I didn’t read book one in this series and perhaps I should have, but I am jolly glad I read book two. It’s a treat. Petunia De Vere (who everyone calls ‘Pet’ which takes some getting used to) is the personal assistant to a newly minted royal – Johnny Marchmont. He’s well-meaning, but endlessly clumsy and prone to putting his foot in his mouth. Pet often finds herself being flung aside by Johnny’s flailing limbs. … Continue reading Codename Charming by Lucy Parker →
Crystal Anne with An E comes to us from a sunny clime, but prefers to remain a pale indoor cat. She enjoys reading, cross-stitching something nerdy, going to see live music, and playing video games. She works as an autism consultant by day, got a degree in information science for fun, and currently serves on her local library advisory board. … Sometimes, you find the right book at the exact right time. It’s not the … Continue reading Charm City Rocks by Matthew Norman →
Business or Pleasure is a sex-positive, low-conflict celebrity rom com that worked out great for me. I think a lot of readers will enjoy this book (especially the sex positivity!), but it won’t work for anyone looking for angst. Chandler Cohen wanted to be a writer since she was child, but she chose to focus on journalism rather than creative writing in college because it seemed like a safer bet. Now that there are fewer … Continue reading Business or Pleasure by Rachel Lynn Solomon →
This book messed me up. Yes, I read it while I was going through a rough time, but the point stands: this is an emotionally intense book. The problem is that it is so well-written that it’s also un-put-downable so the emotional intensity is unrelenting. Carla is filled with wanderlust. She works in a bar to save up money and then travels the world in the Jeep her father gave her when he was diagnosed … Continue reading Off the Map by Trish Doller →
I really loved Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld. Celebrity romance is one of my favorite tropes, and for me this book stands out. Romantic Comedy features a hero who is not purely defined by celebrity status, gives readers a deep dive into a world I found fascinating, contains an epistolary courtship, and at times is laugh-out-loud funny. Sally Milz is a writer for a weekly late-night sketch comedy show called TNO that is based on … Continue reading Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld →
Recently I devoured a book, and when I mentioned it, Shana squeed right back at me. So, enjoy our absolute squee-party about this book! Sarah: Shana, I just tore through Ship Wrecked by Olivia Dade. Devoured the whole book in less than a day. Oh my gosh, there is so much to love about this book. The Pining. Top-shelf pine forest full of pining. For six years they live on that island for months and … Continue reading Ship Wrecked by Olivia Dade →
Dr. Perfect is a low stakes, low angst contemporary romance that’s as much about loving what you do as it is about finding the love of your life. Ellie Frost set aside her passion for cooking to work as a manager for her motorbike racer ex. When he breaks up with her, she’s left with a huge gap in her CV, no severance and few options (he, of course, kept her off the books). Ellie … Continue reading Dr. Perfect by Louise Bay →
Sorry, Bro is a book about embracing the complicated aspects of different identities, and I had a lot of fun with the family dynamics, the sense of place (it’s set in San Francisco), and the Armenian culture. However, readers should be prepared for a heroine who is prone to rash, impulsive actions, and who is not great at communicating. My least favorite thing in romance is when people are terrible at communicating, so this was … Continue reading Sorry, Bro by Taleen Voskuni →
I love, love celebrity romance, so it was an extra bummer that The Reunion fell so flat to me. I would go so far as to say it doesn’t even really qualify as a romance. It’s more of a book about the heroine’s journey to navigate her second act in Hollywood with some strong romantic elements. Even then, the emphasis on physical details and not emotional ones, plus a stereotypical “villain” made for a tough … Continue reading The Reunion by Kayla Olson →
A Very Merry Bromance is the fifth book in the Bromance Book Club series, and while it can be read as a standalone, the sheer number of characters from other books can be distracting. It’s a Christmas romance, but it deals quite a bit with toxic families and childhood trauma, so I wouldn’t consider it cozy reading, which is what I had been expecting. Gretchen Winthrop had a one-night-stand with country music star Colton Wheeler … Continue reading A Very Merry Bromance by Lyssa Kay Adams →
The follow-up to Donut Fall in Love is an opposites-attract romance with a deeply introverted heroine and a larger-than-life hero. Although it can be read as a standalone, I enjoyed revisiting characters from the first novel. While I loved the romance, the depictions of the hero’s job fell flat, sometimes pulling me out of the story. Quiet, reserved Vivian Lao is going to be a bridesmaid in her roommate Lindsay’s wedding to actor Ryan Kwok. … Continue reading The Stand-Up Groomsman by Jackie Lau →
