This isn’t to say that neither of the main characters in these books experience any conflicts or road bumps, but that they communicate and work together to overcome any obstacles they encounter without breaking up. I’m always looking for more books without a third act break-up to add to my TBR list! So, I compiled a list of 9 contemporary romance book recommendations without a third act break-up… 1. Reckless by Elsie SilverAfter leaving a toxic marriage, Winter has a steamy one-night stand with professional bull rider Theo that ends in accidental pregnancy.
2. Iced Out by Veronica Eden After swearing off hockey players, Maya catches the eye of the captain of her brother’s rival hockey team, Easton, while dancing on top of a bar.
3. Shutout by Avery Keelan After moving in with her brother and his teammates, Sera discovers that one of her new roommates, Ty, is her anonymous, spicy hook-up from Halloween.
4. Something Wilder by Christina Lauren Lily organizes fake treasure hunts using her father’s old maps but when her latest trip, which happens to involve her ex, Leo, goes horribly wrong, the group starts to wonder if the hidden treasure is real.
5. Breakaway by Grace Reilly Ready to get back into the dating game, Penny proposes a secret “friends with benefits” arrangement with Cooper, a hockey player on the team her dad coaches.
6. A Million Kisses in Your Lifetime by Monica Murphy Highschoolers Wren and Crew are total opposites, but when they’re partnered together for a project, they find themselves unexpectedly drawn to each other.
7. Behind the Net by Stephanie Archer While recovering from heartbreak, Pippa takes a job as a live-in assistant to professional hockey player Jamie Streicher, whom Pippa had a crush on in high school.
8. Road Trip to Forever by Chelsea CurtoSparks start to fly between childhood best friends Lola and Patrick whilst taking a road trip to Florida so that Lola can compete in a fashion competition.
9. Better Hate than Never by Chloe Liese (out October 10th) When Kate’s childhood neighbour Christopher learns the real reason behind Kate’s hostile behaviour towards him, he vows to make things right and soon after, sparks start to fly between the once enemies.
This article was written for "The Nerd Daily". Click HERE to view this article on "The Nerd Daily's" website!
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Book Description: "Tiffany doesn’t care about all the attention she’s getting from the alien men, but there is one particular hunter she can see herself with—if only she can find a way to move forward from the past. . . .It’s hard being the most popular girl on the ice planet. The alien men are falling all over themselves to impress me in the hopes that I’ll take them to my furs. But they don’t know my secrets. And they don’t realize that behind my smile, I just wish they’d take their courting presents and their competitions for my affection and go away. I want to be left alone. But on a planet where women are a scarcity, that won’t be happening. If I had to choose a mate . . . it’d be someone with a gorgeous blue body, big horns, and the most intense gaze ever. Someone who knows the truth of what happened to me and why I don’t like attention. Patient, handsome Salukh knows my secrets. He knows why I have nightmares and why I don’t trust anyone. He’s willing to let me “experiment” with him. I can use him. Take what I need from him to work through my trauma. He’s been a good friend and the best shoulder to cry on. There’s one small problem. When it comes to us, he doesn’t just want to be my friend. He wants to be my forever. And day by day, he’s getting harder to resist. . . ." (Summary courtesy of Berkley and Penguin Random House). Continue reading for an excerpt of Barbarian's Prize by Ruby Dixon courtesy of Berkley Publishing, Penguin Random House, and Ruby Dixon… Excerpt of Barbarian's Prize by Ruby Dixon: Tiffany: I study my rows of planted seeds, hoping for a sprig here or there. Right now, there is nothing, just an upraised row in the snow where the dirt was piled back onto them. Frustrated, I move down the