Favorite Reading Tropes, BookEnding Spring Style!

Posted April 10, 2020 by Kate

hello, lovelies! 

Hello lovelies! I’m once again honored to host for BookEnding Spring’s Blog Hop ? I’ve had so much fun creating these posts and seeing what you all are doing with them! Welcome to Day Two of my reign, and I’ll be with you for two more days after this with my Anticipated Spring Releases, and then with the Original Spring Time, Cozy Time Book Tag on Sunday! If you haven’t already, be sure to check out my Original Procrastination Book Tag – it seems to be a bit of a favorite ?  

Tropes are some of my favorite things to talk about in the bookish community… and I love them all! Whenever I talk about a book, I start by talking about what tropes it qualifies for and then go from there. There are so many beloved ones, though, I had to pick only a few. I can’t wait to see what tropes you guys love! * Note, there are some repeats because so many of my favorites cross over!! I tried not to do that too often though. 

Prompt: List out your favorite tropes that you find in books, and recommend your favorites for each! Then, find (at least) two other people who did this blog post and comment recommendations for them based off the tropes they talked about! Checking the comments section of this page and looking at the pingbacks should help :)

The Rules

  1. Give credit to the original creator of the tag (Kate @ Kate, a Dreamer Book Blog
  2. Link back to the original post (this one!) 
  3. Nominate other bloggers whose favorite tropes you’d like to know (but they are optional, and you don’t have to wait for a nomination to do the tag!) 
  4. Find at least two other people who did this post and comment recommendations to them based off their trope preferences! 
  5. Link your post in the Master Linkey so other BookEnders can see it!
  6. Finally… link your posts in the comments! It’s not a rule, but I want to see them ?

Office / Workplace Romance

Cherish Hard Nalini Singh Rock Kiss Cover to Cover Book Blog Kat Snark covertocoverlit Book Blogger Book blog reader reading contemporary romance Nalini Singh paranormal romance gardener schoolteacher School teacher poems schoolteacher Bishop Ezra Clan Bishop-Esra Isalind Isa BFF Sailor Bishop Crafty Corners Vice President Barracuda second-chance romance office romance workplace romance   Cover to Cover Book Blog Kat Snark covertocoverlit Book Blogger Book blog reader reading Smut Karina Halle romance enemies-to-lovers hate-to-love kindle unlimited   Cover to Cover Book Blog Kat snark Rock Hard Nalini Singh Rock Kiss contemporary romance the best office romance slow burn rape currently reading recommended read

[ Check out other office/workplace romance’s I’ve enjoyed! ] 

Cherish Hard by Nalini Singh – I loved this second-chance romance! What happens when the hot gardener you made out with (accidentally!) turns out to be one of your new contractors?? Whoops… I loved, loved, loved this one. It’s sweet, and it has so much heart (My Review)

Smut by Karina Halle – Smut promises just what the title delivers, plus a fun twist. When classmates (and enemies) have to pair up to write a novella for a class project, they find out they work well together and begin a new money-making adventure post-graduation: to team up and write Smut to sell on Amazon. It was such a fun, sexy read, available on Kindle Unlimited! (My Review)

Rock Hard by Nalini Singh – This is still one of my favorite books in all of existence, and is definitely the best office romance I’ve ever read. The hero is a famous ex-rugby player, so I could work into this list, but it’s an excellent slow-burn romance where the characters have a truly amazing connection. But it deals with some heavy issues very well, and I love how they help each other heal themselves ✨ (My Review)

Cover to Cover Book Blog Kat Snark covertocoverlit Book Blogger Book blog reader reading Fire in You by Jennifer L. Armentrout   Fierce Females Cover to Cover Book Blog Kat Snark covertocoverlit Book Blogger Book blog reader reading Paranormal Romance Nalini Singh Paranormal Romance Review Changeling Shapeshifter Psy Fantastic book fall recommendations hate-to-love romances enemies-to-lovers forbidden-romance

