The slow editorial trudge continues.
Saturday:
Sunday:
Mod R is my witness, I keep cutting and cutting and somehow there are more words.
Thank you for all of the encouragement. You guys are too nice!
I received an interesting question the other day: if you could choose a comfort read among your books, what would you choose?
It’s probably Silver Shark for me. It grew out of my experiences more than any other. Don’t get me wrong, when I think about my childhood, it’s sun-filled and bright. The garden, the flowers, the River Street with the huge river flowing slowly past, the parks, the friends…
However, the older I grew, the more aware I became and the bleaker my life looked. It’s normal for teenagers to be nihilistic, but everything was truly falling apart by the time I was 14, and it only got worse from there. My adolescence is desaturated in my memories.
I had a chance to Google-drive past the house where I grew up, and it was in ruins. It really hammered home the point: that life is over. The place of my childhood exists only in my memories. It’s bittersweet, but the place where I live now is wonderful. It’s vivid, and bright, and I’m grateful for it. Yes, US has its problems, and I will complain about them as much as any American, but it’s a huge upgrade compared to the life I left behind.
Which brings me to another question:
Could we get a post sometime where folks share their favorite comfort read portions of House Andrews books?
This sounds like fun. Of everything we’ve written, what scenes or books do you go to when you need a little bit of comfort? One lucky commenter will get a signed book from our shelves.
Please don’t recommend other authors, as we will have a separate thread for that.
the entire Kate Daniels series is my comfort read. I reread it regularly several times a year.
We will read ALL the words!! I don’t suppose you ever had any doubts about that.
I’ve been known to reread everything, and I mean everything, as a comfort read. I’ll start on one book, get on a roll, and the next thing you know I’m three series in and searching the old blog posts for snippets and freebies. But my all time favorite comfort read that I’ve reread more than any of the others is Magic Binds. I love everything about the book.
I love Kate standing up toRoland. I love Julie starting to come into her own. I love the scenes with Roman, everything from negotiating with his god to wedding planning. I love Christopher remembering how to fly. l love Kate going to Mishmar and retrieving Erra. I love Ghastek as Kate’s Legatus. I love the fight at the Keep. There are so many good scenes that then organically flow into the narrative of Magic Triumphs. so much good stuff!
I loved reading everyones favourites, each one brings me back to each book. And yhe idea of a sharing a “Comfort Read” was too appealing to pass up. For me, the scene that I keep going back to is when Kate and Ghastek (forgive me if I’ve gotten the spelling incorrect, I’m an audiobook listener) are trapped together. They talk about him being poor, but not so poor where your parents finish one job and have enough time to scarf down some mac and cheese before catching a few hours of sleep before going to theor second job.
It’s literary dose of reality in this realm of fantasy, and I almost always call my mom to thank her after listening to this scene. Mac and cheese was a luxury a few times, but because of her I always had a book – taking the precious gallon of gas once a week to take me to the library…. Tuesdays- her one day off.
I’m pretty sure when the Graphic Audio finally does this book, Imma cry.
I have two.
#1 – The first time we visit Baha-Char. So amazing! I would go in a hear beat.
#2 – The whole lead-up and follow-thru of the Ripper Cushions scene. So funny! I love it.
Hidden legacy is my fun reread, I love the world and the people and they are light and make me feel all the things but it’s not quite the comfort that KD is.
KD is a place to get lost and is comfortable for a long stretch and a deep dive. So it kinda depends on what I need.
Sweep of the Blade, I love Maud, Armand and Helen, Kate Daniels “ Magic Tides & Claims(Clams) and the end of Magic Triumphs, that’s besides Innkeeper, Hidden Legacy especially the ferret heist and the aftermath. There is so much to choose from 😊
My comfort read is Magic Strikes. it where I really started to fall in love with Curran’s character and Kate’s fierce defense of her friends.
#1. Kinsman, especially Silver Shark. Scene: when he brings her tea.
#2. Hidden Legacy. I love all the books in this series. Scenes: Alessandro and Catalina on the rooftop battle in Emerald Blaze. And of course the ferret heist: I laugh out loud every time I read this scene.
