Reading Year in Review 2018

I think we all can agree that 2018 was a dumpster fire of a year and yet, somehow, I managed to get through 95 books.  My reading goal is always 100, so while I did fall short, 95 is the most I've managed to get through since 2014 (when I read an incredible 119).  Here's how it all broke down (and yes, I count DNFs):

5 Stars (A Grade) = 7

4 Stars (B Grade) = 27

3 Stars (C Grades, includes some "low B-") = 38

2 Stars (D Grades) = 10

1 Star (F Grades) = 3

DNF (Did Not Finish) = 10

Audiobooks = 28

My A grades were up this year (although pretty consistent from previous years - I rarely assign 5-Stars in the double digits), my DNFs were up a smidge, my audiobook numbers were down (shorter work commute after I moved last year!), and my C grades outpaced my B grades (which is not great).  But, I'll take it.  This was the most productive reading year I've had in a dog's age.

Now, for what everybody cares about: the books!  A reminder that this is a recap of what I loved and read during 2018, but not necessarily books published in 2018.  I'm perpetually behind, so most of my Best Of list will be books that will, hopefully, be lurking in TBRs already or easy to score at your local library.

Note: Title links will take you to full reviews

The Romance:

Burn Down the Night (2016) and Wait For It (2017) by Molly O'Keefe - After not a single romance garnered an A grade from me in 2017, I vowed to start off 2018 on the right foot - with an author who consistently works for me.  The final two books in a quartet series, Burn Down the Night gives me the closest thing I've read to a true Bad Girl Heroine in the genre and Wait For It is an example of an Asshole Hero done right.  I didn't read these books so much as inhale them.

Breathe (2016) by L. Setterby - My contest judging this year was largely meh, but holy hell where has this book been all my life?!  A perfect example of starting a book, reading the first sentence, and just falling head over feet right into the world.  I'm so hooked that I downloaded the Wattpad app to read the next book in the series (still being released in weekly installments as I write up this post).

An Extraordinary Union (2017) by Alyssa Cole - A historical romance with legit high stakes conflict.  I loved this heroine so much I'm thinking of taking the Gone Fishin' sign off of my ovaries.

The Tycoon's Socialite Bride (2014) by Tracey Livesay - Here it is, the best category romance I read this year.  Livesay hit all her emotional beats, right on time.  I loved the heroine's family baggage and the hero bent on revenge but not needlessly cruel (although this one does rip your guts out in parts).  Don't think you like category romance?  Try this one.  It's damn near magical.

Indigo (1996) by Beverly Jenkins - Arguably the book that Jenkins is best known for, and it's easy to see why.  She puts so much into this story, addressing racism, colorism, and sexism, without preaching from the pulpit or losing sight of the romance.  Also, I've always felt that Jenkins' strength (well, besides her dynamite heroines) is her world-building.  The community she creates in this story, using the Underground Railroad as a backdrop, was so well done.

The Soldier Prince (2018) by Aarti V. Raman - This is my cracktastic read of the year, basically a category romance about a former Black Ops-style soldier, who is really a prince, who falls in love with a struggling college student waiting tables in a New York City deli.  This one is full of ALL THE TROPES and I couldn't get enough of it.  Raman needs to publish the next book in this series, like, yesterday.

Delicious Temptation (2015) by Sabrina Sol - Believable baggage (seriously, families can be the worst), and I loved the East LA family bakery backdrop.  Is it because I live in southern California and know the area?  Maybe.  Because Sol writes it so very well.  My runner up for best category read of the year.

Not Romance, Still Awesome:

The Broken Girls (2018) by Simone St. James - It's to the point now where I'm a squee'ing unreasonable fangirl for Simone St. James, but seriously, I loved this one.  A time slip novel with converging 1950 and 2014 plot treads and a nice "romantic elements" secondary thread involving the 2014 heroine and her cop boyfriend.  

Grant (2017) by Ron Chernow - A long book (47 hours on audio!), this one is worth the time investment.  Grant's life exemplifies the old "truth is stranger than fiction" adage.  That this man, basically a failure is every other aspect of his life, defeated the Confederacy, saved the Union, and became President is simply remarkable.  This is my new Read A Book Already book.  Plus, I learned stuff.  Which is always nice when reading non-fiction.

Jane Doe (2018) by Victoria Helen Stone - The revenge thriller I didn't know I needed.  A cool, methodical heroine who exacts her revenge against the worst sort of hypocritical DudeBro.  I loved every blessed minute of it.

Charlesgate Confidential (2018) by Scott Von Doviak - A crime novel set in Boston with three converging timelines. It did take a while for me to sink into this story and I did have to read about the damn Red Sox way too much for my liking, but this one is excellent.  Excellent world building.  Excellent mystery.  Interesting characters.  It kept me guessing all the way to the end.

Comfort Read/Author of 2018:

Marcia Muller - Every reader I know has what they call "comfort reading."  Either a favorite book or author, maybe a favorite genre.  For me, that's mystery.  I fell in love with reading via mysteries.  I devoured them as a teen, so there's a really high nostalgia factor at play here.  Given what a mess 2018 was, it's probably not surprising that I read 14 books in the Sharon McCone series this year.  I got through books 3 - 15 and one short story collection this year, in a mix of audio and print.  Technically these were all rereads for me, revisiting books I first read or listened to on audio as a teenager and in my early 20s.  Yes, some held up better than others, but the world building! The character arcs! I wanted to read more in the series this year, but other obligations have kept me from them.  I plan to pick up again with book 16 in 2019.

And that's my Year In Review for 2018.  I'm quite pleased with myself, but continue to hope for bigger and better in 2019.  The goal, once again, is 100 books.  Let's see if I make it.

