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 a boyfriend project, a modern-day Cinderella retelling, and a love story set in the Old West.

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The Boyfriend Project (The Boyfriend Project #1) by Farrah Rochon (2020)

Synopsis: Samiah Brooks never thought she would be “that” girl. But a live tweet of a horrific date just revealed the painful truth: she’s been catfished by a three-timing jerk of a boyfriend. Suddenly Samiah-along with his two other “girlfriends,” London and Taylor-have gone viral online. Now the three new besties are making a pact to spend the next six months investing in themselves. No men, no dating, and no worrying about their relationship status . . .

For once Samiah is putting herself first, and that includes finally developing the app she’s always dreamed of creating. Which is the exact moment she meets the deliciously sexy, honey-eyed Daniel Collins at work. What are the chances? When it comes to love, there’s no such thing as a coincidence. But is Daniel really boyfriend material or is he maybe just a little too good to be true?

Review: The Boyfriend Project was anticipated read for me in 2020. I’m a bit late finally getting to read the novel, but nonetheless I still enjoyed the story. The first thing that struck me about the novel was that it felt more like Contemporary Fiction even though it’s marketed as a Romance novel. It is centered around a workplace romance that develops between Samiah and Daniel though. I felt that the story focused more on the overall suspense of the secrets happening within the company and Samiah finding friendship with London and Taylor over a public breakup.

I appreciated having a main character in the STEM field who openly discusses her struggles with being a Black woman and fighting against odds in her career. It’s admirable and nice to see how Samiah is so passionate about her job and wanting to be a role model for young girls interested in the STEM field. Some parts of the story were a bit predictable, but most of all I enjoyed piecing together the mystery surrounding the money laundering at the company.

Final Verdict:

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Breathless (Old West #2) by Beverly Jenkins (2017)

Synopsis: As manager of one of the finest hotels in Arizona Territory, Portia Carmichael has respect and stability—qualities sorely missing from her harsh childhood. She refuses to jeopardize that by hitching herself to the wrong man. Suitors are plentiful, but none of them has ever looked quite as tempting as the family friend who just rode into town…and none have looked at her with such intensity and heat.

Duchess. That’s the nickname Kent Randolph gave Portia when she was a young girl. Now she’s a stunning, intelligent woman—and Kent has learned his share of hard lessons. After drifting through the West, he’s learned the value of a place to settle down, and in Portia’s arms he’s found that and more. But convincing her to trust him with her heart, not just her passion, will be the greatest challenge he’s known—and one he intends to win… 

Review: I’m on a mission to conquer all of Beverly Jenkins backlist of Historical Romances and I still have a long way to go. I thought I was starting at the beginning of the Old West series, but it looks like I’ll need to go back and read Forbidden (Book 1). Anyways, I always enjoy Jenkins’ historicals and this one was no different. I liked the friends-to-lovers aspect of the plot as Portia and Kent get reacquainted after a long time. It was cute to see them flirt and interact with each other even when Portia tries to deny her feelings (but all the signs show that she has a big crush on him).

Both Portia and Kent, grapple with their pasts and are in a slow process of healing. They push each other to reach for their dreams and I loved the quieter moments when they share their deep thoughts with each other. I loved the landscape of the Old West and Black cowboys in this novel (which you don’t really see portrayed in mainstream media). I think this novel was a solid comfort read for me. It’s got romance, a bit of action, and some suspense thrown in there too.

Final Verdict:

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Pumpkin (Cindermama #1) by Ines Johnson (2015)

Synopsis: Single mother Malika “Pumpkin” Tavares lost faith in fairytales after she fell for a toad. Now she believes she’s not cut from the storybook, heroine cloth and searches for Mr. Good Enough amongst the sidekicks and supporting men of the town.

Love at first sight isn’t a cliche for town royalty Armand “Manny” Charmayne. For generations the Charmaynes have spotted their soulmates by seeing a golden aura the first time they laid eyes on The One.

When Manny meets Pumpkin he sees…nothing, but sparks fly off the richter scale. The more he gets to know her the more he considers defying fate, if only he can convince her to take a chance on love again.

Review: This is a book that has been sitting in my Kindle backlist and I’m so happy to finally read it. Pumpkin is a modern-day twist on the Cinderella story with a single monther who has long stopped beliving in fairytales and wants more for herself and her son. Her family isn’t supportive and she grapples with how she can reach her dreams. What’s cool about this retelling is that it does have a little bit of magic with the golden aura ability that Manny has.

I liked that it’s a fairytale -esque novel with a single mother as the main character and how Pumpkin talks about the high standards single mothers are held up to. I liked Pumpkin’s character a whole lot with her determination to keep trying and also recognize when she’s messed up. There’s also some background drama with the election happening in the background. I though this was a well thought out Romance story with a solid lead character and it’s discussions of family and relationships.

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.