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Romance Ebook Deal Round-Up: December 31, 2024

Dec 31, 2024 | Book Reviews

I love a good bargain for ebooks, and at the rate that I’m reading, grabbing an ebook deal is essential. I’ve rounded up a bunch of romance books that are on sale right now that you should check out. Click on the picture of the book cover to check the current price on Amazon. Prices fluctuate, so keep in mind that it might not be on sale for long. (If you make a purchase through these links, I get a small commission.)

Historical Romance

Contemporary Romance

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Weekly Reads: December 23 to 29, 2024

Dec 31, 2024 | Book Reviews

The Gentleman Was Right by Britt Belle (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Greydon series. Younger brother to an earl, Edward is feeling pretty purposeless after his brother comes back to the family estate. He’s happy to have the chance to do something useful, so he goes to investigate increased expenditures at his brother’s seaside cottage. When he gets there, Violet and her sister have been pretending to be family cousins and staying there to avoid her fiance. The ever-helpful Edward quickly offers marriage as a solution and gets soundly rejected. It’s clear that Edward is smitten and hopes that true affection and love with develop, but Violet is exceedingly wary after the betrayal from her fiance. We eventually end up with a fairly straightforward marriage of convenience plot with Edward trying his best to win Violet over and Violet doing her best to avoid engaging any feelings. Predictable but enjoyable read.

Advance ebook provided by Britt Belle.

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A Caribbean Heiress in Paris by Adriana Herrera (2022)

Historical romance. Victorian-era France and Scotland. Book 1 of the Las Leonas series. Luz Alana is the daughter and heiress to a rum distillery and trying to expand her business during the World’s Fair in Paris. She exchanges barbs with Evan, a whiskey distiller, who is sharing her space at the exposition. Luz has prioritized her responsibilities to her younger sister and her rum business, and has little to no time for frivolity, despite Evan’s handsomeness. Evan is the heir apparent to a cruel and horrible duke and is working on seeking revenge and the proper ownership of the deed to his own whiskey distillery. When they both realize that their inheritances are tied up in marriage stipulations, they enter into a marriage of convenience (with benefits). This book was steamy and emotional, and we all love Evan’s support of Luz’ business endeavors. Excellent read.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

My Inconvenient Duke by Loretta Chase (2025)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Difficult Dukes series. We start with Alice being terrified that her idiot brother will be killed sometime soon, so she sets off to find a husband this season, to make sure she’s never at the mercy of her cruel cousin. Her brother’s best friend, the Duke of Blackwood, is all sorts of distressed at the thought of Alice marrying anyone else, even though he has no claim to her. He clearly is nursing a long time affection for her, despite having chosen a lifetime of debauchery with his friends instead of the upstanding life he could have had with her. And when Blackwood hears that Alice’s terrible cousin is in town, he tries his best to protect her. We end up with a wild goose chase in the middle of the book that have Blackwood and Alice in a compromising circumstance and needing to marry. While this seems like the beginning of a happily ever after for them, they get pulled in different directions due to their competing responsibilities. As a standalone read, this book was fine. As a follow-up after the first two books, it fell a little flat because all the hints from the first two books suggest that these two are officially estranged. We learn more about this so-called estrangement in this book and do eventually end up with a happily ever after, but it was much less dramatic than I expected.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.

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Under the Mistletoe Contemporary Romance Novella Collection

Dec 27, 2024 | Book Reviews

Cruel Winter with You by Ali Hazelwood (2024)

Contemporary romance. Part of the Under the Mistletoe Collection. Quick novella. Jamie and Marc have known each other for Marc’s entire life since he’s Jamie’s best friend’s younger brother. And Marc has been in love with Jamie for ever, but they never did get together. Until he goes for it and then she rejects him, and now a few months later, they’re stuck together in a snowstorm. Feelings get discussed and resolved and things get steamy in pretty short order. Fun lil quick read.

Advance ebook provided by Amazon Publishing via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Brilliance Publishing via NetGalley.

Merry Ever After by Tessa Bailey (2024)

Contemporary romance. Part of the Under the Mistletoe Collection. Another super short steamy novella. Single mom and thrift shop employee Evie has charmed the pants off gruff and burly farmer Luke. Literally, he can’t find pants that fit at the thrift store. But he goes there just to see Evie anyway. She’s wary of men, but he’s an absolute girthy sweetheart. Quick and steamy read.

Advance ebook provided by Amazon Publishing via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Brilliance Publishing via NetGalley.

All by My Elf by Olivia Dade (2024)

Contemporary romance. Part of the Under the Mistletoe Collection. Co-workers at the their day job and co-workers on their holiday gig, Nina and William have been friendly and not-quite-flirting for months. They’re on the road in their side gig and get caught in terrible snowstorm traffic and end up cuddling for warmth. And then more than cuddling for more than just warmth. Quick, steamy read.

Advance ebook provided by Amazon Publishing via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Brilliance Publishing via NetGalley.

