Summer, summer, summer, summer (please read in the theme of Disney’s High School Musical 2 hit song “What Time Is It”). Hello and welcome to another installment of my quarterly romance recommendations. It’s insane how many romance novels have published since last quarter so to honor that this is a bit longer than usual. I’m still catching up to many April/May romances since I spent the month getting ready to move back home. Picture the last few weeks being me just reading romance there are that many. Summer is already heating up and the romances are just as hot (hallelujah). We’ve got small town messy sapphics, rival bands, Persuasion inspired historical romance, and plenty of unconventional love stories. Also please ignore that I put an October romance in here. Just preorder it (trust me). Happy reading!
Dream On, Ramona Riley by Ashley Herring Blake
Ever since her mom left their small New Hampshire town, Clover Lake, never to return, Ramona Riley’s dreams of doing costume design became an impossibility. Shortly after, she dropped out of college to assist her recently injured father in raising her younger sister Olive, and for decades that was all she could see. Now Olive is set to graduate and leave for college, and Ramona is still stuck in Clover Lake working at the local cafe. But when she hears that the next big romantic comedy is set to film in Clover Lake, Ramona begrudgingly sees this as an opportunity to forge a way to her dream career. Unfortunately the film’s lead star is her first kiss and once crush, Dylan Monroe, and she does not remember a single thing about Ramona. Luckily Ramona can spend the entire time avoiding her. Right? No one is doing small town romance like the sapphics and Ashley Herring Blake. Dream On, Ramona Riley recaptures the small town atmosphere of her first series, Bright Falls, and proves it’s not just a lucky strike, but an innate talent Blake can bring to any romance. As a lover of all things New England, rom-coms, and messy bisexuals, this had all the shapings of an unforgettable romance, and it delivered from beginning to end. Featuring another delightful extended romance cast—like April Evans the tattoo artist (up next for book two), and some of Ashley Herring Blake’s hottest sex scenes (trust me), Dream On, Ramona Riley really is queer romance perfection. The core of this story sees caretaking as a sacrificing act, but also a hopeful one—a poignant theme which threads through Ramona’s second chance career and eventual love story. Dream On, Ramona Riley is for anyone who’s ever thought the words “it’s too late,” because it never is. I am elated for more messy sapphic love stories from Ashley Herring Blake!
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Passion Project by London Sperry
Bennet Taylor has no passion. She’s experiencing a passion deficit as it were. But who else is in their twenties working as a temp while desperately trying to forget the grief of the love of their life who they are pretty sure was the one. Pushed into a first date she didn’t want Bennet flees, only to run into her intended date, Henry, hours later where she confesses the grievous sin that she is not ready. She even admits to her passionless state, and Henry agrees he’ll help her find it. Now they’re having adventures all over the city, and Bennet and Henry realize they’re not just good friends and passion aficionados, they’re each other’s next chance at the love they’ve been waiting for. Disaster over pasta carbonara begins this hopeful romance debut from London Sperry that leans heavily into works in progress finding love not in spite of their circumstances but because of all that they are. New York City is very much a main character as Bennet and Henry traverse the boroughs and the nooks and crannies in search of ever elusive “passion” while avoiding unexpected feelings. Now with a founding father name like Henry Adams you wouldn’t expect a man to be so effortlessly romantic and capable of such yearning, but Sperry has written the romantic love interest of the year with Henry. I mean the spectacles?? Come on! Bennet Taylor had such strength while in the presence of this man I commend her for all of it. The journey of Bennet and Henry out of grief, to friendship, and then love is overwhelmingly gentle. Passion Project has a truly beautiful message baked in—that we don’t really have to have it all together to be worthy of love and happiness. The focus on depression and grief is one we journey on alongside Bennet, and it is as important as the love story. Passion Project doesn’t take the stance that love begets an end to these things, but we love in spite and live to heal day by day. Find your passion with London Sperry. It’s as easy as reading this novel.
