Romantic Times Rewind: March 2016 Reviews

In this week’s podcast episode, we’re looking at the book reviews for the March 2016 issue of RT Book Reviews.

Thank you to Shannon Stacey for sending me this issue.

You can also find all the RTRW content at our category page for Romantic Times Rewind. 

And, most importantly, if you want to listen and follow along with this entry, we have more detail in the audio, but you can click play and listen and read and absorb all the visual goodness:

Ok, let’s get started!

We’ll have more to say about the cover in the Ads & Features episode.

Starting with Historical Romance, Amanda was extremely curious about Reckless Desire by Isabella Bradford:

I was very intrigued by Antonía Barclay and her Scottish Claymore:

In Mainstream Fiction, The Total Package by Stephanie Evanovich received two stars:

While Amanda was surprised that The Pastor’s Husband by Tiffany L. Warren wasn’t in inspirational, given the review:

In Teen Scene we found books that were WAY ahead of their time, like Kill the Boy Band by Goldy Moldavsky:

This GoodReads review from Nicole is true art.

The cover is also delightfully minimalist:

Amanda took a close look at Seven Black Diamonds by Melissa Marr:

It’s a very short review, and a very short summary, isn’t it?

In the Inspirational section, and I could NOT say the name of this series without slowing down, I investigated Dressed for Death by Julianna Deering:

FARTHERING. My gosh my mouth does NOT want to say that.

This book is set in the 1930s, but it’s set AT a Regency costume house party. So that was confusing for me.

But soft! A Goodreads review has revealed unto me a WONDERFUL new term: “God-bothering.” As in, “the god-bothering gets steadily more intrusive with each book.”

Amanda looked at From Bags to Riches by Sandra D. Bricker:

The scenes with the baby are grating! Baby bothering AND God bothering: this episode has it all.

In Mystery, Suspense, and Thriller, there were many series names, and the book Amanda chose is a perfect pun title:

AND THEN. THERE WERE NUNS. 10/10, no notes.

In Romantic Suspense, I didn’t understand why a book with a SWAT team made up of shifters was NOT in paranormal romance, but what do I know:

Shifters says paranormal more than suspense, but again, not in charge. Just confused!

Amanda thought this review was just word salad:

New love! Past intrigue! Dash of mystery and some sexy romance! That’s literally why I’m here but this doesn’t say anything specific about this book?

In Sci-Fi and Fantasy, a book I had just read for a podcast that will air in September (Plot Trysts is going to do a Vorkosigan re-read! Stay tuned!) was reviewed, leading me to feel like the book is following me around. Gentleman Jole and the Red Queen is terrific, but the review is spoilery so I won’t include it here.

Amanda is really confused as to why she hasn’t read this book yet because it is entirely her jam, coulis, and fruit preserve.

Note the typo at the top there – eep!

This review might as well have said, “Amanda, you should read this.”

In Paranormal, we have a book about gargoyles. In fact, Elyse reviewed Rocked by Love by Christine Warren.

Amanda was kind of bummed to find out that this is a prequel to a series that takes place in the present day, but the review for The Deepest Well by Juliette Cross has a TERRIFIC first line.

Demons are a natural fit for the Regency era? Really? Ok, sure.

In the Urban Fantasy section, we have a new grade, Five Star Gold, with no explanation, though it is for a book that is part of a series that I know is very good:

The covers were all pretty great, too.

In Series, Amanda found a review for a book that sounds wild, and a cover with a hero hairstyle that evokes George Michael, of blessed memory.

Look at that floppy hair!

And in Erotica, Amanda was very curious about Julian’s Sins by Robin L. Rotham, especially as the review thinks male/male sex and electrical play are both kinks?

But you are NOT prepared for the summary:

Castle. Bangenschloss. Again, 10/10, no notes, chef’s kiss, perfection.

The series is called FRANKENDOM.

Ah, romance, I love you so much.

Our next episode will examine the advertisements and features in this issue, and that’ll air on March 22.

And remember, if you join the Patreon, you’ll get access to the entire issue as a PDF. So! Many! Reviews! And strange ads, too!

What do you think? Have you read any of these? Which would you recommend?