Never have I been more grateful to be a romance reader than this past year. During a time where almost everything was out of my control, I could count on things working out for characters and I clung to their HEAs with all my being. I've always read a mix of genres but I reached for romance by far the most this past year. It's exactly what I needed and I'm glad there's never a shortage of good recommendations.
This year I leaned into buddy reads (mostly romance) and the regular bookish conversation was truly a saving grace. I dipped into my "break glass in case of emergency" author hoard—thank you in particular to Holley Trent, Kate Clayborn, Roan Parrish, and Alexis Hall for seeing me through. I re-read some favorite romances, which is very rare for me outside of holiday romance. But I really enjoyed revisiting my faves and seeing what I picked up the second time around.
One of the things I'm most proud of was setting up a ton of Goodreads shelves, for everything from genre to tropes to things like "only one bed" and "everyone knows but us." It has made recommending books so much easier and I'm delighted others use my shelves to find good books too.
Because I read romance the most, I came up with so, so many contenders for this list and struggled to narrow them down. Even now I feel bad for the ones that I left off this list. I'm trying to share the ones I recommended the most often or that had the most profound effect on me.
My review process continues to evolve so you'll notice some reviews include "character notes" and others don't if I read them earlier in the year. I continue to read contemporary romance the most so that's the biggest category here. The other categories are historical, fantasy and PNR, science fiction, and erotic romance. While I read a variety of heat levels, these turned out to all be open door.
This post contains affiliate links.
Contemporary Romance:
Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn
Kate Clayborn has written an utter masterpiece. This is now one of my all-time favorites and I feel so lucky to have experienced it. The writing is gorgeous, with each word clearly chosen with care. Meg is a hand-letterer who sees the world in fonts and signs (both literal and metaphorical). The symbolism was really what sealed the deal for me. She fell in love with NYC by walking the neighborhoods and finding signs for businesses, some faded, some new. When she learns Reid hates NYC and plans to move away, she wants him to experience the city the way she does and unblock herself creatively in the process. The book is their love story but it’s also a love story about New York and about the places we call home.
Reid was such a compelling character in his own right, him with his triple-take face, genius brain, and amazing letter/email writing skills. He was so lonely in the city. It made sense that Reid and Meg would be drawn to one another, even though they started off on the wrong foot. I loved watching them form a tentative friendship and then how it evolved from there.
There are also so many great details beyond the NYC setting. There are pimples and periods (so relatable, Meg.) Reid always smells lightly of chlorine because he swims every morning. Meg has a Mary Poppins purse and you never know what’s going to be in there. These characters felt so alive to me and I feel slightly bereft that I cannot actually be friends with them.
This book gave me so many feelings. It made me laugh out loud. It also made me cry a few times. I just loved Meg and Reid so much and wanted them to figure it all out together. They did and it was so lovely to see. As caught up as I was in the story, I never wanted it to end. I wanted to savor it for as long as I could. Simply marvelous.
CW: hero has psoriasis, past bullying, divorced parents, emotionally abusive marriage (secondary character)
(Honorable mention to Luck of the Draw (Chance of a Lifetime #2).)
Take A Hint, Dani Brown (The Brown Sisters #2) by Talia Hibbert
Talia Hibbert writes consistently amazing books but nothing has been able to topple A Girl Like Her as my favorite book of hers. Until now. Yep, Take A Hint, Dani Brown now reigns supreme in my heart. Both Dani and Zaf were phenomenal characters who stole my heart. Dani’s confidence is juxtaposed against her refusal to have relationships, which made this an extra delicious friends-to-lovers fake relationship. Zaf somehow always knew how to approach her in a way that would not scare her off (LOL mostly, at least.) And it was because of their friendship that he could open up to her in turn as he reexamined his mental health practices. Neither character is perfect but they are indeed perfect together. There’s so much that I loved: Zaf’s love of romance novels, his nonprofit teaching boys about sports while addressing mental health and dismantling toxic masculinity, her badassery in her field of expertise, his murder face, when he buys a muffin and leaves it for Dani because he knows she wants one, when Dani makes him a charm to help him sleep…the list goes on. I’m smiling just thinking about it! The secondary characters are also wonderful and I’m super looking forward to Eve’s book next.
Character notes: Dani is Black British, bisexual, “on the chubbier side,” 27, and a witch. She’s a professor and working on her PhD. Zaf is Pakistani British, Muslim (mostly non-practicing), and 31. He’s a security guard and former rugby player. This is set in England.
CW: hero’s father and brother died in a car accident years ago, grief, anxiety, past depression, panic attack, insomnia, heroine’s ex cheated, slut-shaming (countered), wrist injury, ableist language
Open House (Uptown #2) by Ruby Lang
This was such a lovely, delightful rivals to lovers romance that approached identity, grief, and gentrification in really interesting ways. It also made me very hungry.
Ty clings to his identity as someone who doesn’t get involved and is free to go, despite being so involved with the garden co-op. Magda, on the other hand, pushes back against the role her family has consigned her. They see each other so clearly and believe in each other, once they get past what’s dividing them, at least. Watching Ty take stock of his life and figure out where to take action and then Magda confronting her sisters was so wonderful. Plus, they have great chemistry.
I also really loved the exploration of grief and loss through Ty and Byron's characters, with the ways we can try to protect ourselves from caring again and thus not have anyone or anything to lose. The arcs for both men were great but especially seeing how choosing to grieve and, in one case, let go, changes their orientation to the neighborhood. It was such a deft touch.
CW: past death of mother (cancer), past death of aunt, microaggressions, brief reference to a pedophile architect
Just One More by Jodie Slaughter
I was hooked on this Valentine’s Day romance from the moment Whitney and Victor met during their Uber Pool ride. (Some people have all the rideshare luck.) Victor is an absolute romantic and not shy about it. Whitney thinks it’ll be a fun one-night stand. But before they realize it, one night turns into two and then three. There’s so much more to their relationship, if only they’ll admit it. There are some super hot scenes featuring excellent dirty talk. Plus, Victor, a barber, allows Whitney to shave him one morning and it was equal parts poignant, meaningful, and charged. Just an absolute delight of a novella!
CW: past death of grandfather, marijuana
Love Unsolicited by Alexandra Warren
Funmi put this on my radar months before I finally read it and I’m kicking myself for not reading it sooner. HOLY HOTNESS. From the moment Joella and Keanu meet, when she’s trying to con him, no less, I was enthralled by their banter and their give and take. It’s set up for them to have a casual, no-strings relationship and also involves him paying her, not for sex but for her time. But of course they catch feelings! And watching that happen was downright delicious.
