Category: Romance

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Top 5 Books of 2020

I finished up my final book of 2020 on Wednesday which makes 75 total for the year. I’ve loved being able to share books with everyone this year and the below five are ones I couldn’t stop thinking about and recommending to others.

1. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo I truly loved this book, it has everything you could ask for in a story and will keep you captivated and invested throughout. Evelyn Hugo was the it girl of Hollywood for decades, and now that she’s getting older she want to tell her whole story. She hires a young writer to write the book and keep her legacy alive, and we get to listen is as she recounts her decades in Hollywood and life since the spotlight.

2. Verity If Gone Girl is one of your movies that you see playing on TV and can’t pass by, you have to read this book. An author named Lowen is hired to ghost write a book in a very popular series after the author is in a car accident and isn’t able to finish. She moves into the Crawfords’ home to go through the notes Verity made for the book and tries to piece everything together. While looking through the notes however she discovers a lot more than she intended to.

3. The Alice Network If you’re a historical fiction fan, any Kate Quinn is mandatory reading, but The Alice Network was my favorite. The book follows Eve during WWII as she becomes a spy in France, and shows the incredible contributions these women made to the war. The timeline then shifts to 1947 where an American girl Charlie is searching for her cousin who she lost contact with during the war.

4. Talking to Strangers The irony is not lost on me that this was one of my favorite books in a year where 75% of my days I only speak to my husband and cats. What this year did bring however was a change in how we all communicate and interact with coworkers, friends, family and everyone else around us. Throughout the process of learning how to navigate these new communication standards I referenced lessons learned in this book multiple times.

5. Normal People The perfect cuddle up with a blanket and read in one sitting love story. The book follows Connell and Marianne from high school to college and all the life and love lessons they learn along the way. Disclaimer: this is not your happy romcom story, and you might cry, but you will fall in love with this couple. The book was also made into a show on Hulu for when you finish but still want more.

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The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo

Rating: 5 out of 5.

Pairs well with: Champagne

Starting this review off with a bold statement, but this might be my favorite book I’ve read all year. The book follows Monique Grant a writer who has been selected personally by the Hollywood icon Evelyn Hugo to tell her life story. Evelyn famously has been married seven times, but she wants everyone to know her whole truth. The background of her rise to fame and the true story of her love life is incredible.

As someone who loves anything pop culture and Hollywood, this book was amazing. I finished this while on vacation and immediately handed it to my mom to read, she finished it in two days it was THAT good. This is ultimately a love story, but the inner workings of old Hollywood and the twist at the end make it so much more.

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A Jasmine Guillory Appreciation Post

I was introduced to Jasmine and the Wedding Date series when The Proposal was a Reese’s Book Club pick. I loved it and ordered more of her books without realizing they were a series to be read in order. Don’t get me wrong, you don’t NEED to have all the history to enjoy them but I’m here so that you don’t make my mistakes.

Each book has their own story (and perfect romcom ending) and can be read on its own, but each of the main characters stems from the original book. It’s a really fun concept where the timelines and stories tend to overlap between books which makes it interesting to see multiple perspectives of the same events. I love that the characters are all written very authentically and not in the typical perfect romcom way. They have real fights, nights where they only want to eat pizza and watch Great British Bake Off, and are just good people that you want to root for to find love. If you love romcoms you will love these, i’m dying for the movie rights to be purchased for all of them.

The Wedding Date is the first in the series and where it all kicks off. Alexa and Drew turn my worst nightmare, getting stuck in an elevator, into a meet cute and it leads to Alexa agreeing to be Drews date to his ex’s wedding that weekend. The story goes past the wedding where we meet both of their friends and family (and set up the other four books) and see where their relationship goes.

The Proposal is where I started the series and fell in love with Jasmine’s story telling. Carlos (Drew’s best friend) is at a Dodgers game when he sees an awkward proposal on the jumbotron where the girl, Nikole, turns it down. He ends up sneaking Nikole out of the stadium and away from all the media and the book follows their story from there.

The Wedding Party is about Alexa’s two best friends that secretly become friends with benefits. Also, we’re 3 books in, I assume you figured out Drew and Alexa are madly in love and getting married at this point and this isn’t a spoiler? We get more into Maddie and Theo’s lives, jobs, their friends and family and see their story unfold as well as getting to see Drew and Alexa’s wedding process.

The Royal Holiday starts with Maddie taking a stylist job for the royal family and taking her mom along as it’s over Christmas. Her mom Vivian meets Malcolm the personal secretary to the queen and the book is focused on their time together. I love a Hallmark movie so even though this isn’t my favorite of the series it still hits all the classic story points you expect from a British Christmas romance.

