Since I'm about to start a new read for 2022 (yeah, right), I thought it would be worth my while to at least pretend I had been consistently reviewing books throughout the year by creating a wrap up. Between new-to-me and re-reads I finished 58 books in 2021. Nowhere near my best but also not as bad as 2020. 


What's probably most surprising looking at this collage is how many books were just kind of in the miasma of the year and didn't make any lasting impacts in my memory. Trying to pick from the new, I'd say my Top Picks were:

Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots
Morning Glory Milking Farm by C.M. Nascosta
Fates Blades by Ilona Andrews
The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren

And while it feels a little anathema, I'd still have to say Hench was the must read book of the year. I remember what it was like to get sucked in to that book and just be absolutely blown away by how it portrayed women, anger, disability and perceived weakness, while also being incredibly kick ass. As in Violent with a capital "v". You've been warned.

(Jessica P. Wick at NPR has a much more thorough review if you'd like to read actual thoughts and feelings about the book. Sorry I suck.)

So... it's been a while huh? I actually checked and apparently it's been almost a year (July 2019) since my last Friday Book Club post and I'm both horrified and not so much. I've been saying to friends that when my stress levels go up I find it super hard to read/watch anything new, because the anxiety of wondering how things will end is too much for my brain. Which is why at the beginning of the year I started tracking things in a more simpler form over on Twitter using the #GRHReads tag, and wow can you see the ups and downs of being an emotional reader.  And hell, this doesn't even cover the books I've started and stopped after a sentence or a paragrah, or the ones I completely DNF'd partway through.

It's been rough out there y'all.

But I've decided to give myself a break and if I reread something and just want to share how much I love it, I'm allowed - even if I've posted about it before. The joys of it being my own little piece of the internet hahaha. 99% of my reading is for pleasure, and I want a happy ending, with preferably low angst. No apologies. The world is way more than enough hard truth on any given day. And with that, here are a few of the more recent works that I've read new/reread old and enjoyed the heck out of.

Badger to the Bone by Shelly Laurenston (Paranormal Romance)
She’s the woman he’s been hired to kidnap. But ZeZé Vargas has other ideas . . . like getting them both out of this nightmare alive. Just one problem. She’s crazy. Certifiably. Because while he’s plotting their escape, the petite Asian beauty is plotting something much more deadly . . .

Max “Kill It Again” MacKilligan has no idea what one of her own is doing with all these criminal humans until she realizes that Zé has no idea who or what he is. Or exactly how much power he truly has.

But Max is more than happy to bring this handsome jaguar shifter into her world and show him everything he’s been missing out on. A move that might be the dumbest thing she’s ever done once she realizes how far her enemies will go to wipe her out. Too bad for them Zé is willing to do whatever it takes to keep her alive . . . and honey badgers are just so damn hard to kill!

My Thoughts: I have read and reread this book an embarrassing number of times since it came out at the end of March. The conclusion to Laurenston's Honey Badger Chronicles trilogy, it is peak ridiculousness. I'm not sure how to describe something so laugh out loud funny that also features some of the best kick ass and confident heroines that I've ever come across. Laurenston takes her stories seriously but they've never serious, which is why they've been comfort reads for two decades. Highly recommended, especially if you miss a good ol' action movie in theaters - you won't be disappointed.

Alpha Night by Nalini Singh (Paranormal Romance)
Alpha wolf Selenka Durev’s devotion to her pack is equaled only by her anger at anyone who would harm those under her care. That currently includes the empaths who’ve flowed into her city for a symposium that is a security nightmare, a powder keg just waiting for a match.

Ethan Night is an Arrow who isn’t an Arrow. Numb and disengaged from the world, he’s loyal only to himself. Assigned as part of the security force at a world-first symposium, he carries a dark agenda tied to the power-hungry and murderous Consortium. Then violence erupts and Ethan finds himself crashing into the heart and soul of an alpha wolf.

Mating at first sight is a myth, a fairytale. Yet Selenka’s wolf is resolute: Ethan Night, broken Arrow and a man capable of obsessive devotion, is the mate it has chosen. Even if the mating bond is full of static and not quite as it should be. Because Selenka’s new mate has a terrible secret, his mind surging with a power that is a creature of madness and death…

My Thoughts: Welp, as I suspected, this book brought my heart all the uncomplicated joy. Which is probably a little strange to say because one of the MCs, Ethan, has suffered all sorts of trauma in his life, but his relationship with Selenka? WONDERFUL. As the latest in Singh's very long running Psy-Changeling series (even if it's part of the Trinity sub-set) it's very hard for me to say this book is a stand alone. The romance, like in all her books, is done with relatively low angst within this one story, but the larger plot has been in the works for a while. Which is a lot of words to say YMMV if you haven't picked up the previous books. I know that Singh will make it worth your while (and yay for all the books you now have at your fingertips!) so may I tempt you to get started if you haven't?

The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune (Alternate World Fantasy(?))
Linus Baker is a by-the-book case worker in the Department in Charge of Magical Youth. He's tasked with determining whether six dangerous magical children are likely to bring about the end of the world.

Arthur Parnassus is the master of the orphanage. He would do anything to keep the children safe, even if it means the world will burn. And his secrets will come to light.

My Thoughts: This was a bit of a random buy for me, picked up on the strength of Twitter and my experience with Klune's absolutely ridiculous Tales From Verania series. And despite the relatively high price tag, this book 100% delivers. I think the story most closely hews to Urban Fantasy, but it is also gives off very strong Studio Ghibli vibes. It's a story about found family, appreciating uniqueness, and finding the inner strength to do what's right, with the perfect amount of unabashedly queer romance. It's slow burn with some wonderful characters and I really hope it's just the beginning of more to come.