Merriment and Mayhem by Alexandria Bellefleur (2024)

Contemporary romance. Part of the Under the Mistletoe Collection. Quick novella. Super quick little romance here with Everleigh who is spending Christmas at her late grandmother’s house and fireman Griffin who consistently comes to her rescue. Her stay in town is only temporary and the fireman is all sorts of charming, so she tries her best to resist at first. But that only lasts for so long.

Advance ebook provided by Amazon Publishing via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Brilliance Publishing via NetGalley.

Only Santas in the Building by Alexis Daria (2024)

Contemporary romance. Part of the Under the Mistletoe Collection. Quick novella. The upstairs neighbor Theo is all sorts of cute and charming and Evie tries her best not to make a fool of herself in front of him. But he also has a massive crush on Evie, so it all works out in the end anyway.

Advance ebook provided by Amazon Publishing via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Brilliance Publishing via NetGalley.

Thanks so much for reading this post! Looking for more bookish resources and romance book reviews? Read the archives!

Useful Resources:

Get my massive guide of all the romances I’ve read on Kindle Unlimited

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Affiliate links may be used within this post. If you make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

New Releases for December 2024 – Historical Romance Books

Dec 26, 2024 | Book Reviews

The Gentleman Was Right by Britt Belle (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Greydon series. Younger brother to an earl, Edward is feeling pretty purposeless after his brother comes back to the family estate. He’s happy to have the chance to do something useful, so he goes to investigate increased expenditures at his brother’s seaside cottage. When he gets there, Violet and her sister have been pretending to be family cousins and staying there to avoid her fiance. The ever-helpful Edward quickly offers marriage as a solution and gets soundly rejected. It’s clear that Edward is smitten and hopes that true affection and love with develop, but Violet is exceedingly wary after the betrayal from her fiance. We eventually end up with a fairly straightforward marriage of convenience plot with Edward trying his best to win Violet over and Violet doing her best to avoid engaging any feelings. Predictable but enjoyable read.

Advance ebook provided by Britt Belle.

The Christmas Book Hunt by Jenny Colgan (2024)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novella. Charming short story that was more adventure than romance, really. Mirren is out looking for a super rare edition of a book for her ailing great aunt and basically traveling up and down England to find it. Theo is the nephew of a not-so-nice bookseller who has assigned him to follow her and nab the book if she finds it. They run into each other a few times along her journey, with her not realizing that he’s following her. It’s mostly flirting and lots of treasure hunting. Fun and quick read.

Ebook accessed from Amazon Prime Reading.

Undercover with the Heiress by Alivia Fleur (2024)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 3 of the Tales from Honeysuckle Street series. Rosanna is a hotel heiress who is almost about to be engaged to a younger son of a lord, but then gets caught in a compromising situation with her stodgy neighbor instead. Phineas is not your average bank clerk but actually secretly investigating some sort of financial fraudster and Rosanna has now become entangled with someone dangerous. He marries her to protect her reputation and her person, even though the union is in name only. He hopes to solve the case and then set her free. Except Rosanna and Phineas are actually fairly attracted to each other, despite their opposite personalities. It was fun watching them learn to work together, to coexist, and to see the sparks fly. Best scene of the book goes to Phineas being super sweet to Rosanna’s younger brother.

Advance ebook provided by Alivia Fleur via BookSirens.

Shop this book via Amazon // Bookshop.org

A Tempest of Desire by Lorraine Heath (2024)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 5 of the Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James series. Viscount Langdon has isolated himself on an island after a train accident leaves him with nightmares. And then one night, the storm washes up Marlowe, the most beautiful and desirable courtesan in London. He rescues her and learns that she was flying her hot air balloon solo and got caught in a storm. These two have been lusting after each other since first sight, but Marlowe is under the protection of another lord and is very loyal. Langdon also does not want to encroach on someone else’s territory, so he has tried very hard to stay away from Marlowe. But now, they’re stuck together and getting to know each other’s thoughts and personalities, making their connection all the stronger. This book is full of seductive flirting and yearning and longing. Another great book by Lorraine Heath.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.

No Ordinary Duchess by Elizabeth Hoyt (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 3 of the Greycourt series. Elspeth and Julian are total opposites and also keeping secrets from each other. She’s looking for some ancient diary that’s hidden at one of his family estates and he’s just doing his best to keep his evil uncle from harming his sisters. There’s some terrible tragic backstory between their families from a decade ago, which causes Julian to be terribly wary of Elspeth. She’s all bright smiles and sunshine though and almost convinces Julian to let down his guard. He’s keeping secrets about his bedroom inclination (but it sure is steamy once Elspeth gets involved). Twisty and turny and there’s definitely an assassination attempt thrown in.

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley. Print book provided by Forever Books. Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Surprised Dukes’ Heirs by Caroline Lee (2024)

Historical romance. Quick novella to serve as a bridge between the Surprise! Dukes series and Surprise Heirs series. It’s really just kind of an extended epilogue where we catch up with all the characters from the Surprise! Dukes series. This will make very little sense if you haven’t read that series. Everyone is gathered around at the holidays five years after the last book of the series. We’re pretty much just re-introduced to the nearly adult kiddos so we know who they are in the next generation series.

