We are the queens of being so super excited for a book and then either never reading it (hello If I Lie) or never telling ya’ll how we felt about it once we do read it. We recently saw Caitlyn on Paper Fury post how her most-anticipated reads from 2018 stacked up to her expectations, so we thought it would be fun to do something similar. And the Top Ten Tuesday prompt of Most Anticipated Releases for the First Half of 2019 spurred us on to get it done quick(er).
Of course, when we set out making our list we knew we couldn’t narrow it down to just ten books! So, we cheated. *gasp* You’re shocked, we know…
And here we are, the 19 Books We Hope Are Absolutely Awesome in the First Half of 2019, presented in order of publication date because there was no way we could sort this list into favoritisters.
19 Books We Hope Are Absolutely Awesome in the First Half of 2019
Famous in a Small Town
by Emma Mills 1/15/2019
Why We’re Excited:
First, It’s Emma Mills. Does she write anything that isn’t wonderful? Not to mention the small-town feels, the friendships that she portrays so effortlessly, and the kissing. We’re glad we don’t have to wait too long for this one.
Only a Breath Apart
by Katie McGarry 1/22/2019
Why We’re Excited:
We fell like we don’t even have to explain why this is on our most-anticipated reads list. Katie McGarry consistently brings us characters and stories that are emotional and authentic. Plus, all of her boys are swoony.
The Deceivers
(The Valhalla Academy #1) by Kristen Simmons 2/5/2019
Why We’re Excited:
If you know us, you know that we’re just a tiny bit obsessed with Kristen Simmons. She’s the sweetest, add that to the fact that everything she writes (and says) is pure gold, and we know without a doubt that we’ll love this book, too.
Fate, Fame, and the First Kiss
by Kasie West 2/5/2019
Why We’re Excited:
Kasie West is another auto-buy author for us. All of her contemporaries are adorable, fun, and usually exactly what we need to read, right when we need it. We love the idea for Fate, Fame, and the First Kiss and can’t wait to get to know these characters.
Courting Darkness
(Courting Darkness Duology #1) by Robin Lafevers 2/5/2019
Why We’re Excited:
We jumped onto the His Fair Assassin train pretty late (like, um, in December 2018…don’t judge us.), but we were blown away by the fierce characters and the spectacular storytelling. We are so excited that Sybella and Beast are continuing, and we hope our other faves are here as well, especially Duval and Balthazaar.
The Art of Losing
by Lizzy Mason 2/19/2019
Why We’re Excited:
asktrnoierjvgnoerubgoaiut
That’s how we feel every time we are trying to articulate how badly we want to read this book. We’ve known and loved Lizzy for a long time 😍, and we are so happy for her and proud of her. We know The Art of Losing is going to get us in the feels. We’re also expecting tight friendships, characters that take us on a journey, and hopefully some swoon. All our favorite things.
Warrior of the Wild
by Tricia Levenseller 2/26/2019
Why We’re Excited:
Even with just a couple of books under her belt, Tricia Levenseller effortlessly weaves relatable characters and heart-pounding adventures. Her storytelling and swoon gives us all the feels. Throw in our new love for all-things Viking (we’re looking at you, Sky in the Deep), and we can hardly wait to dive into Warrior of the Wild.
Rayne and Delilah’s Midnite Matinee
by Jeff Zentner 2/26/2019
Why We’re Excited:
We’re totally expecting to need a full box of tissues and possibly some ice packs for our eyes for all of the crying we’ll do when reading this. Jeff Zentner gets us, every. single. time. But that’s one of the greatest things about his books, and we know that if we can get through the tears, this book will be profound. Plus, it’s dedicated to the Korner, so we’re pretty excited about that, too.
Field Notes on Love
by Jennifer E. Smith 3/5/2019
Why We’re Excited:
It’s been awhile since we’ve had a book from Jennifer E. Smith, and we’re so happy that’s being remedied this year. And with a British boy! 😍 We know this story will be sweet and swoony and if it’s like most of her other books, it will take place over a short period of time. What we always hope for with Smith and pretty much never get is a satisfying ending. We want to know that the characters get their HEA! We’re not holding our breath for that here, but we know we’ll enjoy the ride right up to the end.
Cold Day in the Sun
by Sara Biren 3/12/2019
Why We’re Excited:
We love books featuring hockey players and forbidden romances, so this one seems like it was made for us. Add in the fact that we know Sara Biren writes emotional stories with characters we can’t help but fall for, and we’ve got high hopes.
