I have to say — Romance was my strongest genre this year in terms of this being the hardest list to make! There were so many great things I read…though there …
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Best and Worst Romance Novels of 2019
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I have to say — Romance was my strongest genre this year in terms of this being the hardest list to make! There were so many great things I read…though there …
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honey dew
July 11, 2021 at 10:36 am
I wanna read more good romance so I'm excited for this ahhš„°š„°
Alicia
July 11, 2021 at 10:36 am
I love how you show your love for this genre. The only recommendation I could read is the bromance bookclub and I laughed and cried so it was a very good read for me. But I wanna say that your enthusiasme for romance ignite my own love for it and not being scared for admitting it that it is a genre that works so well for me. Some people judge me for these reading choices and I don't like I can't gush about these books with them. Ooh well, I will keep reading it because there are a lot good ones.
Bree Hill
July 11, 2021 at 10:36 am
Oh MarašI love that you kicked this off with an older romance. In 2020 I want to balance new titles with also paying attention to older titles. The Bride Test was kind of a game changer for me this year. I read it then Rebel by Beverly Jenkins and their heroines made it very difficult for me to like heroines afterward after what both of them had to strongly overcome
Bree Hill
July 11, 2021 at 10:36 am
Agree with you on Christina Lauren. Their romantic comedies are more my thing.
The Eclectic Reader
July 11, 2021 at 10:36 am
Iām really excited to read Well Met! I have it on hold at my library. Itās good to know that itās not a rom com though, I was expecting one.
Kimberly KV
July 11, 2021 at 10:36 am
Your audio sounds great compared to what I was just listening to.
Emily Hunter
July 11, 2021 at 10:36 am
I put Bringing Down the Duke on my favorites of 2019. I also started the Lucy Parker series this month on your recommendation and Iām so glad I did!! I get my best recommendations from your channel.
Giorgia M
July 11, 2021 at 10:36 am
I started reading romance in 2019 (had a stressful year and some of them are better than Xanax tbh š) it is a guilty pleasure read for me – most of the time – because I tend to gravitate towards those tropes and storylines that are very very improbable and maybe ridiculous at times, the weird thing is they are addictive (more so than chocolate).
My initial reason for this comment was to say how much I love that you read pretty much everything and youāre not afraid to put it out there. Iām the same, I love the classics, I love fantasy, I love dramatic stories full of introspection, I love philosophical novels, not to mention non-fiction and biographies but I also love to read some smutty scenes blended within an unlikely storyline( eg. fake marriage/relationship trope).
Youāre probably one of the very few(donāt know any other but I suppose they are out there) booktubers thatās just honest with the fact that you enjoy reading all sorts of stuff and you donāt make excuses for your choices.
One day you come up with a video on classics or something similar the next youāre on about some YA book or a barbarian historical romance.
Love your videos and listening to you in general. Thanks for the content. Good luck keeping it up in 2020 š
The Chatty Bookworm
July 11, 2021 at 10:36 am
I am really not into straight contemporary books. And I hardly read romance books, like I did when I was young. I am starting to try and get back into romance books. This year my favorite romance books were The Bromance Book Club, Red White and Royal Blue, Autoboygraphy, and Get A Life Chole Brown. Unfortunately I didn't care for the unhoneymoones. I just didn't connect with the characters and I couldn't stand the hero's brother at all. And spoiler alert
I don't like cheating in books, and it doesn't matter if its the main or a side character that's doing the cheating.
Bethany K
July 11, 2021 at 10:36 am
Your summaries are wonderful, thank you!
Your makeup is stunning too! ā¤
Desiree McLaughlin
July 11, 2021 at 10:36 am
I didnāt realize Well Met was the first in a series. I feel like I just got a late Christmas present! š
I just finished The Austen Playbook today and LOVED IT! I picked this up on your recommendation and I will absolutely pick up more from her!
Vamps Rock
July 11, 2021 at 10:36 am
Mara, I have to say, thanks for the intro to Kati Wilde. The Midwinter Mail-Order Bride was such fun.
