Full disclosure, I hate “Best of” lists because I spend 95% of the time disagreeing with them. And then I feel guilty about all the books I didn’t read. However, here is my Best of 2018 Romance (conflicts of interest removed), which is only valid for what I can remember reading as I write this and is really a list of my favorite books this year.

This book was recommended to me by one of Harlequin's publicists when I inquired about another title, so I was skeptical. It's the third in a series about Dallas Billionaires and by an author I'd never tried, so I wasn't sure how jumping into the series with this book would go.

It's been a little over a year since I converted Love in Panels from a comics-only site to an all-things-romance site. It's been a tumultuous year in the world of romance publishing, with publishers and major blogs closing, trademark battles, and the ever-present issues of marginalization and cruddy rep. It's also been a year full of amazing books, new friendships, and a community that gives me hope and laughs when it feels like my country is burning down around me.

You may have noticed that we've become rather fond of Jae's books here at Love in Panels. Margrethe reviewed Perfect Rhythm, and I've covered Just for Show and her latest, Paper Love. Naturally, I had some questions! Jae was gracious enough to answer them for us.

In a way, Between the Lines had a lot to live up to for me, which it totally did. I loved the first book in the series, Perfect Day, and because the genuine emotion behind the book was what caught me then, I knew there wasn’t a great risk this time. This is Malcolm’s strong suit: she lingers in the emotions in a genuine and heartfelt way that is also unflinching and I love it.

The latest volume of Cleis's Best Women's Erotica of the Year series is big and bold and immensely satisfying. This collection is as diverse as it is exciting - familiar and new, kinky and sweet, fierce and tender - and filled with women from across the spectrum of life's experiences. It's a good thing the book is long, because each story leaves you hungry for more. 

Harlequin is having a big sale on a ton of their ebooks today! $1.99 each on Kindle and there are a ton to choose from.

Paper Love, Jae's latest f/f romance, is set in southwestern Germany, in the Black Forest area famous for that decadent cake. It's a book firmly set in place, with attention given to architectural, cultural, and culinary distinctions. When I looked up the city after reading the book, the images were very much like I had imagined, with cobbled streets and little man-made streams (Bächle) in the middle of the walks.

Hi, so I loved this book, thanks for reading.