Fire in You by Jennifer L. Armentrout – I loved Fire in You when I first read it a couple years ago, and I’ve been itching to reread it here really soon! It’s a second-chance romance that comes to a head when the childhood best friends are reunited… at work ? oops! Jillian cut Brock out of her life six years ago when tragedy struck and even though he’s wooing her now (totally noticing that she’s not a girl anymore), she’s adorably oblivious. The fangirl content in this one is amazing!! I loved Jillian’s POV because it was so fictionally geeky ? (My Review)

Slave to Sensation by Nalini Singh – This is a long series, and there’s even a sister series. But I definitely wish there were more ? Singh is able to continue writing in this absolutely vivid world, and only make it better and better! She manages to hide Easter eggs several books ahead of her plot and ugh Slave to Sensation is an amazing book, but buckle up, because it’s truly only the beginning (My Review)

When they’re roommates

Cover to Cover Book Blog Kat Snark covertocoverlit Book Blogger Book blog reader reading The Hardest Fall Kindle Unlimited by Ella Maise College neighbors roomies friends to lovers   Cover to Cover Book Blog Kat snark reviews discussions book blogger book dragon reading reader recommendations five star reads Mid-Year Book Freakout Book Tag Work in Progress by Staci Hart, Wolf Rain by Nalini Singh, Foxhole Court by Nora Sakavic, Raven King by Nora Sakavic, All the King's Men by Nora Sakavic, The Boy Who Steals Houses by Cait @ PaperFury and CG Drews, Stay by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy, Rumor Has it by Jessica Lemmon, Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson, Ocean Light by Nalini Singh, Lonely Hearts by Heidi Cullinan, Love Lessons by Heidi Cullinan, Iron and Magic by Ilona Andrews, the Fragile Ordinary by Samantha Young, The Cruel Prince by Holly Black 

[ Check out other roommate romance’s I’ve enjoyed! ] 

The Hardest Fall by Ella Maise – This is an amazingly fun read available on Kindle Unlimited read featuring a second-chance, friends-to-lovers, roommates storyline. The MC, Zoe, herself was a super fun character. She’s pretty shy around Dylan, but she also has a strong (albeit rambling) personality and doesn’t excuse her own behavior. She may be shy, but she’s very unabashed about her quirks, and she kept me laughing. Those types of characters don’t always come off as intended, but in Zoe, it was quirky and attractive, making her an honest and real, genuine, sincere character I couldn’t get enough of. (My Review)

Love Lessons by Heidi Cullinan – I read this one in one complete sitting (twice!) and sacrificed so much sleep and love for this book. It is the perfect encapsulation for being in college, with first love, with so much feeling and emotion and so realistic. The emotions just pour out of the book. Oh, I can’t. Just reading about this is making me hanker for a reread. It’s the best kind of boy-meets-boy, and I just melted. And did I mention? They’re college roommates! Oh thinking about this makes me giddy all over again! (Best of Books 2019)

Hotter than Ever by Elle Kennedy – What do you do when you’re brother leaves his fiancé / almost-wife at the alter with nary a word? You take her home with you, so she doesn’t have to face the empty apartment she once shared with that mistake. Does it matter that you don’t like her at all? Nope, it’s the nice thing to do. So she spends the length of her honeymoon in your apartment with you and your boyfriend… and things get heated. (My Review

When they’re neighbors

   Cover to Cover Book Blog Kat Snark covertocoverlit Book Blogger Book blog reader reading Top Secret Kindle Unlimited Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy MM Frat College Stripper Rich boy poor boy Cinderella story neighbors roomies  

[ Check out other neighbor romance’s I’ve enjoyed! ] 

Moon Called by Patricia Briggs – Moon Called follows Mercy, a coyote shifter (referred to as a “walker”) who lives right next door to the area’s Alpha Werewolf. They banter, they fight, they tease, he growls, and she baits him, but at the end of the day, she doesn’t want a relationship. Their relationship is pretty cool, because he already thinks of her as his mate, and she’s got an independent streak a mile wide. But being neighbors… they’re never too far from the other, in case one needs help or the other gets a bit nosy (My Review)

