Heartbeats in a Haunted House (2022) Amy Lane (Hedge Witches Lonely Heart Club #4) The witch had simply walked up to Jordan one day and said, “Take care of my stuff but don’t use my distilled oils,” and then had taken off. The place turned out to be a treasure trove of magic: crystals, spell […]
Pentacles and Pelting Plants (2021) Amy Lane (Hedge Witches Lonely Heart Club #3) The idea that the portal that had dragged him halfway here—and the pull of magic that had made it impossible to stop the journey when he’d been plopped in the middle of I-80 going 60 mph—had been inadvertent hadn’t even crossed his […]
Portals and Puppy Dogs (2021) Amy Lane (Hedge Witches Lonely Heart Club #2) “You just look perfectly average!” Simon exclaimed, and even as the words came out of his mouth, he saw the pit he’d dug for himself with the spiders and snakes in the bottom. Abort abort abort. Experience had taught them that if […]
Shortbread and Shadows (2020) Amy Lane (Hedge Witches Lonely Heart Club #1) He’d also seen Bartholomew get into the conversation, grow somewhat animated, and then stop himself, as though hearing an unkind voice. help wasn’t something you asked for, help was something you gave to other people His father was still doubtful. Bartholomew’s every visit, […]
The Antiquarian’s Object of Desire (2026) India Holton (Love’s Academic #3) Set in alternate England in 1890 Amelia Tarrant and Caleb Sterling have been best friends since boarding school–and all the schooling that followed as they eventually earned their doctorates and became professors at Oxford. But lady professors still aren’t entirely accepted, and Amelia and […]
An Act of Detection (2019) Charlie Cochrane (An Alasdair and Toby Investigation #1) Set in London in 1950 Alasdair and Toby enjoying being actors–even if their biggest act is hiding from everyone their love for each other. (S)ome glorious day they’d be able to travel together to an opening night or another equally swanky ‘do’—travel […]
Murder at Castle Calvera (2026) Morgan Stang (The Lamplight Murder Mysteries #4) Isabeau Agarwal has received an invitation to a most exclusive gathering at Castle Calvera–despite the fact it might mean missing ringing in the new year at Lamplight. So Isabeau, Evie, and Penny pack up and head out to the castle no one has […]
The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels (2021) India Holton (Dangerous Damsels #1) Set in alternative Victorian England “I’m flattered. She has actually employed an assassin?” “Yes,” the man said in a dire tone. “And does this assassin have a name?” “Eduardo de Luca.” “Italian,” Cecilia said, disappointment withering each syllable. “You need to be a […]
Half a Soul (2022) Olivia Atwater (Regency Faerie Tales #1) When she was a child, Dora Ettings had half her soul stolen by a fairy. Since then, she’s been viewed as decidedly odd, and although her cousin loves her dearly, her aunt clearly views her as a burden. “She’ll drive away your suitors!” Auntie Frances […]
After the Scrum (2016) Dahlia Donovan Since Devlin started to speak, he’d tried to teach the lad to call him Uncle Brute. It backfired spectacularly when he became a bastardised version of his own nickname. Uncle Boo. Taking on his nephew had forced him to take a crash course in cooking. Before now, the best […]
Come Unto These Yellow Sands (2011) Josh Lanyon To seek out a new therapist, to admit that he still might need help, was too much like acknowledging failure. Swift had never thought of happiness as a weight before, but that’s what it felt like. Something solid and real to steady him, ground him. It would […]
Agents of Winter (2022) Ada Maria Soto (The Agency #2) “I’m sorry, which one is B-837?” “Romantic or sexual involvement with another agency employee or contractor.” “I… um…” Arthur felt his cheeks flush and didn’t know what to say. It had never crossed his mind to fill out the “Fucking Form” as it was referred […]
The Geographer’s Map to Romance (2025) India Holton (Love’s Academic #2) A year earlier, Elodie Hughes and Gabriel Tarrant entered into a marriage of convenience. Unfortunately, a week into the marriage everything went terribly wrong and the two have barely spoken since. Which is mildly problematic since they are both professors in the Geography department. […]
Merlin in the Library (2018) Ada Maria Soto (The Agency #1.5) He was still getting used to asking for things he wanted as opposed to providing for himself the bare minimum of what he needed. He wanted to make the cream sauce himself. He wanted to feel the warm heat of the pan and witness […]
His Quiet Agent (2017) Ada Maria Soto (The Agency #1) He could also remember being desperately lonely and wanting someone else’s weirdness to match with his. “Well, come on, I’ll show you to them. He’s got them trained to all show up ten minutes early and get everything set up.” Arthur was confused, but had […]
The Entanglement of Rival Wizards (2025) Sara Raasch (Magic and Romance #1) This is the book that precedes The Fake Divination Offense. I’d initially skipped it because although the world building sounded fascinating, I usually dislike enemies to lovers. Which this is. But much of it worked for my anyway, because it was academic rivals, […]