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Isabel and the Rogue by Liana De la Rosa
Isabel Luna Valdés has made being overlooked a strength. As the unremembered third Luna sister she uses her talents to gather intel to aid Mexico in their fight against French occupation. Wallflower bookish Isabel has had no issue sneaking away from the various balls and society gatherings while her sisters entertain, that is until Captain Sirius Dawson starts to take notice of her disappearances. Sirius is a spy himself, for the British Home Office, and in taking concern over Isabel is in danger of losing it all for the chance to aid her. When Isabel unearths something that could transform the entire occupation she has the ability to finally provide something concrete, but what will she risk to help her country if the cost is her heart. Bookish women being loved for who they are is actually something that is so personal to me and that is essential to Liana De la Rosa’s, Isabel and The Rogue. Isabel Luna Valdés, the woman that you are! This follow up to the first Luna sisters novel sees a wallflower use her place in London society to uncover correspondence to aid her country, bringing a flawless addition to the rake and wallflower pairing. Liana De la Rosa has captured the spirit of each of the Luna sisters in their respective novels and Isabel’s feels like a comforting love letter to the spirited, bookish heroines finding inner strength and a place of their own. Sirius and Isabel are a well matched couple and their chemistry is fierce. I’m still thinking about the desk scene and probably will be for all time. The glimpses into London society from the perspective of three Mexican heiresses, the kernels of sisterhood, and the insights into Mexican history is what makes this one of the most unique historical romances out there right now.
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Some Kind of Famous by Ava Wilder
Ten years since her singing career crashed rather spectacularly and two years since leaving behind a failed romantic relationship, Merritt Valentine is still in Crested Peak, the small Colorado town where her twin sister has elected to set down roots. Now with a baby on the way, her sister gives her ample notice that she will need to find another place to live so they can make room. Luckily, Merritt has a property she purchased not long after her arrival in town, however it needs quite a bit of renovating before she will be able to move in on a permanent basis. But getting things up to code will require her to engage the services of one Nikolaos Petrakis, local contractor, jack of all trades, and the man whom Merritt is hopelessly infatuated. I don’t think I’ve fully been captivated by a romance novel as quickly as I did with Some Kind of Famous. Maybe it’s just the setting, and the company of such wonderful characters but I quickly fell in with this on the most extreme level and it’s safe to say the rest of the novel carried it through. What’s so endearing about Some Kind of Famous is the extent it is emphasized that our two main characters are works in progress—two people still figuring life out but scared to reach for love with two hands when things aren’t perfect. Fear of the past is a big theme for Ava Wilder, and it imbues an immense pressure on both Niko and Merritt as they pursue a romance. Some Kind of Famous is about finding ourselves after setbacks and not closing ourselves off to connection just because we’re scared of trying again. The ups and downs are vast, but this is an exquisite addition to the celebrity romance space. Prepare to fall as hopelessly in love with this one as I did.
Preorder a Copy – Out 28th October
Eliza and the Duke by Harper St. George
Facing down a loveless marriage to a man flaunting his dalliances across Europe, American heiress Eliza Dove wishes for one night to experience the real side of London. Her ticket in is Simon Cavell, Montague Club’s manager and the celebrated boxer of Whitechapel known only as “The Duke,” after a chance meeting leaves her an opportunity to convince him of her plan. All Simon yearns for is securing a life for his niece currently held by the man whom he owes a great debt, but soon all he yearns for is her, Eliza, the impossible heiress. Between the dark streets of London, townhomes, and tension filled carriage rides, soon it is impossible to deny that the only thing Simon and Eliza want is a life side by side, but that is as impossible as the feelings running between them. There is no power on earth strong enough to tear me away from a good historical romance, and Harper St. George is one of the strongest talents in the genre right now. Her Doves of New York series first ensnared me with The Stranger I Wed, but this follow up has outsold everything that came before. Eliza and the Duke concerns two people who never thought they could be loved—Eliza the hopeless romantic, and Simon the strong and silent boxer who made a life through his fists, finding unconditional, lasting love. Eliza and Simon are two individuals you can’t not root for. With Persuasion levels of longing, their connection is not only palpable, but grounded against their pasts leaving space for a beautiful romance to develop and plenty of angst to savor. And what a layered romance this is. Like that carriage scene? *fans self to no avail*. Eliza and the Duke is certainly for the Jane Austen lovers amongst us and it’s a historical romance that left me more than a little unhinged (a glowing commendation if there ever was one).
