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Let’s Talk: New Romance Favorites

August 5, 2023April 15, 2024 Robin2 Comments

All my latest obsessions compiled in one convenient list

This year is shaping up to be one of the best for romance novels and I’ve been blessed by the publishing gods with early copies of some of my most anticipated releases. The romance genre is the gift that keeps on giving and today I’m sharing some of my favorite unpublished and published romance novels of late in this post. Per my reading taste, this is a mix of contemporary romance and historicals. Whether you’re looking for a bodice ripper, a steamy friends to lovers, or a slow burn I hope you find some new anticipated releases below.

What I’ve Been Loving

You With a View by Jessica Joyce

I have officially found my new favorite book and summer romance all rolled into one with Jessica Joyce’s heartwarming debut novel. You, with a View seamlessly blends the travel narrative with a slow-burn romance that left me aching for new connections and an extensive summer road trip. There are so many feelings explored within this novel and it’s not lost on me how Joyce makes you feel every single one. You, with a View, is hands down one of the best romances of 2023. With magnificent tension and a profound emotional journey, Joyce has established herself as a stellar new voice in romance.

Trigger warnings: grief, death of a loved one

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Always Be My Duchess by Amalie Howard

A talented ballerina and a grumpy duke with a passion for piano initiate a fake engagement that threatens to become real amidst growing feelings. Amalie Howard made me swoon with this one. Effortlessly beautiful writing and the kind of unhinged yearning you can only get from a really good historical romance. God I just loved the main pairing here. Geneviève was so honest and the way she took charge had me dying. Lysander seemed really cold and aloof, but he’s exactly the opposite. This book was just lovely. Perfect for those looking to re-experience Bridgerton season two or in search of a new romance favorite.

Trigger warnings: death, emotional abuse, violence, infertility

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Better Hate Than Never by Chloe Liese

Better Hate Than Never is an exemplary hate-to-love romance surrounding the misperceptions that come from protecting ourselves and those we care about, and how we can break down those barriers and better ourselves. Part Shakespeare retelling, and all things hot and vulnerable, Liese’s tremendous talent for portraying personal transformation and vulnerability is at its height. Kate and Christopher truly are the moment, with an open communication that is worth angsting over and longing for. Liese will give you standards you didn’t even know you needed, like a man who makes you pasta at the drop of a hat. Better Hate Than Never is not only a fantastic love story, it’s Liese’s best work to date.

Trigger warnings: chronic illness, grief, panic attacks

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Iris Kelly Doesnt Date by Ashley Herring Blake

The final book in the Bright Falls series and my absolute favorite! Ashley Herring Blake is back with a queer twist on Shakespeare and fake dating with cynical Iris Kelly finally meeting her match. Featuring a disaster one night stand and a queer production of Much Ado About Nothing. This luminous queer romance had me from its very first pages. I love disaster meet cutes and boy did these two have one. By far one of my favorite romances of 2023. It’s hot as hell, especially vulnerable, and just so lovely. I’m going to keep coming back to this one now and forever.

Trigger warnings: infidelity

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Plot Twist by Erin La Rosa

Erin La Rosa is quickly becoming a romance author to watch and Plot Twist is proof. This one’s got the unconventional pairing I didn’t know I needed: a romance writer on a deadline and her neighbor, a former star out of the spotlight. Plot Twist packs in the tropes while managing to engage in meaningful commentary on sobriety, harmful family dynamics, and modern relationships. The tension is off the charts between Sophie and Dash from page one and this is without a doubt the hottest romance I’ve read this year. Go forth and read, you’ll thank me later.

Trigger warnings: alcoholism, stalking, death, addiction

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An Earl to Remember by Stacy Reid

A retelling of Overboard with a historical romance twist. Getting revenge on the callous Earl who fired you just got easier: he’s got amnesia and it’s become pertinent that you pretend he is your husband (bonus points: you can put him to work fixing up your deteriorating estate). Stacy Reid is the queen of historical romances with bonkers plotlines that somehow leave you in all the right feels. I don’t know how to explain it, but An Earl to Remember made me feel like these two WERE married and it made every part of their developing relationship cut that much deeper. It’s hard to pull off amnesia trope and Stacy Reid did, and made me fall completely in love with the Heyford family. This one is for all the “my wife” fans out there!

