Content warnings: I love Jackie Lau’s books and this one has my favorite things – tons of delicious food, plus the “grumpy one falls for the sunshine one” trope. With all that, it’s a pretty good start to a new series. Amy is basically the epitome of the sunshine trope – she’s so excited to explore and essentially eat her…
Content warnings: Harlequin Desire is hitting it out of the park lately with these gorgeous covers! I loved the previous super-tropey book in this series and this one is no different. It’s got the best friend’s little sister trope with a bit of age gap (the hero is eight years older than the heroine) and all of the wonderful banter…
Content warnings: I’ve enjoyed every single one of Ms. Herrera’s books, and this one is no exception. From her love of NYC to her relatable characters to the FEELS, this book is a treat! Julia left her Dominican family in NYC to follow her boyfriend to Dallas… only for him to dump her and move back shortly afterwards. While her…
Content warnings: While at first glance the cover is cute (is that the chocolate bundt cake?), I’m going to point out that since this is an illustrated cover, there is zero excuse for whitewashing the two Korean main characters. I previously read Jayci Lee’s Harlequin debut, Temporary Wife Temptation, and loved it, so I was very excited for this book.…
Content warnings: I am absolute trash for the grumpy/sunshine trope so of course I was very excited to read about the clash between a joyful librarian and a stuffed shirt principal. Unfortunately, this one didn’t quite hit the mark for me. There are things that I find acceptable in a completely made-up context (fantasy, scifi, paranormal) that I’m more likely…
Content warnings: You know how some people say something’s a romcom but when you go read it, it’s… just not funny? And it takes itself much too seriously? And then you sit there wondering if, five months into this pandemic, you’re just a soulless husk of a person now? OK, well, this book is not that. This is the laugh-out-loud,…
Content warnings: Desta, one of the main character’s names, means “joy” in Amharic, and that’s a very apt description of this heartwarming book. It’s very much a love letter to Ethiopia, its culture, food and people, and an adorably sweet romance between a native Ethiopian and a man with family ties there. There’s a little bit of the workplace romance trope,…
Content warnings: Every time I read another one of Erin McLellan’s novellas, I keep saying that this one is my favorite, and that holds true for this Independence Day-themed one. It’s ridiculously sexy, hilarious and perfect, and a good blend of the second chance and opposites attract tropes. “I’m so tired of being …” “Being what?” “Boring.” He frowned, looking…
Content warnings: I’ve had a lot of issues with reading contemporary romance lately due to, well, *gestures at the world*, but this book sucked me right in. It’s a sexy and funny workplace romance, with a Black heroine and a half-Black, half-Korean hero, and the cat-fishing friend group was an incredible hook. “Happiness had not been part of the equation…
Content warnings: This is an adorably cute and geeky new adult enemies-to-lovers road trip romance, with a “just one bed!” appearance. While there’s some heavier content that both characters are dealing with, it’s ultimately perfect summer fluff. The rivalry between players Conrad and Alden is a mainstay of the popular Gamer Grandpa Youtube channel, but when a chance to compete…