Maybe I’m just going through a picky phase, but 2019 was the Year of the Great Book Slump for me. While there were many books I enjoyed reading, only a handful of new releases wowed me enough to earn five stars. Here are ten of my favorite books of 2019.
A Place Without You by Jewel E. Ann
A Place Without You laid claim to my heart—pure and simple. Get your tissues out for this one. Jewel E. Ann dishes out humor and passion with one hand while ripping your emotions to shreds with the other. This powerful romance boasts unforgettable characters that are painted with strikingly bold colors.
The Law of Henna and Bodhi: When love breaks, fall inward, fall together, and fall hard. Then let time pick up the pieces.
Everything feels temporary when you’ve experienced tragedy—until Henna Lane meets Bodhi at a music festival.
Young and spontaneous, they have a lust for seizing the moment, falling hard and fast.
When Bodhi is forced to leave without a goodbye, Henna thinks she’ll never get over him. But then she meets Mr. Malone, her sexy, new guidance counselor.
They are reckless. They are forbidden.
When their secret is discovered, Henna has to choose between finishing school—banned from seeing Mr. Malone—or dropping out to follow her nomad dreams.
Henna chooses her dreams.
Over time, she learns that life is not a destination or a journey, some things are more than temporary, and the forbidden can never be ignored. But if she returns for him, will he still be hers?
A Place Without You is an emotional story of young love, shattered dreams, and impossible decisions.
The Kingmaker (All the King’s Men Duet Book 1) by Kennedy Ryan
Kennedy Ryan proves what a versatile writer she is with this second chance romance set in a world of politics and activism. Her words are a feast for the reader. The Kingmaker utterly dazzled me and left me eager for the next book.
“I’d do anything to keep her.”
Power. Passion. Betrayal.
Rita Award-winning author Kennedy Ryan delivers the epic first installment of the All the King’s Men Duet.
Raised to rule, bred to lead and weaned on a diet of ruthless ambition.
In a world of haves and have nots, my family has it all, and I want nothing to do with it.
My path takes me far from home and paints me as the black sheep. At odds with my father, I’m determined to build my own empire. I have rules, but Lennix Hunter is the exception to every one of them. From the moment we meet, something sparks between us. But my family stole from hers and my father is the man she hates most. I lied to have her, and will do anything to keep her. Though she tries to hate me, too, the inexorable pull between us will not be denied.
And neither will I.
The Rebel King (All the King’s Men Duet Book 2) by Kennedy Ryan
The second book in the All the King’s Men Duet does not disappoint. In fact, I think I enjoyed it more than The Kingmaker. The Rebel King is filled with action, heartache, and aching tenderness.
Ambition. Revenge. Love.
RITA® Award-winning author Kennedy Ryan delivers the gripping conclusion to the All the King’s Men Duet.
Raised to resist. Bred to fight. Survival is in my blood and surrender is never an option.
Though surrender is what Maxim Cade demanded of my body and heart, I had other plans. We were fast-burning fascination and combustible chemistry, but the man I trusted with everything was a trickster. A thief who stole my love. If what we had was a lie, why did it feel so real? The man I swore to hate will have it all, and wants me at his side. But power is a game, and we’re the pawns and players.
Facing insurmountable odds, will we win the world, or will we lose it all?
Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
I have yet to read a book by Taylor Jenkins Reid that I haven’t loved, so I am not surprised that I inhaled Daisy Jones & The Six in one sitting. She manages to take an interesting story and make it exceptional by telling it in an innovative way.
A gripping novel about the whirlwind rise of an iconic 1970s rock group and their beautiful lead singer, revealing the mystery behind their infamous break up.
Everyone knows Daisy Jones & The Six, but nobody knows the real reason why they split at the absolute height of their popularity…until now.
Daisy is a girl coming of age in L.A. in the late sixties, sneaking into clubs on the Sunset Strip, sleeping with rock stars, and dreaming of singing at the Whisky a Go-Go. The sex and drugs are thrilling, but it’s the rock and roll she loves most. By the time she’s twenty, her voice is getting noticed, and she has the kind of heedless beauty that makes people do crazy things.
