Before reading this article, please remember that we were under a lot of pressure. Who can choose only the fifty best books, right? Before this year began, we made a vow that we’d read more and achieve our reading goal. We haven’t achieved that yet, but guess who has a huge TBR pile now? Us!
Now, don’t take that too seriously because we actually read a lot, so you can trust us. Before this year ends, we’d like to share a list featuring books that we think you must read. This list features YA, dark romances, books with fake dating, college romance, and books you shouldn’t read because they will break your heart; in short, these are all the books we’ve read and liked to date.
Except for a few books. Well, only the top 3 books. The top three books on our list aren’t just a book for us, they are our whole personality and a part of our soul. So, if you trust us, then try these books. We assure you, you will LOVE these books.
Also Read: Book Recs: 50 Christmas Books To Read
Marriage For One
We are screaming, crying, and hyperventilating while just thinking about this book because we are obsessed with Jack Hawthorne. If you like tropes such as MOC and grumpy sunshine and want 500 pages filled with just good vibes and romance, then this is your book.
The book follows Jack Hawthorne and Rose Coleson. The first day they met, their meeting ended with Jack proposing to Rose. They were complete strangers, and it didn’t make any sense, but their business deal made sense. So, they got married. But a fake relationship doesn’t guarantee that you won’t fall for each other. And when these two spend time together, they will realize that even they aren’t immune to the effects of love.
Ignite Me
The third book in the Shatter Me series, Ignite Me holds a special place in our hearts. It’s the best book out of all the Shatter Me books. If you haven’t read that series, then you must read them now.
Omega Point has been destroyed, and Juliette doesn’t know who is alive or dead. She is clueless about her loved ones, but she is determined to take down The Reestablishment once and for all. However, to achieve that, she must rely on Warner, the commander of Sector 45, and the boy who also hurt her. She is ready to destroy everyone who thought they could hurt her, but she won’t be able to do that alone. Who can she trust in this chaos?
The Wall Of Winnipeg And Me
Before we learned about the author, we read this book, and it’s such a slow-burn book that you won’t want to finish it. But, bookworms who love a slow burn, then you are missing out on the best if you haven’t read this book or any of MZ’s books. [Side note: the author is problematic, so if you don’t prefer that, then you can skip this].
Vanessa Mazur has been a good housekeeper/ assistant/ fairy godmother to the top defensive end in the National Football Organization for years. This was always supposed to be temporary, so she shouldn’t be feeling bad for quitting. But, when Aiden Graves, the man who couldn’t bother with her presence in his house, shows up at her door, asking her to come back, she is beyond shocked. He may be used to getting everything he wants, but getting this won’t be easy for him.
These Violent Delights
These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong is hands down the best duology ever written, argue with the wall. It’s beautiful, sad, and heartbreaking, and it’s about two enemies falling in love! What else you could ask for? Furthermore, this is a Romeo and Juliet retelling, and it’s written so well that you will absolutely enjoy it.
Set in Shanghai in 1926, TVD follows Juliette Cai and Roma Montagov. Juliette is an 18-year-old former flapper who has returned to assume her role as the proud heir of the Scarlet Gang. But, their only rivals in power are White Flowers, whose heir is none other than her first love and first betrayal, Roma.
When madness threatens to destroy the place they call home, they both must unite to stop the mayhem, or else there won’t be a city left for them to rule. But, when enemies unite, it’s followed by grudges, betrayal, and ugly revelations that could tear everything apart, and these two will have to pay the price.
Addicted To You
If you like the show FRIENDS, like the trope friends-to-lovers, if you like to cry, if you’re feeling lonely or nothing at all and want something to make you feel, then you have to read this series. The Addicted Universe is one universe we’ll always love and recommend to readers who want to read something good.
This book follows Lily Calloway and Loren Hale. It’s the first out of the five books in the Addicted series that revolves around Lily and Lo. Lily has a secret that no one knows about except Loren, but he has an addiction of his own.