Trigger warnings: misogyny

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When the Marquess Met His Match by Laura Lee Guhrke

A notorious rake finds love where he least expects it in the respectable matchmaker he hired to find himself a wife. When the Marquess Met His Match is by far one of my favorite historical romances of this year. When I say this book had me giggling and kicking my feet in the air I mean it. Nicholas and Belinda served a deliriously slow burn and their back-and-forth made for the best chemistry. These two made me insane in the best possible way and I cannot wait to reread this when I need a good pick-me-up. Laura Lee Guhrke is known for her unique twists in the genre and this is her best by far!

Trigger warnings: death

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Knockout by Sarah Maclean

Pyrotechnics-obsessed Imogen Loveless and inspector Thomas Peck confront mystery and danger in this explosive addition to Sarah Maclean’s Hell’s Belles series. Maclean delivers a whip-smart dynamic between her two leads centered around a spirited group of women taking charge in bringing about justice. A deeply satisfying addition to the series that feels as chaotic as its main heroine. Knockout packs a punch and will leave you craving more from its author. Truly one of the best romances of the year!

Trigger warnings: violence, blood

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Review: You, with a View by Jessica Joyce

July 2, 2023March 24, 2025 Robin2 Comments

Unemployed and living with her parents, Noelle Shepherd’s life takes another unexpected turn when her grandmother dies. Adrift in her grief and desperate to connect with her, Noelle explores the pieces of her grandmother’s past, surprised to uncover a love letter and several photographs of Gram and a mysterious man from decades prior. In her desperate attempt to find answers, Noelle goes viral, leading her to connect with the grandson of the unknown man, none other than her high school nemesis, Theo Spencer. Despite her annoyance with having to face Theo, Noelle learns from his grandfather Paul that he and her grandmother had plans to elope, but were prevented, leaving their honeymoon road trip unfinished. The two form a plan to complete the honeymoon road trip, but not without Theo in tow. Between the picturesque landscapes and long car rides, the tension between Theo and Noelle escalates, and completing the long-lost road trip may mean admitting just how unfinished things between them actually are.

I have officially found my new favorite book and summer romance all rolled into one with Jessica Joyce’s heartwarming debut novel. You, with a View seamlessly blends the travel narrative with a slow-burn romance that left me aching for new connections and an extensive summer road trip. Noelle Shepherd’s search for connection after the passing of her grandmother leads her across the United States, where she reignites her passion for photography and finds a new link back to her family’s past. Not to mention a tension-filled relationship brewing with her handsome road trip companion. Joyce infuses this heartrending beginning with majestic landmarks and sweeping scenery that were visually stunning on the level of leaving me with an extreme case of wanderlust. With all that in mind, pretty much everything in this called out to me from the start. Noelle and Theo had far too much chemistry for me not to immediately adore everything about them and stay up all night trying to reach the conclusion of their love story. With my penchant for all the men down bad™ out there, Theo Spencer has certainly become one of my new favorite book boyfriends. There were several lines in particular that had me gasping out loud and fanning myself. Joyce gives us all the longing stares and forced proximity, that develops in the most satisfying way over the course of this novel. Something else I really appreciated in this romance is the way in which Joyce focuses on each character’s emotional arc. Both Theo and Noelle are in different stages on their journey toward healing and Joyce gave them their time to grow and process what they needed to. There are so many feelings explored within this novel and it’s not lost on me how Joyce makes you feel every single one. You, with a View, is hands down one of the best romances of 2023. With magnificent tension and a profound emotional journey, Joyce has established herself as a stellar new voice in romance.

Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger warnings: grief, death of a loved one

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Review: Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

June 7, 2023March 24, 2025 Robin1 Comment

A brilliant but overlooked sound editor, Montserrat’s work behind the scenes has soured of late. Her closest friend since childhood, Tristán, is a faded soap opera star who spends his days chasing the past. When Tristán discovers that his next-door neighbor is none other than the legendary cult horror director Abel Urueta, the three form a friendship. Many years prior, Ureta was involved in a film production that was rumored to involve imbuing a kind of magic into the silver nitrate film stock, but the film was never completed. Ureta claims this is the reason his career went downhill, and he implores the pair to assist him in completing the final scene. But as Tristán and Montserrat dig deeper, they are drawn into a complicated history of Nazi occultism – a shadowed figure stalks Montserrat, and Tristán is plagued by the appearance of his deceased ex-girlfriend. The more they seek to discover the truth of the lost film, the more likely that magic and sorcery are entangled with filmmaking than they ever could have realized, and they’ll have to break the cycle to survive the consequences.

Silvia Moreno-Garcia transports readers to the silver screen with a heart-pounding thriller that subtly blends the history of cinema with a deep dive into Mexican horror and Nazi occultism. Following two childhood friends as they attempt to unravel a decades-old curse while navigating strange new powers, Moreno-Garcia slowly entangles readers in an age-old struggle with occultism and the powers vying for control. When I first read about Silvia’s newest thriller, I was more than ready to navigate curses and brave new horrors to experience a new book from one of my favorite authors. Silver Nitrate gradually drives the knife in, with a slow-building narrative that never quite makes you feel on solid ground. There is something uniquely cinematic captured here, as we are taken deep into the history of silver nitrate film and the dark magic unfortunately caught up in it. What I’ve come to love about Moreno-Garcia’s work is the historical contexts woven into every one of her stories. Silver Nitrate explores everything from Mexican horror, to movie production, and occultism, and it was all so fascinating to follow. Silvia slowly envelops readers in this world and its characters, jaded sound editor Montserrat, and her childhood friend and soap opera star Tristan, as they delve deep into the past and find unexpected horrors. Montserrat is everything I love about women horror protagonists, a jaded introvert with an unexpected cutting edge. As always, there’s a tidbit of romance present that uplifts the story and plays into the cinematic feel. With her latest, Silvia Moreno-Garcia deftly plots a sound editor’s entanglement with a fabled nitrate film that reaps unintended consequences on all those involved. Silver Nitrate has all the feels of a cult classic with a unique historical context. It’s everything I love about Silvia and her best novel yet!

Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing this arc to review.

Trigger warnings: blood, death, murder, drug abuse, racism, xenophobia

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Review: Happy Place by Emily Henry

April 11, 2023March 25, 2025 RobinLeave a comment

College sweethearts Harriet and Wyn were the perfect couple for decades until one day they weren’t. Six months to the day since the breakup, the two still have yet to break the news to their best friends. The group’s yearly getaway to a cottage in Maine approaches and inevitably the two hatch an unwanted scheme: to pretend to be together for the length of the week, avoiding any inquisition from their friends and confrontation with one another. But the cottage is for sale, meaning this is the penultimate trip for the group, and may very well be the last time they are all together. Moreover, distance has not dulled the ache between Wyn and Harriet, and they walk a fragile line between everything they are pretending and everything they could be. Keeping up appearances will mean continuing to lie, not only to their friends and each other but to themselves.

