Welcome back to Round Two of our Best of the Best of 2015! Today’s Top Reads of the year come to you from Jules and Lana. Take a look at some of the books they thought were pretty outstanding this year, and then be sure to click on the Rafflecopter widget to enter for the chance to win one e-title from each of their lists.
Good luck!
Now, here they are: Simply the Best 2015
Jules’ Faves:
- Vespertine by Indra Vaughn and Leta Blake:
So, yeah…this is a fantastic read. There are too many kickass bits and characters to mention them all. Nicky’s story is hard to read at times – addiction is such an ugly thing, and a tough topic to tackle, but these guys did an amazing job. I wanted to squeeze him throughout the entire book. Jazz reminds him about all the best parts of himself, though, and together they are wonderful. The authors did an unbelievably brilliant job at making the story flow seamlessly and bringing all of the elements together. I wholeheartedly recommend this one! I will definitely be reading it again.
- Lonely Hearts by Heidi Cullinan:
I highlighted fifty-seven passages in this book, you guys. Fifty-seven. Highlighter orgies like that don’t happen every day. Read this book. Or, the series if you haven’t started it yet, beginning with Love Lessons, of course – because Walter.
Sidenote: Ed and Laurie are a FANTASTIC addition to this book. If you want to know their story, and haven’t read Dance with Me, it’s being rereleased with an amazing new cover on September 8th!!
- How to be a Normal Person by TJ Klune:
I don’t know how TJ Klune ever got through this manuscript. I know some authors go through the same emotions while writing that we go through while reading – in this case: hysterical laughter, eye rolling, swooning, and tears, to name just a handful – which must have made writing this one an adventure and a joy. I know reading it sure was. I love so hard that this book exists.
- Sutphin Boulevard by Santino Hassell:
Santino Hassell’s writing has been described as ‘gritty’. And it is that, no doubt. But, it’s also full of beauty and heart and wit. And romance. I swooned HARD for these guys. The writing feels authentic, not researched. Santino Hassell is simply a great storyteller, and great storytelling begins with great characters. Lisa and I couldn’t stop talking about this book for weeks after we finished it. One of the things we both kept coming back to was that final scene, and how utterly perfect and gorgeous the writing was. Another thing that was repeated numerous times, though, in varying degrees of flail, depending on the scene being discussed, was how much we just fucking LOVED these characters. They are so real, and there is so much meat to them…we honestly just couldn’t get enough.
- Gives Light by Rose Cristo:
There are so many fabulous moments in these books, too many to count. I definitely got good use out of my Kindle’s highlighter! I can’t recommend this series enough. Some of the best YA I’ve read in the genre. These books, and these characters, are going to stay with me for a long time.
Honorable Mention: Maps by Nash Summers
Lana’s Faves:
- Cherish & Blessed/Truth & Tenderness by Tere Michaels:
Okay, so I’m a huge fan and just couldn’t get enough. I want to know these people in real life. I want to be their friend! The love they have for each other jumps off the page, and the emotions are of the charts.
Reading these stories was like visiting with a best friend. I just couldn’t get enough because my appetite for them is insatiable. So, Ms. Michaels, you need to give us more of Evan and Matt ASAP!
- The Protector by Cooper West
The story is not only about Alex and Marcus’s mating. There is a subplot of unsolved murders, a mad scientist, a latent Protector manifestation, and another bonding. I’m not going to spoil it because this book is a must read. It was pretty ingenious and fun, and I hope this is not the end of Alex and Marcus because I want to read more about their adventures together.
- The Chase by Nessa Vincent
This story is a gem and I highly recommend it. The writing was very good. The story flowed without any snags. It’s fun, fast, sexy and hot. So pick up a copy. And I hope there will be more.
- A Prince for a Kingdom by Meg Harding
A Price for a Kingdom held my attention thoroughly. It was fast paced and highly entertaining. Any fan of fantasy will greatly enjoy it. I did, and more would be greatly appreciated.
- Plaid Nights Anthology – Torquere Press
Any book that has gorgeous kilted men in it, who love sex and sin, is one I can get behind. This book has a little of everything: sexy bad boys, a little mystery, a little paranormal, and a lot of entertainment. It’s a must read.
Honorable Mention: A Soul Remembered by Vivien Dean
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I agree with some of your choices. I loved Vespertine and Lonely Hearts.. this year I also read Nowhere Ranch by Heidi Cullinan and absolutely loved it. As for lately, I’m reading right now the last Griffin and Whyborne, Maelstrom, and it is sooo good!
