Romance book reviews. Reviews of books that make my heart race, have a beautiful love story, and a happy ending.

Romance book reviews. Reviews of books that make my heart race, have a beautiful love story, and a happy ending.

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MY TOP “TO-BE-READ” LIST OF THE MOMENT

MY TOP “TO-BE-READ” LIST OF THE MOMENT

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Before you read this page, if you haven’t already checked them out and are looking for a hot new romance recommendation, check out this link:

But…. if what you’re looking for is what’s next on my reading list, then you’ve come to the right place 🙂

Please bear in mind that these are not official “recommendations” as I have not yet read them but rather these are books that look good to me and I’m interested in reading so hopefully you’ll be able to maybe find something new to read here too!

Also, since I read based on my mood of the moment, I may not necessarily read everything on this list! I also add and delete books from here all the time and am very much of a ‘last minute’ reader so I rarely know exactly what I’m going to read next until about five minutes before I actually start the book. My “full” reading list is considerably longer than this but, at the moment, these are the books sitting at the top of my list!

Happy endings are a ‘must’ for me. If the book isn’t going to have a happy ending I want to know in advance so I can mentally ‘prepare’ for the impending devastation and choose the exact right time to read it. I also am the kind of reader who likes to know in advance if the book is a standalone or part of a series (for example, if there’s a cliffhanger, I want advance warning) so I’ll almost always give a heads up on both of those elements.

** They are not listed in any particular order.

** If you are ever looking to find this list again, the link to it is in the blog’s right side bar 🙂

                       

