Guest Post: Laura's Best Books of 2020 so far...

Laura is the host of What To Read Next, a blog and podcast! She is here to talk about her favorite reads from this year so far!

I have read 135 books thus far which is a great number but in comparison to past years, the number is a bit low. With the stress of the pandemic, my reading has suffered a bit. One thing I discovered is a newfound love for audiobooks. Three out of the five best books on my list, I have listened to them on audio and ended up buying the paperbacks so I can re-read them in the future. 

Now let’s go the list: 

Tweet Cute by Emma Lord (YA Contemporary)

The audio of this book is excellent. It has dual narration. This is the story of Pepper and Jack who are friends online but tweet rivals on Twitter. This book is funny and it has the best food concoctions like Monster Cake and Grandma’s Grilled Cheese.  This is a slow burn romance that starts as friends to lovers who also happen to be rivals. This book was delightful. 

You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle (Romance) 

If you have a hangover after reading  The Hating Game, then you must pick up You Deserve Each Other. This is about  an engaged couple that finds themselves in the midst of planning a wedding that they don’t want to attend.  Yes there is a mother in law from hell. This book is funny. They hate each other for the first half of the book but then they find their own way back. I listened to this book and the audiobook was excellent. I can’t wait to re-read this book. 

Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur (Romance)

This is a forthcoming F/F romance that I read back in May because I couldn’t wait to read it. This book is opposites attract, with a touch of fake relationship. The MCs meet thanks to a disastrous blind date but family obligations led them to have a fake relationship. One of the heroines is a Social Media Astrologer which was a lot of fun to see.  The other heroine is an actuary and I think the author got the profession right (I used to work at an actuarial firm). This book is steamy. Please pick this book up when it comes out in November. 

Take a Hint, Dani Brown by Talia Hibbert  (Romance) 

Another fake dating book but let me tell you this one is a fun one. Dani is a prickly academic who doesn’t want to fall in love. Zaf is a security guard who wants to build a foundation to combat toxic masculinity. A fire drill rescue leads Dani and Zaf to go viral on twitter. They decide to start a fake relationship to see if Zaf can get funding and promotion for his foundation. This book deals with anxiety which I loved. Zaf is a cinnamon roll of a hero. This book is steamy. I really loved the ending. It was so sweet. 

Binging the Virgin River series by Robyn Carr (Romance) 

This is not just one book, I have listened to 9 books in the Virgin River series and I loved them all. I loved to be transported into this small town romance where people fall in love and have babies. These series deal with tough topics like PTSD, alcoholism, child loss, cancer, death of a loved one,  The narration is excellent,  All of the full-length novels are in Audible Escape or through the library. Yes, you must read them in order. Each book dives into two to three love stories which I find unique.