January 2024 Romance Wrap-up

Legally Binding - Sophie Snow

This age-gap office romance is the first in the Spicy in Seattle series and follows Maggie and Cal.  Maggie has been Cal's assistant for years and the two have worked very well together.  Maggie keeps Cal - and the rest of the office - running smoothly and Cal is a kind and caring boss.  But when the two run into each other at a sex club one night, the tension is palpable and neither can go back to seeing the other as just a coworker. They start spending more and more time together until one night stuck at the office together has them crossing a line neither of them thought they'd ever cross.  But one night isn't enough and the two need to figure out if this new relationship is worth them both turning their ideas for their lives upside down.  This was such a fun read and the characters were really the shining point of the story.  I loved Maggie, Cal, and the whole cast of characters we get to meet.  We got some absolutely fantastic character development with Maggie standing up to her neglectful family as well as figuring out what she wants out of her life for herself.  For an age gap, office romance, there was way less angst or drama than I was expecting.  I was really waiting for the other shoe to drop for the last 25% of the read where normally we'd see the relationship being outed and the fall out from that.  I did find the middle of the read to be a bit repetitive and I wanted to see Maggie and Cal be put in different situations to see how they'd react.  Overall, I had a good time and I'm looking forward to continuing on in the series.

 Thanks to the author for the ARC.  Expected publication date is February 13, 2024

 

When Grumpy Met Sunshine - Charlotte Stein

 This grumpy/sunshine romance follows retired footballer (soccer player) Alfie and ghostwriter Mabel.  The two seem too different, initially, and even Mabel starts to question her normal ability to pull stories and details out of her ghostwriting clients.  However, once the two start working together, they realize they have much more in common than they thought.  And when Mabel is assumed by the tabloids to be Alfie's newest romantic conquest, they agree to keep up the ruse so no one is the wiser to the ghostwriting arrangement.  That works well, until the fake kisses for the paparazzi start to feel too real. This read was not what I was expecting, but I think that made me love it even more.  This was much more of an emotional read than the adorable cover and synopsis lead me to believe. I never expected a book that looked like this would make me sob by the end.  It was only Mabel's POV which I disliked while reading because I thought Alfie was so obviously falling hard and fast for her and I wanted his POV so badly.  Stein seemed to be reading my mind because she used that to pull on my heartstrings when we get to the ending.  I loved Alfie and Mabel and their dynamic was a picture perfect grumpy/sunshine pairing.  The banter was fantastic and just weird enough that it really worked well as a window into these characters.  Overall, this was a great read that managed to worm its way into my heart much deeper than I was expecting and I imagine I'll be thinking about Alfie and Mabel for quite some time.

 Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC. Expected publication date is February 6, 2024.

  

 One Billion Reasons  - Sophia Travers

This enemies to lovers romance follows Miles and Lane.  The two were friends until a fight 2 years ago that left them not speaking.  But after a chance encounter brings them together, Miles has a proposition for Lane.  One week, as his fake girlfriend, for $50k.  It is a deal too good for Lane to pass up, even though the two can barely stand to be in the same room without throwing verbal knives at each other.  But when some buried truths and complicated feeling start coming out during their week together, the two not only rekindle their friendship, but something deeper.  This was also a much more emotional read than I was expecting, but it was more on the angst-y side of things and didn't quite work for me as well (I'm not a huge fan of angst in my romances, in general). I also found the conflicts between Miles and Lane to be very repetitive and I just wanted them to fight about something different for a change.  I could really feel the contempt Lane had for Miles early on in the story and I remember thinking "this author has a lot of work to make me believe these two are going to fall in love".  I did think Travers did a great job of sprinkling in details of Miles and Lane's backstory throughout the read which helped.  These details really helped strengthen their current relationship arc, especially considering the short timeframe.  We did get both character POVs, which was great considering how hot/cold they both were to the other.  I also liked the amount of side characters we get to see and how Miles and Lane both talk to their friends about their budding feelings.  While I do think the emotional turmoil generally paid off in the end, I was expecting something different from the big love declaration moment.  This read did have some moments that worked really well for me, but overall it was a bit too angsty for me to really love it.  However, if you are a fan of this sort of angsty, friends to enemies to lovers, second chance type of romances I think this is a really good example of one. 

Thanks to the author for the ARC. Publication date was December 4, 2023. 

The Clinic - Cate Quinn

 

This mystery follows Meg as she enters a remote rehab clinic to find the truth behind her sister's death.  Meg's sister, Haley, was a famous actress and her death was labeled a suicide.  However, Meg doesn't believe that and is certain that Haley was murdered.  Once she begins her investigation on the inside, trying to hide her relationship to Haley, Meg has to battle her own addictions as well as her repressed memories.  The truth may be more complicated than even Meg can anticipate and in a place as remote as the Clinic, Meg may be completely on her own.

This was such a fun read and I was sucked in from the very first chapter.  I was a little hesitant at first, since this was almost 450 pages long and I wasn't sure how a seemingly straightforward mystery would handle being stretched out for that long.  However, I think Quinn did a great job of layering a few different plot threads as well as weaving these plots together at different points in the book. 

