Must-Read Monday: Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

 

So everyone knows New Adult books (stories with college-aged protagonists) are very hot right now. I love the genre, but I have to say, most of the stories I've read do not resemble what college looked like for me. The characters are often way more mature than I remember being at 18, and the college setting seems like a background brush stroke. But Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell was a totally different experience. The way the college setting was described made me think--Yes, this. This is what freshman year looked like--dorms that always smelled like burnt popcorn and laundry detergent. Libraries that were impossible not to get lost in. Being completely clueless as a freshman. Most of us weren't hanging out at cool parties and being all hip our first yer of college (or if you were me--any years of college, lol.)  It felt authentic.

And beyond the setting, the characters are so fresh and funny and likable. The hero was adorable and not angsty or damaged at all. (Don't get me wrong, I love angsty/damaged heroes but this was a nice change up.) The heroine was smary, sarcastic, and funny. I laughed out loud a lot, which is rare for me when reading. And I couldn't put this one down.

After reading Eleanor & Park by this same author earlier this year, I was already a fan. But I liked Fangirl even more than that one. Now this author is an autobuy for me.

So, go read it, you'll thank me later. :)

About the Book:

In Rainbow Rowell's Fangirl, Cath is a Simon Snow fan. Okay, the whole world is a Simon Snow fan, but for Cath, being a fan is her life—and she’s really good at it. She and her twin sister, Wren, ensconced themselves in the Simon Snow series when they were just kids; it’s what got them through their mother leaving.

Reading. Rereading. Hanging out in Simon Snow forums, writing Simon Snow fan fiction, dressing up like the characters for every movie premiere.

Cath’s sister has mostly grown away from fandom, but Cath can’t let go. She doesn’t want to.
Now that they’re going to college, Wren has told Cath she doesn’t want to be roommates. Cath is on her own, completely outside of her comfort zone. She’s got a surly roommate with a charming, always-around boyfriend, a fiction-writing professor who thinks fan fiction is the end of the civilized world, a handsome classmate who only wants to talk about words . . . And she can’t stop worrying about her dad, who’s loving and fragile and has never really been alone.

For Cath, the question is: Can she do this? Can she make it without Wren holding her hand? Is she ready to start living her own life? And does she even want to move on if it means leaving Simon Snow behind?

Have you read anything good lately? Feel free to share your must-reads in the comments. : )

Must-Read Monday: Two Forbidden Love Stories

So it's been a while since I've done a Must-Read Monday, but I've been catching up on my reading lately and have a few to share with you. :)

It wasn't the plan, but the last two books I've read had the theme of forbidden love (a favorite dynamic of mine to write and read about.) And both were fantastic reads. So here you go...

On the Island  by Tracey Garvis Graves

Yeah, yeah, I know I'm behind the times on this one. It was a bestseller a while ago. But it's been sitting in my stack since last year and I finally got the chance to pick it up. I really enjoyed this story. It was fast-moving and transported you to the deserted island setting. And both characters were very likeable. My only complaint was that it could've been a bit steamier after all the yummy sexual tension built up in the first half of the book, but that's just a personal preference of mine because I like a very sexy book. :) But I definitely recommend it for an engrossing read. 

Here's the blurb from Amazon:

Anna Emerson is a thirty-year-old English teacher desperately in need of adventure. Worn down by the cold Chicago winters and a relationship that’s going nowhere, she jumps at the chance to spend the summer on a tropical island tutoring sixteen-year-old T.J.

T.J. Callahan has no desire to go anywhere. His cancer is in remission and he wants to get back to his normal life. But his parents are insisting he spend the summer in the Maldives catching up on all the school he missed last year.

Anna and T.J. board a private plane headed to the Callahan’s summer home, and as they fly over the Maldives’ twelve hundred islands, the unthinkable happens. Their plane crashes in shark-infested waters. They make it to shore, but soon discover that they’re stranded on an uninhabited island.

At first, their only thought is survival. But as the days turn to weeks, and then months, the castaways encounter plenty of other obstacles, including violent tropical storms, the many dangers lurking in the sea, and the possibility that T.J.’s cancer could return. As T.J. celebrates yet another birthday on the island, Anna begins to wonder if the biggest challenge of all might be living with a boy who is gradually becoming a man. 

