12 Book Challenge – 2023

Hi there, friends! As the last post before the new year rolls around, I thought I’d share one of the challenges I’ll be participating in next year and that’s the ✨ 12 Book Challenge: 12 friends, 12 books, 12 months! ✨ I started seeing tons of bloggers participating this year but I was a little worried about putting myself out there and getting zero responses in return. When I saw this challenge making the rounds again this year, I thought, screw it—let’s just do it! So I did and (thankfully) people responded!

Below are the 12 books that I was recommended by 12 lovely friends over on book Twitter! I’d not heard of a few of these and a few were already on my TBR, but all of them sound interesting and I’m super excited to read them in 2023! These are listed in no particular order.

1

A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske

Recommended by: Chris @ Biblio Nerd Reflections

📖 SYNOPSIS

Set in an alternative Edwardian England, this is a comedy of manners, manor houses, and hedge mazes: including a magic-infused murder mystery and a delightful queer romance.

For fans of Georgette Heyer or Julia Quinn’s Bridgerton, who’d like to welcome magic into their lives. . .


Young baronet Robin Blyth thought he was taking up a minor governmental post. However, he’s actually been appointed parliamentary liaison to a secret magical society. If it weren’t for this administrative error, he’d never have discovered the incredible magic underlying his world.

Cursed by mysterious attackers and plagued by visions, Robin becomes determined to drag answers from his missing predecessor – but he’ll need the help of Edwin Courcey, his hostile magical-society counterpart. Unwillingly thrown together, Robin and Edwin will discover a plot that threatens every magician in the British Isles.

2

A Strange and Stubborn Endurance by Foz Meadows

Recommended by: Louise @ Foxes Fairytales

📖 SYNOPSIS

“Stolen me? As soon to say a caged bird can be stolen by the sky.”

Velasin vin Aaro never planned to marry at all, let alone a girl from neighboring Tithena. When an ugly confrontation reveals his preference for men, Vel fears he’s ruined the diplomatic union before it can even begin. But while his family is ready to disown him, the Tithenai envoy has a different solution: for Vel to marry his former intended’s brother instead.

Caethari Aeduria always knew he might end up in a political marriage, but his sudden betrothal to a man from Ralia, where such relationships are forbidden, comes as a shock.

With an unknown faction willing to kill to end their new alliance, Vel and Cae have no choice but to trust each other. Survival is one thing, but love – as both will learn – is quite another.

Byzantine politics, lush sexual energy, and a queer love story that is by turns sweet and sultry. Foz Meadows’s A Strange and Stubborn Endurance is an exploration of gender, identity, and self-worth. It is a book that will live in your heart long after you finish the last minute.

3

Saint Death’s Daughter by C.S.E. Cooney

Recommended by: Mayri @ BookForager

📖 SYNOPSIS

Life gets complicated when Death gets involved.

To be born into a family of royal assassins pretty much guarantees that your life is going to be… rather unusual. Especially if, like Miscellaneous “Lanie” Stones, you also have a vicious allergy to all forms of violence and bloodshed, and an uncanny affinity for bringing the dead back to life.

To make matters worse, family debt looms – a debt that will have to be paid sooner rather than later if Lanie and her sister are to retain ownership of the ancestral seat, Stones Manor. Lanie finds herself courted and threatened by powerful parties who would love to use her worryingly intimate relationship with the goddess of death for their own nefarious ends. But the goddess has other plans…

4

Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter

Recommended by: Nicole @ Thoughts Stained with Ink

📖 SYNOPSIS

The Omehi people have been fighting an unwinnable fight for almost two hundred years. Their society has been built around war and only war. The lucky ones are born gifted. One in every two thousand women has the power to call down dragons. One in every hundred men is able to magically transform himself into a bigger, stronger, faster killing machine.