Reading Year In Review 2017: The Numbers, The Best, The Honorable Mentions

Let's get this out of the way upfront: 2017 was not a great year and it naturally bled through into my reading.  Outside of the occasional book(s) I pick up in the name of "professional development," I would say that 99% of my reading is "leisure reading."  It's stuff I WANT to read not that I HAVE to read.  And, you know, when everything seems to be on fire (literally, figuratively...), losing myself in a book is just hard.  It's so much easier to mindlessly "tune out" in front of the TV or by playing Candy Crush.  But that being said, it's now 2018 and hope springs eternal.  Especially since I managed to get through 70 books this year.  I know, right?!  I can hardly believe it myself.  My goal is always 100, but given my reading malaise this year, I'm counting 70 as a win.  Here's how the grades broke down:

A = 2
B = 33
C = 17
D = 11
F = 1
DNF = 6

God, that's depressing.  I've always been stingy with my A grades, but to only have 2 is extreme even for me.  And I'm afraid this lack of OMG BEST BOOK EVER squee is going to reflect in interesting ways when I now talk about the books that I read in 2017 that "stuck with me."  Yes, I'm predominantly "known" as a romance blogger and this list is going to be rather thin on the romance.  I know, I hate it too.  And before any of you ask, "But Wendy what about Books X, Y, Z that I see cropping up on everyone else's year end lists."  The short answer?  I haven't read them.  The longer answer: they're buried in the TBR, I'm always perpetually behind and I'm notorious for dragging my feet when I hear a whole lot of endless squee'ing.  I know folks.  It's not one of my finer traits, but there you have it. 

But enough of the Wendy Pity Party.  What were the books that had enough oomph to them to "stick with me" this year?  So glad you asked!  Let's start with the romances:

Swear on This Life by Renee Carlino (2016) ::shudder:: New Adult Contemporary

Well, it finally happened.  This book by Carlino is the first New Adult book I've managed to finish (everything else I've ever tried has ended in a DNF) and I was sucked in but good.  Adjunct writing instructor heroine still struggling to find her voice and withering in a relationship going nowhere discovers that the latest hot literary bestseller is the story of her screwed up childhood.  Which means her first love, the boy she left behind, is the mysterious writer everyone is talking about.  This is a book within a book and it's not perfect.  There are flaws, and yet?  I didn't care.  Carlino sucked me in with her voice, the angst, the gut-punch.  I read a New Adult book and I actually liked it.  Miracles can happen.

Never Say Die by Tess Gerritsen (1992) Romantic Suspense (Harlequin Intrigue)

An early Gerritsen romantic suspense novel this one holds up amazingly well, but it still needs to be read like a "time capsule."  To finally get some closure for her dying mother, heroine travels to Vietnam looking for answers about her MIA father, who flew secret missions for Air America.  Hero is former military turned independent contractor who is from the Han Solo School of Romance heroes.  This was a real find.

Temptations of a Wallflower by Eva Leigh (2016) Historical Romance

I finished out 2017 by listening to quite a bit of erotic romance on audio for a Day Job related project and I'm not going to lie, it's largely been a slog.  This book by Leigh is the third book in a trilogy and is marketed as a historical romance, but what this book has in spades unlike my recent slog through erotic romance, is passion and tension.  OMG, the tension in this book is delicious!  An extremely well done Big Secret plot, a vicar hero stuck under a domineering father's thumb, and a heroine bristling against what society deems as an "acceptable life" for ladies of her class.  I was meh on the first two books in this trilogy but this one?  It's so well done.  And yes, it stands alone.

Seriously, that's all I got.  My B grades were steady this year which means I read a lot of "good" books, but very few that elevated themselves to turning me into an annoying squee'ing fangirl.  Here's hoping for more romance reading excitement in 2018.  Now, on to the notable books I read this year that weren't romance:

It's You by Jane Porter (2015) Women's Fiction

A time slip novel that moves between present day and World War II.  Heroine still grieving over the suicidal death of her fiance' and the unexpected death of her beloved mother, heads to northern California when her father falls and breaks his wrist.  While there she befriends a prickly older woman in his retirement community, which is where the World War II story comes into play.  There's quite a bit of tell over show here, but the heartbreak drips off the page and the author brings her present day heroine out the other side stronger than before.  Also, there's a nice, light romance here to keep Porter's romance fans happy.

The Forever Summer by Jamie Brenner (2017) Women's Fiction

Drama, drama, drama!  Lawyer heroine's office affair comes to light and she's promptly fired.  Already at loose ends, she soon discovers a half-sister she knew nothing about and a grandmother she didn't know existed which means...her mother has been lying to her her whole life.  This is a compulsively readable, multi-generational drama that follows the lives of four related women.  There's also several romances weaved into the story.  A fantastic beach read.

What Remains of Me by Alison Gaylin (2016) Suspense

A humdinger of a suspense novel, nominated for an Edgar Award this past year.  Heroine fresh out of prison for murdering a Hollywood Big Shot in 1980 comes back under suspicion when her father-in-law (and the Big Shot's BFF) is found murdered in his study.  Tabloid sleaze, seedy Hollywood backdrop, and oodles of secrets.  Highly recommended.

The Most Beautiful: My Life With Prince by Mayte Garcia (2017) Memoir

Garcia's openness, frankness and her willingness to lay herself bare on the pages are what make this one of the most memorable celebrity memoirs I've ever read.  It's romantic and heartbreaking.  Uplifting and tragic.  A literal gem on audio, the fact that Garcia was not nominated for a Grammy (she reads the audiobook) is a crime.

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah (2016) Memoir

You don't need to be a fan of The Daily Show to enjoy this book.  Noah tells stories from his childhood: funny, irreverent, beautiful and tragic.  Another great one on audio.

And that's it for 2017.  While I managed to get through more books than I thought possible, I'm a little disappointed that there's not a wider representation of the romance genre on my year end list.  What I do know?  I'm perpetually behind on my reading and my Kindle is stuffed to the gills with books that others in Romancelandia have really enjoyed.  So my reading resolution for 2018 is to push forward and get to some of these long neglected books in my TBR. Onward and upward!

Reading Year in Review 2016: #TBRChallenge

2016 marked the 5th anniversary of me taking over hosting duties for the #TBRChallenge and it was....well, it wasn't a very strong year for me Challenge-wise.  While the year started out pretty great (two A grades!), the second half the year was a quagmire of Meh It's OK, I Suppose C Grades.  It also marked the first time in my five years of hosting that I missed a month.

What does this mean going forward with the 2017 #TBRChallenge?  This year, I mean it!  I really need to DNF more books out of my TBR.  Why am I slogging my way through Meh, C Reads when there are undoubtedly hidden gems awaiting me?  Also, I really need to stop procrastinating.  I could DNF more if I didn't wait until the last minute to pick a book, read said book, and write the dang review.

