Happy New Year, mischievous nerds!
I'm back and hopefully without having to go on another hiatus again, hah! Work and my personal life have taken a massive toll on being a blogger. I've had less time to actually sit down and write words because I'm either too drained from my writing job and being the family driver, lol.
But while 2017 has been an emotional rollercoaster that gave me so much whiplash (I'm honestly so over 2017, I swear), I still wouldn't trade all the beautiful and memorable things that happened this year: being with family, celebrating my first work anniversary, getting a new car, new friends, and amazing travels (Osaka is gorgeous!).
While I haven't been active on the blogging scene, I've definitely been lurking on Goodreads and Twitter. I also got to finish my Goodreads Reading Challenge this year! (I honestly thought I would be able to read 20 books this year, but apparently, I can, hah!). This year, I've increased my goal to at least 50 books. I'm confident I'll be able to reach this goal, but I doubt I'd be able to surpass it.
I'm really hoping 2018 will at least be a decent blogging year for me. I've missed this... and all of you amazing people so much! Keep your fingers crossed for me?
FAVOURITE BOOKS AND READS IN 2017
So it's pretty obvious I've been in a massive blogging slump. I've barely posted any reviews on the blog for 2017, but I did get to do a lot of reading. Funny enough, I even managed to read at least 35 books last year, both new and backlisted titles. Woohoo!
I've also learned most of Tarryn's books are either inspired by her life or someone else's. Case in point: Atheists Who Kneel and Pray. I'm so in love with this novel. It's beautiful and incredibly poetic, with a touch of melancholy--like a song put together by Hozier and Lana Del Rey. It's glorious and feels like you've stepped into the garden of Eden. FREAKING PERFECTION.
Colleen Hoover has always been one of my favourite NA authors because she delivers all. the. damn. time. Ugly Love and Maybe Someday broke me, but boy, Confess and November 9 sure never failed to add to that heartbreak.
I read Confess a few weeks before the short web-series was released and I LOVED IT! Everything about Confess is amazing, especially the art. It's freaking glorious. I also think they did a great job with the web-series, especially with sticking to the actual plot, as well as choosing the actor to play Owen because, OMG (see what I did there? *wink*), Ryan Cooper is hella F-I-N-E. Confess, both the book and the TV series gave me so much feels and pulled at my heartstrings.
No lie, since Colleen Hoover is notorious for breaking readers' hearts with every book she's written, I definitely tried to put this off for as long as I could... until Kat from KatReads thought of reading it, then I said, 'What the hell? Let's get our hearts broken together!' and so we did.
November 9 made me cry. And again. And again and again.
When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle got engaged, I definitely got so much 'Royally Screwed' feels. I felt so giddy and kept thinking to myself, 'OMG, it's an Emma Chase novel IRL!!!!!!!!!'
I love, love, love the Royally series! It's definitely so ingenious, because we usually get the Billionaire CEOs as heroes and royals are mostly for historical romances (or maybe I just haven't explored enough, ehe~) but Emma Chase brought us the Young Royals and boy, did my insides feel all tingly because Prince Nicholas, Prince Henry, and Logan St James are all total dreamboats and on my top 10 book boyfriends list.
Okay, so obviously the Top 10 Book Boyfriends list isn't real... because the list is INFINITE. These three dreamboats are also on that list because lemme tell you, Meghan Quinn sure has a talent for making you fall in love with her characters. Especially the heroes. Also, even though MQ is a new author to me, her writing got me binge-reading almost all of her books. That's how good she is!
Co-Wrecker was adorkable. My Best Friend's Ex made me swoon. Twisted Twosome made me feel butterflies. Bam. The End.
THE HATING GAME by Sally Thorne
Sally Thorne needs to write another novel, STAT. I'm so in love with this gem! The Hating Game came out late 2016, and I'm a little pressed I didn't learn about it until mid-2017 and boy, this book is everything I look for in a romance. It's a hate to love romance (as it says so in the title, obviously) featuring two rival co-workers and it's all types of adorkable! Josh Templeman is totally bae. If you haven't read this, you're totally missing out because it's the Best. Thing. Ever.
