2018: My Year in Books

I meant to write this post a few weeks ago, but better late than never, I suppose!  Anyway, each year, I participate in the Goodreads Reading Challenge and set a goal for how many books I want to read by the end of that year.  I try to be ambitious, but realistic, in setting my goal, which has unfortunately forced me to lower my expectations the last couple of years as life and work have gotten busier.  My goal for 2018 was to read 80 books, but somehow or another, I managed to read 137.  I'm still not sure where I found the time (probably when I was supposed to be sleeping...), but I have to admit that I am quite proud of myself!

Looking back over all of the books I read in 2018, there were several that stood out to me as favorites.  I've posted reviews of some, but not all, of these books previously.  (Note that these books weren't necessarily published in 2018, but since I read them in 2018, I chose to include them here.)

In no particular order, here are some of my favorite books (and authors) of 2018. 

Favorite Historical Romance: This was a difficult choice because so many of my favorite historical romance authors released really good books in 2018 (Tessa Dare, Julia Quinn, Lisa Kleypas, and Grace Burrowes, to name a few).  In the end, I think it's a tie between "Too Wilde to Wed" and "Born to be Wilde" by Eloisa James.  I've really been enjoying the Wildes of Lindow Castle series so far and look forward to book 4 coming in June 2019.

Favorite Contemporary Romance: This was another tough choice because I read some great contemporaries in 2018, and discovered some new-to-me authors that quickly became favorites (see below).  However, my overall favorite contemporary was "The First Time at Firelight Falls" by an author I have admired for many years, Julie Anne Long.  I first discovered Ms. Long through her historical romances, particularly the Pennyroyal Green series, but her contemporary Hellcat Canyon series has also been excellent.  I'm looking forward to Ms. Long's return to historical romance in February 2019, but I hope that we haven't seen the last of Hellcat Canyon yet.

Favorite Comedic Romance: I've always enjoyed romantic comedies, but I read even more of them than usual in 2018.  While there were quite a few I rated highly, my absolute favorite of the bunch was "The Simple Life" by Tara Sivec.  I love Ms. Sivec's inappropriate sense of humor and ability to deliver emotionally charged stories featuring characters that seem incredibly true to life.  Honorable mentions in this category go to Ms. Sivec's Naughty Princess Club series, which starts with "At the Stroke of Midnight," and Karina Halle's "Nothing Personal." (The antics of the chicken in this story made me laugh so hard I almost fell out of my chair!)

Favorite Royalty-Themed Romance: I was on a bit of a royalty kick in 2018, and thanks in large part to Prince Harry's wedding to Meghan Markle, there was no shortage of books with this theme to choose from.  My favorite was "A Nordic King" by Karina Halle, mainly because it felt like I had to wait FOREVER for King Aksel's story after getting to know him in the earlier books in the series, but an honorable mention goes to "The Royal Treatment" by Melanie Summers because it (and its sequels) were just so darn cute and funny.

Favorite Holiday-Themed Romance Book/Anthology: I'm usually a sucker for a holiday-themed story, but most of the ones I read in 2018 fell flat for me.  The exception was "How the Dukes Stole Christmas" by Tessa Dare, Sarah MacLean, Sophie Jordan, and Joanna Shupe.  These ladies know how to write a good story! 

Favorite New-to-Me Author: This is one of the few categories where the answer was easy for me: Susannah Nix was my favorite new-to-me author of 2018.  I read all three books of Ms. Nix's Chemistry Lessons series, which starts with "Remedial Rocket Science," in under a week.  An honorable mention in this category goes to Mariana Zapata, who is a master of the slow burn romance.  "The Wall of Winnipeg and Me" and "Wait for It" were both incredible books that I had a hard time putting down.  I look forward to reading more of both authors' work in 2019!

Favorite Non-Romance Book: I don't read a lot of non-romance books (though I do sometimes enjoy a good mystery/thriller or young adult novel), so I didn't have a lot to choose from in this category in 2018.  That said, I did enjoy "Luckiest Girl Alive" by Jessica Knoll.  The book has very mixed reviews on Goodreads and Amazon, and I can understand why.  It tackles serious subjects and the main character does not always come across as very likeable or trustworthy. 

 

The above titles are but a small sampling of the books I enjoyed in 2018.  What were some of your favorites?  Let me know in the comments if there's a book you particularly enjoyed in 2018 that's not listed above - maybe it will end up on my "favorites of 2019" list! 

