firewhiskeyreader

Taylor Swift has been blessing us with some additional songs with each re-release and randomly a couple of songs for Midnights and Lover and I am certainly not complaining. Today because I’m still in my Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) era, I’m going to cover the six vault tracks from SN (TV) as well as “All the Girls You’ve Loved Before” and “You’re Losing Me.” I really hope you’ll enjoy this project as much as I’ve enjoyed putting it together!

Electric Touch from Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) + Girls Like Girls by Hayley Kiyoko

Key Lyric: Just the first time ever hanging out with you, tonight, I’ve got my money on things going badly, got a history of stories ending sadly…

I don’t know if these four books are going to make sense for other people paired with this song, but they are really working for me in my head with the lyrics. I feel like each of these four books has a deeply emotional message about people who have a history of stories ending sadly and/or people who are currently going through something sad when they find a person who lights them up. A little electric touch, if you will. And because “Electric Touch” is sort of the idea of hanging out for the first time, I wanted books where the characters are meeting on page. So, there you have it. Also, Girls Like Girls and For Her Consideration are both sapphic and then For the Love of April French has a trans woman MC. And Off the Map is a bit of a grief book. To a lesser extent than Float Plan (Doller’s first book in the series), but still, prepare for emotions.

When Emma Falls in Love from Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) + Scoring Off the Field by Naima Simone

Key Lyric: ’cause when Emma falls in love, she’s in it for keeps. She won’t walk away unless she knows she absolutely has to leave.

There’s literally just no way for me to listen to this song and not wind up thinking about the books where the female main character has been in love with the male main character since they were young and now she’s trying to take steps to get out of MMC’s orbit so that she can really become her own person. My favorite version of this trope will forever and always be Scoring Off the Field by Naima Simone, but I do think Powerless by Elsie Silver and Funny Guy by Emma Barry are also pretty great options if this is a trope that appeals to you.

I Can See You from Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) + Never Ever Getting Back Together by Sophie Gonzales

Key Lyrics: I’ve been watchin’ you for ages / And I spend my time tryin’ not to feel it

Okay, so I went with the vibe of people who have resisted their attraction to one another and have also decided to keep their relationship a secret for at least some amount of time for some reason. And while Never Ever Getting Back Together is a YA romance, it’s really a NA, there is still undeniable chemistry between our sapphic loves. But In a Jam and Restore Me are both full of sexy times that also fit the overall vibe of the song. I’m definitely open to any suggestions y’all have too because this song is a good time!

Castles Crumbling from Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) + Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail by Ashley Herring Blake

Key Lyrics: They used to cheer when they saw my face / now I fear I have fallen from grace

So, I think this song has so many different layers. On the one hand, it’s very specifically about something Taylor Swift was experiencing, at least in her mind (in that sense, this actually feels like pre-reputation era Taylor), and if you want a more literal interpretation of this song, I would really recommend Midnight Duet by Jen Comfort. If you want a book about a woman who feels like she is having to sort of start over or figure out who she is again after having her faith in herself tested, Single Dads Club, Jana Goes Wild, and Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail deliver in spades. This is one of my favorite concepts, actually. I love a woman trying to figure her life out. It’s the best. Please recommend me all of your favorites that fall into this category.

Foolish One from Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) + Forever Never by Lucy Score

Key Lyric: And the voices say, “you are not the exception, you will never learn your lesson”

These three books take the idea that “you are not the exception” and turn it into an HEA at the end, but I really feel like each of these female main characters would blast this song on a regular basis during parts of these books. And ultimately, he actually was the one.

Timeless from Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) + Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross

Key Lyrics: “So even in a different life, you still would’ve been mine, we would’ve been timeless”

I don’t know how to explain to you the instinct I have for romances where I truly just believe these fictional copules would make it no matter what and that they’re soulmates who would find one another again and again. But I feel that way about all of Kennedy Ryan’s books. And if you love “Timeless” because the story Taylor weaves with her lyrics is just stunning, Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross is gorgeously written. And if you want something that makes you feel like truly no matter what obstacles someone faces, they’ll find a way to be together? The Winter Sea. And once again, I welcome your recommendations!!

You’re Losing Me from Midnights (The Late Night Edition) + Before You Let Go by Kennedy Ryan

Key Lyric: How long can we be a sad song till we were too far gone to bring back to life?

I go back and forth on which of these books fits this song the best, and I think the answer is that none of them quite fit, but each of them have an element of the relationship in trouble, feeling ignored and invisible and not chosen. They’re all also brilliantly done and I recommend each and every one. Please give me all of your favorite relationship in trouble romances down below because it’s my favorite trope right now.

All of the Girls You’ve Loved Before from Lover + Love Hard by Nalini Singh

Key Lyrics: All of the girls you loved before /Made you the one I’ve fallen for

I went with three romances where the male main character lost (death) his significant other in the past because that, although sad, feel like the best way to capture the vie of being grateful to the women who came before the current love interest in romance. I’m not sure what that says about romance as a genre, but that’s neither here nor there. The point is, all three of these books are really lovely, though also a bit angsty. I definitely recommend them though.

Closing Thoughts

This was really fun to put together and I hope you got some good recommendations from this list, but I mostly hope that you feel inspired to leave me some of your own recommendations in the comments. I love romance novels so much and I’ve just been in such a reading mood this month, so please help me find my next reads.

xx