However, if you're not in the mood for a historically set love story, there are plenty of good contemporary romances around and I prefer the ones with a bit of a romcom energy to them. So, here are a trio of sweet suggestions for your heart shaped holiday reading:
Jasmine Guillory's latest, Party of Two,was one of my Christmas presents but I decided to save it for this particular weekend(although her books are great for any time of year!). Our leading lady here is Olivia Monroe, who decides to leave her law firm in New York and head out to L.A. to start her own specialty legal practice.
Upon arrival, she stops at the hotel bar and meets Max, a guy who shares her dislike of posturing behavior and delight in desserts. While he looks vaguely familiar, Olivia finds out later that Max is Senator Powell, a freshman in office with a keen interest in criminal justice reform.
Since they do have a lot in common, falling in love isn't that difficult but being put in the social media spotlight is. Things get trickier when a private story from Olivia's past comes into public view, which could jeopardize their relationship and careers. Can the two of them stay afloat in such murky waters or will they get off this particular love boat for good?
Guillory knows how to mix up a smartly sweet and sexy batch of storytelling goodness and I have no doubt that making my way through these tasty pages will have been worth the wait:
As a warm-up, I finished reading One to Watch by Kate Stayman-London this past weekend. This debut novel introduces us to Bea, a plus size fashion blogger with a solid online following and more than fair share of critics to boot.
Given her critique of the reality dating show Main Squeeze, Bea is truly surprised to be asked to be the next contestant. With the series having trouble in the ratings(along with the recent dismissal of the former producer engaged in controversial behavior), the new producer Lauren wants to take the show in a fresh new direction and Bea gives them the perfect opportunity to do so.
Bea nervously accepts, wanting a change in her life as well yet she's not just anxious about how the twenty five men competing for her hand in marriage will react to someone her size. She's still getting over a potential romance with a former co-worker who was happy enough to string her along but decided to marry someone else.
As she gets to know the guys(several of whom are jerks) Bea can't let go of her doubts even when men like Sam, a bit younger than her but full of upbeat charms or Luc, a very sexy French chef or even Asher, a sensitive soul who is willing to be a straight shooter when needed, give her sincere affection.
During the course of the show's taping, things come to light about many of the men and Bea as well, making this reality roller coaster ride hard to handle in more ways than one. Will Bea find her true love on TV or is this an emotional mini-series destined to be canceled?
This was a real hard-to-put-down read for me; as Stayman-London taps right into the emotional discomfort that plus size women(myself included) feel about life and love. I also appreciate the depth given to many of the characters here, even with the reality show framework, and found myself rooting for many of them to have great stories to come well after this one ends for them.
It may be corny to say but Kate Stayman-London is a one to watch author and her next step into the literary limelight should be something wonderful to see:
Before I got to One to Watch, my ebook library holds granted me the chance to dive into Sophie Kinsella's Love Your Life, which had me even falling in love with the troublesome yet adorable dog Harold(and I'm a cat person) here!
To get back a bit, Ava is tired of being a copywriter and decides to attend a writers retreat in Italy , where everyone has agreed to not talk about their past and to call each other by self chosen names.
Ava winds up being more focused on Dutch, a last minute participant (he signed up for a martial arts class that was unexpectedly canceled). The two of them seem to be instant soul mates and plan on continuing their love fest once they go home.
However, real life changes everything. Dutch happens to be Matt, who runs the family dollhouse empire and while successful, is not happy at his job. He’s also uncomfortable around Ava’s rescue furniture and her wish to get him to turn vegan. Meanwhile, Ava is less than thrilled with Matt’s taste in artwork or his insistence that her beloved Harold needs dog training.
As each of them try to adapt to the other’s way of life, it becomes harder to hold on to what they had in Italy. Would a break-up be the worst option here or could it lead to a new chance at romance?
Sophie Kinsella has a great knack for writing one-off novels as well as series(her Shopaholic books are what got me into her work) and while LYL is clearly meant to be the former, I wouldn't mind a follow-up. The characters are great to hang with, especially both sets of Ava and Matt's friends, and the chemistry between the leads does explain why they still persist on making this relationship with it's Odd Couple energy work out for both of them.
Kinsella creates a real yet charming world for all involved and shows that starting over is just as important as starting anew, both in life and in true love:
I hope these suggestions help with your holiday reading and whatever you chose to enjoy Valentine's Day with, do take the time to have a little fun.
Personally, I think books make for excellent Valentine's Day gifts as they're easy to wrap, come in many delightful colors and textures with the bonus of tending to last far beyond the day in question. Plus, picking the perfect read for yourself or someone special is always a true act of love:
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