First and foremost, thank you to all the authors who lifted my spirits, comforted me, and provided me with an escape during another turbulent year. And thank you to all the readers who connected with me to talk about the books they love. There’s nothing like a good story to bring people together. I read some amazing books this year. Trying to select only ten books for this list of Victoria’s Top Ten Books of 2021 seemed impossible, but when I decided to pull titles from the books I personally reviewed for The Lesbian Review, it became a touch easier.
1 The Delicate Things We Make by Milena McKay
Publisher Indie Author
This book is a: romance with a mystery subplot.
What it’s about
Investigative journalist Jamie Walker’s career has hit rock bottom. She’s working a multitude of odd jobs to sustain herself in Manhattan. When a magazine editor offers her the assignment of a lifetime, she jumps at the opportunity to uncover the identity of the illusive and legendary artist, DeVor.
Jaimie’s skillful sleuthing leads her to Vivian DeVor, the woman behind the artistic icon. As Jaimie and Vivian begin to fall for each other, the lie Jamie must maintain – she’s working on an article to uncover DeVor’s identity – weighs heavy on her. As Jamie delves deeper into the mysteries surrounding the inscrutable artist, she uncovers a deeply disturbing side of the publishing world. As she uncovers one unsettling story after another, she must decide if her commitment to social justice is more important than her love for Vivian.
Why I love it
My love for this book is simple – Vivian Devor. I haven’t been this captivated by a main character in a long time, and her place in my heart is permanent. Vivian is a complex combination of character traits that individually might be off-putting, but together make her flawless. The investigation Jamie is tasked with at the opening of the book grows in scope with each chapter, and as much as I’d like to say more, I can’t because – Spoilers! Suffice it to say, nothing is as simple as it appears in this story, and every character is full of surprises.
It’s worth pointing out The Delicate Things We make is McKay’s debut novel. 2021 was her year, with her books landing on numerous Top Ten Lists. Regardless of how many bestselling books she writes in the future, Delicate Things will most likely remain my favorite. Like many things that are firsts, this story will always have a special place in my sentimental, book nerd heart.
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2 They Never Learn by Layne Fargo
Publisher Gallery/Scout Press
This book is a: psychological thriller.
What it’s about
Scarlett Clark is a highly intelligent, accomplished, and formidable English professor. But her talents as a serial killer are even more impressive. Every year she meticulously plans the murder of a man on the Gorman campus – usually a sexual predator. When psychology professor, Dr. Samina Pierce starts looking into the growing body count, Scarlett inserts herself into the investigation. She’s come too far to get caught now, and she’s about to commit her most significant murder.
Carly Schiller is a wide-eyed freshman at Gorman. She falls for her roommate Allison, a cool and confident drama major. One night, Allison is sexually assaulted at a party, and Carly’s consumed with a rage she’s never felt before. When Carly’s and Scarlett’s lives intersect, the men at Gorman don’t stand a chance.
Why I love it
This is far and away the best audiobook I’ve ever listened to. Scarlet is the perfect antihero. She’s brilliant, she’s calculating, and she’s completely aware that she’s a monster. She lives by her own moral code. I like to think of her as a feminist serial killer born of the #MeToo movement. While Scarlet is busy being her genuine self, Carly is struggling to find her own voice. They complement each other perfectly. They’re two sides of the same coin.
The pacing of the book is phenomenal. There’s not one wasted word. Fargo expertly maintains a level of suspense from beginning to end that kept me intensely involved in the story.
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3 Ignis by KJ
Publisher Indie Author
This book is a: romantic suspense.
What it’s about
Felicity Davis, principal of Rawson Girls Grammar School, is a force to be reckoned with. She’s worked hard to construct a life that is both rewarding and painstakingly controlled.
When trauma from her past threatens everything she holds dear, she finds herself fearing for her life. Inspector Tal Diamandis takes the lead, investigating the crimes taking place in and around the school and the threats to Felicity’s safety.
When Tal and Felicity discover who’s behind the threats and devious crimes, Felicity takes it upon herself to end the madness. Can she stop a man hell-bent on vengeance or is she doomed to become a victim of her past?
Why I love it
The trick here is not giving away any spoilers. Ignis is full of twists and turns. KJ deftly uses flashbacks to parse out clues for the reader, and she does it to perfection. As we get to know Felicity, the threat she’s under continues to ramp up. The story includes the sexiest inspector in all of sapphic literature. (I’ll gladly die on that hill.) Tal Diamandis oozes sex appeal and their presence in the story is the icing on this cake. Felicity and Tal trading sexual innuendos is as riveting as the threats driving the plot.
