#27 [2025/CBR17] Murder for the Modern Girl by Kendall Kulper

CBR17Bingo: "Borrow" - because I borrowed it from the library.

Murder for the Modern Girl (2022) by Kendall Kulper is another book I picked up after it was recommended to me by someone in my local book club. I thought it was original and unique. It was a quick read and kept my interest. Although there are fantastical elements to a couple of the characters in this book, the story still felt grounded. In fact, the fantastical elements really made the characters more interesting, and they added something to the story.

Ruby is 18 years old. We first see her when she is in disguise in a cheap bar, about to put poison in a man's drink. It is 1928 Chicago, and Ruby has a special talent. She can read minds. She's recently been using this talent to find men who are truly bad, but the system is too broken to find them and throw them in jail. And she kills them. Quite often, Ruby's act will save the life of another woman or women. Ruby justifies her actions because the justice system is a mess and often doesn't protect those in need.

Ruby is a fun character with a very progressive and modern take on life. She is very smart and independent, and she is very close with her father, who works for the city of Chicago. Ruby's father is in the midst of dealing with a couple different groups of gangsters.

Guy is a young man who works in a morgue. He can barely talk to people, he is easily overlooked and discounted. Although Guy spends his nights cleaning the morgue, he is also very smart and intuitive. He sees some of the bodies killed by Ruby and notices a trend. But even more interesting, Guy is in the morgue because he wants to befriend one of the doctors there. Guy is a shapeshifter. He can change his appearance at whim--although it is physically difficult. He is desperate for more information about his condition and hopes the doctor can help him.

Guy and Ruby are thrown together. Because she can see into minds, she can tell who Guy is no matter  what persona he arrives in. They work well together. However, Guy is still looking for the killer--which is Ruby--and that puts a damper on their relationship. Throw in a lot of drama and violence from the fighting gangsters who don't want Ruby's father involved, and there is a lot going on in this book.

Like I wrote above, I did enjoy this book. Ruby is a fun, resourceful character who is loyal to those she loves, and thinks outside the box. The setting was fun, and Guy was a very sympathetic character. It was good seeing them together. My only complaint is that I was a little weirded out by how comfortable Ruby was with killing people. I know they were bad and "deserved" it, but an eighteen-year-old calmly ending life after life after life was disconcerting. She was a serial killer, and never had any qualms. It's easier to overlook multiple murders in a book, but I was imagining this lady out in the world today.

#23 [2025/CBR17] Not Another Love Song by Julie Soto

CBR17Bingo - "N" for "Not Another Love Song"

I found Not Another Love Song (2024) by Julie Soto through my book club. We didn't actually choose this one for book club, but another book clubber highly recommended it. This piqued my curiosity, and I was able to get it almost immediately on Audiobook. This is a young-adult romance, which I generally enjoyed. Although it wasn't my favorite, the emphasis on music throughout the story made it feel unique.

Gwen Jackson is a child prodigy and self-taught violinist. She has a job at the Manhattan Pops Orchestra, which she really enjoys. Her mentor, Mable, a woman at her music store who introduced her to the violin, wishes that Gwen had set her sights higher--going to Juilliard instead of settling for a middling professional orchestra.

Xander is a "rockstar" cellist, who is part of a rock band with classical instruments called Thorn and Roses. He is the object of many adoring fans. Gwen and Xander first meet when Gwen is playing a gig at a wedding with her roommate. After a miscommunication, she is required to play the cello in front of Xander, who just happens to be in the bridal party. Her musical ability as well as her ability to transpose her violin music to cello music captures Xander's attention.

Xander also just happens to have joined the Manhattan Pops orchestra even though he doesn't seem to like it or fit in at all. But that just means more opportunities for Xander and Gwen to run into each other. Eventually, they try playing together and, not unexpectedly, make beautiful music together. With all that mutual attraction, spending all that time together, and bonding over music, they inevitably end up together. 

This book also has a lot of drama. The orchestra is losing money, so they move Gwen to first chair--partly to advertise their hotshot, youngest first-chair ever. They also use Xander and Gwen's relationship to promote their orchestra. In addition, Xander is the previous first chair's son, and he is very bitter at not being made first chair himself. In any case, there is a lot of strain on their relationship. 

I played the clarinet in various school bands from sixth grade through college. And I really enjoyed creating music with a large group of people. Even though I did not have the talent nor dedication to pursue it professionally, I did love it. So, this book was partly fun for me because I could vicariously live the dream of the professional musician. I really enjoyed Gwen's job, and how the music was important to the plot. This helped elevate a book where Gwen and Xander's relationship might have been more frustrating without the music. Xander was often silent and uncommunicative and could come across as immature and annoying. Also, most of their problems simply stemmed from the fact that, although they were having a lot of sex, Gwen and Xander barely talked about anything important. But the music made it better.

#20 [2025/CBR17] The Paradise Problem by Christina Lauren

CBR17Bingo: Green (for the green cover)

By now I've read a number of books by Christina Lauren*, and they've been a little hit or miss for me. But it hasn't stopped me from continuing to read their novels--always hoping for the best. The Paradise Problem (2024) wasn't my absolute favorite book from them, but it's up there and I had a good time.

When Anna Green was pre-med in college, she was desperate for housing. A friend of hers hooked her up with Liam "West" Weston. If they got married, they could live in subsidized student, married housing, which would help them both. It was all in name only, the two had opposite schedules, and they barely saw each other. When Liam moved on after graduating, Anna did not think much about the marriage or Liam.

But four years later, Liam gets back in touch--and Anna happens to be at a new low. She decided to pursue art rather than go to medical school. She's just been fired by the gross, teenage son of her bosses at the corner convenience store, and she's desperate for money. Liam tells Anna that they never actually got divorced (he didn't hide this, Anna was just remarkably unobservant and never looks at paper work). Now Liam's younger sister is getting married on a remote, exotic private island. His family thinks he's actually married to Anna, and she has to come to the wedding to keep up appearances. Most importantly, Liam is the heir to a giant supermarket franchise, but his grandfather put in this will that Liam can't get his inheritance until he's been married for five years. Thus, the two need to go to the festivities on the island and make it look like they're a real couple. Anna doesn't have much of a choice, and she agrees.