  • Ruin by Rachel Van Dyken. I added this in after I read it in case anyone on here is browsing for a new read. It wasn’t one of my planned reads but it was a pleasant surprise that made me laugh, cry and swoon. It’s a standalone with a HEA. Read my review 🙂
  • More Than This by Jay McLean. I added this New Adult book to my reading list after having several readers recommend it to me. It was just released this month and is getting great reviews! I hear it’s an emotional roller coaster but also has a happy ending. From the blurb: “One night I met a girl. A sad and broken girl, but one more beautiful than any other. She laughed through her sadness, while I loved through her heartbreak. This is our story of a maybe ever after.” **EDIT: I finished this and here’s my review!
  • Fixed On You by Laurelin Paige. I’ve had a couple readers tell me that this one is HOT! It’s the first book of a trilogy but there’s no cliffhanger!! From the blurb: “She drowns in her obsessions. He has secrets of his own. Finding each other may be the fix they both need.” **EDIT: finished this one and loved it!! Here’s my review.
  • Jane’s Melody by Ryan Winfield. This is an unconventional standalone romance that’s gotten crazy high ratings! From the blurb: “A touching love story that will have you equally tantalized and in tears, Jane’s Melody follows a forty-year-old woman on a romantic journey of rediscovery after years of struggling alone.
  • Unteachable by Leah Raeder. This one looks amazing! It’s a student/teacher romance standalone with a happy ending and this line sold me: “And you don’t pray for a happy ending. You pray for it to never end.” **Just finished this one! Here’s my review 🙂
  • Spark by Brooke Cumberland. I hear that the hero of this story is a tattooed, pierced firefighter… YUM!! This is part 1 of a 2-book series (book 2 will be out in the fall) but a reader told me she loved it and that there isn’t a major cliffhanger.
  • Broken by Megan Hart. I’ve been wanting to read more of her books ever since I read Dirty so this is an older one that I’ve had on my TBR for a while that I’m looking forward to. Megan Hart writes very deep but unconventional romance stories and sometimes, you just need something ‘different’.
  • Unbreakable by Rebecca Shea. I just had some readers recently tell me that I should read this so I’ve added it to my list. It looks like it’s an emotional romance standalone.
  • Promise Me Darkness by Paige Weaver. Ok I’m a little fuzzy on the details ‘cuz I didn’t want spoilers but this seems to be a bad boy meets good girl story set in some sort of post-disaster scenario… It’s another one that I added to my list due to recommendations from other readers so I’m intrigued by the setting and premise and it’s also got some very high ratings! I’ve been told though that the ending is a bit of a cliffhanger but the next book will be out soon.
  • Wide Awake by Shelly Crane. I’ve been recommended this book several times. It’s a standalone with a happy ending and I love the premise –> “This is a YA love story about a girl who has her life turned upside down. A girl. A coma. A life she can’t remember.”
  • By A Thread by R.L. Griffin. I hear this has a dark subject matter and a lot of twists and turns and really sucks you into the story. It’s the first of a trilogy (second book will be out in August).
  • Beautiful Broken Rules by Kimberly Lauren. Everyone keeps saying they love this book! I’ve been told it has a bit of a Beautiful Disaster feel to it too ( yay!). It’s a standalone with a happy ending!
  • Razing Kayne by Julieanne Reeves. I had a bunch of people message me recently saying  I had to read this. I hear it’s a really good blend of mystery and emotional tear-jerking romance.
  • Wanderlust by Skye Warren. Ok so I’m on the fence about this one. I hear it is d.a.r.k. and not for everyone… it’s like the people who love it, really love it and the people who don’t feel strongly as well. I do like dark books though so I’m curious to try it out sometime.
  • Kiss This by Hadley Quinn. It’s about a girl who’s ex was killed and since then has promised herself she wouldn’t kiss anyone she didn’t love. When she meets the hero, he’s the first guy to make her want to disregard that rule and so she makes a bet not to kiss him for a week…. oh, and the hero has a secret! Looks good!
  • Beneath The Burn by Pam Godwin. I’ve been told it’s hardcore, raw and gritty and it seems to have a little bit of everything in it – rock star, captivity, second-chance romance, tortured hero, and some seriously dark themes… oh, and it’s a standalone. **EDIT: Finished this one. Here’s my review.
  • Untraceable by Lindsay Delagair. This is an older one from my reading list that I’ve been meaning to read for a while. It’s the first book of a completed trilogy and I love the premise from the blurb. It’s about a wealthy heiress who is in hiding at a high school and “when two new guys enroll. Both guys are gorgeous, and both are trying to win her over. The only problem is that one of them has a million dollar contract to put a bullet in her. When her pure and innocent heart is offered to him, will this cold and empty hitman fall, or will he remain untouchable?” See? Intriguing, huh?
  • Present Perfect by Alison Bailey. This one is on my list because several readers have told me it’s one of the best books they’ve read this year. They’ve called it unputdownable and emotionally intense so that caught my attention. Here’s a quote: ““I’ve been unsure about many things in my life except for one thing, that I have always loved him. Every single minute of every single day that I have been on this earth, my heart has belonged to him..” **EDIT: THIS BOOK IS AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!! READ IT!!! Here’s my review!
  • How To Kill A Rock Star by Tiffanie DiBartolo. This book is on sooooooo many reader’s most favorite list that I can’t resist. I want to read it and see what everyone is raving about!! It’s a standalone romance that I’ve heard makes nearly everyone cry at some point!
  • Lost & Found (Emi Lost and Found #1) by Lori Otto. This series is on many readers’ most favorite list. It’s a completed trilogy and I hear it’s an ‘atypical romance’. I’ve been told by the people who have read it that it’s one of the most emotional series they’ve read so that peaked my curiosity! I’ve heard that the first one doesn’t have a happy ending but the last one does.
  • Stardust by Mimi Strong. This one seems light-hearted and fun with a famous hero and a ‘regular’ girl. “I’m just a regular girl, and he’s rich and famous with no body fat. The guy has a butler! So, why is he chasing me? And why can’t I say no?” *Edit: I was just warned this has a cliffhanger but is still soooooo good!
  • Remember When (Remember Trilogy #1) by T. Torrest. This is the first of a very highly rating trilogy about a woman who used to be high school sweethearts with a guy who is now a mega Hollywood heartthrob. From the blurb, “You know how sometimes, your high school crush grows up to be an insanely famous movie star? Okay, probably not. But I do.”  The final book is likely to be released sometimes this fall (no date yet).
  • Happy Hour (Racing On The Edge #1) by Shey Stahl. I’ve been told this is a must-read racing & romance series that follows the same couple throughout their lives. I love the sound of it!! This is the first in the series of 5 books – all of them are available (the last is being reformatted and rerelease soon). Here’s a quote I saw from one of the later books and just loved it: “Every time I smell nail polish … I remember my mom. Every time I smell rain … I think of being with Charlie at the track. Every time I smell racing fuel … I think of Jameson and the moment I fell in love with him.”
  • Afterburn (Afterburn #1) by Sylvia Day. Since her Crossfire series is one of my top top TOP favorites, I’m so excited to meet her new book hero in this book! I’ll be reading it the day it gets released 🙂 **EDIT: Finished this too! Here’s my review. 

