#IAD 2023 | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

mermaidsirennikita · 2 years ago

Text

Caro's Best Reads of 2022

2022 was an interesting year for me in general, and that did not let up re: my reading life. I continued to read almost exclusively romance, with a few exceptions. Most of that was historical romance--but that's not the only subgenre I love. I'm also trying to make more of a concentrated effort to explore other subgenres, for a couple reasons.

A) Very bluntly, to avoid burnout. Variety is the spice of life, etc.

B) Historical romance can be amazing. However, it can also be very white and heteronormative. To me, it's easier to be aware of the pitfalls of some historical romance novels when you read from subgenres that offer greater variety.

I also finally really got into Immortals After Dark and... By God, my life was changed. I don't think I've ever read a romance series that really thrilled me quite as much (newbs get a cheat sheet). I'm going to list my favorite IAD books here, (separately) but know that I do advocate for reading that series in order due to its mythos and series-long arc.

I'm not ranking these books, because I can't. And this list is about what I read this year, not what was released this year. I will, however, be holding 2023 ARCs that would have made off the list, because I feel like it's a bit unfair.

With that said--here's what I loved the most this year.

A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall.

A gorgeous historical romance that is, in fact, one of the few friends to lovers novels that works for me. It's true that A Lady for a Duke breaks new ground in historical romance--and it's an inherently queer story. Even beyond Viola's identity as a trans woman, much of this novel surrounds the concept of the found family--the Duke of Gracewood is saved not only by Viola, but his family. The story takes turns that I didn't expect, especially regarding the physical nature of Viola and Gracewood's relationship; this one doesn't take any kind of expected, heteronormative beats. But at the end of the day, what struck me most was how truly I felt like Viola and Gracewood knew each other deeply. And as their knowing shifted to a romantic and sexual relationship... It was just really, really moving. And, it must be said, super passionate.

Run, Run, Rabbit by C.M. Nascosta.

Listen, while everyone else was loving the minotaur book--and look, I get it, the minotaur book is very well-done, I'm not saying y'all are wrong--THIS was my Nascosta of choice. Run, Run, Rabbit is a quick, very dirty read that toes some lines with romance and gives us a deliciously toxic couple in Grayson and Vanessa. They are coworkers (really, he's kind of her boss), they're lawyers, they hate each other, and they are werewolves. This one is primal on every level--much of it is told in flashbacks around the framing device of a Lupercalia in which Vanessa is just dying for an alpha male to chase her, catch her, and fuck her in front of a million other werewolves. But it's also primal in that, while Grayson and Vanessa want to keep their relationship surface level... As the deeply competitive, naturally wolfish, and frankly erotic people they are, the time they spend together fucking and talking after they fuck and revealing casual truths to each other is true intimacy. They fall in love without realizing it, and he does! Remain! An asshole! There aren't easy fixes in this book, and I can't say I'm confident Vanessa and Grayson have like, healthy relationship at the end... but I am confident that they're under each other's skin in every way. (Also: there is shifted sex in this. You've been warned.)

Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid.

The "closeted gay hockey player" is kind of a subgenre of a subgenre in romance--if you like sports romance and you like m/m romance, maybe you'll like... And as someone who does find hockey to be the sexiest sport, but also a sport I don't know about and don't care to watch, I wasn't that into the concept. Then I read Heated Rivalry. And then I read Heated Rivalry again. And then I read The Long Game. And then I read Heated Rivalry again-- There's something addict and charged and just like, achingly romantic and hot about this book. Ilya and Shane feel like real people to me. Their romance feels real. I buy that they would be in and out of each other's lives for like, a decade, unable to fully let their thing go while also being unable to commit. Shane's internalized homophobia contrasted with Ilya's seemingly carefree bisexuality (I say seemingly because... Ilya is Russian) adds stakes to a story that is really mostly about two people having to come to terms with the fact that they are in love. The Long Game is also a worthy sequel, delving further into Ilya's sense of humor and extroverted charm as a coping device for his trauma and depression--and giving them real challenges as a couple, while preserving the romance and happy ending. Fucking LOVE.

Lady Isabella's Scandalous Marriage by Jennifer Ashley.

If you want a marriage in trouble book--this is a marriage in trouble book. What I love about this novel is that it really examines like... what happens after that sweeping romance. Mac and Isabella are instantly smitten, and he is the classic rogue and she's the classic virgin, and he sweeps her away and they marry and it should be happily ever after... But the little things pile on, until the two of them can't withstand a BIG THING together. You feel the sense that he's given her space, and you feel the gravity of their situation, which is why she needs that space so badly. This is basically a book-long grovel--with paint sex, because Mac is one of the few artist heroes that actually works. And it's also deeply, intensely, painfully hot in a way that can only be found in a book about two people who know each other emotionally and physically, and know exactly how to push each other's buttons. This is what I want out of a good, angsty historical romance.

