Looking back at the best books of 2020
Next week we will begin running the first of many Best of 2021 columns. In anticipation of that, I thought it would be fun to look back at the books we loved from 2020. Did you read any of these? What was your take?
Caroline:
Queen Move by Kennedy Ryan
This book not only took on more than any other book I read this year – religion! step-parenting! race! politics! infertility! – but it stuck the landing on every single one of them. Kimba and Ezra’s story is realistic, powerful, and unforgettable.
Buy it at: Amazon, Audible or your local independent bookstore
Caz:
I am rubbish at picking “the best” of anything, and my answer to such a question usually varies on a daily basis. So choosing my favourite romance of the year is hard. Loretta Chase’s Ten Things I Hate About the Duke is unquestionably the best historical romance of the year, and Alexis Hall’s Boyfriend Material is without doubt the best contemporary/rom-com. But right now, I’m finding so much to love in m/m romantic suspense, so it’ll be no surprise when I go for The Same Breath by Gregory Ashe, a superb blend of clever mystery and slow-burn romance featuring two flawed but intensely loveable characters who couldn’t be more different – or more perfect for each other.
Buy it at: Amazon or your local independent bookstore
Charlotte:
The Happy Ever After Playlist by Abby Jimenez
In this year of things going terribly awry, I recommend to you as my Best of 2020 a book about everything going right: the right woman (painter Sloan) meets the right guy (musician Jason) and they get a HEA that goes 4/4 on both of them getting everything they wanted re: career, house, marriage, babies. It topped my heart right up to the edge of its capacity.
Buy it at: Amazon, Audible, or your local independent bookstore
Dabney:
What is my favorite romance read of the year?
Well, that’s tough. Loretta Chase’s long awaited historical romance, Ten Things I Hate About the Duke, is a delight. Maria Vale’s The Legend of All Wolves series rocks as does Milla Vane’s A Gathering of Dragons books. But I think the book I enjoyed the most – I’ve reread it twice! – is Julianna Keyes’ Bench Player. This is a story that pulled me out of my (mostly crap) year and made me remember all that’s good in the world. And, given that I don’t like baseball – So. Dull. – and find a lot of contemporary romance facile, the sheer pleasure this book gives me is a glorious surprise. I’m a sucker for older protagonists, redemptive storylines, and powerful women. This book has all this and more.
Buy it at: Amazon
Evelyn:
It’s tough to pick just one, but I’m going for TJ Klune’s The House in the Cerulean Sea. I loved many books this year but this is the one that I’ve recommended the most (and bought as a gift the most!). It was a wonderful book – I was entertained and moved and inspired – just what I want when I pick up a story. The romance was low key but the love was rich. It’s a book that will be revisited many times!
Buy it at: Amazon, Audible or your local independent bookstore
Jessica:
How to Start a Scandal by Madeline Martin
I discovered a love of Harlequin Historical romances this year and this title was my favorite of them all. I adore the Beauty and the Beast trope, especially when it’s something like PTSD, which the hero suffers from. The heroine was also fabulous, trying to make a life for herself without resorting to marriage. This title is on my read-again shelf because it was just too good to only read once!
Buy it at: Amazon or shop at your local independent bookstore
Lisa:
Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert
What a romance, what a novel, and what a piece of work! No one encourages a reader to fall heedlessly in love with her characters like Hibbert, and no one makes the process quite the dance that she makes it. A delight from start to finish.
Buy it at: Amazon, Audible, or your local independent bookstore
Maggie:
Party of Two by Jasmine Guilory
I absolutely adored the relationship between Olivia and Max, which was honest, poignant, funny, flirty, sexy and involved deserts. I also deeply appreciated the balanced look at politics this author took and how well she detailed what the life of a senator would actually look like. Easily my my favorite romance of the year.
Buy it at: Amazon, Audible, or your local independent bookstore
Maria Rose:
A Heart of Blood and Ashes by Milla Vane
Picking one book out of all the books I read in a year is always a difficult challenge, but I’ve settled on A Heart of Stone and Ashes by Milla Vane. It’s complex worldbuilding, fascinating characters and fast paced action combined with an enemies to lovers romance makes for a page turning read from start to finish.
Buy it at: Amazon, Audible or your local independent bookstore
Rachel:
The Duke Who Didn’t by Courtney Milan
This book was a sweet, fluffy read with a really amazing leading lady. Both of the main characters are such fun people to read about, and the central conflict is high stakes without being anxiety-inducing. I would recommend this book to any reader who is looking for a swoon-worthy, gentle book.
