Let's Talk About Love by Claire Kann

Alice is generally pretty happy. She has two best friends who are about to get married, a summer job at her local library, an undeclared college major, and a supportive if overbearing and judgmental family. But things get shaken up when she gets a new coworker, Takumi, who she is instantly attracted to. He's off-the-charts cute, smart, sweet, and funny, and he seems to like her back. There's just one problem-- Alice is asexual, and her previous attempts at relationships have all gone... badly.

Will Alice and Takumi get together? Will she stand up for herself with her family? Will she hold onto her friends as their lives all change? Read it to find out!

This is a charming book. Alice is a quirky and energetic main character who talks a mile a minute and is a joy to follow. She comes off as immature at times, and some of her references are a bit esoteric for those who aren't denizens of Tumblr, but even if those go over your head, there's a lot to like. Asexual characters are a rarity, and asexual characters with romantic arcs even more so, and non-white ones are rarest of all. This book is a gem, and if you're looking for a fresh experience and an unconventional romance, it's worth picking up.

The Snagglepuss Chronicles: Exit Stage Left by Mark Russell

Snagglepuss, a famous Broadway playwright in 1953's America, is called before the House Un-American Activities Committee for potential subversion of the government with his performances. He denies it. Behind his fantastic life, however, Snagglepuss is living a hidden life as a homosexual man, with a sham marriage to a woman who knows his secret, and a boyfriend who he meets regularly at a bar. While he tries to get his latest production off the ground, HUAC refuses to let him go and hunts for some proof of their claims, hoping to turn the playwright into an example and ruin his career.

The Snagglepuss Chronicles is bizarre in all the best ways. It takes itself very seriously, which makes the fact that it portrays Hannah-Barbara classics such as Huckleberry Hound, Quickdraw McGraw, and the eponymous Snagglepuss as closeted gay men during a very turbulent time in American history all the better. No one would expect these characters to be anything more than two-dimensional, like their original selves, but these are men with deep flaws, sincere personalities, and honest relationships... and it somehow works. It provides a wonderful look at the duplicity of people in positions of power, and how that power can corrupt and make you blind to doing what’s right. In many ways, Snagglepuss is very reminiscent of the 2015 film Trumbo, except replace Communism with homosexuality.

With its new and interesting take on some classic characters, The Snagglepuss Chronicles is delightfully strange, and strangely heartfelt.

Untamed by Glennon Doyle

Glennon Doyle, author of the New York Times bestseller Love Warrior, has written a book that is part memoir, part self-help, part uplifting feminist theory. She discusses what it means to be a girl or woman living in a cage, being taught to doubt herself and be demure and little instead of big and, as she calls it, "knowing." Basing her theories and revelations on events in her own life, as well as spirituality, Doyle brings to light the oppressing factors that women deal with in society every day.

Doyle does a fantastic job creating a narrative around social stereotypes in young girls and women, highlighting the obstacles she herself, as well as her family, have had to endure. Discussing struggles in marriage, with self-doubt, personal image, and other issues she is able to preach on the importance of "knowing:" knowing who you are, trusting your knowing, etc. She did a phenomenal job connecting social paradigms with real life and was able to write a moral boosting book. It was an enjoyable experience listening to Glennon Doyle's passion as she narrated the audio version herself. For readers who enjoy light self-help with a focus on feminism, mixed with some spirituality and personal experiences.

Her Royal Highness by Rachel Hawkins

Just when she thought things were finally moving in the relationship direction, Millie Quint finds her best friend/almost girlfriend kissing someone else. Faced with spending her senior year in a completely awkward place, Millie decides to apply to boarding school… in Scotland. Where her roommate turns out to be an actual princess.

An enemy-to-lovers, will-they-won’t-they story with the added benefits of rebel royal teenagers and beautiful Scottish scenery. Will Millie and Princess Flora find love at boarding school, or will they kill each other during a school-wide camping challenge? If you’re looking for an easy, fun read and you loved Red, White and Royal Blue, this is the book for you!

This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone

In the aftermath of a devastating battle, a cybernetic time-soldier finds a letter left by her opponent, addressing her as "Red" and signed with the moniker "Blue." It's a gloating message of victory, but one that sets off a correspondence through time and space. Red and Blue hide words for each other in bones, in seeds, in water, in trees. Chasing each other through alternate histories, they encode these messages in secret, lest their overlord commanders find out and call it treason. Although the messages start out as taunts and boasts, they soon become curious, and then friendly. The stakes rise as their feelings deepen. And over time (pun intended), friendship blossoms into love.

