Too early to call an end to 2025, I mean. Yeah, there are two weeks left, but I'm done with this year. It's been a lot, as I'm sure you've noticed. For the foreseeable future, I only want good news, thank you very much. Reading is one of the things that has gone well this year. I've been able to escape to so many amazing imaginary worlds! I generally average about 50 books a year, but this year I'm almost to 75, which is kind of cool. (You can see an almost-complete list of the books I've read on my pinterest board.) I can honestly say I enjoyed every book that made my pinterest board, simply because I adhere to the Nancy Pearl Rule of 50, which basically gives all of us permission to quit reading books we don't like. If you haven't come across Nancy Pearl before, check out her Wikipedia. She's a pretty amazing lady. So I don't put books I DNF on my pinterest board, but of the books that did make the board, here are my top ten faves, with Amazon links but no cover art, because I need to get to writing more than I need to hunt down covers. I'm starting in January and working backwards, so the only order is the calendar... 1. In January, I was busy working my way through the Rivers of London series by Ben Aaronovitch, or at least all the ones that had been published to that point. I don't usually read all the books in a series, so the fact that I have bumps these books to my top ten. Too much fun! 2. The Guncle by Steven Rowley... this one's been on my kindle for a while, but a friend really, really loves it so I gave it a try and omg it's been a while since I had a book make me laugh and cry so much, often at the same time. I hear they're making a movie of it, which is pretty darn cool. 3. Copper Script by KJ Charles... I am a KJFanGirl from way back, and while this one got mixed reviews from some of my reader friends, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It reminded me a lot of Think of England, which has long been one of my favorites, and I found it a delightful way to spend an evening or two. 4. Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid... welp, what can I say? I finished this book and thought, wow, that's one of the filthiest things I've read in a while, and I loved every minute of it. When I heard they were making a tv series from it, I had serious questions, mainly HOW WAS THAT GOING TO WORK? Apparently, it works quite well. (I'm waiting till all the episodes are out before diving in lol) 5. Lavender House by Lev AC Rosen... this is an incredibly well-done murder mystery set in 1950 San Francisco. I love Andy, the detective character, and I absolutely love the world Rosen has created. The author manages to take a hard look at queer life in the '50s and still infuse it with a great deal of joy. I just finished the 4th book in the series last night, and I've enjoyed every one. 6. The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett... how would you feel about a quirky Sherlockian fantasy novel? Because I loved it. At least one friend told me it was hard for her to get into it, but the world is so unique and the characters are so distinctive that I glommed right through it. 7. You Should Be So Lucky by Cat Sebastian... now we're at the baseball stage of the proceedings. I'm not much for sports romances unless they come very highly recommended, and this one did. The character/romance arc grabbed my heart, but the attention to mid-century baseball detail grabbed my mind. Such a well-done book from start to finish. 8. Margo's Got Money Troubles by Rufi Thorpe... I did a lot of complaining this year about books that I categorize as Women's Trauma Porn, where the protagonist spends most of the plot trying to overcome with shit that men and society hit her with -sometimes literally. The reason I loved this book so much is all about Margo. She doesn't have an easy road, but she makes her own choies and deals with the consequences, with a voice that's amazingly refreshing...and no one refers to her as plucky or determined or any of the other stupid terms that just mean a woman is standing up for herself. 9. Molly Boys by Vaughn Cassidy... this book....y'all...this book.... gritty, authentic, amazing characters, it planted itself straight in my heart and then it tore me up. I need the sequel. I NEED THE SEQUEL. 10. Starling House by Alix E Harrow... so this one's a Reece's Book Club pick, and while I tend to shy away from celebrity book club nonsense, I did love this one. Contemporary fantasy with, okay, a touch of Women's Trauma Porn, but the world and the characters were so entertaining I forgive it that small flaw. Honorable Mention: The Unwritten Rules series by KD Casey... I'm giving these an honorable mention because they were a re-read, along with the companion novella Unwritten Runes. When I say KD knows baseball, I mean she KNOWS BASEBALL. She also knows how to craft believeable love stories around men who are at the top of the game. Wow...I got a little wordy there! I hope you came across at least a couple of books you might want to learn more about. Reply to this with your faves for the year. I'd love to hear from you! The other thing I did this week was put the first Guardians of the Greenwood book up for preorder. (!!!!!) I'm not ready for the cover reveal, but scroll down to see the blurb. I'm excited for this one!
If you're new here, welcome! Happy to get to know you through the magic of the internet. And for all of you, thanks!! This year has been a lot, but y'all have made it better!
Happy reading!
And now, the new thing...
In days of yore, Robin Hood policed the Sherwood Forest, humbling the rich and bringing relief to the poor. The Lord of the Greenwood still has his merry men and he still burns with the need to bring the wealthy to heel, particularly billionaire Leander Sheriff….
John Naylor—Little John—has been Rob’s right hand for centuries, and in return, Rob has sustained him far beyond what John’s werewolf nature would enjoy. When Rob calls him from the Greenwood, John comes, and when Rob tells him they must steal the Belle Etoile diamond before Sheriff can get ahold of it, John’s down for the heist.
The game gets more complicated when Marcus gets involved.
Marcus Collins, a 21st century werewolf with some serious baggage, is barely treading water. He betrayed someone important, and while they’ve sorta made up, it’s not the same. Helping Rob—who’s apparently the real Robin Hood—take down a billionaire gives him a focus he desperately needs.
Getting close to John would help him deal with some equally important needs.
But John’s buried too many lovers over the course of his long life, so his heart can’t bear to get close to Marcus, despite the heavy temptation. The young werewolf might be damaged goods, but he knows what he wants, and his best chance of getting it is to assist the merry men when they invade the home of an uber-powerful vampire and steal a priceless diamond.
One way or another he’ll overcome John’s resistance, assuming any of them come out of it alive.
Stolen is book four in the Soulmates Series and takes place a few months after Redeemed ends. David, Trajan, and Connor make their presence known, but this is Marcus’s and John’s story. They’ll get their HEA, while Rob’s battle with Leander Sheriff will continue for two more books. Happy reading!
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