Shana and I both read While We Were Dating by Jasmine Guillory and we had thoughts! Anna Gardiner is an actress who is going to appear in an advertisement campaign for a new mobile phone. Ben Stephens designed the campaign and will be working closely with Anna during filming. Ben is a self-admitted playboy who is open that he’s only looking for fun, nothing serious. Anna is focused intensely on the next phase of her … Continue reading While We Were Dating by Jasmine Guillory →
CW/TW: reference to a historical hate crime against LGBTQ people One Last Stop is the tale of August, a young woman who has recently moved to New York City, and Jane, the mysterious woman that August meets on the subway. When August moves to New York, she intends to do what she’s done her whole life, namely, keep to herself. However, her apartment roommates and neighbors are clearly not going to stand for that. Meanwhile, … Continue reading One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston →
I don’t know if you’ve noticed but… *looks both ways* I don’t usually review m/f romances. And that’s because I don’t usually read them either! I made an exception for Hang the Moon because I loved Brendon when I met him in Written in the Stars. Boy howdy, am I glad I did, because this book is ADORABLE. Annie is lonely in Philadelphia, so she leaps at a promotion that will take her to London. … Continue reading Hang the Moon by Alexandria Bellefleur →
The Professor Next Door is the third book in Jackie Lau’s Cider Bar Sisters series, and it stands alone, though it’s a bit more fun if you have already met Nicole’s friends. Like all the other stories in this series, it will make you want to go to Toronto and eat your entire body weight in desserts. Seriously, the food porn in these books is next level. Jackie Lau appears to subscribe to the idea … Continue reading The Professor Next Door by Jackie Lau →
Fake is a fake relationship celebrity romance that will either really work for people or not work at all. It’s tropey, has a first person POV that limits engagement with the hero, and also is largely absent of conflict. If you’re looking for something with a lot of character development and a good bleak moment, this book will not satisfy. If you want to enjoy a largely conflict-free celebrity-Cinderella fantasy and don’t need the hero’s … Continue reading Fake by Kylie Scott →
Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake is a fun rom-com in which a single mom enters a baking contest (a fictional version of The Great British Bake Off) and finds true love. The question is not “will she find true love” but “with whom will she find it?” Readers should expect to be very hungry while reading this book, as well as by turns amused, infuriated, and delighted. They should also expect to be really moved … Continue reading Rosaline Palmer Takes the Cake by Alexis Hall →
I read Second First Impressions at exactly the right time. A big theme in this romance is healing from trauma and coming out of isolation, and at the time I read it I had just scheduled my first Covid shot. This theme resonated so much with me I found myself crying while I read, big fat tears soaking into my pillow, but it was a cathartic cry and it felt good. There were also moments … Continue reading Second First Impressions by Sally Thorne →
Hana Khan Carries On is part epistolary, part coming of age story, and all heart. Hana, aka AnaBGR, an aspiring broadcast producer, podcaster, and storyteller, is struggling on several fronts. There’s the difficulty in breaking into broadcast in general, there’s her racist boss who presumes to be #woke, her family’s struggling restaurant, plus her sister’s risky pregnancy. What she definitely did NOT need on this list was Mr. Silver Shades to come sauntering in with … Continue reading Hana Khan Carries On by Uzma Jalaluddin →
I’ve said this on the site before, but during the pandemic, I’ve gotten more into contemporary romance, mostly because people getting to do things like attend in-person gatherings, see movies and plays, and eat at restaurants seems sexy and novel. My latest contemporary read was The Intimacy Experiment by Rosie Danan, a companion novel to The Roommate. I have a lot to say on this one! Prepare yourself for a long review. (As a note, … Continue reading The Intimacy Experiment by Rosie Danan →
CW/TW: abortion consideration and discussion, toxic family, discussion of miscarriage, pre-eclampsia Tara: I mentioned this book in a recent Whatcha Reading post with the comment “I’m only a third of the way through, but if you like the idea of an f/f romance with fat rep, knitting, friends with benefits, and a truly nonjudgemental dive into abortion vs opting to complete a pregnancy, this is the book for you!” And guess what?! Carrie was into … Continue reading Knit, Purl, a Baby and a Girl by Hettie Bell →
All Consuming was the sweet, hot, low-tension romance that I really needed this week. Kal and Hannah were a couple in high school, but broke up when Kal left for college. They reconnect at their ten year school reunion, and find that not only is the spark still there, but that time and experience have made them better able to love each other in the ways they both need. There isn’t a lot of conflict … Continue reading All Consuming by Jaci Burton →