Top Secret by Elle Kennedy and Sarina Bowen Top Secret was one of my favorite reads of 2019, and is available on Kindle Unlimited! This book… was so absolutely enthralling. Not only was the plot engaging, but there was an enemies-to-lovers and friends-to-lovers bit thrown in! Luke and Keaton are enemies in real-life (as well as dorm-neighbors), but on the internet, they’re friends who heavily flirt. But this book was no fluff piece – it had a surprising amount of substance and depth for a new adult romance. This book just teems with life through the two characters: Luke, who is a bossy-ass in bed, but who struggles through life by the tips of his fingers, and Keaton, who was so adorably nerdy, and wore his heart on his sleeve, even for a rich legacy kid. He had amazing animal facts, too! (My Review)

Wallflower Wager by Tessa Dare – Featuring a lady who can’t help but rescue every broken, needy animal she meets (including an otter, a steer, a goat, a disabled dog, a hedgehog, a parrot, 13 kittens… and more), and her new neighbor, who demands she get rid of the animals. It was an adorable regency romance, yes, but the animals completely stole the show for me! (My Review)

Friends-to-Lovers

     Cover to Cover Book Blog Kat Snark covertocoverlit Book Blogger Book blog reader reading The Hardest Fall Kindle Unlimited by Ella Maise College neighbors roomies friends to lovers

[ Check out other friends-to-lover romance’s I’ve enjoyed! ] 

The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller – This book was just straight-up fun. It’s not the most technically excellent fantasy I read, but I hardly cared about that when I was having the time of my life reading it. Those two characters may be morally gray, but they had a true connection and were amazing to follow. It’s not an enemies-to-lovers, and if it is, it’s in name only. Those two were really good friends and I squealed far too much in this book (My Review)

Dear Aaron by Mariana Zapata – was such a surprise to me when I read it!! It kept me up until 4am before I finally had to give up and get some shut-eye, it was so immersive. The first half is all of their emailed and IM’d correspondence between Ruby, who signs up to write pen pal letters to a soldier abroad, and Aaron, the soldier who receives the letters.  I LOVED reading these messages, they gave a clear idea of the characters before you even get to the second half, where there are actual dialogue and storytelling. Ms. Zapata did an excellent job in this department because you could see the hesitation and the uncertainty and feelings that were caught even just in the messaging parts, even before we got to the friends-to-lovers meetup in the second half. They’re just so cute (My Review)

The Hardest Fall by Ella Maise – Okay so I talk about this book pretty often, because it came as such a huge surprise to me! It’s on Kindle Unlimited and ended up being one of my favorite books of 2019, with the author one that I reach for pretty often now. This one is a new adult college romance between two roommates… except they have a history. It’s an amazingly fun friends-to-lovers romance (one that I’m hoping to reread here soon with characters that have a ton of heart and the main character, oh my gosh! She just has so much personality and is adorably fun! (My Review

  Cover to Cover Book Blog Kat Snark covertocoverlit Book Blogger Book blog reader reading Baking Me Crazy Karla Sorenson Friends-to-lovers BFFs unrequited love second-chance romance foodie romance disabled wheelchair   

Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston – I was terrified of this book because it had so much hype surrounding it. Turns out… it was all warranted. This book was just plain fun to read. I laughed a lot and highlighted most of the book. These two boys had an amazing connection, and I loved the way they communicated with each other. STAN. However… Americans definitely seem to favor it over the English, because that side of the story isn’t really as well developed, but tbh, I’m here for the boys and their connection (My Review)

Baking Me Crazy by Karla Sorenson – This was a great friends-to-lovers, as well as an unrequited romance. Levi knew he loved Jocelyn as soon as he saw her kicking butt on the wheelchair basketball court where he coached. I know you’re screaming insta-love, but this is one instance where it was fully embraced. Because when it was clear that Jocelyn wasn’t looking for anything, he became her best friend instead… for five years! It was such a sweet, gentle, hilarious ride, and I certainly had lots to say in my review (My Review