---

A Little Too Far  by Lisa Desrochers

Next is a read I couldn't put down. The blurb had me from the start. A love triangle with a stepbrother and a soon-to-be priest? My first thought was -- how did me and Tiffany Reisz not write this book? (For those who haven't read us: I have the forbidden foster brother love in MELT INTO YOU and Tiffany's Original Sinners series has a priest as the main hero.)

This is a New Adult book (college-aged protagonists) and transports you Italy for most of the novel. That's one of the things I liked most about it. The setting had real life to it. Also, the story was very sexy and fun. Here's my Goodreads Review:

A Little Too Far by Lisa Desrochers
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

So I love, love, love forbidden romance stories and this one had double forbidden-ness, so yay for that. I loved the heroine's voice. She was funny and comfortable with herself and outspoken. I like that the fact that she enjoyed sex wasn't a BIG OL' DEAL. I was a little sad when I realized that I was pulling for the wrong guy in the love triangle, but I'm looking forward to his story next. I also really enjoyed the Italian setting. I felt transported there and that's always a nice treat. Very quick and sexy read!

View all my reviews

And here's the blurb:

Have you ever gone just a little too far?

Lexie Banks has.

Yep. She just had mind-blowing sex with her stepbrother. In her defense, she was on the rebound, and it's more of a my-dad-happened-to-marry-a-woman-with-a-super-hot-son situation. But still, he's been her best friend and confidant for the better part of the last few years ... and is so off limits. It's a good thing she's leaving in two days for a year abroad in Rome.

But even thousands of miles away, Lexie can't seem to escape trouble. Raised Catholic, she goes to confession in hopes of alleviating some of her guilt ... and maybe not burning in hell. Instead, she stumbles out of the confessional and right into Alessandro Moretti, a young and very easy-on-the-eyes deacon ... only eight months away from becoming a priest. Lexie and Alessandro grow closer, and when Alessandro's signals start changing despite his vow of celibacy, she doesn't know what to think. She's torn between falling in love with the man she shouldn't want and the man she can't have. And she isn't sure how she can live with herself either way.

 

If that blurb doesn't sell you, I don't know what will. :)  Also, I'm excited that Lisa is one of the authors in the Fifty First Times anthology I'm contributing too. (I actually didn't realize that until after I'd read her book, lol.) Btw, if you missed the announcement about the anthology, you can find out the details here. :)

*Also, if you entered my 50 Book Giveaway, all winners have been chosen and contacted. Thanks to all of you who participated and spread the word! :)

So how do you feel about taboo or forbidden romance stories? Has anyone read either of these.

Must-Read Monday: A Sexy Pick from Guest Laurelin Paige

Hi y'all! I know it's been a little while since I popped in. I have a book due on July 1st so I'm in deadlne mode again. But I'll definitely be around in the next few weeks because NOT UNTIL YOU, my e-serial, releases next week! Whee! So more about that later this week.

But right now, I have a special guest taking over Must Read Monday. Laurelin Paige has got a book pick to share with us and a sexy story of her own. So, over to you, Laurelin...

 

Must-Read Monday with Laurelin Paige

First, let me say thank you so much, Roni for letting me be here today! This blog has been a favorite of mine for years and it’s truly an honor.

When I was thinking of what book I’d choose for Must Read Monday, I have to admit that I felt momentarily overwhelmed. Because, SO MANY MUST READ BOOKS! HOW WILL I CHOOSE ONE? But as I flipped through my Kindle, Picture Perfect by Alessandra Thomas jumped out at me.

Here’s the blurb:

 Fashion design major Cat Mitchell has a closet full of gorgeous clothes - and not a single thing fits. After two years of runway modeling for easy cash, an accident shattered her lower leg bone and her self-esteem in just one swift fall. Ten months of no exercise, prescription steroids, comfort eating and yoga pants meant returning to campus as a size twelve instead of her former size two. 

When her gorgeous long-time friend with benefits sees her for the first time after her accident and snubs her in front of all her friends, Cat’s self-image hits rock bottom. Her sorority sisters all insist that she looks gorgeous, but all Cat sees is the roll of her stomach when she sits down, or the dimpling at the back of her thighs that wasn't there last year. Cat’s therapist prescribes something radical to stop the downward spiral - nude modeling for a nearby college's human form drawing classes. 

When Cat faces her fears and bares it all for the class, she realizes that she's posing naked in front the most gorgeous, buffest guy she's ever seen in her life. He asks her out after the class, and after one steamy night and six weeks of perfect dates together, Cat's absolutely smitten.