#3. Sweep of the Blade. Maud triumphs despite being dumped on Kahari. And the scene with Karat when she describes the footage of Arland “tearing out of some armored hovel … like some hero in a period drama”. It’s laugh territory, but also the start of their love affair.
the Magic Stars novella is the sweetest of all comfort reads. (insert big sigh)
Maud, Arland and Helen. Starting with
Yes, the princess you were expecting put on her armour and left to kill the dragon.
From one fell sweep to Sweep of the Blade and all of Orro’s moments- bad burger and cooking show visit and learning that Caldenia acted out of love for family and Costco lady = Ms Mariask
I go to The Edge series:) The characters and their stories and their support of each other, even if they are not favs of each other:) Grandma Éléonore is a beautifully written character.
Curran in his massive tub with Kate saying: this is why I built the pack…and when I found her I glued her ass to the chair”.
also,
Kate barking at Curran “No pain, no gain…”
I have reread the Innkeeper books and the Kinsmen series on repeat since they came out. With each new book my comfort read list gets longer and I find new little nuances with each read through. I also reread the Hidden Legacy series right before Emerald Blaze to find all the little eggs.
I adore your Innkeeper books, and of those, Sweep of the Blade is my favorite. I’m having a hard time with violence, and I think the Innkeeper books are the least violent. And of all your work, they show your amazing sense of humor. Space chickens hauling around rolls of toilet paper! Makes me laugh every time. My favorite sections of Sweep of the Blade include, “Next time you can help.” And “There’s a vampire walking towards us and it looks like she’s going to run us over.”
Ferret heist!
I love the Clean Sweep series. I take all the books with me whenever I travel. For me, I crave the familiar comfort of escaping into unknown worlds with familiar characters and knowing that while there is evil in the universe, goodness will win the day.
House Andrews books ARE my comfort read. If I had to be specific, as Derek is my favorite character, that scene in Magic Triumphs when Kate asks him if he ever wants more money and he says he’s got enough for bills, food, tools, and presents. What else would he need? That scene just smacks of “found family” for me.
Thank you for writing beautiful words that have brought so much comfort.
White Hot. No matter what’s going on in my life the ferret heist makes me laugh
OMG – too funny – yes, the call to put the screen over the dryer vent is pretty priceless.
Mine is the Innkeeper series and Iron Covenant…love the interaction between Hugh and Elara!
Oops that should be Iron and Magic!
My comfort read is Burn for me – because I love Nevada and Mad Rogan and the whole clan. The sense of belonging and being loved. That book is like a gentle hug after a horrid day.
I have read, and reread countless times Magic Strikes, Silver Shark, Burn for Me (the shock when Augustine realized Nevada was an unregistered Prime is priceless!) and Sweep of the Blade. And then along came Fated Blades. For me, it boils down to Romeo and Juliet with a happy ending. Grabbing their happiness despite their families’ histories. Wonderful addition to The Kinsman Universe. Thank you for them all.
I have fallen into Innkeeper as my comfort reads. There’s probably a variety of reasons, like the attraction to an introvert of never having to leave the house and still get to have an endless variety of rooms to prowl through, but since 2020 I’ve returned over and over to the series when life is a little too hard.
🤭 If the editing added more words, I can only be happy – it’s more content for the always-insatiable BDH!
For comfort reads from House Andrews: I go back to the Innkeeper series over and over again. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve reread all of the House Andrews works multiple times, but the Innkeeper series speaks to a number of pivotal experiences in my life in a way no other books do, and I always feel better – more centered, more grounded – after a visit to Gertrude Hunt.
Argh… too many choices… But if I had to pick a COUPLE… for me – Magic Strikes and Magic Bleeds are the 2 for OG KD. Love Hidden Legacy too. Your whole back library is my go to. My brain is about to explode on having to choose just 1. 🙂
Innkeeper series would be my choice.
Specifically the Graphic Audios of the Innkeeper Chronicles. They all feel like friends to me and being with them all is so comforting.
Favorite is Of Swine and Roses. The scene where the pig is being cleaned up and then changes captures a memorial embarrassing moment. The ending is also great.
My favorite House Andrews comfort read is the Innkeeper series. It’s lighthearted and engaging. It’s fun to see the characters from the Edge series pop up too.
All of it!! But right now, Magic triumphs cos Happy Endings and all. And all the scenes with Conlan but my favourite will always be when he first shifts
My favorite?