Every Other Weekend by Abigail Johnson – I was lucky enough to get this one for review, and adored it. The main characters are younger, like 15, and are apartment neighbors every other weekend, as that’s when they stay with the other divorced parent. This is one of those really vulnerable, emotional books that read really important to me, and the friendship those two struck, as they became each other’s safe place, almost broke me (My Review)

Epistolary Romance

   Cover to Cover Book Blog Kat Snark covertocoverlit Book Blogger Book blog reader reading Top Secret Kindle Unlimited Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy MM Frat College Stripper Rich boy poor boy Cinderella story neighbors roomies

[ Check out other epistolary romance’s I’ve enjoyed! ] 

Dear Aaron by Mariana Zapata – it was such a surprise to me when I read it!! It kept me up until 4am before I finally had to give up and get some shut-eye, it was so immersive. The first half is all of their emailed and IM’d correspondence between Ruby, who signs up to write pen pal letters to a soldier abroad, and Aaron, the soldier who receives the letters.  I LOVED reading these messages, they gave a clear idea of the characters before you even get to the second half, where there are actual dialogue and storytelling. Ms. Zapata did an excellent job in this department because you could see the hesitation and the uncertainty and feelings that were caught even just in the messaging parts, even before we got to the friends-to-lovers meetup in the second half. They’re just so cute (My Review)

Top Secret by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy – Top Secret was one of my favorite reads of 2019, and is available on Kindle Unlimited! This book… was so absolutely enthralling. Not only was the plot engaging, but there was an enemies-to-lovers and friends-to-lovers bit thrown in! Luke and Keaton are enemies in real-life (as well as dorm-neighbors), but on the internet they’re friends who heavily flirt. But this book was no fluff piece – it had a surprising amount of substance and depth for a new adult romance. This book just teems with life through the two characters: Luke, who is a bossy-ass in bed, but whom struggles through life by the tips of his fingers, and Keaton, who was so adorably nerdy, and wore his heart on his sleeve, even for a rich legacy kid. He had amazing animal facts, too! (My Review)

Fake Relationship / Marriage of Convenience

      

[ Check out other fake relationship/marriage of kconvenience romances I’ve enjoyed! ] 

The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller – This book was just straight-up fun. It’s not the most technically excellent fantasy I read, but I hardly cared about that when I was having the time of my life reading it. Those two characters may be morally gray, but they had a true connection and were amazing to follow. It’s not an enemies-to-lovers, and if it is, it’s in name only. Those two were really good friends and I squealed far too much in this book (My Review)

Work in Progress by Staci Hart – I connected so much with the story and especially the main character, Amelia. She was super, anxiously shy, but a huge book nerd, looking to make it big in the publishing world as a publisher. But she was also a book blogger. And she got to work with an author whose books she consistently ripped apart. And not just work with him… but engage in a marriage of convenience. Can you say “YES YES YES???” This checks ALL my boxes!! It was an adorable friends-to-lovers story, and as a book blogger and book nerd hoping to join the publishing community as a publisher, it struck my heart… although it does require some suspension of belief. (My Review)

Shortcake by Lucy Watson – I just finished this one and oh my gosh!! So much fun :) Emmy is the live-in caretaker for a kind old lady, who happens to be one of her best friends. What she didn’t know, was that she was named in the lady’s Will. Turns out, for Emmy or grandson Ben to get their inheritance, they have to spend a couple of months renovating the house and living in it together. And they despise each other. Really, he despises her, and things get messy quickly, when a fake engagement is announced… (My Review)

Found Family

  Rock Redemption by Nalini Singh on Cover to Cover Book and Blogging Blog by Kat Snark Rockstar Rock Star romance fox molly librarian contemporary romance  Truthwitch by Susan Dennard #TheLuminaries #LumiNerds Young Adult YA Fantasy High Fantasy Magic Threads Romance Void Witch WIndwitch Threadwitch Read Cover to Cover Book Blog Kat Snark covertocoverlit Book Blogger Book blog reader reading Romance

