This was a delightful surprise. I can’t remember where I first came across this book but when I read this description “frenemies-to-lovers, college sports romance about a women’s soccer star and her surly lumberjack lookalike classmate” I knew I wanted to read it. There was more depth to this story than I expected and I found the romance to be sweet and realistic.
Continue reading “Only When It’s Us”Spoiler Alert
Over the past few years, there has been a push for more inclusive characters in romance novels, with a real focus on fat love interests. There have been some positive and well written titles, but many authors have failed at creating stories that feature plus size women who find love while also not shaming them about their weight. Oliva Dade has quickly emerged as an author that can write relatable fat characters without being condescending and without their weight being the only thing that defines them. Spoiler Alert is no exception to this, and I highly recommend this fun and charming romance.
Continue reading “Spoiler Alert”Meet Cute Club
I really wanted to like this book because the concept was cute but this was not well-written and desperately needed a good editor. Luckily, there are other gay romances out there so you can skip this one and read something better. I would not recommend.
Continue reading “Meet Cute Club”Happy Trail
A few years ago, romance author Penny Reid “opened up her Universe to allow several different authors to publish stories set there, either new stories about characters readers are already familiar with, or brand new characters.” These books are being published under the Smartypants Romance publishing house and have allowed fans of Reid’s (like me!) to enjoy a wide range of stories. “Happy Trails” is the first book in the Park Ranger series and was a fun, quirky addition to the Green Valley Universe Reid created. You don’t have to be familiar with any of Reid’s books to enjoy this one but if you are, I think you will like seeing some familiar characters pop up for a scene or two.
Continue reading “Happy Trail”Party of Two
It has gotten to the point where Jasmine Guillory can do no wrong in my eyes. Her books aren’t the most original romances out there but they are always charming and fun and the stories are delightful. This book is no different. I will pick up any book she writes based on her track record and I cannot wait for her next release.
Continue reading “Party of Two”If I Never Met You
Fake dating, a common romance novel trope, is one of my favorites. I love the (usually) slow burn of two people realizing they have legitimate feelings for each other while pretending to be in love. Until the last quarter of this book, it was going to be a solid 4 stars but some last minute plot points took me out of the story. A solid romance that I wished was a bit more cohesive.
Continue reading “If I Never Met You”Something to Talk About
Oh, how I wanted to love this book. I had high hopes for Berkley’s first F/F romance and the buzz around this book before release was high. While the start was strong, the middle dragged, and the ending felt rushed. What could have been a sweet, sexy romance fell flat.
The Soldier’s Scoundrel
This was my first Cat Sebastian book after having heard about her for a while. A good friend of mine likes her a lot so when the quarantine hit, I grabbed a bunch of hers to read because I thought they would be quick fun reads that would help me escape from the real world for a bit. I am glad to say that I was right; I really enjoyed this book and will be reading more of her work soon.
A Lesson in Thorns
I said in a previous post that Sierra Simone is quickly becoming my go to author for erotica but my issues with the last series of hers that I read almost stopped me from picking this book up. It is the first book in a series that is still being published so I decided to take my chances. Like the first book in the “New Camelot Trilogy,” this book is a great start…I just hope the quality continues.
The Bromance Book Club
What a refreshing romance this was! Most hetero romance novels center on the female characters and spend little time on the male characters. This book takes what we think about romances and flips it around. I was really charmed by this book and can’t wait to read the rest of this series.