CW: past parental infidelity, heroine’s father died of a heart attack shortly after they met, heroine’s mother died of an aneurism, unprotected sex, ableist language
Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur
This was presented to me as an FF Pride And Prejudice retelling but it’s more inspired by Darcy and Elizabeth’s personality types than the plot, for which I am grateful. Faithful P&P retellings have their place but I’m much more interested in seeing the character archetypes in other settings.
In this version, Darcy is a buttoned up actuary and Elle is a social media astrologist. Darcy’s brother Brendon is Elle’s business partner—his dating app One True Pairing has just hired Elle’s company to provide an astrological component. He wants nothing more than for his sister to find love and he’s constantly setting her up on blind dates and she’s had enough of it. Darcy and Elle start off on the wrong foot and the date goes poorly and that should be that. Only Darcy decides fake dating Elle will get her brother off her back for a while. Elle’s not completely convinced but she would love for her family to think she’s not a complete mess and Darcy is exactly the kind of person they admire. They come up with rules and then it’s only a matter of time for the rules to get chucked out of the window.
Darcy and Elle were so fully drawn and I really empathized with their respective hopes and fears and the way those things got tangled up in one another. Darcy is terrified of falling in love after a bad breakup. She doesn’t want to give anyone a chance to break her heart again but Elle makes her feels things no one else ever has. Elle, on the other hand, has dreamed about finding her person her whole life and she’s all in once she and Darcy to give their fake relationship a real shot, even though she’s worried Darcy doesn’t believe in love.
There were so many cute details. They have different texting styles! Elle bought Darcy a scraggly Christmas tree to cheer her up! The way Elle sees the stars! Elle drags Darcy into a thrift store! Darcy’s secret soap opera fandom! Brendon’s dreamy eyed romanticism! Plus, I loved Elle’s relationship with her best friend and business partner Margot.
Character notes: Elle is bisexual. I did not note Darcy identifying as a particular sexuality. They are both white. This is set in Seattle.
CW: toxic family, past death of grandmother, heroine's ex cheated on her, heroine’s mother dealt with depression after divorcing, heroine’s father cheated on her mother
Disclosure: I received an advanced copy from Avon in exchange for an honest review.
The Hitman (The Family #2) by Katrina Jackson
Allow me to introduce you to my new favorite Katrina Jackson novel. I’m smiling just thinking about this ridiculously hot Italian mafia romance. Now normally if a heroine found out her fiance was cheating on her with her best friend and a stripper on her wedding day and come to find out she’s been in a very so-so relationship for 6 years, I’d be rooting for her to go to therapy instead of finding an HEA with someone new. But in this case, I was ready for Giulio to sweep Zahra off her feet from the moment he saw her at the pool. Yes, he’s a hitman and yes, there are a few attempts on their lives. Giulio keeps trying to tell her that he’s a bad man. We don’t get a ton of detail about what the mafia actually does but we do know Giulio works for Sal and keeps people in line. But Zahra figures out pretty quickly that he’s a man who does bad things, not the other way around. And holy hell were they on fire together! Zahra is simply a fantastic heroine and I loved the Italian lessons Giulio gave her. Also, there is a truly A+ shower scene. Not to mention the train scene. Loved it from start to finish! I can’t wait to get Zahra’s sister Zoe’s story next.
Character notes: Zahra is Black American. Giulio is white Italian.
CW: heroine’s fiancé cheated on her, attempted murder, murder, hero's arm is grazed by a bullet, alcohol, hangover, family planning discussion, heroine says she pregnant to prove her connection to the hero to someone else but she's not
You Had Me At Hola by Alexis Daria
Alexis Daria proves her writing chops once again with this contemporary romance. Not only do we have Jasmine and Ashton slowly falling for one another, we get the contrast of their fictitious characters Carmen and Victor falling for each other on their bilingual TV show Carmen In Charge. Various scenes from the Carmen In Charge script are woven in and they do marvelous work, showing the actors wrestling with their feelings for one another even as their characters wrestle with their own emotions. It made for an even deeper, more delicious reading experience.
Jasmine and Ashton start off on a meet-disaster when he spills coffee on her. Because of his own anxiety and the secret son he’s hidden from everyone, Ashton keeps to himself, making for tension between him and the cast. It’s a delicate dance because even as Ashton and Jasmine are drawn to one another, they each have valid reasons for not wanting to get involved with a costar. Ashton only wants to keep his son safe but his efforts have built a wall between him and everyone else. More than that, it’s not sustainable, as his father (and Yadiel’s primary caregiver) keeps telling him. Jasmine, on the other hand, is trying to take a break from relationships and focus on being a kickass leading lady.
I loved watching them fall for one another anyway. There’s such chemistry between them and I loved watching them explore it, even as they tentatively examined the possibility of more. The story includes the use of an intimacy coordinator on set, normalizes therapy as a part of their HEA (which was crucial for my ability to believe in it due to Ashton’s anxiety), and normalizes the use of lube. More than that, this was just a fun read. It made me smile and it made me eager to read Jasmine’s cousins' stories next. The primas need their own spotlight!
Character notes: Jasmine is 30 and second generation Puerto Rican-Filipina American. Ashton is 38 and Puerto Rican. Ashton’s son Yadiel is 8. This is set in NYC.
CW: heroine’s ex cheated, anxiety, industry colorism, alcohol, past stalker, slut-shaming, reference to Hurricane Maria, TV character has depression and anxiety and self-medicates with alcohol
Pansies by Alexis Hall
Alexis Hall is one of my rainy day authors and this was the perfect year to dip into my hoard. I have yet to read a book by him that didn't blow me away and it was hard to know which one to highlight here. One of Hall's great gifts as a writer is his ability to subvert tropes and make unlikely premises work and that's certainly the case with Pansies, a bully romance. I’ve not read many of these because most what’s out there is holy problematic. Pansies is a remarkable exception.
Alfie has no recollection of bullying Fen when they were kids. In his mind, it’s boys being boys but through the first part of the book, we watch him grapple to understand the effect he had on Fen and then figure out how he can make it up to him. Yes, he’s enamored with Fen and wants a real chance after learning Fen’s identity post-one night stand but he also wants to make things right. And Fen really makes him work for it. He’s always been drawn to Alfie in spite of what he put him through and he doesn’t know why he wants him still.
I’ve thought about why this pairing worked as well as it did and it might be because the power differential has somewhat switched now. Alfie only came out as gay two years prior. He has a lot of toxic masculinity and internalized homophobia to work through compliments of his family and he’s also trying to learn what it means to be a gay man. For instance, his best friend and ex-boyfriend Greg never wants to settle down but Alfie yearns for a partner despite what Greg says. Fen shows him another example of what it means to be queer and has the promise of being that partner, even though there are fits and starts along the way. Alfie is a bit of a lovable puppy. He owns up to his mistakes but he sure makes a lot of them. And yet you can’t help but want to be in his corner anyway.
