Home » contemporary romance
Tag:

contemporary romance

Fall with Me by Becka Mack_Romance Book Tropes by Reading in PJs
Becka MackBook Reviews

Fall with Me

by Jill
written by Jill
Fall with Me by Becka Mack_Romance Book Tropes by Reading in PJs
Fall with Me by Becka Mack_ Romance Book Quotes by Reading in PJs
Fall with Me by Becka Mack_ Romance Book Quotes by Reading in PJs

Book Review:
Fall with Me

Becka Mack

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

Once again Becka Mack checks all the boxes for PERFECTION! 😍

Fall with Me is deeply vulnerable, hilarious and sexy, making you laugh and cry from one sentence to the next.

JAXON and LENNON are EVERYTHING! ✨

⭐️ rating: ♾️
🌶️ spice: 3/5 (many open door scenes, plot > spice)

💭 overall thoughts:
My notes for this one were absolute CHAOS 😅
As I went back through my 117 highlights I fell in love with this book all over again.

Lennon & Jaxon have incredible banter, and have so much more in common than what may be seen at first glance.
Jaxon is such an acts of service boy, and he doesn’t even realize he’s doing it (which makes it all the sweeter).

They are both the sweetest souls, looking for their place in the world, wanting to feel like they belong. The support and love they find with one another is beautiful, and a person to call home.

This honestly read a lot like a single dad romance, Jaxon takes Cat Daddy to the next LEVEL – and the way Lennon also falls in love with Mittens 🥰

We got SO MUCH of the rest of the boys & their ladies, they had me smiling from ear to ear (and they brought on the tears too).

tropes + topics:
1️⃣ one night stand
😡 frenemies to lovers
🏠 roommates with benefits
🏒 pro hockey player
📸 team photographer
🐱 cat daddy
🫶🏼 found family
💞 dual 1st person pov

In case you haven’t heard of this series before, Fall with Me is Book 4 in the series. While this can definitely be read as a standalone (for the main couple), I highly recommend reading them in order to get the full *found family* vibes & understanding of all the side characters.

Thank you to Becka Mack for sending me a surprise an advanced copy!! And to Simon & Schuster Canada for the physical arc. All opinions are my own.

Find it on Goodreads HERE.

Buy the Book:
AMAZON

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Book ReviewsMeghan Quinn

So This is War

by Jill
written by Jill
So This is War by Meghan Quinn_Romance Book Quote by Reading in PJS
So This is War by Meghan Quinn_Romance Book Quote by Reading in PJS
So This is War by Meghan Quinn_Romance Book Quote by Reading in PJS

Book Review:
So This is War

Meghan Quinn

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

I dropped EVERYTHING to read this one the second it hit my kindle – it did NOT disappoint 😍😍

I loved seeing another side to Posey, and seeing him meet his perfect match in Wylie 🥰

We’ve got – age gap, coach’s daughter aka FORBIDDEN big time, boss/assistant, & they become roommates – the tension is 🔥🔥
Agitators fans – you’re gonna LOVE it!

📖 So This is War
📝 Meghan Quinn
🗓️ 06/25/2024
🏒 sports romance
📱 read on kindle (arc)
📚 book 5 • Vancouver Agitators series

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

💭 overall thoughts:
This was HILARIOUS and sweet, and just the perfect *ending* to this series – though I will miss these boys so much! 😭
Ready for OC’s spinoff series 🙃

There were so many things I loved about this book!

First off, the “erotic torture” – I was constantly laughing out loud with how they were with one another.

It reminded me a lot of that episode of Friends (MQ even mentions it) – the “they don’t know we know they know” one.

The group text chat with the ladies of the Agitators made me so happy. I love the boys shenanigans, but their women are flat out AMAZING.

The spice was spicing too – that scene in the s3x club 😮‍💨 iykyk

I hope this isn’t too much of a spoiler but… Wylie LOVES BOLOGNA!
Could anyone BE more perfect for POSEY?! 🥪

“I love bologna sandwiches,” she whispers.
“So do I,” I whisper back.
“That’s how I know we’re meant to be together.”