[ Check out other book featuring a found family I’ve enjoyed! ] 

The Foxhole Court by Nora Sakavic – This book is character-driven and not for everybody. But these characters captured my heart! I read all three books in two very sleepless nights and then was so obsessed I reread the series immediately after. Then, I read it six more times throughout 2019! The first book is free on Kindle and the rest or 99c. But be aware of all the content warnings in this one. It’s a rough ride, but I’ve never loved characters more (Best Books of 2019

Rock Addiction by Nalini Singh – This is the first book of one of my favorite series, following the characters in a Rock band as they all fall in love :) I know what you’re thinking: “That’s all perfectly normal and regular and wow, Kate, you’ve discovered the musician romance trope.” Okay, sassy-pants, I hear you. But also, this series is truly groundbreaking to me in the genre. They’re light books, but they also deal with some tough subjects, that only get more profound as the series progresses. This first one, we have the sexy Fox (lead singer) and beautiful Molly (librarian) who engage in a month-long romance, with a deadline. But Fox and his bandmates and even Molly and her friend Charlotte… it may not be blood that holds them together, but it’s something much deeper and so cool to witness (My Review)

Truthwitch by Susan Dennard – the found family trope in this one is half the reason I love it so much!! You have Safi and Iseult, two best friends who are the two coolest, most inspiring best friends I’ve had the pleasure of reading in awhile. Then, as the series progresses, their merry band of misfits only grow <3 (My Review

Hate-to-Love Romance

  Cover to Cover Book Blog Kat Snark covertocoverlit Book Blogger Book blog reader reading Walk Through Fire by Kristen Ashley Chaos series Chaos Motorcycle Series Millie Cross Logan "High" Judd second-chance romance hate-to-love

[ Check out other hate-to-love romance’s I’ve enjoyed! ] 

Beefcakes by Katana Collins – I was given this copy for review and it actually sparked a whole merry mood of rom-coms for me! It starts off with Neil, who moves back to his hometown to run his mom’s cupcakery after she no longer can, due to cancer hitting. The cupcakery is in debt and after a social media caption war was accidentally started over him and his high school sweetheart, a reality show comes calling, inviting Neil and Elaina to participate for cash prize. This is not a hate-to-love on Neil’s part, but Elaina is not pleased to see Neil is back, or, quite frankly, that he’s alive. Yet during the reality show…  (My Review)

Walk Through Fire by Kristen Ashley – This is one that I find myself constantly reaching for when feeling stressed or anxious, and I’ve read it at least once (sometimes twice) a year since it came out in 2015. The characters are real, flawed, dynamic and so humanistic that at times it literally feels like I can just reach out and touch them. It’s amazing to me that Ms. Ashley made these characters so real and honest that I related to them so heavily. Millie actions weren’t always the smartest, but I always understood them and felt the emotion behind it. I was crying and screaming right along with her! Bottom line, the feels and intense emotions (which ran high for the full length of the book), the amazing plot (with a seriously amazing second-chance romance and hate-to-love romance involved), and great writing style, this book is absolutely unforgettable to me. An amazing hate-to-love because believe men… Logan hated Millie and there were some of the reverse, too. (My Review)

Magical School / Boarding School

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by JK Rowling Biannual Bibliothon Summer 2017 on Cover to Cover Book and blogging blog by Kat Snark   Etiquette and Espionage by Gail Carriger steampunk    

[ Check out other books involving a magical/boardings schools I’ve enjoyed! ] 

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone – I couldn’t not include this one, especially because I love this trope but not very many examples are coming to mind, eeek! This book ? Mean everything to me (OWLs Readathon TBR)

Etiquette and Espionage by Gail Carriger – Another book I’ve had on my TBR since forever! But oh my gosh, so much fun to read! A middle-grade steampunk that takes place in a spy school in the sky. Sophronia herself was so very charming and clever. She was practical and confident, and she was a glorious character to follow because of it. At the heart of Sophronia is someone who will follow her curiosity to the ends of the Earth, and it was really a joy to read and follow. (My Review)

