I'm going to be honest; this past month I had something super shitty happen. My grandmother passed away. I knew she was sick, but when my mom called to tell me how fast she was declining, I scrambled to get a cross-country flight as soon as possible.
I won't weigh this post down with anymore of the sad details, but I wanted to share this because these following books (amongst a few others) were a huge help when it came to giving my brain and my heart a break. Some I read on that last-minute flight, and others I read in the aftermath while working through my grief.
Each one performed magnificently as an escape.
The Governess Affair by Courtney Milan
I've heard such great things about The Brothers Sinister series, so I decided to start at the beginning. The resilience of the main character was inspiring and captivated not only me, but also the hero (who of course had convinced himself he had no room for love in his life ... idiot). This was an extremely sweet enemies to lovers tale, and I am ravenous to continue the series. (Plus, as of me writing this, it's FREE on amazon!)
The Raven Prince by Elizabeth Hoyt
I was across the country from my bookshelf with only my Kindle to accompany me and a hankering for another historical romance. Luckily, a few months ago I bought this book on a whim after the author tweeted about it being on sale. (Good job, Past Lauren). There's a grumpy scarred hero with a big friendly dog, and there's a heroine who takes no shit and finds a way to feed her passion, even if it involves a bit of trickery. I adore Beauty and the Beast retellings and now have yet another series I'm looking forward to reading my way through.
The Wrath and the Dawn by Renée Ahdieh
I eased into this book, picking it up to read a chapter then putting it down for a few days. But at the halfway point something hooked me hard, and I couldn't stop. I think I read for close to four hours straight, way past my bedtime, to get to to the end. Then I immediately ordered the second book and all the short stories. I cannot wait to learn how this tale ends.
I'd recommend this book to people who don't need their love stories to exist in a black and white world of right and wrong. This story lives in the gray areas of morality, but the progression of emotions and acceptance is so beautifully written that I found myself forgiving sins that originally seemed insurmountable.
I hope you all had a better month than I did, but if not, remember that books are always here for you.
Best,
Lauren