Sally Bend's Blog, page 3
August 20, 2025
Spotlight: Interview with the Tarot Reader by Kathy Kaye
BOOK BLAST
Book Title: Interview with the Tarot Reader
Author: Kathy Kaye
Publisher: Vanguard Press, Cambridge, UK
Cover Artist: Image licensed from Adobe Publishers
Release Date: May 29, 2025
Genres: Contemporary F/F Romance, Slightly Speculative
Tropes: Intrigue, romance, spiritual insight, wisdom of the universe
Themes: Human connection and loss, coincidence and destiny, self-discovery
Heat Rating: 3 flames
Length: 40 000 words/201 pages
It is Book 1 of 3. Books 2 and 3 are being written. Book 2, The Tarot Connection, will be published in mid 2026.
This book ends on a cliffhanger.
Buy Links
A captivating tale of love, fate, and the power of the unknown.
Blurb
In the heart of San Francisco, two strangers find themselves inexplicably connected in a moment that transcends time and space. As they navigate this unexplainable bond, they are drawn into a world of mystery and self-discovery that will change their lives forever.
Interview with the Tarot Reader weaves a captivating tale of love, fate, and the power of the unknown. Join Marie Cameron, a renowned tarot card reader, as she delves into the depths of the human soul and uncovers the secrets that lie within. With a blend of intrigue, romance, and spiritual insight, this novel will leave you questioning the boundaries of reality and the true nature of connection.
Interview with the Tarot Reader is a mesmerizing journey, where the answers you seek may be found in the most unexpected of places.
Excerpt
“Welcome, viewers. My name is Cole Hardigan with San Francisco at Night. We are delighted to have a special guest with us this evening, Tarot Card Reader Marie Cameron.
“Marie, thank you for being here.”
Marie smiled. “My pleasure.” She felt her heart flutter, nervous as she sometimes became at the beginning of an interview or mingling in the public eye.
“As many of you are aware, Marie is a well-respected tarot reader, lecturer, and writer here in the Bay area. And she is a celebrity in her own right, with more than thirty years’ experience reading tarot cards for the famous as well as the infamous, the ordinary as well as the quite extraordinary.
“Marie has just published her best-selling memoir, The Messages of Tarot: Keys to an Intentional Life, which details her years and the people she has met practicing her profession.
“So, let us begin.” He tuned to his subject. “Marie, several years ago you experienced what you describe in your book as the defining moment in your career, in which you helped two young adults come to an understanding of an event, an occurrence that is ‘not of this world.’ This event, this connection between the two individuals, is so rare, you say, that it is often not discussed.”
Marie: “That is correct.”
Cole: “We want to open up that world tonight. Can you explain for us just what it was that happened?”
Marie: “Yes, of course.” She folded her hands and began. “I had the good fortune of meeting two individuals of different races, ages, genders who met by chance on a San Francisco sidewalk and instantly connected or, more accurately, reconnected, experiencing a bonding between them that, as you described, is not of this world. This type of connection with another has been defined in tarot literature as of another realm, but of a connected realm that is the entirety of the universe.”
Cole: “But how does it occur, this so-called connection?”
Marie: “It is when time and motion stop. There are no decades, no centuries, no millennia. There is nothing that separates one period in time from another. People describe the first recognition of a connection as time standing still and a continuum of being. What was, is. And will be. What this connection brings is peace within oneself and with another beyond anything imaginable.”
Cole: “Can you talk about that a bit more? About the peace you mention?”
Marie: “My understanding is that it is a feeling of oneness, of knowing, and finally of understanding the universe. And oneself.”
Cole: “Some might say this is heading into woo-woo territory.”
Marie smiled. “The closest I can describe it is the sense of grace and peacefulness that occurs for some within their religion.”
Cole: “So tarot is religious then?”
Marie paused, having been asked this question many times. “Tarot is a pathway that may lead to understandings that certainly could be construed as spiritual and, yes, religious.”
Cole: “I see. Has tarot been that way for you?”
Marie hesitated again, the question personal. “I found answers within tarot that I did not find anywhere else. And that occurred because tarot helped me reframe and refine my own questions about life. It can help others do the same.
“For example, the question ‘Will I be rich?’ can be rephrased to ‘Will I find wealth in a way I had not anticipated.’ That question opens possibilities, redefining wealth as not just about money. For some individuals, monetary wealth is not an answer. It really shouldn’t be a question.”
