Monday, January 31, 2022

Review: Good Girl Complex by Elle Kennedy

Good Girl Complex by Elle Kennedy
Series: Avalon Bay, Book 1
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance 
Good Girl Complex cover
ISBN: 9781250796738
Release Date: February 1, 2022
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible
Elle Kennedy Reading Order

She does everything right. So what could go wrong?

Mackenzie “Mac” Cabot is a people pleaser. Her demanding parents. Her prep school friends. Her long-time boyfriend. It’s exhausting, really, always following the rules. All she wants to do is focus on growing her internet business, but first she must get a college degree at her parents’ insistence. That means moving to the beachside town of Avalon Bay, a community made up of locals and the wealthy students of Garnet College.

Twenty-year-old Mac has had plenty of practice suppressing her wilder impulses, but when she meets local bad boy Cooper Hartley, that ability is suddenly tested. Cooper is rough around the edges. Raw. Candid. A threat to her ordered existence. Their friendship soon becomes the realest thing in her life.

Despite his disdain for the trust-fund kids he sees coming and going from his town, Cooper soon realizes Mac isn’t just another rich clone and falls for her. Hard. But as Mac finally starts feeling accepted by Cooper and his friends, the secret he’s been keeping from her threatens the only place she’s ever felt at home.

A rich college girl and a bad boy townie are a case of not-quite-opposites attract in Good Girl Complex. Elle Kennedy’s writing keeps this new adult romance flowing at a quick clip and kept me engaged, despite a plot that feels like it fell out of a teenage rom com from twenty-five years ago.

Mac is an independent twenty-year-old chafing at her parents’ restrictions. She’s already created a successful company and has no interest in going to college when she could be growing her empire. But her dad’s a congressman and her mom is all about appearances, so Mac caves into the pressure to attend Garnet College, where her perfect boyfriend also goes. Except Pres isn’t as perfect as he appears to be, as Cooper Hartley knows. Without spoiling the story, I’ll say that Cooper has it out for Pres, and with good reason. The problem is that Mac is his means of revenge, even though she has nothing to do with and no knowledge of her boyfriend’s behavior and is an independent person, not an extension of the man.

Cooper is from Avalon Bay and he’s used to the rich kids treating the townies like trash. He and his friends hate the “clones” as they call the Garnet students. But it’s clear to him pretty early on that Mac is nothing like the students who have looked down on him all his life. Yes, she’s ridiculously wealthy, but she’s smart, kind, and hardworking. Mac and Cooper have an easy chemistry that sucks you in and makes you want to forget the lies and the emotional cheating that are the rocky foundation their burgeoning relationship is built on. Despite my issues with the plot, I was rooting for these two because they’re engaging characters. Cooper is hardworking and we see enough of the injustice the clones dish out to understand his bias against him, plus there’s added childhood trauma to trigger more sympathy since his sex appeal wouldn’t be enough to balance out his initial revenge plot. There are a number of fun and sexy moments to Good Girl Complex that made me smile and sigh. I was satisfied by their romance even though I had serious issues with the beginning of it, and I do wish there had been an epilogue to show Mac and Cooper down the road.

Good Girl Complex is the first book in the Avalon Bay series but it’s only because I’ve been an Elle Kennedy fan for well over a decade that I’d consider picking up the next book in the series. I pretty much hated most of the supporting cast. Yes, they’re all young and have growing up to do, but there’s some definite meanness (a lot of it stemming from throwback plotlines that have not aged well) that turned me off. I have mixed feelings about Good Girl Complex overall. Kennedy’s writing sucked me in and Cooper and Mac were entertaining characters; I just couldn’t get on board with the basic premise and the supporting cast.



FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Saturday, January 29, 2022

Review: Not the Witch You Wed by April Asher

Not the Witch You Wed by April Asher
Series: Supernatural Singles, Book 1
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Genre: Paranormal Romance 
Not the Witch You Wed cover
ISBN: 9781250807991
Release Date: February 8, 2022
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible

Magic-less witch Violet Maxwell wants nothing to do with alpha wolf shifter Lincoln Thorne—the man who broke her fragile, teenage heart. But when the two of them are forced by arcane Supernatural Laws to find mates, Violet and Lincoln agree to fake-date their way to a fake-mating in order to conjure themselves some time.

