My Favourite Books of 2014

Note: This is the second time this has been posted, I accidentally deleted the first one. 

I am most easily recognised by my glasses which are almost always slipping down my nose; a nose, which is almost always stuck in a book. I began a love affair with books when my Nana handed me a sparkly package adorned with ribbons on my fifth birthday. It was a beautifully illustrated book about the fairy queen and her life in the forest. In the two decades since that moment, the books I read have changed but my love affair with the written word has never dimmed.

As the New Year approaches, I thought it’d be fun to recount my favourite book adventures of 2014. 2014 has been a phenomenal year for books (I purchased and read a total of 263 books in 2014, not including gifts and prizes and ARCs), so picking favourites was a tricky endeavour.

  

My Favourite Books of 2014

1. Play by Kylie Scott   

Blurb: Mal Ericson, drummer for the world famous rock band Stage Dive, needs to clean up his image fast—at least for a little while. Having a good girl on his arm should do the job just fine. Mal doesn’t plan on this temporary fix becoming permanent, but he didn’t count on finding the one right girl. 

Anne Rollins never thought she’d ever meet the rock god who plastered her teenage bedroom walls—especially not under these circumstances. Anne has money problems. Big ones. But being paid to play the pretend girlfriend to a wild life-of-the-party drummer couldn’t end well. No matter how hot he is. Or could it?

Why It Rocks: Play is laugh-out-loud hilarious, steamy, melty and delicious, engaging and heart wrenching and completely amazing. The dialogue is phenomenal, it’s nearly impossible to pick a favourite line because they’re all just too freaking awesome. The storyline is fun and engaging but also has some surprising, and intense, plot twists. The characters are well thought out, realistic and relatable. Mal is hilarious, endearing, and adorable and a massive pain in the ass and Anne is an everyday girl living her life, she’s a good friend, a great sister but she’s also sassy and snarky and kind of awesome. You get to see characters from the entire series, as well as hints for the next books, Lead and Deep. Play is a book full of feels, it’s a fast ride but you’ll love every second of it. 

2.  Icing On The Cake by Karla Doyle  

Blurb: Nia and Conn’s wedding will be fairytale perfect…if their siblings can get along.

Free-spirited, anti-establishment Sara has always been on the outside of her family’s fairytale mold. Now she’s being forced smack into the middle of it at her sister Nia’s wedding. Alongside the cocky and annoyingly sexy best man—Conn’s cop brother.

Curtis doesn’t buy in to organized romance and fairytales. But for his brother, he’ll throw on a tux and fake it for a few hours. His flak vest would have been a better choice around the maid of honor. He should have brought his handcuffs too, because somebody needs to restrain the dark-haired spitfire—and he’s just the man for the job.

One night to indulge the spark between them, then goodbye—that was the agreement. Curtis isn’t looking for a relationship and he sure doesn’t want a troublemaker for a girlfriend. The last thing Sara needs in her daily life is a cop looking over her shoulder, no matter how hot he is. But giving in to their chemistry is much more fun than giving it up…

Why It Rocks:  Icing On The Cake is just like its namesake, rich and intense but still sweet and light. It’s erotic without being over the top, it has dark themes but is well balanced by hilarious and sassy dialogue and it flows beautifully.  It’s addictive and you won’t want to put it down. You can read my full review here. 

3. It's In His Kiss by Jill Shalvis  

Blurb: Becca Thorpe has uprooted her life and escaped to the beach. Now’s her chance to get away from city living, throw caution to the ocean winds, and live in the moment. Especially if the moment includes the deliciously sexy surfer she meets shortly after arriving in Lucky Harbor. Something about the dark intensity of Sam’s eyes and the thrill she gets at his touch convinces her to stay awhile.

Boatbuilder and investment genius Sam Brody is a self-made man who knows how dangerous it can be to mix business and pleasure. But he can’t resist offering Becca a job just to hear her laugh and have her near. Yet when her brother comes to town asking for help, will he tempt her back to her glamorous life in the city? Or do Sam and little Lucky Harbor have a chance to win Becca’s heart?

Why It Rocks:  So far Jill Shalvis hasn’t released a book that I haven’t absolutely loved, but It’s In His Kiss blew me away.  It’s erotic, it’s sexy and delicious. It’s funny, engaging and sassy. It’s heart-warmingly sweet, emotional and lovely. But more than anything, it’s a tantalising tease. And it’s a tease that more than lives up to its promise. And Becca Thorpe is one of my all time favourite book heroines. You can read my full review here.  

4. Edge Of The Enforcer by Cherise Sinclair  

Blurb: Fleeing false murder charges, Lindsey lands in San Francisco. There she builds a satisfying life until, in the notorious Dark Haven BDSM club, she encounters deVries. Moth, meet flame.

A security specialist and occasional mercenary, deVries needs an adorable submissive like a knife to the gut. Hell, she’s not even a masochist. But here she is, all big brown eyes and sweet body and sassy mouth. Loyal. Tough-minded. Honest.

Or maybe not, considering her ID is forged. If she thinks to lie to him, she’ll learn better. He’s the Enforcer of Dark Haven—his discipline is absolute, his punishments harsh, and his heart untouched...until now.

Why It Rocks: Edge Of The Enforcer isn’t your average BDSM read. It’s got intrigue; it’s got scary murderous plots and damsels in hiding, it’s got sweet, loving romance and deeply erotic scenes. It’s an incredible, fast paced read. DeVries is a sadist but he’s sweet and protective and Lindsey might be a submissive but she has a backbone of steel and an incredible strength. The sex scenes and BDSM are incredibly realistic (I was so excited to see a realistic Violet Wand scene in a romance book!) but still ridiculously hot. Their story is endearing, sexy and delicious and  all kinds of fun. 

