My Top 25 favorite books of 2012.
Wow, how the hell do I choose? I loved so many books, and they all seem to be my favorites when I’m reading them. I am going to list books I read in 2012. If they were 2nd or 3rd in a series I will list the book AND the series. These books are grouped by however they come out of my head, not in order of how much I loved them. Because honestly, the ones I read more recently would end up on top because they are so fresh…..that doesn’t seem fair. I started with a top 10, then a top 20. Then I realized there were too many I left off, so I added another 5 and some honorable mentions. These were all 5 or 5+ star reads. I read about 185 books in 2012 and there were VERY FEW that I didn’t love!
The Chocolate Lovers Series by Tara Sivec: Seduction and Snacks (review), Futures and Frosting (review) and Troubles and Treats (review). Laugh out loud till you pee funny, sexy and fun, I feel like all the characters are my best friends. This series is complete..
The Love Series by Tina Reber: Love Unscripted (review) and Love Unrehearsed (review). Technically, Love Unscripted shouldn’t be on the list because I read it in 2011, but I re-read it AND re-reviewed it in 2012 and loved it even more. Love Unrehearsed was even better. Both were really long, juicy, can’t put down, amazingly wonderful reads. The third book, which is more of a spinoff will hopefully be out in 2013.Purchase Love Unscripted (Book 1) at Amazon || BN.com || iBooks
Purchase Love Unrehearsed (Book 2) at Amazon || BN.com || iBooks
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Hopeless by Colleen Hoover (review) New adult, hopeful, tragic. Amazing. I laughed, I cried, I swooned, I fell in love, I got angry, and fell in love again with this book.Purchase Hopeless Amazon || Nook || iBooks
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The Slammed Series by Colleen Hoover: Slammed (review) and Point of Retreat (review) were intense and incredible. Though mostly YA, these books changed me and took some heavy subject matter and made them incredible to read about. There will be a third book, from the male POV in 2013, and perhaps a movie.Purchase Slammed at Amazon || BN.com || iBooks
Purchase Point of Retreat at Amazon || BN.com || iBooks
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The Redhead Series by Alice Clayton: The Unidentified Redhead (review) and The Redhead Revealed (review) were funny, fun, sexy, made me feel good and happy the whole way through. The first one had no angst, the second one did. Both were amazing. The third redhead book comes out in spring 2013.Purchase The Unidentified Redhead: Amazon | BN.com | iBooks
Purchase The Redhead Revealed at Amazon | BN.com | iBooks
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If I Were You by Lisa Renee Jones (review). The first in the Inside Out Series, had everything. It was hot, sexy, a mystery, and it kept me riveted. There are 5 Novellas and the next 2 books coming out this year. These are definitely at the top of my most anticipated books of 2013.Purchase If I Were You (Inside Out 1) Amazon || BN.com || iBooks
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Motorcycle Man by Kristen Ashley (review) and the rest of the Dream Man Series (Series order). ALL of the books in the series (in fact all of Kristen’s books in general) belong in the top 20, but this 4th book was my favorite, plus I didn’t read them all in 2012. Hot, alpha, sexy, romantic, tough. Dream man is the perfect description of all of Kristen’s alpha heroes.Purchase Motorcycle Man (Dream Man 4) at Amazon || BN.com || iBooks (But read the series in order)
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Leave me Breathless by Cherrie Lynn (review). The third in the Ross Siblings Series (see the series order here) I read the first 2 last year, and re-read Rock Me (review) this year, and it was even better the second time. Hot, sexy, romantic and tattooed. What else can you want? Cherrie will be releasing at least one more in the series in 2013.Purchase Leave Me Breathless at Amazon || BN.com || iBooks (Read the series in order, or at least book 2, Rock Me, first)
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Undeniable by Madeline Sheehan (review):This book blew me away. Rough and gritty, so not my type, yet I couldn’t put it down or move on after reading. Luckily, there will be two more books, Unbeautifully and Unattainable about side characters coming out in 2013..
Games of the Heart by Kristen Ashley (review) the 4th in The Burg Series (series order). The entire series would on my list, but I read the first three last year. This one still stands out to me, with Kristen’s sexy alpha men, great older characters with kids, and stories that make me laugh, cry and swoon..
The Gamble by Kristen Ashley (review), the first in The Colorado Mountain Series (series order). Once again, Kristen Ashley blows me away with her stories that make me laugh, cry, swoon, fall in love and more. The second in the series, Sweet Dreams, is even better, but I read it in 2011-it was my first Kristen Ashley book, and hooked me for good. There will be a 5th book in 2013..
