The Best of 2019 – Maria Rose’s List
Every year when it comes time to make a ‘best of the year’ list, I find that there are two criteria that help me decide what should make up my top ten: 1) Do I still remember the plot and the characters? I read an average of 200-300 books a year and something I read early in the year may end up in a ‘best of’ folder at the time of reading but lose some of its luster as it gets surpassed by other books and 2) Would I enthusiastically recommend it to someone now?
With those things in mind, here are my favourite books of 2019.
Well Met by Jen DeLuca
The unique premise of this medieval fair set enemies-to-lovers romance, combined with the many laughs are what propelled it into my top ten. The author captures perfectly what its like behind the scenes for the actors as they prepare for their visitors and Emily and Simon’s fake courtship becoming the real thing makes for a delightful reading experience.
Buy it at: Amazon/Apple Books/Barnes & Noble/Kobo
Teach Me by Olivia Dade
Reading about two perfectly ordinary high school teachers falling in love is a thing of beauty when its paired with the author’s realistic, heartwarming and emotionally uplifting style. Both divorced, each with their own relationship baggage, Rose and Martin’s tentative steps to friendship then more kept me rooting for them from start to finish.
Buy it at: Amazon/Apple Books/Barnes & Noble/Kobo
Fumbled by Alexa Martin
Since Intercepted, the first in the author’s Playbook series made my Best of 2018 list, the second in the series had a lot to live up to – and the author delivered. Fumbled is a secret baby romance, a trope that isn’t my favorite but in Alexa Martin’s hands is elevated to a believable and thoroughly enjoyable story. I love the inside look at the NFL, from the player and partner perspectives and that the author doesn’t shy away from the health controversies inherent in present day discussions of the sport.
Buy it at Amazon/Apple Books/Barnes and Noble/Kobo
Can’t Escape Love by Alyssa Cole
All of the Reluctant Royals series have been excellent reads, but I chose this novella about a secondary character, Regina, sister of Portia from A Duke by Default, for my list this year because of how the author shows a character’s disability in such a positive and life affirming light. Reggie is a no nonsense woman who knows what she wants and what she needs and in Gus she finds a partner who sees all of her and accepts her as she is. A sweet and sexy romance with current popular trends in anime and escape rooms makes for a winning combination.
Buy it at: Amazon/Apple Books/Barnes & Noble/Kobo
A Match Made for Thanksgiving by Jackie Lau
Buy it at: Amazon/Apple Books/Barnes & Noble/Kobo
With a dessert-themed series (Baldwin Village) followed by a holiday one (Holidays with the Wongs), Jackie Lau made it a challenge for me to pick only one of her 2019 releases for my list. I decided on this one for a couple of reasons. Number one is the Wong family themselves and the setup for the series. The fact that the siblings main characters have a mother and Ah Ma (grandma) who read romance novels and have decided to set the children up with a partner based on some of their favorite romance tropes is beyond funny. In A Match Made for Thanksgiving, the blind date they plan for Nick’s brother Greg turns out to be the woman with whom Nick had a one night stand. Talk about awkward! But it makes for lots of laughs, and the nanaimo bar dessert featured (a favourite for a Canadian like me) is the icing on the cake.
Buy it at: Amazon/Apple Books/Barnes & Noble/Kobo
Buy it at: The Prince of Broadway by Joanna Shupe
Just in the nick of time, The Prince of Broadway makes it onto my best of the year list! I’m embarrassed to admit that this is my first time reading this author and am deeply regretting the books I’ve missed! Fortunately, that means a healthy backlist for me to catch up on. What made this historical romance stand out for me is the combination of a unique setting (1890s New York City) with a fabulous heroine who is willing to buck conventions to fulfill her dreams and a hero who struggles with the desire to protect her without compromising his own plans. A conundrum for him indeed! Super sexy love scenes top off a truly delightful and engaging read.
Buy it at: Amazon/Apple Books/Barnes & Noble/Kobo
Desire Lines by Elizabeth Kingston
Once again, Elizabeth Kingston finds a spot on my best of the year list. The author’s Welsh Blades series, if you’re anything like me, will have you reading the author’s notes, her website resources, and going down google/Wikipedia rabbit holes to find out more about the Welsh people and their lives under England’s Edward the First. With an accurate and unflinching look at the challenges of the times, the author weaves a compelling story for Nan and Gryff in Desire Lines, an unconventional road trip romance. I have high expectations now for every book from this author and so far, she has delivered every time.
