I picked up Dungeons and Drama for two reasons: first, I am a crushing on a Dnd player, and second, I want to learn to play Dnd (my interest predates the crush :P). That said Dungeons and Drama is a cute high school romance with some fake dating. If you’re a fan of To All the boys I’ve loved before, Dungeons and Drama will have you kicking your feet and giggling.
It has been quite some time without a new post, I’ve had a challenging year, but I finally returned with a review of Bride. And all I have to say is Ali Hazelwood has done it again! I am so sorry to the non-Ali Hazelwood fans because you’re going to be so sick of me and everyone else who enjoys cheesy romance novels.
It’s been months since my last blog post and my goodness so much has happened since. I have previously mentioned (at least I think I did) a few posts ago, that I had a family member in poor health.
Hi book lovers! I am back with another edition of Valentine’s Day book recommendations. I am biased towards romance novels-nothing new! This year I decided to focus on books with attractive, mysterious, and handsome love interests. But I did not forget about the female leads either because a great romance requires a balance of female and male leads.
Get ready to simp over these dreamy protagonists and their love interests this Valentine’s Day. I attempted to include some Ya novels on this list for the young readers-emphasis on attempt.
Ali Hazelwood is the queen of lighthearted, feel-good Stem Rom-Coms! And she rolled out another five-star read-Love on the Brain. Love on the Brain is Hazelwood’s sophomore novel, and it’s just as well paced and hilariously cute as her debut The Love Hypothesis. If you love cute contemporary featuring a pair of idiots in love, you’ll love this one.
Zoraida Cordova has done it again! If there is one author, I can trust to tell a compelling story with a grand romance and feature latino/a characters- it’s Zoraida Cordova! Cordova has written many books ranging from middle grade to adult, but her most popular novel, The Inheritance of Orquidea Divina, is clever and beautiful!
Kiss the Girl is a fantastic musician contemporary romance and a Little Mermaid retelling too! This novel is full of lots of funny moments, easter eggs, and great characters, it’s a great treat for romance lovers. Also, Kiss the Girl is part of a fairytale retelling series titled-Meant To Be which features great authors such as Jasmine Guillory, Julie Murphy, and Christine Lauren.
Hey book lovers! I am so excited to share my most anticipated novel of the year-The Hurricane Wars by Thea Guanzon. This debut novel is the first installment in an epic romance fantasy trilogy. And after devouring this novel, I can say it’s a treat for enemies to lovers, and fans of arranged marriages. If you’re interested in this novel well you can now purchase your own copy because it is officially out!
Disclaimer: A big thank you to Netgalley for the Arc of the Hurricane Wars! All opinions are my own.
Hey book besties I hope your latest read was awesome, and if it wasn’t, perhaps this review will entertain you. Over the summer, I decided to dive into mafia romance. I haven’t explored this genre, but this summer was full of discoveries, and The Thief by Tara Crescent is a treasure.
Mafia Romances are known for their dark themes and unhinged love interests, but Crescent’s The Thief is not that. Although this novel does feature a dreamy Mafia boss and an Art Thief heroine, it’s more lighthearted. So, if you’re thinking of picking up a cozy Mafia romance, keep this one in mind.
Hello book lovers and Reylo Rats! I’ve noticed a very particular pattern in my reading this year and a pattern in books published thus far! My latest read just so happened to be Thea Guanzon’s the Hurricane Wars-out this October- which also has fanfiction origins. The trend is Reylo, also known as the chaotic pairing of Rey and Kylo Ren from the sequel Star Wars films. Given the popularity of this pairing online, it’s only natural that many authors took inspiration from their dynamic and later published original works of fiction.
The most famous of these novels is none other than Ali Hazelwood’s, The Love Hypothesis. A novel I simply adored! Although there are many novels with links to Reylo, there are also novels that give off that vibe. Which is what my list consist of! Some of these pairings give off that enemies to lovers vibe, while others feature a love interest who resembles Adam Driver.
Hi book lovers and romance babes! Today, I have another Reylo fanfic turned romance novel to review today! Would I say it’s become a mission of mine to read published fanfiction from the Reylo fandom? Unintentionally yes! I am picking up the ones that look interesting! With Ali Hazelwood’s debut, the Love Hypothesis, an influx of fanfictions have been reworked and published as novels and honestly good for the writers.
That said, if you see me reading more of these novels after I said it wasn’t my new mission-shhhh. I’m just following the vibes.
