stitchsaddiction's reviews
1142 reviews

Bi-Partisan is a wonderful story that follows Congressman Jamie Montgomery's self-discovery in a heartfelt and realistic manner. All too often bisexuality is dismissed as curiosity or greediness so when I had the opportunity to read the first book in the District Love series by Dallas Smith. 

Of course, it didn't disappoint at all and is one I will happily re-read and recommend to anyone looking for excellent bisexual representation. The characters are wonderful, with fears and desires that are both realistic and valid. I loved Jamie Montgomery, the political candidate whose 'right place - wrong time' situation catapulted him into the chaos that's fake dating on the man you're crushing on. He's the epitome of a gentleman and he deserves all the love he finds.

Because of course, Bi-Partisan is a happy ever after for our politician and his handsome veterinarian; Adrian. 

Alongside the love story, the author gives us an excellent representation of how mental health issues, especially anxiety; along with chronic physical illness can impact people's lives on a day-to-day basis. 

Something that is still lacking in fiction and media in general so to read it done with a gentle hand, made me love the book more. 

This is an incredible book filled with love, and loyalty and is a testament to the fact attraction can come out of nowhere and capture your heart and soul. That loving someone regardless of gender is valid and that you're seen.

𝘏𝘦𝘺! 𝘞𝘩𝘺 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘨𝘰𝘳𝘨𝘦𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘍𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘺𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘵 𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘔𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘪𝘤, 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨?
 
That internal conversation left me in bed as my children were saying goodnight with tears trickling slowly down my cheeks and despairing as the sequel, The Rebel Witch isn’t out until February of next year! I’m not sure whether I want to thank the author for destroying my poor little heart or congratulate her for ensuring I was swept away to the world of the New Republic where witches are hunted and will lose their lives in an extremely unpleasant manner. (I’m not risking using the correct word as the internet doesn’t understand the context in which it’s used but you’re not stupid so… let’s just say it's not nice and begins with ‘M’)
 
We’re thrown into the world that Rune Winters and her loyal friends, the hangers-on and witch hunters inhabit with flashes into the way the Republic is born, it’s intense and there are scenes of violence that if you’re squeamish may get you feeling a little green but it adds to the reason why Rune is so driven to save the witches who had either survived the original cull or had probably been too young to be known as practises the occult. I do love that side of Rune; she is ruthless and determined to survive and to honour those whose deaths haunt her – an incredibly strong hero who is sure of her path even if she’s also running on empty. 

This is my first book by this author, and I enjoyed it – except for what made me cry because tears before bedtime are not fair! It has everything that ensures you are turning the page swiftly from the tense atmosphere between the witches and the Blood Guard who hunt them, the friendship between Rune and Alex and the tension between Gideon and our lovely Miss Winters. There is also the chase going on with time against the witches, which had me on a constant knife edge emotionally of what is going to go wrong. Are they being betrayed etcetera?

The only thing I wished for was more moments of The Crimson Moth in action. I wanted to see glimpses of just why she is a bane to the tender control the Guard has in the New Republic in the wake of the destruction of so many witches. I think if I’d got them, either as flashbacks or perhaps, the rescuing of some minor characters it might have helped explain the frustration the Guard feel, why The Crimson Moth is revered in the shadows and also show the reader more of why her inevitable capture if the Guard have their way? Would add to the drama, tension and chaos of the story alongside the more romantic tension that builds in the will they – won’t they.

Regardless, The Crimson Moth is one of my favourite books of the year, book two is ordered and I have a feeling the tears I shed my reappear come February 2025. Everyone deserved more than they got, and the cliffhanger has me on edge – and I loved that feeling even if I were cursing as I closed my book.

This Way Out is a story of self-acceptance, cultural differences and love both romantic and familial, and most importantly growth.

