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The Best of 2016: Shannon’s List

It’s time to start looking back over 2016 at what we’ve read – what we’ve enjoyed, what we’ve hated and everything in between.  Over the coming weeks, the AAR team will be blogging about their favourite books of the year, and to kick us off, here’s Shannon Dyer’s Top Ten.

 


A Gift of Time by Beth Flynn

This was an amazing ending to Beth Flynn’s Nine Minutes trilogy. The hero and heroine had a long and complex road to their HEA, and I loved seeing them finally achieve it. A/BN/iB/K

 


 

False Hearts by Laura Lam

This book rang a number of my bells: cults, people going undercover, and conjoined twins. I was hooked from page one. A/BN/iB/K

 


 

Dark Deeds by Michelle Diener

Book 2 in Michelle Diener’s Class 5 series definitely doesn’t suffer from second book syndrome. The world-building is amazing, and I absolutely adore the artificial intelligence she developed. The romance is wonderfully believable too. A/BN/iB/K

 


 

Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult

Jodi Picoult’s latest novel is an incredibly timely and poignant discussion of race and privilege. I was moved to tears several times. I highly recommend this. A/BN/iB/K

 


 

Shadow Silence by Yasmine Galenorn

I’m a huge fan of everything this author comes up with, and this second book in her Whisper Hollow series is no exception. Not only does the relationship between Brian and Carris continue to blossom, but the town of Whisper Hollow is on the verge of being overtaken by a secret society bound to an evil deity. A/BN/iB/K

 


 

Duke of My Heart by Kelly Bowen

I can’t say enough good things about this book. It’s so different from most historical romances out there. It was such a fun read. Ivory and Maximus make an incredible couple. A/BN/iB/K

 


1Harmony by Carolyn Parkhurst

Another book that discusses cults, but this one also looks at disability and how it affects the family unit. Ms. Parkhurst is so insightful, and the characters practically leapt off the page. A/BN/iB/K 

 


 

A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

This book is dark, sexy, and utterly enthralling. It took so many twists and turns I didn’t expect, and I can’t wait for book three. Will our hero and heroine be able to claim their HEA? I certainly hope so. A/BN/iB/K

 


 

The Earl Takes All by Lorraine Heath

This was a difficult storyline to pull off, but Ms. Heath did it perfectly. The romance was sweet, but complicated. The historical detail was wonderful too. A/BN/iB/K

 


 

The Things We Keep by Sally Hepworth

I think this is my most memorable read of 2016. I cried so much, but came away feeling like I’d learned something that wouldn’t soon leave me. Anna and Luke have so much to contend with, but they seize their happiness in small, seemingly unimportant moments. It’s truly a beautiful, heart-wrenching story. A/BN/iB/K

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