Surprises of the year

Some of these will overlap with other lists as it is books that took me by surprise in the best and worst ways possible. 

1. Petal Plucker by Iris Morland – Surprised me by how mad I got at the ending. It was a pretty dang good book up until the last couple of chapters and then bam shit. I’ve never been so mad at a book before

2. Tryst in the Dark by Grace McGinty – I had read other books by Grace and they had been ok but nothing that drew me in so quickly and kept me enthralled as this one. 

3. That Time I got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming – I borrowed from KU and blew through this book and then the second one. I figured it was going to be the standard Para Rom and it was not. It had so much humor and it kept me wanting more because of how good it was. 

4. Hunt the Stars by Jessie Mihalik – I’ve liked other books by this author and they usually run 4 stars but this one just hit all the boxes for me. Space adventure, pirates, enemies to lovers. I also liked most of the secondary characters. 

5. Pack Darling Part One by Lola Rocks – This book and Part 2 really did surprise me. It had some pretty negative reviews but I tried a sample and couldn’t put it down. It gives all the good things about a bully romance with some really good redemption trope in book 2. Which is why both books are on the list. They give you all the feels and you are rooting for Lilah to get her happy ending. 

6. Pack Darling Part Two by Lola Rocks – Well written redemption and heroin saving herself 

7. Barbarian’s Captive by Maddie Taylor – I enjoyed other books by this author and didn’t have any issues with some of the BDSM themed items in the book but this one just rubbed me the wrong way. 

8. Faith and the Dead End Devils by Kathryn Moon – I’ve liked so many of Kathryn Moon’s books and this one just bored and frustrated me. 

9. Orc from the Office by Kate Prior – this was selected for a book group read and figured it would be ok but it was one of those that I fell in love with the spicy but sweet insta love book. 

10. Falling for Autumn by Jarica James and Chloe Gunter – This was a sweet romance that just took me by surprise. It was cute and not normally something I fall for but the characters were well written and so were the secondary characters.