Aside from the romance, we also get the struggles of a complex father-daughter relationship between Wylie + her dad (Posey’s coach). That was a bit of a struggle to read, the way he thinks about her and treats her for most of the book is heartbreaking (they do work things out, but it feels sort of toxic for a lot of the story).

tropes + topics:
🧡 age gap (22/32)
📋 coach’s daughter
🏒 pro hockey player
🏠 roommates
🖇️ boss/assistant – workplace
🚫 forbidden
🫶🏼 found family
💞 dual 1st person pov

✨ books with similar vibes:
♡ Beautiful Stranger by Christina Lauren (workplace, intense physical chemistry)

Thank you to Meghan Quinn for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

Find it on Goodreads HERE.

Buy the Book:
AMAZON

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
He's Not My Type by Meghan Quinn_Romance Book Review by Reading in PJs
Book ReviewsMeghan Quinn

He’s Not My Type

by Jill
written by Jill
He's Not My Type by Meghan Quinn_Romance Book Review by Reading in PJs
He's Not My Type by Meghan Quinn_Romance Book Quote by Reading in PJs

Book Review:
He's Not My Type

Meghan Quinn

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

Oh Halsey.. I was waiting for his moment 🥰 I love a broken boy pining & crushing so hard.

This book is hilarious and sweet, and so spicy 🔥

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

💭 thoughts:
This one is probably my fav in the series, but I honestly love them all.
I think they’re best read in order, to really get the found family dynamics + the build up to this story!

📖 story:
We learn in the previous books that for Halsey it was pretty much love at first sight when he meets Blakely, but unfortunately, she has a boyfriend.

Following their breakup and her having an incident in her new apartment, they become roommates at Halsey’s place – this is one of my absolute fav tropes!! I love the forced proximity of living together 🥰

Halsey is still very much grieving the loss of his twin brother, and through friendship, and then more, Blakely helps bring him back to life 🥰

tropes + topics:
🏠 roommates
🙃 opposites attract
🩵 he falls first
🏒 pro hockey player
💼 workplace
🛏️ only one bed
🫶🏼 found family
💕 dual 1st person pov

✨ books with similar vibes:
♡ Always Only You by Chloe Liese (hockey/workplace, roommates, he falls first)

Find it on Goodreads HERE.

Buy the Book:
AMAZON

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Right Man Right Time by Meghan Quinn_Romance Book Review by REading in PJs
Book ReviewsMeghan Quinn

Right Man, Right Time

by Jill
written by Jill
Right Man Right Time by Meghan Quinn_Romance Book Review by REading in PJs
Right Man Right Time by Meghan Quinn_Romance Book Quote Reading in PJS
Right Man Right Time by Meghan Quinn_Romance Book Quote Reading in PJS

Book Review:
Right Man, Right Time

Meghan Quinn

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

My goodness this book was so HOT 🔥🔥

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

After kissing a stranger (Silas) at a bar to show her ex she’s *fine,* Ollie + Silas realize they can help each other in more ways than one.

She needs help with her internship (writing about hockey), and he needs a buffer to keep his ex (now working with the team) away from trying to get back together.

But what happens when feelings get in the way?

💭 overall thoughts:
I’m pretty obsessed with this whole series, and I feel like the books get better and better!

MCs:
Silas – I love how he’s totally a relationship guy, and definitely did not deserve how his ex treated him! He’s a sweet broken boy, who struggles to trust again.

Ollie – little spitfire! 10 years younger than Silas & a college student. I love how she goes after what she wants.

📖 story:
I love fake dating, I don’t think this was particularly unique there but 🤷🏻‍♀️ doesn’t bother me!

I feel like this book brought some good old MQ ridiculousness I was missing from the other books!
This one had me in stitches, especially whenever Ollie would tell the story of “how they met” 🤣

tropes + topics:
🩷 age gap
🥸 fake dating
🏒 pro hockey player
🗞️ college student – journalism
🫶🏼 found family
❤️‍🩹 broken mmc
💞 dual 1st person pov

Find it on Goodreads HERE.

