My Top 5's of 2016

2016 is coming to an end.  With the New Year just a few days away it's time to look back on my year in books and to do my Yearly top 5's.   This year I have read over 300 books. The most I have read in one year.  Some I loved.  Some I didn't.  This is also the first year I DNFed a book.  There is a few new top 5s added this year.   Like Top 5 Newly Discovered Authors, because I came across some really great authors this year and I want to share the love.  It was so hard to narrow it down to just 5 for each of my categories.  Not all my picks were published in 2016 (only the New releases top 5) just read  for the first time in 2016.  I will link my Goodreads reviews for my picks to the cover pics.  So just click on the cover to read my thoughts on each book.    Let's get this party started! 

These books are my Favorite released in 2016

5. Fighting for Control (Against the Cage #3)

4. Childish Games (Meet the Shepards #2)

3. Perfect Rage (Unyielding #3)

2.  Force of Temptation (The Mercury Pack #2)

1. Wicked Burn (Realm Enforcers #3)

They may not have been released in 2016.  Just read for the first time in 2016!

5. The Stolen Mackenzie Bride(Mackenzies & McBrides #8)

4. Dark Notes

3.Breathe (Colorado Mountain #4)

2.Worth the Fall (The McKinney Brothers #1)

1. Seduce Me at Sunrise (The Hathaways #2)

5.City of Heavenly Fire (The Mortal Instruments #6)

4. Jagged (Colorado Mountain #5)

3.When We Met (Fool's Gold #13)

2. Bearly in Control (Shifter Undercover #1)

1. I Knew You Were Trouble (Texas Kings #3)

5. BOSS, Inc. series By Kat Martin

4. The McKinney Brothers series by Claudia Connor

3. Colorado Mountain series by  Kristen Ashley 

2.  The Hathaways series by  Lisa Kleypas

1. Realm Enforcers series by  Rebecca Zanetti

5. George Holloway From  Gone Too Deep (Search and Rescue #3)

4. Eric Hawke From  Slow Burn (Colorado High Country #2)

3. Nikko Del Toro From Fighting for Control (Against the Cage #3)

2. Rhage  The Beast (Black Dagger Brotherhood #14)

1. Aleksei From  Dark Promises (Dark Carpathians #29)

5. Victoria Woodley From  Slow Burn (Colorado High Country #2)

4.  Bree Marks From  Stitched Up Heart (Combat Hearts #1)

3. Gray Milby From  Pieces of Gray (Broken Pieces #4)

2. Faye Goodknight From  Breathe (Colorado Mountain #4)

1. Jordan  Shepard From Childish Games (Meet the Shepards, #2)

The following are books from amazing new Authors! (Authors I read for the first time in 2016)

If you click the cover it will take you to author's GR's page. 

5. Katie Ruggle 

4. Kelly Moore

3. Mary Morgan

2. Claudia Connor

1.  Tarina Deaton

5.

4.

3.

2.

1.

Well there are my top 5's.   It was hard to narrow it down.  I can't wait to see what amazing books I discover in 2017!  

The Mane Attraction

Book Review of The Mane Attraction (Pride Series)

Title: The Mane Attraction

Series: Pride Series

Author: Shelly Laurenston 

Date Published: November 1st 2008

Date Read:   August 30, 2015

The Blurb:

Even the king of the beasts can find himself unexpectedly tamed by the right woman. . .

Weddings have the strangest effect on people. Exhibit 1: Sissy Mae waking up in Mitch Shaw's bed the morning after her brother Bobby Ray's nuptials. Exhibit 2: the gunmen trying to kill Mitch. Exhibit 3: Sissy Mae escorting a bleeding yet sexy lion shifter to her Tennessee Pack's turf for safe keeping. It doesn't help that Mitch's appraising gaze makes her feel like the most desirable creature on earth. . .