Another band getting noticed is The Six, led by the brooding Billy Dunne. On the eve of their first tour, his girlfriend Camila finds out she’s pregnant, and with the pressure of impending fatherhood and fame, Billy goes a little wild on the road.
Daisy and Billy cross paths when a producer realizes the key to supercharged success is to put the two together. What happens next will become the stuff of legend.
The making of that legend is chronicled in this riveting and unforgettable novel, written as an oral history of one of the biggest bands of the seventies. Taylor Jenkins Reid is a talented writer who takes her work to a new level with Daisy Jones & The Six, brilliantly capturing a place and time in an utterly distinctive voice.
Broken Knight by L.J. Shen
Well hot damn if L.J. Shen doesn’t serve up all the feels with Broken Knight. This childhood friends to lovers tale is complex and downright addictive. The touching relationships and stellar writing make for a compulsive read.
Not all love stories are written the same way. Ours had torn chapters, missing paragraphs, and a bittersweet ending.
Luna Rexroth is everyone’s favorite wallflower.
Sweet.
Caring.
Charitable.
Quiet.
Fake.
Underneath the meek, tomboy exterior everyone loves (yet pities) is a girl who knows exactly what, and who, she wants—namely, the boy from the treehouse who taught her how to curse in sign language.
Who taught her how to laugh.
To live.
To love.Knight Cole is everyone’s favorite football hero.
Gorgeous.
Athletic.
Rugged.
Popular.
Liar.
This daredevil hell-raiser could knock you up with his gaze alone, but he only has eyes for the girl across the street: Luna.
But Luna is not who she used to be. She doesn’t need his protection anymore.
When life throws a curveball at All Saints’ golden boy, he’s forced to realize not all knights are heroes.
Sometimes, the greatest love stories flourish in tragedy.
Jersey Six by Jewel E. Ann
What a mind-blowing, nail biting, deliciously complex, and intriguingly dark ride. I. Loved. It. As a reader who frequently smells a plot twist from a mile away, I was thrilled by the unexpected knockout punches this story delivers. The plot is unequivocally inventive and addictive.
How far would you go for revenge?
A hit-and-run accident leaves Jersey Six orphaned and homeless on the streets of Newark, shattering her dreams of school dances, pink nail polish, and a diploma.
Eight years later, a burn victim with amnesia wanders into Jersey’s barely-existent life. She resists his efforts to form a friendship until he reveals knowledge of the person responsible for derailing her future. Through their unusual friendship, she discovers a way to avenge the deaths of her foster parents.
All she has to do is destroy the world’s biggest rock star.
In the ultimate game of sex, lies, and manipulation, can Jersey discover the truth? Or will she be blinded by attraction, deceived by love, and destroyed by her past?
Beard with Me by Penny Reid
This complicated friends-to-lovers romance is achingly tender and heartbreaking. For fans of the Winston Brothers series, this book will enhance your appreciation of the characters you’ve come to know and love. Newbies will be charmed by the variety of well-developed characters and need not worry about spoilers.
‘Beard With Me’ is the origin story of Billy Winston and Scarlet St. Claire (aka Claire McClure) and is just the beginning of their epic love story.
No one is better at surviving than Scarlet St. Claire and making the best out of circumstances beyond her control is Scarlet’s specialty. In an apocalyptic situation, she’d be the last person on earth, hermitting like a pro, singing along to her CD Walkman, and dancing like no one is watching.
Scarlet is clever, Scarlet is careful, and Scarlet is smart . . . except when it comes to Billy Winston.
No one is better at fighting than Billy Winston and raging against his circumstances—because nothing is beyond his control—is Billy’s specialty. In an apocalyptic situation, he’d be the first person on earth to lead others to safety, overcome catastrophe, or die trying.
