I read 33 books in 2022. While that is nowhere near as many books as I’ve read in past years, it was 3 more books than the goal I set of 30. Whoop!
In no particular order, I give you my top reads of 2022…
Liberate Us by: J.M. Walker
Amber-
He was mean.
Domineering.
Possessive.
Sammy Butcher had an outer layer he showed to the world. But I got the side of him I had been craving since I first met him.
After the first man I had ever loved was taken from me, I didn’t know how to open up and trust again. But Sammy made it his mission to let me see him. The real him.
Kind and gentle, two things I never thought I would get from him. He also showed me that as long as it was with the right person, I could embrace my deepest and darkest fantasies.
I wanted to be his pet but more than that, I wanted to be his. In every sense of the word.
For good.
-Sammy-
She was beautiful.
Seductive.
And a brat.
Amber Bishop could very well bring me to my knees just from saying my name alone. With her vibrant red hair and pale skin, I wanted to leave my touch on every inch of her.
She had a hard time trusting. Couldn’t say I blamed her. I wasn’t known to be a nice guy. I wasn’t the hero in a romance book. I said and did whatever I wanted, whatever the outcome.
But I wanted to be better.
For her.
For us.
No matter how long it took, I would show her she could trust me, and I would take care of her.
I would fight for her.
Even if it destroyed us.
Author Note:
I know a lot of readers don’t like knowing possible triggers ahead of time, but I know a lot of readers DO need to know in advance. And that is perfectly understandable! So I thought I’d do something a little differently this time for the warning in this book by giving YOU the choice to read the trigger warnings or not.
Please see the link below that will take you directly to my site and it will include a more detailed warning.
Please be advised that it WILL give some spoilers.
https://www.aboutjmwalker.com/liberate-us-trigger-warnings
This is NOT a light and fluffy romance.
Final warning: This book deals with certain topics that may be triggering for some. Please read with caution.
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MY REVIEW
Sammy Butcher is The Enforcer for Hells Harlem. He’s not a man of many words and he spends most of his days bitter and angry. Part of that could be due to the fact that a certain redhead has gotten under his skin and all he wants is her!
We all know from previous books that Sammy and his twin are both a bit kinky. In Liberate Us, we find out just what turns Sammy on. And some of the things he likes are rough, crass, and deliciously dominating. But we also see a side of Sammy we have never seen. The gentle, overprotective lover, who has wanted Amber since the moment he laid eyes on her. Theres something different about this woman and he is bound and determined to make her his. The good and the bad, the rough and the gentle are just some of the many things that makes Sammy Sammy and also my absolute favorite JM hero.
Amber does not easily trust anyone, especially men. She had a terrible past and a horrible first marriage. Those things left her trust of men very low. Sammy is different and Amber knows it but that still doesn’t help the doubt she feels creeping in.
He wants to be her Dom.
She wants to be his Pet.
But in order for that to happen, they first have to deal with the past and present colliding in a battle that could very well destroy them.
Liberate Us is my favorite in the series. Sammy and Amber were perfect for one another. She is the calm to his storm. He wants nothing more than for her to be happy. When they are together, something magical happens. Something neither one of them can ignore. I loved every single page of their story.
***This book is not for everyone, so please make sure you read the trigger warnings.***
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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Upside Down by: N.R. Walker
Jordan O’Neill isn’t a fan of labels, considering he has a few. Gay, geek, librarian, socially awkward, a nervous rambler, an introvert, an outsider. The last thing he needs is one more. But when he realises adding the label asexual might explain a lot, it turns his world upside down.
Hennessy Lang moved to Surry Hills after splitting with his boyfriend. His being asexual had seen the end of a lot of his romances, but he’s determined to stay true to himself. Leaving his North Shore support group behind, he starts his own in Surry Hills, where he meets first-time-attendee Jordan.
A little bewildered and scared, but completely adorable, Hennessy is struck by this guy who’s trying to find where he belongs. Maybe Hennessy can convince Jordan that his world hasn’t been turned upside down at all, but maybe it’s now—for the first time in his life—the right way up.
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MY REVIEW
Jordan is a librarian who loves to cuss, and he talks a whole bunch of nonsense when he’s nervous and I just love him.
Hennessey works in internet safety. He’s a bit more reserved than Jordan, I guess you could say- but that does not matter one single iota- the 2 of them are 2 halves of the same whole. Soul mates. They were absolutely made for one another.
Jordan is struggling with this because he has zero desire for sex and the feelings Hennessey is stirring in him have left him confused.
Hennessey is so loving and understanding. He is the perfect partner for Jordan.
This is my first read involving asexuals. I loved it. I feel like I learned a lot and have a better understanding of asexualism, and I would like to thank the author for that. I swooned, I cried, I laughed (a lot), I fell in love with these 2 men and their unyielding love for one another. And don’t even get me started on the supporting characters. They were all a fantastic group of friends. I hope I can move on from this book. I miss them already.