I loved your first book… Magic Bites
And then I have to finish the series…
Each book is a delight and each one somehow scratches an itch for adventure, magic and fantasy. <3
Sweep of the Blade is my go to comfort read. So many funny and touching scenes—-from the Helen “Ripper Cushions” lesson to the Maude/Ilemina “practice session “ to the final medward family gathering. A superb read and reread that I’m so glad House Andrews crafted and shared with the BDH. It is a wonderful story of humor,romance,redemption, honor and family. It makes me happy.
Sweep of the Blade is definitely up there for me
I also love Silver Shark. It has emotional resonance for me. Plus the ending was funny. I think you mentioned how it was a tribute to the endings of movies you grew up with.
I also like Burn for Me. I enjoy the “it’s not too late” and the independence of the characters. Love, love, love. And the messy family you’ve got it perfect. Grandma Freida is perfect.
Chapter 23 of Sweep of the Heart
Sweep of the Blade always makes me feel warm and happy.
Magic Binds is my comfort read. The characters are becoming more fleshed out, “real”. Just another ‘day in the life’ kind of deal. We start out with Kate and Curran going to Roman’s, asking him to officiate the wedding. Kate and Curran sitting on the couch and Curran saying they should ‘get one of these’ . It’s what couples talk about when they’re settling in, becoming a unit.
Then at the conclave, Curran asks Kate why haven’t Rowena and Gastek ‘gotten together’ shows just how observant Curran is and how clueless Kate is when it comes to relationships. Desandra’s nuttiness, love her unfiltered banter.
The Nick Feldman reveal, of how Kate explains why Nick hates Kate’s bloodline. There’s so many places in this book that I can stop and savor.
In Magic Binds we see Curran and and Kate becoming more and the people around them are ‘richer’ characters because of their development.
The more I learn about the characters, the deeper I get invested.
Magic Binds may be my comfort read but each of your books holds a special place in my heart.
Hidden Legacy, Burn For Me. Nevada at “Mad” Rogan’s…..in basement in chains. Not into whips and chains but I liked how she stood up to him and, basically, won that round. Love the series.
Almost any house Andrews book is a comfort read, but really love the innkeeper series and sweep of the blade and love Orro I want to cook with him!!! I would love to know what he thinks of my apple pie
Animo! You will kick those edits asses!
As for my comfort read, I’ll go with Kinsmen Universe, I love it! Not surprisingly, I am very drawn to Fated Blades, too: I love Ramona!
It all depends on how much time I have. I love Inkeeper: I wish I could be a guest in an Inn!!! The “problem” is my compulsive nature: once I started I have to read all the books in the series. And after I finish that series, I jump to The Edge (because George and the gang are there, too), and then onto Hidden Legacy and the grand finale with ALL of KD (small side stories in between, too).
So, if it’s a rainy day and I need a comfort read: Kinsmen Universe.
If it is a matter of moody season, I star with Innkeeper and go through all the series finishing with KD.
The one scene that still can makes me snicker without even having to read it is Kate saying “here kitty kitty”
Sweep of the Blade is it! I love rippercushions. If I want more than just one book, it’s the Hidden Legacy series. Though the Innkeeper series is up there, I love when Rogan asks for the screens on the dryer vents during the Ferret scene, LOL.
Definitely the Innkeeper series. Something about her sense of home strikes a chord with me.
I really enjoy your books in general and can find lots of bits I really take comfort in, but my favorite book is “Iron and Magic”. Those scenes where Hugh and Elara are stepping through protecting those they have taken in as their people, especially as they see that commonality between them, and how through those experiences they gradually forge respect and deeper feelings for each other really resonate for me. My next favorite book is “Sweep of the Blade” because of the similar dynamic between Maude and Arwen. My Briggs-Meyer descriptor of “Defender” is probably a big factor here……
Tie between Iron & Magic and innkeeper series, Maude’s story and the last one. They are like meeting old friends that you haven’t seen in a while.
While I love all of your writing, the whole Innkeeper series is comfort reading for me.
You are cutting. However, words are related to hydras. You cut one off, and two grow to replace it.
I always go to the Innkeeper series for comfort. I usually start at the beginning then read them through. Something about a welcoming host who sees to your wellbeing in a magical inn is immensely comforting to me.
Right now, it’s Magic Claims. There’s something so special about this new series. I love all House Andrew’s book like so many of us, and I go through phases where one appeals more than another.
