Romance Book Reviews
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Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea – Rebecca Thorne
The Cosiest Book With the Strangest Stakes: Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea When your life has already been mapped out for you, every duty assigned and every future decided, what right does your heart have to want something different? And when the path to happiness is almost certainly the path to your death… how do…
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Escape for Christmas – Phillipa Ashley
Snow, Secrets and Second Chances: A Review of Escape for Christmas Christmas romances are hardly in short supply. Every year they arrive in droves, brimming with twinkling lights, picture-perfect villages, and family gatherings so harmonious they would make the Waltons look dysfunctional. They are unapologetically sugary, steeped in festive cheer and neatly tied up with…
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The Light at Grace Hill – Elle Christopher
More Than a Love Story: Why The Light at Grace Hill Shines Brightest in Stillness Life is hard. Sometimes truly horrific things happen, arriving without warning and leaving devastation in their wake. What ultimately defines a person, however, is not the trauma itself, but the choices made in its aftermath. The Light at Grace Hill…
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Gray – Tiesa Parkin
Gray by Name, Morally Dark by Nature What happens when the person you were never meant to fall for becomes the one your heart never quite lets go of? Most of us grow up believing our parents and their dearest friends form a safe circle around us, steady, reliable, untouchable. But for Sophie, one of…
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Holiday Hearts – Denise B. Henry
Holiday Hearts, Christmas Chaos, Kitchen Heat – and a Romance You’ll Devour What’s more enchanting than a Christmas wedding in a grand stately home, love, family, and festive sparkle? Well, as it turns out, quite a lot when you’re the one stuck behind the scenes juggling a frantic kitchen, missing supplies, and a bride teetering…
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Curvy all the Way – Kelsie Stelting
When Christmas Magic Meets the Courage to Chase Your Vision What if the best part of the festive season wasn’t the lights, the snow, or even the romance, but the moment someone finally learns to back their own dreams? Curvy All the Way, another charming instalment in Kelsie Stelting’s young adult festive novella series, leans…
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Wild Love – Elsie Silver
When the Past Crashes into the Present – But Fails to Leave a Mark We’re all shaped by the ghosts of our past, and Elsie Silver’s Wild Love sets out to explore what happens when those histories collide with the present. After thoroughly enjoying Silver’s Chestnut Springs series, this novel was a highly anticipated read…
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Kiss Me Like You Hate Me – Rue Wilde
Kiss Me Like You Hate Me – More Like Wrote Me Like You Hate Me – Book Review Enemies-to-lovers is one of the most beloved romance tropes out there. When done well, it can be an electrifying roller coaster of emotions. Reading the blurb, Kiss Me Like You Hate Me promised exactly that, a fiery,…
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Mummy Said the F-Word – Fiona Gibson
Relatable, Real and Ridiculously Funny – Mummy Said the F-word Book Review If you’ve ever handed your child a fizzy drink or a packet of sweets just to buy yourself a moment of peace, even though you know you’re ‘not supposed to’, then Mummy Said the F-word is the book for you. Told from the…
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Seven Summers – Paige Toon
Seven Summers by Paige Toon – A Coastal Tale of Love and Loss Set against Cornwall’s hauntingly beautiful, often mist-wrapped coast, Seven Summers is a story steeped in love, grief, longing, and the quiet burdens we carry. It’s one of those reads that reveals the layers of raw emotion and taps into the quiet ache…
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Hello Trouble – Kelsie Hoss
The latest book in the Hello Series. An emotionally rich slow-burn romance that doesn’t just tug the heartstrings – it tunes them to real life’s messy, tender notes. Sometimes, a romance novel doesn’t just serve you chemistry and banter; it offers reflection, quiet growth, and emotional resonance. Hello Trouble by Kelsie Hoss is exactly that…
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The Fixer Upper – Phoebe MacLeod
What happens when your dream flatshare with your best friend turns into a comedy of errors, emotional blind spots, and awkward encounters with the neighbours? If you’re expecting a straightforward rom-com, prepare for a story that takes a slightly different, and surprisingly charming, path. The Fixer Upper by Phoebe MacLeod is billed as a rom-com,…
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Fearless – Lauren Roberts
What happens when a promising story built on danger, forbidden love, and rebellion begins to collapse under the weight of its own ambition? In Fearless, the final book in the Powerless trilogy (fourth, if you count the novella Powerful), that very question is answered – not always satisfyingly. Fearless brings the story of Paedyn Grey…
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Kade – Brash Brothers Book 1 – Jenna Myles
BookTok has a lot to answer for. One scroll through your feed and you’ll find The Brash Brothers series by Jenna Myles practically shoved into your eyeballs – shirtless men, steamy stares, and bold declarations like “I loved every second!” and “So funny!” dominate your feed. But beneath the glossy marketing and viral TikToks, Kade,…
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Into the Storm – Cecelia Ahern
On a storm-ravaged December night, Dr. Enya Pickering makes a split-second decision that will shatter her carefully constructed life. Stopping to help a teenage hit-and-run victim, she has no idea that this single act of compassion will awaken buried trauma, unravel her sense of reality, and send her spiralling into the depths of grief and…
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Reckless – Lauren Roberts
Reckless by Lauren RobertsMy rating: 2 of 5 stars Forced to hide for the right to live. Forced to flee from a predator sworn to end their very existence. After successfully hiding in plain sight for so long and then holding their own amongst the elites of their society life should finally have improved…
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Review: Prime Time Romance
