Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

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The Hope Once Lost

Grief and romance

The Hope Once Lost by Ambar Cordova

March 4, 2026 by Emmalita 3 Comments

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 […]

Filed Under: Fiction, Romance Tagged With: advance reader copy, Ambar Cordova, The Hope Once Lost

Emmalita's CBR18 Review No:18 · Genres: Fiction, Romance · Tags: advance reader copy, Ambar Cordova, The Hope Once Lost ·
Rating:
· 3 Comments
Cover of Naina Kumar’s Flirting with Disaster.

I reach for a water bottle of my own and catch Nikhil watching me, his face thoughtful and open. A mix of recognition and something else. Like he’s saying There you are and Who are you? all in one single glance.

Flirting with Disaster by Naina Kumar

January 1, 2025 by Emmalita 5 Comments

Naina Kumar’s Flirting with Disaster is an angsty second chance romance between a married couple trapped together by a hurricane. This is a reimagining of Sweet Home Alabama, but set in Houston during a hurricane with Indian American protagonists. I have somehow never watched Sweet Home Alabama, so I don’t know where it tracks and where it diverges. I can tell you that it’s a good read. It’s out January 14. Meena plans to fly into Houston, get her estranged husband to sign the divorce […]

Filed Under: Fiction, Romance Tagged With: advance reader copy, Flirting with Disaster, Naina Kumar

Emmalita's CBR17 Review No:1 · Genres: Fiction, Romance · Tags: advance reader copy, Flirting with Disaster, Naina Kumar ·
Rating:
· 5 Comments

Don’t say what the heck at me as if what I said is so absurd, Seth. Yesterday you told me vampires exist. I watched your face grow fifty extra bones and a thousand more teeth.

How to Help a Hungry Werewolf by Charlotte Stein

December 17, 2024 by Emmalita 3 Comments

Charlotte Stein’s How to Help a Hungry Werewolf is one of the horniest books I have ever read. It is incredibly innocent and filthy at the same time. I laughed and I blushed. I also felt like this book was written just for me, which has made it very difficult to review. Cassie Camberwell doesn’t know she’s a witch until she inherits her grandmother’s house, meets her ex-best friend again, finds a notebook with recipes and brews up a potion. And it turns out that […]

Filed Under: Fantasy, Fiction, Romance Tagged With: advance reader copy, Charlotte Stein, How to Help a Hungry Werewolf, NetGalley, PNR

Emmalita's CBR16 Review No:82 · Genres: Fantasy, Fiction, Romance · Tags: advance reader copy, Charlotte Stein, How to Help a Hungry Werewolf, NetGalley, PNR ·
Rating:
· 3 Comments

A grown up romance for the horse kids

The Grump Whisperer by Katy James

November 26, 2024 by Emmalita Leave a Comment

I really enjoyed The Grump Whisperer. Katy James has written a grown up romance for horse kids. Bronwen is the grump whisperer, with two grumps who need her help. One is Ian, a show jumper who has suffered a career ending injury. The other is Hades, a horse who has been badly treated in the past. Listen, I love hurt people finding each other and healing. Bronwen was also a show rider, but a bad fall has made her afraid to get back on a […]

Filed Under: Romance Tagged With: advance reader copy, horses, Katy James, The Grump Whisperer

Emmalita's CBR16 Review No:76 · Genres: Romance · Tags: advance reader copy, horses, Katy James, The Grump Whisperer ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

The Red Woman returns, you insect-humping wretches!

Red Sonja: Consumed by Gail Simone

November 20, 2024 by Emmalita Leave a Comment

I really like Gail Simone’s run of Red Sonja comics. I was very intrigued to see what she would do in a longer format without pictures. Red Sonja:Consumed is very good. It takes a little time to bring the pieces together, but once it does, it flies. I definitely recommend it for appreciators of a barbarian adventure, women who take charge of their own destinies, and cranky horses. It starts with a queen and a jeweled asp. Sonja has stolen a prized piece of jewelry from […]

Filed Under: Fantasy, Horror Tagged With: advance reader copy, Gail Simone, Red Sonja, Red Sonja Consumed

Emmalita's CBR16 Review No:72 · Genres: Fantasy, Horror · Tags: advance reader copy, Gail Simone, Red Sonja, Red Sonja Consumed ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

Who says you can’t learn something new?

The Fishwife Cookbook by Becca Millstein & Vilda Gonzalez

November 18, 2024 by Emmalita Leave a Comment

My nuclear family was not a tinned fish family aside from the ubiquitous canned tuna fish. My mom grew up on the Gulf Coast of Texas and loved fishing and crabbing, so we frequently had fresh fish on the table for dinner. It wasn’t until I got to grad school that I met people who bought tinned fish other than tuna. I enjoyed it, but I didn’t really know what to do with it on my own. I was attracted to The Fishwife Cookbook by […]

Filed Under: Cooking/Food Tagged With: advance reader copy, Becca Millstein & Vilda Gonzalez, NetGalley, The Fishwife Cookbook, tinned fish

Emmalita's CBR16 Review No:71 · Genres: Cooking/Food · Tags: advance reader copy, Becca Millstein & Vilda Gonzalez, NetGalley, The Fishwife Cookbook, tinned fish ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments
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