This is How You Lose the Time War is a short sci-fi novel (or novella), mostly consisting of letters between the nemeses and star-crossed lovers Red and Blue as they battle and trick each other through time and space. The letters are entertaining and poetic, although the plot and worldbuilding are twisty and sometimes cryptic. The audiobook is performed by two narrators who both put a lot of emotion into their delivery. It's a quick read if you are looking for a creative and highly unconventional romance.

Pumpkinheads by Rainbow Rowell

Deja and Josiah are about as different as two people can be. She's flirty and extroverted, and he's shy and hard-working. But both of them love fall, and both of them love their local pumpkin patch, and so for two months each year, they are best friends, coworkers, and succotash experts together. But this is their last year working at the pumpkin patch before they both go off to college, and there's so much left undone and unsaid. So on this, their last night working together, they go on an epic quest all across the pumpkin patch, to make the most of their last chance.

This is an incredibly charming seasonal read about friendship and young love and nostalgia. Josiah and Deja are very fun, very relatable characters, and watching them romp around the pumpkin patch makes you want to go find a caramel apple and ride on a hay wagon. If you're looking for a lighthearted book to get you in the mood for Halloween, you couldn't make a better choice.

After the Eclipse by Fran Doricott

Even though sixteen years have passed, Cassie has never gotten over the disappearance of her younger sister. Olive ran off while they were watching a solar eclipse in their grandmother's hometown and was never seen or heard from again. Now an investigative journalist, Cassie returns to the small town to care for her Alzheimer's-stricken grandmother. But another eclipse is coming up, and another girl has disappeared. Cassie knows in her heart that the two must be connected, but will anyone believe her when the evidence doesn't seem to agree? And will this finally be her chance to get answers-- and justice-- for what happened?

This is an intense mystery with a ton of emotional depth. The main character Cassie struggles with her grandmother's mental deterioration, a hiatus from her job, reminders of her sister's disappearance, and even reconnecting with her childhood crush, who happens to be a police officer in the small town. The eclipse looms over everything like a ticking clock, and the ending has lots of twists and turns that keep you on your toes. Highly recommended for fans of dark, thrilling mysteries like Tana French or Ruth Ware.

Every Day by David Levithan

A is a teenager living a most unusual life. A grows and learns and ages, but has no actual body of their own. Instead, they spend each day in a new host body. A does their best not to disturb the lives of those they “borrow” for the day, and generally A’s presence goes unnoticed, with memories of the borrowed day somewhat blurry. A always inhabits someone their own age and in the same geographical area as the day before, but otherwise circumstances vary wildly. A has been different genders, races, social classes, and states of health. Though A learns a lot about people through all these experiences, it is a very lonely life. Despite this, they are fairly happy. But then A meets Rhiannon and falls in love. Determined to continue seeing her, A starts taking risks and spilling secrets that may change everything.

This is a nice romance that explores the broader concepts of identity and the consequences of our actions in the lives of others. Wondering who A would be the next morning and how that would affect the story added an interesting twist to the reading. This is the first book in a set of three. A companion book, Another Day, examines this same story from Rhiannon’s point of view and the sequel, Someday, reveals that A is not the only body-traveler out there. The book was also adapted into a movie in 2018.

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

This ultra-charming "new adult" book is about Alex, the First Son of the United States, and HRH ("his royal highness") Prince Henry of Wales falling head over heels in love with one another. It starts with a mishap with a wedding cake, resulting in a weekend of forced friendship that ultimately turns into a clandestine kiss in a garden. A secret relationship is formed, and love happens (along with sex and a whole lot of kissing!). But then, just as the campaign for his mother’s re-election as President is heating up, a horrific sex scandal causes chaos with the untimely outing of both Alex and Prince Henry!

Is a happy ending on the horizon for this royal couple? You’ll have to read it to find out!

I absolutely loved every minute of reading this book. It was adorable, witty, funny, heartwarming, and very well written. I couldn’t put it down!

Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire

There have always been stories of children disappearing into other worlds-- fairylands, wonderlands, netherworlds, and more. But what happens when those children come back? What happens when their families no longer know what to do with them, when all they want is to jump back down those rabbit holes?

