2018 Reading Wrap-Up | Goals, Favorite Reads, and Top Releases I Meant To Read.

Happy New Years' Eve! I can't believe 2018 is nearly over. This year went by so quickly. There were some amazing releases and I added several books to my TBR.

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I had four bookish goals for 2018. I'm happy to say that I completed all of them!

• Get NetGalley ratio to 65%. 
• Finish at least 12 nonfiction books (hopefully 1 each month).
• Finish at least 5 series.
• Finish at least 20 Love Inspired books.

The toughest one for me was, unsurprisingly, the NetGalley ratio goal. I just made it to 65% this month and hope to just keep adding to that.

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Favorite Reads of 2018:

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Review: Every Wicked Man by Steven James

About the book:

A criminal mastermind's chilling terrorist plot forces FBI Special Agent Patrick Bowers to the brink in the latest thriller from bestselling novelist Steven James. 

When a senator's son takes his own life and posts the video live online, Agent Bowers is drawn into a complex web of lies that begins to threaten the people he loves the most. As he races to unravel the mystery behind the suicide and a centuries-old code that might help shed light on the case, he finds a dark pathway laced with twists and deadly secrets that touch a little too close to home.

A fast-paced, intelligent thriller, Every Wicked Man will have readers racing through the pages to its thundering conclusion.

My rating:
5 stars
(View my rating system)

My thoughts:

Every Wicked Man surpassed my expectations, which were incredibly high, and was a thrilling ride. You may already know this, but the Bowers Files is my favorite series and I have loved all eleven books. When I heard about this new release, I instantly added it to my "must read" list. I heard that this is the final Bowers book, but I'm holding out hope for more someday as I absolutely love these characters and am not ready to say goodbye forever.

The suspense in Every Wicked Man was heart-pounding. There were scenes that had me so nervous about what was to come; but, what surprised me the most was how emotional I got while reading this story. It actually brought tears to my eyes at one point.

I loved getting this glimpse of Patrick while he was married to his wife and seeing his relationship with his stepdaughter, Tessa, during the "early years".

I could list several other things that I loved, but I will end with this: Every Wicked Man was a phenomenal read and, if you enjoy thrillers, I highly recommend it. This is my favorite read of 2018 by far.

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention/review it on my blog. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own and I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*

Find the book on:
Amazon, Goodreads

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Review: A Temporary Family (Prairie Courtships #7) by Sherri Shackelford

About the book:

MAKE-BELIEVE MARRIAGE

When Tilly Hargreaves and her three nieces are stranded at his small stagecoach station in an abandoned town and threatened by outlaws, Nolan West must protect them. And the only way he can do that is by pretending he's married to Tilly. But can the former solider, whose only wish is for solitude, stop himself from growing attached to his temporary family?

Tilly knows the charade is necessary to keep her and the girls safe, but now her heart is in danger. The longer she pretends the stoic station agent is her husband, the more genuine their union feels. Nolan believes he's better off alone, but Tilly's certain that if he'd only open his heart to his make-believe family, he'd want to claim them as his for real.

My rating:
4 stars
(View my rating system)

My thoughts:

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Weekend Wrap-Up (December 14) / Kindle Deal Spotlight

Weekend Wrap-up is where I share what I read this past week, am currently reading, and my reading plans for the coming week. 

Feel free to join along and post your own Weekend Wrap-up on your blog/site (if you do, please leave the link in a comment so I can stop by) or, in a comment, share what you've read this past week. :)

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