Monday, January 1, 2018

2017 Recap: Deanna's Top 10 reads

Happy New Year 2018

Hello and Happy New Year!!

I hope you had a wonderful New Year's Eve celebration. As usual, it was a quiet one for us. We watched some TV, stayed up a bit to watch the early fireworks and then headed to bed for a cuddle and some reading. We are such fuddy duddies!! :-p

How did you celebrate?

And now, with the New Year, let's do a little 2017 recap shall we? I'm keeping it simple this year. Just the Top 10 reads from myself and Helen. It's been a hectic 2017 and I didn't want to put too much pressure on anyone to produce anything extra and just focus on enjoying the festivities.

To start it off, here's my list of top 10 reads for 2017. You will notice a bit of a pattern here. A lot of favorites and repeat authors. That is not a surprise at all. These authors are consistently 4.5 or 5 star reads for me and this is what I've included in this list. Technically, there are more than 10 but hey, we love books, so that's OK, right? :-) 

Not in any particular order ....

Archangel's Heart by Nalini Singh  Archangel's Viper by Nalini Singh  Silver Silence by Nalini Singh  Cherish Hard by Nalini Singh

Various books by Nalini Singh
Archangel's Heart | Archangel's Viper | Silver Silence | Cherish Hard
I know, I know, that's four books in one. I'm cheating a bit, but y'all, it's Nalini Singh. Everything she writes is magic. There's not much else to say about it. If you haven't read her, you need to. She's one of my favorite romance writers.


Moonshadow by Thea Harrison  Spellbinder by Thea Harrison

Moonshadow series by Thea Harrison
Moonshadow | Spellbinder
Thea Harrison's new series in the Elder Races world is so beautifully written, pumped full of emotion and romance. I fell deeply and breathtakingly in love with all her characters, including the irrepresible Puck. It's such a magical world she's created and I cannot wait till the next book.


The Red Lily by Juliette Cross  The White Lily by Juliette Cross  The Emerald Lily by Juliette Cross

Vampire Blood series by Juliette Cross
The Red Lily | The White Lily | The Emerald Lily
What can I say? It's Juliette Cross. Her, Nalini Singh and Thea Harrison are my top 3 favorite paranormal romance authors. They can write an advertisement for cereal and I will read it. Ms Cross' new Vampire Blood series is sexy, edgy and intriguing. Each book in the series gets better and better. The heroes are swoonworthy and breathtaking. It's a close call between who's more captivating - Nikolai or Freidrich or Mikhail. If you love hot, sexy vampires who will steal your heart and breath, you need to read this series.


The Book of Life by Deborah Harkness

The Book of Life (All Souls Trilogy #3) by Deborah Harkness
The All Souls Trilogy is one of my favorite series. I finally got round to finising the last book in the series. It took some effort since it's such a long book and I needed to set aside time to read it but it was totally worth it. Every word is magical and I loved it. All the threads come together beautifully in this final book. My only gripe is I can't tell whether Diana will live as long as Matthew or if they have varying lifespans by the end of the book. The romantic in me wants them to live together, forever. And did you know there's a TV show coming soon for this series? Isn't that exciting? I can't wait to see how they bring these characters to life on the screen.


When All The Girls Have Gone by Jayne Ann Krentz

When All The Girls Have Gone (Cutler, Sutte & Salinas #1) by Jayne Ann Krentz
Jayne Ann Krentz has been a favorite for a long time and I love almost all of her books. She writes primarly romantic suspense and her characters are well-developed, likable and relatable. I also love how her stories are predominantly dialogue driven so even though they are quite long reads, the pacing is excellent and you don't feel you are reading a long book. In fact, you get to the end of the book and wonder how you got there so fast. Her stories draw you in and keep you reading to the very end.


Seducing Destiny by Amelia Hutchins

Seducing Destiny (The Fae Chronicles #4) by Amelia Hutchins
I've been following Ms Hutchins' Fae Chronicle for a long time and fell behind on my reading. I decided to do a little catching up since a new book was on the horizon. I loved going back into the world of Syn and Ryder. This book made me feel so much, broke my heart, made me cry and then got me all hot and bothered with the sexy scenes.


