Julia - Romance Book Expert

𝗤𝗢𝗧𝗗: How excited are you for Bridgerton Season 3? 💛⁠
⁠
I am so excited for season three of that I can barely handle myself. To cope as I wait, I’ve made this list of romance books (contemporary and historical) with wallflowers.⁠
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𝗗𝗘𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡:⁠
A wallflower is someone so shy that they typically stand or sit alone rather than engage with a larger group. You might describe yourself as a wallflower if you tend to be introverted and awkward at parties.⁠
⁠
I’d argue that wallflowers tend to be shy about dating specifically but have confidence in other areas. We all have wallflower moments. In the following books, the wallflowers bloom and become more confident all while staying true to themselves.⁠
⁠
𝗛𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗢𝗥𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗟:⁠
💛 𝗜𝘀𝗮𝗯𝗲𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝗴𝘂𝗲 by Lilana De La Rosa⁠
💛 𝗡𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗪𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗪𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 by Virginia Heath⁠
💛 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗗𝘂𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻 by Amalie Howard⁠
💛 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽 𝗖𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗮 by Laura Lee Guhrke⁠
⁠
𝗖𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗠𝗣𝗢𝗥𝗔𝗥𝗬:⁠
💛 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻 by Sara Desai⁠
💛 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗲 𝗙𝗮𝗿𝗰𝗲 by Alexandria Bellefleur⁠ .m.bellefleur
💛 𝗞𝗶𝗹𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗢𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿 by Susannah Nix⁠
💛 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗞𝗶𝘀𝘀 𝗤𝘂𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 by Helen Hoang⁠
⁠
𝗔𝗡𝗗, 𝗢𝗙 𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗦𝗘:⁠
💛 𝗥𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗼𝗻 by Julia Quinn⁠
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Shoutout to my favorite and superfans, , , and (on YouTube). They’ve been so much fun to watch as I slowly die anticipating May 16th. I was a mild Polin supporter, but I’m obsessed with them now. I still love Kanthony, but I am ready for this friends-to-lovers story.⁠
⁠
𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗤𝗢𝗧𝗗: What’s your favorite book with wallflowers?⁠
⁠

Check out Bookshop's Romance Reader Gift Guide 2023!
https://bookshop.org/lists/romance-books-gift-guide-2023

Picks are 15% off with code HOLIDAY23. Ends 12/18/23!

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗙𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄: https://www.chicklitisthesh*t.com/reviews/plot-twist 💕



HarperCollins

Books coming out: November 2023⁠
⁠
November 7:
↠ Never Wager with a Wallflower by Virginia Heath
↠ A Power Unbound by Freya Marske
↠ Fancy Meeting You Here by Julie Tieu
↠ With or Without You by Eric Smith

November 14:
↠ Never Met a Duke Like You by Amalie Howard
↠ Plot Twist by Erin La Rosa
↠ Next-Door Nemesis by Alexa Martin
↠ Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Lord by Celeste Connally Books
↠ Artifacts of an Ex by Jennifer Chen

November 28:⁠
↠ For Never & Always by Helena Greer
↠ Betting on You by Lynn Painter
⁠
QOTD: Did you know of all these books?⁠
⁠

Books coming out ♥ October 2023 ♥⁠
⁠
October 3:⁠
Love in Winter Wonderland by Abiola Bello ⁠
Wildfire by Hannah Grace ⁠
⁠
October 10:⁠
Better Hate Than Never by Chloe Liese ⁠
A Holly Jolly Ever After by Julie Murphy & Sierra Simone ⁠
Stars in Your Eyes by Kacen Callender⁠
Mistletoe & Mishingas by M.A. Wardell ⁠
⁠
October 17:⁠
Murder and Mamom by Mia P. Manansala ⁠
Friends Don’t Fall in Love by Erin Hahn ⁠
⁠
October 24:⁠
Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date by Ashley Herring Blake ⁠
Sleepless in Dubai by Sajni Patel ⁠
⁠
October 31:⁠
⁠A Dish Best Served Hot by Natalie Caña ⁠
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𝗤𝗢𝗧𝗗: What book/s are you currently reading?⁠

𝗗𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗿: Added this song because I love it but I’m not a fan of witchy romance (or Halloween tbh) so while it’s October, you won’t see any of those books on my list, sorry!

can attest to my indifference to the spooky season. If you are looking for witchy recs, I highly recommend going to her! She’s my favorite witch 🧙👻🎃

𝗜𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 📸⁠
⁠
[𝗜𝗗: Two purple and black spotlights on a white background point toward the title text. The black text reads, “October releases I’m excited for.” Below that are four numbers representing the different release dates: 3, 10, 17, 24, and 31. Below each number are the covers of the books being released on that day. Books titles are listed above.]

