The B Word

The B Word by Mindy Klasky

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I am not a typical romance reader, but when the first book in this series, The C Word, about romance during the COVID-19 epidemic, came out, I decided to see how the author handled it. I enjoyed that and decided to continue the ride.

The B Word in the title refers to what you'd think, and the book is a wrap-up of the trilogy started with The C Word. Lawyer Emily Holcomb was a secondary character in the previous book in the series, which was set during a cooking competition held during a COVID lockdown. She won the show, although that's not public knowledge yet. In the meantime, she's working at her day job as a long-suffering associate at a white-shoe law firm in DC. Said job puts her in contact with Liam Thomas, mayor of Black Duck, West Virginia.

This is a romance, so sparks fly. Emily and Liam maneuver through conflicts romantic and legal. Two side plots are Liam's relationship with his daughter and his ex plus Emily's conflict with her mother who wants Emily to have kids. The story is entertaining and I believe you do not need to have read the previous books to follow the plot. I downrated this to four stars largely because I found the villain a bit too cardboardy and the plot resolution a bit to pat. However, I did enjoy is and can recommend it.



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Lonely Power Armor

Lonely Power Armor by Tim Akers

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


It feels like this novella has been sitting in my to-be-read pile for a long time, but looking at the publication date that's not in fact true. I am, however, glad I got to it.

The Lonely Power Armor of the title is a sentient AI suit of power armor. When it's occupant and all other humans in the vicinity die, apparently of some biological warfare agent, the suit continues its mission for a thousand years. In the meantime, life has moved on, and human descendants of the colonists the suit was sent to protect have built a feudal lifestyle, although much of their day-to-day existence is dependent on nano-tech inherited from the last war.

One of the feudal lords decides to go on a quest, triggering the power armor suit to change its operations. This quest also leads the suit to meet a human girl, and a very believable yet emotional bond develops between them. The story moves along briskly in a believable manner. Overall, I found it well done.



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