u/hatshepsut03

Scenario- I am starting a new job soon, I was doing some required training and the instructor made some comments essentially defending some common sexist practices related to our industry (sorry, I’m intentionally being vague about my line of work). So I spoke up and (politely) pointed this out, he disagreed with me and we had a brief back and forth. I could tell I wasn’t going to change his mind and it definitely wasn’t the time or place to get into a debate so I just shut my mouth and stopped talking. Everyone then moved on and it wasn’t a big deal, but I was still kind of fuming inside and found it really difficult to calm my emotions fully and participate in class the rest of the session. I’m trying so hard to get better at letting things go and not letting my emotions overwhelm me, especially in a professional setting.

I think a lot of us with ADHD struggle with emotional disregulation, so I’d love to know what your best tips/tricks are for calming yourself down when screaming into a pillow or leaving isn’t really a viable option.

I received an ARC of Helen Scheuerer’s newest book Kiss of the Black Flame (The Bookbinder’s Bargain series). I really enjoyed it and thought I’d post a review in case anyone else is interested. The book is set to release this September.

I see this request a lot, so I wanted to point out that the FMC (Saige) is 35 yrs old! I really enjoyed her character. She is funny with a dry, witty sense of humor, smart, capable, strong, doesn’t need saving. Saige is protective of MMC (Archer) and is the one to say “who did this to you”. I really enjoyed that she is not the same, cookie-cutter character that seems to get repeated in a lot of books. She also deals with a mysterious, chronic health condition that causes her to have episodes of intense pain. Her quest for answers to her painful condition nearly destroys her in more ways than one, but her strength, bravery, and fortitude keep her going.

- The prequel to this series is available for free download on the author’s website. I recommend reading this first, it is set 10yrs before Kiss of the Black Flame and gives some good backstory.
- Banter between Saige & Archer is top tier.
- Saige is not shy or afraid of her sexuality. I appreciate that she’s confident and unafraid to flirt and voice what she wants.
- Love that both FMC & MMC are layered and complex. Archer’s trauma is a part of him but doesn’t define him. He is more than just an intense, broody warrior. Dare I say he has a bit of a teddy bear heart underneath it all lol. Both characters are imperfect in a very realistic way.
- Whew the tension! If you like books with yearning and tension, this book does both those things beautifully. While the FMC/MMC were into each other pretty quickly, their circumstances are complicated, so I wouldn’t necessarily call it “instant love”.
- I also enjoyed the relationships between the side characters. Saige’s found family is very sweet and supportive. I hope we see more of Daemos (Archer’s brother) in book 2! I also feel like there are more layers to Archer’s messy family situation that we haven’t uncovered yet. Excited to see how this plays out.
- The writing was really well-done, beautiful descriptions and world building without being too flowery or verbose.

And THE ENDING!! Holy shit! Diabolical. There’s a big twist and betrayal, I need book 2 IMMEDIATELY.
Honestly, my biggest critique is that this book caused me to stay up way too late and neglect my responsibilities for 48hrs while I absolutely devoured it 😂. And also, I’m bummed I’m going to have to wait a while for book 2.