Happy Christmas Eve… Eve. 😉 *snort* To me, it’s been Christmas for at least two weeks now (yes I love Christmas), and it’ll be Christmas until just after New Years day.
That said, I know our reading time these days is limited (maybe even severely) so today, I’m featuring HUGELY ADAMANT recommendations only, that others have also read, and agreed with the adamancy. LOL! This way, if you have a day or a few hours or so to up into an awesome read and fill your book-fog needs, these will likely do it for you because…
THESE ARE TRIED AND TRUE, MY FRIENDS:
- Walking Wounded : A Novel by Lauren Gilley <—- THIS IS THE LATEST BIG HIT THAT EVERYONE IS LOVING!!! Great author, great, intense stories and writing, and this is her latest release. And my fellow readers are going crazy for it! Here’s just a sample of the happiness. 😉
MichelleS: OMG. Major book fog! Why did I submit my Best of list to Maryse already? THIS BOOK! It needs to be added. Walking Wounded, by Lauren Gilley. The feels? Oh gah!! They’re so REAL. And FABI. Drop whatever you’re reading cause this is the m/m book you MUST READ. I can’t stop thinking about it. I read it straight through. I miss Hal & Luke already. Lauren Gilley is such a talented writer. Add it to my list, Maryse, because I give it 5 big stars. What an amazing surprise. Touching & authentic. Yippee!!
Fabi: MichelleS have I told you how much I love you lately?! I’ve dnf’d 3 out of my last 4 books. Not having something good to read puts me in a “moood”. Since I like 99.9999% of the books you like, I’m getting Walking Wounded NOW.
Maryse: MichelleS can we read Walking Wounded without having read any of the other books?
MichelleS: Walking Wounded is a complete stand alone! Which is another reason I loved it
Jan: Maryse Walking Wounded is totally a standalone and you don’t need to have read the others. Michelle S thanks for reminding me about this book. I got excited and downloaded it straight away but somehow got distracted by other books and had only read the start of it. Now I’ve picked it up again. I’m 32% in and really liking it. Very different from her MC books, but Ms Gilley is def a quality writer. Her characters are always great.
Lisa: Walking Wounded…one click. This is Lauren Gilleys Nanorimo book I think!!
Never Stop Falling by Ashley Drew <— ONE OF CHERYL & R’s FAVORITE READS OF THE YEAR ALERT!!
Cheryl: Started reading Never Stop Falling by Ashley Drew. The cover caught my “nurse” attention and so far it’s been an angsty ride. It does have one of those prologues that I kinda wished I had not read. It doesn’t totally give away a lot but I think would be better just jumping in on the first chapter. H/h grew up together and then when admitted feelings to each other something happened and then they are apart. Anxious to see how this resolves. May be reading late tonight.
R.: Cheryl, I’m so glad people are reading Never Stop Falling! I got to read it in beta and became an instant fan! I loved it! Definitely a favorite.
Cheryl: Just finished Never Stop Falling and I loved it. Needed Manny and some wine at times. A friends to lovers angst-filled ride. Amazing, debut novel.
R.: Never Stop Falling was hands down my favorite and I loved it so much I started staking the author lol. Just kidding, she’s cool. … The h in Never Stop Falling is flawed and screwed up due to something that knocks her off kilter when she’s 18. I wanted to strangle her too, but I “got” her. And Nick…le sigh.
- Act Like It by Lucy Parker <— FAMOUS ACTOR ALERT!! I one-clicked it and bev recommends it!
bev: I really enjoyed this one and would not make a bad holiday read. Great chemistry, witty banter, the London stage, you know if you need to escape someplace that will make you smile and keep your mood up.
Irin Chronicles by Elizabeth Hunter <— TESSA IS SQUEEING OVER THE RAMIFICATIONS 😉 LOL!!! She says (and asks!!):
Tessa: I’m reading The Secret: Irin Chronicles Book Three in the Irin Chronicles and OMG, I love finally knowing what’s going on! I figured the big mystery that has been from book one, but the full story and ramifications? *squeels*After this I need another Tairen Soul type story. Any recs?
