Romance
Only and Forever
Chloe Liese
OverDrive Audiobook
Fiction, Romance
A tender, steamy story about unexpectedly finding love and being brave enough to let it revise life's narrative in the final book in the beloved Bergman Brothers series. Viggo Bergman, hopeless romantic, is thoroughly weary of waiting for his happily ever after. But between opening a romance bookstore, running a romance book club, coaching kids' soccer, and adopting a household of pets-just maybe, he's overcommitted himself?-Viggo's chaotic life has made finding his forever love seem downright improbable. Enter Tallulah Clarke, chilly cynic with a massive case of writer's block. Tallulah needs help with her thriller's romantic subplot. Viggo needs another pair of hands to keep his store afloat. So they agree to swap skills and cohabitate for convenience-his romance expertise to revive her book, her organizational prowess to salvage his store. They hardly get along, and they couldn't be more different, but who says roommate-coworkers need to be friends? As they share a home and life, Tallulah and Viggo discover a connection that challenges everything they believe about love, and reveals the plot twist they never saw coming: happily ever after is here already, right under their roof.
The Predictable Heartbreaks of Imogen Finch: A Novel
Jacqueline Firkins
OverDrive Audiobook
Romance, Fiction
A beautiful story of friendship, and second chances at loveImogen Finch has just been through her sixteenth breakup. She saw it coming, so she's not as crushed as she might be, but with all sixteen of her exes leaving her for other partners, she's come to believe a prediction her well-intentioned and possibly clairvoyant mother made over twenty years ago: that Imogen would never come first at anything or to anyone.Is her love life failing due to a magical curse? Insufficient effort? Poor timing or personality mismatches? Everyone has opinions on the matter.Imogen's ready to give up altogether. But when Eliot Swift, her secret high school crush, returns to their small coastal town after a decade of nomadic travels, Imogen has new motivation to try again. Eliot's full of encouragement. He suggests that her curse is not only imagined, it's easily breakable. All they need is one win—any win—and she can believe in love—and in herself—again.From trivia games to swimming races to corn-shucking contests, the pair sets out to snag Imogen her first first. But when victory proves more elusive than Eliot anticipated and when his deep-seeded wanderlust compels him to depart for far-away places, Imogen fears she is destined to remain in second place forever.Fortunately for them both, sometimes magic lingers in the most unexpected places. And love is far from predictable.
I picked up this audiobook because I was really attracted to the premise, a clairvoyant mother predicting her daughter will never come in first for anything. I love is when my protagonist is a loser! Just Kidding. Really, tho, so many plots in romantic universes start with a lead who is down on their luck. The novelty of this novel is the lead is perpetually unlucky, but in true romance form, she persists! The double-edged sword of audiobooks is that the narrator's performance can be so realistic and dramatic that the character reads as melodramatic. So it is with this book's male lead, a rich kid with a chip on his shoulder the size of his CEO father. Still, wealthy heirs have feelings, too! I'm about an hour away from completing this book, so fingers crossed he gets a therapist and grows up a little. -Melody
American royals
Katharine McGee
YOUNG ADULT FICTION McGee, Katharine
Romance
In an alternate America, princesses Beatrice and Samantha Washington and the two girls wooing their brother, Prince Jeffrey, become embroiled in high drama in the most glorious court in the world.
