An Unsuitable Heir (2017) KJ Charles (Sins of the Cities) Set in London in 1873 “What does he do?” Pen paused. “He didn’t say, actually. We mostly talked about, well, me.” “No wonder you think he’s charming.” Pen blinked. “You’re an anarchist about the laws of nature?” “I’m not an anarchist at all, same as […]
An Unnatural Vice (2017) KJ Charles (Sins of the Cities) Set in London in 1873 He looked like the sin of angels, like the sweetest fruit at the goblin market, and Nathaniel despised everything about him. Justin stayed upstairs until he heard the door shut. Some people would call it flagrant physical cowardice to leave […]
An Unseen Attraction (2017) KJ Charles (Sins of the Cities) Set in London in 1873 (T)hey said the eyes were the windows to the soul, and Clem didn’t feel comfortable peering into people’s windows. Clem was not a man you could read like a book, or if you could, the book was in an unfamiliar […]
Cards & Caravans (2015) Cindy Spencer Pape (The Gaslight Chronicles) Set in Scotland in 1859 Connor–who had been certain he’d been in love with Wink for decades, has gone off to Scotland. And instantly falls in love. As does the woman he ends up rescuing from being burned at the stake as a witch. Yes, […]
Moonlight & Mechanicals (2012) Cindy Spencer Pape (The Gaslight Chronicles) Set in England in 1858 I have zero memory of reading this story. You’d think I’d have remembered, considering how pleased I am that she put in the many dangerous side effects of a coal-based steampunk society. Every day, Londoners too poor to employ air […]
Kilts & Kraken (2012) Cindy Spencer Pape (Gaslight Chronicles) Set in Scotland in 1858 Dr. Geneva MacKay has worked hard to become a physician, but will still occasionally help out her father, who believed in her and helped her reach her dreams. Magnus, Baron Findlay is the Laird of Torkholm Island, and tied intimately to […]
Photographs & Phantoms (2011) Cindy Spencer Pape (The Gaslight Chronicles) Set in England in 1855 Kendall Lake has gone to Brighton to check on the great-niece of Lord Drood, who has reported a strange happening at her photography studio. She didn’t consider her photos a labor—they were an extension of her very soul. Giving it […]
Steam & Sorcery (2011) Cindy Spencer Pape (Gaslight Chronicles) Set in London in 1851 Sir Merrick Hadrian is a Knight of the Order of the Round Table–a secret organization going back to the days of King Arthur, tasked with keeping England safe from supernatural threats. Miss Caroline Bristol has been working as a governess since […]
Short Stories: KJ Charles “Five for Heaven” (2019) A Charm of Magpies 3.5 Set in Nagasaki, three years after A Flight of Magpies (15 pages) “A Confidential Problem” (2016) Society of Gentleman 2.5 Set in England in 1820 (14 pages) “A Private Miscellany” (2016) Society of Gentlemen 3.5 Set in London & Berlin in 1821 […]
Status Update (2015) Annabeth Albert (#gaymers) “I’m actually a geoarchaeologist— I specialize in the study of how early civilizations interacted with their physical environment and how that physical environment influenced the artifacts we find.” “Trust me, we don’t want to get it wrong— we give a rocky planet too many characteristics of a water-rich one, […]
Short Stories: Annabeth Albert Annabeth Albert “New Status Needed” (2016) Noah & Adrian, #gaymers 1.5 (16 pages) “Tease Me” (2019) #gaymers Ryan & Josiah 3.5 (26 pages) “Love Connection” (2017) Ryan & Josiah #gaymers 3.7 (24 pages) “Off Leash” (2018) Pike & Zach, Out of Uniform 1.5 (26 pages) “Homebodies” (2018) Wes & Dustin, Out […]
Flight of Magpies (2014) KJ Charles Stephen stuffed his hands in the pockets of the topcoat that Crane had insisted on buying him for this chilly winter. It had been a great deal more expensive than Stephen, who accepted gifts with startling gracelessness, had wanted; a great deal cheaper than Crane would have preferred; unsatisfactory […]
