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 →
I read the first chapter of Spoiler Alert and was sucked into a compulsive reading vortex, becoming annoyed when work or sleep tried to distract me from gobbling up the book. It’s a delightful celebrity romance that treats writing sexy fanfiction as a worthy creative pursuit. It also has a classic falling for your penpal storyline, without the slow burn over correspondence that tends to annoy me. This story of a fanfiction writer who falls … Continue reading Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade →
Dragon Unleashed is a lovely and tender romance between two people who often feel misunderstood by the world around them. Unfortunately, the rest of the details outside of the romance are depressing as all get out. It’s not a fun world to be in and as a result, I did frequent skimming during the chapters that didn’t focus on the hero and heroine. Before we get into it, I do want to answer the biggest … Continue reading Dragon Unleashed by Grace Draven →
Sometimes the right book comes along just when you need it, and that was Flying Gold for me. I love reading about a heroine’s personal growth but have no patience for heroes who have to learn not to be assholes. I’ve been easily distracted lately, and this second chance romance set in a world I know nothing about, amateur classic car racing, hit my sweet spot. My tolerance for plot stress is zero right now, … Continue reading Flying Gold by Vanessa North →
Strange Love by Ann Aguirre is a delightfully weird, heartwarming romance featuring a virgin alien hero, an abductee heroine, and a talking dog. It’s a blend of Alien, The Bachelor and The Hunger Games. It’s also a middle finger to people who claim that romance novels are formulaic and rely on rich, handsome heroes to seal the fantasy. The hero in this book is Zylar of Kith Balak, a vaguely insectoid alien who comes from … Continue reading Strange Love by Ann Aguirre →
This was my most anticipated book of 2019, and I was terrified that it wouldn’t live up to my expectations. I adored Kann’s debut, Let’s Talk About Love, and number 96 on my list of why is how body positive it was. When I saw her next book had a chubby heroine, tendrils of hope grew that this might be an author who could write fat characters well. In that regard, If It Makes You … Continue reading If It Makes You Happy by Claire Kann →
Right now my brain is very, very tired. My brain doesn’t want puzzles to solve; it wants a nap, a cat to cuddle, and possibly a glass of wine. Rogue Most Wanted worked really well for my brain-fatigue; it’s a fake-engagement romance that features the heroine being welcomed into a warm and loving family. The black moment and resolution were pretty predictable, but predictable worked for me perfectly in this moment. I already guessed what … Continue reading Rogue Most Wanted by Janna MacGregor →
Aww you guys – here’s another romance with a set up that is so catnippy that you’ll one-click by the end of this paragraph. Rafe is a contemporary romance about a divorced Black surgeon who needs a nanny on short notice for her twin six year old daughters. Enter Rafe, a professional nanny who has worked for several families and has glowing references. He’s also tall, covered with tattoos, ginger, bearded, and rides a motorcycle. He … Continue reading Rafe by Rebekah Weatherspoon →
For the first three-quarters of the book, Cottage by the Sea by Debbie Macomber was the gentle, reassuring romance I needed. Near the end I struggled with the treatment of a secondary character who suffers from mental health issues enough that it soured the book a bit for me. It still enjoyed it, but that short section frustrated me enough that it disrupted the overall romance. The book opens after tragedy strikes. Annie Marlow, a physician’s … Continue reading Cottage by the Sea by Debbie Macomber →
Wanna Bet by Talia Hibbert is a friends-to-lovers romance and it features–get this!–adults who have to do actual adulting in order to be together! Holy shit! Emotional accountability FTW! I am personally so sick of books that feature “all my emotional hangups are resolved because I want to put my dick in you!” as the solution to any internal conflict. In Wanna Bet? the hero and heroine had to do actual work on themselves in order to … Continue reading Wanna Bet? by Talia Hibbert →
Wrong to Need You is a novel that is so engrossing, so engaging, that as I was reading it I didn’t realize that at that very moment in time, I was being peed on. Yes, that’s right. Wrong to Need You by Alisha Rai is so good that it will keep you from noticing you’re sitting in urine. There’s a story here (obviously) and you’ll get it, but first I need to talk to you about … Continue reading Wrong to Need You by Alisha Rai →
