I've spent the entire first week of May reminding myself that it's May—April kind of got away from me. I did read a few fantastic books in April, though. I'm still suffering from a book hangover from one of them!
Death in the Spires by KJ Charles (Historical mystery): I'm trying to think of something to say about this book that isn't jumping up and down and shouting at you to just read it. It's just so so good. First off, Death in the Spires is a mystery not a romance, though it does have a couple of romantic relationships winding through it. Ten years ago, Jem was part of a group of friends who were shining stars at Oxford, until one of them was murdered. Their friendship (and romances) were shattered by what happened that night—and a couple of their lives too, including Jem's. He never finished school and has lost a series of jobs over the years due to the murder. He finally decides he's going to find out who murdered his friend, no matter what the consequences. I enjoyed the mystery, but even more than that, I loved the relationships in this book, learning how they formed, progressed, were destroyed, and might be rebuilt better. Seriously, so very good.
A Taste of Iron and Gold by Alexandra Rowland (M/M fantasy romance): A Taste of Iron and Gold has been on my TBR for a while. I actually started it in audio a while back, but I had to put it aside then, not because it wasn't good, but because the depiction of Kadou's anxiety was a little too much for me (and my anxiety) to deal with at the time. I came back to it and absolutely devoured it in paperback. I did not want to put this book down—I kept sneaking bits of it whenever I could. I loved the romance between Prince Kadou and his bodyguard, the fantasy world inspired by the Ottoman Empire, and the twisty intrigue of the plot.
Emily Wilde's Map of the Otherlands by Heather Fawcett (Historical fantasy romance): This second Emily Wilde book is just as good as the first, the delightful Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries. This book takes us on another research trip with Emily and Wendell, this time accompanied by another professor and Emily's niece/assistant, and continues the story begun in book one. It has the same cozy fantasy feel to it. I adored both the fantasy aspects and the development of Emily's character and her relationship with Wendell. Highly recommended, but start with the first book. I'm eagerly awaiting the next book in the series.
Higher Demon by Louisa Masters (M/M paranormal romance): Higher Demon is the first in a new series, which is a spin off of the author's Ghostly Guardians series. You'll probably enjoy this book more if you've already read that series, though it could maybe be read as a standalone. I thought the original series was a lot fun, and I was excited to hear that the author was going to write this book because the pairing had been set up briefly in the last Ghostly Guardians book. Higher Demon was also a lot of fun. Snarky demon Marc is an utter delight, and I very much enjoyed reading about him and demon hunter Ian reluctantly falling in love. Definitely looking forward to the next in the series.
A Thief and a Gentleman by Arden Powell (M/M historical fantasy romance): A Thief and a Gentlemen is part of the Flos Magicae series, a series of loosely connected though largely standalone fantasy romances set in the 1920s (only there's magic). Every book I've read in the series has had a wonderful blend of romance and magic in the historical setting. This book brings us Morgan—wealthy, risk-averse, staid, and bored—and Sebastian—a charming jewel thief—who were childhood friends and lost touch decades ago. They meet again by chance, and Sebastian proceeds to bring utter havoc to Morgan's life as they fall in love and Sebastian plans a heist with his cat burglar partner. If you've read previous books in the series, you'll recognize some faces, but you can absolutely jump in with this book.
What have you read and loved lately?
RSS Feed