Romance Roundup: August 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 a summertime love, a wedding planner’s romance dilemma, and a passionate dancer.

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“Eight Days in the Sun” by M.K. Schiller (2017)

Romanceopoly – Summer

Synopsis: He followed in his family’s footsteps and just graduated Marine boot camp. Now Mason Cutler’s personal mission is to get plenty of sun, surf, and no-strings romance in his favorite laid-back Florida beach town before shipping out. But a chance encounter with reserved Kiran Shenoy becomes a golden day of conversation, connection—and an intense attraction Mason can’t walk away from. They make an agreement—eight sensuous days together without regrets or promises. Yet soon Mason is longing to convince the spirited woman behind Kiran’s sad beautiful eyes to take a chance on even more . . .

All Kiran dared hope for was a chance to heal after a tragic accident and a devastating loss. Mason’s freewheeling energy and head-on courage warms her scarred body and soul—and ignites her heart. But with their lives going in different directions, the only commitment they can make is a pact to meet again. Can what they feel survive Mason’s military duty, and Kiran’s second chance to restart her life? And can a desire sparked one summer night be enough for forever?

Review: This was a good pick for the Summer prompt for Romanceopoly! It’s a quintessential Summer Romance novel with love mixed with a bit angst. I like the prompt of how Mason & Kiran (the two main characters) make such a powerful connection in such a short time. Even though it was a “Summer fling” I could feel that their relationship was deeper than that. It was believable that they fell so hard for each other.

Each character struggles with their past and pain that holds them back from their future and connecting with each other. Through developing their relationship the two are forced to take a deeper look at their own obstacles. I loved the character progression in this novel and the plot overall. It was a deep passionate romance that delivered some steamy scenes. The added bonus was the details of the beach giving the books a Summery feel.

Final Verdict:

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“On Pointe” (MacLaine Girls #1) by Shelly Ellis (2018)

Synopsis: She’s in the mood for a little distraction . . . but will she take a chance?

Bina MacLaine is having a rough time. Still haunted by an ugly breakup that meant walking away from her fiancé and her high-rise apartment, now the dance teacher faces the possibility of losing her job, too, if her performance academy closes. When Maurice Hewett, one of her old ballet students, arrives in town, Bina sees he’s not the goofy boy she once knew—but a very handsome, very sexy grown man. She wonders if he can weave a spell that can help her forget all her woes. But can Bina let her desire take the lead without feeling like she’s robbing the cradle—and making a huge mistake?

Review: I had this novella on my TBR for a while and while looking for some shorter romance reads and picked it up. The first in the series follows Bina, a talented dancer and teacher at the MacLaine academy. She’s nursing her heart over a bad split in her life. Bina is a caring person and extremely passionate about dance and sharing it with others. I could see while reading this novel how the studio was integral to the community even though they are in dire financial straits and the neighborhood was changing. It acts as a community hub and I love how the story showed how the academy brought people together.

Though this was a quick read (I binge read it in one sitting) I enjoyed every moment of it. The romance was parts sweet and incredibly spicy! I liked how Bina and Maurice could reconnect through dance and again and be the missing pieces each other needed in their lives. Watching them grow from old acquaintances to lovers felt natural even in the short period of time. I can’t wait to finish the series.

Final Verdict:

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“The Worst Best Man”by Mia Sosa (2020)

Synopsis: A wedding planner left at the altar. Yeah, the irony isn’t lost on Carolina Santos, either. But despite that embarrassing blip from her past, Lina’s managed to make other people’s dreams come true as a top-tier wedding coordinator in DC. After impressing an influential guest, she’s offered an opportunity that could change her life. There’s just one hitch… she has to collaborate with the best (make that worst) man from her own failed nuptials.

Tired of living in his older brother’s shadow, marketing expert Max Hartley is determined to make his mark with a coveted hotel client looking to expand its brand. Then he learns he’ll be working with his brother’s whip-smart, stunning—absolutely off-limits—ex-fiancée. And she loathes him.

If they can survive the next few weeks and nail their presentation without killing each other, they’ll both come out ahead. Except Max has been public enemy number one ever since he encouraged his brother to jilt the bride, and Lina’s ready to dish out a little payback of her own.

But even the best laid plans can go awry, and soon Lina and Max discover animosity may not be the only emotion creating sparks between them. Still, this star-crossed couple can never be more than temporary playmates because Lina isn’t interested in falling in love and Max refuses to play runner-up to his brother ever again…

Review: This novel had a lot of buzz surrounding it’s release and I was excited to read it. I love a good rom-com and this book was full of fun laughs, tender moments, wacky wedding antics, and chatty banter. I liked that even though there was a second chance kind of romance going on (even though Lina was engaged to Max’s brother) the novel focused on Lina’s character growth as well. She had a lot of past pain to work through and though a romance was blooming a lot of focus was her trying to find her path in life and her career.

I enjoyed that even though there was some angst that this book was so lighthearted and funny. There were so many scenes that made me laugh out loud! My favorite parts besides the cute moments between Lina and Max, were the interactions with her family. They may be lively and opinionated, but they are so much for her. Especially her cousins who acted as her girl squad and had her back. This book was a joy!

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.