I had a tough reading month, but it all worked out in the end! I DNFed around 20 books in March, not gonna lie. The new releases just weren’t working for me, and I had to do some exploration before I found books that resonated with me – and that went very well! I tried books by debut and new-to-me authors, two of which made my Best of March list. I love being surprised by great books, and that was definitely the case with most of my top picks this month.
Without fail, February and March have always been difficult reading months for me, and I usually end up disappointed by the books I’m most excited about. Not sure why that happens, but it’s been the same way for the last few years! The good news? April is usually a fantastic reading month, and I’m already experiencing that. I’ve read a few excellent books in the last couple of days, and there are so many intriguing April releases on my TBR.
If you missed my April Release Calendar, you can find it here!
If you missed any of this month’s reviews, I’ve got the blurb and rating for each below. There’s also a link to all of this month’s recommendation lists and the new release list.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Loved it
The Prodigal is a spicy, frenemies-to-lovers, forbidden romance full of delicious angst and heart-wrenching revelations by bestselling author Kristy Marie.
Arrogant.
Indifferent.
Uncompromising.
Remington Potter was a sarcastic jerk with a body of an avenging angel. He screamed good times and bad decisions.
But that’s not what made us friends.
His saving me that one night did—even if he denied it.
Remington Potter was my antihero.
I owed him at least a friendship and a plastic chair.
But I made one mistake.
I didn’t knock.
I didn’t look away.
All I saw was him on the floor.
Tormented.
Enraged.
And broken.
But that wasn’t the worst part.
I discovered Remington Potter wasn’t the mysterious savior I thought he was.
He was vengeful.
And I was the final piece in his game.
The Prodigal is a full-length standalone that features crossover characters from the Hands of the Potters Series.
Read the review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3z8t2V9
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ SO good
Two players. One apartment. A whole new game.
Serial dater Finn Palmer has it down to a science: dinner, drinks, the this-is-just-sex conversation, and he’s back in his own bed by midnight. With his infectious smile and preference for one-night flings, he’s exactly the distraction Jenna Carling needs when she returns home for her sister’s dreaded wedding.
So when Jenna shows up on his doorstep looking for a hot do-over of their failed one-night stand from a year ago, she’s shocked that Finn offers her something entirely different: his spare bedroom for the summer.
Finn’s self-prescribed singledom means two things: he is woefully cuddle-starved, and he will never, ever sleep with a woman he’s interested in. He knows there’s something different about Jenna. She’s charming, warm, lets him wax poetic about his favorite documentaries… And there’s no way he can sleep with her without catching serious feelings. But he can definitely keep her around as a platonic roommate. And he can definitely get this pesky crush under control.
Problem is, Jenna’s now convinced she’s lost her mojo. And the harder she tries to tempt Finn into more—more sex, more midnight bakery rendezvous, more… cuddling?!—the harder it is not to fantasize about a future with her. Too bad he’s witnessed the destructive effects of love. And Finn would never put himself through that.
He only needs to survive the summer. Soon, her evil sister’s wedding will be over. Jenna will be gone. And Finn can get back to… What, exactly?
The No-Judgment Zone is a steamy romantic comedy with the roommates-to-lovers, reformed player, forced proximity, sunshine/golden retriever, and wedding date tropes. This romance has a happily ever after.
It’s the second book in the Sunset Landing series but can be read as a standalone.
Read the review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3IvwZYv
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Loved it
A woman ready to move on. A man who can’t afford distractions. An inspiring journey of healing love.
Determined to walk away from a traumatic past, 22-year-old Grace Allen feels ready to take the next step in her healing journey—dipping a toe into the dating pool. Although she should probably start by making a friend or two, right?
Samuel ‘Cal’ Callaghan isn’t who she had envisioned as her first male friend in… well, forever. With an intimidating build, tattoos everywhere, eight years her senior, and a little sister under his care, the last thing she expected was to warm up to him so easily. As their friendship evolves, Grace can’t help but wonder if Cal is exactly who she’s been looking for all this time.
Cal can’t afford to lose sight of his priorities—making sure his tattoo parlor thrives and taking care of his little sister. Especially the latter. He wants to make sure 4-year-old Maddie has a healthy and happy childhood, despite their mother going off the rails and her father’s blatant neglect. There’s certainly no room for love in his life right now. But when a sweet blonde with a veiled past breaks down his walls, he finds it difficult to stick to his guns.
CONTENT NOTES: This book contains themes of sexual assault (there are no explicit scenes depicting sexual assault), profanity, alcoholism, and explicit sexual content. Recommended for 18+.
