joconklin Book Reviews, Indie Books, Romance

I’m Reading: Outmatched by Callihan and Young

Rhys Morgan is a former heavyweight champ in desperate need of cash to keep his gym afloat. Parker Brown is a wealthy environmental research scientist in desperate need of a fake relationship to satisfy a misogynistic boss. It was supposed to be just business. Neither expected to fall in love.

It’s a classic collection of tropes (fake relationship, opposites attract), but the authors make it all fresh again with a cast of genuinely human, lovable, vivid characters, broken in all the right places, and a masterful thread of steamy attraction that stitches them together piece by piece. This book is in my perpetual re-read pile. In fact, I came back to it this weekend for the third time.

I think my favorite part about the book is that the characters actually grow as people. It isn’t one sacrificing everything that makes them happy for the other. Instead, they both have to step outside their comfort zone, accept mistakes and compromises, and become better people in order to get what they want. For me, wanting to be a better person is much more romantic than some big personal sacrifice that makes you miserable. The latter just isn’t sustainable. Relationships should build you up, and Rhys and Parker are both stronger and better for their love. As a reader, that’s deeply satisfying. Combined with witty dialogue, adorable fierceness, touching vulnerability, and expertly crafted steam, this should be in the TBR list of anyone who enjoys contemporary or sport romances.

Get more information by visiting the authors online at:

https://authorsamanthayoung.com/outmatched/

https://www.kristencallihan.com/

joconklin Book Reviews, Romance

I’m Reading: Waiting for Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey

Annie Cassidy is obsessed with the magic of happy-ever-afters. When a movie crew comes to her home town to film a rom-com, there’s potential for two dreams to come true. She can finally work for a real Hollywood director, and maybe stumble into a real-life love story.

I’ll be completely honest, I didn’t make it through this book on the first try. It begins with a chapter-long backstory infodump that I lost interest in and patience with. I returned it to the library and moved on in my reading pile.

But every time I finished a good romance ebook, Waiting for Tom Hanks popped up as a recommended read. The fact that it was keeping company with so many favorites convinced me to give it another chance. I’m glad I did!

I pushed through the exposition and there, at the end of the first chapter, we meet Uncle Don and his Dungeons and Dragons group. I fully admit it, once an author brings in the nerds, I’m hooked.

The story is full of feel-good whimsy, alternating poking fun at the rom-com genre and bringing it to magical life. There’s the grumpy leading man who makes the worst first impression, the meet-cutes that keep trying, the quirky best friend, and the feisty heroine who needs to be swept away from her small town life of writing listicles about hemorrhoid treatments.

The complex layers of the broody hero give the story some depth, and the romantic tension is nicely developed. There’s some LOLcringe with a horrifying blind date, and lots of sweet disaster characters like Uncle Don and Dungeon Master Rick. But it’s the tongue-in-cheek play with romance tropes that gives this story its appeal. It’s fun, funny, sweet and steamy, and I’ll keep it in my re-read pile.

Visit the author Kerry Winfrey at https://www.kerrywinfrey.com/ and check for her books at your local library!

joconklin Book Reviews, Romance

I’m Reading: I Owe You One by Sophie Kinsella

As a writer and beta reader, I know it’s tough to make your main character’s life miserable. They’re our friend, after all. We invest in them emotionally and spend a lot of time in their heads. But most really great books require at least some suffering on the part of the protagonist for the sake of personal growth and sustained tension. This is especially true in romance because the genre requires a dark moment where all seems lost, right before the happy ending.

Sophie Kinsella is a master class in MC misery, balanced with tenderness, laugh-out-loud hilarity, and multiple plot threads all crashing down together on the character’s head like a vengeful curse. This story is a slow-motion train wreck in the most entertaining way. We cringe in horror as each new embarrassing disaster looms watching helplessly as it strikes. We laugh in horror as everything unravels in the worst (and funniest) possible unlucky outcome. Because the theme of the story is that we make our own luck. No one finds happiness pretending to be something they’re not.

Kinsella puts us right in Fixie’s head from the get-go with a strong voice and deep POV. Fixie’s a doormat without being wishy-washy or dull. She feels with her whole heart without being able to articulate it. She’s our disaster BFF we want to wrap up in a blanket fort and defend to the death from her own bad choices.

The deep POV is masterfully done, giving us Fixie as an unreliable narrator trying genuinely to make everyone around her happy, and with no idea the reader is looking at the self-centered users around her and muttering, “Oh honey…oh no…”

(And sometimes shouting, “YOU THROW THAT WHOLE MAN IN THE TRASH FIXIE FARR.” So I’ve heard. Ahem.)

