The Wallflower Wager (2019) Tessa Dare Lady Penelope Campion is all but a recluse, hiding in her family home and collecting abandoned animals. As a person who wanted to like everyone, it hurt to know that not everyone liked her in return. Her new neighbor is Gabriel Duke, the so-called Duke of Ruin, who has […]
Death of a Pirate King (2011) Josh Lanyon Yeah, I mostly skipped The Hell You Say, just reading the bits about him meeting his mother’s new husband and family. This book is set two years after that. Adrien is getting over pneumonia but at least he’s at a party, because his book has been optioned […]
Whiteout (2017) Elyse Springer Noah Landers wakes up with with a crushing headache and nausea, and no memory of who or where he is. The man he’s with says he fell and hit his head, but that the storm means no rescue vehicles can reach them, so he’s been doing his best, calling the doctor […]
A Dangerous Thing (2002) Josh Lanyon The second Adrien English book finds Adrien tired of dealing with Jake being firmly in the closet, so he heads off to his grandmother’s ranch–only to discover a disappearing dead body. He also can’t find the caretaker of his property–who seems to be taking liberties with Adrien’s absence. You’re […]
Fatal Shadows (2000) Josh Lanyon Another re-read. Adrien English is having a bad day–his former best friend and current employee has been found dead, and Adrien is a suspect. “What makes you think he wasn’t mugged?” “Fourteen stab wounds to his upper body and face.” I felt the blood drain out of my brain again. […]
All She Wrote (2010) Josh Lanyon This is the other series I started when I couldn’t decide what I wanted to read. The second Holmes & Moriarity book starts with Christopher once again backing out on a weekend with JX, and JX deciding that he doesn’t want to deal with it. So Christopher heads off […]
Cry Wolf (2008) Patricia Briggs Anna was rescued from her abusive pack in Chicago, and is now mated to Charles Cornick–the son of the Marrok. But she is still try to deal with the abuse she suffered in Chicago while learning to trust Charles. Unfortunately, troubles won’t wait for Charles to recover from the injuries […]
A Duke in Disguise (2019) Cat Sebastian (Regency Imposters) Set in England in 1817 Ash (John Ashby) spent years as a child being bounced from home to home until he was apprenticed to an engraver who all but saved his life. All Ash knew was what Roger had told him: at some point in his […]
Somebody Killed His Editor (2009) Josh Lanyon Christopher Holmes is–to put it mildly–self-absorbed. He’s a mystery author on a down-slide, trying to recover his career. He’s also trying to get over his husband running off with another man. The last thing he wants is to spend a weekend at a writing conference but his agent […]
Mainly by Moonlight (2019) Josh Lanyon Cosmo Saville is a witch–a fact he’s hiding from his soon-to-be husband. But when Cosom discovers that someone put a love spell on John Joseph Galbraith, he insists the spell be removed–even if it causes the wedding to be called off. And to make things worse, the business meeting […]
Barrel Proof (2017) Layla Reyne (finishes previous book) (literally scrambles to start this book) Don’t even bother reading this if you didn’t read the previous two. You have no reason to read this without the others, and you shouldn’t, because she does a fabulous job building the characters and their relationships and everything in the […]
Cask Strength (2017) Layla Reyne Aidan Talley and Jameson Walker are partners, and enjoying each others company. But nothing more. Just casual is all Aidan wants, because he doesn’t think he can survive the loss of someone else he loves. Jameson thinks he can handle “just casual” but if he’s fooling Aiden, he’s not fooling […]
Single Malt (2017) Layla Reyne (Agents Irish and Whiskey) Aidan Talley is back at work eight months after the hit-and-run that killed his husband as well as his partner. His best friend (also his boss and his sister-in-law) has a new partner for him, but also a new case to work off the books: evidence […]
At Your Service (2018) Sandra Antonelli Mae Valentine has been the butler for Major Kitt for three years, acting as butler, housekeeper, and cook when he’s not away on assignment as a Risk Assessment Specialist. She has always kept a clear demarcation between herself and Major Kitt–after all, she is an older woman, and a […]
The Mystery of the Bones (2019) C.S. Poe The fourth (and perhaps final) Snow & Winter book finds Sebastian trying to plan their wedding–and not particularly enjoying it. But he is determined it will be perfect, and that means following all the books and rules. “There’s a whole industry dedicated to specialized bras for wedding […]
Riven (2018) Roan Parrish I’ve never been interested in reading a book about a rock star, which is why I had a really hard time starting this one. In fact, since I’d forgotten the premise when I started reading, I wondered why on earth I’d gotten it. Theo Decker is a rock star and hates […]
Lord John and the Private Matter (2003) Diana Gabaldon Set in London in 1757 I didn’t know what I was in the mood to read, so I fell back to Lord John. He was inclined toward the simplicity of a Solomonic decree that would award half of Tim O’Connell to each woman, and rejected this […]
