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Book 928: Going Public (Jade Capital #2) – Hudson Lin

I requested an ARC of this one from the publisher after I saw it in their upcoming titles email that I get monthly.* The fact that there was not just one non-white man on the cover of this MM Romance novel, but TWO of them was a definite ‘okay let’s give this Hudson Lin person a try.’

Totally on me, but I also thought it was written by a man (damn you pseudonyms!), but that didn’t change my opinion or reading of the novel, I was just excited that there were BIPOC protagonists AND they were on the cover. Add in that I don’t think I’ve read many with Asian protagonists and it caught my attention.

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Book 926: Khabaar – Madhushree Ghosh

When the publicist reached out to me about this one, I wasn’t sure I had the capacity, but it was five months before it was published so I figured I’d make time!*

That sort of happened. Khabaar was on my TBR pile nonstop from February onward but between all the knitting I was doing and getting distracted by EVERY MM romance novel possible, I kept putting it off to my detriment.

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Book 919: Dessert Can Save the World – Christina Tosi

Late last year, someone from Harmony Books reached out about Dessert can Save the World by Christina Tosi having seen I read David Chang’s memoir Eat a Peach.* Knowing that Tosi’s Milk Bar (which is freakin’ delicious and I had to resist trekking over to Harvard Square multiple times while reading this) started as an offshoot of one of Chang’s restaurants I thought why not! I’m glad I didn’t start reading it earlier because I devoured it (pun 100% intended).

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Book 908: Sink or Swim (Shore Leave #2) – Annabeth Albert

Yessssssss . . . I’m so glad Calder got his book and that I was able to snag a review copy from NetGalley as soon as it was listed. I’ve been sitting on it FOR MONTHS—do you know how hard that is when it comes to an Annabeth Albert book!? I had to force myself to read soooooo many other books so I wouldn’t push my response out too soon!!!!

Sink or Swim is a low-conflict simmering romance and Albert brings her character-driven humor to the story just like she does to all of her other works. Calder is Arthur’s (from Sailor Proof) older brother who happens to be bisexual and thrives on competition and gambling. And after winning a house from a fellow SEAL, he has the best meet-cute ever with Felix, flustered and guarded single-parent taking care of his two nieces, at the house he thinks he owns.

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Book 906: Black Cake – Charmaine Wilkerson

When someone from the publisher reached out to me about Black Cake, it wasn’t an immediate yes or an immediate no.* I honestly had no idea what I was going to do, I thought it was a beautiful cover (even if I didn’t notice the woman on it for ages) and the multi-generational story drew me in.

What ultimately decided for me was that it was a debut novel, love those most of the time, and my reading list is seriously lacking authors of color and I’ve been saying for years I’m going to expand my reading list. And holy shit y’all I’m so glad I did, this book took me for so many rides.

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