Sally Bend's Blog, page 25

Book Review: My Darling Dreadful Thing by Johanna van Veen (gothic)

Title: My Darling Dreadful Thing
Author: Johanna van Veen
Publication Date: May 14, 2024 by Poisoned Pen Press
Genres: Gothic Horror
Protagonist Gender: Female

My Darling Dreadful Thing was a slow, subtle, suspenseful, sapphic read that embodies everything that’s excellent (and exasperating) about period gothic romances. Johanna van Veen is to be commended for capturing the spirit (no pun intended) of the genre while also imbuing it with (slightly) more overt LGBTQIA representation.

There’s so much about this book that’s wonderful – the orchestration of the seances, the presence of supernatural companions, the tragedy of families, the pain of forbidden love, the framing device of the hospital interview, and the casual disgust of things like grave-robbing. The funny thing is that I was drawn more to the relationship between Roos and Ruth, her spiritual companion, than Agnes, her mortal savior, friend, and would-be lover. The writing was lovely, and the story was absolutely dripping with atmosphere, making it feel like a perfect story for a cold, windy, rainy autumn afternoon.

Where the exasperating aspect comes in is with the epistolary aspect of the novel, which spoils too of the suspense, even as it works to create a heightened sense of drama. It almost works at cross-purposes with the story, making us wonder about exactly what happened, but gives us enough information that nothing really comes as a surprise.

Rating: 1/2

My sincere thanks to the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Blood on the Tide by Katee Robert (romance)

Title: Blood on the Tide
Author: Katee Robert
Publication Date: May 14, 2024 by Berkley
Genres: Romantasy
Protagonist Gender: Female

Oh my, wow, and whoa – Blood on the Tide was so much more than I was expecting and, to be fair, I went into my first Katee Robert read with high hopes. Not only was this a wonderful romance, chock full of sexual tension, but it’s also a fabulous fantasy, complete with magic, monsters, politics, intrigue, and rebellion.

Lizzie was such a fun, bad-ass character, full of snark and attitude – an anti-heroine of the sharpest, bloodiest caliber. She’s powerful, single-minded, and fiercely protective, not immoral but an immortal woman with her own distinct sense of morality. Despite her age and her powers, she has her vulnerabilities, not the least of which is her fear of water – a definite challenge when you’re sailing with pirates. Maeve is the kind of character who would likely be relegated to the supporting cast in another story, a sweet young selkie who initially seems too innocent for the rebellion in which she’s enmeshed, but proves herself to be far more clever and worldly than she first appears.

The tension between the two smolders on every page, even as they’re denying their feelings and pissing each other off. It’s a convenient clash of quests that forces them into close proximity, with one chasing a family treasure and the other a personal one, and an orgasmic act of feeding that opens the first mutual crack in their independence.

There’s a darkness to the fantasy here, a story of colonization and rebellion, but there’s also a strong sense of joyous hope. There’s never any doubt that Lizzie and Maeve will see it through to the end, but what I loved most was that even though all the high stakes of epic fantasy are here, it’s the personal stakes of love and romance that fuel the story. Maeve remains determined to do the right thing for her people (and her world), and Lizzie . . . well, she may not believe in the cause, but she believes in her selkie, and that’s enough.

Rating:

My sincere thanks to the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Freebie Friday – Putting the TG in TGIF!

Well, if it’s Friday, then it must be time to bend our way into the weekend with Freebie Friday!

Every Friday I search through the free titles on Amazon, looking for those that might be of interest to similarly bent readers, fans, and lovers. Even if you don’t have a Kindle, you can still download the titles through one of Amazon’s free reading applications.

Please do be sure to check the price before downloading anything, as most freebies are limited time offers, and some are specific to certain regions.

Enjoy!

Book Tour: The Paradox of Love and Death by Artemis Glass

Artemis Glass has a new FF contemporary romance out: The Paradox of Love and Death. And there’s a giveaway.

Funeral crashing has been the best way for Noemi Moretti to release her pent-up emotions after the death of her parents. But on the anniversary of their passing, she meets Amara Forsythe, a beautiful UCLA student mourning her grandmother. Fate brings them together again at another funeral, but Noemi hides her true intentions from Amara. As their relationship blossoms, so do the lies that threaten to tear them apart. Can Noemi find a way to make things right before it’s too late?

The Paradox of Love and Death follows Noemi as she navigates through her grief and falls for Amara. But with secrets and guilt weighing heavily on her conscience, Noemi must confront the consequences of her actions before it’s too late. Fans of emotional and thought-provoking sapphic romances will love this poignant tale of love, loss, and what it means to truly live. As their connection deepens, so do the lies, and Noemi doesn’t know how to make it right. She soon becomes caught in a tangled mess that threatens to tear her, and her burgeoning relationship, apart.

