This month’s bracket was so hard to reconcile. I had such a difficult time just pairing them all up.  Why did I think doing a bracket was a good idea? Sometimes I feel like I’m trying to choose which kid is my favorite.

Round 1

Yet another battle of the abs. I do think is the most fair pairing of the month. I really try to pit two books against each other that are relatively similar. More than just their covers, these two are very much alike. Hunky immortal MMCs (dragons and warriors), who both find mortal mates. Both MMCs are tasked with keeping the human race safe from outside forces. Firestorm is the tenth in a series that I have come to love. Running Scared is third in a series I have had some issues with. When it came down to it, Firestorm is just better all around. The writing, the execution, and the characters.

This one is in no way fair. You have a five-star Travis Baldree read, a taboo Katee Robert novel, and an ill-conceived fictional debut. While I absolutely love Katee Robert, Your Dad Will Do is 80% for smut purposes and 20% plot and character development. Personally, I love how that balances out. Then there’s Half His Age. What a disappointment. But it had to go somewhere in the bracket and no matter where, it wasn’t going to come out on top. Brigands is such a little gem of a read that completely pulled me back into Travis’s world.

Unfortunately, these are not the best paired either. One is the beginning of an epic fantasy and romance. The other is a mafia dark romance by the queen herself, Aleatha Romig. As much as I enjoy being Aleatha’d (iykyk), Anathema has so much more depth. But then again, it’s a fantasy with miles of backstory, immortals, and thousands of years’ worth of lore.

The first in the series vs the second to last.  When I read the description of these books, I figured it wouldn’t matter what order it’s read in. To be honest, it really hasn’t mattered. I read #5 (out of 6), then the first. Happy to say, the main characters stick around through the series, which I love. The thing that put Dungeon above Random for me was, in fact, the characters. The three MCs in Random are not my favorite. The three in Dungeon, well, I just felt more connected to them. They are also most likeable all around.

Round 2

To me, the winner is clear. That doesn’t mean I have to be happy about it. I’m protective of the dragon kings. Brigands is just such a cozy fantasy without being too cozy. It’s still raw at times giving it the edge I like in my reads. Sorry Dreagan!

Just as with Firestorm and Brigands, this was no contest. A spicy throuple versus a dark, spicy fantasy that takes you through the trenches of magic and treachery.

Final Round

And the winner is…

Normally I would have absolutely gravitated toward dark fantasy. Love me a grimy, raw, fantasy. There’s just something about the world Travis brings to life. His characters are simple enough that you can picture walking past them on the street. You know, if you lived in this mystical world.