Better late than never? I have had my favorite books of 2015 on the sidebar of my blog, but finally just got around to posting it so it can live on as my 2012, 2013, & 2014 lists do.
Unexpected Fate (Hope Town Book 1) & Bleeding Love (Hope Town Book 2) by Harper Sloan
5++++ Stars are rare on this blog. But for 2 books in a series to get them in a row is even more rare! The Hope Town books are a spin-off of the Corps Security Series which is one of my favorites. This series is about their kids! I love these books so much! They were just the perfect balance of everything I love!
Unexpected Fate: Have you ever felt like you were living your life for a future that was predetermined? Like there was some bigger picture you just prayed you would someday see clearly? That picture has been crystal clear to me since I was old enough to recognize it for just what it was.
Or I should say recognize him for who he was.
I’ve loved Cohen Cage since I was a small child. He’s been my everything for the last twenty-two years. I’ve loved him through every girlfriend he’s ever brought home. Through his college years and then mine. I’ve loved him through two deployments. And ever since the day I told him how I felt, he’s acted like I’m a stranger.
My name is Danielle Reid, and it’s time for me to get my man.
Our future is an unexpected fate, and no matter what our parents, siblings, and friends say…it’s going to be worth every second of the fight to make it happen.
**This book is a standalone, HEA, with mature themes and sexual situations**
My Down & Dirty:
See Megan and My Joint Review • Purchase
Bleeding Love: I’ve loved once. I gave everything that I had to that love. Blindly believing that nothing could ever take that feeling away from me. Away from us. And when my little world of happiness was ripped from my fingers, I felt a loss that still haunts me to this day.
Now I use that lingering grief as a shield to keep my heart from loving again. It’s that fear that keeps me from letting anyone, except my daughter, get close enough to make it hurt. To make my heart bleed when I inevitably lose again.
Until the day I met Liam Beckett and everything I thought I had protected myself from was shoved back in my face.
He’s on a mission to prove to me that a love worth having is a love worth fighting for.
*Bleeding Love is the second book in the Hope Town series. Each book in the series is a HEA and can be read as a standalone.*
“I’ve wanted this since the day I met you, but I knew you weren’t ready for me. I’ve been trying to keep my distance, just waiting for those clouds to leave your eyes. If you don’t want me to take you back to my house, strip you naked and fuck you until you can’t walk for weeks, then say so now, because the second I have you I won’t be letting go.”
My Down & Dirty:
See Megan and My Joint Review • Purchase
.
.
Fisher’s Light by Tara Sivec
This was a brilliant 5++++ star read that illustrated perfectly why Tara Sivec has been one of my favorite authors since I started this blog.
Fisher,
I guess this is it, huh? After fourteen years together, starting a life of our own on this island, five deployments and countless letters I’ve written you through it all, I finally go out to the mailbox and see something I’ve always dreamed of: an envelope with your handwriting on it. For one moment, I actually thought you’d changed your mind, that all the awful things you said to me were just your way of coping after everything you’d been through. I was still here, Fisher. I was still here, holding my breath, waiting for you to come back even though you told me you never would. You always said you’d find your way back to me. Out of all the lies you’ve told me, this one hurts the most. Enclosed you will find the signed divorce papers, as requested.
I hope you find what you’re looking for. I’m sorry it wasn’t me.
Lucy
To get the ending they want, Lucy and Fisher will have to go back to the beginning. Through the good and the bad, they’ll be reminded of why they always made their way back to each other, and why this time, one way or another, it will be the last time.
The Down & Dirty:
Series: Fisher’s Light
• Worth the Trip (A Fisher’s Light Companion Novella)
.
Soaring (The Magdalene Series Book 2) by Kristen Ashley
To be perfectly honest, if there is a Kristen Ashly book, you can pretty much guarantee it will end up on this list. Almost every single one of her books becomes a favorite for me. Soaring is a favorite for 2015 as The Will before it was a favorite for 2014.
American heiress Amelia Hathaway needs to start anew.
Her husband cheated on her, and when everything she wanted in life slipped through her fingers, she fell apart. When she did, she took another heart wrenching hit as she lost the respect of her children.
When her ex took her family from California to live in the small town of Magdalene in Maine, Amelia decided it was time to sort herself out. In order to do that and win her children back, she moves to Cliff Blue, an architectural masterpiece on the rocky coast of Magdalene.
Her boxes aren’t even unpacked when she meets Mickey Donovan, a man who lives across the street, a man so beautiful Amelia takes one look at Mickey and knows she wants it all from him.
The problem is, she finds out swiftly that he’s friendly, he’s kind, but he doesn’t want everything back.
Amelia struggles to right past wrongs in her life at the same time find out who she wants to be. She also struggles with her attraction to the handsome firefighter who lives across the street.
But Amelia will face a surprise when her friendly neighbor becomes not-so-friendly. As Amelia and Mickey go head to head, Amelia must focus on winning back the hearts of her children.