Everyone else is fodder, destined to fight and die in the endless war. Young, gift-less Tau knows all this, but he has a plan of escape. He’s going to get himself injured, get out early, and settle down to marriage, children, and land. Only, he doesn’t get the chance. Those closest to him are brutally murdered, and his grief swiftly turns to anger. Fixated on revenge, Tau dedicates himself to an unthinkable path. He’ll become the greatest swordsman to ever live, a man willing to die a hundred thousand times for the chance to kill the three who betrayed him.

5

Bright Side by Kim Holden

Recommended by: Deanna @ A Novel Glimpse

📖 SYNOPSIS

Secrets.
Everyone has one.
Some are bigger than others.
And when secrets are revealed,
Some will heal you…
And some will end you.

Kate Sedgwick’s life has been anything but typical. She’s endured hardship and tragedy, but throughout it all she remains happy and optimistic (there’s a reason her best friend Gus calls her Bright Side). Kate is strong-willed, funny, smart, and musically gifted. She’s also never believed in love. So when Kate leaves San Diego to attend college in the small town of Grant, Minnesota, the last thing she expects is to fall in love with Keller Banks.

They both feel it.
But they each have a reason to fight it.
They each have a secret.

And when secrets are revealed,
Some will heal you…
And some will end you.

6

Thorn by Intisar Khanani

Recommended by: Julie @ One Book More

📖 SYNOPSIS

A princess with two futures. A destiny all her own.

Between her cruel family and the contempt she faces at court, Princess Alyrra has always longed to escape the confines of her royal life. But when she’s betrothed to the powerful prince Kestrin, Alyrra embarks on a journey to his land with little hope for a better future.

When a mysterious and terrifying sorceress robs Alyrra of both her identity and her role as princess, Alyrra seizes the opportunity to start a new life for herself as a goose girl.

But Alyrra soon finds that Kestrin is not what she expected. The more Alyrra learns of this new kingdom, the pain and suffering its people endure, as well as the danger facing Kestrin from the sorceress herself, the more she knows she can’t remain the goose girl forever.

With the fate of the kingdom at stake, Alyrra is caught between two worlds and ultimately must decide who she is, and what she stands for.

Includes The Bone Knife, a bonus short story set in the world of Thorn.

7

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

Recommended by: Shazzie @ Reader at Work

📖 SYNOPSIS

A curmudgeonly professor journeys to a small town in the far north to study faerie folklore and discovers dark fae magic, friendship, and love, in this heartwarming and enchanting fantasy.

Cambridge professor Emily Wilde is good at many things: She is the foremost expert on the study of faeries. She is a genius scholar and a meticulous researcher who is writing the world’s first encyclopaedia of faerie lore. But Emily Wilde is not good at people. She could never make small talk at a party–or even get invited to one. And she prefers the company of her books, her dog, Shadow, and the Fair Folk to other people.

So when she arrives in the hardscrabble village of Hrafnsvik, Emily has no intention of befriending the gruff townsfolk. Nor does she care to spend time with another new arrival: her dashing and insufferably handsome academic rival Wendell Bambleby, who manages to charm the townsfolk, get in the middle of Emily’s research, and utterly confound and frustrate her.

But as Emily gets closer and closer to uncovering the secrets of the Hidden Ones–the most elusive of all faeries–lurking in the shadowy forest outside the town, she also finds herself on the trail of another mystery: Who is Wendell Bambleby, and what does he really want? To find the answer, she’ll have to unlock the greatest mystery of all–her own heart.

8

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

Recommended by: Leslie @ Books Are the New Black

📖 SYNOPSIS

Chemist Elizabeth Zott is not your average woman. In fact, Elizabeth Zott would be the first to point out that there is no such thing as an average woman. But it’s the early 1960s and her all-male team at Hastings Research Institute takes a very unscientific view of equality. Except for one: Calvin Evans; the lonely, brilliant, Nobel–prize nominated grudge-holder who falls in love with—of all things—her mind. True chemistry results.

