Best Books I read in 2021
It's definitely hard to choose a few favourites from 160+ books I have read this year. I consider myself not a very harsh critique of books until they truly have something that pisses me off. If you scroll through my good reads, you will find multiple 5-star and 4-star books because I give those away recklessly while one of my friends rarely gives them away. For this list, I am listing all the books I can re-read at any moment and be satisfied. The books are definitely not in any sort of ranking because I could never.
♡ A COURT OF MIST AND FURY
AUTHOR - Sarah J Maas
SERIES - A Court of Thorns and Roses
RATINGS - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
TROPES - Enemies to Lovers, Found Family, Slow-burn, One One bed, Soulmate
TRIGGER WARNINGS - Violence, Mentions of Sexual Assault / Rape, Emotional Abuse
ABOUT - Feyre's survival rests upon her ability to hunt and kill – the forest where she lives is a cold, bleak place in the long winter months. So when she spots a deer in the forest being pursued by a wolf, she cannot resist fighting it for the flesh. But to do so, she must kill the predator and killing something so precious comes at a price ... Dragged to a magical kingdom for the murder of a faerie, Feyre discovers that her captor, his face obscured by a jewelled mask, is hiding far more than his piercing green eyes would suggest. Feyre's presence at the court is closely guarded, and as she begins to learn why her feelings for him turn from hostility to passion, and the faerie lands become an even more dangerous place. Feyre must fight to break an ancient curse, or she will lose him forever.
MY REVIEW - I fell in love with ACOMAF the first time I read it in March. It was apparent seeing it had all my favourite trope together. I read this book 7 times this year, and I am not even counting it in the 166 books I read. This book will always be my comfort book. One of the things I loved about this book is how SJM incorporates both the Soulmate concept and the slow-burn concept together because usually, the books with the Soulmate concept have love at first sight, and we don't get to feel the tension and the angst.
I did a full review of the ACOTAR series, and you can check it out here - ACOTAR Review
♡ RED WHITE AND ROYAL BLUE
RATINGS - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
TROPES - Enemies to Lovers, Fake Relationship (Friendship), Forbidden Romance
TRIGGER WARNINGS - None as such
ABOUT - First Son Alex Claremont-Diaz is the closest thing to a prince this side of the Atlantic. With his intrepid sister and the Veep's genius granddaughter, they're the White House Trio, a beautiful millennial marketing strategy for his mother, President Ellen Claremont. International socialite duties have downsides—namely, when photos of a confrontation with his longtime nemesis Prince Henry at a royal wedding leak to the tabloids and threaten American/British relations. The plan for damage control: staging a fake friendship between the First Son and the Prince. As President Claremont kicks off her reelection bid, Alex finds himself hurtling into a secret relationship with Henry that could derail the campaign and upend two nations. What is worth the sacrifice? How do you do all the good you can do? And, most importantly, how will history remember you?
MY REVIEW - This book was an entirely new concept, nothing like this written before, and most of us cannot relate to being royals or of that high standards, but still, Casey makes it such a relatable and fun read. Some scenes are just so cute, and in some scenes, you will close the book because we read from Alex's POV, and he's stupid and embarrassing. Alex also only has 2 brain cells, out of which one goes to Politics and the other one on Henry.
I just did a full review of Red White and Royal Blue; you can check it out here - Red White and Royal Blue review
♡ THE SPANISH LOVE DECEPTION
RATINGS - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
TROPES - Fake Dating, Slowburn, Enemies to Lovers, Workplace Romance
TRIGGER WARNINGS - Death, Minor Eating Disorders
ABOUT - Catalina MartÃn, finally, not single. Her family is happy to announce that she will bring her American boyfriend to her sister's wedding. Everyone is invited to come and witness the most magical event of the year. That would certainly be tomorrow's headline in the local newspaper of the small Spanish town I came from. Or the epitaph on my tombstone, seeing the turn my life had taken in the span of a phone call. Four weeks wasn't a lot of time to find someone willing to cross the Atlantic–from NYC and all the way to Spain–for a wedding. Let alone someone eager to play along with my charade. But that didn't mean I was desperate enough to bring the 6'4 blue-eyed pain in my ass standing before me. Aaron Blackford. The man whose main occupation was making my blood boil had just offered himself to be my date, right after inserting his nose in my business, calling me delusional, and calling himself my best option. See? Outrageous. Aggravating. Blood boiling. And much to my total despair, also right. Which left me with a surly and extra-large dilemma in my hands. Was it worth the suffering to bring my colleague and bane of my existence as my fake boyfriend to my sister's wedding? Or was I better off coming clean and facing the consequences of my panic-induced lie? Like my abuela would say, que dios nos pille confesados.
