The Everlasting (2025) is Alix E. Harrow’s fourth novel, after The Ten Thousand Doors of January, The Once and Future Witches, and Starling House, all of which I’ve absolutely loved. She is one of the authors that helped me discover that historical fantasy is my jam. I was fortunate that she did an event withinContinue reading “The Everlasting”
Tag Archives: romance subplot
The Shadows Tomorrow
The Shadows Tomorrow, by Noëlle Michel, translated by Frank Wynne (English translation publication day August 4, 2026, originally published in French in 2023) will bring forth concurrent emotions of both despair for humanity and relief that there are some people who still embody goodness. Set in the near future, anthropologist Eva, with a specialty inContinue reading “The Shadows Tomorrow”
The Disaster Gay Detective Agency
The Disaster Gay Detective Agency (publication day June 2, 2026) by Lev AC Rosen is a funny mystery/ thriller featuring four friends in New York City who get involved over their heads in a situation and have to pull together to get out alive. This is my first Rosen book, and I will probably tryContinue reading “The Disaster Gay Detective Agency”
The Library of Flowers
The Library of Flowers (publication day May 3, 2026) by L.C. Chu (aka Lily Chu) has a little bit of everything. This hard-to-categorize, enjoyable fantasy/historical/ romance/family drama/coming of age features Lucy Hua, the latest in a long line of Hua women perfumers who can create perfumes that can affect emotion or even summon true love–calledContinue reading “The Library of Flowers”
Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers and Guide to Snooping (On a Dead Man)
Jesse Q. Sutanto has created an unforgettable (if sometimes annoying) character in Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers (2023) and Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping (On a Dead Man) (2025)! I so enjoyed the audiobooks, each narrated by Eunice Wong. Set in San Francisco’s Chinatown, Vera Wong is a widow, set in her ways ofContinue reading “Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers and Guide to Snooping (On a Dead Man)”
The Garden of Small Beginnings
The Garden of Small Beginnings (2017) is Abbi Waxman’s first novel, full of her trademark humor and heart. I’ve read her The Bookish Life of Nina Hill (2019) and I Was Told It Would Get Easier (2020) before I started reviewing books here, and Nina Hill is the source of one of my favorite descriptions–“sheContinue reading “The Garden of Small Beginnings”
The Happiness Collector
The Happiness Collector (publication day December 2, 2025) by Crystal King has an interesting premise–combining modern fantasy with Greek mythology. It was completely weight-neutral as well! As the book opens, Aida, a historian, finds out that the company who was to publish the book that was a necessary part of her graduate work was folding,Continue reading “The Happiness Collector”
The Librarians
The Librarians (publication day September 30, 2025) by Sherry Thomas was a wild ride that I enjoyed every moment of! And I was floored to learn Thomas has an impressive backlist of romance, fantasy, and mystery–both adult and YA–and that English is her second language! Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the e-ARC.Continue reading “The Librarians”
If Looks Could Kill
It took a little while for me to get into If Looks Could Kill (publication day September 16, 2025) by Julie Berry, but once I did, I was hooked! I had a hard time figuring out how the storylines could come together, but they did, in spectacular fashion! Fiction about true crime/ historical events mixedContinue reading “If Looks Could Kill”
The Many Mothers of Dolores Moore
I really loved The Many Mothers of Dolores Moore (publication day September 16, 2025), Anika Fajardo’s debut novel! Though the theme of grief after losing one’s last living parent was difficult, I loved how Fajardo used magical realism with Dorrie’s ancestors a constant chorus in her head, the interludes about mapmaking, and chapters from theContinue reading “The Many Mothers of Dolores Moore”
Reading While Fat 