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.
Sadonna’s 2022 Favorites
Learning Curve (Life Lessons #4) by Kaje Harper (Author) & J.F. Harding (Narrator)The two last books in this series that were finally published in audio format this year are both in my Best of List. This was a favorite series when published nearly a decade ago now. Everything about this story was so well done. Tony & Mac, the kids, the family stuff, the murder mystery, the job stuff, Mac still working hard to overcome his injury – all of it. I loved that we got more insight into Mac’s early family life and maybe just a little bit more of what makes him tick. Watching Mac work on getting back to himself in order to go back on the job and getting to see Tony in his element at school, trying to help the kids was so good too. Loved the principal of his school, which was unexpected given the history there and if you watch at TikTok’s from former teachers! But most of all I just loved watching Mac and Tony and the life they built. They have been through so much and love each other so much and want to support each other – even when they are scared about what that means. Such good guys 😀 So deserving of every good thing. And while I’m really really sad that we won’t be treated to regular visits with this family now, this is truly a satisfying way to leave this series.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Kaje Harper is truly a gifted storyteller. Whether her characters are teachers, kids, cops, scientists, writers, med students, maintenance guys, or homophobic ex-spouses, her knack for dialogue and characterization are top notch. Authentic, believable, engaging and just a pleasure to experience – again and again. J.F. Harding did an absolutely masterful job performing this series. I was skeptical that anyone could do this really beloved couple and their story arc justice. But again and again I was blown away by his performance. Particularly as Mac changes from the beginning of the series to after this injury – just so well done. The kids, the female characters, the other cops and teachers, I felt like this was really a tour de force of a narrator at the top of his game. Really just added another level of perfection to an already incredible story.
Not What It Seems by Nicky James (Author) & Nick J. Russo (Narrator)
This amazing murder mystery pairs a suspected serial killer and a psychiatrist. There are too many good things that come up in the exploration of who may be behind the plot to frame River. Cy is ashamed of his desires and he sees himself as a coward and a guy who is really messed up in the head – as much as his patients. It’s clear to River that someone has done a real number on Cy. River is determined to try to get Cy to see himself through different eyes than those of his abusive and manipulative ex. They work together under the radar and make a lot more progress than the police who have ignored Cy’s information.
The mystery and suspense were soooooo good! I had no idea what was going to happen until the end of the story and did NOT suspect at all who was the mastermind of the whole plot. The climactic scenes had me on the edge of my seat! The mystery and the resolution were brilliant. Truly Nick Russo did an unbelievably masterful job narrating this story. His performance – particularly of the battered and shamed Cy – I don’t think could be topped. His portrayal of the desperation and suspense and fear were spot on. The psycho at the center of the mystery was a masterclass in narcissism and sociopath. Brilliant story married to magnificent narration!
Concocted (Fakers #1) by Zoe Lee
On the lighter side, this is a really good fake relationship/opposites attract/slight age gap romance that takes place in Hollywood and really hits all the right buttons. The MCs are strongly written and believable. The supporting case of friends, coworkers, family and fans really add a lot of fun to the story. There is drinking, dancing, rock music, family fun and plenty of sexy times. There is also a LOT of humor. It’s a really fun low angst story with a great payoff. There are some great crossover Easter eggs with a rock star from Lee’s previous series, Local Beats (which I also recommended). I knew when I read it, it would find it’s way onto my 2022 favorites list 🙂
The Long Game (Game Changers #6) by Rachel Reid (Author) & Cooper North (Narrator)
Swoooooon! This is such a good story! Lovers of the first book, Heated Rivalry, that tells the genesis of this pair will not be disappointed in this long-awaited sequel. Shane and Ilya have always dealt with communication issues, but now it’s clear that the way that they are living is really taking a toll on Ilya. The previous book included more of Shane’s POV and this book focuses a lot of Ilya’s POV: his history, triggers and the real and pressing difficulties he’s experiencing as a result of his move to Ottawa and the change in his career. Shane recognizes it to some degree, but his fear keeps him from seeing the big picture and he hasn’t been very good at putting himself in Ilya’s shoes. The love that they have for each other is intense and at times overwhelming. Each realizes that they’d be lost without the other and the longer this relationship goes on in the dark, the harder it is for them to see how they can move into the light. The external conflict in dealing with the larger homophobic sports world and the NHL in particular keeps Shane from feeling like he can be honest. Ilya realizes much sooner that this secrecy is killing him. He does takes steps to try to alleviate some of the pressure, loneliness and isolation he feels in Ottawa. He’s got some really great teammates, a wonderful accepting coach, and even a pet that help him cope. But they still don’t take away all the pain of having to stay in the closet. I just knew that things would not go the way they wanted to in owning their narrative. But the resolution was even sweeter than I could have hoped for. I absolutely loved the way Shane stepped up when he needed to and finally got out of his own way.
