A Lady for All Seasons

A Lady for All Seasons by TJ Alexander, 304 pages

Verbena Montrose's family is rapidly spiraling toward poverty, which means that she is on the hunt for a husband, and quickly. Her penchant for gossip comes in quite handy, especially when she learns that her tailor friend Etienne has unexpectedly inherited a large estate, though there's a rumor going around that could ruin him. The two quickly agree to a marriage of convenience. Meanwhile, Verbena meets poet and fellow gossip Flora Whitcombe, and finds herself obsessed with her new friend, while also gaining the attention of William Forsyth, a struggling novelist and youngest son of a minor noble. However, Flora and William have a secret, one that complicates EVERYTHING that Verbena is feeling.

I love this author's commitment to showing queer joy during the Regency era, in a mostly historically appropriate way. That said, at certain points the romance of this story took a backseat to the bedroom farce that was going on with William, Flora, and Verbena. Fun, but perhaps not my favorite romance read.

When the Harvest Comes

When the Harvest Comes by Denne Michele Norris, 304 pages

Davis is determined have a beautiful wedding and married life with Everett, despite the fact that his family is absent and Everett's Kennedy-esque white family doesn't necessarily understand their mixed-race relationship. Davis' religious father never approved of his lifestyle as a gay man, but when Davis learns during the reception that his father was killed in a car accident, he's unfortunately starting out his married life struggling to deal with his complex feelings for the man who judged harshly (often physically) but also supported Davis' burgeoning career as a concert violinist.

Families are complex, and this is a serious look at one person's struggle to define who they are in the shadow of a traumatic and strained upbringing. This is by no means a cheerful story, though it is perhaps a bit hopeful in the end? There's definitely love, though how it's expressed and how it's received are definitely in conflict at times.

Palm Meridian

Palm Meridian by Grace Flahive, 256 pages

It's 2067, Florida's partially underwater, and Hannah is ready to celebrate her upcoming death. She lives in the Palm Meridian Retirement Resort, an upbeat world of queer women who haven't let old age slow them down at all, and when she learns that she has terminal cancer, Hannah decides to celebrate and face death on her own terms. However, she can't have a party without some bittersweet memories, especially when her longtime business partner shows up to the party... but the long lost love of her life doesn't. Told in alternating chapters between the day of the party and flashbacks to Hannah's younger days, we get a good look at Hannah's complicated relationships with her friends and loved ones, and why she might want them around in her last day on Earth. It's funny, it's moving, it's bittersweet, it's a lovely book.

A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping

A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna, 352 pages

Sera Swan was one of the most powerful witches in the world when she was young, but after being kicked out of the Guild, she retreated to her great aunt's rural inn and set an everlasting spell to protect the place and people she loved. Unfortunately, that same spell to protect the inn managed to completely wipe out Sera's magical abilities. Several years later, the inn is starting to fall apart and Sera isn't quite sure what to do anymore. That's when magical historian Luke shows up with his autistic and very magical little sister, Poppy, after the Guild has also kicked Poppy out. He's convinced that his stay at the inn is going to be a short one, but surrounded by people who care about and understand her, Poppy has never done better, and Luke's departure date keeps getting pushed back.

This is the coziest of cozy fantasy novels, with plenty of quirky characters and a found family to die for. I'd love to stay at this inn, and I highly recommend this to fans of cozy fantasy.

The (Most Unusual) Haunting of Edgar Lovejoy

The (Most Unusual) Haunting of Edgar Lovejoy by Roan Parrish, 384 pages

Since he was a teen, Edgar Lovejoy has seen ghosts, often when he's least expecting them. They terrify him, and it's made going to big public places really difficult, especially in a city with as much history as New Orleans. But when his coworkers do convince him to do a bit of socializing at a club, he's captivated by nonbinary burlesque performer Jamie. Jamie, who, when not dancing at the burlesque, is a horror connoisseur and full-time haunted house designer. Despite their vastly different feelings toward the supernatural, they can't deny their attraction to one another.

Jamie and Edgar make for an unusual pair, but somehow it works incredibly well. Jamie offers the strength and kindness that helps Edgar come to terms with his fears and anxieties, while Edgar is able to provide the supportive friends and family that Jamie deserves. My one quibble is that even though Edgar admits that he should probably see a therapist, the comment is pretty much tossed aside, as this relationship has fixed all his anxieties. I love to see people grow in romance novels as individuals, not just as co-dependent friends/lovers, and by implying that this relationship fixes everything, it makes me as a reader doubt the longevity. However, that doesn't detract from a lovely story, perfect for reading during spooky season.