Fen, on the other hand, is sharply brilliant and refuses to apologize for who he is. He’s pretty much always been out as queer and he suffered for it as a child. He’s not going to let anyone make him feel bad about himself or his sexuality, especially not Alfie. He’s grieving the death of his mother—this was especially moving, thanks to interspersed letters he writes to her. He feels frozen between honoring his mother’s legacy at her flower shop and the life he used to lead in London. He’s a bit lost and Alfie’s confidence is a bolster.
The whole story builds in such a loving, albeit heart-wrenching at times, way. I adored Alfie and Fen together and seeing how they were able to figure out where their life together might go. The secondary characters are equally wonderful, from Gothshelley who works at the flower shop to Alfie’s best friends Greg and Kitty. It’s such a warm and welcoming world, one you might not expect with a bully romance but that is the magic of Alexis Hall’s writing.
Character notes: Alfie is gay. Fen is queer. They are both 30 and white. This is set in South Shields and London, England.
CW: past bullying, homophobia, internalized homophobia, biphobia, past death of mother (assisted suicide, early on-set Alzheimers), grief, vandalism with homophobic slur, diet culture, ex had OCD (described as Pure O), pregnancy announcement from minor character
(Honorable mention to Boyfriend Material and How To Belong With A Billionaire (Arden St. Ives #3).)
Equivalent Exchange by Christina C. Jones
Keris and Laken were such compelling characters. They felt so real to me, in part because they’re dealing with real issues (domestic violence and ectopic pregnancy for her, the death of his brother years ago and his dad’s health issues for him) and trying to figure out what they are to each other. I loved that Keris is 36 and Laken is 40. They’ve both gone through some things and bring experience and wisdom into the relationship.
Laken is focused on starting the nano-brewery component of his brewhouse. I really wish I could try his beers because they all sounded amazing. Keris meets him while he’s bartending at Night Shift, they have a one night stand, he realizes she’s a talented graphic designer and hires her. She’s looking for a fresh start after breaking things off with her long-time boyfriend, who is a real piece of work. They worked together and so she loses her job once she breaks up with him. She does not want to get involved with someone else that she’s working for but Laken proves he’s nothing like her ex. I thought the power dynamics were handled really well.
There’s some great symbolism and discussion around the idea of fate and soul mates. I really like how this came about through Laken’s grief and feeling as if his brother was still talking to him and guiding his life. There are some truly heartbreaking moments (see content warnings) but I felt like the story was well balanced on the whole. While Keris in particular has experienced abuse and trauma throughout her life, it’s not exploited on the page and we even get to see her in therapy, which was wonderful. I loved her therapist. Laken also has hardships of his own and this resulted in a really moving arc. As sad as the story could be in places, it also made me laugh out loud. There’s a great sense of humor and I loved the way Keris and Laken interacted with one another. They were so good together! Such a completely satisfying contemporary romance.
CW: domestic violence, heroine’s boyfriend raped her, past ectopic pregnancy, past death of hero’s brother (overdose), grief, past child abuse, hero divorced 5 years ago, hero and his ex-wife dealt with infertility, hero’s left leg has a metal rod and he has a facial scar from a car accident, HIPAA violation (heroine’s doctor disclosed her medical information to her boyfriend without her consent or knowledge), slut-shaming (countered), heroine was adopted and her adoptive parents died when she was young, ableist language (“spazzing”), pregnant ex, concern of Alzheimer’s, Highlight brackets for spoiler: [death of father (undiagnosed brain tumor, heart failure, seizure)]
Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade
I adore Olivia Dade’s books but I wasn’t quite sure how this one would work for me. I’m not a fanfic person, for one—nothing against it but I don’t really have any fandoms because I rarely watch TV or movies anymore and also I’d rather spend my reading time on books. Lie of omission plots generally don’t work for me either. And yet, Spoiler Alert defied all my reservations and completely won me over. That’s all because of the marvelous characters. Both Marcus and April are layered and lovable and their arcs were incredibly satisfying. Plus, there’s a delicious meta element with fanfic, DMs, scripts, and book excerpts sprinkled in between chapters.
I tend to laugh a lot while reading Olivia’s books but in this case, I cried more than I laughed out loud. The plot was emotionally gripping and Marcus’s plight and April’s hurts kept ripping my heart out. Marcus is living a double life on two different levels: his actor persona vs who he is and then April not knowing that he is also her Gods of the Gates fanfic friend and beta reader. April is confident in so many ways but she’s also had to deal with fatshaming and fatphobia in past relationships and from her parents. April and Marcus, in fact, both have toxic parents and they have to figure out what to do about them over the course of the story.
And then there’s how wonderful Marcus and April are together. I loved seeing Marcus become more and more comfortable being fully himself the longer he was around April. And I loved how fully he saw and appreciated April as a fat woman. They have amazing chemistry, making for some steamy scenes. And while things fall apart, as they generally do in lie of omission plots, the way they came back together was perfect. I swear, this book healed something inside of me.
Character notes: Marcus is a 39 year old shy, dyslexic actor. April is a 36 year old fat redheaded geologist. It is mostly set in San Francisco and the Bay Area, with April moving to Berkeley.
CW: fatshaming and fatphobia (countered), anxiety, hero is dyslexic but was not diagnosed until he dropped out of college, hero experienced a great deal of shaming and ableism from his parents about his undiagnosed learning disability, toxic parents, heroine is estranged from her father, Hollywood sexism and misogyny, secondary character has ADHD, microaggressions toward secondary characters, mild gender essentialism (mostly of the “smell like man” variety), references to fictional characters who experience infidelity, self-immolate, and prepare to die by suicide (god intervenes for the latter), fictional battle scenes, death of fictional characters
Disclosure: the author and I are friendly online.
Heated Rivalry (Game Changers #2) by Rachel Reid
This is hands down one of the best enemies-to-lovers romances I’ve ever read! It kicks off with a bang and then takes us back to when Shane (biracial white-Japanese Canadian) and Ilya (Russian) are 17 and meet for the first time at the World Junior Hockey Championships. They’re pitted against each other professionally and when they actually meet, they rub each other the exact wrong way, thus kicking off their mutual antipathy.
The way this was structured fascinated me to no end. We know from the beginning that at some point they start hooking up but they really don’t like each other. On top of that, while Ilya knows he’s bi, Shane has never thought much about his sexuality being something other than straight until Ilya. He has a lot of internalized homophobia, in part because of the rampant homophobia within hockey and what coming out would mean for his career, and one of the best parts of his arcs is watching him grow to understand and then accept that he’s gay. Both men are closeted but there is no forced outing.
