Romance Rehab

Our 10 favorite romance short story anthologies and novellas that are PERFECT for beach reads

6/29/2018

Our 11 favorite romance short story anthologies and novellas that are PERFECT for beach reads

The term “beach read” used to have a pretty negative connotation. It used to refer to “trashy” or “throw-away” novels, often romances, that people could take the beach in paperback, and if it got ruined in the sand and surf...no great loss. Well, we don’t like to think of beach reads that way. We prefer to think of them as reads you can easily finish while sunning yourself for a few hours on the beach or at the local pool. So, what could be better for beach reads than anthologies of short stories and novellas where you could conceivably finish SEVERAL stories from your favorite authors in a single sitting? That’s why our beach read list consists of our favorite collections and anthologies. You’re welcome. Here it goes:

The Right Stud by Ilsa Madden-Mills and Tia Louise

6/28/2018

ROMANTIC COMEDY

Publication date: 05/31/2018
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Cliffhanger: No

Ilsa Madden-Mills is an auto 1-click for me. I’m also an HGTV addict. So, when I saw that this story was about a dude who renovates houses for a living, I was ALL IN. For the most part, I wasn’t let down.

There were lots of cute and funny and sexy moments in this one, and overall, despite a few missteps in the beginning, I really liked the hero, Jax. He was sweet and hot and shockingly patient with Ashton and all her “I-am-a-woman-scorned” hang-ups. I think any other hero would’ve bailed on her early on, but Jax saw the value in sticking around and he gave it his all to win her over. That is to be commended.

Heartless by Michelle Heard

6/27/2018

NEW ADULT ROMANCE

Publication date: 08/26/2017
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Cliffhanger: No

Christ on a cracker, this was NOT what I expected.

First of all, I generally really like this author’s work. I’ve read and enjoyed some of her darker romances. I really liked Predator, even though it was a little more violent than I usually care for in my romance reads. (Update: This was a mistake, folks. I was thinking of Michelle Horst, not Michelle Heard. My bad. I haven't actually read any other Michelle Heard books. Oopsie!) And, I love a good enemies-to-lovers read, too, so I thought this one was a sure thing—a future 5-star read. To say I was let down when I got to the end of the book would be an understatement.

Sadly, my problems with the story are rather extensive:

Dopplebanger by Heather Orgeron

6/26/2018

ROMANTIC COMEDY

Publication date: 05/01/2018
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Cliffhanger: I dunno

I did a stupid thing. It’s a stupid thing I’ve done before, and I’ve told myself that I’d never do it again, but...yeah, here we are.

I bought the book because the guy on the cover looks a little Chris Hemsworth, OK? I can’t help it! I adore Chris Hemsworth. He’s gorgeous, he’s funny, and there’s always pictures out there of him being a great dad. He’s perfect in every way. Sadly, the hero in this book, Jeff, is no Chris Hemsworth. Not even close.

Accidental Hero by Nicole Snow

6/25/2018

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

Publication date: 05/06/2018
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Cliffhanger: No

I didn’t get what I was expecting with this one. Judging by the blurb, I thought I was getting a cute, lightly angsty fake boyfriend romance. I love fake boyfriend romance. Thought there might be some comedy involved. What I got instead was a fake boyfriend, biker, former military, single-dad, artist, alphahole sexfest-that-turns-to-instalove where all the problems that occur could’ve been avoided through adult conversation. (But on the other hand, I’m glad the hero wasn’t also a Navy Seal rockstar, because THAT would’ve been over-the-top cliche instead of just annoyingly cliche like this hero was.)

Here’s what went wrong for me:

Top 10 romance novel meet-cutes we can’t get enough of

6/22/2018

Top 10 romance novel meet-cutes we can’t get enough of

For those who aren’t aware, (or for those of you who don’t watch rom coms or anything on the Hallmark or Lifetime Channel) a “meet cute” is when two characters in a book, film, or television show “have an amusing or charming first encounter that leads to the development of a romantic relationship.” (Merriam Webster) In the romance novel world, there are literally so many great meet-cutes that we could NEVER list them all. We could list them every Friday until the end of TIME and we still wouldn’t run out of choices. But that doesn’t mean we don’t have a few favorites that we could read over and over again. So, without further ado, here are the top 10 romance novel meet-cutes we just can’t get enough of:

Empathy by Ker Dukey

6/21/2018

NEW ADULT ROMANCE

Publication date: 08/27/2014
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Cliffhanger: Kind of

No, seriously...dafuq did I just read??? Was this supposed to be a romance? A psychological thriller? A psychological case study of a sociopath? Erotica? I mean, it worked a little bit as all of those things, but never wholly fit into any one category. After reading it from beginning to end (no, I didn’t DNF, though I kinda wish I had), I’m left feeling...confused. Here’s what worked and what didn’t:

Night Shifts Black by Alyson Santos

6/20/2018

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

Publication date: 03/20/2016
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Cliffhanger: I dunno

This is another one of those beautifully written books that I couldn’t finish reading. The writing itself flows nicely, the pacing is good, the characters are intriguing, and the dialogue is fresh and snappy. So, why a DNF rating? Well, it’s like this…

This is a little spoilery, but nothing you wouldn’t see already on the other Goodreads and Amazon reviews, so let me just say that when I see a man’s name in the book blurb of a romance novel, I assume that man is the hero. So, I get all invested in him and start to care about his HEA with the heroine. When stuff starts shifting at around the 35% mark of the book and I realize that the male character—who’s name was in the blurb, mind you—is actually NOT the hero, I feel a little deceived. Like my time’s been wasted learning about a guy who isn’t the hero. And a blogger who feels like her time’s been wasted and that she’s been deceived is not a happy blogger.