On Dublin Street by Samantha Young (review) was the perfect combination of romance, sexiness and angst. I was glued to the pages the whole time. I laughed, cried and fell in love. There will be a second book in 2013.Purchase On Dublin Street at Amazon || BN.com || iBooks
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Sempre (Forever) by J.M. Darhower (review) was a powerful New Adult book that grabbed me, pulled me in, and didn’t let go. A combination of innocence and cold-hearted killing that was a long, very satisfying, powerful read. This book got a movie deal!Purchase Sempre: Amazon || BN.com **Currently unavailable will be re-published fall 2013
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My Liege of Dark Haven by Cherise Sinclair (review). Part of the Mountain Masters series (order), but can be read alone. Cherise is is the queen of BDSM romance. Her Masters of the Shadowlands series (order) is amazing as well, but I read them in 2011, so I can’t put them on this list.Purchase Amazon || BN.com || iBooks (Even better if you read the series)
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The Mighty Storm by Samantha Towle (review). Hot, tattooed, bad-boy rock star. This book consumed me and made me ignore my family. It had everything: romance, friendship, angst, and perfectly flawed characters. Wethering the Storm comes out in June 2013Purchase Amazon || iBooks
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Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay (review) new adult/YA, beautiful, tragic, uplifting, funny, healing, and ending that I had to read over and over.Purchase: Amazon || BN.com || iBooks
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Bared To You (review) and Reflected in You (review) by Sylvia Day. Both part of the Crossfire Series, these books are hot, sexy, angsty, passionate, obsessive and delicious. I can’t wait for Entwined With You in May 2013.Purchase Bared To You (Crossfire #1) at: Amazon || BN.com || iBooks
Purchase Reflected In You (Crossfire #2): Amazon || BN.com || iBooks
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On The Island by Tracey Garvis Graves (review). Unexpected, different. A beautiful story about survival and love between an unlikely couple. A great happy ending, and a book I’m ready to re-read.Purchase Amazon || BN.com || iBooks
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Lover Reborn by JR Ward (review). Book 10 in the Black Dagger Brotherhood Series (Series order) This is the only paranormal book on the list, and if you like hot, sexy, dangerous alpha heroes, you may want to re-think any aversion you have to vampire books. But start at the beginning. Lover At last (Book 11) will be out in March..
Double Time by Olivia Cunning (review). This is part of the Sinners on Tour Series (series order). Fuckhot rock stars having AMAZING sex and falling in love. Olivia is the queen of hot and sexy scenes. Oh how I love the Sinners! 2 more come out in 2013!Purchase Double Time Amazon || BN.com || iBooks (Read the series in order, this was unfortunately published 3rd but was the 5th)
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Up In The Air Series by RK Lilley (Series Order) Addictive, sexy, and unputdownable. Another dominant billionaire book, and I loved every bit of it. I can’t wait for Grounded, book 3 in 2013.Purchase In Flight (Book 1) (review) at Amazon
Purchase Mile High (Book 2) (review) at Amazon
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The Blackstone Affair Series by Raine Miller (Series Order). Sizzling hot, great characters I fell in love with, totally delicious alpha male, couldn’t put it down. I can’t wait for book 3, Eyes Wide Open, in 2013..
The Neighbor From Hell Series by RL Mathewson (See the series order here) Funny, sexy and fun to read. Even better if you DON’T read them all in a row.Purchase Playing For Keeps (1) (review): Amazon || iBooks
Purchase Perfection (2) (review): Amazon || iBooks
Purchase Perfection (2) (review): Amazon || iBooks
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The Proposition by Katie Ashley (review) I sat there with a stupid grin on my face the entire time I read this book, I laughed, I got mad, and now I can’t fucking wait for the Proposal in January 2013..
Fifty Shades Freed by EL James (Fifty Shades Series). I read the first two in 2011 when they first came out (twice) so they don’t really qualify, but I read them again right before this came out in January 2012. I loved the whole series each time. I have to say, if I had read the whole series for the first time in 2012, it would be at the top spot of the list. Of all of these books, this one has impacted my life the most, made me switch genres, improved my marriage, and gave me a reason to start this blog. I have read plenty of amazing books since. Maybe even ones who did it better. But this is the original <3.
Honorable Mentions:
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The Original Sinners Series by Tiffany Reisz (Series order) Edgy, sexy, taboo, different, not for everyone. Tiffany has a ton of free stories on her website to be read after you read the first book, The Siren (review)..
The Girl Next Door Series by CC Wood Friends With Benefits (review) and Frenemies (review) These little 100 page novellas were nice fluffy beach reads, but made me laugh and swoon the whole way through..
Rescue Me Series by Kallypso Masters (series order) is about a group of Marines who open a fetish club. Hot, emotional, and educational. The first book, Masters at Arms is FREE and is basically a prequel to get to know each Dom..
