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#author: alexandria bellefleur
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Lambda Literary award winner and national bestselling author Alexandria Bellefleur returns with a steamy Sapphic rom-com about a quiet bookseller and a romance novel cover model who agree to a modern-day marriage-of-convenience... Tansy Adams’ greatest love is her family’s bookstore, passed down from her late father. But when it comes to actual romance… Tansy can’t get past the first chapter. Tired of her stepfamily’s questions about her love life, Tansy invents Gemma, a fake girlfriend inspired by the stunning cover model on a bestselling book. They’ll never actually meet, so what’s the harm in a little fib? Yet when real-life Gemma crosses Tansy’s path, her white lie nearly implodes. Gemma van Dalen is a wild child, the outcast of her wealthy family, and now the latest heir to Van Dalen Publishing. But the title comes with one tiny condition: she must be married in order to inherit. When Gemma discovers a beautiful stranger has been pretending to date her for months, she decides to take the charade one step further—and announces their engagement. Gemma needs a wife to meet the terms of her grandfather’s will and Tansy needs money to save her struggling bookstore. A marriage could be mutually beneficial, if they can fool everyone into thinking it’s a love match. Unexpected sparks fly as Tansy and Gemma play the role of affectionate fiancées, and suddenly the line between convenient arrangement and real feelings begins to blur. But the scheming Van Dalen family won’t give up the company without a fight, and Gemma and Tansy’s newfound happiness might get caught in the fallout…
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ariannaisbooked · 2 years
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I'm not really in ✨the know✨ but it sounds like Twitter's about to be history so I'm coming back over to Tumblr. I'm an avid spicy romance reader (read: smut slut).
Favorite authors: Sierra Simone, Katee Robert, Alexandria Bellefleur, Kat Blackthorne, Devney Perry, Casey McQuiston, AL Jackson, Scarlett St. Clair, Tessa Bailey, Meryl Wilsner
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dilawrosas · 2 years
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[BOOK REVIEW] ARC: Count Your Lucky Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur
[BOOK REVIEW] ARC: Count Your Lucky Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur
The couple of this book were childhood friends-turned-to-lovers but the relationship soured when one of them married another person. The two reunited after one of them became the wedding planner of the other’s friends’ wedding after ten long years apart. Things has changed for both of them, and they ended up becoming roommates after unforeseen circumstances left one of them homeless. At this new…
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sapphicbookclub · 1 year
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23 sapphic books in 2023
Here’s a list of 2023 book releases with f/f pairings that you can add to your TBR and you can preorder now to support the authors!  
Science Fiction / Fantasy books:
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The Daughters of Izdihar by Hadeer Elsbai
A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon
The Water Outlaws by S.L. Huang
Ravensong by Cayla Fay
The Valkyrie by Kate Heartfield
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The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Ann Older
Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh
Lucha of the Night Forest Tehlor by Kay Mejia
The Sun and the Void by Gabriela Romero-Lacruz
The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich by Deya Muniz
Juniper Harvey and the Vanishing Kingdom by Nina Varela
Contemporary romance books: 
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Life is Strange: Steph’s Story by Rosiee Thor
Imogen, Obviously by Becky Albertalli
Out of Character by Jenna Miller
What a Desi Girl Wants by Sabina Khan
The Dos and Donuts of Love by Adiba Jaigirdar
The Girl Next Door by Cecilia Vinesse
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Girls Like Girls by Hayley Kiyoko
Mimosa by Archie Bongiovanni
The Rules of Us by Jennifer Nissley
Sorry, Bro by Taleen Voskuni
If Tomorrow Doesn't Come by Jen St. Jude
The Fiancée Farce by Alexandria Bellefleur
May 2023 bring you even more sapphicness and books! 🎆🎇
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fahye · 10 months
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your book reccomendations are always excellent, do you have any favorite queer romance authors? looking for the standard “trashy” romance vibes but with queer people if possible, thank you so much!
let's see! romance vibes but make it queer.
