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 2020 “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.
JESS
A Lord to Love by Sara Dobie Bauer
This is your binge-read pick, your little treat for a rainy afternoon. It’s so sweet and achingly romantic and entirely readable. Classic historical romance tropes never felt so sexy and digestible, even if the history isn’t exactly accurate. A guilty pleasure through-and-through—actually, scrap that. You can’t feel guilty about something this nice!
Dirty Laundry (Tucker Springs #3) by Heidi Cullinan
I’m cheating a little with this pick, since it is a re-release, but I had to pick the best BDSM erotica of the year for my list. This one is so filthy-hot that you might as well only read it alone, and the characters are complex and compelling to boot. Cullinan once again strikes that perfect balance between steam and story.
Heated Rivalry (Game Changers #2) by Rachel Reid
I think this might be one of the best enemies-to-lovers books I have ever read, and it barely even qualifies as part of the subgenre! It’s been a long time since I’ve read a literary pairing with so much charisma, chemistry, and history packed into every interaction. You’ll get so invested in the romance from the very first time you meet them, and you’ll never want to let them go.
Midnight Flit (The Carstairs Affairs #2) by Elin Gregory
This is the historical romance series to keep an eye on. I read this one right after the first (written in 2018) and I’m still eager for more. The setting is so crystal-clear, so belonging to a specific time and place, and the romance is spare, sweet, and oozing with chemistry. This is a total less-is-more read for those who need a little drama and mystery without going over the top.
New Ink on Life (Thorn & Thistle #1) by Jennie Davids
I’ve found the tattoo-shop subgenre a little tired over the past few years, but most of them aren’t done as well as this. The good girl, bad girl dichotomy is presented and picked apart within a slow-burn romance between two complex female characters. Everything falls together so easily that the story flies by before your eyes.
Out of Control: A Gloria Morris Murder Mystery by G.R. Browda
This is one of those books I never expected to love so much. It’s a little out of left field for me, since I don’t read much straight-up crime noir, but it’s so quick and sexy and unique that it has stayed with me all year long. The snappy language and blunt tone separate it from other crime books that take themselves way too seriously.
It would be hard to pick the best K.J. Charles book of all time, but this one might just be up there for me. I’m so glad Charles has dipped into the F/F pool, because the lesfic community is eating this story up, it’s so clever and sensual and well-researched. You wouldn’t expect anything less from Charles. I hope this won’t be her last lady-loving romance!
Raised by Wolves (Underdogs #8) by Geonn Cannon
It wouldn’t be my year-end list if Geonn Cannon didn’t make an appearance! Though this is the whopping eighth book in the shifter/werewolf “Underdog” series, it feels as fresh, fun, and sexy as the first. Cannon has a gift for a good mystery subplot while still developing longtime characters and making room for future conflict. I’ll never get sick of this series if he keeps writing them like this!
The Shooting Season (Resurrectionist #1) by Isobel Starling
This is probably the most on-brand choice for me if you know my reviewing patterns at all. It’s an atmospheric historical mystery set in a big, dark castle with a shadowy love interest and plenty of romantic intrigue. I think it stuck with my most because of the main character, who is so gruff and prickly that he’s the opposite of a traditional romantic hero—until he meets his guy. If you love the genre, it will feel like a big, warm hug on a cold winter’s day.
Wrong Way Home: Taken (Criminal Delights #1) by K.A. Merikan
I always have to have one dirty-bad-wrong pick of the year, and this one goes above and beyond to shock and intrigue. It’s full of questionable morals and seedy characters, but damn it if you aren’t falling for these dysfunctional dudes. I applaud these authors for always taking risks and never using the easy way out. You won’t read anything else like it!