Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

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Come for the setup. Stay for the yearning.

Eight Weeks in Paris by S.R. Lane

January 12, 2026 by carmelpie Leave a Comment

Note: It’s a lot of yearning. In writing this review, I tried to categorize the main characters’ relationship as enemies-to-friends-to-lovers or grumpy/sunshine, but neither one fits. I expected a sweet and charming romance set among the landmarks of Paris, but I got a very serious, surprisingly deep take on celebrity, fame, and integrity. Nicholas Madden is the brooding, short-fused, paparazzi-hating serious actor. After campaigning for and being cast as Frederick, the main character in The Throne, a queer romance period piece set in Belle Époque […]

Filed Under: Romance Tagged With: actors, celebrity culture, Coming out (Sexual orientation), enemies to friends, enemies to lovers, Film Industry, forbidden love, gay romance, Hollywood, paris, queer romance, S.R. Lane

carmelpie's CBR18 Review No:1 · Genres: Romance · Tags: actors, celebrity culture, Coming out (Sexual orientation), enemies to friends, enemies to lovers, Film Industry, forbidden love, gay romance, Hollywood, paris, queer romance, S.R. Lane ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

Jack, in his dark camps, saw Ennis as a night fire, a red spark on the huge black mass of mountain.

Brokeback Mountain by E. Annie Proulx

December 19, 2025 by carmelpie Leave a Comment

Going up, the day was fine but the trail deep-drifted and slopping wet at the margins. They left it to wind through a slashy cut, leading the horses through brittle branchwood, Jack, the same eagle feather in his old hat, lifting his head in the heated noon to take the air scented with resinous lodgepole, the dry needle duff and hot rock, bitter juniper crushed beneath the horses’ hooves. Ennis, weather-eyed, looked west for the heated cumulus that might come up on such a day […]

Filed Under: Fiction, Romance, Western Tagged With: 1960s, American West, Annie Proulx, closeted, cowboys, e. annie proulx, film adaptation, forbidden love, gay romance, Homophobia, myth of the American west, novella, queer romance, Ranchers, short story, tragedy

carmelpie's CBR17 Review No:45 · Genres: Fiction, Romance, Western · Tags: 1960s, American West, Annie Proulx, closeted, cowboys, e. annie proulx, film adaptation, forbidden love, gay romance, Homophobia, myth of the American west, novella, queer romance, Ranchers, short story, tragedy ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

Putin Hates It

Pioneer Summer by Elena Malisova, Katerina Silvanova, and Anne O. Fisher

December 12, 2025 by carmelpie Leave a Comment

DNF I was very excited to read this book after spotting it on the NEW table in a local bookstore. With the tagline, “Putin hates it,” how could I not be interested? Released as fan fiction and then formally published in Russia in 2021, this book became a sensation on Tiktok and gained widespread popularity with Russian-speaking readers. The Russian government took notice and, along with other popular books and content about LGBTQ characters and themes, banned it. The government claimed that it violated a […]

Filed Under: Romance Tagged With: Anne O. Fisher, Communism, DNF, eighties, Elena Malisova, Elena Malisova, Katerina Silvanova, and Anne O. Fisher, forbidden love, gay romance, historical romance, Katerina Silvanova, queer romance, teenage romance, USSR

carmelpie's CBR17 Review No:43 · Genres: Romance · Tags: Anne O. Fisher, Communism, DNF, eighties, Elena Malisova, Elena Malisova, Katerina Silvanova, and Anne O. Fisher, forbidden love, gay romance, historical romance, Katerina Silvanova, queer romance, teenage romance, USSR ·
· 0 Comments

A few quick reads to take my mind off things

The Holiday Disaster: A Brother's Best Friend Gay Romance (Doves of Destiny Book 1) by Rye Cox

Knot Your Average Christmas: A FFM Holiday Omegaverse story by S.R. Griffith

Affogato (BrewBiz book 1) by E.M. Lindsay

February 23, 2025 by carmelpie Leave a Comment

The Holiday Disaster: A Brother’s Best Friend Gay Romance (Doves of Destiny Book 1) by Rye Cox Two stars Ethan is in his first year of college. He’s doing okay, but he’s terrified of falling behind in his studies. He’s never had a boyfriend or even come out to his family. So, when he runs into his longtime crush, Kingsley, he gets tongue tied and runs away. Kingsley is Ethan’s older brother’s best friend and he’s known him his entire life. He thinks Kingsley dislikes […]

Filed Under: Fiction, Romance Tagged With: a/b/o, autism, autism representation, Deaf culture, deaf protagonist, deafness, E.M. Lindsay, forbidden love, gay romance, hearing impaired, LGBTQIA romance, omegaverse, queer romance, Rye Cox, S.R. Griffith, there's only one bed

carmelpie's CBR17 Review No:5 · Genres: Fiction, Romance · Tags: a/b/o, autism, autism representation, Deaf culture, deaf protagonist, deafness, E.M. Lindsay, forbidden love, gay romance, hearing impaired, LGBTQIA romance, omegaverse, queer romance, Rye Cox, S.R. Griffith, there's only one bed ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

No one is born knowing how friends work. You figure it out as you go along.

Icarus by K. Ancrum

November 3, 2024 by carmelpie Leave a Comment

This house was loud and bright and full, and Icarus shivered into it like it was the first time he was being allowed in out of the cold. ― K. Ancrum, Icarus CBR 16 Bingo: Celestial Icarus is a seventeen-year-old boy in his senior year of high school. As soon as he graduates, or even as soon as he turns eighteen, he plans to leave home. His father, Angus, is an art thief. However, he and Icarus only steal from Mr. Black. Icarus does not […]

Filed Under: Romance, Young Adult Tagged With: art theft, cbr16bingo, child abuse, first loves, forbidden love, gay romance, greek mythology, K. Ancrum, LGBTQIA romance, queer romance, secret romance, Teenagers, thieves

carmelpie's CBR16 Review No:84 · Genres: Romance, Young Adult · Tags: art theft, cbr16bingo, child abuse, first loves, forbidden love, gay romance, greek mythology, K. Ancrum, LGBTQIA romance, queer romance, secret romance, Teenagers, thieves ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments

I’m crying because I was just in a bloody battle. I hated every second of it and I would not recommend it to a friend.

Gwen & Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher

October 18, 2024 by carmelpie Leave a Comment

“Studying for what?” “Um. Everything? My future,” Gabriel said. Arthur’s instinct was to laugh, but he managed to keep himself in check. “You’re studying for life? For your life? Is there a—is there a how-to guide for monarchs? Tips and tricks for subjugating the masses? Prevent a revolt in ten easy steps?” ― Lex Croucher, Gwen & Art Are Not in Love “If you wanted to come and find me, I’ve actually been pretty stationary. You know. Nearly dying.” ― Lex Croucher, Gwen & Art […]

Filed Under: Fiction Tagged With: arranged marriage, Arthurian legend, Camelot, cbr16bingo, enemies to friends, England, English Royalty, forbidden love, gay romance, lesbian romance, Lex Croucher, medieval england, queer romance, reluctant hero

carmelpie's CBR16 Review No:80 · Genres: Fiction · Tags: arranged marriage, Arthurian legend, Camelot, cbr16bingo, enemies to friends, England, English Royalty, forbidden love, gay romance, lesbian romance, Lex Croucher, medieval england, queer romance, reluctant hero ·
Rating:
· 0 Comments
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