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. 

Romance Wrap-Up September 16-30

 Runaway Love - Melanie Harlow

This is the first book in Cherry Tree Harbor series and follows single dad, Austin, and recently single runaway bride, Veronica. After her fiance accidentally sends a sext meant for his assistant to her on their wedding day, Veronica leaves him at the alter. Only problem is that he bought her everything from her phone to their apartment so she basically is left with only the wedding dress on her back. Austin is in need of a nanny for his twins for the summer and Veronica is just the woman for the job.  Like all the other Melanie Harlow books I've read, I really enjoyed this.  We have great small town setting and side characters, opposites attract to the max, and chemistry sizzling off the page.  I loved Veronica's storyline and how she came back from her controlling ex to find herself again.  Austin toed the line of being a little too alpha-hole for me at times, but for the most part it worked. We get a great group of side characters which is always a plus in the first book of a new series.  I did find myself wanting more of Austin and Veronica together doing mundane activities.  It felt like if the kids were around, then Veronica was in nanny mode.  But if the kids were gone, then they were jumping into bed together.  We do get some scenes of them outside the house, but many of them were when they were still figuring out their feelings so they weren't actually together.

I Like You Like That - Kayla Grosse

This rockstar/bodyguard romance follows childhood friends Birdie and Liam.  The two were good friends growing up ... until they weren't. Now, Bridie is a famous rock star touring the world with a stalker getting a little too close for comfort.  Liam is an ex-cop who is looking for his next steps after recovering from an injury and Birdie's new bodyguard is the perfect opportunity.  The two try to make the best of their new relationship dynamic but spending so much time together is bringing up old history and maybe there's a way they can move forward together. I really enjoyed this read, but felt like the plot was being pulled in two different directions.  We get a bit of romantic suspense with the stalker plot but we also get a regular rockstar/bodyguard romance and the two plots weren't really well entwined for me.  There were stretches of the book where I completely forgot about the stalker plot until it would just pop back up again.  I loved Birdie and Liam working through their past together and working together to move forward.  I'm not a big lover of rockstar romances but I thought this had a good balance of the stardom vs the backstage reality of the job which made Birdie much more grounded as a character.

Jaywalking - Rachel Ember

This MM romance is the first book in the In Step series and follows Emile and Jay.  After the two have an almost-hook up, Jay walks into his first college class to find Emile is the professor.  The two have an undeniable connection, but the rules of the college are clear.  After a number of failed relationships, Emile is looking for something very specific in a relationship and Jay just might be that something special. I really enjoyed this read and it was much spicier than the cover art led me to believe.  Jay and Emile are fantastic together but also were each very compelling characters on their own.  I enjoyed the character arcs they both went through and how that led them to be together.  Since the two met outside of class, the student/professor dynamic didn't ick me out like it sometimes can.  Plus, Ember did a good job building up their connection to be more than just a physical attraction. I really enjoyed the way the kinkier elements were used and how this was Jay's "kinky realization".  Jay and Emile aren't into the more equipment-based kink, but more so the power exchange side of things and that is a side of kink I don't see often on its own in the kinky romances I read.  I did find myself wanting more of Jay and Emile just being a couple in more every-day situations to build up their relationship outside of the bedroom a bit more.

Practice Makes Perfect - Sarah Adams 

This is the second book in the When in Rome series and follows Annie and Will.  Annie is the quiet flower shop owner who is on a quest to find her perfect match but when she hears a date describe her as boring, she starts to think finding someone might be out of her reach. Will is the bodyguard of the pop star marrying Annie's brother and he is the opposite of Annie in just about every way.  But when he agrees to help Annie with her dating and flirting, the two of them just might be more of a match than anyone expects.  This is 100% in the running to be my favorite romance of the year!  Annie and Will are a great example of opposites attract and I loved their entire dynamic.  Adams does a great job of building up both these characters as more than their stereotypes.  We got to see a little bit of Will and Annie in the first book in the series, but I didn't get a great feel for them so I was glad that we get so many details about them right at the beginning.  We have a great cast of side characters, but the moments that really shine are when Will and Annie are together and let down their walls piece by piece. The dating lessons were a great mix of cute and steamy and had an excellent escalation from scene to scene. We also get personal growth outside of just romantic relationships as well. 

Yours, Insatiably - Aveda Vice

This Nbi/F paranormal romance follows coworkers Avirin and Pye.  In the prequel novella (Feed) we see Pye and Avirin's first night together. This book opens not long after where Avirin and Pye are still working together. But now there's a new underlying tension between the two.  Neither of them can forget their night together and the explosive connection.  And when Pye starts introducing Avirin to the monster world she avoided for so long, neither can go back to the way things were. This was a great extension of the original novella and I really liked how much deeper Vice was able to explore these characters now. The world building was really well done and I enjoyed finding out more about the monster world alongside Avirin.  The sexual tension was fantastic from start to finish. This was very much a lust to love situation and I really enjoyed seeing these characters give in to their emotions fully.  I really love this world and would read as many more books in this universe as Vice would like to write.

