Outlander by Diana Gabaldon | Rating: ★★★★★

"I can bear pain myself," he said softly, "but I couldna bear yours. That would take more strength than I have.”

Diana Gabaldon's wildly popular Outlander series began in 1991 (as old as myself!) with its opener, also titled Outlander, and took us on a delectable tale of time travel, romance and strength. Its loyal fanbase has never wavered in its support towards the now-classic novels, and with that sort of love, curiosity is constantly sparked. Gabaldon is deserving of all the praise and interest and then some, and proves so within the first few chapters of this love story.

Due to renewed popularity through its Starz adaptation in late 2014, Outlander is just as popular as ever and quickly gaining new fans even now in the decades since is original publication. Which is fantastic and every bit of deserving. You see, if you haven't had the chance to pick up Outlander, you should know this: Gabaldon's writing is delicious, thrilling, sexy--captivating to the highest degree, therefore, it is quite easy to see why it is so beloved and continues to stand the test of time.

Its premise is simple: Claire Randall, a nurse from the 1940s, has just settled back into life with her husband after the war. Life seems to be back on the track to becoming ordinary again as the two lovers travel and embrace married life once more after being apart for so long.

Everything Leads to You by Nina LaCour | Rating: ★★★★★

The best things aren't perfectly constructed. They aren't illusions. they aren't larger than life. They are life.

This year I’ve been attempting to read a bit more contemporary romance novels in the young adult genre but very little has captured my attention for the long term. Nina LaCour’s 2014 release Everything Leads to You is one of the few that gave me the warm and fuzzies and made me feel as though I were falling in love for the first time.

You’ve probably heard the buzz about this little gem by now.

Impossibly charming and sweet, and honest, Everything Leads to You will be an easy love for fans of David Levithan, Sarah Dessen and Stephanie Perkins. Full of so much heart, it is crafted beautifully and is the next light read you should be picking up.

Set in the beautiful state of California, and full of film references and fun, readers are introduced to our narrator: Emi Price. Emi is gentle and fun and oh-so-real that it’s impossible to not love her instantly. I grew very attached to her in the span of the novel and wanted nothing but the best for her.

Emi has just finished up high school and is settling into her role as an up-and-coming set designer. Emi has been a film buff for as long as she can remember and has a thoughtful and authentic approach to her craft that is wise beyond her years. She can expect great things and plenty of opportunity in her future and I like that she has all these plans for herself at her age.

Beautiful Surrender by Priscilla West | Rating: ★★★★☆

As a note, an e-galley of this novel was sent to me via NetGalley by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way.

After a killer cliffhanger and a relationship in turmoil, to say that Kristen and Vincent’s romance is intense and thrilling would be an understatement. When I picked up this series, I was positive I wouldn’t find myself enjoying it and shocked when I fell in love with it. And now, in the conclusion, I hate to say goodbye to these two.

Final installments can border on overly cheesy and melodramatic and at times Beautiful Surrender does the same. Much like the previous installments, it’s steamy and has its soap opera moments, but it only leads to the charm of it all. Beautiful Surrender is sexy and mysterious and action packed. This series depends greatly on all types of emotions but it doesn't always cloud our opinions on it: it just makes reading it all the more intense. Priscilla continues to hit all the right marks with this piece of erotic romance and I’ve got to say, she’s made a fan out of me in the process.

Seriously. Shout out to Priscilla West. Can I get a high five?

Forbidden Surrender by Priscilla West | Rating: ★★★★☆

As a note, an e-galley of this novel was sent to me via NetGalley by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not effect my opinions in any way.

Forbidden Surrender is yet another take on a stereotypical erotic romance (instalust!) and is quick, steamy and to the point. It’s the perfect little guilty pleasure to read between breaks in your day and lose yourself in the fantasy of flames. While it isn’t anything new or unique, it is perhaps one of the best pieces of erotic fiction that I’ve read in recent years and by the last chapter, it left me swooning for Vincent Sorenson.

Which in all honesty, is rare for someone like myself.

