As much as I struggled this month, the good books ended up being REALLY good. I'd be shocked if at least one didn't end up on my Best of the Year list, and multiple wouldn't be out of the question. So it was an excellent month in that regard, even if the 5-star reads were... Continue Reading →
15 Golden Retriever/Black Cat Energy Romance Books
Grumpy heroes are my jam most of the time, but sometimes I'm in the mood for opposites attract romance done a little differently - and that's where golden retriever meets black cat energy kicks in. One of my favorite rom com movies growing up was 10 Things I Hate About You, and it's got the... Continue Reading →
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ REVIEW: Things We Hide From the Light by Lucy Score
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 it's... Continue Reading →
15 Grumpy Boss Romantic Comedy Books
When I told my husband what the topic of this week’s rec list was, he was like, “shouldn’t we be discouraging that type of relationship?” Well, yes, if romance books were the real world. There’s generally an inherent sense of “wrongness” to boss/employee romances, which is one of the staples of the trope. The characters... Continue Reading →
SNEAK PEEK REVIEW: Things We Hide From the Light by Lucy Score
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 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 →
15 Sweet Cinnamon Roll Heroes in Romance Novels
Grumpy/sunshine romances and alphahole heroes often steal the spotlight, but cinnamon roll heroes know how to bring the swoon! There's nothing quite like a nice guy, a good guy hero who is warm and loving. Whether he's mellowed out after becoming a single dad or has always been upbeat and kind, cinnamon roll heroes are... Continue Reading →
15 Low Angst Romantic Comedy Novels
Rom coms: readers love them so much that the majority of romance books get (mis)labeled that way! It can often be difficult to tell if the book you're reading is going to be a genuinely low angst, feel good (hopefully funny!) read, which sometimes makes reading rom coms frustrating. Sometimes I just want a book... Continue Reading →
12 of the Best Women’s Fiction / Romance Crossover Books I’ve Read in 2022
If you’d asked me a year or two ago, I would’ve told you that I don’t like women’s fiction. I’m a romance girl; I love love, and that’s what I like to read about. However, I consume so much romance that I’ve found myself drawn to romance/women’s fiction crossovers recently, because they usually feature insightful,... Continue Reading →
15 Sweet & Spicy Small Town Romance Books
Something about small town romance novels just hits a little different - in a good way. While the stories still feel contemporary and modern, there's often a laidback, easygoing feel or a cast of characters that make the setting feel more like a community. Whether the book is part of a series of interconnected standalones... Continue Reading →
15 Sexy Office Romance Books
Whether the heroine is banging the boss or feuding with a co-worker, office romances have tons of potential for extreme levels of sexual tension. Workplace romance novels also feature popular tropes of every type, from enemies to lovers, billionaires, flings, fake relationships, forbidden boss/employee situations, and rivals romances. There's often great bickering that feels like... Continue Reading →
BEST OF 2022 SO FAR: Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score
We're already halfway through 2022, so I'm taking the time to reflect back on my 15 favorite books of the year so far. That list wouldn't be complete without the steamy small town romance, Things We Never Got Over. It's a beefy beast of a book that slowly simmered into something truly memorable, and my... Continue Reading →
Best of June 2022
An embarrassment of reading riches made it VERY difficult to put this list together, lol! I couldn't limit myself to six books this month, so I've got six top picks and a few honorable mentions. My top picks were all really great reads, and the honorable mentions would've easily made the list in a less... Continue Reading →
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: By a Thread by Lucy Score 🎧
I love it when a guy finds himself in over his head within minutes of meeting the right girl, and that is definitely the case here! I finally made room at the top of my TBR for this girthy office romance, and it was well worth the wait. It's intensely sexy, banter-filled, and full of... Continue Reading →
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ REVIEW: Maggie Moves On by Lucy Score
There's a lot to love about a cinnamon roll sweetheart who falls hard and fast for his girl - this hero was GREAT! As a longtime fan of Score's work, I was excited to dive into this and see how her style changes for a more "traditional" romance audience. This still has the same small... Continue Reading →
15 Sexy Single Mom Romance Novels
Single dad romance books get most of the love, but is there anything more heart-melting and adorable than a commitment-phobic hero becoming part of a family? Whether it’s a charming playboy falling for a woman AND her kids, a grumpy hero becoming fiercely protective of the family he’d love to call his own, or an... Continue Reading →
15 Romance Books Where the Guy Falls First or Fast
This is basically its own trope in romance novels - the (typically grumpy or broody) hero harbors deeper feelings for the heroine than he'd care to admit, the playboy is stopped in his tracks by the right girl, or the regular guy is smitten from the start. Whatever the situation, there's something so immensely swoony... Continue Reading →
SNEAK PEEK REVIEW: Maggie Moves On by Lucy Score
Releases June 21st There's a lot to love about a cinnamon roll sweetheart who falls hard and fast for his girl - this hero was GREAT! As a longtime fan of Score's work, I was excited to dive into this and see how her style changes for a more "traditional" romance audience. This still has... Continue Reading →
15 Great Grumpy / Sunshine Romance Novels
One of my favorite tropes is the opposites attract romance, which can be used in so many ways to make a book shine. And the best combination of all might be the grumpy/sunshine romance, featuring a moody, broody hero and an upbeat heroine who makes his world a little brighter. The trope often shines in... Continue Reading →
Best of January 2022
I'm going to be catching up on January releases for the next several months, because there were SO MANY new romance books released this month! Nearly every one of my favorite authors released a new book in January, so there were tons to choose from - and I ended up reading many excellent books. There... Continue Reading →
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ REVIEW: Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score
This is one of those books that feels entirely too long at the start, just right in the middle, and not long enough by the end. I loved it! While I think the story might be too slow-paced at the beginning and there's a LOT of focus on the small town feel, it's those quieter... Continue Reading →