Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, featuring a different top 10 theme each week. This week’s topic is Love Freebie, which means we all put our own spin on the topic of LOVE.
Just like I did for February 2020’s Love Freebie TTT, I’m going to keep it simple and highlight my ten favorite love stories that I read in the past year:
1. The Duke & I by Julia Quinn: Like just about everyone else, I have firmly jumped onto the Bridgerton bandwagon! I loved the Netflix show, and I’m finding the books pretty charming and fluffy too.
2. The Glamourist Histories by Mary Robinette Kowal: This five-volume historical-fiction-with-magic series is EVERYTHING, and includes one of my very favorite fictional couples, Jane and Vincent, who embody what a truly loving partnership of equals can and should be. LOVE these books.
3. Recipe For Persuasion by Sonali Dev: A spice-infused retelling of Jane Austen’s Persuasion, set at a cooking competition show with sweet romance and great characters. Lots of fun.
4. Folk of the Air trilogy by Holly Black: I seem to take every opportunity to talk about these books! This is not a romance series, but there is a great love story mixed in with all the intrigue and scheming and magical goings-on.
5. Time After Time by Lisa Grunwald: I totally fell for the love story at the heart of this timey-wimey tale. Bonus points for taking place in Grand Central Station in New York, which is just an ultra-romantic setting, in my humble opinion.
6. Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade: Sweet and sizzling romance, plus fanfic and fandoms and body positivity… great read!
7. A Stitch In Time by Kelley Armstrong: More timey-wimey goodness! A timeslip romance that’s well-done, full of mystery and passion, with an awesome setting in a haunted house on the moors.
8. Well Met and Well Played by Jen DeLuca: What could be better than romance at a Ren Faire? How about two romances at two Ren Faires? Can’t wait for book #3 to come out later this year.
9. The Bookshop on the Shore by Jenny Colgan: I always love this author’s books, but this one especially appealed to me, and I loved the love story at its heart, which is both a story about a couple falling in love, but also about a woman finding love for the children she’s hired to take care of. All around sweet and lovely.
10. Bookish and the Beast by Ashley Poston: The Once Upon a Con series is so much fun, and the mismatched pair at the heart of this geeky love story are really sweet.
What were the best love stories you read during the past year?
If you wrote a TTT post this week, please share your link and let me know your topic!
And PS – Happy (early) Valentine’s Day!
Bookshelf Fantasies 
So many people have been enjoying Bridgerton! I haven’t seen it yet, but I’m glad you’re all liking it so far.
My post: https://lydiaschoch.com/top-ten-tuesday-conversation-hearts-on-covers
It’s fluff, but really enjoyable fluff. 🙂
I just got A Stitch in Time recently, I loved Kelley Armstrong so I’m looking forward to it.
I’d never read anything of her before! Is there any particular book of hers you’d especially recommend?
Oh nooo. I actually completely forgot Folk of the Air in my own post. xD I LOVE the relationship between Jude and Cardan. I haven’t read The Bookish and the Beast yet, but I’ve heard it’s really good, and it’s on my TBR! I’m looking forward to picking it up.
Here’s my TTT post.
Have you read the other books in the series? The first two are great as well, and they all fit together!
Great ttt! I had to think a bit about what topic to do for this week haha, but I love what you’ve done with it, very clever 😊 I enjoyed a Stitch in time and Ive always wanted to read spoiler alert. Here’s my ttt: https://hundredsandthousandsofbooks.blog/2021/02/09/top-ten-books-to-read-if-youre-single-on-valentines-day-and-want-to-feel-like-youre-not/
I’ll be honest, I was really stuck on the topic, which is why I ended up repeating what I did last year. 🙂 Spoiler Alert is so much fun — I hope you get to check it out!
I need to get into Sonali Dev’s Jane Austen retellings. They sound delightful.
They are really fun, and the 3rd is coming out this year!
I absolutely adored Well Met and Well Played! I love your list and I will have to check out some of the other books you have listed. – Christie
https://acourtofbooksandbrews.com/2021/02/09/top-ten-tuesday-valentines-day-love-freebie/
Those books are so much fun! I really can’t wait for the next one!
Great list, Lisa! Spoiler Alert is one I want to try really soon, it sounds so cute. I really enjoyed Well Met and, of course, I love Jude and Cardan, too!
Jude and Cardan are awesome. 🙂 Have you seen the valentines on Holly Black’s website? https://blackholly.com/extras-goodies-and-fun-stuff/
These all look like great reads. I would love to read Time After Time.
Thanks for sharing.
https://thebookconnectionccm.blogspot.com/2021/02/top-ten-tuesday-top-ten-romance-novels.html
Time After Time is so wonderful! I hope you check it out!
Awesome list, Lisa! I’ve only read Bookish and the Beast and the Folk of the Air series, but I see so many books on my TBR, especially the Glamourist Histories😁
I will never stop raving about the Glamourist Histories!!
I love those Glamourist Histories covers, and can’t wait to get back into the series because the first book was a recent favourite for me.
I saw A Stitch in Time in ebook was on sale the other day and wondered whether I should get it, I like the sound of a haunted house timeslip story.
It’s really worth checking out, and I was excited to find out there’s a sequel on the way! The Glamourist Histories are going to be a forever favorite for me. 🙂
Ooh, Time After Time is one I’ve been meaning to read for a while, and I haven’t seen anyone mention it in an age. I agree, the setting is a romantic one.
On another note, “haunted house on the moors”?? Sign me UP.
–RS
The story of Time After Time is so wonderful. I hope you read it!!
Yep! I’m anxious to start the Bridgerton series after watching the adaptation. 🙂 I own Well Met and The Bookshop on the Shore. Hopefully I can get to them soon! Great post. ❤
Thank you! These books make me so happy. 🙂