If they're lucky, they end up at Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children, where they can be among others who understand. Nancy, who visited the land of the dead and learned the ways of stillness, is one such lucky girl, but it doesn't feel so lucky when right after she arrives, other students start turning up murdered and dismembered. As the new girl, from an underworld no less, it's not the best first impression.

This is an insanely creative, surprisingly short novel (or novella, technically) with an impressively diverse cast of characters. The worldbuilding is unlike anything I've ever read before. While the "fantasy boarding school" setup might appeal to teens, the gruesome deaths of the children officially makes this an adult read. There are currently four books in the "Wayward Children" series, with more on the way, and a TV show is in the works.

We Are Okay by Nina LaCour

Marin has lost a lot in her life. She lost her dad before she was even born. She lost her mom when she was only a toddler. She lost her best friend (and sort-of-girlfriend) Mabel when she left for college a few months ago. And only days after that, she lost her grandpa, who spent her entire life raising her. That last blow (losing the last of her family) and the revelations that followed (her grandfather’s darkest secrets coming to light) nearly destroyed her. She fled across the country to her new college and stopped returning her friends’ calls and texts. She hid in self-imposed isolation, haunted by her own grief and loneliness, until just now. Now, it’s Christmas break, and Mabel, her best friend and first love, is coming for a visit. It will be the first time they’ve seen each other since before her grandpa’s death. Neither of them knows where they stand or what’s to come, but it will definitely be a weekend that changes everything.

Although marketed as an LGBT book, it’s much more a book about grief and isolation and loneliness and coping (or failing to cope). If you’ve ever experienced an existential shock in your life, you may recognize a lot from Marin’s journey. It’s a very emotionally evocative book, and you really want Marin to be okay by the end of it. I would compare it to If I Stay, as a book with a relatively simple plot over a short period of time, but full of flashbacks and emotional depth and a strong sense of the characters involved.

The Ruin of a Rake by Cat Sebastian

Lord Courtenay never expected to move back to England, but he made the sacrifice to be close to his nephew, Simon. Now Simon’s father refuses to allow him to see his uncle, owing to Courtenay’s reputation as a dissipated rake. Courtenay is desperate to change his image, even if it means spending time with Julian Medlock, a bland, uptight man but one who commands high society’s respect. Julian is resentful of his infatuation with Courtenay and assumes Courtenay deserves his bad name for scandalous behavior. Nevertheless, as a favor to his sister, Julian agrees to try to reverse Courtenay’s legendary infamy. Slowly, Julian discerns Courtenay is not the reprobate he imagines, while Courtenay discovers Julian’s dull façade hides a clever and passionate man. The charm, vulnerabilities, and hidden depths of Courtenay and Julian are infectious, and the chemistry between the two is both tender and steamy hot.

Sebastian (The Lawrence Browne Affair) might use the well-worn opposites-attract trope to get her lovers together, but her mastery of conflict, tension, and timing along with flawless characterization and sexual attraction turn The Ruin of a Rake into a unique and entrancing romance that touches the heart deeper than most.

This review was originally published in Library Journal Xpress Reviews: E-Originals, July 7, 2017.

The Lawrence Browne Affair by Cat Sebastian

Afraid he will succumb to his family’s history of insanity, Lawrence Browne, the Earl of Radnor, lives like a hermit at his crumbling family estate Penkellis. Concerned for Lawrence’s well-being, the local vicar recruits a secretary to manage the earl’s affairs. Georgie Turner has spent his life swindling people out of their money, but guilt causes him to abandon his latest con. Georgie’s partners are bent on revenge, so he escapes to Penkellis, reinventing himself as a respectable secretary. Initially annoyed by the intrusion, Lawrence grudgingly comes to depend on Georgie, who readily adapts to the eccentric scientist and his odd habits. Their professional camaraderie gives way to an intense love affair, but both men believe they are unworthy of such a gift. Both are also deeply flawed as a result of their respective childhoods, but their willingness to accommodate each other’s deficits and accept one another unconditionally is what will have readers falling in love with them. 

Verdict Sebastian has crafted an epic romance in which Lawrence and Georgie share incredible chemistry. Although the book is not listed as part of a series, Georgie is the brother to Jack Turner, the rogue in Sebastian’s debut novel, The Soldier’s Scoundrel. Profoundly romantic and highly recommended. 

