Wednesday 13 December 2017

Top 20 Reads of 2017!

Top 20 Reads of 2017!

As a blogger and an avid romance reader, there are so many books that I thoroughly enjoy, and of approximately 400 books that I read in 2017 these are my top twenty, in no particular order. 












Delayed Call (Assassins #13) by Toni Aleo 

Review

Vaughn Johansson is the Nashville Assassins' star player. He's brash, cocky, and talented. And he isn't afraid to let anyone know it. He lives his life on his own terms, never forming romantic attachments, and only allowing his very closest to see his true, caring self.

Brie Soledad has the weight of the world on her shoulders. As the staff reporter for the Assassins, she balances her high-profile job and its heavy travel schedule with being the sole provider for her adult brother with Down syndrome. Sure, she'd like to find love. But who has time for that when there are bills to pay?

Brie has been the match to Vaughn's gasoline since the day she first held out her microphone to him. They strike sparks off each other, keeping their friends, the team, and the Assassins fans in stitches. Brie’s refusal to fawn over Vaughn sets his teeth on edge and his blood boiling. Especially in that body part... 

Brie's been let down by love before, but she knows she deserves nothing less than real, forever love. Vaughn's past has left deep, hidden scars, and there are some secrets he cannot bear to reveal. As much as Brie wants him, Vaughn may be too big a risk for her wary heart to take. But he is at his best under pressure. When the delayed call is in effect and he has no choice but to score, Vaughn always delivers.





The Cad and The Co-Ed (Rugby #3) by Penny Reid and LH Cosway 

Review

Keeping a secret this big is going to take lots of balls. Specifically, rugby balls. 

THE CAD 
Bryan Leech is a cad. 
Or, he *was* a cad. 
No one is quite certain. 

Once the quintessential playboy, Bryan claims he’s done with wild parties and weekend benders. No more one night stands leading to mornings he can’t remember; no more binges and blackouts; no more exploits plastered all over the tabloids and rag sheets. According to Bryan, he’s cleaning up his act. 

The only problem is, no one believes him. 

THE CO-ED 
Eilish Cassidy never thought she’d be a mother at nineteen or still in college at twenty-four. Cut off from every member of her family except her favorite cousin, she’s finally managed put her life back together. Stronger and wiser, Eilish enters her last semester of university determined to stand on her own. Now she just needs to find an internship. 

The only problem is, her best option—by far—places her directly in the path of her son’s father, and he doesn’t remember her at all. 

THE PLAN 
Bryan is determined to prove he’s changed. Eager to settle down with the right woman, he’s got his sights set on the gorgeous redhead who seems terribly familiar. 

Eilish is determined to hide her secret. She’ll do anything to keep her child safe, even if that means ignoring her own wishes and desires. 

But what happens when Bryan starts to remember? And what will it take for Bryan to convince the girl he forgot that she’s unforgettable?




Out of Love by RC Boldt 

Review

Foster Kavanaugh, former Navy SEAL, knows what it’s like to be the top dog, the man in charge, the one calling the shots. Now that he’s running his own security consulting firm, not much has changed.

Except the curvy blonde he hired as his office manager.
Noelle Davis has been through the damn ringer. Swearing off men after escaping a toxic relationship, she’s grateful for a fresh start—new job included. Except her job isn’t tranquil and calm. In fact, it’s quite the opposite because her boss is the most infuriating man on the planet.

And, not to mention, sexy as hell.
Foster has limits. Rules. No attachments allowed because he doesn’t do love—and Noelle Davis foiled that plan and took a red pen to his list of rules. With her smart mouth and quick witted banter, he found the woman beginning to creep past his defenses.

When circumstances put Noelle in a perilous position, the first person to come to her rescue is none other than Foster Kavanaugh. She gets to see the man in action—not as her aggravating boss, but the man who will stop at nothing to keep her safe.

The same man who makes her want to reconsider her self-imposed embargo of men.

The man she wants to get to know now that she’s seen another side of him.

The man who makes her want…more.

But is more possible when you're OUT OF LOVE?




Switch (Landry Family #3) by Adriana Locke 

Review

Mallory Sims is late for her first day of work.

After spilling her tea, she discovers she has no gas in her car. Add that her arm keeps sticking to her dress from syrup left on the console of her car, flustered feels like an understatement.

Then she sees her new boss.

Graham Landry is the epitome of NSFW in his custom-fit suit, black-rimmed glasses, and a look so stern her libido doesn’t stand a chance. Being flustered is just the start of her problems.

