Author: Tirzah Price

Lucy is a young lady who has spent most of her young adulthood assisting her father, an astronomer, with his research. No one knows that she is the mathematician behind his groundbreaking research, but now that he is dead and Lucy’s former lover has married a man, she feels more alone than ever and is uncertain how to make a name for herself int he scientific community.

Catherine is recently widowed, and secretly relieved to have her freedom from her scientist husband, who was very exacting. She’s determined to see a manuscript he acquired before his death translated, and then she plans to step away from the scientific community for good. When she sets out to hire a translator familiar with with French and astronomy, she doesn’t expect Lucy to apply. But she can’t help but be intrigued by the woman, so she not only hires Lucy but invites her to stay with her while she completes the work…and it’s not long before they begin falling for one another.

I adored this book, because it’s not only an amazing romance, but an incredible historical novel. It’s set in the early 1800s and really captures the spirit of the time in London, when scientific discovery abounded and the art scene flourished and people were interested in and valued both. Lucy and Catherine have experience in both of those communities, but as women they aren’t always taken very seriously. I loved how this novel demonstrated the men weren’t the only ones interested in art and science and influencing those discoveries and movements, but women had to be smart and strategic about how they participated lest they be told they didn’t know what they were talking about.

The romance is also a delight! I think a lot of times people assume that queer people in history weren’t ever able to have their happily ever afters in the past, or that their lives must have been very sad, and I love how Waite shows that’s just not true. While it is true that queer people could not be open about their affections, and that they took to speaking in veiled meanings and perhaps struggled to connect with like-minded people, this series is overall light on queer-related trauma. There is grief and sadness and deep disappointment, but mention of horrible things happening off page in the past (content warning for some colonialist violence) have nothing to do with the women being queer. I think that’s so wonderful, and essential to reframing the narrative that all queer relationships before 1969 ended in tragedy or at the very least, separation and longing.

Overall, this is a delightful romance with lots of steam and tenderness, grounded in a fascinating time period with exciting artistic and scientific subplots! I highly recommend it if you want to fall into something happy this weekend!

In this second standalone fantasy novel, Bashardoust revisits a Persian myth to shape the story of Soraya, a princess who was cursed at birth to be poisonous to the touch. The inception of her dangerous gift is told to her like a fairy tale, a constant reminder that she must be careful and forever on her guard so that she doesn’t hurt anyone. Now on the cusp of adulthood, Soraya’s existence is kept a secret to protect her brother, the shah. She lives in isolation in a private suite and garden of her family’s spring castle, and when her family returns with the news that her brother is about to be married, she’s devastated that life seems to be passing her by.

Soraya ventures out of her safe haven, determined to break her curse once and for all. Along the way, she befriends a young soldier in her brother’s army and learns that they have caught a monster and are holding her in the dungeon. According the legend, this monster may be able to help break Soraya’s curse, so she immediately behind scheming a way to get into the dungeons. But just as she thinks she’s about to find answers, Soraya realizes that everything she thought she knew about her curse is a lie.

I love the lush storytelling in this novel. The opening starts off like a fairy tale, and Bashardoust’s skillful writing brings this fantasy world and the characters to life in marvelous and rich detail. Soraya is a sheltered but determined heroine, but her naivety and inexperience threaten to be her pitfall. Nonetheless, when it’s clear that she’s caught up in a much greater struggle that spans decades and generations, she rises to the occasion with some ingenious twists. I loved that the political struggle is expertly woven in with Soraya’s emotional journey, making the stakes believably urgent, and that Soraya’s story builds in complexity and nuance as her world expands. Plus, there is a sneaky queer romance in this story that is absolutely wonderful! Read this book if you want an enchanting story that explores the idea of what makes a monster, the tension between goodness and evil, and how to forge your own path.

With this book, Melissa Bashardoust became an auto-buy author for me! Plus, if you missed it last year, make sure you pick up her first novel, Girls Made of Snow and Glass!

This book was described to me as a modern day Ramona Quimby, and really that’s all it took for me to snatch up a copy, especially knowing that it’s written by powerhouse writer Renée Watson (who has a Coretta Scott King Award and a Newbery Honor under her belt). This book is about Ryan Hart, a curious and kindhearted girl who lives with her older brother and her parents in Portland, OR. At the start of the book, Ryan and her family have to sell one of their cars and move into a different house because her father has been laid off from his job at the post office. Ryan’s facing some big changes, and she’s not sure what the future holds. As she navigates family life, stage fright, and friendships, she also learns that there are always ways to make sunshine, even in moments of uncertainty.

This is a really excellent novel for younger middle grade readers (think 3rd-5th graders), but I also really loved reading it myself. It’s a short novel with episodic chapters (just like Beverly Cleary’s Ramona books) and it touches upon all aspects of Ryan’s life–her school days, her friends, her extended family, her personal hopes and dreams–and focuses on issues that matter to Ryan, both big and small. Although not plot driven, this charming novel succeeds so well because it made me remember details of my own childhood and what it was like to be a kid, and I was rooting for Ryan every step of the way. The story is also accompanied by many black and white illustrations by Nina Mata, who brings Ryan and her world to life in an exciting way. This is a great series starter, with an ending that promises even more big changes for Ryan and her family. I was utterly charmed, and I think you will be, too!