Summer has moved back to Austin, Texas, after years away in college and teaching in California, and she finds out that the school her grandmother founded is imminently being gentrified. She goes to the site to walk down memory lane—and maybe take some souvenirs—and runs into an old high school crush she’d had a missedRead More
Finding Yourself On a Cross-Country Train Journey: Leaving the Station by Jake Maia Arlow Review
I have been eagerly awaiting this book since the moment Jake announced it on Instagram as a YA (arguably, New Adult) novel about a cross-country train journey (shoutout to the Amtrak Empire Builder, which I’ve never ridden anywhere near the distance the route actually spans, but have caught a leg of), an ex-Mormon (samesies), and aRead More
A Sapphic Hunt for Legacy: The Guest Book by Mae Marvel
First and foremost, The Guest Book (June 2, 2026) gets a special mention as my very first NetGalley eARC. I feel like a proper book reviewer now! I was immediately drawn in by the synopsis: a whirlwind vacation to a cozy English inn for two young Americans in need of an escape from Hard Things, with aRead More
The Diversity of the Ace Experience: Kiss Me, Maybe by Gabriella Gamez
Picture this: you’re me, enjoying your whirlwind first-ever trip to the iconic Powell’s Books in Portland, and you spot a staff recommendation tag with the words “asexual lesbian” prominently featured. You are, in fact, an ace lesbian, so you’re certainly not used to accidentally finding representation in the bookstore. Naturally, you immediately pick up the book inRead More
Curl Up With a Magical Read: Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne
There’s just something about a cozy fantasy tale. Some worldbuilding, a little bit of peril, and a lot of slice-of-life moments in which you get to know the characters: it’s just a good combination. Throw in a sapphic couple, and you’ve got me locked in. Rebecca Thorne’s first Tomes & Tea book, then, had meRead More