On the Shelf: March 2021

My March was packed with books that will probably make my Best Of list for 2021—like Farah Heron's sophomore novel Accidentally Engaged. A genuine rom-com in a time when the label has come to stand for anything with a cartoon cover, Accidentally Engaged pairs Reena and her hot new neighbor Nadim in a roller-coaster Muslim Millennial romance. I loved this book so much—and it made me so hungry! Then there's An Unexpected Peril, which might just be Deanna Raybourn's funniest entry in her Veronica Speedwell mystery series. But the nonstop razor-sharp wit doesn't steal thunder from a compelling plot that makes Veronica and Stoker question their relationship. It's a perfect balance of laughter and seriousness.  

This past month also saw the close of the late Rachel Caine's Stillhouse Lake series, and this last visit with Gwen Proctor and her family is a testament to her talent and her work. Our industry has lost a true light, and I miss her as a reader as much as I miss her as a colleague. On the flip side of the book spectrum—a beginning rather than an ending—is a debut author with a gorgeous voice, Tracy Deonn with Legendborn. Her page-turner of a contemporary YA fantasy puts a fresh spin on Arthurian legend, and I can't wait to see what comes next!    

The Reading Rundown:

Heartbreak Bay by Rachel Caine (thriller, suspense, mystery)

The Gentle Art of Fortune Hunting by KJ Charles (historical m/m romance)

Legendborn by Tracy Deonn (young adult fantasy, Arthurian legend retelling)

Accidentally Engaged by Farah Heron (contemporary romance)

An Unexpected Peril by Deanna Raybourn (historical mystery)

A Lesson in Thorns by Sierra Simone (erotic romance)

Cards of Love: The Moon by Sierra Simone (erotic romance, novella, Arthurian legend retelling)

Quiet in Her Bones by Nalini Singh (thriller, suspense, mystery)

The Last One Home by Victoria Helen Stone

Backlist adventures: City of the Lost by Kelley Armstrong.

Currently reading:  It Takes a Thief by Sloane Steele.

On the TBR/wish list: 

The Girl With the Stars in Her Eyes by Xio Axelrod

Well Matched by Jen DeLuca

Illusionary by Zoraida Córdova

Pretty Little Wife by Darby Kane

First Comes Like by Alisha Rai

Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse

The Jasmine Throne by Tasha Suri