𝗤𝗢𝗧𝗗: What’s your favorite book with Women in STEM?⁠
⁠
Thank you, , for the PR package. All opinions are my own.⁠
⁠
𝗠𝘆 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀:⁠
★★★.5/5⁠
🌶/5⁠
⁠
𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿: Marianna Leal⁠
𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗿: ⁠
⁠𝗣𝘂𝗯 𝗗𝗮𝘆: 9/12/2023⁠
⁠
𝗠𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀:⁠ As Long As You Love Me was a solid book. I don’t know if it had enough romance to be a romance book, but it tackles complex political systems respectfully. I’m Cuban and can relate to feeling negative about a country that caused so much pain to my family. Similar to how Catalina feels about the unrest in Venezuela.⁠
⁠
As Catalina grapples with her family’s political divide on the Venezuelan regime, she is left in a tricky situation when her sister’s free speech impacts her goal to achieve the American dream.⁠
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The romance was cute but not a focal point, and Gabe was one-dimensional. I still enjoyed it overall and like all the side characters, but I’m unsure if I’d call this a romance.⁠
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𝗜𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 📸⁠
⁠
[𝗜𝗗 𝟭:⁠ Book cover of As Long As You Love Me by Marianna Leal on a fluffy white, textured pillow.⁠
⁠
𝗜𝗗 𝟮:⁠ As Long As You Love Me by Marianna Leal's book statistics page. In the left column, the text contains: "Rating: 3.5 Stars; Spice: 1 Spicy Peppers; and POV: Single. The Main Characters' names are Catalina & Gabe, and they are in college (21+). Tropes: Rivals to Lovers & Opposites Attract. Representation: Two Latinx Leads (FMC is Venezuelan & MMC is Puerto Rican). Trigger Warnings: Death, Domestic Violence & Kidnapping (not graphic). Next, in the right column, is the book cover of As Long As You Love Me. Below is an "if you like this, try this:" rounded box with the book cover of The Spanish Love Deception by Elena Armas. This book is recommended since both have workplace rivals and fake dating at a wedding.⁠
⁠
𝗜𝗗 𝟯:⁠ Full book description of As Long As You Love Me by Marianna Leal.]⁠
⁠
🏷️

Give Me a Birthday Book Rec 🎂⁠
⁠
Today is my 23rd birthday, and I want you all to help me find new books to read. I don't necessarily need more books on my TBR, but I would love to hear what you think I'd like! I've created a reading taste card to understand my preferences.

Here is a list of 23 romance books I've read and loved. The books are in a somewhat rainbow order, not importance.

𝗤𝗢𝗧𝗗: Have you read any of these?