And I have Advance Reading Copies of…

  • Stripped by Jasinda Wilder. First, since this is a Jasinda Wilder book, it’s automatically on my list. But second, the premise intrigued me a whole ton. Check it out: “He’s a movie star sex god. She’s a virgin… and a stripper.”
  • Good (Too Good) by S. Walden. A new book by the author of Going Under that she says it’s going to be a NA unconventional love story – I’m intrigued! And better yet (and I could hug her for saying this), she says “I do a lot of market research, so I’m aware that readers are fed up with cliffhangers… I will not end Book 1 with a relationship cliffhanger.” *WHEW* Release date is August 27, 2013. (No pre-order, link goes to Goodreads)

What about you? What’s on your reading list? I love getting recommendations!

Comments

  2. I finished Bully las night and it was so good! Really suprised it was a debut. And the chemistry between Jared and Tate was electric!

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  4. “A Song for Julia” or any other of those books, is AMAZING…move it to the top 🙂

    I am reading Losing Hope…I also finished Bully – it was good…fast read, but I wouldnt say I LOVED it…more like a 3.5 – 4 stars

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    • Covet was great- I still think about it from time to time. I received the advanced copy a couple of months ago through a contest, and was super excited. It wasn’t anything like OTI, but the characters are well developed, and the plot is different than what’s out there currently. The book makes you think about different scenarios in life, and what your decisions would be. It also, hopefully, helps some of the more judgmental people out there understand that not everything is black and white…. Enjoy!!

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      • I can’t wait to start it 🙂 I got my ARC a while back too but was saving it to read closer to the release date so I’ll start it in a couple weeks.

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  6. You will love By a Thread! It is amazing!!! I seriously can’t wait for Tensio(Book 2)!!!

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  9. Just finished Shine Not Burn… in one sitting. So good and funny. Definitely a fun read. I’m sad I finished it so fast.

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  10. You should add Sharkbate to the list. This book is so good! It’s by Jenn Cooksey. The cover and synopsis don’t accurately describe what the book is about if you ask me. The writing style reminds me a lot of Jillian Dobb Keatyn chronicles series!

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    • oo I’ve heard of it! Wasn’t quite sure what to think of it based on the cover/blurb but I’ve heard some really good things about it. I’ll take a closer look. Thanks!

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  11. Please… please … tell me you have ‘Collide’ and then ‘Pulse’ on your to read list… OMG I haven’t been game to read Collide until Pulse got released, and I took the huge step and WOW, could-not-put-it-down! NEW-BESTEST-BOOK-BOYFRIEND EVERRRRR! What a rollercoaster! What an author!!!
    Downloaded Pulse and I won’t surface until I finish it! Wish me luck 🙂

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  12. I just read Promise Me by Barbie Bohrman and really enjoyed it and think you need to tack it on that tbr of yours.

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  14. I just read Who he is by Shanora Williams and had a book hangover. There’s a big cliffhanger at the end but a preview of the sequel. It is definitely worth it.

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  15. I just finished Promise Me Darkness yesterday and really liked it. Wanderlust is really good, too. The Thompson series books are fantastic (book 2 and 3 are 5 star reads for me). You cannot go wrong with Abbi Glines, either. BUT…the MUST READ of this list is Rock and Roll Never Forgets. It’s unbelievably great! One of my all time faves!! Happy reading:)

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    • I’ve heard the Thompson series is amazing! I can’t wait! And I’ve been meaning to read more of Abbi’s books for ages now.

