Christie's Top 10 Reads of 2014

When it comes to choosing my Ultimate Top 10 books of the year, for me, it's not an easy task. 2014 held so many fantastic books from well known and loved authors, debut authors, and new-to-me authors. I've read books that broke my heart and put it back together again. I've read books that made me laugh myself silly and wear a big grin on my face for hours on end. And I've read books that have kept me frantic and tense and on edge in the most captivating way. As hard as it was to choose just 10, the following are the books that touched me and left a mark on me that will never fade from my memory. I love each and every one of them in their own specific and special way. 



Number 10:

This is Falling by Ginger Scott was a simply wonderful New Adult book that made me smile myself silly. It was a sweet and heart meltingly good College romance that I absolutely adored. It's not often I give New Adult 5 stars these days. Not because I'm not a fan, but at this point, I've read so many of them, it takes a lot for me to say that a book stands out and shines in this genre. Nate and Rowe accomplished that. It had all the angst of young love and the kind of quick bantering that just makes you feel good. This one's not to be missed if you're into the New Adult genre.






                               Number 9:

Ten Below Zero was my second read by Whitney Barbetti and while not everyone was able to see past these two harsh main characters, it was a solid 5 star read for me. It was one of those books that was completely uncomfortable to read at times, I didn’t know how to feel about either the hero or the heroine, and I was scared as hell about my heart being ripped out at the end.  It deals with difficult topics, facing a life threatening disease, and learning to heal from a horribly traumatic and scarring experience. It may have been difficult, but it was powerful and I'm so glad I was brave enough to read it. If you’re looking for something that will stir your emotions and make you feel, this one will definitely fit the bill.

                               Number 8:

Losing Control by Jen Frederick was an intensely passionate Contemporary Romance. It was erotic, it made my heart pound in excitement, and it made me anxious to unravel the mystery behind the man. It had so many elements that I crave in a book and all of them written superbly well into one exciting package.

It had love, revenge, secrets, and plenty of steam. What more could you ask for?  I’ve read many of this author’s books, but I have to say, this series may be my favorite. 

Number 7:

Sweet Addiction was J. Daniels debut book, and it was a smashing success in my opinion. It’s a fairly simple premise: A wedding hook up that leads to more intensity, obsession, and possession than either bargained for. This book was so hot, I was a little worried my kindle would set afire. It. was. phenomenal. It packs a huge punch with adorably funny secondary characters, sizzling hot chemistry, and plenty of angst. If you’re looking for something fun, sexy, and highly entertaining, this is your book. It’s one that has a firm place on my favorites shelf.

                              Number 6:

The Hook Up by Kristen Callahan was a new to me author. This is her first New Adult book and it had an enthusiastic reception all over Goodreads. I was fortunate enough to be one of the first to read it and I knew immediately that there was something special about this book. It's one of those books that completely stun you with how much it makes you feel. This sports romance romance about two college students came out of nowhere and took the romance world by storm. I adored this couple and I highly recommend it to anyone, even if you're not normally a reader of New Adult, it's very likely you will love this one.

Number 5:

Archer’s Voice by Mia Sheridan was unlike anything I’ve read before. This book touched me deeply with it’s beauty and pain tightly wrapped together. The hero was not one I would ever have imagined loving so much, but his sweet vulnerability and utter devotion to the heroine blew me away. This book will make you think, make you feel, and give you one hell of a book hangover. It’s an absolute MUST READ.

                                            Number 4:

Six of Hearts is another sensational read by L.H. Cosway.  I have nothing but glowing praises for this author. She never fails to amaze me and deeply touch me with her endearingly unique characters and her plots that keep me captivated and always, always keep me guessing. There's nothing predictable or cliché about anything L.H. Cosway does but Six of Hearts with it's tale of revenge, illusions, and love was masterfully done. It swept me away and left me giddy and thrilled in every way.

                                              Number 3: 

Thin Love by Eden Butler gave me such a rush and made me feel. It's a sweeping love story about two lovers' tumultuous relationship tragically separated by meddling family members. It had an abundance of passion and intensity and emotion. This is another book I was wary of reading after seeing how angst filled it was, but I don't regret reading it for a minute. This book holds a little piece of my heart. The characters were crafted with care and the message and story is one that will resonate for a long time to come. 

Number 2:

Beauty and the Mustache

  Penny Reid cannot write a bad book in my opinion. At least that’s been my experience with each and every book she creates. I completely devour them from cover to cover but Beauty and the Mustache was a standout even for her. Penny’s trademark eccentric characters that we know and love from the Knitting in the City series were in attendance as well as a whole slew of mustache’d and bearded mountain men. It was introspective, it was lovely, but most of all it was bursting with romance with a poetic hero to swoon over. Check this one out. You won’t be disappointed.

