Tale As Old As Time // Kelly's List of Love Stories

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I believe in fairy tales. Call me crazy. You do you. I love fairy tales. I love fairy tale re-tellings and re-imaginings almost as much. Beauty and the Beast--duh--will forever be my favorite love story. If a book is inspired by Beauty and the Beast, chances are I'm going to read it. Looking beyond appearances to the person underneath resonates with me so deeply that when I read a good re-telling, it makes me happy down to the very bottom of my heart. Here are my favorite Beauty and the Beast inspired stories and *cough* one you might already recognize from a different post...

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J Maas // Masked, cursed Fae and a strong-willed, independent human? Hell to the yes! The magic in this story is very BatB inspired and I loooooove the relationship Tamlin and Feyre grow to have. It is slow and then so hot you think you're going to burn your fingers on the pages. Read. This. {Review}

A Lady by Midnight by Tessa Dare // A gruff and broody military man longs for the sweet and smart tavern girl. There's a few secrets in their midst but I loved watching Kate poke the bear that is Thorne and how he reacts. Oh, and the ending is one of the best ever! *swoon!* {Review}

Heart's Blood by Juliet Marlier // One of the more quiet and slow-moving romances, this slow burn is incredible. It is wonderfully romantic how Anluan opens up to Caitrain and the love they share. OH, it's just SO SO good, you guys!! Fainting couch at the ready! {Review}

Son of Shadows by Juliet Marllier // An wild outlaw who plays by his own rules finds himself taking captive the daughter of the Lord of Sevenwaters. Their relationship is somewhat scandalous but how they get together and the struggles they go through are epic. One of the best loves stories ever! {Review}

Making Faces by Amy Harmon // A scarred and wounded young man comes back to his hometown after fighting overseas and he falls for a young woman who has been in love with him before he left. This. Book. Has. Feels. Warning. It is so beautiful and, as the other books do, call into question physical beauty and how it really is in the eye of the beholder and who you are inside is what matters most. *sigh* {Review}

Lover Awakened by JR Ward // Sue me! I'm putting in here again because it's my favorite, favorite, favorite ever! {Review}

Do you have a favorite fairy tale?
What's your favorite re-telling to read?
Don't forget to see what my favorite Epic Romances are, which forbidden romances make my heart beat faster in The Struggle Is Real, and which books put the hot in hotachacha in Sexy Times for the Win!

Don't forget...whether you're single or alone Valentine's Day is about celebrating love.
And love is beautiful in all forms. Especially self-love 

Epic Love // Kelly's List of Love Stories

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In case you're looking to start reading a book immediately, I'm starting with the big guns, The Epic Romances. These are the stories that stayed with me long after I turned the final page. The stories I come back to time and again to relive the magic. While I sincerely love all the books and stories I'm going to talk about this week, these stories just have a little extra something that makes my heart beat a little faster. Without further ado...

The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons // This might be the most epic of epic love stories. Chance meeting, sacrifice, war, horrific circumstances keeping them apart, and true love. True, pure, deep love. *le sigh* {Review}

Lover Awakened by JR Ward // This book is my lifeblood. Zsadist will forever be my number one book boyfriend of all time. Nobody will ever dethrone him. He is my hellren. His love story with Bella is EVERYTHING to me. {Review}

The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay // Hands down one of the best endings of a book I have ever read. This book has angst in the best way and is a beautiful story about two somewhat broken people finding each other. {Review}

Nash by Jay Crownover // If ever there was a character who is me in book form, Saint is it. We have some contrasting personality qualities but overall, she is me, I am she and Nash is somebody I would love to meet in real life. Their love story is full of redemption and self-acceptance and I love it. {Review}

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare // Will Herondale is the OG of book boyfriends and he and Tessa re OG lifeblood. Their banter, their connection, it is everything right in romantic tension. {Review}

Sugar Daddy by Lisa Kleypas // Don't let the title fool you, this book has one of my favorite hero and heroines of all time. My love for Liberty as a heroine knows no bounds so we have a little platonic love fest going on here, too. {Review}

The Mistress by Tiffany Reisz // These books are my family. Soren and Nora are one of my ultimate ULTIMATE couples. The beauty of The Mistress is on another level that I cannot even begin to talk about because I will start sobbing and need to be in the fetal position. Feels. Are. Real. Note: this is the fourth book in the series but it is THE book destroys me. {Review}

The Boleyn Reckoning by Dawn Ius // This is the third book in the Boleyn King series BUT it is by far the most emotional for me. It is EPIC in all its definition of selfless love, sacrifice, EVERYTHING! I cannot even talk about this book without wanting to cry it's so heartbreaking and emotional. Love every heart-wrenching second of it {Review}

The Kiss of Deception by Mary E Pearson // I can give away hardly any information about this book because of how amazingly unique it is written but this is one of my favorite romances ever! It is so crazy unique and unlike any book I have ever read but I can't even tell you why it's epic to me...read the book and you'll know. {Review}

Anne & Henry by Dawn Ius // The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn by Robin Maxwell // Tarnish by Katherine Longshore

Listen. Not every epic love story will have a happy ending. It can still be epic, regardless. I feel this way about Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII. As much as I despise that bastard for what he unjustly did to her, their romance was one for the history books. Henry changed his entire country's religion and breaking with the Catholic church in order to be with her. I mean, C'MON that's pretty fucking crazy...and swoony...that bastard. OK, anyways. I chose a few books that represent their love story. Anne & Henry is a modern day interpretation and it is FANTASTIC. The parallels are spot on and the representation Anne is beautiful. The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn best highlights the real Anne and Henry as it's her thoughts and feelings as the courtship and betrayal happens. Lastly, Tarnish is the love story for Anne that could have been. The friendship her and Wyatt share is seriously ALL the hearts in eyes, it is beautiful and charming and so pure, which sounds weird but compared to what happens to her later there's something in the innocence of it that makes it beautiful. 

