Five Fall Favorites: Monday {Love}

Welcome to the first day of Five Fall Favorites, a week-long event in which I, along with several other amazing bloggers, will be celebrating all things bookish and autumn! 📚🍁

I first discovered Five Fall Favorites back in 2017 or 2018 and it quickly became one of my favorite blog parties for a few years. 💛 

And then I forgot about it when some of my favorite writers who participated stopped blogging. 🤭 😅

But I rediscovered it this year! (All thanks to Kate's newsletter, check it out!) And I couldn't resist the opportunity to actually join in the fun this time!

Kate Willis Hoppman is our lovely hostess and everyday I'll link back to her blog so you can find the list of the rest of the bloggers joining the party and the link to a giveaway!

To kick things off, I'm sharing my top 5 books that are inspired by the first fruit of the Spirit, love!

(All linked titles lead to book's Goodreads page). 

1. Tell Me You Love Me

This is one of my favorite anthologies and every single story was a beautiful, creative, unique romance. All of the authors did an amazing job portraying their idea of what "I love you" means in their stunning stories! I also enjoyed the different genres, such as historical, fantasy, contemporary, etc. It's also such a beautiful anthology because it points back to God's love for us.

Highly, highly recommend reading especially if you're a teen girl looking for clean love stories with impactful themes and enjoyable plots.

2. Fairest of Heart

This was the first novel I read by Karen Witemeyer (I had previously read two of her short stories) and it did not disappoint! A mash-up of Western vibes + a Snow White retelling, Fairest of Heart is a lovely romance with humor and action. While I enjoyed the romance between the two characters, a different type of love made me put it on the list for this. The characters who represent the seven dwarves truly cared about and loved the female main character in their own "grandfatherly" ways. It's something I don't see much in fiction, so it was a sweet surprise and one of my favorite aspects. 

I would say only only older teen readers and up should read this because, while nothing gets steamy, there are some scenes where the villainess is quite seducing and uses this power for her gain. It didn't bother me, but just be aware that this novel does get a little more descriptive compared to your average "peck on the lips" kind of story. 

3. Window Fellow

Faith Potts was one of the first indie authors I discovered and I ate. her. books. up. "Window Fellow" is a short story of hers (like really short, around 15 pages lol) and it always leaves me grinning. While the plot is insanely simple, it's also insanely adorable and heartfelt. This story displays the type of love that doesn't care about the outward appearance and focuses on inner beauty. It's endearing, heartbreaking, and redemptive. If you're looking for a quick read with all the banter, solid characters (lemme tell ya, Faith Potts can write some AMAZING male characters) and hints of sweet romance, then pick up this book! 

Totally suitable for ages 12 and up, or younger readers might enjoy it as well (depending on their reading level.) 

4.  Pride and Prejudice

I couldn't make this list without mentioning P&P. One of my most favorite romances and my most favorite classic of all time, Pride and Prejudice is the prime example of a basically perfect romance novel. The wit, the morals and message, the prose, the strong character development--this book has it ALL. While the enemies-to-lovers trope is, of course, executed brilliantly, I also have to point out that the love the Bennet sisters share, mostly found between Elizabeth and Jane, is rich and supportive. Every single bit of this novel is magnificent and I will step off my soapbox now, but PLEASE, do yourself a favor and read this book. 

Recommend for any reader who is ready to dive into Austen's most famous novel and be immersed into a masterpiece. However, I will say if Austen's sophisticated writing style seems daunting and holding you back because you think you'll get confused (which I don't blame you, 1800s English prose is very different) then might I suggest watching BBC's 1995 adaptation first? Aka one of the best tv shows to exist. 

5. Live Without You

And last but not least, we have Life Without You. I read this book in one day (Christmas Day to be exact) and it such an authentic, lovely novella. It centers around broken characters who have many struggles but ultimately find peace in remembering God's love for them. And that's just the tip of the iceberg; there are so many more wonderful themes. It's healing, tear-jerking, and relatable. The characters are extremely well-written and the plot pulled me in on the first page and didn't let me go (hence why I read it in one day!).

Recommend for YA readers who can handle reading about blood, hospital stays, etc. Not glory and I was able to read through it just fine (although I do think I have a strong stomach lol) but be mindful of that if you know that injury descriptions bother you. 

That wraps things up for today! Don't forget to visit Kate's blog to see the list of other bloggers and find out all the information about the giveaway! 

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Who's excited that autumn is officially here?! What's one of your favorite books inspired by love?