Stone Heart by Katee Robert (Dark Olympus #0.5)

Summary from Goodreads: In the city of Olympus, people only speak about Medusa in whispers. She’s Athena’s knife hand, the one sent when Athena wants someone to disappear. No one asks Medusa what she wants, but she owes Athena her life, and if staining her hands with blood is the only way to repay the debt, it’s a small price to pay.

Until Athena sends her after Calypso, the mistress of the rich politician Odysseus. As far as Medusa can tell, Calypso hasn’t done anything remotely worthy of a death sentence, and her conflicted feelings only get compounded when she finally sees the woman. Calypso is beautiful and cunning and she’ll do anything to keep her life—including seducing her would-be assassin. What starts as a ploy to escape quickly spirals into genuine interest. Medusa is hardly the cold killer that rumors suggest, and Calypso is far more complicated than her reputation as a ruthless gold-digger. But it doesn’t matter that they’ve finally found something special together. Athena will have her blood, and this time not even crossing the River Styx will save them…

Woooo, Medusa + Calypso! Katee provided a wee prequel story set in Dark Olympus for her Patreon, and then newsletter, subscribers. This one’s very short and steamy, very much “I was sent to unalive you but I’ve caught feelings and oh no” but also “man, fuck these assholes for being patriarchal dickweasels, that Odysseus dude especially” because Dark Olympus politics. I also liked how Katee changed the “snake-haired lady who’ll turn you into stone” into a scarred assassin who’s really started to not like her job…. Bonus, we get a little pre-Persephone Hades.

I wish it was a little longer, like I do with pretty much all novellas.

Dear FTC: I got this novella for free because I subscribe to Katee’s newsletter.

Tycoon by Joanna Shupe (The Knickerbocker Club #0.5)

Summary from Goodreads: In Gilded Age New York City, the bachelors of the Knickerbocker Club spend their days rubbing elbows with Manhattan’s most elite citizens—and their nights with its most intoxicating women…

Sometimes the journey is more pleasurable than the destination…Standing on the platform at Grand Central Station, Ted Harper is surprised by a fiery kiss from an undeniably gorgeous damsel in distress. He’s certain she’s a swindler who’s only after his money, but he’s never met a woman so passionate and sure of herself. Disarmed, he invites her to spend the journey to St. Louis in his private car—perhaps against his better judgment.

Clara Dawson has long known how to take care of herself, but the savvy shop girl is at a loss when she witnesses—and becomes entangled in—a terrible crime. Desperation propels her into a stranger’s arms at the train station, but she hadn’t expected Ted to offer her the protection she so badly needs—nor did she expect their chemistry to develop more steam than the engine of the train. He’s everything she never thought she could have, and she’s everything he didn’t know he wanted. But as her secrets begin to unfurl, their fledgling romance could be in danger of derailing before they arrive at the next station.

Short-ish and sweet – Tycoon is a bit of a retelling of The Palm Beach Story (which I just rewatched for the first time in a long while), in a “rich gentleman falling in love with a strange woman on a train journey” way not a “just witnessed a murder and need to get out of town as fast as possible way” (there are no murders that I know of in The Palm Beach Story). I picked this up a while back from a Fated Mates interstitial about road-trip romances.

Dear FTC: I bought and read a copy of this book on my Nook.

Missing Christmas by Kate Clayborn (Chance of a Lifetime #3.5)

Summary from Goodreads: ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE ANTHOLOGY A SNOWY LITTLE CHRISTMAS!

From the acclaimed author of Love Lettering comes another unforgettable story of modern love, as Mother Nature steps in to help turn two friends into much more . . .

It’s all work and no play for longtime friends-turned-business-partners Kristen and Jasper—until an unexpected kiss turns things personal. Will it mean the end of something, or the beginning? With a major contract in the balance, Christmas around the corner, and a lot of unspoken feelings, it may take an unpredictable blizzard in New England to seal the deal . . .

Catching up on a Christmas romance that I didn’t get to during the actual Christmas season. Missing Christmas is a sweet Hallmark-but-hotter Christmas novella about two longtime colleagues trying to save a deal at Christmas – and wind up snowed in together. Which forces them to realize they love each other (not a spoiler, haha). I haven’t read the Chance of a Lifetime series yet, so I didn’t feel like I missed anything I should know about this office romance-turned-forced proximity romance. Basically: Jasper doesn’t do Christmas, but Kristen’s family does, and they have to try and save a deal for their company when an asset backs out, so Kristen will have to fly straight to her family once they save the deal, but then they wind up being snowed in together and Jasper tries to make Christmas happen for Kristen and whoops, there’s Christmas movies and kissing and only one bed. And feelings. Super cute.

