January
1. Seven Secrets of Seduction*
2. Too Much Temptation*
3. Can't Get Enough*
4. Northern Escape*
5. Can't Get Enough
6. Coulters' Woman
7. Into the Night*
8. The Rebel*
9. Caught off Guard
10. Jump Start
11. The Seduction
February
12. Rita Book 1
13. Rita Book 2
14. Rita Book 3*
15. Ten Ways to Be Adored When Landing a Lord*
16. Rita Book 4
17. Rita Book 5
18. Rita Book 6
19. Rita Book 7*
20. Rita Book 8
March
21. Deadly Heat*
22. Treachery In Death*
23. Caine's Redemption
24. Sam's Creed
25. Tucker's Claim
26. Tracker's Sin
27. The Last Goodbye*
28. Wild Man Creek*
29. Hidden Away*
30. Deadly Fear*
31. Deadly Lies*
32. Sweet Surrender
33. Sweet Persuasion
April
34. Her Best Friend*
35. She's Got It Bad*
36. Crazy for Love*
37. Backstage Pass
38. Mr. Perfect*
39. Never Too Hot*
40. Wild Heat
May
41. Caught on Camera
42. Anything for You*
43. Midnight's Wild Passion*
44. Breaking Point*
45. Eleven Scandals to Start to Win a Duke's Heart*
46. The Search*
47. Heat Waves*
48. Live a Little!
June
49. Under His Spell*
50. Unlocked*
51. The Tao of Sex
52. Angel's Rest*
53. Hummingbird Lake
54: Heartbreak Falls
July
55. After the Fire*
56. The Perfect Play
57. On the Line*
August
57. Nothing More to Lose*
58. Changing the Game*
59. Unraveled
60. Ravishing in Red
61. One Good Reason*
September
62. New York to Dallas*
63. Love Come to Me
64. Summer of Two Wishes*
65. A Light at Winter's End*
66. Slow Hands
67. The Bare Facts
October
68. Edge of Sight*
69. Sawyer
70. Morgan
71. Gabe
72. Jordan
73. Enticing
74. Sweet Justice*
75. The Heir*
76. The Soldier*
77. What I Did For a Duke*
78. The Perils of Pleasure
79. Like No Other Lover*
80. To Love a Thief*
81. The Many Sins of Lord Cameron*
82. Lady Isabella's Scandalous Marriage*
November
83. Wicked Intentions*
84. Notorious Pleasures*
85. Scandalous Desires*
86. The Next Always
87. Bring Me Home for Christmas
88. Suddenly You*
89. The Virtuoso
90. All They Need*
91. Night Maneuvers*
December
92. Too Wild to Hold
93. Making a Splash
94. Northern Fascination*
95. French Quarter: Hot in the City
96. Understood
97. Overheard
98. Undenied
99. In Bed with a Highlander*
100. Seducing a Highland Lass*
101. Never Love a Highlander*
102. Lover's Leap
2010 Books Read
January
1. Virgin Mistress, Scandalous Love-Child
2. The Once and Future Prince
3. The Cowboy's Second Chance*
4. The Sheriff's Secret Wife*
5. Early Dawn*
6. Coming Undone
7. At Last Comes Love
8. The Charmer*
9. My Sexy Valentine
10. Play with Me
11. Rita Book 1
12. Rita Book 2
13. Rita Book 3
14. Angel Falls
February
15. Rita Book 4
16. Rita Book 5
17. Rita Book 6
18. Rita Book 7
19. Rita Book 8
20. Forbidden Falls
21. Moonlight Road*
22. Tempt Me Again
March
23. Fantasy In Death
24. Back in Black
25. Possessing Morgan
26. Knowing the Score
27. Lone Star Lover
28. Take Me If You Dare
29. His Little Black Book
30. Long Summer Nights*
April
31. The Naked Duke*
32. A View to a Kiss*
33. Surprise Me
34. Led into Temptation
35. Lessons from a Scarlet Lady*
36. Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake*
37. Never Too Much
38. First Comes Marriage*
39. In Scandal They Wed
40. Provocative in Pearls*
41. Wanted!
42. An Indecent Proposition*
May
43. Don't Tempt Me
44. Then Comes Seduction*
45. Surrender to the Devil*
46. Laid Bare
47. The Ranger*
48. Savor the Moment*
49. Indiscretions
50. Three Seductions and a Wedding
51. Married by Morning*
52. 10 Things I Love About You*
53. Something About You*
June
54. My Reckless Surrender*
55. Desires of a Perfect Lady
56. Last Chance*
57. Wicked Becomes You
58. Seduction Becomes Her
July
59. Love in the Afternoon*
60. The Tutor*
61. Ambushed
62. The Rules of Fake Engagement
63. Simon Says
64. The Braddock Boys: Brent
65. Born on the Fourth of July*
66. Still Missing*
67. Scandalous
August
68. The Secret Diaries of Miss Miranda Cheever*
69. His At Night
70. Taken and Seduced
71. Three Nights of Sin*
72. In Bed with the Devil*
73. Secret Desires of a Gentleman*
74. Proof By Seduction*
September
75. The Renegade
76. Hot Target
77. Unbelievable
78. Her Private Treasure*
79. Hot Island Nights*
80. Hot Blooded*
81. The Devil Wears Plaid*
82. A Marquis to Marry
October
83. Private Sessions
84. Seduce and Rescue*
85. Northern Exposure*
86. Just Another Wild Wedding Night
87. The Ex Factor*
88. In the Bed of a Duke*
89. Always a Scoundrel*
90. My Wicked Marquess*
November
91. Sinful in Satin