This review was originally published in Library Journal Xpress Reviews: E-Originals, January 19, 2017.

The Animators by Kayla Rae Whitaker

Mel Vaught and Sharon Kisses met in an art class in college. Mel is the self-assured wild child willing to stand up to their bullying professor. Unsure of her talent, Sharon is happy to hang out with Mel, when the two discover their mutual love of animation. Ten years later, the two hit the big time with the success of their first full-length animated film recalling Mel's disturbing childhood. Then tragedy strikes, Sharon suffers a debilitating aneurysm and must struggle to slowly recover. Always doubting her own talent, Sharon loses even more confidence in her work, and tensions arise between the two after they win an award that allows them to create a second film. This time the film will focus on Sharon's childhood and the criminal who lurked next door.

Whitaker doesn't shy away from uncomfortable, brutal truths, capturing the shortcomings of both Sharon and Mel, highlighting their multitude of problems. Despite this, Whitaker makes the strong bond of friendship between Mel and Sharon shine throughout, and their dedication to each other and their art is clear. The complexity of relationships can be bittersweet, and The Animators displays this tendency to the fullest. An excellent debut and highly recommended.

The Soldier's Scoundrel by Cat Sebastian

Former thief Jack Turner makes a living as a private investigator working for women and the poor. Oliver Rivington, a straight-laced retired army captain and the younger son of an earl, barges into Jack’s office, demanding the return of £200 spent by his sister for Jack’s dubious services. To prove his business is legitimate, Jack invites Oliver to observe his next appointment, a wealthy lady blackmailed by a former lover. Bored with no other occupation, Oliver inserts himself into Jack’s investigation, believing Jack will resort to illegal methods to resolve the case. Alternatively, Jack is deeply distrustful of the aristocracy and wants nothing to do with law-abiding Oliver. Initially drawn to each other for physical comfort, their attraction blooms into something more, but can love breach the distance between classes?

Verdict Debut author Sebastian solidly portrays the prejudice of class differences and the injustice of a flawed legal system skewed in favor of rich men. Sweetly prim Oliver and the roguish Jack will quickly win the hearts of readers, while the mysterious blackmail investigation keeps them invested to the end. An excellent choice not just for M/M romance fans but also for Regency fans with a penchant for vigilante justice.

This review was originally published in Library Journal Xpress Reviews: E-Originals, September 29, 2016.

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

It's the last year of school at Watford School of Magicks, and nothing is going the way it should. Simon Snow's mentor is ignoring him, and in turn, Simon is avoiding his girlfriend, or maybe she's his ex-girlfriend now. To top it all off, Simon is more preoccupied with his missing roommate and nemesis, Baz, instead of worrying about how he can barely perform spells or any magic at all without exploding like a bomb. And yet, Simon knows he is the "chosen one" who must defeat the Insidious Humdrum, a monstrous creature who is literally sucking magic out of the world. So why is he only ever concerned about Baz?

Carry On continues the fan fiction begun in Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl, and although it closely resembles J.K. Rowling's world of Harry Potter, Rowell's characters, monsters, spell casting, and numerous other details are utterly unique. Readers who are unfamiliar with Harry Potter and other fantastic universes may feel unsettled by the lack of explanations and background, but for aficionados of fanfic and fantasy literature in general, this book is a welcome addition.

Honor Girl by Maggie Thrash

Each summer Maggie is sent to an all-girls' camp in Kentucky that proudly follows years-old traditions of Civil War re-enactments, target practice and more. At fifteen, Maggie falls for 19-year-old counselor, Erin. First love can be hard enough, but Maggie's is compounded by the fact she is gay and has fallen for an authority figure who is strictly out of bounds. Maggie strikes up a friendship with Erin while trying hard to hide her true feelings to avoid discovery and the inevitable censure that would follow from her peers if they find out she is a lesbian.

A well-written memoir of what it is like to grow up in a conservative family, live in a conservative community, and realize you are gay. Limiting her memoir's focus to this particular summer at camp allows readers to really put themselves in Maggie's shoes. Thrash doesn't focus on her parents and how they might react to her coming out, but instead, limits her tale to peer responses. Teens should relate to Maggie's belief that if her fellow campers find out she is a lesbian, cruel attitudes are inevitable at an all girl camp already overflowing with back-stabbing rumors and snide remarks.