Anyway, that's the plan. Let's see how long my good intentions last.  In the meantime, let's relive what I read for the 2016 #TBRChallenge:

January - Theme: We Love Short Shorts!

• I started off the New Year right, DNF'ing my original pick (a Harlequin Romance that wasn't working for me) in favor of Curveball by Charlotte Stein - an erotic romance novella that totally blew up my skirt. Grade = A-

February - Theme: Series Catch-Up

• I read the first book in the trilogy as part of the 2014 TBR Challenge, so it seemed fitting to read book two, A Man Worth Keeping by Molly O'Keefe for 2016's Challenge.  Unfortunately, while I loved the continuing on-going family Drama Llama, the romance wasn't nearly as convincing.  Grade = C+

March - Theme: Recommended Read

• A KristieJ favorite, I finally dug out The Way Home by Megan Chance.  This historical western was amazing.  I inhaled this almost 500-page book in a mere two days and only came up for air because of The Day Job.  Darn working for a living!  Grade = A

April - Theme: Contemporary

• A completely forgettable erotic romance, My Prerogative by Sasha White.  So forgettable that it's probably a good thing I reviewed it should I ever need to dredge up details in the future. Grade = C-

May - Theme: Something Different

• I dug one of the few YA romances I had in my TBR for this month, Dirty Little Secret by Jennifer Echols.  I loved (LOVED!!!) the Nashville, country music scene world building and the heroine.  Was less enthralled by the romance and the hero. Grade = C+

June - Theme: Favorite Trope

• So deep is my devotion to the Virgin Hero trope that I'll even read a Fake Country/Royalty book.  A Royal World Apart by Maisey Yates is a very solid book in her Harlequin Presents output.  Grade = B

July - Theme: Award Nominee or Winner

• The month I skipped.  Because I suck.  Part of the blame was the RWA Conference, the other part was that work was nutso insane for me in July.

August - Theme: Kicking It Old School

• I love, love, love Jessica Hart's Harlequin Romances, which is how I had No Mistaking Love (1993) in my TBR.  While the writing was pure Hart (loved it!), and I really liked the heroine - the hero was pure Throwback Alphahole.  Grade = D+

September - Theme: Random Pick

• Ever get thrown by the "tone" of a book?  That was me with The Cowboy Way by Anna Alexander.  It was like this weird hybrid of a Harlequin Western (formerly American line) and an erotic romance.  It was just....odd.  Grade = C-

October - Theme: Paranormal or Romantic Suspense

• It's a sad tale of woe when a book starts out great and fizzles at the finish line.  Agent Bride by Beverly Long had a compelling suspense thread that died at the end and a romance that never really got off the ground. But it made for great airplane reading.  Grade = C

November - Theme: Historical

• I got suckered by a glowing review.  A Scandalous Situation by Patricia Frances Rowell was another book where the tone of the story was all over the place for me.  Grade = D+

December - Theme: Holiday

• We wish you a very meh Christmas.  Come Home for Christmas by Pat Pritchard was a serviceable read, but with no deep dive into the characters' internal baggage and the tortoise-like pace of the romance this one never registered above OK for me.  Grade = C

Kids, that leaves Auntie Wendy with 2 A's, 1 B, 6 (!) C's and 2 D's.  Excuse me while I go put my head in the oven.  No seriously, this is totally why I need to stop procrastinating and DNF more!  All those C's are totally unacceptable - and only ONE B?!  Ugh.

Anyway, there is always 2017.  I vow I will try and do better.  And hey, why not join in on the fun? It's not too late to sign-up for the 2017 TBR Challenge!

Reading Year in Review 2016: The Numbers, The Best, The Honorable Mentions

My perception of my reading year that was 2016 is that it was fairly dismal.  Very few books seemed to engage me to the point of Stay Up All Night To Read, Go To Work a Zombie the Next Day.  It took me weeks to finish some titles, and very little seemed to excite me.  But perception, it's a funny thing.  When I took a look at my GoodReads account (which is how I track all my reading these days) - outside of my A grades taking a nose dive from the previous year (I read 10 A graded books in 2015!), the numbers were really consistent from years past.

My goal every year is to read 100 books, and for the second year in a row - I fell short, stumbling over the finish line at 81 books.

A Grades = 4

B Grades (includes high B-) = 29

C Grades (includes low B-) = 30

D Grades = 7

DNF/Unrated = 10 DNFs, 1 Unrated

Audio Books = 33 

Thanks to a long commute and my desire to stay away from inane DJ/radio chatter as much as humanly possible - audio books made up nearly 41% of my total reading in 2016. 

Yeah, yeah - numbers blah, blah, blah.  What about the good stuff, Wendy?  What books did you love in 2016?  So glad you asked!  Here are the highlights:

Author Of The Year: Simone St. James

I have never, in all my years of blogging, named an "Author of the Year."  So why am I doing it for 2016?  Because I literally tore through St. James entire backlist (only 5 books, but still!) thanks to the wonders of audio (all quite good - produced by Blackstone Audio) and they all fell within my B Grade range.  Keeping that in mind (they were all B's! they were all good!), here they are in my order of favorite to not-as-favorite:

Silence for the Dead (2014) - Desperate heroine falsifies a nursing background to take a job at a remote hospital that treats World War I veterans with "shell shock."  A former private estate, the hospital has a dark history that is haunting the dreams of the patients.

The Other Side of Midnight (2015) - Medium heroine is called to investigate the murder of a famous psychic, and former friend, and is reunited with the man who discredited her own abilities.

The Haunting of Maddy Clare (2012) - Heroine working as a temp hires on with a ghost hunter to investigate the ghost of a young woman terrorizing a small English village.

An Inquiry Into Love and Death (2013) - Modern heroine (she's a college student!) finds herself traveling to a remote English village after her uncle dies to settle his affairs.  Turns out he was a ghost hunter and there are strange doings afoot.

Lost Among the Living (2016) - After her husband is killed in World War I, the heroine goes to work for his aunt as a paid companion and soon learns there was much about her husband that she never knew.