{Anne & Henry Review // The Secret Diary of Anne Boleyn Review // Tarnish Review}

Any of these book sound epic to you?

What are some of YOUR epic love stories?

A Love to Make You Feel Alive

"I was dead until you found me, though I breathed. 
I was sightless, though I could see. 
And then you came...and I was awakened."”

--J.R. Ward, Lover Awakened

Genre: Adult Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Signet, 434 pages

Publication Date: September 5th, 2006

Source: Bought
Goodreads
Previous Books in Series:Dark Lover & Lover Eternal

Goodreads Description

A former blood slave, the vampire Zsadist still bears the scars from a past filled with suffering and humiliation. Renowned for his unquenchable fury and sinister deeds, he is a savage feared by humans and vampires alike. Anger is his only companion, and terror is his only passion—until he rescues a beautiful aristocrat from the evil Lessening Society.

Bella is instantly entranced by the seething power Zsadist possesses. But even as their desire for one another begins to overtake them both, Zsadist’s thirst for vengeance against Bella’s tormentors drives him to the brink of madness. Now, Bella must help her lover overcome the wounds of his tortured past, and find a future with her…

My Thoughts

Oh. My. Gosh. So I was foretold by Betty before even starting Book 1 that Zsadist was her favorite and I was to keep my hands off...good thing I didn't promise shit. I won't lie, after reading the first book I texted her all...uhhh, Betty? I'm concerned that this man is your favorite...he is seriously crazy and completely unstable. Wait...what's that sound? Oh right, I'm getting used to this, it's the sound of my entire foot leg and lower extremity getting shoved forcefully into my mouth. Ouch. ZSADIST IS AMAZING! Holy shit, like I can't even BEGIN to talk about...but I'll try...

So we get a sneak peek into how Zsadist and Bella met in Lover Eternal. And let me say, they don't get off on the right foot. But Bella is completely intrigued by this Warrior and cannot get him off of her mind. Rawr. Their courtship is definitely rocky...but holy hell is it hot. Wow. Picture fanning myself and re-reading passages over and over just to experience that which is Zsadist over and over again. I have to say I cannot get enough of the deeply wounded soul of a man who on the exterior looks unstable and crazy but on the inside is kind and has so much more going on for him. I was immediately invested in him once a bit of his inner self started to come out. I couldn't get enough of his guard coming down and his complete devotion to protecting Bella...*sigh*...

Bella. I LOVE HER! Ironic that I used to solely associate this name with Twilight and THANK YOU JR WARD for giving me a reason to not despise this name. She is the best! OK, so I miiiiight be just a tad bit biased seeing as this is totally an interpretation of Beauty and the Beast...I KNOW but seriously I loooooove this story! Bella wants to get to know Zsadist for who he is and what makes him the way he is. She doesn't back down or give up on him which I LOVE! She stands up to him, pushes him when necessary, and also backs off when she knows it has gone too far. Zsadist conceding some of his harshness for her absolutely melted my heart. Like liquid puddle, sop me up, I'm done for. His desire and need to protect her and care for her was my favorite part. I could not stop both the mental and audible sighing I was doing when I was reading about him taking care of her. His tenderness, his concern, his need to make sure she was okay. Killed me in the best way possible. Like I've said before, I am a highly evolved human but I cannot suppress my animalistic tendencies. I find it scorchingly hot when a man goes all feral and primal to protect his woman. Sorry not sorry. I like a man's man.

The progression of their relationship was beautiful because of their give and take. And their sexy times?...oh my...I can't..like, I just can't. So hot. So. Incredibly. Hot. 10 alarm, bring a hose, I need a cold shower. The vulnerability Zsadist shows just breaks me and I loved every second of it. The back and forth between them had my chest hurting and my heart racing. I was just dying  in anticipation for every page turn. I NEEDED more of their story and I was so sad when the book actually ended. I wanted more! I still want more! WHERE IS MORE OF THEIR STORY?!  Ok, sorry, I'll calm down. There is a novella on the horizon...gotta get through Book 6. 

The side stories were all equally compelling. I adored getting to know Phury more. I cannot wait to get to his book and I hope he can find a happy ending. John is SO interesting and I cannot get enough of him! Tohr...I need more of him...that's all I can say. 

This book was FUCKING PHENOMENAL and as I told Betty, right after finishing the book I wanted to re-read it. It's that good. Mmm Zsadist...Love him and Bella and all the rest of them...;) 

Should You Read This? Hell. F'ing. Yes. GO start with the first book if ONLY to read this one. You wont' regret it ;)