romancereadinglist's Reviews (417)

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 absolutely slayed me, in the best way. It is beautifully written, deeply sexy and intensely emotional. 

Roman is one of my all-time favorite romance heroes. I get frustrated with a lot of contemporary romance MMCs who are just perfect uncomplicated cinnamon rolls with no baggage or need for growth. Roman is not like that - he has his own issues, and he makes mistakes - but he learns and grows and makes amends to and for Ava. And Ava herself is such a compelling, sympathetic heroine. She’s the ultimate people pleaser trapped by expectations, and crushed by her divorce and her family’s reaction to it. She places all her self-worth on what she can do for others and constantly being at her family’s beck and call. She never wants to be weak or messy, but Roman truly sees her and gives her room to find her way back to herself. It’s a very moving character arc. And the (plentiful) sex scenes are seriously hot, as well as packing an emotional punch. 

Unlike many books which conclude a trilogy, this one also works as a stand-alone. The cast of supporting characters is rich and complex, but never confusing or overwhelming for someone who hasn’t read the previous books (I hadn’t but will certainly be rectifying that). Alexis Daria is a new favorite author for me! . 

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for an e-arc of this fantastic book.

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. 

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

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. 

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!

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.