Honourable Mentions  

 

Launch Day Blitz: Merry Christmas Baby by Jill Shalvis

Book Blurb

Wild child Chloe Thompson can't believe how much things have changed. She still can't get enough of her sexy husband Sawyer, but he seems to prefer working to impending fatherhood. So tonight, a very pregnant Chloe is escaping her troubles at the town Christmas party.

Sheriff Sawyer Thompson hopes surprising Chloe at the  party will give him a chance to set things right. But as the snow begins to fall and the wind rages, he wonders whether he can make it back in time. While mother nature conspires to keep Sawyer and Chloe apart,  an unexpected arrival will require them to kiss and make up . . . and ring in the happiest holiday Lucky Harbor has ever seen.

Review: 

Merry Christmas Baby is an achingly sweet Christmas novella featuring Sawyer and Chloe from Head Over Heels. Merry Christmas Baby had a lot to live up to. First, the Lucky Harbour series has come to an end and I’ve been dying for some more small-town goodness. And second, Chloe and Sawyer are one of my favourite Lucky Harbour couples; I’ve read their book a hundred times and can never get enough of them. And let me just tell you, this is one of the most beautiful, life affirming Christmas novellas I’ve ever met. 

Merry Christmas Baby has a very different tone to Head Over Heels. It’s got some serious depth, a lot of poignant moments and a whole lot of angst. It broke my heart, but in lovely sweet ways, and I had to reach for the tissues a couple of times. Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s not overly sappy or depressing…it’s just achingly beautiful and emotional in a very rich way. While Merry Christmas Baby does have a very emotional tone to it, Jill Shalvis still manages to fit some signature hilarious moments in, as well as one very, very steamy scene. 

You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll smile and at the end of it, you’ll let out a delightful sigh while you fall deeper in love with the badass Sawyer who manages to be super sweet, and the incredible Chloe who manages to be both incredibly loving and stubbornly frustrating.   

Excerpt 

“It’s only a week,” he said, and Chloe jumped.

He was at her side again, all lethal stealth. He set her fast-acting asthma inhaler on the nightstand for easy reach and then her cell phone, which he’d no doubt charged for her since she’d forgotten. His bag hung from his shoulder, and he watched her from those fathomless eyes. If she looked closely she could see the gold flecks in them. Sometimes, when he laughed, those flecks danced.

But they were still now.

As still as the man watching her.

“I know,” she murmured. “Just a week. You’ll be back for the town Christmas party. You promised to take me.”

His jaw went a little tight. Parties weren’t exactly Mr. Social’s thing. “We talked about this,” he said.

“Yes, and you agreed to take me.”

He shook his head. “I said it wasn’t a great idea, you exerting the energy to dress up and go to a crowded event.”

“I’m not a piece of china,” she said.

“No one would ever mistake you for one,” he responded, and she was pretty sure it wasn’t a compliment.

“But,” he went on in that voice of steel, “you’re eight months pregnant and suffer debilitating asthma. Give yourself a damn break.”

“I’ve had one,” she said. “Maddie and Tara won’t even let me work at my own spa. I need to get out, Sawyer. I need to see people.” Before her life changed forever… “I’m going.”

“I’ll be back,” was all he said.

“And the party?”

“We’ll see.”

Not exactly a promise, but then again he was careful never to promise anything he couldn’t deliver. His word, when he gave it, was good as gold.

He lifted her chin and looked into her eyes for a long beat. “Dr. Tyler is only a call away,” he said. “Your sisters are close by. Jax and Ford are in your speed dials and are on standby for anything.”

Chloe’s obstetrician was wonderful, and so were her sisters Maddie and Tara and their husbands—Sawyer’s BFFs Jax and Ford. But if there was an emergency, it wasn’t any of them that Chloe wanted.

It was the tall testosterone and attitude-ridden man standing in front of her, already long gone given the look on his face.

“I want you to take care,” he said.

“You heard what Dr. Tyler said the last time we were in her office for false labor.” She patted her belly. “The Bean’s in for the long haul.”

“I meant you,” Sawyer said. “Take care of you.”

Coming from him, the words were tantamount to a shouted vow of love, and they moved her as only Sawyer could. “Always,” she promised, softening. “And what about you?”

“I haven’t had any labor pains, false or otherwise,” he deadpanned.

That got a laugh out of her.

He smiled but it faded quickly. “You know you can text or email me, and that I’ll call when I can,” he said. “And if anything happens—anything at all, Chloe—I can be back here in two hours.”

“Anything?” she asked playfully, trying to lighten the mood, using a voice that once upon a time would’ve made him kick off his shoes and strip and crawl back into bed with her, the hell with obligation and responsibility.

“I’ll be here.” He met her gaze, his own serious. “Always.”

An alarm on his watch beeped. He turned it off without taking his eyes from her.

She blew out a breath. “You’ve gotta go.”

He touched her face. “Chloe—”

She closed her eyes and turned her jaw into his touch. “I know,” she said. “And it’s okay. It’s all going to be okay.”

She just hoped that was true.

Social Links and Purchasing Information

Merry Christmas Baby releases Tuesday 2nd of December (it's available now in Australia) and will available at all manner of online book retailers. Purchasing information can be found on Jill Shalvis' Website. 

Jill Shalvis has a prominant presence on social media, so there's plenty of places to find out more information, catch excerpts from past and upcoming books and catch up on any news. The links for all of her contacts and websites are below: 

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