I loved all the characters in this read - especially Meg.  She is such an interesting and complex character.  I loved how the mystery thread is intertwined with Meg's character development and how, eventually, Meg comes around to the idea that in order to find out what happened to her sister, she'll have to work on herself first.  Meg can certainly fall into the 'unlikable female' main character but I found her to be incredibly realistic.  While we do get multiple POVs in this book, I found Meg to be the most well rounded character and I loved getting her inner monologue.  I do wish we had more time to see her life before rehab because her connection/relationships outside of the Clinic do play a role in the overall story.  The cast of characters at the Clinic were fantastic and we really get a whole range of emotions and reactions to the events happening throughout the book.

Obviously, since this was set in a rehab clinic, there is a lot of discussion about addiction of various types.  I don't personally have any experience in this area so I can't speak personally to the representation.  However, there is a note in the book that says Quinn was inspired to write this book after her own experience in rehab.  I did enjoy the different types of addiction we see represented across the different characters and the different areas of recovery each of the characters are in.  We also get some POVs from the professionals working at the Clinic and it was interesting to get their views on addiction, recovery, and the patients there. 

I was expecting this to read more like a typical mystery where Meg is investigating and checking people off her suspects list.  However, the investigation was used to sort of highlight Meg's own struggles with her relationships and her addictions.  There are a number of times where she sort of recaps her investigation up to this point and realizes she hasn't really gotten anywhere substantial but that doesn't stop her from making accusations.  While I was initially a little annoyed (I love a straight up isolated murder mystery) I do think overall this was the right choice as it fleshed out Meg's character even more. She does solve the mystery at the end, but only after a good chunk of personal growth and character development. 

On paper, this ending feels like it should be one of those off the rails endings that I absolutely love.  However, it didn't quite land right for me.  After giving it some thought, I came to the conclusion that while I very much enjoyed the twist aspect (I certainly didn't see it coming), I think it deflated some of the character development we get throughout the previous 400 pages.  But as with any twisty endings, results will vary reader to reader.

Overall, this was a good mystery with a great cast of characters.  The topic of rehab/addiction is core to the story but felt like it was handled well.  I loved Meg and her journey throughout the book.  The ending didn't work for me as well as I would have liked, but I can see other readers liking it.

Thanks to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Landmark for the ARC.  Expected publication date is January 23, 2024.

Lone Women - Victor Lavalle

 

This historical fiction/horror follows Adelaide as she leaves her home in California after covering up the deaths of her parents.  She decides to start a new life in Montana as a homesteader with the secret that has ruled her life locked in the steamer trunk along with her.  Once she arrives, she begins to put down roots and join the community - finding other women homesteading without husbands.  But when her secret gets out, it may be the end of Adelaide and her new life. 

I'm not a real big historical fiction reader but I do think I found my niche in these historical fiction horror subgenre. I absolutely love the mix of genres and find the historical fiction portion to feel more like the setting/background to the horror so it doesn't feel as dry as I find regular historical fiction.  Obviously, there is a sliding scale and I find ones like Alma Katsu's The Hunger (which I also loved) to be more of a slow burn compared to Lone Women which really hit the ground running. 

The characters in this are absolutely remarkable.  Before picking this up, I heard from some Booktubers I watch that they DNF'd this in the middle because it slowed down and lost their interest.  I was a bit concerned, especially given my 'meh' feelings toward historical fiction.  However, I loved these characters so much that I loved reading about their more mundane daily struggle of living life out in such a remote area.  I did find the horror subplot to be a consistent thread and threat throughout the read but the middle did feel more character-focused rather than plot-focused. The characters are complex and each has their own reason for wanting a life out here.  While this read does have an added supernatural/creature horror element added, the characters we encounter show the more realistic horrors of this life.

The supernatural/horror element was fantastic and I loved how we were shown right at the beginning of the book that something was off.  We get the horror reveal pretty early on in the read which leaves a lot of time for us to see the impact/effects of that horror played out in this new setting.  We do get some gore, but much less overall than I was expecting given how the book opened.  I loved the amount of backstory we get as the plot progresses and how much depth and character development is wrapped up in the horror.  This was a case where the horror elements deepened the story instead of being just thrown on top as a gimmick. We also get an added horror element of what desperate people will do to others which I think was a realistic addition to the plot. 

I would imagine trying to find a satisfying ending to a book like this must be difficult but I loved where we ended up.  In the author's note at the end, LaValle credits his wife for the ending so big kudos to her!  I do think the ending might be a bit divisive because the story goes off the rails a little bit, but overall I do feel like it fit the plot and characters we'd been following through the book.  I also enjoyed the little epilogue we got so we were able to see the aftermath of the big ending scene and where some of these characters ended up 

Overall, this was a fantastic read and I'm so glad I picked this up from the library.  We get a great cast of characters, wonderful horror elements, and an interesting plot to follow between horror scenes.  

The Heiress - Rachel Hawkins

 

This domestic drama follows Camden McTavish and his wife, Jules, ten years after Camden's mother died.  Camden is the adopted son of Ruby McTavish - North Carolina's richest woman - and when she died, she left her entire estate to him. He originally didn't want anything to do with the money, estranged family, or Ashby House. But now, after his uncle's death, Camden returns to Ashby house with the goal of getting out and back to his normal life as quickly as possible.  But Jules feels differently and the more time she spends at Ashby house, the more she wants Cam to embrace his roots and take everything Ruby gave him.  