Spectred Isle (2017) KJ Charles (Green Men) Set in England in 1923 Saul’s professional instincts were shaped by his doctorate in archaeology from Oxford and two years working on excavations in Mesopotamia. Major Peabody believed that if the ravens left the Tower of London, the city would fall. He hadn’t given a damn about Saul’s […]
The Secret Casebook of Simon Feximal (2013) KJ Charles Set in England 1894 to 1914 He was covered in writing. It was scrawled in black and red ink, from wrist to shoulder of both muscular arms, across his broad, powerful shoulders and chest. None of it was in a language I recognised, or could read, […]
A Case of Possession (2014) KJ Charles (A Charm of Magpies) “An honest mandarin.” There was a dubious murmur at that. Most of those present regarded bribery as something between a handy tool and a form of tax; none of them had high opinions of mandarins of any nationality. “I beg your pardon,” he began, […]
The Magpie Lord (2013) KJ Charles (A Charm of Magpies) I can’t bear it. He’d never said the words in thirty-seven years, not even in the times of hunger and degradation. He wanted to say them now. Merrick frowned. “Got to fight it, my lord.” “Fight what? Give me something to fight, and I’ll fight […]
Blank Spaces (2016) Cass Lennox (Toronto Connections) Devon took a hefty gulp, then pressed his mouth to Toned’s. Vaughn saw liquid dribble from one corner as the gulp passed from mouth to mouth. His stomach rolled. That couldn’t be hygienic. He couldn’t really say much about Jonah’s clothes, except that they were so tight they […]
Play It Again (2019) Aidan Wayne Dovid had been a pretty typical child. Just that, thanks to medulloepithelioma— a type of incredibly invasive cancer— he grew up missing two parts a typical child possessed, after they were removed in order to get rid of the cancer entirely. But he kept bumping into chairs. The tables […]
Southernmost Murder (2018) C.S. Poe My cataplexy was why I took life in stride, because if I allowed myself to become overwhelmed with emotions, good or bad, it triggered my attacks. It sucked when a micronap hit while I was in the middle of a conversation. Or eating. (In my defense, salads were boring.) “When […]
Arctic Heat (2019) Annabeth Albert (Frozen Hearts) Owen took “married to the job” to mean “closeted as hell” I’ll be waiting. The period made Quill’s text seem even more ominous in response to Owen’s message about his arrival time. “You’re pissed at me, but you’re giving me food?” Quill struggled to keep up with Owen’s […]
All the World’s an Undead Stage (2018) Angel Martinez (Offbeat Crimes) “Best stay elevated,” Carrington murmured when Tim climbed out of his house to stare at him. How Tim managed to look surprised when he had no facial features was one of the mysteries of the universe. “We decided to call it a zorpse,” Kyle […]
Arctic Wild (2019) Annabeth Albert (Frozen Hearts) Toby also had a personal bias against trophy hunting that he didn’t want to explain. It was fine for the clients, but he’d been raised to value subsistence hunting. “My mom’s a lawyer too.” Amelia sighed as if this was a fate worse than death, probably to try […]
Arctic Sun (2019) Annabeth Albert (Frozen Hearts) “Food sounds good,” River lied. The alarm on his phone earlier had said it was time to eat, so he would. It’s partly control— I don’t like not having charge of what happens— but it’s also wrapped up in my body image stuff and the eating disorder. I […]
Jackalopes and Woofen-Poofs (2017) Angel Martinez (Offbeat Crimes) “Kinda wish I could take you with me, Mom,” Wolf mumbled around a bite of toast. “I wish I could go too, sweetie. But then all the other officers would want to take their moms and the poor board of inquiry members at State probably wouldn’t survive.” […]
Feral Dust Bunnies (2017) Angel Martinez (Offbeat Crimes) While he did hiss and snort, Krisk never spoke a word, probably because his mouth and throat weren’t the right shape for it. They got by, communicating in gestures and texts, and after four years, they understood each other damn well. Dinner. “Yeah, I’m almost done here.” […]
Skim Blood and Savage Verse (2017) Angel Martinez (Offbeat Crimes) How could he have even thought about not celebrating his thirty-fifth birthday? Especially if it meant it gave her an excuse to invite all the old money and local officials to the affair. And outside? Of course it had to be outside. The weather in […]
The Pill Bugs of Time (2016) Angel Martinez (Offbeat Crimes) “Should get an Odo bucket,” Vikash murmured. “A what?” Kyle chuckled into his coffee. “Seriously, Carr? You never watched Deep Space Nine?”” It was the first time Vikash had experienced Greg’s particular talent being useful. He heard emotions, but only negative ones and only avian […]
Lime Gelatin and Other Monsters (2016) Angel Martinez (Offbeat Crimes) Between them, in the chair a suspect would take while he was being booked, was a leather jacket. Not odd if the jacket had behaved normally and stayed draped over a chair arm like a good, proper jacket, but this one was sitting up with […]
That Kind of Guy (2019) Talia Hibbert (Ravenswood) (N)ecessity was the mother of every skill Zach had. Growing up poor with a busy single parent and a missing older brother had led him to learn a lot of practical shit at a very young age. The hard way. And those skills had never been allowed […]
Untouchable (2018) Talia Hibbert (Ravenswood) “So, just to be clear,” she said slowly, “you are not concerned by my numerous criminal convictions.” “Nah. I’m used to having a convicted criminal in the house.” “You… are?” “Yeah.” He leaned in close, his expression conspiratorial, and she couldn’t help it— she leaned in too. Then he whispered, […]
Damaged Goods (2018) Talia Hibbert (Ravenswood) The worst thing about Samir’s parents— worse than the cruelty, the manipulation, the toxicity— was the fact that Samir had loved them. She was pregnant, and pregnant people were like the Pope, right? You had to treat them with total respect, even in your own head, just in case […]
A Girl Like Her (2018) Talia Hibbert (Ravenswood) Avoiding conflict was his mode of operation. They’d taught him that at basic training, once they’d figured out his hair-trigger temper. Always avoid conflict. That was what they called it. Distant. Words like depressed were for girls with English mothers. She wasn’t graceful. She was, in fact, […]
Band Sinister (2018) KJ Charles Set in England ~1811 “It’s all perfectly decent,” Amanda said. “Or at least, if it isn’t, the indecent parts are only hinted at, which means they’re in your head. I can’t be held responsible for your thoughts going awry.” “Oh yes you can,” Guy said with feeling. “What do you […]
Shadows of the Heart (1996) Tracy Grant (Lescaut Quartet Book) Set in Scotland in 1817 Only a woman accustomed to servants would have so many tiny fastenings on the back of her dress. Wilkins stared at the flock. At the other huts they’d searched, the sheep had been grazing farther afield. But the day was […]
Shores of Desire (1997) Tracy Grant (Lescaut Quartet) Set in Scotland, Belgium, and France in 1815 “I’m sorry.” Melton’s eyes warmed with sympathy. “I wish there was more I could say. But if there are words that ease such a grief, I have yet to discover them.” “Don’t worry, Em. Leave it to the men.” […]
Dark Angel (1994) Tracy Grant (Lescaut Quartet) Set in Spain and England in 1813 Caroline had not understood why he chose instead to go to India as private secretary to a private citizen of scholarly bent who could offer him no hope of riches or advancement. “The Company don’t employ men of mixed blood,” her […]
Not So Cookie Cutter (2019) Aidan Wayne He clasped his hands behind his back, at-ease stance so he wouldn’t cross his arms. He’d been told enough times that it made him look like a thug, so he tried to avoid doing it. He tended to hyper focus when it came to certain subjects, and to […]