Number one:

Nocte by Courtney Cole

That stunning cover alone merits an award in and of itself. But the story inside....sheer suspenseful, mysterious perfection. I LOVED Nocte. It tore me apart with it's maddening secret and sinister and evocative story. It gave me chills and made my heart pound in anticipation of the ending that I knew would shatter me. And shatter me it did. It was about tragedy and insanity and it may very well wreck you. But you'll love every minute of it. This was hands down the most exciting book of 2014 for me. 

The following are books that I give the title "honorable mention" I loved each and every one of these, they are all special to me and I couldn't completely leave them off my favorites of the year. They are in no particular order.

Stolen Breaths by Pamela Sparkman

Dearest Clementine by Lex Martin

Offside by Shay Savage

Incinerate by Tessa Teevan

Still Life with Strings by L. H. Cosway

Winter by Nikita Rae

Layers by Sigal Ehrlich

A Love of Vengeance by Nancy Havilland

Read More

Eliza's Favourite Reads of 2014.

When it comes to my favourite reads of 2014, if you follow me on Goodreads you may notice that they are not necessarily reads I have rated 5 Stars. So how can my favourite read not be 5 Stars? Well, because of the noted pleasurable experience i’ve had reading them, even if I don't agree with all the decisions my Heroes or Heroines make. 

As a reader I like to be surprised, I enjoy when a book sneaks up on me. I like to be swept away in the story and read about characters that I either feel like I could be friends with in real life, have real admiration for or have/do overcome adversity. And on top of that I love the romance to be believable, palpable and the characters to have a genuine connection.

My favourites are based purely on my my personal reading experience and I hope that you may find a couple of your favourites on here too or if nothing else a new book to add to your pile. 

***

Archer's Voice by Mia Sheridan 

When Bree Prescott arrives in the sleepy, lakeside town of Pelion, Maine, she hopes against hope that this is the place where she will finally find the peace she so desperately seeks. On her first day there, her life collides with Archer Hale, an isolated man who holds a secret agony of his own. A man no one else sees.

Archer's Voice is the story of a woman chained to the memory of one horrifying night and the man whose love is the key to her freedom. It is the story of a silent man who lives with an excruciating wound and the woman who helps him find his voice. It is the story of suffering, fate, and the transformative power of love.

" I think love is a concept, and each person has an individual word for what sums it up for them. My word for love is Bree."

***

Finding Dandelion by Lex Martin

When soccer all-star Jax Avery collides with Dani Hart on his twenty-first birthday, their connection is instantaneous and explosive. For the first time in years, Jax isn’t interested in his usual hit-it and quit-it approach.

But Dani knows better. Allowing herself a night to be carefree and feel the intensity of their attraction won’t change anything when it comes to dealing with a player. So when Jax doesn’t recognize Dani the next time he sees her, it shouldn’t be a total shock. The fact that he’s her new roommate's brother? That’s a shock.

Dani doesn’t regret that night with Jax, just the need to lie about it. Since her roommate has made it clear what she thinks about her brother’s “type” of girl, the last thing Dani wants is to admit what happened. 

Jax knows he’s walking a fine line on the soccer team. One more misstep and he’s off the roster, his plans to go pro be damned. Except he can’t seem to care. About anything… except for the one girl who keeps invading his dreams.

Despite Jax’s fuzzy memory of his hot hookup with his sister’s friend, he can’t stay away from her, even if it means breaking his own rules. But there are bigger forces at work–realities that can end Dani’s college career and lies that can tear them apart. 

Jax realizes what he’s losing if Dani walks away, but will he sacrifice his future to be with her? And will she let him if he does?

***

Drawn to You by Serena Grey

He thinks she’s a hooker.

She thinks she’s in love with someone else.

After one memorable night, Rachel Foster cannot stop thinking about sexy billionaire hotelier Landon Court, and the way his touch set her body on fire. But as far as she knows, she’s never going to see him again, and that’s okay, because she’d rather not risk falling for him anyway.

For Landon, one night is not enough. He wants Rachel, and he’s not prepared to back down. He always gets what he wants, and she will not be an exception.

Unable to resist her attraction to Landon, Rachel decides to give him what he wants, but on her own terms. 

One week. Just sex. No commitment.

What happens when love is not allowed, but everything else is?

***

Flawed by Francette Phal

"You are this beautiful thing I want to destroy."

Blood. 

That's the only memory he carries from a childhood he does not remember. And now it is all he knows. Blood is his life.

