Life gets chaotic.
I’m a planner. I have to be if I’m going to get anything done in the go-go-go lives that we’ve made for ourselves. That’s not to say that I’m a “do or die, gotta stick to the plan” kind of person. (No, I married one of those so I get it.) I’m flexible. I know that not everything is going to go according to my plan and that I need to have contingency plans or just make snap decisions on the fly.
I have a day job that it rather time consuming as a manager within a financial publishing company. I ride herd on writer, editors, and various marketing types all day. I make plans. Make contingency plans. And then back-up plans for my contingency plans when everything gets blown out of the water. Then try to get others to follow my plan so we can meet deadlines. I love my job.
I am married to an extrovert, which means that I have to crawl out from my introvert rock and interact with people after interacting with people at my day job. I love my husband.
And then I write books. Some books I write with Rinda and some books I write solo. I love Rinda and writing books.
But when things blow up too much or I get stretched too thin… there are always books.
However, I’ve noticed that when it gets to be all too much and I need to recharge, I’m less willing to start a new book, even if it’s by an author I love. A new book offers risk. I don’t want to risk it being not what I want or I don’t want to risk being emotionally wrecked when I really need to be coddled.
When I’m struggling to get back on my feet again, I fall back on my “safety net” of favorites – those list of characters who are just there when I need them. I’ve re-read the books so many times that I can practically recite certain scenes, but they are comforting.
Today, I want to share some of my favorites in no particular order:
Cut & Run series by Abigail Roux and Madeleine Urban – Everyone has their gateway book. That one book that got them hooked on gay romance. I can thank Rinda for handing this one over to me. Ty and Zane are my gateway drug. As soon as I read the first book, I knew I was hooked for this genre. I love Ty and Zane so much. They are warm and funny and safe. I think I re-read several of the books in this series at least once a year.
Crossroads series by Riley Hart – I cannot even guess at how many times I read Nick and Bryce’s story. I love this book so hard. I’ve read the entire series and adore each of the characters, but Nick and Bryce have a special place in my heart.
Atonement by Sloane Kennedy – I’ll admit that I’m a sucker for the entire Protectors series, but when it comes to re-reads, I always go straight back to Dante and Magnus, though Tate and Hawke from Retribution are a very close second. I just go completely mushy over Dante. And Tate….sweet Tate.
Sooo… Tell me, who are your go-to re-reads when you need a little help getting back on your feet?
Also in no particular order – some of my go to books
Lover Unleashed by JR Ward – one of the Black Dagger Brotherhood books. I’ve always been absolutely fascinated by V and when the author admitted she saw that V and Butch should be together but her publishers wouldn’t be in it…..V and Butch are the perfect almost went there but didn’t in the end. Frustrating but endless compassion for V.
Hard wired by Megan Erickson and Santino Hassell – third book in the series and love them all, but Jesse and Ian/Cherry/Cerise! Beautiful characters, I’m a sucker for the broken ones and Ian is just perfect. So glad he found his HEA with Jesse.
Shatter by Jocelynn Drake and Rinda Elliott. Again love the whole series but Snow is just so…..everything and so happy he found what he needed in Jude – that part where Jude grabs him by the throat…Lucas comes a close second but just love Snow.
I also find myself in those places where it’s just too hard to try something new. When this happens I re-read the Try series by Ella Frank. This was my first m/m romance and Logan just drew me in from the get go.
I do exactly the same. Tuff and stressed times need re-reads. I always come back to N.R. Walker (especially her Red Dirt and Turning Point serie, but also Learning to Feel). Also Sloane Kennedy, all of them. End the last one are the Unbreakable bonds. Not to please you, they’re seriously on my safety net reading list. I love them all, but Lucas and Andrei have a special place in my heart. Oh and the books of Aimee Nicole Walker, especially Always You! Have a nice weekend 🙂 <3
Even though I’ve still got so many books I haven’t read, I Always go back to reading:
Avril Ashton, I’ve read all of her books, but my favourite is ‘Watch me) Break You. I must have re-read that one at least 10 times.
And all of Sloane Kennedy and A.E. Via.
It Always feels like coming home reading those again…