Tag Archives: reading

Unknown's avatar

Black Romance Author Feature

by

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you.

The post is a friendly reminder for me and anyone else who needs it that Black History Month does not have be focused on Black pain, but can (and should) celebrate Black joy and Black accomplishments!

Last year when the #23for23 challenge began, I learned that while BIPOC authors are underrepresented in publishing generally, the romance genre is especially underrepresented. Across all genres, just 11% of traditionally published books in 2018 were written by BIPOC authors. However, romance novels only had 7.8% written by BIPOC authors (2021). Since 2021, there have been 0 Black romance authors on the NYT print and e-book bestseller lists. 

My goal this year is to read at least 4 romances by BIPOC authors each month, with at least one being a book published this year! I would love to get more recommendations so I can continue to build my tbr!!

Talia Hibbert’s The Brown Sisters are some of my all time favorite romcoms. I would start at the beginning, because I feel like you get to know the whole family unit and that just builds your enjoyment of each book. So, start with Get a Life, Chloe Brown!

Rebel was my first book that I read by Beverly Jenkins, and I can’t wait to read more of her backlist! If you like historical romance, she is an absolute must read.

I usually stick to less emotional romances, but when you want to have your heart cracked wide open in the best of ways, Kennedy Ryan is the writer for you. Before I Let Go might be the most optimistically heartbreaking book I have read. Her backlist is also on my TBR!

I am enough of a sap that The Wedding Date made me cry with joy. Twice. I’ve only read two of the books in this series so far, but I look forward to reading more!

This is my current backlist TBR – I think Pride and Protest will be up first because I just got the sequel sent to me from Berkley Romance.

These are my top 2024 releases. Do you have any recommendations for me to add to my backlist or 2024 release TBRs? I’d love to hear about them!

Unknown's avatar

Lore Olympus

by

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, meaning I get a commission if you decide to make a purchase through my links, at no cost to you.

Do you enjoy reading graphic novels? Have you ever read an online comic or graphic novel? Lore Olympus is, so far, the only one I’ve gotten sucked into, but I love it so much!

Lore Olympus Volume 2 & 3
By Rachel Smythe
Book 168 & 169 of 2023

This is the last of my 2023 reviews! Unless I post out of order from my current plan, which could honestly happen.

I read Lore Olympus like 6 years ago on Webtoons. There were probably 100 episodes at the time? 50? I don’t know, there were a lot and I binged them all in one or two days. I *think* I ended up around Volume 2. For me, I couldn’t keep up with it once I had to read it on a weekly basis instead of a huge binge. I had a hard time keep track of the plot from week to week, and it seemed like such a small taste of the story to read just one episode!! I was so happy when I found out they were being published and I could go back to bingeing them 25 episodes at a time. Or in this case, 50, since I read Volumes 2 & 3 back to back. 

I do feel spoiled by all the romances I read – so this will they won’t they that I’m used to seeing on TV doesn’t do it for me quite the way it used to. But I cannot put these down! The artwork is so rich and gorgeous, and I love how Smythe characterizes all of the Greek gods and goddesses and plays with their traditional stories. 

If you haven’t read these yet, I highly recommend giving them a try! 

Unknown's avatar

Holiday Romance Mini Reviews

by

The week of Christmas I read 5 amazing Christmas books, putting my total Christmasy reads for this year at 7, which I think is a record! Do you like to read Christmas books or other holiday reads? Will you only read them during the holiday season, or will you read them anytime? Did you have a favorite you want to recommend to me? 

If you’re like me and only read Christmas books in December, Save this post for your next holiday season!

(Two not mentioned: Kiss Her Once For Me & Wreck the Halls, which I have longer reviews of on Goodreads!)

Amor Actually
By Adriana Herrera, Alexis Daria, Diana Munoz Stewart, Mia Sosa, Priscilla Oliveras, Sabrina Sol, Zoey Castile
🎧 Narrated by: full cast
Book 166 of 2023

A reimagining of “Love Actually” with a diverse Latinx cast! I don’t know if I could pick a favorite, but I think I especially loved the stories based on plot lines that I didn’t like in Love Actually. I don’t usually gravitate towards novellas because I don’t feel like the book is going somewhere specific. These novellas are loosely tied together by a party they are all attending at the end, and since I’ve seen Love Actually a million times, it felt more tied together than other novella collections I have read. This is the spiciest of the Christmas books that I read. Highly recommend the audiobook! 

A Merry Little Meet Cute 
By Julie Murphy & Sierra Simone
🎧 Narrated by:  Joy Nash & Sebastian York 
Book  165 of 2023

Funny, sweet, spicy, and surprisingly heartfelt.  An adult film star and an ex-boyband member are cast together in a Hallmark-esque Christmas movie. Bianca is trying to keep her less wholesome identity a secret, Nolan is one of her biggest fans, and she used to have his poster on her wall. The two try to keep it professional but are absolutely smitten with each other. I devoured this book and loved the entire cast of characters. Also highly recommend on audiobook!

A Wallflower Christmas
By Lisa Kleypas 
🎧 Narrated by: Mary Jane Wells
Book 170 of 2024

I loved hanging out with the Wallflowers for a Christmas novella. The plot revolves around Rafe Bowman, brother to two of the wallflowers, whose parents are arranging a marriage to Natalie Blanford. 

Read if: you have already read The Wallflower series (which I loved except for the first book)

Skip if: you can’t handle a man kissing a woman with dubious consent. Which is reasonable and I question myself for being able to side eye it and still enjoy the book.

The Captain’s Midwinter Bride
By Liana De la Rosa 
Book 173 of 2023

All of the lovely historical romance vibes of The Wallflowers, none of the dubious consent! I loved The Captain’s Midwinter Bride so much I read it WITH MY EYES! 

The Daltons have been married for over two decades, but barely know each other. Captain Philip Dalton is now retired, and has decided to get to know the woman he married so long ago, and the mother of his children. I loved watching the two of them get to know each other. They are also preparing for the marriage of their daughter, and I loved watching Philip explore his relationship with his children as well. I’m excited to continue this series. 

Same Time Next Year
By Tessa Bailey 
🎧 Narrated by: William LeRoy and Carmen Vine 
Book 175 of 2023

Ok, this is a New Year’s romance, not a Christmas romance, but I’m including it anyway. This is a delightful green card marriage romance if you like Tessa Bailey’s writing. She’s kind of kooky, but I love how absolutely head over heels her men are for her women on like page one. And after TWO books in a week where no meant yes (ew), I love that enthusiastic consent is also part of her romantic scenes. I loved the narrators.

Did you read any of these? Have any I need to add to my next Christmas TBR?