The Best of the Best (The A Grades)

Sawbones by Melissa Lenhardt (2016) was marketed as historical fiction, but features a very strong romance.  Doctor heroine is accused of murdering the husband of one of her society lady patients, and circumstances determine the best course of action is to flee - which she does, heading west and ultimately landing in a remote Army outpost in Colorado.  It's there she falls in love with a handsome Army captain and her past catches up to her.  Caveats being: it doesn't stand alone (book two is due out in May 2017), there's some ugly history, and quite a bit of violence (secondary characters die, there's a brutal Indian raid scene, and there's a rape - so....yeah.)  But this book riveted me in a way no other book did in 2016 and the romance totally blew up my skirt.

I dug out Curveball by Charlotte Stein (2013) for the TBR Challenge and this erotic romance novella (roughly 85 pages) was just what the doctor ordered.  Plump "nobody" heroine finds herself in the cross-hairs of her brother's loud, boisterous BFF - a more mismatched pair you'll never meet.  The anticipation in this story, the passion - it was light years ahead of any other erotic romance I read last year.  

2016 will likely go down as The Year of the Gothic for me (see: Simone St. James) as I also took time to reacquaint myself with some Barbara Michaels.  I started with Be Buried in the Rain (1985) only remembering that "I really liked it" when I first read it some 25+ years ago.  This one is still a gem.  Heroine returns to the crumbling family plantation to care for her sour, ailing grandmother and is reunited with a former lover, conducting an archaeological dig on her family's land.  Great atmosphere, compelling mystery, an independent heroine and a strong romance.

The Way Home by Megan Chance (1997) was another book I dug out thanks to the TBR Challenge and this historical western knocked my socks off.  After the travelling gambler who got her pregnant refuses to marry her, the heroine instead marries his quiet, shy brother - and that's when the romance begins.  Heartbreaking, emotional, satisfying on so many levels.

Honorable Mentions, or The Best of the Rest

The Bourbon Kings by J.R. Ward (2015) is the first book in a series about a family that made their fortune in Kentucky bourbon.  To be honest, this one didn't work one whit for me as a romance but boy howdy - it's everything I have ever wanted in a unrepentant, trashy soap opera.   Double-dealing, back-stabbing, and more skeletons in closets than you can shake a femur at.  This is Grade A Beach Read material all the way.

Playing with Fire by Tess Gerritsen (2015) is a stand-alone time slip thriller, with part of the story taking place in World War II era Italy, and the other in present day Boston.  When the violinist heroine fears her toddler daughter has become possessed by a piece of music she brought home from a work trip to Italy, she sets out to uncover the story behind the manuscript.  Quiet, haunting, and heartbreaking.

The Blacksmith's Wife by Elisabeth Hobbes (2016) features a heroine with designs to marry a handsome traveling knight but settles for his blacksmith half-brother instead.  I'm not going to lie, the lack of communication between the couple did wear me down a bit by the end, but there was a great feel for the medieval time period, a wonderfully yummy hero and a heroine forced to face the reality of her limited options. 

All I Am by Nicole Helm (2016) features a socially awkward wounded warrior hero and a party girl heroine aimlessly drifting through her life.  I'm a sucker for virgin hero and "bad girl" heroine pairings in romances, and Helm has written a charming one.  

And those were my highlights in reading for 2016.  It wasn't the best reading year on record for me, and I struggled to find my mojo all year long, but there were still plenty of highlights to be found. Now it's onward and upward into 2017.

Year In Review: Numbers, the Best and Honorable Mentions

Once upon a time I used to keep a semi-detailed spreadsheet as a reading log and would do multiple posts recapping my year in reading.  Yeah, those days are long gone.  I now keep track of my reading using GoodReads, which while nowhere near detailed as my old method, makes up for those shortcomings thanks to convenience.  So sit back, and be prepared to dive into this probably too-lengthy post.

My goal was, as it always is, to read 100 books.  I ended up hitting 80, which includes DNFs and audiobooks.  Real Life was busy this year, so the fact that 80 books touched my hands is pretty amazing.  Here's how the numbers breakdown:

A Grades = 10
B Grades = 28
C Grades = 26 (3 Stars on GR, which also included "low" B-)
D Grades = 6
DNFs = 10
Audiobooks = 16

A grades were up, as were DNFs.  The rest of these numbers are pretty par for the course with what I normally do.  The bulk of my reading consistently seems to land in the B/C range.

But let's get on with the good stuff, after the short disclaimer that these books represent multiple publication years.  I'm forever perpetually behind and why should a great read not get mentioned just because it wasn't a 2015 release?

So what were the books I read that knocked my socks off in 2015?    Let's start with the A grades! 

Title links take you to full reviews

A Soldier's Heart by Kathleen Korbel

• Twenty year old category romance about a former Army nurse heroine suffering from PTSD and the hero, one of her former patients in Vietnam.  Korbel has self-published some of her older books, but not this one (yet).  Here's hoping it's available in digital soon.

Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery (audiobook)

• I could of sworn I read this as a kid, but I don't think I actually did.  The plan was to listen to the rest of the books this year, but I didn't quite get there.  There's always 2016!

Crazy Thing Called Love by Molly O'Keefe

• My first single title read by O'Keefe and man, what a book. I got gut-punched in the second half and stayed up way past my bedtime to speed read to the finish line.

Seven for a Secret (audiobook) and The Fatal Flame by Lyndsay Faye

• Addicted.  I was completely, hopelessly addicted to (and obsessed with!) this historical mystery series which turned out to "only be a trilogy" and ::sob::  Wonderful, amazing, historical detail.  They're dark stories (trigger warnings all over the place), but holy mother I think historical romance fans would dig this series.

Tiffany Girl by Deeanne Gist

• A gentle read that sizzled with sexual tension (but no actual insert-tab-A-into-slot-B) and an amazing Americana vibe.  Historical romance fans may have lost Pamela Morsi but we have gained Gist.

The Nanny Plan by Sarah M. Anderson

• Anderson writes some damn fine category romance and this one was a showstopper.  A heroine determined to not repeat her mother's mistakes, a hero figuring out life now that he's "new money" and OMG - actual class issues!  Class issues are part of the conflict.  Ignore the baby on the cover people, just read this book already!

Something About a Cowboy by Sarah M. Anderson

• A second appearance my Anderson, this novella is a dynamite example of how the format works well in the right author's hands.  Sexy, fun, emotional, and a perfect happy ending for a the short page count. 