Delilah Green Doesn't Care by Ashley Herring Blake (f/f contemp small town romance)
One Night in Hartswood by Emma Denny (m/m medieval historical, fluff and identity shenanigans in a forest)
Mistakes Were Made by Meryl Wilsner (f/f contemp 'oh shit I banged my roommate's hot mum')
basically anything by Alexis Hall but start with Boyfriend Material (m/m contemp romcom) or A Lady For A Duke (m/f regency with a trans heroine) for classic romance vibes
Teacher of the Year by M.A. Wardell (m/m contemp about a teacher and a student's dad) is extremely sweet
I can't imagine you've spent any time around my tumblr without hearing me yell READ EVERYTHING BY KJ CHARLES!! but today I will rec Any Old Diamonds (m/m historical, thief/aristocrat with HEIST SHENANIGANS)
For the Love of April French by Penny Aimes (m/f contemp with trans heroine and lots of kink) is scorching hot and heaps of fun
I have heard great things about An Island Princess Starts a Scandal by Adriana Herrera (f/f historical, SEX PACT WITH A DUCHESS) but my ordered copy hasn't arrived yet
ditto The Fiancée Farce by Alexandria Bellefleur (contemporary f/f celebrity marriage of convenience/fake dating), which I JUST got my paws on today and am excited to read
fuck it, Gaywyck by Vincent Virga was the first m/m gothic romance (1980!) and it's Truly The Most Gothic so if you like oldschool romances where the vibes are problematic but extremely delicious, check it out.
...and then read this great article by chels about Problematic Queer Books and why we need them
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bookaddict24-7 · 4 months
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REVIEWS OF THE WEEK!
EVERY WEEK I WILL POST A VARIOUS REVIEWS I’VE WRITTEN SO FAR IN 2024. YOU CAN CHECK OUT MY GOODREADS FOR MORE UP-TO-DATE REVIEWS HERE.
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8. That Time I Got Drunk & Saved A Demon by Kimberly Lemming--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
First five-star read of 2024 🙏🏽
My friends have read this book and LOVED it, so I don't know why I'm lowkey surprised by how much I enjoyed this. I thought it would be a cheesy and slightly boring read (I didn't read the synopsis, okay? Sue me.) But what I got was SO far from that. Full of adventure, heart, sexual tension, and hilarious sass, I found myself laughing and paying rapt attention.
I loved the MC and her responses and commentary. I can see myself re-reading this just to highlight all of her sass. She's one of those contemporary characters set in a fantastical world that helps keep these kinds of stories light and fun. There's a scene where the demon just stares at her like "Okay, so we are definitely getting married" and I don't even blame him. This woman is a BADASS.
I loved their exploration of their world and how quick it was. Some readers might want more setting development, but honestly? I'm happy with how light and straightforward it was. I also really liked the side characters and how the demon just takes out anyone he wants, especially if they threaten the MC.
This was fun and everything I wish that other cozy fantasy book had given me. The new editions of the other two books have already been preordered 😌.
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9. The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
THE THING ABOUT JELLYFISH perfectly encompasses the tortures of middle school, the changing of the people we once called friends, and the effects of grief and how a child's mind may twist in ways that might help them comprehend the reality of death.
Ali Benjamin does a fantastic job of drawing out the history of her MC and her friend. The way they both changed and how the MC came to choosing to stay silent verbally for the majority of the book. Watching her trying to find reasons for why her friend has died was heartbreaking. I can't imagine being a parent in that situation, where you know you can't help your child comprehend the change in their reality.
Also, middle school is a cruel place for a lot of kids (hi, I was one of its victims) and the levels of evil some of these kids get up to is truly astounding. It broke me a little watching this friendship fall apart and this poor, young MC having to remember the last moment she saw her friend alive.
Sometimes things just happen and this whole book is, ultimately, a great source for children grieving. Life can be messy, confusing, and sometimes heartbreaking. Benjamin's novel is beautiful and this is another one of those middle grade books that I think adults AND kids should be reading.
