Tag: Best of 2017

Best of 2017: The Authors

Posted January 5, 2018 by Rowena in Features | 2 Comments

Casee

Nalini Singh

2017 Releases: Silver Silence, Cherish Hard, Archangel’s Viper

It should come as no surprise that Nalini made it on my list. She has been on my best-of lists every year since I first started reading her. I am obsessed with her, her books, the Psy/Changeling series, and the Guild Hunters series.

 

Lexi Blake

2017 Releases: Revenge, Love Another Day, Sleeper, Smoke and Sin

Lexi is probably my favorite author of 2017. I discovered her in 2016 and I have never looked back. Ruthless is the first book of Lexi’s that I read. I fell in love with the Lawless siblings right away. That lead me to her Masters and Mercenaries series. I was a bit put off when I read Ian and Charlotte’s book because of the D/s, but I quickly discovered that this series was just as good as her Lawless series.

Elle Kennedy

2017 Releases: Midnight Target

Elle Kennedy is one of my favorites. I love the Killer Instinct series as well as the Outlaw series. I didn’t love all the books in the Killer Instinct series, but Elle pulled me into that world and didn’t spit me out until I read the last book. Her Outlaw series is also to die for. I’ve read quite a few authors that write dystopian romance she she’s up that as one of the best. She’s also one half of Sarina Bowen. I have almost all her books, I just haven’t read them yet.

D.B. Reynolds

2017 Releases: The Stone Warriors: Kato, Relentless (novella)

Where have I been that I missed D.B. Reynolds for so long? I am so into paranormal romance that I don’t know how I missed her. Her heroes are to die for and her heroines are tough-as-nails. Sometimes the heroine even outshines the hero. I love it. She has two series that I’m reading. Vampires in America and The Stone Warriors. I fell in love with D.B.’s books instantly.

 

Christine Feehan

2017 Releases: Power Game, Dark Legacy, Leopards Blood, Bound Together, Shadow Reaper.

This woman knows how to release books. Five books in a year? One thing I love about Feehan is her ability to write so many books without sacrificing originality. I’m pretty sure I’ve said this before, but Feehan introduced me to the paranormal world that I love. Dark Prince was the first paranormal book I ever read which was back in 2000. I haven’t looked back. I adored Bound Together which brought the Sisters of the Heart series to a close. Another thing I love is that she ends her series when it’s time to end it. Sure, there is a spinoff of Sisters of the Heart, but that didn’t detract from the book at all.

Holly

Only 5? Ugh.

Sarina Bowen

2017 Releases: Good Boy, Hard Hitter, Pipe Dreams, Stay, Bountiful, Temporary, Man Hands, Hello Forever, Goodbye Paradise

While some of her books work better for me than others, I’ve yet to read a book by Bowen I didn’t like. While some readers are all about the hero, for me a story is made by the heroine. Bowen writes fantastic women. They’re strong and independent, know their own minds and have fabulous senses of humor. While I love her heroes, her heroines keep me coming back for more.

Ilona Andrews

2017 Releases: Magic Binds, White Hot, Wildfire

Yes, I’m still obsessed with Ilona Andrews. No, I don’t expect to get over it anytime soon. I don’t know what to say about this writing pair, except they’re amazing. I get pulled into each and every book. Each world is vivid and bright, each character comes alive. Humor, hope, love…Andrews gives it all.

 

Kristen Ashley

2017 Releases: The Hookup, The Time in Between, Complicated

Kristen Ashley is the author I re-read the most. Since I discovered her in 2014 (2013?), I’ve read her books hundreds of times. There have been months where I read nothing but KA’s backlist. She had 3 releases this year and I was dying for each and everyone. She has a gift for storytelling. I’m always pulled into her books, living the lives of her characters right alogn with them. Her books aren’t perfect, but they’re the perfect escape. I look forward to each and every release.