Advance ebook provided by Caroline Lee.

His Christmas Rose by Jane Maguire (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Rockliffe Dynasty series. Fairly quick novella. Lady Emily is about to get engaged to her suitor, who will be visiting her family at Christmas. When she goes for a walk, she runs into her neighbor (and former crush) Nate. And then she gets stuck at his house during a snowstorm and it stirs up all her old feelings for him. Nate’s back at home after having traveled for years and is adamant at upholding one of his father’s holiday party traditions. And he also realizes all that he’s missed along the years. As Nate and Emily spend time together, they argue, then reveal their secrets, and fall in love. It’s a fairly quick burn here as they’re only stuck together for a couple of days. Feels like this could be the end of the series.

Advance ebook provided by Jane Maguire.

Tall, Dark, and December by Tracy Sumner (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 12 of the Rake Review series. American self-made man Weston is disgruntled at having been featured in the gossip column because he’s losing potential investors in his steam engine project. So his brother’s valet suggest he take some lessons in propriety from Lady Penelope. He’s instantly intrigued by her intellect, spark, and prim behavior. She’s equally charmed by him, but they keep their relationship professional to secure West’s status in society. Although he is drawn to her, he knows that as the illegitimate brother of a duke, that he’s not suitable for an earl’s daughter. He just needs to take the proper risks and offer for her anyway. Loved the steam and spark in this quick read.

Advance ebook provided by Tracy Sumner.

Thanks so much for reading this post! Looking for more bookish resources and romance book reviews? Read the archives!

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Affiliate links may be used within this post. If you make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James Historical Romance Book Series by Lorraine Heath

Dec 25, 2024 | Book Reviews

When the Duke Was Wicked by Lorraine Heath (2014)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 1 of the Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James series. Duke’s daughter Grace is looking to make a love match this season and does not want to be misled by a blackguard’s sweet words to gain her dowry. She recruits her childhood friend, former crush, and now debauched widower the Duke of Lovingdon to help assess her suitors. He says no since he’s not ready to re-enter society nor find love ever again, but then feels protective and surprisingly attracted to Grace. He knows that he’s still heartbroken after the loss of his first wife and daughter, so he has no interest in marrying again, nor in dallying with a proper lady like Grace. But of course, his resistance only lasts for so long as he attempts to teach her lessons about false promises and words of seduction.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Once More, My Darling Rogue by Lorraine Heath (2014)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 2 of the Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James series. Lady Ophelia is one of the snootiest debutantes around and is constantly disparaging the commonborn Drake, even though he was raised by a duke and duchess. When she washes up ashore the Thames with no recollection of her memory, Drake decides to play a trick on her and tell her that she’s his housekeeper. It’s terrible of him and he knows it and he swears he’ll tell her the truth the next day, but then she says something snotty, and it makes him mad all over again. Interestingly though, now that she’s lost her memories, she’s actually a much nicer person and Drake is able to let down his guard around her. They grow closer together, but Drake feels a mix of guilt and protectiveness towards her. Plus, there’s the mystery of how she ended up in the river in the first place, which makes Drake even more protective. Tons of emotional angst while we wait for Drake to get in trouble for his sins.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

The Duke and the Lady in Red by Lorraine Heath (2015)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 3 of the Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James series. Rose is a swindler who sets her sights on the elusive Duke of Avendale. He’s so distracted by his desire for her that he almost falls for it. But then he catches her trying to leave town with his money and insist that she stays with him at his home for a week. Avendale has a long history of being selfishly debaucherous and Rose is really just trying to survive her tragic upbringing. It was so interesting to see the unraveling of Rose’s secrets over the story and Avendale’s kind and gentle responses to it. Loved all the twists and reveals in this one.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

An Affair with a Notorious Heiress by Lorraine Heath (2017)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 4 of the Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James series. The Marquess of Rexton is supposed to be courting young Miss Gina at the request of her uncle to improve the girl’s chances of finding a suitable match. Unfortunately, Rexton is more preoccupied with Gina’s older and scandalous sister Tillie. The former countess went through a horribly scandalous divorce involving being unfaithful to her husband with a footman and is pretty much unacknowledged by the ton. She and Rexton have an instant spark of passion for each other and spend most of the time bickering when Tillie is supposed to be chaperoning Rexton’s outings with Gina. Unfortunately, Rexton cannot simply court Tillie instead, since her reputation makes her an unsuitable wife for Rexton as the heir to a duke. It’s all a mess and Rexton really needs to get over his want for a spotless reputation.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Gentlemen Prefer Heiresses by Lorraine Heath (2017)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 4.5 of the Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James series. We pick up immediately after Book 4, at the wedding of Rexton and Tillie. Where younger siblings Andrew and Gina are busy lusting after each other. After a quick little eavesdropping misunderstanding, they’re off on nighttime adventuring and believing that they’re ill-suited for each other. Quick novella that was full of flirtation and steam.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