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10. The Skull by Jon Klassen--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
If no one has read any other Jon Klassen books, then they're in for a surprise. If they have, then they'll recognize the eeriness of his writing.
You can't tell me that the hat books aren't creepy (there's a couple of pages where the big fish CLEARLY eats the little fish in the long grass). This guy is morbid and props to kids' authors who can write a book both for kids and adults.
The artwork was beautiful as always and the story was a very, very quick read. Perfect for those 5-7 year olds who want to try something themselves but don't mind a talking skeleton or skull.
This also got reeeeeeal dark at one point and I was just thinking of how some of the Gen Alpha kids are.
Highly recommend--especially for those littles who love a little spooky with their bedtime stories.
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11. The Fiancée Farce by Alexandria Bellefleur--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Romantic, at times funny, spicy, and full of characters I wanted to punch in the dick, THE FIANCÉE FARCE was entertaining from beginning to end.
Much like many of my reading experiences, I jumped into this without knowing what I was getting myself into and imagine my joy and surprise when the trope of "marriage of convenience" popped up. I loved watching these characters fall in love with each other, and I loved seeing the thwart the horrible people in their lives. I also loved that one of the MCs has a massive love for reading (shown through her family's bookstore).
Was this the best romance I've ever read? Not really--it had some pretty obvious climactic points and some very over the top villains--but it held my attention and I fell for the couple. I loved that one helped the other find her confidence that had been stripped from her at a younger age.
One of the things that keeps me from giving this a five star rating is how...in a bubble this story feels? Like, we meet other characters as they serve their purpose (as is the usual) but if they're not in the scene, it's like they don't exist. There's one scene where one particular character doesn't speak and it's a pretty pivotal moment for the reader to pay extra attention because this is a huge hint about this character, but Bellefleur doesn't even hint at it? It's like that character is deleted from the scene. This is like taking the adage of "when you're with me, I only see you" and using it to the max.
Other than that, this was an entertaining and sexy story of proving assholes wrong and falling in love despite you believing that you're not deserving of love. Highly recommend for enough looking for a cute romance full of family drama and fake relationships!
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12. Ana On the Edge by A.J. Sass--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Such a powerful story!
One of my favourite messages that ANA ON THE EDGE could potentially give young readers that it is OKAY to be in the process of trying to figure out who you are, but also that it's okay to not have all of the answers at once.
We see the MC struggle with their identity and their relationships throughout the whole book, especially because their world has always seemingly had such clear cut gender norms (Ice skating is a huge part of her world). I can't even imagine trying to find who you are when everyone around you is imposing who they think you are on you.
I also enjoyed that we got to see some of the more pivotal relationships in the MCs life and that messy in-between with friendships when big changes happen--like sudden schedule changes, or new friendships blossom. While this book tackled pretty big topics, I liked that its core it was still truly an MGLit book that explored the importance of friendships and keeping the good ones alive (even when life gets a bit hectic.)
Finally, I adored the relationship between the MC and their mom. I loved that they were a team and even though it took a little bit of time, they had some good communication between the two of them. There were some heartwarming moments and I loved seeing them understand each other better as the story progressed.
I think this is another great LGBTQ+ book to have in my back pocket for when I need to recommend great Queer books to readers!
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13. Mindy Kim & the Birthday Puppy by Lyla Lee and Dung Ho Hanh (Illustrations)--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
It's been a while since I picked up the last MINDY KIM book but this was just as cute as I remember the last two books being. There were some moments that made me tear up a little, but I'm just an emotional mess sometimes.
I loved seeing Mindy come into her own with her brand new puppy. A couple of my best friends have a puppy and as I read Mindy's adventures (or misadventures), I thought of how difficult it was for my friends to parent a brand new puppy. This is a kid's book, so I'm not surprised Mindy was able to be so successful so quickly, but in reality, puppies are a lot more work than what was shown here. BUT this didn't take away from the story at all! I love that this could be a really great resource for littles who want a puppy, but need a further understanding of the responsibilities behind it.