This was such a fun first read for the year and was everything I now look forward to in a Rachel Hawkins read.  We get into the meat of the story right away, the characters are a little over the top but fun to read their POVs, and the pacing was fast enough that this was such a popcorn read.  This read to me like a solid domestic drama where I was primarily interested in getting the truth along with the gossip.  I'm not a reality TV watcher, but it felt like this would scratch that same itch.  t didn't feel like there were enough stakes for it to qualify as a thriller or suspense and there wasn't really a core mystery that the characters were trying to solve so domestic drama just felt right. 

The family dynamics in this reminded me a lot of the movie Knives Out where all the family members don't really like each other but they all play nice enough so they can keep the cash flowing around when needed. I also loved how we got details of Ruby's relationship with her family in the past in addition to Cam and the current day family members. This really hit the spot for a book of 'rich people problems' and I know that isn't going to be for every reader, but I really enjoyed it.  I liked how many different interactions we were able to get between all the characters and how we get Cam's and Jules's reactions and feelings of these different interactions.  

If you love the Secrets of the Past trope - then this book is for you. We get secrets on top of secrets and as a result, we get a few unreliable narrators.  Either unreliable to the reader or unreliable between the characters which was a really interesting way of reading that trope.  One of the POVs is letters from Ruby detailing her chilhood/life before adopting Cam and those letters give the reader a lot of insider knowledge that the characters don't have.  So we can see the characters going about their lives with one belief but the reader knows the truth from these letters (and eventually the truth comes out). Jules and Cam each have their own POV chapters and they have their own secrets from each other, the rest of the characters, and the reader as well.  I do think a lot of the reveals of the secrets were pretty easy to see coming and I was really only surprised by one at the very end but I really enjoyed guessing and then reading along to see if I was correct.

The characters were borderline a bit underdeveloped for my taste as a character-driven reader but the act 3 reveals really added a bunch of layers to these characters that I was searching for.  The current day timeline takes place over only a couple of days or maybe a week so there isn't a ton of time for any real character arc there.  However, the amount of flashbacks and family history we get really come in clutch to show us just how far these characters have come.  I do think that if we had a bit more flashbacks of Cam's childhood or his adolescence then that would have helped even more.  We are told a lot about how he didn't like the family and the mental games they played but I wanted to see more of that on page and see the impact it had on Cam.

Overall, this was a really fun, popcorn type of read.  If you love rich people problems, secrets from the past, and messy family stories then this might be right up your alley. 

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC.  Expected publication date is January 9, 2024

Holiday Romance Wrap-up 2023

 Frosty Proximity - Liz Alden

This boss/employee romance follows Peter and Kara.  Kara is Peter's personal stylist and the two have an extremely professional relationship - introvert Peter trying to keep his crush for Kara under wraps and Kara thinking Peter is put off by her bubbly personality.  But after a snowstorm leaves her stranded in Switzerland and staying with Peter's family, the two realize they don't want to be strictly professional at all.  This was a shorter read than I was expecting given the premise.  At only 154 pages, there was a lot of aspects to this read that I felt were either glossed over or magically fixed themselves without any effort by the characters.  For an example, if part of Peter's character is that he's an introvert and tends to keep to himself, then I wanted to see that more on page and see him working through it or actively choosing to try and talk with Kara.  But instead we see him immediately thaw toward her pretty much as soon as he sees her with his family and then that part of his personality seems to entirely disappear.  I really loved Peter and Kara as their own characters and thought they worked together pretty well on page but they really only spent 3 days together so my inner insta-love skeptic wasn't entirely sure about the HEA we got.  We get to see Peter's family celebrating Hanukkah and a little of Kara's family celebrating Christmas. There were some really great heartwarming as well as steamy scenes, but I just felt like Alden was trying to pack a little too much into too short of a page count and as a result we lose some of the development or depth to the story and characters that I really wanted.

Thanks to NetGalley and the author for the ARC.

Publication date was October 24, 2023.

From Snowball Fights to Hot Summer Nights - Wren K Morris

This MMF romance is the second in the Misadventures and Mistletoe series and follows Dancer, Trevor, and Candy. Dancer and Trevor have been friendly for months but neither one thinks the other would be interested in anything more.  But when Dancer takes a space in a charity show at a strip club, another dancer - Candy - can see the chemistry between the two men is ready to burst.  She gives them each the push they need to finally become more.  When Dancer and Trevor both want to see more of Candy - in every way they can imagine - the three of them will have a merry time together indeed.  This was such a fun, fluffy read and I really enjoyed it. While the first book in the series follows a different couple and has an HEA, there is a lot of world building/explanation in that first book so I would recommend reading it first. I loved how we get all 3 POVs of our main characters so we can really get in their heads and get to know them a little more quickly. There's fantastic chemistry between all the characters pretty much from the get-go and it is done in a way that highlights their compatibility, not just physical desire. I'd categorize this as zero angst which is exactly what I like in a shorter holiday read.  There are moments of doubt, sure, but they are pretty much instantly addressed in a very straightforward and caring way.  I do wish we had time to see more scenes of the different configurations of couples building their individual relationships more.