Buy the Book:
AMAZON

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Book ReviewsMeghan Quinn

Those Three Little Words

by Jill
written by Jill
Those Three Little Words by Meghan Quinn_Romance Book Quote by Reading in PJs

Book Review:
Those Three Little Words

Meghan Quinn

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

Ummm I think accidental pregnancy is becoming one of my favorite tropes!
It’s fun, I love how they often end up living together and trying to figure it all out 🥰

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

💭 overall thoughts:
I loved the dynamic between Penny & Eli, how badly he wanted her from the start, and watching them grow + learn more about each other as they navigated bringing a baby into the world 💕

“I know you have more important things to do⁠—”
“Penny, you are the most important thing in my life right now.”


🏒📱 MCs:
Broken boy Eli – we got bits of him in the first book but there was so much more to discover! My heart hurt for the broken boy and his past.

Penny is soooo weird and hilarious, and I absolutely love that! Her pregnancy hormones made that even better 😂 all her rambling, ESPECIALLY in front of her parents, totally had me in stitches 🤣

📖 story:
Accidental pregnancy gets a bad rap, but it’s really just another reason for a forced proximity situation, and bringing out vulnerability.

I love how these two got together, and all the aftermath of that one night.

🤍side characters:
The BOYS! And Winnie! I love how these books can be standalones, but are so much better read as a series 🥰

tropes + topics:
1️⃣ one night stand
🍼 accidental pregnancy
🏒 pro hockey player mmc
📱 team social media manager fmc
🩵 brother’s teammate
🏠 roommates
🔗 forced proximity
🫶🏼 found family
💞 dual 1st person pov

Find it on Goodreads HERE.

Buy the Book:
AMAZON

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Kiss and Dont Tell by Meghan Quinn_Romance Book Review by Reading in PJs
Book ReviewsMeghan Quinn

Kiss and Don’t Tell

by Jill
written by Jill
Kiss and Dont Tell by Meghan Quinn_Romance Book Review by Reading in PJs

Book Review:
Kiss and Don't Tell

Meghan Quinn

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

💭 overall thoughts:
PERFECT start to the series! I loved the main couple, and also how well Meghan set up the rest of the series – I can’t wait for each and every one of their books 😍
(I’ve read them since writing this, and they’re all so good!)

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
🌶️🌶️🌶️

MCs:
Pacey – what a secret softie. I loved that he never really had a girlfriend because no one felt “right” for him – until Winnie came along 🥰

Winnie – love her sense of adventure and taking chances, and felt for her in her fear of trusting and letting others in.

📖 story:
Imagine being stranded and stumbling upon a house full of professional hockey players?! I’m not sure if I’d walk right in, or run the other way 😅

Thankfully the guys all end up being super sweet to Winnie, quickly taking her in as one of their own.

My tiny hesitation in giving this 5 stars is that at a certain point I was debating if Pacey was pushing Winnie TOO much to be with him, when she was very much in a vulnerable state. She definitely cared for him and maybe needed that push, but I had a moment where I was feeling a bit uncomfortable.

tropes + topics:
🏠 temporary roommates
🥅 professional hockey goalie
🤫 hidden identity (ex’s half brother)
🙃 strangers to lovers
🔗 forced proximity
💙 he falls first/boy obsessed
💞 dual 1st person pov

Find it on Goodreads HERE.

Buy the Book:
AMAZON

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Give Me Butterflies by Jillian Meadows - Romance Book Review by Reading in PJs
Book ReviewsJillian Meadows

Give Me Butterflies

by Jill
written by Jill
Give Me Butterflies by Jillian Meadows - Romance Book Review by Reading in PJs

Blurb:

Give Me Butterflies is a slow burn, single guardian romance. This steamy story features a handsome grump who seems to only smile for his nieces, an anxious curator finding the confidence to believe in herself, and a cast of endearing, meddling side characters. It’s full of swoony moments, nerdy banter, and enough fiery tension to light the museum ablaze.
 
Source: Goodreads
Give Me Butterflies by Jillian Meadows - Romance Book Tropes by Reading in PJs

Book Review:
Give Me Butterflies

Jillian Meadows

Series: Yes
Oak Sisters #1

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆ 5/5

Spice: 3/5

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

Totally stunned that this was a debut novel – Jillian knocked it out of the park 😍
This book was so sweet, and had all the feels 🥰 don’t let that fool you though – the spice was 🔥 too!