Nalini Singh

2017 Releases: Silver Silence, Cherish Hard, Archangel’s Viper

Always a favorite, Singh never does me wrong. Her flawless world-building and strong relationships always pull me in. I can’t wait to fall into her books. Whether it’s PNR, UF or Contemporary, I always know I’m going to get a great story.

 
 

Patricia Briggs

2017 Releases: Silence Fallen (Mercy Thompson #10), Fire Touched (Mercy Thompson #9, mmp release)

Briggs is another author who never lets me down.She’s writes kickass women who are strong and compassionate, plus men who respect them for who and what they are. Her world-building is amazing, and the way she interweaves her two series leaves me in awe. I just wish she wrote faster.

Rowena

Here are my top 5 favorite authors of 2017.

Sarina Bowen

2017 Releases: Good Boy, Hard Hitter, Pipe Dreams, Stay, Bountiful, Temporary, Man Hands, Hello Forever, Goodbye Paradise

Sarina Bowen is one of my favorite authors of all time. She writes my kind of feel good contemporary romances that never fails to hit me with feels and just gives an emotional roller coaster like no other. I love all of her books, her characters, the settings of her books and this year she really pulled out all of the stops because she came out with plenty of books and each and every single book I have enjoyed. She’s so good and if you haven’t tried any of her stuff, you should fix that. Add that to your reading goals for 2018 because trust me, she’s great.

Lauren Layne

2017 Releases: An Ex for Christmas, Ready to Run, I Knew You Were Trouble, Walk of Shame

Like Sarina Bowen, Lauren Layne is one of my favorite authors. For the past couple of years, ever since I read my first book by her, really, she’s been one of the authors that I look forward to each and every single time that she releases a book. Where Sarina Bowen writes great small town, outdoorsy contemporary romances, Lauren Layne writes fabulous big city romances with sharp characters who are smart and sophisticated and just all around fun. Each release solidifies my love for her work. She’s the bomb, for real.

Nalini Singh

2017 Releases: Silver Silence, Cherish Hard, Archangel’s Viper

I was late in discovering Nalini Singh. She was almost done with the Psy-Changelings series before I started reading them and holy cow, her ability to write such a complex world and still have a banging romance in each and every single book is quite the achievement. She wrote great books that I read in 2017 and that is probably why she’ll be a long standing favorite of mine. I hope she writes forever.

Emma Chase

2017 Releases: Royally Matched, Royally Raised, Royally Endowed

Emma Chase is a great writer. She writes contemporary romances with humor, heart and so much love that it’s hard for me to not love the hell out of all of the books that I read by her. Every book that I read by her in 2017, I have greatly enjoyed. I have high hopes for the Emma Chase 2018 releases and I have every faith that I’ll enjoy the heck of those books too. I’m so anxious for more.

Sarah MacLean

2017 Releases: The Day of the Duchess

Sarah MacLean wrote my very favoritest book of 2017. She wrote a story of second chances, fraught with drama and a heroine who fought for her freedom in a time where women were considered chattel to their husbands. That book hit me in every feel in my body and made me so stinkin’ happy at the end that that story has stayed with me long after I finished it. It was such a great story and I’m very much looking forward to what she has in store for the new year.

Honorable Mentions: Lenora Bell, Jessica Lemmon, Tessa Dare and Lucy Parker. All of these authors have written fantastic books that I enjoyed in 2017 and all deserve a mention.

Who were your favorite authors of 2017? Anyone we should be keeping our eye on in 2018? Please share!

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Best of 2017: The Series

Posted January 4, 2018 by Rowena in Features | 6 Comments

Casee

Killer Instincts series by Elle Kennedy. While the books weren’t absolutely fabulous individually, the series all together is. I’ve never had that experience, so it was new to me. There were even some main characters that I didn’t like. Kennedy has a gift for making the reader go from love to hate back to love again.

Masters and Mercenaries by Lexi Blake. I discovered this series quite by accident. When Ian showed up in Revenge, I knew he had to have his own book somewhere. He was too alpha not to. Lucky for me, I found that I was right. Masters and Mercenaries is a D/s series. At first I was a little put off while reading the series, but I have grown to love this series, D/s and all.

