This was an unexpected delight! I really wasn't sure what I was getting into with this debut, but I was willing to give it a try - and I'm so glad that I did. Quiet and heartfelt, this strangers to friends to lovers age gap romance is a stellar slow burn. I loved how Cal... Continue Reading →
⭐️⭐️⭐️ REVIEW: Spring Tide by Ki Stephens
I couldn't quite bring myself to rate this any higher, but there was a lot that I liked about it. This new adult debut has been pretty buzzy, and it's easy to see why - the opposites attract vibes and giant teddy bear/football player hero were both definite wins, and I liked that the storyline... Continue Reading →
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ REVIEW: Golden Hour of You and Me by K Jamila
So soft and sweet, with a hero who is all kinds of swoony, there was a lot to love about this slow-burning romance. Our heroine is angry and confrontational, actively trying to keep people out, and this patient, steady hero sees right through her. I loved that the premise felt unique, and I loved that... Continue Reading →
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Thirsty by Mia Hopkins 🎧
After hearing nothing but praise for this hero-centric series, I knew that I had to give it a try - and I’m glad that I did! Not only did the tone feel rich and authentic, but it’s also rare to find a romance that is exclusively told from the male perspective. It was quick and... Continue Reading →
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ REVIEW: Go Fake Yourself by Elle Maxwell
Putting a whole new spin on one of my favorite tropes, I loved that this fake relationship romance felt fresh and different. This couple moves in together and enters a fake relationship as complete strangers undergoing an experiment, which added a level of unpredictability and interest to the beloved trope. There's a great opposites attract... Continue Reading →
TOP 20 OF 2022: Next of Kin by Hannah Bonam-Young
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 →
RETRO REVIEW: Never Blue Duet by Julia Wolf
It's been three years since I read this duet, and my chest still feels tight when I think about it. Angst-filled and complicated, this rock star romance will play with your emotions. We meet this couple when they fall hard and fast as young adults, before our hero ever became a star. I loved the... Continue Reading →
⭐️⭐️⭐️ REVIEW: Scoring Chance by Teagan Hunter
Definitely not my favorite in the series, but it was cute. This series has consistently been light and sexy, easy and playful - and this installment is too. It's character-driven, with so much banter and conversation. I was delighted to hear that the flirt on the team actually still has his v-card, and it was... Continue Reading →
RETRO REVIEW: Heart Bones by Colleen Hoover
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 →
⭐️⭐️⭐️ AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Dash by Kayley Loring & Connor Crais 🎧
These co-writes have been a bit uneven for me, and the streak continues with this one. As a long-time fan of Loring's work, it's easy to see Crais' influence, and that has its pros and cons. Pros include getting the dude's perspective right, making this series feel like true sports romance, and (of course) the... Continue Reading →
⭐️⭐️⭐️ REVIEW: Serve by C.W. Farnsworth
Started as a 5, shifted into a 4, then fizzled to a 3 - I liked a lot of this, but the push/pull overshadowed the actual romance after awhile. The good news? It's the kind of book that makes me want to read more from this new-to-me author, because I enjoyed the writing style and... Continue Reading →
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ REVIEW: Eloise and the Grump Next Door by Emma St. Clair & Jenny Proctor
I loved it from start to finish - this was a sweet and swoony treat, featuring an adorable grump of a hero and playful, lighthearted vibes. I've been meaning to check out both of these authors individually, so I jumped at the chance to read their first team-up, and it was more than I could've... Continue Reading →
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ REVIEW: Next of Kin by Hannah Bonam-Young
An EASY 5-star rating for me - I loved it! When I stumbled upon this debut romance, I had zero expectations, so I couldn't have predicted the level of SWOONS or the plethora of heartfelt moments. I've never read a storyline quite like this one, and the near-constant forced proximity made for a book that... Continue Reading →
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: IOU by Kristy Marie 🎧
It's been awhile since I've enjoyed a college romance this much, but Marie did such a great job of making these characters relatable... even if the storyline is a little unusual! I've been loving Marie's lighthearted romances recently, so I decided to check out the one that always puzzled me: IOU. Yeah, the storyline is... Continue Reading →
