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Ten Books That Made My Year

Happy New Year’s Eve, everyone!

Honestly, I’m keen to start the new year. One of my new year’s resolutions is to start journaling more actively. I used to keep diaries when I was a teenager and I remember the content feeling of flipping through my old entries to see how much I’ve grown, and to look at past events with a new eye. I’ve been watching journal-related Youtube videos for the past few days to get inspirations for my own journal.

Most of my 2017 reads are rereads; I had a lot of reading slumps throughout the year, so I’ve been turning to my old favourites a lot. Since Goodreads has made it possible for rereads to count in the Reading Challenge, I took advantage of it.

Anyway, 2017 personally has been a big ball of suck, but these books have made my life a bit brighter:


A KISS IN LAVENDER BY LAURA FLORAND | GR | AMZ

I have so much love for Laura Florand and her books. While her Amour et Chocolat series made me crave for chocolates and macarons, Laura’s La Vie en Roses series made me wish I was made of money so that I could visit Provence and spend time in the rose, jasmine and lavender fields. A Kiss in Lavender has everything I love in a book: great banter, strong family relationships (the Rosiers are just family goals), slow romance build-up. I still haven’t reviewed this properly because I was so overwhelmed by it, but I’m going to do it sooner or later (maybe after my 15th reread so that I can be truly eloquent in expressing my feelings about this book).


ACT YOUR AGE BY EVE DANGERFIELD | GR | AMZ

So...I have a daddy kink. Well, in romance, at least; I’m turned off by real men and I’m perpetually single so I can’t confirm if it applies to real life… 

Eve Dangerfield has been on my radar ever since I finished Locked Box (hello hotness!) and I’m on a mission to read her backlist. Act Your Age checked all my boxes: great characters, age gap, and I’ve reread it probably 5 times since I finished it the first time. I also wrote a semi-lengthy review on my Goodreads (which is an accomplishment in itself because most of my five-star reviews are just I LOVE IT!!!!).



AMERICAN KING BY SIERRA SIMONE | GR | AMZ

Oh, I hate this book. 
It made me cry a lot, this book. 
It almost made me throw my phone against the wall, this book.

I couldn’t imagine a better ending for the love story between Greer, Ash, and Embry. I still haven’t written a review for it because I didn’t know how to express myself outside incoherent keyboard smashing.



BOUNTIFUL BY SARINA BOWEN | GR | AMZ

I love Sarina Bowen’s Brooklyn Bruisers (I binge-read the whole series in one night) and when I saw that Bountiful will be a crossover, I immediately jumped on this train. I still feel a little bad about not noticing Dave in BB, but anyway he’s my favourite Sarina Bowen hero now. I keep rereading my favourite scenes in this book from time to time—all of them involved Dave caring for his baby daughter (major swoons!). I also feel like this book is Sarina’s sexiest to date; the sexy times between Dave and Zara are A++.



PRETTY FACE BY LUCY PARKER | GR | AMZ

The number of times I reread Pretty Face this year alone is borderline unhealthy but I can’t help it—it’s just so good! I’m not going to talk much about Luc Savage, our grumpy Gregory Peck-looking director hero, and how he’s basically everything I want in a man, or how we’re both deeply in love with Lily Lamprey, the ever wonderful, angel on earth. I just want to say that every time I finish this book, I sigh heavily because their romance is amazing and I’m going to die alone, unloved-



THE DAY OF THE DUCHESS BY SARAH MACLEAN | GR | AMZ

Here’s my secret: I reread The Day of the Duchess every time I need a good cry. I’m unafraid to say that this book is the best historical romance I’ve read so far; I was in a huge book hangover after I finished it, and I kept thinking about it for daysI love my second chance romance full of pain and grovelling, and this book has it in buckets. The grand gesture in the end is a shot through the heart. Sarah MacLean did amazingly with Malcolm’s redemption arc; I can’t believe I actually rooted for him. 



THE DUCHESS DEAL BY TESSA DARE | GR | AMZ

Oh gosh, The Duchess Deal was a Delight to read. Tessa Dare is at her most excellent with the character banter in this book. I laughed out loud multiple times mostly at Ash because he was so ridiculous, and I love how Emma handled him and his grumpy ways. I highlighted so many scenes in this book. Ash would fit right in with the Lords of Perdition; I really want him to meet Colin Sandhurst because I think Colin would either annoy him to death or immediately click with him. Anyway, have you seen the blurb for the sequel? I’m praying for kinkiness-




THE RED BY TIFFANY REISZ | GR | AMZ

I’ve never read anything like The Red and I can’t say much without spoiling it but art is now ruined for me 
(but like, in the best way) 
(I see everything with a kink lens now) 
(which is AWESOME).





UNDERCOVER ATTRACTION BY KATEE ROBERT | GR | AMZ

I’m still surprised by how much I love this book considering I didn’t really like Aiden until the end of book 4. I’ve been steadily rereading this book because I truly enjoyed seeing Aiden and Charlie fell in love with each other despite being from different worlds, and also because I’m hyping myself up for book #6 (February, come early please!).





WRONG TO NEED YOU BY ALISHA RAI  | GR | AMZ

To quote myself (haha), Wrong to Need You has everything I need in a book: great (and diverse!) characters, a boatload of angst, slow-burn romance, A+ sexy scenes.  This book is also in a couple of Top 2017 Romance articles I read and I agree wholeheartedly. I can’t wait for book 3 to see how Alisha Rai would top this one.

My dual review with Eri for Wrong to Need You





More books that made my year: Acting by Impulse by Mia Sosa, The Love Experiment by Ainslie Paton, Complicated by Kristen Ashley, What I Did For a Duke by Julie Anne Long, Devil in Spring by Lisa Kleypas, Dance with Me by Alexis Daria, and Hold Me by Courtney Milan.

Have a very happy New Year, everyone. See you in 2018!

Which books made your 2017 better?

 Let me know (or link me your Top 2017 Reads lists) in the comments!



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