Vera from Luxury Reading brings us 10 picks for Valentine’s Day — love story reads, sure to satisfy every style reader.
Gone With The Wind
by Margaret Mitchell
Twilight
by Stephenie Meyer
The Keeper
by Suzanne Woods Fisher
After the death of her mother, Julia Lapp had to grow up fast in order to help her father with her younger siblings. Since her father’s heart problems took a turn for the worse, she also took over responsibilities around the farm. Despite the hardships, Julia loves her life in the Stony Ridge Amish community, and hopes to start her own family with Paul Fisher, whom she’s dreamt of marrying since she was a little girl. When Paul delays their wedding , for the second time, Julia knows just whom to blame — Roman Troyer, the Bee Man. Julia is determined to make things right with Paul, but things may work out a bit differently than she’s always envisioned…
The Keeper is a heart warming story and the love between the characters in the book is readily apparent on every page. Fisher’s new book will appeal greatly to fans of Amish fiction and cozy fiction in general.
The Rose Garden
by Susanna Kearsley
Grieving the death of her beloved sister, Eva Ward moves back to Cornwall, to a house she remembers from her childhood. Slowly, she begins to heal from the loss but soon, she also begins to hear voices — voices that lead her back to another time. Eva cannot control her time travel between present day and 18th century — where she falls in love with the dashing Daniel Butler.
The romance through time will hook fans of The Time Traveler’s Wife, and Susanna Kearsley’s beautiful writing and imagery will keep them coming back for more.
Red Velvet and Absinthe
by Mitzi Szereto
Looking for a more tantalizing read for Valentine’s Day? Look no further than Red Velvet and Absinthe, a collection of paranormal erotic short stories by Mitzi Szereto.
Szereto did a great job of selecting well written stories that blend the erotic with paranormal creatures in a Gothic setting. Readers will be treated to strong female characters in stories like “A Rose in the Willow Garden,” where the predator becomes the prey, and “Snowlight, Moonlight,” where a newly created beast learns the ropes. With truly bizarre and just slightly paranormal and everything in between, Red Velvet and Absinthe offers readers many delicious stories to choose from.
Call Me Irresistible
by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
Her best friend is getting married and Meg is determined to get to the bottom of his seemingly perfect exterior. After all, which is worse — ruining the impending nuptials, or seeing her friend end up in a bad marriage? What Meg does not know is that her actions will turn the whole town, including the jilted groom, against her and cost — her home, her money and her dignity.
Call Me Irresistible is romantic chick lit at its best. The characters are fun and easy to cheer for, and their antics make this book a delightful way to pass the time.
The Divorce Party
by Laura Dave
Are you boycotting Valentine’s Day this year? Then Laura Dave’s The Divorce Party might just be the book for you.
Forget anniversary parties! Gwyn Huntington is planning a divorce party that will fall on her 35th wedding anniversary. Her ex-husband claims he has found religion, but Gwyn knows better — and she’s not afraid to tell him so. Adding to the mix is Maggie, Gwyn’s future daughter-in-law, who discovers her fiance’s hidden past, right before meeting her in-laws for the first time. Lighthearted and serious at the same time, The Divorce Party will have you cheering for Gwyn and Maggie, as well as their male counterparts — despite their seemingly reprehensible actions.
The Lotus Eaters
by Tatjana Soli
Tatjana Soli, author of The Lotus Eaters, finds love and beauty in the most unlikely place and at the most unlikely time — the fall of Saigon. The story is set in the final days of American involvement in Vietnam. As the leading celebrity photojournalist, Helen constantly struggles to preserve her sanity in the face of war. In Vietnam, she finds comfort in another American photojournalist, Sam Darrow, and a Vietnamese ex-soldier, Tran Bau Linh, who is struggling with a dark past. From these two men, Helen learns about the reality of survival but also about the humanity that is often not so obvious in a war. Through their relationship, Helen unexpectedly develops as a woman and as a photographer.
Based in a war time setting, The Lotus Eaters is seeped with sadness and the brutality of the situation. However, it’s also a surprisingly uplifting, hopeful and touching love story that’s likely to appeal to a lot of readers.
One Day
by David Nicholls
I’ve heard many opinions, both positive and negative, about Nicholls’ One Day, but this was still one of my favorite love stories of 2011. As an added bonus, the movie is available on DVD for immediate viewing after finishing the book.
It’s 1988 and college seniors Emma and Dexter spend one day together before graduation. Except, that one day turns into something more and the couple, if you can call them that, spend the next 20 years coming together and falling apart. Carefully laid plans are thwarted and something always seems to be in the way of them being together, but that does not stop them from trying. One Day is the perfect book for hopeless romantics who believe in love despite the odds that life puts in the way.
Something Borrowed
by Emily Giffin
When Rachel met Dex in law school, she was sure that he was out of her league and was quick to introduce him to Darcy. The pair hit it off and was headed for the altar, but Dex’s hidden feelings for his law school friend lingered — finally finding their outlet on one drunken night after Rachel’s 30th birthday.
Read the first few pages of Something Borrowed and you will be hooked. Even though what Rachel and Dex are doing is technically wrong, Emily Giffin makes it really easy to side against the jilted bride. Something Borrowed is the quintessential beach read, or, depending on your location, a buried-in-snow read. Giffin builds up the love story in a way that will compel you to keep reading, eager to find out the fate of the possibly-doomed lovers.
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