Happy Place is absolute magic, bottled up and delivered in the form of saccharine summer days, happiness, teary moments, and newfound longing, and I loved every single second of it. With her fourth novel, Emily Henry extends upon the brilliance of her previous three works, both narratively and in scope of character. Its wonderfully unique friendships and signature blend of past and present merge to deliver a truly unforgettable romance. Through her first attempt at the second chance storyline, Emily Henry delivers a romance that completely altered my brain chemistry. An established history grounds the story and instills lingering tension that builds and builds as Henry swings us back and forth between the past and present day. It’s a romance that slowly crept up on me, as Henry takes a fragmented retrospect narratively, but nevertheless makes you feel every cutting moment and longing glance. Where this novel really sunk into my bones is the simultaneous developing and rekindling romance between Wyn and Harriet. There’s magic wrapped up in this love story and these friendships, centered around the changes in life that they have all weathered together. For that matter, Happy Place stands apart from Henry’s first three novels, specifically because of its friend group. Unresolved feelings run deep with our main couple, but close friends also harbor secrets. Couples deal with their own issues and losses, as Wyn and Harriet navigate their own. It feels very found family, particularly with Harriet shouldering a difficult upbringing with friends that have very much become her family. Various griefs and unresolved trauma intersect this renewed love story imbuing such depth into the second-chance romance. Wholeheartedly intimate, sensual, and vulnerable, Happy Place is an open window into the burdens we shoulder and the connections that give us strength. No doubt Emily Henry’s best romance novel yet and proof that she is only going to get better from here.

Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing this arc to review.

Trigger warnings: grief, infidelity

My Blurb for Happy Place is an Indie Next #1 Pick

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Review: The Fiancee Farce by Alexandria Bellefleur

February 23, 2023March 24, 2025 RobinLeave a comment

Bookish Tansy Adams has always found comfort in managing her family bookstore handed down after the passing of her late father, rather than the real-world romantic encounters she can’t seem to parse. When her family refuses to let up on the romance front, Tansy invents a girlfriend, Gemma, inspired by a gorgeous cover model featured on dozens of romance novels. Tansy’s lie is put to the test at a wedding, when in walks Gemma van Dalen, cousin of the groom, and the very person around whom she created her lie. Heir to the family’s newspaper empire, Gemma is on the brink of obtaining everything, except for the clause that says she must marry before the year is out or the inheritance defaults to her cousin. When confronted with Tansy’s lie, Gemma plays along, and a modern marriage of convenience is born. Tansy and Gemma make quite the unconventional couple, yet they have an undeniable connection that could lead to something real, provided they survive the family determined to oust their engagement as a farce.

Alexandria Bellefleur pens another effortlessly charming contemporary romance, harkening back to god-tier romantic comedies, and a multitude of Taylor Swift references. After falling head over heels for Count Your Lucky Stars this past winter and the entire Written in the Stars series, there wasn’t a force on earth that could stop me from sinking my teeth into Bellefleurs newest as soon as possible. I mean, an indie bookseller who agrees to a fake marriage with a newspaper heiress turned romance cover model?? I was sold. Bellefleur writes the romances I’ve dreamed of reading my entire life, and there’s a magic captured in her original trilogy that perfectly translates over to her newest novel. Reading The Fiancee Farce feels perfectly familiar, through its black sheep heroine taking desperate measures, and a bookstore on the verge of being sold, much to the chagrin of its owner. These are the tropes and storylines formulaic for countless romances, yet the proposed solution to the novel’s central problem is where Bellefleur makes her twist– through a queer modern-day marriage of convenience. Everything about this shines, through the open vulnerability between leads Gemma and Tansy, and the overbearing family intent on driving them apart. These two have such an honest chemistry that is only intensified against all of the meddling and disorderly plans that ensue. The little dates and domestic moments contained in the midst of it all only made me all the more smitten. From its impeccable setup, right up to its emotional conclusion, The Fiancee Farce is pure chaos combined with all the romantic tropes and twists I could ever yearn for in a romance novel. Bellefleur continues to outdo herself with every passing year and I’ll be anxiously awaiting anything that she does next.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger warnings: sexual harassment, slut shaming, death of a parent

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Review: The Foxglove King by Hannah Whitten

February 19, 2023March 24, 2025 RobinLeave a comment

Deep within the catacombs of the city of Dellaire, a young girl with power over death is raised by the Night Sisters, guardians of the tomb of the buried goddess. When she is thirteen, Lore flees from the world she knows to the city above, where death magic is considered heretical, and everyday people flirt with it through the power of Mortem, magic born from death. Many years pass, and as Lore grows older she takes on the role of a poison runner, taking part in an illegal trade that allows her basic survival. After a standard run ends with Lore revealing her power, she is taken captive by the Presque Mort, a group of warrior monks that give her an impossible task: find out why hundreds of villagers in the outskirts of the city are turning up dead. Someone in the court is responsible for this atrocity, and as Lore is led deeper into the intrigue of the King’s Court, she stumbles upon something that could reveal a misguided plot or a truth about her own divinity.

