Review: The Prince and the Dressmaker

The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Finished on May 29, 2021

Favorite Scene/Quote: The fashion show

I’ve been wanting to read this book for a couple of years now, but for some reason or another I always avoided it. I picked it up from my library this past week or so and it’s one of the better decisions that I’ve ever made.

Review: Never Kiss Your Roommate

Never Kiss Your Roommate by Philline Harms
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Finished on May 26, 2021

Favorite Scene/Quote: "A bisexual and a pansexual guy together. How will we ever decide anything?"

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. The title of this book was honestly what grabbed my attention first and the summary sounded interesting enough that I requested it and was lucky enough to get it. This book was better than I expected, for the most part.

Review: The Holiday Detour

The Holiday Detour by Jane Kolven
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Finished on May 27, 2021

Favorite Scene/Quote: "It seemed like a very strange coincidence, one that was probably totally fictional and that would result in me being in forty-five pieces buried in the woods."

The premise for this book was interesting enough. It sounded like a cheesy insta-love holiday rom-com. At some points it read like one, but at other points it just felt under developed.

Review: The Road Ahead

The Road Ahead by A.E. Radley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Finished on May 21, 2021

Favorite Scene/Quote: "If you want my advice, you'll find whoever it is who can make you look this happy and build a life with them."

I really enjoy most of Radley’s books, but this one just didn’t connect with me. It’s a solid book with good writing and an intriguing premise, but it just didn’t pull me in.

Review: Unburied Fables

Unburied Fables by Rachel Sharp
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Finished on May 16, 2021

Favorite Story: Match Sticks by Minerva Cerridwen




4.2/5 rounded down

This is a collection of works written by, according to the summary, students and seasoned professionals alike. This anthology was set up with the idea of taking fables and fairy tales and adjusting them to fit an LGBTQ+ identity.

There are fifteen stories in this book based on a whole host of stories and fables. I recognized about half of the fables that these stories were based on, but many of them were stories that I’ve never heard of before.

Review: Plain Bad Heroines

Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Finished on May 16, 2021

Favorite Scene/Quote: Alex and the nesting dolls



3.5/5 rounded down

Disclaimer: I had to read this book in two parts. My library was loaning it out for 2 weeks due to the high demand and I got the book at a time where I didn’t have a lot of reading time on my hands. I had about a month in between part one and part two and I hope to eventually sit down and read it without that gap.

I didn’t really enjoy this book as much as I had hoped to. Certain parts were really good and were great at keeping my attention and making me anxious for what was next, but other parts just felt too long.

Review: The Falling in Love Montage

The Falling in Love Montage by Ciara Smyth
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Finished on May 15, 2021

Favorite Scene/Quote: The pedalos (paddle boats)

This is an interesting idea for a book, and I wish that the main character had been more likeable. It would have made the experience more enjoyable.

Review: Can't Take That Away

Can't Take That Away by Steven Salvatore
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Finished on May 15, 2021

Favorite Scene/Quote: "It's unfair that politics seeks to politicize my identity because this is my life, and it's not up for debate."


I will freely admit that this book affected me more than I had expected it too. I picked it up without knowing much about it and was surprised to learn that it starred a genderqueer main character.

Review: The Love Curse of Melody McIntyre

The Love Curse of Melody McIntyre by Robin Talley
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Finished on May 15, 2021

Favorite Scene/Quote: Promposal

4.5/5 rounded down

I’m still, in all honesty, a bit on the fence about how I feel about this book. I liked parts of it, but other parts got annoying.

Review: Honey Girl

Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Finished on May 15, 2021

Favorite Scene/Quote: Her trip to Florida

I really love this book, especially because Rogers doesn’t shy away from the bad things. The writing is excellent, and I’m a bit surprised to learn that this is a debut novel from this author.

Review: Safe Harbor

Safe Harbor by Radclyffe
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Finished on May 15, 2021

Favorite Scene/Quote: The sparring scene

4.5/5 rounded up

I wasn’t fully sold on this book just by reading the summary, but it’s a favorite of an author I love so I decided to give it a chance. It’s a good book.

Review: Gillette Park

Gillette Park by Gerri Hill
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Finished on May 12, 2021

Favorite Scene/Quote: "You are the one...Your soulmate, child...Together, you will stop the cycle."

I’ve read several Gerri Hill books prior to this one but, for some reason, last year I kept avoiding this book. I can’t even pin down why I was. It was a mistake that I avoided this book because it’s great.

Review: Dithered Hearts

Dithered Hearts by Chace Verity
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Finished on May 10, 2021

Favorite Scene/Quote: "What a hot mess that girl was-kissing both of her stepsisters, but not the prince the spell had been made for."

I stumbled across this book once when I was just browsing some LGBTQ+ books. I was immediately drawn into the idea of this story. A gender-confused Cinderella who finds herself attracted to her stepsisters. I had a few minor concerns, but this book was amazing.

Before I get into the review I need to mention: Be wary of the content warning that the author posts at the beginning of the book. These warnings include misgendering, abuse towards LGBT+ and disabled people, as well as mentions of deceased members and addiction.

Review: She Drives Me Crazy

She Drives Me Crazy by Kelly Quindlen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Finished on May 7, 2021

Favorite Scene/Quote: "I don't know what this says about me, but your drama is becoming the most entertaining part of my life."

I heard a lot about this book, a lot of good things, and I was really hoping it would live up to the reviews. I found that it did. This is an enjoyable, young adult, fake-dating romance.

Favorite Book of the Month

 January - April

    I've read 75 books since January and I've decided that I'm going to post my favorite books every four months. There are several other books that I could have added to this list, but I forced myself to actually choose one favorite book from each month.

January: 

Fire & Ice by Rachel Spangler

February:

Under a Falling Star by Jae

 

March:

One Day You'll Leave Me by Debra Flores

April:

In the Spotlight by Lesley Davis

Review: Armchair Detective

Armchair Detective by Kelli Jae Baeli
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Finished on May 5, 2021

Favorite Scene/Quote: Parking garage fight




I feel like I was reading a different book than some of the other reviewers. Maybe I was and I just don't know it. Some parts were somewhat decent but other parts felt unnecessary and dragged on for longer than needed.

Review: In the Silences

In the Silences by Rachel Gold
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Finished on May 4, 2021

Favorite Scene/Quote: "We just needed to have other people to fight with us." 

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this book. The summary was interesting, but I
wasn’t sure how heavy some of the topics would be or how everything would be handled. This was a really good book. Gold did a great job at writing this book with the characters and the topics.