Tik Tok is the new trendy app that every teenager uses, because of its variety of content. What I love about TikTok is ‘Booktok’, which is the side of the app made for bookworms. Content creators create short videos to share book recommendations with other people. ‘Booktok’ has changed my life, especially during lockdown because it brought me back to my passion for books and was one of the reasons I ended up studying English Literature at university. I read one book every day during the lockdown, so I read quite a lot of the books that are now trending and thought I’d tell you which ones are actually worth the hype, so you don’t have to take hours to pick your next read:
1. Red, White & Royal Blue, by Casey McQuiston
This book is an enemies-to-friends-to-lovers story. It follows the relationship between the first son of America, Alex Claremont-Diaz, and the Prince of Wales, Henry. When photos of a confrontation with his long-time enemy, Prince Henry, at a royal wedding, leak to the tabloids and threaten the American-British relations, they have to stage a fake friendship between them, to mitigate the damage. Alex then finds himself hurtling into a secret relationship with Henry that could (potentialy) derail the campaign of his mother, President Claremont.
This book was absolutely amazing, and one of the first books about an LGBTQ+ couple, I have ever read. It is definitely worth your time, so go check it out :)
“Thinking about history makes me wonder how I’ll fit into it one day, I guess. And you too. I kinda wish people still wrote like that. History, huh? Bet we could make some.” ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
2. The Hating Game, by Sally Thorne
This book is an enemies-to-lovers (I just love this trope) between two colleagues. The book tells the story of Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeman, who simply hate each other. They can’t seem to understand each other and are up for the same promotion, which simply makes their relationship even worse. But the tension between Lucy and Joshua has reached its boiling point, and Lucy is discovering that maybe she does not hate Joshua, and maybe he doesn’t hate her either. Or maybe it is simply just another game.
I am a fan of rom-coms and this novel did not disappoint me. I believe that it is that kind of book made for anyone, wonderfully written and refreshing.
“The trick is to find that one person who can give it back as good as they can take it.” ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
3. Off-Campus and Briar U series, by Elle Kennedy
‘Off-Campus’ is probably my favourite book series ever. It is made of 4 books, (5 since September 2021), each based on a different couple. It follows the adventures of four hockey players and their love lives, as well as the difficulties they encounter along the road. It goes from fake-dating to friends with benefits…If you want to read them, you should start with the ‘Off-Campus’ series with ‘The Deal’ and read the next books in the series, and then read ‘Briar U’ which is a spin-off of ‘Off-Campus’.
What I loved about these two series, is that the books are very easy to read, and each of them is different. If you are looking for a cute and funny romance, with sports boyfriends, this is your sign!
“Sometimes people sneak up on you and suddenly you don’t know how you ever lived without them.” (The Deal) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
4. Ugly Love, by Colleen Hoover
I love Colleen Hoover’s books, so when I started reading ‘Ugly Love’, I knew I was going to like it, but I did not expect to fall in love with this book. When Tate Collins meets Miles Archer, an airline pilot, and her brother’s best friend, she knows it is not love at first sight. The only thing they have in common is their undeniable attraction to each other. He does not want love, she does not have time for love, so they decide to become friends with benefits. Their arrangement could be seamless, as long as Tate can stick to Miles’s rules: Never ask about the past, and don’t expect a future. They both think they can handle it, but hearts get infiltrated, and promises get broken. Love simply gets ugly!
I have nothing to add, except that this book is a masterpiece, and I don’t know what you are waiting for if you haven’t read it yet.
“It’s the beautiful moments like this that make up for the ugly love” ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
5. The Spanish Love Deception, by Elena Armas
One of the last books that have been extremely hyped on booktok, is ‘The Spanish Love Deception’, written by Elena Armas. It is definitely one of the best books I have read this year. It contained everything I love, from the one-bed trope to the fake-dating one. It is about Catalina Martin, who lies to her parents about having a boyfriend and ends up pretending to be in a relationship with Aaron Blackford, a man she despises, for her sister’s wedding during three days. It’s an enemies-to-lovers, fake-dating romantic comedy, perfect for those looking for a slow-burn romance with the sweetest ending.
This book has definitely become one of my comfort reads!
“Because it was all you were willing to give me. And I’d rather have you hating me than not have you at all.” ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
6. The Shadows between us, by Tricia Levenseller
I like all genres of literature, but usually prefer to read romance over fantasy, but this book made me see this genre from a new point of view. Alessandra is tired of being overlooked and so develops a plan to gain power: Marry and then kill the Shadow King to take his kingdom for herself. But Alessandra is not the only one trying to kill the king. As attempts on his life are made, she finds herself trying to keep him alive long enough to make her his queen. And Alessandra’s plan to kill him becomes more difficult as she gets to know who he really is behind his cruel appearance.
This book was definitely one of the best young adult fantasy novels I have read. There were several side plots and cliffhangers which kept the story moving and entertaining.
“I think that when you care enough for someone, you reach a point where it’s far more painful not to have him at all than to have him and risk losing him. You realize the risk is worth it. Because happiness, however short-lived, is always worth it.” ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5