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Book I’ve Loved So Far in 2020

Jul 19, 2020

It’s July! Can you believe that? This year has been…something. But through it all, I’ve also read a whole bunch of books that I’ve loved. So I thought I would share my favourite books that I’ve read so far in 2020.

My reading this year has been very broad. I’ve read YA, romance, historical fiction, verse, you name it. And I love that this is happening. My favourite books are also very different, and I think that goes to show all I’ve read this year. There are still so many books that I want to read, and I hope to get to them in the next few months. Anyway here is my favourite reads of 2020 so far, like always these are in no order.

Check, Please! by Ngozi Ukazu: I’ve read both half of this series and gosh they are so good. It’s a sports romance, graphic novel and I don’t know what is better. The romance is adorable. Bitty just gets me and I want everyone else to read it.

This is How We Change the Ending by Vikki Wakefield: I have spoken this one quite a bit. This book made me feel so many things from anger to hope. From sadness to being proud. This poignant coming of age story that captures the lives of those that struggle day by day. That tries to make the best of what they have. Full Review.

The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling by Wai Chim: An empowering novel that explores family, mental health and trying to find your own feet. And while there is darkness in this novel and sometimes you feel like there is no hope. There is also warmth. It has one of the cutest romances every. Full Review

Chain of Gold (The Last Hours #1) by Cassandra Clare: Of course this has made it onto my favourites list. Like, come on. It was brilliant and fantastic and everything that I wanted it to be. The friendships and banter were brilliant, and I loved being back into the world. I am so not ready for the next book.

Great and Precious Things by Rebecca Yarros: This one is heartbreaking, beautiful and just so good. It explores the notion of guilt and grief, as well as a fresh start. Rebecca Yarros knows how to tear me apart and she did again. The romance in this one is so perfect, it’s a friend to lovers, to absolutely perfect. Full Review

Bringing Down the Duke (A League of Extraordinary Women #1) by Evie Dunmore: I loved Bringing Down the Duke. It was fun and entertaining, while also being heartbreaking and challenging. The romance between Annabell and Sebastian was swoon-worthy and exactly what I want from my historical romances.

The Fallen Men series by Giana Darling: I didn’t think I was going to like these books as much as I did, but I can’t wait to read the next one. I’m dying to know what is happening with these characters, especially how the last book ended. Check out my series review for more.

Hades Hangmen by Tillie Cole: This is another series where I was expecting to like it as much as I did. It’s dark and that is normally not my thing. But I enjoyed reading in this world and with all these characters. There were some books that I liked more in the series than others, but overall it’s a great series so far. You can check out my series review for more.

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston: This was a re-read for me and I loved reading it as much as I did the first time. It’s fantastic and just want I needed it. The romance is adorable and the story is great.

The House in the Cerulean Sea by T.J. Klune: No surprise that this one is on my list. It’s my favourite book of the year so far. It is a magical and profound novel that truly takes the reader on an experience. It explores family and the notion that sometimes you find them in unlikely ways. It’s about love, that isn’t just about blood family or falling in love. Full Review.

The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo: I listen to this one and it was simply fantastic. I can’t even begin to explain how beautiful and stunning The Poet X is. The passion and thought that went into every word, every poem was just perfect. The Poet X is an emotional book. As I said I cried for the last 40 minutes or so of the book. It was hard-hitting and did take a lot out of me. Full Review.

Girl Against the Universe by Paula Stokes: I can’t believe that it took me so long to read this one. I adored Girl Against the Universe by Paula Stokes. It was an excellent novel that does focus on mental health. Full Review.

Rebel (Women Who Dare #1) by Beverly Jenkins: This one is such a fantastic historical romance and I can’t wait to read more. The romance was fantastic and I enjoyed reading a book set in a different time than I normally read in my historical romance. Full Review

Dear Martin (Dear Martin #1) by Nic Stone: Is an emotional read, but it’s also powerful and beautiful. Justyce was such a fantastic protagonist. He felt real and honest and that made for such an incredible read. If you haven’t read this book, please do. It is a powerful but brutal read. Full review

Duke Dynasty series by Sabrina Jeffries: This series so far by Sabrina Jeffries is fantastic. It’s brilliant and amazing and I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to pick it up. They are so much fun, the romance is adorable and I love the story that is intertwined throughout. I can’t wait for more books.

Wicked and the Wallflower (The Bareknuckle Bastards #1) by Sarah MacLean: Sarah MacLean has been on my TBR for some time now and I finally picked this one up – and feel in love. It’s the perfect historical romance and I need to the rest of the books in the series because I am so intrigued but it all.

And that is it! Wow. I’ve read over 170 books this year and I’m pretty proud of the number of books that I have loved. What are some of the books that you have loved this year? Let’s Chat!

New To Me Authors That I’m Loving in 2020

Jul 15, 2020

Today I thought I would share some of the new to me authors that I have been loving this year. Most of these authors have been around for some time. However, I have only picked up their books this year. And I thought I would share with you some of my favourites.

I always like to try new authors. And when I find one that I just love – now that is the best feeling. And I’ve read a fair few new to me authors this year. Which has just been fantastic. Anyway, let’s get into it like always these are in no order.

Paula Stokes: Girl Against The Universe has been on my TBR for some time now and I finally picked it up last month. And damn gosh I wish I picked it up sooner. I can’t wait to read more from Paula, there are a few of her other books that have been on my TBR for a while as well. So they are being bumped up on my list.

Beverly Jenkins: I’ve only read one book from Beverly, but I already know that I am going to love her stuff. I’m hoping to get to a couple more of her books this month. But they all just sounds fantastic and exactly what I love. I am excited to read the rest of the Women Who Dare series after reading Rebel.