Cole: “Thought provoking. Getting back to the two individuals, what did their so-called connection do for them?”
Marie: “It gave them an awareness of their place in time and to one another that will be unending and unbroken.”
Cole: “Did you believe, at first, that this connection had actually occurred?”
Marie: “I did.”
Cole: “How is it you came to be associated with them?”
About the Author
Kathy Kaye is a former writer and editor for the American Medical Association, Harvard Medical School, and Virginia Mason Medical Center in Seattle. She received a degree in English Literature from Illinois State University and completed a certificate in Wine Technology at South Seattle College’s Northwest Wine Academy. For many years she was co-owner of a small vineyard in eastern Washington State. She resides in Shoreline, Washington.
Kaye is currently writing two story series: the Warehouse Winery Mystery series, a police procedural, set in Woodinville, Washington, where, in real life, she sold winemakers the grapes she grew; and the Tarot Reader series. Interview with the Tarot Reader is book one of three in this series. Book two, The Tarot Connection, will be published in 2026.
LuckyMACK Studios, Seattle
August 19, 2025
Promo Blitz: Pretty Mess by Lily Morton
PROMO BLITZ – Pretty Mess by Lily Morton
Length: 123,000 words
Series: standalone
Prior Reading: n/a
Genre: contemporary
Tropes: Escort and first client, hurt/comfort, grumpy/sunshine, taciturn billionaire
Trigger/Content Warnings: On page sexual assault, discussion of childhood trauma
Designer: Natasha Snow
Kiss him, sleep with him, but don’t ever fall in love with him.
The first time Wes Archer steps into Jack of Clubs, an exclusive London pleasure club, he’s completely confident he can heed the tried-and-true advice about becoming an escort. Wes gives himself away for free with casual hookups all the time. Why not make some cash doing what he already loves? And cash is something he desperately needs. His brother’s gambling addiction has taken their family’s home, saddled Wes with insurmountable debts, and compromised his chances for finishing his degree.
Accepting an offer to spend a few hours of fun with a rich bloke will be a simple business transaction, right?
Wrong.
Wes’s first client is Cormac Reilly. The handsome billionaire is grumpy, funny, and commanding in a way that unlocks desires Wes never knew he had. Cormac is icily determined to keep their arrangement strictly business, but that doesn’t stop Wes from finding him fascinating.
As their one-night contract becomes something much more, Wes can’t deny he’s falling for his client. He knows he’s flouting all the rules, but breaking down Cormac’s barriers is an irresistible challenge, and his reward might be the best prize of all — love.
From bestselling author Lily Morton comes a passionate love story set in London and Paris about two astonishingly different men and one very pretty mess.
Please see the disclaimer at the beginning of the book for content some readers may find triggering.
AVAILABLE NOW
about the author:
Lily lives in sunny England with her husband and two children, all of whom claim that they haven’t had a proper conversation with her since she bought her first Kindle.
She has spent her life with her head full of daydreams and decided one day to just sit down and start writing about them. In the process she discovered that she actually loved writing, because how else could she get to spend her time with hot, funny men!
She loves chocolate and Baileys and the best of all creations – chocolate Baileys! Her lifetime’s ambition is to have a bath in peace without being shouted by one of her family.
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008647656545
Facebook Readers Group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/SnarkSquad
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/LilyAuthor
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/lilymortonauthor
Newsletter: https://bit.ly/LilyMorton-Newsletter
https://gayromancereviews.com/
August 16, 2025
Stacking the Shelves & The Sunday Post
Stacking The Shelves (Reading Reality) and The Sunday Post (Caffeinated Reviewer) are both blog memes about sharing the books we’re adding to the shelves and sharing news of the week ahead.
New PurchasesNothing new in terms of purchases this week, unless you count a trio of Friday Freebies that I’m really excited about.
For ReviewKeeping with the theme of threes, a trio of exciting review titles this week.
Throne in the Dark (Deluxe Edition) by A. K. Caggiano
November 4, 2025
For fans of Kimberly Lemming and The Princess Bride comes the first book in AK Caggiano’s Villains & Virtues series, following the son of a demon on his way to fulfill his dark legacy, and the blonde pickpocket he accidentally magically links to him along the way.