The Fake Divination Offense (2026) Sara Raasch (Magic and Romance #2) Orok Monroe just wants to celebrate the lawsuit he and his best friend Seb won against the “Camp” that tortured them, but almost none of his new teammates show up, so he’s left wondering if the Hellhounds feel about him the same way his […]
Til Death Do Us Bard (2025) Rose Black Logan and Pie have been blissfully married for six months. He hadn’t expected to retire – an uncommon outcome amongst adventurers. Logan had imagined his end in the form of slavering jaws in some gods-forsaken corner of nowhere. Now he had a cottage and a husband. But […]
[Never] Feed the Crows (2023) Jennifer Cody (Corvin’s Crows #1) It’s Amos’s second year on campus, and he has a great roommate and is doing well in his classes but hasn’t made many friends except for his roommate–and the crows. Honestly, I don’t even know how it happened, but one day I realized that I […]
Rift in the Soul (2024) Faith Hunter (Soulwood #6) Having read both Rift in the Soul and Final Heir now (and fairly recently after each other) my impression is that she just wanted to stop writing about Jane — and by extension any of the characters closely related to Jane, including Nell. In short, like […]
Dead & Breakfast (2025) Kat Hillis & Rosiee Thor Arthur and Sal moved to Trident Falls, Oregon to run the Bed & Breakfast Arthur remembered visiting as a child–a place where he had happy memories. Arthur had visited Trident Falls many times as a boy, and it had seemed a slice of idyllic peace, tucked […]
Tales from the Territory (2026) Travis Baldree (Legends & Lattes) Goblins & Greatcoats There has been a terrible murder. Is the goblin going to be able to solve the case? Is that the Gatewarden? A goblin?” stage-whispered the young warden. Zyll’s long, pointed ears caught the murmuration of uncomfortable shrugs that followed. She didn’t bother […]
The Hopeless Romantic’s Guide to Enchantment: Twelve Magical Romantasy Tales (2026) edited by Paul Kane and Marie O’Regan ’Tis Pity He’s an Elf by Jen Williams Silver Dahlia, Golden King by Chloe Neill Fool in Love Ghoul in Hate by Greer Stothers The Brocade Prince by A. Y. Chao Double Trouble by Kelley Armstrong Unearned […]
Peg and Rose Stir Up Trouble (2023) Laurien Berenson (Senior Sleuths #2) It’s been a couple months since Peg and Rose have mended their relationship, and so Rose has decided the best way to maintain their budding friendship is–to get Peg on a dating site so she can find love and companionship again. The first […]
Peg and Rose Solve a Murder Laurien Berenson (2022) (Senior Sleuths #1) Peg and Rose haven’t really spoken for decades. Animosity had sizzled between the two women since Peg became engaged to her beloved, and now dearly departed husband, Max, more than four decades earlier. But Rose has decided it’s time to set aside past […]
The Lights on Knockbridge Lane (2021) Roan Parrish (Garnet Run #3) Adam had never once regretted forgiving someone. Because forgiveness was about him, and not about them at all. He’d always preferred going out at night. Not because—as his neighbors believed—he was a vampire or a witch or whatever the rumor of the moment was. […]
Guilt and Ginataan (2024) Mia P. Manansala (Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery #5) There is so much to love about this series: food, queer rep, smart female character, mental health rep, and few white characters. Yet, the mysteries always fall a little flat for me. I don’t know why. (In the earlier books it was because […]
Something Extraordinary (2024) Alexis Hall (Something Fabulous #3) Set in England in ~1814 I’ll be honest–I put off reading this because in earlier books I found Bella annoying and frustrating and I didn’t want to spend time with her. But she was a little better in book two, as was Horley Comewithers, so I moved […]
The Ghost and Mrs. Holloway (2026) Jennifer Ashley (Below Stairs Mystery #9.5) Set in London in 1884 Set a few months after Murder in Blackfriars, Kat is working hard both to earn the money work for herself and to distract herself from Grace being so far away. So she isn’t opposed to looking into a […]
Best Laid Plans (2021) Roan Parrish (Garnet Run #2) He looked at the situation and chose to acknowledge all the dimensions of it. Dimensions (as he thought of them) weren’t positive or negative. They were simply the truth of how he felt about things. “Jesus Christ,” he said, and scrubbed hands over his face. “Guess […]
Better Than People (2020) Roan Parrish (Garnet Run, #1) Every day had dilated to a month, every night to a year, and Jack found himself wishing for anything—anything—to break the monotony of lying on the couch all day long and in bed all night. This part was always the hardest. The moment when he could […]
Two Rogues Make a Right (2020) Cat Sebastian (Seducing the Sedgwicks #3) Set in Sussex, England in 1818 Will had four shillings and a bottle of laudanum, and barely enough self-control not to drink it himself. It had been two years since he showed the first signs of consumption, which he had acquired in circumstances […]
A Gentleman Never Keeps Score (2018) Cat Sebastian (Seducing the Sedgwicks #2) Set in London in 1817 I feel like you all know you’d be contaminated by touching anything that comes from my purse. It makes me feel so dirty. How could anyone sleep under these conditions? Sadie might die. Her baby might never live. […]
