Over the course of 2018, I was overwhelmed with great books to read. Below I share some of my top picks and my thoughts on why I enjoyed the book so much. I stepped out and read new authors. Two of those authors made it on the top picks list; Lynn Blackburn and Nancy Mehl. They are in no specific order except for True to You.
I am interested in your top picks for the year and if you tried any new authors that you really enjoyed. Comment below to share your favorite books and authors.
- True to You by Becky Wade – True to You is one of those books that captures your heart in the first
chapter. I absolutely fell in love with Nora. She is one of my top five female book characters of all time. I loved this book so much I emailed the author when I was only one fourth of the way into the book.Nora is the middle daughter, a librarian, and the perfect blend of quirkiness and intellect. The descriptions were so realistic that you feel you are there with Nora as she is carried out of the building, or when she is buying his book and his movie, or when she is driving with her nose 2 inches from the windshield. We have all shared her obsession with a fictional character (Thor or Nicholas from A Knight in Shining Armor).John is a former Navy SEAL and Medal of Honor recipient. He has enlisted Nora’s help to find his birth mother after finding out he has an inherited disease. I did not see that coming… Their interactions and his thoughts were heartwarming and humorous.After reading so many books you may feel that they most of them feel the same; that is definitely not the case with this book! This book made me feel good inside. Sure they have problems to overcome but this book is the reason I love to read so much. You can escape into another world with characters you want to hang out with.
In Too Deep by Lynn Blackburn – This book has solidified Lynn as one of my must-read and go to authors. Sabrina and Adam are one of my all-time favorite fictional couples. Sabrina is quirky and ridiculously smart. You cannot help but love her and her interactions with her friends. Adam is a gentleman in the 21st-century and rocks it. There were so many quotes and sayings in the book that I just love. You may see them on my social media. I’m so excited to have found this author. She is definitely someone to watch. Blackburn has a gift for developing character to fall in love with. She creates fabulous relationships and scenes between Adam and Sabrina and nonstop action. She creates intelligent characters and it’s fascinating to watch as they think through the case.
On Magnolia Lane by Denise Hunter – Pastor Jack Jack. On Magnolia Lane is the last book in the Blue Ridge Romance series. This has been my favorite in the series. Paster Jack and Daisy are adorable. This is a mix of You’ve Got Mail and friends to more. Pastor Jack, has had a crush on Daisy for almost two years. She is oblivious. And although Jack is confident in most areas of his life when he talks to Daisy he is a mess. Which makes him adorable. Jack’s friends all know and decide to help him out.I recommend this book. It was a sweet and enjoyable romance with some good life lessons thrown in too. Two of Denise’s books have been made into Hallmark movies and I can see this becoming another one.
Stratagem by Robin Caroll –Stratagem by Robin Carroll is a psychological murder mystery. I loved following the two detectives, Brandon and Danielle, as they interviewed the possible suspects. With each interview something new would be revealed. At first I was really not going to like Danielle, but she finally redeemed herself.The game itself was fascinating and how Grayson would develop it. This would be a great book club read. There are a lot of topics up for discussion. It made me reflect on how I would handle being in the game. Grayson’s skills were fascinating.
The Cost of Betrayal by Dee Henderson, Dani Pettrey, Lynette Eason – Dee Henderson is an author to have on your must read list. Her books are so intentional. She creates characters you fall in love with and that you can relate to. I was thrilled that this was a book of Ann and Paul Falcon. Dee delivered a fascinating look into the world of someone who gets out of prison and how they adjust. I think Greg could have his own series. What he did for a living was truly fascinating.Dani Pettrey created a terrifying opening when Teni and her cousin, Julia are swimming and someone plans to kill one of them. This is just the beginning of violence against Teni. Her childhood sweetheart helps her try to find out who killed her cousin and who is trying to kill her.Lynette Eason is a phenomenal romantic suspense author. She has the perfect balance of romance and suspense. The theme of betrayal continues. One of the police officers may be taking money and drugs and is under suspicion by one of his peers. It was so fun to see Rachel who is the only sibling not in law enforcement to be put into these situations and see how she handles them. The developing relationship between the two was adorable. He wouldn’t dress in front of her because she was a pretty lady. Even though she was his surgeon.
