My Top Ten Favourite Romance Books in 2019
Happy November guys! I'm having just a bad week again (what's new, right?), so I need a distraction right now. Making lists out of things made me calm down. Hence, what I'm going to be doing today.
If you didn't follow me or know anything about me, I'm a huge romance book nerd. I devoured romance like nothing else. For someone who doesn't believe in romance anymore (yup, I'm in romance-is-dead phase), I just love reading romance and cheesy non-believable story. Yup. Yup.
Anyhow, let's get on with the list!
1. Magic Triumphs (Kate Daniels #10) by Ilona Andrews
Mercenary Kate Daniels must risk all to protect everything she holds dear in this epic, can't-miss entry in the thrilling #1 New York Times bestselling urban-fantasy series.
Kate has come a long way from her origins as a loner taking care of paranormal problems in post-Shift Atlanta. She's made friends and enemies. She's found love and started a family with Curran Lennart, the former Beast Lord. But her magic is too strong for the power players of the world to let her be.
Kate and her father, Roland, currently have an uneasy truce, but when he starts testing her defenses again, she knows that sooner or later a confrontation is inevitable. The Witch Oracle has begun seeing visions of blood, fire, and human bones. And when a mysterious box is delivered to Kate's doorstep, a threat of war from the ancient enemy who nearly destroyed her family, she knows her time is up.
Kate Daniels sees no other choice but to combine forces with the unlikeliest of allies. She knows betrayal is inevitable. She knows she may not survive the coming battle. But she has to try.
For her child. For Atlanta. For the world.
If you don't know this yet, I LOVE AND ADORE ILONA ANDREWS. I love all of their (husband-wife authors combo) books. ALL. Let's backtrack this a little bit and let me tell you how I met Ilona Andrews' work. The first work I'd read from Ilona Andrews was actually from the Hidden Legacy series. Then, I was waiting for the next book from that series when I started Kate Daniels. So, I read all ten of them and read the final book in January 2019. I started 2019 with an end. Which sucks. Really.
If you ever wanted to start on an urban fantasy romance (which now is my most favourite genre), Ilona Andrews are the authors you should have on your auto-buy. Every single world that they created was so colourful, interesting and unique on their own. The one thing that made the world in Kate Daniels so special was the absence of tall buildings. Yup. No one was powerful enough to create tall buildings in that world because magic-or-some-sort would destroy them. That is why Roland was known as the Builder of Towers since he was so powerful.
It was such a bittersweet read really when you found out that your series was coming to an end. I had such a sad month in January.
2. Summoned to the Thirteenth Grave (Charley Davidson #13) by Darynda Jones
It's lucky number thirteen . . . this is the epic finale for our favourite Grim Reaper and her sinfully sexy son-of-the-devil husband, Reyes.
Charley Davidson, Grim Reaper extraordinaire, is pissed. She's been kicked off the earthly plane for eternity - which is exactly the amount of time it takes to make a person stark, raving mad. But someone's looking out for her, and she's allowed to return after a mere hundred years in exile. Is it too much to hope for that not much has changed? Apparently it is. Bummer.
She's missed her daughter. She's missed Reyes. She's missed Cookie and Garrett and Uncle Bob. But now that she's back on earth, it's time to put to rest burning questions that need answers. What happened to her mother? How did she really die? Who killed her? And are cupcakes or coffee the best medicine for a broken heart? It all comes to a head in an epic showdown between good and evil in this final smart and hilarious novel.
This was another book series that ended in January. Which was another urban fantasy/paranormal series that I LOVED. You have no idea how I obsessed about Reyes. He was a jerk sometimes, no doubt. The books tried hard sometimes to be edgy and OTT funny, no doubt. But I don't care. I lived for these books unrealistic convoluted plotlines (yup, the whole plot about celestial beings and how they first met, it got convoluted really quickly really fast) BUT I LOVED IT. I binged through the series so quickly that I got whiplashed.
Hence, the emptiness I had in my belly when I finished both Kate Daniels and Charley Davidson in the span of one week. It's funny to remember how simple and uncomplicated things were in the first few books in the series. I missed them!
3. Denial (Careless Whispers #1) by Lisa Renee Jones
Book one in the CARELESS WHISPERS series. This is a standalone spin-off of the INSIDE OUT series (soon to be a TV show) that follows Ella Ferguson, Sara McMillan's best friend.
