romancereadinglist's reviews
328 reviews

Scandalous Desires by Elizabeth Hoyt

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adventurous emotional tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Easily the weakest of the Maiden Lane books so far. 
A Beastly Kind of Earl by Mia Vincy

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emotional funny fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

This one didn’t quite work for me; there was a lot of needless miscommunication and the tone veered wildly between comic and angsty. I also really disliked the MMC. However, Vincy’s writing is strong and I’m definitely going to read the other books in the series. I think perhaps I shouldn’t have started with this one. 
Along Came Amor by Alexis Daria

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emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

A fantastic, sexy, moving book. Full review to come! 
Winds of the Storm by Beverly Jenkins

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challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.75

Curvy Girl Summer by Danielle Allen

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emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

THIS is how you do a slow burn contemporary romance! I absolutely loved Aaliyah and Ahmad’s chemistry and dynamic; A+ banter and teasing. I had minor reservations about some of the miscommunication (felt a bit stretched/unrealistic) and the way things got resolved, but overall this was a great, very sex- and body-positive read. 
The Rat-Catcher's Daughter by KJ Charles

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adventurous emotional funny fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming

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funny lighthearted fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

This book is just FUN AS HELL. It does what it sets out to do flawlessly - with a light touch and lots of humor. 
Through the Storm by Beverly Jenkins

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challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

I loved the first half of this and was sure it was going to be a 5 star read. However, the second half went a bit off the rails for me: so much happened, and there wasn’t enough time spent with the two MCs on page together. Plus, there were some big emotional moments that could have been given more attention and payoff, like
her pregnancy and the love declaration, which came as a bit of a throwaway on the last page
.

Overall though, I’m so glad I read this and would 100% recommend it. It’s well-researched, moving, and full of sexual tension and longing. 
Left of Forever by Tarah DeWitt

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emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

I really liked parts of this book - the characters were compelling and I was invested in their emotional reconnection and second chance. However, as someone who hasn’t read DeWitt’s other books, I would say it doesn’t 100% work as a standalone. The large cast of supporting characters is confusing and a bit tedious at times if you don’t already know who they are. My other big reservation is the epistolary/hidden identity element of the plot
(the two MCs write letters to each other with only only of them knowing their correspondent is their ex)
- it felt superfluous. 

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC!
Pride and Protest by Nikki Payne

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emotional hopeful fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I LOVE Pride & Prejudice retellings, and I think this might be my favorite yet! 

This was a pleasant surprise as Nikki Payne’s more recent book, Sex Lies & Sensibility, didn’t really work for me. But this one is just immaculate. The chemistry between the two MCs is incredible, it explores some real social issues (like gentrification), and the writing is distinctive and flows beautifully.