2010: Favorite Books & Authors (Part II)

The end of the year is here already! It's time to post that pesky list of favorite books and authors.

As you may have noticed, I split my posts and posted my favorite LGBT list separately. This list was originally one, but LGBT took a life of its own, as I had so many favorites in that area. After a while it became obvious that those books should have their own post and I think it worked out better this way.

This year, I'm taking my favorites from 2010 releases only, making my task an easier one. Every year I read both new releases and back list books by new-to-me authors and/or books that have been accumulated in my "TBR" pile. This year was no different, as a matter of fact most of my reading came from my TBR -- I really cleaned up quite a bit! I'll list my favorites in that category (which abound) at the bottom of this post.

Here are my top 5 books and authors for the year:

1. Magic Bleeds (Kate Daniels, Book 4) by Ilona Andrews - Urban Fantasy (2010 Ace)

I chose Magic Bleeds by Ilona Andrews as my top new release of the year back in June, and by end-of-year, that still holds! There was nothing about this book that disappointed me. I loved everything about this story! Kate, Curran, secondary characters, plot and even the romance. This is an urban fantasy series that just gets better as it goes along. I impatiently anticipate the books and know the next one will be just as good or better than the last. The next installment, Magic Slays, releases on May 31, 2011 and I can.not.wait. to read it!

The Ilona Andrews writing team also wrote another book that I thoroughly enjoyed in 2010. Bayou Moon (2010 Ace) was the second book in their Edge fantasy romance series. Their next installment in this series has become another highly anticipated book for me in 2011, taking this prolific writing team to the top of my list for 2010. 

Other Urban Fantasy Favorite read in 2010:
Roadkill (Cal Leandros, Book 5) by Rob Thurman- (2010 Roc)

2. The Iron Duke (Iron Seas, Book 1) by Meljean Brook - Sci-Fi/Fantasy Romance Steam Punk (2010 Berkley Trade)

Last year I fell in love with Meljean Brook's writing, but then I didn't expect that I would be choosing one of her books as my top read in sci-fi/fantasy romance steam punk in 2010. The Iron Duke undoubtedly fits all those categories. This book has the excellent world building, sci-fi and steam punk details, romance and adventure that I love in this type of book, and there's no question that it's at the top of my list.

And I can't mention The Iron Duke without mentioning Here There Be Monsters, the novella included in the Burning Up Anthology (2010 Berkley) that served as an introduction to The Iron Seas series. Talk about wetting the appetite! My only regret is that now I have to wait almost a year for the next book in this series, making the next installment one of my most anticipated books of 2011!

However, that's not all when it comes to this author. She also writes one of my two top favorite paranormal romance series, The Guardian Series. I loved catching up to the last book and everyone knows I couldn't stop recommending it. Demon Forged, Book 5 (2009 Berkley) and her latest release, Demon Blood, Book 6 (2010 Berkley) were favorites, making Meljean Brook a "must read" author for me.

3. Play of Passion (Psy/Changeling, Book 9) by Nalini Singh  - Fantasy Romance/Paranormal (2010 Berkley)

Nalini Singh has been a favorite writer in this category for a long, long time. This is one of my long-time favorite paranormal romance series, and I'm happy to say that it still holds. This year, Ms. Singh released two books. I really enjoyed the first book, Bonds of Justice, Book 8. But then, I read Play of Passion, Book 9 and had no other choice but to give it a top spot on my list! I haven't written a review for this book yet, but I can tell you that I loved, loved the romance, both Indigo and Drew were excellent, strong characters and the book as a whole was tough to put down.  I can't wait for Hawke and Sienna's book, Kiss of Snow which releases in June 2011!

4. Wicked Intentions (Maiden Lanes, Book 1) by Elizabeth Hoyt - Historical Romance (2010 Grand Central Publishing)

Wicked Intentions (Maiden Lanes, Book 1) by Elizabeth Hoyt was a passionate and dark piece that reminded me why it is that I love Ms. Hoyt's writing. I loved the setting and atmosphere, the assorted and intriguing secondary characters, the passionate romance and the plot from beginning to end. I can't wait to read Notorious Pleasures, the second installment in the Maiden Lane series, which releases in February 2011, and am hoping for more of that same slightly Gothic(ky) feel.

5. Love in the Afternoon (The Hathaways, Book 5) by Lisa Kleypas - Historical Romance (2010 St. Martin's Press)

If Wicked Intentions is the beginning of a series, Love in the Afternoon is an ending. If Wicked Intentions is stark and dark, then Love in the Afternoon is romantic and sweet. These two books are quite different, yet they both reached me in the historical romance category.

