2020 Favorite Reads (Part I)

 2020 - what a strange year! I started a new job in August 2019, and was just feeling like I was getting into the groove of it when the new year started. And then - BAM! A pandemic. States started trying to close non-essential businesses, and no one was sure what was going on. Warehouses that had closed for the holidays decided to stay closed a bit longer. And then at the end of March, my company furloughed the entire office for two weeks - which turned into two months - and four months - and now I've been furloughed nearly all of 2020. 

There have definitely been struggles with this, but I'm feeling SO BLESSED. To have (*prays*) stayed healthy so far other than my hip flare ups. To have been able to spend time with my family every week. And, the important part as far as this blog is concerned - SO MANY GREAT READS!!! 

I'm starting Post 1 on December 1st, and hoping to give you a few posts through the month, to give you a recap of some of my favorite reads this year. I'll highlight some new-to-me authors, some excellent covers, stories that made me FEEL - joy, pain, but most importantly love. : ) 

Let's get started!!

Susan Stoker, Aurora Rose Reynolds, Devney Perry, and Winter Travers have been favorites for several years. Automatic pre-order! They each usually put out several books a year, and I'm always chomping at the bit for new ones. They're also fabulous for re-reading!! 

Darlene Tallman was a new-to-me author this year, and Poseidon's Lady started my journey to binge reading a lot of her backlist! Her MC books have a lot of heart & sense of family that makes me happy. 

Joy Blood is another new-to-me author this year, and I really enjoyed Brood & Show. Her MC books are a little darker/violent than I normally go for, so I haven't gotten into her backlist, but do want to continue w/ this series. : ) 

Sara Ney - I've been following her on Instagram for a couple years. She, Amy Daws, & Meghan Quinn did this quirky little "crash a wedding" thing & they were all SO MUCH FUN to watch, I had to follow. She has a few series that aren't really my cup of tea for one reason or another, but her latest series is a favorite. Hard Fall is my favorite of the 3 currently out, and I'm looking forward to he next installment in 2021! 

Smitten by Lauren Rowe! This book is swoony goodness & is a definite reread! The banter in this story was off the charts, and the whole read made me happy! 

Have you read any out of this group? I'd love to know your thoughts - or some of your top 2020 reads! 

TTFN!

: ) 

Depends On Who's Asking by Lani Lynn Vale

 This is the finale of the SWAT 2.0 series & it was a fun, fantastic read!!

I've loved the whole series, although I admit some of them made me want to punch the characters a bit (& I'm not really violent. Or know how to punch properly...LOL)! I just love the writing & connections & LOVE & HEAs. : )  

(I apologize for the pictures below - technical difficulties, so I'm just using screen shots of my LLV shelf on my Kindle! LOL) 

My Review: 

Ah, the mysterious Saint! His & Carolina's story was a great way to end this series! I loved their interactions & how well they "got" each other. 

It was also fun to see everyone together for the Christmas White Elephant exchange. Shenanigans, of course, ensued! ; ) 

Sweet, steamy, intriguing - I enjoyed this one a lot!! 

: )

Have you read this series? Or LLV in general?

Let me know your thoughts! 

TTFN!

: ) 

Love To Hate You by Jessica Prince

 YES!

It's that time - time for new words from Jessica Prince! Y'all know this is another favorite author & this series is one of the best small town full of Alphas & strong heroines series! ; ) 

My Review: 

Cheers to Micah & Hayden! This was a fantastic & enjoyable story from page 1. I really loved both our main characters - and Ivy, and Sylvia. Micah is alpha, growly goodness - once he stakes his claim, look out! Things move fast! And Hayden ... she doesn't just let Micah railroad her. She has lots of sass which she has inherited from her great aunt, and passed down to her daughter. Ivy & Sylvia are a RIOT! Ivy's got a little bit of hustler in her. *grin*

We get to catch up w/ the Hope Valley crew. We get to laugh & gasp & tear up & did I mention laugh? I love the friendships Hayden forms w/ the other women in this community. 

There's a bit of drama, some steam, and all of the beautiful writing that makes Hope Valley a place I hope we get to visit over & over again well into the future!!

: )

Link to KU! 

Also, I'd like to take a minute & admire the covers for this series. Each one is awesome, and I love how cohesively they go together. Thumbs up to the cover designer!

Out Of My League: mybook.to/OutOfMyLeague

Come Back Home Again: mybook.to/ComeBackHomeAgain

The Best of Me: mybook.to/TheBestofMe

Wrong Side of the Tracks: mybook.to/WrongSideOfTheTracks

Stay With Me: viewbook.at/StayWithMe

Out of the Darkness: mybook.to/OutOfTheDarknessJP

The Second Time Around: mybook.to/SecondTimeAround

Waiting for Forever: mybook.to/WaitingForForever

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Thanks to Love Affair With Fiction for the graphics!! 

Have you read the series yet?

Let me know what you think! 

TTFN

: ) 

Nobody Knows by Lani Lynn Vale

 Y'all!

I am SUPER excited to gush about this story! 

LLV is one of my favorite, binge-worthy authors. I was a little late to the game - I was blessed to meet her at a signing, but hadn't really READ anything by her at that time. So I didn't quite gush as much as I will if/when I'm ever blessed to do so again. (Will we get to have signings in 2021?!?! I'm hopeful!) So, it was even some time after THAT that I read Boomtown, and then binged ... and binged ... For a while, every time I got a giftcard for Amazon, I bought as many of her books as I could. And, more than once, I bought myself a GC to use because I needed more of her worlds! 

And now she's an automatic pre-order for me. :D  

So! This story! 