Ella Ferguson awakes alone in Italy, unsure of who she is, and a gorgeous man has claimed her as his own. He’s tall, dark, and sexy, with money and power, the kind of man who makes a girl want to be possessed. And he does possess her, whispering wicked wonderful promises to her, stealing her trust and her heart. Soon though, the past finds her, yanking her from a cocoon of passion and safety. Everything is not how it seems. The truth will shatter her world, but it can set her free, if it doesn't destroy her first
Every time I remember about this series, I kept on hearing that song rewinding in my head again and again. LRJ is another of my favourite contemporary romance author that I adored. Her 'Inside Out' series is still one of my favourite contemporary romance ever and I will forever remember her as someone who introduced romantic suspense to me. This book was, however, related to the Inside Out series. The heroine was the roommate of the heroine in Inside Out and she was missing in Inside Out.
Needless to say, I went into Denial with low expectations since I was in a bad month at that time (I always have bad months, so shoot me) and I fell in love with how at ease I was while I was reading the series. I always knew when I found myself a new favourite, i.e. when the reading got easy and I didn't dread the time I had to go to read. So, yeah. In this book, you got a secret organization, amnesiac girl, secret identities and so much more!
4. Naked in Death (In Death #1) by J.D. Robb
Here is the novel that started it all- the first book in J.D. Robb's number-one New York Times-bestselling In Death series, featuring New York homicide detective Lieutenant Eve Dallas and Roarke.
It is the year 2058, and technology now completely rules the world. But New York City Detective Eve Dallas knows that the irresistible impulses of the human heart are still ruled by just one thing: passion.
When a senator's daughter is killed, the secret life of prostitution she'd been leading is revealed. The high-profile case takes Lieutenant Eve Dallas into the rarefied circles of Washington politics and society. Further complicating matters is Eve's growing attraction to Roarke, who is one of the wealthiest and most influential men on the planet, devilishly handsome... and the leading suspect in the investigation.
Excuse me? Did I just really just read J.D. Robb a.k.a. Nora Roberts? What?
Yes. And I loved it. One word. Roarke.
Currently, I've already read eight books out of In Death series (I like to call them Eve Dallas series) and I'm slowly catching up on the series. Mind you, it has 50 books released. 50 BOOKS! At this rate, it would take me years to catch up on the series. But, I'm okay with it. I'm not in a hurry to catch up. I like to soak on them one by one. My goal was to actually read one Eve Dallas book per month which is met. So by my calculation, I will probably catch up to this series in three years and some. THREE YEARS. HAHAHA.
Anyhow, this is a futuristic cop procedural romance that happened in the year 2058. The heroine was Eve Dallas, a New York City detective and it got murders and suspense and a rich billionaire. I would say, to date, Roarke is my top book-husband so far. He's perfect, in every way. Eve and Roarke just complimented each other really really well. Their chemistry was out of the roof-scorching hot but it's the outside bedroom chemistry that made me rooted this couple.
5. Clean Sweep (The Innkeeper Chronicles #1) by Ilona Andrews
On the outside, Dina Demille is the epitome of normal. She runs a quaint Victorian Bed and Breakfast in a small Texas town, owns a Shih Tzu named Beast, and is a perfect neighbor, whose biggest problem should be what to serve her guests for breakfast. But Dina is...different: Her broom is a deadly weapon; her Inn is magic and thinks for itself. Meant to be a lodging for otherworldly visitors, the only permanent guest is a retired Galactic aristocrat who can’t leave the grounds because she’s responsible for the deaths of millions and someone might shoot her on sight. Under the circumstances, "normal" is a bit of a stretch for Dina.
And now, something with wicked claws and deepwater teeth has begun to hunt at night....Feeling responsible for her neighbors, Dina decides to get involved. Before long, she has to juggle dealing with the annoyingly attractive, ex-military, new neighbor, Sean Evans—an alpha-strain werewolf—and the equally arresting cosmic vampire soldier, Arland, while trying to keep her inn and its guests safe. But the enemy she’s facing is unlike anything she’s ever encountered. It’s smart, vicious, and lethal, and putting herself between this creature and her neighbors might just cost her everything.