Lisa Kleypas released two historical romance books this year, and they were both related to the Hathaway series. The first, Married by Morning (The Hathaways, Book 4), was Leo and Catherine Marks' story and boy did I enjoy that book. I loved Leo! But then the following month, came Love in the Afternoon, (The Hathaways Book 5). Beatrix was the one character that had intrigued me from the get go and as it turned out, her story was worth the wait for me. I loved the sweet romance (the letters), the characters and the way Kleypas ended this series.

Interesting, right? So many different categories read, yet the books on my top five this year are limited to four categories. I was not only surprised by this turn of events, but also by the fact that my top read from the new releases was urban fantasy and not romance. Plus, I don't have any contemporaries up there, and believe me, I read plenty of them this year! What happened? Most of my favorite romances came from back list reading and were released in previous years. See my list below:

1. Courting Miss Hattie by Pamela Morsi - 1991 Historical Romance/Americana
2. The Endearment by Lavyrle Spencer - 1982 Historical Romance/Americana
3. Games of Command by Linnea Sinclair - 2007 Sci-Fi Romance
4. Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie - 2000 Contemporary Romance
5. Last Days of Summer by Steve Kluger - 2007 Young Adult Historical Fiction
6. Years by Lavyrle Spencer - 1986 Historical Romance/Americana
7. Morning Glory by Lavyrle Spencer - 1989 Historical Romance/Americana
8. Moonstruck by Susan Grant - 2008 Sci-Fi Romance
9. See Jane Score by Rachel Gibson - 2003 Contemporary Romance
10. Vengeance in Death by J.D. Robb - 1997 Sci-Fi Romance/Police Procedural 

That does it for me. 2010 brought some excellent surprises and a few disappointments, but best of all there were good, solid books and time for reading and enjoying them. I hope yours was just as good as mine. Now, I'm looking forward to those 2011 reads!

2010 LGBT: Favorite Books & Authors

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. We are having a snow storm/blizzard today, so we missed having a "white Christmas" by one day! I've been reading and enjoying my days off... relaxing mainly. I hope you are all doing the same after the holidays. Since there is less than a week left to the year, I decided to go ahead and begin recapping 2010 and am beginning with a sub-genre that I love.

2010 was an interesting year for me when it comes to LGBT. I didn't read as many M/M Romance books as I did last year even though I have books galore in my TBR pile! However, that's not to say I didn't read LGBT, I did! Plenty. But, I seemed to have veered in a different direction and read more speculative fiction -- fantasy, horror -- mysteries and anthologies/collections. Of course I also read romance and erotica, how could I not, and those categories are also represented here. I love the fact that LGBT has it all! So, it shouldn't be a surprise that I've included all those categories on my list of favorite authors and works this year.

Sandra McDonald - LGBT Speculative Fiction

Sandra McDonald wrote one of my favorite speculative fiction books of 2010. Diana Comet and Other Improbable Stories was a new 2010 release by Lethe Press Books. This is a book that stayed with me after I turned that last page. As a matter of fact I truly couldn't put it away and re-read it almost immediately. I loved the fantasy world, the unique characters, plus the circumstances that McDonald created for this collection of stories. 

As an interesting aside, and unrelated to LGBT, this year I also enjoyed the first book in McDonald's Sci-Fi/Fantasy series, The Outback Stars (another genre I love!), so you know this is an author that I will definitely look for in the future.

Other Favorites:

• A Strong and Sudden Thaw by R.W. Day - 2009 Lethe Press Books
• Pumpkin Teeth by Tom Cardamone - 2009 Lethe Press Books
• Vintage: A Ghost Story by Steve Berman - 2008 Lethe Press Books

Timothy Lambert and R.D. Cochrane - LGBT Romance

In the LGBT romance category there's no question that I have one favorite this year, and that's an anthology. If you visit my blog regularly, you might have noticed the February LOVE blitz that occurred around here for Fool for Love: New Gay Fiction edited by Timothy Lambert and R.D. Cochrane. This book was a 2009 release by Cleis Press that I read in 2010. There are short stories by different authors with different styles of writing, but I can tell you this much, I loved it so much that I read it and re-read it for three full months, from January through March. And, I still go back to the book and read certain stories every so often.

So it's tough to choose one author as a favorite here. I loved them ALL. Instead in this category, I'm choosing the editors for putting together an amazing group of writers and stories: Timothy J. Lambert and R.D. Cochrane.