Sweet Agony by Charlotte Stein

• Remember when erotic romance was about more than just whatever kinky crap the author could throw on the page?  Yeah, I miss those days too.  Stein has certain writing tics that won't be for every reader, but OMG - this book!  The tension!  The desire!  The passion! 

Harlot by Victoria Dahl

• It wasn't everything I wanted it to be, but the emotional heft of this novella was really striking.  Dahl excels at writing heartbreak and dialogue and I spent the entirety of this story having my guts ripped out.  Also she makes the happy ending work in a realistic manner, which is no small feat given the characters and plot.

Now on to the Honorable Mentions!  These were B rated books that "stuck with me" even though they didn't necessarily pass my OMG Must Reread Some Day test.

Glitterland by Alexis Hall

• A wonderfully emotional m/m romance about a clinically depressed (and intellectually snobby) writer and a wannabe model with a spray tan.  Trust me, it's good.

Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King (audiobook)

• Nail-biting suspense that almost found me chain-smoking through the last couple of CDs.  King won an Edgar Award for this book and dude.  Totally deserved it.  I couldn't wait to get stuck in traffic on my commute to listen to more.

Winning Ruby Heart by Jennifer Lohmann

• I've enjoyed other books by Lohmann, but I think this might be her most accomplished work to date. She avoids the pitfall of turning her paraplegic hero into a trope, she doesn't whitewash the heroine's past mistakes, and she gives us a believable romance. 

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah (audiobook)

• Historical women's fiction that is a Tearjerker with a capital T (in bold, outlined in neon) about two sisters and their experiences in Nazi-occupied France.  Bad things happen.  People die.  It's not a romance.  But it's dynamite women's fiction and my #1 with a bullet suggestion if you're looking for a book club read.

The Fighter and the Fallen Woman by Pamela Cayne

• I've pimped this book all bloody year long.  Former prostitute heroine turned mistress to crime lord heroine falls for the hero, hired muscle and boxer.  The longing, the angst, the emotional ache of this story.  Happy, happy sigh.

Everything I Left Unsaid by Molly O'Keefe

• OK, so it ends on a cliffhanger, doesn't stand alone, and I'm the only person on the planet who wasn't in love with the second book (The Truth About Him).  But this book?  Oh man, it's great.  A near perfect blend of women's fiction, suspense and erotic romance.  O'Keefe may have broken the mold with this one.

Tempted by Molly O'Keefe

• Oh look, my third mention of O'Keefe in this Best Of round-up.  I swear, she's not paying me.  This is her second historical western featuring a heroine who desperately wants to be more as society is holding her back, and a hero struggling to find a way to tell her how he feels, even as he questions his ability to be everything she needs and deserves. 

Rise by Karina Bliss

• Bliss delivers in turning Zander into a full-fledged romantic hero and pairs him up with a fantastic heroine, who is a scholar and writer.  I never thought I'd find a rock n' roll romance that would work for me, but this one does.  Better yet?  Bliss has set the stage to turn this into a series.  The secondary characters here are fantastic.

Scarred Hearts by Bonnie Dee

• Not gonna lie - there are problematic elements in this story that, I think, may stop some readers cold (there's some pretty disturbing violence in the second half of the story).  But - how often does one come across a historical romance (post-WWI) that takes place in Kentucky hill country?  Yeah, like never.  Plus I'm a sucker for beta (virgin!!!) heroes and heroines who are desperately trying to live down their disreputable pasts.

And that my friends, is that.  The highlights of 2015, just in case you missed them the first time around.  Now it's time to officially close that book and start a new one.  Wendy's 2016 Year in Review.  Hopefully lots of good stuff awaits me.

Year In Review 2015: The #TBRChallenge

Now that the calendar has turned, it's time for me to look back at my reading year that was 2015.  To kick things off, I'd like to recap last year's TBR Challenge.

I took over hosting duties in 2011 from Keishon and wow, I can't believe it's been four years already!  I host the challenge for several reasons, but the big two are: 1) it forces me to read something out the print pile at least once a month and 2) it's a guaranteed day in Romancelandia where we can kick back and learn/talk/read about "older" books. 

I always say the monthly themes are optional, but as hostess I do my best to follow them.  Title links will take you to full-length reviews.

January (We Love Short Shorts!) - Dishing It Out by Molly O'Keefe - Grade = B-

• An early category from O'Keefe published under Harlequin's defunct rom/com Flipside line.  A nice read, an interesting one for fans.

February (Recommended Read) - Precious and Fragile Things by Megan Hart - Grade = C+

• Hart's first foray into "general fiction." I was enjoying it, even though I felt like I wasn't the intended audience until...the ending.  There's a twist at the end that frankly smacked me as piling on completely unnecessary angst.

March (Series Catch-up) - Sins of a Wicked Princess by Anna Randol - Grade = D+

• I loved the first book in this trilogy, the second was meh, and this one was borderline dumpster fire.

April (Contemporary) - Double Down by Katie Porter - Grade = C+

• Sexy, fun erotic romance featuring a kink that does not feature the letters B, D, S or M.  Pretty light on conflict though.

May (Kickin' It Old School) -  A Soldier's Heart by Kathleen Korbel - Grade = A-

• 20 year old category romance featuring a former Army nurse heroine with PTSD and a couple in their 40s (!).  A few, small dated references (hello, car phones!) - but stands the test of time amazingly well.

June (Author With More Than One Book in TBR) - The Last Woman He'd Ever Date by Liz Fielding - Grade = B-

• A perfectly pleasant and frothy rom/com style read.  Biggest quibble was pacing issues and a meet-cute that dragged on a bit too long.

July (Lovely RITA) - Crazy Thing Called Love by Molly O'Keefe - Grade = A-

• What started as a perfectly serviceable single title contemporary featuring a wound-tight heroine and an NHL bad boy hero takes an amazing turn in the second half.  I didn't read it so much as inhale it in one gulp and stayed up way too late on a "school night" to read it start to finish.

August (Impulse Read) - A string of DNFs and finally Snapped by Christine D'Abo - Grades = DNFs and C+

• The less said about this month the better.  After four DNFs, I finally settled on a novella I picked up at July's RWA conference in NYC.  It wasn't without issues, but I finished it.  Which frankly seemed like a small miracle.