MY REVIEW - Aaron Blackford is the perfect boyfriend, and I can't imagine how much this guy has increased my expectations of men. When I tell you this man is so perfect, I mean it. This book had my heart in clutches, I swear. He makes you hate him because he loves you but can't express it and wants your attention on him is now my favourite. There are some scenes where Aaron controls himself from enjoying Catalina, and I swear those scenes make me want to swoon. It's definitely one of the best reads of this year.
♡ THE LOVE HYPOTHESIS
RATINGS - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
TROPES - Grumpy x Sunshine, Fake Dating, Slowburn, I hate everyone but you
TRIGGER WARNINGS - Sexual Harassment
ABOUT - As a third-year PhD candidate, Olive Smith doesn't believe in lasting romantic relationships--but her best friend does, and that's what got her into this situation. Convincing Anh that Olive is dating and well on her way to a happily ever after was always going to take more than hand-wavy Jedi mind tricks: Scientists require proof. So, like any self-respecting biologist, Olive panics and kisses the first man she sees. That man is none other than Adam Carlsen, a young hotshot professor--and well-known ass. This is why Olive is positively floored when Stanford's reigning lab tyrant agrees to keep her charade a secret and be her fake boyfriend. But when a big science conference goes haywire, putting Olive's career on the Bunsen burner, Adam surprises her again with his unyielding support and even more unyielding... six-pack abs. Suddenly their little experiment feels dangerously close to combustion. And Olive discovers that the only thing more complicated than a hypothesis on love is putting her own heart under the microscope.
MY REVIEW - I literally read this book as soon as it got released because I couldn't wait. It was so cliche but adorable with its tope being in my God Tier. It was, of course, cliche cause it was meant to be fanfiction but got published. I'm so glad it got published because otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to read it. He's always been a little in love with him, and now they are fake dating, and some sparks will definitely be flying. Everyone loves this book, and I am counted in that everyone. I love when relationships are developed through these seemingly small moments instead of the whole one big scene of love confession, so slow burn when done right is definitely going to be on top reads.
♡ KINGDOM OF THE WICKED
SERIES - Kingdom of the Wicked series
RATINGS - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
TROPES - Enemies to Lovers, Betrayal
TRIGGER WARNINGS - Violence, Gore
ABOUT - Two sisters. One brutal murder. A quest for vengeance that will unleash Hell itself… And an intoxicating romance. Emilia and her twin sister Vittoria are streghe – witches who live secretly among humans, avoiding notice and persecution. One night, Vittoria misses dinner service at the family's renowned Sicilian restaurant. Emilia soon finds the body of her beloved twin…desecrated beyond belief. Devastated, Emilia sets out to find her sister's killer and to seek vengeance at any cost-even if it means using dark magic that's been long forbidden. Then Emilia meets Wrath, one of the Wicked-princes of Hell she has been warned against in tales since she was a child. Wrath claims to be on Emilia's side, tasked by his master with solving the series of women's murders on the island. But when it comes to the Wicked, nothing is as it seems…
MY REVIEW - This book had a lot of things to love but what I really loved was the setting of the entire series. The first book takes place in Italy, while the second one takes place in Hell. Especially in the second book, I loved to read the author's take on Hell. The world-building in this series was just mind-blowing. The character development was also brilliant. I read Kingdom of The Cursed the day it was released, and I can't wait to get the next book for a whole year. The author leaves us at such a bad cliffhanger, and it's so painful.