She soon discovers she also must focus on winning the heart of a handsome firefighter who understands down to his soul the beautiful heiress who lives across the street is used to a life he cannot provide.
The Down & Dirty:
Series: The Will (The Magdalene Series Book 1) • Soaring (The Magdalene Series Book 2)
.
#TripleX by Christine Zolendz & Angelisa Stone
I had so much fun reading this book! It took place in the book world and I was right along with them for the ride. What a fun and relatable read!
Does size really matter?
Two women spin a tale of comedy and new beginnings after they wake up and find themselves in a jail cell over 3000 miles away from home. Rehashing their adventure in front of a less-than-sympathetic judge, they give a laugh-out-loud and extremely detailed story of a road trip that finds them in a ton of trouble.
Battling age, weight, and their own personal demons, not only do they discover the open road and a life they misplaced somewhere in their 20s, they also find themselves. From breakups and stealing cars to blurry memories of something that might have happened in New Mexico, these two women will take you on a real journey, full of fun and, well, situations that people only write about and never really do….or do they?
The Down and Dirty
The Stocking Was Hung (The Holidays #1) by Tara Sivec
And, It’s Tara again. This time delivering a laugh out loud, sweet, fun, romantic Christmas story.
What happens when your life goes to crap the week of Christmas? You invite a hot Marine you met in an airport bar to come home with you for the holidays, to distract your crazy family from the truth.
With a handsy aunt, a meddling mother and a father concerned for the wellbeing of his daughter’s eggnog, there’s no chance Sam and Noel will have time to fall in love…or will they?
**The Stocking Was Hung is a full-length, standalone Christmas novel that will make you laugh, make you HOT and maybe even make you say, “Awwwww” a few times.
“You should be happy your father and I still have such an active sex life. Thank God for his medical marijuana (CBD) prescription. I was getting a little bored with always being on top because of the arthritis in his hips. He’s much more agile when he’s high.”
The Down & Dirty:
.
November 9: A Novel by Colleen Hoover
As always, Colleen Hoover brings her genius to whatever she writes. Every one of her books had made a favorite list.
Beloved #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover returns with an unforgettable love story between a writer and his unexpected muse.
Fallon meets Ben, an aspiring novelist, the day before her scheduled cross-country move. Their untimely attraction leads them to spend Fallon’s last day in L.A. together, and her eventful life becomes the creative inspiration Ben has always sought for his novel. Over time and amidst the various relationships and tribulations of their own separate lives, they continue to meet on the same date every year. Until one day Fallon becomes unsure if Ben has been telling her the truth or fabricating a perfect reality for the sake of the ultimate plot twist.
Can Ben’s relationship with Fallon—and simultaneously his novel—be considered a love story if it ends in heartbreak?
The Down & Dirty:
.
Kyland by Mia Sheridan
Mia is another author where pretty much anything she writes is gold. Her books seem to land on a favorite list no matter what.
A standalone romance from the New York Times bestselling author of Archer’s Voice.
Dirt poor. Hillbilly. Backwoods hick. Mountain folk.
Tenleigh Falyn struggles each day to survive in a small, poverty-stricken, coal mining town where she lives with her sister and mentally ill mother. Her dream of winning the college scholarship given to one student by the local coal company and escaping the harshness of her life, keeps her going.
Kyland Barrett lives in the hills, too, and has worked tirelessly—through near starvation, through deep loneliness, against all odds—to win the Tyton Coal Scholarship and leave the town that is full of so much pain.
They’re both determined not to form any attachments, but one moment changes everything. What happens when only one person gets to win? When only one person gets to leave? And what happens to the one left behind?
Kyland is a story of desperation and hope, loss and sacrifice, pain and forgiveness, but ultimately, a story of deep and unending love.
THIS IS A STAND-ALONE SIGN OF LOVE NOVEL, INSPIRED BY TAURUS. New Adult Contemporary Romance: Due to strong language and sexual content, this book is not intended for readers under the age of 18.
The Down and Dirty:
.
The Other Man by RK Lilley
An RK Lilley standalone! I love ALL of her books and The Other Man is no exception. Even better if read after the Wild Side Series.
How rough can you take it?
LOURDES
He was brazen as hell from the moment I laid eyes on him. He was aggressive, and dominant, with Mack truck arms, and a bar brawler voice.
He was too good looking for his own good, with a hard jaw, and harder eyes.
I’d always led a fairly peaceful life, but even I could tell at a glance that this man was dangerous. For so many reasons.
Not the least of which being that rough, dirty, sheet-clawing sex fairly radiated off him.
I’d thought I’d known how to handle every kind of man, but this one left me baffled.
To say he wasn’t my type was putting it lightly.
But you couldn’t tell that to my libido.
Not even when I found out the truth.
My lover had lied to me from the very start.
Nothing about our meeting was a coincidence.
This book can be read as a standalone.