Read the review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3YXath1
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Sneak Peek Review
Fans of Christina Lauren and Tessa Bailey will adore this witty and unforgettable rom-com about skyways, highways, and all the perfectly wrong ways to fall in love.
As the black sheep of the family, choreographer Cassidy Bliss vowed she’d do anything to get home in time to help with her sister’s wedding and avoid family disappointment…again. She just never expected “anything” would involve sharing the last rental car with the jerk who cut her off in line at the airport this morning. But horrible times apparently call for here-goes-nothing measures.
Driving across the country with Luke “life can be solved with a spreadsheet” Carlisle must be a penance for some crime she committed. Because the second he opens his mouth, it’s all she can do to not maim him with her carry-on. But somewhere between his surprisingly thoughtful snack sharing and his uncanny ability to see straight to the core of her, her feelings go unchecked.
Suddenly, their crackling chemistry is just one more thing they have to navigate—and it couldn’t come at a worse time. But after a lifetime of letting the expectations and needs of others drive her life, Cassidy must decide if she’s ready to take the wheel once and for all.
Preorder today – releases on May 23rd!
Read the sneak peek review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3JdH4cV
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Sugar and spice
Two years ago, I spent the hottest night of my life with a woman who never told me her name. In the morning, she was gone.
I’ve searched for her—relentlessly. I’ve scanned the stands and the cheering crowds in every city I’ve played in, but “Jersey Girl” never showed up again.
That night ruined me for anyone else. She was funny, sexy, and—after I got past her brittle shell—secretly very sweet.
Then one night, I skate onto brand new ice as part of the NHL’s latest team. And she’s in the stands at our first game of the season, very carefully not looking at me.
She disappears after the first period, and the chase is on again. This time, I have more clues, and I stop at nothing in my need to find her.
Turns out, she has good reasons why she can’t date a pro hockey player. But I have even better reasons why she can—like, we’re meant for each other, and I’ll do whatever it takes to be the man she needs.
Read the review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3ZJtV29
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Sneak peek review 🎧
Ali Hazelwood’s “favorite writer” and fanfic sensation Julie Soto debuts with a deliciously spicy and funny novel about a wedding planner who must work with her grumpy ex to plan the celebrity event that could make or break their careers.
Ama Torres is an optimistic wedding planner who doesn’t believe in marriage. But weddings? They’re amazing. Elliot Bloom is a brooding florist who hates owning a flower shop…until a certain bright-eyed, donut-loving workaholic shows up at his door.
Once upon a time, they collaborated on events by day, and by night, Ama traced the intricate flower tattoos etched along his body. Then Ama shattered his heart and never spoke to Elliot again.
Now they’re working on an event that could make or break both of their careers—except neither of them has gotten over what happened two years ago. Things are not helped by the two brides, who see the obvious chemistry between Ama and Elliot and are determined to set them up, not knowing their complicated history. But as the wedding takes on a life of its own, Ama and Elliot are about to discover that some things can survive a complete catastrophe . . .
Smart and hilarious, Forget Me Not is about two people giving themselves—and love!—a second chance.
Releases on July 11th – preorder today!
Read the sneak peek audiobook review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/40RVmHp
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Rocky start, solid finish 🎧
From USA Today and Amazon Charts bestselling author Meghan Quinn, comes a new fake dating, standalone sports romance featuring the hockey men you can’t get enough of and love. This steamy, age-gap romantic comedy will bring all the laughs while making your cheeks blush at the same time.
Running into your ex is never ideal.
Running into your ex who is now dating your nemesis is a literal nightmare.
That’s how I found myself in a sheer panic, reaching for the closest guy at the bar and kissing him. And to my delight he was easily the most attractive man I’ve ever seen.
The only problem is, when I tried to walk away after thanking him for his help, he stopped me with three life-changing words . . .“You owe me.”
That’s how I found myself, a college girl, in a fake relationship with a professional hockey player ten years older than me.
At first it was easy.
He helped me with my internship.
I helped keep his ex away from him.
We were becoming fast friends.
It wasn’t until he started staying the night at my dorm did the rules of our arrangement become complicated.
Now my feelings are involved and even though I kissed the right man at the right time, I’m worried he’s just waiting for the clock to run out.
Read the audiobook review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3YEF7N6
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Light and fun 🎧
True love is put to the test in this romantic comedy brought to hilarious life by Santino Fontana (Frozen, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel), Stephanie Einstein, and a full cast!
This Psych 312 assignment just might send me off the deep end. Determining whether love at first sight really exists with Robbie Moravian as my project partner of all people?
He’s the sappiest man alive, so upbeat I could scream, and clearly rooting for happy endings at every turn. How does he not learn from experience considering our own meet-cute last semester almost got us expelled?