The Duke by Anna Cowan
April 28, 2026
A sapphic regency romance about the duke who fears nothing… until the woman she never forgot walks through the door and brings her to her knees.
Trust No One by James Rollins
February 24, 2026
From the #1 New York Times bestselling master of international intrigue comes a shocking new stand-alone thriller that thrusts a group of university students, falsely accused of murder, into a treacherous hunt across Europe, all to unlock the secrets buried within a centuries-old book that could change humankind forever.
Currently ReadingHaven’t had a lot of time for reading this week, as I’ve been working on a project that I’m hoping I’ll be able to formally announce this week. However, I did finish Among the Burning Flowers by Samantha Shannon (review to come), and I’m just racing through The Witch Roads by Kate Elliott (and loving it).
August 15, 2025
Weekend Freebies – Sexy Fantasy & Kinky Fantasies
Well, if it’s another weekend, then it must be time to bend our hearts and minds around preparing for the week ahead, and how better to do that than with some Weekend Freebies!
Every weekend I search through the free titles on Amazon, looking for those that might interest visitors to the ruins. 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!
August 8, 2025
Weekend Freebies – Queer Fantasy, Romantasy, and PNR
Well, if it’s another weekend, then it must be time to bend our hearts and minds around preparing for the week ahead, and how better to do that than with some Weekend Freebies!
Every weekend I search through the free titles on Amazon, looking for those that might interest visitors to the ruins. 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!
August 7, 2025
Swooning Over ‘The World Within’ by Dani Finn
Author: Dani Finn
Publication Date: Sept 7, 2024
Genres: Romantasy
Representation: Transgender, Lesbian
The World Within is a trans sapphic romantasy, and if that’s not enough to make your eyes widen and your heart beat a little faster, then you’re a monster, and nothing I can say will fix that (LOL). If, however, you’re even the tiniest bit curious, let me assure you that Dani Finn’s wonderful novel is everything you could ask for – and then some.
Set in the Weirdwater Confluence universe of (and I love the term) sword-free fantasy, but entirely standalone, this is a novel that immediately immerses you in the world while allowing background details to slip in naturally through the narrative. There were moments where I found myself asking questions, wondering about this or that, but more out of curiosity than a desperate need to understand.
The basic premise of the story is as delightful as it is unique. Lila is in the process of opening her own shop in a rehabilitated ancient temple, which would be pretty standard fantasy stuff for a tavern or apothecary, but what Lila is bringing to life is a luxury sex shop (complete with alchemical vibrators), wellness center (complete with a spa and baths), and a consulting service (for a wide variety of clients). As for Lila herself, what makes her unique is two things. One, she is transcendent (the culture’s term for transgender), and two, she’s turned her back on the painted faces of the aristocratic friends and family who disowned her, choosing to live her life on her terms.
Who she is and what she does are intricately wrapped up in one another, with her experiences driving her to help people discover, embrace, and excel at their passions. There is no shame or embarrassment in her shop. There, everyone is equal, painted faces or not, and those whom society shuns for being different or loving differently are welcomed with open arms.
Avisse is the delivery woman who arrives with the alchemical vibrators for the shop’s grand opening, instantly striking up a romance with Lila. It’s a distance relationship at first, given Avisse’s job, but they make the most of their time together. It’s such a sweet romance that develops between them, and they are such genuinely good people that it’s all too easy to get sucked into the love story. As the story progresses, we start getting as anxious as Lila for the next delivery, hoping that Avisse will stay closer, stay longer, maybe stay forever this time.
On top of all that, there’s a secondary story involving a hidden secret within the temple’s baths, one that brings together one of Lila’s friends and Avisse’s son. It’s a lovely sort of mentorship that adds a whole new dynamic to the story, not to mention a curious little mystery that ultimately brings Lila and Avisse closer together.
Leisurely paced, with wonderful characters, a truly unique setting, and some well-deserved spice, The World Within is the trans sapphic romantasy you may have never known you wanted, but certainly need.
Rating: 
August 6, 2025
Can’t-Wait Wednesday – September Reads
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.
With the first of the month having come and gone, it’s time to look ahead to the books I’m most excited about seeing on shelves next month.
