2020-2021 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: The Solstice Pudding (The Pudding Protocol Universe)

The Solstice Pudding (The Pudding Protocol Universe) by Angel Martinez

This was a joy to read, and it was nice to have less traditional holidays represented in a story. The romance develops naturally and I appreciate the awkward moments. The space station environment was well thought out and added layers to the story.

https://amzn.to/3Emjy9M

2020-2021 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Other Girls Like Me

Other Girls Like Me by Stephanie Davies

Wonderful story with a passionate voice of growing up different in a suburban home.

https://amzn.to/3xUOeMU

2020-2021 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: By Imperial Decree (ESTO Universe)

By Imperial Decree (ESTO Universe) by Angel Martinez

This is the kind of trans representation I would love to see in queer storytelling. Shiro is running away from his suitors and ends up on Bremen station where he is rescued by Marsh. The romance between them ignites in diversity, but there is more to their story. The trans representation is well-done and just one facet of a much bigger story. The world-building is fantastic, and it is wonderful to see the community-based culture that Marsh grew up in. The secondary characters lift the story of the main characters and add to the overall development of the story. This is one story in part of Martinez's ESTO universe, where each story is stand alone, but for the readers who have read the other stories, there are easter eggs and appearances from other stories. It's a rich universe that I enjoy thoroughly.

https://amzn.to/3op2fzh

2020-2021 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: The Road to Kalazad

The Road to Kalazad by K.L. Mitchell

Sweet, fun, and cleverly amusing. I was quite taken by Revka and Iyarra and enjoyed their adventures a great deal.

https://amzn.to/3px0waJ

2020-2021 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: The God's Eye (Lancaster's Luck #3)

The God's Eye (Lancaster's Luck #3) by Anna Butler

Filled with action, imagination, and amazing details, with an excellent command of story and setting, this steampunk adventure is a fun read that mashes up history, technology, and Eygptology, picking the reader up off their feet and carrying them away on unexpected and delightful journeys.

https://amzn.to/31wiAJJ

2020-2021 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: The Thaw

The Thaw by Pat Henshaw

To me, this was perfectly written. This is a story about unrequited love, or at least each of the MCs thought it was. Friends since high school, the two young men weren't aware the other felt the same but with the awareness that their relationship wasn't accepted, especially by one of their parents, they were afraid of letting the other know about their feelings. This was a sweet story, especially toward the end, when finally, all come out in the open and, even though a friend's tragic death was dangling above their heads by feeling guilty, they acknowledge their innocence. We get to see a bit of everything in this story: friends to lovers, hatred toward weakness and toward the gay community, redemption, forgiveness, and so much more. Well-written novella, I highly recommended it.

https://amzn.to/3xUy6ep

2020-2021 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Owl

Owl by M. Raiya

This is a well-pitched YA shifter romance where the characters actually read as young adults. Some suspension of belief required to enjoy the plot.

https://amzn.to/3DnOmpd

2020-2021 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: To Hold A Hidden Pearl (Rossingley #1)

To Hold A Hidden Pearl (Rossingley #1) by Fearne Hill

I loved the Britishness of this story - as a Brit, I'm not keen on us being called quirky, but the cap fits for these guys. The chemistry between the two main characters was clear from their very first scene, and I enjoyed the unrushed development of their relationship. I'll definitely be reading the next instalment.

https://amzn.to/3Ghbd7M

2020-2021 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Glimpses

Glimpses by Chris Zett

I haven't read any of the full stories these 'codas' relate to, but they all pretty much work on their own, and I'll certainly be reading them now. This anthology is a lovely gift from authors to their readers.

2020-2021 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Penumbra

Penumbra by Dan Ackerman

A brilliant novel with subtle world-building, slowly immersing the reader into the characters' reality. The author explores themes of morality and social justice through the relationships Arden strives for with his 'subjects'. I loved everything about this novel, even if the ending wasn't quite the one I was rooting for.

https://amzn.to/3Dqx1Mr

2020-2021 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention: Every Time We Meet

Every Time We Meet by A.M. Leibowitz

Queer Groundhog Day! There's only so many ways to tell a do-over, and so this isn't a groundbreaking novel in that sense, but a bisexual woman lead? That's worthy of celebration on its own. I enjoyed the subtle changes in each iteration of Heidi's do-over day and the suspense of waiting to see if she'd got it right yet. Not the ending I was expecting, no. Much better than that.

https://amzn.to/3oqeqfg