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Wolf Rain by Nalini Singh (Paranormal Romance, M/F)
Kidnapped as a young girl, her psychic powers harnessed by a madman, Memory lives a caged and isolated existence...until she comes face-to-face with a wolf. Labelled an empath by her bad-tempered rescuer, Memory knows that her 'gift' is nothing so bright. It is a terrible darkness that means she will always be hunted.

But Memory is free now and she intends to live. A certain growly wolf can just deal with it.

Alexei prefers to keep his packmates at bay, the bleak history of his family a constant reminder that mating, love, hope is not for him. But Memory, this defiant and fearless woman who stands toe-to-toe with him awakens the most primal part of his nature--and soon, he must make a choice: risk everything or lose Memory to a murderous darkness that wants to annihilate her from existence...

My Thoughts: To me this is the kind of uncomplicated paranormal romance that makes me love Nalini Singh. No, I wouldn't say it's particularly groundbreaking, but learning more about the diversity within the empath group through Memory was super interesting. Plus it allowed a good look into the ways in which Singh will balance different strengths to solve the current "big bad". Alexei is a grumpy alpha in the best way, pushing Memory to do more while also being just the right amount of overprotective that we've come to love from shifters. Add in plenty of time with characters from previous books and you've got not only a guaranteed fun read the first time around, but one I'll continually pick up for those "feel good" moments.

Nothing More Certain by R. Cooper (Paranormal Romance, M/M)
Emery Elward returned to Trinity Creek with no intention of doing anything but repairing the farmhouse he grew up in, starting a business, and tending to the graveyard linked to his family’s property. He has no interest in renewing past friendships. But one old friend is determined to get Emery out from behind the cemetery’s iron gates.

My Thoughts: I have already touched on my love for R. Cooper before, and honestly it doesn't change with this third installment of the Familiar Spirits series. She kind of does that thing that I love about Laura Florand - emotionally complicated characters who take more than a little time to not only admit to themselves how they feel, but also to their love interest. I guess it's as far as I go into angst? It ends up giving me more emotional satisfaction, that I get to follow the journey of two people becoming friends, then lovers, then more (or whatever the order those take) without a lot outside forces imposing reasons that the two shouldn't be together. The fact that Emery and Ezra grew up together adds another layer to their HEA, and Cooper takes Ezra's powers in a slightly different (and more potentially terrifying) direction than previous books. Highly recommended!

Terminal Uprising by Jim C. Hines (Sci-Fi/Action/Comedy)

Human civilization didn’t just fall. It was pushed.

The Krakau came to Earth in the year 2104. By 2105, humanity had been reduced to shambling, feral monsters. In the Krakau’s defense, it was an accident, and a century later, they did come back and try to fix us. Sort of.

It’s been four months since Marion “Mops” Adamopoulos learned the truth of that accident. Four months since she and her team of hygiene and sanitation specialists stole the EMCS Pufferfish and stopped a bioterrorism attack against the Krakau homeworld. Four months since she set out to find proof of what really happened on Earth all those years ago.

Between trying to protect their secrets and fighting the xenocidal Prodryans, who’ve been escalating their war against everyone who isn’t Prodryan, the Krakau have their tentacles full.

Mops’ mission changes when she learns of a secret Krakau laboratory on Earth. A small group under command of Fleet Admiral Belle-Bonne Sage is working to create a new weapon, one that could bring victory over the Prodryans … or drown the galaxy in chaos.

To discover the truth, Mops and her rogue cleaning crew will have to do the one thing she fears most: return to Earth, a world overrun by feral apes, wild dogs, savage humans, and worse. (After all, the planet hasn’t been cleaned in a century and a half!) What Mops finds in the filthy ruins of humanity could change everything, assuming she survives long enough to share it.

Perhaps humanity isn’t as dead as the galaxy thought.

My Thoughts: Apparently my path to science fiction is through humor and action? I knew I enjoyed book one, but who doesn't love the idea of a found family who are Janitors of the Post-Apocalypse? The absurdity of it all drew me in initially, but the strength and growth of the world and the main cast kept me going in book two. Mops is the center, but the rest of her crew get multiple chances to shine on their own, as smart, heroic, quick thinking beings, who find causes to be passionate about. Not everyone's ending is happy, but it's true to them, and book two introduces some new twists and turns regarding humanity's present and future (and a line in one scene that makes highschool me SING, but it's also a spoiler so message me if you wanna know more). It's not a stand alone, I think you get much more out of it having read book one, and I really can't let go of the idea that this would be a fantastic show ala Farsape.



Polaris Rising: A Novel by Jessie Mihalik (Sci-Fi Romance/M/F)

A space princess on the run and a notorious outlaw soldier become unlikely allies in this imaginative, sexy space opera adventure—the first in an exciting science fiction trilogy.

In the far distant future, the universe is officially ruled by the Royal Consortium, but the High Councillors, the heads of the three High Houses, wield the true power. As the fifth of six children, Ada von Hasenberg has no authority; her only value to her High House is as a pawn in a political marriage. When her father arranges for her to wed a noble from House Rockhurst, a man she neither wants nor loves, Ada seizes control of her own destiny. The spirited princess flees before the betrothal ceremony and disappears among the stars.

Ada eluded her father’s forces for two years, but now her luck has run out. To ensure she cannot escape again, the fiery princess is thrown into a prison cell with Marcus Loch. Known as the Devil of Fornax Zero, Loch is rumored to have killed his entire chain of command during the Fornax Rebellion, and the Consortium wants his head.

When the ship returning them to Earth is attacked by a battle cruiser from rival House Rockhurst, Ada realizes that if her jilted fiancé captures her, she’ll become a political prisoner and a liability to her House. Her only hope is to strike a deal with the dangerous fugitive: a fortune if he helps her escape.

But when you make a deal with an irresistibly attractive Devil, you may lose more than you bargained for . . .


