I really do think Suleikha Snyder is the best short-form romance writer we have. She is remarkably good at presenting us with the intense kernel of a I really do think Suleikha Snyder is the best short-form romance writer we have. She is remarkably good at presenting us with the intense kernel of a romance, a conflict, a situation.
This one is fairly brutal in that it's a full blown zombie apocalypse, and both leads have been through the full 28 Days Later trauma, with the sense of loss and devastation and an ending world, and a desperate need for love and forgiveness and human contact. I was not surprised to learn this was written in the raging days of the pandemic: the atmosphere is intense.
It feels not so much like a novella as like reading a full length romance novel by strobe light: we get a series of vignettes that the mind adds up to make a whole. (I'm not sure the heroine's father actually gets a line of dialogue on page and we hardly see any specifics about him but wow, the whole picture is there in my head.) Very visual, very effective, a whole mood of concentrated feels. (view spoiler)[It is absolutely a romance in that there's the best possible HEA/HFN in the circs, but honestly, I think she could have also got away with ending it on hero and heroine stepping out heavily armed to face the horde like Butch and Sundance, freezeframed together forever. But, she respected the romance, I'm not arguing with that. (hide spoiler)]...more
Welp that is certainly a title for a romance novel set during a hurricane.
Second chance romance with a Vegas-married couple separated for six years fWelp that is certainly a title for a romance novel set during a hurricane.
Second chance romance with a Vegas-married couple separated for six years finally addressing the various insecurities and miscommunications that broke them apart in the first place, in the context of sheltering from a hurricane. I enjoyed this a lot, especially how it handles a high-powered woman with a man whose job is perceived as lower status, and it does a good job of rooting the communication fails in plausible insecurities that mesh badly. The couple are likeable and the disaster setting is interestingly done, with a lot of interesting practical detail. ...more
Billionaire/CEO type romance. The MCs accidentally get drunk married, then realise it would be useful for career reasons because the corporation for wBillionaire/CEO type romance. The MCs accidentally get drunk married, then realise it would be useful for career reasons because the corporation for which he wants to be CEO wants him to be married (we just go with this trope okay). As it happens she's known she's in love with him for ages, and he has been in love with her without knowing it, so it's really a matter of them both taking the leap, plus interference from aunties, friends, siblings, evil fathers, corporate boards (I said we just go with it).
I thoroughly enjoyed the Punjabi elements here--the aunties, the various ceremonies, the cultural insights. Veera is a likeable heroine, battling a lot of bad feelings relating to her controlling father and critical mother, but standing up for herself well. Deepak is mostly a pretty likeable hero, frequently oblivious and gets things wrong but doesn't generally have to have them explained twice. I particularly liked a point where the heroine is presented with evidence he's betrayed her (view spoiler)[ and simply, immediately calls bullshit because she knows him better than that (hide spoiler)]. Veera's relationship with her sister is fun in a prickly, awkward way. I did want a lot more of Sana and Olivia's story as Olivia is frankly great and they are both hugely messy bitches.
I remain a bit confused by the Shakespeare branding. It starts with a shipwreck and there's a partner swap involving twins and a woman called Olivia, but that's just machinery, it's not what makes Twelfth Night. I was looking forward to, I don't know, complex deception, gender shenanigans, truth under lies, impossible longing...maybe no cross gartering but surely yellow stockings. ahem. I sort of feel if you're going to do a retelling you have to lean in more heavily. However, I don't see why it's necessary in the first place because this book didn't need to rely on another source: it's a very absorbing story in its own right which I thoroughly enjoyed. ...more
Romcom with Canadian Bengalis. Dev is the son of a very traditional family and feels deeply stifled and oppressed by the weight of culture and expectaRomcom with Canadian Bengalis. Dev is the son of a very traditional family and feels deeply stifled and oppressed by the weight of culture and expectation. Naomi is the daughter of a woman who broke away and wanted her daughter to have nothing to do with Bengali culture or faith. She feels excluded, deracinated, and lesser for her lack of cultural connection. Naturally Naomi and Dev start fake dating.
It's a very interesting set up. I can't comment on the depiction of Bengali desi culture as excluding and oppressive, but it comes across as pretty judgy, stifling and hard to live with, and for me the positives of close cultural bonds, amazing food etc didn't come across as strongly as they might well do for someone with that or similar lived experience.
Naomi's sense of inferiority and shame over her family background and her struggles with deracination was really well done and the strongest element of the book. for me. This was partly because I intensely disliked the hero. His inability to stand up for himself and his willingness to throw the heroine under the bus and expect more from her then he was prepared to give were bad enough, then he tops it will a Grand Public Gesture *at the opening of his mother's cafe that Naomi designed*. Way to make two women's hard work all about you.
