theoddduckling's reviews
57 reviews

emotional funny hopeful 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? No

5.0

Being queer in the 1950s isn't easy. Hard-bitten, ink-stained reporter Nick knows this better than most. But when he meets scatterbrained, haphazard, endearingly optimistic Andy, all the walls he's built to keep himself safe start to come down. The problem is, Andy is engaged to a woman, sparkling, sharp-witted Emily.

When Andy's engagement to Emily falls apart, Andy slowly begins wrestle with something he had refused to think about for most of his life: he's attracted to men. And he's attracted to Nick in particular.

As Nick and Andy's relationship evolves, they both must reckon with their pasts and learn to trust each other. Along the way, they discover that family isn't just blood, and that hiding as part of a community is always better than hiding alone.

Cat Sebastian's slice-of-life romance is lighthearted without being flippant of the very real dangers of being queer in the 1950s. Nick and Andy, and all the rest of the characters, are lovable, well-rounded and fit in with the real-life events depicted in the book. We Could Be So Good is a lovely read with plenty of opportunities for a happy cry.

Content Warnings

This Gilded Abyss by Rebecca Thorne

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adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.5

As the first installment of a sprawling horror thriller series, This Gilded Abyss is a twisty, nonstop exploration of the deepest, darkest parts of love, duty and loyalty.

When Sergent Nix Marr is requested for special assignment to Kessandra Marie Vendermere Biltean III, princess, political provocateur and soldier extraordinaire, Nix is forced to face both her darkest fear and her stormy history with the other woman.

But this special assignment is more than Nix bargained for. Trapped with Kessandra on a three day voyage, Nix learns that politics can be just as dangerous as a battlefield and that there are some threats that even she cannot overcome by force.

When passengers start turning up dead with gruesome injuries, Nix must decide where her loyalties lie, an increasingly difficult task, as she begins to question whether she trust her reality.

A definite departure from her two cozy fantasy novels, Rebecca Thorne creates a creeping sense of dread and claustrophobia in a BioShock-meets-The-Night-Agent world of glittering decadence and crushing secrets. This Gilded Abyss is a fun read that kept me up late into the night. I can't wait to read the next chapter of this story.

Content Warnings