Tamiko and the Two Janitors by Forthright (Urban Fantasy)


In doing her part for world peace, she puts one crosser’s whole world at risk.
Conspiracy theories, werewolf scares, and protest rallies have hampered the peace process in America, where social and political unrest keep most Amaranthine from declaring themselves. Those not in seclusion rely heavily on illusion to mask their true nature.

As the newly appointed principal of a small elementary school, Tamiko Reaverson is doing her part for world peace. She rallies her community’s support and applies for Hisoka Twineshaft’s school revitalization project, which will bring Amaranthine to her hometown. Little does Tami realize that Fletching was founded by one of the oldest and largest urban enclaves in the United States. And two of her staunchest supporters—janitors at her school—share a secret neither wants exposed

The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare (Historical Romance, M/F)
Since his return from war, the Duke of Ashbury’s to-do list has been short and anything but sweet: brooding, glowering, menacing London ne’er-do-wells by night. Now there’s a new item on the list. He needs an heir—which means he needs a wife. When Emma Gladstone, a vicar’s daughter turned seamstress, appears in his library wearing a wedding gown, he decides on the spot that she’ll do.

His terms are simple:

- They will be husband and wife by night only.

- No lights, no kissing.

- No questions about his battle scars.

- Last, and most importantly… Once she’s pregnant with his heir, they need never share a bed again.

But Emma is no pushover. She has a few rules of her own:

- They will have dinner together every evening.

- With conversation.

- And unlimited teasing.

- Last, and most importantly… Once she’s seen the man beneath the scars, he can’t stop her from falling in love…

My Thoughts: I often feel like I'm unsuccessful with historical romances, or at least mostly ambivalent about them, but Twitter hit it out of the park with this one. It wasn't super overly angsty, and while Ash is a bit of a jerk, he wasn't so much of one that I couldn't have empathy - and root for the final HEA. It's probably a bit of a cop out to leave it at that, but this is one of those uncomplicatedly joyful romances that I don't have enough of in my TBR pile. Highly recommended.

American Witch by Thea Harrison (Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance, M/F) 
Power can change a person…

For months Molly Sullivan endures the inexplicable: electrical surges, car breakdowns, visions. She even wonders if she might be the cause… and wonders if she might be crazy. Then she discovers her husband has cheated on her. Again. Now Molly realizes she is a newly awakening witch and a woman pushed over the edge.

Revenge can shape a person…

Josiah Mason is a Powerful witch and the leader of a secret coven with a shared goal: to destroy an ancient enemy who has ruined many lives. Josiah lost years to this man, and his sole focus is revenge. He’s prepared for every contingency—except encountering a beautiful new witch who understands nothing of the immense Power building within her or the attraction she wields over him.

Danger can bring them together…

When divorcing her husband, Molly uncovers a dangerous secret he’s willing to kill to protect. She turns to Josiah for help, and they discover a connection between Molly’s husband and Josiah’s enemy.

As they work together, a spark ignites between them that threatens to become an inferno. But Molly is done compromising herself for any man, and Josiah’s mission is his top priority. And the enemy is cunning, cruel, and drawing ever closer.

As the danger escalates, so does the tension between them. Is a lasting relationship possible? Will either of them live long enough to try?

My Thoughts: Do y'all remember Harrison's Game of Shadows duology? Those books were violent, dark, and a tiny bit emotionally devastating, and while American Witch is different, it definitely gave me similar vibes. Maybe it's because I missed out on some of the last of her Elder Races books, who knows, because in the end it all pretty much worked for me. Mostly because post-"life as she knows burning down around her" Molly is not above calling people on their sh*t, and demanding that they be worthy of her. Which since Josiah starts this book as a jerk with a giant chip on his shoulders, works really well in my opinion. Do I feel a little "eh" on the surprise that cements their relationship? A little, but since I went into this knowing the HEA was going to be happen it didn't totally bother me. I'm left wondering where this series is going to go, with its big bad and focus on Molly, because this story ends with a lot more moving parts than it began with.

That Kind Of Guy by Talia Hibbert (Contemporary Romance, M/F)
*ARC provided by the author*

She wants a fake relationship. He needs something real.

If there’s one thing Rae can’t stand, it’s pity. She’s forty, frazzled, and fed up—so attending an awards ceremony alone while her ex swans about with his new wife? Not an option. To avoid total humiliation, Rae needs a date of her own. And her young, hot-as-hell new best friend is the perfect candidate…

Zach Davis, king of casual hookups, has a secret: the notorious womaniser craves emotional connection, and anonymous encounters leave him feeling hollow. After years of performance, Zach’s desperate to be himself. So why does he agree to play Rae’s fake boyfriend? And why does it feel so easy?

When the line between pretence and desire blurs, Zach’s forced to face an unexpected truth: there’s nothing phoney about his need for Rae. But the jaded divorcée’s been hurt by playboy men before. Can a weekend of faking it prove that Zach’s for real?

My Thoughts: I strangely had a LOT of feelings about this book. Like way more than I usually do, and I'm finding it hard to communicate them in a way that isn't dismissive of all this book does well. I think that Zach's inability/refusal to communicate bothered me the most - I get that identifying as a demisexual was a big personal realization, one that he didn't know how to share, but you know what isn't? Telling the concerned people around you that you're just not interested in casual sex anymore. That doesn't involve sharing - and thus having to explain - anymore than you want to, and instead he wallowed in being misunderstood and taken advantage of, when he literally didn't say anything to the people around him. I get that some of this is probably supposed to be an age thing, but... I feel like he didn't have to take ownership for it. And then, I think the blurb sets up some misunderstandings about the nature of their friendship-eventual-relationship and how it develops and who proposes what, etc. There are some unexpected relationship dynamics here, and questions about how you develop said relationship when one party has initially communicated they're not interested. The lines are messy in a way that unsurprisingly leads to a bit of heartache (and do I wish Zach had done a little more recognizing how Rae's past relationships affected her in the present. I hate when only one side does the apologizing when both people messed up.) and the end book is real, and messy, but perhaps a bit more angsty than is my usual.



