Happy New Year, my darlings! I'm not entirely sure where the end of 2021 went, but that's beside the point because we're now in 2022, a new year with hopefully lots of good things for us all and lots of good books to read. I did a 2021 wrap-up post last week in which I talked about some of my favorite reads from last year (you can find that here), and today, it's time for my monthly reading report. I read mostly holiday stories last month, as I often do in December—there's something about holiday romances that give me an extra fuzzy feeling on top of the usual one that comes with a HEA. I had a little trouble getting into some of them this year; I think because I've been having trouble reading contemporaries during the pandemic—I really want the extra escapism of fantasy/paranormal/historical reads. That all said, here are some books I enjoyed in December:

Strawberry Moon by Sam Burns and WM Fawkes: The only thing I read (other than an audio reread I finished) that wasn't a holiday book! I believe this is the last book in the Wolf Moon Rising series, and though I liked some books in the series more than others, I enjoyed this shifter series. Probably best read in order, since, though there is a new couple in each book, there is an overarching plot.

Only One Bed by Keira Andrews: A tropey (only one bed! friends to lovers!) Christmas novella with sweet, likable characters. This novella isn't my favorite holiday story by Keira Andrews, but it was enjoyable and it set up another story between two supporting characters that I'll be waiting for.

Hold Me Closer, Tony Danzig by Laura Henry: I listened to this short audiobook through Audible Plus (it's an Audible Original) on a whim. It's a cute f/f romance that includes the one night stand turns out to be a colleague trope, if you enjoy that one. There is a very big toxic ex-girlfriend plot in this one and some conflict between sisters that felt unnecessary to me, but it was a cute, short holiday listen.

The Geek Who Saved Christmas by Annabeth Albert: Probably my favorite new Christmas read of the month. An opposites attract romance between two neighbors, one grumpy and the other sunshiney, as they fall for each other while decorating the grumpy guy's house for his brother's unexpected holiday visit. Full of so much sweet, fluffy Christmasy romance.

The Best Gift by Eli Easton: A quiet, lovely, emotional Christmas romance between two men dealing with loss and grief and finding each other maybe through fate. It's also set on a Christmas tree farm in snowy New England for extra Christmas vibes.

Checking It Twice by Lucy Bexley: I've never read anything by Lucy Bexley, but I saw this on twitter and decided to give it a try. It turned out to be so cute! An opposites attract romance between the hyper-organized wedding planner and the something-of-a-disaster maid of honor set at a Christmas Eve wedding that was funny and sweet.

Mr. Jingle Bells by Leta Blake: This is the third book in the Home for the Holidays series, but I think can be read on its own. I loved the characters in this book and loved them together, but I almost put it aside to read later because I was in the mood for fluffy Christmas stories and this one has much more angst than I was looking for at the time (I could see the big fall out coming and was dreading it!). Mr. Jingle Bells was good, just maybe not the right book for me at that time.

On a Midnight Clear by Lily Morton: Such a lovely, magical Christmas story! Literally magical, as it involves a statue brought to life by the Holly King as one of our main characters. A wonderful romance full of Christmas cheer and fanciful magic based in English folklore and a really perfect happily ever after. Loved it.

​What have you read and loved lately?

Because time has lost all meaning, it is apparently December already—something that hasn't quite sunk in yet, despite the fact that all of my Christmas decorations are up and I've been listening to a ton of Christmas music. I suppose I'll catch up at some point. But today, I'm talking about November's reading. November was...a lot, and as a result, I didn't do a lot of reading, of new books at least. I read some fan fiction and listened to audiobooks often, all rereads. I did read a few new books, though:

The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling: This witchy rom-com was fun and funny and the light, easy read I needed. It starts with a witch and her cousin drunkenly cursing her ex, never thinking they were doing real magic. Fast forward several years, the ex is back in town, and it turns out the curse was quite real. 

Wolves of Kismet series by Sam Burns: I've been reading a lot of Sam Burns's books lately and enjoying them. The three books in this series—in which three wolf shifters and found brothers come together to make a pack and family and find love along the way—were no different, though I would've loved a little more development and a little more wrap up.

​What have you been reading lately?