Sisters of the Heart by Christine Feehan. I adore this series. The five women that were brought together through circumstance created a bond that can’t be broken. It really tells the story of a family that isn’t related by blood, but are closer than blood relatives. All the women were damaged in their own way.

Vampires in America by D.B. Reynolds. D.B. Reynolds, where has this series been my entire reading life? I don’t know how I missed the Vampires in America, but miss it I did.

Black Dagger Legacy by J.R. Ward. I am really enjoying this spinoff of the Black Dagger Brotherhood. I daresay that it’s better than the BDB series. It’s a fresh look into the world that JRW created what seems like ages ago.

Holly

Kate Daniels by Ilona Andrews: I can’t wait for the next book to be released..and at the same time I’m dreading it because it’ll be the last.

Mercy Thompson by Patricia Briggs: Briggs never disappoints. Every time I pick up a Mercy book I feel like I’m joining good friends.

Moonshadow by Thea Harrison: This is a spinoff of the Elder Races series. I love how broad the world is. I can’t wait for the next book.

Magdalene by Kristen Ashley: If you’re looking for small-town romance, this is a great series.

Brooklyn Bruisers by Sarina Bowen: Sexy Hockey players.. smart, independent women…good stuff.

Psy-Changeling/Trinity by Nalini Singh: I really love the Psy-Changeling series and I’m excited to see where things head now.

Honorable Mentions: The Innkeeper Chronicles by Ilona Andrews. It gets an honorable mention because the most recent book was released in 2016. But there’s a new chapter up at Ilona-Andrews.com! Maud! EEEE. Moonlight and Motor Oil by Kristen Ashley. I didn’t love book one, but I enjoyed it enough that I’m anticipating the next release. Alpha and Omega by Patricia Briggs. Anna and Charles. Sigh. Whiskey Sharp by Lauren Dane. The first book isn’t out until later this month, but I read it in 2017 so I’m including it here.

Rowena

Brooklyn Bruisers series by Sarina Bowen: I just keep right on loving each book that comes out in this series. The first book, Georgia got on my hot damn nerves but not Leo. I loved him. Then I read Patrick’s book and loved it and then Beacon and Lauren’s book and gah. I loved that one too. Sarina Bowen is such a great author or contemporary romances. I just love this series to pieces.

The Disgraceful Dukes series by Lenora Bell: This was a delightful discovery for me. I first heard about it from one of my blog buddies and tried it out after my sister read the first book and really enjoyed it so I got all of the books and I glommed them all in a week. All three books. There’s so much goodness in this series and I am looking forward to more greatness from Lenora Bell in the new year.

The WAGs series by Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy: I really love reading sports romances and I’m really digging the whole world that Sarina & Elle have created for these characters. The characters, the hockey, the love, it’s all great. Just freaking great.

The Oxford series by Lauren Layne: I love this series and really enjoyed the latest addition. Nick and Taylor were a great couple and even though they weren’t perfect, their story was still pretty fantastic. I’m going to be really sad when this series ends because it continues to really shine in my eyes. So much love for this series.

The Royally series by Emma Chase: I didn’t know that I loved a royal romance until I read this series. Emma Chase really shines at writing the male perspective and she continues to do that well in this series. I really enjoyed all of the books in this series and cannot wait for the spin off series that will be releasing soon. Woo hoo for Tommy’s story!

What were some of your favorite series that you read in 2017?

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Best of 2017: The Heroines

Posted January 3, 2018 by Rowena in Features | 4 Comments

Casee

Shelby Gates from Revenge (Lawless #3) by Lexi Blake. I’m not a fan of reporter heroes or heroines. When I read that Shelby was going to be the heroine of Revenge, I wasn’t thrilled. It didn’t take me long to fall in love with Shelby. Yes, she wants to write about what happened to Drew and his family, but she would never do it at the expense of the family. She knew Drew inside and out. She wouldn’t put up with him retreating into his shell.

