My 12 January Reads: Lots of Fantasy

Twelve books read. No wonder I didn't get more writing done...

This January, I was on vacation for a few days. That's when most of this reading happened. And it was SO nice to just focus on enjoying some escapist fiction - also known as fiction NOT in the genre in which I write. Don't get me wrong. I love a good Regency romance. I just need a break every once in a while. I don't have time to tell you ALL about what I read. But I can list them in order and tell you which ones were my favorites. 

Top Four: The Bestest Books EVERYONE Must Read:

• Only Ever Friends by Shaela Kay (Contemporary Romance, Friends-to-True-Love, and a NEW FAVORITE - so good)
• Queen's Crown by K.M. Shea (Third book in this Urban-Fantasy series - but SO GOOD. Read the OTHER TWO first.)
• Persuading the Captain by Rachel John (Modern retelling of Jane Austen's Persuasion, and well done!)
• Ten Thousand Stitches by Olivia Atwater (A Regency Fantasy - quite a delightful escape in a still-familiar setting.)

In no particular order, the other books I read (with brief notes) are as follows: 

• Wraith, The Scarred Mage of Roseward #3 by Sylvia Mercedes (conclusion to trilogy, and pretty good overall - a twist on Beauty and the Beast I've never seen before)
• Of Goblins and Gold by Emma Hamm (Great for those who love the Labyrinth and the confusion/topsy-turvy worlds of Alice in Wonderland)
• The Inheritance Games by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (I wanted to like this one more, after LOVING her previous series, but I'm not there yet)
• A Deal with the Elf King by Elise Kova (A pretty good arranged marriage story, got a touch steamy, but left me with lots of questions)
• The Cruel Prince by Holly Black (Okay, I sort-of get the hype. I need to read the next one to decide if it's a favorite, though)
• Fierce Heart by Tara Grayce (A clean arranged-marriage book, but I've got a lot of questions) 
• Sinister Magic by Lindsay Buroker (Steamy urban fantasy, billed as romance but is it really? I read the first four books of the series and called it done, even though there are more. Dragon shifters involved.)
• Thorn of Rose by Emily Deady (A pretty good Beauty and the Beast retelling that tried some new things for the tale as old as time - and I enjoyed it)

Did you read anything amazing in January 2021?