A really lovely, tender, sapphic retelling of The Snow Queen. Helvig is a tough, tomboyish robber princess who essentially convinces her father to let her "keep" the ethereal, maybe-a-witch Gerda (who's out to take down an evil queen). There's no confusion about why Helvig is obsessed with Gerda... but Helvig might be a little confused.

I really enjoyed the atmosphere and folklore in this book (I've read few, if any, romances set in Sweden). And while it was a bit on the quieter side, I appreciated the fact that Gerda was more confident in her sexuality, while the less traditionally feminine Helvig was a bit anxious and uncertain about fully claiming it. Not quite a gay awakening, but gay nervousness. It felt like a subversion of stereotypes.

Not my absolute FAVORITE S.T. Gibson book because all the mains are a bit nicer and less morally ambiguous than they are in her other works, but still good and ideal for winter.

3.5/5.

I read an ARC for a rerelease of this book, and having not read the original, I can't attest to any updates or changes.

I love Talia Hibbert, and her biggest strength is her heroines. Ruth is an example of why—prickly, cast as a "bad girl" by her small town, and protective of her emotions. She's also very different from another Hibbert heroine on the spectrum, Eve of "Act Your Age, Eve Brown" (my favorite Hibbert novel, for the record). I love that this author never portrays people on the spectrum as a "type". She's so smart.

Where I think you can tell this is one of her earlier works is the hero, Evan. He's very sweet, very hot, and very smitten. These are all good things. But he's also just not as interesting or dimensional as Ruth—or, for that matter, as later heroes written by the author. I think she evolved in this sense, which is good and normal.

This is a solid, cute small town romance. But as a Talia Hibbert fan, it's not QUITE her best.

Thanks to Sourcebooks Casablanca and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Had to leave the swords up because this one may have a duel!

A veteran who saw Serious Shit and a courtesan meet when he realizes she’s counting cards at the gambling house. He’s far too poor for her, and she has a protector anyway. Also, she can’t love and she sets him straight on that right quick. But they CAN set out on a gambling scam together. While becoming sorta friends with off the charts sexual tension, which is so normal.

Will and Lydia are just GREAT characters. This is black cat x black cat, and they’re both wounded, prickly creatures. He falls first, and she withholds. They both know it’s doomed. And when the tension boils over HOLY SHIT.

I loved that Will pines without losing his edge. I love that Lydia holds herself back while also enjoying sex and refusing to be ashamed.

And I loved that when he wanted to talk Feelings, she hit her knees and sucked his soul out of his body while doing the Forbidden Historical Romance Finger Up His Ass.

God is good.

Cat Sebastian is always a great writer, and this early foray into contemporary via celebrity romance is classically gentle, funny, and tender. She’s never been a super plot-forward writer, but I’d say this zeroes in on the characters and relationship even more than usual.

This is less enemies to lovers and more prickly meets outgoing. Solid anxiety rep in Simon (I can’t speak on the OCD rep, but it seemed real and not OTT) plus a super charming (and hot) warm energy from Charlie. He’s not quite a golden retriever, but he is a do you good (dual meaning) man.

Though her historicals still reign king for me, I’m so down for basically anything Cat writes, and this leaves me excited for her next contemporary.

Thanks to Avon and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

UHHHH holy shit.

If you haven't read The Poisoner, read The Poisoner. And then preorder this one, because if you finish The Poisoner going "Where can Alina and Silas possibly go from here?" (you will)... this book gives you the answer and then some.

It's passionate, it's twisted, it's gothic, it's BLOODY. And it's bloody to an extent that I certainly couldn't have seen coming. Holy! Shit!

What a ride.

Thanks to Simon Maverick and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.