This is not to say it's a bad romance -far from it; the characters are strong and the emotional oomph is powerful in a lot of ways. Dev is a jerk, but I believed Naomi wanted to be with him, and sometimes that's just other people's romantic choices for you. A really interesting debut with a ton to say, and I will look out for more from this author....more
What a delightful read. A Mumbai-set f/f romance with trans woman dance teacher Billu instructing desi Esha on the dances for her upcoming arranged maWhat a delightful read. A Mumbai-set f/f romance with trans woman dance teacher Billu instructing desi Esha on the dances for her upcoming arranged marriage oops.
Tremendous atmosphere and sense of place, including the dislocation of divided cultures, countries and households. Wonderfully vivid writing. Absolutely lush pining, longing, and extended falling in love, which is delightful.
And then after the lengthy slow burn, the entire book shifts gears into a full on Bollywood sequence of the most bonkers sort, and it's even better, ahaha. (It's one of those points where you might kind of go WTF because the tonal shift from a very real feeling story to crazed melodrama action is a bit sudden, but just let go and have fun, honestly.)
A crackingly enjoyable f/f read, highly recommended. ...more
A longer m/f contemporary with desi leads. I love Mona Shroff's Harlequins; this one didn't land quite so well for me. Riya is a great, determined, soA longer m/f contemporary with desi leads. I love Mona Shroff's Harlequins; this one didn't land quite so well for me. Riya is a great, determined, somewhat bullheaded heroine, but Dhillon was just a bit too controlling for me. Couldn't fault his feelings about his sister and love-of-his-life being firefighters, but very much could fault his belief he had a say in the matter. This is doubtless a cultural thing in that my expectation of my siblings having an opinion on my life, or vice versa, is a number that makes zero look big, and I suspect Dhillon will seem a lot more reasonable to people with a different starting point. Really enjoyed the firefighting elements and everything about Riya.
Pleasant contemporary romance using an arranged marriage as the spur for a fake-engagement set-up, which makes considerably more sense than most fake-Pleasant contemporary romance using an arranged marriage as the spur for a fake-engagement set-up, which makes considerably more sense than most fake-engagement set-ups. The characters are likeable and good for one another. It didn't really catch fire for me at any point, possibly because both of the characters have most of their conflict and their debates internally rather than with one another: there's a lot of misunderstanding to keep the conflict going rather than direct clashing. Still, a solid debut. ...more
Marley and Nikhil had a high school fling. Now she's a personal shopper and he's about to star in the latest superhero movie although he hates the pubMarley and Nikhil had a high school fling. Now she's a personal shopper and he's about to star in the latest superhero movie although he hates the publicity. So far so standard, but Marley is about to have a preventive double mastectomy. AKA this is not your run of the mill celeb romance.
This is a really heartfelt book, which digs in to Marley's complex and difficult feelings about her body, her future, her friends and relationships. Nobody in this book is perfect. Friends get pissed off with one another. Marley isn't a poster girl for preventive surgery by any means. All of which means we can really see how important it is for Nikhil to have her back, and for her to accept support. (There is a lot of detail about cancer, genes, and the reality of a double mastectomy in here, fyi.)
Actually this book is all about support, and how it's a strange and fluctuating thing. Every supportive relationship in this book is flawed and sometimes faltering or misplaced because everyone in this book has their own life and issues, just like everyone in reality does. It's imperfect but it's what we've got.
I was hugely invested in Marley's story. I'm not a celeb romance person so Nikhil's story engaged me less, but as Marley's other half he's 10/10, no notes. This book kept me fully engaged and occupied in the endless day waiting for the UK election results, and you can't ask for more than that....more
Romcom based on Much Ado About Nothing. For me it was at once too based on it (I really found the half-quoted dialogue jarring) or not based enough, iRomcom based on Much Ado About Nothing. For me it was at once too based on it (I really found the half-quoted dialogue jarring) or not based enough, in that the verbal war was short lived and not really grounded in much actual enmity, and the plot doesn't take us to anything like Much Ado's intense 'Kill Claudio' emotional payoff. Which is fine in itself, it's its own book! But if you offer me Much Ado, those are the things I'm going to be craving.
In fact it's a story about two people who work too hard having to find out how to be together, with a wedding saboteur sub plot. As such it's an entertaining romcom with likeable leads, great food, extensive supporting cast, and bondage sex.
I will here admit that I don't really understand books that riff on established texts rather than engaging with them, which I suspect is my EngLit background going "but how will I write an essay on this?!"...more
A bubbly-light heist caper. It's a bit like how I remember the early Stephanie Plum books: very silly heroine in ludicrous situations with a bevy of iA bubbly-light heist caper. It's a bit like how I remember the early Stephanie Plum books: very silly heroine in ludicrous situations with a bevy of incredibly handsome men all over her. Plus crew of highly eccentric people with useful skills, and a necklace to steal.