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Never Over by Clare Gilmore
When songwriter Paige Lancaster meets with one of Nashville’s premier music publishers for a potential contract, she never expects them to leave her with a tremendous task of writing new songs. Paige takes this songwriting challenge to the extreme and enlists Liam Bishop, her ex, to aid her in the task—they’ll start dating again while she joins him on tour, and then when the romance is at its height, he’ll break her heart. Yet all this re-breakup plan does is force Liam and Paige to address the past, why they broke up, and if they have the courage to try it all over again—for real this time. Never Over is second chance romance goodness, written with aching emotion and lending voice to the weight of grief and how far we will go in pursuit of our dreams. Messy twenty-somethings still figuring out life is Clare Gilmore’s bread and butter, and her third novel is arguably the best of the best and the messiest of the twenty somethings. Dual timelines give rise to a second chance love story between determined songwriter Paige Lancaster, and Liam Bishop, once lauded baseball pitcher now concert manager on the tour circuit. Never Over is a love story centered around life on tour, bookstore meet cutes, baseball training, and a heartwarming love letter to Bristol, Tennessee. Clare Gilmore has completely shifted what constitutes an excellent execution of the second chance romance trope with Never Over and I am in complete awe of her talent. This feels like a book written for the overlooked younger children finding their voice and their place in adulthood after being lost in the background for so long. At the same time, the danger in letting yourself be defined by one thing and what happens when that dream abruptly ends. Like the most addictive sort of love song: Never Over is a romance to pour over, read, and repeat. Healing and cathartic all in one note.
Preorder a Copy – Out 28th October
These Summer Storms by Sarah Maclean
Born into a family of obscene wealth and privilege, Alice Storm was never afforded her own path, and was subsequently exiled for choosing one of her own. Upon the death of her father, Franklin Storm, Alice is called back into the fold to mourn his passing and celebrate the legacy of a tech industry titan. Stuck on the family’s private island off the coast of Rhode Island, Alice and her siblings soon face the strings attached to their inheritance and the final game their father constructed from beyond the grave. The catch? They have to play or forfeit the millions they hoped to inherit. With one week to play the game the past is never closer to the present, and family grievances could be the deciding force in who wins the game and who is out before it can even begin. Sarah Maclean never saw a structurally sound building or complicated family dynamics she couldn’t mess with and I, as always, am here for her meddling. These Summer Storms is a far departure from Maclean’s typical historical romance ventures, but nevertheless a clever twist on the corporate family power struggle. Maclean brings together her flawed family—the straight and narrow eldest with a secret life, the arrogant successor convinced he will inherit the crown, the exiled artist, and the crystal & astrology obsessed youngest daughter, all vying for their inheritances. These Summer Storms is Succession on steroids, complete with all the spiteful feuds and particular personalities that clash and make these stories so entertaining while exposing unique experiences of grief and family. It all comes crashing down rather spectacularly (quite standard to Maclean) with reconciliation not so far off and even the fiercest of storms finding harmony.
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Can’t Get Enough by Kennedy Ryan
Hendrix Barry has it all, a successful business, incredible friends, and a supportive family. Yet as her mom’s dementia worsens, Hendrix knows she’ll need to step up more than she already is, and balancing it all could cause the precarious house of cards that is her life to finally crumble. When she meets Maverick Bell, a charming self made billionaire, Hendrix knows she’s in trouble. Unfortunately as the ex of a current client, dating Maverick breaks every kind of girl code so Hendrix backs off. If only Maverick understood the memo, pursuing Hendrix with the determination of someone who knows what he wants, and is used to getting it. With their undeniable connection and chemistry to consider, giving in may mean finally reaching for the love she’s been denying herself, but of course that’s easier said than done. I’ve been eagerly anticipating the conclusion to Kennedy Ryan’s Skyland trilogy from the moment I finished, This Could Be Us. Hendrix Barry has this larger than life quality that leaps off the page and I knew her book would be divine from the previous books alone. Kennedy Ryan’s familial connections to caregiving deepens a story centered strongly around caring for aging parents. Ryan’s nuances around caring for a parent with dementia are carefully done, how one can feel like a failure for making mistakes and at the same time feel selfish for enjoying things outside of it. Hendrix handles it all with such grace and she deserves to be taken care of—which is where our love interest Maverick comes in. His attentiveness and understanding to Hendrix as she struggles and triumphs is one of the most romantic things. These two really were partners to each other in everything which is peak romance to me. Kennedy Ryan really is an incomparable talent and Can’t Get Enough is irrefutable proof.