Sophie Kinsella’s books can probably be found at your local library, or through her website at:

Sophie Kinsella

joconklin Book Reviews, Indie Books, Romance

I’m Reading: Hands Down by Mariana Zapata

(Warning: Contains spoilers).

The Wall of Winnipeg and Me was my first Mariana Zapata. It was for a lot of folks as it became the exemplar for slow-burn, enemies to lovers with a fake relationship. I went on to read almost everything in Zapata’s catalog, and they continue to be comfort-food favorites I return to again and again. In her series there are two vivid, dynamic side characters I’ve been chomping at the bit to see in their own HEA, and Sweet, loving, loyal Zac “Snack Pack” Travis is one of them.

So I was a little disappointed when I read it the moment it came out. It was unlike any of Zapata’s other pairings, really. The angst was light. There weren’t any tortured dark anti-heroes to tame. There wasn’t that edge of barely-restrained violent tension. It was the first Zapata book I could safely recommend to a friend with PTSD because it lacked triggering events like domestic violence or stalking. It was even slower-burn than usual, with only a sweet kiss or two at the big moment, and a later sex scene almost as an afterthought. The attraction throughout was more playful than sexual.

I didn’t like it at first. I was looking for dark, tortured anti-heros, fierce sexual tension, and rough angst. But I read it again a few months later and realized quickly what I had missed. The book was an absolutely spot-on-perfect story for Zac. Everything from the laid-back pacing to the sweet, playful atmosphere and the struggle with self-doubt was everything we loved about Zac in Wall of Winnipeg.

Part of why I admire Zapata as a writer so much is her range. Many of my favorite authors perfect a very specific kind of romance trope and specialize in that trope. Zapata, while keeping her slow-burn, dabbles in everything from enemies to friends, figure skating to biker gangs. Some of her books took longer for me to really appreciate because I had slipped into expectations based on previous books. In this case, I expected a certain kind of tortured hero, and forgot everything I fell in love with when I first met “Big Texas” Travis. He has always been, at core, the most loyal friend anyone could have.

That’s what brought me around and put this book in my top-five Zapata re-reads. So many writers take a beloved side character and either flatten or twist them to make them fit a preconceived pattern when they take the spotlight. Instead, Zapata preserved Zac’s essence. He’s a goofball, a loyal friend, and cinnamon roll all the way down. True to his nature, his story is one of a deep, intimate friendship, full of trust and laughter, tipping ever-so-gently into romantic love. It’s the only love story that makes sense for him, the only way it could ever have been.

Most of Zapata’s work is available on Kindle Unlimited. Visit the author at https://www.marianazapata.com/

joconklin Book Reviews, Romance

I’m Reading: Beginner’s Luck by Kate Clayborn

When I read a book I really like, I often go hunting for everything else the author has put out. In this case, Love Lettering sent me hunting for Kate Clayborn, and I was not disappointed. Beginner’s Luck lacks just a little of the rich, vivid description of Love Lettering, but it’s a highly engaging, enjoyable read.

Kit Averin is a materials scientist working a job she loves, living her lifelong dream of putting down roots in a place she can call home. When she and her friends win the lottery, she’s the one who swears nothing in her life will change. But when a recruiter shows up at her lab offering her a highly prestigious position, he throws all her plans into question. She’s forced to question how much of her dreams are rooted in a fear of change.

Kate Clayborn’s real gift is building smart, driven, damaged, and fully-rounded human characters. I love how she rounds out her nerds with artistic sensibilities, an appreciation for history, and a love of physical activities. They’re real people, and people I recognize from my own nerdy crowd. That really gets me invested in their stories. Each character has a strong internal development arc, a struggle that challenges their morality, and unique, believable external obstacles.

But my appreciation doesn’t end with the characters, as she also delivers a tight plot, interesting settings, and excellent, flowing prose. I think the only thing I didn’t enjoy about this book was the prologue. I’m not against them in general, but I found this book’s prologue unnecessary, expository, and something to “get through” before enjoying the main story. The rest of the book more than make up for it, and it’s earned a solid top spot in my re-read pile.

For more information, visit Kate Clayborn online.

joconklin Book Reviews, Romance, Uncategorized

I’m Reading: The Hating Game, by Sally Thorne

Sally Thorne’s 2016 debut The Hating Game is still near the top of many romance agents’ lists as the enemies-to-lovers trope done right.

