20 of my favourite books from 2020

20 of my favourite books from 2020

I have read some AMAZING books in 2020 and I wanted to share them all with you. If you would rather listen to my list then you can find the video I recorded here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAGbRsiZQl8

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Oil and Water by Lara Ann Dominick 

Synopsis 

Oil and Water is the story of two women, Elsie, a human, and Opal, a vampire, and their journey to save themselves and those they care about by learning about each other and coming to terms with their differences and weaknesses. Elsie is a human and an average struggling millennial, deeply in debt and living at home. Opal is one of the most powerful and vicious vampires in existence. When Elsie falls in love with Cy, she doesn’t know that he and his ex, Amber, are both vampires, and that Amber has targeted her as a victim in a revenge plot. Amber is Opal’s only friend and the one who turned her into a vampire. Together, they spent years hunting predators who took advantage of women in violent and monstrous ways. Despite her vigilantism, Amber has a cruel streak. Her rage will force Elsie and Opal to confront their weaknesses and find their strengths, or else lose everything they care about.

 

Stray Witch by Eva Alton 

Synopsis 

Alba is about to lose everything after her divorce… until she meets The Vampires of Emberbury, who dwell under an abandoned graveyard, stuck in Victorian times. They will make her a very interesting job offer, and she will get to meet Clarence, a mysterious vampire gentleman who thinks cloaks and top hats are still in fashion. With his help, Alba will figure out that, sometimes, the scariest monster isn’t the one with fangs.

Love on the Rocks by Elsie McArthur

Synopsis

Escaping a difficult childhood, unhappy marriage and dead-end job, Rachel McIntyre has fled to the tiny Hebridean island of Inniscreag in search of a new beginning.Taking a job as the manager of the local distillery, she’s just settling into her new life when the elderly, eccentric owner dies, unexpectedly leaving her two hundred year old family legacy in Rachel’s inexperienced hands.Can she keep the small, community business alive in the face of a takeover attempt from a major multinational corporation? And can she resist the charms of the flirtatious, attractive company lawyer who arrives on the island to persuade her to sell up?Join Rachel and the quirky inhabitants of Inniscreag – along with a couple of unexpected arrivals – in this funny, heartwarming tale about love, loss and having the courage to start over.

 

Atonement by JL Rothstein 

Synopsis 

To Hell, this world is fractured and faithless, perfectly ripe for the picking. Sent by Heaven, Guardians defend against a malevolent onslaught of demonic intrusion. For hundreds of years the nine siblings of the O’Mara family have been engaged in this merciless battle, fighting to protect the souls of all humanity.

Heaven and Hell have been waging this infernal war bound only by the rules of a contentious accord. On the anniversary of her husband Gabriel’s disappearance, Genevieve O’Mara’s lingering sorrow manifests into a murderous rage unfurled upon a demon. Vengeance is coming, not just for Genevieve, but for all those she loves.

 

Simone LaFray and the Chocolatiers’ Ball by S.P. O’Farrell 

Synopsis

As a covert agent, she walks in the footprints of her spy mother, darting between the shadows. If she’s not sleuthing, she’s icing eclairs and dusting pastries in her father’s patisserie.

When a notorious thief returns to Paris, the patisserie is threatened, and Simone questions everything. She and her father must participate in the exclusive Chocolatiers’ Ball to redeem themselves and catch the thief. Simone’s concealed life is crumbling, the shop hangs in the balance . . . and now she needs a ball gown!

Life in a French patisserie may not be as sweet as she thought.

 

Death Takes a Holiday at Pemberley: A Pride & Prejudice by Kelly Miller

Synopsis

What will the master of Pemberley do when confronted with the mercurial whims of an all-powerful angel?

Fitzwilliam Darcy’s well-ordered life is about to become a chaotic nightmare. A man of fortune, property, and social prominence, he has everything he could desire. Blissfully married to his wife, Elizabeth, they have a two-year-old son. With so much to live for, Darcy is shaken by a near-fatal riding accident. After a miraculous escape, he is visited by an otherworldly being: an angel of death named Graham. Threatening dire consequences, Graham compels Darcy to guide him on a sojourn in the world of mortals.

Darcy immediately questions the angel’s motives when he demands to be a guest at Pemberley. Can he trust Graham’s assurance that no harm will come to his wife and child? And why does Graham insist on spending time with Elizabeth? How can Darcy possibly protect his family from an angel with power over life and death?

 

Building The Dream (At the Cliff Top Book 2) by Andrea Warrilow 

Synopsis 

Building The Dream follows the lives of Carrie and Caleb as they build their Animal Sanctuary in the South of England. Cliff Top Farm is their new home, their dream is to make it a safe haven for any animal in need. We follow them as they build friendships, build their sanctuary and build their relationship. From cheeky Shetland ponies to escapee goats, ageing equines to newborn pups, any animal that needs help is welcome. They experience everything from birth through to death in their first year, learning as they go, from the team of staff and friends they find along the way.

