effy's reviews
1396 reviews

Lightfall by Ed Crocker

5.0

 

Crocker weaves together a fantastic story with this book as we are following three supernatural races - sorcerers, werewolves, vampires - fight against an unknown enemy who are seemingly an unbeatable force and may just be mythical humans. But that’s more of the overarching and somewhat set dressing of the story, the main driver of the plot in this book revolves around the murder of the First Lord’s youngest son and uncovering all of the secrets that it brings to the fore. I was completely hooked from start to finish with this book as the world-building is incredibly intricate and it is clear that a lot of thought has been given to the mechanics of this world as well as the society within it. As a massive fan of vampires, and thus somewhat biased, I really enjoyed that vampires take centre stage in this story but I also fell in love with the werewolves and sorcerers that we meet. The multiple POVs worked really well to keep things feeling propulsive as well as ensuring that the reader has exactly the right amount of information at any given point.

Beyond being an excellently crafted book, I really enjoyed how beautiful and thoughtful it was with many incredible quotes as well there being a really dry sense of humour that emerges sneakily throughout the narrative. By the end of this book, a great number of secrets have been revealed with interesting ramifications for the story in the following books. I am definitely excited to continue to read the series and see what happens next as well as get answers to the few still-unanswered questions. This book was a real treat to read.

Finally, I really liked the subversion of the bury your gays trope.

 

Sleighed by Penelope Ward, Vi Keeland

4.25

 

Sleighed is a collection of three heartwarming and delightful short stories that all take place around Christmas.

Having read from this writing duo before, I was pretty confident that this collection of stories was going to be a success for me and I was correct in my predictions. Each of the stories has an HFN with a sense that it could be an HEA.

Overall these stories were fast-paced but still allowed organic character and relationship development. I thought the pairings worked well and there was a good variety across the three stories. The middle story did make me raise a wee eyebrow as the language around a disabled boy felt as little condescending as he was very much “an inspiration” however it was a little more complex than that due to the fact that he had died undergoing a surgery. Beyond that issue. I had an overall fun time with these stories and really enjoyed how much the third and final story made me cry.

I hadn’t intended to finish this collection, however they were a compulsive read and once I picked it up, I couldn’t seem to stop.

 

Set the Record Straight by Hannah Bonam-Young

5.0

 

Evan and Clara have been friends since they were kids so when Clara’s new boss mistakes her for being a part of the queer community, they agree to fake date. This works to Evan’s advantage too as she has her work’s holiday party is being held at the home of her ex-fiancee who is now seemingly happy with the woman she cheated on Evan with and Evan really wants to show that she has moved on too.

Do you the miscommunication trope, especially when the characters could resolve things in literally a single conversation? Yeah, me too! Well, do I have fantastic news for you! The characters in Set the Record Straight have incredible communication skills and are always ready to convey to one another their wants and needs.

I loved the way that Clara started exploring her sexuality before Evan and her had even truly begun to fake date and then there wasn’t ever really a sense that these characters were on a different page from one another. Clara realised that her feelings for Evan might just be more than friends and she immediately expressed that.

This is a book where people with learning disabilities or a form of neurodivergence are never seen as less than and they also aren’t being used as some kind of token, wheeled-out as a success or pity story. This is a book where no character is denied their innate humanity and accommodations are made without blinking an eye. It gave me all the happy tears to see this couple immediately accept and respond to one another’s needs.

I just loved this book so much and am excited to read more from the author in the future.

 

Hook-up to Holidate by Rose Santoriello

4.75

 

After Indie and Vega meet at a bar and have an amazing time together, they soon discover that Vega is Indie’s new boss and the university has a strict non-fraternisation policy. Both fighting an undeniable attraction, they agree to “holidate” to get it out of their systems before returning to being friends.

The chemistry between Indie and Vega was undeniable for page one of the book making it very believable as they went through the story that they would be willing to give up things that were important to them for the sake of being together. Despite both characters individually considering quitting their jobs so that they could be a couple, the actual resolution was somewhat different and an absolute delight; one of the most frustrating things in a romance is where in order to be together, one of the characters needs to lose something important to them so this shaking-up of the formula where the character needs to actually realise their dream in order for them to be a couple was so incredibly satisfying.