But we both need to pass this course to graduate. So we’re interviewing five random couples about their meet-cutes and relationships and spending all this time together. Which is certainly…educational.
Because it turns out Robbie isn’t just the charming golden boy I thought I knew. There’s some actual depth beneath all those lame dad jokes and the ‘70s-inspired thrift wardrobe (even if he does look ridiculously great in a flared collar). Next thing I know he’s walking me back to my office on the regular and finishing all my sentences and protecting me from freak storms, and…
Wait. Could Robbie be right? Can happy endings really come from unhappy beginnings? Is he about to change my entire world view?
Group projects are the worst.
Read the audiobook review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3I8CvA4
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Almost 5 stars
Two restaurant critics learn their opposing tastes might make for a five-star relationship in the next foodie romantic comedy from the author of Sadie on a Plate.
By day, Julie Zimmerman works as an executive assistant. After hours, she’s @JulieZeeEatsNYC, a social media restaurant reviewer with over fifty thousand followers. As much as she loves her self-employed side gig, what Julie really wants is to be a critic at a major newspaper, like the New York Scroll. The only thing worse than the Scroll’s rejection of her application is the fact that smarmy, social-media-averse society boy Bennett Richard Macalester Wright snagged her dream job.
While at the Central Park Food Festival, Julie confronts the annoyingly handsome Bennett about his outdated opinions on social media and posts the resulting video footage. Julie’s follower count soars—and so does the Scroll’s. Julie and Bennett grudgingly agree to partner up for a few reviews to further their buzz. Online buzz, obviously.
Over tapas, burgers, and more, Julie and Bennett connect over their shared love of food. But when the competitive fire between them turns extra spicy, they’ll have to decide how much heat their relationship can take.
Read the review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3F8hrsP
Blurb:
#4 Callum Duquette. Placekicker for the Boston Tomcats. Former underwear model. NICKNAME: Duke.
I thought the most annoying thing about being a single dad was that my friends were always trying to find me a date. Until a sassy British ray of sunshine bumps into me at a bookstore. One accidental butt grab, a viral photo, and a lot of misunderstandings later, I find myself in a fake relationship with a movie star.
Now I’ve got my friends off my back, but the cheeky Brit has complicated my life even more.
She calls me the Duke of Grumpville.
I call her movies the end of civilization as we know it.
She calls my job “the wrong kind of football.”
I call her the one thing on Earth that can make me lose focus and control.
It’s getting harder to pretend I still want this to end after my team’s game in London.
I thought we were only faking it.
But getting to know the real Millie Darden changed everything.
Read the review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3L8f5Og
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Super slow burn
When I woke up this morning, I became aware of two things:
One, I felt hungover, and I knew I hadn’t had a drop of liquor.
And two, I was pretty sure I had accidentally married someone.
I, Olivia Sutton, have a Ten Year Plan. It’s air-tight and written in permanent ink. You know what’s not on the plan? Getting married to the man I used to love to hate. But when my sister’s pre-wedding trip goes horribly wrong, I find myself legally bound to my old nemesis, tech sensation Lachlan Hayes. Lachlan pitches a plan to temporarily stay married. Is it absolutely insane? Yes. But it has the potential to fix so many problems for both of us—and create even bigger ones.
As secrets unravel between us, I discover there’s more to my nerd husband than arrogance and a party-boy reputation. Falling for this guy is definitely not on the Ten Year Plan, but living in the same house? Acting like I’ve given my heart to my husband? Public kisses that make me forget my name? When our fake marriage becomes all too real, Lachlan and I find ourselves crossing lines we swore we wouldn’t. It has me wondering if I can walk away from Lachlan when our time is up.
Or if I’ll be the first the fall.
Grab the second book in the hilariously swoony A Lost Story Bookshop series. Perfect for fans of closed-door romantic comedy.
Read the review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3IoWhY4
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Retro review
Jack and I, we did everything backward. The day he lured me into his office-which was also the first day we met-he proposed. You’d think a guy who looked like him-a bit cold maybe, but still striking and very unattainable-would only ask the love of his life to marry him, right? You’d think he must be madly in love.
Nope. It was me he asked. A complete stranger who had never even heard of him. A stranger who had been dumped by her fiancé only weeks before. You’d think I’d laugh in his face, call him insane-and a few other names-then walk away as quickly as possible. Well…I did all those things except the walking away part.
It took him only minutes to talk me into a business deal…erm, I mean marriage, and only days for us to officially tie the knot. Happiest day of my life. Magical. Pop the champagne… Not. It was the worst day. Jack Hawthorne was nothing like what I’d imagined for myself.
