There are very few good things that can come from a massive winter storm that dumps over 2 feet of snow. Very few things indeed. I’ve spent the last 8 days in my house, without getting my daily fill of Dunkin’ Donuts coffee (tragic, I know!), and I haven’t gone to work in all of that time. (<—-That was actually a positive because let’s be honest, as a molder of young tiny humans’ minds, I will take any snow days I can get! Even if it means I’m teaching until July.)
Basically, I’ve spent the last week within the confines of my house because of a lovely little monster named Winter Storm Jonas that brought snow to a place where people freak out at just the thought of snow. (Seriously, who named this storm?! I can’t help but laugh every time I write that.)
But alas I can always find a silver lining in anything, because while this winter storm decided it was time for us to have the season of winter ALL AT ONCE, it gave me something else….
It gave me Bennett and Chloe and their banter filled selves. Heart those two something fierce. It also gave me Max *major sigh* and Sara, who melted me and then melted me again. And again. Then it gave me Will and Hanna, and their wonderful selves that had my heart fluttering and practically palpitating. Then it rounded it all out with Niall and Ruby…who will forever own a little piece of my heart, that is conveniently placed next to the pieces all these characters now own. And then there was George who just brought it all home in only a way that he could.
So what did Winter Storm Jonas so thoughtfully give me you ask? Well it gave me The Beautiful Series by Christina Lauren.
And no it didn’t actually shoot these books out of the sky onto my doorstep right next to that mountain of snow it left in its wake, but what it did do was give me the chance to FINALLY read this series that I have been meaning to read for forever. I can’t tell you how many times people have told me I NEEDED to read these books. (They were so fucking right, in case you were wondering.) I also can’t tell you how long I’ve owned all of the books in this series. (I’m kind of ashamed to admit that I’m pretty sure I’ve owned all of these books for quite some time.) And before you say what you’re thinking, yes I am a complete idiot for waiting to read these books. I was wrong to not read them the instant I bought them all. I. WAS. SO. WRONG.
This series, these books, and these characters and their vibrant stories are ones that I will never forget reading. The enrapturing, intense, and all-consuming stories these books gave me with these characters were extremely well written, thoughtfully crafted, with the perfect blend of romance, feels, and so many moments that will have you swooning and melting into a puddle of girl mush. Christina Lauren’s lively, effervescent, and seamless writing brought the world of these books to life in the most all-feeling and captivating way.
They gave me their characters. Boy did they give me those characters in the most authentic and amazing way. They allowed me to fall so damn hard for them, and along the way they gave me out of this world stories that were filled with the best antics, banter filled moments, heart melting feels, and more heat and connection and fiery tension filled build than you can shake a stick at. They let me understand their characters and their motives. They let me see and feel and experience the sparkling and distinctive personalities they all had. They gave me them at their best, and sometimes they gave me them at their very worst. They let me get the full scope of them. Their highs and lows, their hopes and wants, their fears and everything in between. I saw these characters be open and honest and I saw their walls crumble. I also saw them act like complete butts from time to time, but that just made me love them more, because I got them 100%. I understood them, I got where they were coming from, and through it all I fell harder and harder for their dynamic selves and the effervescent and seriously charming spells they all cast.
I took this picture to celebrate the fact that I was finally starting this series. I think Gretchen Wieners would approve.
Basically these books gave me it all. And when I say that, I hope you know I mean that literally. These books give you it all. They’re fun, engaging, and so many moments in this series will have you smiling and laughing at the antics these characters get into and the crazy wonderful moments they share. They also have the best level of passion, unadulterated heat and connection, and romance and feels that will have you hoping with all you’ve got that these characters can really find a way to make it all work because they’re that right for one another.
Each book in this series gives you a new couple to fall in love with. A new book to fall head over heels for, and a new story that is unique, phenomenally written, and full of life and love and more feeling than you can believe. Each novella fills the gaps in between, and will have you relishing in what these characters get into together, and the relationships they all share. (Those novellas are not to be missed!!) The Beautiful Series lets you fall heart first into it all with these characters, and Christina Lauren’s writing talent lets you experience it all. These books outstandingly explore family relationships, friendships, hopes and wants and fears, and the wonderful and amazing thing that is all-consuming, heart stopping love and connection, and the amazing things that can bring you, if you only give it a chance.
