All in She Read

PARADISE COVE by Jenny Holiday

Not having read the first in the Matchmaker Bay series, I went in blind, but what I found was a wonderfully fresh, poignant small town romance with humor, intimacy & surprising depth.⁠

Moonflower Bay includes everything that makes a small town easy to romanticize. It's gorgeously set along the banks of Lake Heron, has unique mythology & traditions, & includes a cast of well meaning, meddling residents who know each other deeply & show up to ease one another's burdens. It's a community that's both tight knit & tolerant.

THE BOYFRIEND PROJECT by Farrah Rochon

I appreciate a romance novel that takes a broad view of happily ever after and attends to the personal and professional growth of its main characters in tandem with the developing romance. The Boyfriend Project does this well and offers an accessible entry point to readers who enjoy women's fiction but haven't been reading much romance.

It is very much Samiah's book, and the early pages focus solidly on the female relationships in her life: a close bond with her snarky/sweet sister and the birth of a great girl squad. The hilarious confrontation gone viral that brings the squad together rivals any romance meet cutes I've read.

BOYFRIEND MATERIAL by Alexis Hall

I'm at a bit of a loss as to how to string words together in the shadow of its excellence so just consider this me sounding my enthusiastic yawp of approval for a book that invites you to laugh, cry, & remember that we're each worthy of love & celebration for exactly who we are.⁠

An opposites attract, fake dating romance, Boyfriend Material sparkles with all the wit, banter, & tropey goodness of favorite 90s romcoms but none of the gender stereotyping or heteronormativity that can diminish their shine.⁠

A DUKE, THE LADY, AND A BABY by Vanessa Riley

I went in expecting Regency Three Men and a Baby meets First Wives Club and excited to read a historical about a West Indian heiress, but was surprised to find Gothic notes joining the anticipated lilting banter and levity. Presumptive ghosts, the creeping villainy of a greedy uncle, and a convoluted mystery are juxtaposed with the silliness of well-meaning but clueless caretaking from a military man turned guardian & the poignancy of a desperate mother's battle to reclaim her son.⁠

SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT by Meryl Wilsner

Set in a convincingly realistic Hollywood complete with glamorous awards shows and the sacrifices demanded of those who want to walk their red carpets, Something to Talk About manages to take on injustices pulled straight from today's headlines while still delivering an empowering and optimistic love story. ⁠ ⁠