One of the most fun parts of this book was the wish fulfillment of getting all the clothes and pampering that was necessary to join insanely rich people on an amazing vacation. And then Anna gets to go on that vacation. It doesn't hurt that Anna and Liam--when they actually spend time together--are intensely attracted to each other. They can't deny each other for long.

There were other parts to the story, including how Anna fits in with a bunch of rich snobs, Liam's history with his family, as well as the growing relationship between Anna and Liam. Maybe the premise is a little crazy if you think about it for too long, but I really had fun with this one. Recommended.

*Christina Lauren are the two first names of two writers who write together.

#19 [2025/CBR17] The Rom-Commers by Katherine Center

CBR17Bingo: Red (for the red in the cover)

I can't remember now how I found The Rom-Commers (2024) by Katherine Center, but I was probably just browsing my library's catalog looking for an available Audiobook to listen to on my commute. This was an occasionally fun "rom-com" that played on some of the tropes of the genre for its own purposes. However, this wasn't one of my favorites because the relationship wasn't very memorable.

Emma Wheeler is a talented writer who lives in the Northwest and is the sole caretaker of her father after a climbing accident while her younger sister finishes school. She's pretty much given up on her dreams of becoming a famous screenwriter because of her circumstances.

But when an ex-boyfriend from high school (who is now gay) asks Emma to come to Los Angeles for six weeks to rewrite a romantic comedy screenplay, she might just have a second chance. Charlie Yates is a famous, celebrated screenwriter who has just written the aforementioned, terrible screenplay. Emma is one of his biggest fans, but once she reads the screenplay, she knows it needs a ton of work. In fact, she is horrified by all of it.

Unfortunately for both Emma and Charlie, Emma's ex-boyfriend didn't tell Charlie anything about bringing another writer in to help him with his screenplay--let alone warn Charlie that Emma would be staying at his house. Their meet cute involves Charlie being remarkably rude, and Emma storming off. Eventually, the two are convinced to work with each other. 

Emma is still not happy, though. Charlie doesn't even believe in love. He only wrote the screenplay as a vehicle for the studio head's mistress, so the studio head will greenlight a project he actually cares about. Emma takes it upon herself to teach Charlie about love. It's not surprising that after spending a lot of time together, the two start liking each other. It is definitely a slow burn.

In the end, Emma sucks it up and tells Charlie how she feels. I admire Emma here because she didn't pussyfoot around and allow misunderstandings and unspoken feelings to rule the day. Unfortunately, Charlie rudely rejects her. We find out later that it's because he thinks his cancer is back and doesn't want to force Emma into another caretaker role. I see where he's coming from, but honesty is more important here. I was also very annoyed at the author when I thought I read this whole, stupid book just to find out he has cancer at the end. (I should have known better. It was a false alarm.)

There were some fun parts in this novel. I enjoyed when Emma met Meryl Streep, and some of Hollywood glamour was interesting. On the whole, though, this one didn't really stick with me. But it was pleasant enough.

#15 [2025/CBR17] Deep End by Ali Hazelwood

Ali Hazelwood is churning out her feminist STEM romance novels so fast, that I'm barely keeping up. As soon as I discover another one is out, then I join the long waitlist at the library. Deep End (2025) did not disappoint. I loved that the book took place at Stanford with student athletes. I thought the story was interesting, and the chemistry between the leads was great. Was it a perfect book? No, but I enjoyed reading it and would give it four out of five stars.

Scarlett Vandemeer, who goes by Vandy, is a diver at Stanford. She can be a little reclusive and awkward. Penelope is one of the stars of the diving team. She's gorgeous and seems to have everything--including Lukas, the Swedish superstar swimmer who already has Olympic medals. But when Penelope confides in Vandy that she wants to break up with Lukas because he's into BDSM, and she feels they're not compatible sexually, Vandy confesses that she's also into BDSM, and tries to advise Penelope.

Penelope and Lukas do break up. When Penelope is drunk at a party, she tells Lukas and Vandy they should hook up because they're both into the same things. At the time, this is just an awkward situation to work around, but neither Lukas nor Vandy forget. When they continue to find themselves together, their mutual attraction is undeniable.

Vandy really likes Lukas, but she does not want to hook up with her friend's ex-boyfriend. Eventually, she gives in to her attraction, but she's not comfortable telling Penelope about it. This continues while they both compete in swimming and diving and get even closer to each other. Vandy and Lukas are a very good couple. Their main problem is that Vandy keeps pushing him away because of Penelope. Eventually this all comes to a head, and everyone lives happily ever after. 

First, I enjoyed that the main characters in this novel were athletes. It felt a little different from Hazelwood's other books, and it was interesting to see what the life of an elite student athlete was like. Second, I thought Vandy and Lukas had great chemistry. I read some reviews on Goodreads that were complaining that the book was not very kinky after Hazelwood warned of kink at the beginning of the book. I would agree that it felt lightly kinky. But having read Hazelwood's other books, this felt like a natural progression after the mild introduction of control in Not in Love. On the whole, I enjoyed this book, and I'm looking forward to reading her next one.

#14 [2024/CBR17] Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros

I've already spent a lot of time reading the Empyrean Series by Rebecca Yarros, so I quickly picked up Book 3 of the series when it became available to me. Onyx Storm (2025) continues to follow Violet Sorrengail and her loves and adventures in the Kingdom of Navarre. Violet is still technically a student. She is in her third year in the dragon school that kills at least twice as many people as it graduates. She has been chosen by two very special dragons and is one of the most powerful students there.

