Hi, my lovely readers! I know that Valentine’s Day was technically two days ago, but tomorrow is Valentine’s Day weekend, so I’m still on time with this article, right? I thought I’d share a romantic reading list to make your weekend even more love-filled!
I do read and review quite a bit of romance, so I thought I’d list some of my favourites below. A full list of my romance reviews can be found right here, by the way! I’ve gone through all of them, and here are my favourite 10, in the order that I reviewed them:
- The Catastrophic History of You and Me: the first one on this list is a romantic drama or a dramatic romance depending on how you look at it. It’s a story that ripped me to shreds, that made me laugh out loud and cry a minute later, with a very sweet undertone to make anyone “aww” and a happy ending to boot. If you’re into sweet but drama-filled romances, with a heavy psychological undertone, trips into the afterlife and teenage hysterics, then this is a good read for you!
- Dash & Lily’s Book of Dares: this is, again, a young adult romance novel. I reviewed it back in May 2016 and I still really feel the same way about it. I’m a big fan of words, communication, reading and writing and that plays a big role in this book. Language almost feels like a third main character. The romance plays out between two teenagers who fall in love through clues and messages they place for each other in a notebook, hidden in a bookstore. It’s not until the end of the book that they meet, and by then they’ve already basically fallen in love. Fun read for fans of young adult and romance with a penchant for language.
- The Avery Shaw Experiment: this is actually one of my favourite young adult romances I’ve read (so far), and also the last YA one on this list. I’ve reread it about 3 to 4 times because I just love the relationship between Avery and Grayson. It’s a little cliché (handsome jock falling in love with nerdy girl, kind of having to convince her to be with him) but with fun and unexpected twists. Don’t worry, it’s not very sciency! It’s a story about a girl fighting through a break-up to end up with the best boy she could have been with. It’s sweet, very aww-inducing with the best happy ending ever. Perfect for those of us who believe in romance and love muscly guys that aren’t afraid to go all out for their girlfriends!
- Stealing Taffy: I would classify this romance novel as new adult. It’s a drippingly sweet Southern love story about a Southern belle and her rough policeman. They met, had a one-night stand and then she slipped away until they meet again by chance during a police investigation. Like I said in my original review: it’s very sweet and perfect if you want to read a romance set in a Southern setting about a sweet lady with a steel backbone and mistakes in her past but on her way to redemption. It is rather cliched but sweet and fun.
- Because of Miss Bridgerton: I also really like historical romances, especially set in England. I read this book leading up to Valentine’s Day last year, so it definitely deserves its spot on this list. It’s about a tomboy and the annoying serious older brother of her two best friends. The very different personalities made for a very fun read, especially against the strict and very English backdrop. It’s a perfect example of a historical romance with a female character that has backbone. If you like English costume dramas without cliches, this is your book!
- Domestic Goddess: this is a very contemporary romance about a TV personality and the carpenter she’s forced to work with on air. It’s a very realistic and believable story without too many cliches. The main characters have a lot of chemistry, there’s a funny and easygoing back-and-forth and they are very respectful of each other. It’s a story where you are rooting for the relationship. A must-read for romance lovers who are looking for something lighthearted, fun and not too cliched.
- Hungry For You: this is a paranormal romance about vampires! Vampires are from Atlantis by the way and it’s nanobots that keep them healthy, young and alive. But that’s beside the point. The point is that this is a romantic story about a grandmother finding lifemates for every family member, an old and powerful but lonely vampire and a busy restaurant manager. Worlds collide and romance blossoms! They respect each other and the relationship is believable, as much as is possible when reading about Atlantian vampires… Fun, romantic and uncomplicated read!
- Beast Behaving Badly: the first shapeshifter romance on this list, and it is immediately my very favourite shapeshifter romance ever! I’ve reread it countless and is part of a series showing shapeshifter romances at their best! People can shift into several animals and interbreeding leads to interesting mixes. But this is my favourite because of the two main characters: a control freak, unsocial, curt, huge professional hockey player that falls for a squeaky, social, talkative, somewhat naive, small plumber. No need to read the entire series to understand it better, though doing so adds extra dimensions to the story.
- Leave the Night On: another love story with an amazing relationship and great story development. A fake relationship to get revenge on a cheating ex-fiance turns into much more. They slowly grow closer together and the male character is very respectful and believable in how he handles his girl. It’s a story with a successful woman with Southern charm falling for the sweet, loyal, rough and tumble car mechanic. A swoon-worthy read!
- The Playboy Prince and the Nanny: and of course, a royal romance couldn’t be missing from this list! Yes, it is a rather cliche and even a little old-fashioned setting (the title says it all), but it is, in fact, a real love story about real people. No cliche misunderstandings or crazy plot twists, no ex-lovers or other drama, nothing to make you want to slap them… Just two people with different lives who develop feelings for each other and try to figure out if and how they can remain in each other’s lives. If you want an excerpt to get a little taste, read my review!
So, what do you think? Will any of these be getting you in a romantic mood this Valentine’s Day weekend? Enjoy the love!
Happy reading,
Loes M.