Gideon the Ninth

Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir, 448 pages

This was my second time reading this book, and I'm not going to rewrite what I wrote in my initial review five years ago. That blog post is much more coherent (and much kinder, tbh) than anything I could come up with now, though it doesn't really go into how confusing this book is. I was confused the first time I read it, and after reading it again for Orcs & Aliens, I'm just as confused now. This is a love it or hate it book, and I'm pretty sure you can tell which side I come down on.

Every Step She Takes

Every Step She Takes by Alison Cochrun, 384 pages

Sadie has never truly enjoyed a date she's been on, despite her mom and sister constantly setting her up with perfectly fine guys. Maybe it's because she's too wrapped up in her work selling and refurbishing antiques — after all, she can't remember the last time she went on a vacation or got a chance to relax. When she's presented with a chance to take her travel influencer sister's spot on a trek along Portugal's Camino de Santiago, Sadie decides to go for it. Perhaps some time away from home, work, and her family will help reset her brain a bit. But then the combination of wine and turbulence on her flight to Europe prompts Sadie to spontaneously tell the stranger sitting next to her that she might be a lesbian, and suddenly Sadie has a lot more to consider. Especially when Mal, the stranger from the plane, turns out to be a fellow hiker in Sadie's tour group.

While there are a couple of eyebrow-raising elements in this romance novel (I'm not sure I fully buy into the "hey, we're kissing for practice, since you've never kissed a woman before), overall it's a lovely exploration of self-discovery with  a swoony, supportive romance. And it really makes me want to take the 100-mile trek of the Camino pilgrimage. That's not too far, right? :) Anyway, I highly recommend this to readers of Casey McQuiston's The Pairing who wanted a bit less spice.

A Gentleman's Gentleman

A Gentleman's Gentleman by T.J. Alexander, 336 pages

Lord Christopher Eden lives the quiet life at his country estate with just a couple of longtime servants to keep him company. He's a bit eccentric, as he chooses to dress himself and has no interest in marrying. However, if he wants to keep his family fortune and estate, his father's will dictates that he must marry by the end of the upcoming Season — which means Lord Eden must also journey to London, hire new staff (including the dreaded valet), and he must court the women he has zero interest in marrying. His newly hired handsome valet, James Harding, has a few suggestions on who to court (AKA who might be willing to enter a marriage in name only to avoid marrying someone reprehensible). And while both lord and valet are drawn to one another, neither feels quite comfortable enough to fully trust the other with his feelings.

Many times, it's hard to combine a historical romance with LGBTQIA main characters, as they either come across as either too modern socially or too educational, scattered with explanatory lectures explaining queer identities in very unrealistic conversations. This one, however, manages to hit the bullseye as a historical queer romance. The worries and slow burn and slow reveal feel completely realistic to both the era and the characters, and the happy ending is as satisfying as they come. An excellent queer historical romance that I'd recommend to anyone!

At Dark, I Become Loathsome

At Dark, I Become Loathsome by Eric LaRocca, 240 pages

In the years since his son disappeared and his wife died, Ashley Lutin has become fully absorbed by his grief and guilt. He's embraced body modifications to turn himself into the monster he feels like, and spends a lot of time communicating anonymously online with others who have lost someone. And in quite possibly the most disturbing twist, Ashley's created an illicit business in burying alive suicidal people in a bizarre ritual meant to give them closure without death. But the temptation to not dig them up keeps growing stronger...

This short novel is peppered with disturbing tales told by anonymous internet denizens Ashley interacts with, and while they're definitely disturbing, they don't really add anything to the overall story. I really wish it had stuck with Ashley's odd vocation and mental issues — I think it would've been a much stronger story without the tangents. Not the best horror I've read this year, but certainly thought-provoking.

No Body No Crime

No Body No Crime by Tess Sharpe, 304 pages

Private investigator Mel swore she'd never track down Chloe, Mel's high school sweetheart, who's been missing for six years. On the night of Chloe's 16th birthday, the pair fought off local tough guy Toby, and buried him deep in the woods, though nobody else knows that Toby's even dead. Not long after their shared murder, Chloe disappeared too, leaving many in their small town heartbroken, especially Mel. But when Chloe's family hires Mel to track down their missing daughter, Mel can't turn down the case, and soon learns that there's much more to Chloe's life on the lam than previously thought.

Although I appreciated the lesbian couple at the center of this action-packed thriller, the plot takes so many nonsensical twists and turns that I had trouble keeping track of what was going on when (didn't help that the chapters bounced back and forth between current events and flashbacks). There are many better and more cohesive thrillers out there, and I'd recommend reading one of those instead.

A Bloomy Head

A Bloomy Head by J. Winifred Butterworth, 289 pages

Newly widowed Kate has just been forced back into her family home with a passel of adult siblings when her brother returns from the war with an injured army surgeon in tow. Between fighting to keep the family farm, recovering from her late husband's abuse, and nursing the surgeon, Thomas, back to health, Kate somehow manages to begin a cheesemaking business, which she hopes will help keep things afloat until as the farm becomes self-sustaining. What Kate doesn't count on is falling in love with Thomas, or finding beheaded bodies on the farm. Yet both those things occur, and both complicate Kate's life immensely.

