Reader Favorites – Nancy’s Best Books of 2019 List

OH BOY how I love Nancy’s lists and her book taste (she’s one of our book-deal finders AND recommenders) and I’m so happy for this list! It’s loaded in awesomeness.

She loves books that “go there” and doesn’t shy away from the forbiddeny… or the dark. But she LOVES romance too, so we’ve got everything for our mood right here.

But first… some Nancy 2019 highlights. 😉

I once told everyone on the blog about this crazy book-dream that I had (in my dream I was reading an awesome Kristen Ashley book and couldn’t wait to tell everyone about the crazy ending) and Nancy wanted to read it. LOL! To bad it doesn’t actually exist. 😉

Nancy: I think your dream was the best recommendation & never saw that ending coming!

She physically MOVED her cottage!!! It was picked up… and MOVED. And she sent me a picture of it in progress. Whoa!!!

The cottage is moved higher & farther. If I am preoccupied you see why. It is making me so nervous to see it like this!

My dad built it in 1966. It needs a new foundation & we are adding an additional garage & upstairs over the garage & it now has a tiny kitchen & no place for a washer & dryer. It was built as just a summer cottage & this has been our dream. The association is making us move it 20 ft to the right & 2 ft back.

And a bit about her book preferences:

My favorite book of 2019 is WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING! The hard copy is only $9.50. So I gave 5 copies away as gifts!

…reclusive neighbors are the best!!

Elle Thorpe is a rather new to me author from Australia. I found her when I read her Only the Perfect (Only You). Her new release today was light-hearted & had lots of humor. But her ONLY THE PERFECT dealt with HIV & that is a serious subject. I enjoy her books, not matter the subject.

Katy Regnery has been one of my favorite authors ever since I read The Vixen and the Vet, back in 2014. I have read many more of her books over the years since, but her new book, Unloved, a love story, has to be the very best book she has ever written. In my humble opinion it is a gem. It is at the top of my list of THE BEST READS OF 2017.

And now…

NANCY’S BEST BOOKS OF 2019 LIST

2019 was a year of really good books to read. My favorite book of the entire year was WHERE THE CRAWDADS SING. My husband and I liked it so much that we gifted hardback copies to all our family and friends that are big into reading, too! A big thanks to my good book buddy Heidi for recommending this book in the first place. Also this is the year I finally read the KATHLEEN TURNER SERIES. My good book buddy Stephanie has been after me for years to “please” read it! I have owned it for a long time. But this is the year, I finally read it. And I can’t forget to thank Maryse of Maryse’s Book Blog. Since 2010 she has been recommending so many great books & I love all her book reviews. My list of books is not in any order of favorite except for the top one.

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens (My favorite book of the year)

WHERE THE CRAWDAD SING is at once an exquisite ode to the natural world, a heartbreaking coming-of-age. Delia Owens reminds us that we are forever shaped by the children we once were, and that we are all subject to the beautiful and violent secrets that nature keeps.

This is a book that stays with you long after the last page.

The Kiss Thief by L.J. Shen

A romance of enemies to lovers. Or a love triangle. May the best man win with just a stolen kiss.

In the Unlikely Event by L.J. Shen

Two star-crossed lovers that share a passion filled night. IN THE UNLIKELY EVENT, they ever cross paths again, will they just let go or hold on forever.

Covet: A Standalone Forbidden Romance by Ella James

What a love story! Ella James writing is so descriptive, you feel you are there on that forsaken island. You feel all the pain, longing, and love that is endless and insensible. All they want is happiness, but so much stands in their way.

I highly recommend. There are twist and turns until the very end.

Midnight Valentine by J.T. Geissinger

If you ever have been fascinated with the topic of reincarnation. Anything you lose may come along in another form. If you believe death doesn’t end a relationship. Only the life. If the good memories outweigh the bad, you shouldn’t want to forget the past. If someone loves you enough, than one lifetime isn’t enough. Maybe you will find the same love in every one of your lives.

This is a different love story than you have ever read. Love isn’t born of the flesh. It’s born of the spirit. And so can transcend the bonds of of flesh, and life, and time. Good Book!!

Haunted Melody: A Ghost Story by Alyson Santos

I like to read ghost stories, so when I saw Alyson Santos had a new book coming out, I one-clicked myself a copy. I’ve been a fan of Alyson Santos since I read NIGHT SHIFT BLACK. But I was not expecting this unique and haunting story. A different paranormal ghost story. The writing was some of her best yet.

This is a difficult book to review, because you must closely follow the story. You will learn the secrets of the story as they unfold. There are some dark parts, but you will see the light at the end.