His Cocky Valet - Cole McCade

This MM romance is the first in the Undue Arrogance series and follows Ash and Brand.  After his father falls ill, Ash ends up becoming CEO of his father's company years before he was expecting to.  His years of gallivanting around, spending his father's money, and being on the front page of the tabloids have not prepared Ash for this job.  That is where Brand comes in - Brand is a professional valet and quickly starts putting Ash's life back together. The two initially butt heads, but as they spend more time together they grow closer.  And when they both realize that Brand's way of caring for Ash gives them both something they deeply desire, they take their working relationship to the next level.  This was an unexpectedly emotional read that I overall really enjoyed.  At first, I really didn't like Ash and wasn't sure if I could get over how bratty and annoying he was.  I just wanted to grab him by the shoulders and shake him back to acting like an actual adult needed in the situation he was in.  Luckily for me, Brand did it for me.  I really enjoyed how the relationship between the two men evolved over the course of the book and how they slowly fell into the romance before taking a full plunge.  I did want to see more of Brand and Ash outside of the home/office to see how their dynamic would work out in a more casual setting. 

Mixed Signals - B.K. Borison

This is the third book in the Lovelight series and follows Layla and Caleb.  Both of them are unlucky in love but strike up a deal one night that they should go out on dates together so he can restore her faith in men and she can help his dating game.  Their fake dating arrangement is all fun and games at first, but then it starts to feel a little too real.  And when they revise the terms of their agreement to add in physical interactions as well, the fake dating starts to feel a little too real.  This was a great fake dating romance and I was absolutely thrilled to be back in the Lovelight universe.  Caleb and Layla are both such unassuming characters that really got their chance to shine as the MCs of this read. They are both on the more quiet side but obviously had a lot of love to give to the right person.  I loved how up front they both were with their struggles and how they both felt like equal participants in the fake dating agreement. Their dates together were just so wonderful and when the heat between them grew, it was even better.  We get a good number of cameos from the couples from the previous 2 books which is always nice.

Cleat Cute - Meryl Wilsner

This FF sport romance follows Grace and Phoebe.  Grace is the team captain and veteran of the pro soccer team that Phoebe just joined.   Off the field, the two are just about as different as they could be, but they start up an unlikely friendship.  They graduate to friends with benefits at the same time that Grace is sidelined for an injury which puts her spot on the US National Team in jeopardy.  But when they figure out they can work together instead of competing against each other, these two women just might find a connection they never expected. This was such as fun sport romance that was spicier than I initially expected. Grace and Phoebe are such great characters and I loved how different they were from each other.  They each had a ton of character development throughout the story. Of course, there's a good amount of on-page soccer playing but I thought it was still really well balanced.  We get a variety of soccer scenes that didn't get repetitive.  I really liked how Wilsner was able to weave in tension on and off the field and how the two interact with each other. 

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC.  Publication date was September 19, 2023

Let Me In - R.M. Virtues 

This is the third book in the Gods of Hunger series and follows friends Athena and Dionysos.  After the events of the second book, Hades and the other rulers are trying to secure peace in the region.  Athena and Dionysos are sent to Thassos City to negotiate a peace treaty.  But when negotiations break down, Athena and Dionysos must team up to find and defeat the threat to their home.  Along the way, the two finally realize that being more than friends might be the thing they've both been waiting for.  This was another great entry in the Gods of Hunger series.  I would recommend reading them in order because the non-romance plot does stretch across all the books.  I found this to be the most well-balanced between the romantic and non-romantic plot and it felt like a more traditional romantic suspense.  I also found the non-romance plot to be easier to follow than the previous book.  I loved Athena and Dionysos as their own characters as well as a couple.  They worked so well together and their long friendship was obvious.  The sexual tension between them was well done and paid off so well once they get together.  I'm so glad book 4 just released so I can continue on in the series. 

The Messenger - Jessica Gadziala 

This is the third book in the Professionals series and follows coworkers Jules and Kai.  Kai has been in love with Jules since she started working at the office, but she never seemed to return his feelings.  Now, Jules is getting married and Kai knows he'll have to let her go. But when Jules's fiance disappears and she learns the truth of who he truly was, Kai insists on helping Jules find him and get what he stole from her back.  This had such great potential and build up over the previous 2 books in the series, but I didn't love the execution.  We get a ton of flashbacks to Kai and Jules to show the progression of their relationship.  However, these scenes took away from the current romantic suspense plot and overall really deflated any tension.  I also didn't really buy into the sort of insta-love that Jules went through and I didn't have enough time with Jules and Kai as a couple to really get on board with their relationship for the long term.  I did love the pining and tension we see in some of the flashbacks, but overall felt like the structure of this book really took away from the story.  I am excited to continue on in the series and see if we get more of Jules and Kai's relationship that way.

