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Angelica's Top 5 Books Discovered in 2017


2017 wasn't just a great year, it was a year of discovery for me.

I both discovered and rediscovered authors I love (long story) and I discovered older gems that I felt deserved just as much recognition as all the new books in 2017, because these books are AMAZING and deserve all the stars! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

The reason I say I rediscovered authors was because a few years ago I used to binge read A LOT back when I had more time to read. I went through books like people go through clothes. I didn't read, I devoured books, and I loved it because I discovered a lot of hidden gems in the Kindle store but one day that all went downhill when my kindle gave out on me. It didn't completely die thankfully, but it stopped working and wouldn't let me do anything, and the only suggestion Amazon gave me was to do a factory reset. Having no other choice, I did it, not even thinking about the consequences, and when it was all said and done, I lost everything. Not the books themselves but my bookshelf where I kept all my favorites was GONE. I nearly cried because it was tons of books and to remember them all was nearly impossible.

I remembered most of them based on their cover but there were two in particular that I could not remember for the life of me, and the worst part was that they were part of a series, so I never got to know what happened in the second or third book. *Sighs* I looked and looked but never found them because I didn't remember the title much less the author. I tried googling particular things I remembered from each book but it was all to no avail. I ended up throwing in the towel.

This year I began my search again because I really wanted to finish both series. I went on the hunt and looked through a book blog and after going through THREE YEARS of reviews I finally found them and you can't even imagine how happy I was. I was so freaking excited!

The funny thing is I was already following one of the authors on Facebook because I joined her group when she released a new book this year that intrigued me, and little did I know, she was also the same author of one of the books I had been looking for. I actually told her about this story and she thought it was funny and was really glad I found her again. She said it was meant to be and I really think it was. 😊

Unfortunately, I haven't gotten around to finishing either series yet, because there were so many amazing books that came out this year and there just isn't enough time to read them all, but next year my biggest goal is to finish both series, so I can finally know what happened. And if I love both series as much as I suspect I will, I'm sure you will find them on my top reads next year. 😉

Now, enough about that. Let's talk books I discovered!

I just finished my 30th book this year and even though I didn't reach my goal, I'm happy with all the new books and authors I discovered this year. This year I read a mix of old and new books, and I have to say that there were quite a few older books that stole my heart and I couldn't not share them with all of you. They deserve to be recognized just as much as all the new books that came out this year, so I am going to give them all the love and the recognition they deserve. Right here. Right now.

So without further ado, here are the Top 5 books I discovered this year in alphabetical order.


A Love Letter to Whiskey
Kandi Steiner

If there's one author who really knows how to pull at your heartstrings, it's Kandi Steiner. She made me ball like a baby and put me through the wringer with A Love Letter to Whiskey. She didn't just stop there though, she also broke my heart and crushed it to bits and pieces, and even though it hurt like a b*tch, I'm not even mad because she did it in the most beautiful way. It was almost poetic really. The crazy thing is I loved it and want more, so bring on the heartache, I'm ready. 💔









Balance
Lucia Franco

When you think about a book as much as I have thought about Balance, you know it's GOOD. 😉 I read Balance MONTHS ago and I still can't stop thinking about Kova and all the hot sexual tension that exists between him and Adrianna. *swoons* It is off the charts HOT! I loved everything about Balance and am waiting eagerly for Execution, the second book in the Off Balance series. I seriously cannot wait to get my hands on it! Execution is without a doubt my most anticipated read of 2018. I NEED to know what is happening between Kova and Adrianna. The wait is killing me but I have no doubt that Lucia Franco is going to make the wait totally worth it! So if you have not read Balance and enjoy a GOOD taboo novel, do yourself a favor and READ IT!





Pull Me Close
Sidney Halston

Pull Me Close was one of my absolute favorite reads of 2017. Words can't even begin to describe how amazing this novel is. I absolutely loved it from beginning to end because it surprised me every step of the way, and that in itself was really refreshing.

I love, Love, LOVED Pull Me Close and cannot rave enough about it. It took my breath away and left me wanting so much more, in the best way of course. 😉 I hope everyone out there takes a chance on Pull Me Close, because it is such a beautiful story full of romance, tender moments, steamy moments and everything in between, so do yourself a favor and one-click it now!