I blamed him for my lapse in judgment. I blamed his eyes, the ocean blue eyes that looked straight into mine unapologetically, and that frown on his face I had no idea I would become so fascinated with in time.
It wasn’t long after he said I was the biggest mistake of his life that things started to change. No, he still didn’t talk much, but anyone can string a few words together. His actions spoke the loudest to me. And day after day my heart started to get a mind of its own.
One second he was no one. The next he became everything.
One second he was unattainable. The next he seemed to be completely mine.
One second I thought we were in love. The next it was still nothing but a lie.
After all, I was Rose and he was Jack. We were doomed from the very beginning with those names. Did you expect anything else?
Read the retro review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3ZwJSsx
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Retro review
“I should’ve known from the moment I sat down beside him on the plane that anyone as tightly wound as him would be an almighty beast in bed.”
Mr. Santillian,
Despite the fact I’m currently living out of your guest room and sleeping with you most nights, I am writing to announce my resignation effective two weeks from today.
In other words, I’ll locate someone who is both obscenely overqualified and willing to devote their days to the handful of tasks you are able to wrench from your perfectionist, micromanaging grip. It may be difficult to find a Nobel laureate genius looking for basic filing work on such short notice, but I’ll do my best.
Don’t worry about your sister’s wedding this weekend. I still plan to attend as your date, assuming you’ve finished hating me by then.
Thank you in advance for your understanding.
Zelda
Ms. Besh,
Resignation not accepted.
I’ll see you at home.
Ash
CW: history of emotional abandonment, briefly discussed on-page; family estrangement; history of emotional abuse by a romantic partner, one on-page event and brief discussion.
Read the review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3kEFfxa
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Retro review
You are cordially invited to the worst wedding of the century.
Sydney Evans is no stranger to hard work. It’s the one constant in her life. And with no family or friends to speak of it’s been easy to pour everything she has into her career as general counsel for Blackstone Holdings.
She wants for nothing. Until her boss offers her a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. All she has to do in return is marry his good-for-nothing son.
Scott Blackstone used be a party whore. Pardon, party animal. He hasn’t been that guy in a long time though. Not since he moved to Wyoming, bought a failing cattle ranch, and turned it into a profitable business.
All is good. Until a phone call from his father threatens the quiet, simple life he’s built. Marry or lose everything. And to a woman who can’t stand him, no less. Well, Scott is not going down without a fight. He’s never going back to Manhattan. Not if he can help it.
Read the retro review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3YXTSKg
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Retro review
Three reasons why rebound s-e-x with my hot neighbor is a very bad idea.
1. My life is already complicated enough
2. He knows I wear Batman underwear (please don’t ask)
3. He’s older, sophisticated, and so hot he makes me weak at the knees.
I know that’s more than three but it still didn’t stop me.
On paper, we’re the worst kind of match.
He’s rich and my second job is pet sitting.
He says we’re friends. I say barely, but I do love those benefits…
The man rocks my world but he’s not the one.
Which is unfortunate because he is the one who got me pregnant.
Disclaimer: This is not (just) a story about accidental pregnancy. It’s a story about accidental love.
Read the retro review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Fw1WuL
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Mixed feelings
HARPER St. James is the type of girl who thrives on the idea of life’s simple pleasures: a half-melted ice cream cone on a summer’s day, a puppy licking sand from a baby’s face, a gentle wave that crests and breaks on the ocean’s shore.
For quite some time, Harper’s been harboring a secret crush on Nate Gunderson, fellow Coastal U student and MLB-hopeful. In order to spend more time with him this semester, she finds herself spinning a ridiculous web of lies. Her first step . . . convincing her sports med professor that she’s been dating a football player. After all, if she’s romantically involved, it simply wouldn’t be right for her to keep an internship with their team.
Unfortunately for Harper, this silly, frantic excuse to switch assignments quickly snowballs into an unstoppable rumor.
LUCA Reynolds is the type of guy who prefers to set low expectations, both for himself and others, if only to avoid any inevitable disappointment. His football teammates would describe him as reserved, brooding, and occasionally stand-offish.
The truth? Luca doesn’t feel like he belongs.
When an unexpected injury threatens to destroy Luca’s long-term plans, he finds himself in need of help from a discreet professional—one who will assess his knee, provide some simple stretches, and assure him that everything’s fine. Luckily, there’s a scheming student intern that just might owe him a favor or two.
A secret for a secret. A lie for a lie. It’s not really blackmail if she’s the one who used him first.
