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MY FAVOURITE BOOKS OF 2022

Published by Frances Denny on December 27, 2022

To celebrate December, here’s a list of my favourite books I read this year.

THE RARKYN’S FAMILIAR by Nikky Lee

GENRE: Young Adult, High Fantasy, Dark Fantasy

If you haven’t read my review, here’s the link. 

This young adult fantasy is for those who enjoy Garth Nix and Trudi Canavan. The worldbuilding is amazing and the characters are complex. The second book in the series, THE RARKYN’S FALL, is yet to have a release date, so I’ll be keeping an eye out for that.

THE LOVE HYPOTHESIS by Ali Hazelwood

GENRE: New Adult, Contemporary, Romcom

Who doesn’t love a story about two nerds finding love? THE LOVE HYPOTHESIS is a new adult romance between a stem-science university PhD student and a professor – yes that does not sound appropriate but they’re only fake-dating, and the professor isn’t teaching any of her classes – the two made sure of that. So, it’s all goods. 

I think. 

Just read the book. It’s good.

KINGDOM OF THE WICKED TRILOGY by Kerri Maniscalco

GENRE: Young Adult, New Adult, Paranormal/Gothic Fantasy, Romance

Soooo…this was kind of a guilty pleasure read. It’s not deep, but it’s a lot of fun. The premise is a witch must team up with a prince of Hell to uncover the truth behind the murder of her twin sister. Along the way, there’s blood, demons, goddesses, magical tattoos, mystery, death, and sex…lots of sex. Chapters of sex – a small addition to the trilogy…

*Looks sideways*

ANATOMY: A LOVE STORY by Dana Schwartz

GENRE: Young Adult, Gothic/Paranormal Romance

Set in 1800s Edinburgh, the story follows wannabe surgeon Hazel Sinnett who uncovers a dark secret regarding the disappearance of its citizens, and it’s not all to do with the Roman fever. If you enjoy gothic romance and you didn’t faint when you dissected a frog in biology, you’ll love this book. One thing to note, Schwartz compares this book to FRANKENSTEIN. I see this book as more like THE STRANGE CASE OF DR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE. Or maybe a mix of both. You decide.

ONCE UPON A BROKEN HEART and THE BALLAD OF NEVER AFTER by Stephanie Garber

GENRE: Young Adult, High Fantasy, Romance

ONCE UPON A TIME meets SABRIEL – definitely! Heartbroken Evangeline makes a deal with the Prince of Hearts (Jacks) to mend her heart. But striking deals with immortals isn’t wise, and Evangeline must travel to the magical and mysterious North to save herself and those she loves. If you don’t mind your childhood faith in true love and happily-ever-afters being destroyed, you should read this trilogy. The third and final book, A CURSE FOR TRUE LOVE, comes out September next year and Garber better let Evangeline and Jacks have their happy ending. Or I’ll cry. 

CIRCE by Madeline Miller

GENRE: Adult, Fantasy, Mythology, Retelling

Superb. Incredible. Rich. Hands down, my favourite book of this year. It’s Greek mythology from the perspective of the enchantress/minor goddess, Circe. Through her point-of-view, a spotlight is shone on the misogyny of the Greek gods. Despite this, Madeline Miller is able to weave in hope, love, joy and passion through her complex and rich characters. Definitely worth a read.

LITTLE THIEVES by Margaret Owen

GENRE: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Retelling, LGBTQ+

Very few books accurately portray PTSD, but Owen has nailed it in this retelling of the Goose Girl. I absolutely believed Vanja and her experience. Vanja, daughter of Death and Fortune, escapes her parents by stealing the identity of her old friend, the princess Gisele. There’s so much I liked about this book, especially the shape-shifting demigod, Ragne, who is given the responsibility of “keeping an eye on Vanja.” I think Ragne should have her own series. The second book in the duology comes out next year. Will totally be reading it.

THE FORBIDDEN WISH by Jessica Khoury.

GENRE: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Retelling

I rarely like Aladdin retellings because they are often Disney rip-offs and have little to do with A THOUSAND AND ONE NIGHTS. However, this retelling is an exception. Aladdin felt so real, as did the description of his appearance and behaviour as a peasant in ancient Arabia. And he was likeable. Zahra, the genie and narrator, was also a fascinating character. It’s not often books are told from the perspective of an immortal, and I thought Khoury did a good a job at making her feel believable.

THE CATS WE MEET ALONG THE WAY by Nadia Mikail

GENRE: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Dystopia

The world is ending, and we have a road trip, and we don’t want the world to end because we love the characters and their cats so much. Yes, I was moved by this book. It was so sweet, so sad, so human. If you want to have faith in humanity during hard times, read this book.

WE ARE OKAY by Lina LaCour

GENRE: Young Adult, Contemporary, LGBTQ+

I talk about WE ARE OKAY a lot because it’s SO FLIPPIN’ GOOD. It’s the first book that’s made me cry – EVER. The story follows Marin, who, after the death of her grandad and main caregiver, fled to New York without telling anybody. However, Marin must still face the tragedy of her grandfather’s death, when her ex-girlfriend and best friend Mabel visits with questions. I loved this book so so so so much and FINALLY a story with accurate lesbian and authentic mental health rep. 