For readers who enjoyed The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid, you won’t want to miss out on this powerful and heartfelt novel. The Paradox of Love and Death is a profound and heart-tugging sapphic adult romance about death, love, and what it really means to be alive.

Warnings: grief, loss of loved ones, abortion, family dysfunction, depression

Get It On Amazon

Giveaway

Artemis is giving away a $20 Amazon gift card with this tour:

a Rafflecopter giveaway https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b60e8d47311/?

Excerpt

Amara looks at me and her eyes widen. “Oh my God. It really has. My grandmother’s funeral on the same day as my ex-best-friend’s funeral, and then I get caught up in the horribly tragic family soap opera that was his life? It’s been the shittiest day of my life.”

“I’m so sorry,” I say. I rest my right hand on her elbow as a gesture of sympathy and kindness. She responds by wrapping her fingertips around my wrist.

Her touch feels like something more than kindness. It feels intimate. It feels like an invitation.

“What I can’t understand,” she says, her voice shifting ever so slightly. “If it’s been the shittiest day of my life, then why do I feel so, I don’t know… like, jittery—but almost happy right now? Why do I feel like—like I have butterflies flitting around inside my ribcage?” I feel her graze the length of my fingers.

“Why do you have butterflies flitting around inside your ribcage?” I ask, my own heartbeat suddenly flitting wildly, too.

“Because,” she whispers. “I really want to kiss you.”

“Oh.”

“Is that okay?” I nod and let her tug me closer to her.

She wraps her fingers around mine and breathes in my hair. I feel the soft skin of her fingertips trace my jaw. She moans, and I feel my whole body alight with possibility.

I haven’t felt like this since Valeria—and we haven’t even kissed yet.

Fuck, is this really happening? I pull back. What am I doing? Am I really going to make out with a stranger at a funeral?

Her hands loosen in response to my hesitance. “Shit, sorry,” she says. “I thought I felt something between us. I shouldn’t have—”

“I want to kiss you, too,” I hear myself say, and then I pull her towards me. I place my lips on hers, and I feel her body relax and her mouth smile.

Our kiss is clumsy at first—we nearly bump noses, we’re both so nervous. Once we move past our awkwardness, though, we settle into each other’s touch, each other’s breath, each other’s rhythm. Amara’s lips are soft, her skin smooth.

The coarse tips of her long curls graze my cheeks, my forehead. Every time she steals another taste of tongue, every time she bites my bottom lip, ever so gently, she whimpers in pleasure.

My own body is enlivened, too.

It’s been so long.

This feels so good.

Fuck.

I am making out with a stranger at a funeral. This might be a new low, even for me.

Author Bio

Artemis Glass is a multi-genre author of sensually empowering queer adult romance who is on a lifelong journey to reclaim her sources of pleasure.

Her first full-length queer adult romance, The Paradox of Love and Death, is a profound and heart-tugging sapphic HEA about love, death, and what it really means to be alive. Available now on Amazon/KU.

Her Amazon bestselling series, Audrina’s Year of Yearning, follows Audrina Axler-Perez as she undergoes a funny, joyful, and spicy LGBTQ+ midlife awakening.

The novellas, Book 1: A New Year and Book 2: Valentines, Book 3: Lucky, and Book 4: True Colors now available! More coming all year. (Insert Michael Scott joke here.)

Author Website: https://www.artemisglassbooks.com/

Author Facebook (Personal): https://www.facebook.com/artemisglassbooks/

Author Facebook (Author Page): https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090104731744

Author Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/artemisglassbooks/

Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/24295606.Artemis_Glass

Author Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/artemisglassbooks

Can’t-Wait Wednesday: Long Live Evil & How to Become the Dark Lord (fantasy)

Can’t-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted here to spotlight and discuss the books we’re excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they’re books that have yet to be released. Find out more here.

My choices for this week are both stories of the villain era, one with a woman who discovers herself the villainess in an Emperor’s tale, and the other a woman who tries to escape an endless time loop of heroic sacrifice by by switching sides.

Long Live Evil

by Sarah Rees Brennan
Fantasy – Romantic
432 pages, Paperback
July 30, 2024 by Orbit

This adult epic fantasy debut from Sarah Rees Brennan puts the reader in the villain’s shoes, for an adventure that is both “brilliant” (Holly Black) and “supremely satisfying” (Leigh Bardugo). Expect a rogue’s gallery of villains including an axe wielding maid, a shining knight with dark moods, a homicidal bodyguard, and a playboy spymaster with a golden heart and a filthy reputation.

When her whole life collapsed, Rae still had books. Dying, she seizes a second chance at living: a magical bargain that lets her enter the world of her favorite fantasy series.

