Dot's Top Authors for 2017

So, I had this great idea to do a top 10 reads for 2017. Fun, right? Nope. Because I read over 100 books in 2017 - new and old. My list went from 10 to 20 to 30 and I kept going "Ooh, that was a 5 star read, it needs to be on the list." Well, this went on for a week. So today, the second day of the new year, I have decided to just write a list of authors you should be reading and include some of their latest releases or my favorites.


So...HERE GOES.


1. Colleen Hoover
 (No big surprise there.) Hoover released Without Merit in 2017 and I have to admit, this one has been stuck with me sense I read it. It may be bumping Hoover's Confess out of my number one spot for my favorites.


2. Kandi Steiner
If you haven't picked up Steiner yet, I have no idea what you're waiting for. Seriously! There are a few of her books that I have not read yet (older ones), but I will get to them. I am going to sign up for less new releases this year so I can enjoy some of the books sitting on my TBR. Pick up Palm South University: Seasons 1-3 (I seriously hope she's writing more of this), Weightless, On the Way to You, and Revelry... Sure, I want you to get all of her books, but these are a few of my favorites. Steiner gives it to you real and raw. I'm not sure how she does it, but I am in awe of her writing. On the Way to You left me feeling so raw and open, that I wanted to reread it just to make sure that it was real.


3. Marie Skye
I am not sure how I came in contact with Skye, but boy am I glad I did. She has a knack for writing great character development that catapults you into the storyline wishing you had someone speak beautiful words to you. The Incapable Series...whew. But, you want to know something strange? Her short stories in the Anthologies she's participated in were my favorites, thus far. So check out Fourteen Shades of F*cked Up and Six: A Men of the Strip Anthology. Hot reads! So good.


4. Brittainy C. Cherry
All I have to say is Behind the Bars. If you haven't read it, you need to get off of my blog right now and go read it. Like now. I am still working on her Elements Series, but I am loving those too. Cherry is so very talented and I can't wait to read more of her work.


5. Whitney Barbetti
I guess I am just a sucker for a good romance. I was introduced to Barbetti after posting in the Cohort's group that I was in labor and it would be a long night. A nice woman offered to gift me a book and she sent me Into the Tomorrows to give me something to do while I waited for the birth of my beautiful baby boy in June of 2016. After I read this one, I gobbled up each and every one of Barbetti's books. I was a goner. Barbetti writes like she loves words. Like they are the only thing that matters. I remember highlighting things and simply being in awe, saying things like "whoa" or "wow" in the notes sections because the words just spoke to me.


6. Cassie Graham
I stumbled upon Graham through a promo site that I subscribe to. I remember just saying, "Why not," when I clicked yes to Who Needs Air. It was a rerelease of it, I believe. But it was so beautifully written that I was glad I took a chance on it. More people should read it. And let's not forget to mention the Wilder Boys...umm..yes!


7. Staci Hart
She captured my heart in 2017 (officially) with A Little Too Late. I don't know what it was about this story, but I was officially a fan after that. I mean, I loved her clever take on the Greek Gods in her Hearts and Arrows series, but A Little Too Late put that all to shame.


8. S.L. Scott
She's clever and witty and everything you would want in an author. Everest is a must read.


9. Meghan Quinn
Twisted Twosome was funny and exciting. She has a lot more books that I have yet to read, but they are on my TBR waiting for me.


10. Max Monroe
Now, don't you think that because they are number 10 on my list is in any way a depiction of them being at the bottom of the barrel. Save the best for last, ya know? If you like a great love story that makes you laugh out loud?? Max Monore is the duo for you! Even their emails are freaking hilarious! Billionaire Bad Boys, Alex in Wonderland.... THATCH! And word around the street is Quinn is next. Yum...yes..and yum.




Honorable Mentions:
Stylo Fantome (Twin Estates series is bomb)
Annita L. Jackson (New Urban Author with great potential in storytelling)
B. Love (Beautifully written stories)
Latoya Nicole (Her storytelling is good, potential to make the list for 2018 if she works on editing a bit)


There are plenty more, but I hope to have a bigger list for next year!


That's it folks! Happy 2018.


My first read for the year will be The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

*New Release/Review* Hard Core by Madison Faye

Title: Hard Core

Series: Dirty Bad Things #1

Author: Madison Faye

Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: November 27, 2017


Dot's Rating: 4 Stars
Triggers: 18+ read

Blurb

She’s sweet, pure, and untouched, and she’s about to lose her innocence on camera. To me.

Trust me, I’m no porn star, even if I do have the equipment of one. But when the Moretti crime family comes calling to collect on a debt I owe, they want it in trade.

You see, there’s big money in dirty movies, and the more real, the better. Me? I’m already filthy, damaged goods from my time in Afghanistan.

But then I meet Rose, my “co-star”, and my whole world shatters.

