Oh my goodness. What a wonderful first year (almost) it has been blogging, reviewing and hosting some of your and my favorite authors. I've met so many wonderful people (okay, "met" = Twitter) in the romance community, squealed like a fangirl so many times, devoured so many books, got sneak peeks at coveted reads and so much more.
Oh, did I mention that I met my internet BFF Jamie Lynn at RomCon in Denver this past summer? Yeah. I did. Today we are sharing our Best Of 2011 List under each category.
HISTORICAL:
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Kati's Pick: LORD AND LADY SPY by Shana Galen. Fast paced action, scorching hot chemistry, dangerously explosive, a super sexy spy and one kickass heroine who can hold her own against any man.
Jamie's Pick: UNVEILED by Courtney Milan Ash Turner was all about revenge until he meet Margaret. Seriously, I dare you to read Unveiled and not fall in love with Ash.
CONTEMPORARY:
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Kati's Pick: WILD THING by Robin Kaye Hello hottie wilderness guy, meet goth city girl who hangs out with models for a living. A laugh out loud read.
Jamie's Pick: A LOT LIKE LOVE by Julie James What could be better then a sexy FBI agent, wine and a steamy bathtub scene. Not to mention some witty dialogue and a bit of suspense thrown in. Nothing. Julie James is like the Queen of Contemporary Romance. The sexual tension between Nick and Jordan are enough to make you sweat and when they get together it’s hot. Did I mention the bathtub?
PARANORMAL:
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Kati's Pick: ETERNAL RIDER by Larissa Ione Unholy mother of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse this is all sorts of AMAZEBALLS. Breaking seals = the end of the world(literally), paralyzation via Hellhound saliva, an angel father, a succubus mother, EPIC battle scenes worthy of a multimillion dollar Hollywood movie or HBO/Starz show, 3 super sexy horsemen, 1 awesomely sassy horsewoman, 1 good guardian angel bent on earning his wings, 1 bad angel willing to do anything to tip the scale for the bad guys...are you getting the picture?
Jamie's Pick: HALFWAY TO THE GRAVE by Jeaniene Frost Where have I been hiding that I’ve missed out on Cat and Bones? I am so glad I picked this up. Cat a kick ass female, vampire killer who is on her own mission when she meets the sexy vampire Bones. Bones is dead sexy with an accent that will melt your panties.
EROTIC/EROTICA:
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Kati's Pick: SEVEN DAY LOAN by Tiffany Reisz Take one sexy librarian, a sassy sub and one week of toe curling, moan inducing, thigh clenching sex and you've got a recipe for a well balanced read full of heart tugging emotion and oh my god! sexiness. Warning: Fisting may be involved. There is a breathing technique. Don't try this at home unless you're with a professional.
Jamie's Pick: BELONG TO ME by Shayla Black This book starts off with a THWACK! Seriously, that’s how it starts and how we meet Logan who is a Navy SEAL and Dominant at a BDSM club. Logan comes face to face with the one woman he’s ever loved as she is training to be a submissive for an FBI investigation. Tara wants nothing more then to run away from Logan like he did to her but she needs him... in more ways than one.
ROMANTIC SUSPENSE:
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Kati's Pick: BREAKING POINT by Pamela Clare Er, where do I even begin on this one? Oh Zach Black. Heart pounding, adrenaline rushing, danger around every corner and through the desert, torture with a homemade electric shocker, a man who will keep secrets at any cost, a woman kidnapped from a bus full of dead fellow journalists and an escape that will lead them through dangerous territory. It helped that I kept picturing Jed Hill as I read. Oh you know, the cover model.
Jamie's Pick: SHOW NO MERCY by Cindy Gerard This was my year for romantic suspense but Show No Mercy was easily my favorite. It was the prefect mix of suspense and romance to get your blood pumping. Plus, Gabe is hot, tortured and ALPHA.
TIME TRAVEL:
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Jamie and Kati's Pick: THE RAKE AND THE RECLUSE by Jenn LeBlanc Once you get past wiping the drool off your chin from the gorgeous pictures, you’ll find a story of a 21st century woman whose family history involves certain relatives born in the wrong time, trying to get back to where they belong (Don’t you feel like that some days, that you were born into the wrong century?) and a reclusive 19th century Duke ready to put aside his mistress and do his duty. At least until he almost runs over the poor woman. Well, this should be obvious. I’m agreeing with Kati not just for the pictures. I’m just waiting to get transported back to Victorian England and find a sexy Duke.
SERIES:
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Kati's Pick: Donovan Brothers Brewery by Victoria Dahl Take 3 siblings, 2 guys and 1 girl, a fun family brewpub business, 3 very different significant others and a lot of sexy, laugh out loud moments and you’ve got one hell of a read. The books get sexier and you might need a safeword by the end. Seriously.
Jamie's Pick:I’m going to agree with Kati (and frankly I said it first lol) that Victoria Dahl’s Donovan Brothers Brewery was my favorite series. I LOVE Victoria Dahl’s contemporaries because its the perfect mix of sexiness and funny moments.
HONORABLE MENTION:
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Kati's Pick: HOW TO MARRY A DUKE by Vicky Dreiling When I read this book, I was obsessed with The Bachelor/The Bachelorette at the time and boy, did Vicky hit the stereotypes on the head. Just simply hilarious. Take one Duke looking for a wife, 24 girls encouraged by their marriage minded mamas, a successful matchmaker, several eliminations and tasks that must be completed and you’ve got a laugh out loud read. It’s The Bachelor regency style meets Emma.
Jamie's Pick: DEADLY DESCENT by Kaylea Cross This book nearly broke my heart. It’s an intense read that makes you appreciate the men an women who serve our country. But it is also a romance and two people overcoming a lot to find love. Devon and Cam had an instant spark and you can’t help but root for them
So there you have it kids. Those are the books we picked. Did any of these make your must read list?
And because we love, love, love THE RAKE AND THE RECLUSE so much, we're giving away 2 copies of the original book.
Here's how to get your ogleage on:
Leave a comment telling us what book(s) made it to your must read list of 2011 along with your email addy, ninja style: yourname at gmail dot com.
Fill out the rafflecopter form below. The only mandatory thing is leaving a comment. All other entries are optional.
Giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY. Please make sure the book is available for download in your country before entering. (Kindle/EPUB. If it is sent as EPUB, it will be gifted through All Romance Ebooks and you need an account with them to receive it.)
