Wednesday, February 12, 2014

[Feb Feels] Waiting on Wednesday (55) + Top Picks



Welcome to Feb Feels: 7 days of Valentines day 4! Today I'm going to share my top 3 favorite YA contemporary romance novels and the top 3 I'm waiting on Waiting on Wednesday!


My top 3 favorite YA contemporary romance. (Books are randomly ordered.)

Anna and the French Kiss
(Anna and the French Kiss #1)
by Stephanie Perkins

Published December 2nd 2010 by Dutton

Blurb (Goodreads):
Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris--until she meets Étienne St. Clair. Smart, charming, beautiful, Étienne has it all...including a serious girlfriend. 

But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss?





I love the how the relationship of Anna and Étienne St. Clair started, progressed, and turned out. This book is very cute, witty, and utterly sweet and romantic. It's funny when you read the title, you think of scandalous hot scenes--but no. What you think of the book because of the title is not as what you seem it to be. I don't do re-readings but if I will, this will be the first book I will re-read.

P.S I miss Étienne! I think I'm gonna re-read a book soon. ;)



Slammed
(Slammed #1)
by Colleen Hoover

Published January 5th 2012 by Colleen Hoover

Blurb (Goodreads):
Following the unexpected death of her father, 18-year-old Layken is forced to be the rock for both her mother and younger brother. Outwardly, she appears resilient and tenacious, but inwardly, she's losing hope.

Enter Will Cooper: The attractive, 21-year-old new neighbor with an intriguing passion for slam poetry and a unique sense of humor. Within days of their introduction, Will and Layken form an intense emotional connection, leaving Layken with a renewed sense of hope.

Not long after an intense, heart-stopping first date, they are slammed to the core when a shocking revelation forces their new relationship to a sudden halt. Daily interactions become impossibly painful as they struggle to find a balance between the feelings that pull them together, and the secret that keeps them apart.





This book...well it surprised me. I thought it was like a Fifty Shades of Grey and Beautiful Disaster kind of book, but I was wrong. It's more reserved and conservative and just so romantic and heart-breaking and achingly beautiful. I'm in love with this book. 



A Walk to Remember
by Nicholas Sparks

Published October 1st 1999 by Warner Books

Blurb (Goodreads):
Every April, when the wind blows from the sea and mingles with the scent of lilacs, Landon Carter remembers his last year at Beaufort High. It was 1958, and Landon had already dated a girl or two. He even swore that he had once been in love. Certainly the last person in town he thought he'd fall for was Jamie Sullivan, the daughter of the town's Baptist minister. A quiet girl who always carried a Bible with her schoolbooks, Jamie seemed content living in a world apart from the other teens. She took care of her widowed father, rescued hurt animals, and helped out at the local orphanage. No boy had ever asked her out. Landon would never have dreamed of it. Then a twist of fate made Jamie his partner for the homecoming dance, and Landon Carter's life would never be the same. Being with Jamie would show him the depths of the human heart and lead him to a decision so stunning it would send him irrevocably on the road to manhood...





The first time I came across to A Walk to Remember was when I was a little girl. It was a movie, and I fell in love with it. I watched it more than I've watched the same movie in my life. More than five years ago, when I started to become a bookworm, I just realized that this was originally a book and was written by Nicholas Sparks. I read the book and as expected, it was a bit different from the movie--but I was still touched and I cried just like when I watched it.







Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, originally started by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that highlights upcoming book releases everyone is waiting on.


My top 3 anticipated YA/NA contemporary romance on 2014! (Books are randomly ordered.)



Isla and the Happily Ever After
(Anna and the French Kiss #3)
by Stephanie Perkins

Expected publication: August 14th 2014 by Dutton

From the glittering streets of Manhattan to the moonlit rooftops of Paris, falling in love is easy for hopeless dreamer Isla and introspective artist Josh. But as they begin their senior year in France, Isla and Josh are quickly forced to confront the heartbreaking reality that happily-ever-afters aren’t always forever.


Their romantic journey is skillfully intertwined with those of beloved couples Anna and Étienne and Lola and Cricket, whose paths are destined to collide in a sweeping finale certain to please fans old and new.




Since I obviously loved Anna and the French Kiss, I'd read anything Stephanie Perkins write--companion with Anna or not.




To All the Boys I've Loved Before
(To All the Boys I've Loved Before #1)

by Jenny Han 

Expected publication: April 22nd 2014 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

Blurb (Goodreads):
To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before is the story of Lara Jean, who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt, sealed it, and hid it in a box under her bed. But one day Lara Jean discovers that somehow her secret box of letters has been mailed, causing all her crushes from her past to confront her about the letters: her first kiss, the boy from summer camp, even her sister's ex-boyfriend, Josh. As she learns to deal with her past loves face to face, Lara Jean discovers that something good may come out of these letters after all.




I wanted to read this book the first time I read the blurb. The phrase "who has never openly admitted her crushes, but instead wrote each boy a letter about how she felt" was so me (except on the letter thing. I usually write poems or what I call soon-to-be-songs about them and my feelings) and I'd do anything just to read this!




Wish You Were Italian
by Kristin Rae

Expected publication: May 6th 2014 by Bloomsbury

Blurb (Goodreads):
Pippa is in Italy for the summer and, despite her parents’ wishes, she has no intention of just studying the local art! She has a list of things of her own to do: from swimming in the Mediterranean Sea to getting a makeover – and falling for an Italian boy! As Pippa explores the dramatic ruins of Rome and Pompeii, she is swept into her own drama with two guys: an irresistible local she knows is nothing but trouble and a cute American archaeology student . . . Will she find her true love?

The perfect reckless romance to enjoy whether you are home or abroad.






Well I'm sold whenever you have Italy and Italians on your book. The title and with that blurb sounds too obvious, though..



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Which books made your top 3 favorite YA/NA contemporary romance
and/or Waiting on Wednesday? Share them below!

Happy Wednesday!



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The Escapist

Feb Feels: 7 days of Valentines

Yesterday: Back-to-Back-to-Back Review
Tomorrow: Feb Feels: YA/NA Contemporary Romance Author Interviews
with Colleen Hoover, Katie McGarry, Gayle Forman, Jennifer L. Armentrout, and more!







11 comments:

  1. Great picks! I have your first two on my TBR list but I hadn't heard of Wish You Were Italian - thanks for sharing!

    My WoW

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    1. Cool! I hope you find interest in Wish You Were Italian as well. It sounds really cute!

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  2. Cool picks. I'm particularly excited about Jenny Han's upcoming release :)

    Happy Wednesday!

    My WoW

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    1. IKR? I really like the sound of it! I enjoyed (and can relate) to the blurb alone. So exciting!

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  3. I like the sound of the last one the most.
    Thanks for sharing!

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  4. I can't wait for Isla! I managed to grab a copy of To All the Boys in ALA, but I haven't read it yet. Great picks :)

    Thanks for stopping by!

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    Replies
    1. That's cool! I hope I could grab a copy for me too.

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  5. A Walk to Remember is my favorite romance!! Great picks! :)

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  6. Loved Anna and Slammed! I'm excited about Islam and To All the Boys I've Loved Before too!

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