Hidden Legacy is definitely a comfort read for me! I feel my heartaches heal when I’m immersed in a family that loves so generously and fiercely.
This is such a wonderful question. I think it depends on what comfort I’m looking for, KD series was my first foray into House Andrews so will always be my favourite. It feels like catching up with old friends again with each reread.
But when I want to feel comforted and at home, Innkeeper Chronicles. I love how Dina (and later Sean and Maud too) create havens for visiting guests that suit their needs so perfectly.
I grew up with an eclectic household with up to 5 foreign students staying plus our own family of 5, who lived and studies with us. We had a girl from Japan who survived an earthquake, an Irish nun, a trans pperson in mid transition called Seana, a Chilean student who wanted to be a rockstar (reminds me of Sweep of the Heart’s space chicken saga).
I’d say Sweep of the Heart would be my favourite for that very reason. Late night philosophising, guests cooking up a storm of their home country meals and learning from each other. I just with Orro was in the kitchen while I grew up! I always get hungry and cook when I read his recipes, or Sean barbequing!
Iron and magic .
Hugh is so low at this point but he gets up and he does better. The characters are all wonderful, especially Elara, but Hugh’s pets make me smile every time. The whole thing is a violent funny hug of a story for me.
Thank you for writing it.
I have the Kinsman Universe anthology and it is 100% a comfort read for me. Not sure I could choose between the stories. They’re so beautiful and lyrical and I love it.
The final scene of Emerald Blaze (before the epilogue), when Catalina and Alessandro both finally realize they are each enough.
“Don’t you get it? Right here, right now, you are everything I ever wanted. I don’t care about money, connections, or reputation. We can earn all these things, together. I just want you. You’re so much more than I hoped for. If you come home with me, I’ll be the luckiest person alive.”
Silver Shark (your mind is so quiet) Fated Blades (I will break you) Burn for Me (of course I’m funny, just ask Peaches) Ruby Fever (Catalina taking out Alessandro’s grandfather) and Sweep of the Blade (Fighting the dragon to save her daughter/or Ripper Cushions) Those are where I turn for comfort. Of course Sean caring for Dina after the baby inn dies can’t be forgotten. Ack! There are just too many. I am thankful for that..
Magic Burns- I loved this book and it got me hooked on to the series and the rest is history. Julie was introduced in this and the whole arc with Bran was so well written and deep. I especially loved this part in the end-
“IN THE MORNING, WHEN THE WITCHES CAME FOR Bran’s body, they found it sprawled among white flowers. Blazing like small white stars, with centers as black as his eyes, the flowers grew overnight, sending a spicy scent into the air. By the time the day was over, the flowers had been christened Morgan’s Bells and a rumor floated person to person that Morrigan was so distraught over her champion’s death, she had wept and the flowers sprang forth from her tears. Bullshit. I was there and the bitch didn’t shed a tear.”
— Magic Burns (Kate Daniels Book 2) by Ilona Andrews
https://a.co/dfOeVxt
The writing is so Ilona – punches you in the gut
Magic Bleeds. It’s everything I wanted from the series. Tension all over, high stakes, making choices and dealing with the consequences, interesting revelations. Both Kate and Curran show their strength and their vulnerability and have to work hard to overcome obstacles and there was a real weight to the conflict. I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve come back to this one.
Sweep of the Blade
The innkeeper series, especially the Graphic Audio version. Re-listening to the whole series just makes me happy when I am feeling down.
Sweep of the Blade – the whole book! Especially when Maude cuts the fruit and Rippercushions and the final scene and everything!
I must be the only member of the bdh that doesn’t reread books. I have reread the last chapter of the prior book before the new release to get my mind back where I left off but not the entire book. The guilt of my need to read pile of books would crush me.
Maybe when I retire I will have time to reread.
Sweep of the Blade, an all time favorite and I reread the entire series on the regular. Thank you!!
I honestly reread whole series when I can’t concentrate on anything else. But my favorite scenes, across all of the IA books, is in Magic Triumphs when Hugh and Elara have arrived in Atlanta, and Kate talks to Christopher about why he is forgiving Hugh and then letting Hugh into the house the next morning and letting him help. There is something about all the reluctant and hard won grace, and about Barabas and Curran and Elara doing their thing in the background, and about the active crystallization of found family across those pages that brings me so much comfort.
