Here is a list of my favorite reads so far this semester. As you might be able to tell, I am a romance girl through and through. If you have any desire to pick up reading, get out of your reading slump, or simply find a new read, take a look at these and see if any peak your interest!Â
The Happy Ever After Playlist, by Abby Jimenez
I loved this read, but Abby is also one of my top favorite authors. It focuses on Sloan, who has been struck by loss, learning to live once again. Without her fiancĂ©, she has fallen into a deep slump, only kept afloat by her loyal friend, Kristen. Sloan falls in love with Jason, her favorite musician, who hides behind a secret name, allowing her to fall for his sweet, calming persona without becoming starstruck. She finds out through Kirsten, after some serious digging, that she has fallen for the popstar who goes by Jaxon Waters. She then realizes who he is, but never noticed because his face has only just recently surfaced due to his slow-growing fame. We then read as their love unfolds and all the challenges that come along with Sloan’s grief and Jason’s fame. This was such a sweet read, one that took me a while to move on from because of how deeply it stuck with me.Â
The Tenant, by Freida McFadden
I read this book earlier in the semester because of McFadden’s growing popularity, and because I loved her Housemaid so much. I will say her books are typically quick reads for me, but they are very difficult to put down. This book focuses on a couple, Blake and Krista, who are in need of a tenant due to Blake’s job misfortunes. From the perspective of Blake, we watch as they choose Whitney Cross as their lucky tenant. Blake notices a majority of mysterious happenings within his home as Whitney moves in, and finds himself going crazy the longer she stays. We watch this story unfold and are left with shock after shock.Â
Atmosphere, by Taylor Jenkins Reid
This story highlights the lifelong dream of Joan, a woman of predictability. She lives her life with the hope of one day going up to space. She becomes an astronaut trainee with NASA, alongside a few others. Joan desires a simple life, living inside the box, and following every rule. She finds her heart in her niece Frances, but is met with her complete opposite of a sister. Joan loves her sister, Barbara, but is challenged by her often. Barbara, Frances’s mother, is careless and self-centered, resulting in Joan being the guiding light in young Frances’s life. Joan finds love in the stars, but also is lucky enough to find love on earth as well, in all unexpected forms. We watch as she navigates her star-crossed love and her dream of being in space.Â
The Friend Zone, by Abby Jimenez
Another book by Abby Jimenez that I am unable to recover from. One thing I love about her books is that they are all connected in a way. In this book, Sloan’s best friend from The Happy Ever After Playlist finds love. Kristen and Josh run into each other through a fender bender, and quickly become quietly infatuated with each other. But Kristen has a boyfriend currently deployed. Kristen has her own business and quickly becomes in need of help in order to finish her orders, and Josh jumps in to help. She stops herself from falling for him due to his deep desire to have a large family, something she cannot provide for him. We read as their complicated, but sweet, love story unfolds as they face deep loss, relationship and familial troubles and more.