thegreatmanda's reviews
441 reviews

Blood Orange by Yaffa As

challenging emotional hopeful reflective sad

5.0

our people 
rise like wisps
of rose water

No words. 💔🍉

Bright Spring by Emmaline Strange

emotional lighthearted mysterious slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This is a very sweet love affair with some intriguing subplots, and I’m interested to see how all of those progress with the rest of the planned series.

The one thing that kept this from being a five-star read for me was that it lacked character development apart from Alexios and Auro. It could have been interesting to see more of a friendship between Alexios and Gaius Ursus, and how their geographical separation contributed to Alexios’s isolation, especially when Gaius writes back about the roads project. Dafina didn’t get much of a personality until near the end, Leofric got about half of one (presumably to be filled out in the next book), and Alexios’s parents were also rather flat.

I did enjoy the two main characters, as well as the descriptions of Auro’s magic and relationships with the living things of spring. 

Favorite Quotes:

How could he let his fear spoil the only thing he’d allowed himself to want in four hundred years? Perhaps Auro could never truly have Alexios, but he would be damned if he wasted any more precious time.

This was where Alexios was meant to be, thought Auro. Here, naked in the grass with the moonlight glowing off his skin.

“You make me forget myself,” said Auro. This was a lie, though. Alexios, in truth, made Auro remember.

“Auro,” Alexios said, and his voice rumbled low in his throat, low enough that Auro felt it in the bones of his own skeleton. “I have never wanted anything as badly as I want you.”
“Take me, then,” said Auro, breathless.

“You are mad,” she said, something akin to awe in her voice. “This has never been done before.”
Alexios looked her in the eye. “So what?”

I want the statue of you to recall the feel of me, so you wake up next spring and need me once more to feel whole.

Sir by N.R. Walker

challenging emotional mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

What….  what did I just read. Wow. Wow wow wow.

Dom/sub/sub porn-with-plot featuring a gentle Dom, a loving brat, a shy sub With Tragic Past, and a surprising amount of squishy cuddles and fluff.

Blurbs state this is “BDSM-lite” which… it really is not. It’s light on S&M but there is some bondage and 24/7 Dom/sub is the whole premise. It is a D/s lifestyle alternate universe.

The prologue with the religious origins of this D/s secret society was outright icky and exploitative, and I could have done without it, or least without the original adult subs of the society first studying for priesthood under the original Dom as children. Just. Ick.

The characters were also a little too perfect and good at everything, and annoyingly hard on themselves when rare mistakes were made. There comes a point of emotional self-flagellation where you start getting in the way of your own learning from the mistakes.

Two Rogues Make a Right by Cat Sebastian

emotional hopeful reflective relaxing sad 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

5.0

I love that Will and Martin already know each other really well at the beginning of this book; the pining is already in progress, and it’s delicious. This story feels lighter on plot than the others in this series, leaving ample room for this lovely sickness/comfort, only-one-bed yearn-fest that manages to be equal parts angsty and cozy.

Also, love the demisexual rep — I’m right there with you, Martin, you’re not broken.

There is some conflict as Will and Martin learn to navigate a life together, but it’s short-lived and gentle enough that it doesn’t ruin the cozy vibes. These two are clearly disasters apart and lovely together, and as they finally figure out how to make it work, there are some moments of incandescent joy.

I am going to miss spending time with the Sedgwicks.

Favorite Quotes:

“You’re a terrible liar, Will, so don’t even try. I remember you calling me sweetheart, and love, and all manner of soft things.”

He let out a sigh, something between relief and anticipation, because he had wanted this for so long, just a sign that he wasn’t the only one who wanted.

Martin had set their little table with the plain earthenware dishes and tin spoons Will had unearthed in the loft, and when Will walked in he was fidgeting with one of the plates, turning it around so a chip wouldn’t be visible from Will’s seat. It was such a small and homely gesture, so totally pointless—Will didn’t care about chipped crockery, but obviously Martin did, which was what made it sweet. And it was even sweeter because this was one of the days Mrs. Tanner didn’t make their supper: all this effort was for bread and cheese.

He had always thought that doing the right thing would offer some sort of moral reward but it turned out it felt like complete shit. No wonder people resorted to villainy.

“Oh, thank God.” Martin felt wildly grateful. “Obviously, if he wanted to just put his heart out there for all the world to see, that would be his choice. And I suppose it’s worth something that even after everything, his heart is so—“ He swallowed. “There’s no ugliness in there.”

“You’re allowed to be greedy and grasping. You’re allowed to be cross with him. That’s sometimes what love is. It’s not all sweetness and light.”

 

A Gentleman Never Keeps Score by Cat Sebastian

dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Oh, Hartley. The way this poor kid spent the end of It Takes Two to Tumble trying to convince Ben he’s all right with the past, he almost had me convinced.

I don't particularly believe in hell, but I have to believe there's a reckoning of some kind for grown adults who use and abuse kids they should be protecting and watching over. 