Hey, it's Ilona Andrews' book again! Finished with Kate Daniels, I went on a binge for her other books. I read The Edge series, LOVED IT. I read The Kinsmen Universe, LOVED IT TOO. But The Innkeeper Chronicles, OMG. I love the worldbuilding in this book. I've said it so many times before but among all the worldbuilding that Ilona Andrews, I love the one in Innkeeper the most. Reason? First, I love the diversity in this book. You have so many worlds converging in this book. You got an alien planet filled with celestial beings, savages, vampires and a lot more. Second, the crossover with The Edge. It was like the Avengers! Third, the idea of Innkeeper was so unique and I loved it. It was such a one-of-a-kind ability and I would love to be an innkeeper. I would be a kickass innkeeper!
6. Written in Red (The Others #1) by Anne Bishop
As a cassandra sangue, or blood prophet, Meg Corbyn can see the future when her skin is cut—a gift that feels more like a curse. Meg’s Controller keeps her enslaved so he can have full access to her visions. But when she escapes, the only safe place Meg can hide is at the Lakeside Courtyard—a business district operated by the Others.
Shape-shifter Simon Wolfgard is reluctant to hire the stranger who inquires about the Human Liaison job. First, he senses she’s keeping a secret, and second, she doesn’t smell like human prey. Yet a stronger instinct propels him to give Meg the job. And when he learns the truth about Meg and that she’s wanted by the government, he’ll have to decide if she’s worth the fight between humans and the Others that will surely follow.
It's another urban fantasy! Following my thirst after the end of Kate Daniels, I went through a time where I sought high and low for good urban fantasy romance. Frustratingly, this book had so small amount of romance that I stopped after the second one. BUT, the worldbuilding was so good that I didn't care. It is memorable for me and hence why it deserved its spot on this list.
So, if you like slow-burn romance with well developed realistic characters and an interesting world with paranormal and magical creatures, then this is the book for you. They got vampires, elemental goddesses, werewolves and other magical creatures. Again, I loved the diversity in paranormal creatures in an urban fantasy romance rather than one focused-creature in a book.
7. Repeat by Kylie Scott
From New York Times bestselling author Kylie Scott comes an irresistible new romance.
When a vicious attack leaves 25-year-old Clementine Johns with no memory, she's forced to start over. Now she has to figure out who she was and why she made the choices she did - which includes leaving the supposed love of her life, tattoo artist Ed Larsen, only a month before.
Ed can hardly believe it when his ex shows up at his tattoo parlor with no memory of their past, asking about the breakup that nearly destroyed him. The last thing he needs is more heartache, but he can't seem to let her go again. Should they walk away for good, or does their love deserve a repeat performance?
Woohoo! Kylie Scott! Another favourite contemporary romance author of mine. Play (Mal and Anne's story) is my top ten romance book ever and it was written by her. So, easily I fell in love with this book. It is very rare that I rated a second chance romance 5 stars, especially one that involved an amnesiac girl but I LOVE IT. I hate second chance romance book but OMG I really love Kylie Scott's brand of romance. I also read another book of hers titled 'Lies' this year and I loved it and rated it 5 stars too.
So, to summarise. A second chance romance between an amnesiac girl and a cute hero.
8. Tempt Me at Twilight (The Hathaways #3) by Lisa Kleypas
He was everything she'd sworn to avoid.
Poppy Hathaway loves her unconventional family, though she longs for normalcy. Then fate leads to a meeting with Harry Rutledge, an enigmatic hotel owner and inventor with wealth, power, and a dangerous hidden life. When their flirtation compromises her own reputation, Poppy shocks everyone by accepting his proposal—only to find that her new husband offers his passion, but not his trust.
And she was everything he needed.
Harry was willing to do anything to win Poppy—except to open his heart. All his life, he has held the world at arm’s length…but the sharp, beguiling Poppy demands to be his wife in every way that matters. Still, as desire grows between them, an enemy lurks in the shadows. Now if Harry wants to keep Poppy by his side, he must forge a true union of body and soul, once and for all...
Another fun fact about me, my favourite historical romance author is Lisa Kleypas. Dreaming of You is still my favourite historical romance and it is still uncontended to this date. I am obsessed with Derek Craven. However, we're talking about The Hathaways now.
The Hathaways series is, you can say, a spinoff of The Wallflowers. It is about the Hathaways, a group of siblings that found themselves inherited a fortune from a long distant family. It got five books, centered on five family members. Leo Hathaway's story was my least liked and this book, Poppy's book is my most favourite. Initially, I didn't think I would love Poppy. She was the least interesting sibling out of the rest of the Hathaways. But you know who won me over?
