Horse Talk Reviews

Solomon's Crown by Natasha Siegel My rating: 5 of 5 stars 5 stars This book is low on historical accuracy but very high on vibes. It was such a compelling read and I could not put it down. It has some truly beautiful moments in it despite it being about two very problematic medieval kings getting it on throughout various castles and manors. I probably could have done without the political gambits and all the people dying in the background (or foreground in a few instances) so they could be together but it was also the 1100s so, like, stuff was weird. Honestly the less you think about this book and the more you vibe along with it the better off you'll be. I received an ARC copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. View all my reviews

The King's Delight by Sarah Honey My rating: 4 of 5 stars 4 stars+ The King's Delight had all of my favorite things: 1. It was short and sweet 2. Low angst 3. Funny without being try hard 4. Under negotiated kink with zero daddy 5. Horse I really had a good time reading it. Sometimes you want a lowkey book with horses and some spanking. Not at the same time, um... Anyway, The King's Delight was also erratic's delight to read. Highly recommend! I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own. View all my reviews

The Marriage Ring by Cathy Maxwell My rating: 4 of 5 stars Horse rating: 🐴🐴 of five horses This was very sweet, I really liked both Richard and Grace, and especially them together. Grace was a lovely character, facing her past and all the mental baggage she had from life. She never let it get her down, even if it made her defensive at times (understandably) but still open to hope and connection with Richard. Poor bb Richard, trying so hard to be good enough and fit in and he just struggles. I loved seeing him find himself slowly throughout the book. He also wished he’d taken a moment to tell her what he really thought about her. He’d tell her she was beautiful—but then she’d heard that from a hundred other men. So Richard amended his thoughts. He decided, if he could speak to Grace one last time, he’d tell her how resourceful she was, and wise. And that he admired her intelligence and even her bluntness that could set his teeth on edge. there was just so much sweetness...

Where the Devil Says Goodnight by K.A. Merikan My rating: 5 of 5 stars Horse rating: 🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴 of 7 horses "The devil wouldn’t let him go, and Emil would enjoy the sin." This was a bonkers, gorgeous, captivating, spooky read. I loved the folklore, the setting, the …everything. Merikan is already phenomenal at descriptions and vivid imagery, but they really outdid themselves in this book. Some of the most creative wording I've ever had the pleasure of reading: "His mouth watered, and he knew that if he bit in, he’d taste roast pork with apricots and nuts, covered by the most divine crunchy skin." Truly a gay bbq. Especially with the way it all tied in together…! There were tie ins I could see, and then ones I didn’t even know I missed until I’d finished the book. Despite involving a Catholic priest, this doesn’t feature heavily on the religious side. It’s more about folklore and superstition, so there’s no off putting modern religion presence. The overal...

Remedy by Alex Hall My rating: 3 of 5 stars Horse rating: 🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴 of 5 horses Overall, I would say this was fine. There were some better parts, and some not so good parts, and it was generally readable. The better parts: • I liked having a nonbinary MC in Reed - I’m not sure I’ve read a romance with someone using they/them pronouns, and I was happy to see that. I also liked them as a character. • I loved the horse details. So much horse. Beautifully described, both as a background setting and as integral to the plot and characters. • The family all had distinct personalities, and played off each other well in a believable family dynamic. I never like the “he’s just got a temper/can’t control it” excuse for the father, but it is a character trait that way. So I’ll be cranky but not because of the writing. • The writing was generally solid. The not so good parts: • Peter Griffin. The MC is named Peter Griffin . I had to skip all the sex scenes because I can only imagine Famil...

  The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes by Cat Sebastian My rating: 5 of 5 stars Expected publication: June 7th, 2022  "There is something inexpressibly masculine about expecting to be believed." I read the first book in this series, The Queer Principles of Kit Webb, last year and was left with a lot of questions by the way it ended. Where did Marian go? Where did Rob go? Why do Kit and Percy (the main characters from the first book) have Marian's baby?? Fortunately, this book answers many of those questions. The story begins in medias res and runs parallel to Kit Webb in a way that does not feel heavy-handed or repetitive of the events of the first book. I loved the use of the blackmail letters between Marian and Rob as a storytelling device to show the development of their relationship. It felt real that Marian would go to Rob and that Rob would see Marian as his equal (or better). The book has several of my favorite tropes (only one bed! road trip! horses! larce...