Although there have been some interesting and moving scenes in every book of Yarros's Empyrean Series, I am losing interest. The story just goes on for so long, and there are so many details and people, that they're hard to keep straight. 

In this book, the love of Violet's life, Xaden, has turned to the dark side. He was forced to channel the evil power in order to save the city and the school. At this point, he can still control himself, but it is definitely an obstacle in their relationship.

Violet, Xaden, and a small group are sent down South to look for the seventh breed of dragon, which is needed to power their wards and keep them safe back home. Violet is also looking for anything that might cure Xaden before he loses himself.

At the same time, a very powerful, evil, dark wielder named Theophanie keeps showing up because she wants to turn Violet into Venin herself. Theophanie seems to give up and go away at opportune times, but Violet knows she will have to face her one day. At some point, the seventh breed of the dragon comes and helps them power their ward. However, it also convinces Andarna (one of Violet's dragons), that she should break her bond with Violet and go learn from them. Andarna leaves Violet, and it almost kills her. (I did find this to be a very touching scene.)

After dragons are captured and a major battle, Xaden is forced to channel again, and he turns fully Venin. Violet is able to kill Theophanie, but she has lost Xaden and Andarna. When she wakes up, Xaden is nowhere to be found, Violet cannot remember the last couple of hours, and Violet is apparently married to Xaden. This one definitely ended on a cliffhanger.

Onyx Storm is Book 3 of what will apparently be a five book series. Part of me wants to just be done with this series and let the other books lie. However, I am almost positive that Xaden and Violet end up together, and now I'm curious how that will work with Xaden being evil and all. I guess I'll just have to wait and see. With only two more books to go, it just might be worth it.

P.S. I've heard people say this this book was much better than the second book. I'm not sure I agree. I think I liked the first book the best so far.

#11 [2025/CBR17] Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood

Ali Hazelwood is an automatic read for me now. I always enjoy reading her books, even when the characters drive me crazy. This is because they are likeable and funny--but in order to make the story work, they can be insanely obtuse when it comes to love. Apparently, I was a little obtuse because I only recently realized that Hazelwood had two new books out.

I picked up Not in Love (2024) first, which centers around Rue. Rue is a little atypical. She only has a couple of friends, including her boss, she lives alone with a lot of plants, and her life is very regimented. Rue is not very interested in a long-term relationship--in fact, she's not even interested in more than one date. But she does have needs, so every once in awhile she finds someone on a dating app to fulfill those needs.

One evening Rue is waiting in the hotel for her latest date when Eli shows up. They've matched online and are immediately attracted to each other in a very intense way--which seems to happen a lot in romance novels, but only rarely in real life. Unfortunately for them both, they are interrupted and both leave unsatisfied. However, the next day, she sees Eli at the most unexpected of places--her work.

Eli and three close friends have a company that buys other tech companies. Eli's company has just bought out the loan for the small biotech company that Rue works for, and everyone at Rue's company is worried about the implications for their jobs and livelihoods. 

Rue is now stuck between a rock and a hard place. She is deeply attracted to Eli, but she now sees him as an enemy from whom she needs to keep her distance. Rue is very close friends with the president of her company, and Rue owes her so much. Every time she spends time with Eli she feels guilty. 

The rest of the book is Rue and Eli getting closer and closer while the drama of the takeover continues. Hazelwood experimented with some light BDSM between Rue and Eli, something I had not seen in her books before. Eventually Rue discovers why Eli's company was so interested in attaining her small biotech firm, and everything starts to make sense.

I thought this book was a fun, engaging read. I liked the characters and were happy they ended up together. The backdrop of the scientific betrayals, patents, and overtaking other companies added to the story and the relationship without dragging down the tempo. Did Rue and Eli feel like real people? Maybe not. Was their relationship too good to be true? Maybe. But that's what romances are for, and it was entertaining.

#10 [2025/CBR17] Roomies by Christina Lauren

I now feel like I'm wasting time if I'm not listening to an audiobook while I'm in my car, so I'm always on the lookout for a book that will hopefully work well for listening. I've read a couple of books by Christina Lauren (two writing-partner friends who smash their first names together to make one author's name), so when I saw Roomies (2017) available at the library, I figured I would enjoy listening to it. Unfortunately, this one was not my favorite. There were some good parts, but it just didn't draw me in as some of her others have.

Holland Bakker has a crush on a musician who plays guitar at her subway station. She actively changes her routine and goes out of her way to be able to hear him. Then one day, late at night, she is pushed onto the tracks by a crazy guy. The sexy guitar player (Calvin McLoughlin) sees what happens and calls for help. But he disappears as soon as help gets on the scene.

Holland is a nepo baby because her Uncle is a famous musician and Broadway's hottest musical director, and he got her a job at his theater. When her Uncle's show needs another musician, she recommends her sexy guitar player friend. After Calvin plays for Holland's uncle, he is offered the job. Unfortunately, he can't take it because he had an education Visa from Ireland, but he's overstayed for years. He cannot legally work in the United States.

Holland's direct boss is a bit of a dick, and he proposes that Holland marry Calvin, so that Calvin can get his Green Card. Everyone shoots down this ridiculous idea, but it sticks with Holland. She proposes the idea to Calvin, and before they know it, the two are married.

Suddenly, Calvin has moved in with Holland, and the two are learning as much about each other as possible as they prep for government interviews. They find that they really get along and are quite attracted to each other as well.

Calvin and Holland are likable people, and I wanted to see them be together and do well. I liked a lot of their interactions, and the writing was often good and fun.

On the other hand, I had some problems with some aspects of this story, and even some aspects of the romance.

-Holland is pushed onto the subway tracks by a crazy man, and Calvin just calls for help and disappears? He doesn't help her get out from a potentially lethal spot on the tracks? Did I miss something while I was listening? I was expecting a lot more from a romance hero.