His Last Christmas in London - Con Riley

This MM romance is the first in Con Riley's Christmas Collection and follows photographer Ian and food critic Guy. After a disastrous breakup with this boss, Ian is just about out of money and getting ready to leave London.  But when he's needed as a last minute fill-in to take photos of Guy and food, Ian finds himself intrigued at the soft person under the hardened critic exterior.  Guy is almost 20 years older than Ian, and the last time Ian fell for an older man it ended horribly. But as the two spend more time together before Christmas, they realize there might be more to this than just a fling. This ended up being a much more emotional read than I was expecting.  Yes, it had plenty of spicy moments and sizzling chemistry between the two men, but it also had a lot of heart.  Ian and Guy both find themselves emotionally vulnerable at points and both have a great support system.  We only get Ian's POV, however, and I wanted to see Guy's POV so badly, especially once we find out about his past relationship. 

Beastly and Bookish - Catrina Bell

This paranormal romance is part of the Horned Up for the Holidays series and follows childhood friends Rom and Noelle.  Fifteen years ago, Rom and Noelle were best friends but when Rom's family left town without saying goodbye, Noelle figured she'd never see him again.  Now, Rom returns to his childhood home to open a new branch of his family's coffee house chain. He never dreamed Noelle would still be there.  The two pick up right where they left off and when they are snowed in together after an avalanche, they both know there's no going back to just friends. This was such a fun read and I will definitely be reading the other books in the series.  We get a bit of small town charm/antics and Bell also captured the tourist frustrations well.  There are a handful of flashbacks to when Rom and Noelle were younger which really helped fill in the gaps of their childhood friendship and the history between our main characters.  I loved Rom and Noelle as characters so much - especially how Rom was such a softy but could turn on his demon-bargaining skills when needed for business purposes.  The world building was very straightforward and covered the based that we'd need to know for this story. 

Thanks to the author for the ARC.  Publication date was December 4, 2023

Best Friends Don't Kiss - Max Monroe

This friends to lovers romance follows Ava and Luke.  The two met their freshman year of college and have been friends for the last 15 years.  Now, Ava is returning home to Vermont for her sister's wedding and high school reunion and she needs a fake boyfriend.  Luke agrees, and as they practice being in their fake relationship before traveling to Ava's hometown, they both start to realize that they've had feelings for the other for a long time.  This was a really great friends to lovers arc that didn't start out with one friend already in love with the other - as is often the case. I found Ava and Luke to be very well developed characters and their friendship was fantastic.  They really felt like actual friends who cared about each other's lives and goals.  We get to see a good amount of them being just friends before the fake dating aspect kicks in.  Once they do start dating, then the chemistry ramps up from there.  I really liked Ava and Luke as a couple but I wanted a bit more of a gradual romance.  The pacing just felt a bit too rushed for my liking.  I also think having both the wedding and high school reunion was too much for the amount of pages we had and neither of those events felt like they got the on-page time they deserved. 

The Boss Who Stole Christmas - Jana Aston

This boss/employee romance follows Holly and Nick.  They both work at a toy company - Holly as a toy designer and Nick as the owner.  The both seem to dislike the other but business needs come first and the two find themselves on a trip to Germany a few weeks before Christmas.  As they spend more time together and interact outside of the office environment, they find a whole lot of feelings buried under their initial animosity. I would have absolutely loved this as a full length novel.  However, since it was novella length, I found the enemies to lovers arc to be extremely rushed.  There was a good amount of set up and characterization at the beginning, but the middle felt almost non-existent and then suddenly we were at the ending.  Pacing issues aside, I really loved Holly and Nick as characters and the chemistry they had once they got together was fantastic. I wanted to explore the setting in Germany more, but did really enjoy seeing the Christmas Market at least. Overall, this was an okay read but I really think it could have been 5 stars if it was longer and the romance was more developed.

One Night On Christmas Eve - Thea Masen

This short and spicy read follows Sienna on her quest to turn her flirtation into something real by hiding inside a present ... naked. Only instead of her crush coming through the door, it is his brother instead.  This was a fun and steamy read that still had a good amount of heart.  As with most shorter works, we don't get a ton of time to get to know the characters but Masen does a great job of working as many details as possible into the story in a seamless manner.  I also appreciated this is a HFN (happy for now) ending which I find much more believable than an HEA when the story takes place over only one night. We did get enough characterization and chemistry on page that I would like to imagine these character did work out in the end.

Wreck My Plans - Jillian Meadows

This brother's best friend romance follows Lena and Gavin.  They've known each other for years, but after Gavin stopped coming to Lena's family Christmas celebrations a few years ago, they haven't seen each other.  Gavin is back this year and the previously fun and flirty relationship between the two has shifted and the plans they both had for the holiday go out the window so they can have a chance at love.  This was such a great read and I absolutely loved Lena and Gavin.  The banter and spark between the two of them was fantastic and there were points where I wanted to yell at them to "just kiss already!". I did get a bit of  whiplash from the set up because Lena was so angry at Gavin at first and the reader had no idea why at the time. So then I thought it was going to be an enemies to lovers situation but then they talk it out and then are friends again pretty quickly. Also, for a brother's best friend, Gavin sure did seem to spend all his time with Lena instead.  Once Lena and Gavin did get together, they really did feel like they were meant to be together. 

