The holidays are almost here and Valentines’ Day is coming. Real-life and fiction romance books help you while away an afternoon or weekend, and they make a great vacation read. A basket full of romance books with a beautiful page marker is also a great gift idea! These are also downloadable on your Kindle.
“Real Life” Fiction Romance Books:
The Dating Dare A Novel by Jayci Lee (St.Martin’s Griffin August 2021) is just the kind of easy read you want on one of those days when you just want to escape and feel good about something’s Griffin (St.Martin’s Griffin August 2021).Tara likes to date, but she isn’t about to give her heart to anyone and refused to have any serious relationships. Seth Kim looks like a player but he’s also taken his lumps in love. They meet at the wedding of Tara’s best friend. She is a bridesmaid and he’s the bride’s new brother-in-law. Sparks are going to fly between them (of course).
Tara does her best to ignore her interest in Seth Kim. However, during a drunken truth or dare game, Tara accepts his dare of three dates with Seth Kim without falling in love. You can probably figure out that there will be ups and downs and the ending will be happy. But that isn’t really the point of the book. It’s a feel-good you can sink your teeth into. Get this book
When Sparks Fly by Helena Hunting (St Martin’s Griffin, September 21, 2021) is another “feel-good romance” from St, Martin’s Griffin publishers. Avery Spark (great neem isn’t it?) has a great life until a car accident sidelines her. Her roommate is Declan McCormick. Without going into too many details, guilt can make you do things you’d normally avoid. In Declan’s case, he steps into the role of Avery’s caretaker. How convenient, since they live in the same house, anyway. It’s a standard plot with a twist, and done nicely, but didn’t wow me. Get This Book
Real-Life Non-Fiction Romance Books:
If you’ve ever had a truly awful first date, you’re not alone. When the Advice Sisters wrote their first book: Recruiting Love, Using the Business Skills You Have To Find the Love You Want we used tons of first-person authentic stories to show people how to date smarter, better, and find lasting love. The author of First Date Stories by Jodi Klein ( She Writes Press September 2021) uses the same storytelling technique to get readers to understand ways to find love that work. There’s nothing really new in this book, but the advice is sound.
I also appreciated the fact that in-between the truly disastrous but ent retaining first date stories, there were some successes to learn from as well. I am not sure whether you can find lasting love with her book, but you will be entertained, and hopefully become better at dating and socializing. I’ll give it two thumbs up. Get This Book
Riding The Edge: A Love Long to Deborah by Michael S. Tobin (River Grove Book July 2021) is a non-fiction love story about two psychologists (really). They’re an American Jew and American Arab, who find love on a dancefloor in the 1970’s and break away from the norm embarking on a journey to find out who they are and how their love manifests itself. It’s an interesting story of a bike trek that takes the couple to many countries as they learn about these places, and themselves. Writing this book was obviously was a labor of Love.
While Mr. Tobin wanted to get it all down on paper, and the story is beautiful, he’s just not a great writer (sorry Mr. Tobin). The book is rambling and I got lost (or bored) more than once reading it. In a relationship, it is usually one who loves more, the other less, but not unrequited. The story touched my heart, but the book needs better editing. Spoiler alert, the ending is sad but the book is a homage to this couple’s enduring love story. Get This Book
Romance Books With Cowboys, Rogues, and more Sexy Cowboys!
Going on Vacation? A Cowboy Kind of Love by Donna Grant (st. Martins Paperback 2021) is a fast read that will keep your interest while dishig out intrigue and romance with a heartbroken cowboy. The focus is one cowboy Jace Wilder who hasn’t been able to get over the fact that his girlfriend Taryn, left him. So he drinks too much and envisions her in his fantasies. Taryn Hillman is a woman hiding a big secret to protect someone she loves. She returns to Jace (yay)! but things don’t go as smoothly as he would like. She is likely to be in a whole lot of trouble and Jace can only do so much to protect her.
Will there be a betrayal? Check! Love and romance? Check! secrets revealed? Check! Slip this one into your tote for a long trip or a lazy day on the beach. Get this Book
All Night Long With a Cowboy By Caitlyn Crews (St. Martins Paperbacks 2021) is part of a series (Kittredge ranch)/ If you love bad boys and women who shouldn’t go near them but do, this is your book. A cat-loving librarian and a playboy bad boy don’t seem like a good couple, but it’s clear that sparks are going to fly. Maybe that bad boy isn’t so bad at all. Maybe that sweet librarian has more courage and grit than is obvious on the surface. The happily ever after part doesn’t come easily, Cowboys are often written as stereotypical bad boys. This one didn’t disappoint! Buy This Book
Right before I completed this advicesisters.com romantic book review roundup I received some more paperback romance novels (from St. Martin’s paperbacks) that didn’t fit into the holiday column. I’m just briefly mentioning them — left to right, top to bottom, clockwise.
Kissing Under the Mistletoe by Suzanne Enoch, Amelia Gray, and Anna Bennett (St. Martin’s Paperbacks 2021) – 3 authors bring the romance of the holidays.
Home for a Cowboy Christmas by Donna Grant ( (St. Martin’s Paperbacks 2021) – woman on the run in Montana meets cowboy who befriends her.
Her Renegade Cowboy by Lora Leigh (St. Martin’s Paperbacks 2021) – the final book in the Moving Violations trilogy. Prim schoolteacher meet a new cowboy working at her cousin’s ranch and there are secrets, intrigue, etc.
Reckless Match by Kate Bateman (st. Martin’s Paperbacks 2021)- Book 1 of “Ruthless Rivals” -The Davies and Montgomery families have had an ancient feud for “forever” but that’s about to change.
Hit Me With Your Best Scot by Suzanne Enoch (st. Martin’s Paperbacks 2021) – Book 3 of a seductive Scottish historical romance trilogy
