Favourite Reads 2016

Readers Together
Jan 5, 2017
10 min read

I read 200 books in 2016, some were new books, others were re-reads and even more were books that I had been introduced to from new authors and sub-genres that I wouldn't necessarily have found by myself. So, for my favourite books of 2016 I've not compiled books that were necessarily published within the year, but books I read. Listed in no particular order.

The Distance by Jeremy & Hilaree Robinson

No end of year reading list would be complete without the inclusion of Jeremy Robinson.

I loved this book, it is fantastic. Jeremy and Hilaree's writing really blends well together. I liked the alternate POVs. This is probably my favourite Robinson book. and I've read almost everything he has written. It has suspense, intrigue and the ability to make you cry. I don't remember the last time a book had me sat on the edge of my seat through most of it and had me questioning what was happening and what was going to happen.

Bishop's Queen by Cristin Harber

This year I also found the lovely Cristin Harber; this woman knows how to tell a good story. When I first picked up an audio book by Ms Harber it was because the eBook was free and the audio was heavily discounted. I knew the narrator; I love his work with Jeremy Robinson and David Wood so thought I'd give it a try. Once I got over my initial shock - 'he put his fingers where now?' I really enjoyed it and wanted more, so I devoured all the books in audio and loved each and every one - romance and action - perfection! My favourite has to be Bishop's Queen. This book grips you from the very first chapter, even though I had guessed what was going to happen, when it did, it was heartbreaking and I was simultaneously cursing and praising Cristin for having me in tears from the get go. From that opening chapter the book just keeps getting better, I had great difficulty putting it down. Each chapter leads seamlessly into the next and leaves you wanting more. A definite case of 'Just one more chapter' leading to reading half the book in one sitting and then only stopping because families need attention. (I'm not saying I threatened my husband for interrupting my reading at a very pivotal moment, however......)

Bishop is a great addition to the Titan Group. He is your typical hot, alpha titan guy but he feels very different, more sensitive maybe. He reminds me a little of Roman. I love Cristin's writing; she has a wonderful talent for blending action and romance. This book is no different, although not as action-packed as some of the other Titan books. It still has enough for all you adrenaline junkies and a sweet romance for all you romantics. I felt this book was very much character driven and I love stories like that. I had several moments of literally laughing out loud, moments of shouting at the characters and lots of swooning moments. I am definitely on #TeamBishop. I loved the #TitanStrong message that is throughout the book. I have to thank Cristin not only for writing such awesome books but for her Team Titan FB group and the many amazing people I have met there, some that I now consider to be close friends.

Tombstone Voodoo by Kent Holloway

When I heard Kent Holloway was releasing a book about pirates I knew it was going to be good, he is always on form with his writing and this didn't disappoint. It is intriguing and fun - two things Kent always delivers on, it is also rather creepy. The research that went into the myths and legends really paid off and that, mixed with Kent's imagination makes for a great combination and happy reading. Once I started I couldn't put it down. It's a pirate story with a twist; what lengths would a father be willing to go to in order to protect his child? I'm looking forward to reading more from Kent in the coming year.

Bounty by Kristen Ashley

When I sat down to select some of my favourite books in 2016, I knew a Kristen Ashley book had to be on the list...but which one? I've listened to all the available audio books this year and all but 2 were new to me, but when I really thought about it, one book stood out more than all the others and that was BOUNTY - the book had it all, a fantastic storyline, Deke was the perfect Alpha Male and Justice was such a strong female character, the things that happen in the book just had be laughing, crying, cheering and maybe a little sobbing....and the music, oh my word, perfect additions that enhance the story. I adored everything about it. It's funny because when I listened to the two books in 2015 that were recommended, I liked them but they didn't hook me, I think part of that is because although I liked them they didn't speak to me. When I decided to go to the RARE book signing in Edinburgh and knew I'd be meeting Ms Ashley and attending her awesome RCR event I turned to a friend that I knew was a huge KA fan and she suggested I read the Rock Chick series....and I fell in love, my favourite things combined:- books, action and music. I just immersed myself in this series and once I started on that Kristen Ashley train I couldn't get off...nor did I want to. So, although Bounty is my favourite, each book gave me something. I am so grateful to my two friends for their recommendations and support through the books and also to Kristen for writing books that suck you in and immerse you in

that world.

For The One by Brenna Aubrey

I also found Brenna Aubrey, courtesy of David Wood this year and I KNOW I should have the first book; At Any Price pictured but I just love For The One so so much that I couldn't leave it off my list. I'm a big geek at heart so this series is perfect for me, the characters touch my soul with their little jokes that only fellow geeks would understand. Each book gets better and better, you can really see the progression Brenna writing goes through. FTO was special and I adored it. You have two amazing characters in William & Jenna; they're both incredibly strong and have overcome steep odds to find each other. The research that went into this book must have been phenomenal; William is autistic and Jenna suffers from PTSD - the way they connect and how the relationship grows just grabbed at my heart, it's a beautiful love story and I am really hoping for more.

Hearts Ablaze by Heather Lyn

I knew nothing about this book until I saw a teaser for it and it grabbed my attention and I knew I wanted to read it. I moved it up my TBR pile and made it my next book. I'm so glad I did, I don't know how I didn't know about it before. Heather Lyn's writing not only draws you into the story but captures your heart. It is an emotionally driven book (have those Kleenex handy folks) and even though I knew a certain part was eventually going to happen, it still crushed me. I liked the humour too, it countered the emotional effects. The characters feel real, as do their reactions to situations. Aubrey and Noah's relationship is sweet. It is hard to believe this is Heather's first book; I look forward to reading many more of her books in the future.