-Holland and Calvin make a big deal of texting fake, sexy text messages to each other in order to "prove" their relationship to the powers that be. I don't see how less than a week of text messages would show that they'd been seriously dating for six months before getting married. If anything, it would highlight the opposite--that they'd only started communicating. Maybe they could both say that they just got new phones and lost their text messages??? Anyway, there were a number of problems with the believable marriage part of the storyline that made the story distracting.

-Finally, the first time Holland and Calvin have sex, they wake up in bed together, both too drunk and hungover to even remember what had happened the night before. Eventually, we kind of find out what happened during flashbacks, but I don't find black-out-drunk sex very sexy.

So, this wasn't a bad book, but I came in with high expectations, and they weren't quite met. Maybe I like Christina Lauren books that are more fanciful because then I'm not distracted by the parts of the plot that feel too unrealistic.

#3 [2025/CBR17] Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell

"An Ode to my High School Crush"

I've read a number of books by Rainbow Rowell and always enjoyed them. She writes quiet, introspective, romantic, young-adultish novels with atypical protagonists. So, when I saw that Rowell had a new book out, Slow Dance (2024), I put it on hold immediately. Not surprisingly, I enjoyed this novel. It had well-written, flawed, believable characters, and a similar feel to her other books.

Cary, Shiloh, and Mikey are best friends in high school. But Cary and Shiloh have a special bond. He drives her home every day, and they are more often than not together. Shiloh is constantly bothering him, poking him, and touching him. But despite what seems obvious to everyone else, they remain completely platonic. The book jumps back and forth in time from high school, to college, to the present day.

It's only after graduation, when Cary comes to visit Shiloh in college, that things change. Cary has joined the Navy and made it through bootcamp, and he only has a couple of days to spend with Shiloh. Their relationship is suddenly no longer platonic, but they also don't know how to take things to another level. It seems impossible with Shiloh in school and Cary heading off to his first assignment in the Navy. Eventually their letters peter off, and shortly after that Shiloh begins dating. After her marriage to Ryan, another theater guy from college, Cary and Shiloh lose touch.

Fourteen years later, Cary and Shiloh see each other again at Mikey's wedding. So much has happened, but it seems their attachment to each other has not changed. The two have many misunderstandings and hurt feelings, but they're still very close. Unfortunately, things are even more complicated now. Shiloh has two kids, and Cary spends months at a time on a ship across the world.

I really enjoyed this book. Rowell's characters always feel odd and interesting, yet still like real people. I was rooting for them from the beginning. But what hit me--viscerally and immediately--when I read this book was how much it reminded me of the boy I became very attached to in high school. Let's just call him Matt.* 

I didn't really get to know Matt until my junior year, when he was a senior. We were both in band. I can't remember meeting him, but we became friends and slowly started spending more and more time together. He was a genuinely good person, insanely smart, and a truly amazing piano player. I really admired him. He often drove me home, we saw movies together, he introduced me to amazing music I'd never heard before, and he helped me with my Physics homework.

I had a number of sweet, memorable experiences with Matt. One day he stayed with me after school (I can't remember what I was waiting for), and we were alone in the lockers behind the band room. We were talking and stayed so still that the automatic lights turned off. Then it turned into a game to keep the lights off. We tried moving very slowly, and inch by inch, rolling around on the floor. It was silly and ridiculous, and I had so much fun with him. 

Even with the admiration and affection I had for him, it took a long time for me to realize I *liked* Matt. I think I struggled with low self esteem, so it was hard for me to imagine myself as anyone's love interest. Also, I was absolutely petrified of rejection. It didn't help when another young lady showed interest in Matt, and I couldn't imagine that he would ever choose me over her. Despite how comfortable I was with him and how close I felt to him, our relationship was always purely platonic.

One day, I thought I might risk everything and see if he wanted to go to prom with me. While he drove me home, I'd keep taking a breath and saying, "Okay"--trying to get myself to just blurt it out. But I couldn't do it. Another time, a mutual friend (but more Matt's friend) asked me if I was interested in Matt during Physics class. My knee-jerk, defensive reaction was, "no". There was no way I was baring my tender feelings to that guy in the middle of class.

When Matt began receiving his acceptance letters to colleges, we would drive by his house first to check the mail before he drove me home. I was so excited for him, but I was also miserable that he would be leaving me behind. 

In the end, Matt got into Stanford, a school that did not accept me the next year when I applied. We definitely saw each other again, but I never felt that same closeness and potential for more that I had felt in high school. Even so, it took me forever to get over him, and I was pining for a ridiculous amount of time. 

Rowell's book made me wonder what would have happened if we'd actually gotten together in high school. Maybe a real relationship with someone I liked so much when I was young would have been amazing--affecting the trajectory of my dating life forever. But it's also hard to imagine a relationship lasting through five or more years of separation as we went to different colleges. And if I was pining that badly for him and we'd never even kissed, I can only imagine how bad it would be if we'd been a real couple for awhile. Also, if we were too uncertain and immature to tell each other how we felt, maybe the friendship we had was perfect for the circumstances of our lives at the time. I might only be pretending it could have been better because it never actually happened to prove me wrong. (And it's also very possible that he just didn't like me.)

Since Matt, I have dated a number of guys who were varying levels of not right for me and not good for me. And then I found one that was both right for me and good for me, and we got married a couple of years ago. I haven't thought about Matt or all the angst of high school in so many years. However, the part of this book when Shiloh and Cary are in high school brought the memories and nostalgia back hard.**

*Because his name was Matt

**It looks like this has turned into one part review and five parts therapy, but it felt good to excavate and examine my feelings about this after so much time. Thank you for your patience.

#58 [2024/CBR16] Birding with Benefits by Sarah T. Dubb

I was so excited when the new NPR's Favorite Books List came out this year, and I immediately pored over it, surprised by how few books I knew. But one book immediately caught my eye. I sent the title to my husband who said it was written for a niche market of one (me!). The book was Birding with Benefits (2024) by Sarah T. Dubb, and it is a romance novel about birding. 