A fun read. It gives The Crown vibes VERY well with an American flavor I think many of us can appreciate, mixed with teen drama. -Amanda
My roommate is a vampire
Jenna Levine
FICTION Levine Jenna
Fiction, Humor, Romance
"True love is at stake in this charming, debut romantic comedy. Cassie Greenberg loves being an artist, but it's a tough way to make a living. On the brink of eviction, she's desperate when she finds a too-good-to-be-true apartment in a beautiful Chicago neighborhood. Cassie knows there has to be a catch-only someone with a secret to hide would rent out a room for that price. Of course, her new roommate Frederick J. Fitzwilliam is far from normal. He sleeps all day, is out at night on business, and talks like he walked out of a regency-romance novel. He also leaves Cassie heart-melting notes around the apartment, cares about her art, and asks about her day. And he doesn't look half bad shirtless, on the rare occasions they're both home and awake. But when Cassie finds bags of blood in the fridge that definitely weren't there earlier, Frederick has to come clean... Cassie's sexy new roommate is a vampire. And he has a proposition for her"--
This book is ridiculous and I love it. It's such a (refreshingly) straightforward schtick that if we didn't know the male lead was a vampire by the book's title, we'd surely recognize it after he claims she'll never see him during the day because he "works" at night. Everything about him is so obvious (he doesn't know what a trash can is because he's never made any trash) that the story can focus on his charmingly ignorant view of modern day American society. (He's been in a coma for 100 years after his friend accidentally poisoned him). When you read a lot of formulaic genre fiction (and have no shame about it), it's so fun to pick up something that pokes fun at all the traditional plot points and character dramas. Really fun read. -Melody
Happiness for Beginners: A Novel
Katherine Center
OverDrive Audiobook
Adventure, Romance, Humor
As seen on Netflix—from the New York Times bestselling author of The Bodyguard and Hello Stranger Helen Carpenter can't quite seem to bounce back. Newly divorced at thirty-two, her life has fallen apart beyond her ability to put it together again. So when her annoying younger brother, Duncan, convinces her to sign up for a hardcore wilderness survival course in the backwoods of Wyoming—she hopes it'll be exactly what she needs. Instead, it's a disaster. It's nothing like she wants, or expects, or anticipates. She doesn't anticipate the surprise summer blizzard, for example—or the blisters, or the rutting elk, or the mean pack of sorority girls. And she especially doesn't anticipate that her annoying brother's even-more-annoying best friend, Jake, will show up for the exact same course—and distract her, derail her, and . . . kiss her. But it turns out sometimes disaster can teach you exactly the things you need to learn. Like how to keep going, even when you think you can't. How being scared can make you brave. And how sometimes getting really, really lost is your only hope of getting found. Happiness for Beginners is Katherine Center at her most heart-warming, captivating best—a nourishing, page-turning, up-all-night read about how to get back up. It's a story that looks at how our struggles lead us to our strengths. How love is always worth it. And how the more good things we look for, the more we find.
I saw this trailer on Netflix (which knows me so well) and knew I had to read the book first. I prefer audiobooks for rom coms, and this one did not disappoint. I am a sucker for a transformational backpacking journey in fiction--not something I get to do in real life. The characters were humane and loveable, and the banter between the leads was light-hearted and witty. The title comes from the name of a textbook a fellow sojourner brings with her, a book for a positive psychology class she's taking. Happiness studies grew in popularity as the pandemic wore on, so it might sound old hat to you as you're reading this in 2023. The first edition of this novel came out in 2015 and is seeing a resurgence thanks to the film adaptation. Now I just have to find 2 hours to sit still for a movie night. Happy reading! -Melody
We could be so good : a novel
Cat Sebastian
FICTION Sebastia Cat
Romance, LGBTQ+
Nick Russo has worked his way from a rough Brooklyn neighborhood to a reporting job at one of the city's biggest newspapers. But the late 1950s are a hostile time for gay men, and Nick knows that he can't let anyone into his life. He just never counted on meeting someone as impossible to say no to as Andy. Andy Fleming's newspaper-tycoon father wants him to take over the family business. Andy, though, has no intention of running the paper. He's barely able to run his life--he's never paid a bill on time, routinely gets lost on the way to work, and would rather gouge out his own eyes than deal with office politics. Andy agrees to work for a year in the newsroom, knowing he'll make an ass of himself and hate every second of it. Except, Nick Russo keeps rescuing Andy: showing him the ropes, tracking down his keys, freeing his tie when it gets stuck in the ancient filing cabinets. Their unlikely friendship soon sharpens into feelings they can't deny. But what feels possible in secret--this fragile, tender thing between them--seems doomed in the light of day. Now Nick and Andy have to decide if, for the first time, they're willing to fight. --provided by publisher.