I totally just found out Sally Thorne's got a new book coming. Best believe I got 99 Percent Mine already on pre-order!
THE RIVALRY by Nikki Sloane
Nikki Sloane is another new author to me and I'm not gonna lie, I definitely added this book to my TBR because THAT COVER THO. Them arms, back muscles, and that booty, damn, somebody get me some water because #TheThirstIsReal. I love everything about The Rivalry because unlike most sports romances, this one actually talked and played sports.
The Rivarly is the bomb dot com. It's a modern-day Romeo and Juliet, only that it's about rival schools and two die-hard football fans. There's so much witty banter and explosive chemistry in this novel, I could definitely say every page SIZZLED and gave me all the burns. I'm so in desperate need of a sequel because I just can't get enough of this book!
MISS FIX-IT by Emma Hart
So Emma Hart's Miss Fix-It definitely got me dying to read single daddy romances. I'm so in love with everything in this novel, starting with Kali Hancock, our heroine who's a headstrong handywoman, single daddy Brantley Cooper, and a set of cutie-patootie toddler twins! I could not put this book down! My cheeks hurt from all the grinning and the giggles I made with every turn of a page. Though I have to admit, this book finished a little too quickly for me and I want more! I'm hoping Emma Hart grants my wish for a novella (at least).
ROOMIES by Christina Lauren
The last Christina Lauren book I read was the Beautiful series and while they were good reads, they didn't make it to the favourites list. So I barely paid attention to their following releases (sue me), but some sure did catch my eye (I'll be reading Dating You, Hating You soon!). Until Roomies. This novel, hands down, is definitely my most favourite read for 2017. It's absolutely perfect and I know I'm going to love it forever! Funnily enough, I dove into this book blind as a bat, with barely an idea of what it's about. Even the rings on the cover didn't clue me in... or maybe it's because I never noticed the rings until it was mentioned in the story, sorry not sorry.
If you like a marriage of convenience romance starring a very sexy Irish musician, then you definitely shouldn't miss out on this novel.
Shoutout to Tika from FANGIRL Confessions for buddy reading this book with me!
ALEX APPROXIMATELY by Jenn Bennett
Review | Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Y'all know I'm a full-fledged romance reader so I barely pick up any YA books (even though I keep buying them for the sake of it). But a couple of decades some time ago, I raved about Jenn Bennett when I picked up The Anatomical Shape of a Heart. That book is glorious. And Alex, Approximately sure didn't disappoint. I'm so in love with this book, especially because of classic movies and Porter. Jenn Bennett writes the best YA contemporary romances that will leave you swooning.
And yes, this is the only YA book I read in 2017. Sue me.
And yes, this is the only YA book I read in 2017. Sue me.
THE MOTHER ROAD
The Mother Road is the last book I read in 2017! I don't know if I mentioned this earlier but Meghan Quinn is freaking hilarious!!! I really enjoyed her humour in this book. The Mother Road is a family book... or so we think it is, hah! Marley is invited by her dad on a final family road trip to before her brother gets married and honour their late mom's wishes. Funny thing is, her childhood crush, Porter, is also apparently joining in on the ride.
The Mother Road will make you LOL. Like belly-clutching and giggle-snort laughter. And I freaking love it. Fair warning, this book has a lot of cussing, comical family banter, weird-ass bromances, and quite a lot of sexy times.
THE KNOCKED UP PLAN
How could I forget?! Lauren Blakely is one of my favourite romance authors and I've never been so excited to hear news about her new releases, and boy, did she grace us with a lot of awesome romcom releases last year. The Knocked Up Plan would have to be my favourite among them all. It's super sexy and incredibly naughty 'I need a baby donor but let's do it the traditional way' story. HAH. Nicole and Ryder have so much chemistry together and it makes everything perfect. Also, adorable babies and fur-babies!
What were your favourite reads from last year? Let me know in the comments below! Happy 2018!
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