The Sun and the Moon
Leslie McAdam

The Sun and the Moon is the second book I have read by Leslie McAdam and I honestly didn't think I could love her writing anymore than I already did but she totally stole my heart with Amelia's story. I love Amelia because just like me she lives with depression, and I see a lot of myself in her and understand exactly where she is coming from. I loved her as a character because I feel that she embodied perfectly what it's like to live with depression and shows how it affects so many of us. I'm really glad Leslie decided to broach this subject because depression is very real and it's something that affects so many of us. More importantly, it's something that needs to be talked about, but Leslie didn't just talk about it, she created a wonderful story for those of us who are often underrepresented.




Hopeless
Colleen Hoover

Colleen Hoover was one of my biggest and best discoveries in 2017. I had never heard of Colleen until a few months ago when Instagram ad for the show based on her novel popped up on my feed. If it wasn't for that ad I may never have stumbled upon her show or worse, her work. Thankfully I discovered her and before I knew it I found myself reading Hopeless. What started as a coming of age story turned into something more sinister and twisted, and I loved every second of it. It hooked me from the very first page and didn't let me go until the ride was over, and boy was it a bumpy ride but it was also very thrilling and left me wanting so much more of Sky and Holder's story. Their story truly captivated me and I cannot wait to read it from Holder's perspective.


Angelica's Top 5 Reads of 2017


2017 has come and gone and 2018 is just around the corner!

Prologue Reveal & Giveaway! - Messy Love by Stephanie Witter




Title: Messy Love
Standalone full-length novel
Author: Stephanie Witter
Category/Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

Release Blitz and Giveaway! - You've Got Fail by Celia Aaron


Title: You've Got Fail
Author: Celia Aaron
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Release Date: December 26, 2017



I single-handedly built the hottest website for dating and relationship advice. Got a question? Scarlet Rocket can answer it for you. I was your modern day agony aunt with the solutions to all your pesky personal problems. The only issue? I was actually a man named Willis Halloran, not the female Scarlet Rocket. I thought my secret was safe. But then a sexy con artist calling herself Scarlet Rocket began showing up at society events, pretending to be me. I couldn’t let it go, so I tracked her down and confronted her. It went well … except for the part where she stole my wallet. Oh, and the part where she conned my agent into having us work together. And after that? Let’s just say she wound up stealing something much more valuable than my wallet or my [fake] name.

  

Book Review - Shameless by Lex Martin




Synopsis: 

Brady…

What the hell do I know about raising a baby? Nothing. Not a goddamn thing.

Yet here I am, the sole guardian of my niece. I’d be lost if it weren’t for Katherine, the beautiful girl who seems to have all the answers. Katherine, who’s slowly finding her way into my cynical heart.

I keep reminding myself that I can’t fall for someone when we don’t have a future. But telling myself this lie and believing it are two different things.

Katherine…

When Brady shows up on a Harley, looking like an avenging angel—six feet, three inches of chiseled muscle, eyes the color of wild sage, and sun-kissed skin emblazoned with tattoos—I’m not sure if I should fall at his feet or run like hell. Because if I tell him what happened the night his family died, he might hate me.

What I don’t count on are the nights we spend together trying to forget the heartache that brought us here. I promise him it won’t mean anything, that I won’t fall in love.

I shouldn’t make promises I can’t keep.

* Author's note: Due to mature situations and sexual content, Shameless is recommended for readers 18+.

Blog Tour - Team Player - A Christmas Anthology

SBPR-BLT.jpg

Eleven authors. Eleven Novellas. This is one thick . . . book.

Christmas just became a whole lot merrier...

TEAM PLAYER, A Christmas Anthology featuring titles by LJ Shen, Kennedy Ryan, Adriana Locke, Mandi Beck, Emma Scott, Charleigh Rose, Ella Fox, Sara Ney, Meghan Quinn, Kate Stewart and Rochelle Paige is available NOW!

TeamPlayerBookCover6x9_BW_828

Book Review - Cyanide by Ella Fields



Synopsis:

My life seemed perfect.
Designer clothes, platinum Amex, and a boyfriend who rocked the hell out of an Armani suit.
I thought I had it all; that is, until he rode into my world.

