It’s that time of year again when we compile our top reads of the year and tell you why we chose them. The past year (2016) has been a very long and challenging one for us all. I think that both Vik and I want to thank our resident reviewers Meli-Mel and Sultan for all of their reading and reviewing efforts they have made. Work and life have kept Vik and me from reading half as many books as we would have liked to and without their efforts our little blog would have had dust bunnies on it. None-the-less we managed to put together our Top 5 Favorites of 2016 and here they are…
**5**
Marriage Games by CD Reiss
Click the image above to read my Review of Marriage Games.
This is my number 5 read of the year because I absolutely love CD Reiss. There are just certain things that she writes so very well and BDSM, Dominant Alphas, and Strong Heroines happen to be three of them. I also loved the complex nature of the relationship of the characters involved. I enjoyed the side characters and their contributions to the story and let’s be honest if the Shakespeare of Smut writes it I’m going to at least take a gander at that beautiful prose!
Click Here to get your Amazon Copy Today!
You can also Purchase Book 2 in the Duet, Separation Games by clicking Here!
**4**
Beard Science by Penny Reid
Click the image above to read my Review of Beard Science.
Beard Science is Book 3 in the Winston Brothers Series. It is also my third book that I have read by Penny Reid and boy oh boy am I glad I finally hopped on this train. I love this series and especially this book and it’s main character Cletus. Do yourself a favor and pick up this series if you have not started it yet so that you can be knocked off your socks with golden comedic timing, smart and witty banter, and much talk about sausages!
Click Here to get your Amazon Copy Today!
Click to get Book 1, Truth or Beard and/or Book 2, Grin and Beard It!
**3**
Unraveled: The New Adventures of Dr. Matilda Schmidt, Paranormal Psychologist by Cynthia St. Aubin
Click the image above to read my Review of Unraveled.
The love I have for Cynthia St. Aubin is something that I cannot completely describe but take a look at my review as I did my best. This story means so much to me and for many reasons. I was so excited when I heard that there would be more stories in the Dr. Matilda Schmidt world I could do back flips. These stories are so good!!! The Disordered series is a complete series so if you would like to start there please do as it gives you the backstory on where things are in Unraveled. The books are short and quick reads. I know that is not always everyone’s favorite but I’d much rather read a shorter well-written story rather than a long drawn out book just for the sake of having more pages. It was also helpful being as mentioned above not having as much time to read this year as I wanted too. You can get the Disordered Series on Audible as well if you’re like me and LOVE LOVE LOVE audio books. Get on this crazy train as fast as you can I guarantee you won’t regret the drama, comedy, and smoking hot sex.
Click Here to get your Amazon Copy Today!
Click Here to get the Disordered Series!
**2**
Empire of Storms: Throne of Glass Book 5 by Sarah J. Maas
Click image above to read my Review of Empire of Storms
Empire of Storms is Book 5 in the A Throne of Glass Series. It was an EPIC EPIC READ!!!!! This entire series has had me on the edge of my seat and I cannot wait for the next book. It is not a complete series so if you are one of those that need to be able to read the next book immediately you’re going to want to wait to start this series. If you don’t mind waiting in tortured arousal like the rest of us then by all means jump on this now, lol! It is a sweeping glorious story with masterful world building by Maas the characters are all complex and each book ending will have you frothing at the mouth for the next book. Push through at the times that it gets a bit slow and bare with Maas as she introduces new characters all the way up to Book 5 because it is so – so worth it. That character you scoffed at in Book 2, 3, or 4 may be your favorite in later books… if they are still alive that is! If you enjoy snarky heroines this one is so for you. Celaena is the most badass and awesome lead character I have read in awhile all while being very vulnerable and real. Don’t pass up on this book and on this series!
Click Here to get your Amazon Copy Today!
Click Here to get the rest of the series!
Click Here to Pre-Order your copy of the upcoming NEW novella!
***1***
The A Court of Thorns & Roses Series by Sarah J. Maas
Click image above to read my Review of A Court of Thorns and Roses
This book starts off slower in pace and takes a little while to get into. If you’ve already read her Throne of Glass series do not expect the non-stop action of those books in this book. If you push through I promise you won’t regret it. It is amazing what comes to be in this book and where you find your heart at and who you are invested in by the end. As always Maas has a way of pulling you in and like the smoothest roller coaster taking you on a journey, where only she knows the destination.