Harry Rutledge. He is the type of hero that I loved in historical romance. Possessive. Devil-may-care attitude. He knows what he wants and he goes and gets it. A bit evil in his manipulations. A redeemable hero in the end.
9. Siren (Siren #1) by Jaimie Roberts
I’m not a good person. In fact, I’m a real bitch. If the opportunity arises, I will take your husband, give him the best sex he’s ever had, and laugh behind your back once I’m done with him. I do not put on airs and graces. I just take what I want whenever I want it.
I am the abused who has become the abuser. I live for power because all power had been stripped from me for years. Now that I have it back, I feed off of it like it’s my primary sustenance, and I don’t care who I hurt in the process.
Every woman hates me, but do you know what? I don’t give a shit.
You won’t like me. I’m not here to be liked. You want to know my story? I won’t stop you from observing. Just know that once I’m done with you, no shower—no matter how scalding—will ever get me out from under your skin.
Warning: If you’re looking for pink, fluffy clouds, rainbows, and HEA’s, then this book is not for you. These pages contain flashback scenes of child abuse in all forms (physical, sexual, and emotional) as well as BDSM and other taboo themes.
Love does not live in this book. Only dark, twisted, and sick obsessions thrive here.
You. Have. Been. Warned!
I don't think that Siren would be a romance book, to be honest. It's more of a story of a woman on a path of vengeance with a lot of dirty hot sex thrown into it. Scarlet is not a heroine you want to root for. She was fucked up and damaged. She was not a good heroine. This is not the story of redemption. Nobody in this book was redeemable.
But was it a good story nonetheless? Yes. Do I want to read the next one? No. For me, with how this book ended (with a cliffhanger), I wanted to imagine what happened next myself. Plus, this book brought out the fucked up side of me too. I can't believe I rooted for Scarlet to be ended up with her rapist. See? Fucked up me.
Anyhow, if you wanted to shake things up and venture yourself out of your normal comfort zone, do try Siren. It would be nice to keep in touch with that devil you have living inside of you once in a while.
10. Moon Called (Mercy Thompson #1) by Patricia Briggs
Mercedes Thompson, aka Mercy, is a talented Volkswagen mechanic living in the Tri-Cities area of Washington. She also happens to be a walker, a magical being with the power to shift into a coyote at will. Mercy's next-door neighbor is a werewolf. Her former boss is a gremlin. And she's fixing a bus for a vampire. This is the world of Mercy Thompson, one that looks a lot like ours but is populated by those things that go bump in the night. And Mercy's connection to those things is about to get her into some serious hot water...
Finally, we ended with Mercy Thompson's first book, Moon Called. Interestingly, I just finished the tenth book in the series and I hated it. The story went downhill now for me. It's very rare for a book series to keep on a good momentum after 10 books ++ (just take a look at BDB) except for few exceptions (look at number 1 and 2 on this list).
Moon Called was about a coyote shifter called Mercedes Thompson, who was a VW mechanic (there were a lot of jokes about this) and she got thrown into an unfortunate situation and it is another urban fantasy! Damn, there are a lot of UF in this list. This time, more diverse paranormal creatures in the UF world. You got werewolves, coyote shifter, vampires, faes, witches, volcano god, golem, goblin... and the list goes on and on.
Let's talk about romance. Everyone loves Mercy. The kind of love triangles-squares?-in this book in the initial series was daunting. Another thing about me that hasn't changed, I don't like a love triangle. I did, however, was so glad that I root for the right guy. But yes, the romance was a bit on the slow side and there was something big and traumatic that happened in the fourth book that almost made me DNF the whole series but I pushed through. So, if you're okay with slow-burn romance (but it picked up quickly after the fourth book) and some trigger warning for traumatic experience, this is the kind of book for you.
What can I tell from this year favourite's romance is that I read a lot of series, which is not surprising. I like spending my time with the same couple throughout the same series. I like to see them grow along with the books and me. Another thing that I realized was how much I love urban fantasy. Again, not something that is surprising. I've loved them ever since I read Ilona Andrews books.
With the remaining eight more weeks in 2019, I'm just gonna take it easy since I've already completed my Goodread's Reading Challenge this year which was 300 books. I'm probably gonna do something experimental this month. Something that would decrease the number of books in my TBR list and at the same time, I'm probably gonna be DNFing a lot of books this month. I just need to update and comb through my TBR books which have been growing exponentially larger as the time goes on.