𝟭. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗱𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘆 𝗯𝘆 𝗝𝗮𝘀𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗼𝗿𝘆
𝟮. 𝗝𝗼𝘀𝗵 & 𝗛𝗮𝘇𝗲𝗹 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝘆 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗮 𝗟𝗮𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗻
𝟯. 𝗔 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗖𝗮𝗻’𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗲 𝗖𝗮ñ𝗮
𝟰. 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝘂𝗸𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝗘𝘃𝗶𝗲 𝗗𝘂𝗻𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲
𝟱. 𝗡𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗪𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗪𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝘆 𝗩𝗶𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗮 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵
𝟲. 𝗢𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗨𝘀 𝗯𝘆 𝗖𝗵𝗹𝗼𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝗲𝘀𝗲
𝟳. 𝗔 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗔𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗠𝘂𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝘆 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝗶𝗮 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀
𝟴. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗚𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲
𝟵. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝘂𝘀 𝗢𝗻𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝗠𝗮𝘇𝗲𝘆 𝗘𝗱𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀
𝟭𝟬. 𝗔 𝗟𝗼𝘁 𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗔𝗱𝗶ó𝘀 𝗯𝘆 𝗔𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀 𝗗𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗮
𝟭𝟭. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝘆𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗗𝗼𝗼𝗿 𝗯𝘆 𝗞𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗮 𝗛𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲
𝟭𝟮. 𝗕𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝘆 𝗟𝘆𝗻𝗻 𝗣𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿
𝟭𝟯. 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗲𝘀, 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗯𝘆 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝘆 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝘁
𝟭𝟰. 𝗡𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗠𝗲𝘁 𝗮 𝗗𝘂𝗸𝗲 𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗯𝘆 𝗔𝗺𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗲 𝗛𝗼𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱
𝟭𝟱. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗱𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝘆 𝗠𝗶𝗮 𝗦𝗼𝘀𝗮
𝟭𝟲. 𝗥𝗲𝗱, 𝗪𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲, & 𝗥𝗼𝘆𝗮𝗹 𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝗖𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘆 𝗠𝗰𝗤𝘂𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗻
𝟭𝟳. 𝗖𝗿𝗮𝘇𝘆 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗽𝗶𝗱 𝗕𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝗟𝘆𝘀𝘀𝗮 𝗞𝗮𝘆 𝗔𝗱𝗮𝗺𝘀
𝟭𝟴. 𝗔𝗻 𝗛𝗲𝗶𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀’𝘀 𝗚𝘂𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝘆 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮 𝗖𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝘀
𝟭𝟵. 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗯𝘆 𝗠.𝗔. 𝗪𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗹
𝟮𝟬. 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗔𝗹𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀 𝗗𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗮
𝟮𝟭.𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻 𝗯𝘆 𝗦𝗮𝗿𝗮 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗮𝗶
𝟮𝟮. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝘂𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝘆 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮 𝗗𝗮𝗿𝗲
𝟮𝟯. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗮 𝗗𝘂𝗸𝗲 𝗚𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗗𝗼 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗜𝘁 𝗯𝘆 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗮 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗻

𝗤𝗢𝗧𝗗: Did you go to sleepaway summer camp growing up? ☀️✡️⁠
⁠
Thank you, and , for the 💜 All opinions are my own.⁠
⁠
𝗠𝘆 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀:⁠
★★★★★/5⁠
🌶️🌶️🌶️/5⁠
⁠
𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿:
𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗿: ⁠
⁠𝗣𝘂𝗯 𝗗𝗮𝘆: The book will be released tomorrow (9/12/2023), which is also my birthday!

𝗠𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀: I enjoyed reading this fantastic debut! It's a classic love story about people in their twenties in crisis, and I found it incredibly charming. There were some spicy parts, too, that were integral to the story's plot. This is a good choice if you need the spice to have a purpose (besides just fun 😉).⁠ I hope Neem's book is next! They were one of my favorite characters, and I loved Rachel Runya Katz's writing style. I am excited to read more stories by her about q***r Jews of color!⁠

See the full review on chicklitisthesh*t.com/reviews
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𝗔𝗢𝗧𝗗: I never went to sleepaway camp. I always meant to go to one, but I never did (mostly due to my allergies).

𝗜𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 📸⁠
⁠
[𝗜𝗗 𝟭:⁠ Book cover of Thank You For Sharing by Rachel Runya Katz on a fluffy white, textured pillow.⁠
⁠
𝗜𝗗 𝟮:⁠ Thank You For Sharing by Rachel Runya Katz's book statistics page. In the left column, the text contains: "Rating: 5 Stars. Spice: 3 Spicy Peppers. The names of the Main Characters are Liyah and Daniel (both in their late 20s). Tropes: Childhood Crush Turned Enemy, Office Romance, Grumpy/Sunshine & Found Family. Jobs: Museum Curator & Marketer. Representation: Black & Asian MCs who are Jewish, FMC is Bisexual. Trigger Warnings: Prior Parental Death, Micro-Aggressions, Discussion of SA. Next, in the right column, is the book cover of Thank You For Sharing. Below is an "if you like this, try this:" rounded box with the book cover of The Hookup Plan by Farah Rochon. This book is recommended since both books have childhood enemies reconnecting as adults.⁠
⁠
𝗜𝗗 𝟯:⁠ Full book description of Thank You For Sharing by Rachel Runya Katz.]

