📖Romance Books: reviews and recommendations📖

Helllooo, all you avid readers and bookworms! 🤗

We know there's nothing more comforting than burying your nose in a good book and forgetting about the real world for a while. 

And the deep, deep sense of  joy and satisfaction that you experience after you've finished one? Incomparable. 

But what's even more satisfying is showing your appreciation by sharing your thoughts with other book lovers and letting them know what you liked/ disliked about a book, quoting passages that touched you or got you screaming and crying or just giggling uncontrollably (without giving away too many spoilers!). Because, let's be real, no book can leave you untouched, right? Even if wasn't exactly what you bargained for?

We're creating this space for you to share your book reviews and recommendations. 

This thread is exclusively for the ROMANCE genre!

The format given below is a suggestion for posting your reviews/ recommendations to ensure uniformity is maintained and potential readers are able to refer to key points in the review easily. 

Book Title:

Author:

Year published: 

Genre/s:

Narrative type: Linear/ non-linear, first person/third person etc.

Tropes (if applicable):

Probable Triggers:

Maturity rating (General audience/ teens/ Adult):

Your personal rating (out of 5):

Synopsis (a short spoiler-free blurb):

Review (What you enjoyed/disliked about the book. Try to keep it as spoiler-free as possible): 

Links to all reviews so far:

Contemporary Romance

It happened one summer by Tessa Bailey

Hook, Line and Sinker by Tessa Bailey

Something New (Series) by Jennifer Dawson

Fix her up by Tessa Bailey

Historical romance

The Highwayman by Kerrigan Byrne

 

Edited by LizzieBennet - 1 years ago

Book Title: It happened one summer (The Bellinger sisters #1)

Author: Tessa Bailey

Year published: 2021

Genre/s: Romance, romantic comedy, contemporary M/F romance

Tropes (if applicable): Opposites attract (small towner/big city girl, grumpy/ sunshine), Fish out of water, second chance romance (MMC is a widower)

Probable Triggers: Explicit sex scenes 

Maturity rating (General audience/ teens/ Adult): Adult

Rating (out of 5): 4

Synopsis (a short spoiler-free blurb):

Piper Bellinger is a rich, spoilt girl whose selfish, hedonistic existence leads to a night in prison following which she's given an ultimatum by her step-father: He's gonna cut her off & she has to spend 3 months in the small fishing town her bio-dad was from, and try to make something of the bar he's left her. Westport is like nothing Piper has ever experienced, and men like Brendan Taggart even less - hot though he may be, he's still a small townie and a fisherman to boot. The town is also full of memories of her late father whom she never knew. Piper knows Brendan is trouble, and fights her growing feelings for him, given that his job will take him away into the treacherous ocean where she lost her father. She then has to make a choice if she really wants to go back to LA to the glitter and glamour she's used to, or stay in this small, little town that has ensnared her heart in more ways than one.

Review (What you enjoyed/disliked about the book. Try to keep it as spoiler-free as possible): 

The MCs are both very likeable - a rarity for me in romances! Piper is modeled after Schitt's Creek's Alexis Rose (a character I love) and you can see shades of Alexis in Piper - even if they may come across as self-absorbed and superficial, they both have good hearts. They both need a lesson in self-awareness and the town and the relationships they form help them do that. 

Brendan- ahh what do I say about this wonderful man? He's so smitten and wears his heart on his sleeve and will do anything for his girl. What I liked about them both is how quickly they admit their mistakes and see what they did wrong themselves without having any big moment of epiphany. They also don't hold their mistakes over one another. In short, there's no groveling - something that I dislike in romances. 😆 I also really like the relationship between Piper and Hannah (her younger sister) and look forward to reading the next book in the series which is Hannah and Fox's story. Fox is one of Brendan's crew and is introduced in this book. I also love Hannah's taste in music and her obsession with vinyls which mirrors my own!

I must admit the first couple of chapters made me almost give up on this book, it did not feel like Tessa's usual writing style. But once the action picks up in Westport, it really gets going. 

I also hear this book has gotten a movie deal which has me excited & hope they pick actors with good chemistry to play Piper and Brendan. 

Spoiler: 'Recharging station' is my new favorite term! 

