Sunday Funday: SheReadsALot's Favorite Books of 2015

Are you ready? I'm going to release the fuck force upon you! 
Prepare your body! 

j/k

I'm going to discuss my favorite reads of 2015! Relax!

No prep necessary. I'm just going to gush.

2015: I was stingier with my favorite list last year. It's my smallest ever. Just 13, lucky 13. I have repeat authors, a good chunk are books released from previous years and there was one hetero book BUT listen to me, this book is a book I think MM Romance readers could try.

If you don't know, I review for two blogs which forces me to read new releases. If not, I'll be forever trying to conquer my unconquerable TBR that has ten zipcodes at this point. (How do I keep up? Unicorn glitter, coffee and sass)

This is how a few of my fave books made it on there (Hansen, Charles, Elsborg, Deckard), and how a few of the authors on this year's list caught my eye years before. Pair that with my love of freebies, which is how I discovered one of the other authors (Vargas) and well...this girl loves to read.

So in no specific order, they're all on my list. I think it's ranked enough. ;P

The Newcomers

Melanie Hansen's Everything Changes

The story has a lot of winning ingredients to appeal to MM readers and it doesn't tilt the boat. It's contemporary, friends to lovers. Add a soldier and a rock star, you can see the check cashing itself in the bank. Though it has tried and true tropes & ingredients and it's safe, the story is pretty good. This was the author's debut in 2015 and she is already onto book #3 this month. I haven't read her recently to see if her writing improved, but from what I remembered it was solid. Yummy characters, some drama and flair and hot vanilla sex...delicious.

 Emory Vargas's Rock Rod Series (Entire series. All!)

Ask any unicorn, they'll tell you, if I find an author that I think is worth your read, your dollar...I'm going to crow about it until the stable closes. I am guilty of hoarding freebies but I do try to crack them open. So of course, I make time for the Daddy kink. It's my shit. And there was Vargas's "Waiting For the Right Boy" waiting on my Kindle. And it had an extra surprise of MANTIES. A Cupcake & Baby special. We don't get that too often. And the thing is the writing is good. Better than average freebie writing, so I had to snap up everything else I could find that I got for free by the author.

And did. Liked that too. And I don't like reading the same author so close together, I get to notice their signatures in their work.

But she released Alex Undone in May 2015 and...holy shit. It was like my spirit animal wrote a story about a clueless butt virgin becoming a gay porn star.

This series just won my snarky loving heart. And then some.

Alex on Top

Where Palex finally comes full steam ahead.

Yes, I created a 'ship name for them.



Emory gave Palex to the world. And I thank her ever so kindly. #assinator3000FTW

The Authors You Might Not Have Heard Of (But I Think You Should)

P.T. Denys - Violence Begets...
Check out the snazzy new cover!

The ratings are fairly decent and I think the warnings and triggers might scare potential readers but it's a powerful book. I don't know why reading broken people fascinates me so but...this author blew me away. I demolished this book and then had to go sit down for a few. This doesn't have a happy ending. It's pain and abuse up the wazoo and you can discuss it for days as to why the characters put up with it. But there are many people who do. Not excusing anyone but it is what is. I can't wait for the author's sequel to this. Though it's going to be a tough one to try and top, I'll be there on release day. Excellent debut. This is a first time writer's dream book: evocative and lingers on the brain.

Douglas Black - Port in a Storm

I'm not sure 2015 had a theme for me, but 2014 sure did. It was the year of the male author. And I raved about a couple of D's: Deckard, Devon McCormack and Daniel de Lorne but I might've forgotten one. Or not. Douglas Black. I really like his tone and I found myself really enjoying the hell out of his books. But this book? I refuse to remove it from my Kindle because I'm in heavy like with the quotes. The plot is a simple one, but the story is so romantic. *gushing* Yes, sex fiends, there's a jizz-tastic amount of sex as well, but the story about an average guy who was sinking in his mundane life and taking a chance on this larger than life character? It was a great read. Maybe you're a reader like me who tries to avoid those buzz books while they're still buzzing (sounds bad right? But if a book has too many people swarming around and raving 5 stars the house down...I'm looking for the nearest exit) Read this blurb, maybe give this a chance.