Some years ago now, I discovered that there were more birds in Colorado than just Mallards and Robins. It was a glorious epiphany that widened my view of the natural world. Now that I have a dog, I rarely go out specifically looking for birds, but I still keep my eye out. I have learned so much about birds in the intervening years, and they are fascinating creatures on so many levels.

Celeste has been divorced a couple of years. She has one daughter who is a senior in high school. She figured out that she lost herself in her marriage, trying to please her husband, and she doesn't want that to happen again. So, she has decided to forego men until she can trust herself a little more. Instead, she is focusing on living life and enjoying new experiences. John recently broke up with his girlfriend when he saw her kissing another man. He's quiet and watchful. He loves the outdoors and being outdoors and is not particularly aggressive about "achieving." He left academia because he found it unsatisfying.

When John's best friend has to bail on a team birding competition called the bird binge (I love this title), Celeste offers to step in. She's under the impression that she needs to show up one morning and pretend to be John's girlfriend. When she discovers that John actually needs a partner for the birding competition, she figures she might as well do that, too--even though she has no experience.

John teaches Celeste the wonders of bird watching, and the two spend more and more time together--both fake dating and genuinely enjoying each other's company. When the sexual tension gets too high, they decide birding with benefits for the length of the competition is the solution. Celeste is still too afraid of losing herself to get into another relationship.

I generally enjoyed this book, although my excitement died down a bit as I read. I didn't feel like Dubb quite captured the wonder of discovering birding, so that was a little disappointing. I also didn't feel a ton of emotion while I read, only a little here and there. Finally, I got a little frustrated with their dilemma. "We only have until the end of the birding competition!" That's a very arbitrary rule. If you find someone you really like and have amazing sex with, I think you need a much better reason than that to stop. The book's central problem also got solved very quickly and easily. On the whole, this book was enjoyable, but I think I began it with too high of expectations.

#50 [2024/CBR16] The Soulmate Equation by Christina Lauren

My first book by Christina Lauren (a writing duo using their first names) was The True Love Experiment, which I enjoyed. But The True Love Experiment was actually the second book involving these same people and places, and I decided I wanted to see how everything started. And it started with The Soulmate Equation (2021).

While Fizzy is the main protagonist of The True Love Experiment, it is Fizzy's best friend, Jess Davis, who finds love in The Soulmate Equation. Jess is a single mother who is devoted to her little girl, Juno. Jess is also very close with the grandparents who primarily raised her. Jess has not been interested in dating for years. Even with Fizzy's encouraging harassment, Jess would rather spend time with her daughter than get back into dating.

But then a lot of things happen. Jess and Fizzy learn about a new dating app from the aloof, but very good-looking man who frequents their coffee shop. The man is Dr. River Pena, and Jess can't help but notice him. However, she is turned off by his dismissive attitude. She also later overhears him calling her average. Both Fizzy and Jess (but especially Fizzy) are intrigued by this new dating app. It uses DNA testing to find both sexual and long-term compatibility between partners, and then ranks them. 

When Jess finally decides to send in her DNA, she discovers that she matches with Dr. River Pena at an astonishing 98%--a number so high that it hasn't even been seen before. Jess is pretty much horrified, and wants nothing more to do with the whole experiment, but the company is interested in using this historic match for marketing purposes. They offer to pay her $10,000 per month just to spend time with River, and see if they're compatible. Because this offer comes when Jess is particularly desperate for money, she agrees.

And so begins the relationship between Jess and River. It turns out that River is primarily just introverted and shy, which sometimes comes off as arrogant and aloof. Both are immediately attracted to each other, but as they spend more time together, they get closer and closer. 

One interesting through-point in this book is how much we should change our perspective based on these numbers. This kind of app is not possible, but it's fun to think about if we had one that actually worked. When Fizzy matched with a man with a lower compatibility number, both people went into the date expecting it not to go anywhere. Jess and River had zero interest in dating each other until they were told they were perfect for each other. River is in a position where he really wants his DNA testing to work, and he believes that it works. Would that possibly push him into believing a relationship is working when he otherwise would not think so? On the other hand, Jess was partly terrified to date River because the expectations are so high after hearing that kind of news. It puts a lot of pressure on a first date. 

Anyway, the book continues with the two slowly getting closer. There is a moment of drama where everything seems to fall apart, but like most romances it all ends well. 

I thought this was a very fun read with good dialogue and some sweet romance. In the end, I liked The Soulmate Equation even better than The True Love Experiment. Recommended.

#42 [2024/CBR16] Searching for Rescue by Tonya Burrows

One day I came upon a list of free, steamy romance novels. I was intrigued and probably procrastinating, so I looked through the list. That's where I found Searching for Rescue (2023) by Tonya Burrows. I picked it up on Amazon, not sure if I would ever read it. After all, it was free. How good could it be? But in the end, the dog sucked me in. I love dogs, and I figured a romance with a kick-ass, military-trained, Belgian Malinois was going to be interesting. 

Zak Hendricks is back home after a mission went bad. He was a black-ops soldier doing some of the hardest jobs and seeing the worst you can imagine. He was captured and tortured on his last tour, badly injuring his knee. Now that he's home, he has nothing to live for. He's drinking constantly, driving drunk, getting in trouble, and feeling suicidal. He doesn't want to talk to his family and is deeply unhappy.

Anna Rawlings is a dog trainer who owns Redwood Coast Rescue. She rescues all kinds of dogs from all kinds of situations. When Zak is ordered by the court to volunteer at the Redwood Coast Rescue, as well as attend meetings at the related Paws for Vets program, Anna is very nervous. She loved Zak before he took off with the military and left her. 

