My Heart is Beating for You by særling

 

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆★

This is a completely unique idea inasmuch the writer særling is also a singer/musician and has written this novella based on her song My Heart is Beating for You.

The story follows Elena, a literature professor in a small coastal town, whose life is defined by the aching absence of Leah, a wandering musician. The narrative weaves between the present, where Elena moves through her days in a haze of quiet grief, and the past, where we witness the electric, soul-deep connection that blossomed between her and Leah. 

The writing is competent, and even lyrical in places. In less than a hundred pages, særling writes a complete story — a first meeting, attraction and sparks, building memories together, physical intimacy, parting, distance, longing and aching, and a final reunion — engagingly and engrossingly. 

This isn’t a loud, drama-packed romance. It’s softer, more poetic. There's an emotional honesty in both MCs and særling effectively writes with affection. 

But what truly raises this novella from a four plus to a 5+, is the 5+ rating for the song. The song My Heart is Beating for You is haunting, sensual and sensuous — reminiscent of One Night  by The Corrs (an all-time personal favourite).

This is a quick, flowing read. Plus, the song is outstanding. 

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆★

Art of Magic by KJ

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆★

This book is everything sexy, everything sweet and everything romantic.

Catherine (Cath) Monroe leads a full life. She is close to her family, enjoys her job as an English teacher embraces her sexuality (she is bi) and totally owns the sexual being that she is. She is a chance encounter with Rica Diamandis at a conference and realises that she’s failed Flirting 101 when she misses exchanging phone numbers with the woman who set all her motors running. Serendipitously Rica is the new art teacher in the same school Cath works in and she is equally interested in Cath.

 A shadow falls over Cath’s perfect life when her father takes ill and is hospitalised. Plus, the nascent relationship between Cath and Rica is in the danger of being derailed when Cath feels Rica is keeping secrets.

Cath is adorable (read that in all caps, bold font). She is honest, outspoken , emotional, self-aware, sexual and totally sorted. Rica is such a perfect person for Cath. She is patient, charming, giving and so, so romantic. They make a wonderful couple. The secondary characters are finely drawn and thoroughly likeable – particularly the three members of Cath’s department, the principal, Felicity and of course, Sam. Cath’s best friend, Sam, and her partner Abby from Coming Home (another great book) have extremely welcome cameos in this one.  

We love the fact that the relationship between Cath and Rica is solid and keeps building. The pressures and setbacks that they face are all from outside which they handle together and keep solidifying their relationship.

This book is absolutely brilliant. Madly engaging and immersive. So very recommended. 

PS: A shoutout to KJ: can we have a book about Felicity and Tal? Please?

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆★

Off Balance by L. E. Royal

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆★

L. E. Royal is a must-read author for us. Well-realised characters, rocking chemistry, convincing relationships -- her books have it all.

Maya Scott is the newest employee with the Mars Fund. At twenty-two, Maya hasn't had an easy life. And there is one person, Robert Holt, determined to kick her down and keep her there. Holt also happens to be the grandfather of Maya's three year old daughter, Livvie. In a dick move, Holt managed to wrangle Liv's custody from the scared and confused teenager that Maya was when Liv was born. Ever since then, Maya is struggling to prove herself stable and capable and get her daughter back. 

Maya has an unfortunate and embarrassing first encounter with her boss, Elena Mars. Elena suffers from cerebral palsy but doesn't let that slow her down in any way. She is driven and tough, and works herself and her team hard. 

Liv proves to be an unexpected bridge between Maya and Elena and neither the fourteen years between them nor the vast gap between their financial statuses matters.

Maya and Elena are brilliantly written. Individually, they have all the complexes and complexities that make then entirely real and together their relationship has depths and dimensions that makes it just simply awesome.

Elena's difficulties and struggles are inescapable, incomparable and cannot be overstated. But Maya's difficulties and struggles, though of a different kind, are also as real and as valid. The beautiful part is how each one is there for the other in the way they are needed. How they both make an effort to learn about the place the other is in and what they can do to support -- Maya reading about cerebral palsy and Elena reading about toddler development goals are the obvious examples.

We absolutely love the part where Maya tells Elena that she doesn't entirely understand Elena's condition, but wants to and asks her to talk to her. In the flow of the story, this was incredibly beautiful. In fact, all the ways that Maya shows her love for Elena is heart-squeezingly gorgeous. The less obvious part of loving is that Elena let's Maya love her like the way she does. Uncontrollable physical difficulties have a huge mental and emotional toll. The defensiveness and need-to-prove one's self-sufficiency can be insurmountable hurdles. It requires Maya kind of expansive and unwavering love to overcome this hurdle. And it requires a leap of faith from Elena to allow it. We also loved the parts where Maya and Elena have disagreements and fights that play out in line the complexes they have as individuals. That is very insightful writing.

Liv and Maya's non-binary best friend and their girlfriend are delightful supporting characters. 

This one is definitely romantic erotica -- lots of fabulous sexy times driven by feelings and the relationship between the leading ladies. 

Royal gives us a book that has all the feels, amazing chemistry, multi-dimensional characters, hot sex, an adorable child and, Maya.

This book is most recommended.

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆★

Something Tragic by Jessica Yeh

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆★

There are some books that hold you in a thrall of emotions that they create long after you’ve finished them. You have emotions bubbling for the character/s hours after you’ve finished the book. This is one such book. And right at the outset we’d like to say that despite the title, this is not a tragedy.