We're well into autumn here now, which I'm loving since fall is my favorite time of year. I've thrown myself into it completely, baking pumpkin treats and apple cider cinnamon rolls and cooking various soups. My reading was very fall appropriate in October as well. I did relistens of a few favorites, including A Little Familiar by R Cooper and Once Upon a Haunted Moor by Harper Fox, and I've just started my annual autumn relisten of A Discovery of Witches. My other reading in October was a bit witchy too:

A Veiled and Hallowed Eve by Hailey Turner: This one isn't a witch book, but it is a paranormal and I've been looking forward to it, so I grabbed it as soon as it came out this month. This final book in the Soulbound series did not disappoint. It provided a satisfying wrap up of the plot lines in the series, appearances from characters introduced in earlier books, an epic final battle, and a happily ever after for Patrick and Jono. Start at the beginning and binge your way through this one—the books only get better as the series goes on.

Witch Please by Ann Aguirre: I'm a bit conflicted about the book, and I'm not sure how to explain what I didn't care for without lots of spoilers. I did like the set up—small town, a witch who uses her powers to fix electronics, a baker who makes amazing cinnamon rolls and believes he's cursed in love—and the writing and some of the supporting characters, like the baker's sister and stepsister and the coven. But the plot took some turns I'm not sure I care for, and I'll just say the grandmother's actions didn't work for me at all.

Hocus Pocus & The All-New Sequel by AW Jantha: This came out a few years ago, and I always meant to read it because of my love for the movie Hocus Pocus (which, yes, I did watch multiple times in October, why do you ask?). The first half of the book is a novelization of the movies, and the second half is the sequel in which Max and Allison's teenage daughter (after not believing her parents' stories about the Sanderson sisters) goes to the Sanderson house on Halloween with her best friend and the girl she has a crush on and ends up bringing the witches back. It's not a fantastic book, but it's cute and fun for those who enjoy the movie.

Payback's a Witch by Lana Harper: I grabbed this from the library in October and liked it so much I'm going to have to buy it for rereads. This witchy book has all sorts of things I was looking for last month—witches, autumn vibes, great characters, romance. Emmy Harlow isn't a powerful witch and left home years ago after a bad break up to try to make a life for herself outside of magic, but she has to go home now to arbitrate a magical competition between the other founding families. When she arrives, she finds out that the same guy also hurt her best friend and another witch, Talia. The three hatch a plan for vengeance...and Emmy begins to fall for Talia. I definitely recommend this one, and I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.

​What have you read and loved lately?

Happy October, everyone! I'm currently diving back into my favorite fall reads (which I talked about last week) and hoping to find some new ones, but today, it's time to talk about last month's reading. In September, I read several new books that I really enjoyed.

Love Springs Eternal by SJ Himes: This is the fifth book in the Beacon Hill Sorcerer series, and Daniel and Rory's story. Daniel and Rory met a couple of books earlier in the series, and I've been waiting for their story. It definitely didn't disappoint—and it also set up an interesting situation for the next book in the series, which I will be waiting for eagerly! I don't think this book would standalone well, so start at the beginning of the series.

​All Fired Up by Jenn Burke: All Fired Up is the first book in the Ashes & Dust series, a spin-off of her Not Dead Yet series, which I loved. It's taken me far too long to get to this book (stupid pandemic brain not letting me read properly), but I've read it now and I loved the beginning of Evan's story. I can't wait to see what happens next for him. You probably could start with this book, but you'll understand more about the characters and their situations if you go back to Not Dead Yet (which is so good anyway).

Lords of the Underworld series by Sam Burns and WM Fawkes: I binged through the three books in this series (and then Wildfire, the first book out in the spin-off series) very quickly in September. I thoroughly enjoyed this take on Greek gods in the modern world with lots of intrigue, magic, and romance. I'll be impatiently waiting for the next book.

The Affair of the Mysterious Letter by Alexis Hall: This fantasy take on Sherlock Holmes was utterly delightful, just so fun and funny. The Holmes character is an eccentric sorceress and the Watson character a starchy, easily shocked but steadfastly loyal trans man, whose voice as narrator was wonderful. The world building was complex and interesting and the mystery sufficiently twisty. I really wish there were more books with these two characters. I listened to the audio and the narrator was fantastic.

The Wife in the Attic by Rose Lerner: I was intrigued as soon as I heard the premise of this book: an f/f Regency Gothic inspired by Jane Eyre. I listened the audiobook, but it took me a while to get through, and I think it's because I was expecting a romance, and this didn't feel like one, though there is romance in it. It is a very well-written Gothic with all the atmosphere you could expect from one, and I would absolutely recommend it for that.

​What have you read and loved lately?