Middle Game by Seanan McGuire (May 7, 2019, Fantasy)
Meet Roger. Skilled with words, languages come easily to him. He instinctively understands how the world works through the power of story.

Meet Dodger, his twin. Numbers are her world, her obsession, her everything. All she understands, she does so through the power of math.

Roger and Dodger aren’t exactly human, though they don’t realise it. They aren’t exactly gods, either. Not entirely. Not yet.

Meet Reed, skilled in the alchemical arts like his progenitor before him. Reed created Dodger and her brother. He’s not their father. Not quite. But he has a plan: to raise the twins to the highest power, to ascend with them and claim their authority as his own.

Godhood is attainable. Pray it isn’t attained.


Wolf Rain by Nalini Singh (June 4, 2019, Paranormal Romance, M/F)
Kidnapped as a young girl, her psychic powers harnessed by a madman, Memory lives a caged and isolated existence...until she comes face-to-face with a wolf. Labelled an empath by her bad-tempered rescuer, Memory knows that her 'gift' is nothing so bright. It is a terrible darkness that means she will always be hunted.

But Memory is free now and she intends to live. A certain growly wolf can just deal with it.

Alexei prefers to keep his packmates at bay, the bleak history of his family a constant reminder that mating, love, hope is not for him. But Memory, this defiant and fearless woman who stands toe-to-toe with him awakens the most primal part of his nature--and soon, he must make a choice: risk everything or lose Memory to a murderous darkness that wants to annihilate her from existence...

Wrath of the Goddess by Lauren Dane (June 10, 2019, Paranormal Romance, M/F)
You can’t keep a vengeful woman down for long.
Rowan Summerwaite, elite hunter and human vessel to the goddess Brigid, has returned home to Las Vegas—and she’s mad as hell. It seems someone thought they could eliminate Rowan and everyone she holds dear.

That someone was dead wrong.

With tensions between paranormal factions at an all-time high, Rowan and her crew, along with her sexy Vampire Scion husband, Clive Stewart, have their work cut out for them. The Vampire Nation has at least one traitor in their midst, leaving them extremely vulnerable…but if it’s a war they want, Rowan’s prepared to bring the pain like never before.

Rowan knows her duty is to those she’s sworn to protect, but it seems the harder she fights, the more barriers she hits…and the more friends she loses.

With even her closest alliances in question, Rowan will have to accept that sometimes the path toward the greater good means making heartrending sacrifices along the way…

Connections in Death by J.D. Robb (Futuristic Procedural, Romantic Suspense)
Homicide cop Eve Dallas and her billionaire husband, Roarke, are building a brand-new school and youth shelter. They know that the hard life can lead kids toward dangerous crossroads—and with this new project, they hope to nudge a few more of them onto the right path. For expert help, they hire child psychologist Dr. Rochelle Pickering—whose own brother pulled himself out of a spiral of addiction and crime with Rochelle’s support.

Lyle is living with Rochelle while he gets his life together, and he’s thrilled to hear about his sister’s new job offer. But within hours, triumph is followed by tragedy. Returning from a celebratory dinner with her boyfriend, she finds Lyle dead with a syringe in his lap, and Eve’s investigation confirms that this wasn’t just another OD. After all his work to get clean, Lyle’s been pumped full of poison—and a neighbor with a peephole reports seeing a scruffy, pink-haired girl fleeing the scene.

Now Eve and Roarke must venture into the gang territory where Lyle used to run, and the ugly underground world of tattoo parlors and strip joints where everyone has taken a wrong turn somewhere. They both believe in giving people a second chance. Maybe even a third or fourth. But as far as they’re concerned, whoever gave the order on Lyle Pickering’s murder has run out of chances…

My Thoughts: I think the best thing about this series is that even after a number (don't ask me how many) of books away I could jump back in to Connections in Death and enjoy the hell out of it. I picked this up from the library after hearing so many good things from voices I trusted, and damn were they right. Action, emotion, family - it all takes center stage of this story, and the full cast of characters we've come to love are there to take part in it. The "whodunnit" is not a huge mystery, but the process of how the story evolves from A to B to C is enough to keep you invested - but not if you've never read one of these before. Like, Robb (Nora Roberts) is amazing, but I'm still not going to say Connections is a total stand alone - maybe after 10 or books you can jump around? Read them and come back and tell me.

The Long Way to a Small, Angry, Planet by Becky Chambers (Sci-Fi)
Follow a motley crew on an exciting journey through space—and one adventurous young explorer who discovers the meaning of family in the far reaches of the universe—in this light-hearted debut space opera from a rising sci-fi star.

Rosemary Harper doesn’t expect much when she joins the crew of the aging Wayfarer. While the patched-up ship has seen better days, it offers her a bed, a chance to explore the far-off corners of the galaxy, and most importantly, some distance from her past. An introspective young woman who learned early to keep to herself, she’s never met anyone remotely like the ship’s diverse crew, including Sissix, the exotic reptilian pilot, chatty engineers Kizzy and Jenks who keep the ship running, and Ashby, their noble captain.

Life aboard the Wayfarer is chaotic and crazy—exactly what Rosemary wants. It’s also about to get extremely dangerous when the crew is offered the job of a lifetime. Tunneling wormholes through space to a distant planet is definitely lucrative and will keep them comfortable for years. But risking her life wasn’t part of the plan. In the far reaches of deep space, the tiny Wayfarer crew will confront a host of unexpected mishaps and thrilling adventures that force them to depend on each other. To survive, Rosemary’s got to learn how to rely on this assortment of oddballs—an experience that teaches her about love and trust, and that having a family isn’t necessarily the worst thing in the universe.

