I feel like 2016 has flown by, and thankfully I’ve had many wonderful stories and awesome characters to keep me company during this hectic year 😉 Right now I should be working, considering I have two projects I want to finish before the end of this crazy fast year, but instead I’m procrastinating, and doing this… lol

But anywho, I wanted to make a post about my top ten favorite romance novels that I read in 2016, as well as a few of my most highly anticipated releases for the rest of the year 🙂 *If you click on the titles, I’ve linked my complete reviews for you ❤

1. Addicted After All and Fuel the Fire by the Ritchie sisters

*I know I’m cheating here, and I’m sure I sound like a broken freaking record by now, but this series is just everything to me. I’ll try to keep this short and sweet because I really have said it all before lol 😉 The character development is insane (particularly Lo in Addicted After All) and I love how invested they’ve kept me, but not in a ridiculous way where there was random drama. It was real life stuff and I’m honestly amazed by these authors. These are two of my all time favorites. This entire sisters is magic 🙂

2. Amour Amour by the Ritchie sisters

Don’t judge. I know I’m a total fangirl, okay? But I just can’t help it. These ladies are fantasticwriters. I had a honest to god girl crush on the heroine in this one. Thora is incredible, and I was completely invested in her story. What I loved the most was that she had an insane amount of determination, but when she fell, she didn’t pretend it didn’t hurt. She considered giving up, she cried, and she struggled. It was achingly real and I found myself rooting for her so much. And then you have the romance… I was swooning over Nik pretty hardcore. He was perfect for Thora and I was over the moon with how he helped her achieve her dream. If you want a love story with a strong heroine pursuing her dreams–and not letting her love of the hero get in the way–this is the one for you! ❤

3. Worth It All by Claudia Connor

If you want a low angst, sweet, light, and swoon-worthy romance, this is your baby. I’ve loved this series, particularly the way Connor writes her child characters. I’m a sucker for kids, and I’m also just as excited to read about the kids as I am the adults 😉

4. Fall Back Skyward by Autumn Grey

Starting with the gorgeous cover, I just loved this one. It’s a fantastic second chance romance (*but I will say it has a trope that I know many dislike… a big miscommunication… I personally didn’t mind it and thought it worked for the story, but I did want to throw that out there). It’s angsty for sure, but it’s also sweet and you get a real soulmate vibe from the MCs. The supporting characters are just as wonderful, and you definitely never feel like there’s a dull moment! Definitely a win if you want some drama and a great love story ❤

5. Some Kind of Perfect by the Ritchie sisters.

Last one by them, I swear! This is the extended epilogue to the Addicted/Calloway series, and it nailed it. I loved that the authors did this. You truly get the sense they care about their readers, because this book wasn’t altogether necessary. It spans ten years and is a compilation of stories during that time. It really was a work dedicated to their readers, and for that alone I find it absolutely fantastic. But obviously, as we’ve guessed, I loved the stories as well. It was a great transition to the spin-off (*grabby hands*) 😀

6. Full Tilt by Emma Scott

This book destroyed me. It’s a heartbreaking book, but it is definitely worth it. Scott gives us breathtaking writing, complex characters, and a storyline that redefines what an epic love story can be. I can’t think of anything I’d change. It was perfect. She took a theme I have a hard time reading, and made it work… she made it work so freaking well. It definitely won’t be a book for everyone (I get that) but it’s truly fantastic and while it hurts, it also gives you a tremendous amount of hope ❤

7. Rush by Emma Scott

Okay, so I’m obsessed with this author as well… blame her for being fucking fantastic. This one had me massively swooning. Noah was the perfect “jerk” character for me. I know asshole heroes are all the rage, but I find most of them to be unredeemable. Noah is not, he’s struggling and not the nicest at first. But it all felt real, not like he was a jerk for the sake of being a jerk. And once he committed to Charlotte, he was flawless… one of my favorite book boyfriends, and the very definition of swoon 🙂

8. Undecided by Julianna Keyes

This was another low angst, sweet story that had me swooning! It’s a college romance, and it was exactly what I needed at the time. Light, funny, low on drama, and realistic. Just an awesome story about finding yourself with a great romance 🙂

9. Bittersweet by Sarina Bowen

This was an unexpected favorite, and I don’t know why because I love Bowen’s work. Her Ivy years series is one of my favorite and her M/M romance collab with Elle Kennedy was just as terrific. But I doubted her, because I’m a moron I guess lol but I ended up LOVING this. It was a lot steamier than I expected, probably the best chemistry I’ve ever read between characters. And Griffin. God, Griffin… here’s my heart, it’s yours. I fell hard for him. I loved how much he loved Audrey–he wasn’t afraid to tell her how he felt and I really enjoyed the pursuit. It’s another low drama read, but it keeps you very invested… just perfection!!!

10. Waiting for Wyatt by S.D. Hendrickson

Archer’s Voice comparison. That was all it took for me to decide to read this book, and I’m so glad I did. This is a story about love, forgiveness, family, and friendship. There are real problems and a tremendous amount of love. I enjoyed the personal growth as much as the romance. ❤ I wrote a very extensive review so I’ll just leave it at that and you can check out the longest review ever lol 😉

Now for the 2016 books I’d sell my black soul for to get them faster…

1. Rookie Move by Sarina Bowen

It’s only a few weeks away but I really really NEED this, like right freaking now. I’ve been waiting for this since November of last year and nothing will stop me from diving in on September 6th 😉

2. The Goal by Elle Kennedy

This series has been fantastic!! And the covers sure don’t hurt either 😉 This is another one that I’ve been waiting on since 2015, especially since we were left on a baby cliffhanger. Kennedy writes New Adult like no one else and I don’t doubt this will be a complete win!

3. Thief of Hearts by L.H. Cosway

Another series that has blown me away. Cosway is magic. Her writing is breathtaking and this series in particular has literally been magical. The gorgeous prose, interesting characters, awesome storylines, and epic loves that come from her brain always guarantees a great novel 😀

4. Twisted Palace by Erin Watt

Okay, truth time… I haven’t read the first two books in this series 😮 But I really really want to. The cliffies have been giving me pause because I heard they were intense. But, once this comes out, there will be NO stopping me from devouring this series 😉

5. All In by Emma Scott

The conclusion to the Full Tilt duet. I know this will hurt, too. But I need the final part of the story, because I know I’ll leave it with a heart full of love. Honestly, there’s nothing Emma Scott could write that I wouldn’t read. ❤

6. Untitled by Autumn Grey

There’s no title, no cover, and no synopsis. But you can bet your ass I’m reading it. This second novel in the Fall Back series focuses on Elon, Nor’s sister. Loved her in the first and I can’t wait for her to fall in love 🙂

7. The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

Nicola Yoon’s debut, Everything, Everything, was a close favorite to this list. It was an easy YA read, and I really enjoyed Yoon’s unique style and I can’t wait to see what else she can do!

Wow. You made it! Thanks for reading, I hope you’ll check some of them out. Also, let me know some of your favorites and most anticipated novels of 2016 in the comments ❤

xoxo