1. Love at First by Kate Clayborn. I love Ms Clayborn's writing so much and this is my favourite book of hers to date. It's a grief romance (by some chance I read quite a few of those this year) that made me ugly cry through parts of it and gave a most satisfying it-was-all-worth-it end. Highly recommended but check the CWs first. 

Title: For the Wolf (Wilderwood #1)

Author: Hannah Whitten

Genre/Themes: Fantasy, Fairytale retelling, Romance

Release Date: 01 June 2021

Author's links: Website / Twitter / Goodreads / Instagram

My rating: 5 Stars

2020 was a rough year and reading was a struggle for me at times. I barely read 45 books this past year, the lowest number for me for the past couple of years. Despite the small number, there were some real gems among them and I have compiled them in a list with 10 favourite books of 2020. 

1. Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall. Simply the best queer romcom I have read. Funny and sweet and touching, both very real and very over the top. You can read my full review here.

2. Network Effect by Martha Wells. I binged read the Murderbot series and they basically saved may sanity during the lockdown. Never in a million years I thought I would come to care so much about a sentient murder bot and their friends. 

3. Whiteout by Adriana Anders. I really this early in 2020 and it was such a great start to what turned to be a really difficult year. The story was pure adrenaline rush with a dose of romance and I am super excited for the next book coming out in August 2021. You can read my full review here.

4. Chaos Reigning by Jessie Mihalik. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, mostly after reading the previous two book in the series, I approach this one as SFF with romantic elements, rather than as a proper romance. Two people falling in love amidst trying to save their world in some space adventures. You can read my full review here.

5. One Night with the Sexiest Man Alive by Ainslie Paton. This book is all the titles as - one sexy, tropey romance that pushed all my buttons. Strong Pretty Woman vibes (minus the sex work), movie worthy grovel scene in the end. You can read my full review here.

6. Headlines by Lucy Parker. I have loved all of Lucy's books and this one is no exception. Such great enemies to lovers romance. You can read my full review here.

7. Wolf in Sheep's Clothing by Charlie Adhara. This is book 4 in an ongoing series following the same couple (human and werewolf) investigating crimes together. It's high heat, intense suspense and an ever growing romantic relationship. You can read my full review here.

8. Alpha Night by Nalini Singh. Another winner in the Psy-Changeling series. These books were my introduction to paranormal romance and continue to be my favourtie till this day. What I love the most about this story how unique it is in the Psy-changeling world yet it fits perfectly in it.

9. Sweet On You by Carla de Guzman. It's a Christmas romance set in the Philippines and I loved it. steeped in local traditions and delicious food it was a balm to the soul to read. You can read my full review here.

10. To Have and to Hoax by Martha Waters. It's a delightful regency romcom that made me laugh and swoon. You can read my full review here.

11. Division Bells by Iona Datt Sharma. I picked this on a twitter rec and was taken by surprise how gorgeous it is. It's a bit melancholy, a bit sad, a lot political and ultimately charming and hopeful and i loved it. You can read my full review here.

Here is a list of ten books (including full series I read in 2019), romance and fantasy which I read and loved in the past year. I tweeted out those in December under the hashtag #myfavebooks2019.

1/ To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo, YA fantasy retelling of the Little Mermaid. I was gifted this book for the holidays by a dear friend and I absolutely loved it. A beautifully written powerful story about good and evil. Buy on Amazon

2/ Kiss and Cry by Mina V. Esguerra, contemporary sports romance, heroine is an former figure skater, hero is a retiring hockey player, both living in the Philippines where winter sports are very popular. I loved the different aspect of sports we see in this story and the second-chance, low-angst romance. Read my review / Buy on Amazon

3/ Teach Me by Olivia Dade is a warm hug of a book. Contemporary romance with two high school teacher MCs, a fat Ice Queen heroine and a shy divorced dad hero. So much care and support and appreciation this book! Read my review / Buy on Amazon

4/ The Austen Playbook by Lucy Parker. Her books consistently work great for me but this one is really outstanding - the grumpiest but most caring hero, the moist sunshine heroine to ever sunshine, a bit of historical subplot, some cozy mystery elements.Read my review / Buy on Amazon

