The Books I'm Reading Now
You may have noticed a little Bossy hiatus last week. I was on a big, fun family trip to the UK, exploring castles in Outlander country, visiting dear friends in London, ghost-touring in Edinburgh, and hiking in the Scottish Highlands. While I wasn't posting or reading much during the trip, that transatlantic flight is made for some reading mania!
Right now I'm reading the recent Lucky Red, Claudia Cravens's LGBTQ Western set in a brothel in 1877 Dodge City; I'm reading Tricia Levenseller's debut novel Daughter of the Pirate King, about a teenaged female pirate captain who allows herself to be captured by her enemies in order to search for the ultimate treasure map; and I'm reading Ava Wilder's upcoming romantic comedy Will They or Won't They, about on-screen loves who detest each other in real life.
What are you reading these days, bookworms?
01 Lucky Red by Claudia Cravens
Practical, tough sixteen-year-old Bridget arrives in 1877 Dodge City without a penny to her name or enough marketable skills to earn her keep.
She begins working at the Buffalo Queen, using her bright-red hair and pure country appeal to her advantage.
Bridget falls for a fellow "sporting woman," and when the Buffalo Queen is threatened, she must determine where her loyalties lie.
I received a prepublication version of this book courtesy of NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group, Dial Press. Lucky Red was published June 20.
You might also like the books on my Greedy Reading Lists Six Great Historical Fiction Novels Set in the American West and Six More Great Historical Fiction Novels Set in the American West.
02 Daughter of the Pirate King by Tricia Levenseller
Alosa is a seventeen-year-old female pirate captain who didn't secure treasures or rule a ship of motley crew members by being a fool.
That's why when she gets captured by her enemies, it's on purpose. She's got to search their ship and find the treasure map to end all treasure maps, and she's confident that she's clever enough to do it.
The one complicating factor is the equally clever--and distractingly handsome--the first mate on the enemy ship, Riden.
Daughter of the Pirate King is the first in a duology from Levenseller and is her debut novel. The second book is Daughter of the Siren Queen.
03 Will They or Won't They by Ava Wilder
Lilah Hunter and Shane McCarthy are the stars of the popular paranormal television show Intangible, and for multiple seasons they've yearned for each other on screen, but their characters have never gotten together.
Lilah has dreams of directing and of breaking into movies, but she's back for the sixth and final season of the show, in which her character and Shane's will finally get together.
But in real life, Shane and Lilah detest each other. Their secret tryst at the end of season one ended badly, and they've been far from friendly ever since.
In order to get through their final season, they'll have to play nice--and get more intimate on screen than either of them ever wanted to again.
I received a prepublication edition of this book courtesy of NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group: Ballantine Dell. Will They or Won't They is scheduled for publication June 27.
If this book sounds intriguing, you might also be interested in the books on my Greedy Reading Lists Six Rom-Coms Perfect for Summer Reading, Six Great Light Fiction Stories Perfect for Summer Reading, and Six More Great Light Fiction Stories.