They are best friends, and for the past three years, they have been pretending to be in a relationship to hide their secrets. But, when they begin to sink under the weight of their addictions, strangers and family will break down the walls they have built around themselves to save them both.
Kiss The Sky
Fans of Bevi [NHIE], if you are looking for books with the academic-rivals-to-lovers trope and have read every book ever recommended to you, then you must now add Kiss The Sky, the first book in the Calloway Sisters series, to your TBR pile.
It follows Rose Calloway and Connor Cobalt, who also appear in the Addicted series. At 23, Rose is a Princeton graduate, an Academic Bowl champion, a fashion designer, and the daughter of a Fortune 500 Mogul. Now, she and her friends will be filmed for a reality TV show.
24-year-old Connor is a confident and intelligent man who bulldozes weak men. But, this time, he must find a middle way to protect Rose from a man who always has his way. Will their relationship survive till the show ends?
Hothouse Flower
Ryke Meadows and Daisy Calloway take the trope ‘grumpy sunshine’ to the next possible level. If you have read the Addicted series, then you might be aware of these two.
In the second book in the Calloway Sisters series, Ryke and Daisy have grown up. As a 25-year-old man with a billion-dollar inheritance and an intolerable personality, Ryke knows he redefines the term likable a******. Daisy is finally 18, which means she can now bid farewell to her overbearing mother, say hello to the newfound freedom, and continue her modeling career.
But she is just beginning to spread her wings, and when everything spirals out of control, she turns to Ryke for help. A phone call changes the course of their life, and it certainly won’t be easy for them to stay on the right track now.
Bad Reputation
Readers who have read the books featuring the Core Six but haven’t read the Bad Reputation Duet, what are you doing with your life? Gillow is easily our second favorite couple from this universe, as they should be. Garrison Abbey has been through a lot and seeing him happy is so satisfying.
The book follows Garrison Abbey and Willow Moore. This specific book contains Whatever It Takes and Wherever You Are, the previous novels in chronological order. Along with that, it also features a reading guide and exclusive bonus chapters.
Willow is a shy and quiet girl, but when she decides to do something unexpected, her world changes forever. She moves across the country at 17. Her over-protective older brother informs her that Garrison Abbey, a guy who has a bad reputation, is off-limits. But he’s friendly to her and she is drawn to the mysterious boy next door. They become friends, and they realize that maybe they are exactly what each other needs the most.
By A Thread
This has to be the most annoying book ever because when we finished reading this, we were so overwhelmed by how good it was that we couldn’t decide how to rate it. It had the perfect beyond-perfect workplace romance with a grumpy male character and a stubborn female character. The banter in this book was *chef’s kiss*. You really HAVE to read this book. From their first encounter to the last page, this book never let a dull moment. Dom and Ally are really made for each other.
When Dominic gets Ally fired from her job, he reasons it for being stressed and unnecessarily taking it out on her. But he still believes that there’s nothing innocent about Ally Morales. When his mother offers her a job, he is adamant about making her leave. Except, she brightens up the magazine’s offices, argues with him, and sneaks her way into his heart. He is trying to force her to quit, but maybe, it’s his heart that he will end up losing to her.
People We Meet On Vacation
If there’s one trope we have mixed feelings about, then it has to be friends-to-lovers. It’s a hit-or-miss trope for us. PWMOV is our favorite Emily Henry book, and it’s the only book with this trope that we actually love. We don’t like to read books in which friends turn into lovers, but this book is superior to all the other books.
Poppy and Alex are best friends who take a weeklong vacation every year until something puts a brake on their tradition. Two years ago, they ruined everything and hadn’t spoken to each other since then. Yet, when someone asks her about the last time she was happy, Poppy knows undoubtedly it was with Alex on that ill-fated trip. Now, they both decide to go on a trip once again, and they both have only one week to fix everything they have broken.
