It's almost Beautiful Secret Day!!!!!

Okay boys and girls…are you ready? I am going to write a review void of my “Aghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!” and “kodjskhfufdskfougirhsfkdlskgisddfjjkdfher!!!” which are both pretty standard in my Christina Lauren reviews. I’m going to try to be a grown up here. Let’s see how that goes.

*sits up straight*

Here we go…

I didn’t say this review wouldn’t include confetti cannons…because if ANY book deserves confetti cannons, Beautiful Secret deserves confetti cannons! Ahem…okay…back to being a grown up.

I love this book. I love this book more than I could every properly convey. If you have never read a Christina Lauren book (how is that even possible?), you MUST read this book. I promise that once you finish Beautiful Secret that you will want to read every book this duo has ever written.

Niall isn’t the bastard that is Bennett. Niall isn’t the brave exhibitionist that is Max (although Niall IS Max’s brother). Niall isn’t the God among men, Will. Niall isn’t sweet Ansel. Niall is not the rugged, outdoorsy, good with a rope, fisherman Finn. Niall is Niall Stella.

Niall is his own man and he is so unlike any of Christina Lauren’s other leading men, it’s unreal. It’s unreal in that: HOW do they write these characters that are so incredibly different from one another? I mean, one would think Max and Niall might be similar since they are brothers. Nope. Completely different. COMPLETELY. Christina Lauren’s ability to give each of their character’s his/her own ‘voice’ is what makes me read book after book after book. 

Just as C and Lo are consistent with making sure EVERY leading man is completely different and incredible, Christina Lauren also makes sure that each and everyone of their leading women are smart, witty and strong. The women that Christina Lauren write are women any woman would be happy to call a friend. Christina Lauren women will never be confused with any sniveling, 'Why is this happening to me? Someone please save me.' heroine. Ever. In Beautiful Secret, Ruby is brilliant, fun, sassy and a phenomenal heroine. Give me a smart and fearless girl any day of the week.  I love Ruby just as much as I love Niall. I do. I really do!!!! 

Oh! Something else that Christina Lauren ALWAYS does? They make you feel like you are there! Beautiful Secret took place in New York and London. What better locations??? While I have been to New York several times, I have never been to London. However, after reading Beautiful Secret I feel like I have. The depth of their descriptions is priceless. The descriptions that Christina Lauren uses to engage you in the story is incomparable. From the soggy streets of London to the airplane bathroom to the vibrant streets of New York...C and Lo make you feel like you are there. 

I love Niall. I love Ruby. And I love Niall and Ruby’s story!!! I looooooooooove Beautiful Secret. From the cover to the contents of it. I love everything about Beautiful Secret. Beautiful Secret is a book that I didn’t want to end. I foresee begging Christina Lauren for a Niall and Ruby novella in the very near future. I mean…I know they have other things to do…you know, like write other books…but…

It’s THAT good! How many times do you finish a book and immediately want to read it again? How many times do you finish a book and immediately want more? How many times do you finish a book and cry yourself to sleep at night because you just found the man of your dreams…in a book? Wait. Too much?  I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE this book and you will too! 

One-click Beautiful Secret HERE!!!!!!!!!!!!! Once you have met and fallen completely in love with the perfection that is Niall, let’s talk, yeah?  I'll be over here like this if you need me:

Or like this:

xoxo

Bennett, Max, Will, Ansel, Finn, Niall, Oh my!!!!!!

So I read an article yesterday that was ranking Nicholas Sparks’ book couples. I’ll be honest. I have never read a Nicholas Sparks novel. I have, however, been (begrudgingly) dragged to several of his movies. Every time I am forced to go to one of his movies I assure you that my friends have to endure my eye rolling, my snark, my sighing, and my ‘are you kidding me with this?’ commentary. I’m pretty much the embodiment of a moody teenage girl when I have to sit through a Sparks movie. But not even the pretty that is Scott Eastwood will get me out of my house to see this latest adaption. No way.

My question is: Who reads this stuff? I get that he’s a man writing books intended for women but what self-respecting woman reads this stuff? It seems to me that the women are placed in his movies to simply ogle the men they hope will somehow save them. Oh! And every plot ‘twist’ is about as subtle as an incoming freight train. I. Just. Don’t. Get. It. 

Okay…with that tangent aside, where was I going with this post…Oh! Yes! Ranking book couples! That’s where I’m going with this post. I decided that I would take a moment to rank my favorite Christina Lauren book couples. It got ugly! Me arguing with myself, that is:)

Oh! One more thing! Before I start ranking my CLo couples, I should note: I love these couples. I love them possibly because these are couples written by women! For women (and maybe some men)! And as a woman, I find it beyond refreshing to read non-submissive ‘I will not take your crap simply because you are hot’ women! Christina Lauren writes women who you do not want to punch in the face. They write women who belong in the here and now and not…say…1954. Okay…second tangent aside:)

Let’s do this!!!!!! Wait. Hold on. I should also note that this is painful. It is like choosing between my favorite kind pie! I loooooooooooooooooove pie. Like a lot. And! If you ask me at a later date, my favorite Christina Lauren couple could change. Aghhhhhhhhhhh. WHY is this so hard??? Okay…here we go…

6. Ansel and Mia

You know it’s bad when the sweetness that is Ansel is at the bottom of your list. And by bad, I mean: Ansel would end up on top if he was up against pretty much any other author’s character! I love Ansel. I love Mia. Viva La France!!! I mean…Ansel showed up in Dirty Rowdy Thing wearing a sombrero filled with tortilla chips…because, according to Harlow, he’s an ‘adorable idiot.’ Looooooooooove how sweet and tender Ansel is. It is really quite fascinating that Christina Lauren can write the bastard that is Bennett as unbelievably well as the tenderness that is Ansel. I love that Sweet Filthy Boy!!!

