Romance Roundup: February 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 love on the ice rink, the entanglements of a dating apps, and a heroine who seeks to be more daring.
The Right Swipe (Modern Love #) by Alisha Rai (2019)
Synopsis: Rhiannon Hunter may have revolutionized romance in the digital world, but in real life she only swipes right on her career—and the occasional hookup. The cynical dating app creator controls her love life with a few key rules:
– Nude pics are by invitation only
– If someone stands you up, block them with extreme prejudice
– Protect your heart
Only there aren’t any rules to govern her attraction to her newest match, former pro-football player Samson Lima. The sexy and seemingly sweet hunk woos her one magical night… and disappears.
Rhi thought she’d buried her hurt over Samson ghosting her, until he suddenly surfaces months later, still big, still beautiful—and in league with a business rival. He says he won’t fumble their second chance, but she’s wary. A temporary physical partnership is one thing, but a merger of hearts? Surely that’s too high a risk…
Review: The Right Swipe takes an interesting look at the interesting book that takes a deeper look at the world of online dating with a focus on dating apps. The main characters, Samson and Rhiannon, are from two different dating apps, but they have to collaborate for a project. This story follows the “one that got away” trope which turns into a deeper romance.
I really enjoyed the commentary on dating apps and the ups and down that come with using those apps. There is also a deeper discussion of workplace harassment that Rhiannon deals with an incident from her past. It was very entertaining read and I enjoyed the main leads and the supporting characters that left a presence after I finished the novel. The witty banter between the couple was fun, and I love how supportive the family/friends/coworkers were (especially the eccentricity of Aunt Belle). I have Rai’s Forbidden Heart series on my TBR so I’ll be checking those books out soon.
Final Verdict:
Hard Knocks (Practice Perfect #2) by Ruby Lang
*Romanceopoly Challenge -Winter*
Synopsis: Neurologist Helen Chang Frobisher is on a mission to ban hockey from Portland to prevent the kind of concussive brain injury that plagues her father. Oregon Wolves player Adam Magnus is desperately trying to secure his career and his retirement despite the team’s dismal record.
But while the two spar in public over the future of a sports franchise on the brink, in private, they battle an impossible attraction. When their no-strings-attached fling turns into the real thing, Helen and Adam must decide what’s really important to them. Will their relationship end up in the penalty box, or are they a winning combination?
Review: I’ve been hearing lots of good things about Ruby Lang’s romances for a while so I decided to pick one for the 2020 Romanceopoly challenge. Hard Knocks is a story of a love that blooms between a neurologist and a hockey player who are brought to together over a public debate. Though the they hit things off immediately with an “attraction at first sight” scenario Lang takes time to backtrack and work on the complexities of their relationship. Hockey is something that pulls the two together, but also tears them apart.
While the romance is very hot, I loved Helen and Adam’s tender moments as well. Seeing their vulnerabilities out in the open and how they are with each other made the story feel realistic. I liked that the story also touched on other topics such as race, sports injuries, and caring for ageing parents. I can’t wait to finish the rest of the series.
Final Verdict:
The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang (2018)
*Romanceopoly – Flirt’s Corner*
Synopsis: Stella Lane thinks math is the only thing that unites the universe. She comes up with algorithms to predict customer purchases — a job that has given her more money than she knows what to do with, and way less experience in the dating department than the average thirty-year-old.
It doesn’t help that Stella has Asperger’s and French kissing reminds her of a shark getting its teeth cleaned by pilot fish. Her conclusion: she needs lots of practice — with a professional. Which is why she hires escort Michael Phan. The Vietnamese and Swedish stunner can’t afford to turn down Stella’s offer, and agrees to help her check off all the boxes on her lesson plan — from foreplay to more-than-missionary position…
Before long, Stella not only learns to appreciate his kisses, but to crave all the other things he’s making her feel. Soon, their no-nonsense partnership starts making a strange kind of sense. And the pattern that emerges will convince Stella that love is the best kind of logic…
Review: This has been on my bookshelves for a long while! I’ m glad I chose it for BOTM box. It’s basically a gender-swap version of Pretty Woman which cute, comedic, and so very steamy! I liked the own voices aspect of this story and reading through Stella’s eyes (from Hoang) of life with autism through the perspective of a romance novel. It was interesting and thought-provoking.
Even though Stella and Michael have ulterior motives from the get go readers immediately see through their facade. Stella wants to be more open to love and is not changing who she is for anyone. Michael works as an escort to support his family while trying to get his design business off the ground. This is a wonderful romance with satisfying HEA!
Final Verdict:
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.