That Night in the Woods - Kristopher Triana

This horror/thriller follows a group of friends 20 years after one Halloween night changed their lives forever.  When Scott Dwyer calls out of the blue to invite the fractured friend group back together, they are all a bit wary of returning to Redford.  But each of them - Jennifer, Corey, Traci, and Mark - agree to come and honor the memory of their recently passed friend, Steven.  As the group begin to reminisce about their teenage years, Scott breaches the vow they made to never speak of that one night.  
 

We get a good mix of characters - but I found them to be on the caricature side of the spectrum.  While the group hadn't spoken in many years, I didn't get a good feeling that they were ever really friends.  Even in the flashbacks, it felt like more of a gathering of acquaintances rather than an established friend group.  We get a brief introduction to most of the characters before they gather together but I wanted more time to establish their characters now so the comparison between then and now would be more clear.  There is some substantial character change during the ending climax but since I didn't get a good sense of the characters to begin with, this change didn't hit me the way I think it was meant to.

The horror elements in this were spectacular and there were so many chilling moments.  There are 2 timelines in this story and the past timeline, where we are seeing what happened that night in the woods, reminded me of All Hallows by Christopher Golden.  We get the creepy people in the maybe haunted forest and a group of friends who are trying to be logical about it all but also aren't sure what they are experiencing.  There's also a fair amount of gore in the last 25% or so of the read which I wasn't really expecting but I think worked well given the escalation with the plot.  

I think the standout element by far is the tension Triana was able to craft.  While the dual timelines do alternate, we get pretty big chunks at one time.  There isn't a whole lot of back and forth that would normally help to build tension through the structure of the book so the meat of the story really needed to do the heavy lifting.  As we get more reveals, the tension amps up because each reveal has some pretty far-reaching consequences.  These aren't just "oh, X did Y" type of reveals.  It is "X did Y which means that A and B ended up C which would mean..." type of reveals.  There's also a good amount of interpersonal tension with the friend group and the fallout of that night in the woods.  We get multiple POVs so tension is built that way as well where we see certain characters and their internal thoughts or desires. 

The ending lost me, which is a real shame.  Plot-wise, the ending was actually was a little off the rails but in a way that I usually like.  However, I found the plot development to clash with the character development.  There were certain characters that felt like they had complete personality shift in the last 30 pages or so which didn't work for me.  I also found a bit of the explanation/reveal of the ending to be a bit info-dumpy in a way that made it feel rushed.  Like we could have had this information woven into the scene a little more but instead it felt like the reader was being pushed toward the ending before I was ready for it.  

Overall, I enjoyed parts of the story but it didn't quite come together perfectly for me.  Fantastic horror elements and tension building but the characters and ending ended up feeling a little misaligned. 

Thanks to NetGalley and Cemetery Dance Publications for the ARC.

Expected publication date is October 7, 2023

Romance Wrap Up September 1-15

How to Fake Date a Vampire - Linsey Hall

This is the second book in the Charming Cove series and follows witch-in-training, Emma, and vampire duke, Alaric. In order to earn a spot at her coven, Emma is in charge of planning the annual Beltane Ball.  The biggest problem is trying to convince Alaric to let her host it at his estate - his famously private estate.  Lucky for Emma, Alaric needs a fake girlfriend to show his grandmother after a disastrous break-up.  As the two spend time together preparing for the upcoming Ball, they find that maybe they have more in common than they initially thought.  This is falling into the 'not for me' category.  I didn't really connect with the characters or the writing style.  I found Emma and her whole plot to feel more YA than I was expecting which just isn't my vibe.  This YA-ish plot also clashed with the more adult romance elements.  I wanted way more from Alaric than we got and I never really got a good handle on his character or backstory. I did really love the world of Charming Cove and all the different types of magic or magical creatures we get to see. Also, Penelope the skunk was far and away my favorite part of this book. 

Thanks to NetGalley and Bonnie Doon Press for the ARC.  Publication date was August 31, 2023

The Fiancee Farce - Alexandria Bellefleur

This sapphic romance follows Tansy and Gemma as they enter into a fake engagement.  Tansy, sick of the constant questions about her love life, fabricates a relationship with a fictional Gemma.  Then, when at her cousin's wedding, the real Gemma finds out about Tansy and their supposed relationship.  Good thing for both of them that Gemma needs to be married in a few months in order to inherit her grandfather's publishing company. What starts as a purely business arrangement inevitably turns real. This was absolutely fantastic and has solidified Bellefleur as an insta-read author for me.  I was fully invested in Tansey and Gemma as individual characters and their own journeys but also loved to see them get together.  They were such a good example of the opposites attract trope where they aren't caricatures or it isn't completely unbelievable that they would actually like being together.  We have a great cast of side characters and I liked how the marriage of convenience plot was used.  The chemistry between Tansy and Gemma was fantastic and built up believably as they spend more time together. 

