Book recs – Year 2 (I guess)

It looks like many of you liked my post about the books that made me become an avid Romance reader, so I wanted to give you some more books you may want to read in this very special Pride Month. I guess that makes this post Year 2, since the other mentioned 12 of the books I read during my first year as a Romance reader.

As you know, I prefer my books in English and with LGBTQ+ characters, but I’m open to anything as long as it’s good and I’m in the mood.
I’m afraid I’ve only discovered these wonderful books rather recently myself, so I’m still learning. Don’t hesitate to leave more recommendations if you think I’ll like them. I’m especially interested in ace, trans and f/f representation, since I haven’t read as many.

Here are the books and book series I discovered during my second year as a Romance reader (a few years ago):

• The Secret Casebook of Simon Feximal: A compilation of short stories about a ghost hunter. Imagine John Watson writing about the nsfw paranormal cases he shared with Sherlock Holmes. That will give you an idea of what it’s about. By the way, there is a short story not included in this compilation that belongs to both Simon Feximal and the Whyborne & Griffin series. Do not miss it if you like any of these stories!
• Hexworld: The idea of having witch policemen bonding with familiars who are actually shifters, and set it all in 1920s New York is something that could only have occurred to Jordan L. Hawk, because he’s a genius. Believe me, these two first series I’ve mentioned are two of the best Paranormal Romance series out there, so go ahead and read them if you haven’t yet.
• The Turner Series: A delightful historical series about a group of siblings and their found family that includes my favourite retelling of Beauty and the Beast. The series has a diverse cast of characters with different disabilities who find love and happiness where (and when) they least expect it. With this series, Cat Sebastian became one of my favourite writers, and you’ll know why when you read it.
• Scoring Chances: A sports series about ice hockey, because ice hockey has quite a few LGBTQ+ friendly series, and this is one of the best. The books follow teams playing in the ECHL: mainly the Sea Storms and the Spitfires, but there are characters who belong to other teams as well. I think that the fact that it’s minor-league professional hockey makes it more interesting and fun. Every book has different main characters, so you can learn what happens to the enforcers, the goalie, the coach… If you made me choose, I’d say my favourite one is Power Play.
• Vivaldi in the Dark: This is one dark series, because I used to read many of those before my burnout turned into depression. This series is wonderful, and the representation of depression is superb. It shows that things are not easy, but there’s hope, and… most importantly, it shows that a romantic relationship doesn’t cure depression. In any case, read the content warnings before you read the book. Or ask me in the comments if you’re interested (in any of these books).
• Wytch Kings: Another Fantasy series with magic and dragon shifters. In this one, the dragons come as a surprise when the characters realize that they belong to a line of dragon shifters. It all starts with the firstborn of the Wytch King: in order to inherit the throne, he needs wytch powers… but he has none whatsoever. His younger brother doesn’t want to rule, so he undertakes to make an experiment that may awaken the powers within himself. The problem is… no one really knows how to control a dragon.
• Howl at the Moon: This one is a typical small town Contemporary Romance… with a twist: in this small town, many of the inhabitants are actually dog shifters. Territorial, loyal, and adorable, these shifters may be the perfect neighbours for some, and the worst for others. Fortunately, the town is a haven for dog lovers. There are military dogs, comfort dogs, people who want to be human and refuse to shift… and people that stop trusting humans and want to live like dogs.
• Dark Space: The name might have given it away, but this is a dark science-fiction series. And it really is dark, so do check for content warnings if needed. I don’t read sci-fi that often, but I really enjoyed this series and I’m looking forward to the third book of the trilogy. If you want something lighter by this author, you can always check Adulting 101, which appears at the end of this list.
• Think of England: Another KJ Charles Romance, like The Secret Casebook of Simon Feximal, but this one is historical. The protagonist is a war veteran in the early 20th century, investigating if he’s been the victim of an accident or sabotage. Soon, he finds out that he’s not the only one interested in uncovering the secrets of his hosts, nor the only one who wants revenge.
• Spirits: Another Paranormal Romance series by Jordan L Hawk. This one explores the unlikely relationship between a traditional spirit medium and an inventor who uses science to find and exorcise spirits. They meet each other when they join a contest to exorcise the house of a rich family, but will science or tradition win? In the end, the contest stops being important when the spirits try to kill everyone in the house. They’ll have to work together if they want to survive.
• Mermen of Ea: A Fantasy Romance about… well, mermen. But it all starts with pirates. Or rather, a boy kidnapped by pirates who decides to join them because he enjoys life at sea. One day, during a storm, the boy dives overboard to save someone, but he’s lost and rescued by a rival captain. However, he was not as unlucky as it may seem, for the man tells him that they’re both mermen and he might know something about his true origins.
• Adulting 101: Tons of fun in this Contemporary Romance novel with two very good best friends, a horny 18 year-old with a crush on a coworker, and lots of pizza, cuddling, and Netflix and chill. One of the main characters doesn’t know where his place in the world is, the other one knows his place is everywhere and nowhere. So it’s not a bad idea to spend a summer together and then continue with their lives, right? Unless feelings are more complicated than they thought.

Let me know if you’ve read any of these books and whether you liked this list. I hope so, because I have already started working on Year III of these book recommendation posts. There are so many good books out there! And I can’t wait to reach the years in which the books I read became even more diverse.

Edit: Now there’s a Year 3 post you can read here.