L.H. Cosway - Killer Queen - The Hetero Book O_O

Why this book kicks ass?


This is a companion to Painted Faces. And I frown on companion books usually. Why in the hell do I want to read what the other character was thinking if I already read it first hand? Whelp, not only does it feature a drag queen hero that is straight...the story is still as good the second time around from Nick aka Ms. Vivica Blue's POV. It was like meeting with an old friend again and talking about the good old days. I didn't bitch, moan or skim.

That's why it kicks ass. Read the series if you get a chance. It's good great.

The Repeaters

Barbara Elsborg - The Demon You Know

Third in an unrelated paranormal/urban fantasy series based in London, this featured one of my favorite paranormal beings as a main character...a demon. A demon with a twist! I still think the previous book was slightly better, this book still was a strong contender.

And the cover is one of my faves of the year. I want to lick it.

K.J. Charles double whammy - get ready for the verbal sledgehammer

A Fashionable Indulgence

I want to start a Julian Norreys fan club! And I want to be the co-president. I do love the dandies. And he reminded me of some my favorite Regency/ Georgian acerbic tongued dandies *cough*Sebastian*cough*Simon*cough*...the book was good but Julian stole the show, owned it, rewrote and slapped the fuck out of it.

 A Seditious Affair

The secondary characters! The sedition! The return of Julian Norreys! The main characters! O.M.G. I thought I was going to get the filler book before the main event that I know book #3 will be.

Nothing doing. This book had everything and more.

And kink!

Nothing more to say to that.

Bey Deckard - Bringing in the visual. He's excellent with setting the scene.

Fated

Third in the Baal's Heart series, my favorite pirate triad is back in action and revisiting a certain troubled pirate's past. It's darker and quieter but a great conclusion for the triad.

Better The Devil You Know

For the ones who love it darker and without a HEA. Though in my warped head, it sort of was. A book featuring a character I like reading about in fiction and a serial killer have a walk down memory lane.

Twisty. Filthy. Bloody. Clever. Fun?

And that cover still gives me the vapors. Also a fave of mine.

The Book Everyone and Their Father's Barber's Barber Read...Except for Me

Jill Knowles - Concubine

CANDYLAND THUNDERDOME'd = me. I had this book for who knows how long and I would have probably let it languish among the many in my TBR K2. Thank goodness for the THUNDERDOME.

Purple Jism. Sweet Lavender Semen and Raspberry flavored cock heads, you feel me? I would drink it all day and ride it into the sunset. This book was magical. And there was a demon MC, so you know I was excited times a zillion!

BIDGAFFIEHBILI (or Book I Don't Give A Flying Fuck If Everyone Hated Because I LOVED It)

Mercy Celeste - Out of the Blues

I love her writing. And I also know when it's not up to snuff. But this one was like old school Mercy. Her fans know what I'm talking about. This was the jam and jelly. The bees knees. It knocked me out of my book slump right when I needed it. Loved those two dudes. 

Didn't like it? *shrugs*
Didn't think it was believable? *shrugs*

Don't. Give. A. Shit. Loved. It.


So while my list isn't that long, I think it had a good number of strong writers and excellent storytelling. Definitely entertaining. A little bit for everyone's taste? *shrugs*

I did try a good number of new to me authors (like Lisa Henry through her free stuff or authors from our anniversary event's flash fics - Suki Fleet)...wait, I think that could possibly be my theme - the year I finally tried those authors I been meaning to get to.

I think my 2016 list might end up a little longer. We're barely half a month into the new year and I already have 2 faves.

Whoa.

The fuck force is strong, unicorns!

Any books on here that you loved? Any books you loved you want to shout out for 2015?

Try to rub my horn. I dare ya!

SRAL out!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! *drops mic*

Review: Shift in Time (Out of Time, #1) by Mercy Celeste

True love’s first kiss will not break a curse.
 
Everyone knows that. Even a Normal like Morgan Monstros knows that. But Fane Llewellyn isn’t everyone. He’s like no one Morgan has ever met.

