Looking to indulge yourself in short, toe-curling romance? These standalones would get you delving your head in those books for hours on end, anticipating for what’s to come next.
The Love Hypothesis — Ali Hazelwood
Tropes: Sunshine/Grumpy; Age-gap; Fake dating
Many might have already heard of this book as it is a famous book on Booktok, yet might put off reading it for weeks, or even months. A brief explanation of the plot goes something along the lines of Olive Smith (a third year Ph.D. Candidate) and Adam Carlsen (a young professor) ‘dating’ so that Anh (Olive’s best friend) can date Olive’s ex-boyfriend, to which Olive no longer has any feelings for, with a peace of mind.
It is a comedic book that is great if you’re looking for a light and easy book to read. Albeit beware of the slight NC16 scene (Chapter sixteen) in the book. Personally, what got me really into this book was the sunshine/grumpy trope. The author has really showcased Olive’s bubbly character throughout the book yet made sure to remind readers that she also has her own problems that disrupts that personality of hers. I also loved the fact that the author justified certain actions of Adam that may have seemed rather inconsiderate of him somewhere in the middle of the book. The book also focuses on the trouble women in STEM faces, so it gives a different insight to the world of science that some otherwise wouldn’t know.
The Universe is Expanding and So Am I — Carolyn Mackler
Trope: Strangers to friends to lovers; No strings attached
The book is about 16-year-old Virginia (Female Protagonist) facing the problems of growing up: Diminishing self-esteem, her own body image, falling out of love and most importantly, her brother, Byron’s, crime of date rape. She then meets 17-year-old Sebastian (Male Protagonist) and they became friends, until they find a truth that could destroy everything.
The story centres mainly around Virginia following her family to deal with the consequences of her older brother’s actions, as well as the stress her family is in. This severely affects her since her self-esteem was never great to begin with since her mother indirectly criticises Virginia’s curvaceous figure. The story does mention vaguely about their coping mechanisms including self-harming and drinking. The book mainly focuses on whether unintended crimes are justified or not. Thus, although the language used is not very dark. The book does not address any light issues.
The Fault in Our Stars — John Green
Tropes: Strangers to Friends to Lovers; Major Character Death
The story is written in the eyes of Hazel who is pessimistic in every way, which is understandably so as she has been diagnosed with stage four thyroid cancer and Depression. She then meets Augustus Waters at Cancer Kid Support Group, to which they both then hits it off right there and then. They got closer, and soon a different kind of relationship forms between them.
The story offers a darker viewpoint of the world through Hazel’s eyes and rationale. The story focuses on living rather than just surviving while being terminally ill. I loved the way the two protagonists interacted, although the way they interact may be intellectually more complex and that required more time on my end to understand what they’re trying to convey. The author has also done well in narrating the small and big things Augustus and Hazel would do for each other in supporting each other together.
Let Me List the Ways – Sarah White
Tropes: Best Friends to Lovers; High School Romance
The story was an easy read, the language used was rather simple to understand and the plot was a definite page turner. The story brings you around in the shoes of Mackenzie Clarke, who suffers from type-1 Diabetes, and is best friends with Nolan Walker. In their senior year of high school and about to move on to different colleges, they strive to fulfil as much adventures together before they finally part.
I loved how the story educates readers on type 1 diabetes and how people suffering from it faces everyday life, the dangers they are constantly in and the questions they occasionally face from people who are not well informed of the illness. It also tackles the fear of ruining a lifelong relationship because of personal feelings and the contemplation of how life would be like after the present moment along with the dread and anticipation that precedes it.
Five Feet Apart — Rachael Lippincott with Mikki Daughtry and Tobias Laconis
Tropes: Hospital Romance; Forbidden Love
To kick this recommendation off with a fun fact, Five Feet Apart was initially a Movie that was then adapted into a book. The story is written in dual Point of View of Stella Grant and Will Newman who both suffers from Cystic Fibrosis. Because of this, they are not allowed less than 6 feet apart from each other. Despite this, upon seeing Will carelessly throwing his life away, Stella steps up to help him while coping with the loss of her sister.
This story is a bitter one with an ending left to your own interpretation. It tackles rougher topics such as dealing with a terminal illness, coping with the loss of a loved one and loving someone from a distance, literally. But more importantly, it educates readers about Cystic Fibrosis and B.cepacia, which Will suffers from which effectively cuts off any form of survival for him. There were parts of the story that had me weeping because of the decisions each character make and the rationale behind said decisions. This story left me mulling over the entire sequence of events days after I read the last sentence.
These books had me on the edge of my seat reading, and I am sure it will be the case for you too. They are all standalones, which is perfect for a short and immersive read.
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