The Gods of Tango by Carolina De Robertis

Leda, a virgin bride, leaves her small, rural community in Italy to join her husband, Dante, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where he migrated almost two years prior to find a more prosperous life. Unfortunately, by the time Leda arrives Dante is dead from an anarchist uprising. Refusing to return to Italy which holds tragic memories of her dead cousin, Leda decides to stay in the bustling and brutal city thousands of miles away. It's 1913 and proper women can only get low paying menial, domestic jobs, while all other jobs have been taken by the large influx of male immigrants from all over Europe. Leda knows she cannot survive on her paltry pay and refuses to become an unprotected, fallen women in one of the many brothels of Buenos Aires. Instead, she dons her husband's clothes, takes up her father's violin, and joins one of the many bands playing tango. At all times, Leda must hide her true gender for fear of retaliation and violence. Over the years, Leda yearns to have a real relationship with a woman rather than having to keep her distance. If she is ever found out, Leda will not just be a vulnerable women in a violent city but will have committed the heinous crime of stealing a man's place, work, and earnings as well as betraying the men around her.

De Robertis is impossibly good at placing readers within the city of Buenos Aires, making you feel like you can smell, see, and feel the grittiness and the chaotic overcrowding of a city overwhelmed by its dramatic population increase. She does equally well describing the importance and origins of the tango and how it evolved due to popular taste and demand. There is a slight lag in the book midway through, where the repetition of Leda's life becomes somewhat tedious, but readers will be well rewarded by following through to the end as the tension quickly escalates when a new venue and new band mates enter the picture.

The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters

After losing both brothers in WWI and her father shortly thereafter, Frances Wray can no longer support herself or her mother, and both are at risk of losing their majestic home in a wealthy suburb of London. Forced to take in borders to help pay the bills, Lillian and Leonard Barber, a boisterous young couple from the lower clerical caste, move into the upstairs rooms and quickly alter the staid, reserved atmosphere in the house. Initially, Leonard appears charming and vibrant, even if there is something about him that Frances does not trust. She does, however, find Lillian's bohemianism to be a welcome change. Everything moves along smoothly for a time, but then incidents begin to happen that make Frances question whether the Barbers' marriage is truly a happy one. Embroiled in the Barbers' affairs, Frances can sense tragedy is coming but has no idea how unprepared she is for the consequences nor the things she will agree to for love...

1922 was a tumultuous time. Unemployment was high after WWI, and gender and class inequalities were dramatically shifting causing uneasiness throughout London. Waters uses this edgy backdrop to mirror and escalate the instability inside the Wrays' home. Fans of historical fiction, postwar fiction, romance, and crime novels will find much to like. If you enjoyed The Paying Guests, check out more of Sarah Water's works and my personal favorite, The Night Watch.

Nobody's Hero by J. Leigh Bailey

Following two years in a harsh military school, Brad Greene moves cross-country to start a new life, with no money and no help from his rich parents. He is on the run from his family after they catch him involved with another man and take violent action to end it. Danny Ortega knows who he is and what he wants. He definitely does not want to hook up with Rob in the truck stop parking lot, but Rob isn't giving Danny much of a choice. Brad witnesses this assault on Danny and quickly steps in to end the abuse. Neither Brad nor Danny expects to see each other again, but Brad lands a job with the Ortegas' construction company. Over the next serveral weeks, Danny's steady friendship helps pull Brad out of his self-imposed isolation, until the two start dating. Despite support from Danny's family and friends, Brad is reluctant to come out publicly, fearing retaliation such as he received from his own family and at school. Danny ends up frustrated, and Brad must decide if this love is worth the fight.

Verdict Bailey (Midnight in the Maze) hits all the sweet spots of first love while highlighting the difficulties that can arise in a budding relationship. Danny's charming and persistent attempts at overcoming Brad's barriers endear readers to these reluctant heroes. The consummation of their relationship begins with laugh-out-loud awkwardness that quickly moves to fantastic, authentic sex. Bailey gets everything right, with a great sense of humor that balances the serious topic of gay prejudice without undermining it. All in all, a stellar romance.

This review was originally published in Library Journal Xpress Reviews: E-Originals, February 19, 2015.