Check out my full review here - Kingdom of the Wicked Review
♡ THE WALL OF WINNIPEG AND ME
RATINGS - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
TROPES - Grumpy x Sunshine, Fake Dating, Slowburn
TRIGGER WARNINGS - Mentions of child abuse, sexual harassment, and domestic abuse
ABOUT - Vanessa Mazur knows she's doing the right thing. She shouldn't feel bad for quitting. Being an assistant/housekeeper/fairy godmother to the top defensive end in the National Football Organization was always supposed to be temporary. She has plans, and none of them includes washing extra-large underwear longer than necessary. But when Aiden Graves shows up at her door wanting her to come back, she's beyond shocked. For two years, the man known as The Wall of Winnipeg couldn't find it in him to tell her good morning or congratulate her on her birthday. Now? He's asking for the unthinkable. What do you say to the man who is used to getting everything he wants?
MY REVIEW - In September, I got into reading Mariana Zapata books, and oh my god, it's not a lie when somebody said that she's the queen of slow-burn. Her books are literally one of the best pieces of slow-burn I read. The slow burn in The Wall of Winnipeg and Me is so damn good; you see how much Aiden actually cared for her from the start and just didn't know how to express it through these little moments where he supports her and helps her. Slow-burn most times gets annoying, but it's one of the best tropes ever when it's done nicely. Vanessa has always cared for Aiden platonically, and seeing it turn non-platonic was one of the best things I could read.
♡ FROM LUKOV WITH LOVE
RATINGS - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
TROPES - Grumpy x Sunshine, Enemies to Lovers, Slowburn, It's always been you
TRIGGER WARNINGS - Bullying, Fatphobia, Mentions of Sexual Harassment
ABOUT - If someone were to ask Jasmine Santos to describe the last few years of her life with a single word, it would definitely be a four-letter one. After seventeen years—and countless broken bones and broken promises—she knows her window to compete in figure skating is coming to a close. But when the offer of a lifetime comes in from an arrogant idiot she's spent the last decade dreaming about pushing in the way of a moving bus, Jasmine might have to reconsider everything. Including Ivan Lukov.
MY REVIEW - No wonder the queen of slow-burn romances is listed twice in this post. From Lukov with Love is a sweet book with some severe issues targeted. Jasmine's body issues and ability to not read were sincerely addressed in the book. Ivan dealing with expressing his own feelings is a struggle through the book. There is this scene where Jasmine gets hurt, and she thinks that Ivan will be mad for ruining his chances in some competition, but instead, he takes care of her and tells her not to worry. It's one of the sweetest ever scenes, and there are so many of these lovely little scenes in every Mariana Zapata book I have read till now.
♡ THE MADDEST OBSESSION
SERIES - Made Series
RATINGS - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
TROPES - Enemies to Lovers, Hidden Romance
TRIGGER WARNINGS - Death
ABOUT - She fears the dark. He rules it. Her dresses are too tight, her heels too tall. She laughs too loudly, eats without decorum, and mixes upmost sayings in the book. Little do most know it's just a sparkly disguise, there to hide one panic attack at a time. Nobody can crack Gianna's facade . . . no one anyway, until he comes along. Most see a paragon of morality, a special agent upholding the law. In the New York underworld, others know him as a hustler, a killer, his nature as cold as the heart of ice in his chest. Christian Allister has always followed the life plan he'd envisioned in his youth beneath the harsh lights of a frigid, damp cell. With a proclivity for order and the number three, he's never been tempted to veer off course. But perhaps one should never say never . . . One winter night and their lives intertwine. She hates him—his stone-cold demeanour, his arrogance and too-perceptive eye—but over the years, even as their games consist of insulting each other's looks and intelligence, she begins to live to play with him. Nowhere in Christian's plans had he ever prepared for Gianna. She's chaos embodied, not his type, and married, but none of that can stop his eyes from following her wherever she goes. All along, she doesn't even know that she's his—his frustration, his fascination. His maddest obsession
MY REVIEW - Christian Allister and Gianna Rossi are my maddest obsession. Gianna Rossi is what wannabe mafia main character girls want to be but can't be. This book takes place in 2 phases, and it gets kind of confusing. The first phase occurs in the past; Gianna's past takes place over the years, while Christian's takes over a few days in his therapy sessions. Phase 2 is the present which collapses with the first book, The Sweetest Oblivion. Christian is one of my top 4 book boyfriends with Rhys, Aaron Blackford and Connor Cobalt.