And much like the last two books, there were some important topics explored here: how families might look, grief, multicultural traditions, and responsibilities one might take on.
Another great addition to the series and I'll hopefully be reading the next one soon!
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14. Suddenly by Isabelle Autissier--⭐️⭐️.5
I had a lot of expectations for SUDDENLY by Isabelle Autissier, but we all know expectations are sometimes the death knell of a story. The cover enticed me, the synopsis further pulled me in, but the clunky translation full of thesaurus-level words and the random time-jump totally took me out of the story.
Normally, I DNF books that aren't working for me because hi, I have a massive TBR to get through before I die. But I will give Autissier this: she wrote a very intriguing beginning to her book. I wanted to see these characters survive and thrive in their new environment. A morbid sense of intrigue had me continuing the story as they mercilessly killed creatures I never thought someone could kill so coldly, and as they had massive introspection about their super privileged lives (and their first world ignorance about their importance in the grand scheme of things.)
These two characters were severely unlikable, but I couldn't help but get attached. I felt such a mixed bag of emotions towards the FMC and when the time jump happened, I felt further disconnected from not just her, but the story as a whole.
I'll be blunt: the second part of the book (or more like 3/4 way through the book) ruined this for me. I understand the importance of seeing the story of the "after" but I hated it. I think it went from being an interesting exploration of survival and humanity to the superficial experience of society marking you as a hero for surviving. I get that this is also the point: the further examination of how society is in (the character's) reality vs. the truths they realized about the societies they had grown in and how wholly unprepared they were for the battlefield of survival. I get that, but I still disliked it. From there, I felt like the story dragged and my attention wavered even more.
And don't get me started on the ending--the page I thought was going to be the last page was a better last page than the actual last page.
Overall, I liked the first half of the book. Despite the dark aspects, the gut churning choices, and the heartbreaking conclusion, I enjoyed that part. The second part of the book brought the whole story down for me.
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15. Fake Dates & Mooncakes by Sher Lee--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
FAKE DATES AND MOONCAKES was a pretty straightforward and easy read, but listen, it was FUN. This felt like I was experiencing a K-Drama or C-Drama. It was such a good time--the dramatic twists, the threats against the middle class guy dating the rich guy, and the CRAZY RICH ASIANS-like trip and event? Freaking amazing. LOL the love interest literally waits for the MC outside of his school standing by his Ferrari. This is juicy Asian-drama level stuff and I ate. it. up.
The romance was adorable and sweet and I won't lie, I sometimes forgot these were teenagers--not because of anything gross, but because these two were so mature in their actions and how they interacted with each other.
The familial relationships were so sweet and I loved how they clearly had each others' best interests in mind whenever something pivotal happened. They were adorable and I loved them.
Reading this was like experiencing some of my favourite Asian dramas again, with a dash of CRAZY RICH ASIANS. It wasn't an earth-shattering read, but five stars for solely being entertaining and making me smile with giddiness. If you want a cute gay story with some truly cute moments, then you might like this--especially as a read for when the warmer weather finally returns!
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Have you read any of these books? Would you recommend them?
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Happy reading!
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morgana-pendragon · 6 months
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delilah green doesn’t care — “a clever and steamy queer romantic comedy about taking chances and accepting love - with all its complications - by debut author ashley herring blake”
written in the stars — “in her debut, with nods to bridget jones’s diary and pride and prejudice, alexandria bellefleur delivers a charming rom-com about a free-spirited astrologer who agrees to a fake relationship with an uptight actuary — with results not even the stars could predict!”