Wrapped in denim and leather with grease-stained fingers, he was my opposite in every way.
I couldn’t have him, but I wanted him anyway.
And I was a girl who always got what she wanted, consequences be damned.

Book Review - Professor with Benefits by Mickey Miller



Synopsis:

From Bestselling Author Mickey Miller, a small town romantic comedy that will light your kindle on fire.

Rose:
I'm studying to be a sex therapist, and I haven't even had sex yet. Which is why I decide that Professor Hanks is going to be the one to take my virginity.
I want Professor Hanks to be my dom.
Hung Hanks. That's what they call him. All the students know Professor Hanks' reputation since he grew up in Blackwell.
Small town high school football star turned Harvard Ph.D. Only in town to care for his dying mother. Too good for 'local' girls.
I've done my research, and he's the perfect candidate for what I want. Hot, smart, dominant.
Did I mention hung?

Cole Hanks:
Sixty Days. That's all she wants from me.
Not even a full semester.
Rose Allison wants me to be her dom for two months, and then she's done with me. She wants me to show her how to be the perfect little submissive and then move on.
But the thing is, sixty days isn't nearly enough for me. Once I get started, I have to finish her.
There's just one big problem.
She's a student. I'm her professor. Our romance isn't exactly in line with school policy.
Sure, you've heard of student teacher romances before.
Except this one has an ending no one saw coming.
Not even me.

**Professor with Benefits is a 60,000+ Standalone novel with an HEA. It gets down and dirty so enjoy!**


Book Review - Hopeless by Colleen Hoover



Synopsis:

Sometimes discovering the truth can leave you more hopeless than believing the lies…

That’s what seventeen-year-old Sky realizes after she meets Dean Holder. A guy with a reputation that rivals her own and an uncanny ability to invoke feelings in her she’s never had before. He terrifies her and captivates her all in the span of just one encounter, and something about the way he makes her feel sparks buried memories from a past that she wishes could just stay buried.

Sky struggles to keep him at a distance knowing he’s nothing but trouble, but Holder insists on learning everything about her. After finally caving to his unwavering pursuit, Sky soon finds that Holder isn’t at all who he’s been claiming to be. When the secrets he’s been keeping are finally revealed, every single facet of Sky’s life will change forever.


Book Review - His Best Friend's Little Sister By Vivian Wood



From Wall Street Journal and USA Today Bestseller Vivian Wood

His best friend’s little sister is about to get something… BIG.

Henry Wyatt is big all over, ripped as sin, and fresh out of the Navy SEALs. When he decides to go to his best friend’s cabin for some downtime, the last thing he expects is to run into her, naked and tempting him in ways he never could have imagined.

Ellie’s his best friend’s little sister and he’s never seen her like that. Little Ellie is all grown up, with a body that begs to be touched.

There’s no way Henry should be looking at her like that, or thinking about how her body would sway just so if he turned her over and took her from behind. She’s almost ten years younger than him, and besides that, she’s Eliah’s little sister.

She’s off limits. Period. Until Ellie reveals that she’s never been with a man before, and suddenly all Henry can think about is being her first. Hell, he’d be the last man she was ever with, too… But Ellie has her own set of reasons why that could never happen.

When Henry sets his mind to something though, there’s no stopping him… and little Ellie doesn’t stand a chance.


Release Launch - A Crazy Christmas by B. Cranford


If they can make it through the holidays,
they can make it through anything.


Title: A Crazy Christmas
Author: B. Cranford
Release Date: December 20, 2017

Cover Reveal - Remembering Ivy by Claire Kingsley


Remembering Ivy is coming January 5th!


Book Review - Bohemian by Kathryn Nolan

 

Synopsis:   

Two souls, drawn together beneath a fierce sky…

Calvin Ellis’s neat and orderly life is shattered when his grandfather dies, leaving him ownership of a quirky bookstore in Big Sur, California. The Mad Ones: once a place famous for poetry readings and bohemian rebellion, it now teeters on the brink of financial ruin.