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead – I don’t know why she chose to name it this (like technically… yeah… but really? I think Rose Hathaway is a kickass name and should be in the title, most definitely). Basically Rose, well, to simplify things, Rose is Vampire Hunter, and trains solely to keep the Moroi alive, who are kind of like Elementals. Moroi like her very best friend. Such a great read, as they go to boarding school to teach them the skills they need to know, and a school meant to protect them and keep them alive (Goodreads | Character Yearbook Superlatives

Stalk Me by Jillian Dodd – This was the book that made me beg my parents to send me to boarding school. Now that I’m in college, I’m finally happy, LOL. It follows Keatyn, who is the child of celebrities and has acquired a stalker. So she is sent to boarding school under a false identity and gets up to some shenanigans. I still love this book tbh, it’s a bit of a guilty pleasure angst read, but the various romances she goes through makes it seem like actual high school, and I love all the boys in this one ? They’re all so sweet and cool (Goodreads)

Second-Chance Romance

Cover to Cover Book Blog Kat Snark covertocoverlit Book Blogger Book blog reader reading Walk Through Fire by Kristen Ashley Chaos series Chaos Motorcycle Series Millie Cross Logan "High" Judd second-chance romance hate-to-love  

[ Check out other second-chance romance’s I’ve enjoyed! ] 

Walk Through Fire by Kristen Ashley – This is one that I find myself constantly reaching for when feeling stressed or anxious, and I’ve read it at least once (sometimes twice) a year since it came out in 2015. The characters are real, flawed, dynamic and so humanistic that at times it literally feels like I can just reach out and touch them. It’s amazing to me that Ms. Ashley made these characters so real and honest that I related to them so heavily. Millie actions weren’t always the smartest, but I always understood them and felt the emotion behind it. I was crying and screaming right along with her! Bottom line, the feels and intense emotions (which ran high for the full length of the book), the amazing plot (with a seriously amazing second-chance romance and hate-to-love romance involved), and great writing style, this book is absolutely unforgettable to me. (My Review)

Wild Man by Kristen Ashley – This book breaks my heart and is one of my favorite comfort reads. It follows Tess, a sweet woman who runs Tess’s Cakes, a bakery, and Brock Lucas. The book begins three months into their relationship… pretty much when Tessa figures out that Brock may have been dating her, but he was doing so for an investigation, to see if she in any way connected to her ex-husband’s shady dealings. Eeek! So they break up. But it’s not over… Tess was just so sweet and Brock was wild and alpha-y, but he was also exceptional gentle. It was a sweet romantic suspense, and I love how comfortable they are with each other and how comfortable I am each time I reread it (My Review)

Slow Burn Romance

Cover to Cover Book Blog Kat snark Rock Hard Nalini Singh Rock Kiss contemporary romance the best office romance slow burn rape currently reading recommended read  Burn for Me by Ilona Andrews Hidden Legacy on Cover to Cover Book and Blogging Blog by Kat Snark  Curran Julie Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews on Cover to Cover Book and Blogging Blog by Kat Snark Kate Daniels Magic Urban Fantasy Paranormal Romance Sword Fierce Female Vampire shifter changeling slow burn romance

[ Check out other slow burn romance’s I’ve enjoyed! ] 

Rock Hard by Nalini Singh – This is still one of my favorite books in all of existence and is definitely the best office romance I’ve ever read. The hero is a famous ex-rugby player, so I could work into this list, but it’s an excellent slow-burn romance where the characters have a truly amazing connection that evolved so carefully and gently. It was a slow burn, and it was tremendous. It deals with some heavy issues very well, and I love how they help each other heal themselves ✨ (My Review)

Burn for Me by Ilona Andrews – This is one of my favorite series in all of existence. Ignore the cover, which is awful, and it’s one of the most well-done sci-fi/urban fantasy EVER. This magical world is amazing, and while the romance simmers in the background of the magical mystery, the slow burn is incredible, oh my gosh! (Fiercest Females in Urban Fantasy)

