Last year, Lynn Painter's Mr. Wrong Number was a popular contemporary romance, and rightfully so. This week, the series continues with her new novel, The Love Wager. This friends-to-lovers romance follows Jack and Hallie as they navigate dating app dates and wedding parties, all while denying their obvious feelings for each other. It's a cute... Continue Reading →
Tomorrow, Off the Map by Trish Doller hits shelves everywhere, and I was excited to get an early copy of it. This is actually the third installment in her Beck Sisters series, and I admittedly haven't read the first two books yet. I've been reading romance series out of order more and more lately... not... Continue Reading →
After loving Jane Igharo's first two books, Ties That Tether and The Sweetest Remedy, I was excited to read her latest novel, Where We End & Begin. Like her previous book, this second-chance romance is set in Lagos, Nigeria. It even features one of the characters from The Sweetest Remedy! Here, the love story is a... Continue Reading →
Last summer, J. J. McAvoy released Aphrodite and the Duke, the first book in her new Regency romance series, the DuBells. Like the Netflix adaptation of Bridgerton, this series features people of color in aristocratic roles in a society void of racism. I've been looking forward to reading Aphrodite and the Duke, and now felt... Continue Reading →
For the week of Valentine's Day, I enjoyed listening to the audiobook of Crimes of Passion, a novella by Jack Harbon. This enemies-to-lovers story stars two true crime podcasters with very different approaches to their shows. When they're pushed to collaborate on a project, though, they start to realize that opposites can attract. Summary Calvin... Continue Reading →
One of the debut novels I've been looking forward to this year has been Ruby Spencer's Whisky Year by Rochelle Bilow. Set in the Scottish Highlands, it was giving me Outlander vibes... minus the time travel and historical setting, of course! Instead, it follows an American woman who's ready for a career change. She quits... Continue Reading →
In the past few years, I have loved several books by Alexis Daria. After reading her Primas of Power novels—You Had Me at Hola and A Lot Like Adiós—as well as shorter works like What the Hex and Solstice Miracle, it's safe to say she's one of my favorites. Now, she is rereleasing her very first... Continue Reading →
This February, I'm planning to mostly read romances. The first audiobook I picked out is A Walk in the Park by Rebekah Weatherspoon, a novella about two people being brought together by a rescue dog. It's a short and sweet love story that weaves in deeper issues and, of course, an adoration of dogs. Summary... Continue Reading →
For me, it's always fun to read a book related to the current season or an upcoming holiday. As the Lunar New Year approached, I decided to dive into Lunar Love by Lauren Kung Jessen. Her debut novel, it just came out this month, and I got my copy from Book of the Month. It's... Continue Reading →
In the last couple of years, the Secret Scientists of London series by Elizabeth Everett has emerged as a standout among historical romances. These are smart books highlighting women who fit within the STEM label (and STEMinist label), except it's the 1840s and they're facing even more career pushback than women today. I've been meaning... Continue Reading →
Earlier this year, I enjoyed Sharon C. Cooper's novel Business Not As Usual. Now the male protagonists's sister gets her own love story with In It to Win It, a second chances romance with a little friendly competition over a real estate deal. Special thanks to the publicists at Penguin Random House and to NetGalley for providing me... Continue Reading →
One of my most anticipated books for the end of this year was A Dash of Salt and Pepper by Kosoko Jackson. I admit, I've been planning to read his first adult romance, I'm So (Not) Over You, all year, but it somehow hasn't happened yet. However, I'm happy I got to read A Dash... Continue Reading →
I always love a book that I can escape into and be transported to another country. Paris is near the top of my destination wish list, so I was looking forward to Samantha Vérant's new novel, The Spice Master at Bistro Exotique. Set against the opening of a new Parisian bistro, this is an enemies-to-lovers... Continue Reading →
One of the romances I've most been looking forward to this year has been Better Than Fiction by Alexa Martin. Although I haven't read her previous novels, this one looked adorable: A book-hater falling in love with a literal author? It doesn't get better than that! I was thrilled to get an early copy of... Continue Reading →
Last year, one of my favorite romances was Never Fall for Your Fiancée by Virginia Heath. The first in a trilogy, I could hardly wait for the next installment, so I was excited to get an ARC of book #2, Never Rescue a Rogue. Much as I loved its predecessor, Never Rescue a Rogue may be... Continue Reading →
Earlier this year, I adored The Siren of Sussex by Mimi Matthews, the first in her Belles of London series. Ever since, I'd been looking forward to the next book, The Belle of Belgrave Square. Happily, I was able to read an advanced copy of the novel, and it not only lived up to my lofty... Continue Reading →
Last year, I loved Ali Hazelwood's debut, The Love Hypothesis. While I haven't gotten to her three recent novellas yet, I was very excited for her second full-length novel, Love on the Brain. I'd been counting down the days for its release, so I was ecstatic to get an advanced copy of it. Spoiler: It's... Continue Reading →
Today, one of my favorite reads this year is out for all: Some of It Was Real by Nan Fischer. It's a story of a psychic-medium with a dark past, a reporter determined to expose it, and the mystery and even romance that intertwine with heartfelt drama. This book encapsulates a lot, and yet it's... Continue Reading →
I've been looking forward to Claire Kann's adult debut, The Romantic Agenda. This is one of only a handful of romances I've come across that stars an asexual main character, and I hope there will be many more to come. Summary Joy has secretly been in love with her best friend, Malcolm, since they were... Continue Reading →
Summer is here, school is out, and we're all ready for a fun getaway. The perfect book to kick off the season is Bridget Morrissey's A Thousand Miles, a story of two ex-best friends taking a road trip from Illinois to Colorado. It's been a decade since they last saw each other, but a few... Continue Reading →
June is Read Caribbean Month, and my first choice was the newly released A Caribbean Heiress in Paris by Adriana Herrera. I've been eagerly anticipating this book for months, so as soon as my pre-order arrived, I dove in. This is the first in the Las Léonas trilogy, and I already look forward to reading... Continue Reading →
In 2019, I picked up the Book of the Month edition of The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys. I've been itching to read it ever since, and finally, while doing my Spain reading challenge this month, I decided now was the time. This novel, on the cusp between Adult and Young Adult fiction, takes... Continue Reading →
Two weeks ago, Carley Fortune released her debut novel, Every Summer After. This buzzy novel is sure to connect with a lot of readers this year - it's an emotional, second chances romance with small town and beach read vibes. I was pleased to get an advanced copy of it, and despite some initial reservations... Continue Reading →
In fall 2019, I read and loved Abbi Waxman's novel, The Bookish Life of Nina Hill. It was a fun read that highlighted a character I identified with in many ways. When I learned that it would have a sequel - Adult Assembly Required - I was thrilled. I was lucky to get an advanced... Continue Reading →
Amanda's Book Corner 