The Down and Dirty:
The Other Man is a standalone, but it is also a gift to all of RK’s regular readers. We get to revisit all of our favorite characters within the context of the book. It was un unputdownable, unpredictable ride of epic proportions. RK took a character we should hate and turned him into a scary, dark sex god with a heart, and Lourdes, great mom that she is, was there to help him. I find it so cool that RK Lilley wrote this as almost another half to The Wild Side Series, and it fits in so seamlessly. Despite The Other Man being so intertwined with The Wild Side series, I think it can stand alone just as well, but would read very differently for a newbie. I must tell you though, reading this BEFORE the Wild Side would ruin a lot of the suspense from that series.
RK really outdid herself. Heath was all kinds of dangerous and dark and sexy, the action and suspense had me on the edge of my seat, there were no stupid angsty moments for no reason, and every single thing that happened seemed to be tied to a bigger picture. BRAVO!!!! Another spectacular read by RK Lilley, possibly her best yet. And yay! It’s ONE book!
.
PUCKED (The PUCKED Series Book 1) by Helena Hunting
When I read this was dirty, silly, fun and sexy, I knew I had to try Pucked even though sports romances are to my thing. Well Pucked changed that. I loved it!
***The 1st standalone novel in The Pucked Series***
With a famous NHL player for a stepbrother, Violet Hall is well acquainted with the playboy reputation of many a hockey star. So of course she isn’t interested in legendary team captain Alex Waters or his pretty, beat-up face and rock-hard six-pack abs. When Alex inadvertently obliterates Violet’s misapprehension regarding the inferior intellect of hockey players, he becomes much more than just a hot body with the face to match.
Suffering from a complete lapse in judgment, Violet discovers just how good Alex is with the hockey stick in his pants. Violet believes her night of orgasmic magic with Alex is just that: one night. But Alex starts to call. And text. And email and send extravagant—and quirky—gifts. Suddenly, he’s too difficult to ignore, and nearly impossible not to like.
The problem is, the media portrays Alex as a total player, and Violet doesn’t want to be part of the game.
The Down and Dirty:
Series: PUCKED (The PUCKED Series Book 1) • PUCKED Up (The PUCKED Series Book 2) • PUCKED Over (The PUCKED Series Book 3) • Forever Pucked: The Pucked Series, Book 4
.
Ride Steady (Chaos) by Kristen Ashley
As I said before, it’s almost a guarantee that if it’s Kristen Ashley, it will end up on this list.
The ride of her life . . .
Once upon a time, Carissa Teodoro believed in happy endings. Money, marriage, motherhood: everything came easy—until she woke up to the ugly truth about her Prince Charming. Now a struggling, single mom and stranded by a flat tire, Carissa’s pondering her mistakes when a vaguely familiar knight rides to her rescue on a ton of horsepower.
Climb on and hold tight . . .
In high school, Carson Steele was a bad boy loner who put Carissa on a pedestal where she stayed far beyond his reach. Today, he’s the hard-bodied biker known only as Joker, and from the way Carissa’s acting, it’s clear she’s falling fast. While catching her is irresistible, knowing what to do with her is a different story. A good girl like Carissa is the least likely fit with the Chaos Motorcycle Club. Too bad holding back is so damned hard. Now, as Joker’s secrets are revealed and an outside threat endangers the club, Joker must decide whether to ride steady with Carissa—or ride away forever . . .
The Down and Dirty:
Series: Motorcycle Man (The Dream Man Series Book 4) (I recommend reading first!) • Own the Wind: A Chaos Novel • Fire Inside: A Chaos Novel • Ride Steady (Chaos)
.
Fat Girl Walking: Sex, Food, Love, and Being Comfortable in Your Skin…Every Inch of It
by Brittany Gibbons
Okay, so this one make me want to sing the Sesame Street song “Which one of these is not like the other….” because this is not really a romance book. It’s a funny memoir. But it reads like a novel, and I laughed, I cried and I totally related.
Told through a series of larger-than-life snapshots, a hilarious memoir in essays about love, sex, marriage, motherhood, bikinis, and loving your body, no matter what size you are from the acclaimed blogger and body image advocate.
Brittany Gibbons has been a plus size her whole life. But instead of hiding herself in the shadows of thinner women, Brittany became a wildly popular blogger and national spokesmodel—known for stripping on stage at TedX and standing in Times Square in a bikini on national television, and making skinny people everywhere uncomfortable.
Talking honestly about size and body image on her popular blog, brittanyherself.com, she has ignited a national conversation. Now in her first book, she shares hilarious and painfully true stories about her life as a weird overweight girl growing up in rural Ohio, struggling with dating and relationships, giving the middle finger to dieting, finding love with a man smaller than her, accidentally having three kids, and figuring out the secret to loving her curves and becoming a nationally recognized body image advocate. And there’s sex, lots of it!