Down To You (The Bad Boys) by M. Leighton (review) Hot and Sexy Twins!!!! Funny, hot, and I can’t wait for Up To Me, which just released today! (Update: See series order here)Purchase Down To You at Amazon || BN.com (nook)
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Creed by Kristen Ashley (The Unfinished Hero) (review) and it’s predecessor, Knight (review). I love ALL of Kristen’s books (34!) These Hot, dominant alpha’s are what my blog is about. Warning: Knight is referred to as “daddy” by his girlfriend, which was a little hard to get past. See the series order here. Purchase Knight at Amazon || BN.com || iBooks Purchase Creed at: Amazon || BN.com || iBooks.
***2 more books I love, but read in 2011 are Flat Out Love by Jessica Park (review) and Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire (review).
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There were so many more amazing books that I loved the crap out of! Holy crap, it was a great reading year! Books that I even gave 4.75 stars to didn’t make this list. How can that be??? Books popped in my head for this list, and I look at them and can’t believe I couldn’t add them. Click on those 4-5 star books in my categories, and look at some of my other top picks lists for some of my other favorites!
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Because so many blogs have a number of bloggers to contribute, I asked two of my most active readers to give me their lists, for a different perspective. Here they are:
Ricki’s list:
1. Fifty Shades of Grey series by E.L. James (series order)
2. Chocolate Lovers series by Tara Sivec (series order)
3. Neighbor From Hell series by R.L. Mathewson (series order)
4. Pyte/Sentinel series by R.L. Mathewson (1st book is Tall, Dark & Lonely–loved!)
5. Ross Siblings series by Cherrie Lynn (series order)
6. Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire (review)
7. Rock Chick series by Kristen Ashley (series order)
8. The Three Series by Kristen Ashley (1st book: Until the Sun Falls from the Sky-on my kindle, I can’t wait!)
9. Love Unscripted (review) & Love Unrehearsed (review) by Tina Reber
10. Crossfire series by Sylvia Day (series order)
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Kerry’s List:
1. At Peace (Burg Series)…Kristen Ashley (series order)
2. Crossfire Series…Sylvia Day (series order)
3. Backstage Pass…Olivia Cunning (series order)
4. Beautiful Disaster…Jamie McGuire (review)
5. Thoughtless Series…SC Stephens (review)
6. Poughkeepsie…Debra Anastasia (review)
7. 50 Shades…EL James (series order)
8. Chocolate Lovers Series…Tara Sivec (series order)
9. Strangers…Barbara Elsborg (I haven’t read this yet-better get on it! Amazon)
10. Girl Next Door Series…CC Wood (Reviews here & here)
And my Bestsellers for 2012 are: (Please keep in mind, I started this blog in May)
1. Backstage Pass by Olivia Cunning (review)
2. Bared To You by Sylvia Day (review)
3. Club Shadowlands by Cherise Sinclair (series)
4. Love Unscripted by Tina Reber (review)
5. Beautiful Disaster by Jamie McGuire (review)
6. Seduction and Snacks by Tara Sivec (review)
7. Because You Are Mine by Beth Kery (review)
8. In Flight by RK Lilley (review)
9. If I Were You by Lisa Renee Jones (review)
10. The Gamble by Kristen Ashley (review)
So what do you think? Have you read most of them? What was your favorite book?
Lorna Fletcher says
Thank you for the time you put into the list I will be buying lots of books this year. One thing I would like to say I was glad to see 50 shades made it, so many people are saying so many bad things(writing style, smarter) about it, they don’t get it.
anasdiary says
How can it not???
Jennifer says
Thank you for putting this list together. I cannot believe how many of them I have read. And the ones I haven’t are waiting on my Kindle or I just added to my list. 2012 was a great year for books I can’t wait to see what 2013 holds.
anasdiary says
So many good ones!
Lisa says
It is so much fun to revisit my “best reads” in your lists — I’m going to re-read some, and purchase some more! Thanks for your blog — I really enjoy it!
anasdiary says
Thank you!
Rachel says
Great list, Ana. Amazing book ideas, as always. On a side note…J.R. Ward’s book that’s coming out this March is Lover At Last. Lover Avenged has already been published.
Rock On!
anasdiary says
Thanks! That’s what happens when I try to add the sequels at 2:00 am after 3 glasses of wine 🙂
Ricki says
Thank you for asking me to be included with my Top 10. I was so honored. It was one of the hardest things to come with because I realized how many really good books I’d read.
I started reading 50 last January (before the hype) and because if that one damn book (and two sequels) that I couldn’t put down or talking about. It renewed by love of reading something fierce and changed my life in so many different ways. From the Amazon recommendations, I found other authors, then their FB pages and finally blogs. Yours and Scandalicious’ really spoke to me and I became regular follower and active responder (must be the love if sarcasm) Hell, it was both of your recommendations that i read Seduction & Snacks. From that I gained friendships with Kerry, CC Wood and the two of you. Now a year later I’m helping to plan the Wicked Girls Book Weekend and meeting these very same authors. All because I read one dam book
anasdiary says
Thank you so much for your list! I agree, Fifty Shades, no matter what people want to say about it, opened up so many new people to reading, and did a LOT for many relationships! Including mine.
