Recommended Reads: Books I Haven't Reviewed Edition

Quite simply put, I've been a little bit too busy, a little bit too tired, and a little bit too lazy to review every book I've read so far this year. I make a genuine effort to review the books I read, but sometimes I come across terrible ones I just cannot be bothered to waste time to review, or indifferent ones I cannot summon up any feeling to review, or just excellent time-pass reads which I am not required to review for publishers and which, fortunately or unfortunately, end up at the bottom of my review pile until I simply give up on them and decide not to review them altogether. At roughly a quarter through the year and a third of the way through my reading challenge, however, I figured it would be a good idea to compile a short list of the novels I haven't reviewed but which I do believe deserve a shove in the direction of any willing reader.

"Chick-Lit" At its Finest

I've loved both Kristan Higgins work and that of Susan Elizabeth Phillips in the past and these three titles are every-bit as swoon-worthy and heart-warming as you could hope. (It definitely helps that they each contain swoon-worthy hunks too!) While some of Higgins and Phillips work is organized, very loosely, into a series, each book can be read as a stand-alone. Match Me if You Can is the 6th Chicago Stars book, of which I've only read the first book, and Call Me Irresistible is the 6th Wynette, Texas book, none of which I've read before, so you can read these books in whichever order you desire - it makes no difference. 

It's Getting HOT in Here!

Ruthie Knox's books manage to be both incredible sexy and wonderfully poignant. Bailey's Asking for Trouble is the 4th installment in a series she writes, of which I've only read the first book, but it's my favorite one of the bunch. If you're looking for steamy reads with depth, place your bets on these good-looking covers. ;)

No Recommendation Required 

I've reviewed work by these three authors before and waxed poetry about their writing style and characterization that I hardly felt the need to re-iterate those same words. Laugh, told in the same vein as Live, is absolutely wonderful and Mary Ann Rivers leaves me speechless every time. Stealing Heaven is far more light-hearted than Scott's Heartbeat and a great deal cuter, so if you're in the need of a quick novel to curl up with and smile, this is the one. And Stardust is downright magical. Admittedly, I enjoyed the film better, but I'm not complaining after listening to the audio version of this one as well.

Short and Sweet: Novellas

I discovered Courtney Milan earlier this year and fell in LOVE. Both of these novellas are absolutely fantastic, as are her full-length historical romance novels. Milan's work is less steam and more depth, which I appreciate, so look out for a series of mini-reviews concerning her work sometime in the near-future. And Ilona Andrews. Well, I love them and Silent Blade is no exception. It's a short sci-fi novella that manages to pack both incredible world-building and plenty of sizzling romance into its short pages. A definite must-read for all fans. 

I apologize both for not having taken the time to review these and for writing increasingly shorter, poorer quality reviews these days. Just bear with me and hopefully my reviews will get back on track and feel less like performing a chore, which they've somewhat felt like these past few days. If you'd like any more information on these books, though, do e-mail me (ivybookbindings@gmail.com) and I'd love to fill you in on any more information you may require as this post truly is quite inadequate in addressing specifics about these novels.