Kissed by the Krampus - L Eveland

This MM monster romance is the first in the Monsters in My Bed series and follows a human named Chris and a krampus named Ollie.  After Ollie rescues Chris from a car wreck, he nurses the human back to health in his cabin.  The two strike up a bond that quickly turns into more. When the government shows up to try and kidnap Ollie and bring him back to their secret monster science lair, Chris must work to save Ollie and the entire human race.  Let's be honest - this has some extreme similarities to Lily Mayne's Monstrous series, specifically book 1 Soul Eater (which I read earlier this year). There are plenty of reviews on Goodreads that list out many of the similarities so you can go check those out if you're interested.  I loved Soul Eater and I while I liked this read, I certainly didn't love it as much.  With being so similar to Soul Eater, it is really hard to not constantly compare the two.  I thought Eveland really did a great job with the relationship between Chris and Ollie in the cabin and the way their relationship developed felt pretty natural. I loved the hurt/comfort dynamic as well as Ollie's interest in mundane human items that he collects while out on his adventures. The worldbuilding and plot outside of the cabin, however, did lose me and felt like it wasn't nearly as well-developed.  

Christmas with the Horned God - Aveda Vice

This second chance romance follows Rowen and Asher.  Rowen is returning to her hometown for the first time in years and when she takes a detour to see the Christmas tree farm she worked at when she was younger she doesn't expect to get stranded, see Asher again, or see the signs warning that something isn't quite right up there on the mountain.  Rowen and Asher left their budding relationship back when they were teens but spending time together at the place where their relationship began brings back plenty of memories. This was a great read and I loved the paranormal elements. Vice does a great job at really building up the complicated relationship between Rowen and Asher and I loved how we get snippets of their time together back in the day.  The tension between the two is palpable and is delicious when it turns from animosity to desire. I appreciated how we got both POVs so we could see how this surprise second chance situation was messing with both of their heads.  This was probably the most emotional read of this round of romances but I thought Vice did a fantastic job of handling these more sensitive topics.  I found myself wanting to see more of the horror elements of what was happening out on the mountain - we were either stuck in the cabin with Rowen or following Asher while they were stuck in their own head.  I was just really intrigued by the paranormal/magical elements and wanted more of them. 

Thanks to the author for the ARC. Publication date was December 22, 2023

Venice Actually - Kelly Reynolds

This acquaintance  to lovers romance is the second in the Holidays in LA series and follows Leighton and Killian. Leighton has been kicked out of her apartment without much notice and is trying to find a new place to live smack in the middle of the holidays.  Luckily, Killian has a spare room to offer her.  The two are friendly, but never really hung out much one on one.  But that didn't stop Killian from developing a major crush on Leighton.  When Leighton's sister tells their parents that Killian is Leighton's fiance, he now has an excuse to get as close to her as he wants.  And it turns out, she might want him to get close and stay there. This was fantastic and had everything I wanted in a holiday romance.  I absolutely loved both Leighton and Killian, but their dynamic together was even better.  They are one of those couples where the fake dating feels real right from the beginning and the whole world knows it except the two of them.  We get some great holiday antics from Leighton's family as well.  Killian has anxiety and Leighton has PCOS so we get to see how they come together to help each other out when the other needs extra support.  We also get to see characters from the first book, which is always a fun time.

Wreck the Halls - Tessa Bailey

This rockstar-adjacent romance follows Melody and Beat - their mothers were a rock duo who had a very messy break up while they were pregnant.  Now, decades later, Melody and Beat are approached with a reality show following them as they try to reunite their mothers for one show on Christmas Eve.  Both Melody and Beat know there isn't much hope for the reunion but Beat needs the money and Melody wants to help so they agree.  I'm not usually a fan of famous people romances unless both MCs are in the industry and fully understand what they are getting into together.  Bailey sets up the connection between Melody and Beat perfectly and they both mention multiple times how they are the only ones who can really understand each other.  The majority of this read takes place as they are filming/live-streaming the reality show and that wasn't a huge draw for me as I'm not a big reality TV person.  However, I did love the behind the scenes details and we get a good number of scenes where it is just Melody ad Beat, no cameras. I did feel like the conflicts between the two of them were repetitive and felt like they were getting resolved the same way each time.  So much so that by the time we get to the final make-up scene, I wasn't sold that the two of them wouldn't have another repeat of the same issue not so far down the road. 

Set the Record Straight - Hannah Bonam-Young

This FF, friends to lovers romance follows Clara and Evan.  The two have been friends since childhood and Evan is gay while Clara is straight. But when Clara's new boss seems to think Clara is queer, the two agree to fake date and attend each other's work holiday parties together.  But when fake feelings begin feeling real, the two friends realize they have something special between the two of them.  This was a wonderful, zero angst romance. I adored Clara and Evan as friends and literally happy squealed once they got together.  This is Clara's bisexual awakening, of sorts, but it felt pretty natural to her character.  I loved the quirky holiday traditions that Clara's family has and seeing just how welcoming and warm they were to the news that the best friends are now romantically involved.  This is a dual POV read, but I found Clara and Evan's voices to be so similar that there were times where I couldn't tell who was speaking.  There is also a bit too much outside tension for my liking for a novella of this length - we have Clara's work event, Evan's ex girlfriend and her holiday party, and Evan's homophobic parents in their hometown.  None of these ended up being particularly stressful or long but there was just a lot packed into not that many pages.  The romance was incredibly well done and the spicy scenes had the perfect balance of heat and emotion. 