Lucia Bell’s glamorous life as a super model is put into stark perspective when she shows up for a photo shoot, at a bookstore, in the middle of nowhere. She finds herself oddly intrigued by the quiet, nerdy owner with the huge glasses reading behind the register.

One night they share a passionate and frenzied kiss against a bookshelf. Outside the store, lightning strikes. Trees topple. And the world shakes beneath their feet.

As the storm tears its way through Big Sur, Calvin and Lucia share and explore their most secret desires. Hopes and dreams they once thought lost are recaptured. But inevitably, as reality roars back, they find themselves stuck at a crossroads.

Two conflicting paths. And each must make their own decision.

Which life will they choose? And will it include the other?

Book Review - Bad Habit by Charleigh Rose

 

Synopsis:

BRIAR

I was infatuated with Asher Kelley the moment he came tumbling through my brother’s window five years ago.
Even bruised and bloodied, he was the most beautiful boy I'd ever seen.
We couldn't ever be together.
I was too young, and he was too untouchable.
He was too troubled, and I was too naive.
But the heart is rebellious, and mine decided it didn’t care about any of those things.
As I got older, harmless flirting turned to stolen moments in dark corners.
Until one day, he was gone without a trace.
Now, three years later, he’s back.
Callous and cruel.
He’s my brother’s best friend. My parents’ worst nightmare.
I should hate him.
But like a Bad Habit, I can’t quit him.

ASHER
 

I was drawn to Briar Vale from the first time she looked up at me with stars in her big, blue eyes.
She was just a kid, nothing but elbows and knees, but she was the most beautiful creature I'd ever seen. 
 
We could never be together.
I was too old and she was too off limits.
She was too good and I was too fucked up.
Eventually, the temptation became too much to resist.
I risked everything for a kiss and she betrayed me.
Three years have passed and I’m forced to see her again, but now she's all grown up.
She’s my best friend’s baby sister. My downfall.
I hate her for what she did.
But she's always been my drug of choice.


Blog Tour - Smoke and Lyrics by Holly Hall


Title: Smoke and Lyrics
Author: Holly Hall
Genre: NA/Contemporary Romance
Release Date: December 1, 2017
 


Country star Jenson King is accustomed to fighting battles and losing--in his career, in his love life, and with alcohol. Following his divorce, thousands, if not millions, of fans are counting on his comeback. But how does one find the spark of passion when it's long since burned out?
Lindsey Farrar wants nothing more than to prove herself as a music photographer. Fiery and independent, she'd work countless side jobs to fuel her dream rather than ride the coattails of someone else's name to success. After a chance encounter, Lindsey shakes up everything Jenson believes about life and that other four-letter word. 
After all he's been through, Jenson isn't willing to let anything meaningful slip out of his grasp. But Lindsey's determined to shine all on her own, and Jenson casts an enormous shadow.

Release Blitz - Team Player - A Christmas Anthology

SBPR-RLBLITZ1.jpg

Eleven authors. Eleven Novellas. This is one thick . . . book.

Christmas just became a whole lot merrier...

TEAM PLAYER, A Christmas Anthology featuring titles by LJ Shen, Kennedy Ryan, Adriana Locke, Mandi Beck, Emma Scott, Charleigh Rose, Ella Fox, Sara Ney, Meghan Quinn, Kate Stewart and Rochelle Paige is LIVE!

TeamPlayerBookCover6x9_BW_828.jpg

Release Blitz - Smoke and Lyrics by Holly Hall


Title: Smoke and Lyrics
Author: Holly Hall
Genre: NA/Contemporary Romance
Release Date: December 1, 2017

 
Country star Jenson King is accustomed to fighting battles and losing--in his career, in his love life, and with alcohol. Following his divorce, thousands, if not millions, of fans are counting on his comeback. But how does one find the spark of passion when it's long since burned out?
Lindsey Farrar wants nothing more than to prove herself as a music photographer. Fiery and independent, she'd work countless side jobs to fuel her dream rather than ride the coattails of someone else's name to success. After a chance encounter, Lindsey shakes up everything Jenson believes about life and that other four-letter word. 
After all he's been through, Jenson isn't willing to let anything meaningful slip out of his grasp. But Lindsey's determined to shine all on her own, and Jenson casts an enormous shadow.