Christmas Confidential Lily Chu, narrator: Phillipa Soo

I listened to this novella and enjoyed the narrator throroughly.
Hana Choi's ex-roommate and current best friend is marrying Hana's cousin, a super-famous K-pop star. But, as romance stories are wont to do, the wedding is getting out of hand. Papparazzi are everywhere, they've had to book three different luxury hotels to try and throw Jihoon's fans off their track.
What's making all of this so complicated for Hana is that it's happening right after Jihoon's former bandmate (Hana's big crush), Kit, has just announced his feelings for her. But what if them getting together destroys what they already have? They agree to do some trial dating. But the wedding, combined with Kit's new television show and fake dati
ng with his costar take a little bit away from the development of Hana and Kit's relationship.

Four stars

Connected to: The Comeback

This book came out October 15, 2026

Borrowed as audiobook from Audible Plus

Opinions are my own

Nobody's Baby by Olivia Waite

It is supposed to take hundreds of years for the Fairweather to reach its destination. There were supposed to be no additions to the living creatures who boarded; their memories would just be inserted into new bodies. There aren't even supposed to be cats and dogs. So why is Dorothy's nephew asking her questions about babies?

I don't know how Waite manages to build so much world into such short snippets but she does, adding on to what she already started in the first of this series. I don't think you have to have read Murder by Memory but I would anyway.  

Four stars

Dorothy Gentleman #2

Follows Murder by Memory

This book comes out March 10, 2026

ARC kindly provided by MacMillan and Edelweiss

Opinions are my own

My Kind of Town by Shelly Laurenston

Emma Luchessi isn't sure why she's drawn to Smithville but this New York girl is down in the south to see what is leading her here. She's not expecting to end up in the hospital in a town where everyone is a giant and strangely good looking.
Kyle Treharne likes living in Smithville. Yes, it's a wolf town and he's a cat but he can't choose who his father married (his half sister is the snaggle-toothed cousin in the Pride series). He is interested in Emma but isn't sure she's going to stick around. She's not sure about it either but it may be up to fate.
A cute little story but short and not a lot of depth. 

Long Island Coven #1

Three stars

This story came out June 1, 2007

Followed by Belong to the Night

Hard copy of mine

Opinions are my own

Chains & Flames by G.A. Aiken

If you've read the G. A. Aiken Dragon Kin series, you've encountered the Queen of Dragons, Rhiannon and her mate, Bercelak. Their story started when Bercelak fell in love. He battled to make himself invaluable to her mother's court and now her mother has finally decided that they are to be mates. But first, she binds Rhiannon so she can no longer turn into a dragon. She is dropped off as a human at Bercelak's cave. While he isn't happy that she is hurt, he is elated to know that she will finally be his. At least she will be as soon as he finishes wooing her. And makes sure that her mother won't kill her. 

A short story that could have been longer but gives some history to the Dragon Kin stories.

Three stars

This book came out... at some point (?)

Borrowed as Audible Plus book

Opinions are my own

Stuck with You by Ali Hazelwood

Three novellas are loosely connected by a circle of friends but they don't show up very much which is probably fine since the book is so short we don't get to see much of Sadie and Erik anyway. And it turns out that this is one of those books where, if one of the two had talked to the other, there wouldn't be much to the story. And the only reason they are together now is because they are caught in an elevator. 

Three stars

This novella came out March 8, 2022

Follows Under One Roof

Followed by Below Zero

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Below Zero by Ali Hazelwood

Hannah has found herself a niche and a dream of working for NASA. She's finally going to have a project except that everyone but one person has okayed it. And that person is Ian, a man with whom she has a past. They never hooked up but they got darn close. Is that why he vetoed her project? If so, why is he now coming to find her in a blizzard? In Norway?

There was so much time jumping in this book it made me a little dizzy. Hannah and Ian seemed nice enough but there wasn't enough about either to get invested. The story was fine but similar to two of the Hazelwood books I've read where it's a woman in STEM, falling in love with a man in STEM, while there's another male who seems nice enough but is really the villain.

