Trope
Premium Journals, Book #2
Heat Factor: Animalistic. But like, in a sexy way.
Character Chemistry: Confusing for everyone involved. Until it’s not.
Plot: Lady Georgina decides that she wants to sex her steward. Also someone is killing sheep.
Overall: This was Hoyt’s second book, and the pieces of what make her later books so great are there, but they’re not quite fully developed yet. Still bonkers and fun.
This month, our theme week—inspired by SuperWendy’s TBR Challenge—was the Blue Collar archetype. What could be better than a cross-class blacksmith romance?
Spindle Cove, #3.5
Heat Factor: He gets her all dirty
Character Chemistry: They’ve been pining from afar for a while and are finally ready to admit their feelings
Plot: Let’s try this courtship thang!
Overall: There are a couple of really standout scenes
Heat Factor: I mean, it opens with her admiring the size of his………………wrists. And it ends with zero doubt some dirty stuff went down.
Character Chemistry: There’s heavy longing suggested, but things get cooking right away, which is nice for us.
Plot: They want each other, but can they HAVE each other?
Overall: It’s really cute and I can tell this is one that will stick in my memory if not just because there are some very memorable (and unique!) moments.
Heat Factor: It’s a novella, so there’s a lot of desiring from afar but only the one fateful night
Character Chemistry: There are some undercurrents between Diana and Aaron earlier in the series, so this book involves a good deal of pining followed by taking action
Plot: Diana and Aaron finally decide to stop dancing around each other and see if their feelings can overcome their class divide
Overall: I enjoyed it more the first time I read it years ago, but it’s still well-constructed and charming if you don’t mind some dated ideas
Rebel by Night, Book #1
Heat Factor: High high heat. He loves her quim and worships it accordingly.
Character Chemistry: Two lonely people take care of each other.
Plot: Cress hires a highwayman to break her idiot brother out of prison.
Overall: Propulsive adventure that needed another round of editing.
The Queer Principles of Kit Webb, Book #2
Heat Factor: We’ve got praise kink!
Character Chemistry: Sometimes two wrongs DO make a right
Plot: When Marian accidentally-on-purpose kills her husband, she goes on the run. And kidnaps Rob so he can aid and abet her. After all, he had been blackmailing her, and who could better help her escape the law than a criminal?
Overall: I love me a good highwayman roadtrip book!
The Bellinger Sisters, Book #2
Review of The Bellinger Sisters, Book #1
Heat Factor: Get your fans out, it’s a steamy one
Character Chemistry: They have SUCH chemistry. It was obvious in book one, and it’s delicious in book two.
Plot: Hannah convinces her movie director boss to move their location to Westport, where she ends up rooming with her sister’s husband-to-be’s best friend, Fox. Unfortunately, Fox has a MAJOR reputation for being a deadly handsome casanova, so even though he’s got it bad for Hannah, he’s terrified of messing everything up.
Overall: Just electrifyingly steamy and so romantic…
The Smut Report 