But like science, life is unpredictable. Which is why a few years later Elizabeth Zott finds herself not only a single mother, but the reluctant star of America’s most beloved cooking show Supper at Six. Elizabeth’s unusual approach to cooking (“combine one tablespoon acetic acid with a pinch of sodium chloride”) proves revolutionary. But as her following grows, not everyone is happy. Because as it turns out, Elizabeth Zott isn’t just teaching women to cook. She’s daring them to change the status quo.

Laugh-out-loud funny, shrewdly observant, and studded with a dazzling cast of supporting characters, Lessons in Chemistry is as original and vibrant as its protagonist.

9

Small Miracles by Olivia Atwater

Recommended by: Timy @ Queen’s Book Asylum

📖 SYNOPSIS

A little bit of sin is good for the soul.

Gadriel, the fallen angel of petty temptations, has a bit of a gambling debt. Fortunately, her angelic bookie is happy to let her pay off her debts by doing what she does best: All Gadriel has to do is tempt miserably sinless mortal Holly Harker to do a few nice things for herself.

What should be a cakewalk of a job soon runs into several roadblocks, however, as Miss Harker politely refuses every attempt at temptation from Gadriel the woman, Gadriel the man, and Gadriel the adorable fluffy kitten. When even chocolate fails to move Gadriel’s target, the ex-guardian angel begins to suspect she’s been conned. But Gadriel still remembers her previous job… and where petty temptations fail, small miracles might yet prevail.

Olivia Atwater explores love, grief, and the very last bit of chocolate in this sweet modern fantasy, full of wit and heart. Pick up Small Miracles, and enjoy a heavenly faerie tale from the author of Half a Soul.

10

The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison

Recommended by: Jess @ Jessticulates

📖 SYNOPSIS

The youngest, half-goblin son of the Emperor has lived his entire life in exile, distant from the Imperial Court and the deadly intrigue that suffuses it. But when his father and three sons in line for the throne are killed in an “accident,” he has no choice but to take his place as the only surviving rightful heir.

Entirely unschooled in the art of court politics, he has no friends, no advisors, and the sure knowledge that whoever assassinated his father and brothers could make an attempt on his life at any moment.

Surrounded by sycophants eager to curry favor with the naïve new emperor, and overwhelmed by the burdens of his new life, he can trust nobody. Amid the swirl of plots to depose him, offers of arranged marriages, and the specter of the unknown conspirators who lurk in the shadows, he must quickly adjust to life as the Goblin Emperor. All the while, he is alone, and trying to find even a single friend… and hoping for the possibility of romance, yet also vigilant against the unseen enemies that threaten him, lest he lose his throne – or his life.

11

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna

Recommended by: Queenie @ The Erudite Labyrinth

📖 SYNOPSIS

A warm and uplifting novel about an isolated witch whose opportunity to embrace a quirky new family–and a new love–changes the course of her life.

As one of the few witches in Britain, Mika Moon knows she has to hide her magic, keep her head down, and stay away from other witches so their powers don’t mingle and draw attention. And as an orphan who lost her parents at a young age and was raised by strangers, she’s used to being alone and she follows the rules…with one exception: an online account, where she posts videos pretending to be a witch. She thinks no one will take it seriously.

But someone does. An unexpected message arrives, begging her to travel to the remote and mysterious Nowhere House to teach three young witches how to control their magic. It breaks all of the rules, but Mika goes anyway, and is immediately tangled up in the lives and secrets of not only her three charges, but also an absent archaeologist, a retired actor, two long-suffering caretakers, and…Jamie. The handsome and prickly librarian of Nowhere House would do anything to protect the children, and as far as he’s concerned, a stranger like Mika is a threat. An irritatingly appealing threat.

As Mika begins to find her place at Nowhere House, the thought of belonging somewhere begins to feel like a real possibility. But magic isn’t the only danger in the world, and when a threat comes knocking at their door, Mika will need to decide whether to risk everything to protect a found family she didn’t know she was looking for….