She owes the Moretti’s too, but she’s too good for all of this. Too sweet, too beautiful - too innocent for this shit. And I’ll be damned if I let them steal that away from her.

It’s wrong that she’s here, but it’s also wrong that she wants me to “teach her” things. It’s worse that I want to.

But one taste of her lips, and I’m hooked. One touch of her soft skin, and I know Rose is going to be mine. Not the camera’s. Mine.

The virgin with the debt, the ex-marine with the dick, and a porno for the mob.

Welcome to Vegas, baby.

*Please note that while a connected storyline, each of the Dirty Bad Things books are completely standalone stories centered around one couple, with no cliffhangers or spoilers.

Dirty, filthy, and oh-so-sweet, with an utterly obsessed alpha hero, explosive insta-love, and enough kindle-melting steam to make you sweat. Get ready to get wrong in the right kind of way. HEA with NO CHEATING!

Dot's Deets:

This book was steamy read and only for readers over 18! The storyline moved well enough, but I just felt like it was missing something to give that 5 star rating. It was a good short read that will have you wanting to read more. Sex scenes can be awkward while reading (even writing), but this one was hot and everything I was hoping for.

The characters were a little underdeveloped for my liking, but I guess the plot didn't need it. But I just like a little more depth to my characters.

This one is a curl up with an iced cold brew and sandwich. Steamy. You'll need to cool down from it.

ADD TO GOODREADS

Purchase Links

99c for a limited time

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Free in Kindle Unlimited

Coming Soon

Releasing December 11, 2017

Releasing January 15, 2018

Author Bio

#1 bestselling contemporary romance author Madison Faye is the dirty alter ego of the very wholesome, very normal suburban housewife behind the stories. While she might be a wife, mom, and PTA organizer on the outside, there’s nothing but hot, steamy, and raunchy fantasies brewing right beneath the surface!

Tired of keeping them hidden inside or only having them come out in the bedroom, they’re all here in the form of some wickedly hot stories. Single-minded alpha hero, sinfully taboo relationships, and wildly over-the-top scenarios. If you love it extra dirty, extra hot, and extra naughty, this is the place for you! (Just don’t tell the other PTA members you saw her here…)

Join the mailing list for author updates, special prices, and a **FREE BOOK!** http://eepurl.com/b-b5Pz

Author Links

AMAZON
WEBSITE
MAILING LIST
FACEBOOK
INSTAGRAM
TWITTER
BOOKBUB

*Cover Reveal* Everest by S.L. Scott

 

Title: Everest

Author: S.L. Scott

Genre: Contemporary Romance/Romantic Suspense

Release Date: December 7, 2017

Cover Design: Letitia Hasser

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/EverestGR

SYNOPSIS

Six foot three. Dynamic green eyes. Utterly irresistible.
Ethan Everest stole my breath the first time I saw him. He romanced me with skill, dazzled me with his charisma, and proceeded to steal my heart right after.
I might have fallen for his easy going smile the first time we met, but I fell for him the second time.
Honey-colored hair. Cherry-kissed lips. Captivatingly gorgeous.
Singer Davis was the first, and only, woman to ever intimidate me. She spoke to my heart with her wit, seduced me with her eyes, and became the only thing that made sense in a world that made none.
I let her slip through my fingers once. I won’t make that mistake twice.
Secrets broke us apart. Can a second chance bring us back together?




ABOUT S.L. SCOTT


Living in the capital of Texas with her family, Scott loves traveling and avocados, beaches, and cooking with her kids. She's obsessed with epic romances and loves a good plot twist. Her favorite color is blue, but she likens it more toward the sky than the emotion. Her home is filled with the welcoming symbol of the pineapple and finds surfing a challenge though she likes to think she's a pro.

AUTHOR LINKS

Website: http://www.slscottauthor.com/
The Scott Scoop: http://bit.ly/2TheScoop
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/slscottpage
Twitter: https://twitter.com/slscottauthor
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/s.l.scott/
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/slscott1
Bookbub: http://bit.ly/SLBookbub
Amazon: http://bit.ly/SLScottAm
Book + Main Bites: https://bookandmainbites.com/slscott
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/Slscottauthor
Huffington Post Contributor Page: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sl-scott/
S.L. Scott FB Reader Group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/slscottbooks
S.L. Scott GR Reader Group: http://bit.ly/SLScottGRGroup

**Cover Reveal** A Little Too Late by Staci Hart

A Little Too Late, an all-new romantic standalone from Staci Hart is coming October 24th!

A Little Too Late by Staci Hart

Publishing Date: October 24th, 2017

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Cover Designer: QuirkyBird Designs

I wasn't supposed to fall in love with the nanny.

When my wife left, she took the illusion of happiness with her, and I've been caught in a free fall ever since. For nine long months, I've been fighting to figure out how to be a single dad, how to be alone.

