Voracious Romance Reader • Honest Reviewer
I love it when a great book takes me by surprise, and I unexpectedly find myself immersed in a love story that has my FULL attention. With a new-to-me author and a nearly 400-page book, I went in with low expectations - and this wasted no time in exceeding them. It's such an engaging, smile-inducing... Continue Reading →
From the moment we met this couple on the page together, I knew this love story was going to be something special. The TENSION snaps and crackles immediately, and it's obvious that there is both a lot of love and HURT between them. This (anti)hero is perhaps the most "broken" man I've ever rooted for... Continue Reading →
I've got Meghan Quinn on my mind, so I thought I'd re-share my review for one of her older rom coms - the grumpy/sunshine, boss/assistant, wedding-related romance, Boss Man Bridegroom. I haven't been able to convince myself to dive into Quinn's newest, A Long Time Coming, yet(!), because friends to lovers drives me crazy 75%... Continue Reading →
Sometimes you start reading a book and get a great feeling about it almost immediately - there's something that pulls you in and lets you know that it's going to be a good one. That's how I felt about this. It was clear from the first few pages that the dynamic was WORKING for me,... Continue Reading →
What a gorgeous love story! This is EASILY my favorite of Clayborn's romances (so far), and the bar was already pretty high. I loved the instant zap of connection I felt towards these characters, from those awkward first encounters to the subtle shifts in their relationship. I loved this grumpy hero - a man who... Continue Reading →
The banter and sexual tension in this he falls first/one-sided enemies to lovers romance made it such an engaging read; I loved watching these two bicker, and the attraction that sparked between them was palpable. It's also got a playful feel that makes the pages fly by, paired with an undercurrent of emotion that digs... Continue Reading →
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The third time's the charm! While I have absolutely LOVED both of Hazelwood's previous novels, this one hooked me in INSTANTLY with the banter, electric chemistry, and the tense, forbidden aspect. It feels like her other work, but the vibe is also all its own - it progresses a little differently, the storyline is... Continue Reading →
I'm torn between 4 and 5 stars, but the ending had me absolutely SWOONING, so I'm choosing to round up. There's a lot to love about this room-ance - a strangers to roommates to friends to lovers slow burn with fun, slightly off-kilter vibes and a hero whose feelings I wanted to figure out. The... Continue Reading →
In case you missed it! I shared reviews for my 20 favorite books of 2022 over the holidays, and now I've got everything I loved about 2022 romance novels, all in one place! Looking back, I really did have a fantastic reading year – there were so many great books that ALMOST made my top... Continue Reading →
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ From the moment we met this couple on the page together, I knew this love story was going to be something special. The TENSION snaps and crackles immediately, and it's obvious that there is both a lot of love and HURT between them. This (anti)hero is perhaps the most "broken" man I've ever rooted... Continue Reading →
It's rare that a book has as much PERSONALITY as this one, something that truly makes it sparkle and shine. That's definitely the best part about this absolutely bonkers rom com - the journey is a little offbeat, a whole lot spicy, and a ton of fun. There's a reason why everyone has been loving... Continue Reading →
Who doesn’t love a good trope? Everybody’s got a favorite, from tense enemies to lovers reads to playful fake relationship romances. I’ve always got certain expectations when I start reading a story that plays up a trope, and the books on this list all exceeded those expectations. I’ve selected the two books that I think... Continue Reading →
As 2022 comes to a close, I’m celebrating my 20 favorite romance novels of the year, and Love on the Brain certainly makes this list! The Love Hypothesis was one of my favorite books of 2021, so Hazelwood had a lot to live up to with her sophomore effort - and this did not disappoint!... Continue Reading →
As 2022 comes to a close, I’m celebrating my 20 favorite romance novels of the year, and the wonderfully unique Funny You Should Ask makes the list. As a self-proclaimed second chance romance hater, I think it's hysterical that a few wildly different second chance romances made my Top 20 list. When they work, they... Continue Reading →
As 2022 comes to a close, I’m celebrating my 20 favorite romance novels of the year, and Next of Kin was such an unexpected delight! On a night when nothing on my TBR was calling my name, I stumbled upon this newly-released debut. I'd never heard of the book, but the cover was adorable and... Continue Reading →
As 2022 comes to a close, I’m celebrating my 20 favorite romance novels of the year, and Terms and Conditions is another book that lived up to the TikTok hype. It's a marriage of convenience/office romance that ended up being right up my alley, and I loved how the hero was in so over his... Continue Reading →