12

Hollowpox by Jessica Townsend

Recommended by: Kaya @ A Fictional Bookworm

📖 SYNOPSIS

Morrigan Crow and her friends have survived their first year as proud scholars of the elite Wundrous Society, helped bring down the nefarious Ghastly Market, and proven themselves loyal to Unit 919. Now Morrigan faces a new, exciting challenge: to master the mysterious Wretched Arts, and control the power that threatens to consume her.

But a strange and frightening illness has taken hold of Nevermoor, turning infected Wunimals into mindless, vicious Unnimals on the hunt. As victims of the Hollowpox multiply, panic spreads. And with the city she loves in a state of fear, Morrigan quickly realizes it’s up to her to find a cure for the Hollowpox, even if it will put her – and everyone in Nevermoor – in more danger than she ever imagined.

So these are the 12 books I’ll be reading for this challenge and I’m looking forward to it. Have you read any of these books? Are you also doing the 12 Book Challenge and are you looking forward to the books you’ve been recommended?

Let’s Talk Bookish: 2022 Reading & Blogging Reflections

It’s the final LTB of 2022. When it comes to posting LTBs in the latter half of the year, I’ve been spotty at best so I’ve made sure that I don’t miss out on this last one of the year!

Happy almost New Year’s Eve, friends!

Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly meme created by Rukky @Eternity Books and hosted by Aria @Book Nook Bits, and it’s where we get to discuss certain topics, share our opinions, and spread the love by visiting each other’s posts! If you want to join in the bookish discussion fun, check out the December 2022 prompts!

Now without further ado… The topic asks us about:

2022 Reading & Blogging Reflections

Prompts: How many books did you read in 2022? Did you meet your reading goals? What were some of your favourites? What were your least favourite books you read this year? How did you feel about your blogging in 2022? What are your favourite posts you wrote in 2022? What are some of your favourite posts from the community that you read this year?

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Monthly Wrap-Up: December 2022

Where has December gone? Is it really already the end of 2022? What have I done with all my time? These questions plague me. 😂 Honestly, all I can remember from the first half of December is that work was incredibly busy and took over most of my brain. One great thing that happened was that I GOT THE JOB for That Interview™️ I was panicking over at the start of the month and I signed my new contract yesterday!

Other than that, I feel like it’s been a weird-ish month. My mood has been shifting as wildly as the weather (the stormy winds and rain have been wonderfully cooling though!) which has in turn affected my reading. I’m in Bali for the holidays and I’m still WFH even though the office has been pretty quiet lately, which is making me want to go on hols! Also, I also can’t believe it’s time to wrap up the year? HELP.

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Cover Reveal: A Long Time Coming by Meghan Quinn

Hi, friends! I’m back with another cover reveal today for A LONG TIME COMING by Meghan Quinn! This is a brand new, standalone romance will be released on January 10th in all formats!

Don’t miss the fantastic cover below and get ready to fall in love with this sexy romance with a witty take on a romantic comedy classic, My Best Friend’s Wedding. Steamy, laugh-out-loud, and full of charm, these two best friends heat up the pages while proving true love might be right in front of you.

Read More »

Holiday Romance Mini-Reviews: Santa, Baby, Lovelight Farms, and The Geek Who Saved Christmas!

Santa, Baby by Eliza McLane

Santa, Baby (Holiday Nights #1)
Pub Date: 12 November 2022
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Panda Rating:

(3.5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

She’s the intriguing and utterly lust-worthy little sister of his best friend. He’s the adorably hot guy she’s crushed on for a decade. They’ve never crossed that line, but now they’re snowed in together on an adult film set–and the cameras are rolling.

Nick has always wanted to check playing Santa off his struggling actor bucket list. But when he arrives at the gig to find people, well, filling each other’s stockings, it’s obvious he missed the small print: the job is Christmas porn, and he’s the grand finale. And his director and co-star? The off-limits sister of his best friend.

Holly lives a double life: quiet and conservative at home, brassy and bossy at her secret work in adult films. When Nick shows up on set she expects disaster, but there’s a hunger in his eyes as he watches her take charge on set, and they’re both eager to let their attraction take fire–for the sake of work, of course.

