Welcome to the Love Bytes Reviewers’ Best of 2021
Another year has passed in which books have brought all of us a much needed escape and sense of comfort. Our Love Bytes team reviewed approximately 1,300 LGBTQ+ books in 2021, from contemporary romance to fantasy, paranormal, historical, adventure, mystery, comedy and everything in between. Each day for the next few weeks, we will feature one of our reviewers’ top picks from books and audiobooks published in 2021. These lists highlight how diverse our tastes in reading are, and offer something for everyone. With thousands of fantastic new books each year, written by hundreds of creative and talented authors, it’s so difficult to narrow our lists down. We all have many favorite authors not featured here and wish we could acknowledge them all.
Valerie’s 2021 Favorites
In no particular order…
Where There’s a Will by Jessie Walker
The most heart-wrenching book on my list.
Where There’s a Will is an extraordinary novel, as close to perfect as any book I’ve read. Its rawness lends an authenticity that makes it read like an autobiography rather than a work of fiction. Jessie Walker – astoundingly, a first-time novelist – makes the agony of grief, substance abuse, addiction, suicide, and child abuse feel like it’s a first hand experience. Amidst a poignant love story, there’s a shocking amount on loss – of life, innocence, friendship, and humanity – but there’s an even greater amount of love and hope to keep the book from falling over the precipice into darkness. This is part one of two, which is due out this winter. I can’t recommend this book highly enough.
End of the Line and Lost at the Crossing (Rail Riders Series) by Nicky James
A great combo of adventure and angst.
End of the Line is truly one of the most outstanding novels I’ve read. It’s an epic adventure with a whole lot of action, a beautiful love story, and ride-or-die friendships. It’s intense and exhilarating, heartbreaking and heartwarming all at once as freight hoppers, Killian and friends, take newcomer Leo under their wings to help him escape his past. The adrenaline rush is real. Between the rich characterization and the vivid imagery as the rail riders travel across Canada, this is an immersive experience. Book two, Lost at the Crossing, ups the angst as Tyler goes to extraordinary lengths to find his lost friend, Elian, and Elian pulls himself through tragic life circumstances with remarkable courage and fortitude. An important theme in both books is the strength of found family – the tight bonds of these friends who ultimately provide the unconditional love and support they all need.
The Formicary Duet: Chrysalis and Cross by S.E. Harmon
This duet is an amazing thriller from the very first page. It’s brimming with mystery, suspense and intrigue. It’s terrifying at times, amusing at others, and beneath it all, it’s about making the right choices – hard choices – in the name of love. I fell in love with wry, courageous Christian and the love of his life, sweet, caring Gray. I couldn’t wait for the conclusion in Cross to discover how they would overcome the most insurmountable circumstances to find their happiness. Count on a fascinating sci-fi element and scorching hot sexy times.
Bossy by N.R. Walker
This book is SEXY! It’s a low angst, steamy love story about two Australian men who come to realize they want much more than superficial, no strings attached sex – they want the forever and always, something that never interested them before. I adore Michael and Bryce – there’s something magical about these men when they’re together; it’s a visceral attraction with an ethereal quality.
Charles and Sol (Learning to Love Series) by Con Riley
Charles and Sol are beautiful hurt/comfort novels that are thoughtful and tender, intimate, and at times, hilarious. Charles and his love interest, Hugo, are utterly endearing – independently, together, and with the young children at the school where they both work in Cornwall, England. They meet at a time when they’re both struggling to find their places in the world. Sol is a powerful second-chance romance about Sol, another teacher at the school, and his former boyfriend, Jace, who are reunited at a time when Sol is struggling to raise his teenaged nephew, Cameron. The school and its children are an integral part of the books, and the philosophy on child-led, experiential learning resonated strongly with me. Con Riley has done a masterful job creating sympathetic main characters and an outstanding supporting cast.
Beautifully Unexpected by Lily Morton
This is a profound love story and sublime romantic comedy in one. It’s one of the sweetest and most compelling books I’ve read in ages. This is the story of two middle aged men who are specifically not looking for love. Lily Morton’s trademark humor and off-the-charts banter is well-balanced with a degree of tension – the sense there’s heartbreak to come – and enough angst to squeeze more than a few tears from me near the end. Mags and Laurie’s relationship unfolds naturally from strangers to companions to casual lovers, and falling in love creeps up on them without their consent. I cannot express how much I love this endearing book.
Fools (Licking Thicket #3) by Lucy Lennox and May Archer
Everyone in Licking Thicket loves dairy farmer and proud pig parent, Dunn Johnson who’s incredibly, frustratingly oblivious to the fact that he’s in love with his lifelong best friend, Tucker Wright, the town doctor. His pathological cluelessness is the clever foundation for the plot of Fools. What sets this book apart – and the authors themselves – is the exceptional writing quality, the highly developed, quirky characters, and the brilliantly executed humor. Fools is literally the funniest– and most fun – MM book I’ve ever read.
Long Way Home – Audiobook by Nicky James (author) and Nick J. Russo (narrator)
I could easily comprise half of my Best of List with Nicky James’ books but I’m trying to limit myself. Long Way Home is the hardest – and thus one of the most rewarding – novels I’ve ever listened to. My heart was in my throat repeatedly for the heartbreak between Owen and Gavin over a period of many years; for the tragedies of war Gavin suffered and the repercussions in his day-to-day life; and for losses elsewhere, including the loss of innocence of the boys they once were. Nicky and Nick J. Russo are both immensely talented artists: Nicky crafts stories and characters beautifully – her pages are the canvas for her words – and Nick brings them to life with his highly skilled voice acting, delivering a wide array of emotions accurately. This is a not to be missed book – in print or audio – if you love to suffer along with beloved fictional characters.
Red Dirt Heart Series Collection by N.R. Walker
I eagerly revisited the brilliant Red Dirt Heart series when it was re-released as a collection in 2021. It’s an immensely enjoyable epic spanning – with the epilogue – nearly twenty-five years. The collection features adventure, deep character development of both primary and secondary characters, and a beautiful love story of two men destined for each other. Charlie owns one of the largest and most remote ranches in the Australian Outback, and Travis is an American exchange student who comes to work there. There’s a lot of hurt/comfort, particularly in Charlie’s growth arc, so have some tissues on standby. The world building is exceptional. I felt like I could’ve been watching a documentary on life in the Outback. And the ending…it’s a masterpiece of happily ever after. This collection is perfection.
Bad Ideas (Firsts and Forever Stories #4) by Alexa Land
This book rocks! There are so many factors that make Bad Ideas rise to the top of the list of my favorite Alexa Land novels: the diverse supporting cast, the found family theme, the presence of strong female characters, the thorough characterization, and darling Lark. But mostly, it’s the leading men that stole my heart – they are the sweetest couple ever. This is an enemies-to-lovers story between Casey, a pediatrics nurse, and Theo, a doctor in the same department. Theo is a damaged man; I love how his backstory slowly unfolds as Casey provides unconditional affection and support. There’s something extra special about this book.
So many of the hundreds of MM romances I’ve read this year are worthy of mention. This was a great year for Christina Lee, Garrett Leigh, Riley Hart, and Anyta Sunday among many others. Thank you for sharing your talents with us so we can escape with your wonderful couples.
It’s such an honor to have one of my books included on this list, thank you!
Bad Ideas was such a treat! Thank you, Alexa.