*The books eligible could be published in any year, they simply had to be read by me in 2018.
Clicking on book cover brings you to my review if I wrote one or GoodReads page if I didn't.
Nominees:
1. Carolina Moon by Nora Roberts
"He
frightens me, and embarrasses me. By trying to keep it contained, as
always, I thought I'd limit the fear and humiliation. It's hateful to
be a victim, Cade. Makes you feel exposed and angry and somehow
guilty at the same time."
2. A Gentleman Never Keeps Score by Cat Sebastian
He didn’t know what Sam wanted to hear, but he had
a sinking feeling that whatever it was, he couldn’t say it.
3. Forbidden by Helen Kirkman
She
had placed her body between him and his target. She had no weapons.
None but those that women had. Words and looks. And the hidden
thoughts of the mind.
4. After the Wedding by Courtney Milan
Instead,
she reached out and took Kitty’s hands impulsively. “None of us
have to be Half-Price anything anymore, you hear?”
5. The Hellion Bride by Catherine Coulter
“You
see, Ryder, you refuse to believe me because you’re a man and men
must place women into very neat slots. A woman is innocent or she’s
not. There is no middle ground for a woman. A widow is all right,
perhaps, but even then men assume that she will bed any number of
them willingly, indeed, enthusiastically, because she’s used to
having sex and knows what it’s all about. I have come to believe
that once a woman has known a man intimately, she really isn’t to
be trusted after that. Goodness, if the man is her husband she just
might cuckold him. Of course, a husband can’t cuckold his wife. A
husband can continue doing whatever he pleases. If he can’t get a
woman to willingly bed with him, why he simply buys a woman for the
night. Or, like you —a rich man—he keeps mistresses. And the man
remains utterly respectable. Indeed, his credit rises with both men
and women. It is nonsense and not fair.”
*Honorable Mention
He
grinned at that. “Who was it who told me you were a regular
hellion?”
“Some miserable man, I doubt not. Hellion —what nonsense! None of you can bear the thought of a woman making decisions for herself, being responsible for herself. You must always rule and order things to your own satisfaction, and you dare to call it protecting her.”
“Some miserable man, I doubt not. Hellion —what nonsense! None of you can bear the thought of a woman making decisions for herself, being responsible for herself. You must always rule and order things to your own satisfaction, and you dare to call it protecting her.”
6. An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole
“I
was just worried, is all,” she said, adjusting the ragged lace trim
on Elle’s sleeve. “You remind me of my daughter sometimes. She
had eyes just like yours . . . Caffrey sold her down South to pay off
a debt. Every time I look at you, I wonder if she gonna grow up to be
as pretty as you. And I hope she won’t.”
*Honorable Mention
“Help
me to understand,” he said. He was still asking of her when he
should be giving, but he didn’t know how else to proceed.
“We don’t want revenge, Malcolm.” She looked at him like he was the densest bastard to ever walk the earth. “We want life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, just like any damned fool in these United States is entitled to so long as he isn’t Black or Red. So you can keep your outrage. All I can do is try to make a difference.”
“We don’t want revenge, Malcolm.” She looked at him like he was the densest bastard to ever walk the earth. “We want life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, just like any damned fool in these United States is entitled to so long as he isn’t Black or Red. So you can keep your outrage. All I can do is try to make a difference.”
7. The Sins of Lord Lockwood by Meredith Duran
Do
not look at me. Or, more accurately: do not see me.
8. Wrong to Need You by Alisha Rai
She
was a mother, a widow. To a lot of people, she’d discovered, those
two titles took precedence over being a woman.
*Honorable Mention
This
line had me primal screaming/giddy/high:
There was a reason he’d never gotten along with many men—these absurd power plays were too foolish.
How bleeping amazing to have men relationships/dynamics called into the spotlight instead of the tired "women can't be friends because of jealously and/or competitiveness". I don't know, some justice was served for me with this line, lol.
There was a reason he’d never gotten along with many men—these absurd power plays were too foolish.
How bleeping amazing to have men relationships/dynamics called into the spotlight instead of the tired "women can't be friends because of jealously and/or competitiveness". I don't know, some justice was served for me with this line, lol.
9. Traitor to the Throne by Alwyn Hamilton
‘The
trouble with belief is that it’s not the same as truth.’
10. A Study in Scarlet Women by Sherry Thomas
“By
your standards it isn’t rational, I know. But you can’t expect to
be treated rationally when you are a woman, Charlotte. I can’t
explain why—that’s just how it is. And you must learn to accept
it.”
Charlotte was quiet. Livia thought that perhaps for once, she’d put some sense into her little sister’s head. But as they walked back into the house, Charlotte turned to her and said, “I will try to understand why. But I will not learn to accept it. Never.”
Charlotte was quiet. Livia thought that perhaps for once, she’d put some sense into her little sister’s head. But as they walked back into the house, Charlotte turned to her and said, “I will try to understand why. But I will not learn to accept it. Never.”
*Honorable Mention
The
duke smiled out over the forest. “It works,” he said. “The
people mutter against the witches. How do you do it, Fool?”
“Jokes, nuncle. And gossip. People are halfway ready to believe it anyway. Everyone respects the witches. The point is that no one actually likes them very much.”
“Jokes, nuncle. And gossip. People are halfway ready to believe it anyway. Everyone respects the witches. The point is that no one actually likes them very much.”
Granny
Weatherwax was often angry. She considered it one of her strong
points. Genuine anger was one of the world’s great creative forces.
But you had to learn how to control it. That didn’t mean you let it
trickle away. It meant you dammed it, carefully, let it develop a
working head, let it drown whole valleys of the mind and then, just
when the whole structure was about to collapse, opened a tiny
pipeline at the base and let the iron-hard stream of wrath power the
turbines of revenge.
Winner:
This was a very close race with Milan's quote (loved the female bonding and rebelling the quote implies). However, the "And I hope she won't" guts me every time.
Have a favorite line that has stuck with you from this year?
Next time, Favorite Heroine and Favorite Hero...
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