Other favorites:

• Henry and Jim by J.M. Snyder - 2010 JMS Books LLC
• His for the Holidays by Gregg, Fox, Maxfield, Lanyon - 2010 Carina Press
• Cheating Chance by James Buchanan - 2008 Torquere Press

Josh Lanyon - M/M Romance Mysteries

And who else would I mention in this category, but the Andrien English Mysteries by Josh Lanyon? Talk about addiction! I became so addicted to this series that I read and re-read these books over and over again during what I termed my Adrien English Obsessive Cycle. After that, well... I've tried to read as many of Mr. Lanyon's books as possible, both TBR reads and new releases. And still, I can't say that I've been disappointed.

My other absolute favorite book in this category is also by Mr. Lanyon: Somebody Killed His Editor: Holmes and Moriarity, Book 1. There are still more than a few books in that TBR, but you know that I'll get to them in 2011.

Adrien English Mysteries - 2007/2009 Loose ID LLC
Somebody Killed His Editor: Holmes and Moriarity - 2009 Samhain Publishing, Ltd

Gavin Atlas - LGBT Erotica

In this category my top read this year was another 2010 new release by Lethe Press Books, The Boy Can't Help It: Sensual Stories of Young Bottoms by Gavin Atlas. This was an excellent collection of Mr. Atlas' works, featuring erotic fantasies and highlighting his writing style. And, although I read a few other anthologies, and single books in this category that were good or excellent, this is the book that stayed with me throughout the year. There are still single stories in this book that I revisit from time to time. ;P

Other Favorites:

• Best Gay Erotica 2010 edited by Richard Labonté selected by Blair Mastbaum - Favorite story Smoke and Semen by Jeff Mann - 2009 Cleis Press

Who were your favorite LGBT authors of 2010? How about your favorite books?

Holiday Reads!

Well is everyone ready for the holidays? I hope you all have the best of holidays with your families. I'm preparing myself for a few days of rest and relaxation, and am hoping for a quiet celebration with friends and family.

December has not been a great reading month for me, so hopefully this next week will yield a few hours where I can sneak away and read a few Christmas or holiday-themed books. I'm in the mood for those this year.

I'm planning to read, or re-read some old favorites and/or books that I've had in my TBR for a while. 

• A Christmas Promise by Mary Balogh will definitely be a re-read! I read it back in November when it was first re-released and recommended it as an excellent read. This is a Christmas historical romance full of family joy, warmth and traditions. I think this magical story should really be enjoyed during this week and plan to do so. 

You can read a full review of this book here.

• Next on my list is a book that I first read about two years ago in 2008. A Virgin River Christmas by Robyn Carr is a short story that truly embodies everything you'll find in that series: strong females, dedicated male characters with a service or military background and healing storylines. This was the first story I read by Robyn Carr and the one that "hooked" me into reading her Virgin River contemporary romance series. 

You can find an excellent review by JillD who reviewed this novella recently at Romance Rookie.

As far as new reads are concerned, there are two on my Kindle that I hope to read this weekend. These are books that were previously released, but that I'm getting to now:

• Under the Mistletoe by Mary Balogh is a collection of short Christmas novellas and one of those older Signet releases by this author that I've been wanting to read for a while. I'm sure that some of stories will be better than others, but since this is Balogh and I love her 'true to period' writing style, I'm really looking forward to reading them. The short format to the single stories are perfect for this week. I can read one or two and continue if there are interruptions. Perfect! 

For this book I found an excellent review by The Romance Reader for you. Or you can always check out  different opinions at Goodreads. 

• The Heart of Christmas with Mary Balogh, Nicola Cornick and Courtney Milan is a book I featured last year as one I wanted to read. Well, this was one of those books that I never got to, and I'm definitely reading this year! These three wonderful writers are not to be missed, and I hope to enjoy every single story. 

There are many reviews for this book and most of them seem to be on the positive side. Here is one by AnimeJune from Gossamer Obsessions.

• For those of you who love the LGBT M/M romance sub-genre, I cannot recommend enough the His for the Holidays anthology featuring Mistletoe at Midnight by LB Gregg, Nine Lights Over Edingburgh by Harper Fox, I Heard Him Exclaim by Z.A. Maxfield and Icecapade by Josh Lanyon. There's something for everyone in there. I don't know if I'll have the time to re-read this whole anthology, but I'll sure try to at least re-read one or two of my favorite stories. Complete review here. 