Fat Girl Walking isn’t a diet book. It isn’t one of those former fat people memoirs about how someone battled, and won, in the fight against fat. Brittany doesn’t lose all the weight and reveal the happy, skinny girl that’s been hiding inside her. Instead, she reminds us that being chubby doesn’t mean you’ll end up alone, unhappy, or the subject of a cable medical show. What’s important is learning to love your shape. With her infectious humor and soul-baring honesty, Fat Girl Walking reveals a life full of the same heartbreak, joy, oddity, awkwardness, and wonder as anyone else’s. Just with better snacks.
The Down and Dirty:
.
The last book in my favorite series completely lived up to the rest of the series. As sad as I am yo see this series end, I’m so glad it did it on a high note.
“I’m pregnant.”
Molly Gilmore had a good life before she uttered those two stupid words. While preparing to graduate from culinary school and building up the courage to make a move on her hot, sugar-cookie-smelling pastry instructor Marco, she can’t wait to finally have the GREAT life she’s always dreamed about, instead of just the good one she’s been living.
Always known as the quiet ninja, she fully intends to stay hidden in the shadows with her nut-job family, so they have no chance to embarrass her around the man she’s crushed on for two years. Unfortunately, her family has other plans. When they yank her straight out of her comfort zone, she finds herself starring in the craziest train wreck she’s ever witnessed.
Molly ultimately gets a more exciting life that doesn’t revolve around school, but she’s pretty sure the man of her dreams won’t be sticking around long after her family gets ahold of him. There aren’t too many guys who can handle smelling like pee, having the whole world know how he masturbates, and being forced to eat an entire bag of dicks.
Join the Chocolate Lovers and Chocoholics gang for one final story about love, baked goods, making poor life choices, and remembering how important family is—even if they drive you insane.
Mostly because it’s illegal to kill them.
The Down and Dirty:
Apparently if Kristen Ashley releases a book, it will end up on my best of the year list. I just re-read my review for Hold On and realized again how much I loved it. Now I am stopping the book I’m currently reading for a KA fix.
Since she was young, Cher Rivers knew she was not the kind of girl who got what she wanted. A girl who could hope. A girl who could dream. She knew a happily ever after just wasn’t in the cards for her.
In love for years with the last bastion of the ‘burg’s eligible bachelors, Garrett Merrick, Cher worked hard at making him laugh. Being one of the guys. Having him in her life the only way she could. All this knowing he was in love with another woman.
The Merrick Family is known for loving deep. So when Cecelia Merrick was murdered, it marked the Merricks in a way none of them recovered. Both Cecelia’s children found love. Both turned their backs on it. But Garrett “Merry” Merrick knew in his soul the woman he divorced years ago was the one for him.
Until the night when Cher took Garrett’s back and things changed. The Merrick family loves deep. They also protect fiercely. And with his eyes finally open, Garrett sees the woman who truly is for him and he goes after her.
“You don’t look after yourself. That’s not your job anymore, Cher. You leave that to me.”
“It happens. For people like us, baby. It happens, eventually. Just as long as we hold on.”
The Down and Dirty:
Hold On was everything I love about a Kristen Ashley book. Long and detailed, with kick-ass heroines, great friends and family, and a sexy, dominant alpha male who protects and takes care of his woman. We got to visit and catch up with all of the ‘Burg characters, and it had the best epilogue I’ve ever read. It breaks my heart to say goodbye to this series, but I know Kit will just give us more of her greatness somewhere else.
Hold On is another book that proves exactly why I love Kristen Ashley. Her books have lifted me out of every slump and bad moment I’ve had for the past few years, and made me love her even more.
Series Order: For You (The ‘Burg Series Book 1) • At Peace (The ‘Burg Series Book 2) • Golden Trail (The ‘Burg Series Book 3) • Games of the Heart (The ‘Burg Series Book 4) • The Promise (The ‘Burg Series Book 5) • Hold On (The ‘Burg Series Book 6)
.
The Summer Remains
by Seth King
The most emotional book I ever read.
Twenty-four-year-old Summer Johnson knows two things. The first is that due to a quickly worsening medical condition, she faces a risky surgery in three months’ time that may or may not end in her death. The second is that she would like to fall in love before then.
As spring sinks into her namesake season on the Florida coastline, Summer plays the odds and downloads a new dating app – and after one intriguing message from a beautiful surfer named Cooper Nichols, it becomes clear that the story of what may be her last few months under the sun is about to be completely revised. All she has to do now is write something worth reading.
Tender, honest, devastating and triumphant, The Summer Remains explores a very human battle being waged in a very digital age: the search for a love that will outlast this temporary borrowing of bones. In an era when many feel compelled to share and re-share anything about everything, prepare to feel a love so special, you will want to hug it close and make it yours forever.
The Down and Dirty:
READ THIS BOOK! Seriously, if you read any ugly cry book, you need to read The Summer Remains. It was a perfect combination of love, romance, coming of age, loss, heartbreak, strength, hopefulness, humor, and just plain goodness. I can’t imagine that the author of this book isn’t as good as the character, so I see lots of young ladies falling for the young man. If I was a girl who loved emotional books, this would be one of my favorite books ever, but my eyes are still swollen, and a week later I am still in a book hangover. I can say for sure, it is one of my favorite emotional reads ever. And it changed me, and made me a bit of a better person. I look forward, with a little trepidation, to what Seth comes up with next. Because let me tell you, I was an ugly mess during this one.

