About Me 

I’m Kathryn (she/her), and I read like someone left the library doors unlocked and told me to behave. I run Lipstick on a Longsword, where I keep one hand on the cake fork and the other on the hilt. I live where the redwoods meet the Northern California coast, and when I’m not reading, I’m drafting my own novel—feral girls, sharp banter, a little blood on the hem. I love getting out into fog, cliffs, and trail dust as much as I love a good book—sometimes both at once, paperback in my pocket, sand in the pages. I grew up on paperbacks that smelled like rain and ink, graduated to doorstoppers with maps and glossaries, and never recovered. I’ve been book-obsessed since I could sound out words at four; the Boxcar Children were my first chapter books at five, and I’ve been chasing that “one more chapter” hit ever since. I can spot a found family subplot from fifty paces, I believe banter is a love language, and yes—maps and glossaries should count as foreplay.

This is a blog for readers who don’t live in one shelf. I swing across romance and romantasy, fantasy and sci-fi, mystery/thriller, YA, historical, horror, and comics/manga. I’m a mood reader with a TBR that could topple a small kingdom; some days I want swoon, some days I want scheming, many days I want both. My catnip is simple: Enemies to Lovers, Slow Burn, Banter, Forbidden Love, Forced Proximity. My hard no’s are also simple: cheating, manufactured miscommunication, and insta-love—life is short and my TBR isn’t.

What you’ll get here: spoiler-light reviews up top (if I go spoilery, I label it), content notes when they’ll help you decide, and ratings that favor feel + function. I use kiss marks for the overall vibe (yes, I do half steps), and quick axes—Blade (stakes & momentum), Heart (character & relationships), Lore (world & myth), Craft (prose & structure), and Pull (that one-more-chapter compulsion). I’m candid but not cruel, unserious until it’s time to be serious, and allergic to dunking on readers’ joy. If a book makes you grin, gasp, or Google “preorder sequel when,” I’m listening.

I am not a completist, an algorithm, or a vibes-free spreadsheet; I’m a person with lipstick on my coffee mug and opinions in my notes app. Sometimes I read at midnight with tea; sometimes I read in line at the pharmacy; occasionally I forget to hydrate because a chapter ended with a what did you just do. If you bring daggers to dances—beauty with a blade, softness with spine—you’re my people. Pull up a chair. We can argue about which trope pays the rent while I underline quotes like they owe me money.

ARC & collabs: I’m open. If you’ve got romance/romantasy, SFF, mystery/thriller, YA, historical, horror, or comics/manga, send title, genre, release date, and any content notes to somethingwitchythiswaycomes@outlook.com. I can’t accept everything, but I read every pitch with care. Posting schedule? When the spirit moves me—and it moves often.

Welcome to Lipstick on a Longsword. Bring your TBR and your dagger; I’ll bring the cake and the honesty.