The Foxglove King is a knife-sharp amalgamation of court intrigue, high fantasy, and forbidden romance that captured my heart and held it captive until its glorious finish. Hannah Whitten first seized my attention back with her debut series, The Wilderwood Duology, and from that moment on I knew that I would be hanging on to anything else she wrote next. Now that I’ve made my way through her latest novel, I can unequivocally say that it has surpassed her previous work on so many levels. For the longest time, I have been craving a fantasy series set around court politics, romance, and magic, and The Foxglove King delivers that down to the last mark. Whitten plays to her strengths, detailing the misguided loyalties and strained influences of the Sainted King’s court and the unstable balance between politics and religion. Its central heroine Lore is admittedly very fitting. As someone who has been living in hiding for the death magic she possesses, Lore comes to embody the ongoing power struggle occurring within the court more than she realizes. She’s selfish and fearless to the extreme, two traits I both admire and crave more of with women in fantasy. Misfits make great company, and Whitten takes that into account with the chaotic trio she establishes in the novel. Gotta love a debauched prince, a duke turned warrior monk, and a powerful outsider trying to uncover a conspiracy while denying their feelings for one another. Now I know some people love a good love triangle but I think that this is going in a different direction. The overall plot and romantic development were well-balanced, leaving room for a stunning conclusion that threw me for a loop and left me to pick up the pieces. With the Foxglove King, Whitten establishes a world split apart by magic and godhood, and showcases the very nature of humanity to seek to control a dangerous power. It’s got messy bisexuals, court intrigue, morally grey characters, and an established romantic tension that is only going to get better from here.

Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing this arc to review.

Trigger warnings: blood, violence, gore, death, animal death, parental abuse

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Review: Exes and O’s by Amy Lea

January 2, 2023March 24, 2025 Robin2 Comments

Romance novel obsessed Tara Chen has had more than her fair share of heartbreak. Ever since her most recent breakup, adding to a long line of men that dumped her because of her supposed clingy tendencies, her love life has grown sour. Tara wants to find love more than anything, but with the growing popularity of dating apps, a modern meet-cute is out of the question. Luckily, an insightful interview gives her an idea: revisit her past exes and reevaluate the relationship in an attempt to earn one of the most time-honored tropes, the second-chance romance. In her quest to reconnect with her past relationships, Tara enlists the help of her standoffish roommate Trevor, who couldn’t be any more against commitment. As the two venture deeper into Tara’s past, the closer they become, and though the disappointments grow even higher, finding the love she’s been looking for may not lie in the past at all, but in the everyday details.

Amy Lea did not hold back with this wholly magnetic and exquisitely tender slow-burn love story. I mean I heard the words “and they were roommates” and immediately dropped whatever I was doing to go and read this. Exes and O’s has a lot going for it, what with its central protagonists, an emotionally unavailable fireman, and a nurse with a tendency to romanticize, falling for one another under the guise of a search for a second-chance romance. Lea quietly constructs a simmering slow burn, with close-the-book level tension and enough going on that I never wanted to stop reading. Plot aside, the strongest part of this novel is its leading characters, Trevor and Tara. Not only was there enough set up to establish an emotional conflict that never became overbearing, but both character arcs intersected and complemented one another in increasingly fascinating ways. Out of the two main leads, Tara has to be my favorite. She’s the romance novel aficionado and book-lover heroine we deserve, and her inner struggle really resonated with me. I know many people appreciate dual POV in romance, but with a slow burn in mind and the characters in question, I loved the fact that we only got Tara’s. It helped make the pining almost unbearable and the undercurrent of the whole will they won’t they vibe. Throughout Tara’s entire emotional arc, Lea illustrates the importance of learning to be yourself wholeheartedly when it comes to love while continuing to hold onto your dreams and ideals. It’s obvious that friends to lovers is one of my all-time favorite tropes and I think this one might be at the top of that list. Exes and O’s is a novel dedicated to all the romance-obsessed daydreamers out there, entirely charming, swoon-worthy, and vulnerable.

Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing the arc.

Trigger warnings: sexism, gaslighting

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Review: Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

December 2, 2022March 24, 2025 RobinLeave a comment

Emily Wilde is a Cambridge professor of Dryadology who surrounds herself with her books, her work, and the faeries she has built a life around studying. Deep in research for her first encyclopedia of faeries, Emily journeys to the remote village of Hrafnsvik, Scandinavia to learn about the local faerie lore and endeavor to uncover an age-old mystery. The last thing she expects when she arrives is having to win over the numerous townsfolk and appease unfriendly attitudes. Incidentally, her arrogant and charming colleague Wendell Bambleby has taken it upon himself to hijack her research and charm the very townsfolk who have given her the cold shoulder. Someone is abducting villagers in the night, and despite everything, Emily wants to find out why. Bambleby undoubtedly knows more than is letting on, and as they journey into the wilderness for answers, their combined knowledge may be what saves them both, and could possibly be what opens her heart for good.

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopaedia of Faeries surprised me with its cozy atmosphere and scholarly inquiry into the world of the fae. Combining fantasy, mystery, history, and romance elements, this is a one-of-a-kind story, unlike anything I’ve read concerning faerie so far. Written retrospectively through the form of an open diary, we journey into the strange corners of the Hrafnsvik wilderness as Emily conducts her research and befriends the fae folk both friend and foe. Settling into the story, the narrative structure takes some getting used to at the onset, but it’s ultimately an inventive way to visualize the world and portray character point of view. It’s unique to be able to read character reflection on a situation and see that situation being dictated all at the same time, and Fawcett delivers this flawlessly, interspersed with fae lore and the occasional Wendell journal entry. In town, Emily battles a much closer adversary, the wary townsfolk that deeply fear the fae on their borders. This core struggle joins with the slow build of the narrative, weaving in layers of whimsy and adventure as Emily’s reluctance to open up and make connections begins to thaw. Shifting between her fieldwork and time in the town seizes the humanity at the heart of academic research and the relationships we can close ourselves off to when we try to protect our hearts and peace above all else. The slow-burn romance between Emily and Wendell was on the lighter side, but much like the novel, it’s a quieter romance that takes hold like some kind of faerie spell. I really loved their romantic arc, which was obviously complete and utter chaos with a side of banter that was the epitome of sassy. Witty and delightful, I can only pray for more Emily Wilde, Wendell, and the fae world in the upcoming sequel. Fawcett debuts a delightful academic fantasy that bridges boundaries and leaves behind a yearning for love and an appreciation for the ostensibly insignificant details of the everyday.

Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing this review copy

Trigger warnings: blood, injury, self-inflicted amputation, murder, death, violence

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Review: The Last Tale of the Flower Bride by Roshani Chokshi

November 21, 2022March 24, 2025 RobinLeave a comment

They had a seemingly happy marriage: he, a scholar of fantastical stories, and she, Indigo Maxwell-Casteñada, a wealthy heiress with a mysterious past. Despite their differences, the couple found solace with one another, and soon a bargain was struck in exchange for love – that the scholar could have her heart, provided he never inquire into her past. For a time, there was harmony, but when Indigo learns that her estranged aunt is on her deathbed, the couple return to the place where her story began, the House of Dreams. Within the manors walls, winding staircases, and dusty rooms, lie plenty of secrets far too seductive for the bridegroom to resist. As the house reveals the past of another girl, Azure, Indigo’s childhood friend long gone, he is willing to search between both reality and fantasy to learn the truth about his bride’s past, even at the expense of their binding promise.