5. Max and Sara Aghhhhhhhhhh!!! One word: British. Another word: Rugby. *fans self* I was initially sad when I realized Beautiful Stanger wouldn’t be Bennett and Chloe part 2. But then I met Max and Sara and have been in love with this Brit ever since. Oh…and don’t forget one of my favorite Max scenes ever found in Beautiful Beginning! “Would you stop being such a twat and relax? I’ve got this.” Yes. Yes you do, Max!

4. Finn and Harlow Finnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn!!! Who knew I could ever want a rugged fisherman? Christina Lauren knew. That’s who!!! I don’t do outdoorsy anything. Like at all. I’m allergic. For real-completely and totally allergic but I would go to my allergist to get daily allergy shots if that meant I could be Harlow. Dirty Rowdy Thing indeed! Swooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooon.

3. Bennett and Chloe Beautiful Bastard started it all. Do you know what is so perfect about Beautiful Bastard? That Bennett is such a complete bastard and it’s okay! It’s okay because Chole is a total biatch! They are so perfect together and I love Mr. Mills (insert cheesy grin) and Mrs. Ryan more than I can ever say. Also: The last line of Beautiful Beginning is my favorite last sentence to ANY Christina Lauren book. *wink*

2. Will and Hanna I have the world’s biggest smile on my face even thinking about Beautiful Player! I love this book. I think this is the first Christina Lauren book that I can quote by memory without referring to my insane amount of Kindle highlights! For example: “Guys really like the anal, don’t they…” *insert me almost peeing myself* “It’s just called anal. Not the anal.” I die. Right there! That’s not even mentioning the decapitated (ceramic) baby Jesus and all the other incredible Will and Hanna moments. Love! Love! Loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooove!

1. Niall and Ruby Beautiful Secret is the most recent Christina Lauren book I have read and 2 words: Niall Stella. My phone even knows how awesome he is. It autocaps to NIALL every time! He is the ‘everything I have ever wanted in a dream man, please make him be real so I can marry him!!!’ kind of wonderful. I am in love with Niall and Ruby and their story and everything about this book screams: PERFECTION!!!!!!!!!!! Less than a week before Beautiful Secret releases. Less than a week for the world to prepare for the next great book hangover. P. E. R. F. E. C. T. I. O. N.

I feel like going back to read every single Christina Lauren book…you know what would happen then? It would be like throwing my ranking up in the air and seeing how it lands just because every book is so freaking fantastic. I joke that they are magical writing unicorns because what else could explain that every single book is unforgettable? I love them all! The best thing is: I don’t just love the men in the books! I love the women! I want to be their friends. They are strong and a force to be reckoned with in every single way.

So this started out with why I will NOT be venturing out to see another cliché “Girl meets hot boy. Hot boy ‘saves’ helpless girl.” movie this weekend. Rather, I can stay home with the happiness in my Kindle…you know, with a Christina Lauren book that reads more like, “Girl meets hot boy. *insert filth and fun* They save each other. The end.” I say you stay in with me this weekend and to the same:) You can find EVERY Christina Lauren book HERE!!!!!

So tell me (and by tell me, I mean tweet me)…who’s your fav and why? 

xoxo

REAL is 2!!!!!!

Guys!!!! Today is the TWO YEAR Anniversary of REAL!!!!! Two years ago Katy Evans hit ‘publish’ and self-published REAL! Think about this: Katy wrote and published this masterpiece all on her own! She was quickly scooped up by a publisher because it did not take the book world long to recognize that she is a SUPER STAR!

One of my favorite books in the entire world turns 2 today and I couldn’t be more nostalgic! I looooooooooooooooooove REAL. I looooooooooooooooooove Remy. And Brooke! And I looooooooooooooooooove Katy Evans.

True story: I got to meet Katy in person last spring and she is just as sweet and caring and genuine and wonderful as you would expect her to be. I was lucky enough to be her assistant at her Chicago signing and my heart melted as reader after reader came up to her. Readers from all over the country were thanking her and hugging her and telling her how much Remy’s story meant to them. It was incredibly moving. At that time, we hadn’t met any of Katy’s other men but Remy was all it took to have Katy’s line completely full from the start to the end of the signing.

I love that day. Not only because I got to spend the entire day with Katy but because I got to watch her feel the love from all of the readers she has touched with her words. I have said this before and I will say it again: Katy is a reader’s writer. She pours her heart and her soul into every book she writes. She doesn’t take her job as an author for granted. She gives every book she writes her all and I couldn’t be happier for the success she has had. I. LOVE. HER. HARD.

If you have not yet read REAL, what are you waiting for???? You can one click the perfection that is REAL here! I’m also including links at the end of this blog post for all of Katy’s books, because, really, you can’t not have Katy’s goodness in your life! Goodness like THIS:

Rem had me at, "Your name..." Ooooooooomf! I am so thankful not only for this phenomenal book and for Katy but for all of the friends I have made as we bonded over our love for REAL and our lickable lion who is Remy. I cannot stress enough how much everyone who loves to read needs this book in their life! Perfection. Complete and total perfection.

So today…on this REAL anniversary, take a minute to gift this masterpiece to a friend who hasn’t met Remy yet. Take a moment and open your Kindle or flip through your paperback to remember why we all fell in love with the beautiful soul who is Remington Tate and appreciate the pure talent of Katy Evans! Go forth and gift and read!!! I’ll be spending the afternoon with Rem if you need me:)

xoxo

Books by Katy Evans that you need in your life:

Remy and Brooke's story:

REAL

MINE

REMY (my FAVORITE!!!!!!)

Mel & Greyson's story:

ROGUE

Mackenna & Pandora's story:

RIPPED

Malcolm & Rachael's story:

MANWHORE