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Anywhere With You by Ellie Palmer
Charley Beekman thought she could figure it all out, but after her divorce and her stalled legal career, things have undoubtedly changed. Surprisingly, that’s not her biggest problem. When her impulsive younger sister announces her imminent elopement to her ex boyfriend and friend from childhood, Charley only has one course of action: break off the wedding before they hurt each other again. Who should join her in the road to breaking up the wedding, but Ethan, her childhood best friend. Ethan (unsurprisingly) doesn’t really believe in breaking off the wedding, but a road trip to rekindle their friendship after a falling out is worth anything, even if it requires recognizing the feelings they have avoided years on. Anywhere With You is for the childhood friends to lovers fans wrapped up in a road trip gone wrong and a well intentioned but disastrous breakup plan. Former best friends Ethan and Charley have this intense, raw chemistry that sent me spiraling as they are forced into close proximity in the most bizarre ways (like a truck stop shower scene that is unusually heated). Alongside a road trip of reconciliation and feelings revealed, Palmer flits back to the past, uncovering the complicated ties between these two and where they are headed. Coupled with their pasts, Palmer shows why Ethan and Charley work together and the freedom afforded in them finally giving into their feelings. Ethan begging, tortured for Charley and Charley unlearning some of the cynicism stemming from her parents’ relationship, in that regard. Anywhere With You is the epitome of the friends to lovers trope. For every person still figuring out their plan, on a road with all the dips, turns, and returns that life affords.
Preorder a Copy – Out 5th August
Love at First Book by Jenn McKinlay
Librarian Emily Allen has been stuck for too long on Martha’s Vineyard living under her mother’s thumb that she’s prepared to do something drastic—like moving all the way to Ireland to work for her favorite author from childhood. Siobhan Riordan’s acclaimed children’s fantasy series charmed the masses, but the tenth book has yet to be written due to her debilitating writer’s block. Emily’s job is to help her finish the manuscript while pitching in at the bookstore alongside Kieran the overly protective, grumpy bookstore manager—and Siobhan’s son. As Emily helps Siobhan complete the manuscript she learns Siobhan’s greatest secret, and it could ruin her resolve at her own next chapter. Shelve this under, made me sob uncontrollably (and in the would recommend category). There are few books out there that have the power to make me bawl and Love at First Book is one of them. Now on the surface this appears to be your standard romance novel, with a bit of hate to love around an American transplant living in Ireland and the grouchy bookstore manager who wants her gone (classic), but wow is this anything but. Love At First Book explores the transformative power of literature and how writing offers us the chance to reconcile the past while looking to the future. This book is about old and new beginnings as we follow a young librarian fleeing her narcissistic mother to a new life, a terminally ill writer trying to complete the final book in a series that was a love letter to her son, and a bookstore manager desperate to keep his life intact. Love at First Book showcases the power in the written word in bringing unlikely people together, to better themselves and find community. It’s romantic, tragic, and an aching portrayal of loss. If you’re in need of a good cry look no further.
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Along Came Amor by Alexis Daria
Now that her divorce has been finalized, Ava Rodriguez is a free woman. Alone at a teaching conference she seizes the chance for a one night stand with the incredibly handsome Roman Vázquez, the self made businessman who owns the hotel, after he flirts with her at the hotel bar. Their scorching chemistry doesn’t just lie in the bedroom, and soon neither of them want to leave it at just one night. The catch: Roman will have to wait until Ava reaches out to make contact, and they won’t tell their friends. Months on and the fling is working perfectly, albeit with a few rule breaks, but when Ava discovers Roman is the best man to her friend’s fiance she’ll have to determine just how much she’s willing to break her rules for the chance at being his. Permanently. Along Came Amor is the long awaited third novel in Alexia Daria’s Primas of Power trilogy. This book is for the people pleasers in every regard and a cautionary tale for anyone precariously balancing every aspect of their life to appear perfect. Our heroine Ava is the victim of these people pleasing tendencies, always striving to be the perfect everything for anyone—lest they see the truth and cast her aside. Her liaison with Roman changes everything as she finds someone who loves and cares for her exactly as she is. Now Roman is the perfect love interest for a people pleaser because he was down bad for Ava from their very first meeting. Literally screaming, crying, throwing up for the chance that she reaches out to him after their one night stand. Roman and Ava are hilariously compatible and it’s very entertaining to watch them dance around each other for almost 500 pages. Along Came Amor is without a doubt the best read for the summer, featuring thirty and forty somethings attempting to have it all, next level sex scenes, and people pleasers leaving perfection behind in favor of authentic connection.