When an approaching snowstorm sends the crew home, it’s up to Nick and Holly to save her movie, and they agree to indulge for just one night. But when dirty talk and a decade of longing lead to deeper conversations and cozy cuddling, they’ll start to wonder if the Christmas miracle they make together can last all year long.

Author’s note: Santa, Baby is a steamy and sweet novella (about half the length of a typical romance) full of big feelings and filthy, dirty-talking sex. In its pages you’ll find a brother’s-best-friend romance full of sex-positivity, a totally besotted hero, and lots of sparkling Christmas spirit–all with an empowering HEA.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Toxic family relationships (controlling and close-minded parents), parental abandonment recounted, parent with depression and addiction

This was a cute, sexy and sex-positive holiday romance with plenty of fun tropes including brother’s best friend romance, grumpy/sunshine, getting snowed-in and staying stuck together (oop, we love it)! 😉 It was a take on romance featuring the adult entertainment industry that I’ve never read before and I found that refreshing. If you’re looking for a steamy read to add to your holiday romance list, this should definitely get on there!

I thought the story was well-written and the characters were well-developed for a novella. Nick is the happy-go-lucky Christmas-loving guy spreading holiday cheer everywhere he goes and in contrast, Holly is a bit of a quiet grinch who dislikes the holiday because of her toxic relationship with her close-minded and controlling family. There has always been an attraction between them that they’ve never acted upon as her brother is Nick’s bestie, so it’s a major shock that the quiet girl he’s always been curious about is directing the adult film he’s been hired for. It’s clear that their perceptions of each other are so different to what they’re like IRL and I loved seeing Nick and Holly get to know each other away from the connection that ties them together, Holly’s douchenugget of a brother. He is so encouraging and supportive of Holly and I loved how he showed her that she deserves to be surrounded by people who appreciate her and make her happy. The way he gave her the kind of Christmas she’s always dreamed of was so swoony and their steamy scenes were fire—there was definitely no lack of chemistry between them! But mixed in with the dirty-talking sex scenes were plenty of heartfelt and intimate moments that were very sweet and balanced the romance nicely!

Lovelight Farms by B.K. Borison

Lovelight Farms (Lovelight #1)
Pub Date: 10 November 2021
Genre: Contemporary Romance

Panda Rating:

(3.5 pandas)

📖 SYNOPSIS

Where the lovelight gleams…

A pasture of dead trees. A hostile takeover of the Santa barn by a family of raccoons. And shipments that have mysteriously gone missing. Lovelight Farms is not the magical winter wonderland of Stella Bloom’s dreams.

In an effort to save the Christmas tree farm she’s loved since she was a kid, she enters a contest with instafamous influencer Evelyn St. James. With the added publicity and the $100,000 cash prize, she might just be able to save the farm from its financial woes. There’s just one problem. To make the farm seem like a romantic destination for the holidays, she lied on the application and said she owns Lovelight Farms with her boyfriend. Only… there is no boyfriend.

Enter best friend Luka Peters. He just came home for some hot chocolate, and somehow got a farm and a serious girlfriend in the process.

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Parental abandonment, parental infidelity recounted, alcohol abuse mentioned, grief & loss depiction, death of a parent recounted

This would be a great addition to your holiday romance reading lists because it’s perfectly atmospheric and the romance is sweet with a little bit of steam. This is for those who enjoy soft friends-to-lovers romances with cute heart-fluttering fake-dating moments! Though I didn’t end up loving this as much as I thought I would, I still thought this was a solid debut from Borison and I get why it’s so well-loved. 😍