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N.R. Walker is an Australian author, who loves her genre of gay romance. She loves writing and spends far too much time doing it, but wouldn’t have it any other way. She is many things; a mother, a wife, a sister, a writer. She has pretty, pretty boys who live in her head, who don’t let her sleep at night unless she gives them life with words.
She likes it when they do dirty, dirty things… but likes it even more when they fall in love.
She used to think having people in her head talking to her was weird, until one day she happened across other writers who told her it was normal. She’s been writing ever since.
~
N.R. Walker was voted 2019 Goodreads M/M Romance Members’ Choice Awards All-Time Favorite Author
and 2020 Goodreads M/M Romance Members’ Choice Awards Hall of Fame
Read more on nrwalker.net
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Finley by: Ella Frank
***A spin-off from the Temptation Series***
It’s time to come home, Finn.
It’s been seven years since Daniel Finley left his hometown in Florida for the hustle and bustle of Chicago’s city life.
Since then, he’s worked hard for his position at the prestigious law firm Leighton & Associates, even when it’s caused distance and isolation from his family and friends. But that’s all about to change.
On his thirtieth birthday, he receives the one thing he never dared hope for. Something that was promised to him years earlier—a note. One simple sentence from the man he’s never been able to forget.
Six words will forever change the course of their lives.
Brantley Hayes has it all. Or so he thinks. When he first made the decision to take a job down in Florida, his family thought he was crazy. But, after years of living in the quiet beach town, he finally feels a sense of community. He’s surrounded himself with friends who are like family, has a job he loves, and owns a spectacular beachfront property that is his sanctuary.
Yet he still feels unfulfilled, as if a piece of the puzzle is missing, and he knows exactly which piece it is. On an impulse, he follows through with a promise he made years earlier. A promise to call home the one he sent away.
Nothing is as simple as it seems.
After years of separation, the former lovers are reunited, but Brantley wasn’t expecting to encounter the high walls now guarding Daniel’s heart.
Daniel may not be the same person he was when he left, but he knows that the first step to healing is the note in his hand.
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MY REVIEW
I finished this book 3 or 4 days ago. I have struggled to come up with a review because it was just so cute and sweet and happy and sad and this book made me hella emotional, on many levels, and I just loved it so much. See, I’m a rambling mess.
I cannot stop thinking about Daniel and Brantley’s story. Every once in a while, a book comes along that checks all of the boxes and makes my reader heart sing with joy. Well it’s been a couple days, I’ve had time to collect my thoughts and here is what I have decided. Finley made my top reads of the year list for sure but it may have very well landed itself on my top 10 books of all time list.
If you love a good 2nd chance romance and are apparently late to the game like me, read this book! I love Ella Frank. I read my first book by her before this book was even released. I cannot believe I didn’t read this back then but maybe it was book fate. If there is such a thing. Lol I think I was meant to read it now instead of then in order to fully appreciate their story. But I digress…if you like MM romance with a forbidden-ish element, smoking hot sexy scenes as well as a shot at a second chance with the one that got away, READ THIS BOOK. That is all!
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ella Frank is the USA Today Bestselling author of the Temptation series, including Try, Take,Trust, Tease, Tate, and True, and is the co-author of the fan-favorite PresLocke Series. Her Exquisite series has been praised as “scorching hot!” and “enticingly sexy!”
Some of her favorite authors include Tiffany Reisz, Kresley Cole, Riley Hart, J.R. Ward, Erika Wilde, Gena Showalter, and Carly Philips.
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Any Given Lifetime by: Leta Blake
He’ll love him in any lifetime.
Neil isn’t a ghost, but he feels like one. Reincarnated with all his memories from his prior life, he spent twenty years trapped in a child’s body, wanting nothing more than to grow up and reclaim the love of his life.
As an adult, Neil finds there’s more than lost time separating them. Joshua has built a beautiful life since Neil’s death, and how exactly is Neil supposed to introduce himself? As Joshua’s long-dead lover in a new body? Heartbroken and hopeless, Neil takes refuge in his work, developing microscopic robots called nanites that can produce medical miracles.
When Joshua meets a young scientist working on a medical project, his soul senses something his rational mind can’t believe. Has Neil truly come back to him after twenty years? And if the impossible is real, can they be together at long last?
Any Given Lifetime is a stand-alone, slow burn, second chance gay romance by Leta Blake featuring reincarnation and true love. This story includes some angst, some steam, an age gap, and, of course, a happy ending.
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MY REVIEW
Any Given Lifetime had a very unique plot. I cannot say I’ve ever read anything quite like it. I realize this book is a work of fiction but it definitely left me thinking about the possibility of something like what happened to Neil, actually happening.
