2019 TOP READS

Liza’s 2019 Top Picks

So I shared my top audiobook picks yesterday, and wanted to spotlight my top picks I read as well. Seriously I was super lucky to read so many amazing books this year, and it was really hard to narrow down my favorites from the 150 books I read this year. These books are in no particular order, and I loved each and every book.

Easy Ride by Breezie Bennett

Breezie Bennett is a new author who has hooked me as a reader from her very first book. Lots of sexy football players, smart women, laughter and tears in each book.

Tomboy by Avery Flynn

We finally got Fallon Hartigan’s story and it was totally worth the wait. She is probably my favorite character every written by Avery Flynn. I own this book in print, digital and audio I love it so much!

Old Dog New Tricks by Roxanne St. Claire

We waited forever for the Dogfather to get his books after he took care of helping his adult children each find their mates. I knew it would be a tough thing for Daniel to love again after his true love Annie had passed away. This story was full of love, along with some laughter and tears. Loved every moment of this story!

Total Surrender/Absolute Pleasure by Erika Wilde

I love the grown up fairy tale series of books from Erika Wilde. Seriously I couldn’t pick which one was my favorite so far, so I had to list them both. Super sexy stories with a bit of intrigue along the way. Highly recommend this series of books!

As Long As I Have You by Bella Andre

We finally got to meet the London part of the Sullivan clan, and I fell just as in love with this part of the family as all the other members of the family. The Sullivan series of books remains some of my favorite stories I’ve ever read.

Dare Me Tonight/More Than Sexy by Carly Phillips

I love the Dare family so much!!! With Dare Me Tonight we got the baby of both family’s story, Sienna Dare. I’ve wanted her story from the beginning and loved seeing her meet her match in Ethan Knight. More Than Sexy wrapped up our Florida Dare siblings with Jason Dare’s story and introduced us to the best friends in his life who are just like brothers to him. Loved both stories so much, I’ve read them each multiple times this year.

Wolf Rain by Nalini Singh

The newest Psy-Changeling book took us back to DarkRiver/SnowDancer territory and I was so freaking happy to be back with so many of my favorite characters. Memory and Alexei’s story was a wonderful addition to the series and I felt like I was coming home with this story.

Storm Cursed by Patricia Briggs

Honestly one of my favorites in the Mercy Thompson series. I love that Mercy seems to become stronger with each new book. I also really loved the time we got with Mercy and Adam together and seeing Mercy and Mary Jo finally find some peace.

Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors by Sonali Dev

Seriously this was such an amazing contemporary retelling of Pride & Prejudice. Sonali Dev pulled me in from the very first page and I loved the entire ride. I fell in love with the entire Raje family and can’t wait to read more of their stories in the future.

Black List by Lynn Raye Harirs

The first book with Ian Black’s Bandits, and I totally loved this first book. Loved Jace and Maddy, and especially the times we got to spend with Ian Black. These books have every bit as much suspense as the Hostile Operations Team books, and I can’t wait for future stories.

Nikki’s Top 2019 Picks

2019 was an amazing year filled with great romance books. The titles listed below are in no particular order. It would be difficult to do that because I love them all. I've included links to my reviews for all the novels listed, with the exception of the last trilogy because I haven't written it yet. I hope you find my suggestions helpful in your quest for your next great read!

I've included links to my reviews on the blog for the ones that have a review.

1. Choose Me by RC Boldt

https://lizasblog-liza.blogspot.com/2019/05/choose-me.html

2. Too Good At Goodbyes by RC Boldt

https://lizasblog-liza.blogspot.com/2019/10/too-good-at-goodbyes.html

3. Butterfly in Frost by Sylvia Day

https://lizasblog-liza.blogspot.com/2019/08/butterfly-in-frost.html

4. Love Story Duet by Robin Huber

Book 1: https://lizasblog-liza.blogspot.com/2019/05/a-love-like-yours-love-story-duet-1.html

Book 2: https://lizasblog-liza.blogspot.com/2019/06/a-story-like-ours-love-story-duet-2.html