Homeward Bound by Golden Czermak

In 2016 Golden Czermak released his debut book, Homeward Bound. It reads like he has been churning out books for years. I was completely engrossed in the story and the characters. Reading the first 4 books in this series has been an absolute pleasure. I absolutely adore this series and love how Golden can elicit such emotions from his readers. I love the amount of detail in this book, I can visualize everything as I'm reading and once I started, I couldn't stop until I finished the book. Then I screamed at my kindle and demanded more. You can't help but grow to love and hate characters, cry and cheer at certain moments (trying to remain spoiler free here lol), it really is an amazing journey and as a reader, it's often hard to find a series that has it all - action, emotion, enough detail to make you feel immersed in the story, The Journeyman Series has it all and then some, Golden is a remarkable author and I'm so delighted that I was able to find these books, enjoy them and share the love with all of you. If you like paranormal/ supernatural subjects you will love this book. One thing that I really liked about this book was the depth of description, I felt like I was there, that I was living it. Not a lot of writers are able to do that. I cannot wait for the final two books in the series.

Reality Girl: Episode One by Jessica Hildreth

One girl, six months out of her life, spending it with six guys; a month with each, and earning a ton of cash in the process, sounds like a fun idea for a reality show, oh wait? I know I can't be the only person that while reading this book thought this was a show they'd watch...I don't even watch reality TV but it seems like a fun show. Maybe not for poor Lou...but then, maybe she's having the time of her life. You'd have to read Episode One of Reality Girl to find out...because I'm not going to tell you lol. Once I started this book I couldn't put it down, it's a quick read that has you flipping to the next page, and next chapter until you hit the end. I loved the characters, Lou is awesome, I may have a tiny bit of a crush on Franky and well, I was torn between wanting to marry, throat-punch or ball-punch Rhett. The story flows really well and the writing really grabs the reader's attention. I read that this is Jessica Hildreth's first venture into erotic romance and she completely nailed it. It was sweet and sexy and funny as hell, I laughed out loud on a number of occasions. I cannot wait for episode two.

Locke by Harper Sloan

Maddox has been my favourite character throughout the series, I was so happy his book was saved until last and it really did him justice. Throughout the series we've had a little peek into who Maddox is but this book really showed how little we saw, Emmy is a perfect match for him. This is by far my favourite book in the series, it was emotional and heartfelt, gut-wrenching and uplifting. Rather than sleep, I actually stayed up to finish the book because I couldn't put it down.

Ex-Con by Scott Hildreth

This year saw my introduction to Scott Hildreth and I am incredibly grateful for that. His books have captivated me but none more than Ex-Con, I just had to select that as my favourite. Scott never shies away from the difficult topics and I love that about him. I'm in a total book hangover. I LOVED this book, so much so, I'm at a loss for words and that never happens. This story was gritty and heartbreaking and beautiful. The character development was fantastic and I just completely fell in love with Jack & Em. What they went through as a couple, but especially Jack, it just grips the heart and doesn't let go. I think this book is going to stay with me for a long time. Jackson is in my list of book boyfriends (yep, I have a list. Don't judge!). I'm still working my way through Scott's backlog and I am looking forward to meeting even more of his fantastic characters and enjoying the stories he weaves.

Sugar Daddies by Jade West

If you like erotica, you'll love Jade West. She's known as the Queen of Dirty. I honestly don't know anyone better. Sure I've read other books but it seems you either get the excellent storyline and writing or you get the excellent erotic scenes, with Jade you get it all. I have yet to read one of her books that I didn't like, Sugar Daddies is no exception. She pulls you into the story and at times you feel like you are actually there. She always writes the best characters - don't misunderstand me, some of the characters you may not particularly like, but they are well written and every character seems to have a purpose.

I absolutely loved Sugar Daddies. This isn't a typical Sugar Daddies story, this story includes three people; Carl & Rick are a loving couple and they want to pay Katie to join them, however, they have ulterior motives...watching that come to light as the story progressed was captivating. I loved Carl, I want more Carl, and I will totally have his children. I like Rick; I want to hang out with him. Now, Katie I liked but she also annoyed the heck out of me. At times I wanted to give her a big hug and at others I wanted to slap her and tell her to grow the hell up. Weirdly, I liked that I felt that way; it gets boring if you like everything about the book/ characters. The emotional connection the characters shared for each other was believable and sweet and the sex scenes were smokin' hot.

Six by James Crow

If you have a dirty mind, you will love this book. It is filthy, but oh so good. It's a good storyline, with great writing that can't help but draw the reader into the story. Once you start, it's kind of hard to put it back down again. The characters are interesting; especially Emma, Jonathon & Suki. Be prepared for a lot of sex; not everyone is good at writing sex scenes, I'm pleased to report that isn't a problem James Crow has, some might say he is a master! (See what I did there?)

My only real complaint, and it's more of a personal preference than complaint is that something happens in the last chapter that just seemed way too fast for me, I know I'm being super vague about this but I don't want to spoil anything. I am really hoping this isn't the last we've seen of Emma & Jonathon; they are great characters and I'm sure there's much more to their story. Also, let's not forget Suki, that girl needs a book too.