5/ Gilded Cage by KJ Charles is an exquisite historical m/f second chance romance with a bi heroine. I loved everything about it - the romance, the MCs, the crime plot, the HEA. Read my review / Buy on Amazon

6/ The Mysterious Stranger by Ainslie Paton - an intense romantic suspense, childhood friends to lovers. Great rep on gaslighting and emotional manipulation. Modern Robin Hood kind of families. Works as standalone. Read my review / Buy on Amazon

7/ Arden St. Ives series by Alexis Hall this year after the release of the final book and it's definitely one of #myfavbooks2019. High heat, high emotion, coming of age, overcoming trauma, finding oneself, effortlessly and quintessentially queer! Read my review / Buy on Amazon

8/ The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix. E. Harrow is a portal fantasy with an awesome female protagonist, a debut book which I thoroughly enjoyed. I read more SFF in 2019 I have ever done before and this is one of the best I read. Read my review/ Buy on Amazon

9/ The Madness of Sunshine by Nalini Singh. A breath-stopping first thriller by this author, very atmospheric, great heroine. I had some issues with the final resolution but very much liked the rest of the book. Buy on Amazon

10/ Folk of Air series by Holly Black. It's a YA fantasy series which I picked on a friends' recommendation and thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved book 2 the best and found book 3 the weakest of all but overall the whole trilogy is outstanding, captivating tale of magic and love and power and finding oneself. Highly recommend it. Buy on Amazon 

Honourable mentions: Thrown to the Wolves, m/m shifter murder mystery romance by Charlie Adhara; The Affair of the Mysterious Letter, queer fantasy riff of Sherlock Holmes by Alexis Hall; Thirsty, m/f (ex) gangster romance by Mia Hopkins.

I am starting a new feature where at the end of the month I will do a spotlight post with the next month's releases I am excited to read. I will be sharing it on Twitter as well and in the months when I have already read and review an ARC of an upcoming title I will be linking to my review. This is similar to the EuroRomTalk newsletter we did with a couple of friends in 2019 but sadly, we will not be continuing it in 2020. I am focusing only on titles I am interested in reading, it's mostly romance but there is also SFF as I started reading more of it in 2019 and plan and want to continue in that direction. For a much wider list of upcoming romance releases check out The Book Queen's site.

Off the Record by Rebecca Crowley. This is the final book in a trilogy of contemporary m./f romances featuring three brothers trying to run a newspaper. I love this author’s football series, and I decided to try this as well. The first book didn’t really work for me but the second was much better and I am looking forward to this one with hope and trepidation. Out on 16 Jan. Add on Goodreads / Buy on Amazon

Headliners by Lucy Parker. I have read and loved everything Lucy Parker has written and I am currently reading and loving this one too. It’s enemies to lovers between two rival TV presenters (whom we met in the Austen Playbook). Out on 20 Jan. Add on Goodreads / Buy on Amazon

Mermaid Inn by Jenny Holiday. First book in a new series of contemporary romance. I enjoyed her Bridesmaids Behaving Badly series and I am curious about her next project. Out on 28 Jan. Add on Goodreads / Buy on Amazon

Whiteout by Adriana Anders. Romance suspense set in Alaska. I admit I am intrigued by the setting and I haven’t read a romantic suspense in ages so I am looking forward to this. I have loved some of this authors books, others have been a complete miss for me, so I am cautiously intrigued. Out on 28 Jan. Add on Goodreads / Buy on Amazon

Title: Oskar Blows a Gasket

Author: Al Steward and Claire Davis

Genre/Themes: YA/NA m/m romance, coming of age

Release Date: 30 March 2018

Author's links: Website / Facebook / Claire on GR /

Al on GR / Al on Twitter

Add on Goodreads

My rating: 5 Stars

Blurb

Oskar Braithwaite is bold, brash and gorgeous. Just ask him.

Armed with designer backpack full of make-up and retro music galore, Oskar sets off for college. And, with attitude even spikier than his heels, nothing is going to hold him back. Except maybe one thing…his past is shouting louder than the 80s songs he adores and it won't be ignored. Behind the effervescence are secrets, lies and sadness. Try as he might, not even Oskar can hide forever, and one day it isn't only pop icon Simon Le Bon who's going to catch up.

Who is writing letters? And why is a spy secretly following?