Her Subtle Investigations by Scarlett Gale
Fantasy
August 16, 2025 by Unnatural Redhead Creations
A Tired Blade
The Knife has long been the Warrior Guild’s invisible answer to complicated problems-silent, sharp, and gone before her enemies even notice. She loves the work, loves helping people no one else will, but the years of endless travel-of lonely assignments, empty beds, and temporary allies-have worn her thin. Every new mission feels heavier, and Southport’s nostalgic foods and familiar heat stir a deeper ache: the yearning not just for a solid home, but for a shared life with someone to whom she’s just Kia, not the Knife…
A Collision Course
Chasing down a string of kidnappings, the Knife crosses paths-and blades-with two surprising Southport natives, both hunting for missing family. Masako wields nature magic with steely fury, but knows almost nothing about Southport’s criminal underbelly. Nukunya carries an encyclopedic knowledge of the city along with a dry wit that cuts as deep as any blade. After a violent first meeting the trio form an uneasy alliance, then a true team as their search leads them closer to their quarry… and each other…
A Branching Path
Pinned down and hiding out in a brothel’s back room, the Knife finds the lines between partnership, friendship, and romance blurring. Southport-and the people in it-has started to feel dangerously like home, but the Knife’s Guild assignments never let her stay anywhere for long. With duty pulling her to one path and the temptation of Masako and Nukunya pulling her to another, she’ll have to decide: Is it time to walk away again, or finally lay down roots?
Okay, so this is an August release, but it was also a surprise release that wasn’t announced until after I put together last month’s list. With His Secret Illuminations being one of my favorite books, this is a must-read.
Angel Maker by Elizabeth Bear
Science Fiction
Sept 2, 2025 by Sobbing Squonk Press
Every cowboy story needs a horse no man can ride.
No man—but Miss Karen Memery is all woman. When she and her beloved Priya sign on to do stunts for a motion picture about a rogue Mechanical named Cowboy and a Wild West show, she finds the horse of her dreams: Angel Maker.
Her plans to rescue him from a deadly stunt are ambitious enough, but she’s soon beset by even greater threats when two men are murdered brutally. Cowboy and Priya are arrested for the crime, and Karen must prove them innocent—and save the life of the wild stallion too!
Sure, it’s been 7 years since we last encountered Karen, but I remember her steampunk adventures fondly – and I’m excited for more.
Among the Burning Flowers by Samantha Shannon
Fantasy
Sept 16, 2025 by Bloomsbury Publishing
With the awakening of fire-breathing dragons, Among the Burning Flowers sees the first sparks of danger that threaten to consume the world in The Priory of the Orange Tree.
Take your first steps into the epic.
Yscalin, land of sunshine and lavender, will soon be ablaze.
It has been centuries since the Draconic Army took wing, almost extinguishing humankind.
Marosa Vetalda is a prisoner in her own home, controlled by her cold father, King Sigoso. Over the mountains, her betrothed, Aubrecht Lievelyn, rules Mentendon in all but name. Together, they intend to usher in a better world.
A better world seems impossibly distant to Estina Melaugo, who hunts the Draconic beasts that have slept across the world for centuries.
And now the great wyrm Fýredel is stirring, and Yscalin will be the first to fall . . .
A story of human resilience in the face of dire circumstances, Among the Burning Flowers leads readers through the gripping and tragic events that pave the way for the opening of the million-copy bestseller The Priory of The Orange Tree.
While it’s not a full-length sequel to The Priory of the Orange Tree or A Day of Fallen Night, it’s a new story in that world, which is fabulous!
Teenage Girls Can Be Demons by Hailey Piper
Horror
Sept 16, 2025 by Titan Books
13 terrifying coming-of-rage stories from the Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Queen of Teeth, perfect for fans of Clive Barker, Mariana Enriquez and Eric LaRocca
13 coming-of-rage stories the way only Bram Stoker Award-winning author Hailey Piper can tell them—wildly inventive, brilliantly imaginative, and completely and utterly enthralling.
A vicious group of college upperclassmen prey on the freshman girls in “Why We Keep Exploding”; across the world, something is mutating adolescents into bizarre creatures in “The Turning”; a girl on a night out realizes a bizarre cop is hunting her in “The Long Flesh of the Law”; and in the acclaimed novella “Benny Rose, the Cannibal King”, a Halloween prank goes horribly wrong when a murderous ghost steps out of an urban legend and into the real world.