15 of My Favorite New Adult & College Romance Books
Whether it's the hot jock and the nerdy girl, the tutor and the troublemaker, the playboy and the virgin, or something a little more complicated, college, high school and new adult romances can be filled with tropes. Some of my favorite new adult romances are tropey goodness. Others are a little more nuanced, with stories... Continue Reading →
⭐️⭐️⭐️ REVIEW: Seren by J. Nathan
Maybe I’m getting too old for teenage drama, or maybe the bully to instalove transition gave me whiplash, but this just didn’t do anything for me. It’s the first time I’ve disliked a book by Nathan - the other five I've read from her have been great. We'll call this one a fluke! Our introduction... Continue Reading →
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ REVIEW: Falls Boys by Penelope Douglas
So I took the night to collect my thoughts, and I still don't know how to rate this - there's a lot going on in the story, and a lot going on in my head. Let's start with this: I'm a first-timer! I've been meaning to check out Douglas' work for years now, and this... Continue Reading →
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Taste by Melanie Harlow 🎧
This is one of those books that I was SO SURE was going to be an easy 5-star rating for the first half... and then the second half unraveled a bit. I absolutely LOVED the forced proximity, playful teasing, frenemies banter, chemistry, and blizzard banging. This hero is all kinds of sweet and caring, and... Continue Reading →
⭐️⭐️ AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Good Girl Complex by Elle Kennedy 🎧
I love a good girl/bad boy, opposites attract romance, so I was excited to dig into this one, but the blurb left out some very important information. As in, the hero makes a bet that he can get the heroine to cheat on her cheating boyfriend with him. That's a lot of cheating, which is... Continue Reading →
COVER REVEAL: Put Me in Detention & The Plan
Two big cover reveals today, and I am SO excited for both of them! Put Me in Detention by Meghan Quinn & The Plan by Karla Sorensen are the newest installments in two excellent series of interconnected standalones. I've got details on both series and the new books below! I kinda hate the new covers... Continue Reading →
⭐️⭐️ REVIEW: Wish Upon a Star by Jasinda Wilder
What I wanted: An emotional story like The Cabin to wreck me What I got: Teenage sex ed class and sugary sweet love at first sight Those are two very different things, and I definitely had to recalibrate my expectations once I got a feel for the vibe. Unfortunately, I felt a little pervy reading... Continue Reading →
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ REVIEW: The Closer by Kristy Marie
There's just something SWOONY about a sweetheart of a hero who shows his fierce, alpha side when his protective instincts kick in. I adored this kind and loving hero; he takes care of everyone but himself, and doesn't hesitate to step in when our heroine is in need. Their marriage of convenience might not have... Continue Reading →
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ REVIEW: The Lie by Karla Sorensen
A smitten bad boy? Yes, please! I absolutely LOVED this hero, a guy who listens to the devil on his shoulder too often. He's moody, broody, tattooed, and talented - and he's a total softie on the inside. This one's a little bit enemies to lovers, a little bit friends to lovers, and a whole... Continue Reading →
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ REVIEW: Nothing But Wild by P. Dangelico
I started this before bed (big mistake, HUGE), stayed up WAY too late, and devoured it in a matter of hours. Prepare to fall for Dallas because he is slightly broken but so, so easy to love! Nothing But Trouble was really great so I was looking forward to this big time, even as I... Continue Reading →
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ REVIEW: So, That Got Weird by Amelia Kingston
HOLY COW THAT WAS GOOD. This was so much better than I could’ve hoped for. I really, really loved it. When I read something by a new author, I never know what to anticipate so I kept my expectations low and went in blind. This did NOT disappoint. It’s not your typical hot jock/shy nerd... Continue Reading →
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ REVIEW: Enemies by Tijan
You know, I wasn’t sure I was loving this in the beginning. With a title like “Enemies,” I was expecting it to be intense from the start, with a slow build from hate to love. That’s really not how this story goes, and I am completely okay with that, because it is beautifully written. This... Continue Reading →