Redoing this post again due to some new additions.
- The Artist's Touch and Tested in Fire by EJ Russell
I really don't know what it is about these books in particular, but I am such a fan of Luke Morgenstern and Stefan Cobb(e) and their relationship, which manages to feel conflicted but not in a gratuitously melodramatic way. Also, the writing in these books is phenomenal.
- Rule of Thirds by Aidan Wayne
My favorite soft, gentle PTSD recovery book ever (outside of my own work, of course *cough*).
- The Witch Stone by Jasmine Hong
My go-to recommendation for books about QPOC by QPOC (outside of myself). It's just a really cool urban fantasy novella.
Honorary mentionsI'm really, really iffy about the demisexual rep, but this is probably my favorite cheerful character/grumpy character romance. Also, it made me interested in hockey, so there's that.
- All the Wrong Places by Ann Gallagher
I...feel kind of bad not having an ownvoices ace book as my favorite (I can't count my own stuff :P), plus I'm more hesitant about recommending this book because of some Bad Things the author did. But sex-averse asexual romances are still so rare that this still has to be my favorite. Sigh.