Beach Read
Every writer and reader will certainly enjoy this Emily Henry book. It follows Augustus Everett and January Andrews. Both of them are famous writers, but where January writes bestselling romances with perfect HEA, Augustus is an acclaimed author of literary fiction who is likely to kill off his entire cast.
For the next three months, they are living in neighboring beach houses, broke and stuck with writer’s block. It has fun banter and is a perfect summer read. If you haven’t tried any book written by this amazing author, then you should start with this book.
Book Lovers
Nora Stephen has read a lot of books, and she knows she’s not a heroine. She is a cutthroat literary agent who would do anything for her little sister. So, when her sister requests her to take a trip to Sunshine Falls, she can’t say no to her.
Charlie Lastra is a bookish brooding editor that Nora keeps bumping into during her stay in the small town. When they both meet, one thing leads to another until they reach the ultimate destination: love.
The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo
Chances are that you might have already seen this book everywhere or have heard of the adaptation. Yes, the book is one of the most popular and recommended books everywhere. And we are here to remind you, or rather inform you, why it is so.
If you love great characters, great stories, simple writing style, unforgettable quotes, whatever it is that you love, be it as simple as just you want to read a book, whatever it is if you are here, and you haven’t read this book yet, then you need to read this book. Think of it as us pressurizing you.
It follows Hollywood icon Evelyn Hugo who decides that she is finally prepared to tell her truth. She chooses an unknown magazine reporter, Monique Grant, for the job but doesn’t disclose why she chose her until later. As the book progresses, readers get to learn about her seven husbands and her one great true love. This book is really outstanding, and the friendship, love, and reality depicted in the book will remain with us forever.
The Kite Runner
*sigh*
This book is so SAD that we won’t ever recommend this to anyone but, as it happens, the readers love trauma. When we first picked this book in March, we had no clue what it was about. We have been a reader for a long time, so obviously, we have seen this book and author in every bookish list. But, we would say that this isn’t a “must read” book because it’s not easy to read. It features some triggering scenes that might be uncomfortable for some readers.
However, if you can bear those things, then this book should be on your list. When we think of this book, a few words that come to our mind are sad, heartbreaking, innocent, friendship, love, and life. It’s a delicate book that follows a 12-year-old boy named Amir.
He is desperate to win the local kite fighting tournament. So, his loyal friend Hassan promises to help him. But they have no idea what that day has in store for them. This book taught us that what we do and don’t do affects others and that friendship really is the greatest gift on earth.
On Earth, We’re Briefly Gorgeous
As a reader, we have spent so much time reading words written by people who are much better than us at writing what we want to write. Ocean Vuong is definitely a phenomenal writer who has the power to write such poetic and beautiful that it touches us where not even sunlight can reach.
This book is a letter from a son to a mother who cannot read exploring race, class, masculinity, compassion, and tenderness. It’s about silence, words that get stuck in our teeth, hands that can’t reach far enough, it’s a feeling that will open you up and stitch back together carefully.
Crush
Richard Siken is the only person who has ever made us feel like we’ve been ripped open, and he only used his words to accomplish that. Reading his works, his thoughts, his interview, anything of and by him, is like getting out of one’s body, and it’s truly an experience that can’t be summed up in mere words.
This is a collection of poems driven by panic and obsession. If you are a lover of poetry, then you need to read this as soon as possible because this book will really make you feel hunger and madness, driving you to scream ferociously.
My Dark Vanessa
Vanessa Wye was an ambitious and bright 15-year-old girl when she found herself entangled in an affair with Jacob Strane, her 42-year-old English teacher. The year was 2000, and now it’s 2017, a year when a wave of allegations against powerful men rises.
Now years later, Strane has been accused of sexual abuse by a former student. The student even reaches out to Vanessa, forcing her to make a choice. She can either choose to be silent or redefine herself and her past. But it’s not as easy or clear as it seems.
Focusing on sensitive topics such as consent, victimhood, and manipulation, this book gives us a clearer look into human behavior and hence, should be on every reader’s list.
