Most of All You by Mia Sheridan – This book made me feel so much. I expected it to be about the hero healing himself, but it turns into this amazing journey for the heroine. Heart break, darkness and pain all eventually lead to peace, love and a HEA. I really loved it. (review)
Royally Endowed Emma Chase – I just absolutely adored this book. The hero is the heroine’s bodyguard. I wrote in my review that they have super hot, broody sex. I mean – what else is there in life??? (if you haven’t read Royally Screwed, get on that one too). (review)
Going Nowhere Fast by Kati Wilde – Guys. If you have not read this book, make it the first book you read in 2018. Road trip romance. Sexual tension that just may kill you. Enemies to lovers. A broody hero. Sex in a tent!!
“Get into the tent,” he says, and his voice is a low growl. “I don’t care which one. You have until I get the site locked down for the night. Then I’m coming after you. And we’ll see who owns who.”
sweet jesus. (review)
Too Hard to Forget by Tessa Bailey – My favorite Tessa Bailey book. The hero is intense (college football coach). The heroine wants a bit of revenge (former college student). It’s naughty and delicious.
After a spanking…
His stomach constricting with the need to claim her, he snatched a Sharpie out of the pen holder on his desk and signed his name across her right ass cheek….
bahaha. Lordy this book.
Devil in Spring by Lisa Kleypas – Adorable, energetic, heroine. Warm, kind, hero who courts the heroine in the most adorable way. Great banter.
Good Boy by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy – This book made me laugh. A lot. Really rich, warm characters with a very sexy romance.
Coming Home series by Harper Sloan – all three books, Lost Rider, Kiss my Boots, Cowboy Up, released in 2017, and I loved, loved, loved all three. Grumpy, growly, cowboy heroes. You know – the ones that wear their Stetsons realllll low. Heroines who don’t put up with their man-drama. The family aspect in this one is SO good. It’s all over the top angsty and I loved every word. (reviews)
Honorable Mentions:
King’s Captive by Amber Bardan – I was positive I would dislike this book because I’m not huge on captive tropes. But then there are twists and turns and I ended up enjoying so much. Give it a chance.
Alisha Rai’s Forbidden Heart series – if you like dark and angsty, this will deliver.
Illegal Contact by Santino Hassell – why did I wait so long to read this m/m NFL romance? Great banter and grumpy hero. Excited for book two.
Most Eligible Bastard by Annika Martin – really great enemies to lovers trope.
Hooking Up by Helena Helen – good guy hero, super sexy and funny.
Behind the Curtain by Beth Kery – emotional young love that evolves. Angsty and erotic.
A Dangerous Seduction by Jillian Eaton – well done historical romance with an angry hero and a heroine who loves him so much.
Breathless by Beverly Jenkins – I loved the heroine in this one. In my review I write the heroine, “runs her romance life like she runs the hotel – with efficiency and no-nonsense.” The hero wants to court her and show her how romantic he can be. Well done.
Authors I Continue to Love:
Laura Griffin (Tracers series) – best romantic suspense series I read.
Maisey Yates (Copper Ridge/Gold Valley) – this series has become a comfort read for me. I adore the family dynamics.
Amber Belldene (Hot Under her Collar series) – heroines who are episcopal priests and books that explore boundaries. Really well done.
Joanna Bourne – her spymasters series is my everything. I just learned that this series has a great narrator – so I plan a reread/listen soon!
Rose Lerner – her novella, A Taste of Honey was adorable, and she has one of the best voices in historical romance.
New (to me) Authors I adored:
Rebekah Weatherspoon – her Beards & Bondage series hit all the right buttons.
Eve Dangerfield – Act your Age, which features daddy kink, did everything right for me. I can’t wait to read more from her.
Jennifer Snow – Maybe This Christmas is the first book I’ve read by this author, and I love her voice. Fun contemporary.
May B. Bridges – Killing June has a BDSM theme – but is completely different from anything I’ve read. Read Tori’s review.
Xen Sanders – From the Ashes is such a different book! The hero has a superpower, but it was used for very bad things. He falls for a human professor (m/m romance). I am so intrigued by this book. I hope there is more.
GIVEAWAY
I have some books to giveaway!!
Leave a comment letting me know who your favorite “New to you” author was this year and be entered to win a prize pack of books (books are finished copies that we have collected the past few months. They are newer releases, not the ones shown above). Books will be given away all week so be sure to comment on each reviewer’s favorite books for 2017 post. Winners will be chosen at random on January 2nd, 2018 and books will be mailed out the second week of 2018.
My favorite “discovery” this year was Jill Sorenson. I can’t believe I hadn’t read any of her books before—they’re fantastic: Gritty, angsty, but not melodramatic, with super-competent heroines (FBI agent, zookeeper, animal biologist, therapist) and heroes who run the gamut from cops to ex-cons. But now I’m bummed because I went on a Sorenson binge and now I’ve read everything she’s written so far.
She does write nice suspense books! I haven’t read her in a bit – I need to see if she has anything new coming out
Tessa Bailey is my favorite new-to-me author. I went on a major reading spree with her books and even joined her FB group. Good stuff!
I LOVE her FB group!!
Oh man I forgot that Sharpie scene! How could I forget that – it was one of my favorites of the year. Thanks for the reminder on some of these books. Off to do some re-reads with the remainder of my weekend!
hehehe
I ‘discovered’ Lauren Rowe, Eve Dangerfield and LJ Shen this year. All three have become autobuy authors for me!
