Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time
| Log in
  1. Follow us on Facebook
  2. Follow us on Instagram
  3. Follow us on Bluesky
  4. Follow us on Goodreads
  5. RSS Feeds

  • Home
  • About
    • Getting Started in CBR17
    • Rules of Respect
    • Cannon Book Club
    • Diversions
    • Fan Mail
    • Holiday Book Exchange
    • Book Bingo Reading Challenge
    • Participation Badges
    • AlabamaPink
    • About Cannonball Read
  • Our Team
    • The CBR Team
    • Leaderboard
    • Recent Comments
    • Participant Interviews
    • Cannonballer Location Maps
    • Our Volunteers
    • Meet MsWas
  • Categories
    • Review Genres
    • Tags
    • Star Ratings
    • Featured Review Archive
  • Fight Cancer
    • How We Fight Cancer
    • Donate
    • CBR Merchandise
  • FAQ
  • Contact
    • Contact Form
    • Suggest a Review
    • 2025 Registration
    • Newsletter Sign Up
    • Newsletter Archive
    • Social Media

“She wanted to read stories that had been written with care, by a writer who’d wrestled with words, who might have sworn at the computer and procrastinated by cleaning the entire apartment and furiously dictated notes in the middle of the night”

Magically Generated by Jackie Lau

October 7, 2025 by faintingviolet Leave a Comment

Invariably, something that is bothering an author is going to make its way into the book they’re writing. That something for Jackie Lau in Magically Generated is GenAI. While I am largely on the side that Lau takes via her main character’s rants, I thought the note was hit too often and it wasn’t necessary because Lau already had enough character depth with Nora to have the reader empathize with her “done with the nonsense and not trusting anyone new or anything on the internet” vibe she is giving off strongly as this Christmas novella gets started (and throughout, really).    I love […]

Filed Under: Romance Tagged With: cbr17bingo, Christmas novella, Jackie Lau, Magically Generated, novella, romance novella

faintingviolet's CBR17 Review No:44 · Genres: Romance · Tags: cbr17bingo, Christmas novella, Jackie Lau, Magically Generated, novella, romance novella ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

I Bought into Amazon’s Author Exploitation Again

Under the Mistletoe: Cruel Winter with You by Ali Hazelwood

Under the Mistletoe: Merry Ever After by Tessa Bailey

Under the Mistletoe: All by My Elf by Olivia Dade

Under the Mistletoe: Merriment and Mayhem by Alexandria Bellefleur

Under the Mistletoe: Only Santas in the Building by Alexis Daria

January 16, 2025 by Mrs. Julien Leave a Comment

I mean, I assume it’s exploitive. It is Amazon. Having had some success with the Improbable Meet Cute collection for Valentines  Day, and, as someone who absolutely loves a Christmas novella, I paid for one (the Ali Hazelwood) and borrowed the other four of these Under the Mistletoe “get to know a romance author with a  free read” stories. I imagine Amazon is doing the same thing as telling someone to work for free for the exposure. I hope they were compensated in some way. […]

Filed Under: Fiction Tagged With: Alexandria Bellefleur, Alexis Daria, Ali Hazelwood, Christmas novella, Christmas romance, Contemporary Romance, M/F romance, novella, Olivia Dade, romance novella, Tessa Bailey

Mrs. Julien's CBR17 Review No:5 · Genres: Fiction · Tags: Alexandria Bellefleur, Alexis Daria, Ali Hazelwood, Christmas novella, Christmas romance, Contemporary Romance, M/F romance, novella, Olivia Dade, romance novella, Tessa Bailey ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments
Unhinged by Vera Valentine

Sentient object romances are a thing

Unhinged by Vera Valentine

December 27, 2023 by teresaelectro 4 Comments

Unhinged by Vera Valentine was recommended by the LA book club crew at The Ripped Bodice. A member heard about it on TikTok (see this hilarious video from Grapie). They suggested it as a just-for-kicks buddy read. It’s on Kindle Unlimited and only about 70 pages.  Back in August, I was boarding a flight and decided to give it a go. Apologies to my plane row for dealing with my reactions to my phone. The novella’s premise is bonkers. An apartment door falls in love […]

Filed Under: Romance Tagged With: CBR15Passport, erotic romance, Greek gods, novella, paranormal romance, romance novella, sentient objects, unhinged, vera valentine

teresaelectro's CBR15 Review No:1 · Genres: Romance · Tags: CBR15Passport, erotic romance, Greek gods, novella, paranormal romance, romance novella, sentient objects, unhinged, vera valentine ·
Rating:
· 4 Comments

Did Lisa Kleypas Need the Money? Did Her Publisher?

December 17, 2016 by Mrs. Julien 8 Comments

An addendum to Lisa Kleypas’s Capitol Theatre series, I Will is a very bad Christmas novella that Ellepkay suggested had been lying in a drawer at the author’s house for years. Dated in many elements, I had at first suspected it was ghost written, but a long abandoned manuscript makes more sense. Shortly after I began reading, I found myself wondering how I would feel about the book and quality of the writing if it didn’t have the Queen of Romance’s name on it. Admittedly, […]

Filed Under: Romance Tagged With: Capitol Theatre series, CBR8, Christmas novella, historical romance, lisa kleypas, Mrs. Julien, Prolixity Julien, romance novella

Mrs. Julien's CBR8 Review No:64 · Genres: Romance · Tags: Capitol Theatre series, CBR8, Christmas novella, historical romance, lisa kleypas, Mrs. Julien, Prolixity Julien, romance novella ·
Rating:
· 8 Comments


Recent Comments

  • Zirza on A Gothic Classic for a ReasonIt's one of those wish-you-could-read-it-again-for-the-first-time books. I loved it.
  • Emmalita on “It came to something when you found yourself hoping that the footsteps you heard were ghosts.”I loved the ending! I don’t think it’s been out long enough to talk about why though.
  • Dixie on Track Her Down by Melinda LeighI am just starting Track Her Down and I have read them all in order till now and thought I...
  • Roland of Gilead on How can you give us the gift of a crazy character named Rando Thoughtful and then just as suddenly take that gift away? We need to talk, Uncle Stevie.I came across this randomly years after it was written because I was searching "Random Thoughtful. But I have the...
  • Emmalita on “Only you, Em, would refer to heartbreak as a distraction. I think I would have a more sympathetic response if I asked to marry a bookcase.”Oh my goodness, Gallifrey was beautiful. I’m sure her mittens were gloriously murdery.
See More Recent Comments »

Support Our Mission

  • Support Our Mission: Donate Today!
  • FAQ
  • Shop
  • Volunteers
  • Leaderboard
  • AlabamaPink
  • Contact

Help Our Mission

You can donate to CBR via:

  1. PayPal
  2. Venmo

The reviews and comments posted on this site reflect the opinions of individual posters and do not reflect the views of Cannonball Read.

© 2025 Cannonball Read Inc., a registered 501(c)(3) | Log in