This is going to be lame, but this year your books have been my main comfort… therapy has not done it for me but books center me- to get a tad more specific I am reading Kate Daniels again, including novellas and her journey from lone killer into a confident queen makes me feel hopeful about the idea of overcoming darkness while including forgiveness. Similarly, I find comfort when I read about the Baylor sisters, how they care for each other always makes me think of the friends closest to my heart. On the other side, it had been a while since I discovered the Edge series but the kids growing up between worlds is so colourful and kind of relatable and now that I have finally read Inkeeper, Dina is such an entertaining character and along Kinsmen (brilliant!) I can tell I will be coming back to these stories I am currently making a soundtrack for.
INNKEEPER* (You would think I read what I write with so much time I put into book hoarding lol. )
Sweep the Blade, i have adopted ripper cushions as part of my vocabulary lol
I start with Clean Sweep because I cannot stop there, so I continue with the rest of the Innkeeper series until wherever it is currently left off. It’s one of those series I never knew I needed AND wanted.
Everything IA is on my comfort read list but if we are going for absolute comfort it’s either Catalina’s trilogy or Magic Claims.
I also love Silver Shark perhaps best, but also Silent Blade, Claire and Melly both. The imagery and the happy endings work for me. I also have a fondness that’s almost secret even from me for Grace of Small Magics, and for the story about the blue key in the drawer. The image of that key and the old woman and the griffins. Damn it; I went and looked at it again and my eyes are all blurry with tears now.
When you’re having those hellish days, when the words are stiff and uncooperative and you feel the hot breath of God love ’em, the BDH on the back of your neck — first, make sure it isn’t Gordon or one of the dogs, for your safety and theirs — and then lean back and remember that what you and Gordon write sustains souls and spirits, inspires minds, wakes hearts.
Not everyone wants the taste of magic in their world, and not everyone wants the same magic, but the world would be smaller and sadder without y’allses.
Just started HL the day before this post for this EXACT reason! I need my warm fuzzy feels to make all right with the world again
My favorite IA comfort read is blood heir. I read it about a year after I graduated college and the idea of of coming home and it’s the same but different maybe not because it’s changed but because you have resonated. It also just makes me happy to see all my favorite characters again 🙂
So hard to pick favorites! But when i need a brief timeout I go to the short stories; Of Swine and Roses and a Mere Formality.
The Edge is how i found you, and the series is still my favorite.
Loved how George, Jack, Sophie and Gaston appeared in the inn.
Thank you!
The Innkeeper series in general is my favorite comfort read. For a whole host of reasons: it’s one of the shorter series that’s kept with the same characters and without major time jumps, an easier read, lower angst, and the inns provide a sense of magic that is more undefinable – more pure magic – without ending with a deus ex machina feeling. I’ve read the entire series in multiple ways: paperback, e-read, and graphic audio. There’s just something about that series that does it for me. 🙂
Of the series, Sweep in Peace and Sweep of the Heart are my favorites. I love watching Dina handle a major event on her own for the first time and then watching Dina and Sean work together.
So yah, probly the most obvious. in the 3rd Rogan & Nevada book, where he thinks she’s ditched him for the night but then she shows up w/ the chocolate mousse. Stores that away and heads for the bathroom to get into comfy clothes. & of course he raids the mousse and they both just relax together on the bed. Yeppers that scene.
I just reread this! It is SO sweet. Just the normalcy of lounging on the bed together with their laptops next to each other. Taking refuge from being next to each other. I loved it when Nevada told Connor, it’s not set yet and he didn’t care. So sweet, and so relatable!
Ironically, Silver Shark is my comfort read. It’s short, has a lot of vivid descriptions. The epilogue always makes me laugh.
All your books get multiple reads/listens! 😄
Kinsmen books ( especially A Mere Formality when I need a good laugh) and the Edge series are the most comforting for me.
(I’m an e-reader so let someone else be lucky.)
I just finished another listen of the GA Innkeeper, so that is high in my mind, but I have a soft spot for Magic Rises. I realize it’s an emotional roller coaster but I will never forget how I felt the first time I read that book, and that scene when Curran crashes the party on the mountain with Astamur and the Atsany. Kate had his heart in her hands at that moment, he was absolutely prepared for her to crush it hin order to save her. Yes, I cried for Aunt Bea, but that moment on the mountain had me sobbing. I love those two.
