If You Like This Then….. #23

I don’t even want to admit how long it’s been since I’ve done this post! This is one of my favourites to write and probably my most popular. I don’t keep doing this because it’s popular though. I do it because this series has helped so many people find other books that they love! It’s also a challenge to take a book and match it to another with similarities! The books I’m going to talk about today were an easy match!

The first book I’ll mention I’m sure that you’ve heard of. When THE SEVEN HUSBANDS OF EVELYN HUGO by Taylor Jenkins Reid was released in the summer of 2017 it was all anyone could talk about – and for good reason! This is the story of a woman named Evelyn Hugo and her life/career in Hollywood. She was challenged for being a woman on a daily basis and fought for everything she had. She also fought to live a life no longer in the shadows and love who she wanted to love. I thought that this would be an annoying story of a shallow hollywood starlet – I couldn’t have been more wrong! This packed an emotional punch that I wasn’t expecting!!!

The next book I’m going to mention was also everywhere when it was released. RED, WHITE & ROYAL BLUE by Casey McQuiston is the story of the son of the President of the United States and the Prince of England – enemies who are forced to strike up a fake friendship after a disastrous public display. The find that they have more in common than they ever realized and soon their friendship becomes real. This was one of the most surprising reads I had this year and I absolutely devoured it! When I turned the last page I wanted to reread it immediately. Yes – it’s that good!

HERE’S WHAT THE TWO BOOKS HAVE IN COMMON:

• Adult romance – Even though there are a lot of people of differing ages reading these, they are both in the adult romance genre. Neither one is erotic in any way, but there are definitely some steamy scenes. Just a little warning if that isn’t your thing.
• Well worth the hype! – I’m always hesitant to jump on the hype train. Especially when the hype is SO INTENSE! Both of these were everywhere when they were released. But when people who wouldn’t normally read this genre raved that they’re 5 star reads, I thought it was safe to check it out. These books will surprise you!
• Public figures hiding their sexuality – This is the main reason why I connected these two books. In Evelyn Hugo, she is a female actress in a time where she wasn’t appreciated as much because she was a woman. She was looked at like sexual property and this was also a time in history where being gay/bi-sexual wasn’t accepted. She hid who she was behind marriages to men she didn’t love, or loved for the wrong reasons. Then, in Red, White, and Royal Blue, we have the son of the US President and the Prince of England. Both were major public figures and had to worry about how their sexuality would not only impact them but how it would impact their families and relations with the public. Which bring me to my next point:
• Sexuality taking away from validity – This was so sadly demonstrated in each book. All of the characters had a fear that by admitting who they loved, it would make the people of the world think less of them. As if being gay was something that made you less valid or capable. Sadly this is how some of the public reacted.
• Staying true to you, despite it all – The message of learning to stay true to who you are was so wonderful in each of these books. Yes, there was fear. Yes, there wasn’t always acceptance. And yes, admitting who you are sometimes made it harder and you had to prove yourself. But the only way to be truly happy is to be who you are and damn everyone else!
• Gender roles – Though none of these characters were non binary (they were more than comfortable in their identities to which they were born), but the public’s perception of gender roles and how being gay can dictate those roles was really interesting! The characters would hide something they loved because it made them less of a man/woman.

Both of these books are enlightening, empowering, funny, sweet, eye opening, and full of raw emotion. The synopsis made the stories sound good – but they’re still going to surprise you! The authors wrote their lives and personalities so perfectly! I’m sure that if you’ve read one of these then you will LOVE the other!

Until next time, happy reading!