The Best of 2016: Emily’s List
I love romance novels. I’m an unapologetic fan of the genre and I’m happy and willing to share my sentiments with, well anyone, who expresses even the slightest bit of interest in books or my opinions about them. As this year comes to a close, I think I read more books than any year previously – and most of them, if not all, are romance novels I discovered on the All About Romance site. I haven’t loved everything I read, but I enjoyed pretty much all of them. That said, I do have a few favorites and though it’s difficult to narrow my choices down to just ten, it’s a challenge I’m happy to meet. Oh, and one more thing before I list my favorites. This was the year I discovered m/m novels (so many! so great!), and quite a few make an appearance here. If you’ve yet to try an LGBT novel, make this the year you broaden your horizons and pick one to try! I’ve given you a few terrific ones to start with. And just in case anyone cares (ahem), my 11th book pick would be Pansies, by Alexis Hall. It probably deserves a spot in the top 10 – but as long as I tell you how AMAZING, ROMANTIC and GREAT it is, I’m okay just mentioning it here. Happy reading!
Wolfsong by T. J. Klune
Heading into December, I found it difficult to decide whether The Hating Game by Sally Thorne, or The Soldier’s Scoundrel, by Cat Sebastian was my favorite book of 2016. I was sure nothing could top either book until I decided to read T. J. Klune’s Wolfsong, on a whim over Thanksgiving. I read a lot of m/m (it’s become one of my favorite genres), but I’m not a big fan of shifter/paranormal. So, though I heard good things about the book, I resisted it. Fortunately, I was bored (ha!) and in the mood for something different during our long Thanksgiving road trip and I decided to read Wolfsong. To say that I liked it is an understatement. I loved it. Everything about it – the evolving relationship and romance between Ox and Joe , the shifter/paranormal elements, the dialogue, the love between family/pack, the conflict… Mr. Klune gets everything pitch perfect. Romantic, bittersweet, and wonderful, Wolfsong, is easily my favorite book of 2016.
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
That said, Wolfsong did have some real competition when it came to picking a favorite this year. I also absolutely loved The Hating Game by Sally Thorne. Funny, sweet, romantic and really just delightful in every way, I recommend this book to everyone I know. I even started a book club just to make all my friends read it! I knew it would be universally loved. It was. Everyone enjoys The Hating Game, including my girlfriends who only reluctantly admit they like romance novels (annoying!). I can’t wait for Ms. Thorne’s next book, and I will be auto-buying it the moment it goes on presale.
The Soldier’s Scoundrel by Cat Sebastian
I live in Jacksonville, Florida. It’s the last place I would ever expect to find a terrific historical fiction writer, let alone one who writes m/m. So imagine my surprise when I heard some of my favorite authors promoting The Soldier’s Scoundrel, and, after a bit of digging, discovered the author – Cat Sebastian – lives quite close to me. That was a neat surprise – but then I read her book. And that was an even better surprise! It was fabulous. I read a lot of historical fiction, and quite a bit of m/m (contemporary and historical), and The Soldier’s Scoundrel is the perfect mix of both. The historical elements are spot on and the m/m romance is passionate and sexy. I’m not sure I’m recommending this to my ultra conservative, Catholic mom, but I might. It’s that good.
The Earl by Katharine Ashe
I love Katharine Ashe’s Falcon Club series. It’s produced two of my favorite historical romance heroes (Lord Leam Blackwood from When a Scot Loves a Lady, and Wyn Yale from How a Lady Weds a Rogue), and I would award a B+ or better to every volume in the series. The Earl stars Peregrine, the Falcon Club’s secretary, and the anonymous Lady Justice, pamphleteer and moral crusader. Over the course of the first three novels, these two have engaged in a well-publicized, acrimonious, tit for tat public correspondence with each other. Their relationship changes when Lady Justice is forced to ask Peregrine for help finding a missing girl. Witty dialogue, great chemistry, hot sex and utterly romantic – The Earl is, as Caz says in her review, “historical romance at its best”. A/BN/iB/K
First and First by Santino Hassell
My favorite new-to-me author of 2016, is Santino Hassell. I started with the Five Boroughs series and then glommed my way through his entire catalog. His writing is terrific, the stories are compelling, and his couples are some of the best in fiction. Raised in wealth and privilege on the Upper East Side, Caleb Stone finds himself lost, insecure and lonely. He wants more from his life but lacks the confidence to reach for it. A drunken hook-up (which he can’t remember) with Oliver Buckley changes everything. Oli is confident, not afraid to take risks, and, after the brief reveal of Caleb’s deeply passionate side on New Year’s Eve, he’s determined to drive Caleb out of his comfort zone in bed and out of it. Caleb doesn’t do casual, and Oli doesn’t do relationships. First and First unfolds as these two discover just what it means to trust in someone else, and to find love where and when you least expect it.