Maybe my favorite RK Lilley book to date, but it is killing me to wait for Breaking Her. In this case I will do a re-read first, and I look forward to it!
From internationally bestselling author R.K. Lilley comes a scorching new series with melt-the-pages tension and all-consuming angst. It’s love, it’s war and it’s Scarlett and Dante’s story.
Scarlett
It was the kind of relationship where I invested more than I had to spare.
I gave it everything.
And so when it failed, I lost myself.
It changed me. He changed me.
I went down with the ship.
My soul, burnt embers in the aftermath.
The fire of him ravaged it all.
He burned me.
Broke me.
Scarlett had always dreamed big. She was headed straight for Hollywood. Destined for silver screen greatness.
But in her wildest dreams she never imagined she’d be broke and single at twenty-seven, doling drinks at thirty-five thousand feet.
She was a glorified waitress in the skies.
It had been years since she’d seen him.
But one day, there he sat, gazing intently at her, ready to set everything ablaze once more.
Dante wanted her. Again.
Sure, she’d play along…but this time, it was his turn.
She was breaking him.
After all, love is war.
—————
Book one in the Love is War duet.
The Down and Dirty:
AUDIOBOOKS
Since audiobooks are often released after the book releases, I am only referring to books I have read in 2015, not if they were published in 2015.
Tattoos & Tatas by Tara Sivec
At the top of my Best of 2014 list Tattoos and Tatas was one of my favorite books ever. But this year I listened to it, and the narrator could not have been more perfect. The audio made one of my favorite all-time books even better!
Claire and Liz have always had a friendship that defied the test of time, but when one of them is diagnosed with a disease that every woman fears, their bond is put through the wringer. How do you cope knowing your soul mate could be taken from you?
Filled with memories of their life-long friendship, inappropriate behavior, bad tattoos, and shaving cats, the two friends will realize that laughter really is the best medicine.
Tattoos and TaTas is not your typical love story; it’s a story of friendship and learning how to let go when something is beyond your control.
The Down & Dirty:
Hands down, the BEST audiobook narration I have heard. I find that in audiobooks a narrator can really ruin a good book. This recently happened to me from another author’s audiobook. I LOVED the e-book, but could not even listen to the audiobook all the way through. So I have to say, the narrator in Tattoos and Tatas was perfect. She was exactly how I pictured Liz’s voice to be, normal. Someone I want to hang out with. Approachable. Never over or under acted, yet you could feel the emotion. She could not have picked a better reader for the job.
Tattoos & Tatas is pure genius. Tara wrote a story that I think people new to her will enjoy because it covers the past 30 years (though it may have some spoilers of earlier books), and people who know and love the Chocolate series will love it even more. She does a beautiful job of making you bawl your eyes out and then laugh within a page or two, so you never wallow in your sadness. It was an amazing tribute to best friends, and still worked so well in the overall story. It filled in some of the little blanks from the years, like how Liz and Jim met at the party, and went even earlier, to how Claire and Liz met. I never had an issue with the flashbacks, and never got confused as to what I was reading. I honestly can’t imagine any way Tattoos & Tatas could have been better. It was a brilliant book that made me laugh and cry throughout it all, AT THE SAME TIME!
See my 10 star review • Purchase
Though I reviewed these in 2016, I read them in December of 15. I had been resistant to this series because I was was told that TM Frazier writes super dark, which I’m not usually a fan of. But I wouldn’t consider this dark as much as gritty.
King: Homeless. Hungry. Desperate. Doe has no memories of who she is or where she comes from. A notorious career criminal just released from prison, King is someone you don’t want to cross unless you’re prepared to pay him back in blood, sweat, sex, or a combination of all three. King’s future hangs in the balance. Doe’s is written in her past. When they come crashing together, they will have to learn that sometimes in order to hold on, you have to first let go.
Tyrant: I remember everything, only now I wish I didn’t. When the fog is sucked away from my mind like smoke through a vacuum, the truth that has been beyond my reach for months finally reveals itself. But the relief I thought I would feel never comes, and I’m more afraid now than I was the morning I woke up handcuffed in King’s bed. Because with the truth comes dark secrets I was never meant to know. I don’t know if I’m strong enough to resist the magnetic pull toward King that grows stronger every day. He’s already saved me in more ways than one. Now it’s my turn to do whatever it takes to save him, even if that means marrying someone else.
“King filled me so completely. Not just my body. My heart. My soul. My life. I didn’t give a shit if I ever got my memory back. Because with King, I knew exactly who I was.”
