This year is coming to a close! Here’s what we’re reading during the last week of December:
Lara: I’m catching up with Nalini Singh’s Guild Hunter series. I’m currently reading Archangel’s Lineage. ( A | BN | K | AB ) I’m desperately sad that this series will be coming to an end in May. It’s been a stalwart comfort for years.
Amanda: My Romance TBR Takedown board had me landing on “new series.” I’m starting my Alice Coldbreath journey with Her Baseborn Bridegroom, ( A ) which is book one in the Vawdrey Brothers series.
Sarah: I am reading The Astral Library by Kate Quinn – I’ll be interviewing her for the podcast. It’s catnip for people who love stories about being inside books.
Shana: I’m rereading Common Goal by Rachel Reid. It’s the only book in the Game Changers series I actually own, probably because I love the older bisexual hero. Someday my Heated Rivalry hold will come in, after 63 other people read it.
Amanda: I thought you read them, Shana? I remember you reviewing Long Game. Or is my memory shot?
Shana: Your memory is perfect, as always! I have read all of the series, I’m just doing a reread since I’m obsessed with the show.
Amanda: It sounds like your hold will come in just as season two starts.
Shana: And by then I will have moved on to a new obsession and won’t be in the mood to read the book.
Elyse: I’m reading Mother Mary Comes to Me ( A | BN | K | AB ) which is a memoir by Arundhati Roy. It’s really beautifully written and I’m a sucker for a book about complicated relationships with moms.
Claudia: I am so curious about that book. The mom sounds terrible to the daughter but great to the world.
Kiki I’m listening to The Victorian City: Everyday Life in Dickens’ London by Judith Flanders ( A | BN | K | AB ) which is a great companion while I’m semi-frantically trying to finish a cross stitch for my best friend’s wedding ceremony Monday! I’ve learned a lot about omnibuses and the intricacies of the mail coach system so far. I’ve been having a hard time falling into romance lately, and I feel like this is a good pivot: still historical, so I’m feeling immersed, but no plot that I have to buy in to.
Whatcha reading to end 2025? Let us know in the comments!
This year has been up and down for romance reading for me, but I just finished and really enjoyed LADY LIKE by Mackenzi Lee. Two women in Regency England both want to marry the same duke for pragmatic reasons other than love. Yes, there is quite a bit of secret keeping in this one, but to me it was very well plotted in that is not ultimately what a lot of the conflict springs from and I found that satisfying.
A lot of it is about how much are you willing to give up in compromise for a world that may never accept you?
And it’s also very funny and filled with banter. I would say it’s more of a slow burn/closed door book, if that is a plus or a minus for some. Reminds me a bit of my favorite Alexis Hall books.
I hope everyone is having a happy holiday season! I’ve been away from work, so I’ve been able to work on the Unhinged bingo card.
All Wrapped Up in You (Home Sweet Holidays) by Rosie Danan (KU)
Merry and Bright (Home Sweet Holidays) by Ali Rosen (KU)
Snow Place Like Home (Home Sweet Holidays) by Laura Pavlov (KU)
You Better Not Pout (Home Sweet Holidays) by Mia Sosa (KU)
This is a collection of holiday themed short stories. I think my favorite was the fake dating entry with Hanukkah and Christmas elements by Rosen, but all of them were sweet.
Murder in a Scottish Shire (Scottish Shire Mysteries Book 1) by Traci Hall (KU)
This one was mentioned as a recent read by Heather Graham when she was a guest on the podcast in November, but it is not a romance. If you are looking for a murder mystery set in a small town that is solved by a meddling single parent yarn store owner with lots of Scottish dialect, I’d say it’s not perfect but I enjoyed it.
Unlikely Story by Ali Rosen (KU)
Bingo: Niche Business (advice columnist)?
A NYC therapist who also writes an advice column finds herself falling for her editor, but she’s never actually met him in person. She’s also developing a relationship with her new neighbor, who also happens to be a former client’s ex-boyfriend. I liked this one quite a bit, but my favorite part might be the appearance of The Cheese Barge (a cheese themed restaurant in London).
The Retired Assassin’s Guide to Orchid Hunting: New Zealand Cozy Paranormal Mystery by Naomi Kuttner (KU)
This would be the sequel to The Retired Assassin’s Guide to Country Gardening, which I read earlier this year. The paranormal bits are due to the presence of ghosts and a character (Charlie) who can interact with them. Also, not a romance. But the titular retired assassin (Dante) has a distinctive voice as he struggles to uphold the tenets of his Assassins Anonymous support group, which include not killing people no matter how much they might deserve it. Dante and Charlie again team up with (retired con artist) Eleanor to solve a murder in their small New Zealand town.
The Brazen (Calamity Montana) by Devney Perry (KU)
Bingo: Start mid-series, Social Media Made Me Buy It (the series was mentioned in the comments of the Cowboy Contemporaries post last week)
We meet Kerrigan, a small town property developer, and Pierce, an investor who just inherited her loan. Enemies-to-lovers vibes with bonus trapped in a cabin by a blizzard. It was cute.
Game Changer (Game Changers Book 1) by Rachel Reid
Bingo: Social Media Made Me Buy It (Heated Rivalry is book 2 in the series), Was a Fan Fiction (Reid published a version of Game Changer on Ao3), AITA (see spoiler text)
MM hockey romance between the clean cut but closeted team captain and the hot guy from the smoothie shop. Heated Rivalry was getting so much press that I decided to I pick up the ebook collection of the first 3 books in the series to see what the fuss was about. It was cute.