📖 Give Me Butterflies
📝 Jillian Meadows
🗓️ 07/01/2023
💜 Contemporary Romance
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️♾️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

I love how Millie just seamlessly became a part of their lives (Finn & his nieces). It was so sweet to imagine her baking with the girls, and dancing around in their kitchen.

Their relationship just developed so naturally, and was so sweet and beautiful. The way they supported each other… I just loved how they helped heal, with grief & past negativity in relationships.

They gave one another the confidence they needed to set boundaries and stuff up for themselves – the mental health rep was so well written.

Tropes & stuff:
🦋 Workplace
🦋 Single guardian (nieces)
🦋 Grumpy/sunshine
🦋 Opposites attract
🦋 Mental health rep (anxiety, grief, therapy)
🦋 Scientists (entomologist & astronomer)
🦋 Adorable 5 year old twin girls
🦋 Supportive friend group
🦋 Found family
🦋 Dual POV/first person

*check triggers, there are some

Find it on Goodreads HERE.

Buy the Book:
AMAZON

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
You with a View by Jessica Joyce - Romance Book Review by Reading in PJs
Book ReviewsJessica Joyce

You, With a View

by Jill
written by Jill
You with a View by Jessica Joyce - Romance Book Review by Reading in PJs

Blurb:

Noelle Shepard is grieving the loss of her beloved grandmother when she discovers decades-old photos and letters that hint to a forbidden love in her gram’s past. Needing to know the full story, she creates a TikTok video appealing for information – and it goes viral.

Through her video, she manages to track down her grandmother’s secret love, Paul, who offers to take her on the honeymoon road-trip he and Gram planned but never got to go on.

Noelle jumps at the chance to make this one last connection with her grandmother. There’s just one problem – Paul’s grandson is Noelle’s frustratingly handsome high-school rival Theo.

And Theo has to come, too.

It’s only two weeks. Surely Noelle can survive that long? But with one car between them – and often only one bed – it doesn’t take long for things to heat up…

Source: Goodreads

You with a View by Jessica Joyce - Romance Book Tropes by Reading in PJs.png

Book Review:
You, With a View

Jessica Joyce

Series: No

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆ 5/5

Spice: 2/5

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

I was so captured by the poetic way Jessica Joyce tells a story. She just has such way with words, that’s so incredibly beautiful.

This book follows Noelle’s story as she reconnects with her late grandmother, by tracking down her secret love from the past.
Paul also happens to be the grandfather of her high school nemesis, Theo, and the 3 head out on a road trip (the honeymoon that never happened), as they go through her letters.

The way Jessica writes, I felt it.
I felt it in my heart and soul, and I was so connected to all of the characters, and their stories.

I highlighted so many parts while reading, some simply because of the way they were written and how she described something simple.

“I stare up at him, the moon shooting silver through his hair, teasing me with how he’ll look years from now.”

This book is so much more than a romance, as it goes through living with grief and finding your path in life.

Tropes + topics
💜 (high school) rivals to lovers
💜 Road trip
💜 Close proximity
💜 Only one bed
💜 Photographer fmc
💜 Tech CFO ? Mmc
💜 Grief & loss
💜 Family & found family
💜 Self discovery
💜 Single POV/first person

Find it on Goodreads HERE.

Buy the Book:
AMAZON

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Top 23 Romance Books of 2023 by Reading in PJs
Book Lists

Top 23 Romance Books of 2023

by Jill
written by Jill

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

Since it’s absolutely impossible to pick a favourite book of the year when you’ve read around 250 books, I went with a top 23 of 2023!

I mostly read contemporary romance, so these all fall under that category.

Caught Up by Liz Tomforde

I’m completely obsessed with this book. I was so incredibly invested in both Miller & Kai, I loved their dynamic and their individual healing journies.

Caught Up is book 3 in the Windy City series, and is a romance between single dad & pro baseball player Kai & his nanny, Miller,  a pastry chef who happens to be his coach’s daughter.