Billy is fearless, Billy is disciplined, and Billy is honorable . . . except when it comes to Scarlet St. Claire.
Beard Necessities by Penny Reid
Slow burn romances are the best, and I loved every chapter of simmering, delicious anticipation. Beard Necessities is the epic conclusion of the Winston Brothers series. It is the perfect combination of hilarity and heart.
Billy Winston’s family is going to see him happy and in love if it’s the last thing they do.
No one deserves a happily-ever-after quite as much as the second oldest Winston brother and his lady love, Claire McClure (aka Scarlet St. Claire). Cruelty and circumstance tore them apart almost twenty years ago. Secrecy and bitterness kept them separated.
But you know who’s tired of their separation and stubbornness? Everyone. Especially Billy Winston’s family. And now they’re going to do something about it.
Well-meaning interference means the star-crossed lovers can’t stop tripping over each other in the hills of Tuscany, the catacombs of Rome, and the waterways of Venice. Billy and Claire find themselves thrown together and at the mercy of the Winston siblings’ shenanigans.
But will their forced proximity bring them together? Or push them even further apart?
This second-chance romance brings back the entire Winston gang, playing cupid in one last story of love, hi-jinks, and family collusion.
BEARD NECESSITIES is a full-length contemporary romantic comedy, and can be read as a stand-alone, but it’s probably best read after books 0.5, 2, 3, 5, and 6 of the Winston Brothers series.
Verity by Colleen Hoover
In a drastic departure from her signature moving romances, Colleen Hoover weaves a twisted tale of suspense. The dark tone is set from the very first page, and I was instantly hooked. This book needs to come with some complimentary Xanax. Verity is an extraordinarily unique and well-written thriller.
Lowen Ashleigh is a struggling writer on the brink of financial ruin when she accepts the job offer of a lifetime. Jeremy Crawford, husband of bestselling author Verity Crawford, has hired Lowen to complete the remaining books in a successful series his injured wife is unable to finish.
Lowen arrives at the Crawford home, ready to sort through years of Verity’s notes and outlines, hoping to find enough material to get her started. What Lowen doesn’t expect to uncover in the chaotic office is an unfinished autobiography Verity never intended for anyone to read. Page after page of bone-chilling admissions, including Verity’s recollection of what really happened the day her daughter died.
Lowen decides to keep the manuscript hidden from Jeremy, knowing its contents would devastate the already grieving father. But as Lowen’s feelings for Jeremy begin to intensify, she recognizes all the ways she could benefit if he were to read his wife’s words. After all, no matter how devoted Jeremy is to his injured wife, a truth this horrifying would make it impossible for him to continue to love her.
Getting Played by Emma Chase
I freely admit that I’ve got a huge appetite for single parent romances, and Getting Played is the crème de la crème. Emma Chase is my go-to author for romantic comedy, so I’m not surprised that she delivers once again in a big way.
Dean Walker is all about keeping life simple. He’s effortlessly talented and intelligent – spending his summers playing drums in the local band and the rest of the year teaching high school in the same Jersey town where he grew up. He likes his love life simple too, enjoying the commitment-free hook-ups his good looks and sexy charm have always made oh so easy.
Then he meets Lainey Burrows. And his simple, easy life gets turned upside down.
One wild one-night stand was all it was ever supposed to be, so Lainey is shocked when she discovers that her sizzling summer fling is also her son’s new math teacher. But that’s nothing compared to the most unexpected twist of all – their hot hook-up left Lainey knocked up, and now they’re about to become parents. Together.
What ensues is an addictive, insatiable, sweet and tender romance that won’t be simple, but it will be more than worth the fight.
Daisy Jones and the Six is my favorite of the year. I would add those Penny Reid books to the list as well. I also really loved Getting Played. Great list!
I definitely agree that 2019 was a big book slump year! I’m glad you still found some good ones, though.
Broken Knight torn me in pieces! I don’t think I can reread Ruckus anymore. :”(