Reading Only Romance Books in February

Hey! In honor of Valentine's Day, I read only romance books this month. I'm not a big fan of romance novels (I prefer a romance sub-plot), however, it was fun to get out of my comfort zone and read something that I usually wouldn't pick up over my fantasy books!

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

3 stars

This book is the second novel in the Anna and the French Kiss realm, but I would argue that you could definitely read it as a stand-alone as well, you just wouldn't know two of the characters' backstories. I absolutely loved Anna and the French Kiss and it is my comfort book, but I was not impressed with Lola and the Boy Next Door. I didn't connect with Lola or particular love any of the other characters, and I also felt like Lola was a bit immature. It was so obvious to me that she should just be with "the boy next door," and so much drama that I found a bit annoying could have been avoided. Yet again though, then there wouldn't be a book. That's my problem with romance lol. However, I do think that if I would have read it a few years ago, I would have liked it better.

One-Star Romance by Laura Hankin

3.5 stars

I listened to this book as an audiobook, and I was so interested that I wanted to listen to it whenever I had the chance. It's a contemporary fiction/romance that follows a writer named Natalie navigating adulthood, romance, and friendship. The basic premise is that she is attracted to the man that gave her a one-star review on her first book. One thing I really liked about this book is that it was split into multiple sections that had 1-2 year gaps, so you got to see Natalie's development throughout her 20's and 30's. Although I'm not at that stage in my life yet, it was interesting to see the ups and downs that lay ahead. I only gave this book a 3.5 because although I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it, it was more of just a fun read for me than a life-changing one.

Reggie and Delilah's Year of Falling by Elise Bryant

4 stars

I've read Elise Bryant's two other books and really enjoyed them, and this book is no different. I love how cute and joyful her books are while still tackling difficult topics. I really loved seeing a female main character, Delilah, struggle with confidence, because in a lot of my fantasy books, the FMCs are already so sassy and sure of themselves, or at least that's the front they put on. I really related to Delilah and her journey in exploring music and going out of her comfort zone to perform and learn to play and write her own music, which made me think about me and my writing. I'm not Reggie, the love interest's, biggest fan, but he definitely had his good moments and really accurately portrayed a purely human character that makes mistakes. The cutest thing about this book is that each section is a different holiday, which is a reference to an inside joke between Reggie and Delilah. Also, Delilah loves Taylor Swift so... :)