September (Historical) - Nobody's Darling by Teresa Medeiros - Grade = B-

• A book that I should have read 10 years ago so I could have given an "A" to it.  Well-written, entertaining, but there are some problematic elements that Jaded Wendy Romance Reader couldn't look past.

October (Paranormal or Romantic Suspense) - Impulse by JoAnn Ross - Grade = D+

• Come dine at The Character Trope Smorgasbord, stay to revel in an everything and the kitchen sink plot, and some awkward writing sequences that stopped me cold.  Silver lining = it was a quick, fast read.  God bless short chapters.

November (It's All About the Hype) -  Glitterland by Alexis Hall - Grade = B+

• I found this a bit wordy (which makes sense to the story but still...wordy).  Also one of the heroes speaks in the vernacular and that takes some getting used to.  Otherwise?  I really enjoyed this one.  Heartbreaking, emotional, and a great grovel scene at the end.

December (Holiday Read) - A Christmas Waltz by Jane Goodger - Grade = B

• Not without some issues, but I really enjoyed this western historical about a heroine who finds out her beloved is a lying snake and ends up falling for his stoic older brother.

I finished off the 2015 TBR Challenge with 2 A's, 5 B's, 3 C's, 2 D's and 4 DNF's.  In hindsight I really need to do a better job of giving myself enough lead time with this challenge to allow myself to DNF more.  But 2 A's and 5 B's is nothing to sneeze at.

I had a great time (once again!) hosting the challenge and it's certainly not too late to consider signing up for the 2016 TBR Challenge!  For more information and details on how to sign-up, please check out this blog post.

Looking Back: Wendy's Recap Of 2014 TBR Challenge

The TBR Challenge was recently called a "Romanceland institution," which tickled me no end.  It was originally started by Angela James (these days the Editorial Director at Carina Press) and was hosted for a number of years by Keishon, who has one of the best crime fiction blogs around.  As Keishon's interests and blogging evolved, I asked to take over hosting duties, which I did in 2011 (uh, I think). 

Per tradition, we have themes every month.  I tell participants that themes are "optional," but as the host, I try to adhere to them.  Which is usually more than easy to do since I have a TBR Pile that can be seen from space. 

Title links will take you to full reviews.

January - We Love Short Shorts! - Baring It All by Megan Frampton - Grade = B+

• I've known Megan a long time, and this was my first read by her.  This short, sexy novella hit the spot and I loved Frampton's "voice."  Looking forward to reading more of her work.

February - Series Catch-Up - His Best Friend's Baby by Molly O'Keefe - Grade = B-

• A compelling read by O'Keefe and OMG, great conflict.  Unfortunately said conflict tended to overshadow the romance.  But, still, I liked this quite a bit.

March - New-To-You Author - Natural Law by Joey W. Hill - Grade = B-

• Ground-breaking erotic romance (says me), even though it wasn't the book I wanted it to be.  Still, given it's 2004 publication date, color me impressed.  It also made me sad that BDSM in erotic romance is so frickin' "one note."  Hill did some things differently here, back in 2004.  Moar different!!1!1!!! says Wendy.

April - Contemporary - How to Misbehave by Ruthie Knox - Grade = B+

• A picture perfect novella.  A great romance that works with the word count.  And when was the last time you read a "meet cute" that involved a tornado?

May - More Than One - Badlands Bride by Cheryl St. John - Grade = B

• Classic St. John, a very nice romance.  All the more compelling because the blurb, on paper, should have annoyed the daylights out of me.  But the author totally makes it work.

June - Classic - Halfway to Heaven by Susan Wiggs - Grade = B

• A Pygmalion themed romance set against Gilded Age Washington D.C.  I really enjoyed this one a lot, notable since I normally stay away from political-themed fiction.

July - Lovely RITA - Always to Remember by Lorraine Heath - Grade = A

• The best book I read this year, not just for the Challenge.  Just....perfect.  Wonderful.  Amazing.  It's available in a digital version, go read it now.  Seriously.  It's amazing.

August - Luscious Love Scenes - Soloplay by Miranda Baker - Grade = B

• A romance about a repressed librarian who has never had The Big O.  Let me tell you how much this story should have annoyed me.  But it didn't!  I really liked it!  It was fun!  Oh  man, how I miss "fun" erotic romance.

September - Recommended Read - Baby Makes Three by Molly O'Keefe - Grade = B+

• Huh, I read two Molly O'Keefe books for the challenge.  Anyway, this is the first in the trilogy about a reunited, now divorced couple.  It's a real heartbreaker.  It's not perfect, but man - it blew the mercury out of the top of the Angst Meter.

October - Paranormal or Romantic suspense - She Walks the Line by Roz Denny Fox - Grade = D

• A Chinese heroine.  And that's the only thing memorable I can say about this story.  It's drowning in continuity series baggage and the hero's plot moppet twins were BEYOND pointless.  I should have DNF'ed this.

November - Historical - A Dream Defiant by Susanna Fraser - Grade = B

• I DNF'ed my original pick for this month, time was short, so had to go with a novella.  This was a short novella, in that I wish it had been longer, but it was a compelling read and I loved Fraser's "voice."  Will definitely read more by her.

December - Holiday - Mistletoe Marriage by Jessica Hart - Grade = B+

• Everything I love about a Jessica Hart category romance.  A great friends-to-lovers theme and a light touch by the author, even when angst does come into play.  Not my favorite by her, but definitely worth seeking out.

Sign-ups for the 2015 TBR Challenge are well underway!  You can learn more at the Information Page.  Please leave a comment on this post or over at the Information Page if you would like to participate.  It really is a lot of fun, and a good way to help cull down the piles of books.

Wendy's Best Reads Of 2014

Long time readers here at the Bat Cave will know that I tend to spread out my Year In Review over the course of multiple posts.  Over the years I have streamlined this process considerably and this year it's going to be (just) two posts.  This one (which will be a long 'un) and a final post recapping my 2014 TBR Challenge.  On with the show.....

