Drive Me Crazy

Drive Me Crazy by Lizzy Dent, 368 pages

Chloe has clawed her way to the top of Formula 1, and is ready to finally be announced as the first female team principle. But her billionaire boss chooses to use that same press conference to announce the hiring of the once-great, now-not-so-great driver Matt, who also happens to be an unrequited crush from Chloe's childhood. But as Matt joins the team, sparks begin to fly between the two, and Chloe is forced to prove herself as a Formula 1 boss while also allowing her love life to flourish.

This is a spicy sports romance about a sport I know NOTHING about, which made it intriguing in ways that had nothing to do with the romance. I respect and appreciate that. What I didn't necessarily love about this is the sheer number of times that Chloe says "no, we shouldn't do that" and Matt presses her anyway (and she immediately folds). It doesn't seem to work with her established career focus, and made both of them feel really juvenile in their thinking. That said, I probably will pick up more Formula 1 romances, because I definitely found that bit interesting.

Daggerbound

Daggerbound by T. Kingfisher, 448 pages

Learned Edmund is no longer excited by his career as a religious scholar after discovering that his job mainly consists of schlepping artifacts from one temple to another. He's determined that this job will be his last, though he doesn't anticipate being set upon by bandits and grabbing the relic with his bare hands, releasing an warrior cursed to live in the dagger forever. The Dervish, as the immortal and devastatingly handsome warrior calls himself, must serve the bearer of the dagger whether he wants to or not. But as much as he wants to hate his new wielder, the Dervish just can't help but like Edmund for his dorky kindness.

While that first paragraph makes this sound like a romance novel, I'd argue that it's more of a found-family cozy fantasy, as Edmund and the Dervish manage to pick up strays and reforge old friendships throughout their journey to break the Dervish's curse. It's sweet and cozy and a fun story, no matter where you put it on the shelf though.

I Hope This Email Finds You in Hell

 I Hope This Email Finds You in Hell by Mackenzie Reed, 352 pages. 

Brie has felt like a ghost of herself since her parents' deaths, living a sort of sad life as the receptionist for an insurance company, watching reality TV with her favorite coworker (and only friend), and nursing a small crush on her hot boss. But when she sees said boss performing an exorcism on a coworker after work hours, right before her friend and a rash of other women vanish, she forces her way into the rescue mission to hell. 

I'm afraid I wasn't impressed by this one. It's so aggressively by-the-numbers that it felt almost mass produced. Perhaps it's because I'm a little particular about my romance novels, but I found myself rolling my eyes pretty constantly, and some neat set pieces couldn't make up for a weak plot and prose that was very fine. Maybe read this if you want the most expected of romances, but honestly there are better things out there.

Main Characters

 

Main Characters by Bobby Palmer, 398 pages

A story of two people falling in love and their trials of life, but told from perspectives of everyone but the main characters. A barista, a downstairs neighbor, a best friend, a mother… the list goes on. 

This story was great, and the writing was so unique as you never got to read Clara or Seb’s thoughts, making all accounts of their relationship honest and blunt. I really have never read a book like this. It was difficult to support many of the main characters decisions, and as the book went on some parts felt too drawn out and I got tired of their choices by the end. Despite this, the writing was great and other relationships built in the story were beautiful to follow in addition to the main characters relationship. 

Soon By You

Soon By You by Dahlia Adler, 336 pages

Serial bridesmaid Arielle is sick of losing all of her best friends and closest cousins to marriages and coupled-up events where she doesn't really fit in. But she's also not really the type of woman to settle down. Orthodox wedding singer Judah is the opposite of that: he's determined to find a bride (and the right one, not just *a* wife), but he doesn't do hookups and ascribes to shomer negiah, a prohibition of touching the opposite sex that some Orthodox Jews follow. Yet Judah's gigs and Arielle's bridesmaid duties keep bringing them together, and to the surprise of both of them, sparks fly.

