I read two to three books a week.. Goodreads tells me that this year I’ve read 45 books–this is probably low as I don’t keep track of re-reads. I’ve tried some new authors–Kate Canterbary, Leigh Bardugo, Trish Dollar, and Louise Candlish–as well as authors I’ve enjoyed in the past–Kelly Bowen, Cate C. Wells, Dervla McTiernan, and others. My favorite books thus far have been everything I’ve read by Bardugo–Ninth House is AMAZING–Trish Dollar’s Beck Sisters duo, and Sascha Rothchild’s Blood Sugar. (I am writing a review of this–if you liked Gone Girl or Where the Crawdads Sing and think Carl Hiaasen is funny you should read this.)
Currently, I’m reading an ARC of Spells for Forgetting by Adrienne Young. Though I’ve not read her previously, Young is wildly successful YA author–I believe Spells for Forgetting is her first non-YA. I’m also reading Lisa Jewel’s The Family Upstairs which somehow I missed. This turned out to make the sequel, The Family Remains, somewhat confusing although Jewel is always an absorbing read. When I’m done with these, my next read will be… I don’t know.
You tell me–what should I read next? And what have you been reading?
I recently finished listening to The Other Side of Midnight by Simone St. James, narrated by the very talented Mary Jane Wells. I don’t like scary books, but this one is more a murder mystery with paranormal elements, so it was right up my alley. There’s even a nice little romance. I’m having my husband pre-read some of her other books because I don’t do creepy or scary (he loved The Sun Down Motel, but told me it wasn’t my thing), and I’m hoping to listen to Silence for the Dead if it’s not too creepy. 🙂
Other winners recently:
Kim Fielding’s Greynox Series: Treasure and Farview, both narrated by Joel Leslie. These are beautifully written stories set in an alternate world where fantasy creatures and magic exist. Lovely setting, complex characters and fun stories.
I’m listening through T. E. Kinsey’s Lady Hardcastle Mysteries. These are cozy mysteries set in 1908. They are well-written with good characterization, lighthearted, and humorous. The narrator, Elizabeth Knowelden, is perfect for the books and brings the humor to the fore.
I recently read Crash Site (Fiona Carver 2) by Rachel Grant and I admit this series isn’t working for me. The romance isn’t well developed or integrated into the story, imo. I’ve read Grant before and really enjoyed her, especially her Flashpoint series.
In the past year Jay Hogan and C.S. Poe have been on fire. Every book they’ve released has been great. I also found Lucy Parker. I continue to enjoy K.J. Charles, Lily Morton, Annabeth Albert, and others.
Agree, 100%.
I just finished listening to a Lady Hardcastle mystery— A Fatal Flying Affair. That was my first audio of hers, and it was really a fun and relaxing cozy mystery. The narrator is lovely.
I’m glad you enjoyed it, too! Cozy mysteries are more miss than hit with me, but the excellent writing and humor in these is just fun! Florence is the real star of the show, and her snarky banter with Lady Hardcastle makes the books. And yes, the narrator is lovely.
I just finished Julie Kriss’s RIFF: the second book in her Road Kings series about a long-disbanded rock group that reunites for a tour. RIFF (which should be read after the first book, DUET) features the group’s bassist and the mother of his teenage daughter. I guess it’s technically a second-chance romance, but the MCs were never really a couple: their daughter is the product of a one-nighter, but they’ve always co-parented together. Because the book splits its focus between the MCs’ romance and the interactions of the four members of the band, Kriss made the interesting stylistic decision to have some of RIFF’s chapters told from the POVs of the MCs of DUET. I always lament that Kriss isn’t better known—to me she’s one of Romancelandia’s most underrated writers.
Now I’m reading Ruth Cardello’s STRICTLY BUSINESS, the first in a duet of books about identical twins (separated at birth and adopted into different families) who meet as adults—one’s a businessman and one runs a farm & animal rescue—and decide to temporarily switch places. When a woman arrives at the farm to present her uncle’s offer to buy the land, she falls for the farmer (who, of course, isn’t a farmer and can’t tell her because reasons). I’m enjoying it, but I like “the wrong twin” trope, so YMMV.