Lucy and Joshua are assistants to the two bitterly opposing heads of their publishing company, and the two clash at first sight. Working across from each other in the same office, they’ve developed a rivalry so fiery and a hatred so fierce, it can’t help but be love.

This book really is a study in the perfect pacing and tension-building of an enemies-to-lovers story, with the unreliable narration of Lucy’s hatred and the gradual reveal that Joshua’s stares and infuriating annoyances might not be hatred after all. The tension is delicious, and the gradual march towards the inevitable, steamy, rock-their-world conclusion is beautifully crafted.

My only real complaint is the completely unnecessary body shaming and fat stereotyping surrounding the “enemy” boss at the company. His weight is used as a dog-whistle stand-in for his lecherous, unsavory, stupid, and evil character, and that’s not okay. The author plays his body for laughs, with stereotypes of the donut-obsessed, personal hygeine-deficient fat person, and I’ve put books down unfinished for a lot less. In this book, the otherwise high quality of the writing just edged out my urge to put it down every time they made a stab at the boss’s weight. In a book where fat people are human, the two bosses could have worked out a beautifully symmetric enemies-to-lovers relationship of their own, but the author threw away that opportunity when she decided to create a stereotype instead of a person. I was really disappointed by that.

Authors writing enemies-to-lovers should still absolutely read this book to know how to do the romantic tension and pacing really well. The two main characters are well-developed and nuanced, and I greatly enjoyed their development. But those who have a history of experiencing body stigma should be forewarned, and decide for themselves if they need to give it a miss.

Visit Sally Thorne Online for more information and links to purchase.

Content Warning: Book references childhood emotional neglect and contains negative stereotyping of a character of size.

joconklin Book Reviews, Indie Books, Romance

I’m Reading: Teardrop Shot by Tijan

I’m not that much of a sports person, but a few indie authors have managed to write sports romances so good they transcend subgenre and becomes just plain good books. Mariana Zapata’s a perennial favorite of mine that way, but with Teardrop Shot, Tijan makes a strong bid for my list of favorite romances.

Weird, quirkyCharlie is at rock bottom, having just lost her relationship and her job, when an old friend pops into her life and offers her a brief reprieve: a few months at the boutique camp she’d worked at before a dark secret led her to cut away all ties with her former life. She didn’t know the offer would put her face-to-face with her celebrity crush, the basketball god Reese Forster. She really didn’t expect her crush to become her friend, weighed down with secret baggage of his own. But when they become much more than that, the unresolved burdens of their past might just be too heavy to bear.

The book is often pitched as a rom-com in tone, and it certainly has its laugh-out-loud moments. Charlie copes with stress by blurting out weird and distracting questions, and their banter together is fast and witty. But do not go into this book expecting light. It dives deep into some really intense, painful topics, and handles the psychological complexities deftly. The things that have broken Charlie and Reese are not the usual suspects for the genre, however, and I appreciate the unique challenges they face.

What Tijan really excels at is friendships, especially caring, enduring platonic friendships that jump off the page. The romance with Reese is rooted in that kind of friendship and it adds a lot of depth and nuance to their romantic attraction. The steam is deliciously crafted and plentiful, and the emotionality of the attraction makes it even sexier. It’s a roller-coaster of a read, though, with joyful, loving highs and deep, heartbreaking angst. Go into this book expecting to take a rough emotional journey with Charlie and Reese, and trust Tijan to see you safely through it.

For more info and purchasing options, visit Tijan online.

Content warning: Book deals heavily and well with mental illness in relationships, addiction, suicide, and survivors guilt.

joconklin Book Reviews, Romance, Uncategorized

I’m Reading: Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn

Love Letter.jpgThis was one of those happy surprises. I picked up Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn from my library’s new purchases, which can be a bit hit-or-miss. I didn’t expect to fall in love and now I wonder why I’m not seeing this near the top of all the great contemporary romance lists.

Meg is a successful artist in New York, specializing in lettering and famous for custom, hand-made calendars and planners. When she unconsciously builds a secret message into a wedding announcement predicting the relationship’s failure, she didn’t think anyone would notice. But the groom, a mathematician and Wall-Street Quant, lives for patterns, and Meg might be the sign he’s been looking for.

The voice of this novel elevates it well above a summer read. We’re immersed in the mind of an artist who sees the world in colors and shapes, patterns and symbols, and describes them in rich, loving, immersive detail.  Another author might try to set up an oil-and-water pseudo-conflict between the artistic Meg and the mathematical Reid, but Clayborn must know a real mathematician. At the highest level, mathematical thinking isn’t all that different from artistry. It’s about seeing shapes and patterns in the world, and finding meaning in how they interact. It’s as creative as it is precise, and that makes these two perfectly complementary. I recognize a lot of my own mathematician partner in Reid, although he’s a little bit of Meg as well. That might be part of why I fell so in love with these characters.