American Dreamer (2019) Adriana Herrera Nesto Vasquez is chasing his dream. He’s moving his food truck from NYC up to Ithaca (where is mother and sister live) to see if he can make a go of it there. All he wants is to focus on making a success of his business; he didn’t expect the […]
Come Unto These Yellow Sands (2011) Josh Lanyon Sebastian Swift was the bad boy of poetry, the son of two scions of the literary world, whose very public fall from grace lead to a very public rift with his mother, and an overdose that almost killed him. He’s been six years sober, and feels like […]
Among the Living (2006) Jordan Castillo Price (PsyCop) Victor Bayne’s partner is retiring. Maurice was a sixty-two year old black man who had a lot more gray in his hair at his retirement party than he’d had when I first met him. We’d never been close in a way that some partners at the Fifth […]
Sweet on the Greek (2018) Talia Hibbert Aria has spend several months working with Keynes to make their best friends’ wedding absolutely perfect. After all, Aria’s boyfriend tried to kill Jennifer. Nikolas Christou’s knee injury means he has to quit one of the only things he’s ever been good at–football. He wants to do something […]
Undone by the Ex-Con (2018) Talia Hibbert Isaac Montgomery went to jail for murder, and when he got out wrote a book that made him a millionaire. But something is hinky with his publisher, and he needs to know what it is. Well. Isaac’s soul could never be washed clean. But he was filthy fucking […]
Bad for the Boss (2017) Talia Hibbert Jennifer Johnson was orphaned at 11, when both her parents were murdered. She the lived with her grandmother who spent years trying to put Jen back together. Now it’s Jen’s turn and she needs the job at Brown Cow advertising agency to give her grandmother the care she […]
The Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics (2019) Olivia Waite Set in England in 1816 Lucy Muchelney spent years helping her father, and writing many of his astronomical maths. Catherine St Day finds widowhood a relief, after years of dealing with her husband’s wants and tempers, and financing his expeditions. When Catherine asks if her father […]
Sympathy: MM Romance with a Hint of Magic (2009) Jordan Castillo Price This is a M/M romance short story. Apparently, broken characters are my catnip. It’s been two years since the accident. Anthony Potosi has had to learn to walk again, and to attempt to regain at least some of what that loss took from […]
The Mystery of the Moving Image (2018) C.S. Poe After having been burned out of his apartment, Sebastian and Calvin are moving into a new place–together. And Sebastian is done with mysteries and putting himself in danger. Or he thinks he is, until a Thomas Edison Kinetoscope shows up at his shop. Calvin–although not healed–is […]
Work for It (2019) Talia Hibbert The story begins with Olu, who is pretty clearly damaged, and doesn’t know how to fix himself. After a failed pick-up, he decides to run off for awhile. I can’t remember what it’s like to be happy. It’s not as though I didn’t see this coming. I have been […]
Can’t Escape Love (2019) Alyssa Cole First things first: I LOVE THIS COVER. This is an AMAZING cover and I completely cannot believe it came from Avon. So the story. This is a novella that apparently takes place at the same time as the book about the main character’s twin sister. This become important later […]
Sapphire Flames (2019) Ilona Andrews Nevada’s arc ended with Wildfire. Catalina’s story started there, then moved on with the novella Diamond Fire, and this is her first novella. It’s…. fine. I liked spending time with Catalina and her family. I appreciated that Nevada was being kept out of the way and gave up control of […]
Skin and Bone (2019) TA Moore Here’s the problem: I still don’t like Javi. Half the time he didn’t like himself much. If he had a pet, he wouldn’t want it to be intelligent enough to understand his failings. Sorry, but being aware that you’re a complete asshole doesn’t excuse being a complete asshole. Be […]
Charmed and Dangerous: Ten Tales of Gay Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy (2015) edited by Jordan Castillo Price “Dim Sum Asylum” (2015) by Rhys Ford “Swift and the Black Dog” (2015) by Ginn Hale “A Queer Trade” (2015) by KJ Charles “Magically Delicious” (2015) by Nicole Kimberling “Everyone’s Afraid of Clowns” (2015) by Jordan Castillo […]
Damaged Goods (2018) Talia Hibbert Laura Burne is married to an abusive bastard. So she’s left him, and planning to have her child on her own, to keep The Bump safe, and has returned to the place she felt safe and happy as a teenager: Beesley-On-Sea. Samir Bianchi has remained where he grew up (even […]
The Mystery of the Curiosities (2017) C.S. Poe Sebastian and Calvin are making their relationship work. It’s hard for Calvin whose family won’t speak with him now, which is exacerbating the PTSD he won’t admit he has, but Sebastian is doing his best to make Calvin feel loved. And Calvin does his best to deal […]