 

One More Gift by Holly June Smith

4.75

 

Saskia is about to complete the amicable divorce between her and Casper and is ready to spend Christmas reconnecting in her countryside cottage with her longtime friend, Henry. Their plans are disrupted when Casper arrives at the cottage looking to give Saskia one last gift and they are all snowed-in.

I was initially hesitant about how much I was going to enjoy this story as the point of it mostly seemed to be for all of the characters to get together and have a threesome with no greater plot than that. A sexy book is all well and good but sometimes you are looking for a bit more. There is also something a little bit unsatisfactory about there not being a clear what happens next.

I am glad to say that my initial misgivings were wrong as I ended-up having an enjoyable time with this story and had fun with the scenarios that the characters explored together. Beyond just being a good dose of fun, the slow exploration of Henry’s sexuality was a delight and I liked the epilogue which gave a real sense of an HEA.

 

Tis the Season for Revenge by Morgan Elizabeth

4.75

 

Abigail has spent the past 4 years changing and moulding herself into who she thought would be the perfect future wife for her lawyer boyfriend however she realises that she lost who she was along the way and that her boyfriend never truly saw her when he breaks up with her on Halloween telling her that she is “just not serious enough”. After a few too many drinks with her friends, she matches with her ex-boyfriend’s boss on a dating app and comes up with the perfect scheme: she is going to date him and secure an invite to the company Christmas party to show her ex what a mistake he made.

When I first picked up this book, I wasn’t expecting to love it anywhere near as much as I did but my mind was quickly changed when I realised that it was very loosely based on Legally Blonde and the way that Elle Woods is a bad bish without the man who never deserved her anyway.

One of the things that made this book so effective was the fact that Abigail’s plan was never to try to win back her ex; it was a slow process for her to realise all of the ways that he undermined and underestimated her but she knew very quickly that he was not someone that she wanted in her life. Knowing that Abigail feeling like she had to choose between the new man in her life versus her trash ex was not going to be a conflict of the story made for a really enjoyable journey and gives the reader full permission to get swept away in the developing love story. The other way that this book was very successful was that the affection and sense of these characters being meant to be was evident from the very first date that they went on. There was something so swoon-worthy about our MMC calling Abigail his other half after the very first time that they spent the night together; this was paired with the fact that he had had a conversation with his mother not long before basically reinforcing that he would someday find a woman who would take his breath away and casually dating would be long forgotten.

There was a real feeling of mutual respect between our two characters and I really adored the way that our MMC was the first person to tell Abigail that what she does matters and she shouldn’t change a single thing about herself. Swoon. 

My only criticism of this book was that I felt as though the balance of sex scenes was off and they felt as though they were slowing the pace of the book. I don’t think the scenes were inherently bad but I just felt as though they were slightly too frequent when I wanted to see the overall plot progressing forwards.

 

Santa is a Slut by Drea Denae

4.75

 

Noel hates the new boss at SantaScape and all of the changes that he is making however when he walks in on him having sex with two of her coworkers she realises that he is also a massive slut and she might just want to join in on the fun.

This was a fun and quick read with relatively low stakes. SantaScape is struggling financially and the characters need to work out a way to save it but the solution is something they arrive at fairly quickly and is resolved without any real struggle. It was fun to see our four characters having fun together and exploring their polyamory and the changing dynamics of the relationship. I enjoyed the reflection of all partners being equal in the relationship and there being a genuine enjoyment in seeing each and every one of them driving pleasure from the others.

 

Make the Season Bright by Ashley Herring Blake

5.0

 

5 years ago, Charlotte Donovan was about to marry her best friend and the love of her life when instead she was left at the altar with no explanation from her fiancee. Brighton Fairbrook has been living in Nashville since she left Charlotte at the altar, hoping to make her music take off but instead finding herself booted from the band that she started and serving drinks at one of Nashville’s many venues. When Charlotte’s friend discovers that she had planned to spend Christmas alone in New York, she is dragged to spend Christmas with her family; unfortunately for her, Brighton’s parents aren’t going to be home this year so her friend has also invited her to spend Christmas with her. Things are about to get really awkward.