In this case, I’d think that either perspective of “AITA for insisting that we keep this relationship secret because coming out could wreck my career?” or “AITA for wanting to break up with the guy I love because I can’t handle the relationship being secret any more?” would qualify.
More Than a Mistress by Mary Balogh (library)
Bingo: Solved HaBO, Romance meta-ness (mention of Austen)
A girl with a secret interrupts a duel, leading to the Duke of Tresham getting shot. He ends up hiring her as his nurse, for reasons. He’s arrogant and bossy and she puts up with none of it, which considering the power dynamic probably only works out for her because she’s really hot. It’s entertaining.
Just Say (Hell) No (Escape to New Zealand Book 11) by Rosalind James (KU)
Bingo: Niche Job (Pet portraitist), Start mid-series, AITA (spoiler)
I’ve read several books in this series, and they while they are interconnected standalones, I wasn’t too worried about skipping ahead to this one. There is a frighteningly long but helpful introduction that names the previous couples and their books. This time around we meet Marko, a rugby player, and Nyree, an artist. There’s family drama and a secret, but this is mostly sweet.
I was reading The Priory of the Orange Tree but I didn’t get it finished before the library loan expired. Back to the hold queue I go! I was really enjoying it – it’s a very ambitious attempt to put several different cultures (and their different takes on the concept of dragons) on the page at once, and generally it seems to succeed.
[cw/tw: rape] While I have at least five books on my kindle in various stages of completion, I dropped them all to start Nicky James’s latest, a standalone romantic-suspense titled KISMET. I tore through it in a couple of days—snatching reading time from the maw of holiday busyness. It ended up being the only book I’ve actually finished since the last WAYR—and it’s a doozy! But I must caution that you (1) read James’s list of trigger & content warnings carefully because the book deals with rape (not on page) and its long aftermath; and (2) don’t read any spoilers: there is a big twist toward the end of the book that is very well-done and is best experienced organically. KISMET begins with Ottawa homicide detective Kobe at a crime scene: a doctor has been murdered, his corpse posed with a rose piercing his heart. While examining the evidence, Kobe is pleased to see that his workplace crush, forensic pathologist Dominique, is assigned to the case. The two men obviously have chemistry, but things don’t heat up right away. It’s clear from the start that Kobe has no filter and says whatever his on his mind; his heart’s in the right place, but his tendency to skirt the rules does not endear him to either his partner or his boss. Dominque is harder to categorize: he’s older than Kobe, single, self-contained, cautious, and raising a toddler (of all the things in KISMET for which one might be called upon to suspend disbelief, Dominique’s ability to find off-hours childcare and willing babysitters at a moment’s notice is the hardest to swallow). As more bodies are discovered (all mutilated in some fashion by a rose), investigation points to a group of college-aged men who were known on campus for sexually assaulting young women at parties. James does a good job of showing how hard it is to gather evidence and prosecute sex crimes—especially when victims have been drugged. As Kobe sorts through suspects and Dominique provides forensic evidence, the two men grow closer—although it’s definitely one step forward, two steps back at times. As she does in her Valor & Doyle and Shadowy Solutions series, James is very good at balancing the romance and the suspense: I was just as invested in Kobe & Dominique’s relationship as I was in discovering which of the several plausible suspects was the killer. As I mentioned earlier, there is a twist in the story—it was an absolute surprise, and, when I got to it, I had to go back and reread certain parts of the book to verify that James played fair and that all the clues were there (she did and they were). I would urge you not to look for spoilers because part of the pleasure of reading KISMET is seeing the clever way James organically connects all the pieces. KISMET is a carefully constructed story with an admittedly bleak outlook. In the most oblique of ways, KISMET reminded me of Taylor Fitzpatrick’s THROWN OFF THE ICE in that both books are unorthodox takes on traditional romances. Highly recommended—but don’t look for spoilers and do take the content warnings seriously.
Happy Holidays, peeps!
I am so excited to read during this weird no-time place between Christmas and New Year’s!
Two recent excellent reads — THE COOK and FOX both by Sasha Avice. Both were discussed here, so thank you for the recommendations. Excellent emotional growth of working class young gay men falling in love in the ’90’s (?) — recent historical element was a really interesting choice, because they don’t have cell phones. Really brings those of us that were around then back in time. How the hell did we ever meet people in the real world if we couldn’t text them?
For what I plan to read this week (I AM GIDDY WITH ANTICIPATION!) I have saved an Ilona Andrews (The Inheritance), Mimi Matthews (Rules for Ruin), Chelsea Abdullah (The Stardust Thief), Martha Waters (To Woo and To Wed), Travis Baldree (Brigands and Breadknives), and Leonie Swann (Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Story). And now I will read the best of lists here, as well as today’s WAYR and add to the list. My eyes are definitely bigger than my stomach!
Wishing everyone peace and love and excellent reading!
During the first half of December I consumed only holiday-themed books but I closed out my reading year without any mistletoe or menorahs.