Knox Bishop has done a lot of horrible things, all at the command of the man who holds his leash. It's a matter of loyalty for him. Allegiance to the man who saved his life when he was a child. So he goes where he is needed and does what he is told. He tortures. He kills. He kills. He tortures. It is an unrelenting cycle that he constantly craves and can never quite satisfy.

Until her.

Eighteen year old Lacey Barnes distributes her assets to fund her dreams. Medical school is the end game and she is determined to get there by any means necessary. But a family member's careless mistake derails her plans and now she must pay a price in order to save him. 

She goes to Knox willingly offering him the only valuable thing she has. Herself. In doing so he allows her into his world, a world she quickly realizes is void of any light and hope for escape is utterly elusive. But escape is something she finds that she no longer wants. 

"He lays a path of pleasure laced agony for me to follow and I do. Stupidly I follow him down the blinding darkness of his euphoric hell."

Disclaimer: This is book is intended for mature audiences (18+) due to description of violence and sexual situations.

***

Sweet Fall by Tillie Cole

We all have secrets.

Secrets well buried.

Until we find the one soul who makes the burden of such secrets just that little bit easier to bear.

Lexington "Lexi" Hart is a senior at the University of Alabama. Surrounded by her best friends, her loving family and having fulfilled her life-long dream of making the Crimson Tide cheer squad, everything is going exactly as she always dreamed it would. But beneath her happy exterior, demons lurk, threatening to jeopardize everything Lexi has worked to achieve. When events in her life become too much to cope with, Lexi finds herself spiraling down into the realm of her biggest fear. Lexi falls hard, victim once again to the only thing that can destroy her and, on the way, finds herself falling straight into the dangerous tattooed arms of a guy from the wrong side of the tracks.

Austin Carillo, starting Wide Receiver for the Alabama Crimson Tide, must get picked in this year's NFL draft. He needs it. His brothers need it. Most importantly, his mother desperately needs it. Brought up in a world where the poor are forgotten, the sick are left to fend for themselves and no hero miraculously appears to pull you out of hell, Austin had no other choice but to make a living on the wrong side of the law—until football offered Austin the break to get his life back on track. But when a family tragedy drags him back into the clutches of the gang he believed he had left far behind, Austin finds himself falling. Falling back into criminal ways and falling deep into a suffocating darkness. Until a troubled yet kindred spirit stumbles across his path, where Austin quickly finds he is falling for a young woman, a young woman who might just have the power to save him from his worst enemy: himself.

Can two troubled souls find a lasting peace together? Or will they finally succumb to the demons threatening to destroy them?

New Adult/Contemporary Romance novel—contains adult content, sexual situations and mature topics. Suited for ages 18 and up.

“I’m lost without you. I can’t breathe without you. Without you here, all I can do is fall.”

***

Awaken (A Spiral of Bliss Novel) by Nina Lane

“I love that you love me, professor.”

“I love loving you, beauty.”

Since their intense, passionate beginning, Professor Dean West and his wife Olivia have fought dark secrets and betrayal in order to save their marriage. Now reeling in the aftermath of a personal tragedy, Liv and Dean are driven further apart by a vindictive threat to Dean’s career.

Struggling to stand on her own for the first time in years, Liv is determined to defend her husband and prove herself. Then an unexpected letter dredges up old insecurities and endangers Liv’s newfound independence. As Dean fights for his professional life, he is forced to confront his worst fear when he discovers that he can’t protect his beloved wife from her own painful past.

“You and me, professor.”

“You and me, beauty.” 

***

Collateral (Blood & Roses Series) by Callie Hart

With Lacey missing and everything falling apart, Sloane and Zeth will do everything they can to get her back. If that includes facing off against Charlie Holsan, the DEA, and anyone else who gets in their way, then so be it.

Faced with heartbreak, danger, and the increasing need to protect the ones he loves, Zeth Mayfair is finally realizing what it means to have a family. With her fears coming full circle, Sloane must learn that forgiveness is the only way to move forward.

***

Black Lies by Alessandra Torre

Brant: 

Became a tech billionaire by his twentieth birthday. Has been in a relationship with me for 3 years.

Has proposed 4 times. Been rejected 4 times.

Lee: 

Cuts grass when he’s not banging housewives. Good with his hands, his mouth, and his cock. Has been pursued relentlessly by me for almost 2 years, whether he knows it or not.

Go ahead. Judge me. You have no idea what my love entails.

If you think you’ve heard this story before, trust me – you haven’t.

***

Entangle by Veronica Larsen

It starts small.

His smoky blue eyes strike hers until the air between them flickers.

Her whispered suggestion blows the spark into a flame.

A guarded heart. A relentless pursuit.

An insatiable chemistry that yields to a torrid affair.

Alexis Stone 

I've told myself I'm happy long enough to believe that lie. But I'm not happy, I'm just comfortable.

