I have all the usual hopes for health and happiness and no more pandemics, yada yada yada but those get talked to death so we’re going to focus on to an important niche that doesn’t get enough attention: books/reading/writing.
#1 – My biggest hope for 2022 is to finish the sequel to Go For Broke very early in the year and get it published. I wrote the second book before the release but decided to chuck it and start over based on my first-time published experience. I struggled with planning for a few months but have now outlined and started the new and improved sequel.
There will be fewer books read and not nearly as many reviews posted in 2022 because I’ll be writing a lot more. In addition to continuing Cady’s story, I have other projects planned that I can’t wait to start and hope to be publishing more soon.
#2 – This was an excellent year for readers so hopefully 2022 will be more of the same. Some of my favorite authors had multiple releases this year and I’d love for that to continue. Nothing makes me happier than seeing a new release from Tijan, Siobhan Davis, LJ Shen, Nicole Snow, Adriana Locke, Sophie Lark or so many others. Please keep them coming, ladies!
#3 – I read so many new-to-me authors this year and added some real gems to my instant favorites list. Thank heavens for ARC lists because without them, I’d be missing out on so many great books and talented authors. Some of the best books of my year are from authors I’d never read before like Lena Hendrix, CW Farnsworth, Bella Matthews and Jenna Fiore. Those are just a few but there are truly so many more. Support your indie authors, y’all!
If I like an ARC, I buy a copy even though I have a copy and I always leave reviews on retail sites, goodreads, bookbub and instagram in additiona to the blog. Indie authors need that support because many of us can’t continue if nobody is reading. And we don’t know you’re reading unless you buy books and leave reviews.
#4 – I’m a sucker for certain tropes so I hope that 2022 will see lots of enemies-to-lovers, brother’s best friend, mafia romance and dark bully romance, NA and college preferred but characters into their 30’s is fine. I want romantic comedy and romantic suspense — and more authors who can do both in one story, a la JT Geissinger in Savage Hearts, which is awesome.
Keep your daddies and age gap. No weak heroines who act like doormats. Arranged marriages are overdone & should only happen in mafia stories because it’s not believable otherwise. I don’t hate accidental pregnancy and surprise babies but I probably wouldn’t miss them if they disappeared from romance pages, either. I can take them or leave them because sometimes it makes for a good story but often it’s the whole plot and just boring. Some stories do it so well though, like Tawna Fenske’s Show of Honor or Stacey Lynn’s Game Changer.
#5 – Hotter guys on covers. I don’t like top knots/man buns, big beards, hipsters, daddies or muscles that have muscles, to name the biggest offenders. If the guys aren’t attractive, I may skip an awesome book because I’m a shallow bitch, so I’m potentially missing out. Couples are great too because I love books about strong women and it’s disappointing to see a lone man on the cover — again, unless he’s extremely hot, then I can live with it.
