Hello, my darlings! November flew by, and it's time for a new reading recap post. I'm up and down with reading, sometimes unable to focus or get lost in a book, sometimes not in the mood for any book (even though I own a massive number of them!). I did a couple of audiobook rereads in November, and also read some new-to-me books:
A Match Made for Thanksgiving by Jackie Lau: This first book in the Holidays with the Wongs series is set around and at Canadian Thanksgiving. Nick and Lily meet at a bar and have a one night stand the weekend before Thanksgiving. When Nick arrives at his parents' house in his small hometown for the holiday, he finds out that his parents and grandparents have set him and his siblings up with blind dates for Thanksgiving. And Lily is his brother Greg's date. This situation—and the fact that Nick, who doesn't do relationships, hasn't been able to stop thinking about Lily—causes Nick to tell Lily he wants more than just the one night. It's a fun novella with a sweet romance, a wacky meddling family, and some spicy scenes too.
A Rake of His Own by AJ Lancaster: So, I adored this book. It follows after the Stariel Quartet, though as if has its own romance and contained plot, it could probably stand on its own. On the other hand, the Stariel Quartet is really good too, and it gives up the first meeting and interactions between the main characters here: Marcus, a botanist with developing telepathic powers, and Rakken, an arrogant, melodramatic fae prince with a bloody past. When I heard about this book, I was so happy—I wanted these two to have a resolution to their relationship so much. And the book didn't disappoint. Marcus and Rakken are forced to work together solve a mystery that includes murder and lots of intrigue. Their enemies to lovers romance absolutely did not disappoint.
A Thief in the Night by KJ Charles: A Thief in the Night is an Audible Original (ebook to follow in the spring, I believe). As such, it wasn't very long or complex, but it was still a delightful romp of a romance. Toby steals a watch from Miles and later finds himself at the home of an earl looking for work—only the earl turns out to be Miles, newly come into the title in not the best way. There's a search for missing jewels and a little highway robbery, a bit of angst and a lot of comfort and care. I also loved the connection to The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting (Toby is Robin and Marianne's long lost brother).
Tommy Cabot Was Here by Cat Sebastian: This novella, set in the late 1950s, is a gorgeous second chance romance. Tommy is the youngest son of a prominent political family with a bright future ahead of him, until he comes out to his brothers and his family ostracizes him. Tommy runs into Everett—who had been his best friend and more than best friend when they were in boarding school over a decade earlier—when visiting his son at that same school, where Everett now teaches. Everett, in love with Tommy and unwilling to continue to have his hear broken, walked away from him and now has to decide whether to let him back in. Though short, this is heartfelt and warm and just lovely. (Also set in fall and at Thanksgiving, so a seasonally appropriate read!)
Her Naughty Holiday by Tiffany Reisz: One more Thanksgiving read! Clover's family informs her suddenly that she will be hosting the whole family for Thanksgiving several days before the holiday, leaving her freaking out. I'm going to pause and say that Clover's family is horrible—judgmental, pretentious, passive-aggressive, and just awful to her. They do not care that she's built a successful business and owns a lovely home—they only care that she didn't finish college and is not married and having lots of babies. And they never miss an opportunity to tell her what they think. The extent of their awfulness affected how I felt about this book. The premise—Clover asks hot single dad she's had a crush on for a while to be her fake boyfriend for Thanksgiving (and he suggests they have lots of sex until then—like, a lot, be prepared)—sounded fun. And the romance was in a lot of ways. Light, fun, and turning from fake dating to real pretty fast. But the family—the reason for the fake boyfriend—just made me want to scream.
What have you read lately?
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