Ashley Herring Blake has such a great way of writing books with compelling characters and complex dynamics that feel so believable. I was immediately sucked into this story and enjoyed the way that it started in media res so we got a great grasp on just who Charlotte is and how she feels as though she has a Christmas curse, partially perpetuated by Brighton leaving her at the altar five years ago. Having not read the blurb before jumping into the book, I was surprised that our second perspective was Brighton herself and wasn’t sure how I felt about her getting another chance but Blake does an incredible job of building the narrative throughout the story so readers understand that things aren’t quite as black and white as they first seem.

I really adored the fact that the resolution of the story wasn’t an abandoning of their dreams for either woman but rather a gradual understanding that they could both get what they wanted with a little bit of a new perspective. Seeing these character come to a compromise that meant they were both winning was so beautiful to see and a really satisfying ending.

 

Corporate Mandated Holiday Romance by Nellie Wilson

5.0

 

Brooklyn Peters has spent her working life in corporate marketing jobs but her real dream is to work for environmental causes so it seems like a dream come true when she lands a job with ConservTech. Brooklyn is surprised and disheartened when she starts her job to discover than the CEO is a rude, aggressive, lech and that’s not all, as she starts working on projects she notices that the company’s work doesn’t seem to match with their supposed mission. Enter Max Matuschansky, the brother of Brooklyn’s roommate’s ex-girlfriend and also a journalist. A passing comment he made alluding to the truth behind the facade at ConservTech leads Brooklyn to contact him when she first spots the irregularities. They decide to work together to discover if there is a story to break it but in order to gain more access to the company, they agree to fake date so Max can accompany Brooklyn to the many, many corporate mandated holiday events.

I picked this book up because who doesn’t want to read a Christmas / Holiday romance with eat the rich energy! This book was really excellent, no notes. Well, no notes isn’t quite accurate as there were a number of references I didn’t get but I think that might be a cultural divide as I get the impression that they are staples to American culture. Not getting these references didn’t affect my overall enjoyment of the story.

I really enjoyed the way that it was so clear that Brooklyn and Max were falling for one another but needed to set clear boundaries in their relationship. Their romance practically sizzled off the page and I think having to set boundaries and not give into their feelings made it more delicious as we got a whole heap of yearning and almost touches. Whilst it is clearly the bare minimum, I really loved the way that both characters went out of their way to educate themselves on the things that were important to the other and it really established a foundation of mutual respect that is crucial to a functional and healthy relationship. I also love that Brooklyn is not immediately perfect and makes missteps whilst approaching Max’s Judaism and it is very clear that intent doesn’t equal impact and just because she doesn’t think she means anything negative doesn’t mean that she isn’t causing harm. 

This book just filled me with so much joy and laugh out loud moments and I am so glad to have picked it up.

 

The Santa Pageant by Lillian Barry

5.0

 

Effie decided to enter her island’s annual Santa Pageant in order to prove to her niece that anybody can be Santa, including a lesbian. She is surprised to discover that one of her fellow contestants is the person that she was best friends with as kids before their relationship imploded after a kiss. Tove has recently broken-off a years-long relationship and engagement and enters the Santa Pageant in a bid to do something good and oppose the way that the opening of a new shopping centre is favouring big businesses and chains. Can they rekindle their friendship and more?

I was somewhat wary going into this book as the last time that I read a book with a character called Effie it was an absolutely miserable experience for me. I am not sure if it was simply that the audio made this a more pleasant experience for me or that the writing just hit differently; it was probably a combination of both as this book really hit the spot for me.

Barry does a fantastic job of balancing the sweet blossoming romance between Tove and Effie with some emotional weight from the trauma they are carrying as a result of their pasts. Both of the characters were actively working to improve not only themselves but the world around them and it just made them such compelling characters. I really loved Effie’s fiery spirit and strong sense of justice whilst Tove’s desire to do good with no clear path to doing so was completely adorable.

There were several moments of this story that had me tearing-up and I particularly enjoyed the discussions around gender expression and there being no wrong way to be non-binary. This is a book that got me in the feels on so many fronts and I was thoroughly on board for all of it.