Enter Bear, with dancing eyes and secrets of his own. Bear's kindness sparkles brighter than Lycra leggings, and everyone knows Oskar loves shiny things. Like every prophecy, their fates seem inevitably linked. As the walls of Oskar's defence crumble, Bear shows his hidden strength, but will it be enough to save them?

Find out in this far-out, zany tale of fame, first love and retro DJs. 

Review

After loving Dear Mona Lisa last year and I was excited to read more by this author duo. I don't read much YA/NA these days but when I was offered an ARC of this book I jumped at the chance. And I am so happy I did, it' such a wonderful story.

What I love the most about Al and Claire's book is the writing style, so lyrical, heavy on metaphors and subtext and at the same time funny at times and it packs a punch with just a few words. I admit it took me a while to get into this story.

We are plunged into the mind of Oskar who is a very unique, whimsical character. I loved his voice though, and the reader gets to know him simultaneously with the other MC, Bear (Gareth). Oskar is special and ordinary at the same time - a young person acting out, being prickly and contrary, making up stories about himself and wearing make-up and fancy clothes as much as an expression of himself but also as an armour against the world who has been nothing but cruel to him so far.

Initially we see the most of Gareth through his letters and we get to know him in the year and half before college and meeting Oskar. WE get to read them parallel to the present-day events in his life and that only made them more poignant and moving. It's Gareth's letters that broke me and made me cry and filled me silent rage and despair for him.

The romance was really moving and tender and volatile and unpredictable, a reflection of a lot of first for both Oskar and Bear. It felt very real, somewhat close to my experiences of being 18 years old. There was lots of confusion and firsts and boldness and shyness, navigating college, new friends, a lover, complicated family dynamics and Oskar and Bear went through all this together becoming a couple that really fitted each other, helped and supported each other. I loved how they completed each other, Gareth getting to read Oskar's moods and somewhat instinctively discovering the best way react/inteact/communicate with him, at the same time Oskar was really good for Gareth boosting his self-confidence and belief in himself and giving him the much needed knowledge that he is worthy of love and affection. 

It was not all drama and angst, there were a tonne of 80s music, good humour, and pure fun. There was a moment around the middle where I was worried for a bit that Oskar was coming off as misogynistic, rather misanthropic, but I was soon proven wrong - he was really caring, too emotional, fragile which he hid behind being sort of bitchy, often quite nasty to the people around him.loved how garrett and oscar found their way to each other, it's about who you are, how you love and care for peope. being gay was a non-issue for most of the MCs and for most of the side characters.

Another concern I had was about the parents and how cruel and unredeemable they seemed initially. I'm really happy that the authors gave them a chance to act as decent human beings in the end. There was not magical forgive and forget but rather honest conversations took place giving just the tiniest hope for them acting better in the future.

In short, this is a beautifully written emotional story of growing up, dealing with some terrible events but mostly, it's hopeful in a way a find much needed in the present day. It doesn't offer a clean solutions to all of the issues Oskar and Gareth face in their lives, it's very much real regarding addiction and neglect but still, it's hopeful, opening up the possibility for better things to come and that is the best things a romance novel can be.

Purchase Links: Amazon / Smashwords

I admit I haven' read as many romances with older MCs as I would have like. In my defence there doesn't seem to be that many out there, age gap with one MC being in their 40s-50s seems to be much more common trope in romance. I recently read two stories with older MCs which I absolutely adored and this gave me the idea to compile this list. These were Olivia Dade's Cover Me and Rube Lang's The Long Run in Rogue Anthology. As usual for my What to read posts, I asked for more recs on Twitter and not surprisingly romance twitter delivered.

Romances with older MCs

Sun-Kissed (Snow Queen #2) by Laura Florand. It's part of the Amour et Chocolate series but works well on its own. it's a lovely, tender romance with MCs in their 50s. Review

The 'Burg and The Colorado Mountains series by Kristen Ashley, in fact most of her romances feature MCs in their late 30s, early 40s and older. I have love/hate relationship with KA books. They are addictive, absolutely cracktastic but also problematic on many levels. I do however appreciate her focus on older MCs, giving her men and women a chance at love/family. Review of At Peace (The 'Burg #2)

Rogue Acts, Ruby Lang's The Long Run and Olivia Dade's Cover Me, two short stories, my first by these authors but quite good, made me want to read more of their work.  

