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sarahesterman's reviews
72 reviews
After the Shut Up Ring by Cate C. Wells
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Have you ever seen one of those viral TikToks of asshole men being completely disrespectful to their soon-to-be wives at their weddings and wondered what happens next? After the Shut Up Ring provides an answer.
And it’s a pretty realistic answer. So if you want some fantasy or escape from reality in your romance, I’ll be honest: this book isn’t it. Like many of Cate C. Wells’ other characters, Angie and Brandon are real, messy, nuanced people. Angie especially. She’s a former teen mom who had a really shit childhood and, as an adult, held onto the semblance of a family as tightly as she could—to her detriment. One consequence of her choice is that she has HSV-2. And—because I like reality in my romance as much as I like fantasy—it was refreshing to see a main character dealing with that responsibly when it comes to future sexual relationships.
I will also say that not a whole lot actually happens in this book. This is a very character-driven book, where most of what’s happening is internal. That worked for me for the mood I was in when reading it (angsty as hell), but I could also see that not working for every reader. I would’ve liked to see more of a robust ending to the book, but otherwise: After the Shut Up Ring was a good fit for the mood I had when reading it, was super sweet despite how it begins, and I’d definitely recommend it.
And it’s a pretty realistic answer. So if you want some fantasy or escape from reality in your romance, I’ll be honest: this book isn’t it. Like many of Cate C. Wells’ other characters, Angie and Brandon are real, messy, nuanced people. Angie especially. She’s a former teen mom who had a really shit childhood and, as an adult, held onto the semblance of a family as tightly as she could—to her detriment. One consequence of her choice is that she has HSV-2. And—because I like reality in my romance as much as I like fantasy—it was refreshing to see a main character dealing with that responsibly when it comes to future sexual relationships.
I will also say that not a whole lot actually happens in this book. This is a very character-driven book, where most of what’s happening is internal. That worked for me for the mood I was in when reading it (angsty as hell), but I could also see that not working for every reader. I would’ve liked to see more of a robust ending to the book, but otherwise: After the Shut Up Ring was a good fit for the mood I had when reading it, was super sweet despite how it begins, and I’d definitely recommend it.
Lust for Tomorrow by Dana Sweeney
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Normally, I wouldn’t go for a post-apocalyptic sci-fi romance. But if I’d let that stop me from picking up Lust for Tomorrow by Dana Sweeney, I would still be living in a world where I hadn’t read it yet, and that would be a travesty.
I don’t even know where to start. This book was hot as hell, yes, but it was also a vulnerable romance alongside a social commentary of the world Sweeney created. Nina’s reluctance to allow herself to fall in love given what that means in The Stronghold makes all of the sense in the world. It’s truly complex and not an easy decision to make. I look forward to seeing how things in The Stronghold change in future books in the series.
And also the spice was top tier, imho. The Dom/sub relationship between Tom/Alpha and Nina was believable. And Tom’s care and attention to Nina made him one of my favorite MMCs from the books I’ve read recently.
Second Duke's the Charm by Kate Bateman
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It’s almost funny to me that if you’d asked me a month ago if I liked regency romance, I would’ve said, “Not really,” but with a few exceptions. Because if you asked me the same question today? It’d be the exact opposite. There’s just something about stories where women find their power and agency in systems that make them powerless; I cannot get enough.
Second Duke’s the Charm by Kate Bateman was a delight. Three young women running a detective agency? Sign me up. A marriage of convenience with a rakish self-made man who doesn’t believe he can fall in love? Yes please. A misunderstanding that actually makes a ton of sense because both characters have good reason to keep information from each other? Give. Me. More.
The only thing that didn’t work for me was the third-act conflict. The misunderstanding I understood, but her ending the agreement didn’t make sense to me. It felt like an easy way to wedge them apart so that he could have a big grand gesture for a dramatic happy ending… but the grand gesture also didn’t add up for me.
But overall: adorable. Would definitely recommend, and I will be reading the rest in the series when they come out.
Love & Other Disasters by Anita Kelly
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
“Hey, London?”
They unclicked their seat belt and met her gaze, raising an eyebrow.
“Fuck anyone who doesn’t see you.”
I have started, deleted, and retyped this review so many times now I just have to get it out. I loved this book. Love & Other Disasters’ character’s lives were a little bit messy and honestly the way I loved this book was a little bit messy as well. And thus my review is also kind of messy.
Here are some things I loved about the book:
I loved how real Dahlia and London felt. I loved that Dahlia’s ex-husband wasn’t painted as a bad guy but rather that they grew apart and ended up wanting different things. I loved that there was some angst with both of their families, what with Dahlia ending her marriage and London coming out first to their family as pan and then later as nonbinary when they realized there was a word to describe how they felt in their body. I loved that Anita Kelly chose not to disclose what sex London was assigned at birth until pretty far into the book. I loved that the book was written in third person so we could feel the impact of London’s they/them pronouns (and how easy it is to use them when referring to a singular person). I loved the background of a cooking competition, and the important of London matter-of-factly using their pronouns on national television. I loved the sex-positive nature of the book and that we got queer sex scenes instead of fade to black. I loved that it was cute and sweet and funny and emotional and real.