5. Wages of Sin Duet by Tara Leigh

https://lizasblog-liza.blogspot.com/2019/05/corrupt-savior-wages-of-sin-2.html

6. At the Pleasure of the President by Lexi Blake and Shayla Black

https://lizasblog-liza.blogspot.com/2019/04/at-pleasure-of-president.html

7. I Want You Back by Lorelei James

https://lizasblog-liza.blogspot.com/2019/04/i-want-you-back-want-you-1.html

8. Spun Out by Lorelei James

https://lizasblog-liza.blogspot.com/2019/11/spun-out-blacktop-cowboys-10.html

9. The Sutter Lake series by Catherine Cowles

Book 1: https://lizasblog-liza.blogspot.com/2019/06/beautifully-broken-pieces-sutter-lake-1.html

Book 2: https://lizasblog-liza.blogspot.com/2019/06/beautifully-broken-life-sutter-lake-2.html

Book 3: https://lizasblog-liza.blogspot.com/2019/10/beautifully-broken-spirit.html

10. The Sugar Bowl Trilogy by Sawyer Bennett

BUTTERFLY IN FROST

About the Book

Title: Butterfly in Frost

Author: Sylvia Day

Release Date: August 27, 2019

Publisher: Montlake Romance

Summary

Once, I would never have imagined myself here. But I’m settled now. In a place I love, in a home I renovated, spending time with new friends I adore, and working a job that fulfills me. I am reconciling the past and laying the groundwork for the future.

Then Garrett Frost moves in next door.

He’s obstinate and too bold, a raging force of nature that disrupts the careful order of my life. I recognize the ghosts that haunt him, the torment driving him. Garrett would be risky in any form, but wounded, he’s far more dangerous. I fear I’m too fragile for the storm raging inside him, too delicate to withstand the pain that buffets him. But he’s too determined…and too tempting.

And sometimes hope soars above even the iciest desolation.

Excerpt: Butterfly in Frost by Sylvia Day

Roxy bounces on her feet with excitement. “Les and Marge sold their house.”

I blink. “I didn’t know they were selling.”

She laughs and heads toward the front door. “That’s the thing. They weren’t.”

“Wait, what?” I hurry after her as she steps outside.

I look to the right at my home, a lovingly restored butterfly-roofed midcentury, then on to the traditional house just beyond it that belongs—belonged—to Les and Marge. Including Roxy’s, all three of our homes have unique lots set between the homes that line the street and the Sound, affording us unhindered views of the water as well as exceptional privacy—all within a twenty-minute drive of the airport.

Roxy shortens the length of her stride to allow me to catch up, then glances over at me. “The day after you flew to New York, a Range Rover pulled into their driveway, and the guy inside offered them cash to close—and move out—in fourteen days.”

My step falters, and Minnie gets momentarily tangled in her leash. The dog shoots me what I would describe as an irritated look, then keeps trotting forward. “That’s crazy.”

“Isn’t it? Les wouldn’t say how much the offer was, but I’m thinking it was huge.”

We march up the inclined driveway, my head tilted back to take in the houses scaling the hillside. Designed with big windows to maximize the view, the homes have a look of wide-eyed wonder. Our little stretch of the Sound used to be a secret, but with the housing boom taking over Seattle and Tacoma, we’ve been discovered. Many residences are undergoing major renovation to suit the tastes of new owners.

Reaching the road, we turn left. To the right is a dead end.

“Well, if they’re happy,” I say, “I’m happy for them.”

“They’re overwhelmed. It was a lot to happen all at once, but I think they’re happy with their decision.” Roxanne stops when Bella does, and we wait as the two dogs mark one of their usual spots on the gravel edging the asphalt. There are no curbs on the streets in our neighborhood and no sidewalks. Just beautiful lawns and a profusion of flowering shrubs.

“We all tried prying information out of them,” she goes on, “but they weren’t sharing anything about the sale.” She gives me a sidelong glance. “But they did share a bit about the buyer.”