My Thoughts: I picked up this up from the library on an author's recommendation, and I'm a little torn on how to write about it. I very rarely read sci-fi unless it's sci-fi romance, and while this was has a found family (another of my favorite tropes) it's a harder one to read. There are happy endings, though no HEA (but a probable HFN) and I feel like while I thought it was objectively good, it wasn't my favorite. Is that damming with faint praise? I do think it raises some great points about individualism, uniqueness, family and relationships and connection but it just didn't catch me the way I thought it would. Due to all that though, I still feel like you should pick it up because it is very pleasantly different from what I usually read. It just perhaps won't be a reread for me.

Cast in Oblivion by Michelle Sagara (Fantasy)
POLITICS ARE HELL

Kaylin wasn’t sent to the West March to start a war. Her mission to bring back nine Barrani might do just that, though. She traveled with a Dragon, and her presence is perceived as an act of aggression in the extremely hostile world of Barrani-Dragon politics. Internal Barrani politics are no less deadly, and Kaylin has managed—barely—to help the rescued Barrani evade both death and captivity at the hands of the Consort.

Before the unplanned “visit” to the West March, Kaylin invited the Consort to dinner. For obvious reasons, Kaylin wants to cancel dinner—forever. But the Consort is going to show up at the front door at the agreed-upon time. The fact that she tried to imprison Kaylin’s guests doesn’t matter at all…to her.

A private Barrani Hell, built of Shadow and malice, exists beneath the High Halls. It is the High Court’s duty to jail the creature at its heart—even if it means that Barrani victims are locked in the cage with it. The Consort is willing to do almost anything to free the trapped and end their eternal torment. And she needs the help of Kaylin’s houseguests—and Kaylin herself. Failure won’t be death—it will be Hell. And that’s where Kaylin is going.

My Thoughts: I say this with love, but this is probably one of the few later books in this series where I didn't find myself confused 50% of the time. This is #14 in the series and there are so many threads and plot lines, and the books are published far enough apart that sometimes I'm just along for the ride and believing the author when she tells me things. This time I could actually remember (mostly) where all these people/beings/whatever came from, and by the very nature of the plot itself I was able to connect it everything else. Though side note (I love this book, it's absolutely not a stand alone), does anyone else get a little annoyed with people constantly chastising Kaylin for being young/mortal/ignorant, etc? I feel like the interwebs are always out here complaining about Mary Sues but....I could do with more "magically can do everything". I'M NOT SORRY.

Sleigh Ride by Heidi Cullinan (Contemporary Romance, MM)
The way to a man’s heart is on a sleigh.

Arthur Anderson doesn’t want anything to do with love and romance, and he certainly doesn’t want to play Santa in his mother’s library fundraising scheme. He knows full well what she really wants is to hook him up with the town’s lanky, prissy librarian.

It’s clear Gabriel Higgins doesn’t want him, either—as a Santa, as a boyfriend, as anyone at all. But when Arthur’s efforts to wiggle out of the fundraiser lead to getting to know the man behind the story-time idol, he can’t help but be charmed. The least he can do is be neighborly and help Gabriel find a few local friends.

As their fiery arguments strike hotter sparks, two men who insist they don’t date wind up doing an awful lot of dating. And it looks like the sleigh they both tried not to board could send them jingling all the way to happily ever after.

My Thoughts: I saw this bandied about online closer to the holiday, but only recently bought it myself. WHICH I THOROUGHLY HATE MYSELF FOR. I'm not sure why the description didn't move me, maybe I was concerned that Arthur would be too much of a jerk (ala Harlequin Presents) but honestly this is a heartwarming - and spicy - romance. It was also longer than I expected, fully deserving of the $5 price tag, but near the end there was I really starting to get worried that there was going to be a big emotional breakup before the HEA, but there wasn't! I'm happy to report this is a incredibly heartwarming romance, between two men who not only have to open up to each other, but also have to open up to themselves about what they really want. Plus, whoo boy the heat. I was not expecting such a... variety of sexual playtimes in this book, maybe because I just don't see it as often in Holiday themed books, but again, they were very well done. I know I've been harping on the topic in my reviews lately, but ALL THE CONSENT TALKS. ALL OF THEM. LET'S TALK ABOUT BOUNDARIES AND SAFE WORDS AND WHAT WE'RE INTO. It's so awesome. I can't wait to check out this author's backlist and would lightly recommend this one, no matter the season.


American Witch by Thea Harrison (April 29, 2019, Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance, MF) 
Power can change a person…

For months Molly Sullivan endures the inexplicable: electrical surges, car breakdowns, visions. She even wonders if she might be the cause… and wonders if she might be crazy. Then she discovers her husband has cheated on her. Again. Now Molly realizes she is a newly awakening witch and a woman pushed over the edge.

Revenge can shape a person…

Josiah Mason is a Powerful witch and the leader of a secret coven with a shared goal: to destroy an ancient enemy who has ruined many lives. Josiah lost years to this man, and his sole focus is revenge. He’s prepared for every contingency—except encountering a beautiful new witch who understands nothing of the immense Power building within her or the attraction she wields over him.

Danger can bring them together…

When divorcing her husband, Molly uncovers a dangerous secret he’s willing to kill to protect. She turns to Josiah for help, and they discover a connection between Molly’s husband and Josiah’s enemy.

As they work together, a spark ignites between them that threatens to become an inferno. But Molly is done compromising herself for any man, and Josiah’s mission is his top priority. And the enemy is cunning, cruel, and drawing ever closer.

As the danger escalates, so does the tension between them. Is a lasting relationship possible? Will either of them live long enough to try?

That Kind of Guy by Talia Hibbert (May 2, 2019, Contemporary Romance, MF)
She wants a fake relationship. He needs something real.