There are times when I was definitely tearing up in this one – both from sadness and because of the HEA. Every single thing about this book is just so good and perfect for these characters and this particular love story. There is a lot between them and Cooper North’s performance of this story is really just perfect. Russian accent? Check. Golden Boy Canadian? Check. Hot and heavy sex between two men deeply in love? Check. Frustration over hiding their relationship for years? Check. Psychological toll, loneliness and depression? Check. Seriously every single aspect of this story was absolutely beautifully and honestly portrayed in this spectacular performance. I believed every single word of this story – but more than that, I felt every single scene. I experienced the highs and the lows that Shane and Ilya went through – both personally and professionally. Their love for one another and their love of hockey are the things that keep them going and that is very evident in Mr. North’s performance. This is honestly one of the best audiobook performances I have ever listened to – absolutely superb.
Unconventional Hearts (Plum Valley Cowboys #3) by Emmy Sanders
Well I honestly don’t know how I could love this story more. It’s a truly unusual MMM love story with a twist. I have adored Will Moore since Fool Hearts, the first book in this new author’s first series that debuted last year. His fiery passion, love of his family, fighting for what’s right and for those who can’t fight for themselves is epic. Here he finds his match(es). His relationship with Tru is so pure in the best sense of the word. He loves Tru. He meets him where he’s at. He doesn’t try to change Tru at all – just accepts him completely as he is. Cooper, who is described as a big lovable dog in human form by more than one character in this book is the answer to whatever needs to be worked out for Tru and Will to work completely and forever. This relationship could be tricky – and is for a lot of this story. I don’t think I’ve ever read a story where the feelings of an ace character have been so well articulated. I hope this will help a lot of people understand and accept that there are many different perspectives around sex and love and commitment and intimacy. Will has to work through a lot of issues here – not only what a relationship with Tru AND Cooper would look like, but how everyone else is going to accept what this relationship is going to be. This whole series highlights that family is not necessarily who you are related to by blood – and you don’t get to pick them – so choose your friends and chosen family wisely. I encourage everyone to read this fun, funny, adorable, sweet, heartwarming story. These three young men are definitely old souls and wonderful humans and this family is everything a family should be.
His Lordship’s Return (His Lordship’s Mysteries #3) by Samantha SoRelle
Alfie and Nick have headed back to London to try to get help for the husband of an old friend. But they are too late and of course they stumble onto a murder. They can’t leave well enough alone after the constabulary refuses to admit it was murder or investigate in any way. The clues point to a bar in Spitalfields and once again, Dominick is off the save the day. But being back in the part of the city they grew up in is hard on Nick and Alfie is furious that he’s run off without him. As he gets deeper into the mystery and the bodies pile up, Alfie is not content to sit on the sidelines. And Alfie came from the same mud that Nick did and he’s determined to help 😉 Luckily they do have each other’s backs.
This is the third book in the series and builds on the previous stories. I was late to the party on these books and read all of them this year. I highly recommend the whole lot as the books just get better and better. Each book has built on the previous book and the relationship between Alfie and Dominick. Here, the danger is of course that they’ve found themselves back in their old stomping grounds of Spitalfields where they could be recognized. Their ability to fit in with the old crowd enables them to get close enough to determine what is going on. The writing of this stellar. I love all the historical references and the prose is so descriptive you can almost smell the stink! I’m not sure how I could love this series more and I really cannot wait for more Alfie and Nick.