Review: Whiskey Chick

Whiskey Chick by Ryan Ringbloom
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I liked this book more than the first one in the series, but even so, "Whiskey Chick" felt very short and the characters seemed underdeveloped to me. Remi (the female lead) kept saying how surprised she was that her friend Jenn set her up with her brother Henry when she had so much more in common with Jenn's other brother Adam (the male lead), but I still haven't figured out exactly what those commonalities are. I don't feel like I learned much about Adam at all. I don't remember his job ever being mentioned, and I'm pretty sure the first time I heard his last name was in the final chapter. Basically, the only two things I remember about Adam are that he likes to ride carnival rides and that he spends his free time at the gym. As for Remi, we know that she's a twin, is in school to become a cosmetologist, has a reputation for being "unfiltered," and also likes carnival rides. So I guess there's one thing they have in common after all!

On the bright side, there were definitely some LOL moments in this book. For example, I enjoyed the striptease scene very much and couldn't help laughing at the idea of Adam's relatives wondering what was going on in his room when they saw that.

Overall, reading "Whiskey Chick" was an OK way to pass a couple of hours on a snowy afternoon, but I doubt I will continue with the series or seek out any more of Ringbloom's books in the future. I love romantic comedies, but I need more character development in order to really enjoy them.

*ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: Whiskey D*ck

Whiskey D*ck by Ryan Ringbloom
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I wanted to like this book more than I did. In the end, it was just too short and the story felt too rushed to me. It seemed like Jax and Paisley went from hating each other one minute to being in love the next and there was no in between.

I didn't feel like I got to know either of the main characters very well, and what I did learn about them wasn't particularly noteworthy or likeable. Neither Jax nor Paisley's characters seemed to be especially well developed.  We knew the basics about their jobs and families, that they were both afraid of flying, and that they both liked watching TV, but that is pretty much everything.  Other than that they were both hot, of course. Besides the physical, what was there to attract them to each other?  You need more than sex to sustain a relationship over the long term!

*ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: Twelve Days of Christmas

Twelve Days of Christmas by Debbie Macomber
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I always used to enjoy Debbie Macomber's holiday stories, but the last few I've read have been a miss for me. Fortunately, "Twelve Days of Christmas" reminded me of Macomber's classics of years past. It was a cute, sweet holiday romance with likeable characters and a nice message regarding the impact of kindness on those around us.

I totally agree with the other reviewers who have likened this story to a Hallmark movie - it definitely has that light, frothy quality to it. Bottom line: if you're looking for a really deep, thought-provoking read, keep looking. But if you're looking for something short and sweet to get you in a holiday mood or while away a rainy afternoon with a cup of tea, this book is for you.

*ARC provided by the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: Once Ghosted, Twice Shy

Once Ghosted, Twice Shy by Alyssa Cole
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have really been enjoying Alyssa Cole's Reluctant Royals series, and "Once Ghosted, Twice Shy" is no exception. I was intrigued by Likotsi when we met her in "A Princess in Theory" and wanted to know more about what had happened with her "mystery date," so it was great to see the story play out here.

Even though this was a relatively short novella, the main characters were both well-developed and likeable, and the connection between Likotsi and Fabiola was easy to see. The story structure with alternating chapters between the past, told mostly in Fabiola's POV, and the present, told mostly in Likotsi's POV, was very creative, and I thought it was a great way to get inside both characters' heads and really understand their feelings and motivations.

Overall, this was a very sweet story and really got me excited for the next book in the series. I hope to see more of Fab and Likotsi then!

*ARC provided by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: If Not for You

If Not for You by Debbie Macomber
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I loved "A Girl's Guide to Moving On," so I was very much looking forward to reading "If Not For You," the next book in Debbie Macomber's New Beginnings series. While "If Not For You" is very much a standalone novel, it does offer the chance to catch up with a few favorite characters from previous books in the series. Rocco and Nichole, the hero and heroine of "A Girl's Guide to Moving On," play particularly important roles in bringing together Sam and Beth, the main characters of this novel.

Overall, I enjoyed "If Not For You," though it wasn't my favorite book of the series. I applaud Beth for her efforts to stand up for herself and make a life apart from her mother's expectations and demands, but at the same time, she drove me crazy with her attempts to interfere in her aunt's and Sam's lives. It's funny to me how much Beth protested her mother's interference in her own life when she basically did the same thing to Sam and Sunshine. Both Beth and her mother wanted their loved ones to live their lives according to the visions they had for them, whether that was what they wanted or not. Ellie and Beth did what they did out of love, at least, so it wasn't too difficult for me to forgive them in the end.