I’ve never read Lauren Rowe – off to look her up
After winning the first three books in a contest, I finally took the plunge on Nalini Singh’s Psy/Changeling series and now I’m binging like crazy. A couple of other authors that I discovered this year and loved are Faith Hunter, Devon Monk, and Jeannie Lin.
Oh my gosh – you have some fun binging with Singh!!
My best new discovery this year is Kris Ripper. And I discovered her literally two days ago. What a find!
and now I want to read Xen Sanders.
I just love this post of yours Mandi and seeing all of your favorites and I love that we have the same reading interests and always have for the most part!!! :)
I still need to read Royally Endowed because the first two books were fantastic. And yeah the Coming Home series was pretty awesome, I just couldn’t get enough of that family and yay love those gruff cowboy heroes.
The King’s Captive was a real surprise for me as well because it so didn’t turn out the way that I was expecting it too!!!
Hope 2018 is a wonderful reading year for you hun. And hope you are well
I’ve binged a lot of Sarina Bowen this year, she never disappoints!
My favorite new author for 2017 was R. S. Belcher.
New to me Author JS Scott. Read her latest – The Billionaire’s Secrets, now need to read the previous ones.
I am really late to the party, but I discovered Tessa Dare this year, and now I want to read all her books! Other new to me authors that I will continue to read are Rebekah Weatherspoon, Amanda Bouchet and Sally Thorne.
Suzanne Wright. I love her paranormal series. All of them.
I was going to say LJ Shen but I literally just finished “Underneath it All” by Kate Canterbary and she is definitely my fave new author recently! I’m so glad it’s a series. Very Christina-Laurenesque
My favourite new to me author this year was Lucy Parker. I adored both books I read by her.
I branched out a bit this year reading some more YA and YA fantasy like Uprooted and The Bear and The Nightingale.
I have enjoyed Sarah Title’s Librarians series. I also read Mariana Zapata for the first time this year and loved the two I have read.
I really like Susan Stoker’s books, they are great!
I forgot to mention Devney Perry’s books. Awesome books.
Sara Portman is one of my favorite authors discovered in 2017.
My favorite new to me author was probably Julie Ann Walker. I binged her hot bikers when I got them on sale!
Eve Dangerfield :) I just read Act Your Age two days ago and it was awesome! This isn’t my usual genre but I really liked how both characters were discovering themselves and the angst was real life scenarios. Thanks for another great list!
I would have to say Sarina Bowen and Amy Saws are two new ones for me that I fell in love with. Also fell in love with Amy Gregory, Katy Alexander and Mia Sheridan
Amanda Bouchet is my favorite new-to-me author. I LOVED books 1 and 2 in the Kingmaker Chronicles. Can’t wait to see Cat and Griff in book 3!
I read some really good books this year. My fav new-to-me author is Ainsley Booth/Sadie Haller’s Frisky Beavers series. I picked up book one, gobbled it up, then glommed the rest of the series. I am now impatiently waiting for Bull of the Woods, book 5 in April.
Close second is Eve Dangerfield. So much delicious angst and sexytimes.
New to me authors are Sarah MacLean, Ann Aguirre, and Thea de Salle. Thank you for hosting a giveaway.
Mariana Zapata was new to me this year and I binged on her books!! Love her stories!!
My favorite new to me author was Mariana Zapata.
I got hooked on Sarina Bowen and her Brooklyn Bruisers books! Why haven’t I read her books before this year???
I discovered so many authors this year! LJ Shen, J.E Parker, Harper Sloan, T.Z Frazier, Natasha Madison, Staci Heart, Laramie Briscoe, Rhenna Morgan, and so many more.. I love them all!!!
Rebekah Weatherspoon was my favorite “new to me” authors. I even bought her latest book instead of waiting to see if my library would get it.
Me too, JS Scott and glad I did, read several this year. So glad I discovered her.
My favorite new to me author is Penny Reid! I love the books that make me cry the best, Beauty and the Mustache, and Beard in Mind.
New author to me who become favorite is Lauren Layne – love here books!
Tessa Bailey is one of my favorite authors :)
Thank you all for your generosity!
Have a wonderful new year evening with the best in 2018! :)
My favorite new to me author was Kerrigan Byrne. I had technically read her before, but it was a romantic suspense and not her historicals.
Rachel Van Dyken – She has a nice series that I am enjoying.
What a fun list, Mandi! Thanks for sharing.
Two of my three favorite series this year were by new to me authors ~
Anne Cleeland for her New Scotland Yard mysteries beginning with Murder in Thrall. (These combine mystery, romance, a stalker hero (!), and a hint of the paranormal.)
Lyn Gala for her alien male/male romance series featuring Liam and Ondry. The first book is Claimings, Tails, and Other Alien Artifacts.
Happy New Year!
Tiffany reitz-blaze books
I’m torn between Adriana Anders and Cat Sebastian. Both made an impact on me and I’m still thinking about their books months after finishing them.
I haven’t read Royally endowed yet!!! Love that series.
Am currently reading King’s Captive -like it but don’t love it…but I’m not done yet
Surprise hit for me: Two Cabins, One Lake by Shaye Marlowe was funny and sexy.
I had never read anything from Sarina Bowen before! Tried it after reading one of your reviews and ended up loving her writing so much <3
Cale Dietrich knocked me out with THE LOVE INTEREST, and I read (and loved) my first Christina Lauren too! (I need to read GOOD BOY, especially since I loved HIM and US so much…)