Read the review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3Jgnmyb
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Didn’t love it 🎧
He’ll break all her rules
Nora Lakes is sophisticated, successful, and happily single. Career problems aside, her life is fine the way it is, thank you very much. Sure, her best friends are all moving into a new season of life—full of husbands and babies and white picket fences. But that’s not what Nora wants.
Neither is the gruff, tattooed guy next door.
Tattoo artist Dex St. James has enough trouble on his hands without the distractingly beautiful woman next door. Being a single dad to a teenage girl is no joke. The last thing he needs is a flirtatious new neighbor who makes his blood run hot.
He’ll just avoid her. She’s not his type anyway.
But Nora and Dex can’t seem to stay out of each other’s way. Between a pesky nocturnal visitor, Nora’s blossoming friendship with Dex’s daughter, and their undeniable chemistry, that up-against-the-wall, brain-melting kiss was probably inevitable.
Nora has rules when it comes to men, and she has her reasons. Dex threatens to break every last one of them. She doesn’t want forever. He won’t settle for anything less. But when these two collide, the result is fire.
And maybe even forever.
Author’s Note: opposites attract in this fun, swoony, single dad romcom. A smart, sassy woman meets a rough-around-the-edges tattoo artist with a heart of gold. Daddy/daughter moments, all the banter, neighborly shenanigans, a meddling family, badass lady friendships, and a hero who’s determined to fight the heat between them—until he falls first. Flirting with Forever can be read as a stand-alone.
Read the audiobook review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3T1Lx6M
Mini Audiobook Review
From Tessa Bailey—#1 New York Times bestselling author, TikTok favorite, and “the Michelangelo of dirty talk” (Entertainment Weekly)—comes a spicy small town rom-com perfect for Valentine’s Day, about a grumpy professor and the bubbly neighbor he clashes with at every turn…
Hallie Welch fell hard for Julian Vos at fourteen, after they almost kissed in the dark vineyards of his family’s winery. Now the prodigal hottie has returned to Napa Valley, and when Hallie is hired to revamp the gardens on the Vos estate, she wonders if she’ll finally get that smooch. But the starchy professor isn’t the teenager she remembers and their polar opposite personalities clash spectacularly.
One wine-fueled girls’ night later, Hallie can’t shake the sense that she did something reckless—and then she remembers the drunken secret admirer letter she left for Julian. Oh shit.
On sabbatical from his ivy league job, Julian plans to write a novel. But having Hallie gardening right outside his window is the ultimate distraction. She’s eccentric, chronically late, often literally covered in dirt—and so unbelievably beautiful, he can’t focus on anything else. Until he finds an anonymous letter sent by a woman from his past.
Even as Julian wonders about this admirer, he’s sucked further into Hallie’s orbit. Like the flowers she plants all over town, Hallie is a burst of color in Julian’s grayscale life. For a man who irons his socks and runs on tight schedules, her sunny chaotic energy makes zero sense. But there’s something so familiar about her… and her very presence is turning his world upside down.
Read the mini audiobook review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/41DmPh8
Mini Audiobook Review
Colton Crowne is famous for two things: being one of the music industry’s most talented producers and partying away his massive inheritance.
I’m a singer with stage fright who’s famous for…well…nothing yet. And I promised my family if I didn’t make it big by the end of this year, I’d go back to med school.
My agent thinks Colton and I would be a great team both in the studio, and outside of it—especially if label executives think we’re dating.
The rules? We can kiss in public, but not in private.
We can act like we’re doing the deed, as long as we’re not.
And as far as having actual feelings for each other goes…that’s obviously out of the question.
But after so many late nights in the studio and a bunch of stolen kisses, I start to see beyond his party boy facade to something real underneath. And he believes in me–with his coaching and encouragement, I’m finally overcoming my anxiety and giving the best performances of my life.
If only time wasn’t running out so fast.
Then Colton has an idea to keep us together. It’s terrible, but it’s the only way.
How can I let him destroy everything he’s worked for just to make me happy?
INCLUDES: Hero with a heart of gold, stolen kisses, surprising chivalry, private stuff in a public bathroom, swank parties, grinding it out, stolen glances, and Momma Crowne setting her boy straight.
Read the mini audiobook review here
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3ZjMcm0
THIS MONTH’S RECOMMENDATION LISTS
15 Sexy Second Chance Romance Books
Best Romance Books I’ve Read in Kindle Unlimited (2023 So Far)
Anticipated 2023 Romance Releases
AWESOME ON AUDIO: 5-Star Romance Novels with Great Audiobooks
Check out this week’s new releases here.
Follow Jeeves on social media!
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases
Jeeves Reads Romance 
Leave a Reply