Animals form the backdrop for this novel, as well as providing some jeopardy and humour, but the real story is about the human relationships that are formed. With romance, grief, jealousy and joy this story should appeal to anyone, not just animal lovers.

Building The Dream is a stand alone novel, but is also the second book of a series, At The Cliff Top. The series follows the lives of Carrie and Caleb, plus other characters old and new. There will always be animals involved but the human relationships are the real subject. I hope you enjoy my second novel and it leaves you wanting more!

 

Quicksilver & Brimstone (The Crucible of the Crimson Lion Book 1) by Elizabeth Eckstein 

Synopsis

The Great Pantomeus has spent five hundred years brewing up the perfect revenge. What Matthew Nightingale doesn’t know is that he’s part of the plan…

A crazed, near-immortal alchemist locked away in an underground chamber is the last thing Matthew expects to find on a school trip to the British Museum. But the hasty pact he makes with the terrifying stranger completely backfires when Pantomeus breaks free and Matthew is plunged headlong into a mind-boggling world of secret societies, alchemy, and revenge.

Caught in the middle of a centuries-old feud between ageless Masters, Matthew now has only one way to escape Pantomeus’ murderous plans – join the secret Order of the Crucible of the Crimson Lion and become an alchemist himself. Only, it isn’t gold that Matthew makes in the Order, but friends, and soon he is whizzing through portals, discovering incredible inventions and powerful arcana while the Science of the Impossible plunges him into a mesmerizing world.

But the ancient Order has secrets of its own, and once Matthew comes across a dark legend and a mysterious girl in a dusty old mansion, he realises no one is safe. Something terrible is going on in the Order and it’s up to him to find the truth. But can he save his new friends and stop Pantomeus in time before he loses all that he holds dear?

 

The Rose and Thorn by Katherine Macdonald 

Synopsis

A gripping and mesmerising retelling of a classic story, filled with romance, mystery and intrigue.There is a pale, penetrating loneliness etched into the walls of this forgotten place. A kind of loneliness made living… is this what it feels like to be a ghost, alone in some kind of half world?Taking shelter from a storm, Rose accidentally strays into a deserted fairy realm, and finds herself trapped there with only a mysterious talking beast for company. Although initially reluctant to befriend her strange companion, Rose quickly finds herself growing closer to him. She names him Thorn, and as the castle blossoms into a place of beauty, so too does their friendship. But something else lurks within the walls, a dark force that will stop at nothing to be free once more… If Rose is to survive and lift the curse placed upon the castle, she will have to face her fears and conquer the nightmares that have haunted her since childhood, as well as confront the terrifying creature that stalks the shadows in the night.A passionate retelling of a classic tale, fairy tale fantasy meets Gothic. Will have you sobbing and laughing, and truly believing in the power of true love.

 

The Hidden Scar by Sabrina Oyinloye

Synopsis 

The consequences of a one night of passionate encounter forced a reclusive, professional soccer player to reckon with a scar so deep, and a past deeply buried for seventeen years!

 

The Marked Princess by E.P. Stavs

Synopsis 

With her eighteenth birthday fast approaching, crown princess Josselyn deLure knows it’s her duty to choose a husband, but that doesn’t mean she has to be happy about it. She’d much rather be practicing her swordplay with her best friend, Edmund, or teasing her straight-laced guard, Alex. Marriage isn’t exactly high on her list of priorities.

But Josselyn isn’t your typical princess, and this isn’t your typical fairy-tale story. When a plot to overthrow the kingdom sends her fleeing for her life, Josselyn will discover just how different she truly is as the ancient, celestial magic dwelling beneath her marked skin emerges in the most startling of ways. Will she be strong enough to face the darkness there and save her kingdom? Or will she crumple under the weight of self-doubt?

 

Kerwall Town by S.D. Reed 

Synopsis 

After two strangers appear in the dilapidated 70s’ town of Kerwall, the lives of every resident change. Members of the community are forced together as the number of bodies and secrets increase with every passing moment. As tensions rise and the inhabitants reach breaking point the question is raised: is it Kerwall’s newcomers draining its inhabitants or are they simply slipping through the cracks which have existed all along. With knowledge as their only tool against the world’s deadliest predator, the hunt for power commences. Kerwall’s hope rests on the shoulders of its youngest residents, forcing them into the depths of the earth, questioning everything they’ve ever known.Will Kerwall ever be safe, or is the whole town trapped in the grasp of these outsiders?Warning: DO NOT ENTER ALONE. Drag someone with you and if you are unable make sure to leave with your sanity in tact. This nod to classic horror will leave you feeling as isolated as every character, constantly checking over your shoulder until the very last pages. Beginning the universe in which Reed’s future novels will take place, Kerwall Towndemonstrates the scope of genres which can be expected from him going forward.

 

Strange Colours by David Middleham

Synopsis

There’s no easy way to describe love. Its colours are ever-changing.

Within these pages are pieces about falling in love, devotion and desire, but there are also pieces about unrequited love, heartache and loss.

