Simply Loved: May 2019 Reading List

Lock Every Door by Riley

This book was sent to me as an advanced copy to read and I was so creeped out by it, but can't recommend it enough. I'm not sure why I don't read thrillers and mysteries more, BUT after reading this book I made a mental note to add more to my TBR pile! This was my first book by Riley Sagen that I've read and I really enjoyed her writing style. A LOT! The main character, Jules, begins a new job apartment sitting in one of New York's oldest and super fab buildings, the Bartholomew. The thing is, it just seems too good to be true. There are a lot of rules like no visitors, no nights spent away from the apartment, no pestering the other residents, It's all kind of odd, but she still takes the job anyway. Jules is broke and heartbroken as well. So why not?! What seems like the perfect job, something just isn't right. Things begin to frighten her. Something just isn't right with this building and the residents. People begin disappearing and her curiosity gets the best of her as she starts looking into things more and more. I loved this book. It honestly creeped me out and I didn't see the ending coming. I was really into the writing style and will for sure read more from this author soon! Great book!

The Bride Test by Helen Hoang

I previously read the book, The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang and loved it. So I was excited when this book was released! For me, this book wasn't near as good as The Kiss Quotient, but I didn't hate it entirely. I just didn't feel any sort of connection with the characters and their story like I did with the other book by the author. Khai Diep is the type of person who thinks he is defective. He has autism, so he thinks he just processes feelings differently. When his mother heads to Vietnam to find Khai a wife, Khai has no idea of such plans. At all. She finds Esme, a mixed-race girl, living in the slums of Ho Chi Minh City and convinces her to come to America to meet her "possible husband." Esme's who goal is to get Khai to fall in love with her and make him realize that he does have feelings after all. Do they find love? You'll have to read it to find out!

One Day in December by Josie Silver

My MIL and about every other book club have mentined to me that I need to read this book. I've had it since December and never got around to it. Y'all, it was such a good read and a very fast read at that. Two people see each other. One is on the bus. One is at the bus stop. There are emotions, instant love-at-first-sight type feelings. However, they don't get to meet. The bus pulls away and the guy couldn't get on the bus in time. There goes that love story.....or does it? Laurie felt the magic when she saw him. Yet the bus pulled away. She searched for him. Hoping she'd find him again. She searched for an entire year. Life has a funny way of working out sometimes. I don't want to spoil the magic of this book, so I'm not posting anything else about it! It's fantastic and worth a read for sure!

After (The After Series) by Anna Todd

This series. It has consumed my life for the past couple of weeks or so. I started it because I had remembered the movie trailer and thinking that I wanted to read the book BEFORE I saw the movie. Well, I read the book. I still haven't seen the movie, ha! This series is a fanfiction inspired by One Direction (the band) and the main character, Hardin, is based on Harry Styles. The series has over 1.5 billion reads on Wattpad. ONE BILLION! If I'm being honest, when I read that it was inspired by One Direction and such I was like this will be total shit. HA. I was really wrong. Tessa is a good girl. Great grades, smart, beautiful and loving. She's just starting college when she runs into Hardin at her dorm. He's the bad boy you don't want to fall in love with. He's got a British accent, lots of tattoos and a bad attitude. But hey, opposites attract, right? I won't ruin the book for you. I do want to address that the relationship in this book is almost abusive at times. Hardin is the shittiest boyfriend at times. However, Tessa pushes him buttons just as much. Neither of them is perfect. They're young, trying to learn from their mistakes. BUT is that enough for a relationship? I devoured this book series. It consumed me. Read it. Trust me. There are sex scenes. There is a bad boy with a British accent. There is a young girl who is trying to find her way in life and what makes her happy. There is a lot of sadness, alcohol, and drugs. Do yourself a favor and order it now.

After We Collided by Anna Todd

This is book two in the After Series by Anna Todd. The question I had in the back of my mind when reading this book was can you change for someone you love? Like really change?!? Loved it. Read it in a day.

After We Fell By Anna Todd

So at this point, you're hooked in reading this series. Right?!?! Sure they fight all of the time. They seem like very selfish people, BUT you're hooked on this story. So keep reading. Young love can be intoxicating but it can also be really hard. I think that sums up this book perfectly! READ IT!

After Ever Happy

So we've come to the last book in the series. At times I wanted to throw my Kindle across the room. I laughed, I cried, I felt like I needed to see a British bad boy ASAP! At times I felt like this book dragged. In other parts, I felt like it was a tad rushed. However, I loved it. I won't ruin the book for you. I had a difficult time with certain parts of this book as they were a little triggering for me. I'll just leave it at that. I loved this entire story and I will probably read again later down the road. Now I can finally see the movie! I've also now read that there is another book after this one in Hardin's point of view!