Can you
believe 2017 is already coming to an end? I can’t for sure! This year has literally
flown by. I didn’t read as much books as I hoped and planned this year. But
since we had our wedding in May which took a lot of time in the early months of
this year, I’m still pretty happy with the result I got in the end. And I did
read some great books! Funny to see that most of my favorite books this year
are Romance novels. I think I am a mood reader after all!

Since this
is the last week of the year I’m thinking a lot about what’s coming next year. There
will be some changes on the blog. And for one, I hope I will be able to get
some posts ready ahead of time. Something I haven’t been able to do for this last
few years. That’s definitely one of the things I plan on doing better in 2018.

And before
I take you through my favorite books of this year, I wanted to take this time
to thank you all for staying with me this last year. Maureen’s Books is a big
part of my life, and I can’t imagine life without it.

Happy New
Year!!

The girl
emerged from the woods, barely alive. Her story was beyond belief. But it was
true. Every dreadful word of it. Days later, another desperate escapee is found
– and a pattern is emerging. Pairs of victims are being abducted, imprisoned
then faced with a terrible choice: Kill or be killed. Would you rather lose
your life or lose your mind?

Detective Inspector
Helen Grace has faced down her own demons on her rise to the top. As she leads
the investigation to hunt down this unseen monster, she learns that it may be
the survivors – living calling cards – who hold the key to the case. And unless
she succeeds, more innocents will die…

I was
looking for a good thriller and what I found was another series I just have to
read.

– Maureen’s Books

Check out my review here.

Our lives are a collection of moments. Some utterly painful and full of
yesterday’s hurts. Some beautifully hopeful and full of tomorrow’s promises.

I’ve had many moments in my lifetime, moments that changed me, challenged me.
Moments that scared me and engulfed me. However, the biggest ones—the most
heartbreaking and breathtaking ones—all included him.

I was ten years old when I lost my voice. A piece of me was stolen away, and
the only person who could truly hear my silence was Brooks Griffin. He was the
light during my dark days, the promise of tomorrow, until tragedy found him.
Tragedy that eventually drowned him in a sea of memories.

This is the story of a boy and girl who loved each other, but didn’t love
themselves. A story of life and death. Of love and broken promises.

Of moments.

.. let’s not
even start with the beautiful writing.. Wow.. I loved the writing.

– Maureen’s Books

Check out my review here.

The quiet town
of Hartwell is the perfect place to get away from it all – and find what you
never knew you needed . . .

Bailey
Hartwell has many reasons to feel content – her successful business, a close
circle of friends and her steady boyfriend . . . even if their romance feels
staid after ten years without a serious commitment. The only challenge in her
life comes in the form of sexy businessman Vaughn Tremaine. She thinks the
ex-New Yorker acts superior and that he considers her a small-town nobody. But
when Bailey’s blindsided by a betrayal, she’s shocked to discover Vaughn is
actually a decent guy.

Vaughn
admires Bailey’s free spirit, independence and loyalty. As his passion for her
has grown, his antagonism toward her has only worsened. Every little thing
Bailey does seduces him. But when Vaughn’s painful emotional past makes him
walk away in fear he will hurt her, it opens an old wound in Bailey, and she
uncharacteristically retreats.

Once
Vaughn begins to realise he’s made the biggest mistake of his life, he has no
choice but to fight like he’s never fought before to convince Bailey that the
love they’ve found together only comes around once in a lifetime . . .

‘Every
Little Thing’ is my third Samantha Young read, and I must say I really love her
writing. Her writing is fun, interesting, sexy and very romantic.

– Maureen’s Books

Check out my review here.

When
nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like
creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical
land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not
an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their
world.

As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy
hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she’s
been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient,
wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it
. . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.

I can’t
even tell you guys how much I loved this book. I was having a little reading
slump and this book really was what I needed.

– Maureen’s Books

Check out my review here.

From the
bestselling author of Cry Baby, the beginning of a brilliant and gripping
police procedural series set in Liverpool, perfect for fans of Peter James and
Mark Billingham.

A woman at
home in Liverpool is disturbed by a persistent tapping at her back door. She’s
disturbed to discover the culprit is a raven, and tries to shoo it away. Which
is when the killer strikes.

DS Nathan Cody, still bearing the scars of an undercover mission that went
horrifyingly wrong, is put on the case. But the police have no leads, except
the body of the bird – and the victim’s missing eyes.

As flashbacks from his past begin to intrude, Cody realizes he is battling not
just a murderer, but his own inner demons too.

And then the killer strikes again, and Cody realizes the threat isn’t to the
people of Liverpool after all – it’s to the police.

Not only
was the murder investigation really good, and kept me on the edge of my seat, I
also really loved getting to know the main character Cody.

– Maureen’s Books

Check out my review here.

Meet the Shakespeare
family: four sisters, four stories . . . four ways to find true love

Cesca Shakespeare has hit rock bottom. Six years after the play she wrote
bombed at the box office, she’s unable to hold down a job, keep an apartment,
and worst of all her family have no idea how far she’s fallen. So when her
fairy Godfather offers her the use of his friend’s Italian villa for the
summer, she grudgingly agrees to try writing a new play. That’s before she
finds out the house belongs to her arch-nemesis, Sam Carlton.

