Now that Labor Day has come and passed, summer vacation has ended. While we may still get a nice day here and there, the nights are getting cooler and days are getting shorter. Soon the New England Autumn will be in full swing. So I thought I’d take a few moments to share my favorite reads from Summer 2017.
I read and/or listened to 24 books: 16 books and 8 audiobooks, between Memorial Day and Labor Day. My reading slowed down considerably over the summer. There was more time hanging out with the family and staying up late with the kids. But also, my audiobook listening time was cut dramatically as I don’t work over the summer (so no listening while commuting), and I started walking with my neighbor (so chatting instead of listening). Here are some of my favorites from the summer.
Top Books:
Hands down my favorite book AND audiobook is WILDFIRE by Ilona Andrews (and read by Renee Raudman). This is the third book the amazing Hidden Legacy series and I was blow away. The authors brought the entire story arc to a climatic conclusion, but also created a love-for-all-times between Rogan and Nevada.
As I have stated numerous times, the addition of Renee Raudman’s narration takes any book up a notch. By now, her unique and separate voices for each character have become so familiar to me, and listening to her read the story is a comfort, like hearing my mom’s voice on the phone after not talking for a while. But more than the voices, it’s the emotion she puts behind every performance that blows me away. From anger to fear, from joy to sorrow, I feel the power of her performance deep inside my heart. She takes the already amazing characters and makes them real.
Running a close second is WHEN I NEED YOU by Lorelei James. This is the fourth book in the contemporary Need You series, and I feel it’s the best. The connection between Jensen and Rowan was sincere and sexy.
When I Need You is another wonderful love story in the Need You series. Lorelei James knows how to capture my heart; her characters are honest, caring, wonderful people who love with their whole being. Jensen and Rowan may not believe they are the perfect fit for one another because of self-imposed rules and rocky histories, but Ms. James shows readers how they are actually two halves of a whole.
Another amazing story with wonderful narration is BUNS by Alice Clayton as read by Elizabeth Louise. The story gave me all the feels, taking me from high to low and back up again. Ms. Louise gets an A for her narration, and her performance is solid and highly enjoyable. I’ve not listened to her work before, but she sounded very familiar and comforting.
Buns is a wonderful, feel-great story with a slow burn romance and through-the-roof sexual tension that explodes. The pacing is perfect, taking the pair from annoyed partnership to friendship to lovers. I enjoyed nearly every moment of the book, and I sincerely hope Ms. Clayton continues to share stories from Bailey Falls.
So those are just a couple of the great reads from over this summer. How about you? What books did you most enjoy this past summer?
