Top Ten of 2014: A Week of Looking Back is a year-end meme hosted by Jamie @ Two Chicks On Books, Rachel @ Fiktshun, Mindy @ Magical Urban Fantasy Reads, and Nancy @ Tales of a Ravenous Reader.
I’m a little late to this party since they’re already on day three. Today’s theme is fill in the blank for Best …. of 2014. For this one, I chose Novellas since I tend to read a lot of them.
Amityville Horrible by Kelley Armstrong
My absolute favorite novella read in 2014 was Amityville Horrible. I love Jeremy and Jamie from Armstrong’s Women of the Otherworld series, so I was thrilled to revisit them in a fun story where Jamie is conned into doing another reality TV show that doesn’t go well.
Tethered by Meljean Brook
Tethered was a great novella featuring Archimedes Fox and Yasmeen as they deal with an old acquaintance blackmailing them into a dangerous rescue mission. I haven’t read the book that features Archimedes and Yasmeen yet so I was surprised at how well this story stood on it’s own. Definitely recommended to people who might be looking for a short introduction to the series.
Counterfeit Magic by Kelley Armstrong
Another great novella from Armstrong that makes the top of my best list is Counterfeit Magic. This one features Paige and Lucas as they try to unravel a mystery involving a supernatural fight club. What made this story so engrossing was seeing the issues Lucas’ acceptance of heir to the Cortez cabal is placing on his and Paige’s lives. If you’ve read at least Dime Store Magic, this one is well worth a quick read.
Frozen by Meljean Brook
Frozen was a great stand-alone novella from Brook. It’s not connected to any of her series, which makes it a great read for people who want to check out something by her without investing in a full length book. I loved the Norse mythology that this short focuses on. Brook also plays with the idea of fated mates and issues it could cause around consent.
Angels’ Dance by Nalini Singh
Technically a re-read, but since I had purchased it this year to re-read I’m going to count it. Jessamy is the teacher at Refuge who has been grounded all her life because of a birth defect with one of her wings. While she’s not exactly happy with her life, she’s learned to be content. That is until Galen, Raphael’s new weapons master, appears at Refuge. A great novella set in Singh’s Guild Hunter world.
Kisses, She Wrote by Katharine Ashe
Kisses, She Wrote is the first of my holiday themed novellas on this list. It was also my introduction to Katharine Ashe’s writing. Cam Westfall is shocked when he discovers that the steamy diary full of fantasies starring him belongs to shy Jacqueline of Sensaire. What I really love about this is that it didn’t go the typical “other person finds diary” plot route where the diary is read aloud or passed around to everyone. All in all, it’s a cute Christmas story to get you into the holiday spirit.
The Damsel and the Daggerman by Delilah S. Dawson
I’ve only read one full length book centered in Dawson’s Blud universe, but I’ve read all her short stories. I love the atmosphere of the supernatural circus that they all take place in. The Damsel and the Daggerman was no exception to this. Jacinda Harville is determined to snag an interview with the circus’s daggerman, Marco Taresque. What follows is a cat and mouse game that was fun to watch play out.
How to Marry a Highlander by Katharine Ashe
How to Marry a Highlander oddly reminded me of Pride and Prejudice in some places. Teresa Finch-Freeworth is determined to marry Duncan, the Earl of Eads… so she proposes. His terms for accepting her offer is that she first find husbands for his seven sisters. Teresa was fun to watch as she spun tall tales and traipsed about town trying to contrive marriages for the seven oddball sisters. If you’re looking for a light historical romance, I would recommend you pick this one up.
Tarnished Knight by Bec McMaster
Tarnished Knight is another novella that takes place around Chrismas time. Esme is devastated when she discovers long time friend and newly turned vampire, John “Rip” Doolan, has no intention of claiming her. I loved the emotionally drama going on in this one and John’s struggle to understand the reason Esme is suddenly pulling back from their friendship. I haven’t read any of the other books in McMaster’s London Steampunk series, but after reading this they’re on my radar.
The Viscount’s Christmas Temptation by Erica Ridley
Yet another Christmas themed novella and the best part? It’s currently free on Amazon. Lady Amelia Pembroke is determined to see that the annual Sheffield Christmas ball continues as usual, despite the Sheffield’s ballroom having been destroyed. To do this, she wedges herself into Lord Benedict Sheffield’s life for the holiday season to help him orchestrate the affair at a new location. A bit of Christmas fluff that was fun to breeze through.
What were some of your favorite novellas from 2014?
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