The Best of 2020 – Shannon’s List
2020 was a strange year for so many of us, and I’m beyond grateful for all the phenomenal books that helped me make it through the chaos. Below, I’m highlighting a few of my favorites in no particular order.
The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon
This was an utter delight from start to finish. I honestly don’t know if I loved the romance or the strong female friendships more. It was one of those books I just sort of fell into, and I would have read it in a single sitting if I could have.
Buy it at: Amazon, Audible, or your local independent bookstore
You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson
You Should See Me in a Crown is everything I would have wanted to read as a teen. It features an African-American teenager struggling to come up with the necessary scholarship funds to attend her university of choice. Since prom is a huge deal at her school, she decides to run for prom queen, and all manner of high jinx ensues. It’s funny without being ridiculous and meaningful without being too heavy. The romance between Liz and a new girl in school hits all the right notes, making this a book I plan on revisiting again and again.
Buy it at: Amazon, Audible or your local independent bookstore
The Marriage Game by Sara Desai
I’m not generally a fan of romantic comedies, but The Marriage Game snuck in under my defenses and made me fall in love with it in less than twenty pages. It’s smart, funny, and filled with female empowerment. If I could find more books like this one, I’d scoop them up in a heartbeat.
Buy it at: Amazon, Audible, or your local independent bookstore
I’ll Be the One by Lyla Lee
If you love reality TV, music, and stories sure to stir up a ton of emotions, you absolutely must check out I’ll Be the One, a book that manages to perfectly walk the line between the fluffy and the serious. Our heroine is Korean and bisexual, a dedicated musician and dancer who won’t let anyone or anything get in the way of her dreams. The romance is sweet, but our heroine’s journey toward self-acceptance is what makes this novel such a gem!
Buy it at: Amazon, Audible, or your local independent bookstore
The Wife Stalker by Liv Constantine
This wouldn’t be a list of mine if it didn’t contain a thriller or two. The writing duo of Liv Constantine really knocked it out of the park with their 2020 release. It’s so clever and twisty, a novel of domestic suspense I want the world to read.
Buy it at: Amazon, Audible, or your local independent bookstore
The Black Swan of Paris by Karen Robards
This is historical fiction at its finest, truly my favorite of this author’s work. There’s so much fiction centered around the Second World War, and I know a lot of readers have grown weary of all the emphasis placed on this period in history. Still, if you only read one book set during this dark time, please, please, please make it The Black Swan of Paris.
Buy it at: Amazon, Audible, or your local independent bookstore
Say No More by Karen Rose
Karen Rose writes romantic suspense like no one else in the world, and her Sacramento series, which centers around a cult, is fast becoming one of my favorite things she’s done. Say No More is book two in the series, and it does end on a bit of a cliffhanger, but it’s totally worth any discomfort you might feel about waiting for the next installment.
Buy it at: Amazon, Audible, or your local independent bookstore
Court of Miracles by Kester Grant
Court of Miracles is the first in a duology, and one of the best Les Mis retellings I’ve read. The worldbuilding is incredibly nuanced, and while I was able to pick out key characters and events from the original Les Mis story, the author manages to make the story her own. Not everyone loves retellings, but this one is something special, and I’m eager to see what else the author has in store for her characters and her readers next.
I still need to give another look to Court of Miracles. Your top three are all wonderful.
I found “The Boyfriend Project” in a Little Free Library in my neighborhood. Scooped it up and it now sits on my nightstand waiting to be read (which will be soon, based on the positive reviews).
So glad to find another Boyfriend Project fan! I’ve got I’ll Be the One on my TBR and am adding the Wife Stalker and The Black Swan. Thanks for the list!
I love this list – so much variety!
Court of Miracles is on my TBR. Thanks!