Saturday, January 14, 2017

My 2016 Favorites


I've been meaning to post this for two week now, but you know there is this thing called real life that sometimes gets in the way!  After reading 180 books last year, I thought I might pick a few of my favorites to share with you.



From my review:
Rebecca Yarros finishes the Fight & Glory series in much the same manner in which this series started -- with an emotional ode to the men and women who serve our country and the loved ones they leave behind. I had a pretty good idea what was going to happen in this story just from the touching dedication that left me a bit teary eyed.

While I'm sad to see this series come to a close (more Jagger please) I was glad to see Rebecca Yarros continue with the Renegades series.




From my review:
Loved this novella big time. I think my review is best summed out up with a quote from the story... "Rachel and Ace and Cruz. The only miraculous work of art that would ever matter."


The Beyond series from Kit Rocha came to a close this year and I loved them all, but this one really did it for me. Looking forward to the spin off series, Gideon's Riders.





I love this erotic series centered around the victims and criminals of a human trafficking organization.  Every time I wonder how Pam Godwin is going to pull off making me like these characters, she exposes them for something entirely different from what I expect.  All the books in the series are good, but Disclaim may just be my favorite.

From my review:
"Disclaim is sexy, suspenseful, dark and dirty and I loved it. I couldn't get my head out of the book for days afterward!" 



From my review:
There's some magic going on here between these two authors. Their characters are spot on -- I feel like they jump off the page and I can feel what they are feeling. I found the writing to be smooth and really lovely in terms of emotional content. Fast Connection flowed just right for me and I was so sucked into this story I was finished the same day I started it. (yeah, I paid for that one at work the next day but it was worth it!)

Love it when an author changes my opinion of a character which happens big time in this series.  I disliked Dominic so much from the previous book, and loved him by the end of Fast Connection. 



LOVE this series!
 

From my review:
Loud is How I Love You distinguishes itself from other "rock band romances" with an authentic voice that just made this such an awesome reading experience for me. I really want more from this author and this world and I'm thrilled there will be another book in this Hub City Romance series.

This is another click-as-fast-as-I-can read for me.  I loved both of these and hope there will be more in this series!  



From my review:

"This book is a romance, it's a story about finding meaning in life, dealing with guilt and finding forgiveness. For me, this was more of a reading experience rather than just a story. There are some difficult themes here related to illness and depression that may make this story not for everyone, but if you're looking for something different, Scarlet Stone definitely fits the bill. The writing is terrific."

I love this author's writing. It's witty and sharp, full of humor and the intricately woven plots are engaging. 




From my review:

"This book presents the ebb and flow of a relationship with such realism, I loved it. Both play out their relationship frustrations in different ways that I found so familiar and could relate to. It all kept me turning the pages to see if Raymond and David could get past it all and to a better place."

Another series that I love. And this is one of the hottest covers of the year! 




The last two on the list represent my top favorites for the year. If I was stranded on a deserted island and could only have two books from 2016 with me, these are the two I would pick. There's two for 2016 because I simply could not choose between them.

Sarina Bowen has become a favorite author for me.  Her stories are emotional and her writing voice is so smooth for me, I always finish wanting more.  I loved all three books in the True North series, but the second book, Steadfast, was truly exception for taking on the topic of opiate addiction and recovery.  This is something that touches and devastates so many lives, and Sarina Bowen handles it with sensitivity and realism.  It's a great story of overcoming life's challenges and finding strength in yourself. I loved every word of it.

 From my review:

"From the very first pages of Sarina Bowen’s introduction, I knew this was going to be a special book. Addiction and recovery is not an easy topic, and Sarina does a perfect job of making you feel just how hard recovery is. That’s not to say it’s a downer either but it does depict some of the harder moments in life, which only make the good ones all the more beautiful."

And for the second year in a row, Kele Moon has dazzled me with the third installment in her Untamed Hearts series. Tino's story broke me apart, and I'm still waiting for The Enforcer's Revenge to put me back together again. I have fallen hard for Romeo, Casanova and Valentino and I've lost count how many times I've read the books in this series and the connected Battered Hearts series.  

From my review:

"Tino's story is not an easy one, and it just made me want a happily-ever-after for him and Brianna. My heart hurt big time at points in this story. The emotions this writing brought out of me while reading -- at times horrified and at other times hopeful that Tino could find a way "out"-- are the best kind of reading roller coaster ride.

The Enforcer will absolutely be on my "Favorites of 2016" list. I'd rate this 10 stars if I could."


Thank you authors,
for these great reading experiences in 2016. 

Looking forward to more in 2017!

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