Romance Rehab

11 New adult romances even the grumpiest of old readers can get excited about

8/31/2018

11 New adult romances even the grumpiest of old readers can enjoy

I think I’ve made it pretty clear that I’m too old for about 90% of new adult romances. The angst, the stupid misunderstandings, the immaturity...all of these things are likely to send me into long-winded, grumpy old lady “get off my lawn”-style book rants that make me wonder what’s wrong with these kids today. But that’s not to say I hate ALL new adult romance. In fact, I’ve read several that were super enjoyable. And that’s what this “best of” list is all about: the new adult romances that were so good, even a grumpy old lady like me could enjoy them. So, this one’s for all my fellow grumpy old readers. Enjoy!

Watch Me Follow by Harloe Rae

8/30/2018

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

Publication date: 01/31/2018
Cliffhanger: No

This is one of those books that makes me question the mental health of today’s young people. I’m sorry, but no one in real life EVER falls in love with and marries the guy who stalked her and chased away all of her dates for 4 years. Never. In fact, I’d go on to further assert that women who don’t call the police on their crazy stalkers and get immediate restraining orders are 100% more likely to end up as a woman suit in some sicko’s basement than women who do the sensible thing.

Bewitching the Beast by Tamara Hughes

8/29/2018

PARANORMAL ROMANCE

Publication date: 08/15/2018
Cliffhanger: I dunno

Guest Review by mom, romance fanatic, and (someday) published author Summer Raines!

I tried so hard to give this book a chance. I forced myself to get halfway through, but it wasn’t easy. I wanted to stop reading at least ten times along the way, so when I got to the end of chapter eleven I ran for the hills, not caring what happened with the story OR the characters.

Let me share the two things I liked:

The Breakup by Erin McCarthy

8/28/2018

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

Publication date: 08/28/2018
Kindle Unlimited: No
Cliffhanger: No

My mother always taught me that I should balance out my criticisms with compliments. So, I want to first say that I think the cover of this book is lovely. Just lovely.

OK, now that THAT’S out of the way, here’s the stuff that really just irked the crap out of me:

What’s with all the WTF book covers in romance?

8/27/2018

What’s with all the WTF book covers in romance?

Whenever I see a woman out in public with her skirt tucked into the back of her panty hose, or a man with a comb-over, I always think, why didn’t someone not love them enough to tell them they looked ridiculous? Well, sometimes when I’m browsing Amazon looking for my next read, I see book covers that make me wonder the same thing. Why didn’t anyone love these authors enough to tell them their covers were awful?

13 Crazy sexy billionaires we’d choose over Christian Grey any day

8/24/2018

13 Crazy sexy billionaires we’d choose over Christian Grey any day

Yes, Christian Grey is the first hero most romance readers think of when you mention the word billionaire. But that doesn’t necessarily mean he’s the BEST. In our opinion, his PR has just been better. So, with that in mind, we bring you our top 13 picks for sexy billionaires we’d choose over Christian Grey any day of the week (and twice on Sundays).

Desperate Girls by Laura Griffin

8/23/2018

ROMANTIC SUSPENSE

Publication date: 08/07/2018
Kindle Unlimited: No
Cliffhanger: No

My list of go-to romantic suspense authors is really, really small. There’s only a few that I can count on to write stories that don’t irk the crap out of me and set off my bullshit meter every few pages. But Laura Griffin has yet to ever let me down with one of her books, and that includes her most recent release, Desperate Girls.

Here’s what I loved:

Indeed by Amabel Daniels

8/22/2018

ROMANTIC COMEDY

Publication date: 07/30/2018
Cliffhanger: No

Guest Review by mom, romance fanatic, and (someday) published author Summer Raines!

Holy Beach Reads, Batman! This book will make a splash! *throws hands up* Okay, okay. Goofy joke. (I don’t promise it’ll be my last...) The author labeled this book a beach read with a fake date trope, so I brought it with me to the “beach” of our local lake. I read most of it while my other half fished, and the kids played in the edge of the water. It drew me in so well, I had to pretend not to be irritated when I got interrupted!