Demons and Witches falling in love go together like chocolate and milk! Seriously this is a popular pairing in romance novels, and I enjoy it. But what sets A Witch’s Guide to Fake Dating a Demon apart from the rest? The all-powerful witch in this story sucks at casting spells and excels at caring for plants. Not to mention this novel is set in a small town full of supernatural creatures. I don’t know about you book besties, but that sounds so cute.
Awe summer! Summer brings heat, endless movie nights, and lots of down time if you’re lucky. While summers look different for everyone, there’s one thing we can all agree on. Summer is a great season to pick up books and slash your tbr!
And most libraries have summer reading programs which means you can slay your tbr and win prizes!!
The Grim Reaper’s lawyer by Mea Monique was recommended to me by Sciondukes on tiktok (check them out!). And whoa, this was such a cool and entertaining read. This book has some spicy scenes so if thats not your thing I have some great YA recommendations you can check out.
The author’s a lawyer herself, and it makes the world of this novel more real. I really liked the take of a corporate underworld, and the romance aspect of this story is delicious. I love books that are great at balancing the romance and the plot, which I believe this novel does well.
March has been a tough month for me and I’ve struggled to read. Partly due to stress and partly due to the fact that fanfictions are bringing me great comfort during this time. But how are you, reader?
I wanted to start April off with a celebration of spring! In the past I’ve compiled a list of great books to read during the pastel season otherwise known as spring. The novels on the list are not necessarily set in spring but their tone, theme, and covers give spring vibes! And that’s good enough for me!
All of our favorite characters are back in this epic conclusion to the Lunar chronicles. And I am super excited for readers to read Winter simply to see her character! Winter’s teased in Cress, but in this novel she gets the chance to shine! And in my opinion Winter makes this book! I would read more books with a protagonist like her.
If you missed any of my previous reviews in this series, you read them in order here.
Marissa Meyer’s Cinder is a science fiction Cinderella retelling with a sprinkle of sailor moon. Yes, that’s correct Sailor Moon! Cinder is more on the Young Adult side plot and character wise, but the sci fi element and the world of this novel is incredible! Summary: Cinder Linh, an excellent mechanic and a cyborg, living…
Last week, I shared my review on Cinder, Marissa Meyer’s sci-fi Cinderella retelling. Well, the fairytales continue with it’s sequel, Scarlet. This time Meyer brings two new protagonists into the mix and a dreamy thieving pilot who brings the chaos. Scarlet brings the story of little red riding hood and the Big bad Wolf into…
This Kindle Unlimited read is pure fluff and cuteness. Kindle Unlimited is a great resource if you enjoy binge reading and finding new authors. A lot of novels on kindle unlimited are self published, so it’s cool way to find more books from indie authors.
Welcome Back to blog! In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, I have compiled a list of the perfect romance novels to read this Valentine’s Day. My list is made up of romance novels I’ve read this past year but feel free to recommend me some more in the comments. I read romance novels year-round and I am open to genres.
Please Note: There are some HarperCollins novels on this list. I have included links to read up on the Union’s fight for a livable wage. As of February 9th, the Union has reached a tentative agreement with the company but asks readers to continue holding the line.
Hey booklovers, I interrupt our Lunar Chronicles review for some contemporary romance reviews just in time for Valentine’s Day. But not to worry, I will return to my review of Cress and Winter in March.
Priscella Olvieras has done it again! The queen of latine rom com has released the sequel to West Side love story, a mariachi Romeo and Juliet retelling. Kiss me, Catalina, the sequel, is just as explosive, but this time Oliveras has taken inspiration from Shakespeare’s “The Taming of the Shrew.”
But don’t write this one off if you hated that particular Shakespeare play, Kiss Me, Catalina is a loser interpretation.
Hi book lovers, I am back again with another STEM baddie book recommendation. This week I am reviewing Ten Trends to Seduce your Best Friend by Penny Reid. This novel is a misunderstood enemies to lovers and fake best-friend romantic comedy. It is chaotic, hilarious, and should be your next romance read!
Love in the Time of Serial killers by Alicia Thompson has the cutest cover and a curious plot! It immediately caught my attention, and I needed to add it to my Libby queue asap. So, I did.
If you know a few things about serial killers and true crime cases, you will probably enjoy this novel. Not just because our protagonist, Phobe, knows a lot about these cases but because she’s writing a dissertation on the True Crime genre. I found that really interesting!
Although this novel has a boy-next-door type of romance and a cute stray black cat, I really loved that it explores sibling relationships, friendships, and grief too!