Happy October, my dears! If you know me at all, you know this is my favorite time of year. And with the state of the world over the last year and a half, I'm very happy to wallow in the joy this season brings me (that fall wreath has been up on my door since just after Labor Day!). I'm ready for pumpkin treats and cozy cardigans, the glorious colors of fall and crackling leaves underfoot, crisp mornings and reading curled up with a blanket and a cup of cocoa. I'm ready to hang up the Halloween lights and paint a pumpkin. I'm also ready for my favorite autumn stories. I don't like horror, but I do love atmospheric reads and witchy books and a bit of spookiness and just the wonderful cozy feel of autumn. I'll be watching Practical Magic and Hocus Pocus and doing rereads of some favorite books that just feel right this time of year:

A Discover of Witches by Deborah Harkness: I listen to the audio of this book every autumn now (and usually end up rolling right into the books that follow in the series after). It's the story of a spellbound witch and a vampire and a mysterious manuscript and has a blend of romance, science, history, and magic that I loved. It's also set at this time of year.

A Little Familiar and Nothing More Certain by R Cooper: These two books are just lovely. All the yearning romance and witchiness and cozy fall feeling. I adore them.

Once Upon a Haunted Moor by Harper Fox: This short is the start to a wonderful series (which I have not read the latest couple of books in because my reading has been a mess lately) with a wonderful romance and a supernatural mystery out on the moor. But I love it this time of year because it's atmospheric and a bit melancholy and just spooky enough for me. 

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas: I read this for the first time last year, and it is an absolute delight. A trans boy trying to show his family he's a brujo like the other men summons the ghost of his cousin, but ends up with the wrong ghost. And then ends up falling in love with him as they try to find out what happened to both Yadriel's cousin and Julian. The narration in the audiobook is wonderful too.

Widdershins by Jordan L Hawk: I started listening to this on my walk this morning for the...I'm not sure what time. I love the whole Whyborne and Griffin series, a wonderful historical paranormal romance series with fantastic characters and world building. 

Hainted by Jordan L Hawk: Hainted is a standalone with lots of creepy supernatural stuff and a lovely romance between two men who know how to lay the restless dead and are in a fight for their lives against evil.

​Do you have any favorite autumn books?

​Summer really flew by, and now we're in September. And honestly, I'm not mad about it. Autumn is my favorite season, and I'm looking forward to some lovely weather and changing leaves and pumpkin everything. But for now, I'll wrap up summer with August's reads. August was not a great reading month for me. I mostly reread some favorites in audio. Other than that, I started several books—a few I'll return to when I'm in the right mood for them and a few just weren't for me—and I read two books for the first time:

Faithless in Death by JD Robb: I'm still reading this series over fifty books in and still enjoying every visit with Eve, Roarke, and the family (if some installments more than others). You can tell the pandemic has messed up my reading habits, though, because I used to read these quickly after they released, and this one came out back in February. But I read it just in time for the new one!

Fluke and the Faultline Fiasco by Sam Burns: I'm really enjoying the Fantastic Fluke series, and this is another great installment. I love how the characters are growing and the storyline is deepening and expanding. And Fluke the fox familiar is all kinds of adorable. Start reading at the beginning of this series to get the most out of it, and then you can join me in awaiting the next book.

What have you read and loved lately?

Happy August, everyone! The world is still a mess and time is passing way too quickly somehow, but it's my birthday month and I'm looking forward to a visit from a dear friend I haven't seen since pre-pandemic times, so it isn't all bad. For now, let's talk books. July was a pretty good reading month for me:

Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell: I listened to the audiobook and didn't love the narration, but otherwise, I really enjoyed this sci-fi romance with it's arranged marriage trope and political intrigue. The main characters were both wonderful, and I loved watching them grow individually and together. Fingers crossed there will be more in this world and of these characters.

Lost and Bound by Eliot Grayson: I enjoyed this latest book in the Mismatched Mates series much more than the previous one. It brings Jared, presumed-dead cousin to the main characters of the first two books, back home and lets us know what really happened to him. Jared and  were both a bit oblivious when it came to their relationship, but I really liked them together, and I'm looking forward to more in the series. I'd start with the first book if you're beginning the series—while each book has a different couple/romance, there's an overarching plot that keeps deepening.

Cinderella is Dead by Kaylynn Bayron: The premise of this f/f YA fantasy is that the Cinderella story is real and has been used to oppress the people of the kingdom. Sophia doesn't want to go along with what she and the other women of the kingdom are being forced into, so she runs from the ball and encounters the last descendant of Cinderella, Constance. Together, they learn what the real story of Cinderella is and set about to change things. (And how gorgeous is that cover?!)

