On the Shelf: February 2023

Is Silvia Moreno-Garcia one of my favorite authors? It's entirely possible. Because I have yet to read a book by her that I didn't like. They've all been absolute bangers. The Daughter of Doctor Moreau joins its predecessors in knocking my socks off. As a bonus to its incredibly compelling remix/retelling of The Island of Dr. Moreau, there's a thread of unrequited pining that is just exquisite. The way she builds that bond is just as effective to me as if the characters got together. Not to worry, though, I would never abandon my HEA/HFN romance roots! Pretty much everything else I read in February was chock full of mutual emotion and capped with happy endings.

Shoutout to Bend Toward the Sun by Jen Devon, because I remember reading a sample chapter last year and not really connecting. I picked it back up after some folks on Twitter carried their effusive praise over into 2023, and I'm glad I did! It was a lovely. See also: Book Lovers by Emily Henry. I was like, "She can't possibly be as good as everyone says." Yes, she can. (Putting aside a few blatant errors that probably shouldn't show up in a book about book editors. lol.) So, congrats there, Romancelandia for getting me to read some very good very white contemporary romance. 😂 Speaking of which, looking down at the lists, I had a pretty monochromatic month. I'm sure I'll mix it up a little more in March! 

The Reading Rundown
Funny Guy by Emma Barry (out 5/16, contemporary romance)
One True Outcome by KD Casey (contemporary m/m romance, sports romance)
Unwritten Rules by KD Casey (contemporary m/m romance, sports romance)
Bend Toward the Sun by Jen Devon (contemporary romance)
The Night Shift by Alex Finlay (thriller/suspense)
Book Lovers by Emily Henry (contemporary romance)
The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia (horror, speculative fiction, H.G. Wells retelling)

Backlist titles and Rereads: The first book I finished in February was a reread of Going Nowhere Fast by Kati Wilde. Then I took a return trip to Lisa Kleypas's Sugar Daddy and Blue-Eyed Devil. As for new-to-me reads, I dipped into Grace Callaway's extensive backlist for The Duke Who Knew Too Much. And I finally got my hands on Passions of a Wicked Earl by Lorraine Heath, which is the first book in the London's Greatest Lovers trilogy. I am that chaos muppet who accidentally read the books in reverse order. Ainsley's book, Stephen's book, and then Westcliffe's. Also, to tie it back to Kleypas, I kept confusing him with Westcliffe from the Wallflowers. That was a Marcus. This was a Morgan. lol!

Currently reading: A draft of Charlotte Stein's upcoming When Grumpy Met Sunshine, and you should all definitely be jealous.

On the TBR/wish list
Glory and the Master of Shadows by Grace Callaway
All Hallows by Christopher Golden
The Counterfeit Scoundrel by Lorraine Heath
the Notorious Lord Knightly by Lorraine Heath
The Duchess Effect by Tracey Livesay
A Sinister Revenge by Deanna Raybourn
The Duchess Takes a Husband by Harper St. George