Romance Roundup: March 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 about an ice skating romance, a music competition show, and time traveling to medieval times.

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More Than Music (Chasing the Dream #1) by Elizabeth Briggs (2014)

Synopsis: Classical musician Maddie Taylor secretly dreams of a louder life, but geeky girls like her don’t get to be rock stars. That is, until tattooed singer Jared Cross catches her playing guitar and invites her to join his band on The Sound, a reality TV show competition.

Once on the show, Maddie discovers there’s more to Jared than his flirty smile and bad boy reputation. With each performance their attraction becomes impossible to ignore, but when the show pressures them to stay single, they’re forced to keep their relationship secret.

As the competition heats up, Jared will do whatever it takes for his band to win, and Maddie must decide if following her dream is worth losing her heart. (description from Goodreads)

Review: I haven’t read too many “music themed” romance and wanted something a little different from my usual romance reads. I was intrigued by the concept of a music competition show (basically The Voice) with a bit of drama mixed in. It was a fast paced read and I binge read it in a day since it was so captivating. I enjoyed that the narrative flowed smoothly and the musical performance scenes were fun!

I liked the characters overall and the main character, Maddie, felt a bit relatable to the audience. She was torn between choices of graduate school, being in the band, finding her (musical) voice, and falling in love. Maddie starts off in the book as a unsure person, but ends the book with a more confident persona and outlook on life.

Final Verdict:

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“Must Love Chainmail” (Must Love #2) by Angela Quarles (2015)

Synopsis: Trapped in the wrong time, she needs a knight in shining armor, but this damsel in distress might be the real savior.

A damsel in distress…

With a day planner attached to her hip, the last thing Katy Tolson wants is a romance that threatens her well-ordered life. She’s set to marry the safe–but bland–guy, but something’s not quite…right. A careless wish thrusts her through time into medieval Wales and into the arms of…

A knight in somewhat shining armor…

Sir Robert Beucol, half-Norman and half-Welsh, lives with the shame of his father’s treason and vows to reclaim his family’s holdings and thereby his honor. To prove himself to his king, he must be more Norman than a full-blooded Norman. What better way to show loyalty than to fight his mother’s people? He has no desire to be sidetracked by the mysterious wench with pink toenails, peculiar habits, and passion smoldering behind her cool, collected exterior.

A rebellion that challenges both…

The Welsh uprising fits perfectly into Robert’s plans. Katy’s on the other hand? That’s a no. As they embark on a perilous journey through the heart of Wales, each passionate encounter pulls them closer together, but farther from their goals. When everything they value is at stake, can they save each other and their love? (description from Goodreads)

Review: I usually don’t read “medieval” romances, but the cover of this book caught my eye and the story sounded intriguing so I decided to give it a try. The main character, Katy, travels back in time to medieval era of Wales. On top of that, things are even harder for her because she can’t understand the language and no one can understand her.

Though I was appreciative of the detail to clothing, language, customs, and events I felt the book was a bit too wordy at times. It caused me to lose interest at many parts of the book and it made the story drag. The romance was sweet and steamy and I liked how even though there were many differences between they still made it work. They took the time to know each other before developing romantic feelings toward each other. What it all came down to for me,  is that this book was not my cup of tea. Maybe I’ll stay away from medieval romances.

Final Verdict:

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 “Crossing the Ice” (Ice #1) by Jennifer Comeaux (2014)

Synopsis: Falling hard never felt so good.

Pair skaters Courtney and Mark have one shot left at their Olympic dream. They vow not to let anything get in their way, especially not Josh and Stephanie, the wealthy and talented brother and sister team.

The heart doesn’t always listen to reason, though…

The more time Courtney spends with sweet, shy Josh, the harder she falls for him. But they are on opposite sides of the competition, and their futures are headed in opposite directions. Will their friendship blossom into more or are their paths too different to cross? (description from Goodreads)

Review: In light of the recent Winter Olympics I was looking for some winter sports related romances. I always wanted to read ice skating romance books, so I’m glad I found this one via Book Riot’s recommendations. It was light-hearted, fun, and I even learned some new things about pairs skating. The characters were likable but I felt that they needed more substance and depth to make them more interesting.

I liked the attention to detail in the writing, which puts the reader right in the story. It’s like I was there to see their skating routines and decorated costumes. It’s a fast paced read, but I felt overall that I couldn’t connect with the book. I will look into other ice skating romances, so please give me some recs!

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. 🙂