The hopeful romantic in me is still alive!

I'm a huge book lover. For the most part, I enjoy all book genres, especially chick lit and historical fiction. The nerd in me still goes to the library to check out books! But ever since I got my new iPad Mini, I've been downloading books like crazy, both free and paid!  I recently downloaded a contemporary romance novel that was more than a great read, it was an experience...

My first introduction to Wendy Owens was through the book Stubborn Love. It is a story about a young woman, Emmie, who moves to New York City to finish her art degree after having her world turned upside down from her husband's suicide.  Although she's in NYC for school and to launch her career, she connects with three other characters, Paige, Colin and Christian.  Paige is her roommate and challenges Emmie to leave her Midwest roots and explore/enjoy life. Paige is the girl we all have in our friend clique; she’s sassy, confident and always makes you feel like you are invincible.

Stubborn Love is a page turner because you encounter how a damaged person tries battles with her past while trying to look forward to her future. Enter Colin Bennett. The connection between Colin and Emmie is the main storyline. Colin becomes a friend, distraction and love interest all at once. He’s the man that you purposely push away but secretly want to fight to stay around. He’s also the guy who does subtle things to let you know he’s deeply in love with you.  The term, “swept off my feet” applies to Colin’s intentions with Emmie. What I loved most about this character was how he becomes the biggest supporter of her talent and dreams.  Stubborn in Love is one of those books that gives you comfort about taking risks in relationships. 

 

Only In Dreams, I sighed deeply (thinking about my own first love) and cried tears of joy (the climax of this story had me anxious). This time, the main storyline is around Paige and Christian. You learn about their history and their relationship in Stubborn in Love but you get all the emotions in this book. What I love about Paige was her devotion to Christian. She’s what many would call “ride or die” because she stuck by him for years although he didn’t have much and wasn’t living up to his potential.

In Owens' sequel,

And then there's Henry, Paige's fiance and probably the most amazing male character I've read in a long time. His protection, provision and purpose in Paige's life is what every girl dreams of. Henry is also one of those characters that you love the moment you meet him. This is how I felt about Mr. Darcy after reading of his pridefulness!

The emotions I experienced all throughout reading Only In Dreams renewed some of the optimism and "hopeful" romantic idealism that I've been missing. If you are in the mood for a great story with unforgettable characters, definitely read both Stubborn Love and Only In Dreams.