Magic Bites by Ilona Andrews – This series and her life is relentless. It just never ends! She drags herself (often scratched and bloody) home and out again, and it’s an amazing story, one of my absolute favorites. Kate Daniels herself is whit-sharp intelligent, a complete badass, and is at heart, a survivor. But she’s also got too big of a heart to put her survival above the lives of others if she can help them, which she proves again and again over the course of the series. Did I mention this has an epic hate-to-love slow burn romance that plays around in the background of all the mysteries and sword-fighting? Mmm. (My Review)

      

[ Check out other slow burn romance’s I’ve enjoyed! ] 

Moon Called by Patricia Briggs – This is an all-encompassing urban fantasy, with werewolves, vampires, walkers (coyote shifters, which is what the main character is!), ghosts, fae, demons, etc! (My Review)

King Hall by Scarlett Dawn – One of my favorite books for friendship, found family, and a spicy, spicy slow burn paranormal romance that just explodes! Paranormal New Adult at it’s best, that’s for sure! I can’t recommend this one enough and I could talk about it forever so I’m going to stop ? (Fiercest Females in Urban Fantasy)

Dear Aaron by Mariana Zapata – it was such a surprise to me when I read it!! It kept me up until 4am before I finally had to give up and get some shut-eye, it was so immersive. The first half is all of the correspondence between Ruby, who signs up to write pen pal letters to a soldier abroad, and Aaron, the soldier who receives the letters. I LOVED reading these messages, they gave a clear idea of the characters before you even get to the second half, where there’s actual dialogue and storytelling. Ms. Zapata did an excellent job in this department, because you could see the hesitation and the uncertainty and feelings that were caught even just in the messaging parts, even before we got to the friends-to-lovers meetup in the second half. They’re just so cute – this book is like texting your crush, it felt so immersive! (My Review)

Sports Romance

      Cover to Cover Book Blog Kat snark Rock Hard Nalini Singh Rock Kiss contemporary romance the best office romance slow burn rape currently reading recommended read

[ Check out other sports romance’s I’ve enjoyed! ] 

Him by Sarina Bowen and Elle Kennedy – I loved Him by Sarina Bowen/Elle Kennedy because it had all the magical elements: second-chance romance, roommates, slow burn, unrequited love, friends-to-lovers, etc, and it all happened while they were coaching at hockey camp, years after they’d attended the camp themselves as boys. It was immersive and fun and really just everything I could ask for. Bowen/Kennedy hit it out of the park every time (My Review)

The Foxhole Court by Nora Sakavic – This book is character-driven and not for everybody. But these characters captured my heart! I read all three books in two very sleepless nights, and then was so obsessed I reread the series immediately after. Then, I read it six more times throughout 2019! The first book is free on Kindle and the rest or 99c. But be aware of all the content warnings in this one. It’s a rough ride, but I’ve never loved characters more (Best Books of 2019

Rock Hard by Nalini Singh – This is still one of my favorite books in all of existence and is definitely the best office romance I’ve ever read. The hero is a famous ex-rugby player, so I could work into this list, but it’s an excellent slow-burn romance where the characters have a truly amazing connection. But it deals with some heavy issues very well, and I love how they help each other heal themselves ✨ (My Review)

Unrequited Love

Beard with Me by Penny Reid Cover to Cover Book Blog Kat Snark covertocoverlit Book Blogger Book blog reader reading SmartyPants Romance Smart Romance Scarlet St. Claire Clair Billy Winston Winston Brothers Green Valley Pennyverse origin story childhood romance age difference homeless motorcycle club childhood abuse Literary Fiction Epic Love Story  

[ Check out other romance’s involving unrequited love I’ve enjoyed! ] 