Her punctuality is only the start of his. With a pink slip in hand, he’s been waiting on his new secretary to show up only to let her go. Then she rushes in with her doe eyes and rambling excuses, smelling like bacon and lavender. The termination paper falls to the side as she falls in his arms. 

This is a disaster in the making. Not because of his pinpoint exactness or her free spirit, but because when they’re together, the sparks that fly threaten to burn the whole place down.




Beard In Mind (Winston Brothers #4) by Penny Reid

Review

All's fair in love and auto maintenance.

Beau Winston is the nicest, most accommodating guy in the world. Usually.
Handsome as the devil and twice as charismatic, Beau lives a charmed life as everyone’s favorite Winston Brother. But since his twin decided to leave town, and his other brother hired a stunning human-porcupine hybrid as a replacement mechanic for their auto shop, Beau Winston’s charmed life has gone to hell in a handbasket.

Shelly Sullivan is not nice and is never accommodating. Ever.
She mumbles to herself, but won’t respond when asked a question. She glares at everyone, especially babies. She won’t shake hands with or touch another person, but has no problems cuddling with a dog. And her damn parrot speaks only in curse words.

Beau wants her gone. He wants her out of his auto shop, out of Tennessee, and out of his life.

The only problem is, learning why this porcupine wears her coat of spikes opens a Pandora’s box of complexity—exquisite, tempting, heartbreaking complexity—and Beau Winston soon discovers being nice and accommodating might mean missing out on what matters most.
 




Ride Wild (Raven Riders #3) by Laura Kaye 

Review

Brotherhood. Club. Family.
They live and ride by their own rules.
These are the Raven Riders...


Wild with grief over the death of his wife, Sam “Slider” Evans merely lives for his two sons. Nothing holds his interest anymore—not even riding his bike or his membership in the Raven Riders Motorcycle Club. But that all changes when he hires a new babysitter.

Recently freed from a bad situation by the Ravens, Cora Campbell is determined to bury the past. When Slider offers her a nanny position, she accepts, needing the security and time to figure out what she wants from life. Cora adores his sweet boys, but never expected the red-hot attraction to their brooding, sexy father. If only he would notice her...

Slider does see the beautiful, fun-loving woman he invited into his home. She makes him feel too much, and he both hates it and yearns for it. But when Cora witnesses something she shouldn’t have, the new lives they’ve only just discovered are threatened. Now Slider must claim—and protect—what’s his before it’s too late.




Crank (Gibson Boys #1) by Adriana Locke 

Review

This is one mistake Sienna Landry can’t buy her way out of. 

As Walker Gibson looks at her, then at the damage to his precious truck (that she may or may not have accidentally inflicted), she knows she’s in trouble. It’s not the busted headlight and dented grill that’s sunk her though. It’s the downright sinful man in front of her that’s the problem. 

The small town mechanic is broody. Rough. Smells like engine grease and gasoline and Sienna isn’t sure why that’s so sexy, but it is. It so is. She’s ready to peel off her panties at the drop of his wrench. 

He wants her too. She can feel it when he brushes against her. Experience it as he presses her against the wall of the shop. It’s thinly veiled in his deep, brown eyes when he looks at her like she’s everything he’s ever wanted. So why won’t he give in? 

The damage to Walker’s truck is the first of many mistakes between the two of them, ending with truths that rock Sienna’s world. Nothing can fix her broken heart except the love of a man that won’t, maybe even can’t, love her back. 

Crank is a standalone romance in a new small town, blue-collar series from USA Today bestselling author Adriana Locke. Join readers everywhere as they fall in love with the delicious Gibson Boys.




Fallen Heir (The Royals #4) by Erin Watt 


These Royals will ruin you.

Easton Royal has it all: looks, money, intelligence. His goal in life is to have as much fun as possible. He never thinks about the consequences because he doesn’t have to.

Until Hartley Wright appears, shaking up his easy life. She’s the one girl who’s said no, despite being attracted to him. Easton can’t figure her out and that makes her all the more irresistible.

Hartley doesn’t want him. She says he needs to grow up.

She might be right.

Rivals. Rules. Regrets. For the first time in Easton’s life, wearing a Royal crown isn’t enough. He’s about to learn that the higher you start, the harder you fall.



Logan (Preston Brothers #2) by Jay Mclean 


As a kid, Logan Preston was a brat.
Through his teens, he became the bad boy.
Now, at nineteen, no one knows what the hell to expect.