I especially love it, because I wouldn’t have started this blog and me t YOU! I can’t wait till February!
Ricki says
<3 you!
nicki says
i’ve read about half of them and the ones i haven’t have moved up on my tbr pile (which is no lie 200+ books long) and i’ll definately be saving this page to my favorites 🙂
btw- can’t wait to here about what you think of a beutiful lie- for me it was a slow burn, like ok like it, not love it, then BAMN WTF, OMG, HOLY SHIT, half the turns were so so unexpected (i only guess one of them and i’m pretty good at the guessing thing)!
also, i didn’t know you just started in May- you’re doing pretty awesome, especially for just starting out- mad props chica!!!
nicki says
and just so you know, this is not your first post to make my saved favs- you 5 story/5heat and beyond and several others have too. you’re awesome and truly appreciate all you put into this blog. like i said you are my go-to blog!
anasdiary says
Thank you so much! Yes, I’m with you on A Beautiful Lie!
Dawn says
Lots of the same faves for me! Though…there are several I haven’t read! Looks like my Amazon bill is going to take a hurtin’ once again! Damn that one-click! Lol! Thanks for sharing!
Laters Baby UK says
Fantastic list Ana, great to have the books all in one place to be able to refer back to (and tick off!). I totally agree that the Fifty Shades books should be no.1 for pretty much the same reasons you give. I also agree that Tara Sivec and Alice Clayton should be up there too, their books were a delight. Was Wallbanger too late to be considered? There is however one glaring omission from what I can see – where is Sylvain Reynard’s divine professor? I loved the Gabriel series and would definitely have them in my top 20. Otherwise I look forward to reading the other books on your list that I’ve heard of but not yet found time to read. I live your blog, keep up the good work & I hope you have a brilliant 2013 xx
anasdiary says
For some reason I have never gotten to the Gabriel series. When it came out many of my friends either loved it or hated it. For some reason, I skipped it! I loved Wallbanger, but I like the redhead series more. It was just a bit too much of a tease! I still loved it though.
Thanks and Happy New Year to you!
Holly says
Great list!!! I have enjoyed your website since I started reading in July!!
anasdiary says
Thanks Holly! I love having you here!
Jessica says
LOVE this list! Thank you for all that you do. Just added a couple more to my TBR list 🙂
kimbacaffeinate says
Awesome list, some I read and LOVED, and a lot are in my TBR pile calling to me, and Sea of Tranquility is an ARC for June release.
susan says
I have read almost everything on each of these lists. I read 158 books last year. I have to say in no real order
Beautiful Diseaster Jamie Mcguire
Thoughtless and Effortless S.C. Stephens
If I were you Lisa Renee Jones
At Peace Kristen Ashley
The three series by Kristen Ashley
anything by Kristen Ashley
Masters of the Abyss- Cherise Sinclaire
My Liege of Dark Haven- Cherise Sinclaire
Hopeless Colleen Hoover
Bound together Marie Coulson
Fallen too Far Abbi Glines
Dublin Street Samatha Young
It has been a great year for books
Angie [A Whole Lot of Nothing] says
Just bought Up In The Air because I keep seeing it everywhere, and if you loved it, I’m sure I will, too!
nicki says
i think i’ve read about 2/3 of these, the rest will be moved up on my tbr pile.
If i had to add i’d say the following
losing it
delerium (ya, but i loved it)
easy
flat-out love
fallenb too far (although i didn’t like the ending, gladd there is a sequel)
the wild ones
ten tiny breaths
the coincidence of callie and kayden
all three suzanne wright books i discovered ( froim rage, here be sexist vampires, feral sins)
knight ( i haven’t read creed yet, but loved this one)
charade
kristen ashley’s three series
wallbager
marrage to a billionaire series
the sercet of ella and micha
dark duet series
Lauren Campbell says
Great List! I have read most of them but the ones I haven’t I will be giving the rest a go. Thanks.
Angela Love says
I have to say your list looks awesome and I read quite a few of those myself…:) the reast are on my TBR list waiting patiently for me to get there….
angelalove@uwmail.com
Pam Hodgin says
Great list! I have to agree with you on most of them. I haven’t read them all, but the ones I have read, definitely deserve to be on the list. The rest are on my TBR list. That just keeps growing and growing! Thank you for the time you spend reading and reviewing books for us!
Aprel Glass says
I made a copy of the list so that I don’t miss a single book. Thank you!