That is all guys for now. Probably gonna post something book-related at another time. So long, talk to you guys later.
If you didn't follow me or know anything about me, I'm a huge romance book nerd. I devoured romance like nothing else. For someone who doesn't believe in romance anymore (yup, I'm in romance-is-dead phase), I just love reading romance and cheesy non-believable story. Yup. Yup.
Anyhow, let's get on with the list!
1. Magic Triumphs (Kate Daniels #10) by Ilona Andrews
Mercenary Kate Daniels must risk all to protect everything she holds dear in this epic, can't-miss entry in the thrilling #1 New York Times bestselling urban-fantasy series.Kate has come a long way from her origins as a loner taking care of paranormal problems in post-Shift Atlanta. She's made friends and enemies. She's found love and started a family with Curran Lennart, the former Beast Lord. But her magic is too strong for the power players of the world to let her be.
Kate and her father, Roland, currently have an uneasy truce, but when he starts testing her defenses again, she knows that sooner or later a confrontation is inevitable. The Witch Oracle has begun seeing visions of blood, fire, and human bones. And when a mysterious box is delivered to Kate's doorstep, a threat of war from the ancient enemy who nearly destroyed her family, she knows her time is up.
Kate Daniels sees no other choice but to combine forces with the unlikeliest of allies. She knows betrayal is inevitable. She knows she may not survive the coming battle. But she has to try.
For her child. For Atlanta. For the world.
If you don't know this yet, I LOVE AND ADORE ILONA ANDREWS. I love all of their (husband-wife authors combo) books. ALL. Let's backtrack this a little bit and let me tell you how I met Ilona Andrews' work. The first work I'd read from Ilona Andrews was actually from the Hidden Legacy series. Then, I was waiting for the next book from that series when I started Kate Daniels. So, I read all ten of them and read the final book in January 2019. I started 2019 with an end. Which sucks. Really.
If you ever wanted to start on an urban fantasy romance (which now is my most favourite genre), Ilona Andrews are the authors you should have on your auto-buy. Every single world that they created was so colourful, interesting and unique on their own. The one thing that made the world in Kate Daniels so special was the absence of tall buildings. Yup. No one was powerful enough to create tall buildings in that world because magic-or-some-sort would destroy them. That is why Roland was known as the Builder of Towers since he was so powerful.
It was such a bittersweet read really when you found out that your series was coming to an end. I had such a sad month in January.
2. Summoned to the Thirteenth Grave (Charley Davidson #13) by Darynda Jones
It's lucky number thirteen . . . this is the epic finale for our favourite Grim Reaper and her sinfully sexy son-of-the-devil husband, Reyes.Charley Davidson, Grim Reaper extraordinaire, is pissed. She's been kicked off the earthly plane for eternity - which is exactly the amount of time it takes to make a person stark, raving mad. But someone's looking out for her, and she's allowed to return after a mere hundred years in exile. Is it too much to hope for that not much has changed? Apparently it is. Bummer.
She's missed her daughter. She's missed Reyes. She's missed Cookie and Garrett and Uncle Bob. But now that she's back on earth, it's time to put to rest burning questions that need answers. What happened to her mother? How did she really die? Who killed her? And are cupcakes or coffee the best medicine for a broken heart? It all comes to a head in an epic showdown between good and evil in this final smart and hilarious novel.
This was another book series that ended in January. Which was another urban fantasy/paranormal series that I LOVED. You have no idea how I obsessed about Reyes. He was a jerk sometimes, no doubt. The books tried hard sometimes to be edgy and OTT funny, no doubt. But I don't care. I lived for these books unrealistic convoluted plotlines (yup, the whole plot about celestial beings and how they first met, it got convoluted really quickly really fast) BUT I LOVED IT. I binged through the series so quickly that I got whiplashed.
Hence, the emptiness I had in my belly when I finished both Kate Daniels and Charley Davidson in the span of one week. It's funny to remember how simple and uncomplicated things were in the first few books in the series. I missed them!
