Most Surprising Books of 2020

These books shocked me in the best way!

Every year there are some books that take me by total surprise. And with how much I read this year, I have more books than ever on this list!

These 10 books that I didn’t see coming ranked from “least” to most surprising!

10. Theirs for the Night by Katee Robert

I read this novella for Smutathon right at the beginning of the year and it got me completely hooked on Katee Roberts! This steamy romance follows a prince, his bodyguard, and their own night stand with a woman they meet in New York. The entire trilogy is fantastic!

9. Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

This is pretty low on the list because it was super hyped last year. But after the hyped died down, I heard some mixed things. But wow did this twist get me! This quickly became a new favorite thriller and I’m still shook by the reveal.

8. Tweet Cute by Emma Lord

This was another book I read early in 2020 and it was such a good way to start the reading year! I’ve been struggling with YA contemporary, but this one blew me away. It’s a really sweet romance with tons of witty banter following two teens locked in a company Twitter battle.

7. White Hot Kiss by Jennifer L. Armentrout

2020 was the year of JLA for me! And this series was my favorite world of the bunch. I did not think a gargoyle romance was going to work for me but boy was I wrong. I love this world and these characters. And the spinoff is even more amazing.

6. The Night Swim by Megan Goldin

I had no idea what to expect going into this mystery but I was shocked by how impactful this story was. The audiobook is one of my favorites of the year and the production value is fantastic. This discussion rape culture making it really difficult to read at times but Megan Goldin handled it expertly.

5. You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle

I had bit of a struggle with transitionally published romances this year. There were a lot of misses! But this rom-com had me laughing out loud!! I don’t think I’ve ever laughed so hard while reading. This enemies to lovers romance follows an engaged couple pulling ridiculous stunts in an effort to get the other to call off the wedding.

4. The Beautiful by Renée Ahdieh

I know this book ended up on a lot of 2019 most disappointing lists, and maybe that’s why it ended up here for me! I had such low expectations going into this YA paranormal that I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it! It’s atmospheric, and angsty, and a great setup to a series in my opinion!

3. The Headmaster by Tiffany Reisz

I read this short novella for an October readathon. And it’s been a long minute since I picked up a book I never heard about and went in totally blind. But I was blown away. This is a romance novella following a teacher who ends up at an elite boarding school. Which may or may not be haunted. Ugh so good! And the ending had me screaming!

2. The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller

I devoured this YA fantasy in a single evening. It was such an addicting read with one of the best villain romances of all time. I loved the morally grey characters, angst, and fantastically paced romance. I can’t wait to read more from Tricia Levenseller now!

1. Winterwood by Shea Ernshaw

This has to be one of my biggest unpopular opinions. I LOVED this YA fantasy. I enjoyed The Wicked Deep but wasn’t blown away like I was with this one. I know most people found it predictable and underwhelming, but this setting and atmosphere completely captivated me. I loved the spell book chapters sprinkled throughout and I was wholly invested in this family and story. Shea Ernshaw just has such a beautiful writing style!

What was your most surprising read of the year??

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