My Season of Scandal
RECOMMENDED: My Season of Scandal by Julie Anne Long is $2.99! Lara reviewed this and gave it an A:
I sit here stunned. Yes, I have written this review twice. The first version was too overwrought because I was entirely overcome by this book. This is such a bracing, visceral story of deep thoughts and even deeper emotions that it left me wrung out.
In USA Today bestselling author Julie Anne Long’s latest installment in the Palace of Rogues series, a notorious rake meets his match in a doe-eyed girl from the country, changing the course of both of their futures…
A London season is the chance of a lifetime for Catherine Keating. But the ton’s glitter and decadence and casual cruelty threaten to crush her hopes of finding a husband before her season even begins…until she accidentally acquires one of the most scandalous men in England as a secret chaperone.
Famously fiery Lord Dominic Kirke can hold the House of Commons—and any woman he chooses— in thrall. But when his house goes up in flames in the dead of night, he finds himself at the Grand Palace on the Thames. And there he discovers his cynical armor is no match for another an innocent country girl with a crackling wit and eyes like a summer sky.
He’s maddening, elusive, hopelessly charismatic, wrong in every way—perfectly designed to break her heart. But she doesn’t know she holds his battered heart in her hands. And though it will destroy him, Dominic knows loving her means setting Catherine free for the life—and man—she deserves.
The God and the Gumiho
RECOMMENDED: The God and the Gumiho by Sophie Kim is $1.99! Carrie reviewed this and gave it a B+:
This dreamy book is so much fun! The God and the Gumiho features Korean mythology, grumpy/sunshine, secrets, and of course Only One Bed. While I did I find this book to be somewhat slow going, I also found it to be deeply imaginative and delightful. It’s the first in a series, so the HEA is more of a Happy Ever Eventually Probably.
In this sly and dazzling contemporary fantasy, the most notorious nine-tailed fox in Korea pairs up with a trickster god–turned–detective to track down a wrathful demon . . . before it can destroy the mortal world.
Kim Hani has retired from a life of devouring souls. She is, simply put, too full. Once known as the infamous Scarlet Fox, she now spends her days working in a coffee shop and annoying a particularly irritating, if unfairly handsome, trickster god as often as she can.
That god is Seokga the Fallen. Exiled from the heavenly kingdom of Okhwang, he now begrudgingly resides in the mortal realm, working toward his redemption and suffering through his interactions with the particularly infuriating, if sneakily charming, gumiho barista at his favorite café.
But when a powerful demon escapes from the underworld and threatens to end all of humanity, Okhwang’s emperor offers Seokga an enticing bargain: Kill this rogue creature, as well as the legendary and elusive Scarlet Fox, and he will be reinstated as a god. Hani, however, has no intention of being caught. Seokga might be a trickster god, but she has a trick of her own that he’ll never see coming: teaming up. As Seokga’s assistant, Hani will undermine and sabotage his investigation right under his overly pointy nose. Sure, she’ll help him kill the demon, but she certainly won’t allow him to uncover her secret identity while they’re at it.
As the bickering partners track their case down a path of mayhem and violence, the god and the gumiho find themselves inescapably drawn to each other. But will the unlikely couple stand together to prevent the apocalypse, or will they let their secrets tear them—and the world—apart?
Kiss of the Basilisk
Kiss of the Basilisk by Lindsay Straube is $1.99! This was a wild read and I think I only stuck with it out of morbid curiosity. It’s a bit of a love triangle, which I didn’t love (since I don’t think the main character will end up with my fave) and felt she had more personality with one love interest than the other.
From internet sensation and Amazon bestseller Lindsay Straube comes the first book in the sexy, biting Split or Swallow series, featuring dangerous basilisks, competitive seduction, and a love triangle that could destroy kingdoms.
Twenty-year-old Temperance Verus has never been kissed. But that’s what the basilisk is for.
Along with thirteen other contestants, Tem must train with a basilisk to learn the power of seduction and win the prince’s hand in marriage. When Tem is matched with Caspen, the Serpent King, she realizes she might actually stand a chance.
But with tensions rising between the basilisks and the humans, Tem is suddenly torn in two directions. As her bond with Caspen deepens, so does her connection with the prince. When she uncovers a terrible secret about the royal family, Tem finds herself caught between two worlds, neither of which she can survive without.
Milk Street: Cookish
RECOMMENDED: Milk Street: Cookish by Christopher Kimball is $1.99! This cookbook is in my current recipe rotation and I’ve tried a lot of the pasta ones. They’re frequently one-pot dishes and pretty damn easy to make!
Throw together fast, flavorful meals in no time with just a handful of ingredients with 200 highly cookable, delicious, and incredibly simple recipes from the James Beard Award-winning team at Milk Street.
In Cookish, Christopher Kimball and his team of cooks and editors harness the most powerful cooking principles from around the world to create 200 of the simplest, most delicious recipes ever created. These recipes, most with six or fewer ingredients (other than oil, salt, and pepper), make it easy to be a great cook — the kind who can walk into a kitchen and throw together dinner in no time. In each of these recipes, big flavors and simple techniques transform pantry staples, common proteins, or centerpiece vegetables into a delicious meal. And each intuitive recipe is a road map for other mix-and-match meals, which can come together in minutes from whatever’s in the fridge. With most recipes taking less than an hour to prepare, and just a handful of ingredients, you’ll enjoy:
Pasta with Shrimp and Browned Butter
West African Peanut Chicken
Red Lentil Soup
Scallion Noodles
Open-Faced Omelet with Fried Dill and Feta
Greek Bean and Avocado Salad
And for dessert: Spiced Strawberry Compote with Greek Yogurt or Ice Cream
When it’s a race to put dinner on the table, these recipes let you start at the finish line.