3. Denial (Careless Whispers #1) by Lisa Renee Jones
Book one in the CARELESS WHISPERS series. This is a standalone spin-off of the INSIDE OUT series (soon to be a TV show) that follows Ella Ferguson, Sara McMillan's best friend.Ella Ferguson awakes alone in Italy, unsure of who she is, and a gorgeous man has claimed her as his own. He’s tall, dark, and sexy, with money and power, the kind of man who makes a girl want to be possessed. And he does possess her, whispering wicked wonderful promises to her, stealing her trust and her heart. Soon though, the past finds her, yanking her from a cocoon of passion and safety. Everything is not how it seems. The truth will shatter her world, but it can set her free, if it doesn't destroy her first
Every time I remember about this series, I kept on hearing that song rewinding in my head again and again. LRJ is another of my favourite contemporary romance author that I adored. Her 'Inside Out' series is still one of my favourite contemporary romance ever and I will forever remember her as someone who introduced romantic suspense to me. This book was, however, related to the Inside Out series. The heroine was the roommate of the heroine in Inside Out and she was missing in Inside Out.
Needless to say, I went into Denial with low expectations since I was in a bad month at that time (I always have bad months, so shoot me) and I fell in love with how at ease I was while I was reading the series. I always knew when I found myself a new favourite, i.e. when the reading got easy and I didn't dread the time I had to go to read. So, yeah. In this book, you got a secret organization, amnesiac girl, secret identities and so much more!
4. Naked in Death (In Death #1) by J.D. Robb
Here is the novel that started it all- the first book in J.D. Robb's number-one New York Times-bestselling In Death series, featuring New York homicide detective Lieutenant Eve Dallas and Roarke.It is the year 2058, and technology now completely rules the world. But New York City Detective Eve Dallas knows that the irresistible impulses of the human heart are still ruled by just one thing: passion.
When a senator's daughter is killed, the secret life of prostitution she'd been leading is revealed. The high-profile case takes Lieutenant Eve Dallas into the rarefied circles of Washington politics and society. Further complicating matters is Eve's growing attraction to Roarke, who is one of the wealthiest and most influential men on the planet, devilishly handsome... and the leading suspect in the investigation.
Excuse me? Did I just really just read J.D. Robb a.k.a. Nora Roberts? What?
Yes. And I loved it. One word. Roarke.
Currently, I've already read eight books out of In Death series (I like to call them Eve Dallas series) and I'm slowly catching up on the series. Mind you, it has 50 books released. 50 BOOKS! At this rate, it would take me years to catch up on the series. But, I'm okay with it. I'm not in a hurry to catch up. I like to soak on them one by one. My goal was to actually read one Eve Dallas book per month which is met. So by my calculation, I will probably catch up to this series in three years and some. THREE YEARS. HAHAHA.
Anyhow, this is a futuristic cop procedural romance that happened in the year 2058. The heroine was Eve Dallas, a New York City detective and it got murders and suspense and a rich billionaire. I would say, to date, Roarke is my top book-husband so far. He's perfect, in every way. Eve and Roarke just complimented each other really really well. Their chemistry was out of the roof-scorching hot but it's the outside bedroom chemistry that made me rooted this couple.
5. Clean Sweep (The Innkeeper Chronicles #1) by Ilona Andrews
On the outside, Dina Demille is the epitome of normal. She runs a quaint Victorian Bed and Breakfast in a small Texas town, owns a Shih Tzu named Beast, and is a perfect neighbor, whose biggest problem should be what to serve her guests for breakfast. But Dina is...different: Her broom is a deadly weapon; her Inn is magic and thinks for itself. Meant to be a lodging for otherworldly visitors, the only permanent guest is a retired Galactic aristocrat who can’t leave the grounds because she’s responsible for the deaths of millions and someone might shoot her on sight. Under the circumstances, "normal" is a bit of a stretch for Dina.And now, something with wicked claws and deepwater teeth has begun to hunt at night....Feeling responsible for her neighbors, Dina decides to get involved. Before long, she has to juggle dealing with the annoyingly attractive, ex-military, new neighbor, Sean Evans—an alpha-strain werewolf—and the equally arresting cosmic vampire soldier, Arland, while trying to keep her inn and its guests safe. But the enemy she’s facing is unlike anything she’s ever encountered. It’s smart, vicious, and lethal, and putting herself between this creature and her neighbors might just cost her everything.
