Hey guys, it’s been awhile since I’ve done a book update. (Lies. have ya’ll checked out my Instagram lately? Find more bookish content on there if you dare 😜) Anyways, this year so many booktubers are making the wise decision of breaking up their monthly reading wrap ups. So I thought instead of waiting until the end of the year to accumulate at least 60 books and give you all of my favorites I’ll give you my top five of the year so far. Follow me on Goodreads to keep track of my reading journey. I’ve been trying to do more reviews to help me remember what the heck I thought about the content I’ve been reading and it’s been fun. So without further ado let’s get into it! Office Hours by Katrina JacksonDon’t you love when you start your year off right? This was the first book I read in 2021 and I do not regret it. This book is about Deja and Alejandro who are professors and once a month they have to attend the Senate Meeting. Deja has always had a crush on Alejandro but she’s overworked, exhausted and doesn’t think Alejandro could ever feel the same. But of course he does. One steamy interaction later and they’re set on a steady trajectory towards romantic success and the perfect HEA (happily ever after). The main thing that I loved about this book was the conversation surrounding academics for WOC professors and what that looks like when working at a PWI. It was so refreshing to read especially as a student myself to help understand the different pressures these professors are under. Aside from that, Alejandro was a total king. He was super fine and mad luxurious when it came to doting on Deja. I liked how he had to learn how to be patient with her since she is a career driven woman (despite him being in the same profession himself). None of her struggles or stresses (or successes) fell to the wayside just because they got together, instead it became something they both were able to work on together. Plus I’m a sucker for work/study dates so it was cute seeing their work and personal life blend together. The romance was wonderfully developed because of this. And when I tell you Katrina Jackson knows how to write a damn good sexy scene? Whew chile. 🥵 I hope we get to see more of the side characters from this book in other books but I’m not sure but i’m holding out for it! Fingers crossed. Take a Hint Dani Brown by Talia HibbertI know, I know, Talia Hibbert is simply DOMINATING this year. At least for me. It’s a goal of mine to complete her entire backlist but first I need to get my damn hands on Act Your Age Eve Brown. That’s the third and final installment to her Brown sister trilogy. Anyways, Dani Brown is the eldest sister, the second book in the trilogy and so far, my favorite one. It’s about Dani and Zafir who have been friends for a few months because Dani is also a professor. (Maybe I’m following a trend here 😅) And Zafir is the security guard at the front desk to her building. They have great chemistry but Dani insists that she isn’t good at relationships and Zafir doesn’t even think she’s into him because he’s only seen her date her fellow professor who was a woman. Eventually Zafir finds out that Dani’s bi, and Dani finds out that Zafir is actually an ex rugby player which leads to them having to fake date after a video goes viral of Zafir carrying Dani out of the building. She got stuck in an elevator during a drill. It was so great. I loved this book because of course, the mental health representation. Zafir has anxiety and it’s something that we definitely see being handled throughout the book but isn’t the main tone for the story. The ways it’s integrated into the story makes it such a wonderful read. And Dani is the one who has to learn how to adapt because she wants to be with Zafir but relationships take work so I love the constant self reflection and work that she puts into them being together. Dani is a really busy woman but Zafir is patient and understands that so it’s lovely when they finally get together. I highly recommend listening to this book on audio because the accent goes so crazy and it’s such a fun thing to listen to. (I know, 2021 and suddenly I listen to audiobooks. Who IS she?) One Hot Italian Summer by Karina Halle This was the perfect summer read for my winter season and now I want to go back to Italy. I fell in love with Karina Halle in a day and honestly I didn’t think I would since book covers can be so deceiving sometimes. I mean I love a good hot guy on the cover as much as the next person but I thought the book would read as young adult and boy was I wrong. Grace is grieving the death of her writing partner and so her agent sends her to her villa in Italy to hopefully clear her head and find some inspiration. Instead she finds a man and his cute ass kid and it all goes uphill from there. I love that Grace is a writer–being that I’m one myself–and I love that Claudio is a sculptor. Ugh, when two artists unite you know sparks are bound to fly. The writing in this book was so beautiful. The descriptions of the city were so well done you felt like you were there, and I loved the way we see Grace bloom into herself as a writer and as a woman. It was oddly something I could relate to very intimately so I thought it was amazing. Plus, we love a man who knows what he wants and Claudio wanted Grace. Eventually he turned her over to his side. 😉 The Naughty List by Ellie Mae McGregor Novella of the year anyone? I can’t say for sure quite yet but this one definitely took the cake so far. First of all, it feels like Christmas in April because I’d been hearing so much about this book and only took a chance on it now because I was curious. But I was worried because... santa? I wasn’t trying to ruin my childhood you know. But this was so fucking fun. What else can I say except sexy santa and a single mom have some wonderful times between the sheets for 56 epic pages. I definitely wanted more, I need more but this is a debut so all I can is, read it and hopefully McGregor will put out more books just like this. The Beast by Katee RobertOkay, soooo I've been reading erotica recently and honestly, I’ve been missing out. Katee Robert might be my favorite erotica novelist so far and her Wicked Villians series has been the most fun to read when following this genre. It’s a Beauty and the Beast retelling featuring Gaeton, Beast and of course Isabelle. It’s such a fun ride. I haven’t even finished it yet so depending on when I post this we’ll see if I would have by then (I have 4 chapters left!) but so far this is my favorite one from the series. Gaeton is the one who’s larger than life in actual size but Beast is the one in control in personality and Belle is already a princess (and knows how to act like one). It’s a polyamorous relationship and the dynamic between all three characters is so different–I’m excited to see Beast and Geaton grow out of their hate for each other and have it turn into love. And I’m excited to see the way the throuple grows from the past hurt they’ve caused each other in order to come back together. They also have to unite in order to stop a coup from happening since Belle’s father died and now her territory is being challenged for power. It’s alluding to a war with the villain in the next story so I’m excited for all of this to come to a crux in the end. And that’s a wrap! I hope you all enjoyed this list. I had fun making it especially because it was so much easier to pick from the books I’ve read in the past three months opposed to having to narrow it all down out of 12. And ya’ll know I like to ramble so this works out perfectly. I might have more of these lists coming soon, maybe every three months if my reading schedule goes well but I’ve honestly been reading “okay” books recently. Either way, don’t forget to follow me on all my social medias, stay safe and as always:
With love, Arianna
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AuthorI'm an 21 year old girl who lives in NY. I love to read and write and fashion is my life. Follow me to find out more! Archives
January 2023
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