Lately, I’ve been feasting on a lot of chick lit and romance novels. I am actually thinking that it’s becoming an addiction. I even break sleeping patterns just to finish a book. That means I wouldn’t think twice staying until six in the morning as long as I get my well-deserved closure. Don’t even begin with the because ‘I have been single for like forever’ thing. OK maybe it’s a little bit because of that, but I think it’s highly understandable if my void of love I fill up with boy-meets-girl fiction of happy endings. I did not just admit that.
Well, screw everyone who thinks romance died with Romeo and Juliet. I am sharing my end-of-the-month serving of love and cheddar cheese from the following novels I loved.
Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
I was taken by surprise to how this book was beautifully written. At first I thought it would be shallow and superficial considering that Anna and Etienne St. Clair are still in high school, but I was wrong. It was cute and I loved how the book brought back my fascination for Paris. A light and fun read!
Attachments by Rainbow Rowell
This book sits pretty on top of my favorite pile right now. The story revolved around e-mail conversations between Beth and Jennifer, two writers who are so witty and funny they made me wish I was a Rainbow Rowell character. It’s also about Lincoln, who secretly reads these e-mails and accidentally falls in love with one of them. It might be a little weird, but this is the new age and stalking can make love possible. Am I right? It was raw and delicate, funny and hopeful. FIVE STARS!
It Had To Be You by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
First of all, I can’t believe it took me a decade to read this book. That would me make me 12 years old when this book was published, so I understand how inappropriate that could have looked if I was caught busy with this book. Especially with that kind of cover! It just baffles me why Phillips’ had to use a close-up cleavage as her cover! Might as well change the title to It Had To Be The Cleavage. But all things aside, what I love about Susan Elizabeth Phillips’ stories is the characters. She has this amazing grasp on character presentation that even if I have already read three books after this, I still have a clear picture of Phoebe and Dan in my head. There are definitely a lot of sweet and heartwarming scenes from this book and Phillips knows how to make them memorable.
Natural Born Charmer by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
I really enjoyed It Had To Be You so right after I finished it I looked for another Phillips’ novel to sink my teeth into. Another thing I like about Phillips’ writing is the different elements she uses in her stories. It’s not only focused on love between two main characters, but she adds a twist to the story with a sister, a mother, a father, and even a neighbor that suddenly the story gets bigger and more meaningful. With Natural Born Charmer, you see all of love and its elements, including forgiveness, trust, second-chances, acceptance, and even friendship. Blue and Dean’s love story is quite fascinating. By the way, I praise Phillips’ for her suspenseful and grand endings!
One Tiny Lie by K.A. Turner
This is one teenage-novela with overflowing emotions. Although the book had questionable morals, I still liked it because of the several vulnerable scenes that made it hard for me to pull away. This kind of book to an emotional junkie like me is like a shot of heroin to a drug addict. This is the kind of book that makes ugly crying possible. Also, I liked the main character Livie because she does not indulge in self-pity or is damaged like the protagonists in those nauseating young adult romance novels that are becoming popular nowadays. I can’t say the story is very original, but good enough.
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