Best Belated Reads of 2019
I do my best to keep up with new releases, but my library, my secondhand store, and Kindle bargains slant heavily towards older books. During the year, I love this. I have enjoyed so many wonderful books I missed when they were new. It’s only when “Best of the year” time rolls around that I find myself grumbling that I don’t get to bang the drum about so many of my favorite reads just because they weren’t published this year!
Last year, I collected a Best Belated Reads column of the books our reviewers loved in 2018 that were published in prior years. In 2019, I had so many great BBRs that I could fill a column by myself (I had 3 DIKs of historical romances by authors named Elizabeth alone!) – but special thanks to AAR’s Charlotte, Em and Maria Rose for sharing their great finds.
And please join us in the comments with your own Best Belated Reads!
Caroline:
Inevitable Conclusions by Christina C Jones
After a disastrous attempt at dating in their twenties, Kora Oliver and Tariq Evans firmly shoved their relationship back into friendship – a decision which now seems impossible to maintain.The decades-long intimacy of this couple and their intense, unwavering loyalty to each other will spoil you for any characters who have just met. Holy smokes, this book was good.
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
The Dark Knight by Elizabeth Elliott
Venetian exile Dante Chiaveri masquerades as Avalene de Fournay’s escort to her new husband. In reality, he’s been sent by the king to prevent Avalene’s royal Welsh ancestry being used to rally rebels – by killing her, if necessary. Dante is a great dark hero, and Avalene is that rare medieval heroine who is neither a sword-swinger nor a loose-tressed hellion but a practical woman of her time.
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
A Scandal To Remember by Elizabeth Essex
Conchologist (shell scholar) Jane Burke misrepresented herself as a man to join a scientific expedition to the Pacific. The trip turns out to be highly ill-fated, as the captain is a drunk, the purser is a thief, the bosun is power-hungry and vicious, and the first lieutenant, Charles Dance, can barely keep the dilapidated ship afloat. Loved the realistic shipboard setting and its naval details, and the tension of the two being completely unable to touch during their journey. Watching the competence of Charles and Jane in the face of endless waves of trouble is a delight.
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
Sunstone by Stjepan Sejic
Ally and Lisa met online and are now exploring their love of bondage together, but neither is sure what to do when they start crossing the line into love of each other. It never ceases to boggle me that a man attracted to women could write and illustrate a BDSM romance about two women without ever once coming across as prurient and exploitative. The pure sweetness of this book had me grinning like a dork for the entire fifth volume.
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
Earth Bound by Emma Barry and Genevieve Turner
A female PhD computer scientist building the code for the space program, and the brusque, impatient engineer running Mission Control – it’s the workplace romance of my nerd dreams. Bonus points for the exceptional sex scenes, when buttoned-up passion bursts free.
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
Sugarplum Surprises by Elisabeth Fairchild
This Cinderella-inspired Regency Christmas story was an unexpected delight! The heroine works as a seamstress, and when she’s left holding the bag on the trousseau of a duke’s jilted fiancee, she goes after the duke for payment. He realizes immediately that the middle-aged French seamstress is actually the young woman who asked him to pay up, and can’t shake his curiosity about who she really is. This one definitely put me in the holiday mood.
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
Forget Tomorrow and Remember Yesterday by Pintip Dunn
In the dystopia of Eden City, teens receive a memory from their future selves to guide them. Callie receives a nightmarish vision of herself murdering her beloved younger sister, and immediately begins challenging Fate and space-time itself to figure out how to prevent this from coming true. I blitzed through this duo in about 48 hours. They’re gripping, clever, and yes, romances.
Buy Forget Tomorrow at: Amazon/Indiebound
Buy Remember Yesterday at: Amazon/Indiebound
Maria Rose:
The Secret Casebook of Simon Feximal by K.J. Charles
If you’d have asked me if I’d want to read a romance with ghosts in it before this year, I’d have said that they weren’t of particular interest to me. But I had picked up the audiobook of this one when the ebook went on sale, and was in the mood for something different to listen to on my work commute. From the very first few pages narrated by Gary Furlong, I was hooked! The story is told by Robert Caldwell, explaining his association with paranormal investigator Simon Feximal over a twenty year period and discussing some of the cases they get involved in. Along the way, a special relationship develops between Simon and Robert. It’s wholly engrossing and memorable and I knew right away that it was going on a ‘best of’ list for me this year.
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
Iron and Magic by Ilona Andrews: What an exciting read! For a newcomer to this particular urban fantasy world (as I haven’t read the Kate Daniels series) the authors have done a great job of explaining some of the backstory of the characters without letting it bog down the spinoff tale. The worldbuilding is thorough and detailed and there are plenty of action scenes ( a little more violent and gruesome than I’m used to in a romance but not a dealbreaker). The romance is slowly built in an enemies to lovers fashion between a very interesting couple who’ve forged a marriage of convenience for the sake of the people loyal to them. I can’t wait to read more of Hugh and Elara’s adventure in the next Iron Covenant book!