Three stars

This book came out April 5, 2020

Follows Stuck on You

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Under One Roof by Ali Hazelwood

Helena Harding was a kick ass engineer and world class environmentalist. She was also the closest thing Mara had to family. When Helena dies and leaves Mara a house near Mara's new office at the EPA in DC, it seems like it should be a good opportunity for Mara. Except that Mara has actually only been left half a house, the other half belonging to Mara's nephew who works for Big Oil. 

They start off shaky and antagonistic but slowly learn that they may have misjudged each other and finally falling into some severe lust.

Three stars

This novella came out February 8, 2022

Followed by Stuck with You

Borrowed as audiobook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Blood Martinis & Mistletoe by Melissa Marr

In an alternate universe, Geneviève Crow lives in New Orleans and makes it her business to kill the draugrs, the people who rise from the dead. The problem being that she was poisoned in the first book of this series and nearly died. Now she's dealing with some really gross things (like the need to drink blood) that she had hoped would never have to. This, of course, in addition to still being engaged to a literal faery prince.

A fun interstitial with some character growth that probably would have been confusing in the second book had I not read it.

Three and a half stars

This book came out May 18, 2021

Follows The Wicked and the Dead

Followed by The Kiss and the Killer

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Say You'll Stay by Susan Mallery

Shaye Harper lost both her parents and then discovered that her boyfriend was using her all in a short amount of time. So she did what anyone else who had sold their home to follow said stinker to LA, she took off on a road trip. Now she's in Wishing Tree, Washington wondering why so many people are running around with antlers in July.

Lawson Easley is back in town after being deployed. He is happy to stay in Wishing Tree; it's where he grew up and where he feels at home. Wanting to stay in the small town is the reason his last relationship broke up so, while he's attracted to the stranger, he's feeling cautious. Even when Shaye picks up a job to stay in town, he's not sure it's a relationship that will work out.

Of course, it does (this is a romance) but it's all wrapped up very quickly. It's a novella so we can't expect much but it would have been nice to get a little bit more than the characters suddenly realizing everything would be okay without any more information than that.

Three stars

This novella came out July 1st, 2021

Followed by The Christmas Wedding Guest

Borrowed as ebook from Libby

Opinions are my own

Magic Stars by Ilona Andrews

Derek Gaunt is trying to figure out his life. He was The Face for the Pack but then his good looks and resonant voice were ruined by silver. He is a werewolf and silver is the one thing that can kill his kind. He's already had a hard life (his father went crazy and basically killed the family so Derek had to kill him) and this doesn't help.

Julie Lennart-Olsen hasn't exactly had an easy life either. Her crush on Derek wasn't changed because his face was ruined. But she's got more important things going on like learning from her adopted grandfather (who is more or less a god) and protecting her adopted mother. And yes, that might mean that she crosses paths with Derek when a madman starts searching for a fallen star, even killing people to get to it.

This was an interesting interstitial but I didn't think it was that great an addition to the Kate Daniels or Aurelia Ryder series.

Three stars

This novella came out December 8th, 2015

Ebook from Kindle Unlimited

Opinions are my own

A Big Surprise for Valentine's Day (, #4) by Jackie Lau

Can you find love in the family planning section of the grocery store? Amber Wong and Sebastian Lam are about to find out. The two grew up in the same neighborhood but haven't seen each other in some time. Now each is just out of a bad relationship and figuring that some hooking up would be perfect for each. 

This is a short book (novella?) with a lot of on page sex so there's not a lot of room for character growth nor for relationships. It's fun and fluffy and great for a right-before-bed-read.

Three and a half stars

Follows A Fake Girlfriend for Chinese New Year

This novella came out February 4th, 2020

Borrowed as an ebook from Hoopla

Opinions are my own

In the Spotlight by Ally Decker

I've had this book on my shelf for a REALLY long time. I finally started it and was surprised how readable it ended up being. After all, it is LIT-erature. Classics and readability don't always go together. And the out of order storytelling became a little hard to follow in places but overall, the story of Tomas and Tereza as well as some side characters including Tomas's side piece.

