My favorite genre, hands-down, is romance. I’ve read so many great romance novels lately, and I want to share my most recent 5 star romance reads with you! For this post, I went with books I consider pure romance – not drama/mystery with a romantic subplot or romantic erotica. (Though all of these contain erotic scenes!)
@btchbkshlfMy 10 MOST RECENT 5 STAR romance reads ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ##booktok ##romancebooks♬ Coffee for Your Head – Vinyll
An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
An exceptional historical romance that absolutely blew me away. I need to sleep on this one before fully penning my thoughts on my blog. Overall, Elle is a wonderful character, and her romance with Malcolm is stunning and nuanced. I loved these two together, from their steamy scenes to their honest discussions regarding their emotions and the power dynamics between them.
Look out for my full review on February 10.
The Duke Undone by Joanna Lowell
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Wrote a blog post about my top ten books I read this year and published it today, and this one should have made the list. I need to sleep on it before going into my full, gushing review, which will be on https://bitchbookshelf.com. My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for giving me a copy in exchange for my honest review.
A Princess in Theory by Alyssa Cole
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This book was so FUN, and had the added bonus (which I didn’t know) of being timely (without freaking me out, LOL). Ledi is studying epidemiology in grad school (and a smaller-scale epidemic does come into play), and dodging spam emails claiming she is the betrothed of a prince – think the Nigerian prince emails of the 90s/early aughts. When Thabiso comes looking for his betrothed, there’s a comedy of errors as to his identity. There are so many fun romance tropes in this one: royalty in disguise, forgotten identity, betrothed as babies, disapproving MIL, forced to take shelter in a snowstorm… The side characters are all well-fleshed out and will make for great romantic leads in the sequels and spin-offs. What a great start to a series!
It’s in His Kiss by Julia Quinn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I’m trying to finish this series before the premiere of the Netflix show and I’m so glad I revisited it. Hyacinth and Gareth’s story was sweet, sexy, and exciting. I love Hyacinth and her relationship with one of the best characters in the series, Lady Danbury.
Read my full review here – and don’t miss my post about the Bridgerton books!
A Lady’s Guide to Mischief and Mayhem by Manda Collins
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I loved this book even more than I expected to. With a steamy and romantic love story and excellent plot, what’s not to love? I appreciated that Kate and her friend Caro are strong women with feminist ideals. I also liked that while the hero is a cop (not my favorite archetype with everything going on in the world) he recognizes corruption in the police force and actively works against it. Truly a fun, romantic read!
Spoiler Alert by Olivia Dade
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
What an excellent romance. I laughed, I cried, I fanned myself, I highlighted every hilarious reference to the awful final season of GoT. One of the best romances I have read this year and I am excited for more from the author!
A Rogue of One’s Own by Evie Dunmore
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
My most anticipated read of 2020, this was everything I wanted and more. Lucie and Tristan are both exceptional characters who undergo major development. This is a bit of a slow burn with some explosive erotic romance in the second half of the book. I loved the cameos from historical figures and LGBTQ+ representation. 💜 I normally write my full blog post right away, but I need some time to absorb how lovely this one was.
EDIT: I do want to share that I’ve seen some criticisms since finishing this novel, noting that a villain in this is a gay character who was spurned by another character romantically, and how this trope is problematic. I definitely can see that, though it didn’t occur to me during reading. I’m still on the fence about how I feel regarding this, as a lot of the arguments on Twitter I’ve seen surrounding this basically have argued the bisexual character isn’t “bi enough” anyway which is just fucking gross. 😕 I think this was more of a jealousy trope, in this situation, than homophobia. I also want to note this is not the main villain. But if this is content that would upset you, you may want to skip this book.
Who’s That Earl by Susanna Craig
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
What a fun read! I found the plot itself to be predictable, but loved the main characters and their romance. The side characters are lovely, too. This one is so steamy and fun! Thanks to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for giving me a free copy in exchange for my honest review, and look out for my full review at bitchbookshelf.com.
Would I Lie to the Duke by Eva Leigh
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Oh, my goodness. This one was amazing. This series has given me everything I never knew I wanted. Thank you to Eva Leigh, Avon, and NetGalley for hooking me up with a copy in exchange for my honest review, which I will share on bitchbookshelf.com.
The Earl Not Taken by A.S. Fenichel
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I was surprised how much I loved this one. While it didn’t keep me rooted to the spot, forced to turn the pages, the characters won me over. Poppy’s group of friends is vibrant and full of personality. And her romance with Rhys is on point. The main love scene in this book is one of the most feminist sex scenes I’ve read with an excellent discussion about consent. Thank you to the publisher, author, NetGalley, and Pump Up Your Book for sending me a copy! Read my full review at bitchbookshelf.com on May 7!
Have you read any of these books, or do any catch our eye? Let me know your thoughts below!
