Best Laid Plaids (Kilty Pleasures #1) by Ella Stainton

 
Best Laid Plaids by Ella Stainton 
My Rating: ★★

I received a copy from Carina Press through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Dr. Ainsley Graham set his career on fire when he went public with the claim that ghosts are real and that he has been communicating with them. Since then, he’s spent his time drinking and floating around as he desires since the world thinks he’s odd. When Joachim Cockburn is sent his way to check out known hauntings in Scotland, Ainsley thinks he’s just another person coming to poke fun at him for his beliefs. What he did not expect was an extremely sexy man to come knocking at the door. Even more shocking, he wasn’t even expecting Joachim when he arrives, so Ainsley puts the moves on him in a case of mistaken identity. What else could possibly go wrong?

This book had me at spooky romance set in 1920s Scotland. Unfortunately for me, I didn’t care for the story. The book told through the rotating perspectives of Ainsley and Joachim. Despite seeing things through their perspectives, I quickly discovered that I didn’t particularly care for either character. Ainsley is arrogant, both flighty and clingy, and doesn’t know what he wants on top of shutting down when he does get what he was hoping for. Meanwhile, Joachim is arrogant in a different sense while closed off and stiff. I couldn’t connect with either of them in addition to not being interested in following them as I continued to read. The romance couldn’t been on fire if the two didn’t keep waffling about each other to the very end.

Honestly, I found myself more interested in the hauntings, which were sadly lackluster. I would say this is a romance with a touch of paranormal. I was really interested in the ghosts along with the other characters, including Ainsley’s sister. I think I was happiest whenever a chapter came along that included a gathering of characters because I didn’t care for the leads.

I wouldn’t say that this is a bad book. I do think that Ella Stainton had something going here, but I just didn’t care for Ainsley and Joachim as characters and the romance didn’t seem all that romantic to me. If you like romance novels that are sex without the romancing, this might be something you’ll like.

The Tea Dragon Society (Tea Dragon #1) by Katie O'Neill

 

The Tea Dragon Society by Katie O'Neill
My Rating: ★★★★★

Greta is a blacksmith apprentice not sure that she wants to learn blacksmithing when, one day, she stumbles upon a tea dragon. Saving the tea dragon from being attacked, she becomes immersed in their world, learning it’s a dying art. Learning about tea dragons and how to care for them open her eyes to a whole new world, which makes her appreciate blacksmithing and how even the little things in life can create new memories and take on lives on their own.

This book is absolutely adorable, heartwarming, and beautiful. I read a Katie O’Neill book before, so I was excited to finally pick up this book because her artwork is stunning in addition to creating magical and heartwarming stories. I was not disappointed one bit. We follow Greta as she enters the world of tea dragons, creating new friends and learning to appreciate even the little things and their impact along the way. She’s such a sweet and caring character who is really thoughtful and curious. Greta makes a wonderful protagonist, so I loved following her adventures.

Along the way, we meet various characters who become Greta’s new friends. Hesekiel and Erik are tea shop owners who care for tea dragons, and Minette is their ward who has lost much of her memory. These are the characters we see most, in addition to Greta of course, and they are positively sweet and magical in their own ways.

The artwork is absolutely beautiful. I would honestly buy a giant poster of any panel from this book and put it on my wall. Plus, O’Neill makes a point to represent different skin colors, LGBT characters, and disabilities. I can’t wait to pick up the next book in the series. It’s bound to be just as wonderful as this series opener.

Monster, She Wrote: The Women Who Pioneered Horror and Speculative Fiction by Lisa Kröger

 
Monster, She Wrote: The Women Who Pioneered Horror and Speculative Fiction by Lisa Kröger
My Rating: ★★★★★

If you’re looking for a bit of history on women writing horror, then this is the book for you. I picked this up because I rarely hear people talking about how long women have been writing horror. As soon as I opened the book, I got very excited because it goes back as far as the 1600s and talks about the lives of the authors focused on in each section in addiction to the books that they wrote.

One of the things I like about this book is that it’s separated into sections with authors that fall under that section. You can find anything from gothic to pulp fiction covered along with the authors who wrote them. There’s also a reading list for each other, which is great for anyone who returns to the book later looking to quickly find something new to read from one of the authors featured.

Plus, it’s not daunting to anyone who normally avoids fiction. Each chapter is extremely engaging and is bound to keep anyone glued to the pages. It’s truly a book that is both a guide and biography.