Samuel Fox is a lovely man and exactly who Hartley needs, with his general sense for community caretaking and watching over people. I’m a sucker for a character who really sees people and perceives what they aren’t saying aloud, such as when Sam picks up on Hartley’s fear of physical touch during their first meeting, and understands it for what it is. Kate, Sadie, and Alf round out the cast of characters nicely, and of course we get a solid setup for the third Sedgwick novel as well.

I appreciate the way Hartley was set up to be a little bit of an unreliable narrator when it comes to his own isolation,

as we eventually find out that he has a pile of unread letters, and is imposing at least some of that isolation on himself

. It provides a window into his damaged self-worth and how strongly he believes he doesn't deserve anything or anyone good in his life.

I've also seen a couple of reviews that lamented the eventual PIA sex that Sam and Hartley work up to having, and I agree that other types of sex are just as valid and real. However, in this case, Hartley spends time wishing that he could have that with Sam, and thinking about how much he enjoyed the physical act itself, so I found it gratifying that he was able to get there. It was also just as big a deal to me that Hartley went into that experience genuinely believing that he'd come out OK on the other side of it, even if he had to stop or something went wrong. The fear of becoming afraid, and of spiraling in front of someone important to you, is often enough to make it happen, and it was very sweet to see just how much Hartley trusts Sam, in the end, with his heart and mind as well as his body.

Favorite Quotes:

Sam wasn't in the habit of turning away people who needed warmth and rest, certainly not people he was growing rather troublingly fond of. But Hartley seemed to accept as his due that he would be cast out, alone, into the cold.

Sam had never been with anyone with this amount of haggling beforehand, but it turned out he liked it. He liked knowing that they were both doing what pleased the other. He also liked knowing that he was keeping Hartley safe, and that Hartley trusted him with his safety.

"Can you trust me to keep loving you? No matter what?"

You Should Be So Lucky by Cat Sebastian

emotional funny hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

“Love is love” has become such an overused phrase that it’s lost some of its meaning, but this is what it is to be falling in love: feeling so glad to see another person that it feels like relief; wanting to read something they’ve read or written and understand their thoughts about it; wanting to be the person they call at all hours just to hear each other talk.

The way Eddie and Mark get to know one another, figuring out the unspoken things about each other, is painfully sweet. Few things make me cry like a man grieving his male partner, who also had to be a secret throughout their relationship, and Mark's story was no exception. The way Eddie wanted to know about William and their life together, and to understand Mark's feelings through those experiences, touched me deeply. It felt like every few pages, there was another moment that broke my heart and then fit it back together again.

Favorite Quotes:

He holds the book carefully, because it's something special, and it doesn't belong to him.

He probably ought to be more shocked by this than he actually is. But when he looks at Mark, he just thinks: Of course I'd take that risk.

"I thought you were beautiful! I couldn't believe how beautiful you were." Beautiful and smart and a little mean, like he was made in a lab to lure Eddie to his doom. But instead of doom, it's this: coffee and breakfast, a dog snoring on the carpet, the near certainty they'll do this again.

He feels like every part of him is wrapped around Eddie, like they're tangled up in something dangerous and lovely and terribly, terribly precious.

He thinks of Mark having to keep his own private life a secret for years. It's the kind of secret that seals a person off from everyone around them. Eddie's heart breaks a little for him.

"You can cook." Eddie feels like he's uncovered a deep, dark secret.
"I can't be bothered to cook for one."
With that one sentence, Eddie can see years of dinners cooked and shared, and then all of it taken away. He already knows that Mark must have grieved—must have been grieving, the whole time they've known each other—but this might be the first time Mark's let him know it. He's pretty sure Mark will crumble into dust if Eddie tries to say something kind, so Eddie just brushes Mark's shoulder with his own. "Do you have an apron?" he asks.

"You missed me," Eddie says, because it's not like he was going to be able to hold that back for more than two seconds anyway.
Mark glares at him.
"I missed you, too," Eddie says.
Mark glares harder, but is distracted long enough for Eddie to get rid of both their shirts.

"I love you." He kisses Eddie then, because otherwise that phrase is going to linger in the air, true but somehow inadequate. He has a professional aversion to phrases that refuse to get the job done. "I'm going to keep loving you," Mark says, and that's much better.

 

It Takes Two to Tumble by Cat Sebastian

emotional hopeful lighthearted reflective 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

If I can reasonably draw this conclusion after reading only two of her books, Cat Sebastian has a particular talent for creating couples with palpable magnetism, who have so many reasons not to fall in love but can't stop themselves anyway.

Sometimes I get frustrated watching two characters agonize over the life they want together but have convinced themselves isn’t possible, and I felt a little of that while reading this book. The thing is, though, when everything that feels true and right to two people has no name or place in their larger society, they have to fight for one another’s trust and safety and to carve out space for a life together. For Ben and Phillip, it’s a fight against everything they ever believed they wanted, and against the clearly marked, safe paths their lives were taking before they got to know each other. Every small victory along that path is thrilling and rewarding to witness.

Favorite Quotes:

If there was a way to resist this man, he hadn’t found it.

