It’s that time of year again people. The time where we, the voracious and obsessive readers of LGBTQ romance, look back and reflect on what an amazing year of books it’s been. If you’re anything like us then you’re already compiling your 2018 “To Read” list, but first, let’s share some of our favourite books from the year just gone.

Over the next few weeks we’ll be posting our top reads of the year. Please feel free to tell us your own favourites, or simply comment on our choices.

One commenter from each of these posts will win a $5 store credit with Dreamspinner Press.

 

DAN

Finding A Tomorrow by Kathleen Kerridge

What a phenomenal book. After something horrific has happened, a man rents a room in a seedy part of town where he can overdose on over-the-counter-drugs and whiskey. He feels he can’t go on. He wakes up in the hospital. It was all for nothing. Some obtrusive bastard called the police and ambulance and saved his life. Interfering jerk. I loved this story. It is quite dark. Along the way through the story there is despair, attempted suicide, mental illness, some details of the horrific event I mentioned above…which included some severe man on man domestic abuse, and there is a major health crisis.

I really enjoy this author’s stories, and can’t wait for more!

 

The Chains of Their Sins (Taking Shield #4) by Anna Butler

I’ve loved the Taking Shield books, and The Chains of Their Sins was no exception. We rejoined the story of our heroes, Shield Captain Bennet and Flynn, just as Bennet is assigned as a Captain on his father’s dreadnought, Gyrfalcon. Those of you who’ve read along will remember the Gyrfalcon, and both Bennet and Flynn. For those of you who haven’t read this book and the author’s previous books, if you’re a science fiction lover, then you’ve missed a good series. Start with book one and work your way through them before the next installment comes out. That’s right, I said next installment. There is a teaser at the end of this one for book five, Day of Wrath. I almost wish there wasn’t because I’m still tapping my foot waiting for the next one!

Could You Love An Apple? (Love Stories #2) by Becky Jerams

I’ll be honest, I was a little hesitant about picking up a 546-page book, but then I remembered book one in this series, Reasons To Love A Nerd Like Me, and how much I enjoyed that one. In Could You Love an Apple? we catch up with the bully from the first book, Taylor Raven, on his continuing journey through life. Taylor is now at a new school, where he hasn’t made any friends and he suffers from self-worth issues from the horrible things he did when he was a bully. He has started frequenting an out of the way little run down pub on the outskirts of the town he is now living in. It just might have something to do with the ginger behind the bar, or more accurately in the kitchen of the pub. Benjamin Apple’s family owns the pub, which is struggling to survive.

Ms. Jerams wrote an interesting and fast-moving story, and it kept me reading straight through. Her characters feel very real, as does the story.

Blood of the Past (Chronicles of an Earned #5) by Meraki P. Lyhne

Gargoyle Rising (Chronicles of an Earned #6) by Meraki P. Lyhne

I’m currently reading along with two series from this author, and it is a toss-up which I consider the better series. That said, these two books were some of my favorites from either series. These are the fifth and sixth books in an interconnected, non-standalone series about a race called the Earned and how they live amongst us and serve.

If you like alternate reality type books with some magic, hidden secret Orders, Demigods, Witches, and even Angels thrown in, I think you’ll like this one. Give it a try…but beware…this author is the king of dramatic cliffhangers and I highly recommend you read the entire series in order so you don’t miss anything!

 

Child of Night and Day (Champion of the Gods #4) by Andrew Q. Gordon

I love a long book, and this one sure fit the bill! It wasn’t a book that could be rushed. Andrew Q. Gordon has written an epic fantasy series, and this fourth book again proved what a master he is at fantasy storytelling. The depth of the world building and characters continued, which I would expect since I read somewhere that he wrote the entire series at one time and has since edited and made it into 5 distinct books. This was number 4. Because it is number 4 in a 5 book series, you definitely can’t just jump in here and read the story. This installment was not a standalone in my opinion, because you need the background to follow along with the very large cast of characters, countries, etc., contained in the story. In the fourth installment, we are again focused on Farrell who continued to grow into his powers. There are secrets revealed, and some folks thought long dead turn up. The 6 Gods are still holding back on too much information so that the 7th God, the bad guy, can’t get involved directly.

The conclusion to the story is supposedly coming out in early 2018, but I haven’t heard any updates on that. I’m hoping it is soon!

 

Laurent and the Beast (Kings of Hell MC #1) by K.A. Merikan

My Dark Knight (Kings of Hell MC #2) by K.A. Merikan

On Your Knees Prospect (Kings of Hell MC #3) by K.A. Merikan

I thought I knew which series of this writing team was the best, and that it would be hard for them to top it. OMG, did they ever top it. Laurent and the Beast is my favorite EVER book from K.A. Merikan and the other two in the series are right behind it in my ranking. In my opinion, this series has everything. Time Travel, Demons, Ghosts, and a Motorcycle Club. What more could you ask for?

Now I’m here eagerly awaiting another book in the series. I love these ladies and their stories!

 

Skin Puppet (Reightman & Bailey #3) by Jeffery Craig

This is the third book in Jeffery Craig’s Reightman & Bailey series, and I’ve got to tell you I really like these characters and the things they get up to! This current installment deals with children disappearing, and with the shadowy world of child sex slavery, but it does it in a slightly distanced way for the most part. There are a couple child deaths and abuses, but otherwise it is kept mostly ‘off camera’. I think the author did a good job with that. We, the readers, know what is going on, and we suspect we know who is behind it, but with a couple of exceptions, we don’t hear a lot about the actual abuse. I’m going to have to admit that I only vaguely suspected the actual perpetrator, who wasn’t revealed until the end of the book. Good job Mr. Craig keeping me guessing.

 

When Heaven Strikes by F.E. Feeley JR

“You can be anyone you want to be and do anything you want to do, Anderson. Not everything is a phase. Remember that.”

When Heaven Strikes is the story of two men, Ted Armstrong and Anderson Taylor. Ted is the product of religious child abuse. He grew up being told that ‘gay’ was wrong and he was going to Hell. It has warped the man and diminished his feelings of self-worth. He is a gifted artist, but doubts himself. When he meets a woman named Eleanor, things will change. Anderson is the product of a well to do family and has an awesome grandmother named Eleanor who spoke that line I started with above.

Mr. Feeley is a gifted author. I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

Summoner’s Dance (Elements of Dragonis #3) by Hannah Walker

I’ve been waiting for this book, and jumped on it as soon as I learned it was out. I’ve loved this series and the world that Ms. Walker has created. I love the dragons and other characters. My most favorite though is the young dragon Frode. I adore this character. We need more Frode in the future. Please, please, please make it happen Ms. Walker!

I enjoyed this quite long story. There is a ton of stuff crammed into the one book, and I’m not sure that it might not have almost been two books. I’m pretty sure the characters kept talking in the author’s head, and forcing her to keep adding to the story, so we’ll forgive her. I adored this book and series, and very highly recommend all three of them to anyone who enjoys a good dragon tale, with magic and good versus evil plot lines.