A Seditious Affair by KJ Charles. This is my favourite book by KJ Charles, together with Simon Feximal (it could also be included here, though the MCs are younger at the beginning of the book but we follow them through a couple of decades of them being together). Seditious Affair is part of the ... series and need to be read in order, BDSM romance between a seditious publisher and a man of law, frought with tension and a hard-won, at times seemingly impossible HEA. Review

Autumn by Cole McCade, mm romance, part of Crow City series but can be read as standalone. Two older MCs, one disabled who just discovers he is bi, the other - gentle, weird in love with his ex brother-in-law forever). Review

Dear Mona Lisa by Al Steward and Claire Davis- contemporary m/m, one MC has synesthesia (which the first time reading something like that for me). It's very moving and emotional, made it into my list of best reads of 2017. CW for homophobia, death of a newborn. 

Age Gap 

For Real by Alexis Hall, Rita award winning BDSM m/m romance, with young inexperienced dominant and an older, slightly jaded submissive. Review

Glitterland by Alexis Hall, older grumpy writer with bipolar disorder and depression gets together with a young "glitter pirate" model from Essex. Review

Glass Tidings by Amy Jo Cousins, holiday m/m romance, older reclusive MC falls for a travelling fairs glass artists. very moving, very real and touching. Review

Magic Mansion by Jordan Castillo Price, contemporary romance with a touch of magic. Two magicians at a reality show, one MC is over 60, the other is around 40. Review

Pretty Face by Lucy Parker, fun romcom set at the London theatre scene, she is TV series actress know for her roles of silly bombshells, he is critically acclaimed stage director looking with scorn on TV production. They are forced to work together and to everyone's surprise, including their own, they fall hard for each other. Review

Peter Darling by Austin Chant - queer retelling of Peter Pan, m/m with a trans lead. It's beautiful, imaginative and very emotional short read! One of the best books I read in 2017. Review

Romances with Older MCs

Fast Women by Jenny Crusie, m/f romance, chicklit, divorce  female MC

Scandalous Lovers by Robin Schone, erotic m/f romance, widowed female MC

Midlife Crisis by Audra North, LAMBDA nominated m/m contemporary romance, divorced bi POC MC, 

Twice in a Lifetime by Jodie Griffin, contemporary bi f/f romance, both MCs in their 50s

Late Fall by Noelle Adams, with MCs in their 70s and an assisted living home

There’s a new deputy in town, and she’s a law unto herself. 

Jeremiah Church is still aching for justice to be served after his father’s murder. Though the killer has been caught, the authorities are no closer to knowing why the Churches were targeted—and if the family’s still at risk. When Miah receives an anonymous letter hinting at a darker conspiracy, he decides it's high time he seeks justice on his own terms, with the help of his fellow Desert Dogs. 

Patrol Deputy Nicki Ritchey is new to Fortuity, and hoping to make a clean start for her and her son. Involved in the Church’s case, she's kindled a friendship with Miah that's evolving into something more. But Miah is crossing lines with his personal vendetta, and Nicki’s attraction is making it tough to tell right from wrong…

Review

This was a long-awaited but fitting end to a great romance suspense/crime series which I enjoyed a lot. I've loved Miah all through the series and was so happy how it all turned out for him in the end. It was a struggle, not what he planned or expected but oh, so worth it and happy making.

We kept getting glimpses of his characters throughout the series and we got more insight into his character in the novella, Drive It Deep, his brief but passionate affair with Raine which left him shattered.

I loved Miah's character arc, the change of perspective he underwent. He was a man with a plan, girlfriend-marriage-kids and things were not happening for him for various reasons.

His grief felt real, his loss of direction felt real to, his desire to desire to get his life back on track felt real. And his relationship with Nicki, from friendship to love felt real and easy to relate to.

Nicki was a back female deputy, newcomer from the big city to the small, mostly white Fortuity. She was divorced single mom, as far away as possible from Miah, yet she was the perfect fro him. They stated as friends, helping each other through grief and Miah's sense of hopelessness.