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
Ocean Light by Nalini Singh
I bought the audiobook of this latest romance in the author’s Psy-Changeling Trinity spinoff series because I had so enjoyed the narration by Angela Dawe of book one, Silver Silence (which I’ve now listened to twice). Once again, the story and narration are both excellent. I love the environment and world building of the Black Sea changelings and Bowen’s story lives up to my expectations. Kaia’s anxiety issues are dealt with honestly, and there are some interesting plot developments that continue the story arc of this spinoff series. The author always leaves you wanting more which ensures that the next in the series will end up on your TBR.
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
The Arrows of the Heart by Jeffe Kennedy
I’m such a big fan of the Uncharted Realms series and The Arrows of the Heart is another fascinating and delightful adventure – a road trip fantasy romance. Karyn and shapeshifter Zyr are on a quest to find a forgotten land, one that may hold the answers they seek or could lead to more death and destruction. The only way to find out is to take the quest through to the end. There is lots of action, detailed worldbuilding and while the story arc of the series continues, this definitely has a separate sexy romance with a well deserved happy ending for this quite opposite couple. I love seeing how Zyr gets Karyn to acknowledge her strengths, throw off her old habits and learn to live for herself. At the same time the wise cracking and flirtatious Zyr has a serious side and hasn’t had an easy life either so it was good to see him find a partner who accepts all of him, including his animal forms. While some answers are found, the danger is not over for the inhabitants of the Twelve Kingdoms. There’s clearly more to be told in this world and I can’t wait to read whatever comes next.
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
Charlotte:
Truth or Beard by Penny Reid
I’m ashamed to say I once avoided this series because I was laboring under the delusion that all the facial hair = hipster heroes. The brother of book one, Truth or Beard is Duane Winston, full-time car mechanic and part-time car racer in Green Valley, Tennessee, who has a thing for the sheriff’s daughter, Jessica James. I’m a huge fan of heroes who worship the heroine in a quiet and ardent “damn, honey, I just love you” way (save me from a slick man!), and Duane fits that bill wonderfully.
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
The Knocked Up Plan, by Lauren Blakely
The Knocked Up Plan is about co-workers who turn into co-conception partners when romance columnist Nicole Powers asks Ryder Lockhart to father her child. I’m like Goldilocks when it comes to finding a book where the characters’ relationship is both absurdly hot and equally emotionally invested. I’m delighted to say that The Knocked Up Plan is just right.
Buy it at: Amazon/Indiebound
Em:
Thrown Off the Ice by Taylor Fitzpatrick
Thrown Off the Ice is nothing like I expected. It is a romance…but unlike any other I’ve read. Mike is a veteran hockey player and enforcer for his NHL team (if you aren’t super familiar with hockey, an enforcer is the tough guy, the ‘goon,’ who uses his fists to deter opponents from messing with his teammates). He is a reluctant mentor of sorts to a talented new, young player on his team – Liam. Mike’s kept his own bisexuality under wraps for years, so when Liam signals interest in Mike, Mike tells him to back off. Friends, he fails. Spectacularly. Thrown Off the Ice is surprising and sweet and frustrating and gut wrenching, in equal measure. I loved it and hated it, but it’s absolutely one of the best sports romance novels I’ve ever read, and it’s stayed with me long after I finished reading it. That ending. Holy shit, friends, it’s powerful.
Buy it at: Amazon
~ Caroline Russomanno
The Lightning-Struck Heart by T. J. Klune, a 2015 fantasy romance I bought based on mention(s) here at AAR. I recorded 5 for the humor level.
Belated books are the best! C. S. Harris’s The Sebastian St. Cyr mystery series is my favorite belated reading experience. The first was written in 2005 and roughly one each year since has been released. I didn’t come to these books until just recently and have had a wonderful time reading each one until I finally caught up last month. It’s such a great feeling to find a new author and then realize they have a long backlist of books.
I’m happy to read that Iron and Magic is recommended. I didn’t read the Kate Daniels books and have not wanted to but I really enjoyed the Hidden Legacy books. I’ve been wanting to read Iron and Magic and have hesitated that I’m missing crucial history and world building.
I hadn’t read anything by Ilona Andrews before reading Iron and Magic – I didn’t feel like I was missing anything (though I’m sure readers of Kate Daniels books would disagree as apparently Hugh is quite the bad guy in those books). I thought it read really well on its own and I’m looking forward to the next one. Also, I’m someone who had not read any of Nalini Singh’s Psy-Changeling books before picking up Silver Silence, the first of the spinoff series and again, had no trouble diving in. Both authors have done a great job of making the spinoff series accessible to new readers.
Thanks, Maria! That is good to know!