🏷️

Books coming out ♥ September 2023 ♥⁠
⁠
September 5⁠
↠ Full Moon Over Freedom by Angelina M. Lopez⁠
↠ Love Me Do by Lindsey Kelk⁠
↠ Fake Around & Find Out by Mia Heintzelman⁠
⁠
September 12⁠
↠ Thank You for Sharing by Rachel Runya Katz⁠
↠ You, Again by Kate Goldbeck⁠
↠ As Long As You Love Me by Marianna Leal⁠
↠ The Borrow a Boyfriend Club by Page Powars⁠
⁠
September 19⁠
↠ Cleat Cute by Meryl Wilsner⁠
↠ Every Duke Has His Day by Suzanne Enoch⁠
⁠
September 25⁠
↠ Some Kind of Blunderful by Livy Hart⁠
⁠
September 26⁠
↠ Unrealistic Expectations by Andie J. Christopher⁠
⁠
QOTD: Did you know of all these books?⁠
⁠
𝗜𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 📸⁠
⁠
[𝗜𝗗: Two purple and black spotlights on a white background point toward the title text. The black text reads, “September releases I’m excited for.” Below that are four numbers representing the different release dates: 5, 12, 19, and 25/26. Below each number are the covers of the books being released on that day. On September 5: Full Moon Over Freedom by Angelina M. Lopez, Love Me Do by Lindsey Kelk, and Fake Around & Find Out by Mia Heintzelman. On September 12: Thank You for Sharing by Rachel Runya Katz, You, Again by Kate Goldbeck, As Long As You Love Me by Marianna Leal, and The Borrow a Boyfriend Club by Page Powars. On September 19: Cleat Cute by Meryl Wilsner and Every Duke Has His Day by Suzanne Enoch. On September 25: Some Kind of Blunderful by Livy Hart. On September 26: Unrealistic Expectations by Andie J. Christopher.]⁠
⁠
🏷️ ⁠

𝗤𝗢𝗧𝗗:⁠ If you've read this series, which book is your favorite?⁠
⁠
𝗠𝘆 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀:⁠
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5⁠
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5⁠
⁠
𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿:⁠ Helen Hoang⁠
⁠
𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗿:⁠ ⁠
⁠
𝗠𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀:⁠ Amazing book! I really loved it. I gave the book four stars because I felt that the ending was rushed and didn't make much sense. If you've read it, feel free to DM me so we can discuss it without spoiling it for others. I was confused about the timeline. Despite this, I still think it's an amazing book and I plan to read the whole series.⁠
⁠
I already have both The Bride Test and The Heart Principle and I'm debating if I go straight into reading The Heart Principle as inhaled The Bride Test before I even posted this review lol.⁠
⁠
I believe that Book 1 in most standalone series is always going to be the weakest book because it establishes the setting. The process of "world-building" takes a substantial amount of time, but it is what sets a series apart. I love the Phan family and want to stay in this world for a bit longer.
⁠
𝗤𝗢𝗧𝗗 𝟮: Does the first book in a series have to focus on world-building at the expense of the romance?⁠
⁠
𝗜𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 📸⁠
⁠
[𝗜𝗗 𝟭:⁠ Book cover of The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang on a fluffy white, textured pillow.⁠
⁠
𝗜𝗗 𝟮:⁠ The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang's book statistics page. In the left column, the text contains: "Rating of 4 Stars. Spice Level of 4 Spicy Peppers. The names of the Main Characters are Stella (30) & Michael (28). Tropes are Love Lessons, and Opposites Attract. The characters are an Econometrician & Escort/Fashion Designer. Representation is Female MC has Autism, and the Male MC is Vietnamese. Trigger Warning for Absent Parent and Autistic Ableism. Next, in the right column, is the book cover of The Nanny. Below is an "if you like this, try this:" rounded box with the book cover of The Dating Plan by Sara Desai. This book is recommended since both books have female leads obsessed with math and male leads with daddy issues.⁠
⁠
𝗜𝗗 𝟯:⁠ Full book description of The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang.]

𝗤𝗢𝗧𝗗: What's your favorite book with texts/emails between the characters?⁠
⁠
𝗠𝘆 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀:⁠
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5⁠
🌶️/5⁠
⁠
𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿:⁠ Allison Ashley⁠
⁠
𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗿:⁠ Mira Books⁠
⁠
𝗠𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀:⁠ ⁠ This is such a delightful story. Despite the fact that the characters may appear immature for their age (31 and 36), I found it to be incredibly charming. It's a romance novel with an emphasis on emotional intimacy rather than explicit details. I recall Would You Rather being spicier, but my tolerance for spiciness has increased so I very well may be misremembering the spice. However, the chemistry between the lead characters was undeniable, which compensated for the lack of spice.