The small-town and Lovelight Farms setting was great and the atmosphere perfectly captured the transition from fall to Thanksgiving to full-blown winter! Borison also did a great job of capturing little bits of small-town life full of nosy but well-meaning neighbourhood friendlies and though I wanted a bit more of it, I still really enjoyed the interactions we got between them and our MCs! I adored the side characters and what they brought to the story, especially Beckett, Layla and Dane. I think the difficulty I had was that I didn’t fully connect with either Stella or Luka and I didn’t feel the stakes of their fake-dating romance. The story is told from one POV, which already isn’t my favourite, but I was also pretty on the fence about Stella. She’s hardworking and ambitious but she’s also incredibly stubborn, gets in her own way and made frustrating decisions. I understood her fears but she also kept putting herself back in toxic situations, and not to sound too harsh, but I thought a lot of the sadness she felt was of her own making. This was especially true when it came to Luka and the “conflict” really frustrated me! 🤦🏻‍♀️ Sadly, while I thought Luka was adorable, and I loved his gleeful geekiness and how he would do practically anything for Stella, he felt flat and it made me wish even more that we got his POV!

The Geek Who Saved Christmas by Annabeth Albert

The Geek Who Saved Christmas
Pub Date: 09 November 2021
Genre: Contemporary Romance/LGBTQIA+

Panda Rating:

(4 stars)

📖 SYNOPSIS

His grumpy neighbor needs some holiday sunshine…

Gideon Holiday is the perfect neighbor. Need a cup of sugar? Spare folding chair? Extra batteries? He’s always ready to help. And he’s waited years for his hot, grumpy, silver fox neighbor, Paul, to need him. For anything. But this December, Gideon would be happy if he could just get the Scrooge-like Paul on board with the neighborhood holiday lights fundraiser.

Paul Frost has no intention of decking his halls or blazing any Yule logs. Even if his spunky bowtie-clad neighbor does look perfect for unwrapping, Paul would prefer to hide away until December is done. But when his beloved younger brother announces an unexpected visit, Paul needs all the trimmings for a festive homecoming—and fast.

Luckily, Gideon is there with a color-coded plan to save Christmas. Soon Paul’s hanging lights, trimming trees, and rolling out cookies. And steaming up his new flannel sheets with Gideon. How did that happen?

It’ll take some winter magic to preserve their happiness and keep these rival neighbors together longer than one holiday season.

The Geek Who Saved Christmas is a low-angst m/m holiday romance with a guaranteed happy ending. This grumpy/sunshine, neighbors-to-lovers, found family tale features two heroes in their forties figuring out that maybe their sexily-ever-after was right next door the whole time. It stands alone and is not connected to any of the author’s other universes. However, it does contain a heaping helping of the same emotions and steamy moments readers have come to expect!

⚠️ CONTENT/TRIGGER WARNINGS

Death of parents recounted, off-page, childhood family trauma recounted, toxic family relationships

This was a cute, sweet and festive grumpy-sunshine MM romance and it was absolutely full of holiday activities and spirit! There’s so much shopping, sentimental talks about holiday memories, and of course, all the Christmas decorating! As much as I enjoyed this one though, I didn’t feel particularly strongly about much of it—it was well-written and enjoyable, and I liked our MCs but I also didn’t feel an abundance of chemistry and at times felt a bit bored, which made the book seem very long.

I loved that Gideon and Paul are in their 40s and that the story delves into the aspects that make it a tough time of year for both of them. I think it’s a good reminder that not everyone has good memories and experiences of the holiday season for various reasons, but it’s also a heartwarming story about finding happiness and showing appreciation for your loved ones. Despite their personality differences, Gideon is the sunshine to Paul’s grump they’re both lonely and don’t have big or caring families to spend the holidays with. Both of their stories broke my heart but it was put back together again by seeing them allow each other into their lives by being emotionally vulnerable. I think one of my main grips would be the communication aspect. They eventually get it together, and I appreciate that there was no major blowout (this is a low-angst romance after all!), but they were so open with everything else and I wished they’d been straight about their feelings too. This book was like a Hallmark romance but with steam (not overly explicit) and the HEA was sweet and satisfying!

Do you read holiday romances and have you read any of these or are they on your TBR? If you have any holiday romance reccos, please share!