I reviewed Ninth House a few years ago (you can read my thoughts here) but decided to reread the novel last fall. It was such an immersive experience! However, while reviewing my previous post, I realized that I made a grievous error. In my previous review, I mentioned that Darlington is “the nerdy gentleman of Ninth House” and that he and Alex “ have no business being together romantically.”
But I was wrong. So very wrong. Alex and Darlington are deeply in love with each other. They yearn for each other on a Victorian level. Additionally, they are also both murderers who deserve each other.
Picture this a runaway vampire with roots tracing as far back as the Aztec empire and a teenage trash collector are on the run in a futuristic Mexico City. This is the world Sylvia Moreno Garcia creates in Certain Dark Things and it’s as entertaining as you think it is.
Hey book lovers, it’s that time of year when trees shake off their leaves and litter the sidewalks with red, brown, and gold. This means it’s also time for me to share my Fall favorites of 2022! This year I have some great recommendations, but if you want to check out my 2021 and 2020 recommendations!
Mexican Gothic is a New York Times Bestseller: It’s another Silvia Moreno classic! Despite my love for Silvia Moreno Garcia’s writing, I hesitated to read this novel despite adding it to my tbr every year since its publication.
But the open chapter convinced me to continue this story. Noemí’s father sends her to check in on her cousin after receiving a distressing letter from her. Catalina takes on an older sister role, so Noemí fights for both their lives. I have a similar relationship with my cousin, and I too would set a house on fire to save our lives.
Imagine this, all the Amars suddenly becoming onboard with sewing and creating clothes for women like them. I never thought I’d see it either, but that’s exactly what happens in the last volume of Princess Jellyfish.
Disclaimer: this post contains an affiliate links for Volume 9 of Princess jellyfish and bookshop at the end of this post. It is marked with an asterisk* If you click the links and make a purchase I earn a commission.
Hello everyone! I finally made it to the thrilling conclusion of the FolkoftheAir series and I really wanted to go all out for my Queen Of Nothing review. Stay tuned to see my Jude Duarte inspired looks.
*Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you click one of my links and make a purchase I earn a commission.
Here is the opening title sequence for the Princess Jellyfish manga try not to fall in love while watching it.
Princess Jellyfish is one of my favorite animes to rewatch when Ineed a mood boost. Although, like most of my favorite animes, it is unfinished. Luckily for me, I spotted a majority of the volumes at my library, and I can’t wait to see where the story goes after the anime ended.
*This post contains affiliate links if you click through and purchase the Princess Jellyfish Manga I earn a small commission.
August is Romance Readers Month but here at Living in Libros reading romance is year round! And I dove feet first into a billionaire romance series. Some I enjoyed more than others! But in total I managed to read 5 novels for August. So let me tell you all about them.
I also spent the later half of August listening to Sabrina’s new album Short and Sweet. And the song on repeat for August was Taste!
Most Eligible Billionaire by Anika Martin
Series: Billionaires of Manhattan
Genre: Romance, contemporary
CW: Sexual content, sexism, past Kidnapping and Sexual assault, panic disorders
Vicky sells dog apparel accessories and walks her elderly neighbor’s dog, Smucker. But when Smucker’s owner passes away, she leaves her seat at a billionaire dollar company to her beloved pet and she leaves the dog in Vicky’s care. This upsets the board members of the company including Henry Locke the heir and Ceo. Vicky has no interest in helping run the company and is ready to sign over her portion to Henry- that is until the other members piss her off.
This was such a sweet and silly read. But this story did pack a punch when it came to Vicky’s traumatic past. I really enjoyed this story, and it was my favorite from this series.
The Billionaire’s Wake-up Call Girl by Annika Martin
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Series: Billionaires of Manhattan
CW: Sexual Content, Car accident, Death of parent, gun violence
Lizzie ends up giving her boss Theo personal wake- up calls after multiple companies refuse to take him on as a client. Lizzie is anything but unprofessional during these calls and yet Theo loves it and will do anything to find out the identity of his wake-up girl.
This sequel was silly and featured a billionaire scientist. I liked Lizzie as a protagonist as she had the funniest inner monologues. I did wish that this story hadn’t resolved Lizzie’s conflictwith Theo’s money but that was my biggest complaint with this story.
Breaking the Billionaire’s Rules by Annika Martin
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Series: Billionaires of Manhattan
CW: Sexual content, mentions of toxic relationships
Mia’s a struggling actress who delivers food in a cat costume. But when she ends up delivering to her ex-boyfriend, Max, her friends convince her she has the perfect opportunity to enact revenge for all of them.
