By Alexandria Goncalves
Winter is coming, if you couldn’t tell by the minus zero weather. This is the time of year where people start to become slightly confused with emotions. People are upset that the cold is here and our summer fun has left us, but it also means Christmas is coming which means joy is all around. That’s when a really good book comes into play to keep us from thinking about the sadness that comes along with winter. I say winter is perfect because I get to bundle up on the couch with a hot drink and a good book! The hardest part is to find a good book to be able to read, but don’t worry, that’s why I’m here! Check out these five contemporary romances that I have read during this time of year!
1. Dating You/Hating You by Christina Lauren
I am going to start with Christina Lauren’s standalone novel about two people who meet through mutual friends and then deal with the unexpected. It has some comedy in it along with romance (obviously). Carter and Evie immediately hit it off at a friend’s Halloween party. The interesting part is that they’re both high-powered agents at competing firms in Hollywood, which leads for some unexpected turns in their lives. I don’t want to ruin it so definitely check it out!
2. Hollywood Dirt by Alessandra Torre
This book has a mixture of Hollywood and good ol’ southern Quincy. This book is about a major Hollywood actor, Cole Masten, going to a small town called Quincy to film a movie that he is producing. Then there is Summer Jenkins: the small town girl with a reputation. Cole is an arrogant actor living in Hollywood while Summer is a sassy southern girl just trying to get out of Quincy; they say opposites attract, right? This book has an unexpected twist to it, they are both from completely different worlds. What makes this book even better is it’s film adaptation currently online on Passionflix. The movie brings the characters to life but make sure to read the book first! This book/movie allows you to sweep away into Quincy and feel the heat.
3. Bared to You by Sylvia Day
Part of a five-book series, this novel is about two tortured souls. This series contains suspense, drama, heat and romance. This book starts off with forward businessman Gideon who gets what he wants when he wants. He doesn’t expect a woman named Eva to reject him although she knows there’s heat between them. This series is most definitely one of my favourite with the ups and downs throughout the entire series. Gideon and Eva both have demons from their past that constantly put up a wall with themselves. I had so many different emotions while reading this series from love to hate to frustration. This series is one of a kind with each character being different from each other in every way, and also from the storyline. I would suggest giving this series a read, you won’t be left disappointed.
4. The Florentine Series by Sylvain Reynard
Now I never thought I would enjoy a romantic fantasy book but, Sylvain Reynard knows how to make you fall in love with vampires (but it isn’t another Twilight saga). The Florentine series is very unique with the twist of Italian history displayed. This book is what made me fall in love with Italy and want to go and adventure each specific place that is mentioned throughout these books. The two characters William and Raven come together in an unsettling manner and then became something compelling. Their relationship becomes something unique and forbidden with twists that just made it ten times more phenomenal.There was just enough fantasy, love, seduction, and history to make a reader fall in love with these two unique characters. I must say with my whole heart this series will not disappoint.
5. Without Merit by Colleen Hoover
This last book is close to my heart. It can be seen as a romance in some aspects but is also young adult. Colleen Hoover released a book on October 3, 2017, titled Without Merit. This book was gut-wrenching, I have never been able to get so invested in a book that I feel as if I currently went through everything the characters went through. Although I have personal experience related to the book, it will never match the pain I was feeling for Merit. Merit was 17 years old, she was a teenager. As a teenager, we all go through many things during our life that we don’t quite understand. But, Merit dealt with things that are unexplainable. While reading this, I was so invested in it. From the beginning to when she met Sagan, I fell dramatically for this character. Sagan was so different from the other characters in Colleen’s books, different from most books I have read actually. He was unique, he was caring, he was real. It had a uniqueness to it; it had the aspect of romance as do all her books yet, this one seemed to have the aspect of actual real-life situations. Nobody has a picture-perfect family, everyone struggles and life isn’t meant to be perfect. This book allows you to see that all of those things are actually truly important. This book is a high recommendation on my list.