Small, fragile and fierce, Fane doesn’t remember who he is or where he came from. He remembers pain and loneliness. Decades of pain and loneliness. And Morgan Monstros. He could never forget Gan. Gan was his from the day he came to the island. And Fane would fight to the death to keep Morgan safe. Even if he has to fight the whole world to do it.

Take one powerless witch, a sassy Siamese familiar, a panther shifter with amnesia, a meddling wolf clan, and a coven of witches hell bent on war, swirl all together and you get the perfect spell for all out mayhem…..oh yeah and there’s chocolate cake too.

Before reading: Mercy Celeste? Cat Shifters?

It's going down!

After reading: As a Mercy Celeste fan, I can say this is one of the lightest stories I've read from her. Not saying it's bad or good. It was different. When I see a Mercy Celeste story, I know to expect hot, Southern men who love hard and scorching sexy times.

This book, set in Alabama and Florida, most definitely delivered that. Morgan Monstros is a normal in a family of witches. (Think Muggle to Wizards (hey HP fans)) He's in the closet and a virgin, running his family's bed & breakfast on an island in Alabama. His sister leaves her Siamese cat, Starbuck in his care while she returned to the mainland. The cat seems to claim Morgan and has a secret. Morgan and the cat, Starbuck aka Fane Llewellyn have a connection. Through magic, Fane returns to his human form. Both men are fated mates - they face angry family members, witches council and discover Fane's past life before he was turned into a cat.

Human Fane was funny in the first half of the book. I didn't care for the cat speak to be honest but it led credence to Fane's character and the way he was written. His possessiveness of Morgan was a nice touch. And he was supposed to look like jailbait in human form (don't worry about his age - he's legal), so when Fane got Alpha lover on Morgan, it made the scenes more interesting in my head as I read. An Alpha twink? Different. I do like the Civil War angle, anything to do with real historical events always catches my interest. (It was tamer in description than the actual war)

I think Morgan helping Fane acclimate to present day was my favorite, even over the shifter and sex parts. I enjoyed the Llewellyn family reuniting especially the brothers, Falyn and Fane.

Morgan and Fane were a hot couple, sometimes their affection was laid on thick but the sentiment is nice. The story is good. If you like cat shifter stories that are low angst, sassy and dosed with insta-love (paranormal fated mates get a pass for me), you might want to check it out. I prefer Mercy Celeste's contemporary over her paranormal it seems. This was my second paranormal romance I've read from this author.

Great ideas can be found in her paranormal - a Siamese cat shifter who comes from a family of werewolves? Different.  A witch who is ordinary from a family of extraordinary? Cool. The first half stronger than the second half for sure. Once the pair gets to Florida, the focus isn't as sharp as in the first half. More plot lines get introduced, some get lost in the wind.

A few items from the story that wasn't as strong or unclear:

Laurel - villain or not? She's Morgan's homophobic sister who hates magic, seems to be plotting with the evil witch and then she fell off to the wayside. And was forgotten.

Falyn's attraction to Morgan? I won't lie - I was hoping it'd turn into a threesome, a permanent one. Fane's brother started to desire Morgan, he went from homophobe to lusting after a man and not any man, his brother's man. And then it too went off into wayside.

Fane's youthful appearance was explained (mostly) but nothing was discussed as to why he received a new eye and hair color. And the biggest question of them all, how was he able to turn into a cat from his original shifter shape in the first place? The ending made it seem that he could choose any shape so what happened to his original one?

The last 15% - It got a little sloppy with trying to connect the dots with the plot twists. The effect wasn't a big moment which I usually get from this author. The villain had an agenda - what happened with the progeny? Some ideas were introduced and then kind of dropped. The epilogue didn't make much of an impact either - the ghost bit was a little late to the party. When the story focused on just Fane and Morgan without the family members, witches and drama, Shift in Time read great. It ends with a sappy HEA and no cliffhanger.

If the future pairing for the next story is who I think it is, I'm definitely down for reading #2.

For more information on Goodreads or Booklikes!