But when Cat goes home with Nate for Thanksgiving, she discovers something shocking from his recent past that proves that he hasn’t always been so encouraging of women of all shapes and sizes. Cat has no idea what to think, but she does know one thing - this might destroy their relationship before it's even had a chance to get off the ground. 

Before Cat can figure out whether the real Nate is the sensitive, adoring guy she fell in love with, or an undercover asshole, she'll have to finally feel comfortable in her own skin - even if it means leaving him forever.

And my review:

Let me preface by saying I am a sexy times reader and writer. I like my books hot, hot, hot. Hence part of my adoration of Roni who pens some of the hottest books out there. Sweet and meaningful are not usually my first pick.

But Alessandra’s Picture Perfect blew me away. It is so beautifully sweet and has a message to boot. And it’s so relatable. Cat’s struggle with her weight and sexual self-identity is such a universal theme and there just aren’t that many books that address that issue. And tell me the truth – when’s the last time you read a romance book where the hero was a size 12? I read that Alessandra had to search long and hard to find a plus-size model for the cover. Isn’t that just sad? It’s the reason we need more books like this where we are told that a small size does not equal good sex.

Speaking of sex, the author does not skimp on the bedroom scenes. This book is steaming! I absolutely fell in love with Nate and the way he treated Cat. I’m lucky to have found a man like him in my husband, who adores me and my large size. I wish I had been able to overcome my self-consciousness about size in college as Cat does. Her character’s journey and transformation are believable and rewarding. I am delighted to recommend it as a must read.

Thanks again for having me, Roni, and for letting me share a book I was passionate about.

Laurelin Paige is a sucker for a good romance and gets giddy anytime there’s kissing, much to the embarrassment of her three daughters. Her husband doesn’t seem to complain, however. When she isn’t reading or writing sexy stories, she’s probably singing, watching Mad Men and the Walking Dead, or dreaming of Adam Levine. She is represented by Bob Diforio of D4EO Literary Agency. Her debut novel, Fixed on You, is out June 24^th. 

Must-Read Monday: A Movie Star, A Kidnapping, & 90s-tastic-ness

Perfect by Judith McNaught

So if you follow my blog, you know that I've been going through a phase where I'm reading old school romance from the 80s and 90s to catch up on some of the classics I missed out on. Well, when I reviewed Judith McNaught's Whitney, My Love, I had a ton of people tell me, "You must read Perfect!" (Paradise also got lots of mentions, but I haven't gotten to that one yet.) So I decided to give Perfect, which is one of her contemporaries, a try. And I'm so glad I did.

Here's the blurb:

A rootless foster child, Julie Mathison had blossomed under the love showered upon her by her adoptive family. Now a lovely and vivacious young woman, she was a respected teacher in her small Texas town, and she passionately lived her ideals. Julie was determined to give back all the kindness she'd received; nothing and no one would ever shatter the perfect life she had fashioned.

Zachary Benedict was an actor/director whose Academy Award-winning career had been shattered when he was wrongly convicted of murdering his wife. After the tall, ruggedly handsome Zack escaped from a Texas prison, he abducted Julie and forced her to drive him to his Colorado mountain hideout. She was outraged, cautious, and unable to ignore the instincts that whispered of his innocence. He was cynical, wary, and increasingly attracted to her. Passion was about to capture them both in its fierce embrace...but the journey to trust, true commitment, and proving Zack's innocence was just beginning....

Now, what I'm loving about these older romances is how epic they feel. As writers, we can't get away with loads of backstory anymore. We have to get to the present action immediately and carefully drop in character history here and there. The style has changed. Back in the 90s, it seems that authors often started early in the character timeline. We see them in their childhood or teen years for a chapter or three. Then it jumps ahead to another pivotal moment in their lives, then the present. I think Perfect had about 80 pages of backstory and set up before we got to the present story. But it wasn't boring, "This happened long ago." Instead it's written as the present and filled with action. So it works for me. Plus, this book is long, almost 700 pages, so the author had more room to give us all that information. And the result is that you feel seriously attached to the characters throughout the story because you feel like you've known them since they were kids.