I’m Glad My Mom Died
Jennette McCurdy was brutally honest with her story, and it shows in this heartbreaking memoir. A former child actor, Jen struggled with eating disorders and addiction and endured a complicated relationship with her overbearing mother.
In this memoir, she told her story and how she retook control of her own life. It’s sad, it’s emotional, and it’s frustrating to see her struggles because she didn’t deserve what was done to her. Yet, she lived, and she grew stronger. This book is unflinchingly honest and raw and that’s what makes it so remarkable.
The Great Gatsby
If you are a fan of the Jazz age or classics, then you must read The Great Gatsby. It tells the story of the fabulously Jay Gatsby and his love for Daisy Buchanan. There might also be another love story, but we’ll leave that up to the readers to figure it out on their own. It’s written beautifully, it’s romance and tragedy all wrapped up in one book.
The Picture Of Dorian Gray
We’ve never read a more disturbing book with such worse characters. All the men in this book were so bad yet their story was somehow so good, it’s rather confusing. This book is easy to comprehend and it’s not that long, so even if you don’t read classics, you can give this book a try.
It follows a young man who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty. Dorian Gray was obsessed with beauty, but the company he kept wasn’t good either. We will never forget the ending of this book, even though we saw it coming.
If We Were Villains
We belong to those few readers who actually prefer IWWV over TSH. It’s been over six months and we’ve hardly come across a reader who likes this more than TSH. But you have to trust us. This book, unlike TSH, isn’t boring or severely character-driven, it keeps the ball rolling and it’s fun to read and it keeps you hooked all while maintaining a perfect pace.
Also, it’s shorter than TSH. This book is easily our favorite dark academic book. It follows Oliver Marks and Detective Colborne. Oliver has just served ten years in jail, and Colborne is retiring soon, but before he goes, he wants to know the truth. You might think you’ve discovered the plot, but we promise you, you will never see that end coming.
The Secret History
Yes, we have to include this in our list, not because we think it’s cool or because we enjoyed it. But, it’s mainly because this book is a must-read book. It captures dark academia perfectly, and it’s an amazing experience reading this book if you can make it to chapter four or five, which is when the book begins to get interesting. If you like dark academia, then this is absolutely the best book for you. However, if you don’t know about it, then this book should be the book that serves as an introduction to it.
It’s long, maybe boring, very character-driven, and slow-paced, but this book is madness. We can’t quite describe it but just know that when we think of plaids, cults, trench coats, fountain pens, scribbled notes, introverts, and rich students at a boarding school, this is the book that comes to our mind.
It follows a group of clever and eccentric misfits at an elite New England college who discover a way of thinking and living that is beyond the normal way of existing. But, when they begin to slip from reality, their obsession will lead to corruption, betrayal, and at last, evil. This book is crazy, and we don’t know why we are recommending it, but you’ll have to read it to understand.
Pride & Prejudice
The classic, the OG enemies to lovers, the evergreen writer whose works, arguments, and thoughts still remain valid, Pride and Prejudice, is a book that is difficult to follow. And more so if your first language isn’t English. However, this book is valid and a classic for a reason. Jane Austen said I’m gonna write a man who’s so insufferable with enough self-awareness that he changes himself for the woman he loves, and we are still asking questions about why this book is so good.
Elizabeth Bennet represents so many of us readers, while Mr. Darcy is a man who is shy, introverted, and hard to like when he opens his mouth, but as we get to know him, he begins to grow on us. Elizabeth has strong opinions, and he is a proud man. Their first impressions of each other weren’t very good, but it was impactful enough to leave a mark. They keep on bumping into each other, and soon, pride gives way to love.
One True Loves
We wish we had read this book when we were younger. And not because we were confused between two guys, but because it’s such a good book that focuses on love, letting go, and humans who are bound to change. This book might be about true love, but it also shows us that it’s okay to change and grow. Maybe at 14, you wanted to be a painter or a dancer, but now at 28, you are a baker with a family of your own and it’s perfectly fine because you didn’t know what life had in store for you.