Magic Strikes is my favorite! I love how Kate interacts with everyone. The arena scenes are the best and there are more light hearted moments in this book. Everyone is funny even Jim!
Sweep of The Blade
I think my overall comfort read is also Silver Shark. If there’s more time, Innkeeper. Fun magic/world and trust paying off, I guess? Innkeeper’s humor and relationships add into the comfort read.
I’ve always been a re-reader. No matter how many new books by authors I love build up that proverbial tower of bucket-listed TBR asap, I often grab an older one and take a coffee break.
From House Andrews, it’s the Innkeeper books. The first time I read the description of Baha-Char (several times, mind you) there was a click. After that, these clicks in my mind kept coming, and were accompanied by laughter, and fear and anger at the villains, and love for the characters, which grew with every new installment and book and comic.
Since you mentioned witnesses, I call my family to the bar. They’ll testify I’d never before laughed myself to tears in our living room, in broad daylight, so to speak, like I did/do when I read about the first scholar and the rest of the Space Chickens.
Maud, Allan’s and Helen’s story (Sweep of the Blade). I don’t know why it’s a favourite, but if things are a bit gloomy or tough, this is my comfort read. I desperately want to know what’s happens next.
Bayou Moon is probably my favorite comfort read <3
But I fall back on Magic Burns a lot, as well as Burn for Me and Silver Shark.
Not looking to enter but I am going to share…. when COVID first hit and I was watching news stories from Italy and they were sending ships to NY and I’m washing my groceries…. I tried to read and I couldn’t… I couldn’t consume new info… I reread the Kate Daniels series. I am forever grateful for y’all getting me through a very difficult time period in my life. I’m a medical professional and it was just so much. Kate and Curran helped me though. Thank you…
I love rereading the first three Hidden Legacy books. It’s hard to narrow down, but one of my favorite scenes is when Nevada has been sleeping off in the sniper’s nest and Rogan climbs up to check on her. It makes me chuckle every time I read it.
I love all the HA books. I just finished rereading the Innkeeper Series after just rereading the Kate Daniels books after just rereading … I think it just goes in a big circle to be honest.
My favorite scene, I think, is when Maud is chasing after the Hunt on Attuna. She didn’t have her makeup on because she’d just cleaned up after the Bridal Wassail coffee dump. And there’s this moment when you realize Maud’s broken free of her past at that point, just riding on the plain on her own, hiding behind nothing, making her own path.
Once I had a chance to see Stonehenge. The crowd was awful, you had to have a headset for the walking tour. It was all… ugh. And I took off my headphones. No one else was talking, they were too busy listening to their tours. And suddenly it was just me, Stonehenge, and the wind blowing across the Salsbury plain. That moment of being alone and in peace in spite of everything with the wind in your hair… that’s what Maud’s scene reminds me of.
Hmmm,
“I almost had her, I could have take her!” from Magic Bleeds. It just sucks when someone takes your moment. One of my favorite books. Gives me a good chuckle when I read this scene.
Silver Shark & Of Swine & Roses. Claire’s bravery can make me cry & Alena’s adventure makes me laugh. Both are a warm blanket against the cold world.
Magic Strikes specifically all the Midnight games are where I truly got hooked on Kate. I love when Curran shows up and hauls everyone in to the bunk room and closes the door and Andrea threatens to shoot Curran then Kate goes out and meets the air mage who is shocked to see her.
Also, any scene with Barabas and Chris.
And when Andrea and Roman are out and get attacked on the bridge and Roman gets so excited because bridges are between places.
The first chapter of Magic Binds where Kate and Curran ask Roman to officiate their wedding, I love Roman’s glee.
All of the Innkeeper. The whole family listens to them on GA. Specifically, I fell for Sean when his parents arrive and Dina has to hold his father and he stops them from attacking.
When Dina, Arland, and Sean go to rescue Maud and Helen and Arland sees Maud slicing through the crowd.
Maud making a plate for the tachi royal.
Nevada pushing Rogan down the ladder in White Hot.
Of Swine and Roses – love her bringing the pig home and it turning in to a man and disappearing.
These are small glimpses, I have so many highlights I cannot begin to name them all here. Thank you for your work, House Andrews, yall are a godsend.
Gunmetal Magic
Wrapping everything in carpet cracks me up!