I tracked a total of 119 books over at GoodReads this year.  Here's how my ratings broke down:

5 Stars (A Grades) = 8
4 Stars (B Grades + "high" B-) = 49
3 Stars (C Grades + "low" B-) = 41
2 Stars (D Grades) = 7
1 Stars (F Grades) = 1
0 Stars (Did Not Finish) = 13

Even if I subtract my DNFs, I still read over 100 books this year - and since 100 is always my goal every reading year, I'm pretty happy with that.  I also started tracking my audiobooks half way through the year (first time I started keeping track of these!) and of that 119, 13 were audios.  Per usual?  The bulk of my reading fell somewhere in the middle.  Once again shattering the myth that Wendy iz a Mean Girl.  Very few books get "A" grades, but conversely, very few books get "D" or "F" grades.

So what were my favorite reads of 2014?  Let's start with the A, or 5 Star, books.  Also, please note that not all of these books were 2014 publication dates.  I did dip into the TBR this year.

Title links will take you to full reviews.

The Best of the Best (A Grades):

Always to Remember by Lorraine Heath - Start to finish and damn near perfect, I loved this western historical so much I was tempted to take leave of my senses and give it an A+ rating (for the record, I don't believe in 'em).

The Man Behind the Mask by Barbara Wallace - Contemporary boss/secretary category romance featuring a legitimately haunted wounded hero.

Her Rancher Rescuer by Donna Alward - Contemporary category romance with a heroine, overlooked and dismissed by previous heroes in this series, finds her Prince Charming.  A Prince Charming who gets a serious wake-up call when she informs him she'll never be anybody's second best ever again.

Now and Forever by Logan Belle - Contemporary erotic romance, second (and last) in a duet featuring a 40-something heroine battling breast cancer and her sexual "wing man" - a hero who has been running from serious relationships his entire adult life.  Both novellas are now packaged in a 2-for-1 digital edition.  Buy it. Now.  Do eeeeet.

Intrusion by Charlotte Stein - Contemporary erotic romance featuring two characters touched and haunted by violence.  Smoldering, simmering passion that made me swoon.

There's Something About Ari by L.B. Gregg - Contemporary male/male romance novella featuring a friends-to-lovers theme and characters with a serious amount of past baggage to work through.  Sweet, tender, I feel in love from the first chapter.

A Cowboy for Christmas by Lacy Williams - Historical inspirational western featuring two characters haunted by fear and shame.  Wonderful scene setting and the author avoids the trap of "pitying" her characters.  Williams' best book yet.

Detroit: An American Autopsy by Charlie LeDuff - Non-fiction that is part true crime, part memoir written by a journalist during the period of the Kwame Kilpatrick scandal and the auto industry bail-out.  The author is an ass and the entire book is grim as hell, but I was sucked into this audiobook like whoa!  Recommended by work colleagues and I devoured it.

Honorable Mentions (B grades that "stuck with me")

Still Missing by Chevy Stevens - Pyschological suspense that seriously messed with my head and kept me thoroughly riveted during my commute (audio).  Dark, violent, but wow - what a ride.

The Gods of Gotham by Lyndsay Faye - Historical mystery and again, another audio listen, about a former bartender who joins the newly formed New York City police department.  I don't think this would have worked nearly as well for me had I read it (a lot of period language and slang!), but the narrator (Stephen Boyer) was fantastic and I want to continue on with the series.

To Tempt a Viking by Michelle Willingham - Historical romance that is part two of a duet.  Divorced heroine falls for the hero, a man she's known since childhood and who isn't "good enough for her" according to their respective stations.  A real heartbreaker in parts, very emotional.

Secrets at Court by Blythe Gifford - An extremely well-done medieval featuring plenty of political intrigue, Vatican meddling and a romantic couple in the eye of the storm.  Probably one of the best done medievals I've read in a long while.

Crazy, Stupid Sex by Maisey Yates - Contemporary erotic romance featuring a geek heroine who doesn't take any crap from the playboy hero. Sexy and fun.

It Had To Be You by Delynn Royer - Prohibition era "girl reporter" gets caught up in the murder investigation of a dead mobster.  Hero is a cop who grew up in the old neighborhood with said dead mobster.  Fun mystery and romance, hope it turns into a series.

His Hometown Girl by Karen Rock - Contemporary category romance about a heroine who works for a farming conglomerate and goes back to her Vermont hometown to buy-out her various former neighbors.  Standing in her way is the hero, the boy she left behind who is now running his family's farm.  Great conflict and no easy villains.

Never Forget Me by Marguerite Kaye - Three linked short stories set during various years of World War I.  Loved the framework of the stories and found it a wonderfully emotional collection, finding hope even during the most darkest of hours.

Seduced by Molly O'Keefe - A gritty historical western set post-Civil War featuring a heroine married to the worst sort of man and a hero, turned bounty hunter, looking for his scattered family. If you've been waiting for someone to pick up Maggie Osborne's baton?  Yeah, this is it right here.

Tempted by a Cowboy by Sarah M. Anderson - Contemporary category romance featuring a recovering alcoholic heroine turned horse trainer and a playboy hero who is still drowning in the bottle.  Emotional, gritty, and oh-so-satisfying.

Looking back on 2014, frankly - I'm glad to see it go.  While some exciting things happened in my personal life (New Job! Our vacation in London!) on the blogging front it was, without a doubt, a year to forget.  It was the year where I seriously considered whether or not I should "keep on, keepin' on."  But looking back at my reading, I'm reminded again of the importance of ignoring the noise and focusing "on the work."  I was lucky enough to discover three of my "A" reads during the month of December, and boy howdy - it was just what the doctor ordered.  I discovered the joy again.  Here's hoping that joy carries over to 2015.

Year In Review: 2013 TBR Challenge Wrap-Up

One of the reasons I like to host to the TBR Challenge is that it keeps me on track to actually complete it.  I figure it wouldn't look too great for the host to skip months, plus I also try to adhere to my own "themes" every month (even though I don't require participants to).  Here are the twelve books I managed to unearth out of the TBR Mountain Range last year.

Title links will take you to full reviews

The Things That Make Me Give In by Charlotte Stein (2010) - Theme: Shorts! (B)

• An anthology of very short fiction by Stein.  At turns funny, sad, and thought-provoking.  A great taste, highly recommended for fans and those curious to try her work.

Promote: To Wife And Mother by Jessica Hart (2008) - Theme: Recommended Read (A)

• The best of the TBR reads this year.  Great romance featuring older characters with real life problems.

