Well another year has come to an end and I am back to trying to figure out what books are my top reads for the last 6 months. It was crazy hard to figure this out like most of the time time but here goes……
If you want a refresher on what my top books from January to June for 2019 are you can go HERE and see them. The hashtags I used are the following : #NewToMeAuthors #AntiHero #Paranormal #Shifters #RH #Wolves #Dark #Contemporary #Series #Comedy #Over30Romance #Apocalypse #Zombie #Dystopian
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Here goes my top reads from July to December 2019….and most are #WOTR20 authors.
If you are looking for an awesome line up of authors and you are near Peoria, IL on July 18th, check out Writersontheriver.com
We have tickets available and the line up is out of this world!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When You Were Mine by Cindy Tanner (#WOTR20 Author)
One letter a week. Care packages optional. Adopting a Marine seemed like the perfect extra credit project.
Harper Evans never expected to fall in love with the Marine she adopted. She never expected to meet him in person but a surprise gave her the chance to claim who she wanted. Then life proved it can break your heart a million different ways.
Asher Williams fought for his father and country, but he will fight hardest for the woman that stole his heart. Harper may have changed her mind about the life they planned together, but Asher wants it enough for them both.
Will he still feel that way when he learns it all?
Amazon Buy Link Here
I purchased this book.
I met this author at a book convention this summer. She was a friend of a few friends so of course I had to buy the book when it releases. She was super sweet and friendly to boot, so my inner blogger was all about helping this chick out.
I read the blurb and thought “Oh this sounds like a sweet romance” and what I got was like WHAT!!!! I mean the twists and turns and darkness SHOCKED ME…….and I loved it. Guess that is what I get for making an assumption right???
The blurb is about a couple exchanging letters and the title “When You Were Mine” makes you think of a 2nd chance love story WHICH is true buuuut the rest is totally not what you expect. I will admit because I went in thinking one way, I was a bit thrown off at the beginning. Asher getting a Dear John letter….what?? I was a little confused and thought it was choppy but once the story got going and I realized it was ME who was wrong, the beginning makes total sense.
Harper has been through some stuff. She is broken both mind and body. She is walled off and walked away from Asher because she doesn’t feel worthy anymore. She has her dad’s shop and her drag race strip so nothing matters any more. She will live a content life with her bestie, Nona, and maybe find love but not passion with her other bestie, Ran.
Asher is not going to let Harper go. He has no idea everything she has been through or to the extent of what she has been through, but he remembers the hopes and dreams they had. He is bound and determined to get his women back.
Along the way we see Harper pushing Asher away, making some not so great choices and then dealing with her past that seems to haunt her daily. We see Asher reaffirming his love and devotion to his women along with doing all he can to protect her.
I think the book was written great and I look forward to reading more. I kinda hope she revisits these characters because Nona and Ran need an HEA!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jason, Love in Scrubs Book 2 by AJ Renee (#WOTR20 Author)
From the author of the St. Fleur series comes a fun tale of finding love in the most unexpected place.
Being stood up for a first date was the last thing on Ava King’s mind. Yet Mr. Wrong opened the door to Mr. Sexy, who’s already sitting next to her at the bar. One drink becomes two, and going against her own code, she goes home with the charming stranger.
Waking in Jason’s foreign bed sends her into a panic, and she escapes before any morning-after awkwardness can ensue.
Can fate bring them together again to see if their chemistry transcends one steamy night of passion?
Amazon Buy Link Here
I purchased this book.
Dude! A Silver Fox!!??? YES PLEASE!!! A Book Nerd!!?? HELL YES!!
I have to say I was hooked on Jason from his first scene in the book. Hottie older man flirting and hitting on a woman at the bar. His opening line to Ava had me in stitches!!!
Ava is stood up on a date but flirting and going home with Jason was a lot more then she expected when she woke up the following morning. When she runs into him again……OMG I was dead!! I mean Hell!! That was a perfect way for these two characters to re-connect!!
Jason has been burned by love but is still hopeful that he will find an HEA of his own. Even with his busy lob and caring for him ailing mom, he still believes there is someone out there for him. He is a dreamy sigh kinda guy ladies!!
Ava is a sweet girl who wants love but has walled her heart off for fear of being hurt. He opening to Jason is a huge deal.
When the two reconnect and begin to date, we see them both struggle to keep their emotion in check. He is afraid too much too soon will fun her off and she is afraid of too much too soon will lose him. They are such a great story. The epilogue is a favorite of mine and I would so love to read more from these two because the ending scene could be fun stuff to read them navigating together!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Wyatt : Discovering His MAte , Black Mountain
Pack Series Book 4 by Miranda Lynn (#WOTR20 Attending Author #5YearFamily)
Can the love between the last dragon shifter and a human save the world from a magical war? Wyatt had given up on love. As the last dragon shifter, he’s resigned to a lonely existence and the fact he’ll never find a mate. Protecting humans and fellow shifters from a rogue warlock faction will have to be enough. Natalie has always wanted more out of life. Being her mother’s caretaker in a small town with too many secrets isn’t the kind of glory her dreams have promised. That’s why she lives vicariously through her best friend — the daughter of a prominent warlock. That is until she meets a brooding and mysterious shifter destined to change everything. The last thing Wyatt wants is to put his mate in danger. Natalie never thought she’d have to betray her best friend. But if they want to prevent a war that could destroy their world, they’ll have to risk their love and their lives or watch everything they know and love burn to ash.
Amazon Buy Link
I received this book from the author for an honest review.
GAH!!! Wyatt has totally been someone I was lookin’ forward to reading since we were introduced to him. I mean HELLO DRAGON SHIFTER!!! Yes please!!!