We open with the knowledge that our leading lady probably has her job on the line if they don’t score the delicious and dangerously sexy Vincent Sorenson’s account. After the introduction of an insufferable boss and a disastrous first meeting, it doesn’t seem likely that they’ll be working together. Even so, there’s a spark of chemistry that borders on adorably awkward and painfully hot that leaves us with an idea of the steamy story we’re about to be told. And where it goes from then on out isn't disappointing and proves to be one of the steamiest romances in recent times.

Isla and the Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins | Rating: ★★★★★

“I’m…getting there. I’m beginning to think that maybe it’s okay to be a blank canvas. Maybe it’s okay that my future is unknown. And maybe,” I say with another smile, “it’s okay to be inspired by the people who do know their future.”

Isla's story is the final installment in the Anna and the French Kiss series and I'm so sad to see it go. I've really grown attached to these couples and I'm still in the process of a major book hangover. That being said, Isla has all the charm of Anna and Lola, but feels a bit more sexy and angsty -- in all the right ways. Once again, we're back in Paris for the ending to this series. It's the perfect place to end it all because it's where it began for other characters.

We've glimpsed Isla in the first book but this story is her chance to shine through. Isla is a very different voice than Anna and Lola, but for me she is the one I see myself in most. She's very lost, she's very in love, she's very fun. There's a lack of self esteem in her that makes her easy to connect to. Although Anna's my favorite of the series, reading from Isla -- about her -- is a true gift; she certainly gives Anna a run or her money.

Seriously, she's just an interesting narrator. And there's something about her that makes me wan to wrap her up in a blanket, snuggle her and protect her from harm.

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins | Rating: ★★★★★

He couldn't bring the girl with him, so he brought the stars. When he'd look out his window at night, he would start with one. One star. And the boy would make a wish on it, and the wish would be her name.
At the sound of her name, a second star would appear. And then he'd wish her name again, and the stars would double into four. And four became eight, and eight became sixteen, and so on, in the greatest mathematical equation the universe had ever seen. And by the time an hour had passed, the sky would be filled with so many stars that it would wake the neighbors. People wondered who'd turned on the floodlights.
The boy did. By thinking about the girl.

If you're looking for the next sweet, perfect for sunshine, tale of first loves rekindled and something to follow up Anna and the French Kiss with, I have some good news for you! Lola an the Boy Next Door is immensely charming and definitely the perfect followup to the incredibly popular first installment to this series. It has all the wonderful qualities Anna had and we're fortunate enough to have a glimpse or two of Anna and St. Clair; though the sequel doesn't follow them exclusively we get to see the two lovebirds frequently in Lola's story.

Lola's life is interesting and quite fun to read about: her birth mother is a mess, her two fathers are overly strict (sometimes, rightfully so!) and her boyfriend is far too old for her. Seriously girl, he's too old for you right now. Luckily for us readers, she has that something -- that sparkle, that makes you love her instantly. She's very stylish and creative in her own unique way. It's easy to see yourself or someone you know in Lola because she is special and fun and the perfect narrator.

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins | Rating: ★★★★★

"I wish friends held hands more often, like the children I see on the streets sometimes. I'm not sure why we have to grow up and get embarrassed about it."

STEPS TO ENJOYING THIS NOVEL:
1.) Grab yourself a hot beverage
2.) Hunt down some yummy French macarons (I'd go for the violet ones, personally)
3.) Snuggle up and dive into this adorable story

Reading Anna and the French Kiss is like falling in love for the very first time. Time stops and the only thing you see is the world through new eyes; your heart pounding. It's like the moment you discover something so important to who you are. When you hear your favorite song. Reading this novel is like exploring the world on your own for the very first time. It's like a warm hug. It's... indescribable. I loved every minute of it -- the good, sweet, swoon worthy moments and even the 'bad moments.

Beautiful setting? Check. Beautiful and flawed friendships? Check. Swoon worthy love interest? Double check.

There's a certain level of passion in this novel that can't be beat. It's charming, it's smart, it's fluffy and cute, but it's passionate. Perhaps it's in the setting, perhaps not, it's just so captivating that I didn't want to put it down. It's real. And even though the ending was a good one... I never wanted it to end. I would have been content reading a thousand more pages. I felt like I was saying goodbye to a good friend by the time the last chapter rolled around.