Clicking on book cover brings you to my review
Nominees:
1. Worldbuilding - Hunt the Stars by Jessie Mihalik
This world in space sets the Federated Human Planets against the Valovians, with a focus on a human ship crew having to work with a group of Valovians. I haven't read a ton of space opera, so I'm endlessly fascinated by the setting and I love how the author doesn't shy away from creating intricate political dynamics along with her relationship and romance. It all creates a rich world that I get lost in and keeps me reading the series.
2. Village people - The Littlest Library by Poppy Alexander
A cozy and comforting story about a woman who moves to a small village and starts a little library from an old phonebooth in her front yard. The village people get brought into the main character's life through borrowing books and her venturing to make new friends. The characters were many and varied and through their interactions with the main character and each other, they began to feel like cherished friends.
3. Nana - A Table for Two by Sheryl Lister
Gabriel's sister has been taking care of their Nana but now it's his turn and he moves from Atlanta to Nana's small town in CA with the intention to have her move back with him. Gabriel had sweet scenes with his Nana, I wanted even more, and I love how secondary characters can bring out and show a different side to characters. Gabriel's relationship with Nana gave more layers to his character and gave him a depth that can't always be shown from just inner thoughts.
4. Dalton - Never Rescue a Rogue by Virginia Heath
Dalton was the valet/friend to our male main character and I loved him. He was the perfect levity, sass the hero into looking deeper into his obvious feelings, and even had a little side romance that I would have loved seen made into a novella. He never veered into cartoony and showed how secondary characters can improve a story, while doing a little scene stealing.
5. Ruth - Summer Island by Shelley Noble
Ruth is the mother to our co-female main character who comes to stay with her after she loses her job and fiancé. Ruth has been married for over 30 years and made herself into the perfect wife and mother, so imagine her surprise when her husband just waltzes into the kitchen and announces he is leaving her for another woman. Ruth and her daughter escape to Ruth's mother's place and it comes crashing down on Ruth all those years of shrinking herself down to make her husband better. Yep, it's pretty "oof" emotional and I can see some women really having a connection with Ruth. Watching Ruth learn to stand-up for herself and nervously take the first steps to reclaiming herself was moving.
6. Everything - The Lotus Palace by Jeannie Lin
I honestly thought about just making this book have it's own awards, because when I tell you, this could sweep all my categories. The setting, 847 AD Tang Dynasty China, one that is vastly underutilized in historical romance, was incorporated in a way that I could feel the time period and became a secondary character in of itself. The worldbuilding, our female main character is a servant to a courtesan and it's not just a label. The author shows us what life is like and how that affects the character's mental, physical, and emotional well-being. This had a strong murder mystery plot and as each secondary character is brought in, their different positions in the society bring in a different part of the worldbuilding. The secondary characters, each one brought something different to the table, enriching the story and other characters around them. The most prominent secondary character, Mingyu, the heroine's sister, stole the show so much I begged in a completely normal manner asked friends to buddy read her story with me. Look, Mingyu takes this award but I try to shout-out as many different books I read in the year as possible with this and as I read her book this year, well, we'll just wait and see for my Favorite Leads.
7. Prince Konstantin Berezin - Ruby Fever by Ilona Andrews
Since I started this series with Sapphire Flames, this could have been nominated for worldbuilding too but since I already had a book picked out for that, the Russian Emperor's nephew takes the nom. Konstantin comes in claiming to want to help the Baylor family but it's obvious he has his own agenda. He's got that sarcastic attitude with hidden depths that I find irresistible and am a sucker for. I'm dying to know his story, will it include Arabella?
8. Hetal - The Second First Chance by Mona Shroff
The sister to our main male character, I loved how their relationship brought out a different side/layer of him. Hetal was the coming of age woman who was grateful for her brother's help but not wanting him to eventually resent her for what he gave up to help her or use her as an excuse to not take chances in life. She also had a secondary romance that I spent most the time getting excited to see front in center in her own book and was so disappointed when it got a happily for now that looks to say she won't get her own story.
9. Sloane - An Affair at Rosecliffe by Candace Camp
Sloane was the cousin to the male main character and has a shady past and obvious unsettled feelings about another female main character. Another Prince Konstantin addition, I'm a sucker for broody sarcastic black sheep of the family, they always steal my attention. If he gets paired with the character I think he will, a quietly suffering woman, I'm going to be goo for the way he could stick up for and bring her out of her shell while she heals his broody little heart.
10. Chekhov's Ravens (honorable mention Tristan's aunts) - A Daring Pursuit by Kate Bateman
People who read this story are probably like "What?". This is the personal name I gave these ravens and as no dogs stole the spotlight in books I read this year, the animal nominee goes to the birds. I just knew these mischievous ravens were going to have a spotlight moment and I delighted in the moment I was right.
Winner:
Sloane
Look, I said I was sucker for these types of characters and when the alluded pairing is a wallflower-ish woman, GOO. Why is Sloane a black sheep? I need answers. Gimme all the broody sarcastic softening towards the wallflower I can handle (and bonus desk scene?), thanks.
2021 Winner
Who or what stole the spotlight as your favorite secondary character in 2022?
Next award, Favorite Scene...
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