The joke’s on them. When old feelings make a reappearance—along with Violet’s magic—they both realize there’s nothing fake about their feelings. But there are old secrets and looming threats that could snatch away their happily ever after, again. One thing’s for sure: magic doesn’t make dating and love any easier.

In Not the Witch You Wed, April Asher brings all the hilarity and sweet, sexy moments you love in a romantic-comedy—plus a fun dose of magic—to this spell-binding new series about being sexy, single, and supernatural in New York City.

Not the Witch You Wed is a delightful supernatural romp. April Asher introduces an interesting world of witches, shifters, demons, vampires, angels, and more and it was a whole lot of fun diving into it.

Violet Maxwell is the granddaughter of the current Prima and the eldest of a Magical Triad. By rights, Vi should be a super powerful witch; instead she’s a magicless witch known as the “Maxwell Dud.” Vi is happy with her life and there are definite perks to leaving the politics and society maneuvering of being the Prima Apparent to her sister. Except a run-in with Lincoln Thorne, Alpha wolf of the North American Pack, stirs something in her. Linc broke her heart when they were teens and she’s never forgiven him, but somehow his reappearance happens at the same time as her magic starts to make an appearance. When both of them run into a problem of arcane supernatural laws forcing them to find mates, Vi and Linc agree to put the past aside and fake date in order to buy time. Except there’s nothing fake about the feelings that never died between them…

Vi and Linc are fun, likeable protagonists who are easy to root for. Linc is noble, wanting to change shifter society to make it democratic, fighting to overturn arcane laws that take away people’s choices. He’s determined to do what’s right and I liked that about him a lot. Vi has also forged a path different from the one she was born into. But the sudden appearance of magic in her is causing chaos and she’s desperate to get a handle on it. She and Linc have instant chemistry when they’re reunited after years apart, but old wounds, secrets, and the con they’re pulling get in the way. I adored Linc and Vi together and wanted to see them get their happily ever after. They’re entertaining together and also really sweet with a nice dash of spice; it was easy to fall into their romance.

Vi and Linc are the heart of Not the Witch You Wed, but Asher introduces a world of supporting characters who not only flesh the story out but are interesting in their own right. I loved Vi’s relationship with her sisters, Rose and Olive, and ooh does Asher tease HEAs for them that have me eager for more Maxwell sister books. But I also loved Vi and Linc’s best friends and can’t wait to see more of them. Not the Witch You Wed is a zippy romance with magic, humor, heart, and a world I cannot wait to explore more.



FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Sunday, January 23, 2022

Review: Lightning in a Mirror by Jayne Ann Krentz

Lightning in a Mirror by Jayne Ann Krentz
Series: Fogg Lake, Book 3
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Paranormal Romantic Suspense 
Lightning in a Mirror cover
ISBN: 9780593337752
Release Date: January 18, 2022
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible

Olivia LeClair's experiment with speed dating is not going well. First there was the nasty encounter with the date from hell who tried to murder her and now the mysterious Harlan Rancourt—long believed dead—sits down at her table and tells her she's the only one who can help him locate the legendary Vortex lab.

This is not what Olivia had in mind when she signed up for the Four Event Success Guaranteed package offered by the dating agency. She doesn't have much choice, though, because her psychic investigation firm works for the mysterious Foundation and Victor Arganbright, the director, is adamant that she assist Harlan. There's just one problem—no one knows Harlan's real agenda. His father once ran the Foundation like a mob organization, and Harlan was destined to be his heir. There's a real possibility Harlan has returned to claim his inheritance.

For now, however, it's a case of the enemy of my enemy is my friend because others are after the secrets of the long-lost lab. Unfortunately for Olivia, the one thing friend and foe have in common is that everyone is convinced she is the key. Her unique psychic talent is required to defuse the ticking time bomb that is Vortex.

Neither trusts the other but Olivia and Harlan soon realize they must work together to survive and unlock the Bluestone Project's most dangerous secrets before more innocent people die.

Jayne Ann Krentz brings the Fogg Lake series to a satisfying conclusion in Lightning in a Mirror. Krentz ups the paranormal activity as the hunt for the legendary Vortex lab hits its climax.

Olivia LeClair is a private investigator and aura reader who is being targeted for her supposed oracle abilities. Harlan Rancourt has spent the past five years on the run after his father’s murder but is now back to find Vortex. The two are tasked by the leaders of the Foundation to work together and find the lost lab. It’s a straightforward quest made complex thanks to various factions, all with their own agendas and paranormal skills. I enjoyed diving further into the paranormal world Krentz has built over the course of the series. There are points at which this book feels a bit like paranormal Indiana Jones which is a lot of fun. Yet despite all the action I can’t quite say this is the most exciting of Krentz’s books – there was a lot of exposition which weighed things down at times.