She wakes in a castle on the edge of a hellish chasm, in a kingdom on the brink of war. Home to dangerous monsters, scheming courtiers and her favourite fictional character: the Once and Forever Emperor. He’s impossibly alluring, as only fiction can be. And in this fantasy world, she discovers she’s not the heroine, but the villainess in the Emperor’s tale.

So be it. The wicked are better dressed, with better one-liners, even if they’re doomed to bad ends. She assembles the wildly disparate villains of the story under her evil leadership, plotting to change their fate. But as the body count rises and the Emperor’s fury increases, it seems Rae and her allies may not survive to see the final page.

This adult epic fantasy debut from Sarah Rees Brennan puts the reader in the villain’s shoes, for an adventure that is both ‘brilliant’ (Holly Black) and ‘supremely satisfying’ (Leigh Bardugo). Expect a rogue’s gallery of villains including an axe wielding maid, a shining knight with dark moods, a homicidal bodyguard, and a playboy spymaster with a golden heart and a filthy reputation.

THIS IS A TALE FOR EVERYONE WHO’S EVER FALLEN FOR THE VILLAIN…

How to Become the Dark Lord and Die Trying

by Django Wexler
Fantasy – Epic / Fantasy – Humorous
432 pages, Paperback
May 21, 2024 by Orbit

Groundhog Day meets Guardians of the Galaxy in Django Wexler’s laugh-out-loud fantasy tale about a young woman who, tired of defending humanity from the Dark Lord, decides to become the Dark Lord herself.

Davi has done this all before. She’s tried to be the hero and take down the all-powerful Dark Lord. A hundred times she’s rallied humanity and made the final charge. But the time loop always gets her in the end. Sometimes she’s killed quickly. Sometimes it takes a while. But she’s been defeated every time.

This time? She’s done being the hero and done being stuck in this endless time loop. If the Dark Lord always wins, then maybe that’s who she needs to be. It’s Davi’s turn to play on the winning side.

Book Review: Wednesday Nights by Donna Jay (romance, lesbian)

Title: Wednesday Nights
Author: Donna Jay
Publication Date: March 16, 2024
Genres: Romance
Protagonist Gender: Female

Whenever you pick up a new Donna Jay novel, you know you’re in for a fantastic read. There are certain things she does very well – realistic characters, convincing drama, genuine relationships, and fabulous friends – that you can always count on. Then, of course, there are the things you don’t know – the erotica-to-romance ratio, the lesbian/bisexual mix, and the nature of the subtle but well-orchestrated themes – that are so much fun to discover.

Wednesday Nights is one of her lovers-to-friends romances, and I loved how proudly and confidently it moves from casual sex and exploratory BDSM kink, uncomplicated by feelings, to the first realizations of romance. The titular nights were never supposed to be about anything more than no-strings-attached intimacy, but Haylee and Angela are so perfectly paired, it’s not a question of if they’ll get together but when.

Tied up in all of that are a variety of themes, the most powerful of which revolve around the give-and-take of a relationship, pleasing others versus pleasing yourself, perceptions of ethical non-monogamy, and the interplay of caring for others and not wanting to be a burden. I mentioned subtle, and that’s part of what Donna always does so well. The themes are there, inescapable by the end of the story, but you never feel like she’s stretching to make a point.

There’s also an element of storytelling and roleplaying to the story that I thought was lovely, giving it an air of romantic fantasy that plays very well against some of the more sorrowful dramas of real life. I wasn’t quite sure where the story was going to end up, but I was entirely delighted with how it found its HEA.

Rating:   

My sincere thanks to the author for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Freebie Friday – Putting the TG in TGIF!

Well, if it’s Friday, then it must be time to bend our way into the weekend with Freebie Friday!

Every Friday I search through the free titles on Amazon, looking for those that might be of interest to similarly bent readers, fans, and lovers. Even if you don’t have a Kindle, you can still download the titles through one of Amazon’s free reading applications.

Please do be sure to check the price before downloading anything, as most freebies are limited time offers, and some are specific to certain regions.

Enjoy!

Book Review: The Dominion and the Sugilite ~ Episode 1 by B.J. Frazier (erotica)

Title: The Dominion and the Sugilite ~ Episode 1
Author: B.J. Frazier
Publication Date: March 17, 2024
Genres: Erotica
Protagonist Gender: Various

The Dominion and the Sugilite is a serialized erotic science-fantasy soap opera by B.J. Frazier, one set on a female-ruled planet where the power exchange is the foundation of a society fueled by the magic of gems known as sugilite.

This first installment serves as our introduction to the world, its history, and its characters, setting up relationship dynamics and social/political interactions. There’s a lovely mix of science fiction and fantasy to the story that reminds me of 70s pulp novels, but with a more contemporary FLR/femdom theme – not to mention an underlying conflict with a religious community.

