Top Books I Read in 2020

Hey my lovely reading friends!! How are you all? How has the New Year been treating you? Have you finished your first read of 2021 yet?

I’m not sure about you guys but I CANNOT believe it is 2021 right now?!? 2020 felt like the longest year ever and my little book reading brain simply would not have survived if I couldn’t slip down the rabbit hole into my never ending TBR of books.

While 2020 was a dumpster fire of a year (quite literally it burned up the past nine+ months of my life like a forgotten cigarette in a dry forest) I did manage to have a GREAT reading year! In fact the number of books I read nearly doubled (I somehow went from reading about 35 books a year to 71?! what in the parallel universe?!).

Seriously reading was my only saving grace this past year. So I just want to send a quick shout out to all the books that helped me get here (and by here I mean the end of this god awful time sucking year) and highlight some of my favorite books I read this last year:

And the Oscar goes to the following books….

Crescent City by Sarah J Maas

I mean are we surprised?? Are we really surprised? As a long time fan of SJM (her books are my fav and she has been my fav author for many years) it comes as no surprise that I fell in LOVE with Crescent City and am EAGERLY and IMPATIENTLY awaiting ACOTAR #4 this upcoming February!! 

The Winter King by CL Wilson

As I said before this book took me by SURPRISE. The world building in this was SO. GOOD. Also there was marriage of convenience in this book (which I am quickly beginning to learn is my shit weakness in terms of tropes). This book has a weather power princess and a brute ice king and their romance is so closed off, and back and forth, with infinite burning and denial of feelings for one another… just yessss!!

The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen

Oh would you look at that another marriage of convenience (this truly is a shocking turn of events). This book is great enemies to lovers. The level of angst and betrayal in this is on another LEVEL let me tell you. Also this book takes place in a Jungle which I think is pretty epic. Def recommend.

Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young

Two words: Slow Burn. The romance is this is so tender and slow burn and just ahshjdshs. Plus it has vikings. 

The Villain by LJ Shen

If you all have been following me for awhile you know LJ Shen is my QUEEN of all things romance and this book was TOP TIER LJ SHEN!!! One of my favorite couples she has ever written. I may have fallen in love with Cillian… (not me falling for book characters again). So freaking GOOD.

Wicked and the Wallflower by Sarah Maclean

This was one of the first historical romances I was blessed with reading and this book was EVERYTHING. I may have already reread it on multiple occasions… and I don’t reread books?!? The main lover boy reminds me of Thomas Shelby from Peaky Blinders on Netflix and thats all you need to know to start this. Loved it. 

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne 

Some more fabulous enemies to lovers. This one was an office romance in a publishing house and I loved Josh and Lucy so dang much. The chemistry was achy and fire and ughhh I want a Josh in real life!!!

Fable by Adrienne Young

Another by Adrienne Young who I am quickly coming to learn may be one of my new favorite authors of all time!! This one took place on the high seas and is super gritty, dark, and grimy. I loved the characters in this one and no one does slow burn romance quite like Young. Amazing. 

The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi

This book has me hyped because I desperately ship Severin and Laila!!! I am so excited for book two because I want NEED more of them!!!

Rhapsodic by Laura Thalassa

Binged this whole series dangerously quick. An amazing Fae romance featuring a really dark hero and heroine. One is a dark Fae king the other is a messy dangerous siren. The banter and jokes in this will make you laugh out loud like NO OTHER. Book three was my for sure fav 😉 

Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin 

I almost didn’t include this one because I read it last January (almost a year ago) but than remembered I simply HAD to because Serpent and Dove has one of my FAVORITE romances I have read in YA and I simply love love loved the marriage of convenience in this one. Reid and Lou are amazing!! This actually reminds me that I own Blood & Honey the sequel and should go read that…

Ok wow, did NOT mean to make this list this long…but what can I say I read some FIRE books this year and looking back there was some I just could not not include you know??

(also Honorable Mention to Angry God by LJ Shen, From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L Armentrout, and Sweet Retribution by Siobhan Davis!!) 

Thats all for now reading bears!! What were some of your reading highlights from 2020? Are you just as excited for the New Year as I am? Read any of the books above? Lmk in the comments below!

– BubblyBooks