Defy the Fates
(Defy the Stars #3) by Claudia Gray 4/2/2019
Why We’re Excited:
Claudia Gray has been one of our favs since we met her when we first starting blogging. We are pretty sure can safely say that this series will go down as our favorite of hers. Both Defy the Stars and Defy the Worlds took us on a rollercoaster of emotions. Seriously. So. Many. Feelings. And those endings? Killer! We know there will be lots of twists to get through first, but we are hoping this one gives us the ending we’ve been hoping for.
Serious Moonlight
by Jenn Bennett 4/16/2019
Why We’re Excited:
The other books we’ve read from Jenn Bennett have us hooked on her likable characters and relatable storylines. We’re hoping for more of that with Serious Moonlight, along with some serious swoon. See what we did there? 😄
Her Royal Highness
(Royals #2) by Rachel Hawkins 5/7/2019
Why We’re Excited:
From the moment Archer Cross said he wanted to do some very corporeal things to Sophie Mercer, Rachel Hawkins has always been in our hearts and on our auto-buy lists. Royals was one of our favorite reads last year, and it wasn’t just because of the Royal Wedding.
We loved the banter and fun in Royals and we’re expecting that to be kicked up a notch in Her Royal Highness. Plus you know we love a good boarding school book set abroad. 😉
We Hunt the Flame
(We Hunt the Flame #1) by Hafsah Faizal 5/14/2019
Why We’re Excited:
Similar to our feelings about Lizzy Mason above, it isn’t often that we get to follow an author’s path for literally years before she makes her debut. We Hunt the Flame promises so many things we love: captivating storyline in a fantasy setting, strong characters (including the MC who has to pose as a boy), and a forbidden romance. We honestly can’t wait to dive into this world and fall for these characters, and while we couldn’t be happier for Hafsah, we’re really excited for us–along with the rest of the world–that we get to read it!
The Candle and the Flame
by Nafiza Azad 5/14/2019
Why We’re Excited:
Of course you already know we love finding debut authors to love and swoon for, so that’s the first thing that drew us into this one. Plus, we can’t remember reading another story set along the Silk road, and we have to say that’s got us intrigued. Big time. We also can’t wait to see how this debut author spins this tale of magic and “fiercely independent women” in just 416 pages.
Kingsbane
(The Empirium Trilogy #2) by Claire Legrand 5/21/2019
Why We’re Excited:
Furyborn was one of those books we didn’t see coming last year and now we cannot wait for more of Rielle and Eliana in Kingsbane. Actually, all of Claire Legrand’s characters had us on the edge of our seats–was there even such a thing as secondary character for her? There’s more to come in this series, so we are hoping to get through the sophomore title without being too emotionally damaged. Either way, we’re along for the ride.
War of the Bastards
(Royal Bastards #3) by Andrew Shvarts 6/4/2019
Why We’re Excited:
Though it’s not our typical read, the Royal Bastards series has been a standout since one of our favorite publicists rec’d it for us. We don’t want to be spoilery here, but we feel like there’s a lot to do in this world, and we can’t wait to see how Andrew Shvarts is going to wrap things up with Tilla and the gang.
Storm and Fury
(The Harbinger Series #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout 6/11/2019
Why We’re Excited:
We weren’t expecting more The Dark Elements series, but we’re thrilled that’s what we’ll be getting. If Storm and Fury is like any of Jennifer L. Armentrout’s other books, we’re in for a gripping experience with characters we can’t help but fall for. And gargoyles! Bring on the gargoyles! 🗿
Better Than the Best Plan
by Lauren Morrill 6/25/2019
Why We’re Excited:
Finishing up our list is the one we have to wait the longest for, but if Better Than the Best Plan is like everything else we’ve read by Lauren Morrill, it will be worth the wait. We ❤️ a good summer read and falling for the boy next door, so we’ve got some pretty high expectations for swoons and flails in this one.
Well there you go, our 19 Books We Hope Are Absolutely Awesome in the First Half of 2019. We hope this list provides some accountability for us to remember how excited we are about these books right now. And of course we hope we absolutely love all of them. If all goes according to plan, we’ll check back in in July to let you know what we thought. So join us in navigating through the weeks of all the amazing new releases. #swoonyboys
I’m super excited about “Warrior of the Wild,” too.
This is my Top Ten Tuesday post.
Cold Day in the Sun does sound like a good read. I hope you all like it.
Here is our Top Ten Tuesday. Thanks for stopping by earlier!