The one thing I want anyone to know about this book is the FEELINGS you will get while reading. Wyatt is so afraid to HOPE for a mate. He is beyond numb to the Goddess giving him a mate since he is the LAST Pure Blood Dragon shifter in the world. He has just thrown himself into helping his friends and packs. He is over wanting and wishing and just realized he will be alone until his dragon loses his mind, at which point, he will be “put down”. You can FEEL his loneliness in the story.
When the Goddess grants Wyatt his mate you can actually feel his anger and frustration at this gift of a mate. He is so scared because any mate of his will be a target. You can feel his fear and watch him push away this precious gift!!
Natalie, friends, she is AWESOME!! I mean she is sweet but strong. She is kind but fierce. She will NOT be just a wallflower anymore to her friends. She is starting to realize after being told she is fated to mate a dragon; she needs to be strong and confident. A dragon needs a strong mate not a weak woman.
Again, friends….the anxiety of these two was so heavy!! GAH the push and pull and the almost kisses were driving me CRAZY!! I was like JUST FREAKING KISS AND CLAIM HER WYATT!!!!!!
I can’t say enough about the story because it was probably my favorite story so far in the series and that is saying a lot because I am pretty sure Mack, my baby daddy, is not going to like hearing this news!!!
Seriously, if you enjoy angst, heart, more angst and just all out amazing chemistry, THIS IS A GREAT story for you. Its also a great introduction to the amazing world Miranda has built with the Black Mountain Pack.
Side note: If Stephen doesn’t get a book next, I will cry. His character was so much fun to read!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Death Do Us Part, The Gods of DC Book 4 by Tricia Andersen (#WOTR20 Author)
Hades and Persephone share a love that is known by millions over thousands of years. But even the greatest of love affairs can hit rocky ground. Zeus forces them apart, banishing Hades into the deepest, darkest parts of Tartarus and into the hands of Hades’s father, Cronus. If that isn’t enough, the king of the Greek gods tears Persephone away from her mother, Demeter, promising to find her a more suitable husband.
The rest of the family races to find a way to bring Hades home and reunite the lovers before a deity ends up dead. But when the mysterious tears in reality show their true purpose, will any of them survive?
Amazon Buy Link
I received this book from the author for an honest review.
*Clapping* I was so excited when I saw this book was going to be about Hades and Persephone. I mean anyone who loves Mythology knows their crazy love story. Being kidnapped with the help of her father, Zeus, to be with Hades and then then finding love though it all. The two have managed to make their love work through all the ages.
Zeus got his feelings all butt hurt lately and finally was denied by his family so he does the one thing to hurt his daughter, his love Demeter, and his own brother….he annulled their marriage and sends Hades back to dear ol’ dad Cronus. YIKES!! Not a good place to be!!
This book was awesome. I loved seeing the family of Gods and Demi-Gods circling their wagons and looking to rescue Hades plus also looking to stiff Zeus. Dude he is really going crazy. Just because you and your siblings overthrew your parents doesn’t mean your family on Earth is trying to do it to you!! Get over yourself already!!
Seeing the love Persephone and Hades have but also seeing the other couples developing more love and respect was amazing. I think Freddy, Juliet, and Mack stole the book. These Demi-Gods stepped up and did everything for their new family and loved ones.
I cannot wait for the next installment of the series. I am looking forward to seeing how the family reacts to dear ol’ Zeus wanting to join in the ranks after all the shenanigans he has pulled over the last few months…hell centuries!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lethal Balance, Sons of the Survivalist book 2 by Cherise Sinclair
His name means hunter.
Once the best assassin in black ops, Cazador is now the best at saving lives. His path has changed from seeking bloody vengeance to running a health clinic in Rescue, Alaska.
He will never again risk loving someone he can’t protect.
His mother and sister were murdered in front of him, his fiancée slaughtered in a war zone. Despite his popularity with women, he’s determined to remain unattached. His heart can bear no more loss.
Unfortunately, the universe isn’t listening.
First, his brother hires JJ, a fiery-haired, tough cop who lives on the edge of danger and has the biggest heart of anyone he knows. And then, his disreputable past returns in the shape of an adorable, foul-mouthed nine-year-old daughter. Now he has two loved ones to protect. An impossible task, because…
Life is dangerous. Especially in Alaska.
Amazon Buy Link
I received this book from the author for an honest review.
Oh these boys!! I am so in love with this series!! I mean each brother I fall for but I think broken Hawk is going to win my heart I the end.
Caz is such a great character. He is so full of love, but he will not fall in love. He will love and care for those in his family IE Gabe, Audrey, Lillian, etc but he will not let his heart fall in love again. The loss of his fiancée is too much for him to endure again.
JJ has had it with men. They are all liars and nasty POS. When she finally leaves her job to try the wilds of Alaska with a shove from a good friend, she soon learns this town is everything she wants but love will not be something she will even consider…until she sees a tall dark drink of water who is also the town whore annnnnd her bosses brother!! Life is suddenly complicated for the two. The chemistry is amazing but when Caz get a phone call that changes his life for the better, they really slow down to regroup. Caz needs to focus on his daughter and slowly sees he needs to focus on JJ as well. This woman has become just as important as his newfound daughter.
I love how the couple fight the push and pull. I love how Caz humors JJ into thinking its just a friends with benefits knowing at some point she will realize he is not leaving her any time soon. I loved the complex nature of the relationship the three of them have. JJ and Regan are both so unsure of where they fit in Caz life which in turn causes some drama for him to untangle.
This has been one of my favorite books this year!! I can’t wait for more!!
Book #1
Book #2
Book #3
Book #4
Book #5
Book #6