Links:
Full Review
Goodreads
Amazon (currently available on KU)

The Right Move by Liz Tomforde

The Right Move by Liz Tomforde

I LOVE a roommates romance! Throw in fake dating & sports, and I’m super happy.

The Right Move is a grumpy sunshine/forced proximity romance between flight attendant Indy Ivers & her best friend’s brother, pro basketball player Ryan Shay.

Links:
Full Review
Goodreads 
Amazon (currently available on KU)

The Space Between by Sarah Ready

This was an incredibly emotional journey that sucked me in from the first pages! I tandem read this one on ebook and audio, and Sarah Ready is incredible at choosing her narrators.

The Space Between is a book about soulmates from different worlds finding their way back to each other, while so many forces are tearing them apart.

Links:
Full Review
Goodreads
Amazon

Because of Us by Nina Arada

Because of Us by Nina Arada

I read this one in January 2023 and it’s still on my mind. 

Because of Us is a second chance romance between Josie & her brother’s best friend, Wes. Told through dual timeline, we see what broke them apart, and how they find their way back to each other.

Links:
Goodreads
Amazon (currently available on KU)

Next to You by Hannah Bonam-Young

Mattheus Tito-Jones is probably my top book boyfriend of the year. He’s incredibly sweet, just an all-around good guy. Lane is super relatable to me as well, and the anxiety rep is spot on.

Next to You is book 2 in the Next series (following Next of Kin), and is a friends to lovers, opposites attract romance.

Links:

Full Review
Goodreads 
Amazon (currently only on pre-order since new covers are coming!)

Next to You by Hannah Bonam-Young

The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston

I’ve loved mixing it up a bit this year with sci-fi elements/magical realism in some books.

The Seven Year Slip is about a magical apartment where inhabitants can slip 7 years in the past or future. This is a beautiful forced proximity time travel romance.

Links:
Full Review
Goodreads
Amazon 

Some Kind of Blunderful by Livy Hart

This was my first Livy Hart book, and definitely won’t be my last! I can’t wait to read more from her in 2024. I was smiling throughout this entire book.

Mia & Alex are enemies(ish) who end up in a forbidden, secret relationship, where they really don’t WANT to like each other, but can’t help it!

Links:
Full Review
Goodreads
Amazon 

Some Kind of Blunderful by Livy Hart
The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren

The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren

When I finished reading this one, I declared it my favorite Christina Lauren book – I’m not sure if it’s because it’s my most recent, but it’s definitely in my top 5! They are my absolute favorite duo, and I really loved this one.

Both Fizzy & Connor are loveable characters, though total opposites, who fall for each other slowly with the BEST chemistry! They have complete open and honest communication which is super refreshing.

Links:
Full Review
Goodreads
Amazon

Rock Bottom Girl by Lucy Score

This is my favorite Lucy Score book I’ve read so far! I found the characters super relatable in that even though they are in their late 30s, they (and I) really have no clue how to really be an adult 😂.

Marley returns to her hometown and gets a job teaching & coaching at the local high school, and reconnects with Jake, fellow teacher & coach who broke her heart as teens.

Links:
Full Review
Goodreads
Amazon (currently available on KU)

Rock Bottom Girl by Lucy Score

Forget Me Not by Julie Soto

This was probably my most surprising read of the year! I grabbed an arc off NetGalley based on the cover alone, and the story completely blew me away. It’s shocking that this was a debut for Julie Soto, and I can’t wait to get my hands on her 2024 release.

Forget Me Not is a second chance romance between sunshiney wedding planner Ama & grumpy florist Elliot, who are forced into proximity by working together on a celebrity wedding.

Links:
Full Review
Goodreads
Amazon

Powerless by Elsie Silver

I think everyone has a different fav in Chestnut Springs, and this is mine. I’m definitely a sucker for childhood friends to lovers, which I think is what pushes this one to the top spot for me. The entire series has been 5 star reads, so I highly recommend them all!

Powerless is a spicy, childhood friends to lovers between hockey player Jasper & ballerina Sloane, where they head on out on a road trip and finally give in to their feelings for one another.

