Top Ten of 2013 - Nat's Picks

I can't believe that another year has passed.  Another year of bookish and non-bookish fun.   Another year of Shel and Bel putting up with my ridiculous obsessions and total nonsense - book related and not.  And another of year of struggling to create a Top Ten post.  It took some time but I did it.  I narrowed down my favorites for 2013.   Here there are.  Other than the first, there is no particular order to this list...

Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg - This was by far my FAVORITE book of the year.  I want everyone to read this.  EVERYONE.  Not matter age, orientation or gender, I think everyone will be able to relate to Rafe.  This is a beautifully awkward and funny story about acceptance and celebrating who we are.










Just One Day by Gayle Forman - I loved both books in this duology but Just One Day struck a cord with me.  Growing up as an only child, I really identified with Allyson Healey and her struggles.  Gayle Forman doesn't hold back in telling the story of an insecure girl that travels both figuratively and literally in order to discover who she is and become an independent young woman.









Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein -  This was an engrossing story about best friends (one a spy; the other a transit pilot) meeting and experiencing the horrors of WWII England and France.  This book had one hell of a climax that still makes my heart stop to think about it.









Glitterland by Alexis Hall -  This is easily one of the best m/m romances I have ever read (review to post the first week of the New Year).  Hall's use of the first person narrative provides the reader with understanding as to how Ash is affected by his depression as well as serves to show the contrast between Ash and Darian's personalities.  And what I loved most was seeing how beautiful and sparkling Darian becomes in Ash's eyes.







The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater - I have enjoyed both books in this unfinished trilogy but The Dream Thieves left me utterly confused and thoroughly enchanted.  Confused because, as Shel said, I had no idea what was going on yet I couldn't stop reading.  Enchanted because The Gray Man might be one of the most psychotically amusing characters I've ever encountered.  Don't let my comments put you off.  You will learn what's going on before the book is finished.  Stiefvater just does what she does best.  Take you on the most adventurous and entertaining path to the destination she intends.

Christmas Kitsch by Amy Lane - Out of Amy's many wonderful releases this year,  Christmas Kitsch was the one that grabbed me the most.   Partially because Rusty was so adorably clueless and awkward.  And partially because it was a heartwarming love story about making a home.  This one gave me a nudge (that I desperately needed) right into the holiday spirit.








Dare You To by Katie McGarry -  No surprise I picked this one for my Top Ten.  Although I love McGarry's bad boys (Noah of Pushing the Limits and Isaiah of Crash Into You), my heart will always belong to the forever boys. And Ryan Stone is the perfect forever boy.  He's spontaneously romantic and he's protective while never attempting to take away Beth's independence.  And did I mention he plays baseball?  Yeah.  Forever boy.







Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare - I can't say much about this because Shel is saving up most of her TMI and ID books for this coming spring and we don't want to spoil anything for her.  All I can say is OMG. Cassie Clare sure knows how to pull at those heartstrings.  Seriously.  I was sitting at the kitchen table at 2am sobbing my poor little heart out.








The Sum of All Kisses by Julia Quinn - I thought this was Julia Quinn at her finest.  The shockingly rude and smart conversations that Lady Sarah and Lord Hugh have are hilarious.  Lord Hugh might be my favorite Julia Quinn hero yet.  And that's saying a lot considering how much I love Colin Bridgerton.  And Simon Basset.  And Michael Stirling. And Thomas Cavendish. And....oh sod it.  I love them all.  And now I can add Hugh Prentice to my historical romance harem.







Cherish by Tere Michaels - Cherish (a novella) is the 4th book in the Faith, Love and Devotion Series. I enjoyed the entire series immensely but what made Cherish stand out for me was that we got that peek we always crave when wondering about a couples Happy Ever After.  On top of that, it contained the perfect mix of romance and the wicked Tere Michaels' humor Bel and I witnessed at RT.








I did it!  I figured out my favorites of the year.  But there are still 6 more days of the year.  I reserve my right to edit this list on the off chance I find another favorite before 2014 begins.

Nat

Cherish (Faith, Love and Devotion #4) by Tere Michaels

* * * * *

Several years after the end of Duty & Devotion, Matt and Evan are living quietly in their Brooklyn home with the twins, Danny and Elizabeth. The older girls - Katie and Miranda - are off at college, Evan is about to be promoted to captain and things are calm.

Briefly.