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A Santa Fe Xmas

Published by Frances Denny on January 5, 2022

BY CECELIA GUZMAN

This was a wonderful book to read over Christmas.

The story follows Evie And Alex. Evie bumps into Alex on the way to the family restaurant she runs and she ends up hiring him as a bartender. Things heat up between them and we learn some juicy family secrets.

Also included in this book are some family recipes from the author. I love this addition as it adds a personal touch. 

This is a really sweet story about the importance of family in times of grief. It also has some adorable romantic moments between Evie and Alex.

I found the writing very easy to read. It was simplistic, but flowed well and the style fitted nicely in the spirit of a holiday read. 

Overall, I definitely recommend A Santa Fe Xmas. It’s a quick read and a lot of fun. 

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Cosmogony (A romantic drama)

Published by Frances Denny on November 18, 2021

CHRIS WHEAT

Cosmogony follows an interracial newly-engaged couple as they uncover the secrets of their new home, the conservative small town, Goldwater, California.

The novel is a quick, easy and engaging read. The writing is solid, although at times it can overuse the word, “and.”

The characters feel authentic and the relationship between Isaac and Ruth is romantic and satisfying. Perfect for the romance genre.   

This book packs a lot into 117 pages. There’s drama, shoot-outs, bank-robberies, government secrets, social justice, and romance. In other words, everything exciting is jammed into this short novel. However, the storyline never feels too busy, which can be a potential problem when reading complex plotlines.  

What I love most about this book is the empathy. Although it’s easy to preach on sensitive topics, such as racism and sexism, this book still manages to maintain a non-judgemental tone and trusts the story to open the discussion with the reader.

Overall, Cosmogony is definitely worth the read.

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When The Lights Go Out

Published by Frances Denny on September 1, 2021

BY JACKIE MOJICA

I received When the Lights Go Out from the author, Jackie Mojica, in exchange for an honest review. 

This is an adult romance about a woman named Rain who falls in love with a famous Rockstar, Damen. I would like to begin this review by informing potential readers that the story includes light BDSM themes and explicit sexual scenes.

If either of these themes disturb you, this might not be the ideal book for you. However, as someone who doesn’t like BDSM or reading explicit sex, I didn’t find these too invasive and was still able to enjoy the plot. 

In fact, the sex scenes are not overly detailed, and the writing overall is solid. 

The characters, Rain and Damen, are well-drawn. However, Damen comes across as borderline abusive. He is rough in the bedroom, talks about cheating on his ex-wife with the expectation that Rain feel sympathy for him, and he introduces Rain to BDSM as if it’s no big deal. 

Having said that, both Rain and Damen are well-rounded, even though not always likeable. 

In terms of plot, it is tight although I wished to know more about Rain’s stalker, her ex-boyfriend Jeremy. He seemed significant but he fell into the background towards the end of the book. I would have liked more of a climatical moment with him. 

Overall, this would make a great summer read. I recommend it to fans of hot steamy romances. 

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The Colonel and The Enchantress (The Enchantresses #4)

Published by Frances Denny on February 18, 2021

By Paullett Golden 

This is one of the best books I’ve read EVER! It made me smile, it made me laugh, it made me angry and then it made me very happy. 

The Colonel and the Enchantress is about a young couple, Duncan and Mary, from different social classes in the 19th century. Duncan is working class and Mary is the daughter of a Duke and Duchess. Duncan enters the army and quickly climbs up the ranks to Colonel in the hope that he will be worthy enough of Mary’s hand in marriage. However, he returns from active service with a crippling injury that leaves him paralyzed from the waist down. The book’s main storyline is Duncan and Mary’s relationship and how they navigate their life together in spite of Duncan’s condition.

Duncan and Mary are beautifully drawn. Both have flaws that come with consequences and both have strengths that hold them together. Mary is stubborn to the point that she fails to see her mother, the Dowager Duchess’s, position on the relationship in any other light than as one of cold-hearted snobbery. There’s a beautiful scene towards the end of the book where the Dowager Duchess explains to her daughter that she was on her side the entire time if Mary had only listened. Duncan, on the other hand, is caring and kind but sometimes selfish and has a tendency to push people away because of his own insecurities. One of my favourite moments is when Duncan is in bed feeling sorry for himself and he and Mary get into an argument over whether Duncan was “worthy” and “useful” enough to be her wife and Mary says, “I need you, not because I need you to do something for me, but because I need you.”

What’s so satisfying about this love story is that it feels real. There are no points in the plot where anything feels forced or contrived. The love between Duncan and Mary, the arguments they have, the moments they make up, all flow naturally, and I don’t once end up rolling my eyes.

Overall, this is a book I would definitely read again, and that I recommend to anyone who loves a good period romance.

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