Every aspect of my life is under my control. From my thriving company to the heart I keep under lock and key. I make sure of this because the alternative is simply unacceptable. 

But nothing shakes you out of your comfort zone quite like witnessing your husband go off to marry someone else.

I tried to do things the right way. I wore the big white dress and rode off with Prince Charming. Then Charming changed his mind. Now I'm left to face the truth. I haven't moved on, not because I'm not over my ex but because I've been too scared of what's next for me.

Enter Leo; A gorgeous, blue-eyed specimen of a man. He's tenacious in a way that stirs my desires alive for the first time in years. He also happens to be my newest employee. I know. It's a bad idea. I just can't bring myself to care. Besides, one good time should be enough to get my past out of my system. 

Nothing could prepare me for Leo. Nothing could prepare me for the relentless force that would plow into my life in more ways than one, trying to get me to move the walls I've built up high. 

Every single time I've let someone in my life they've cracked me wide open. There's no way in hell that's happening again. I tell myself all I want is to keep things between Leo and I as casual as possible.

Then again, I do lie to myself a lot.

**NOTE: Entangle is a steamy and angsty read. It contains sexually explicit content.

***

Taut: The Ford Book by J.A. Huss

Ford Aston is known for many things. Being an emotionless, messed up bastard, a freakishly smart social outcast, and a cold, domineering master who keeps "pets" instead of girlfriends.

And after Rook broke his heart, he plans to keep it that way.

Ashleigh is known for nothing, and that's exactly what she's got going for her. She's broke, stranded in the mountains with a three month old baby, and Ford Aston is screwing with her head.

Big. Time.

And she plans to mess with his right back.

It's a coy game at first, filled with flirting, and innuendo--but Ford soon realizes something is not quite right with Ashleigh. In fact, something is seriously, seriously wrong and the closer they get to their final destination, the closer Ford gets to the truth.

One night of devastation, self-loathing, and emptiness turns into the best thing that ever happened to Ford Aston. But one day of in-your-face reality threatens Ashleigh's whole existence.

“You’re a weird guy, Ford.”

“Tell me something new, Ashleigh.”

Read More

Eliza's Review: The Hooker (Swanson Court Series, #1.5) by Serena Grey

One night.

One girl. 

She’s a hooker. 

She's also the girl I can't forget. Who is Rachel Foster, and what do I have to do to get her back in my bed... and keep her there.

Title: The Hooker

Series: Swanson Court Series, #1.5

Author: Serena Grey

Release Date: 30th December, 2014

Rating: 4 “thief… or an assassin.” Stars

Forceful, Ruthless, Single-minded. The words the Press love to use when they describe me. Cold, heartless, unfeeling. The words the women prefer. All the words that reduce me from Landon Alexander Court, brother, friend and whatever else I am, to just ‘Hotel Magnate.’

I was happy to get my hands on this bonus to an already great read. The Hooker is first few chapters of Drawn to You from Landon's POV. I enjoyed experiencing Landon in his own words, such filthy sophisticated words. Although a short read I was able to learn even more about the enigma that is Landon, what drives him and had an even closer look into the past that still haunts him. But even better than that, it was great to read the first encounter with Rachel through his eyes as well as the realisation of their error and beginning of the hunt that follows.

Waiting patiently-ish for book two in the series, Addicted to You.

Copy kindly Provided by Author in exchange for an honest review. Thank You!

FOLLOW SMOKIN HOT BOOK BLOG ON:

Read More

Patrycja's 2014 TOP FAVORITE BOOKS

 
It's almost the end of 2014. And every time another year goes to an end, I am feeling a bit nostalgic. It's seems like I just cannot stop thinking about the past months and everything that happened then. This year has been hectic. I've been trying to change myself for the better, reckoning it'll make me a happier person. Suprise, suprise, it did not. Even though I completed most of my goals and I've been so freakin' proud about it, it didn't change the fact that my life still is as it was before that... Anyway, one thing that I didn't want to change was me and my reading, as it's still my favorite thing to do  :) So here is my list of the best books of 2014. These books made me happier and gave something to dream about. I hope you will enjoy the list and agree with me. 

1.

First place goes to books in Stage Dive Series, as both Play and Lead by Kylie Scott are freaking amaazing and I couldn't choose between them. Mal and Jimmy are my most beloved rock stars.

PLAY by Kylie Scott

The drummer in a wildly successful rock band, Mal’s never had trouble with the ladies. It doesn’t hurt that he’s sexy as hell with a wicked sense of humor. But as much as Mal loves his ladies, romance and happily-ever-after just isn’t in his set of cards. Until one night, Mal meets the woman of his dreams. But can this cynical rocker ever trust in love?