Max gained his wealth by writing a self-help dating book and unfortunately many of Mia’s friends fell into toxic relationships because of it. I did not like this plot point, but it did make Max the perfect enemy and I was really curious to see how he’d redeem himself. I was satisfied with Max’s conclusion, but I did think Mia forgave him too easily. But that was partly due to the fact that Mia never really stopped loving Max.
The Billionaire’s fake Fiancée by Annika Martin
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Series: Billionaires of Manhattan
CW: Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Cursing, alcoholic parents
Rex needs the perfect fiancée to land a big client, and his secretary knows just the perfect woman for the job, Tabitha, Rex’s hairdresser. Tabitha is more than content to play the part and earn a fat paycheck while doing so. But Tabitha senses something off about Rex’s client and she can’t help but to pull Rex into the mystery too.
I read through this story a bit slower than the others. I think I hit my billionaire genre burn out here. I thought this addition was cute and while not my favorite I enjoyed the mystery element to this book. I also enjoyed seeing Rex and Tabitha come together despite having opposite interests and personalities.
Loathe to Love You by Ali Hazelwood
Genre: Romance, Short Story, Stem
Series: no. Interconnected Novella collection
This is a collection of short stories by the STEM Romance queen Ali Hazelwood.
CW: Sexual Content, Sexism
Under one Roof
Mara’s mentor leaves her home to Mara when she passes on, but the home was also left to her nephew Liam. Mara cannot stand Liam, a corporate lawyer who often works against Mara’s own beliefs as an environmentalist. But they slowly bridge the gap between enemies and friends and eventually lovers.
This short story was great. Another fantastic story from the wonderful Ali Hazelwood
Stuck With You
Sadie’s trapped in an elevator with Erik, the cute coffee guy that inevitably works in her building. But after spending the night together Sadie learns Erik betrayed her and decides to give him no chance for explanation.
I loved the concept of this story and the way Hazelwood emphasized the height difference between Sadie and Erik. Shout out to Reylo (Adam Driver + Daisy Ridley) and the elevator scene from The Last Jedi for giving us this nugget.
Below Zero
Hannah interviewed Ian briefly about his work at Nasa when she was still in grad school. And the two keep it friendly when they both end up working at Nasa but when Hannah is denied funding for a big project, she learns Ian was the reason. Hannah’s furious but ends up stranded while researching in Svalbard and Ian’s the only one brave enough to save her.
This one was my favorite from the collection, and I loved that this story ties all the others together and readers get a snippet of all the hero and heroines meeting.
My edition of this collection also included epilogues for all the stories. And the epilogues are all so sweet! Cw: for pregnancy
Thank you for reading until my next post you’ll find me living in libros,
Hello book lovers! Since returning to this blog I’ve wanted to switch things up and one thing I’ve decided to do is post mini reviews for books I’ve read that month. So first let me start with a song I have been listening on repeat for a…
Hola libritos, It has been quite some time without a new post, I’ve had a challenging year, but I finally returned with a review of Bride. And all I have to say is Ali Hazelwood has done it again! I am so sorry to the non-Ali Hazelwood…
Hi book lovers, It’s been months since my last blog post and my goodness so much has happened since. I have previously mentioned (at least I think I did) a few posts ago, that I had a family member in poor health. And as result of this…
Hello book lovers! Since returning to this blog I’ve wanted to switch things up and one thing I’ve decided to do is post mini reviews for books I’ve read that month. So first let me start with a song I have been listening on repeat for a month and that is… Naked in Manhattan by the lovely and talented Chappell Roan.
The books I read this month are a mix! In total I read four novels, and I managed to squeeze a classic but as you’ll see I was persuaded by a handsome actor who narrates the audio of this classic.
Hello readers, whoa-it’s been a while-I’ve missed coming onto this space to blog and interact with and getting to spill my thoughts onto the page. Although I haven’t been actively posting on this blog, I have still thought about it, plotted it, dreamed about it. Life has been hard this past year. If you want to hear more from where I’ve been stick around till the end, but for now, I am back with 13 fantastic books I can’t wait to sink my teeth into this year.
Feliz Spooky season everyone! It is once again that glorious time of year when pumpkins line porches, leaves change colors, and the air is crisp with the scent of rich stews. And you know what else is great about this season? I get to share my Fall favorites with you lovely readers.
And don’t worry these posts will have spooky good fall reads too!
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