He hadn't meant to admit that, but this was Sedgwick, this was Benedict, this was a man who played with ducklings and sang lewd songs to the elderly, and Phillip didn't need to worry about dignity, or whatever it was that usually hampered his desire. He knew in his heart he could tell him everything, anything, and it would be fine. He was safe. His heart was safe, or as safe as it ever would be.

It felt somehow easier to touch and hold Ben than it was not to touch him, which made no sense, because Phillip had never in his life touched anyone like this. He had never run his hands soothingly down anyone's back; he had never kissed anyone's temple; he had never whispered nonsense into anyone's ear as he was doing now. But it all felt right, like he was finally in his native habitat.

Their shoulders touched, and the familiarity of the contact warmed Phillip in a way he hadn't thought possible. Touching Ben, even being near him, felt like being joined with a half he hadn't known was missing.

"If we can all quietly agree that eating pork and shaving aren’t sinful, I don’t see why we can’t extend that same grace to men like us."

"This is all new to me. I’m in a new world without a map or a chart, but you’re my compass, Ben, and I know we’ll find a way."

Napkins and Other Distractions by M.A. Wardell

emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is absolutely the horniest thing I’ve ever read, but also super sweet, which is MA Wardell’s trademark style. I love how many different characteristics are represented in the main couple that you rarely see in romance novels: side rep (iykyk); partners in their 40s and 50s with bodies that don’t fit the conventionally attractive mold; a bi character who’s always known he’s bi, no sudden awakening or conflicted feelings over it; life-altering OCD that isn’t the only character-defining trait.

Vincent’s OCD isn’t magically fixed by Kent, but I do love that Vincent realizes some of his anxiety and tension triggers improve because he knows he has Kent on his side—because Kent doesn’t try or want to fix him. 

Favorite Quotes:

Something about Vincent Manda makes me want to tuck him into my pocket and  care for him like a treasure.

They say money can’t buy happiness, but it can buy LEGO, and that’s kind of the same thing.

There’s a closeness—a sweetness. More than simply physical, somehow, we’re becoming an us.

We Could Be So Good by Cat Sebastian

emotional funny hopeful reflective 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

5.0

I loved this so much that I don't know how to talk about it. I never thought I'd read a book about two men falling in love in the 1950s that has a happy ending.

Favorite Quotes:

Andy flashes Nick a smile, a thousand watts of professionally straightened teeth, and it's like a two-by-four to the head. It takes Nick a minute to arrange his face.

He braces his hands on the edges of the sink and looks at his reflection, surprised to see that he looks normal, almost calm. He feels as if he's been turned inside out, as if he just learned that a part of his heart is on the outside of his body, in the possession of somebody else entirely.

Being a part of that large, loud, fractious Russo family is as much a part of his identity as being a reporter or a baseball fan—or queer. But the knowledge that his belonging to that family is contingent on keeping a secret—on implicitly agreeing that a part of him needs to be hidden away—makes him feel fragile in a way he hates, and so he keeps his distance.

He thinks of Sunday lunches at his brother's house, of weddings and Christmases where he holds himself carefully aside, not even thinking about the truth.

And if Andy hadn't already known he loves Nick—if Andy had managed to tuck that truth away where he keeps everything else he doesn't want to deal with—he would have known it then, watching Nick laugh with the butcher on a sunny May morning.

"I got these for you." Andy makes himself tag on those last two words so Nick will know this wasn't an errand; it's a gesture. It's someone bringing flowers to the person he loves. Simple as that.

Sticking out from between the couch cushions, he sees a corner of white linen. It's one of Andy's handkerchiefs. He wonders how many others are in there. Is that where they all go? If Nick took the cushions off, would he find two hundred linen handkerchiefs? Suddenly, he knows exactly what he'd tell his fourteen-year-old self:  You'll be loved by the best person you know. And that's—Christ, it's not enough, but it's enough to start with.

Breeze Spells and Bridegrooms by S.O. Callahan, Sarah Wallace

adventurous emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is Bridgerton, if the enemies-to-lovers begin their story writing barely-anonymous letters complaining about each other to Lady Whistledown.

It was tough to picture this pair coming to appreciate each other until they started working together in earnest. It was gratifying to see them each start to understand the way the other man thinks, having spent their young lives looking askance at and avoiding one another. Wyn, especially, starts out with an awful attitude that turns out to be a cover for his bone-deep sense of inadequacy. His gradual realization that it’s safe to be fully himself (maybe for the first time in his life) with Roger felt like getting a long hug from a friend. 

I was so invested in their delicate, burgeoning friendship that

I felt like crying over both of their hurts when Sage Ravenwing stuck his nose in and threw his emotional punches, and then I felt like crying from relief as Wyn and Roger got through it and moved on

. In general, I like my romance with more/earlier “spice” than this, but the two of them are so sweet and charming as they get to know each other and fall in love that I didn’t feel like anything was missing. The way they come to rely on and care for one another is such an appropriate, organic response to the events of their lives, and it was joyfully rewarding to read.

Favorite Quotes:

“Roger,” Wyn said.
“Hm?” Roger asked.
Wyn felt his honest words come out faster than he could stop them.
“I’m glad it’s you.”