Devil’s Daughter (2019) Lisa Kleypas Set in England in 1877 This is a sequel to Devil in Spring, which I really liked, and enjoyed Hello Stranger so this ended up on my wish list. Phoebe, Lady Clare married her childhood best friend and love, even knowing he would make her a young widow. Now that […]
The Mystery of Nevermore (2016) C.S. Poe Sebastian Snow runs an antique shop, has an in-the-closet copy boyfriend, and achromatopsia–he can’t see color and has other vision problems due to that. When he finds a body part in the floorboards of his store, he’s drawn into a mystery, initially against his will, but later with […]
For Better or Worse (2017) R. Cooper There are several things that make this story interesting. First, Javier is a gray ace / demisexual. Second, a great deal of the story takes place in the heads of the two men. Thirdly, the problems between the two (specifically their lack of a relationship) is due to […]
Bone to Pick (2017) TA Moore I don’t know what I wanna read. I think a mystery. How about re-reading this one where I loved the dog? Cloister Witte is ex-military and currently a sheriff K9 deputy. Cloister lives for Bon, his dog. “I buy you shit, Bon,” he told her. “Good shit, but you’d […]
Untouchable (2018) Talia Hibbert Hannah made a huge mistake several years ago, which cost her a career and child care. Since then she’s been working minimum wage jobs and hating her life. But when a guy she grew up with needs a nanny, his brother recommends Hannah. “So, just to be clear,” she said slowly, […]
Proper English (2019) KJ Charles Set in England in 1902 Patricia Merton is looking forward to the shooting party in the country. Now her brother’s wedding is over, she is going to have to decide what to do with herself, because remaining in the home she grew up just isn’t going to work. But she […]
A Girl Like Her (2018) Talia Hibbert The nice thing about romance series is that it’s really ok to read them out of order, since you know you’re getting a HEA and there are only small details to possibly spoil, not the outcome. I read the third book, and decided I really wanted to read […]
That Kind of Guy (2019) Talia Hibbert Zack has lived his life in Ravenswood, and has earned his reputation as a slut. But after his mother’s illness, and his subsequent depression, he’s been reevaluating his life–including why he had so many sexual encounters he didn’t actually want. (N)ecessity was the mother of every skill Zach […]
Footsteps in the Dark (2019) L.B. Gregg, Nicole Kimberling, Josh Lanyon, Dal MacLean, Z.A. Maxfield, Meg Perry, C.S. Poe and S.C. Wynne Entrée to Murder by Nicole Kimberling Twelve Seconds by Meg Perry Reality Bites by S.C. Wynne Blind Man’s Buff by L.B. Gregg A Country for Old Men by Dal Maclean Pepper the Crime […]
Uncommonly Tidy Poltergeists (2017) Angel Martinez Taro has to make a confession to his family–and he’s afraid they’re going to freak out. He’s won the biggest power ball in history, and is going to keep it a secret from everyone but them. He is also, after buying his parents a vacation home and setting up […]
The Leopard King (2016) Ann Aguirre This was the book I ended up reading after I finished the Brandywine Investigations series, which I really enjoyed. I opened several books, and nothing piqued my interest, so I ended up with this. At the end of chapter one it was clear this was going to be a […]
Family Matters (2018) Angel Martinez (Brandywine Investigations) This is three stories set in the same world as the previous book, Open for Business: Books, Bulls, & Bacchanals, Midwinter Dancing, Pack Up the Moon Books, Bulls, & Bacchanals is Dionysus’ story. After an evening spent with his family, Dio decides he needs to find something to […]
Open for Business (2016) Angel Martinez (Brandywine Investigations) Mythological beings. M/M romance. Murder and mystery. That noise? Those were a bunch of my buttons being pushed all at the same time. This is three separate stories. Canines, Crosshairs & Corpses, No Enemy But Time, and Dragons, Diamonds & Discord. Canines, Crosshairs & Corpses Hades (that […]
Seance on a Summer’s Night (2018) Josh Lanyon Artemus Bancroft has returned to Green Lanterns, the home where his aunt raised him after his parents died, but he’s not quite sure why he’s there, aside from a cryptic request. Come as soon as you can, Artie, Aunt Halcyone had written. The situation has spiraled out […]
Point Blank: Five Dangerous Ground Novellas (2017) Josh Lanyon This is a collection of five novellas, featuring Taylor MacAllister and Will Brandt, agents for the Department of Diplomatic Security. Dangerous Ground (2008) Six weeks earlier, Taylor was shot during an investigation. Now, as Taylor is preparing to return to work (desk duty), the two have […]
Thrown to the Wolves (2019) Charlie Adhara Cooper is (again) recuperating, having had his leg badly broken in their last adventure–the one that got Park suspended for a month. They are still hiding their relationship from the BSI, but neither is sure if that will work once they are both back at work together. Every […]
The Wolf at Bay (2018) Charlie Adhara After solving the serial killer case four months previous, Cooper and Park have become partners at the BSI–and partners in the other sense as well, but neither of them is capable of talking about how they feel about each other. “That depends on just because what. Just because […]