Emma Blair marries her high school sweetheart Jesse in her twenties, but on their first anniversary, Jesse is on a helicopter over the Pacific when it goes missing. Now, she is in her thirties when she runs into her old friend Sam. They fall in love and get engaged, but just when it feels like she’s getting a second chance, she receives news about Jesse. What follows the news is hard to believe and confusing for her, but in the end, Emma finds a way and her one true love.
The Confidence Of Wildflowers
We were influenced by the reviews on Goodreads to pick this book, and we have to say, the readers weren’t exaggerating about what this book did to them. This book is all fun and games until you reach the last few chapters. It follows an eighteen-year-old girl whose future is a big ‘what if’, but she’s fine with that.
But, when Thayer Holmes moves in next door and asks her to nanny his kid, her life takes a wild turn. She didn’t plan to fall in love with the grumpy landscaper and his son. Yet, it happens, and there’s nothing wrong about it except the fact that she’s eighteen and he’s thirty-one. Sometimes things happen when you least expect them, and it changes you in unimaginable ways. The question is will you let it destroy you, or will you take that lesson and grow stronger?
Also Read: Author Spotlight: Emily Henry Books To Read
A Million Kisses In Your Lifetime
Wren Beaumont is innocent, beautiful, smart, sweet, and also not at all Crew’s type. They both study at Lancaster Prep, where the girls love Wren, but Crew believes he’s the only one who sees her for who she really is. He also believes that she thinks she’s above them all.
Yet he’s still drawn to her like a moth to a flame. When they are forced to work together in a class, they realize that they might have more things in common than they thought. Soon enough, Crew finds himself obsessed with her, and he becomes determined to make her fall for him.
Love And Other Words
Macy Sorensen is settling into a routine, trying to keep her head down and her heart tucked away, when she runs into Elliot Petropoulos. He is the first and only love of her life. Once upon a time, he was her entire world until he broke her heart on the same night he declared his love for her.
It’s been years, and they haven’t talked since then, becoming strangers once again. Now, their chance encounter begins a new chapter in their life, which will also reveal the truth behind Macy’s silence for these past years. But will the weight of their past destroy their future?
You Deserve Each Other
A fun enemies-to-lovers romance book, YDEC follows Naomi Westfield and her fiancé Nicholas Rose. He is the perfect fiancé any girl could ask for, yet she is sick of him and wants out. However, she can’t do anything about it because whoever ends the engagement must pay the non-refundable wedding bill.
When she discovers that Nicholas isn’t happy with their relationship and has been feigning contentment too, they both go head to head in a battle of worst pranks, and sabotage. But, as the wedding date looms closer, they realize that they are enjoying each other’s company and that maybe, marrying each other wouldn’t be so bad after all.
All Your Perfects
There’s just something about a book with letters that makes us want to cry in a corner. Quinn and Graham made a perfect couple, but that love is threatened by their imperfect marriage. Their mistakes and secrets threaten to tear them apart. And the one thing that could save them and their broken relationship could also be the same thing to push their marriage beyond repair. This book asks a simple question: can love with a perfect beginning survive a lifetime between two imperfect people?
The Air He Breathes
The first book in the Elements series, this book is as good as the rest of them. Each book in this series is written so beautifully and filled with so many emotions that there wasn’t a single book that didn’t make us cry. This series recently gained a lot of attention, but we are proud to say that we read it before it became popular, and we still loved it.
If you haven’t read it yet, then what are you reading? This particular book follows Elizabeth and Tristan Cole. They are both empty, looking for something more and trying to put together the shattered pieces of their yesterdays. When their paths collide, it feels like fate stepped in to take control of their future, finally letting them breathe.
The Fault In Our Stars
Do we even have to say a word about this book? It’s sad, it’s written by John Green [one of our favorite authors during high school], and it’s filled with such beautiful lines that we have annotated half our physical copies. Yes, we own two of them. Gus and Hazel are both dying, and obviously, it’s sad.
