Dude, so one of my goals of 2015 was to read more. Remember that? Well, I do, and I have to say that it's been going pretty well. I still find myself in "reading droughts" where I don't read for a couple of weeks. Then, bam! I read like 5 books in 5 days. I'm not sure why I do that...
But since last time I reported (oh my heck! That was at the end of January!), here's what I've read:
SHELTER ME by Catherine Mann: This one was interesting. I wasn't sure I was going to like the narration by the dog -- I generally don't like human characteristics given to animals. I skipped it the first few times. Then I started reading them, and I actually enjoyed it. This is a good contemporary romance with some real issues.
A HOPE REMEMBERED by Stacy Henrie: FABULOUS and BRILLIANT inspirational romance. I loved this book and recommend it to everyone! You can read more of my thoughts on this book here.
CAN'T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT by Chelsey Krause: This is a NA contemporary romance. Honestly, I'm terrified of this genre. Ha! I've utilized the Kindle's "Look Inside" feature for this and I always read as much as I can there before I buy. Why? I'm not into erotica or pretty much anything that starts with lots of F-bombs and/or sex. Not that every New Adult novel is like this, which is why I'm carefully selecting the ones I read. This was a good one. Some talk of sex, but none present on the page. I enjoyed it.
SECOND CHANCES by Stacy Finz: This contemporary romance takes place in the mountains, with snow. Right where I live! (I mean, not Utah, but I get the setting.) I especially loved Darla's romance, and the evolution of Colin as he came out of his self-imposed isolation to take a chance on love.
THE COWBOY'S FOREVER FAMILY by Deb Kastner: This is a Love Inspired Harlequin novel. I absolutely love this line, and I'm branching out into their Suspense line too. Fabulous read about second chances and redemption.
HEARTBREAK COVE by Lily Everett: This story has horses, and I sort of love horses. I thought this was a great contemporary romance about heartbreak, families, and second chances.
HOLD ME by Susan Mallery: This starts a new series for Susan Mallery, Fools Gold, and I really enjoyed it. There was a large cast of characters in a small town. I love small town, Beta hero romances, and this one delivered.
THE COWBOY'S CHRISTMAS GIFT by Donna Alward: This was the second book of Donna's that I read, and that's a high compliment! I liked this book, mostly because I enjoy ranches and cowboys.
SECOND CHANCE RANCH by Cindi Madsen: Ranches and cowboys! This read a lot like a young adult or new adult novel, but it had all the elements of a contemporary romance that I enjoy. I especially liked the dynamics between the hero and heroine, who had broken up previously.
FIVE DAYS IN SKYE by Carla Laureano: MY FAVORITE BOOK OF 2015 SO FAR. You can read all my thoughts about it here. Go get it. Read it. Love it like I do.
SIMPLY IRRESISTIBLE by Jill Shalvis: This book took me a while to get into. But I kept seeing Jill Shalvis's name all over the sites I've been visiting, and I thought I'd give it a try. A little sexier than I like, but a good example of contemporary romance.
LOVE ME SWEET by Tracy Brogan: This contemporary romance was a fun read! Lots of tension, and fabulously flawed characters. I learned a lot about writing romance from reading this book. Tracy's books are also a little sexier than I like, but they're so fantastic, I keep reading them.
REESE'S COWBOY KISS by Kimberly Krey: Uh, more cowboys and ranches? Yes, please! I liked this book because the romance was sweet and the characters were real. I found it read really young, but I like young adult too, so I went with it.
THE HOUSE ON BLACKBERRY HILL by Donna Alward: A favorite contemporary romance -- see why I read a second book by her? I loved this first in her Jewell Cove romances, and I can't wait until the others come out!
AGAINST HER WILL by Serita Stevens and Jo Schaffer: I loved this book, and it's not a romance. Take that! It's literally the outlier in this list, as it's also YA. But I adore Jo and I adored this book. It's a somewhat chilling and stark look at a troubled teen's life. You can read what else I had to say about it here.
So that's 15 books in the past 10 weeks! I think I'm on track for my one book/week goal. Hey, even I'm surprised!
And looking at my Kindle, I have DOZENS and DOZENS of new books still to read!
Also, have you seen a trend in what I'm reading right now? Do you see any YA books? (There is one...) I've said I'm writing in a new genre -- and I'm sure you can see what it is!
What have you read lately that you liked?