Charlotte Taggart from Love and Let Die (Masters and Mercenaries #5) by Lexi Blake. Oh, Charlie. She really messed up with Ian and almost lost him. Determined to get him back, she will do anything he wants or asks. Charlotte is a warrior in her own right and she was always the perfect woman for Ian.

Isabel Roma from Midnight Games (Killer Instincts #3) by Elle Kennedy. Isabel is damaged goods. That didn’t mean was is useless. She was far from useless. As one of Noelle’s assassins, Isabel could turn herself into anyone she wanted. She was a chameleon and her transformations were amazing. She was exactly the woman Trevor needed to pull him out of the pit of despair he found himself in after his girlfriend died.

Cynthia Leighton from Raphael (Vampires in America #1) by D.B. Reynolds. Cynthia is my favorite heroine of 2017. She’s up there with Elena Deveraux from Nalini Singhs Guid Hunter series. I said almost. There is nothing more that Cynthia wants but to cower in front of Raphael Her pride won’t allow it and it takes all of her to remain standing when she’s in the same room with him. She doesn’t apologize for being human. She was Raphael’s perfect match.

Silver Merchant from Silver Silence (Psy/Changeling Trinity #1) by Nalini Singh. I have been intrigued by Silver ever since she came into the picture. Her family ties are strong which is an oddity because the Merchant’s are immersed deeply into Silence. The Merchants have a loyalty to one another which is rare in the Psy/Changeling world. Silver knew her Silence was failing even before Valentin came into the picture. Then she just let go and held onto Valentin as tight as she could.

Holly

Sidonie Martel from Spellbinder (Moonshadow, #2) by Thea Harrison: Oh, man. Sidonie really had a time of it. She showed a tremendous amount of inner-strength and really kept her head in terrible circumstances. I admired her a lot.

Holly Chang from Archangel’s Viper (Guild Hunter, #10) by Nalini Singh : Watching Holly grow from a broken, scarred girl to a strong, confident woman was wonderful. I really enjoyed her journey.

Lady Pandora Ravenel from Devil in Spring (The Ravenels, #3) by Lisa Kleypas: Pandora was such an unconventional woman. I loved that she knew her own mind and wasn’t afraid to reach for her dreams. Her quirky spirit really shone bright.

Greta Dare from Complicated by Kristen Ashley: Greta was such a great heroine. Kind, caring, compassionate…She took care of those she loved. She was independent. I really liked her.

Pru Bristow from The Leopard King (Ars Numina, #1) by Ann Aguirre: Pru was a great heroine. She was calm and level-headed under pressure, fierce and strong when she needed to be, and stubborn enough to get any job done. My heart hurt for her.

Rowena

Seraphina Bevelstoke from The Day of the Duchess (Scandal & Scoundrel #3) by Sarah MacLean: At the very top of my Best Heroines of 2017 is Seraphina Bevelstoke, the Duchess of Haven. She was the definition of strong woman. When we first meet her, she’s weakened by her husband’s actions and she’s devastated and then we don’t see her at all in the remainder of the first and in the entirety of the second books of the series. What has she been up to in the time we last saw her in Book 1 and when we see her again in Book 3? She was busy being a bad ass. She was working her ass off so that she would never be that woman again.

Silver Mercant from Silver Silence (Psy-Changelings Trinity #1) by Nalini Singh: My admiration for Silver Mercant began when she showed just how smart and capable she was as Kaleb Krychek’s assistant. She was a fountain of information and a person of action. She did what was necessary and stood by the decisions she made. She was brave and she was fierce and we see so much more of that in her own book, Silver Silence.