row I’ve marked with a few sticks, but there’s nothing to be seen. Surely plants here can’t be that different from plants on Earth, can they? The snow is throwing me off, but it’s still water, and plants need water to grow. I shove my fingers into my glove and then kneel near one of the small mounds, digging. There has to be something. If there’s even a hint of a sprout on one of my seeds, I’ll have hope. I dig down maybe a foot into the snow and stop when I see a hint of pink threading through the white. Sure enough, one of my seeds has sprouted and is pushing its way through the snow. It’s working! Excited, I pile the snow back on top with a pat and get to my feet. Wait until I tell Salukh! As if my thoughts have summoned him, a familiar male silhouette appears on the ridge, burdened by a kill. He seems to be walking strangely, and I dust the snow off my hands and surge forward. Is he hurt? He’s moving slow. For a moment I almost think it’s one of the elders, but there’s no mistaking the way Salukh’s horns curve up at the ends, or his long fluttering hair. He drags a dead dvisti behind him and cradles one arm against his chest, and my heart hammers. Does he need the healer? Maylak’s at the other cave, though, and it’s at least a half a day’s journey to get to her. “Salukh, are you all right?” I call as I push through the snow to get to his side. “Can I help?” “You can help,” he agrees, and as I get to his side, he thrusts a cloak-covered bundle into my arms. “Cursed thing bit me all the way here.” I blink in surprise as the bundle tries to leap from my arms and bleats angrily. I tighten my grip on it and stare at the hunter. “What is this?” “A dvisti kit. The mother was lame and so she became fodder for my spear. But I could not kill the young one. I brought it for you.” “Me?” “Yes, you.” He drops the spear on the ground, letting his kill tumble into the snow, and then rotates one big arm, rubbing sore muscles. “Ah, that feels good.” I try not to watch as he rubs one big blue bicep, but . . . mercy. Those are big biceps. Hard, too. The creature in my hands wriggles, and my attention turns back to it. “I . . . Do you guys even do pets?” “Sessah has a two-teeth he feeds back at the main cave.” “And no one tries to eat it for dinner? I don’t want to get attached to something only to come home and find someone roasting my pet.” “I will not allow them to touch it.” His words are so sure, so bold. I feel a weird surge of warmth and smile at him. He reaches forward to uncover the creature’s head, and then two big, blue, khui-lit eyes are gazing at me. The head is tiny, a bit like a fawn, but covered in long, crazy fur like a sheepdog. It bleats angrily at me. And I laugh because it’s so ridiculous looking and cute at the same time. It’s all nose and googly eyes and shaggy hair. “I love it.” He gives a masculine grunt. “I am glad it pleases you.” “It’s sweet of you to think of me,” I admit. I’m endlessly showered with useful things by the other guys, but this is the first time someone’s thought to give me something completely . . . frivolous. And a pet truly is frivolous in a setting like this, but I really love it, and I love that Salukh was so thoughtful. “Thank you.” His gaze burns into mine. “I have been thinking upon your words, Tee-fah-nee.” I shiver. The way he says my name always makes me think he’s mentally caressing each syllable, and it makes me feel things that I thought were long gone. He steps forward and he doesn’t touch me, though he is close enough that our faces could practically press together if we were the same height. As it is, I’m staring at a lot of broad, velvety-blue pectorals. The baby dvisti in my arms snaps at a bit of fringe on his vest and begins to chew on it. I suddenly feel flushed and overheated despite the ever- present ice. “My words?” “You wish to practice in the furs.” His intense look pins me in place. “I wish to be the male you practice with.” Excerpted from Barbarian's Prize by Ruby Dixon, Copyright © 2023 by Ruby Dixon. Excerpt reproduced with permission of Berkley and Penguin Random House, all rights reserved.
