Hi there friends. If you have not read my previous blog post about book recommendations, please check out this link.
Today I would like to share my favorite contemporary or modern day reads. I love the Regency era. The gowns, the propriety and adherence to traditional and modest ways of acting. But I also adore the romance of today, especially if the characters are relatable.
As I think about my criteria of what would be a good book to recommend, I always look at the language. The book needs to be clean, in that there are no foul language and no graphic sexual scenes. I don't care for those books. The second criteria would be the chemistry between the main characters. I almost always look at the banter between the couple to see this chemistry. There also needs to be some "swoony" scenes. And finally, the characters should have some flaws and weaknesses that are evident in the beginning but becomes part of what makes the individual strong. I have always been a fan of redemption stories and that can be found in romance novels as well.
So without further ado, here are my five contemporary romance favorites...
1. Save the Date by Jenny B. Jones
Oh boy I loved this book! One of my favorite things about books is that you can never truly judge it by it's cover. This one was one of those instances.
This is my first read from the author and after a few chapters, I became a fan. I loved her writing skill and the way she developed the characters. I'm a sucker for good banter between hero and heroine and this one did not disappoint. I was cracking up half the time and almost teary eyed in some moments. I also love, love, love that the supporting characters all had some fantastic layers to them. Not one of the characters were boring, even the ones that only appeared once or twice within the story line.
I think this story would be a great movie or mini series. There are tons of characters to love (and some to hate but eventually you will love) and the writing is just beautiful.
I don't normally have a favorite quote when I read fiction but this one hit me to the core..."They had traveled in the wrong direction, two wandering souls, not knowing where they fit in the world. But God had drawn them together, despite it all."
2. Meant to be Mine (Porter Family #2) by Becky Wade
Oh my goodness! This one was a total hoot! I loved the humour from both hero and heroine. They were definitely well matched as they can "spar" with their words with ease. The writing was fantastic and I also love the supporting characters. Overall this book was way better than the first one from this series (in my opinion).
Celia has had a crush on hunky Ty ever since high school and when she met him again in Las Vegas they had a whirlwind romance than ended in a Las Vegas chapel. However the day after their spur of the moment wedding, Ty announces that he is inlove with someone else and plans to marry that girl instead. Celia storms off and tried to put back her life in pieces even until after she found out that she was pregnant. 5 1/2 years later their paths cross again and this time they had to deal with forgiveness, building trust again and rediscovering their true feelings for each other.
I think what drew me in with this book is the way the two characters tried to hide their true feelings for each other to everyone, even themselves. They really had a love/hate relationship that was so palpable but also I, as someone looking in, knew that they were meant for each other. Even if they didn't know it quite yet. I was rooting for both of them all the way through the end.
3. How to Catch a Prince (Royal Wedding #3) by Rachel Hauck
I was so invested in King Nathaniel and Susanna's love story that all I really wanted to see in this book was a glimpse of a wedding and married life from them. However, learning more about Corina and Prince Stephen's story moved me more than the king's story. I loved how raw their personalities were portrayed by the author. I also thought the supernatural theme of the Manor gave an interesting twist to the romance part of the story line.
After reading this, I would have to say that Prince's Stephen and Corina's love story is my favorite out of all the three. It had some really good lessons about the love of our Savior but at the same time the rawness of the characters makes it so easy to relate to them.
Rachel Hauck is definitely one of my favorite authors!
4. Prejudice Meets Pride (Meet Your Match #1) by Rachael Anderson
I'm not sure if it's because I haven't read a contemporary novel in a while or is it because this story was so relatable but I ADORED this novel. I couldn't stop reading it. I loved the two main characters and how totally opposite they are and yet they found each other to be just the person they needed to be truly happy and content in life. I also loved the reoccurring theme of lemonade within the story line. It reminded me that everyone has a choice and although there are circumstances beyond our control, how we live our lives still greatly depended on how we tackle the challenges and how we face the "lemons" in our lives. I also love that this is a modern version of my favorite Jane Austen novel. Oh and the backdrop of this story is my own town. How cool is that?!
5. The Goodbye Bride (Summer Harbor #2) by Denise Hunter
I actually liked this story better than the first one. I'm not sure if it's because I kinda have a background of the story line and the place that it took place. I might have also just really enjoyed learning about Zac and Lucy's love story more than Eden and Beau's. Not sure but I really got into this one. The one thing sort of negative that I can say about the story is what Lucy had to do at the end to "learn her lesson". I was so worried we won't have a happy ending. But again, the author always make it a happy ending.
So that is it. If you like these kinds of reviews and book posts, please leave me a comment below and I might just make it a recurring post in this blog.
And remember you can always follow me on Goodreads and see what I am reading right now.
Thanks for stopping by.
Till next time,
Grace
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