If there’s one thing Rae can’t stand, it’s pity. She’s forty, frazzled, and fed up—so attending an awards ceremony alone while her ex swans about with his new wife? Not an option. To avoid total humiliation, Rae needs a date of her own. And her young, hot-as-hell new best friend is the perfect candidate…

Zach Davis, king of casual hookups, has a secret: the notorious womaniser craves emotional connection, and anonymous encounters leave him feeling hollow. After years of performance, Zach’s desperate to be himself. So why does he agree to play Rae’s fake boyfriend? And why does it feel so easy?

When the line between pretence and desire blurs, Zach’s forced to face an unexpected truth: there’s nothing phoney about his need for Rae. But the jaded divorcée’s been hurt by playboy men before. Can a weekend of faking it prove that Zach’s for real?

So when I decided to start on this list I thought I was going to be screwed by my own hubris - how could I possibly pick favorites out of what (I think) were hundreds of books I read in 2018? And then I started looking, combing through my Amazon and Google purchase history, double checking against my other Friday Book Club posts, and surprisingly it turned out not to be that hard. It also made me want to re-read some of the books I talked about earlier in the year, but I digress.

This list is full of books I loved, that stayed with me and got reread, over and over again. I decided to include books that might not have been published in 2018 as long as they were new to me, so hopefully that won't skew the numbers too much.

Have fun and happy reading!

Every Heart a Doorway/Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire (Fantasy/~Urban Fantasy Light)
I might not be current with her Toby series (things in that world got real dark for me y'all) but McGuire's Wayward Children series is memorable for the same reasons that series is. Happy endings don't always happen for anyone, let alone children who are coughed back onto Earth after adventures in a multitude of "somewhere elses" and McGuire makes each of their stories incredibly compelling. On their own and also as ensemble casts, which are the books I'm choosing to focus on here. The casts are diverse by design but never come across as forced, instead as true representations of the types of people that might be better served by a world not this one - as least as it is right now. It's dark and beautiful and mesmerizing and familiar while still being brand new, which isn't surprising when a lot of the other worlds sound like the homes of the fairytale stories we read as children. Read them, you will not regret it.

Magic Triumphs by Ilona Andrews (Urban Fantasy)
I can't even tell you if this was my favorite book in the Kate Daniels series, because it was the last and the last of a series that's been going on for so long I can't remember when I did before reading them. The first two books in this series are ones I accidentally kept for so long from the library system in North Carolina that I just had to pay them for the damn books, which means I've officially been reading Andrews for almost 15 years. Kate and Curran have gone through innumerable challenges on the way to their own Happily Ever After, and collected friends who have become family in their own right. While I'm sad to see these two go, I'm also happy to have one of my favorite series end on a note that is so well done and leaves room for the supporting cast to get their own time in the spotlight later (Hugh's time has already started).

A Little Familiar by R. Cooper (Paranormal Romance)
In my quest to convince BlerDCon we need some serious book focused content, I deliberately tried this year to read some romances out of my comfort zone, and R. Cooper hit it out the park with this one (& the sequel to be honest). I've already gone on about how much I love quiet but emotionally intense heroes who need time to adequately communicate the depths of their feelings (see my love for Laura Florand), but it's the connection between Piotry and Bartleby that stayed with me, which is especially wonderful to say about a romance book. They grew beyond what they thought they knew about each other to find a connection that was authentically theirs, and it was just freaking great, ok? The magic is a part of it but it's a supporting part to the emotional bond and everyone who loves a truly satisfying HEA should pick this up.

A Girl Like Her by Talia Hibbert (Contemporary Romance)
I'm not gonna lie, I was being a total punk about this book. It went around the Twittersphere like fire and I have this weird perverse tendency that if a book gets too much love there has to be something "off" about it so I don't read. Plus this heroine (Ruth) has some sexual assault in her history and I was concerned that it would get too descriptive, not because the story didn't call for it, but because everything is so awful I don't like reading about that (and because these sorts of things often give me nightmares). ALL THAT TO SAY, yes, Ruth has been through some shit but it's referenced to and not explicitly detailed, her sister is a fucking BAMF (and also has an awesome book you should read), and I loved Evan (the hero) who has recently been described as Chris Evans-like. Would not disagree

Tsumiko and the Enslaved Fox by Forthright (Fantasy/Alternate World Urban Fantasy)
When a great author (Ilona Andrews) recommends a book you pay attention, and while not everything they've shared has worked for me, Forthright and their work really really has. I loved Tsumiko, which is a slow burn romance in a fantasy world where humans are just being introduced to Amaranthine, otherworldy creatures that can appear as humans or the animals their Clans claim as namesakes. This particular story focuses on Tsumiko, who recently takes command of an estate she never knew existed, and responsibility for an Amaranthine who's been bound into service of her family for generations. You would expect some very tricky conversations about consent with that setup, and they happen, but Argent (her new Amaranthine servant) isn't nearly as helpful as he appears, or as clear about his emotions as their connections develop. So the whole story is a song and dance between them and where they'll ultimately end up - it's awesome. The payoff is slow but so worth it (plus there's great supporting characters who appear in book two).

Miss Fortune Mysteries by Jana DeLeon (Romantic Suspense)
And rounding out the year is a series I've fallen in love with because it's just so damn comforting. It combines all the best bits of mystery, action, a small-town setting and the characters you'd expect there, and a romance. So far the good guys have always won, and at the point of the series I'm in, Fortune might be finally lining up her own HEA with the local law. WHAT IS THERE NOT TO LOVE ABOUT THIS? It takes me back to when I first started reading the Aurora Teagarden series by Charlaine Harris, but this is even more low angst. I am not complaining - I love that while I don't always know (or care) whodunnit, I am invested in the happiness of the characters I'm reading about. Seriously, some of the best supporting characters are in this book, and it's what makes every new installment I buy more fun. These are probably the closest what I consider beach reads, because they don't stress me out and are very soothing, while also being a lot of fun to read.