Whether it was with Bennett and Chloe and their heated, banter filled, and seriously hot love-hate relationship that pushed the boundaries they’d so carefully crafted…Or with Max and Sara and their swoony and all-feeling exhibitionist ways as they explored what more could mean for them if they broke down those walls…Whether it was with Will and Hanna as a friendship and favor to an old friend soon turns into an exploration of feelings and an infatuation that will change everything…Or with Niall and Ruby who find that when opposites attract and come together everything they think they know will change in ways they never thought possible.
Whether it was New York, or London, or San Diego, Chicago or anywhere in between, each book in this series takes you on a distinctive journey with each of these unforgettable couples as they explore the intense feelings and connections they share, and how what they’re feeling and experiencing could really be the real thing if they only allow themselves to have it.
Simply put, The Beautiful Series by Christina Lauren is one of the best series I have EVER read. I loved each and every story they gave me, every character they let me fall hopelessly in love with, and in the end I felt completely fulfilled and satisfied with what I got from these books. This is writing and storytelling and romance at its best, and I loved and adored every vibrant, lively, and mesmerizing word of it.
So yes, Winter Storm Jonas sucked. Like a lot. But a part of me will always be grateful for that hysterically named winter storm, because it finally gave me the time to read an AMAZING and unforgettable series that I loved with everything I had. (And yes, I could still kick myself for waiting so long to read them. Even now.)
So while you might not have a winter storm on the horizon, I beg to you, I plead to you, read these books. Let them capture you with all that they’ve got, let them make you swoon and melt (and blush!) through every page, let them wow you and make you crazy in love with these characters, and let them give you one of the best and most fulfilling reading experiences you’ll ever had. Trust me. They’re worth it in every way possible way, and in the end you’ll love every second you got to spend with these characters, their stories, and the literal amazingness that is Christina Lauren’s writing and storytelling.
For more on this seriously wonderful series, check out all the books below. This is a series of interconnected standalones, but I HIGHLY recommend reading all the books and novellas in order to get the full scope of amazingness that is The Beautiful Series by Christina Lauren!
***Please note that the synopsis’ for some of the novellas will have spoilers in them, so please proceed with caution. If you are new to this series like I was, just start with Beautiful Bastard, and go no further on this post so nothing is ruined for you. Oh, and say hi to Chloe and Bennett for me because I miss those two something fierce! (You know, along with all the other amazing characters of this series!)
~Beautiful Bastard (Beautiful Series #1)~
“Wait, you remember that?”
“Of course I remember that. You sounded like a frat boy and looked like a fucking model. What man could ever forget that?”
“I would have given anything to know what you were thinking right then.”
“I was thinking, ‘Highly fuckable intern, twelve o’clock. Disengage, soldier. I repeat, disengage.”
Synopsis:
An ambitious intern. A perfectionist executive. And a whole lot of name calling.
Whip-smart, hardworking, and on her way to an MBA, Chloe Mills has only one problem: her boss, Bennett Ryan. He’s exacting, blunt, inconsiderate—and completely irresistible. A Beautiful Bastard.
Bennett has returned to Chicago from France to take a vital role in his family’s massive media business. He never expected that the assistant who’d been helping him from abroad was the gorgeous, innocently provocative—completely infuriating—creature he now has to see every day. Despite the rumors, he’s never been one for a workplace hookup. But Chloe’s so tempting he’s willing to bend the rules—or outright smash them—if it means he can have her. All over the office.
As their appetites for one another increase to a breaking point, Bennett and Chloe must decide exactly what they’re willing to lose in order to win each other.
~Beautiful Bitch (Beautiful Series #1.5)~
“Find a woman who will be your equal in every way. Don’t let yourself fall for someone who’ll put your world before theirs. Fall for the powerhouse who lives as fearlessly as you do. Find the woman who makes you want to be a better man.”
