Welcome to the Love Bytes Reviewers’ Best of 2020
Here at Love Bytes, we reviewed everything from contemporary romance to fantasy, paranormal, historical, adventure, mystery, comedy and everything in between in 2020. Each day for the next few weeks, we will feature one of our reviewer’s top picks from books and audio books published in 2020. With thousands of fantastic new books each year, written by hundreds of creative and talented authors, it’s so difficult to narrow our lists down. We all have many favorite authors not featured here and wish we could acknowledge them all.
Cheryl’s 2020 Favorites
A Bit of Me by Kent LoweThis is a good depiction of life with depression, and being set in the South of England it was a blast of fresh air. I loved the emotion and humour.
I’m not usually a huge fan of mysteries, but this interested me and pulled me in from the beginning because it’s not just a mystery. In some ways it’s an examination of people and why they react in certain ways at times of high stress. As this is what I often do in my own writing, it interested me and after that, the book hooked me.
For What It’s Worth S.M. James
Authentic characters with individual voices, flawless writing and a strong story. So often, young adult books are written at what the author thinks is a young adult level. However, in my experience young adults demand books with just as much sophistication as adults and that’s a tricky balance, this author gets right. It’s the first teenage polyamorous relationship I’ve read about and it’s pitched perfectly and appropriate to the ages of the characters.
The Edge of the World by Garrett Leigh
When you pick up a Garrett Leigh book you know you’re going to get a gritty, earthy, well told story about characters who bite back. This one is not the exception, with characters who grip you by the throat and don’t let go until four a.m. when you have work the next day and finally run out of just one more pages.
What Happens After by Dennis Abrams
This is an important book that needs to be read. I have commented before that there are books that should be on reading lists in schools and colleges. This is another of them. People need to read stories like this, so they have a greater understanding of difficult situation, and maybe find a better way of helping people who have gone through them, even if it’s only by showing that not everyone is a thoughtless idiot. It also shows that one person, raising their voice, can make a real difference in the lives of those around them, even to the point of saving them.
Beneath the Grandstand (Mardsen Park #2) by Amy-Alex Campbell
Both characters are very real and have suffered in their own way, bringing a strength of character that shines off the page. I came away feeling I knew them. Character development is one of my favourite things and is a big reason why I liked this book so much.
Damaged Hearts (The Boys of Venice Beach #1) by Jan St. Marcus
Another story with extremely strong character portrayal and development. Two very different characters and very different voices and life experiences come together and learn to work with each other. Apart from one or two occasions when I had to suspend my disbelief, I was carried along by and easy-to-read story with just the right amount of every ingredient.
Harvester of Bones (SPECTR series 3, #4) by Jordan Hawk
The latest in the SPECTR series and one of the best. It’s as complex and explosive as the rest of the very long series and I am still in love with Caleb/Gray
The Beauty Beneath by Aver Rigby
This was an unusual book with a hugely enjoyable depiction of two entirely different characters from very different backgrounds who somehow make it work. The black sheep of a mafia family and gentle boy who takes a job with an escort agency to pay for his grandmother’s medical treatment. They should never have been able to come together, but they did and I loved everything through to a very satisfying happy ending.
The Pied Piper (Grim and Sinister Delights # 6) by Emma Jay
This was without doubt my stand out book for the year, and years before. It can’t be said to be a retelling of the Pied Piper story although all the elements were there. The story carried me along with twists and turns and unexpected shennanigans.
Whilst the story is brought to a satisfying conclusion, with all loose ends tied, I hate it, in the best way possible…except for the revenge Domino had on his family, which I absolutely loved! I’m still chuckling over it, so I won’t send a revenge demon after the author…but it was close. Read this book.
Pied Piper was really good. I am adding some of your other favourites to my TBR pile 😉
not read/got any of these! Will be having a look at a few of them
Thanks so much for adding Pied Piper to the list, but please don’t send a revenge demon after me!