Laughter brings me comfort so I reread my favorite funny scenes in KD. Like when Jene Boudreaux swallowed Deputy Holland whole in Magic Binds. His reaction and the whole scene afterward have me in stitches. Also, any scene where Roland is yelling at Kate. Why is he so dramatic?
All of House Andrews’ library of awesome is my comfort shelf. But…I grew up in a broken family, ending up in foster care as a teen with all 4 siblings scattered to various places. We did not win the parental lottery, but I am blessed in my siblings who I count as some of my best friends. So my ultra-need-a-hug-comfort reading from HA is the family scenes of the Baylor family books. The family feelings and support are the closest feels to what I have with my sibs (and probably what I wish we had had , minus loss of Mr. Baylor).
🙂
This is going to sound silly but the first chapter in Magic Breaks! Kate is out on an errand trying to apprehend a bunnycat in Unicorn Lane (I think?) with Ascanio. Her relationship with Curran is still on the new side and he gets all worried when she isn’t home in time for dinner and doesn’t hear from her so he goes out to find her to make sure she is okay. It’s just a fun chapter showing the dynamic between them and a quiet moment for the two of them (apart from the carjackers lol) before the drama and chaos of what is a very pivotal book in the series.
Also any scenes where Dina is rearranging the inn for guests in Innkeeper, I find comfort in reading about how she works. I just find her creativity fun, she clearly loves what she does!
I realize you didn’t ask for scenes but I don’t necessarily read a whole book for comfort reading. 😀
um, all of them… I think I go back to the beginning of the innkeeper series and to the hidden legacy series when I want something familiar and encouraging. and I’ll Reread the stories or these days throw the audio or GA audio versions on in the background ad I do things. Your stories have brought me a great deal of joy. I re-do Kate’s series too, and skip to the romance parts. lol
The Innkeeper series, is my favorite cozy read. I love details about the inn, and the idea of a home as a living entity. I hope we get more Innkeeper before too long- there should be some kind of Kickstarter to sponsor another book in fav series lol
I love reading the family kitchen moments in Hidden Legacy! Especially the banter and back and forth conversations between the family members. I also love the somewhat absurd topics that get discussed in the kitchen, like murder mysteries and house warfare and wedding dresses. Grandma Frida is the best, and Leon always makes me laugh. You can really tell how close-knit the Baylor family is.
Silver Shark is my favorite comfort read!
It has one of my favorite tropes (boss/efficient secretary), includes found family, and is short enough to read in one sitting. I like the bit of Cinderella in it (I met the perfect person for me. oh, noes…she’s disappeared!)
It’s a bit heartbreaking but I love how open Claire is after all the tragedy she’s experienced.
In Silver Shark, you can see the bones of Hidden Legacy. I feel like Ven’s Aunt Lienne is similar to non-homicidal Erra.
There are always great bits to re-read in all IA books, but Silver Shark is just the right length for a quick pick-me-up.
My favorite is Silver Shark followed by everything else. 😛 I just love the imagery contrast of her war world and the “mental world” and then when she goes to a gorgeous planet, it makes her “mental world” even more beautiful. Very cool. Make the world beautiful no matter where you are. <3
+1 Sweep of the Blade (and the whole Innkeeper series)
+1 Hidden Legacy (currently rereading the whole series, now at Emerald Blaze)
Maud & Arland, Catalina & Alessandro are my favourite couples. 🙂
Probably Sweep of the Blade. Also Hidden Legacy. (I’m currently rereading Hidden legacy atm, for a comfort read actually. I just finished rereading innkeeper). Also, Fated Blades. In all of the Kinsmen series, I love the description of the terraces and the slower pace of life in the providences. Also, the riot of color and the dahlias.
My comfort read is Kate Daniels. I love when Kate is pranking Curran as a form of courtship.
From Magic Triumphs Kate Daniels
one of my absolute favorites…
He was a baby and babies threw tantrums, because life was hard and not fair and their wishes were rarely taken into account.
About fifteen minutes into the drive, Conlan gave up singing the sad song of his people and fell asleep.
At different times each of your books will drift through my mind and I need to reread. Sometimes a scene, sometimes an image. In Burn for Me, the dress with ambitions of being a sleeve brings me back for a reread. Orro in the Innkeeper! Here Kitty Kitty. Or Julie in her secret house which everyone finds.