MichelleS: Tessa. The pressure! Recommend something that is like Tairen Soul? Oh boy! Okay okay, let me think. Nothing is like it, but… recently I have really really enjoyed Sarah J. Maas’ story-telling and world building and secondary characters. so it come close. The Throne of Glass series and A Court of Thorns and and Roses series. Amazing heroines. Strong male characters. The FAE!!!! Magic and creatures and a slow unfolding of the plot. Highly recommend those. And if you have read those – then maybe Roam series by K. Adams? They get BETTER with each one. I think there were 6 in all. What an amazing story. But you really have to read them all to truly enjoy it. It gets a bit twisty and turny and you have to keep up. LOVED IT.
- Lord of the Fading Lands (The Tairen Soul Book 1) by C. L. Wilson <— P.S. Here is book #1 in this HUGELY-LOVED Tairen Soul series… 😉
- Royal Atlas by H.J. Bellus <— SHE’S LOVED HIM FOR YEARS… “I hid my love for years. But now he’s back. Guy Webb returned a broken soldier after serving his country all over the atlas. And now it’s my job to help him heal.” and Jean is enjoying this one as we speak!
“Hey, I’m reading a book right now that I AM LOVING SO SO MUCH!!!! It’s called Royal Atlas by H.J. Bellus! OMG, THE FEELS!!!!!!”
Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda Becky Albertalli <— M/M YA and it’s a HUGELY adamant bev recommendation that now R is reading and loving and has a few of us curious!!
R: Ok. I was going to wait until I finished it, but I can’t. I didn’t want bev to know I was reading it because I didn’t want to subconsciously influence her opinion on the book she’s currently reading (one of my faves), but I think she’s far enough in that that can’t happen now. So, here it goes: She’s freaking right about Simon.
MichelleS: I loved Homo Sapien Simon! I didn’t think of it as a Male POV. Those are usually all Tough & alpha. Like Evan Arden. Simon was funny & Sweet.
Tasha: …I’ve been curious every time Bev’s mentioned Simon, bc I’ve liked all her rec’s so far but the mm thing has held me back. Still, I absolutely adored Carry On, and I’m wondering if it’s like that? Even all the rave about Wolfsong had me really wanting to give it a go, but I just don’t know if it’s my thing. Carry On is the only reference point I’ve got.
bev: Hmm. Interesting question Tasha. In a way, maybe. Lol. Simon is only from his pov. He is a very likable and sympathetic character. I mean a really great narrative voice. Like Carry On there is humor and fleshed out secondary characters. I really like the romance, it’s a bit mysterious and pretty much happens in a epistolary way. However, it is not the only plot point or drive of the book. I’d say try the sample. Hey, did you see the new pb cover for Carry On? Gah, that book.
R: OMG Simon is giving me anxiety!! I was not expecting all this angst. <3
PREORDERS (next week’s!!! 
)
- Face-Off at the Altar (Assassins Book 10) by Toni Aleo – December 26th 2016
- Savage: A Second Chance at Love by Jordan Silver – December 26th 2016
- One-Timer (The Baltimore Banners Book 9) by Lisa B. Kamps – December 26th 2016
- Everything for Her by Alexa Riley – December 27th 2016
- My Champion (Bewitched and Bewildered Book 7) by Alanea Alder – December 27th 2016
- EASY (The Ferro Family) by H.M Ward – December 27th 2016
- Kill Without Shame (Ares Security) by Alexandra Ivy – December 27th 2016
- For 100 Nights: A 100 Series Novel by Lara Adrian – December 30th 2016
➜ CHECK OUT ALL the upcoming BOOK RELEASES here (frequently updated and it goes all the way to 2017!)
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*evil laugh*
I’ve been looking for a good book all week. Walking Wounded sounds right up my alley!!
Tairen Soul gave me anxiety issues. lol Anyone who even likes fantasy should read those. BIG THANKS to MichelleS for recommending it. 🙂
Guys!!! You have got to read Perv by Dakota Gray. Don’t let the title scare you off (like it did me). I finally broke down and read it – a recommendation from Santino Hassell in one of his chats. It is great!!! Sure, it’s a little racy, but most of our romance books are. This one has smart characters and an emotional twisty reveal.
I’m not quite finished yet. I’ve been reading all morning and can’t put it down.
Thank you Maryse for the Never Stop Falling love!!
And for repeating that I said bev was right. I was hoping I’d dreamed that! :-/
I am reading a great new book I spotted on good reads that Michelle had read (Michelle S, is that you??). It’s a PNR released October 2016 called The Snowfang Bride by Merry Ravenell, whom I’ve never heard of before. It’s a wolf shifter book, but a new, original take on this genre. Interesting, complex plot and great characters. I’m halfway in and really liking it. It’s a dark and stormy day here today (in Australia) so I’ll stay inside and read about Winter and Sterling and their intriguing world.