Harlan and Olivia are at the center of Lightning in a Mirror and I really enjoyed them both. Olivia is warm, likeable, and straightforward; she’s got talent and she uses it for good. Harlan works more in the grey area due to his talent. He cloaks his skills and uses them to hunt monsters, but he sees himself as a potential monster as well. I absolutely adored Harlan and his lack of social skills. He and Olivia click from the start and just work well as a couple, romantically and on this quest. Their love story is understated but works thanks to their easy chemistry and entertaining interactions. And though the romance is really secondary to the overall story, it was my favorite part of the book.

I can’t talk much about the plot of Lightning in a Mirror without spoiling it, but suffice it to say Krentz wraps up the Fogg Lake trilogy and the Vortex lab storyline in a satisfying manner. She does, however, leave room for more stories in the same universe and I am curious to see where she goes with this. Also, if you’re a fan of Krentz’s Amanda Quick or Jayne Ann Castle books, there are mentions of the Arcane Society and the Jones family, so perhaps we’ll see more connections in future series to the “Jayneverse.”



FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Saturday, January 15, 2022

Review: Weather Girl by Rachel Lynn Solomon

Weather Girl Rachel Lynn Solomon
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Contemporary Romance 
Weather Girl cover
ISBN: 9780593200148
Release Date: January 11, 2022
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible

Ari Abrams has always been fascinated by the weather, and she loves almost everything about her job as a TV meteorologist. Her boss, legendary Seattle weatherwoman Torrance Hale, is too distracted by her tempestuous relationship with her ex-husband, the station’s news director, to give Ari the mentorship she wants. Ari, who runs on sunshine and optimism, is at her wits’ end. The only person who seems to understand how she feels is sweet but reserved sports reporter Russell Barringer.

In the aftermath of a disastrous holiday party, Ari and Russell decide to team up to solve their bosses’ relationship issues. Between secret gifts and double dates, they start nudging their bosses back together. But their well-meaning meddling backfires when the real chemistry builds between Ari and Russell.

Working closely with Russell means allowing him to get to know parts of herself that Ari keeps hidden from everyone. Will he be able to embrace her dark clouds as well as her clear skies?

What happens when two reporters team up to Parent Trap their bosses? Antics, friendship, and an unexpected romance. Weather Girl has an entertaining premise and its characters’ easy, low-key chemistry makes it enjoyable, but what really makes it stand out is how author Rachel Lynn Solomon addresses mental health in this romance.

Ari Abrams is a meteorologist for KSEA news and though she loves her job, her office is miserable thanks to the constant battles between her boss and KSEA’s station manager. The exes are constantly at each other’s throats, but there’s chemistry there that makes Ari think that all the love between them may not be gone. At an office Christmas party, she and sports reporter Russell Barringer decide to nudge their bosses back together. Their plotting leads to an easy friendship springing up between Ari and Russell, and it’s not long before that friendship turns into something more. Ari and Russell never quite grabbed me as a couple, but I still liked them enough to just roll with it. I particularly liked that Russell had insecurities about his looks (it’s a refreshing change of pace) and that Ari thought he was totally hot.

The romance was OK in this book but what really made Weather Girl shine for me was Ari’s mental health struggles and the sensitivity Solomon showed in addressing this topic. Ari has depression and the way Solomon writes it is so realistic and relatable that it grabbed my heart. Even though Ari has been successfully managing her depression for years, it’s not something that goes away no matter how adept you are at handling it. She feels like she always has to show a smiling face to the world, that no one could love all of her. I wanted to see her realize that she could be loved on good days and bad and I loved that Solomon gave that to her.

Weather Girl is a lovely, sometimes messy romance with endearing characters. I loved the Jewish representation in this book as well as the way different families are shown. Solomon isn’t afraid to make her characters imperfect and give them love, which I really liked. All in all, Ari and Russell’s story is an entertaining read to curl up with in sunshine or storm.



FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Sunday, January 9, 2022

Review: The Family You Make by Jill Shalvis

The Family You Make by Jill Shalvis
Series: Sunrise Cove, Book 1
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Genre: Contemporary Fiction/Romance 
The Family You Make cover
ISBN: 9780063025486
Release Date: January 11, 2022
Source: Author
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible
Jill Shalvis Reading Order

During the snowstorm of the century Levi Cutler is stranded on a ski lift with a beautiful stranger named Jane. After strong winds hurl the gondola in front of them into the ground, Levi calls his parents to prepare them for the worst…but can’t bring himself to say goodbye. Instead, wanting to fulfill his mother’s lifelong wish, he impulsively tells her he’s happily settled and Jane is his girlfriend—right before his phone dies.

But Levi and Jane do not.

Now Levi’s family is desperate to meet “The One.” Though Jane agrees to be his pretend girlfriend for just one dinner, she’s nervous. After a traumatic childhood, Jane isn’t sure she knows how to be around a tight-knit family that cherishes one another. She’s terrified, and a little jealous. But an unexpected series of events and a host of new friends soon show Jane that perhaps this is the life she was always meant to have.

As Jane and Levi spend more time together, pretend feelings quickly turn into real ones. Now all Jane has to do is admit to herself she can’t live without the man she’s fallen in love with and the family she has always dreamed of.

The Family You Make is a sweet story with a healthy splash of romance. Jill Shalvis kicks off her Sunrise Cove series with a story of opening yourself of to love and connections, even though it’s frightening.

Jane has been a loner as long as she can remember. She was passed around like the family burden and now is a travelling nurse, never wanting to stay in one place and wear out her welcome. Levi is a square peg in a round hole in his family and he left Sunrise Cove to break away from that feeling. Both are in the Tahoe area for the season and when they’re trapped in a gondola in the middle of a massive snowstorm, Levi finds he can’t call his family to say goodbye when he thinks he’s going to die. Instead, he tells his mother (who has long wanted him to settle down) that Jane is his girlfriend. After they survive, Levi convinces Jane to agree to the ruse for a few weeks. What happens next is a story of letting down your walls and letting love – romantic and familial – in. There’s a lot of push-pull in Levi and Jane’s romance, mostly because she’s determined to leave and protect her heart. Nevertheless, Levi’s kindness and determination and Jane’s yearning heart and caring nature mean the two of them don’t stand a chance against falling in love.

The Family You Make also features a secondary romance between Jane’s best friend, Charlotte, and Levi’s best friend, Mateo. Despite the significantly fewer number of cupcakes in this storyline, Charlotte and Mateo were my favorite of the two romances and I wish they had been given just a bit more depth. Charlotte is a survivor who doesn’t want a relationship and is always masking her attraction to her neighbor and fellow doctor by bickering with him. The two are both natural caretakers and I loved seeing them give into what has clearly been between them for some time.

As you could likely glean from the title, romance isn’t the only important type of relationship in The Family You Make. Family by blood and by choice are both important to this story. I loved Charlotte and Jane’s relationship and how much attention Shalvis gave them; so much so that I wish Levi and Mateo had been given the same space (especially given their history). Levi’s family is a complicated mess even though they love one another, and they did have tendency to take over the page a bit. Whether or not this bothers you is really reader preference. There’s also Jane’s history which broke my heart and the resolution of which is equally complicated and tugs on the heartstrings. While each of these plot lines has merit, there were a few too many extra things thrown in during the last quarter of the book for everything to feel it got its due attention. Still, The Family You Make is an enjoyable read overall. It’s got a lot of heart and the characters are impossible not to root for and adore.



FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Wednesday, January 5, 2022

Review: Electric Idol by Katee Robert

Electric Idol by Katee Robert
Series: Dark Olympus, Book 2
Publisher: Sourcebooks Casablanca
Genre: Erotic Contemporary Romance 
Electric Idol cover
ISBN: 9781728231761
Release Date: January 18, 2022
Source: Publisher
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Audible

In the ultra-modern city of Olympus, there's always a price to pay. Psyche Dimitriou knew she'd have to face Aphrodite's jealous rage eventually, but she never expected her literal heart to be at stake...or for Aphrodite's gorgeous son to be the one ordered to strike the killing blow.

Eros has no problem shedding blood. Raised to be his mother's knife in the dark, he's been conditioned to accept that he's more monster than man. But when it comes time to take out his latest target...he can't do it. Confused by his reaction to Psyche's unexpected kindness, he does the only thing he can think of to keep her safe: he binds her to him, body and soul.

