I can’t believe the year is almost over. I feel like every month since March 2020 has been a bit of a blur. Goodreads tells me I only read 60 books this year. WAY below my goal. I’m not sure I actually logged every book, maybe that’s what happened? Or, I’m just lame. :) Anyway…below are my top reads. Let me know what your favorite books were, too!

The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller– I started listening to this in December 2021 and finished in January 2022. I still think about this book. The narrator was absolute perfection. One of my favorite books of all time. Inspired by Greek mythology, it’s a beautifully written book about the great warrior Achilles and his best friend and lover, Patroclus. 

Manacled by SenLinYu– I still can’t believe how good this fan fic was! Wow!! If you’re not familiar with Dramione, it’s a category fan fic that proposes a romance between Draco and Hermione. There was great character development, action, angst, heartbreak, and war. It’s a very dark tale…but ooooh so very good! 

Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover– yeah, I know…a lot of readers are just over this author. Not me! I still love her books and this was no exception. This is her steamiest book yet. Both characters say they don’t want love, they’re just going to enjoy lots of sexy times. Right….  

Hook, Line and Sinker by Tessa Bailey– I ADORED this duet! Friends to lovers. Small fishing village. Funny banter, man slut meets his match. Read It Happened Last Summer about Fox’s (MMC) BFF and then one click into this one asap.

Circe by Madeline Miller– I’d heard about this one for years. Didn’t interest me. UNTIL I read Song of Achilles and then it was game on. Another inspired by mythology, beautiful, heart wrenching story. Circe is banned by Zeus to a deserted island where she learns how to tame her magic. It’s just so good!!

Say You Swear by Meagan Brandy– I remember distinctly staying up until the wee hours of the morning reading. Love triangle, sports romance, new adult romance. Hot friend group, unrequited love. From my Smexy review, “I loved this book. It was totally improbable and I ate it up like a bag of Chex Mix. No entire friend group is this fun, hot, close, athletic and HAS A BEACH HOUSE. It was such a good, fun, decadent escape.”

I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston– This was such a surprise for me! Such a genuine, special, feel good book. Chloe the FMC lives with her moms in a small southern town. She’s a bit of an outcast and when THE most popular girl in school lays a kiss on her…wackiness ensues. In a very good amazing way. 

Every Summer After by Carley Fortune– This book. This coming of age, summer by the lake, second chance romance! I caught every feel when reading it. If you ever had a boy you loved and lost, this is for you. Angsty, sweet, sad and nostalgic. LOVED IT!

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid– Another one that I just lurked around and never read. So much hype, could it be THAT good? Yes. Yes, it was. I also really enjoy how the author’s books have some minor characters in common and I feel sort of special when I catch on and know their story.

Book Lovers by Emily Henry– Another fave author. A book about two people into books. Both are book editors who bump into each other in the same small Hallmark movie-esque town. They know each other. They don’t like each other. Great dialogue, Smart characters. Family drama and, of course, love. 

The Patient’s Secret by Loreth Anne White– Sometimes I just need a palate cleanse; a break from romance. This book was it. What looks like a normal, even cliche, murder mystery is so much more. Dead women are showing up in Canada. A body is found in an upscale small town. Strangers have moved to town. Whodunit? 

Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid– I know very little about tennis and it takes an incredibly talented writer to make me care even a bit about this sport. TJR did it. Carrie Soto is an aging tennis superstar on a comeback tour. She’s not looking for love or friendship, she just wants to win. This book had me on the edge of my seat. 

Penpal by J.T. Geissinger– Wow… is it a romance? Is it a mystery? Was that an HEA? Go in blind. This book blew me away. 

The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen– Amazing psychological thriller, terrific narrator voice actors. Twisted marriage, secrets and a FMC who is a therapist who lost her license due to her “unconventional” methods. SOOO good!!

Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng– I can see this happening in real life. So, if you’re looking for an escape, this may not be it. BUT, if you’re up for a meaningful story that really sticks with your soul, read it. A story of social justice, fear, gaslighting and family. 

Before I Let Go by Kennedy Ryan– Where to start…this second chance romance had it all! A married couple suffers a horrible loss and they each deal with it in very different ways. Ending in divorce. This felt so real. I could feel their pain, and their need for each other despite the circumstances. This book had everything thing- character development, emotion, tenderness, anger, friendship AND it was sexy. I couldn’t put it down!

Broken Lines by Jagger Cole– A book club friend said, hey there’s this male romance author who’s written some amazing books. I was suspicious but am SO GLAD I one clicked. Rock star romance, major age gap, enemies to lovers, stuck on an island…so many delicious tropes. I loved this forbidden romance! Good job, sir!

Merry Christmas! Happy New Year! Have a safe and healthy holiday.

Cheers, Jen