A Romance Book Lighting Round
Be mine #63?
Happy Super Bowl Sunday and day-before-Valentine’s Day for all who celebrate! It is the actual “lady or tiger” dilemma today - do you read cute romance novels or root for the Bengals?
Why not both? You contain multitudes, book besties!
(Okay, if you singularly opt for the sports content, you can check out some of my favorite sports books here - and even if you don’t love sports, they’re all great reads.)
But if you’re interested in a few romances, here are a few I’ve liked recently! Listen, why anchor these kinds of books down with a tortured literary analysis and deep meditation on genre like I’m getting paid by the word? Nah. They’re fun, they bounce and pop along like a champagne cocktail, they usually have some good sexy scenes, with luck they have some witty dialogue, and basically they hit the spot without demanding a whole lot. So this week is a lightning round of high-lamb romance recommendations, complete with an absolutely unconscionable number of exclamation points. A Valentine from me to you.
And yes, male readers - you can read and love these books. Sheesh. Choose joy!
Ready? Let’s go!
What: Party of Two by Jasmine Guillory, about an attorney whose focus on starting her own firm threatens to be derailed by a chance meet-cute with a politician.
Why: Witty! Heartwarming! LA scenery! Dessert as a main character! Really, you can’t go wrong with a Jasmine Guillory.
What: One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston, about a young woman who moves to New York City, struggling to find herself, when she meets, and falls for, mysterious cool girl Jane on a subway.
Why: A rainbow palette of LGBTQ characters! Also sort of a mystery! Could have used at least 50 fewer pages! Boy does Casey McQuiston write great dialogue! Cute and fun!
What: Band Sinister by one of my new fave authors, KJ Charles. When Guy Frisby’s beloved sister breaks her leg on the land of Sir Philip Rookwood, local disgrace and their sworn family enemy, sparks begin to fly.
Why: Historical queer romance! Fantasically clever and funny! Bridgerton with M/M romance and wit! Per the author: “Smut, skulduggery, and swashbuckling may occur” and honestly why would you resist that?
What: In The Bride Test, mixed race single mother Esme is invited from Vietnam to the US by a mother who wants a potential wife for her son, who wants nothing to do with the plan.
Why: A nice representation of autism in romance! Plucky characters! Not the best written thing in the world but a solid romantic fairy tale with real world emotions!
What: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo is a book within a book, as journalist Monique is chosen out of the blue to write the history of aging movie star Evelyn Hugo.
Why: Yes, we’ve talked about this one before but if you want a substantive, glamorous read with the highs and low of love, with both heart-soaring and heart-breaking moments - this might be the romance I would suggest first!
What: OK, *one* more from the archives because In Five Years is a different take on great love. I’m going to leave it at that.*
Why: Moving! Heart-rending! Lovely! Real.
*I lied, I am 1000% not going to leave it at that - you should know that this is a two-lamby. Forewarned is forearmed!
This Week’s Book Confession … and a Request
First, the confession: I have read exactly 54 pages in the month of February. For context, I read 12 books in January. Listen, it’s been a very busy month and I’m sure we’ve all had those periods where reading ebbs due to disinterest or a dysfunctional amount of work. I’m holding out for a big March.
But now on to the request:
Community submissions are very popular, the data shows. So I’m interested - what’s your book confession? What author can’t you stand? What book or author are you ashamed to have never read? What’s your secret reading pleasure?
Respond to this email or leave a comment and Let! Me! Know!
The fine print:
Don't forget to check the archive for 62 weeks of other options ranging from non-fiction to YA to mystery to fantasy.
All links go to bookshop.org, which supports independent bookstores. You can view my entire catalog of recommendations here (any money made via these referral links will be donated to Defy Ventures.)
I actually have fine printing handwriting, and it’s because in ninth-grade history class I sat next to Julie Ralston, who had the most beautiful handwriting that I copied it and now that’s mine, albeit with three decades of sloppiness. There’s a fine print tidbit.