I'm *back.* #RomanceReviews 25 here we go here we go, I’ll be reading Tourist Season by Brynne Weaver.

I mainly picked this/the library picked this because I needed something funny right now and lo and behold this hold came up. Meant. To. Be.

I think this is going to be a straight serial killer romance (so questionable!! I *know*), so graphic violence expected.

Ready? Set? <mario voice> a-here we go! </voice>

My review for Wrangled Love by Ann Einerson is up on IG. Here’s a snippet….Ms. Einerson has truly mastered the art of mixing, the sweet, the spicy and the savory together with characters rich in depth and heart. Thank you, Ann Einerson for a Love Story that is Wonderfully Complete!
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Go read my review for Wild Side (Now, I really can’t wait for Wild Card!) on IG
@fadedlove1965 @authorelsiesilver #wildside #fadedlove1965 #authorelsiesilver #romancegenre #romancebooks #romancenovels #romancereviews #romancereader #romanceteadersofinstagram #bookstagram #bookstagrammer @read_bloom

Hokay, here’s the #RomanceReviews recap.

TL;DR I’m happy for them but they’re drama waiting to happen and therefore may not sit with us.

There was a lot to like about this. My favorite thing is that here we have a D/s relationship that wasn’t written as “he was a giant caveman and she was a tiny doll, did I mention she’s v smol?”

Also, super gender neutral for a cis m-f romance. Best example line re: anal: “Has anyone ever taken you here before?” He also gets jealous but it’s never framed as him vs all the other male apes.

I also liked that she was far from a blushing ingénue, without hitting the other extreme (Tate James that last is about you). She knows what she wants and she goes after it, but she has some hangups that are realistic IMO.

Some hot sexting, lots of will-they-won’t-they agonizing.

The thing that I disliked the most about this book is the resolution, see next comment bc spoilers.

@romancelandia

Alright alright #RomanceReviews 24 here we go, I’ll be reading He Sees You When You’re Sleeping by Alta Hensley.

I like #ChristmasRomance mostly as a way of reframing this time of year. Not for me the Hallmark movie romances, I want them spicy and maybe a little dark. Say yes to found family and no to mangers.

Anyway, I’m expecting this to be a straight stalker romance but apart from the stalking I don’t know of any other common triggers.

Ready? Set? <mario voice> here we go! Also Luigi did nothing a-wrong!</voice>

🧵

Retro Review: White Knight by Kelly Meade

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Time for the Butcher & Blackbird #RomanceReviews recap.

TL;DR
To my surprise I'm going on to the next one, and I'm happy they have each other but no, they can't sit with us--*they're fucking serial killers.* lol.

The production on the audiobook was immaculate, so give the people at Blue Nose Audio, Lucy Rivers and Joe Arden their applause. Setting the bar high.

I loved that Sloane was written as dangerous but not given unaddressed superstrength or anything. She was just this anxious, thorough researcher out for blood. A+.

This variation of he-falls-first was super sweet, and Rowan was a murdery cinnamon roll of a man. An obsessive, stabby golden retriever with dominant tendencies. 😂 Also he's a chef. Brynne Weaver, u panderer.

Anyway. Reviewers were right that this threatened more spice than it gave, but honestly, that was fine. There was enough gore happening that more spice would have taken it beyond my ability to suspend disbelief.

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Time for #RomanceReviews 23, which the library gods have decreed will be Butcher & Blackbird by Brynn Weaver.

TBH I was reluctant to review this:

Firstly, because I'm not super comfortable with the general trend of serial killer romance novels and manga. Fiction has a chicken and egg connection with culture, and glorifying sociopathic behavior is not a great look. On the other hand, we are living in a time of late stage capitalism/genocide/mass disabling disease *and our so-called leadership's involvement in all of these* so of course people want to process dehumanizing violence in a safe setting. I take comfort in the knowledge that the approximately two people who read my posts can be Marked Safe From Stabbing Strangers. 😊
1b) it reminds me of the first time I went to review a book of this general flavor and discovered the author (Kristy Cunning, aka CM Owen aka S.T. Abby) had been murdered by her husband. https://kinky.business/@RomanceReviews/111642797229785305

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RomanceReviews (@[email protected])

Content warning: lethal domestic violence and public figures

Kinky Business

Here's the #RomanceReviews recap for Caged Wolf.

TL;DR
I am *invested,* they can't sit with us but the author can!

OK, so usually these dark romantasy series where you're meant to get hooked and read the entire series piss me off (because they aren't fulfilling enough on their own: it just feels like a tease). However, I *hate* two of our male leads and I still want to know what happens next. 😂

This turned out to be a mildly dark reverse harem romance with lots of heist-type action in a prison setting.

I loved:
- here we have a female character who is a badass, has sex with men, *and remains a badass.* Suzanne Wright, take note.
- the male love interests are distinct characters and their relationships with Rosalie are also distinct, which takes some chops in a RH romance.
- Rosalie arrives at tortured but not defeated, which again is a fine line to walk.
- Wolf pack affection and not just status fights.
- the pudding cups. 5 stars.

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@romancelandia

Here's the #RomanceReviews recap for Not So Kind Regards.

TL;DR
It was ok, they can sit with us but maybe not every day.

Not a whole lot of relationship or character development, this story takes place over the course of a week. 🤣

This turned out to be bisexual office monster polycule smut set in the omegaverse. The relationship was based on femdom and menages, there really wasn't a lot more there.

I was surprised by how much the office politics stressed me out. It's not my office! What do these monsters even do all day?

As predicted, the two-narrator thing was a hoot as both of the voice actors went Very Dramatic with their interps.

The girl boss/succubus domme was sketchy, she threatened to fuck a coworker with her tail in a dispute over a coffee maker.

Otherwise, expect praise, breeding, some light degradation kink, and a CW for a character being kidnapped with implied threat of forced pregnancy.