the jasmine throne — “trapped by her despotic brother within the crumbling walls of an ancient temple, princess malini dreams on vengeance. forced to disavow her birthright and her power because of her past, maidservant priya dreams of freedom. in a world beset by wild magic and turbulent uprising, their destinies will become irrrevocably tangled. and together, they will set an empire ablaze.” + the oleander sword — “the prophecy of the nameless god— the words that declared malini rightful empress of parijatdvipa— have proven a blessing and a curse. she is determined to claim the throne fate offered her. but deposing her brother is going to be a brutal and bloody fight. the power of the deathless waters flows through priya’s blood. now an elder of ahiranya, she dreams of seeing her country rid of the rot that plagues it: both parijatdvipa’s poisonous rule and the blooming sickness spreading through all living things. but she doesn’t yet understand the truth of the magic she carries. their chosen paths once pulled them apart. but malini’s and priya’s souls remain as entwined as their destinies. and saving their kingdom from those who would rather see it burn will come at a terrible price.”
pride and prejudice and pittsburgh — i cba to copy all that from the back of this one so it’s a time travel lake house type deal with a girl from two hundred years in the past and one from pittsburgh
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theladyragnell · 8 months
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Hi Nell!! Best recs for cozy reads?
Hello! It is starting to be autumn here in the northern hemisphere, so that does indeed make it the perfect time to read some cozy things! I will try to do a bit of a genre mix here.
To start, autumn and winter is the perfect time to read some cozy mysteries. I just finished The Three Dahlias by Katy Watson recently, and I've also liked The Appeal by Janice Hallett in the recent past.
Romances on the whole tent to be fairly cozy, of course. If you're a fan of historicals, Mary Balogh is one of my cozy authors for sure, and the frequently-recced-on-tumblr Courtney Milan really is also wonderful, try The Duke Who Didn't for some great vibes. For contemporaries, The Fiancee Farce by Alexandria Bellefleur and The Neighbor Favor by Kristina Forest are ones I enjoyed that are sweet and kind ways to spend an afternoon.
And then there's cozy SFF, my beloved! To start, I keep reccing The Tea Princess Chronicles by Casey Blair and more people should take me up on them, they are truly the coziest of vibes. T. Kingfisher's fantasy romances, particularly the paladin series, are popular in fantasy romance for a reason. The Devotion of Delflenor, by R. Cooper, is another one I wish more people would take me up on when I repeatedly rec it (if you are in the center of the Venn diagram of "loved E/R at the 2013-2014 fandom peak" and "loved Tamora Pierce growing up," I suspect you will be a fan). Becky Chambers is well known for extremely cozy sci fi.
Hopefully there's a book or two that catches your fancy in there!
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displayheartcode · 1 month
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hello! what are your top 5 (or 10, if you can't choose) wlw books? doesn't have to be in the romance genre!
ONE LAST STOP by Casey McQuiston - a time slip romance between a jaded former detective and a woman from the 1970s thanks to the Q train.
THE LOCKED TOMB by Tamsyn Muir - several elite necromancers and their sworn swordsmen are invited to compete for sainthood.
A SCATTER OF LIGHT by Malinda Lo - a YA coming-of-age story about a teenager exploring the queer art scene – also related to LAST NIGHT AT THE TELEGRAPH CLUB.
AFTERWORLDS by Scott Westerfeld - after her manuscript is picked up, recent high school graduate learns the most painful truths of being an author – the self-imposed misery of finishing the book
A LESSON IN VENGEANCE by Victoria Lee - a book that's very much for meeeeeeeeeeeeee!
HONEY GIRL by Morgan Rogers - done with completing her PhD, Grace is adrift after an accidental marriage causes her to confront what she wants in her future.
THIS IS HOW YOU LOSE THE TIME WAR by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone - rival assassins fight each other across space and time, leaving letters behind.
Anything by Alexandria Bellefleur!
EVEN THOUGH I KNEW THE END by CL Polk - a private detective's life is on the line in Chicago as angels and monsters play their own games.
THE SECRET SUMMER PROMISE by Keah Brown - Andrea's summer bucket list implodes after a fight with her best friend.
BONUS
FROM DUST, A FLAME by Rebecca Podos - Hannah's mother vanishes after a curse awakens. Now determined to understand her complicated family legacy, Hannah learns that her past is littered with golems, dybbukim, and the demonic deals our loved ones will make to save us.