As 2022 comes to a close, I’m celebrating my 20 favorite romance novels of the year, and Honestly, I'm Totally Faking It is one of those books that came out of nowhere for me. Typically, I'm either anticipating a release myself or I get a recommendation and put it on my TBR for "sometime." With... Continue Reading →
As 2022 comes to a close, I’m celebrating my 20 favorite romance novels of the year, and this debut easily makes the list! I'm such a second chance romance hater that it took about a dozen other readers recommending this to me before I finally dove in. And I'm so glad that I did! It's... Continue Reading →
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ What a gorgeous love story! This is EASILY my favorite of Clayborn's romances (so far), and the bar was already pretty high. I loved the instant zap of connection I felt towards these characters, from those awkward first encounters to the subtle shifts in their relationship. I loved this grumpy hero - a man... Continue Reading →
As 2022 comes to a close, I’m celebrating my 20 favorite romance novels of the year, and that list wouldn't be complete without Ten Trends to Seduce Your Bestfriend. It's one of the more unique and memorable books I've read this year, with a hero that I absolutely adored. It's also beefy and a little... Continue Reading →
As 2022 comes to a close, I’m celebrating my 20 favorite romance novels of the year, and the swoony Mixed Signals easily makes the list. I ended up bingeing the whole Lovelight series in less than a week, and that's because they are effortlessly charming. Better together, these books seem to improve with each installment,... Continue Reading →
As 2022 comes to a close, I’m celebrating my 20 favorite romance novels of the year, and no book put me through my paces emotionally like Untying the Knot. Meghan Quinn is no stranger to my Best of the Year lists, because she swings for the fences with every release, and creates magic every so... Continue Reading →
As 2022 comes to a close, I’m celebrating my 20 favorite romance novels of the year, and that list includes Meet Me Halfway, the slow-burning, single mom romance that put Lilian T. James' writing on my radar. I'd heard some good things about this book prior to reading, but it blew me away once I... Continue Reading →
As 2022 comes to a close, I’m celebrating my 20 favorite romance novels of the year, and that includes the banter-filled playboy tamed romance, Mile High. This is one of those books that I heard about months ago and let sit on my kindle for just the right day. It's nearly 500 pages long and... Continue Reading →
As 2022 comes to a close, I’m celebrating my 20 favorite romance novels of the year, and The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea definitely makes the list. The Devil series has been fantastic as a whole, but I sincerely enjoyed this angsty, forbidden romance - it might be my favorite of the Devils. It's... Continue Reading →
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ It was great to be back in Knockemout - this sequel did NOT disappoint! I think I liked it better than the first one, and that was very tough competition. There was just something immensely compelling about this wounded and vulnerable hero; he's a genuinely good guy who is in a dark place, and... Continue Reading →
As 2022 comes to a close, I’m celebrating my 20 favorite romance novels of the year, and one of my top picks is the playboy tamed romance, Hook, Line, and Sinker. I'll admit to being very hesitant to dive into this romance initially. Friends to lovers romances where the hero is a manhoe are not... Continue Reading →
As 2022 comes to a close, I’m celebrating my 20 favorite romance novels of the year, and Thank You For Listening is one of the subtler picks. I was lucky enough to receive an early copy of the audiobook, and it blew me away - I think that I may have been one of the... Continue Reading →
As 2022 comes to a close, I’m celebrating my 20 favorite romance novels of the year. I don't assign these specific rankings, but... Consider Me is definitely up there! I loved this playboy tamed romance so much that I happily ate up a 20+ hour audiobook by a new-to-me author and wanted more at the... Continue Reading →
As 2022 comes to a close, I’m celebrating my 20 favorite romance novels of the year, and this debut surprised me in the best of ways - I loved it from start to finish. It's a great romance with a side of women's fiction, and the storyline felt fresh and authentic. Plus, roommates to lovers... Continue Reading →
As 2022 comes to a close, I’m celebrating my 20 favorite romance novels of the year, and that list wouldn't be complete without the finale to J.T. Geissinger's deliciously addictive mafia romance series. I have loved EVERY book in this series - and the spinoff series too - so it was no surprise that Brutal... Continue Reading →