Honestly, we don’t even know why we always recommend this book. But, it’s just something, the way it makes us feel and the way it’s written. The letter at the end of the book, the way Gus confesses his feelings, is very special to us. “The world is not a wish-granting” of course, it isn’t, because if it were, Gus and Hazel would be living their HEA.
Hazel’s life changes when she meets a guy named Augustus Waters at the Cancer Kid Support Group. They become quick friends and fall in love just as quickly. But even love can’t change what their condition is doing to their bodies.
Better Than The Movies
This is officially the cutest book ever written! Liz Buxbaum and Wes Bennett are so cute and he’s so in love with her that you can feel it as you read the book.
It’s senior year, and Liz really needs Wes’s help, the guy who is nothing but a pain in the butt. Apparently, Michael, the guy Liz has always had a crush on, has just moved back to town. She wants him to notice her and hopefully take her to prom, but for that, she needs Wes. He is the guy who is friends with him.
Together they scheme and plot for her magical prom moment, but as they spend time together; Liz discovers that she actually likes spending time with Wes. Liz has always believed she knew everything about love, but when they both get closer; she may have to reexamine and rethink her perception of love.
TJ Powar Has Something To Prove
This book is Bevi on paper. It has a stubborn, strong, and confident girl who has her own problems, but she deals with them on her own. It has a guy, who’s her ‘rival’ but who’s also secretly in love with her. There’s debate, competition, high school drama, d-bags, and hot, sizzling chemistry.
TJ Powar is a high school debater. When she and her cousin become a viral meme, TJ decides to give up removing her body hair. She sets a debate resolution for herself that she can be her real hairy self and still be beautiful.
As a brown girl, as a young adult, as a woman, as a person tired of “ideal” beauty standards, and as a human being living in a world that is so obsessed with beauty and perfection, this book really made us feel seen. This book should really be on every girl’s TBR, and seeing it not receive the hype it actually deserves is really disappointing.
It Only Happens In The Movies
This book absolutely could be BTTM in an au. With everything going on in Audrey’s life, she has become cynical and is so over romance. As drama ensues in her life, she meets Harry, a brash, impulsive, and major flirt. He’s her fellow coworker at the local cinema. Although Audrey tries her best to resist him, she can’t help but fall for his charms. Soon, she will realize that love and life aren’t what it’s like in the movies.
Red, White & Royal Blue
If you are looking for an actual enemies-to-lovers romance book and would love it if it’s between two guys, then this is your book. Alex is so funny and so lovable that nobody can resist him, not even his enemy.
First Son Alex Claremont-Diaz has a lot of international socialite duties, but those duties have downsides, namely Prince Henry. When pictures of their confrontation at a royal wedding leak to the tabloids, they are forced to fake a relationship to do the damage control. However, what begins as a fake relationship doesn’t stay ‘fake’ when they begin to get closer.
All the characters in this book are such sweet people that it’s hard to dislike them, even when their actions force you to think otherwise. You have to read this book before the movie adaptation releases next year because it’ll be so worth it.
Heartstopper
Charlie is a gay overthinker in Year 10 at Turham Grammar School for Boys. The past year was difficult for him, but at least now he’s not being bullied anymore. Nick Nelson is a soft-hearted rugby player in Year 11.
They become quick friends after they are made to sit next to each other. Soon, Charlie finds himself falling for Nick even when he knows it’s impossible. But love has ways of surprising them, and what comes next may be the best thing he’s ever had.
One Of Us Is Lying
It’s Monday when five students at Bayview High walk into detention. Bronwyn is the brain that’s never broken a rule. Addy is the picture-perfect homecoming queen. Nate is a criminal who is on probation for dealing.
Cooper is the athlete, an all-star baseball pitcher. Simon is the outcast and also the creator of the school’s notorious gossip app. But before the detention ends, Simon dies, which makes all the remaining students suspects in his murder. It’s revealed that his death wasn’t an accident, but who could kill him and why?
