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If you missed Part One, you can find it here! This is the final six songs on the main album and the three songs on the Deluxe Edition. Let’s go ahead and get started!

“Holy Ground” + Once Ghosted, Twice Shy by Alyssa Cole

Took off faster than a the green light, go

Hey, you skip the conversation when you already know

I left a note on the door with a joke we’d made

And that was the first day

“Holy Ground” by Taylor Swift

I love this song, but I will admit to be utterly baffled when trying to pick out a song to match it. I landed on Once Ghosted, Twice Shy because Fabiola and Likotsi really seemed to connect so quickly and then they do fall apart in the unusual way, at least in terms of the 21st century. Plus, there’s something about the line, “I see your face in every crowd,” when Fabiola literally spots Likotsi in a crowd that really gets me. This novella takes place after the events in A Princess in Theory by Alyssa Cole and is an utterly delightful f/f contemporary.

“Sad, Beautiful, Tragic” + Hate to Want You by Alisha Rai

We both wake

In lonely beds

In different cities

And time

Is taking its sweet time erasing you

And you’ve got your demons

And darlin’ they all look like me

“Sad, Beautiful, Tragic” by Taylor Swift

I would not be surprised if you told me that I’ve given a song from every Taylor Swift album to this book because frankly, Hate to Want You is one of my favorites and is never really far from my mind. But honestly, the lyrics I’ve pulled out here? Time definitely took its sweet time erasing Nico and Livvy from each others minds, and, in fact, was never quite successful. I love this book so much and the way these two beautiful humans met up once a year on Livvy’s birthday to have wild sex and then didn’t speak for 364 days really just… I mean, I love them. And the mental health representation in this book is everything. So, yeah, Hate to Want You by Alisha Rai totally gets “Sad, Beautiful, Tragic” added to its playlist in my mind.

“The Lucky One” + Rock Wedding by Nalini Singh

And your secrets end up splashed on the news front page

The Lucky One by Taylor Swift

I mean, probably Famous by Jenny Holiday is the best choice for this, especially given that I kept feeling like the main character is Taylor Swift with a few alterations. But honestly, I think what this actually makes me think of a little is Fall by Kristen Callihan and also, Rock Redemption and Rock Wedding by Nalini Singh. There are several trigger warnings you may need for Rock Wedding and really it’s better if you’ve read all of the books. But there’s something about Sarah and Abe and dealing with the aftermath of domestic violence (Sarah’s ex) and addiction (Abe’s) and the fact that this is their second chance at romance, that sort of reminds me of this song. Honestly, for me, I think the rock star struggling with fame is always going to be a compelling storyline and that’s something each of these books have in common. Fame is not a shortcut to happiness and I like that these books make that clear, even while they are emotionally very difficult to get through.

“Everything Has Changed” + Best of Luck by Kate Clayborn

‘Cause all I know is we said, “Hello”

And your eyes look like comin’ home

“Everything Has Changed” by Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran

To me, Greer and Alex have an immediate connection that sort of transcends logic, but they just get one another. They aren’t immediately in love, but there is something there. I think it’s also present to an extent in Beginner’s Luck so it’s something about the way Kate Clayborn crafts her romances where that level of intrigue and connection snaps into place in a way that still requires both parties to act on it and thankfully, they certainly do. I love Best of Luck especially for how beautifully it tackles anxiety and how much I love the quietness of Greer and Alex coming together. It’s a fantastic book!

“Starlight” + Next Year in Havana by Chanel Cleeton

Don’t you see the starlight, starlight

Don’t you dream impossible things

“Starlight” by Taylor Swift

This is an unconventional choice and Next Year in Havana is not actually a romance and I’m sorry, but like, this is one of Taylor’s narrative songs and that makes it hard for me to come up with a book! So, in Next Year in Havana, a historical fiction/contemporary fiction blend, the grandma’s storyline is set just before the Cuban Revolution and she meets a boy. They sneak around and fall in love and… Idk, I think this song would have been nice for them to have. Do not anticipate a happily ever after for them though.

“Begin Again” + Damaged Goods by Talia Hibbert

I think it’s strange that you think I’m funny, cause he never did…

“Begin Again” by Taylor Swift

I think “Begin Again” is actually a song that would fit the majority of books where one of the love interests has left an abusive relationship, but Damaged Goods is the one that I chose for this because Damaged Goods is really soft the way this song is soft. “On a Wednesday in a café, I watched it begin again,” is just such a soft way of saying “I found a new person who makes me believe that maybe there’s a life after trauma.” Another book that does not have the same softness, but definitely would work for this is Long Shot by Kennedy Ryan. In Long Shot, Iris is in an actively abusive relationship for over half the book and there are times of quiet with August when they encounter each other, but mostly it’s a really difficult read. It’s absolutely gorgeous and such a hard won HEA, but it’s not one I think I’ll ever be able to re-read.

“The Moment I Knew” + Fireworks by Sarina Bowen

You should’ve been there

Should’ve burst through the door

With that “Baby, I’m right here” smile

And it would’ve felt like

A million little shining stars had just aligned

And I would’ve been so happy

“The Moment I Knew” by Taylor Swift

Okay, so I have no books that line up with the factual events of this song. But I have a few that I think fit the overall vibe of this song, which are Into the Blue by Chanel Cleeton (an angsty ultimately second chance romance, where Becca feels a bit betrayed by Eric’s actions), Steadfast by Sarina Bowen (another angsty second chance romance that probably is the best fit, but like, also… not. Check CWs), and also Fireworks by Sarina Bowen. In Fireworks, Skye returns to Vermont and finds herself face to face with Benito, her high school sweetheart who ghosted her on prom night.

“Come Back… Be Here” + Fly with Me by Chanel Cleeton

And this is when the feeling sinks in

I don’t wanna miss you like this

Come back, be here

Two Chanel Cleeton books in one post, but honestly, this entire Wild Aces series is so fantastic and it’s remarkably hard to find a romance novel with long distance happening early on. Fly with Me starts out in Vegas where Noah and Jordan meet. They have immediate physical chemistry, but there’s also more than that. The problem is that Jordan has a job in Florida, a business she owns, and Noah is a fighter pilot stationed in Oklahoma. I really just love this series so much and I think “Come Back… Be Here” is an excellent song pairing for it.

“Girl at Home” + Her Halloween Treat by Tiffany Reisz

Call a cab

Lose my number

“Girl at Home” by Taylor Swift

I mean, tbh, I picked Her Halloween Treat because at the very beginning of the novel, Joey finds out that her boyfriend of two years was married. Does the song fit the book? Not really, but let’s be honest, “Girl at Home” isn’t really one of the songs you want on a bookish playlist, especially not for a romance novel. So, anyway, Joey finds out her boyfriend is married at the beginning of the book, flies to Oregon and finds herself having sex with her brother’s best friend. It’s a good and sexy time.

And there you have it! The rest of Red by Taylor Swift paired with romance novels. Any favorite combinations you saw? And as usual, if you have the ability to vote in the United States and can vote early or need to drop off your ballot, please, please do so!

xx