Zak reluctantly starts showing up at the Redwood Coast Rescue. The Paws for Vets program is small group therapy run by a woman with a very sweet dog. We get to know the vets in that program and their struggles. Zak also is tasked with helping Anna out at the shelter. He meets Ranger, an ex-military dog struggling as much as Zak is. The two seem to understand each other and take to each other almost immediately.

If the story weren't already dramatic enough, a murdered body is discovered at a nearby campsite. Two children who had been staying at that campsite are missing. Anna, Ranger, and Zak are brought in to help search for the kids. Despite all of Zak's problems, Anna still can't resist him, and the two start something up again before all hell breaks loose.

This book was better than I expected. Sometimes I felt like there was a little too much thrown into the plot. Just one man battling his demons might have been enough. I'm not sure we needed missing kids, adopted kids, and murderers as well. However, Burrows managed to keep all the plotlines understandable and easy to follow. Zak probably became healthier unrealistically quickly, but the book couldn't last forever. My favorite parts by far were the descriptions of the dogs. I imagine that Burrows must love dogs and have spent a significant amount of time with them, because her descriptions of the dogs' mannerisms were spot on.

#41 [2024/CBR16] Funny Story by Emily Henry

I've read a number of books by Emily Henry and always found them enjoyable. So, when I saw that her latest book, Funny Story (2024) was out, I knew I was going to read it. Like all of her books so far, I enjoyed this one. The characters were fun and likeable, and I occasionally felt that ache in my chest that comes with well-written, romantic yearning. The details of Henry's books don't usually stick with me for long; I mostly just remember the general emotions.

Daphne lives in Waning Bay, Michigan with her fiancé, Peter. Her world is torn apart when Peter comes home and dumps her--saying that he's actually in love with his childhood best friend, Petra. Petra is gorgeous and comes from the same rich background as Peter. But just because they seem to make sense together doesn't make it any less heartbreaking for Daphne. To make matters worse, the house they lived in was always Peter's, so Daphne has to find a new place to stay.

Daphne ends up at the home of Miles Nowak, Petra's ex-boyfriend. At first, they are both wholly caught up in their own heartache. Daphne initially thinks he's a dirty slacker and a druggie, and he honestly did not seem very appealing to me when we first meet him. However, they slowly begin to interact and Miles becomes much more attractive the more we know him.

When Peter and Petra have the gall to invite Daphne and Miles to their wedding, Daphne and Miles decide to R.S.V.P. as a couple. Really, they just wanted to make Peter and Petra nervous, but the more time they spend together, the more they like each other. Miles starts showing Daphne all the fun, quirky things to do in Waning Bay that Daphne never had a chance to see before. He brings fun and companionship to Daphne's life. 

Both Daphne and Miles have their own personal and family issues--not to mention their recent breakups--that make both wary of beginning a relationship. Yet most of the time things work out great between them. The real test occurs when Peter and Petra break up, and the reason Daphne and Miles came together in the first place isn't there anymore.

I enjoyed this book, and I'm planning on reading more Emily Henry books as she writes them. My only issue was that I didn't love Miles's personal issues that kept him from Daphne. They seemed to both come out of the blue and be solved relatively easily. However, this little nit did not ruin the book for me. Recommended.

#31 [2024/CBR16] Check and Mate by Ali Hazelwood

I've read a number of women-in-science, love stories by Ali Hazelwood, but this is the first young adult, romance I've read by her. This one is about chess. Mallory Greenleaf loved chess; in fact, she was obsessed with it. And she was very good at it. Trained by her father, she was working her way up the ranks even as a young teenager. But then she saw her dad kiss another woman. It tore their family apart. Mallory blamed herself and quit playing chess.

Mallory's mother is sick, and Mallory spends a lot of her time trying to keep her family, including her two younger sisters, afloat. One day her best friend is short a chess player for a local tournament, and she talks Mallory into joining her team. A surprise celebrity, Nolan Sawyer, and the current World Champion shows up. And Mallory beats him. Panicking, Mallory runs off, but people don't just ignore a performance like that. Mallory is invited to join a chess team, and get paid to practice the game of chess for one year. She resists, but eventually the financial troubles at home force her hand. 

Nolan is intrigued by her and would love to play her again, but Mallory resists. However, the two keep running into each other at subsequent tournaments. Eventually Mallory agrees to help Nolan train for the next World Championships, and the two become even closer. At the same time, Mallory is keeping all of this a secret from her family.

When a player is caught cheating, suddenly Mallory has to decide if she wants to play against Nolan in the World Championships. Even worse, she discovers that it was Nolan who set up the "job" where she was paid to play chess for a year, and she feels betrayed. But romance novels have a way of working themselves out, and everything ends pretty happily in this one once again.

I definitely liked parts of this book, and I was happy to see Mallory and Nolan together. However, it wasn't my favorite. I kind of understood where Mallory's angst and guilt were coming from, but she kept making horrible choices that were really frustrating to read. I also found her sisters to be really annoying. Yet it kept my attention, and it was interesting to get a glimpse into the world of competitive chess.

#24 [2024/CBR16] Best Men by Sidney Karger

Best Men (2023) by Sidney Karger is another audiobook I stumbled upon when I was looking for some commuting entertainment. Best Men is a romance novel that is told from the point of view of Max Moody--a thirty-something gay men who lives in New York City.

Max's childhood best friend Paige just told him that she's engaged to her boyfriend, Austin, and she wants Max to be her best man. Max isn't in the best place in his life. He works in human resources at a dead end job with a horrible boss. He was in a very long-term relationship (with Greg) but was recently dumped. Instead of moving on, he's desperately holding on, hooking up with Greg for meaningless sex whenever its convenient for Greg.