Flash Fire by Dana Marton

Flash Fire (Civilian Personnel Recovery Unit #2) by Dana Marton
Ms Marton is a new-to-me author for 2017 and I'm glad I discovered her. I love romantic suspense and Ms Marton writes a very suspenseful story. She also gives her characters a fantastic sense of humor that is laugh out loud funny without being out of place or slapstick. The humor brings a touch of lightness to an otherwise serious and tense story. I'll definitely be reading more of her.


Claim & Protect by Rhenna Morgan

Claim & Protect (Men of Haven #3) by Rhenna Morgan
I started The Men of Haven series last year with the first book, Rough & Tumble and immediately fell in love with this group of men. I love what they represent and mean to each other, how they come together as a family of their own choosing, and how they stand by each other in good times and in bad. That said, Trevor holds a special place in my heart because he's just the kind of tender and protective man I love to read about. Everything about him made me swoon. I wanted to grab him and hold him tight.


The Love Experiment by Ainslie Paton

The Love Experiment (Stubborn Hearts #1) by Ainslie Paton

This book took me completely by surprise. I learned about it when author Ainslie Paton posted a picture of the rather unfortunate book cover and was talking about how people might not read the book because of the cover. That would be a mistake. This book was fantastic. It caught my breath and had me turning the pages as fast as I could. I wanted to immerse myself in Derelie and Jack, and I fell madly in love with the both of them. This story has depth, humor and heart. When they say "don't judge a book by its cover" they are talking about The Love Experiment.


Breeder by Cara Bristol

Breeder (Breeder #1) by Cara Bristol
This was a re-release by Ms Bristol this year. She released it with minor edits to the original and I think this is probably one of the best books I've read from her. It's intense, emotional and engaging. Ms Bristol uses Breeder and the subsequent books to shine a light on the plight of women as second class citizens in the backdrop of an alien planet. Through it all, she shows how women deserve to be loved, should be treated as equals to the men in their lives and those around them, and have the same pride and dignity.

And finally, three honorable mentions because both books were excellent and it would be remiss of me to not include them.


Dumb As A Roc by Mina Carter

Dumb As A Roc by Mina Carter
I love Ms Carter for fun, quick reads. What surprised me with this book was it not only entertained me but it also touched my heart and made me cry. Of course, when a book is emotional enough to have me shedding a few tears, it deserves a mention.


The Irredeemable Billionaire by Lexxie Couper

The Irredeemable Billionaire (Muse #3) by Lexxie Couper
I've been reading the Muse series by Lexxie Couper from the beginning and each book gets better and better. This one was fun, sweet and full of depth. I loved Sebastian. He's a rascal and completely unrepentant, but he also strives to be a better man for Grace. Watching Sebastian's transformation was wonderful.


The Sheikh's Convenient Princess by Liz Fielding

The Sheikh's Convenient Princess by Liz Fielding
Liz Fielding writes some of the most romantic books I've read. Every one of her books makes my heart sigh and has me feeling all mushy and romantic. After reading one of her books, I'm definitely wanting hugs and cuddles. There's a warmth to them that has you thinking you've just been wrapped up in a cloudy, velvety blanket and snuggled deep. It doesn't matter which of her books you read. They are all romantic and heartwarming.

Note: not all books were published in 2017 but they were all READ in 2017.

So that's from me for my favorite reads of 2017. What were yours?


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11 comments:

  1. Wow! I'm so glad you enjoyed Breeder!

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  2. Great list there Deanna and there are a couple on your list that I have read and loved as well Liz Fielding's and Ainslie Paton's and I have Lexxie Couper's waiting for me :) So many great books naming the top 10 was really hard for me :)

    Have Fun
    Helen

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    1. I know what you mean. I cheated a little bit and picked a few authors in general for some of them.

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  3. Nice recap, girl! :)

    And Happy New Year dear Deanna! ^_^

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  4. I have book 1 of the Men of Haven series! I'll have to read it soon :) Happy New Year!

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    1. Oh you definitely need to. Those men are sexy as all heck.

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  5. I have only read 1 there. OH, I need to read more of those!

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    1. They are all excellent. Any one of them would be a good read.

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  6. Ah, yes. The Krentz was good. Hope yall are having a nice New Year so far!

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    1. Yep, loving this new Krentz series. Can't wait for the third book.

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