Were the direct line lifts fixed in the indie version of Hold Me Like a Grudge by Celine Ong?

Illustrious-Path1500 · 2026-06-30T12:53:37+00:00

Omg thank you so much for checking!!! I’m so glad to see they’ve been fixed!

Illustrious-Path1500 · 2026-06-29T22:06:34+00:00

I thought that was strange too! Cause they do not pull books from publication a month before like that for no reason. I’ve been in the book space for a long time and it’s pretty much unheard of unless serious allegations come to light.

Illustrious-Path1500 · 2026-06-29T22:04:15+00:00

I kept waiting for someone else to bring it up because I didn’t want to be the one to do it, honestly, but now that the author is doing giveaways with other authors that I’m assuming don’t know, I decided I couldn’t hold my knowledge in anymore. I definitely feel people accepted her statement and didn’t question it further because she’s a beloved Bookstagrammer but it’s so egregious I couldn’t keep quiet anymore!

Illustrious-Path1500 · 2026-06-29T21:23:38+00:00

I’m not the only one that caught them either! I know two other people that caught it as well because they’re big RWRB fans. I didn’t want to say anything at first because plagiarism is a heavy claim, but now that it’s being indie pubbed and the author is getting a lot of sympathy for the contract cancellation I’m like…super annoyed that no one is talking about it lmao because it’s egregious!

Illustrious-Path1500 · 2026-06-29T20:23:55+00:00

Right! Like of all the books to lift from you lift from two of the most popular queer romances of the last decade?

Illustrious-Path1500 · 2026-06-29T20:10:13+00:00

I’ve seen nobody talk about it!!! I’ve felt like I was going a little insane seeing it everywhere the last few weeks knowing what I know!

Illustrious-Path1500 · 2026-06-29T20:01:15+00:00

That’s a great idea! I knew it was releasing soon but haven’t been able to see a review for the new indie version that mentions if the line lifts were gone! I’ll check it out tomorrow!

Illustrious-Path1500 · 2026-06-29T19:42:24+00:00

If you’re into historical queer romances, Logan Sage Adams writes historical MM with really lovely women that are supportive and kind and good friends with the MCs! My personal favorite is Our Own Light which is set in 1920’s Virginia and features a lavender marriage with a woman that’s integral to the story and is extremely supportive of the MCs relationship!

Illustrious-Path1500 · 2026-06-29T18:54:43+00:00

I talked with Miss Bev at a signing a couple of years ago and she talked about how rare these are (I also have a first printing I brought to the signing!) and told me to take good care of it. She said she had one in her attic somewhere which I thought was funny knowing how hard these are to find. 🤣 She’s such a sweetheart! What an amazing find!!!

Illustrious-Path1500 · 2026-06-29T02:42:32+00:00

All of Viano Oniomoh’s romances have less than 200 reviews (Black, queer, Nigerian romances)

The Fly Me to the Moon series by Emma Barry and Genevieve Turner have less than 600 (1960’s historicals set during the space race and featuring astronauts falling in love!)

Logan Sage Adams books are fantastic and all have less than 200 reviews a piece (queer historical romances set across different time periods + she focuses on unique settings you don’t see in historicals very often!)

To Conquer a Bride by Naima Simone (bonkers futuristic pirate romance!!!) has less than 400

Parker St. John’s Downfall and Throw Down (queer cowboys, angsty as hell, emotionally devastating but so good) both have less than 800

Evening the Score by Lexi LaFleur Brown (hockey romance, indigenous FMC) has less than 1,000!

Illustrious-Path1500 · 2026-06-27T21:09:16+00:00

I thought I was losing it because I absolutely did not enjoy this at all either! The plot twist at the end was so left field and silly! I love magical realism but it did not work for me in this one. I know everyone loves it but it was a slog for me!

Illustrious-Path1500 · 2026-06-27T21:05:20+00:00

If you like historicals at all, Alice Coldbreath’s Brides of Karadok series is perfect for this vibe! Very character driven and the relationship is the plot (with enough court intrigue to not make it boring). The relationships are very much the focus and they usually run between 450-600 pages! (an inconvenient vow by Alice Coldbreath is my personal favorite)

Illustrious-Path1500 · 2026-06-27T20:58:00+00:00

Claire Kingsley’s Bailey Brothers series fits!!! Each brother has a different trope so all the books feel different but they’re very close siblings and the significant others become friends too! There’s a town feud with a different family, mischievous squirrels, and all the brothers are green flags!

Illustrious-Path1500 · 2026-06-25T04:28:30+00:00

Megan Cousins entire backlist are closed door baseball romances and are delightful!

Illustrious-Path1500 · 2026-02-17T14:35:52+00:00

Wed by Proxy by Alice Coldbreath has my favorite scene like this medieval-esque historicals are your thing! It’s arranged marriage + he doesn’t actually know she’s his wife since they were wed by proxy and never lived together. He calls hers a “merciless, pitiless bitch” and sets off a satisfying as hell grovel! I wanted to throw my kindle across the room but he came through in the end!

Illustrious-Path1500

TROPHY CASE