What were your favorite reads of 2021?
As usual it is impossible for me to pick just one book or even one series as so much depends on my mood. Not all of these are new releases as I also read a lot of backlist. So I just limited myself to books read this calendar year. It was a tough one for me reading wise (even before my mom died unexpectedly), but I still managed to somehow read a bunch of books. I have to be honest, I don't remember reading some of these (or more precisely it feels like more than a year since I did so, even though it hasn't been). 2021 was tough!
alphabetically by author, then by release date:
Demon Angel by Meljean Brook Jan 2007 (The Guardians #1)
Demon Bound by Meljean Brook Nov 2008 (The Guardians #4)
Blind Spot * by Meljean Brook Sept 2009 (The Guardians #5.5)
Demon Marked by Meljean Brook Sept 2011 (The Guardians #7)
Guardian Demon by Meljean Brook Aug 2013 (The Guardians #8)
Spellswept * by Stephanie Burgis Oct 2018 (Harwood Spellbook #1.5)
Conspiracy by Lindsay Buroker Apr 2012 (The Emperor’s Edge #4)
Blood and Betrayal by Lindsay Buroker Sept 2012 (The Emperor’s Edge #5)
Beneath the Surface * by Lindsay Buroker Jan 2013 (The Emperor’s Edge #5.5)
Forged in Blood: Part 2 by Lindsay Buroker July 2013 (The Emperor’s Edge #7)
Diplomats & Fugitives by Lindsay Buroker July 2015 (The Emperor’s Edge #9)
Assassin’s Bond by Lindsay Buroker Feb 2019 (Chains of Honor #3)
Great Chief by Lindsay Buroker Apr 2019 (Chains of Honor #4)
Kingdoms at War by Lindsay Buroker Apr 2021 (Dragon Gate #1)
Art of the Hunt by Lindsay Buroker June 2021 (Dragon Gate #2)
Broken by Magic by Lindsay Buroker July 2021 (Dragon Gate #3)
Chosen for Power by Lindsay Buroker Dec 2021 (Dragon Gate #4)
Under Christmas Stars * by Alissa Callen Sept 2017 (Woodlea #2)
The Red Dirt Road by Alissa Callen Jan 2018 (Woodlea #3)
The Round Yard by Alissa Callen Jan 2019 (Woodlea #5)
The Silver Creek * by Alissa Callen Oct 2019 (Woodlea #6)
Guild Boss by Jayne Castle Nov 2021 (Arcane Society #21/World of Harmony)
Gaming Grace * by Piper J Drake Mar 2020 (Gone Wild #2)
How to Love Him * by Nicole Helm Feb 2021 (Jasper Creek #2.4)
The Promised Queen by Jeffe Kennedy June 2021 (Forgotten Empires #3)
All the Colors of Night by Jayne Ann Krentz Jan 2021 (Fogg Lake #2)
Mercenary Instinct by Ruby Lionsdrake Oct 2014 (Mandrake Company #1)
The Assassin’s Salvation by Ruby Lionsdrake Nov 2014 (Mandrake Company #3)
Mercenary Courage by Ruby Lionsdrake Feb 2015 (Mandrake Company #5)
Bait N’ Witch [new version] by Abigail Owen June 2020 (Brimstone Inc #3)
The Warrior King by Abigail Owen Mar 2021 (Inferno Rising #3)
The Cupid Complication * by Leslye Penelope Aug 2018 (The Cupid Guild #3)
Requiem of Silence by Leslye Penelope Aug 2021 (The Earthsinger Chronicles #4)
The Lady Has a Past by Amanda Quick May 2021 (Burning Cove #5)
Light My Fire by Christie Ridgway July 2014 (Rock Royalty #1)
The Devil You Know by Kit Rocha Sept 2021 (Mercenary Librarians #2)
Waking Up Married by Reese Ryan Mar 2021 (The Bourbon Brothers #5)
Quiet in Her Bones by Nalini Singh Mar 2021
Last Guard by Nalini Singh July 2021 (Psy/Changeling Trinity #5)
The Home They Built by Shannon Stacey Feb 2021 (Blackberry Bay #3)
Feels Like Christmas * by Shannon Stacey Oct 2021 (Kowalski Family #10.5)
Driven by Rebecca Zanetti Feb 2021 (Deep Ops #4)
* indicates novella
There were more books I rated at B+ that I would also consider favorites, but figured the above is a large enough list
. So only my five star reads for the year are listed here.