Synopsis:
Picking up where Beautiful Bastard left off, Chloe Mills and Bennett Ryan continue their steamy, combative relationship.
Just when Chloe’s career starts to take off, Bennett wishes it would all slow down long enough to spend a wild night alone with his girlfriend. But after he refuses to take no for an answer, Chloe and Bennett find themselves with two plane tickets, one French Villa, and a surprising conversation that, predictably, leaves them wrestling under the covers.
~Beautiful Stranger (Beautiful Series #2)~
“So?” she said, giving me a slow, wicked smile when we accelerated forward. ” You told Will you found a woman who likes to have sex in public?”
“Not in my cab!” the cabbie yelled so loud we both jumped and then broke into laughter. He pumped the brakes, jolting us. “Not in my cab!”
“Don’t worry, mate,” I told him. I turned to her and murmured, “She doesn’t let me fuck her in cars. Or on Tuesdays.”
“She doesn’t,” she whispered, though she did let me kiss her again.
“Shame,” I said into her mouth. “I’m good in cars. And especially good on Tuesdays.”
Synopsis:
A charming British Playboy. A girl determined to finally live. And a secret liaison revealed in all too vivid color. Book two in the NYT Bestselling series.
Escaping a cheating ex, finance whiz Sara Dillon’s moved to New York City and is looking for excitement and passion without a lot of strings attached. So meeting the irresistible, sexy Brit at a dance club should have meant nothing more than a night’s fun. But the manner—and speed—with which he melts her inhibitions turns him from a one-time hookup and into her Beautiful Stranger.
The whole city knows that Max Stella loves women, not that he’s ever found one he particularly wants to keep around. Despite pulling in plenty with his Wall Street bad boy charm, it’s not until Sara—and the wild photos she lets him take of her—that he starts wondering if there’s someone for him outside of the bedroom.
Hooking up in places where anybody could catch them, the only thing scarier for Sara than getting caught in public is having Max get too close in private.
~Beautiful Bombshell (Beautiful Series #2.5)~
“It’s your fucking stag weekend. Act like the man you used to be… It’s a lap dance, Ben, not a fucking trip to the dentist.”
Synopsis:
The gentlemen from Beautiful Bastard, Beautiful Stranger, and Beautiful Player are out for a wild night on The Strip.
When Max, Henry, and Will steal Bennett away for a weekend of shenanigans and strippers in Vegas, the first stop of the night doesn’t go at all as planned. With their scheme for a Guys Weekend completely derailed anyway, Max and Bennett begin to play a wild game of stealth and secrecy in order to have their bombshells all over Sin City.
~Beautiful Player (Beautiful Series #3)~
“Ben,” Max said, leaning back in his chair with a giant grin. “It’s finally happened.”
I groaned, resting my head on my hand.
“You got your period?” Bennett asked. “Congratulations.”
“No, you twat,” Max said, laughing. “I’m talking about Will. He’s gone arse over tits for a girl.”
Synopsis:
A bombshell bookworm. A chronic Casanova. And a lesson in chemistry too scandalous for school.
When Hanna Bergstrom receives a lecture from her overprotective brother about neglecting her social life and burying herself in grad school, she’s determined to tackle his implied assignment: get out, make friends, start dating. And who better to turn her into the sultry siren every man wants than her brother’s gorgeous best friend, Will Sumner, venture capitalist and unapologetic playboy?
Will takes risks for a living, but he’s skeptical about this challenge of Hanna’s…until the wild night his innocently seductive pupil tempts him into bed- and teaches him a thing or two about being with a woman he can’t forget. Now that Hanna’s discovered the power of her own sex appeal, it’s up to Will to prove he’s the only man she’ll ever need.
~Beautiful Beginning (Beautiful Series #3.5)~
“Laughing, I said, “We’re married. That’s insane. Who let this happen?” He didn’t even break a smile. Instead, his eyes grew heavy, his voice even lower. “I’m going to disrespect the fuck out of you later.”
Synopsis:
One beautiful bastard of a groom. The most beautiful bitch of a bride. A panty-ripping office hook-up turned true love everlasting.
