I absolutely adored Whiteout, but for me this rom-suspense tipped over that narrow edge into being a bit too much on the survivalist/suspense side versus the romance. The action is super intense and stressful, and the two love interests having a meet disaster in Alaska as she has a stomach bug and maybe a concussion, and he thinks he's getting ambushed, made it a bit more difficult to see how these two would fall in love. I did enjoy their love story, I was just a little stressed out getting to the payoff.

Payoff it does, and Anders absolutely delivers on the emotion and heat, so that made me really happy. I was also worried about the dog a lot (it all ends up fine), and I think if I could have read the book in one sitting I'd have had a less stressful and more enjoyable time reading.

Thank you to the publisher for the ARC.

The Duke Heist is a perfect example of a fun romp romance. The heist part involves a painting and an accidental kidnapping, there's a huge, delightful found family of former orphans, and the Duke himself is a lonely boy who just wants an heir (but really a family too). I appreciated that the woman the Duke was planning on making his Duchess wasn't a villain, and actually befriended the heroine. I hope she gets a story someday soon too!

Thank you to Forever for the ARC.

I don't even know what to say about this much anticipated romance except [incoherent noises] and AH THIS WAS WHAT I NEEDED. I bought a paperback copy because I loved it and want to keep it on my shelf (so pretty).

What I can mention is that Linden and Jasper are both pansexual, they are perfect for one another, and I loved how steady Linden was as Jasper figured out she deserved her happy.

More words to come later when I re-read!

Re-Read partially with some friends and I still don't even know how to describe how great this romance makes me feel. Damn. Definitely a top 10 favorite of 2021 for me.

A solid novel length-debut from an author I'm friendly with on Twitter, I loved the voice of this contemporary marriage-of-convenience with both heart and steam.

Best friends of over 17 years decide to just get married to prove to Darcy Ryan's family and Lucas Vaughan's company that they are a solid couple, and that they are worthy to pursue Darcy's painting career and Lucas's deserved promotion.

Funny thing about getting married in Vegas is that the kiss and ceremony spark major feelings for both, and the response they receive from their friends in family is not the shock they thought but 100% more "it is ABOUT TIME."

Keeping their marriage platonic proves impossible as their chemistry turns into real love, and learning to navigate what they both would like this marriage to turn in to proves both a challenge, but ultimately the sweetest HEA.

I struggle a bit with friends-to-lovers in general, but Fox does a great job of showing that both Darcy and Lucas find each other attractive, but were both always so afraid to ever let that attraction ever mean anything more because their friendship was always the most important. I did find some of their fights juvenile and strictly there to create some drama for romance reasons, but over this was super fun and sexy. The epilogue was especially sweet.

CW: alcohol use, deceased parent (long in the past), some toxic family involvement that is resolved

What an absolute delight of a romance. A cinnamon roll bisexual virgin baker who bakes actual cinnamon rolls? A witch who owns an appliance repair shop with her cousin called "The Fix-It Witches"? The horniest yet sweetest vibes? Casually diverse and queer small-town with a cast of characters who I want to read more more and more about? All of these things just wrapped me up in a warm hug!

I am only sad I read this now and have to wait to yell about it with other readers because I loved it so very much.

Horny and charming is the perfect combination.

My only slight quibble is there are a lot of loose ends from the witch hunter subplot that I'm hoping will be tied up with further books.

For a debut romance, this was actually really stellar, especially the parts between Lucy and Jeremy. Tessa Dare captured their banter and intimacy so perfectly, and I ate up every word. What did drag the story down was a surfeit of pages, and a bunch of secondary plot elements and characters that did not need to be there.

I'm excited to read Sophia's story, and loved the friendship between her and Lucy in this book, especially their sort of "sisterhood of the travelling erotic novel" they set up.

I read this as the first week with my pals in our Daring Summer, with the "But Do they Bang" book club! 2021

I often struggle to answer the question about what I find "romantic" but dear readers, this book is so fucking romantic. I'm such trash for the "we only have tonight" moment where all that love and angst is poured into truly epic love making, and wow does it deliver in this romance. I absolutely adored Griff, and he's a pining sweet bebe who I will fight for.

I didn't realize how connected Scoundrel of My Heart would be to the Trewlove series, but I didn't feel to lost not having read those books. I did a live tweet of this read under #bHeath21 if you are so inclined to look that up.

As usual Heath pulls of a pretty impossible situation into an epic HEA and I loved the ride, even if Kathryn wanting to live in her cottage by the sea was a bit of a silly reason to NOT MARRY GRIFF IMMEDIATELY.

Also, super glad to see The Duke (man who wanted letters from women to pick his wife from, oh dear) will be getting his HEA next. Loved that Heath didn't make him into a villain, he, he just wasn't right for Kathryn.

And oh gosh, that ending?! The letter as a present!? Swoon.

*3.5 stars*

A widow afraid to lose her dead husband's estate to his rapey brother hires the land owner in training next door to be her "stud" and help her conceive a baby she can pass off as the heir. Once per day, no passion. No lust. No orgasm (for her). Between their daily seed deposits, the two fall into friendship over learning about milk cows and farming, then fall in love near the end of their deal.

I was both compelled and exhausted by this romance. The sheer amount of described quick, seed depositing sex scenes made my body tired by proxy. Talk about awkward sex. I felt so awful for Theo who would have made it so good for Martha the entire time but also angry he didn't insist on it. I appreciated seeing a moment when Theo had difficulty performing, and I wish that was explored more.

I appreciate seeing awkward sex on page but I guess after reading this I like seeing awkward sex when both parties are trying to have sex enthusiastically because they want to, but having some issues because sex is awkward and needs talking.

The whole "not in my backyard" concept of preventing the rapist brother from living on the estate but him still being free to live a life elsewhere was also a bit troubling.

A mixed bag for me.

After the death of her beloved Aunt leaves librarian Eve in ownership of the falling apart Mermaid Inn, she must return to the the place she once loved but left forever after her high school sweetheart destroyed her heart. Now the police chief and sporting a stupid stupid beard that Eve absolutely does not like, not one bit, Sawyer Collins is an inescapable nuisance who also seems to be doing everything in his power to make sure Eve is happy, despite what he did all those years ago.

A slow burn romance full of heart that pays off on steam after making you die for it, this is a great series starter from Jenny Holiday! I cannot wait for more as I delighted in all the secondary characters. I especially enjoyed watching Eve and Sawyer learn to talk to one another and communicate their desires. Super sexy and I adore a second-chance romance. This one is done quite well, and Sawyer's big mistake is thoroughly explored and the grovel fits the crime.

As far as this being a small town, very White romance, I enjoyed it as a White reader. While I liked how the conflict between the heroine's desire for a certain library job versus staying back in her hometown to run the Inn played out, I was bracing myself.

Edit: What does the above paragraph mean past Beth? I'm usually writing these while at work and I think what I meant to write was this is a very white, small town romance. I'm white, I've read a ton of these in the past and this story definitely does not try to subvert or advance this "small town" trope. I wish it did more work on this part.

Also! I am in the mentions of this book! I was so lucky to help Jenny just a bit, talking about library jobs! Thank you Jenny.

I reviewed a free copy from the publisher. Thank you.

CW for

Spoiler

parental abuse and neglect, cheating (in the past, off page, just a kiss).