thoughts on books

Category: Romance

  • the shippers by katherine center

    Screenshot

    A childhood friends-to-lovers lighthearted rom com with well developed minor characters. I loved this ending, there’s just something about a head over heels unabashed love declaration, that I will let you read for yourself.

    Our story begins as JoJo is about to marry the wrong man, and becomes a runaway bride. It’s bang-you-over-the-head obvious that this is the wrong guy, and the wrong mother-in-law. JoJo’s sister is having a cruise ship wedding just 6 weeks later. Her childhood neighbor and best friend Connor will come along. She’s decided to connect with and kiss her first crush Finn, who is recently divorced, and has enlisted him as her wingman.

    I really enjoyed this story, the setting was fun. What I didn’t love was how weirdly JoJo seemed to be so focused on the wrong guys. It was obvious to the reader who the right guy was from page 2 and it was irritating that it took her as long as it did to figure that out. Also that miscommunication trope killed me, but it was kind of done in a different and more creative way.

    However, I loved Connor’s back story and how much detail the author puts into the interpersonal relationships of the minor characters, JoJo’s whole family was really developed and gave the reader a lot of people to follow and root for.

    I ended up jumping up my star rating at the end just because I loved the final scene and epilogue so much.

    Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the ARC. Book to be published May 18, 2026.

  • first and forever by lynn painter

    Screenshot

    A fake dating, mid 20’s couple, sports romance. He’s a famous football player and she’s the team’s biggest fan. This book is everything I love about Lynn Painter- an upper midwest setting, extremely funny banter and all the chemistry. This is my favorite adult romcom from Lynn Painter yet! I love the meet cute, the misophonia representation, and a fantastic dad character. I loved the roller coaster of Connor and Duffy’s relationship. Duffy was very likable but funny. I just love the way she writes dialogue.

    a best romance of 2026 you heard it here first!

    Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC. Book to be published 5/12/2026.

  • dolly all the time by annabelle monaghan

    A warm-hearted fake dating rom-com that finds us with a “knight in shining armor” type workaholic handsome man that buys a roof and helps a struggling single mom kindergarten teacher. Absolutely classic Annabelle Monaghan- there are few romance authors that can blend fade-to-black romance with deeply developed characters and wildly funny dialogue. I loved the family dynamics with Dolly and her family, her son and father, and the way she changes over the course of the story. It is a beautiful character arc for Dolly, from being fiercely and stubbornly independent to learning to be a part of a community and allow herself to be helped. Stewart is so driven by working, not being seen as weak, and controlling how his family views his place in the company and in the family.

    Dolly is a real spit fire. She is flawed but very likable. I also appreciated the incorporation of the gig economy since she is a single mom and teacher she needs to supplement her income in all kinds of ways. Dolly and Stewart are in different economic brackets- but both of them don’t have a lot of room in their life for a partner because they work so much.

    I was pretty angry with Stewart in the third act, Dolly is a bit more forgiving than myself. I enjoyed her son being a young teenager (13), his voice was authentic and loving towards his mom. I can certainly relate to Dolly’s independence and desire to do anything to make her kid happy.

    One of the top romances of 2026!

    Thanks to NetGalley and G.P. Putnam’s Sons for the ARC. Book to be published May 26, 2026.

  • burnout summer by jenna ramirez

    “Are you lonely?” she asked quietly. “Aren’t we all a little lonely?”

    A quarter-life-crisis leads to a second coming of age novel about a 25 year old Gen Z who finds herself fired because “her heart isn’t in it” in her Corporate World job. Shortly thereafter she finds herself in jail for having a bit of a meltdown in the presence of a police officer. But Camille’s Knight in Shining Armor comes in the form of her best friend Danny, who takes her back to her hometown and allows her the privilege of working at Beau’s, his tavern, while she finds out what is next. Armed with a mountain of personal and student debt, Camille has done nearly everything right and is still not thriving.

    “I’m not averse to seafood. It’s just . . . at the bottom of the list of food I want to eat.”

