Bad Reputation Contemporary RomanceOctober 1, 2024, by Montlake Review by Melanie One of the reasons I’ve taken to gorging on historical romances lately is that it’s giving me something I’ve been finding lacking in contemporaries. The pining, the longing, the actual romance, the tenderness and yes, the steam, it all seems to have dissipated to some degree in contemporaries with a few notable exceptions. One such exception is Emma Barry’s latest, Bad Reputation, which has all Continue Reading
Review: The Finest Print by Erin Langston
The Finest Print by Erin LangstonHistorical RomanceARCSeptember 24, 2024Self-Published Review by Melanie I am nothing if not consistent so it should really come as no surprise to anyone that I absolutely adored The Finest Print, the latest from Erin Langston. I wanted to devour it the second the ARC landed in my ereader but, and this might surprise those who know me well, instead, I savored it, parsing it out in small bite sized nibbles over the course of five days, luxuriating in the Continue Reading
Review: Just Some Stupid Love Story by Katelyn Doyle
Just Some Stupid Love StoryContemporary RomanceJune 4, 2024Flatiron Books Review by Melanie Whew, I have so many thoughts about this book, I barely know where to begin. I gave this book two stars on Goodreads and those two stars are by and large for the excellent narration that really elevated this book. That is not to say this author (known primary for her historical romances written under the name Scarlett Peckham) is not a talented writer, she very much is but despite her undeniable Continue Reading
Review: Fret Me Not by Sarah Estep
Fret Me Not by Sarah EstepContemporary RomanceAugust 29, 2024 Self-published Review by Melanie Sarah Estep continues to be one of my favorite author discoveries of 2023 and it should surprise no one that the third installment of her Brunch Bros series manages to capture the tenderness and heat of her first two books and while still making it feel fun and new and completely its own thing. If you’ve read the first two books (and I highly recommend you do, per my reviews of Keyed Up and So Continue Reading
Review: Primal Mirror (Psy-Changeling Trinity #8) by Nalini Singh
Primal Mirror by Nalini SinghParanormal RomanceJuly 23, 2024, by Berkley Review by Melanie A personal note before I start this review: the entire reason I ever picked up a Psy-Changeling book to begin with is because of my friend and former Smexy reviewer, Melinda, who sadly passed away earlier this year. She adored Nalini’s books and was rightfully convinced that I would love the Psy-Changeling series despite my claims that I just didn’t think PNR was for me. To appease her, I picked up Continue Reading
Review: Isabel and the Rogue by Liana De la Rosa
Isabel and the Rogue by Liana De la RosaHistorical RomanceJune 4, 2024 by Berkley Review by Melanie The first book in the Luna Sisters trilogy was such a delight last year (you can find my review of it here) that I was eagerly anticipating the 2nd book in the series and let me just say, it did not disappoint. Isabel and the Rogue is the story of Isabel Luna, the middle sister, quiet and slightly awkward and overlooked in favor of her much more vicious younger sister. But Continue Reading
Review: Truly, Madly, Deeply by Alexandria Bellefleur
Truly, Madly, Deeply by Alexandria BellefleurContemporary RomanceApril 30, 2024 by Avon Review by Melanie It is no secret that when a romance novel touts itself as a romantic comedy these days, I immediately give it massive side eye. Having been burned way too many times by rom coms that were neither romantic nor comedic, that particular pairing of words automatically makes me back away. However, Alexandria Bellefleur’s Truly, Madly, Deeply is one banger of a rom com, both Continue Reading
Review: When I Think of You by Myah Ariel
When I Think of You by Myah Ariel Contemporary RomanceApril 16, 2024 by Berkley Review by Melanie I haven’t been having a lot of luck with contemporary romances lately, but I have to say, Myah Ariel’s debut, When I Think of You, just blew me away. It may not be the steamiest romance I’ve ever read but it had an abundance of longing and tension, making me wait with bated breath to see if Kaliya and Daniel, one-time film school classmates turned lovers, would be able to mend their Continue Reading
Riding the #CallawayExpress
By Melanie One of my favorite things about the romance community is when we all collectively discover a new-to-us author who has a pretty lengthy backlist. Last year, I asked for some historical romance recommendations on twitter - I came to historical romance pretty late in my romance reading journey and I wanted to spend this year reading new-to-me authors. Readers responded with a plethora of names for me to try (here is the original tweet if you are so inclined to make your own list) and Continue Reading
Review: Ready or Not by Cara Bastone
Ready or Not by Cara BastoneContemporary Romance (Romantic Fiction)February 13, 2024 by Dial Press Review by Melanie I read this book in the span of two days which is shockingly fast for me these days when I read with my eyes. I simply could not put it down. If you are reading this review, you will undoubtedly be rather shocked when you get to the end of this review and see that I’ve given this book a letter grade of C-. Yes, that minus is important because this book is verging on a Continue Reading