Party of Two was my absolute favorite. It follows Alexa’s sister, Olivia, as she moves to LA to start a new law firm with her friend and starts dating a senator. As a romcom lover and a political science major, this was my holy grail. Jasmine also ties in more history to a story about Olivia that we hear about in both The Wedding Date and The Wedding Party which is great.

One last obsessive note: Anyone else that’s read them all – let me know your theories but I’m hoping book 6 is about Theo’s brother, I’m already so entertained by him and his life and I want to know more.

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Head Over Heels

Rating: 3.5 out of 5.

Pairs well with: Gatorade as you pretend you can still throw your back handspring & Doritos for when you realize you’re washed up

For my July Book of the Month I chose Head Over Heels. I wanted a cute romcom story to break up all the thrillers I’ve been reading, and after watching Athlete A I’m fully back into my USA gymnastics obsession so it fit perfectly. The book came out so recently that the forward talks about COVID and the Olympics being postponed which honestly was very weird to see. I feel bad for the author as she wrote this on a timeline of releasing it during the Olympics where interest in gymnastics would be at a peak, but despite that it was a great book.

The book hits all the essential parts of a feel-good story while still discussing some of the larger issues in the gymnastics world like mental health and sexual assault. The story starts with Avery, a retired elite gymnast, moving back home from LA after a break up. While at home and trying to figure out her next steps she gets a call from a gymnast she knew growing up and had a crush on (naturally) to help train an Olympic hopeful. It was a great summer read while still bringing light to serious issues and I loved it.

This is my fourth month doing Book of the Month and I really like it so far. It’s nice just having options sent to your email without having to search and an opportunity to pick books that break up what I’ve been reading lately like Head Over Heels did. Here is a link to sign up if you’re interested! The first month is $9.99 and after that its $14.99 monthly.

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Such a Fun Age

Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Pairs well with: Your preferred Saturday morning drink

This story is about a 20-something year old girl living in Philly trying to figure out her love life, what she wants to do with her future and trying to balance a social life. AKA, myself and every one of my friends here in Philly, so I loved it. If you’re from Philly you’ll get a good laugh at the references, like the rich white boyfriend who works out of a WeWork and lives above a CrossFit in Fishtown. Everything down to proof reading your friends texts before she sends them to a guy and evaluating if she actually likes him or if he’s tall is relatable and will have you laughing. This is Kiley Reids’ first novel and I will definitely read anything else she writes after this.

As much as this story is similar to what I know of life in my twenties in Philly, it’s also incredibly different than my experience living here as a white female. I have never had to think before walking into a grocery store in Rittenhouse, not about how I’m dressed, or if security will question why I’m there like she has to in this story. Supporting the BLM movement isn’t just big acts and donations, it’s listening and learning from the perspective of those that are different from you. Continuing to educate yourself, supporting POC in the arts, and making yourself uncomfortable while learning about what others truly go through in their daily lives is how you grow.

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Holiday Weekend Books

If you’re like me and the holiday weekend snuck up on you don’t worry, I’ve got you covered on which books Prime can get to your door before your travel and festivities kick off.

When Life Gives You Lululemons is a sequel to Devil Wears Prada, do I have to go further? The story picks up following Emily who after leaving Miranda starts working in celebrity PR and ends up helping a Senators wife in Greenwich, CT. It hits all the necessary parts of a good summer read: lavish lifestyles, mystery and women working together so that a man gets what he deserves.

Do You Mind If I Cancel is perfect if you’re looking for a quick and entertaining read. First off, if you’re not already following Gary Janetti on instagram, go do that immediately. The book runs through his life and how he got to where he is in the entertainment industry. The audiobook is narrated by Gary himself so I’m sure if possible, it’s even funnier than the book.

If you’re looking for a good thriller I recommend The Girl from Widow Hills. This book has essentially four mysteries that happen across 20 years that all tie up in one stressful ending. Less Gone Girl/Verity closer to Something In The Water on the crazy meter.

If you’re having a calmer weekend and want a sweet romance the new Jasmine Guillory book Party of Two is perfect. It’s the second book on this list about someone being involved with a Senator, so maybe I’m missing DC a little more than usual? It’s your classic romcom and goes perfect with a glass of red wine and chocolate cake.

Hope everyone has a safe holiday, if you’re looking for more recommendations my full Amazon recommendation list is linked here!