 


LEAD by Kylie Scott

As the lead singer of Stage Dive, Jimmy is used to getting whatever he wants, whenever he wants it, whether it's booze, drugs, or women. However, when a PR disaster serves as a wake-up call about his life and lands him in rehab, he finds himself with Lena, a new assistant to keep him out of trouble. 　

Lena's not willing to take any crap from the sexy rocker and is determined to keep their relationship completely professional, despite their sizzling chemistry. But when Jimmy pushes her too far and Lena leaves, he realizes that he may just have lost the best thing that ever happened to him.

2.

On second place are two books by one of the best, most talented author ever. L.H Cosway touched my soul with her execptional, beautiful swoon worthy romances and I am her number one fan. Still Life With Strings and Six Of Hearts gave me the best high ever.

STILL LIFE WITH STRINGS by L. H Cosway

My name is Jade Lennon and I stand still for money.

The night I saw Shane Arthur watching me everything changed. A man in a suit always catches my eye, but it was the way he looked at me that was different. Like he knew me or something. He didn’t know me, especially not in my costume. My sobriety rests on staying away from men, but there was something about him that made me throw caution to the wind.

After all, I was never going to see him again, right?

Wrong.

Standing still isn’t the only way I make my money. I also bartend at a concert hall. Never in my wildest dreams did I think Shane was going to show up there. Not only that, but he’s the most recent addition to the orchestra. So now on a daily basis I have to resist one of the most beautiful men I’ve ever met and he plays the violin. For me that’s one hell of a deadly cocktail.

He wants me to teach him how to live. I’m not sure how much a twenty-six year old recovering alcoholic who works in a bar and moonlights as a living statue can teach a world class concert violinist, but I’m sure going to try.

Still Life with Strings is a story of music, art, sex, magical realism, and romance that you will never forget.

SIX OF HEARTS by LH Cosway 

Step right up and meet Jay Fields: Illusionist. Mentalist. Trickster.

I think in triangles. You think in straight lines.

I show you a table and make you believe it’s a chair.

Smoke and mirrors, sleight of hand, misdirection. I trick and deceive.

But most of all, I put on a good show.

The world thinks I killed a man, but I didn’t. Bear with me. It’s all a part of the plan.

Revenge is what I want. I want it for me and I want it for her.
I want it for all six of us.

She doesn’t remember me, but she’s the reason for everything. She’ll be my prize at the end of all this – if I can hold onto my willpower, that is. Maybe I’ll slip up a little, have a taste, just a small one.

So go ahead and pick a card. Come inside and see the show. Look at my hands, look so closely that you can’t see what’s happening while you’re so focused on looking. I’ll be destroying your world from right here in the spotlight.

You’ll never see me coming until it’s too late.

I’ve only got one heart, and after I’ve pulled off my grand deception I’ll hand it right to her.

So, sit back, relax, and let my girl tell you our story. You’re in for one hell of a ride. 

3. 

This standalone novel completely unraveled me. It was so beautiful and heart shattering... Loving Mr Daniels is one of the best and most complex student-teacher story I have ever read. It's not surprising then I rated it so high and gave it the third place. I am so proud of Brittainy C. Cherry! She's wonderful person and she stole my heart! I cannot wait for more of her work. 

LOVING MR. DANIELS by Brittainy C. Cherry

To Whom it May Concern,

It was easy to call us forbidden and harder to call us soulmates. Yet I believed we were both. Forbidden soulmates.

When I arrived to Edgewood, Wisconsin I didn’t plan to find him. I didn't plan to stumble into Joe's bar and have Daniel's music stir up my emotions. I had no clue that his voice would make my hurts forget their own sorrow. I had no idea that my happiness would remember its own bliss.

When I started senior year at my new school, I wasn’t prepared to call him Mr. Daniels, but sometimes life happens at the wrong time for all the right reasons.

Our love story wasn’t only about the physical connection.

It was about family. It was about loss. It was about being alive. It was silly. It was painful. It was mourning. It was laughter.

It was ours.

And for those reasons alone, I would never apologize for loving Mr. Daniels.

-Ashlyn Jennings

4.

Colleen Hoovers' 2014 releases were DIVINE! Sexy, sweet and funny yet heartbreaking and so real! Absolutely fantastic addition to my The best of 2014 list. Ugly Love and Maybe Someday are a MUST READS. 

MAYBE SOMEDAY by Colleen Hoover

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover, a passionate tale of friendship, betrayal, and romance.

At twenty-two years old, Sydney has a great life: She's in college, working a steady job, in love with her wonderful boyfriend, Hunter, and rooming with her best friend, Tori. But everything changes when she discovers Hunter's cheating on her--and she is left trying to decide what to do next.

