca Keane seems to be dropping hin ..read more

In this episode, we discuss The Break-Up Artist by Erin Clark and Laura Lovely. Narrated by Regan Linton When life gets her down, Zelda applies her creative writing gifts to the composition of break-up e-mails for others using facts provided to her by the dumper. It's a stress reduction outlet she doesn’t question until one day she realizes that the recipient of one of her creations is someone she knows and likes.  Newly single Jake recently received a message brutally canceling his previous relationship, a fact that Zelda soon discovers and finds deeply upsetting. Now, Zelda has a front ..read more

In this episode, we discuss My Phony Valentine by Courtney Walsh. In order to prove to her childhood bully that she isn’t a romantic late bloomer, Poppy claims a random man as her boyfriend without at first realizing that he was so hunky, or such a well-known hockey player. As luck would have it, said hockey player Dallas feels magnanimous towards a pretty stranger and plays along.  Once they get to know each other and their respective situations better, they devise a mutually beneficial plan to enter into a fake relationship. But, once her business is no longer in the red and his reputat ..read more

In this episode, we discuss Neon Gods by Katee Robert. Persephone is on the run from a forced marriage when she crosses the River Styx and falls into the arms of Hades, King of the Underworld. At first, she’s confused, because Hades isn’t supposed to exist, and yet, here he be… and he be hot.  Wanting shelter from the coming storm of her alleged fiance’s wrath, Persephone makes a mutually beneficial deal with Hades. Their fake relationship has a time limit, but as the end date approaches, will they admit to themselves that there is real love between them? Content warning: Exhibition kink ..read more

In this episode, we discuss Ambrosia by C.N. Crawford. After almost becoming a ice sculpture, Ava falls through a portal and finds herself in an unfamiliar, hostile world with few allies and fewer options. She wants to reconnect with Torin. She wants to go home. She might not want to face the truth about herself and her nature. But when she meets the land’s sadistic queen, Ava is forced to make a gut wrenching decision in the hope that her vicious actions might save the man she loves. Content warning: Abusive family members, captivity and torture Listen to our review of the previous book in th ..read more

In this episode, we discuss Homecoming King by Penny Reid. Pro-football player Rex is always a boyfriend but never a husband, sending many of his exes into the arms of his teammates. Meanwhile, bartender and crafter Abby had a fairytale love story gone bad, convincing her to give up on love. When Abby’s lifelong crush Rex walks into her bar, Abby is suddenly forced to reexamine her views on love. Rex has a proposal that will hopefully help both of them out and Abby agrees in spite of herself.  As they spend more time with one another, will Rex take a chance and lower his grumpitudinous wa ..read more

In this episode, we discuss Frost by C.N. Crawford. There is rock bottom, and then there is the layer of crap Ava finds herself in the morning after her worst birthday ever. Involuntarily single and not ready to mingle, she finds herself jobless as well. Cue the handsome Seelie King Torin to rush in, saying words that amount to, “I hate you, so, marry me and I’ll give you a bunch of money." Nothing in life is easy, and neither is this staged courtship. Ava must compete against, even sword fight, magic-using princesses to give her a shot at winning Torin’s hand. While Torin helps her survive th ..read more

In this episode, we discuss Role Playing by Cathy Yardley. At age 48, Maggie has learned to embrace her inner bog witch, possibly to the point of being detrimental to her mental and emotional well being. Various people in her life are encouraging her to be more social and less of a hermit, but the one with the power to reach her is her son, Kit. Based on Kit’s quid pro quo logic, she finds herself joining a local online guild where she can obtain loot, talk shit, and potentially make friends, like with the guild leader Otter.  Unbeknownst to Maggie, Otter, who’s real world name is Aiden ..read more