      The Rock and Roll one looks sooooo good! haha I need reading month!!

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  16. I reviewed “Every Rose” by Lynetta Halat for my book blog, and it was honestly one of the biggest surprises of the year so far. It was so flippin’ good, I read it over a month ago and I’m still thinking about it. I love when you pick up a book by an author you’ve never heard of and are blown away. I highly recommend it!

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    • I”m unsure because I know it doesn’t have a happy ending but I have a non-HEA list too and it’s on it along with a couple others

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  17. OMG… if you haven’t read Every Rose yet by Lynetta Halat….. you must. It is awesome. Such a great book.

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  18. Oh, and she’s coming out with a new book in September called “Everything I’ve Never Had”. it’s so on my TBR!

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  19. I was given the amazing opportunity to beta read for Lynetta Halat. When Every Rose came out I snagged a copy for an early honest review. I let her know she shredded my heart so when she asked me to beta read Everything I’ve Never Had which is releasing in early September I said yes on the condition that she give me a HEA… Well she came through! I just finished reading it and it was awesome! I loved every second because what Lynetta does well is write real life. She made me happy. She made sad. She made me fear the unknown. But she gave me a read that I wanted to keep reading. I had to keep going as the book read as a movie in my head. I’m definitely going to recommend because it’s a feel good true life story with angst, happiness, love, steam, and most importantly a happily ever after!

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    • haha I know the ending of the first one and I need my HEAs so I’m waiting for the right mood to consider reading it… but maybe one day 🙂

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  21. You absolutely must read the shattered hearts series by Cassia Leo!!! The 3rd book Bring Me Home comes out August 6th 🙂 it’s a beautiful series!

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  22. Loved Beautiful Broken Rules and Remember When and Also Remember When 2… but be warned, there’s a major cliffhanger for RW2! And you definitely have to read Out of Breath… almost tossed it part way through because I couldn’t figure if it was going to give me the ending I wanted… but I finished it and was glad I did!

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  24. These are the ones I thin you should read first:

    Rock and Roll Never Forgets-this book was great I will say that I cried like a baby at the end, the second book When I look in the Sky-is also great and yes I cried in it, but these are two of the best books I have ever read. I had book hangover with these.

    Lick-Loved from page 1 you will fall in love with this book
    Bully- was a book I loved but I yelled at the book and loved the ending.
    The Mighty Storm-is so good I loved this book and cant wait for the second book.

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    • I loved Lick, Bully and TMS – all 5 star reads for me :))

      I haven’t heard of When I Look In The Sky though — I’ll go check it out!

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  25. Happy hour by shey stahl has to be in my top ten favorite. It is hilarious and a fun book to read… Doesn’t drag and you get a good look at the dynamics of different types of relationships. Can’t wait to see what you think of it.

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  28. I can’t wait for Wethering The Storm! JAKE!! Have you read The Lonely by Tara Brown yet? The follow up to it Lost Boy just came out. I HIGHLY recommend them. They are kind of dark and lots of amazingness!!! I’m reading Wonderlust next.

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  30. You HAVE to read “Beautiful Broken Rules”…. you will love this couple! As expected, there is angst, but I think what really bumped this story up to my favorites list is the relationship of family, friendship, and dialogue that the supporting characters have with the lead couple. Their camaraderie really creates a great framework for the story and ultimately brought me, as the reader, to really identify with the love that eventually unfolds.

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  31. The Witch Series by L.S. Gagnon is a MUST read!!!! absolutely wonderful, couldn’t put the book down it was that great…love it

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  32. The Last Hour is an amazing book, incredible! But it does not have a HEA 🙁 Never cried so much after reading a book, even Hopeless, Slammed etc, and TSOT.
    It it worth it? Yes.

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  33. Just read ‘in too deep’ by samantha young, its on your list……one word to describe this book……Omg 🙂 samantha young has suppassed herself. I loved On Dublin Street and wasnt suprised to see this book is based in Scotland……it has a HEA but I must warn you its not a stand alone…..anyone looking for a good read that will take you back to your first love download this NOW …..deffo a must read and look forward to your review on this book …..happy reading

    Reply

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