From an author that primarily writes regency-era romance, I was so excited to see this historical romance set in a 1950s newsroom. Sebastian captures the time and place perfectly of 1950s New York City--the twinge of nostalgia post-WWII, mixed with the sense that big social change is on the horizon. I loved the banter between the love interests, Nick and Andy, and the way they work to create a life together and push against the boundaries society has created for them. It's quite emotional, but manages to also be funny and light-hearted throughout. If you enjoy the banter and tenderness of Emily Henry or the historical setting of Patricia Highsmith's The Price of Salt, I highly recommend checking out this romance. -Bailey
Business or pleasure
Rachel Lynn Solomon
FICTION Solomon Rachel
Fiction, Romance, Humor
"A ghostwriter and a struggling actor help each other on the page and in the bedroom in this steamy romantic comedy from the New York Times bestselling author of The Ex Talk. Chandler Cohen has never felt more like the ghost in 'ghostwriter' until she attends a signing for a book she wrote--and the author doesn't even recognize her. The evening turns more promising when she meets a charming man at the bar and immediately connects with him. But when all their sexual tension culminates in a spectacularly awkward hookup, she decides this is one night better off forgotten. Unfortunately, that's easier said than done. Her next project is ghostwriting a memoir for Finn Walsh, a C-list actor best known for playing a lovable nerd on a cult classic werewolf show who now makes a living appearing at fan conventions across the country. But Chandler knows him better from their one-night stand of hilarious mishaps. Chandler's determined to keep their partnership as professional as possible, but when she admits to Finn their night together wasn't as mind-blowing as he thought it was, he's distraught. He intrigues her enough that they strike a deal: when they're not working on his book, Chandler will school Finn in the art of satisfaction. As they grow closer both in and out of the bedroom, they must figure out which is more important, business or pleasure--or if there's a way for them to have both"--
This book is on my TBR pile (to be read). It's a new rom-com (published July 4, 2023) that is getting rave reviews. I have to read a lot of book reviews for work, and each one I read about this book has great things to say. Why else do I want to read it? I love comedy that turns your everyday feelings of failure into a no-big-deal moment. Sex-positive book about open communication? Nice. Woman writer settling for a paycheck over following her creative writing dream? Awesome. Can't wait for my hold to come in for this one. -Melody
Nora goes off script
Annabel Monaghan
FICTION Monaghan Annabel
Fiction, Romance
Nora’s life is about to get a rewrite… Nora Hamilton knows the formula for love better than anyone. As a romance channel screenwriter, it’s her job. But when her too-good-to work husband leaves her and their two kids, Nora turns her marriage’s collapse into cash and writes the best script of her life. No one is more surprised than her when it’s picked up for the big screen and set to film on location at her 100-year-old-home. When former Sexiest Man Alive, Leo Vance, is cast as her ne’er do well husband Nora’s life will never be the same. The morning after shooting wraps and the crew leaves, Nora finds Leo on her porch with a half-empty bottle of tequila and a proposition. He’ll pay a thousand dollars a day to stay for a week. The extra seven grand would give Nora breathing room, but it’s the need in his eyes that makes her say yes. Seven days: it’s the blink of an eye or an eternity depending on how you look at it. Enough time to fall in love. Enough time to break your heart. Filled with warmth, wit, and wisdom, Nora Goes Off Script is the best kind of love story—the real kind where love is complicated by work, kids, and the emotional baggage that comes with life. For Nora and Leo, this kind of love is bigger than the big screen.
I'm digging this trend in women's fiction where our heroines are authors or other agents in the literary world. I picked this book up to have a light read while on vacation. The first couple of chapters didn't exactly grab me--the characters didn't have much depth yet. But as I read further, I found I really couldn't put it down and had to finish it in two sittings. Then when it was over, I was like, WHY can't I read more??? There's something so gratifying about watching someone fall apart then grow back stronger. -Melody
Home field advantage
Dahlia Adler
YOUNG ADULT FICTION Adler Dahlia
Romance, LGBTQ+
Amber McCloud's dream is to become cheer captain at the end of the year, but after the football team's quarterback dies in an accident and is replaced by a girl, Amber knows she should work against this unliked Jaclyn to keep her cheer status but the two fall for each other.
This book gave me all the feels! I love a sapphic spin on the cheerleader/star player trope and this one did not disappoint! Amber and Jack had amazing chemistry and banter that had me completely invested in their relationship! While this book does tackle heavy themes of homophobia and misogyny, it does so while still remaining lighthearted and fun. -Bailey
The fiancée farce : a novel
Alexandria Bellefleur
FICTION Bellefle Alexandr
Romance, LGBTQ+
Running her family's bookstore while fending off questions about her love life, Tansy Adams invents a girlfriend, Gemma, inspired by the cover model on a bestselling book, but when the real-life Gemma--who needs to marry in order to inherit her family's publishing company--discovers Tansy's charade, she takes things one step further and announces their engagement.
This book was pure fun with a modern spin on the marriage-of-convenience trope. I loved the bookstore setting, nods to the romance industry, and best of all, all the hidden taylor swift references! If you love rich people drama, great communication, and over-the-top shenanigans, I recommend picking this one up! -Bailey
This is Book 7 in the Bergman Brothers series by Chloes Liese, sadly the last in the series. I read them out of order, starting with Book 2, Always Only You. I would call this series a cozy romance: everyone is honest, open-hearted, well-behaved, and many scenes take place in a historic A-frame house in the secluded woods of Washington State. I had been wanting to try out some sports romances, and I was drawn to Always Only You because of its ability-diverse characters. Each book touches on serious themes while not going too deep to break the fantasy of perfect and easy answers. Some love scenes in the series are open door, earning maybe 4 out of 5 red hot chili peppers for steaminess. -Melody