Today’s mini reviews are all about the contemporary romance. Two of the books I’m talking about are aimed at adults and one is a YA books. All three are books that I immensely enjoyed and totally recommend you curl up with.
Basically I will always always recommend a Kristan Higgins book if you are looking to make your foray into contemporary romance. I have yet to be underwhelmed or disappointed by her books. Plus, there’s a pretty sizable backlist. This is super exciting because I know there’s a yet to be read Higgins book waiting for me just when I need it. Of course, I picked up and began reading Anything For You, the fifth of the Blue Heron series at the perfect time. I read it over the course of two days at the end of July.
I am still a little surprised that I read Anything For You so quickly as I was in the throes of the first trimester exhaustion. Friends, that is a massive vouch for this book. So, the latest in the Blue Heron series features characters that we’ve met in basically all of the previous books. It is about Jessica Dunn and Connor O’Rourke.
The two come from different sides of the train tracks. Yet, they have this undeniable chemistry and a long history. The book opens up with Jessica turning down Connor’s proposal. Then there’s a few chapters of back story and eventually we’re back in the present. I really appreciated the back story as it makes sense why Jessica is so guarded.
Like all of the Kristan Higgins books I’ve read so far, Anything For You contains some swoon worthy moments as well as bits that made me tear up a little (although maybe I can attribute that to hormones). Regardless, I loved seeing a happy ending for characters that I was already invested in. If you’re wondering if you need to read the previous books to read this one, the answer is no. However, I do think that reading all the other books in the series first is a good idea because you’ll have familiarity with the characters. Also, the series is really quite good.
Other Reviews of Anything For You by Kristan Higgins:
- That’s Normal – “I did absolutely love it“
- Reading Is My Super Power – “Everything Kristan Higgins writes is still impeccable“
- (Un) Conventional Book Views – “the overall story as well as the plot and the sub-plots were well executed“
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I actually in a blue moon decide to throw over reading by mood and to pick up books that other bloggers recommend. The Hating Game by Sally Thorne is as book that arrived at my house totally unexpected. I remember reading the cover and thinking yep this sounds like my kind of book but when will I get time to read it. I put it on my nightstand where it just sat for a super long time. That is, until I saw Ginger of G Reads Books mention it either on Twitter or Facebook. She was raving and that was exactly the push I needed to start it.
THANK GOODNESS FOR GINGER’S RECOMMENDATION. Friends, I devoured The Hating Game. I mean, this was one of those read instead of watch Netflix sort of reads. By the way, these days it is very hard for me to resist Netflix and Facebook and Jezebel. With The Hating Game, it was easy to forego my usual time wasters and slip into Thorne’s debut novel.
So, The Hating Game is about Lucy and Josh. They are both executive assistants at a publishing company that has just had a merger and is now run by two CEOs. Those from Lucy’s publisher tend to be a bit more creative and easy going. Those from Josh’s publisher tend to be more numbers oriented and logical. So, naturally Lucy and Josh hate each other. So much so that they have these little games devised to annoy each other.
Of course, this is a contemporary romance and my favorite trope of all LOVE HATE RELATIONSHIPS. Yes, that’s right, you know eventually the relationship turns from hatred to something kind of like lust and love. Oh and I forgot to mention, Lucy and Josh are up for the same promotion which just fuels the fire. So, get your hands on The Hating Game by Sally Thorne if you’re into romance books where the characters have major chemistry and where it’s funny and immediately engaging.
Other reviews of The Hating Game by Sally Thorne:
- Smexy Books – “so adorable, so romantic, funny, the best banter“
- Maryse’s Book Blog – “a fun, well-written comedy romance“
- Hopelessly Devoted Bibliophile – “this book is sizzling“
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I’ve read all of Lauren Morrill’s books that she has released so far, and I have to say that they really do hit the spot for me. My Unscripted Life, her latest book certainly did the trick as well. I have such a soft spot for fun, light contemporary young adult reads that feature romance. While this book isn’t quite Anna & The French Kiss swoon worthy, I did like it as much as Famous In Love.
Dee Wilkins is consigned to a dull summer spent at home in her small Georgia home town while her best friend is away at a summer program. You see, Dee was rejected from an art program which hits her hard because an artist is her identity. It would be like if you or I were rejected from a reading program. Anyways, by happenstance Dee ends up somehow getting a job as a production assistant for this movie that her longtime celebrity crush, Milo Ritter is starring in.
Dee has a lot of preconceived notions and they are about to get changed this summer – her notions about her future artistic career, about celebrities and more. Friends, sometimes those wish fulfillment contemporary young adult books just really hit the spot. My Unscripted Life by Lauren Morrill is super adorable and is such a fun lighthearted read. I definitely was team Dee and Milo forever. I laughed at the attempt for a color war. Dee’s parents were awesome.
I think that readers who want a light book with a happy ending and some laughs should read My Unscripted Life. I think you’ll like this book if you already have enjoyed Morrill’s previous books. Just know going in that this book likely won’t change your life, but it’ll add some levity to your reading. You will like this book if you just want a fun read with celebrities and people who are just now learning about the twists life can take.
Other reviews of My Unscripted Life by Lauren Morrill:
- Crossroad Reviews – “The romance in this is fluffy, fun and for fans of this author“
- Sue’s Reading Corner – “Overall, I wouldn’t recommend My Unscripted Life to anyone“
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I haven’t read Kristan Higgans before but the book you reviewed sounds great! I’m glad it was so enjoyable! And it’s fun finding a “new” author with a big backlist, plenty of reading material 🙂 I loved The Hating Game SO MUCH!!! Same thing, I saw friends (including Ginger) rave about it and it sounded like such a me book. I actually reread it immediately, which I never do, but I couldn’t stop thinking about it! And I figured, I do that with movies, why do I have to feel guilty if I do that with books too. It was so amazing! Parts of My Unscripted Life were cute but unfortunately none of Lauren Morrill’s books have hit the mark for me aside from Meant to Be, which is a favorite.
I’ll be reading some Kristin Higgins soon thanks to these stellar reviews. I’m new to the contemporary romance genre after finishing Bascomville by Mark Calde. I needed a literary reminder that men are indeed capable of appreciating and respecting the women in their lives, and my mom recommended that I download Calde’s latest novel to uplift my spirits. It’s a heartwarming coming of age story that I found here at http://www.bascomville.myshopify.com and I think you’d appreciate it as much as I did given your proclivity for this genre. Thanks April!