Welcome to the Love Bytes Reviewers’ Best of 2022
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 2022, 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 2022. 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.
Anna Lynn’s 2022 Favorites
Detonate (Out for Justice Book 7) by Reese Knightley
Oh My God! I have waited for this book for so long and when I read it, it was so much more than I expected. Giovanni and Stefano have known each other since they were in camp. This book will tell us how their relationship started. I love the way Ms. Knightley incorporated the past with the present, how smoothly the story telling flows from current and past. I was always intrigued with Gio and Stefano’s relationship very early on in the series. We have followed their “friendship” for a long time and it is only fitting that their back and full story be this EPIC.
Operation Justice Force Books 1 to 4 (so far) by Reese Knightley
It is not surprising that these books are in my Top Ten for 2022, I love action and romance in my books, and what with these amazing guys who each have their own stories to contribute into their teams being what it is, badass! If you are into chosen family, protectors (to the core) and brings justice into every mission they are on, then you should definitely check Ms. Reese Knightley’s books, all of them.
Godstone Saga books 3 to 6 (Wings of Fire, Embrace the Light, City of Blood) by Jocelynn Drake
These books broke me. They made me cry and they made me go on an adventure that I never thought I would survive. Prince Caelan and his family went to hell and back (many times if I may say so) to save not only their own kingdom but all mankind. You can’t believe what these guys went through just to bring down an enemy that they didn’t really quite know at the beginning, but still they plunge into not caring if they end up dead or not. I fell in love with Prince Caelan, Drayce, Eno and Rayne and all the family they met along the way, except the bad ones. What they went through made their family stronger and tighter.
Rayne, A True Lover’s Story by A.E. Via
Ms. A.E. Via is one of my favorite authors and she writes about men who are so real that sometimes I see myself in them. I feel their insecurities, I feel how they love and how confuse they get when it comes to that. I see myself in their family. This is the third book in the True Lover’s series and Rayne is one of the most lovable characters you will ever meet. And Mike Stockley is one guy you would want on your side when things get a little dicey. Meeting Rayne changed all that (which he didn’t notice at first). You will be entranced with the way these two are when they are with each other. They are each other’s support system and cheerleader, they complement each other so well, you will fall in love with them.
Rebel Kings (Devil’s Dance, Saint’s Song, Forgive Me Father) by Garrett Leigh
I have read Garrett Leigh before but this series made them one of my favorite now. If you notice from what I review, I love books with action and romance in it. Although I love a contemporary romance, I love it more when there is a little mystery and action in it too. This series is one the best-written among the MC genre out there and you should definitely give it a read. You will be drawn in by Cam, Saint and Alexei (I love him so much!), Embry and Mateo. All the guys in the club have brought in something that makes them different from all the clubs, these men.
The Malvagio Duet (Forbidden Mafia Prince, Sinful Mafia Prince) by Brooke Blaine, Ella Frank
Two books that will tell us the story between the Rossetti and Fiores’ family feud that went deeper than what we were first led to believe. As the story gets along we will learn the back story of why things are happening this way right now. Dom and Luca are as different as night and day, water and oil, but also they are similar in some ways. I have read Ms. Ella Frank before but this is my first book from Ms. Brooke Blaine. Again, action and romance, I love it!
Shadow Elite Series (Charlie’s Doctor, Kairo’s Billionaire) by Jocelynn Drake
This spinoff series from Ms. Jocelynn Drake will set us on a new adventure with these guys. We have met some of these guys in the Exit Strategy series. I was so happy to learn that Kairo was going to get his own story and so far there are two books released. You will love Charlie and Doc Will, Kairo and Isidore.
Frat Brats of Santa Barbara Series by Hayden Hall
This series surprise me in how good they were written. This is not my first read of Mr. Hayden Hall but this is one of the best books I have read from him. I love the Fuckboys he introduced us to and I love the fact that who they are perceived to be are not who they truly are. I love the unmasking of how people see them and how they really are when they are with people who truly know them. They will do anything for their friends, they are the support system that each one needs. When they each found their significant others, they became more.