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lgbtpopcult · 1 year
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April 2023 WLW Entertainment Rundown
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Movies
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Polarized, April 1, 2023(Canadian Film Fest)
TV
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Welcome to Eden Season 2, Netflix
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Dead Ringers, Amazon Prime, April 21
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The Owl House: Final Special Episode, Disney+, April 8
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From season 2, MGM+, Apr 23, 2023
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Books, video games, music and more
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The Fiancée Farce: A Novel, April 18, 2023
Lambda Literary award winner and national bestselling author Alexandria Bellefleur returns with a steamy sapphic rom-com about a quiet bookseller and a romance novel cover model who agree to a modern-day marriage of convenience...
Tansy Adams’ greatest love is her family’s bookstore, passed down from her late father. But when it comes to actual romance… Tansy can’t get past the first chapter. Tired of her stepfamily’s questions about her love life, Tansy invents Gemma, a fake girlfriend inspired by the stunning cover model on a bestselling book. They’ll never actually meet, so what’s the harm in a little fib? Yet when real-life Gemma crosses Tansy’s path, her white lie nearly implodes.
Gemma van Dalen is a wild child, the outcast of her wealthy family, and now the latest heir to Van Dalen Publishing. But the title comes with one tiny condition: she must be married in order to inherit. When Gemma discovers a beautiful stranger has been pretending to date her for months, she decides to take the charade one step further—and announces their engagement.
Gemma needs a wife to meet the terms of her grandfather’s will and Tansy needs money to save her struggling bookstore. A marriage could be mutually beneficial, if they can fool everyone into thinking it’s a love match. Unexpected sparks fly as Tansy and Gemma play the role of affectionate fiancées, and suddenly the line between convenient arrangement and real feelings begins to blur. But the scheming Van Dalen family won’t give up the company without a fight, and Gemma and Tansy’s newfound happiness might get caught in the fallout…
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wlwbookshelf · 2 years
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PRIDE MONTH: READER’S CHOICE BOOKS Thanks to everyone for sharing their favourites! The books our readers wanted everyone to know about are (listed alphabetically by author family name, and grouped by row):
Disobedience by Naomi Alderman
I Kissed a Girl by Jennet Alexander
Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur
Scatter by Molly J. Bragg
Compass Rose by Anna Burke
Afterlove by Tanya Byrne
Plain Bad Heroines by Emily M. Danforth
This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
Annie on My Mind by Nancy Garden
The Dead and the Dark by Courtney Gould
The Private Life of Jane Maxwell by Jenn Gott
The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow
Her Royal Highness by Rachel Hawkins
Delilah Green Doesn't Care by Ashley Herring Blake
That Inevitable Victorian Thing by E.K. Johnston
We Are Okay by Nina LaCour
Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
Before You Say I Do by Clare Lydon
One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan
She Who Became The Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan
The Verifiers by Jane Pek
Wilder Girls by Rory Power
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Honey Girl by Morgan Rogers
The Midnight Lie by Marie Rutkoski
On Sundays, She Picked Flowers by Yah-Yah Scholfield
The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri
Malice by Heather Walter
The Rise of Kyoshi by F.C. Yee
Our readers also nominated fav comics and fav fan fic if you wanted to check those out!
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mermaidsirennikita · 8 months
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Hi!! I was wondering if you could point me in the direction of wlw romance books? Do you know of similar blogs like yours who post about them or of any authors? You reviewed the one with the pilot and the nurse, and I was really excited to see that and have been itching for more ladies lol
Yes!! We really need more sapphic books in romance; wlw is probably the least-represented type of pairing (besides... any involving trans/nb charactes in general). That's why I try to request any that I think will potentially appeal to me (I have a FFM triad fantasy romance ARC to read and review this month that apparently puts a heavy emphasis on the women, and a f/f selkie ARC for next year!).
For more reviews, you can check out the Lesbrary, though that's not ONLY romance. But yeah, that's all ladies all the time!