The Last Tale of the Flower Bride is a luscious gothic feast, interlaced with fairytales, myth, and the treacherous secrets of a marriage. Wandering the halls of the crumbling House of Dreams, Chokshi spins her tale, interweaving fairy tales into the central narrative amidst broken promises and childhood dreams. Testament to everything I love about the gothic, this novel delivers a startling atmosphere, set around a crumbling manor and its ability to suspend the past. Chokshi absolutely dazzles, with poetic prose and the kind of fairytale spinning only she could bring to fruition. Everything inside me yearned to read this exquisite gothic debut from the moment it was announced, to step inside the House of Dreams and deconstruct the secrets hidden within its winding halls. The experience reading this was all the more mesmerizing, as I fell into Chokshi’s labyrinth of mystery, led deeper between the past of the house by Azure’s perspective, and the present day, with the bridegroom’s suspicions. There was quite the unsettling back and forth with these two, aided by the different tones employed – the shift from Azure’s childhood wonder, to the unfortunate realization that happened on both sides. I still can’t wrap my head around how beautifully written this novel is. Lush, dreamy writing is undoubtedly in Roshani’s wheelhouse, and this is my favorite of hers thus far. This book twisted my expectations up in knots until right at the very end, and each betrayal and exposed truth scored a little deeper. Infused with a kernel of romance, Roshani Chokshi breathes life into this resplendent and tragic gothic story. The Last Tale of the Flower Bride is everything I could possibly wish for in a gothic novel, and the way it slowly approaches the final act will leave you breathless in its downfall.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger warnings: blood, death, violence, murder

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Review: Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail by Ashley Herring Blake

November 3, 2022March 24, 2025 Robin3 Comments

For interior designer and impeccably put-together Astrid Parker, failure is out of the question. After her botched engagement over a year ago, Astrid has held tight to the reins of her life lest her world crash and burn around her. When the opportunity to design the renovation of Bright Falls Everwood Inn appears in front of her, Astrid soars. Since the renovation will be televised on a popular home improvement show, it may just be what she needs to put herself back on the map. What Astrid doesn’t intend is to butt heads with lead carpenter Jordan Everwood, who despises the plans that Astrid has for renovating her family home. Tension sells better than anything, and when the producers of Innside America ask them to up the ante, Jordan and Astrid clash until their deep dislike for one another is threatened. All Astrid has ever done is what is expected of her, yet there is a chance for her to live the life she truly desires if only she can let go of the rigid control that she has clung to for so long.

Ashley Herring Blake pens another queer romance reminiscent of Schitt’s Creek and the romantic comedy, with lovable characters, emotional depth, and classic small-town charm. Astrid Parker delighted in the first installment of the Bright Falls series and I was elated when I heard the sequel would center around her own love story. Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail completely outsells, elevating her character and developing an enthralling rivals-to-lovers romance at its center. If there is one thing I have come to expect from Herring Blake, it’s the unique situations that she crafts for her characters. This secondary romance is no different, concentrating on a home-improvement show and the antics between interior designer Astrid and lead carpenter Jordan Everwood. Oftentimes I find it difficult to engage with the rivalry trope, especially if the set-up isn’t there or the rivalry isn’t founded on anything concrete, but that was not an issue here. The first chapter establishes an exquisite antagonism with a coffee spill gone wrong and a vengeful Astrid caught in the crossfire. This led to some of the most glorious romantic tension and palpable on-page chemistry as the story unfolded. There is nothing more telling I can say about this other than it completely ruined me. Astrid Parker’s story is about the trials surrounding creating the life you truly want for yourself, against a world pulling you in an entirely different direction – how the people in our lives can sometimes show up right when they’re needed, even if it doesn’t make sense at first. By way of this, Ashley Herring Blake has given voice to a pervasive fear of failure, and just what it means to figure out your sexuality later in life. Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail is a sensational follow-up romance to Delilah Green Doesn’t Care, and is shaping up an incredible continuation for the Bright Falls series.

Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for providing the arc.

Trigger warnings: death, depression

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