Bad Boy Blues by Saffron A. Kent

Saffron has written some of the hottest, erotic “LOVE” scenes, I have ever read. I was in a doctor’s office waiting room and reading one of the shower scenes and looked around to see if anyone could tell what I was reading.

Put on your big girl panties and read this book now. Sometimes cruel things happen because you’re forcing your way into something wonderful. Cinderella saves the prince!

Dreams of 18 (Heartstone Series Book 2) by Saffron A. Kent

I have read every book that Saffron A. Kent has written. So after reading the blurb of her new release, DREAMS OF 18, I knew I would be reading this book as soon as it was released. This book was full of angst. And with an 18 year age gap, all so very taboo.

Well, you can’t help who you fall in love with, and be assured that nothing happens between Mr. Graham Edwards and his young neighbor Violet Moore, until she reaches the legal age of 18. It all started with a kiss!

A Really Bad Idea by Jeannine Colette

This book is now my favorite book by Jeannine Colette.

One of the beautiful places in the story is Bethesda Fountain in Central Park. With its bronze angel statue at the top and with her outstretched arms, the iconic fountain has for a longtime beckoned to Meadow Duvane. For years, she has tossed a coin in the water and made countless wishes.

She puts a lot of hope into her wishes, and never takes off her lucky wishbone necklace. Meadow and Christian Gallagher have many romantic moments by this fountain. Maybe, one day, her greatest wish will come true.

P.S. A note that Nancy sent me about giving this book to her granddaughter:

I am so excited to give this to Paris for Christmas. Jeannine Colette lives in New York City. And I have a picture of her at the very fountain that the book was centered around. I sent her the Kindle ebook & Paris loved it. Jeannine & I thought she would make a perfect Meadow! I bought the paperback & Jeannine personally signed it. Can’t wait for Christmas!!

Just Ten Seconds by Jeannine Colette

This book drew me in when reading just the prologue. “Like sands through the hourglass so are the days of our lives.” Right there I had memories and tears. Just ten seconds can change a lot. That is all it took for Mara (Greenfield) Williams life to change forever. That is all that Dean Delgado wishes he had with his dead wife. Ten seconds is all it takes to fall in love.

“My mind wanders back to the opening lines, and the sand trickling through the hourglass. So much can happen in an hour. In a minute. Even a second.”

Her Perfect: A Student-Teacher Romance by Stephie Walls

This book is a near perfect forbidden student/teacher romance, but the story is so very much more. There are major issues that must be addressed, beyond the obvious of her being his eighteen-year-old honor student.

I was nervously reading each page till the Epilogue.

Beaten Paths: A Small Town Romance by Stephie Walls

This book is a wonderful story of love overcoming insurmountable odds. How one near-death accident has a domino affect on so many lives. Many lives are changed forever. Some for the good and others for the not so good. One chance encounter can make all of one young woman’s dreams come true. Yet can shatter another young girl’s dreams to pieces.

The Red Zone by Amie Knight

This book is a sweet but sad second-chance romance. I’ve read all of Amie Knight’s books and this one doesn’t disappoint. Wonderful characters trying to do the best they can, with the cards life has dealt them.

“I’m Calling Dibs” on this book.

Savaged by Mia Sheridan

After reading this book, it becomes unbelievable to me that Mia Sheridan can write such original books one after the other. This is full of raw pain that will leave you reading and turning the pages as fast as you can. Full of suspense and mystery.

This is like no other book that she has written before.

Where the Blame Lies by Mia Sheridan

Once again this book is unlike any of her other books. It is a unique story. But should warn readers that have triggers, this book may not be for you. A very dark story. It has lots of intrigue and sure will keep you guessing till the very end. I do want to warn that this book is definitely not for everyone.

I was reading one part, where the damsel in distress, was upstairs alone. She heard someone walking on her hardwood floor downstairs. I just happened to be home alone, reading in bed. Nothing was going to make me go downstairs.

doyenne. by Anne Malcom

I went in blind except for reading the blurb. I will just say that this is the Ice Queen meeting the Alpha King. This is not a match made in Heaven. Just the opposite. After he saves her life, not once, but twice. She hires him to protect her, but no one can protect her from him.

This is a dark story, with Charlotte and Jacob being so broken and damaged. They are so much alike, that it seems to be the thing that draws them to each other. They have a deep connection, but there is nothing sweet about it. More like who will conquer who. There will be no winner.

This book will be going on my list of Best Books of 2019. Maybe as the Darkest Best Book of 2019.