As 2022 comes to a close, I’m celebrating my 20 favorite romance novels of the year, and that list includes Funny Feelings, a humorous and heartfelt friends to lovers romance by new-to-me author Tarah DeWitt. I knew very little about the plot when I decided to sample Funny Feelings, but it took only a few... Continue Reading →
As 2022 comes to a close, I’m celebrating my 20 favorite romance novels of the year, and Heartless is definitely one of them. When it comes to these lists, I try my best to honor 20 different authors, but I honestly could not choose between the first two books in Elsie Silver's Chestnut Springs series.... Continue Reading →
As 2022 comes to a close, I’m celebrating my 20 favorite romance novels of the year, and Flawless is certainly among them. When it comes to these lists, I try my best to honor 20 different authors, but I honestly could not choose between the first two books in Elsie Silver's Chestnut Springs series. I... Continue Reading →
It's the time when I ponder my top reads of the year, and that makes me nostalgic about books that have made the list in the past. One such love story is the Wicked Ways duet, my first experience with K. Bromberg's writing. Her books made my list in 2019, 2020, AND 2021, so I... Continue Reading →
Quick and SUPER cute, this has everything you could ask for in a holiday novella. It packs a punch in a small package, diving right into a road trip between co-workers. There's a great grumpy/sunshine dynamic, and a hero whose thoughts are fun to puzzle out. It's just Christmasy enough to feel like a holiday... Continue Reading →
I am such a sucker for a playboy whose entire life changes once he meets the right girl, and that is exactly what this beefy book is all about - I absolutely loved it! It reminded me a lot of one of my other favorites, Consider Me, though this felt fresh and different in its... Continue Reading →
It's prime time for holiday romances, so it seemed like the perfect time to re-share my review for Pippa Grant's hysterical AND hot holiday romance, Humbugged. I read this back when it released, and the book is a great combination of holiday vibes, humor, and heat. It's got just enough swoon to feel super romantic,... Continue Reading →
I loved this SO MUCH. I've been hearing nothing but good things about this book for months, but - as a second chance romance hater - I just couldn't bring myself to dive in. Finally, I decided to give it a try... and I couldn't stop once I started reading. The crackling tension, playful banter,... Continue Reading →
5-star reads were few and far between for me this month, making them feel even more special when I found them. After loving Elsie Silver's Heartless in October, I went a full four weeks(!) without a 5-star read, which is unheard of for me. It was only after another reader recommended Amanda Gambill's Honestly, I'm... Continue Reading →
So bingeable, with a hero who is the sweetest man underneath his frosty exterior, this made for the perfect introduction to this small town series. Yes, I skipped right to the book with the tropes I was most interested in, lol, and I have no regrets. It's clear that the series is tied together enough... Continue Reading →
My first Ana Huang, and it was a good one! I can see why this author has become so popular - this was soapy and spicy, with a compelling marriage of convenience/forced engagement romance that develops between two strangers who are not very enthusiastic about the arrangement. Their relationship is a slow burn, especially emotionally,... Continue Reading →
Devastatingly brutal yet poignant and hopeful, this marriage in trouble romance put me through my paces emotionally - and I loved it! Switching between past and present, we see the highs and lows in this couple's relationship, with the chemistry and connection in their early days punctuating the loss of a love that was once... Continue Reading →
My favorite holiday romance is on sale for just 99 cents right now (as of this post!), so it seemed like the perfect time to share my review again. Kayley Loring has delivered SO MANY 5-star reads for me, but this one remains my absolute favorite. The sexual tension, playfulness, and holiday vibe just took... Continue Reading →
There's just something so absolutely delicious about peeling back the layers of a prickly grump, figuring out what makes him tick and finding that gooey marshmallow center hiding beneath his beautiful but thorny exterior. And that is where this playful grumpy/sunshine romance shines! This one came on my radar out of nowhere, so I went... Continue Reading →
I read some excellent books in October, with two that are clear contenders for my Best of the Year list! Earlier this year, I read and adored Flawless by Elsie Silver, and I was convinced there was no way that the next book in the series would earn my love in quite the same way.... Continue Reading →
The tension snaps and crackles, sparking off the page in such a delicious way - I could FEEL the unresolved issues between these two, and I couldn't wait for them to figure things out. As a certified second chance romance hater (but big fan of DeWitt's work), I was both excited and nervous to dig... Continue Reading →