When Hollywood heart-throb Sam Carlton sees his name splashed across a gossip
rag, all he wants to do is hide. That’s how he finds himself traveling to
Italy, deciding to spend the summer in his family’s empty villa on Lake Como.
Except when he arrives it isn’t as empty as he’d hoped.

Over the course of the hot Italian summer, Cesca and Sam have to come to terms
with their pasts. What begins as a tentative friendship quickly grows into an
intense attraction – and then a scorching fling. But they can’t hide from
reality forever . . . as their different worlds collide, Sam and Cesca face a
choice: is this just a summer romance, or could their love weather even the
coldest winds?

I love everything
about this book. I loved the story, I loved the characters, I loved the scene
in Italy and I loved the chemistry between Cesca and Sam. It was just such a
great novel I didn’t want it to end.

– Maureen’s
Books

Check out my review here.

One year
after her husband is killed in action, Julie Ellis is back in her hometown and
focused on raising her young son. Then Reagan Harrison bursts into her life—a
cocky, charming linebacker who leaves her off balance.

As a
successful, professional athlete, Reagan believes he has it all. But after
meeting Julie, he finds every excuse in the book to spend time with her.
Despite his best efforts not to fall too hard, Reagan envisions a future with
Julie, along with the little boy he’s come to love as his own.

While
Reagan’s protective love begins to mend Julie’s spirit, she can’t suppress her
continued deep devotion to her late husband’s memory. And when a letter arrives
from beyond the grave, Reagan resolves to provide her with the answers she
desperately needs to heal. Now Julie must choose either to keep her heart
closed off or remove the lock and fight for a future with Reagan. Can a second
chance at true love be just as sweet?

Honestly,
there was nothing about ‘Home Field’ I didn’t like. It was a charming book,
with some amazing chemistry and I just loved it.

– Maureen’s
Books

Check out my review here.

There are
a lot of reasons why Teresa and Jase should steer clear of each other…

Firstly, Teresa is Jase’s best friend’s little sister – and Jase has a pretty
good idea of how Cam will feel about anyone messing her around.

Secondly, Teresa’s dreams of being a dancer have just been put on hold – maybe
permanently. The last thing she needs is a player like Jase distracting her
when she needs to find direction.

Thirdly, Jase has a secret. A big one. And he’s not ready to risk sharing it
with anyone apart from the people closest to his heart.

But there is one electric reason why they can’t stay away from each other…

J. Lynn
has a way of writing that makes you want to devour her books. And ‘Be With Me’ is
no exception.

– Maureen’s
Books

Check out my review here.

Struggling
film student Kitty Shakespeare is determined to make the most of her new job as
nanny to major producer Everett Klein’s son, Jonas. It might not be exactly the
career she’d hoped for when she moved from London to LA, but thanks to her
habit of freezing up in interviews, this is her last chance to impress a key
player in Hollywood – if she can get this right, then surely he’ll take a moment
to look at her work. However, what Kitty hasn’t allowed for is Everett’s
sexy-as-hell brother, Adam – but love at first sight this is not.

Adam Klein may be sexy, but he’s also gruff and rude and in no way ready to
make a fool of himself over the nanny – not after the year he’s had. All he
wants to do hole up in his cabin and hide from the brother who destroyed his
life. If only he could find it easier to ignore the way Kitty makes his heart
race . . .

As Christmas approaches, Kitty and Adam come to realise that the course of true
love never does run smooth – and just maybe, it’s more interesting that way…

A heartwarming Shakespeare Sisters Christmas romance from the bestselling
author of Fix You.

The
romance and chemistry between Kitty and Adam was amazing and I loved reading
every single page of ‘A Winter’s Tale’.

– Maureen’s
Books

Check out my review here.

With one
drop of blood, the old world is gone for ever. And in its place, something
extraordinary begins…  

They call
it The Doom – a deadly pandemic that starts on a cold New Year’s Eve in the
Scottish countryside. There’s something mysterious about the virus and the way
it spreads. As billions fall sick and die, some survivors find themselves
invested with strange, unexpected abilities.  

Lana, a
New York chef, has the power to move things and people with her will. Fred can
summon light in the darkness. Jonah, a paramedic, sees snatches of the future
in those he touches. Katie gives birth to twins, and suspects that she has
brought fresh magic into the world, along with new life. 

But The Doom affects people differently. Along with the light, a dark and
terrifying magic will also rise. As the remaining authorities round up the
immune and the ‘Uncannies’ for testing, Lana, Katie and others flee New York in
search of a safe haven. The old world is over, and Year One has begun.

This book
was amazing and I loved it from beginning till end. ‘Year One’ is definitely
not easy to put into one genre. It is post-apocalyptic, there is romance, it is
paranormal, fantasy.. this book has it all.

– Maureen’s
Books

Check out my review here.