Beard with Me by Penny Reid Beard with Me is the prequel to Beard Necessities, and they said it’s not required… but imma tell you that it’s required, ma’am, okay? This book is the story of when they were children before they had their second-chance HEA in Beard Necessities. This is the story of Scarlett (known earlier in the series as Claire) who ran away from home in high school (a freshman?) and camped out in the woods instead of staying at home with her horrible father, whose proclivities matches his name… Razor. Billy is the oldest sibling of the house that sits in front of the woods she’s living in, and this story breaks my heart. It was so cute and adorable, but also destroyed me (and Billy and Scarlett). (My Review)

Bounty by Kristen Ashley – This book is a forced-proximity workplace-esque romance between a retired musician (by “retired” I mean like she’s like 30 but needs a major break bc she loves the music but not the rest after her father died) and the contractor who’s fixing up the house she just bought. They’d met years ago, but he doesn’t remember her… so cute, a bit of a slow-burn with a friends-to-lovers component. (My Review)

There’s Only One Bed…

 

The Gamble by Kristen Ashley – This was the first adult romance book I ever read, waaaaay back in seventh grade! It follows Nina, who rented a house in small-town Colorado to vacation in from where she lives in England (as a dual citizen). But the house isn’t empty like it was supposed to be, because the single, very hot Max was home. He sends her on her way with an apology, and she’s fuming, but it’s also the middle of a snowstorm and when her car gets derailed off the road and she surrenders to the flu that’s been boiling under the surface… she wakes up two days later in the house she’d rented, after being deliriously sick and after Max found her car when he called the hotel and she hadn’t arrived. Oh yes ladies and gentlemen, this is a There’s Only One Bed trope with an amazingly, snappishly heroine (who’s a lawyer!) and hot alpha man Max. I reread this alllllll the time (My Review)

Shortcake by Lucy Watson – I just finished this one and oh my gosh!! So much fun :) Emmy is the live-in caretaker for a kind old lady, who happens to be one of her best friends. What she didn’t know, was that she was named in the lady’s Will. Turns out, for Emmy or grandson Ben to get their inheritance, they have to spend a couple of months renovating the house and living in it together. And they despise each other. Really, he despises her, and things get messy quickly when a fake engagement is announced… (My Review)

Who Do I Nominate? 

Remember, nomination are optional! You are welcome to do this tag without a nomination, are not required to do it if you are nominated and do not have to tag people! But it does make things fun :)

I tag… YOU!! and…

Lauren @ LaLa’s Book Reviews || Marilu @ My Bookish Court

Alexandra @ Twirling Pages || Aly @ Of Wonderland

Jenny @ Jenny in Neverland || Kathryn @ Kathryn Booksville

Kayleen @ Kayppuccino || Cait @ Functionally Fictional

Chiara @ Bookworms Anonymous || Molly’s Book Nook (link)

Things to look forward to this week…

  

Other book tags you may enjoy… 

    Cover to Cover Book Blog Kat Snark covertocoverlit Book Blogger Book blog reader reading Halloweentown Book Tag bookending autumn    Cover to Cover Book Blog Kat Snark covertocoverlit Book Blogger Book blog reader reading Fall Bucketlist Book Tag

Check out my other past Bookending content here!

Announcement: I created a BookTube Channel! ?

I’ve done two videos so far and am having SO MUCH FUN!! Click on the image above (or right here) to check out my channel ?

Are you participating in Bookending Spring? Do you plan to do this tag? What are your favorite reading tropes? Let me know in the comments below, I’d love to hear from you!


14 responses to “Favorite Reading Tropes, BookEnding Spring Style!

  1. I love this idea! For epistolary romance, have you ever read The Guernsey Literary And Potato Peel Pie Society? (Or seen the film?) It’s about a journalist who visits the island of Guernsey just after the second world war and learns about the secret literary society they set up under German occupation. Sounds heavy, but the book is also absolutely lovely.

  2. So many great tropes! I do get into enemies-to-lovers and friends-to-lovers because the fact that they already have a “relationship” just makes things stronger, for me. :-)

  3. nikkiswiftreads

    This is an adorable tag! I’ve never heard of Shortcake. That book has such a great cover!

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