♡ WELL MET
SERIES - Well Met
RATINGS - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
TROPES - Enemies to Lovers, Grumpy x Sunshine,
TRIGGER WARNINGS - Death
ABOUT - Emily knew there would be strings attached when she relocated to the small town of Willow Creek, Maryland, for the summer to help her sister recover from an accident, but who could anticipate getting roped into volunteering for the local Renaissance Faire alongside her teenage niece? Or that the irritating and inscrutable schoolteacher in charge of the volunteers would be so annoying that she finds it impossible to stop thinking about him? The faire is Simon's family legacy, and from the start, he makes clear he doesn't have time for Emily's lighthearted approach to life, her oddball Shakespeare conspiracy theories, or her endless suggestions for new acts to shake things up. Yet on the faire grounds, he becomes a different person, flirting freely with Emily when she's in her revealing wench's costume. But is this attraction natural, or just part of the characters they're portraying? This summer was only ever supposed to be a pit stop on the way to somewhere else for Emily, but soon she can't seem to shake the fantasy of establishing something more with Simon or a permanent home of her own in Willow Creek.
MY REVIEW - This book got me addicted to the Grumpy x Sunshine trope with how well Jen DeLuca did it. I loved the unique concept of the Ressaince Faire. I loved how they role-played with Pirate and a Wench and how they sort of picked fake dating but not really? The Jealousy trope always makes me love a book more, and it was the same with this book. When Simon got jealous of Mitch, it revived my soul a bit (which was sort of dead after school). The insecurities that they developed and how they tackled and reacted to situations was so believable. I haven't read the rest of the books in this series, but I definitely will.
♡ THE SCORE
SERIES - Off-Campus series
RATINGS - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
TROPES - Enemies to Lovers, Hidden Romance
TRIGGER WARNINGS - Death
ABOUT - Allie Hayes is in the wrong place, nursing a broken heart from her long term relationship and not knowing what to do after college. Dean Di Laurentis is carefree and always gets what he wants, but one night with Allie rocks his world upside down. Allie just wants to be friends, but Dean has other plans. Life-changing events put both of them through problems, but Dean never had a problem scoring in even a losing game.
MY REVIEW - I love Dean and Allie, and they are my favourite couple in the entire off-campus series. I also pasted a page from this book on my wall (It's printed; I would never tear a book up). Dean is a playboy, but how he treats Allie makes me swoon. Dean and Allie both face problems in and out of their relationship. Allie has mental blocks after breaking up with her long time boyfriend, Sean. I don't want to hint at Dean's problems because that might be a spoiler. Their relationship develops from the start to the end in a realistic way. The book is obviously not realistic, but the development is believable and beautiful. The closure and the ending Dean and Allie receive in The Legacy are satisfying. The character development, the relationship development and the plot development were all 5 stars worthy in this book.
♡ THE RISK
SERIES - Briar-U series
RATINGS - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
TROPES - Rivals, Enemies to Lovers, Fake Dating
TRIGGER WARNINGS - Miscarriage, Survivor's guilt (off sorts)
ABOUT - Brenna Jenson is the daughter of the head coach of the Briar Hockey team, while Jake Connely is the captain of their rival team Harvard. When Jenna faces misogyny at her workplace, she decides to use Jake to get the position, but for every fake date with Jake, he wants a real one.
