Well, January was a month, wasn’t it?

I read some good books this month, including several new releases and series that were new to me.

In the new releases, I was unsusrprised to discover that I loved the newest entry and Charlie Adhara’s Big Bad Wold Series, Cry Wolf. I love everything about this series, from the relationship between the two, to the mystery, to family interactions.

The other book I had pre-ordered ended up being a HUGE let down, because SHE ENDED IT IN A CLIFFHANGER. (RAGE) (HULK SMASH)

I discovered a new series, Dianne Freeman’s Countess of Harleigh mystery series, which is delightful AND goes out of its way to avoid Hollywood Endings. I am very much looking forward to the next book in the series.

Speaking of mysteries, An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good by Helene Tursten is a whole lot, and you should definitely read it. I mean, how many books about octogenarian serial killers do you know about?

I got a lot of free romances in a holiday give away and have been slowly going through them, and there were some really good ones. Those all got individual reviews, even if they were short stories, so you can peruse them below. But I want to make note of Loud and Clear by Aidan Wayne, which was incredibly good, and I highly recommend it.

And I’m once again caught up on Lady Mechanika now I’ve read Sangre and I impatiently wait news of the next volume.

OH! HUGE surprise this month: I read and LOVED a SF story. That’d be Martha Wells first Murderbot story,
All Systems Red. It is AMAZING.

Historical Mystery

A Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder (2018) Dianne Freeman (A Countess of Harleigh Mystery) 7.5/10
A Lady’s Guide to Gossip and Murder (2019) Dianne Freeman (A Countess of Harleigh Mystery) 8.5/10
A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Murder (2020) Dianne Freeman (Countess of Harleigh Mystery) 8/10
The Shattered Tree (2016) Charles Todd (Bess Crawford) 7/10
Poppy Redfern and the Midnight Murders (2019) Tessa Arlen (A Woman of WWII Mystery) 7/10
Why Shoot a Butler? (1933) Georgette Heyer
The Unfinished Clue (1934) Georgette Heyer

Mystery

An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good (2018) Helene Tursten translated by Marlaine Delargy 8.5/10

LGBT Mystery

Come Unto These Yellow Sands (2017) Josh Lanyon 8.5/10

Historical Romance

A Christmas Dance (2014) Alissa Johnson 8.5/10

Romance

Grumpy Jake (2019) Melissa Blue 7/10

LGBT Romance

Loud and Clear (2016) Aidan Wayne 9/10
Getting It Right (2015) A.M. Arthur (Restoration) 8.5/10
Let Your Heart Be Light (2019) J.R. Lawrie 8.5/10
Recipe for a Curse (2021) Lissa Kasey (Romancing a Curse 8/10
Mr. Right Now (2019) Annabeth Albert 8/10
“The Uncut Wood: A Bear Camp Short” (2020) Slade James 8/10
A Midnight Clear (2020) Kaje Harper 7.5/10
Not So Cookie Cutter (2019) Aidan Wayne 7/10
So We Meet-Cute Again (2019) Geneva Vand

LGBT Fantasy

Cry Wolf (2021) Charlie Adhara (Big Bad Wolf) 8.5/10
A Beginner’s Guide to Wooing Your Mate (2015) R. Cooper (Beings in Love) 8.5/10
Little Wolf (2015) R. Cooper (Beings in Love) 7/10
The Gangster (2021) C.S. Poe (Magic & Steam)
“Incidental Magic” (2021) Jordan Castillo Price 6/10
“Daydream” (2020) A.M. Rose 6/10

Graphic Novel

Lady Mechanika Volume 6: Sangre (2020) by Joe Benitez, M.M. Chen, Brian Ching, Martin Montiel 8/10
Digger, Vol. 1 (2005) Ursula Vernon 8/10
The Tea Dragon Society (2020) K. O’Neill

Science Fiction

All Systems Red (2017) Martha Wells (The Murderbot Diaries) 9/10