CityView Magazine

42 Februar y 2023 GOOD READS Love is in the air, and in the books, too BY DIANE PARFITT F ebruary is for lovers, thanks to Valentine's Day. What better way to celebrate love than to read about it and share the stories with the love of your life? Romance novels may be looked down upon by serious literary types, but they make up one of the most popular and profitable genres of books across all categories. Why are they so popular? Well, for one thing, they are predictable and comforting, and the main characters usually live happily ever aer. Also, there is banter and humor between the main love interests. e ideal man is oen portrayed as tall, dark and handsome (and there is nothing wrong with that!). And then there's the sex. Aer all, that is part of life, and people like to read about good, healthy sex. When looking at the most popular romance novels of 2022, the following four novels were on just about every list. ese will get you started on some fun reading for 2023. And for you guys out there, if these don't especially speak to you, it may be just the right gi for your special someone. e flowers may wilt aer a couple of days and the candy may be gone, but books will be around for a long while. 1. "Book Lovers'' by Emily Henry I mentioned this book several months ago, and it has continued to be one of the most popular books of the year. Nora Stephens, the main character, is truly a book lover. She is a literary agent and a heroine to her clients, whom she helps to get amazing deals. But she has not taken good care of herself, so her sister persuades her to take a much needed vacation to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina. Her sister hopes Nora will meet a dashing man there and become a heroine in her own story. Instead, she keeps running into Charles, another book editor from back in the city. Are they destined to find a spark, even though their past encounters have been anything but romantic? 2. "The Love of My Life'' by Rosie Walsh Emma has the perfect life, or so she has convinced herself. She is a well- known marine biologist. She has a loving husband, Leo, and an adorable daughter. But she also has a lie that she has been living for all these years. is is all about to come undone when her husband begins to unravel the truth aer Emma becomes seriously ill. Leo copes with her illness by researching and writing about his wife's life, and suddenly he realizes their perfect life is not so perfect aer all. Will Emma be able to convince Leo that, in fact, their life is perfect in spite of the lie she carried? 3. "Bridgerton: The Duke and I'' (Bridgerton's Book 1) by Julia Quinn So many people have followed "Bridgerton'' on Netflix. How many also know about the books that inspired the series? ere are eight books in the Bridgerton series by Julia Quinn. Each one deals with one of the siblings in the noble Bridgerton family as they search for love, adventure and happiness in high-society London. "e Duke and I" is a good place to start this series. Daphne, the oldest Bridgerton daughter, enters into a fake courtship with Simon, a duke. She does so in hopes of attracting notice from some gentlemen who have I wish people wouldn't think that reading romance novels makes me less of a book lover. Everyone needs their own form of book therapy, and I've found mine. That should be enough. — Bookfessions 1 2 3 5 6 4

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