The Wolf Moon Rising series by Sam Burns and WM Fawkes: I binged through the currently published books in this series pretty fast, and I'm no experiencing that phenomenon in which I can't really separate which is which in my mind! I'm really enjoying this shifter series about a wolf pack dealing with a mysterious illness that has been sickening some wolves for the last twenty years or so. Each book is about a different couple, but the overall plot carries over through the series, so start at the beginning with this one. I will sit here and wait for the next book to see what it brings.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid: I've seen a lot of reviews describe this book as light beach reading about the glamour of old Hollywood, but I feel like it's much more than that. Evelyn is a bisexual Cuban woman who reinvents herself and does whatever she has to from the time she's a teenager to become a Hollywood star. She tells the story of the seven men she married and the woman she loved and considered her wife to a journalist she handpicked for reasons that are only revealed at the end of the book. My favorite part was the found family she created with Harry, a producer and gay man who became her best friend.

​What have you read and loved lately?

​June has flown by! So it's time for another mostly reading update. I've continued to listen to a lot of audiobooks, often the only type of reading my brain will focus on (someday, this pandemic-induced reaction will fade...right?), including some rereads: Spectred Isle by KJ Charles, Salt Magic Skin Magic by Lee Welch, and Not Dead Yet by Jenn Burke. I also read some new to me books this month:

Peregrine by Piper Scott and Virginia Kelly: From the beginning of the Forbidden Desires series, Perry has been my favorite character, and I was so excited to read his story. It did not disappoint! Perry and Sebastian have been together and long time, and this weaves together their past and present to give us the story of their romance and push the plot of the series farther in interesting ways. I came out of it adoring Perry even more and loving Sebastian too. I'm not sure how the authors are going to redeem the main characters of the next book after what we learned in this one, but I'm interested to find out.

The Prince and the Dressmaker by Jen Wang: This was a charming, sweet graphic novel with lovely art that enhances the fairy tale feel of the story in which Frances, a dressmaker, gets the opportunity to make gowns for royalty—Prince Sebastian. The characters are both wonderful and so is their relationship and how they help each other be the best versions of themselves. Discussions of gender identity are handled so well, and the end made me happy. I read this on my Kindle, and it worked well enough, but I think I'd love to see the art in print.

Finding the Wolf by Mell Eight: I had an ARC of Finding the Wolf, which was rereleased by NineStar in June. I mostly enjoyed this story. The main characters basically fall in love at first sight, though it might be a magical mate thing (between the dragon shifter and the wolf shifter). My main complaint with the romance is that I wanted more of it! They were very cute together, but I wanted more development. There isn't a lot of focus on the relationship once the book shifts to the fantasy plot. I did enjoy the world building, especially the dragons and their hoards.

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett: A friend read this for her book club and recommended it to me, so I grabbed it from the library (well, I put a hold in and waited for it to appear on my Kindle!). This book is a beautifully written complex family drama that spans years. It begins with twin girls in the town of Mallard where all the residents are Black but so light they might be mistaken for white. The girls run away, and from there, their paths diverge when one sister vanishes into the world to pass for white. The stories twine back together when their daughters meet by chance. Just an excellent, thought-provoking book that deals with so many issues—like racism, colorism, and identity.

Subtle Blood by KJ Charles: I'm not certain I'm at the point where I can do anything except shriek in delight at this book, but I'll try. This is the final book in the Will Darling Adventures (and also an extended world that includes the Think of England books), so don't dive in here—go back to the beginning to understand and appreciate what's going on. I loved every little bit of this (except that it ended!). Will and Kim's relationship development was perfect and gorgeous and so was their character development, as Will finally realized that no, he wasn't as okay as he thought. Everything—relationship, plot of the series, even some reference to characters from past books—wrapped up beautifully. 

The Queer Principles of Kit Webb by Cat Sebastian: This fun, sparkling historical romance is now one of my favorites of Cat Sebastian's. In it, we have a grumpy ex-highwayman getting talked into one last job by a duke's son who looks lovely in the intricate fashions of the 1750s (the highwayman thinks so as well). The duke's son is grappling with family secrets and revelations and looking for justice. And there's plenty of discussion of privilege and classism as well. I'm definitely looking forward to the next book in the series because I still have questions!

​What have you read and loved lately?