And even though I had a few nits while I was reading, they weren’t big enough for me to change how I felt about the book because I loved it so goddamn much.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia
Sweet Summer Serpentine by Rose Santoriello
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
“Am I something to you?” I ask, unsure of if I want an answer.
“What do you mean?”
I sigh. “Am I … a girlfriend, a friend? What am I to you?”
“You are whatever you want to be, farfora.”
🥹🥹🥹
A sample of thoughts that went through my mind as I was reading Sweet Summer Serpentine over the last few days: “Omg cute!” “Ugh so sweet” “Awwww” “Hot” “Perfect summer read” “Again, hot”
Which is to say, Rose Santoriello’s latest is both very aptly named and also a great time. IRL, I’m definitely afraid of snakes, but apparently that doesn’t apply to Serpentines, it turns out.
What to expect:
- Multiple appendage MMC
- Plant daddy dom vibes
- Giant age gap
- ADHD rep
- Bisexual main characters!
- Workplace romance
- Low angst
What I liked:
- I don’t know that I’ve read many—if any—other books with a pronunciation guide at the beginning. But I really appreciated it. Especially when you have characters with different cultural backgrounds, it’s so nice to know how to say everyone’s names correctly.
- I loved Iris. I loved that we got to have such a complicated main character.
At first, I expected Iris’ issue to be imposter syndrome to the max. It was such a breath of fresh air to discover that she was actually lying! We so rarely get main characters that have truly done something wrong. - What a fun world Santoriello has built! I love the mix of magic with modern technology. It’s my favorite sort of fantasy world.
- Adeib had plant daddy dom vibes and I was into it.
- The familiars are so cute omg I want one!
What didn’t work as well for me:
- I feel like we got too much before the book began. The pronunciation guide and content warnings were thoughtful and inclusive. The glossary was… a lot. Maybe it’s because the ebook starts you before all of that, so it felt like a lot to page through. Maybe it would have been better for the glossary to be at the end of the book. But also I’m unsure we needed the glossary at all. I certainly didn’t need to read it to understand enough, because I felt like the world building is sprinkled into the prose well.
- There were a lot of different plot lines that I didn’t feel fully got their justice. This is bound to happen in a novella. But I feel like some things—
Adeib losing his magic, some details about Iris’ new friend group, and then Iris getting lost in the tunnels of the city —could have either been expanded on or cut altogether. On that note, Iris falling into the tunnel in Naiad City felt out of left field, unnecessary, and like a way to force Ingrid into forgiving her sister.
Overall, this was such a cute, fun monster romance read perfect for the (northern hemisphere) season ahead. We got good ADHD rep, and I’ll be happy to read more in this series in the future!
Thank you to Rose Santoriello for the eARC. It was a pleasure to read!!
How to Age Disgracefully by Clare Pooley
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
“What’s the fun in ageing gracefully?” said Daphne. “Personally, I intend to age as disgracefully as possible.”
What. A. Romp. This is my first book by Clare Pooley, but it certainly won’t be my last.
And what a cast of characters! From Lydia, the 50-something Senior Citizen’s Social Club “leader” figuring out who she is and learning to love herself, to Art, the failed actor turned kleptomaniac, to Ziggy, the teenaged single dad trying to make a better life for his daughter, to Daphne, the… well, let’s not give away all her secrets—HOW TO AGE DISGRACEFULLY features one of my favorite tropes: unlikely friendships and found family.
Though the blurb might lead one to believe this book is about Lydia or the group as a whole—and it is, kind of—Daphne steals the show. She pulls everyone and everything together. And despite her not being the kindest or most trusting when we met her, I loved her from the start. I want to be Daphne at her age. Hell, I want to be Daphne at my age.
Even so, Pooley had me invested in all of her characters’ lives and stories. I empathized with their sadness (and there was some of that), and I laughed along at their humorous exploits to save the community centre. HOW TO AGE DISGRACEFULLY is definitely one of my top 10 books of the year so far.
Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. It was such a pleasure to read!!
Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manansala
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
So I was initially supposed to read Arsenic and Adobo over a year ago with my book club, but I am a mood(y) reader, and the mood wasn’t right then. But it was right this month—and I definitely felt I’d missed out. Because wow. What a cozy, fun, mystery!
There is, however, some joy in showing up late to the party on a series. And that is that there are plenty of sequels for me to catch up on in my own time. Which is good, because I’m a big fan of Shady Palms (and I definitely wish I could visit their food scene).
That said, I did have one issue, which is: There were so many food descriptions oh my god. I get that food is a big part of Lila’s life. I get it. Also, we don’t need to wax poetic about the kind of milk to put in coffee for so long.
Otherwise, Arsenic and Adobo is a delightful cozy murder mystery, and I look forward to reading more books in the series!
Silver Foxed by Kayla Grosse
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
What a fun, short, and 🥵 read!
Silver Foxed follows Alex (30) and her father’s best friend/colleague Elijah (45), when they accidentally both end up at Alex’s family lake house for a weekend. As you’d expect in a Kayla Grosse novella, sparks fly and everything ignites in the best way.
What to expect:
- Plus-sized heroine
- Silver fox hero
- Dad’s bff/colleague forbidden perfection
- Age gap
- Summer fling
- Instalust & instalove
- Breeding kink