I would also recommend checking out romance.io. It's a great romance-exclusive reading resource, and you can filter by trope and gender pairings.
For more sapphic books, I'd recommend checking out:
The Fae Queen's Captive by Sierra Simone. This archeologist girl gets kidnapped by faeries, and she basically has to become the mysterious and cool fae queen's temporary consort. It's VERY hot, and a great one to read around Halloween. Good bit of gore, as a heads up.
The Thornchapel series by Sierra Simone. Gothic erotic romance dark academia type book about six friends who accidentally wake a dark supernatural force when they start doing these ancient sex rituals together. WHO WOULDA THUNK IT. There are orgies where everyone fucks everyone and everyone is bi, but the two main relationships are an MMF triad and a FF romance. Everyone gets POVs, and the f/f relationship is sooooo beautiful. It is BDSM, one of them is a domme and the other is her sub; it's very grumpy/sunshine, stern/sweet. Great plus size rep from one of the women. Honestly just a gorgeous love story that's super complex and compelling. TW for past sexual assault (this involves one of the women in the f/f relationship; it's not super graphic, but it is something that she needs to seek therapy for, her arc does involve recovery, and she does suffer from PTSD) and possible incest (not the f/f relationship) and general kinda dark vibes. But everyone gets an HEA in the end, especially the Rebecca and Delphine (the ladies).
An Island Princess Starts a Scandal by Adriana Herrera. Sapphic historical, Manuela ends up in Paris (the lesbian hub of the 1800s) and she wants to live her life as a gay woman before settling into a marriage with a man. So she asks Cora, this icy seductive rich widow/businesswoman, to give her an intro to gay Paris, in exchange for Manuela giving her this business thing she wants. What Cora doesn't realize initially is that Manuela is actually super committed to getting deflowered by Cora as well. It's very uptight meets wild, very swoony, very sexy.
A Long Time Dead by Samara Breger. A gothic vampire romance, it's about a sex worker who wakes up having been turned into a vampire in 1800s England, with this very worried vampire lady hovering over her. Because oops, the lady's ex turned her into a vampire as a revenge thing? So it's like, decades of these two falling in love, and tension, and a coven of queer vampires, and the ex attempting to murder people. Very romantic and hot and great.
Mortal Follies by Alexis Hall. This one is like, a Midsummer Night's Dream meets Jane Austen. It takes place in a fantastical Regency era, and one of the heroines leaves this ball because a hex has been put on her and her dress is disintegrating? Only for her to be intercepted by this dark and dangerous woman who's rumored to have killed her father? Magical, whimsical, somehow still very poignant at points?
The Fiancee Farce by Alexandria Bellefleur. A contemporary romcom wherein this bookshop owner(? employee?) pretends a romance cover model is her girlfriend to get her family off her back... Only for the model to turn out to be the heiress to a publishing empire, and in order to gain her full inheritance, OF COURSE she must marry!!! Funny, sparkly, a good time.
Generally, for authors:
Olivia Waite writes tons of f/f historical romance, Katee Robert writes some f/f erotic romance and some FFM, Sierra Simone tends to dabble in f/f and FFM more than most, Alexandria Bellefleur often writes f/f, Meryl Wilsner writes f/f contemporary, (I liked their recent Cleat Cute) Adriana Herrera writes f/f and m/f and m/m (I think) and has an erotic f/f holiday novella with a lady Santa out (Her Night with Santa). Check out the Pride not Prejudice anthology for tons of queer novellas, including an f/f alien romance by Ruby Dixon and a f/f historical by Amalie Howard!
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ash-and-books · 25 days
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Rating: 5/5
Book Blurb: Sparks fly when a lovelorn romance novelist and a divorce lawyer who has sworn off relationships agree to cohost a podcast series offering dating advice to viewers, in Truly, Madly, Deeply, the next steamy queer rom-com from Lambda Literary Award winner and national bestselling author Alexandria Bellefleur.