Rainy Day Friends by Jill Shalvis

6/19/2018

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

Publication date: 06/19/2018
Kindle Unlimited: No
Cliffhanger: No

There’s a reason (tons of reasons, really) why Jill Shalvis is one of my top 13 go-to authors, meaning that I can auto-buy anything she writes, and I’ll love it. No questions asked. She writes it, I love it. End of story. So, it really shouldn’t surprise anyone that this is yet another 5-star read for me, right?

What I love most about Jill Shalvis is that she writes low-angst, comfort reads. Her books are full of strong, relatable women, tough-but-somehow-still-tender-and-romantic alpha males, and laugh-out-loud moments. And even with all that, she still manages to hit you in the feels a time or two--but not in a way that wrecks you for days and leaves you in a book coma, unable to move on. When you pick up a Jill Shalvis book, you know you’re getting a feel good read, and I LOVE that.

The Scars I Bare by JL Berg

6/19/2018

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

Publication date:03/12/2018
Kindle Unlimited: No
Cliffhanger: No

I love JL Berg. Her stories are sweet yet emotional, deep yet low angst. She’s an author you can count on for solid, alphahole-less romance. The Scars I Bare represents everything I’ve come to expect from this talented lady.

First of all, if you haven’t read the first book in the series, The Choices I’ve Made, you can jump right into this book without feeling lost. Although, I have no idea why you wouldn’t read The Choices I’ve Made. Haven’t I mentioned that this author is delightful?

I Dare You by Ilsa Madden-Mills

6/18/2018

NEW ADULT ROMANCE

Publication date: 04/26/2018
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Cliffhanger: No

There are a few things here that would have normally irked the crap out of me, but because I love this author so much, I was able to overlook them and really enjoy this story.

Here’s what went right:

Adorable hero
Maverick is freakin’ adorable. He’s good and honorable and works so hard for the people he loves. What he’s willing to do for his sister is nothing short of awesome. Does he always make the most sensible choices? No. He’s a desperate kid. OF COURSE he’s not always sensible. But that just makes him more relatable. He’s also cocky without being an a-hole, confident without being smug, and sexy without being insufferable. He was a PERFECT new adult romance hero as far as I’m concerned.

Top 11 romances with a just a hint of a paranormal twist

6/14/2018

Top 11 romances with a just a hint of a paranormal twist

So, are you thinking maybe you’d like to give paranormal romance a try, but you’re a little scared of all the bare-chested vampires, dragons, and werewolves you’re seeing on the covers and reading about in the blurbs? Well, then THIS is the list for you. The romances on this list are pretty much straight-up contemporary romances with just a hint of the paranormal to spice things up. It’s a perfect introduction to the category, and before you know it, you’ll be diving into those vampire, werewolf and dragon romances with bells on. (Not that you normally wear bells. It’s just a saying. It’s a really weird saying, now that we think about it. But we digress…) Happy reading, y’all!

Reaper by A. Zavarelli

6/14/2018

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

Publication date: 05/19/2016
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Cliffhanger: No

There’s a lot of things that make this book pure catnip for a certain type of romance reader. The hero is a hot, Irish mobster who has a tortured past, is a socially awkward virgin, and who also happens to be an assassin. He’s complicated, OK? I would’ve read this one for “hot and Irish” alone, but all the other stuff? Pure gold, even for readers like me who don’t normally go for books with the darker themes.

Snowfall and Secrets by Kimberly Loth

6/13/2018

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

Publication date: 09/07/2016
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Cliffhanger: No
Rating: 2

Now, y’all know I love a good “forced proximity” romance, so this one got my attention with the blurb. But it was ultimately eye-roll and groan inducing. Here’s what irked me (and I’ll just apologize in advance for the rant):

People from warm states aren’t stupid
Despite what rom com’s like New In Town would have us believe, people from Florida and California and Hawaii aren’t stupid. 99% of said folks from warm states would not show up in Michigan in the dead of winter with totally inappropriate clothes.

Healing Touch by Brenda Rothert

6/12/2018

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

Publication date: 06/12/2018
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Cliffhanger: No

This is an adult romance. And I’m not talking about erotica, folks. (Though, there are plenty of sexy times.) No, I’m talking about a book where two mature adults fall in love and act like real, responsible, emotionally mature adults would act. No stupid misunderstandings. No one stubbornly refusing assistance. No alphaholes. No angst. Just two likeable, relatable folks falling in love like real folks in real life would. I can’t even tell you how rare that is in romance land, y’all. It was refreshing. Here’s the stuff I especially liked:

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