Some Bitchery commenters have described Cat Sebastian’s recent books as “nothing happens, but you want to keep reading anyway,” and I think that sums up my feelings about AFTER HOURS AT DOORYARD BOOKS. In 1968 I was a little younger than these characters (and I wasn’t living in NYC) but the “counterculture” ideas explored in this book seemed familiar and still relevant. The very slow unfolding of how each of the three MCs (bookstore owner Patrick; his folk/pop musician sister-in-law Susan, and the mysterious “drifter” Nathaniel who moves in with them) deals with grieving is touching, and the slow burn relationship of Patrick and Nathaniel is also beautifully explicated. There’s a lot of sadness in this story, and a lot of hopefulness, too.
Another recent read that mixed slow burn romance with a touch of sadness is Jodi McAlister’s new book, AN ACADEMIC AFFAIR. McAlister’s “Marry Me, Juliet” series ranks high on my all-time favorites list, and AN ACADEMIC AFFAIR was entertaining for me since I’ve spent time in the academic environments that this book skewers (and evidently academic life for literature PhD’s in Australian universities isn’t significantly different from the experience for U.S. scholars in desperate search of a full-time position). It’s a rivals-to-friends-to-lovers story with a marriage of convenience and family drama as well. FMC Sadie is a pop culture specialist whose interest in popular romance (including many meta references to real books and authors) isn’t taken seriously by the lit department “old guard” profs. MMC Jonah is an early modern (Shakespeare’s era) British lit specialist whose father, an acclaimed professor, doesn’t ever think his son’s accomplishments are good enough. The MCs, who met in their first year of college 15 years ago, argue gloriously about literature and many other topics, and their slow burn, “he fell first” love story was charming. Plus, Jonah’s POV chapters feature footnotes, and Sadie’s chapters include great explanations of literary theory applied to “real life.” As noted in @Lara’s SBTB review (published 11-14-25), there’s a lot of angst in this story as Sadie tries to cope with a devastating estrangement from the sister who raised her, but the HEA is satisfying. A follow-up focused on Jonah’s sister is scheduled for ’26—I’m pleased there’s another McAlister novel to look forward to in the new year!
A STORYBOOK ROMANCE is the fourth book by K.J. Micciche I’ve read in the past few weeks. FMC Cecily and MMC Nate enter a marriage of convenience after Cecily, a children’s librarian who has just started a Master of Fine Arts degree in creative writing, is seen in a viral video kissing Nate, a professor in the MFA program. Nate will be fired for inappropriate behavior with a student– but not if the student and the professor are married. As with other Micciche novels, the character-building was great and the plot included some unexpected twists along with expected tropes, plus illuminating insights about the highs and lows of pursuing a career writing fiction. Both the “villain” character and the concluding big romantic gesture seemed over-the-top to me but I liked the book overall, and look forward to a new novel by Micciche scheduled for January release, which also involves two fiction writers as MCs.
Micciche’s end-of-book acknowledgements mentioned gaining some inspiration from THE ROUGHEST DRAFT, by new-to-me co-authors Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka, and I found that novel in the stack of TBR books on my Kindle. This story focuses on two writers who collaborated on an extremely successful book and then ended their writing partnership, with FMC Katrina retiring from writing and MMC Nathan finding far less success with his solo books than when he and Katrina were a team. They owe their publisher a second book and agree (under some duress for Katrina) to co-write one more time, by spending two months together in the cottage in Florida where they worked successfully four years prior. The pace of the story, which contains numerous flashbacks to the events that led to the breakup of the writing team, seemed too slow to me. The sections of the novel that described the co-writing process were interesting, but I got tired of reading descriptions of the angst and yearning experienced by each MC as they co-authored their books in the past and present. After the reasons for the breakup were revealed I was ready for the story to end, but it continued for many more pages.
Clare Lydon’s novels about London-based lesbians are usually pleasant light (and spicy) reads for me. Her newest offering, NOT PART OF THE PLAN (available on KU), doesn’t have as much banter as other Lydon books; this seemed like slightly less of a rom-com than previous Lydon offerings. MC Poppy Voss has avoided taking over the watch business that was founded by her grandmother and run by her mother who died unexpectedly of an aneurism. Now a few months shy of her 30th birthday, Poppy has decided she wants to preserve the family legacy by taking a leadership role, but that means she has to prove her business acumen to her aunt who’s currently running the company, and she must partner with MC Eliza, the 33-year old business consultant who was Poppy’s BFF (and crush) when they were both in their teens. The plot includes corporate intrigue, several encounters with a medium who’s in touch with Poppy’s deceased family members, and side trips from London to the Voss Watch factory in Scotland, to a Swiss watch company, and to New York City where Poppy and Eliza try to persuade a pop star to become the celebrity endorser for the watches. It all turns out OK for the MCs but some of the bumps along the way were surprisingly disconcerting, and not what I typically expect from Lydon’s stories.
I liked Jamie Harrow’s debut novel, ONE ON ONE, a lot and was eager to read her second book, FUN AT PARTIES. The storyline for FUN AT PARTIES didn’t appeal to me as much as the basketball themed ONE ON ONE, but FMC Quinn’s journey (a literal cross-country road trip combined with numerous moments of self-realization) drew me in. Quinn is a 29-year-old online cycling instructor (think Peloton) who is ordered by her boss to take a vacation after a breakup with another instructor leads to an on-camera meltdown. Quinn decides to drive from LA to New Jersey for a childhood friend’s birthday party, expecting a relaxing, contemplative, and solitary experience. But then Quinn’s boss asks her to capitalize on her post-meltdown online identity as an “empowered single girl” by posting on social media throughout the trip, and another East Coast friend (and past crush), MMC Nate, asks to ride along so he can catch up with a third member of the old gang, Logan, in Las Vegas. Quinn and Nate miss finding Logan in Vegas, and continue to travel together to Kansas, Nashville, and other destinations. I thought Quinn’s unfolding perceptions about her worklife, her friendships, and her complicated relationship with Nate were absorbing, and I was rooting for her all along the journey. Nate wasn’t particularly interesting to me, though, and the search for Logan had too many “you just missed him” detours. I’m not sure what Harrow has planned next, but I’ll certainly keep reading her work.