Sydney becomes captivated by Ridge, her mysterious neighbor. She can't take her eyes off him or stop listening to the passionate way he plays his guitar every evening out on his balcony. And there's something about Sydney that Ridge can't ignore, either. When their inevitable encounter happens, they soon find themselves needing each other in more ways than one...

UGLY LOVE by Colleen Hoover 

When Tate Collins meets airline pilot Miles Archer, she knows it isn’t love at first sight. They wouldn’t even go so far as to consider themselves friends. The only thing Tate and Miles have in common is an undeniable mutual attraction. Once their desires are out in the open, they realize they have the perfect set-up. He doesn’t want love, she doesn’t have time for love, so that just leaves the sex. Their arrangement could be surprisingly seamless, as long as Tate can stick to the only two rules Miles has for her.

Never ask about the past.
Don’t expect a future.

They think they can handle it, but realize almost immediately they can’t handle it at all.

Hearts get infiltrated.
Promises get broken.
Rules get shattered.
Love gets ugly.

5.   

The next place goes to Tillie Cole. Every single book she released this year was absolutely fanfuckingtastic. Sweet Fall, It Ain't Me Babe, Heart Recaptured and Raze were all mind blowing!!

SWEET FALL by Tillie Cole 

We all have secrets.

Secrets well buried.

Until we find the one soul who makes the burden of such secrets just that little bit easier to bear.

Lexington "Lexi" Hart is a senior at the University of Alabama. Surrounded by her best friends, her loving family and having fulfilled her life-long dream of making the Crimson Tide cheer squad, everything is going exactly as she always dreamed it would. But beneath her happy exterior, demons lurk, threatening to jeopardize everything Lexi has worked to achieve. When events in her life become too much to cope with, Lexi finds herself spiraling down into the realm of her biggest fear. Lexi falls hard, victim once again to the only thing that can destroy her and, on the way, finds herself falling straight into the dangerous tattooed arms of a guy from the wrong side of the tracks.

Austin Carillo, starting Wide Receiver for the Alabama Crimson Tide, must get picked in this year's NFL draft. He needs it. His brothers need it. Most importantly, his mother desperately needs it. Brought up in a world where the poor are forgotten, the sick are left to fend for themselves and no hero miraculously appears to pull you out of hell, Austin had no other choice but to make a living on the wrong side of the law—until football offered Austin the break to get his life back on track. But when a family tragedy drags him back into the clutches of the gang he believed he had left far behind, Austin finds himself falling. Falling back into criminal ways and falling deep into a suffocating darkness. Until a troubled yet kindred spirit stumbles across his path, where Austin quickly finds he is falling for a young woman, a young woman who might just have the power to save him from his worst enemy: himself.

Can two troubled souls find a lasting peace together? Or will they finally succumb to the demons threatening to destroy them?

IT AIN'T ME, BABE by Tillie Cole

Sinning never felt so good…

A fortuitous encounter.

A meeting that should never have happened.

Many years ago, two children from completely different worlds forged a connection, a fateful connection, an unbreakable bond that would change their lives forever…

Salome knows only one way to live—under Prophet David’s rule. In the commune she calls home, Salome knows nothing of life beyond her strict faith, nor of life beyond the Fence—the fence that cages her, keeps her trapped in an endless cycle of misery. A life she believes she is destined to always lead, until a horrific event sets her free.

Fleeing the absolute safety of all she has ever known, Salome is thrust into the world outside, a frightening world full of uncertainty and sin; into the protective arms of a person she believed she would never see again.

River ‘Styx’ Nash knows one thing for certain in life—he was born and bred to wear a cut. Raised in a turbulent world of sex, Harleys, and drugs, Styx, unexpectedly has the heavy burden of the Hades Hangmen gavel thrust upon him, and all at the ripe old age of twenty-six—much to his rivals’ delight.

Haunted by a crushing speech impediment, Styx quickly learns to deal with his haters. Powerful fists, an iron jaw and the skillful use of his treasured German blade has earned him a fearsome reputation as a man not to be messed with in the shadowy world of outlaw MC’s. A reputation that successfully keeps most people far, far away.

Styx has one rule in life—never let anyone get too close. It’s a plan that he has stuck to for years, that is, until a young woman is found injured on his lot… a woman who looks uncannily familiar, a woman who clearly does not belong in his world, yet a woman he feels reluctant to let go…

HEART RECAPTURED by Tillie Cole

Even salvation can be delivered through the love of the damned…

Beauty can be a curse.

Faith can be a cage.

Only love can set you free.

A few long weeks after being reluctantly ripped from the comforting embrace of her sacred prophet’s religious commune—the only life she has ever known—a terrified Delilah is thrust into a world enveloped by evil and swimming in sin.