    Camile, naturally, falls in love with Danny, who has some of the most romantic and gorgeous expressions of love. It is a best-friends-to-lovers trope with side characters who have a lot of potential. Her ex boyfriend Cory has found love and is getting married, but 2 other friends are about to have books of their own. I am sure this will be first in a series, and I can’t wait to read the others. Ramirez absolutely captures the voice and the spirit of Gen Z, and brings the reader to the feeling of malaise we all feel at the point in which the government thinks we are an adult but the workforce very much treats us as a child. The characters are really quintessential 25 year olds and their voice and struggles are really authentic- Student loan debt and rent are 80% of her now non-existent income. Boomers and Millenials in the work force are very confused by Gen z not wanting to put work at the center of their world.

    “Twenty-five is about figuring stuff out. It’s okay to be lost.”

    I give this book an enthusiastic 4 stars- it is very well done as a debut and it is a romance that has some deeper themes. I look forward to what is coming next from this talented new voice in fiction.

    Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC. Book to be published May 12, 2026.

  • star shipped by cat sebastian

    A lively MM romcom set in modern day Hollywood. Charlie and Simon are starring in the nerd space show “Out There,” and the discord servers think their characters are queer coded. Charlie came up as an influencer, and Simon is thinking of leaving the show. He doesn’t think much of Charlie, despite he is a mid-20’s beautiful actor that takes a lot of gym selfies.

    The best thing about this book is the banter- it is truly elite. Some people are sort of bothered by enemies-to-lovers banter, as sometimes it is mean and passive aggressive, but I found this to be really clever. I wouldn’t say the leads are exactly “enemies” just two co-workers that are more like rivals.

    Cat Sebastian has written so many classic historical fiction novels, and has established herself as a voice that gives authenticity to the LGBTQ experience while closeted and living in a time that was not safe for queer people. In this novel, we have a current day experience but still one of the leads is closeted and questioning. The setting was intriguing as we had a little behind the scenes of how TV shows are produced, the show runners, the social media presence. The interstitial chapters are a discord of fans of the show, and these were some of my favorite parts of the book. It explores celeb worship and how sometimes we think we are entitled to the details of their lives.

    4.5/5 stars
    Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for the ARC. Book to be published 3/3/2026

  • husband of the year by MA wardell

    Absolutely romantic, heartwarming, an unforgettable blend of sweetness and spice. How many books do you know of that are both 10/10 for sweet AND 10/10 for spice??

    It is the last in the “Teachers in Love” series, and although it can be read as a standalone, do yourself a favor and read them all. In Husband of the Year, we return to the original couple, Marvin and Olin. They are planning their wedding and settling into their family dynamic with Olin’s daughter Ilona, Marvin’s future step-daughter. When Olin’s family of origin goes through a crisis in Chicago, he goes to stay with them to help just a few months before the wedding. How will Marvin and Ilona cope as a pair?

    There are so many wonderful things to talk about here—
    -Minor characters made famous from the rest of the series taking on the community role
    -The evolution of Marvin and Ilona’s relationship (from her kindergarten teacher in book 1 to her stepdad)
    -SARAH BLOCK the ideal and perfect Jewish mom and her Fanny Brice references
    -The found family is STRONG on this one
    -Scenes of Marvin teaching his kindergarten class are incredibly authentic (the author taught early elementary for 15 years)– seriously my favorite scenes in the book
    -Motown fun facts
    -THE EPILOGUE- girl I am still in tears

    I have used this word already a few times, but if I can give you one word for this book, it is authentic. I loved it from beginning to end. Although I am a “closed door” reader and I typically skip/skim all open door scenes, I can tell based on other reviews that the spice is strong and excellent in this one. So see other reviews on that.

    Audiobook review- the same narrator for Marvin from the first book. I liked the frenetic pace he used during Marvin’s “anxiety overthinking” moments and how calm and happy he was when talking or texting with Olin. I also appreciate that Hachette used a black narrator for Olin. Sometimes it was duet in the text messages but other times the Marvin narrator did both parts. But not to the point it was distracting.

    I also bought the finished copy and I LOVE the little cartoon heads at the start of every chapter so YAY on the physical version.

