Location
Heat Factor: It’s a medium roast
Character Chemistry: They click pretty much instantly but I’m not sure it’s much of a chemical reaction for the reader.
Plot: Seraphina has a TBI and a lot of baggage. Milo is a CEO/Scientist man who is not very nice and evidently very lonely. They fall in love.
Overall: if you saw the gossip columns featuring Elon Musk and Grimes, and you were like, “that’s so hot”, you will probably like this book. Or if you love a really paternalistic hero.
Heat Factor: 👩❤️💋👨
Character Chemistry: Super duper wholesome
Plot: A Courtship
Overall: This novella is lovely and soft
The Girls in Apartment 5G, Book #1
Heat Factor: They do not even kiss, my friends.
Character Chemistry: Noam is extremely opaque, but he plays with Shayna, who is a bit tightly wound, so it’s fun
Plot: Shayna and Noam, Orthodox Jews who grew up in NYC, are suddenly and unexpectedly sent to North Pole, Alaska just weeks before Christmas, for an end-of-year review meeting with a big client
Overall: I really enjoyed this read, mostly because it’s so playful
Heat Factor: They’re mostly too busy fighting demons (no danger banging here!)
Character Chemistry: Their magic blends perfectly
Plot: Lesbian demon hunters in the wild west, except we start the story in the middle and one has amnesia
Overall: I liked it, mainly because the setup is very very cool
To kick off Secret Baby Week, Holly and Ingrid buddy-read Then, Now, Always by Mona Shroff. And you know what that means: time for a duel! (Moderated by Erin)
Heat Factor: The door is firmly closed.
Character Chemistry: Um. It’s complicated. But also love at first sight.
Plot: Maya and Sam were in love. But they broke up. Now it’s 16 years later and Maya finally tells Sam that he has a daughter.
Overall: This was kind of a weird book and I’m still processing how I feel about it.
Heat Factor: This is not a book with a temperature.
Character Chemistry: It’s both “at first sight” and also a slow, complicated development at the same time.
Plot: Maya and Sam had a good thing going until everything blew up and incredibly bad choices were made. Then, 16 years later, Maya fesses up that she’s kept their child secret from Sam and he’s an emotional wreck, understandably.
Overall: I maintain that this trope is a massive romantic buzzkill and this book is like a case study in why that is.
The Smut Report 