A Tempest of Desire by Lorraine Heath (2024)

Historical romance. Victorian-era England. Book 5 of the Scandalous Gentlemen of St. James series. Viscount Langdon has isolated himself on an island after a train accident leaves him with nightmares. And then one night, the storm washes up Marlowe, the most beautiful and desirable courtesan in London. He rescues her and learns that she was flying her hot air balloon solo and got caught in a storm. These two have been lusting after each other since first sight, but Marlowe is under the protection of another lord and is very loyal. Langdon also does not want to encroach on someone else’s territory, so he has tried very hard to stay away from Marlowe. But now, they’re stuck together and getting to know each other’s thoughts and personalities, making their connection all the stronger. This book is full of seductive flirting and yearning and longing. Another great book by Lorraine Heath.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley.

Thanks so much for reading this post! Looking for more bookish resources and romance book reviews? Read the archives!

Useful Resources:

Get my massive guide of all the romances I’ve read on Kindle Unlimited

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Affiliate links may be used within this post. If you make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

Weekly Reads: December 16 to 22, 2024

Dec 24, 2024 | Book Reviews

His Christmas Rose by Jane Maguire (2024)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 4 of the Rockliffe Dynasty series. Fairly quick novella. Lady Emily is about to get engaged to her suitor, who will be visiting her family at Christmas. When she goes for a walk, she runs into her neighbor (and former crush) Nate. And then she gets stuck at his house during a snowstorm and it stirs up all her old feelings for him. Nate’s back at home after having traveled for years and is adamant at upholding one of his father’s holiday party traditions. And he also realizes all that he’s missed along the years. As Nate and Emily spend time together, they argue, then reveal their secrets, and fall in love. It’s a fairly quick burn here as they’re only stuck together for a couple of days. Feels like this could be the end of the series.

Advance ebook provided by Jane Maguire.

Mad, Bad, and Dangerous To Know by Mary Jo Putney (2024)

Historical romance. American West. Standalone novella. Liza is a widow who is traveling home to her in-laws’ after burying her father. On the way, she sees a prisoner being mistreated and nurses him back to health. Even though Drew is on his way to his own hanging, he appreciates all the care and attention that he gets from Liza. They pretty much fall in love during their one night together. This was a quick read with a fun twist once we find out the crime that Drew has committed.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

A Duke in Shining Armor by Loretta Chase (2017)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 1 of the Difficult Dukes series. This book was so fun and reminded me how much I love road trip romances in a historical setting. Ripley is a groomsman at his best friend’s wedding and charged with making sure the wedding happens. The problem is that Olympia has run away from her own wedding and Ripley gives chase. He’s doing his best to convince her to go back, and then stall her so the groom can catch up, and preserve her reputation. But Olympia is all sorts of frantic and not interested in going back to her fiance. Along the way, Olympia and Ripley get to know each other, and Ripley has switched his efforts to just trying not to betray his best friend. There’s chaos and adventure and I loved seeing these two people fall in love.

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Ten Things I Hate About the Duke by Loretta Chase (2020)

Historical romance. Regency-era England. Book 2 of the Difficult Dukes series. The Duke of Ashmont is your Regency-era himbo, named “His Grace with the Angel Face” and basically doing nothing productive with his title. He spends so much time drunk that no one has any noble expectations of him. Cassandra is the eldest daughter of a politician who is known for being a shrew and completely outspoken. When she gets into a tangle with Ashmont, his solution is to marry her. She refuses over and over and over again, but he seems to be quite persistent. I loved seeing him be the one to pursue her and work hard at earning her esteem. I also liked reading about their interactions as children and how those experiences influenced their present day affections. Loved it!

Ebook and audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Same Time Next Year by Tessa Bailey (2023)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novella. Britta works at the bar where her half-brother’s hockey team likes to frequent, and teammate Sumner has run into a work visa issue on New Years Eve. Somehow Britta gets roped into a green card marriage with Sumner and sets very clear boundaries that it’s in name only and it would only be as friends. Especially since Sumner is clearly a relationship and commitment kind of guy who is obviously smitten with Britta. We get all sorts of little time jumps through the year of their marriage, with lots of flirting, and eventual steam. Cute and steamy quick read.

Ebook and audiobook accessed from Amazon Prime Reading.

Thanks so much for reading this post! Looking for more bookish resources and romance book reviews? Read the archives!