These stories take our most difficult years of transformation and twist them into new and terrifying shapes, where the monsters are real and you’ll do whatever it takes to get away, or get even.
All The Hearts You Eat was such a good read, and the comparison here to Clive Barker only whets my appetite futrher.
Best Woman by Rose Dommu
Fiction
Sept 23, 2025 by Ballantine Books
The “best woman” in her brother’s wedding tells a little white lie in her quest to get the girl—her lifelong crush and the maid of honor—in this wildly entertaining debut novel about bad decisions and life’s messiest transitions.
Julia Rosenberg loves her brother. Really loves him. Enough to: be the “best woman” at his wedding; leave behind her hard-won New York life, brilliant best friends, and drag brunches for Boca Raton, Florida; entertain the uptight bride-to-be and her vicious cronies; try (and fail) to dodge the hometown hookup buddy she can’t resist; and navigate the tricky dynamics with her divorced parents.
She’s not that nervous. Her family stood by her when she came out as a woman a few years ago. And it’s just one week in Florida—a week of old memories and sisterly duties that will force Julia to confront the tensions that have been bubbling beneath the surface of her closest relationships. No big deal.
When it turns out that Kim Cameron, the gorgeous, self-assured girl that she crushed on hard in high school, is the maid of honor, Julia panics. She tells a teensy little lie to win Kim’s favor—a lie that snowballs out of control and threatens to undermine the blossoming attraction between them and complicate an already challenging relationship with her family. Using her wit, charm, and a suitcase full of couture “borrowed” from a pop star, Julia just might survive the horde of clone-like bridesmaids, go-kart racing bachelor parties, and alcohol-fueled speeches. But she won’t make it out unscathed. As best woman, she’s making the worst decisions of her life.
An utterly contemporary send-up of My Best Friend’s Wedding and a riotous coming-of-age novel, Best Woman is rife with crackling wit and devastating poignancy and announces Rose Dommu as an exciting voice in fiction.
This just sounds like a lot of fun!
What Fury Brings by Tricia Levenseller
Romantasy
Sept 23, 2025 by FEIWEL
#1 New York Times-bestselling author Tricia Levenseller makes her adult debut in What Fury Brings, a sexy, empowering romantasy featuring a warrior general who must kidnap and train a husband in order to take her rightful place as queen.
There’s a shortage of men in the kingdom of Amarra. After a failed rebellion against the matriarchy, most noblemen in the country are dead. Now the women of Amarra must obtain their husbands (should they want one) by kidnapping them from other kingdoms.
Olerra, a warrior princess vying for the throne, is determined to prove her worth by kidnapping a husband. And not just any husband. To outmaneuver her treacherous cousin, she needs the best. Fortunately, the second-born prince of their greatest enemy is widely known for both his looks and his sweet, docile temperament. He’s the perfect choice to secure her claim to the throne.
Sanos, heir to the Kingdom of Brutus, has nothing but contempt for the idea of a society run by women. Trained from birth to fight, lead, and follow in his father’s overbearing footsteps, his path has always been set. Until he takes his younger brother’s place in a drunken prank and finds himself kidnapped, carted off to the Amarran Palace, and informed that he is to become the husband of Queen Potential Olerra. Sanos needs to escape before anyone learns his real identity, but the more he gets to know his captor, the less sure he is of what he truly wants.
A matriarchy, a shortage of men, and female-led romantasy involving a kidnapped husband-to-be? Yes, please!
Falling in a Sea of Stars by Kristen Britain
Fantasy
Sept 30, 2025 by Daw
A romantic epic fantasy featuring a fire-wielding nun grappling with her dark past and a young spy caught between her mission and a growing attraction to an enemy princess
Magic, danger, and adventure abound for messenger Karigan G’ladheon in the eighth book in Kristen Britain’s New York Times-bestselling Green Rider fantasy series
After Sacoridia’s victory over Second Empire, Karigan G’ladheon’s life as a Green Rider should have settled into an ordinary routine. But her father’s abrupt departure to rescue Laren Mapstone, leader of the Green Riders and the woman he loves, from the far distant land of Varos, has left Clan G’ladheon’s business in disarray and Karigan’s hands full.