Edited by LizzieBennet - 1 years ago

Originally posted by: LizzieBennet

Book Title: It happened one summer (The Bellinger sisters #1)

Author: Tessa Bailey

Year published: 2021

Genre/s: Romance, romantic comedy, contemporary M/F romance

Tropes (if applicable): Opposites attract (small towner/big city girl, grumpy/ sunshine), Fish out of water, second chance romance (MMC is a widower)

Probable Triggers: Explicit sex scenes 

Maturity rating (General audience/ teens/ Adult): Adult

Rating (out of 5): 4

Synopsis (a short spoiler-free blurb):

Piper Bellinger is a rich, spoilt girl whose selfish, hedonistic existence leads to a night in prison following which she's given an ultimatum by her step-father: He's gonna cut her off & she has to spend 3 months in the small fishing town her bio-dad was from, and try to make something of the bar he's left her. Westport is like nothing Piper has ever experienced, and men like Brendan Taggart even less - hot though he may be, he's still a small townie and a fisherman to boot. The town is also full of memories of her late father whom she never knew. Piper knows Brendan is trouble, and fights her growing feelings for him, given that his job will take him away into the treacherous ocean where she lost her father. She then has to make a choice if she really wants to go back to LA to the glitter and glamour she's used to, or stay in this small, little town that has ensnared her heart in more ways than one.

Review (What you enjoyed/disliked about the book. Try to keep it as spoiler-free as possible): 

The MCs are both very likeable - a rarity for me in romances! Piper is modeled after Schitt's Creek's Alexis Rose (a character I love) and you can see shades of Alexis in Piper - even if they may come across as self-absorbed and superficial, they both have good hearts. They both need a lesson in self-awareness and the town and the relationships they form help them do that. 

Brendan- ahh what do I say about this wonderful man? He's so smitten and wears his heart on his sleeve and will do anything for his girl. What I liked about them both is how quickly they admit their mistakes and see what they did wrong themselves without having any big moment of epiphany. They also don't hold their mistakes over one another. In short, there's no groveling - something that I dislike in romances. 😆 I also really like the relationship between Piper and Hannah (her younger sister) and look forward to reading the next book in the series which is Hannah and Fox's story. Fox is one of Brendan's crew and is introduced in this book. I also love Hannah's taste in music and her obsession with vinyls which mirrors my own!

I must admit the first couple of chapters made me almost give up on this book, it did not feel like Tessa's usual writing style. But once the action picks up in Westport, it really gets going. 

I also hear this book has gotten a movie deal which has me excited & hope they pick actors with good chemistry to play Piper and Brendan. 

Spoiler: 'Recharging station' is my new favorite term! 

Very interesting, will try to catch up with this one!😃Thank you for sharing!

Originally posted by: LizzieBennet

Book Title: It happened one summer (The Bellinger sisters #1)

Author: Tessa Bailey

Year published: 2021

Genre/s: Romance, romantic comedy, contemporary M/F romance

Tropes (if applicable): Opposites attract (small towner/big city girl, grumpy/ sunshine), Fish out of water, second chance romance (MMC is a widower)

Probable Triggers: Explicit sex scenes 

Maturity rating (General audience/ teens/ Adult): Adult

Rating (out of 5): 4

Synopsis (a short spoiler-free blurb):

Piper Bellinger is a rich, spoilt girl whose selfish, hedonistic existence leads to a night in prison following which she's given an ultimatum by her step-father: He's gonna cut her off & she has to spend 3 months in the small fishing town her bio-dad was from, and try to make something of the bar he's left her. Westport is like nothing Piper has ever experienced, and men like Brendan Taggart even less - hot though he may be, he's still a small townie and a fisherman to boot. The town is also full of memories of her late father whom she never knew. Piper knows Brendan is trouble, and fights her growing feelings for him, given that his job will take him away into the treacherous ocean where she lost her father. She then has to make a choice if she really wants to go back to LA to the glitter and glamour she's used to, or stay in this small, little town that has ensnared her heart in more ways than one.

Review (What you enjoyed/disliked about the book. Try to keep it as spoiler-free as possible): 

The MCs are both very likeable - a rarity for me in romances! Piper is modeled after Schitt's Creek's Alexis Rose (a character I love) and you can see shades of Alexis in Piper - even if they may come across as self-absorbed and superficial, they both have good hearts. They both need a lesson in self-awareness and the town and the relationships they form help them do that. 

Brendan- ahh what do I say about this wonderful man? He's so smitten and wears his heart on his sleeve and will do anything for his girl. What I liked about them both is how quickly they admit their mistakes and see what they did wrong themselves without having any big moment of epiphany. They also don't hold their mistakes over one another. In short, there's no groveling - something that I dislike in romances. 😆 I also really like the relationship between Piper and Hannah (her younger sister) and look forward to reading the next book in the series which is Hannah and Fox's story. Fox is one of Brendan's crew and is introduced in this book. I also love Hannah's taste in music and her obsession with vinyls which mirrors my own!

I must admit the first couple of chapters made me almost give up on this book, it did not feel like Tessa's usual writing style. But once the action picks up in Westport, it really gets going. 

I also hear this book has gotten a movie deal which has me excited & hope they pick actors with good chemistry to play Piper and Brendan. 