Buy it at: Amazon or Audible
Shannon:
My favorite romance of 2020 has to be The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon. Not only is it a spectacular love story featuring mature characters who know what they want in life, but it’s also a love letter to female friendship. I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect story. It’s a book I enjoyed from start to finish, and although I’m not someone who does a ton of rereading, I’m pretty sure I’ll be revisiting this one in the not-too-distant future.
I don’t generally read m/m so haven’t read many of the books that others list as favorites, but I agree with Evelyn about The House in the Cerulean Sea; I was completely charmed by the story and the characters and I look forward to reading Klune’s new book. I also agree that Loretta Chase’s Ten Things I Hate About the Duke was one of the best historical and Kate Clayborn’s Love Lettering among the best contemporary romances. None of the other 2020 books on my Top 10 list were romances (e.g. Maggie O’Farrell’s Hamnet), even if some of them had love stories of one sort or another (e.g., Lily King’s Writers & Lovers). I always look at the books people have chosen in order to find new reading material. For example, I read Bench Player on Dabney’s recommendation and found it realistic and believable and totally romantic. Some of the favorites in today’s blog sound intriguing so I’ve added them to my Books on Hold at the library. However, I’ve read other books listed above and found them “meh”. One reason I like AAR is that differing views are welcomed and lively discussions ensue.
Yes they are!
Favorite books of 2020 include:
Close Up, Amanda Quick
Beach Read, Emily Henry
Tweet Cute, Emma Lord
Headliners, Lucy Parker
Love Lettering, Kate Clayborne
Say Yes to the Duke, Eloisa James
Boyfriend Material, Alexis Hall
Love Your Life, Kinsella
I definitely have BOYFRIEND MATERIAL and TEN THINGS I HATE ABOUT THE DUKE on my best of 2020 list, and to that I’ll add one not listed here: A DANGEROUS KIND OF LADY by Mia Vincy. I’ll admit part of the awesomeness of that book is the amazing narration by Kate Reading. Her voicing of Arabella is pitch-perfect. It’s one of the best narrations of a character’s inner emotions I’ve ever experienced.
All three of Caz’s picks were on my Best of 2020 list and, having reread Boyfriend Material and The Same Breath they definitely still would be. They also both have great audiobooks.
I read Bench Player and really enjoyed it. I struggle massively with m/f contemporaries but not with this one. I know nothing about baseball except that it looks like Rounders for boys, who play in their grandads’ long-johns, but somehow this book appealed to me!
I DFNed The Boyfriend Project, but that was actually during 2020 not this year.
Queen Move and The Duke Who Didn’t are on my TBR, so I will get around to them one day. I picked both of them up when they were reduced price because they had both received many recommendations.
I’m not sure why I haven’t read or bought The House in the Cerulean Sea…………….
I still adore Bench Player–I just read it again after putting down my dog to cheer myself up!
Although it wasn’t my absolute favorite romance of 2020 (that would be N.R. Walker’s m/m MISSING PIECES trilogy), I still loved BENCH PLAYER (and Keyes’s earlier TEAM PLAYER). I’m a big baseball fan and I thought Keyes did a great job getting all the details right—especially because the baseball season is a long one (six months and 162 regular games) and involves lots of ups & downs, player trades, and win/loss streaks. I still have hopes that we’ll get more about the Carolina Thrashers team (Keyes seemed to be setting up some other players for their stories), but Keyes has recently been publishing mysteries under the name Elaine Murphy and it’s been my observation that romance authors rarely return to romance once they move to another genre. Alas.
It’s a bummer–I really want more stories for that team!
And I’m very sorry about your dog. It hurts so much to say goodbye to a beloved pet.
So sorry to hear about your dog.
I’ve been having very little luck with m/f contemporaries in the past couple of years. I keep reading favorable reviews and then being disappointed when I read them. I read TEAM PLAYER and liked it but didn’t love it, and wasn’t planning to continue with the series. Maybe I’ll try BENCH PLAYER after all.
I’ve got Team Player on my Wish List and plan to buy it if the price gets reduced, just in case I don’t like it so much!
I liked Bench Player better than Team Player although I enjoyed both.
I didn’t read any of the books on your list but had a couple of favorites of my own: The Care and Feeding of Waspish Widows by Olivia Waite and Two Rogues Make a Right by Cat Sebastian. Wouldn’t you know those two came out the same year? I can’t choose between them! And since one is f/f and the other is m/m, I shouldn’t have to. So there. ;-)
I always have that problem when it comes to narrowing down my list to just one – but Dabney forces me to!!
I have two in mind for the top spot this year, and it’s going to be another tough choice, because they’re so very different.