And boy was I attached to these characters and their HEA because when the black moment came, gah, I was torn up. I almost couldn't read because my head was screaming the dramatic, "Noooooo!" and I didn't want to watch it all fall apart. >.<  Any author that can make me feel that involved, like these people are real and this is not just a story, gets a gold star from me. And she does give you like a 100pg HEA so she tries to make up for all that anguish she put you through by laying on the happiness with a heavy hand. :)

Also, as a bonus, this book is from the early 90s and about a movie star, so there are cameo appearances by stars of that day, including Patrick Swayze (my very first celebrity crush.) And I had to chuckle at some of the 90s stuff like the heroine popping up her collar or the house being decorated in mauve, green, and brass. Also, because it's old school romance, there was a bit of a "forced seduction" scene where I wanted to smack the hero for being an asshat. But I realize that was acceptable hero behavior in older romances.

But overall, I really loved this book and felt like I went on a real journey. Here's my review on Goodreads: 

Perfect by Judith McNaught
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was a Judith McNaught that many people told me was their all-time favorite. I'm glad I listened to them. I love how she writes books that show characters from the pivotal moments in their childhoods and brings you forward in time. It gives the stories an epic feel and you're totally emotionally involved with the characters because you feel like you've known them so long.

And speaking of emotions, I have to say the "black moment" of this book gutted me. I felt like I needed to go cuddle puppies or something to make me feel better. Guh. It's a feat to make me feel that bleak about a couple's outcome when I *know* it's a romance and I *know* there will be an HEA eventually. I wanted to scream, "No!" and look away, hoping it wouldn't really happen. Yes, I know it's fiction. But good fiction makes you forget that it isn't real and this one did that. My only minor quibble is that the heroine seemed a little too perfect and without flaw. I know that's the title of the book, and the heroine had her reasons for being a model citizen/person but everyone has some flaws and no one is always that self-sacrificing.

Definitely one to add to your shelf, especially if you like epic, old school romance.

View all my reviews

So what Must-Read have you read lately?

Must-Read Monday: A Time-Travel Romance I Adored

As many of you may know if you read my blog regularly, I recently decided to seek out some classic 80s-90s romances for my TBR pile to educate myself on the earlier days of the modern romance genre. Since I didn't grow up reading romance, I missed out on a lot of the great ones from back then. So I asked y'all to give me some suggestions on a previous post (Must-Read Monday: Give Me Your Old School Romance Picks). And one of the names that kept popping up was Jude Deveraux and in particular, her book A Knight in Shining Armor.

Well, I love a good time-travel romance, so I decided to track down a copy. And I am so glad I did! Thank you to all of you who recommended it. *hugs* I adored this book. I couldn't put it down. Beyond the humor there because--hello, a medieval knight in modern times is going to be a little comical--the love story felt truly epic. I have to say that's one thing I'm noticing about the romances from this era. Like Whitney, My Love, there are so many trials the couple goes through over an extended period of time that you feel fully emotionally invested (and wrung out) by the time you get to the end.

And this story also did that thing that I always admire when a romance author can pull it off--she made me worry that I may not get my Happily Ever After. I read romance, I KNOW the book won't end tragically. But still, she had me wondering how the hell these two people could ever manage to be together. There were so many complications to figure out. I actually was tempted to flip to the end (something I NEVER do, ever.) And though I've seen some people complain about the ending she chose, I think it was perfect and right.

My beat-up copy

This book was so good that I'm considering ordering a new copy of the trade paperback to put on my keeper shelf because the used mass market one I have is a little beat up. Now you know that's when a book is good if I'm considering buying a second copy, lol. So go. Read it. 

A Knight in Shining Armor by Jude Deveraux

Blurb:

Once upon a time...

...as a fair maiden lay weeping upon a cold tombstone, her heartfelt desire was suddenly made real before her: tall, broad of shoulder, attired in gleaming silver and gold, her knight in shining armor had come to rescue his damsel in distress....

Jude Deveraux's beloved bestseller has captivated readers the world over; now in a special edition featuring new material, this timeless love story greets a new generation. Abandoned by her lover, thoroughly modern Dougless Montgomery finds herself alone and brokenhearted in an old English church. She never dreamed that a love more powerful than time awaited her there...until Nicholas Stafford, Earl of Thornwyck, a sixteenth-century knight, appeared. Drawn to him by a bond so sudden and compelling that it defied reason, Dougless knew that Nicholas was nothing less than a miracle: a man who would not seek to change her, who found her perfect just as she was. But she could not know how strong were the chains that tied them to the past -- or the grand adventure that lay before them.

Who's read this one? What did you think? What romances have you read that felt epic?