Even as Karigan tries to sort out the clan’s mess, a darker, more perilous crisis casts its shadows over her: Mornhavon the Black has reawakened. Moreover, he has freed two undead wraiths from their imprisoning tombs to hunt Karigan down and bring her to him in Blackveil Forest.
While this was not one of my favorite Green Rider novels, it’s still a Green Rider novel, and Karigan is always worth revisiting!
The Sovereign by C. L. Clark
Fantasy
Sept 30, 2025 by Orbit
The Sovereign brings princess Luca and soldier Touraine together one last time in the thrilling conclusion to C. L. Clark’s beloved queer political fantasy trilogy.
Luca is the new queen of Balladaire. Her empire is already splintering in her hands. Her uncle wasn’t the only traitor in the court, and the Withering plague will decimate her people if she can’t unearth Balladaire’s magic. The only person who can help her wants the only thing Luca won’t give—the end of the monarchy.
Touraine is Luca’s general. She has everything she ever wanted. While Luca looks within Balladaire’s borders, Touraine looks outward—the alliance with Qazal is brittle and Balladaire’s neighbors are ready to pounce on its new weakness. When the army comes, led by none other than Touraine’s old lover, Touraine must face the truth about herself—and the empire she once called home.
A storm is coming. Touraine and Luca will stand against it together, or it will tear them apart once and for all.
I still need to read The Faithless, so I’m trying to ignore this blurb, but having the finale coming out is making me eager to catch up.
August 5, 2025
The Dominion and the Sugilite: Episodes 23-25 by B.J. Frazier (erotica)
Episode 23 | Episode 24 | Episode 25
Author: B.J. Frazier
Publication Date: June 10 to August 1, 2025
Genres: Erotica | Sci-fi
Protagonist Gender: Various
If you’re new to The Dominion and the Sugilite, it’s a serialized erotic science-fantasy soap opera by B.J. Frazier, set on a female-ruled planet where the power exchange is the foundation of a fantasy-themed society fueled by the magic of gems known as sugilite.
As always, I will do my best to avoid spoilers, but there’s only so much I can not say when we’re deep into the 2nd season.
With Episode 23, conflict is still very much on the table. We’re invited to watch as Cozima continues her harsh (sometimes cruel) power exchange with Craig as she teases out what she’s planning with her mine. This chapter is heavy on Craig’s humiliation fetish, and while the cruelty of it is a bit much for me, that’s fine because it’s his fetish, not mine, and B.J. Frazier frames it very well.
In a softer form of confrontation, Alisa and Pebbles have a fascinating discussion about whether or not they can legally share a submissive. It’s a great insight into female dynamics and the philosophy of power exchange, and a fun peek into their friendship. Getting back to the deeper conflict, the Arbiters continue with their hearing, with testimony from Jewel, Neelam, and Gaius demonstrating why the interspecies event is so needed.
Episode 24 continues the action while returning to a few other plots. Following on the case before the Arbiters, Geo & Naqqi compare legal systems, and we find that the proud, enlightened, expedient Naturalists are anything but (which, should be no surprise, if you’ve paid attention to their spiritual leader).
Stone brings another defector to Cozima to consider for a job at the mine, and with two bigger, stronger, more endowed men, she seizes the opportunity to lean heavily into her power exchange, using the men to double down on Craig’s humiliation. Bay pays the futa truck a visit, where he is far too interested in how they dispose of the magical part of their essence, but it’s really just enough to tease where that storyline is headed.
What’s most interesting is that the story comes back around to Chantal, after several episodes away, and we watch as she continues trying to learn to be dominant while craving sexual favors that most women would consider submissive. It’s a fun scene, with lots of back-and-forth discussion, but what I felt it did best was make the reader think about the ethics of the Dominion and the irony of a power exchange that can deny a woman her own desires.
Catching up with Episode 25, it feels like the story is moving forward in numerous areas. For starters, Geo and Naqqi have what I’ll go so far as to say is a pivotal talk about jealousy, with Geo deflecting an admission of guilt by introducing the idea of compersion – and then we see Aurora and Nug have their own conversation about jealousy. I wouldn’t say all the cards are on the table, or that all the underlying tensions have been revealed, but things are developing.