My plans seem overly ambitious and I just noticed Baloghs are prominently featured! But hey... I do love her writing and her Christmas stories. What are you planning to read over the Christmas holidays? Romance? Paranormal? Sci-Fi? Urban Fantasy? Or like me, are you hitting the those holiday-themed stories?

Retro-Review: A Duke of Her Own by Eloisa James

This is one of those retro-reviews I promised to post once in a while, this is the perfect time for me! Eloisa James is an author whose historical romances I enjoy -- some books and series more than others. I waited a long time for Villiers story and this was my review of the book when it was released.

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A Duke of Her Own is the last installment in Eloisa James' Desperate Duchesses historical romance series. This is the story that we have all been waiting for -- we finally find out what happens to Leopold Dautry, the Duke of Villiers. He is one of the most interesting characters of this series and one I fell in love with from the first.

In Desperate Duchesses, Villiers was portrayed an arrogant Duke with a dismissive and cynical outlook for the ton I couldn't help but admire. He was a man of contradictions who seemed to care much for his outward appearance; a true rake who didn't think twice about having illegitimate children with his mistresses, and an egotistical chess player who thought he was the best and didn't have a problem saying so. Our Villiers didn't have the best of profiles, but he seemed to have the sex appeal and fire to attract the Georgian ladies like months to a flame. Yet, he disdained those around him. The more he was admired, the more cynical he became. How could I not be intrigued?

As the series progresses, our not-so-pretty and not-so-nice hero is jilted by two different fiancés. He thinks love is for fools and it's not something he wants in his life. By this point I just think Leopold deserves some love, weather he wants it or not.

Our story in A Duke of Her Own begins right after Villiers makes the decision to raise his six illegitimate children (yes, six!) under the Ducal roof. In order to achieve this, he needs a wife quickly -- one willing to take on his illegitimate children and strong enough to face down the ton. Only a Duke's daughter will do for him and only two are eligible.

Eleanor, the Duke of Montague's daughter, is both beautiful and intelligent. She is also a woman whose heart was broken at a young age and who thinks she's still in love with her old beau, a man who is now married. She once said she would only marry a Duke and now one is available -- her family is putting on the pressure.

After a first meeting full of sharp, witty dialogue and some excellent sexual tension, Villiers decides that Eleanor will do. Especially since he's under the impression she is his only hope. Leopold wants to make her his fiancé immediately, but she declines and lets him know that there is one other woman who qualifies. Eleanor convinces Leopold, he must meet this woman before making a final decision in regards to the betrothal.

Lisette, daughter to the Duke of Gilner, resides in the country and never comes to town. It is rumored that she's mad. A house party is quickly planned and all our characters retire to the Duke of Gilner's residence. Lisette is a beautiful woman who seems to have a disregard for the manners and restrictions of the ton. She works closely with an orphanage, loves children and seems to possess a vivid imagination. Villiers is immediately taken with her.

There is also an ongoing storyline that pertains to a search for two of Villiers' illegitimate children. Lisette's charity work with the local orphanage makes this a convenient trip for our hero. The children play an important part in this story, with Tobias, his eldest son, as a somewhat key player. Tobias and Eleanor's sister turned out to be my favorite secondary characters.

Once they are all gathered in the country, the story gets interesting. Sparks fly between Leopold and Eleanor... the passion between them is sizzling and I enjoyed every one of their scenes together. Eleanor is sexy and smart but her 'blind love' for that old flame gets old after a while. As a couple, these two are a pair of flawed characters whose wit and passion outweigh their insight and judgment.

I had fun with this book. Villiers was not the keenest of men when it came to understanding women or children, and he knew it. He admitted it to all and sundry and still went ahead and made one mistake after another. As his young son Tobias told him, he was "such an ass!"  I still liked him even though I thought his future Duchess forgave him too quickly. She should have made him beg for at least a year!

The edginess I found in Villiers' character at the beginning of the series was mostly gone by the end of the series. He was a reflection of the man we first met in Desperate Duchesses. Ms. James developed his character throughout this long series and his growth and change took place slowly throughout. In the end, I found myself liking Villiers, but not quite loving his character as much as I did in the beginning. I missed that edge.

All in all this was a good Georgian romp, with a full set of great characters and quite a few enjoyable moments for me. A nice ending to a long series, I give this one a B.

Complete series:
Desperate Duchesses
An Affair Before Christmas
Duchess by Night
When the Duke Returns
This Duchess of Mine
A Duke of Her Own

Visit the author here. Read an excerpt here.

