Clicking on book cover brings you to my review or GoodReads page if I didn't write one
Nominees:
1. You Made a Fool of Death With Your Beauty by Akwaeke Emezi
With fresh alarm, Feyi noticed a twinge of attraction unfurling in her stomach.
This moment! When I tell you the gasp I gasped and went to immediately put the kettle on. Y'all, the twinge of attraction was for the man's DADDY that Feyi was seeing and had brought her to his home island. I labeled this more book club fiction, because I think the story was more about Feyi's journey than any romance she had with others, but there were sizzling moments.
2. With Love From Rose Bend by Naima Simone
There was a scene between the two leads, Leo and Owen, where Owen was pushing Leo on a tree swing. It was a quiet scene with them talking but had that underlining emotion that has it sticking in my mind. More tree swing scenes!
3. The Lotus Palace by Jeannie Lin
“Why—?” She paused to swallow. “Why did you offer to redeem me?”
He approached her, watching every emotion that flickered over her face. Color rose to her cheeks as he neared. “Why can’t you be my concubine?”
She gave a sharp laugh. “Isn’t it obvious? Look at you and look at me.”
He caught her gaze and held it. “I’m looking.”
Yue-ying tilted her chin upward in challenge. Not only to him, but to everyone who had ever stared at her. “Why would anyone pay for a concubine whose face was ruined like this?”
“This face isn’t ruined.” He cupped her face in his hands and she flinched. He could see the tremor in her lower lip and how hard she fought to maintain her composure. She wanted to look away and hide herself, but she didn’t. And he fell a little bit more for her because of it.
It's the He caught her gaze and held it. “I’m looking.” and She wanted to look away and hide herself, but she didn’t. And he fell a little bit more for her because of it.
I like loud emotions/scenes as much as the next person but I crumble for these deep boiling under the surface moments.
Honorable Mention:
The obsession I had with that clenched jaw.
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4. A Caribbean Heiress in Paris by Adriana Herrera
"I've got my own." Luz lifted the right side of her skirt and fished for the flask pressed to her thigh. She grinned as he choked on a mouthful of whisky when he lowered his gaze to where her hand had gone.
"That's convenient," he said hoarsely, sounding impressed.
"I have a pistol on the other leg."
That brought on a coughing fit. She unscrewed the slim bottle in her hands, extremely pleased with herself.
"Slainte mhath," she said, tipping the flask in his direction and she watched his jaw tighten, nostrils flaring. She sipped slowly, eyes fastened on him, and from one second to the next his lazy repose turned into something far more predatory.
A hunter ready to pounce.
"And I thought you were dangerous in Spanish." His brogue was more pronounced now.
Every word sinking into her bones like that first drop of rum on the tongue. Scalding and sweet. Luz should've heeded the danger there, but instead she drank deeply, never taking her eyes off him. When she was done she ran her tongue over her bottom lip, then offered Evan her flask.
Playful, sexy, and brought that wonderful sizzling heat.
5. The Jade Temptress by Jeannie Lin
“I knew ahead of time,” he began reluctantly. “That this was the day you usually go to see your sister.”
Mingyu’s grin spread so wide she had to place a hand over her mouth to hide it. Warmth bloomed in her chest, spreading out to every part of her until even her fingertips tingled. “Farewell, Constable,” she said, still smiling.
Wu breathed deep, as if to regain himself. “Farewell, Mingyu.”
I should get a medal for being able to whittle down to only one scene (and honorable mentions, I'm only human!) from this book. I went with this one because while I can lean heavy into broody, angsty emotion, this scene delighted me with it's light and sweetness. Constable Wu gets called out for purposefully putting himself where he knew Mingyu would be. You can feel how it made Mingyu feel special and give her those young, first love feelings and for a woman who never got to indulge in those girlish feelings, it feels extra special for her. It also shows a different side to the usual, very contained Wu and brought a sweet moment of levity to a heavier toned story.
Honorable Mentions:
“Are we truly supposed to forget?” he asked quietly.
There was no need to mention what he spoke of. “I haven’t forgotten.”
“Then it did happen.” He reached for her, but went no farther than the edge of her sleeve. He let the silk slip along his fingertips before releasing it.
Mingyu followed his every movement with her eyes.
THE TENSION
Mingyu looked downward, rearranging a teapot that didn’t need to be rearranged. “I didn’t love Deng. I never loved him and never hoped I would come to love him. I know this now.” She took a deep breath before meeting his eyes. “I know this now because I didn’t feel as if a part of me was missing when we were apart. Knowing he’s in danger doesn’t make me fear for him, even more than I do for myself.” Color rose high on her cheeks as she watched him, waiting for his reaction.