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4 The Headmistress by Milena McKay
Publisher Indie Author
This book is an: age gap romantic suspense.
What it’s about
Samantha Threadneedle is yearning for change. After briefly leaving Three Dragons Academy to pursue her teaching degrees, she returned to become the chairperson of the school’s math department. Dragons in on the brink of bankruptcy. Magdalene Nox is hired by the Board of Directors to radically overhaul everything about the crumbling institution. Nox’s reputation as a ruthless reformer precedes her. Sam finds herself as the spokesperson for the teachers, and they’re expecting her to stand up to every change Magdalene intends on making. Magdalene is imposing, but as her verbal sparring with Sam intensifies, her frosty demeanor begins to evaporate. For the first time in Magdalene’s life, someone sees who she is at her core. When Sam and Magdalene begin working in tandem, strange events start occurring at Dragons. With each suspicious happening, it becomes clear that someone is being targeted, and an anonymous villain is trying to sabotage Dragons.
Why I love it
I’m not a fan of the conventional Ice Queen. There’s nothing orthodox about Magdalene Nox. She knows how to make her adversaries cower, but she’s just as comfortable nurturing the teenage girls in her care and seeking out her lover for tender reassurances. The writing is gorgeous. It’s lush and descriptive on an emotional level. I highlighted so many passages simply because I enjoyed rereading them to savor each word. McKay executes fantastic world building in The Headmistress turning Three Dragons Academy into a character as important as Sam and Magdalene.
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5 Dead Lez Walking by G. Benson
Publisher Indie Author
This book is a: horror novel with a romantic sub-plot.
What it’s about
In the Accident and Emergency ward of a major Australian hospital things are about to get interesting. There are news accounts about the appearance of a highly contagious novel virus. Everyone and their brother will be in thinking they’re infected. There’s not enough coffee in the world to get Taren Makumbe through her shift.
Gifted surgeon Joy Ayton is taking a much-needed nap in the doctor’s lounge, but when she wakes up the hospital is in chaos. Corpses litter the hallways, and all the exits are barricaded.
When the dead start reanimating, Taren, Joy, and a rag-tag group of survivors must find a way out of the hospital before they’re eaten by zombies or killed by their own government.
Why I love it
Benson uses this clever device where each chapter is labeled with the current time and the character whose point of view the reader is going to inhabit. This drives home how every minute in the hospital could be their last, and we get to see how each character is processing the horror taking place around them. This book is graphic. It’s gruesome enough to keep you glued to your seat, but not enough to keep you from a good night’s sleep. Setting the story in a hospital, a place where the sick are healed, was chef’s kiss.
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6 Sea Wolfe by Anna Burke
Publisher Bywater Books
This book is a: dystopian/post-apocalypse pirate novel.
What it’s about
Sea Wolfe is the swashbuckling second book in The Compass Rose series. The book begins months after the climax of Compass Rose. Rose is struggling to come to terms with the result of her actions which decimated pirate Ching Shih’s fleet during a battle in the Gulf of Mexico. In her eyes, she’s committed genocide. Miranda silently grieves for Shih who rescued her from certain death after she had committed the heinous act of mutiny.
As Rose and Miranda struggle to find equal footing in their relationship, they’re forced to flee their ship, the Man O’ War. A handful of loyal crew members accompany them on a journey that takes them into dangerous, uncharted territory. They stumble upon a civilization that represents hope for the planet, but it may come at their demise. Rose comes face to face with truths about her past and her place in the world.
Why I love it
In Sea Wolfe not only do we get pirates doing pirate things, but we also get loads of backstory for Miranda and Rose. I’d been waiting for this book for a couple of years, so I consumed it in one sitting. The writing is sheer perfection. In keeping with the first book in the series, the world building in Sea Wolf is fantastic. I could envision the most minute detail Burke brings into focus, and the prose engaged all my senses for a truly immersive reading experience.
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7 Beginner’s Bet by Fiona Riley
Publisher Bold Strokes Books
This book is a: age gap romance.
What it’s about
High stakes realtor, Ellison Gamble has everything money can buy. The one thing she can’t buy is motherhood. Ellison has exhausted every medical procedure available to conceive, but as she turns 43, her doctor informs her it’s time to find a surrogate for her remaining eggs.
Between paying her mother’s medical and living in a house that’s seen better days, Katie Crawford’s under incredible stress. Working as a masseuse sounds glamorous, but it barely pays the bills.
Ellison and Katie establish a rapport after Katie gives Ellison a massage. Ellison presents Katie with a way to get out of debt and support her mother. Katie’s family home is in disrepair but in Ellison’s capable hands, she can remodel the house, sell it for a profit, and provide for her mother.