The Inheritance Games
You think you are so wise and clever until you read a book that drives you mad. This was that book for us. The plot was so well planned that it blew our minds. With the romance, the mystery, the characters, and their backstories, this book really aced at everything.
Avery Grambs has a plan for her future, but that plans go into the dump when a billionaire leaves his entire fortune virtually to her. But the problem is she doesn’t know the man or the reason he did so. And when she begins uncovering the mystery, she will learn truths that may change her whole world.
Six Of Crows
How do we describe this book? Let us try because we don’t know how to talk about this book without giving away too much. This book revolves around six characters: a convict, a sharpshooter, a runaway, a spy, a Heartrender and a thief, or perhaps a criminal prodigy. Kaz Brekker needs to pull off a deadly heist. So he finds some of the most disturbing people ever possible to get this job done.
As they try to do something impossible, Kaz Brekker is the mastermind who makes everything possible. These characters are the most fun to read about, and we know that if we ever need someone’s help to solve a problem, then we always count on Kaz to have a solution because he’s always one thousand steps ahead of everyone.
Vampire Academy
Let us take a moment to appreciate this brilliant series. This was not only our first fantasy series, but it was also the first series that we ever binge-read in one sitting. Rose and Dimitri are top-tier couples! This series would be nothing without their love, romance, chemistry, and that note at the end of that book, the note that still haunts us. Dimitri wasn’t joking when he wrote that note. We don’t want to spoil anything, but we will say that Dimitri in the first three books is nothing compared to the later books.
Lissa Dragomir is a mortal vampire with a rare gift. She is a Moroi princess who can harness the earth’s magic. But, that also means she is important and must be protected from the Strigoi at all times. Strigoi are the fiercest vampires that never die. Rose Hathaway, a dhampir is Lissa’s best friend, dedicated to protecting her friend’s life, and she’ll do anything to keep her safe. But when there are enemies hiding at every corner, it might not be so easy.
Caraval
This book might not be everybody’s favorite, but this was the first book we read based on a circus and magic, and we enjoyed it. Scarlett Dragna and her sister Tella live with their powerful and cruel father. Scarlett has never left the tiny island she lives in. And now, her father has arranged a marriage for her crushing her dream of seeing Caraval.
It’s a once-a-year performance where the audience participates in the show planned by Caraval’s mastermind organizer, Legend. When Tella whisks Scarlett away to the show, they are both unaware that their lives will be changed forever. Before you begin this trilogy, just remember that it’s only a game.
Hooked
Have you heard the tale of Peter Pan? If you have, then it’s great and if you haven’t, it’s fine too. You don’t need to know that tale to read this reimagining of Peter Pan.
James desperately wants to destroy his enemy Peter Michaels. So, when Peter’s daughter shows up in James’s bar, he grabs the chance to seduce her and use her for his revenge. Except that he doesn’t actually hate her, and she makes her way into his heart.
Wendy knows he’s dangerous, but she can’t help but be drawn to him. They both unexpectedly fall for each other and the villain gets his revenge and his HEA both. If you enjoy dark contemporary romances, with a lovable villain then this has to be in your TBR. It has such good scenes that had us sobbing at 3 a.m. that we guarantee you, you will absolutely love.
Brutal Prince & Stolen Heir
The first two books in the Brutal Birthright series are so good that we’ve been recommending this to anyone who’d listen. Brutal Prince features a fierce female character that we adored so much! And the second book, Stolen Heir, can be considered a “Stockholm syndrome” story which we love immensely.
Brutal Prince follows Callum Griffin, heir to the Irish mafia, and Aida. They both start their story on the wrong foot, and soon they are forced to marry each other. It’s an enemies-to-lovers romance with MOC thrown into the mix. Whereas Stolen Heir follows Miko and Nessa, and it’s a captor-captive romance.
They murdered Miko’s father, so he stole their daughter, but the sweet and innocent ballerina he captured to seek revenge ends up stealing his heart. If you enjoy dark romances, then this series, specifically these two books should be on your radar already.
