Happy April, my darlings! I hope March treated you well and brought you many books you loved. Here's what I read last month:
The Tarot Sequence and The Eidolon by KD Edwards (urban fantasy with m/m romance): This series has been on my radar for a while, and I finally binged through the three books that have been released in the main series plus the first book in the related Magnus Academy series in audio. And loved them. And now must wait as patiently as I can for the next book in the series because I need to know what happens. I don't read much urban fantasy—I'm always looking for more romance and more character development. While I would have loved more page time for the romance in this series (because it's wonderful), I adore the characters and their dynamic with each other and the found family they build through these books. As the series continued, the world building deepened and plot twists popped up, and very much need to know how certain things are going to be resolved!
The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by KJ Charles (historical m/m romance): I cannot tell you how excited I was for a new KJ Charles book, and it absolutely lived up to all my expectations. Gareth and Joss had a brief affair in London, which left them both hurt and bitter. Just as it ends, the heartbreakingly lonely Gareth finds out his estranged (and frankly horrible) father has died and left him property and the title of baronet, so he goes out to Romney Marsh to claim it. He doesn't expect to meet Joss again there (and their reunion does not go so well!). Joss is an incredibly overworked smuggler and head of a smuggling family (sort of—everyone is afraid of his mother, who I could not stand, and who asserts her authority to incredibly poor results), who has nothing for himself alone. The romance between the two is lovely and sweet, and the shenanigans and mystery they find themselves involved in are absorbing and twisty.
Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree (cozy fantasy with f/f romance): I am very excited for this newish (or maybe new to me?) sub-genre of cozy fantasy—low stakes, cozy vibes, fantasy. (I think my The Merchant's Love would count as cozy fantasy, though I didn't know that's what I was writing five years ago!) Anyway, Viv is an orc who has decided to leave behind a life of fighting and adventuring to open the first coffee shop the city of Thune has ever had. And that's what happens. Along the way, she makes connections and creates a lovely found family (and there is a sweet slow burn romance going on mostly in the background) while dealing with some obstacles that pop up in her way. The characters are wonderful (Thimble must be protected at all costs!), and the descriptions of baked good will make you hungry. I adored this book.
Heart Haunt Havoc by Freydis Moon (horror/paranormal with trans m/nonbinary romance): If you know me, you know that horror is very much not my thing. This skirted right up to the line of what works for me and what would make me put the book in the freezer. An exorcist is hired by a witch to cleanse their haunted house of ghouls and ghosts. In the process, Colin uncovers secrets that Bishop, the owner of the house, would prefer remain hidden, and they stumble into a romance. There's a lot packed into this short novel. Examinations of love and grief, complicated relationships with religion. The descriptions were vivid and the writing atmospheric. The romance was almost gentle and soft, and gave the impression that the characters fit perfectly.
What have you read and loved lately?
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