Psyche didn't expect to find herself married to the glittering city's most dangerous killer, but something about Eros wakens a fire inside her she's never felt before. As lines blur and loyalties shift, Psyche realizes Eros might take her heart after all...and she's not sure she can survive the loss.

In the city of Olympus, you play the game well or you’re crushed. And if you cross one of the Thirteen, well, may the gods have mercy on you. Psyche Dimitriou, daughter of the current Demeter, knows how to play a role and navigate the politics and society of Olympus. The beautiful influencer has never made a misstep…until one act of kindness makes her Aphrodite’s target. And Aphrodite’s weapon is the devastatingly handsome Eros.

Eros is, by his own admission, a monster. His mother raised him from childhood to be her blade in the night, the man who does her dirty work. He feels like his soul has been crushed; then he meets Psyche. Aphrodite wants Psyche killed, but rather than comply, Eros marries her, setting off a chain of events neither could have expected.

The Eros and Psyche myth is reimagined in the fast-paced, compelling Electric Idol. Katee Robert captivated me from the first with this sexy and imaginative take on the classic tale.

All of Olympus knows Psyche to be kind and sweet; the kind of woman who would never put a toe out of line. But Psyche is so much more than what people see. She’s smart, clever, skilled at image-craft, and wields social media with incredible skill. She’s also fiercely protective of those she loves and is a bit lonely, knowing that there is no one she can trust outside her family. Eros sees himself as the darkness to her light. He’s been raised to be a monster and has blood on his hands. He’s cold and ruthless because that’s what Aphrodite raised him to be. But she hasn’t killed his soul completely. Psyche brings out the man within, letting him be his true self around her. They have an unconventional beginning, to say the least, but I was rooting for these two every step of the way. Their chemistry is electric and the two of them burn up the sheets (and make great use of mirrors), but there’s no lack of heart to match the heat.

The threat of Aphrodite’s revenge adds danger to Electric Idol and allows a deeper look into the politics of Olympus. It’s an interesting world, one I look forward to learning more about as the series goes on. It’s also a deeply poisonous world, especially the closer you get to the Thirteen. I was captivated by Psyche and Eros’s romance and definitely kept turning the pages because I wanted to see them carve out their own slice of happiness.

For all the fun to be had with mirrors in this story, Eros and Psyche have a romance that you can believe in because they each see beyond the image the other presents. I loved how gone over Psyche Eros was and how she saw past the monster and fell for the man. Electric Idol is entertaining from start to finish and I cannot wait to see where Robert takes the Dark Olympus series next.



FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Monday, January 3, 2022

Best Books of 2021

2021 was…a year… and I can’t say I’m not glad to leave it behind. But 2021 did bring with it some wonderful reads and it’s pure pleasure to look back on them before I dive into an exciting new year of books. In 2021 I read 121 books, including a few re-reads that I fell in love with all over again. I tried 35 debut/new-to-me authors and discovered some wonderful authors whose backlists I cannot wait to dive into. And finally, I participated in my twelfth A to Z Reading Challenge, a fun challenge that usually leads me to at least a couple of books I might not have moved to the top of my TBR pile otherwise.

I read a number of excellent books last year, but below are my top five reads of 2021. All of the books on this list were first-time reads (and not necessarily published in 2021) because re-reads are generally books that are already favorites of mine.

Best Books of 2021

My Top Five Books of 2021

Note: The books are alphabetized by author as I love them all equally.


It Happened One Summer cover
1. It Happened One Summer (Bellinger Sisters, Book 1) by Tessa Bailey
My Review

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The Intimacy Experiment
2. The Intimacy Experiment (The Shameless Series, Book 2) by Rosie Danan
My Review

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The House in the Cerulean Sea cover
3. The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune

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Hollywood Heroine cover


4. Hollywood Heroine (Heroine Complex, Book 5) by Sarah Kuhn
My Review

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Archangel's Light cover
5. Archangel’s Light (Guild Hunter, Book 14) by Nalini Singh
My Review

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Saturday, January 1, 2022

2022 A to Z Reading Challenge

I've had a blast doing this challenge for the past few years and I can't resist doing it again. I've discovered a few now-favorite books I might not have otherwise noticed because of this challenge :)

Challenge details:
- Duration: January 1, 2022 - December 31, 2022
- Read 26 books which titles begin with the letters of the alphabet.
- You may ignore articles like A, An and The at the beginning of the title.
- For the letter X, any book title with the letter X in it is acceptable if you can't find one that begins with X.
- Please only list books you have read. You can read them in any order.
- A book only counts once, so you can include a re-read the first time you read it.