It didn't click for me, unfortunately: I think I just wasn't in a wacky hi-jinks mood. I regretted that because the crew is likeable and there's lost of good jokes and it feels like the kind of book that would make a really fun popcorn movie. Possibly it needed to be read on a beach with a pina colada, whereas I'm feeling picky and irritable in rainy London, so DNF at 40%. If you're in a mood for caper froth, though, voila....more
Friends to lovers/opposites attract story with burdened-by-past hero and manic pixie heroine (childhood cancer survivor who lives for the day in a somFriends to lovers/opposites attract story with burdened-by-past hero and manic pixie heroine (childhood cancer survivor who lives for the day in a somewhat excessive fashion). Lovely food description, entertaining supporting cast, and assured writing....more
High-drama glitzy type romance, with a fashion designer and the black sheep scion of the wealthy hotel magnates. This is third in the series and I reaHigh-drama glitzy type romance, with a fashion designer and the black sheep scion of the wealthy hotel magnates. This is third in the series and I really like that we've seen some actual change wrought by the actions of the first two couples in making the oppressive parents be less oppressive and thus not an issue. Instead, the problem we have is...well, basically, the hero. Afraid of commitment, family fuck up, was driving in the car accident that smashed the heroine up, ghosted her after taking her virginity, is nine months out of rehab: it's fair to say the author gave herself a mountain to climb with this one.
It does work: we see him striving to do better, and to think harder, and I'm here for a hero who fears commitment because he's aware how badly he's done by loved ones in the past and really doesn't want to mess up again. He still feels a touch immature, but a) I'm old and b) we can believe in his growth and his sincerity, so that will do nicely. ...more
I enjoyed this one immensely. Great second-chance-romance set up with the hero discovering his mother hasn't actually let his family know he's divorceI enjoyed this one immensely. Great second-chance-romance set up with the hero discovering his mother hasn't actually let his family know he's divorced, but has bribed his ex wife to turn up at the big family wedding pretending they're still married. this is obviously a ridiculous way to go on, and is played out with full enjoyment of the ridiculousness, but it's also the decorative flourish on a very solid story of a couple who married too young, with too many needs they were (unreasonably and unspokenly) expecting the other to fulfil. Nikhil and Anita both had some growing up to do, and the spun-sugar confection of story is very solidly grounded in real feelings, real problems (excessive work, family pressure, going unacknowledged in one's family, sibling rivalry). Bit of a case of Evil Ex, never my favourite thing, but a hugely enjoyable read and I bought the next two. ...more
Entertaining second chance romance / crime caper, with our MCs running around in pursuit of a McGuffin while falling back in love. Exuberantly implausEntertaining second chance romance / crime caper, with our MCs running around in pursuit of a McGuffin while falling back in love. Exuberantly implausible action and lots of left turns, plus a fun supporting cast. I do hope the sister gets a book....more
So we met Jana and Amir in Kamila Knows Best, an Emma variant, where Jana and Amir are in the roles of Jane, the serious one, and Frank Churchill, theSo we met Jana and Amir in Kamila Knows Best, an Emma variant, where Jana and Amir are in the roles of Jane, the serious one, and Frank Churchill, the dickhead who courts Emma to make Jane jealous, uncaring of the impact that has on both women. Jana always seemed cool. Amir, on the other hand, was a dick. And he is not less a dick here where we start the book learning that he's had a two week fling with Jana telling her he's divorced, then it turns out what he means is "I'm definitely going to serve my wife divorce papers when I next see her." In fairness, she had left him for another man. Still a massive lie, and one which impacts Jana far more than him because she's called a homewrecker, loses a job, gets abuse from his wife's family, and becomes a disgraced single mum (he offers to marry her and she very reasonably tells him to fuck off. I would have really liked to see that scene; I don't feel enough of the book was spent telling Amir to fuck off, although Kamila's continual hostility is soothing).
This is not a great start for Amir. Luckily the book is set five years later, when he has spent the intervening period apologising, attempting to make up for it, and being an excellent dad. All that has still not really persuaded Jana out of her resentment at how he RUINED HER LIFE and I don't blame her.
This is very much about how Jana has to let go of her very justified resentment in order to move on with her life. She's stuck, she needs to push outside her comfort zone, nourish her friendships, get a new job, move out from her judgemental mother. She is a reserved, introverted person and also licking her wounds after all the social disapproval and shaming she's been subjected to, so this isn't easy. Then Amir turns up at Kamila's two week destination wedding and Jana is shoved into his company, and things start to shift.