Hey, it's Ilona Andrews' book again! Finished with Kate Daniels, I went on a binge for her other books. I read The Edge series, LOVED IT. I read The Kinsmen Universe, LOVED IT TOO. But The Innkeeper Chronicles, OMG. I love the worldbuilding in this book. I've said it so many times before but among all the worldbuilding that Ilona Andrews, I love the one in Innkeeper the most. Reason? First, I love the diversity in this book. You have so many worlds converging in this book. You got an alien planet filled with celestial beings, savages, vampires and a lot more. Second, the crossover with The Edge. It was like the Avengers! Third, the idea of Innkeeper was so unique and I loved it. It was such a one-of-a-kind ability and I would love to be an innkeeper. I would be a kickass innkeeper!
6. Written in Red (The Others #1) by Anne Bishop
Shape-shifter Simon Wolfgard is reluctant to hire the stranger who inquires about the Human Liaison job. First, he senses she’s keeping a secret, and second, she doesn’t smell like human prey. Yet a stronger instinct propels him to give Meg the job. And when he learns the truth about Meg and that she’s wanted by the government, he’ll have to decide if she’s worth the fight between humans and the Others that will surely follow.
It's another urban fantasy! Following my thirst after the end of Kate Daniels, I went through a time where I sought high and low for good urban fantasy romance. Frustratingly, this book had so small amount of romance that I stopped after the second one. BUT, the worldbuilding was so good that I didn't care. It is memorable for me and hence why it deserved its spot on this list.
So, if you like slow-burn romance with well developed realistic characters and an interesting world with paranormal and magical creatures, then this is the book for you. They got vampires, elemental goddesses, werewolves and other magical creatures. Again, I loved the diversity in paranormal creatures in an urban fantasy romance rather than one focused-creature in a book.
7. Repeat by Kylie Scott
From New York Times bestselling author Kylie Scott comes an irresistible new romance.When a vicious attack leaves 25-year-old Clementine Johns with no memory, she's forced to start over. Now she has to figure out who she was and why she made the choices she did - which includes leaving the supposed love of her life, tattoo artist Ed Larsen, only a month before.
Ed can hardly believe it when his ex shows up at his tattoo parlor with no memory of their past, asking about the breakup that nearly destroyed him. The last thing he needs is more heartache, but he can't seem to let her go again. Should they walk away for good, or does their love deserve a repeat performance?
Woohoo! Kylie Scott! Another favourite contemporary romance author of mine. Play (Mal and Anne's story) is my top ten romance book ever and it was written by her. So, easily I fell in love with this book. It is very rare that I rated a second chance romance 5 stars, especially one that involved an amnesiac girl but I LOVE IT. I hate second chance romance book but OMG I really love Kylie Scott's brand of romance. I also read another book of hers titled 'Lies' this year and I loved it and rated it 5 stars too.
So, to summarise. A second chance romance between an amnesiac girl and a cute hero.
8. Tempt Me at Twilight (The Hathaways #3) by Lisa Kleypas
He was everything she'd sworn to avoid.
Poppy Hathaway loves her unconventional family, though she longs for normalcy. Then fate leads to a meeting with Harry Rutledge, an enigmatic hotel owner and inventor with wealth, power, and a dangerous hidden life. When their flirtation compromises her own reputation, Poppy shocks everyone by accepting his proposal—only to find that her new husband offers his passion, but not his trust.
And she was everything he needed.
Harry was willing to do anything to win Poppy—except to open his heart. All his life, he has held the world at arm’s length…but the sharp, beguiling Poppy demands to be his wife in every way that matters. Still, as desire grows between them, an enemy lurks in the shadows. Now if Harry wants to keep Poppy by his side, he must forge a true union of body and soul, once and for all...
Another fun fact about me, my favourite historical romance author is Lisa Kleypas. Dreaming of You is still my favourite historical romance and it is still uncontended to this date. I am obsessed with Derek Craven. However, we're talking about The Hathaways now.
The Hathaways series is, you can say, a spinoff of The Wallflowers. It is about the Hathaways, a group of siblings that found themselves inherited a fortune from a long distant family. It got five books, centered on five family members. Leo Hathaway's story was my least liked and this book, Poppy's book is my most favourite. Initially, I didn't think I would love Poppy. She was the least interesting sibling out of the rest of the Hathaways. But you know who won me over?
Harry Rutledge. He is the type of hero that I loved in historical romance. Possessive. Devil-may-care attitude. He knows what he wants and he goes and gets it. A bit evil in his manipulations. A redeemable hero in the end.