Ellison moves Katie into her elegant beach house while renovations on her house are being done, and before long they are head over heels for each other. Ellison’s found a surrogate to carry her baby. Both women have to figure out if their life goals are compatible enough for them to be each other’s happy-ever-after.
Why I love it
Ellison and Katie are my favorite couple from the Fiona Riley Universe. They complement each other perfectly. The age gap is just one of several things that make them so compelling. There is a reason Ms. Riley is known as the Queen of Steam. My goodness the chemistry between Katie and Ellison is off the charts, and when they finally take their flirtations to a physical level, it’s positively WOW. I’m sure I was blushing seven shades of red.
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8 Change of Heart by Clare Lydon
Publisher Custard Books
This book is a: fake relationship romance.
What it’s about
Erin Stewart’s parents are celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary with five days of parties and family gatherings. She’s found a small business that hires out actors to pose as dates. Erin’s interest is piqued, and she’s desperate enough to give it a try.
Steph Mitchell is a hard-working actor who’s still waiting for her big break. A good friend from drama school has started a company providing actors who pose as dates/significant others for people who are often too busy to date. It’s all completely above board, and as Steph is between gigs, she decides to take the job.
Neither Erin or Steph could have predicted how perfectly suited they are for each other or the incredible chemistry that would make their fake relationship feel not so fake. Just as they acknowledge the powerful feelings they have for each other; their pasts collide sending their fledgling relationship spiraling out of control.
Why I love it
First of all, it’s Clare Lydon, and she consistently puts out great books year after year. This is her first fake relationship romance and it’s on point. Both Erin and Steph are lovely women. I was quick to become invested in this couple so when everything goes sideways for them it’s quite a gut punch. The circumstances for their falling out is something I’ve never seen in a romance. There’s also a deep dive into dysfunctional family dynamics to accompany another epic first kiss.
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9 Satisfaction Guaranteed by Karelia Stetz-Water
Publisher Forever Publishers
This book is an: opposites attract romance.
What it’s about
When Cade Elgin’s eccentric Aunt Ruth dies leaving her, Satisfaction Guaranteed, a failing sex toy store, she finds herself in Portland trying to figure out how to salvage her aunt’s estate. Cade can work wonders when it comes to spreadsheets and numbers but being surrounded by dildos and vibrators is way out of her comfort zone.
Selena Mathis is grieving. After her dear friend Ruth Elgin dies, she feels completely unmoored. Ruth was like a mother to her. She’s flabbergasted when she finds out Ruth left her half of Satisfaction Guaranteed. Selena desperately wants this to work. It’s the best way to honor Ruth’s memory.
Both women are surprised and a little bit reluctant when they realize they’re falling in love. Cade has a life in New York to get back to but perhaps Selena’s worth shaking up her well ordered life.
Why I love it
I was wearing a grin the entire time I was reading this. Cade and Selena are such opposites it borders on comedy. They start off finding themselves in one awkward situation after another. Once they begin sharing their insecurities with each other it brings out a tenderness between them that’s so gratifying. This book also gets extra kudos for including important discussions about consent and sex positivity.
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10 Cuffing Season by Monica McCallan
Publisher Indie Author
This book is an: opposites attract, small town romance.
What it’s about
Maeve Murphy left Kingsford a decade ago with dreams of making a name for herself in New York City. Her mother’s unexpected death wasn’t part of those dreams. She’s home to help her father keep the family business operational. Bianca Rossi recently returned to the charming little town of Kingsford after spending four years in New York. She’s happy with her job at the local veterinary clinic, and she works Friday nights at Murph’s where her father is the chef. She loves small town living. The only thing missing is the right someone to share it with. Bianca and Maeve strike up a tentative friendship. Before long they’re cuddling on Bianca’s sofa watching saccharine Christmas movies over popcorn and hot cocoa. It’s cuffing season, and they’re just two friends passing time on cold winter nights. This couldn’t possibly turn into something more, or could it?
Why I love it
I rarely read low-angst romances, but this book just captured my heart. The story is character driven. Bianca is by far one of the most beautiful main characters I’ve stumbled upon in a while. Her inner beauty carries this story. Maeve is a cute, yet grouchy curmudgeon. Bianca slowly shows Maeve what family, friendship, and community have to offer. This is a very pared down romance. You get to see two women fall in love and figure out if they can make it work. I loved it.
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If you enjoyed Victoria’s Top 10 Books of 2021 list then you may also want to see what other books we have that Victoria has tagged as a favourite