Evan accidently learns that Miranda has a new boyfriend and is talking marriage after just three months of dating. After peeling himself off the ceiling, he demands a conversation with his eldest daughter, which erupts into, as Matt calls it, “a steel cage match”.

Miranda indeed has a boyfriend (Kent), a business major (from Connecticut) and they are most definitely serious. In fact, Miranda wants to bring him to Thanksgiving dinner - along with his parents, Blake and Cornelia.

There is much debate but Evan agrees - mostly because Miranda's part of the bargain is that she won't get engaged or elope until the parents have met.

Thanksgiving descends into madness before the turkey is cut.



Review:

*sigh*

That is me sighing in sadness over the fact that Matt and Evan’s story is done.

But boy did it end on a high note.

Cherish is a novella that takes place approximately fours years after Evan and Matt get together.  The twins are pre-teens, the older girls are away at school and Evan has just found out that his oldest, Miranda, has a boyfriend.  A boyfriend she apparently wants to marry yet has not introduced, let alone mentioned, to her father.  So after some passive aggressive confrontation (Evan is quite aware that he and his daughter share many of the same personality flaws) it is decided that the boyfriend AND his parents will come to Thanksgiving dinner.   Evan and Matt and the kids are a little worried about meeting people that they know nothing about.  What they aren't prepared for is the level of Miranda’s grief over her mother’s death and anger at her father’s happiness is so high that she is willing to use her unwitting boyfriend and his parents as tools to get back at her dad.

This is a novella so there isn't much more that I can say that won’t give away the rest of the story.   In Cherish you see how much Evan has grown in his relationship with Matt.  And you also see how much he has grown as a father as he navigates Miranda’s grief and anger without sacrificing the other loved ones in his life.

This was a wonderful ending to Matt and Evan’s story.  If you enjoyed Faith and Fidelity and Duty and Devotion then you will very likely love Cherish.

Nat

Duty and Devotion (Faith, Love and Devotion #3) by Tere Michaels

* * * * *

After their happily ever after in Faith & Fidelity, Matt and Evan move forward to a new chapter of their lives -- inside the bedroom and out -- with some surprises in store for both. Evan struggles with labels and feelings even as he wants to give in to his baser desires. Matt, now the ideal househusband of Queens, New York, has his own set of struggles -- who is he now? What does he need and want?

A visit from his friend and one-night stand Jim Shea (of Love & Loyalty) throws everything into disarray as Evan's jealousy and unease push Matt's buttons -- and not always in a good way.










Review:

Remember how I got all gooey over Matt and Evan in Faith and Fidelity?  Well lucky for me they get two more follow ups.  Duty and Devotion (Faith, Love and Devotion #3) and Cherish (Faith, Love and Devotion #4).

Faith and Fidelity took us through the rocky beginnings of Matt and Evan’s relationship.  Leaving us with hope that these two men will be together for the long run.  But love and relationships never come easy.  They require work and dedication.  And thankfully these guys are willing to put the work into a relationship that is proving to be just as difficult as it is rewarding.

Duty and Devotion begins months after the end of Faith and Fidelity.  Matt and Evan are out.  They have bought a house together and Matt has become an honest-to-god house husband…grocery shopping, cleaning house, cooking, laundry, childcare…you name, he does it.  And you know what?  Even though it surprises him still, he LOVES it.  He loves Evan.  He loves the kids.  He loves his life.  But there is still that little tickle of doubt.  The fear that he has assimilated so much to Evan’s life that he is missing out in pursuing something that is just for him.

But that fear is nothing compared to his concern over Evan’s homophobia and jealousy.  Evan is struggling to define their relationship in public and in the bedroom.  He is in a committed romantic relationship with a man but can’t even say the word gay without turning red and having a panic attack.  He maintains that he just doesn’t want to put a label on their relationship but even Matt can see Evan is just using that as an excuse to avoid addressing the discomfort he still feels being in a gay relationship.

When Matt’s one-night-stand-turned-good-friend (Jim O’Shea) comes out to visit, Evan’s discomfort and jealousy come to a head.  Due to an unexpected series of events, Matt is given a chance at a new career.  And Evan is thrown into further contact with Jim and his boyfriend and in turn forms a tentative friendship that helps him face his insecurities head on.

In my review of Faith and Fidelity I mentioned how realistically messy these characters are.  In Book 1, Matt’s pushy and overly demanding attitude made his imperfections stand out.  In Duty and Devotion, Evan’s ridiculously uptight passive aggressive self is given a chance to shine.  But there is now doubt that they balance each other out.  And there is no doubt that these two people will get their happily ever.  Because despite their imperfections and failings they are willing to put in the effort to make it work.