As a bestselling romance novelist, everyone thinks Truly Livingston is an expert on happily-ever-afters. She’s even signed on to record a podcast sharing relationship advice. Little do they know she feels like an imposter—her parents just announced they’re separating, she caught her fiancé cheating, and her entire view on love has been shaken to the core. Truly hopes the podcast will distract her... until she meets her cohost.
Her first impression of Colin McCory is...hot. But then he opens his extremely kissable mouth. Colin’s view on love just pisses Truly off, even if he does have an annoyingly attractive face. Bickering with a cynical divorce lawyer is the last thing she needs—so she walks out, with no plans to return.
A few days later, Truly is surprised when Colin tracks her down, asking for a fresh start. Truly can’t deny the little thrill she gets from Colin begging, so she reluctantly agrees. As they go from enemies to friends to something else entirely, Truly discovers they have more in common than she ever imagined, including their shared queerness. He’s a genuinely good guy—charming, sweet, and equally as unlucky in love as herself—and there’s something about Colin that drives Truly a little wild. When their attraction reaches a fever pitch, Truly is happy for the first time in years. Yet she can’t help but wonder... is Colin truly, madly, deeply in love with her? Or is it all too good to be true?
Review:
When a historical romance author finds her fiancee cheating on her and immediately goes on a dating podcast... the last thing she expects is to fall for the very snarky (slightly bratty) divorce lawyer. Truly Livingston is a bestselling romance novelist. She's believed to be an expert on happily-ever-afters... except when she walks in on her (ex) fiancee cheating on her, it has her rethinking love. Then she ends up on a dating podcast to give love advice and comes face to face with a gorgeous guy who just happens to be a divorce lawyer and immediately gets under her skin on the podcast. To top it off, Truly finds out that her parents, the people who were the blueprint to why she believes in true love, tell her they are separating. Truly finds her belief in love shaken to the core... and meeting Colin McCory, the one guy who manages to get under her skin yet can't leave her mind, is definitely going to shake up her world. For some reason, bickering with Colin is fun, and when he asks for a fresh start on his sister's podcast after their confrontational first episode together...it begins to turn into something more as they bond over their queerness, their belief in romance, sharing weird facts with each other, and sending each other texts all throughout the day. From coffee shop dates to running into each other at the grocery store, Truly and Colin can't seem to stay away from one another. Yet can Colin convince Truly that she shouldn't close her heart off to love, and can he convince her that he's the one for her? This was a sweet and deeply romantic read, I adored Colin so much. No matter how hard Truly pushed him away, he always supported her and stayed by her side. Colin and Truly were so adorable together and I loved reading their romance. This book was a fun rom com and I loved how both characters were bisexuals. My all time favorite quote from the book that had me tearing up was when Colin and Truly were talking about being Bi and Colin tells her "My point, before I got off on a personal tangent, was that there’s no such thing as being queer enough. Action and attraction are two different things. You could go the rest of your life never dating a woman and it wouldn’t change a thing.” It's a beautiful book and I would absolutely recommend it!
*Thanks Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager | Avon for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*
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caramelberzatto · 7 months
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saw that youre a bookish gal 🤭🤭, what’s your favorite book? i currently finished “it ends with us” “it starts with us” and im on the verge of finishing “icebreaker” 🤗
I like to think I have a favourite book, but that shit changes like the weather goddamn HOWEVER, books that mean a whole lot to me are:
- A Little Life by Hanya Yanigihara
- Queen of Shadows by Sarah J Maas
- The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid (this is my favourite favourite always fr.)
- Priory Of The Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon
- She Who Became The Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan
- The Poppy War Trilogy by R. F. Kuang
- Six Of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
- One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston
- Written In The Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur
- The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern
I just really fucking love books and reading and escapism, I always have, and I've spent my entire life wanting to grow up to become an author, and I'm always working on novels and projects and little things like that. Books were my first love, and they have never once left me. It's like coming home, really.
(P.S. I loved Icebreaker, but her new book, Wildfire!?!?!?? I finished it the other day and OH BOY IT'S SO GOOD!!!!)
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