Duke of Sin by Elizabeth Hoyt
I waited patiently for Ms. Hoyt to finally give us a story about the Duke of Sin, Valentine Napier, the Duke of Montgomery, and it was worth the wait. He’s a great villain – handsome, vain, shameless, wealthy and deliberately provocative. But he meets his match when his housekeeper Bridget Crumb takes it upon herself to spy on him. Montgomery, intrigued by his prim and proper housekeeper, is unable resist her. Crumb, desperate and determined, finds herself falling for her sly and charming employer. In the Duke of Sin, Ms. Hoyt doesn’t pretty up her hero or make him out to be a better man than he is, and Bridget is an excellent match for the hijinx of our favorite deliciously naughty duke.
The Forgotten Room by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig and Karen White
I read The Forgotten Room shortly after it was published and promptly purchased copies for my mother and two sisters. Three women, three time periods and a love story that transcends time. What more could you ask for in a romance novel? I read the whole novel anxious to figure out how each of the women was connected to the others. I’m still marveling how the pieces all fit together. The writing is strong, the story is lovely and the secret – once revealed – is heartbreaking. So good.
Undecided by Juliana Keyes
When friends want a great NA recommendation, this is my go-to book. At its heart, Undecided is a love story about the perils of judging a book by its cover. Ms. Keyes takes a familiar romantic trope – friends to lovers – and applies it to the world of college dating. Nora, our heroine, is just the right balance of confident and insecure. Crosbie, our hero (oh reader! He is!), is the great guy forever in his best friend’s shadow. With sharp and often funny dialogue, charming characters, a strong grasp of what college life is sometimes like, and just the right amount of angst for a book about twenty-somethings, Undecided is NA at its best.
Forevermore by Kristen Callihan
The Darkest London series is wonderful. I don’t read a lot of fantasy/paranormal novels (I’m not sure why – I’ve liked everything I’ve tried!) – but a friend I trust recommended I try them, and I’m so glad I did. Forevermore is the seventh and final chapter of the series and though it ultimately isn’t my favorite, I still enjoyed every moment and loved catching up to characters we met in previous books. Ms. Callihan once again writes two complex characters who have to overcome obstacles in their past and present in order to be together. As usual, the sex is steamy, the dialogue is witty and sharp, and the plot filled with twists and turns before the happily ever after. Sin is a terrific hero and his love for his Little Bird transcends the page.
Bitter Legacy by Dal Maclean
Oh my! I do love a good thriller and this one is a treat. It’s also one of those books that defy you to review it without spoiling the plot or the romance. The book blurb sums it up quite nicely without giving anything away (go read it!). Suffice it to say, it is a bit dark and I struggled with my love/hate feelings with the principal characters. There was a lot of hate. A lot. But a lot of love for the book. The writing is terrific, the murder plot keeps you guessing ‘who did it’ until the bitter end, and the romance… well, it puts you through the wringer. You should definitely read it. And then somehow become my friend so we can talk about it.
This is a great list. Love all the m/m and put several of the historicals on hold at the library. Like Mark, however, I cannot get into The Hating Game. Have tried several times in both print and audio. I can’t get past all the physical attraction the heroine feels for someone she so dislikes.
So pleased you loved Bitter Legacy – I made it my book of the year. A well written, great mystery is rarely found in a debut novel this fact just added to my admiration for this book.
If you enjoy a well written m/m romance/mystery can I recommend The Next by Ralph Haze ( hope author’s name is correct) it came out a couple of years ago.
I could not put Bitter Legacy down. It really was terrific. Checking out the Haze book in just a moment!
I can’t find it BJ!
The cover on Hassell’s book is making the rounds. A variation of it is also on Kristen Callihan’s Managed.
I enjoyed Duke of Sin enough to start reading the rest of the series from the very beginning. I last left off with Apollo’s story and hope to catch up on the others in 2017. So far, Winter’s story is my favorite in the series. I do plan on re-reading DoS.
I’ve also noted Bitter Legacy on my wishlist.
Winter’s book is probably my second favorite in the series after Duke of Sin. Those earlier Maiden Lane books are strong–the Ghost was still an interesting concept and I like that core group of characters too. I also really liked Dearest Rogue because I’m a sucker for an unrequited love trope.
I enjoyed Duke of Sin and The Earl Too. I still am troubled by no known setting (Australia?) of The Hating Game but will definitely read Ms. Thorne’s next book.
Why are you troubled? I ask sincerely. To me, it’s a strength of the book–it could be anywhere and thus transcends geographical limitations?
It bothered me because I feel the publisher decided to appeal to any English speaking reader and set it in some anonymous place. If it was indeed set in Australia, let us know. As a reader, that would not turn me off.
I loved The Hating Game and it was my favorite read from 2016. However, I do agree that the generic setting felt odd and sanitized. In some ways, the setting is a satire of the corporate world, and I get that and enjoyed it. I had the feeling too though that the anonymity of a national setting was designed for mass appeal, and that irks me because as an American reader, I really appreciate non-U.S. settings. I hope as Sally Thorne grows in stature as a writer that she feels free to create whatever unique settings she chooses.
I agree that it’s likely a marketing ploy – but then so is the fact that the publishers are so obviously marketing the book as Chick Lit because, God forbid it should get any of those horrible Romance cooties over it!
I see her choice differently. I loved how fluid the context was. I felt taking geography out of it also took politics out of it. It allowed her to tell a story about two people unencumbered by the limitations of a particular work culture. As for the cover, it made me think of a modern Susan Elizabeth Phillips cover.
