By Elizabeth Dubos
I am a seasonal reader, which means I enjoy reading particular genres at certain times of the year. For example, I enjoy reading horror and thrillers throughout the Halloween season. Throughout the month of February, in honor of Valentine’s Day, I enjoy reading romance books. However, that doesn’t mean I restrict romance books to solely February. I like reading romance books during the summer and during the holiday season too. One of my favorite parts about reading romance books are the “aww” moments. I love when couples overcome their troubles and embrace their love for one another. In the past ten years, I appreciate that authors are exploring sub-genres to make their romance books unique and appropriate for different age groups. For example, contemporary romance, historical romance, young adult romance, etc. If you’re interested in reading some romance books, here are a few of my favorites to consider. I’ll include links to their Goodreads pages, so you can read official book summaries.
Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston. In 2019, this book won a Goodreads Choice Award for the Romance category, so it caught my attention. I was initially worried that the book was overhyped, and I wasn’t going to like it. It’s fair to say that I went into this book with low expectations. This was a good idea because although I enjoyed it, it wasn’t a 5 out of 5 stars, knock out of the park for me. This book featured cute and aww moments, but it left me wanting more. This a great introductory book to the romance genre.
The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren. The enemies to lovers’ trope always captures my attention. I enjoy when the trope is used appropriately, not forcing two characters together and calling it enemies to lovers. This book exceeded my expectations. I thought the characters were adorable and shared a lot of emotional times together. I really enjoyed the pace of the plot. While the characters are forced to spend time together, it isn’t an “instant love attraction.” Their relationship is gradual, so readers get to know the characters more. One of my favorite parts was the dialogue because I thought the remarks were funny and witty.
Beach Read by Emily Henry. This book for the romance-comedy lovers. This book features a lot more than the usual romantic couple. I thought the author did an excellent job building up each individual character’s backstory, so it makes you want to become more invested in the story to know the outcome.
The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks. I know that this one was made into a movie; however, the book offers more details that enhance the overall plot. I enjoyed that the book explored relationships with families because it added another interesting dynamic to the story. While the character is only seventeen years old, you’ll really see how she matures over the course of the story.
Summer officially begins on June 20th, so it’s been fun planning out which books I’d like to read. Even though, I’m a seasonal-mood reader, I like to have an idea of what to read; therefore TBR’s (to-be-read lists) can be super helpful. Plus, I really enjoy making lists. Which romance books would you consider reading?
Edited By Emelyn Ehrlich