Top Ten Tuesday – Books That Make Me Smile

Today’s Topic: Books That Make Me Smile

Hosted by: That Artsy Reader Girl

A quick glance at this week’s list will show that the books that make me smile have great female leads and great banter. Which should shock no one.

You Deserve Each Other – This surprise hit of 2020 about an engaged couple who now hate each other and try to sabotage their relationship had me laughing so hard. But I also loved the deeper message about learning to appreciate someone you take for granted.

Beard Science – Look, I’m a fan of all of Penny’s books. All of her characters are unique and fun. However, no one makes me laugh more than the quietly brilliant and devious Cletus Winston. And the fact that he meets his match in the Banana Queen of Green Valley, makes this story even more hilarious.

Seeing Miss Heartstone – This sweet story is a bit of an anomaly on this list and for this author, who usually features more humor in her historical romances. But, the title character really touched my heart with her sincerity, earnestness and patience. Belle Heartstone is a woman in a man’s world, in the unusual position of running her father’s business empire, acting as a secret mentor for her crush, all while acting the Victorian lady.

The Blue Castle – After YEARS of reading rave reviews on this L.M. Montgomery classic, I finally discovered it for myself. Valancy Sterling quickly became my hero. Her journey towards independence and discovering her own identity apart from expectations and family are inspiring.

Miss D and Me: Life with Bette Davis – The lone book on this week’s list that isn’t fiction. But Bette Davis was a force of nature and I got a kick out of reading the memories of her personal assistant who worked with her towards the end of Bette’s life. Bonus: the Kindle version of this book is currently on sale.

Storm and Silence – Few female heroines have delighted me quite like Lilly Linton, despite the fact that I have a hard time relating to her.  I fell in love with her fierceness, her refusal to be cowed and her interest in danger. But it is LIlly’s interactions with her cold-hearted, patriarchal, business tycoon of an employer which really won me over.

Nocturne for a Widow– This story of a theater diva meeting a temperamental musician could have been average. But the chemistry between the two and their verbal battles, made it a personal favorite.

A Chance for Sunny Skies – This was my first book by Eryn Scott and not my last. I really appreciated that her romance included an over-weight female love interest who was funny and interesting. The female friendships in this book made me happy too.

A Charmed Life Series – This fish out of water story of a New York teen socialite who must adapt after moving to small town Oklahoma made me a fan of Jenny B Jones. Of course all of her main female characters have personality and a degree in snark, but Bella is also smart, vulnerable and resilient. Her rivalry with her school editor always gives me the giggles.

Edenbrooke – I will never not love Marianne Daventry, whose humility, utter lack of guile and affinity for twirling when she is happy makes me wish she was a real person who could be my friend.

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