Regardless of how much Ilya and Shane hate each other on and off the ice, there’s so much heat simmering under the surface and for much of the story, they don't understand why. I seriously loved these two goons as they tried to figure out why they were drawn to each other as much as they tried to resist each other. After years of only hooking up in hotel rooms or an apartment Shane keeps just for that purpose, their intimacy grows and there are all these lovely hints that things are changing, even while they’re completely befuddled by their feelings and terrified of what they mean. My heart grew three sizes by the end.
The last 30% made me laugh out loud a ton, particularly Ilya's perspective. But make no mistake: this story is angsty through and through and gave me so many feelings. It really swept me away and I’ll be thinking about it for a long time to come.
CW: homophobia/homophobic slurs on the ice, anti-LGBTQ+ laws and sentiment in Russia, internalized homophobia, Ilya’s father is emotionally abusive, mostly off-page decline and death of father (Alzheimer’s), complicated grief, Ilya smokes cigarettes, xenophobia/anti-Russian sentiment, male pejoratives, side character’s wife has multiple pregnancies over the years, brief concern of spinal cord injury, concussion, Ilya’s mother died by suicide when he was 12 years old and he was the one who found her
Liquor & Laundry by Tasha L. Harrison
Holy moly did I ever love this friends to lovers romance between dressmaker Haddie and NFL star Ahmad. They were such a great match. The way she shows up for him! The way he addresses her insecurities!!! Sweet and tender and HOT.
There’s no dark moment which gives Haddie and Ahmad time to work through whether a long-term relationship is possible, given his job. Two great people who finally have a chance to act on their mutual crush and see what happens. And Ahmad is great about communicating how he feels to Haddie, even while recognizing this level of forthcoming is new for him. The way he cares for her and assuages her fears brought me to tears. He loves her “too muchness.” I adored this from start to finish.
Character notes: Hadassah is a 31 year old fat Black woman with a nose piercing. Her dad is Nigerian. Ahmad is a 31 year old Black man.
CW: past grade 3 concussion, concern about CTE, fat-shaming (countered), alcohol
Wild Ones by Kristine Wyllys
Whew! This story grabbed me by the throat and wouldn’t let go. I was completely captivated. The characters came alive and I really wanted to know what they were going to do next. Bri was such an unpredictable character that the story stayed unpredictable too. That made for gripping reading! It was great to read a realistic story about people on the edge of the poverty line. The writing was absolutely incredible. There were so many good lines.
It was gritty and visceral. Half the time I didn’t know if I should root for Bri and Luke to be together or go their separate ways. Bri was a wounded animal and Luke is an underground boxer and the combination could be explosive. This made for an intense arc for Bri and it completely worked for me. Perhaps if Bri had delved more into the abuse she experienced, I would have needed more of a healing arc. But we only get the outlines of what happened and she clearly wants to keep the past in the past, even if what happened to her is why she acts the way she does. It felt true to life. Plenty of people never get therapy and never deal with their past traumas and they still deserve to be loved too. Do I wish she and Luke knew how to treat each other a bit better than they do? Yes. But fighting and screwing works for them, at least for right now. And honestly, I did really like them together and the way they really got each other. They both needed someone in their corner.
The ending is more of an HFN but that might just be my bias toward them wanting to get therapy. I certainly hope they'll be happy together forever. It's basically them against the world at this point. For more about this book from a trauma/survivor perspective, I really appreciated Xan/Corey’s review, which is how the book got on my radar in the first place. I greatly miss their voice and wish I’d been able to discuss this one with them when I finished.
Character notes: Bri is 22 and a waitress at a bar. Luke is an underground boxer; no age given. Both are white.
CW: mugging, hero is an underground boxer, heroine is attacked and her shoulder is dislocated, heroine is beat up and hospitalized (two broken rubs, broken wrist, sprained ankle), hero puts heroine’s attacker in the hospital, hero is arrested for assault with intent ((view spoiler)), concussion, unsafe sex, heroine’s father was alcoholic and abusive, heroine’s father sexually assaulted her (it is briefly on page in the first chapter), minor characters who are addicts, past overdose of a friend, heroine was homeless after she ran away, bar fight, secondary character with facial scar, reference to heroine’s brother who died by suicide, police raid with gunshots fired, alcohol, cigarettes, fatphobic joke (not challenge), dated language
Historical Romance:
For My Lady's Heart by Laura Kinsale
My first Kinsale did not disappoint! I've gone on to read five other Kinsales this past year and For My Lady's Heart remains my favorite, followed closely by Shadowheart (seek out content warnings as needed.). This is Old School Romance but it holds up really well. (I cannot say the same for all of Kinsale's work, however.) The characters speak Middle English, which can take some adjusting to at first but it adds such a lovely lyrical quality to the dialogue. But if Middle English feels like too much for you, Kinsale released a modern condensed version alongside the original in the 2011 ebook.
The story was inspired by Tolkien's translation of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (King Arthur). We meet a noble knight and a heroine who has just had to survive political intrigue her whole life and doesn’t trust anyone. Ruck has a whole lot of feelings, not to mention he’s been celibate since his wife joined a nunnery 13 years ago. He’s served Melanthe on some level as she interfered with him joining his wife’s fate but when fate brings their paths back together, he begins acting as her bodyguard as they travel across the country.
Melanthe is prickly af and for good reason. Gian Navona has killed everyone she’s ever cared about since he decided he was going to marry her someday. She’s doing everything she can to avoid that particular cruelty, while making sure Allegretto, Navona’s son and her constant shadow, stays unaware of her plans while also appeasing the King and hopefully getting herself to a nunnery where she can spend the rest of her days. All I’m saying is don’t mess with Melanthe because she will put you in her place.
There is a slow burn between Ruck and Melanthe and once it ignites, it’s everything. This book is really all about the buildup and it’s so worth it. Ruck has put those years of celibacy to good use in learning the desires of the flesh. The last paragraph/sentence of chapter 16 is one of the best I've ever read. I’m still fanning myself! All hail, Ruck, hero unparalleled.
Gorgeous writing, through and through. I laughed, I cried, I sure enjoyed the journey.
