GENRE: RomCom, Plus Size, Holiday
RATING: 5/5
SPICE: 4/5 - lots of sex but nothing k*nky

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Heaven, Hell or Vermont?

So prior to writing my own review, after excitedly finishing this book, I mistakenly decided to go through Goodreads and see what others had said about this novel. This book, like every book, is not for everyone. If you watch Dumplin’ on Netflix and didn’t relate, understand or appreciate the film, you quite likely will not love this book as much as I did… which to be clear I ABSOLUTELY loved. I am really stingy on what books get 5 stars, and maybe because December is a happy month and my last 3 books have been 5-stars, maybe I am wrong… but I quite doubt it.

Conceptually this novel is amazing. The premise is original and hilarious. How would you feel if your favourite boy-band hunk you’ve been crushing on since your teens is now your co-star on a Hallmark-esk film set? How would you feel if that crush had been subscribed to your “Only Fans” (its got another name in the book) for the last 6 years and has a crush on you? That you mistakenly get selected to be the lead in this wholesome Christmas movie and have to hide that you have a very successful film career already! A porn film career that is! This novel really straddled the line between unrealistic Hallmark-wholesome and realistic and down to earth, which is very hard to do.

Let’s talk about the characters. Firstly, Nolan, our hunky ex-boyband now turned new-wholesome-film-star was a great character filled with depth and understanding. One of my primary issues when reading novels with male perspectives is that sometimes men don’t feel like men. What I mean by this is, that the women writing the novels are writing what women want without really keeping in mind generally how men are. What I mean by this is, at times, considering the men I have in my life and the things they say, the thoughts they share, etc. it will at times feel like something this character wouldn’t REALLY say but rather what the reader/author would WANT them to say. I am not sure if that makes sense, but I will carry on. I do see some criticism about how Nolan’s character describes his love interest Bee, and his sexual thoughts. I think all criticism is fair but I love when my partner and I talk to each other and “objectify” one and other. In Nolan’s context, it isn’t creepy but just a man looking out for the woman he is enamored with.

Bree’s character was perfect. No notes. We love a bisexual, plus size, babe who loves her body and knows what she wants in life and doesn’t take “NO” for an answer. There is a moment in the novel, where Bree is given a big choice, be with the man of her dreams in private or not at all. As a big girl, this is something I have experienced and struggled with before. Often I have found myself in situations where I am told I am beautiful, funny and amazing; that all they want to do is spend time with me, but the moment when it’s time to let people outside of our bubble know… The bubble pops. Gone. And then I am left alone once again, picking up the pieces of myself. This scene in the novel… BROKE ME. I do not want to give anymore away, so I’ll leave it there.
Let’s talk about SPICE baby… So I gave this a 4/5 stars, because while YES Bee is a porn star and there is a significant amount of sex in the novel… There was nothing kinky or triggering about it to give it a 5 star rating. So if you’re ok with mostly vanilla sex and it happening frequently through the novel, there is no need to shy away from this novel. Granted… chapter 13 is… HOT and also… there is a sex scene in a church so if that is something “problematic” for you… you have been warned.

I am not usually someone who reads holiday novels. I actually tried last Christmas to read one, and it remains dust-covered on my TBR, but if you are looking for a nice holiday read to pick up before you’re snowed in for the holidays, I recommend picking up this book.

GENRE: Plus-Size, Witchy, Romance
RATING: 5/5
SPICE: 3/5
RELEASE DATE : February 7, 2023


​In the second novel featuring the Maxwell sisters, we are focused on Rose, the former Prima now witch-trying-to-find-herself-in-this-really-weird-world, a feeling man of us I think can relate to. If you loved April Asher’s first installment of this series, then you will absolutely adore this one. Especially since it features Damian, the sexy grump veterinarian half-demon. He is so dreamy. I thought I couldn’t like a male lead more than I liked Lincoln in “Not the Witch You Wed” but Damian really ups the ante. He is tough with a big heart running an animal sanctuary. Rose and Damian have such amazing chemistry, it’s almost hard to believe I was reading a book and not watching a film! I would pay my good well-earned money to see these books as a TV series or film series.


