Reviews by Category: Romance

“Whatever you've heard about Caraval, it doesn't compare to the reality. It's more than just a game or performance. It's the closest you'll ever find yourself magic in this world.”

P.S. I Like You​ by Kasie West is an adorable YA contemporary romance that embodies a fluffy version of the enemies to lovers trope. In this novel, Lily, a girl who doesn’t quite fit in but is relatively comfortable with herself, starts writing notes to an anonymous pen pal. Lily is eventually torn between keeping the note-writing anonymous and trying to find the person that she’s fallen for through paper.

As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales From the Making of The Princess Bride​, Cary Elwes' account of the making of the iconic film, ​The Princess Bride​ warmed my heart. ​The Princess Bride​ is one of my all-time favorite stories, so knowing that the movie's cast enjoyed making the film as much as I enjoy watching it is charming.

The third book in L.M. Montgomery’s ​Anne of Green Gables​ series, ​Anne of the Island​, follows Anne through her newly founded adulthood as she goes back to and graduates college, finishes growing up, and deals with the highs and lows of romance. This book perfectly captures the dream of what everyone wants when they move into adulthood; every obstacle can be overcome, and lots of fun.

I found the most compelling aspect of the book to be that I could almost escape from reality when reading it. The novel shows a plot told from 2 perspectives that are probably slightly unrealistic in today's time, but I found that to be an amazing part of the book. I could open the book, start reading, and imagine myself as a character in the story alongside Evie and Caleb. The 2 perspectives really helped that a lot in providing each event that occured with 2 different viewpoints, in some cases 1 positive and 1 negative.

The gay love story was by far the most compelling. I would say that most of the novel circulates on the trials and tribulations of Charlie coming to terms with who he is and wanting to be in a relationship with a boy.

I signed up for a love story, and I was handed just that. It's everything I wanted without lots of annoying stuff to get in the way. When reading the back cover, this is what I hoped for, and it's exactly what I was given,

Hollis Brite is a lady in the kingdom of Coroa, and alongside other young ladies of the court, seeks the King of Coroa’s heart, vying for his attention. When King Jameson finally chooses Hollis to become his wife and Queen, Hollis is ecstatic. But when a boy from a foreign nation comes to Coroa, Hollis doesn’t know what her heart wants anymore.     

It is France, 1714, and a young French village girl named Addie kneels on the forest floor on the eve of her wedding and prays for freedom from an arranged marriage. She forgets, though, that it is after dark, and the gods that answer after dark never play fair. In a moment of desperation, she makes a bargain with the devil himself — freedom to wander, to explore, to dream, but with one catch: she will be forgotten by everyone she meets.

Janella Angeles’s Where Dreams Descend follows ambitious showgirl Kallia as she fights to compete for a spot as the headlining magician of the Conquering Circus.

The competition takes place in Glorian, a city full of secrets. While competing, Kallia encounters Daron Demarco, the enigmatic young judge with a hidden past. Kallia, too, wishes to forget her past — but Jack, the owner of the club she left for the competition, won’t let her get away so easily.

Happily Ever After​ is a companion novel to ​The Selection​ series by Kiera Cass. The first story, “The Queen​,” tells how King Clarkson and Queen Amberly fell in love. Their relationship is very toxic; his tests were controlling and not justifiable because he didn't want to marry someone vain. The second story included, ​“The Prince.”​ retells the beginning of the Selection from Maxon's perspective.