This book, like love, is a kaleidoscope.

These are love’s strange colours.

 

Tell Me Your Sweet Lies by Gio and Ken Gregory

Synopsis

How can successful art dealer Rebecca tell Oliver, the current man in her life, that he just isn’t ‘The One,’ especially when he’s so annoying? But she’s let him in on a family secret, a secret that can have serious repercussions and Oliver shows no sign of letting what he knows lie. Then Oliver introduces her to his charming, handsome new business partner, Alex, who’s a physiotherapist with wonderful hands and added skills in hypnotherapy. Rebecca falls instantly for the mysterious man, who appears to have secrets of his own, and she allows herself to succumb to his hypnotic ways.However, the men in Rebecca’s life are not all they appear to be and soon she is drawn into a dangerous world of deceit, art theft and murder. From searching for ‘The One’ to saving herself from those who would cheat her or maybe worse, can Rebecca be even more cunning than the dangerous men around her, protect her secret and maybe her life?

 

The Papers of Matthew Locke by John Wheatley

Synopsis

When Matthew Locke survives a shipwreck on the coast of Anglesey, he is cared for by the family of Llyws Llewellyn in the fishing village of Rhosneigr. During his recovery from the ordeal, he finds himself slipping through boundaries of time, becoming involved in events from Anglesey`s mysterious past. In these episodes, he meets, in different guises, Bryony, Llwys Llewellyn`s elder daughter, and it is here that their strange love affair begins.

Set in Anglesey in the 1880s, and beginning with the loss of `The Norman Court`, a clipper in the Java sugar trade, John Wheatley`s novel explores the shadowy territory between history, myth and fantasy.

 

Broken Things by A.L. Garcia

Synopsis 

Broken Things is an inspirational narrative of a young girl’s survival during years of routine sexual abuse. Alma spent her childhood living in a home environment rife with poverty, neglect, and unrelenting physical and sexual abuse perpetrated by a domineering father. Love for her siblings kept her going during that harrowing day-to-day existence until she came of age and made her escape. Based on true events, Alma’s story rips away the veil of family secrets that so often surrounds and protects abusers. It exposes difficult truths by detailing the jarring abuse she endured, as well as the resiliency, love, and resourcefulness it took to leave it behind.

 

No Longer Me by Ally Parkes

Synopsis

When Chloe Richards’ life is turned upside down, she finds herself fighting an unexpected battle. Can she overcome the challenge or will her world remain in tatters? Twenty-seven-year-old Chloe is pretty content with life. She has a supportive family, great friends, a decent job and a flat she loves. Just as she is about to embark on the trip of a lifetime, she receives a shocking and devastating diagnosis, bringing all her plans and dreams to an abrupt halt. She finds herself on a different type of journey altogether – one she never saw coming. But as Chloe faces the future, she begins to realise what’s really important as well as the meaning of true love.A life-inspired novel about triumph over adversity and the journey to recovery.

Frustrations of Being Deaf by Dave Blackwell

Synopsis 

Frustrating, funny, confusing, and idiotic. People that shout, scream, wave their arms and hands around in an attempt to try and do sign language. Rude people that are ignorant or just plain embarrassed. Events that happen nearly every day in some way or another.Dave went deaf at the age of seven, losing all hearing in one ear overnight and the other over a space of several months. Without his hearing aids, he is completely deaf. When he was thirty-four, he lost all hearing in his left ear and his right was no better, this prompted him to get an implant. He relies on lipreading and sound to follow a conversation, but in some cases, he can follow people without lipreading.This is a collection of short stories, funny, frustrating, and plain crazy. Situations and events that were so shocking or hilarious, they had to be shared. Ignorance, deaf awareness and the sheer panic or confusion from people that often fail to have common sense or the experience of meeting a deaf person.Reminded every day that he is deaf, it goes over his head and becomes a joke, and in these cases, becomes part of ‘The Frustrations of being Deaf’.

 

Crayons and Chaos by Hayley Walsh

Synopsis

Two years ago, forty three year old Natalie, left her joke of a marriage. Since meeting her wonderful new man, she has been catapulted into the life of instant step mum to two miniature terrorists. Can she find her place among the chaos?

 

The Borrowed Boy by Deborah Klée

Synopsis 

A borrowed boy, a borrowed name, and living on borrowed time.What do you put on a bucket list when you haven’t done anything with your life? No interesting job, no lovers, no family, no friends. Believing she has only weeks left to live, Angie Winkle vows to make the most of every minute.Going back to Jaywick Sands, is top of her bucket list. Experiencing life as a grandmother is not, but the universe has other plans and when four-year-old Danny is separated from his mum on the tube, Angie goes to his rescue. She tries to return him to his mum but things do not go exactly as planned and the two of them embark on a life-changing journey. Set in Jaywick Sands, once an idyllic Essex holiday village in the 70s, but now a shantytown of displaced Londoners, this is a story about hidden communities and our need to belong.