Asher does it again with this witchy romance, that not only leaves you utterly satisfied, but wanting more. It is witty, funny and filled with pop-culture and witch references that makes Asher a “instant-read” author for me.
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**Note: I received this novel for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.**

GENRE: Romance, Witchy, Love-the-Villain
RATING: 5/5
SPICE:  3/5

​This Witchy Rom-Com was the perfect way to start off my Spooky Season reading list. I have so many feelings, it’s so hard to get anything out that is more than just a happy squawk. I loved this book! It was so much more than I expected and I have to say its going to be a contender for one of my favorite books of 2022. Our main character Reggie, knowns nothing about magic, and responds to an add in the paper to work at her favorite card game, Spellcraft: The Magicking. It is not quite what she thought it was, because she ends up as an “assistant” for an eccentric older witch named Drew. Drew is fun and Reggie quickly takes a liking to her, but her nephew Ben is rude, dark, mysterious and insufferable! But when things go bad, Reggie has to put her feelings towards Ben aside and work together to break the curse set on loveable Drew.

Without giving anything away, Ben is everything I love in a romantic interest. He first comes off as rude and obnoxious but he is ultimately the guy who hates everyone but you. He has a dark past (yeah real skeletons in his closet) and he is grumpy but sunshine Reggie seems to pull him out of it. The novel is narrated by Reggie and Ben, and I honestly felt like Ben’s narration stayed true to his character and his gender expression.

Regardless of what the cover may depict, this book had SPICE! So if you’re looking for a tame Hallmark Rom-Com; then perhaps this isn’t for you. But, if you love rom-coms with spice, falling in love with the villain, and the meant-to-be trope; then pick up this book during this wonderful Spooky Season!

GENRE: CRIME, ROMANCE, FEMALE-LEAD, ENEMIES-TO-LOVERS
RATING: 2/5 ​

  I have never been more disappointed in a Tessa Bailey novel than this one. I am honestly so surprised that it was published. It was overall weird. Firstly, Miles’s narration was awful. I honestly think that if you cannot embody the voice of a man, it might be best to not write in that perspective. Like - show his side to ANY dude and they’ll tell you that this was way too off, and in no way believable. “clearly interpreting my silence as irritation, with her, Taylor turns on a heel in the sand and sashays towards the far side of the cove” No matter how much RuPaul a straight man watches, there is no way he says that.

  Another big issue with this novel was the relationship between Taylor and her brother, it honestly felt like really gross. No sister and brother (gay or not) would ever speak to each other like that - it really felt like this book was supposed to feature the “gay bestie trope” and last minute it was removed. No matter how close me and my brother are, I will NEVER… NEVER tell my brother that I am going to buy a dildo. And I sure as hell would never tell my brother details of my sex life…

   Now back to Miles, there are points where he made allusions to be jealous… OF HER BROTHER and basically seeing him as a threat… like wtf… Like on p.118 Miles would make a comment how annoyed he was at Taylor getting male attention and then in the same paragraph… makes comments about how her brother seems decent and then goes back to talking about the guys who are hitting on her. Like I said very weird.
Now, not only that but this novel is riddled with inconsistencies. So on page 118, Miles says that she is a suspect and that he hast to distance himself but then nothing happens really because he still in that same situation where he’s with her and then on page 121 says that she isn’t a suspect anymore because the time of death made it so their alibis were fine. He never received a call, he never left her side during those pages… but she’s suddenly not a suspect?

   Taylor’s character is also sort of annoying. I have friends who are elementary school teachers… and I swear not everything is about how your students related to this issue. She acts like she has no adult friends who she talks to and relates to. Not everything has to be “but my fourth grade students” or “if one of my fourth grade students acted like this I would…”

   I am only giving this 2/5 instead of 1/5 is because the sex scenes and the sexual tension were extremely well written.
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   Anyways, hope this helps… you can skip this book honestly… Booktok lied.

GENRE: Mafia, Romance, Spicy, Erotic, Greek Mythology
RATING: 2/5
SPICE: 4/5

This was a decent read. It is important to note that the plot is meh, but like EVERY interaction between Kal and Elena ends in some sort of sexual encounter, so I give this 4/5 peppers in the spice category. If youre looking for something erotic without a crazy intense plot go for it.

