January Romance Reviews
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As my talk of the romance genre is going to be way more frequent now that I am wholeheartedly throwing myself into becoming a romance writer, I thought I would give you a quick bit of background before I dive into this month’s reviews. I have been obsessed with love stories for as long as I can remember. Even when I was a wee babe reading middle grade and YA, they were my favorites. My most read Babysitter’s Club books were always the ones that dealt with crushes, and I gobbled up all the swoony teen reads I could get my hands on. Because my mom wasn’t a romance reader, I didn’t really have access to many adult romance novels until much later in life (though I do have a vivid memory of sneaking The Gift by Danielle Steele into my room and reading it under the covers). And really, the bulk of my “romance” reading has been what we called chick lit, which has had by far the greatest impact on my own writing. Once ebooks became a thing, I found myself devouring all kinds of romance novels, but as self-publishing rose to popularity, I found myself frustrated with the lack of editing (as a former English teacher, bad grammar in a novel kills me, despite what you see here!). And that’s not to say there aren’t great self-published novels out there, because there are tons of them, but it can be hard to weed out the good from the bad.
So my romance reading was stilted for a few years, until I quit teaching and actually had time to do the things I enjoy again. I started reading more and more romance novels, and then I wrote two of my own (still not published, but always working on it!). In the midst of those two manuscripts, I also wrote a YA novel, and even though I would definitely love to write more YA in the future, it really hit me that romance is where my heart is (get it?). And I don’t do anything half assed, so if I’m going to write romance, you bet your butt I’m going to read as much of it as humanly possible. Contemporary is what I write, and it’s definitely what I prefer to read, but I also want to open myself up to all aspects of the genre. So I have a long list of titles I plan to read, and lucky you, you get to come along for the ride. I promise I won’t make you listen to my full romance history every time I write one of these posts, but definitely be prepared for some stern talking to about the quality of romance and the lack of the respect the genre gets as a whole. And be prepared for lots of awesome stories because these books are the bomb, baby. And now, after all of that, here are my January romance reviews!
Dark Wild Night by Christina Lauren: Christina Lauren (two authors writing as a team) are by far two of my favorite romance writers. I have yet to be disappointed by anything they’ve written, and this book was no exception. Lola writes graphic novels and Oliver owns a comic book store. They’re obviously a match made in heaven, but even after a somewhat unique history together, they remain “just friends”. This is a classic friends to lovers story, and as with all Christina Lauren books, the tension is sexy and the romance is hot. Probably my favorite thing about this book is the geeky, sweet friendship these two have, because of course, I’m a huge nerd and can totes relate. I gave it 5 stars.
Until the Last Star Fades by Jacquelyn Middleton: I really, really wanted to love this book. Riley is an NYU senior and Ben is a struggling actor from England, so right there you’ve got one of my favorite cities and one of my favorite passions. Riley has a jerky boyfriend and a mom dealing with cancer, so at first she and Ben are just friends, but they of course fall in love
I Flipping Love You by Helena Hunting: Rian is trying to make a name (and money) for herself flipping houses in the Hamptons. Pierce is a wealthy lawyer who needs a break from NYC life and decides to help his brother, who is buying up properties as fast as his family’s money allows him to. Pierce and Rian end up competing for real estate, and of course, find out that they can’t keep their hands off of each other. This book is what I consider a perfect light read. It’s fun and entertaining, with cute characters and an easy to read plot. It’s nothing earth-shattering or spectacular on its own, but it’s a good mindless love story if that’s what you’re in the mood for. I gave it 4 stars.
A Princess in Theory by Alyssa Cole: A Cinderella story with a whip-smart heroine and a hot prince in disguise? Yes please! Naledi is a grad student studying diseases and chemistry and science things I could never understand. Thabiso is an African prince looking for his betrothed, whose parents took her away from their home country when they were just kids. Naledi has been living on her own in New York since her parents died when she was just a toddler, and has no idea about her royal past. She also has no time for games. A case of mistaken identity throws her and Thabiso together, and so much good stuff ensues. I loved both of these characters so much, and Cole’s writing is to die for. I can’t wait to read the rest of this series. I gave it 5 stars.
Born in Fire by Nora Roberts: Not going to lie, I only read this book because no self-respecting romance writer can say she’s never read Nora Roberts, and up until this point, I never had. This is one of her older books, set in Ireland, about an artist and the gallery owner who convinces her to display and sell her work. Maggie is fiesty, and Rogan gives it right back to her. Roberts’s writing is gorgeous, and I loved feeling transported to Ireland while reading this book. My main issue is that because it’s 25 years old, there are some questionable moments in terms of consent and force. Nothing bordering on sexual assault or anything like that, but my eyebrows definitely rose at some of the things they said and did to each other. It’s worth a read because Nora is great, but not one I would reread. I gave it 4 stars.
