I’ve been on a roll lately. Maybe it’s because I just got engaged. Actually, I got engaged months ago, but I think because of my slowest of slow burn brains, and long processing time, it has just now become real to me.
Bolu is the person that I’m going to spend forever and ever with, and right now, it feels like happily ever after. If Happily ever after means taking each day at a time and getting to know one another and putting each other’s needs above our own and learning to disagree with love and agree with laughter, then yes! Happily ever after is in full motion.
So, what types of books does a girl in love read?
Apparently, really cliche romantic comedy books with a sprinkle of fantasy. I’ll discuss the ones I’ve read lately in the order that I read them.
Fourth Wing
Fourth wing, written by Rebecca Yarros is about Violet, the daughter of one of the fighters in this world of fliers and dragons. Violet has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (Though it is never explicitly stated) and she has just been force enrolled by her mother into dragon riders school. The place the weak go to die. The book is about how she not only survives but thrives there with her community of friends while discovering love and the truth the adult riders have been keeping from them.
I like a good dragon book. I like it even more if it in involves people falling in love and flying to god knows where. This book is a good book to curl up on your couch and distract yourself to oblivion with, like I did. I read it twice, back to back. One thing I realized is common with romantic type books is that the description of the leading man is way too hyper-sexualized. In every glance or look Violet, gives Xaden (her love interest), his muscles are hard, his biceps are flexing, his eyes are piercing her soul. When they touch it’s always magic, her breath always catches. He is infinitely cool. It gets exhausting to read. The parts of the book I did like were the adventures Violet went on and the close calls she had with death. I also liked her relationship with her dragons, I wish that part could have been more fleshed out and explored.
Divine Rivals
Written by Rebecca Ross is about two gods who are fighting and have recruited humans to fight on their behalf. The main characters are Roman and Iris, two war correspondents who have a magic typewriter they communicate through. This is my favorite book out of all the RCs (romantic comedies) that have been on rotation on my kindle. There’s less hard muscular remarks and just more realness. It reminded me of my Beau when I was reading it. This one is also about war. It gave me that sad reminder of how terrible the world can be, at the same time Rebecca did such a good job of infusing the book with hope. The two main characters are flawed and Rebecca does not make them invincible. I do wish the fantasy element in the book was more obvious. But all in all, a soft, sad, sweet, satisfying book, can’t wait for book 2!
The Hating Game
Written by Sally Throne. I watched the movie, then read the book right after. It’s about two co-workers that absolutely hate each other until they don’t, but they still need to compete for the same job. It’s sweet and funny in a ‘chuckle softly in my mind, not out loud’ way. I always love reading up until the time a couple falls in love or officially gets together. It’s always filled with electric charge of anticipation. I loved their bickering. I thought Lucy, was very well thought out and human. Sometimes Josh seemed like a projection…. Unreal. He was again too perfect. After they got together, Lucy kept on obsessing over his hard abs and muscles. (Really people. It’s not necessary to keep hammering on about how tall the guy is and how tiny the girl is compared to him). Other than that, it was a nice read. Their love story was ‘awwwww’ worthy.
Honey & Spice
By Bolu Babalola. This is a college/university love story. The two main characters, Kiki and Malakai are black and attend a mostly black university. It’s fire. I liked all the fun references to Nigeria, as the two of them have Nigerian parents but were both in Britain. The school politics and the slangs were fun to decipher. The food references was a fun reminder of home. Kiki and Malakai’s banta, like Lucy and Josh in hating game, was sharp and fun. This had a little less of the hard muscle references and for this, I am eternally grateful.
The FlatShare
An oldie but goodie written by Beth O’Leary. You can check out my review of this in my older post. I reread this because I’ve just been in the mood for all things love! I can’t bring myself to read anything else. I reread it until the part where tiff and Leon met. Like I said, I love the beginning of the stories, when I’m not sure how it will play out. What I love about this book is the sweet notes they sent to one another. They fell in love before they even saw one another!
Okay folks, that’s it for now. For me, the best elements of a love story is two real imperfect people getting to know one another and committing to continue to be curious about one another. I enjoy a book less when they make the characters perfect, whether it’s having the perfect body or character. Two of my favorite love stories, that I’ve read a thousand and one times is the Mark of the Lion Series by Francine Rivers. There are three books, but two main love stories. The first two books are Marcus and Hadassah’s story. It a realistic and bittersweet(it ends story the sweet) story. While Rizpah and Atretes story is electric and full of lessons on how to let go of control of your partner and focus on being a better partner to your partner. Lol.
Do you have any suggestions of a love story I can read? Something sweet and soft, with minimal to zero reference to the male lead’s strong arms and long legs and dazzling eyes?! Please drop a comment of the name of the book and I’ll check it out.
Moyo Laditan 