By popular demand of my faithful survey takers, here is a list of my FIVE star reads!
And no, I will not be taking any criticisms against these.
I’m kidding.
(But also not kidding).
These are all books that left me feeling some sort of way, and the characters have become a part of my soul.
SO, here’s a list of all my five star standalones and series. Some by Indie authors and some by traditionally published authors.
And, of course, since I love all these, I hope some of you can love them too!
But again, just because I love them and think they’re the best, doesn’t mean you have to. This is all for fun and a chance to recommend my favorite books!
This will be spoiler free!
Please, please look up trigger warnings if you need to!
If there is an asterisk (*) within the text, that means the novel contains mature, adult themes.
Five Star Reads On My Physical Shelf:
** Starting out strong with my FAVORITE book of all time. If I could’ve given this book more than five stars, I would’ve.
People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry gets a bad rep when compared to her other two novels: Beach Read and Book Lovers.
And while I loved both of those, PWMOV will forever reign superior for me.
PWMOV follows Poppy and Alex, an unlikely pair of best friends that had a falling out a few years ago. In an ill-fated attempt to fix everything between them, the two go on one last vacation together.
This story is told through Poppy’s perspective, and while I’m a sucker for dual POVs, I might not have survived if I got Alex’s POV.
PWMOV is told through dual timelines. Which I know isn’t for everyone.
But I DEVOURED this book in one sitting, and I will forever love Poppy and Alex’s story.
Alex Nilsen supremacy.
** Honestly anything by Emily Henry I will absolutely adore.
BR follows January and Gus, two authors that knew each other in college and write in different genres. For one summer, the pair lives in neighboring beach houses and strike up a deal – they each have to learn how to write in each other’s genre.
It’s a beautiful story that touches on some sensitive topics. And it’s told through January’s POV.
This is a book about books, with some top notch banter. And I would love to have my own Augustus Everett.
One of Us is Lying is the book that really got me into reading mysteries!
OOUSL follows the Bayview Four – Bronwyn, Nate, Addy, Cooper – who all got detention on the same day as Simon. Only one of them never makes it out of detention alive, and when secrets of the Bayview Four come to light, it’s a race to find the killer.
It’s a YA novel told in the POVs of the Bayview Four.
There is a sequel, One of Us is Next, and the third book that comes out later this year, One of Us is Back.
You can also watch the TV show on Peacock! And you can be as upset as I am that they cancelled it after two seasons.
Another cute YA book set on a BEACH!
IK follows Pru and Quint who have a bit of a rivalry going on. Stuck together as lab partners, things get even more interesting when Pru interns at his family’s animal rescue center.
I read this book a couple years ago, so I don’t remember too much about it. But I remember the vibes and I loved it.
And look how cute this cover is!
** I first read this book on Kindle Unlimited, but I adored it so much I needed a physical copy.
TSLD follows Lina who needs a date to her sister’s wedding. And who’s the better person to step up to the job than her workplace rival, Aaron Blackford?
People either love this book or hate it.
I loved it if that helps anyone make their decision! And I’m excited to read the spin-off!
This is a Wattpad original, and oh my goodness I CANNOT recommend this book enough.
In 27 Days follows Hadley who’s given the chance by Death himself to go back in time and save Archer Morales. Which turns out to be much easier said than done.
This book is an absolute gem. I’ve reread it so many times on my phone, that when I saw it in the store one day, I actually couldn’t resist.
** Honestly wasn’t expecting to like this book as much as I did.
The Ex Hex follows Vivi and Rhys, two exes that had a not-so-great break-up years ago. And now Rhys is back, determined to help save the town and needs Vivi’s help.
And for her to remove that hex she put him on.
It’s the PERFECT spooky read. It has witches and spells and romance.
What more do you need?
These are the first three books in the Crave series, and if I’m picking favorites, Crush would be it.
They’re a paranormal YA series that does handle some mature themes.
And these books are MASSIVE. But the chapters are super short, so it doesn’t feel as long as it is!
And just look at how beautiful these covers are!
The first three were all five star reads, and the fourth I rated four stars! It’s truly a great series and I’m not even done yet.
There are more, but I’m trying not to make this post too long! And with my books spread everywhere in college, it’s easier to only list a few.
On My Kindle:
Here is my list of five star reads I’ve either bought on my Kindle or read through my Kindle Unlimited subscription.
And no, I will not be posting covers because some have shirtless men on them.
That’s just … ick.
- Behind Frenemy Lines – Lauren Price
Another Wattpad original!
BFL follows Erika who’s given a proposition by her principal to get the troublemaker, Chase, kicked out of school. Sounds easy right?
It’s super YA and super adorable. Erika and Chase have great chemistry, and it was worth the wait to see how it ended after the updates stopped on Wattpad.
- Something New – Amanda Abram
Another adorable YA book that had me crying into my pillow at 3 am. And I’m not even sure why it effected me as much.
SN follows Cassie, who’s still hung-up on her ex-boyfriend, and Dylan, said ex-boyfriend’s best friend.
And I think I’m going to leave it off there because you just need to read it.
- Puck Me Secretly – Odette Stone
** This book is part of a series of interconnected standalones. And it’s the best one.
It’s also the only one I’ve read.
PMS follows Rory who’s taken a job working for her dad and his hockey team. And the new bad boy on the team is none other than Max – the guy Rory had a semi one-night stand with.
I’m thinking this gem is due for a reread.
- Hard as Steel – McKinley May
** Another book that’s part of a series of interconnected standalones! They all follow different guys on the men’s soccer team.
HAS follows Rayne who is the sports reporter for their school newspaper. She has to create a feature piece around the university’s star player – Vaughn Steel.
Also thinking this gem is due for a reread.
- The Depths Series – Madeline Stanford
I’m torn between recommending this series a million times and gatekeeping it to myself.
There are three books in the series: Vicious Depths, Rising Depths, and Burning Depths.
It’s a YAish fantasy series that, again, I originally read on Wattpad. These books contain some mature themes.
TDS follows Alex, a young girl that died and is given the choice to live happily in the Azure for the next 100 years. That’s if she can find out what trouble the leader of The Depths, Samuel, is up to.
It has enemies-to-lovers, fantasy, close-knit friend group, LGBTQ+ representation, and so many surprises!
There you have it! A list of some of my five star reads!
I couldn’t put all of them because it’d be too long of a post, so I handpicked my favorites!
Let me know if you’ve read any of these! And keep on the look out for my next post!
<3 Mara