CW for For My Lady's Heart: sexism, violence, references to plague, side character was castrated, threat of murder, threat of assault, murder, poison, heroine was wed at age 12 to someone 30 years older (he did not have sex with her until 16, which was possibly generous for the time, and they only had sex three times), brief reference to heroine’s baby being smothered/murdered, older man obsessed with heroine decided she’ll marry only him and he’s murdered anyone who has shown interest in her for the last several years
Honeytrap by Aster Glenn Gray
A wonderful MM Cold War romance between a sweet FBI agent and a Soviet agent, told in three parts. It doesn’t hide from the hard stuff but overall this was a delightful read. Daniel and Gennady have a major barrier between them, given their countries are literal enemies. They may be trying to solve a case together but they’re also there to spy on one another. It would do neither any good to trust the other man. But over the course of a road trip across the US, a friendship develops in spite of everything and then something more. Both characters are fantastic and I adored them both. They have such a great rapport and banter and their interactions made me so happy. So many scenes made me laugh out loud, often thanks to Gennady. At the same time, things could be incredibly fraught and angsty (those external conflicts are very real!) and I was just yearning for the barriers to disappear. I had no idea how the HEA would come together and the story certainly makes them work for it but what a ride.
The story is set in 1959, 1975, and 1992. We get to know them well and see how they change over time, as well as what the various obstacles were in each time period. It was fascinating on so many levels! I loved all the America vs Soviet plot developments. Even Gennady's fascination with American words and his criticism of capitalism. Daniel was never allowed to fully villainize the USSR. The US gets called out on its own atrocities. We come off even worse, in some ways. Because the story is set over many years, we get to see the system Gennady is working within and then what his options are after the USSR falls. And then against that landscape, the story addresses what things were like for LGBTQ+ people in both countries, as well as general American understanding of sexuality.
In the end, life brings Gennady and Daniel back together and it makes for quite a satisfying ending. Aster Glenn Gray is truly an author to watch. She takes risks and tries different subgenres and I always wind up impressed. She was already an auto-buy author for me and now I really can’t wait to see where she goes from here.
Character notes: At the start of the book, Daniel is 27 and Gennady is 24. They are both bisexual, polyamorous, and white. Daniel is American and Gennady is from the USSR but Polish by birth.
Main CW: workplace sexual harassment and abusive boss (it’s not clear how far Gennady’s boss went but he is dealing with the trauma of it), PTSD, internalized homophobia, biphobia, homophobia, homophobic slur, stabbing, past suicidal ideation, war references (Daniel fought in the Korean War for the Army), alcohol, past intimate partner violence, ex dies by suicide off-page, Daniel’s dad died of a heart attack and his mom in a car accident (years apart but grief is handled on-page), grief, divorce
The Lord I Left (The Secrets of Charlotte Street #3) by Scarlett Peckham
It was such a hard call whether this was my favorite Scarlett Peckham or The Rakess but The Lord I Left ultimately came out as the winner and it's my favorite of the series. (However, The Rakess is a credit to the genre and is not to be missed. Be sure to seek out content warnings, if needed.)
Henry is a Methodist minister working on a report about how to handle London’s sex workers. He truly wants to help them, although he largely sees them as sinners who have lost their way instead of people who chose their work or who are simply trying to survive. Alice, a whipping house apprentice, wants nothing to do with him but when she receives word that her mother is dying and he offers to give her a ride home, there’s nothing but delicious forced proximity and one mishap after another. Henry and Alice are both more than they seem and I loved watching them discover each other.
Peckham is a gorgeous writer. Whenever we’re in Henry’s POV, we get to see and experience his needs vs. wants through parenthetical asides. He’s constantly repressing his desires and trying to lasso even his thoughts into submission. The parentheses where he acknowledges this or admonishes himself allow us to experience his inner tension in a very real way. He keeps denying himself, from never eating sugar or meat to how little he sleeps to squashing the faintest hint of a lustful thought.
The religious aspect was so well-balanced. I have many complicated (read: negative) feelings about the inspirational romance subgenre when it’s limited to Christian fiction. However, I love when general market romance explores faith because it’s usually incredibly nuanced and, more importantly, rooted in reality. Henry was the right amount of sincere and earnest but never tipped over into proselytizing.
Henry and Alice have incredible chemistry. There’s a foot-washing scene that is very Mary Magdalene and they almost get it on in a church. There’s also a fantastic scene in which Alice tells off Henry’s horrible father, which was much needed. But perhaps my favorite part is the letter Henry sends to Alice toward the end and the decision he makes regarding his report. What a wondrous transformation of a marvelous man!
CW: parent pretending to be dying, past death of father, grief, plight of sex workers, toxic father and brother, snowstorm, heroine’s mother slaps her, slut-shaming (challenged), carriage accident resulting in broken arm, brief reference to a child falling into a frozen pond and being rescued
The Widow of Rose House by Diana Biller
This was one of those books where I knew I loved it within a few pages. When I first heard about this story, I didn’t think it was for me. The cover is rather misleading and I’m not much of a ghost story person. But friend after friend raved about it and Aarya’s wonderful review for Smart Bitches sealed the deal. I’m so glad I gave it a chance!
First, let’s talk about our heroine Alva. I admired her so much. She was failed by everyone in her life, first her parents in marrying her off to an abusive jackhole, and then the man she married, who was only using her for her wealth. She endured the relationship for 10 years before leaving him and he still made her life hell, spreading all kinds of lascivious rumors. Then luckily he died. There are references to the abuse throughout the story so bear that in mind if that is a trigger for you. I was very relieved Alain was dead, although she still has to deal with his vile brother so she’s not fully free of that family.
Liefdehuis is her chance to start over. She has a contract to write an interior design book, in spite of her notoriety. Her interior design philosophy and even learning about the history of interior design, especially upper vs middle class, was so fascinating. Things seem like they’re finally moving in the right direction…only there’s a ghost and now the workers refuse to come near the house. She doesn’t want to ask Sam for help but she has no other option and spending time around him makes her want to hope for more. But it’s such a big risk and Alva doesn’t think she can do it, no matter how much light he brings into her life. The angst of this!
It’s no surprise Sam stole my heart. He’s a sunshiny dream and my absolute catnip. I had forgotten how much I love absent-minded professors/oblivious-to-their-handsomeness-heroes. At 7% in, a maid sighed as he walked in the house and he was like, "aw, she's glad she's back inside where it's warm.” It cracked me up! I was one smitten kitten and he proceeded to win me—and Alva—over time again as the story proceeded. Sam has had a very easy life and it’s hard for him to fully understand what she’s overcome and what is on the line. But he’s so good and patient with her, upfront about his feelings but not pushy. And that patience pays off in the end and I was so happy for them both.
Concerning the ghost, there are a couple of scenes where characters are haunted, one of which did freak me out. I am a wimpy reader and this stayed on the acceptable side of freaked out for me. It helped that Sam was so curious about the ghost and wanted to know more about it and that he had no fears for the ghost to use against him. I really appreciated how the ghost story was resolved and found it to be rather moving. It tied together really well with the story as a whole.