Kaifeng gripped his teacup so tightly that the liquid splashed warm over his fingers. He needed to say something to her, anything.
I wanted to strangle Kaifeng for not saying anything here! Mingyu was trying to put herself out there and was telling him she loved him in the way she could at that moment and ugh, SAY SOMETHING, Kaifeng!
"You never showed any fear, even when you were first brought to Changan. Your sister cried and clung to you, but you didn’t shed a tear even when they took her away.”
“I cried that night when I was alone,” Mingyu said defiantly. What was Madame trying to say? That she was meant for this life?
“Of course you cried. We all cry, but you understood even then not to show any weakness. I knew one day you would have the world at your feet.”
Oh, this "little" scene. I think it speaks to women dynamics so much. The whole "endure with dignity" aspect from Madame and Mingyu learning, gaining the strength to say no, I won't and don't have to endure. It's such a swirl of surviving the best you can, which we could say works for Madame, it's her reality and not everyone can escape it but Mingyu not being able to do it anymore. A whole discussion on strength, weakness, and hope.
6. Girl in Ice by Erica Ferencik
This is a scfi story where there was a really cool memorable scene where a group of prehistoric people had been flash frozen in the ice in the midst of battle and the author did a great job describing the scene as the scientists discovered it.
7. Uncertain Magic by Laura Kinsale
MacLassar made short work of a loaf of hard bread. She lifted his foot and inspected the bandage, made of a ripped cravat and tied with careful skill. Faelan did this, she thought, and suddenly her eyes went blurry and her throat closed.
MacLassar is the female main character's pet pig and even though the male main character, Faelan, is mad at her, he still took care of her pet. I'm a sucker for heroes that secretly are kind to their heroine's pets that they are always so "annoyed" with.
8. Siren Queen by Nghi Vo
“You better know who you are,” she said, “because you don't look strong enough to be me.”
Our lead is disappointed and angry about the movie roles being offered to her because she is Chinese and as she's kind of sneering about it, an established Chinese actress gives it straight to her in the way only an older generation to a younger generation of woman can. You'll like how the lead's stubbornness wouldn't let her play the racist roles she had seen other woman of color play but when she interacted with actresses that had taken on those roles, they were at turns angry that she wouldn't play the game, jealous, and also supportive and trying to be helpful to the path she was trying to blaze. This was a great scene where the actress tells Luli that she better blaze her own trail because Luli wasn't strong enough to take on the roles the actress had and Luli agreed that she couldn't do what that actress was doing to support her family.
9. Seven Days in June by Tia Williams
"One thing," she whispered, her lips by his jaw. She didn't want anyone to overhear. "Before I forget."
"What's that?"
"Stop writing about me."
Only Eva could've noticed the change in his expression. She saw the flinch. The slow, satisfied curl of his lip. His bronzy-amber eyes flashing. It was like he'd been waiting years to hear those words. Like the girl whose pigtails he'd been yanking during recess all year had finally shoved him back. He looked gratified.
In a voice both raspy and low, and so, so familiar, Shane said, "You first."
I don't even know what to call the sound I made when I first read this scene! They are both authors and recognize each other in their book characters but haven't spoken to each other in years. The tense heat sparking atmosphere, GAH!
10. Eclipse the Moon by Jessie Mihalik
"You talked to the plants," Varro said, his voice low and rough.
I bet he sounded just like that in the morning, sleepy and rumpled after a night in bed.
Heat crept into my cheeks at the imagined visual, and I redirected my thoughts to a safer subject. I peeked at him, but his eyes remained closed, so I went back to staring at the ceiling. "I thought you were asleep."
"It's harder to sneak up on me than you might imagine. Your approach was quiet but not that quiet." After a pause, he added, "But the talking was nice."
"It's supposed to help the plants grow better, and it gives me something to do."
"I enjoyed listening to you. It was soothing."
I laughed quietly. "Most people would disagree." I rolled my head toward him with a grin. "Have you considered that you may be part plant?"
"Mmm," he murmured without opening his eyes, "perhaps that is why I'm drawn to sunshine."
The gooey mess I become when trying to tell the other person your emotions double speak happens! She didn't catch it but, he's trying to tell her she's his sunshine. Hidden emotion that as the reader I catch, creating that great heated tension between leads.
