Laura Nowlin’s If He Had Been With Me is centered around the throws of teenage romance, which of course, cannot be had without miscommunication and a little bit of drama. The story follows Autumn, a girl ostracized by her peers at school for being the “weird kid.” Autumn and her childhood best friend, Finn, had done everything together, until they grew apart in middle school. Both wanted their relationship to go back to the way it had, if not further, but neither communicated the fact.
Elizabeth Bennet is trying to be married off by her mother, Mrs. Bennet, along with her five sisters. When an eligible bachelor, Mr. Bingley, arrives with many companions including his two sisters, one of his sister’s husband, and Mr. Darcy, her town, is thrown on a curve. While her sister, Jane, begins to fall for Mr. Bingley and vice versa, Elizabeth begins to despise Mr. Bingley’s friend, Mr. Darcy, after an unsavory meeting at a ball stamping Mr. Darcy with an ill reputation due to his pride. Elizabeth wants to avoid Mr. Darcy at all costs, while on the other hand, Mr.
The book The Selection is the first book in the Selection series and is about America who is somehow swept into possibly becoming the next princess of Ilia. In the selection, America makes many friends and enemies. She has to choose between her feelings and her perspective of what should be right. With lots of adventure and mystery America has to decide who her heart belongs to before it’s too late. I love how this book is from America's point of view so you know what she's thinking.
January Andrews and Augustus Everest are two authors with contrastingly different genres. January wrote romance and Augustus wrote literary fiction. These two were college rivals and hadn’t seen each other for years. However, when January moves into her father’s vacation house in Lake Michigan, she finds out that her neighbor was her academic competitor. When they meet again, they come up with a plan to resolve their writing blocks. They decide to switch genres as a competition. The book follows the adventures January and Augustus take and their ultimate love story.
The slow-burn romance throughout the book was what kept me reading. Poppy and Henry are the main characters and they have been friends since college. The book started off talking about how they hadn't talked in two years, but included well-transitioned flashbacks to when they met. They had taken annual summer trips ever since college and this is how they rekindled their friendship. This book is a well-created friends-to-lovers trope book. I really enjoyed this book because the characters were flawed and real.
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi is a wonderfully written novel that follows teenager Juliette Ferrars and her journey through a tumultuous world. Juliette was born with a lethal touch. Anyone she touches experiences immense pain and eventually dies. The book starts with Juliette imprisoned inside a mental asylum. She then is introduced to one Adam Kent, who is a soldier. They are imprisoned together, and there is one thing that shocks Juliette to her core- her touch doesn’t hurt him.
Better Than the Movies by Lynn Painter is a charming young adult romance centered around Liz Buxbaum, a hopeless romantic who views life through the lens of her favorite rom coms. Liz has always dreamed of a grand, movie-worthy love story, especially with her childhood crush, Michael, who has recently moved back to town. To win Michael’s heart, Liz enlists the help of her next-door neighbor, Wes, who she finds annoying but knows is her best shot since he’s friends with Michael.
The novel Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie tells the story of a 15-year-old girl named Kambili. In Kambili’s family, everything is controlled by her father, Eugene. Her father forces everyone in his family to follow his strict Catholic rules and punishes them if they don’t abide by his rules. When Kambili and her brother Jaja go to visit their Aunt Ifeoma’s house during Christmas, they are able to see what a truly happy family looks like, and they are able to feel love.
Kazi, a former thief, is sent on a mission by the queen to locate a dangerous criminal in the threatening land of the Ballengers. A series of sudden events bring Kazi and Jase Ballenger closer together, revealing that there is more to each other than they thought. In this thrilling adventure, they must work to succeed in their tasks, even as they are drawn closer to each other.
The Rescue by Nicholas Sparks is a Romance Novel about a hometown hero and a city girl. Taylor McAden, a volunteer firefighter, is faced with one of the biggest challenges when rescuing Denise Holton’s son after a car accident in the forest during one of the worst storms possible. During the search for Kyle, Taylor gives all he has not to give up the fight when he gets an idea. A few weeks later Denise and Taylor reconnect sparking an interesting love story.