CW: past domestic violence, ghost, institutionalization (secondary character), mental health, threats of violence, past gaslighting, ableist language
Paranormal and Fantasy Romance:
The Legend of All Wolves #2-4 by Maria Vale
The first book in this series was a favorite of 2018 but I never got around to reading more of the series, until my friend Vicky picked up The Last Wolf and we started buddy reading the rest. The Legend of All Wolves series is one of the best paranormal romance series out there. Maria Vale does such fascinating things with her world-building, starting with the fact that in this world, wolves shift to be humans, not the other way around. Plus, the Pack HEA matters just as much as the individual couple's HEA. (This series is best read in order.)
In A Wolf Apart, Elijah is the Alpha of his Echelon but he has not lived with the Pack for over a couple of decades. He’s a corporate lawyer and an empty shell who doesn’t necessarily understand how empty his life is. I simultaneously wanted to hug him and shake him. He's pretending to be human, going through the motions of what he thinks humans do. And unfortunately, his models for that are the actual worst humans so what he does comes across as extra gross but also extra sad because he doesn't see the disconnect. At the same time, we can see behind his mask and know that’s not who he really is. He’s simply trying to survive his environment, especially because his Alpha Evie refuses to let him come back to the Pack. It made me unbearably sad for Elijah. He was so desperate to return to the Pack and slowly dying inside.
Then along comes Thea who sees right through him, turns down his overtures, and calls him out on his BS. She's not going to compromise on her need for independence either. It was GLORIOUS. However, the Pack is forbidden not only from mating with humans but telling them about their identity and location. But Elijah is determined to woo her, especially after he screws up, and I loved everything about the way their relationship ultimately came together.
This story ended on such an emotionally satisfying note. I may or may not have teared up at the end. Elijah and Thea have an unconventional relationship but it works for them and it’s also respectful of the Pack’s needs. I also really liked that neither wants to have children, regardless of it being a biological impossibility between them.
Note: this series deals with miscarriage and pregnancy. The whole Pack is impacted when one of them gets pregnant. There are more dangers around pregnancy: the female needs to shift back to wolf form before labor begins or she and/or the pups will die. The Pack comes alongside the couple and they are all in it together but it’s all very fraught.
CW for A Wolf Apart: violence, disordered eating (hero throws up after eating Offland meat), eye injury, side character is pregnant and gives birth, side character believes one her pups is stillborn but the pup recovers (other three pups are healthy), heroine is attacked with a knife (recovers), side character had a miscarriage and is depressed, hero’s assistant is murdered, death of Pack member who was attacked, descriptions of animals being hunted as prey, xenophobia, bigotry, reference to death of Great North Alpha (happened last book), heroine has scar on her abdomen and burn mark on her forearm, heroine’s uncle has prosthetic leg (army injury), heroine’s parents died in DUI (father driving drunk), heroine’s brother died by suicide, heroine’s friend died in college, minor character accidentally shoots himself and dies, hero’s law partner died by suicide, minor character with dementia gets lost in the woods (recovered), ableism, side character’s hand was impaled with dog spike (previous book)
His Beauty by Jack Harbon
This is a Beauty and the Beast retelling where the Beast stays a beast. That premise will either immediately hook you or it won't. I was in the “need it now” camp when the author announced it on Twitter and I’m thrilled to say this was a magnificent monster romance.
The Beast was so beastly in every way and I absolutely wanted him. I suspect my childhood crush on the Fox in Robin Hood plays a part in this, along with the Disney version of BATB. There’s just something compelling about literal animal instincts and I’m not going to question my love of monster romance. Team Horns is going to be very happy about one specific scene. This novella is HOT!
Now, are there loose threads and underdeveloped plot lines? Yes. But it mattered not because of the hotness and because of the heroine’s arc. Her evolution is the reason for reading this story. I bow down to Isla! I don’t want to spoil one part of what happens so just enjoy the ride.
This was a bit more violent than I expected. There are two men who threaten to rape Isla but she manages to escape and kill them. Then there’s a violent mob storming the manor and those descriptions got a bit gorey for my taste. But it was cathartic to watch them kill the bad guys so the way it was written made complete sense.
This did not adhere to every beat of BATB, for which I was glad. But Harbon still gives us a great library scene and so many great moments of the Beast in all his glory. I absolutely loved it!
Character notes: The Beast of Highburn (also known as Lowen Lovell) is described as having a “lion-like head, protruding snout, downward curved white horns, and startlingly human eyes.” His eyes “glow an unnatural shade of yellow” and he has black claws that retract into his paws. He is indeed a beast.
CW: death of father on-page (some kind of stomach ailment), grief, imprisonment, sexual harassment, threat of rape, murder in self-defense, attempted strangulation (heroine is able to break away), mob violence, bestiality (although is it bestiality if the beast is sentient and consents?), gaslighting and threat of institutionalization by secondary characters, sword fight, reference to possible infertility due to cross-species issues, threat of suicide, wolf attack (one wolf is killed in self-defense), past death of parents, hero’s father abused his mother, reference to past death of a child
A Touch of Stone and Snow (A Gathering of Dragons #2) by Milla Vane
It’s a hard call but this is my favorite of the series. As much as I love Maddek and Yvenne, Aerax's unwavering love for Lizzan is what puts this one to the top for me. It made me cry but it also made me laugh out loud. It's intense in places and yet I couldn't read it fast enough.
This is a second chance romance. Aerax and Lizzan were in love before he became the bastard prince and his duties and secrets took him away from her. And then he did not stand up for her during a crucial moment and she left Koth, where her name no longer exists. They haven't seen each other for years and Lizzan would prefer to keep it that way. When their paths cross again on the road, a reckoning must be had because Aerax has never stopped wanting her. The pining is intense! Their feelings for each other, even though he broke her heart, are never really in question but there are massive barriers in the form of external conflicts. I really wasn't sure how it would all come together, especially since the goddess Vela said Lizzan was going to die when the first snowfall comes.
Milla Vane accomplishes so much here. Both characters have compelling arcs, especially since Lizzan, who is a soft-hearted warrior, has to confront her painful feelings instead of drowning them in her alcoholism. Aerax has been carrying an awful burden for years and is willing to become a villain to do what’s right. But he’s such an innately good guy, in spite of decades of mistreatment by Kothians. He may love few people and be loved by few in return but he loves fiercely and does what’s right. There is so much sexual tension in this book, it’s palpable. This book officially has the hottest bathhouse scene I've ever read. Also the most heart-wrenching. Whew. I was into it. So much steamy goodness.