So, without further ado, here are 5 book series that you should definitely check out if you loved The Brown Sisters trilogy by Talia Hibbert: 1. The Hot and Hammered trilogy by Tessa BaileyWhy fans of The Brown Sisters will love it: -Mental health representation (including PTSD) -Focuses on the Castle sisters and their best friend Rosie -Loveable and hilarious main characters (including a Birthday party clown and the star of a house renovation show) -Lots of female empowerment (the main characters even form a club to support each other) -Swoon-worthy love interests (including a hot major league baseball player and a cowboy turned construction worker who is caring for his young niece) -Lots of spice and romance (including a marriage on the rocks, an age gap romance, a workplace romance, and an “enemies to lovers” romance) -Books with interconnected storylines that can be read as standalones -All the books end in a happily ever after My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of 5 stars Click HERE to add the Hot and Hammered trilogy on Goodreads! 2. The Bergman Brothers series by Chloe LieseWhy fans of The Brown Sisters will love it: -Mental health and disability representation (Crohn’s disease, autism, hearing loss, and chronic pain) -Focuses on the rugged-looking and swoon-worthy Bergman brothers (and sisters) who have strong athletic abilities and “cinnamon roll” personalities -The latest installment, Everything for You, features LGBTQ+ representation -Lots of spice and romance (including a “fake” marriage, a lot of slow burn romance, and an “enemies to lovers” romance) -Books with interconnected storylines that can be read as standalones -All the books end in a happily ever after My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of 5 stars Click HERE to add the Bergman Brothers series on Goodreads! 3. The Off-Campus series by Elle KennedyWhy fans of The Brown Sisters will love it: -Mental health representation -In addition to being best friends and roommates, all the main characters are sexy hockey players on the Briar University hockey team -All the main characters are initially bad boys and players, but they end up turning into total sweethearts -All the female love interests are sassy, empowered, and loveable -Lots of humor (including a competition to see who would make the best godfather and a series of ridiculous tasks that must be completed to earn a second chance) -Slow burn romances with lots of spice -Books with interconnected storylines that can be read as standalones -All the books end in a happily ever after My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of 5 stars Click HERE to add the Off-Campus series on Goodreads! 4. The Written in the Stars trilogy by Alexandria BellefleurWhy fans of The Brown Sisters will love it: -LGBTQ+ representation -Focuses on a quirky group of best friends and co-workers -Loveable main characters and love interests (including the developer of a matchmaker app and the creators of a popular astrological social media page) -Lots of spice and romance (including a second chance romance, a childhood crush, and fake dating) -Books with interconnected storylines that can be read as standalones -All the books end in a happily ever after My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of 5 stars Click HERE to add the Written in the Stars trilogy on Goodreads! 5. The All Access series by Evie MitchellWhy fans of The Brown Sisters will love it:
-Disability representation (Crohn’s disease, wheelchair users, and amputees) -Focuses on a group of female best friends searching for love -Strong female main characters (including a podcast host and a small business owner) -Swoon-worthy love interests -Lots of spice (including accessible rope play) and romance (including a second chance romance) -Books with interconnected storylines that can be read as standalones -All the books end in a happily ever after -The third book in the series, Darn Knit All, is expected to release in 2023 My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ out of 5 stars Click HERE to add the All Access series on Goodreads! I'm not a fan of horror and scary stories, so here are 8 paranormal romance book recommendations to add to your fall/ Halloween TBR lists... 1. The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling
2. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
3. Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin
4. Bone Crier's Moon by Kathryn Purdie
5. Lore & Lust by Karla Nikole
6. Court of the Vampire Queen by Katee Robert
7. Eternally Yours by Patrice Caldwell et al.
8. Mating the Huntress by Talia Hibbert
What's on my fall TBR list?
My General Thoughts: Firstly, I love these special edition covers and can’t wait to see what the rest of the series looks like! I think that the Ice Planet Barbarians series is very addicting; I especially enjoy how all the Ice Planet Barbarian books have interconnected story lines and are full of action, romance, sci fi elements, and spice. Since I was already familiar with planet Not-Hoth and its inhabitants (after reading the first 3 books in the series), I loved how I was able to dive right into Barbarian Mine without a lot of preambles – I was especially excited about Harlow’s story as her well-being was left in a cliff hanger at the end of Barbarian Lover (book 3). I would highly recommend this series to fantasy, sci fi, and/ or romance readers such as fans of A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas, From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L Armentrout, King of Battle and Blood by Scarlett St. Clair, Court of the Vampire Queen by Katee Robert, and The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L Jensen. One downside for me was that I found it frustrating that Harlow’s love interest, Rukh, couldn’t communicate with Harlow through words for most of the book (Rukh doesn’t know English nor the Sakh language because he grew up uncivilized and isolated from the tribe). Lastly, it is important to note some trigger warnings present in Barbarian Mine including kidnapping, isolation, cancer, and pregnancy/ childbirth. I also want to note that it’s important to read the first 3 books