Mercy Thompson from Moon Called (Mercy Thompson #1) by Patricia Briggs: I’m really late to the Mercy Thompson train but better late than never? This woman is all that and a bag of chips. She’s the true meaning of brave. She’s a walker, a coyote and she fights for what is right and I really admire her because of that. She could be scared out of her pants but that doesn’t stop her from doing what she needs to for those who can’t. I’m a big Mercy fan. Adam, too. 🙂

Emma Gladstone from The Duchess Deal (Girl Meets Duke #1) by Tessa Dare: I really like strong heroines who are survivors and Emma Gladstone was exactly my kind of heroine. Like the other heroines on this hlist, Emma was strong and she was resourceful. She lived in a time where it wasn’t easy to be a woman without a husband or family to take care of her but she went out and found herself a job and she struggled and just when anyone wouldn’t have blamed her for giving up, she pulled her big girl pants up and went out and got shit done. When she shows up at the house of a Duke and demands payment for her work, I took notice of her but she was more than strong. She was also kind and she was caring and she loved fiercely and I loved the hell out of her.

Sarah Von Tittenbottom from Royally Matched (Royally #2) by Emma Chase: When we first meet Sarah and her sister, Sarah comes across as very fragile. Almost weak but as you get to know her, and get to know her background and all she’s lived through, your heart goes out to her. She’s not weak. She was never weak, just quiet. She was also fiercely loving of her family, her friends and it said a lot about Sarah that she had so many people who loved her and supported her in everything. On top of all of that, she was a character that readers could connect with because on top of being strong, she was also normal. She was a bookworm with a million dollar vocabulary and she was funny and just all around fantastic. It wasn’t hard to see what Henry saw in her. He was lucky to have met and been loved by Sarah.

Who were your favorite heroines of 2017? Anyone you admired, had a girl crush, straight up loved the hell out of that we missed?

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Best of 2017: The Heroes

Posted January 2, 2018 by Rowena in Features | 8 Comments

Casee

Drew Lawless from Revenge (Lawless series #3) by Lexi Blake. Drew Lawless was closed off to everyone, even his family to an extent. He has had one goal since a fire ripped apart his world when he was a teenager. All he wants is to find the person(s) responsible for killing his parents. The lengths he will go to are a bit extreme, but that’s just Drew for you.

Ian Taggart from Love and Let Die (Masters and Mercenaries #5) by Lexi Blake Oh, Ian Taggart, how I love you. Ian is my favorite hero of 2017. I came into the Masters and Mercenaries series late. I actually read Love and Let Die first, which is a huge no-no for me. It didn’t matter after I started reading Ian’s book. He is fiercely protective of his family and Charlotte. He is crass, arrogant, and wonderful. I can’t imagine I’m the only one that feels this way about Ian.

Theo Taggart from Submission is Not Enough (Masters and Mercenaries #12) by Lexi Blake Are we sensing a theme here? Theo Taggart is brother to Ian, but they came into each other’s lives late thanks to their father. When you first meet Theo, he is the sweetest person imaginable. Then something terrible happens and he comes back home as someone that his family doesn’t recognize. Reading about Theo’s journey from where he began to where he ended up was a powerful thing.

Raphael from Raphael (Vampires in America #1) by D.B. Reynolds I’ve never quite seen a hero like Raphael. He is a vampire that can bring lesser vampires to their knees. It sounds quite funny, but it’s true. When he loves, he loves intensely. When you’re his enemy, well, don’t be his enemy. Seeing him brought to his knees by who he first thinks of as a mere human is hilarious. Well, not exactly hilarious as funny that a human can bring Raphael to his knees.

Valentin from Silver Silence (Psy/Changeling Trinity #1) by Nalini Singh I don’t think a year goes by where I don’t have a Nalini hero on my list. Valentin is the alpha of the StoneWater Bears. He’s intrigued by Silver from the moment he meets her. He knows that she is completely Silent, but that doesn’t stop him from going after who his bear considers its mate. Valenin was exactly what you would expect an alpha to be. Ferociously protective of his pack and those that he cares about. He was the perfect bear for Silver.

Holly

Blake Riley from Good Boy by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy: Blake was such a stand-up guy. He seems a little manic and even a bit annoying in the other books, but he was an amazing friend, kind, compassionate, caring… Blake Riley makes me smiley.

Valentin Nikolaev, alpha of the StoneWater Bears from Silver Silence by Nalini Singh: Playful, arrogant, adorable..not to mention totally kickass. I just wanted to eat him up.