Crisa Grayson is Ms. Popular in high school but a nice-girl-Ms. Popular. Gorgeous and rich, Crisa has people hanging off her and is the most popular subject for the school chatterati and is legendary in everything she is and does. Addison Warren is a new girl in the school. Freshly transferred, she plays the drums in the orchestra and is a quite nerd. Crisa and Addison are paired together for a project. Crisa reaches out a hand of friendship to Addison and their acquaintanceship grows into friendship, slipping into a hazy romantic-platonic zone. As Crisa bares herself to Addison, Addison sees the girl behind the stories and rumours and falls more and more into her.

While Yeh balances the story between both the characters, Crisa is magnetic. Living up to expectations of her mother, peers and society; struggling with self-worth and self-acceptance; bravely taking emotional risks; having the courage to reach out repeatedly to build a relationship with Addison – everything about Crisa evokes deep emotions. The relationship did feel a little dis-balanced because Crisa was the one persistently working on it, building it and constantly giving. Addison also has mettle but she’s just eclipsed. The writing is strong and some of the descriptions and emotions are absolutely beautiful.

This is one of the best YA books available. 

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆★

A Proper Cuppa Tea by K.G. MacGregor

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆★

Brilliantly written with dry wit running through every page, this romance is a great read.

As a child, Channing Hughes was summarily packed away by her mother to live with her grandfather in England. Years later, the grown up Channing works, or rather worked, in Boston. The end of an awfully one-sided, terrible affair with her married boss saw her leaving her job in a huff. Channing loses her beloved grandfather around the same time so newly single and newly jobless, Channing returns to England to claim her millions. Only, instead of millions she finds her finances quite diametrically the opposite. Her life as it is, is hardly at a point where she should be starting something new. But despite herself, Dr. Lark Latimer, who Channing first met on the flight to England makes her way into Channing’s life and heart.

Channing, with all her flaws, is a very endearing MC. She can be many things but always evokes affection and liking. Lara is one of those little pockets of ‘nice’. The connect and attraction between the two is bouncing and hard-to-miss. The pacing of the book is perfect. While the focus is the romance, there are so many more threads, all excellently followed, intertwined and concluded.

This is one excellent read.  

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆★

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆★

A breathtakingly brilliant fantasy book of epic proportions that is addictive and just simply – awesome.

A thousand years ago, the Nameless One, a fire breathing dragon birthed from the volcanic bowels of the earth, had wreaked havoc on the world during what is now known as the Grief of Ages. Legend has it that Galian Berethnet, wielding Ascalon (a mythical sword) defeated the Nameless One and bound it in the Abyss.

The family of Berethnet rules Inys, a Queendom. It is believed that for as long as a Berethnet queen is on the throne, the Nameless One cannot return. However, the current queen Sabran shows no inclination towards marriage and procreation. Loth is Sabran’s dearest friend since childhood, but Sabran’s council believes that his presence is the hindrance in Sabran’s nuptials. They believe that Sabran is involved with Loth and therefore refuses proposals from other kings and kingdoms. Inys and all its allies are singularly anti-dragons considering them all evil.

Seiiki is a kingdom that worships water dragons who are the natural enemies of the fire-breathing dragons. Tané, a Seiikian, has a dream of becoming a dragon-rider and protecting the world. She has spent her whole life dreaming this dream and preparing for it. She won’t let anyone or anything derail her ambition.

Niclays Roos is an alchemist and an anatomist. He had promised Sabran an elixir of eternal life but spent his time and her money drinking. Sabran exiled him for his false promise and his transgressions and after seven years in the tiny island Orisima, Roos harbours a special hate for Sabran.

Ead is ostensibly one of Sabran’s ladies-in-waiting. Ead is a member of The Priory of the Orange Tree, a group that knows the truth of the Nameless One’s defeat and binding. She is in Inys to protect Sabran from harm without making her background known.

Signs point towards the Nameless one rising again and the world is in grave danger. Divided by beliefs, by ambitions and by politics there seems to be no possibility of stopping the dreaded dragon if it rises again.

The scope of the book is huge and so are the number of characters. Strong women people all the kingdoms in the book. The story progresses following Tané, Roos, Ead and Loth. The worlds and kingdoms are richly described in terms of their geography, the people, their beliefs and culture. It all comes alive immersing you completely. Each character – minor and major, human and non-human – is fully realised. The book keeps crossing between stories of each character and carries you along in every single sentence, para and page. Realistically, the main characters are somewhat grey, particularly Tané and Roos, and can leave you with mixed feelings about them. Ead and Loth are easier, because they are fairly white all through.  

But, the heart of the book is definitely Sabran. Noble in her strength and her vulnerability; heart-tugging in her isolation and her honesty; captivating in her loving and her queenliness – Sabran is the core of the sweeping epic. She drives the book and the story. She is the one who captured us, stayed with us and made our heart throb.

The love story between Sabran and Ead is heart-warming, heart-breaking and heart-achingly beautiful. We absolutely LOVE the fact that this book has a Sapphic love story between the main characters of the tale at its centre instead of one of the supporting or minor characters representing alternative sexuality. Even Roos is gay.

This is a wonderful, wonder-filled and wondrous must-read. 

⭐⭐⭐⭐☆★