Read & Have Opinions On
Quick Note -  I went through so many books this past month that instead of including a "Looking Forward To" section, you're getting the proverbial word vomit of all my thoughts and feelings. And there are actually other books that didn't make it on here, but I felt like for the sake of everyone's sanity this was enough. Thanks for accepting me in all my book craziness! 

Kimiko and the Accidental Proposal by Forthright 
She wasn’t aware of her gift’s significance, yet he expects to be courted.

Kimiko enrolls at the In-between’s prestigious new high school, which is designed to promote the integration of the human and inhuman races. As a reaver, she’s supposed to act as peacemaker, bridging a formidable cultural gap, but the other two members of her triad don’t need any help in that department. Akira and Suuzu have been friends since middle school. Instead, the boys must rally behind Kimiko when she inadvertently initiates a courtship with Eloquence Starmark.


My Thoughts: I'm just going to put it out there that this description is so much less than the book's whole. Like, I understand that the intricacies of the world Forthright has created makes it harder than normal for blurbs to capture the whole thing, but y'all. This book is so good. This series is so good and I can't wait to see how it continues to evolve. Forthright excels at writing incredible relationships, that grow and build in ways that I just don't see in other fantasies or romances - plus there's a special place in my heart for relationships that develop after lots of conversation to get past misunderstandings. It's incredibly soothing. Plus this book brings back characters from book one, building on their stories without detracting from the main couple (which is hard). If you're looking for an engaging series with interesting, well developed characters and a sweet romance - this is it.


Witchmark by C.L. Polk
In an original world reminiscent of Edwardian England in the shadow of a World War, cabals of noble families use their unique magical gifts to control the fates of nations, while one young man seeks only to live a life of his own.

Magic marked Miles Singer for suffering the day he was born, doomed either to be enslaved to his family's interest or to be committed to a witches' asylum. He went to war to escape his destiny and came home a different man, but he couldn’t leave his past behind. The war between Aeland and Laneer leaves men changed, strangers to their friends and family, but even after faking his own death and reinventing himself as a doctor at a cash-strapped veterans' hospital, Miles can’t hide what he truly is.

When a fatally poisoned patient exposes Miles’ healing gift and his witchmark, he must put his anonymity and freedom at risk to investigate his patient’s murder. To find the truth he’ll need to rely on the family he despises, and on the kindness of the most gorgeous man he’s ever seen.

My Thoughts: I kept seeing this one talked about on Twitter so I decided to take the plunge with the help of my local library (thanks DC!). It's an interesting one for me, an alternate history England where the slowburn romance is adjacent to the main mystery plot. I liked how the initial symptoms that Miles encountered as a doctor whose patients were exclusively Veterans could easily have been categorized as a form of PTSD, but throughout the book took on more and more sinister connotations. There are also a ton of complicated relationships in this book, between friends, family, community, etc. and each of them is flavored by their own societal dictates of propriety in addition to emotion. The big reveal at the end even surprised me, because while I had guessed some of it, I definitely hadn't grasped the full breadth of the whole enterprise - or the huge ramifications to society that will be examined more thoroughly in the next book. For me Witchmark was a bit of a slow burn with a satisfying payoff, so I would recommend.

Leopard's Blood by Christine Feehan
Though he was born into a leopard’s lair in the bayou, Joshua Tregre’s fighting skills were honed in the rain forests of Borneo. Sleek and deadly, he’s the perfect man to take over a crime syndicate back home in Louisiana’s lush swamplands. His razor-sharp instincts give him an edge in the violent underworld he knows so well, but even the watchful leopard inside him isn’t prepared for the threat that comes from the girl next door...

She is a woman who can create beauty out of thin air—and out of the ruins of her own life. The games that dangerous men play have taken their toll on her, but she is bent, not broken. And it’s her fierce spirit that’s like a lure to Joshua, a temptation he can’t resist—even if it means bringing his true nature into the light...

My Thoughts: You know, I picked this book up from the library because while I don't read Feehan with the same consistency anymore, the blurb made it sound like it was going to perhaps be a bit more like her older work. Plus I vaguely remembered Joshua from earlier on in the series when I was still following more closely. In the end I think it mostly just cemented why these aren't so much my cup of tea anymore. I don't have a problem with insta-love, but insta-lust that's fueled by hormones/bodily functions that "can't be resisted"? Not my jam. Plus it but the heroine immediately on the defensive during the relationship, when she had very some very good reasons for feeling the way she did. Plus, I've lost my ability to be totally on board with helpful heroines. I want her choices to be respected, even if they're made on incomplete information, so being physically bullied into doing what was "best" for her was just...not fun. I don't need every woman to be able to kick every man's ass, but I want her to have agency dammit, not just the masquerade of it [shakes fist]. Also, I'm just gonna leave you on this one note: leopard sex. I actually don't ever need my people romances to feature animal sex, and I think that's ok.

Diamond Fire by Ilona Andrews
Nevada Frida Baylor and Connor Ander Rogan cordially invite you to join their wedding celebration. Summoning, weather manipulation, and other magical activities strictly forbidden.

Catalina Baylor is looking forward to wearing her maid of honor dress and watching her older sister walk down the aisle.  Then the wedding planner gets escorted off the premises, the bride’s priceless tiara disappears, and Rogan's extensive family overruns his mother’s home.  Someone is cheating, someone is lying, and someone is plotting murder.

To make this wedding happen, Catalina will have to do the thing she fears most: use her magic.  But she’s a Baylor and there’s nothing she wouldn't do for her sister's happiness.  Nevada will have her fairy tale wedding, even if Catalina has to tear the mansion apart brick by brick to get it done.

