I am so excited to be sharing my end-of-year favorites! Even as I type this, I haven't narrowed it down to 10 books. Sure, some immediately come to mind, but I'll be doing a lot of thinking (and a lot of GoodReads checking) before this is finished. Let's get started... (*Disclaimer: I tried - I really, really tried - to narrow it down to 10 but it was impossible. So yeah, I cheated. But it's my list so I told myself it was okay. So there.)
LEO by MIA SHERIDAN
Read in: January
This was my first surprise of the year. I can't even remember how I came to find this little gem. But I'm so glad I did. Even my GoodReads status showed this one was going to be something special:
EMMY & OLIVER by ROBIN BENWAY
Read in: September
This book just hit me right in the heart. Benway told the story of two childhood friends reunited after years apart due to a parental kidnapping. This could have felt very "after school special" but instead it was sweet and charming and sad and I adored Emmy and Oliver so, so much.
EVERY LAST BREATH by JENNIFER L. ARMENTROUT
Read in: August
Horrible cover change aside, Armentrout nailed it with this end to the Dark Elements trilogy. And because Roth. Need I say more?
WAIT FOR YOU by JENNIFER L. ARMENTROUT
Read in: September
This new adult novel by Jennifer L. Armentrout (sometimes credited as J. Lynn) was everything I'd hoped it would be. Few people write male leads like JLA and Cam Hamilton is a shining example of that. It took a while for Avery and Cam to reach a happy ending, but Cam made it all worthwhile.
A COURT OF THORNS AND ROSES by SARAH J. MAAS
Read in: September
The Took A Chance And It Paid Off Big Time award goes to A Court of Thorns and Roses. I wasn't sure about this one because: 1) I'd read Throne of Glass by Maas and wasn't blown away, and 2) Fantasy is not my genre of choice and I rarely read it. But the synopsis grabbed me and I had a serious case of cover love so I gave it a try. {pats self on the back for such a wise decision} I was completely hooked on Feyre's story, swooned over Tamlin and have total grabby hands for the next book.
I'LL MEET YOU THERE by HEATHER DEMETRIOS
Read in: December
This is such a recent read that I haven't even reviewed it yet. And I'm not even sure how I will review it because I'll never do it justice and I'm almost too emotional about it to be objective. Demetrios is so masterful that I never once felt like I was reading fiction; instead the realism was such that I felt Sky and Josh must be people that the author knew and she decided to write their heartbreaking story. The military aspect hit close to home and this is one that will stay with me for a long time.
**And here's where the cheating starts...**
HOTHOUSE FLOWER and THRIVE by KRISTA & BECCA RITCHIE
Read in: January and April, respectively
I've shared many times that Krista and Becca Ritchie's Addicted series is my favorite contemporary series... ever. I have come to love every character in the series and there were scenes in both of these books that were so powerful and so emotional it was overwhelming.
THE SLAMMED TRILOGY and the HOPELESS DUOLOGY by COLLEEN HOOVER
Read in: April and October, respectively
This was the year that I delved into Colleen's back catalog and read her earliest novels from 2012-2013. Simply put, there is no one whose writing strikes an emotional chord with me like Colleen Hoover. Lake and Will from Slammed and Sky and Holder from Hopeless - these characters and their stories broke my heart and made me happy for it.
CONFESS and NOVEMBER 9 by COLLEEN HOOVER
Read in: March and November, respectively
Do you have any idea how hard it was to choose between CoHo's books and series and decide which would be #2 and which would be #3? Torture, I tell you! Colleen had two full-length stand-alone releases this year and both received 5-star ratings from me. Confess has the distinction of being the only book to ever make me cry in the prologue, and November 9 often had me laughing through my tears. I hope Colleen never stops writing.
THE NIGHTINGALE by KRISTIN HANNAH
Read in: February
As a long time fan of Kristin Hannah, I know that I'm most likely going to love anything she writes. But nothing could have prepared me for the gut-wrenching story that is The Nightingale. It is beautifully written which only serves as a stark contrast to the unimaginable fear and bravery that are portrayed. I cringed at the danger these two sisters found themselves in, cheered at their quiet victories, and cried for their losses. The Nightingale is unforgettable and without a doubt my Top Book of 2015.
What were your favorites of 2015? Have you read any of my picks?
Let's talk about about the Best of 2015!