Ii liked how the story was very much grounded in everyday life. They had to put efforts to make their relationship work and it was not because of their own feelings/insecurities but because life was happening around them and they had obligations and responsibility. They couldn't leave everything and just be together, it was a lot more complicated for both of them In the midst of a murder investigation which concerned them both they had to take time to be together.

I liked how the intimacy between Miah and Nicki took place, tentative, exploitative at the beginning, always open and honest. I felt Miah's claustrophobia was better handled in Drive It Deep, while here it seemed to easily 'cured'. Still, I very much enjoyed the intimacy between them.

I loved seeing the rest of the gang and the story had the sweetest epilogue. I don't need marriage and kids in every romance but here they were fitting considering Miah's character.

On the whole, I can recommend the whole Desert Dogs series as a well crafted, smart and sexy contemporary romance with a side of crime plot series. And do not miss the prequel novella about Miah and Raina which is not a romance per se since they don't end up together but it's an intense, emotional story about passion and love and well worth a read!

Here is the history behind this post. A few weeks ago I finished Beard in Mind, a romantic comedy (though a bit more serious that the rest of the series, I still feel it's a romcom) by Penny Reid. The heroine has OCD and I found the portrayal of her dealing with it and the way it affected her and all her relationships (with friends, family, lovers) very moving and powerful. The road to her HEA was not easy but it was particularly satisfying to see her get there in the end (my review). Prompted by this amazing book I decided to do a post with recommendations for romances with neurodivergent characters similar to my posts on crossover series and romances set around the world. I'll start with some personal recommendations and then move on the ones I got when I asked my friends on twitter for their favourite romances with neuroatypical characters. 

Just a few quick notes before I proceed with the lists themselves.

1/ All the books in this post include nuerodivergent characters, some of whom we see dealing with severe cases of mental illness, their stories might raise triggers for some readers. Please, read  the authors' notes/trigger warning for any book you are interested in reading before picking it up.

2/ I want to express my gratitude to Corey Alexander (@TGStoneButch) who helped me with the correct terminology in the field of mental illness and neurodivesity in general. It's a complicated field and I am not an expert in it by any means, so Corey's input has been invaluable. Any mistakes are my own only.

3/ Disclaimer: I use Amazon affiliates links on my blog and in this post to support my reading/book blogging. I have also included links to my reviews of the books I have read. 

1. Beard in Mind (Winston Brothers #5) by Penny Reid, mf romcom where the heroine has OCD. My review (it can be read as standalone but works better if you read the previous books first). My review

2. Hate to Want You by  Alisha Rai, mf where the heroine has depression. It's my first book by this author and I absolutely loved it. My review

3. Glitterland by Alexis Hall, mm romance, one of the MCs has bi-polar disorder and depression. It was my first time reading about a bipolar character in romance and I was blown away by the book as a whole. My review

4. Curio and the Curios Vignettes by Cara McKenna, mf romance, the hero has agarophobia. I love Cara McKenna's books and this is one her best in my opinion. Tender and passionate love story of a French male prostitute and an American museum worker who comes to him a virgin at 28yo.

5. An Unseen Attraction (Sins of the Cities #1) by KJ Charles, mm historical, one of the MCs is dyspraxic (possibly on the autistic spectre). It's a lovely, tender story about kindness and being oneself and two people coming together. My review

6. Mnevermind series by Jordan Castillo Price - mm speculative fiction/romance. One of the MCs is on the autism spectre. The series follows the same couple and book 2 is told entirely from the POV of the autistic character. Very powerful and moving. My review

7. Strong Signal by Santino Hassell and Megan Erickosn, contemporary mm romance, one of the MCs has anxiety and agarophobia. My review

8. Trade Me by Courtney Millan, mf romance, hero has eating disorder. It was my first time reading about a man dealing with eating disorder. My review



Here are the recommendations I got when I asked Twitter.





1. Broken by Nicola Haken, mm romance

Title: Deacon (Gideon's Riders #2)

Author: Kit Rocha

Genre/Themes: Dystopia, Romance

Release Date: 29 Aug 2017

Author's links: Website / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

Add on Goodreads

My rating: 3.5 Stars

This is the second book in the spinoff of the Beyond series which I haven't read but I did read Ashwin (Gideon's Riders #1) and quite enjoyed it.