Three stars
This novella came out September 5th, 2017

Ebook from Kindle collection
Followed by By Your Rules
Opinions are my own

A Tale of Two Dragons by G. A. Aiken

 When your father is a plotter and the rest of the family doesn't really want you, sometimes the best you can do is stay hidden. That is what Braith of the Darkness is trying to do. But now she's suddenly been asked to help escort a lady to her home and her crush is going along on the trip. The crush that seems to be very admiring of the lady who is the antithesis of Braith.
Addolgar the Cheerful is a Cadwaladr, a family of fighters. He's willing to help a lady. However, if that lady tries to poison him... well, all bets are off. It's a good thing that Braith not only saves him initially but then helps get him away from the people that were going to make sure he was really most sincerely dead.
This is a short story but we still get a sense of who both Braith and Addolgar are. We also get to see why they are attracted to each other and what it is that each admires about the other. All with a sense of fun that permeates the entire Dragon Kin series.

Four stars
Dragon Kin #0.2

This novella came out November 5th, 2013

Follows Can't Get Enough
Followed by Dragon on Top
Borrowed from OverDrive
Opinions are my own

Reread as audiobook from Audio Plus January 2024

Natural Evil and Devil's Gate by Thea Harrison

Former military sniper Claudia Hunter is at loose ends. She is just over forty and only needed four more years until retirement but she wanted to get out. So now she's just traveling the United States, living as simply as possible. During a trip through a Nevada desert, she feels compelled to stop and walk out a little distance. That's where she discovers a dog that has obviously been beaten and then dragged behind a car. It is only just barely alive. She manages to get the oversize animal into her car using her telekinesis and then hits the highway at a rush. When a sheriff pulls her over, she is startled to realize that he is acting very strangely once he sees the dog. But he does help her get the dog to a vet. There, he continues to act strangely before eventually leaving. That is when the vet and Claudia share their suspicions that the dog is actually a Wyr shifter.

And he is. But for reasons of his own (and as he heals), Luis Alvarez doesn't want to let on what he is. Too bad Claudia immediately starts needling him and calling him "Precious." When he finally does speak, it's to reveal that Claudia is right, there is something bigger going on and he was targeted because of what he figured out.

The tarot deck mentioned in the first Elder Races novella plays a small role in this story as well.

This was a nice novella and I hope that we get to see more of Claudia and Luis. How will their relationship work when Luis is Wyr and it's implied that Claudia, a human, is his mate?

Four stars

Follows Oracle's Moon

Followed by Devil's Gate

This novella came out March 20th, 2012

Borrowed from CloudLibrary

 Seremela Telemar is as susceptible to helping family as the next person. Now her niece, Vetta, who swiped the magical tarot deck from Claudia in the last Elder Races novel, has run away from home and  toward Devil's Gate, a present day gold rush - though, in this case it's a silver that holds magic easily. 
When Duncan Turner, lawyer vampyre, hears that Seremela is going to the most lawless place in the United States, where nothing is being policed, he tells her he can't let her go alone. With a voice like Alan Rickman's, so smooth that other lawyers and judges will come just to hear him speak on the rare occasions he still tries a case, he convinces her to let him come along.
Short but sweet, this book is better read in the context of the full Elder Races series, at least the other novellas.

Three stars
Follows Natural Evil
Followed by Hunter's Season
This novella came out June 5th, 2012
Borrowed by ebook from Overdrive
Opinions are my own

Auld Lang Syne by Rebel Carter

 Delilah Solis decides that she's going to stop being a doormat for her family and she's going to run away. Literally. She decides to answer an ad for a bakery intern, flying from Texas to Scotland to get there the next day. 
It turns out that the bakery owner, Agnes, has a hot single nephew. She also believes in fairies. But... nephew. He is surly to begin with but eventually gets worn down and starts to appreciate Del and his aunt.
Oh. I rounded up from two and a half stars. I wanted to know more about Del's siblings and why they came to rely on her so much. I wanted to learn more about Del and why she allowed it. I wanted to see more of a relationship develop between Del and Callum. 