Links:
Full Review
Goodreads
Amazon (currently available on KU)

Their Freefall at Last by Julie Olivia

Their Freefall at Last by Julie Olivia

I’m honestly emotional while typing this, as this book tore me apart and (thankfully) put me back together!

This is book 4 in the Honeywood series, and really shouldn’t be read as a standalone. We get bits and pieces of Ruby & Bennett in the previous books, and in this one we finally get these best friends to become so much more.

Links:
Review of Their Freefall at Last
Review of the Honeywood series
Goodreads
Amazon (currently available on KU)

Exes and O’s by Amy Lea

Roommates is one of my absolute favorite tropes, and this book made me so happy! I related a lot to Tara, and was rooting for her to get her happily ever after.

Exes and O’s is a forced proximity, slow burn, friends to lovers romance between nure/bookstagrammer Tara & firefighter & reformed playboy Trevor.

Links:
Full Review
Goodreads
Amazon

Out on a Limb by Hannah Bonam-Young

Out on a Limb by Hannah Bonam-Young

I’m currently doing a reread of this one on audiobook as I write this, and it’s reminding me why this book is on this list.

This is a really special one. Don’t let “accidental pregnancy” deter you, it’s done in such an incredibly beautiful way.

Wyn & Bo meet at a Halloween party, and after the most phenomenal night of their lives, end up having a baby together. They are one of the sweetest couples I’ve ever read, as they navigate this huge change in their lives.

Links:
Full Review
Goodreads
Amazon (currently available on KU)

The Fake Out by Stephanie Archer

I knew from the first chapter that this one would be a fav for me.

The history & chemistry between Rory and Hazel was PERFECTION. I loved how he had been pining for her since FOREVER, and how cute and patient he was.

The Fake Out is a fake dating, he falls first romance between pro hockey player Rory and physiotherapist & yoga teacher, Hazel.

Links:
Full Review
Goodreads
Amazon (currently available on KU)

The Fake Out by Stephanie Archer
Play with Me by Becka Mack

Play with Me by Becka Mack

Garrett Anderson is another top tier book boyfriend for me, and I absolutely adored Jennie too!

This is book 2 in the Playing for Keeps series, and I’d definitely read book 1 (Consider Me) first.

Jennie is Carter’s (from Consider Me) little sister, and Garrett is his (hockey) teammate and best friend. They become neighbors, which leads to a friends with benefits situation, which leads to so much more.

Links:
Full Review
Goodreads
Amazon

A Long Time Coming by Meghan Quinn

Book 3 in the Cane brothers series, and my absolute favorite – possibly my favorite Meghan Quinn I’ve read so far!

Breaker Cane is amazing, a humble billionaire and the perfect best friend for Lia. They meet in college and have an incredible dynamic. Lia being engaged to someone else is the catalyst they need to realize how much more they mean to one another.

Links:
Full Review
Goodreads
Amazon (currently available on KU)

Mixed Signals by BK Borison

Mixed Signals by B.K. Borison

I’m torn whether this or book 1 (Lovelight Farms) is my favorite in the series – I love both so much!

In Mixed Signals, Caleb has had a crush on Layla for forever, finding excuses to frequently visit her bakery to see her. They end up sorta fake dating – or more like temporarily dating – which slowly turns into more.

Links:
Full Review
Goodreads
Amazon 

Caught on Camera by Chelsea Curto

Shawn Holmes sets such a high standard for fictional men! This is one of my favorite best friends to lovers stories I’ve ever read. Something I loved about it was that they their feelings developed during the story, instead of one pining secretly for the other – they just naturally fell in love with the person that was perfect for them.

Links:
Full Review
Goodreads 
Amazon (currently available on KU)

Caught on Camera by Chelsea Curto
Tempting the Player by Rebecca Jenshak

Tempting the Player by Rebecca Jenshak

This one is book 4 in the Campus Wallflowers series, which I highly recommend – it’s a lot of fun! College sports romances where the mmc is an athlete and the fmc is somewhat of a shy wallflower.

This one is my favorite mostly because I was waiting for Jane’s story, and also because Hendrick is the sweetest protective mmc. His brothers as side characters are such a fun addition to the story!