Our main character is Amar, an English-Bangladesh gay man who we meet just after he's become engaged to his upper-middle-class boyfriend Joshua. Amar's way of handling pretty much everything in his life made me initially think he was barely out of his teens but this isn't the case - he just reminds me of an emu.I'm not going to make any bones about it, Amar made me want to scream. From telling his family about his sexuality and engagement via WhatsApp to his way of blaming Joshua for not understanding him or saying coming out is easier if you're white. (I'd like to introduce him to my family and perhaps he'd see it's often far from easy. They're awful.)

So yes.. he's a pain and Joshua should have sometimes (often) pointed out the hypocrisy we see from Amar from early on. But Joshua too has his flaws, the main one being he lets those around him walk over him.

You may be wondering at this point, did I like This Way Out? The answer is yes - but not because of Amar and Joshua. Rather, because there's somewhat of a realism to the story, HEAs need to be worked on, with communication, acceptance and being faced with truth and consequence. That human emotion can get too much and we all need help... 

As I said, this is a story of so much more than two men in love. It's about growth first and foremost.Amar needs a reality check, and perhaps to have developed a backbone before now. The sad reality is, being LGBTQ regardless of ethnicity, religion etcetera is often very hard. Society has gone backwards and I would have hoped he'd realise that but Amar is sheltered or rather willingly isolated from the community. I think that this book is good in showing some of the harrowing examples of being a gay Muslim man. The way Amar is regarded as being mentally unstable, or deliberately cruel to his siblings and widower father is a hard read but sometimes these things are also necessary even in fiction. There's going to be someone who will unfortunately relate to being told one cannot be gay and Muslim tonight and that saddens me. Perhaps books like this can help them not feel so alone. I hope so.

Moving aside from Amar, I loved Elijah whose bookshop our MC works at. His tale of the eighties as a gay man, had me crying and I wanted more of this caring man who had done all he could to honour his late partner's love of books. This man needed more page time - the small moments show a wonderful character, with an all too realistic history and his care for Amar and guidance is one Amar needed to appreciate more. This was a man who had lived through an entire nation despising his existence, he would have been somewhat relatable to Amar surely? It's this friendship I think more than anything pushes Amar into being a better person and I'd have liked more insight into their bond.

To me, it's the background characters that give this story connections it does. I wanted more about them, it doesn't help that there's somewhat of a fast-forward as we go through the book so we no doubt miss out on a lot but I think more time spent on Amar's self-discovery with new friends, or perhaps a little more from Joshua's point of view would have added so much more to the book.

I'm glad I read this, it made me go through a plethora of emotions and came away from it so glad to see how far Amar comes, even if he still did infuriate me quite a bit and Joshua was still a now slightly damp blanket.

Manhattan Memory, the latest in the From Manhattan series is once again? Phenomenal.

I love with this series how we often meet the children of the original characters as they've grown and this is one such tale. So there's a sense of meeting old friends and new ones, like when you move back home after a long time away. V Theia's writing and world-building in general add to this familiarity and ability to walk alongside the characters and Manhattan Memory doesn't disappoint in every regard.

I think there's a little bit more of a darker edge to our MMC, Kian MacNamara as he's playing a dangerous game both in his personal and professional life but... somehow despite it all? You know there's good in him too.

After all, as Renee Rocco said, 'the hero would sacrifice you for the world. A villain would sacrifice the world for you...' and Kian MacNamara is the embodiment of that quote. He's one to risk it all, whilst weighing up all the odds to get what or rather who he wants. 

I do believe V Theia has a gift with their writing, as every book I have read, has been one I've not been able to put down and then gone back to. Everything comes to life from the pages, and everything messes perfectly so there's no mental shift when returning to a series and I just love the realness of the characters. Both Kian and the love of his life, Samia jump from the page. You feel that they feel, can envisage their world of Manhattan with loud taxis, the cacophony of a raucous Irish bar on a weekend etcetera.

This I think will be another fan favourite if you're a fan of the author... it's got it all with romance, drama and characters who will linger in your memory from the destroyer of all problems Kian, to the fighter and determined Samia whose love will be akin to flame on a ticker tape.