The Down & Dirty:
Until Lilly by Aurora Rose Reynolds
Though I didn’t love the narrator for the first story in this series, Until November, I enjoyed Until Trevor a ton, and Until Lilly even more.
When Cash Mayson was forced to choose between the love of his life and his unborn child, he knew exactly what he had to do, no matter how broken it left him. When Lilly Donovan was forced to accept that the guy she loved wasn’t who she thought he was and became a single mother, she knew exactly what she had to do, proving just how strong she was.
What happens when you find out years later that everything you thought you knew was a lie? Can two people who once loved each other overcome the obstacles that are thrown at them and fall in love all over again? Contains mature themes.
The Down & Dirty:
See the series order here (with review links)
Grey: Fifty Shades of Grey as Told by Christian by E.L. James
OMG, The Narrator!!! YUM!
See the world of Fifty Shades of Grey anew through the eyes of Christian Grey. In Christian’s own words and through his thoughts, reflections, and dreams, E. L. James offers a fresh perspective on the love story that has enthralled millions of listeners around the world.
Christian Grey exercises control in all things; his world is neat, disciplined, and utterly empty – until the day that Anastasia Steele falls into his office in a tangle of shapely limbs and tumbling brown hair. He tries to forget her but instead is swept up in a storm of emotion he cannot comprehend and cannot resist. Unlike any woman he has known before, shy, unworldly Ana seems to see right through him – past the business prodigy and the penthouse lifestyle to Christian’s cold, wounded heart. Will being with Ana dispel the horrors of his childhood that haunt Christian every night? Or will his dark sexual desires, his compulsion to control, and the self-loathing that fills his soul drive this girl away and destroy the fragile hope she offers him?
“She has a small, sweet face that is blushing now, an innocent pale rose. I wonder briefly if all her skin is like that—flawless—and what it would look like pink and warmed from the bite of a cane.”
The Down & Dirty:
From NY Times and USA Today best-selling author J. Daniels.
Wedding hookups never amount to anything. Those who partake in this wicked little activity know the rules. Get in. Get laid. Get out. There’s no expectation of a relationship. It is what it is.
Dylan Sparks knows the rules. She’s familiar with the protocol. And she engages in the best sex of her life with a complete stranger at her ex-boyfriend’s wedding. Reese Carroll doesn’t care about the rules. He wants more than just one night with Dylan. And Dylan finds him too addicting to pass up.
Sweet Addiction is the story of one woman’s struggle to keep things casual and one man’s desire to never let her go.
Warning: This audiobook is recommended for listeners over the age of 18 due to strong language and explicit sexual content.
He’s in complete control of every part of me and everything we do together. Fuck feminism. I need Reese more than I need my next breath.”
The Down and Dirty:
Oh I plan on reading a LOT more J. Daniels. She writes the type of book I love. Light, fun, and sexy. The perfect beach or vacation read. Filled with likable fun characters, banter, good sex, and some angst to keep it interesting. Add a hot possessive alpha, and you have the making of a great book! The narrator was perfect for the story, and perhaps even added to it, so I highly recommend these audiobooks.
What Sweet Addiction lacked in emotion, Sweet Possession made up for. The love between Reese and Dylan is clear and it’s amazing. I loved reading about the happy couple, adjusting into couplehood and settling down. And believe me, they are still HOT! Having a male narrator doing Reese’s parts cemented my love for the audiobooks in this series. The narrators added to the books, which does not happen often!
Series: Sweet Addiction • Sweet Possession • Sweet Obsession
See my Reviews • Purchase the series (or click series order for each book)
Karen Gagnon says
Soaring & Hold On by Kristen Ashley and the Sweet series by J. Daniels are the only books I’ve read so far from this list. I do have many of them on my kindle tbr
Beth Frank says
I read J. Daniels and King and Tyrant. Lots of these books are on my tbr list.
Hime says
Great list. There are some I haven’t read before. Guess I’ll be adding them to my TBR pile.
Maria says
I’ve read. KA books. The Pucked books-lol funny. I never miss Mia Sherdian books-love them.
Sonja says
A great list! I haven’t read the Pucked series, I definitely need to read that soon.
Faye Gates says
Oh My! I have read almost everyone of these books. Great selection! I loved the ones I have read. I’m glad to see you listed them all.
Betul E. says
Until Lilly by Aurora Rose Reynolds, King & Tyrant by TM Frazier, Ride Steady (Chaos) by Kristen Ashley, The Other Man by RK Lilley, Kyland by Mia Sheridan, November 9: A Novel by Colleen Hoover, Fisher’s Light by Tara Sivec, and Unexpected Fate (Hope Town Book 1) & Bleeding Love (Hope Town Book 2) by Harper Sloan,
Ana's Attic says
We obviously have the same taste haha
Sue LeBl says
I have read all of Tara’s books that you listed plus most of her others. I have several of these on my kindle waiting to be read and now a few that I have to go one click, damn you lol.
Thank you for all of your hard work, I love going to your site every day. 🙂
Ana's Attic says
Thank you! You just made my day.