Dear FTC: I bought my copy of this novella on my Nook.

Proper’s Demon by K.J. Parker (Prosper’s Demon #1)

Summary from Goodreads: In a botched demonic extraction, they say the demon feels it ten times worse than the man. But they don’t die, and we do. Equilibrium.

The unnamed and morally questionable narrator is an exorcist with great follow-through and few doubts. His methods aren’t delicate but they’re undeniably effective: he’ll get the demon out — he just doesn’t particularly care what happens to the person. Prosper of Schanz is a man of science, determined to raise the world’s first philosopher-king, reared according to the purest principles. Too bad he’s demonically possessed.

Prosper’s Demon is a solid one-sitting novella about an amoral demon hunter (who is not Prosper, FYI) and the demon he keeps crossing paths with in a quasi-Enlightenment Germany. It’s wry, and squishy, and gross, and kind of unexpected. I was wishing that there was more development of the world in this book and I guess I get my wish because there’s a full length novel followup coming out very soon.

Dear FTC: I read a paperback copy of this book that I purchased from the store.

Duke I’d Like to F…. by Sierra Simone, Nicola Davidson, Eva Leigh, Adrianna Herrera, and Joanna Shupe

Summary from Goodreads: He’s got big duke energy…

The Chasing of Eleanor Vane – Sierra Simone: Ajax Dartham, the Duke of Jarrell, has a problem. And that problem is his future niece-in-law. When the clever and capable Lady Eleanor Vane—understandably—runs off into the night rather than marry his horrible nephew, the Duke has a choice. Should he catch Eleanor and return her to her fate—or make Eleanor his own instead?

Duke For Hire – Nicola Davidson: As her fiery clergyman father chases away all suitors, Miss Ada Blair is resigned to spinsterhood. Yet while she can’t wed, bedding might be another matter. One man meets all her requirements for a discreet and expert pleasure tutor—Jasper Muir, Duke of Gilroy—but he insists on a very wicked contract…

An Education In Pleasure – Eva Leigh: As a governess to the Duke of Tarrington, Cecilia Holme resigns herself to a passionless life. Except now the old duke is dead and Owen, the new duke, is very tempting—and much younger. Is the chance to give Owen an education in pleasure too enticing to refuse?

The Duke Makes Me Feel… – Adriana Herrera: Dukes and their demands are nothing new for Marena Baine-Torres. Her newfound success has her little apothecary teeming with ill-mannered aristocrats. But as tiresome as they are, she needs the business. When the unflappable Duke of Linley storms into her shop and makes her an offer she’d be a fool to refuse, Marena soon finds herself on the adventure of a lifetime with a man who is as infuriating as he is intriguing.

My Dirty Duke – Joanna Shupe: Violet knows that her father’s best friend, the Duke of Ravensthorpe, is the most powerful man in all of London with a reputation for sin. But nothing can stop Violet from wanting to shed her wallflower ways and fulfill her darkest, most forbidden desires…even if it means seducing a man twice her age.

If you were looking for a collection of super horny-pants romance novellas about dukes, Duke I’d Like to F… is for YOU. I’d go with 4.5 stars (which I’ll get into) but I’ll roll it up to 5 because it’s a fun anthology. Overall, the collection seems to be arranged roughly in chronological order, from the late Georgian to late Victorian periods. The over-arching theme (clearly) is dukes you want to bang and the collection delivers on it. Just a note on inclusivity: all the main couples are M/F couples – although in several novellas several MCs seem to be bi- or pan- in previous relationships – but several major secondary couples are F/F and all characters appear to be white except for several Adriana Herrera’s novella.

