Reading through all of my fellow bloggers 2017 In Review blogs inspired me to create my own. However, looking back through all of my reviews for 2017 and picking the top books is almost an impossibility! I decided to try for a more organized approach hoping it would help me narrow things down a bit. I chose to separate by genre. I had to! There were too many great books!

Here are my Top 5 books of 2017 by Genre. Please click each title to read my review!

Contemporary Romance:

Some Kind of Magic by Mary Ann Marlowe

“I picked out this book because of a fun cover, and got so much more! Depth, emotion, story, and characters I genuinely liked. I cared for these characters and rooted for them to find happiness, and when they did, It Was Some Kind of Magic!”

Kulti by Mariana Zapata

“Sal was so surprised at their relationship, and the fact that this man wanted to be her friend that she wore blinders to the fact that he was deeply in love with her. Totally clueless and I loved her for that.  And him. After a rough start Rey ended up being my dream guy too.’

The Garden of Small Beginnings by Abbi Waxman

“I couldn’t believe this was Abbi Waxman’s debut novel. Lili’s voice was solid, funny, exasperating, sad and sarcastic. I laughed out loud multiple times and also cried softly as Lili struggled to find her way after the loss of her husband in a tragic accident. The fact that Lili finds that path while taking a gardening class is a great analogy for how each moment in life starts with a seed.”

Lost and Found Sisters by Jill Shalvis

“I loved this novel. Allowing Quinn to work through her emotions about her sister Beth’s death while finding a new sister who would not replace but help bring out those feelings of love and belonging again was balanced so well. Added to the slow pace of her growing feelings for Mick complemented the other half of the plot. Well, it all just struck a perfect note for me.”

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

“This book is so much more intricate than the premise leads you to believe. The tension is unbelievable and Josh is just YUM. To think that this is Sally Thorne’s first novel is pretty surprising. This book may not have been on your radar and I certainly never heard of it before, but I will definitely be keeping my eyes peeled for a new release from this author. If you love enemies to friend stories-read this book, it is great! “

FANTASY- (adult)My favorite genre to read, and I read some awesome fantasy books this year. It’s so hard to narrow down my favorites, but here goes!Breath of Fire by Amanda Bouchet

“I love how Amanda Bouchet has artfully created another Greek heroine in the same vein as Hercules and Achilles. As with all heroes, the tasks she is given to complete are fraught with danger, but it is her love for Griffin and her friends and new family that gives her the courage to keep moving forward, facing mythological creatures as if they are every man’s backyard pet. Her c’est la vie attitude about the gifts she is given by Persephone, Hades, and the rest helps to make her story real, and not just one big fantastical tale.”

Wildfire ( Hidden Legacy #3)by Ilona Andrews

“Nevada Baylor and Connor Rogan are one of my favorite fictional couples. The combination of strength, unselfishness, and unbelievable chemistry make discovering this world and reading their story a lot of fun. Wildfire, the third and possibly last book in this series stayed on my TBR only as long as it took for me to pick it up, take it home and start reading.”

Etched in Bone ( The Others #5)by Anne Bishop

“This series has quickly become one of my favorites. I was eager to read Etched in Bone, while at the same time dreading it. Do you ever love something so much that you want to eat it up and put it off at the same time? This was one of those novels for me!”

Rituals (Cainsville #5) by Kelley Armstrong

“Olivia, Ricky and Gabriel are re-living the lives of Matilda, Arwyn and Gwynn a love triangle that ended tragically.  Having learned their story, the three of them are determined that they are going to do things differently, with their love and friendship, most improtantly for them to avoid the tragic ending.  Of course, there is another evil force that is blocking their path to happiness. Will they be able to conquer evil and live their happily ever after?”

Lord of Shadows (Dark Artifices #2)by Cassandra Clare

(Technically a young adult novel but I’m including it in my top 5adult because of the adult content!)

“I’m sure some of you will disagree that Clary and Jace’s storyline in the Mortal Instruments surpasses Emma and Julian’s but I really don’t see how. Lord of Shadows is a deeply moving romance between Emma and Julian, but also between Mark and Kieran, Mark and Christina, Diana and Gwyn, and Kit and Ty. Not to mention the other characters who pop in and out of this novel who add depth to the feelings between the above characters. This was the most adult novel yet, dealing with the themes of love of family and love between friends and lovers.”

Miscellaneous (Historical, Mystery, etc.)

Flame in the Dark (Soulwood #3) by Faith Hunter

OK, I’ll admit that this one is Urban Fantasy and should’ve been included in the above list, but I had already picked 5! So, I included it in the Misc. list… Cheating, kind of. 🙂

“If you are looking to fill an Urban Fantasy hole this series will certainly do the trick. Faith Hunter continues in the world she built for her Jane Yellowrock series, but Soulwood’s Nell is a brighter beacon in part because her life is young in comparison to Jane’s. The tone of this series is also a little lighter, the dialog bringing moments of humor to pretty dark scenes making me look forward to those small flames in the dark.”

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

“I listened to the audio for this book and while it was long, Nicholas Guy Smith’s voice wove this tale and did justice to the beautiful prose. The story of Russia’s growth from a monarchy to communism was a part of history that I wasn’t that familiar but became enraptured. I will definitely be looking for more books from this era.”

A Darkness Absolute (Casey Duncan #2) by Kelley Armstrong

“Kelley Armstrong has a deft hand at pretty much any genre, but I am discovering that I love her rather creepy mystery novels. The fact that Rockton is a town filled with people who are running away from something, either as victims or as the perpetrators of a crime, is the perfect premise for the macabre. Even the people who are friendly need to be looked at, since everyone’s past casts a dim light on their character.”

Canary by Duane Swiercyznski

“This novel was just as much mystery and thriller, as it was dramatic fiction. As Sarie went deeper into the drug underworld her naïveté, self protective instincts, and drive to do what is right overcame her need to just be done with the snitching. I rooted her on, flinched at the bad things that happened and was excited by the twist at the end. A very enjoyable book!”

Storm and Silence by Robert Thier

“This novel was so much fun! I really got a feel for the era and the difficulties women went through for equal rights. I also liked how Rikkard Ambrose was kind of an anti-hero.  He was devilishly handsome, of course, but seriously gruff and kind of a control freak! He spent a good portion of the book trying to get Lilly to quit the job, but when he finally accepts her (although still calling him Mr. Linton) they become partners, trying to solve the mystery together.”

I read so many great books in 2017 and this list doesn’t even include all of the YA novels I enjoyed!

What were some of your favorite novels from 2017? If you read any of these, do you agree with my choices? Disagree? If you have any novels that hit your Top 5 and I’m missing them, please point them out. I love to grow my TBR! LOL.

Happy New Year!

Deb