IT’S TIME for our longtime book-bud, MichelleS (you’ll see below how many yearly “Best of” lists she’s given us and they are all AMAZING!!
So, let’s revisit her 2021 (via her fun comments over the last year), shall we? Mostly book-related finds, so even if these didn’t make her “Best of 2021” list below, she still enjoyed them enough to recommend them, too!
MichelleS: HELLO MARYSE and friends!!!
I am alive. Covid hasn’t gotten me yet. Anyhoo… I read a few books by the same author and am totally hooked. I can’t wait for her next release. The author is Teresa Driscoll. …So fun. I kept telling myself, “I bet Maryse would love these books”, so I thought I’d pop in and recommend them. They are suspense novels, and that’s been a genre I have been exploring more of.
As always, have missed all the book talk. So much family “stuff” and work “stuff” happening. I haven’t read as much as I’d like to. I am going to try hard to keep up with reading and checking in on all of you.
After that, I needed something light to plug my tear ducts, so I read By a Thread, by Lucy Score… good old fashioned grumpy boss plot line, loved that one too.
Now… on to scour the blog for my next read.
MichelleS: Catching up…. I read My Dark Vanessa – ick. The Bridge Kingdom – LOVED IT!! Totally a must read for Sarah J Maas fans
MichelleS: Howdy y’all. I’m popping in to say HI.
I just finished the last book in the Fever Series, A Kingdom of Shadow and Light. It’s finally done. I love it when a series is over, but it also makes me sad. I miss the characters and the world. It wrapped up super quick in the last quarter of the book, Like WHAM…. all wrapped up. Wasn’t expecting that. Anyone else stay with the series to the end?
MichelleS: The Amorous Education one – just read the blurb. Fun romp in Regency England, a kidnapping by a rogue. Gotta put that one on my TBR list.
MichelleS: YAY!!! New Sarah J Maas! I know what I am doing today. It’s freezing cold here in Texas. Reading in my warm jammies is on the menu all day.
MichelleS: Can’t wait for your review of In Five years. Chewing my nails over here so I can “discuss”.
Anyhoo… back to my bread and butter comfort reads. I am reading a Paranormal, called “Rejected (Shadow Beast Shifters, Book 1)”. I KNOW!!! It sounds so dang corny. But it’s free on KU, so I picked it up. And I LOVE IT. Super over the top sassy Heroine, meets grumpy, moody, over the top “beast”…. a formula that I still like when the mood strikes me. If the writing works, the dialogue, and the story, then I am still in my happy place.
MichelleS: I’m going to second Linda’s rec for “Not What I Expected”, by Jewel E Ann. She’s a one click author for me. Always creates relatable characters and her writing is just dang good. Now I’m in the mood for Jack & Jill series. Best ever!
MichelleS: Well howdy from Texas y’all!
Three things:
1.) I am ALIVE and have survived 2020 and Covid. It was a CRAZY year (changed jobs and so so much more).
2.) My taste in books hasn’t changed one bit. I still love Epic Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Historical Romance, and then I like to throw in others just for fun.
3.) I have missed you all terribly. I feel horrible for having stayed away for so long. I will try to “catch myself up”. I just want to know that all my book buddies have survived 2020. Mark yourselves safe!
And now… Michelle’s Best Books of 2021 (P.S. I include some of her past comments below when she first read the book):
Hey Maryse! Hey fellow readers.
I am popping in to add my “best of” list. I am so sorry I don’t regularly post. Life is crazy, and I have been listening to audiobooks during my commute, versus reading at home, because life is just so crazy. I always check in for new releases, and hot new books, even if I don’t post!
Here is my list for 2021. A very typical list for me… lots of fantasy, still love series, still love my go-to authors, but a few surprises.
The Bridge Kingdom, by Danielle Jensen
For those who love high fantasy, this is a great series. I love to enter a new world, with rich characters, and a good plot. This is one of those.
In Five years, by Rebecca Serle
This one got recommended to me by a friend who just reads women’s contemporary fiction. I was expecting a snooze fest, but it is still with me all these months later. The hallmark of a good story.
“Hey all!
I am in the middle of the BEST book… I am sure it will end up on my Best of 2021 list. If you read it, don’t tell me how it ends!!! It’s one of those that keeps you up reading late… because you have NO IDEA where it is going. Love it! In Five Years, by Rebecca Serle.
The H is a total type A personality. Her life is going exactly as planned. Until she wakes up one night and is NOT in her perfect life… or is she? And how does she go on when she is BACK in her real life? Oh boy. The twists are awesome, and I have no idea where it’s headed…”
“...Wasn’t expecting to love the friendship between two women so damn much. Get lost in the romance, and forget how important our friends are. I’m not crying. You’re crying...”
