Hidden Gems #TopTenTuesday

This is a weekly meme hosted by Jana @ That Artsy Reader Girl. Each week, they post a new Top Ten list that one of their bloggers will answer. Everyone is welcome to join!

The topic for today's list is:

Hidden Gems

Each year, I come across books that I consider hidden gems...the ones that are utterly fantastic but I don't remember hearing much about them! Here are some hidden gems that I've read and loved:

Beg for Mercy by Jami Alden
(Dead Wrong, Book #1)
This was the best Romantic Suspense book that I read in 2016! Smoking hot!! Until this book, I hadn't heard of this author but after finishing this one I immediately bought the next two books in the series. I read Run from Fear earlier this year, and it was just as good as Beg for Mercy:

Hide from Evil
Run from Fear

The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty
(The Exorcist, Book #1)
The movie doesn't hold a candle to the book! This 40th Anniversary Edition of the audiobook is narrated by the author, and it's absolutely chilling.

Sky in the Deep
by Adrienne Young
(Sky in the Deep, Book #1)
This 2018 YA debut blew me away! If you are going to read just one YA debut this year, make it this one!! The heroine is a Viking kick-ass warrior.

Unearthly series by Cynthia Hand:
Unearthly
Hallowed
Boundless
I binged on this series earlier this year. I realize that it's an older series and I'm really late getting on board, but it's fantastic! I can't remember last when I ditched all my reading plans because I simply had to continue the series. That's the benefit of waiting to start a series until it is complete, because then there's no waiting!

This is Not a Test series by Courtney Summers:
This is Not a Test
Please Remain Calm
It was the sequel, Please Remain Calm, that blew me away! This is another series that I binged on earlier this year. I really enjoyed This is Not a Test, but Please Remain Calm is the one that gave me nightmares!

Before I Wake
by Robert J. Wiersema
This was first published back in 2006, and it was Wiersema's debut. I don't remember ever having even heard of this author, but I picked this one up at a used book sale earlier this year and just loved it. It's about a family who suffers a tragedy, but miracles come out of it. You'll have to have Kleenex on hand for this one.

Scars by Cheryl Rainfield
This was tough to read but, oh, so good! It deals with sexual abuse and cutting. That's the author's arm on the cover, so she knows of what she writes.

The Book of Ivy and The Revolution of Ivy
by Amy Engel
(The Book of Ivy, Books #1-2)
I read this duology last year, and I think it's highly underrated. I received the first audiobook for review back in 2014, and then I went on a blogging hiatus due to personal circumstances and never listened to it until last year. I was blown away, and I actually don't recall seeing any hype about this series on any other blog. I loved it, and I recommend it if you enjoy dystopia.

So, what hidden gems have you read? Please let me know in the comments, or leave me a link to your blog post if you are also participating in the meme!