Useful Resources:

Get my massive guide of all the romances I’ve read on Kindle Unlimited

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Affiliate links may be used within this post. If you make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

Artefacts of Ouranos Romantasy Book Series by Nisha J. Tuli

Dec 23, 2024 | Book Reviews

Trial of the Sun Queen by Nisha J. Tuli (2023)

Fantasy romance. Book 1 of the Artefacts of Ouranos series. The story mostly follows Lor, a human female prisoner in the most desolate prison in the Aurora territory. She is somehow tossed into the Sun Trials to compete against nine other women to win the hand of the Sun King. Lor is skeptical of the process and wonders why she was entered in this deadly competition in the first place. She’s at extreme disadvantage since she’s a mere human and not fae plus she has not had all the ladylike training that the other competitors have. She seems to have earned the favor of the king, and enjoys his attentions, but she’s unsure if she can trust him. We also get glimpses of the story from Nadir’s point of view, the Aurora prince who is investigating the mysterious disappearance of one of the prisoners of the territory. Lots of plot, not much romance, and the underlying question of why Lor is so special. This is Book 1 of a four-book series, so plenty more plot to come.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Rule of the Aurora King by Nisha J. Tuli (2023)

Fantasy romance. Book 2 of the Artefacts of Ouranos series. This book continues where we left off at the end of Book 1, where Lor is back in The Aurora, under the watch of Nadir, the Aurora Prince. They’re basically completely untrusting of each other, even though they have a mysterious magical connection to each other (possibly a fated mates situation?). They’ve basically teamed up to look for Lor’s crown so they can unlock Lor’s magic and take down Nadir’s father. We also get inserted chapters from Lor’s grandmother’s point of view centuries ago, which is really fun and adds to the backstory and hidden history of Lor’s legacy. Really interesting progression of the story and looking forward to reading what comes next.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Shop this book via Amazon // Bookshop.org // Available on Kindle Unlimited // Get a free trial to Kindle Unlimited

Fate of the Sun King by Nisha J. Tuli (2024)

Fantasy romance. Book 3 of the Artefacts of Ouranos series. Lor and Nadir and all their merry band of siblings are on the move back to the Sun Palace to try to access the mirror there. This book tells us way more about the history of the Artefacts and how the goddess came to be. We also learn more about Atlas’ history and get to read a bunch of chapters from his head warder’s point of view. It’s a tangled mess of relationships and history and family through this book and super interesting. This one ends on a cliffhanger, so get prepared to have the fourth book ready.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Tale of the Heart Queen by Nisha J Tuli (2024)

Fantasy romance. Book 4 of the Artefacts of Ouranos series. Fourth and final book of the series where we see our main characters finally defeat the villain and claim victory. The last book ended on a cliffhanger, so we get to find out what happens in the immediate aftermath. And then there are tons more hoops for Lor and Nadir to jump through before they find their happily ever after. While the action was interesting, it got a bit repetitive after awhile. I did enjoy the side story of Gabriel and his struggles with the aftermath of revealing Atlas’ deception. Overall, a solid conclusion to the series.

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley.

Thanks so much for reading this post! Looking for more bookish resources and romance book reviews? Read the archives!

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2024 Contemporary Romance Favorites: Twenty Books to Add to Your TBR

Dec 19, 2024 | Book Reviews

Barely Even Friends by Mae Bennett (2024)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Super cute and steamy Beauty and the Beast retelling. We’re off to a historic estate renovation with Bellamy who is in charge of the project because her father Maurice is ill and she finds a grumpy recluse Oliver there. Oliver is resistant to the renovation mostly because his grandfather is being overly controlling and also because he doesn’t want anyone in his house. But the house isn’t really his and he’s stuck doing whatever his grandfather has dictated. Bellamy is the ultimate sunshine full of ideas and energy to complete the project, and she wears these cute suspenders that Oliver is obsessed with. She’s also got some hang-ups related to relationships because her last guy was a total dud who told her that she’s not the kind of girl that sparks commitment. We get to see Bell and Oliver super slowly come to a truce, then friendship, then more. Absolutely delightful.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Make the Season Bright by Ashley Herring Blake (2024)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Gah, the angst. This one is a second chance romance that involves one person having left the other at the altar. And we do get a flashback to the wedding day and it is absolutely heart-breaking. Charlotte believes her Decembers are cursed, between her absentee mother and a fiancee that left her at the altar during a December wedding. She ends up on Christmas vacation with her quartet of holiday loners at a very cheery queery mountain town in Colorado. Only to find out that her ex-fiancee, Brighton, is also there, being dragged there by a different family member. It’s totally awkward, Brighton is all sorts of guilty, Charlotte wants to pretend they don’t know each other, and their hostess’ mom is trying to set everyone up on this matchmaking activity. We get all sorts of small town small group chaos along with angst oozing out of every interaction. Even when you think that Charlotte and Brighton can’t reconcile their issues, we get to see how it all plays out. Loved it.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Audiobook provided by Penguin Random House Audio.

Worst in Show by Anna E. Collins (2024)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Cute, quirky, and funny rom-com with rival pet shop owners and their merry band of furry friends. Cora is working at her grandfather’s pet shop and stressing out because it’s not doing well financially; unfortunately a fancy pants chain store is opening up across the street, and the owner Leo, is a big fat jerk. Except he isn’t really a jerk and he’s actually super attractive. They slowly come to a truce and then pair up to train their respective dogs for an upcoming dog show and then slowly start a relationship. Everyone’s got parental baggage to deal with and all sorts of stress and anxiety, but the dogs are the best supporting characters in the story and make everything so much better. Loved it!