I laughed out loud and swooned while reading Graham's emails. It would have been great to see Claire's response to them, but I understand why the emails were written as a journal for Graham. Overall, it's a fantastic follow-up to Would You Rather, but it can also be enjoyed as a standalone novel. I'm excited to read more from this author.
⁠
𝗜𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 📸⁠
⁠
[𝗜𝗗 𝟭:⁠ Book cover of The Roommate Pact by Allison Ashley on a fluffy white, textured pillow.⁠
⁠
𝗜𝗗 𝟮:⁠ The Roommate Pact by Allison Ashley's book statistics page. In the left column, the text contains: "Rating of 3.5 Stars. Spice Level of 1 Spicy Peppers. The names of the Main Characters are Claire (31) & Graham (36). Tropes are Roommates, He Falls First & Friends to lovers. The characters are a Nurse and a Firefighter. Trigger Warning for a living parent with MS & past parental death." Next, in the right column, is the book cover of The Roommate Pact. Below is an "if you like this, try this:" rounded box with the book cover of The Roommate Situation by Katie Bailey. This book is recommended since both books have roommates with lots of tension but are closed-door.⁠
⁠
𝗜𝗗 𝟯:⁠ Full book description of The Roommate Pact by Allison Ashley.]⁠

🏷️

Living with a love interest can lead to many humorous yet awkward romantic situations. Here are a few books that prove that maybe your soulmate is in the room next door! 😊⁠
⁠
Books Featured:⁠
⁠
↠ Mr. Wrong Number by Lynn Painter⁠
↠ Loathe Thy Neighbor by Teagan Hunter⁠
↠ The Roommate by Rosie Danan⁠
↠ Exes & O's by Amy Lea⁠
↠ Count Your Lucky Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur⁠ .m.bellefleur
↠ Kilt to Order by Susannah Nix⁠
↠ The Roommate Pact by Allison Ashley⁠
↠ The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas⁠
↠ Roomies by Christina Lauren⁠
↠ First Love, Take Two by Sajni Patel⁠
⁠
𝗤𝗢𝗧𝗗: What's your favorite romance book where the leads are roommates?⁠
⁠
[𝗜𝗗 𝟭: White background at the top with a dark purple house frame with a black outline taking up the majority of the space. On the house, there is the heading: "Roommates" followed by a subheading "Under the same roof = chaotic romance". Below headlines are the ten books covers featured in proxy rainbow order. On the top row there is Mr. Wrong Number by Lynn Painter, Loathe Thy Neighbor by Teagan Hunter, The Roommate by Rosie Danan, Exes & O's by Amy Lea and Count Your Lucky Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur. One the bottom row there is Kilt to Order by Susannah Nix, The Roommate Pact by Allison Ashley, The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas, Roomies by Christina Lauren, and First Love, Take Two by Sajni Patel.]⁠
⁠
🏷️⁠
⁠

𝗤𝗢𝗧𝗗: What's your favorite Beauty & the Beast Retelling?⁠
⁠
𝗠𝘆 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀:⁠
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5⁠
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5⁠
⁠
𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿:⁠ Tessa Dare⁠
⁠
𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗿:⁠ Avon Books⁠
⁠
𝗠𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀:⁠ Incredible! I adored this steamy, marriage of convenience-book that starts the Girl Meets Duke series. This is my first Tessa Dare book, and now I can’t comprehend how I’ve waited this long to read her books. I shall rectify that asap!⁠
⁠
Highly recommend this to historical fans. I laughed out loud, which is always a plus.⁠
⁠
𝗜𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 📸⁠
⁠
[𝗜𝗗 𝟭:⁠ Book cover of The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare on a fluffy white, textured pillow.⁠
⁠
𝗜𝗗 𝟮:⁠ The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare's book statistics page. The text contains: "Rating of 5 Stars. Spice Level of 4 Spicy Peppers. Names of Main Characters are Emma & Ash. Tropes are Marriage of Convenience & Grumpy-Sunshine. Trigger Warning for Public shaming and War PTSD. Note that this is the first book in the Girl Meets Duke series, published by Avon Books." Next, there is "Similar Couples:" above two photos of couples, Belle and Beast from Beauty and the Beast and Phantom and Christine from The Phantom of the Opera. Both couples have class differences and an "ugly" male lead.⁠
⁠
𝗜𝗗 𝟯:⁠ Full Book Description of The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare.]