King Midas from The Kingpin of Camelot by Cassandra Gannon: King Midas was so adorable. Normally I wouldn’t say that about an underworld Kingpin, but he was! I adored him.

Jake Becker from Sustained by Emma Chase: Oh, Jake. I couldn’t help but fall in love with him, just the way he couldn’t help but fall in love with the entire McQuaid clan.

Morgan le Fae from Spellbinder by Thea Harrison: I didn’t think I’d like Morgan, based on his actions in other books. But he was fully redeemed in his. He was such a good guy, for someone who was forced to do bad things for centuries.

Honorable Mentions: Mike Beacon from Pipe Dreams by Sarina Bowen: Mike was such a good dad and a great guy all around. Gabriel, Lord St. Vincent from Devil in Spring by Lisa Kleypas: I think the best part of Gabriel was how he came to accept Pandora for who she was. In the beginning he wanted a respectable, predicable Duke’s wife. But as the novel wore on and he came to care for Pandora, he realized he wanted her just as she was.

Rowena

Mike Beacon from Pipe Dreams (Brooklyn Bruisers #3) by Sarina Bowen: Beacon was a surprise winner for me. I wasn’t prepared to really care for his book at all because I didn’t like his heroine in the other books in this series but boy did Beacon win me over big time. The choices he had to make, the people he hurt to do what he thought was right, it really gutted me and seeing him work hard to get the one woman he loved back…man. I just love him so. He was a great father to his kids and a fantastic man for Lauren. So, so good.

Malcolm Bevelstoke, Duke of Haven from The Day of the Duchess (Scandal & Scoundrel #3) by Sarah MacLean: That Malcolm is on my list of best heroes of the year is saying much about how awesome Sarah MacLean’s writing is because I hated him when I first met him in The Rogue Not Taken. That opening scene did not paint Malcolm in the brightest of lights but holy cow is Sarah MacLean’s redeem game strong. By the end of this book, I loved Malcolm despite our rocky start. This guy is something else and his wife? She’d get my vote for Woman of the Year.

Ty Masters from Played (Gridiron #4) by Jen Frederick: I love athletes and I really love Jen Frederick’s athlete heroes. She writes some of my favorites and Ty’s brother was an honorable mention back in 2015 and oh man, Ty was just as freaking awesome as Knox was. I adored the hell out of him. From the way that he loved his best friend to his charming personality and just…everything. Everything about him appealed to me and that’s why he’s on my list.

Mark Blakely from An Ex for Christmas (Love Unexpectedly #5) by Lauren Layne: I really love grumpy heroes and Mark Blakely was definitely a grumpy hero. The fierceness of his devotion to his best friend and the obvious love he kept under wraps while he growled at her and took care of her, gah…I ate it all right up. He was so swoonworthy and I loved the hell out of him.

Blake Riley from Good Boy (WAGs #1) by Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy: I love funny and flirty heroes just as much as I love grumpy ones and getting to know Blake Riley in Good Boy was an absolute blast. He made me laugh so much but he also made swoon a bit at how great in the sack he was. We should all be lucky enough to have a Blake Riley in our lives. Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy wrote him up real good because I love him. Love him, love him, love him.

There were a lot of great heroes of 2017 and we’ve listed our favorites. What heroes wormed their way into your hearts and made you fall head over heels in love with?

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Best of 2017: The Books

Posted January 1, 2018 by Rowena in Features | 15 Comments

Here at Book Binge, we read a lot of books. Each of us reads over a hundred books a year and each year, we publish our favorite reads, characters, series and authors that we read in that year. Today, we’re kicking off our Best of Lists with our top 5 favorite books of the year. Enjoy!

Casee

Revenge by Lexi Blake: I adored Drew and Shelby together. Shelby was perfect for him because she wouldn’t let Drew hide behind behind a facade. Shelby was fierce.