Max is quickly dragged into the many details of wedding preparation, and that's when he meets, Chasten, the groom's brother. Chasten is very good looking, fashionable, wealthy, and a social butterfly. Max is immediately jealous and feels like Chasten is edging in on his relationship with Paige. To make matters worse, it just happens that Chasten and Matt almost hooked up one night, but it ended in disastrous embarrassment. Max wants nothing to do with Chasten, and he doesn't want Chasten around Paige either.

Obviously, that dynamic can't last forever. This is a romance novel after all. Eventually Max and Chasten start talking, and they give each other another chance. The big obstacle after that is they are both (kind of) with other people, but we all know it will work out in the end.

This book was kind of "meh" for me. There were some fun scenes and parties around New York and in the Hamptons. It felt like a different world. But Max seemed very whiny to me. It was satisfying to see him improve his life. However, he wasn't happy to help Paige with the wedding, and then he wasn't happy when Chasten was helping her either. He didn't seem to think about anyone but himself. Also, the romance didn't feel as intense as maybe it could have been. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't my favorite.

#21 [2024/CBR16] Happy Place by Emily Henry

I've read a number of books by Emily Henry, so it was not a surprise when I picked up her latest, Happy Place (2023). I can always count on Henry for some fun entertainment, interesting characters, and sweet yearning. Full disclosure: I finished reading this book quite a while ago now, so I don't remember it as clearly now. I know I had no problem finishing it, though.

Harriet has been best friends with Sabrina and Cleo since they all roomed together in college. They've gotten together, with their significant others, at a house in Maine for years. But Harriet is dreading this year because she has broken up with her fiancé, Wyn--and her friends don't know about it yet. Harriet doesn't want the news of their breakup to ruin the fun for the weekend--especially when Sabrina announces that she and her partner, Parth, will be getting married at the end of the week. Harriet and Wyn agree to fake it for the week.

The story jumps back and forth between when Sabrina and Wyn first met, and the current week in Maine. Eventually we see what broke them apart. It's interesting to read, because I could see how perfect Sabrina and Wyn were for each other, and I really wanted to see them together. 

When I first began reading this book, I was a little turned off by the descriptions of Harriet and her friends. They seemed a little caricature-ish. Fortunately, as the book progresses, Henry adds plenty of details and feelings that make them all feel more real. 

I remember enjoying the sexual tension between Harriet and Wyn--two characters who still love each other and want each other, but are trying not to let it show. I may have been a little frustrated that they couldn't just talk and work out their issues, but Henry does a good job in creating circumstances and personalities that would allow them to believably break up.

Another enjoyable book by Emily Henry. Recommended for those who enjoy fun romances.

#19 [2024/CBR16] The Wall of Winnipeg and Me by Mariana Zapata

I may have had the Taylor Swift/Travis Kelce romance in my head when I decided to read a football romance. Also, my friend recommended The Wall of Winnipeg and Me (2023) by Mariana Zapata, and she usually has pretty good recommendations. This was a fun romance. It generally kept my interest, and I enjoyed reading it.

Vanessa Mazur had a pretty terrible childhood, but she's managed to make a pretty good life for herself. She wants to start a graphic design company, but has worked for the past couple of years as an assistant/do-it-all for Aiden Graves. Aiden is a defensive end in the NFL. He's a superstar with the nickname of "The Wall of Winnipeg." He's also incredibly standoffish and unmindful of Vanessa and all the work she does for him.

But after being berated by Aiden's manager one last time, Vanessa has had enough and she quits. She's ready to start her own business anyways. Shortly thereafter, Aiden shows up at her place, begging for her to come back. But he wants more from her this time. Born in Canada, marrying an American would solve his residency issues. He asks Vanessa to marry him for five years, after which, he will buy her a house and pay off her student debt. Having this financial burden off her back is too tempting and Vanessa agrees. 

As Vanessa and Aiden are faking being a couple, they develop real feelings for each other. It is a slow burn as the two really fall for each other and then finally admit it to themselves and each other. I enjoyed the little bit of football that was in the book--all from Vanessa's perspective, and I was glad they got together in the end. There's even a puppy! (Although I was a little disturbed that Vanessa would put a brand new puppy all by itself in the garage--the poor thing was probably scared!)

I was happy in the end, but it definitely took me awhile to warm up to Aiden Graves. If this wasn't a romance novel, I would have told Vanessa to stay away from him. He was rude, thought of no one but himself, and was difficult to get along with. At first I couldn't see why Vanessa even had a crush on him. I thought she should get together with Aiden's roommate: the guy she talked to about all her secrets and problems, another hot football player, and the guy she would go running with. But it all worked out in the end. Enjoyable.

#17 [2024/CBR16] The Duke and I by Julia Quinn

My book club chose to read The Duke and I (2000) by Julia Quinn. I wasn't super excited about this pick because I was pretty familiar with the storyline. I'd already watched the first season of Bridgerton, which was based on The Duke and I. I was also pretty sure I'd previously read the book, but I couldn't remember when. If I have read it, it was before Cannonball Read started because I couldn't find a review of it. Anyway, because of the familiar territory, I decided to listen to this one as an audiobook for a different experience. 

Quinn is something of a master of writing romance books, and The Duke and I is the first book in a series that centers around the Bridgerton family. This family has money and lots of kids whose names begin with sequential letters of the alphabet (easier for everyone to keep track of, I assume).

Daphne Bridgerton is coming out this season in London and is looking for a husband that she can really care for. However, it's been difficult. Many of them see her as a friend or they are chased off by her oldest brother, Anthony. 

But then Daphne runs into Simon Basset, the Duke of Hastings at a party. Simon is an admired Duke, but he had a pretty difficult childhood. His mother died shortly after he was born, and Simon was primarily raised by servants. His father was at first delighted that he finally had a son, but Simon was late to speak; and when he finally spoke, he had a stutter. His father was disgusted. He left Simon at the country house and even told some people that his son was dead.