in the Ice Planet Barbarians series (Ice Planet Barbarians, Barbarian Alien, and Barbarian Lover) before picking up a copy of Barbarian Mine to avoid spoilers. Book Description: “The fourth novel in the international publishing phenomenon the Ice Planet Barbarians series, now in a special print edition with bonus materials and an exclusive epilogue! Harlow receives the shock of her life when she wakes up to see Rukh, a stranger who has clearly been on his own his whole life, but she soon learns that there is much more to this gruff, barbaric alien than the savage he appears to be. The ice planet has given me a second lease on life, so I'm thrilled to be here. Sure, there are no cheeseburgers, but I'm healthy and ready to be a productive member of the small tribe. What I didn't anticipate? That there'd be a savage stranger waiting nearby, watching me. And when he takes me captive, the unthinkable happens...I resonate to him. Resonance means mating, and children...but I don't know if this guy's ever been around anyone before. He's truly a barbarian in all ways, and he has claimed me as his own. So why is it that I crave his touch and hunger for more?” (Summary courtesy of Berkley and Penguin Random House). Continue reading for an excerpt of Barbarian Mine by Ruby Dixon curtesy of Berkley Publishing, Penguin Random House, and Ruby Dixon… Excerpt of Barbarian Mine by Ruby Dixon: Harlow I need two poles for a travois. Two. No problem. There's got to be trees in the distance, and I'm strong and whole. Okay. I can do this. I can. Aehako's instructions ring through my mind, over and over. We need to make a travois and take Haeden back to the healer. My heart races wildly in my chest as I sprint through the snow, looking for the thin, pink, wispy trees of this planet. Kira's gone, and both aliens are wounded. They need my help, and I can't let them down. I don't know why they don't go back to the alien ship and get healed. They don't trust it, and I guess I understand that. I'm used to technology, and it still freaks me out to think of the cold, emotionless voice of the computer. Also, I know what it's like to fear the doctor. My feet sink into the snow with each step, and my leather boots quickly become sodden. There's no time to fix them or reinforce the insides with warm dvisti fur. Time is of the essence. I trudge forward over a drift-covered hill, and when I see the pink, wispy eyelashes of trees in the distance, I pick up the pace. Almost there. I have Haeden's knife, since he's too wounded to use it. The bone handle is smooth in my hand, though it's a little too big for my human-sized palm to grip comfortably. Everything here on Not-Hoth is sa-khui sized. I'm a decent height for a girl, but the average person on this planet seems to be seven feet tall, and the snows are deep, the caves huge. Really, everything feels just a wee bit too big. It's like I've been transported to a Goldilocks house, except instead of just right, everything's too large. It's just one more thing I must adjust to in an endless stream of new and frightening things. Weeks ago, I went to sleep in my own bed, and the biggest concern on my mind was when I'd start my chemo. Then, a few weird dreams later, I woke up, shivering and weak, pulled from a tube and told I'd been abducted by aliens. Which would have been hard to believe except that I'd come from Houston, Texas, and my air conditioner had gone out, so I'd spent the evening sweating and praying the repairman would come by soon. When I'd woken up? It had been so cold my bare feet had stuck to the metal floors, and strange blue aliens occasionally entered to chat with the humans. It's hard to call someone a liar when they're seven feet tall, blue, and horned. After seeing that, I had to believe. And even though sometimes I want to pinch myself until I wake up, I have to accept the fact that I'm now living on a snow planet with no chance of getting home, and I'm infected with an alien parasite that allows me to endure the harsh conditions of Not-Hoth. Not exactly how I'd visualized my future at all. But . . . at least I have a future. According to the ship's medical computers, I'm cancer-free now. I don't know if it's wrong, or if it's Not-Hoth's atmosphere or the new "cootie" (as some of the girls call it) living in my chest. All I know is that the inoperable brain tumor isn't showing up in scans. And for the first time in the last year, I have hope. But first . . . a travois. When I get to the trees, I move to the closest one and touch the bark with my fingertips. It feels spongy and damp despite the chill in the air, and not sturdy enough to support a massive, muscled alien. I have no idea if this will work, but I'll give it a shot. I owe the sa-khui my life, and so I'm going to do my best to help Haeden and Aehako. Kneeling down, I begin to hack at the base of the first tree. The knife sinks in with a squishing noise, and sap squirts out onto the snow. Ugh. I wrinkle my nose and keep cutting, determined. Kira's gone, and they're wounded, so I'm the only one that can help. The snow crunches nearby. I stand upright, surprised. It almost sounded like a footstep. "Hello?" I turn around and look. "Aehako?" No one's there. The snowy landscape is barren, nothing but rolling drifts as far as the eye can see. I must be imagining things. I'm not alone out here in the wild. There're creatures everywhere, or so the hunters tell me. It could be one of the porcupine-looking things. Or maybe it's a rabbit. Or . . . whatever the rabbit equivalent on this planet is. I can't be a silly chicken and freak out at every little sound, though. I turn back to the tree and continue hacking at it. I hear the crunch of snow again, and a moment later, a heavy thudding. My blood feels like it's surging in my ears, and I press a hand to my head, wincing. No, wait. That's not thudding or drumming. My heart is calm. Is it . . . purring? Something slams into the back of my head, and I pitch forward into darkness. Even there, the strange purring follows me. Excerpted from Barbarian Mine by Ruby Dixon, Copyright © 2022 by Ruby Dixon. Excerpt reproduced with permission of Berkley and Penguin Random House, all rights reserved.