Hard Rustler by BJ Daniels

8/21/2018

ROMANTIC SUSPENSE

Publication date: 08/21/2018
Kindle Unlimited: No
Cliffhanger: No

Guest Review by mom, romance fanatic, and (someday) published author Summer Raines!

Like a siren’s song, this book enticed me with promises of mystery, a little action and some danger. Okay, I can admit it. The cute cowboy on the cover did a bit of enticing also, but I do like intrigue with my love stories. Sadly, like many mariners before, I crashed into the rocks.

Excuse me, sir. Haven’t I seen you somewhere before?

8/20/2018

Excuse me, sir. Haven’t I seen you somewhere before?

No, it isn’t a cheesy pick-up line. I’m talking about romance novel cover models. I’m starting to see the same faces on the romance novels I’m reading over and over again. Now, I’m not unsympathetic to the plight of indie romance authors. I realize that there are only so many stock photos and cover models in the world, and that sharing models is often necessary. A truly “exclusive” image of a hot dude that hasn’t been on a million other covers is tough to come by. But...is it getting out of hand? For example, there’s THIS guy…

11 Romance novels that will help fuel your HGTV addiction

8/17/2018

11 Romance novels that will help fuel your HGTV addiction

I have an almost unhealthy obsession with HGTV. I can binge-watch HOURS of Property Brothers, Love It or List It, and Fixer Upper. So, romance novels (another addiction of mine, obviously) that include talk of renovating, building, redecorating, or flipping a home? I’m ALL IN. For those of you who, like me, are in need of an HGTV support group, here’s 11 romance novels that’ll allow you to feed your 2 biggest addictions at once:

Finished by Anne Holster

8/16/2018

NEW ADULT ROMANCE

Publication date: 05/18/2016
Cliffhanger: No

I’m going to jump right into this review with the positives, of which there were many, in an attempt to cushion the blow of my criticisms, because the author seems like such a genuinely sweet, gracious, talented woman. So, here’s the stuff I loved about this book:

The author really knows how to set a scene. It felt like I was right there at the Jersey Shore along with the characters.

The Only Question That Matters by JL Peridot

8/15/2018

ROMANTIC EROTICA

Publication date: 08/10/2018
Kindle Unlimited: No
Cliffhanger: No

Guest Review by mom, romance fanatic, and (someday) published author Summer Raines!

Recently I've accused myself of being cantankerous and overly critical of the books I've been reading. I chalked it up to old age setting in and trudged on, but I had a hard time finding a book that didn’t make me climb up on my soapbox to rant.

Two Weeks Notice by Whitney G

8/14/2018

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE

Publication date: 07/19/2018
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Cliffhanger: No

First of all, I just have to say (nearly completely off topic) that I love the movie Two Weeks Notice. I don’t normally like romantic comedy movies, and I don’t normally like Hugh Grant, but that particular movie really worked for me. I thought Hugh Grant and Sandra Bullock were adorable together. So when I saw a book by the same name (it’s unrelated to the movie, BTW), and saw that it was written by Whitney G, an author I’ve read and loved in the past, I was all in. And boy, am I glad I gave this one a read. Here’s what I loved:

Escaping Exile by Sara Dobie Bauer

8/13/2018

PARANORMAL ROMANCE
HISTORICAL ROMANCE
EROTICA

Publication date: 08/13/2018
Kindle Unlimited: No
Cliffhanger: No

I might have mentioned before that I approach new-to-me authors with great trepidation, right? Like, the amount of trepidation a baby bunny might have when approaching, say, a hungry wolf? I’ve also been let down quite a bit lately by paranormal romance, and historical romance hasn’t been my jam for a long, long time. M/M romance tends to be hit or miss for me, too. So when a new-to-me author approached me about her paranormal/historical M/M romance, I was...nervous. Nervous is an understatement, actually. I was terrified. I read the first five pages with one eye closed, ready for any kind of foul suckage that might invade my happy little reading space, fully prepared to delete the offending document from my precious Kindle and forget the whole thing never happened.

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