katiedermody's reviews
1930 reviews

We Three Horndogs by Sierra Simone, Julie Murphy

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Ah yes, the infamous "anonymous" encounter between Sunny, Isaac, and Jack that was the build up to book three but was only ever referenced before now. As per usual, Jack and Sunny hate each other but are still into it (makes things fiesty) and Isaac is sad, hard up, and adventurous (with a side of: oh holy shit, why am I feeling things?!). Love the queer rep, MM action, and the glimpse of the connection we get between Sunny and Isaac pre their book.
O Come All Ye Newlyweds by Sierra Simone, Julie Murphy

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Now with Winnie and Kallum on their honeymoon, it's an enjoyable mix of worrying about their baby, Grace (and their two woefully unprepared and concerned friends Nolan and Bee who are watching her for only one night), and spice. They try something new they've been working up to, there's toys, a biological need turned sexy, and more. I loved the mention of her post baby body stretch marks and that in order to physically make something work she has to get a stool because he's so big and tall (love MMC fat rep!).
A Not So Silent Night by Sierra Simone, Julie Murphy

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This was primarily a spicy (with a little romance) return to Christmas Notch with Bee and Nolan from book one. Edging, toys for her and him, greenhouse, skating rink. A fun bonus short story I hadn't read before. 
The Answer is No by Fredrik Backman

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This one is right on the line of not quite enough pages to be a novella even though the one I read just before us only three more pages. It's been called a short story but is technically a novelette, and is by Fredrik Backman, and was the free Amazon Reads story for November. I started it then, but his usual dry, snarky, witty style (which I used to love) has gotten harder did me to focus on so I read it in short spurts, left if alone for a while, then finally powered through the end. Very much a ridiculous story where not much happens but a lot is said (not in a bad way, just not for me right now). I'm sure people who love him will have enjoyed it. 
The Twelve Lays of Christmas by Erica Crop

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Okay, I picked this to read next because by chance it was the last in a row on my December hopefuls chart and it felt like a bingo moment. If it wasn't so short I probably would have DNF'd because I didn't love the author's writing. This is definitely more erotica than plot, as the basic plot is a woman who has been in a long dry spell since a messy breakup decides to sleep with twelve people throughout the month of December. There's some kink, some queer rep, and a couple repeat partners, and it does fit into the romance genre because she ends up liking one of them and seemingly pursuing more by the end. I didn't hate it, and I can appreciate the idea of a brazenly sex positive woman getting hers, but if it was more than 71 pages I would have quit before 50 because it felt like fanfic and not in a good way (there's some well written fanfic out there but there's also just clunky smut). But I got the bingo so... worth it. 
Wrapped Up with the Three Scrooges: A Reverse Harem Romance by Layla Hartley

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Okay I REALLY enjoyed this one! It was a bit of a surprise, I figured it would be your typical spicy why choose romance but it had depth to the characters that I loved. Emory's Thanksgiving dinner ends up a projectile when she finds her boyfriend of two years (who she also works with) cheating on her. She's now boyfriend less, jobless, and homeless with not a lot of money or options. She stays at a sketchy motel and finds a seasonal job at a gift wrap company and is immediately attracted to the three men who own it. One by one she ends up dating them, and then they move her into their house because they're also best friends with a shared living situation. They all end up together, and it is definitely spicy at times between her and then individually and all of them together (and there are a couple times that are questionable as far as practicalities but not enough that it ruined it besides a pause to think "I don't know about that..."). She brings Christmas spirit to the three Scrooges and the three men show their vulnerabilities as they learn to trust her and all of them each other. I will definitely be looking for more from this author. 
In Stockings by Hannah Haze

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This is short, sweet and spicy, the best combo for an Omegaverse holiday novella. Astrid is working in a Santa's grotto where kids line up for pics, at the hospital where she's a student nurse. She meets an adorable little girl named Lyra and then discovers her dads are the three alphas Astrid was half in love with from afar during high school, who are now a pack. She wasn't revealed as an omega until after that, and now they're all drawn together. Lyra does some matchmaking and invites Astrid to come do Christmas things with them, and things snowball from there. Based on this less than 100 pages I'd try something else from this author since it was exactly what I expected and wanted it to be. 
Time and Time Again by Chatham Greenfield

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This was so lovely! It's late-YA, features a disabled lead and love interest, and is a time loop story. Phoebe has been stuck repeating August 6th for almost a month, not fully sure how she got there but wondering if it's because on the original day she was in a really bad IBS flare up and in the midst of her pain asked the universe to make it all stop. She lives the same day over and over in what was supposed to be the last summer month before senior year, until something changes after she gets knocked over by a car, driven by her former friend Jess. They then get pulled into the time loop with her and over the next twenty or so non-days they get to know each other again and fall in love. They eventually figure out what to do to escape the loop but when Phoebe finally wakes up on Aug 7 it isn't all good. I liked that the story didn't end there, like so many movies or time loop stories do. I loved the disability rep, both Phoebe and her IBS and Jess and their arthritis. Phoebe's only got a vague diagnosis since doctors tend to dismiss her because of her age and for being a fat person. The pain, and the shame she feels having IBS-D were very well written and relatable. Jess does have a diagnosis (oligoarthritis, which I looked up and is a type of juvenile arthritis) and now uses a cane and sometimes a walker depending on their pain and mobility level that day. The fact that they do everything they can, whether that's because it's literally what they can do or because they can't afford the more expensive therapy, and rock a lavender cane were relatable to me. There was a line they said that I especially related to: "Sometimes we push ourselves a little to far, ya know? How could we not when the limits of our bodies are already so small?" This was the author's debut and I'm excited to see what comes next from them (if something does) because I really liked this. 
See You Next Winter by Holly June Smith

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I really enjoyed this and it was much more of an emotional ride than I thought it'd be. I liked that a good chunk of it happened congruently with the first book since we got glimpses of these two together and their story. Ryan and Kayla have been friends since birth but only see each other on winter holiday in the Alps. They start hooking up when they're 18 and now that they're closing in on 30 there is so much mutual pining while also hating and trying to stay steadfast to their "see you next winter" pact. If doesn't work, and it gets very angsty when they don't think they can make it work since he lives in LA and she's permanently in the mountains now. I almost cried at one point because I felt for them, for how much they loved each other and were hurting so deeply before they worked it out. I do wish we had more time with them once they figured it out, but what we got was good and I also enjoyed that we got flashbacks to previous winters they spent together. And of course, the spice is there too, as expected from this author. I definitely want to read more by her now. 
One More Gift by Holly June Smith

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I read another spicy holiday novella this year where the author described it as more smut than plot but then found it has more of a story after all. However, THIS is a more smut than plot holiday novel! It's short, very spicy, MMF (with queer awakening for one MMC), and involves a very soon to be ex husband and wife and the wife's long time best friend who she lost her virginity with and they're now getting together after years of ignoring their feelings and chemistry. Caspar, ex-husband crashes their Christmas at Saskia's cabin to give her one last gift, aka she always wanted a threesome with them and another man. Turns out that after some discussion (though maybe not enough for my comfort level before their first group encounter), Henry is super on board. They get snowed in and the entire story is about them all playing together, including the two men which is new to Henry and he finds he likes it more than expected. This was fun, I'm excited to read the author's second book in her other series and will prob do that next.