Ask Me Why: An Enemies to Lovers Standalone Romance by Harloe Rae

This is a book of Enemies to Lovers. Also a Standalone Romance. I have read all the previous book releases by Harloe Rae. When I heard about her new release, I was quick to 1-click.

Once I started reading, I didn’t want to put it down & couldn’t wait to finish the story. Plus, I always am happy when a book has a good ending. I enjoyed all the wonderful characters. Especially the little boy Ollie. He plays the part of cupid.

BREAKER: A Brother’s Best Friend Standalone Romance by Harloe Rae

Grady and Sutton could have been a perfect couple. But so many “If only” stand between them. No matter how difficult their story might be, the journey, the heartache. They will have to fight and overcome to get to their “Happy Something!”

Grady is a tortured soul. And an outcast in this small town. And she is the younger sister of his only friend in the world. But she has loved him since she was 7. A lot of angst.

Grady & Sutten are one of the best couples ever! …one of the best love stories for the pages.

Mr Masters by T L Swan

This is a most entertaining story of a “no experienced” nanny named Brielle.

She is hired to watch two “motherless” children. One is a rebellious teenage girl and the other is her younger brother who is lovable and adorable. Their widower father, Julian, is an over controlling alpha male, who just happens to be a judge.

Even when Brielle turns out to be a terrible nanny, she also is the first nanny the kids actually “like.” Their dad would have fired her the first day, but time and again she has perseverance to stay on. It isn’t long till more than the kids “like” her.

The Stopover (The Miles High Club Book 1) by T L Swan

I became a big fan of T. L. Swan’s writing after reading her book MR. MASTERS. That remained my very favorite, but I think after reading, THE STOPOVER, it is right up there with that book.

There is a camping scene in this book that is just hilarious. I was laughing so much, that I had to stop and read the entire camping part to my husband. He was laughing, too. He didn’t have to know anything else about the characters. It was that good! It was my favorite part of the book. There are other parts of the book that were good, and a great deal of angst. But the book was worth reading for just that camping part alone.

The Italian by T L Swan

I’ve read enough books written by T L Swan, that I look forward to reading her “every” New Release. THE ITALIAN is her new novel and it doesn’t disappoint. It is really SO GOOD! It is 550 pages of awesome reading! This is quite a story with lots of angst and heartache.

Enrico and Olivia have very difficult road to travel if they dare to hope for a future. Their sexual attraction, want and need for each other, is hot. They need to love each other more than all the people who hate the idea of them being together. Lots of surprises before the end. You can take the man out of Italy. You can’t take the Italy out of the man.

Highly Recommend!!

THE ISLAND: A Romance Novel by Daya Daniels

It was the first book I’ve read by this author. I was hooked from the first page to the last page. It is not a love triangle but a love square.

The two husbands are best-friends who have started a business together. It has grown into a multi-billionaire success. Their wives are also the best of friends. They are all friends! But one couple gets stranded on an island & they are not the couple that are married to each other.

THE CLIMB: A Romance Novel by Daya Daniels

Ever since I read THE ISLAND, I wanted to read her novel: THE CLIMB. The mountain is called K2 and the second highest peak in the world, and maybe the most challenging plus dangerous. Few ever make it to the top, but many have died trying. It takes a really experienced climber to even try to ascend. The author must be a climber herself or just have studied the technique of mountain climbing thoroughly. It takes a certain breed of person, man or woman, to put themselves through this grueling and life threatening experience.

I stayed up to 2:30 in the morning to see if they made it to the top. I never guessed the twist and turns this story would take. I was tired, but couldn’t put the book down.

The Girl He Used to Know: A Novel by Tracey Gravis-Graves

Fate reunites Annika and Jonathan in Chicago.

She’s living the life she wanted as a librarian. He’s a Wall Street whiz, recovering from a divorce and seeking a fresh start. The attraction and strong feelings they once shared are instantly rekindled, but until they confront the fears and anxieties that drove them apart, their second chance will end before it truly begins.

Our Song by Lauren Runow

OUR SONG is a book that has more happy notes then off key. But music is the theme of the book. Fate, destiny, and for those of us believers: God’s plan is put into this book. An easy book to read with characters you will remember, long after the last page.

Like Nancy’s book style? Check out more of her favorites:

• Reader Favorites – Nancy’s Top 15 Reads for 2015
• Reader Favorites – Nancy’s Top Book Reads for the Year 2016
• Reader Favorites – Nancy’s 20 Best Books of 2017
• Reader Favorites – Nancy’s Best Books of 2018 List