This is an intriguing mix of mystery, romance, and cheesemaking, and it's hard to put down. I appreciated the historical details and delicacy in portraying Thomas as a trans man, as well as Kate's previous abusive relationship. Were there perhaps a few too many elements to juggle? Oh definitely. But it was still fun!

A Rare Find

A Rare Find by Joanna Lowell, 368 pages

Stuck at a crumbling manor with her father and sisters, Elfreda doesn't have any friends or acceptable hobbies, which might explain the lack of friends in rigid Edwardian England. Instead, Elfreda's passions lie in archaeology, specifically in her quest to find proof of a Viking army camp near her family's property. As she digs one day, she discovers that her neighborly nemesis, Georgie, has returned from London to lark about the countryside for a while. Elfreda is equally annoyed with and grudgingly charmed by Georgie's laissez faire attitude and self-confidence, and soon a relationship of attraction and curiosity blossoms, much to their mutual consternation.

The idea of a romance heroine trying to buck gender norms and make a name for herself in a male-dominated society isn't by any means a new one, so that element of this book doesn't really forge anything new in the genre. However, there aren't a whole heck of a lot of nonbinary leads in historical romance novels, so that element is a bit fresher (though it's also done in a somewhat clunky way). An enjoyable enemies-to-lovers tale, but nothing to write home about.

Brighter Than Scale, Swifter Than Flame

Brighter Than Scale, Swifter Than Flame by Neon Yang, 176 pages

When Yeva was 13, she slew her first dragon, a small creature that managed to corner her sister in the kitchen of their rural home. Soon after, she was sent to the capital city to become a guildknight, an elite force dedicated to eradicating dragons from Mithrandon. When she arrives, she's treated differently and finds that the only way to feel safe is to constantly wear her armor, including her golden mask, when in the presence of others, eventually becoming a legend in Mithrandon. When she's sent on a fact-finding mission to the dragon-worshipping kingdom of Quanbao, Yeva quickly learns that the armor that made her comfortable is now a barrier to fitting in, something she must do if she's to build a relationship with Lady Sookhee, the girl-king of Quanbao.

This short novel feels very much like a fairy tale in that it's somehow both epic and self-contained in a fully realized world that's both familiar and magically strange. I loved Yeva's growth and self-discovery, as well as the relationship she builds with Lady Sookhee. An excellent fantasy, perfect for someone who enjoyed Priory of the Orange Tree but would like a shorter read.

Lucky Day

Lucky Day by Chuck Tingle, 240 pages

On the same day that her book is due to be published, statistics and probability professor Vera finds a penny that is very likely one that she collected as a kid, and then at brunch with her friends, every unlikely thing in the world happens — Vera's mom gets instantly killed by a truck, a chimpanzee starts killing people with a typewriter, people are strangled (and then dangled) by the ropes meant to hold down a parade balloon, you name it. Officially named the Low Probability Event, the collection of unlikely things kills millions worldwide and sends Vera into a years-long depression. Four years later, a government agent knocks on her door, asking for Vera's help taking down a casino that he's convinced has something to do with the Low Probability Event, and much to her own surprise, Vera agrees.

Like much of Chuck Tingle's horror, this book is clever and gory and fun, though I'm not sure I'd categorize it as strictly horror — it's more super-gory science fiction/horror? It's like if John Scalzi's Starter Villain had an evil twin, this would be it. That's probably a horrible way to describe this, so please take this from it: this book is fun, funny, and weird, while still having the heart that Tingle's books have (I loved seeing a depressed main character dealing very slowly with her depression). Highly recommended.

*This book will be published Aug. 12, 2025.

The Keeper of Lonely Spirits

The Keeper of Lonely Spirits by E.M. Anderson, 400 pages

When Peter Shaughnessy was a teen, he was cursed by one of "them folk" to wander the world forever, unable to come home. Well, that was 200 years ago, and Peter is now an eternally 70-year-old itinerant man, wandering from town to town around the world, helping spirits (particularly the angry or fearful ones) move on and stop causing a ruckus to the living. He makes no connections and doesn't stay long, and that's been the case for more than a century. But now he's in a small town in Ohio, trying in vain to find a malevolent spirit that's infecting the whole town, and dangit, he's starting to get to know people and care about them. Can he succeed in his attempt to put the spirit to rest and then skip town before getting too attached? Hmm...

I love love loved this book. It has very strong T.J. Klune energy, managing to balance big feelings, coziness, and solid sense of what's at stake. The people who come into Peter's life are all fantastic, and I've gotta say that I am 100% behind having a 70-year-old man be the center of a slow-burning romance in a cozy fantasy. I'll be recommending this book far and wide.