Prime Time Romance by Kate Robb My rating: 4 of 5 stars Remember that time as a teenager when you discovered that one show that resonated with you on a cellular level? You adored everything about it! There was that one character you just knew you’d have an instant, raw connection with if you met…
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Review: Bookishly Ever After
Bookishly Ever After by Mia Page My rating: 2 of 5 stars What could be more appealing to readers than a book centred around books? The allure of a romance set in two bookshops with an enemies-to-lovers trope seemed like the perfect holiday read. Bookishly Ever After certainly has tropes in spades it might need…
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Bitter Truth – Meredith Wild
Bitter Truth. A story about new beginnings, family, and coming to terms with one’s past. What happens when a promising romance novel fails to deliver on its tantalising premise? As secrets loom large and complex backstories unravel, this novel promises an emotional rollercoaster but ultimately leaves readers hanging. Bitter Truth follows Murphy’s return to her…
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Review: Hello Tease
Hello Tease by Kelsie Hoss My rating: 5 of 5 stars What is happiness worth? How much would you be willing to gamble to get it? What if it risked your entire support network? What if it risked your children’s happiness? Hello Tease is the seventh book in the Hello Series, which now includes the…
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The Love Hack – Sophie Ranald
The Love Hack instantly jumped out at me as my kind of book. As both a fan of romance novels and a bit of a geek I figured that this would be right up my street, however, the book I found myself reading had little to do with love and much less to do with…
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Review: Happy Place
Happy Place by Emily Henry My rating: 4 of 5 stars This book was not what I expected. I picked it up expecting a romance novel. Instead, I ended up reading a story that felt so fractured and detached that by halfway it was almost relegated to my DNF list. It was at this point…
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Review: Forever After All
Forever After All by Catharina Maura My rating: 3 of 5 stars Forever After All is a confusing journey through a labyrinth of genres, leaving the reader unsure of where exactly they have landed. While the characters boast captivating backstories that cry out for further exploration, the narrative barely scratches the surface of their familial…
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Review: God Save the King
God Save the King by Alice Dolman My rating: 2 of 5 stars The second instalment of the Royal Connections series picks up the tale of Edmund and Amelia, though it fails to reach the same heights as its predecessor. One of the notable drawbacks is the inconsistent pacing, with time seeming to warp unpredictably,…
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Review: The Other Prince
The Other Prince by Alice Dolman My rating: 3 of 5 stars At first, I approached this book with scepticism because I wasn’t sure whether it would captivate me. It seemed too reminiscent of the real-life English royal family, with a story centred around a dying 90-year-old queen, her son who ascends to the throne and…
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Review: The Spare Room
The Spare Room by Laura Starkey My rating: 5 of 5 stars For lovers of slow-burning romances and emotional rollercoasters, complemented by a touch of coffee and self-doubt, this book is a must-read. The characters within these pages are as real and relatable as they come! Effortlessly winning your affection and become unforgettable. The author,…
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Review: Powerless
Powerless by Lauren Roberts My rating: 4 of 5 stars “Powerless,” a dystopian novel heavily inspired by “The Hunger Games” and set against a backdrop eerily reminiscent of the Holocaust, offers a riveting exploration of a world where the absence of power is a death sentence. In this harsh realm, only the Elites, those born…
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Review: Falling Hard for the Royal Guard
Falling Hard for the Royal Guard by Megan Clawson My rating: 4 of 5 stars “Falling Hard” offers a delightful slow-burn narrative that captures the essence of relatable struggles amidst an unconventional setting. Maggie, the protagonist, embodies the frustration of life’s disappointments, albeit against the backdrop of palace walls and charity shop attire. Haunted by…
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Review: A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder
A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson My rating: 3 of 5 stars This book truly caught me off guard. As someone who typically steers clear of mystery ‘whodunit’ narratives due to their often predictable nature, I found myself thoroughly engrossed in this one, grappling with clues and twists throughout. The pacing is…
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Review: Check & Mate
Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood My rating: 4 of 5 stars “Check and Mate” offers a captivating journey of self-discovery intertwined with the intricate strategies of chess. Despite being labeled as YA, the maturity and responsibilities of the main characters lend it a more college-aged New Adult (NA) feel. Mallory, the female protagonist, emerges…
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Review: In a Holidaze
In a Holidaze by Christina Lauren My rating: 4 of 5 stars In this delightful coming-of-age tale, “In a Holidaze” skillfully navigates the intricate dynamics of family, friendship, and the struggle to carve out one’s own identity amidst societal expectations. The characters leap off the page with vibrancy, each possessing a distinct charm that resonates…
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Review: The Cowboy’s Christmas Baby
The Cowboy’s Christmas Baby by Paula Altenburg My rating: 2 of 5 stars While not devoid of charm, it ultimately falls short in delivering the depth promised by its intriguing characters. The protagonists boast intricate backstories that beg exploration, yet the narrative itself hesitates to delve into meaningful territory, leaving the reader longing for substance….
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Review: One Day in December
One Day in December by Josie Silver My rating: 4 of 5 stars “One Day in December” is a compelling narrative that skillfully explores the intricate web of love, fate and the choices that shape our lives. Josie Silver has written a story that not only warms the heart but also sheds profound light on…