Meanwhile, tomorrow is going to be a banner day with scheduled new releases from Amelia Wilde, Zoe York, Garrett Leigh, and Sybil Bartel. Goodbye book budget! I also discovered yesterday that Julianna Keyes has a new romance arriving June 20: BIG WILD LOVE ADVENTURE which features MCs who are on a reality dating show. I love Keyes and when she started publishing mysteries, I was worried she would not return to romance, so even though I’m not a big fan of the reality tv trope (or of reality tv for that matter), I’m looking forward to this book.
If only Keyes would write another Charleston Thrashers book I could die a happy woman!
I have read a couple of Julie Kriss’ books and liked them. The Road Kings series sounds good – thanks for the recommendation!
I also didn’t know Julianna Keyes was coming out with a new romance. I liked her NA book Undecided and also the Charleston Thrashers books. Like you I am not a big fan of the reality TV trope but I just pre-ordered the book so thank you for that as well!
I am reading the Keyes now and will review it when I’m done!
I’m looking forward to the Keyes book as well!
I had a hectic last couple of weeks of May when 5 of my favourite authors released new books – I had only been expecting two!
Austin by Con Riley and A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall were both as good as I expected, Jonty and Devan’s Big Day by Barbara Elsborg was lovely fluff for Jonty fans and The Sceptic by Lily Morton was okay, but ghosts don’t really do it for me. I’d like to give a huge shout-out for Aster Glenn Gray’s Tramps and Vagabonds, which is the story of two young men falling in love during the Great Depression. I found the historical elements absolutely fascinating and their story very compelling. She is such a beautiful writer.
Only one new release for me this month (so far!). Final Orders is the last book in Gregory Ashe’s Hazard and Somerset: Arrows in the Hand series, although there is a book of shorts due for release tomorrow. I thought that this was a great end to the series and the author’s writing just gets stronger and stronger….
I’m planning to read books from my TBR for the rest of the month and am currently on my 4th, Man vs. Durian by Jackie Lau, which I’m enjoying so far. The others were Unguarded by Jay Hogan, which was fine but I didn’t like it as much as her New Zealand set books, Happy Place by Jay Northcote, which is part of a pleasant series, and A Little Village Blend which is a novella by a new-to-me author, ‘Nathan Burgoine. I look forward to reading more by him.
Final Orders was a superb book and a fantastic wrap-up to that series, IMO. Loved the way Somers saw some of his own past being re-enacted and realised he wasn’t quite done with it (ouch!) and it was nice to see Colt finally starting to settle down and show that he appreciated what he had. I think the Hazard-Somerset household is always going to be a volatile one! Also – GA has an incredible way of writing about really unlikeable people without turning them into cartoon villains – and that’s important, given exactly what he was writing about in that book.
[spoiler title=”Just FYI”] I haven’t been reviewing the most recent books here because I feel like I’m saying the same thing over and over; with someone who releases a new book every two months, it’s hard to stay fresh! [/spoiler]
Hah! I saw your review on your own site.
Thank you! I’m looking forward to more Theo and Auggie, so I hope to review at least one of those when the time comes.
I was wondering if The Sceptic was going to be reviewed at AAR but maybe not. I liked but didn’t love it. I thought the scary parts were more prominent than the romance/relationship storyline, which didn’t appeal to me as much. I think The Mysterious and Amazing Blue Billings had a much better balance.
Like you, I’m a Jonty fan so I enjoyed their wedding novella.
ARCs for Lily Morton’s books always go out via a publicist (never at NetGalley). They’re usually last minute and because of that, have a deadline of only a week or ten days, which can make it hard to fit them in before the release date, especially for someone like me, who plans reading out months in advance. Plus, numbers are limited and I can’t always get one.
I admit though, that I didn’t request The Sceptic because my last couple of Morton reads have been a bit ‘meh’. It’s in KU though, so I might pick it up when I have a review reading gap.
Thanks for letting me know. I haven’t love-love-loved a Lily Morton book since Merry Measure but I like her writing style and humor so I’ll keep on buying them!
Most of my non-review reading is actually in audio format. I’ve been alternating my current batch of review audios with listening to the four books in Meghan Maslow’s Starfig Investigations series; fantasy/adventure romances featuring a half-dragon/half-fairy and his human (wizard) mate. The stories are enjoyable and fun, with interesting plotlines and a great bunch of core characters – and the narration by Greg Boudreaux is fantastic. I just started book 4.
D,J, Jamison’s Secret Admirer was a cute NA story – a best friend’s brother romance that was a bit predictable, but I liked the characters and the narration (Darcy Stark) was good.