My Thoughts: In the best way possible I want to say that this was exactly what I expected and it was great. This novella is a complete story that also acts as a bridge to the next arc of the series, which will focus on Catalina (and the rest of the Baylor children?). Catalina proves herself to be a woman just as capable as her sister, with powers that have their own interesting depths and gradation of expressions.  Andrews focusing this story in and around the wedding was a great way to immediately increase tension since everyone's emotions are already running high, and while I wouldn't say the whodunit was totally unexpected, there are few scenes as recklessly fun as that final confrontation.

A Little Familiar by R. Cooper 
A powerful witch, Piotr Russell has resigned himself to loneliness, because ordinary humans can’t know what he is, and other witches are intimidated by his abilities. Generations of Russells have lived and died with only their familiars at their side. The presence of a friendly familiar is enough to keep even the loneliest witch sane, and yet Piotr deliberately hasn’t chosen one. He forces himself to keep busy instead, but the emptiness of his house haunts him even more the spirit of Great-Great-Aunt Elysia in the parlor. With Samhain and Halloween approaching, he’ll have much to do, and knowing that, his concerned coven seizes the chance to intervene and sends help to his door in the form of Bartleby Dorchester.

The rarest of rare jewels, Bartleby is a human familiar: a witch with no magic of his own, and a desire to find a strong witch to help and serve. In particular, he desires to help and serve Piotr, and everything in Piotr wants to let him. Bartleby was meant to be his familiar; Piotr knows it as surely as he knows when it will rain or when the apples in his garden will ripen. But what Piotr wants from Bartleby, all he’s ever wanted, is for Bartleby to love him, something he thinks is impossible.

Russells live and die unloved, and he won’t allow Bartleby to feel obligated to spend his life with him as his familiar if he could be happy in love with someone else. But Samhain is a time for change, when walls come down and borders grow thin, and Bartleby isn’t going to waste what might be his last chance to convince Piotr that they were meant to be. He might have no magic, but love is a power all its own.

My Thoughts: I'm again throwing my thanks out to Twitter for this $.99 gem, because I really enjoyed myself. There's something about gruff-but-kind heroes and their hidden emotions that have be slowly drawn out into the light by match that gets to me. It speaks to all the rainbows and butterflies in my soul that love a good romance books. And the relationship between Piotr and Bartleby hit all those buttons in the best way possible. I feel like over the past couple of months, months were I've deliberately tried to read more Own Voices/Non Cis-Heterosexual, I've enjoyed myself more than I have in a while. I think in these stories the authors are placing more emphasis on the conversational bonds and emotional cornerstones that result in a romance that feels real, and I'm loving it. GIVE ME ALL THE CONVERSATIONS. ALL THE EMOTIONAL CONNECTIONS. Plus, these aren't to the exclusion of sexy times - Cooper does a bit of fade to black after some spicy physical back and forth, and at no point did I feel like I was missing out on that part of their relationship. I immediately bought book two and I can't wait to read it.


Seasons of Sorcery by Amanda Bouchet, Grace Driven, Jennifer Estep & Jeffe Kennedy
WINTER'S WEB BY JENNIFER ESTEP
An assassin at a renaissance faire. What could possibly go wrong? Everything, if you’re Gin Blanco. This Spider is trapped in someone else’s icy web—and it seems like they don’t want her to leave the faire alive . . .

A WILDERNESS OF GLASS BY GRACE DRAVEN
The stretch of sea known as the Gray rules the lives of those in the village of Ancilar, including widow Brida Gazi. In the aftermath of an autumn storm, Brida discovers one of the sea's secrets cast onto the shore—a discovery that will change her world, mend her soul, and put her in the greatest danger she's ever faced.

A CURSE FOR SPRING BY AMANDA BOUCHET
A malevolent spell strangles the kingdom of Leathen in catastrophic drought. Prince Daric must break the curse before his people starve. A once-mighty goddess trapped in a human body might be the key—but saving his kingdom could mean losing all that he loves.

THE DRAGONS OF SUMMER BY JEFFE KENNEDY
As unofficial consort to the High Queen, former mercenary Harlan Konyngrr faces a challenge worse than looming war and fearsome dragons. His long-held secrets threaten what he loves most—and he must make a choice between vows to two women.

My Thoughts: Anthologies live and die by your feelings about the authors themselves, so I'd give this one a solid B. I was really in it for Draven's story, but Bouchet's was also incredibly well done, both with the vivid characters and emotional connections that make their other works so enjoyable. Estep's story was good, but I definitely got the feeling it was a  small vignette in a larger story arch (which it admittedly is) and it didn't stand incredibly well on its own for a new reader. Kennedy is a harder one for me to judge. I've read a few of her stories in other anthologies, and the problem is I just don't enjoy her Twelve Kingdoms series. The characters and world building are great, but each one seemed to have a character whose backstory included not a little, but a LOT, of sexual assault and the related trauma, and I'm a hard pass on that. I don't feel bad giving a trigger warning and I think your mileage may vary when it comes to her work. 

Natural Witch by K.F. Breene
Something has always been missing from my life. A hole that I could never seem to fill.

When I accidentally turn a coven of witches into nightmares, I find out what that something is.

Magic.

And it turns out, I have a crap load of it.

As a latent power awakens deep inside of me, I’m exposed to one of the most powerful and corrupt organizations in the magical world—the Mages’ Guild.

Barely knowing a spell from a few swear words and luck, I won’t be able to evade them alone.

And that’s when I meet him.

The Rogue Natural. The best and most feared mage in the world.

He’s dangerous, mysterious, and has a vendetta of his own. He is now the only thing between me and magical enslavement.

My Thoughts: For the moment, this book is one of my few DNF (did not finish). Can anyone who's read this book tell me if it gets better? Because right now the characters are so cliched it's kind of becoming funny in a bad way (like the hero has a whole internal monologue when he's first introduced about how it's "better" that he's alone, that it's safer for those mythical other people, and I actually laughed out loud) and the burgeoning romance between him and the hero is not doing it for me. This got a lot of props in the Twitterverse so maybe this is just a me thing?