Cassie says
What a GREAT list! I have read Unexpected Fate, The Stocking was Hung, Kyland, Pucked ~ I have a few of the others on my kindle.
Zita R says
I haven’t read any on this list yet but quite a few are on my kindle waiting for me to get to them like Grey and Breaking Him.
Jenn says
Yes I have read several on your list. By far my favorite one is Fishers Light Tara Sivec. Thinking about it I may need to pull it out again.
Maria Theresa Santos says
Yes i read King and Tyrant by T.M Frazier
Jaime says
Love all of your reviews!
Ashley J says
I’ve read quite a few of your favorites from last year. Seth King’s work was my favorite from 2015 so happy you read his moving words!
Judi says
I have read 2 of them Perfectly Imperfect and Sweet Addiction.
Pam Nelson says
Read – Both Harper Sloan’s, Soaring, November 9, Kyland, Hold On, Until Lilly, and both J. Daniels.
Livia says
I’ve read Kyland (gold), Sweet Addiction (loved it), Sweet Possession(liked it but didn’t love it as much), King (loved) and Tyrant (good but disappointed me), yay! For me though, I ended up liking King better than Tyrant which was odd considering the fact that Tyrant’s amazing teaser pic is what caught my attention and alerted me to the existence of this series. “Dammit, Billy!” 😉
Kristy says
Awesome list i think we have alot of the same taste in books ❤️ I love many of those books & the ones i dont (yet) are on my tbr waiting ro be read but have now been pushed up just that bit more thanks you ❤️
Kristy says
Unexpected fate series, fishers light, soaring,the stocking was hung, kyland, pucked, ride steady,hold on, king & tyrant, sweet addiction & sweet possession i think that was all lol
Victoria says
I’ve read quite a few of these… Kristen Ashley, Aurora Rose Reynolds, and Harper Sloan are some of my favorite authors so I’ve read all of their books.. and I’ve also read the Pucked series (seriously hilarious!!). Thanks for the awesome giveaway 🙂
jodi marinich says
i have read quite afew of these….enjoyed them all
Deb says
I have read almost all of these and can’t wait to get King and Tyrant signed at Wicked next month!
Kelly says
So many great books! I’ve read a few and most of the rest are waiting on my kindle tbr.
Tammy V. says
I’ve read November 9 and Grey. I have King and Lilley set to read this year as new authors for me.
Viki D. says
I’ve read a lot from this list and the one’s I haven’t are on my tbr list.
Lori Moore says
♡ these books
Kari says
I have read the first two books in the Pucked series. I do own the third book, and will be reading it’s ASAP. Most of these books, I either own, or are on my wish list.
Kari says
* Correction.. I will be reading it, not it’s. 🙂
Amanda Gylling says
I haven’t read any of these books yet but I do have Pucked waiting for me on my ereader.
Amanda Rouse says
I’ve read Pucked, November 9, Hold On and many others on here. There’s also some in TBR pile.
Kristin Reh says
I’ve read almost that whole list, but King and Tyrant were my latest and most addicting 😉
Judy Thomas says
I have not read these books yet but I can’t wait to do so.
Birgit L. says
These are all new to me authors, so I haven’t read any of their books, though I’m sure to check some of them out.
Dana Fiore Stusse says
King and Tyrant were among my top 2015 picks also, loved them. It gives me new recommendations for my overloaded TBR, but hey, as a woman it is my prerogative to move things around and I fully embrace that.
Maria M says
I’ve read Breaking him, Ride steady and The other nan.
Bube says
None,shame on me 😀
But I have them on my wish-read 🙂
Thank you for the great book recommendations 🙂
Carrie J says
Loved Tattoo’s and Tata’s
Bruce says
Sorry, I have not read any of these books, but my wife might have
Melisa P. says
Thanks for the giveaway, I’ve read one of the K.A. books,and the King & Tyrant books.
Charlene E says
Great picks! I read Soaring, November 9, Kyland, Ride Steady, Hold On, and Grey from your list 🙂
Yunnuen Glez says
Not yet! 🙁
Stephanie Lashbrook says
I’ve read Grey and Deep; most of the rest are on my TBR!
Pam says
I haven’t read any of the books on your list, but a lot of them are on my TBR list.
Rayanna Smith says
Brittany Gibbons, Seth King and Christine Zolendz & Angelisa Stone are the only ones I have not read yet!!! Several of the others I was introduced to by you!
#WBW16
Marcy Meyer says
I have read Grey, The Stocking was Hung, Pucked, Ride Steady and Kyland. They were all great!
Kumiko S says
I only have Kyland in my library but haven’t gotten around to read it yet. Looking forward to it!
Roselle Torres says
Yes!!! Kyland by Mia Sheridan and The Other Man by R.K Lilley <3
Joanne B says
Great list, but I haven’t read any of them yet.