Hogle recently released her third novel (her third 5-star read for me!), and it's got me thinking about the book that started my love for her work - You Deserve Each Other. It has such a unique concept, and the execution is so, so good. Sort of like enemies to lovers dialed up a notch,... Continue Reading →
"The last few threads holding him together snap before my eyes. I can almost hear the pinging of them flying apart like a popped guitar string." I was crossing my fingers that this would live up to the excellence of Flawless, and now I'm really not sure which book I adored more - it was... Continue Reading →
Interestingly enough, I was one of the ARC readers for Heart Bones back in 2020 when it released with a super vague blurb, a totally different cover, and an indie vibe. I'd only read one other book from Hoover at the time (Regretting You), and it didn't resonate with me. Hoover was CoHo back then,... Continue Reading →
"I’ve had to work so goddamn hard for those smiles, and now I’m fucking greedy for them. And nothing has changed, not really. I just want you worse. And it hurts." ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The tension snaps and crackles, sparking off the page in such a delicious way - I could FEEL the unresolved issues between these... Continue Reading →
What a debut! After absolutely loving Funny Feelings, I couldn't resist checking out DeWitt's debut novel, and it exceeded expectations. Quieter and more introspective, Rootbound is the story of a woman who (accidentally) reconnects with her estranged family, finding all kinds of love in the process. It's got the same kind of layered feel as... Continue Reading →
“You’re absurd.” It comes out sounding like You’re adorable.“You’d love it.” He grins. “Don’t lie.” When you're fake dating the, ah, literal Holiday Spirit, things are bound to get complicated. This chaotic, charming, one-of-a-kind story is filled with holiday fun that put a smile on my face. I've been a huge fan of Hogle's work... Continue Reading →
This will be a weird review, because I enjoyed it so much that a 5-star rating was the obvious choice, but I can also identify several things that bugged me - and I understand why it's been such a polarizing read. The important thing: this was an EXCELLENT debut, and I'm excited to read more... Continue Reading →
From the Embers is enjoying a sudden surge in popularity, and I'm very happy about that... because it was one of my Top 20 of 2021 picks! In case you missed my review at the time, I'm sharing it again now. I still think back on the book very fondly, and hope many new readers... Continue Reading →
I read some really great romance books in September! If you saw my monthly wrap-up, you know that I held off on reading some of my most anticipated new releases (I didn't have any time to devote to full-day binges!), so I ended up checking out a lot of new-to-me authors this month. That always... Continue Reading →
Loved it, loved it, LOVED it! You know things are going VERY well when the 20-hour runtime on an audiobook doesn't faze me, and I spend time doing math to determine whether it's physically possible for me to stay up late enough to finish before going to bed (sadly, no). I really wasn't sure what... Continue Reading →
Lighthearted fun, this was just as bingeable as the first book in the series, with plenty of sparring that felt like sparks of attraction. It's low angst and easygoing, featuring a theme park princess and her best friend's brother - the one who infuriates her by existing. These two had great chemistry, and it was... Continue Reading →
This is the kind of debut that gets me excited about what's next from an author, because there was so much good stuff going on with the story. It's ideal for fans of Elena Armas and Chloe Liese, sort of the perfect combo of both of their vibes - featuring a deliciously smitten hero, bickering... Continue Reading →
Once these two cross the line, they practically combust into flames - this is a smokin' hot installment to the series, one that is full of electric chemistry from start to finish. I jumped back into the series just in time for the conclusion, which was both easy to read as a standalone and also... Continue Reading →
This series just keeps getting better and better, swoonier and swoonier. Maybe steamier and steamier too. Zero complaints about any of that - I loved this! It’s easiest to appreciate this series to its fullest when you read it in order, so I was already so excited to dig into Caleb and Layla’s story before... Continue Reading →
“You’re absurd.” It comes out sounding like You’re adorable.“You’d love it.” He grins. “Don’t lie.” When you're fake dating the, ah, literal Holiday Spirit, things are bound to get complicated. This chaotic, charming, one-of-a-kind story is filled with holiday fun that put a smile on my face. I've been a huge fan of Hogle's work... Continue Reading →
This time of year always makes me think back on the books I’ve read so far and revisit my TBR to see what else I want to check out before the year is over. I’ve read some excellent romance novels in 2022, and I’m sure that there are more to come! The contemporary romance novels... Continue Reading →
Jeeves Reads Romance 