Two and a half stars

Followed by A Viscount for Valentine's
This novella came out December 27th, 2018
Borrowed from Kindle Unlimited
Opinions are my own

Heard about this on Fated Mates

Ms. Behave by Cathy Yardley

 In previous books in this series, we knew that Simon, medium-time TV star of a sci-fi series, has some mysterious past in Snoqualmie and that it probably has something to do with the gender-neutral, kick-ass lawyer Mallory and we finally get to find out what it is. 
The two were best buds in high school but when Simon caught feelings, he tried to be super secret and respectful about it because he thought Mallory was a lesbian so he wasn't going to put all of his feelings on her. Which, he probably could have shared some but... teenagers aren't the smartest and I very much respect the "why lose a best friend" question. They did get handsy with each other one night but were yanked apart soon after so never had a chance to follow up.
Years later, Simon still thinks Mallory's hot, especially when she saves his butt from a potentially awkward situation. He is still trying to respect her feelings, even when she is coy (but that seems to have been their relationship in high school also.)
Maybe not the best representation of bisexuality (some things seemed stereotypical but I'm not an expert on the topic) but Mallory was strong and confident in who she was and I enjoyed that about her.

Four stars

Follows What Happens at Con

Followed by Playing Doctor

This book came out July 30th, 2019

Borrowed from Audible Escape

Opinions are my own

My Last Duchess by Eloisa James

Hugo Wilde, the Duke of Lindow, has just received his divorce decree. His faithless second wife is no longer "his wife." His twin sister is encouraging him to go to London and try to find a third wife. Hugo is not excited at the thought but he is realistic. While his oldest four children are close to grown, his younger four will definitely need a mother. At his first ball, he spots Ophelia, Lady Astley and falls immediately in love. And for the purposes of the novella, it is a pretty true love but when she says to back off, he does (what? I love it!) because the course to true love can't run smooth even for a duke in a novella. 

This was a fast and fun read even with one of my least favorite tropes (love at first sight). Getting to see how Hugo convinced Phee to marry a man with eight children (though his kids seemed to do most of the convincing) was the light story that I needed right now.

Four stars

This book comes out October 27th

Prequel to Wilde in Love

ARC kindly provided by HarperCollins Publishers

Opinions are my own

Enchanted Bones by Carolyn Haines

Sara Booth is startled to discover a young girl while she is on a horseback ride one day. The child is very young, has a birthmark that looks startlingly like a third eye, and also has note pinned to her back saying that she is cursed and that anyone who helps her will also be cursed.
There was a lot going on in this novella (lots of new-to-the-series history built in) but it was still an enjoyable read.

Three and a half stars
This novella came out June 16th, 2020
Borrowed this book from the library as an ebook
Opinions are my own

Bait N' Witch by Abigail Owen

In the first book of this series, Rowan McAuliffe was forced to do some pretty horrible things for a werewolf including trying to kill the main characters of that book and the second. So the Mage High Council has sent a Witch Hunter after her. The mysterious Delilah sends Rowan to the witch hunter's house so that she can hide right under his nose while she plays nanny to his magical triplets.
For a shorter book (novella-sized?) there was a lot packed in. This book could have been better served by making it a bit longer and writing more about some of the connections. There are a lot of things that are explained by "Well... because magic." Why Rowan was tied to the werewolf in the first place, more about the triplet's magic. Major parts of the story were explained with one or two sentences instead of paragraphs or even chapters. It was fast, fun, and fluffy and can be enjoyable if you don't mind major plot points being skipped over. If you can get it for the advertised price of $0.99 it is definitely worth it.

Two and a half stars
Follows Shift out of Luck
This book comes out June 15th
ARC kindly provided by Entangled Publishing, LLC and NetGalley
Opinions are my own

Shift Out of Luck (Brimstone Inc., #2) by Abigail Owen

Feuding families. Even the werewolves have them. So the marriage of two alphas was supposed to unite the Packs. But Tala and Marrok are at odds. The sex is amazing but  refuses to acknowledge that Tala is a pack leaders. Instead, he has reverted to thinking that she is the weaker sex. Physically, that may be true but Tala's pack isn't like his; they choose their Alpha by combat. She had to be smart enough to beat the rest. So the fact that Marrok isn't backing her up at the same time some of her pack decide to challenge her means that her life is going to hell in a handbasket pretty fast.
Of the three novellas in this series so far, this has the most clearly defined characters (possibly because we saw them in the first book) and the best relationship building.

Three and a half stars
Follows The Demigod Complex
Followed by Bait n' Witch
This 2nd edition came out April 20th, 2020
Borrowed from Kindle Unlimited
Opinions are my own