BTW Maryse my name and email address are now appearing normally in the boxes when I add a comment. Something seems to have been fixed. Yayyy!! Thankyou.
R, it gets easier the more you say it.
I am either turning into Fabi or I’m secretly a gay man named Michelle….
After the book fog that was Walking Wounded, I needed another quick m/m read to get me past the slump I felt coming on. So…. I found a little dittie called The Spiral Down, my Aly Martinez. It was published May 2016, but I guess I missed it. Anyhoo…. FABI…. get your hiney over here and READ. THIS. BOOK.
I would recommend it to anyone, actually. Who cares that it’s two guys? I think I figured out my weird obsession with m/m of late. It’s still kind of “forbinney” (it shouldn’t be, but that’s another debate). I love the forbidden: loving your priest, your best friend, your best friend’s sister, your brother (GASP! – don’t pretend you didn’t read that one)… your captor. Whatever. Anyway. Makes sense. The last taboo and all that jazz.
But Fabi – listen to this. Sound familiar? He’s a PILOT – and he’s flying a ROCK STAR – LOL – I know we both loved Beyond the Sea – so I am POSITIVE you are going to love this. Just download the sample. You’ll be hooked. The rock star is a neurotic mess – but hilarious and sweet and flirtatious. The dialogue was spot on. You’d swear a guy wrote it. 5 stars. Again. Shouldn’t have submitted my list so early…. grumble grumble grumble…
Yes, Jan, that was me! I loved that book. So many good reads this past week!!
Jan, I like Grace. I do, but…..she needs to pick up the dang phone. Seriously.
It’s a while since I read it bev…….. can’t remember all the dets. But yeh, I know there’s a bit of a triangle that did seem to go on for a while…. but I know I really liked it so it must have worked out ok without too much angst. otherwise I wouldn’t have gone there LOL. You know me 🙂
Michelle, seriously, you have to stop with the recs. My tbr is out of control as it is. *sighs while adding The Spiral Down to the list*
Michelle I’ve already read The Spiral Down. Then I went back and read the first book in the series which isn’t MM. I don’t read MM exclusively. And Aly Martinez is awesome! If you haven’t already, please try her On the Ropes series which starts with Fighting Silence. It was on my 2016 favorites list. That good. Oh, that one is FM.
But yeah, I started reading more MM because at first (and maybe still) it had a Romeo & Juliet or Westside Story feel to it. The love was doomed from the start and they had to overcome countless obstacles to get an HEA.
I’ve ended up with quite a few favorites but none have touched the level of my first, Lover at Last or the one you and I about died over a year or two ago, Bad Things by Krylov. That one was so dark and powerful. *shiver*
I’m going to try Aly Martinez series, Fabi – if you’re recommending it, it’s on your best of list, and it’s anything like Spiral Down, I should love it!
Reading Aisling Chronicles now. Needed to get back to fantasy!
The Far, of course! lo That one sounds good. I haven’t read great fantasy since the early months of the year with Gann and Radiance. Radiance was a huge contender for my top 10 but I had a list of 24 I needed to trim down to 10. 🙁
*Fae
bev, it most certainly dies not. I must have been drinking. That’s it. I’m going with that. Amy made super strong cocktails and I drank them all.
MichelleS, I’m reading through my emails from yesterday and your gay man post just made me LOL.
Yes MichelleS, I agree, Aly Martinez’s Fighting series is great!
We made it to Disney World…and no children needed to be muzzled or tied to the roof rack LOL! A win all the way around!
Merry Christmas to all of you, my dear friends, I am sending all of my best wishes to you all for a blessed holiday spent doing what you love, with those you love!
Grey, Christmas at Disney World! That’s just amazing. WTG Mom and Dad!!!
Merry Christmas everyone!
Merry Christmas!!! Wishing you get everything on your Christmas list, and spend the day with those you love, eating great food and also some time for reading!! xo
Merry Christmas!
YAY!!!!!!! It’s Christmas!!! It’s finally Christmas!!!!
Merry Christmas my dear friends!! 😀 I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!
Three Dark Crowns is on sale. Looks really good and have read a couple positive reviews.