Noela's List of 2016 Favorite Reads!

Featured below are 10 of my favorite novels from those I've reviewed on OWG this year, in no particular order. Of course there are many more that I've read or are yet to read that are also truly exceptional books. I hope that these outstanding few will inspire you to check them out to either purchase by clicking on the picture, or to add to your wish list! Enjoy!

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Sofi's Bridge

Tragedy and trauma haunt Sofi and her sister. When Sofi may lose her sister, they silently flee in the early hours along with the gardener. But will their destination be their refuge or carry grave risks for them all? Masterfully penned with an intriguing atmosphere and an exquisite love story!

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Her One and Only

Pair a macho football star that's sworn off love and his diminutive beautiful bodyguard that's all business—and delight in the electrifying chemistry that they attempt to subdue! This invigorating story scores a touch-down with irresistible characters, a sizzling romance, and a foreboding mystery!
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Saratoga Letters

This is an enthralling novel fashioned around the historical Battle of Saratoga. Authentic and emotive, this story is creatively paralleled from two different eras—two hundred years apart. From the battlefield of the Revolutionary War during 1777 to modern-day 1977 and the commemoration of the infamous battle, this two-part story is connected through the ages by not only ancestry and other fascinating similarities, but heartbreak, danger, and enchanting romances!
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So Rare a Gift

In 'So Rare a Gift' you'll be swept up in an unforgettable tale of valor and zeal, secrets and lies, and deadly revenge. Trouble follows Anna Rone as she flees to America to escape a forced marriage and to seek out the truth of her brother's death. Needing security in this new land, she marries a man she's known for but a few days—but does she really know who she's marrying? Exquisite prose and a breathtaking romance make this a not-to-be-missed experience!
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A Lady Unrivaled

'A Lady Unrivaled', Book #3, completes the Ladies of the Manor series. I truly cannot recommend this series enough! All three books are absolute masterpieces of Edwardian romance and suspense. Each book likewise delivers the most delightful wit throughout—such that it out-sparkles the priceless red diamonds that places everyone's life in so much danger! Beautifully written as always!
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Saving the Marquise's Granddaughter

Set in 1742 during yet another wave of brutal religious persecution in France and the Palatinate, this gorgeous novel vividly portrays an aristocrat's granddaughter's arduous survival of both body and heart as she flees from tremendous danger and betrayal. Exquisitely descriptive with fascinating historic detail!
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The Beautiful Pretender

'The Beautiful Pretender' is a medieval fairy-tale retelling of The Princess and the Pea meets Beauty and the Beast! Imposing stone castles, wolf-infested forests, and immensely gripping characters together with treachery, sacrifice, and love, ensures this medieval tale emerging from 1363 in the Holy Roman Empire—is one that seizes the reader instantly from the breathtaking beginning!
 Melanie Dickerson also had TWO other releases this year that were just as stunning and worth checking out: A Spy's Devotion (A Regency Romance) and the recent release 'The Silent Songbird'!
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A Promise in Defiance

The worst of lawlessness and immorality encounter God and grace in this Wild West tale. Grittier than your average historical, 'A Promise in Defiance' is painted with bold strokes of realism, creating a fast-paced, unpredictable, and utterly compelling experience. This mind-blowing story is part three in one of the most powerful and memorable series you'll read in this genre!
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She Walks in Power

Step back through the ages into medieval England where you’ll encounter the King’s elite Knights when they’re sent to retrieve the Spear of Destiny—a powerful and holy relic. Hidden within the forest, the Spear is protected by the flame-haired Robin Hood type character known as the Falcon of the Emerald Forest. One of the Knights, Sir Ronar LePeine is torn between obeying his King and his captivation of the beautiful Falcon. His struggle will soon overturn his world and set him in the midst of an epic spiritual battle. Intrigue and suspense, amazing character chemistry, and a dynamic message make this a must-read!

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Left at the Altar

The town of Two-Time, Texas, runs on two different times thanks to a long-running feud between the town’s two jewellers. The wedding between their children that was supposed to end the division and bring one time to Two-Time, only succeeds in dividing the town further when the groom leaves the bride standing at the altar and a breach of promise lawsuit is filed. The fancy Boston lawyer who is new to the town takes on the groom’s case but develops a fondness for the jilted bride. Can anyone win in this case? I had the time of my life reading this witty and fun story by Margaret Brownley!

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Two Bonus Books - Click on the book TITLES to read about them!

Love Everlasting

Giver of Wonders

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Below are 4 of my favorite NOVELLA'S and BOOK COLLECTIONS. Click on the picture to purchase or to read more about them! 

With This Ring?

Life and love can be vastly unpredictable which can add plenty of intrigue and sparks. This is exactly what transpires in these FOUR novella's of love and proposal's emerging from unforeseen circumstances!
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Lone Star Love

FIVE stories set deep in the heart of the lone star state—Texas. Each tale is a unique Texas treat on its own, highlighting the great state and bringing you adventure in spades as history comes to life! This amazing collection contains 3 novella's and 2 novels. 
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Love, Lies, & Typewriters

Taking place during WW2, 'Love, Lies, and Typewriters' delivers a captivating love triangle tale between Lucy, a war-hero cowboy, and a reporter. If she falls for the wrong man, or even the right man, will the headlines read 'happy ever after'? Thoroughly enjoyable and saturated with an authentic 1940's flavor!
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Moostletoe

Forest Ranger Eric Palmer's life was only all about moose until a friend from his teenage years arrives in Moose Creek and opens his heart to the possibility of love. You'll love meeting Matilda the troublesome moose in this small town of big dreams. A delightful Christmas tale!


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Two Bonus Novella's - Click on the picture to read more about it or to purchase!

On the Wings of a Whisper

Tea Shop Folly

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GIVEAWAY: I would love to give away a late Christmas present to one blessed commenter. Tell me which book you would like to read from my faves and an e-book copy of it will be yours if I draw your name! (International entrants welcome!) 
*Leave your email address for contact purposes should you win!

Diana's List Of 2016 Favorite Reads!

Here are a few of my favorite book picks of 2016 in no particular order. *For those of my fave authors who wrote more than one book this year I had to limit it to one, but rest assured I loved them all!*

If you would like to purchase any of these awesome reads please click on to title!

Love's Faithful Promise, Sept. 2016

 

Once again, author Susan Anne Mason sweeps the reader away on a heartwarming, but angsty journey to the lovely, affluent estate of Irish Meadows...surrounded with lush grass-covered paddocks, magnificent stables, and the spirited O'Leary clan. Highly recommended!

Charity's Cross By Marylu Tyndall, Feb. 2016

Author MaryLu Tyndall takes the reader off on a turbulent, exhilarating seafaring journey—from the perils of frothy, turquoise waters filled with swashbuckling pirates and a dangerous jungle replete with exotic birds, foliage, and uncivilized natives—to the beauties of the Caribbean with its warm breezes, swaying palms, sugar cane, and tropical fruits of the West Indies!

Sense and Sensibility By Sarah Price, March 2016

What transpires when you blend Jane Austen's memorable characters with Sarah Price's unique Amish voice? A classic retelling of Sense and Sensibility is born—a truly captivating tale of two sisters who must learn the hard way that the road to love is sometimes incredibly rocky—and appearances can often be painfully deceptive!

Bride of a Dictant Isle By Sandra Byrd, Mar. 2016

 Lovers of Gothic era authors such as Charlotte and Emily Bronte, Dapne du Maurier, and even Julie Klassen fans, are sure to delight in this suspenseful, well written novel—intertwining the exotic allure of the island of Malta and the beauty of the English seaside!

Flight Of Arrows By Lori Benton, April 2016

In A Flight of Arrows, author Lori Benton has written a hauntingly beautiful novel of betrayal, loss, and forbidden love, set amongst the backdrop of the Revolutionary War! Highly recommended!

The Lady And The Lionheart, August 2016

Author Joanne Bischof  has penned a poignant, hauntingly beautiful romance set amidst the exciting scents, sounds, and entertaining thrills of the Big Top—and of a lovely young woman who inadvertently gets tangled up in a web of darkness and secrets that takes place behind the scenes of this mysterious world.

Love Everlasting By Julie Lessman, September 2016

Get ready to go on another a passionate, angst-filled journey as twisty and sinuous as a roller coaster ride to Hope Isle, Georgia—a lovely picture-perfect isle with Southern seaside beauty and charming cottages nestled next to lush plantations—but wherein lay plenty of drama, secrets, and heartaches buried underneath the guise of tranquility! 

The Captive Heart By Michelle Griep, Oct. 2016

In The Captive Heart, author Michelle Griep pens a spellbinding saga that sweeps the reader away to the heart of the strikingly beautiful, but perilous wilderness of South Carolina—fraught on every hand with wild animals, savage Indians, harsh elements, and unscrupulous, evil men!

A Royal Christmas Wedding By Rachel Hauck, Oct. 2016

Rachel Hauck has crafted a magical Yuletide tale set in Brighton Kingdom, an emerald isle steeped in tradition—where the crisp scent of pine and cinnamon waft through the frosty air—and snow-covered, beautifully lit fir trees, costumed carolers, and the sound of sleigh bells can be heard ringing throughout the town!

The Silent Songbird By Melanie Dickerson, Nov. 2016

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With a sweep of her magical pen...er, quill, that is, author Melanie Dickerson takes the reader away on an enchanting medieval journey—replete with sword-wielding feudal lords, lovely maidens, ancient castles surrounded by exotic wildflowers and sparkling rivers—where intrigue and danger lurk behind every stone wall!

A Heart's Gift By Lena Nelson Dooley, 2016

With a sweep of her magnificent pen, author Lena Nelson Dooley writes a poignant, soul-stirring romantic suspense set against the backdrop of the majestic snow-covered Rockies.

For Such A Hope By Sondra Kraak, Oct. 2016

In Such a Hope, author Sondra Kraak has spun a powerfully emotive tale of a young woman's quest to find a sense of belonging—set against the backdrop of the tree blanketed landscape and grandeur of the Cascade Mountains.

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Favorite Novellas/Short Stories!

On the Wings of a Whisper By Lynnette Bonner, Mar. 2016

From the beautiful white-sanded beaches of the island of Zanzibar, the gentle sound of aquamarine ocean waves lapping outside of plantation walls, and the fragrant scent of indigo and gardenias—to the darkness of the malodorous, sewer-thickened stench of the docks and surrounding sea—comes an exhilarating tale from the pen of author Lynnette Bonner, set in exotic Africa!

Tea Shop Folly By Carrie Fancett Pagels, July 2016

Author Carrie Fancett Pagels has crafted a deligh-tea-fully charming novella which takes our penniless, despairing heroine from the impoverished Blue Ridge Mountains—to a beau-tea-ful estate set amongst the lilacs, maple trees, hydrangeas, and poppies of beautiful Michigan.

Ordinary Snowflakes By Jennifer Rodewald, Nov. 2016

Author Jennifer Rodewald has written a romantic heartwarming novella set amongst the glistening snowflakes, sparkling lights, sledding, and the joy and magic of Christmas. Curl up by the fire, grab a cup of hot chocolate, and enjoy this beautifully written Yuletide tale of romance and healing!

GIVEAWAY: I would love to give away a late Christmas present to one blessed commenter. Tell me which book you would like to read from my faves and a paperback copy (unless book is only available in e-book format) of it will be yours if I draw your name! (US entrants only!) Please leave your email addy for contact purposes. 

Have you read any of my faves??