Happy new reading year to all, and please keep sharing recommendations—I’ll never not have room for additions to my TBR list!
I can’t believe 2025 is finally winding down. I’m hoping for more people in froggy suits or armed with hoagies (moments of hope) in 2026. Wishing you all peace, joy, and fortitude for the new year.
And Then by Taylor Fitzpatrick
The second in the Between the Teeth hockey trilogy continues to be entirely from David’s POV in third person present tense. This novel details his development as a hockey player, his slow-growing social and professional circles, and his intermittent relationship with Jake. Most importantly, book two is NOT a romance and probably won’t make a lot of sense as a standalone. David may be coded as neurodivergent, but that’s never acknowledged in the text, so I don’t want to presume. What I do want by the end of the second book is for this character, who is so utterly isolated at the beginning of his journey, to find some species of an HEA by the end of the series–whether romantic or otherwise.
Between the Teeth by Taylor Fitzpatrick
The third and final installment in David’s story brings us to a satisfying point in his coming-of-age journey. It also resolves the romance arc that kinda leaps over the middle book in the series. This is fundamentally a character study steeped in hockey details and queer love stories. I still find the writing style a bit odd yet effective, and the story itself is compelling. The question of David’s neurodivergence is addressed in an Afterword by the author; I heartily recommend the entire trilogy, but they are best read in order.
Best Enemies Forever by Olivia Hayle
I read this solid workplace-adjacent romance because I wanted something decent but undemanding and this absolutely filled the bill. Connie and Gabriel’s relationship is complicated by their families who are corporate rivals. The MCs have known each other since they were kids needling each other in school. Who knew that an alcohol fueled encounter in Vegas would lead them to become allies on multiple levels in the shark tank of their respective family businesses? Sometimes it takes an enemy to see who you truly are.
Mr. Mayfair by Louise Bay
This was another enjoyable read that did not demand a lot from me. The writing was excellent and I loved the British setting. Stella needs a date to buffer her feelings at the wedding of her ex to her former best friend. Beck needs an introduction to one of the wedding guests for business reasons. They cut a deal and get more (and better) than they bargained for. While this is hardly a unique set up, it was done very well with interesting character arcs for the protagonists. Recommended.
Half-Light Harbor by Samantha Young
The first book in the Scottish Isles series is very much a tale of romantic suspense wirh a plethora of subplots, featuring a brave American heiress in jeopardy, a burly, woodworking ex-spy, a covey of abusive and mutually independent villains, lots of sex, lots of feels, and lots of scenery. Also, a lovely, blue-eyed Malemute. CW: murders, physical assault, gun violence, stabbing, intimate partner abuse. It was ok, but the chick in jeopardy thing gets old.
Mr. Knightsbridge by Louise Bay
This well written romance did not completely work for me. Set in the world of high end jewelers with a generous scoop of class differences, parts of this book could’ve been ordered from Tropes R’ Us. Holly, the FMC, has a delightful voice–clever, down-to-earth and funny. However, whenever she mentions her working class existence in Oregon, I had two main problems. First, the numbers don’t add up. How can a woman supporting two households and a sister in college on factory pay plus a couple of intermittent side gigs manage to finagle funding for airfare, a flat, and a two month unpaid internship with a jeweler in London? How did she even qualify for said internship? Second, I was offended by the working class stereotypes this story perpetuated. (Drinking game: Holly refers to the trailer park, take a shot; she mentions the factory, chugalug!) Don’t get me wrong; Holly and Dexter, her British jeweler sweetheart, were an appealing couple. However, if you get the economics wrong and use cliches to define a character, your backstory is going to be compromised, and the HEA will seem like a fake resolution to a contrived conflict. Ultimately, I just couldn’t get past that.
My Favorite Bad Decision by Elizabeth O’Roark
I really loved the beginning of this book. The trek up Kilimanjaro was an excellent setting for the bickering dynamic of Miller and Kit’s relationship. The week long hike itself is depicted in grueling detail, and you really get to know the MCs and their climbing companions. Sadly, the African excursion with its banter and UST only occupies 50% of the book. The second half picks up with Kit’s family and life in New York. There are revelations that were telegraphed earlier, causing the drawn out resolution to become a mite predictable and less than satisfying.
You Could Make a Life by Tayor Fitzpatrick
The couple in this short standalone novel is mentioned in another series, but that’s the only direct connection between the two stories. Fitzpatrick uses the third person present tense from Dan’s POV, which gives a distinct storyteller vibe, but the portrayal of Marc is so clear and nuanced that the reader doesn’t really miss his direct voice. Part of the fun is decoding this guy, who is frequently an asshole, through the perception of someone who loves him. The love story features moderate sexytimes, a fair amount of cuddling, and some pining. There’s also a lot of hockey politicking, some insight into the homophobia around the sport, and a perfectly imperfect HEA. This one’s going into the Comfort Reads folder for future rereading.
On Ice by Stella Stevenson
This book is nominally a m/f hockey romance, but the hockey content is pretty slight. The central motif is actually cancer and cancer trauma and there are CWs for that. That said, this is a fairly well written book, and Erik, Quinn, their families, and friends are all pretty engaging characters. Minor gripes include acute instalove and a tendency to repeat physical descriptions of the MCs at frequent intervals. Still, the MCs are grownups and behave as such. I do plan to read further in this series.
Second Sight by Amanda Quick
(Bingo: N-4, Paranormal 2006)
I’ve read most of Quick/Krentz, except the Arcane Society books, having had mixed reactions to JAK woo-woo over the years. That said, I really liked this one. Venetia, the FMC, is a professional photographer in Victorian England, and her competence and common sense are awesome. Gabriel is respectful of her abilities and autonomy, but shows a mild level of alpha behavior in protective mode. Above all, these characters talk to each other like actual grownups and have actual chemistry. There were a couple of interesting twists in the tale as well. I expect to be reading more Arcane Society books in future.
Home Improvement by Barbara Daly
(Bingo: B-1, HaBO)
This one is a Harlequin dating from 1999. but for the most part, it wears its age lightly, and definitely puts the com in romcom. Sunny is a city girl who finds herself transplanted to a Vermont cottage, but who longs to return to her interior design business in New York. Colin is the local contractor with an extensive Yankee family and roots anchored in the New England bedrock.The likable MCs start out with a lot of assumptions that are gradually peeled away by mishaps, pranks, and lurrrve. Mostly I enjoyed this book, but by the last few chapters, it seems clear that Colin’s wants and needs are weighted a little more heavily than Sunny’s. While I was not grossly offended, there were a few uncomfortable moments. Still worth the read though.
Happy holidays to everyone!
I just finished The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter. It is blurbed as a rom-com Knives Out and I loved it! I don’t really get excited about holiday-themed books, and I’m definitely not the mystery-type, but I found both of those elements to be secondary to the actual romance. This was a pick from my book club, which doesn’t follow any consistent theme or genre so I’ve had to get through a lot of books I did not enjoy to get to this one and it was worth it!
I was not really in the holiday spirit for most of the season, but making up for it now. Re-read a favorite that is set around Christmas, HER BEST WORST MISTAKE by Sarah Mayberry.
Before Christmas I read SOUL SEARCHING by Lyla Sage. It took awhile for me to get through. I see potential in her writing. And the covers are always great. But there is not a lot going on.
Before that I finished my Shelly Laurenston re-reads by revisiting her Crow series, the Magnus Pack series, and the Long Island Coven books. I hope Laurenston returns to the world of the Long Island Coven someday. There was at least one more couple teased in the books that never got their love story.
Next up I’m ready to return to historicals for awhile. Starting with THE STOLEN APOCALYPSET by Jacquelyn Benson. I’m hoping for some romantic action that feels like The Mummy or Amelia Peabody.
:::floofs in::: Good thing I’ve read a lot over the last couple of weeks, because I just bought me a Switch 2 for my birthday/Christmas/I deserve nice things and I doubt that will do good things for my reading speed. Especially not once I buy Two Point Museum, Shinobi, and Mario Odyssey.
Anyhoo, there was some bouncing off of books as well, because sometimes, shit bounces. But I did read Amari and the Despicable Wonders by B.B. Alston, which was a fun middle grade. It works well if you’ve been looking for something in the vein of Rick Riordan, which I’m always doing. There were some nice additions to the mythology he’s building into the Amari series. Then I started Rick by Alex Gino, which I picked up from the library and am reading because, uh, I’m on the local library advisory council and sometimes noise gets made about books and we get brought into things. I’ve found it to be a sweet little story about growing up and learning to understand more about yourself and how you fit into certain things. Also read Battle of the Bookstores by Ali Brady, which was a fun riff on You’ve Got Mail. Then it was This Is Not a Test by Courtney Summers. Trigger warnings for days, especially given that the main character is actively suicidal for most of the book, and it’s a zombie apocalypse book. It’s a quick read, and will definitely work for you if you liked The Walking Dead (which I did, for the first several seasons at least). Which brings us to now, in which I’m reading Red Star Rebels by Amie Kaufman. It’s a nice little sci-fi with a countdown clock as a plot point. I also like the things it has to say about what happens when late-stage capitalism runs amok and how it can victimize the unlucky. I feel like there’s some…relevance there. Anyway, until next time, let’s bring in this new year with a renewed sense of how to be a menace to those who need it while still protecting our own peace.
Concentrating on words on pages, paper or digital, has been tough for while, but currently making my way through two library ebooks depending on mood, TO HIVE AND TO HOLD by Amy Crook and KIKI’S DELIVERY SERVICE by Eiko Kadono.
Over the past two weeks ~
— very much enjoyed Turns of Fate by Anne Bishop. If you like her books about The Others, I suspect you’d like this, too. It has a fairly sizeable cast but a major character is a detective who has joined a team which specializes in crimes that might involve the Wyrd. This is set in a world that is ours but not as there are cellphones and references to Star Trek, Star Wars, and Doctor Who.
— liked Once Upon A Goth Dog Solstice by R.L. Merrill which is a contemporary romance. It features an ex-marine, a foster father, who suffers chronic pain from his time in the service; he encounters the other lead when both are at a craft event selling their wares. The first makes wood art; the second, who works as a computer security consultant, makes and decorates goth style dog clothing.