Challenge Completed: December 18, 2022

My List:
All About Me! by Mel Brooks – 3/10/22
Bad Cupid by A.D. Cooper – 9/24/22
Christmas at the Grange by T.E. Kinsey – 8/13/22
Duke in Search of a Duchess by Jennifer Ashley – 1/3/22
Electric Idol by Katee Robert – 1/2/22
Family You Make, The by Jill Shalvis – 1/8/22
Good Girl Complex by Elle Kennedy – 1/31/22
Hook, Line, and Sinker by Tessa Bailey – 2/26/22
In a Dark Wood by Josh Lanyon – 1/1/22
Jingle Bell Growl by Misha Carver – 8/20/22
Kiss of Steel by Bec McMaster – 10/2/22
Lightning in a Mirror by Jayne Ann Krentz – 1/23/22
Matter of Temptation, A by Stacy Reid – 7/5/22
Not the Witch You Wed by April Asher – 1/29/22
Obsession in Death by J.D. Robb – 3/5/22
Perfect Equation, A by Elizabeth Everett – 2/14/22
Quiet Life in the Country, A by T.E. Kinsey – 6/20/22
Rules for Engaging the Earl by Janna MacGregor – 5/15/22
Super Hot Wingman by Sarina Bowen and Lauren Blakely – 1/16/22
Tourist Attraction, The by Sarah Morgenthaler – 2/3/22
Undressing for the Part by Heather Spencer – 12/18/22
Valentine Surprise, A by Lisa Page – 11/14/22
Weather Girl Rachel Lynn Solomon – 1/13/22
Go HeX Yourself by Jessica Clare – 4/17/22
Yes Please by Amy Poehler – 10/15/22
Zall’s Captain by Amber Kell – 10/30/22

2022 New (to me) Author Challenge

I've done this challenge for the past twelve years and discovered some amazing authors along the way (not hard to believe since I've read 686 debut/new-to-me authors in that time). It's fun for me to look back on these lists, especially when I see authors who are now auto-buys for me.


The Challenge: Read 20 or more books this year by authors you’ve never read before.
Dates: January 1, 2022 - December 31, 2022

My list:

1. Author: Sarina Bowen
Title: Super Hot Wingman (The Best Men, Book 0.5)

2. Author: April Asher
Title: Not the Witch You Wed (Supernatural Singles, Book 1)

3. Author: Sarah Morgenthaler
Title: The Tourist Attraction (Moose Springs, Alaska, Book 1)

4. Author: Penn Rivers
Title: Thick Thighs Save Lives (The Chub Club, Book 1)

5. Author: Amanda Elliot
Title: Sadie on a Plate

6. Author: F.T. Lukens
Title: So This Is Ever After

7. Author: Amy Lea
Title: Set on You (The Influencer Series, Book 1)

8. Author: T.E. Kinsey
Title: A Quiet Life in the Country (Lady Hardcastle Mysteries, Book 1)

9. Author: Jamie Wesley
Title: Fake It Till You Bake

10. Author: Danielle Jackson
Title: The Accidental Pinup

11. Author: Misha Carver
Title: Jingle Bell Growl (Jingle Bell Shifters, Book 1)

12. Author: Amanda Quain
Title: Accomplished (Georgie Darcy, Book 1)

13. Author: Jennifer Haymore
Title: The Duke's Rules of Engagement (The Lions and the Lilies, Book 1)

14. Author: A.D. Cooper
Title: Bad Cupid

15. Author: Gloria Duke
Title: When Life Gives You Vampires (Slaying It, Book 1)

16. Author: Bec McMaster
Title: Kiss of Steel (London Steampunk, Book 1)

17. Author: Helena Greer
Title: Season of Love

18. Author: Lucy Felthouse
Title: Weekend at Wilderhope Manor

19. Author: Anita Kelly
Title: Love & Other

20. Author: Carrie Seim
Title: The Flying Flamingo Sisters

21. Author: Pinky Cole
Title: Eat Plants, B*tch

22. Author: Victoria Weyland
Title: Bees and Honey

23. Author: Lisa Page
Title: A Valentine Surprise

24. Author: Paula McLain
Title: A Mind of Her Own

25. Author: Laura Durham
Title: Better Off Wed (Annabelle Archer, Book 1)

26. Author: K. Bromberg
Title: Sweet Cheeks

27. Author: Liz Maverick
Title: Bright Winter Lights

28. Author: Heather Spencer
Title: Undressing for the Part

29. Author: Makenna Lee
Title: The Bookstore’s Secret (Home to Oak Hollow, Book 6)

Books I've Read in 2022

For the past twelve years I've kept track of the books I read and it's been quite a fun project. I read so much that everything tends to blend together in my mental library and it's fun to look back and see what I've I've read, loved, and want to re-read (and - on the rare occasion - want to avoid). Plus, it's great to share and compare lists with other book bloggers.