Raphael by D.B. Reynolds: Vampires in America is a new series I discovered last year. Raphael and Cyn are one of my favorite couples of the year. They are so unlikely to be a couple that it was fascinating to read.

Claimed by Elle Kennedy: I love dystopian romance. Love it. It’s probably my favorite genre right now. There is something about the desperation to keep living that I find fascinating. This is the first book in Kennedy’s Outlaw series.

Midnight Games by Elle Kennedy: This is the third book in Kennedy’s Killer Instinct series. Both Trevor and Isabel were so damaged. Reading about them coming together just brought warm fuzzies.

Silver Silence by Nalini Singh: Oh, Valentin. He was dreamy. He was sweet yet ruthless. Silver was badass. She had a take-no-prisoners personality which isn’t a surprise considering she’s Psy. Their road wasn’t an easy one which made the ending so much better.

Holly

I had a hard time narrowing my list down this year. I read a lot of really good books.

The Kingpin of Camelot by Cassandra Gannon (A Kinda Fairytale, Book 3): I still haven’t written a review for this. It was so cute and fun. I adored King Midas. If you haven’t already, go read it. It’s that good.

Spellbinder by Thea Harrison (Moonshadow, Book 2): I went into this book with some trepidation since the hero was the villain of the previous book. Though it falls on the darker side, but it worked so well for me.

Sustained by Emma Chase (The Legal Briefs, Book 2): Told from the point-of-view of the hero, Sustained was such a treat. The quitiseential commitment hating bachelor getting sucked into being a dad to five kids? So.much.yes.

Devil in Spring by Lisa Kleypas (The Ravenals, Book 3): Kleypas is a long-time favorite, but Devil in Spring was reminiscent of some of her older works. It really resonated with me. I loved the hero, but the quirky, unconventional heroine pulled me in from the start. It doesn’t hurt that the hero is the son of one of my favorite Kleypas couples ever.

Good Boy by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy (WAGS, Book 1). I read this series out of order and didn’t expect to like it as much as I did. The story was fun and engaging, and both the hero and heroine really worked for me.

Rowena

My Best of Lists aren’t necessarily only for books that were released in 2017 but include books that I read in 2017 so here are the books that I loved and read for the first time in 2017.

The Day of the Duchess by Sarah MacLean: This book is probably my most favorite book of the entire year. Malcolm and Sera’s book was damn near perfect. I loved the ending of this series. I loved seeing how far Malcolm and Sera both came over the course of this series. There is not enough love in the world to cover my love for this book. So, so good.

Bountiful (True North #4) by Sarina Bowen: I spent a good chunk of last year, waiting for this book to come out and when I finally read it, I adored it to pieces. Sarina Bowen knows how to write the heck out of a book and that is evident in this book. I enjoyed Dave and Zara’s book so much. I loved how Sarina brought two of her series together and this was just a huge hit for me.

Isn’t She Lovely by Lauren Layne: Are you guys surprised that Lauren Layne is on this list? You shouldn’t be because I love the hell out of her work and I really loved this book. Ethan and Stephanie made me laugh, sigh and swoon a little. Their romance was sweet and it was fun and I just completely adored it. So much love for this book.

If I Only Had a Duke by Lenora Bell: I read my first Lenora Bell book this year on the recommendation from Nick over at Nick and Nereyda’s Infinite Book List and boy am I so glad that I listened to her. I freaking loved this book and thought that Dorothea and Osborne were such a great couple. I adored Dorothea and the lengths that she went to get Osborne to pay attention to her…and then later, the lengths she went to pay Osborne back for pissing her off. The banter between both of them was memorable and just all around good stuff. So, of course I’m including this book on my best books of the year list.

Royally Matched (Royally #2) by Emma Chase: Henry Pembrook and Sarah Von Titebottum were such a lovely couple. I really enjoyed their story and their romance. I loved how they were friends before they became more and the evolution of their relationship was done really well. Emma Chase shined for me in this book because I adored the hell out of it.

There you have it. The books that we absolutely loved above all of the other books that we read this year. What books made your best of list for 2017?

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