I was really excited to read this book, as I thought it would be great to see a romance that respects Orthodox Judaism's traditions and limitations. And to some degree, this one does that, with plenty of discussion about the wedding traditions, and shomer negiah. However, Judah's deeply held beliefs about remaining shomer negiah go right out the door and go straight to some pretty spicy situations RIDICULOUSLY FAST. That seemed really problematic to me, and distracted me from the connection between the two main characters. That may be a me issue while reading this, but it's definitely something to be aware of if you start reading this thinking the romance and sexual tension will simmer but never scald.

The Slow Burn

The Slow Burn by Ali Rosen, 316 pages

After superstar chef Kit's trendy restaurant burns down and her restaurant financier boyfriend dumps her, Kit has nowhere to turn. So she takes her friend's advice and decamps to a tiny town in Italy to work for her friend's pasta-making nonna. While she's there, Kit is forced to slow down, rethink her methods in everything from communicating to cooking, and embrace the small community. What she doesn't expect, however, is to fall for olive oil producer Nico, who's dealing with plenty of emotional baggage of his own.

This book is billed as a romance novel, and while yes, it is (and the title gives you a solid hint as to the type of romance to expect), I'd argue that the stronger story lies in Kit's personal growth and how she comes to understand her own faults while building a strong community around her. It's book that, more than anything, made me hungry for some fresh pasta and long for a trip abroad.

Hungerstone

  

 

 

 Hungerstone by Kat Dunn, 336 pages

A retelling of the classic story Carmilla, but with a backdrop of the Industrial Revolution. Inside a  remote country manor in the Moors, Lenore must face an unhappy marriage, nightmares that leave her desiring more, and her past traumas. 

I really enjoyed this book! I have read Carmilla and enjoyed it, although given the time it was written it was hard to understand at times. This novel brought a fresh perspective to the classic, while still maintaining key themes. The ending did feel a bit rushed. 

 

Good Luck, Babe!

 

Good Luck, Babe! by Erin Baldwin, 332 pages.

Noelle and Yumi have been best friends since they were kids, until an impulsive kiss the night they submit their application to the Adventureverse (an Amazing Race-type reality show) resulted in a year of no contact. But Noelle will do anything to get the money for her father's medical treatment, including fake-dating her former best friend for an all-couples season of reality TV. Now the girls are suddenly remembering what it's like to be each other's person, but it's hard to figure out feelings on national television, and even harder when everyone else has to believe you already have them figured out. How is a girl supposed to know what's real?

I think this book was made in a lab for me specifically. Much like Noelle, I grew up watching The Amazing Race with my family, and it's uncanny how exactly Baldwin nailed the tone, to the point where I definitely heard the clues in Phil Keoghan's voice, and could visualize the shots of the challenges. I thought the depiction of Noelle's ADHD and anxiety were very well done, and I loved the characters, both individually and as a unit. I would have liked to see a little bit more explicit clearing of the misunderstanding in the backstory, because the hardest thing I found to buy about the premise was that they misunderstood each other that badly for a year, after seeing how instinctively they seem to understand each other at literally every other point. Overall though, I think this novel did a great job balancing a fun, silly premise with a solid emotional heart, so it can be forgiven for making me hum Chappell Roan under my breath for days. I also NEED a director's cut for this book, because every cut for time scene that Baldwin describes in the author's note sounds delightful.

This book will be released 6/23/26 

Emma

 

Emma by Jane Austen (1816) 484 pages

Until recently, the only book of Austen's which I had read was Pride and Prejudice, along with many take-offs using the Bennett family as a starting point. I have been thirsting for something substantial to read, something that would be a sure winner, and Emma was that sure winner.

Possibly everyone reading has long been aware of the plot of this novel: Emma is a twenty-one-year-old woman from a family of means, determined to care for her elderly father rather than to marry. She does relish the idea of trying to match up other available young people and she takes credit for the successful marriage of her former governess and a local widower. When Emma meets Harriet Smith, a young woman of unknown parentage, Emma is determined to keep her from marrying a farmer who has caught her eye, but instead wants to match her up with a man who is higher up in society. Things don't always work out the way she expects.

