Best of 2013

Best of 2013 Reads

I’ve managed to read 160+ books in 2013 and it was really hard to get my “Best of” list down to just 20 books. Honestly, I really didn’t make it happen, as I picked a couple of books for a couple of the authors. However, when I went back and looked at all the books I’d read, even getting my list down to just these books was really hard.  

1. Dare to Love by Carly Phiilps

I’m so excited that Carly Phillips is now an indie published author. I’ve been a fan of her books for years and loved with Dare to Love she went hotter than her usual books. I loved Dare and Riley as a couple and readers were given an awesome book to start this new series. I’ve already read this book multiple times and even gifted it to friends and family to get the word out more about the series.

2. The Mistress by Tiffany Reisz

Tiffany had said, “trust me” many times as I was reading the first 3 books in the Original Sinners series that everything would turn out how it should.  I’m so glad I kept reading with this series. One of my favorites ever and I can’t wait to read the 4 prequel books in the series starting with The Saint next year.

3. One & Only by Viv Daniels

I read many books in the NA genre this year and honestly loved each of the authors’ books I read. However, One & Only was my favorite of the books I read in the genre. I loved Tess from the very first and think she and Dylan were the perfect couple.  This book pulled so many emotions from me and I pretty much had to re-read it as soon as I finished reading it the first time. I can’t wait to read Sweet & Wild, when it comes out next year.

4. Love Irresistibly by Julie James

I’ve had Julie James on my auto-buy list since I read her very first book. She has never disappointed me and I buy her new book each year as soon as it is available for order. Cade and Brooke’s love story was so fun to read, as they both are total control freaks and it was fun to watch them figure out how to make a relationship work.

5. Don’t Look Away by Leslie Kelly

Leslie Kelly is another auto-buy author for me. I love her super sexy books as well as her darker books. Don’t Look Away is one of her darker romantic suspense thrillers. It kept me on the edge of my seat and I loved it!

6. The Marriage Diaries Volumes 1-4 by

Erika Wilde

I’ve loved each and every one of the episodes in The Marriage Diaries so far. I love reading about a happily married couple that has decided to explore their sexual fantasies together. Dean and Jillian are so sexy together and I can’t wait for more episodes in this series.

7. Night Blade by J.C. Daniels

This book killed me yet I still loved it so much. Seriously had to have tissues with me to get me through this book. I love the Kit Colbana series so much and countdown until the release of each book.

8. Fifth Grave Past the Light by Darynda Jones

I love the Charley Davidson series so much! Charley is one of the funniest characters ever. I love so many of the other characters from this series, especially Reyes. If you’ve never tried audiobooks before, this is the perfect series for audiobooks.

9. Beyond Control & Beyond Pain by Kit Rocha

I couldn’t pick just one of the books from Kit Rocha. I loved them both so much.  I was super excited to get Dallas & Lex’s book so early in the series. Bonus was getting to read Six & Bren’s story this year too. I’m so glad my friends on twitter introduced me to the Kit Rocha books in 2012, and they are now auto-buy books for me.

10. Barefoot by the Sea by Roxanne St. Claire

Roxanne St. Claire is another auto-buy author for me. I’ve been a fan since I found her Bullet Catcher books. I love her romantic suspense, but have totally fallen in love with her contemporary romances.  I’ve really loved each of the books in the Barefoot Bay series, but Tessa and Ian/John’s book is my favorite. Yet another book that pulled all the emotions from me this year.

11. Rumor Has It by Jill Shalvis

We had another year of awesome books from Jill Shalvis. However, my most favorite book this year from her was Rumor Has It. I loved watching Griff fall in love with Kate. I loved it so much that Griff almost knocked Ford off my top Jill Shalvis hero ever list.

12. Anything For You & I’ll Be Home For Christmas by Jessica Scott

I’m a huge Jessica Scott fan. I love her Coming Home series so much! I’ve fallen for all the characters in this series and look forward to visiting with each of the characters again and again with each new book.

13. Perfect Fling by Carly Phillips

There was no way I could leave out Erin and Cole’s book on my best of list. Hands down one of the best books ever from Carly Phillips and my favorite in her Serendipity’s Finest series.

14. Starting From Scratch by Stacy Gail

I found this book thanks to so many of my friends on twitter talking about it. I’ll totally quote from You’ve Got Mail and say “read it with a box of tissues”. One of the most emotional books I’ve read this year, and I loved it.

15. Kissing Under the Mistletoe by Bella Andre

I was so excited to finally get to read Mary & Jack’s story. While I’ve loved each of the books about the Sullivan siblings, Jack & Mary’s story is my favorite in the series so far. My favorite scene in the book is when Mary is putting all the Christmas ornaments her children made over the years and remembering each instance. Tissues were required.

16. Making It Last by Ruthie Knox

I loved seeing Amber and Tony 14 years after they were married. I loved most of all that they had a normal life.  They still had daily concerns with kids, jobs and just everyday life. It killed me that spending time together had moved to the back burner, but once they were together, their chemistry was just as strong as when they were first together. This was yet another book I read that required tissues.

17. United We Spy by Ally Carter

I’ve been a fan of the Gallagher Girl series from Ally Carter since I found the very first book. I knew going in that this was the final book and have to say that the wrap up was done flawlessly. I did figure out a few things before Cammie and her friends, but still loved every single thing about this book.

