The rules for this list were simple: books I read in 2015, loved like whoa, and didn’t beta read.
Without further ado, posted in the order I read them! Click on the book cover to purchase!
The blurb doesn’t do this book justice. It’s full of yummy tropes and hot scenes. It’s a good length too, justifying the price tag. I think about parts of it months later and felt sort of bummed when it was over. Always a good indication that I loved the world/characters! I totally recommend this book.
I’m just going to flat out state that I disliked the first book in this series (The Winter Courtship Rituals of Fur-Bearing Critters). Like, I seriously, very much did not like it. (The reasons were: under-developed, super-rushed, basically love at first sight, didn’t really feel the couple, etc.) After reading the first one, I was baffled as to why this was such a popular series. I actually read Book 1 in 2014 and didn’t plan to read any more. But, for some reason, in early 2015 I decided to read Book 2. Maybe it was “free” on Scribd and I thought I’d just give it a go? I’m not sure why I chose to look past how much I really disliked the first book and go on to the second, all that I know is that I did. AND I LOVED EVERY OTHER BOOK IN THE SERIES SO MUCH OMG. Like the rest of the series pushed every last button I have and I was a pile of goo. I’m not sure you have to read the first one to enjoy the others. To be honest, I might skip it. But if you go in with lower expectations than I had for the first book, maybe you’ll like it more than I did. Regardless, the rest of the series is all gooey, feel-good magic.
This book is only $1.99 right now! Again, I’m going to be flat out honest with you and tell you there are some editing issues with this book. It was put out by Kensington, a respectable house, so I don’t know what their deal was, but that’s on the publisher, not the author. The book concept is really fun: reality tv show competition that gets super-duper hot. There are some incredibly sexy scenes, too, some of the dirtiest/hottest I read this year. The relationship isn’t all about the sex, though. There’s sweetness and personal growth, too. The psychological exploration of the more conservative main character and the family expectations that bind him are so well done. I’ve thought about this book a lot since reading it and am looking forward to the next installment in this series (Love Me Tenor) coming soon. I also enjoyed Status Update by Ms. Albert, and it was better edited (put out by Carina, by the way), but I loved Treble Maker and these characters just a little bit more.
I am a huge Ginn Hale fan, so it’s no surprise that I loved the continuation of the Cadeleonian series. I love thick, lush world-building and characters that make me love them from the moment they appear on page. These books can probably be read alone, but there’s no doubt they would be more enjoyable if you’ve read the other Cadeleonian books (Lord of the White Hell Books 1 & 2) first.
Absolutely adorable fluff fantasy with lots of tropes and laughs. Highly recommended. I’ll probably buy this one in paperback. In fact, maybe I already pre-ordered that? I can’t remember. Regardless, super duper adorable, fun, charming, laugh-inducing, and just an all-around fantastic read.
Absolutely the most unusual book I’ve read in a long time. I will just c/p my Goodreads review here. “I wish they would make this into a mini series. One of my favorite reads this year.” I feel like I should give a heads up that there is some anachronistic modern language tossed in at times that would momentarily me jerk me out of the story, but for the most part I was able to get immersed in this and visualize every scene like something on a movie/tv screen. The descriptions were perfection. Another thing I enjoyed about this book was how many questions it raised for me: what was William Shakespeare truly like, was this a portrayal that I could buy into (for the purposes of this book, yes), and so much more. Highly recommend, but I can tell you now that it’s not your typical m/m read, not even your typical historical. Imagine a gay BBC Merlin-esque Shakespeare story and go with that.
Highly recommended! Megan Derr has expanded on a freebie novella and turned it into a long, satisfactory read. I absolutely loved it and have thought about it nearly every day since finishing it. My only wish is for even more of this universe and more of this couple. Unf. Loved it so much.
I’m excited to see what books I read and love in 2016! I’ll let you know next year! 😀 LOL! Happy New Year’s Eve! May this year bring us all some good reading!
Leta Blake 