Love Stories to Warm Up a Cold Evening

I love a good love story any time of year, but there's something extra nice about curling up with a heartwarming read on a dark, cold evening. I've put together a list of a few of my recent favorites, and I hope you'll share yours in the comments!

I've included a rating scale of 1-4 fire 🔥 emojis to give you a sense of how explicit the physical relationship of the characters gets on the page.

Pride, Prejudice, and Other Flavors by Sonali Dev
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With her newest book Sonali Dev has shifted away from her popular Bollywood romance series to create modern variations on Jane Austen's classics, starting with Pride and Prejudice. Trisha is a neurosurgeon from an incredibly rich and powerful family, DJ is a talented chef whose family has struggled for everything they have. There's romance, family drama, some interesting twists, but most memorable are the lusciously delicious food descriptions.


Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
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I'm always a sucker for stories where enemies or rivals discover that they don't actually hate each other, and that all those sparks flying are True Love. McQuiston's debut is exactly that. For years Alex, son of the first female President of the United States, thought he hated Prince Henry, the younger son of the Queen of England. Of course, as the sons of such powerful people, it's going to be more than a little complicated to make things work.


Can't Escape Love by Alyssa Cole
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This is a novella, which means that it is currently eBook only and available to City of Dubuque residents through the library's OverDrive/Libby collection. It also means that this story falls smack in the middle of Cole's Reluctant Royals series, so be wary of spoilers for the other books in this series. Reggie is driven, fiercely independent, and unapologetically nerdy. Gus has a sexy voice, a love for puzzles, and is just breaking into the world of Escape Rooms. They met online, but in person their attraction proves to be impossible to resist.


The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
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Helen Hoang's debut novel is a enjoyable story about a fake relationship between two people who don't feel worthy of the real thing - yet. Stella is successful and accomplished, but Asperger's syndrome makes interpersonal relationships a challenge. Michael is the half-Vietnamese escort she hires to help her learn and improve her skills. I listened to the audiobook, and narrator Carly Robins is fantastic.


The Wedding Date by Jasmine Guillory
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Jasmine Guillory's debut was one of my top three favorite reads for 2019 with what felt a perfect mix of sweet and spicy, humor and drama. Alexa and Drew meet when they get stuck in an elevator together, and then Drew impulsively asks Alexa to be his date at his ex-girlfriend's wedding. It's a fake relationship with an undeniable attraction, but the real conflict comes from how two accomplished professionals with established lives in different cities can make things work.


Intercepted by Alexa Martin
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If you'd asked me a year ago, I would've told you that sports romances weren't really my thing, but Alexa Martin convinced me that I was wrong. It helps that Intercepted doesn't require the reader to be a football expert to understand the story. Marlee has been dating Chris since high school, though they've had a few rough patches over the years. On one memorable break, Marlee had a one-night stand with Gavin, who just so happens to be the new quarterback for Chris's team. Plus Chris still hasn't #PutARingOnIt, which means Marlee is a second-class citizen when it comes to the mean girls club made up of the other players' wives.

Mystery Puns That Will Sleigh You

Dark, cold winter evenings, the stress of holiday gatherings and the crowds of shoppers, it's no wonder that cozy mystery authors find murderous inspiration in the Christmas season.

Below find a list of recent mysteries with a Christmas pun twist:

 'Twas the Knife Before Christmas by Jacqueline Frost
The second book in the Christmas Tree Farm Mystery series. When a body turns up in the dumpster behind Caroline’s Cupcakes, Holly White is horrified to learn her best friend Caroline is the main suspect.

Murder With All the Trimmings by Shawn Simmons
The sixth book in the Red Carpet Catering Mysteries series. Penelope Sutherland is catering her first documentary, a history of the Vitrine Theater and the Big Apple Dancers, who put on the world-famous Christmas Extravaganza. When one of the dancers mysteriously disappears then turns up dead right before opening night, it looks like Christmas might be cancelled.

Six Cats a Slayin' by Miranda James
The tenth book in the Cat in the Stacks series. Charlie Harris and his Maine Coon cat, Diesel, are busy decking the halls for the holidays when an unexpected delivery and a shocking murder conspire to shake up the season.

A Cup of Holiday Fear by Ellie Alexander
The tenth book in the Bakeshop Mystery series. To cap off the merry season, Jules and Helen host their annual staff party at the historic Winchester Inn’s Dickens Feast. Just as the dessert course is about to be served the power goes out and Jules finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation. Her only wish this Christmas is to catch a killer.