92. Happy Ever After*
93. Simply Irresistible*
94. Indulgence In Death
95. Taking Care of Business
96. Extreme Exposure*
97. Hard Evidence*
98. Unlawful Contact*
99. Naked Edge*
100. Rescue Me*
101. Return to Me*
December
102. Run to Me*
103. Just One Taste
104. Promise Canyon*
105. Wallflower Christmas*
106. Home for the Holidays*
107. Paradise Valley* (re-read)
108. The Best Laid Plans*
109. Erotic Invitation
110. The Darkest Hour*
111. A Summer in Sonoma*
112. No Place to Run*
*Loved it!
What is a Rita book? I was sent eight books to judge for RWA's Rita contest. However, I can't publicly name them, so I will just refer to them as a Rita Book.
this year I decided to keep track of how many books I read and to note the ones I particularly loved. You've heard me say before that I am not a big fan of authors rating other authors so you won't see me scoring books on Goodreads or Amazon. Instead I give a little * to those that really resonated with me. That doesn't mean I don't like the others. I liked most of the books I read this year with few exceptions. The final total for the year was 112. To be honest, I am surprised it's that low. I would've guessed closer to 200. In years past, it probably was 200 or more. But now that I am having to be even more disciplined about writing, the reading time is getting ever more precious. I still read for fun every single day. My day is simply not complete without at least 30 minutes of reading time. And in 2010, I became an e-book convert. In early November, I downloaded the Amazon app to my iTouch (okay, let's be real, Emily did it for me) and have become an e-book reading fool. I'm a total convert. I never imagined I'd love it so much!
So now without further ado, I give you my top three favorite books for 2010:
1. A Summer in Sonoma by Robyn Carr. This book contained all the things that make a book unforgettable to me: amazing, well-crafted characters dealing with serious issues in their lives along with a healthy dose of romance. Four interwoven stories told from Robyn's unique perspective made this book a total winner for me. I know I will remember it for some time to come. And, I'm delighted to call Robyn a new friend in 2010. Her Virgin River books rank right up there among my all-time favorites.
2. Hot Island Nights by Sarah Mayberry. What a terrific book about a hero dealing with unimaginable grief and all it's accompanying issues. I love the way Sarah tackles the subject of post-traumatic stress in the context of a new romance. To be honest, I've come to expect a lighter, fluffier read from a lot of the Blaze line and with the title of this book, I was expecting a sexy beach romp (not that there is ANYTHING wrong with a sexy beach romp!). This book was SO much more than that. I thought about it for weeks after I finished it, and that made this book one of my top 3 for 2010. Well done, Sarah!
3. Extreme Exposure by Pamela Clare. I chose this book because it set me off on a reading frenzy that reminded me of when I read the Virgin River books. For about 20 days in November I was all Pamela Clare all the time. Her I-Team series, which begins with Extreme Exposure, was some of the most riveting reading I've done in a long time. I tend to shy away from contemporaries and romantic suspense because that's what I write, and I never want to be influenced by other books. However, my book club wenches insisted I read this series, and WOW, I am so glad I did. As a former reporter myself, I loved reading about Pam's investigative reporters and their many adventures. If you haven't read this series, what are you waiting for? Even though I listed Extreme Exposure as one of my top three, I am STILL on team Julian (ALY)! He is the hero from book 2, Hard Evidence. One word: YUM. Thank you for the many hours of entertainment, Pamela!
Honorable Mention
1. Last Chance Rescue Series by Christy Reece. Riveting. Amazing. Heart-pounding.
2. Kelly Group International Series by Maya Banks. Outstanding. Sexy. Thrilling. Can't wait for the third book! Six yummy brothers. What more do we need?
So much for avoiding romantic suspense, huh? :-) I am shocked to not see a historical on my top 3 list. I truly enjoyed Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean (coming soon to book club) and 10 Things I Love About You by Julia Quinn. And, of course, A Wallflower Christmas and the final Hathaway book by Lisa Kleypas.
