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.
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. 💔
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!
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!
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.
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.