Something Cheeky

Something Cheeky by Thien-Kim Lam, 336 pages

Since leaving college 7 years earlier, Zoe Tran has made a name for herself as the owner and designer behind Something Cheeky, a lingerie boutique that caters to Washington, D.C.'s plus-size women, making them feel confident and sexy in bespoke bras and negligees. She's preparing to expand to formalwear when Derek, her best friend from college, reappears in her life, offering her the chance to design and create the costumes for his new rock musical. And it turns out that musical is based on the idea they created together in college, one that brings to life a favorite Vietnamese fairytale that Zoe and Derek both grew up with. While they were strictly just friends in college, something has changed since then, and Zoe can't deny the chemistry that's growing between them as they work on the show.

While the overarching storyline of the musical and its ambitions is a bit far-fetched, the relationship that develops between Zoe and Derek is sweet and definitely believable. I particularly love that one of the book's main characters is a proud plus-size demisexual woman — while I've seen other plus-size romance heroines, this is the first time I've seen demisexuality represented well in a romance novel. I also really love what this book has to say about cultural authenticity in art, even if it is a bit ham-handed at times. All in all, it's a fun romance novel that I'll happily recommend.

A Strange and Stubborn Endurance

A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows, 528 pages

Velasin has left his home country of Ralia as part of an arranged marriage to Cae, the son of the ruler of Tithena. Vel was originally intended for Cae's sister, but when the Tithenian envoy learned of Vel's preference for men, they offered up Cae's hand instead. Neither man expected this match, particularly because such pairings are forbidden in Vel's homeland, but they're determined to be friends if nothing else. Trouble is, someone in Tithena isn't a fan of the marriage, and they're going out of their way to try to break it up.

This is an interesting twist on the courtly intrigue brand of fantasy novels, with the vastly different attitudes toward LGBTQIA people and relationships in Ralia and Tithena adding a dimension that isn't often present in this sort of book. The mystery at the center of the book, the slow-building trust and love between Cae and Vel, and Vel's growth and healing over the course of the book make this a compelling read (though it should be noted that there are depictions of rape and suicidal ideation in this book, so head in with open eyes). A sequel comes out this winter, and you can bet I'll be reading it.

Grave Expectations

Grave Expectations by Alice Bell, 340 pages

Claire has been able to see and communicate with ghosts for 20 years, ever since her best friend Sophie mysteriously disappeared and then turned up in ghostly form at a vigil being held in her honor. In the two decades since, Claire and spirit Sophie have been constant companions, leading Claire to become a medium for hire...though she'll be the first to admit that she's not particularly good at it. That doesn't stop Claire's acquaintance from college hiring her as the entertainment at a family event. Unfortunately, while she's there, Claire and Sophie encounter a ghost that is obviously a victim who was killed during the previous year's party. Soon Claire and Sophie have teamed up with family oddballs Alex and Basher to figure out who got killed, why, and who did it.

A blurb on the back of this delightful book describes it as having "Knives Out vibes with added ghosts," and really, that's an excellent description. There's a dysfunctional family with clashing possible motives, a giant manor in the country, and some excellent humor. I love Sophie, who will forever be wearing the teal velour tracksuit she died in at 17, and the relationship between her and Claire is surprisingly realistic, given their differing alive/dead status. The mystery is good, the characters are fantastic, and I really hope Bell writes more of Claire and Sophie's adventures, hopefully with Alex and Basher in tow. This was SO FUN.

Light From Uncommon Stars

Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki, 372 pages

This is my second time through this lovely book, and my first blog post is here. Nothing about my opinion has changed — I still love it! — so I'm not going to rewrite everything here. I'm looking forward to hearing what the Orcs & Aliens think about it on Monday.

We Are Satellites

We Are Satellites by Sarah Pinsker, 381 pages

In the not-too-distant future, a new technology is available to help people better multitask. It's called a Pilot, and it requires brain surgery to get the glowing piece of equipment working. When teenager David asks his moms for one, he's pretty sure it will help him get a leg up in school, where he's quickly falling behind to his Piloted peers. While one mother is game, the other is a bit of a luddite, particularly when it comes to anything brain-related, as David's younger sister Sophie has epilepsy and is ineligible for Pilots because of her condition. The novel follows the family over the course of several years, exploring the way that this ubiquitous technology changes their individual lives, their relationships to one another, and society at large.

This is a fascinating examination of the ways that technology impacts our lives and our perception of privacy, as well as a multitude of flaws in the health care system. I was absolutely captivated by this story, which, yes, is firmly science fiction, but is also so accessible and intriguing to a non-SF reader. Highly recommended.