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I read Not Like Before when I was having a bad day and it was just the sort of sweet, lovely book I needed, full of people who really care about each other (well, except some of the antagonists I guess). The plot was driven by very believable aspects of the characters' personalities instead of relying on miscommunication or other contrivances - at no point did I find myself wanting to grab the characters and shout, "Just talk to each other!" in their faces, as is sometimes the case with romance novels.

I'm so incredibly grateful that there are authors like Seabrooke and Ramsden writing books with excellent trans representation. Their experience may not be identical to mine, but it's similar enough that I cried with empathy at some of Mackenzie's more emotional moments. Also, it's neat to see a nonbinary antagonist who is a fully-developed secondary character with motives that are clearly based on realistic personal flaws/issues that anyone could have. Taron is a complex enough antagonist that I can imagine reading something from their perspective in which I actually feel sympathetic for them, even though they're absolutely awful in this book.

Speaking of secondary characters, I love Hope's mix of innocent optimism and academic thoughtfulness. I'm absolutely rooting for her to get a book of her own! Her soliloquy on history and choices was beautiful and inspiring.

I have one quibble with this book: I can't figure out where the Celadon Isles are supposed to be, or much about their history and culture - and one of the main characters is a historian of the Isles. I wish we got to learn more from Lola about her specialty.

Everything else about it is great! As a celebrity vacation romance it pretty much has to be a light read, but the characters are substantial enough to get really invested in their emotions.

I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys sapphic romance, trans representation, and/or a good grumpy/sunshine trope.

Disclosures: (1) I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review here. (2) I'm trans, and I may be predisposed to appreciate books by and/or about trans and nonbinary folks. (-:

I didn't read this immediately because I've read kind of a lot of holiday romances lately and they can be frustratingly formulaic, but it turned out to be quite good!

The central conflict wasn't just about the characters failing to communicate or trust or whatever. When the characters did have difficulty it was (1) very plausible, given their backstories, and (2) something they processed with a decent level of emotional maturity. It also showcases a really lovely and supportive found-family.

Overall, the book nicely skated the edge between trope-y and sincere. It could be described as a holiday homecoming romance between an artist who's famous on social media and a butch christmas tree farmer, which makes it sound like pure trope remix. But! It's also a romance between a recovering alcoholic and someone fleeing an abusive parent, which sounds way darker than it is. It's both of those, and it's amusing and entertaining and serious and sweet.

Also the secondary characters are entertaining and well-developed. I am eagerly awaiting Greer's future books to read all their stories.

Before I say much else, I should note that this book ought to be CW'd for homophobia, sexual assault, and violence. Not that it's particularly dark, and most of that is in the backstory, it's just not the fluff I expected when I started the book expecting a fantasy romance with faries and dryads.

Baker's characters - especially Rye - have a serious enough backstory to explain the relationship issues they work through over the course of the book. The fantasy realm where they live has serious problems with classism, racism, xenophobia, homophobia, addiction... basically, all the real-world problems.

I was disappointed to not learn as much about Flora - it seemed like there was scope for more character development in her interactions with her family and friends.

Other things I liked: * There's a teenager in the story who mostly just does normal teenager things. * Rye repeatedly goes to the local library for resources. (Woo-hoo, libraries!) * Food and cooking are... not quite central, but play a significant part in the book.

There's some real substance to this story, plausible real-world problems the characters have to face beyond whatever is going on in their relationship. Sometimes it's fun to read a purely escapist romance like what I expected, but overall I prefer this book as it is.

Slightly edited version of the review I posted on Mastodon a while back @ octodon.social/@kg6gfq/109491337149140152

Bicycle representation

I rate this a Platinum-Level Bicycle Friendly Book!

I so enjoy reading something where the main character and the general populace all travel by bike. There was even a bike chase scene! The book did end with the frustratingly common "Oh no, we need to get somewhere fast, better use one of those new automobiles to get there in time" trope... but it turns out the power source for the cars (and other new tech) is horrifically unethical, so at least cars are acknowledged as problematic.

Occasionally I encounter a book with cyclist characters who just "ride their bike" and it feels one-dimensional. The characters in Witchmark, on the other hand, get winded climbing hills, carry stuff in bike baskets, use bike locks, notice - in detail - the quality of other characters' bikes, and have to be cognizant of road rules & conventions for riding with crowds of other cyclists. It felt real, and like Polk put some serious thought into it. (Update: They did put serious thought into it, see www.tor.com/2019/05/10/the-city-of-bicycles-get-to-know-the-world-of-witchmark/ for a glimpse at the history of cycling in Aeland.)

Collective nouns

• "a competence of nurses"
• "a draft of cyclists"
• "a curiosity of reporters"

Brilliant! I kept highlighting these as I read. I love entertainingly appropriate collective nouns.

Baker Thief & Witchmark: Our new batteries are made from...

(I am really trying to be vague about spoilers, but it might become obvious now.)

Ok, so within a few chapters I was saying to myself "Is aether power really...?" Partly because foreshadowing, but I think also because I read Baker Thief by Claudie Arseneault a few weeks before and the premise is similar.

If this is becoming a trope, I think I like it. We need more people saying that high-energy-density technologies are problematic. Electrification and "green power" cannot save us if we do not also reduce our power consumption. Plenty of folks are saying this directly, which is good. But stories shape the way we think, so putting the idea out there metaphorically in fiction is just as important.