Originally posted at Musings of a Bibliophile September 5, 2009

Review: Marry Me by Jo Goodman

HER HEART WAS LOCKED AWAY

Rhyne Abbott is fierce, brave, and used to a life of isolation on her father's spread on the outskirts of Reidsville, Colorado. But when, overcome with sickness, she collapses, she knows she must return to town if she is to have any hope of recovery. Only there is no place for her but the new doctor's home, and he wants more than just to heal Rhyne. He wants her hand in marriage.

UNTIL ONE MAN FOUND THE KEY

Doctor Cole Monroe's hands are already more than full with his orphaned little sister to look after, and yet somehow he can't resist the magnetic pull of Rhyne's bewitching eyes—or her tempting kiss. But convincing her to trust him won't be easy. For Rhyne's heart needs as much tender care as her ailing body. And the only cure is the thing she most fears: to let herself fall in love...

I first became acquainted with Reidsville when I read Joe Goodman's Never Love a Lawman in 2009 and couldn't wait to get back there again. I loved revisiting the small mining town of Reidsville, Colorado in the 1800's with all its unusual characters and circumstances, by reading Marry Me. I must point out that although these two books are set in the same town with some characters introduced in the first book, Marry Me can be read as a stand alone novel without a problem.

In 1884, Doctor Coleridge Monroe and his teenage sister Whitley move from New York City to the small town of Reidsville, after receiving and agreeing to a probationary contract with the town for a one year period to become the town Doctor. Cole is a first rate doctor with research experience, and huge responsibilities when it comes not only to the town, but also to his orphaned little sister. Whitley is a spunky, smart young woman with an amusingly deceitful nature who loves her brother above all else. 

While out on a medical visit to the outliers in the mountains with deputy Will Beatty, -- that 'no account Beatty boy' -- Cole comes across an unusual set of circumstances. He meets a young woman in trouble, and with the help of Sheriff Wyatt and his wife Rachel, he takes this young woman home to care for her until she's fully healed. Later, he offers her a job as housekeeper and companion to his troublesome sister Whitley setting up the stage for the romance.

Of all those unusual characters in Reidsville, our female protagonist Rhyne, turns out to be the most extraordinary of them all. She's a deeply troubled young woman when we first meet her having experienced some deeply traumatizing events. Rhyne's change is a slow process throughout the story and I love how the layers to her character are pealed back and how she evolves as a person. Cole and Rhyne fall in love slowly, everything between them developed through trust and friendship first and then on to passion and love. Jo Goodman really took her time exploring these characters and their motivations in this story, so that the reader gets a complete and well-rounded character in the end.

Once Rhyne and Cole fall in love, he wants to marry her. But one of Rhyne's problems is that she doesn't believe she's good enough for Cole because of her upbringing and what she sees as class differences. Goodman addresses these differences and how they are viewed in a small western town like Reidsville. Cole in the meantime explains to Rhyne the "simple premise" behind why he thinks people marry:

That people marry because they find someone they can imagine sharing their life with. Love is part of it, an important part, especially in the beginning, but there must also be admiration and respect, a willingness to act in concert, and an appreciation that sometimes one must act alone. There are mutual interests and separate ones. I've always thought of it as a dance. A complicated one. Missteps. Mis-cues. But in the end, I am convinced if they both hear the same music, it's a satisfying arrangement.

The excellent character development includes Whitley as a key secondary character with depth. I loved her. The dialogue in this book is full of witty moments provided by Rhyne and Cole. However, Whitley also provides much of the amusement throughout the story. She definitely put a smile on my face more than once. Characters from the previous book, Never Love a Lawman, play significant roles without overwhelming the story, as do Reidsville's citizens. And new secondary characters are introduced, including the villain of the piece.

I thoroughly enjoyed this romance. It was well written with well developed three dimensional central characters, and a story that is well-balanced between deeply troubling subjects, romance and humor. All of it kept me reading until that last page. I particularly enjoyed the intimate moments between Rhyne and Cole, as well as the medical sleuthing and problem solving that went with it. 

The storyline involving Rhyne's father was interesting with a good resolution. A thread involving Rhyne's background was left hanging towards the end of the epilogue that had 'unecessary sequel bait' written all over it. Fortunately this was a small enough niggle not to bother me overmuch, and Marry Me turned out to be a highly enjoyable historical romance. 

Genre: Historical Romance
Series: Reidsville Series
Released: December 1, 2010
Grade: B

Never Love a Lawman
Marry Me

Visit Jo Goodman here.