Some quick stats- I’ve read 142 books as of this post. A whopping 66 of those books were published in KU. Every time I found myself in a book slump I browsed through KU and chose a fantasy or science fiction romance.

I found LJ Andrews, and her Ever series. Which is when I realized that it was a spin-off of the Broken Kingdom series. So, I gobbled up all 12 books over a month or so. I LOVE this world so much.

I read more fantasy romance, science fiction romance, and horror this year than I usually do. Not as much historical romance or contemporary romance. I reread quite a few favorites- The Kraken King by Meljean Brook, Dreaming of You by Lisa Kleypas, Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean, and a whole lot of Ilona Andrews.

I started my year by reading The Shepard King duology by Rachel Gillig, One Dark Window and Two Twisted Crowns. I’ve recommended these books to so many people. I love how the overall plot arc was constructed and the choices made in the second book.

My average rating was 3.7 stars, shortest book was Ashley Poston’s With Any Luck at 43 pages, and longest was The Kraken King by Meljean Brook at 576 pages.

Favorites in no particular order:

The Ex Vows by Jessica Joyce– A second chance romance done exactly right. I will read anything this author writes. See my review here.

The Beast Takes a Bride by Julie Anne Long– If you haven’t read The Palace of Rogues series you are missing out. This is the 8th book and it’s a second chance, marriage in trouble romance. If you need any more motivation, it begins in with the heroine in Newgate and her estranged husband bailing her out. See my review here.

So Thirsty by Rachel Harrison– This book is fun and gory. Think Thelma and Louise but make it vampires. I read it cover to cover in just a few hours. Could not put it down. See my review here.

The Most Wonderful Crime of the Year by Ally Carter– This book was super fun. It’s compulsively readable, full of interesting characters with sketchy motives and two main characters who have incredible chemistry. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Maggie and Ethan have more mysteries to solve in the future. See my review here.

The Horde King of Shadow by Zoey Draven– A spin-off of sorts of this author’s The Horde Kings of Dakkar series. It takes place several centuries in the future. The worldbuilding has expanded to include people and kingdoms beyond the Drakkar, with new customs and traditions, yet with the same feel of the original series we all know and love. And there are dragons! See my review here.

A Substitute Wife for the Prizefighter by Alice Coldbreath– This is actually book two in the Victorian Prizefighter series, but I enjoyed it more than the first book. I like the ordinariness of this historical romance where the main characters are a prizefighter who just got out of prison and a woman who was kicked out of her aunt and uncle’s home after speaking the truth about a theft. No dukes in sight.

Archangel’s Lineage by Nalini Singh– I was so happy to get back to where it all started–with Elena and Raphael. See my review here.

A Sorceress Comes to Call by T. Kingfisher– Based on this author’s previous fantasy/horror titles, I was expecting something dark and sinister. And it was, but it was also actually kind of weirdly charming. Cordelia is a wonderful main character, and I enjoyed watching her come into her own, but it’s really the side and secondary characters that make this book shine. Truly. The banter, the friendships, the quiet romance between two of the older characters, all of it had me turning pages as quickly as possible. I kind of fell into this story and found myself positively enamored of the entire cast. See my review here.