Hi, I’m Dabney Grinnan.

Welcome to The Passionate Reader — my personal corner of the internet for honest, unhurried book reviews and the occasional literary tangent. I’ve spent the better part of two decades reading, thinking about, and arguing over books, and this is where I get to do all three in one place.

For years I ran All About Romance, one of the longest-running romance review sites on the web. The Passionate Reader is where my reading life has grown beyond a single genre — literary fiction, mysteries, romance, memoir: anything that moves me, frustrates me, or keeps me up far too late.

My reviews are opinionated and, I hope, useful. If I loved a book, I’ll tell you why. If I didn’t, I’ll tell you that too. No sponsored raves, no five stars for everything — just one passionate reader’s honest take.

New reviews and essays land in your inbox through my Substack newsletter. I’d love to have you along for the ride.

Dabney — this is placeholder copy so the page is live. Edit it with your own words whenever you’re ready.