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley. Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

Here We Go Again by Alison Cochrun (2024)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Logan and Rosemary were best friends as tweens, enemies as teens, didn’t see each other for a decade, and now enemy co-workers teaching at the same high school they attended. They’re also complete opposites in personality and demeanor and are constantly antagonizing each other. They’re also both completely dedicated to their former teacher and mentor Joe who is dying of cancer. When Joe wants both girls to drive him across the country so that he can die in his remote cottage, they think it’s a terrible idea, but then give in because they both want to honor Joe’s wishes. And it’s pretty much an awful road trip, with arguing and detours and dodgy accommodations. But through this trip, everyone gets to deal with all of their past regrets and inner demons and actually communicate with each other. And while the death trip is sad and full of grief, we do get to see Logan and Rosemary reconcile and begin to understand each other better. Funny, heartbreaking, and so very delightful to read.

Advance ebook provided by Atria Books via NetGalley.

Love in Bloom by Lucy Eden (2024)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Emma is having the worst day ever driving to the will reading of her late grandparents, which also involves an awkward first meeting with farm manager, Dan. It also turns out she inherits her late grandparents’ farm and does not know what to do with it, since she’s been estranged from them for the past twenty five years. When her regular life blows up, she escapes to the farm to learn what she can about the past. She learns a lot about how to rely on others (like the handsome and kind Dan) and how to integrate into small town life. Plus, the farm has a bonus secret that explains the town’s reliance on it. Flirty, steamy, and emotional book. Loved it.

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Libro.fm.

The Next Best Fling by Gabriella Gamez (2024)

Contemporary romance. Book 1 of the Librarians in Love series. Chaotic and messy and I couldn’t put this one down. Marcela has been pining for her best guy friend, Ben, for years and in for total heartbreak when he proposes to his longtime girlfriend, Alice. And as if going to an engagement party wasn’t enough anxiety, she stops Ben’s brother Theo from drunkenly declaring his feelings for Alice. When they leave the party together and then show up at brunch together the next day, everyone thinks they hooked up, and they seem to go along with the lie to prevent anyone else from suspecting their real feelings for the engaged couple. We get a fun little fake dating situation for a hot minute, until they decide to go with a friends with benefits situation instead. But Theo doesn’t know about Marcela’s crush on Ben, everyone is telling Marcela to stay away from Theo, and Marcela is just trying to protect herself from getting hurt. It’s all sorts of messy and dramatic, but Theo has generally been open and honest with Marcela about his feelings and is basically the one making a try at a real relationship. Overall, Theo is the best, Ben is the worst, Alice is actually a decent friend, and Marcela just needs a pep talk.

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley.

Hers for the Weekend by Helena Greer (2024)

Contemporary romance. Book 3 of the Carrigan’s Christmasland series. Tara is the stuffy proper lawyer ex-fiancee of Miriam (from Book 1 of the series) invited to attend Miriam’s wedding to Noelle (a tree farmer at Carrigan’s). She lies and tells her friend Hannah that she has a new girlfriend who she will be bringing to the wedding, even though she does not actually have a girlfriend. Somehow, Holly, the waitress that Tara has a smidge of a crush on (and who also wants under Tara’s skirts) gets involved and they decide to pretend to be girlfriends and go to the wedding together. It’s road trip and Christmasland shenanigans for most of the book, while dealing with Tara and Holly’s respective hang-ups about relationships, friendships, and family. Everyone’s a mess and we revisit the chaotic found family of Carrigan’s. I enjoyed reading the series in order so I could remember the huge cast of characters and how they’re related to each other. Don’t let the cute cover fool you; this one is angsty and emotional.

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley.

Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood (2024)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Rue’s a food engineer working with her mentor at a small biotech company that seems to be in the process of a financial takeover. And it turns out one of the guys on the opposing team is a thwarted one night stand she met via an app. They’re both totally shocked to see each other in a new setting, with attraction definitely still simmering in the background, but now they’re workplace enemies so it’s not a good idea. While Eli is supposedly the enemy, he’s also completely gone for Rue and is willing to take whatever scraps of attention or conversation she hands out. He’s the ultimate supportive guy, even if he has his own baggage. These two tell each other these awful truths about themselves (that they’ve never told anyone else) and it comes with no judgment whatsoever. Just acknowledgement and acceptance. And somehow this twisted style of communication brings them closer together. Rue is the epitome of anti-social and basically a ball of social anxiety, but she’s calm and comfortable around Eli. Maybe because he’s so terribly accommodating, but also maybe because he also has a terrible past and can understand her. While Rue thinks that she’s betraying her boss and mentor by spending more time with Eli, the boss has a ton of secrets we get to uncover through the business-drama of the story. I liked seeing Rue ever-so-slowly start to open up with Eli and also see him drown in his affection for her.

Advance print book borrowed from a friend.