High school dropout, Logan Preston is a
good-for-nothing stoner.
A black sheep.
A disappointment.
The worst Preston Punk of the lot.
At least that’s how everyone in his small town
makes him feel.
But Logan Preston has secrets.
Secrets so dark and so deep below the surface that the only way he can fight them is to stay high, high, high.
He wears cockiness as a mask.
Arrogance as his armor.
Until one girl, one night, asks one life-changing question:
What's beneath the bravado, Logan Preston?
 



We Own Tonight by Corinne Michaels 


I’m not a one-night stand kind of woman. I’m especially not the woman who has a few drinks at a concert and ends up in bed with my childhood celebrity crush, Eli Walsh. 

However, that’s exactly where I find myself. 

What’s a girl to do after a drunken mistake? Run. I grab my clothes and get away from the powerful, irresistible, and best-sex-of-my-life superstar as fast as I can. His gorgeous green eyes, rock-hard body, and cocky smile have no place in my world. My life is complicated enough.

Someone forgot to tell him that. 

Eli is relentless. Pushing his way into my heart, wearing me down, proving he’s nothing like I assumed, and everything I need. But when my world shatters to pieces, he holds the broken bits together. Unwillingly, I fall desperately in love with him.

He made me think we’d have forever . . . I should’ve listened when he said we could only own tonight.



Becoming A Vincent (The Wild Ones #1) by CM Owens 


When you live in a place where “turbo speed” internet is a slight step above dial-up, men carry on nine-year beard-growing challenges out of stubborn pride, and your brothers do things like nail all your panties to the outside of your cabin just for funsies, you tend to be a little crazy. You can call it a "locational" hazard, if you will.

That’s Tomahawk for you.

We rank people based on just how crazy they are. And the four craziest families in town are called the Wild Ones. 
I’m on the bottom tier of those, so technically I’m not as crazy as the other Wild Ones. In fact, if it wasn’t for my brothers and their endless antics, I wouldn’t be considered a Wild One at all. Ahem. Sure. We’ll go with that.

Anyway, I have a best friend who endures it all with me. Benson Nolans is my one, constant favorite person.
Without him, I’d probably go really crazy, and not the fun kind. It’d be ridiculous, after three years of a flawless friendship, to mess that all up by falling for him.

I mean, even if we did get a little too close one night, it’d be reckless endangerment. Even if we did suddenly feel the chemistry that’s always been there and stop toeing the line, it’d be a foolish risk to take.

It’d be stupid to start hoping a really fun, but completely irrational, night with zero inhibitions might accidentally happen.
Really stupid… 

Right?



Preservation (The Walshes #7) by Kate Canterbary 


Two lonely hearts.
Just once, she'd like to be someone's first choice. 
She's strong-willed and spunky, but she's left picking up the pieces from her ex's lies and manipulations, and daydreaming about taking a scalpel to his scrotum. 

Flying under the radar is what he does best. 
He's laid-back and loyal, but he wants the most off-limits woman in his world, and nothing will ever make that a reality. 

An arrangement of mutual benefit.
Two months, four dates. 
Five, if things go well. 
Five at the most. 
But possibly six. 
Definitely no more than six dates. 
Only the appearance of a romantic relationship is required, and they expect nothing more from their time together. There will be none of those benefits involved.

One wild weekend.
After waking up in bed together—very naked and even more hungover—the terms and conditions of their arrangement no longer apply. Now they're faced with something riskier than exposing their fake relationship: letting go of the past and zipping up the future. 

Some things have to fall apart before they can be put back together.



Tempting Fate (Colorado High Country #4) by Pamela Clare 


A woman with no roots…

Naomi fled the cult-like nightmare of her childhood and learned to rely on one person—herself. Her resourcefulness keeps her alive during a catastrophe in the mountains, but it’s no help at all when it comes to Chaska Belcourt, the sexy EMT who saves her life. Raised to feel shame about her body and sex, she is putty in Chaska’s hands as he strips away her armor, exposing the vulnerable woman beneath, awakening desires in her that she’d been taught to ignore.

A kiss that changes everything…

Chaska Belcourt grew up on the reservation, the son of a hereditary Sun Dance chief. He left all of that behind for a new life in Colorado as an engineer with an aerospace firm and a member of the elite Rocky Mountain Search & Rescue Team. He doesn’t share his sister’s belief that fate led him to find Naomi. But from the first moment their lips touch, he can’t get enough of her. 

A love that transforms…

As the passion between them turns into something more, Chaska is forced to admit that his sister is right. There’s no other way to explain the depth of his feelings for Naomi—or the fact that he and his people might hold the key to unraveling the mysteries of her past. But she will have to learn to trust again before the two of them can find the answers she needs—and claim this once-in-a-lifetime love.