A few weeks back I sneaked in a read of Eli Easton and Tara Lain’s Hot Wings; I reviewed the previous book in that series, Hot Seat, and gave it a B-, but I liked this one more, so maybe when I get a chance, I’ll write up a review!
I’ve enjoyed the couple of books I’ve read by Aster Glenn Gray so I’ll try to check out the one Wendy mentioned – I didn’t know she? had a new one out.
I have read a bunch of DJ Jamison’s NA books. Not terribly deep/angsty but very likable. Secret Admirer is the first in the Love Notes trilogy and I enjoyed all 3.
Yes, that’s my impression. And this one did have a little bit more going on beyond the best friend’s brother thing which was a pleasant surprise.
I’m reading “The Matchmaker’s Rogue” and “The Heiress’s Convenient Husband” both by Regina Scott.
They are part of the same series but I really liked a character from book 1 that when I found out he was the hero of the second book I had to start reading the story immediately!
Over the past few weeks I read Sarina Bowen’s M/M romances Goodbye Paradise and Hello Forever. In the former, the 2 young men escape from a cult and have to make their way in the world. The other is a second chance romance where the main characters grew up together and when they were discovered having their first kiss, one character’s parent moved the family away. I really loved both books.
I also read Neve Wilder’s Extracurricular Activities series (Want Me, Try Me, Show Me), which are M/M NA books. I would classify the first and third as erotic romances whereas the second was enemies-to-lovers but each had at least one really good scene where the main characters declare their feelings. I liked them all.
Lastly, I just read Ali Hazelwood’s novella Stuck with You, which is M/F. It has a stuck in an elevator scene, which I enjoy. I liked it but I thought the previous novella in the series (Under One Roof, also M/F) better because it was longer and better developed. Under One Roof has the trope of 2 people stuck living together in the same house.
This week I’m going to read The Sunshine Strategy, the 3rd and final novella in Noelle Adam’s Coble Coffee series. And some point soon I’m going to read Tessa Bailey’s My Killer Vacation and both Luke and Austin by Con Riley (I finally read Sol a few weeks ago and want to get these two books in before Heppel Ever After comes out later this year, which I believe will be the end of the series)
I liked the Bowen books – I did them in audio. One of the narrators wasn’t as good as the other but fortunately, he didn’t narrate as many chapters as the other!
IMO, Sol is the weakest of the books in that series; I’m looking forward to HEA – Charles is one of those characters who sticks with you.
Jay Hogan’s Flare is a m/m romance between an up and coming fashion designer and an English professor. It was excellent, with a realistic depiction of someone dealing with the repercussions of sexual assault, so it might be a little heavy for some, but it was well-written and leavened with humor.
Next up was the first book in Kelley Armstrong’s Rockton series, City of the Lost. I found it very compelling and stayed up way too late reading it, so I am waiting to pick up the next one. Next I read Con Riley’s Luke, from her Learning to Love series, and that was a sweet second chance romance.
I followed up with Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. This has gotten rave reviews, but it left me cold, and I DNF’d about a third of the way in. A beautiful scientist in the 60s who got no respect from the male scientists hosts a cooking show and it’s a hit. Unfortunately, it is more women’s fiction than romance, and the protagonist is rather cold.
I’ve listened to some great books lately, and I want to give a shout out to Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley. It’s a YA mystery set in an Anishinaabe community in Michigan’s upper peninsula, and it is propulsive, with a terrific heroine who is half Ojibwe, half French and 100% brilliant and fierce. She is 19, out of high school and she sets out to solve a murder. There is a strong romantic element, but that is secondary. It is rich with references to Ojibwe culture and there is a real sense of place conveyed by the author. Narrator Isabella Star LeBlanc is terrific.
I miss Rockton!
I had a copy of her most recent book – A Rip Through Time – for review and I just couldn’t get into it. It was a rare DNF for me – I think it’s the first review book I’ve ever given up on!
I was thinking about hockey with the Stanley Cup finals starting so I did a reread of Simply Irresistible by Rachel Gibson which was fun.
I was lucky to get an ARC of Remember Love by Mary Balogh, the first story of her new Ravenswood series (July 12). The beginning of the story where she describes the Ravenswood estate and family background was slow but once Devlin returned from war, the story really took off and I found it hard to put down. Devlin and Gwyneth work to rebuild family and community relations. I especially liked how the community came together to plan their seasonal fairs and dances. The end came too soon and I look forward to Devlin’s brothers and sisters stories.