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No Ordinary Love by Myah Ariel
Acclaimed popstar Ella Simone built a career around music in small part due to the influence of her husband, Elliot Majors, a bigtime music producer. Now Ella is considering a shift in management after Elliot’s constant cheating leaves her with no choice but to end their marriage. Ella’s voice stands on its own, but to win out against the prenup she signed eight years ago and maintain control of her music, she’ll have to be on her best behavior. Enter stage right Miles Westbrook, a pro baseball player and Ella’s unfortunate downfall. After a wardrobe mishap and their palpable chemistry live on stage at an awards show, the rumor mill is indeed churning. Luckily, Ella and Miles’ PR teams have a plan to capitalize on the attention and it involves spending even more time with a man who has the potential to become a real problem for Ella’s already fragile heart. No Ordinary Love is an unforgettable romance novel drawn forward by an inner music that moved me from the very start. Myah Ariel knows the appeal of the celebrity romance and the slow burn and said you can have this entire book….as a treat. From multiple fronts, No Ordinary Love interrogates the entertainment industry, legacy, and personal beliefs and at the center of this is Ella Simone who embodies it all—control, ambition, and a deep love for her craft. Not just a character to admire deeply, Ella is one to root for as she casts off a toxic partner and works to build the life she wants for herself all while pushing the boulder uphill. Miles is the perfect harmony to Ella and his unconditional love and support was the grounding this story needed to become a true romance classic. Myah Ariel showcases the power in two driven and somewhat single minded individuals letting go just a little to find the music side by side. Where the bonus is falling in love.
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The Chemistry of Familiar Objects by Alexandra Vasti
On 57 Gresham Street the true showdown is occurring. For Emmeline Starling, the building is the perfect space to test her skills in chemistry, but on the ground floor Robert Vane, a children’s book printer is one explosion away from a complete meltdown. Years of towing the line and stewing in their personal hatred for each other all ends when a dangerous concoction of Emmeline’s is stolen. Together, Emmeline and Robert are entangled in a dark conspiracy to weaponize her compound and the only way to uncover it is to work side by side—if they can do so without first burying the hatchet directly in the other’s chest. What would you say if I told you a real love language was blowing stuff up in front of a man who disdains you? What then? The Chemistry of Familiar Objects features all of my favorite things: man who is so sick of a specific woman he could vomit (but really), woman who can’t stop blowing things up/lighting things on fire, and love stemming from schemes and conspiracy. Alexandra Vasti is an undeniable power within the historical romance space, whether that’s writing full length novels or bite size novella adventures, and this novella is her pièce de résistance. How else does one craft something so profoundly moving and romantic all in under two hundred pages without losing any real depth from the page count. Em and Robert were (regretfully) in cahoots until it transformed into in cahoots (affectionate) and the entire journey is so delicious I could scream. Vasti doesn’t lose up on any of that wonderful romantic tension she is known for, nor the jaw dropping sex scenes that will be seared into my brain for all eternity. The Chemistry of Familiar Objects is a masterclass in intimacy, vulnerability, and that kernel of hate to love that moves all of us one way or another. Also chemistry. Lots of chemistry!
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For the Record by Emma Lord
Once music rivals now complete strangers, Sam Blaze and Mackenzie Waters captivated their listeners with their chemistry on stage and their rumored romance. Several years since leaving their respective bands, Sam and Mack are independently striking out on their own, if only they can convince their labels that it’s a good idea. To secure the next stage of their singing careers, Sam and Mack agree to team up on a joint album in a comeback that will drag their past back to the present. Reviving the music and their undeniable chemistry could secure them a future in music if wounded hearts don’t first prevail and they can remain on the good side of the spotlight—no matter the cost. Effortlessly funny, charming, romantic, you name it, Emma Lord excels at it all and her second adult romance is no different. For the Record is a nostalgic rivals to lovers’ romance that made me yearn for the music while reminiscing on the days of bands long past. Emma Lord immediately swept me up in the drama of the bands Candy Shards and Thunder Hearts (think edgy punk rock group versus pop girl trio) and their notorious rivalry. One thing that always gets me with Emma Lord’s writing is the effortless way she brings readers into the lives of her characters and those orbiting our main duo. Even though we see little of them, the bond between Mackenzie and her former band members Hannah and Serena is quite the standout, as was Sam’s bond with his son and family. The romance still takes center stage here and god did Sam and Mackenzie bring on that unbearable romantic tension that made me want to bonk my head against the wall. Emma Lord knows how to write a romance and this one is a soft and hopeful love song you can’t resist being enamored by.
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