Hearts Starve, Patricia Russo’s haunting novel, is a story about loss. Not the act of losing, the reality of loss. People who have already lost things and must confront their doomed actuality. For such depressing subject matter, it’s still a beautiful and heart wrenching book. Told as a dark, urban fairytale, the story follows threeRead More
Lena reviews “Prairie Women in Love” and “Dames with Dames” by Rachel Windsor
Both “Prairie Women in Love” and “Dames with Dames,” by Rachel Windsor, are part of a series about lesbians through the ages. “Written by lesbians for lesbians,” the tagline proudly proclaims. In that sense, these two little pieces do not disappoint. They are both short, easy to read on a lunch break andRead More
Lena reviews A Dying Place by Emma Johnson-Rivard
There’s an almost theatrical quality to A Dying Place, Emma Johnson-Rivard’s rather bleak fantasy story. In terms of setting and structure, the novel functions as a play and it speaks to Johnson-Rivard’s strengths as a writer that she’s able to let the characters sing through that format. The book opens with Ama’u, a veteran ofRead More
Lena reviews Exception to the Rule by Cindy Rizzo
In a lot of ways, Exception to the Rule by Cindy Rizzo has everything you would want in a queer love story. Intelligent, socially conscious characters who are exceptionally good at their chosen fields and, after overcoming initial differences, share an exceptional romance. Robin and Tracy meet during their first semester at Adams, a university outsideRead More
Lena reviews Andi Unwrapped by Riley Adair Garret
Andi Unwrapped, Riley Adair Garret’s collegiate romance about a popular English professor and her student, is a story about obstacles. Garret throws up problems that prevent her heroines from being together almost from start to finish. What starts out as being interesting and exciting starts to feel like tedious and unnecessary drama by the end,Read More
Lena reviews Out of Time by Lesley Dimmock
Strangely enough, the title of Lesley Dimmock’s new novel, Out of Time, not only describes the plot, but also the general feeling of the book. Dimmock’s created a nice story and compelling characters, but the narrative still feels hasty and rushed, The book opens with Queen Elizabeth the first on horseback bickering with her courtiers.Read More
Lena reviews In This Small Spot by Caren J. Werlinger
While it’s clear that In this Small Spot, Caren J. Werlinger’s abbey epic, is a love story, it is ultimately a book about excess and restraint. The story’s arc is massive, sprawling across five years and numerous memories. It’s a lengthy commitment, but luckily the prose moves along at a nice pace. Werlinger has aRead More
Lena reviews Roadkill by Alexandra Allred
The general conceit about most established fictional detectives is their lack of home life. Either because of the job or because of their need for the job, Sherlock Holmes, Hercule Poirot and Sam Spade don’t really have a lot else going on. The opposite is true for Allie Lindell, Alexandra Allred’s doggedly determined protagonistRead More
Lena reviews Ascension by Jacqueline Koyanagi
We learn in elementary school not to judge a book by its cover, but it might be worth it for Jacqueline Koyanagi’s debut novel. The woman on the front looks a bit like Gina Torres if Firefly had merged with Star Wars and it’s completely amazing. What’s inside is a completely entertaining science fiction adventureRead More
Lena reviews “Women Float” by Maureen Foley
“Women Float,” Maureen Foley’s gentle and lyrical novella is a lesson in patience and painful futility of life. The story follows Win, a baker in southern California, as she attempts to reconcile various pieces of her life. There’s her mother, a mysterious figure who disappeared when Win was nine; Mia, Win’s best friend and unrequitedRead More