T.J. Klune: Is a name that I had heard before this year, but I never picked any of his books up. Until this year. I haven’t kept this hidden but The House in the Cerulean Sea is my favourite book I’ve read so far this year. And if you haven’t picked it up please do.

Tillie Cole: Is another author that I have heard about for a few years now, especially since I started reading more and more romance. And I finally picked her up this year and I’m really glad that I did. Her Hades Hangman series is dark and dangerous and I love it. You can check out my series review of all current books now.

Giana Darling: I hadn’t heard about Giana Darling until this year and when I picked up her The Fallen Men series a couple of months ago, I didn’t know what I was getting into. This is such a fun series and I can’t wait until the next book. I have also just posted my series review so you can check that out too.

Sarah MacLean: I’ve just recently read Sarah MacLean and let me tell you I can’t wait to read more. I read Wicked and the Wallflower and adored it. I’m so excited to read the rest of this series and more of her books!

And those are some of the new to me authors that I’ve been loving so far in 2020! Have you read any of these authors? Are you planning too? Would you like to see another post like this? Let’s Chat!

Reading More Historical Romance | Discussion

Jul 11, 2020

For the past, I would say, two years I’ve been reading more and more historical romance, and I don’t regret it at all. I’m not sure why I put off reading historical romance for so long. It’s the combination of two of my favourite genres, historical fiction and romance. And the way that I love it shows.

I’m not sure why I put off reading historical romance for so long. I guess it did take me a long time to even read romance. Therefore it taking a while before I moved into something different in romance is not strange. About two years ago now, I picked up my first real historical romance novel – and now I will never look back.

Photo by Gabrielle Dickson on Unsplash

Reading Romance in General

There is something about romance in general that always makes me happy reading it. I spoke about it briefly in my stigma and genre discussion, but I do want to expand on it here. I’ve always loved reading romances in books. It didn’t matter if it was YA or fantasy or even historical fiction. 95% of the time, I loved having some sort of romance in the book that I was reading. So me naturally moving on to read solid romance wasn’t a massive surprise for me.

Like I said reading romances just makes me happy. I love the way it makes me feel. They are just great pick-me-up books. I know that if I am feeling down or just need something good – romance books are there for me. One of the reasons why I love reading romance is the predictability, not in regards to the plot – but in the fact that there will be a happily ever after. I know that the couple will get together in the end, and things will start to be right. It’s a safety net of sorts. I know that no matter what happens in the rest of the book, all will be good by the end. And that makes the reading experience so much more enjoyable.

Another thing that I love about reading romance is the fact that I can binge read a series. That sounds so strange when I write it down. But I love binge reading series. I love getting to fall in love with all the characters and just keep on reading and reading. And historical romances do that so well. The series are long, and sometimes some series connect with other series, and it just goes on and on. This makes for a fabulous reading experience for me.

Photo by John Jennings on Unsplash

Loving Historical Romances

Now on to what you came for. Over the past two years, I’ve been reading more and more historical romances. It was something that I wanted to do for a while but just didn’t know where to start. At this point, reading romance had become common for me, but I wanted to try some new subgenres in romance. Historical romance had been on my radar for some time, and I thought it was time to give it a go.

I think that is the problem with starting a new genre. You have no idea where to start, what author to start with or what book. And there is such much historical romance – so much. I think the way to go about it is to do a little research. Firstly figure out what time frame you would like to start with. And then go from there. See what authors are popular and then see if anything catches your eye. It can be very overwhelming at first. I know it was for me. But once I stepped back starting looking for what I might enjoy, it was so much easier.

Like with reading romance in general, reading historical romances just makes me so happy. But it’s a different feeling and sometimes an even better one. I can’t explain what the difference is between reading romance and historical romance. There is this vibe that historical romances give off and unless you read it, I don’t think you will know what it is. Most of the time, when I’m read a book, I just smile. There are times when I cry and get frustrated. But I’m still smiling throughout.

As I said before, I love binge reading romance series and historical romances series are even more fun. I’m going to use Lisa Kleypas here as an example. As of right now, I’ve finished three of her series. And they all connect in one way or another. Some characters pop up from one series to another. Sometimes it’s just for one book and other times it’s for the whole series. It changes the reading experience for me and just makes me love it even more. But it also doesn’t hinder the reader experience. If you haven’t read the other series, you aren’t going to be confused or feel like you’ve missed something.

Further on this, I love reading series with many books. It’s just so much fun. Especially when each book relates to a different family member, that is my jam.

Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

Range of Historical Romances

One of the things that I enjoy about historical romances is the range that there is. I’m not necessarily talking about the number of books, but the plots and characters that follow. There are certain tropes that most if not all historical fictions have embedded into them. But I love the diversity in settings, and types of characters and everything that’s follows that.

Is there room for more diversity – hell yeah there is. It’s not perfect; nothing is. However, I enjoy that there is a range of stories to be told. I think historical fiction does a great job of including disability, and it’s not just the same thing over and over again. I’ve read quite a few books now that have included disabled protagonists. They have ranged from physical to mental and even invisible disabilities. For me, this makes me want to read even more historical romances.

Over the past year, I’ve also expanded on where the books I read were set. While I love reading in England. I’ve loved reading about different places as well as different times. It’s a great way to change things up and introduce new characters. I recently read Rebel by Beverly Jenkins and loved it, and I can’t wait to read more from her. I’ve also read a few books from Felicia Grossman books as well. I feel that it creates this better experience reading about different times and it’s also so much fun.

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It’s been over two years now since I began reading historical romance and I’m never going to go back. It is fun and emotional, and they are great to pick me up. I love falling in love with characters, their stories, their lives. Historical romance novels take me on a journey, and it’s one I never want to get off.

What is a genre that you started reading and just feel in love? Do you love reading historical romance as much as I do? Let’s Chat!