*ARC provided by the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: Merry and Bright

Merry and Bright by Debbie Macomber
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I may be in the minority, but this book just didn't work very well for me. When the story began, I thought Jayson, the "hero," was a jerk, and my opinion of him hadn't changed very much by the end. I understand that his privileged childhood and strained relationship with his parents may have made it more difficult for him to relate to his employees and others around him, but that's no excuse for the crappy way he sometimes acted towards others. For example, he was such a stickler for the workplace rules that Merry's co-worker wasn't even allowed to call home to check on her sick son during work hours (and that after Jayson called the woman at home and basically told her that she had to come in to work or she'd be fired, sick child or no). However, he himself had no problem calling his cousin Cooper during the workday to chat about his feelings for Mary/Merry and what he should do about them. That seemed not only hypocritical but selfish to me. Why was it okay for Jayson to make personal phone calls but no one else? His personal business certainly wasn't more important than a mother being able to ensure that her child was well!

Jayson's actions toward the homeless man outside his condo building weren't much better. When he first noticed the man, he was only concerned about how his presence would affect the neighborhood's property values, not the man's well-being. He even tried to get his doorman to "move him along," without showing any concern over where the man would go. Sure, he gave the man the grand sum of $100 at the end of the book, but it seemed like a throwaway gesture more than any real effort to help. His main concern was still to get rid of the man because of the impact he was having on Jayson's life.

Further, Jayson's "grand gesture" at the end of the book, meant to win Merry and her family over, showed that he still didn't understand what Merry had been trying to explain to him all along about the true meaning of Christmas and family. He showed up at the Knights' house with an expensive dinner, along with a carload of expensive gifts including a brand-new laptop for Merry's brother Patrick. However, Merry had already told Jayson that Christmas wasn't about expensive gifts for her family, but about being together and celebrating the joy of the season. I thought Jayson was starting to understand Merry's point of view when he made the observation that Merry's homemade cookies were actually a gift of herself, but he seemed to have forgotten by the end of the book.

Overall, I think the pace and timeline of the story (less than a month!) were just too rushed for there to be much in the way of actual character growth. If the story had unfolded over a longer period of time, and if Jayson had made a few different choices, maybe I could have seen him as a better match for Merry. As it is, I can't see how either of them will be happy in the relationship given their vastly different viewpoints.

*ARC provided by the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

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Review: #Awestruck

#Awestruck by Sariah Wilson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Overall, I really enjoyed this story; in fact, I'd say that it was my favorite book of the series so far. The main characters were both pretty likeable, on their own and as a couple, and the secondary characters were also pretty great. (IMO, Charlotte and Rory almost stole the show in a couple of places. Charlotte's too young unless Ms. Wilson is willing to do a time jump, but Rory would be a great character to feature in a future book. It seemed like there was more going on with her than she was willing to admit!) I'm not the biggest fan of sports-themed books, but Ms. Wilson managed to make this story engaging enough to maintain my interest throughout.

That being said, there were a few things that bothered me about the book. Most importantly, it seemed a bit odd that Ashton's family pushed so hard for her to date Evan given his role in what had happened to her in high school. When Evan and Ashton met again as adults, he explained to her that his role in the high school bullying wasn't exactly what Ashton thought it had been, but it seemed like Ashton's parents and sisters knew his side of the story long before she did. Otherwise, why would they have been so convinced that Ashton could trust him? Was Aubrey or another family member in touch with Evan in the years since he graduated? If so, why didn't they ever share his version of events with Ashton? She might not have held on to her grudge for so long if she had known Evan's side of things. (Of course, in that case the entire story might not have happened since Ashton's initial motivation in spending time with Evan was revenge, so maybe I shouldn't pull at that thread.)

Also, it's a minor point but the timeline of events since high school seemed somewhat off to me. For example, based on the author's explanation of Aubrey's life since high school, I think Charlotte should have been younger than 4. Given that Aubrey was organizing her and Evan's 10-year high school reunion while this story was taking place, she should have been about 28 years old. She met her husband in law school and got married as soon as she graduated, when Aubrey would have been about 25. The author says that Aubrey got pregnant with Charlotte immediately after getting married, which seems like it should only have been about 3 years ago based on this sequence of events. If all of that is true, then either they were having their 10-year reunion 2 years late (when Aubrey and Evan would have been about 30), or Charlotte should only have been about 2 years old, not 4. (Charlotte was vastly more entertaining as a 4-year-old than she would have been at 2, so I'm not complaining about the outcome of all of this. I'm just not sure the math makes sense.)

*ARC provided by the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

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