The reader meets all sorts of people in the small town of Highbury, some 16 miles outside of London, many of whom are just regular folks, and some who are more in the "gentleman's" class of people, such as her neighbor, Mr. Knightley, who is the brother of Emma's sister's husband. Sometimes Emma has a streak of classism and other times we see a more humanitarian side of her. Her inclinations evolve as time goes on and as she tries to assuage her father's negativity. This work is a fine, classic story.

The Summer Share

The Summer Share by Jenn McKinlay, 368 pages

When travel influencer Hannah stops at her late grandfather's vacation home on the Outer Banks, she assumes her inheritance will be a bit of a fixer upper, but home nonetheless. However, when she arrives, she learns that her grandpa only owned half the house, and the other half has been willed to Simon O'Malley, the grandson of her grandfather's co-owner. The pair of them must live there for two months, and then decide jointly to keep or sell the house, which seems to be a big problem as Hannah's determined to keep the house while Simon is dead set on selling it.

This was an OK romance novel, with a pretty standard setup for an uncomfortable shared space forcing the romance to the surface, and a ridiculously fantastic dog. My main quibbles are that the two main characters' voices don't change much chapter to chapter, which makes it hard to tell whose chapter I was reading at a given time (this is not helped by the characters' tendency to refer to each other by surnames). Also, there's a brief conversation about the viral "man vs. bear" question, which felt really out of place and came to some disturbingly bad conclusions (They agree that only women who have been traumatized by men would choose the bear? Seriously?? I'll happily rant about this to you IRL, if you want.) It was a small bit, but it distracted me SO MUCH from the rest of the book, that it's the main thing I'll remember. Well, that and the dog.

The Monsters We Defy

 The Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope (2022) 349 pages

I listened to the audiobook on Libby narrated by Shayna Small. This is historical fiction with fantasy mixed in. The setting is 1925 in Washington D.C.'s "Black Broadway" neighborhood, a place and time where Langston Hughes and W. E. B. Du Bois make cameos. Even the main character Clara Johnson is based on a real person. She can see through the veil that separates our world from the spirit world. Her grandmother's ghost stays nearby to give her advice. Clara knows the rules surrounding different types of spirits making deals with humans. Like jinn, Enigmas can grant wishes or special abilities, but there is always a trick, a cost that most would see as a curse. Poor African Americans around D.C. are going missing. With information from contacts in the spirit world Clara learns she needs to recover a magic ring from an opera diva with bootleg liquor gang ties in Black Broadway. Clara will need a team to pull off this heist and stop the nefarious plot. Her ragtag crew are all very interesting characters. Most have skills from deals they've made with Enigmas. Her roommate Zelda grew up in the circus and picked up many random skills that are not magical, but very helpful. Clara also falls in love with the jazz musician, Israel Lee, on her team. It was an enjoyable adventure.

The (Most Unusual) Haunting of Edgar Lovejoy

 

The (Most Unusual) Haunting of Edgar Lovejoy by Roan Parrish (2025) 366 pages

Jamie is nonbinary trans masculine (they/them). Edgar is gay. When they meet, there is an instant connection, but Edgar flees because he sees a ghost. This is a frequent occurence. He does all he can to avoid ghosts, which makes his nighttime social life just about nonexistent. His main support comes from his sister, Allie. Their father left long ago, their mother is apparently mentally disabled and out of their lives, and their brother disappeared 6 years ago.

One of Jamie's jobs is being part of a team that creates haunted houses for Halloween. The spookier the better. Jamie is also part of a political family that still sees them as a woman.

As a relationship develops between Jamie and Edgar, Jamie is frustrated as they are called to participate in their sister's upcoming wedding, while their family ignores Jamie's achievements in helping create fabulous haunted house attractions. Meanwhile, Edgar is trying trying to live with less fear. And for anyone who wonders what sex might mean for a trans nonbinary person and a gay man, you'll find that here, too.