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Because Mike and I both think the buyer is someone famous. A film director maybe. Or an artist. Can you imagine? First Emily, a bestselling author. Then you, a reality-TV surgeon. Now this guy! Maybe we’re sitting on the new Malibu—beachside living without wildfires or state income tax!”

The mention of Roxy’s husband, Mike, coaxes an inner smile. A New York transplant like me, he adds a welcome touch of the life I left behind to the reality I’ve since created for myself—a reality that’s just been rocked by the loss of neighbors I like.

“What are the clues you’re working with?” I ask, deciding to play along. If I’ve learned anything the past year, it’s to accept the things I cannot change. A tough task for a control freak like me.

“Les pointed out to this guy that he hadn’t even seen the inside of the house. The guy said he didn’t need to. He knew already that ‘the light is perfect.’ I mean, who would say that? Gotta be someone who’s in visual arts, right?”

“Maybe,” I agree tentatively, disquieted by the unexpected conversation. The road rises sharply before us, the incline steep enough to put a little burn in my thighs. “Doesn’t mean he’s famous, though.”

“That’s the thing.” Her words carry a note of breathlessness. “Les wouldn’t give numbers, but he did say it was crazy the guy didn’t just buy that huge compound at the end of the street. That house is listed for three and a half million!”

My mind staggers at the thought. Les and Marge have—had—a beautiful home, but it’s not worth anywhere near that much.

“I think I saw the buyer once through that big arched window in the living room,” Roxy goes on. “The blonde with him was a looker. Supermodel skinny with legs for days.”

I’m panting when we reach the top; Roxy, who hits a gym most days of the week, is not.

A quarter mile farther, there’s a street to the right leading to Dash Point. Beyond that and straight ahead, the road slopes back down and around until it’s at water level. Redondo Beach is there, as is Salty’s, a restaurant on stilts in the water with expansive views of Poverty Bay and beyond. I’m about to wax poetic about Salty’s seafood chowder when a runner dashes around the corner at a full sprint. His sudden appearance rattles me. A closer look makes me freeze midstride. My breath locks in my lungs.

There are too many things to register at once, so my mind attempts to absorb the whole man. Dressed only in black shorts and shoes, he is a visual feast of deeply tanned skin, intricate sleeves of tattooed art, and sweat-slicked, flexing musculature.

And his face. Sculpted. Square-jawed. Brutally, breathlessly handsome.

Roxy, now a few feet in front of me, gives a low whistle. “Hot damn.”

***

Author Biography

Sylvia Day is the #1 New York Times, #1 USA Today, #1 Sunday Times, #1 Der Spiegel, and #1 international bestselling author of over twenty award-winning novels sold in more than forty countries. She is a #1 bestselling author in twenty-eight countries, with tens of millions of copies of her books in print. Visit the author at www.sylviaday.com.

Buy Link

https://amzn.to/2KKUcZH

Social Media Links

Website: https://www.sylviaday.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorSylviaDay

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SylDay

Instagram: http://instagram.com/sylvia_day

Goodreads: goodreads.com/author/list/19823.Sylvia_Day

Nikki’s Review:

This is a hard review to write. But not for the reason you might be thinking. This book wasn’t poorly written, and it didn’t have a plot full of holes. It wasn’t anything like that. It’s a hard review to write because I would be doing a disservice to readers if I told you too much. You need to go on this journey on your own. 

I had so many questions floating around in my head while reading. I thought maybe I was missing something, or maybe I just wasn’t getting it. But holy hell, I got ALL the answers. And then I was left stunned. I just sat there for a while thinking about it all. I was shattered, but I also had a sense of peace. Or the starting of something that felt like peace for the characters.

I’m being very vague, when all I want to do to is spill my thoughts in their entirety into this review. Just know that every word was beautifully written, and if you find yourself scratching your head, trying to figure out where the story is going, have faith. Sylvia Day created a book that will bring you to your knees. 

Rating: 5 Stars (A+)

Review copy provided by publisher

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