Welcome again to a brand new edition of My Favourite Reads, where I share the books I’ve loved reading over the past month and invite you to share yours too.

It was an up and down month of reading in October. I had a couple of DNFs (did-not-finish) and I also read a short story from an author I adore which I found a bit… lacking. Then there was the 500+ page historical romantic fantasy that could have been a great read had it been shortened by at least a third. It’s very highly rated so clearly I’m in the minority in feeling this way. But that’s reading, isn’t it? We all love different things.

Not to worry! There were plenty of other books that tickled my fancy, including an author buddy’s draft manuscript that was terrific and I know her readers will adore when it comes out. 

But the book that got to me in a BIG way and which I’ve chosen as my favourite read of the month is…

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Midnight in the Snow by Karen Swan

I am very behind with my Karen Swan reading. Midnight in the Snow was her 2021 Christmas release and with her 2023 release hitting shelves at the end of this month I needed to catch up.

Why oh why did I not read this book earlier? It was sooooo gooood. I loved everything about it – the tragedy, the emotion, the peek behind the professional sports world and documentary making curtains, the settings, the wonderfully drawn characters. But most of all I loved the full-on enemies-to-lovers romance. Wowsers, that had punch.

This book had so much passion too. And I don’t mean romantic. There was passion for sports, for life, for justice. I’ll admit that it wasn’t always easy being with people for whom winning is everything, but it was fascinating all the same. And Swan is skilled enough to make these driven people sympathetic.

I think this is the third Karen Swan Christmas story that I’ve read and I’ve loved all of them (My thoughts on The Christmas Party here and Together By Christmas here).  I have The Christmas Postcards, last year’s Christmas novel, on the shelf and will be opening it veeeery soon. As well as buying this year’s release. Of course!

Love her writing, love her characters, love the amazing lives and settings and the way I get my heart ripped out.

Total fangirl.

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No Good Deed by J Robert Kennedy

Ah, these books are a hoot. They’re just pure escapism, with non-stop action, plenty of thrills and laughs, and always with a bit of interesting history thrown in.

No Good Deed sees the professors invited to a ceremony at which a gazillionaire is going to give away much of his fortune to charities around the world. Except when the time comes, it (naturally) all goes horribly wrong and chaos ensues.

Never fear, the professors are on the hunt. In the name of justice, they will do their usual and put themselves in appalling danger and sort those bad dudes out.

Fun.

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The Night House by Jo Nesbo

Jo Nesbo is a Scandi-crime superstar but this is the first of his I’ve read. The Night House is horror, hence my interest. That, and I really liked the cover.

I enjoyed this and finished it in a couple of days. Admittedly it’s quite a short book but it was well-written, had a real pulp-fiction vibe, great characters, and fairly galloped along. It was also as twisty and mind-bendy, as you can get. Unfortunately I can’t say any more than that without giving the game away.

What I can say is that The Night House was very clever. The horror bits were suitably horror-y too. Much crunching and slopping and other wonderful things. Well, they’re wonderful if you like that, which I do!

I really must try one of Nesbo’s crime novels. I think I’d enjoy it.

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A Merry Royal Layover by Teri Wilson

A Merry Royal Layover may have been only a short story, but hooly-dooly was it packed with emotion. I got teary. More than once.

This is the blurb: When a veterinarian traveling to a remote European village to volunteer at an animal shelter during the Christmas holidays gets an unexpected first-class upgrade, she meets a charming stranger in the airport lounge who may or may not be the country’s crown prince.

Lovely, yes? Alas, this doesn’t even hint at the utter gorgeousness of this story. It is cute and sweet, super Christmassy, and totally heart-tuggy and loaded with references to a film I happen to adore.

And the ending… OH, THE ENDING!!!

As you can guess, I loved it. After reading this, Once Upon A Royal Summer and Christmas Charms (my thoughts of both of those here), I think I may be a little bit in love with its author too.

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The Jingle Bell Bride by Scarlet Wilson

I don’t know why I seem to be devouring Christmas books when it’s only October, but I can’t seem to get enough of them.

The Jingle Bell Bride was a sweet and fun read made all the better because it’s set in Alaska and there were reindeer and the northern lights and bucketloads of snow. And a very hunky and big-hearted biscuit-baking botanist.

I kinda cringe-laughed at the demands of poor wedding planner heroine Jessica’s over-privileged bridezilla client. Jess had more patience than I ever would, that’s for sure!

Lots of Christmassy goodness.

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Nine Months to Save Their Marriage by Annie West

Now, this was different and in a most excellent way.

Instead of a typical meet-cute followed by a getting-to-know-you romance, hero and heroine Jack and Bess are already married when Nine Months to Save Their Marriage begins. We learn quite early that their seemingly perfect marriage isn’t perfect at all. Though their physical attraction is undeniable, their love is only one-sided, and Bess wants and deserves more than a man focused only on business.

Bess was fantastic. I loved her strength in resisting Jack when it would have been so easy to succumb again to his controlling ways. She is such a good person, and though Jack knows that it’s apparent he doesn’t fully understand what a truly beautiful wife he has.

She sure teaches him though!

Another a cracking Annie West romance loaded with great characters, deep emotion and growth, and glamour.

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What books have you read and loved lately?

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