Steadfastly devout in her faith, and retaining the deep belief that her soul is innately tarnished as a branded ‘Cursed woman of Eve’, Delilah is determined to find her way home to her people in The Order and away from the corrupt and damned outlaw motorcycle club—The Hades Hangmen—who hold her at their secluded compound for her protection—a 'protection' she strongly resents.

Delilah yearns to return home, convinced that only amongst her own people, and under the holy guidance of the Lord’s revealed prophet, can her Satan-spawned soul be truly saved. Conditioned her entire life to believe she is a witch... a life-long temptress… the devil’s whore... Delilah increasingly resents her beautiful face, her shapely body and her sensuous effect on men. But when a man of the motorcycle club—a deeply sinful yet stunningly beautiful man—is charged with her care, Delilah begins to see that this dangerous and moralless sinner from the 'outside' may offer her something she did not know could truly exist: unconditional love.

Kyler ‘Ky’ Willis loves his life: a daily abundance of brotherhood, liquor, the freedom of the open-road and—best of all—his pick of hot women. Raised a biker brat and now VP of the most notorious MC in the States, Ky has no shortage of club sluts warming his bed; a situation he takes full advantage of… until a certain blonde enters his life… a gorgeous pilgrim-blonde he can’t get out of his head… a pilgrim-blonde he and his club recently-rescued from some backward religious cult… and a pilgrim-blonde he’s been ordered to keep the hell away from and his whorish hands off.

When yet another in a lengthy line of drunken blunders forces Ky to reluctantly take charge of the pilgrim-blonde’s care, he realizes that there could be more to this woman than just supermodel looks and a stacked set of tits. He begins to see that she could be the woman who could do the impossible—tame his wild ways and capture his reluctant heart.

But the unyielding bonds of Lilah’s past are strong, her ‘people’ determined and, with a new Prophet in charge and hell bent on revenge, they are mightily reluctant to let her go...

RAZE by Tillie Cole

One man stripped of his freedom, his morals...his life.

Conditioned in captivity to maim, to kill and to slaughter, prisoner 818 becomes an unremorseful, unrivaled and unstoppable fighter in the ring. Violence is all he knows. Death and brutality are the masters of his fate.

After years of incarceration in an underground hell, only one thought occupies his mind: revenge...bloody, slow and violent revenge.

Revenge on the man who lied.

Revenge on the man who wronged him.

Revenge on the man who condemned him and turned him into this: a rage-fueled killing machine. A monster void of humanity; a monster filled with hate.

And no one will stand in the way of getting what he wants.

One woman stripped of her freedom, her morals...her life.

Kisa Volkova is the only daughter of Kirill ‘The Silencer’ Volkov, head of the infamous ‘Triad’ bosses of New York's Russian Bratva. Her life is protected. In reality, it’s a virtual prison. Her father’s savage treatment of his rivals and his lucrative and coveted underground gambling ring—The Dungeon—ensures too many enemies lurk at their door.

She dreams to be set free.

Kisa has known only cruelty and loss in her short life. As manager of her father’s death match enterprise, only grief and pain fill her days. Her mafia boss father, in her world, rules absolute. And her fiancé, Alik Durov, is no better; the Dungeon’s five-time champion, a stone-cold killer, the treasured son of her father’s best friend, and her very own—and much resented—personal guard. Unrivaled in both strength and social standing, Alik controls every facet of Kisa’s life, dominates her every move; keeps her subdued and dead inside...then one night changes everything.

While working for her church—the only reprieve in her constant surveillance—Kisa stumbles across a tattooed, scarred, but stunningly beautiful homeless man on the streets. Something about him stirs feelings deep within her; familiar yet impossibly forbidden desires. He doesn’t talk. Doesn’t communicate with anyone. He’s a man beyond saving, and a man she must quickly forget...for both their sakes.

But when weeks later, out of the blue and to her complete surprise, he’s announced as the replacement fighter in The Dungeon, Kisa knows she’s in a whole lot of trouble. He’s built, ripped and lethally unforgiving to his opponents, leaving fear in his wake and the look of death in his eyes.

Kisa becomes obsessed with him. Yearns for him. Craves his touch. Needs to possess this mysterious man...this man they call Raze.

6

I also had a great pleasure of reading Bad Romeo by Leisa Reyven  first book in Starcrossed Series and Wow! This novel was so freakin' GOOD!!

BAD ROMEO by Leisa Reyven

When Cassie Taylor met Ethan Holt at acting school, sparks flew. She was the good girl actress. He was the bad boy about campus. But one fated casting choice for Romeo and Juliet changed it all. Like the characters they were playing, Cassie and Ethan's romance seemed destined. Until he broke her heart and betrayed her trust. Now the A-list heartthrob is back in her life and turning her world around. One touch at a time.