My top romance for the year so far is the incredible All The Kings Men duet by Kennedy Ryan (one of the few 2019 releases I've already read) which was my first experience of her work. She totally deserves all the accolades she'd been getting recently and is proof positive that top-notch self pubbed books do exist. Apart from all the social and political issues so brilliantly dealt with, the heroine's attitude to her virginity (ie it not being this big prize) was so bloody refreshing compared to how it's too often written about in romance. Have you read anything by KR yet? I think you would also enjoy this duet based on your sensibilities although Long Shot, her RITA winner, may be far too angsty for you. TFS š
zaza mukhtar
July 11, 2021 at 10:36 am
I think we have the same taste when it comes to romance books. and your worst disappointment book was spot on except the bride. I love the bride but of course he other books were better
Yusra Kriel
July 11, 2021 at 10:36 am
The video I spend 12 months waiting for! š
ChelseaLovingBooks
July 11, 2021 at 10:36 am
I started the psy-changeling series because of you and binged the entire series this year (it is a new favorite). I have loved it and look forward to reading more by nalini singh. Thank you so much for introducing me to this author and series.
Mariana Quesada
July 11, 2021 at 10:36 am
Oooh Iām currently listening to The Austen Playbook! I wasnāt feeling it that much at first, but as it moves on Iāve also been falling for it š
blackboxkun Mc
July 11, 2021 at 10:36 am
you're the second YouTuber I follow who dislikes those books so I would definitely steer clear of them. Thank you for recommending books in this genre too. Many people are too shy to admit they like this genre because they care about others' opinions too much. But I'm not afraid to admit I enjoy this genre too!
Rebel Belle
July 11, 2021 at 10:36 am
Oh, I loved the Spinster Bride! Spinster romance needs to be the new KU trend (go away reverse harem, ugh). I think if that book had a cover update it would be read/reviewed more. You gave me a few books I gotta read now –my poor TBR list lol
Sephestra
July 11, 2021 at 10:36 am
I was like, "Wait! I don't remember The Austen Playbook when I read the collection!"…which would be because when I got the collection, the fourth book wasn't part of it. sigh The issue has been rectified, thank you Amazon 1-Click.
Anna Jo
July 11, 2021 at 10:36 am
Can I just say…I look forward to this series you do every year? Your opinions on books are SO in depth and truly differentiate you from other BTers.
Vi Kathy
July 11, 2021 at 10:36 am
We like so many of the same things! I have been watching booktube videos since march and just recently bringing myself to comment, which is a longwinded way to say I really appreciate your content, I think you're always very eloquent, and you have a good energy. My top 5 would be: Red white and royal blue, act like it, pretty face, fix her up and the unhoneymooners. Though I did like Well met, too. But I wasn't the biggest Simon fan, that thing that happened towards the end – it may be very realistic, like you said, but I just hated it. Hope you had a happy christmas, and that it will be a strong showing for Romance next year!
PS: if I could recommend something in turn, Get a life Chloe Brown. That didn't turn out to be a 5-star as I thought for the longest time it would be, but still a very strong 4-star. And I think you'd like the Hating game, if you go into it expecting just a warm, fluffy feeling, and not for it to be the best book ever
Blue Bell
July 11, 2021 at 10:36 am
Truly brilliant . Thank you
nocturneequuis
July 11, 2021 at 10:36 am
I faintly remember Julie Garwood. I read her when I was like fifteen. Many things awakened rofl. Though the only thing I remember is the heroine rolling around trying to figure out how to put on a kilt.
