Zara West’s Best Reads of 2019
My Favorite Reads of 2019
The year 2019 wasn’t my best year for reading. After three years of reaching my set goals, I missed making my two-hundred book Goodreads Challenge by almost sixty-five books. I have no explanation for this surprising failure on my part – I am a compulsive reader, for heaven’s sake. One thing might be that I have been buried reading late 1800s books in preparation for my next historical fiction novel. Nevertheless, despite my low total, I did read many wonderful books from across all the different genres of romance from sweet contemporary to hot sexy fantasy.
Here are my reviews of the 2019 reads I liked the best. So enjoy. Maybe you will discover a book to add to your 2020 reading list.
Note: These are not in any special order.
Tikka Chance on Me by Suleikha Snyder
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A delightful romance between a bad-biker with a secret and the bartender at her family’s Indian restaurant. If you love fun, sexy-hot stories, you will love this one. The drive-in movie scenes are the best.
Mary Masters by Ana Morgan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Set in the mid-west US in 1889, Mary Masters follows the adventures of a gifted piano player as she tries to find her place in a society that is not ready for a young upper class woman to assert her independence, and fall in love with a Native American man. Beautifully written, this page-turning historical romance takes the reader on a journey from Chicago to St. Louis to the upper reaches of the Yellowstone River. Through it all, Ana Morgan has truly captured the history and customs of the time. If you love sharp-witted heroines and people in love who will face all odds to be together, you will love this book.
Charming the Flames by Serena Lindahl
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
In Serena Lindahl’s fantasy universe, the masters suck everything good from their subjects – intelligence, beauty, strength, and creativity. When the heroine manages to escape their clutches, she finds herself protected by four amazing young men. The story tugs on your heartstrings and pulls the reader deep into this world of sand and evil. You know it is going to get even better when a passel of dragons show up. Unfortunately, although the story ends on a upbeat note, many questions are left unanswered – which just means you have read the next book in the series. If you love fantasy with reverse harem romance, this is the book for you.
Love and Redemption by Luanna Stewart
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This sexy-hot, historical romance pairs a feisty immigrant to Canada hiding her former life as a prostitute while trying to find a new life as a tea shop owner and artist wihile falling hard for a judge of sterling reputation. Set in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Stewart deftly captures the nuances of 19th century life in the city and the social mores of the time. If you love historical romances that have strong heroines and heroes who discover love can conquer all, you will enjoy this book.
A Zara Awesome Author Check out my interview of Luanna Stewart
Better to Marry than to Burn by Michal Scott
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This sexy, hot novella is set in Texas after the Civil War. The hero has contracted with a young Philadelphia woman for a two year marriage. Neither one wants love or commitment, that is – until they meet for the first time. Then it is no holds barred. Powerfully written with unique characters.
A Zara Awesome Author Check out my interview of Michal Scott
From My Balcony by Patricia Bond
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Set in southern France, this is romance about love. Well, all romances are about love, but this one is about love for family, love for friends, and love of place, as well as romantic love. The heroine is a divorcee who has come to a small French town to find herself or is it to hide? Be prepared to meet a wonderful cast of characters deeply developed and easy to love. Not your ordinary contemporary romance. A wonderful read that will make you want to fly off the southern France.
A Zara Awesome Author Check out my interview of Patricia Bond
The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I find this book hard to classify. With aliens versus a mix of psychic humans, the sci fi aspect sort of gets lost. The world created by Shannon is an alternative history of England with plenty of contemporary elements thrown in. There is a dictatorial state controlled by the unseen aliens that harvests psychics for the aliens’ use.
The heroine, who has extremely powerful psychic abilities, is feisty to the point of being foolish. I never understood her driving need to return to her gang as she calls them, where she is basically controlled by a rather cruel boss. However, her goal serves to drive the plot along and kept me turning the page. I recommend this book to anyone who loves complex world-building and is willing to suspend belief to enter an alternative history.
False Start by Marianne Rice
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
A nice play off between a football coach and the new principal. Each has something prove and they both work at the same high school, but what will they do about that attraction between them? If you like sexy heroes and smart heroines, this is the book for you.
A Zara Awesome Author Check out my interview of Marianne Rice
Archangel’s Kiss by Nalini Singh
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The characters in this paranormal fantasy are incredibly described,; the writing is superb. The description of wings and flying were fantastic and made me want wings of my own.
Coming into the middle of the series made it difficult to understand all the nuances going on in this complex alternative world that includes archangels, vampires, and more. So I would suggest starting at the beginning, if possible. But I still enjoyed this book. Recommended for readers who are into deep dark fantasy with hot sex and violence.
Flip the Beat by Roxanne D. Howard
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
The star of this novel is a young woman just finding herself. She has unrealistic dreams of who would be the perfect man for her, and it isn’t the guy downstairs who gets her all hot and bothered and with whom she has a one night stand. With the help of a counselor, Molly grows as person and discovers that sometimes the man of your dreams is much more than you ever dreamed of. This is a light-hearted , contemporary that will appeal to readers who like hot guys who never give up and heroines on the road to discovery.
Dragon’s Winter by Elizabeth A. Lynn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is rich, deeply plotted story about dragons and changelings and the battle against evil. Characters are deeply developed -so much so that when they die, you feel the loss personally. If you love reading about complex worlds with plenty of evil and battles, this is a book you will enjoy.