The League of Gentlewomen Witches by India Holton

I also read The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels this year, and that was another five-star read. But The League of Gentlewomen Witches took it all up to another notch for me. The magic was even more whimsical. The heroine was even more lovable (in this case, a proper lady who desperately wanted to walk on the wild side, my favorite). The sexual tension was hotter, the romance swoonier, the pirate even sluttier. I frankly had a great time with it, and it only got me more invested in the quirky, wacky world India Holton has created. Escapism at its finest.

Indigo by Beverly Jenkins.

Yes, obviously Indigo is a classic. But I had never read it, okay? And God, I'm glad I did. Indigo is beautifully written and romantic as fuck, with one of my favorite grand gestures I've ever read in a book. (Really, two of them.) It's also an older book, and there is like, a wacky kind of villain that I imagine you could pick apart critically... However, I loved the drama of it all. And there's just something really classic and beautifully sweeping about Galen and Hester's love story. He's a rake who's smitten. She's a smart, sensible woman who's innocent in many ways, but experienced enough in life to be skeptical about his devotion. He chases her, literally and metaphorically, throughout the novel--and why wouldn't he? Hester is awesome, and Galen knows she's awesome. There's journeying, there's action, and there's the embedded history that Beverly Jenkins fucking aces. She knows how to tell a story authentically, and Indigo is just.... Both incredibly romantic and ready to bring you to tears.

Lead by Kylie Scott.

I just really enjoyed Kylie Scott's Stage Dive series in general, and the final book, Deep, was also a five-star read for me. But I decided to single out the third book, Lead, because it just felt so different from the rest. We're introduced to Jimmy in the first book at its lowest--in many ways, he was the villain. The hero's promiscuous brother who was high (once to the point of overdose) for most of his page time, essentially harassing his brother's new wife... While we find out that he also slept with his brother's ex-girlfriend. What this book does is show us the work that Jimmy has done and is doing, pairing him with the only kind of heroine that could work for him--a no-nonsense broad who doesn't take his shit and is a friend to him far before things get romantic. Lena and Jimmy's romance is full of tension and unsaid feelings, and when feelings are said--and acted upon--God, does he fuck up. A couple of times. It's the kind of push-pull angsty romance that's great to read, coupled with great sex scenes (even if Jimmy is very bad at after care) and Kylie Scott's signature sense of humor. A fabulous celebrity romance.

Forbidden by Elizabeth Lowell.

Elizabeth Lowell's medieval trilogy is a fabulous shot of pure 90s drama, with everything from horrible heroes who can't love to.... horrible heroes who can't love, even more! Forbidden really took me aback, though. It's got everything: a kind of wacky premise full of medieval borders I didn't fully understand, a rich sense of the world and atmosphere, a bit of mysticism, and a CURSE. Oh, also, amnesia! This is one of those books that hinges on something being revealed... and once that thing is revealed? Oh, shit. Is the fallout fantastic. And that's what really got me about this one. The emotional reactions, the way everyone had to withstand the drama between Duncan and Amber? Oh yes, she is Amber--Amber the Untouched. Incredible. And he, of course, is the sub-villain of the previous book, which makes all of this even more intense. Old school excellence.

The Bride Goes Rogue by Joanna Shupe.

If you want to get emotionally invested and on the edge of your seat for a romance novel.... You need to read Joanna Shupe. The Bride Goes Rogue has all the beats of a great Shupe book--the hero is a ruthless tycoon, the heroine has zero time for his bullshit, and there is much illicit sex, partying, and secrets. Oh, and the hero absolutely hates the heroine's father and wants to destroy him. What I think takes The Bride Goes Rogue to another level is the interplay between Preston and Katherine, the way they can't help but needle each other at every moment. It goes beyond enemies to lovers--it's how they're physically wired. It's a dom/sub book, straight up; Katherine loves pushing his buttons, and she gets off on teasing him. The power she wields over this man while playing submissive is great to see--and the grovel? Please. All of this wrapped up in Joanna Shupe's Gilded Age, which is my favorite iteration of the era. Addictive, and leads into an even better book... which isn't out until next month, hence why it's not on this list.

How to Steal A Scoundrel's Heart by Vivienne Lorret.