Dachshund Through the Snow by David Rosenfelt
The twentieth book in the Andy Carpenter series. This Christmas, lawyer Andy Carpenter and his golden retriever, Tara, can't say no to helping young Danny and his dachshund, Murphy.

Owl Be Home for Christmas by Donna Andrews
The twenty-sixth book in the Meg Langslow series. It's a few days before Christmas, and Meg's grandfather is hosting a scientific conference on owls at the Caerphilly Inn. An unexpectedly severe snow storm traps the conference-goers in the hotel, and one of the visiting ornithologists is murdered.

Silent Knit, Deadly Knit by Peggy Erhart
The fourth book in A Knit & Nibble Mystery series. When murder silences the Christmas cheer in charming Arborville, New Jersey, Pamela and her Knit and Nibble pals must unravel the most bone-chilling mystery this side of the North Pole . . .

C-SPL Reader of the Month: Tori Stanley

With 2019 coming to a close, we have one final C-SPL Reader of the Month for the year, but no worries, there will be more in 2020! Tori Stanley is a dental assistant and part-time clinical instructor at NICC in the dental assisting program. Besides reading, Tori loves crafting—especially bookish objects and home and holiday decor.

(See the past C-SPL Reader of the Month blog posts here.)

Tori's Reading Interests

I love fantasy and science fiction (YA and adult), horror, thrillers, and dystopian novels. I tend to stick with authors that I really like and other books they recommend. I love reading about characters trying to change their worlds for the better, when their worlds are colorful, crazy, and slightly different than our own, and I LOVE it when a character is morally gray. About two years ago, I ventured out into the world and went to my first Geek Out Book Club at Carnegie-Stout Public Library and it is something that I fell in love with and found a great friend in too. I love that the club pushes me to read different books that I might of just passed up on a regular basis. I also help on a Facebook book club as an admin creating events and discussions with people from all over the world.

Q&A with Tori

Q. What is your ideal reading environment (location, sound, snacks, etc.)?

A. Snacks. I need all the snacks. I love candy (especially milk duds—yes I know they’re bad for your teeth), popcorn, ice cream, and chocolate. I also enjoy a glass of green tea in the morning and a beer at night (but those aren’t necessary). I can typically read with or without music. BUT if I had to choose, I love reading any kind of fantasy novel while listening to The Lord of the Rings soundtrack (this will change your reading life).

Q. What book are you most excited about reading next and what about it is most exciting?

A. I am most excited about reading Aurora Burning by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff. Their writing is fantastic. It’s YA science fiction. This band of misfits will make you fall in love with them and then rip your heart out. The first book, Aurora Rising, was one of my favorite books of the year. 

Q. What book do you think more people should read and why do you think they should read it?

A. Illuminae (The Illuminae Files #1). Everyone should read this. It’s YA science fiction, but I have not had a single person tell me they didn’t love this series. The style of the book is something I’ve never seen before and the audiobook is to die for. I’m not a fan of audiobooks, but this changed my life: it has a full cast and the most amazing sound effects. It is totally worth the read, even if you aren’t a fan of YA or science fiction.

Q. What book has been the most challenging for you to read? How did it challenge you?

 
A. The most challenging book for me to read was All Your Perfects by Colleen Hoover. It’s romance. Romance books are a tough one for me to swallow. A friend recommended it to me for my “read something you wouldn’t normally read” challenge. I won’t lie, I didn’t want to read it. I got it and would pick it up, just to put it back down. But once I finally started it, I fell in love. The book was incredibly real, broke my heart, then put it back together. The writing style was amazing. And now, I recommend it to everyone.

Q. When do you decide to stop reading a book? (In other words, do you read every book to the last page, or is there a moment when you decide to stop?)
 

A. Typically I like to finish books in one or two days, but life sometimes gets in the way. I try to read before bed every night so I have to be careful to watch the clock and not read all night. I have to stop at the end of chapters. It’s bothersome to have to stop reading in the middle of a chapter-it’s like nails on a chalkboard. If the book doesn't interest me, my reading motto is simple: life is too short to read books you don’t enjoy.

Q. Do you remember when your love for reading began?

 
A. I always enjoyed reading. The library where I grew up had great reading challenges that I loved to complete. The day I fell in love is easy to remember. It was my birthday in 1998. My aunt gave me Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. That’s the first night I pulled an all-nighter to finish a book. I fell in love with the characters and the world. And then of course with reading.


Check out more of Tori's Favorite Books

Apply to be the next C-SPL Reader of the Month!