Romance Wrap-up November 2023

 One Night in Hartswood - Emma Denny

This MM historical romance follows Penn and Raff in 1360's Oxford.  Penn is arranged to be married to Raff's sister, but runs away the night before the wedding.  Raff is sent out into Hartswood to find the soon-to-be groom and restore his family's honor.  Only problem is that he has never met William de Foucart and doesn't know he goes by the nickname Penn.  So when Raff makes the assumption that Penn is simply a palace worker, Penn doesn't correct him.  As the two travel the countryside together, they grow closer.  But when their true identities are revealed, it could spell disaster for them both.  I really enjoyed this read and am finding that while I'm not a huge historical romance reader, I do really love the LGBTQ+ ones.  The set up for this was really intriguing and I loved how it let us get right into Penn and Raff's journey.  The travel element did get a little repetitive, but Denny was able to keep inching the tension between the two men as they traveled so I didn't mind too much. Both characters were really well developed and we got such a great sense of their personalities so quickly in the book.  The slow burn chemistry between Penn and Raff was superb and I loved how we got to see each of their inner monologues about how they were feeling about the romance as well as their own secret identities.  I wasn't expecting it to get as dark as it did in the third act with abusive family members and near death situations, but I loved seeing Penn get to use his strength of political machinations to try and solve some big problems. 

Thanks to Harper Collins for the ARC.  

Publication date was November 7, 2023.

Keep this Between Us - Albany Archer

This small town romance follows Tuesday and Bond.  Tuesday's family has sent her away on a forced restart after a scandal.  She's determined to make it work, but wasn't expecting to fall in love with the town or Bond.  The two meet on Tuesday's first night in town at the local bar and have an instant connection.  After a few days of getting to know each other and falling quickly, the two find out that Tuesday is the new employee at Bond's family business that was quickly and unexpectedly bought out from under him. But when the past comes back to threaten Tuesday's new life, the two of them will have to figure out if their new romance is worth fighting for.  This was a spectacular small town romance.  It had everything I was hoping for - great side characters, charming banter, and a lot of heart.  This did lean a bit too far into the insta-love side of things for my personal preference, but I think Albany did a great job fleshing out both characters so I did believe that they had a real connection.  I loved the different 'versions' of Tuesday that we saw as she was working through her trauma and figuring out what she wants out of her own life.  Bond was such a solid rock in her life as well as the lives of the other characters we meet.  Their connection was electric and I loved how they supported each other.  I hope there are more books set in this small town because I would absolutely read on in the series. 

Thanks to the author for the ARC. 

Expected publication date is December 5, 2023.

From the Start - Katie Duggan 

This romance follows childhood enemies Nic and Josh. After unexpectedly crashing his birthday party, Nic overhears some people discussing Josh's prowess in the bedroom.  This inspires Nic to ask Josh to help her learn how she can communicate and enjoy her time with partnered sex.  The two embark on sex lessons that turn out more explosive than either of them expected.  I loved this read and Josh is a new favorite MMC.  Both Nic and Josh are such complex characters that really came together in a very realistic way.  They didn't magically 'fix' each other, but they both made an effort to understand and support the other when they needed it and it absolutely melted my heart. The sex lessons were off the chart hot but there was also so much heart in this story.  Nic's autism felt very realistic and came up consistently throughout the story, so it wasn't used as just a plot device.  Josh's feelings about his body was really refreshing and was something I don't see often, even when reading other books with bigger MMCs. There were great side characters - especially Nic's whole family.  I really hope we get more books in this series. 

Thanks to the author for the ARC.  

Publication date was November 21, 2023

Friends Don't Fall in Love - Erin Hahn

This is the second book in the county music romance follows Lorelai and Craig.  Long time friends, Craig was the only one who stayed by Lorelai's side after she sang a protest song - even her fiance left her.  After a one night stand, Lorelai left the industry for five years until she felt the itch again.  She calls up the one friend she has left in the industry - Craig.  Craig has always had a crush on Lorelai, even when she was engaged to his former bandmate.  But now he owns his own indie record label and he's convinced him and Lorelai might finally come together as more than friends.  This was such a great read and I loved Lorelai and Craig.  Famous people romances aren't usually a go-to for me, but Hahn does a great job of really focusing the story on the characters so it felt very grounded.  There is a good amount of country music inside baseball going on in this book, but Hahn integrates it very well into the overall story so it never felt too heavy.  I loved Lorelai and Craig as characters and their different journeys of their careers.  They had great chemistry but I wanted to see more of the friends side of things.  We see some flashbacks of them back in the day as well as a few scenes of them being friends in the current day but I wanted more on page to really feel their friendship.  

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC.