I hope this won’t be too long (apologies if it is), but this is my list of favorite books read in 2019 but published in prior years: MAGGIE’S RUN (published in 2018) by Kelly Hunter: Gorgeous and gutting story of a prickly woman attempting to turn a rundown sheep station in the Australian Outback into destination wedding venue. She reconnects with a neighboring rancher—a man with whom she has a complicated, tangled history going back many years—as they work together to transform the property and the economic prospects of the nearby town. [CW/TW: fatal car accident, infertility] SNOW-KISSED (published in 2013) by Laura Florand: Incredibly well-written and melancholy novella about a separated couple whose marriage broke down under the weight of the heroine’s successive miscarriages and subsequent descent into depression (for which she refused to seek help). The h&h find themselves stranded alone together in a snow-bound cabin on Christmas Eve. By turns lovely, sexy, sad, and uplifting, with, thankfully, no baby-filled epilogue. [CW/TW: miscarriage, depression] HARD WAY (published in 2017) by Katie Porter: A couple, married eight years and on the verge of divorce, begin acting out (consensual) abduction & rape role-play games. The couple soon discovers that, to save their marriage, they have hard emotional work to do—and no amount of faux kidnapping scenarios can replace that. [CW/TW: extremely rough rape role-play] NO MORE SWEET SURRENDER (published in 2013) by Caitlin Crews: Pre-#MeToo analysis of toxic masculinity and the price it demands from women. Antagonists-to-lovers between a female academic who has achieved some success with books about the damage of testosterone-fueled popular culture and an MMA-fighter-turned-action-movie star she frequently uses as an example of same. Notable for being one of the hottest HPs I’ve ever read—Crews keeps the sexual tension between the couple on a constant simmer. THE MAN SHE LOVES TO HATE (published in 2011) by Kelly Hunter: Lovely, emotionally-nuanced story about a woman who falls for the son of the (married) man with whom her mother had a years-long affair. The hero & heroine have to find a way to move beyond family history and social animosity if they want to pursue a relationship. Excellent in every way. THE WALSH FAMILY SERIES (eight books, published between 2014 and 2017) by Kate Canterbary: Eight interwoven books about six adult siblings who run a restoration and preservation architecture firm in Boston. Canterbary performs an amazing feat by keeping a tremendous number of timelines and plot points threading through the eight books as each sibling finds love and then has to figure out how to keep it. [CW/TW: the siblings suffered abuse as children, not described in detail, but could still be triggering] The TANGLED LIES Trilogy (ONE IS A PROMISE, TWO IS A LIE, THREE IS A WAR, published in 2017) by Pam Godwin: A woman is torn between memories of her long-dead fiancé and the promise of a future with a new man. Twisty story about how loss and grief shape us and how we can never return to who we were in the past. Godwin also did an amazing job with the playlists—keep Spotify open as you read. INSIDE BET (published in 2017) by Katie Porter: Older heroine and younger hero, both with significant issues in their pasts, use sexual one-upmanship as a way to avoid admitting their growing emotional attachment. Interesting in that it is the heroine, not the hero, who needs to perform the final grovel. BEARD (published in 2018) by Molly Joseph: A woman, married for ten years to a closeted gay actor, falls for the decade-younger bodyguard with whom she is frequently in close quarters. Joseph does a great job of showing the steady development of sexual tension and emotional interdependence between the couple. Very emotional. The DEEP duet (DEEP & DEEPER, published in 2015) by Jaine Diamond: Extremely well-written erotic/SF/bdsm/military romance, with excellent world-building and character development. The heroine is a cadet, newly arrived on a space station for the next part of her military training. The hero is her training officer. Deliberately paced, with an intensely fraught erotic atmosphere. One last note: I compiled this list in mid-December, before I read Taylor Fitzpatrick’s beautiful and devastating THROWN OFF THE ICE (published in 2018). It’s possible that had I read the book earlier, I would have had to drop something from my Published in a Prior Year list to make room for it. However, since THROWN OFF THE ICE is not a “traditional HEA” romance, it might not even qualify for… Read more »
I adore Hunter, and often Crews HP strike a chord.
I will happily check out the other books on your list.
And thanks for briefly describing them – knowing what you point out / why you love a book is as important as the rec itself, for me.
thanks!
I agree that Iron and Magic is exceptional, a hell of a shock considering the background of the Hero. One of the very few fantasy romances on my reread list.
Caroline’s blurb for Inevitable Conclusions is interesting, but the supremely high for a romance book rating on goodreads of 4.6 stars raises my hackles.…; that is suspicious. I am thinking of virtual, “fan service” for those with a very particular taste.
The Dark Knight sounds interesting. Reserved from library.
Dark Knight is great. I was thrilled to uncover a medieval.
As for Inevitable Conclusions – did you read my review? https://allaboutromance.com/book-review/inevitable-conclusions-by-christina-c-jones/ It was my first book by Christina C Jones so I’m definitely not an over-scoring fangirl. I hope you try it – it’s free if you have Kindle Unlimited and only four bucks if you don’t.
The review certainly helps me… I don’t accept cheating, even with each other.