I had planned to post an LGBTQ book on social media day in June for Pride Month—and hope I could remember to do it every day!—but I didn't even manage to get started. I decided to do a blog post with some favorite books instead. This was supposed to go up a couple of weeks ago...but my blog seems to have made the post I put together disappear. I almost gave it up until next year, but I decided to try one more time to share some books you might want to add to your TBR. In absolutely no particular order (and certainly not the order I'd written them in last time):

Charm of Magpies series by KJ Charles: I had a lot of trouble deciding which KJ Charles to put on this list—since she is a favorite author and I didn't want to just list all her books—but I adore Lucien and Stephen and the world she created in these historical fantasies, so I went with these. 
Proper English by KJ Charles: I'm adding this one too because this Edwardian country house murder mystery plus f/f romance was delightful, and it starts a series of interconnected books that are all delightful too.
Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas: YA in which a Latinx trans boy wants to prove he's a brujo to his family but summons the wrong ghost...and falls in love with him. 
You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson: Another YA, this one a contemporary f/f romance in which a Black girl is competing to be prom queen (because of the scholarship that comes with it) and falls for a competitor.
Widdershins by Jordan L Hawk: A longtime favorite of mine. Historical paranormal in which an introverted comparative philologist and an extroverted private detective fall in love and build a life in this series, surrounded by magic and mystery and monsters. Plus found family, including a wonderful lady archeologist, and a town I'd love to live in (despite the monsters).
Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall: A lovely rom com with lots of depth in which two guys decide to start fake dating and it becomes very real. My other favorite by this author is Waiting for the Flood, which is shorter and has a very different tone but lovely as well.
Hither, Page by Cat Sebastian: Post World War II cozy mystery set in an English village with an m/m romance between a country doctor and a spy.
The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows by Olivia Waite: And the first book in the series, The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics, as well. Both fantastic f/f historicals. (The third in the series is out, but I haven't read it yet.)
Peter Darling by Austin Chant: A really lovely Peter Pan retelling in which Peter is a trans boy who escapes back to Neverland.
A Little Familiar by R Cooper: Set around Halloween, this is warm and cozy and autumnal and witchy and full of pining. This is my favorite in the series, but the other two books are lovely too. 

I think I listed three times as many books in the original post, but unfortunately, I don't have time to reconstruct it all this time around. I hope you find something new for your TBR, and if you're looking for any of my books, they're 50% off with code PRIDE2021 at NineStar Press through today and will be 50% off at Smashwords in July if you miss the first sale. Happy Pride and Happy Reading!

I meant to write this post a couple of days ago, but the end of May snuck up on me...and I still keep forgetting it's June. I'm sure my brain will catch up one of these days! May was not a great month for me as regards reading new to me books. I reread a bunch in audiobook, starting with a favorite Proper English by KJ Charles, then continuing on through Think of England and the first two books in the Will Darling Adventures because they're all set in the same world and all delightful. (The final book in the Will Darling series releases at the end of this month, so as a bonus, I'm ready for that as well.) Then I binged my way through SJ Himes's Necromancer of Boston series. Audiobooks have been keeping my pandemic brain in stories and occupying me on walks and while cleaning. I read a few books in ebook in May:

Not Your Sidekick by CB Lee: This YA book as been on my Kindle for a while, and I'm happy I finally read it. I could've wished for more world building at times to explain a bit more about this post-apocalyptic world in which some people have superpowers. But generally, I really enjoyed it. The romance between Jess and her crush Abby was adorable, the friend group they belonged to great, and their discoveries about lies in the world they live in interesting. I'll definitely read the rest of the series.

The Frogman and the Spy by Irene Preston and Liv Rancourt: Apparently, it was a month of books about people with superpowers for me? This was a fun addition to the Royal Powers series, with a combination of romance, spies and intrigue, and superpowers. Most books in this series seem to stand alone, so you can jump in here. I haven't read all of the series yet, though I'm sure I'll go back and catch up.

The Alpha Experiment by Eliot Grayson: This book wasn't my favorite of the Mismatched Mates series, but I did still enjoy it. I think Newton was just a little too clueless for a little too long for my taste, and I really wish we'd gotten Colin's point of view—I liked him in previous books and would've liked to have gotten to know him a bit better. That said, I did enjoy this installment of the series, and the end was sweet. I'll definitely be reading the next book in this shifter series (which, I believe, just came out). I'd say start at the beginning of this series to enjoy it the most.

What did you read and love in May?