Favorite Romance Books of 2020
I read two books this year that were 6 STAR READS and they both consumed me. They were the type of books that after finishing, I walk around the house aimlessly because I had no idea what to do with myself. Needless to say, I was completely blown away. I've got one contemporary and one paranormal romance to share in this category.
Free (Chaos #6) by Kristen Ashley
Free was an epic ending to one of my all-time favorite series. I loved the depth and layers as everything unfolded, as the club worked their way to free, and Rush and Rebel came together. I loved the drama and emotion, redemption, and love. There was a fantastic build and excellent details as all the dots connected. It was exciting to read! This was an exceptional story! 6 stars!Kristen Ashley has previously been on my Favorite Books list for Ride Steady and Walk Through Fire in 2015, Wild Like the Wind in 2018, Quiet Man in 2019, and this year for both Dream Maker (see below) and Free.
The Savior (Black Dagger Brotherhood #17) by J. R. Ward
The Savior was absolutely stellar. Gripping, exciting, intense, and emotional! It was everything I've come to love about the Black Dagger Brotherhood series and so much more. 6 stars! The world that J. R. Ward created is amazing. It's so elaborate and creative with amazing layers and an epic build. This story reminded me of the first few books in the series, the ones that made me fall in love with the Black Dagger Brotherhood series in the first place. It was riveting!
J. R. Ward has previously been on my Favorite Books list for Devil's Cut in 2017 and Lover at Last in 2019.
Raise your hand if you love ROMANTIC SUSPENSE! I know I do. A story that really builds and builds and keeps you on the edge of your seat guessing with all the emotion and swoons mixed in. This story gave me everything I wanted and so much more.
Riven Knight (Clifton Forge #2) by Devney Perry
Riven Knight was so fantastic! Page after page I fell even more in love with Genevieve and Isiah. I loved the slow burn to their relationship and all the feelings and emotions the story brought out in me. I was hooked on the suspense element and was on the edge of my seat the entire time. It was exciting to read and I loved every second!
Note: The books in the Clifton Forge series are standalone stories and each couple gets a HEA but you do need to read the first two in order to get the full effect of the suspense storyline. Make sure to read Gypsy King before diving into Riven Knight.
Devney Perry has previously been on my Favorite Books list for The Coppersmith Farmhouse in 2017, The Clover Chapel in 2018, and Gypsy King in 2019. This year, The Bribe, writing as Willa Nash, is on my list as well (see below).
I have fallen in love with HISTORICAL ROMANCE in a big way. I love the worlds the authors create, the bits of history, and the stories unfolding. The following two were high on my list this year. One is from a tried and true favorite and the other from a debut author.
Devil's Daughter (The Ravenels #5) by Lisa Kleypas
I adored Devil's Daughter! By the end of chapter one, I was completely in love with the story! It was so entertaining with witty and charming characters. I loved West and Phoebe together, their first meeting, her feelings about him, the antagonism and flirting between the two, it was perfection. Their relationship had an incredible build and I couldn't get enough.Fun fact: The heroine in Devil's Daughter is the daughter of the couple from Devil in Winter.
Lisa Kleypas has previously been on my Favorite Books list for Devil in Winter in 2019.
Any Rogue Will Do (Misfits of Mayfair #1) by Bethany Bennett
I loved this so much, it was exciting to read and I never wanted to put it down! It was so entertaining and witty with the perfect mix of swoon-worthy and sexy mixed in! Ethan with his Scottish accent made me melt and Lottie was a force to be reckoned with. Any Rogue Will Do had a bit of everything I love in a story and I adored it all.Note: This is Bethany Bennett's debut book and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!
ENEMIES TO LOVERS is my jam! I don't know what it is about fantastic verbal sparring and witty banter, but it gets me every time. I love the antagonism and building sexual tension, and the anticipation for the couple to get to that moment where everything clicks. This one blew me away!
By a Thread by Lucy Score
This was an exceptional story filled with heart, humor, and heat that had me laughing and smiling my way through! A seriously scorching hot and hilarious page-turner! I loved the characters, the animosity and bickering, the tension and angst, the emotion and drama, and the building love between two stubborn and determined characters. This checked every box of things I love about romance!
Lucy Score has previously been on my Favorite Books list for Rock Bottom Girl in 2019 and this year for both By a Thread and Riley Thorn and the Dead Guy Next Door (see below).
Who doesn't love a good ROMANTIC COMEDY? They're incredibly entertaining with the perfect amount of emotion and heat mixed in, these two left me with a huge smile on my face.
Big Bad Cowboy (Once Upon a Time in Texas #1) by Carly Bloom
Carly Bloom is officially my jam! I loved Big Bad Cowboy! It was so entertaining with amazing wit and humorous dialogue. It was flirty and steamy and outright fun to read. I loved Travis and Maggie so much and couldn't get enough of them! I love it when a story can make me laugh, get heated, and make me teary-eyed. It's the perfect trifecta.
Dirty Charmer (The Bodyguards #1) by Emma Chase
Dirty Charmer was a fantastic read that had me laughing, smiling, and cheering for Abby and Tommy the entire time. It was so entertaining and inviting, sexy and sweet, with awesome characters. It had excellent banter and fun dialogue. I couldn't read it fast enough! Emma Chase is a wonderful storyteller!
Emma Chase has previously been on my Favorite Books list for Tangled in 2013, Sustained in 2015, Appealed, Sidebarred, and Royally Screwed in 2016, Royally Matched in 2017, Getting Schooled in 2018, and Getting Played in 2019.