Dominique Harris
July 11, 2021 at 10:36 am
I'm not that into romance books, but I'm starting to get more into them. The one I finished earlier in the year was Christina Lauren love and other words was a pretty good book that got me intrigued enough to continue of this genre
Dedicated Feline Enthusiast
July 11, 2021 at 10:36 am
Have you ever read something from Jude Devereux? If so what did you like and what did you dislike? I liked I found someone who likes romance and has a channel. Iāll be watching. š¤
Ashheartbooks
July 11, 2021 at 10:36 am
Ahh loved this list, totally agree there were some amazing romances this year! Iām definitely going to take your advice on Julie Garwood,Iāve been wanting to read something from her but not sure where to start so I think I will try to get my hands on The Prize! Also yessss to Lucy Parker šš»š I have The Austen Playbook on my top list too and I just finished Headliners and LOVED it. Hope you do too! ā¤ļø
Jenny Kruschke
July 11, 2021 at 10:36 am
The Unhoneymooners was a favorite romance for me this year as well. So funny and delightful.
Stephanie R
July 11, 2021 at 10:36 am
FYI the characters in The King's Spinster Bride appear in a Ruby Dixon full length called Bound to the Battle Gods!
Laura Parkinson
July 11, 2021 at 10:36 am
I'm publishing my first book this year and it's a romance. I'm hoping to make your best list for 2020. Fingers crossed.
Leah Torzilli
July 11, 2021 at 10:36 am
The next āWell Metā book (Well Played) I believe comes out September 2020 and involves Stacy
Rose Rambles
July 11, 2021 at 10:36 am
cozyafternoons recommended I check you out, and I'm glad I did. I'm interested to try out something from the author Nalini Singh. Romance isn't a genre I generally gravitate towards, but I would definitely like to give a fair chance. I think only three books I read last year would be considered romance, but none of them impressed me. Not going to give up though!
Marina
July 11, 2021 at 10:36 am
LOVED Bringing Down the Duke. I was weirded out that it was so derivative of Pride and Prejudice – to the point where there were tons of character parallels, paraphrased words and sometimes BARELY PARAPHRASED… I mean, it was a re-telling. But, maybe I missed something, but I never saw anything in the marketing about that? At all? And, for me, if it's not marketed as a retelling, it seems close to plagiarism? I don't know, that made me slightly uncomfortable- still 5 star loved the book though.
krakentoagoodbook
July 11, 2021 at 10:36 am
The King's Spinster Bride sounds awesome! I hadn't heard of that. I've been meaning to pick up The Mid Winter Mail-Order Bride! I LOVED The Unhoneymooners. It was my first book by them, and I've definitely picked up more of their books now (I've only read Dating You/Hating You so far). Well Met was fabulous. Can't wait for Well Played! I'm a really big fan of ren faires, so this was a perfect setting for me. I've read the first two books of the Psy-Changeling series so far! Just ordered the third one. I can't wait to continue! Oh wow, The Austen Playbook sounds super cute and wonderful. I'm going to need to check that out as well.
Kaitie Cakes
July 11, 2021 at 10:36 am
Me and my best friend picked up Undercover bromance and we canāt wait to read the sequel! Iām so excited to read the bride test as well, Iāve owned it for a while but have to many books to read lol. OMG YES the unhoneymooners! That was the first book I picked up from the duo, couldnāt have asked for a better one. Iāve read 3 books I loved by them and two I havenāt. Canāt wait to read the rest of their books! Oh man, unfortunately I cannot agree with you on well met, I didnāt enjoy it at all. But Iām glad you really enjoyed reading it! I also didnāt like fix her up, and 99 percent mine, I ended up DNFing 99 percent mine, I couldnāt do it! I heard that if I wanted to get into that author I should reading the hating game after 99 percent mine because itās her best work. But now Iām unsure if I want to read the hating game now lol On a side note I am SOO happy to have found another person that loves to read romance!!
Laura Elzarad
July 11, 2021 at 10:36 am
New watcher! Hit like and subscribed. š I loveeeee romance, Christina Lauren and Mariana Zapata are definitely in my top 5 list!
Stella Fox
July 11, 2021 at 10:36 am
love love love your eyeshadow!
Amanda Hawkins
July 11, 2021 at 10:36 am
Loved well met – creat cast of characters!