I liked C2′s idea of a Best of 2008 list.  Then Liv got into the action, so thought I’d give it a try too.  (Of course, mine are the best of the bunch.)  I was never one to keep track of my reads, and 2008 was the first time I’ve done that; therefore, this list, though difficult to choose just a few in the long run, was easy for me since I didn’t have to rely on a twelve-month memory.

So here’s my Best of 2008, in no particular order.

Blue-Eyed Devil by Lisa Kleypas
Contemporary Romance Audiobook released by Brilliance Audio 25 Mar 08

Actually, I drooled over Hardy Cates while listening to him with the audiobook of Blue-Eyed Devil. My first foray (including Sugar Daddy) into Kleypas books and I loved every darned minute of it!

Weddings Can Be Murder by Christie Craig
Contemporary Romance released by Love Spell 27 May 08

I never thought I would fall in love with a hero who’s a sympathy puker.  Don’t wrinkle your nose!  Read the book, it’s hilarious! Christie Craig is making a huge name for herself and her wonderful humor.
Double Enchantment by Kathryne Kennedy
Historical Paranormal Romance released by Love Spell 26 Aug 08

A breath of fresh air with a new take on the English social castes.  Fun, intriguing, and very romantic. And loads of magic along with shapeshifting, both of which give readers a different look at old favorites.

Superb and Sexy by Jill Shalvis
Contemporary Romance released by Brava 1 Jun 08

Really, you can interchange any one of the three Sexy books in here. Just love those Sky High Men! Ms. Shalvis has a way with humor, romance, mystery, and fun.

Killer Charms by Marianne Stillings
Contemporary Romance released by Avon 26 Aug 08

I enjoyed all three books about the Darling family, but it’s the hero of this one that gave it top honors for me in 2008. I’ll definitely be reading more of Ms. Stillings.

King of Sword and Sky (Tairen Soul, Book 3) by C.L. Wilson
Paranormal Fantasy Romance released by Leisure Books 30 Sep 08

With just one more book to go, this series is now my favorite of all time. Ms. Wilson has created a world that is just absolutely fantastic and she’s giving us a love story like no other.

Hostage to Pleasure by Nalini Singh
Release by Berkley 2 Sep 08

I’ve loved every book in this series.  They’re all incredible.  But Dorian has always been my favorite from the very first book and I’d anticipated his story for so long.  Ms. Singh did not disappoint!

Scandalous by Night by Barbara Pierce
Historical Romance released by St. Martin’s Paperbacks 29 Jul 08

Barbara Pierce has become an all-time favorite historical author for me.  This book she gave readers a darker side of her writing and Everod is her best hero yet.

With Every Breath by Lynn Kurland
Time Travel Romance released by Jove 27 May 08

Beautiful writing, sweeping Scottish vistas, love and romance that crosses time boundaries, and characters you’ll love forever. What’s not to love?

The Missing by Shiloh Walker
Contemporary Paranormal Romance released by Berkley Trade 4 Nov 08

As I said in my review of this book, Ms. Walker has outdone herself with this one.  Absolutely mesmerizing.  If you haven’t read it, you should.  You’re missing out, big time.

Honorable mentions:

Ask Adam by Jess Dee
Contemporary Romance released by Samhain 29 Jul 08

Ms. Dee is a first-time author for me and I enjoyed her writing and storytelling immensely.  I have a feeling she’s really going to go places!

The Hot Line by Cathryn Fox
Contemporary Romance released by NAL 4 Mar 08

Another first-time author for me. Had to love the idea of the Hot Line, firefighters just waiting to help a lady out. And those boys know what they’re doing!

Sandy M’s review of Ask Adam by Jess Dee
Contemporary Romance published by Samhain 18 Sep 07

I admit it, sometimes I buy a book because the cover grabs my attention and won’t let go. I do read the blurb for it and if it sounds even okay, I’m a sucker, I plunk down my money. The icing on the cake, however, is when you read the book and it turns out to be a great read and you’ve found a new author to check out. Ask Adam is my most recent cover buy and I have to say, I done good!

Lexie is trying to get the jump on her meeting with the one man who can make her new program for children at the hospital where she works a reality. She needs his donation to get it up and running. They are both staying at the same Melbourne hotel, but she seems to always miss him by minutes, no matter how hard she tries to catch him. Instead she literally falls into the arms of the handsomest man she’s ever seen and they end up sharing one hot, sweaty night together, a night that Lexie will never forget. She never does meet Mr. Riley, so she tries to move on, stay in the moment with her program, but the man who gave her so much pleasure won’t stay out of her brain. Day and night she thinks of him. Imagine her surprise, her incredulity when she arrives for her appointment with AJ Riley back in Sydney and finds her fantastic one night stand sitting behind the desk.

He’s been aware of Lexie for a while. The woman turns him on just by being in the same room with him and now that AJ has had her in his bed, he can’t think of anything else. He even told her to call him Adam, for heaven’s sake. That’s something he’s never done. He likes the distance his nickname, among other things, gives him from the hurt and anguish he suffered ten years ago. Now Lexie has brought feeling back into his life and that scares him senseless. Making her walk away from him and what they could have together is the best thing he can do for both of them. Isn’t it?

These two characters are something else. They’ve both gone through hell when tragedy strikes a loved one, but the outcomes they suffered were so very different and brought them to very different places in life so many years later. Adam has totally cut himself off from feeling, vowing never to love again. He even stays away from his family so he won’t have to feel. Lexie finally gets under his skin enough that he shares his heartbreak with her. And your heart will break right along with hers when he tells all. There’s a number of scenes that will tear at you when Adam opens up and lets the emotion he’s held at bay for so long flow through him. I love a story more when the hero isn’t afraid of letting his feelings show and Adam runs the gamut of every feeling there is during his return to living. Even when he lashes out at Lexie you feel for him, you know why he’s doing it and you have to love him that much more because of it. Lexie gives him comfort with her heart and her heart does get trampled, but she doesn’t let her love go for this man who needs her. They are simply a wonderful hero and heroine.

I really like Ms. Dee’s writing style, especially the way she has with emotionality. Her characters are very well developed; she’s not afraid to have them act out harshly when situations call for it. They’re that much more human for it. Her new book, Photo Opportunity, was released last month and I’m looking forward to reading it. It’s got one of those covers that sucks me in, so I’m doomed either way.

Grade: A

Summary:

Can one wild night of passion turn into the romance of a lifetime?

Lexi Tanner’s got a major problem: AJ Riley, the man she’s about to approach for a hefty donation, turns out to be the stranger she shared a night of steamy sex with less than a week past. She’ll do anything to raise money for a children’s charity—anything except sell herself. Now how can she ask AJ for money without it seeming like he’s paying for sexual favors?

If there’s one thing the past has taught Adam “AJ” Riley, it’s that loving someone can only lead to pain. He knows he shouldn’t feel so attracted to Lexi, and he definitely shouldn’t trust a woman who’d sleep with a man one week and approach him for money the next. Yet somehow Lexi breaks through all his barriers. His instincts tell him to run but his heart wants to give Lexi—and love—a second chance. How can he let go of his tragic past and still protect his battered heart?

Read an excerpt here.

Other books in this series: