Image via Kit Rocha
Award winning romance writer Alyssa Cole counts down her Best Romance Novels of 2016 for your reading pleasure this holiday season.
Despite 2016 being the most intense raging dumpster fire of the last century, if not longer, it’s been a great year for romance novels—and thank goodness for that!
Choosing ten books from all of the fantastic books I’ve read this year was a nearly impossible task, but the following books are among those that made my heart race, my tears flow (from laughter or overabundance of feels), and had me on the edge of my seat. The ones I messaged my friends about after reading, or turned back to the beginning and started reading again. These books are the perfect short-term escape from the woes of the world (or long-term if you decide to go on a series binge), and are full of well-drawn characters who will inspire you to be the heroines/heroes of your own stories.
They range from sweet and sexy contemp to hot historicals to gritty post-apocalyptic thrillers, showcasing the best part of the romance of genre: there is something for every reader. Here are my ten romance best bets for 2016!
(Note: this list is by no means exhaustive! If your favorites aren’t listed, please leave them in the comments so we can all add to our towering to-be-read lists.)