Top Ten Tuesday: My Favorite 2016 Releases So Far

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

I felt so good last week when I scheduled my post from Monday-Wednesday and did my busy week (PLUS TRAVEL) at work.  HOWEVER, despite scheduling it waaay ahead of time, it didn’t POST AT ALL!  Ugh! Stupid technology!  Hopefully, I fixed the issue this time! *big sigh*

Anyway, I wanted to talk about all the amazing books that I read to date!  It’s not a lot, but I’ve been pretty picky about which books I give 5 star ratings to.

So, are you ready?!

GO!

THE WINNER’S CRIME by Marie Rutkoski (Young Adult Fantasy)

I picked up The Winner’s Curse earlier this year and I was intrigued.  I read the second book, The Winner’s Crime and one scene stole the show for me and I fell in love with this book.  This series ended a couple of months back but I didn’t really like it.  HOWEVER, this book/series is still worth the read BECAUSE OF THE AWESOME SECOND BOOK!

CROWN OF MIDNIGHT by Sarah J. Maas | HEIR OF FIRE by Sarah J. Maas | QUEEN OF SHADOWS by Sarah J. Maas (Young Adult Fantasy)

I decided to group all these books together because OH-EM-GEEEEEE they are soooooo good!  I mean, better than good!  This is just a FANTABULOUS WORK OF ART!  The story line has grown exponentially with added side characters that will have major roles in future books.  Plus each other characters’ growth was just phenomenal.  AND DRAGONS AND WITCHES AND KICKASS FEMALES!  If you haven’t heard of the Throne of Glass series, you need to go GET IT AND READ IT NAAAAWWWW!

THE HUNTER by Kerrigan Byrne (Adult Historical Romance)

My last couple of months found me reading a lot more historicals so be prepared for a deluge of them in the next list!  I decided to read The Hunter when I requested it on Netgalley AND I WAS BLOWN AWAY! THE EMOTIONS! And yes, I UGLY CRIED in the prologue alone!  And I also met Kerrigan Byrne at the RT Convention in Las Vegas last April and she is super, SUPER nice!  Anyway, if that alone won’t make you read this book, this will: DROP DEAD GORGEOUS ASSASSIN! AAAHHHHHHH!!

THE MISTAKE by Elle Kennedy (New Adult Contemporary Romance)

This second book in the Off-Campus series just blew me away!  We meet a hockey star with lots and lots of baggage AND HIS NAME IS LOGAN! I just love the mix of spicy romance and real family issues explored in this story.  It really warmed my heart!

THE BAD BOY BILLIONAIRE’S WICKED ARRANGEMENT by Maya Rodale (Adult Contemporary Romance)

I picked this up on a whim and I ABSOLUTELY FELL IN LOVE!  The quirky, fun, romantic novella stole my heart and I fell in love with the main characters!  PLUS, you are supposed to read this in between reading the historical romance counterpart! GENIUS!  MAYA RODALE IS A GENIUS!

THE WICKED WALLFLOWER by Maya Rodale (Adult Historical Romance)

As referenced above, I reread this book after I read the novella and I can totally appreciate the significance of everything in the novella!  I was charmed and fell in love with wallflower Emma Avery and the rake the Duke of Ashbrook!  This is another hero that hides behind rakish ways to cover his soft fluffy heart!

PASSIONS OF A WICKED EARL by Lorraine Heath (Adult Historical Romance)

This is another reread for me this year and I still am in love with this book!  This is the first book in the London’s Greatest Lovers series and this is a second chance romance!  I personally have a weakness of this type of romance and Lorraine Heath doesn’t disappoint!  I love Claire’s take charge attitude and how she took matters into her own hands to win her husband’s love back!

MARRYING WINTERBOURNE by Lisa Kleypas (Adult Historical Romance)

This is the last historical that I read and my most awaited one.  AND RHYS DID NOT DISAPPOINT!  Lisa Kleypas really knows how to write non-aristocratic heroes because my two favorite heroes are Derek Craven and Rhys Winterbourne!  PLUS THERE IS SHOPPING INVOLVED HERE!  Don’t miss a few chapters of shopping at a Regency department store!  Oh, and did I mention that one character stole the show?  SHE WAS SOOO FUN!  Ehemm there was a giraffe exhibit mentioned here!

Have you read any of the books mentioned above?  Did you love it?  Do you have any good recs for me?  Leave your recs in the comments below!

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