Beard Up (The Dixie Wardens Rejects #6) by Lani Lynn Vale

Review

Ghost [gohst] noun: the soul of a dead person, a disembodied, vague, shadowy spirit wandering among or haunting living persons; a mere shadow or semblance; a trace.

That noun sums up Ghost and what his life has become with painful precision. He is barely living, merely existing but never thriving. There wasn’t much that could pull him from the darkness he willingly inhabits…except one thing. Her.
She is the reason he’s done what he’s done, and his life has become what it has become.

He haunts his former life, lurking in the background, surviving on occasional glimpses of the only thing good that is left in his miserable life. The horror he has inflicted upon her is nothing compared to the terror that waits for her when someone moves in to take her from him.

The thing about being stuck in the past is that it is like walking through life backwards. She is always looking back, so she doesn’t see what is happening in front of her. Unfortunately for her, it turns out that the ghosts of the past aren’t nearly as terrifying as the monsters of the future.

They say that true love is like a ghost, something that many talk about but few have seen. It’s a good thing for that, too, because he’ll need that element of surprise to protect her. Hopefully when the dust settles, he’ll be able to resurrect more than just himself.
 





Until I Fall by Claudia Burgoa 


R doctor, Aspen Zimmerman is no stranger to pain and loss. The tragic death of her fiancé catapults her life into a promise of healing—of being the best damn ER doctor her hospital has ever encountered. After all, it makes her feel like she's making a difference when she couldn't so long ago. And when her most beloved patient suffers horrifically, all Aspen cares about is healing her—even though her son has a special way of igniting a fire she thought fizzled out long ago.


As a private security officer, Anderson Hawkins puts everyone's life before his own. With his mother fighting for her life, Anderson is hellbent on finding a way to save her. On the plus side, he gets to spend his time with a sexy and fiery ER doctor who would do anything for his mother. Though Aspen seems to be pulling back—away from any feelings she may have for him. Now, it's up to Anderson to prove that they can build a future together if they both let go of the past. Can Aspen trust her heart with someone when she already feels "dead on arrival?"
 



Only For You (Sugar Lake #2) by Melissa Foster 


Love only works when your heart is in the right place. Hers could be right next door…
Single mom Bridgette Dalton doesn’t have time to stop and smell the roses—not even in her own flower shop. But that doesn’t mean she hasn’t noticed Bodhi Booker. Her ruggedly handsome next-door neighbor would be the perfect candidate for a no-strings fling. Having loved and lost, Bridgette’s not ready to hand over her heart…but she could use a distraction.
Bodhi has one rule: never leave anyone behind. As a special operative, he knows that each new mission is more dangerous than the last. He’s never made a promise of forever to a woman, not even to the beautiful widow who has him tied in knots. And if there were anyone who could tempt him into putting down roots, it would be Bridgette and her adorable son.
But as his next deployment nears, they make a startling discovery. Their passion, meant only for the here and now, might already be blossoming into something more…


Fear the Beard (Dixie Wardens Rejects #2) by Lani Lynn Vale 

Review

Tally is a twenty-year-old single mother struggling to finish nursing school. Has she made mistakes in life? Sure, but her daughter isn’t one of them. She works hard, she studies even harder, and she’s only a few weeks away from graduating. 
She’s living her life the best she knows how when she witnesses a near miss motorcycle accident between a car and a biker. A biker that happens to be the most talked about teacher at her college. 

The moment she meets those startling blue, narrowly-escaped-death eyes, she realizes quickly that life as she knows it has changed. No longer will she be content to let life pass her by, even if it puts everything she’s worked so hard for in jeopardy. 

*** 

Tommy is a highly skilled doctor. A teacher. A veteran. A fully-patched member of The Dixie Wardens MC. He’s lonely, but also set in his ways. What will it take for this man to accept that he needs to make some changes in his life? Apparently, it’ll take a guy in a truck, who’s preoccupied with his phone rather than focused on the road, nearly plowing into him on his bike at seventy miles per hour. Oh, and a twenty-something year old nursing student witnessing the entire thing from only a few feet away. 

It only takes a second, a single heartbeat in time, as he looks into her worry-filled eyes to realize that he’d give anything for a single night with her. He may lose his job in the process, but after that one incredible night turns into an amazing weekend, he knows it’s worth the risk for the promise of her forever.




Twenty-Two (Assassins #14) by Toni Aleo 

Review

When Lucas Brooks was traded to the Nashville Assassins over a decade ago, he was a brash, brawling hothead without an anchor.

Well, four kids and a smokin' hot wife will weigh you down real fast, but Lucas wouldn't change a minute of his happily ever after. 