- Thirst of Steel by Ronie Kendig-
Ronnie writes a killer thriller as the finale to this series. The intricacy of the plot continues to amaze me. And then the small things she adds to break the tense moments and to make the character’s real are icing on the cake. I don’t want to spoil them for you but you will know what I mean when you see the reference to Jekyll and Hyde, loud and proud, and the name of Haven’s dog. Kendig writes with purpose.
- Dead Drift by Dani Pettrey –
A beautiful and satisfying ending to theseries, she redeemed him met all of my expectations and then some. You can read this as a stand alone but why would you? This series (Chesapeake Value) has been so good and this final book will mean so much more to you if you have been following Kate’s search for Luke. She knew in her heart that he was not dead. I was not sure how Dani was going to redeem Luke. How could we understand why he left and why it had been 7 years. But she did it. You understood what his 18 year old patriotic and slightly over confident self was thinking.
Lone Witness Rachel Dylan– I enjoyed the storyline of the prosecutor, Sophie in the role of witness. Rachel always creates a sweet chemistry between her characters and showcases the role of great friends in our life. She also creates characters that have struggles that make them more human and readers can relate to. Rachel’s experience as a lawyer shines through in the details of the storyline. The prepping of Sophie as a witness and seeing how hard it is to be cross examined even for a prosecutor was informative and interesting.
Falling for You by Becky Wade – only Becky can make us love a rich model who can eat anything she wants. I absolutely loved how he was intent on winning her back and how they both realized the mistakes they had made in the process. Charlotte, Corbin‘s cousin was absolutely adorable. I love her character, her dialogue and her strength in wanting to find who what happened to Josephine.
Beneath the Surface by Lynn Blackburn- my first book by Lynn and I was hooked. Didn’t realize In Too Deep would be even better! Lynn is definitely going to be a great new author to follow. This is just another reason why we should make it a challenge to read new authors. It’s the first book in a new series of dive team investigations. Leigh is a wonderful character. She’s got the perfect balance of strong but also needing help. I loved her struggle with the fact that if God‘s in control then why are these bad things happening. Why does he allow them?
Kill Shot by Susan Sleeman –I can attest to the fact that it is very hard to put down. I stayed up till midnight last night to finish it on a work night! It is loaded with suspense, smart characters and a frightening storyline; self-steering bulllets. I don’t even want to know if they really exist. The storyline is one fascinating puzzle as the author doling out clues one tantalizing morsel at a time. Olivia is an enjoyable character dealing with her own struggles from her past and current family situation. Rick is a stoic character that the author was able to make likeable. He has some serious issues to overcome. The entire team is so talented and the author drops just enough information about them that you cannot wait for them to get their own book.
Oath of Honor by Lynette Eason. I am a huge fan of Lynette Eason. And I believe this may be my favorite book of hers. I’m thrilled that this is the start of a new series. From the comradeship of the characters to the non-stop suspense I was hooked. Eason has a gift for developing character to fall in love with. She out did herself with these characters. Isabella is a very likable character. She is a police officer in a family of law-enforcement. I love the banter between her and her partner in the opening scenes.
Crown of Souls by Ronie Kendig – Crown of Souls is a total winner for Kendig. She has outdone herself with this series. This is a novel you will read so fast to get to the end to know what is going to happen. Then you want to go back and read it slowly to enjoy the intricacies of the storylines. Ronnie’s imagination and creativity are well displayed in this novel.
- Mind Games by Nancy Mehl
one of those stories you will never forget. You will find yourself thinking about it days later. Definitely a book to re-read. Stunning psychological suspense that hooks you from the first pages. The storyline is fresh and fascinating with compelling characters. I am thrilled to find out this will be a series. I can see Kaely and Alex making a great team catching serial killers and maybe some romance on the side. I am #TeamAlex.