Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature created and hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and this week’s theme is all about recommending romance reads for Valentine’s Day (which is this Sunday).
I don’t know if you guys know this about me, but I am a bit of a romantic. In real life, I am a sarcastic cynic who questions people’s actions when they’re being too nice or going out of their way to help me, but in bookish terms, I am an utter romantic. I adore romance books, I am a sap for a grand romantic gesture and I will always rate a good romance higher than it probably deserves because I find it hard to resist a good romance with a happy ending. As such, I feel the only appropriate theme for a Valentine’s TTT would be my favourite romance reads. I have plenty of books I am still waiting to read in the romance genre, but we’ll stick with the ones I’ve already read (far too many times) and continually go back to when I need a good comforting read.
I love Austen’s books and I could have picked any of her other books and been able to say the same thing, that it makes me happy to read, but Pride and Prejudice was the first of her books I read and it will always have a special place in my heart. It’s been a couple of years since I last read it (I know, that must be remedied) but I adore it. I am planning to buy the above cover because it is awesome and you should always have more than one copy of your favourite books.
Recommended For: Fans of classic romance and hate to love relationships.
This book is my ultimate comfort read book. All of Crusie’s books are guaranteed to make me happy, but this one holds a soft spot for me simply because it introduced me to Krispy Kreme donuts. That, and it is the book I remember most clearly of Crusie’s. I will reread it whenever I’m down because we all need at least one book like that.
Recommended For: Fans of romantic misunderstandings, comedy and Elvis Presley (or Costello)
I got tempted to read this book over a year ago now, I read a review on Pop Goes The Reader and the book stayed with me tempting me to read historical romance, until Christmas 2014 I was looking for a new book and saw this one at a decent price for Kindle, I began reading it and never looked back. I adore this book. It is just perfect, all of Dare’s books are fabulous, but, as I discovered this one first, it will always be my favourite.
Recommended For: Fans of historical romance, fake relationships, and romance which overcomes adversity.
Can I count this one as a favourite when I only read it a few months ago? Duh! Of course I can. I adored this book when I read it and wanted to rave about it to everyone I knew. It’s hard to explain why I loved it quite so much, I think it had something to do with the fact it was a completely different culture in the book, so the romance was completely different, I don’t know. I loved it regardless and will be buying a copy for my shelf (that’s how I know I love a book).
Recommended For: Dramatic romance and romances set in a different culture.
Look, this book was just perfect. I read It’s Not Me It’s You straight after and enjoyed it, but it will never compare to how much I loved Here’s Looking at You. I’ve still got another Mhairi Mcfarlane book to read, and her new one is out in April (who has it preordered?) but I think this may always be my favourite.
Recommended For: Fans of Hate to Love romance and those looking for a substantial story which just so happens to feature a romance.
I think Outlander will always be that book that no one realised they needed until after they’ve finished it. It involves a married woman travelling back in time in Scotland and falling in love with a Scottish man but being conflicted as she is already married but she doesn’t know how to get back. A time-travelling romance may be my new favourite thing to read.
Recommended For: Those looking for a different romance and happen to like to see abit of everything in a story that shouldn’t work but simply does.
I enjoyed this book so much. There is something about a romance where the two characters aren’t meant to fall in love, especially when it’s such a one-sided rejection of the romance. I also loved that both people in this book at such an interesting heritage. The best part of this book was Jude’s relationship with her father and the utter heartbreak of his Alzheimer’s. This book made me cry and so very utterly happy and I want to reread it.
Recommended For: Those who like to see a romance where one half is in denial and they want to see the best family dynamic.
You have to read both books in the duology and the little novella. This book is way more than a simple romance, the character development and story is crazy, the romance is barely anything, to be honest. The couple spends a day together, but it rocks their lives. I adored it and it’s a fantastic Valentine read.
Recommended For: Those who want a touch of romance and a whole dose of wanderlust.
I love all of Colleen Hoover’s books, but I think this may be my favourite of hers. I don’t know why maybe it’s because it features music (and there is a soundtrack you can buy) or maybe it’s simply that it was an amazing book. Ugly Love was a close second for me, but really Colleen Hoover just writes good, slightly angsty romance. For those of you who are having a darker Valentine’s day.
Recommended For: Those who want an angstier romance on Valentine’s Day.
Rainbow Rowell writes the most fabulous books, all her books are appropriate for Valentine’s Day, but Fangirl is probably the one I would reread this year. I could easily recommend any of them to you, but this is my favourite.
Recommended For: Those who want a romance set at university with less of that new adult romance and more about strong characters.
Sarra Manning is one of my favourite British authors. I grew up with her teen books and was thrilled when I discovered she’d written some adult romance when I was at uni. This is my favourite, Neve was my favourite character of hers with her insecurity, her ideal view of the ‘man of her dreams’ and her determination to be perfect at everything. The fact she works in an archive and is a bit different was a bonus.
Recommended For: Those who want a good old British romance with a woman who needs to let her hair down and a guy
Another historical romance and from another favourite author of mine. Nine Rules to Break is a favourite because I discovered it first, but also because I love nothing better than girls breaking a few rules and doing their own thing, especially when that girl is such a fan of reading and gave me some serious library envy.
Recommended For: Those who like to see a girl breaking out of her shell and winning herself a rake whilst she’s at it.
I am an unabashed fan of Jennifer Armentrout’s books, but her new adult books written under the name J. Lynn are some of my favourites. Sure, they’re a bit angsty and a bit ridiculous, but they’re fun and don’t make me roll my eyes in the same way some of her other books do. I could recommend any of her books really, but I especially enjoyed this one, it took a different turn to the first two books and I enjoyed it.
Recommended For: Those who like a girl fighting for what she wants, overcoming her insecurites and generally being great.
It is no secret I love Jennifer Echols books, but this is the one I really held out on reading because I thought the idea of a girl flying planes was ridiculous and couldn’t understand why I should want to read it. Turns out I’m the ridiculous one and this book was awesome.
Recommended For: Those who want their main characters to have struggled to overcome and those who want their romance to feature a girl realising she’s been eyeing up the wrong brother all along.
And the final book on my list (although I am certain I am missing a few books) is a book by Renee Carlino, I almost put another of her books on here, but settled on Sweet Thing. This is another angsty romance, but it also features a romance of friends to lovers where these two strangers become friends (and slightly codependent) and I loved it. I would happily reread this again and I don’t know why more haven’t read this.
Recommended For: Angst lovers and people who like their romance to have a few struggles before it gets there.
And there are my romance reads for you or this Valentine’s Day. I hope you all have a lovely day doing something with someone you love. I will be spending my day with my family having a very unromantic day of reading books.
What are your favourite romance reads? Or are you one of those anti Valentine’s Day people who like to reject romance at this time of year?
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