I didn’t find a lot to not love about this book. The characters have depth and flaws, along with strong, independent goals and motives that weave their way through the central romance. They grow as people, tackling tough issues around communication and trust. The twist is well done, unique, and highly believable, balancing external and internal obstacles to the relationship. The prose is lyrical and artistic, the atmosphere is rich and nuanced, and the sex is amazing.

Not only am I buying a copy for myself for my go-to re-read pile, but I’ve added all of the author’s other work to my TBR.

Visit Kate Clayborn online for more information and purchase links.

joconklin Book Reviews, Romance, Uncategorized

I’m Reading: Red, White, and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

It’s on every shelf and every agent wishlist, and for good reason. Red, White & Royal Blue had me laughing out loud one minute and leaking happy-sappy tears the next. My partner kept giving me concerned looks from the corner of his eye. The last third of the book required chocolate with my tissues.

In a “good timeline” alternate history, the White House was taken by a smart, driven, progressive woman in 2016. The first son of the United States, Alex Claremont-Diaz, has it all figured out. He’s brilliant, charismatic, passionate, and poised to rocket into a political career of his own.

But a drunken fight with the young Prince of Wales, Henry, leaves both countries scrambling for a diplomatic solution. In the process of his forced photo-op tour, Alex finds out Prince Henry is not at all what Alex expected, and ready to turn his world upside down.

The sheer wholesome heartache in this book turned me upside down and inside out. The steam comes hot and emotional, the banter quick and witty, and the love both epic and deeply personal in scope. What really had me, though, was the romance. The outpouring of lyrical, poetic love rips their hearts out and lays it bare for us all to read. At times I almost felt guilty for eavesdropping on such a vulnerable conversation. What’s more, the author manages this epic romantic and sexual tension with characters separated by an ocean.

I’ve never been a fan of the epistolary style, and I’m enough of a gen-x old fart to have trouble getting into text exchanges in fiction. In this case, the author keeps the written exchanges lively and the voices strong and unique. She keeps the challenges between the lovers believable, and refuses to take the easy way out by resorting to pseudo-conflict. They have plenty of obstacles without it.

I’m generally not a fan of present-tense fiction, especially in romance. Most authors cannot pull it off and it becomes so awkward and jarring that I don’t finish the book. This is a rare exception, as I was halfway through the book before I even noticed the present tense. It flows naturally from a main character who, despite his knowledge of history, is dynamically and boldly living in the present, looking at the next moment instead of the last. It adds energy and tension to the story, and is brilliantly executed.

If you write romance, read romance, or just need to fall in love, you have to read this book. Ask your library to stock it, too.

Visit Casey McQuiston online for more information (and a very cute puppy!). The book is available from just about every store.

joconklin Book Reviews, Romance, Uncategorized

I’m Reading: The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

Whatever you do, do not start this book right before bed. Or do, if that’s as soon as you can get to it. Even though I finally put it down at 3am, blurry-eyed and probably good for absolutely nothing the next day,  I knew it was worth it.  There’s a reason why this debut rocked the bestseller lists and remains a book every commercial fiction agent has somewhere in their wishlist.

The main character, Stella Lane, is wealthy, successful, and brilliant. She’s also autistic. Being touched makes her skin crawl and kissing is even worse. But when her mother puts pressure on her to date, she realizes that sex might be like any other social skill; one that comes with practice. So she does the absolutely more logical thing and hires a male escort to teach her all the ways of sex. Neither of them expects it to grow into something much harder to walk away from.

This is a high-steam erotic romance with a sympathetic, brilliant, funny, awkward, powerfully independent, sweet main character and a love interest that puts hearts and stars in our eyes. The romantic tension and physical chemistry between them is off the charts. Few authors can put as much erotic tension into a kiss as Helen Hoang, and I’m ready to devour the rest of her catalog the way Michael devours Stella’s lips. The writing craft is phenomenal, and the book should appeal to readers far beyond the romance genre. Stella’s personal journey towards claiming her best self is one we all should see ourselves in. This delightful debut goes on my re-read stack.

Visit Helen Hoang online for more information and ordering links.

(Content warning for this book: Main character has a history of sexual assault and experiences non-consensual kissing in the book.)