I love how subtle that FLR aspect is, how the power exchange is just presumed, with no need to justify it. That’s not to say we don’t get to see very overt displays of it, though. This chapter is built around Attis Day, a holiday BDSM ceremony that involves some obedience, oral worship, and exquisite whip-play, with the winner awarded thigh-high boots so perfect that they learn and adapt to the wearer.

Like anything B.J. Frazier writes, this is fun and clever, with the power-exchange elements well thought-out, and I cannot wait to see where the subsequent chapters take us.

Rating:  

My sincere thanks to the author for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: LGBT: Lust, Gore, Bloodshed, & Terror by Wol-vriey (horror)

Title: LGBT: Lust, Gore, Bloodshed, & Terror
Author: Wol-vriey
Publication Date: March 14, 2024
Genres: Horror
Protagonist Gender: Various

LGBT is a story of lust, gore, bloodshed, and terror featuring Lavelle (a lesbian adult film star with a problematic soulmate), Greg (a mature gay man with an unfaithful young husband), Bryn (a bisexual vampire seeking a soulmate of her own), and Tammi (a disgraced transgender influencer desperate for cash).

However, since this is a Wol-vriey book, it also features Mary Yang (a sweet lesbian with dark passions), Mr. Silence (a crazed torturer with a dark imagination), Lynch (a necrophiliac with dark lusts), and Rainbow (a colorful witch with dark power). It’s how and why those two groups of characters come together, however, where the story is to be found, with one poor choice compounding another, and one twist getting tangled up with another.

Yes, there are ghosts, vampires, and witches in the book, with dark magic enabling so much of the darkness, but it’s a very human story of mortal sins and failings. Everyone here has been seduced by something or someone, has given in to one baser urge or another, and they’re going to pay. Murder, torture, deals with the devil, it’s all here, but nothing ever goes quite as you might expect.

LGBT is dark and violent, but in a gleeful sort of way, inviting the reader to take a vicarious sort of satisfaction in seeing these characters get what’s coming to them. It takes a while to get going as we meet the characters and get involved in their lives, but when things start going wrong, the story careens along to one disaster after another.

Rating:

My sincere thanks to the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: T-Girl Tales – Family Values by Crystal Veeyant (erotica)

Title: T-Girl Tales – Family Values
Author: Crystal Veeyant
Publication Date: January 24, 2024
Genres: Erotica
Protagonist Gender: Various

This very NSFW bundle from Crystal Veeyant collects previously published tales, out-of-print stories, and even some new ones, a perfect treat for fans of her naughtiest stories of step-families and role-playing. Having had the pleasure of knowing her for (wow!) a dozen years now, I’ve had the pleasure of reading most of these, but it was still a delight to revisit her unique style and depraved imagination.

Shemale Stepmom is a story that moves from cute to kinky, opening with one surprise reveal, ending with another, and featuring some lovely, inventive quirks in between. Breaking In Brother is a fun story of female domination, feminization, and kinky sex, with a level of sensory detail that allows you to feel the story.

Mommy’s Sissy Slut is one of the new stories here, a fun fantasy about a college crossdresser, his pro-Domme stepmother, and their journey from discovery, through supportive experimentation, to a whole new life. Mother’s Jailhouse Shemale is a wild story, by far one the nastiest in the collection, with an exhibitionist angle that adds an extra level of kink.

Stepmom’s Sissy Whores doubles up on the role-playing with a pair of sissies, their MILF stepmoms, and horny old men who pay to see their fantasies played out. Travels with My Aunt is a deceptive, subtly twisted story, with set-ups and betrayals that are only clear in the final pages.

Dressing Up Daddy is a simple tale of a crossdressing step-father, his manipulative step-daughter, and her lesbian lover that, unfortunately, ends too soon. Sissy Nuns for Mother Superior, on the other hand, is just about perfect, full of kinky blasphemy, with erotic twists on religious practices and costumes, while striking the right balance between gleeful submission and genuine reluctance.

Mom’s Roadhouse Slut brings together characters from some of Crystal’s best stories, with a fantasy kidnapping scenario that she does oh-so-well. Sister’s Sissy Cheerleader takes all the familiar erotic tropes and mixes them up to create something fun, with levels of depravity that catapult the reader into sissy bliss.

Hypnotized Sissy Son is one of those stories that takes us from a young man’s worst day ever to a young sissy’s best day ever, courtesy of hypnotism and domination. Pirate Life is one of the most imaginative stories in the collection, featuring a perverted pirate, a misogynistic near-mutiny, and a sissy’s sacrifice – which, rest assured, she doesn’t mind in the slightest!

At 340+ pages,  T-Girl Tales – Family Values is not a collection to be rushed, but one to be savored, to be teased over multiple sessions. It’s sexy and naughty and depraved, but always in the name of good fun.

Rating:

My sincere thanks to the author for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.