This was a big discussion topic (and the chick lit marketing) at my bookclub! Consensus: the vague location didn’t bother most (it confuses me a bit), but they were so surprised about the debate over romance or chick lit. Most of the would never be caught dead reading a straight up romance (morons! ☺) – and resisted that label. It IS a romance & it’s wonderful no matter how it’s labeled.
The Hating Game didn’t work for me. Discussions said it has a lot of conversational humor (repartee), but I barely saw any humor. There was a huge amount of time spent on mental/interpersonal games, but very little of that was actual conversation or repartee. Can anyone list a chapter or scene with a funny conversation that I could reread to see if I see the humor? (Don’t use page numbers, since they vary between ebooks.)
I laughed at small moments in The Hating Game that were just flat-out wickedly funny, and those are scattered thoroughly throughout the entire book but especially the first half as they jockey for position in the workplace. I loved the book more though for the poignancy between two people who are clearly smitten and have tremendous difficulty finding their way to each other: Josh’s caring for Lucy through her flu, Lucy crying when she sees a photo of her childhood self on Josh’s computer, Josh’s regret when he realizes how much his biting humor has hurt Lucy, Lucy’s defense of Josh at the wedding breakfast, and oh my gosh, Josh’s declaration of love for Lucy at the end.
Totally!!!
I loved their constant one-upmanship battles, her passwords, their conversations before and after they acknowledged their feelings. I just flat out loved it.
Yes, the passwords, ha! Also, Lucy’s consternation at not being able to unravel Josh’s secret workplace diary. I loved it so much when he finally confessed all the ticks, dots and checkmarks he tallied as he tracked their daily relationship status. I think you were the one, Emily, to recommend this book here. I am forever grateful :)
Great list! The two that I’ve read, The Hating Game and Duke of Sin, are also two of my favorites of 2016. Duke of Sin was my favorite historical by far. The Soldier’s Scoundrel is on so many lists that I feel bad for not having read it yet!
Does the Darkest London series have vampires? Because I’m trying to find more PNR romance series to read WITHOUT VAMPIRES. (I’m tired of them!)
Amanda – only one!! But his book was my favorite and he isn’t a stereotypical one in any way! This is a PHENOMENAL series & if you are even just a teeny tiny bit interested in it, read them. Ms. Callihan is a brilliant writer & the series (as a whole) is an A, DIK, FOR SURE!
Just added the first book to my GoodReads…I’ll definitely check out this series!
Great choices Em! The Hating Game is on my best of 2016 list too, and Undecided is definitely in my top 20. I love Santino Hassell’s writing too (in fact, I just won a paperback copy of First and First from a twitter giveaway so that is winging its way to me as we speak). Those historicals are all now on my to-read list!
Lucky you!
Forgot to mention: If there was a romance category for “most unique/intriguing character in a romance novel,” I think Valentine Napier would have my vote. And I loved how consistent his characterization was, not only in Duke of Sin, but in the previous books in which he appeared. So often, we are intrigued by secondary characters in a series, only to find that they seem to have undergone a personality transplant when they finally get their own book. Not so with the Duke of Montgomery. Hoyt really delivered the character we saw glimpses of in the earlier books.
I totally agree. I read so many historical romances that all the dukes run together after a while and it feels like no one can come up with an original character anymore. By contrast, I think Valentine is fascinating and few authors aside from Hoyt could pull this off (maybe Anne Stuart?). He’s a total sociopath, so I understand why people didn’t like him or this book at all, even though I think it’s the best one in the Maiden Lane series and maybe even Hoyt’s best book, period (ack! so hard to choose just one). He’s not really redeemed by the end (IMO), but I LOVED him because he was just so interesting.
Maiden Lane has been a mixed bag for me, Amanda. I, too, think Duke of Sin may be the best in the series, but I really liked Wicked Intentions a lot as well… And I agree that Valentine is never really redeemed. Rather, as I see it–and it’s been a while since I read it, so my memory might be a little hazy–the “love of a good woman” leads him to regret for maybe the first time in his adult life the fact that he does not have much of a moral compass. By the end of the book, IIRC, a desire has awakened in Valentine to be able to truly discern right from wrong as “normal” folks do and act accordingly–IOW, to be a better man–for Bridget’s sake. That might be about as redeemed as he gets, IMHO. :-)
I just love him. He’s naughty & delicious and sexy. You’re so right with the reference to Anne Stuart – Viscount Rohan (Ruthless), is very reminiscent of our beloved Duke of Sin. Good call! Love that book too BTW!
Great list, Emily! Loved Duke of Sin, Soldier’s Scoundrel, and The Hating Game! Adding Wolfsong and First and First to me TBR list. Forevermore disappointed me, though most folks seemed to love it. Maybe the haphazard/hard-to-follow world building that seems to be characteristic of the Darkest London series finally did me in. :-) But I have fond memories of Shadowdance and Evernight, two of the earlier works in the series.
I gave up on Darkest London after Shadowdance. The haphazard worldbuilding rather than any single book in the series did me in.