Sundays in Bed With… #MyWeeklyWrapUp [170]

If you celebrate, Merry Christmas! 🎄🎁🎄
I hope you’re having a wonderful time with your loved ones.

We’re back with another Sundays in Bed With… meme! This meme dares to ask you what book has been in your bed this morning and is hosted by Midnight Book Girl. Come share what book you’ve spent your time curled up reading in bed with or which book you wish you had time to read today!

I’ll be spending the rest of my Sunday night in bed hopefully finishing The Geek Who Saved Christmas by Annabeth Albert. I’ve been making slow but steady progress with this read over the last few days and I’m enjoying parts of it, I think it’s cute, but it’s also not wowing me at the moment. Let’s see if that changes by the end!

📖 SYNOPSIS

His grumpy neighbor needs some holiday sunshine…

Gideon Holiday is the perfect neighbor. Need a cup of sugar? Spare folding chair? Extra batteries? He’s always ready to help. And he’s waited years for his hot, grumpy, silver fox neighbor, Paul, to need him. For anything. But this December, Gideon would be happy if he could just get the Scrooge-like Paul on board with the neighborhood holiday lights fundraiser.

Paul Frost has no intention of decking his halls or blazing any Yule logs. Even if his spunky bowtie-clad neighbor does look perfect for unwrapping, Paul would prefer to hide away until December is done. But when his beloved younger brother announces an unexpected visit, Paul needs all the trimmings for a festive homecoming—and fast.

Luckily, Gideon is there with a color-coded plan to save Christmas. Soon Paul’s hanging lights, trimming trees, and rolling out cookies. And steaming up his new flannel sheets with Gideon. How did that happen?

It’ll take some winter magic to preserve their happiness and keep these rival neighbors together longer than one holiday season.

The Geek Who Saved Christmas is a low-angst m/m holiday romance with a guaranteed happy ending. This grumpy/sunshine, neighbors-to-lovers, found family tale features two heroes in their forties figuring out that maybe their sexily-ever-after was right next door the whole time. It stands alone and is not connected to any of the author’s other universes. However, it does contain a heaping helping of the same emotions and steamy moments readers have come to expect!

Read More »

Bookish Naughty or Nice Tag – 2022 Edition!

I’ve been seeing this tag floating around again over the last couple of days and since the (first and) last time I did it was in 2019, I decided why not do it again? It’s not like I have a bunch of other Christmas tags to choose from! *awkwardly clears throat* 🫣 On that note, let’s get straight to it, shall we? My answers apply only to my reading experience in 2022!

This tag was originally created by Jenniely.

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Bookish Smash or Pass Book Tag!

Hello, friends! The end of 2022 is speeding ever closer and I hope everyone’s doing okay especially as I know this time of year isn’t fun and fantastic for all. I’ve been doing pretty terribly with posting this week, smashing my posting streak to bits as my poor organisational skills took centre stage. 😂 All that being said, I decided to finally do the Bookish Smash or Pass tag originally developed by Becky @Becky’s Book Blog after not only being tagged by her but also by Sahi @My World of Books! Thanks to these lovelies for tagging me and don’t forget to check out their blogs for all the good SFF and other bookish things.

Now I’m wondering… Am I gonna smash on everything or is there something I’m going to pass on?! Without further ado, LET’S FIND OUT!

Bookish Tropes

BIG SMASH! I’m definitely here for ALL the tropes, especially in my romances. I love knowing what I’m getting into especially if it’s a trope that I love but it’s also a good way for me to stay away from the books that have tropes I don’t like—such as the dreaded love triangle.

Alternating POV

ABSOLUTE SMASH! I love alternating POVs. I’m all for the different perspectives and I think it makes for a more well-rounded story but also gives characters more depth. I’m less picky when it comes to SFF and contemporaries but when it comes to romances, I find myself getting annoyed when there’s only one POV. I need to know what both parties are thinking, please!

