Cannonball Read 18

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time


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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 […]

“The world is wide and full of grace, I promise you.”

A Gentleman's Gentleman by TJ Alexander

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TJ Alexander’s A Gentleman’s Gentleman is a passion project done very well. I loved it so much. Lord Christopher Eden is a “man of unusual make” who has built a quiet life for himself in the country that he loves. Unfortunately, his father’s will requires that he marry before his birthday in order to fully inherit the family estate. This means leaving going to London for the Season and trying to appear acceptable to society. This means he needs a valet, so he asks that […]

Come and Knock on Our Door

Triple Sec by T.J. Alexander

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  I immediately put this on hold at the library when I heard about it. It’s a poly romance put out by a major publisher that doesn’t take place in a fantasy setting. Triple Sec has all the qualities I enjoy in a good romance novel. The characters are fun people who I might like to hang out with in real life and the prose about things like love, life and heartbreak feel true and hit an emotional chord. If you’re looking for a realistic […]

Here you have a twist on the Oaxacan, which is a twist on the old-fashioned, which itself is a twist on the Holland gin, and so it goes, on and on and on, all the way back to the beginning.

Triple Sec by T.J. Alexander

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Happy Pride Month! First of all, T.J. Alexander’s Dedication at the beginning of Triple Sec reads “to all sluts everywhere–cheers.” The rest of the book is as delightful as the dedication. We get to see the formation of a happy polycule, a woman come into her own, and the creation of many alcoholic beverages. Mel Sorrento is a career bar tender working at a swanky New York City cocktail lounge. She’s good at her job, and maybe a little bored serving the tech bros and […]

It occurred to her that, besides baking, Ray had become her favorite topic.

Chef's Kiss by T.J. Alexander

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In 2020 cooking videos became very popular. The popularity of the test kitchen chefs at one large food magazine in particular exploded. But by the summer of 2020 the wholesome façade was shattered by revelations of decades of racial discrimination and pay disparities. Even a podcast miniseries about the scandal ended in scandal when it was revealed the podcasters were themselves perpetrators of a toxic and racist work place. It’s not hard to imagine the difficulties that would arise when a company suddenly decides to […]



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