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.

 

Larissa’s 2020 Favorites

 

Licking Thicket Series (AUDIO): Fakers (#1) and Liars (#2) by Lucy Lennox and May Archer, narrated by Michael Dean

Reviews

My top pick of 2020 is Lucy Lennox and May Archer’s Licking Thicket series, Fakers (Licking Thicket Book #1) and Liars (Licking Thicket Book #2) – both in the sublime audio format narrated by Michael Dean.  Both books have an engrossing story with endearing, loveable main characters, a smoking hot yet also sweet and heartwarming romance, sharp, witty dialogue … and in the case of Liars, an adorable baby. 😍  All of that is wrapped up in the colorful setting of quirky small town of Licking Thicket – a place full of all-up-in-your-business townspeople and unique bovine-inspired town events and festivals.  This series is a definite must-read/must-listen.

 

Merry Measure by Lily Morton

Review

Lily Morton had several releases this year, including the two fantastic, culminating books in her amazing Close Proximity series:  Charlie Sunshine and After Felix.  Every book Lily writes would land on my favorites lists and choosing between Charlie and Felix is like Sophie’s Choice.  So instead, I’m highlighting Lily’s superb holiday story Merry Measure. Reading this book is like wrapping yourself up in a warm blanket.  It has Lily’s trademark sharp, witty, snarky writing, with beautifully deep and complex relationships, and authentic, multi-dimensional characters. And the world building is par none.  A phenomenal read that will put you in the holiday spirit any time of year.

 

Power Plays & Straight A’s – AUDIO (CU Hockey #1) by Eden Finley and Saxon James, narrated by Alexander Cendese and Iggy Toma 

This is the first book in the CU Hockey series and it and its successor, Face Offs and Cheap Shots, are two sexy, snarky, fun, feel-good MM romcoms.  Eden Finely and Saxon James are an amazing writing duo;  the stories are seamlessly written and check all the boxes for what you’d want in an MM romance.  And if you want to talk about winning duos, look at the narrator pair.  If you haven’t listened to Alexander Cendese and Iggy Toma before, grab this audiobook now.  I can’t even describe how good they are.  *swoon*

 

A Guy Walks into My Bar (AUDIO) by Lauren Blakely, narrated by Shane East and Joe Arden

Review

This book is fantastic all on it’s own, but I’m specifically calling out the audiobook here because it floored me.  The story is brought to life through duet narration with two phenomenal narrators, Joe Arden and Shane East, and a full supporting cast.  This format is highly unusual and even more so because of how superbly it was done.  Basically it’s like radio theater. The story of Dean and Fitz has all the feels, plenty of low-level angst, sweet romance, and a whole lot of carnal, hot, heavy sex … and let me tell you, the narration of those scenes will set your headphones on fire. 🔥🔥🔥  I finished the audiobook and wanted to immediately queue it up again.  Do not miss out on this rare gem.

 

 

Free Me (Tattoos and Temptation #3) by Mia Monroe

Mia Monroe cranked out the entire Tattoos and Temptation series in 2020 and every single book is fabulous.  One of the things she does best is representing and embracing diversity.  You will meet an eclectic cast of characters of different sexualities, appearances, kinks and needs, all living in vibrant Miami, surrounded by gorgeous Latin culture and cuisine.  I specifically called out Free Me, the third book in the series, because it is the brightest gem in the collection: It’s a highly unusual, beautiful exploration of a relationship between two people with a long history and a deep connection who are both struggling with acceptance and letting go; making peace with themselves and each other.  Shibari is used as the perfect vehicle to literally and metaphorically take them on that journey and ultimately set each of them free from the internal struggles that are tying them up and preventing them from being happy.  A-maz-ing.

 

Flat Whites & Chocolate Fish (Southern Lights #3) by Jay Hogan

This was my first Jay Hogan book and it blew me away.  It’s got it all: a great romance wrapped in an expertly crafted and written story that’s unpredictable, well paced, and engrossing.  Adrian and Niall are beyond adorable/hot/amazing;  they’re developed as multi-dimensional people with complex backgrounds, motivations and feelings that are real and identifiable.  There’s crisp dialogue, humor, and descriptive language that brings the words on the page to life.  Even the setting is described so completely and vividly that you feel transported. The only thing wrong with this book is that it had an ending.

 

Screwed (Four Bears Construction #4) by K.M. Neuhold

This whole series is terrific, but this installment is hands-down the best.  This story is about Ollie and Daniel, both faves from the prior books in the series (especially sweet Ollie), in a woke up married, pretending to their friends to really be married and in love, while totally hooking up for real and yet pretending to each other that they aren’t in love, romance (yeah, did you follow all that? 🤣) … and it’s utterly captivating and addicting. It’s hot, happy, heartwarming, although at times heartbreaking, but it has an HEA … and it’s all rolled into one really well-written story.

 

Secret Admirer by DJ Jamison

Secret Admirer is a college, bi-sexual awakening, best friend’s brother love story and it hits all the right notes.  Benji and Ace are lovely (especially Ace *swoon*) and they have great chemistry and connection. This well-written book showcases an authentic relationship, with just a little angst, a whole lot of steam, and absolute plausibility that these two work as a couple.  I just loved everything about this book.  If you haven’t read it, I highly recommend you do.

 

 

The Experiment by Rebecca Raine

This book was probably the most unexpected 5 star read for me in 2020.  The defining aspect of this book is the subtlety and authenticity of it.  The storyline is catchy – the analytical (almost nerdy) PhD psych student, Patrick, conducts an experiment to confirm that he is not bisexual, notwithstanding all the signs indicating otherwise, and his best friend, Logan, who happens to be in love with Patrick, agrees to participate in the “study”.  It has all the elements you’d want – love, romance, heat, banter, and all the feels.  But the author somehow made it into something very different.  There’s nothing over the top in this book.  It’s very real, with potent emotion brought out in a restrained way;  you aren’t hit over the head with trauma or angst, but wow, do you feel it.  And of course, there’s the lovely HEA.  If you are looking for something a little different with an indescribable feel to it, this is the book for you.

 

NautiCal (Forever Wilde #8) by Lucy Lennox

I would be remiss if I didn’t call out the final book in Lucy’s amazing Forever Wilde series, NautiCal (awesome title), which is about Cal, the youngest Wilde sibling, and Jonathan “Worth” Worthington, the uber-rich owner of a yacht that Cal “accidentally” stows away on. You will totally ship Cal and Worth (pun intended). 🤣 Like fall in love, swoon, head-over-heels. 😍😍  The writing, as is usually the case with Lucy Lennox, is magical. The book lets you escape to the open water on a luxury ship ⛵️ with two gorgeous men falling in love with each other, surrounded by colorful, complex side characters and the hysterical Wilde family as the backdrop.  It’s a lovely feel-good story, an age/gap romance with just the right amount of angst, steamy scenes 🔥🔥, witty banter, colorful and meaningful dialogue, and a swoon-worthy denouement, with, of course, a HEA.