11. A Wicked Kind of Husband by Mia Vincy
His hands found the edge of the desk and he curled his fingers around it.
Look, I love my words but sometimes actions hit harder and the trying to restrain emotion of gripping a desk, does it for me. Big time.
12. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
“Lucien,” Tamlin said, quiet command. But Lucien kept gaping at the fae's ruined back, at the stumps, his metal eye narrowing and widening, narrowing and widening. He backed up a step. And another. And then vomited in a potted plant before sprinting from the room. The faerie twisted again and I held tight, my arms shaking with the effort. His injuries must have weakened him greatly if I could keep him pinned.
“Please,” I breathed. “Please hold still.”
“She took my wings,” the faerie sobbed. “She took them.”
“I know,” I murmured, my fingers aching. “I know.”
Tamlin touched the rag to one of the stumps, and the faerie screamed so loudly that my senses guttered, sending me staggering back. He tried to rise but his arms buckled, and he collapsed face-first onto the table again.
Holy moly this scene. It was written visually stunning and I felt the heightened emotion of Tamlin's anger and pain and Feyre finally seeing the fae as more than just monsters. When the fae says: “My wings,” the faerie choked out, his glossy black eyes wide and staring at nothing. “She took my wings.” I was chilled because I don't know who the "She" is and the pain cloaking the whole scene.
13. My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones
I loved how the story started out, two Dutch teens touring America decide to take a canoe out in the lake and skinny dip. There was that eerie calm but sense of danger on the horizon. It brought in that sense of glee, as all horror fans know where this is going and my slasher movie loving heart was excited.
14. Half a Soul by Olivia Atwater
The woman main character wanders into a bookshop during a downpour and our male main character comes up behind her and I instantly felt those delicious sparks between them. Spines were a-tingling! I love when leads have that instant spark of chemistry, makes for such an anticipatory read.
15. The Heir by Grace Burrowes
“Have some.” He held up the bottle. “We can swill from the bottle like heathens if it won’t offend you.”
She joined him and took a pull from the bottle. “You are sworn to secrecy,” she warned him. “Mrs. Seaton does not tipple.”
“Neither does Westhaven.” He followed her example. “Heir to a bloody duke, you know.”
In that moment, she lost a piece of her heart to him. His hair was curling damply against his neck, his clothing was in disarray, and he was sitting cross-legged on the floor of an empty room, swilling champagne. In that posture, in his dishevelment, with grave humor dancing in his green eyes, the Earl of Westhaven was impossibly dear to her.
I love when the two leads let their hair down around each other. It's that, I can be myself with this person and seeing them for who they are.
16. The Rainbow Season by Lisa Gregory
Something broke in him at the wild, desperate look in her eyes, and he squatted beside her, taking her face between his hands. "I'll find her, Sarah. All right? Don't fret, I'll get her out."
Oof, this scene. Sarah's parents drown in a flood and they couldn't find her mother's body. It's pouring rain, Sarah's clinging to her father's body that they could recover, everyone around them are trying to get her to let go and she's sitting there in shock and desperation. Our hero is the only one really paying attention to her and feeling helpless with how noone is comforting Sarah and how numb she is, he goes to the raging river, ties a rope around his waist, and dives repeatedly to try and find her mother's body. He almost dies but he does recover it. The whole scene took on the storm's pounding rushing and the emotions throbbed, I found myself tearing up.
Honorable Mention:
"How do you think you would have done, Stu, if you had grown up in a tarpaper shack instead of that nice house your parents own? Or if you had had a drunken loafer for a father instead of a respected citizen and store owner?"
The heroine's father rebuking his son-in-law for judging in a way he had no right to.
17. Lunar Love by Lauren Kung Jessen
The heroine and hero meet in one of the best meet-cutes I've ever read. They battle, negotiate, and flirt over a pork bun and vanilla roll. You could feel the sparks instantly between the couple and when the male main character uses tongs to gently grip the heroine's wrist to remove her hand from getting one of the rolls, I almost giggled in delight. Tongs on a wrist, who knew? It was all so adorable with some underlining heat.
Winner:
This was such a hard one to pick, a battle between Siren Queen, The Jade Temptress, and With Love From Rose Bend. Seven Days in June takes it though because of how giddy excited and burst of heat this scene delivered. I personally LOVE combative sparks with sexual heat tension between my leads and this scene is a gold standard of those emotions.
2021 Winner
What's a favorite scene that is still sticking with you from 2022?
Next time, Favorite Quote...
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