Simon pushed his way into a good school and became successful and imposing despite his father's negligence and antipathy. Simon immediately admires Daphne's wits and spirit, and he's tired of being harassed by the mother's of all the wanna-be brides. He proposes that he pretends to court Daphne. That way, the mothers will leave him alone, and Daphne will be even more desirable after a Duke favors her. (You don't want to think too hard about this reasoning). 

But Simon and Daphne have some real attraction, and it gets more intense, the more time they spend together. So when Anthony finds Simon making out with Daphne, he demands that Simon marry Daphne. Simon doesn't want to marry Daphne because he never wants to have kids and doesn't want Daphne to miss out on motherhood. Simon tells Daphne that he is unable to have kids, and Daphne still wants to marry him.

The marriage is kind of sad because Simon feels so ambivalent and poor Daphne just wants him to love her. Eventually they have some very intense sex, but Simon uses the "pull out" method to keep from getting Daphne pregnant. Eventually Daphne figures out that Simon is capable of having kids, it's just that he doesn't want them. She is very angry and tricks him into coming inside of her (one of the more controversial scenes in the movie, but probably wasn't even noticed back in 2000). 

Daphne is successful and does get pregnant. Simon is at first angry and horrified before he pushes past his fear and the two live happily ever after. As a classic romance novel, The Duke and I holds up pretty well. Even on the third telling, it kept my interest.

#12 [2024/CBR16] Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

Iron Flame (2023) by Rebecca Yarros is the second book in the Empyrean Series. I recently read the first book, Fourth Wing, and found it pretty entertaining. It felt like a combination of Fifty Shades of Grey and The Hunger Games--but with dragons. The second book has a similar feel, but was not quite as good as the first. There will probably be spoilers ahead, so take care.

Fourth Wing ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, so I was eager to start the second book and find out what was going to happen. Violet Sorrengail has just finished her first year at Basgiath War College. She has (accidentally) bonded with two dragons (Tairn and Andarna), and has a complicated but very intense relationship with Xaden, a third year whose dragon is bonded with Violet's dragon. Violet has just discovered that Wyverns and Venin exist and are a very real threat to her country. Finally, the brother she thought was dead was actually still alive and working on behalf of the rebels who have been helping outlying kingdoms fight the Wyvern and Venin.

This was all pretty exciting, but then Violet and the others decided they have to go back to the school--even though someone tried to kill them by sending them on a suicide mission at the end of the first book. Xaden is posted to a far away outpost, but the two have to/get to visit each other at least once every couple of weeks because their dragons are bonded and cannot spend too much time apart. Violet is mad at Xaden for not telling her everything earlier, but she also has to keep secrets at school.

Most of the things in Iron Flame happen at school. We meet some new characters, and there are challenges thrown at Violet and her class. The new general is suspicious of Violet and harasses her often. Her life is often in danger. Then Jack, the evil villain of the first book is brought back to life by a healer--for plot purposes.

The end culminates in a massive fight with the Gryphons and their riders helping the dragons and infantry at Basgiath War College to keep the Wyvern and Venin away. Jack reveals himself as a Venin, and he shuts down the Wards that protect the college that allow the attack. In the end, it is Violet's mother who sacrifices herself to bring the wards back in place.

Although there were some very intense and moving moments in this book, I definitely prefer Fourth Wing. The love triangle in the first book with Violet, Dain, and Xaden was a little bit annoying but an expected trope. However, I was glad when it seemed we'd moved on and Dain was clearly not a romantic interest. Instead, we get Cat, Xaden's ex, who is ready to make Violet's life a living hell. It felt unnecessary and kind of annoying. And the same goes for Violet being mad at Xaden for not telling her everything as soon as he met her. The angst was a little wearying and made the book less fun. My favorite part of the first book was when Violet bonded with her dragons, seeing how that connection worked, and how that changed her life at school and with Xaden. I did not feel the same magic in this book, and there was a little more trudging through the pages.

This book ends on another cliffhanger. Xaden, in a desperate attempt to protect Violet, allowed himself to be turned into a venin. This will definitely impact their relationship, and I'm curious what will happen next. On the whole, this book kept my interest. The first book was better, but I'm still planning on reading the third when it is available.

#5 [2024/CBR16] The True Love Experiment by Christina Lauren

Christina Lauren is the combined pen name of writing partners and best friends, Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings. I didn't know this book was by a writing team until after I finished, but it sounds like a fun idea. And then you get to do press with your best friend, which would be way more fun than traveling around the country by yourself. Anyway, they wrote The True Love Experiment (2023), a contemporary romance novel about a reality television dating show. Now, my husband and I have been a little bit obsessed/frustrated with Love is Blind, so we are very up-to-date on reality dating shows. I thought it would be fun to read about one where love really wins out in the end. 

Fizzy Chen is a romance author who played the role of best friend in The Soulmate Equation (which I haven't read yet, but looks interesting). And now she has her own story. Fizzy is 37 years old and a successful romance author, but she's found herself in a slump. She has extreme writer's block, and hasn't had sex in over a year (which is very unusual for her). 

But then Connor Prince decides that Fizzy should headline his new reality dating show. Fizzy finds Connor intriguing, and decides that the dating show might be a fun idea. Fizzy and eight men will use a new DNA dating match app that Fizzy's best friend developed (and is the subject of Lauren's previous book). Fizzy will go on dates with them, and the audience will vote out two men each week. In the end, the audience will choose a winner. Then the DNA dating app info will be revealed, and everyone can see whether the audience did as well or better than the DNA dating app.

The main problem is that Fizzy is more attracted to Connor than any of her potential suitors on the show. She tries to squash her feelings because she doesn't want to ruin the show and/or get Connor in trouble. But both of them are having a hard time staying away from each other.

On the whole, this was a fun novel. I liked the two main characters, and I felt some emotions as I read. Although there were times, when I felt the authors were reaching a little for plot purposes, I enjoyed this one. I have so many other books to read, but I might go back and read the earlier novel as well.