A Marriage-Minded Man by Karen Templeton (2009) - Theme: Series You're Behind On (B)

• Templeton writes nice romances about "normal" people.  This one features a reunited couple.  I remember liking it while I was reading it, but it didn't have a ton of "staying power" for me.

Seducing the Duchess by Ashley March (2010) - Theme: New-To-You Author (B+)

• A problematic read that found me at the right time.  Great dialogue and banter in this one.

The Drifter by Susan Wiggs (1998) - Theme: Author With More Than One Book In TBR (B)

• Doctor heroine with baggage finds herself helping a drifter hero on the run.  Solid read, nice Americana feel, but felt the story could have been tighter in spots.

Patrick Gallagher's Widow by Cheryl Reavis (1990) Theme: RITA winner or nominee (B+)

• A book that held up surprisingly well even though I read it 23 years after it's publication date.  Great hero and heroine, but felt that the majority of the secondary characters were stereotypes.

High Noon by Nora Roberts (2007) - Theme: Classic (author, book, trope etc.) (B-)

• Loved the suspense thread in this one and after a string of disappointing reads I practically inhaled this in one sitting.  Did feel the characters were a little too "perfect" though.

Training the Receptionist by Juniper Bell (2010) - Theme: Steamy read (B+)

• Completely devoid of reality, but I loved it anyway.  Directionless heroine takes a secretarial job at a mysterious firm that requires S&M play with the bosses.

Eyes of Silver, Eyes of Gold by Ellen O'Connell (2010) - Theme: Western (B-)

• Great story buried in subpar writing.  Authors, find a good editor and hug them tight.

The Suicide Club by Gayle Wilson (2007) - Theme: Paranormal or Romantic suspense (C-)

• Great story idea that fumbles on the execution.  Also found the lovey-dovey let's make babies crap at the end really, really jarring considering how the book ends.  But maybe that's just me.

The Duke of Shadows by Meredith Duran (2008) - Theme: All About The Hype (B)

• Loved the first half of this story when it's set in India, but the story lost steam for me when the couple moves to England and there's an introduction of a suspense subplot. 

A Christmas to Remember by Kay Stockham (2007) - Theme: Holiday (C)

• What started out as a really intriguing angsty-read loses me when the author throws in a plot twist that essentially changes the entire complexion of the story.

Looking at all twelve reads laid out like this, I had a pretty solid year digging books out of the ol' TBR pile.  Remember, it's not too late to join in on the fun for 2014.  For more information about the 2014 TBR Challenge - please check out the information page.

Year In Review: The Good And The Great

When I start to compile titles for my yearly "Best Of" post, I only grab those titles that jump out from my spreadsheet and bite me.  While I didn't read nearly as much as I wanted to in quantity in 2013, I cannot have any complaints about the quality! This is going to be a long post....

Title links will take you to full reviews

Category Romance:

Promoted: To Wife And Mother by Jessica Hart (2008) - Two adults post-40 find love amid their real life complications.  Fantastic read!

His Uptown Girl by Liz Talley (2013) - Heroine still lugging baggage around from Hurricane Katrina falls for a younger, sexy hero - much to the horror of her former in-laws and college-age daughter.

The First Move by Jennifer Lohmann (2013) - Hero spies his former high school dream girl at a wedding and puts on the full court press.  What he doesn't know?  She's an emotional mess with a whole lot of baggage on her plate.

Wish Me Tomorrow by Karen Rock (2013) - Normally B- reads don't get a mention in my "Best Of" posts - but this one was different enough to stick out.  Flipping the script on the "cancer romance" - the hero is the one coping (and not well) with his bone cancer being in remission and his screwed up kids.

Historical Romance:

Sins of a Virgin by Anna Randol (2012) - Bad girl heroine and non-titled characters?  Sign me up!

Falling for the Highland Rogue by Ann Lethbridge (2013) - Bad girl heroine and whiskey-runner hero?  Sign me up!

The Beauty Within by Marguerite Kaye (2013) - Plain Jane heroine falls for sexy Italian artist who has lost his muse. 

Rumors That Ruined a Lady by Marguerite Kaye (2013) - Angst Ahoy!  Heroine who leaves her rat bastard husband almost succumbs to an opium overdose before she's rescued by the hero, a man from her past.

Unraveled by the Rebel by Michelle Willingham (2013) - More Angst Ahoy!  Heroine with a Big Secret finds herself reunited with her childhood sweetheart.

Erotica / Erotic Romance:

Now Or Never by Logan Belle (2013) - 40-something woman with newly empty nest finds herself coping with a cancer diagnosis and the fact that she's let her sexual self wither on the vine.

Addicted by Charlotte Stein (2013) - Repressed heroine attends "Sexual Healing" support group and meets the hero, who is randy to say the least.  I love funny erotica (hey, sex should be fun!), and this one was great.

Contemporary Romance:

Sleigh Bells in the Snow by Sarah Morgan (2013) - Small town romance without any of the crap that annoys me about small town romances.  Cannot wait for next two books in trilogy!

The Bridge by Rebecca Rogers Maher (2013) - A dark read about two people thisclose to committing suicide by jumping off the Brooklyn bridge.  By no means a read for everybody, but really different and very brave.

Hurricane Lily by Rebecca Rogers Maher (2013) - Working Class Hero falls for mentally not-well Poor Little Rich Girl heroine.  It sounds like a train-wreck, but again - really different and very brave.

Romantic Suspense:

Aftershock by Jill Sorenson (2013) - The rebirth of romantic suspense.  A thriller about a group of people trapped under freeway rubble following a massive earthquake.  Great characters, exciting read, couldn't get enough.

Badlands by Jill Sorenson (2014) - Desperately anticipated romance featuring two characters who meet in Aftershock.  A young single mother from a super conservative family and the young punk convict plastered with white supremacist tattoos who falls hopelessly in love with her.

Oddballs:

Sea Change by Karen White (Romantic Elements) (2012) - Southern Gothic with light romantic elements.  Heroine impulsively married a man who wasn't entirely forthcoming about his past and is confronted by her own family secrets.

Such A Rush by Jennifer Echols (Young Adult) (2012) - Poor white trash heroine looking to escape the trailer park finds herself torn between two hunky twin brothers (well, sort of - you'll just have to read it!).

Next up, the final post recapping my 2013 reading year - a final rundown of the books I read as part of the 2013 TBR Challenge!