Saving the best for last: Aerax’s snow cat Caeb who absolutely stole the show whenever he was on page. I adored him and the way he took any excuse to nudge Aerax and Lizzan to be together.
Character notes: Lizzan is a 27 year old mercenary. Aerax is the 28 year old bastard prince of Koth.
CW: heroine is an alcoholic and goes through detox, Highlight brackets for spoiler: [death of main character who is then resurrected], past red fever, past massacre, past death of loved ones in battle, the left side of heroine’s face is scarred, hero briefly refers to being raped as a child, brief reference to a secondary character’s rape, secondary character was imprisoned and tortured, past scalping, the Destroyer enslaved children for his army, classism, description of goddess giving birth, hero’s mother was suicidal in the past
Wolfsong by T.J. Klune
Wolfsong has been on my TBR for ages and I'm so glad I finally read it. The writing is gorgeous and thoughtful. There’s so much that happens in this story but it never felt like too much. It made me laugh, it made me cry. It ripped my heart out and then it put it back together. I adored Ox and Joe and Gordo and the Bennetts and the goofball mechanics. The world-building around werewolves and how Ox learns about them was top notch.
This is an epic PNR story, starting when Ox is 12 and leading up to when he’s 26. We meet him on the day his father leaves him and his mom. Four years later, a boy moves in next door and he has no idea this boy will ultimately change the trajectory of his life. He and Joe are friends first and foremost: Joe is 10 and Ox is 16 when they meet. Ox desperately needs a friend and so does Joe, who is recovering from trauma. (See content warnings.)
There is nothing more than friendship between them and Ox doesn’t see Joe any differently until Joe is 17-almost-18 and Ox is 23. I get why this might bother some people so I want to address it. While Joe immediately knows Ox is his person, he’s only 10 and he doesn’t completely understand what that means. This isn’t a fated mates story. Choice and consent is emphasized again and again. When Ox finally sees Joe in a different light, it is a huge quandary for him because of the age difference and because he really only ever saw Joe as his friend before that. Joe, on the other hand, has basically been in love with Ox and is ready to get things going. And basically everyone around them knew how Joe felt all this time but Ox remained oblivious. The way it addressed the power dynamics was super interesting, in part because Joe is going to be Alpha. But before anything more can really happen, a whole lot of plot interferes and the next time they can even contemplate romance, Joe is 20 and Ox is 26. They have a lot of baggage to work through first and, again, choice is front and center. There was some really good groveling.
I buddy read this with a friend and I’m so glad I did because there was a ton to discuss along the way. It takes on toxic masculinity, family legacies, the beauty of found family, what good leadership looks like, and so much more. And did I mention the writing is gorgeous? I’m fascinated by what Klune did with the dialogue and repetition. This story gave me so much life and I cannot wait to read the next book.
Character notes: Ox is 12 at the start of the story and 26 at the end. He’s a mechanic and bisexual. Joe is 10 when he and Ox first meet and 20 at the end of the story. He’s an Alpha werewolf. They’re both white. This is set in Green Creek, OR.
CW: death of parents (driving while drunk, murdered), grief, PTSD, selective mutism (Joe did not speak for 15 months after he was kidnapped), psychopath villain, kidnapping, human branding, rape threatened, past kidnapping and torture, violence, murder, attempted murder, R-word used as bullying (countered), toxic masculinity (countered), Ox’s father left when he was 12, Ox’s father was an alcoholic and mentally abusive, references to domestic violence, cigarettes, reference to past rape (minor characters), hunting animals, ableist language, Highlight brackets for spoilers: [death of main character but they are turned into a werewolf and revived]
Deal with the Demon by Chace Verity
This was just the sweetest romance between a single mother and a cinnamon roll demon. YES: cinnamon roll demon. All Drystan wants is to be a good partner to Heidi and to help her achieve success during the 28 days he’s at her beck and call. He cooks, he cleans, he creates artwork to help make her house a home. He makes her favorite treat for breakfast (cinnamon rolls!) and knows exactly how she takes her coffee. Heidi was such a good-hearted soul who deserved to catch a break. I could viscerally relate to wanting someone to help carry the load. (Now accepting tips on how to summon a Success Demon like Drystan.) I just loved every part of this soft story. I wasn’t sure what would happen to Drystan after their 28 days together ended and really appreciated how it resolved.
Character notes: Heidi is a 32 year old bisexual single mother. Drystan is a centuries old Success demon and artist. He has gray skin, horns, and he’s very large and scarred. His eyes change color depending on his mood and the happier he is, the warmer he gets. When asked about pronouns, he says “he, they, neither, either.” Savannah is 13 and Sebastian is 14 and starts dating a boy. This is set in Calgary, Alberta.
CW: heroine divorced 4 years ago, kids’s dad is not in the picture by his choice, concern of sexual harassment while on the train, heroine’s family disowned her when she got pregnant one month after graduating high school, secondary character’s wife is dealing with complications from surgery
Science Fiction Romance:
Strange Love by Ann Aguirre
This was such a refreshing sci-fi romance! We’ve got a cinnamon roll beta alien hero with self-esteem problems and a heroine who was kind of a nobody on Earth but on Barath she’s seen as an asset and a desirable nest-guardian. Zylar accidentally kidnaps Beryl and her dog Snaps, believing one of the creatures is his intended, and by the time they all figure out the truth, it’s too late and they’re far from Earth. They decide to make the best of it and compete to be Chosen.
Beryl’s response to the whole situation struck me as how you really would respond if you found out you’d been kidnapped by aliens. There’s so much they don’t understand about each other. They do, luckily, have a translator implanted so they can understand each other’s language. But still, Zylar thinks of Beryl and her dog as hair creatures and Beryl doesn’t think much of the insect-like alien with his exoskeleton and beak and talons. There are some funny moments, especially when they’re trying to make sense of each other. Zylar refers to Beryl’s “talking place” meaning her mouth and “grabbers” meaning her hands. Plus, there’s the fact that Snaps also got the translator implant so now he’s a talking dog. Snaps pretty much steals every scene he’s in.
There were so many sweet moments as they got to know one another and began the Choosing competition, which is basically a sporting event. Think The Bachelor crossed with a deadlier American Gladiators. I loved watching Beryl make the best of this new world and really come into her own.
Even though Zylar accidentally kidnapped Beryl, he deeply cares about her agency and consent. He’s always putting her needs first and I adored his odd compliments. Beryl is a gemstone so he calls her his unexpected treasure. How sweet is that?! The evolution of their relationship was so lovely and they really brought out the best in one another. I also really appreciated how this dealt with their anatomical differences and how that impacted sex. It was wonderful to watch them figure sex out together and how they could experience pleasure, even if it was different from how they typically experienced it on their respective planets. A good lesson for us all. This was just a great, fun read and I’m so glad I picked it up!