Ambiguous Endings

It’s gonna be a PASS for me, thanks. I mean, that’s not to say that I totally hate all books that have open endings, I’m generally okay with them if they’re satisfying but I’ve found that’s generally never the case and so if I had the choice, I’d definitely take my well-rounded, closed endings!

Non-Fiction

Eh… I mean… This is a toughie because I don’t read a lot of non-fiction even though I always set a yearly goal to read one more NF title than I did the year before (definitely failed this year, lol). I just can’t get into NF books as easily and it takes me yonks to read but I’m not against reading more either, y’know? So I’m going for SMASS. Smash-Pass = SMASS.

Historical Setting

It’s a SMASH! I’ve always loved historical fiction and I still love a good historical setting. Some of my all-time favourite reads have historical settings (Persuasion, The Shadow of the Wind, and Evelyn Hugo to name a few)! I love what historical settings can add to a story too.

Morally Grey Characters

SMASHTASTIC! If I’m being honest it’s only in recent years that I came to develop a strong appreciation for morally grey characters and it’s all thanks to Schwab’s books—A Darker Shade of Magic series and Villains series, and the latter especially. Victor is *chefs kiss!*

First Person POV

Yeah, I can SMASH with this. I’m not particularly fussed with first-person POV but it really depends on the character(s). If they’re annoying then it’ll be an absolute nightmare to get through a book with this POV and it’s definitely happened before! 😂

Audiobooks

SMASS. So, I don’t mind audiobooks but I don’t work through them as quickly and easily as many people seem to. When I find one that works, I usually finish a book faster and end up loving that audiobook; but I’m also quite picky when it comes to audiobooks and when I listen to one I have to give it every bit of my attention, so I can’t multitask while listening because otherwise, I miss everything. The narrator also needs to be really engaging, capture all the character’s voices well, and just be easy to listen to.

Re-reading

Well, it’s usually a PASS for me. If I’m being honest, I have about a bajillion books on my “let’s re-read this” list and the time to re-read never ever comes around. 😂 There are just too many books to read and not enough time to read all of them and re-read the rest. It’s cliche but it’s true! 🤷🏻‍♀️

Classic Novels

SMASS! I don’t read a lot of classics but two of my all-time favourites are classics and I’m interested in reading more classics but I just struggle to get through them. And I mean, if given the choice between reading a classic or a contemporary or fantasy, I’d definitely pick the latter two.

Annotating

YES! SMASH! I’ve come to love annotating books and now just highlighting and making notes on my Kindle but annotating in my physical books as well. I love tabbing and although I still haven’t fully leveled up to writing directly in my books, I do make notes on stickies and put them in there. There’s something so satisfying about annotating although it can definitely change the reading experience (in both positive/negative ways)!

Cracking Book Spines

How do people read some paperbacks and NOT crack the book spines? I’m not for it but like I’m also scratching my head in wonder because I have yet to be able to read a paperback without once cracking the spine, no matter how floppy it is. Sorry, it’s just facts!

Smut

I. Am. HERE for the smut. SMASH IT! Really not much for me to say other than yuh, I love it. 😂 Obviously, I prefer my smut with plot and if it serves to advance the characters and their stories but I’m also okay with mindless no plot, just smut books. They’re fun to read every now and again although I mostly don’t rate those books when I do read them!

Character Driven Books

SMASH THE LOT! I love and adore character-driven books and as much as I love a good strong plot, if I don’t like or connect with the characters, it will be a struggle for me to get through the book.

Past/Present Timeline

Eh, PASS. It’s really not my favourite storytelling method. There are definitely exceptions where I enjoy this alternating timeline but I usually find that I’m less engaged in one timeline, usually the past, and want to skip ahead to the present.

Heavy World-Building

SMASH but only if it’s not dumpy, confusing or boring heavy world-building! I love when world-building is done well cos it helps me get lost in the story and love it even more.

Tagging

Unsurprisingly, as predicted, I smashed a whole lot on this list, lol. On the whole, I think I’m a pretty easy-to-please reader but this was a super fun tag to do! 😊