“The Chasing of Eleanor Vane” by Sierra Simone – the one novella that I thought really ought to have been a full novel; the characters Eleanor and Ajax are interesting, but the whole Second Kingdom (a shadow sex-positive kink community in England) concept felt very underdeveloped for this length of story and given what I’ve read of Sierra I think this is one of her less-transgressive pieces; 3.5-4 stars.
“Duke for Hire” by Nicola Davidson – the funniest novella in the bunch; sheltered/put-upon clergyman’s daughter Ada gets some help from her honorary godmothers (who are a hoot) in hiring the local duke Jasper (who, apparently, makes up super sex-positive and inclusive contracts ahead of time for all his mistresses) to rid her of her v-card and have a little fun for once; it doesn’t start out steamy but builds very quickly; 4 stars.
“An Education in Pleasure” by Eva Leigh – the story starts out with a little voyeurism (governess Cecilia spies new duke Owen skinny dipping) and gets very sweet plus steamy from there; Cecilia is the governess to Owen’s sisters and he’s been attracted to her since his teen years, but now he would like to acknowledge this attraction between them and allow the more-experienced Cecilia to teach him about pleasure (younger man-older woman, heyo, but Owen makes sure to put Cecilia’s employment as governess under his mother’s care so he is no longer her direct employer – that line is real fine there, but it turns out OK); 4.5 stars (I would have liked more)
“The Duke Makes Me Feel…” by Adrianna Herrera – I was really excited to read this one since Adriana has a historical series coming out late 2021 (early 2022?) from Avon and she doesn’t disappoint; I loved prickly herbalist Marena’s fight against her attraction to Arlo because all of her reasons are good and practical reasons but the heart wants what the heart wants (plus who wouldn’t want a good, socially-conscious Duke who is handsome as sin and has all his own teeth and wants women to have the vote and ALSO blows your mind?); the scenes in Paris are so beautifully and sensually written (and that’s just the market and dinner scenes, lol); 5 stars
“My Dirty Duke” by Joanna Shupe – probably the dirtiest and most-transgressive novella in the collection because silver fox plus much-younger woman who is his friend’s daughter? Sorry, but yes please; Violet has been attracted to Max as long she can remember and, now that she’s of age and “out” in Society, decides to sneak into Max’s house when she overhears his mistress’s assignation with him being cancelled….and THINGS HAPPEN. (Because Max has wanted her too and, well, he’s older and not a “good” man and and and….); all the stars.

So much fun!

Dear FTC: I bought this book on my Nook when it released.

Your Favorite Band Cannot Save You by Scotto Moore

Summary from Goodreads: Your Favorite Band Cannot Save You is a story of music, obsession, violence, and madness by Scotto Moore

I was home alone on a Saturday night when I experienced the most beautiful piece of music I had ever heard in my life.

Beautiful Remorse is the hot new band on the scene, releasing one track a day for ten days straight. Each track has a mysterious name and a strangely powerful effect on the band’s fans. A curious music blogger decides to investigate the phenomenon up close by following Beautiful Remorse on tour across Texas and Kansas, realizing along the way that the band’s lead singer, is hiding an incredible, impossible secret. 

Wow. Your Favorite Band Cannot Save You is a really fun road-trip, music geek, horror novella that reminded me a lot of Shaun of the Dead and what was that movie, This is The End(?). A great one-sitting read. (Still having trouble reading, so the Tor novellas are kind of perfect right now.)

Dear FTC: I bought my copy of this book last summer for my birthday.

The Only Harmless Great Thing by Brooke Bolander

Summary from Goodreads: In the early years of the 20th century, a group of female factory workers in Newark, New Jersey slowly died of radiation poisoning. Around the same time, an Indian elephant was deliberately put to death by electricity in Coney Island.

These are the facts.

Now these two tragedies are intertwined in a dark alternate history of rage, radioactivity, and injustice crying out to be righted. Prepare yourself for a wrenching journey that crosses eras, chronicling histories of cruelty both grand and petty in search of meaning and justice.

The Only Harmless Great Thing is a very intriguing alternate history mashup of two real-life events: the Radium Girls and the electrocution of an elephant on Coney Island in the early part of the twentieth century. The length of the novella is just right. I don’t think the conceit would have held for much longer. Another great Tor novella.

Dear FTC: I bought this book last summer for my birthday.

The Beauty by Aliya Whiteley

Summary from Goodreads: Somewhere away from the cities and towns, a group of men and boys gather around the fire each night to listen to their stories in the Valley of the Rocks. For when the women are all gone the rest of your life is all there is for everyone. The men are waiting to pass into the night.

The story shall be told to preserve the past. History has gone back to its aural roots and the power of words is strong. Meet Nate, the storyteller, and the new secrets he brings back from the woods. William rules the group with youth and strength, but how long can that last? And what about Uncle Ted, who spends so much time out in the woods?

Hear the tales, watch a myth be formed. For what can man hope to achieve in a world without women? When the past is only grief how long should you hold on to it? What secrets can the forest offer to change it all?

Discover the Beauty.

I’ve been having trouble concentrating on fiction lately (well, concentrating on anything book-related, like even an essay collection takes serious effort to read) but I picked up this two-novella volume from Aliya Whiteley off my TBR yesterday – where it has been for years – and read it over two days.

So. Mushroom ladies? Absolute nightmare fuel. If you’re looking for something eco-horrorish after reading Mexican Gothic, The Beauty will scratch that itch if you were SUPER into that one chapter (you know the one).

The second novella – Peace, Pipe – is very much for fans of Mary Doria Russell’s The Sparrow in many ways.

I’m not going to say I’ve broken my reading drought but it was good to sink into fictional stories again.

Dear FTC: I bought this book several years ago.