For nine long months, I've been failing.

When Hannah walked through the door, I took my first breath since I'd found myself on my own. She slipped into our lives effortlessly, showing me what I've been missing all these years. Because Hannah made me smile when I thought I'd packed the notion of happiness away with my wedding album.

She was only supposed to be the nanny, but she's so much more.

The day my wife left should have been the worst day of my life, but it wasn't. It was when Hannah walked away, taking my heart with her.

Preorder Today!

iBooks: http://apple.co/2iPPgH0

Nook: http://bit.ly/2ewscMg

Kobo: http://bit.ly/2xDG7F9

Add to GoodReads: http://bit.ly/2iZfozn

Amazon will be live October 24th, sign up here to get an email reminder: http://stacihartnovels.com/get-the-newsletter/

About the Author

Staci has been a lot of things up to this point in her life -- a graphic designer, an entrepreneur, a seamstress, a clothing and handbag designer, a waitress. Can't forget that. She's also been a mom, with three little girls who are sure to grow up to break a number of hearts. She's been a wife, though she's certainly not the cleanest, or the best cook. She's also super, duper fun at a party, especially if she's been drinking whiskey. From roots in Houston to a seven year stint in Southern California, Staci and her family ended up settling somewhere in between and equally north, in Denver. They are new enough that snow is still magical. When she's not writing, she's reading, sleeping, gaming, or designing graphics.

Connect with Staci:

Amazon: http://amzn.to/2hv5OA5

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stacihartnovels

Twitter: https://twitter.com/imaquirkybird

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/imaquirkybird/

Website: http://stacihartnovels.com

Newsletter: http://stacihartnovels.com/get-the-newsletter/

Revelry by Kandi Steiner

Rating: 5 out of 5
Recommendation: Heck yes!
Standalone
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: April 20, 2017 (like my page on fb for updates on release and other goodies Dot's Dirty Deets)
Triggers: none
Read time: 2 days
**Received an ARC for an honest review**


Blurb (Courtesy of Goodreads. Add to your TBR list HERE.):


Wren Ballard is trying to find herself.

She never expected to be divorced at twenty-seven, but now that the court date has passed, it’s official. The paperwork is final. Her feelings on it aren’t.

Spending the summer in a small mountain town outside Seattle is exactly what she needs. The peaceful scenery is a given, the cat with the croaky meow is a surprise, but the real kicker? A broody neighbor with nice arms, a strange reputation, and absolutely no interest in her.

Anderson Black is perfectly fine being lost.

He doesn’t care about the town’s new resident — he’s too busy fighting his own demons. But when he’s brought face to face with Wren, he can see her still-fresh wounds from a mile away. What he doesn’t see coming is his need to know who put them there — or his desperation to mend them.

Sometimes getting lost is the way to find yourself. Sometimes healing only adds a new scar. And sometimes the last place you expected to be is exactly where you find home.

****

You know the drill by now. If you don't want spoilers, then do not read beyond this point. Because this one was a good one and I have a lot to say!

Well, Ms. Steiner, you have gone and done it again. I do not know why I torture myself and read your books. I really don't. This one will probably be on the top of my list of books that you have written. But I still have a few to play catch-up on, so the jury is still out. But...the feelings I felt when I read this one made me want to crawl inside myself and never come out. Why? No clue. I have suffered a loss. I have not suffered a big break-up like a divorce. I haven't run away to find myself (unless you count college, but nah). I guess the book was so real to me. All too often, when reading books, you think to yourself. "Come on, not in a million years would this happen." But this probably will touch so many hearts that it is so relatable. The word that poured out onto the pages, were brilliant. Beautifully written. Extremely heartbreaking. I have never rooted for two characters to stop worrying about outside forces and be together. Ugh.

Wren, Wren, Wren. I kept thinking in my head, "Who cares?!" So what you just got a divorce months ago. So what! So what! So what! She's just going to let this man who is giving her what she wants just walk out of her life? Anderson! I was having angry anxiety. I wanted him to just be like, "Shut up and be with me." That scene right before she left and the words Momma Von spoke to her ran through her head. She felt it. I felt it. The readers will feel this! OMG. Then Kandi Steiner pulls out the Morton's, grabs my shoulders and pours onto my open heart when Beau shows up at the end. Seriously? That entire story wasn't enough? You had to add that one last knife twist to make me hurt and feel more? Thanks. Thanks a whole effing lot.

If you all can't tell by this review, I loved this book. Revelry will have you all in your feelings. I almost gave it a 4.5 because she just made me feel way too much. It is definitely a can't put down book. I was up til 1am last night finishing it. Looking at my progress at the bottom of my app, thinking, "Just one more chapter...just 5 more minutes." Well, yeah...I'm tired. But this book...just read it. Yes. Please.

Release Blitz coming soon!