Cast as romantic leads once again, they're forced to confront raw memories of the heartbreaking lows and pulse-pounding highs of their secret college affair. But they'll also discover that people who rub each other the wrong way often make the best sparks

7

Linda Kage - I love you. I love everything you write. I especially love Pick. He's definitely one of the sexiest man ever.

BE MY HERO by Linda Kage

Once upon a time, there was this pampered rich girl who was kind of full of herself. She really only cared about appearances and hiding all her dark, ugly secrets under the guise of an opinionated snob. But then Eva Mercer got pregnant, shot by a psycho, and kicked out of the only home she knew. Now she’s broke, unemployed, and has to start anew with a newborn to raise. But how?

On the other side of town, sexy, tattooed orphan, Patrick Ryan, can’t get a break. He’s out on parole for defending the last damsel in distress while trying to help her support her child, but all he wants is to find his one true love. He knows this woman by scent, smile, and laugh, but he’s never actually met her. He doesn’t even know her name. He just knows she’s the key to fixing everything.

One kind of hero can save you from physical harm. Another can rescue you from a different kind of doom. To reach their dreams, Eva and Pick can save each other. But first, they must open their hearts and learn how to trust.

8

This year I was very suprised to read an awesome debut new adult novel by  Lex Martin. Dearest Clementine was the sweetest and funniest book I've read in quite some time.

DEAREST CLEMENTINE by Lex Martin

Twenty-year-old Clementine Avery doesn't mind being called bitchy and closed off. It's safe, and after being burned by her high school sweetheart and stalked by a professor her freshman year of college, safe sounds pretty damn good.

Her number one rule for survival? No dating. That is until she accidentally signs up for a romance writing class and needs material for her latest assignment. Sexy RA Gavin Murphy is more than happy to play the part of book boyfriend to help Clem find some inspiration, even if that means making out...in the name of research, of course.

As Gavin and Clem grow closer, they get entangled in the mystery surrounding a missing Boston University student, and Clem unwittingly becomes a possible target. Gavin tries to show Clem she can handle falling in love again, but she knows she has to be careful because her heart’s at stake…and maybe even her life.

9.

Of course there just needs to be a place on this list for Samantha Young's Before Jamaica Lane. I loved this book! So sweet, so sexy!

BEFORE JAMAICA LANE by Samantha Young

One simple lesson in seduction between two friends can turn into so much more…

Despite her outgoing demeanor, Olivia is painfully insecure around the opposite sex—usually, she can’t get up the nerve to approach guys she’s interested in. But moving to Edinburgh has given her a new start, and, after she develops a crush on a sexy postgrad, she decides it’s time to push past her fears and go after what she wants.

Nate Sawyer is a gorgeous player who never commits, but to his close friends, he’s as loyal as they come. So when Olivia turns to him with her relationship woes, he offers to instruct her in the art of flirting and to help her become more sexually confident.

The friendly education in seduction soon grows into an intense and hot romance. But then Nate’s past and commitment issues rear their ugly heads, and Olivia is left broken-hearted. When Nate realizes he’s made the biggest mistake of his life, he will have to work harder than he ever has before to entice his best friend into falling back in love with him—or he may lose her forever…

10

The last but not the least best is Full Measures by Rebecca Yarros. This story made me weep like a little girl.

FULL MEASURES by Rebecca Yarros

Twenty years as an army brat and Ember Howard knew, too. The soldiers at the door meant her dad was never coming home. What she didn’t know was how she would find the strength to singlehandedly care for her crumbling family when her mom falls apart.

Then Josh Walker enters her life. Hockey star, her new next-door neighbor, and not to mention the most delicious hands that insist on saving her over and over again. He has a way of erasing the pain with a single look, a single touch. As much as she wants to turn off her feelings and endure the heartache on her own, she can’t deny their intense attraction.

Until Josh’s secret shatters their world. And Ember must decide if he’s worth the risk that comes with loving a man who could strip her bare.

What's more.... 

Of course there were many other books I did love. JLA's books were as always perfect, Cora Carmack's novels sexy and sweet, and Jay Crownover gave me at least one more Marked Man to swoon over. Belle Aurora made me laugh and cry, there was also Nocte by Courtney Cole and kick ass new novel by Ilona Andrews (Burn For Me). Christina Lee absolutely made me fall in love with her Promise Me This (super, sexy scenes!) and aaahhh I just loved Dust To Dust by Karina Halle (Dex, duh?)!! 

I hope 2015 releases will be just as good!

Read More