Thanks for the memories 2018… the high points of the year were mostly books, unfortunately.
I’m a little ashamed of my 2018 list now that I look back on it as a whole. Apparently it was the year of ho-hum reads and re-reads. I definitely need to make it a priority to read some new stuff in 2019. There is no real order and honestly some of them would only be recommended within their sub-genre, so please keep them it in mind when you judge me. Cheers!
Jamie Begley’s Last Rider universe is an annual read through for me. I love these books, they brings me so much joy. She published 4 books this year (T.A. Biker Bitches #6, Claiming What’s His – Porter Brothers #3, Stalked – Predators MC #4, Rider’s Revenge – Last Riders #10) I read all 25 though, just in case people are counting. T.A. was a great ending to the series and a surprise to me. I wasn’t expecting to like her as much as I did. Jamie never lets me down. If you love bikers, strong women and sexual freedom take this series for a ride.
Pestilence by Laura Thalassa – I was consumed. It was different, it was interesting, it raised questions in me. And come on, look at this cover. This is book one in the series and there is a lot of setup which I think made the end almost felt like a cliffhanger. I can’t wait for the next books.
Filthy Gods by R. Scarlett – I am dying for the next book in this series. Usually if an author launches a series with a 0.5 novella book, I skip it. Don’t tease me, I don’t like it. This gave me all the feels of a top level New Adult book that I love. This was so good that I think this author could supersede some of my all time favorites in this genre. For a novella, this story was very robust and satisfying. I loved it and I can not wait for book one to get here.
White Wolf by Lauren Gilley – Wow. What a book. What a looooooooooong book. I don’t even know how anyone would define this book. Is it a romance…? Not sure. Historical fiction… maybe? Oh it’s paranormal….? Wait now, it’s romance. I DON’T KNOW, and I still loved it.
Pippa Grant – I blew through her entire back list in a week. THE WHOLE THING. That was a happy week. Her books are happy and funny and sassy and sexy and so. much. fun. Beauty and the Beefcake might be my favorite of the series thought. The heroine was smart and sassy and the hero was the right amount of alpha and smart ass.
Mouth to Mouth by Tessa Bailey- An insta-love, sweet dose of heat. This felt like a beach read set on a beach. Tessa Bailey always writes the hottest scenes.
Scarlet Scars Duet by JM Darhower— omg, I’d been looking for this book style forever. I love mafia style books and while this wasn’t overtly mafia, more criminal/hitman, it checked all the boxes of why I love that subgenre. He was a standout main character. There were a lot of quirks and humor that were endearing and memorable. The antagonist of the story is right up there with some of the most unsettling bad guys in books/tv shows.
Dragon Ridden Chronicles by T. A. White – Oh man. TA White is one of my biggest fantasy author crushes. I’m obsessed with the Pathfinder series but hadn’t started her other series. Like with a lot of fantasy it can be a little difficult to get through the initial world building, but once I did I wanted more. The romance is a slooooooooow burn. Maybe non-existent burn. But the series isn’t done yet. The story and the relationships between the larger ensemble cast is phenomenal.
Their Vampire Queen Series by Joely Sue Burkhart – A reverse harem, paranormal series. I’m putting this on here, because I love unique books. I read about 300 books a year and of those there is a lot of standard genre stories with predictable tropes. It can be repetitive sometimes even when the books are awesome and I love them. This one really went outside the box for me. The blood shed, violence, reverse harem, world building, gender pairing; all of it felt fresh and exciting. I am well and truly sucked into this series and can’t wait to see where it goes.
Dearest Ivie by JR Ward – The Black Dagger Brotherhood Series has been up and down. There are times I’ve considered walking aware from JR Ward. So when I finally sat down and read this I was so happily surprised. This is a stand alone novella set in the BDB universe but isn’t about any of the main universe characters. The story is sweet and a little angsty, and it totally made me cry.
Midnight Blue by LJ Shen – This was my first 5 star read of the year (review here). What a way to kick off the year. I was hooked from the beginning and felt like I had found a new amazing author to obsess over.