One thing I really appreciate out Vivienne Lorret's last few books is that they seem really preoccupied with playing with older tropes of historical romance. This one is no different, taking on the idea of the fallen woman, the mistress, and making her our heroine. As innocent a mistress as Prue is, she's nonetheless a woman so desperate that she's willing to sell her reputation--and her body--to a hero who's more than willing to take her up on it. All of that sounds kind of dirty... but while Prue and the Marquess of Savage definitely get down and dirty, the love story itself is sweet and tender and romantic, and FUNNY. This was my first Vivienne Lorret, and I'm so glad to have discovered her. And this is another one that leads right into a fabulous early 2023 release...

Between the Devil and Desire by Lorraine Heath.

There were... several... Lorraine Heath books on my favorite 2022 reads shelf, so I decided to pick one and run with it. Of all of them, I think Between the Devil and Desire stuck with me the most this year... for now. That could always change. Much like The Bride Goes Rogue is a classic Shupe, Between the Devil and Desire is a classic Heath. There's a zany plot, a woman with a queenly resolve who's rattled by the hero, a great supporting cast (some of whom have or will get their own books), and a wacky twist that is so chaotic it absolutely works. Also, lots of angst. This one is a classic Lady and the Tramp setup, but with the added stakes of the lady being a single mother who can't afford to let go... unless she can. And yes, reader, she does pass out after seeing his dick at one point. TW: discussions of childhood sexual abuse.

Heartbreaker by Sarah MacLean

In many ways, Henry, the Duke of Clayborn, is a hero I think Sarah MacLean has been waiting to write and I've been waiting to read from her. He's stern, he's bossy, he's actually a sweetheart, he has an absolutely filthy mouth. But to be honest, I wasn't sure about how Adelaide would shake out as his heroine at first... And then I got to know her. This is classic MacLean: you have a woman who's really good at what she does, and a man who just adores everything to do with her. But what I loved most about Heartbreaker is how it emphasizes what makes Adelaide and Henry's relationship so beautiful. She thinks her greatest asset is her ability to go unseen... Yet he has always seen her.

Any Duchess Will Do by Tessa Dare

I had two Tessa Dare five-star reads this year, and everyone knows the other one is amazing and I love it and recommend it (A Week to Be Wicked). But I want to call Any Duchess Will Do out, because it is just as funny and hot and zany as any great Tessa Dare book... with a reveal that had my heart breaking. This is the best kind of interclass romance--complete with a scene I have mentioned many times that features the hero fucking her while making her repeat his courtesy titles (it's.... very fun). And our heroine--not a virgin, a bit jaded yet still quite innocent, swept away yet imminently practical--is the perfect juxtaposition to a hero that was introduced in A Week to Be Wicked as... kind of a total jackass! Come for the laughs, stay for the tears.

The Duke I Tempted by Scarlett Peckham

We need more kink in historical romance!!! People of the Regency and the Victorian eras were kind of inherently kinky--the culture is like, social edging. What I loved so much about this book was not just its explicit handling of kink, but the sensitive exploration of how that kink helps the hero, how he's been shamed into hiding it, and how healthy and beneficial it is not only to him but his heroine. While I totally respect and love erotic romance and erotica, I do feel like many historical explorations of kink do veer into those zones, to the point that at times the meaning behind the kink feels tangential. And while that's totally valid (after all, not everyone has a deep reason for indulging in kink!) I just liked how much Scarlett Peckham clearly researched and thought about d/s in this book.

The Special IAD Corner:

Look man, I was consumed by Immortals After Dark, and those books had a strong presence on my Favorites shelf. In order to keep them from dominating the list, I'm going to allow them they own corner... ahead of the guide. Although I do generally recommend reading these books in order, some claim you can... not do that. Either way, I'm listing them in order of their place in the series.

Dark Needs at Night's Edge by Kresley Cole.

The first IAD book to feature a virgin hero, and by God did this have me on my knees. It still does. This is one of the most weirdly romantic books I've ever read, and it's arguably at that earlier point in the series where it's easier to jump into. Though of course, you might miss out on Wroth Brothers drama--which is part of the appeal of this book. Conrad Wroth is broken not just because he's an insane centuries-old vampire who existed in his mortal life to kill what he was forced to become... but because the people who forced that transformation on him are his brothers. The pent up desire of Conrad, someone who not only could not have sex, but wasn't even interested in it due to his preoccupation with his thirst and insanity... Is delicious. And Neomi is a magical heroine, so it's easy to see why he's so enraptured with her. She had me from the moment that she, a ghost, tried to determine if Conrad could see her by doing a sexy striptease (it worked). He's a crazy virgin vampire who in many ways is quite innocent and in other ways totally corrupted, trying his best; she's a determined, flirty, funny, and yes, angry ghost who just deserves a break. They are magic.

Kiss of a Demon King by Kresley Cole.

