Sunday, January 23, 2022

The Romancies - Part 2: Favorite Secondary Character

 



*Books eligible could be published in any year, they just had to be read by me in 2021 
Clicking on book cover brings you to my review 


Nominees:

     


       
 



1.  Frederick and Julia Ten Things I Hate About the Duke  by Loretta Chase

I feel like I always start off cheating a little bit in this category but the alluding, clues, and hinting at romance between the hero's uncle and a woman named Julia, really caught my attention. They had some tension there that whoo boy caught my attention. I need to know what happened between them.

2.  The Pig - Lady Awakened by Cecilia Grant

I warned you all back in February when I first read this that this Pig had a great chance of showing up here and they made it! Usually a dog gets this spot but this pig bedeviled the hero so damn delightfully and got an actual honest to God laugh out of me that I couldn't deny them their spot.

3.  Aunt Teddie (honorable mention:  T.J. Kewadin) - Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley

A pseudo mom to the girl in the story, she encapsulated all the strength of what it can mean being a woman.
T.J. Kewadin is the girl's ex boyfriend and my romance genre heart just wants him to get a HEA.

4.  World building - Heartless by Gena Showalter

I'm not the biggest paranormal fan but I have found myself getting more into fantasy lately and the world building was fascinating as heck. The fae realm called Astaria and it's five royal courts, Summer, Winter, Autumn, Spring, Dusklands, and the heroe's created Midnight court and the mysterious Forgotten court were engaging. The creatures, magic, and land described by the author really placed me there and had me excited for the series on a whole.

5.  Katie - Anything For Love by Connie Brockway

A wild west woman that is surviving and thriving due to her own grit and gumption. She's the owner of a saloon and provides some humor and great personality to the story. I'd love a novella of how she fought her way to be the owner of the Gold Dust.

6.  Robert - An Unlikely Governess by Karen Ranney

I'm usually really bad with liking kids in stories but Robert stole even my cold crone heart. He's a seven years old heir who's parent's died in a carriage accident, lives with his cold uncle, and someone is trying to kill him. He was sweetly young but also a stoic little thing, I want to see him grown up and being the hero of his own book so bad.

7.  Martha (honorable mention:  Elvis) - Be Buried in the Rain by Barbara Michaels

You all know I love to have a villain nominee and Martha was one heck of a witch. Look, I have to give it up to someone who doesn't really leave her bed but can command a whole room with only one eye. She terrorized her grandkids so much in their childhood that they're still working out the trauma and she's still no slouch on her deathbed. I didn't personally like her but as a character, Bravo.
I simply can't have a Favorite Secondary Characters list of nominees without a dog, this year Elvis stole the show with his protective sweetness.

8.  Ned - How to Catch a Duke by Grace Burrowes

This is book #6 in the series and I've been calling for Ned's book since #1! He's more grown from the little boy we first met and with his appearances in this one, GIMME. April 26 Never a Duke is his book coming out this year and, to say the least, my expectations are High.

9.  Oliver - How to Survive a Scandal by Samara Parrish

He's the foreman at the hero's steam engine factory and, I don't know, there was something about his calmness, smarts, and strength that caught my attention. He doesn't show up often but when he does, he draws the the eye.

10.  Lady Darvish - A Christmas Ball Anthology - My Lady Below Stairs by Emily Bryan

Lady Darvish, the Black Widow of Wembley Street, was on the prowl once again. She's apparently buried four husbands and has heard from a friend that one of the men in the story is good in bed, so now she's set her sights on him. She clues him into this by calling him Bertie and when the guy says that's not his name, “I called all my husbands Bertram. It kept things uncomplicated.” I mean, who wouldn't want a full novel about this woman?! 


Winner:

Martha


Am I proud of this pick? No. But I can't help it, her secondary character has stuck with me more than a fair share of leads. She commanded a whole room with just one eye open!!! As far as villains go, she had some longevity, those grandkids were just starting to realize how f'd up for life they are. Martha had a part to play in this story and she commanded it.


2020 Winner 












Who were your favorite Secondary Characters from 2021? Next award, Favorite Scene...

No comments:

Post a Comment