The Ex Vows by Jessica Joyce (2024)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. How much heartbreak can you pack into a romance novel? Turns out a lot. Especially for this messy and complicated second chance romance. Georgia and Eli have been best friends for years, gone through a horrible breakup, and now stuck together to help their mutual best friend rescue his disaster of a wedding. Both Georgia and Eli have very deeply rooted anxieties and insecurities that make them both understand each other and also resist directly asking for what they need. We get to see all of Georgia’s emotions through her weeklong whirlwind planning session with Eli, while also dealing with a potential new job situation and her feeling abandoned by all her friends. While it’s fairly obvious why these two broke up in the first place, there’s still a whole lot of insecurity and fear of trying again. The plot seems straightforward enough without a whole lot of external drama, but the internal emotional turmoil is present in every scene. Be prepared for an emotional gut punch.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Advance audiobook provided by Penguin Random House Audio.

Shop this book via Amazon // Bookshop.org // Libro.fmLove Story by Lindsey Kelk (2024)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Sophie has secretly written a best-selling romance novel, but has not told her pretentious family about it. And the smug and charming Joe is somehow involved in the process and knows her secret. They’re all at her family home for her dad’s big birthday bash and Sophie and Joe keep getting thrown together at various circumstances. They’ve got loads of bickering and bantering and flirting, which is really fun to read. Plus, I loved all the references to the romance genre and its media criticism. Sophie’s family was chaotic and hilarious and just what you would expect in a rom-com situation with a big event that everyone’s gathered at. If you’re a regular romance-reader, I highly recommend this book.

Advance ebook provided by Harper360 via NetGalley. Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

How to End a Love Story by Yulin Kuang (2024)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. We get right to the tragic root of the problem here with chapter 1 at Helen’s younger sister’s funeral. Turns out Helen’s 16-year-old sister jumped in front of high school all-star Grant’s moving vehicle. Clearly not his fault, but still causing lots of grief and resentment for Helen and her family. Fast forward thirteen years and Helen’s book series is being adapted for television. Grant is a fairly talented screenwriter who is tapped for the job and these two meet again as co-workers. It’s awful and awkward and tragic and they somewhat come to a truce and then somehow become entangled in a physical relationship. But despite how much they actually like each other in the present-day, an actual real relationship isn’t possible with all of the animosity that Helen’s parents have towards Grant. And Helen’s the one enforcing the boundaries of their pre-planned expiration date. There’s all sorts of emotional angst and bonding here with their shared past experiences and their compatibility in the present. Add a splash of overbearing immigrant Asian parents and we have a perfect scenario for impossibilities.

Advance ebook provided by Avon Books via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Libro.fm. Print book provided by Avon Books.

That Prince is Mine by Jayci Lee (2024)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Super cute and funny and sweet and steamy book, all in one. Emma’s a culinary instructor with a matchmaking godmother who needs an assist on her work reputation, so she sets Emma up on a series of dates with men who are perfect-on-paper. Except they’re all slightly awful and she ends up hitting it off with a handsome stranger at a cafe instead. Emma’s got a bunch of hang-ups about love due to her parents’ divorce, so she’s looking for compatibility rather than sparks. On the other hand, Michel, a secret prince, is looking for love so he can get out of a longstanding childhood betrothal to a friend he doesn’t want to marry. These two awkwardly flirt and Michel is charmingly a dunce at dating, and Emma is totally resistant, especially since Michel is planning to leave in a few short months. We get a very fun cast of supporting characters, especially Michel’s cousin and his bodyguard (who may actually have an awkward history with each other). I had a great time reading this book and found myself laughing and smiling through a lot of it.

Advance ebook provided by St. Martins Press via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Macmillan Audio.

The Break-Up Pact by Emma Lord (2024)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Excellent set-up and narrated by one of my favorite audiobook narrators, Natalie Naudus. We have a single POV novel with June having been dumped on national TV, turned into a meme, and now dealing with her struggling tea shop on a beachy boardwalk. She runs into childhood friend Levi, who has also been virally dumped recently, and somehow they get caught up on a social media storm calling them the Revenge Exes. They decide to awkwardly follow through with some fake dating so that June can get more customers in her store and Levi can show his ex-fiancee what she’s missing. It’s messy and complicated, especially when we factor in June’s teenage crush on Levi, and his rejection and radio silence for the past ten years. We also get a fun cast of supporting characters in the form of June’s brother, his fiancee, and another one of June’s best friends. This book is funny and sweet and cute and steamy and emotional, all in one.

Advance ebook provided by St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Macmillan Audio via NetGalley.

Love and Other Conspiracies by Mallory Marlowe (2024)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Super funny and charming book! Hallie is a web series producer without a series after her ex-boyfriend kicks her off his project and she is looking for the next big web star. She stumbles on Hayden, who hosts a podcast about conspiracy theories and ghost hunting. They team up to turn his podcast material into video material and the show is absolute delight to all their fans, especially with the quippy banter between Hallie and Hayden. As they get closer together, it’s clear that they’re trying to balance keeping things professional and pursuing their feelings. Hallie’s especially skittish since she just got out of a toxic relationship with a guy she still works with. The humor and banter here was so fun and Hayden’s emotional intelligence ranks up there with his conspiracy theory intelligence (which is a lot).