Wedding bells can’t chime soon enough for Chloe Mills and Bennett Ryan. Chloe, exasperated and stressed by all the last-minute to-dos, is on the verge of saying “I do” to eloping. For his part, Bennett’s so worried about being distracted by Chloe’s body that he makes a no-sex-until-the-wedding-night rule that only seems to be making things worse by continually backfiring on him. As their crazy families descend for the big day- only a few of them actually trying to be helpful- the fiery lovers are about to test whether the couple that argues together can keep it together long enough to exchange rings, and not just heated words.
~Beautiful Beloved(Beautiful Series #3.6)~
“You’re pretty sexy when you’re domestic.” I told him, running a hand up the back of his thigh.
“If you think this is hot, you should see me change a diaper.”
“I have, actually: why do you think I married you? That and your accent. Oh and your giant penis.”
Synopsis:
The seventh work in the New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling series that started with the Beautiful Bastard, Beautiful Stranger, and Beautiful Player novels. Featuring all the Beautiful characters…plus one tiny new addition to the group.
In Beautiful Stranger, finance whiz Sara Dillon met the irresistibly sexy Brit, Max Stella, at a New York City club. Through the series we’ve watched them learn to balance commitment with their less than private brand of playfulness. In Beautiful Beloved, Max and Sara take it to the next step. But the question is: Will they be able to find a balance between the wild sexcapades they aren’t ready to retire, and the demands of parenthood that come along with their new Beautiful bundle of joy? Parenthood: it’s not for the weak of heart.
~Beautiful Secret (Beautiful Series #4)~
“But if you did, how would you touch me?” she asked, folding the garment neatly before placing it in an open drawer in front of her. I barely had to consider the question before my answer burst forward: “Desperately.”
Synopsis:
AN UPTIGHT BRITISH EXECUTIVE. AN ADVENTUROUS AMERICAN NEWBIE. A SEXY INTERNATIONAL SCANDAL IN THE MAKING.
New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling author Christina Lauren’s Beautiful and Wild Seasons series hook up in Beautiful Secret for an erotic intercontinental romp that celebrates the best of both worlds!
When Ruby Miller’s boss announces he’s sending her on an extended business trip to New York City, she’s shocked. As one of the best and brightest young engineers in London, she knows she’s professionally up to the task. The part that’s throwing her is where she’ll be spending a month up close and personal working alongside and staying in a hotel with Niall Stella, her firm’s top urban planning executive and The Hottest Man Alive. Despite her ongoing crush, Ruby is certain Niall barely knows she’s alive until their flirty overnight flight makes him sit up and take notice.
Not one for letting loose and breaking rules, recently divorced Niall would describe himself as hopeless when it comes to women. But even he knows outgoing California-girl Ruby is a breath of fresh air. Once she makes it her mission to help the sexy Brit loosen his tie, there’s no turning back. Thousands of miles from London, it’s easy for the lovers to play pretend. But when the trip is over, will the relationship they’ve built up fall down?
~Beautiful Boss (Beautiful Series #4.5)~
“She was going to be my wife. I would get to introduce her that way.
This is my wife.
I couldn’t stop rolling the word around in my head. Wife. It felt good. It felt substantial. It made me want to climb over her, say it over and over again into her ear, tattooing it in her thoughts.
You’re my wife, Plum.”
Synopsis:
The ninth work in the New York Times and #1 internationally bestselling series that started with Beautiful Bastard. In this e-novella, Will Sumner and Hanna Bergstrom (from Beautiful Player) find that a wedding and everlasting love were just the beginning.
One Player tamed. One nerd girl satisfied. And one more major life decision to make. When Will fell for Hanna, her quirky sense of humor and fierce dedication to her career were part of the attraction. (Not to mention her coy newbie attitude toward sex and her willingness to let him teach her everything.) But when the job offers start rolling in for her—and oh, they do—Hanna has trouble deciding what she wants, where they should live, and how much she should burden Will with the decision. Magic between the sheets is only one part of a relationship…getting on the same page is quite another altogether.
Be sure to check out more about these fantastic books and the fabulous Christina Lauren at the following links!!
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The Never Ending Book Basket 