books

Fantasy Mystery Romance Comics Non-Fiction

Fatal Shadows

Fatal Shadows (2000/2012) Josh Lanyon Adrien English’s morning is not off to a good start–the police at his door, informing him of the death of his employee and friend Robert Hersey. “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 […]

The Pill Bugs of Time

The Pill Bugs of Time (2016) Angel Martinez This is the second half of Kyle and Vikash’s story, told from Vikash’s POV. Why are these two characters fun? Because they are ridiculously geeky–and proud of it. “Should get an Odo bucket,” Vikash murmured. “A what?” Kyle chuckled into his coffee. “Seriously, Carr? You never watched […]

Lime Gelatin and Other Monsters

Lime Gelatin and Other Monsters (2016) Angel Martinez Kyle Monroe has been a cop at the 77th precinct for several months, when he is assigned a new partner: the extremely stoic and handsome Vikash Soren. He wants to dislike Vikash, but instead falls for him–which is a terrible idea, since they’re partners. This is a […]

In Other Words… Murder

In Other Words… Murder (2018) Josh Lanyon The fourth Holmes & Moriarity book finds the two settled into the new home and starting to talk about more serious matters–like a fancy vacation that might possibly be a honeymoon. Unfortunately, Christopher’s stalker from the previous book is causing trouble, and a body has been found in […]

The Boy with the Painful Tattoo

The Boy with the Painful Tattoo (2014/2018) Josh Lanyon Christopher Holmes has decided to take the next bog step–he and JX are moving in together. JX found a house and Christopher has moved up to San Francisco. Unfortunately, JX has to immediately head off to a convention, and when Christopher starts to unpack he finds […]

All She Wrote

All She Wrote (2010/2017) Josh Lanyon Christopher has canceled his weekend with X.J. to go help his mentor, who had a fall and needs help with her writing retreat–and discovering who is trying to kill her. I wouldn’t exactly pronounce the silence dead, as I shoved the stack of papers aside and pulled my laptop […]

Somebody Killed His Editor

Somebody Killed His Editor (2009/2016) Josh Lanyon Christopher Holmes has spent the past 16 years writing his beloved heroine, Miss Butterwith, but sales are flat, and his editor has strong-armed him into coming to a conference in an attempt to help his career (and see if he can stay with his current publishing house). “This […]

Murder Takes the High Road

Murder Takes the High Road (2018) Josh Lanyon Two years ago, Librarian Carter Matheson bought tickets for himself and his boyfriend for the Tour to Die For, a bus trip through Scotland visiting many of the places that appeared in Dame Vanessa Rayburn’s books. But now Carter and Trevor are split, and Carter refused to […]

Another Place in Time

Another Place in Time (2014) by Tamara Allen, Joanna Chambers, K.J. Charles, Kaje Harper, Jordan L. Hawk, Aleksandr Voinov This is an anthology of historical M/M romances. “Office Romance” by Tamara Allen “Introducing Mr. Winterbourne” by Joanna Chambers “The Ruin of Gabriel Ashleigh” by K.J. Charles “Unfair in Love and War” by Kaje Harper “Carousel” […]

Hexbreaker

Hexbreaker (2016) Jordan L. Hawk Tom Halloran is a cop hiding a past that would get him thrown in jail–if not executed. Cicero is a familiar without a witch, and his time to remain in that state with the MWP is growing short, which means he may need to accept any witch or find his […]

Mr. Winterbourne’s Christmas

Mr. Winterbourne’s Christmas (2018) Joanna Chambers Set in England in 1823 Lysander Winterbourne has spent the last year and a half being Adam Freeman’s estate manager, and although both are happy with the situation, neither truly knows how the other feels, and thus fearing an inevitable end, is unable to let the other know how […]

Any Old Diamonds

Any Old Diamonds (2019) K.J. Charles (Lilywhite Boys) Set in England in 1895. Lord Alexander Pyne-ffoulkes–who goes by Alec Pyne–desperately wants revenge upon his father. So he hires the Lilywhite Boys to steal the diamond parvane his father is planning to give his second wife on their 20th anniversary. But Jerry Crozier knows far more […]