    Thanks to NetGalley for the ALC, and to Hachette Audio, Forever, and author MA Wardell. Book published 11/18/2025

  • isn’t it obvious by rachel runya katz

    An enemies-to-lovers “You’ve Got Mail” type romcom. Yael is a school librarian with a secret podcast, she reviews classic literature. She hires Kevin to be her audio producer, and they have a good relationship. Over time they bond over more than just work. In real life, Ravi is a volunteer at her school. At first they don’t like each other, because of a meet-disaster. Over time they connect. Professionally they are using different names so they don’t discover they are the same person.

    I liked the representation and the feeling of not being lovable with bipolar and difficult issues. I thought the characters had good chemistry. The story did drag a little in the middle and I found the ending to be rushed. Other than that, I found it to be a pretty enjoyable read.

    Audiobook review: Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ALC. I appreciated the performance from Tamika Katon-Donegal and Leon Nixon. The book uses both narrators in the same chapter, so the POV changes although it is not duet narration within conversations. I went back to re-listen several times at the beginning because a lot of the book is exchanged emails and text messages, so it was difficult to distinguish these. However, once I received my copy in the mail from Aardvark Book Club, I transitioned to doing a “tandem” read, alternating between reading my physical copy while listening when I put my book down. In the physical copy there are different fonts and easy ways to determine where you are in the narrative. I liked this much better!

  • most eligible by isabelle engel

    A raucous, fun loving inside look at the contrived nature of reality TV. Georgia is a journalist, going undercover into Love Shack (it’s meant to be The Bachelor). She is going to expose the producers for less than integral methods and toxic culture. But she is surprised that Rhett, her one-time-stand, is going to be the host. A country singer and past star if the show, his short marriage fizzled shortly after the cameras stopped rolling.

    The plot is just as juicy as you’d expect. Georgia is a bit insecure but ambitious, and her personality and exposure to the show really changes her. My favorite part of this one were the side plots, the minor characters involved in the show and how they are manipulated by the producers. It really makes you think about reality shows and how they are manufactured to do a certain storyline. It made me think of one Bachelor season where the bachelor made his choice then started sobbing dramatically—- and then at the cast reunion announced he was now engaged to the runner up.

    The audiobook performance on this one is excellent. I particularly loved her voice acting on all the bachelorettes. I found it easy and fun to follow on audio. I even listened at 1.0 speed which I find luxurious and almost never do.

    I had to uprank this one because I really loved the finale.

    Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ALC. book to be published January 13, 2026. #macaudio2025

  • dog person by camille pagan

    Screenshot

    I took a minute to write this review because I had to stop crying. One word…. Heartwarming. Written from the POV of a dog, Harold, who is getting older. His owner Amelia died of cancer 6 years ago, her partner Miguel now runs their bookstore solo. That’s another thing! It takes place in an independent bookstore! And the dog tries to help Miguel find love again after Amelia’s passing. The bookstore is on the verge of extinction. So they have to save the shop and find love. Literally it does not get more heartwarming.

    Can you even with all of the sweetness??? The story is exactly as adorable as it sounds. I don’t think Harold’s breed is ever mentioned, but he’s probably a mutt because he is a rescue. But his inner dialogue is very golden retriever energy. He is just as loving, loyal, and unconditionally loving as we know our dogs to be. There is also a 12 year old girl in it- single mom Fiona is our FMC, although I didn’t feel intense chemistry between them it would have been inappropriate in this story.

    Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte press for the ARC. Book to be published April 6, 2026.

  • where there’s room for us by hayley kiyoko

    A well produced narrative, this is a well crafted and performed audiobook for fans of Emma Alban. The story itself felt a little slow to me, but I do absolutely love the premise. A historical book set in the English countryside, but it is a different version than actually happened in history- this universe is much more accepting of queer couples. Although the inheritance traditions do leave the same sex couples out, gay marriage and gay couples are widely accepted. I really loved being in this kind of environment and imaging what it would be like if we were far ahead. The story itself is reminiscent of Pride & Prejudice or Little Women, but in a world a little more accepting than our own. Ivy and Freya had a lot of yearning, each with a different voice, with great chemistry.

    The audiobook not only has a strong performance, but also includes sound effects (horse hooves, etc) and brief musical interludes.

    Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC. Book to be published 11/4/25

    #macaudio2025