Yet another 5 stars to Tere Michaels.  Her portrayal of relationships is too wonderful to deserve anything less than the very best rating from this Bibliojunkie.

Nat

Faith and Fidelity by Tere Michaels

* * * * *

New York City Vice Detective Evan Cerelli has lost his wife, the only person he ever loved and slept with. He's trying to get on with his life, build a life for his children. Former Homicide Detective Matt Haight is a ladies’ man, all sex/no commitment. He's depressed, having a midlife crisis, and not sure where his life is headed.

The two find friendship in the bottom of a shared bottle. When the friendship turns to love, it shakes two straight men to the core and flips their lives inside out. Kids, families, careers that are not gay-friendly -- can all the love in the world overcome the obstacles to faith and fidelity?









Review:

This is how I have found many of my favorite authors - We attend a YA event or author signing at our favorite Indie bookstore and meet authors that are such lovely engaging speakers that I walk out the door with a new BFF (at least in my head) and a stack of their books.   And when I go home and read said stack, I find that their writing is just as lovely as the person.  These authors have included Maggie Stiefvater, David Levithan, Amy Garvey, Libba Bray and Heather Brewer.  Just to name a few.  And I have a new author to add to that list.  Tere Michaels.

When we were at The Romantic Times Convention, Bel and I attended a reader event called Rainbow Pride: Over the Rainbow.  It was set up with a number of large round tables and at each table was an author or two that sat with the attendees and chit chatted.  We had no idea where to sit and somehow found our way at a table with L.A. Witt/L. Gallagher and Tere Michaels.  These ladies were AMAZING.  So kind and so willing to chat about their genre and their own books and even recommended other books for us to read.  Tere was closest to Bel and I and she chatted with us the entire time.   One particular piece of that conversation had us in such giggles that we will be repeating it for years to come.  Unfortunately it doesn’t translate well to the written word but if we ever meet you in person and give you a poke in the arm and then start laughing and laughing just shake your head and humor us.  Much like Shel does.

So that’s how we met Tere Michaels.  And that is how we came to buy two of her books - Faith and Fidelity and Duty and Devotion.  And then I read those books and I fell in love.  With Tere.  With her heroes.  With everything.

We first meet Detective Evan Cerelli at his wife’s funeral.  His pain and grief as well as that of his in-laws and children absolutely spill off the pages.  You just want to hold this family and take all that pain onto your own shoulders so they don’t have to feel it anymore.   Fortunately we aren’t forced to dwell on that scene for TOO long (although it’s impossible to forget).  Fast forward a year or so and Evan is barely getting by emotionally.  If it weren’t for the help of his oldest daughter and his mother-in-law…well he doesn’t even want to think about that.  The constant attention of his co-workers, particularly his partner, is grating on him.  While attending a retirement party that those annoying co-workers and partner drag him too he meets ex-detective Matt Haight.

Thanks to having a sense of honor and unwillingness to protect law-breaking co-workers, Matt was “demoted” from his detective position to being a beat cop.  He eventually ended up leaving the police force and started working for a security firm.  A number of years later he is still depressed over the fact that he was forced to leave a job he loved and is now living day to day with no focus and only alcohol as comfort.

Both Evan and Matt recognize each other’s sadness and end up hitting it off right away.  They become fast friends that spend their spare time together at a bar eating wings and sharing a pitcher of beer.  As the months go by, they are both surprised to find that since being friends they have both become happier.  Having someone to unload on without the weight of pity and scrutiny has been good for both of them.

What neither of these men expect is for their friendship to turn into attraction.  An attraction that confuses the hell out of both of them.    But they decide to act on it and see where it goes.  Matt finds that after all those years of shallow relationships he is capable of finding love in the unlikeliest of places.  And Evan realizes the he is being given a second chance at something that he thought he would never have again.

Have you ever read a book where once you are done you just can’t stop thinking about it?  So much that you have to re-read and re-read to purge it from your system?  It is safe to say that Evan and Matt will be with me forever.   This is a story about love and relationships and family.  It’s not a simple story.  The characters are not perfect.  They will both piss you off and then make you smile on the next page.  They are messy just like real life and because of that I will love them forever.

Thank you Tere Michaels.  For chatting me and Bel up at RT.  For convincing us to buy your books.  For writing something so wonderfully moving and meaningful.   Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Nat