Publication date was October 17, 2023

Back Into It - Eve Dangerfield

This is the fourth book in the Playing for Love series and follows Cheryl and Patrick.  Cheryl is 9 years older than Patrick, a fact that puts him squarely in the friendzone.  Patrick doesn't mind, at first. He'd rather have Cheryl as a friend than not have her at all.  But after a party, Cheryl confesses that she wants to be more than friends only she needs him to take control.  All bets are off starting the next morning but when Cheryl tries to go back to their previous arrangements, putting Patrick back in the 'friend' box, he'll do anything to show her he can be much, much more. I loved Cheryl and Patrick as well as their love story.  Both characters are believably flawed in their own ways and those flaws do affect other parts of their lives, not just the romantic part.  While Patrick is a professional football (soccer) player, we don't get a whole lot of that side so this didn't really feel like a typical 'sports' romance. We get a lot of flashbacks to how they were as friends in the 4 years before the night of the party which helped to show just how close of friends they were.  I wanted to see more of those friendship moments once they actually got together, especially at the end after they resolved their 3rd act breakup. Dangerfield can certainly heat up a book in no time and the intimate scenes we get are top notch.  This did lean a little into the degradation side of things which isn't my personal preference, but it did feel authentic for our characters.  We get some cameos from the previous couples in the series which is always fun.  

 

Thanks to the author for the ARC.  

Expected publication date is December 5, 2023. 

Pumpkin Spice - Tagan Shepard

 This small town, FF romance follows Nicki and Carter.  After a major breakup, Nicki is ready to give up on romance and settle into her life of minimal human contact - with the exception of her sister and niece.  Carter recently moved to town after a break up of her own and is helping out on the family's pumpkin patch.  The two women instantly hit it off, and not even a series of clumsy accidents can dull the shiny new relationship blooming.  This was such a cute romance and it perfectly captured the autumn vibes I was hoping it would.  Nicki and Carter are both in their 40s and both are cautious with their hearts so they aren't going out on a limb for just any romance.  This was a bit of a shorter read at 264 pages, but it still managed to pull off a slow(ish) burn romance. I liked that the romance was a little slower so it gave Nicki and Carter more time to get to know the other.  I loved the amount of simple, little dates they went on and small conversations they had that consistently got deeper as their relationship bloomed. We get a good cast of small town characters as well and some quirky antics.  There were a few times where it felt like we skipped over scenes that I really wanted to see.  One example is when Nicki is invited to dinner with Carter's family at the end of a chapter.  She agrees, and I'm expecting the next chapter to be that dinner scene, but instead it skips to the next day.  Since this was an ARC, maybe that is different in the finalized copy.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bold Strokes Books for the ARC.

Publication date was October 10, 2023

On the Plus Side - Jenny L Howe

 This makeover TV show romance follow Everly and Logan. Everly has been nominated for the new series of On the Plus Side - a shows that focuses on plus-sized people and updates not only their closets, but all other aspects of their lives.  Logan is the camera man tasked with following Everly around always seems to manage to catch her most ungraceful moments.  As filming continues, Everly starts to feel like she's finally coming back into herself after years of blending into the background.  This is one of those romances that felt like the romance was the 2nd plot line and the real focus was Everly's journey.  I think the majority of the book being from Every's POV really tilted the read toward her.  I loved her story and found so many of points that resonated with me. I did love the romance we see on page and the banter between Everly and Logan from the very beginning was fantastic.  The TV show element was, of course, a very large part of the plot as well.  I don't usually gravitate toward those TV shows, so I'm not super familiar with their own tropes but Howe does a great job of giving the reader enough information in a natural way that I didn't feel lost at all.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC.

Expected publication date is December 26, 2023.

Love, Naturally - Sophie Sullivan

This romance follows Presley and Beckett.  After a breakup, Presley decides to go on her planned couples trip to Get Lost Lodge by herself.  Beckett's family own the lodge and he's coming over to help them out.  He and Presley have an instant connection and the ten days they have together before Presley returns home suddenly don't seem like they'll be enough.  This was such a feel-good read for me and I really enjoyed it. We have a great cast of side characters and get some quirky small town antics.  Presley and Beckett were great characters and Sullivan does a fantastic job of really giving the reader a good sense of their character right away.  I'm not the biggest fan of insta-love stories but I could believe Presley and Beckett had that much of a connection.  We get enough scenes of them talking about their big hopes, dreams, and personal histories that I could feel their connection was more real than some other insta-love situations. I did want a little more friction in the narrative.  They just fell together so easily and then everything worked out perfectly for them and the other characters.  It left me feeling like it was all a little ~too~ perfect and I wanted just a little more of a struggle to get to those good outcomes.  I'd love if we get Beckett's siblings in future books.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC.  

Expected publication date is January 16, 2024.

Romance Wrap-up October 2023

 Soul of a Witch - Harley Laroux

This is the third and final book in the Souls Trilogy and follows witch Everly and demon Callum. After being raised in a cult, the last straw for Everly is seeing the lengths the cult and her father will go.  Everly was told her whole life that she was a weak witch with so little magic that it wasn't worth even training her.  But when she finds her family coven home, complete with a demon, she leans just how powerful she is.  Callum has been waiting for Everly for years and now that she's finally with him, he will follow her into battle with the ancient god the cult is trying to raise. This was a great end to the trilogy and I loved finally seeing Everly and Callum after getting glimpses of them in the previous books.  All books in this series take place over the approximate same time period but follow different couples so they are somewhat standalones (though I would recommend reading in order).  I liked that we got to see more of the cult side of things with this book and a little bit more of the backstory of the cult.  I loved both Everly and Callum as characters and thought they worked together so perfectly.  I did wish the training montage portion of the book was a little more cohesive.  I couldn't quite gauge where we were in Everly's journey.  Overall, I really enjoyed this book as well as the whole series. 