Think of England

Think of England (2014) K.J. Charles Set in England in 1904 Archie Curtis lost three of the fingers on his right hand as well as much of his company when a delivery of guns proved tragically defective. “It was a damned business. My company lost as many men in two minutes’ practice firing than in […]

Wanted, a Gentleman

Wanted, a Gentleman (2018) K.J. Charles Set in England in 1805. Theodore Swann runs the Matrimonial Advertiser, a paper for helping men and women find spouses. He also writes gothic novels under a pen name. Martin St. Vincent is a freed slave who has done well for himself after being granted his release at age […]

A Gentleman Never Keeps Score

A Gentleman Never Keeps Score (2018) Cat Sebastian (Seducing the Sedgwicks) Set in London in 1817 Sam Fox is an ex-boxer and a Free Black–a pillar of his community who tries to help others as he was helped by this before him. Some black families, like Sam’s mother’s people, had been in England for centuries. […]

Band Sinister

Band Sinister (2018) K.J. Charles Set in England in the 1800s. This is probably the sweetest KC Charles book I’ve read. It’s a M/M romance, and there is boinking, but there is less boinking than I’ve come to expect, and I absolutely adore the main characters. Guy Frisby and his sister Amanda live in seclusion. […]

Midwinter Intrigue

Midwinter Intrigue (2017) Tracy Grant Set in Scotland in 1818 The 14th Malcolm and Melanie Rannoch book is a short story. It’s really an interlude between the previous book and the one that follows, that gets them from Italy back to Britain (in this case, Scotland). It also ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, […]

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue

The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue (2017) Mackenzi Lee Set in Europe in the 1700s Henry “Monty” Montague is a rake. He was kicked out of Eton, is constantly in drunk, and is the despair of his parents. He is also in love with his best friend, Percy. In a last ditch attempt at […]

Unmasked by the Marquess

Unmasked by the Marquess (2018) Cat Sebastian (Regency Imposters) Set in Regency England, mostly London. Alistair, Marquess of Pembroke has been struggling to rebuild his fortunes after his father left the estates in ruin, spending much of his money on his mistress and the children he had with said mistress. He also wants to see […]

Spectred Isle

Spectred Isle (2017) K.J. Charles Set in London in 1923 Archaeologist Saul Lazenby was disgraced during the war, and the only work he has been able to find is working for a retired Major with an interest in finding historical places and items with supernatural significance. Saul believes none of this, but is glad for […]

Unfit to Print

Unfit to Print (2018) K.J. Charles Gil is the son of a wealthy man and that man’s housemaid, but unlike many, Mr Lawes claimed his son. Gil had spent his childhood here under his father’s carelessly affectionate eye. The old man might have played the fool, or the knave, with his housemaid, but he had […]

The Ruin of Gabriel Ashleigh

The Ruin of Gabriel Ashleigh (2015) KJ Charles (Society of Gentlemen) Set in London in 1818. This is the prequel to the previous three books, a short story about two somewhat minor characters who appear in the other books: Gabriel Ashleigh, brother to Lord Maltravers, who is, at best, a knave. Gabriel has lost everything–literally […]

A Fashionable Indulgence

A Fashionable Indulgence (2016) KJ Charles (Society of Gentlemen) Set in London in 1819 As I continue to read backwards through this series, we come to the story of Justin and Harry. Harry’s father was disowned by his family, and took his wife’s name, Gordon. The family ended up on the continent when they were […]

A Seditious Affair

A Seditious Affair (2016) KJ Charles (Society of Gentlemen) Set in London in 1819 This is the second book, in the series I am reading backwards. I read the first chapter a couple months ago, and put it down, because I wasn’t comfortable reading about BDSM. I mean, reading boinking passages in romance embarrasses me. […]

A Gentleman’s Position

A Gentleman’s Position (2016) KJ Charles (Society of Gentlemen) Set in London in 1820 I am, apparently, reading this series backwards. I’d picked up the previous two books and read a few pages but wasn’t in the mood for them at the time. Richard is a younger son, an honorable man, and the one who […]