— quite enjoyed The Inheritance by Ilona Andrews which is set some ten years after breaches suddenly appeared in our world. Monsters came through those breaches and killed many; at the same time, some people suddenly developed talents. The lead character developed an ability to detect things useful to the world such as minerals and medicines; she now works for the government accompanying mining teams into breaches before they are closed down by others with those talents. Shortly after the book begins, she and a dog are trapped within a breach. I can see rereading this and look forward to reading the next book when it is published.
— I have three paper books in progress as well two e-books. Therefore, I can report that I reread an old favorite, Dark Horse (Class 5 Series Book 1) by Michelle Diener which is a science fiction romance. It is currently FREE!
— Christmas Through the Ages by Carla Kelly featured romance novellas from the Regency and Victorian eras as well as the American Old West. I liked the first and third best but liked them all. The author is LDS, so these are relatively chaste.
— enjoyed All of Us Murderers by KJ Charles which is described as a gothic romance; admittedly, it took me about a week to read it in multiple sessions. This featured a young man who is invited by a distant relative to his country mansion; the other guests are primarily unlikable family members plus his ex-lover. There are indeed murders
— enjoyed Come As You Are by Jess K Hardy which is a contemporary romance with leads in their forties and fifties. The female lead is trying to save her family’s ski resort after the death of her father. The male lead was in a rock band, began taking drugs, and served time in prison. He currently runs a sober living home for ex-convicts. He and his men contract to work (for room, board, and low wages) on the ski resort. An aside, it’s rare for me to read a romance in which the male lead cries. I will happily read more in this series which features different lead characters.
Wishing all good health, peace, and joy in 2026 as well as an abundance of great books.
I’m not sure where I left off when I checked in a month ago. Oh well. I’ll just go over what I’ve read in the last couple of weeks: GOALTENDER INTERFERENCE (Scoring Chances #1) by Brigham Vaughn. It’s a M/M hockey romance (I’ve read a lot of those this year). I enjoyed the romance for the most part, although I feel like one part of the ending was a bit unrealistic and rushed–which is saying something considering how long the book was.
THE INFLUENCERS by Anna-Marie McLemore. There were things I really liked about this book–the impact being the unwilling subjects of their mother’s social media empire had on each of the Iverson children; the opportunists ready and willing to take advantage of “Mother May I”‘s misfortune; how the viewers were a sort of Greek chorus to give the public’s perception of what was happening. There were things that frustrated me about this book–I never could understand why May married August in the first place (was it simply because his name could be changed to “August”?) And as the murder mystery got closer to being solved, I wasn’t sure I entirely understood the motives for why everyone did what they did. It seemed a little contrived to me. Still, I’d say I enjoyed the book overall.
RAPTURE IN DEATH by J.D. Robb, the fourth book in the In Death series. Since these books can’t stand alone and I’d already started the series before the Unhinged Bingo started, it doesn’t count for that. This isn’t one of my favorite books in the series, which finds Eve trying to prove that a series of seemingly unrelated suicides are connected, but it’s kind of like the proverbial pair of comfortable shoes…nice to go back and reread nonetheless.
Right now, I’m working on making my “26 Books in 2026” challenge list, and trying not to put too many books on there that I know I’ll never read. Like Emma Woodhouse, I have a tendency to put together lists of books that I feel like I should read, but never actually get around to reading them. I’m also reading BODY CHECK by Brigham Vaughn, the second book in the Scoring Chances series. It’s not bad so far, although it’s not holding my attention quite as much as the first book. After I finish it, I plan to start on the Unhinged Bingo.
Finally read the only book Celia Lake has available in audio format, PASTICHE, which featured a romance between two characters I’d had glimpses of in other books (I’ve now read everything Lake has currently available) and it was delightful. I get why some of Lake’s writing quirks might not work for others, but I love the feel of her books, the social and intellectual puzzles, and the history of the real world and of her imagined Albion. This was an especially delightful refreshing of an arranged marriage.
Got Netgalley versions (ebook and audio and read both of the all the way through) of Kristen Callihan’s upcoming f/m contemporary release ONLY ON GAMEDAY, due out January 6th. I’d seen some early comments on it expressing some disappointment, but that wasn’t my experience at all. I loved the banter, loved the yearning, and loved watching the progress of these two characters growing into themselves and their relationship. It starts as a fake engagement story. This one had what I love about Callihan’s work: a sense of how the two particular characters grow to fit with each other. I just delighted in this one from the moment they stared at each other through the open door.
In the also-really-liked rank was:
* Ally Carter’s THE MOST WONDERFUL CRIME OF THE YEAR (thanks @Lauren for your description of it).
* Ann Leckie’s smart gods-based fantasy, THE RAVEN TOWER.
* Annabel Monaghan’s f/m contemporary IT’S A LOVE STORY.
Also read:
* Samantha Sotto Yambao’s fantasy with romance, WATER MOON, which yes does earn the Gibli resonances mentioned in most reviews, and I loved that aspect of this. So, so inventive. I also liked the romance and its difficulties but at a certain point it started to feel a little long to me, especially toward the end.
* Patti Smith’s memoir BREAD OF ANGELS, which I found compelling reading.
I’m reading MY TRUE LOVE GAVE TO ME, which is a young adult anthology with 12 holiday romance stories. I love anthologies as they give me a way to try several authors at once.