Jaime says
I just finished The Summer Remains Saturday night and cried non stop. I was a total mess! But it was a good book and made me want to be a better person. Still in a book hangover and trying to decide where to go next. Maybe Kristen Ashley!
Jansen says
I absolutely LOVED Fisher’s Light, Kyland, November 9, The Stocking was Hung, The Other Man, Pucked, Ride Steady, King & Tyrant! Ready to get my hands on Fat Girl Walking next!
Loraine Oliver says
What a great list! I have read a few of these! I read Kyland by Mia Sheridan, Grey by EL James, Perfectly Imperfect by Harper Sloan, Deep by Kylie Scott, of course Tara Sivec with her The Stocking was Hung, and then Fisher’s Light, and The Summer Remains! Thanks so much for this awesome giveaway!
Nikki H says
I’ve read a few of these, but more importantly, I’m bookmarking this list. Thank you so much!
Nancy VanSpunky says
I’ve most of these books! I LOVED Pucked, Harper’s new series, and KA’s Soaring was a fave of mine this year!
Tiffany Johnson says
Read November 9, The Summer Remains, and Grey and enjoyed them all!
Heather Scully says
I have read many of these books. But I’d say that the Sweet Addiction series by J. Daniels and the King series by T.M. Frazier are my favourites. However, this entire list is awesome and I’ve read at least half of it. And now, I have many more to add to my TBR. Thanks! ?❤
Lee Todd says
I haven’t read any of these
Ashley Owens-Nunziato says
I need to get to some of these obvi!! Awesome list!!
Jenny Rapp says
I have read Oucked, Tattoos and Tatas, and Grey; as well as a few others. Thanks for the list.
Jenny Rapp says
That should say Pucked, ugh!
Gail D says
Well, we seem to read the same authors!! My favorite is Kristen Ashley, with Harper a close 2nd!!
Ana's Attic says
Great minds….
Fabiola says
I’ve read almost every book by Tessa Bailey.
Diana Garey says
I have read Grey, The Stocking was Hung, Unexpected Fate and Bleeding Love. Several others waiting to be read on my Nook. Thanks for the list, Ana!!
Heather M says
I have read Fisher’s Light, November 9, Breaking Him, and the Sweet addiction books. Thank you for the amazing giveaway.
H. Dee Swan says
I have read Fisher’s Light, Sweet Addiction, Sweet Possession, Pucked and November 9! Thanks!
bexreadsbooks says
I LOVE this list because they aren’t all the same books I’ve seen on so many other 2015 Best of Lists. YAY! I’m excited to read a few of these I haven’t heard of like Triple X.
Catherine Bates says
The only ones I haven’t read is Triple X and Father Girl Walking, but those are going on my TBR list. Awesome books for Top Books of 2015.
Lana says
Pucked and Fisher’s Light were the only ones on this list that I’ve read, but literally everything else is on my TBR. And because of these reviews.. they all got bumped up 😀
Diana Doan says
I’ve read November 9. LOVED it!
bn100 says
none of them
Amber says
I have read both of the Hopetown Series books by Harper Sloan. I love her books. I’ve also read Pucked, which I loved! I’ve also read Perfectly Imperfect and Play.
Robyn Bellefleur says
Great group of books, but I don’t think I have read any of these.
Julie Moreno says
November 9, The Other Man, King & Tyrant were some of my faves!
Lois says
Many interesting stories to pick from
Rachelle Marie says
Yes I’ve read quite a few ♡♡
Thanks so much for the awesome giveaway
Gina H says
I’ve read Pucked – LOVE LOVE LOVE sports romances!
Grey – wasn’t sure how I would like this one, but can’t wait for more now!
Currently reading Unexpected Fate – the 2nd generation of Corps Security? Yes please!
THanks for the awesome giveaway!
Michelle says
Just bought the Hope Town books 1 & 2.
Read
The Stocking was Hung (Loved it, and also the Valentine’s book released this year!)
November 9
Kyland
Have on Kindle waiting for me :
Fishers Light.
#TripleX
Pucked
Baking and Babies (recently started this series, haven’t made it this far yet, lol!)
The Summer Remains
Until Lilly
Michelle Koebel says
I agree with all the books on your bast of 2015 except two. They were decent books but for some reason I couldn’t seem to get into them. This is why I always say that reading is a personal choice and not everyone is going to enjoy the same things.
Thank you for always bringing new authors to my attention every week!
Ana's Attic says
Dying to know which…
Nikolina says
I haven’t read any of these YET! 🙂
Michelle Abascal says
I’ve read almost all the books and I have to say I love them!! specially Tara Sivec’s books! 😀
Amanda Adams Steward says
Love Mia Sheridan and Harper Sloan! Thanks for the chance ??
JennSmith says
Great list!! Loved the Hope Town series, November 9, and Pucked.
Stella Martis says
Haven’t read any
Anna B says
Grey and Pucked
KateS says
November 9 and Kyland.
Andrea Hess says
What an awesome list! So many that are on my Kindle just begging to be read 🙂