Welcome to the latest edition of My Favourite Reads!

Oh, December was fun. I had a serious run on Christmas romances and loved every moment. I’ve never been much of a Christmas romance reader but this year they just hit the spot.

Which was my favourite read? That’s a tricky one. I look at the books I read and think “That one. No, that one. No, no, THAT one.”

So I’m going to pike and not choose and overall favourite again. They were all awesome.

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Four Christmas Kisses by Anna Campbell

Oh, this was joyous!

I think Four Christmas Kisses is one of my favourite Anna Campbell Christmas stories. It is full of Christmassy loveliness with lots of snow and festive spirit, a charming romance and gorgeous characters. I particularly loved Winifred and the murderous Edwina, and heroine and hero Anthea and Christopher were lovely.

Very, very satisfying.

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Must Love Christmas by Kelly Hunter

Okay, you all need to go out and buy this book right now because it is completely amazeballs. I loved it so much I immediately bought the second book in the series (see below) and gobbled that down too.

Where do I start explaining my love for Must Love Christmas? Probably with the super hunky hero Seth. There is a scene toward the end where he puts on a show that is so damn hot and romantic I would have swooned if I wasn’t already lying on the couch. Heroine Maddy is perfect too. Her story was so moving it made me cry, and I do love a good book cry. As for the other characters, I couldn’t get enough. Still can’t.

Brilliant.

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Must Love Cowboys by Kelly Hunter

Ah, these Casey men are wonderful creatures. All manly and heroic but kind and considerate too.

Must Love Cowboys’ hero TJ Casey is a professional bull rider but he has other ambitions. One of them happens to be the circuit’s stock contractor’s daughter Rowan. What follows is some serious woo-ing against a background of family conflict and expectation.

Another incredibly moving and sighworthy story written with Kelly’s inimitable sparkle. Next stop, first book in the series Must Love Babies. Can’t wait!

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Reclusive Millionaire’s Mistletoe Miracle by Michelle Douglas

I think Reclusive Millionaire’s Mistletoe Miracle has catapulted to the top of my favourite Michelle Douglas books. It was fabulous!

Its David Attenborough-esque hero Beau is a grouchy man hiding from the world on his family estate after an accident stole his good looks and then his television career. When landscape designer and Christmas avoider Chloe arrives to transform his walled garden into the wildlife haven of Beau’s dreams, they do not hit it off. There’s a spark sure, but also a whole lot of reasons to not let it ignite. Love though, must find a way.

Utterly gorgeous. Not to mention Christmassy. A joy. Go get yourself a copy.

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Christmas Every Day by Beth Moran

You may recall that last month Beth Moran’s Let It Snow was a favourite read. I loved it so much I immediately bought her other Christmas story Christmas Every Day and, boy, am I glad I did. It was fabulous.

Heroine Jenny is seriously down on her luck when she moves into her grandmother’s cottage. She has no job, no money, no friends and now she discovers that not only is her new home a junk-filled dive, her new neighbour is a complete grump.

Yet the nearby village is welcoming, and the grumpy neighbour keeps doing good deeds, and slowly Jenny regains her self-esteem.

Moving and uplifting, Christmas Every Day is a beautiful book. Highly recommended.

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Mrs Hudson and the Christmas Canary by Martin Davies

I’m a huge fan of anything Sherlock Holmes so when I spotted Mrs Hudson and the Christmas Canary on sale I thought I’d give it a go. I’m glad I did because it proved an entertaining read. So entertaining that when I went back and bought book one in the series when I finished.

I’m not sure about the title though. Mrs Hudson (Sherlock Holmes’s landlady) is a character, yes, and an important one, but the mystery is told from the perspective of Flotsam (aka Flottie), Mrs Hudson’s housemaid. Maybe the other books are told from Mrs Hudson’s point of view? I guess I’ll find out.

Good Christmassy fun.

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Stolen Tongues by Felix Blackwell

I’m a member of the Facebook group Books of Horror and have discovered some excellent new horror books and authors thanks to its members’ recommendations. It feels like not a week goes by in the group without Stolen Tongues getting a mention. Naturally I had to see what the fuss was about.

One of the scariest books I’ve ever read. Probably about all you need to know, really.

Loved it.

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That brings me to the end of my 2022 Favourite Reads. According to my Goodreads tally, I read 98 books in 2022. I suspect it’s actually more because I forgot to add some craft and writing business books. Not to worry. I’ll just have to do better in 2023!

How many books did you read in 2022? What were the standouts?

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