This list is only of books and novellas I've read and finished (though if I read an entire anthology, I list only the anthology title). The books are listed in the order I read them and if I write a review for a book I link it here as well.

There are sure to be many wonderful stories on the list, but the ones with a ** by them are ones I highly recommend.

1. In a Dark Wood (In a Dark Wood, Book 1) by Josh Lanyon
2. Electric Idol (Dark Olympus, Book 2) by Katee Robert
3. Duke in Search of a Duchess (Regency Bon Bons, Book 1) by Jennifer Ashley
4. The Family You Make (Sunrise Cove, Book 1) by Jill Shalvis
5. Weather Girl Rachel Lynn Solomon
6. Super Hot Wingman (The Best Men, Book 0.5) by Sarina Bowen and Lauren Blakely
7. Hades and Hades (Dark Olympus, Book 1.5) by Katee Robert
8. Lightning in a Mirror (Fogg Lake, Book 3) by Jayne Ann Krentz
9. Not the Witch You Wed (Supernatural Singles, Book 1) by April Asher
10. Good Girl Complex (Avalon Bay, Book 1) by Elle Kennedy
11. The Tourist Attraction (Moose Springs, Alaska, Book 1) by Sarah Morgenthaler
12. A Perfect Equation (The Secret Scientists of London, Book 2) by Elizabeth Everett
13. The Lady Tempts an Heir (The Gilded Age Heiresses, Book 3) by Harper St. George
14. Hook, Line, and Sinker (Bellinger Sisters, Book 2) by Tessa Bailey **
15. Thick Thighs Save Lives (The Chub Club, Book 1) by Penn Rivers
16. Obsession in Death (In Death, Book 40) by J.D. Robb (re-read) **
17. All About Me!: My Remarkable Life in Show Business by Mel Brooks
18. Sadie on a Plate by Amanda Elliot
19. So This Is Ever After by F.T. Lukens **
20. Stone Heart (Dark Olympus, Book 0.5) by Katee Robert
21. How to Be a Wallflower (Would-Be Wallflowers, Book 1) by Eloisa James
22. Abandoned in Death (In Death, Book 54) by J.D. Robb
23. Go Hex Yourself by Jessica Clare
24. All the Duke I Need (Desperately Seeking Duke, Book 3) by Caroline Linden
25. Highland Justice (Sons of Sinclair, Book 3) by Heather McCollum
26. When She Dreams (Burning Cove, Book 6) by Amanda Quick
27. Set on You (The Influencer Series, Book 1) by Amy Lea
28. Rules for Engaging the Earl (The Widow Rules, Book 2) by Janna MacGregor
29. The Servant and the Gentleman (Society of Beasts, Book 3) by Annabelle Greene
30. A Duke for Diana (Designing Debutantes, Book 1) by Sabrina Jeffries
31. The League of Gentlewomen Witches (Dangerous Damsels, Book 2) by India Holton
32. Wicked Beauty (Dark Olympus, Book 3) by Katee Robert
33. The Perfect Crimes of Marian Hayes (The Queer Principles of Kit Webb, Book 2) by Cat Sebastian
34. Never a Duke (Rogues to Riches, Book 7) by Grace Burrowes
35. The Friendship Pact (Sunrise Cove, Book 2) by Jill Shalvis
36. A Quiet Life in the Country (Lady Hardcastle Mysteries, Book 1) by T.E. Kinsey
37. Fake It Till You Bake It by Jamie Wesley
38. In the Market for Murder (Lady Hardcastle Mysteries, Book 2) by T.E. Kinsey
39. A Matter of Temptation (A Matter of Temptation, Book 1) by Stacy Reid
40. The Accidental Pinup by Danielle Jackson
41. The Secret of Bow Lane (Below Stairs Mysteries, Book 6) by Jennifer Ashley
42. Storm Echo (Psy-Changeling Trinity, Book 6) by Nalini Singh **
43. Forever, Plus One (Holliday, Oregon, Book 2) by Wendy Warren **
