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Book 837: Fifty Words for Rain – Asha Lemmie

I feel hollow after finishing this book—I’m not sure emotionally drained is the right word because I feel like I have so many emotions going on that they’ve just forced each other out and there’s just nothing.  And when you take in that this is a debut novel, damn.

I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it’s been on my radar since the publisher reached out last year when it was first published but I didn’t get to it until the paperback was recently released.* I really should’ve prioritized it from back then because I feel like Dutton never steers me wrong looking at the books I’ve read from them.

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Book 822: A Husband for Hartwell (The Lords of Bucknall Club #1) – J.A. Rock & Lisa Henry

Of course, I’m going to say yes to a review request that has “It’s Bridgeton but make it gay!” in it.* Even though I never read the series, I thoroughly enjoyed the Netflix adaptation and we all know I’m obsessed with Jane Austen and the Regency era.

For the most part, I was curious about how they were going to get the gay thing in and it was pretty clear from the beginning with the book starting with a proclamation that all pairings are allowed as long as they’re within the marriageable class and that it was mostly designed for second or third sons of the gentry.

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Book 813: Cameron Wants to be a Hero (Love, Austen #2) – Anyta Sunday

I was always going to read these. From the second I found out about them from Gay Romance Reviews or when I randomly stumbled across them at some future date.*  With a description like, “It’s Northanger Abbey, complete with a neo-gothic mansion and charming misunderstandings. But contemporary. And gay.”, hell yes I was going to read them.

Both this and Emerett Has Never Been in Love, were adorable retellings of Austen’s works. I’m a little concerned Sunday will abandon the project before she gets to Mansfield Park (even though I SWEAR we met the characters) or Persuasion, like it seems most do (stupid Marvel and Austen Project).

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Book 812: The Step Back – J.T. Bushnell

I wasn’t sure what to expect with this. I saw a meh review (that was still four stars) on Goodreads so that definitely made me hesitant to start. But, I’d already told the publisher I’d take a look at it, so I did.*

The Step Back is the story of Ed Garrison. There’s not a lot that happens other than he grows the f*ck up. It sounds weird saying it’s that simple—sure it’s a two-year period in his life is full of upheaval and maturing faster than he want—but in essence that’s what it is.

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Book 804: Finn’s Fantasy (Maine Men #1) – K.C. Wells

Full disclosure, when I said yes to this from Gay Romance Reviews, I accidentally confused Wells with Elle Brownlee (if you remember my obsession with Two for Trust you’d know why).* I knew Wells name was familiar, because I’ve actually read a few other books by her that I enjoyed.

The real kicker and reason I said yes to this one is because it is set in Maine and we’re of course obsessed with Maine. We spend more time in the lakes region or Western Maine rather than on the coast, like where these are set, but of course I was going to read a series set in Maine by an author who is in my mid-range of sure I’ll read 😀

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