Romance Roundup: April Edition

Welcome to “Romance Roundup” where I share mini reviews of  3-4 romance novels that I’ve read recently. This month’s edition includes stories of a fake boyfriend, a heroine who seeks marriage to a werewolf, and a governess in training.

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“How to Marry a Werewolf” (Claw & Courtship #1) by Gail Carriger (2018)

Synopsis: Guilty of an indiscretion? Time to marry a werewolf.

WEREWOLVES

The monsters left Faith ruined in the eyes of society, so now they’re her only option. Rejected by her family, Faith crosses the Atlantic, looking for a marriage of convenience and revenge.

But things are done differently in London. Werewolves are civilized. At least they pretend to be.

AMERICANS

Backward heathens with no culture, Major Channing has never had time for any of them. But there’s something special about Faith. Channing finds himself fighting to prove himself and defend his species. But this werewolf has good reason not to trust human women.

Even if they learn to love, can either of them forgive? (description from Goodreads)

Review:

I’ve read one of the books in the Parasol Protectorate series before, so this book caught my eye on a visit to the library. Set in London, the main character is a feisty American set to snag a werewolf for marriage. This novella may be short and fast paced, but highly entertaining. I love Carringer’s tongue-in-cheek humor, and quick banter used by all of the characters. Despite’s Faith’s nasty parents, the rest of the cast of characters were delightful and brought so much fun to this novella.

Faith and Channing make a cute couple right off the bat and it was fun to watch the whole “pretending not to like you” act for the first half of the novella. It clear that they will both have to continue heal from their pasts, but they accept they are not perfect and work on moving forward. I loved this novella! I’m looking forward to reading more of Carringer’s novels.

Final Verdict:

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He’s Not My Boyfriend (Chin-Williams #2) by Jackie Lau (2018)

Synopsis: Now that her cousin has tied the knot, Iris Chin—structural engineer, party girl, and queen of kitchen disasters—is the last single grandchild. Her mother and grandmother are desperate to play matchmaker, though Iris doesn’t understand why. They had miserable marriages, and she doesn’t want to be like them. She enjoys her independence, thank you very much. One-night stands are more her style.

Unfortunately, she soon discovers that she’s working on a project with her latest one-night stand, Alex Kwong, a construction supervisor. She’s determined to stay professional on the construction site, but things get off to a bad start when Alex lets slip to a co-worker that they slept together.

To make matters worse, Iris is now living with her grandmother, who keeps stealthily setting her up on dates and sticking her nose where it doesn’t belong, and her mother is just as bad. But more than anything, it’s her unwanted feelings for Alex that are derailing her plans to have an exciting single life…

Review:

A cute romantic comedy I found while scrolling through my Kindle titles! Lau takes the “one-night stand” trope with the Iris and Alex who share an amazing night and then try to forget about each other. Of course, the two end up working together in twist of fate. This was an entertaining story from start to finish. I adored the characters and I think that’s what makes this story so good. Even though both families of Iris and Alex were interfering they did support them while being a bit overbearing. The funniest of all was Ngin Ngin who was Iris’ feisty outspoken and lovable grandma. I cracked up at her enthusiasm for reading spicy romance novels.

I enjoyed how diverse this romance novel was and how it was infused with Chinese culture. The romance develops smoothly and they also learned how to be closer with their families and understand that their parents we’re just wanting the best for them. I’d like to read more of Lau’s books.

Final Verdict:

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“The Governess Game” (Girl Meets Duke #2) by Tessa Dare (2018)

Romanceopoly – Courtship Row

Synopsis: The accidental governess.

After her livelihood slips through her fingers, Alexandra Mountbatten takes on an impossible post: transforming a pair of wild orphans into proper young ladies. However, the girls don’t need discipline. They need a loving home. Try telling that to their guardian, Chase Reynaud: duke’s heir in the streets and devil in the sheets. The ladies of London have tried—and failed—to make him settle down. Somehow, Alexandra must reach his heart… without risking her own.

The infamous rake.

Like any self-respecting libertine, Chase lives by one rule: no attachments. When a stubborn little governess tries to reform him, he decides to give her an education—in pleasure. That should prove he can’t be tamed. But Alexandra is more than he bargained for: clever, perceptive, passionate. She refuses to see him as a lost cause. Soon the walls around Chase’s heart are crumbling… and he’s in danger of falling, hard.

Review:

I was enamored by the last Tessa Dare book that I read (Romancing The Duke) that I decided to pick up another one of her novels for Romanceopoly. What I adore about Dare’s novels is that her heroines are daring women with fun, cheeky personalities. I felt this qualified for a “wallflower” book of Alex’s bookish qualities but also her love for astronomy. It was refreshing to see a regency romance lead so invested in the STEM field.

As always with Dare’s books, the story is good mix of steamy and sweet romantic moments, but overwhelming this book was so heartwarming. Though the girls, Rosamund and Daisy are more than a handful Chase and Alex never stop trying to reach out to them. Seeing them comes together as little family was the best. Props to Alex’s unconventional governess lessons based around piracy, which absolutely cracked me up.

Final Verdict:

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What romance novels have you read lately? Share your thoughts in the comment section below. If you have any recommendations feel free (particularly #ownvoices novels) to share those as well.