Catch Her If You Can

Catch Her If You Can by Tessa Bailey, 336 pages

Eve first saw Madden when they were in high school, and while she was immediately attracted to him she didn't speak up, letting her best friend's crush on Madden keep her away from him, even though he was obviously attracted to Eve. Now adults, Eve has taken over her late father's strip club and rebranded it as a burlesque venue (though she's still fighting the stigma of her father's business) and has taken in her niece and nephew while their mom goes to rehab. Meanwhile, Madden just got called up to catch for the Yankees. Still harboring a crush on his longtime friend, Madden offers to marry her so that Eve and her niblings have health insurance and some financial stability. While Eve agrees to the platonic plan, her stipulation that they remain friends (and spouses only for the financial benefits) doesn't hold up very long as their mutual attraction soon becomes abundantly clear.

This was a quick, spicy read, but it is far from my favorite romance novel this year. There's something off about Eve and Madden's relationship, and Eve seems like she needs therapy, not a relationship with the dude she's been pining over for years. Meh.

Sorcery & Small Magics

Sorcery & Small Magics by Maiga Doocy, 416 pages

I first blogged about this slow-burn romanticish fantasy novel in December 2024, and I loved it then. I still love it today on a second reading, and I was delighted to find that the Orcs & Aliens book group also loved it. The magic system, the relationships, the complex and confusing political world... all of it is fascinating and made for great conversations. Alas, the second book in this series has yet to be released, but you can bet I'll read it as soon as it's available!

The Re-Do List

The Re-Do List by Denise Williams, 432 pages

After a VERY public breakup with her longtime boyfriend, Willow just wants to hide away. Thankfully, she gets the opportunity when her brother Cruz asks her to dog-sit while he's deployed overseas. To make sure his sister's doing OK, Cruz asks his best friend Deacon to routinely check in on her. As Deacon and Willow talk through her recent breakup, she decides to make a "re-do" list for all of the things that she only ever experienced with her ex. Some are pretty innocuous, some are a bit spicier, and when Deacon volunteers to help Willow check some items off her list, he doesn't realize that he's soon going to be tempted to break the promise he made to Cruz to keep his hands off Willow.

There's usually something questionable about a happily-ever-after happening in a rebound situation, and on paper, that's what this looks like. However, Williams deftly avoids the trap of centering Willow's personal growth around yet another man — that's specifically addressed in a conversation between Willow and Deacon, with Willow stating that she's doing these things for herself and Deacon is simply supporting her. Similarly, Deacon's personal growth as someone medically discharged from the military coming to grips with his new (and unwilling) veteran status is his growth, and just happens to work well with his future with Willow. All in all, this was an excellently done romance, with complex characters and ridiculously loveable dogs. Two thumbs enthusiastically up!

Star Shipped

Star Shipped by Cat Sebastian, 384 pages

For seven years, straitlaced Simon has been one of the leads on a popular science fiction TV show, opposite Charlie, a handsome and chaotic former reality star. After the season ends, Simon's planning on leaving for a serious acting job on Broadway, though he hasn't shared that info with anyone. However, given his standoffishness, Simon's concerned that it will look like he's leaving because he was difficult to work with, so when Charlie offers to help his image with some chummy social media posts, Simon reluctantly says yes. Despite Charlie being everything Simon detests.

This enemies-to-lovers, grumpy/sunshine romance is classic Cat Sebastian, in that it's fantastic, with fully realized characters and a thoughtful consideration of emotional and psychological baggage. Really, my only complaints with this book are that the excuse for the road trip seems a bit flimsy, and the cover makes this look like it takes place in the 1960s (which it most certainly does not). Otherwise, it's fantastic, and I highly recommend it.

Sorcery and Small Magics

Sorcery and Small Magics (The Wildersongs Trilogy, #1) by Maiga Doocy (2024, 416 pages)

Grumpy/sunshine magicians, destined to embark on a quest to break a curse? Sign me up!

Leo and Sebastian find themselves closer than they ever wanted to be after a spell mix up. In order to conduct magic, you need a writer and a caster. Leo can change the color of someone's eyes, which seems grand to us, but is not impressive at the school. Sebastian is set to climb the ladder. He takes his magic casting seriously and doesn't want to bother with Leo's silliness and lackadaisical manner. They've thus gained a reputation as rivals at their magic school. Of course, when they're paired up randomly for an assignment, they must work together to then... undo the accident of the assignment.