Deacon continues where Ashwin left off timewise and gives the reader more details about the life and people in Sector. This is the story of two Riders, Ana and Deacon, coming together and it's passionate, intense, with strong action/suspense elements which made for an exciting and quick read.

While I overall enjoyed it, the story brought into focus some things that I had missed in the first book but which I had hard time with here. 

I admit I loved Ana and thought she is a great heroine - strong, dedicated, a great soldier, committed to the Riders and their mission. Being the only female in the team she is working twice as hard as the the men to prove herself but also putting herself under enormous stress to be perfect, to live as an example for the young girls looking up to her. Following her journey in the story we see her coming to realize that's not possible, she is only human, with human flaws and desires.

Deacon was harder for me to like. He was ready to sacrifice himself for the Riders and the Rios family and he did read as hell-bend on dying at times. I was uncomfortable with this whole living saint/martyr vibe going on through the his arc. I did like the realization that having everyone looking up to you is a double-edged sword and you need room to make mistakes, to be weak, to need comfort and support. 

The story delves deep in the life of the Riders and learn a lot about everyone of them and of their life as team. I liked the sense of camaraderie among all the Riders, their interactions were brilliant, both fun and serious giving the story a rich background and setting up the scene for future books.

What I found troubling was the sense of religious cult/community I got from Sector 1. It's a place where they worship love (and the Rios family) above all and we see multi-partner relationships between people of all genders as the norm. It appears to be all about peace and love and happiness but giving Gideon and his family a God-like status and treating the Riders as martyrs for the safety of their community didn't sit well with me. We do see Gideon trying to bring change and make it all less cult-like, but the blind loyalty to one person/family was still at the core of Sector 1 and it bothered me.

Overall, it's a fast-paced, enjoyable read and I believe fans of the Beyond series will like it, probably more than I did.

Lieutenant Ashwin Malhotra is a Makhai soldier--genetically engineered to be cold, ruthless. Unfeeling. His commanding officers consider him the perfect operative, and they're right. Now, he has a simple mission: to infiltrate Gideon's Riders, the infamous sect of holy warriors that protects the people of Sector One.

He's never failed to execute an objective, but there's one thing he didn't anticipate--running into Dr. Kora Bellamy, the only woman to ever break through his icy exterior.

When Kora fled her life as a military doctor for the Makhai Project, all she wanted was peace--a quiet life where she could heal the sick and injured. The royal Rios family welcomed her like a sister, but she could never forget Ashwin. His sudden reappearance is a second chance--if she can manage to touch his heart.

When the simmering tension between them finally ignites, Kora doesn't realize she's playing with fire. Because she's not just falling in love with a man who may not be able to love her back. Ashwin has too many secrets--and one of them could destroy her.

This is my first book by this author duo, though I have some idea about the Beyond series, since I have read some of the free chapters available on their site. This is a spin-off series which I'm happy to say works rather well on its own. 

The authors build an intriguing dystopian world mixed with religious beliefs and a strong sense of community. We see it mostly through the eyes of Ashwin, a genetically modified soldier, and Kora, a highly skilled doctor/healer. And it's fascinating how they both discovered this unfamiliar world and become part of it.

Ashwin is is the type of hero I love reading about the most - socially awkward, a killing machine which the system tried to dehumanize completely. His awakening to a life of feelings, was a long, painful journey of trial and error. 

And Kora, I have so much love (and deep sympathy) for Kora. She was Ashwin's opposite but as it turns out they are more alike that anyone can suspect. In a way she is also on a journey of discovering her place in Sector One, of discovering and embracing the joy of belonging to a community of people who care about and love each other. I loved how the story explores the complexity of forming and maintaining relationships, especially in times of war, when people are often driven to desperate actions.

The community in Sector One was truly outstanding. There is a strong sense of joy and living your life to the fullest but also providing care and support to those who needed. 

The story presents us with an intriguing set of supporting characters, both the Riders (hello, Zeke!) and the rest of the people in Sector One and I'm excited to read more about them. 

It's a fast-paced story, both introspective at times and full of action at other times. There are quite a few plot twists that kept me turning pages almost feverishly. And the love story at the center of it all was beautiful - very sensual but also emotional and intimate.