Links:
Full Review
Goodreads
Amazon (currently available on KU)

First Down by Grace Reilly

Bex needs someone to help her get rid of her pushy ex (by fake dating), and James desperately needs a tutor to pass his writing class. Neither is looking for a relationship, since their main focus is on their goals – without distractions. Obviously, they quickly become that for one another, as their chemistry is undeniable. 

First Down is book 1 in the Beyond the Play series, and I’ve loved the rest too!

Links:

Full Review
Goodreads
Amazon (currently available on KU)

First Down by Grace Reilly

The Cheat Sheet by Sarah Adams

Gahhh Best friends to lovers is such an auto-buy trope for me!

I love the dynamic and mutual pining between Bree & Nathan.

Yes, another fake dating sports romance – but it’s just so so good! The mental health rep is so well portrayed, showing behind the scenes of panic attacks.

Links:
Full Review
Goodreads
Amazon 

The Love Wager by Lynn Painter

This book had me smiling throughout the whole story! I LOVE texting banter, and Lynn Painter is seriously the banter queen.

Also, Jack & Hallie are one of my favorite couples ever. After a one night stand, they reconnect and become best friends, and support each other in their quests to find “the one.” But duh, they’re obviously meant to be!

Links:

Full Review
Goodreads
Amazon 

The Love Wager by Lynn Painter

Did you enjoy this list? Let me know in the comments & pin the image to save for later! 📌

Top 23 Romance Books of 2023 by Reading in PJs
0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Christmas in Coconut Creek by Karissa Kindword - Romance Book Review by Reading in PJs
Book ReviewsKarissa Kinword

Christmas in Coconut Creek

by Jill
written by Jill
Christmas in Coconut Creek by Karissa Kindword - Romance Book Review by Reading in PJs

Blurb:

There are a few things Coconut Creek has that Pine Ridge does not.
Palm trees, sandy beaches, butterfly museums—infuriatingly attractive special forces veterans.
 
When Colorado elementary school teacher Ophelia Brody decides to ditch her divorced family for a Christmas in the sunshine state with her college roommate, she doesn’t expect a mile high meet cute to tailspin the entire trip. Frankie Casado is cocky , he’s presumptuous , he’s shameless —and he’s just the right distraction from her depressing, fruitless dating life back home for a few weeks. It just so happens the retired fighter pilot is in somewhat of a rut of his own, and the circumstances around their coincidental meeting and unavoidable physical attraction are the perfect excuse for a festive fling.
 
The rules are Ophelia teaches him how to date again, and Frankie shows her exactly what she should be demanding behind closed doors. Friends with benefits until the ball drops in the New Year.
 
But a little bit of long-lost Christmas magic just might find a way to stir up more than their complicated pasts.
 
Source: Goodreads
Christmas in Coconut Creek by Karissa Kindword - Romance Book Tropes by Reading in PJs

Book Review:
Christmas in Coconut Creek

Karissa Kinword

Series: Yes
Book 1 in the Dirty Delta series

Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆ 5/5

Spice: 4/5

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I will earn an affiliate commission if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.

This book was SO GOOD!

I loved everything about the dynamic between Ophelia and Frankie. Their dialogue and behaviour towards each other was refreshing, and they were far more realistic characters than I typically read.

I adored their meet cute, it totally had me laughing out loud, as did a lot of the book!

It was beautiful to read about them tearing down each other’s walls, with an undeniable connection leading to so much more than a fling.

I’m so glad there will be more books in this series, I’m not ready to fully let go of these two yet!

Tropes + topics:
✈️ Friends with benefits to lovers
👙 Military veteran pilot
✈️ Elementary school teacher
👙 Vacation fling
✈️ Forced proximity
👙 Age gap
✈️ Grumpy sunshine
👙 Slow burn
✈️ No 3rd act breakup
👙 Dual POV/first person
Christmas in Coconut Creek by Karissa Kinword - Aesthetic Edit by Reading in Pjs

Note: Edit is mine, photos are not. Photos found on Pinterest. If there are any issues with any of the photos being posted, please email me and let me know at hello@readinginpjsblog.com

Find it on Goodreads HERE.

Buy the Book:
AMAZON

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
0 comments
0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Newer Posts
Older Posts