Mitch is an undercover cop about to testify against some dangerous ex-associates. Even more worrisome, he's harboring hot, X-rated fantasies about one fast-talking little canine--and he has to deal with every male in Sissy Mae's Pack sniffing around her in a way that makes his hackles rise. Mitch has his pride, and he intends to show Sissy Mae that when a lion sets out to make you his mate, the only thing to do is purr, roll over, and enjoy one hell of a ride. . .

My Review

2.5 Trouble making Stars

*Spoilers*

Ok so The Mane Attraction is the 3rd book in the Pride series, and it was a okay read for me. Not as good as the others. I thought after book two and the way Sissy Mae was such a bully to Jessie Ann when they were teens that I would be hatin on Sissy in this book. I wasn't. I didn't really have a big problem with Sissy Mae in this book. In fact I liked her more than I thought I would. Even though I still thought she was a shit disturbing bitch. Mitch was okay for the most part, although I found his lazy, feed me, wipe my ass and take care of me behavior annoying. Just sayin. The real problem I had with this book is it was very slow building and I got bored a lot. A LOT!!!!!!

It wasn't just that the story dragged. It took like forever for Mitch and Sissy to get together, and there wasn't this like awesome sexual tension build up or anything. It's just tons of friend zone, then well into the book, they share one kiss and that was it. Sissy was draggin him to a bed to fuck after one kiss. There really wasn't much of a romance to their relationship, because sissy wanted them to just fuck and that's it. Towards the end there was a little romance but not much. No real build up. I didn't really find this book all that funny either. I might have giggled a few times, but no where near the humor that was in the other books. 

Then the book finally does start to pick up at the end only to let me down with a big anticlimactic nothing .

It starts to build you up. A hit woman is gunning for Mitch and he runs into the woods where the evil witch lives ( They don't really tell us what kind of witch or if she is in fact a witch or just a crazy shifter that kills people, it just kinda hints, no real details) to get away from the gun woman. The evil witch kills the gun woman within a few seconds, and is going to take Mitch kill him and use his body. (for God knows what because details in this paranormal world are always lacking) She freezes him in place so he can't move ( I guess by magic again guessing since no real details). Enter Sissy! The witch laughs and tells her she better leave unless Sissy wants to see the bad things she is gonna do to Mitch and there is nothing Sissy can do to stop her because she has him frozen in place. For some reason (not giving to the readers) Sissy can't be frozen in place. So how does Sissy defeat the evil witch that has frozen her man and plans to do unknown bad things to him. She backs up a few steps and rubs her head on his neck and wham that some how breaks evil witch woman's spell and he can move. Yay! And the witch is so mad that Sissy has foiled her evil plans that she just tells them to leave and don't come back cause they're are not welcome any longer.  Yup that is the big show down. Talk about a let down. It took everything in me to finish this book. I just wasn't feeling it. I think I may have even fell asleep once or twice. I hope the next one is better! 

The Doctor's Christmas Proposal

Book Review of The Doctor's Christmas Proposal (Gallagher's of Montana  Series)

Title: The Doctor's Christmas Proposal

Series: The Gallagher's of Montana Series

Author: Eve Gaddy

Date Published: November 17th 2016 

Date Read:   December 19, 2016

The Blurb:

Betrayed by his ex-fiancée, Dr. Wyatt Gallagher turns to the one woman he can always trust – his best friend, Mia Watson. After moving away, Wyatt has realized he wants more than friendship with the beautiful artist. With that in mind, he convinces Mia to come to Marietta for the Christmas holidays. But wooing Mia is surprisingly difficult — especially given the passionate night they’ve already shared.

Though Mia Watson has loved Wyatt Gallagher for years, he's always seen her as a friend, never a lover. Except for one unforgettable interlude when comfort turned to passion. Then Wyatt moved back to Montana, leaving Mia with an unexpected consequence of their night together--and soon, heartbreak to follow.

Faced with the fulfillment of her dreams, Mia knows she must reveal the consequences of their night together to Wyatt. But having withheld the truth for so long, will her confession destroy his trust in her, ending their friendship and any hope of a future together?