My General Thoughts:
Happy pub day to Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood! I was fortunate enough to receive an advanced e-copy of this book and, so far, it's one of my favourite reads of 2022. I really enjoyed Hazelwood's debut novel, The Love Hypothesis, and I thought that Love on the Brain was even better (and spicier)! I was honestly hooked from the very beginning, and I found that I had to stop myself from reading the whole book in just one sitting. I loved Bee's cool and nerdy vibe, and I thought that Levi was totally swoon-worthy. I also enjoyed all the NASA elements that Hazelwood included in this book, as I found them to be very interesting and unique, and I appreciated that the ending of this book was unpredictable. If you're a fan of "enemies to lovers" rom coms like Everything for You by Chloe Liese, My Killer Vacation by Tessa Bailey, and Set on You by Amy Lea, then I highly recommend picking up a copy of Love on the Brain. Book Description: "Like an avenging, purple-haired Jedi bringing balance to the mansplained universe, Bee Königswasser lives by a simple code: What would Marie Curie do? If NASA offered her the lead on a neuroengineering project—a literal dream come true after years scraping by on the crumbs of academia—Marie would accept without hesitation. Duh. But the mother of modern physics never had to co-lead with Levi Ward. Sure, Levi is attractive in a tall, dark, and piercing-eyes kind of way. And sure, he caught her in his powerfully corded arms like a romance novel hero when she accidentally damseled in distress on her first day in the lab. But Levi made his feelings toward Bee very clear in grad school—archenemies work best employed in their own galaxies far, far away. Now, her equipment is missing, the staff is ignoring her, and Bee finds her floundering career in somewhat of a pickle. Perhaps it’s her occipital cortex playing tricks on her, but Bee could swear she can see Levi softening into an ally, backing her plays, seconding her ideas…devouring her with those eyes. And the possibilities have all her neurons firing. But when it comes time to actually make a move and put her heart on the line, there’s only one question that matters: What will Bee Königswasser do?" (Book description taken from Ali Hazelwood's website). Here's a list of 10 beachy book recommendations that you should definitely add to your summer TBR list... 1. Good Girl Complex by Elle Kennedy
2. Something Wilder by Christina Lauren
3. Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score
4. I Kissed Shara Wheeler by Casey McQuiston
5. It Happened One Summer by Tessa Bailey
6. The Summer of Broken Rules by K. L. Walther7. Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez8. People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry9. My Killer Vacation by Tessa Bailey
10. Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood (out Aug 23)
What's on my Summer TBR list?
