Death, trees, romance, Dreams, birds and a small West Virginian town. The Raven Boys is the first in a 4 part series by master YA storyteller Maggie Stievater. It is a fantastic blend of the trauma of everyday life and mythological danger. Follow Blue Sargent and four boys from Aglionby High as their fates become hopelessly entangled and dark secrets begin to come to light.
Soooooooooooo spicy
At once a lovely little friends to enemies to friends to lovers, and a tender reckoning with grief, trauma, and prejudice. I love these characters and their friendships and their flaws and their growth. I wanted to eat every meal they ate, drink every cocktail they shared at their quasi-group-therapy-speakeasy-get-togethers, and just exist within the chaos and the calm. Hug your friends, tell your loved ones you love them, confess your feelings to your crush, trust your gut or heart or brain or whatever, go to therapy, and read this book (in no particular order). Thank you, Rachel, for sharing your words with us.
Can a book be a hug? This book is a hug, a book about familiar expectations, a life plan, sibling love, and a sweet love side story. Follow Mina as she navigates through following her dreams, and enjoy her discovery of how she finds her happiness.
Trust when I say this is the cottagecore fantasy you have been waiting for! Clara's story is rife with romance and magic, but the heart of it all is a young woman just trying to save her father and regain control of her life.
Oh man. This is the perfect romance novel! Anita Kelly writes fantastic characters here. It's funny, heartwarming, thrilling (spicy!) It has it all. And it fulfilled my deep desire for everything to include birding!
This book is everything I want when I read romance. Ben and Alexei turned my heart to utter mush. Their banter is delightful and their hike along the Pacific Crest Trail is a fresh, fun setting. And though there is heat and spice in abundance, the arc of their relationship had major slow burn energy.
I have never felt comparisons to Red, White, And Royal Blue were accurate before, but this contemporary gay romance is spot on: it struck the mood, the complex narrative, the beloved, nuanced and unique characters.
Kate Clayborn is fully ensconced on my auto-buy list. All of her books make me want to gush: they are nuanced and full-bodied and believable. Her characters are flawed--even the supporting cast (who never detract or distract from the core romantic arc)--and deal with Real Life Shit. In GEORGIE, ALL ALONG, I kept discovering snippets of dialogue that could have been taken from my own brain. It's an opposites attract, close-proximity romance that I didn't want to end.
What an absolute delight! I will be sharing this cozy story of found family and new beginnings with many friends. Legends & Lattes is a single sitting read that is best paired with a steaming hot coffee and cinnamon pastry (trust me, you'll get it).
This book is like a warm hug, a cup of tea, and a slice of freshly baked banana bread in the middle of a snow storm. With just as much charm, if not more, as her debut The Charm Offensive, Cochrun has written a love story that deals with dysfunctional family dynamics, the fake-fiancé-who-turns-out-to-be-the-brother-of-the-woman-you-fell-in-love-with-last-Christmas, relatable discussions of mental health and identity, and overall Portland energy. The vibes are wonderful, it's lovely and queer, it's my favorite romance that I've read this year!
