My Favourite Books of 2014

Note: This is the second time this has been posted, I accidentally deleted the first one. 

I am most easily recognised by my glasses which are almost always slipping down my nose; a nose, which is almost always stuck in a book. I began a love affair with books when my Nana handed me a sparkly package adorned with ribbons on my fifth birthday. It was a beautifully illustrated book about the fairy queen and her life in the forest. In the two decades since that moment, the books I read have changed but my love affair with the written word has never dimmed.

As the New Year approaches, I thought it’d be fun to recount my favourite book adventures of 2014. 2014 has been a phenomenal year for books (I purchased and read a total of 263 books in 2014, not including gifts and prizes and ARCs), so picking favourites was a tricky endeavour.

  

My Favourite Books of 2014

1. Play by Kylie Scott   

Blurb: Mal Ericson, drummer for the world famous rock band Stage Dive, needs to clean up his image fast—at least for a little while. Having a good girl on his arm should do the job just fine. Mal doesn’t plan on this temporary fix becoming permanent, but he didn’t count on finding the one right girl. 

Anne Rollins never thought she’d ever meet the rock god who plastered her teenage bedroom walls—especially not under these circumstances. Anne has money problems. Big ones. But being paid to play the pretend girlfriend to a wild life-of-the-party drummer couldn’t end well. No matter how hot he is. Or could it?

Why It Rocks: Play is laugh-out-loud hilarious, steamy, melty and delicious, engaging and heart wrenching and completely amazing. The dialogue is phenomenal, it’s nearly impossible to pick a favourite line because they’re all just too freaking awesome. The storyline is fun and engaging but also has some surprising, and intense, plot twists. The characters are well thought out, realistic and relatable. Mal is hilarious, endearing, and adorable and a massive pain in the ass and Anne is an everyday girl living her life, she’s a good friend, a great sister but she’s also sassy and snarky and kind of awesome. You get to see characters from the entire series, as well as hints for the next books, Lead and Deep. Play is a book full of feels, it’s a fast ride but you’ll love every second of it. 

2.  Icing On The Cake by Karla Doyle  

Blurb: Nia and Conn’s wedding will be fairytale perfect…if their siblings can get along.

Free-spirited, anti-establishment Sara has always been on the outside of her family’s fairytale mold. Now she’s being forced smack into the middle of it at her sister Nia’s wedding. Alongside the cocky and annoyingly sexy best man—Conn’s cop brother.

Curtis doesn’t buy in to organized romance and fairytales. But for his brother, he’ll throw on a tux and fake it for a few hours. His flak vest would have been a better choice around the maid of honor. He should have brought his handcuffs too, because somebody needs to restrain the dark-haired spitfire—and he’s just the man for the job.

One night to indulge the spark between them, then goodbye—that was the agreement. Curtis isn’t looking for a relationship and he sure doesn’t want a troublemaker for a girlfriend. The last thing Sara needs in her daily life is a cop looking over her shoulder, no matter how hot he is. But giving in to their chemistry is much more fun than giving it up…

Why It Rocks:  Icing On The Cake is just like its namesake, rich and intense but still sweet and light. It’s erotic without being over the top, it has dark themes but is well balanced by hilarious and sassy dialogue and it flows beautifully.  It’s addictive and you won’t want to put it down. You can read my full review here. 

3. It's In His Kiss by Jill Shalvis  

Blurb: Becca Thorpe has uprooted her life and escaped to the beach. Now’s her chance to get away from city living, throw caution to the ocean winds, and live in the moment. Especially if the moment includes the deliciously sexy surfer she meets shortly after arriving in Lucky Harbor. Something about the dark intensity of Sam’s eyes and the thrill she gets at his touch convinces her to stay awhile.

Boatbuilder and investment genius Sam Brody is a self-made man who knows how dangerous it can be to mix business and pleasure. But he can’t resist offering Becca a job just to hear her laugh and have her near. Yet when her brother comes to town asking for help, will he tempt her back to her glamorous life in the city? Or do Sam and little Lucky Harbor have a chance to win Becca’s heart?

Why It Rocks:  So far Jill Shalvis hasn’t released a book that I haven’t absolutely loved, but It’s In His Kiss blew me away.  It’s erotic, it’s sexy and delicious. It’s funny, engaging and sassy. It’s heart-warmingly sweet, emotional and lovely. But more than anything, it’s a tantalising tease. And it’s a tease that more than lives up to its promise. And Becca Thorpe is one of my all time favourite book heroines. You can read my full review here.  

4. Edge Of The Enforcer by Cherise Sinclair  

Blurb: Fleeing false murder charges, Lindsey lands in San Francisco. There she builds a satisfying life until, in the notorious Dark Haven BDSM club, she encounters deVries. Moth, meet flame.

A security specialist and occasional mercenary, deVries needs an adorable submissive like a knife to the gut. Hell, she’s not even a masochist. But here she is, all big brown eyes and sweet body and sassy mouth. Loyal. Tough-minded. Honest.

Or maybe not, considering her ID is forged. If she thinks to lie to him, she’ll learn better. He’s the Enforcer of Dark Haven—his discipline is absolute, his punishments harsh, and his heart untouched...until now.

Why It Rocks: Edge Of The Enforcer isn’t your average BDSM read. It’s got intrigue; it’s got scary murderous plots and damsels in hiding, it’s got sweet, loving romance and deeply erotic scenes. It’s an incredible, fast paced read. DeVries is a sadist but he’s sweet and protective and Lindsey might be a submissive but she has a backbone of steel and an incredible strength. The sex scenes and BDSM are incredibly realistic (I was so excited to see a realistic Violet Wand scene in a romance book!) but still ridiculously hot. Their story is endearing, sexy and delicious and  all kinds of fun. 

Honourable Mentions