MY REVIEW - Brenna and Jake are one of the most loved couples from the series, as I've seen on Bookstagram and Booktok, and they are my favourite too. Brenna is one of the strongest and most likeable female characters I have read about, and her backstory is mysterious and makes the readers sympathize and respect her more. On the other hand, Jake has another story, and the way he is ready to do about anything for Brenna and doesn't let his cocky male ego come in between their relationship was a big one for me. I've seen how male characters with cocky male egos are romanticized a lot in books. I'm not saying I hate them because Dean DiLaurentis, but I prefer guys who can put aside their ego to let something good happen or guys who are more on the cold and calculating side like most male characters on this list.
You can find my full review of the Off-Campus / Briar - U series; you can check it out here - Off-Campus / Briar -U Review
♡ BROKEN KNIGHT
SERIES - All Saints High series
RATINGS - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
TROPES - Friends to Lovers,
TRIGGER WARNINGS - Alcohol/ Drug abuse, Mentions of rape, Dubious consent, death, dealing with emotional trauma
ABOUT - Not all love stories are written the same way. Ours had torn chapters, missing paragraphs, and a bittersweet ending. Luna Rexroth is everyone's favourite wallflower. Sweet. Caring. Charitable. Quiet. Fake. Underneath the meek, tomboy exterior everyone loves (yet pities) is a girl who knows exactly what and who she wants—namely, the boy from the treehouse who taught her how to curse in sign language. Who taught her how to laugh. To live. To love. Knight Cole is everyone's favourite football hero. Gorgeous, Athletic. Rugged. Popular. Liar. This daredevil hell-raiser could knock you up with his gaze alone, but he only has eyes for the girl across the street: Luna. But Luna is not who she used to be. She doesn't need his protection anymore. When life throws a curveball at All Saints' golden boy, he's forced to realize not all knights are heroes. Sometimes, the greatest love stories flourish in tragedy.
MY REVIEW - This book was one hefty read yet one of the best fans. I cried. A lot. After successfully ignoring the last chapter of this book, I can say this was one of the best books I read this year. This book deals with a lot of heavy stuff, and I do want to tell if you are not strong enough to handle it, please do not force yourself to read it just because many say this book is good. My heart still hurts thinking about this book, and LJ Shen did a great job except for the last chapter. We fans don't talk about the last chapter. Though if you love the Happy Ever After in Ruckus from Sinners of Saint, I suggest re-thinking reading this book because Shen does do a lot of damage here for Ruckus fans.
♡ KISS THE SKY
SERIES - Addicted/ Calloway Series
RATINGS - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
TROPES - Academic Rivals to Lovers, Found Family
TRIGGER WARNINGS - Alcohol/ Drug abuse, Mentions of addiction (Triggers for the whole series instead of one book)
ABOUT - Rose Calloway thought she had everything under control. At twenty-three, she's a Princeton graduate, an Academic Bowl champion, a fashion designer and the daughter of a Fortune 500 mogul. But with a sex addict as a sister and roommate, nothing comes easy. After accepting help from a producer, Rose agrees to have her life filmed for a reality television show. The Hollywood exec is her last chance to revive her struggling fashion line, and boundaries begin to blur as she's forced to make nice with a man who always has his way. Twenty-four-year-old Connor Cobalt is a guy who bulldozes weak men. He's confident, smart-as-hell and lives with his equally ambitious girlfriend, Rose Calloway. Connor has to find a way to protect Rose without ruining the show. Or else the producer will get what Connor has always wanted—Rose's virginity.
MY REVIEW - Connor Cobalt is wow. That were the words going through my mind when I read this series. The found family trope in this book hits me so hard, and usually, in romance, you don't see that close connection with friends and family. Still, this book not only develops relationships between couples but between family and friends too. Connor and Lo might be my favourite ever friendship ever, it's flirty and fun, and I love it. On the other hand, Rose Calloway is a badass, strong woman who hates Lo but seeing her soft for Connor, Lily, and Daisy makes my heart summersault. I finished 10 books in this series in like 5-6 days (I don't even remember because I just read it one after another and lost sense of time).
Been meaning to read red white and royal blue and the love hypothesis for so long, i guess this is a sign to finally pick them up!
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