Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

About Emmalita

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Lives in Austin, Texas. She/her. Loves reading books, writing about books and talking about books. On the CBR Board. May send you an email. Thinking about new challenges. (Learn more about this Cannonballer: Emmalita's Quick Questions interview.)

Emmalita's Reviews:

A lovely Marriage in Trouble romance

No Matter What by Cara Bastone

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I’ve always enjoyed Cara Bastone’s books (except one that I dnf’d), but last year’s Promise Me Sunshine was a tour de force of an emotional, slow burn romance. No Matter What, also explores grief through a marriage in trouble romance and will also rip your heart out and put it back together. I loved it. The opening few pages are a masterpiece. Roz invites the reader into the story when she finds a lease for a new apartment pinned to the kitchen counter by a […]

Lesbian Space Heist 2 – 2 Lesbian 2 Heist

The Obake Code by Makana Yamamoto

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Last year, Hammajang Luck was one of my favorite reads, so I was delighted when I saw that there was a book 2 and it was out now and the audio was available through my library. The audiobook becoming available in time for the 2026 Trans Rights Readathon felt like kismet. The Obake Code is largely a standalone, though I do think everyone should read Hammajang Luck because it is excellent. Jolene Kim did a lot as narrator. She had different voices for Malia’s inside thoughts, […]

Don’t forget to let yourself live your life. You deserve it just as much as anyone else.

The Love Feud by Janine Amesta

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I’ve been looking forward to The Love Feud for months, and it lived up to my expectations. Hailey and Ry are sweet and messy. Their fake feud to draw attention to the hot air balloon festival is a delightfully flimsy excuse to spend time together. Robert Moreno’s death upended the lives of each of his three daughters. If you haven’t read Love at First Flight and The Wedding Con yet, now is a good time. In the immediate aftermath, David Selene, the owner of a […]

I think a woman should inspire a modicum of terror. It is her right.

A Lady for All Seasons by TJ Alexander

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A Lady for All Seasons reminded me of a Shakespeare comedy – fluid genders, secret identities, couples trying to arrange themselves rather than be arranged, and at least a few fools. Be warned, Lord Byron makes multiple appearances. We met Lady Verbena and Éttienne Charbonneau in A Gentleman’s Gentleman. When Christopher (Lord Eden) and James left the country to avoid the requirement that Christopher marry to retain his inheritance, he transferred ownership of his London house to Éttienne. Now a year later, Verbena needs a […]

“My mom made it pretty clear that ballet was going to be my thing, whether I liked it or not.” I shrug. “I guess it’s good I liked it.”

Toe to Toe by Falon Ballard

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Before I started reading my advance reader copy of Toe to Toe, a passionate negative review caught my eye. There have been a few times when I’ve been the reviewer deeply offended by something in a book, so I did read with it in mind. In the end, I felt like the reviewer’s complaint is a legitimate criticism, but that the story Falon Ballard is telling, in all its messiness, is worth telling. Most of my knowledge of ballet comes from pop culture with the […]

Grief and romance

The Hope Once Lost by Ambar Cordova

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Ambar Cordova’s The Hope Once Lost is an angsty, grief fueled romance, and yet I found myself smiling many times. I really do love romances that dive into grief. Some of the best romances start with the way grief changes us. The Hope Once Lost is part of Cordova’s Baker Oaks series. Technically, it can be read as a stand alone, but I spent too much time trying to keep characters straight to recommend it. After an aborted attempt to visit the father who abandoned […]



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