“…5 stars for me too – for keeping me riveted for a two days! Did I love where it went? Well, no. I’m *spoiler spoiler spoiler*… I loved the friendship, and the leading men were just wonderful...”
The Drake Chronicles, by Lauren Gilley AND Hell Theory series, by Lauren Gilley
I’ve pretty much decided I will read anything this author writes. She is just that good. If you read a synopsis, it never does the book justice. She is able to create characters that you fall in love with like no one else.
The Promise, The Friend, I Will Make You Pay, I Am Watching You – by Teresa Driscoll
I read these back to back because I got totally sucked into her world. These are suspense, crime thrillers. They take place in England, and I just loved all the lingo. If you are in the mood for some suspense, try these. They are stand alones, but there are a couple of recurring characters, which makes them even more appealing (the private investigator and cop).
“…I started with I Am Watching You, then read The Promise, The Friend, and I Will Make You Pay. They are all stand alones, but…. best part is they have recurring characters – just the private investigator and cop – but I adore them. So you don’t need to read them in any order. They take place in England, so I love the dialogue…”
Savage Lands Series, by Stacey Marie Brown
I’m a sucker for a good paranormal/fantasy series, and this one was really good. For fans of Sarah J Maas, with a bit more of an edge.
I adore Jewel E Ann, and I know if I see a new book, I’ll most likely love it. She is just one of those authors that can write the characters and use the dialogue that sucks me in and gets me invested. I loved this story.
“Howdy ladies! I am finally off for the summer and ready to devour some great reads. I started with For Lucy, by Jewel E Ann. First, she is one of my one click authors. I just love everything she writes. And this one was no disappointment. Loved it.”
“For Lucy, by Jewel E Ann. Need Kleenex. Are you in that kind of mood?”
The Rising Series, by Kristen Ashley
My all time favorite KA book is Golden Dynasty, and this series takes place in THAT world. It is a spinoff of the Fantasyland series, and those characters actually appear in this series. YAY.
And I say I might actually like this series MORE? Yup. I said it. The story, the couples, and the flow of the story is way better than the Fantasyland series. So if you were a fan of Golden Dynasty. Do yourself a favor and READ THIS SERIES.
The Midnight Library, by Matt Haig
Every year I try to read one popular book so I have something to talk about if someone wants to talk about books, but I don’t want to bring up what I REALLY read! This year it was The Midnight Library. It was FABULOUS.
I actually listened to the audiobook, and the narrator was terrific. It has enough action to keep you interested, but it’s also smart and touching, and has a great message in the end. Worth a read.
The Best of Friends, by Lucinda Berry
Another great thriller that had me interested pretty quickly. I couldn’t put it down. I had to know what happened. If you’re in the mood for a thriller, this is a good one.
The Crown of Gilded Bones (Blood and Ash book 3), by Jennifer Armentrout
It’s Jennifer Armentrout! That’s all I have to say. If you love Sarah J Maas, you’ll lover her series too.
Where the Crawdad’s Sing, by Delia Owens
This was the first book I read in 2021, and I was late to this game. I still remember EVERYTHING, and that means it deserves to be on this list. It’s not what I typically read, but I am glad I did.
MARYSE’S NOTE TO OUR FELLOW READERS: Have a Best of 2021 list for me? Send it to me here. 🙂
Love MichelleS’s book taste? Check out more of her favorites:
- Reader Favorites – MichelleS’s Top Favorite Books List:
- Reader Favorites – MichelleS’s Top Ten Reads for 2015
- Reader Favorites – MichelleS’s Top 10 for 2016
- Reader Favorites – MichelleS’s Top Favorite Books List – 2017
- Reader Favorites – MichelleS’s Best Books of 2018 List
- Reader Favorites – MichelleS’s Best Books of 2019 List
- Reader Favorites – MichelleS’s Best Books of 2020 List
➔➔➔ Looking for more recommendations? Browse all of the reader favorites lists here on the blog. 😀
➔➔➔ Looking for my must-read recommendations? Browse my 5 star and 4.5 star and 4 star reviews or my favorite book lists here 😀
Great list👍
Great and interesting list. I also love Teresa Driscoll. Look forward to giving The Promise a try.
Great list! That’s one of my favorite series by Kristen Ashley too. It’s tied with three series (paranormal). Now, thanks to your suggestion, I’ll be starting the the Rising Series.