The Gallagher's of Montana series
Book 1: Sing Me Back Home
Book 2: Love Me, Cowgirl 
Book 3: The Doctor's Christmas Proposal

My Review

3.5 Keeping Secrets Stars

The Doctor's Christmas Proposal was a good read. I enjoy the friends to lovers trope when done right. It isn't that this one was done wrong or anything. I just didn't really feel the friendship between Wyatt and Mia. They haven't even talked in a long while when the books starts. They are suppose to be best friends for years but he didn't even know that her parents are dead. So it didn't feel like friends to lovers it felt like a love story between people of acquaintance. The story was still sweet and enjoyable just not what I expected. Mia was okay for me, but I didn't like that she hid things from Wyatt for so long. Although in a way I could understand why she did. Wyatt was likable and charming. Overall it was a cute, easygoing, quick read with a little holiday fun thrown in. I liked the ending and I do plan on reading Dylan's book when it comes out. 

Pieces of Gray

Book Review of Pieces Of Gray (Broken Pieces Series)

Title: Pieces Of Gray

Series: Broken Pieces Series

Author: Kelly Moore

Date Published: January 7th 2017

Date Read:   December 18, 2016

The Blurb:

Would you risk your life for someone that you love? Would you risk theirs?

Gray Milby was a badass sniper in the Army. She was held captive deep in the jungles of China for two years. She left behind the only man she has ever loved believing that he was dead until now. She risks her life and others to rescue him, returning to the place where her own nightmares come from.

Captain Kell Crew has survived four years of torture, being held captive in a cage. Physically he survived, mentally he will never be the same man that Gray remembers. In order for him to survive again, she has to make the choice of giving him up once more. 

A year later they accidently meet again and Kell is drawn to every part of her being. He feels he remembers Pieces of Gray, but how is that possible when he has never met her before? All he knows is that he wants her.

Gray has tried everything to move on with her life and forget about her love for Kell. He forces his way back into her life and she can no longer push him away. Her love for him is too deep. Being with him risks his own life. Their love for each can destroy them both.

Someone else is lurking out there waiting to seek revenge. He just might kill them both.

My Review

5 You are my world Stars

OMG....... OMG I knew after I finshed reading Piece by Piece(book 3) back in August that I had to get my hands on Gray's story. I was so overwhelmed and excited for it that I just couldn't wait. So when Kelly Moore contacted me and asked if I wanted an ARC copy I jumped all over that like a dog with a bone. And the second I got it in said hands I didn't put it down til the end. You know you have found a great book when you literally start it the second you get your hands on it and you sit up all night long and forgo sleep to finish a story because you just can't bear to put it down. It was so good. Worth every sleepless minute. You know sleep is for the weak!

I am going to try to keep this review spoiler free which is really hard for me. This book is so good and suspenseful that I feel something would be ruined if readers knew what to expect. So let me just say that this book was everything I hoped for and more. Gray was an amazing heroine. My heart bled for her. I cried few times while reading this. There is such a sad and beautiful journey to Gray and Kell's love story that it broke my heart a few times then pieced it all back together again. Gray was so strong and brave and I just adored her. Kell was amazing as well. He was just so cocky, charming, sexy but sweet at the same time. I just couldn't help but fall madly in love with him. They truly made a beautiful couple.

Their road was not an easy one but it was worth the ride. The connection between these two characters felt so real. They felt so real that I was completely invested in them and rooted for them the whole book. I really enjoyed getting to catch up with Steel and Ady and seeing how they were doing. The action and the plot was so good in this book and they were executed perfectly. It kept me on the edge the whole time. I had to keep stopping myself from skipping ahead because I was dying to know what would happen. I was almost too anxious to wait the time it would take just to read it. I loved getting to know Syn more. I know his book is coming up next and I can't wait to see what his heroine is going to be like. I know I will enjoy the other books in this series but I also know this book is and will remain my favorite of the series. There was just something about Gray and Kell that really connected with me. They were so special! This book was amazing and I enjoyed every sleepless minute of it!