Anyone who reads romance probably already knows these two novels (one of which is a series), but they are my (as of today) all time favorites. So without further ado, in no particular order.
Thoughtless by S.C. Stephens:
So, I've been a fan of S.C. Stephens since cupid had a psyche,*wink* (a little Easter egg for S.C. Stephens fans). Anyone who has read any of her many wonderful books, will not be surprised of the popularity of her books, this one especially.
In thoughtless, we join Keira, Denny, and *sigh* Kellan, in what I consider to be a very realistic look into how sometimes, the heart can be torn in two, and how terrifying that can be for everyone involved. Life and love don't always fit into the fairy tale vision we grow up dreaming of, sometimes... most of the time actually, it's messy, painful, and hard. Nothing in life that's worth having, comes easily.
S.C.'s Thoughtless is gut-wrenching at times and like all of her books, so well written. I actually contacted her yeeeeeeeaaaars ago, before she even published it, to thank her for sharing it, tell her I loved it, tell her that I am now in love with a fictional character (I'm sure I am not the only person to have told her that, but still, can you imagine what it must be like to have someone tell you that?! lol), and I also asked her if she had experience with a situation like the characters in the book. In retrospect, it was very rude of me, and in the unlikely case that S.C. Stephens reads this, I apologize, but in my defense, the book is so well written that I felt so immersed in the situations of the book and felt the emotions in such a raw way that I felt sure the author had to have been in the same shoes as the heroine at some time in her life. I was assured that she hadn't been in that particular situation, and that, in and of itself, speaks volumes of the talent of this woman.
If you haven't already read Thoughtless by S.C. Stephens, you are missing out. It's amazing. Go pick up a copy today, you'll be happy you did... and you too will find yourself in love with a fictional character.
**Disclaimer*** Thoughtless CAN be read as a standalone novel with no cliffhangers, however, it is part of a series that you can read if you feel as though you would like to follow the lives of these characters further.
Crazy Good by Rachel Robinson
For a couple of year there, Kellan was my one and only book boyfriend. An avid romance reader, I had never come close to finding another. One day, boom, out of the blue, I find this magical book... Crazy Good, by Rachel Robinson, and fall once again, in love, with yet another fictional character.
In Crazy Good, we meet Windsor, a character whose personality I usually describe as "Snow Whites"... pure, virginal (though not necessarily a virgin), sweet, lovable.... you know the type. Windsor has a past, a troubled relationship that haunts her, one that she can't seem to move fully past. One day she meets handsome (of course, because not many books have ugly leading men), rugged, manly, sexy, a navy seal, Maverick (aka: my new book boyfriend). Yum! Maverick is a ladies man, of course, and not quite what Windsor is looking for. Complete opposites, they learn a lesson that many of us learn through experience, opposites attract. The question is, do relationships like that last? Is a relationship with so many obstacles worth the fight? You'll have to pick up a copy for yourself and find out ;).
Now, as much as I love this book, I DO have one small bone to pick with the author. If anyone has seen the movie Acts Of Valor, this book is basically written in the perspective of the characters. There is even a scene straight out of the movie. Basically, the story is what those characters do when they aren't deployed or on a mission. For me, I feel as though maybe the author was riding the coattails of the movie. But, the book is amazing, and if the author had to gain inspiration for the book by borrowing from the movie, well, I'm thankful, because I do seriously love the book, you will too, so go pick yourself up a copy.