Neil and Joshua dated once upon a time but then there was a tragic accident and Neil did not survive.
Fast forward 20 years, Joshua is in his 40s now. He has loved and lost more than once. When a young scientist shows up in his life (one who shares an uncanny resemblance to his dead first love) Joshua thinks he might be losing his mind. I really can’t say I blamed him.
Any Given Lifetime is the first book I’ve read by Leta Blake. It is a story about love, loss, and then finding that love again in the next lifetime. Neil’s love for Joshua was unwavering. He dies, is born again, and remembers his love for Joshua from a past life. What then begins to unfold is one of the most epic love stories I have ever read. This was a beautiful, emotional, memorable read. I loved every single word. I will definitely be checking out her backlist!
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Author of the bestselling book Smoky Mountain Dreams and fan favorites like Training Season, Will & Patrick Wake Up Married, and Slow Heat, Leta Blake has been captivating M/M Romance readers for nearly a decade. Whether writing contemporary romance or fantasy, she puts her psychology background to use creating complex characters and love stories that feel real. At home in the Southern U.S., Leta works hard at achieving balance between her writing and her family life.
If you’d like to be among the first to know about new releases, you can sign up for Leta’s newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/bdn32H
Bonus material for the Heat of Love series, Will & Patrick Wake Up Married series, Training Season series, Smoky Mountain Dreams, Mr. Frosty Pants, The River Leith, and more is available on Leta Blake’s Patreon account. Sign up here: https://www.patreon.com/letablake
Or you can find out more about her by following her online:
On the web: https://letablake.com
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Fable of Happiness by Pepper Winters
It’s the start of something huge.
From New York Times Bestseller, Pepper Winters, comes a new Dark Romance full of decadent angst and monstrous heroes.
A house hidden in the middle of nowhere.
A man who’s lived alone for a decade.
A woman who trespasses on his solitude.
A love full of hate as well as hunger.
The thing about my life is…I was never in control of it.
I just thought I was.
I thought I had everything figured out—a good career, fun hobbies, a bright future, but everything changed when I found an ivy-cloaked house, tucked in a forgotten valley, hiding a man who corrupted my world forever.
I thought I was successful, until he showed me fortune and happiness could be snatched away in an instant.
I believed I was blessed, but really, I was cursed.
Cursed to become a plaything for a monster.
Cursed to become a prisoner just because I trespassed.
Now, I know nothing.
I am nothing.
I’m just his.
FULL LENGTH BOOK. Please note this is a dark romance and not suitable for people who have triggers. Content included can be hard to read and only recommended for people who like dark romance.
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MY REVIEW
Rock climber and thrill seeking influencer Gemma comes across a blog post that grabs the attention of her adventurous heart and won’t let up until she sets out on her next big, nearly impossible rock climb. This particular adventure seemed doomed from the start. And no matter how well she planned, the ever so prepared Gemma could have never been prepared for the series of ill-fated events that land her smack dab in the middle of a very dangerous situation.
He lives alone in the middle of a forest. Somewhere you wouldn’t think you would find a house, let alone a mansion. When Gemma trespasses, he does the only thing he knows how to do– he reacts as if she is a threat and now hes trying to figure out what exactly to do about this problem she has created. He is quite the enigma. He has many layers and the author ever so cleverly starts to peel them back at just the perfect moments throughout the book.
This is book 1 of 3 and they must be read in order as each book picks up where the last left off. I’m so happy to be able to dive right into the next one because this ending was all sorts of craziness and I need answers like yesterday!
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Pepper currently has thirty-one books released in nine languages. She’s hit best-seller lists (USA Today, New York Times, and Wall Street Journal) thirty-six times. She dabbles in multiple genres, ranging from Dark Romance to Coming of Age.
After chasing her dreams to become a full-time writer, Pepper has earned recognition with awards for best Dark Romance, best BDSM Series, and best Hero. She’s an #1 iBooks bestseller, along with #1 in Erotic Romance, Romantic Suspense, Contemporary, and Erotica Thriller. She’s also honoured to wear the IndieReader Badge for being a Top 10 Indie Bestseller.
After releasing two books with Grand Central, Hachette (Ruin & Rule and Sin & Suffer) Pepper is a Hybrid Author of both Traditional and Self-published work.
For all film and foreign rights please contact Erica Silverman at Trident Media.
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Jett & Leighton (On Cravenwood Block #1) by A.D. Ellis
Jett is accustomed to people thinking he’s an intimidating, aloof loner. He doesn’t really mind, even though finding a special connection to someone would be nice. Opening his own tattoo shop on Cravenwood Block is a dream come true, but he isn’t prepared for the determined little ray of sunshine who walks through his door and turns his entire world upside down.