9. Siren (Siren #1) by Jaimie Roberts
I’m not a good person. In fact, I’m a real bitch. If the opportunity arises, I will take your husband, give him the best sex he’s ever had, and laugh behind your back once I’m done with him. I do not put on airs and graces. I just take what I want whenever I want it.
I am the abused who has become the abuser. I live for power because all power had been stripped from me for years. Now that I have it back, I feed off of it like it’s my primary sustenance, and I don’t care who I hurt in the process.
Every woman hates me, but do you know what? I don’t give a shit.
You won’t like me. I’m not here to be liked. You want to know my story? I won’t stop you from observing. Just know that once I’m done with you, no shower—no matter how scalding—will ever get me out from under your skin.
Warning: If you’re looking for pink, fluffy clouds, rainbows, and HEA’s, then this book is not for you. These pages contain flashback scenes of child abuse in all forms (physical, sexual, and emotional) as well as BDSM and other taboo themes.
Love does not live in this book. Only dark, twisted, and sick obsessions thrive here.
You. Have. Been. Warned!
I don't think that Siren would be a romance book, to be honest. It's more of a story of a woman on a path of vengeance with a lot of dirty hot sex thrown into it. Scarlet is not a heroine you want to root for. She was fucked up and damaged. She was not a good heroine. This is not the story of redemption. Nobody in this book was redeemable.
But was it a good story nonetheless? Yes. Do I want to read the next one? No. For me, with how this book ended (with a cliffhanger), I wanted to imagine what happened next myself. Plus, this book brought out the fucked up side of me too. I can't believe I rooted for Scarlet to be ended up with her rapist. See? Fucked up me.
Anyhow, if you wanted to shake things up and venture yourself out of your normal comfort zone, do try Siren. It would be nice to keep in touch with that devil you have living inside of you once in a while.
10. Moon Called (Mercy Thompson #1) by Patricia Briggs
Mercedes Thompson, aka Mercy, is a talented Volkswagen mechanic living in the Tri-Cities area of Washington. She also happens to be a walker, a magical being with the power to shift into a coyote at will. Mercy's next-door neighbor is a werewolf. Her former boss is a gremlin. And she's fixing a bus for a vampire. This is the world of Mercy Thompson, one that looks a lot like ours but is populated by those things that go bump in the night. And Mercy's connection to those things is about to get her into some serious hot water...
Finally, we ended with Mercy Thompson's first book, Moon Called. Interestingly, I just finished the tenth book in the series and I hated it. The story went downhill now for me. It's very rare for a book series to keep on a good momentum after 10 books ++ (just take a look at BDB) except for few exceptions (look at number 1 and 2 on this list).
Moon Called was about a coyote shifter called Mercedes Thompson, who was a VW mechanic (there were a lot of jokes about this) and she got thrown into an unfortunate situation and it is another urban fantasy! Damn, there are a lot of UF in this list. This time, more diverse paranormal creatures in the UF world. You got werewolves, coyote shifter, vampires, faes, witches, volcano god, golem, goblin... and the list goes on and on.
Let's talk about romance. Everyone loves Mercy. The kind of love triangles-squares?-in this book in the initial series was daunting. Another thing about me that hasn't changed, I don't like a love triangle. I did, however, was so glad that I root for the right guy. But yes, the romance was a bit on the slow side and there was something big and traumatic that happened in the fourth book that almost made me DNF the whole series but I pushed through. So, if you're okay with slow-burn romance (but it picked up quickly after the fourth book) and some trigger warning for traumatic experience, this is the kind of book for you.
What can I tell from this year favourite's romance is that I read a lot of series, which is not surprising. I like spending my time with the same couple throughout the same series. I like to see them grow along with the books and me. Another thing that I realized was how much I love urban fantasy. Again, not something that is surprising. I've loved them ever since I read Ilona Andrews books.
With the remaining eight more weeks in 2019, I'm just gonna take it easy since I've already completed my Goodread's Reading Challenge this year which was 300 books. I'm probably gonna do something experimental this month. Something that would decrease the number of books in my TBR list and at the same time, I'm probably gonna be DNFing a lot of books this month. I just need to update and comb through my TBR books which have been growing exponentially larger as the time goes on.
That is all guys for now. Probably gonna post something book-related at another time. So long, talk to you guys later.
L.
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