Best Books of 2013

Every year I like to take stock of what I’ve read and pick out the best of the best. In 2013 I didn’t read quite as many books as I normally do, but that doesn’t mean I let my Kindle and bookcases get dusty. I read 212 books, read stories from 84 new (to me) authors, and participated in my fourth A to Z Reading Challenge. I read a ton of fantastic stories this year, but I did manage to narrow the list down. So without further ado, here are my picks for the best of 2013:



Top Thirteen Books of 2013
Top Re-Reads of 2013
Honorable Mentions

My Top Thirteen Books of 2013

Note: Not necessarily all published in 2013 but all were new-to-me reads
Also note: The books are alphabetized by title as I love them all equally

1. Adulting: How to Become a Grown-up in 468 Easy(ish) Steps by Kelly Williams Brown
My Review | Buy Link





2. Angels Fall by Nora Roberts
Buy Link






3. Bound by Night (MoonBound Clan Vampires, Book 1) by Larissa Ione
My Review | Buy Link





4. Decadence (Emerald Valley, Book 1.5) by Riley Shane
Buy Link






5. Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin, Book 1) by Robin LaFevers
My Review | Buy Link






6. Her Ladyship’s Curse (Disenchanted & Co., Book 1, Part 1) by Lynn Viehl
My Review | Buy Link





7. The Luckiest Lady in London by Sherry Thomas
My Review | Buy Link






8. The Reason I Jump: The Inner Voice of a Thirteen-Year-Old Boy with Autism by Naoki Higashida
Buy Link





9. Rocky’s Road by Lynley Wayne
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10. Trust in Me (Rancho del Cielo, Book 5) by Dee Tenorio
My Review | Buy Link






11. A Very Personal Trainer by Justine Elyot
My Review | Buy Link






12. Winterblaze (Darkest London, Book 3) by Kristen Callihan
My Review | Buy Link






13. With This Kiss: Part One by Eloisa James
My Review | Buy Link

My Top Re-Reads of 2013

1. Bed, Breakfast and Bondage (Emerald Valley, Book 1) by Riley Shane
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2. Conspiracy in Death (In Death, Book 8) by J.D. Robb
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3. He Loves Lucy by Susan Donovan
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4. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster
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5. Purity in Death (In Death, Book 15) by J.D. Robb
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6. Simply Irresistible (Lucky Harbor, Book 1) by Jill Shalvis
My Review | Buy Link






7. Victorian Valentine by Riley Shane
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Honorable Mentions

These books barely missed making the top thirteen list but they’re excellent.

1. The Battle for Galerir (The Galerir Saga, Book 1) by Anna Lee
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2. The Big Book of Orgasms anthology
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3. Entwined (Darkest London, Book 3.5) by Kristen Callihan
My Review | Buy Link






4. Ghosts of Bourbon Street by Rowan Speedwell
Buy Link






5. Learning to Live by Diana DeRicci
Buy Link






6. A Life Interrupted by Lynley Wayne
Buy Link






7. Marine Biology by Gail Carriger
Buy Link

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Review: The Luckiest Lady in London by Sherry Thomas

The Luckiest Lady in London by Sherry Thomas
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Historical Romance
ISBN: 978-0425268889
Release Date: November 5, 2013
Buy it here: Amazon | B&N

By all outward appearances, Felix Rivendale, Marquess of Wrenworth, is perfection. Little does society know that “The Ideal Gentleman” is little more than a carefully crafted façade born from the ashes of pain and loneliness. Felix is content never to let anyone know the true him, until he crosses paths with Louisa Cantwell. The woman is nothing more than a fortune-hunting female, but for some reason Felix can’t seem to get her out of his mind. And the closer he gets to Louisa, the more Felix’s perfect mask begins to crumble in her presence.

Felix will never allow himself to marry a woman like Louisa – a woman he could all too easily fall in love with – but he could solve her financial problems and cure his obsession with her by making her his mistress. Now all he has to do is tempt the all-too-clever beauty to break all the rules in the name of pleasure…without losing his heart in the process.

The Luckiest Lady in London is a darkly seductive story that will have you reading late into the night. If Sherry Thomas’s gorgeous prose wasn’t enough to put her on my list of autobuy authors, her gift for creating complex characters and gripping yet understated drama would.

Felix is exactly the kind of hero I love. He’s a richly-drawn character who’s not exactly likeable in the beginning, but who is deeply compelling. Like Louisa, I found myself caught in his spell, uncertain of what he would say or do next, but desperately wanting to find out. Beneath the surface, Felix is a man whose life has been shaped by the cruelty of his mother and the heartbreak of his father. His upbringing and desire to protect himself from pain lead him to create the persona of The Ideal Gentleman, but make no mistake, he’s still very much a hurt little boy seeking love. The conflicting emotions his feelings for Louisa bring out are a significant part of what makes The Luckiest Lady in London shine. Because of his internal battle, Felix makes more than one mistake with Louisa, but the way in which he redeems himself had me sighing.

I could go on about Felix, but then I’d be doing the story a great injustice, for Louisa is every bit as fascinating a character as he. She’s incredibly intelligent and practical, and circumstances have forced her to be almost calculating in how she goes about securing her family’s wellbeing. Like Felix, there’s far more to Louisa than meets the eye. She’s a passionate heroine whose recognition and acceptance of her own desires make for some seriously hot scenes. And speaking of heat…Ms. Thomas is a master at delivering eroticism without sex. The sexual tension between Felix and Louisa practically made the pages of my book go up in flames. Physically, mentally, and emotionally, these two are a perfect fit. The scenes where they discussed astronomy were every bit as dazzling as their sensual circling of one another. No matter the scene, Louisa and Felix have such amazing chemistry that I couldn’t put The Luckiest Lady in London down.

A perfectly-matched couple, fantastic dialogue, internal strife, character growth, heartbreak, sensuality, and a happily ever after that’s worth fighting for – can you ask for more? This is the first book of Ms. Thomas’s I’ve read, but you can bet that I’m going to be buying up her backlist. If The Luckiest Lady in London is anything to go by, Sherry Thomas is (or should be) a shining star of the historical romance genre. Trust me, you don’t want to miss The Luckiest Lady in London!

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