Chantal continues to struggle to be dominant while her mother continues to put humiliation ahead of reason, refusing to acknowledge Craig’s warnings, and when Cozima returns home to catch her daughter in a tender, compromising position that prompts a rather dramatic moment for mom. We also pay a visit to Obadiah, who continues to prove what a dirty old man he is while taking his grooming of Malachai to the next level.
Finally, not only do Geo and Nug get along well enough to help with preparations for the interspecies event, suggesting that (maybe) they’re moving on, but they also come to Aurora with a very good idea that allows her to kick things off with a powerful speech to the selected Committee members that not only demonstrates why such a event is needed, but shows how much she’s invested in all along.
Rating:
My sincere thanks to the author for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 3, 2025
Celebrating the 37th Annual Lambda Literary Awards Finalists
The Lambda Literary Awards are one of those programs I keep a close eye on every year, scouring the list of finalists for new authors to discover (or old favorites to celebrate all over again). Every reader has their own tastes, of course, but these are the finalists that have earned a place on my TBR this year:
LESBIAN FICTION: Rainbow Black by Maggie Thrash: For readers of Donna Tartt and Ottessa Moshfegh comes a brilliant, deliriously entertaining novel from the acclaimed author of Honor Girl. Rainbow Black is part murder mystery, part gay international fugitive love story—set against the ’90s Satanic Panic and spanning 20 years in the life of a young woman pulled into its undertow.
LESBIAN ROMANCE: Loving Safoa by Liza Wemakor: When schoolteacher Cynthia gets a tattoo at a block party in 1991 Flatbush, she doesn’t realize she’s embarking on a life-changing romance with an immortal Ghanaian vampire. Cynthia’s affair with Safoa weaves together stories from nineteenth century Ghana, late twentieth century New York and a near future reality in Maryland that defies the utopian/dystopian binary.LESBIAN ROMANCE: Outlaw Hearts by Lori G. Matthew: Outlaw Hearts is a thrilling lesbian romance set against the breathtaking backdrop of the Wild West, where love proves to be the most dangerous adventure of all.
LGBTQ+ ANTHOLOGY: We Mostly Come Out at Night edited by Rob Costello: An empowering cross-genre YA anthology that explores what it means to be a monster, exclusively highlighting trans and queer authors who offer new tales and perspectives on classic monster stories and tropes. LGBTQ+ ROMANCE AND EROTICA: Leather, Lace and Locs by Anne Shade: a wonderful book that works on so many different levels. It’s a story of gender (female and nonbinary), race (Women of Color), relationships (families, friendships, and lovers), ambition (personal and professional), sexuality (lesbian and bisexual), and more. Read my review for more!
LGBTQ+ SPECULATIVE FICTION: Bury Your Gays by Chuck Tingle: The instant USA Today bestseller by Chuck Tingle about what it takes to succeed in a world that wants you dead. Named one of the Best Horror Books of 2024 (Esquire, Parade, and Library Journal)! A Locus Award Finalist!LGBTQ+ SPECULATIVE FICTION: Metal From Heaven by August Clarke: For fans of The Princess Bride and Gideon the Ninth: a bloody lesbian revenge tale and political fantasy set in a glittering world transformed by industrial change – and simmering class warfare.
TRANSGENDER FICTION: Love the World or Get Killed Trying by Alvina Chamberland: Through playful poetic prose, sharp social commentary and self-deprecating gallows humor LOVE THE WORLD OR GET KILLED TRYING dives into the mind of Alvina, a trans woman on the eve of turning 30.Check out the full list of finalists here.
August 2, 2025
Stacking the Shelves & The Sunday Post
Stacking The Shelves (Reading Reality) and The Sunday Post (Caffeinated Reviewer) are both blog memes about sharing the books we’re adding to the shelves and sharing news of the week ahead.
New PurchasesOne notable new purchase this week, which is A Shift of Time, the 4th book of Night’s Edge by Julie E. Czerneda, whom I got to meet up with at Indigo, ensuring I have the entire series signed – along with the full collection of toad postcards!
For ReviewJust the one book for review this week – episode 25 of The Dominion and the Sugilite by B.J. Frazier – so watch for my catch-up review next week!
Currently ReadingWe’re off to a friend’s cottage this weekend, so I’m packing light. Along for the trip is my tattered paperback copy Deathstalker Rebellion by Simon R. Green to finish off, along with copies of The World Within by Dani Finn and A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows to crack the spine on.