What I liked:
✨ Charming (pun intended) story
✨ Always love a grumpy/sunshine pair. Well maybe more serious than grumpy but still
✨ Leo makes his own form of magic
✨ He's also hilarious!

What I didn't like:
💤 I do actually think it was well done, but some ambiguity in the end left me wanting more of an answer
💤Some scenes were a bit over the top for me
💤Would really like to see some parts of the world flushed out more in future books! But I don't think it took away from the story

Favorite quote: "After that, I decided to amuse myself by the only means available: the sound of my own voice." 

⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Bridge Back to You

The Bridge Back to You by Riss M. Neilson, 368 pages

When they were teens, Olivia and Carmello met and fell in love as they worked together in Celia's Place, Carmello's mother's restaurant in Providence, Rhode Island. Raised by activist parents who never stayed in one place long, Olivia finally found a sense of home in the restaurant, which provided her with stability and fed her desire to become a chef. At 20, however, Olivia left Providence to seek her food fortunes elsewhere, and while Carmello wanted to go with her, his loyalty to his mother and her health needs kept him home, and destroyed their relationship. A decade later, Celia has died after a long battle with cancer, leaving Olivia a 25% stake in the restaurant that she hasn't seen in years. While she's still drifting between jobs as a personal chef, Olivia has a bit of time on her hands, and decides to head back to Providence to see what she can do for Celia's Place... and perhaps reignite the relationship to which she compares all others.

Usually, a multicultural second chance romance with lots of droolworthy food, single parents, and good representation of living with mental and physical health issues is a slam-dunk recipe for me. And for the most part, this romance was excellent. HOWEVER, the plot devices related to Celia's will soured it for me, as all of it seemed contrived. But if you're able to look past that, this one is a fun read, though it will make you hungry.

How to Fake It in Society

How to Fake It in Society by K.J. Charles, 320 pages

The Comte de Valois de La Motte, son of the woman who purportedly stole an infamous necklace from Marie Antoinette, has run out of funds. But he does have a painting that may draw a high price from fans of the late French queen, and who better to buy it than Titus Pilcrow, a paint-maker who has recently found himself unexpectedly married and then widowed, the beneficiary of an elderly woman's need to marry and keep her noxious nephew from inheriting. Titus immediately takes to the Comte (Nico, as his friends call him), and asks him to help steer Titus through London's high society. Despite Nico's nefarious plans, he agrees and finds himself unwilling to con the man that he finds increasingly appealing. But as debts rise and unscrupulous loan sharks come calling, Nico must make some move — but will it destroy his burgeoning relationship with Titus?

This was a very engaging story, and I particularly loved all the details about color creation, artistic techniques and forgeries, and fashion. However, between those and the long con that was going on throughout the book, the romance got a bit lost in the shuffle. Still, a fun trip into a historical romantic tale.

This book will be published April 28, 2026.

A Lady for All Seasons

A Lady for All Seasons by TJ Alexander, 304 pages

Verbena Montrose's family is rapidly spiraling toward poverty, which means that she is on the hunt for a husband, and quickly. Her penchant for gossip comes in quite handy, especially when she learns that her tailor friend Etienne has unexpectedly inherited a large estate, though there's a rumor going around that could ruin him. The two quickly agree to a marriage of convenience. Meanwhile, Verbena meets poet and fellow gossip Flora Whitcombe, and finds herself obsessed with her new friend, while also gaining the attention of William Forsyth, a struggling novelist and youngest son of a minor noble. However, Flora and William have a secret, one that complicates EVERYTHING that Verbena is feeling.

I love this author's commitment to showing queer joy during the Regency era, in a mostly historically appropriate way. That said, at certain points the romance of this story took a backseat to the bedroom farce that was going on with William, Flora, and Verbena. Fun, but perhaps not my favorite romance read.