What is a Book Fairy? Well, according to “The Book Fairies” website (n.d.), a Book Fairy is someone who wants a fun way to pass on the great books they’ve read to the next person; they do this by popping an official Book Fairy sticker on their gently used book (and perhaps even a ribbon) and hiding it in public for the next reader to find! I became a Book Fairy in February 2020 and I love it! So, I decided to share my top 10 reasons why you should become a Book Fairy too… 1. Book Fairies exist all over the world 2. It’s easy to become a Book Fairy; all you need to do is purchase some official Book Fairy stickers from IBelieveInBookFairies.com (available in a variety of different languages) and then you are ready to start hiding some books (just remember to post your book drops on social media and tag @BookFairiesWorldwide) 3. All the Book Fairy products available on IBelieveInBookFairies.com have free shipping worldwide 4. Being a Book Fairy is a great way to learn about (and maybe even find) new books to read (the locations of all the Book Fairy book drops are shared on @BookFairiesWorldwide Instagram) 5. It’s also a great way to clear off your bookshelf by sharing your gently used books with fellow readers 6. The official Book Fairy accounts on social media do LOTS of giveaways! For example, @BookFairies_Toronto and @BookFairies_Ottawa on Instagram did daily pride-themed book giveaways in June to celebrate pride month in Canada 7. The Book Fairies hold some cool bookish events; for example, in August, the official Book Fairy Instagram accounts held a book treasure hunt and in October, Book Fairies around the world hid 1500 copies of The Secret Garden in order to promote the new movie adaptation (all of the copies had a note from actress Dixie Egerickx and some of the copies were even signed by actor Colin Firth!) 8. Actress Emma Watson is a Book Fairy! Emma Watson helped the Book Fairies in the UK hide copies of Little Women in order to promote the 2019 movie adaptation 9. The Book Fairies promote eco-friendly habits and products; for “plastic free July”, the Book Fairies posted daily tips for living a more eco-conscious lifestyle and the Book Fairies’ monthly book box subscription always includes an eco-conscious item 10. Lastly, @BookFairiesWorldwide on Instagram hosts monthly book swaps where you can offer to send a book to a fellow bookworm, or you can request that a Book Fairy send you a book! This article was written for "The Nerd Daily" - Click to Go to "The Nerd Daily's" website
In Serpent & Dove, Reid Diggory is a gifted Chasseur; a sworn member of the church whose duty is to hunt and burn witches. Lou le Blanc is a dangerous witch in hiding who has fled from her coven and steals what she needs to survive. Reid and Lou are sworn enemies until a twist of fate forces Reid and Lou into holy matrimony. Serpent & Dove is one of my favorite books, so I compiled a list of 10 books that fellow Serpent & Dove fans will probably enjoy. I thought Serpent & Dove fans would like these books because they are also in the romance and/ or fantasy genres and they have similar themes/ plot lines as Serpent & Dove (e.g. good against evil, enemies to lovers, secrecy and lies, quest for power, change versus tradition, fate versus freewill, desire to escape, and appearance versus reality). 1. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black After Jude’s parents are murdered, Jude and her two sisters are kidnapped and forced to live in the High Court of Faerie. Jude is disliked among the fey (especially by Prince Carden) because she is human; so, Jude must resort to tricks and violence if she wants to climb up the Court’s hierarchy. But, when betrayal threatens the safety of the Court, Jude must make an unlikely alliance to save her sisters. Similarities to Serpent & Dove: Romance, fantasy, good against evil, enemies to lovers, secrecy and lies, quest for power, and change versus tradition 2. A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness When a young scholar named Diana uncovers a bewitched manuscript (Ashmole 782) in the Oxford library, she sends it back to the stacks because she doesn’t want anything to do with her witch heritage. But, when daemons, vampires, and other magical beings begin appearing in the library, Diana discovers that Ashmole 782 is an important and powerful document that was hidden because it is highly coveted. While trying to stay safe and uncover the secrets of Ashmole 782, Diana befriends a vampire and geneticist named Matthew Clairmont. Similarities to Serpent & Dove: Romance, fantasy, good against veil, enemies to lovers, secrecy and lies, change versus tradition, and fate versus freewill 3. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas After Feyre kills a faerie that looks like a wolf in the forest, she is kidnapped and taken to live in with her captor in a faerie court. As Feyre starts to grow closer to her captor (the High Lord of the Spring Court named Tamlin), she uncovers dangers threatening both the faerie lands as well as her family in the human world. Similarities to Serpent & Dove: Romance, fantasy, good against evil, enemies to lovers, secrecy and lies, and fate versus freewill 4. