What a year in reading! 2016 totally eclipsed my expectations. I was introduced to s few truly amazing authors and my ole faithful authors delivered!
I can’t rank them, and you can’t make me! So in no particular order…I present to you Dark -Fantasy-Biker-Historical- Paranormal- Contemporary Romance Nirvana!
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne – If this list were in order, it would be numero 1. Such a good romance novel and I could read volumes of Josh and Lucy. Volumes. Antagonists turned lovers with hilarity in between. Read This. NO ONE ever regrets reading The Hating Game. NO ONE.
Miracle on 5th Avenue (From Manhattan with Love, #3) by Sarah Morgan – Delightful Christmas romance. Heroine is one of my favorite heroines ever. This winter escape is sweet and packed with enough feels to keep you warm.
Good Girl/Irresistible Jerk by Mira Stanley– This is a serial. I hate serials. But this was magnificently smutty, shocking and captivating and I am nearly tearing my hair out waiting for part 3. Hence, why I hate serials.
Until I’m Yours (The Bennetts, #4) by Kennedy Ryan– Seriously Raw and tear jerky. Unflinchingly honest. Stands alone like a champ.
Managed (VIP #2) by Kristen Callihan – Cover to cover. First chapter to epilogue. First line to last word. “Managed” by Kristen Callihan is SUPER sexy & funny. Witty- a must read!
A Promise of Fire (Kingmaker Chronicles #1) by Amanda Bouchet– In a word – Enthralling. Champion world building. Fantastic balance of action, adventure, romance and comedy. Freaking awesome.
Archangel’s Heart (Guild Hunter, #9) by Nalini Singh– The most sophisticated world building. I literally disappear and become one with her novels. I feel their fears, I smell the air and I take flight every time I have the pleasure of reading these novels. Archangel’s Heart weaves a complicated tableau where bonds of family, love and loyalty are discovered and tested amidst the most dangerous power known to man- Archangel Fights, Falls and Cascades! Riveting!
Loving You Easy by Roni Loren – Polyamory- I usually hate it- but hello, Roni Loren- so it worked here for deliciously sexy plot twisty reasons!
Dragon in the Blood (Vale of Stars #2) by Juliette Cross – The spectrum of emotions- artful. I took sides, I switched allegiances, I ranted, laughed, gasped and clutched pearls until my finders were a mangled mess. Juliette Cross writes goooood paranormal fiction. NaliniSingh good- and that’s like Holy Grail levels of awesome. Book 1 in this series is cemented on my “yes, so-what-I’ve-read-this-three-times-this-year- what-are-you -going-to-do-about-it” list. This was a superb follow up. You’re Welcome
The Legendary Lord (Playful Brides, #6) by Valerie Bowman – The misunderstandings, the banter, the stubbornness that leads to heart break and tears, the reconciliations and the the clever (but backfiring) plots. Delightful!
The Professional (The Game Maker, #1) – Dark, sexy and cracky.
The Undoing (Call of Crows #2) by Shelly Laurenston – Fresh, funny fantasy world. Hilarious in such an organic way!
The Blackbirds by Eric Jerome Dickey– All EJD knows how to do is write succulent meat and potatoes. Never fluff. Never filler. Never boring. Always savory. His novels resonate and transcend “romance.” A story of sisterhood, survival and loyalty for the ages. Read it.
Kings Rising (Captive Prince #3) by C.S. Pacat – Book three in a trilogy that is Brutal in its beauty. Simply brutal and utterly beautiful in its way.
Allegiance of Honor (Psy-Changeling # 15) by Nalini Singh– WHO else could be fifteen books into the series and still elicit this quote from Tori “Allegiance of Honor is a complex and vibrant story brimming with action, romance, and intrigue.” Nalini-Fawking-Singh. That’s who! New arc, new characters mixing it up with our familiar faves
I just started reading The Hating Game this morning. When it first came out I remember someone on Twitter complaining that it had fat shaming in it and hated it, so I had decided not to read it. However, so many people have pu it on their year end best lists that I decided to try it. I can’t remember who the person on Twitter who hated it was, but there is at least one person out there who doesn’t like The Hating Game.
Hi Laurel,
I’m glad you took the plunge to give The Hating Game a chance. Sometimes, we have to step out and check things out for ourselves…I didn’t think THG had fat shaming…perhaps that Twitter-er was projecting? Or read into character descriptions a little too deeply.
That’s my little ole opinion anyway. I hope you like it! :-)
There was fat-shaming in The Hating Game towards the hero’s boss (the hero and heroine work for co-CEOs) and I have heard several people mention it, but only one or two of those didn’t like the book overall. It was the only small problem with the book I had. The co-CEO that the hero is the assistant to is written as a pretty broad bad stereotypical bad guy and Thorne definitely writes about his weight (there’s a part where a big deal is made out of how many cookies he takes) and him being ugly. I still loved the book. It was really a small area of it and felt more like lazy storytelling, but the handling of the main characters and storyline was anything but lazy.