MY HEART! This right here is the stuff that gets to me.
Sure a little death, illness or scandal is one thing in a romance and may have me in tears, but this… 10 years of longing and lost love?! I can’t.
I liked this book very much, it was so heartfelt and the characters were so lovable; Laurie, Sarah and Jack. You feel like you watch them grow up together in this.
There’s something about stories that take place over many years, decades even, that do something to me. It’s like they remind me how fast time passes and give me this anxious but nostalgic feeling.
It reminded me of when I read Rosie Dunne (aka Where Rainbows End aka Love, Rosie) it feels like a romantic tragedy with a HEA that will probably be on my mind for weeks to come. While I’m normally not a fan of storylines with cheating/unfaithfulness, you can’t help but root for all three characters to find happiness. I would absolutely recommend this one! .
I understand that re-reading books is a polarizing personal choice. Some readers love to re-read their favourite stories again and again, while others might have a TBR pile a mile long or feel there are too many books in the world and too little time to spend re-reading.
I get it.
I however, am one of the re-readers. I am all about revisiting my favourite literary world over and over like seeing an old friend or hearing a song that brings you back to a certain time. I am here for the nostalgia.
With that in mind, I am also a MASSIVE fan of Fall. All things Autumn make me tremendously happy from a warm cup of tea, to blankets, cozy sweaters, changing colours, darker lipstick, and watching Practical Magic for the billionth time.
Which is why, in my quest to capture all the nostalgia and feels of Fall I present to you…
My top 5 books to re-read this season…
#1 – Harry Potter
Obviously. Witches and Wizards, trolls, that back to school feeling, MAGIC. The list goes on and on. But more than these themes, is the feeling returning to Hogwarts, like coming home after being away. There’s such a comfort in reading this magical story that brings you right back to where you were when you first read it. It’s hard to explain it but if you’re a #potterhead you get me.
#2 – Twilight
Vampires. Duh.
The setting of Forks is the perfect gloomy backdrop for a fall read. As overdone as this series was, I feel like enough time has passed that jumping back in to Edward and Bella’s story is enjoyable again. The hard part for me is to picture the original characters as I’m reading rather than KStew and Rpatz…
Still, the first book is one of my favourites and setting aside the issues their relationship presents IRL, it was an engrossing romance.
#3 – The Witches by Roald Dahl
This childhood tale is a throwback in the best way. Mice, Grandmas, evil witches, and The Grand High Witch I.e. the grand daddy of all witches?! Reading this classic as an adult makes me realize how dark it truly is, with a newfound appreciation.
#4 – To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before
This one may not be a re-read for everyone, but if you haven’t read it yet you should! This romance gives me the fall feels because of it’s back to school theme. One of my favourite things about Autumn approaching was the return to school and all that entails; the notebooks, the binders, the highlighters, sticky notes, PLANNERS <3, etc. The high school backdrop, combined with love letters, and a ski trip all make this one a solid fall re-read.
#5 – The Handmaid’s Tale
This dystopian tale is a classic for a reason. From the eerie themes, and the costumes it gives me a distinctly Autumn atmosphere. This one should also be on the top of everyone’s re-read list because after 34 years, Margaret Atwood has released the sequel to the original called ‘The Testaments’, officially available as of September 2019. Perfect timing right?
Blessed be the fruit, and don’t let the bastards grind you down!
Twilight is one of my favourites. I don’t even give a care. And when I found out rereads count towards @goodreads challenge I knew I had to bring it with me camping. The Rockies are the perfect setting!
Walking through the foggy trails instantly reminder me of gloomy Forks. Although it is hard to re-read now without picturing KStew, I had to struggle to picture the characters how I originally saw them.
Although I realize their relationship dynamic is flawed I still love this series, it brings me right back to early adulthood obsessing over Edward.
Spoilers ahead! This one was not for me. I felt like it was really current, well written and Melanie the MC was this cool coder chick enjoying the dating scene in NYC, super modern and realistic. But I couldn’t stand how neurotic and insecure she was when it came to Alex! Maybe that was the point, but it just felt like she was the embodiment of “women are crazy” (the very rhetoric she tries to rally against) every time she jumped to conclusions about him over nothing. Example: He was texting a colleague on their 2nd date and she immediately got super hostile as her internal dialogue assumed he was texting another girl.
.
She was her own worst enemy and perhaps the lessons learned reflect that but I couldn’t completely connect with the character here. The sex scenes were also cut short every time with just a hint at what was going down and a fade to black. No tension no build up no chemistry. Gimme the steam! 🔥
I’m giving this one a 6/10 because I like the general story but I personally think the character flaws were too much to handle.
📚 You guys!! I just picked up all of these books for $1.50! Check out @torontolibrary friends of the library book sale going on this weekend at Yonge and Church. They replenish each day and the proceeds go back into library programs. #torontopubliclibrary #booksale
My girls @christinalauren are quickly becoming my go to when I need a real good romance. I’ve yet to read one of their stories that I didn’t love. Any suggestions for the next one of theirs I should pick up? I was thinking of going with the Beautiful series next…
I think deep down he was just a jaded romantic. His poetry is always so harsh and angry it’s unnerving. I would read it whenever I felt mad or sad or lonely and it would make me realize how trivial the things were that were making me feel that way. Or at the very least it would give me a chance to wallow for a bit reading hate filled words.
I sometimes wonder what Bukowski would think of bookstagram, but then again he was an angry old ass 🤷♀️
How To Date A Douchebag – The Studying Hours by Sara Ney 📓
Sebastian and his athlete friends are the douchiest jocks on campus, they know they could “get any girl in any position”. Jameson is a hard working student who doesn’t understand the fascination with “Oz” Sebastian Osborne, until she does…
“Don’t judge a girl by her cardigan” 📓📚 I didn’t read the summary of this one before picking it up, the title sold me, and I love leaving the story a surprise!
This one had its ups and downs for me. Some chapters were so engrossing and written perfectly with all the feels and missed connections, while others were pretty jumpy with a zillion typos. Overall it was funny, I loved Sebastian once he was less of a douche and could really relate to Jameson’s character, it made me miss the university days! 7/10
This book was awesome and SUPER steamy (the dirty talk in this one, good lawd…). Georgie’s character was strong and independent while coming of age and finding her sexuality. I loved reading both Georgie and Travis’ insecurities in themselves and in the relationship and as the reader you’re just like “she loves you you idiot! Figure it out!” but that’s what makes it all the more satisfying when they get it together.
Don’t let the cover fool you, this ain’t just a sweet romcom. I’m giving this one a steam factor of 10 🔥🔥🔥
Secret Things and Highland Flings by Tracy Corbett 💜
Lexi is destroyed when her ex husband runs off with his assistant and leaves her with crippling debts to pay. All she has left is her beloved art gallery she’s struggling to keep afloat.
Olly is a fun loving world traveller who has returned home after the death of his father makes him the Earl of Horsley, a Lord to the Scottish castle.
When Lexi and Olly’s worlds collide they instantly feel a connection but they each have secrets that could tear them apart.
Review: I really enjoyed this sweet story! I love when the setting of a book takes you to new places and the Scottish Highlands was a perfect backdrop. Who can resist a hot Scotsman? This starts off straight away with the right amount of drama and an awful ex husband you just want to punch in the face. Quite a lot of the story revolves around the art world, auctions, renaissance paintings and more, while interesting it seemed like more of the focus could have been on the romantic scenes between the two characters. The rest of the story is a dreamy romance in a castle and shows Lexi slowly learning to trust people again. I give this one an 8/10 💜
The Romance Reader 