Buy it at: Amazon/Apple Books/Barnes & Noble/Kobo
Not Dead Yet by Jenn Burke
If you’d have asked me a year ago, I would have said the odds of a ghost/vampire romance showing up on my ‘best of’ list would be pretty low. But clearly I hadn’t counted on Jenn Burke, co-author of one of my favorite science fiction romance series (Chaos Station – I’ll never pass up an opportunity to promote it) trying her hand at this paranormal second chance romance series. With a murder mystery to be solved, not-quite ghost Wes and his vampiric former lover Hudson have their hands full, not to mention figuring out if they can reconnect on the physical plane. It’s a really interesting, totally engaging story and rest of the series published this year is equally good and could make this list too.
Buy it at: Amazon/Apple Books/Barnes & Noble/Kobo
Forever Wolf by Maria Vale
If you think you’ve read all the kinds of shifter romances available, I guarantee that Maria Vale’s The Legend of All Wolves introduces something new and exciting to the paranormal genre. With Forever Wolf, the focus is on the Great Wolf Pack and how it can survive enemies both human and not. But it also captures a unique romance for Varya and the solitary Eyulf who embodies the prophesy that could destroy them all. I hope that this isn’t the end of the series.
Buy it at: Amazon/Apple Books/Barnes & Noble/Kobo
Kingdom of Exiles by Maxym M. Martineau
Kingdom of Exiles is an exciting début romance and highly deserving of a place on my top ten list. It’s one of those books that will keep you reading late into the night, with a familiar enemies-to-lovers trope in a totally unique setting. An assassin’s guild leader and a beast charmer combine forces while keeping some vital secrets, making for some edge of your seat scenes. The imagination of the author in creating the characters (including the beasts) is part of her excellent world-building and after finishing it, I immediately wanted to read it over again.
While I didn’t love Desire Lines as much as the earlier books in Kingston’s Welsh Blades series, I too am greatly impressed with her historical research and the depth of themes she covers. The King’s Man is one of my personal favorites. I follow Kingston on social media and see that she is at work on the next one. Fingers crossed we get it this year.
I haven’t read many of the books on this list, but I am interested in Olivia Dade’s Teach Me and Jackie Lau’s books in general. I have a few friends who really like Lau’s romances.
Lau’s Holidays with the Wongs series is light hearted rom-com, and I think that’s a plus these days. Her other series are equally good but touch on harder subjects (depression, grief, etc.)
Maria Rose, I share your admiration for Elizabeth Kingston’s Welsh Blades books. The early history of the conflicts between Wales and England is chronicled in Sharon Kay Penman’s Welsh Princes trilogy. Each book is hefty, so it is a commitment in time to read them, however I found that it absolutely paid off. The final book, The Reckoning tells the story of Edward’s reign.
I have read seven books on your list. Great picks!
Oh, I will have to check out the trilogy, thanks!
You read 200-300 books per year? Holy moly!
In regard to “The Prince of Broadway,” I am now number one in line for the e-book copy at the library (yay!) and am really looking forward to it. Like you, I was pleased to see a unique setting for an HR. Sorry, Regency fans, but I am *so* tired of such a narrow time period and place for my reading. And if I see one more duke in my reading selections within the next few months, I think I’m going to pop.
The authors/books we’ve both enjoyed in common (Martin, Cole, Vale, Burke, Kingston) suggest I give the rest of your list a try, especially Lau and Shupe, about whom I keep hearing excellent things. And Chaos Station is on my TBR . . . I’m not much of a classic sci/fi fan but Michelle Diener’s Class 5 series, Bujold’s Cordelia books, and Jo Fally’s Bone Rider from a few years ago have me keeping an eye out for recommended romantic space settings. Thanks!
nblibgirl, I also like the Class 5 books as well as Bone Rider. If you’re looking for recommendations, have you tried Lyn Gala’s Claimings series? It’s one of my favorites; it’s a male/alien male romance series. Another favorite series (though it has only the slightest hint of romance over three books) is SK Dunstall’s Linesman series.
Yes, I’ve read the Gala series and enjoyed it. Dunstall is new to me though, so thanks for that!
You’re welcome. Should you try Linesman, I hope you’ll enjoy it.
oh, Chaos Station is just a really, really great series. And each book has an complete ending, so you don’t have to read the next one (though I loved them all) but there is character and relationship development through the series. I hope you try the first one and see if you like it.
Ordered :-)
Excellent list! Your list and mine had overlap, sometimes, in books, and sometimes, in author.
Nice raft of picks!
I enjoyed Well Met a lot. Made me want to go to a Renaissance Fair. And Teach Me was excellent. Great heroine.