Author: Amanda

Amanda https://romancereviewedcom.wordpress.com
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The Fiancée Farce

The Fiancee Farce was my first book of June, and also my first by this author. And what a great way to kick off Pride month!

It’s a marriage of convenience romance between Gemma, an heiress and part time cover model who needs to be married in order to inherit her grandfather’s company, and Tansy, a quiet bookstore owner who told her family she had a girlfriend to get them off her back about her love life. When Gemma finds out Tansy has been pretending they’re dating, who better to rope into a marriage of convenience? 

I really enjoyed watching their relationship unfold. The two are opposites in many ways, but it was fun watching them learn more about each other and finding a middle ground. They both had excellent character development, especially Tansy I think. She’s a person who doesn’t like attention and keeps her head down, but when pushed she put herself out there to stand up for the woman she was falling for. 

There’s a truly excellent cast of supporting characters, some you will love and some you will love to hate, delicious spice, and a lot of laughs. The writing was engaging and easy going, and I definitely want to read more from this author. 

It was pretty predictable, though. I knew exactly how every piece of it was going to play out, but if you have read less marriage of convenience books than me this probably won’t be an issue! I found it quite enjoyable overall even if it followed the beaten path.

Good As Gold

Good as Gold by Sarina Bowen is out today! I received an eARC in exchange for an honest review and loved it so much I ordered the paperback immediately. 

Man it’s good to be back in Vermont! Returning to this world felt like a warm hug. It doesn’t hurt that Matteo Rossi is one of my favorite heroes the author has ever written!

Matteo is the slightly mysterious brother who was missing from his sibling’s books, and he has returned home for a family wedding and to make amends for all the time he’s missed. Coincidentally, the girl he loved as a teen has recently divorced his former best friend and is looking to make a baby. What better dad than her old friend Matteo?

I actually loved this premise, I know a lot of people hate accidental pregnancy trope but this was the exact opposite of that. Leila was taking control of her life and trying to get what she’s always wanted. Matteo was willing to do anything to make Leila happy, even before things turned romantic between them.  These characters were slightly older than what we often see (they were around my age, I’m not calling them old) and I appreciated the maturity that came along with that.

Matteo and Leila were friends first, romantic second, and I really enjoyed their easy going respectful relationship. I liked how they progressed from friend to lovers and while I am not always a fan of flashbacks, they were used well here to explain the past relationship.

It was great to be back in Vermont and see some old favorites, and I’m excited for more! Nash’s story already has me intrigued. 

The True Love Experiment

I got to see Christina Lauren in person last night through a local bookstore and and my local library. Christina and Lauren are just as funny and charming and delightful as you’d expect them to be. 

Also funny, charming, and delightful? The True Love Experiment. 

If you’ve read The Soulmate Equation, you know what a bold and hilarious character Fizzy is, and she finds her match in hot single dad Conner, the executive producer who recruits her for a new reality tv dating show. Get this – the premise is a romance author looking for love, with each of the contestants a romance hero archetype (cinnamon roll, hot nerd, cowboy, vampire, etc). 

Fizzy and Conner’s relationship was adorable and funny and full of forbidden chemistry. This was a tiny bit spicier than I’m used to for modern day CLo and I was obviously here for it. I loved revisiting Jess, River, and Juno, and really enjoyed all the new characters as well. 

If you are a reality tv lover, you are sure to love all the behind the scenes aspects of this. I am not a huge reality tv show lover but I still found it enjoyable, though slightly hard to keep all the contestants straight. 

Overall, I had a great time reading this! It was delightfully funny and romantic and felt like a big love letter to the romance genre. From the fans to the tropes, to the bucking of patriarchal norms, it just felt like a big warm hug to this romance lover. 

And if you’re wondering, yes. I did drag every book pictured into the signing line afterward 🙃

The Troublemaker

The Troublemaker by Jessica Peterson is out today in KU! This is book two in her Sex and Bonds series, but I think you could easily read it as a standalone. 

This is a sweet and spicy age gap brother’s best friend romance between Brooks, a 34 year finance whiz, and Greer, his best friend’s virginal 23 year old sister who sells her baked goods at his office. Greer has had a crush on him for quite a while, but Brooks has only started noticing her more recently. Throw in a little forced proximity and BOOM.

Though the book does touch on some heavier topics, the relationship itself is pretty low angst. I loved how the relationship brought out the best in both of them and how encouraging Brooks was for her to take care of herself and ask for what she deserves. 

I know there are going to be two things in any Jessica Peterson book: hot sex and delicious food and this one didn’t disappoint. This was an easy read that I really enjoyed! 

One and Only

One and Only is out today! Thank you to the author for the gifted copy! I bought the couple cover as well, because it’s just so gorgeous and I am forever a sucker for a forehead kiss. 

