Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time
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“Because that’s how life tends to work in all its aspects. We try things out, and make mistakes, and recover, and learn from our experiences.”

Band Sinister by KJ Charles

November 4, 2025 by faintingviolet Leave a Comment

Band Sinister is what happens when an author writes their own version of Georgette Heyer book by throwing absolutely every socially progressive character type into a friend group and then letting them loose on the very suspecting neighbors. I’ve read exactly one Heyer book, Venetia, back in 2016. Initially this read didn’t jump out to me as especially heavy on the Heyer, but more in line with other queer Regency historical romances I’ve read over the years from Cat Sebastian or Olivia Waite, but the parallels are there.   The story here plays with the classic tropes that Heyer […]

Filed Under: Romance Tagged With: B, band sinister, cbr17bingo, historical romance, KJ Charles, queer romance, read harder challenge, Regency

faintingviolet's CBR17 Review No:49 · Genres: Romance · Tags: B, band sinister, cbr17bingo, historical romance, KJ Charles, queer romance, read harder challenge, Regency ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

Gals being literary rivals, then pals, then more?

Ladies in Hating by Alexandra Vasti

October 4, 2025 by Malin Leave a Comment

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and Netgalley for this ARC. My opinions are my own. Lady Georgiana Cleeve was disowned by her father when she announced that she was the author of several popular novels, and has lived alone with her mother ever since, cut off from all contact with her brothers, convinced that the scandal she brought on herself and her family would irrevocably tarnish the reputations of anyone connected to her. She is selling well and her books are popular, but for […]

Filed Under: Fiction, History, Mystery, Romance Tagged With: Alexandra Vasti, ARC, authors, Belvoir's Library, cbr17, emotional abuse, family, gothic, historical romance, Ladies in Hating, LGBTQIA, Malin, NetGalley, Regency

Malin's CBR17 Review No:57 · Genres: Fiction, History, Mystery, Romance · Tags: Alexandra Vasti, ARC, authors, Belvoir's Library, cbr17, emotional abuse, family, gothic, historical romance, Ladies in Hating, LGBTQIA, Malin, NetGalley, Regency ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

Catching up with the Ravenels

Hello Stranger by Lisa Kleypas

Chasing Cassandra by Lisa Kleypas

August 25, 2025 by Jen K 5 Comments

When I first started getting into romance about 10 years ago (it was during a deployment when I also transitioned to being primarily an ebook reader), Lisa Kleypas, Tessa Dare, Courtney Milan and Sarah MacLean were my entry authors (have to start high – also, thanks, Malin). Sarah MacLean at some point stopped being an auto-buy for me because her characters always felt so angsty, Tessa Dare has unfortunately not published anything in a while and somehow I fell behind on Lisa Kleypas with her […]

Filed Under: Fiction, Romance Tagged With: historical romance, lisa kleypas, the Ravenels

Jen K's CBR17 Review No:82 · Genres: Fiction, Romance · Tags: historical romance, lisa kleypas, the Ravenels ·
Rating:
· 5 Comments

I think I prefer her contemporaries

Manic Pixie Dream Earl by Jenny Holiday

July 6, 2025 by Malin Leave a Comment

3.5 stars Thanks to Jenny Holiday, Netgalley and Tantor Audio for this ARC. My opinion is my own. Edward “Effie” Astley, Viscount Featherfinch, is a poet and a terrible disappointment to his father. Thankfully, he’s about to set off on the annual “Earl’s trip” with his two best friends, who support him come what may. So they don’t ask any questions when Effie asks them to help him store a broken printing press, nor why he’s so preoccupied with letters from a Miss Evans. Effie […]

Filed Under: Audiobooks, Fiction, History, Romance Tagged With: age gap, audiobook, cbr17, Earls Trip, friendship, historical romance, Jenny Holiday, LGBTQIA, magazine publishing, Malin, Manic Pixie Dream Earl, NetGalley, Regency, road trip

Malin's CBR17 Review No:32 · Genres: Audiobooks, Fiction, History, Romance · Tags: age gap, audiobook, cbr17, Earls Trip, friendship, historical romance, Jenny Holiday, LGBTQIA, magazine publishing, Malin, Manic Pixie Dream Earl, NetGalley, Regency, road trip ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

When in Doubt, Lie Your Tongue Off

Dangerous Obsession by Natasha Peters

June 28, 2025 by Pooja Leave a Comment

Rhawnie was born in a Romani encampment in Russia, but a murder and an encounter with a man she is fated to follow to the ends of the earth launch her on a path that will see her go halfway across the globe. It took me way too long to realize that Rhawnie is a corruption of the Indian name Rani, which means ‘queen’. This is a nice and long and adventurous bodice ripper of the kind I like perfectly. What sets it apart from […]

Filed Under: Fiction Tagged With: 1800s, adventure, drama, France, historical, historical romance, humor, Natasha Peters, Romance, United States

Pooja's CBR17 Review No:35 · Genres: Fiction · Tags: 1800s, adventure, drama, France, historical, historical romance, humor, Natasha Peters, Romance, United States ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

Grossly Misdirected Rage

Beloved Enemy by Amanda York

May 23, 2025 by Pooja Leave a Comment

Lanna, an English gentlewoman, falls in love with one young American but finds herself coerced into marriage with his dark-tempered friend, who seems intent on punishing her for reasons she does not understand. Look at that cover. Take a moment to appreciate that cover. I really miss old bodice-ripper style romance covers. Anyway, young, sheltered Lanna falls squarely in the trap of a dastardly devil with mommy issues who’s trying to get revenge on her father through her, except it turns out that Lanna is […]

Filed Under: Fiction, Romance Tagged With: 1800s, Amanda York, bodice ripper, historical, historical romance, pirates, Romance, war

Pooja's CBR17 Review No:29 · Genres: Fiction, Romance · Tags: 1800s, Amanda York, bodice ripper, historical, historical romance, pirates, Romance, war ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments
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