𝗤𝗢𝗧𝗗: Have you read any books in the Beautiful Bastard series?⁠
⁠
𝗠𝘆 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀:⁠
★★★.5/5⁠
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5⁠
⁠
𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿: Christina Lauren⁠
⁠
𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗡𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀: Sara & Max⁠
⁠
𝗦𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸: The Score by Elle Kennedy⁠
⁠
𝗠𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀: This was pure s**t, and I'm not mad at it. I liked it better than Beautiful Bastard as I think Sara and Max have a more emotional connection I felt was lacking in Chloe and Bennett's story. Overall solid read for what it is, spicy scenes with a small plotline that isn't super developed.⁠
⁠
𝗜𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 📸⁠
⁠
[𝗜𝗗 𝟭:⁠ Book cover of Beautiful Stranger by Christina Lauren on a fluffy white, textured pillow.⁠
⁠
𝗜𝗗 𝟮: Beautiful Stranger by Christina Lauren's book stats page. The text contains: "Rating of 3.5 out of 5 Stars. Spice Level of 5 out of 5 Spicy Peppers. Names of the Main Characters are Sara & Max. The book is in Dual POV. Tropes are Strangers-to-Lovers & Secret Dating. Note that this is the second book in the classic Beautiful Bastard series." Next, there is "Similar Book:" above a picture of The Score by Elle Kennedy. Both have secret dating, spicy times in public, & bad-boy vibes.⁠
⁠
𝗜𝗗 𝟯:⁠ Full Book Description of Beautiful Stranger by Christina Lauren]⁠
⁠
🏷️⁠
⁠

Books coming out ♥ August 2023 ♥⁠
⁠
August 1⁠
↠ Tastes Like Shakkar by Nisha Sharma ⁠
↠ With Love, from Cold World by Alicia Thompson ⁠
↠ The Roommate Pact by Allison Ashley ⁠
↠ Kiss the Girl by Zoraida Córdova ⁠
⁠
August 8⁠
↠ Text Appeal by Amber Roberts ⁠
↠ Unnecessary Drama by Nina Kenwood ⁠
⁠
August 15⁠
↠ New Adult by Timothy Janovsky ⁠
↠ Codename Charming by Lucy Parker ⁠
↠ Tilly in Technicolor by Mazey Eddings ⁠
↠ Rent to Be by Sonia Hartl ⁠
⁠
August 29⁠
↠ Kissing Kosher by Jean Meltzer ⁠
⁠
Publishers: ⁠
⁠
☀️ ⁠
⁠
☀️⁠
⁠
☀️⁠
⁠

𝗣𝘂𝗯 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄: Someone Just Like You⁠
⁠
Thank you, , for my 💜 All opinions are my own.⁠
⁠
𝗠𝘆 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀:⁠
★★★★/5⁠
🌶️🌶️/5⁠
⁠
𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿: Meredith Schorr⁠
𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗡𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀: Molly & Jude⁠
𝗕𝗹𝘂𝗿𝗯: Two childhood rivals are forced to work together to plan their parents’ anniversary party in “this pitch-perfect enemies-to-lovers rom-com.”⁠
𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗿: Forever Publishing⁠
𝗦𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸: Only When It's Us by Chloe Liese⁠
⁠
𝗠𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀: This was cute while a bit immature. I found the pranks and playfulness to be endearing. Discovering that your childhood rival and neighbor is your soulmate and then unconsciously pursuing someone who resembles them is pretty intriguing.⁠ Definitely worth a read. Highly recommend for people who like more closed door books. There are two spicy scenes but they are short and not overly descriptive.
⁠
𝗤𝗢𝗧𝗗: Who/what is your nemesis? (silly answers are encouraged😂)⁠
⁠
𝗜𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 📸⁠
⁠
[𝗜𝗗 𝟭:⁠ Book cover of Someone Just Like You by Meredith Schorr on a fluffy white, textured pillow. The top right corner has a label stating this is a "Pub Week Review."⁠
⁠
𝗜𝗗 𝟮: Someone Just Like You by Meredith Schorr's book stats page. The text contains: "Rating of 4 out of 5 Stars. Spice Level of 2 out of 5 Spicy Peppers. Names of the Main Characters are Molly & Jude. The book is in Single POV. Tropes are Childhood Enemy & Family Friend. Trigger Warning for Divorce, Career Ending Injury & Toxic Work Environment. Representation includes both main characters being Jewish." Next, there is "Similar Book:" above a picture of Only When It's Us by Chloe Liese. Both couples are frenemies who have prank wars.⁠
⁠
𝗜𝗗 𝟯:⁠ Full Book Description of Someone Just Like You by Meredith Schorr, Published by Forever Publishing.]⁠
⁠
🏷️⁠