This is a slowwww burn marriage of convenience sports romance which are some of my favorite things! This is between Greer, whom we’ve met previously in her sibling’s books, and Beckett, a football playing single dad who will do anything for his daughter.  

The romance between the two is a slow burn in the best way, the tension is immaculate. I loved how opposite they are – Greer is bold and outgoing and has no problem sharing her feelings, while Beckett is taciturn and more reserved – and I loved how they complimented each other. I loved the moments where you could feel fake become real. I loved each of their relationships with Beckett’s daughter Olive, and I loved Greer’s relationship with her family. I even loved Beckett’s respectful co-parenting with Olive’s mom. 

I guess you could say I loved it all! It’s the kind of romance that reminds me why I love the genre. It’s heartfelt, a bit emotional at times (I cried, though to be fair I also cheered out loud at one point), full of humor and charm and I was so glad to be back in this world. 

Definitely check this one out in KU if you are looking for a new sports romance to steal your heart!

Resisting the Grump

This one has been on my TBR since I saw this gorgeous cover last year! I finally made time to read it and I’m glad I did. 

It’s a small town, age gap romance between Rae, who returns home after college to help at her parent’s business, and Davis, the town recluse who Rae had a huge crush on as a teen but who barely knew she existed then. 

It’s a little messy and a little angsty. They both make a lot of mistakes and they’re both kind of mean to each other at times, and I was here for that! 

For my steam loving friends, I would say this book is pretty darn spicy and had me blushing at times.. 

I saw a lot of mixed reviews for reasons that I can’t explain without spoilers but I enjoyed it and apparently don’t have the same set of standards as those people. I’ve been slumpy recently and I was still able to read this all in one sitting because I wanted to know how it would play out.

If you are looking for a spicy, dramatic,  small town romance this one is in KU! 

Runaway Love

Runaway Love is out today! 

What a fun start to this series! Melanie Harlow is a favorite of mine, and this was a lighter, funnier side of hers. All of her books make me laugh, but this one stepped it up a bit. 

Veronica is a runaway bride with nowhere to go who stumbles into a job as a nanny for single dad Austin. The two are immediately attracted to each other, but obviously Austin can’t date his kid’s nanny. The forced proximity and tension eventually explodes and we get that excellent steam the author is known for.

I really had a fun time reading this! It’s lighthearted, funny, spicy, and gave me all the good feelings. I definitely recommend it if you are looking for a new small town romcom without a lot of angst or drama! 

Kyland

Kyland by Mia Sheridan re-released yesterday through Bloom! This was a beautifully written, at times bleak, new adult romance set in an Appalachian coal mining town. It’s a story of sacrifice, hope, and true love overcoming all.

Tenleigh and Kyland are both in the running for a college scholarship that could help one of them leave their small town behind. Both have been raised in abject poverty, with food insecurity, housing insecurity, and no real support from their families. They are both desperate to leave, so neither of them needs an entanglement with the competition, but they are drawn to each other nonetheless.

I think the book does a really good job of exploring a desperate situation while still maintaining a feeling of hope. The romance was so sweet and I was really rooting for them.

Their situation made my tummy hurt and I can’t say I didn’t see the majority of the plot coming from a mile away, but I was still interested to see how it would all unfold! Overall a great read.

Beyond the Thistles

Happy Tuesday! Beyond the Thistles released today. I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

This is the first book in the author’s new The Highlands series, which is a spin off her Adair Family series. Though I don’t think you would need to read the Adair Family first, there are a lot of overlapping characters and settings so it may be best enjoyed in order.

This brings us the story of Walker and Sloane, both of whom we met previously. It’s a small town, single mom/bodyguard romantic suspense novel set in the Scottish highlands. 

Walker is a stoic, grumpy hero determined not to let outgoing single mom Sloane in. Sloane knows exactly what she wants and isn’t afraid to put herself out there to try to get it.

The suspense elements were a bit of a rollercoaster from beginning to end which was nice, there’s lots of steam, and I really enjoyed seeing the Adairs again! I’m looking forward to more in this series.  

Echoes of You

Happy Monday! Echoes of You by Catherine a Cowles releases tomorrow. I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

The author has delivered another small town, romantic suspense that her fans will be sure to love! 

This one also has:

-Childhood Friends-to-Lovers

-Only One Bed

-Heroine In Hiding with ‘Who Did This to You’ vibes

Maddie has returned to her hometown seeking the comfort of home. Her BFF Nash is happy to have her back in town, until he realizes why she’s bruised and in hiding.  Nash will do anything to protect the woman he’s long had feelings for and I loved his protective vibes. 

The tension was slow building between Maddie and Nash and it was a delight when it finally explodes. As always with a Catherine Cowles book there is good suspense with lots of moving parts and suspects that will keep you on your toes.

Overall a great addition to the Lost & Found series and I’m looking forward to more from these Hartley siblings.