TikTok Made Me Do It: 4 Books I Found on BookTok
"I can feel infinitely alive curled up on the sofa reading a book." - Benedict Cumberbatch
If you're a reader, and you've been on TikTok, then you've probably stumbled across #BookTok at some point. If not, then there are tons of videos out there with amazing book suggestions that I highly recommend you try finding. Beware though, as you can fall down deep into the rabbit hole of #booktok. If you do, don't expect to resurface for a while! You will come out of that experience with some amazing book recs though. Today I'm going to share just a few of my favorites that I've picked up since happening upon #booktok. As you'll see, I may or may not be on the romance side of #booktok.
Tools of Engagement by Tessa Bailey
Tools of Engagement by Tessa Bailey was all over #booktok. Bethany's life is completely organized. In fact, everyone believes Bethany life is perfect. However, her dating history is, let's say, less than perfect. She decides to take a break from men and instead focus on flipping a house. Her brother, who owns the family house flipping business, refuses and Bethany ends up flipping a house as part of a competition against her brother. The only member of her brother's construction crew to step up to help Bethany is the new guy in town, Wes. Sparks may fly between Bethany and Wes, but will the sparks burn down everything they've built?
I'll be honest. This is actually the third book in Tessa Bailey's Hot & Hammered trilogy. I didn't realize that until I started to read it and I ended up reading the trilogy in the completely wrong order. So, by the time I read the first book in the trilogy, I already knew everything that was going to happen. That didn't detract from Tools of Engagement or any of the books. I highly recommend any and all of these books if you're looking for a romance that features strong-willed women.
The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling
In The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling, Vivienne has her heart broken by the handsome Rhys as a young witch. How does Vivienne mend her broken heart? By indulging in a bubble bath, wine, and....a curse. She doesn't think the curse will take, or at least not much. Fast forward ten years and Rhys returns to Vivienne's town and is suddenly plagued by a string of bad luck. The bad luck leads to the town possibly losing the source of its power. Can Vivienne and Rhys break the curse? Will they figure out what went wrong all those years ago?
While I rated this book three stars on Goodreads, it is overall a very cute book. I was in the mood for more of a steamy book at the time of reading this and thought that (based on other #booktok recommendations) this would follow along the same lines. This is the perfect read if you're looking for a bit of steam, but want to focus more on how to solve the problem of the curse and the crazy things that occur because of it!
The Roommate by Rosie Danan
The Roommate by Rosie Danan tells the story of Clara Wheaton, whose family is infamous on the east coast. Clara travels across the country to spend the summer with her childhood crush, but once she arrives she finds out he's leaving for the summer and she'll be rooming with a complete stranger! While he is extremely attractive, she has no idea what he does for a living...until she Googles him. Josh walks in on Clara watching a video of his work...which is, we'll say, enlightening to Clara. Together, Clara and Josh decide to tackle the stigma against female desire and what is and is not appropriate female behavior.
Similar to Tools of Engagement, The Roommate has strong female characters that come into their own. It's an easy read - I think I read it in a day - and I loved it so much I was excited to read the next book in the series. While also good, I prefer The Roommate to the sequel. Either way, these are excellent books to read when you're looking for something that is an easy read.
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood is a stand-alone novel that tells the story of Olive and Adam. Olive is a PhD candidate who is trying to set up her best friend, Anh, and her ex-boyfriend. To prove that she is no longer interested in her ex, Olive kisses the first guy she's around in front of Anh. Turns out the guy she kissed is a professor who is well known for being an asshole. Surprisingly, he agrees to keep her secret and they begin to "date." As the charade continues, Olive can't help but wonder if this is turning into the real thing.
While reading The Love Hypothesis I fell in love with Ali Hazelwood's writing style. Her stories are quick, easy reads that bring a smile to your face. You know there will be a happily ever after, and there is comfort in that. You also can't help but to fall in love with Adam.
I hope I've persuaded you to add at least one of these books to your TBR list! I know there are so many books on #booktok that it can be overwhelming - I often take screenshots and then get overwhelmed at how many there are - so I hope this is helpful for you to find your next read! If you’d like to see what I’m reading now, check out my Goodreads or follow us on Instagram and Facebook! If you’re excited to see what other topics we’ll be covering in the coming months, make sure to subscribe. Thanks for reading with me!