Leighton knows better than to let himself get involved with a straight guy again—been there, done that, got the t-shirt and some stylish baggage he’s been lugging around ever since. However, the moment he lays eyes on the new tattoo artist on the block, he can’t help the instant pull toward the man.
Meeting Leighton throws Jett for a curve. He’s forced to recognize he’s got a lot to learn about himself, and he quickly realizes he actually likes the man he’s uncovering. Leighton knows it’s dangerous to let his heart hold onto hope, but he can’t shake the feeling something good is just around the corner.
Jett & Leighton: On Cravenwood Block is a steamy, opposites-attract, bisexual-awakening, roommates-to-lovers M/M romance featuring a sexy-as-sin tattoo artist and a fresh, flashy barista with a smile that lights up the room.
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MY REVIEW
Jett has just opened the tattoo shop on Cravenwood Block. Leighton has kind of just inserted himself if Jett’s life and if we’re being honest, Jett is starting to look forward to his morning visits from the flirty pretty boy, who smells of dark roast and cinnamon sunshine.
Leighton has lived and worked on Cravenwood Block for a couple of years now. He’s met the new owner of the tattoo shop, a dark haired, dark eyed, inked up beauty, named Jett. He really wants to get to know him. He also really wants him for his roommate. And it’s no secret he wants him in his bed.
Jett proclaims he’s straight and Leighton has been down a similar path before. However, I’m not sure either of them were prepared for what would happen when Jett moved in on Cravenwood Block.
This book had me obsessed from page one! J&L we’re made for one another. While the the path they took to figure that out had me beyond stressed, it was worth it in the end. I cannot wait to meet the next couple on the block!
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Escape into addictive, sexy, emotional romance.
A.D. Ellis is an Indiana girl, born and raised. She spends much of her time in central Indiana as an instructional coach/teacher in the inner city of Indianapolis, being a mom to two amazing teens, and wondering how she and her husband of over two decades haven’t driven each other insane yet. A lot of her time is also devoted to phone call avoidance and her hatred of cooking.
She loves chocolate, hot tea, sweet wine with friends, pizza, and naps along with reading and writing romance. These loves don’t leave much time for housework, much to the chagrin of her husband. Who would pick cleaning the house over a nap or a good book? She uses any extra time to increase her fluency in sarcasm.
A.D. uses she/they pronouns.
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Reminders of Him by: Colleen Hoover
A troubled young mother yearns for a shot at redemption in this heartbreaking yet hopeful story from #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover. After serving five years in prison for a tragic mistake, Kenna Rowan returns to the town where it all went wrong, hoping to reunite with her four-year-old daughter. But the bridges Kenna burned are proving impossible to rebuild. Everyone in her daughter’s life is determined to shut Kenna out, no matter how hard she works to prove herself. The only person who hasn’t closed the door on her completely is Ledger Ward, a local bar owner and one of the few remaining links to Kenna’s daughter. But if anyone were to discover how Ledger is slowly becoming an important part of Kenna’s life, both would risk losing the trust of everyone important to them. The two form a connection despite the pressure surrounding them, but as their romance grows, so does the risk. Kenna must find a way to absolve the mistakes of her past in order to build a future out of hope and healing.
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MY REVIEW
| I finished this book the other day and it keeps replaying in my head. From the first chapter I had a feeling this story would be special and was it ever! I shall do my best to express just how special it was. Kenna has just been released from prison after serving 5 years for a very tragic mistake. The one thing that has kept her going in prison. Hope. Hope that when she is released from prison she can return to the place where everything went wrong and hopefully meet her daughter. Her first day in town she stops by a business that was once a bookstore. It is now a bar. Ledger Ward is the owner of this establishment. He’s drawn to Kenna from the moment he lays eyes on her, he has never had this strong of a reaction to anyone. The problem is, Kenna is forbidden fruit that Ledger needs to avoid tasting because if anyone were to find out the 2 of them are growing closer, the consequences could ruin everything. This story was both heartbreaking and heartwarming. I felt for Kenna. I really hoped for her to find happiness. She definitely deserved that much. Except for a few short months with Him 5 years ago, she has basically been alone her entire life. And it’s been a lonely existence. All she has ever wanted is love and acceptance, but will she ever find it? Be prepared to read this book in one sitting. I could NOT put it down. It was a unique, original story that made me feel all the feels. Not sure how I will be able to move on from it, but I shall try. |
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Colleen Hoover is the #1 New York Times and International bestselling author of multiple novels and novellas. She lives in Texas with her husband and their three boys. She is the founder of The Bookworm Box, a non-profit book subscription service and bookstore in Sulphur Springs, Texas.
For more information and for a schedule of events, please visit colleenhoover.com.
To contact Colleen and her team (Her team’s name is Stephanie), please email hooverink@outlook.com