18. The Practice Proposal by Tracy March

The Practice Proposal was my first book from Tracy March, but it won’t be my last. I love her writing style and really hope she writes more sports romances in the future. I’m a huge fan of sports, but baseball holds a special place in my heart since I grew up watching games with my mom. I loved the chemistry between Cole and Liza and really loved watching them fall for one another.

19. Personal Assets by Kelsey Browning

I fell in love with Allie and Cameron as a couple the more time they spent together. Not that everything was smooth sailing between them, but there was never a lack of emotion as I read this story. I loved Personal Assets so much. This book is laugh out loud funny at times. Add in the sinfully sexy moments between Cameron and Allie, and this book is a winner all around.

20. All He Ever Dreamed by Shannon Stacey

We were lucky enough to get 2 Kowalski books from Shannon Stacey this year. I have to say reading about Josh and Katie falling head over heels in love was the best. I loved how they moved from friends to lovers and thought it was done perfectly.

There were so many other books I wanted to include on my list this year, but I made myself limit to the ones above. However, I’d be remiss in not mentioning a few other authors whose books I also loved this year. Lily Everett’s Sanctuary Island series, Silver James’ Penumbra Papers series, Julie Leto’s Dirty Dare series, Toni Aleo’s Nashville Assassin’s series, Alannah Lynne’s Heat Wave series, and Heather Lire’s Holiday, Vermont series. I loved them all, but made myself end my list with 20 books.

Uncommon Criminals

Uncommon Criminals is the second book in Ally Carter’s wonderful Heist Society series. From the inside cover.~

Katarina Bishop has worn a lot of labels in her short life: Friend. Niece. Daughter. Thief. But for the last two months she’s simply been known as the girl who ran the crew that robbed the greatest museum in the world. That’s why Kat isn’t surprised when she’s asked to steal the infamous Cleopatra Emerald so it can be returned to its rightful owners.

There are only three problems. First, the gem hasn’t been seen in public in thirty years. Second, since the fall of the Egyptian empire and the suicide of Cleopatra, no one who holds the emerald keeps it for long-and in Kat’s world, history always repeats itself. But it’s the third problem that makes Kat’s crew the most nervous, and that is…the emerald is cursed.

Kat might be in way over her head, but she’s not going down without a fight. After all, she has her best friend-the gorgeous Hale-and the rest of her crew with her as they chase the Cleopatra around the globe, dodging curses and realizing that the same tricks and cons her family has used for centuries are useless this time.

Which means, this time, Katarina Bishop is making up her own rules.

I’m a huge fan of Ally Carter’s YA books. I love both her Gallagher Girl series and her Heist Society series. Her readers are given another winner with Uncommon Criminals. I was lucky enough to have a friend pick me up a copy of Uncommon Criminals at BEA at the end of May, so I got to read it a couple of weeks early (thanks katibabs).

I loved Uncommon Criminals. We get to spend time with some of my favorite characters (Kat, Hale, Gabrielle, Simon, and of course Uncle Eddie). As Uncommon Criminals starts out, Kat has distanced herself from her crew. They all get back together once she is asked to steal the Cleopatra emerald. Everything is very fast paced from the moment the Cleopatra emerald enters the picture. Kat and her crew must pull out all the stops to right the latest wrong. We get to see Kat at both her best and her worst while the team works to figure out their next move. Only with Kat’s entire team working together, can they pull off the greatest heist in history. We also get some pretty awesome flirting between Kat and Hale (yes I feel a bit like a cougar for the crush I have on Hale…don’t judge me, he is super cute), and Kat even makes a pretty big move.

The official release date for Uncommon Criminals is June 21, 2011. I love that I was able to read Uncommon Criminals early. Of course, that means I have a longer wait for my next Ally Carter book. Luckily, the next book in her Gallagher Girl series will be released on March 20, 2012, so I have less than a year to wait for my next fix.

Only the Good Spy Young

Only the Good Spy Young is the 4^th book in the Gallagher Girl series by Ally Carter. From the inside cover flap.~

When Cammie Morgan enrolled at the Gallagher Academy, she knew she was preparing for the dangerous life of a spy. What she didn’t know was that the serious, real-life danger would start as soon as her junior year. But that’s exactly what happened two months ago when she faced off against an ancient terrorist organization dead set on kidnapping her.

Now the danger follows her everywhere, and even Cammie “The Chameleon” can’t hide. When a terrifying encounter in London reveals that one of her most trusted allies is actually a rouge double agent, Cammie no longer knows if she can trust her classmates, her teachers-or even her own heart.

In this fourth installment of the New York Times best-selling series, the Gallagher Girls must hack, spy, steal, and lie their way to the truth as they go searching for answers, recognizing that the key to Cammie’s future may lie deep in the past.

I’m a huge fan of the Gallagher Girl series and loved Only the Good Spy Young. Cammie and her friends, Bex, Macey, and Liz must figure out a way to keep Cammie safe. Since she isn’t allowed to leave campus, it should be pretty easy to keep her out of harm’s way. Of course, Cammie and her friends are really not much for sitting around and waiting for others to tell them what is really going on. So as they continue to look into Cammie’s kidnapping attempts, they discover it is tied into Cammie’s past.

With much action and lots of adventure, Only the Good Spy Young gives Carter’s fans another edge of your seat ride. I know I’m not saying much about the book, but I really don’t want to post any spoilers about this wonderful series. I devoured this book and can’t wait for the next book in this series, which I hope will be sometime next year. Luckily, Ally Carter has a second amazing series out and hopefully Heist Society 2 (title to be determined) will be out soon.