For all that Conrad and Naomi are romantic sweetness, Rydstrom and Sabine are the... exact opposite of that. While also having some pretty sweet moments. Sabine is an understandably controversial heroine, wicked and proud of it, kicking off the book by taking her hero hostage and beginning a campaign of edging in an attempt to become his wife and the mother of his child. For politics! But I'll be real--nothing that Sabine does is beyond what certain heroes in this series do... And it works, for me, because Rydstrom absolutely revels in her. Their love story is perhaps the definition of a love/hate story, full of one-upmanship and "parity" and Rydstrom just desperately trying to claim Sabine and make her realize that she loves him... Even if it's kind of insane that he wants her love. It's a twisted romance, but it's one that I found thoroughly enthralling, hot, and darkly funny. (The first time he grins at her is when she flips him off... how am I supposed to fight that?) And the kink in this book? Is fabulous.

Pleasure of a Dark Prince by Kresley Cole.

This one... This one.... It speaks to something.... deeply cavewoman within me. The line "she was born to be found by me"? Listen. LISTEN. There's just something about Kresley's werewolves, and Garreth is kind of definitively wolfy--erotic, protective, extremely devoted, hedonistic, and very alpha. But in an incredibly charming way. The idea of pairing such a carnal hero with a heroine whose abilities and identity are tied up in her vow of chastity? Fabulous tension. Garreth's very literal pursuit of Lucia is fraught and tense, but also funny and sexy and eventually, incredibly tender and romantic. You get the adventure of them traveling by river on a quest--and the heat of them... working around that vow of chastity. But all of this hinges on self-denial--Lucia denying her desires, and Garreth very literally denying what he is in order to be with her. You know that the thread between them is stretching thinner and thinner with every page, and when it finally snaps? It's absolutely delicious. The scene where Garreth chases Lucia through the jungle? Etched. Into. My Brain.

Lothaire by Kresley Cole.

Look. This is a classic. It's plain and simple. It's a romance classic in general, it's a paranormal romance classic specifically, and it is a perfectly done villain romance. I cannot imagine the anticipation for this book back in the day, because it's like--literally, how the fuck can Lothaire be a viable romance hero without losing what makes him... Lothaire? His truly evil impulses and deeds, his ambitions, his incredibly dark sense of humor? His insanity? And for that matter, how could you possibly give him a heroine to match him? Kresley's inspired choice was in giving Lothaire Ellie--not just a mortal woman, but a poor, seemingly ignorant mortal woman he'd find totally beneath him... Only to discover that as much as Lothaire is a master manipulator, Ellie isn't bad at mind games either. The twisted game between them, the cat and mouse that just every so often revealed their true feelings, is just... captivating. Is he going to kiss or kill her? Does she love him--can she love him, after everything he's done to her? Somehow, Lothaire never loses his bite (haha) and Ellie rises to the challenge of fucking with his head until he is so incredibly unhinged for her that it's easily one of the most satisfying reading experiences of my life. And the blood blowjob? Lives up to the hype.

MacRieve by Kresley Cole.

Look, man. There's weaponized sadness, and then there's this book. Never have I read more heartbreaking prologue--and MacRieve is just an absolutely broken hero at the beginning of this book. The brilliance of the novel, however, is in seducing you into believing that MacRieve and Chloe can just magically fall in love and now that they've met, all his issues are cured. Time to move on! And then--wham. They're confronted with their real, unavoidable problems, and they (largely MacRieve) have to fucking deal with them if they want a chance at lasting love. This is a challenging book--but I found it incredibly powerful, without losing the sense of adventure and sex and even humor (MACRIEVE BRAIN) that makes IAD so good.

Special Shoutout for 2023 ARCs!

Two of my favorite books of 2022 were actually... 2023 ARCs. So while I can't necessarily recommend them as 2022 novels in good conscience, I will recommend pre-ordering them.

The Duke Gets Even by Joanna Shupe (out 1/24/2023)

The culmination of three books of buildup (though it does stand alone), The Duke Gets Even is so incredibly satisfying that I was basically just clutching my face throughout my first read. You want enemies to lovers done right? You want two people who try so desperately to avoid one another while also being ridiculously attracted to each other? You want a woman who believes in abortion rights and a duke who believes in a bit of pain with his pleasure? Read it. I'm still not over this one.

Never Seduce A Duke by Vivienne Lorret (out 2/21/2023)

This book has the kind of zany daring and boldness that I've been looking for in recent historical romance releases. It's funny, it's hot, it's angsty, and its completely fearless. You never get the sense that Vivienne Lorret is thinking about what people will think of her next move with the plot. She just goes for what she thinks is right, and it totally sells the (admittedly wild) story.

#romance novel blogging #books #book recs #book reviews

18 notes · View notes