Click Here to get your Amazon Copy!
Click image above to read my Review of A Court of Mist and Fury
A Court of Mist and Fury was hands down my favorite read of 2016 it may be my favorite read in several years, to be honest. This series is not complete so as stated previously if you need to have all of the books you may want to hold off on starting. However, if you do take the plunge this epicness will have you book hungover for days possibly even weeks. Where you start in A Court of Thorns and Roses is nowhere near where you end up at the end of this book. I don’t even understand how she pulled this one off LOL! I am dead serious and if you’ve read it you understand exactly what I am talking about. I just wish I could walk around in her mind for a day or two to see how she comes up with these storylines, complex characters and worlds so vivid that you can picture every detail in your head. If you need all the epicness, tears, the HOTTEST sex ever, a well-developed story, and to be transported to a different world THIS is the book/series for you!!!! ***Bows in Homage to Sarah J. Maas***
Click Here to get your Amazon Copy Today!
Click Here to Pre-Order Book 3, A Court of Wings and Ruin Today!!!
**5**
Daughter of the Sun by Zoe Kalo
Click the image above to read my Review of Daughter of the Sun
This was a 2016 YA/NA discovery author for me. I enjoy stories that take heavy inspiration from History and Mythology and this book personified exactly that. Also if you are a true Cat lover this book is perfect! There are a LOT of cats in this story. Also mystery… and puzzles… and creepy factor… and sorcery… and a beautiful and magical Island in Greece. Zoe Kalo has also released a couple of prequels that tell the story of how our heroine’s parents fell in love.
Click Here to get your Amazon Copy Today!
Click to get Prequel, Korian and Lucy: A Cult of the Cat Short Story (Part I) and (Part II)!
**4**
The Grantham Girls Series by Amanda Weaver
Click the image above to read my Review of Duchess in Name (with an Excerpt)
Click the image above to read my Review of A Common Scandal (with a Q&A)
This was another New Author discovery for me in 2016! I have enjoyed the series, after all, it’s the year Historical Romances made a huge comeback.
The series is FULL of arranged marriages that center around New Money marrying into Title/Royalty. There was lots of angst and second chances. Honestly even now I am not sure which story I have enjoyed more as each one was so different. All 3 girls who are so different, their fates so different and Amanda Weaver does a fantastic job of taking us into 1980s High Society of England.
Each book is pretty much a standalone so go ahead and start without going in order.
Click to get Book 1, A Duchess in Name and/or Book 2, A Common Scandal and or Book 3, A Reluctant Betrothal
**3**
Jed Had To Die by Tara Sivec
Click the image above to read my Review of Jed Had To Die
It had been quite some time since I jumped onto the crazy train of hilarious mess that Tara Sivec writes so well. This book had me laughing from page one. I have no idea where she comes up with all the crazy predicaments her book characters get into. BUT!!! I feel like a lot of it comes from her life directly. Now I’m sure she has never murdered a husband of her closest friend… but you know maybe thought about it?!?
Click Here to get your Amazon Copy Today!
**2**
Infidelity Series by Aleatha Romig
Click image above to read my Review of Betrayal (with an excerpt)
Click image above to read my Review of Cunning (with an excerpt)
Click image above to read my Review of Deception
Aaaaaah Aleatha, Aleatha, Aleatha! She is my all time favorite author of dark, twisty, and an author who perfected mind fuckery. The one author who I always stalk at all book signings, of course!
The infidelity series has nothing to do with cheating but a lot of different lines are crossed in the series. Each book contains a gem of revelation that blows your mind. We are all lucky we do not live in the land of Aleatha because things get so much worse when you think you can not take anymore…. however, there is always a hot, possessive alpha willing to fight at your back… I’m torn… really, really torn.
Click Here to get the series!
***1***
The Enforcer by Kele Moon
Click image above to read my Review of The Enforcer (with a Q&A)
Ok now seriously this series ALWAYS ends up on my top reads list only because Kele knows how to write some seriously hot, broken, muscly alphas. What is more special about this year’s release is that I got to HELP with the book. Being an NYC resident Kele was awesome enough to consult me on the authenticity of some of the locales in the book. Every year I praise one of the alphas in the Untamed Hearts Series and every year Kele writes in a hotter and badder anti-hero to prove me wrong… this year is no different!!! Aaaaand I’m okay with that!
Click Here to get your Amazon Copy!
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