Act Like It by Lucy Parker: A theater based romance set in London? Fuck yeah, sign me up. Richard Troy is one of the most renowned actors in London, which is probably why he’s also a pompous ass. Lainie Graham is London’s darling. When their show’s publicist suggests they “date” to help repair Richard’s image, sparks fly all over the place. I could not get enough of everything in this book. The characters, the setting, I loved every second of it, and never wanted it to end. Luckily, it’s the first book in a series, so I was able to get my fill! I gave it 5 stars.
Undateable by Sarah Title: I’ll say this before anything else, even though I have notes on this book in my reading journal, I had to look up a summary to refresh my memory. When Bernie, a college librarian, rises to internet fame as an unflattering meme, she is challenged 
to take on a project for a local website: date thirty guys in thirty days. Colin is the writer covering the story, and over the course of Bernie’s dates, which range from terrible to horrifying, the two fall in love. There is nothing wrong with this book. It was cute, the characters were nice, but it didn’t do anything to make me remember it, which says a lot.
Dare to Love a Duke by Eva Leigh: So one of my struggles with reading more romance has been branching out into genres other than contemporary. Historical has always been my least favorite, and especially in the current times, I really struggle with heroines who aren’t woke, which can be hard to find in historical (at least in the past). Luckily, historical these days is about so much more than women being bossed around by dudes, and I have found some truly fantastic feminist historicals over the past couple of months. This one was a stand out. Lucia is the manager of The Orchid, a sex club where identities are always anonymous (everyone must wear a mask) and anything goes (with consent first and foremost). Thomas is a duke who should be taking his duties more seriously, but can’t seem to stay away from the elusive and intriguing manager known to him as Amina. I don’t want to give too much away because the plot is truly surprising and twisty, suffice to say their paths collide and it’s awesome. This book is probably one of the most sex positive I have ever read, and it totally turned me on (pun intended) to reading a lot more historical. I gave it 5 stars.
Pretty Face by Lucy Parker: This is the second book in the London Celebrities series (see Act Like It, above). Lily is a bombshell trying to make it on the stage after a successful run on a trashy TV show has her pegged as sex on a stick and nothing more. Luc is the director at a legendary West End theater known for being a hardass, he’s also more than a few years older than Lily. Lily earns a spot in his show, but their personal relationship causes lots of rumors that don’t do either of them any favors. I think I almost loved this one more than Act Like It, but honestly, it’s hard to tell. I’m a sucker for the theater and a sucker for love, so I can’t get enough of these books.
99 Percent Mine by Sally Thorne: The follow up to her smash debut, The Hating Game, 99 Percent Mine gives us an unlikely heroine who I couldn’t help but love/hate. Darcy and Tom have been friends since they were kids, along with Darcy’s twin brother Jamie, but while they have always been drawn to each other, Darcy has never believed she was good enough for Tom, who to her is the epitome of perfection. Darcy has had some troubles in the past, and uses travel as a means to escape her problems. When she and Tom have to work together to restore her grandmother’s home, all of their issues come to a head. Darcy is a heroine that is hard to love. She says and does a lot of things that made me cringe, but she also has a huge heart, and has had to face some tough stuff in her life. I liked that we got to really see inside her brain to figure out why she is the way she is. Tom is a lovable hero who I couldn’t help but root for. I think what I loved most about this book was the story of a woman who is flawed, and learns from it and grows from it. I gave it 5 stars.
Making Up by Lucy Parker: Leo and Trix (Lily’s best friend from Pretty Face) have always had a contentious relationship. When Leo’s major career blunder (totally not his fault) lands him back in the hunt for a job, he’s forced to accept a stint on Trix’s show, a kind of Cirque du Soleil/burlesque combo. An emotionally abusive relationship has left Trix scarred and full of self doubt, but even with their past, Leo is able to help her on her path to rediscovering her self worth. While I wasn’t as enamored with this one as I was with Act Like It and Pretty Face, I really loved Trix’s journey. I think emotional abuse happens far more often than we would like to admit, and because it doesn’t leave physical scars, it often gets ignored. I loved the way Leo helped Trix, without it being all about him saving her. I gave it 4.5 stars.
Hot damn, I probably should have made this a two parter, but hopefully you are leaving this post with some new book ideas! Let me know if you’ve read any of these selections and what you thought of them!