Spoiler: 'Recharging station' is my new favorite term! 

Can you inform me in advance when this movie is gonna release...so I can read it before watching the movie.😳

Originally posted by: la_Reine

Can you inform me in advance when this movie is gonna release...so I can read it before watching the movie.😳

I have no idea, I hear its in pre-production but there's been no news of the casting yet so I guess it will be long time coming. 

Originally posted by: LizzieBennet

I have no idea, I hear its in pre-production but there's been no news of the casting yet so I guess it will be long time coming. 

i know, but jab bhi pata chale, dont forget to inform me😆 You can go a step further by asking me everyday "Have you started reading yet?"🤣

Well looks like I have a lot to catch up! 🐷😳

Aata hoon. 

Also- may or may not start a new AC. Kuch fix nahi hai.

Btaungi haan. 

I have heard a lot about this book. Twitter has been rife with fancasting for the movie. Has the movie been announced yet? When I first saw the title I thought it’s the book on which ‘Saat khoon maaf’ was based 😆

Originally posted by: LizzieBennet

I have heard a lot about this book. Twitter has been rife with fancasting for the movie. Has the movie been announced yet? When I first saw the title I thought it’s the book on which ‘Saat khoon maaf’ was based 😆

Lmao NO! Not that I know of. (Movie) 

The plot is great. VERY DIFFERENT. There's a LGBTQ love story going on, the story goes in flashback and current scenario. Has some really high points...but the thing is ITNAAA HYPE worthy nahi tha. 

It's a decent read...but nothing like the way readers have been describing it. 

I HAVE read better fiction. Waayyyy better. 😆

Book Title: The Highwayman (Series: Victorian rebels # 1)

Author: Kerrigan Byrne

Year Published: 2015

Genre: Historical Romance, Victorian Era Romance, Angsty romance

Trope/s: Second chance romance, marriage of convenience, Romance in captivity (sort of?)

Maturity Rating: Adult for sex scenes, violent acts

Book rating (out of 5):  2.75? (I feel like 2.5 is a bit low and 3 is too high so settled on this 😆)

Synopsis: Farah Leigh Mackenzie, a widow and Scotland Yard employee has just been proposed to by her employer after a solitary, lonely existence of 17 years when she's kidnapped by a notorious highwayman, Dorian Blackwell, and brought to Scotland - to the place she grew up and spent her adolescent years in. Dorian has a proposition for her: he will marry her to help her gain back her lost inheritance and in turn she will help him avenge his friend and her husband, Dougan Mackenzie. Farah and Dougan had married when mere children in the orphanage where they met, and Dougan, in a bid to protect her killed a priest and had to go to prison where he eventually died a tragic death. Dorian is an enigma to Farah, but she does marry him and the rest of the story is about them reconciling with their respective pasts and coming to terms with their feelings. 

Review:

I was really eager to pick this one up, its a popular and well-loved HR & I had to wait weeks in queue before it became available at my library. I expected to like it and I did in some parts. 

Byrne's writing is exquisite in places, she wrenches out the emotions in her MCs and dresses them up in perfect prose. But idk why it left me cold after a point. Dorian is a tragic MMC, he has faced so much and it made my gut clench the way he describes what happened to him and the torture he was subjected to. His resultant abhorrence to any kind of touch is quite understandable - even if its tender and loving. Farah has a mountain of emotions to navigate herself - dealing with her love for Dougan, his tragic death and Dorian's emotional baggage on top of it. She is smart and gutsy and shows spunk too. But idk why I just could not connect to either of the MCs. I feel like the angst went on and on and finally it just left me drained and desensitized. I knew they were in pain and had dealt with a lot of tragedy but at one point I was like - get over it already! Especially since after the 'revelation' Dorian still continues to push Farah away. It got tiresome. Also, it felt unnecessarily contrived for the narrative to keep hiding while hinting at the truth, when everyone can plainly see it and only the FMC can't. And when she does see it - she's like I must have known it somewhere deep inside. Yeah, I eyerolled so hard! 🤔 Their owning up to their feelings  mainly Farah’s for Dorian & how its tied to the past also felt very contrived and required a lot of suspension of disbelief (for me!)

I don't enjoy angst for the sake of angst and it seems to me that Kerrigan puts her MCs through the wringer just to evoke sympathy and garner pity points. Well, it had the opposite effect on me! Besides, second chance romance is not my favorite trope at all. 

Still, this book does have some redeeming features so if you enjoy a well-written (I mean the prose, not the narrative) angsty period romance, maybe this one is for you!

Now reading: Hook, Line and Sinker by Tessa Bailey

Edited by LizzieBennet - 1 years ago