 

 Edin - Lily Mayne

This MM romance is the second in the Monstrous series and follows human Hunter and monster Edin. When Hunter and his friend are ambushed on their way back to their military base, Edin rescues Hunter and the two set off to rescue Hunter's friend.  Along the way, Hunter learns more about the monster world than he ever thought existed and he then needs to decide if he can go back to his old life or if he can stay with Edin and this new world he's grown to love. I really enjoyed this read and how it expanded on the world set up in the first book.  While each book does follow a different couple, there are some plot threads that span from book one into this one so I would recommend reading in order.  I did feel like this book focused more on Hunter than Edin and I do wish it was a bit more even.  I loved Edin in book 1 so I was really happy that I didn't have to wait long for his story.  Hunter was a really interesting character that is very much opposite of Daniel from the first book.  I liked getting different points of view of this post-apocalyptic world and I hope that trend continues in the other books in the series.  Hunter is an amputee and while I can't personally speak to the representation, I did feel like the details fit well into the overall plot. Hunter and Edin's love story was a bit of a slow burn that read really organically which I enjoyed. It was much sweeter than I imagined and I loved how much of a big softie Edin turned out to be.  It did get a bit repetitive at times, but Mayne was able to quickly get my attention back. 

 

 Entranced by the Basilisks - Lillian Lark

This MMF romance is the third book in the Monstrous Matches series and follows Emilia, Jasper, and Ari. Jasper and Ari are both Basilisks and Emilia is a human who has only recently learned that monsters exist.  She fully expects to wade slowly into this world until she ends up cursed and turns to Jasper and Ari - who themselves are lovers going through a rough patch.  What starts off as them trying to find a way to break the curse ends up with the three of them more entwined than they expected.  I absolutely loved this book and I think Lark does a great job writing poly romances.  The individual relationships between all three of them as well as the whole throuple were really well developed and I loved how much we were able to see each relationship grow. There were some really great emotional moments that made me tear up - which I was not anticipating.  I also enjoyed the world building and lore of the basilisks and how that impacted Emilia's curse. Each character was well developed which helped me feel really immersed in the story through all 3 POVs that we get. Emilia is friends with Grace from the second book in the series and I do wish we had more time to see their friendship develop through the story. 

 

The Dragon's Bride - Katee Robert

This is the first book in the A Deal With A Demon series and follows human Briar Rose and dragon Sol. In order to escape her abusive husband, Briar Rose makes a deal with a demon and finds herself auctioned off to Sol for seven years as payment for her deal. Sol is in need of a human to continue his lineage but after past relationships fails, he is hoping this will be a good option.  The two of them, despite their initial differences, end up quickly becoming close and maybe this deal was the best thing for both of them after all.  I really wanted to love this book, but at less than 200 pages, it wasn't long enough to get the amount of character development or plot development I wanted.  I think it does a good job introducing the reader to this world and the way the demon deals work so I am planning on continuing on in the series.  It feels like this was going for an insta-love type of vibe but with Briar Rose's backstory and their initial friction between the two about children, the insta-love wasn't working for me. I did love both characters on their own and by the end I was convinced they work well together. 

 

How to Bite Your Neighbor and Lose a Wager - D.N. Bryn

This MM romance is the first in the Guides to Dating Vampires series and follows vampire Vincent and human Wesley. The two meet by happenstance when Wesley catches Vincent sneaking into his room at night to drink his blood.  The two strike up an unlikely friendship that eventually turns to more. I enjoyed this read, but felt the balance between the romance and the more romantic suspense elements was a bit off.  I also wanted more world building at the beginning as it took me a little bit longer than I would have liked to find my footing in the story. I loved Vincent and Wesley together and just wanted to see their story without the extra romantic-suspense elements.  We get some great hurt/comfort scenes which I'm always a sucker for. Vincent and Wesley were such interesting characters and I loved the amount of backstory we got with both of them.  I really enjoyed the way their relationship evolved over time and seeing them both make the active choice to be together.

Charming Your Dad - Sarah Blue

This is the first book in the Charming series and follows Blair and Dax. After Blair finds out her boyfriend is cheating on her with a witch from her coven, she is determined to get revenge by getting with his dad.  Dax is a demon from hell on a mission to find a rogue demon who has been possessing humans and Blair wasn't in his plans.  However, when the connection between the two is stronger than they both expected, they will have to both choose to make this fling something more substantial.  This was a really fun read and it paid off on the premise perfectly. Blair and Dax have chemistry sizzling off the page and I loved seeing them together.  They were both well developed characters on their own and each had their own side plots going on.  Despite their initial connection being fully physical, they quickly get to know the other and their connection grows.  I loved Dax's side plot of finding the rogue demon but I didn't find myself invested in Blair's side plot of her coven.  I loved the side characters we see as well as the world building and I will be reading on in the series for sure.