Here are stand-out books from 2015 (not in any order):
Chaos Station (the entire series) by Jenn Burke and Kelly Jensen
Guardians Of The Haunted Moor (Tyack & Frayne, #5) and Third Solstice (Tyack & Frayne, #6) by Harper Fox
Loving Jay by Renae Kaye
Dark Space series by Lisa Henry
Enlightenment series by Joanna Chambers
Mocker of Ravens (SPECTR 2, #1) by Jordan L Hawk
Hoarfrost (Whyborne & Griffin, #6) and Maelstrom (Whyborne & Griffin, #7) by Jordan L Hawk
A Clean Break (Gay Amish Romance #2) and A Way Home (Gay Amish Romance #3) by Keira Andrews
Red Dirt Heart series by NR Walker
Carry the Ocean (The Roosevelt, #1) by Heidi Cullinan
Champion of the Scarlet Wolf series by Ginn Hale
Down and Dirty (Cole McGinnis, #5) by Rhys Ford
This Is Not a Love Story by Suki Fleet
Thanks for post and contest!
Temptation series by Ella Frank
Cronin’s Key series by NR Walker
Alasdair by Ella Frank
THIRDS series by Charlie Cochet
Mocker of Ravens by Jordan L Hawk
Hoarfrost and Maelstrom by Jordan L Hawk
Wolves of Black Pine by SJ Himes
The Altered by Annabelle Jacobs
not a full list but these came to mind immediately :)
Sutphin Boulevard by Santino Hassell and A Prince for a Kingdom by Meg Harding were great reads. The latter reminds me of Megan Derr’s books.
I had a great reading year. A few of my favorite reads: Vision in Silver by Anne Bishop, Golden Son by Pierce Brown, and What She Knew.
I’ll just pick the few that came to mind immediately.
THIRDS series by Charlie Cochet
Chronicles of Ylandre series by Eressë (one book release per a year in the series…I wish it came out faster, lol)
Johnnie by Cardeno C
Thirty Things by Cate Ashwood
Firsts and Forever series by Alexa Land (in particular books 10+11)
Little Wolf by R. Cooper
Here are a few of my favorites from this year: The Secret Casebook of Simon Feximal by KJ Charles, Mocker of Ravens by Jordan L Hawk, Against the Grain by Charlie Cochet, Down and Dirty by Rhys Ford.
It made me so happy to see Maps on Jules’ list, even as an honorable mention. That was definitely one of my faves this year, as well as the sequel, Diamonds. Since I’m thinking about YA, I’ll give some of those favorites. Jandy Nelson’s I’ll Give You the Sun is my top one. Others I really loved include Matthew J. Metzger’s Private as well as his The Suicidal Peanut, Shaun David Hutchinson’s The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley, and I went through a David Levithan binge this year, so Boy Meets Boy, Two Boys Kissing, and Every Day, which are amazing.
Some of my favorites were:
Texas Wedding by RJ Scott
How to Be a Normal Person by TJ Klune
24-Karat Conspiracy by EM Lynley
Sloe Ride by Rhys Ford
Against the Grain by Charlie Cochet
Rise & Fall by Charlie Cochet
One of my absolute favorite reads of the year was SJD Peterson’s Splintered but it was released in 2014 so I’m not sure that counts. Thanks for the chance.
Series continuations : Whyborne and Griffin, Tyack & Frayne, Red Dirt Heart, Cronin’s Key,
Pretty much anything by KJ Charles
Shawn’s Law
Tigers on the Run
The Last Yeti
The Intersection of Purgatory and Paradise
Tempest (Playing the Fool)
Heat Trap
The Great Sex Olympics of 221B
Trowchester Blues
There were so many amazing books. The ones I can think of are:
Fit to Be Tied by Mary Calmes
Fish Stick Fridays by Rhys Ford
What No One Else Can Hear by Brynn Stein
Chyna Doll by Mickie B. Ashling
Here’s the ones I can think of: Knight of Ocean Avenue by Tara Lain, Immortal by Amy Lane, Dom of Ages by K.C. Wells and Parker Williams, and Jessie’s Diner by Cardeno C.
The Secret Casebook of Simon Feximal by KJ Charles, A Beginner’s Guide to Wooing your Mate by R. Cooper, Lost Along the Way by Marie Sexton, Truth & Tenderness by Tere Michaels and The Firebird & Other Stories by R. Cooper are some great stories published in 2015 that I read this year.
Just a few of the many: Carry the Ocean by Heidi Cullinan, Rattlesnake by Kim Fielding, Against the Grain/Rise & Fall by Charlie Cochet