Although... the amount of times Elena refers to herself as a "Mafia Princess" is way too many. 
The dark tones seem a little forced, but honestly fine. 

I feel like the underline language and allusions to Persephone and Hades could have been skipped and would have been way better tbh, the story stood better without them.

There really isn’t much I want to say about this novel, other than this is really an erotic piece of fiction with some light Hades and Persephone elements sprinkled in, in an awkward way. Every interaction between Elena and Kal ends in some sexual way. That or Kal just talks about how hard is dick is just seeing her exist. If you are looking for an erotic mafia vibe fiction with some Hades commentary thrown in, this is for you.

RATING: 5/5 Stars
GENRE: Romance, Ennemis-to-Lovers, Fake Dating​
SPICE RATING: 2/5
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I absolutely devoured this book. It was so cute and such a great way to break me out of my reading slump. I have been having such a hard time with Circe by Madeline Miller, that this was super refreshing and heartwarming. The characters funny and real, although there were times where I found myself wishing men spoke with their friends about their problems the same way this novel portrays it… It would save us a lot of heartache to be quite honest.

There were many themes that emphasized the immigrant-American experience in the Western world, and as someone from an immigrant family living in Canada I felt seen and understood. While Dating Dr. Dil is from a South Asian perspective, the themes do translate very well. For immigrants and children of immigrants, there is this concept that our parents do not have to tell us that they love us. That they show us everyday by taking care of us that there is love… but that is very hard. I constantly find myself needing reassurance, because I find that in my relationships, it isn’t something I get. I am used to understanding that actions are also a way of saying “I love you” but to be honest, reading this novel really made me feel okay with asking to have things said.

There is also this idea that we sacrifice our mental health and well-being for our family, and in order to keep them, and that is something I hold true to heart. I even have made the joke on multiple occasions about my living at home for free. It’s not free, I will joke, I pay with my mental health. It was the perfect novel at the perfect time for me. It gives me hope of change and bettering and overall the future being a happy one. I am not sure that was the goal of Nisha Sharma when she wrote this novel, but I am so glad she wrote it and that I picked up this novel.

  This novel is about young viable women being part of an alien abduction. They are abducted by these aliens for their galactic sex trafficking ring.  (Knowing this, please be sure to check your triggers for this novel, there are a few) While in space, headed somewhere in the unknown, there seems to be a fuel issue. The aliens are therefore forced to dump the women they abducted, or rather their “cargo” as they refer to them, on a random planet. The protagonist, Georgie, somehow finds herself to be the leader of these women. So when they land on an unknown Ice Planet, she finds herself treading out to find help, or a way home… The story then begins when she meets this James Cameron-looking horned Avatar hunk of an alien.

  Now, as far as what to expect in this novel, there is a lot of spice… a lot. While it doesn’t overshadow the plot, because surprisingly there is a decent plot around trying to save her fellow humans and communicating with alien life, and overall survival, the story really focusses on the erotic alien sex and explicit scenes. One thing I do have to say though, is that this novel doesn’t take itself too seriously, especially with lines like: "It wasn’t a monster come to eat me. It was this monster. Who’s come to eat me out." - which was extremely hilarious. (Yeah, the alien literally starts eating her out upon saving her because apparently she smelled good? I cannot make this stuff up.) Reading this, you may be thinking… ok… then why is this a 4.5/5? Well that is sort of hard to explain, but mainly because within the structure of the novel, it doesn’t feel cringey. The style of writing is super easy to read and really follows a logical train of thought. It doesn’t feel like the author was forcing certain ideas on a character in order for the novel to make sense, but rather flows quite accurately. I am not sure if that makes sense to anyone else but myself, but oh well. The other element that made this a 4.5 for me, is while the plot is really not explored as much as it could have been, it had the basis for a very good plot even without the spice. What I mean by this is, while I do love authors like Katee Robert her novels without the spice wouldn’t have much of a plot. In those novels, the plot was the spice, which again, sometimes I really love. In this instance though, this is what makes this novel outshine the rest.
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  If you want to read this novel out in public, I recommend either and ebook or purchasing the new special edition which honestly if you look at the cover, makes the novel look like a teen sci-fi novel. Have you read this novel? Let me know what you think!

4.5/5