CW: unintentional kidnapping, violence including loss of life in a competition, past death of parent, recreational drug use (side characters), references to infidelity (side character), revenge, murder
(Honorable mention for her fantasy romance Bitterburn.)
Erotic Romance:
Door of Bruises (Thornchapel #4) by Sierra Simone
What an utterly magnificent end to this series! It’s been a wild ride and I am sad to say goodbye to the Thornchapel crew. But it came to a fitting, emotional, and beautiful end. This series may not be for everyone (seriously, heed the content warnings) but it was definitely for me. My biggest takeaway from this book and from Thornchapel as a whole is the exploration of sacrifice and blessing through the lens of faith, paganism, and fairytales. The way Sierra then tied these concepts to kink blew my mind. She remains, as ever, my Erotic Theologian. This book was hot as hell and then some.
This book was bold and brave. I had no idea how Sierra would bring it all home but I trusted she would and her plot choices made for a very moving ending. It makes you work for the HEA but it is there. I cried a ton, although it didn’t wreck me quite as much as American King did. Fare thee well, Thornchapel, in all your broody, sexy, heart-wrenching glory. I’m so glad I got to know Auden, St. Sebastian, Poe, Rebecca, Delpine, and Becket. Until we meet again.
Character notes: Poe is a white American with narcolepsy. Auden, St. Sebastian, Becket, and Delpine are white Britains. Rebecca is Black British. Delphine is fat. They are all bisexual. Auden has a dog named Sir James Frazer. This is set in England
CW: main characters become sick from mysterious illness and a minor character in the village dies from it, possible incest between half-brothers, past infidelity by a main character, exposure therapy related to past sexual assault (character thinks back to sessions), past plague, past death of parents (including murder and addiction), microaggression, discussion of race/racism, narcolepsy, alcohol, Auden’s father was abusive, dead sheep, wren killed by crows on-page, Highlight brackets for spoilers: [suicidal ideation/intent of self-sacrifice, main character drinks rosehips in order to sacrifice herself, perceived death of main character but she goes through the Door and lives and she, Auden, and Saint are eventually reunited 18 years later when the Door opens again]
Disclosure: the author and I are friendly online.
Bottle Rocket (So Over The Holidays #3) by Erin McLellan
This is my favorite of the series and that’s saying something because this has been one delightful series to begin with. I loved everything about this second chance erotic romance. It's the Summer of Rosie for our buttoned up heroine and when she runs into her old love (while he's posing nude at the art class she's taking, no less), they come up with a sex list and he helps her cross them off. He's only in town for 6 days so of course they can't fall in love, those silly fools. He’s into being dominated and she learns that she enjoys dominating! Plus Leo is an erotic artist and HE DRAWS HER!!! That is my purest catnip and I cackled when Sasha mentioned he went full-on Titanic on Rosie. Plus pegging! Plus orgy!
It was so steamy and sweet and perfect. Rosie and Leo seemingly have such different needs and I loved their eventual compromise on how they could make their relationship work. It’s unconventional (a mix of long-distance and home base) but it was so true to who they are. This is set during the 4th of July but there’s not much patriotism, thankfully. I will for sure be making this an annual holiday re-read! Also, I have to say I love all the queer rep throughout the series. In this one, Leo is bi. Rosie's sister Sasha (from book 1) is bi. Their brother Benji (book 2) is gay, William is bi. And that's just the start.
CW: heroine is divorced, heroine’s husband cheated on her
30 Days by Christine d'Abo
Alyssa is 35. Her husband died two years prior and she has just turned a corner on her grief when she remembers the conversations they’d had with Rob encouraging her to have sex and find love love again once he was gone. Not only did they have those conversations, he wrote her 30 cards with different types of sex for her to have. When Harrison moves into her building temporarily for work, he seems like a good fit. He’s not interested in a serious relationship and neither is she. But of course, we all know how that goes!
This was such a lovely, nuanced examination of grief and mourning. Loss isn’t a linear process, even when you’re ready to move forward with some part of your life, even when you’ve welcomed a new person into your life. Alyssa and Harrison have great chemistry and a real connection. As much as Alyssa fights falling for him, she does. But she isn’t fully ready to move on either and I thought the story did such a good job examining this. It's not completely on her though because Harrison doesn't communicate his changing feelings either. There’s some truly excellent groveling and a scavenger hunt that made me smile and swoon. Plus, it’s super hot. I loved every minute of this story!
CW: heroine’s husband died of cancer, grief, past divorce, hero's mother died when he was 15, reference to a side character’s kitchen fire, Highlight brackets for spoilers: [death of a friend (heart attack), hero’s ex-wife diagnosed with skin cancer but she makes the diagnosis sound worse so he’ll come back]
Queen Takes Knights by Joely Sue Burkhart
I had to include this because it's the only novel that held my attention during election week and I will forever be grateful. I inhaled this book and found it to be utterly delightful in how bananas it is. Because it is absolutely bananas. Vampire queen MMF featuring a virgin on the run for her life ever since her mother was murdered by demons 5 years ago, who has no idea that she’s a vampire, much less a queen, until her Bloods (basically bodyguards) appear as she’s being attacked. Also, the demons target her especially when she has her period. This is a very blood-laden, period-centered story. Like…one of the heroes goes down on her when she has her period because that blood is extra powerful. These vampires live for blood and they like things bloody—this book cover did not lie. It’s incredibly hot. It’ll either work for you or not and it absolutely worked for me. Also, major props that the world-building is not heteronormative! There are queens who prefer women or nonbinary people (although the text says non-gendered) and there are Bloods of all genders and sexualities.
I do want to address one thing that is potentially problematic. Shara learns that she is an Aima queen and a descendant of the goddess Isis. Her mother was Egyptian but her father was not so she’s half Egyptian herself. But she appears to be and functions as a white character. I cannot speak to any of the Egyptian representation or the role of Isis. Nothing felt overtly wrong to me but I’m white and there’s plenty I could be missing.
Character notes: Shara is 22 and half vampire, half something else. Alrik is 88 but he’s a Blood so he looks like he’s in his 20s or 30s. No age given for Daire but he’s older than Alrik. Alrik and Daire appear to be bisexual but it’s not explicitly stated. This is set in Kansas City.
CW: depictions of blood, violence, heroine witnessed her mother’s 5 years prior and her dad’s murder some years before that, grief, family planning discussion, highlight bracket for spoiler: [heroine dies while in Isis’s presence and is reborn]
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