This is a really interesting one. I had a look at the reviews and the responses people have to the central situation are hilariously divided between "Amir is a dick" and "Jana should have let it go years ago", which pretty much confirms that the book was extremely even-handed and well-balanced in its depiction. Jana really does need to move on, and to stop letting fear of people's opinions stifle her. Does she owe Amir civility after he's spent the last five years sincerely working to make amends? I don't think she owes him anything, personally, but then I am a fully paid up member of the grudge-holding community, and it is unquestionable that if a relationship is to happen it can't be with him forever in the wrong and doing all the work.
So, yeah. this is a difficult, prickly relationship which genuinely doesn't feel like it has any chance of working for a lot of the book, but that's exactly what persuades us in the end. Jana lets go of the resentment more than I did on her behalf, but I believed in her personal growth even if I don't emulate it. We can see how Amir is exhausted by her stubborn wavering, to coin a phrase, where she won't either move forward or walk away. And it's terrific to see how, by letting go of her resentment, she is in fact choosing life, and indeed prioritising herself. I believed in Jana and Amir's happy ending, and that is damn impressive considering where they started.
The safari setting is amazing and vivid, the large cast hugely enjoyable, and the cover superb....more
Entertaining romance about an exceedingly extroverted and free-spirited lawyer and a very guarded, joyless security consultant. Obviously she brings hEntertaining romance about an exceedingly extroverted and free-spirited lawyer and a very guarded, joyless security consultant. Obviously she brings him out of his shell and teaches him to have fun, etc, but more strikingly, she lavishes him with warmth and care, such that he starts working to improve himself (rather than having her do it for him) which is highly satisfactory. Very high octane romcom silliness abounds throughout, all good fun, with a highly entertaining cast of secondaries and a lovely bubbly feel.
One thing I regret is the third act misunderstanding. It doesn't actually affect the relationship or serve a plot purpose, especially as the hero doesn't immediately leap to the worst possible conclusions about the heroine. Which is refreshing, but invites the question of why bother. But I am exceedingly grumpy about the continued existence of third act misunderstandings in romance, ignore me. ...more
A hugely likeable romance with an Indian actor and a Pakistani-American make-up influencer. Very low steam for this author (heroine is demisexual and A hugely likeable romance with an Indian actor and a Pakistani-American make-up influencer. Very low steam for this author (heroine is demisexual and both are culturally inclined to wait for marriage). I loved all the build-up, and the supportive, positive relationship: these are basically both very nice people and we want them to be happy. It felt like it ran out of steam a little at the end, with a minor misunderstanding that didn't feel entirely necessary, but generally highly readable. Also, a book set post-pandemic (though I don't think Covid is named), which I'm not sure I've seen before (possibly because I'm hiding in historical and fantasy). ...more
The writing is zizzy and fun but the book's trying to have its cake and eat it with a bad-tempered bad guy corporate downsizer sexist male lead who isThe writing is zizzy and fun but the book's trying to have its cake and eat it with a bad-tempered bad guy corporate downsizer sexist male lead who is *also* funny, warm, cute, and protective. Didn't come together for me. DNF at 37%. ...more
More women's fiction than romance, though there is a romance, this is a very enjoyable book about a late 30something USian Sikh woman looking around aMore women's fiction than romance, though there is a romance, this is a very enjoyable book about a late 30something USian Sikh woman looking around and wondering where her life went while she was sorting out her career. Serena needs to fix her relationship with her family and her friendships; the love life is secondary, quite deliberately (she doesn't want children and that doesn't change).
Highly readable and very satisfying, with a terrific ending (view spoiler)[that focuses entirely on Serena and her best friend, not on men (hide spoiler)].
I thoroughly enjoyed this. A romcom with the You've Got Mail premise that delves into some very hard stuff about discrimination against Muslims and IsI thoroughly enjoyed this. A romcom with the You've Got Mail premise that delves into some very hard stuff about discrimination against Muslims and Islamophobic violence. The balance is pretty well struck, since Hana vocalises the question of how to live well in this crappy world a lot, and happiness is in some aspects a conscious act of defiance, a thing she chooses.
Hana is an entertaining character. She teeters on the edge of nope for a while with some flat out terrible bad-person choices. (So does Aydin but we don't see those in action at the time.) But she pulls it back and we see real growth from her, which leads to an immensely satisfying ending. Aydin is less realised, in large part because this is first person narrator. I'd have liked to see more of a reckoning with his past but we're in no doubt it will be dealt with. And the build up of their romance is lovely in an understated, slow growing way.
Lovely secondary cast, in particular Hana's shocking aunt and 18yo cousin whose parents are definitely accountants and not anything else, nope.
The early chapters have a rather noticeable thing where the Indian words and references are painstakingly explained, including a passing reference to someone dressing as a Mughal prince getting a Wikilike two sentence summary of the Mughal Empire with dates. This goes away later, leading me to theorise that some ham-handed editor decided this was the way to make the book accessible to white people, thus showing themselves exactly the sort of othering berk that Hana struggles against in her career. Just saying....more