Study Results (Part 1) Book Covers

If you’ve been following my stories, you know this spring, I invited people to participate in my research study for my final project at

I’m happy to announce that my completed Examining the Romance Reader study is now live on my website!

Here is a preview of one of the research questions:
Do You Have a Preference Between Illustrated Covers vs Real Images?

Swipe through for the data and some quotes from participants. For these quotes thanks to & 💗

Make sure to check out the whole study online!

Click the link in my bio or use this short link in your browser 🔗 bit.ly/3q9wVIx

Thanks to all the lovely people who answered my survey or completed an interview.

Questions of the Day: Are you surprised by these results? Why or why not? Do you have a preference yourself?

🏷️

𝗤𝗢𝗧𝗗: ⁠Have you ever been to a Highland Games? 🏋️ 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿⁠
⁠
Thank you, , for my 💚 All opinions are my own.⁠
⁠
𝗠𝘆 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀:⁠
★★★★★/5⁠
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5⁠
⁠
𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿: Susannah Nix⁠
⁠
𝗠𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀: This was super cute, steamy, and just fun! Great short summer read that inhaled. Casey and Gareth were perfect friends to lovers. Casey is a book lover, so that was a fun detail. Excited to see how this book will interconnect with Nathan’s story in the King Family Book #4!⁠
⁠
𝗜𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 📸⁠
⁠
[𝗜𝗗 𝟭:⁠ Book cover of Kilt to Order by Susannah Nix on a fluffy white, textured pillow. The top right corner has a label stating this is a "Pub Week Review."⁠
⁠
𝗜𝗗 𝟮: Kilt to Order by Susannah Nix's book stats page. The text contains: "Rating of 5 Stars. Spice Level of 4 Spicy Peppers. Names of the Main Characters are Casey & Gareth. The book has Dual POV. Tropes are Roommates, Brother's Best Friend & Love Lessons. Note that this is the first book in the new Kilt Trip series. A spinoff of the King Family series, both by Susannah Nix." Next, there is "Similar Book:" above a picture of Fix Her Up by Tessa Bailey. Both books have the same tropes and a female main character who hasn't dated.⁠
⁠
𝗜𝗗 𝟯:⁠ Full Book Description of Kilt to Order by Susannah Nix.]

🏷️

QOTD: Do you prefer reading a series or a standalone novel?⁠
⁠
Thank you, , for my 💗 All opinions are my own.⁠
⁠
My Ratings:⁠
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5⁠
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5⁠
⁠
Author: Tracey Livesay⁠
⁠
My Thoughts: Dani and Jameson are back with a steamy story after their initial happily ever after. They struggle to navigate their fame, and their relationship is in jeopardy after a series of miscommunications.⁠
⁠
Although the story is certainly enjoyable, it may not have been necessary to turn it into a series. Although it's clear at the end of American Royalty that the couple wouldn't have an easy time, I think the first book gives us enough of a happy ending. This opinion is indicative of my preference for a series of standalone novels.⁠
⁠
Nevertheless, I hope there's a third book because it's fun, and The Duchess Effect left readers on a slight cliffhanger. It's a good read, but I'd rather have another couple set in this world where we could see Dani and Jameson as secondary characters.⁠
⁠
I suggest you only read this book if you've read American Royalty first. If you liked American Royalty, you would also appreciate this.⁠
⁠
Image Descriptions 📸⁠
⁠
ID 1: Book cover of The Duchess Effect by Tracey Livesay on a white fluffy and textured pillow. The top right corner has a label stating that this is a "Pub Week Review."⁠
⁠
ID 2: The Duchess Effect book stats page. The blue background reads "POV: Dual, Rating of 4 stars, Spice Level of 5 chiles, and Tropes: Celebrity Romance & Royalty Romance." To the right is a photo of American Royalty's book cover with a disclaimer reading, "This is a sequel! Unlike many romance books I've reviewed, this is a true sequel, so I highly recommend reading American Royalty first."⁠
⁠
ID 3: Full Book Description.