Subway Slayings (Memento Mori #2) by C.S. Poe
This series is riveting. I wasn’t sure how C.S. Poe was going to follow up the first brilliant book in this series, but somehow she did and it was just as engaging. Larkin and Doyle end up working together again after Larkin is pulled into a crime scene by Homicide as there is an artifact literally addressed to him. What follows is a winding twisting path of death culture, perversions too dark to even think about and the scary underground world of at risk youth that are sitting targets for the psychopaths who prey on them to feed the desires of the depraved. I cannot imagine the nightmares the author must have had researching this! As cases are intertwined and Larkin goes about pulling the pieces together, more of Doyle’s past is revealed. Larkin realizes he really doesn’t know a lot about Doyle’s life before he lost his daughter. Interviewing witnesses and researching artifacts presents a lot more evidence to Larkin that Doyle’s sunshiny face is something that he’s obviously worked very hard at and is covering a lot of pain under the surface. He feels guilty that he hasn’t paid enough attention and has missed the signs. This part of the story was particularly heartbreaking and enlightening. It’s clear that whatever he’s gone through has made Doyle incredibly understanding and empathetic to Larkin. Whether it’s addiction, anxiety, grief, fear, he’s been there and he doesn’t want to add to Larkin’s pain and anxiety. I wanted to hug Ira Doyle more than once in this story! He’s an unbelievably good man. I want to see both of these guys happy, but I know it’ll take a lot of time – so I hope we get to read about them for some time to come. This is a HFN book with more promised to come since there are unresolved issues and an obvious threat to Larkin still out there. Book 3 is highly anticipated – and will probably be on my Best of next year 😉
The Words We Never Said by J.H. Knight
When I saw J.H. Knight had a book coming out I full out squee’d and what a return for this author. The Last Thing He Needs has been one of my favorite books forever, especially the audio book which I listened to back in 2015. This story has all the hallmarks of this author’s previous work – emotional story line with less than perfect families. You know. Families. Certainly Sam has had to deal with a lot; more than most, less than some. I really liked how good the out and proud Billy was with Bree and how he was with Sam, respecting where he is in his journey. Sam’s loss of his parents, keeping the ranch going, not knowing anything about where his sister was or what she was doing was hard on him. He had to live up to high expectations – most especially his own. But when he was determined to do right by his sister’s kids he worked hard at it. I thought Bree was especially a difficult character to like – but honestly I have no idea how I would react to the stuff she went through, so kept an open mind about her behavior and I was glad that there was an unbiased therapist that helped her. Kudos for making mental health a priority especially when dealing with trauma in young people. Sam’s sister Lisa had a lot of work to do too but Sam is still a family guy all the way. I absolutely love this author’s writing and am so glad to have this new book. I sure hope it’s not so long before the next one! This is a book with all the feels of this broken family coming together and Sam and Billy getting their HEA!
Drama! An MM Enemies-to-lovers, Fake Relationship Romance (South Rock High Book #2) by A.J. Truman
Theater Teacher Everett Calloway hates sports. He’s not too keen on sports coaches/teachers either. But he especially not keen on Raleigh Marshall, head football coach and PE teacher at his high school. In fact, he’s his nemesis. He can’t get a decent play put on, but he’s been to 7 pep rallies so far. On top of that, he’s been invited to his college BFFs lesbian wedding and he desperately needs a plus one. His ex (whos’ now on Broadway) and his understudy BF are coming – so he CANNOT be the lonely single. But Everett’s attempts to find a fake boyfriend fail. He’s left with really no other choice and Raleigh it is. Well you can imagine that hijinks ensue. Hilarity and a surprising amount of friendship and camaraderie and UST ensue.
This was certainly one of the funniest and most entertaining books I read this year. Raleigh’s insistence in riling up Everett is hilarious. His zingers are so perfect. I laughed out loud far too many times in this one as Everett and Marshal “fake date” in preparation for their wedding weekend. As they get to really know each other, things get both more funny and more tender 😀 These two are a lot more than meets the eye and Raleigh especially is far from the happy go lucky guy he appears to be from the surface. I really enjoyed how it turned out that these two opposites had a lot more in common than they thought. The other teachers continue to support their friends and there is even a glimpse of crossover from Truman’s Single Dads series. If you are a fan of enemies to lovers, hilarious banter and snark and fun and unexpected situations, then I think you’ll love this one. I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough 😀 A.J. Truman has a true talent for these slice of life hilarious rom-coms.