And thanks to everyone who posted about THE MOST WONDERFUL CRIME OF THE YEAR by Ally Carter. I’ve been meaning to read that one too.
Hope everyone has a great holiday season. Cheers! 🙂
@Azure, If you aren’t too strict about the bingo squares, Rapture in Death has a couple of author blurbs in the cover copy, so it could count for that square. I’m sure that they are someone’s favorite author. Also, I’ve only read the first book in the series, but Roarke, as a billionaire CEO, security expert, former criminal, and gun collector, had the potential to be a Swiss army knife character.
I picked up a stack of Middle Eastern/Eastern/South Asian romantasy reads from the library based on recs from a lady on IG that I follow. I’m definitely feeling bored and over the same-ness of the all-white romantasy world, and she had lots of positive things to say about many of these books – ones that I’d been interested in but hadn’t gotten around to reading yet, such as “The Jasad Heir”, “We Hunt the Flame”, “His Face is the Sun”, “A Drop of Venom”, etc.
I’m also very excited to see that the sequel to “To Shape a Dragon’s Breath”, “To Ride a Rising Storm”, is coming out at the end of January! I devoured the first book in like a day a couple of summers back.
Mostly, I’m not reading right now. I start things, but nothing sticks because I’m so distracted and unable to focus. Hoping one of those library books can break the vicious no-reading cycle.
I am obsessively re-reading the entire GAME CHANGER series after watching HEATED RIVALRY. Swooooon.
I’m also in the middle of MORE EVERYTHING FOREVER by ADAM BECKER, which is about the absolutely wild and nutty obsessions of our AI Tech overlords. This is an infuriating book, so I can only read it in small doses. Let’s just say that rather than paying any attention to actual, real-world, documented problems being caused by their products, tech billionaires are obsessed with theoretical outcomes envisioned by generations of science fiction writers. I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that this is at least in part because the actual, documented problems might make them less profitable.
Late to the party, but mostly of what I have read recently has been …fine. Not particularly worth mentioning.
The exception is the in fact extremely exceptional: EH Lupton’s series WISCONSIN GOTHIC, which has the latest novella out this week. I love everything about these, I was just gushing about them in the best books of the year category. Cannot recommend highly enough.
@Kareni if you’re actively looking for romances in which the male lead cries, that’s one of Suzanne Brockmann’s many strengths. Would not mind a rec league about it, personally.
@Pam G just a public service reminder in case anyone didn’t know that Taylor Fitzpatrick is on AO3 as youcouldmakealife so there is a vast rabbit hole of additional material out there, and it’s ongoing. I am absolutely losing my mind over the latest drop on the Tandem series. We have come such a long way, I never thought this day would come though damn have I longed for it.
My husband got me an e-reader and stylus (Kobo) for Christmas and I am really enjoying it. Making good use of the “time has no meaning” time between Christmas and New Year’s.
Like everyone else, I am rereading HEATED RIVALRY. I have to say, in many ways I think the show is better. I have not yet read The Long Game and I’m not sure if I will, because I tend to lose interest in romances once the characters are in a relationship. I’m also rereading GAME MISCONDUCT by Ari Baran, which definitely has some plot elements in common with Heated Rivalry, but the characters feel more fleshed out and there is more non-sex-related plot. It does deal heavily with addiction and chronic pain. Ari Baran seems to really genuinely know a lot about hockey. As a person who could not care less about it, I do like those details that make the world feel more real.
I’m also reading T TEMBAROM, by Frances Hodgson Burnett on a recommendation from someone here. Burnett’s protagonists all seem to be completely perfect kind people, with the exception of Mary Lennox, but the goody-goody TT is pretty endearing. He is a reporter for a New York gossip rag who suddenly discovers that he is the heir to a vast English estate and fortune. There are various British people being snooty to him and he basically adopts an elderly spinster, which is adorable. Like in A LITTLE PRINCESS and EMILY FOX-SETON, there are loving descriptions of impoverished but cozy spaces that are just delightful.
I started reading REBORN, another gay romance, very much modeled on the bodice-ripper trope of a fated romance between a “barbarian” and a city dweller. The concept was entertaining, but I am having trouble caring too much about the world so I have put it down for now. If anyone recommends continuing, please let me know!
I haven’t posted in awhile. I’ve been focused on wrapping up my 2025 reading challenges, especially Laura Sackton’s Queer your Year and Book Riot’s Read Harder. I’m just going to focus on my favorite recent discovery that I would not have read without these challenges.
Shubeik Lubeik by Deena Mohamed
4.5 stars. Beautiful graphic novel set in an alt version of Egypt where wishes are real (and highly regulated and subject to corruption and inequality). It tells the story of three first rate wishes for sale at an unassuming kiosk in Cairo and follows the three wishers; Aziza, a poor widow, Nour (they/them), a depressed college student and Shokry owns the kiosk. One of Shokry’s regular customers is also featured.
I’m not a big graphic novel reader but I loved the powerful story telling – the words and the drawings really worked well together. It also has one of the best portrayals of depression that I’ve seen / read. It covers some dark themes (prison, depression, child death, death of a spouse, colonialism, sexism) but it was ultimately hopeful. There’s no romance but there’s a lot about community and connection. There are characters who are rich and poor, devout Muslims and Coptic Christians.
Queer Your Year 2025: translated from Arabic, set in an African country outside of West Africa
Book Riot Read Harder 2025: a comic in translation
@kkw ~ a rec league about male leads crying would indeed be interesting.