44. Death Around the Bend (Lady Hardcastle Mysteries, Book 3) by T.E. Kinsey
45. Christmas at the Grange (Lady Hardcastle Mysteries, Book 3.5) by T.E. Kinsey
46. The Highlander’s Tudor Lass (The Brothers of Wolf Isle, Book 3) by Heather McCollum
47. Get Lit by Kim Fielding
48. Nobody’s Princess (The Wild Wynchesters, Book 3) by Erica Ridley
49. Jingle Bell Growl (Jingle Bell Shifters, Book 1) by Misha Carver
50. Accomplished (Georgie Darcy, Book 1) by Amanda Quain
51. Angels Fall by Nora Roberts (re-read) **
52. Holiday Heroine (Heroine Complex, Book 6) by Sarah Kuhn
53. The Rake Mistake (The Wild Wynchesters, Book 2.5; Heist Club, Book 2) by Erica Ridley
54. A Picture of Murder (Lady Hardcastle Mysteries, Book 3) by T.E. Kinsey
55. The Dukes Rules of Engagement (The Lions and the Lilies, Book 1) by Jennifer Haymore
56. The Rivals of Casper Road (Garnet Run, Book 4) by Roan Parrish
57. Lady Susan by Jane Austen
58. Most Irresistible Guy (Ballers and Babes #0.5) by Lauren Blakely
59. Every Rogue Has His Charm (Love and Let Spy, Book 4) by Susanna Craig **
60. Bad Cupid by A.D. Cooper
61. When Life Gives You Vampires (Slaying It, Book 1) by Gloria Duke
62. Kiss of Steel (London Steampunk, Book 1) by Bec McMaster
63. Blade’s Escape (London Steampunk, Book 0.5) by Bec McMaster
64. Lena’s Decision (London Steampunk, Book 1.1) by Bec McMaster
65. A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem (A Lady's Guide, Book 1) by Manda Collins
66. One of Those Flings by Lauren Blakely
67. Season of Love by Helena Greer
68. Yes Please by Amy Poehler (re-read)
69. Partners in Crime by Alisha Rai
70. Archangel’s Resurrection (Guild Hunter, Book 15) by Nalini Singh
71. Some Dukes Have All the Luck (Synneful Spinsters, Book 1) by Christina Britton
72. Zall’s Captain (Planetary Submissives, Book 3) by Amber Kell (re-read)
73. Weekend at Wilderhope Manor by Lucy Felthouse
74. Desperation in Death (In Death, Book 55) by J.D. Robb
75. Love & Other Disasters by Anita Kelly
76. The Flying Flamingo Sisters by Carrie Seim
77. Eat Plants, B*tch: 91 Vegan Recipes That Will Blow Your Meat-Loving Mind by Pinky Cole
78. Bees and Honey: A Swamp Monster Love Story by Victoria Weyland
79. A Valentine Surprise by Lisa Page
80. The Burning Issue of the Day (Lady Hardcastle Mysteries, Book 5) by T.E. Kinsey
81. Wrong Alibi (Murder in Alaska, Book 1) by Christina Dodd
82. A Mind of Her Own by Paula McLain
83. The Choice (The Dragon Heart Legacy, Book 3) by Nora Roberts
84. Turkey Day (Dark Olympus) by Katee Robert
85. First Holiday (Dark Olympus) by Katee Robert
86. Well Traveled (Well Met, Book 4) by Jen DeLuca
87. Better Off Wed (Annabelle Archer, Book 1) by Laura Durham
88. The Reluctant Countess (Would-Be Wallflowers, Book 2) by Eloisa James
89. Chasing Your Tail (Whitman Street Cat Café, Book 3) by Kate McMurray
90. Sweet Cheeks by K. Bromberg
91. Eight Winter Nights by Liz Maverick
92. Bright Winter Lights by Liz Maverick
93. Witcha Gonna Do? (Witchington, Book 1) by Avery Flynn
94. Dreidels & Do-Overs by Kim Fielding
95. Undressing for the Part by Heather Spencer
96. A Mere Formality by Ilona Andrews
97. A Case of Christmas by Josh Lanyon (re-read)
98. The Bookstore’s Secret (Home to Oak Hollow, Book 6) by Makenna Lee