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell During his final year at the Watford School of Magicks, Simon Snow (a.k.a. the chosen one) attempts to defeat the Insidious Humdrum (an evil creature who creates magickal dead spots) and figure out whether or not his handsome roommate (Baz Pitch) is a vampire. Similarities to Serpent & Dove: Romance, fantasy, good against evil, enemies to lovers, secrecy and lies, quest for power, and fate versus freewill 5. A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer A retelling of “Beauty and the Beast”, Prince Rhen of Emberfall is cursed by an enchantress to repeat the autumn season until he can get a girl to fall in love with him. Harper, a young girl with cerebral palsy who will do anything to help her sick Mother, is stollen away from her family in Washington D.C. and is forced to live with Rhen in Emberfall. As Harper starts to settle into her new role as a Princess, she eventually gets torn between helping her struggling family in Washington and saving her new home in Emberfall. Similarities to Serpent & Dove: Romance, fantasy, good against evil, enemies to lovers, secrecy and lies, fate versus freewill, desire to escape, and appearance versus reality 6. Lady Midnight by Cassandra Clare After tragedy strikes in the shadowhunter world, Julian Blackthorn, his younger siblings, and his parabatai (sworn fighting partners who cannot have romantic relationships with each other) Emma Carstairs are left to fend for themselves. While struggling to care for the younger children, Emma and Julian must stop major demonic events from occurring within the city and resist their growing romantic feelings for each other. Similarities to Serpent & Dove: Romance, fantasy, good versus evil, secrecy and lies, change versus tradition, and appearance versus reality 7. Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston The first son of the United States (Alex) and Prince Henry hate each other. When disgraceful photos of the pair are published, Alex and Henry are forced to pretend to be best friends in order to salvage their reputations. But, when friendship starts to turn into a romantic relationship, Alex and Henry must determine what they are willing sacrifices in order to be together. Similarities to Serpent & Dove: Romance, enemies to lovers, secrecy and lies, change versus tradition, fate versus freewill, and appearance versus reality 8. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo When Alina’s best friend is injured while their regiment is crossing the shadow fold (a darkness filled with monsters), Alina uses a dormant power to save his life. As a result, the Darkling brings Alina to the royal court to train with the Grisha (magical elite). As, Alina’s unique powers grow stronger, she uncovers secrets that could be the key to destroying the shadow fold and ending the war. Similarities to Serpent & Dove: Romance, fantasy, good against evil, secrecy and lies, quest for power, fate versus freewill, desire to escape, and appearance versus reality 9. The Vine Witch by Luanne G. Smith After finally breaking the curse that weakened her magic and confined her to the marshlands for years, Elena struggles to return to her former role as the vine witch at the Château Renard vineyards; especially since Elena’s beloved vineyard is now in the possession of Jean-Paul Martel (an amateur vigneron who believes in science, not magic). In order to save her home from the evil hexes covering the vineyard, Elena will have to hide her identity while secretly planning her revenge against the sorcerer who cursed her. Similarities to Serpent & Dove: Romance, fantasy, good against evil, enemies to lovers, secrecy and lies, change versus tradition, and appearance versus reality 10. The Upside of Falling by Alex Light Bookworm Becca and star football player Brett start fake dating in order to get their friends off their backs. Shortly after, Brett’s perfect world falls a part and Becca reveals her continued struggle to overcome pain from her past. As a result, Brett and Becca discover that they have more in common then they expected and the lines between real and fake begin to blur. Similarities to Serpent & Dove: Romance, secrecy and lies, and appearance versus reality Book cover photos are from Goodreads.
Happy Holidays! I love reading Christmas/ holiday-themed books during the winter months. In no particular order, here is a list of the 5 best holiday-themed books (written by some of my favourite authors) that I read this year :) "What Light" by Jay Asher This book focuses on what happens when Sierra starts to fall for Caleb, a seemingly sweet guy with a violent past, while she is working on her family's Christmas tree lot in California. "Dash & Lily's Book of Dares" and "The Twelve Days of Dash & Lily" by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
"My True Love Gave to Me" edited by Stephanie PerkinsThis book features twelve holiday-themed short stories written by twelve popular YA authors including Holly Black, Jenny Han, and David Levithan. My favourite short stories in this book were "Midnights" by Rainbow Rowell (the story of Mags and Noel which takes place at New Year's Eve parties), "It's a Yuletide Miracle, Charlie Brown" by Stephanie Perkins (a love story between a Christmas tree salesman named North and a aspiring animator named Marigold), and "What the Hell Have You Done, Sophie Roth?" by Gayle Forman (follows what happens when the out-of-place Sophie meets Russell while listening to Christmas carols). Note that each the couples on the front cover correspond with one of the short stories :) "Let It Snow" by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren MyracleFor a summary of this book, check out my December 2019 Book Club post - https://butterflybookblog1.weebly.com/andys-book-club Something to note is that, even though the Netflix movie "Let It Snow" was based off of this book, I found that the movie's plot and the book's plot were pretty different. Furthermore, in my opinion, I thought that the book was better than the movie. |
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