The Plus One - Mazey Eddings

 

This is the third book in the A Brush With Love series and follows childhood enemies Indira and Jude. Weeks before her brother's wedding, Indira finds herself newly single and needs a place to stay - obviously her brother's house is her first choice.  When she arrives and sees Jude is also staying there, the two pick up where they left off with the verbal sparring.  However, it isn't exactly like when they were younger as their own internal and external struggles have left their marks on both of them.  Their fake dating agreement quickly turns real as the two of them find comfort in their shared history. Both Indira and Jude have their own mental health struggles and these struggles were the forefront of the story.  I loved how Eddings integrated the mental health aspects into every aspect of their lives and relationship.  Indira and Jude were such complex characters on their own and I loved when they did finally get together how we could see their relationship morph. The banter between them is perfection and we get a good amount of interaction from the cast of side characters - including the previous couples.  I did want a little more of Indira and Jude finding out more about each other.  They were antagonistic toward each other for so long, I wanted to see more of them turning that around.  

TW/CW: PTSD from medical procedures, parental abandonment

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC.  Publication date was April 4, 2023

Let Him In - William Friend

 

This horror novel follows Alfie and his twin daughters - Sylvie and Cassia - 9 months after his wife's accidental death.  What starts as an assumed nightmare of the twins seeing a man in their room evolves into a shared imaginary friend, Alfie reaches out to his wife's sister, Julia.  Psychologist Julia initially sees nothing out of the ordinary about the girls' behavior but as she spends more time with the grieving family, memories of her own childhood start surfacing.  As the situation with Alfie and the girls start escalating - including hallucinations and physical danger - this friend might be more than imaginary after all. 

TW/CW: death of a spouse, death of a parent, suicide, child endangerment, child neglect, domestic violence, miscarriage, grief

The atmosphere of this whole read is spot on.  The book opens with heavy grief and even the creepy stuff gets circled back to grief.  Yeah, the girls and their imaginary friend are a little weird and something feels off, but they're just grieving the way children do. Or that Alfie is overly sensitive due to his own grief.  This is reflected perfectly with the family being basically self-isolated in this old and grand home. As we learn more about the backstory of the home and the events that happened in the past, we can't help but see how that could be impacting the current day story. I'd categorize this read as a pretty quiet, creepy read.  We do have some moments of action, but for the most part we're in solid creepy kid story territory. 

The horror elements were so delicately balanced, I was surprised that this was a debut. I think it would have been easy for this type of story to get over the top with the horror.  And while that might have worked very well also, this sort of more subdued, gently escalating horror was great.  Creepy kids are almost always a win and them being twins really was the cherry on top.  I liked how we get a mix of them being their usually creepy selves - like seemingly able to communicate telepathically - but then the line gets crossed and now there's maybe something supernatural going on.  It felt like the type of horror that I could very well imagine happening in real life where it is just unsettling and strange enough that it makes you wonder but if you aren't a believer in the supernatural/paranormal then you also can come up with explanations for the events.

 As far as characters go, this felt very much like a snapshot in time.  The majority of the story takes place over a 3 day span, but we do get some flashbacks as well.  This short time span didn't give a whole lot of time for much character development.  We also see the characters being stagnant due to grief, which also doesn't change a whole lot over 3 days.  Friend does a good job of giving us details of these characters through their actions and reactions with other characters.  We alternate POVs between Alfie and Julia so we do get their internal dialogue during their chapters. What I absolutely loved is that the children actually read like children.  They weren't overly precocious or intellectual for their age and the creepy kid factor then hits that much harder when the kids read as realistic.

I think the ending might be a hit or miss with readers.  I found it toeing the line of being frustratingly ambiguous in the same way that the ending of Inception was.  We spend this whole book following these characters and seeing the escalation of something that may or may not be supernatural.  Then it just sort of ... ends.  We do get a epilogue that flashes forward a few months and I found that to also end on sort of an ambiguous note. I think what saved this ending for me was that we have enough textual evidence to support the reading in either direction.  I'm certainly swaying in one direction but I can absolutely see the argument for the other reading being the 'real' ending. I also found this ambiguous ending to work well as this theme of trying to figure out what is real or not comes up a lot throughout the book.

Overall, this was a great atmospheric, creepy read.  The horror elements were balanced well and the ambiguous ending was pulled off well. 

Thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press.  Expected publication date is October 3, 2023