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This is a super eclectic mix of ARCs here. We’ve got a historical romance from 2019, oops, a fantasy romance, and a contemporary romance. So quite the selection. The good news is that you can officially read all three of these books without having to wait if they sound of interest to you! I received an e-ARC of each of these books from Netgalley, but ultimately read each copy in a way that was not my e-ARC. I own both the physical and audiobook of A Rogue by Night, Consort of Fire is available on KU and it gives you the audiobook that way too, and then Stars in Your Eyes was a BOTM pick so I had it that way and the audiobook is a full cast situation because of the multimedia aspect. Anyway, let’s get to the reviews, shall we?

A Rogue by Night by Kelly Bowen

A Rogue by Night is another installment in Bowen’s The Devils of Dover series, which is a historical romance series with a suspense element and I really enjoyed this one. Here, the element of suspense is because Katherine comes from a family of smugglers and Harland, who is a… Lord of some kind, has actually been engaged in the smuggling business himself. Meanwhile, the… police people are trying to keep smuggling from happening. Historical romances tend to romanticize smuggling, in my opinion, at least to some extent, but I liked that this book really put the danger of smuggling at the forefront, even while explaining why some people engage in it with the historical aspect of how England really wasn’t being… fair to the common people while placing tariffs on France. (Look at me pretending to understand the history!) Anyways, all that to say, what I really liked about this book though was how mistrustful Katherine was and the way Harland was able to gradually gain her trust. What I didn’t love is how he kept the secret of his involvement in the smuggling from her. The way that bit was handled was a tad frustrating. That said, I really loved the way the end of this book resolved. It felt like a true HEA and I wasn’t really sure how on earth that was going to be achieved, tbh. So I definitely recommend this! 

Consort of Fire by Kit Rocha

I am generally a big fan of Kit Rocha’s world-building and find their writing extremely compelling and readable. For some reason, this book did not do the same things for me as their work generally does. Essentially, this book is about a woman who is being forced to wed the Dragon and she’s taken her lover as her maid with her. Only both women are actually being sent on a mission to kill the dragon. I loved the way this book maintains the tension of that plot point, even while they are all falling in love with one another because the tension is what kept me moving forward. However, there was something about that pacing that also kept me from ever sinking into their relationship. If the sequel to this book follows the same characters, I think it would be better because this book, to me, does not provide for a satisfactory romantic ARC. And in thinking of it that way, I wonder if perhaps it wasn’t entirely the fact that my expectations going in were different than perhaps they should have been. Anyway, if you want a queer normative fantasy book with a dragon and spicy spice, then I would recommend this one. If you’re not into explicit sex, skip this one. 

Stars in Your Eyes
by Kacen Callendar

I’ve shelved this book as both adult contemporary and contemporary romance because while this book is a romance, the way that the book resolves may leave some romance readers not entirely satisfied and I think setting expectations is important going into a book. This book is complex and does what I love about so many romances, in that the exploration of the personal journey is central to the overall plot and the resolution of the romance. Logan is Hollywood’s bad boy, but honestly, he’s just a man struggling with complex PTSD without the help or aid of a therapist. He’s forced to fake date Hollywood’s golden boy, Mattie, for the good of their movie, and he winds up learning that Mattie has a lot of depth to him. Mattie, for his part, is essentially terrified of failing. He’s also dealing with the fact that he’s struggling a little bit with the internal shame of being gay that lingers due to his father’s attitude toward him. Overall, I think this book is for you if you liked Jeannette McCurdy’s memoir, Birds of California, How to Fake It in Hollywood, and the new documentary about Nickelodeon. The critique of Hollywood is present as is the trauma recovery. This book gets dark, but ultimately, it IS a romance and that HEA guarantee was necessary for me. I would recommend it for sure, but make sure you’re in the right head space for it! 

Closing Thoughts

Have you read any of these books? Do you already have them hanging out on your shelves and you just keep forgetting to pick them up? Let me know!

xx