My Review: 

Whew! I LOVE Malachi & Sierra! Their story starts out as pen pals, and each chapter starts out w/ a letter to one or the other, which I adored. This is a slow burn w/ lots of interesting twists & a sense of rightness w/ these two. There are also quite a few family moments, LOLs, and some emotional punches that worked well in the story line. 

One of my favorites!! 

: ) 

Links: 

Amazon US ➜ https://amzn.to/2IQ7pSB

Amazon Int. ➜ https://geni.us/unfq

Apple ➜ https://apple.co/2IX03wV

Nook ➜ https://bit.ly/31upX1m

Kobo ➜ https://bit.ly/35pGB38

Add to Goodreads ➜ https://bit.ly/2Tg1usc

What about you? 

Have you read any by this author? 

What did you think?

I'd love to hear your thoughts!! 

TTFN!

: ) 

Dash by Shae Scott - New Release!

 I'm a little bit late, but Shae Scott has a fabulous new release!!

I really enjoyed the last half especially, and am looking forward to the other books in the series!

All these Berkshire Boys have a story to tell! 

Dash is a best friend's girl story - but there's a twist, of sorts. 

My Review:

Dash is swoony & funny & romantic & steamy & a well rounded emotional romance that is a great start to this new series!!

The story starts out with heartbreak - grab tissues. I probably shouldn't have started the story on Halloween, because it's the anniversary of my dad's death, and reading the prologue of this story ... I wasn't really emotionally ready. It made it difficult for me to get into the tone of the first half of the story, with Aria & Dash. That's not the story's fault, tho! It's well written & well paced. Just, my advice, don't start it on an already emotional day!  : ) 

Okay! SO! Dash & Aria start out as friends - he's trying to help her jump back into the dating pool, but not get splashed by the DBs! LOL As they spend time together, having Bachelor nights & searching dating sites for the right guy for her, things start to shift. And then there's the tequila, doing what tequila does best... *grin* 

There are lots of text conversations that give LOL moments. There's the family connection w/ the guys - Carter, Drew & Silas. I love these guys & the way they continue to look after Aria after their loss. I didn't so much love Silas for a little bit there, but he totally redeemed himself! 

I should stop now, as this review is getting long & is basically just gushing over the swoon. I highly recommend this story for the emotion, the banter, the humor, the romance, and because Dash the playboy becomes Dash the swoony boyfriend & I loved that transformation! 

: ) 

It's also in Kindle Unlimited! Click the link to take you right there! 

Have you read Shae? I'd love to hear what you think!

TTFN!

: ) 

Take A Number by Amy Daws

 Are you ready for a new Kindle Unlimited read?

A romantic comedy?

Steaaaaaam?

Amy Daws is one of my favorite authors to follow in Instagram. I discovered her when she, Meghan Quinn, & Sara Ney kept having shenanigans together & ... I think they crashed a wedding in Texas? Anyway, through that, I was following Amy when she started writing, incognito, at her local tire shop. She'd had a bit of writer's block & lo & behold, her magic returned at this complimentary smorgasboard of coffee & treats while waiting for oil changes & such. 

This adventure turned into inspiration for a story - Wait With Me - it exploded all over social media, local news channels, national news channels... And an entire waiting room series was born. I LOVE it!! 

The latest installment, Take A Number, is about a bakery owner & the silent investor who ... well, check it out & see what ensues! You'll definitely get some good laughs!! : ) 

My Review:

Dean & Norah's story is sweet like a croinut and spicy like a jalepeno popper. Okay, it's probably actually a bit spicier than that, since the cream cheese really cuts down on the ... ya know what? You don't care about my snacking preferences. Okay! Back to Dean & Norah! : ) 

I enjoyed their halting friendship. Neither was quite sure that's what they had, but they got to know each other as they navigated their fake dating relationship. They grew a friendship, added some benefits, and realized they didn't want it to be fake any more. The only things I didn't really like there were how Dean reacted to Norah's suggestion they make it real & the length of their SOB (seemingly obligatory breakup). 

But the final leg to their HEA... SWOON! And there are LOTS of LOL moments to enjoy, not only between them, but with Kate & Lynsey, too. I love the dynamic of their friendships w/ Dean! 

So, a very enjoyable read & great addition to this series! 

: )  

It's available in KU, so you can click here & get it!

Let me know what you think! And if you've read the other stories or about Amy's adventures at Tires Tires Tires!  : ) 

TTFN!

: ) 

Bittersweet by Jessica Prince

 Another FANTASTIC, emotional story from Jessica Prince! 

I'm definitely a fan of her work. ;)  

My Review:

Jensen & Shane have such a beautiful, and yes, bittersweet, story! Their connection from the beginning when they were teens is sparky & fun, even as there's heaviness there. The reasons for their separation are heartbreaking. Their reconnection is wonderful! 

And Brantley is A CARD! He is the perfect adorable bit of humor in this story. "I'm okay!" LOL 

I normally don't enjoy back & forth past/present stories as much. In general, this style annoys me. Thankfully, this one is written SO WELL I wasn't annoyed. I was sucked into the story. I was intrigued. And at times, I was teary. This story hit all the perfect points of enjoyment - family, friends, steam, suspense, emotion, laughter, tears, and an absolutely fantastic HEA! 

Another 10+ star read from one of my favorite story tellers!! 

: )

Links (Kindle Unlimited!!):

Amazon US: https://amzn.to/2RHEilM

Amazon Worldwide: http://viewbook.at/Bittersweet

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Add to your TBR: https://smarturl.it/BittersweetGR

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Have you read this series yet?

What'd you think?

Are you in love w/ the writing & the characters like I am?? 

Before all this virus stuff, I was supposed to get to meet Jessica at a signing. 

I miss signings. 

I hope we're able to have the ones next year that have been rescheduled. 

TTFN!!

: )