I always like Mary Balogh’s books and have been looking forward to Remember Love. I’m happy to hear your favorable opinion – thank you!
I love that whole series. It’s my favorite sports romance series. I wish Gibson would write like that again!
I just got an announcement yesterday that Tal Bauer is releasing a new M/M standalone romance on June 18 called Secret Service. He has written a lot of thrillers involving government/FBI but the romance storyline is always very strong. I’m not sure what to make of this upcoming book as it is a President/Secret Service agent romance and he already did that with The Night Of (one of my favorites) and the Executive Office series. I guess I will find out as I already pre-ordered the book!
I saw that and thought the same (about the President hero thing). I’m still trying – and failing – to catch up with his blacklist though, so it’ll probably be quite a while before I get to it!
Many of the older books are quite long so I don’t know when I will get to his backlist either!
I’ve finally started Sherry Thomas’s Lady Sherlock series ( my library has them all in digital) and enjoying them! I’m listening to the 3rd book in K.J. Charles Magpie Lord series too ( I love the narrator).
I loved that one and raced through it in one sitting! MLD/Cornell Collins is a really good fit for KJC’s books – he’s narrated almost all of them.
Let us know what you think as they wend on. I loved the first three but have found the last three less and less wowing. She’s an amazing writer but I think she’s getting bogged down in plot over character and I know she’s capable of doing both.
The Magpie Lord series was my introduction to K.J. Charles and they still hold a place in my heart. I also listened to them on audio and agree about Cornell Collins–wonderful! I told my husband about them and he read them all in print and loved them, too.
Things I’ve read in recent months that I quite enjoyed (All have been recommended by someone at AAR, and all are new reads to me except for Sleepover by Serena Bell):
Other titles that I’ve recently read that were ok, but were a bit of a disappointment for me, for a variety of reasons:
I’m amazed at your ability to “pace yourself” with Diversion and Death and the Devil!! I had to with the latter because I read them more or less when they came out, but I did 3 Diversion books at a time – I did them in audio and the narrator is fantastic.
There is definitely a romance in the Slayton 🙂 Book 3 is out in October and I can’t wait!
Pacing has to do with the violence on page in some of these RS books. I have the same issue with Gregory Ashe. I love the characters and their development. I love getting see what happens over time and after the so-called “HEA” (the point at which both characters have committed). It’s the plot details that get to me – especially if I read them one right after the other. (Can you tell I’m not much of a thriller reader either! 😉
I’ll get there. I just have to break them up a bit. I’m in the middle of Book 2 of the Slayton, and eager for Book 3 as well!
Agree with you about the Wells, it just didn’t quite hit the mark. I actually liked The Suite Spot as much as Float Plan–I liked the heroine better in some ways but the hero less. That said, I loved both and they are my favorite straight romances I’ve read this year.
You are on fire with the reading! I think I may have been the one who recommended Project Hero 🙂 I’m glad you liked it.
I haven’t read Nora Roberts in a long time but I did love the Chesapeake Bay series. For years she has done trilogies and occasional quartets alternating with standalones (Chesapeake Bay was originally a trilogy then a 4th book later added on). Over time her short series began to have paranormal elements and that didn’t appeal to me as much so I stopped reading her. You might like her Bride Quartet or The MacKade brothers (4 books) or The MacGregors (I think 10 books in all), although some of these were written in the 80s or 90s so might feel dated. I still do read her JD Robb In Death series, although I’m a bit behind – it might be the longest running series that I continue to read.
Project Hero has been on my TBR for ages – but there’s an audio version coming out in a couple of months, so I’ll be picking that up. Audio is always my preferred catch-up method (provided the narrators are good!).
ETA: It looks like the same audio publisher (Tantor) has picked up the Better With You series – The Happy List is coming out in November.
I think Project Hero will end up being one of my favorite reads for the year – mostly because the internal dialogue inside the primary character’s head just worked for me. So, thanks for the rec Manjari!
I just finished Dark Class by Michelle Diener and wrote a review for it. I hope she keeps writing in that universe.
I thought the introduction of the “new” AI character fascinating!
I liked the Motley Crew, too! I really do hope we get more books in this series.