Say You’ll Be Mine by Naina KumarContemporary Romance January 16, 2024 by Dell Review by Melanie I always find it increasingly difficult to review books that aren’t 5 stars or 1 star but just sort of fall into that middle category that I like to label as forgettably meh or as my friend Melinda would term, “aggressively fine.” The real problem with this book actually lies with me because it’s time I finally admit that I just don’t care about the fake relationship trope in contemporary Continue Reading
Review: Some Winter’s Evening by Erin Langston
Some Winter's Evening by Erin LangstonHistorical Romance NovellaNovember 1, 2023Self-published Review by Melanie Here I am, once again ready to wax poetic about an Erin Langston book much the same way Cora Travers is likely to wax poetic about Nate Travers’ dimples while under the influence of too much ratafia. You might recognize Cora and Nate as the two main characters in Langston’s debut full length novel, Forever Your Rogue, a book I read and adored some months ago, to the point that Continue Reading
Review: So Flocked by Sarah Estep
So Flocked by Sarah EstepContemporary RomanceOctober 26, 2023Self Published Review by Melanie Discovering a new-to-me author always delights me especially when their authorial voice works for me. I discovered Sarah Estep’s debut, Keyed Up, earlier this year and it was a true rom-com, witty and sharp and full of sexual tension between two incredibly likable MCs. I was hooked by her writing style and when she announced the next book in her Brunch Bros series, it quickly became one of my Continue Reading
Review: Resonance Surge (Psy-Changeling Trinity #7) by Nalini Singh
Resonance Surge by Nalini Singh Paranormal Romance July 18, 2023, by Berkley Review by Melanie The newest addition to Nalini Singh’s long-running Psy-Changeling Trinity series is less of a banger and more of a slow burn. A very, VERY slow burn, to be precise. In fact, it took me several days to finish this book and while I wouldn’t say I was bored exactly, I can’t really say I was riveted either. It was fine for the most part, with the action picking up steam (not THAT kind of steam) in Continue Reading
Review: Business or Pleasure by Rachel Lynn Solomon
Business or Pleasure by Rachel Lynn SolomonContemporary RomanceJuly 4, 2023 by Berkley Review by Melanie This is the third Rachel Lynn Solomon contemporary romance I’ve read and I think that’s enough data to conclude that she’s now an auto-read author for me. Her voice is just a perfect blend of biting wit and vulnerable self-doubt, her characters are beautifully rendered with layers of complexity and the romance just feels like a punch to the solar plexus. There’s so much care taken, Continue Reading
Review: Role Playing by Cathy Yardley
Role Playing by Cathy YardleyContemporary RomanceJuly 1, 2023 by Montlake Review by Melanie This is now the second Cathy Yardley book I’ve read and I really have to make time in my reading schedule to dive into her backlist. Her voice is sharp and funny and I love how she writes her MCs and the way her characters communicate like adults, no game playing. Well, no mind games, at the very least. Her author’s voice really works for me and this book just hits perfectly on every Continue Reading
Review: Will They or Won’t They by Ava Wilder
Will They or Won't They by Ava WilderContemporary RomanceJune 27, 2023 by Dell Review by Melanie I was a huge fan of Ava Wilder’s debut novel and was especially intrigued by the premise of her second novel, Will They or Won’t They, which, based on its description, happens to be a second chance romance, one of my favorite tropes. One could argue that it’s also an enemies-to-lovers trope but I would say this is more of a costars to casual sex to secretly pining to antagonistic costars to Continue Reading
Review: The Notorious Lord Knightly by Lorraine Heath
The Notorious Lord Knightly by Lorraine HeathThe Chessmen: Masters of Seduction #2Historical RomanceJune 27, 2023- Avon Review by Melanie I am a sucker for a second chance romance and for a revenge plot done well and Lorraine Heath’s newest achieves one of those very well and the other one to varying degrees of success. The FMC of the book, Miss Regina Leyland, has forever lived her life on the outskirts of the English nobility. Born as a result of the extramarital love affair Continue Reading
Review: Much Ado About Nada by Uzma Jalaluddin
Much Ado About Nada by Uzma JalaluddinContemporary RomanceJune 13, 2023 - Berkley Review by Melanie I’m not always super fond of Jane Austen retellings - they are usually a bit hit or miss for me - but I think I may be predisposed to loving Persuasion retellings since second-chance romance is one of my favorite tropes. Much Ado About Nada tells the story of Nada and Baz, who have a very storied past. The book is mostly set in the present day but does occasionally take a detour to Continue Reading
Review: Keyed Up by Sarah Estep
Keyed Up by Sarah EstepContemporary RomanceMay 4, 2023 Self-published Review by Melanie I discovered this book by sheer stroke of luck while scrolling through Instagram which is extremely unusual since I don’t actually spend a lot of time on Instagram. Somehow, the universe must have known that this book would speak to my personal reading id and check all my boxes. The author had done one of those posts with multiple arrows around the book and labeled each one with specific micro tropes Continue Reading