I have a SPORTS ROMANCE addiction and I'm not one bit sorry. I love the ins and outs, the drama, and excitement, and being completely pulled into another world. This one was amazing!
A Favor for a Favor (All In #2) by Helena Hunting
A Favor for a Favor is officially one of my favorite books of 2020! I was hooked from the first page. I loved Bishop and Stevie so much! Incredibly entertaining with the perfect amount of verbal sparring, flirting, and fun. This book, this book right here is why Helena Hunting will forever be a favorite of mine!
Helena Hunting has previously been on my Favorite Books list for Clipped Wings in 2014, I Flipping Love You in 2018, and Meet Cute in 2019.
This was an epic start to a SPIN-OFF SERIES. Two of my favorite worlds combined giving me the perfect combination of laughter, swoons, and sweetness, plus it packed a nice amount of heat. I couldn't get enough.
Dream Maker (Dream Team #1) by Kristen Ashley
Dream Maker is everything about Kristen Ashley that I love. It's had an amazing Rock Chick feel happening with some Dream Man mixed in and I couldn’t get enough. It was entertaining, sexy, and flirty! I loved the depth, development, and fun dialogue. It was an outstanding story and a fantastic start to a new series.
Kristen Ashley has previously been on my Favorite Books list for Ride Steady and Walk Through Fire in 2015, Wild Like the Wind in 2018, Quiet Man in 2019, and this year for both Dream Maker and Free (see above).
If you need to get your laugh on, I’ve got an OUTRAGEOUSLY ENTERTAINING story for you! Prepare to wipe the tears from your eyes and be warned, sudden barks of laughter will happen when you read this one! There's also a fun paranormal element happening and I ate it up.
Riley Thorn and the Dead Guy Next Door by Lucy Score
Holy hysterical Batman! This was so freaking FUN to read! I can't even tell you how many times I laughed out loud! I loved all the characters, the mystery, and this entertaining and crazy world. It was just what I needed! If you're looking for an escape and need to get your laugh on, look no further. You have found your next read!
Lucy Score has previously been on my Favorite Books list for Rock Bottom Girl in 2019 and this year for both By a Thread (see above) and Riley Thorn and the Dead Guy Next Door.
What is it about a SMALL TOWN ROMANCE that leaves a smile on my face and makes my heart feel full? From the townspeople to the picturesque settings, the following three books thrilled me to no end and were a joy to read.
The Bribe (Calamity Montana #1) by Willa Nash
The Bribe was so sweet and swoon-worthy with a fantastic mix of suspense and emotion mixed in. I loved all the fun, entertaining moments too. Excellent read! I love how this author tells a story. I always feel pulled in and a part of the world with these really great building details. The characters are always rich and full, and so genuine. I love being a part of it.
Devney Perry, who also writes as Willa Nash, has previously been on my Favorite Books list for The Coppersmith Farmhouse in 2017, The Clover Chapel in 2018, Gypsy King in 2019, and this year for both Riven Knight (see above) and The Bribe (as Willa Nash).
Paradise Cove (Matchmaker Bay #2) by Jenny Holiday
This story made my heart explode with happiness! It was so entertaining and fun with just the right amount of emotion and heat mixed in. I loved it all! It was an incredibly wonderful story with really great details and an amazing build. This was terrific storytelling and I enjoyed it from beginning to end! I loved the feeling of hope this gave me.The Twelve Dogs of Christmas (Pine Hollow #1) by Lizzie Shane
I feel like I waited all year for this story and I didn't even realize I was waiting for it. I loved this book so much! This story filled my heart and made me laugh and cry. I was immediately pulled in and loved how everything unfolded. There was an excellent build as Ally and Ben came together and I was caught up in the wonderful dialogue and amazing moments. And the dogs! Oh my, the dogs! They were the sweetest!
Looking for a series to BINGE READ? I’ve got the perfect book for you! Well, technically it’s three books set in the same world and I read them all in a row and they rocked my world! I picked my favorite of the bunch to share. As a bonus, they're Western Historical Romance.
Texas Glory (Texas Trilogy #2) by Lorraine Heath
This was such an amazing story. Emotional. Beautiful. Heartbreaking. Full of longing and love. Well written and thought out, this was a captivating read that I couldn't put down. The characters are wonderful and I love the world the author created. My heart was exploding by the end of this story and it was an emotionally, intense ride getting there.
Note: I thought the entire Texas Trilogy was epic and wanted to put all three books on my Favorite Books list. I picked Texas Glory because it was my favorite out of all three. I binged them all and it was glorious. The first book in the series is Texas Destiny and the last is Texas Splendor.
I wanted to express my gratitude to all my followers, old and new, that visit my blog and give me support. You all are the best! I appreciate every comment here, as well as on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. I love the connections and friendships I've made in the book community and am grateful for each and every one. Thank you to all the authors, publicists, and publishing houses for gifting me amazing books to read, photograph, share, and add to my bookshelf... and sometimes randomly hug and ogle because they're just so pretty! Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all of you.
Here's to an amazing 2021!
xo
Gretchen
I'm loving how colorful my favorites stack is! It's so pretty. I'm rather sad that I'm missing three books, however. Not shown are By a Thread by Lucy Score, Dirty Charmer by Emma Chase, and Texas Glory by Lorraine Heath. I'm hoping to add these to my collection soon.
What were some of your favorite books in 2020?
What books are you excited about in 2021?