February 2021 Round Up

I have been trying to balance NetGalley reviews and my ever-growing list of book to be read.  Some of these are a continuation of my list from the Oprah Magazine list of Best Romances of 2020, and some are rereads of old favorites.

The Royal We and The Heir Affair by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan ✩✩✩✩✩

A great series that combines all kinds of romance tropes and the added bonus of real royalty. This duo of books was a really enjoyable read, even if the protagonists are actually not that likable. Granted, the overlying veneer of "of course these people are hopeless ad awful, they live lives with no basis in reality, because that is how generational wealth works, actually helps the story along. Once you realize that all of them will never have to mature, it is easy to just fall into the stories of love, hysterical situations and royal voyeurism. Put on your "suspension of disbelief" hat and enjoy this set of contemporary romances.

The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin ✩✩✩✩✩

A re-read and this one is just as relevant and topical as it was in 1972.  The visceral feeling of gender disparities in the mental load, and the fact that most cis-men would happily replace the women in their lives with semi-sentient sex-bots if said bots could also make a pot-roast, feels extremely topical and, frustratingly, as if nothing has changed since the book's inception.  For a man in the American 70s, Levin really gets the material and thus, writes some of the scariest works out there. 

The Sharing Knife: Legacy by Lois McMaster Bujold ✩✩✩✩✩

I finally got to the second book in this series and it was just as pleasant as the first. This series is, to me, first and foremost a romance, though that premise isn't always a hit with the sci-fi-fantasy crowd. (Too bad for them, romance is a great genre!) I would also classify this series as "books about nothing, that are really about everything," another one of my favorite genres. Not much happens, but the world building and character growth really shine. The books keeps the reader on the a slow, but steady crawl towards what promises to be a great reckoning. Right now, however, the entire theme is "one bright farmer girl who actually knows anything about anything desperately tries to drag the world's most dense group of people towards a logical conclusion." The third book is on order from the library and I cant wait to see how she saves everyone this time.

Temptations of a Wallflower by Eva Leigh ✩✩✩✩✩

This was a another re-read of a favorite. I adore Eva Leigh and this series is particularly delightful. It is best summed up by the author herself:

February wasn't a big month for reading, but I have a TBR pile that is rapidly overtaking my end tables, so March should bring some good reads!

Sneaked in a couple more by staying up way too late on the 28th!  Add to the list:

Naughty Brits by S. MacLean, S. Jordan, L. Edwards, T. Gratton and S. Simone ✩✩✩✩✩

These authors never fail to please! If you need some short and sweet romance in these trying times, this book will make for a very pleasant escape.

His Bride for the Taking by Tessa Dare ✩✩✩✩✩

A delightful little novella by an established romance author. Tessa Dare fans will get exactly what they expect in this short format.