Twisted Pride
Remo Falcone, oh, he is so unhinged, twisted, wicked, and beyond redemption. How can we not fall for him? He is the Capo of the Camorra, hungry for retribution. He steals a bride from the wedding to start a war that will destroy his enemy.
But Serafina clings to her pride, determined to not let him win. A ruthless man who is hell-bent on destroying the Outfit and a woman intent on bringing him to his knees, they both might just end up losing their hearts in the process.
Remo appears in other books in The Camorra Chronicles, so if you plan to read this book, then it’s better to start from the first book.
The Darkest Temptation
The Made series felt a bit repetitive to us since we’d read a few books that were similar to these stories. However, the third book, The Darkest Temptation was better than those two books and we are so glad we didn’t quit the series because this book, was beyond amazing! There were so many scenes when we melted like ice on a hot summer day while reading this book.
Mila is suffocated by the rules and her questions that are never answered. Tired of everything, she boards a plane to Moscow. But, unexpectedly, she meets a guy, a man who is out for revenge, but she doesn’t know that yet. She falls for him, and it doesn’t take long for him to show his true colors. These two will fall for each other despite everything, and when it all ends, will they find their way back to each other?
Forever After All
If we are being honest, then there’s nothing great about this book but the only reason it managed to get four stars from us is for that epic groveling scene that made us cry. If you like to cry and see the heroine’s love interest suffer, then this is the right book for you.
Elena Rousseau is desperate and out of options when she tries the last thing in an attempt to save her mother’s life. She definitely didn’t expect Alexander Kennedy to be at the place. But more than that, she didn’t expect him to propose a marriage between them. She knows agreeing means becoming a tool in his revenge plan, but she doesn’t have any other choice. Reluctantly, they get married, but when hearts get mixed with business, it doesn’t end nicely for them.
Beautiful World, Where Are You
Well, after reading this book and rating it four stars, and annotating half of our physical copy, we can finally say that we understand the hype surrounding Sally Rooney. We read this book a year later, but as they say, it’s not the reader but the book that finds the reader. This book felt like someone opened up our brains and poured out our thoughts and questions into a book.
It follows Alice, a novelist, and her best friend, Eileen. They both are living their lives dealing with their problems and thoughts. But they stay connected to each other via email. The book is filled with their emails, and it’s in those emails that we found our thoughts and questions, and answers. If you are an over-thinker, then you have to read this book.
Let It Snow
This was such a fun Christmas read, and it’s the Christmas season, so maybe now is the time to read this book. When a snowstorm transforms one small town into a romantic haven on Christmas Eve, strangers find love, old friends reconnect, and true love finds its way after getting lost. It’s filled with love, romance, and such charming characters that you’ll want to get lost in this magical world too.
Looking For Alaska
Perhaps, we should have re-read this book along with other John Green books because we might have learned new things. But these books left a mark on us when we were a teenager, and we don’t remember much. However, what we do recall is we loved his books. This book follows Miles Pudge Halter and Alaska Young.
It’s told in two timelines: Before and After. Miles lived a boring life until he began attending Culver Creek Boarding School. There he meets Alaska, and from that moment onwards, his life is anything but boring. Maybe we will look back and regret adding this book to this list, but if you are a teenager, then maybe you would enjoy it like we did, too or not.
Paper Towns
That quote, “she loved mysteries so much that she became one,” is still so relevant for us. If there’s one author whose words we remember like the back of our hands, then it has to be John Green. Each of his books, he writes them so beautifully that we end up annotating every page of the book. Paper Towns follows Quentin Jacobsen and the girl he loves from afar, Margo Roth Spiegelman.
When Margo climbs into his room and asks him to accompany her, he follows her. But the next day, he arrives at school to find her gone. She left clues, and he thinks, those clues are for him, so he begins looking for her. However, the person he ends up finding may not be the one he knows.
Also Read: NYT Best Sellers 2022: All Best Books To Read Right Now!