It Takes Two to Tumble (2017) Cat Sebastian (Seducing the Sedgwicks #1) Set in England in 1817 Every day he visited the poor and the housebound, trying to find small ways to improve their lot or at least their outlook. That was why he had gone into the church. When people needed help, they went […]
Mirage City (2025) Lev Ac Rosen (Evander Mills #4) Set in San Francisco in 1953 It’s been a year since Andy began working above the Ruby. I’ve been here over a year now, the matchmaking business, pairing up queer people in heterosexual-looking relationships to appease work or family, and crafting stories for them: how they […]
Murder by Lamplight (2024) Patrice McDonough (Dr. Julia Lewis #1) Set in London in 1866. Julia Lewis had to travel overseas to manage it, but she is now her grandfather’s partner in his medical practice. Women who had foreign degrees or had commenced their studies by 1858 had to be admitted to the medical roll, […]
Grilled Cheese and Goblins: Adventures of a Supernatural Food Inspector (2018) Nicole Kimberling Keith had investigated orgy sites where there had been twenty or more witnesses all standing and watching some victim being dismembered just because a cameraman was filming it. The presence of a camera implied fiction and a sense that some authority was […]
Dead in the Shop (2018) Dahlia Donovan (Grasmere Cottage #3) “I’d let it all fade away into history if I had my way.” “Our name? Our legacy?” Her lack of insight blew Valor’s mind. How did she not see their family had offered zero value to the world? Their name meant nothing; they had no […]
Dead in the Pond (2018) Dahlia Donovan (Grasmere Cottage #2) Bishan found it very difficult to force himself to do anything without understanding the reason. “Would you rather stay?” Yes. “Yes, but if I do it’ll make leaving harder the next time.” Bishan enjoyed photography because it put distance between the world and himself. They […]
Dead in the Garden (2018) Dahlia Donovan (Grasmere Cottage #1) (T)hey’d always assumed Bishan’s traditionalist parents would be the disapproving ones. It seemed being gay and dating an Anglo-Indian had been one step too far for the son of an earl. … (H)is father, mother, and elder brother hadn’t spoken to him in over a […]
Murder on the Last Frontier (2015) Cathy Pegau (Charlotte Brody Mystery #1) Set in Cordova, Alaska in 1919 Charlotte Brody wants to escape her past, so she decides to visit her brother where he has settled down in Cordova Alaska as one of the town doctors. Michael had told Charlotte he’d secure her a room […]
The Railway Conspiracy (2025) SJ Rozan & John Shen Yen Nee (Dee & Lao #2) Set in London in 1924 Dee has returned to London and once again drawn Lao, Sergeant Hoong and Jimmy Fingers together. He peered over his glass. “Are you quite all right, Lao? I haven’t been here seventy-two hours and already […]
Paladin’s Faith (2021) T. Kingfisher (The Saint of Steel #4) Apparently one of the problems they had solved was bribery. You couldn’t bribe a Rat-priest. (Well, you probably could, but only by offering to donate the money to the poor.) Stabbing a man in the kidneys was a remarkably good way to make him think […]
Paladin’s Hope (2021) T. Kingfisher (The Saint of Steel #3) “Anything’s possible,” said Piper, in a tone that hopefully conveyed, “Not a chance in hell.” His thoughts were so jumbled that he hardly knew what to pray for, so he settled on a general, Do you see this whole mess, gods? Please just fix it! […]
Paladin’s Strength (2021) T. Kingfisher (The Saint of Steel #2) Istvhan waved to them, thinking what a disgusting group of people they must be, to enjoy watching beasts and men be torn to shreds by the corpses of their countrymen. You know, in some countries, they just have oiled naked men wrestle each other and […]
Paladin’s Grace (2020) T. Kingfisher (The Saint of Steel #1) After finishing The Vampire Gideon’s Suicide Hotline and Halfway House for Orphaned Girls I needed something to made my brain feel better, and since after reading Daggerbound I wanted to read more Kingfisher, this seems the perfect choice. He and Istvhan had exhausted the weapon […]
The Vampire Gideon’s Suicide Hotline and Halfway House for Orphaned Girls (2018) Andrew Katz Gideon has been around for more than a century, and decided to give something back to the world by creating a suicide hotline. “Do you have some kind of license to do this?” “No.” “Hasn’t anyone come and tried to shut […]
Rough Pages (2024) Lev Ac Rosen (Evander Mills #3) Set in San Francisco in 1953 Andy is finally accepted by the community, and slowly coming to believe in his own worth as he solves problems for those who can’t turn to the authorities. He also ends up–with Lee–with an unexpected title. I’ve even made a […]
The Viscount Says Yes (2025) Sarah Wallace (Meddle & Mend #6) Set in Tutting-on-Cress in 1818? This is the conclusion to Pip’s story. He’s lived with Charles and Gavin long enough to regain his trust in people, and he is slowly, finally, come to trust himself. I’m not going anywhere. There’s no hurry, Pip.” Bertie […]
The Spellmaster of Tutting-on-Cress (2024) Sarah Wallace (Meddle & Mend #5) Set in Tutting-on-Cress in 1818 Gerry has been hoping to fall in love the way two of her brothers did, but has never felt the way she thought falling in love should be. So she figures she’ll be content running her shop and living […]