During an epic, end-of-season quest for the Cup, changes appear on the horizon, and suddenly, there's a plot twist in Lucas's fairy tale.




Southern Desire (Southern Heart #2) by Kaylee Ryan 

Review

After experiencing heartache and loss, Whitney decides it's time to move on and leave the past behind, while keeping the pain with her. Finding her way to Kentucky to be with family, she's finally settling and feeling some happiness. She meets Aaron and he's slowly showing her how to live again. But, what Aaron doesn't know, is the deep secret she's keeping from him.

Aaron doesn't believe in spending time with women he doesn't see a future with. Love, to him was black and white, until Whitney found her way into his life.

She's his one and he's her strength.

The overshadowing secret plaguing Whitney's mind drives her away, leaving Aaron and everyone she met behind. 

Will Aaron find his way to Whitney again? 

Or was their love something that most people desired and never found?





Hopeful Whispers (Sacred Sinners MC - Texas Chapter #2) by Bink Cummings 

Review

Pregnant- ✔
Single mother of two - ✔
Biker best friend – ✔
Ex that’s still a D-Bag – ✔ ✔

New Years is the time for new beginnings. I thought I’d gotten that when I visited Texas over Thanksgiving. Then again, very little has changed. I’m still a librarian living in the same house. My daughters are growing up fast. Sure, I’ve acquired a new best friend who’s convinced me it’s time to give dating a fair shot. Which isn’t exactly easy when I’m pregnant with an Asshole’s baby. Does that complicate matters? Sorta. But there’s nothing left for me to do except move on. The jagged edges of my shattered heart have been polished. Questions answered, and blank holes from my past plugged. Now I’m ready to take the plunge into uncharted waters, to build a happier life… until a bomb comes along and tests my strength like never before. Nobody fucks with my family and gets away with it. Not even you. 



Other titles that I enjoyed throughout 2017:

Man Hands by Sarina Bowen and Tanya Eby 
Thresholds by Kate Canterbary 
What the Hail by Lani Lynn Vale 
Taming A Maverick by CM Owens 
Endurance by Amy Daws 
Big by L Wilder 
Thank You for Holding by Julia Kent and Elisa Reed
Sweet Rivalry by K Bromberg
Her Dominant SEAL by Caitlyn O'Leary 
Out of the Ashes by RC Boldt 
Put Out by Lani Lynn Vale 
Failing Hours by Sara Ney 
Suddenly Bound by JA Low 
Game Ender by BJ Harvey 
White Knuckles by Autumn Jones Lake 
Too Tempting by Bethany Lopez 
Falling Hard by Pamela Clare 
Wild Ride by Laura Kaye 
Only With Me by Kelly Elliott 
In The Crease by Toni Aleo 
Bullets and Bonfires by Autumn Jones Lake 
Delta: Redemption by Cristin Harber 
Give Me Hell by Kate McCarthy 
The Rivalry by Nikki Sloane 
Bound By Desire by Ryan Michele 
The Catch by K Bromberg 
Martinis and Moonlight by Andrea Johnston 
Lost Love by Kelly Elliott 
Kiss My Boots by Harper Sloan 
Something So Perfect by Natasha Madison 
Drum Line by Stacy Kestwick 
Bountiful by Sarina Bowen 
Hate to Love You by Tijan 
Cuffed by K Bromberg 
Pitch Please by Lani Lynn Vale 
Keeper by Amy Daws 
My Kinda Song by Lacey Black 
Temporary by Sarina Bowen and Sarah Mayberry 
Beyond Reckless by Autumn Jones Lake 
The Learning Hours by Sara Ney 
Holding Onto Forever by Heidi McLaughlin 
Im only here for the beard by Lani Lynn Vale 
Inked Expressions by Carrie Ann Ryan 
The Farthest Edge by K Bromberg 
My Kinda Night by Lacey Black 
When Angels Seek Chaos by Addison Jane 
Noah by Cristin Harber 
Hooking Up by Helena Hunting 
Skylar by Addison Jane 
One Shot by BJ Harvey 
Saber's Vida by L Ann Marie
Cherish Hard by Nailini Singh 
For The Love of Beard by Lani Lynn Vale
Two Man Advantage by Toni Aleo 
Beyond Reason by Autumn Jones Lake 
Miss Fix-It by Emma Hart 
Alpha Mail by Brenda Rothert 
All that I am by Rachel Brookes 
Love Profound Kelly Elliott 
Bound By Family Ryan Michele 
Her Mother's Secret by Natasha Lester