Seance on a Summer’s Night (2018) Josh Lanyon “It’s one thing to be open-minded about the possibility of the supernatural. It’s another to bundle the Psychic Hotline with other phone and Internet services. I couldn’t quite understand the words. It took me a second or two to identify them as non-English. Oh, right. Because Roma’s […]
For Better or Worse (2017) R. Cooper Everything looks like friendly teasing if you don’t know what sexual tension is. I get confused.” To this day he could remember the exact feeling of relief at discovering terms like demisexual and gray ace, and his immediate need to know more, and then still, always, that faint […]
Hottie Scotty and Mr. Porter (2017) R. Cooper (T)hey’d searched all around for suitable men for Cole. They hadn’t ever done that for Scott, and he saw nothing in Kathy’s expression that said she had ever considered it. He ought to demand why he wasn’t good enough, but he wasn’t going to like the answer, […]
Family Man (2017) Heidi Cullinan & Marie Sexton “You can’t stay with a brand of shampoo, Vinnie. You have commitment issues that have commitment issues.” I worked over fifty hours most weeks. Thirty-four at the restaurant, the most they’d give me, because even one more would require them to give me benefits, and they were […]
Work for It (2019) Talia Hibbert (Just for Him) “Everyone said he was handsome, but this is just silly.” “He’s staring a hole into you, Griff. No, don’t look, you donkey. Trust me. Have I ever steered you wrong?” I finally take my shot and fluff it. “Year 2, you told me to pick up […]
Undone by the Ex-Con (2018) Talia Hibbert Just like that, her mind— and its thoughts— disappeared. She was only a body now. How beautiful that was. After testing and noting down her blood sugar, Lizzie undressed and took her insulin. She’d had a discreet word with the hotel manager yesterday afternoon; now her little fridge […]
Bad for the Boss (2017) Talia Hibbert He turned to his right and found a group of sober-ish women. “Excuse me; I don’t know this girl, but I think someone needs to look after her.” The women blinked at him, then at the girl, and then, as though choreographed, they smiled all at once. “Hey, […]
Swordheart (2018) T. Kingfisher Halla is a housekeeper who has suddenly inherited her great-uncle’s estate… and, unfortunately, his relatives. Sarkis is an immortal swordsman trapped in a prison of enchanted steel. When Halla draws the sword that imprisons him, Sarkis finds himself attempting to defend his new wielder. “Begin asking unexpected questions until everyone in […]
Paladin’s Grace (2020) T. Kingfisher (The Saint of Steel) Stephen was a paladin for the Saint of Steel until that god died, and all his paladins went mad. The remaining seven paladins now serve the Rat, in gratitude for taking them in and giving them some purpose. The Rat’s priests fixed things that could be […]
Bringing Down the Duke (2019) Evie Dunmore (A League of Extraordinary Women) Set in England in 1879. Annabelle Archer has finally earned a place at Oxford. Only now, she has to convince her cousin she deserves to go–despite the fact her doing so will inconvenience him, as he’ll lose his free maid of all work. […]
Unacceptable Risk (2011) Kaje Harper (Hidden Wolves) I really enjoy the world-building around supernatural creatures–especially an individual authors choices when there is so much mythology to choose from. His wolf form was outsized, conserving the mass of his human body, but it would look canine, would X-ray canine. As with several other werewolf fantasies, wolves […]
Heart of the Forrest (2021) Morgan Mason When he was a teenager, Forrest found a wooden heart with the letters A+F carved in it. He didn’t know who it was for, but it made him feel better. So now he’s heading back to where he found the lost heart. Even though he never spoke to […]
Cry Wolf (2021) Charlie Adhara (Big Bad Wolf) Any resemblance to actual persons or events is coincidental. Though if you do know of a criminal plot involving werewolves that has taken place at any of these locales, that is a coincidence I would love to know about. Cooper and Park have bought and moved into […]