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Advance audiobook provided by Penguin Random House Audio.

The Truth According to Ember by Danica Nava (2024)

Contemporary romance. Standalone romance. Ember’s tired of being poor and overlooked in the job search, so she embellishes a little (or a lot) on her resume. She gets the job (yay) but continues to tell little white lies to all her co-workers, including one very handsome Danuwoa, who she isn’t allowed to date per company policy. This book is a lot of Ember learning to adapt in her new corporate world and Danuwoa being the very best supportive co-worker/friend/crush. While we get to see the super cute romance develop, we’re still a little wary of the potential fallout from all her lies. Ember is delightfully awkward and funny in the best ways. The workplace drama and humor in this book reminds me of Ali Hazelwood’s books.

Ebook received via Goodreads Giveaway. Advance audiobook provided by Penguin Random House Audio and Libro.fm.

Four Weekends and a Funeral by Ellie Palmer (2024)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Super awkward and tragic set-up here when Alison shows up to her ex-boyfriend’s funeral and his family thinks that they were still very recently dating. The ex-boyfriend’s sister insists on keeping up the ruse because it might help the family deal with their grief and all, and then she ends up volunteering to pack up his condo. Also on the job is Adam, the ex-boyfriend’s grumpy best friend who’s trying to make his own amends towards his deceased friend. As Alison and Adam spend every weekend together, they inevitably get closer together, but it’s all sorts of guilt-ridden since Adam thinks that he’s falling for his fresh-in-the-grave buddy’s girlfriend. Alison has her own hang-ups about living life to the fullest after having a preventative mastectomy due to her risk of breast cancer, even though she’d probably be happier as a cozy homebody. This was cute and funny and the relationship build-up was so good!

Advance ebook provided by Penguin Random House via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Penguin Random House Audio.

Prime Time Romance by Kate Robb (2024)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Super fun mashup on Pleasantville and Dawson’s Creek with tons and tons of Easter eggs and references to teen dramas of yesteryear. Brynn is having a rough time of things being recently divorced, having shallow friendships, and going on the worst first dates ever. She’d rather be sitting at home on the couch re-watching her favorite TV show, even though it ended on a cliffhanger and the main character did not end up with the dreamboat crush. And somehow, she and her roommate Josh wake up in the fictional TV world and are tasked with settings things to rights. Except the dreamboat crush is not what he seems and Brynn ends up growing feelings for Josh instead, changing the narrative of the fictional town. It’s fun and steamy and chaotic in all the best ways. I had so much fun listening to this audiobook and loved all the little callouts to the teen shows I used to love.

Advance ebook provided by Dial Press via NetGalley. Advance audiobook provided by Penguin Random House Audio.

Not Another Love Song by Julie Soto (2024)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. I don’t know much about music, but the musical chemistry between Gwen and Xander was totally believable. Gwen is the somewhat naive and not totally confident violin player given a chance to be first chair of a pops symphony, much to the dismay of cello player/rockstar Xander. He’s got the overconfident arrogant attitude that rubs Gwen the wrong way, until he rubs her the right way. He’s both broody and yearning all at once, which is fun to read. While most of the book is told from Gwen’s point of view, we get interludes from Xander’s perspective every 5 chapters or so. Tons of flirting and steam and external machinations from all the grown-ups in their lives, which made me keep reading to find out both backstory and what would happen next. Overall, a fun and emotional read.

Advance ebook provided by Forever Books via NetGalley.

The Art of Catching Feelings by Alicia Thompson (2024)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. It’s a rough day for Daphne who is at a baseball game that she’s not interested in, but she makes it better by getting drunk and heckling a baseball player. Except that she accidentally makes him cry. And then when she tries to apologize via Instagram DM, she neglects to mention she’s the heckler. Chris is having a rough season but he’s happy to be chatting with his new Instagram friend who he seems to have hit it off with. It’s an awkward chaotic mess as Daphne is fighting her guilt and attraction towards Chris. We’re really just waiting for everything to blow up if he ever finds out the truth, but we get to see a very sweet and steamy romance build up along the way. Super fun and flirty book to read.

Ebook borrowed from my local library via Libby. Advance audiobook provided by Penguin Random House Audio.

Christmas Is All Around by Martha Waters (2024)

Contemporary romance. Standalone novel. Charlotte is an artist who starred in a Christmas movie once as a child and is trying to run away from her past. She’s visiting her sister’s family in England and somehow meets the owners of a house that is featured in the movie she was in. While Charlotte shies away from all things Christmas cheer, the owner of the historic home Graham has commissioned a series of house portraits to sell in his home’s gift shop. They spend more time together, bantering, and flirting, and finally becoming more, but she’s only in England temporarily. There’s also the concern of whether her past fame is being used to promote tourism to the historical family home. I enjoyed all of the banter and flirting, which made me smile so much. It was the perfect amount of sarcastic ribbing that I enjoy. Super fun little Christmas romance.

Advance ebook provided by Atria Books via NetGalley. Audiobook borrowed from my local library via Libby.

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