Part 1: Books Inspired by Jane Austen's "Emma" 💗⁠
⁠
Summary: "Emma" centers around Emma Woodhouse, a precocious young woman whose misplaced confidence in her matchmaking abilities creates several romantic misadventures.⁠
⁠
Books Featured 📖⁠
⁠
↠ Emma of 83rd Street by Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding⁠
↠ Never Met a Duke Like You by Amalie Howard⁠
↠ Wasted Words by Staci Hart⁠
↠ Kamila Knows Best by Farah Heron⁠
↠ The Emma Project by Sonali Dev⁠
↠ Love Decoded by Jennifer Yen⁠
↠ Perfect on Paper by Sophie Gonzales⁠
↠ The Code for Love and Heartbreak by Jillian Cantor⁠
⁠
QOTD: What is your favorite Jane Austen Book?⁠
⁠
Image Descriptions 📸⁠
⁠
ID 1: Light purple background with black text reading "Jane Austen is an icon who still impacts the romance genre! Part 1: Books Inspired by Emma." In the center is a circle frame with a picture of Jane Austen.⁠
⁠
ID 2: Light purple background with black text reading "Books Reminiscent of Emma." Below the title text are the 8 covers of the books listed above.

QOTD: What are your favorite books with the Forbidden Love trope?⁠
⁠
Thank you, for my 💗 All opinions are my own.⁠
⁠
My Ratings:⁠
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5⁠
🌶️🌶️🌶️/5⁠
⁠
Author: ⁠
⁠
My Thoughts: Christina Britton killed it with What's a Duke Got to Do With It! The characters, Katrina and Sebastian, were so cute together, and the ending had me in tears of joy. This book is a great example of how to use the forbidden love trope. ⁠
⁠
For those who are fans of Taylor Swift, this book reminded me of her song "Delicate." The main character, Katrina, goes through some tough times but still manages to find love. She doesn't let the men who caused her problems ruin her future, which I found very admirable. The plot was well-developed and kept me engaged throughout the entire book. The epilogue made me tear up with happiness. ⁠
⁠
I am eager to read the next book in the Synneful Spinsters series. All books can be read as a standalone, but if you haven't read Some Dukes Have All the Luck, I highly recommend it as well.⁠
⁠
Happy Saturday! I wish you a weekend of good reads 📖⁠
⁠
Image Descriptions are in a pinned comment with 📸 emoji.

Books coming out ♥ July 2023 ♥⁠
⁠
July 4⁠
↠ Business or Pleasure by Rachel Lynn Solomon ⁠
↠ Sunshine Nails by Mai Nguyen ⁠
⁠
July 11⁠
↠ The Duchess Effect by Tracey Livesay .livesay⁠
↠ Play to Win by Jodie Slaughter ⁠
↠ A Lady's Guide to Scandal by Sophie Irwin .irwin⁠
↠ Forget Me Not by Julie Soto ⁠
↠ Good Fortune by C.K. Chau⁠
↠ What’s a Duke Got to Do With It by Christina Britton ⁠
⁠
July 18⁠
↠ To Have and To Heist by Sara Desai ⁠
↠ Sammy Espinsoza's Last Review by Tehlor Kay Mejia ⁠
⁠
July 25⁠
↠ Kilt to Order by Susannah Nix ⁠
↠ Someone Like You by Meredith Schorr ⁠
⁠
Publishers Featured: ⁠
⁠
☀️ ⁠
⁠
☀️⁠
⁠
☀️⁠
⁠
⁠ ⁠