@kkw: I’m totally with you on Taylor Fitzpatrick’s TANDEM series! I first discovered George & Robbie as supporting characters in the Between the Teeth trilogy—little did I know that, by that point, they had been percolating through their own story on AOC for almost a decade! Talk about an angsty roller-coaster. I hope one day Fitzpatrick will decide to publish the entire series as a book.
@C—thank you!!!! I had been thinking of doing that row for the Bingo but had no clue how I’d fill in that square. Roarke absolutely fits the definition of a “Swiss Army knife” character as he’s everything you mentioned as well as eventually becoming an “Expert Consultant, Civilian” for the NYPSD, lol!! *Marks that space off Bingo card*
I also read THE MOST WONDERFUL CRIME OF THE YEAR, and it was a fun read. I’m working my way through Sheri Cobb South’s John Pickett Regency era mystery series, namely FAMILY PLOT, DINNER MOST DEADLY, and TOO HOT TO HANDEL. At the beginning of the series, the heroine’s husband is murdered, and she is suspected of the crime, but the Bow Street runner who is assigned to investigate the case immediately falls in love with her. Through his clever detecting he is able to clear her name, but the romance seems hopeless because of class/money differences. The books are funny and light hearted, they keep getting thrown together every time someone is murdered! Lots of pining through several books, but I hope it’s not spoilerish to say they finally get together.
I read another old closed door Regency, THE MISER’S SISTER by Carola Dunn. What I thought would be a sedate closed door romance actually had a lot action, with a kidnapping and attempted murder, smugglers, and a hot air balloon ascension.
Hope everyone’s holidays were good. I stayed behind for work and ended up having fun at three different work parties. Also, time for reading since I still have the cheap kindle unlimited on board.
This weekend, I read the Dark and Silent Night novella series, supposed to be dark. The first was SILENT VOW by Maya Alden. Not her usual style which I do read a lot but this one was quite good too. Billionaire brother who happens to be a hit man at night falls in love with his target. Angst, guns, knives all follow. The second was VEILED SILENCE by Eve Black who I’d not really read before and now I am tempted. Another billionaire brother marries a young woman to get an heir and the marriage starts to fall apart when a Mafia princess sets her sights on him and he decompensates on his wife. More angst, some off page probably murder, and learning to communicate. SILENT PROMISES by Christine Michelle is the third and, in my opinion, the weakest entry. The third brother promises to grow up and marry the girl next store whose dad is Irish mob. There is betrayal and she leaves. Years later, her father finds her and sends someone to marry her and bring her home. MMC intervenes. There is on page murder in this one. Well, kind of a murder, I guess. The last is SILENT FLAMES by Cate C Wells, and, omg, bitches, I loved this one. I even found myself on Reddit defending this book. The fourth, very traumatized, brother marries a very young woman who has recently aged out of foster care, they have kids, and then she walks in on him cheating. Spoiler alert, communication and honesty have not been strong in their live and she should have read the pre-nup. She has a nervous breakdown over the next number of chapters as he first tries to buy her back and then win her back and she keeps saying no. TW for death of a really hot car.
I also read two by Elizabeth O’Roark. I very much enjoyed MY FAVORITE LOST CAUSE. Model with failing marriage helps hot step brother rehap a house he inherited. Lots of slow burn and denial. I liked it a good deal. MY FAVORITE FAKE ROMANCE was a good deal more angsty. THey’d been together when young and then he sent her away. I liked it also.
WHEN WE FALL by Lena Hendrix, older woman/single mom and her younger neighbor. It was cute but not compelling. I enjoyed it in the moment.
THE BONUS by TL Swan, unexpected baby that he discovers years later as he is getting ready to marry someone else. At one point, he moves her and offspring from Maine to New York City and tells her he bought her some new clothes because it’s colder there! I have lived in Maine and been to NYC. um, yeah. Otherwise a pretty good book.
@VicSolo: I just finished SILENT FLAMES and agree wholeheartedly with your assessment. I know Wells can be a polarizing writer—and cheating can be a hard no for a lot of readers—but I love her style: women whose cynical view of the world comes from lived-in experience and men who want to do better but don’t have the emotional bandwidth to do so without blunders. I wish I had finished SILENT FLAMES before I wrote my WAYR post, but I’ll definitely include it next time.
Enjoyed THE LIGHTS ON KNOCKBRIDGE LANE by Roan Parrish (M/M). A photographer and his young daughter move back to his small hometown after a breakup fall for their reclusive, nocturnal neighbor and draw him into their Xmas light project and their lives. They all have hurts in their past to overcome, but that’s balanced with plenty of lighthearted moments.
Also read “The Case of the Disappearing Gingerbread City” by R. W. Wallace in A WEIRD HOLIDAY SEASON edited by Kristine Katherine Rusch.
I’ve been re-reading the “Circle of Three” series, if anyone remembers this teen Wicca series from 2001. Also re-read a Nora, “Daring to Dream” (Margo and Josh), which hasn’t aged well. And another Nora, “Kay of Valor”, which still holds up. In non-romance, a British Library Crime Classic, “Ambush in Death”, by Susan Gilruth – this was quite good, I’d read more by her. Although it’s not a romance, and the heroine is married, the detective has fallen for her and there’s quite a bit of flirting. It’s a Christmas mystery, though we don’t reach Christmas Day itself.