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 prom queen in the running, the cute neighbor next door, and a historical romance set in the Tang Dynasty.

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Prom Queen Perfect: by Clarisse David (2016)

Alex dela Cruz has it all. Looks, money, and a killer sense of style.

When the annoyingly gorgeous Adam Cordero calls her selfish, she decides to prove him wrong by transforming Christy Marquez from an invisible misfit into a ruling princess of Asia Pacific Academy. Great hair? Check. Flawless red lipstick? Check. Instant popularity? A slightly too big check.

But now, Alex is on the brink of losing the plastic tiara she’s supposed to get as prom queen, her best friend, and her heart to the unlikeliest of candidates. Too bad she isn’t letting anything—or anyone—get between her and that tiara.

If you’re looking for a cute and lighthearted YA romance novella, Prom Queen Perfect is your book. Though it was sometimes formulaic what stood out to me the most was the main cast of characters and themes of tackling high school issues. Alex the main character has always dreamed of being prom queen like the women in her family and will stop at nothing to get what she wants.

When reality hits her with a cold hard dose of the truth it forces her to re-evaluate who she is a person. This novella was fun to read and the romance bits were very sweet! I liked how she realizes that what she desires is what she might not really want and how Alex has to go on her own journey of self discovery.

Final Verdict:

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Imperfect Chemistry (Imperfect #1) by Mary Frame (2014)

Lucy London puts the word genius to shame. Having obtained her PhD in microbiology by the age of 20, she’s amassed a wealth of knowledge, but one subject still eludes her – people. The pendulum of passions experienced by those around her confuses and intrigues her, so when she’s offered a grant to study emotion as a pathogen, she jumps on the opportunity.

Enter Jensen Walker, Lucy’s neighbor and the one person she finds appealing. Jensen’s life is the stuff of campus legend: messy, emotional, and complicated. Basically, the perfect starting point for Lucy’s study. When her tenaciousness wears him down and he consents to help her, sparks fly. To her surprise, Lucy finds herself battling with her own emotions, as foreign as they are intense. With the clock ticking on her deadline, Lucy must decide what’s more important: analyzing her passions… or giving in to them?

Imperfect Chemistry is a novel I was iffy about from the beginning but once started to read it I was hooked. Its a mostly lighthearted rom-com about Lucy a girl with a cut and dry/clinical personality who starts to fall for Jensen her next-door neighbor when she asks him to participate in a set of experiments. While the book is mostly light I will notate there are more serious topics laced within the narrative and a trigger warning for rape.

I liked the progression of their relationship and it felt natural and not rushed despite being a fast-paced book. The romance is equally sweet and steamy. It’s a love story where opposites attract and help each other to become more open to the world around them. I especially like Lucy’s character development and how her experiment helps her to open herself to more friendships snd college experiences unlike her past wheres she’s always felt kind of shut off from the world.

Final Verdict:

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The Dragon and the Pearl (Tang Dynasty #2) by Jeannie Lin (2011)

Former Emperor’s consort Ling Suyin is renowned for her beauty; the ultimate seductress. Now she lives quietly alone—until the most ruthless warlord in the region comes and steals her away….

Li Tao lives life by the sword, and is trapped in the treacherous, lethal world of politics. The alluring Ling Suyin is at the center of the web. He must uncover her mystery without falling under her spell—yet her innocence calls out to him. How cruel if she, of all women, can entrance the man behind the legend… 

This is the second romance novel I’ve read by Lin and I love the depth and detailed work of her historical romances. She takes a lot of care in immersing the reader into the story and giving a lot of context to the setting of each novel. This is probably the steamiest of all three romance novels in this roundup and it delivers on all of the spicy bits. Ling and Tao’s relationship has a lot of push and pull due to the romantic tension between the two.

Lin carefully amps up their relationship as the action of the story progresses and I also found myself hooked onto all of the other sub-plots in the novel. The relationship is founded on misunderstandings and the more they spend time at Tao’s estate they grow to fall in love. I really want to read more of the Tang Dynasty series and can’t wait to see what the rest of the books have in store. This novel is action-packed as well adding a sense of adventure to the story.

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 to share those as well.